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Front Page

- Ragged in med college, student undergoes dialysis

- Six cops get life for beating man to death

- Booze ban buzz in Odisha, govt denies

- L K Advani, 96, admitted to AIIMS

- Rahul summoned in defamation case

- Monthly instant payments jump 4x

- One in 2 Indian adults unfit, inactive: Study

- CBI gets CM’s 3-day custody, court says arrest not illegal

- Three terrorists gunned down in Doda encounter

- Sought updates on Pannun probe from India: US

- LG-tree cutting row: DDA is shielding higher-ups, says SC

- `500cr Pjb action plan to tackle stubble burning

- Telugu speakers jump 4-fold in US, touch 12.3L this yr from 3.2L in 2016

- ADMK suspended from TN House for session for ruckus over hooch toll

- Burglar shoots couple’s video, blackmails them

- Om Birla elected Speaker for second time on voice vote

- Bombay HC upholds hijab ban in college

- Slight delay in monsoon but wet spell to continue

- MCD plans to hike parking charges in city

- Kapil takes guard as Indian men’s golf fed chief

- Probe: NEET leak Bihar kingpin colluded with paper-solving gang of UP

- Fake cops dupe elderly city woman of `83 lakh

- GRUDGE MATCH AS INDIA EYES FINAL

Ragged in med college, student undergoes dialysis

A first-year MBBS student of a govt medical college in Rajasthan’s Dungarpur district had to undergo dialysis after seniors forced him to do more than 300 push-ups in scorching heat, severely impacting his kidney function. Although the ragging incident took place on May 15, the college administration took action against the accused students Tuesday after receiving a communication from the NCM. An FIR has been filed against seven second-year students and they have been suspended.

P 9

Six cops get life for beating man to death

A court in Assam sentenced six policemen to rigorous life imprisonment Wednesday for beating to death a man in a market at Sadiya in Tinsukia district more than a decade ago. The convicted cops were found guilty of assaulting Ajit Sonowal on Oct 7, 2013, with rifle butts, lathis, kicks and blows.

TNN

Booze ban buzz in Odisha, govt denies

Odisha minister Nityananda Gond caused a flutter Wednesday by declaring the new BJP govt in the state would explore the feasibility of liquor prohibition, pointing out that “addiction is ruining lives and shattering families”. The excise department said no such plan was in the works.

P 9

L K Advani, 96, admitted to AIIMS

BJP veteran and former deputy PM Lal Krishna Advani (96) was admitted to the old private ward of AIIMS, Delhi, on Wednesday night. He is being treated by urologist Dr Amlesh Seth and kept under the supervision of doctors. “He is stable and under observation,” a source said, reports PTI.

Rahul summoned in defamation case

An MP-MLA court in UP’s Sultanpur summoned Congress’s Rahul Gandhi to appear before it on July 2 in a 2018 defamation case for allegedly calling Union home minister Amit Shah a “murderer”. BJP’s Vijay Mishra filed the case against Rahul for the alleged remarks at a presser in Aug 2018. TNN

Monthly instant payments jump 4x

India has witnessed a significant surge in monthly realtime payments, which have increased to 13.3 bn transactions from 2.6 bn in 3 years. According to a BCG-QED investors report, availability of an alias directory and QR codes on top of real-time payments infrastructure was key in propelling innovation.

P19

One in 2 Indian adults unfit, inactive: Study

Nearly 50% of Indian adults are unfit and fail to adhere to World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendations for adequate physical activity, says a study published in medical journal The Lancet Global Health. The research, conducted across 197 countries from 2000 to 2022, also showed a gender skew — 52.6% of women were found to be physically inactive, against 38.4% men, reports Anuja Jaiswal.

WHO guidelines recommend “150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity, or equivalent, per week”.

P 5

CBI gets CM’s 3-day custody, court says arrest not illegal

False Narrative That I Implicated Sisodia: Kejriwal

Vineet.Upadhyay@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: A city court on Wednesday sent CM Arvind Kejriwal to CBI custody for three days, asserting that his arrest in the Delhi excise policy case was “not illegal”. The court of vacation judge Amitabh Rawat said in an 18-page order that at this stage of investigation, statements of witnesses and documentary evidence will be considered and the remand of the accused was, therefore, warranted.

“Investigation is the prerogative of the investigating agency. There are certain safeguards provided in the law, and at this stage, on the material on record, it cannot be said that the arrest is illegal. The agency, however, should not be overzealous,” said the court.

CBI arrested Kejriwal during the hearing in court after the court allowed the agency to examine him and to produce documents for his arrest. The agency had sought five days of custody.

The application seeking Kejriwal's arrest had been moved by CBI after he was produ- ced before the court from Tihar Jail, where he was lodged in judicial custody in a money-laundering case related to the excise policy being probed by ED.

The CBI counsel had earlier told the court why the CM’s custody was needed. “We need his custodial interrogation. He pushed the entire onus on Manish Sisodia and said he has no idea about the excise policy. We need to confront him with documents. We are not asking him to admit to something,” said the counsel.

Responding to this, Kejriwal addressed the court, saying CBI had released fabricated information to the media.

 ‘Policy objectives’, P 6

EDIT: Jail Mustn’t Be Norm

Three terrorists gunned down in Doda encounter

Security forces killed three terrorists in a gunfight in Gandoh-Bhaderwah sector of J&K’s Doda district Wednesday, with official sources hailing this as an encouraging outcome of multi-layered search operations over the past fortnight in the hilly, forested terrain of Jammu region following four attacks on June 9, 11 and 12, reports Sanjay Khajuria.

“Based on specific intelligence inputs, a joint op of J&K police and security forces was launched. Contact was established with terrorists and a gunfight followed. Three terrorists were gunned down,” said a police spokesperson. Sources said a J&K policeman named Aashiq Hussain was wounded with a bullet in his right leg and shifted to Doda govt hospital, where his condition is said to be stable.

P 9

Sought updates on Pannun probe from India: US

The United States has consistently pressed India for updates on the Indian investigation into the alleged foiled plot to kill Khalistan separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun and made it clear that it seeks “accountability” in the case, a senior Biden administration official said Wednesday.

“...We raised this issue directly with the Indian government...at the most senior levels between our two sides. We have had constructive dialogue with India on this topic and I would say that they have been responsive to our concerns,” US deputy secretary of state Kurt Campbell said at a virtual media briefing on his and US national security adviser Jake Sullivan’s visit to India last week.

P16

LG-tree cutting row: DDA is shielding higher-ups, says SC

AmitAnand.Choudhary@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday accused DDA of concealing information to save higher ups as the land controlling agency failed to lift the haze on whether Delhi LG V K Saxena had visited the Ridge area and given approval to the felling of more than 750 trees in violation of law for construction of a road.

The court’s observations came after DDA said that it was unable to find documents on whether Saxena had visited the area.

SC had on June 24 directed DDA to come clean on the LG’s role in light of the allegation that the executive engineer concerned, in his email messages, had specifically mentioned that the LG visited the site on Feb 3 and directed that the trees be cleared. Later, however, the engineer went back on his claim.

Defending DDA, senior advocate Maninder Singh told a bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan that the authority was not concealing anything but would place the details after locating the records and talking to persons who were present there.

The court was hearing a contempt petition filed by Delhi resident Bindu Kapurea who moved the court through advocate Manan Verma against the DDA vice chairman for felling trees in violation of various laws. As per the petitioner, more than 1,100 trees were cut as against 633 mentioned in DDA's records. Forest Survey of India in its preliminary report said 750 trees were cut but sought time to analyse satellite images to give the exact number.

As it was submitted that DDA member engineer Ashok Kumar Gupta was present when the LG visited, the court directed him to file an affidavit in his personal capacity on “what transpired on that day and whether the LG passed the order.”

‘Brazen act’, P 3

`500cr Pjb action plan to tackle stubble burning

Punjab agriculture and farmer welfare department has prepared an action plan of Rs 500 crore to put a check on stubble burning by providing machinery and other measures during the paddy harvesting season of 2024.

Agriculture minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian said the department has received 21,511 applications from farmers, cooperative societies, farmer producer organisations, and panchayats interested in availing of subsidies on crop residue management machinery during the kharif season of 2024. Farmers have applied for 63,697 machines. Individual farmers can avail of a 50% subsidy on the cost of CRM equipment while cooperative societies, FPOs and panchayats can receive an 80% subsidy, he added.

P2

Telugu speakers jump 4-fold in US, touch 12.3L this yr from 3.2L in 2016

Amisha.Rajani@timesgroup.com

Hyderabad: Telugu students packing their bags for the US this fall are more likely to feel at home than before. There has been an explosion in the Telugu-speaking population across America, from 3.2 lakh in 2016 to 12.3 lakh in 2024.

According to a Statistical Atlas of the US report based on US Census Bureau data this population ranges from fourth-generation immigrants to recently-arrived students. California hosts the largest Telugu-speaking population — of close to 2 lakh – closely followed by Texas (1.5 lakh) and New Jersey (1.1 lakh). States like Illinois (83,000), Virginia (78,000), and Georgia (52,000) too have a significant pool of people from the two Telugu states. Data shows each of these states have seen an almost four-fold rise in numbers. Local Telugu associations say these numbers are in line with their own estimates.

 11th spoken language, P 22

ADMK suspended from TN House for session for ruckus over hooch toll

AIADMK legislators, led by leader of oppn Edappadi Palaniswami, turned up in black on Wednesday

Chennai: Legislators of AIADMK, including leader of opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami, were suspended Wednesday from Tamil Nadu assembly for the remainder of the session ending June 29 after they demanded an adjournment to discuss the Kallakurichi hooch tragedy that has claimed 60 deaths.

Over 110 people are still being treated in various hospitals after consuming methanol-spoked moonshine brew in Karunapuram village on June 18. Assembly speaker M Appavu ordered the mass eviction of AIADMK MLAs shortly after the session began. Led by general se cretary Palaniswami, AIADMK legislators — dressed in black shirts as a mark of protest — shouted slogans and insisted on their demand despite Appavu’s assurance that the issue could be raised after question hour. TNN

 ‘Publicity over duty’, P 22

Resolution urges Centre for caste census, P 12

Burglar shoots couple’s video, blackmails them

Rashmi.Drolia@timesgroup.com

Raipur: A wannabe civil servant, who took to burglary after his PSC dreams went nowhere, sneaked into a couple’s home in Chhattisgarh’s Durg a few nights ago, but instead of stealing anything, took a video of their intimate moment and tried to extort Rs 10 lakh from them.

The couple, though shaken by the blackmail, decided to approach police and Vinay Kumar Sahu’s shortlived career as a criminal ended just like his PSC dreams.

Sahu (28) had used a stolen phone to take the video and WhatsApp it to the couple, without thinking that it would be under surveillance. “He made it easy for us to eventually track him down,” said a police officer.

Failed to crack test, P 22

Om Birla elected Speaker for second time on voice vote

Opposition Does Not Press For Division Of Votes

Akhilesh.Singh@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: Om Birla, three-time BJP MP from Kota, was re-elected Lok Sabha Speaker for a second consecutive term in a contest that was not to be as the opposition flinched from seeking a vote despite Congress fielding its candidate K Suresh. Birla, 62, was elected by voice vote.

There were 13 sets of proposals in favour of Birla, the first moved by PM Modi and seconded by defence minister Rajnath Singh. Other proposers were drawn from among NDA partners and BJP’s own, representing various castes.

With Congress and its allies Shiv Sena (UBT), DMK, NCP and RSP proposing the candidature of Suresh amid strong indications of their desire to make it a play on his Dalit background, a contest — the first in almost five de cades — seemed imminent.

Trinamool Congress’s decision not to propose Suresh in protest against Congress unilaterally declaring him a contender appeared to be the main reason for the latter not to seek a division of votes.

 5th to be elected..., P 22

EDIT PAGE: RaGa On Double Duty/Om Shanti Om

Anti-Emergency resolution isolates Cong

Congress found itself isolated on Wednesday as a motion was moved by the newly-elected Speaker to condemn the Emergency imposed by the Indira Gandhi govt in 1975, reports Akhilesh Singh. Besides BJP and its allies, Congress’s allies Samajwadi Party, DMK and TMC backed the resolution. Speaker Om Birla sought two minutes’ silence in the memory of “those dutiful and patriotic citizens of India” who lost their lives “at the hands of the dictatorial Congress govt”. While Cong MPs protested, its allies joined in.

P 10

Bombay HC upholds hijab ban in college

Bombay high court on Wednesday upheld the ban by a Mumbai college on students wearing burqa, hijab and niqab on the campus as part of its dress code. “The object behind prescribing the dress code is evident from the instructions since they state that the intention is that a student’s religion ought not to be revealed. It is in the larger academic interest of the students as well as for the administration and discipline of the college that this object is achieved,” it said.

P9

Slight delay in monsoon but wet spell to continue

Instead of its normal onset date of June 27, monsoon is likely to arrive in Delhi-NCR around June 28-30, weather experts said, although IMD is yet to issue a forecast on the likely arrival date. However, the capital continues to get patchy spells of rain. These are expected to persist, with heavy showers predicted for June 29-30, the likely time of monsoon’s arrival. The heat index on Wednesday was 52 degrees C as humidity oscillated between 51% and 71%.

P 2

MCD plans to hike parking charges in city

MCD plans to introduce a proposal to revise parking charges in city areas under it to curb congestion and air pollution. For cars, the charges may be hiked from Rs 20 to Rs 30 in ‘A’ category (premium) areas, and from Rs 10 to 15 for two-wheelers. The monthly charges are also likely to be increased. According to the proposal, likely to be tabled Thursday, there will also be a ‘normal’ category. Underground parking lots will come under a separate bracket.

P3

Kapil takes guard as Indian men’s golf fed chief

Cricket legend turned ace golfer Kapil Dev was on Wednesday appointed president of the Professional Golf Tour of India, governing body for men’s professional golf in India. Kapil, who has excelled as an amateur golfer, has been the vice-president and member of the governing body of PGTI for the past three years. “I promise to do my best, as I always have,” Kapil said.

P 22

Probe: NEET leak Bihar kingpin colluded with paper-solving gang of UP

TOI explains how the darknet has become a big headache for NTA officials grappling with paper-leak crisis

Kshitiz@timesgroup.com

Patna: Sanjiv Mukhiya, the Nalanda horticulture college employee identified as one of the absconding perpetrators of the NEET-UG paper leak in Bihar, is a repeat offender with a network of collaborators that includes the arrested kingpin of a UP “solver gang”, investigators revealed Wednesday.

Mukhiya, it transpired, unofficially took time off from his job as a technical assistant at the state-run Noorsarai Horticulture College in Nalanda from May 6 to 14 and got himself admitted to a hospital. He went missing after word got out about his alleged role in the paper leak ahead of the May 5 test. Sources in the Economic Offences Unit said Mukhiya had links with Ravi Atri, who was jailed in Meerut after being arrested in April for the police constable recruitment exam paper leak.

 Skipped work, P 22

P 16

Fake cops dupe elderly city woman of `83 lakh

Devanshi.Mehta@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: Krishna Dasgupta, a 72-year-old resident of CR Park in south Delhi, recently became the victim of an elaborate fraud, with scammers using a tactic known as “digital arrest” to steal Rs 83 lakh from her bank accounts.

The crooks not just sent her fake arrest warrants and notices but also took her on a video call and asked her to remain confined to a room where she was told she had been “held under observation”. They then coerced her to go to her bank branches and transfer funds to them for “verification”.

The woman told TOI that she panicked and followed the instructions to avoid any “legal trouble”.

Fake legal notices, P 7

GRUDGE MATCH AS INDIA EYES FINAL

Buttler

➤ Another T20 World Cup semifinal, another England challenge for India. While India’s win over Australia in Super 8 was touted as revenge for the defeat in the ODI World Cup final in 2023, today’s is the real grudge match

➤ Defending champs England humiliated India in the semifinal of the previous T20 World Cup, chasing down 169 runs with 10 wickets and 24 balls to spare

➤ Things have changed since then, with India reorienting its batting approach in T20s. Plus, it has a spin attack better suited to the Guyana surface

➤ A big rain threat looms over the game, and there is no reserve day. If there’s a washout, undefeated India will go through to final by virtue of topping their group in Super 8

KEY MATCHUPS

VIRAT KOHLI vs ADIL RASHID: The former has struggled to get going, and Rashid, who has dismissed him 9 times in int’l matches, will fancy his chances

KULDEEP YADAV vs HARRY BROOK: If Brook gets going, India’s canny left-arm spinner will be called upon to deliver

ROHIT SHARMA vs JOFRA ARCHER: Archer has dismissed Rohit thrice from 20 deliveries, giving 17 runs, in T20 matches

JOS BUTTLER vs JASPRIT BUMRAH: It will be up to India’s paceman for all seasons to dismiss the in-form England captain

VENUE: Providence, Guyana | TIME: 8pm IST Today

Rohit

P 21

Times Nation

- Train upper berth seat falls, kills man

- HC upholds hijab ban in Mum college in ‘interest of students’

- Pathankot on alert as 2 armed men spotted

- 3 terrorists shot dead in gunfight with security forces in J&K’s Doda

- MBBS student in Raj undergoes dialysis after ragging, 7 booked

- Odisha mantri talks of booze ban plan, excise dept denies it

- Speaker moves resolution condemning Emergency, Cong finds itself isolated

- Replace sengol with replica of Constitution: SP

- BJP sought ‘400 paar’ to change Constitution, but failed: Cong

- PM hails Birla, says he presided over golden era in history of LS

- Be impartial, don’t stifle India’s voice: Rahul, oppn netas to Birla

- IN A NEW ROLE: ABHINETA TO NETA

- Did Cong avoid seeking division of votes due to TMC reluctance?

- Months after exit, Pitroda back in key Congress post

- Emergency was an era of injustice, exposed Cong’s dictatorial mentality: Shah

- 6 mths, 6.2L trained: Centre eyes smooth switch to new crime laws

- Put up united front for state polls: Rahul, Kharge to Haryana netas

- After Amritpal’s LS win, his aide plans to contest Punjab bypoll

- TMC MLAs on dharna as swearing-in delayed due to guv standoff

- Seven killed in lightning strikes in western UP:

- NIA offers `10 lakh for info on Goldy Brar, aide

- IIM-K flips gender ratio with record 60% girl-student intake

- BJP’s East Champaran ZP member shot dead, ‘land dispute’ suspected

- Govt mulls monthly, annual NH toll passes for private cars

- TN assembly urges Centre to undertake caste census

- Students sent Ambani threats via pvt email services: Chargesheet

- Shame that local train users carried worse than cattle: HC

- Our N-trajectory based on ‘no first use & massive retaliation’: CDS

- Muchkund Dubey, veteran diplomat &former foreign secy, dies at 90

- Posing as buyer, crook swaps `4.5cr diamond with a lab-grown one

- US seeking accountability from India in Pannun case, says official

- When NEET met darknet, the web you may not know about

- EAM meets Myanmar dy PM, flags violence along border

- India steps up training of foreign military personnel to boost ties

Train upper berth seat falls, kills man

A 60-year-old man from Kerala died while undergoing treatment at a hospital due to the injuries he sustained after the upper berth seat in a train coach in which he was travelling fell on him due to improper chaining by another passenger, Govt Railway Police said on Wednesday. The incident happened on June 16 when Ali Khan C K from Kerala was travelling to Agra along with his friend in the lower berth of the sleeper coach. The official spokesperson of the ministry of railways on X clarified that the seat was not in damaged condition, neither it fell down nor crashed. The seat was checked at Nizamuddin station and found ok.

PTI

HC upholds hijab ban in Mum college in ‘interest of students’

‘Dress Code Helps Maintain Discipline And Avoid Disclosure Of Religion’

HC dismissed a plea by nine students that the ban is arbitrary and affects their fundamental rights to expression

Rosy.Sequeira@timesgroup.com

Mumbai: Observing that it is in the larger academic interest of students, Bombay HC on Wednesday upheld the ban by a Chembur college on students wearing burqa, hijab and niqab on the campus as part of its dress code.

“The object behind prescribing the dress code is evident from the instructions since they state that the intention is that a student’s religion ought not to be revealed. It is in the larger academic interest of the students as well as for the administration and discipline of the college that this object is achieved,” said Justices A S Chandurkar and Rajesh Patil.

They dismissed a petition by nine SY/TY science students of N G Acharya and D K Marathe College that the ban is arbitrary and discriminatory and affects their fundamental rights to expression under Article 19 (1) (a) and religion under Article 25. The petition also stated that their rights to choice and privacy were affected by the dress code and donning hijab and niqab was an es- sential religious practice.

Senior advocate Anil Anturkar, for the college, had cited Karnataka HC full bench’s judgment in a similar case that donning hijab or niqab was not an essential practice of girls professing Islam, and prescribing dress code did not violate their fundamental rights. A challenge is pending in SC. “We are in respectful agreement with the full bench that the prescription of dress code is intended to achieve uniformity among students in the school/college so as to maintain discipline and avoid disclosure of religion,” the judges said.

They also said the college’s right to maintain discipline flows from recognised fundamental right to establish and administer an educational in- stitution. “We do not find how the prescription of the dress code by the college violates the provision of Article 19 (1) (a) and Article 25,” they said, adding “moreover a changing room was provided.”

They noted that college’s instructions “are applicable to all students irrespective of caste, creed, religion or language”. The students’ advocate Altaf Khan argued that the dress code is against UGC regulations, Rashtriya Uchhastar Shiksha Abhiyan and National Education Policy. The judges said “above guidelines and instructions attempt to promote a non-discriminatory atmosphere in higher educational institutions” and “we do not find how” they are violated by the college’s instructions.

Pathankot on alert as 2 armed men spotted

Pathankot: Two armed men with covered faces and carrying backpacks arrived at a farmhouse in Pathankot area of Punjab and demanded food from migrant labourers present there Tuesday night, raising fears of fleeing terrorists from J&K reaching the plains and prompting intense search operations along the India-Pakistan border and the Pathankot-Jammu inter-state border, reports Yudhvir Rana.

DIG (border range) Rakesh Kumar Kaushal said the area was cordoned off, and an alert was issued to BSF, Army, and IAF. The suspects left after eating at the farmhouse.

3 terrorists shot dead in gunfight with security forces in J&K’s Doda

Sanjay.Khajuria@timesgroup.com

Jammu: Security forces killed three terrorists in a gunfight in Gandoh-Bhaderwah sector of J&K’s Doda Wednesday, with official sources hailing this as an encouraging outcome of multilayered search operations over the past fortnight in the hilly, forested terrain of Jammu region following four attacks on June 9,11 and 12.

“Based on specific intelligence inputs, a joint op of J&K police and security forces was launched. Contact was established with terror- ists and a gunfight followed. Three terrorists were gunned down,” said a police spokesperson. The slain terrorists haven’t been identified yet.

Sources said a J&K policeman named Aashiq Hussain was wounded with a bullet in his right leg and shifted to Doda govt hospital, where his condition is said tobe stable.

Jammu zone ADG Anand Jain confirmed the three deaths and the seizure of a large quantity of arms and ammunition, including an American M4 carbine.

People have been restricted from approaching the site to prevent rumourmonger- ing, circulating unsubstantiated news, and revealing the positions of security forces.

A search is also underway in a forested area in Reasi following reports of suspicious movement of armed men.

It couldn’t be ascertained if the slain terrorists in Doda were involved in the twin attacks in the district. Police had released sketches of four suspected Pakistani terrorists and announced a cash reward of Rs 5 lakh each for information on them. Three locals were also detained on suspicion of aiding the terrorists in hiding and navigating the area undetected.

MBBS student in Raj undergoes dialysis after ragging, 7 booked

According to the complaint, the first-year student was forced to do over 300 push-ups in scorching heat, severely impacting his kidney function

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Jaipur: A first-year MBBS student of a govt medical college in Rajasthan’s Dungarpur had to undergo dialysis after seniors forced him to do more than 300 push-ups in scorching heat, severely impacting his kidney function. An FIR has been filed against seven second-year students in the matter and they have been suspended.

Although the ragging took place on May 15, the college administration took action against the accused students on Tuesday after receiving a communication from the National Medical Commission (NCM). The victim had filed a complaint with NMC’s anti-ragging cell.

“The email by NMC was forwarded to college’s anti ragging committee on June 22, which investigated the matter and confirmed the incident had taken place. Following SC guidelines and based on the recommendation of the anti-ragging committee, we filed an FIR against seven accused stu- dents,” college principal Balamuruganvelu S told TOI.

According to the complaint, the accused took the first-year student outside the college campus to a hilly spot one-and-a-half km away, where they made him do the push-ups in blazing heat, resulting in severe dehydration. He was admitted to a hospital in Ahmedabad for seven days.

Based on the principal’s complaint, the accused have been booked under multiple IPC sections, including 143 (unlawful assembly), 147 (rioting), 149 (offence committed in prosecution of common object), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 341 (wrongful restraint), and 352 (assault or criminal force otherwise than on grave provocation).

Odisha mantri talks of booze ban plan, excise dept denies it

Bhubaneswar: Odisha minister Nityananda Gond caused a flutter Wednesday by declaring new BJP govt in the state would explore the feasibility of liquor prohibition, pointing out that “addiction is ruining lives and shattering families”, reports Debabrata Mohapatra.

“There are states where liquor is banned. Odisha govt will hold discussions in this regard with the excise department,” Gond, minister of social security and empowerment of persons with disabilities said.

The excise department contradicted the minister, saying no such plan was in the works.“There is no plan as of now to ban liquor. New govt has not given any such indication or proposal,” a senior excise department officersaid.

Speaker moves resolution condemning Emergency, Cong finds itself isolated

Besides NDA, INDIA Bloc Allies SP, DMK & TMC Too Back Motion

I am glad that the Speaker strongly condemned the Emergency, highlighted the excesses committed during that time and also mentioned the manner in which democracy was strangled. It was also a wonderful gesture to stand in silence in honour of all those who suffered during those days PM NARENDRA MODI

PM Modi and leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi accompany Om Birla to the chair after his election as Lok Sabha Speaker on Wednesday

Akhilesh.Singh@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: Proceedings of the new Lok Sabha got off on an interesting note with the resurgent Congress finding itself isolated over a motion moved by the newly-elected Speaker to condemn the Emergency clamped by the Indira Gandhi govt to silence protests.

The resolution, marking the “post-facto ratification” by the Indira Gandhi Cabinet of the presidential proclamation issued late night to suspend democracy and civil rights, was supported by Congress’s allies like SP, DMK and TMC, besides, of course, BJP and its allies.

“Dictatorship was imposed on India by Indira Gandhi, India’s democratic values were crushed and freedom of expression was strangled. During that dark period of Emergency, several people lost their lives at the hands of the dictatorial Congress government. Let’s observe two minutes of silence in the memory of those dutiful and patriotic citizens of India,” the resolution read by Speaker Om Birla in Lok Sabha, a few minutes after his re-election, said.

“This House strongly condemns the decision to impose Emergency in the country in 1975. Along with this, we appreciate the determination of all those people who strongly opposed the Emergency, fought an unprecedented struggle and took the responsibility of protecting the democracy of India,” he further said.

The motion, mirroring PM Narendra Modi’s condemnation of the Emergency on the inaugural day of the session, caught Congress unawares, splitting it not just from allies like SP and DMK whose leaders were victims of Emergency’s excesses but also, surprisingly, TMC, a breakaway unit.

When Birla started reading out the resolution that specifically named Indira Gandhi and Congress for the assault on “Babasaheb Ambedkar’s Constitution, illegal arrests, press censorship and other excesses”, only Congress MPs protested from the aisle while the rest of the opposition, including SP and TMC, re- mained seated. Congress’s allies also joined in the two-minute silence urged by the speaker to express solidarity with the victims of Emergency and to “remind the younger generation” of what happened in the 21 months of the Emergency.

Besides the embarrassment to Congress, the swift move was significant also in that it again indicated BJP’s resolve to pay Congress back in the “Constitution-in-danger” coin that Rahul Gandhi effectively used during the election campaign, as well as its willingness to pick and widen gaps in the INDIA bloc.

“This is the 50th anniver- sary of the Emergency. It is our collective duty to create awareness about all historic events. Awareness towards the Constitution will only strengthen when the young generation knows about democracy,” Birla said, adding that post-facto ratification of Emergency was done by the cabinet on June 26 fifty years ago.

Endorsing Birla for his resolution on the Emergency, Modi said on X, “I am glad that the speaker strongly condemned the Emergency, highlighted the excesses committed during that time and also mentioned the manner in which democracy was strangled. It was also a wonderful gesture to stand in silence in honour of all those who suffered during those days.”

The PM said Emergency was imposed 50 years ago but it was important for today's youth to know about it because it remained a fitting example of what happened when the Constitution was trampled, public opinion was stifled and institutions were destroyed.

“The happenings during the Emergency exemplified what a dictatorship looks like,” Modi said, a reassertion of what Birla said in the resolution and seen as a bid to deflate Congress’s “save democracy” campaign.

Later, parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju framed the issue as one between those who supported the atrocities during Emergency on the one hand and those who sympathised with those who resisted the “imposition of dictatorship”.

Replace sengol with replica of Constitution: SP

Samajwadi Party’s R K Chaudhary demanded the removal of “sengol” from Lok Sabha, calling it an anachronistic symbol of monarchy in a democratic India, reports Subodh Ghildiyal. He said the sengol should be replaced by a replica of the Constitution.

BJP sought ‘400 paar’ to change Constitution, but failed: Cong

New Delhi: None of the INDIA bloc parties protested when the govt brought in the proposal to condemn the Emergency, leaving Congress members to fight the battle alone in Lok Sabha.

The Congress group led by KC Venugopal, Gaurav Gogoi, Manickam Tagore, K Suresh and Hibi Eden stood up and raised slogans for the duration that Speaker Om Birla read the resolution.

Later, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav told reporters that Samajwadis were victims of Emergency and BJP alone did not face the state action. “But what BJP has done today is just a pretence. How much do we look behind, look at the past? The future is ahead. We brought an Act to provide wages to ‘Loktantra Rakshak Sainani’. If BJP is serious about the issue, let them bring this Act everywhere. Let BJP increase their honorarium, make it Rs 1 lakh,” he said.

Responding to the govt, Congress spokesperson Jairam Ramesh said, “Between 2014-24, all constitutional values and principles were assaulted and the independence of all constitutional bodies eroded. During the election campaign, PM Narendra Modi asked for ‘400 paar’ to change the Constitution and he was rebuffed by the people resoundingly.”

TNN

PM hails Birla, says he presided over golden era in history of LS

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: PM Narendra Modi on Wednesday lauded newly-elected Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla for his conduct as presiding officer in the previous House and also as a parliamentarian. He said Birla presided over a golden era in Lok Sabha’s history as a number of historic decisions were taken during its previous term.

Noting that he was the first Speaker after Balram Jakhar to get another term after serving a full tenure, the PM expressed confidence that he would continue to create new benchmarks. Jakhar served between 1980 and 1989.

Modi pointed to a 20-year period when those elected Speakers either did not contest elections or did not win an election after their appointment, and said Birla had scripted history by returning as Speaker after emerging victorious again.

The PM noted that the previous Lok Sabha notched around 97% productivity, the highest in 25 years, and said Birla ensured the House functioned even during the Covid pandemic and maintained its dignity and decorum, at times by taking diffi- cult decisions.

He said Birla’s polite and humble personality and his winning smile helped him in conducting the House. He also mentioned the Speaker’s personal touch and concern for members during the pandemic. The PM praised the Kota MP’s welfare work for his constituency, saying it would inspire young parliamentarians. He also expressed confidence that the speaker would continue to achieve new success.

Rahul recognised as LoP, 3rd Gandhi to occupy post

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla Wednesday recognised Rahul Gandhi as the leader of opposition (LoP), issuing a notification to the effect. The lower house has an LoP after a gap of ten years as Congress in 2014 and 2019 did not receive the minimum 10% MPs to qualify for the post. The post is equivalent to a cabinet rank, which will put Rahul higher in the list of protocol. Rahul has also become the third person from the Gandhi family to occupy the LoP post after father Rajiv Gandhi and mother Sonia Gandhi.

