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Front Page

- IT’S INDIA VS SA FOR T20 CROWN

- Delhi breathes cleanest air in 281 days as AQI improves to ‘satisfactory’

- LG dissolves Delhi govt’s advisory body, wants ‘domain experts’ in place

- Budget ’24 will roll out historic steps, speed up reforms: Prez

- Sebi eases delisting norms, tightens finfluencer rules

- Jio hikes mobile tariff up to 25%

- Hate speech rising in India: Blinken

- ASI denies nod for puja at fort temple

- Police rejig in 3 Hry dists where BJP lost

- Man called to clean NCR sewer dies

- Finger in ice-cream was unit worker’s

- NEET: CBI arrests Patna duo, detains J’khand principal, takes over Latur case

- Birla’s UltraTech buys 23% in India Cements in mkt share race with Adani cos

- A temple for Mahabharat’s arch villain, now a taxpayer

- ‘Unflinching’ Roy awarded UK ’s PEN Pinter prize

- IN THE COURTS

IT’S INDIA VS SA FOR T20 CROWN

Axar Patel & Rohit Sharma celebrate an England wicket

➤ I7 years after it won its first (and so far only) T20 World Cup title, 10 years after it played and lost its 2nd final, India has a chance to add another WC trophy to its cabinet. The Men In Blue will take on South Africa in the final at Bridgetown, Barbados. Neither has lost a match yet in this WC. That will change on Saturday

➤ India avenged its 10-wicket loss to England in the 2022 semifinal in convincing style, thrashing the defending champs by 68 runs

➤ Put in to bat, India scored 171/7. Skipper Rohit Sharma hit 57 in 39 balls and Suryakumar Yadav contributed 47 off 36 balls

➤ England never gained momentum and was shot out for 103 as Kuldeep (3/19), Axar (3/23) and Bumrah (2/12) wreaked havoc

SAFS BRUTALLY END AF’S FAIRYTALE RUN

➤ After losing 7 World Cup semifinals across both ODI & T20 formats, South Africa reached the final of a men’s cricket WC for the first time, bowling out Afghanistan for just 56 before winning with 9 wickets and 67 balls to spare

➤ Player of the match Marco Jansen (3/16; in pic) and Rabada (2/14) wrecked the top order as Af was dismissed for the lowest total by any team in a T20 WC knockout match

➤ SA has played an ICC event final only once before — the KnockOut Trophy in 1998 — which it won. Current skipper Aiden Markram led SA’s U-19 team to victory in 2014, the country’s only WC trophy

FULL COVERAGE P 23

GEORGIA MAKES EURO HISTORY

Georgia, at 74, the lowestranked team in this Euro, stunned Portugal 2-0 in the tournament’s biggest upset. Both entered the Round of 16. So did Turkiye which beat Czechia 2-1. Here’s the pre-quarters match-up

FULL COVERAGE P 24

Georgian icon Kvaratskhelia scored the first goal

Delhi breathes cleanest air in 281 days as AQI improves to ‘satisfactory’

Delhiites on Thursday enjoyed the city’s cleanest air in 281 days as the AQI improved to ‘satisfactory’ at 79, as compared with 136 (‘moderate’) on the previous day. This was the first ‘satisfactory’ air day of the year and the city’s best average air quality since Sept 19 last year, when the AQI was 73, reports Priyangi Agarwal.

Rain in Delhi-NCR and easterly winds drifting in from areas also witnessing wet weather combined to produce the rare ‘satisfactory’ air day. The last such day was on Oct 17 last year. Bountiful late monsoon showers had led to nine ‘satisfactory’ days and one ‘good’ air day in Sept 2023.

P 2

Rain continues, monsoon to reach city by Sunday

As light to moderate showers continued in the region, IMD said monsoon is likely to arrive in Delhi in the next two-three days. Thursday was the normal date of monsoon’s onset in the city. Light to moderate rain has been forecast for Friday while moderate to heavy showers are likely on Saturday and Sunday. Meanwhile, the maximum temperature at Safdarjung dipped to 35.4 degrees C, slipping below the day’s normal for the first time in 46 days.

P 2 & 3

LG dissolves Delhi govt’s advisory body, wants ‘domain experts’ in place

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Lieutenant governor V K Saxena has approved temporary dissolution of Dialogue and Development Commission of Delhi (DDCD) and removal of its non-official members till a mechanism for screening and selection of domain experts as its vice-chairman and members is developed.

Making an observation on a file, which was moved by the services department of Delhi govt, LG said the entire exercise of creating DDCD by AAP govt was intended to extend financial benefits and patronage to “certain favoured political persons” of partisan inclinations.

The LG has also asked the finance department to humanely explore the possibility of recovering the salaries paid to the non-official members of DDCD.

‘No work allocation’, P 3

Will challenge illegal or der in court: AAP

AAP govt said it would challenge LG’s “illegal” decision in court. It said DDCD comes under the CM and only he can take action on its members, alleging that the LG’s sole aim was “to stop all work of Delhi govt, which has been his singular contribution to the governance of Delhi”.

P 3

Budget ’24 will roll out historic steps, speed up reforms: Prez

May Focus On Jobs, Prices, Try To Spur Demand

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Raising expectations of major announcements, President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday said the first Budget of PM Narendra Modi’s third term will have several historic steps, going beyond economic and social decisions. “This Budget will be an effective document of govt’s far-reaching policies and futuristic vision... The pace of reforms will be further accelerated in tune with the aspirations of people of India for rapid development,” the President said in her address to the joint sitting of Parliament.

Expectations of a reform oriented Budget have been building up since Modi returned to office for a third consecuti- ve term, equalling Nehru’s record, with govt expected to address several concerns flagged during the elections, including job creation and inflation through a push for manufacturing, tax concessions to spur demand and provide more money to households.

The PM has also spoken about the Budget being a key element of the govt’s 2047 development agenda which will include a 100-day programme leading to action points and targets up to 2030.

Won’t stop BJP? P 25

Birla’s reference to Emergency avoidable: Rahul

Om Birla’s condemnation of Emergency in his acceptance speech on election to the office of Speaker was “political” and “avoidable”, leader of opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi told him on Thursday.

Govt could have made such a reference, but it was not expected from the Speaker, he said after he led a delegation of INDIA bloc MPs for a courtesy call on Birla. Cong- ress termed the reference to the 1975 measure as a “travesty of parliamentary traditions”. In a letter to Birla, Congress general secretary K C Venugopal called it a “grave matter impacting the very credibility of the institution of Parliament”.

P 14

In Parliament, oppn set to go all out on NEET, P 15

Sebi eases delisting norms, tightens finfluencer rules

Sebi, after its board meeting on Thursday, tightened screws on influencers by barring registered advisers from entering pacts with unregistered influencers — commonly known as finfluencers —who make claims about investment returns. It also made it easier for companies to delist & raise debt capital.

P 19

Jio hikes mobile tariff up to 25%

Reliance Jio announced a tariff hike of up to 25%, as India’s largest telecom service provider, which built subscriber base offering free services in initial days, sought to improve its realisation from subscribers. Airtel & Vodafone Idea may follow suit.

P 19

Hate speech rising in India: Blinken

There has been a “concerning increase” in anti conversion laws, hate speech, and demolitions of homes and places of worship of minorities in India, US secy of state Blinken said at the release of the state dept report on religious freedom.

P 13

ASI denies nod for puja at fort temple

Archaeological Survey of India, Aurangabad circle, has denied permission for puja and other rituals to the sole priest at Bharat Mata temple inside the 11th-century Daulatabad Fort, saying the structure is a non-living monument.

P 20

Police rejig in 3 Hry dists where BJP lost

Haryana’s BJP govt has replaced police chiefs of three (Sonipat, Ambala, and Hisar) of five districts where BJP lost in LS polls. In all, 50 senior cops — 23 of them from IPS and 27 from state cadre — were shifted late on Wednesday.

TNN

Man called to clean NCR sewer dies

A 35-year-old worker from Bengal who choked on gases inside a sewer line earlier this week died in hospital, making it the fourth death in manual scavenging reported in NCR this week. Noor Islam went into the sewer without any safety gear.

P 9

Finger in ice-cream was unit worker’s

A tip of a human finger found in an ice-cream by a Mumbai man belonged to an employee of a Pune factory where it was made, a DNA test revealed. The worker was trying to retrieve the lid of an ice-cream box when his fingertip got sliced.

TNN

NEET: CBI arrests Patna duo, detains J’khand principal, takes over Latur case

Indian Youth Congress members held a demonstration at Jantar Mantar on Thursday over the alleged rigging of NEET-UG. Party activists also barged into the NTA HQ in the capital & locked its door as a sign of protest

Kshitiz, Abhijit Sen & Vishvendu Jaipuriar TNN

Patna/Hazaribag/Chatra: CBI made its first two arrests in the NEET-UG paper-leak case in Bihar on Thursday, picking up a pair of suspects accused of arranging accommodation in Patna for some medical aspirants to spend the night before the May 5 test memorising answers to leaked questions under the guidance of “handlers”.

In Jharkhand’s Hazaribag, CBI detained and interrogated seven people, including the principal of a private school that functioned as a NEET-UG test centre.

A half-burnt question paper bearing the Hazaribag centre’s code was found in the Patna “safe house” where a batch of examinees spent exam-eve preparing for the test with leaked questions and answer keys.

The arrests in Bihar and the school raid in Jharkhand coincided with the Maharashtra govt transferring a NEET paper-leak case filed in Latur last Sunday to CBI. Po- lice arrested two teachers of a zilla parishad-run school, while another two suspects — an ITI instructor and a man from Delhi — are absconding.

 Seizes laptop, mobiles, P 25

Maha teacher held for scam link suspended, P 15

 SC seeks NTA affidavit on OMR evaluation plaints, P 15

P 4

Birla’s UltraTech buys 23% in India Cements in mkt share race with Adani cos

Reeba Zachariah & Yogesh Kabirdoss TNN

Mumbai/Chennai: UltraTech Cement, controlled by Kumar Mangalam Birla, has acquired a 23% stake in India Cements from veteran investor Radhakishan Damani for Rs 1,885 crore. The move intensifies UltraTech’s rivalry with Gautam Adani’s Ambuja Cements and ACC as both seek to challenge its position as India’s largest building materials maker. The transaction positions Birla as the second-largest shareholder of the Chennai-based India Cements, behind the founders, N Srinivasan and family, who hold 28%.

UltraTech, the world’s third-most-valued cement company, described the deal as a “non-controlling financial investment”, acquiring shares at Rs 267 each — a 9% discount to the stock’s Thursday closing price on BSE.

 No board seat, P 19

Blue-chip stocks propel sensex past 79k, Nifty to 24,000

Sensex breached the historic 79,000 mark while NSE Nifty scaled the 24,000 peak for the first time on Thursday as buying in blue-chip stocks like Infosys, Reliance and TCS helped markets extend gains to the fourth straight day and close at lifetime high levels. The BSE benchmark jumped 569 points to settle at a new closing peak of 79,243 while Nifty ended at a fresh record high of 24,044, rising 176 points.

P 19

A temple for Mahabharat’s arch villain, now a taxpayer

There’s no idol in Peruviruthy Malanada temple, but maces, the preferred weapon of Duryodhan

CG.Sankar@timesgroup.com

Even in a land of temples, and more deities than even the most pious can name, a temple for the arch villain of India’s greatest epic is unusual. But what really makes the Duryodhan temple in a remote village in Kerala’s Kollam district a standout is an aspect of modernity — per govt records, the eldest Kaurav prince pays taxes.

Local lore has it that the prince was tired and thirsty during his travels. Drinking water was scarce, but a woman of a so-called low caste offered him a drink of toddy. Duryodhan, who also famously elevated the supposedly low-born Karna to kingship, accepted happily, blessed the woman and her village, and gave them land. The temple for him was the village saying thank you. Ritual offerings here include a good measure of intoxicants.

Is called ‘grandpa’, P 25

‘Unflinching’ Roy awarded UK ’s PEN Pinter prize

Arundhati Roy was awarded UK’s PEN Pinter Prize 2024 for her “unflinching” writings on a day UN high commissioner for human rights urged Indian authorities to drop cases against the Booker Prize winner for her comments on Kashmir in 2010.

Accepting the prize, Roy said, “I wish (Nobel-laureate playwright) Harold Pinter were with us...to write about the almost incomprehensible turn the world is taking. Since he isn’t, some of us must do our utmost to try to fill his shoes”.

P 13, 22

IN THE COURTS

➤ Gujarat HC says probe report on Vadodara’s Harni Lake tragedy, in which 14 including 12 schoolkids died, reveals efforts to protect the municipal commissioner

P 18

➤ Bulandshahr court raps UP DGP for failing to produce former Ghosi MP Hari Narayan Rajbhar after 53 NBWs & 15 letters

P 18

➤ Can offering namaz daily in prison be a ground for Orissa HC to commute death sentence of a person convicted of 6-year-old girl’s rape and murder, ask lawyers

FLAP OPPOSITE

➤ HC orders safety audit of Odisha govt schools after Class II student’s death in school toilet wall collapse, enhances compensation to

10 lakh

FLAP OPPOSITE

➤ How can Madhya Pradesh HC advocates’ association seek exemption from paying electricity bills when high court, SC and even Parliament pay for power, asks SC

FLAP OPPOSITE

Times Nation

- Surrendering before god a ground for relief to death row convict?

- HC orders Odisha safety audit after kid’s death in school toilet wall collapse

- Electricity can’t be free, says SC, but stays `94 lakh bill served on MP bar body

- Why water shortage can leave economy parched

- Boy takes free dip in swimming pool, killed

- Rain brings down MP airport shed

- Bus ticket, bag help cops nab killer of 3

- In Prez remark, hint of govt intent to check ‘fake news’

- Minorities outfit criticises US for biased report

- ‘Concerning rise’ in hate speech, anti-conversion laws in India: US

- Drop cases against Arundhati, says UN Human Rights Office

- Goa DGP sided with intel officer’s wife, bullied cops, got house razed

- Land-for-jobs: HC grants interim bail to Lalu aide on medical grounds in laundering case

- Modi praises Bihar’s growth under Nitish

- Remarks ‘political and avoidable’: Rahul to Speaker

- MAHA ‘LIFT-OFF’ STIRS BUZZ

- Maha still tops FDI charts but inflow dips 15%

- Congress slams Speaker for chiding Tharoor

- Oppn to go all out on NEET ‘leak’ in LS, RS

- Maha teacher arrested for NEET scam link suspended

- Student ends life, 12th Kota suicide in ’24

- Thakur may initiate LS debate on Prez speech

- Govt committed to fair probe into paper leaks, says Murmu

- Oppn calls Prez speech ‘full of lies’; comprehensive, says BJP

- PM: Murmu presented road map of progress and good governance

- FCI stock 3.5 times more than buffer, Centre may resume rice sale to states

- MSCB scam: EOW opposes ED claims on Ajit

- In Pocso case, CID files 750-page chargesheet against BSY, 3 others

- Hand over CM’s post to DKS: Seer to Sidda

- Monsoon fury claims 2 lives in K’taka:

- Kerala denies reprieve plan for Chandrasekharan case convicts

- Court raps UP DGP as cops fail to present ex-MP despite 53 NBWs, several letters

- Probe report reveals bid to shield civic body chief in boat tragedy case: Guj HC

- Don’t link CIBIL score to farm loan: Maha dy CM

- Harassed over loan, woman and daughter die by suicide in Bihar’s Vaishali

- Didi halts drive to evict hawkers, warns against cop-neta nexus

- CBI charges 5 former cops for ‘framing’ Nambi in Isro spy case

- ASI denies nod for puja at temple in Daulatabad fort

Surrendering before god a ground for relief to death row convict?

Lawyers Question Orissa HC Order To Commute Sentence

There is no cogent evidence that the appellant is beyond reform and rehabilitation, the HC said

Dhananjay.Mahapatra@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: Can offering of namaz many times a day by a 36-year-old condemned prisoner, convicted of raping and murdering a six-year-old girl, be one of the grounds for commutation of his death sentence to life imprisonment?

This question was thrown by lawyers at a recent Orissa HC judgment which cited “he is offering prayer to god many times in a day and he is ready to accept the punishment as he has surrendered before god” as a ground to conclude that the case be not categorised as ‘rarest of rare’ one, which alone attracts capital punishment.

A division bench of Justices S K Sahoo and R K Pattanaik upheld the trial court’s order convicting Shaikh Asif Ali for rape and murder of the child and 302/376 of IPC as also section 6 of Pocso Act. However, it ordered that the convict, who was 26-years-old at the time of crime in 2014, will be kept in jail till his death. It asked the state govt to pay Rs 10 lakh to the victim’s parents.

Apart from the daily offering of namaz and surrendering to god for punishment, the bench listed out several other grounds to justify com- mutation of the death sentence to life imprisonment. It said, “He is a family man and having an old mother aged about 63 years and two unmarried sisters and he was the sole bread earner of his family and working as a colour mistri in Mumbai and the financial condition of the family is not good.”

“His character and conduct was good in school and he passed matriculation in the year 2010. He could not continue his higher studies due to financial problems in the family. He was a good cricket and football player during his teenage years. Even though he is in judicial custody for about ten years, reports submitted by jail superintendent and the psychiatrist indicate that his conduct and behaviour inside prison is normal, his behaviour towards co-prisoners as well as staff is cordial and he is maintaining every discipline of the jail administration.”

“Neither there is any adverse report against him during the entire period of confinement nor he has committed any prison offence. He is offering prayer to god many times in a day and he is ready to accept the punishment as he has surrendered before god,” said Justice Sahoo, who authored the judgment.

“There is no cogent evidence that the appellant is beyond reform and rehabilitation. Considering the entire facts and circumstances, the aggravating circumstances and mitigating circumstances, it cannot be said that capital punishment is the only option for the appellant and that the option of imprisonment for life will not suffice and is wholly disproportionate,” the HC said.

HC orders Odisha safety audit after kid’s death in school toilet wall collapse

Dhananjay.Mahapatra@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: The death of a class 2 student due to toilet wall collapse in a school in Ganjam district made Orissa HC order a safety audit of nearly 62,000 primary, upper primary, secondary and higher secondary schools in the state. The child was grievously injured on Sep 24, 2016, as the wall collapsed on him while he was playing on the school premises after class.

Not satisfied with the compensation fixed by the district education department, his parents moved HC.

Justice S K Panigrahi, in his June 25 judgment, said the wall collapsed “due to sheer negligence on the part of the state and its departments, who are duty bound to maintain the... (school) building and its surrounding in a proper manner. The safety of children cannot be taken so lightly by the school authority.” The court enhanced the compensation to the parents to Rs 10 lakh from Rs 2 lakh.

To prevent such incidents in future, HC ordered state govt to set up a district education infrastructure safety audit committee in all districts, which will issue safety certificates in June every year. Justice Panigrahi said the headmaster/principal shall report promptly about unsafe buildings to the district committee that shall meet at least twice a year. The committee will be headed by the district magistrate/collector and will include as members the district education officer, executive engineer and officials of PWD, municipality, block, panchayat and teachers.

Electricity can’t be free, says SC, but stays `94 lakh bill served on MP bar body

Dhananjay.Mahapatra@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: Supreme Court was taken by surprise when a state HC bar association sought exemption from paying electricity dues of Rs 94 lakh claiming they deserved free electricity as lawyers play a crucial role in dispensation of justice to litigants.

A vacation bench of Justices Manoj Misra and SVN Bhatti Wednesday was told by Madhya Pradesh HC Bar Association counsel Siddharth R Gupta the lawyers chambers and tables are inside the HC court complex at Jabalpur and hence constitute part of the HC establishment, while pleading for a stay of an MP HC judgment declining the lawyers’ body any relief.

“There is no question of exempting anyone from pay- ing electricity dues. HC, SC and Parliamentall pay their electricity dues. Once you enter into a licence to consume electricity you must pay the consumption charges.”

“Electricity cannot be free, unless the govt takes a policy decision not to charge the HC bar association. But even then, how can it be restricted only to the HC bar association, and why should bar associations to the district and taluka level be denied of the benefits of such policy decision,” SC asked.

Though SC stayed recovery of dues for the time being, it asked, “If lawyers are exempted from paying the dues, the distributing company would recover it... from other consumers who have nothing to do with the justice dispensation system. Why should they bear additional costs...?”

Why water shortage can leave economy parched

Water, Lots Of It, Is Essential To India’s Economic And Industrial Growth. But Shortages Can Hit Key Sectors And Spark A Larger Meltdown Unless Managed Quickly, Says A Report By Moody’s

Boy takes free dip in swimming pool, killed

A 10-year-old boy, who went to take a bath in a swimming pool, was beaten to death after he failed to pay money to the pool owner in UP’s Moradabad, reports Kanwardeep Singh. Police recovered his body from a cane field on Thursday.

An FIR has been registered against the swimming pool owner and his son under sections 302 (murder) and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence) of IPC. The boy was one of three children of Seema Devi, who works as a labourer. He had gone missing on Wednesday. On Thursday, the boy was found dead with injuries in his neck and his mouth was filled with mud. Police said there is a small swimming pool without any major facilities in the village where the owner charges Rs 10 from children for taking a bath for up to one hour The pool will be closed as it was running without permission.

Rain brings down MP airport shed

A portion of the outer shed of recently expanded Dumna airport in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, collapsed during rain on Thursday, crushing a parked car. No one was hurt. The damaged section was completed only three months ago as part of a Rs 450-crore project. Airport authorities suspect the weight of accumulated rainwater on the canopy, possibly due to drainage issues, led to the collapse. Dumna Airport director Rajiv Ratna Pandey has ordered an investigation.

TNN

Bus ticket, bag help cops nab killer of 3

Dehradun police arrested a man (36) from UP working at a furniture factory in the city on Thursday for allegedly killing a woman and her two children, including an eight-month-old girl. A bus ticket dated June 23 — the day of the murder — from Nehtaur in UP to Dehradun along with a blue bag of a courier firm was found near victims’ bodies. It helped cops nail the accused, Haseen Ahmed. He told cops the woman, a divorcee, wanted them to get married but he was reluctant.

TNN

In Prez remark, hint of govt intent to check ‘fake news’

Regulation Of Social Media Has Become Unavoidable Now: Murmu

Prez on her way to Parliament House on Thursday. She said disruptive forces, operating from within the country and outside, are conspiring to weaken democracy. This can’t be allowed to continue, she added

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday suggested that some tough measures against those sharing misleading information or rumour mongering may be in the offing as she pointed to the use of communication channels for such purposes as a challenge and govt’s attempts to build a global framework and new ways to address this challenge.

“In this era of communication revolution, disruptive forces are conspiring to weaken democracy and create fissures in society. These forces are present within the country and are also operating from outside the country... This situation cannot be allowed to continue un- checked. Today, technology is advancing every day. In such a situation, its misuse against humanity can be extremely harmful,” she said in her address to Parliament.

In March, the Centre had tasked the Press Information Bureau to keep tabs on fake news, but the decision was stayed by the Supreme Court. While countries across the globe have been dealing with the issue, in India there is a massive debate on who should handle the issue at the national level although states such as Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have set up their own units.

Govt is also dealing with social media platforms, and has often been criticised for asking these companies to pull down unverified claims or information that can fan tension. WhatsApp and govt have had their share of disputes over checking the origin of information, something that the popular chatting platform has claimed is beyond its control.

The Prez’s comments signal govt’s intent to move ahead with checks on dissemination of inaccurate information and its sharing.

Minorities outfit criticises US for biased report

New Delhi: Indian Minorities Foundation on Thursday criticised the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, arguing that its latest report undermines its credibility and understanding of India’s religious freedom landscape, reports Manas Gohain.

It accused Antony Blinken of bias and questioned the fairness of assessing free speech and hate speech based on country of origin. It also accused USCIRF of harbouring a divisive agenda and condemned it for its “efforts” to categorise India alongside authoritarian regimes in Afghanistan, Cuba, North Korea, Russia and China, arguing that this comparison overlooks India’s democratic framework.

‘Concerning rise’ in hate speech, anti-conversion laws in India: US

The report released by Blinken said US officials continued to raise concerns about religious freedom issues with their Indian counterparts in 2023

Washington: There has been a “concerning increase” in anti-conversion laws, hate speech, and demolitions of homes and places of worship for members of minority communities in India, US secretary of state Antony Blinken said Wednesday at the release of the annual State Department report on international religious freedom.

Ten of 28 states have laws restricting religious conversions for all faiths. Some of these states also impose penalties specifically against forced religious conversions for the purpose of marriage, the report said.

During the year, some members of religious minority groups challenged govt’s ability and willingness to protect them from vi- olence, investigate crimes against members of religious minority groups, and protect their freedom of religion or belief, it stated.

India has previously rejected the US state department’s annual human rights report on the country, saying they continue to be based on “misinformation and flawed understanding”.

Observing that PM Modi has reiterated calls to enact a uniform civil code at the national level as called for in the Constitution, instead of a system of separate personal laws for religious communities, the state department said Muslim, Sikh, Christian, and tribal leaders and some state government officials opposed the initiative on the grounds it was part of a project to turn the country into a “Hindu rashtra”. Some UCC proponents, including opposition politicians, said a UCC would promote greater equality, including for women, by preventing polygamy or inequitable inheritance within personal religious laws, the report added.

PTI

Drop cases against Arundhati, says UN Human Rights Office

United Nations: The top UN human rights official on Thursday voiced concern over the use of anti-terror law in India to silence critics and urged authorities to drop cases against author Arundhati Roy over her comments on Kashmir.

“#India: We are concerned by the use of #UAPA anti-terror law to silence critics. Repeat call for review of law & release of human rights defenders detained under it. Urge authorities to drop cases against” Arundhati Roy and Sheikh Showkat Hussain over comments on Kashmir,” the UN Human Rights Office, led by high commissioner Volker Turk saidonX.

Earlier this month, Delhi Lt Governor V K Saxena had accorded sanction to prosecute Roy and former Central University of Kashmir professor Hussain under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for allegedly making provocative speeches at an event in 2010. Royand Hussain had been named in an FIR registered on Oct28, 2010. The two had allegedly made provocative speeches at a conference organised under the banner of ‘Azadi — The Only Way’ on Oct 21, 2010, in New Delhi.

PTI

‘Unflinching and unwavering’ writings get Roy PEN award

Arundhati Roy was Thursday honoured with the Pen Pinter Prize 2024 for her “unflinching and unswerving” writings.Established in 2009 by the charity English PEN, the prize defends freedom of expression and celebrates literature in memory of Nobel laureate playwright Harold Pinter.

“I am delighted to accept the prize. I wish Harold Pinter were with us today to write about the almost incomprehensible turn the world is taking. Since he isn’t, some of us must do our utmost to try to fill his shoes,” said Roy. She will receive the award on Oct 10. “Roy tells urgent stories of injustice with wit and beauty... her powerful voice is not to be silenced,” said chair of English PEN Ruth Borthwick.

“This year, as the world faces the deep histories that have created this moment in Gaza, our need for writers who are ‘unflinching and unswerving’ has been immense..” said actor and activist Khalid Abdalla, one of the judges.

PTI

Goa DGP sided with intel officer’s wife, bullied cops, got house razed

Panaji: Goa police have said in a report to the state chief secretary that they were pressured by DGP Jaspal Singh to allow demolition of an Assagao house occupied by a Goan family in order to help Mumbai resident Pooja Sharma, a senior intelligence officer’s wife, get the property vacated, reports Murari Shetye.

Besides instructing them to not take any action against Pooja, the report said the DGP threatened Anjuna police officers that if the “demolition work” was not allowed to continue they would have to “face the consequences”.

The report said when Anjuna police tried to stop the demolition, “the DGP started shouting” and said it should be demolished at any cost. He also instructed them that “if any person is obstructing the demolition they should be brought to the police station”.

Land-for-jobs: HC grants interim bail to Lalu aide on medical grounds in laundering case

Delhi high court has granted six-week interim bail on medical grounds to RJD chief Lalu Prasad’s close aide Amit Katyal in a money laundering case linked to the land-for-railway-jobs scam. Katyal, arrested by ED on Nov 11, 2023, under various provisions of the PMLA, argued that after undergoing bariatric surgery, he required further treatment and care, which was not available in Tihar Jail.

ED opposed the bail, saying if there was any requirement of a special diet, it could be brought to the jail premises by way of home-cooked food for him. However, the high court observed that the petitioner’s dietary requirements were such that they could not be fulfilled in jail.

TNN

Modi praises Bihar’s growth under Nitish

New Delhi: PM Modi Thursday said that Bihar under the leadership of CM Nitish Kumar was on the path of development and asserted to continue working with JD(U) for good governance.

The PM made these remarks after a delegation of JD(U) MPs called on him. “Our parties have a long history of working together and fighting poor governance, corruption and criminalisation in Bihar. The leadership of Nitish Kumar has taken Bihar on the path of development. We will keep working together for good governance (sic),” Modi wrote on X.

JD(U) MP Lalan Singh said it was a courtesy meeting but led to meaningful discussions regarding Bihar’s proper development under Nitish Kumar’s leadership.

TNN

Birla’s Reference To Emergency Sparks Row

Remarks ‘political and avoidable’: Rahul to Speaker

Rahul Gandhi and R S Prasad

New Delhi: Leader of opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Thursday told Speaker Om Birla that the Chair’s reference to Emergency was “political” and “avoidable”, a day after Birla ended his acceptance speech on election to the top Lok Sabha post with a detailed condemnation of the 1975 measure. Congress also termed the controversial reference “travesty of parliamentary traditions”.

Rahul is said to have told the Speaker that the govt could have made such a reference, but it was not expected from the Speaker.

After being declared LoP, Rahul led a delegation of INDIA bloc MPs for a courtesy call on Birla, which included Dimple Yadav, Kanimozhi, Misa Bharti, Supriya Sule, NK Premachandran, Gaurav Gogoi, K Suresh, Dharmendra Yadav, Kalyan Banerjee, among others.

Congress general secretary KC Venugopal said, “We discussed many things about Parliament functioning. Rahul Gandhi, as LoP, informed the Speaker about this issue (Emergency) and said it could have been avoided from Speaker’s reference. That is clearly a political reference, it could have been avoided.”

Venugopal also shot off a letter to Birla lodging Congress’s protest over Wednesday’s development. Terming it a “grave matter impacting the very credibility of the institution of Parliament”, Venugopal told the Speaker there was an atmosphere of camaraderie when opposition members were congratulating him on his election as Speaker. “However, what followed thereafter, which is a reference from the Chair after your acceptance speech, in regard to the declaration of Emergency half a century ago, is deeply shocking. Making such a political reference from the Chair is unprecedented in the annals of the history of Parliament. This coming from the Chair as one of the ‘first duties’ of a newly-elected Speaker assumes even graver proportions,” he noted.