TNN

Be impartial, don’t stifle India’s voice: Rahul, oppn netas to Birla

We believe actions like suspensions which hurt the dignity of the House will not be taken, SP’s Akhilesh Yadav said on Wednesday

Subodh.Ghildiyal@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: Indulging in no pleasantries barring customary congratulations, the opposition on Wednesday told Speaker Om Birla that he should be “impartial” in his treatment of the opposition, and invoked mass suspension of members to rubbish the arguments that previous Lok Sabha witnessed high productivity — in what is seen as setting the tone for the coming term of the 18th House.

Congress’ Rahul Gandhi, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, Sudip Bandopadhyay (TMC), T RBaalu (DMK), Arvind Sawant (Shiv Sena-UBT), Supriya Sule (NCP-SP), N K Premachandran, made biting comments, and stated that suspension of members hurts the dignity of the House. Crucially, many MPs including AIMIM’s Asaduddin Owaisi said the opposition has better strength than in the past, and “BJP won’t be able to steamroll.” National Conference MP Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi lamented that a Muslim MP was called a terrorist in the last LS, which was a blot on the Chair’s record. As the expected bonhomie disappeared quickly, Birla even had to cut short some members and admonish some.

On his first day as the leader of opposition and dressed in white kurta instead of his trademark Tshirt, Rahul Gandhi warmly escorted Birla to the Chair in company with PM Narendra Modi. But his short speech in English, measured in tone in contrast to the decibel levels and rhetoric of his past interventions, drove home that “cooperation happens on the basis of trust”.

He said, “This House represents the voice of India’s people and you, Speaker sir, are the final arbiter of that voice … the opposition also represents the voice of India’s people and this time, the opposition represents significantly more voice of the Indian people than it did last time.” He said the Speaker will be defending the Constitution by helping the opposition.

In what sounded like a riposte to Modi lavishing praise on Birla for overseeing record business in the 17th LS, Rahul said the issue is how much of “India’s voice” is heard in the House, and not how efficiently it is run. “The idea that you can run the House efficiently by silencing the voice of the opposition is a non-democratic idea ... This election has shown that the people of India expect the opposition to defend the Constitution.”

The words, at once laced with plea for Chair’s indulgence and warning of opposition’s intent, were echoed by Akhilesh Yadav who, speaking in easy Hindi, conveyed the message with two terse comments — “your control should be on the treasury benches too, as it is al- ways there on the opposition” and “the House should run on your directions, and not the opposite”.

“We believe you will move forward without discrimination… You are the chief justice of the court of democracy…actions like suspensions which hurt the dignity of the House will not be taken,” he said. Baalu said, “Kindly be impartial, impartial, impartial.” TMC’s Bandopadhyay recalled the suspension of 150 MPs in a day, to the jeers of “shame” from the INDIA benches. He also asserted that secularism and harmony should be upheld.

While slamming the absence of condolence and tears on issues like Manipur, Covid deaths, farm suicides, Sena’s Sawant remarked that the House wants “harmony, not hatred”. The NC MP slammed the “hasty” passage of the bill for nullification of Article 370.

Akhilesh regretted that the new Parliament building has “lowered” the Chair of the Speaker, while it is “very high” in the “House” he just was, a reference to the UP assembly. Though it mentioned a fact, it was also viewed as sarcasm in view of the day’s context.

IN A NEW ROLE: ABHINETA TO NETA

Union minister Chirag Paswan and BJP MP Kangana Ranaut share a light moment at Parliament on Wednesday. The two have worked as co-actors in a movie in 2011

Did Cong avoid seeking division of votes due to TMC reluctance?

Subodh.Ghildiyal@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: The Congress-led opposition did not press for division of votes during the Speaker’s election, a move the party claimed was done in the interest of bipartisanship, but which left an impression that the change of tack was linked to Trinamool Congress’s reluctance on the issue.

Major constituents of the INDIA bloc — SP, DMK, Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP-SP — moved motions proposing K Suresh’s name for the top post, but TMC stayed away. When the motion proposed by govt in favour of Om Birla was put to vote, the opposition benches allowed the election by a voice vote, foregoing voting.

TMC had complained it was not consulted over the election and Suresh’s name. When the opposition tried to persuade it, TMC said it will convey its decision ahead of the election. The decision to allow a voice vote, sources said, suggested that TMC did not give a favourable response to vote division.

However, there was much confusion over the issue later.

AICC spokesman Jairam Ramesh said, “INDIA alliance exercised the democratic right to propose K Suresh for the post of Speaker and a voice vote was taken. After that, INDIA could have pressed for vote division, but did not, because INDIA wanted a consensus to strengthen the spirit of cooperation which is so lacking in the actions of PM and NDA.”

But TMC’s Abhishek Banerjee and Kalyan Banerjee said several members sought voting, but the pro tem Speaker did not allow the division because govt did not have the numbers to win the election. Abhishek called it “immoral”.

Meanwhile, Congress is seriously considering forcing a contest for the post of deputy Speaker, peeved as it is with govt’s attitude on the issue.

However, sources said the process for the deputy Speaker post will take some time and a decision will be taken then.

Months after exit, Pitroda back in key Congress post

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Congress Wednesday reappointed Sam Pitroda as chairman of Indian Overseas Congress over a month and half after he resigned following a major controversy over his remarks at the peak of elections on “inheritance tax” and analogies on India’s diversity ascribed as “racist” by opponents. Congress had dissociated itself from both his statements and his reappointment comes after an assurance to the leadership that in future he will leave no room for such controversies to arise.

Congress general secretary K C Venugopal in a press statement announced that Pitroda has been reappointed to the post with “immediate effect”.

Congress general secretary in-charge of communications Jairam Ramesh said on X, “During the recent election campaign Sam Pitroda had made some statements that were totally unacceptable to Congress. By mutual consent he stepped down as chairman of Overseas Indian Congress. Subsequently he clarified the context in which statements were made and how they were later distorted by Modi campaign.” Ramesh added that “Congress president has reappointed him on the assurance he will not in future leave room for such controversies to arise.”

Meanwhile, BJP’s national spokesperson C R Kesavan lashed out at Congress saying the “reappointment is an egregious insult to all the good citizens of our country.”

Emergency was an era of injustice, exposed Cong’s dictatorial mentality: Shah

By moving a resolution in LS against the Emergency, Speaker Om Birla has honoured the struggle of satyagrahis who raised their voices against repression and exploitation of the Congress govt, Amit Shah said

New Delhi: Home minister Amit Shah on Wednesday hailed Speaker Om Birla for moving a resolution in Lok Sabha condemning the imposition of Emergency by former PM Indira Gandhi even as BJP took a swipe at Congress over members of the INDIA bloc not joining the party’s protest in the House against the move.

Shah said Lok Sabha remembered Emergency, which was an “era of injustice”, and expressed its sympathy for the poor, Dalits and backward people who had to suffer exploitation and atrocities of the then Indira Gandhi govt, when rights of citizens were destroyed and freedoms snatched away.

Shah said many sensitive amendments made in the Constitution during Emergency exposed the dictatorial mentality of Congress which centralised all powers in one person.

“It (resolution) has exposed the anti-democratic thinking of Congress which has harmed major pillars like judiciary, bureaucracy and media, has condemned the cruelty of Congress in imprisoning lakhs of opposition leaders for more than one-and-ahalf years without any reason,” Shah said on X with #EmergencyHorrors.

He said Lok Sabha also expressed regret at how the country was turned into a prison during Emergency and how the Indira Gandhi govt worked to crush the spirit of the Constitution.

“By moving a resolution in Lok Sabha against the Emergency of 1975, Speaker Om Birla has honoured the struggle of satyagrahis who raised their voices against the repression and exploitation of the Congress govt that insulted Babasaheb Ambedkar’s Constitution. I wholeheartedly support the resolution,” Shah said.

At a press conference, Puri MP and BJPspokesperson Sambit Patra said, “As soon as the Speaker brought the resolution, Congress members began shoutingand rushed to the well of the House while members of SP, DMK and TMC were standing peacefully. Seeing them, Rahul Gandhi also had to eventually rise from his seat.”

TNN

6 mths, 6.2L trained: Centre eyes smooth switch to new crime laws

Focuses On Tech Upgrades, Awareness

LEGAL REVAMP

Bharti.Jain@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: Centre’s efforts to prepare the states for a smooth transition to the new criminal laws — set to take effect on July 1 — had started soon after they were notified on Dec 25, with the past six months seeing the National Crime Records Bureau make 23 functional modifications in the Crime and Criminal Tracking & Network Systems (CCTNS) to enhance the use of technology in criminal justice delivery. Additionally, Bureau of Police Research and Development has facilitated training of more than 6.2 lakh personnel in various aspects of the new laws.

Not just NCRB and BPRD, but Union ministries and departments like legal affairs, higher education, personnel, women & child development, rural development, panchayati raj and I&B have been working with various stakeholders like govt employees, state police, judiciary, prison, prosecution, law students and general public to ensure technology upgrade, capacity building and awareness generation regarding provisions of the new laws prior to their enforcement, as per home ministry sources.

“MHA has held regular meetings with states/UTs. States and UTs are geared up in terms of technology, capacity building and awareness generation to implement the Bharati- ya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sangita (BNSS) and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA) from July 1,” an MHA official informed TOI.

Given the new laws’ emphasis on leveraging technology for investigation, trial and court proceedings in criminal cases, NCRB has been providing technical assistance to states/UTs and set up 36 support teams and a call centre to enable review and hand-holding of states/UTs for their smooth implementation. NIC has developed apps like eSakshya, NyayShruti and eSummon Apps, for facilitating videography and photography of crime scene, judicial hearings and delivering court summons electronically, in accordance with BNSS provisions.

For capacity building, BPRD had developed training modules and shared them with all the stakeholders. BPRD on its own conducted 250 training courses/webinars/seminars in which 40,317 officers/personnel were trained. BPRD is also offering three training courses on the new criminal laws, for which 2.2 lakh officials have enrolled thus far.

To educate citizens on the transformative reforms and positive impact of BNS, BNSS and BSA, WCD and other central ministries have undertaken webinars in which nearly 40 lakh grassroots functionaries participated. Public awareness regarding the new criminal laws is being created by the I&B ministry through the Press Information Bureau, which has has conducted 17 nationwide ‘vartalap’, (conversations), a media workshop primarily for the regional media, in the states.

Put up united front for state polls: Rahul, Kharge to Haryana netas

Chandigarh: AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge and leader of opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, Wednesday advised party’s netas from Haryana to shun differences and put up a joint front in the upcoming assembly elections, reports Manvir Saini. They also directed netas not to speak in public about internal organisational matters.

At a meeting to plan the roadmap for the assembly elections and review the performance of Congress’s candidates in the recent Lok Sabha polls, Kharge and Rahul appreciated the efforts made by Haryana Congress’s netas and workers in the general elections. The party won five of the 10 seats in the state.

“At the meeting of Haryana Congress functionaries, a clear directive was issued to all functioraies to avoid making any public statements regarding any differences or internal matters of party,” AICC general secretary K C Venugopal said on X after the meeting. “We will unitedly take BJP head on,” he added.

Barring a few senior netas, who had sought exemption, all five MPs, including AICC general secretary and Sirsa MP Kumari Selja and Rohtak MP Deepender Hooda, former CM and CLP leader Bhupinder Hooda and all the MLAs and members of the state executive attended the meeting, which was coordinated by AICC in charge for Haryana Deepak Babaria.

After Amritpal’s LS win, his aide plans to contest Punjab bypoll

Bathinda: Byelections to four assembly seats in Punjab — vacated by legislators who were elected to Parliament — are turning out to be interesting, and potentially controversial, with yet another Khalistan sympathiser jailed under NSA pitching his candidature for one of the seats, reports Neel Kamal.

After Amritpal Singh won Khadoor Sahib LS seat by highest margin in Punjab while locked up in Dibrugarh jail, his fellow NSA-detainee Bhagwant Singh ‘Pradhan Mantri’ Bajeke has indicated that he is keen to contest Gidderbaha assembly bypoll in Punjab’s Muktsar as claimed in a 32-second video posted by a youth who claims to be Bajeke’s son.

Gidderbaha is part of Faridkot parliamentary constituency, from where Sarabjit Singh Khalsa, son of Beant Singh, one of the assassins of former PM Indira Gandhi, was elected as an MP.

Bajeke, who belongs to Moga district’s Bajeke village, was the most outspoken out of Amritpal’s supporters. He had come to limelight on March 19, 2023, when an unverified video hit social media when he failed to escape a police cordon laid in a field in his village. Bajeke ran Amritpal’s radicalisation mission on multiple social media platforms.

TMC MLAs on dharna as swearing-in delayed due to guv standoff

While the governor wants Reyat Hossain Sarkar and Sayantika Banerjee to take their oaths at Raj Bhavan, the MLAs have expressed their desire to be sworn in at the state assembly

Kolkata: Newly elected Trinamool Congress MLAs Sayantika Banerjee and Reyat Hossain Sarkar staged a dharna on the steps of West Bengal assembly on Wednesday afternoon due to a delay in their swearing-in following a disagreement between the Raj Bhavan and them, reports Debashis Konar.

Governor C V Ananda Bose had invited actorturned-politician Sayantika and Reyat — elected from Baranagar and Bhagwangola, respectively, in the recent bypolls — to take their oaths at Raj Bhavan on Wednesday. However, the MLAs had written to the governor, expressing their desire to take the oath in the state assembly. These letters remained unanswered and Bose departed for Delhi later in the day.

The new MLAs held placards reading “Waiting for the arrival of Honourable Governor for Oath (sic)” during their dharna. MLAs Madan Mitra and Nayana Das also joined the demonstration. Sayantika and Reyat plan to continue their protest Thursday.

Assembly speaker Biman Banerjee announced that the assembly would seek legal advice, as the governor had not delegated anyone to administer the oath to the new MLAs. The speaker also held a meeting with law minister Moloy Ghatak to discuss the issue and might write to the President to resolve the impasse.

This is seen as a result of ongoing rift between governor and Trinamool govt, which escalated after a former Raj Bhavan staffer accused Bose of molesting her.

Seven killed in lightning strikes in western UP:

Seven people, including 3 minors and a woman, died and 11 others sustained burn injuries after being struck by lightning when storms lashed parts of western UP before dawn Wednesday. TNN

NIA offers `10 lakh for info on Goldy Brar, aide

New Delhi: National Investigation Agency on Wednesday declared a cash reward of Rs 10 lakh each for sharing information that can help in arresting Canada-based terrorist Goldy Brar and another accused wanted in an “extortion and firing” case in Chandigarh. The accused are wanted in the case related to firing at the house of a businessman as part of an extortion bid on March 8 this year. PTI

IIM-K flips gender ratio with record 60% girl-student intake

IIM Raipur Comes Close To Half Mark With 45%

Hemali.Chhapia@timesgroup.com

Mumbai: At a time when management institutes across the world are trying to bring gender parity in male-dominated classrooms of business education, Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Kozhikode has admitted almost 60% female students in its postgraduate programme in management.

In the cohort of 2024, IIM Kozhikode has 290 female students compared to 201 male students, thus overturning the gender equation on campus that had admitted 285 male students and 207 females last year. Meanwhile, IIM Raipur came close to the half-mark this year by admitting 45% female students—the number will be finalised only by July 1.

“At IIM Kozhikode, we take pride in being a pioneer in promoting gender diversity among Indian B-Schools. This year...we have yet again achieved a significant milestone with close to 60% female students, the highest ever in our history,” said professor Debashis Chatterjee, director of the institute.

For one year, in 2019, the institute had set aside 60 supernumerary seats for women, but now, there is no reservation for them.

Many IIMs, like Ahmedabad, have come close to admitting 30% women this year. At IIM Ahmedabad, of 404 students from a diverse educational, professional, socio-eco- nomic and gender backgrounds in the PGP Class of 2024-26, about 25% are female students, as compared to about 23% last year. About 39% of the batch comprises students from non-engineering disciplines and 61% from engineering. The new batch of PGP consists of 29% freshers and 71% experienced candidates having a range of skills and work experience in sectors such as consulting, banking and financial services, public sector units, pharmaceuticals/healthcare, and information technology.

BJP’s East Champaran ZP member shot dead, ‘land dispute’ suspected

Motihari: Three motorcycle borne criminals shot dead East Champaran zila parishad member and BJP functionary Suresh Yadav (38) near Chandmari roundabout on Wednesday while he was emerging from Chandmari society complex, reports Chandra Bhushan Pandey.

He was taken to a private nursing home where he was declared brought dead. Police sent the body for postmortem examination. Police said prima facie a land dispute appeared to be the reason for the killing.

SP Kantesh Kumar Mishra-directed police to scan CCTV footage from nearby shops and other establishments to identify the assailants.

Govt mulls monthly, annual NH toll passes for private cars

New Delhi: Union road transport minister Nitin Gadkari has urged top officials to find ways to make highway travel hassle-free for commuters, suggesting the implementation of a system for issuing monthly or annual passes for cars to use the NH network, reports Dipak Dash. He made this suggestion noting that collection from cars and private vehicles accounts for less than 25% of NHAI’s toll revenues.

“Around 75% of the toll revenue comes from trucks and commercial vehicles. The remaining 25% comes from cars. There is a thought, which the secretary and NHAI officials can look at... whether we can give monthly or annual passes for cars. The income from this category of vehicles is not much,” he said at a conference on next-generation toll collection system.

Currently, NHAI issues monthly passes with a cap on the number of trips a vehicle can make, and that too on a particular stretch.

Meanwhile, IHMCL, an entity of NHAI that deals with all toll related matters, will soon carry out a study to assess the financial impact of exempting private vehicles — car, jeep and van — from paying toll at NH toll plazas as part of a bigger exercise to find the impact of electronic toll collection.

“The findings will give us new insights and help us plan better,” said an official.

TN assembly urges Centre to undertake caste census

Chennai: Tamil Nadu assembly on Wednesday ‘unanimously’ passed a resolution demanding that the Union govt conduct a caste census. DMK allies, including Congress, VCK, CPI, CPM, MMK and KMDK, backed the resolution while opposition PMK and BJP argued that the state govt has the authority to conduct the exercise.

The govt resolution moved by Tamil Nadu CM M K Stalin stated, “This House considers that caste-based population census is essential to formulate policies in order to ensure equal rights and equal opportunities in education, economy and employment to every citizen of India. This House, therefore, unanimously urges Union govt to immediately commence census work, which is due from the year 2021, along with caste-based population census this time.”

Later, the resolution was adopted by voice vote in the presence of two AIADMK MLAs loyal to former CM O Panneerselvam.

Terming the claims that state govt could conduct the census as wrong, Stalin said the law facilitated the collection of statistics on socio-economic issues, but not on matters specified under the Union List. The CM recalled his letter to PM Modi in Oct last year, urging the integration of a caste census with the national decadal census.

TNN

Students sent Ambani threats via pvt email services: Chargesheet

Mumbai: The two college students, Jagatsingh Rajveer Khant (20) from Gujarat and Telangana’s Ganesh R Vanparthi (19), arrested last year for sending separate threat emails to Reliance chairman Mukesh Ambani and demanding Rs 400 crore used secure and private email service tools to evade security agencies, police have said in their 300-page chargesheet filed in court, reports Ahmed Ali.

Police said they used Mailfence and Proton Mail, which provide secure and private email services — they have no ads, spams, trackers, solicitation or backdoor breaches, and are free of govt surveillance — and whose servers were based abroad.

The central intelligence unit of the crime branch submitted the chargesheet last week against Khant, the son of Gujarat police constable Rajveer Khant, and Vanparthi for extortion, criminal intimidation and destruction of evidence under IPC, and relevant sections of IT Act. Police invoked destruction of evidence after learning that the two tried to erase their digital footprints.

Police also found that the two had used a virtual private network, which protects users by encrypting data and masking IP addresses and makes it difficult to trace them.

After police traced Vanaparthi’s threat email and picked him up from a locality in Telangana, they found that he had already deleted all items from the outbox. Police traced Khant to Gandhinagar in Gujarat with the help of call data records and subscriber detail records.

Shame that local train users carried worse than cattle: HC

Asks Rlys If It Has Been Able To Stop Train-Fall & Trespassing Deaths

The petitioners, arguing Railways disowns deaths due to track crossing, said going out to pursue your vocation or to college is ‘like going to war’

Rosy.Sequeira@timesgroup.com

Mumbai: Observing that passengers in local trains are carried worse than cattle, Bombay high court on Wednesday asked Railways whether it has been able to stop train-fall and track-trespassing deaths.

“It is your responsibility and duty. You must not depend on the court’s direction to save the lives of people,” said Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Amit Borkar, hearing a PIL that highlighted the possible causes for high fatalities on suburban railways and gave suggestions to salvage the situation. “I feel ashamed. The manner in which the passengers in local trains are made to commute,” said the CJ.

The petition said Mumbai suburban railway, which is the second busiest globally after Tokyo, sees over 2,000 deaths annually, with a high 33.8 fatality rate. It also stated that while there is phenomenal growth in the number of passengers, infrastructure at railway stations is old and crumbling.

Advocates Rohan Shah and Surabhi Prabhudesai, for petitioner Yatin Jadhav, argued that Railways disowns deaths due to crossing tracks, falling from train or slipping between platformtrain gaps and terms them “untoward incidents”.

Shah said: “Going out to pursue your vocation or to college is like going to war.” He also submitted news reports, including of a stampede-like situation to board a train at Kalyan station.

Western Railway’s advocate Suresh Kumar said that since 2008, it has complied with directions in an earlier PIL in which guidelines for Railways, including fixing platform-train gaps, and HC was satisfied with the steps taken. The judges then asked if Railways have been able to stop train-fall and trespassing deaths. They said WR cannot take a refuge by saying it carries 33 lakh passengers daily. “You have to change your attitude and mind,” the chief justice said. “This time we are going to make the officials accountable... You are carrying human passengers like cattle. Perhaps even worse.”

In the order, the judges said the issue raised in the petition “needs urgent attention” of all concerned, specially higher-ups, including a Railway Board member and zonal safety commissioners. HC directed WR and Central Railway general managers to file an affidavit in reply to the PIL, and list measures to check mishaps. After receiving the replies, “HC may consider setting up a committee of commissioners/body of experts to conduct a study to suggest measures for meeting the challenge of daily train passenger deaths in Mumbai”.

Our N-trajectory based on ‘no first use & massive retaliation’: CDS

New Delhi: Noting that the threat from nuclear weapons has once again occupied centerstage in the geopolitical landscape, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan on Wednesday said that the “uniqueness” of India’s nuclear trajectory is premised on the principle of “no firstuse and massive retaliation”.

There is an urgent need for “a deeper thought, development of new doctrines, reimagining deterrence and safeguarding nuclear C4I2SR (command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, information, surveillance and reconnaissance) infrastructure”, he said while addressing a seminar here on ‘Nuclear Strategy: Contemporary Developments and Future Possibilities’.

TNN

Muchkund Dubey, veteran diplomat &former foreign secy, dies at 90

New Delhi: Veteran diplomat and former foreign secretary Muchkund Dubey, 90, died from heart-related complications at Delhi’s Fortis Hospital on Wednesday.

Dubey joined Jawaharlal Nehru University as a professor after retirement. His last rites will be performed at Delhi’s Lodhi Road Crematorium on Thursday at 4pm.

Born in 1933 in Jharkhand’s Deoghar (then in undivided Bihar), Dubey studied economics at Patna, Oxford and New York universities. He joined foreign services in 1957, and served as India’s high commissioner to Bangladesh, as permanent representative to UN in Geneva, and as the Indian member on the Unesco executive board.

TNN

Posing as buyer, crook swaps `4.5cr diamond with a lab-grown one

Surat: A man posing as buyer swindled a citybased diamond trader by swapping a rare 10.08-carat heart-shaped diamond worth Rs 4.55 crore with a lab-grown one of the same shape worth only Rs 1 lakh, reports Vishal Patadiya.

Police filed an FIR against Hitesh Purohit, the swindler, and his aide, one Ishwar, on a complaint lodged by Chirag Shah, who owns Akshat Gems in the diamond trading hub of Mahidharpura in the city.

Shah and his son tried to trace Purohit, but couldn’t locate him anywhere. After multiple attempts to contact Purohit failed, Shah registered a complaint with the Mahidharpura police.

HM Chauhan, inspector at Mahidharpura police station, said: “We formed five teams, one of which has been dispatched to Palanpur, Purohit’s native place. We are also investigating a couple of others involved in the plot, Kamlesh and Ashok.” Chauhan is hopeful of apprehending all the suspects soon.

Dinesh Navadiya, president of the Indian Diamond Institute, told TOI: “Looking at the size and colour of the diamond, this is a rare piece. In the diamond industry, D colour denotes the highest colour grade among all diamonds.”

US seeking accountability from India in Pannun case, says official

Delhi Looking At Potential ‘Institutional Reforms’: US Dy Secy Of State

The US has been asking India for updates on its probe into the Pannun murder plot, deputy secretary of state Kurt Campbell said. His remarks are significant as India has so far said nothing about the probe outcome

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: The US has been consistently asking New Delhi for updates on its probe into the alleged involvement of an Indian official in the murder for-hire plot against Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, as it seeks accountability from India, deputy secretary of state Kurt Campbell said on Wednesday.

Campbell, who met foreign secretary Vinay Kwatra and deputy NSA Vikrim Misri during his visit to India last week, further said “Indian colleagues” are looking carefully at what potential “institutional reforms” might be necessary in the wake of some of the allegations and reports in the media. He was responding to a question on whether the US would accept the unconfirmed ‘rogue agent theory’ reported in the media.

The remarks are significant as India ha s so far said nothing about the outcome of its probe. Campbell said India has been responsive to concerns raised by the US about the foiled attempt to murder Pannun, a US national.

According to Campbell, the two countries are presently having a constructive dialogue on the issue. “We’ve made clear that we seek accountability from the govt of India,” he said in a virtual interaction with Indian journalists from Washington. “And we have consistently asked for updates on the Indian investigation. And I would just simply say we raised the issues directly with the Indian govt at the most senior levels.”

Campbell was in India last week with NSA Jake Sullivan for talks mainly focused on the initiative on critical and emerging technology (iCET). This is the first time either of them has spoken publicly about the plot since the visit. The US has officially not confirmed if the Pannun issue was raised in Sullivan and Campbell’s engagements here.

Asked if India’s ties with Russia could come in the way of cooperation in sensitive technology sectors, Campbell said the US has expressed concern about it and the two sides remain clear what areas are affected by the continued military relationship between India and Russia.

“I think we will take what steps we can to mitigate some of those engagements. And we have expressed some concerns, but at the same time, we have confidence and trust in India and we’re seeking to advance our partnership in technology,” said the official.

“I do want to underscore that the US and India are both great powers. We have many areas of alignment, but it is not surprising that there would be areas where we had different perspectives. And I think in the context of our strategic partnership, what’s been important is our ability to share views on areas where we occasionally have disagreement, and seek where possible to narrow those are as where there are differences,” added Campbell.

When NEET met darknet, the web you may not know about

TOI Explains

It’s A Haven For Crusaders And Crooks Looking To Cover Their Tracks. For NTA Officials Grappling With Paper-Leak Crisis, It’s Become A Big Headache

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

When you use a web browser — Google, Bing, Firefox, Safari — to go online, you are surfing what can be called the ‘surface’ web. This is mainly the internet made up of sites that use the domain name system, or DNS, which converts intelligible hostnames, like google.com, into internet protocol (IP) addresses (mostly numbers or alphanumeric code). These sites are searchable by a browser, which indexes their content to be able to return relevant results when you type in keywords.

To be discoverable by a browser means that traffic to such websites can be monitored and it is possible for network administrators to see who all visited a particular site and what they did there. But there are websites that may not want to be discoverable to the public at large. These occupy the layer of the internet that lies below the ‘surface’ and is known as the ‘deep’ web. The ‘darknet’, or dark web, sits a little deeper. In fact, it’s the deepest part of the ‘deep’ web.

What Is Deep Web?

The ‘deep’ web may contain the darknet but it is not itself necessarily dark. There’s much that goes on online that is access-restricted and available only to authorised persons, like customer details with banks, health information stored by hospitals, etc. Thus, databases that are not connected to the wider web, and intranets — or internal networks used by govts, businesses, and other institutions — are what mostly make up the deep web. While these websites don’t welcome general traffic, there is nothing illegal about them.

The darknet is the layer beneath the deep net, inhabited by sites that are specifically looking to avoid detection by the general public and internet regulators. According to Google, “the deep web includes 90% of the internet, while the dark web likely includes less than 0.01%”.

What Makes Darknet ‘Dark’?

What really sets darknet apart from the deep web is the mode of accessing it, with anonymity being key. A darknet site implies that it is not indexed and is accessible only through specialised software. The commonly used browser for accessing darknet is Tor, short for ‘The Onion Router’. This browser, which can be downloaded for free, was developed by US military as a means to enable secure communication among the American intelligence community.

It hides details of sites visited and online activity by routing traffic through multiple layers (hence, the ‘onion’ in its name). Tor also allows hosting of web pages using the .onion domain name. This domain name, just like the browser, enables anonymity for websites and servers, protecting the identity of both the website and visitors to it through layers of encryption. That makes it nearly impossible to trace the country from where such a site is being operated. There are other similar browsers, like I2P.

If the darknet needs spe- cial browsers it’s also impossible to search using common search engines. The principle on which the likes of Google and Bing work doesn’t apply to sites using the .onion domain name. One has to use special darknet search engines but, given that darknet websites do not want to be easily discovered, these search engines may not always return optimum results.

Who Uses The Darknet?

The anonymity and untraceability of sites and activity on the darknet means that it is the go-to tool for anybody who wants to hide their identity from regulators and authorities. This includes not only whistleblowers and activists living under repressive regimes but also criminals offering illegal services on the internet. It was reported that the paper for the UGC-NET exam, which has been scrapped, was leaked on the darknet for Rs 6 lakh.

Interestingly, the likes of Facebook, too, have a .onion website to enable people to browse it in countries (for instance, China) where its access is blocked. According to Norton, the maker of antivirus software, “as many as 70.8% of users claim to use the Tor browser for anonymity, 62.3% said they use it for additional security, and 27.1% use it out of curiosity about the dark web”.

Is It Legal, Safe To Use?

While darknet browsers are not illegal in many countries, including India, their use implies a desire to hide one’s tracks. So, even if it is for accessing a social media website, if it is blocked under a certain jurisdiction, one may fall afoul of govt authorities. Again, many of the websites on the darknet may themselves be banned for hosting illegal content, accessing which can land one in trouble.

As Kaspersky, another antivirus maker, points out, “there is a clear danger of becoming govt target for simply visiting a dark website” as that raises questions about the purpose of covering one’s online tracks. Also, darknet activity may not be as untraceable as one would like to think. While “illegal drug marketplaces like the Silk Road have been hijacked for police surveillance”, experts say that despite multiple layers on Tor, “your ISP can still see that you’re connected”.

Source: Google, media reports

EAM meets Myanmar dy PM, flags violence along border

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: In a rare meeting with Myanmar deputy PM and foreign minister U Than Shwe, who transited through Delhi on Wednesday, EAM S Jaishankar expressed deep concern about the impact of continuing violence and instability in Myanmar on the Indian border. Jaishankar said he particularly flagged illegal narcotics, arms smuggling and trafficking of persons as priority challenges and sought cooperation for early return of Indian nationals trapped in Myawaddy.

He said India is open to en- gaging all stakeholders in addressing this situation and pressed for credible security protection for India’s projects in Myanmar. “Urged early return to the path of democratic transition in Myanmar. India stands ready to help in any manner,” the EAM said.

This was possibly the first time there was an acknowledgement publicly by India about its engagement with a senior leader of the military junta. In a tough diplomatic stance, India has maintained ties with the regime because of the need to cooperate for checking activities of insurgents active in border areas.

India steps up training of foreign military personnel to boost ties

Rajat.Pandit@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: From basic infantry skills and seamanship to operating advanced weapon systems and platforms like diesel-electric submarines and supersonic fighter jets, India is cranking up training of foreign military personnel to strengthen defence ties with countries.