TNN

Cong’s invocation of Constitution a masquerade: BJP

New Delhi: BJP on Thursday attacked Congress for objecting to Speaker Om Birla’s condemnation of the Emergency, claiming that this shows the opposition party’s intentions are not right and its invocation of the Constitution is merely a smokescreen.

Former Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said Congress begins squirming at the mention of Emergency, which was imposed by the then PM Indira Gandhi in 1975.

Referring to the Emergency as “the sin of murder of democracy”, he asked, “Why should not this black chapter in the Indian democracy be discussed.”

He noted that Congress never apologised for the Emergency. Taking a swipe at its current allies like Akhilesh Yadav, M K Stalin and Tejashwi Yadav, he said they should remember the excesses of Emergency.

Prasad’s remarks came after LoP Rahul Gandhi met Birla and voiced his displeasure over his critical statement Wednesday in the House on Emergency. Gandhi claimed it was “clearly political” & could have been avoided. Defending Birla’s stand, Prasad said it is necessary to tell the country why it was imposed.

President Droupadi Murmu also condemned the Emergency in her address to a joint sitting of the Parliament on Thursday.

The BJP neta noted that opposition leaders were arrested, RSS activists were tortured, thousands of people were forced to undergo vasectomy and media was put under censorship among the Emergency’s numerous excesses. While the DMK govt in Tamil Nadu was dismissed, Tejashwi Yadav’s father and former Bihar CM Lalu Prasad Yadav was arrested. Akhilesh’s father Mulayam Singh Yadav was also imprisoned.

Congress functionaries are carrying copies of the Constitution and it is clearly a smokescreen, Prasad claimed. It is a matter of immense pride that the country defeated the forces behind the Emergency, he added.

TNN

MAHA ‘LIFT-OFF’ STIRS BUZZ

The Maharashtra assembly monsoon session in Mumbai began with an unexpected encounter between Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis outside the elevator in Vidhan Bhavan on Thursday. The former chief ministers then rode the elevator together. Following the impromptu meeting, Thackeray joked that their next secret meeting would be in the elevator. “People might think of the song ‘Na na karte pyar tumhi se kar baithe’, but nothing like that will happen. It was just a chance meeting. They say the walls have ears, but the elevator walls don’t,” Thackeray remarked.

TNN

Maha still tops FDI charts but inflow dips 15%

Mumbai: Though Maharashtra continues to be the top destination for foreign direct investment (FDI), its quantum has slid 15% with inflows of Rs 1 lakh crore for 2023-24 as against Rs 1.18 lakh crore in 2022-23 and Rs 1.14 lakh crore in 2021-22, reports Clara Lewis.

As far as the MSME sector is concerned, up to Jan 9 this year, 33.07 lakh MSMEs were registered on Centre’s Udayan portal. These MSMEs employ around 1.2crore workers, Maharashtra’s economic survey for 2023-24 said. The state has 32 lakh micro enterprises, 90,599 small and 11,509 medium. The micro enterprises employ 94.2 lakh workers, small ones employ 16.7 lakh workers and medium 12.6 lakh workers.

According to the survey, 2.4 crore MSMEs were registered on the portal as on March 11, 2024 and 16.9% are from the state. Till March 2024, under Micro and Small-EnterprisesCluster Development Programme, Centre had approved 46 projects for setting up of common facility centres in the state and a grant of Rs 247 crore has been released. Of these, 24 are already operational.

Maharashtra also has the highest number of startups recognised by DPIIT, GoI.

Congress slams Speaker for chiding Tharoor

New Delhi: Congress trained its guns at Speaker Om Birla after he chided Shashi Tharoor for saying “Jai Samvidhan” after his oath and shut down party MP Deepender Hooda who sought to defend Tharoor. Party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra tweeted that governing party members were not stopped from raising unparliamentary and unconstitutional slogans but objections were raised on opposition members hailing the Constitution.

In a post, Priyanka asked, “Can one not say ‘jai samvidhan’ in Parliament?”

TNN

Oppn to go all out on NEET ‘leak’ in LS, RS

To Stage Sit-In To Protest Against ‘Misuse Of Agencies’

Rahul Gandhi with former party chief Sonia Gandhi in Parliament Thursday

Subodh Ghildiyal & Mohua Chatterjee TNN

New Delhi: After the procedural formalities, turbulence looms over the new Parliament as opposition has decided to raise the issue of NEET scam and paper leaks in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on Friday, with indications that it is not ready for a compromise on the issue.

Opposition will move an adjournment notice in Lok Sabha and is likely to move a notice for discussion under Rule 267 in RS on Friday.

The demand carries the seed of serious confrontation on the very first day of substantive business in the 18th Lok Sabha. While the govt business has listed the start of discussion on “motion of thanks” to the President’s joint address, INDIA bloc wants to start the Parliament session with a discussion on NEET-paper leaks.

At a meeting of the opposition at the residence of Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, the parties decided that NEET is a serious issue impacting the future of lakhs of youth, and it cannot be clubbed with debate on “motion of thanks”. It is generally assumed that the opposition can raise its issues of concern in the debate on the President’s address.

Modi govt has in the past been averse to accepting adjournment notices, which has resulted in protests and walkouts. But it is feared that a refusal in the 18th Lok Sabha could invite unmanageable protests given the increased strength of the anti-BJP bloc after the elections — a point repeatedly made by opposition MPs.

The meeting at Kharge’s residence was attended by Rahul Gandhi, Sharad Pawar, KC Venugopal, Sanjay Raut, Priyanka Chaturvedi, NK Premachandran, Mahua Majhi, Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, Derek O’Brien, Arvind Sawant, Pramod Tiwari, Rajani Patil, Tiruchi Siva and Sanjay Singh, among others.

On Monday, opposition will sit on a dharna in the Parliament premises to protest “misuse of agencies” to target opposition and arrest of chief ministers Hemant Soren and Arvind Kejriwal and three Bengal ministers.

Arrest BJP ally’s UP MLA for leak: Akhilesh

Demanding the arrest of BJP ally Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party MLA Bedi Ram for his alleged involvement in the NEET paper leak, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav questioned the BJP govt in UP over its delay in taking action against the legislator.

Posting a video of Bedi Ram on his X account where the MLA could purportedly be heard boasting about his ability to get papers leaked, Akhilesh wrote: “Do we need further proof of the extent to which BJP-supported leaders had swooped down morally? These leaders are playing with the future of our children. Parents who have voted for BJP are not only already regretting it but have also taken a resolve that they will never vote for the BJP in future. He should be immediately arrested.” TNN

Maha teacher arrested for NEET scam link suspended

Kolhapur: Sanjay Jadhav, the primary school teacher arrested in connection with the NEET-UG paper leak scam, has been suspended and his transfer order cancelled, reports Abhijeet Patil.

Jadhav, who was posted at Takali village in Maharashtra’s Solapur district, had sought a transfer to Akkalkot, citing his wife’s mental health issues. He had also furnished a medical certificate of her condition. Now, the authenticity of this certificate, too, will be checked.

Jadhav is an accused in the NEET-UG paper leak case and has been in custody of Maharashtra ATS since June 24. Jadhav and another arrested accused, Jaleel Khan Pathan — a Latur-based zilla parishad (ZP) school headmaster — were charged with acting as agents in the paper leak scam. Their exact roles are being ascertained. Probe revealed that Jadhav had sought a transfer to Akkalkot, where he used to meet students’ parents and assure them of their children’s high scores in NEET.

After his name came up in the alleged scam, a Solapur Zilla Parishad education department team visited Takali and spoke to the teachers, parents and residents about him.

ZP education officer Kadar Shaikh told TOI: “Jadhav’s name had featured in the list of 600 teachers who were granted transfer. However, we have not issued the order yet. As his name emerged in the NEET issue, he has been suspended.”

Student ends life, 12th Kota suicide in ’24

A 17-year-old from Bihar’s Bhagalpur, who was preparing for NEET-UG at a coaching institute in Kota, died by suicide on Thursday. This is the 12th case of suicide by a coaching student in Kota this year, where 26 students had taken the extreme step in 2023.Autopsy is yet to be conducted as police are awaiting the parents’ arrival. Cops have informed his family, ASI Shambhu Dayal said.

TNN

Thakur may initiate LS debate on Prez speech

BJP functionary and former Union minister Anurag Thakur is likely to initiate the discussion on Motion of Thanks on the Prez’s address in the Lok Sabha on Friday, with PM Modi’s reply on the debate expected on July 2, sources said. Sources also said that BJP’s Sudhanshu Trivedi is likely to initiate the discussion on the motion in the Rajya Sabha on Friday and the PM could respond to the debate on July 3 in the Upper House.

TNN

Govt committed to fair probe into paper leaks, says Murmu

Prez Murmu said the govt will ensure strict punishment to the culprits behind the leaks

Akhilesh.Singh@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: Amid the controversy surrounding cancellation of exams and leak of the NEET question paper, President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday sought to assure the country and said the govt was working towards major reforms in exam-related bodies and all aspects of the process.

“Regarding recent instances of paper leak in some examinations, my govt is committed to a fair investigation and ensuring strict punishment to the culprits. Even earlier, we have witnessed many instances of paper leaks in different states. It is important that we rise above party politics and undertake concrete measures nationwide,” the Prez said amid opposition MPs shouting “NEET-NEET”.

The mention of NEET came amid indications that the opposition may dial up the pressure on the govt in Parliament on Friday through an adjournment motion to seek an immediate discussion by suspending the debate on the motion of thanks on the Prez’s address.

Govt has said that it was not running away from a discussion but whether it would agree to a full-scale debate on the exam controversy immediately, by allowing it to be raised during the debate on the motion of thanks, remains to be seen.

In any case, while it views the issue as serious, it will not allow itself to be painted into a corner. The intent came across clearly in the Presi- dent's address, with Murmu saying that there have been such incidents in the past too and, besides, have been reported from states. She urged members to rise above politics and contribute in evolving concrete measures.

The comments came amid the probe by CBI and state police and education minister Dharmendra Pradhan setting up a panel to review the entire system, including the functioning of National Testing Agency, whose chief was shunted out after several irregularities and gaps came to light. Besides, Murmu pointed to the recently notified law against those undertaking unfair means or those offering assistance.

The address also gave a strong vote of confidence for EVMs, on which the opposition repeatedly raised doubts during the poll campaign. “We must realise that hurting the faith of people in democratic institutions and the poll process is like cutting the very branch on which we all are sitting,” Murmu said.

SP MP’s sengol jibe shows lack of respect for our culture: Yogi

New Delhi: A day after Samajwadi Party MP R K Chaudhary demanded the removal of ‘sengol’ from Lok Sabha, Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath said it revealed the ignorance of the SP leader and demonstrated lack of respect for Indian history and culture.

“Sengol is India’s pride and PM Modi has bestowed upon it the highest honour in Parliament. Samajwadi Party has no respect for Indian history and culture. The comments of its top leaders on the sengol are reprehensible,” Adityanath said in a post on X.

“It shows their ignorance and also reflects the hatred of the INDI Alliance towards Tamil culture,” he added.

Minister of state for parliamentary affairs L Murugan, a former president of the Tamil Nadu BJP, said the sceptre was the pride of every Tamilian. “It is also mentioned in Tirukkural (by poet and philosopher Thiruvalluvar), which spoke about how the sengol plays a role in govt. When India got freedom, (governor general) Mountbatten and Jawaharlal Nehru had spoken about how power would be handed over after independence and when Rajaji (C Rajagopalachari) was consulted, he said it can be done using a sengol,” Murugan said.

TNN

Oppn calls Prez speech ‘full of lies’; comprehensive, says BJP

Address Silent On Paper Leaks, Inflation, Terror Attacks: Cong

IN ATTACK MODE: Akhilesh Yadav

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Stating that PM Narendra Modi is in a “perpetual state of denial”, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge said the Prez’s address to the joint session whitewashed the key issues facing the country because Modi is trying to pretend that nothing has happened after the electorate “rejected” him. Congress, along with the rest of the opposition, also punched holes over the govt’s claims including on the economy and women empowerment.

In a stinging criticism of the Prez’s address, Kharge said the speech was silent on paper leaks, backbreaking price rise, violence in Manipur, train accidents, terror attacks in J&K, and rising atrocities against SC/ST/minorities in BJP-governed states. “Modi is making a futile attempt to garner some applause by making the Honourable President read lies, which the people of India have rejected in the 2024 polls,” he said.

SP chief Akhilesh Yadav said, “The story that is being told about India becoming the fifth-largest economy... has it made our farmers prosperous? If we are the fifth-largest economy, then why are so many youths unemployed? Why is there a scheme like Agniveer? Why can’t price rise be controlled?” He said growth of some individuals cannot enable national growth.

CPI (ML) MP Sudama Prasad said, “They should have talked about Manipur. Why are they making empty speeches on women empowerment? Women were paraded naked there (Manipur), people have been rendered homeless... women wrestlers have not yet received justice. This address was full of lies.”

AAP boycotted the joint address against the “misuse of agencies” and arrest of Arvind Kejriwal ahead of his bail hearing, and held a protest in the Parliament complex.

Kharge said Modi’s election speeches confirmed that BJP/RSS stood for social division, and BJP-ruled Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Assam and UP have witnessed rising incidents of mob lynching, communal violence and illegal “Bulldozer Justice” against the poor after Modi’s coming to power. “The governing party cannot maintain a stoic silence on this,” he said.

Kharge accused the govt of trying to “whitewash NEET scam”, stating that 12 of the 66 recruitment exams by NTA in last five years have witnessed serious rigging and paper leaks, affecting 75 lakh youth. “Modi govt cannot run away from its responsibility by just simply saying that ‘we should rise above partisan politics’ when every second youth is unemployed,” he said.

He said prices of essential food items have skyrocketed with food inflation over 8.5% for four months, but the word “inflation” was missing from the speech. He said terror attacks have risen over ten years while PM is singing the “false tune of Naya Kashmir”.

PM: Murmu presented road map of progress and good governance

President Droupadi Murmu with Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar (L), PM Narendra Modi and LS Speaker Om Birla (R) ahead of the presidential address to both Houses of Parliament on Thursday

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: PM Narendra Modi on Thursday said the President’s speech had presented a roadmap of progress and good governance and also cited major challenges to be overcome collectively to ensure qualitative changes in people’s lives.

“Rashtrapati ji’s address to both Houses of Parliament was comprehensive. It covered the strides India has been making and also the po- tential that lies ahead. Her address also mentioned some of the major challenges we have to collectively overcome to ensure a qualitative change in the lives of our citizens,” Modi said in a post on X soon after President Droupadi Murmu concluded her address to the joint sitting of the two Houses of Parliament.

Home minister Amit Shah hailed the Prez’s speech for her mention that the 2024 Lok Sabha election was an election of faith in policy, intention, integrity and rules. “President Droupadi Murmu ji in her speech said how for decades there was low voter turnout in Kashmir due to bandhs and strikes, but this time the Valley gave a befitting reply to anti-national forces by breaking voting records of many decades,” he said.

BJP president J P Nadda said the Prez’s address was a profound moment for our democracy. “Parliament embodies the aspirations and hopes of 140 crore Indians and stands as a testament to their faith in our democratic values. Your inspiring words continuously motivate us to push our limits in public service and lead our country towards ‘Viksit Bharat’ with our mantra of ‘Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas’,” he said.

FCI stock 3.5 times more than buffer, Centre may resume rice sale to states

Dipak.Dash@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: With rice stocks at around three and a half times of requirement, Food Corporation of India (FCI) is staring at spending a whopping Rs 16,000 crore for storing the foodgrain for one year. Coupled with the challenge to create space for storing the upcoming kharif crop, the govt may soon resume selling rice to states to liquidate the surplus stock, sources said.

Sources also said the govt may look at the possibility of govt-to-govt export of rice on humanitarian grounds.

The rice stock with FCI as on June 1 was around 325 lakh tonne and another 268 lakh tonne of unmilled paddy is lying with the millers, which translates to around 180 lakh tonne of rice. “So, the overall rice stock was around 500 lakh tonne. The buffer stock norms specify that the FCI must have at least 135 lakh tonne as on July 1. This excess stock is an issue and we hope govt will soon take decisions to reduce this,” said an official, who did not wish to be named.

In June last year, govt stopped selling rice from FCI to state govts under the Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS) to run their programmes citing that it was done “to maintain adequate buffer stock and control price rise”.

MSCB scam: EOW opposes ED claims on Ajit

‘No Cognizable Offence Was Committed’

ED had alleged cheating in the auctioning of four sick sugar mills and linked the suspicious deals to Ajit Pawar and his wife

Rebecca Samervel & Vijay V Singh TNN

Mumbai: Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Mumbai Police, in its reply to the court, objected to Enforcement Directorate (ED)’s claim that Maharashtra State Co-Operative Bank (MSCB) office bearers, including NCP leader and deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, had committed cheating while auctioning the sick sugar mills at throwaway prices to their kin.

Submitting that ED had no right to file an intervention plea despite an earlier one being rejected by the court, EOW filed its reply against the application which opposed the closure report by EOW in the Rs 25,000-crore MSCB scam. EOW said even after further investigations were conducted, it was found that no cognizable offence had been committed. Hence, the closure report was submitted.

The development comes days after an article in the RSS organ ‘Organiser’ attributed BJP’s poor performance in LS polls in state to its alliance with Ajit Pawar, and amid reports of state BJP and Shiv Sena functionaries urging their netas to ‘remove NCP from the Mahayuti’.

The Rs 25,000 crore MSCB scam case highlights the alleged irregularities in auctioning of sick sugar mills by MSCB, which was reportedly controlled by senior politicians who allegedly benefited from auctioning of these mills to their kin. ED had alleged cheating, misconduct, and money laundering in the auctioning of the four sick mills and linked the suspicious transactions with Ajit Pawar, his wife Sunetra Pawar, Shiv Sena’s Arjun Khotkar, and companies of NCP (SP) leaders Rohit Pawar and Prajakt Tanpure.

ED informed the court that it had shared its findings with EOW and stated that it is an affected party as their money laundering case is based on EOW’s FIR in the scam that was registered on Bombay HC’s directions. In response, EOW submitted its reply in the court recently stating that the court had earlier rejected the ED’s similar intervention application.

In Pocso case, CID files 750-page chargesheet against BSY, 3 others

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Bengaluru: A 750-page CID chargesheet alleging sexual assault on a 17-year-old girl and containing the statements of 74 witnesses was filed Thursday in a Pocso court against former Karnataka chief minister BS Yediyurappa of BJP and three others.

Deputy SP and investigating officer Puneeth Kumar R cited forensic and digital evidence while naming Yediyurappa as the first accused in the chargesheet, filed under sections 8 (sexual assault) of the Pocso Act and 354 A (sexual harassment), 204 (de- struction of evidence), and 214 (inducement to shield offender) of the IPC.

The other three accused in the case are Arun YM, Rudresh M and G Mariswamy.

Rudresh and Mariswamy stand accused of visiting the survivor’s house after the alleged assault and later summoning the teenager and her nowdeceased mother to Yediyurappa’s house, where they deleted a purportedly incriminating video stored on a phone and also uploaded to Facebook.

The chargesheet mentions that Rudresh gave Rs 2 lakh to the girl’s mother as hush money, allegedly on Yediyurappa’s instructions.

Hand over CM’s post to DKS: Seer to Sidda

A mid the growing powerplay within the Congress govt in Karnataka, a prominent Vokkaliga seer ignited controversy by publicly urging CM Siddaramaiah to relinquish his position in favour of his deputy, DK Shivakumar, reports Santosh Kumar B.

Chandrashekhara Swami, seer of Vishwa Vokkaligara Mahasamsthana Mutt, made an impassioned plea while speaking at an event here to celebrate the birth anniversary of Kempegowda, widely regarded as the founder of Bengaluru and a demigod of the Vokkaliga community, to which Shivakumar belongs.

Monsoon fury claims 2 lives in K’taka:

Monsoon has wreaked havoc in Karnatakaas two died of electrocution, floodwaters inundated several areas, and several houses caved in Thursday.

TNN

Kerala denies reprieve plan for Chandrasekharan case convicts

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala govt on Thursday suspended three prison officials for including in a remission list three convicts serving life sentence for the murder of T P Chandrasekharan, who had founded Revolutionary Marxist Party (RMP) after parting ways with CPM, more than 12 years ago.

The suspension came minutes before the opposition raised the matter in the assembly. Govt denied in the house that the convicts in the case were being considered for remission of sentence.

Joint superintendent of Kannur central prison K S Sreejith, who is holding the superintendent’s charge, assistant superintendent (grade-I) B G Arun and assistant prison officer O V Raghunath have been suspended.

Court raps UP DGP as cops fail to present ex-MP despite 53 NBWs, several letters

A special MP/MLA court in Bulandshahr demanded an explanation from the UP DGP by June 29 on the police’s failure to present a wanted former MP in court, reports Rahul Singh. Despite 53 non-bailable warrants (NBWs), the former MP has evaded capture. Apart from the NBWs, multiple letters to various authorities, including one to UP’s home secretary, four to the DGP, six to the Bulandshahr SSP, and four to the SHO of Bulandshahr Dehat (rural) police station, cops have not presented former Ghosi MP Hari Narayan Rajbhar in court.

MP/MLA court special judge Vinay Kumar Singh issued a letter to the DGP after police repeatedly failed to produce former Rajbhar. The court highlighted multiple raids “claimed by police” but no progress in locating Rajbhar. The court has also written to the Lok Sabha Speaker and the Delhi Police commissioner, requesting details of the facilities provided to Rajbhar.

Probe report reveals bid to shield civic body chief in boat tragedy case: Guj HC

Gujarat high court on Thursday expressed its displeasure at the inquiry committee report into the Harni Lake tragedy, which said that municipal commissioners generally rely on technical reports submitted to them and cannot be seen as doing anything wrong in signing these notings in good faith.

The court said that the report revealed “efforts to protect the then Vadodara municipal commissioner” in connection with the boat capsize incident at Harni Lake in Jan in which 14 persons, including 12 school kids, were killed.

The Gujarat govt submitted an inquiry report in a sealed cover to the HC as ordered earlier. While going through the report, the bench of Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal and Justice Pranav Trivedi said, “It is a kind of report where there is an effort to protect the municipal commissioner. Though the committee finds fault … (it) sidelines the role of the municipal commissioner.”

TNN

Don’t link CIBIL score to farm loan: Maha dy CM

It’s June end, and sowing has begun in parts of Maharashtra. However, the banks have not met even 50% of the crop loan disbursal target in Vidarbha for the Kharif season, report Shishir Arya & Ved Ghulghule.

A large section of farmers depend on annual crop loans to meet their cultivation expenses each year. The PSU banks, which have the biggest share, have barely covered 30% of the target, shows the progress report maintained by the state govt.

Maharashtra deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis had warned during a state-level banker committee meeting of an FIR against bankers if they insist on CIBIL scores before lending to farmers.

Vidarbha’s 11 districts are divided into Nagpur and Amravati divisions. In Amravati division, which has agrarian-crisis-ridden districts, the banks have so far covered 48% of their target of lending over Rs 8,028 crore for the Kharif season. In Nagpur division, the target has been fixed at Rs 5,247 crore out of which Rs 2,355 crore has been lent. This amounts to 44% of the target.

PSU banks have met 25% of the target in Nagpur and 30% in Amravati.

Harassed over loan, woman and daughter die by suicide in Bihar’s Vaishali

Patna: A 30-year-old woman, along with her minor daughter, died by suicide in Sherpur village in Bihar’s Vaishali district on Thursday morning, police said, reports Kshitiz.

According to villagers and her family members, a self-help group was harassing the deceased, Shobha Devi, 30, over the repayment of a loan they gave to the victim. Staff of the self-help group incessantly pestered her to repay the loan, her family said. The victim’s husband works in Kolkata, while she was living with her daughter in the village.

Villagers found the bodies of Shobha and her daughter, Suruchi Kumari, 8, floating in a ditch that was dug up by a brick kiln operator to store water.

Didi halts drive to evict hawkers, warns against cop-neta nexus

Kolkata: Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee temporarily halted Thursday the ongoing antihawker and anti-encroachment drive from public spaces in Kolkata for a month. However, she issued a stern warning against politicians and police officers who she claimed encourage hawkers to encroach, take bribes from them, and then use bulldozers to evict them, report Dwaipayan Ghosh & Tamaghna Banerjee.

Addressing a meeting with ministers, bureaucrats, police, and hawkers’ union representatives at Nabanna, the state secretariat, Banerjee said she disapproves of the use of bulldozers and wants the onemonth pause to be used for conducting surveys in hawking zones to identify alternatives and solutions. She warned that encroachments removed during the past week should not be allowed to return and called on police and politicians to curb their greed.

“I do not believe in first allowing encroachers and then using bulldozers. I want restrictions to be imposed from the beginning,” Banerjee said, warning: “Politicians who incite hawkers will be arrested, regardless of their party affiliation, and police officers supporting them will either be arrested by their superiors or removed from their positions.”

“The local mafia, the sand mafia, the land mafia are doing everything. Why should I take the blame? They are taking money with their right hand and giving it to BJP with their left hand,” she alleged.

CBI charges 5 former cops for ‘framing’ Nambi in Isro spy case

New Delhi: CBI has filed a chargesheet against two former DGPs, Siby Mathews of Kerala and R B Sreekumar of Gujarat, and three other retired police officials in connection with the alleged framing of space scientist Nambi Narayanan in the 1994 Isro espionage case, officials said.

Three years after registering a case in 2021 following SC directions, CBI has filed its chargesheet against then DGP Mathews, who headed the SIT that probed the 1994 Isro espionage case, Sreekumar, who was deputy director in the Intelligence Bureau, P S Jayaprakash, who was then posted in SIB-Kerala, then deputy superintendent of police K K Joshua and inspector S Vijayan.

CBI has charged them under sections 120B, 342, 330, 167, 193, 354of IPC. CBI had lodged the case on SC orders on April 15, 2021. SC had ordered the probe on the basis of report of a high-level panel, which had said probe into the role of erring cops in the case involving Narayanan be given to CBI.

Kerala Police had registered two cases in Oct1994 after Maldivian national Rasheeda was arrested in Thiruvananthapuram for allegedly obtaining secret drawings of ISRO rocket engines for selling to Pakistan. Narayanan, the then director of the cryogenic project at Isro, was arrested, along with the then Isro deputy director D Sasikumaran and Fousiya Hasan, a Maldivian friend of Rasheeda. CBI probe found the allegations to be false. PTI

ASI denies nod for puja at temple in Daulatabad fort

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), Aurangabad circle, has denied permission to perform puja and other rituals to the sole priest at the Bharat Mata temple inside the 11th century Daulatabad Fort, citing that the structure is a nonliving monument, reports Prasad Joshi.

Of the 3,693 centrally protected monuments and archaeological sites managed by ASI, around a fourth (820) include places of worship, while the rest are considered non-living monuments, where no new religious rituals can be started or conducted.

The Daulatabad Fort, also known as Deogiri Fort, has many tourist attractions, including the Bharat Mata temple dedicated to Mother India.

ASI’s superintending archaeologist Shiv Kumar Bhagat, in an order dated June 14, directed local authorities to prevent the priest from engaging in any puja or related rituals at the temple with immediate effect, saying permitting such religious activities “at any temple situated on the fort is in violation to the provisions in the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act”.

Bhagat told TOI that his office had received multiple complaints from tourists against the priest performing puja at the temple.

Times City

- Delhi Rejoices As Trailer Of Monsoon Releases

- City records cleanest day since Sept 19 with AQI of 79

- From 1960 to 2023, rains arrived in city 33 times in July, 31 times in June

- Can & (differently) able! Meet new police recruits

- AAP To Move Court Over LG’s Decision

- Ruckus over water crisis, MCD House meeting adjourned

- No work allocation among members of DDCD, says LG

- A sign of things to come? Rain causes waterlogging in several areas of capital

- Man jumps in front of metro

- Since Jan, city sees over 200 dengue cases

- Time to go: Govt depts directed to scrap end-of-life vehicles at earliest

- NEET Protest Turns Violent, 70 Detained

- RS chairman revokes Singh’s suspension

- Cheat code? Study points out how AI may pose risks to integrity of education system

- Cancellation of UGC-NET leaves scores anxious

- Lying defunct for almost 3 months, doorstep delivery of services scheme awaits relaunch

- Railways told to pay `1L to woman for luggage theft

- 2 arrested for sexual assault on woman

- Love Triangle Behind ACP Son’s Murder: Chargesheet

- Gang sent links to dupe many, busted

- Surgery helps 185kg man regain ability to walk

- Bail relief for man accused of raping classmate

- Special camp for revamp of Delhi villages

- Stir Against New Criminal Laws Reaches Bar Council

- 2kg tumour removed from 16-yr-old’s thigh

- Police arrest rape accused after chase spanning 1,800km

- Owaisi claims house vandalised

- Man enters septic tank in Ggn to clean it, chokes to death

- 7 held for fraudulent land deals near Noida airport

- CINEMA OF THE WEEK

Delhi Rejoices As Trailer Of Monsoon Releases

SIGH OF RELIEF: Thanks To Showers, Max Temp Below Normal After Gap Of 46 Days

MORE TO COME: The city is likely to have rain over the next seven days

Priyangi.Agarwal@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: The southwest monsoon is likely to arrive in Delhi in the next two-three days, India Meteorological Department announced on Thursday. And on the day of this announcement, the maximum temperature dipped to 35.4 degrees Celsius, two degrees below normal, following light to moderate pre-monsoon showers.

The temperature fell to below normal after 46 days. The last time this happened this season was on May 12, when the maximum high was 38.8 degrees Celsius, one below normal. The maximum temperature stayed above normal continuously from May 13 to June 26.

While the news of the rainbearing monsoon winds reaching Delhi by the month-end was welcome after a sweltering summer, the city missed the normal onset date for monsoon on Thursday. Delhi is likely to have rain over the next seven days, with the precipitation intensifying after the arrival of monsoon as moderate to heavy rain is expected during the weekend. The Met department has sounded an ‘orange’ alert for Saturday for moderate to heavy rain, while a ‘yellow’ alert has warned of some rain over the next seven days.

“The conditions for further advance of southwest Monsoon into some more parts of Rajasthan are likely to become favourable, parts of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar, some more parts of Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Chandigarh and some parts of Haryana, some more parts of Punjab, remaining parts of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pra- desh and Jammu during next 2-3 days,” IMD said in its bulletin on Thursday. In Delhi, light to moderate rain has been predicted for Friday, while moderate to heavy showers are likely on Saturday and Sunday.

Safdarjung, the city’s base weather station, logged 5.2mm of rainfall between 8.30am and 5.30 pm on Thursday. Palam, Lodhi Road, Pitampura and Ridge received, respectively, 17.6mm, 9.6mm, 9mm and 6.2mm of rainfall.

TOI reported on June 25 that Delhi recorded the lowest rainfall in at least 14 years in the March-June period this year. The monsoon rains are expected to provide much-needed respite from hot and dry conditions. The monsoon reached Delhi on June 25 and 30 in 2023 and 2022, respectively.

The maximum temperature on Thursday was 3.6 degrees Celsius lower than Wednesday’s temperature. The minimum temperature was 28.6 degrees Celsius, one degree above normal. The heat index, or feels-like temperature, was 47 degrees Celsius against 52 degrees a day earlier.

The maximum temperature is forecast at 36 degrees Celsius on Friday and Saturday and 33-34 degrees Celsius from Sunday to July 7.

City records cleanest day since Sept 19 with AQI of 79

Priyangi.Agarwal@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: Delhiites witnessed the cleanest day after a gap of 281 days as the Air Quality Index (AQI) dipped to 79 in ‘satisfactory’ category on Thursday. This was also the first ‘satisfactory’ day of the year. Rain and strong winds helped in cleaning the air quality.

Central Pollution Control Board’s data shows that a lower AQI than Thursday was seen on Sept 19 last year when it was 73. Sept 2023 had witnessed nine ‘satisfactory’ days and one ‘good’ day when AQI touched 45 on Sept 10.

Oct last year saw one ‘satisfactory’ day with an AQI of 89 on Oct 17. However, no ‘satisfactory’ day was seen between Oct 18, 2023 and June 26 this year.

The air quality mostly remained in ‘poor’ to ‘moderate’ category this summer season. Experts said as local and regional sources of pollution remained high and intense rain was missing the city, the dry spell led to worse air quality.

Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, research and advocacy, Centre for Science and Environment, said, “Prolonged heatwave and a dry spell had contributed substantially to dust pollution and overhang during summer. The onset of rains therefore has an immediate washout effect. We will see more cleaner air days during the monsoon due to the same reason. This breather needs to be effectively utilised to pace up action to be better prepared for the winter.”

In Delhi, monsoon months are usually the cleanest.

From 1960 to 2023, rains arrived in city 33 times in July, 31 times in June

Priyangi.Agarwal@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: The monsoon winds are predicted to arrive in Delhi by the end of this month. India Meteorological Department's data of the past years shows that the rain bearing winds usually announce their arrival with a moderate rain spell either on the date of onset or a day after.

Between 1960 and 2023, the monsoon reached the capital 33 times in July and 31 times in June. During this period, the earliest arrival of the monsoon was on June 9 in 1961. The most delayed was when the winds reached Delhi on July 27 in 1987.

RK Jenamani, senior scientist at IMD, said, “The main criterion for determining the onset of monsoon is a precipitation of more than 2mm. But it must also be considered that the monsoon progresses in the country step by step, so rain that occurs in the city under the influence of a western disturbance is not considered the arrival of the monsoon.”

Jenamani added that apart from rain, some other factors are also considered before the monsoon is declared to have arrived. Met officials said among the factors that are considered when declaring the onset of the monsoon are rain clouds without lightning, wind direction, drop in maximum temperature, and rainfall amount and distribution.

The monsoon reached Delhi on June 25 last year, two days before its normal onset date when Safdarjung, which is the city’s base weather station, logged 48.3mm of rainfall. A year earlier, the rains hit on June 30 though the weather stations only logged ‘trace’ rainfall. However, ‘very heavy’ rainfall of 117.2mm was received in the average 24-hour rainfall until July 1. This was the only time between 2011 and 2023 that the rainy season began in Delhi with a ‘very heavy’ spell.

In the 12 years between 2011 and 2023, there were moderate showers either on the onset day or a day after (which is average rainfall logged in the past 24 hours). In 2021, Delhi saw a delayed arrival of the monsoon on July 13, with the city receiving 24.8 mm and 28.5 mm on July 13 and 14, respectively.

Data shows that once the monsoon arrives in Delhi, there are some ‘heavy’ rain days. In the rainy season, August witnesses the highest rainfall of the year, as per the long period average. The normal with- drawal date for the monsoon from Delhi is September 25.

IMD considers as ‘very light’ rainfall a precipitation measuring trace to 2.4mm in 24 hours. While ‘light’ rainfall measures between 2.5mm and 15.5mm, a downpour of 15.6-64.4mm is declared ‘moderate’. The rainfall is considered ‘heavy’ if it measures from 64.5mm to 115.5mm. If the rainfall logged is 115.6-204.4mm, it is categorised as ‘very heavy’.

Can & (differently) able! Meet new police recruits

GAURAV TRIPATHI SAYS While working at the Ghaziabad Post Office, I got to know about an opportunity in Delhi Police and applied immediately. Joining the police was never an option for me. However, when I saw that there was a dedicated training programme, I knew I needed to put my heart and soul into studying for it. Getting selected was a dream come true

Priyanka (extreme right), who lost both her parents eight years after an accident left her disabled, along with other police recruits

TOI POSITIVE

Devanshi.Mehta@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: Eight years ago, Priyanka, a commerce graduate from Delhi University’s Janki Devi Memorial College, met with an accident that left her disabled. The 19-year-old was resilient, and did not allow her disability to hold her back or come in the way of achieving her dreams.

However, for Priyanka, the daughter of Devender Kumar, a tempo driver in Karol Bagh, and Saroj Kumari, the struggle was far from over. Kumari was diagnosed with cancer and Priyanka had to navigate a few tumultuous years — juggling between household chores, taking her mother for chemotherapy and studying.

On Jan 22 this year, Priyanka, now aged 27, was dealt a tragic double blow. Her mot- her passed away, and a few hours later, her father died due to severe trauma. It was not until February that her suffering showed signs of abating, as she got her appointment letter from Delhi Police.

On Wednesday, Priyanka and four other specially-abled women — Anshu, Kan- chan, Vaishali and Rohini — and 10 male colleagues with disabilities were inducted into the police force as head constables, along with 1,340 other personnel. The Divyang personnel will be posted in various ministerial (clerical) capacities.

Special commissioner of police Dependra Pathak told TOI that the new recruits are not only trained in administrative operations, but also in the field of cyber security, online crime, communication and the new laws. “It is for the first time in the history of Delhi Police that 15 head constables with disabilities have been recruited,” he said.

Of the 1,355 personnel who were inducted on Wednesday, 450 are women. About 1,000 of the cops are graduates while 92 are postgraduates. “They will enrich the for- ce with diversity and foster the spirit of nationhood in Delhi Police. It is a moment of pride for the organisation,” Pathak added.

Like Priyanka, each of the 15 newly-recruited head constables with disabilities has a unique story of resilience to share. Gaurav Tripathi (31), a resident of northeast Delhi, has cerebral palsy. He has 75% disability. After the completion of his diploma in mechanical engineering, he used to teach at a coaching centre. He would coach students with disabi- lities for free.

In 2020, the coaching centre shut down because of the riots that swept through the area. When the riots were quelled, the pandemic-induced lockdown followed, leaving him stranded and unsure of his future course of action. This led him to apply for various government exams and undertake part-time jobs.

“While working at the Ghaziabad Post Office, I got to know about an opportunity in Delhi Police and applied immediately. Joining the police was never an option for me. However, when I saw that there was a dedicated training programme, I knew I needed to put my heart and soul into studying for it. Getting selected was a dream come true,” he told TOI.

For Priyanka, the fighting spirit she imbibed from her parents will never die: “I have incorporated their first names in my name now as a tribute to them.”

AAP To Move Court Over LG’s Decision

‘Dissolution Of Advisory Body Petty Politics’

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Calling LG VK Saxena’s decision to temporarily dissolve Dialogue and Development Commission of Delhi (DDCD) as “petty politics”, Aam Aadmi Party on Thursday said it would challenge the order in the court.

Delhi urban development minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said that all commissions, committees and boards of Centre and state govts across India, including those in BJP-governed states, often had political appointees, engaged without any formal tests or interviews.

“This is a longstanding and widely accepted practice. Various public commissions, such as the women commission, SC/ST commission and minorities’ commission, exemplify this tradition,” Bharadwaj said, giving examples of various BJP functionaries who were appointed as the heads of such bodies. Even Saxena’s appointment as lieutenant governor is a political appointment made without any advertisement, test or interview, he claimed.

The chief minister heads DDCD as its chairman and only he has powers to take action on its members, Delhi govt said in a statement. The sole purpose of Saxena’s order is to stop all the work and stall policy reforms, which has been his singular contribution to the governance of Delhi ever since he assumed office, it alleged.

“We will challenge this illegal order of the LG in the courts. DDCD was constitu- ted vide gazette notification, which was approved by the then LG of Delhi,” govt said in a statement.

Referring to sections 3 and 8 of the notification, govt said the non-official members of the think-tank were appointed solely by the decision of CM and only he had powers to remove them before the completion of their term.

“However, in brazen disregard of existing rules and laws as well as decisions of his predecessors, LG, acting in collusion with officers of the services department, has chosen to exceed the jurisdiction of his office and tried to usurp the powers of the elected CM of Delhi by taking action on DDCD,” the govt statement read.

“The appointment process for the vice-chairperson and members of DDCD is si- milar to the process followed for public commissions in all state govts across India, including in BJP govts,” it added. The statement added that DDCD made a “defining” contribution in shaping many flagship policies and welfare schemes of govt.

“In the process of hating the elected govt, LG has started hating the people of Delhi,” govt alleged.

Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva, however, alleged that AAP govt misused the body for financial uplift of political allies. “The Arvind Kejriwal govt had announced the setting up of DDCD to enhance Delhi’s development and administrative framework and had intended to appoint experts from their respective fields. But it used the commission as a means to permanently place AAP workers,” Sachdeva said.

Ruckus over water crisis, MCD House meeting adjourned

MAYOR OBEROI SAYS We had plans to discuss preparations for the monsoon and desilting work. It is important to discuss them

Siddhanta.Mishra@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: The MCD House meeting on Thursday — the first after the Lok Sabha elections — ended abruptly after opposition members disrupted the proceedings over the ongoing water crisis. The House, however, managed to pass a few proposals before it was adjourned.

Shouting “Bharat Mata ki Jai” and slogans against chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, several BJP councillors climbed on their seats, holding posters and earthen pots to highlight the water crisis that has gripped the city. Many from Congress also protested and loudly raised slogans to bring attention to the issue. In response, AAP members raised slogans against the Centre. When AAP councillors began discussing the recent collapses of portions of buildings, Leader of Opposition Raja Iqbal Singh accused the administration of mismanaging MCD.

Amid the sloganeering, mayor Shelly Oberoi passed several proposals and adjourned the House until the next meeting. The proceedings were scheduled to begin at 11am but were delayed till 11.45am. Civic officials did not provide any reason, triggering protests by BJP councillors. The proceedings finally commenced at 11.55am after Oberoi joined. The mayor welcomed newly-appointed MCD com- missioner Ashwani Kumar.

Accusing BJP of not allowing the House to function smoothly “for a single day”, mayor Oberoi said, “We had plans to discuss preparations for the monsoon and desilting work. It is important to discuss them. But BJP members have a habit of raising issues not pertaining to MCD in House meetings. For the past one-and-a-half years, their councillors have been disrupting the House every time and creating a ruckus. They did the same this time too.”

Criticising AAP over the move to increase parking fees, Singh said, “MCD is determined to accept the long-standing demand of the parking mafia in Delhi to impose parking charges on an hourly basis and levy parking charges based on colony category.”

However, municipal officials said the proposal to increase parking charges was postponed in the House meeting.

Meanwhile, DJB Thursday reported water production of 934 MGD, a slight improvement from a day earlier, but much lower than the average demand of the city.

No work allocation among members of DDCD, says LG

 Continued from P1

“Ostensibly, the commission was created to serve as a policy thinktank manned by domain experts, on the lines of Planning Commission/NITI Aayog, so as to provide inputs of governance that a political executive assisted by mostly generalist civil services may be deprived of,” the LG mentioned on the file.

“It was not meant to accommodate favoured individuals, unelected friends or politically partisan people,” the noting added.

While DDCD vice-chairman Jasmine Shah had been restricted from discharging his duties and associated facilities withdrawn from him in Nov 2022, the appointment of 47 people — advisers, deputy officers, senior research officers and consultants — was terminated by the services department in July 2023.

The LG mentioned in his note that the positions of vice-chairperson and non-official members were envisaged to be co-terminus and were honorary in nature. However, they were subsequently converted into “highly paid and perked positions”.

While the vice-chairperson got the rank, pay and facilities equivalent to a minister of Delhi govt, the non-official members were provided pay and perks equivalent to a secretary to Govt of India. Citing a notification of April 2016, the LG said the non-official members were paid without exercising any option of determination of their pay by the chief minister.

“This clearly demonstrates that the chief minister did not exercise any prudence in determining the salaries payable to the non-official members, which should have been commensurate with their job description. The payment of such a huge salary without such determination is a clear violation of the said notification… and is a clear case of favouritism only on political considerations,” the file noting read.

Saxena claimed that according to the planning department, there was no work allocation amongst the members of DDCD.

“Therefore, continuation of the non-official members… is not only undesirable but also patently illegal,” said the LG.

“Accordingly, the proposal of the services department... for rescinding the appointment orders of the non-official members is approved,” the file noting read. “Additionally, the proposal of the services department... regarding exploring the possibility of dissolving DDCD as an interim measure etc... is also approved,” it read.

A sign of things to come? Rain causes waterlogging in several areas of capital

Traffic chaos at Ghazipur after heavy rain in parts of Delhi on Thursday

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Several areas under the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and Public Works Department (PWD) saw waterlogging on Thursday after pre-monsoon morning showers brought down the temperature in Delhi.

Around 47 locations under MCD across all zones reported waterlogging, officers at its control room said.

Similarly, 35 complaints were reported by PWD officials, although some of these calls were repeats.

Areas like Anand Parbat, Kingsway Camp, IP Extension, Vasundhra Enclave, Jangpura Extension, Nangloi-Najafgarh road, Rajouri Garden, Tagore Garden, and an area under Mayapuri flyover saw waterlogging. In Nizamuddin West, Mayur Vihar Phase-1, Dwarka Sector 8 and Uttam Nagar, there were reports of branches falling from trees, an MCD official said. “As there were complaints of waterlogging, our teams got into action and took all measures to clean the accumulated water. There were reports of fallen branches also. These were removed by field staff to avoid traffic congestion,” an MCD official said.

New Delhi Municipal Council on Thursday said no complaints of waterlogging reached its control room.

Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said: “The city, which was yearning for water just a day earlier, got waterlogged after light rain, and this is the result of the incompetence of the ministers of the Arvind Kejriwal govt.”

He added that it was shameful that the chief minister was in jail, and the minister of public works and water, Atishi, whose job was to get the drains cleaned, had failed in the task just as she had failed to provide water to the people of Delhi. The rest of the ministers were busy defending their govt against corruption charges, while the people of Delhi are suffering, he said.

The pre-monsoon showers caused waterlogging and outages across Noida and Ghaziabad. Local faults and equipment snags led to 2 to 4-hour-long power cuts in sectors 19, 30, 51, 63, 62 in Noida. In Behlolpur, Sector 63, residents reported an 8-hour-long power cut. Clogged sewers and overflowing drains led to waterlogging in sectors 19, 27, 30, 51, 62, 63, Arun Vihar, and Behlolpur.

In Ghaziabad, 4-hour-long outages were reported from Abhay Khand, Nyaya Khand and Indirapuram.

Man jumps in front of metro

New Delhi: A 35-year-old man allegedly jumped in front of a Metro train at Hauz Khas Metro Station. The man sustained head injuries and bruises on the left side of his body and was on a ventilator at AIIMS Trauma Centre, police said. After analysing CCTV footage, police found that the man jumped from platform number 1 at Hauz Khas at approximately 2.15 pm upon seeing the train approaching.

TNN

Since Jan, city sees over 200 dengue cases

Siddhanta.Mishra@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: Since Jan, 223 dengue cases have been recorded in the city, Municipal Corporation of Delhi sources said. Health department officials anticipate a rise in the number of cases with the onset of the monsoon and preparations are underway to effectively handle the situation, they added.

Till 2023, MCD used to publish weekly reports on vectorborne diseases. In 2022, more than 9,000 cases were reported from across the city in Oct and 23 people had died, making it one of the critical dengue onslaughts in the past few years.

According to MCD’s prevention plan, a large number of domestic breeding checkers will be deployed to check larvae and mosquito breeding. “Inter-sectoral meetings with different agencies are also being held to work together in a strategic manner against the spread of vector-borne diseases,” said an MCD official.

MCD has been monitoring the major open drains in the city, a source of mosquito breeding, and fines the agencies responsible for the upkeep of drains if mosquito breeding is found.

The dengue controlling task force of the erstwhile three corporations had 12 members, including members from Delhi Jal Board, Public Works Department, Delhi Police and Delhi govt’s public health department. MCD is likely to reconstitute it soon.

The task force had different responsibilities in each of the four quarters of the year. It used to oversee the preparedness of each corporation, including the availability of manpower, material, machines and budget, for the execution of different programmes.

Time to go: Govt depts directed to scrap end-of-life vehicles at earliest

OLD IS NOT GOLD: A large number of white Ambassadors, Innovas and Sumos, which are 15-20 years old, can be seen parked in the parking areas of government buildings across the city

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: With a large number of vehicles that have completed their lifespan, including those owned by govt bodies, continuing to ply on city roads, the transport department has asked all Delhi govt departments to identify such vehicles and scrap them at the earliest.

Officials said a similar communication had also been sent to central govt and its related agencies. Sources said the number of such vehicles — cars, jeeps and commercial vehicles — would run into thousands.

The transport department has already come out with a new set of guidelines to prevent the movement of overaged or end-of-life vehicles — petrol-run vehicles above 15 years of age and diesel vehicles above 10 years — which are considered polluting and have been barred from National Capital Region (NCR) by Supreme Court.

“Not only individuals, even govt agencies are culprits of running overaged vehicles. We have requested central govt agencies to scrap such vehicles through the govt scrapper at the earliest,” said an official.

“We have also asked all Delhi govt departments, linked agencies and autonomous bodies to identify such vehicles and initiate the process of scrapping them. Till the time these vehicles are scrapped, we have asked the departments to ensure they are not operated,” said an official.

Sources said the parking areas of most govt buildings had a number of such vehicles occupying the space. The parking lot opposite Delhi Secretariat, Vikas Bhawan I and II and various other offi- ces spread across the city have such cars and jeeps.

According to the ‘Guidelines for handling end of life vehicles in public places of Delhi 2024’, which came into effect in Feb, an overaged vehicle registered in the capital impounded by an enforcement agency can be released only on two conditions — either the owner agrees to get the no-objection certificate from the transport department and get it registered in another state outside the boundary of NCR or he or she keeps it parked in a private space.

Under both conditions, the vehicle will be released just once on the payment of a penalty — Rs 10,000 for a car and Rs 5,000 for a two-wheeler — and the undertaking from the owners. The application will have to be made within three weeks of the vehicle being impounded. If the owner decides to keep the vehicle at a designated private parking, the vehicle will have to be carried by a towing vehicle.

If the vehicle is found on the road or in a public place again, it will be scrapped by the authorities. There are no provisions now under which impounded vehicles can be released again to owners.

In case the vehicle is registered in a different state, the owner will have to explain the reason why it was brought to the capital to get it released. If the violation is repeated, the vehicle will be sent to the scrapyard.

NEET Protest Turns Violent, 70 Detained

Youth Cong Claims 20 Of Its Members Injured

Security personnel detain NSUI members protesting at Jantar Mantar

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Delhi Police detained 70 people after a protest against alleged irregularities in the medical entrance exams paper leak turned violent at Jantar Mantar on Thursday.

At the protest organised by Indian Youth Congress, its president, Srinivas BV said that 47 people were injured, including women. Three of them received serious injuries. He also posted the video of the incident, writing in Hindi, "See these horrifying pictures of the lathi charge. Delhi Police should remember it doesn’t take long for times to change and govts to change."

According to police, around 1,500 people were protesting without permission. "We requested them to stop when they started moving from the designated area towards Parliament. They refused and breached the first barricade," an officer said. The protestors were again asked to stop, but instead began pushing a water tanker trailer to break down the barriers.

Devesh Kumar Mahla, DCP (New Delhi), alleged the protestors were carrying knives. “They used the water tanker not only to break the barricade, but also to mow down police personnel. They were told not to use the illegal knives, but they didn't listen,” said Mahla. "The protestors also threw water glasses, bottles and stones at police. Finally, police had to disperse them. Four or five cops were injured. We will also take legal action."

One of the protesters, who had been preparing for NEET for two years, expressed his dismay on learning about the paper leak. "Not only my career but also those of other youths are on the line. There should be a re-examination, and we need a proper investigation into the matter," he said.

At Okhla, members of the National Students' Union of India, the Congress students’ wing, barged into the National Testing Agency. Protesters tried to put a lock on the NTA office as well. They raised slogans demanding the immediate banning of NTA. NSUI national president Varun Choudhary said, “This protest is to show the authorities how angry and frustrated the students are. Their future is in jeopardy because of NTA’s malpractices.”

The frequent postponements and paper leaks weren’t just administrative failures, but a direct attack on the future of India’s youth, Choudhary added. NSUI members also questioned the lack of action by education minister Dharmendra Pradhan. "Why is the education minister not acting against NTA? He has to answer to the students,” Choudhary insisted, stressing on the need for accountability and urgent intervention of the Centre.

RS chairman revokes Singh’s suspension

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar has revoked the suspension of AAP MP Sanjay Singh, taking note of recommendations of the Committee of Privileges that, while holding him “guilty of breach of privilege”, noted that he has already suffered “sufficient punishment for the transgression”. The revocation follows an “unconditional apology” from Singh.

Stating that although Singh’s conduct justifies exemplary punishment, the privileges committee in its report said that taking a “conspectus of entire facts and circumstances of the case it has been recommended that Singh's unconditional apology may be accepted and the suspension suffered by him so far be taken as sufficient”.

Singh was suspended through a motion on July 24 last year for the breach of privilege.

In another report the Privileges Committee, held 12 opposition MPs, including AAP's Sanjay Singh, guilty of misconduct for disrupting House proceedings and cautioned them “to desist from such behaviour in future.” While recommending no action against Kumar Ketkar, Naranbhai J Rathwa and L Hanumanthaiah who have since retired from membership of the council, the committee cautioned Sanjay Singh, Shaktisinh Gohil, Sushil Kumar Gupta, Sandeep Kumar Pathak, Syed Nasir Hussain, Phulo Devi Netam, Jebi Mather Hisham, Ranjeet Ranjan and Imran Pratapgarhi and also asked them to “scrupulously adhere to exemplary conduct and optimise their performance in the House."

Cheat code? Study points out how AI may pose risks to integrity of education system

PSYCHOLOGIST PALLAVI JOSHI SAYS The consequences of AI misuse in academia go beyond the immediate concerns surrounding academic integrity. It raises questions about the fairness of the educational system and can hinder the development of essential critical thinking abilities among students

Anuja.Jaiswal@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: A recent study has highlighted the risks that artificial intelligence (AI) poses to the integrity of the education system, particularly in the context of examinations, and raised concerns among researchers about its potential misuse in academic settings.

The study, conducted for five undergraduate modules for a BSc degree in psychology at a UK university, was published in the journal PLOS One. It suggested that students who use AI tools to cheat on tests may not only succeed in their dishonest endeavours, but also outperform their honest peers. “Students could cheat undetected using AI and, in doing so, attain a better grade than those who did not cheat,” it stated.

The alarming finding underscores the need for educational institutions to address the growing threat of AI-assisted cheating. According to experts, it is critical to develop effective strategies to detect and prevent the misuse of AI in academic assessments.

Pallavi Joshi, a consultant psychologist at Sri Balaji Action Medical Institute, said, “The consequences of AI misuse in academia go beyond the immediate concerns surrounding academic integrity. It raises questions about the fairness of the educational system and can hinder the development of essen- tial critical thinking abilities among students. The psychological repercussions are farreaching, affecting students’ motivation to engage in genuine learning experiences.”

She expressed concerns about the detrimental effects of AI misuse in academic environments. Such misuse, she said, can have a negative impact on students’ overall thinking and learning processes.

During the study, researchers used AI-generated responses for 33 simulated students and submitted them to examiners. The examiners were unaware of the origin of the answers, whether they came from actual students or were generated by AI. The assessment consisted of two types of questions — short answer questions with a maximum word count of 200 and essay-based questions allowing up to 1,500 words. The results of the study revealed that the examiners were only able to correctly identify 6% of the AI-generated answers, meaning that “94% of the AI answers remained undetected”.

According to Dr Rahul Rai Kakkar, consultant in psychiatry and clinical psychology, Narayana Hospital, Gurgaon, “These AI models can create written responses that closely resemble human writing styles, making it increasingly difficult for educators to differentiate between student-authored work and AI-generated content. This challenge is particularly pronounced when AI has been trained on academic resources relevant to the subject matter.”

He said that traditional evaluation techniques are often insufficient for detecting the use of AI in student submissions. This limitation in identifying AI-generated text highlights the psychological constraints faced by humans when confronted with the ever-evolving capabilities of artificial intelligence, he added.

“As AI continues to progress and refine its text generation abilities, the task of distinguishing between human-written and AI-produced content will only become more complex. Educators and institutions must adapt their evaluation methods to keep pace with these technological advancements, ensuring the integrity of academic assessments in the face of increasingly sophisticated AI systems,” said Dr Kakkar.

Cancellation of UGC-NET leaves scores anxious

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:Anxiety and apprehension about the future have gripped scores of PhD applicants following the abrupt cancellation of UGC-NET, or University Grants Commission–National Eligibility Test, the exam held on June 18 for admission to PhD programmes and for appointment as associate professors in colleges.

Earlier, universities conducted their own admission tests for PhD programmes, but this year was the first time UGC-NET 2024 was supposed to select candidates for doctoral studies admissions. In March, UGC decided that the UGC-NET scores would define qualifications for PhD admission, following which several universities announced replacement of their own entrance exams with the central one.

Around a week ago, following controversy over other entrance exams conducted by the National Testing Agency, it was announced that the UGCNET was cancelled. The announcement said, "There have been indications of irregularities in the examination conducted by NTA, due to which the UGC-NET 2024 held on June 18 stands cancelled. The exam will be rescheduled."

The aspirants have been hard hit by the cancellation of the exam. Prasanjeet of Bihar, who wanted to pursue a doctorate in history after finishing his master’s degree programme in Delhi University, said he was anticipating his new course to begin soon. However, due to the "failure of NTA, we have been left with the feeling of dejection", he said.

Prasanjeet, who lives in the city in a rented house, said, "I was hoping that once my PhD studies started, I would also get some stipend to sustain myself financially. But now, after this delay, I am rethinking my dream to go for doctoral studies."

For Anjali of Uttar Pradesh, there are bigger worries. She said, "For women, pursuing higher education is a big challenge, and such a delay in the academic cycles due to the failure of NTA is only going to add to our problems." Anjali, who has completed her master’s from Jamia Millia Islamia and is hoping to do her PhD in sociology, said, "We all hope to get into a PhD programme. Now, not all of us can sit idly for six months. Especially women, many of whom will be asked to return home. Their dreams to pursue a PhD degree might be in jeopardy."

Similar fears have gripped other students, many of whom also participated in the protest against NTA at Jantar Mantar on Thursday. The students are demanding that universities be allowed to conduct their own admission exams so that the academic cycle isn’t disrupted. Saumya, a PhD applicant, said, "We do not have any trust in NTA. If there can be an exam paper leak once and malpractices can happen, then why can’t it happen in the next exam? Why are exams being centralised when the universities were already capable of conducting the PhD admissions themselves? We want UGC to revoke its criteria for UGC-NET for PhD admissions."

Lying defunct for almost 3 months, doorstep delivery of services scheme awaits relaunch

Atul.Mathur@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: Delhi govt’s flagship scheme, doorstep delivery of services, which offered Delhiites the facility to apply for certain documents from the comfort of their homes, has been lying defunct for almost three months now. The scheme was given an extension in Nov last year till March 31, sources said.

The department of administrative reforms, which was running the scheme, failed to get Delhi cabinet’s approval for the project within the stipulated time. Till March 31, Delhi govt was offering 100 different services under the project and in four and a half years of its run, more than six lakh documents, certificates, permits, and licences were issued to residents of the capital.

This is AAP govt’s second flagship project after the free Wi-Fi scheme, which stopped working abruptly.

A senior Delhi govt official said that while giving extension in Nov 2023, the department made it clear that the project in its current form will either remain ope- rational till it is replaced with a new and a revised scheme or last till March 31.

“Now that the scheme has completed its term, govt will have to relaunch it. A proper concept note will have to be presented before the cabinet for approval after getting the nod of planning, finance, law and other departments concerned,” said an official requesting anonymity.

"Due to the model code of conduct, we could not renew the policy. We will now place it before the cabinet soon," said a govt source.

The scheme was launched in Sep 2018 with 30 services. Forty services were added to the project in March 2019 and another 30 in Sep same year. Govt had initially roped in VFS Global, a private company known for providing visa-related facilities, to run the scheme for three years. Later, two companies – CSC e-Governance and Core Doc2 – were hired after the project was retendered. While Core Doc2 was to provide the services in east Delhi, CSC e-Governance was responsible for the remaining city. Under the scheme, people would call on a centralised number 1076 to book a service and a mobile sahayak, the lastmile agent, would visit them to collect necessary documents, saving them the hassle of traveling to govt offices.

The facilities available under the scheme included issuance of income, caste and domicile certificates; sewer, water and electricity connections; ration card, drivers licence, drug licence and bus passes from 14 govt departments including revenue, transport, Delhi Jal Board, social welfare and food and supplies, among others.

Officials said that there were plans to add 58 more services in Aug last year and had tested the software and deployed the required hardware, the project ran into rough weather before the new facilities could be officially launched by AAP govt.

Railways told to pay `1L to woman for luggage theft

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: A Delhi consumer court recently held Indian Railways responsible for "negligence and deficiency in services" and directed it to pay Rs 1.08 lakh to a woman whose luggage was stolen while she was travelling from New Delhi to Indore on a reserved seat in a reserved coach on the Malwa Express.