The focus is on training cadets and personnel from “friendly foreign countries” part of Asean, in the Gulfand Africa, apart from the neighbourhood, in various Indian military establishments and academies. As part of the ou- treach to Gulf countries like UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar and Bahrain, for instance, as many as 76 Saudi cadets have begun sea training at the Southern Naval Command at Kochi. Similarly, personnel from 26 countries in Africa, where China has made huge strategic inroads, regularly attend courses in Army’s academies.

India has also been steadily deepening ties with Asean countries like Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines through regular joint exercises and military exchanges, with an eye firmly on an expansionist China.

Times City

- Tables Turned! How Lakes Project Is Helping Recharge Groundwater

- Monsoon set to miss date, but likely by end of month

- To roll out new laws, police to establish control room in each district, launch helpline numbers

- `500cr action plan to tackle stubble burning in Punjab

- Excessive silt brings Palla floodplain project to halt

- ‘Prohibitive’ Charges Likely To Curb Illegal On-Street Parking

- Rai asks for action-taken report on cutting of trees

- SC: Brazen act shows a lack of understanding of environment

- Akhilesh, Brinda Karat meet Atishi at Lok Nayak Hospital

- CAQM target: 4.5cr saplings this year

- Every Second Indian Adult Physically Inactive, Fails WHO Guidelines: Study

- Surge in demand for nutritional guidance, fitness coaching

- NEET row: Students want NTA scrapped, minister to resign

- 1 more peacock dies at Palam Air Force station

- Man cleared of sex assault on son, ‘testimony not reliable’

- I Told Sisodia About Policy Objectives: CM

- CBI caught red-handed lying in front of court: AAP

- After Arrest By CBI, CM Takes Back Plea In SC

- Subjected to constant media trial, pleads ED

- Bus gets stuck in caved-in road

- Scammers scare 72-yr-old with fake legal notices

- Rickshaw driver beaten up, shots fired in air

- Cybercrooks posing as CBI officers dupe woman of `2 lakh

- Moving car goes up in flames, close shave for 3

TOI POSITIVE

Tables Turned! How Lakes Project Is Helping Recharge Groundwater

Report Cites Clear Gains At Restored Waterbodies, Especially In SW District

Priyangi.Agarwal@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: Delhi govt's project to revive lakes by using treated water has proved successful, particularly in South West district, where the groundwater has risen, according to a new nationwide survey conducted by researchers at the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). The survey found that the water table rose around 6 metres at Pappankalan, 4m at Nilothi and 3m at Najafgarh after artificial lakes were created in those places.

The findings of the survey are captured in a book titled Back from the Brink: Rejuvenating India’s Lakes, Ponds, and Tanks – A Compendium of Success Stories, which was released at a symposium on Wednesday. The book is based on the yearlong survey in which a CSE team reviewed 250 water bodies created or restored under 22 state-level programmes and five central govt schemes.

CSE said that under Delhi govt’s City of Lakes project, 14-15 lakes were artificially created or encroached lakes were restored until December last year. According to the report submitted by Delhi Jal Board to the National Green Tribunal, 155 water bodies have been considered for revival under the project.

At Pappankalan, the groundwater level was 21.8m below the surface level in 2019 but rose to 6m after two lakes were revived there. The groundwater level was estimated using piezometers instal- led at the sites. These calculate the groundwater pressure and the increase in the groundwater table over time in metres.

“To ensure that lakes and waterbodies remain filled throughout the year — Delhi has just 50-odd rainy days a year — DJB connected the revived as well as the new waterbodies to sewage treatment plants wherever possible. The idea was to fill the waterbodies with treated effluent,” said CSE.

According to the state govt, Delhi also produces 500 million gallons per day (MGD) or 1,893 million litres per day (MLD) of recycled water from 37 operational STPs, 21 of which is currently being wasted. This recycled water can be stored in the proposed lakes and waterbodies and further used to reduce the deficit of 200MGD (757MLD) of water faced annually by the city, CSE pointed out.

Sushmita Sengupta, senior programme manager of the water programme at CSE, said, “It is a good example of water conservation. The project includes filling up the waterbodies with treated wastewater — which was getting wasted by mixing with sewage in a nearby drain. The filled-up water helps to recharge the groundwater in the nearby borewells. The piezometers (for example, those near Najafgarh and Pappan Kalan) which record the local groundwater showed an increase of 3-4 metres in just one year.”

Speaking at a symposium on Wednesday, CSE director general Sunita Narain said, “It is also critical in these times of water stress not only to ensure that wastewater, or sewage, is treated but also to recycle and reuse it. It is here that the waterbodies we protect in our cities, the same ponds and tanks that we use to divert and harvest rainwater, can be used to channel the treated sewage and, in turn, recharge groundwater.”

Monsoon set to miss date, but likely by end of month

The maximum temperatures will drop further throughout the week

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Delhi's date with the monsoon could be delayed, weather analysts have said as its arrival on June 27 seems unlikely.

The India Meteorological Department has not announced the monsoon arrival date. On Wednesday, it predicted moderate to light rain on June 29 and heavy to moderate rain on June 30, which is when the weather department is expected to declare the monsoon's onset.

“There are chances that the monsoon may arrive between June 28 and June 30. Currently, it is stuck over the eastern region over Bihar and the Bay of Bengal and has not moved further. But the conditions are favourable for its advancement,” said Mahesh Palawat, vice-chairman of meteorology and climate change at Skymet. In 2023, the monsoon reached Delhi on June 25.

Several areas of the city saw a drizzle or very light rain towards Wednesday afternoon. Despite that, the weather was warm and humid. Ac- cording to IMD, till 5.30pm, the Palam area recorded 2.3mm rainfall on Wednesday, Ayanagar 1.8mm, Pitampura 0.5mm and Lodhi Road and Ridge saw traces of rain.

Delhi has experienced a rise in its minimum temperature while the maximum temperature has dipped.

The heat index or the feel-like temperature on Wednesday was 52 degrees Celsius because of the humidity that oscillated between 51 % and 71%.

The maximum temperature on Wednesday was 39 degrees Celsius, two notches above normal and against 39.9 a day earlier. The minimum temperature was 31.6 degrees Celsius on Wednesday, four notches below normal and against 28.6 a day earlier.

According to the Met forecast, the maximum temperatures will drop further throughout the week, hovering around 38 degrees on Thursday and Friday, 36 on Saturday and 34 on Sunday.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert for very light rain and thunderstorms in parts of the city on Thursday.

“The intensity of rain will increase. On Friday and Saturday, parts of the city could receive moderate rainfall. While on Sunday June 30, there are chances of moderate to heavy rainfall, accompanied with gusty winds,” said an IMD official.

To roll out new laws, police to establish control room in each district, launch helpline numbers

Delhi Police has filed over 1,000 dummy FIRs under BNS

Rajshekhar.Jha@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: Delhi Police will set up a control room in each district of the city and launch helpline numbers to facilitate the rollout of new laws on July 1, sources said. A central control room has also been set up at the office of Crime Branch which will be the nodal centre for the rollout.

Delhi Police brass on Wednesday held its final meeting before the rollout that is scheduled for July 1. The officers brainstormed over their preparedness and discussed the glitches which were coming to fore. Delhi Police has filed over 1,000 dummy FIRs under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at its over 200 police stations. It has also carried out an equal number of dummy seizures and arrests till now under the procedures laid down under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), which replaced the CrPC.

The helpline will be for cops in the main who can seek assistance in case of any issues they face in the rollout. Cops have been asked to be discreet about the glitches and convey them only to their superiors.

Feedback on the working of the app, e-pramaan, was also taken during the meeting on Wednesday and barring a few glitches, it is reported to be running fine. The app has been prepared to help cops carry out several procedures, including crime or arrest scene videography and seizure and arrest memos, under BNS. It will help them directly upload videos, etc, to the crime and criminal tracking network and sy- stems (CCTNS) and prevent tampering.

The police brass has imparted the training of new laws to over 20,000 police personnel who will be directly dealing with the changes in the capacity of assistant sub-inspectors and SI who function as IOs or even SHOs and ACPs. Officials said on Wednesday that the department was making final arrangements to implement the new laws and overcome the challenges arising with respect to documentation and manpower. Most cops at the police station level have either received the training about BNS or have been acquainted with the laws through a booklet specifically prepared for this purpose.

Delhi Police, however, will have to continue registering some FIRs under the existing Indian Penal Code even after the new laws are rolled out next month. This will be for offences which have occurred before July 1 because IPC was in force at the time, sources said. Also, for cases which are being registered in the run-up to the implementation of new laws — in the last two months for example — the chargesheets will be filed as per the procedures specified under BNSS.

`500cr action plan to tackle stubble burning in Punjab

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chandigarh: Punjab agriculture and farmer welfare department has prepared an action plan of Rs 500 crore to put a check on stubble burning by providing machinery and other measures during the paddy harvesting season of 2024.

Agriculture minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian said that the department has received 21,511 applications from farmers, cooperative societies, farmer producer organisations (FPOs), and panchayats interested in availing subsidies on crop residue management (CRM) machinery during the kharif season of 2024. Farmers have applied for 63,697 machines. Individual farmers can avail of a 50% subsidy on the cost of CRM equipment, while coopera- tive societies, FPOs, and panchayats can receive an 80% subsidy, limited to a maximum according to the guidelines of the scheme, he added.

Under the scheme, the minister said, super SMS, super seeder, surface seeder, smart seeder, happy seeder, paddy straw chopper, shredder, mulcher, hydraulic reversible mould board plough, and zero till drill for in-situ management, as well as baler and rake for ex-situ machines, are being made available on subsidy.

As many as 1,30,000 CRM machines have been provided to Punjab farmers from 2018-19 to 2023, Khudian said.

He added that the agriculture department would also launch an information, education, and communication campaign to educate and train farmers about the avail- able technologies for the management of crop residue, as the state govt is taking every possible step to address the problem of stubble burning.

The minister also asked the department officials to ensure transparency in the entire process and stated that strict action will be taken against the violation of rules and regulations.

Earlier this year, the Punjab govt informed the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that it would take steps to effectively manage the entire 19.58 million tonnes (MT) of paddy straw in 2024. The state govt is also considering a Haryanatype “incentive scheme: to dissuade farmers. However, the higher cost involved due to the larger area under paddy production in the state could prove to be a deterrent in adopting it.

Excessive silt brings Palla floodplain project to halt

WELL BEGUN BUT NOT HALF DONE: In 2019, a 26-acre pond was created to collect floodwater, which, according to govt report, had recharged 740 million gallons of groundwater in 2022-23

Siddhanta.Mishra@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: The Palla floodplain project started by Delhi govt’s irrigation & flood control (IFC) department five years ago to capture excess river water is now at a standstill, according to sources. In 2019, a 26-acre pond was created to collect floodwater, which, according to govt report, had recharged 740 million gallons of groundwater in 2022-23. However, the plan to install additional tubewells on the floodplain and expand the pond area to 1,000 acres is facing hurdles.

Last Nov, water minister Atishi inspected the project and announced govt's plan to install 200 tubewells in Palla to help mitigate the water shortage in the city. This hasn’t been completed. Delhi Jal Board claimed that tubewells were being sunk, but the floodplain project — which would have recharged the groundwater and boosted Delhi’s water sources — had been postponed.

IFC officials reported a problem of heavy silting in the floodwater collection pits. An official said, “As per the National Green Tribunal’s order, we carried out a pilot project and assessed it for four years. We discovered two major problems in the project. One is accumulation of silt. If the pond area is increased, the policymakers will have to take a decision on where to collect and dump the silt.” This peculiar problem has arisen because river soil is not allowed to be removed from a site.

“To create the existing pond, we had to utilise 17 acres of land just to hold the soil that we had dug up. In this way, the terrain now is uneven and the overall advantage provided by the project has reduced,” the official said. “We will submit all these observations to NGT before taking a decision on going ahead with the project.”

The primary goal of the Palla project, according to Delhi govt, is to collect floodwater and use the stored water throughout the year to boost the water table.

A water expert associated with the project said the pilots were “very successful. "The plan after three pilots was to expand the project to 1,000 acres of the floodplain. Every monsoon season, the project increased storage of water by an average 1,000 million gallons of water. The only job of IFC is to desilt the pits."

The state govt had stated that the project would not only benefit Delhi but also serve as an excellent example for states grappling with drought and water scarcity. Every monsoon, the Yamuna floods, resulting in millions of litres of water overflowing its banks. The project was to ensure this water did not go waste.

On Wednesday, DJB reported a total water production of 926MGD from all the water treatment plants and tubewells. "Our responsibility at Palla is to operate tubewells. We are doing that,” claimed a water official. “New tubewells had to be dug and that too is being done.”

There was no official response on the matter from Delhi govt.

‘Prohibitive’ Charges Likely To Curb Illegal On-Street Parking

MCD May Table Proposal Today, Facilities To Be Divided Into Categories

The categorisation will be on basis of the valuation done by valuation committee

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) is planning to introduce a proposal to revise parking charges in its areas.

According to the proposal, likely to be tabled at a meeting of the MCD House on Thursday, the localities will be divided into categories, depending on the valuation done by the municipal valuation committee. This will be the first meeting of the House after the general election.

The parking lots under the first category will be marked as ‘premium’, followed by ‘normal’ facilities, while underground parking lots will come under a separate category, C. MCD currently operates 420 paid parking sites in 12 zones, out of which 17 are multi-level facilities. There is no paid parking in residential areas.

To solve the problem of illegal on-street parking, MCD is pondering over introducing “prohibitive parking charges” in all non-parking zones. The move, the proposal states, will allow it to prosecute the owner of a vehicle parked in such areas under Motor Vehicles Act.

“In view of the growing congestion and air pollution woes, there is an urgent need to increase the parking charges to moderate the use of private vehicles on Delhi roads and inspire people to use public transport,” the proposal states. MCD had revised its parking charges in Karol Bagh market in 2007 and then in Yusuf Sarai Market in 2019.

“The existing parking contracts would be gradually exited in accordance with the terms of the contract, and the monthly licence fee for the transition period will be changed accordingly,” reads the proposal. For cars, the parking charges are proposed to be increased from Rs 20 to Rs 30 in ‘A’ category areas, and from Rs 10 to 15 for two-wheelers. The monthly charges will also go up.

Increasing parking charges is one of the steps listed under the Graded Action Plan that is enforced when the air pollution reaches critical levels in the city, especially during the winter. The move is intended to discourage people from using their own vehicles.

The other proposals likely to be tabled in the meeting include the redevelopment of flats on Minto Road and the construction of new underground multi-level parking lots in south Delhi. MCD has been planning to develop highrise residential and commercial complexes on a 22-hectare land housing five staff quarters on Minto Road after razing these buildings.

Rai asks for action-taken report on cutting of trees

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Environment minister Gopal Rai on Wednesday directed forest department officials to submit a status report on the action taken in connection with the cutting of 1,100 trees without permission, allegedly by Delhi Development Authority (DDA), on south Delhi’s Ridge.

Officials said that Rai had asked the department to submit the report by 11am on Thursday.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed Delhi govt and civic agencies to convene a meeting and discuss comprehensive measures to enhance the city’s green cover while observing that people were feeling the heat as the tree cover was lost. A vacation bench of Justices Abhay SOka and Ujjal Bhuyan said it expected the forest department and the tree authority to keep a vigil on the activity of illegal damaging of trees in Delhi.

Following the hearing, urban development minister Saurabh Bharadwaj accused DDA of lying in court. He claimed that it was clear in DDA’s records that lieutenant governor VK Saxena went to Satbari forest on Feb 3 along with aDDA chief engineer and gave verbal instructions to cut the 1,100 trees. This is written in the emails of DDA officers, which establish the matter, he claimed.

No immediate reaction was available from LG’s office.

Bharadwaj alleged LG had been “continuously interfering” in Delhi govt’s jurisdiction for the last two years. He further claimed the trees were felled despite objections from forest officials. “The forest department and DDA were aware that there was no permission to cut trees on the Ridge,” he added.

“For the first time, the country’s apex court has raised the issue of accountability and responsibility of LG of Delhi. Everyone is involved in this whole matter. The forest department, DDA and lieutenant governor, all are involved in this illegal act and together they are working to deceive the Supreme Court,” the minister said.

Bharadwaj also questioned how the forest department, which comes under Delhi govt, “turned a blind eye” towards cutting of trees. He pointed out that even the court raised questions on this. “This means that even officers cannot disobey LG’s directives, even if they are illegal. They are compelled to follow all kinds of instructions since LG has been vested with unlimited powers by central govt,” he alleged.

SC: Brazen act shows a lack of understanding of environment

There are efforts to conceal facts and we are not happy. You are unable to give us a record. It is difficult for us to believe that there is no record of LG visit, the bench stated

AmitAnand.Choudhary@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: Dissatisfied by Delhi Development Authority’s response that it hadn’t been able to locate documents to confirm or deny that lieutenant governor V K Saxena ordered illegal cutting of trees during a visit to Delhi’s southern Ridge, an SC bench observed that it was difficult to believe that there was no record of the LG’s visit.

“The email (by a DDA engineer) says that LG had visited and ordered cutting of trees but no inquiry was conducted on that aspect. Was it not the function of the committee to look into it? You are only protecting the higherups and blaming the lower officers. There are efforts to conceal facts and we are not happy. You are unable to give us a record. It is difficult for us to believe that there is no record of LG visit,” the bench said.

Senior advocate A D N Rao. who is assisting the court as amicus, submitted that the LG visited a hospital near the site and the hospital could be asked to put the record straight. The bench, however, granted one week’s time to DDA to clear the air.

“It is a brazen act, showing a complete lack of understanding of the environment and DDA is the first offender," the bench said. It also issued contempt notice to Environment and Forest Department of Delhi govt for illegal cutting of trees and not taking action against those responsible. It asked the department to start criminal proceedings against DDA under the Delhi Preservation of Trees Act and also impose monetary liability .

Taking a leaf from a detective story, the bench said, “We are very curious to know why the dog did not bark in this case. Everything is being covered up. When the insider does something then there is no barking... This is just the tip of the iceberg.”

Addressing the vice chairman, who was present on a contempt hearing on court’s directions, Justice Oka said that he had never sent anyone to jail in a contempt case and the court did not intend to send him to prison but he should make sincere efforts to protect the environment and forest in the city. “We are not running with a hammer in our hand against any authority but if the highest authority has done something wrong, there is nothing wrong in telling the court... The truth must come out,” the bench said, in what was seen by many as a hint to LG and others that they better own up any illegality they may have committed.

Akhilesh, Brinda Karat meet Atishi at Lok Nayak Hospital

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and CPI (M) functionary Brinda Karat met water minister Atishi at Lok Nayak Hospital on Wednesday.

Talking to reporters after the meeting, Yadav said Atishi was fighting to solve the problems of Delhi. He also alleged that the Centre was using CBI to frame Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal in liquor case to stall the functioning of AAP govt in the capital.

“Central govt has discriminated against Delhi govt and chief minister Kejriwal the most. Kejriwal formed govt and worked to improve health, education and other facilities but Centre is creating obstacles,” Yadav alleged.

“Centre must have known that he (Kejriwal) will come out (of jail). To ensure that he does not come out, govt does not function and he does not go among the people, he was framed by CBI,” the former UP CM said.

Karat also said that Atishi was “fighting very bravely” for the people of Delhi. “It is a matter of regret that the central govt and LG are dealing with the issue with bias. It is the people's fight and not that of Atishi alone. I came here to salute her. She told me that she is waiting to return to the path of struggle,” Karat told reporters.

Atishi was hospitalised on Tuesday after her health deteriorated during an indefinite fast to demand additional water for Delhi. Doctors at the hospital said her condition was stable and she had been shifted to a ward from the ICU.

CAQM target: 4.5cr saplings this year

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: The Commission for Air Quality Management in the national capital region and adjoining areas (CAQM) has set a target of 4.5 crore plantations by different agencies in the entire NCR in 2024-25. The commission has advised all the road-owning agencies in NCR to target complete greening of the central verges or medians of major trunk roads and on roadsides and open areas along the right of ways.

There has been a decrease in annual plantation target of Delhi in the current financial year, but targets for Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan have all increased. CAQM said Delhi has a target of planting 56.4 lakh sap- lings this year as against over 95 lakh last year.

Haryana’s NCR districts have targeted to plant over 1.3 crore saplings – an increase from a target of 98.9 lakh in previous year. Uttar Pradesh’s NCR districts will have to plant about two crore saplings as opposed to last year’s target of over 1.6 crore. Rajasthan’s NCR districts target for current year is about 42.7 lakh saplings, which is an increase from 25.8 lakh last year.

Of the total target of planting 4.5 crore saplings, 4.29 crore will have to be planted by Delhi and other NCR states, while the remaining saplings will be planted by central govt agencies and educa- tional institutes, CAQM said.

“Extensive greening and plantation in open areas in NCR, particularly along the central verges of roads, roadsides or pathways has all along been identified by the commission as an effective means towards mitigating high levels of dust, which is one of the prime concerns for poor air quality, particularly in the dry summer seasons in the entire NCR,” said CAQM in a statement.

Every Second Indian Adult Physically Inactive, Fails WHO Guidelines: Study

52.6% Women, 38.4% Men Have Sedentary Lifestyles; Levels Of Inactivity Projected To Rise

Anuja.Jaiswal@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: Nearly 50% of Indian adults are unfit and fail to adhere to World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendations for adequate physical activity, according to a study published in medical journal The Lancet Global Health on Tuesday.

The research, conducted across 197 countries and territories from 2000 to 2022, highlighted a significant gender disparity, with 52.6% of women and 38.4% men found physically inactive in 2022. The most concerning aspect of the findings was the dramatic increase in the prevalence of insufficient physical activity among Indian adults, which surged from 22.4% in 2000 to 45.4% in 2022. If the trend of 2010-22 continues, levels of inactivity are projected to rise to 55% by 2030.

To maintain optimal health, WHO recommends adults to engage in “150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity, or equivalent, per week”. Failing to meet these guidelines can lead to serious health consequences. Physically inactive adults are more susceptible to developing various cardiovascular diseases and face an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, dementia and breast and colon cancer.

According to city-based doctors, the lack of physical activity and increased consumption of unhealthy food are among major factors contributing to the rise in li- festyle-related diseases. With everything available on mobile phones, people have stopped going to markets, further reducing physical movement. The availability of snacks and beverages within the office has also limited the need for employees to move around. This sedentary lifestyle affects all age groups.

“In our OPD, we see a substantial number of patients with orthopaedic issues related to sedentary lifestyles and poor diets. In a month, the number of such patients ranges between 15 and 25. This indicates that these conditions are prevalent and increasing,” said Dr Hitesh Bhandari, consultant, orthopaedics, Indian Spinal Injuries Centre.

He added, “Sedentary lifestyles and consumption of junk food are key contributors to diseases. These include osteoporosis, where a lack of weight-bearing exercise can lead to weaker bones, and osteoarthritis, which is exacerbated by obesity caused by poor diet and inactivity. Chronic lower back pain is another common issue, resulting from poor posture and weak core muscles due to inactivity. Adults aged 40-65 are most affected by a sedentary lifestyle in terms of orthopaedic health. This age group often has desk jobs and establishes sedentary habits, leading to musculoskeletal problems.”

Dr Balbir Singh, group chairman, cardiac sciences, Max Super Speciality Hospital, Saket, emphasised the significant health risks associated with a sedentary lifes- tyle, particularly in relation to cardiovascular diseases, which affect both the heart and the brain. These ailments are a major concern for people who engage in minimal physical activity. A sedentary lifestyle is also linked to issues like hypertension, diabetes and obesity.

“The consequences of a sedentary lifestyle are more pronounced in older age groups, particularly those aged 40 and above. However, in recent years, there has been a significant change in the lifestyle habits of younger groups. The younger generation is also being impacted, as many work on computers and avoid in-person interactions. Online meetings and lack of walking are becoming prevalent among them. At least 80% of the people who visit my OPD lead a sedentary lifestyle,” said Dr Singh.

Women tend to lead a more inactive lifestyle compared to men, he added. Many women believe working in the kitchen and performing household chores constitute significant physical activity, and they often claim to be very active as a result. However, this perception is inaccurate, he said.

Dr Anoop Saraya, a gastroenterologist from ILBS, said annual check-ups and corporate health screenings have been instrumental in identifying health issues through incidental findings.

“Individuals with fatty liver are at a higher risk of developing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, which can progress to liver fibrosis, scarring and cell destruction. In advanced stages, this condi- tion may lead to cirrhosis, and those with cirrhotic liver have a higher likelihood of developing liver cancer compared to the general population. The progression from fatty liver to liver malignancy can span over 20-25 years,” he said, adding genetic predisposition plays a crucial role in the development of certain diseases. When coupled with unhealthy eating habits, the risk of developing these conditions increases.

According to Dr Pragya Shukla, head of clinical oncology department at Delhi State Cancer Institute, “There is an increasing trend of cancer incidence in the younger population. Breast and colon cancers are directly or indirectly affected by a sedentary lifestyle.”

The sedentary nature of modern lifestyles, characterised by prolonged periods of sitting and minimal exercise, has been identified as a significant risk factor for cancer occurrence across all age groups, particularly among young people, she said.

“Insufficient exercise can contribute to psychological issues, and there is a correlation between eating unhealthy food and experiencing anxiety and depression,” said Dr Praveen Gupta, principal director and chief of neurology, Fortis Hospital.

A sedentary lifestyle may negatively impact a person’s mental well-being. Moreover, the consumption of nutrientpoor, high-calorie foods has been associated with increased levels of stress and low mood.

TIMESVIEW: Inactivity can lead to both physical and mental issues. Unfortunately, modern office work often doesn't encourage physical activity. The report rightly reasserts the dangers of a sedentary lifestyle. We must prioritise the wellness of our own body, take time out to take care of it. There’s no better investment than yourself.

Surge in demand for nutritional guidance, fitness coaching

Anuja.Jaiswal@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: The demand for nutritional guidance and fitness coaching has surged on various platforms, particularly in the post-Covid era.

According to experts, this can be attributed to several factors, including a higher incidence of diet-related and lifestyle disorders, which has heightened people’s awareness of their daily habits. Social media has also played a significant role in spreading information and raising consciousness about these issues.

Ruchika Jain, head nutritionist at Fortis Vasant Kunj, pointed out that the post-pandemic era has seen a surge in sedentary lifestyles due to an increase in work-from-home arrangements. This shift has led to a greater reliance on online food delivery services and ready-to-eat meals, which has had a significant impact on people’s dietary habits and overall health.

The most common age range seeking nutritional advice falls between 18 and 45 years old, Jain added. In recent years, there has been a significant rise in the number of younger individuals consulting with professionals.

Anjali Bhola, a nutritionist at AIIMS, recently counselled five-six adolescents aged 17-19, whose weights ranged from 115 kg to 130 kg. She attributed the alarming trend to a sedentary lifestyle, with teenagers more engaged in online activities and mobile devices than physical interaction. The convenience of food delivery services has led teens to prefer ordering food online rather than consuming homecooked meals, which Dr Bhola identifies as the main culprit. She also holds parents accountable for this. Some children were found to be on the verge of pre-diabetes.

Ritika Samaddar, head (so- uth zone), dietetics, nutrition, Max Super Speciality Hospital, Saket, said she has observed a significant number of patients seeking dietary advice to maintain their health. “About 5-10 patients visit the OPD every day for blood tests and nutritional guidance, in addition to those with chronic illnesses. This trend can be attributed to a combination of sedentary lifestyles, poor eating habits and high stress levels,” she said.

Gastrointestinal issues have become increasingly common, with many patients presenting concerns such as digestion problems, constipation, bloating and acidity, known as irritable bowel disease, she added.

Additionally, there has been a rise in cases of metabolic syndrome, characterised by high triglycerides, high blood pressure, dyslipidemia and excessive weight. These are caused by unhealthy lifestyles, stress and irregular sleep patterns. However, they can be completely reversed through proper nutrition, exercise and the adoption of healthy lifestyle practices.

“The focus has shifted from simply losing weight to overall well-being, general health and fitness,” said J K Francis, MD and fitness consultant and personal trainer at Rejuvenation Fitness Pvt Ltd.

He said strength training has gained attention. “We cater to clients ranging from six to 90 years old, as people have become more aware of health issues,” he added.

Yoga, weight training, Pilates, aerobics and kickboxing are tailored to individual requirements and medical conditions, said Francis.

NEET row: Students want NTA scrapped, minister to resign

The protesters criticised alleged malpractices in NEET and demanded a re-examination for all candidates

The protest, organised under the banner of ‘India Against NTA’ by the All-India Students’ Association, drew a significant crowd

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Scores of students gathered at Jantar Mantar on Wednesday to demand the scrapping of the National Testing Agency (NTA) and sought the resignation of education minister Dharmendra Pradhan following the NEET controversy.

Holding placards that read ‘NTA failure puts our future in jeopardy’, ‘NTA must go’ and ‘Education minister must resign’, the protesters criticised alleged malpractices in NEET and demanded a re-examination for all candidates.

JNUSU president Dhananjay, who took part in the protest, said, “Injustice has been done to thousands of students and the culprit for this malpractice is NTA. The ministry of education should take responsibility for the failure and Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan must resign.”

He added that the students will continue the protest until their demands are met.

Prof Jitender Meena from Shyamlal College, who was also at the protest, said, “This is not the first time NTA has come under the scanner for alleged malpractice. During Pradhan’s tenure, there has been failure of not just NEET, but also many other papers that have also been leaked. It is now critical to raise questions to safeguard the education system of the country and save the future of students.”

The protest, organised under the banner of ‘India Against NTA’ by the All-India Students’ Association (AISA), drew a significant crowd. Later on Wednesday evening, some protesters were detained but were later released.

1 more peacock dies at Palam Air Force station

Kushagra.Dixit@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: Another peacock died at the Palam Air Force station on Wednesday, bringing the toll to 28 since June 4. Worried foresters have now sent the samples to Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Bareilly for virology tests.

According to officials, one peacock, India’s national bird, was found dead at 9am inside the Air Force station. Its postmortem has been conducted and the report is awaited.

An official said, “The samples have already reached for virology analysis at IVRI Bareilly.” Four carcasses were earlier sent to the Delhi zoo for postmortem and the results are awaited.

On Tuesday, a forest department team had inspected the Air Force station. Wednesday is the fourth consecutive day when the death of peacocks has been reported at the sta-

tion. According to a report by the forest department, the Air Force station inputs reveal that the first death occurred on June 5, followed by one each on June 6, 11 and 12, two on June 13,

14 and 15, one on June 17, two on June 18, four on June 19, one on June 20, two on June 22, four on June 24, three on June 25 and the latest one on June 26. Prima facie, it seems that the peacocks had died of heatstroke.

According to the Air Force station administration’s submission, six more peacocks, a species safeguarded under Schedule 1 of Wildlife (Protection) Act 1974, have been found in poor health.

While a detailed health inspection report is due, the station administration has stated that it had informed Delhi Police, which gave “honoured burial” to the peacocks and took the unwell birds to Sanjay Gandhi Animal Care Centre.

Man cleared of sex assault on son, ‘testimony not reliable’

New Delhi: A court recently acquitted a man of the charge of committing aggravated sexual assault on his minor son, saying he couldn’t be convicted solely on the basis of the boy’s “unreliable testimony without corroboration from independent evidence” .

The court of additional sessions judge Vinod Kumar Gautam said, “The story projected by the victim fails to inspire the confidence of this court.” The case was registered under Section 10 (aggravated sexual assault) of Pocso Act.

The prosecution claimed the man had touched the private parts of his son, then 7 years old, with sexual intent on July 17, 2022 inside a court complex during a custody case.

The court, however, said the child’s testimony was not corroborated by independent witnesses. It also noted that his statement during the cross-examination was contradictory to his earlier statement that during the alleged incident, he was playing with other children as his father was annoying him from a distance.

The accused had claimed that his wife had filed a false case against him to deny him the son’s guardianship. The court noted that the son didn’t feel uncomfortable meeting his father even after the registration of the case. He was also not adversely affected or traumatised, it added. TNN

I Told Sisodia About Policy Objectives: CM

Rejecting Questioning Of Timing & Necessity Of Arrest, Court Says Merits Of Case To Be Considered At This Stage

Continued from P1

He rebutted media reports which claimed that he had blamed deputy CM Manish Sisodia for the scam.