The district consumer dispute redressal commission (central district), comprising president Inder Jeet Singh and member Rashmi Bansal, was hearing the complaint of Jaya Kumari, a resident of Delhi. Advocate Prashant Prakash appeared for the complainant.

According to Kumari, her bag was stolen in Jan 2016 between Jhansi and Gwalior on the Malwa Express by some people who had entered the reserved coach but did not have any reservation. The TTE in the coach and railway administration was immediately informed in writing about the incident but paid no heed, the woman alleged.

“It was the duty of the railways for a safe, secure and comfortable journey as well as the safety and security of belongings of passengers. The complainant’s belongings were not recovered,” the complaint said.

The commission stated the railways had the territorial jurisdiction to try the case as the complainant boarded the train from New Delhi and there was “a continuity of the journey” till its arrival at its destination (Indore). It said that the office of the opposite party (general manager, Indian Railway) was situated within the commission’s jurisdiction.

The commission rejected the arguments of the railwa- ys that Kumari was negligent about her belongings and that the luggage was not booked. It noted the submissions of the woman that she was made to “run from pillar to post to register an FIR”.

"The manner in which the episode has happened and valuables were stolen followed by the efforts of the complainant to get the FIR registered with the authorities for appropriate inquiry or investigation, she suffered all kinds of inconvenience and harassment to pursue her legal rights," the commission said.

The commission noted that the complainant had established her case against the railways for negligence and deficiency in service as her belongings were stolen during her journey against reserved tickets.

“Had there been no negligence or deficiency in services on the part of the opposite party or its staff, there would be no such incident.... Therefore, the complainant is held entitled to reimbursement of loss of Rs 80,000,” the commission said.

It awarded Rs 20,000 as damages for inconvenience, with a cost of Rs 8,000.

2 arrested for sexual assault on woman

New Delhi: Two men have been arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman in southwest Delhi's Kapashera.

Police received information about the assault on June 22, when the woman said that she had befriended suspect Ashok Verma. "She alleged that she was sexually assaulted by him on Feb 6. She also claimed that he secretly recorded a video of this incident," a senior police officer said.

The complainant alleged that Verma forced her to get involved with two more people by threatening to release the video, the officer said, adding that other two men also assaulted her, and later Verma sent the video to her husband and family.

A case was registered in this regard and DCP (southwest) Rohit Meena formed a team under SHO (Kapashera) Naveen Kumar to investigate the matter.

After identifying Verma’s location, he was nabbed from Bihar’s Gaya and other suspect Ram Kishore Ahirwar was also held at his behest, the DCP said, adding that raids were being conducted to arrest the third suspect.

TNN

Love Triangle Behind ACP Son’s Murder: Chargesheet

26-Year-Old Lawyer Was Strangled And Thrown Into A Canal

Lakshay Chauhan

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: A love triangle, and not a financial dispute as earlier suspected, was the likely motive behind the murder of 26-year-old lawyer Lakshay Chauhan, the son of a Delhi Police ACP who was strangled and thrown into a canal earlier this year, fresh evidence has suggested.

Chauhan, who practised law at Tis Hazari courts, was allegedly murdered by Vikas Swami, a munshi (clerk) at the same court. Police investigation has revealed that Swami was “obsessed” with a typist working at the court and believed Lakshay was romantically involved with her. Consumed by jealousy and rage, Swami hatched a deadly plan and roped in his associates too, according to the chargesheet filed by police at Rohini court.

Swami (23) and another accused, Abhishek (19), have been charged with murder, kidnapping, concealing and causing disappearance of evidence, using a false property mark, criminal conspiracy and common intention.

The murder took place on the intervening night of Jan 22-23 when Chauhan, along with Swami and his friend Abhishek, was travelling to a wedding in Bhiwani, Haryana, in his EcoSport. During their return journey, Chauhan was sitting in the front passenger seat while Swami drove. In Panipat, close to Munak canal, the accused stopped the car and, taking Chauhan by surprise, allegedly strangled him with a piece of cloth. They then allegedly threw his body into the canal before returning to Delhi.

Police launched a search for Chauhan after a ‘missing person’ report was filed by his father, ACP Yash Pal Singh Chauhan. The two accused were arrested on Jan 28.

Swami told police that he was close to a woman working in Tis Hazari courts who assisted lawyers in preparing affidavits, marriage certificates and typing. He suspected Chauhan was also interested in her and resented this.

“On Jan 22, when Chauhan visited a common typist and mentioned that he was going to Bhiwani to attend a wedding, Swami saw an opportunity. He asked Chauhan if he could accompany him and later asked Abhishek to join them,” a police source said.

The three men went to Narela, where Swami and Abhishek got clothes from their houses. Then, they headed to Bhiwani and began their return journey around 1.30am. Under the pretence of visiting his maternal uncle’s house, Swami asked them to take the route via Panipat so that he and Abhishek could execute their plan, the chargesheet stated.

After the murder, the two accused allegedly obtained a fake number plate and continued driving Chauhan’s EcoSport. Later, Swami abandoned the vehicle in an isolated place in Narela. They later led the police to the car and the original number plate.

Gang sent links to dupe many, busted

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Delhi Police has busted a gang that allegedly scammed people by posing as customer care officials from several companies. Its kingpin has been arrested.

The gang used to send phishing links to siphon off money from its targets’ accounts. Investigators suspect that over 150 people might have been duped.

After losing Rs 2 lakh, a woman filed a complaint on March 19, alleging that she had received a call from an unknown number claiming she needed to make a payment to release a delayed parcel. The scammer then sent her a link on WhatsApp and asked her to make the payment through the application. She entered her bank details, but the payment failed. The victim realised that she had been cheated when the bank informed her of a Rs 2 lakh debit.

DCP (southwest) Rohit Meena formed a team under inspector Vikas Buldak, which conducted raids and arrested Amrul Ansari from Jamtara.

Police found that Ansari used multiple devices with various SIM cards, indicating his involvement in organised cybercrime activities. Cops said the gang had been active since 2019. “Ansari was arrested earlier too for cyber fraud,” an officer said.

Police said that after sending a phishing link as a customer care executive, he used to gain control over a target’s device to transfer the money to the gang’s account.

Surgery helps 185kg man regain ability to walk

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: A 40-year-old man weighing 185kg regained his ability to walk and control his body functions after a surgery by doctors at Apollo Hospitals. The patient was diagnosed with severe lumbar canal stenosis, a condition that was compressing the nerves controlling his legs and bodily functions.

Doctors said the patient was initially admitted with a lower backache, bilateral lower limb radicular pain. He had been unable to walk for five days following a fall at home.

Diagnostic imaging revealed severe lumbar canal stenosis. Given the urgency of the situation and the patient's extreme weight, the medical team decided to perform an intricate spinal decompression and stabilisation surgery.

Dr Sudheer Kumar Tyagi, a senior consultant in the department of neurosurgery at Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, and his team did a bilateral L2, L3, L4 pedicle screw fixation with L1, L2, L3, L4 &L5 laminectomy and decompression. The L1-L5 are lumbar bones of the spine.

“The surgery presented numerous challenges, including difficulties in patient positioning, surgical exposure and precise implant placement due to the patient's extreme obesity,” Dr Tyagi said.

Breaking down the surgery process further, he said that the complex procedure involved carefully inserting stabilising screws and rods into the spine and removing the pressure from the compressed nerves. The surgical team had to work at exceptional depths to reach the spine, using specialised long instruments to navigate through the extensive layers of tissue. The anaesthesia team faced hurdles in intubation, maintaining proper oxygenation and managing the high risk of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. Post-operative care, particularly physiotherapy and mobilisation, required specialised equipment and techniques to accommodate the patient's size and ensure a safe recovery.

The patient is expected to be discharged soon and will continue with a specially designed rehabilitation plan to improve his mobility.

Dr Tyagi said: “This case represents a significant milestone in neurosurgical care. The patient's extreme obesity presented unprecedented challenges at every stage of the treatment, from the moment he was admitted, unable to walk and suffering from severe pain.”

Bail relief for man accused of raping classmate

New Delhi: A Delhi court recently granted bail to a man accused of raping his classmate. It stated that the complainant woman did not oppose the bail application, the chargesheet had been filed in the case, whether the accused sexually assaulted the woman was a matter of trial and the accused was not involved in any other case.

“Perusal of the medico-legal case shows that there are no marks of assault or external injuries. The prosecutrix refused to undergo internal examination,” the court of additional sessions judge Manoj Kumar stated in an order dated June 22.

The 21-year-old complainant, a classmate of the accused at the School of Open Learning in Delhi University, was in a relationship with him since they both were studying together in Class XII. After a delay of nearly six months, a case was registered against the 20year-old accused in March this year for the alleged offences of rape, criminal intimidation and insulting the modesty of the woman.

According to the prosecution, the alleged crime took place at the house of the woman in Oct 2023 in the presence of her two friends. However, the said friends denied any knowledge of such an incident during police interrogation.

The defence counsel claimed that the accused, who was in judicial custody since April 12, was innocent and falsely accused after the relationship between the woman and the accused went sour.

The prosecution, however, argued that there were serious allegations against the accused and the obscene pictures and videos found in his mobile corroborated the woman’s statement . The prosecution also stated that if enlarged on bail, the accused may flee or threaten the witnesses.

The court noted that despite being served a notice under Section 91 CrPC, the woman refused to submit her mobile phone for examination. The section allows a court or police officer to issue summons and written order to a person who may have a document/ any other item which is needed for an investigation, inquiry, trial, or other proceeding.

The court granted bail to the accused on a personal bond of Rs 20,000 and one surety of like amount. It also imposed many other conditions for bail.

TNN

Special camp for revamp of Delhi villages

New Delhi: In a bid to expedite development in city’s villages, AAP govt on Thursday started a two-day special camp at Delhi Secretariat to finalise projects and clear the pending proposals.

Delhi development minister Gopal Rai said AAP govt has allocated a budget of nearly Rs 900 crore for the development of city’s villages in 2024-25 to equip them with essential facilities at par with urban areas.

“In this special camp, officials of the development department, Delhi Village Development Board, MCD, irrigation and flood control department and other stakeholders settled the issues that were creating a hindrance in rolling out the welfare schemes and development projects for the city’s villages on the spot,” Rai said.

“MLAs from various constituencies and officials of all departments were present in the camp. Anybody having any doubt about any file was resolved immediately. Separate counters were set up for each assembly constituency,” he added.

TNN

Stir Against New Criminal Laws Reaches Bar Council

BCI To Discuss Matter With Centre, Asks For Stop On Protests

BCI SAYS Upon receiving specific suggestions from the bar associations, BCI will constitute a committee to propose necessary amendments to these new laws

Abhinav.Garg@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: Days before the rollout of the new criminal codes, protests by lawyer bodies have reached the Bar Council of India, which in turn has urged all bar associations across the country to refrain from any immediate protests.

Taking note of the reservations expressed by the state associations, BCI acknowledged on Wednesday the numerous representations received from bar associations and state bar councils expressing strong protests against the criminal laws to be implemented from July 1.

The newly encoded laws — Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bhartiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and Bhartiya Sakshya Act — will replace the Indian Penal Code, Code of Criminal Procedure and the Evidence Act.

Senior advocate and BCI chairman Manan Kumar Mishra said in a statement, “Bar associations have signalled their intent to engage in indefinite agitations and protests unless these laws are suspended and subjected to thorough nationwide discussions, including a comprehensive review by Parliament.” Mishra said concerns had been “raised that several provisions of these new laws are perceived to be anti-people, more draconian than the colonial-era laws they intend to replace and pose a serious threat to the fundamental rights of citizens”.

While the BCI communication didn’t specify the exact provisions flagged by the various bar associations, TOI has leant the concerns centre on the tweaks made to existing laws, including CrPC, on bail and remand, electronic evidence in Evidence Act and criminalising false promise to marry with a 10-year jail term.

The communication said several "legal luminaries" and ad- vocates had also strongly opposed the laws, asserting that these contravened the principles of fundamental rights and natural justice. "After careful consideration of these demands and concerns, BCI requests all bar associations to refrain from any form of agitation or protest at this juncture. BCI will initiate discussions with the Union govt, represented by the Union home minister and the Union law minister, to convey the concerns of the legal fraternity," the statement said.

BCI said it also intended to seek the intervention of Union environment minister Bhupendra Yadav, a lawyer himself, to mediate in the matter. "Additionally, BCI requests all bar associations and senior advocates to submit specific provisions of the new laws they deem unconstitutional or detrimental, to facilitate a productive dialogue with the government," the statement said.

It underlined that Union home minister Amit Shah had announced in September 2023 the Centre’s willingness to amend any provision of these laws if "valid reasons and plausible suggestions" were presented.

"Upon receiving specific suggestions from the bar associations, BCI will constitute a committee comprising noted senior advocates, former judges, impartial social activists and journalists to propose necessary amendments to these new laws," the apex lawyers' body said, urging restraint.

2kg tumour removed from 16-yr-old’s thigh

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: A 16-year-old girl from Najafgarh underwent surgery at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital for the removal of a tumour weighing 2kg in her left thigh.

The growth had encased her sciatic nerve, causing numbness, making her unable to walk.

The hospital medical team managed to not only remove the tumour but also save Maya's leg and, ultimately, her life.

Maya had lived with a swelling in her left thigh's posterior side for years. Initially, the swelling was small, and both Maya and the doctors she consulted in the initial stages disregarded it. However, the swelling recently grew rapidly, limiting her ability to walk, run and jump. The swelling progressively became painful and started to cause numbness in the leg.

Dr Chintamani, chairman of the department of surgical oncology, said that to determine the nature of the growth, Maya underwent imaging tests and a core needle biopsy. The results showed there was a soft tissue tumour that had completely surrounded the left sciatic nerve.

The diagnosis posed a significant challenge as the tumour's location and extent of involvement with the nerve required careful consideration and planning for the best possible outcome.

“The sciatic nerve is a vital nerve that emerges from the lower back (lumbar and sacral spine) and runs through the gluteus maximus muscle (buttocks) on both sides. It then passes down the back of the thigh and leg, supplying muscles of the lower limbs. This particular nerve is critical for the functionality of the lower limbs,” Dr Chintamani said.

He added that to avoid future recurrence, the entire tumour had to be excised. Consequently, saving the limb posed a significant challenge, and there was a high likelihood that amputation would be necessary to ensure the patient's survival. After an 8-hour surgery, doctors were able to remove the entire tumour while saving the sciatic nerve.

Following her surgery, the patient experienced transient lower limb muscle weakness. With the help of physiotherapy and the passage of time, her condition has shown significant improvement, doctors said.

Police arrest rape accused after chase spanning 1,800km

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Delhi Police have arrested a 22-year-old man accused of rape from Andhra Pradesh, after a chase that spanned more than 1,800km.

On June 11, a 22-year-old woman informed police that a man had raped her and then threatened her by saying he had taken her photos and videos, which would be made viral. A case was registered under sections 376 (rape) and 354(C) (voyeurism) of IPC.

Using technical surveillance, police teams found that the suspect was constantly changing his location. "Sources informed us that he was hiding in some district of Andhra Pradesh. One of the teams was immediately sent to Andhra Pradesh," the officer said.

After traveling 1,865 km, police nabbed the suspect, a resident of Rajasthan, from Gandhi Market in Ongole following a door-to-door search, the officer said, adding that he was brought to Delhi on transit remand and sent to judicial custody.

Inquiry revealed that the suspect and the complainant had met through social media five months ago and became friends.

Owaisi claims house vandalised

New Delhi: Delhi Police has launched an investigation after AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi alleged on social media that his house had been vandalised with black ink by some “unknown miscreants” on Thursday. Police said they were scanning CCTV footage to identify the suspects.

TNN

Man enters septic tank in Ggn to clean it, chokes to death

Mahesh.Buddi@timesgroup.com

Gurgaon: A 35-year-old man from West Bengal who choked on gases inside a sewer line he was called to clean by a contractor earlier this week died in hospital, the fourth death reported in NCR this week in manual scavenging jobs that people keep being pushed into without the mandatory safety gear.

Three deaths were reported in Noida at the office of an IT company on Monday after three housekeeping workers called to fix an overflowing sewer line fell to death inside the water tank of the sewage treatment plant in the basement.

Noor Islam was called to fix asewer near a traffic signal in Sector 47 along with two others on Tuesday night, his wife said in a complaint filed at Gurgaon Sadar police station.

“At 7pm on Tuesday, contractor Mukeem Ali, who lives near Kanhai temple, called my husband for sewer cleaning work near the traffic signal in Sector 47. While entering the sewer through the manhole, my husband fell inside it. His co-workers Anrul and Chandan Das immediately got into the sewer and brought him out,” Mausumi said in her complaint. She and Noor had come to the city from Balurghat in Bengal and lived near Bengal Market in Sector 49.

Police said Anrul and Chandan also fell ill by the time they brought Noor out. “The three of them were shifted to the nearby Park Hospital by others who were present there. Noor Islam succumbed while undergoing treatment. The two others are out of danger. We believe they inhaled noxious gas formed inside the sewer line,” Gurgaon Sadar inspector Arjun Dev said.

Mausumi alleged Mukeem Ali had not provided any safety equipment while sending the trio to clean the sewer and demanded legal proceedings against him for causing her husb

and’s death. Based on her complaint, Mukeem was booked under Section 304 A (causing death due to a rash or negligent act) of the IPC and Section 9 (penalty for engagement of workers for hazardous cleaning of sewers and septic tanks) of the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and Their Rehabilitation Act, 2013.

Police spokesperson Sandeep Kumar said the sewer line comes under GMDA, but Mausumi was not aware which agency he worked for. “Mukeem is a private labour contractor. We are trying to locate him. Once the contractor is arrested, we will get the details,” the spokesperson said.

Officials both at MCG and GMDA said that they had not engaged any workers in that area for sewer cleaning.

7 held for fraudulent land deals near Noida airport

Advitya.Bahl@timesgroup.com

Noida:This was a gang that capitalised on surging interest in real estate around the upcoming Noida International Airport, offering land to the gullible and enthusiastic. With the airport poised to unlock significant real estate value, finding customers wasn’t difficult.

Till the law caught up when seven of them were arrested in Greater Noida on Thursday in a police probe into a Rs 2.4-crore land deal. The land did not belong to them, but they posed as its owners and were armed with fake registration papers to back their ruse.

Identified as Neetu, Jaiveer Singh, Bhura Kumar and Pinku a lias Devicharan of Jahangirpur in Bulandshahr, and Saurabh Kumar, Rahul Bhati and Pratham Bhati of Gautam Buddh Nagar, the accused have been charged under section 419 (cheating by personation), 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 467 (forgery of valuable security, will, etc), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), 471 (using as genuine a forged document) and 406 (criminal breach of trust) of the IPC.

Ashok Kumar, additional DCP of Greater Noida, said, On June 26, Jewar police station received a complaint from Gautam Singh, who said the accused had fraudulently tried to sell a 14-bigha land in Kanpur village in Rabupura. The land belongs to Vaibhav, Gaurav and their mother Neeraj.” Pratham Bhati, according to the complaint, posed a s Vaibhav and a woman accompanying Bhati identified herself as Vaibhav’s mother Neeraj while striking the land deal. They took an advance of Rs 15 lakh.

Explaining the gang’s modus operandi, Kumar said, “The suspects would first trace land ownership records and create fake Aadhaar cards and PAN cards with the owners’ names. They would

use these fake IDs to register the land sales. The gang is believed to have been involved in several such fake deals. We are now registering similar complaints.”

CINEMA OF THE WEEK

Big B’s powerful punches and stunning visuals shine above the film’s flaws

Kalki 2898 AD (Action, Adventure, Drama) ★★★

Cast: Prabhas, Amitabh Bachchan, Kamal Haasan, Deepika Padukone, Disha Patani, Rajendra Prasad, Shobhana, Saswata Chatterjee, Brahmanandam

Direction: Nag Ashwin

Duration: 3 hours 1 minute

Language: Telugu, Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada (UA)

■ In the year 2898 AD, the tenth and final avatar of Lord Vishnu, Kalki, is poised to be born, heralding a new era amidst a dystopian world fraught with malevolent forces.

Kalki 2898 AD begins with a gripping depiction of the aftermath of the Mahabharata war, when Lord Krishna cursed Ashwatthama (Amitabh Bachchan) with immortality. This sets the stage for a fictional narrative within a star-studded cinematic universe, deeply rooted in Hindu mythology. A story about the tenth avatar of Lord Vishnu, who is prophesied to arrive on a white horse, signaling the end of the Kali Yuga.

Writer-director Nag Ashwin crafts his story around it, but the film is a precursor to what you can expect in the future installments of this massive universe. To do that, he uses his imaginative prowess and transports the audience into a visually stunning world. This is the biggest and most obvious strength of the film. Ashwin, with the help of his cinematographer Djordje Stojiljkovic, takes us into the lone existing city of Kasi, ruled by the evil Commander Manas (Saswata Chatterjee) and led by God King Supreme Yaskin (Kamal Haasan), who lives in a mysterious powerhouse known as Complex. It’s a dark world where fertile women are killed and men are enslaved. The only ray of hope, perhaps, is Bhairava (Prabhas) and a motley bunch of rebels from Shambhala until they rescue one of the subjects from the Complex, SUM80 (Deepika Padukone), the bearer of the awaited avatar.It’s a simple story thrown into a complex web of too many characters and subplots, some of which have little to do with the broader narrative. Ashwin’s plot meanders into unnecessary detours so many times that it gets tiring to wait for it to get back on track. The entire first half suffers from this back and forth, especially with Prabhas’ character. The futile attempts to generate comedy, even with a veteran like Brahmanandam (who plays Bhairava’s landlord Rajan), fall flat, much like his half baked love angle with Roxie (Disha Patani) that could have been completely done away with.

Thankfully, the film picks up pace in the second half with Amitabh Bachchan’s reentry. The veteran superstar wows us with his infectious energy in high-octane action scenes. Even with all the special effects and latest tools of computer animation, he manages to breathe life into his character and bring a level of realism into Ashwatthama’s unbridled power. Deepika Padukone shows commendable restraint and skill in playing a subdued character who is destined to eventually be powerful.

Prabhas gets a raw deal and is relegated to playing a disjointed character that is stuck in a repetitive loop, often slowing down the pace of the film itself. South superstar Shobhana provides good support as the wise Mariam. Saswata Chatterjee comes across as somewhat caricaturish in his role of Commander Manas. Kamal Haasan once again delivers a role that is strikingly distinctive and sends chills down the spine. Special appearances by Vijay Deverakonda, Mrunal Thakur, Dulquer Salmaan, S.S. Rajamouli, and Ram Gopal Varma leave a brief but memorable impact.Kalki 2898 AD is undeniably a larger-than-life visual spectacle that transports viewers into a vividly imagined universe. In fact, the film’s visual quality is so high that it overshadows many of its obvious flaws by engaging the audience into the atmospherics of the makebelieve world of Kasi and the Complex. Moreover, it’s a concept that can spark imaginative experiences beyond the cinema. If you enjoy diving into a world of epic battles between gods, good, and evil, then Kalki 2898 AD offers quite a satisfying audio-visual experience, even though it may require some patience.

— Ronak Kotecha

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

A poignant tale of trauma and justice

Kooki (Drama) ★★★½

Cast: Ritisha Khaund, Rajesh Tailang, Rina Rani, Dipannita Sharma, Devoleena Bhattacharjee

Direction: Pranab J Deka

Duration: 1 hour 55 minutes

Language: Hindi (UA)

■ Kooki (Ritisha Khaund) is a 16-year-old shattered by a brutal gang rape. Despite swift justice, the trauma lingers, as she grapples with a question—why is murder worse than rape?

Films on rape often focus on courtroom drama or investigations. But is justice enough? Kooki challenges this, showcasing the lasting scars a survivor carries. In Assam, Kooki is gangraped and left for dead. As she heals, loved ones offer support, SP Mandira Singh (Dipannita Sharma) and Dr Priyadarshini Pator (Ritu Shivpuri) rally around her. Then a journalist Navnita’s (Devoleena Bhattacharjee) debate on and a video Kooki uploads begs the answer: Why isn’t rape considered heinous like murder? This question forms the film’s core.

The narrative paints Kooki’s pre-tragedy life: a teenager’s world that has loving parents—Dhananjay Mishra (Rajesh Tailang) and mother Suman (Rina Rani), best friend Rashmi (Nancy Singh), and a fledgling romance with Saptarishi (Bodhisattva Sharma). Postassault, the focus shifts to the emotional and psychological devastation. Along the way, it critiques the nation that has had many amendments but is still stuck in the same place where it fails to protect its women.Director Pranab J Deka delivers a poignant narrative that keeps you invested until the end. However, the exploration of Kooki’s PTSD and the core question arrives late, leaving some aspects underdeveloped. The movie raises other important points such as justice and law are two different things and the accused being innocent until proven guilty in the court of law. However, these also largely remain unexplored.

Kooki also boasts powerful performances. Ritisha Khaund shines with her portrayal of the pluviophile who eventually finds rain traumatic. Her monologue about how she’s too young and naive to understand how the world works but despite justice being served, she feels betrayed, will tug at your heart. Rajesh Tailang as her lawyer father is outstanding and shows his prowess in a sequence at the hospital when he enters the doctor’s cabin a strong and collected man but walks out shattered. Nancy Singh as the outgoing friend and Bodhisattva Sharma as her boyfriend and support system deliver strong performances, as do Rina Rani, Dipannita Sharma, and Ritu Shivpuri in a guest appearance.

Despite its shortcomings, the film compels introspection. Kooki’s journey urges viewers to understand that justice isn’t always healing, and the fight for true safety continues.

— Dhaval Roy

RATING SCALE

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

Times Global

- Israel readies troops on Lebanon border

- Brazil top court decriminalises pot possession for personal use

- Le Pen threatens to challenge Macron’s control on military

- China expels 2 ex-def ministers from CPC over graft allegations

- Bolivia coup bid fails after short-lived military assault on presidential palace

- Illegal-marriage case: Imran, wife’s jail terms upheld

- AROUND THE WORLD

- US SC blocks opioid settlement that gave immunity to Purdue co’s Sackler family

- Elon Musk’s SpaceX gets $843m to help discard ISS around 2030

- Washington DC of today too hot for Lincoln: Wax statue melts, turns into a meme

Israel readies troops on Lebanon border

Def Min Says Can Take Lebanon Back To Stone Age, But Working To Reach Deal

A damaged Israeli military position targeted by Hezbollah fighters is seen on the top of Mount Hermon in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights

Israel’s PM and prez toured northern Israel’s border and met with military commanders there Wednesday, amid escalating tensions with Hezbollah forces in Lebanon and mounting concerns from world leaders that a wider war could break out. PM Benjamin Netanyahu posted a video online during his visit of him saying Israeli forces were “determined and committed to the mission of achieving victory, and no less.”

The tours by Israeli officials along the border with Lebanon came as Israel’s defence minister, Yoav Gallant, concluded four days of meetings in Washington with senior Biden administration officials, who repeatedly stressed the need for a diplomatic solution to tensions with Hezbollah. The Iran-backed militia has been targeting Israel since the Oct. 7 Hamas-led attack set off a war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Tensions have flared in recent weeks.

“Hezbollah’s provocations threaten to drag the Israeli and Lebanese people into a war that they do not want,” Lloyd Austin, the US secretary of defence, said in a meeting with Gallant on Tuesday. Austin added that “such a war would be a catastrophe for Lebanon, and it would be devastating for innocent Israeli and Lebanese civilians.”

Gallant, in that same meeting, said Israel was working to “achieve an agreement”. But he added that Israel was “determined to establish security” in the north and change “the reality on the ground.” “We must also discuss readiness for every possible scenario,” he said, adding that his country could “take Lebanon back to the Stone Age, but we don’t want to do it”.

Israeli news media reported Wednesday that more troops were being sent to the northern border region. On Sunday, Netanyahu said in a TV interview that the war in Gaza was entering a new, less intense phase, allowing the military to turn more attention to Lebanon.

On Wednesday, Herzl Halevi, the Israeli military’s chief of staff, also visited the northern border with Lebanon and held a “situational assessment” with local commanders. Israeli troops in the north are training for what the military described as “extreme scenarios”. The Israeli military said Wednesday its fighter jets struck a Hezbollah military structure and targeted several other sites in southern Lebanon.

Last week, Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallahsaid the Lebanese militia did not want a wider conflict but was prepared for war. “We have prepared ourselves for the most difficult days. If war is imposed, the resistance will fight without constraints, rules or limits.” NYT & AFP

Israel military tells Palestinians to go south as it storms Gaza City locality

Israel stormed a neighbourhood in Gaza City on Thursday, ordering Palestinians to move south as the tanks rolled in and bombing the southern city of Rafah in what it says are the final stages of an operation against Hamas militants there.

Residents of the Shejaia neighbourhood in Gaza City said they were taken by surprise by the sound of tanks approaching and firing in the early afternoon, with drones also attacking after overnight bombing of the city, which Israel had combed early in the war.

Later on Thursday, the Palestinian Civil Emergency Service said that the Israeli military strikes had killed at least seven people in Shejaia so far. More casualties are feared to be under the rubble, it said. REUTERS

Brazil top court decriminalises pot possession for personal use

Brasilia: Brazil’s Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that purchasing and possessing up to 40 grams of marijuana for personal use will no longer be a crime, though police can still seize the drug. Marijuana continues to be illegal in Brazil and its use in public places will still be prohibited. But a person caught using marijuana and possessing up to 40 grams — roughly enough for 80 joints — will not receive a criminal record and will just appear before a judge to hear a warning on the drug’s dangers, it ruled. Police will, however be able to arrest a person caught selling marijuana even if it is less than 40 grams, when there are clear signs of intent to sell it, the justices decided.

The verdict makes the nation of 203 million the largest to take such a measure and the latest sign of a growing global acceptance of the drug. More than 20 countries have now decriminalised or legalised recreational use of marijuana, most in Europe and the Americas.

The SC said its guidelines on private use of marijuana will stand until Congress passes legislation. Conservatives in Brazil’s Congress are pushing a bill that would modify the constitution to criminalise any possession of marijuana. If lawmakers pass such a legislation, it would take precedence over the ruling but still can be challenged on constitutional grounds. AGENCIES

Le Pen threatens to challenge Macron’s control on military

With just three days to go until France’s landmark legislative election, far-right politician Marine Le Penon Thursday raised the question of who would be in charge of the military if her party takes over the govt after the two-round balloting.

The early elections are plunging France into uncharted territory, and political scientists are scrambling to interpret how exactly Prez Macron and a PM who is hostile to most of his policies will share power if Le Pen’s National Rally wins majority in the National Assembly. Macron has three years to serve out his term as prez.

Le Pen has repeatedly said that Jordan Bardella, her protegee, will lead France’s next govt if their party wins. She suggested in an interview that Bardella, 28, will also take over at least some decisions on France’s defence and its armed forces. “Serving as a commander-in-chief of the armed forces is an honorary title for the president since it’s the PM who actually pulls the strings,” she said.

France’s constitution states that “the President of the Republic is the head of the armed forces”. However, the constitution also states that “the PM is responsible for national defence.” Constitutional experts say the exact role of PM in foreign policy and defence appears to be subject to interpretation. Historian Jean Garrigues said “the president is the head of armed forces, (but) it’s the PM who has the armed forces at his disposal”. In practice, he said this means that “if the prez decided to send troops on the ground to Ukraine, the PM would be able to block this decision.” AP

China expels 2 ex-def ministers from CPC over graft allegations

Insiders Allege Widespread Purge Of Officers For ‘Conspiring’ With Outside Forces Or Simply Being Insufficiently Loyal To Xi

Wei Fenghe was placed under investigation in Sept and was suspected of ‘violating discipline by helping others gain improper benefits for money and valuables’

Beijing: China has expelled two former defence ministers from the governing Communist Party over accusations of corruption that are likely to lead to sentences of life in prison. The defence ministry on Thursday said Li Shangfu had abused his authority to enrich himself by taking bribes in exchange for granting favours in violation of military and party discipline. Li’s predecessor, Wei Fenghe, was also accused on similar charges.

Such charges have been levelled in the past against many military leaders under Prez Xi Jinping, who also heads the armed forces as chairman of the Central Military Commission and has made a crackdown on corruption a hallmark of his rule since taking power more than a decade ago.

Li is being investigated for corruption and bribery, the official Xinhua news agency reported Thursday. He was removed from office in Oct2023 after disappearing from public view for almost two months.

Wei was placed under investigation in Septand was suspected of “seriously violating political and organisational discipline by helping others gain improper benefits in per- sonnel arrangements,” Xinhua reported. He was found to have accepted a “huge amount of money and valuables in return, constituting the suspected crime of taking bribes,” Xinhua said, adding that he had “lost his faith and loyalty and contaminated the political environment of the military, “bringing enormous damage to the Party’s cause, the development of national defence and the armed forces, as well as the image of senior officials.”

Both face prosecution under the justice system run by the People’s Liberation Army, the military wing of the Communist Party.

Insiders have alleged a widespread purge of officers suspected of conspiring with outside forces or simply be- ing insufficiently loyal to Xi.

In its statement, the ministry gave no details of the allegations against Li, other than saying that his alleged crimes were “exceptionally pernicious” and that they posed “an enormous danger”.

Li spent most of his career as a specialist in the missile and procurement branches, and was under travel and financial sanctions from the US over the purchase of Russian military hardware at the time he dropped from view last Sept. That roughly coincided with the sudden disappearance of then-foreign minister Qin Gang and several leading officers in the rocket corps amid unproven allegations of misconduct. Li was replaced in Dec by Admiral Dong Jun. AP

Li Shangfu Li is being investigated for corruption and bribery. He was removed from office in Oct 2023 after disappearing from public view for almost two months

Bolivia coup bid fails after short-lived military assault on presidential palace

Top Gen Held, Claims He Staged Takeover On Prez’s Order To Help Raise His Popularity

A top general and allied members of the military tried to storm the presidential palace in Bolivia Wednesday, before quickly retreating in an apparently failed attempt at a coup. Hours later, the general was taken into custody on live TV. Video on Bolivian TV showed security forces in riot gear occupying the main square in the administrative capital, La Paz, a camouflaged military vehicle ramming a palace door and soldiers trying to make their way into the building. Then, just as quickly as they had appeared, the general, Juan Jose Zuniga disappeared, and his supporters in the armed forces pulled back and were replaced by police officers supporting the country’s democratically elected president, Luis Arce. Arce ventured onto the plaza after calling on Bolivians “to organise and mobilise against the coup and in favour of democracy.” “Long live the Bolivian people!” he shouted in a televised address. “Long live democracy!”

In all, the attempted afternoon incursion into the palace lasted just three hours. As time wore on, it became clear that Zuniga’s plan had little support. Just before his arrest, Zuñiga claimed, without providing evidence, that Arce had asked him to stage the coup attempt. “The prez told me,” Zuniga said as TV cameras rolled, “‘the situation is really messed up, this week is going to be critical —so it’s necessary to prepare something that will raise my popularity’.” Moments later, the police whisked the general away in a truck. Afterward, a key minister in Arce’s govt, Eduardo del Castillo, responded to the accusation by saying that Zuniga had “lost all credibility.” Del Castillo added that nine people had suffered firearm injuries amid the chaos.

The office of Bolivia’s attorney general said it had opened an investigation, adding that it would seek “the maximum punishment” for those responsible. Local news outlets previously reported that Zuniga was dismissed from his position this week, which some believed to be related to remarks he made about ex-prez Evo Morales, a mentor of Arce.

The coup bid came at a tense moment for Bolivia, a landlocked nation of 12 million people in South America. Bolivia’s economy is struggling, and Arce has been accused of moves his critics call undemocratic, including the detention of opposition figure Luis Fernando Camacho and ex-prez Jeanine Anez ahead of 2025 elections.

Bolivia, a deeply polarised country, has had 190 coups throughout its 200 years of history. And much of the discontent among members of the military, analysts say, stems from the feeling that they end up defending the established order, only to be punished politically, or with jail time, for standing by that order once a new govt takes over. NYT

Bolivia’s now-dismissed army chief Gen Juan Jose Zuniga (C) is arrested in La Paz; military police block entry to Plaza Murillo where govt palace located

Illegal-marriage case: Imran, wife’s jail terms upheld

Islamabad: A district and sessions court in Islamabad rejected Thursday jailed former PM Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi’s appeal seeking suspension of their sentences in a case involving violation of Islamic law governing marriage, reports Omer Farooq Khan. On Feb 3, a trial court ruled that Imran’s marriage to Bushra Bibi – his third wife – was solemnised without adhering to the stipulated iddat period. The couple was sentenced to seven years in jail. The petition was filed by Bushra Bibi’s ex-husband, Khawar Fareed Maneka, alleging that his estranged wife did not wait three months, as required under Islamic law after divorce or a spouse’s death, before marrying again. In response to the verdict, PTI functionaries protested outside Adiala jail, where a court had been set up for Imran’s trial.

AROUND THE WORLD

PROTESTS IN KENYA CALL FOR PREZ TO QUIT: Kenyan police fired teargas at dozens of protesters in Nairobi and blocked off roads to the presidential palace on Thursday as crowds took to the streets nationwide, even after the president bowed to pressure to withdraw a tax hike bill. Crowds called for Prez William Ruto to step down

At $1.9m, cover art of ‘Philosopher’s Stone’ most valuable ‘Harry Potter’ item sold

The original cover art for the first edition of “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” sold for $1.92 million at auction on Wednesday, becoming the most expensive item related to the series, decades after its illustrator was paid a commission of just $650. The watercolour painting, which depicts the young wizard Harry going to Hogwarts from Platform 9¾ at King’s Cross station, was part of the private library of an American book collector and surgeon, Dr Rodney P Swantko, whose rare items were auctioned at Sotheby’s in New York this week. The year before the novel came out in 1997, its publisher, Bloomsbury, hired a 23-year-old from England who had just graduated from art school to design the book jacket, the auction house said. The artist, Thomas Taylor, would go on to establish the world’s conception of Harry Potter, with his iconic round glasses and lightning bolt scar.

Maldives climate min held for ‘performing black magic’ on Muizzu, say reports

Police in the Maldives have arrested a state environment minister, officers said Thursday, with media in the country reporting she was accused of performing “black magic” on the president. Fathimath Shamnaz Ali Saleem was arrested Sunday along with two others in Male, police said. She is in custody for a week pending investigations, officers added, without giving details. “There have been reports that Shamnaz was arrested for performing black magic on President Mohamed Muizzu,” said the Sun, a local media outlet.

Its illustrator was paid $650 in 1997

US SC blocks opioid settlement that gave immunity to Purdue co’s Sackler family

The deal had required the Sacklers to pay up to $6 billion to settle thousands of lawsuits accusing the company of unlawful misleading marketing of OxyContin, a powerful pain medication introduced in 1996

Washington: The US Supreme Court on Thursday blocked OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma’s bankruptcy settlement that would have shielded its wealthy Sackler family owners from lawsuits over their role in the nation’s deadly opioid epidemic. The 5-4 decision reversed a lower court’s ruling that had upheld the plan to give Purdue’s owners immunity in exchange for paying up to $6 billion to settle thousands of lawsuits accusing the firm of unlawful misleading marketing of OxyContin, a powerful pain medication introduced in 1996.

The ruling represented a victory for Prez Biden’s administration, which had challenged the settlement as an abuse of bankruptcy protections meant for debtors in financial distress, not people like the Sacklers who have not filed for bankruptcy. Conservative Justice Neil Gorsuch wro- te the ruling, which was joined by fellow conservative Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Amy Coney Barrett, as well as liberal Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. “The Sacklers haven’t filed for bankruptcy and have not placed virtually all their assets on the table for distribution to creditors, yet they seek what essentially amounts to a discharge,” he wrote.

Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote a dissenting opinion that was joined be fellow conservative Chief Justice John Roberts, and liberal Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan. “The decision is wrong on the law and devastating for more than 100,000 opioid victims and their families,” he said.

Purdue filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2019 to address its debts, nearly all of which stemmed from thousands of lawsuits alleging that OxyContin helped kickstart an opioid epidemic that has caused more than half a million US overdose deaths over two decades. At issue in the case was whether US bankruptcy law lets Purdue’s restructuring include legal protections for members of the Sackler family, who have not filed for personal bankruptcy. The decision has broader implications for other bankruptcy settlements involving claims of mass injury. REUTERS & NYT

Elon Musk’s SpaceX gets $843m to help discard ISS around 2030

Washington: Nasa awarded SpaceX $843m to build a vehicle capable of pushing the Internation Space Station into Earth’s atmosphere for its planned destruction around 2030, it said on Wednesday, a task originally meant for Russia’s thrusters.

Under its new Nasa contract, SpaceX will build what the space agency called the US Deorbit Vehicle to deorbit the ISS and avoid risks to populated areas, with Nasa taking ownership of the craft and handling the deorbiting operation.

The football field-sized research lab, led primarily by the US and Russia, has been continuously staffed with govt astronauts during its some 24 years of operation, but its aging components have led Nasa and its foreign partners to set 2030 as a planned retirement date.

The first segment of the ISS was launched in 1998. Weighing 430,000kg, ISS is by far the largest single structure ever built in space. Based on past observations of how other stations such as Mir and Skylab disintegrated on atmospheric re-entry, Nasa engineers expect the orbital outpost to break up in three stages. First, the massive solar arrays and the radiators that keep the orbital lab cool will come off, then individual modules will break off from the truss, or the station’s backbone structure. Finally, the truss and the modules themselves will tear apart. Much of the material will be vaporised, but large pieces are expected to survive. For this reason, Nasa is aiming for an area of the Pacific Ocean called Point Nemo, one of the most remote areas of the world and known as the graveyard of sa- tellites and spaceships.

The US, Japan, Canada and the countries under the European Space Agency have committed to the space station partnership through 2030, while Russia has agreed to remain a partner through 2028, the date through which the Russian space agency Roscosmos believes its hardware can last. Russian thrusters maintain ISS’s orbital altitude and US solar arrays keep its power running.

For after 2030, Nasa has been funding early development of privately built space stations in low-Earth orbit to maintain US presence in the cosmic region, with Airbus and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin involved in those efforts. AGENCIES

Sat debris force ISS astronauts to take cover

A defunct Russian satellite has broken up into more than 100 pieces of debris in orbit, forcing astronauts on the ISS to take shelter for about an hour and adding to the mass of space junk already in orbit, US space agencies said. There were no immediate details on what caused the break-up of the RESURS-P1 Russian Earth observation satellite, which was declared dead in 2022. Russia space agency Roscosmos, which operated the satellite, is yet to comment. REUTERS

Washington DC of today too hot for Lincoln: Wax statue melts, turns into a meme

DROOPY MESS: (L) Abraham Lincoln’s wax statue in friendly weather, and (R) the sculpture after a sweltering weekend in the Washington region. On Saturday, Baltimore’s 101°F (38.3°C) broke 1988 record of 100°F (37.7°C)

What do you call a wax replica of a former president during an oppressive heatwave? A punchline waiting to happen. Originally installed at an elementary school in Washington, D.C., in Feb, the 6-foot wax version of the Lincoln Memorial was intended as a commentary on American monument culture.

Instead, it became a meme.

As temperatures in the region neared triple digits over the weekend, the replica’s head mostly melted off, turning the towering president into a droopy mess. People sharing the photos online could relate. To them, Abraham Lincoln looked as if he were reacting to an annoying work email or sinking into a couch after a long day. Jokes and innuendo abounded about why he was leaning back.

The work’s sculptor, Sandy Williams IV, said the online conversation highlighted something special about public art: It is open to interpretation, even when that interpretation is unexpected. The sculpture was not supposed to melt in the summer heat. Wicks are embedded into the wax, and viewers are invited to light one for a few minutes and collectively melt Lincoln over time. Williams said they used paraffin wax graded to withstand up to 140°F. Temperatures in the region did not reach those heights, but they did set records. On Saturday, Baltimore’s high of 101°F broke the record of 100 set in 1988.

Because Williams has worked with wax for years, they would often joke that their pieces would eventually need to focus on the environment instead of history. “I didn’t expect that point to be this past weekend,” Williams said. The work’s offi- cial title, “40 ACRES: Camp Barker”, refers to a Civil War-era “contraband camp” that was in practice a Union refugee camp for formerly enslaved people. (Garrison Elementary School, where the replica was installed, was once the original site for Camp Barker.) But Williams could not be too upset if the memes enabled more people to see it. “My hope is with this viral viewing of the work, any segment of the population seeing it will have a moment to spend more time with it and get to know these deeper histories the work is trying to engage,” he said. NYT

Feature

Times Business

- HC: Ex-Religare promoter Shivinder can’t travel abroad

- Shareholder nod for Singhania to remain Raymond chairman

- Anti-dumping duties on Chinese products

- JSW Infra to buy 70% in logistics co Navkar

- Amazon fund flow into payments arm

- Record St: Sensex tops 79k, Nifty crosses 24k milestone

- Hyd’s Megha bags `13k cr NPCIL contract

- GST: Post-sale discounts under lens

- Sebi eases delisting norms, tightens finfluencer rules

- Investors pull out `1.4k cr in 3 days this week: Quant MF

- ‘Fin sector governance needs highest priority’

- Infy’s Parekh settles insider trading case with Sebi

- Jio hikes tariffs by up to 25%, Airtel & Vi may follow

- No board seat for UltraTech in India Cements

- Flipkart sellers allege price curbs

HC: Ex-Religare promoter Shivinder can’t travel abroad

New Delhi: The Delhi high court has refused to allow former Religare promoter Shivinder Mohan Singh to travel abroad. It declined to suspend a look-out circular issued against Singh in connection with an SFIO probe into the affairs of Religare Enterprises and other related entities. Justice Dharmesh Sharma observed that prima facie, Singh has sizable assets and properties and if allowed to go abroad, he may not come back to join the investigation and trial.

TNN

Shareholder nod for Singhania to remain Raymond chairman

New Delhi: Raymond on Thursday said its shareholders have approved the reappointment of Gautam Singhania as chairman & MD for a term of five years effective from July 1, 2024, along with his proposed remuneration. Earlier, proxy advisory firm IiAS had asked shareholders to vote against the reappointment of Singhania on the company’s board.

AGENCIES

Anti-dumping duties on Chinese products

New Delhi: India on Thursday imposed anti-dumping duties on three Chinese products, including hydraulic rock breakers, with an aim to protect domestic players from cheap imports.

AGENCIES

JSW Infra to buy 70% in logistics co Navkar

New Delhi: JSW Infrastructure on Thursday said it will acquire 70.4% stake in Navkar Corp for around Rs 1,012 crore, paving the way for its foray into the logistics industry.

AGENCIES

Amazon fund flow into payments arm

Mumbai: Amazon has infused Rs 600 crore into its India payments entity, taking its total investment in the unit to nearly Rs 1,000 crore this year. Amazon attempts to gain a larger share of the fintech market.

TNN

Record St: Sensex tops 79k, Nifty crosses 24k milestone

Hat Trick: Stock Indices Log Fresh Highs For 3 Days In Row

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Mumbai: The sensex and Nifty logged a record high for the third successive session on Thursday driven by domestic and foreign fund buying. In a day of firsts, the sensex closed above the 79,000 mark while Nifty surpassed the 24,000 milestone.

While Nifty rose 0.7% to close at 24,044 points, the sensex ended 569 points higher at 79,243. After a tumultuous start to the month due to election results, both indices have stabilised — and risen by over 6% in June. This has been one of the sensex’s best months since Dec 2023.

In Thursday’s market, a host of positive factors kept the pre-Budget rally going. President Droupadi Murmu’s reference to ‘historic’ steps to be announced in the Budget was seen as a pointer to impending reforms. In the bond and foreign exchange market, there were signs that passive foreign debt funds have started investing to align their portfolios with India’s inclusion in the bond indices.

“Except for the last four days, the up-move in the markets has been gradual so far. Participants are wary of the high valuations and afraid of a sharp bout of profit-taking which has not happened so far. Q1FY25 numbers are also not expected to be great due to election-related disruption,” said Deepak Jasani of HDFC Securities. He added that India is one of the few large markets that offer visible growth at a good pace over the next few years, unaffected mostly by global developments. A rate cut by the US Fed later this year could make equities even more attractive.

UltraTech Cement emerged as the biggest gainer on the sensex, rising 5% after the company revealed it had acquired a 23% stake in India Cements. Other gainers included NTPC (3.2%), JSW Steel (2.4%), Tata Motors (2.1%), Infosys (2.1%), TCS (2%), and Kotak Mahindra Bank (1.9%).

“The rotational buying across key sectors is contributing to the index’s steady rise, and we expect this trend to continue. Following the banking sector, we anticipate that IT and FMCG will play crucial roles in maintaining the positive momentum. With Nifty crossing the 24,000-mark, we see the potential for it to test 24,500,” said Ajit Mishra of Religare Broking.

Hyd’s Megha bags `13k cr NPCIL contract

Swati.Bharadwaj@timesgroup.com

Hyderabad: Megha Engineering & Infrastructure (MEIL), which shot into the limelight after it emerged as the second largest electoral bonds donor at Rs 1,232 crore (directly and through associated companies), has bagged a Rs 12,800-crore engineering, procurement, & construction (EPC) contract from state-owned Nuclear Power Corporation of India.

Hyderabad-based MEIL marked its foray into the nuclear energy space after it outbid heavyweights such as L&T and BHEL to emerge as the lowest bidder (L1) with a bid of Rs 12,800 crore for the construction of 2x700MW electrical reactors at Kaiga project, under the department of atomic energy.

The project has to be completed in 66 months after the letter of award. The Kaiga nuclear power generating station, located in Uttara Kannada, Karnataka, has 4x220MW nuclear reactors operational. The setting up of Kaiga 5 and 6 is being seen as a significant milestone in India’s clean energy journey.

GST: Post-sale discounts under lens

New Delhi: Suppliers giving post-sale discounts through credit notes under GST will have to ensure that the client gives an undertaking or a CA certificate stating that the Input Tax Credit (ITC) availed on the discount value has been reversed, the CBIC has said. Currently, there is no mechanism to track whether ITC on such discounts has been reversed or not. EY Tax Partner Saurabh Agarwal said these documents, with a unique ID number, serve as proof for audits and ensure consistent application of GST rules on post-sale discounts.

TNN

Sebi eases delisting norms, tightens finfluencer rules

Sebi also tightened eligibility criteria for stocks in the F&O market

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Mumbai: Markets regulator Sebi on Thursday made it easier for companies to delist and raise debt capital, while tightening the screws on influencers by barring partnerships with regulated entities.

Following its board meeting on Thursday, Sebi barred registered advisors from entering agreements with unregistered influencers — commonly known as finfluencers — who make claims about investment returns. Sebi has barred regulated entities from partnering with anyone “who, directly or indirectly, provides advice or recommendation or makes any implicit or explicit claim of return or performance, in respect of or related to security or securities unless permitted by the Board”. This crackdown aims to safegu- ard investors from misleading information and ensure that regulated entities maintain a clear distinction from unregulated entities.

The markets regulator has tightened the eligibility criteria for stocks in the F&O (futures & options) market to reduce risk, requiring stocks to be in the top 500 based on average daily market value and traded value over the last six months. Additionally, the stock must have a median order size of at least Rs 75 lakh and a market-wide position limit of at least Rs 1,500 crore, along with an average daily delivery value in the cash market of over Rs 35 crore.

Under the reforms ai- med at easing delisting procedures, Sebi introduced a fixed-price process as an alternative to reverse book building. The change mandates a minimum 15% premium over the floor price for delisting offers. Moreover, the threshold of counteroffer has been reduced to 75% from 90%, provided half of the public shareholders tender their shares.

“The delisting process will succeed only if finally the acquirer reaches 90%. So the final vote still lies in the hands of the investor, whether they want this new acquirer to reach that threshold or not,” Sebi chairman Madhabi Puri Buch said.

Sebi also introduced ‘adjusted book value’ as a new factor to determine the minimum price for stocks. While this was only used for illiquid stocks earlier, now it applies to liquid ones as well.

AMID ALLEGED FRONT-RUNNING

Investors pull out `1.4k cr in 3 days this week: Quant MF

TNN & AGENCIES

New Delhi: Quant Mutual Fund, which is under regulatory scanner for alleged front-running, has said that investors pulled out $168 million (around Rs 1,400 crore) in three days this week.

The redemptions amount to 1.5% of assets, Sandeep Tandon, the firm’s founder and chief executive officer, said in a video call with investors late Wednesday. “The work at Quant Mutual Fund is as normal as it has been, apart from the data points asked by the regulator.”

The Mumbai-based asset manager, one of the fastest growing mutual funds in India, has seen its assets soar to Rs 93,000 crore from Rs 240 crore in 2019.

“As of June 26, 2024, cash and liquid investments were 53.5% of closing equity AUM of Rs 88,270 crore and over the last three days, net re- demptions have totalled only 1.5% of closing AUM, which is a small figure,” the fund house said in a set of FAQs for investors.

It also said the performance should not be hit. “Returns are a by-product of research capabilities and style of management. In qu- ant, we manage risk dynamically to give superior risk-adjusted returns. As mentioned, we are functioning normally and hence, the performance should be at par with our style.”

Tandon said the fund has received inquiries from the regulator and is fully complying with the requests. While he didn’t give details about the requests, Tandon added that such regulatory visits or inspections are a “part of life” for the fund industry and “in the past two years multiple mutual funds have got something similar.”

The regulator has not charged Quant or any of its employees, Tandon added.

‘Fin sector governance needs highest priority’

RBI’s Report Flags Concerns Over Decline In Household Savings, Froth In Small-Caps

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Mumbai: RBI governor Shaktikanta Das has said the highest priority must be assigned to governance in the financial sector. Strong governance is at the core of the resilience of stakeholders in the financial system, Das said in his foreword to a report.

The financial stability report released on Thursday highlighted concerns linked to falling household savings, speculative activity in small caps and derivatives markets, and the increase in bank borrowing and lending by NBFCs.

Noting that household savings dropped to 18.4% of GDP in FY23, from an average of 20% over 2013-22, RBI said that it is important to monitor household debt due to the increasing trend in financial liabilities, to ensure financial stability.

The report noted the rapid growth in futures & options volumes, which poses risks to retail investors without proper risk management, potentially impacting the cash market. Short-duration options in volatile indices could amplify leverage, driven by changing investor preferences for immediate expiries.

It also expressed concern over froth in small-cap stocks. The report said there has been a rapid increase in midand small-cap stocks, accompanied by higher inflows to mutual fund schemes targeting these segments. Das said all stakeholders should not only invest adequately to take full advantage of technological advancements, but also take steps to safeguard the security and soundness of their systems.

“Efforts must be made to develop an ecosystem that puts the interests of the customer at the forefront. Ultimately, preserving the trust of the customer is the cornerstone of safeguarding systemic stability,” Das said.

He said the results of stress tests demonstrate that capital levels of banks and NBFCs will remain above the regulatory minimum even under severe stress scenarios.

The stress tests reveal that in FY25, the banking sector will have adequate capital (common equity tier-1 of 10.8%) even under a severe stress scenario where gross non-performing assets rise to 3.4%. “Today, the matrix of financial stability is perhaps at its best, but the real challenge is to maintain it and improve it further. The regulators, on their part, remain committed to these goals,” Das said.

The baseline projections in the report show that if economic indicators follow expectations, the banking system will be at its healthiest. Gross NPAs are projected to improve further from a 12-year low of 2.8% as of March 2024 to 2.5% by March 2025. Banks had a capital adequacy ratio of 16.8% as of March 2024, which would decline to 14.4% and 13% under medium and severe stress scenarios.

In the non-bank sector, the report said that there has been high delinquency among borrowers with personal loans below Rs 50,000.

Infy’s Parekh settles insider trading case with Sebi

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Bengaluru: Infosys CEO Salil Parekh has agreed to pay Rs 25 lakh as settlement charges for failing to put in place adequate internal controls to comply with Sebi’s rules to prevent insider trading.

Parekh entered into a settlement agreement with Sebi following an investigation that ascertained two entities were in violation of the provisions of the Sebi Act and PIT Regulations, 2015. The company, however, said there is no impact on its financial, operational, or other activities pursuant to the settlement order.

The case relates to Infosys’s deal with Vanguard that was signed in 2020. Through the partnership, Infosys said it will assume day-to-day operations supporting Vanguard’s DC (defined contribution) record-keeping business, including software platforms, administration, and associated processes. Around 1,300 Vanguard roles transitioned to Infosys. Vanguard was the largest asset manager in the defined contribution space, and Infosys would provide a cloud-based record-keeping platform to Vanguard, the order said.

The investigation concludes that the information related to the strategic partnership was covered under the definition of unpublished price-sensitive information (UPSI) under the PIT Regulations, 2015.

Jio hikes tariffs by up to 25%, Airtel & Vi may follow

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Jio on Thursday announced a tariff hike of up to 25%, as the country’s largest telecom service provider, which built its subscriber base offering free services during its initial days, sought to improve its realisation from subscribers. The move, the first in two-and-a-half years, sets the stage for an increase by Airtel and Vodafone Idea.

India has among the world’s cheapest mobile and data services, which is a boon for consumers, but makes life difficult for investors as it lowers returns for them. Besides, telecom being a capital-intensive business, companies have to repeatedly pump in money to meet the requirements of evolving technology and acquiring spectrum.

Analysts were betting on a tariff hike after the Lok Sabha elections. The impact of the increase will only be visible in the next quarter results.

Just last month, Airtel chief executive Gopal Vittal had said that the average revenue per user (Arpu) on monthly basis remains “absurdly low” in India and advocated a “tariff repaid”. The Sunil Bharti Mittal controlled company has periodically raised tariffs, focusing on “quality customers”, and has the best Arpu among the three private players, es- timated at Rs 209 at the end of March quarter, compared with China Mobile’s RMB 45.4 at the end of 2023 (Rs 520 at current exchange rate). Vittal has repeatedly talked about the need to move Airtel’s Arpu to around Rs 300 to make the business healthy.

“The introduction of new plans is a step in the direction of furthering indust- ry innovation and driving sustainable growth through investments in 5G and AI technology,” Reliance Jio Infocomm chairman Akash M Ambani said in the statement, which makes no explicit mention of any tariff rise. Jio has over 47 crore mobile subscribers, and commands a 41% market share.

Jio’s Arpu was estimated at Rs 182 at the end of the March quarter with Vi, which is just about showing signs of revival, at the bottom (see graphic). In a price sensitive market, telecom companies had refrained from steep hikes fearing consumers may shift to a rival, especially when several of them use dual-SIM phones.

No board seat for UltraTech in India Cements

From P 1

The 23% stake, which does not include a board position in India Cements, is a little shy of the threshold requiring an acquirer to make an open offer to public shareholders under the country’s takeover code. Despite Srinivasan and family owning 28% in India Cements, 46% of that is pledged, according to the company’s filings with the stock exchanges.

This transaction marks the exit of Damani, who is also the founder of retail chain DMart, from India Cements, where he first invested in fiscal 2020. Over the years, he had increased his stake to 22.8% from a little over 1.3%.

Bulk deal disclosures on BSE showed that Damani, his brother Gopikishan, and three related associates offloaded their entire stake.

Former Ambuja Cements CEO and founder of advisory firm I can Investment Anil Singhvi views the deal as a “preventive and proactive strategy” by UltraTech. “It is like a toe in the door and wait until the door opens,” Singhvi said, adding that “this is a good deal for the sellers as they were stuck in this for a long time and have got a reasonably good value and complete exit.”

The transaction values India Cements, which has a capacity of 14.5 million tonnes, at Rs 10,800 crore. Industry analysts believe that this investment could be a prelude to UltraTech, part of the Aditya Birla conglomerate, potentially increasing its stake and eventually converting India Cements into a strategic asset. The India Cements invest- ment and the Kesoram acquisition will help UltraTech guard its turf in the southern region, especially as the Ambuja-ACC combine attempts to ramp up its presence there. A few weeks ago, Ambuja-ACC bought Penna Cement, seeking to strengthen its southern grip.

The UltraTech investment comes at a time when India Cements is facing rough weather. In recent quarters, it has struggled to meet its working capital needs. Despite narrowing its losses, it has decided to sell certain assets to raise funds. In April, India Cements sold its grinding unit in Maharashtra to UltraTech for Rs 315 crore.

Under Birla’s leadership, UltraTech has become India’s largest cement player with a capacity of 153 million tonnes. When he took over as chairman of the Adi- tya Birla Group in 1995, the cement unit’s capacity was less than 5 million tonnes. The sector, expected to double to $49 billion by 2029 from 2022 levels, has long been dominated by UltraTech until Adani entered the market by acquiring Ambuja-ACC in 2022, making him the country’s second-largest player. Ambuja ACC currently has a capacity of 89 million tonnes after expansions and acquisitions of smaller assets. In a June 13 note, ratings agency ICRA said it expects mergers and acquisitions to continue in the sector, given the aggressive expansion plans of large incumbent players who want to maintain their market shares. Broking firm Emkay said Thursday that it sees at least 40-50 million tonnes of cement capacity changing hands over the next few years.