“CBI sources se media me chalwaya ja raha hain ki maine ek bayaan diya hai ki Manish Sisodia doshi hain. Maine aisa koi bayaan nahi diya hai. Manish nirdosh hai, AAP nirdosh hai, main nirdosh hun. Unka saara plan hai hame media main badnaam karne ka. Inke saare aarop jhhute hain. Isko record kiya jaaye. (CBI sources are disseminating the information in the media that I have given a statement saying Manish Sisodia is guilty. I have not given any such statement. Manish is innocent, AAP is innocent, I am innocent. Their entire plan is to malign us through media. All their claims are false. Please record this,” said Kejriwal.

He said CBI wanted a headline on the frontpage that Kejriwal had put the entire blame on Manish Sisodia. “They are sensationalising the issue,” he said.

Responding to this, the judge said he had read the CM’s statement and agreed that he hasn’t said what the CBI has attributed to him.

The Delhi CM told the court that he had told CBI about the directions he had given to Sisodia, who was then deputy CM, regarding formulation of the said policy. “I told them the excise policy had three objectives. We had to increase revenue and put an end to the long queues besides ensuring equitable distribution,” he said, speaking in Hindi. “I had called Manish Sisodia and given him these three directions.”

He said CBI had asked him whose idea was privatisation and he had told them that it was not his idea.

However, the CBI counsel, special public prosecutor (SPP) D P Singh, opposed the submissions. “It's not sources. Iargued in court. No source said anything. And I argued on facts,” he submitted. The court replied: “Media picks up one line. It is very difficult to control media that way.”

Responding to a query by the court about the material submitted, the SSP said Vijay Nair was a close associate of Kejriwal and Magunta Reddy had met Kejriwal in his office.

Rejecting the plea of Kejriwal's counsel, senior advocate Vikram Chaudhri, that there was an issue of applicability of Section 41A of CrPC, the court said CBI has taken permission of the court before examining and interrogating Kejriwal. This section requires a police officer to is- sue a notice to the accused before making an arrest without a warrant.

The court also rejected the contention of the CM's counsel about the timing and necessity of the arrest. “This court has to consider, at this stage, the merits of the case. The timing may be circumspect but it is not the clear criterion for declaring an arrest illegal,” said the judge.

The court took note of the SSP’s submission that Kejriwal’s role as one of the “main conspirators” became clear during further investigation, particularly after statements of Magunta Sreenivasulu Reddy (MP) recorded on Jan 25, 2024 and the statement of his son, Raghav Magunta, recorded on Jan 20, 2024. CBI had also claimed that Kejriwal’s replies during his questioning in Tihar were found to be evasive.

In order to prove that Kejriwal can influence witnesses and derail the investigation, CBI had pointed out to the court that permission/sanc- tion for certain individuals in this case was not granted by the Punjab govt and that many cases had been filed against certain persons in Punjab.

The counsel for the CM, Vikram Chaudhri, said the agency had all the material with it even when it filed the previous three chargesheets. Moreover, the arguments made against Kejriwal are essentially the same as against Manish Sisodia a year back. He also questioned the statements of the witnesses, saying these were available in 2023 and were not new. These were obtained under duress, he added.

The SPP also pointed out that while the Delhi govt had invited public feedback on the proposed liquor policy, the comments were fabricated. Responding to this, advocate Vivek Jain said that more than 14,000 comments had been received and the agency had alleged that seven opinions were fabricated which amounted to just 0.06% of the opinions.

The court allowed Kejriwal to meet his wife, Sunita, and his lawyers for one hour everyday (from 6-7pm) while in custody.

The court also allowed the CM a medically prescribed diet, home-cooked food, prescribed medicines, glucometer and spectacles.

CBI caught red-handed lying in front of court: AAP

SUNITA KEJRIWAL SAYS The whole system is trying to ensure that the man (Kejriwal) does not come out of jail. This is not law. This is dictatorship, this is emergency

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Following Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest by Central Bureau of Investigation on Wednesday, senior AAP functionary Jasmine Shah, at a press conference, alleged that the investigating agency had falsely claimed in court that the chief minister had washed his hands of the liquor policy case and put the entire blame on former deputy CM Manish Sisodia.

Shah said not only did Kejriwal immediately refute CBI’s claim in court and challenged the investigating agency to present any evidence to support it, the judge also confirmed that the chief minister had made no such remarks. “CBI has been caught red-handed lying in front of the court. The agency wanted Kejriwal to give such a statement that would cre- ate a sensation in the media. The judge also found the CBI’s claim to be wrong,” Shah said.

Kejriwal’s wife Sunita, meanwhile, said the arrest was akin to “dictatorship” and “emergency” and alleged that the entire system was trying to ensure that her husband did not come out of jail.

In a post on X in Hindi, Sunita said her husband got bail on June 20 in the alleged excise policy-linked money laundering case but the Enforcement Directorate immediately got a stay. “The very next day, CBI made him an accused. And today he was arrested. The whole system is trying to ensure that the man does not come out of jail. This is not law. This is dictatorship, this is emergency,” she alleged.

Seeking Kejriwal’s custody, CBI counsel DP Singh submitted before the court that the chief minister had put the “entire onus” on Sisodia and claimed he had no idea about the excise policy. “We need to confront him with the documents that we have. We are not asking him to admit to something,” submitted the CBI counsel. Shah alleged that the case had now taken a political colour and ED and CBI had been put behind Kejriwal.

In a separate press conference, Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh said CBI had interrogated Kejriwal for 9 hours in April 2023. “If he was an accused, why did the agency remain silent for so many months,” Singh said, adding that he will raise the issue in Parliament with the help of INDIA bloc partners.

Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor said that it’s “regrettable” to see AAP casting aspersions on investigation agencies. “The CBI case in the liquor scam is going on since 2022 and Kejriwal had been summoned in April 2023. But, they are trying to portray that Kejriwal is being victimised,” Kapoor alleged.

Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said after Sisodia, the arrest of Kejriwal was a demand of justice. “AAP and opposition functionaries need to understand that he was engaged in bribery,” Sachdeva said.

After Arrest By CBI, CM Takes Back Plea In SC

To Move Court Afresh Against HC Stay On Bail And Arrest by CBI

SR ADVOCATE SINGHVI SAYS The HC judgment has all kinds of issues … Kejriwal was re-arrested last night by CBI. Now there is no option for Kejriwal but to file a fresh SLP with all available grounds to challenge substantively and properly the Delhi HC order of June 25 order and the arrest by CBI

Dhananjay.Mahapatra@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: Following his arrest by CBI, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal withdrew from Supreme Court his petition challenging Delhi HC 's order staying the bail granted to him in the money laundering case brought against him by the ED.

Kejriwal told the court that he would soon file a comprehensive petition to challenge the Delhi HC's stay on his bail in the ED case as well as CBI's action.

The ED had registered a case under Prevention of Money Laundering Act five days after the CBI had lodged an FIR under Prevention of Corruption Act on Aug 17, 2022 alleging irregularities in framing and implementation of Delhi govt’s excise policy. Kejriwal's former deputy Manish Sisodia was arrested in the case by CBI on Feb 26, 2023. On March 9, the then deputy CM was arrested in a PMLA case.

Senior advocate A M Singhvi summarised the challenging times for Kejriwal before a vacation bench of Justices Manoj Misra and S V N Bhatti prior to seeking withdrawal of the CM’s petition challenging the Delhi HC’s June 21 order staying the trial court vacation judge Nyay Bindu’s decision to release him on bail. The HC on June 25 confirmed the interim stay on Kejriwal’s bail while faulting the trial court’s bail order.

“Events are overtaking us everyday. The HC judgment has come which has all kinds of issues … Kejriwal was re-arrested last night by the CBI in the 2022 (excise policy scam) case. Now there is no option for Kejriwal but to file a fresh SLP with all available grounds to challenge substantively and properly the Delhi HC order of June 25 order and the arrest by CBI,” Singhvi said.

Seeking withdrawal of the special leave petition, Singhvi sought liberty from the SC to file a comprehensive petition to meet the eventualities thrown up by “the fast-paced developments”. Solicitor general Tushar Mehta said ED’s reply to the Kejriwal’s petition be taken on record. The bench recorded additional solicitor general S V Raju’s no objection to Kejriwal’s withdrawal plea and dismissed the petition as withdrawal while granting liberty to the CM to file fresh petition.

To be out of jail, Kejriwal now has to get bail in both the PMLA case lodged by ED and the excise scam related corruption case filed by the CBI. Sisodia has been in jail for more than 15 months and several of his bail pleas have been rejected by the trial court, HC and the SC.

In its reply to Kejriwal’s withdrawn petition, the ED said the trial court granted bail to Kejriwal ignoring the mandate of Section 45 of PMLA, which provided that the public prosecutor must be given reasonable opportunity to oppose bail. ED said the ASG was repeatedly told by the trial court to cut short his submissions and did not peruse the entire material against the accused.

Subjected to constant media trial, pleads ED

Pradeep.Thakur@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: In a role reversal, the Enforcement Directorate has claimed that it was subjected to constant media trial and more than 250 petitions were filed against the agency in different courts by politicians and businessmen accused in the Delhi liquor scam, including CM Arvind Kejriwal and former deputy CM Manish Sisodia, all meant to derail its probe in the money laundering case.

Since the investigation started, the agency said at least 253 petitions were filed in different courts by the accused, as against only 17 arrests. The submissions were made in its affidavit before Delhi High Court which it had recently moved against a subordinate court order granting bail to the Delhi CM. Agreeing with the ED’s arguments and evidence of money trail produced against the CM, the HC stayed his bail on Tuesday.

Describing how it was facing obstructions in completing the investigation against high-profile accused in the liquor scam, who have been fielding senior advocates and legal luminaries, ED said the IO (investigating officer) of the case has to be present in court every time these cases come up for hearing, adversely impacting its progress and further delaying the trial.

Elaborating further, ED said so far, 225 such cases were disposed of but the agency, constrained with limited manpower and finances, was facing problems in putting up adequate and matching legal representation.

“It is relevant to state that investigation is a complex process and does not follow a linear path in unearthing any offence, more so, a scam of this nature where 176 digital devices have been destroyed with an attempt to thwart investigation and cash transactions of around Rs 100 crore in bribes are transferred through hawala operators, which has been spent in cash in another state,” ED said.

The probe is spread across several states, including Delhi, Goa, Telangana, Punjab and Haryana with more than 30 people accused so far. Six chargesheets have been filed and cognisance taken by the special PMLA court, the agency said on the challenges involved in concluding the probe.

“There has been rampant trial by media wherein more than 19 press conferences and over 50 media statements have been made by associates of accused persons as well as those released on bail vilifying the investigation and the officers conducting the probe,” ED said.

The agency said after Delhi HC rejected Sisodia’s bail, more than 130 applications were filed “in concert” by several co-accused. This was quite substantial considering that before the rejection of Sisodia’s bail, only 40 petitions were filed related to the liquor scam, it added.

ED has attached assets worth Rs 260 crore belonging to several accused, treating them as ‘proceeds of crime’. It has identified Rs 1,100 crore as ‘proceeds of crime’ in the liquor scam, which includes “illegal gains to wholesalers as well as retailers of cartel members and bribes to AAP leaders”.

Bus gets stuck in caved-in road

New Delhi: Traffic movement was briefly choked in south Delhi on Wednesday after a Delhi Transport Corporation electric bus got stuck in a caved-in section of a road in Mehrauli. Police said some work was going on at the site.

The police received around four to five calls regarding traffic congestion in the area. In a post on X, the police said, "Traffic is affected on MB Road in the carriageway from Khanpur towards Mehrauli due to breakdown of a bus near Saket metro station. Kindly plan your journey accordingly."

Police added the bus was removed and traffic movement resumed. The route number 419 bus was on its way from Kashmere Gate to Lado Sarai.

PTI

Scammers scare 72-yr-old with fake legal notices

Continued from P1

The fake cops even told the 72-year-old woman to take rest after making her run around the whole day and said they would revert to give her a clean chit. She only realised she may have been duped when they didn't get back.

The drama unfolded around 9.30am on May 24. Dasgupta received a pre-recorded message from the “Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s notification unit”. They threatened to block her mobile number for alleged misuse for circulating pornographic content. Alarmed and confused, Dasgupta called the number back to clear her name. On the other side was a man who claimed to be a Mumbai Police officer.

He fabricated a case against Dasgupta, complete with a fake FIR number and a warrant for her arrest issued by “CBI” in a “Mumbai court”. The scammer ordered Dasgupta to appear in the Mumbai court within two hours. She also received a fake arrest order on WhatsApp that looked almost real with a stamp and signature.

During a video call with the scammers, who had their own video turned off, Dasgupta was instructed to keep her camera on, lock herself in a room, and not allow anyone to enter or leave. She was also told to cease all communication with family members and neighbours.

“Scared of what was to unfold next, I continued to follow their or- ders as they kept on saying things like, 'you're like our mother, we know you haven’t done anything wrong, let me try to speak to my seniors in CBI, and I’m sure something will work out’,” she told TOI. “I could hear multiple voices in the background actually talking about my money laundering activities and how they could get me out of this,” she added.

The scammers demanded her Aadhaar card number, insisting they needed to check if her name had come up in other cases. They informed her about an alleged money laundering case involving a former airline chief and bombarded her WhatsApp with more fake notices.

The scammers then instructed Dasgupta to transfer all her funds to the Mumbai police and CBI officials for further scrutiny and investigation. She was ordered to visit her banks and transfer Rs 58 lakh from one account and 25 lakh from another immediately. Dasgupta endured a harrowing virtual confinement via WhatsApp video call from 9am till 10.30pm, unable to leave her seat before heading to the bank to transfer money as demanded by the fraudsters.

TIMESVIEW: Cyber frauds are no longer exceptions; they are routine. These scamsters are not only ruthless, but razor-sharp and always coming up with innovative ways to dupe the susceptible. Of late, they have also been using modern technology to imitate voices. We have said this before, but it needs to be repeated: Think carefully before making payment decisions online. Avoid clicking on shady links. Shun easy passwords. Don't share an OTP number with someone you barely know. Staying attentive and on guard is the only way to stay safe.

Rickshaw driver beaten up, shots fired in air

New Delhi: Four occupants of a car allegedly thrashed a rickshaw driver in an apparent incident of road rage in Jafrabad on Wednesday. The accused also fired in the air to scare people and fled the spot. The incident was allegedly caused by the rickshaw hitting the car in a narrow street. The accused also hit the driver on the head with the pistol. Police have filed an FIR. The footage of CCTV cameras in the area is being analysed.

TNN

Cybercrooks posing as CBI officers dupe woman of `2 lakh

Devanshi.Mehta@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: Cybercrooks allegedly posed as CBI officers and duped a woman into believing that her husband had been arrested for rape. The conmen extorted Rs 2 lakh from the woman, a resident of southeast Delhi’s Amar Colony, for “his release on bail”.

The number from which the fraudulent call came had a +92 prefix, indicating that it was made from Pakistan.

The scam came to light when her husband, an employee of New Delhi Municipal Council, returned home on June 21 to find her in a state of panic. The woman said she had received a WhatsApp call earlier in the day from a “CBI official”, who claimed that her husband had been detained and demanded the money to avoid media exposure.

“If you don’t transfer this money immediately, we will reveal to the media that your husband is a criminal, and he will not be able to show his face anywhere,” the conman had warned her.

The gang provided her account numbers and the terrified woman hastily deposited the amount. The gang tried to extort more from her, but her husband reached by then and cleared the air.

In another case, a woman was allegedly duped of Rs 10 lakh by cybercrooks operating on Telegram with a promise of exorbitant returns. Police have arrested three people, Vipin Kumar (30), Mohit Sharma (27) and Samarth Dabar (23).

Kumar, who was earlier a SIM card seller, started opening bank accounts for others, which were then used for fraudulent activities. The co-accused also opened bank accounts using personal details supplied by Kumar, and later sold them on Telegram, earning a commission of 30%.

On April 24, Rekha had filed a complaint at the cyber police station in Dwarka that she was contacted by the alleged fraudsters via Telegram, promising high returns on investments.

A case was registered under sections 420 (cheating) and 120(B) (criminal conspiracy) of Indian Penal Code. Through technical surveillance and analysis of call detail records and bank statements, the accused were identified and arrested on June 22, police said.

Moving car goes up in flames, close shave for 3

Noida: A moving car caught fire on the Parthala flyover in Greater Noida West on Wednesday morning.

No one was injured. The driver had stopped to check the engine, and two other passengers stepped out just in time as the car went up in flames.

The fire, suspected to have been triggered by a short-circuit, took an hour to douse.

Police said that they got to know about the incident around 11.15 am from the 112 emergency helpline.

“On getting the information, the fire control room was immediately alerted, and a team of firefighters with one fire engine reached the spot. After an hour of effort, the fire was extinguished. But the car was gutted,” a senior police officer said.

The Swift Dzire belonged to Prashant Kumar (30), a resident of Bisrakh in Greater Noida. Cops said Kumar had attached his car to a firm that provided ridesharing services.

“On Wednesday morning, Kumar got a ride for Noida from Charmurti Junction in Greater Noida West. As he was driving towards Noida, he noticed smoke billowing from the car’s engine. He stopped the car on the flyover to check and tried to open the bonnet, but the metal was too hot to touch,” the officer said.

Within a few seconds, the officer added, the car went up in flames and Kumar asked the two passengers to step out.

Kumar’s brother Danveer and the passenger who had hired the cab managed to get out to safety in time.

Fire department officials said the blaze was likely triggered by a short-circuit, which can be caused due to overheating or any technical fault.

TNN

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- Italy busts gang smuggling in Chinese via luxury cars

- Activists held after ‘dirty protest’ at Sunak’s home

- AROUND THE WORLD

- Russia starts secret trial of US scribe for spying

- Two astronauts stuck on ISS as Boeing capsule faces technical woes

Kenya prez backs down on tax hikes after unrest leaves 23 dead

Nairobi: Kenyan Prez William Rutoon Wednesday withdrew planned tax hikes, bowing to pressure from protesters who had stormed parliament, launched demonstrations across the country and threatened more action this week.

The move will be seen as a major victory for a week-old, youth-led protest movement that grew from online condemnations of tax rises into mass rallies demanding a political overhaul, in the most serious crisis of Ruto’s 2-year-old presidency.

But some demonstrators said on social media that despite Ruto’s climbdown they would go ahead with a rally planned for Thursday, with many reiterating demands that he resign.

Ruto announced he would not sign a finance bill including the tax increases, a day after violent clashes between police and protesters at the assembly and nationwide left at least 23 people dead and scores wounded, according to medics.

“Listening keenly to the people of Kenya who have said loudly that they want nothing to do with this finance bill 2024, I concede. And therefore, I will not sign the 2024 finance bill, and it shall subsequently be withdrawn,” he said in a televised address with lawmakers.

Ruto said he would now start a dialogue with Kenyan youth, without going into details, and work on austerity measures — beginning with cuts to the budget of the presidency — to make up the difference in the country’s finances. REUTERS

Karachi heat kills 450 in just 4 days

Karachi: A searing heat wave that has hit Pakistan’s biggest city has led to the death of at least 450 people over the last four days, leading NGO Edhi Foundation claimed on Wednesday.

Karachi, Pakistan’s port city, has been hit by extreme hot weather since Saturday with mercury crossing 40°C for third consecutive day on Wednesday, considered too high for a coastal area. Edhi said most of the bodies belonged to homeless people and drug addicts on the streets. The cosmopolitan city, also Pakistan’s financial capital, is home to millions of migrants from other parts of the country and also from Afghanistan and some African nations. PTI

Assange arrives home in Aus a free man after US plea deal

Wife Doesn’t Rule Out Return To Publishing; Lawyer Says ‘WikiLeaks Work To Go On’

Canberra: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange landed to an ecstatic welcome in Australia on Wednesday after pleading guilty to violating US espionage law in a deal that sets him free from a 14-year legal battle.

Assange disembarked from a private jet at Canberra airport just after 7.30pm (local time), waving to waiting media and cheering supporters before passionately kissing his wife, Stella, and lifting her off the ground. He embraced his father before entering the terminal building with his legal team.

Assange has not spoken publicly since being released and did not appear at a Wikile- aks press conference at a hotel in Canberra, where Stellasaid it was too soon to say what her husband would do next. “Julian needs time to recover, to get used to freedom,” she said. “I want Julian to have that space to rediscover that freedom.”

Assange told PM Anthony Albanese in a phone call from the capital Canberra’s airport tarmac that Australian govt intervention in the US prosecution had saved his life, Assange lawyer Jennifer Robinson said.

Assange’s arrival ends a saga in which he spent more than five years in a UK high-security jail and seven years in asylum at the Ecuadorean embas- sy in London battling extradition to Sweden on sexual assault allegations and to the US, where he faced 18 criminal charges. Those charges stemmed from WikiLeaks’ release in 2010 of hundreds of thousands of classified US military documents on Washington’s wars in Afghanistan and Iraq — one of the largest breaches of secret information in US history.

During a three-hour hearing held earlier in the US territory of Saipan, Assange pleaded guilty to one criminal count of conspiring to obtain and disclose classified national defence documents. He defended his actions, describing himself as a journalist seeking information from sources, a task he said he saw as legal and constitutionally protected. “I believe the First Amendment and the Espionage Act are in contradiction with each other,” he said, “but I accept that it would be difficult to win such a case given all the circumstances.”

Asked if Assange would return to publishing, Stella did not rule out the possibility. She said he “will always defend human rights, will always defend victims.” Another of his lawyers, Barry Pollack, expected his client would continue vocal campaigning: “WikiLeaks’s work will continue”.

REUTERS, NYT

TASTE OF FREEDOM: Julian Assange landed at RAAF air base Fairbairn in Canberra on Wednesday and was greeted by his wife Stella

US House adopts resolution seeking independent probe into Pak elections

The US House of Representatives has overwhelmingly passed a resolution supporting democracy and human rights in Pakistan, urging an independent probe into claims of irregularities in the country’s Feb 8 general elections.

The polls were plagued by a nationwide mobile internet shutdown on election day, arrests and violence during the leadup, and unusually delayed results. These issues led to accusations of the vote being rigged.

The resolution, passed Tuesday by a368-7 vote, urged Prez Biden to collaborate with Pakistan in upholding democracy, human rights, and rule of law.

Islamabad criticised the resolution, saying that it was neither constructive nor objective due to its “lack of understanding of Pakistan’s political situation and electoral process”. PTI

Mark Rutte moves from leading Netherlands to heading Nato

Outgoing Dutch PM A Putin Critic, And A Ukraine Supporter

TOUGH ROAD AHEAD

Mark Rutte, the long-serving Dutch PM, was formally named the new secretary general of Nato on Wednesday, putting an experienced, strongly pro-Ukraine leader with a reputation for conciliation at the head of the alliance. Rutte, 57, will take over from Jens Stoltenberg on Oct 1, at a difficult time for Nato in the face of Russia’s war against Ukraine and in the midst of a tight race for the US presidency that could bring Donald Trump, who disparages the alliance, back into power.

The decision, sealed by Nato ambassadors during a meeting at the 32-nation alliance’s headquarters in Brussels, removes a potentially contentious issue from the alliance’s 75th anniversary meeting next month in Washington. US Prez Biden and his Nato counterparts will formally welcome Rutte to their table at a summit, which begins on July 9.

Long a favourite of Biden for the post, Rutte served as the Dutch PM four times, for nearly 14 years, building complicated coalitions through debate and compromise. Those skills should serve him well in an alliance that works by consensus, where one country can block the intentions of the rest.

Rutte turned down Biden’s request that he seek the Nato job at least once before, forcing the alliance to extend Stoltenberg’s term for an extra year.

Now serving as a caretaker PM before a new Dutch go- vernment is sworn in, Rutte is known as a hard worker but an affable boss. A man of habit, the son of a car dealer, he has lived in the same modest house, with the same furniture, for the past 30 years. Every summer, he rents the same house with family members and spends a few days each year in New York with the same friend, staying in the same modest hotel in Chinatown, wrote Caroline de Gruyter, Europe correspondent for the Dutch newspaper NRC Handelsblad, in Foreign Policy.

He is also known for riding his bicycle to work, a habit that will have to change because his new job will require him to endure significantly enhanced security wherever he goes. He will also have to drop the weekly social studies class he has taught for years at a high school in The Hague.

Rutte will take over with Nato struggling to find a way to reassure Ukraine of its longterm commitment to its security at a time when the country is facing increased Russian pressure after more than two years of war. Allies are also concerned that Trump, who has been openly hostile to Nato and some of its leaders, could win back the presidency, although Rutte got along well with Trump when he was in office.

In Feb, speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Rutte told Europeans to “stop moaning and whining and nagging about Trump,” and instead act in their own interests by beefing up their militaries and producing more ammunition for Ukraine. Americans will decide the next president, he said, adding: “I’m not an American, I cannot vote in the US. We have to work with whoever is on the dance floor.”

Rutte’s view of the Kremlin was deeply affected by the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over Ukraine in 2014, with 196 Dutch people among the 298 people killed by a Russian antiaircraft missile that had been provided to separatist forces by the Russian military. In Sept2022,Rutte told the UN of Prez Putin: “He won’t stop at Ukraine if we don’t stop him now. This war is bigger than Ukraine itself. It’s about upholding the international rule of law.” He has described Putin as “coldhearted, brutal, merciless.” Under Rutte, the Netherlands has increased military spending to over 2%of GDP demanded of Nato members, and it has provided F-16s, artillery, drones and ammunition to Kyiv while investing more in its own military. NYT

Pak’s Balochistan home minister alleges India’s RAW backing ‘TTP-BLA nexus’

Cites One Militant’s ‘Video Statement’ To Make Accusation

Omer Farooq Khan TNN

Islamabad: The home minister of Pakistan’s restive Balochistan province accused India on Wednesday of being the “single investor” of banned outfits Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and Balochistan Liberation Army, responsible for carrying out terror attacks and abductions in the country.

Minister Ziaullah Langau’s allegations came during a press conference in Quetta, Balochistan’s capital. He said security forces had arrested two key militant commanders — TTP’s Nasrullah, alias Maulvi Mansoor, and Idrees, aka Irshad — and then showed a recorded statement of the former. In the video, Nasrullah, a member of TTP since 2007, said he had settled in Afghanistan’s Paktika province during the 2014 military offensive in North Waziristan and had been working as an “emir” in the militant group’s defence commission since 2023.

He then explained a plan he had been briefed about in Jan 2024, according to which a BLA guide would take him to southern Balochistan by helping him cross the Pak-Afghan border through Spin Boldak town. The militant claimed Bashir Zeb, the commander of BLA Majeed Brigade, was complicit in the plan’s creation. Nasrullah alleged India’s intelligence agency RAW was behind all this, that it wanted a BLA-TTP nexus, and that TTP bases be established in Khuzdar, Balochistan.

He claimed: “TTP chief Mufti Noor Wali Mehsud and the outfit’s defence minister, Mufti Muzahim, said we (TTP) and our friends (RAW) have three objectives in establishing a foothold in Balochistan: Sabotaging CPEC projects, including targeting Chinese citizens; carrying out kidnappings to play up the matter of enforced disappearances so that intelligence agencies can be defamed; and spreading anarchy and frustration among the people by fomenting terrorist activities.” Nasrullah claimed Mehsud held meetings with RAW agents at the Indian embassy in Kabul, and this was fully supported by the Afghan govt.

After showing Nasrullah’s statement, Langau said while TTP vowed to “introduce Islamic system”, the BLA was its “ideological opposite”. “Their nexus only means their investor is the same, using them from two angles,” he alleged.

Honduras ex-prez gets 45 yrs’ jail on US drug charges

New York: Former Honduran prez Juan Orlando Hernandez was sentenced by a US judge on Wednesday to 45 years in jail for his conviction on drug and firearm offenses. A Manhattan jury in March found Hernandez guilty of accepting millions of dollars in bribes to protect US bound cocaine shipments belonging to traffickers he once publicly proclaimed to combat. The sentence, which included an $8 million fine, was less than the life imprisonment that prosecutors had sought — although Hernandez’s age, 55, means he may die behind bars.

He led Honduras, a US ally in Central America, from 2014 to 2022. During a two-week trial, prosecutors said Hernandez used drug money to bribe officials and manipulate voting results of 2013 and 2017 prez polls. Several convicted traffickers testified they bribed Hernandez. Testifying in his own defence, Hernandez denied taking bribes from drug cartels. REUTERS

Flatulent cows and pigs will face a carbon tax in Denmark, a world first

GREEN MOVE

Copenhagen: Denmark will tax livestock farmers for the greenhouse gases emitted by their cows, sheep and pigs from 2030, the first country in the world to do so as it targets a major source of methane emissions, one of the most potent gases contributing to global warming. The aim is to reduce Danish greenhouse gas emissions by 70% from 1990 levels by 2030, said taxation minister Jeppe Bruus.

As of 2030, Danish livestock farmers will be taxed 300 kroner ($43) per tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2030. The tax will increase to 750 kroner ($108) by 2035. However, because of an income tax deduction of 60%, the actual cost per tonne will start at 120 kro- ner ($17.3) and increase to 300 kroner by 2035.

Although carbon dioxide typically gets more attention for its role in climate change, methane traps about 87 times more heat on a 20-year timescale, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Livestock account for about 32% of human-caused methane emissions, says the UN Environment Program.

“We will take a big step closer in becoming climate neutral in 2045,” Bruus said, adding Denmark “will be the first country in the world to introduce a real CO2 tax on agriculture” and hoped other countries would follow suit. The tax is to be approved in the 179-seat parliament, but the bill is expected to pass after the broad-based consensus.

New Zealand had passed a similar law due to take effect in 2025. However, the legislation was removed from the statute book Wednesday after hefty criticism from farmers and a change of govt in 2023 election. AP

Italy busts gang smuggling in Chinese via luxury cars

TRAFFICKING RING UNRAVELLED

Rome: Italian police said on Wednesday they have busted a Chinese trafficking network which used luxury cars to smuggle Chinese migrants into Italy, before confiscating their passports and treating them like slaves. The smugglers had the migrants pose as “unsuspecting Asian citizens, well-dressed, with little luggage, travelling in expensive cars, driven by Chinese citizens who had lived in Italy for years and spoke Italian,” the police said.

Investigators were alerted to a possible ring after a Chinese citizen was stopped at the border between Italy and Slovenia in April during routine checks, and found to be transporting four undocumented Chinese. A probe uncovered “the existence of a consistent, continuous flow of irregular Chinese citizens who, in small groups, were flown to the external European borders in countries (mainly Serbia) where they entered with a visa exem- ption,” the police said. “And then, from there, they were accompanied by car, through Bosnia, Croatia and Slovenia, up to the Italian state border.”

Smuggled migrants were transported to a safehouse near Venice, before being taken on either to areas of Italy or other EU countries. The traffickers confiscated their passports. The migrants were kept “without medical assistance, given nothing except a bed and a place to work indefinitely”, police said. Police arrested nine alleged members of the trafficking network during the operation and identified 77 undocumented migrants. AFP

Activists held after ‘dirty protest’ at Sunak’s home

Naomi Canton

London: Four men have been arrested after trespassing in the grounds of British PM Rishi Sunak’s Yorkshire country mansion where one of them even defecated in his lake.

Protest group Youth Demand claimed responsibility for the incident, uploading footage to X. The group wrote: “As Sunak faces electoral wipeout, we offer up a parting gift. We have given the Tories exactly what they have given us. A ****show. The political system in this country is in the toilet.” The statement then goes on a rant about the “collapsing NHS”, “crumbling schools”, food banks, new oil and gas projects, and UK arms sales to Israel. The video shows Oliver Clegg, 21, a Just Stop Oil activist from Manchester, climbing into a lake and appearing to defecate while wearing an “Eat s*** Rishi” shirt.

It was another blow for the PM whose party is engulfed in a betting scandal and whose election campaign has been star-crossed from the outset.