Flipkart sellers allege price curbs

Asmita.Dey@timesgroup.com

Mumbai: Several sellers on Flipkart have alleged that the platform has locked the selling price of products and is not allowing them to change or raise the prices of their listings.

This mechanism came into place on May 18, shortly after the Walmart-owned ecommerce firm announced the rollout of a simplified rate card policy. Four sellers TOI spoke with said that Flipkart did not notify them before placing restrictions on pricing.

“Flipkart cannot control the selling price of a product. Many products on the platform are now being sold below our purchase price. Sel- lers whose products were already stocked up at Flipkart’s warehouses had no option other than selling them at a lower price,” one of the sellers said. This sudden move by Flipkart has nudged many platform sellers to remove their listings and display an out of stock notification. “I have 1,250 product listings on Flipkart. About 800-900 of them have been taken out. I am only selling products on which I am managing to make some profit,” added another seller.

Flipkart’s justification to sellers is that irrespective of the pricing restrictions, they are getting the same average settlement value.

Times Techies.AI

- SERVICE BOTS GET OUR LINGO

- On-device AI is cheaper and faster than cloud

- Claude 3.5 Sonnet sets new coding benchmarks

- IS AI RESHAPING THE WORLD?

- THE POWER OF FINE-TUNING PRE-TRAINED MODELS

- BUILDING ONLINE STOREFRONTS FASTER

SERVICE BOTS GET OUR LINGO

There are still concerns around data privacy & hallucinations, so companies are being careful

Vaitheeswaran.B@timesgroup.com

The other day I decided to check out an airline’s chatbot to see how it works. I keyed in: “I’m travelling with my 8-year-old son, recommend the best flight without disturbing his sleep”. It asked for my source and destination, which I gave as Chennai and Hyderabad. It asked for the date. I typed `Mon’ (for Monday), but it did not recognise what I meant. I typed `tom’, it correctly recognised it as tomorrow. The bot responded that there were no flights that “fully meet” my specified criteria and provided a bunch of options. I then asked for the cheapest flight, and non-stop flights. The options it provided were correct – I confirmed that on MakeMyTrip and Google Flights. It automatically filled the passenger list as 1 adult and 1 child for booking. It even clarified the availability of gluten free food for my fictional son.

Customer support bots have come a long way from the days of clunky bots that only answered FAQs. These sophisticated generative AI-based tools are much better than their predecessors, though still far from perfect. Sometimes they ask silly questions even after being explicitly told. They struggle to recognise colloquial words, have woefully poor memory, unlike human agents. But at least you don’t have to listen to hold music for 15 minutes.

The leap comes from GenAI’s ability to understand conversations better, their ability to understand multilingual queries, and support for interfaces like voice and videos. As these systems improve, customer support will become a lot quicker and easier for users, and hugely cheaper for companies, since they won’t have to hire thousands of contact centre staff.

MOVING TO COMPLEX FUNCTIONS

Ramprakash Ramamoorthy, director of AI Research at Zoho Corp, says with GenAI, the next goal is to make customer assistant bots do more complex and autonomous functions. He says they could hand over the issue to human agents when it figures it can’t handle it. He says they may even be able to process warranty claims, for instance. “As soon as you reach out, the system will be able to cross-check the database for similar issues/ queries where warranty claims are applicable. A human agent will have to call a supervisor to do the same job,” he says.

But these are still some time away. Even for basic customer support services, companies are being careful due to concerns around data privacy, and hallucination. Nobody, after all, wants to get into a situation like Air Canada did earlier this year when its chatbot offered a discount to a customer that it wasn’t supposed to.

Chaitanya Chokkareddy, cofounder of Ozonetel, the Hyderabadbased customer experience tech provider, says the focus currently is on automating the most common, repetitive queries. Chatbots, he says, fail in non-common areas of work.

He says a lot of work is happening with AI in the back-end like data analysis, summary, intent analysis, and quality control, focusing on efficiency and productivity of human customer agents and improving margins of companies. “We handle about 20 million calls per day which last about 3 to 5 minutes each, and a lot of that data is currently not accessible to managers to make better decisions on their product and services. Demand for back-end services is higher than customer facing applications,” he says.

INDIC LANGUAGE CAPABILITY IS A LITTLE EXPENSIVE NOW

While AI assistants perform relatively well in English, their performance in Indic languages is not great. Ozonetel is building Telugu language tokenisation by working with a non-profit and 1 lakh student interns to build a Telugu database. But Indian languages, he says, cost around 5x to 10x more compared to English because of the complex tokenisation of Indian languages compared to the Roman alphabet. “AI models are charged based on usage and chatbots using Indic scripts have more tokens and hence have higher computational costs. In many cases, the costs are equivalent to a human being and so our customers don’t want to automate,” Chaitanya says.

Ankush Sabharwal’s CoRover.ai also has a local language model called BharatGPT. The bot can respond to voice queries in Indian languages, and provide tailored information. It also has video chatbots with pre-generated videos and text-to-video conversion and lip sync, which can be used for purposes like internal training.

Ankush says redundant workload should be automated first, and as the adoption increases, more clear use cases will emerge. He says problems like hallucination can be reduced with retrieval augmented generation (RAG) and use of domain-specific small models.

Abhiroop Medhekar, founder & CEO of financing platform Velocity, says they have built text-to-speech and speech-to-text tech for AI-agent voice call automation. They initially used it internally and then started commercial offerings. “Some BFSI applications require an immediate response from customers, but customers frequently don’t respond to mails or WhatsApp reminders. The current robotic IVR calls are not effective either. But these GenAI-based voice calls are interactive and provide better results,” he says.

On-device AI is cheaper and faster than cloud

Swati.Bharadwaj@timesgroup.com

As devices such as smartphones, laptops, tablets and cars become more intelligent and powerful with increased processing capabilities and sensors, the tech industry is focusing on harnessing the power of AI on the edge or ondevice AI to come up with more context-aware personalised user experiences.

And while AI may have started off as something very specific to image processing, it has over the past four to five years evolved and exploded, especially with GenAI coming into play, to include a lot more use cases around text processing, voice processing and multimodal use cases, said Rajesh Narayanan, vice president of engineering at Qualcomm.

He was speaking on `AI on the Edge’ at the first edition of the ‘TechForward’ research seminar series launched by Indian Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad (IIITH). The series seeks to spark regular and deep academia-industry conversations around emerging technologies.

Narayanan pointed out that on-device AI has evolved to offer advantages such as personalisation, privacy and security, and with lower energy consumption and costs, and better performance compared to AI on the cloud.

“Today, smartphones, smartwatches, devices that are a part of home automation, devices in the car and industrial IoT are equipped with plenty of cameras and sensors and are becoming a lot more powerful with the ability to collect more data. They also have more processing capacities leading to more context aware user experience that can lead to a much better day-to-day life for all of us,” he said. He said that for all this to become a reality, you need a very powerful AI engine, and the overall solution has to be extremely power efficient.

Personalisation is a key selling point for on-device AI as all the data that was earlier being sent to the cloud, potentially compromising privacy and security, can be done on the device. On-device AI also brings down energy consumption significantly compared to running workloads on a much bigger infrastructure like the cloud.

Performance too improves as processing on the device itself can enable low latency as opposed to sending the query to the cloud, as with devices like Alexa.

Narayanan said on-device AI is also a lot more affordable compared to the cloud. “As we transition from traditional AI to GenAI, the cost per query is actually going up and cloud economics isn’t going to work as compared to doing it on the device,” he said.

In his talk on `Vision on the AI edge’, Anoop Namboodiri, who heads the Biometrics and Secure Identity Lab and is associated with the Centre for Visual Information Technology at IIITH, said computer vision is playing a key role in pushing AI, and now GenAI.

IGNITE YOUR CODING CAREER

Claude 3.5 Sonnet sets new coding benchmarks

Akhil.George@timesgroup.com

Anthropic’s latest AI model – Claude 3.5 Sonnet – arrived seemingly out of nowhere last week, free to use for everyone, and is now setting new benchmarks in a number of metrics. Most notably, it aced the leader boards in key categories of the LMSYS Chatbot Arena, a benchmark used to measure large language model performance. Specifically, it secured the top position in the ‘Coding Arena’ and ‘Hard Prompts’ categories, beating industry behemoths like GPT-4o and Gemini 1.5 Pro, all while being a lighter, faster model to run.

Jayachandran Ramachandran, senior VP of Artificial Intelligence Labs for C5i, says the LMSYS Chatbot Arena is a crowdsourced open benchmarking platform and that users perform various tasks in pair wise comparison of models and provide feedback on which models can satisfactorily provide the best response. “The ranking system is quite transparent, robust, and reliable. In recent times, the top position was occupied by frontier models such as GPT-4 series and Gemini-1.5 series. It is a significant development for Claude 3.5 Sonnet to outsmart other leading frontier models and occupy the top position, especially in coding tasks,” he says.

Saurav Swaroop, co-founder & CTO of financing platform Velocity, which recently launched Vani AI, a GenAIled customer calling solution for financial institutions, says that while GPT-4 has been assisting developers with writing code for some time now, it has been prone to errors and hallucinations. “However, Claude can write production level deployable code now. This will boost developer productivity and the time to build software will keep coming down,” he says.

With its advanced reasoning skills, it’s great at handling multi-step workflows too, which is essential for complex projects, says Sourabh Kumar, senior manager of experience engineering for Publicis Sapient. “Compared to other industry leaders like GPT-4o, Claude 3.5 Sonnet offers faster processing speeds and higher accuracy in complex coding and reasoning tasks. For industries such as finance, where accurate data analysis is critical, or retail, where trend prediction can drive success, integrating Claude 3.5 Sonnet can lead to significant efficiency gains and innovation,” he says.

Claude 3.5 Sonnet can also offer alternative solutions that coders might not have even considered, says Bebi Negi, senior lead data scientist at the Analytics Centre of Excellence for Happiest Minds Technologies.

However, Bebi says coders will still need to check the code created by the model. “While it can create code quickly, it is very important to understand the code and make sure it meets a project’s requirements and standards. Even though benchmarks rate the model at around 90%, the remaining 10% gap underscores the necessity for coders to review the outputs,” she says.

Securing the top spot in the Hard Prompts category was also a big deal, says Bebi. “The Hard Prompts category was all about handling complex tasks and instructions. The model did a great job here too, showing it can understand and generate high-quality content, even when the instructions are quite tricky.”

MOST WANTED AI SKILLS

Global hiring platform Indeed has just released its findings on the most wanted skills for AI jobs in India. 42% of generative AI jobs in India mention `machine learning’, while 40% ask for Python skills. Other skills that are in demand include natural language processing, TensorFlow, and data science.

IS AI RESHAPING THE WORLD?

It’s a once-in-a-generation reset

Dattatri Salagame | PRESIDENT, CEO & MD, BOSCH GLOBAL SOFTWARE TECHNOLOGIES

There is a non-linear paradigm shift in software engineering led by rapid advancements in AI. Evolving foundation models and Gen AI are paving way for this change in software development. For example, coding is transitioning to AI-assisted code generation with human-in-loop. Conversational coding and right prompting skills is the new competency for a future software developer. From a product engineering perspective, efficient development through high automation will unleash faster time-to-market and higher first-pass-yield. High compute capabilities at competitive price points will drive industrial scale deployment of ‘AI at edge’. For example, a car will have a high-performance computer with an inbuilt intelligent parking algorithm.

With several such systems connected to an intelligent cloud, there will be lifetime enrichment of products with high frequency upgrades. I believe AI-led disruption is a once-in-a generation reset with immense possibilities to seize.

AI IN-GROUP LINGO

THE POWER OF FINE-TUNING PRE-TRAINED MODELS

Fine-tuning, in the artificial intelligence field, involves taking a pre-trained model that has already been trained on a large dataset for a specific task, such as understanding language or recognising objects in images. Rather than starting the training of a new model from scratch, fine-tuning allows us to adapt this pretrained model to a new, more specific task or dataset. This adaptation process involves tweaking the parameters of the pre-trained model to better suit the nuances and characteristics of the new data.

The key advantage of fine-tuning lies in its ability to leverage the knowledge and features already learned by the pre-trained model. This not only saves significant computational resources but also reduces the amount of labeled data required for training. By building on the foundational understanding gained from the initial training on a large dataset, fine-tuning can lead to quicker convergence during training and improved performance on the new task. This approach is particularly valuable in domains where acquiring large amounts of labeled data is challenging or expensive.

Fine-tuning has become a standard practice in various AI applications, including natural language processing, computer vision, and speech recognition. Researchers and developers commonly use fine-tuning to adapt state-of-the-art models like GPT in NLP or ResNet in computer vision to specific domains or tasks, achieving competitive performance with less effort and time compared to training entirely new models.

BUILDING ONLINE STOREFRONTS FASTER

Arvind Nair and Amritendu Mukherjee with their NeuroPixel team

➤ Arvind Nair and Amritendu Mukherjee’s NeuroPixel is a GenAI-based fashion-tech venture. It applies AI/ML and computer vision tech to online retail storefronts.

➤ Arvind and Amritendu came together through the Entrepreneur First programme in 2020. The Reid Hoffman-backed programme helps individuals find a cofounder and build a startup from scratch. Arvind, an alumnus of ISB, Hyderabad, was teamed up with Amritendu, a PhD from Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, whose primary research interest was in the application of advanced ML and deep learning algorithms, and statistical learning theory in image processing and computer vision. “This turned out to be speed-dating of sorts. In six months, I found a cofounder match in Amritendu,” Arvind says.

➤ While he was doing his PhD, Amritendu was diagnosed with cancer. Despite this setback, he persevered and completed his paper from the hospital bed. “I survived stage IV composite lymphoma. When I got better, I contemplated a career in research. I’m still a guest faculty at IISc. But I decided to take a plunge into entrepreneurship after interning with Intel,” he says.

➤ NeuroPixel creates AI-generated synthetic personas and AI identities that customers can use in marketing and catalogue imagery. “Doing a physical shoot is expensive. We can bring down the costs by 80% and collapse the go-to-market timelines significantly,” Arvind says.

➤ NeuroPixel’s core engine is a conditional generation module, which is based on foundational latent diffusion architecture. This module generates the output image by estimating various properties such as depth, light, and pose of the input image, along with the reference background. “We have also made fundamental contributions in other associated auxiliary architectures like segmentation, warping and texture generation that help in minimising the output errors in terms of apparel fitting, structural deformation and texture in generated hands and feet,” Amritendu says.

➤ Among their clients are Fabindia, Myntra, Soch, Indian Terrain, Arvind Fashions and Blackberrys. NeuroPixel is funded by Entrepreneur First, ISB D-Labs, Inflection Point Ventures, Dexter Angels, Huddle, Flipkart and others.

Shilpa Phadnis

Editorial

- The Law Of Not-So-Small Things

- Physical, Failed

- Mother Of All Biases

- Holy terrors

- Keep Your Enemy Closer

- Finding Hope When Chips Are Down

- A thought for today

- Sacred space

The Law Of Not-So-Small Things

UN human rights body wants cases dropped against Arundhati Roy for her speech 14 years ago. The very sanction to prosecute raises legal questions about belated prosecutions and right to freedom of speech

Shyam Rajan Agarwal

Yesterday, author-activist Arundhati Roy was awarded the prestigious Pen Pinter prize for her “unflinching and unswerving” writing. Alongside the award was UN’s call to New Delhi to drop cases against Roy, and also review India’s anti-terror law UAPA.

The backstory | In 2010, a complaint was filed by activist Sushil Pandit, basis which Delhi Police registered a case against author-activist Arundhati Roy and Sheikh Showkat Hussain, former professor at Central University of Kashmir.

Both were booked for their speeches at a conference ‘Azadi, The Only Way’ in Delhi’s LTG Auditorium on October 21, 2010. FIR was registered under IPC sections 153A (promoting enmity between different groups), 153B (making imputations/assertions prejudicial to national integration) and 505 (statements ‘conducing’ to public mischief) and under UAPA section 13. Roy was accused of stating that Kashmir was never an integral part of India and advocating its secession.

Delhi LG VK Saxena granted sanction to prosecute for the IPC offences in October 2023. Sanction to proceed on the UAPA offence was granted recently.

Time limits | The first question is whether LG’s order may be rendered defective on account of delay. His sanction to proceed on IPC offences was granted under CrPC section 196. This prescribes no time limit for passing an order to either grant or deny sanction to prosecute.

However, since each IPC offence is punishable by imprisonment of up to three years, prosecution would be barred by ‘limitation’ – because CrPC sections 468 and 469 cumulatively state no court will take cognisance of an offence beyond a period of three years from date of offence or date of registration of FIR. Offences under UAPA section 13 are punishable by imprisonment of up to 7 years, so no limitation applies.

Missing steps | But there exists another strict time limit that LG seems to have given the go-by. UAPA section 45(2) provides for an independent authority to review evidence against the accused. This authority is to submit a report to the state or Centre. Only after considering this, can govt decide on granting or denying sanction to prosecute.

Section 45(2) additionally envisages time limits within which the independent authority is to submit its report, and for govt’s decision. These are prescribed under UAPA Rules, 2008, which provide 7 days each to the independent authority and to govt. Despite these strict timelines, LG granted sanction to prosecute 14 years after the case was filed.

Precedent set | Kerala HC in Roopesh vs State of Kerala & Others held that timelines stipulated under UAPA section 45(2), read with the Rules, are mandatory in nature. Non-compliance would render the order invalid. UAPA carries serious consequences for the accused, thus it must be interpreted strictly and literally.

Govt cannot be permitted to sit over a request for sanction indefinitely. Kerala challenged HC’s judgment in the Roopesh case before SC, which observed that the question of law would remain open and permitted state to withdraw its petition.

Thus, this question regarding validity of a belated order granting sanction to prosecute is yet to be conclusively decided. That said, allowing sanction for prosecution 10 or 20 years after registration of FIR is a mockery of the criminal justice system.

No call to arms | The case also tests the extent to which free speech may be accorded protection. A YouTube clip of Roy’s 2010 speech shows her stating Kashmir isn’t an integral part of India, but she did not expressly advocate secession. Nor was there any call to take up arms against the state.

Does a person’s opinion, howsoever unpalatable, regarding independence or freedom for a particular region, by itself, without incitement to violence, amount to an offence under UAPA?

UAPA’s definition of “unlawful activities” is wide and includes any speech that questions India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity or causes disaffection against India. But it can be argued that UAPA ought to be interpreted on its object and purpose, which is to combat terrorism and terror organisations. It isn’t intended to be applied to penalise speech. Indeed, applying UAPA in Roy’s case is akin to using a hammer to swat a fly.

Disaffection no ground | The anti-terror law ought to be interpreted in consonance with right to freedom of speech and expression under Article 19(1)(a).

This right may only be restricted for grounds specified under Article 19(2) – notably, disaffection against India isn’t ground for restricting free speech under the Constitution.

Law on sedition under IPC section 124A, worded similarly, was interpreted by SC in Kedar Nath vs State of Bihar to mean that only speech that tends to incite violence would fall within its ambit.

Recently, SC even stayed operation of section 124A after noticing its rampant misuse by law enforcement to curb dissent.

UAPA deserves to be similarly read down. The appropriate way to deal with Roy’s ideas is to critique them openly, rather than using the strong arm of law. The writer is advocate, Supreme Court

Physical, Failed

Can a country get sedentary before it gets rich? Yes. And it’s terrible for health

Physical inactivity is called “the silent killer”. Because of how its effects can creep up unnoticed year after year, decade upon decade. Until one day, one is diagnosed with a serious non-communicable disease. But aren’t sedentary lifestyles kind of the zeitgeist too? Readers will surely have seen sedentariness increase around them since their own childhood. And yet a pooled analysis of 507 surveys across 163 countries and territories, published in Lancet this week, surprises with the scale of its estimate of the malaise. As much as a third of the global population and half of India’s adults do not meet WHO recommended levels of physical activity.

Shock treatment | Another surprise is that insufficient physical activity is generally higher among women. South Asia shows the maximum sex difference, of 14 percentage points. In Afghanistan and Pakistan, it is 20 percentage points. Why are we surprised? Because India is an agricultural society and even other kinds of physical labour are a significant income source, we wonder how so many Indians can afford to be sedentary. Because women have so much household responsibility, and many have farm responsibility on top, we wonder how women of non-rich countries can be lagging men in physical activity.

Alien medicine | These disjunctions call for deeper health profiles. They need to be taken seriously because they track with other studies. One shows that India’s rural areas are closing in on urban BMIs, another that abdominal obesity is 40% among women compared to 12% in men. Dietary transformations are underway at supersonic speed. Women’s liberty and safety are advancing, but at snail’s pace in some places, and even reversing in others. Maidans for playing are also in retreat, be it in villages or cities. In other words, we need to begin investigating less physical activity as disprivilege rather than luxury.

Tech therapy | Better documentation has to be the building block for effective diagnosis and treatment. Here, the smartphone whose addiction has cut our sprightliness at the knees, can help pool together stronger national health data, and also help us be healthier. From counting our calories to steps, serving the alert to changes in our gait or menstrual cycle, the phone can redeem itself.

Mother Of All Biases

That married women aren’t hired in a major manufacturing plant shows how deep discrimination runs

A recent Reuters investigation revealed labour contractors for Apple supplier Foxconn are not hiring married women for an iPhone assembly plant in Tamil Nadu. Reasons informally cited include married women’s work burden at home, the fact they get pregnant and need more time off, and that they wear jewellery that interferes with the production line. Obviously, these are not ‘reasons’ but all the bad old excuses, oppressive norms that trip women at every step. Women’s labour force participation is appallingly low in India. Women have dropped out at all levels of education, age and income. Whether in casual work, formal salaried work or self-employment, the gulf persists. Women who face intersecting forms of disadvantage, of poverty, caste or minority status, are the worst off. In white-collar work, women are labelled as less than committed, given less challenging assignments and put on a career plateau. The cost of maternity leave is held against them.

While these are global problems, India is hamstrung by the lack of a clear anti-discrimination framework in employment. So, a social bias endures in barely disguised forms, despite an equal remuneration law that prohibits discriminatory hiring and pay, and several court judgments to that effect. Individuals are less able to litigate or seek remedy. Employers find ways to justify their stance.

It’s telling that many employers welcome married men, and begrudge married women. Women are indeed burdened with childcare, eldercare and household duties, because of oppressive social norms. And when they seek paid jobs, they are done in by the same norms. The deeper tragedy is that this domestic labour dumped on women undergirds the family, and effectively subsidises male workers and their employers. Both businesses and the state owe women for this unpaid work. In the Foxconn case, the tacit rule against married women simply writes off a whole category: not even asking if a person is willing to put in the time or take off their jewellery. It says something about our society and the state that we allow any employer to get away with such sweeping discrimination.

jugularvein

Holy terrors

The feisty womenfolk of Kutch Mandvi continue to tick off deities who are seen to be not doing their job

Jug Suraiya

It was a scene of high drama. In a forest, a woman desperately calling out for help was being abducted.

While the spectators, which included me, could hear her cries of distress, her husband seemed oblivious.

A witness to the affray could contain herself no longer and called out in a loud and piercing voice, Arre, what’s the matter with you? Can’t you hear your wife? Go at once to save her!

The urgent injunction was taken on by others: What are you doing, you silly fellow! Hurry and go! Other women joined the chorus of alarm until, as though hearing these irate exhortations if not his wife’s cries for succour, the husband rushed to the rescue, only to find the kidnapping already accomplished.

Amidst muttered disapproval of a husband who couldn’t save his wife, the audience would settle down to watch the agelessly retold story of Ram, Sita, and Ravana enacted on the tiny screen of the only cinema hall in Kutch Mandvi.

In those far-off days of my childhood, Mandvi was an overgrown village where my grandmother lived, and to which the rest of the family would make an annual visit.

There wasn’t an excess of entertainment in Mandvi. There was the temple, a meeting point as much for the exchange of community intelligence – who was marrying whom, which venerable patriarch had passed on – as for devotion.

The cinema hall, where the projectionist routinely got the reels mixed up, showed mainly mythological movies. The audience was composed mostly of women and children, the men disfavouring such frivolous diversions.

The scoldings that the on-screen divinities often received were occasioned not by irreverence or disrespect, but by the deep and intimate love one has for a close family member who can provoke admonition in equal measure to adoration.

I recall those high-spirited women of Mandvi and wonder if their successors, equally feisty, bestowed electoral strictures on once-venerated icons who’d been seen to be less than on the ball in tackling the task at hand.

Keep Your Enemy Closer

New Delhi building deterrence against Beijing is welcome. But without political dialogue, chances of miscalculations rise. The two are not mutually exclusive

Vijay Gokhale

Since 2020, dealing with China has been the most debated topic of Indian foreign policy. That the old bilateral framework has irretrievably fractured because China violated a basic principle – non-use of force in resolving disputes – is not in doubt. The debate is about the way forward in building a new relationship based on the current realities.

The new framework will be built in circumstances that are very different from 1990. Then, the economies of India and China were comparable, and their respective military capacities were fairly balanced. Now, China’s GDP is more than four times ours, and the two militaries are not evenly matched on paper. Nor is it likely, even by optimistic growth projections, for India to significantly reduce this gap in the next 10 years. And the common challenges are outweighed by geopolitical differences that are unlikely to subside as China expands its global footprint.

Commendable work is being done in building deterrence against adventurism. Aside from the augmentation in men and materiel, the idea of strategic risk is being re-defined. Deployment patterns are being altered to send the clear signal that there is no tolerance for grey-zone warfare tactics by PLA. The breach of trust triggered by the Chinese behaviour in Galwan requires clear and tangible counter-displays of goodwill, and remedial action by China along LAC, before trust can be re-built.

But is deterrence in itself an adequate policy response? At the height of the Cold War, the two superpowers never halted political dialogue. Mechanisms were built to prevent nuclear war, and mutual understandings were reached on managing competition and limiting the prospect of accidental conflict. An important lesson from the Cold War was that dialogue and deterrence were not mutually exclusive.

In the past four years, there has been no direct bilateral engagement between the executive heads of Indian and Chinese govts (aside from fleeting conversations in Bali and Johannesburg), and a single bilateral meeting between the foreign ministers when Wang Yi visited India in March 2022. Nor have the defence ministers or national security advisers of both sides visited each other.

A few ‘pull-asides’ or ‘meetings in the margins’ at multilateral conferences may not allow for the sort of discussion that is required when a new framework for the relationship needs to be built.

It is important to posit the question as to whether the ‘break’ in the political dialogue since 2020 has addressed Indian concerns over the steady militarisation of LAC by the Chinese. By various accounts, this may not be the case. China appears to have augmented its military capacity, including air-power, along the entire front. It remains obdurate on reeling back its forward posture in two areas in eastern Ladakh. Despite more than 20 rounds of talks between the two militaries, the status quo still prevails.

Military dialogue has its limitations. Without political dialogue, the military cannot evolve a new framework of border management. Is it not possible that the withholding of sustained political-level engagement might, perhaps, have run its course?

The value of this policy lay in raising greater awareness among citizens about the reasons for the abnormalities in India-China ties. It also helped to adjust economic and procurement policies to deleverage sensitive sectors of the Indian economy from complete dependency on Chinese supply chains. But it is not likely that the Indian economy can decouple entirely. In some sectors like electric vehicles there might be greater, not less, coupling.

Some of our star export performers, notably pharmaceuticals, are also dependent upon Chinese supply chains. Import-substitution, even under the PLI scheme, might not work in practice despite the enabling policy and incentives. Predictable relations with countries in our proximity will help to focus the efforts on economy-building. The chances of unintended mishaps derailing these efforts are likely greater when political dialogue is absent.

Dialogue with China does not imply that deterrence-building must cease. India always has the sovereign right to defend itself upon its soil. Nor does the act of dialogue imply in any manner that a compromise in national security interests is on the cards. Deterrence and dialogue are two sides of the policy coin.

If deterrence is combined with dialogue, a positive outcome is possible. The aftermath of the Sumdorong Chu crisis in 1987, in Arunachal Pradesh, established this point when, after eight years of holding our ground without suspending political dialogue, India achieved its goals.

What objectives might a resumption of the political dialogue serve? To begin with, it might allow for an in-depth understanding at a political level of each other’s positions. Such dialogue might, hopefully, permit both sides to find some common ground to start building a new framework. It might benefit risk management, not simply in terms of minimising unintended conflict, but also in terms of modernising the 1993 and 1996 agreements in order to make them relevant to contemporary needs.

From our perspective, it might provide political platforms to express our concerns, as well as to find solutions, over unfair Chinese trade practices. Dialogue is also a logical step in building multi-alignment diplomacy.

Only govt can ultimately decide what is the right policy. But a healthy debate on the question is now needed more than ever because public participation in foreign policy is an important requisite for citizens who aspire to make India a global powerhouse.

The writer is a former foreign secretary

THE SPEAKING TREE

Finding Hope When Chips Are Down

Sant Rajinder Singh

Hopelessness arises when life does not go our way. We feel everything is working against us, and life will never be better again. The mind drives us into a negative downward spiral with every new thought. During such times, it is easy to leave activities or routines that could be helpful to us. Instead, we adopt unhealthy habits to cope and fill the void. When faced with various life challenges, we succumb to the difficulty and inevitably get waylaid from our path. We tend to worry and live in fear about what the future holds for us. That worry only wastes our time and energy. It does not solve anything.

The key is not to be affected by what is happening around us. We must remember the importance of focusing on the positiveas we face life’s challenges. Especially during these times of despair, we must work extra hard to keep the habits that will benefit us. Contrary to how we may feel, this is when we need to do the work to tap into our inner strength. We should develop the habit and skills to dig deep into the spiritual lesson hidden within each experience. We must find comfort and solace in tracing our way back to our normal state. How can we find comfort in times of hopelessness?

When we learn to control our thoughts, still the mind, and focus our attention on God through meditation, we can experience the light of God, which has the power to illuminate and transform our lives. We are then bathed in joy and bliss that eclipse any pain we may experience in the outer world. As we have a direct experience of God in meditation, our faith in God is strengthened. We recognise God’s presence in our lives and realise that God always supports us. Anchored in God’s abiding love, we can walk through life without fear or worry.