Sunak’s constituency home in the village of Kirby Sigston, North Yorkshire, is a manor house, worth over £2 million, with extensive gardens, a private lake, weir and boathouse. Cops were with the four men within a minute of them entering the grounds. “They were detained around 12.40pm Tuesday before being escorted off the property and arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass,” a police spokesman said. They have been released on conditional bail. Just half an hour earlier, a man was arrested on suspicion of drink-driving and criminal damage after ramming car into entrance of Chequers, Sunak’s official country residence.

AROUND THE WORLD

SOLAR VATICAN IN THE WORKS: Pope Francis, a vocal campaigner for action against climate change, on Wednesday ordered the construction of a solar farm to cover the energy needs of the Vatican city state. The mini-state, based in Rome, hosts the headquarters of the global Catholic Church and comprises St Peter’s Basilica. It is the world’s smallest country, measuring just 0.44 square kilometres

South Korean airport briefly shuts down runways because of North’s trash balloons

Takeoffs and landings at South Korea’s Incheon international airport were disrupted on Wednesday for about three hours before dawn because of balloons launched by North Korea filled with refuse, an airport spokesperson said. One balloon landed on the tarmac near passenger Terminal 2 and the three runways at Incheon were temporarily shut down. North Korea has flown balloons carrying trash into South Korea since late May. Several balloons were spotted in and around the airport boundaries, the spokesperson said, adding that this was not the first time operations at the airport — about 40km from the North Korean border — had been disrupted by such balloons.

North Korea ‘hypersonic missile explodes in flight’

A suspected hypersonic missile launched by North Korea exploded in flight on Wednesday, South Korea’s military said. The missile was launched at about 5.30am (local time) and was travelling off the North’s east coast before it blew up, South Korea’s joint chiefs of staff said. Missile fragments were scattered in the water up to 250km from the launch site near North Korea’s capital, it said. No damage was reported.

Kafka letter in which he says he can no longer write on sale

A letter from Franz Kafka in which he tells a friend he can no longer write is being offered at auction 100 years after his death, with an estimate of up to $114,000. Kafka is one of the 20th century’s greatest writers, known for works such as “The Trial” and “The Metamorphosis”. In the one-page letter in German, the Prague-born novelist says he has not written anything in three years. It is believed to have been written around April-June 1920, according to auction house Sotheby’s. Kafka was diagnosed with tuberculosis in 1917. “When worries have penetrated to a certain layer of inner existence, writing and complaining obviously cease,” Kafta wrote.

Russia starts secret trial of US scribe for spying

Yekaterinburg (Russia): US journalist Evan Gershkovich went on trial behind closed doors Wednesday in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg, where he faces charges of espionage and a likely sentence of up to 20 years in prison.

Prosecutors say the Wall Street Journal reporter gathered secret information on the orders of the US’ CIA about a company that manufactures tanks for Russia’s war in Ukraine. Gershkovich, his newspaper and the US govt all reject the allegations and say that he was just doing his job as a reporter accredited by the foreign ministry to work in Russia. The Kremlin declined to comment.

After several hours of closed proceedings, the court said the next session would take place on Aug 13. REUTERS

Two astronauts stuck on ISS as Boeing capsule faces technical woes

Astronauts Sunita Williams (above in blue) and Butch Wilmore lifted off on June 5. Their 8-day mission has stretched to weeks

Washington: Problems with Boeing’s Starliner capsule, still docked at the International Space Station, have upended the original plans for its return of its two astronauts — Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore — to Earth, as lastminute fixes and tests draw out a mission crucial to the future of Boeing’s space division. Nasa has rescheduled the planned return three times, and now has no date set for it. Since its June 5 lift-off, the capsule has had five helium leaks, five manoeuvring thrusters go dead and a propellant valve fail to close completely, prompting crew in space and managers in Houston to spend more time than expected pursuing fixes.

The current situation

Starliner can stay docked at the ISS for up to 45 days, according to Nasa’s commercial crew manager Steve Stich. But if absolutely necessary, it could stay docked for up to 72 days, relying on various backup systems, according to a source. Internally at Nasa, Starliner’s latest targeted return date is July 6, according to this source. Such a return date would mean that the mission, originally planned for eight days, instead would last a month.

Starliner’s expendable propulsion system is part of the craft’s service module. The current problems centre on this system, which is needed to back the capsule away from the ISS and position it to dive through Earth’s atmosphere. Many of Starliner’s thrusters have overheated when fired, and the leaks of helium — used to pressurise the thrusters — appear to be connected to how frequently they are used. Stich said recent test-firings of the thrusters gave mission teams confidence in a safe return. The mission team in Houston, made up of Nasa and Boeing personnel, is scrutinising data on the propulsion issuesand considering how to fix them, such as by updating software or changing how the hardware is used. Once Nasa officials give the team a goahead for a return, Starliner’s thrusters would be used to undock the capsule from the ISS and begin a roughly six-hour journey home. This is Starliner’s first mission to orbit carrying astronauts — the final test needed for Nasa to certify it as its second ride to ISS along with SpaceX’s Crew Dragon.

If the unexpected happens

Even with the propulsion system issues, Nasa has said Starliner still would be capable of returning the astronauts to Earth if absolutely necessary —that is, if the capsule must serve as an escape pod from the ISS in an emergency or if any of Starliner’s perishable items — such as solar panels — show signs of expiring earlier than planned.

If Starliner cannot be used

If Starliner is deemed incapable of safely returning Wilmore and Williams to Earth, one option would be sending them home aboard Crew Dragon, which ferried four astronauts to the ISS in March and is able to fit more people in an emergency. That scenario, considered unlikely, would be embarrassing for Boeing. The last time a Nasa astronaut needed an alternative ride home came in 2022, when Russia’s Soyuz capsule sprang a coolant leak after delivering to the station two cosmonauts and US astronaut Frank Rubio. He used an empty Soyuz capsule that Russia launched as a rescue craft. His mission was extended from 6 months to 371 days — a record-breaking duration for an American in space.

REUTERS

Editorial

- Om Shanti Om?

- RaGa On Double Duty

- Jail Mustn’t Be The Norm

- Netasana

- Being Aware Transforms Our Popcorn Mind

- ‘Soft corner for INDIA, but will stay Independent. Joining them will jeopardise our future, our community, our movement’

- A thought for today

- Sacred space

Om Shanti Om?

Lok Sabha has re-elected Om Birla as its Speaker. He must be non-partisan and maintain peace between govt & opposition. Changing archaic parliamentary procedures will help

Chakshu Roy

A contested election for the post of Lok Sabha Speaker is a sign of a broadening divide between treasury and opposition benches. Before Independence, contests for the position of president (equivalent of modern-day Speaker) were quite common. In the first election in 1925, Vithalbhai Patel defeated the govt nominee by two votes. He went on to lay the institutional foundations for the independence of the Speaker’s office.

The next exciting contest was in 1946. In this election, the colonial govt thought its nominee would win. But to its surprise, its members crossvoted, leading to GV Mavalankar’s election by a margin of three votes. Govt was incensed and wanted to examine the ballot papers to identify which of its members had voted for Mavalankar. Anticipating such an eventuality, the assembly secretary destroyed the ballot papers.

A high-pressure job | In a parliamentary democracy where govt is answerable to the legislature, a nonpartisan Speaker is critical. It’s one of the most challenging offices. It combines constitutional responsibility with a political millstone. When the electoral verdict is that of a majority govt, Speaker has to ensure adequate space for minority voices and not allow govt to ride roughshod over them.

In a coalition scenario, Speakers are under pressure from their party to secure govt’s continuity and ensure the passage of its legislative business. Speakers have to walk a fine line, where they are not with any side but belong to the entire House. In both these situations, Speaker must ensure that the House fulfils the constitutional mandate of a deliberative legislature.

In 1952, when Mavalankar became Speaker of the first LS, he started the conversation to ensure Speaker’s impartiality. In his acceptance speech as Speaker, he highlighted the British convention about Speakership, “the principle of which is that, once a Speaker, he is not opposed by any party in the matter of his election, whether in the constituency or in the House, so long as he wishes to continue as Speaker”.

He championed this issue in parliamentary forums and pushed for it with Congress party. The party, however, felt that “this was not a feasible proposition for the present in view of other political parties being involved in the question.” Since then, the practice has been that political parties come to a consensus, and Speaker (usually from the majority party) is elected unanimously. Part of the consensus-building exercise is that the post of Deputy Speaker often goes to opposition benches.

Adding to complications | Over the years, the job of Speaker has become more complex and contentious. His responsibility is to conduct the proceedings of the House on the colonial principle that govt will decide the agenda for debate in the national legislature. The rules of both Houses of Parliament also prescribe that govt business takes priority. As if this were not enough, in 1985, the anti-defection law gave Speakers the power to decide on the disqualification of MPs for voting against the party whip and for anti-party activities. They could now make or break parties and govt.

Some of these structural issues have become more prominent now. They have led to successive govts shying away from uncomfortable debates in Parliament, and ministers are requesting the Speaker to exercise his/her discretion in fast-tracking govt business through LS. Limited space for opposition and inadequate scrutiny of govt bills by parliamentary committees have become a bone of contention between govt and opposition benches. Speaker’s decisions in state assemblies under anti-defection law have also tainted the office. There is apprehension that some of the unhealthy practices in states might find their way to Parliament.

Getting it right | The strengthening of the office of Speaker to better serve our national legislature requires interventions at two levels. The first is an urgent need to change some of the old procedures in the functioning of LS. For example, currently, Speaker has discretion in sending bills for scrutiny to parliamentary committees. Then, most decisions by the House get taken by a voice vote, but rules require an MP to demand a recorded vote to register whether they support or oppose a decision. In most developed countries, all legislation is scrutinised by committees, and all House decisions are recorded. These changes in India can insulate Speakers from unnecessary controversy in how they exercise their discretion.

On the aspect of anti-defection law, a pertinent question is why should the constitutional office of Speaker be required to solve the internal struggles of a political party? Perhaps it’s time to abolish the law to save the office of Speaker from aspersions of partisan behaviour.

In gist, what is expected of a Speaker was ably captured by Sir William Harcourt, who summed up the matter in the House of Commons: “We expect dignity and authority tempered by urbanity and kindness; firmness to control and persuasiveness to counsel; promptitude of decision and justness of judgment…a natural superiority combined with an inbred courtesy, so as to give by his own bearing an example and model to those over whom he presides an impartial mind, a tolerant temper, and a reconciling disposition.”

The writer is with PRS Legislative Research

RaGa On Double Duty

Opposition’s new leader in LS also has to keep delivering on the campaign trail

Rahul entered politics and Lok Sabha in 2004. His family name ensured that predictions of a glittering political future were there from that start. And yet it is only now, 20 years on, that he has taken up his first constitutional post – Leader of Opposition in LS. In poor performances in 2014 and 2019, Congress didn’t muster enough numbers to claim this spot. In 2024, he is being widely credited not just for Congress coming back as a player of note, but also for INDIA standing solid against BJP. So, after scripting a roller-coaster CV, where he’s been written off many times, today he’s being trusted with heavy-duty KRAs, one inside and the other outside Parliament.

Alliance jugalbandi | In his welcome speech to the 18th LS Speaker yesterday, Rahul underlined that while it is govt that has “political power”, opposition also represents “the voice of India”, and this time it represents “significantly more” voice of the Indian people than it did last time. SP, TMC, DMK speeches followed and in tandem. Its bigger numbers naturally have the opposition walking with a bigger vibe. Rahul’s KRA is not just to be a better opposition sutradhar than the previous leader of Congress in LS, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury. Because that’s too low a bar. He has to maximise the INDIA voice in Parliament, constructively and effectively.

Accountability dandia | LoP role will also be constantly scrutinised through the ‘Modi vs Rahul’ prism. From never having shared a panel, they will now be sitting together to select key functionaries from CBI director to CEC. Rahul will also likely be chairman of the all-important Public Accounts Committee that examines CAG reports and can also seek probes from govt. It has to be seen if there’s a follow-through of the combative stance that has brought him electoral success, in his new parliamentary responsibilities. And if this ends up making govt more accountable.

Constitution song | There are assembly elections coming up in Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Haryana and J&K, and early next year, Delhi. For Congress and INDIA to maintain electoral momentum, Rahul will have to be really out on the campaign trail as well. Can he stay on two treadmills non-stop, à la Modi? From 10,000km worth of yatras to building a Constitution-upholding brand, Rahul has got many things right of late. But at root, it is about his communication with voters finally working well. This is where he cannot afford any slackening.

Jail Mustn’t Be The Norm

Twists in Kejriwal case urgent reminder that question of bail mustn’t get entangled in procedural knots

Supreme Court, on Monday, considered “unusual” Delhi high court’s decision to reserve its order on ED’s appeal against Kejriwal’s bail. Yesterday, one had to wonder what the top court would have had to say about the timing of Kejriwal’s arrest by CBI in the same excise policy case, albeit a separate strand. The arrest came just as SC was to hear his appeal against HC’s stay on his bail in the ED case. CBI and ED should, of course, not work at cross purposes. But what happened on Tuesday night doesn’t appear to be an example of investigative efficiency.

On Tuesday, SC also rebuked Delhi HC over adjourning a bail plea. It made its comments while refusing to consider ex-Delhi minister and AAP functionary Satyendar Jain’s appeal against HC’s adjournment of his bail hearing. SC reiterated for the nth time that “it goes without saying that bail matters are not to be unnecessarily adjourned.” The trial court that granted Kejriwal bail had taken the cue from SC’s frequently repeated emphasis on bail.

Yet, chronology of events has been such that Kejriwal has been in and out of various courts, from trial to SC, for bail and in his challenge to the legality of ED’s arrest. The latter is currently in SC. PMLA is a stringent law, but as courts wrangle over bail while investigators figure out Kejriwal’s “vicarious liability”, it is pertinent to remember the far-reaching impacts of a CM behind bars – political, electoral and, of course, on governance. This is not an irrelevant factor in bail pleas.

In May, SC granted Delhi CM interim bail, keeping under consideration the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. Opposition alleges arrests of opposition CMs Kejriwal and Soren aren’t delinked from political considerations. Probity in public life is non-negotiable. And anyone can be and should be investigated. But, through that process, justice must be seen to be done.

Netasana

erratica

Maha CM: ‘Make yoga part of daily life.’ Netas do so too

Bachi Karkaria

As an Iyengar practitioner, I’m weary of International Yoga Day’s usual bakwasana. Last week, our no-longer-Maha CM instructed us to make yoga a part of ‘daily living’. Helloh-ji! Aren’t we already forced to do this vis-a-vis all genres of authority, from traffic cop to top boss? It’s mostly stretching in supplication via dog pose, adho mukha svanasana; some do it with a hint of defiance, via upward-facingurdhva mukha svanasana. Everyone must submit to backbends, forward bends and supine positions since everyone, bar none, has someone above him/her. Elections are the time for inversions, when ‘below’ become ‘above’, and aamjanatarevels in victorious breath, ujjayi pranayama.

Politicians don’t need Eknath Shinde’s advice. They are adept at so many poses, but not everyone is called ‘Yogi’. Here are some common netasanas.

Padmasana remains top of the pops, even if this time it wasn’t quite the tomtommed lotus feat. Sirsasanais the uncrowned ‘king of yoga poses’; our ruler party’s braggadocio too was made to stand on its head. Fittingly, for yoga aims at taming ego. ‘Queen’ pose is sarvangasana; in body politic too, all parts have to be fully stretched. In yoga sequence, sarvangasana is followed by halasana. Netas are furiously perfecting this plough pose after farmers showed that you can’t reap electoral yields by sowing despair.

Undivided Shiv Sena owned dhanurasanasince bow (along with arrow) was its symbol. Now allotted to Shinde’s breakaway faction, our Eknath-ji must work at virabhadrasana 1 to show that he’s still the standing archer. Maharashtra politics itself has been a trikonasana with dizzying variations of Sena, NCP and BJP. Now Dilli too submits to this triangle; BJP’s NDA is still at its head, but without Naidu-Nitish, there’d be no tale.

With coalitions inevitable, political landscape resembles one mega class perfecting only one pose, bridge-building setu bandha sarvangasana. It needs total alertness since one member may suddenly rock the boat with navasana. Then, as in every yoga session, the ruling alliance could end in corpse-like savasana.

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Alec Smart said: “Critically-ill NEET is a clear case for ‘Physician, heal thyself!’

Being Aware Transforms Our Popcorn Mind

THE SPEAKING TREE

Pulkit Sharma

A recent study published in Nature Communications journal has revealed that our attention span, or the ability to focus on something for an extended period, is becoming shorter. In present times, an information overload from digital gadgets, numerous apps and social media channels confronts the limited resources of our brain. To cope with this onslaught, our mind sifts through the incoming information and rapidly shifts from one thing to another. It develops the habit of getting distracted frequently and loses the capacity to engage in activities which require sustained attention, focus and patience.

Psychologists have called this phenomenon ‘popcorn mind’, as it resembles popping corn kernels. The phenomenon is so prevalent that most of us don’t even see it as a problem. In other words, it has just become the way we are and the way the world around us happens to be. Without us realising, this syndrome creates havoc in our system. It leads to problems, including mental fatigue, stress, boredom, meaninglessness, irritability, anxiety, poor decisionmaking, disturbed relationships and lack of initiative in the real world.

The first crucial step in rewiring our mind is to become aware of our shortattention span, its negative effects and the amount of time we waste in dealing with the inconsequential information overload. This awareness will make us see through our denial and we will acknowledge the gravity of the situa- tion. As we become aware of the problem, we can use our discernment and inner power to overcome it.

The Bible states, “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!” Our eyes, senses and minds are not passive entities that must grapple with whatever is presented. Rather, they are powerful entities that can choose what to take in, when, how much, and when to stop.

Let us begin by becoming conscious of our body and its associated physical sensations. The body sends strong signals when it is at ease and when it is in distress. We need to receive these signals, nourish it with care and love and make sure that we are not subjecting it to toxic stimuli. The next step in healing our popcorn mind is to teach ourselves the art of mindfulness or being in the ‘here and now’. This involves keeping a deep focus on whatever we are doing or experiencing in the moment, maintaining our awareness on it and attending to all the sensations, thoughts and feelings that are coming up. If our attention wavers, we bring it back gently to the ‘here and now’ as soon as we realise it.

With practice, we realise that the aim of our life is not to exist in some dreamland and chase some obscure fantasies. The reality is in ‘here and now’ and we can only make a difference to our lives, the lives of others around us and our planet in this realm.

The writer is a clinical psychologist based in Puducherry

‘Soft corner for INDIA, but will stay Independent. Joining them will jeopardise our future, our community, our movement’

Q&A

Rajkumar Roat is lone Lok Sabha member from Bharatiya Adivasi Party (BAP). The Bhil legislator achieved a giant upset, though few outside of Rajasthan took note. It was the first time Banswara rejected BJP, Congress candidates to elect the 31-year-old founding member of Bhil Pradesh Vidyarthi Morcha. Roat not only elbowed out both mainstream opponents, but remains equidistant from either coalition. Swati Mathur and Siddhartha Dutta spoke to the Banswara MP about staying outside INDIA bloc, and his plans as debutant MP.

● You were seen as a weak link in the battle for Banswara. What worked?

As Chorasi MLA, I raised issues that bother resident tribals, such as education, malnutrition. We forced govt to amend Forest Rights Act. I also raised the reservations issue. People saw me as one who could fearlessly speak their concerns in assembly. BJP’s rhetoric about changing the Constitution also made people realise the importance of democracy.

National parties have done little to improve tribal lives. BJP branded anyone who wouldn’t toe its line as ‘Naxals’. They used this label to demotivate tribal movements and prevented people from supporting them. In Banswara, RSS’s Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram was badly hit since Bhil Pradesh Vidyarthi Morcha was founded, and BAP came into being.

They misused funds, stifled information mechanisms, so people remained unaware of their rights. RSS used tribals from across Rajasthan to make ‘jhande aur dande(sticks and flags)’ for their marches. These processions have stopped since we began to make tribal masses aware.

● You took help from Congress for LS polls, but are not part of INDIA. Why?

Before polls, I sought Congress’s support via a tweet because I felt the party was confused. They seemed to have received conflicting feedback about Banswara and my prospects. I tweeted to clarify to party brass that Congress would lose the seat following their partyman’s rebellion and defection to BJP. Congress had no replacement. It needed to support me since I was the only one capable of defeating the defector. My party also wanted an alliance with Congress on the Udaipur seat – Congress could either field our candidate on its symbol or vice versa.

So, we sought its support. It had an impact. Congress’s Rajasthan in-charge SS Randhawa and PCC chief Govind Singh Dotasra, both announced their support soon after. Congress also repaid a debt it owed us. When Gehlot govt was unstable in 2023, we helped them. Rahulji also took feedback on Banswara during Bharat Jodo Yatra.

● So, why aren’t you part of INDIA even after you met Kharge?

We met Kharge and Venugopal. Though we had initially planned to contest LS polls independently, a situation arose where Congress fielded its candidate and later, announced it as an alliance seat. Considering this was done for our benefit, it was our duty to formally meet and thank them.

We’ve never been part of INDIA. We were independent in the runup to polls. Our alliance – for just one LS seat – was only firmed up five days ahead of polling day. We are, at present, independent and not part of any alliance.

We were, of course, asked to join INDIA. We treat them with respect, and acknowledge the friendship. But we won’t join. We’ve put this matter on hold for now. We’ve neither turned it down, nor said yes. Our organisation will take a call at the right time. We do, however, have a soft corner for INDIA.

● Will BAP consider merging with Congress?

That is not possible. We’ll remain independent because joining them will jeopardise our future, our community’s future, and future of the movement we are leading. The same old conditions would return to our area.

● Will you extend issue-based support to both INDIA and NDA?

Yes. We’ll stand by issues raised in the nation’s interest or in the interest of the tribal people without viewing them through the prism of politics. We’ll assess issues basis merit, not political alignment.

● What are your priorities for Banswara as MP?

I can’t resolve all issues afflicting tribals, but am confident I’ll do better than previous MPs. The biggest issue is lack of education and rapidly increasing malnutrition.

We want policy measures to address malnutrition. The demand for a separate Bhil state, a sentimental issue connected to the sacrifice of 1,500 tribals in the Mangarh massacre, will continue because of historical reasons and discrimination tribals face in budget allocation by all govts. As for tribal reservation, we believe it should be implemented as per constitutional provisions. Andhra has a provision for 100% reservation in tribal areas.

This can be replicated in other states.

● You’re a single-MP party in LS. Yet, you flex your muscles at mainstream parties. How do you pull that off?

By the time politicians or parties reach this level, they’ve inevitably made many mistakes that make them fearful and susceptible to blackmail. Our working style has been transparent. We have not made mistakes. So, there is no fear. As a result, we stand our ground and fight.

A thought for today

For a change, start by speaking to people rather than walking by them like they’re stones that don’t matter

MAYA ANGELOU

Sacred space

In dwelling, live close to the ground. In thinking, keep to the simple. In conflict, be fair and generous. In governing, don’t try to control. In work, do what you enjoy. In family life, be completely present.

Lao Tzu

Times Business

- Aditya Birla Grp to invest $50mn in chem biz in Texas

- Foxconn hiring bias? Centre seeks report

- Vedanta promoter divests 2.6% stake

- Sebi eases trading norm for cos’ insiders

- L&T chief is LTIMindtree chairman as Naik exits

- Dr Reddy’s to buy UK co’s nicotine gum biz for `5k cr

- HC to Chandra: Respond to Sebi summons

- Sembcorp sues Siemens over contract breach

- Spectrum auction ends in 2 days, fetches `11k cr

- Monthly instant payments jump 4x in 3 years: Study

- AI doomerism has quietened down: Nilekani

- L&T short of 45,000 workers & techies: MD

- Sensex nears 79k, RIL’s mcap back above `20L cr

- How Re went from most to least volatile in Asia

Aditya Birla Grp to invest $50mn in chem biz in Texas

Mumbai: Aditya Birla Group will invest $50 million to set up a manufacturing and an R&D facility for its chemicals business in the US. It has acquired land in Beaumont, Texas to launch the first phase of this project. The investment will be done through Aditya Birla Chemicals (Thailand). Aditya Birla Group chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla said, “This represents a significant expansion of our ambitions in the Americas and a continuation of our strategy to apply our deep manufacturing expertise in new markets.”

TNN

Foxconn hiring bias? Centre seeks report

New Delhi: Taking note of a report suggesting that Foxconn India’s iPhone plant in Tamil Nadu was not hiring married women workers, the Union labour ministry has sought a detailed report from the state govt. “Section 5 of the Equal Remuneration Act, 1976 clearly stipulates that no discrimination to be made while recruiting men and women workers. As the state govt is the appropriate authority for the enforcement and administration of the provisions of this Act, hence the report has been sought from the state govt,” an official statement said.

TNN

Vedanta promoter divests 2.6% stake

New Delhi: Vedanta Resources on Wednesday divested a 2.6% stake in its Indian mining arm, Vedanta, for Rs 4,184 crore through an open market transaction. Finsider International, an affiliate of Vedanta Resources, offloaded shares of Vedanta through a bulk deal on the BSE. Finsider is one of the promoter entities of Vedanta.

AGENCIES

Sebi eases trading norm for cos’ insiders

New Delhi: Sebi on Wednesday eased ‘trading plans’ framework for companies’ insiders in possession of unpublished price sensitive information. Trading plans enable persons perpetually in possession of unpublished price sensitive information to trade in securities in a compliant manner.

AGENCIES

L&T chief is LTIMindtree chairman as Naik exits

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Mumbai: L&T chairman & MD S N Subrahmanyan will take over as the chairman of LTIMindtree and L&T Technology Services, the two listed companies announced Wednesday.

The move follows after L&T’s chairman emeritus A M Naik relinquished the chairman’s position at the two firms on Wednesday, which also marks his exit from the boards of all the companies controlled by the engineering-to-financial services conglomerate.

Currently, SNS, as Subrahmanyan is popularly known, is the vice-chairman of LTIMindtree and L&T Technology Services. L&T forayed into IT in 1996 with L&T Information Technology to retain talented software engineers. It became L&T Infotech in fiscal 2002. SNS joined the board of L&T Infotech in Jan 2015 and was redesignated as its vice-chairman in May 2017. He was instrumental in the acquisition of Mindtree in 2019, which subsequently led to the merger of L&T Infotech and Mindtree.

LTIMindtree is the fifth largest IT firm by market cap and sixth largest in terms of revenue. L&T’s engineering research and development capability face around the globe is through LTTS. SNS joined the board of LTTS also in Jan 2015 and was appointed its vice-chairman in May 2017. From a modest beginning of $60 million in revenue, LTTS’s current revenue run rate is $1.2 billion.

SNS with his engineering DNA and can-do, will-do attitude has been the catalyst in ensuring LTTS’s growth momentum continues at a fast clip.

Dr Reddy’s to buy UK co’s nicotine gum biz for `5k cr

In Its Biggest Deal, Hyd Co To Get Non-US Biz From Haleon

Swati.Bharadwaj@timesgroup.com

Hyderabad: In its biggest acquisition so far, Pharma major Dr Reddy’s Laboratories is set to buy British consumer healthcare giant Haleon’s nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) portfolio, excluding the US business, for a 500 million pounds (about Rs 5,275 crore).

The portfolio being acquired by the Hyderabad-based company includes Nicotinell, touted as the second biggest brand in the NRT space globally with a footprint in 31 countries across Europe, Latin America and Asia. Nicotinell is branded as Nicabate in Australia, Thrive in Canada and Habitrol in New Zealand and Canada.

“The proposed acquisition will be inclusive of all formats such as lozenge, patch, gum as well as pipeline products in all the applicable global markets outside of the US,” Dr Reddy’s said.

As part of the deal, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Dr Reddy’s will acquire 100% stake in newly incorporated Haleon group company, Northstar Switzerland. The company has inked a definitive agreement for the same, it said in a filing.

The deal includes an upfront payment of 458 million pounds as well as performance-based contingent payments of up to 42 million pounds that will be payable in 2025 and 2026. The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2024 and is subject to satisfactory completion of customary conditions, including regulatory approvals.

Dr Reddy’s said the deal will give it access to a global OTC (over-the-counter) anchor brand through a strong footprint in Europe and other global markets and could be a potential vehicle to build its global consumer healthcare OTC business.

Haleon, which owns brands such as Sensodyne and Panadol, was spun off from GSK in July 2022. The total revenue of the portfolio being acquired clocked net revenues of around 217 million pounds in 2023. The company has been stepping up its presence in the consumer healthcare markets globally, acquiring several brands in the US market in recent years such as Habitrol in the NRT space, pain relief brand Doan’s, women’s health products such as Premama for fertility and parenthood, and MenoLabs portfolio for menopause.

HC to Chandra: Respond to Sebi summons

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Mumbai: The Bombay HC on Wednesday directed Zee founder & chairman emeritus Subhash Chandra to offer documents sought by Sebi in a March 27 summons in a fund diversion case.

The court, in a verbal order, asked Chandra not to respond to Sebi’s Jan 12 summons but to respond to its March 27 summons. A detailed order is awaited.

Sebi had alleged that Chandra was trying to stop the probe by not responding to its Jan summons. Chandra, through a writ petition, argued that the Jan summons by Sebi did not comply with the provisions of the Sebi Act, contained pre-determined and conclusive allegations, and were in the nature of a show cause notice. After Chandra failed to respond to the Jan summons, Sebi issued fresh ones on March 27. Chandra’s lawyer said Wednesday that the documents called for in the March summons will be provided in four weeks.

Sembcorp sues Siemens over contract breach

Hyderabad: Singapore’s state-owned sustainable energy and urban development player Sembcorp Industries has dragged Siemens Energy and its Indian arm Siemens Gamesa Renewable Power to court to prevent it from selling its India business before it settles an arbitration arising from an alleged default in executing a contract.

Sembcorp’s India unit, Green Infra Wind Energy, has filed a case in a Bengaluru court. It has sought an injunction to prevent Siemens Gamesa from selling its India assets, including its shareholding. The court has issued notices to both Siemens Energy and its arm in the suit.

Swati Bharadwaj

Spectrum auction ends in 2 days, fetches `11k cr

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: The latest spectrum auction to sell airwaves to mobile companies ended within two days, with Sunil Bharti Mittal’s Bharti Airtel buying nearly 60% of the Rs 11,341 crore that was sold.

After seven rounds of bidding, just over a quarter or 141 Mhz spectrum of the 533 Mhz that was on offer could be sold with Bharti acquiring 97 Mhz across three bands, followed by Vodafone (30 Mhz) and Reliance Jio (14.4 Mhz)

The auction revenue will be lower than govt’s estimated flow, although an over Rs 2 lakh crore dividend bonanza from RBI will more than make up for the shortfall. Govt had offered a total of 10 GHz of spectrum, ranging between 800 MHz to 26 GHz, which was worth Rs 96,238 crore at the base or auction start price. There were no takers for at least three of the frequencies on offer, generating 12% of the base price.

Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea have successfully renewed their expired spectrum in 900 MHz and 1,800 MHz bands, and further an additional quantum of 87.2 MHz worth Rs 6,165 crore has been acquired by telcos to augment their services, DoT said in a statement.

“Spectrum auction 2024 was part of a continuous allocation process that is transparent, robust and progressive. Telecom service providers (TSPs) have ta- ken spectrum not only for continuity of service but for expanding their services but the volume is limited because already a large part of the spectrum required was auctioned only last year,” communications minister Jyotiraditya Scindia told reporters.

In West Bengal and Bihar, bids went above the reserve price in the 1,800 MHz band. DoT statement suggested that the response was muted as most of the 5G spectrum required was auctioned in August 2022 and their monetisation is still in progress.

Companies said they went about buying spectrum in a planned manner. “In this auction, we have bolstered our sub-giga hertz and mid-band holding, which will significantly improve our coverage especially indoor,” said Bharti Airtel MD & CEO Gopal Vittal, adding that the company is seeking to judiciously acquire the right amount of spectrum.

QR CODE BOOM

Monthly instant payments jump 4x in 3 years: Study

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Bengaluru: India has witnessed a significant surge in monthly real-time payments, which have increased to 13.3 billion transactions from 2.6 billion three years.