Our most precious capital in this world is the time we have been given. Yet, we are surrounded by distractions, attractions, and enticement – thieves who compete for our time and deplete our precious capital. If we want to succeed in our goal, we must learn to develop filters that keep all distractions at bay to continue undeterred toward our spiritual goals.

It happens when, through regular meditation, we strengthen our connection with God, the all-knowing source of all happiness, joy, inner wisdom, love, calm, and bliss. The Creator knows our past, present, and future. When we connect with this divine Power through meditation, we partake of all the love and happiness already within us. This serves as a lifeline that pulls us out of a difficult situation. The key to navigating away from a state of hopelessness is to defocus our attention from our current state. We must redirect our attention to the infinite reservoir of joy and hope. When we experience God’s love in meditation, we are reassured that we are loved and protected. We simply have to tap into this love, and we can do that when we take the time to sit in silence and reach out to God.

A thought for today

A woman is as young as her knees

MARY QUANT

Sacred space

All this twaddle, the existence of God, atheism, determinism, liberation, societies, death, etc, are pieces of a chess game called language, and they are amusing only if one does not preoccupy oneself with ‘winning or losing this game of chess’.

Marcel Duchamp

Times Sport

- THE DREAM STAYS ALIVE FOR INDIA

- Ruthless SA exorcise SF ghosts with Afghanistan demolition

- ‘Finger spinners can still play a major role in white-ball cricket’

- Not a pitch you want to have a WC semifinal on: Trott

- SL head coach Silverwood resigns after poor T20 WC

- Bharat Army donates 250 SF tickets to local schools

- Scheduling of T20 WC under scanner

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- GALLERY

THE DREAM STAYS ALIVE FOR INDIA

Rohit’s 39-Ball 57, Surya’s 47 And Spinners Axar And Kuldeep’s Triple Strikes Fashion Crushing 68-Run Win Over England In Semifinal; Men In Blue Take On SA In Final

HITMAN SHOW: Rohit Sharma negotiated the vagaries of a tricky pitch to score a stylish half-century in the semifinal at Guyana

TIMES IN THE CARIBBEAN

Dwaipayan.Datta@timesgroup.com

Georgetown: The dream is within touching distance. The years of wait that grew longer and longer — and then went deep into the night on Thursday — is now a step away from being over. A lot has been told about India getting a few undue advantages here and there, but Rohit Sharma’s boys showed the world on Thursday that they probably didn’t need any of those. They are simply miles ahead of the pack.

It was this same England, one and half years ago in Adelaide, who thrashed India by 10 wickets with almost the same number of runs to chase down. This time they fell way short, as India braved the conditions to pull off a 68-run victory that will leave them mentally on top ahead of their final against South Africa in Barbados on Saturday. India scored 171-5 after being asked to bat first when the conditions were infinitely more difficult. The total was way over par on a pitch that had a lot in it for the bowlers. In reply, England folded for 103 in a mere 16.4 overs, with Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel and Jasprit Bumrah all causing major damage.

Bumrah and Axar broke the back of England within the Powerplay, getting the dangerous Jos Buttler and Phil Salt out, and the rest was just one way traffic. England didn’t have anything in their lineup which could make a match of this chase against the allround brilliance of this Indian bowling attack. The locals had stayed away from the game, the West Indies defeat and the decision to have a day game on a week-day were good enough to make them go about their lives instead of spending a day at the cricket ground. But there were a few thousand Indian fans who flew in from different parts of the world and they enjoyed every moment of this joy-ride which seemed like a marathon, courtesy, the rain.

The first innings took a record four hours to be bowled amidst the numerous stoppages and that halted India’s momentum significantly on a pitch that was as it is difficult to bat on. And when Virat Kohli failed again, getting bowled trying to hit a cross-batted shot, one felt that things might just get tough. But then, there was a Rohit Sharma.

The skipper knows this will probably be his last chance to win a limited-overs ICC trophy --both as a captain and as a player. There’s been an element of determination in every step that he has taken so far, and it wasn’t any different on Thursday. Rohit showed during the course of his 57 off 39 balls his incredible ability to alter his style, and yet be effective. He knew that the game that he played in St. Lucia against Australia wasn’t possible on this pitch, so he didn’t try to throw his hands at every ball. Here he played the waiting game and the odd loose ball was dealt with.

In Suryakumar Yadav, he got the absolute perfect man who could help him steady the ship through choppy waters without compromising on the speed of the boat. The two ran furiously and played the odd innovative shot against the likes of leggie Aadil Rashid (1-25), who used the conditions very well to keep the duo in check. It was Rashid’s perseverance that helped him get the wicket of Rohit, when he tried to despatch his googly out of the park.

For the innings to get a final surge of momentum, it was necessary for Surya to carry on. But the best batsman in T20 cricket too was done in by the slowness of the track and Jofra Archer’s change of pace, giving a catch at the deep.

But by then India had enough in the bag.

Axar Patel’s wickets of Jos Buttler, Moeen Ali and Jonny Bairstow crippled England during their chase of India’s 171-7 in Guyana in the second semifinal

Ruthless SA exorcise SF ghosts with Afghanistan demolition

PACE LIKE FIRE: Kagiso Rabada bowled a fiery spell to unsettle the Afghan batters on a challenging surface in the first semifinal at the Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba on Wednesday

Trinidad: A clinical South Africa skittled Afghanistan for 56 on their way to a comprehensive nine-wicket victory in the first T20 World Cup semifinal in Trinidad on Wednesday, sending the Proteas into their first-ever final. It was a first victory in eight short-format World Cup semifinals going back to 1992 for South Africa.

The perennial underachievers looked anything but as they ripped through the Afghan batting in less than 12 overs at Brian Lara Stadium to restrict their shellshocked opponents to their lowest-ever score in T20Is. South Africa’s batting has stut- tered at times during the tournament and Fazalhaq Farooqi bowled Quinton de Kock early, but Reeza Hendricks and skipper Aiden Markram got the Proteas to their target without further losses inside nine overs.

Afghanistan won the toss and chose to bat. Rahmanullah Gurbaz, the highest run-scorer in the tournament, and Ibrahim Zadran had been the mainstay of the Afghan batting with three century opening partnerships on their fairytale run to the last four.

Left-arm quick Marco Jansen (3/16) removed Gurbaz for a duck with just four runs on the board in the opening over, however, and returned in the third over to bowl Gulbadin Naib for nine. There was no respite from the other end as paceman Kagiso Rabada (2/14) found a nice line and length to bowl Zadran and Mohammad Nabi for a couple of runs apiece in the fourth over. The third quick Anrich Nortje (2/7) chipped in with a couple of wickets and left-arm wrist spinner Tabraiz Shamsi (3/6) mopped up the tail. PTI

Brief scores: South Africa 60 for 1 (Hendricks 29*, Farooqi 1-11) beat Afghanistan 56 (Shamsi 3-6, Jansen 3-16) by nine wickets.

‘Finger spinners can still play a major role in white-ball cricket’

Roger Harper, Former WI Off-Spinner, Tells TOI Why It Is Important For Offies To Adapt To Different Situations

Dwaipayan.Datta@timesgroup.com

Georgetown: It wasn’t easy to be a spinner in the West Indies when Roger Harper played his cricket. Those were the days of the famous pace quartet. The tall off-spinner from Guyana was seen more as a restrictive option. But he was more than effective, especially in ODIs where he got 99 wickets at an economy-rate of a phenomenal 3.97.

In a chat with TOI, Harper spoke about the role of spinners in modern-day cricket, his admiration for Kuldeep Yadav and a lot more besides. Excerpts...

How do you see the role of spinners in the T20 World Cup till now?

Some of the pitches have turned a bit and the spinners have been able to make an impact. Some of the boundaries have been slightly bigger as well and the batsmen have not been able to dominate all the time, which I think has been a welcome relief.

What do you think about the Indian spin-attack, and more specifically Kuldeep Yadav?

I think they have come here with the idea that they will have to play against a lot of right-handers. So they have taken three left-arm spinners in the playing XI. But they have been able to make an impact. As for Kuldeep, he is a left-arm wrist-spinner and there is a little bit of mystery about him. Batsmen find it difficult to read him. The fact that he is a left-armer helps him create more challenges and he can be a wicket-taker at times.

You were a top finger-spinner yourself. Do you think the role of finger spinners is diminishing in white-ball cricket?

The role of the finger-spinner is often to come in the middle of the innings, stop the runs and take wickets. Wrist-spinners provide more difficulty because they can probably be a little harder to read. But finger-spinners have bowled well in this World Cup, with Roston Chase of the West Indies being one of them. The finger-spinner still has a significant role to play, provided he knows how to adapt to different situations and bowl accordingly.

Who according to you is the best white-ball spinner at the moment?

Probably Rashid Khan. He has proven time and time again that he has the ability to take wickets. Batsmen sometimes get a hold of him, but he is difficult to hit and he takes wick- ets. So, he has to be up there.

You played at a time when the West Indies pace quartet ruled the roost. How does it feel now to see spinners opening the attack for West Indies?

Firstly, I keep emotion out of it and see how conditions are and what can be done accordingly. In this World Cup, spinners are proving very successful at the top of the order, somebody like an Aiden Markram, who is a part-timer, bowls four overs at the top of the innings. It is about conditions, situations, and I am happy that spinners are playing a very big role. And don’t forget this is not Test cricket. I don’t think West Indies open too often with spin in Tests, unless they are playing on absolute turners.

Who according to you was the best-ever player of spin?

I always felt Sunil Gavaskar looked very broad but Javed Miandad was brilliant too. He had the ability to nudge the ball and find the single. Javed Miandad too was really challenging to bowl to.

What do you think of the modern-day trend of dishing out big turners in Tests, where it spins from ball one? Is the art of playing spin taking a beating?

Back in our day too, there were pitches where the ball turned pretty early. What is more important is that the bounce has to be consistent so that it is a fair challenge between bat and ball. Now the approach has changed. Years ago the focus was about occupying the crease and accumulating runs. Some of the highly-skilled players could not score that fast. These days the urgency is to keep the scoreboard ticking, but having said that, some of the shots the England players played in India during the Tests a couple of months ago were horrendous. The mental attitude about playing spin has changed.

How do you compare the two great modern-day offies Nathan Lyon and R Ashwin?

Both have more than 500 Test wickets... I wouldn’t want to say who is the better bowler. They are different and I admire both of them. Lyon is more the orthodox off-spinner who will plug away and bowl consistently, get turn and bounce and vary his pace. Ashwin spins the ball as well and gets turn and his carrom ball adds mystery and intrigue. Both have the ability to bowl long spells and can get on top of a team and run through the batting lineups.

Not a pitch you want to have a WC semifinal on: Trott

Tarouba (Trinidad): Afghanistan coach Jonathan Trott has lambasted the pitch that was used for the semifinal against South Africa here, asserting that it was unfit for a contest of such magnitude. The pitch, which offered lateral seam movement and inconsistent bounce, was a nightmare for batters as Afghanistan were bowled out for 56, the lowest score in a T20 World Cup semifinal at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy stadium here. Even though South Africa chased down the target in 8.5 overs, their batters too struggled.

“I don’t want to get myself into trouble and I don’t want to come across as bitter or it being a case of sour grapes but that’s not the pitch that you want to have a match, a semifinal of a World Cup on, plain and simple,” Trott said. The former England batter said the pitch took batting completely out of the game. “It should be a fair contest. I’m not saying it should be flat completely with no spin and no seam movement, I’m saying you shouldn’t have batsmen worrying about going forward,” he explained. “They should be confident in foot movement and be able to hit through the line or use their skills. T20 is about attacking and about scoring runs and taking wickets, not looking to survive.”

Throughout the tournament, the venue offered swing and seam to pacers and turn to the spinners. Tarouba hosted five World Cup games and only once did a team batting first cross the 100-run mark. It was done by the West Indies with a total of 149/6 against New Zealand which was successfully defended by the co-hosts. PTI

SL head coach Silverwood resigns after poor T20 WC

CHRIS SILVERWOOD

Colombo: Sri Lanka’s head coach Chris Silverwood on Thursday stepped down from the role following the team’s dismal outing in the ongoing T20 World Cup, the SLC announced.

Former captain Mahela Jayawardene had resigned from the post of the consultant coach on Wednesday.

“Being an international coach means long periods away from loved ones. After lengthy conversations with my family and with a heavy heart, I feel it is now time for me to return home (England) and spend some quality time together,” and seven ODIs for England as a pacer, said in his statement.

“It has been a real honour for me to be part of Sri Lanka Cricket and I will be taking away many fond memories,” added Silverwood.

During Silverwood’s tenure, Lanka won the T20 Asia Cup in 2022 and also reached the final of the 50-over Asia Cup last year, in which they lost to India.

The SLC has already started the process of finding a new head coach. AGENCIES

Bharat Army donates 250 SF tickets to local schools

Gaurav.Gupta@timesgroup.com

Mumbai: In a noble gesture, Bharat Army, a prominent global group of Indian cricket supporters, decided to donate upto 250 tickets of the India versus England T20 World Cup semifinal at Georgetown, Guyana on Thursday to the local schools in the Georgetown community, as many of the group’s members were not be able to make it to the venue for the big match due to “logistical reasons”.

“Due to a number of logistical challenges, mainly shortage of flights and hotels, we were left with a number of disappointed fans who were not able to attend the India versus England T20 World Cup semifinal in Guyana. As a result, we as the Bharat Army decided to donate almost 250 tickets for today’s match to the local schools in the Georgetown community, so the tickets could be at least utilised for the big game and the local children were able to experience the World Cup,” Rakesh Patel, the founder of the Bharat Army, told TOI on Thursday.

Scheduling of T20 WC under scanner

Vaughan Says Event ‘Set Up For India’, Pleads For ICC To Be Fairer

Dwaipayan.Datta@timesgroup.com

Georgetown: The wait kept getting longer. The world’s eyes were on the weather radar and as the clouds seemed to keep moving away, the smiles were back on the faces of the fans who have been trooping into Guyana from across the United States and other parts of the world. The toss got delayed, the super-soppers were on, but nothing mattered more than the hot sun that was burning in full glory after morning showers.

But as the teams got on to the field and started to prepare themselves for a long day, quite a few questions about how the tournament has been scheduled surfaced.

To start with, there is no reserve day between games in the knock-out stage, which is beyond belief for anybody who is associated with cricket in this part of the world. To compensate for that, the rule of the tournament was amended at the 11th hour, with two days to go for the match, allowing four hours of extra time.

Pakistan, who had been knocked out in Lauderdale because their game could not be started despite a hot sun blazing through the day, are justified to ask a few questions after rules got amended before the semis.

While that’s one issue, the fact that India knew way before the World Cup started that their semifinal would be played in Guyana has also come up for discussion. India captain Rohit Sharma tried to shut it down saying that “it’s the same for all teams” and that “England have enough experience of playing in these conditions”, the theory that India got a bit of unfair advantage cannot be disputed.

Former England captain Michael Vaughan didn’t mince his words when he said that the T20 World Cup is “purely set up for India” and ICC should have been a bit more “fairer” to other countries because this is not a bilateral event. “Well, it’s their tournament isn’t it? Literally it’s that. You know that. They get to play whenever they want, they know where their semifinal is, they play every single game in the morning so people can watch them at night, obviously in India on tv,” Vaughan said during a podcast with Australian great Adam Gilchrist on the YouTube channel Club Prairie Fire.

The Ashes-winning captain feels it is purely the financial might of Indian cricket that has led to such a situation. “I get that money is a big play, and I get that in bilateral series but when you get to a World Cup, the ICC should be a little bit fairer to everybody. There can’t be sympathy or any kind of sway towards one team and this tournament is purely set up for India,” Vaughan said.

GEORGIA ON MY MIND

Underdogs’ Fairytale Continues... As Faltering Stars And Cheeky Upstarts Prepare For Battle In Last 16

Gelsenkirchen: Euro 2024’s last 16 match-ups were confirmed on Wednesday night after Georgia snatched a spot in the knockout stage for the first time in their history.

Italy head into Saturday’s clash with Switzerland in Berlin still a work in progress after scraping into second place seconds before the end of their final Group B game with Croatia. The defending champions will be wary of the Swiss, showed in their 1-1 draw with Germany that they are perfectly capable of giving the big boys a bloody nose.

Revitalised under Julian Nagelsmann, Germany have been alongside Spain the best team of the group stage and will rightly be considered favourites against Denmark, who laboured to second place in the dismal Group C behind England.

Denmark coach Kasper Hjulmand said that his team always “step up” when facing the big nations but Germany will also have the backing of Dortmund’s famous Westfalenstadion on Saturday as they seek a recordbreaking fourth Euros title.

England have had a soft landing against Slovakia on Sunday after topping Group C despite putting in three hugely disappointing displays against middling opposition.

Coach Gareth Southgate was pelted with plastic cups by frustrated fans after Tuesday’s goalless draw with Slovenia and performances will have to pick up if his team are to live up to their billing as one of the pretournament favourites.

Luis de la Fuente’s side have been the most impressive team of the tournament so far after breezing through the supposedly tough Group B with a perfect nine points and a statement win over the Italians.

With almost their entire first XI, including star wingers Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams, rested in Monday’s 1-0 win over Albania, anything other than straightforward passage into the quarters for Spain would be a massive shock in Cologne on Sunday. However Georgia are this tournament’s fairytale and showed by beating Portugal on Wednesday they can spring an upset.

Possibly the most intriguing tie of the round sees two big teams yet to hit form face off in Duesseldorf on Monday. France were unimpressive in qualifying in second place from Group D. Kylian Mbappe is the only player in Didier Deschamps’ side to score a goal and that strike came from the penalty spot in a 1-1 draw with already-eliminated Poland. Belgium meanwhile have played well in bursts but were barracked by fans in Stuttgart on Wednesday after a safety-first approach against Ukraine saw them edge into the last 16 from Group E.

AFP

Crescent Stars over the moon after proving critics wrong

TURKIYE’S HAKAN CALHANOGLU WILL MISS THE AUSTRIA MATCH

Hamburg: Turkiye coach Vincenzo Montella said his team showed that criticism of their Euro 2024 performances was unfair by defeating the Czech Republic 2-1 on Wednesday to reach the last 16.

Montella’s side earned a tense victory over the 10-man Czechs to reach the knockout phase of a major tournament for the first time since a run to the Euro 2008 semi-finals.

Turkiye, who have been roared on by vociferous support in Germany, had struggled in a 3-0 loss to Portugal last time out to put their hopes of qualifying from Group F in peril. “We are always focused and hard-working, we deserve this qualification,” said Italian Montella.

“We have suffered some criticism that was not deserved, and we overcame that.

“I’m used to pressure, I don’t mind it, but I don’t like when pressure is put on my players.”

Turkiye will next face Austria in Leipzig on Tuesday for a place in the quarterfinals.

The Crescent Stars have made the semis on the last two occasions they reached the knockouts in major tournaments, after finishing third at the 2002 World Cup.

“Now we have new goals,” accepted Montella. “Tonight we just want to celebrate, we deserve it, great sacrifice. But starting tomorrow, we want to continue to make history.”

Turkiye knew a draw would be enough against the Czechs in Hamburg to go through, but struggled to put the game to bed despite having a man advantage for more than 70 minutes after Antonin Barak was sent off. Hakan Calhanoglu gave them the lead before Tomas Soucek gave the Czech Republic hope of snatching the win they needed to knock Turkey out. But Cenk Tosun finally finished off the match with an injury-time winner on the counter-attack.

“We played well, we did not exploit one more man enough,” Montella said. “When we took the lead, we conceded a goal... We’ve suffered pressure in the last few days and the team is very young.”

AFP

Paraguay loom as Brazil yet to find cutting edge

Las Vegas: Brazil face Paraguay in their Copa America Group D match in Las Vegas on Saturday (IST) after a disappointing goalless draw against lowly Costa Rica in their opener left the five-times World Cup winners questioning how to sharpen their cutting edge.

A wasteful Brazil side dominated possession but were clueless on how to beat an ultra-defensive Costa Rica playing with a back five. Just three of their 19 shots were on target. Paraguay, who lost 2-1 to Colom- bia in their first game, are expected to use a similar defensive game plan to Costa Rica. That will pose another challenge for Brazil’s 62-yearold manager Dorival Jr who will have to find answers on how his side can break deadlocks and be more precise in front of goal.

Attacking midfielder Lucas Paqueta, one of Brazil’s most active players against Costa Rica with five shots that missed the target and one that hit the post, believes their problem is more mental than tactical.

He thinks Brazil need patience.

There was a general impression that Dorival was ready to hand rising star Vinicius Jr a key role after the winger’s brilliant season with Real Madrid. But the 23-year-old was a shadow of the electric winger who helped Real win a Champions League/LaLiga double and he was taken off after 70 minutes.

The frustration was such that even Brazil captain Danilo, known as a cool-headed and composed personality on and off the pitch, lost his temper and had to be restrained by team mates for confronting a fan in the stands after full time.

“We can’t keep making excuses. It was a draw that tasted like defeat for us, so we have to improve, no excuses,” forward Rodrygo said.

Venezuela into quarters after Mexico defeat; Jamaica out

Los Angeles: Venezuela booked their place in the quarterfinals of the Copa America on Wednesday with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Mexico that ensured Jamaica’s elimination from the tournament.

Mexico-based veteran striker Salomon Rondon stroked in the only goal from the penalty spot to seal all three points for Venezuela, who are top of Group B with six points from two games.

Mexico, meanwhile, can still qualify for the knockout rounds with a victory over Ecuador in their final group game on Sunday.

Mexico’s Orbelin Pineda missed an 87th-minute spot kick that would have made it 1-1, his effort parried away by Venezuela goalkeeper Rafael Romo.

Venezuela’s win confirmed Jamaica’s exit from the tournament following their 3-1 loss to Ecuador in Las Vegas earlier on Wednesday.

Ecuador held off a spirited second-half rally by the Reggae Boyz to claim three points at the Allegiant Stadium. The South Americans looked to be cruising to victory after taking a 2-0 lead following a Kasey Palmer own goal and a penalty from Chelsea-bound teenager Kendry Paez. However, Jamaica pulled a goal back from veteran striker Michail Antonio and then had strong claims for a penalty rejected 15 minutes before full-time.

Coach Sagnol, the French connection

Tbilisi/Hamburg: Eighteen years ago, an intelligent 29-year-old French defender called Willy Sagnol helped shackle Cristiano Ronaldo in a World Cup semi-final victory for Les Bleus over Portugal.

On Wednesday, Sagnol relived the battle with Ronaldo’s Portugal, this time as coach of Georgia in their first major international tournament, and won again.

The Portuguese wizard was frustrated at every turn, kicking a water-bottle when substituted, as the now 47-year-old Sagnol masterminded Georgia’s greatest sporting triumph since 1991 independence from the Soviet Union. “It’s still a bit difficult to realise what we have done,” said a stunnedlooking Sagnol, who took over Georgia at a low ebb in early 2021 when they had failed to qualify for the previous Euros and the Covid pandemic was raging. “When we go back to our homes and holidays, I think we are going to realise at this time exactly what we have done,” he added.

Before home and holidays, however, is the small matter of Sunday’s last-16 clash with Spain. Whatever the result, though, Sagnol and his men are heroes for Georgia’s 3.7 million people, tens of thousands of whom have come to Germany in a noisy red-and-white army. Qualification for the Euros in March had already sparked one of the biggest parties in Georgia’s history. But that was more than matched by the delirious scenes in capital Tbilisi and elsewhere as Georgians celebrated the win over Portugal into the early hours of Thursday.

Sagnol, who used to play for Bayern Munich, has moulded Georgia with a distinctive playing style perhaps reflecting his own roots as a defender and a recognition that his players do not have the pedigree of most others.

They are the lowest-ranked team at the tournament, 68 places below Portugal. Georgia focus first on being very hard to break down, sitting deep and defending en masse. But then they break fast, using the speed of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and aggression of Georges Mikautadze, both of whom scored against Portugal.

Sagnol’s leadership is just the latest French connection. Many Georgian dissidents fled to France after the 1921 Soviet invasion ended a brief independence. President Salome Zourabichvili is a French-born descendant of those emigres who initially came back to Georgia as an ambassador for Paris. Striker Mikautadze whose first name is spelt the French Georges not the Georgian Giorgi was born in Lyon and plays for Metz.

REUTERS

RONALDO AVOIDS BEING HIT BY FAN WHO JUMPED FROM THE CROWD

Duesseldorf: Cristiano Ronaldo narrowly avoided being hit by a fan who jumped from the crowd to get close to the soccer star when Portugal played Georgia at the European Championship on Wednesday.

A video widely circulated on social media shows someone leaping over the top of the players’ tunnel at the Veltins Arena in Gelsenkirchen as Ronaldo headed to the locker room. A safety steward rushed to shield the former Real Madrid and Manchester United star and other security staff raced toward the fan, who fell away out of sight.

A bemused-looking Ronaldo stopped, but appeared to be unharmed.

REMEMBER THE NAME IANIS: HAGI JUNIOR IS MAKING HIS OWN NAME

Frankfurt: Ianis Hagi has long had to live with comparisons to his father, one of Romania’s greatest ever players Gheorghe Hagi, but at the Euros here, he has the chance to make a name for himself.

The 25-year-old attacking midfielder was influential in earning Romania passage to the last 16. Romania now face Netherlands, providing the potential for a run similar to the one engineered by his father, whose brilliance led Romania to the 1994 World Cup quarterfinals, where they were edged out by Sweden.

Thirty years ago Gheorghe was coached by Anghel Iordanescu, and Ianis is working under tactician Edward Iordanescu, the son of Anghel. “We had the objective of taking people onto the streets, to be proud of this generation, our team,” Ianis Hagi said.

EURO 2024: THE STORY SO FAR

As it hits the knockout stage, after 36 games in 13 days across 10 German cities, it’s time to look back at what went by. Winger Lamine Yamal made history by becoming the youngest player in Euro history against Croatia, while forward Alvaro Morata is now the joint-third top scorer overall in the tournament after notching his seventh goal in the same game.

MIRABAI SETS MARKER FOR PARIS OLYMPICS

Chanu Looking To Lift 90kg In Snatch, Around 120kg In Clean & Jerk

MIRABAI CHANU

Sabi.Hussain@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: Injury-hit Mirabai Chanu is all set to push the weight envelope at the Paris Olympics next month. Admitting that she has reached “85 percent” of her performance after recovering from hip tendonitis that she suffered during her fourth-place finish at the Hangzhou Asian Games, the Tokyo Olympics silver medallist has set herself a target of lifting a record 90kg in snatch and somewhere closer to 120kg in clean and jerk in Paris to become the first Indian weightlifter to win two Summer Games medals.

“The injury is fine now. I have recovered from that but I am going slow in my training. I am lifting 80-85 percent in repetitions and not going for 100 percent till the Olympics. My best in snatch is 88kg and 119kg in clean and jerk. In Paris, I’ll target 90kg-plus in snatch and also somewhere closer to my best in clean & jerk. Right now, I am going gradually and lifting 70-80kgs in snatch and 100-110kgs in clean & jerk. I will try to give my best performance in Paris but can’t predict the colour of the medal,” said Mirabai, who will be competing in her preferred women’s 49kg class.

In weightlifting, India will have sole representation in Mirabai with no other lifters qualifying for the Games. The 30-year-old Manipuri weightlifter insisted that her success at the Games will depend on how well she manages to keep herself injury free. By her own admission, Paris will pose an arduous challenge as the “competition is going to be very tough”.

“I learnt a lot after the injury… how to keep myself safe because injuries can happen anytime. We need to follow the instructions of the coaches, adopt the right technique, rest and exercise properly, and how to build your muscles. I have started to understand my body and you can’t push it beyond a certain limit. Injuries can happen anytime. It was a difficult phase and there were selfdoubts. I am happy to make a comeback,” said Mirabai, who returned to competition after a six-month long injury layoff following her participation at the Phuket World Cup in April where she lifted a total of 184kgs (81kg in snatch and 103kg in clean & jerk).

To have success in Paris, Mirabai will have to target a total lift of 200kg- plus to stand a chance to win her second Olympics medal. “Pressure will be there. The competition is going to be very tough. I’ll try to give my best,” added the former world champion.

EX-REAL MADRID CAPTAIN NACHO JOINS SAUDI CLUB AL-QADSIAH

NACHO

Donaueschingend: Former Real Madrid captain Nacho Fernandez has signed for Saudi Arabian team Al Qadsiah, penning the two-year contract while at the European Championship with Spain.

Newly promoted Al Qadsiah announced Nacho had joined as a free agent on Thursday — three days before Spain’s round of 16 match against surprise package Georgia — after the deal was signed in Düsseldorf.

Nacho was in Madrid for more than two decades after joining the club’s youth academy in 2001. Madrid announced on Tuesday that the 34-year-old was leaving. AP

Haryana’s Kiran books Paris berth

KIRAN

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Panchkula: Haryana’s Kiran Pahal booked her berth for the Paris Olympics after achieving the Games qualification mark in the women’s 400m race, clocking an impressive 50.92 seconds on the opening day of the 63rd National InterState Senior Athletics meet here on Thursday.

The qualification mark for Paris was 50.95s in the event.

With her performance, Kiran has emerged as the second fastest Indian female 400m runner of all time. Hima Das holds the national record of 50.79s which she had achieved in 2018. Kiran is the first Indian female quartermiler to have qualified for the Olympics after a gap of eight years since Nirmal Sheoran (Haryana) featured at the 2016 Rio Games.

Kiran clocked this time in the semifinal. The final sched- uled for Friday at the Tau Devilal stadium will be an exciting affair as she plans to race faster than her semis time.

“I will do better in the medal round,” she said. She had clocked 52.33s in her preliminary round. Subha V of Tamil Nadu topped the first semis with a time of 53.08s while Deepanshi of Haryana won the third semis with a time of 52.12s.

In another event, Asian Games medallist Gulveer Singh of Uttar Pradesh clocked 13:34.67s in the men’s 5,000m to improve his meet record of 13:43.23s set last year in Bhubaneswar. The men’s 400m final will also be a mouth-watering contest as all top 400m runners advanced to the medal round. Muhammed Anas of Kerala was the fastest in the semis with a time of 45.76s.

RESULTS

Men: 5000m: Gulveer Singh (Uttar Pradesh) 13:34.67s (MR), Sunil Dawar (Madhya Pradesh) 14:02.75s, Gagan Singh (Haryana) 14:05.66s

Women: 5,000m: Ankita (Uttarakhand) 16:10.37s, Seema (Himachal Pradesh) 16:12.27s, Sanjivani Jadhav (Maharashtra) 16.32.35s; Hammer throw: Manju Bala (Rajasthan) 63.66m, Harshita Sherawat (Delhi) 62.20m, Tanya Chaudhary (Uttar Pradesh) 61.57m.