According to a BCG-QED investors report, the availability of an alias directory and QR codes on top of real-time payments infrastructure was critical in propelling innovation. The report — based on insights from interviews with over 60 global fintech CEOs and investors — highlights the key forces shaping the industry. It acknowledges the role of digital public infrastructure and govt invol- vement in India’s success.

“Many countries have tried to emulate the success of the two leading players: India’s UPI and Brazil’s Pix. However, the limited success of these efforts reveals that isolated implementations of po- int solutions for digital identity or real-time payment systems do not suffice to foster widespread adoption,” said Karthik Ragupathy, head of strategy and investor relations at PhonePe, who was quoted in the report.

India has recently introduced new notifications to clarify KYC and co-lending standards for fintechs. Simi- larly, the consumer financial protection bureau in the US is preparing to develop guidelines under Section 1033 of the Dodd-Frank Act, which aims to empower customers by giving them control over their financial data and the right to access and share it.

India’s DPI stack consists of govt-defined protocols across three layers, enabling private innovation: a foundational national digital ID, a platform for interoperable instant and cheap payments, and a consent-based exchange of federalised data. Despite the challenges faced by the fintech industry in recent years, there is immense potential for future growth.

AI doomerism has quietened down: Nilekani

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Bengaluru: Infosys chairman Nandan Nilekani has dismissed the possibility of a single dominant GenAI model overshadowing others, even as anew generation of AI applications and services emerges.

Speaking at the company’s 43rd annual general meeting, held virtually on Wednesday, Nilekani said, “As we look at the larger business environment, we are now into the second year of the GenAI revolution, and the initial AI doomerism has quietened down. People have accepted that, like any other general-purpose technology — be it electricity, nuclear energy, the internet, or even a discovery like fire — GenAI has enormous po- tential for good when advanced within the guardrails of responsibility. It is also clear that there won’t be a scenario where we’ll have ‘one model to rule them all’.”

According to Nilekani, the emergence of robust open-source AI models has accelerated the application of AI to address complex business and societal issues. “As we move into more use cases, a thousand flowers will bloom.”

Nilekani highlighted the distinct adoption curves of consumer AI and enterprise AI. “It is also widely expected that the manifestations of consumer AI will make life easier and more productive for millions of people. It will push the envelope of usability, convenience, and accessibility for all.” In contrast, he noted that enterprise AI is significantly more intricate, necessitating a comprehensive overhaul of the multi-generational technology within organisations. Nilekani said enterprise AI is a lot more complex. It will require a root and branch surgery of the multigeneration technology that lies within firms. The challenge will also be to orchestrate the extensive data inside the corporation in a way that it is consumable by AI. The quality of output will need to be managed to ensure factual responses and insights with no hallucinations.”

Despite the challenges, Nilekani acknowledged that AI is still in its early stages, and widespread enterprise adoption will require time. Infosys is currently engaged in 225 GenAI projects for clients seeking to enhance productivity. “From our own early journey to becoming an AI-first enterprise, we know that navigating to value-at-scale from AI means breaking down tasks into sequential small wins, taking the ‘responsible by design’ approach. This has been our AI first strategy for accelerating business value and amplifying human potential. Nearly 50,000 reusable intelligent services, applied in over 25,000 instances, amplify our employees today. We are one of the first organisations globally to be certified in ISO 42001:2023 for AI management systems for risk management and governance of enterprise AI.” Infosys has integrated GenAI components into all its service lines and developed 25 playbooks to create an impact for its clients.

L&T short of 45,000 workers & techies: MD

‘One Of The Reasons Is People Moving To Russia & Israel’

L&T attributed the trend to extreme weather conditions, disruptions caused by polls, among other reasons

TNN & Agencies

Mumbai: L&T is experiencing a “severe” shortage of skilled labour across its businesses, said its chairman and MD S N Subrahmanyan. While the engineering and construction business is grappling with a shortage of 25,000 labourers, its IT and IT-enabled services’ unit is facing a crunch of 20,000 engineers.

This has impacted the execution of the conglomerate’s projects. L&T attributed the manpower shortage situation to extreme weather conditions, disruptions caused by elections, people moving abroad including to places like Russia and Israel for higher earnings, and demand for certain skill sets where those hands are not available. There is also a 10-12% attrition at L&T, said SNS, as Subrahmanyan is popularly known.

L&T has been facing manpower shortages on and off . Last year, SNS had said the company faced challenges despite wanting to recruit over 30,000 labourers. He said the adverse weather events have led to changes in working hours in some projects wherein no work is happening during the afternoons except essential or critical works.

The conglomerate is taking care of its employees by offering them transport facilities, health drinks and food at the sites. Besides, it has skill centres and other initiatives that can act as a mitigating factor.

At any point of time, L&T engages over 4 lakh labourers with skills like carpentry and masonry, across its projects, said SNS. On the engineering side, the CMD said an attrition of over 10% makes it more challenging and this ensures that there is a shortage of over 14,000 engineers at any point of time. “I think we would, at the moment, need about 20,000 people, including attrition... that is engineers,” he said.

L&T’s labour crunch mirrors that of the infrastructure sector as well as the broader industry. Earlier this month, TeamLease said the semiconductor sector is expected to face a shortage of 2-3 lakh professionals by 2027. This is significant as India aims to capture a sizeable share of the global semiconductor manufacturing industry.

Sensex nears 79k, RIL’s mcap back above `20L cr

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Mumbai: Stock market indices reached new all-time highs on Wednesday as the blue-chip rally persisted.

Reliance Industries, after hitting a lifetime high during the day, closed 4% higher at Rs 3,027. The company’s market capitalisation once again exceeded the Rs 20 lakh crore-mark, reaching Rs 20.5 lakh crore.

While the sensex increased by 621 points to close at 78,674, the broader Nifty climbed 148 points to 23,868. Besides Reliance Industries, Bharti Airtel — which renewed 97MHz spectrum in Wednesday’s auction — also rallied 3%. Private banks, af- ter leading the rally on Tuesday, gained as well.

Brokers said that as more money flowed into the stock market, investors were adjusting valuations across different segments. Traditional stocks had lower price-to-earnings ratios compared to some stocks where prices had risen faster than earnings.

Among sectoral indices, the telecom index was the top gainer and rose 2.3%. Telecom stocks GTL Infra, Vi and Tata Teleservices were the top gainers, rising 4.9%, 4.8% and 4.3% respectively.

BSE’s energy index was also up nearly 1.5%, driven by gains in Reliance. On the other hand, the metal index was the biggest loser due to a drop in the share prices of NMDC, Vedanta, Sail, Tata Steel and Hindalco. Vedanta fell by 2.7% following its parent company’s announcement to sell a 2.6% stake to a group of institutional investors.

How Re went from most to least volatile in Asia

The rupee has gone from being one of Asia’s most volatile currencies to among its most stable in the span of a decade. The turnaround reflects India’s growing economic heft and RBI’s interventions to manage the rupee’s wild swings. With Indian bonds set to join an important global index this week, the currency’s stability couldn’t have come at a better time, burnishing the appeal of Indian assets for investors. Too much volatility makes it tough for businesses and investors as it could add to their costs. Here’s a deeper look at how the rupee’s fortunes have been transformed:

Why was the rupee Asia’s most volatile currency?

About a decade ago, India’s inflation rate was around 10% — stoked in part by govt’s decision to spend its way out of an economic slump that followed the global financial crisis — and crude oil, a key import, was trading at more than $100 a barrel. Frustration over political scandals and policy paralysis threatened to derail India’s economic growth and its image as an investment destination. It all made for a toxic mix for investors, at just the wrong time, as the Federal Reserve’s plan to reduce bond purchases in 2013 shook emerging markets. The prospect of Treasury yields moving hig- her brought a flood of investor cash out of developing countries like India back to the US at the time.

What tamed wild swings?

The rupee continued to weaken against the dollar during Modi’s rule, but the swings became less wild over that period. Economic growth that beat most other nations, policy continuity and political stability have drawn foreign investors. Govt also implemented key reforms such as giving RBI an inflation target mandate and steadily whittling down the size of its budget deficit. India now sits on top of the world’s fourth biggest pile of foreign reserves. RBI has been buying dollars when the rupee is strong and selling forex when it weakens to lean against big moves in the currency. By managing the supply of dol- lars available in India’s currency market, RBI is able to smooth out shifts in the value of the rupee.

What does less volatility mean for investors?

Indian assets provide relatively high volatility-adjusted returns — better performance with more predictability — compared with other emerging markets. The local currency is proving more reliable than those of economies in Latin America or Africa that might show a stellar performance in one year and burn a hole in portfolios the next. But there are shortcomings to RBI’s approach. Its firm grip means any changes in economic fundamentals may not always get fully reflected in the currency.

What does bond index inclusion mean?

JP Morgan’s decision to add India’s debt to its emerging-market index starting June 28 could bring fresh challenges for policymakers. Foreign investors have long been big buyers of Indian equities, but as they start to build a bigger presence in the bond market, it’s an additional channel through which flows can buffet the rupee. Govt will also have to run a tight ship, keeping any fiscal profligacy in check to avoid a knee-jerk reaction from investors.

BLOOMBERG

Times Sport

- IN GAME OF FOUR, UKRAINE LOSE

- Our display was appalling: Koeman

- If you beat the Netherlands, top the group, then you can’t be that bad: Sabitzer

- Late Lautaro strike sends Argentina into quarters

- England invite flak after another dull day

- Denmark through as Serbia misfire

- It’s a win-win for Romanians and Slovaks

- WILL IT POUR HAPPY TEARS?

- Mott feels Rohit & Co. will look to ‘bat us out of the tie’

- We’ll not dwell on what happened in the past: Rohit

- KITE-RUNNERS MEET RAINBOW NATION

- ‘Have no scarring, no history’

- I was almost in tears laughing: Oz skipper on Naib’s theatrics

- GALLERY

- Ex-MLA held for destroying EVM at polling booth in Andhra

- AIADMK MLAs prioritising publicity over duties: Stalin

- Vijay, CK Nayudu’s grandson, dies

- Harman to lead men’s hockey team in Paris

- ‘Paris wasn’t on cards but luck smiled on me’

- Isro arm NSIL to launch largest-ever Australian sat

- Ex-Vietnam coach Park among 214 applicants for India job

- Sahu took to burglary after failing to crack govt test: Cops

- Kapil takes guard as PGTI prez

- Birla 5th LS Speaker to be elected for 2nd term

- Suspected mastermind Mukhiya didn’t report for duty on day of NEET-UG test

- Out of 350, Telugu is now America’s 11th most-spoken language

IN GAME OF FOUR, UKRAINE LOSE

All Teams Finish Level On Points For The First Time In Euros; Belgium Set Up French Date

Stuttgart: Belgium played out a nervy scoreless draw with Ukraine to eventually wrap up second place in Group E and set up a last-16 tie with France, with the Ukrainians eliminated on goal difference, finishing bottom behind Slovakia.

Romania finish as group winners after they drew with Slovakia 1-1 in the other match. All teams finished on four points, but Romania pushed the Belgians into second on goals scored. Slovakia finished above Ukraine on goal difference to advance as one of the four best third-place finishers.

With all four sides locked on points as the final games began there was no margin for error, while a win would see any team through, and both sides went hunting for goals from the kick-off.

The best early chance fell to Romelu Lukaku, who was played in by a trademark defence-splitting pass from Kevin De Bruyne in the seventh minute, but as so often in this tournament, the burly striker fluffed his finish and the danger was easily averted, setting the tone for Belgium’s evening.

Stringing five across the back, defending was the focus for Ukraine and they did so all over the pitch, pressing hard and tackling aggressively, but not recklessly, as they sought to contain the Belgians.

They had chances of their own too, and Roman Yaremchuk will regret not being more selfish when he was played in and, rather than shooting, opted to square to Artem Dovbyk, but his pass was too hard and flew harmlessly across the goal.

By halftime all four teams in the group had still only gained a point, with the Romanians and Slovakians adding a goal each in a 1-1 draw in Frankfurt, and eventually Ukraine had to release the handbrake to go for victory.

A triple substitution by Serhiy Rebrov in the 70th minute didn’t quite have the desired effect however, and substitute Yannick Carrasco almost scored for Belgium with a stinging shot that was parried away by Anatoliy Trubin.

Malanovsky almost netted with a low corner whipped in at the near post but Koen Casteels was alive to the danger, and Taras Stepanenko headed over from the resulting corner as the Ukrainians increased the pressure.

Belgium could have snatched a late winner but Bakayoko curled his shot past the far post, and Georgiy Sudakov wasted a glorious stoppagetime chance for Ukraine after a storming attack through the middle, but he fired his shot straight at Casteels.

The referee’s whistle went, yet Belgian joy was short-lived as boos and whistles rained down from the stands after another unimpressive display, although they will at least have a chance to redeem themselves while Ukraine head home.

REUTERS

TINTIN IN GERMANY: Belgium’s Kevin De Bruyne tries to find his way through a Ukrainian maze

Our display was appalling: Koeman

RONALD KOEMAN

Berlin: Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman hammered his team for their performance in a 3-2 defeat by Austria at Euro 2024 on Tuesday that left them with third place in Group D. Austria won the section ahead of France but the Netherlands were already guaranteed to qualify for the last 16, doing so as one of the four best third-place sides after crumbling in Berlin.

The Dutch beat Poland in their opening fixture before a goalless draw against tournament favourites France, but underwhelmed in the German capital against Ralf Rangnick’s well-drilled outfit.

“The France match went reasonably well, taking into account the outcome, we played rather well as a team (but) today the performance was appalling,” Koeman said. “People played poorly in certain aspects... we have to track our opponents and that’s not what happened.”

Koeman said his team made a catalogue of errors against Austria, who took an early lead through Donyell Malen’s own goal.

Cody Gakpo equalised and after Romano Schmid struck for Austria, Memphis Depay pulled the Dutch back level again, but Marcel Sabitzer then lashed home the winner in the 80th minute.

“I can list quite a few (mistakes),” continued Koeman.

“We started very badly in many aspects. We did not defend well. There were many openings for the opponent. We were not aggressive. We lost the ball as well, particularly at the start. We were really very bad.” Netherlands won the competi- tion for their first and only time 36 years ago to the day in Germany at Euro 1988, but Koeman said his team had to improve to have another chance of glory. “We need to find a response, we have to prepare for the next match,” added Koeman.

“That could be the final knockout, we don’t want that to be the case, but we will have to play better than we performed today (to avoid that).”

Koeman was visibly angry with the team’s performance in the first half and substituted midfielder Joey Veerman after 35 minutes to try and shake up his team.

The PSV Eindhoven player, 25, appeared on the verge of tears as he watched the rest of the match from the bench. “I had to intervene as coach after the first half an hour,” explained Koeman. “We gave away the ball a lot, and so did Joey, but I could have taken off more players.” Koeman noted the first half display by the whole side was poor as Austria dominated the ball.

AFP

If you beat the Netherlands, top the group, then you can’t be that bad: Sabitzer

SABITZER

Berlin: Austria coach Ralf Rangnick said it was “incredible” for his team to snatch top spot in their Euro 2024 group ahead of France and the Netherlands on Tuesday. Rangnick’s men edged a dramatic closing Group D encounter 3-2 against the Dutch, who had to settle for going through in third place, while France were held to a 1-1 draw by Poland.

Austria jumped up from third before kickoff and will next face either Turkey, the Czech Republic or Georgia in the last 16 in Leipzig on July 2. They have never reached the European Championship quarterfinals. “We started in the tournament with a 1-0 loss with an own goal against France and if you knew the pressure we had against Poland (3-1 win) when we knew we had to win to have a realistic chance to qualify, then to finish top of the group is incredible,” Rangnick said. “If you had bet on us to win here and France not to win you’d be a very rich man or woman...

“But that’s the great thing about football and we were rewarded for a great and energetic performance from my lads.” Rangnick surprisingly made four changes from the team which beat Poland, knowing Austria would qualify unless they suffered a defeat by more than four goals. He said Italy’s last-gasp equaliser on Monday against Croatia allowed him to rest some players who would have picked up a one-match suspension with a yellow card. “If the goal in the Italy game hadn’t gone in in the last minute, we would’ve had a different line-up as we wouldn’t have been basically qualified,” added Rangnick.

“So we had an unexpected line-up but in the end all the thinking was worth it as we were able to go all in with this line-up and we didn’t have to think about second bookings and so forth and it worked out.”

Two of Austria’s squad — Nicolas Seiwald and Christoph Baumgartner — play for RB Leipzig, while key midfielders Marcel Sabitzer and Konrad Laimer count the Bundesliga side among their former clubs.

Rangnick also enjoyed two stints there as head coach and he admitted playing in Leipzig next week would give his team an advantage. “Now we have a week to prepare, we won’t have to travel a lot, we won’t have to fly...Apart from the three points we got and the ‘home’ game in Leipzig, the depth of our squad is better than we thought because the lads who played today did so well.”

Sabitzer was the hero at the Olympiastadion against the Netherlands, firing Austria in front for the third and final time in the 81st minute. “The intensity is the decisive factor, we managed that for a very long time,” said the Borussia Dortmund star. “If you beat the Netherlands, win the group, then you can’t be that bad.”

AGENCIES

Late Lautaro strike sends Argentina into quarters

NURSING A SORE THIGH, MESSI COULD SIT OUT LAST GROUP GAME

East Rutherford: Lionel Messi may sit out Argentina’s next Copa America game against Peru to rest a sore thigh with his team already qualified for the next round after two wins. Messi, who turned 37 this week and has been suffering muscle niggles, required brief medical treatment on his thigh during Ar- gentina’s 1-0 victory over Chile at the US-hosted tournament.

But he completed the 90 minutes, shaving the post with one long range shot and was at the heart of Argentina’s attacks. “It bothers me a bit, but I was able to stay on until the end. I hope it’s nothing serious ... I wasn’t able to move properly because of the bother,” he said, acknowledging it might be wiser to sit out the Peru game on Saturday.

“Let’s see how the next few days go, how I recover. We’ve taken an important step to qualify and be relaxed. It’s a lot of games, a lot of travelling,” added Messi, saying he had also suffered from a sore throat and fever before the Chile game.

With a 2-0 win over Canada also under their belt, world champions and tournament favourites Argentina are looking comfortable in the early stages of the Copa America even if not at their scintillating best. They top Group A with six points, ahead of Canada on three after their victory over Peru.

Argentina are happy to have started the Copa with routine wins after the unwanted drama of their last major tournament when they opened the World Cup in Qatar with a 2-1 defeat to Saudi Arabia in one of the all-time shocks.

Victory at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Tuesday, thanks to a late Lautaro Martinez goal, helped Messi bury one of the worst moments of his career at the same stadium eight years ago.

His penalty shootout miss helped condemn Argentina to an agonising loss to Chile in the 2016 Copa America final, leaving an inconsolable Messi vowing to quit international football after yet another failure with his national side. Coach Lionel Scaloni would not say whether he would rest Messi against Peru, to keep him fit for the quarter-finals, but Argentine football commentators assumed he would do just that.

Canada script historic win over Peru

Kansas City: Jonathan David scored in the 74th minute as Canada beat Peru 1-0 for their first victory over a South American opponent in 24 years.

Peru played a man short after Miguel Araujo was given a red card in the 59th minute for a studs-up tackle on Jacob Shaffelburg, a call made after a video review.

Canada got their first win in four matches under Jesse Marsch and beat a South American team for the first time since a 2-0 victory over Colombia in the 2000 Gold Cup final. David’s goal, his 27th for Canada, ended the national team’s 391-minute scoreless streak. Twenty-six of his goals have come in competitive matches.

AGENCIES

England invite flak after another dull day

Southgate’s Men Still Top Group; Slovenia Advance Too

IT’S NOT HAPPENING... Harry Kane misses a chance against Slovenia. (Right) Hjulmand becomes the sixth Danish player to be booked in this Euro

Cologne: While England won their group at Euro 2024 their humdrum scoreless draw against Slovenia on Tuesday, the third dull performance in as many games, had frustrated supporters poking fun at coach Gareth Southgate and his team.

Even Irish-owned airline Ryanair got in on the heckling, writing in a post to the team on X: “That’s enough, let’s get you home.”

The tepid draw launched numerous amusing memes, including a photo of a man sitting facing a brick wall under the words “Watching England play football.” Another showed Southgate planting an England flag at the top of a manure pile, with the words “Group C.”

England, who could muster only two goals in three games, enjoyed 70% possession on Tuesday but despite boasting four of the best attackers in European football this past season, had just four shots on target.

Many England fans in Cologne beat a hasty exit well before the final whistle, and many of the ones who stayed angrily booed the team off the pitch. A few hurled empty beer cups in Southgate’s direction, which had the manager looking shell-shocked in the post-game press conference.

Former England and Man United defender Gary Neville said Southgate’s men “looked so basic in the first half.” “It was a struggle to watch but it moved forward in the second half even though we didn’t get the result but there was glimpses of what we can be,” he said. “England have Cole Palmer, Bukayo Saka, Jude Bellingham, Kobbie Mainoo, Phil Foden -we cannot afford to mismanage them.”

AFP

FODEN LEAVES CAMP DUE TO FAMILY MATTER

Blankenhain: Phil Foden has temporarily left England’s Euro 2024 base in Germany to return home due to a “pressing family matter,” the English Football Association said on Thursday. It remains to be seen whether the 24-year-old will be available for the last 16 match on Sunday.

Denmark through as Serbia misfire

Danes Pip Slovenia To Second Spot On Disciplinary Record

Munich: Denmark progressed to the knockout stages of Euro 2024 after a goalless draw with Serbia on Tuesday which allowed them to seal second spot in Group C, ahead of third-place Slovenia on disciplinary record.

The 0-0 stalemate finished with the same scoreline as England and Slovenia’s parallel group match, with England emerging group win- ners. With Denmark and Slovenia both finishing on the same points total and goal tally, second place and a meeting with hosts Germany was decided on the basis of total yellow cards so far at the tournament.

It is Denmark who edged it and will face Germany in Dortmund, while England will return to Gelsenkirchen for a meeting with a thirdplaced side. Slovenia will take on a group winner while Serbia were eliminated.

Denmark coach Kasper Hjulmand called the Danes “everyone’s team” and said “we have to be happy. “We got through the group stage so let’s be very happy about this.”

Stojkovic said he was “proud” of Serbia’s efforts, adding “we played brave football, sometimes it’s not easy to score.”

AFP

ASST COACH’S BOOKING BREAKS YELLOW CARD DEADLOCK

A booking for Slovenia coach Milvoje Novakovic earlier in the tournament contributed to their total of seven yellow cards to Denmark’s six, setting the Danes up for a last 16 meeting with Germany. Slovenia qualified as one of the four best third placed teams.

It’s a win-win for Romanians and Slovaks

Frankfurt: Romania’s Razvan Marin scored a first-half penalty to cancel out Ondrej Duda’s headed goal for Slovakia as they played out a 1-1 draw to both reach the last 16.

Romania and Slovakia must wait until the completion of the group stage on Wednesday to learn their last-16 opponents, but Belgium go to Duesseldorf and face France on Monday. Romania reached the knockout stages of the Euros for the first time since 2000, while for Slovakia it will be a second appearance in the last 16 after 2016, when they lost to Germany.

The game in Frankfurt was played in a feverish atmosphere, with the fervour in the stands matched by the helter-skelter nature of a match that was not high on quality, but had plenty of entertainment and intrigue.

The teams came into the game knowing a draw would be enough to send both through and there was plenty of talk in the build-up of the potential for them to contrive that, something the coaches denied vehemently.

Certainly, there was no lack of energy and endeavour, which slowed only towards the end of the game. Slovakia opened the scoring midway through the first half with the simplest of goals that will have left Romania coach Edward Iordanescu fuming.

Juraj Kucka curled in a cross from the right and Duda was left unmarked between two defenders to head across goal and into the net.

Romania were restricted to shots from range, none of which troubled Slovakia goalkeeper Martin Dubravka.

That was until they were awarded a penalty when Ianis Hagi was felled by Slovakia defender David Hancko.

German referee Daniel Siebert initially gave a free kick as the contact looked outside the box, but compatriot Bastian Dankert in the Video Assistant Referee booth ruled it was inside.

Marin made no mistake with the spot-kick as he rifled it into the top corner, signalling a thunderous eruption of joy from the Romanian fans in the stadium, who appeared to outnumber their Slovak counterparts by four to one.

AGENCIES

AFTER LONG: Hagi celebrates after Romania advanced after 24 years

WILL IT POUR HAPPY TEARS?

India Will Seek To Avenge Defeat At England’s Hands In The 2022 WC Semis, But Rain Looms And While A Washout Will See Rohit’s Men Through, A Truncated Game Could Get Tricky...

TIME TO DELIVER: Virat Kohli does some batting practice at the nets on Wednesday

TIMES IN THE CARIBBEAN

Dwaipayan.Datta@timesgroup.com

Georgetown: In most parts of the West Indies, the old-fashioned way of walking down the runway to the plane still prevails. It’s fun on most days, but at night with the rain lashing down, the walk to take the flight, or to deplane, can get a little tricky.

On Tuesday night, a small flight of about 80 people, consisting mostly of people related to the T20 World Cup, landed in Georgetown and were greeted by persistent showers. As the passengers all dashed for the shade, one could see the tall figure of Australian umpire Rod Tucker running alongside. When somebody asked Tucker whether he would be officiating the game, he laughed: “Well, yes, if it happens”.

“If it happens.” That’s the operative word on everybody’s lips as India get ready to play England in Rohan Kanhai land on Thursday.

It’s been raining for the last couple of days in Guyana and it didn’t stop through the morning on Wednesday. What the locals are hoping is that if it rains on one day, it doesn’t on the other. But then, that’s clutching at straws, especially when the forecast is as bad as it is for Thursday.

Probably the only ones who don’t care are the Indian fans who have tickets for the final in Barbados on Saturday but couldn’t manage one for the semifinal here. India will make the final if it’s a washout because they topped their Super 8 group.

The ICC has extended the cut-off time for calling the game off by four hours than what it was earlier, but for all that to happen, the rain has to stop first. “This is rain time in Guyana, why did they even schedule the game here? That too without a reserve day,” mused a local in anguish.

But the guys who will benefit the most if it keeps raining — the Indian team — are the ones who don’t want it to happen this way. The sun came out here after the morn- ing showers on match eve and after India completed a practice session at the quickdrying Providence Stadium, captain Rohit Sharma said: “We are not looking at a curtailed game. When we come tomorrow, we will hope that it is a full game, but if it is so, we will adapt.”

This game has a lot riding on emotionally as well for the Indian team because it is their chance to get revenge on a team that had humiliated them in the 2022 T20 World Cup semis. Though the return of Jasprit Bumrah, who missed that World Cup with an injury, has been the single most important change that has happened since then, Rohit insists “not much has changed”.

“We have thought and discussed and thrashed out numerous times what needs to be done. It’s about keeping it going,” the skipper said.

Bumrah apart, it’s Kuldeep Yadav who has been another superb inclusion once India landed in the West Indies. His quality and guile have been difficult to deal with for most opponents and England shouldn’t be any exception.

The defending champions, though, have a bit of firepower with the likes of Jos Buttler, Phil Salt and the rest finding some form. They have three spinners — Moeen Ali, Adil Rashid and Liam Livingstone — who can make use of spin-friendly conditions in Guyana, but the biggest England supporter would say that a curtailed game would be their best chance.

Man to man, on current form, India are much superior, but if it’s a shorter game, many of those things go out of the window. It becomes a bit of a shootout and with rain in the air and Messrs Duckworth, Lewis and Stern calling the shots, the toss, too becomes important.

India know that they may have to deal with these variables, because that’s the nature of the beast these days if it’s a 365-day cricket season. Rohit and Co. will believe they are good enough for whatever comes in their way as they look to break their ICC silverware drought.

WEATHER UPDATE

It will be cloudy in Guyana on Thursday with 75% probability of rain. While forecast for match hours are slightly better, if it rains heavily before the starts, it can have an impact. With an inefficient stadium drainage system, many hours could be lost.

There is no reserve day for this game. However, play can extend to 4 hours and 10 minutes to complete the game. India advance in case of a washout.

TACTICS BOARD

BRACE FOR SPIN: Providence Stadium is a spinner’s haven with low, sharp turn on offer. Spinners have conceded less than 7 runs per over here in recent times, good news for India’s spin troika — Kuldeep, Axar and Jadeja. England too boast of Moeen Ali, Adil Rashid and Liam Livingstone in their ranks for this day game.

EXPECT VARIABLE BOUNCE: In the previous WC game here, West Indies struggled to chase down PNG’s 137, with the variable bounce raising eyebrows. Don’t expect the ball to come on to the bat and expect the surface to play a few tricks.

EMBRACE POWERPLAY RISK: This is precisely what India didn’t do in Adelaide last time around. If Rohit Sharma can reprise his heroics against Australia, India will be home free.

UNLEASH MIDDLE-OVERS FIREPOWER: On paper, England have more six-hitters in the lineup but India’s middleorder enforcers like Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant and Shivam Dube will worry the England attack.

BANISH KNOCKOUT NERVES: India have been traditionally shaky in knockout rounds. But the current England white-ball dispensation too is under pressure after the failure to defend the ODI World Cup last year.

Mott feels Rohit & Co. will look to ‘bat us out of the tie’

Dwaipayan.Datta@timesgroup.com

Georgetown: England completed one of their most complete T20 performances in recent times when they thrashed India by 10 wickets in the World Cup semifinal in Adelaide in 2022. But Matthew Mott, the coach of the England team, insists there is a difference between that Indian team and this one.

“They are a very different team from what they were in Adelaide. They look to take it on right from the word go and look to play the Powerplay very hard, led by their captain Rohit Sharma. During that semis, we had put them in and it seemed they were not exactly sure what the right score would be. It can be different this time and they will probably look to bat us out of the game,” Mott said ahead of an England practice session on Wednesday.

The suggestion that India tend to choke in the knockouts is also something that the England coach doesn’t endorse. “The fact that they made the semis and the final so many times shows how good a team they are. With time, people will know what a great Indian team this was,” Mott said, showing a lot of respect for the Indian team.

England had a bit of a rocky start in this World Cup when their first game was washed out against Scotland. Then, they lost badly to Australia. Since then, though, every game has been a must-win for the team and they have risen to the task. But Mott suggests that will count for nothing at the business end of the tournament.

“I think we went through the Super 8s with a mixture of relief and happiness. Our tournament starts now. The general feeling in the team is that the best cricket is in front of us. The Indian team is a superb unit and it will be a great occasion to take them on,” Mott said.

The England coach feels the form of their openers should stand them in good stead in this game. “Jos (Buttler) has been inspirational with his game while Phil Salt has broken through and they are a super strength in this team. We are just excited what they bring to the table,” he said.

We’ll not dwell on what happened in the past: Rohit

LIVING THE MOMENT: Rishabh Pant and Kuldeep Yadav at the nets on Wednesday

Dwaipayan.Datta@timesgroup.com

Georgetown: As the sun shone here after long spells of rain, India worked on their game at the Providence Stadium one last time before getting to the business end. The relaxed approach that has been part and parcel of this Indian team was still there but Rohit Sharma looked slightly more tense than he usually does.

When an English journalist asked him whether it was always easier for India because they always knew they would be playing the semifinal in Guyana, Rohit didn’t look too happy. “I don’t think it is an advantage and England players have played in different types of venues. At the end of the day good cricket matters. I’m only worried that we could miss the next chartered flight to the next venue if it goes too late,” Rohit’s words, slightly dismissive, showed how confident the team was going into the game against England.

India’s constant failures in the knockout stages of ICC tournaments also came up and the skipper was asked whether the losses were due to fear of failure or just bad days at the office. Rohit agreed that “it is a combination of both”.

“We want to treat this as just another game and won’t stress on the context that it is a semifinal. We’ll not talk and think about what happened in the past. We played well and enjoyed each other’s success and it is important to carry on from what we have been doing,” Rohit said, adding that the team was not thinking too far ahead.

It was slightly contradictory to what he said later, but the skipper insisted this time that if the team doesn’t stay in the moment, “they won’t be able to make the correct decisions that everybody is expected to make”.

The one thing that is giving this team a lot of confidence going into the semis is their last win against Australia. Asked about the one big takeaway from the win, the skipper smiled: “Probably the fact that Australia are not there in the tournament anymore?” He then he went on to add that the team being able to do what needed to be done at different situations of the game gave him the maximum satisfaction.

“The confidence we played with is definitely a takeaway. The bowlers executing their plans and batters doing their job. This format is about confidence and when we win like that, it gets a major boost. In fact the Bangladesh game was the perfect game for us because only one guy scored a half-century and the rest 20s and 30s and still we made 196.”

KITE-RUNNERS MEET RAINBOW NATION

Seeking Dream End, Afghans Take On SA, Who Are Looking For 1st WC Title

Tarouba (Trinidad): Rashid Khan was hoisted on the shoulders of his celebrating Afghan teammates and then joined in a circle with the squad and took his turn to dance on the field, all beamed live for the TV audience.

The joy of reaching the Twenty20 World Cup semifinals for the first time — at the expense of cricket powerhouses Australia — lasted long after the dramatic win over Bangladesh in St. Vincent.

On Wednesday, the underdogs will go back to work against South Africa, who have been at or near the top of limited-overs cricket for decades but never won a World Cup. And so the first of the T20 World Cup semifinals in Trinidad will be a contest between the overachievers and underachievers of international cricket.

Rashid is one of the leading bowlers in the T20 format, a regular star in the franchise leagues around the world. This is the pinnacle so far for him in national colours.

“It’s a massive achievement for us as a team and as a nation to be in the semis,” he said. “The cricket we have played in the whole tournament so far — I think we deserve to be there.”

At the end of his post-match TV interview in the early hours of Tuesday morning, Rashid thanked the interviewer and then delivered a message in Pashto for the team’s massive following back in Kabul. Afghans in their thousands took to the streets of Kabul to celebrate the national team’s success in the Caribbean.

After reaching the second round at the previous three T20 World Cups, Afghanistan knocked out New Zealand in the group stage and then beat Australia for the first time last weekend to advance to the final four. Losses to co-hosts West Indies in the group stage and to India in the second phase were reality checks that could serve the team well in the knockouts.

Rob Walter, who has been head coach of South Africa’s limited-overs teams since the start of 2023, is well aware of the magnitude of the match.

“It’s never just another game. I think that sort of rhetoric around semifinals is always untrue, or people trying to downplay the occasion,” he said. “It is a semifinal of a World Cup, and we appreciate that and we’re looking forward to it.”

South Africa is unbeaten at the tournament, but had to endure a tighter-than-expected one-run win over lowlyranked Nepal, tough contests against Netherlands, Bangladesh and England and only beat West Indies with five balls to spare in the Super Eight stage.

“We’ve managed to get over the line in quite a num- ber of close games in the lead up to the semifinal, which has been great for us,” he said. “We’ve potentially missed out on a few of those moments in the past.”

Afghanistan’s performance has been inspired by some career-best form from individual bowlers and batters. Three of the top five wicket-takers in the tournament are from Afghanistan, led by fast bowler Fazalhaq Farooqi with 16. Rashid, who snared a match-winning fourwicket haul against Bangladesh, has 14. Fast bowler Naveen-ul Haq has 13.

South Africa’s leading wicket takers in the tournament have been fast bowlers Anrich Nortje at No. 8 with 11 wickets and Kagiso Rabada with 10.

Opening batters Rahman- ullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran have put together three century partnerships for Afghanistan and are among the top three leading run-scorers in the tournament with 281 and 229 respectively.

South Africa’s strong batting lineup hasn’t really fired as a unit so far in the tournament with only Quinton de Kock — at No. 6 with 199 runs — in the top 10. But the Proteas have the capacity to take a game away from an opposing team and are desperate to make some history of their own. “The near misses in the past, they belong to the people who missed them,” Walter said. “We own whatever is ours to own. And so, our nearest reflection point is this tournament where we’ve managed to get over the line. So that’s what we think about.” AP

Afghanistan players celebrate their win against Bangladesh

‘Have no scarring, no history’

Kingstown: Coach Jonathan Trott believes Afghanistan will go into Wednesday’s T20 World Cup semifinal against South Africa boosted by “having no scarring, no history” unlike the accident-prone Proteas.

Afghanistan will be playing in the last-four of any World Cup for the first time. South Africa are still without a major global title with just the 1998 Champions Trophy to show for all their endeavours. They have also been accused of “choking” on big occasions.

“We go into the semi-final with no scarring or no history with regards to semifinals. This is uncharted territory for us,” said Trott, the former Ashes-winning England batsman who was born and raised in South Africa.

“We’re just going to go out there and give it our all. There’s no preconceived ideas on it all, or history of failure or success in semi- finals in past years. For us it’s a new challenge and I think that makes us dangerous in the semifinals as a side with nothing to lose and obviously a lot of pressure on the opposition.”

Trott said it felt “surreal” to have led Afghanistan into the semifinals. The 43-year-old has certainly developed close bonds with the team since taking over in 2022. After the rain-hit win over Bangladesh, he was carried off on the players’ shoulders. “When I took over, I was astounded by the talent that I saw,” added Trott.

“There was a certain rawness to it all and no real structure to how the game was played or thought about. I’ve just tried to add here and there. At no stage have I tried to clip anybody’s wings. I’m just trying to make the bow of the arrow even stronger so that they can go for longer, win more games and shoot for the stars even further away.” AGENCIES

I was almost in tears laughing: Oz skipper on Naib’s theatrics

NAIB (R) WITH RASHID KHAN

Gros Islet (St Lucia): Australia captain Mitchell Marsh saw the funny side of Afghanistan allrounder Gulbadin Naib’s theatrical complaining of cramps in the match against Bangladesh, terming it as “one of the funniest things” he has ever seen on a cricket field.

Naib, who was fielding in the slip, fell on his back while clutching his thighs during the 12th over, just after coach Jonathan Trott signalled to slow down the proceedings as rain was imminent with Afghanistan ahead in the proceedings in the Super Eights game. “I was almost in tears laughing and at the end of the day it had no bearing on the game. So, we can laugh about it now – but, gee, it was funny. It was outstanding,” Marsh told cricket.com.au.

Naib later bowled two overs and participated with vigour in Afghanistan’s victory celebrations without showing any hint of ‘cramps.’ The ICC’s playing conditions stipulate that a player can get up to two-match ban for “deliberate or repetitive” time wasting tactics, but that Naib might just escape with a first and final warning by the match referee.

The all-rounder said the team was dejected after the fall of the final Bangladesh wicket. “We were all flat (when the final wicket fell). We were desperate to continue on in the tournament. But fair play to Afghanistan – they beat us and they beat Bangladesh and they deserve to be in the semifinals,” added Marsh.

GALLERY

Head replaces Suryakumar as top T20 batter

Dubai: Australia opener Travis head on Wednesday toppled India’s Suryakumar Yadav as the number one batter in the latest ICC T20 rankings. Suryakumar was holding the number one spot since December 2023 but Head’s splendid run at the T20 World Cup catapulted him to the top even as his team has been knocked out. The Australian is two points ahead of Surya (842 points) who dropped a spot to second.

Deshpande gets BCCI’s fast bowling contract: Mumbai and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) pacer Tushar Deshpande, who recently received his maiden call-up into the Indian team when he was picked for the upcoming five-match T20I series in Zimbabwe in July, has become the latest player to receive the BCCI’s fast bowling contract.

Nitish injured, Shivam picked as replacement: All-rounder Shivam Dube has been picked as replacement for injured Nitish Reddy in the Indian T20 squad for the upcoming tour of Zimbabwe, the BCCI announced on Wednesday. India will play five T20 Internationals in Zimbabwe from July 6.

Robinson gives away 43 runs to get unwanted record: England seamer Ollie Robinson on Wednesday had an unwanted record registered against his name for bowling the second-costliest over in First-Class cricket history, giving away 43 runs during a County Championship match in Brighton. Robinson was clobbered for 43 runs in a total of nine deliveries he bowled to complete his over.

AGENCIES

ACTION TODAY

CRICKET: WCT20 semis: SA vs Afg, 6 am; Ind vs Eng, 8 pm (Star Sports)

Ex-MLA held for destroying EVM at polling booth in Andhra

Vijayawada: Former MLA of Andhra Pradesh’s Macherla, Pinnelli Ramakrisna Reddy, was on Wednesday arrested after high court refused to extend the interim relief against arrest for vandalising a polling booth on May 13 and poll-related violence, reports Srikanth Aluri.

Given the gravity of the offence, its effect on society and considering the antecedents of the accused petitioner, anticipatory bail cannot be granted, Justice T Mallikarjuna Rao said.

Reddy, the then Macherla MLA and YSRCP candidate from the seat, was caught in CCTV footage entering a polling station at Paluvaigate Village in Palnadu’s Rentachintala Mandal and vandalizing an EVM and VVPAT on May 13.

AIADMK MLAs prioritising publicity over duties: Stalin

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Some members, including former ministers, rushed to the well. “Even if I allow the motion, they aren’t ready to discuss as they intend to walk out,” Appavu said.

TN CM MK Stalin criticised AIADMK, saying they were prioritising publicity over their democratic duties. “State govt has taken appropriate measures with genuine concern in this tragedy,” he said, asserting that DMK-led govt had been prepared to address opposition’s questions from the first day of the session.

Palaniswami, speaking to reporters, claimed the party was not given an opportunity to discuss the increasing death toll despite submitting a notice for adjournment.

He accused speaker Appavu of engaging in politics and govt of suppressing the opposition’s voice.

Vijay, CK Nayudu’s grandson, dies

Gaurav.Gupta@timesgroup.com

Mumbai: Vijay Nayudu, grandson of India’s first Test captain CK Nayudu, passed away at a suburban hospital here on Wednesday due to prolonged illness. He was 79. He is survived by his wife, a daughter and a son.

Nayudu captained Madhya Pradesh and played 47 First-Class matches from 1960-61 to 1977-78, in which he scored 1926 runs@25.34, with one hundred and nine fifties, besides taking 35 wickets @26 .51.

He also played for Central Zone in the Duleep Trophy. When he led West Zone University, the legendary Sunil Gavaskar played under him and scored 246.

Harman to lead men’s hockey team in Paris

Five Olympic Debutants Included In 16-Member Squad Announced By HI

HARMANPREET SINGH

Manuja.Veerappa@timesgroup.com

Bengaluru: Eleven players, who have stood on the podium at the Tokyo Olympics, and five debutants have been named as a part of the Harmanpreet Singh-led Indian men’s hockey team for the Paris Games. Chief coach Craig Fulton has opted to play it safe and the line-up is mostly composed of players who won the gold at the Asian Games last year.

Seasoned PR Sreejesh, who predictably made the cut as the lone goalkeeper, will feature in his fourth Olympics alongside midfielder Manpreet Singh, while key midfielder Hardik Singh has been named Harmanpreet’s deputy. Jarmanpreet Singh, Sanjay, Abhishek, Sukhjeet Singh and Rajkumar Pal will make their maiden Olympics appearance. After ending the medal drought in 2021 at Olympics, India — currently ranked seventh in the world — have been dogged by inconsistency. The squad was named on Wednesday after a two-day selection trial last week, which was a mere formality.

Given Fulton’s approach and India’s performance in the recently-concluded European leg of FIH Pro League, at least a couple of progressive decisions were on the cards, but the team think-tank has adopted a traditionalist approach.

While Sreejesh picked him- self based on his experience, the backline, especially in the penalty corner area, is a cause of concern. Inconsistency has sent Harmanpreet’s dragflick under study Jugraj Singh into the alternative players’ list. This is bound to put pressure on the skipper with Amit Rohidas and Sanjay not inspiring confidence with their recent performances. The absence of Varun Kumar, who was dropped from the probables list after being embroiled in an off field controversy, will be felt. Instances of defensive lapses and inability to soak pressure were glaring in the Pro League and the onus will be on Jarmanpreet and Sumit to man the flanks at the back.

Given his progress over the past year, one would have expected towering striker Araijeet Singh Hundal to make the cut. Instead, the team management has opted for the experience of Lalit Upadhyay and Mandeep Singh to lend support to the in-form Abhishek and Sukhjeet. The crux of this team is the stable midfield led by Manpreet and Hardik. India are in the tough Pool B, which includes Belgium, Australia, Argentina, New Zealand, and Ireland.

INDIA SQUAD

Goalkeeper: Sreejesh PR;

Defenders: Jarmanpreet Singh, Amit Rohidas, Harmanpreet Singh, Sumit, Sanjay;

Midfielders: Rajkumar Pal, Shamsher Singh, Manpreet Singh, Hardik Singh, Vivek Sagar Prasad;

Forwards: Abhishek, Sukhjeet Singh, Lalit Kumar Upadhyay, Mandeep Singh, Gurjant Singh;

Alternate players: Nilakanta Sharma, Jugraj Singh, Krishan Pathak.

‘Paris wasn’t on cards but luck smiled on me’

Judoka Tulika Mann Returned From Injury Setback To Earn Oly Berth

Sabi.Hussain@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: For judoka Tulika Maan, a Birmingham Commonwealth Games silver medallist, the road to Olympics qualification for Paris hasn’t been easy. Paris was not on her mind after she got injured in 2022 and missed the rest of the season, resulting in the loss of crucial ranking points. The knee injury she suffered during her campaign at the judo Worlds in Uzbekistan’s Tashkent two years ago and the resultant anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and meniscus tears couldn’t have happened at a more inopportune time as the qualification period for the Paris Games ran from June 22, 2022 to June 23, 2024.

However, the 25-year-old Delhi girl overcame tough challenges and booked her berth in the women’s +78kg division for Paris after securing a victory over Canada’s Portuondo Isasi in the Round-of-32 at the Abu Dhabi Worlds last month. It boosted her ranking points to 1345 helping her move up to 36th in world rankings. She will be India’s lone entry in judo competitions in Paris.

Tulika was sceptical about her chances to secure Paris berth through continental quota when she couldn’t win a single bout in two Grand Slam competitions in Dushanbe and Astana. She felt seasoned judokas in the men’s section, Avtar Singh (100kg) and Vijay Yadav (60kg), stood a better chance to qualify but they fell behind in world rankings.

“Judo has always been full of surprises and one never knows what will happen on a given day. Lo- ok at how I made it to the Paris Olympics! It’s been surreal. Given my injury issues, I was doubtful about my qualification chances. Now that I have qualified for Paris, I’ll give my best. I am hoping I will make it to the bronze medal match if not the final. But we are training for gold,” said Tulika

Tulika’s Olympics bid was aided by her fifth-place finishes at the Hangzhou Asian Games and the Asian Championships in Hong Kong in April this year which helped her rake in crucial points. “I won three bouts each at the Asiad and the Asian Championships. Hong Kong is when I first thought, ‘maybe I can do it’. The win at the recent Worlds definitely helped my chances. My coach (Yashpal Solanki) had drawn up a calendar of events to target but the Olympics was not part of that. Now, we will prepare accordingly. My training has been going on well,” she added.

Isro arm NSIL to launch largest-ever Australian sat

New Delhi: Australian-Indian in-space servicing arm Space Machines Company has signed a launch service agreement with Isro’s commercial arm NewSpace India Ltd (NSIL) for the launch of second Optimus spacecraft weighing 450kg, the largest Australian-designed and-built spacecraft so far, reports Surendra Singh.

Slated for a launch on board NSIL’s new mini rocket Small Satellite Launch Vehicle in 2026, this mission, named Space MAITRI (Mission for Australia-India’s Technology, Research and Innovation), will mark a defining moment for both nations in the area of space collaboration. The mission will address the problem of increasing levels of space debris around Earth.

Space MAITRI is assisted by an $8.5 million grant from the Australian Space Agency, and is part of the ISI India Projects program. At the India Space Congress 2024 held in Delhi, Rajat Kulshrestha, CEO and co-founder of Space Machines Company, and NSIL CMD Radhakrishnan Durairaj formally announced the signing of the agreement.

Ex-Vietnam coach Park among 214 applicants for India job

AIFF Expects Number To Rise With A Week Still Left For Deadline

PARK HANG-SEO

Marcus.Mergulhao@timesgroup.com

Panaji: Park Hang-seo, the man who transformed Vietnam football into a consistent continental force, is among the more prominent names who have applied for the coaching vacancy with the national football team.

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has received 214 applications so far, with coaches and their representatives registering their interest. That number is expected to rise with another seven days still left for the July 3 deadline.

“We are not looking at any of the applications till the deadline,” a senior official told TOI on Wednesday. “Next week, we will sort out the applications, categorise the coaches and take the process forward. As of now, we are keeping all options open.”

The AIFF may be tempted to look at Park’s application more closely, given his record with Vietnam. During his five-year stint, he took Vietnam from no-hopers in 2017 to the quarterfinals of the AFC Asian Cup where they eventually lost by a solitary goal against Japan.

‘Uncle Park’, as he was popularly known, also masterminded Vietnam’s World Cup 2022 qualifying campaign, taking the team to the final stage of the Asian qualifiers, which included 12 teams. Under the South Korean’s watch, Vietnam maintained their top position in Asean region and spent a record time among the world’s top 100 for a Southeast Asian team.

“Park is a hero in Vietnam and his interest in Indian football is a good sign. He not just managed the senior team but also took charge of the under23s, delivering the south-east Asian title. His record against much higher-ranked countries is enviable, and he managed to do all this with thrilling, counter-attacking football,” said another official.

When Juergen Klinsmann was sacked as South Korea coach after a catastrophic Asian Cup 2023 campaign, there were calls for the 65-year-old Park to take over as the national team coach.

The AIFF, though, will be wary of the South Korean’s salary. According to sources, the coach was paid a monthly salary of $50,000 (approx. Rs 41 lakh), a significant increase in what the federation paid Igor Stimac till it decided to sack the coach.

In its advertisement, the AIFF has called for applications from coaches with minimum 10-15 years of coaching experience at the elite youth and senior level football. Experience as the first team coach of the senior national team is being preferred, while experience of coaching in the World Cup and continental championship qualifiers is an advantage. “The coach has to be efficient, plan much in advance and make the best use of the available resources and deliver within the budget,” said the AIFF.

Sahu took to burglary after failing to crack govt test: Cops

Crime branch DSP said Sahu had burgled the couple’s house twice earlier and believed he would get third-time lucky as well

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Police said that Sahu had tried to bag a govt job and attempted the PSC exam but failed every time. He decided to go for a career change and stole a few mobile phones from his locality’s vegetable market. He couldn’t go beyond petty theft or his familiar neighbourhood. “He was so lazy that he hit the same p laces repeatedly,” said a policeman.

Crime branch DSP Hem Prakash Nayak said Sahu had burgled the couple’s house in Ahiwara locality twice earlier and believed he would get third-time lucky as well.

He sneaked into their home last Friday and was looking for something to steal when he came upon the couple in an intimate moment. He stood in the shadows and took a video on a smartphone he had stolen earlier.

The morning after, the couple was rattled when their video popped up on one of their phones from an unknown number. It was followed by a call to cough up Rs 10 lakh.

The couple had no clue how their personal moment was recorded. They filed a police complaint, mentioning the number from where the video was sent and extortion call was made.

A special team was constituted to reach out to the accused and nab him. The cyber cell had no problem tracking Sahu and arresting him on Wednesday. He was still using the same phone and the same number. Police seized three mobile S IM cards and handsets from him and deleted the video.

As a fallout, the couple triple checks doors and windows and every corner of the house before going to bed these days.

Kapil takes guard as PGTI prez

New Delhi: Year 2024 began with a bang for cricket legend turned ace golfer Kapil Devas he made a hole-in-one on Jan 1 at the Jaypee Greens Golf Resort, Greater Noida. Kapil, playing fourballs with friends, achieved this rare feat on the 16th hole.

On Wednesday, Kapil notched up another milestone in his golf career when he took over as the president of the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI). This development marks a new chapter for the PGTI, the governing body for men’s professional golf in India. Kapil, who has excelled as an amateur golfer, has been the vice president and member of the governing body of PGTI since the last three years. Since then, he has played an important role in shaping and developing Indian professional golf.

“It is an honour to become the president of PGTI, an organisation with which I have now been associated for quite a few years. It is a player’s body. I am great friends with all of them and with whom I often play. Now, golf is the sport where I spend most of my time. It’s an honour to be chosen by the players to be the president. I promise to do my best, as I always have. What gives me even greater pleasure is that I will be able to spend more time with my golfing friends and play a little more,” Kapil said.

Uttam Singh Mundy, CEO, PGTI, added, “We are honoured to have Indian sports icon Mr. Kapil Dev take over as president of PGTI. We are confident that the PGTI will scale greater heights under his astute leadership as his name has been synonymous with excellence in sports. His valuable experience as a professional sportsman and an accomplished golfer will be an asset for the PGTI, paving the way for the further growth of Indian professional golf.”

Birla 5th LS Speaker to be elected for 2nd term

There Should Be New Vision, Resolve For LS: Birla

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and MP Rahul Gandhi during a meeting with other leading lights of INDIA bloc on Wednesday

Continued from P 1

An effort involving Congress’s K C Venugopal and DMK’s T R Baalu from the opposition side and Union ministers Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah and J P Nadda on Tuesday to evolve a consensus had failed with govt again turning down the demand that the deputy speaker be from the opposition.

But Congress did not press for a vote, despite an attempt by Union minister for animal husbandry Rajiv Ranjan Singh ‘Lalan’ to bait them into seeking one, leading to the 62-year-old Birla being elected by voice vote.

Modi congratulated Birla on his re-election and expressed confidence that he would guide parliamentarians and play a big role in the House to fulfil people’s expectations.

After his election, Birla told members that there should be a new vision and resolve for the 18th Lok Sabha. He called for Lok Sabha to be a centre of creative thinking and new ideas, which would establish high levels of parliamentary traditions and dignity. Modi and parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju were joined by leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi in escorting Birla to the Speaker’s chair after his election, marking a moment of harmony.

Birla got a second consecutive term, the fifth time that a Speaker will serve beyond the tenure of one Lok Sabha.

It is also among the few occasions that an election became necessary for a post conventionally decided by consensus.

Birla, who has risen through the ranks in BJP, is also a three-term former Rajasthan MLA.

Suspected mastermind Mukhiya didn’t report for duty on day of NEET-UG test

A senior Economic Offences Unit official said that Mukhiya previously collaborated with Ranjit Don, alleged mastermind of several paper leaks from the 1990s till early 2000

 Continued from P 1

Officials at Noorsarai Horticulture College said Mukhiya didn’t report for duty on the day of the NEET-UG test and has been marked as absent without authorised leave since.

In his response to a notice from the college on May 18, he claimed to have been hospitalised on May 6 due to a sudden illness. He requested leave until June 5, totalling 31 days. The college wrote back with queries to which he was supposed to respond within three days.

The institute’s office superintendent Pranay Kumar Pankaj said, “Mukhiya has been posted in the college for seven years. When we heard he was a suspect in the NEET-UG paper leak, we summoned him through another letter on June 20, but received no response.” Pankaj mentioned that an EOU team visited the campus for questioning.

A senior EOU official said Mukhiya previously collaborated with Ranjit Don, the alleged mastermind of several paper leaks from the 1990s till early 2000. Mukhiya allegedly branched out after Ranjit joined politics. “Mukhiya operated as a link between candidates’ parents, middlemen, handlers and the solver gang. The NEET-UG question papers are suspect- ed to have been leaked from a centre in Hazaribagh. The principal of a school, the centre observer, superintendent and others are under the scanner,” an official said. The absconding franchise of a courier company in Hazaribagh is also under scrutiny.

A special CBI court in Patna Wednesday remanded two of the arrested accused in the agency’s custody for three days. Baldev Kumar, alias Chintu, and Mukesh Kumar, have been linked to the Lutan Mukhia gang.

The CBI registered an FIR in the case on June 23, based on a directive from the Union education ministry.

Out of 350, Telugu is now America’s 11th most-spoken language

 Continued from P 1

Between 60,000 and 70,000 students arrive in the US each year, along with close to 10,000 H1B v isa holders. About 80% of them are registered with us,said Ashok Kolla, former secretary of the Telugu Association of North America. “Over 75% of them settle here in the US, mostly in Dallas, the Bay Area, North Carolina, New Jersey, Atlanta, Florida, and Nashville.”

The older generations are largely entrepreneurs, whereas over 80% of the younger lot are in IT and finance. Telugu influence has seen such a rise that it is n ow the 11th most spoken foreign language — out of 350 languages — in the US, and the third most spoken Indian language, preceded by Hindi and Gujarati.

“When I moved to Dallas last year, I felt right at home,” said Vi nay K, who moved to Texas for a data analyst’s job. “From my PG to my office, from streets to malls, I was surrounded by Telugus. Most of my colleagues from India are from AP and Telangana, which helped me settle down and not feel homesick,” the young professional said.

Old-timers recount how communities around them have seen a shift in the ethnic composition over the years. “I don’t remember knowing more than four or five Telugu families when I first moved. But over the years the community has grown significantly. It’s like we have a third state after AP and Telangana in the US. There are more footfalls in temples and community spaces now,” said T Raghavendra Rao, a 63-yearold businessman who’s lived in NJ for over five decades.

According to the Indian Mobility Report 2024, AP and Telangana form the largest cohort of Indian students in the US — accounting for 12.5% of the total student crowd. So much so that Kent State University has started receiving their new batches with signs that read “Vidhyardhulaku Swagatham (Welcome Students)”. “I was moved by this gesture,” said Indra Varsini, pursuing a master’s in IT in NJ. “I feel I am not too far from my own people,” she added.

Delhi Times

- Shabana, SS Rajamouli part of 487 new Academy members

- IT TOOK ME 10 YEARS TO BE A FULLY WORKING ACTOR, SAYS PATRALEKHAA

- BUZZ STOP

- BAKERS OPT FOR VANILLA, FRUIT CAKES AS COCOA PRICES RISE

- HOW TO: Keep cake layers moist

- GALLERY

- You cannot compare your life with anyone else’s: Patralekhaa

- DID YOU KNOW?

- AI perfectly imitates my voice, that’s what I want to prevent: Kumar Sanu

- Meezaan & dad Jaaved to share screen space for the ﬁrst time

- TRIPPIN

- Gowns, bags, hats: Princess Diana ﬁnery on auction

- Lincoln statue melts in DC heat

- SPORTS MEETS FASHION AT AN OPEN-AIR RUNWAY IN PARIS

- Snoop Dogg takes part in US Olympics trial run, ﬁnishes third

- Will Smith to debut new song at 2024 BET awards

- Scarlett Johansson to headline fourth Jurassic World film

- Our OTT content is now at par with global shows: Divyenndu

- PROVIDE ORS, SET UP COOLING STATIONS: HELP GIG WORKERS & STAFF BEAT THE HEAT

- Zeenat Aman talks about ‘a time when the work dried up

- KJo remembers ‘solid, selﬂess’ father Yash Johar on his death anniversary

- H’wood union strikes AI-use deal with top studios

Shabana, SS Rajamouli part of 487 new Academy members

Veteran actor Shabana Azmi, RRR director SS Rajamouli, producer Ritesh Sidhwani, and noted cinematographer Ravi Varman are among the 487 new members invited this year by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

Shabana Azmi

Members from Indian cine industry this year

■ Shabana Azmi, who has marked 50 years in the industry, has been invited to join the Actors branch

■ SS Rajamouli has been included in the Director’s branch

■ Independent filmmaker Rima Das, known for titles such as Tora’s Husband and Village Rockstars, is in the Director’s branch

■ Gully Boy and Dil Chahta Hai producer Ritesh Sidhwani will be part of the Producers branch

■ Credited with work such as Japan, Ponniyin Selvan: Part 2 among others Ravi Varman has been invited to join the Cinematographers branch

■ Rama Rajamouli, RRR costume designer and wife of Rajamouli, has been invited to the Costume Designers branch

■ Part of the Production and Technology branch is choreographer Prem Rakshith, who is credited with the Naatu Naatu move

■ Sheetal Sharma, known for her work on movies such as Gangubai Kathiawadi and Kesari, will join Rama Rajamouli in the CostumeDesigners branch

■ Documentary filmmaker Hemal Trivedi, known for works Among The Believers, Saving Face, is part of the Documentary branch

■ Delhi-born Canadian filmmaker Nisha Pahuja is joining in the documentary segment

What AMPAS membership means

The members will be eligible to nominate and vote in the upcoming 97th Oscars in 2025. Most categories are nominated by the members of the corresponding branch – actors nominate actors, film editors nominate film editors, etc. All voting members are eligible to select the Best Picture nominees.

Other Indian members

RRR stars Ram Charan and NTR Jr joined the members last year. From the Indian film industry, AR Rahman, Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, Suriya, Vidya Balan, Aamir Khan, Salman Khan, Ali Fazal, Aditya Chopra, Guneet Monga, Reema Kagti, Ekta Kapoor, and Shobha Kapoor are among members. The Acadamy has approx 10,000 members from across the globe. PTI

SS Rajamouli

Ritesh Sidhwani

IT TOOK ME 10 YEARS TO BE A FULLY WORKING ACTOR, SAYS PATRALEKHAA

Onkar Kulkarni

This year, Patralekhaa clocks in 10 years in Bollywood. The actress, who made her debut opposite her now husband Rajkummar Rao in Hansal Mehta’s CityLights (2014), believes that her journey has just begun. “It has taken me 10 years to be like a fully working actor and not work for only four-five days in a year and then sit, wait, and pray to get more work,” says the Love Games actress. In a conversation with us, Patralekhaa talks about her journey, not having any regrets and how lucky marriage has been for her.

CONTINUED ON 3

BUZZ STOP

PRINCE NARULA AND YUVIKA CHAUDHARY ANNOUNCE PREGNANCY

Prince Narula and Yuvika Chaudhary have announced that they are expecting their first child together. “I don’t know how to express my feeling right now because hum bahut khush bhi hai same time nervous bhi hai thankful bhi bhagwan ka or parents ke liye super excited bhi hai. Because we are expecting a baby soon,” he wrote in a post. TNN

BAKERS OPT FOR VANILLA, FRUIT CAKES AS COCOA PRICES RISE

Shivika Manchanda

The recent surge in crafting chocolate prices due to the cocoa crisis has led home bakers and chocolate inventories to promote products that aren’t purely chocolatebased. Many have revised their menus and are experimenting with Indian cocoa.

‘COCOA PRICE SURGE HAS IMPACTED OUR MENUS’

“Many bakeries are introducing more seasonal fruit-based buttercream cakes, tea cakes and even entremets. But, we’re also doing chocolate-based cakes for people who are comfortable with paying a slightly higher price. While the brand we use has doubled its prices, we won’t shift to any other brand to be consistent with the flavour and quality for our clients,” says Ayushi Malhotra Khattar, a baker and owner of a cloud patisserie in Ghaziabad, “Indian cocoa and craft chocolates are finding more buyers now as they are more accessible, considering the shortage of supply of the other couver- ture brands.” Tanvi Khera, a baker based in Noida, talks about the challenge of maintaining the quality of her cakes amid the price rise and says, “For a pastry kitchen that thrives on serving quality ingredients, couverture chocolate is the top ingredient to have in the kitchen. Making a shift to compound chocolate (made with cocoa powder & saturated fats) has never been an option as the bar has been set high with the customers already. We had to revise our menus in a short period to adjust to our cost. It has taken a toll on the business. People are asking for discounts more often than not.”

‘BUTTERCREAM, FRUIT-BASED ITEMS ON THE MENU’

Tanvi says, “We have introduced more variety in buttercream and whipped cream cakes, along with adding more nuts and fruit-based pastry creations, exploring the fresh fruits that India has to offer.” Akanksha Manchanda, a home baker from Delhi, adds, “Clients prefer vanilla, caramel, whipped cream and buttercream-iced cakes these days. The price of chocolatebased cakes has been raised by 50%. The chocolate cake on my menu was for `1800 and is now for `2700.”

“Desserts and cakes with seasonal fruits are a way to go for bakers. However, chocolate cakes are and will always remain a favourite for the clients, so we have raised the prices of our chocolate-flavoured items on the menu,” says a Gurgaon-based baker Vanita Malhotra, who has increased the price of chocolate-based products by 15-18%.

Alternatives for chocolate:

■ Chocolate chips can be reduced from12% to 8% in cakes and muffins

■ Include more caramel instead ofchocolate, it is a top choice when it comes to indulgent flavours

■ For celebratory cakes, opt for berries,summed fruits, and fruit-infused creams for fillings

(inputs from the British Baker e-magazine)

“We are promoting our bakery range during this time, rather than the chocolate range,” says chocolatier Radhika Gulati

“Since chocolate cake will always have a market, cutting down chocolate pastry creations from the menu is not an option,” say bakers

HOW TO: Keep cake layers moist

PROPER BAKING TIME AND TEMPERATURE

Ensure you bake your cakes at the correct temperature and for the right duration. Overbaking can dry out the cake. Use a toothpick or cake tester to check for doneness; it should come out clean or with a few crumbs attached.

SIMPLE SYRUP

Brushing each layer with a simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water, boiled until sugar dissolves) can help keep the cake moist. You can flavour the syrup with extracts or liqueurs for added taste.

MOIST INGREDIENTS

Use ingredients that add moisture, such as sour cream, yoghurt, buttermilk, or even mayonnaise (for chocolate cakes). These ingredients contribute moisture and richness to the cake batter.

AVOID OVER-MIXING

Over-mixing can develop gluten and lead to a tougher texture. Mix until just combined after adding flour to avoid this.

GALLERY

Annual tango fest in Columbia Dancers compete in the 18th annual international tango festival in Colombia’s second largest city, Medellin. The festival contributes to the vibrant cultural scene of Medellin

You cannot compare your life with anyone else’s: Patralekhaa

I have been the busiest since I got married (in Nov 2021). Within a couple of days of my marriage, I had to leave for a shoot. Which is why I feel that I should have gotten married earlier (laughs)

Patralekhaa says, “I never resonated with Raj’s journey, and I am sure he doesn’t resonate with mine. I was doing whatever was being offered to me”

CONTINUED FROM 1

‘I WANTED TO WORK HARD SO HARD THAT EVEN IF I FAILED, I WOULDN’T HAVE ANY REGRETS’

Reflecting on her journey, Patralekhaa says, “10 years is a very long time. I was new to Mumbai. My friends and family did not hail from the film industry. My only point of contact was Raj (Rajkummar Rao), who I have been dating since then. But Raj’s career has been on a different path, and I don’t think I resonate with that path. Of course, he understood what I was going through, but he was really busy. He was always there, pacifying me. I went through different phases. I started painting. I had to understand what to do to make it work. At the end of it, nothing is in your hands, no matter how hard you work. If it is meant to be, it will be yours. I was very clear that I am going to work so hard that even if I fail, I wouldn’t have any regrets.”

‘YOU CANNOT COMPARE YOUR LIFE WITH ANYONE ELSE’S’

Living with a successful actor who has only grown from strength to strength, did it ever make her question her own journey? “Initially, I would wonder, ‘Arre, even I got appreciated for this project then why did I not get similar results?’ It felt weird initially, but then you know that your life is different and you cannot compare your life with anyone else’s. I never resonated with Raj’s journey, and I am sure he doesn’t resonate with mine. I was doing whatever was being offered to me. Raj never had to reach out to people for work. His films worked, and it did all the talking. I can’t compare myself with him.”

‘FILMMAKERS TOLD ME YOU ARE A GOOD ACTOR, BUT WE DON’T KNOW WHERE TO PLACE YOU’

Patralekhaa says that she is excited about the current phase in her career, which has her doing a variety of roles. Among her upcoming projects are a comedy with Varun Sharma and the series IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack starring Vijay Varma and Phule with Pratik Gandhi. “In the traditional medium, I have had filmmakers telling me that you are such a good actor, but we really don’t know where to place you.” Patralekhaa believes that the OTT space offered her more scope to perform, which in turn got her more film of- fers. She adds, “I’ve been the busiest since I got married (in Nov 2021). Which is why I feel that I should have gotten married earlier (laughs).”

‘FAILURE TEACHES YOU PATIENCE AND PERSEVERANCE’

The actress is grateful for everything that she has got in her 10-year journey, “I have made some amazing friends here. I found my husband in this industry and city. This industry has given me a lot… it has been a package of failure and success. So, I am really content. Failure doesn’t bog me down. In fact, it has taught me patience and perseverance, and pushed me to keep working hard.”

DID YOU KNOW?

Julia Roberts almost said no to Notting Hill

Julia Roberts read Notting Hill’s script in 1997, but was reluctant to play an actress on the big screen. She reportedly told her agent, “What a stupid thing for me to do.” She later said that playing an actress in the film was “one of the hardest things” she “ever had to do.”

AI perfectly imitates my voice, that’s what I want to prevent: Kumar Sanu

The singer, who is seeking legal protection against AI voice cloning, wants his voice patented

AI ka zamana hai, it is everywhere. I have heard songs that have been made using AI that sound exactly like me. That’s what I want to prevent

Following in the footsteps of Amitabh Bachchan, Anil Kapoor and Jackie Shroff, now Kumar Sanu is seeking legal assistance against the misuse of AI voice duplication. Sanu spoke to us and expressed his concerns about AI voice cloning and how all singers should do the same. “I am seeking legal protection against AI voice cloning. I want my voice patented, and so I have begun the legal process to get it done. In fact, I had been thinking of doing this for a while, and now I have taken a concrete step. I believe that AI kaafi hadd tak khatarnak hai, but also AI ke wajah se sahuliyat bhi hai. I am getting my voice copyrighted,” he said.

In recent times, AI has also been used to recreate the voices of legends like Mohammed Rafi and Kishore Kumar. Sanu says, “This is totally wrong. If you want to listen to legendary singers, you can just pick up their recordings and hear them. Why do you need to replicate their voice using AI? Nothing can beat the original,” he said.

— Debarati S Sen

Meezaan & dad Jaaved to share screen space for the first time

Director Luv Ranjan has been very tightlipped about the project. Jaaved and Meezaan have already started shooting – A source

Jaaved Jaaferi with son Meezaan

Father-son duo Meezaan and Jaaved Jaaferi are set to come together on the silver screen for the first time. A source says the two have started shooting for Ajay Devgn’s upcoming film De De Pyaar De 2. The Luv Ranjan directorial is the sequel to Ajay’s 2019 film, which also featured Rakul Preet Singh and Tabu.

The source tells us, “Luv Ranjan has been extremely tight-lipped about the project. It is said that Meezaan plays Rakul Preet’s ex or new love interest, while Jaaved is expected to essay the role of Meezaan’s father. The two have started shooting for it.” Meezaan, who made his Bolly- wood debut with Malaal in 2019, was last seen in Yaariyan 2 (2003).

De De Pyaar De 2 also stars R Madhavan. It remains to be seen whether Tabu will be a part of the sequel. “The makers want to keep that as a surprise element,” the source adds.

— Vinay MR Mishra

TRIPPIN

“A day in the city,” wrote SHRENU PARIKH as she shared some touristy pics from her vacation in NEW YORK CITY

Gowns, bags, hats: Princess Diana finery on auction

The biggest auction of Diana memorabilia since the late British princess sold dozens of outfits months before her death gets underway in California this week. Nearly fifty pieces, including gowns, shoes, handbags and hats, will go under the hammer.

The auction, titled Princess Diana’s Elegance & A Royal Collection, brings together some of the style maven’s favourite designers, including Victor Edelstein, Murray Arbeid and Catherine Walker. Highlights include Arbeid’s blue dia- mante ball gown, which the princess wore on two different occasions in the past (in 1986 and 1987), and a magenta lace dress by Edelstein. Both pieces are expected to fetch up to $400,000 (`3 crore 34 lakhs), according to Julien’s Auctions, which is running the sale. “We are here celebrating Princess Diana’s elegance.

We have some really standout pieces... that Diana wore with a lot of pride and (which are) really emblematic of her style,” said Gabriela Schwartz, of the auction house.

AFP

A midnight blue diamante ball gown that the late Princess Diana wore on two occasions, will also go under the hammer; (top) hats from Diana’s wardrobe are also a part of the auction

Lincoln statue melts in DC heat

The wax statue was installed at an elementary school campus in Washington in February

A six-foot-tall wax statue of late US President Abraham Lincoln began to melt in the sweltering heat of Washington DC over the weekend. The statue, a replica of the Lincoln Memorial, lost its head, had its legs separated from its torso and the right foot melted by Monday, according to reports.

According to The Washington Post, the statue was meant to draw attention to the Civil War era and its aftermath and was placed under trees sure to provide enough shade in the summer.

Washington DC reportedly saw 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.7 degrees Celsius) on Saturday.

The white wax statue, created by USbased artist Sandy Williams IV, was in- stalled outdoors on the campus of an elementary school in Northwest Washington in February this year.

“This 3,000 lb wax sculpture is intended to be burnt like a candle and to change over time, but this wild heat has done a number on Lincoln,” said non-profit organisation CulturalDC that commissioned the statue.

Agencies

SPORTS MEETS FASHION AT AN OPEN-AIR RUNWAY IN PARIS

With a month to go for the Olympics, a fashion show in the French capital brought together a bevy of stars and merged style with sports, as it marked 100 years since Paris last hosted the Games in 1924

To showcase the 1950s equestrian theme, Kendall Jenner and Gigi Hadid rode horses on the runway during the show at Place Vendome

Rapper Bad Bunny performed, Kendall Jenner and Gigi Hadid rode horses, and Serena and Venus Williams walked the runway. On June 23, which was International Olympic Day, Paris saw a unique fashion show in an open square at the Place Vendome that brought together celebs from the worlds of fashion and sports. The show highlighted 100 years of fashion and each decade was thematically paired with a different sport, from gymnastics to breakdancing and fencing. Here are some highlights from the show.

Tracing a century of sports

■1920s celebrated cycling

■1930s focused on track and field

■1940s featured aquatics

■1950s brought equestrian styles

■1960s showcased fencing looks

■1970s highlighted gymnastics

■1980s emphasised martial arts

■1990s focused on soccer

■2000s highlighted tennis

■2010s spotlightedbreakdance

Cara Delevingne

Bad Bunny

Maria Sharapova

Serena Williams

Sabrina Carpenter

FKA Twigs

Pharrell Williams

Snoop Dogg takes part in US Olympics trial run, finishes third

Rapper Snoop Dogg, who is gearing up for his role as a commentator for a television broadcast network at the 2024 Paris Olympics, joined a 200-metre exhibition trial run in Oregon last week. He finished in third place with a time of 34.44 seconds.

Snoop was happy with the result and was quoted as saying, “34.44 for a 52-year-old? Ain’t bad.” The rapper paid tribute to the late Los Angeles Lakers NBA star Kobe Bryant by wearing a red, blue, and white tracksuit in the colours of the United States flag, with Bryant’s face displayed on his chest. Shortly after the race, he went back to his job as a commentator, giving a lively description of the steeplechase run. Agencies

Snoop Dogg ran a 200m exhibition race with a time of 34.44 seconds (also left)

Will Smith to debut new song at 2024 BET awards

Will Smith’s illustrious career spans decades, beginning with his breakthrough as one half of the legendary hip-hop duo DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince

In a thrilling announcement, Black Entertainment Television (BET) network has revealed that actor Will Smith will debut a brand-new song during his upcoming performance at the 2024 BET Awards.

Connie Orlando, Executive VP of Specials, Music Programming, and Music Strategy at BET, expressed excitement over Smith’s return to the prestigious stage saying, “From his start as a rapper to the Fresh Prince to being a box office king as one of the Bad Boys, Will Smith is truly a global icon, and we are honoured to welcome him back to grace the BET Awards stage. We look forward to Will adding to yet another defining night for the culture that is not to be missed.”

Smith’s illustrious career spans decades, beginning with his breakthrough as one half of the legendary hip-hop duo DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince. His musical journey includes hits such as Parents Just Don’t Understand, Summertime, and solo successes like Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It and Miami.

Agencies

Scarlett Johansson to headline fourth Jurassic World film

I am an enormous Jurassic Park fan. It is one of the first movies I remember seeing in theatres. I remember it so vividly. It was lifechanging and mind-blowing. I cannot express how excited I am (to be a part of the new film) – Scarlett Johansson

Chris Pratt in a still from Jurassic World; (below) Scarlett Johansson

Scarlett Johansson shared that she will be headlining the next Jurassic World, which is being helmed by Gareth Edwards, the director of Godzilla and Rogue One, based on a screenplay written by David Koepp, reported Variety.

About the fourth Jurassic World film, which will tell a completely different tale from the original trilogy, Johansson said, “David Koepp wrote it and returned after 30 years to write it and he’s so passionate about it. I’ve been trying to get into this franchise in any possible way for over 10 years.

I’m like, ‘I’ll die in the first five minutes! I can get eaten by whatever! I’ll do the craft service!’ I’ll do anything for it. The fact that it’s happened this way at this time is unbelievable.”

In the newest film, Johansson plays a major role with Jonathan Bailey, David Iacono, Mahershala Ali, Rupert Friend, Luna Blaise and Manuel Garcia-Rulfo.

Agencies

Our OTT content is now at par with global shows: Divyenndu

I knew from day one that I was born to act, and I had done theatre since school days. When you have awareness about the path you want to take, the journey becomes easy

Kanksha Vasavada

Divyenndu, who became popular for his portrayal of Liquid in Pyaar Ka Punchnama and was appreciated for his performance in Madgaon Express recently, is in a happy space. In a chat with us recently, the actor, who has played Munna bhaiyya in Mirzapur and was also seen in The Railway Men, says, “This feels like the best phase of my career, as I’m getting to explore different genres on OTT as well as films. I feel blessed.”

‘I FOCUS ON PLAYING DIFFERENT CHARACTERS EVERY TIME’

Talking about exploring different genres, Divyenndu shares, “While listening to a script, I understand the story and the world it belongs to. In two of my upcoming films, I am playing a cop, but both are from different worlds. I focus on playing different characters every time.”

‘COMEDY NEEDS A LOT OF HARD WORK’

While he enjoyed doing Madgaon Express, Divyenndu says that comedy is “a lot of hard work.” He adds, “I need a lot of homework for playing a comic character. It doesn’t come naturally to me. For other genres like action and thriller, you have cinematic tools for help. But for comedy, you need to be spontaneous.”

‘THANKS TO OTT, WE ARE COMPETING WITH GLOBAL SHOWS NOW’

Divyenndu believes that since the audience is spoilt for choice thanks to OTT, things are a lot different now. He says, “Now, OTT has created a universe where a show like Mirzapur is competing with a show like Game Of Thrones!”

‘I became a different guy after playing Munna in Mirzapur’

Playing Munna in Mirzapur affected Divyenndu as a person. He shares, “My wife Akanksha confronted me as she noticed that my behaviour, language and thoughts had been affected after playing that character. I realised that I had become a different guy and needed to get out of it for my well-being.”

Divyenndu; (left) in a still from Mirzapur

PROVIDE ORS, SET UP COOLING STATIONS: HELP GIG WORKERS & STAFF BEAT THE HEAT

The District Magistrate-cumChairperson of DDMA, Gurugram, issued an order on May 31 to direct employers of gig workers, house helps, labourers to allot minimum work between 12pm to 4pm, provide clean drinking water at workplace, arrange for water coolers, shade, ORS, nimbu pani and glucose kits. It also states that the medical cost of heatwaverelated illness must be covered by employers

To protect outdoor workers – govt should set up cooling centres with fans, water, and seating arrangements, accessible sanitation facilities in and around street vending markets. Primary health centers must be prepared to manage heat-related illnesses effectively – Selomi Garnaik, campaigner, Greenpeace India

Shivika Manchanda

A mid frequent red alerts indicating severe heatwave and the heat index crossing 50°C, NCR residents, especially outdoor and gig workers, are dealing with heat stress – impacting health, productivity and income. In a recently released report titled Heat Havoc, Greenpeace India and the National Hawkers Federation stated that street vendors and outdoor workers are most impacted due to heatwaves. Hence, it’s imperative that Delhi residents continue to pitch in to help staff in residential societies, domestic workers, vendors and delivery agents, say campaigners, calling heatwaves a ‘public health crisis’.

What societies and residents can do to help

1. Provide ORS daily to the maintenance staff to prevent heat exhaustion episodes

2. Residents should offer water to staff, delivery agents and domestic workers. Offer to fill water bottles of delivery agents

3. Fit coolers or sprinklers in drivers’ rooms and gate security posts

4. Security posts at the gate can be covered with a green canopy to provide shade. Similar arrangement can be made for waste pickers for waste segregation work and vendors sitting around the residential society’s boundary wall

5. Drinking water facilities with water coolers should be fitted in society campuses for domestic workers, delivery agents, service professionals and maintenance staff

6. Plan grocery deliveries in the morning or evening hours, if possible

– Inputs from Sunil, Estate Manager, at a society in Gurgaon and an AOA official of a high-rise society in Noida

‘Serve water, ORS to staff, guards’

Namrata Hora, a Delhi resident, says, “The ones suffering heat stress the most are the vendors and domestic workers, who can’t do without stepping outdoors. The best we can do is to keep them hydrated. Offer them drinks like sattu, thandai, shikanji, and kacchi lassi when they visit your homes. These beverages will help them maintain their energy levels as this heat can drain you.”

Neha Kakkar, a resident of DLF Phase 1, says, “We all are in this together. So, it is imperative to care for our staff and service/delivery agents, who make our lives convenient.

Each house has four or five people visiting each day. A packet of ORS can serve up to five people. All we need to do is to offer them.” Kunwardeep, a resident of a highrise society in Noida, says, “We make about two litres of kacchi lassi every day and serve it to delivery agents, house helps and the tower guards. On weekends, we distribute lassi packets to all the society guards, gardeners and outdoor workers we encounter. It’s the least we can do.”

‘RWAs can ensure that workers don’t face heat exhaustion’

Researchers have documented that outdoor and informal labourers suffer the most in this heat. Sarita Fernandes, co-convener, Heat Action Coalition India, says, “Efforts must be made to limit heat stress on all living beings, by providing water and shelter points within societies in NCR. These are places where the RWAs can implement the power of an association and ensure minimum number of heat exhaustion and heat stroke episodes in their areas. The government, the police and citizens need to be aware of what heat stress looks like so that they can save someone from a heatstroke death in Delhi.”

68.92% street vendors have heard about heatwaves or loo

9.56% street vendors have heard about Delhi’s Heat Action Plan

7 out of 8 women street vendors reported experiencing high BP

82.74% vendors have no guidance on how to handle heatwaves, so talking about heat stress and its adaptive strategies is important

63.88% vendors don’t take any ‘working breaks’ during heatwaves

— Highlights from Greenpeace India and National Hawkers Federation’s Heat Havoc report

Reels suggesting offering cold beverages to outdoor workers are trending on social media

Street vendors and outdoor workers are most impacted due to heatwaves, states the Heat Havoc report

Zeenat Aman talks about ‘a time when the work dried up

This caption is my assertion of two matters. That there is dignity in all labour. And that, with some persistence and luck, the tough times can ease

Zeenat Aman

In a recent post, Zeenat Aman spoke about a “time when the work dried up, the body aged, and one felt their relevance slip away.” Along with some pictures, she wrote, “It would be dishonest of me to project a life of uninterrupted glamour and composure. I know how it looks of course. Here is a woman who reached the pinnacle of stardom in her youth and is now enjoying a renaissance in her old age. Sure, those much retold, often contorted, episodes of personal tragedy are widely known, but they’re merely footnotes now. Little stories that only serve to accentuate the heights one has achieved.”

She added, “This then is a frank acknowledgment of the difficult phase. Those excruciating weeks that turned to months that turned to years. The time when the work dried up, the body aged, and one felt their relevance slip away. At first, there was the sheer relief of anonymity. But then came the fear of how to keep food on the table. With no husband to turn to, no sibling to lean on, and two helpless children to provide for, it was terrifyingly lonely.” TNN

‘I took pretty much any work that came my way’

In her note, she continued to talk about the work she took on during her difficult phase. She wrote, “Those were the years I took pretty much any work that came my way. I did not have the luxury of discernment or whimsy. It was bone-rattling drives to nondescript towns for event appearances, accommodation at no-star hotels with filthy sheets, trite renditions of ‘chura liya’ in smelly halls, poorly drafted scripts that pushed me to the edge of sanity, being jostled like a prop during stifling photo ops… and then there were the other odd jobs. Teaching poise and etiquette, writing agony aunt columns, even narrating audio tapes. This was life as a ‘has been’ and I find no shame in it. I am grateful to those organizers who offered me jobs, to those fans that turned up to attend those events, for those laughable paycheques that kept the lights on in my apartment.”

Talking about how things have once again changed for her, she ended the note with, “I am wildly picky about work now. The kids reject half a dozen collaborations and requests on my behalf every day. It is a privilege I enjoy, but do not take for granted.”

KJo remembers ‘solid, selfless’ father Yash Johar on his death anniversary

I was so proud to be the son of the most solid, soulful and selfless man… he put his relationships above everything else… and has left a legacy of love that my mother and I still live by

Karan Johar

Karan Johar on Wednesday said he was proud to be the son of “the most solid, soulful and selfless man” as he marked the 20th death anniversary of his producer-father Yash Johar. Yash Johar, who backed several movies including Dostana, Agneepath, Kuch Kuch Hota Hain (his son’s directorial debut), Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham and Kal Ho Naa Ho under his banner, died on June 26, 2004 of cancer at the age of 75.

“I can’t believe it’s been 20 years…” wrote Karan Johar in the note on Instagram. The director-producer said his “biggest fear” was losing a parent. “August 2nd, 2003 my father told me he had a malignant tumour… my worst nightmare was staring at me and yet it was my duty as his child to stay positive and keep the faith…

but the worst thing about instincts are that….they never lie….” he wrote alongside a series of his father’s pictures.

The family lost Yash Johar 10 months later but they gained “every inch of his mammoth goodwill”, recalled KJo. “I wish he knew our children … but I do know he’s watching over them and us….all the time … Love you Papa…” the 52-year-old wrote

PTI

Karan shared a throwback of Yash Johar with Amitabh Bachchan

H’wood union strikes AI-use deal with top studios

A file photo from the WGA strike, which demanded that AI be used only as a tool and not to replace them

A union representing Hollywood film and television crew said on Tuesday it has reached a tentative three-year deal with major studios that includes agreed-on pay hikes and guardrails against the use of artificial in- telligence (AI).

The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) members, which include lighting technicians and costume designers, are to ratify the deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which represents major production houses. The terms of the agreement include scale-rate increases of 7%, 4%, and 3.5% over the three-year term, the union said.

In late 2023, the SAG-AFTRA actors union and the studios reached a labour agreement which ended a near six-month dispute that had halted film and TV production. Reuters

On the AI front…

The deal includes “language that ensures no employee is required to provide Al prompts in any manner that would result in the displacement of any covered employee.” That contract also provided for pay raises and streaming bonuses that union leaders said amounted to more than $1 billion over three years, and also included protection around the use of AI in filmmaking.

Table of Contents

TOI Print Edition Jun 27, 2024

Front Page

Ragged in med college, student undergoes dialysis

Six cops get life for beating man to death

Booze ban buzz in Odisha, govt denies

L K Advani, 96, admitted to AIIMS

Rahul summoned in defamation case

Monthly instant payments jump 4x

One in 2 Indian adults unfit, inactive: Study

CBI gets CM’s 3-day custody, court says arrest not illegal

Three terrorists gunned down in Doda encounter

Sought updates on Pannun probe from India: US

LG-tree cutting row: DDA is shielding higher-ups, says SC

`500cr Pjb action plan to tackle stubble burning

Telugu speakers jump 4-fold in US, touch 12.3L this yr from 3.2L in 2016

ADMK suspended from TN House for session for ruckus over hooch toll

Burglar shoots couple’s video, blackmails them

Om Birla elected Speaker for second time on voice vote

Bombay HC upholds hijab ban in college

Slight delay in monsoon but wet spell to continue

MCD plans to hike parking charges in city

Kapil takes guard as Indian men’s golf fed chief

Probe: NEET leak Bihar kingpin colluded with paper-solving gang of UP

Fake cops dupe elderly city woman of `83 lakh

GRUDGE MATCH AS INDIA EYES FINAL

Times Nation

Train upper berth seat falls, kills man

HC upholds hijab ban in Mum college in ‘interest of students’

Pathankot on alert as 2 armed men spotted

3 terrorists shot dead in gunfight with security forces in J&K’s Doda

MBBS student in Raj undergoes dialysis after ragging, 7 booked

Odisha mantri talks of booze ban plan, excise dept denies it

Speaker moves resolution condemning Emergency, Cong finds itself isolated

Replace sengol with replica of Constitution: SP

BJP sought ‘400 paar’ to change Constitution, but failed: Cong

PM hails Birla, says he presided over golden era in history of LS

Be impartial, don’t stifle India’s voice: Rahul, oppn netas to Birla

IN A NEW ROLE: ABHINETA TO NETA

Did Cong avoid seeking division of votes due to TMC reluctance?

Months after exit, Pitroda back in key Congress post

Emergency was an era of injustice, exposed Cong’s dictatorial mentality: Shah

6 mths, 6.2L trained: Centre eyes smooth switch to new crime laws

Put up united front for state polls: Rahul, Kharge to Haryana netas

After Amritpal’s LS win, his aide plans to contest Punjab bypoll

TMC MLAs on dharna as swearing-in delayed due to guv standoff

Seven killed in lightning strikes in western UP:

NIA offers `10 lakh for info on Goldy Brar, aide

IIM-K flips gender ratio with record 60% girl-student intake

BJP’s East Champaran ZP member shot dead, ‘land dispute’ suspected

Govt mulls monthly, annual NH toll passes for private cars

TN assembly urges Centre to undertake caste census

Students sent Ambani threats via pvt email services: Chargesheet

Shame that local train users carried worse than cattle: HC

Our N-trajectory based on ‘no first use & massive retaliation’: CDS

Muchkund Dubey, veteran diplomat &former foreign secy, dies at 90

Posing as buyer, crook swaps `4.5cr diamond with a lab-grown one

US seeking accountability from India in Pannun case, says official

When NEET met darknet, the web you may not know about

EAM meets Myanmar dy PM, flags violence along border

India steps up training of foreign military personnel to boost ties

Times City

Tables Turned! How Lakes Project Is Helping Recharge Groundwater

Monsoon set to miss date, but likely by end of month

To roll out new laws, police to establish control room in each district, launch helpline numbers

`500cr action plan to tackle stubble burning in Punjab

Excessive silt brings Palla floodplain project to halt

‘Prohibitive’ Charges Likely To Curb Illegal On-Street Parking

Rai asks for action-taken report on cutting of trees

SC: Brazen act shows a lack of understanding of environment

Akhilesh, Brinda Karat meet Atishi at Lok Nayak Hospital

CAQM target: 4.5cr saplings this year

Every Second Indian Adult Physically Inactive, Fails WHO Guidelines: Study

Surge in demand for nutritional guidance, fitness coaching

NEET row: Students want NTA scrapped, minister to resign

1 more peacock dies at Palam Air Force station

Man cleared of sex assault on son, ‘testimony not reliable’

I Told Sisodia About Policy Objectives: CM

CBI caught red-handed lying in front of court: AAP

After Arrest By CBI, CM Takes Back Plea In SC

Subjected to constant media trial, pleads ED

Bus gets stuck in caved-in road

Scammers scare 72-yr-old with fake legal notices

Rickshaw driver beaten up, shots fired in air

Cybercrooks posing as CBI officers dupe woman of `2 lakh

Moving car goes up in flames, close shave for 3

Times Global

Kenya prez backs down on tax hikes after unrest leaves 23 dead

Karachi heat kills 450 in just 4 days

Assange arrives home in Aus a free man after US plea deal

US House adopts resolution seeking independent probe into Pak elections

Mark Rutte moves from leading Netherlands to heading Nato

Pak’s Balochistan home minister alleges India’s RAW backing ‘TTP-BLA nexus’

Honduras ex-prez gets 45 yrs’ jail on US drug charges

Flatulent cows and pigs will face a carbon tax in Denmark, a world first

Italy busts gang smuggling in Chinese via luxury cars

Activists held after ‘dirty protest’ at Sunak’s home

AROUND THE WORLD

Russia starts secret trial of US scribe for spying

Two astronauts stuck on ISS as Boeing capsule faces technical woes

Editorial

Om Shanti Om?

RaGa On Double Duty

Jail Mustn’t Be The Norm

Netasana

Being Aware Transforms Our Popcorn Mind

‘Soft corner for INDIA, but will stay Independent. Joining them will jeopardise our future, our community, our movement’

A thought for today

Sacred space

Times Business

Aditya Birla Grp to invest $50mn in chem biz in Texas

Foxconn hiring bias? Centre seeks report

Vedanta promoter divests 2.6% stake

Sebi eases trading norm for cos’ insiders

L&T chief is LTIMindtree chairman as Naik exits

Dr Reddy’s to buy UK co’s nicotine gum biz for `5k cr

HC to Chandra: Respond to Sebi summons

Sembcorp sues Siemens over contract breach

Spectrum auction ends in 2 days, fetches `11k cr

Monthly instant payments jump 4x in 3 years: Study

AI doomerism has quietened down: Nilekani

L&T short of 45,000 workers & techies: MD

Sensex nears 79k, RIL’s mcap back above `20L cr

How Re went from most to least volatile in Asia

Times Sport

IN GAME OF FOUR, UKRAINE LOSE

Our display was appalling: Koeman

If you beat the Netherlands, top the group, then you can’t be that bad: Sabitzer

Late Lautaro strike sends Argentina into quarters

England invite flak after another dull day

Denmark through as Serbia misfire

It’s a win-win for Romanians and Slovaks

WILL IT POUR HAPPY TEARS?

Mott feels Rohit & Co. will look to ‘bat us out of the tie’

We’ll not dwell on what happened in the past: Rohit

KITE-RUNNERS MEET RAINBOW NATION

‘Have no scarring, no history’

I was almost in tears laughing: Oz skipper on Naib’s theatrics

GALLERY

Ex-MLA held for destroying EVM at polling booth in Andhra

AIADMK MLAs prioritising publicity over duties: Stalin

Vijay, CK Nayudu’s grandson, dies

Harman to lead men’s hockey team in Paris

‘Paris wasn’t on cards but luck smiled on me’

Isro arm NSIL to launch largest-ever Australian sat

Ex-Vietnam coach Park among 214 applicants for India job

Sahu took to burglary after failing to crack govt test: Cops

Kapil takes guard as PGTI prez

Birla 5th LS Speaker to be elected for 2nd term

Suspected mastermind Mukhiya didn’t report for duty on day of NEET-UG test

Out of 350, Telugu is now America’s 11th most-spoken language

Delhi Times

Shabana, SS Rajamouli part of 487 new Academy members

IT TOOK ME 10 YEARS TO BE A FULLY WORKING ACTOR, SAYS PATRALEKHAA

BUZZ STOP

BAKERS OPT FOR VANILLA, FRUIT CAKES AS COCOA PRICES RISE

HOW TO: Keep cake layers moist

GALLERY

You cannot compare your life with anyone else’s: Patralekhaa

DID YOU KNOW?

AI perfectly imitates my voice, that’s what I want to prevent: Kumar Sanu

Meezaan & dad Jaaved to share screen space for the ﬁrst time

TRIPPIN

Gowns, bags, hats: Princess Diana ﬁnery on auction

Lincoln statue melts in DC heat

SPORTS MEETS FASHION AT AN OPEN-AIR RUNWAY IN PARIS

Snoop Dogg takes part in US Olympics trial run, ﬁnishes third

Will Smith to debut new song at 2024 BET awards

Scarlett Johansson to headline fourth Jurassic World film

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PROVIDE ORS, SET UP COOLING STATIONS: HELP GIG WORKERS & STAFF BEAT THE HEAT

Zeenat Aman talks about ‘a time when the work dried up

KJo remembers ‘solid, selﬂess’ father Yash Johar on his death anniversary

H’wood union strikes AI-use deal with top studios