Emma saves match point, in quarters

Eastbourne: Emma Raducanu saved a match point before beating second-seeded Jessica Pegula 4-6, 7-6 (6), 7-5 to reach the quarterfinals of the grass-court Eastbourne International.

The 2021 US Open champion was 6-5 down in the second-set tiebreaker before coming back to record her first win against a top-10 opponent. Pegula is ranked No. 5.

The 21-year-old British player won when Pegula’s forehand from the back of the court went wide. A relieved Raducanu dropped her racket and placed her head in her hands before waving to the home crowd.

Saudi pushes equal pay: Saudi Arabia said on Wednesday it wanted to “send a strong message” about equal pay in men’s and women’s tennis when it hosts the women’s tour finals in Nov . The Women’s Tennis Association announced in April that Riyadh would host the next three editions of the tour finals featuring the top eight singles players and doubles teams.

Muguruza named tournament director of WTA Finals: Former Wimbledon and French Open champion Garbine Muguruza has been named the WTA Finals’ tournament director, making her the first ex-player to take the helm of the seasonender which will be held in Riyadh from this year.

Muguruza will work with the WTA, the Saudi Tennis Federation and ministry of sport on strategic planning and delivery, as well as helping grow the profile of tennis in the Middle East. AGENCIES

Max to stick with Red Bull in 2025

VERSTAPPEN

Spielberg: Three-time defending Formula One champion Max Verstappen dispelled any lingering doubts about his immediate future by saying he will remain at Red Bull next season.

Verstappen spoke Thursday at a press conference before the Austrian Grand Prix and after being asked a third time if he would publicly commit to Red Bull finally replied “OK, yes.”

“I mean, we’re already also working on next year’s car,” the Dutch driver said. “I think when you’re very focused on that, that means that you’re also driving for the team.”

Verstappen has a contract with Red Bull through 2028, but Lewis Hamilton’s vacant seat at Mercedes come 2025 has spawned speculation about the Ger- man team attempting to lure Verstappen away. Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said earlier this year that he’d “love” to have Verstappen as a driver.

“Of course, people are talking, but it’s most important just that we have a very competitive car for the future,” Verstappen said. “And for sure, I said this already with the team, we are working and focusing also on next year to try and be competitive again.” AP

Prez address hints reduced tally may not inhibit BJP

Foreign diplomats leave after witnessing the Prez’s address on Thursday

Continued from P 1

Curiosity about the Budget has been heightened by the estimate in political quarters that govt might come up with measures which may help alleviate the grudges behind BJP’s lower-than-expected seats tally. In any case, despite being in a good fiscal spot, govt had held off on coming out with schemes for specific sections in the interim budget. It is expected to make good for the restraint in the coming Budget, besides having reachouts to sections like women.

Murmu’s address was marked by confidence and an effort to amplify the message that BJP’s reduced numbers will not be a deterrent in its pursuit of bold measures.

The Prez cited the favourable environment for India and underlined the need for lawmakers to fulfil their responsibilities so that the country can harness its potential. She listed out the achievements of the Modi govt during its first two terms — from an average 8% GDP growth during the last three years to India emerging as the fifth largest economy and record profits by State Bank of India — despite challenges posed by Covid and geopolitical tension in Ukraine and West Asia.

“With the reforms that have taken place in the last 10 years and the new confidence that has been infused in the country, we have gained a new momentum to make India a developed na- tion. We all need to always remember that making India a developed nation is the aspiration and resolve of every citizen of the country. All of us are responsible for ensuring that no obstacles come in the way of achieving this resolution,” the Prez said at a time when BJP, while leading a coalition govt after 10 years, will need numbers in Parliament to ensure passage of key bills.

Govt has lined up several legislations, from amendments to the Constitution for one nation-one election to strengthening the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code and decriminalising several laws.

Murmu also reflected govt’s grouse over what it considers baseless propaganda by the opposition, especially Congress, that the Modi govt has undermined the public sector and that GST, dubbed “Gabbar Singh Tax” by the party, was an extortionist device.

“Many such reforms have taken place in the last 10 years which are greatly benefiting the nation today. Even when these reforms were being taken up, they were opposed and attempts were made to spread negativity. But all these reforms have stood the test of time,” she said while listing out the clean-up of banks, revitalising Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd and GST.

She also argued for healthy competition between states to attract investment and said the Centre would seek to push ahead with their development.

CBI NEET probe team in Hazaribag collects CCTV footage, seizes a laptop and 2 mobiles

 Continued from P 1

The CBI team in Hazaribag collected CCTV footage and confiscated a laptop and two mobile phones belonging to the detained principal of Oasis School, Ehsanul Haque. Sheaves of documents and 15 pen drives were seized from the campus. Forensic experts scanned an SBI bank branch in Hazaribag whose strongroom was used to keep NEET-UG question papers. The arrests in Patna came four days after CBI took over the case from the Economic Offences Unit (EOU) of Bihar, which had unearthed a trail that led to Jharkhand and UP, among other states.

The duo, Manish Prakash and Ashutosh Kumar, told interrogators that they were tasked with destroying the leaked question papers after the examinees left with their handlers on the morning of the test. Two others arrested by EOU — Baldev Kumar, alias Chintu, and Mukesh Kumar — were remanded in CBI custody after being brought from Beur Jail for interrogation by the agency. Chintu is a relative of Sanjiv Mukhiya, the alleged mastermind of the paper leak.

CBI has also sought custody of four men arrested in Gujarat’s Godhra – Purshottam Sharma, Arif Vahora, Vibhor Anand and Tushar Bhatt — after a NEET-UG paper leak was reported there. Sharma is the principal of Jay Jalaram School in Godhra, where the alleged exam malpractice occurred. Bhatt is a teacher in the same school.

Bihar suspect Ashutosh and his family are tenants in a building at Khemnichak in Patna that was used as a safe house. The building's owner, Prabhat Ranjan alias Prabhat Mukhiya, is a resident of Daniawan in Patna district, officials said.

On May 4, Manish escorted 20-25 students to the building, where they received leaked question papers and answer keys for which their parents had purportedly paid Rs 30-40 lakh each. Prabhat, Manish and Ashutosh are from neighbouring village. Prabhat's wife served two terms as mukhiya of Bankipur Machhariyawan panchayat, while he was a panchayat samiti member and block head.

Ashutosh lives on the first floor of the building, which also houses a playschool, with his wife, children and parents. An elderly woman and her daughter used to live on the ground floor, which they vacated on May 1, sources said. Prabhat said he had no idea about what his tenant was involved in. “I received information about the paper leak from a neighbour on May 6. He told me that police had raided my house and that the NEET-UG paper was leaked from there. I called Ashutosh immediately. He claimed to be travelling to Jamshedpur,” he told TOI. “I knew Ashutosh as a property dealer, while Manish worked as an insurance agent.”

When Ranjan visited Patna on May 7 and met both, they ostensibly admitted to “making a mistake”. “I will cooperate with the investigation. In my opinion, Ashutosh is 100% guilty. He should have called me, but he didn't. CBI came to me on June 25 for an inquiry and later called me to their Patna office on June 26,” Ranjan said.

(With inputs from Mumbai & Vadodara)

A village where Duryodhan’s a benign deity, is called ‘grandpa’

The thandaper (land deed) number and survey details show the temple land is owned by Duryodhan. Ever since taxes were introduced in Kerala, this land tax has been paid in his name, a local administrator said

 Continued from P 1

At the Peruviruthy Malanada temple, the daily offering of toddy to Duryodhan, who’s not represented by an idol in the temple but by a polished mace, the Kaurav prince’s weapon of choice. In Mahabharat, he’s the man who hoots with delight as he orders Draupadi disrobed, the prince who plotted to steal the kingdom that rightfully belonged to the good guys — Pandavs. But in this village, he’s a benign, protective deity. Villagers call him ‘appoopa’ (grandpa).

That sharp departure from Mahabharat’s narrative treatment of Duryodhan, the fact that there’s no idol and the votive offering of toddy are simi- lar to other non-Vedic practices in many southern temples. Villagers have a more interesting take on the toddy offering — a tipple keeps the deity in a mild and cheerful mood, they say.

As for those taxes Duryodhan pays diligently, it will be wise to first point out that the tax is not on the temple’s income — all temples are tax free in India. The levy is on the 15 acres of temple land at the Poruvazhy village surrounding the temple.

“When the pattayam was issued for the temple, the land was registered in the deity’s name. The thandaper (land deed) number and survey details show the land is owned by Duryodhan. Ever since taxes were introduced in Kerala, this land tax has been paid in Duryodhan’s name,” a local administrator said. Of the 15 acres of temple land, eight acres are paddy fields, the rest is forested land, said temple committee secretary Rajaneesh R.

When in Puruvazhy, don’t diss Duryodhan.

Thompson-Herah to miss Paris Olympics

THOMPSON-HERAH

Mexico City: Double Olympic sprint champion Elaine Thompson-Herah has withdrawn from the Jamaican trials due to an Achilles injury and will not defend her 100m and 200m titles at the Paris Games in August.

The Jamaican, who will celebrate her 32nd birthday on Friday, is one of the greatest sprinters of all time and was the first woman to win a back-to-back Olympic sprint double when she retained both titles in Tokyo three years ago.

Thompson-Herah last competed in the 200m in April 2023 and sustained the injury during the 100m at the New York Grand Prix earlier this month as she finished in 11.48 seconds.

“It’s never fun sharing news like this but at the New York Grand Prix, I felt something in the race and still insist to push, couple steps to the line I realise something is really wrong,” she wrote in an Instagram post. AGENCIES

GALLERY

Three Indians in semifinals of Asian jr squash

Islamabad: India’s Shiven Agarwal, Aadya Budhia and Gowshika M moved into the semifinals of their respective age groups at the 31st Asian Junior Individual Squash Championships here on Thursday. Agarwal beat local challenger Abdul Ahad Butt 11-4, 11-7, 11-5 in the boys’ U-15 quarterfinals, while Aadya and Gowshika put it past Mahnoor Ali (Pakistan) 11-4, 11-8, 6-11, 11-6 and Makaela Lin Cassidy (Hong Kong) 11-8, 11-9, 11-8 in the girls’ U-13 section.

Gukesh wins game in Bucharest: Indian GM D Gukesh started off on a positive note, beating Deac Bogdan-Daniel of Romania in the first round of the Superbet Classic chess tournament. In another game, R Praggnanandhaa tried hard but had to settle for a draw against Nodirbek Abdusattorov of Uzbekistan.

Rahane joins English county Leicestershire: Ajinkya Rahane has signed with English county side Leicestershire for the second half of the ongoing season, the club announced on Thursday. He will be featuring in the team’s final five games of the County Championship and the One Day Cup. AGENCIES

Booster shines: Booster Shot, Rasputin, Big Red, Duke of Tuscany and Maigira shone well during the try-outs at Bangalore. Outer-sand: 600m: Booster Shot (Antony Raj) 44secs: shone well. Rasputin (Antony) 45secs: on the bit. Big Red (Antony) 45secs: fully in hands. Duke of Tuscany (Rb) and Maigira (Deepak) 44secs: both moved neck and neck. TNN

ACTION TODAY

CRICKET: India Women vs South Africa, only Test, 9.30 am (Jiocinema)

Delhi Times

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- HEY BABY!

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- DID YOU KNOW?

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‘WE’RE AN INSENSITIVE SOCIETY, GIVING TRASH TO OUR KIDS AS ENTERTAINMENT’

Reels, apps, yeh toh sirf ek zariya hai logon tak pahuchne ke liye. Once they get hooked to it, they will eventually come back for a deeper engagement – Vishal Bhardwaj

REKHA & VISHAL BHARDWAJ

Chandrima Pal

For the World Music Day concert in Kolkata, multi-hyphenate power couple Rekha and Vishal Bhardwaj took time off from their hectic schedule and many interactions with fellow artistes and filmmakers to speak to us. In a cosy room with a piano, family portraits and antiques, the duo shared their views on cinema, poetry, music and more. There is considerable excitement around music and musicians being discovered on digital platforms. You have collaborated with some of them as well. Some argue that social media has no scope for a deeper engagement with music. What is your take on it? Vishal Bhardwaj: I don’t mind using any means to reach out to as many people as possible with my work. That’s how you sell profound and aesthetic ideas like literature and music. It is like meethi dawai.

CONTINUED ON 8

KATY PERRY ANNOUNCES SONG WITH A 500- FOOT DRESS

Katy Perry just announced her new single, Woman’s World. While fans anticipate the earworm, it was Katy’s latest photo op at Paris Haute Couture Week that stole the spotlight. The singer rocked a oneshouldered red dress with a 500-foot train featuring lyrics from the song including “It’s a woman’s world and you’re lucky to be living in it”

BUZZ STOP

ADITI RAO HYDARI SLAMS HEATHROW AIRPORT FOR LUGGAGE DELAY

Aditi Rao Hydari recently took to Instagram to share her ordeal after her luggage went missing for hours at Heathrow Airport in UK. The actress wrote, “32 hours and ticking, Heathrow Airport shows zero accountability and is conveniently MIA... I’m not one to go down without a fight for justice! So can you free our bags! ASAP! I have a conference to attend, and the essentials I’ll need for it will not meet your criteria for essentials.” Agencies

Amp up salads with croutons

Croutons, those delightful toasted bread cubes, are more than just a salad topper. They add a burst of texture and flavour, elevating your simple greens into a delightful symphony of taste.

Tomato salad

Use cubed French bread baked with olive oil. If your salad has vinaigrette, add a few tablespoons of dressing to the croutons before baking. Crumble the croutons over the finished salad instead of adding them whole.

Tips to incorporate croutons in your basic salad:

● When incorporating croutons, consider the salad’s overall flavour profile. Opt for garlic croutons that complement the savoury dressing. Paired with a creamy ranch, focaccia croutons with a hint of rosemary add a great herbal touch

● Try adding them halfway through tossing to prevent them from becoming soggy. Leftover croutons can even be crushed and used as a flavourful breadcrumb topping for casseroles

Caesar salad

Make croutons from toasted sourdough bread drizzled with olive oil, minced garlic, and a sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese. This adds a garlicky depth that complements the Caesar dressing perfectly. Add the croutons after tossing the romaine with dressing. This keeps them crisp and prevents them from getting soggy. Sprinkle them on top for a visually appealing finish.

Intermittent fasting, sweets, burgers: A peek into billionaire CEO ‘diets’

Elon Musk likes sugar in his breakfast. Here he’s seen in a still from The Big Bang Theory, where he had a cameo appearance and was seen baking a pie

TIMES FOODIE

MUSK’S FAVE BREKKIE? A DOUGHNUT EVERY DAY

With no time to eat or sleep, one of the wealthiest men in the world, Elon Musk had to take up intermittent fasting to keep his health in check. However, in a 2020 interview, Musk had admitted that “I’d rather eat tasty food and live a shorter life,” and as per an interaction on X last year, the businessman said that he has a doughnut every morning. “Still alive,” he added in the post.

GATES ENJOYS 5 CANS OF COLA DAILY

The former Microsoft CEO enjoys guzzling at least four or five cans of a popular soft drink. “All those cans also add up to something like 35 pounds of aluminium a year,” Bill Gates wrote in 2014. As per reports, Gates likes his hotel rooms to be “full of the diet beverage” and enjoys cheeseburgers at lunch meetings. Earlier this year, Gates wrote in a blog post, “Cheeseburgers are my favourite food.”

BEZOS’ SUNDAY INDULGENCE? PANCAKES NATURALLY

Known to be a “monster in the gym”, Jeff Bezos follows up his workouts with healthy food habits. His only indulgence could be the Sunday pancakes he cooks for his fiancée Lauren Sanchez. He even shared a pic, writing, “I made pancakes on this rainy Seattle morning for @ciara and @ DangeRussWilson. These guys are as fun as they are talented. Inspiring too. And Russ and I ate our weight in pancakes! #funfriends.” About his sleeping habits, the billionaire has said in earlier interviews, “I prioritise [sleep]. I think better. I have more energy. My mood is better.”

BUFFETT’S DAILY DIET? ICE CREAM, COLA

Warren Buffett has been consuming five cans of a carbonated soft drink daily, and counts burgers, hot dogs, and ice cream among his favourite foods. In an interview, he said, “I checked the actuarial tables, and the lowest death rate is among sixyear-olds. So, I decided to eat like a six-year-old.”

ZUCK EATS 20 NUGGETS, BURGERS DAILY

Mark Zuckerberg consumes “20 nuggets, a quarter pounder, large fries, an ice cream, apple pie, and maybe some side cheeseburgers for later?” According to the website of an international fast food chain, the calorie estimates added up to 3,000. After relishing food at the Japanese outlet of the fast food giant, the Meta CEO wrote, “Give these guys a Michelin star.”

Bill Gates likes his hotel rooms to be full of diet cola; (inset) Bill and Melinda celebrated their engagement with cola at the Seattle Sonics basketball game in 1993

Jeff Bezos made pancakes for singer Ciara and her husband and basketball player Russell Wilson

Mark Zuckerberg eating burgers at a Japanese outlet of a fast food giant

Warren Buffett loves eating ice cream every day

Haldi, paprika: Try natural food colours

The Karnataka government has banned artificial food colouring in vegetarian, chicken, and fish kebabs following tests that found eight out of 39 samples unsafe due to synthetic dyes. This move by the Food Safety and Standards Department addresses health concerns linked to artificial colourings, such as allergies, hyperactivity in children, and potential carcinogenic effects. Here are some natural alternatives that offer both vibrant colours and health benefits.

Is food colouring necessary?

While visual appeal enhances the dining experience, the necessity of food colouring is debatable. Many traditional dishes naturally obtain their colours from ingredients, negating the need for additional dyes. The growing consumer preference for health and safety over appearance supports the shift towards natural, safe ingredients.

Natural alternatives to artificial food colours

TURMERIC: Provides a rich yellow hue with anti-inflammatory properties.

BEETROOT: Offers a deep red or pink colour, rich in vitamins and antioxidants.

SPINACH: Delivers a natural green shade and is nutrient-dense.

PAPRIKA AND RED PEPPERS: They add red to orange tones along with flavour.

SAFFRON: Imparts a golden-yellow colour and distinctive aroma, ideal for premium dishes.

Seeing my abs peek through feels very rewarding: Avika

I’ve lost a few kilos recently, or maybe more than a few. It’s been quite a rollercoaster, resisting the temptation of my favourite desserts. I followed a caloriecontrolled diet and worked out regularly

Focusing on her health, the actress recently underwent a major transformation

M Priyanka Goud

Avika Gor, known for her role in Balika Vadhu, transitioned from a child star to a leading actress with the Telugu film Uyyala Jampala. Recently, she has garnered attention for her notable physical transformation, documented through her social media posts.

In an interview with us, the actress spoke about her fitness journey, saying, “I’ve lost a few kilos recently, or maybe more than a few. It’s been quite a rollercoaster, resisting the temptation of my favourite desserts – it feels almost like being a ninja dodging laser beams (laughs). It’s challenging; I followed a strict calorie-controlled diet and worked out regularly. Seeing my abs peek through feels very rewarding. I am enjoying this newfound love for fitness and I am truly glad I took control of my life and health before it was too late.”

‘INAPPROPRIATE TREATMENT OF WOMEN IS AN EVERYDAY REALITY’

Recently, the Sasural Simar Ka actress recounted a distressing incident in Kazakhstan where her bodyguard inappropriately touched her during an event. She expressed, “It’s unfortunate that incidents like these are an everyday reality for many women. It’s unacceptable and needs to stop. There was a large crowd at the event, and no one spoke our language, so I just gave him a disgusted look and moved on. I couldn’t do much there, although he apologised.”

‘CASTING DECISIONS ARE SOMETIMES INFLUENCED BY SOCIAL MEDIA FOLLOWING’

Avika says, “There have been substantial improvements, like the diversification of roles and narratives, offering more opportunities for actors and filmmakers. However, it’s concerning that casting decisions are sometimes influenced by social media following rather than talent. While adapting to new technologies and audience dynamics is important, balancing popularity with artistic merit is crucial for maintaining the industry’s creative integrity.”

‘It’s not just about being a role model, but feeling confident in your own skin’

The actress emphasises the importance of maintaining one’s appearance and physique in the entertainment industry. She explains, “In this industry, where millions are watching and looking up to you, it becomes even more crucial. It’s not just about being a role model; it’s about feeling confident in your skin. I believe in prioritising fitness and selfcare, but not to the extent of going to extremes or compromising mental and physical well-being. Balance is key—taking care of yourself without succumbing to unrealistic expectations or unhealthy practices.”

Avika Gor

TRIPPIN

Bigg Boss 13 contestant ARTI SINGH is soaking in the sun and exploring the quaint streets of GREECE during her vacay

My grandkid is learning to sing: Udit

Udit Narayan with his granddaughter Tvisha

Singer Udit Narayan is delighted that his granddaughter Tvisha is learning to sing and dance, though she is only two-and-a-half years old. Tvisha is the daughter of his son Aditya and his daughter-in-law Shweta Agarwal.

Udit shares, “She is already learning singing and dancing. We recently watched her perform in an auditorium with other kids. I was left surprised by how good these kids are at such a young age. She sings my songs from Gadar like Udd Jaa Kaale Kavan and Main Nikla Gaddi Leke for me.”

The singer states that despite his busy schedule, which often involves travelling for live shows and recording sessions, he ensures that he keeps visiting Tvisha. He says that spending time with his granddaughter helps him relieve the stress of his work commitments.

Natasha Coutinho

HEY BABY!

ROCHELLE RAO and KEITH SEQUEIRA spent a playful day with their daughter JOSEPHINE. Sharing a video on Insta, Rochelle wrote, “Us + U = Complete”

Harry Potter TV series to be led by Succession makers

Succession alums Francesca Gardiner and Mark Mylod to write and direct, respectively

Casting details for the Harry Potter TV series will be disclosed at a later date, according to The Hollywood Reporter

The upcoming Harry Potter television series will be led by Succession veterans Francesca Gardiner, as writer and showrunner, and Mark Mylod, as director of several episodes.

Both Gardiner and Mylod worked on Succession that revolves around a dysfunctional family that runs a media empire – the show has won 19 Emmy awards. Gardiner was on the producing team and Mylod served as director and producer. Gardiner is also known for her work on the fantasy show His Dark Materials while Mylod directed episodes of Game of Thrones and the upcoming second season of The Last of Us.

British author Rowling said on X on Wednes- day that she had high hopes for the series, which has not yet been officially titled. “I’m truly thrilled to announce our director and writer, both of whom I interviewed as part of the production team,” Rowling said. “Both have a genuine passion for #HarryPotter, and having read Francesca’s pilot script and heard Mark’s vision, I’m certain the TV show will more than live up to expectations (sic),” she added. Agencies

Original Harry Potter cover art sells for $1.9 million at auction

The original watercolour illustration for the first edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone – the book that introduced the world to the young bespectacled wizard – sold for $1.9 million (`15.8 crores) on Wednesday. The artwork becomes “the most valuable Harry Potter item ever sold at auction,” said auction house Sotheby’s in a statement. The artwork is by Thomas Taylor, who was just 23 years old in 1997 when he painted the iconic image of the young boy with the lightning bolt scar and the round glasses.

A still from Succession

The Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone illustration at the Sotheby’s auction

Much ado over fake brands?

POV

For scores of young students and their families, for the many holidaymakers travelling to the US, it has been a scene straight out of a heist movie. Their fancy new clothes, shoes and bags are being confiscated, some ripped apart before their eyes, as customs officials revive their drive against counterfeit goods. It is a crime to carry fake branded clothes and accessories in many countries, and the US is only stepping up the ante.

For most of us Indians however, it defies logic. After all, ever since the economy opened up in the ’80s, so has our taste for the good life. From a culture that believed in austerity, we suddenly wanted to brandish our newfound love for the ostentatious. We were happy to shop at Bangkok Bazaars toting ‘`500 – No Bargain’ for ‘sasti copies’ of luxury brands and stuff our closets with export rejects. We didn’t see anything wrong in looking like the glamorous people who were there before us at the grand buffet in the hall of aspiration.

And then came our desi designers and their opulent outfits endorsed by our very own stars. While matinee idols have always impacted popular fashion choices, this took the game several notches higher. From Chandni Chowk in Delhi to Ram Mandir in Kolkata, the exquisite ‘copies’ of Manish Malhotra and Sabyasachi wedding attire, the Masaba prints and Tarun Tahiliani drapes are driving a parallel economy. Elsewhere, an inspired Jaipur wholesaler has been minting monies, selling replicas of an emerald necklace worn by Nita Ambani, the only one of its kind. The difference? Her piece has been valued at `500 crores. The best-selling piece from Jaipur will cost you a princely `178 only! The slightly more upmarket variations sold online come with a ‘disclaimer’: “Inspired by Nita Ambani” and add a zero to the number.

We Indians know how to look like a million bucks without burning a hole in our wallets. So what if Americans can’t read our sentiments? We can keep rolling our eyes at them. Genuinely. At least, they can’t stop you at Customs for that.

Agree? Disagree? Got a POV idea? Write to us at: pov@timesgroup.com

Evening workouts are ideal for weight and sugar control

In pyramid training, you can target both strength and endurance by combining different rep ranges within short time frame. This training is ideal during monsoons, when you are unable to step out of the house. This workout does not require any equipment – Melwyn Crasto, athletics coach

Malaika Arora performs the V hold pose

Fitness Fundas

Looking to keep your weight and blood sugar in check? Studies show that exercising between 6pm and midnight is the most effective — and the pyramid training workout may be the right answer

Aakanksha Ahire

EXERCISES YOU CAN TRY AT HOME IN THE EVENING:

● 3 sets of 1 minute Butt kicks: Folding each leg backwards in running motion

● 3 sets of 30-60 seconds Planks: Balance your body on toes and forearms in a straight position 3 sets of 10-12 repetitions Inchworms: Bend and place your hands on the ground to move forward in a stretching position

● 3 sets of 15-20 repetitions Glute bridges: Lie on your back with hands placed on either sides, bend your knees and lift your hip (As suggested by Yogesh Bhateja, celebrity fitness coach)

● According to a study in the journal Obesity, if over 50% of your exercise happened in the evening, you have the best chance of controlling your blood sugar and weight

● As per another recent study in the journal Diabetes Care, if most of your exercise happened between 6pm and midnight, you have the lowest risk of heart disease and premature death

WHAT IS THE PYRAMID TRAINING WORKOUT?

Athletics coach Melwyn Crasto suggests this set of seven different exercises that should be performed in descending order. The idea is to start with the

lighter exercises. As you progress, the exercises get more difficult but need fewer reps. This training strengthens bones, helps manage blood pressure,

and lowers blood sugar and cholesterol levels.

1 60 JUMPING JACKS: Jump up with your legs and arms spread wide

2 50 SECONDS V HOLD: Balance as you sit on your backside with your arms and feet on your knees or raised in the air

3 40 CALF RAISES: Stand erect and lift your heels from the floor till you are standing on tiptoe3

4 30 SCISSOR KICKS: Lie flat on your back with your arms flat on the floor. Now raise each leg alternately in scissor movements4

6 10 PUSHUPS/BABY PUSHUPS: Raise and lower your body, using your arms to hold the weight6

5 20 SQUATS WITH ALTERNATING TOE TOUCH: 5

7 5 RUNNER’S CRUNCHES: Perform crunches while alternately touching your right and left elbows to your knees

‘Why is no one calling out George Clooney?’

Emma Roberts speaks up on nepotism in H’wood; says ‘men have it easier’

George Clooney’s aunt was American actress Rosemary Clooney

During a conversation on the Table For Two podcast, Wild Child star Emma Roberts said that the discussion about nepotism in showbiz tends to centre more on women. Roberts, who is the daughter of actor Eric Roberts and niece of Julia Roberts, said “men have it easier”.

Roberts said, “People like to say, you know, you have a leg up because you have family in the industry. But then, you have to prove yourself more.

Also, if people don’t have good experiences with people in your family, you’ll never get a chance.”

She continued, “If you’re kind of not the girl from the middle of nowhere that broke into Hollywood, there’s kind of an eye roll of like, ‘Well, your dad was this’. I always joke, ‘Why is no one calling out George Clooney for being a nepo baby? (His aunt) Rosemary Clooney was an icon.’ I feel like young girls get it harder with the nepo-baby thing and men have it easier.” Agencies

Emma Roberts is the daughter of actor Eric Roberts and the niece of Julia Roberts

DID YOU KNOW?

Tom Selleck was the first choice for Indiana Jones

Harrison Ford was not originally cast as Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981). Director Steven Spielberg had, initially, chosen Tom Selleck for the role but Selleck had to decline due to his commitment to the TV show Magnum, PI.

Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones; (left) Tom Selleck

Marilyn Monroe’s California home declared heritage landmark, saved from demolition

There’s no other person or place in LA as iconic as Marilyn Monroe and her Brentwood home. To lose this piece of history would be a devastating blow for historic preservation – Traci Park, LA City Council member

An aerial view of Marilyn Monroe’s home in Brentwood, California. The actress bought the Spanish Colonial-style home in 1962

The Los Angeles City Council unanimously voted to designate Marilyn Monroe’s home as a historical landmark on Wednesday, preventing the house where the Hollywood legend died from demolition.

The decision comes after a months-long battle between the council and the own- ers of the home in the upscale Brentwood neighbourhood. Next-door couple Roy Bank and Brinah Milstein bought the property in 2023 for $8.35 million (`69.7 crores) with plans to demolish the house to expand their estate, according to the Los Angeles Times. The couple obtained a demolition permit soon after, but Council member Traci Park last year introduced a motion to protect the home by granting it landmark status, the Los Angeles Times said.

It was the only residence Monroe ever owned. Agencies

‘OTT broke the myth that everything has to be in English to be successful’

If you do not use popular and contemporary mediums to make your art accessible, they would appear boring to most people – Vishal Bhardwaj

Youngsters today are very good at marketing themselves, figuring out what is likely to click with audiences. But if their attempts are leading people to discover Meera and Kabir, it is good in a way. Chalo shuruwat toh ki hai! – Rekha Bhardwaj

CONTINUED FROM 1

Rekha Bhardwaj: Besides, there are so many insta handles that are sharing good poetry, actors are reading from scripts, reciting couplets. I have discovered some very good music and talent in the process. Our film work gets a wider audience anyway. I see an opportunity in using the apps and various social media platforms to get people to discover the more serious and niche aspects of our craft.

The two of you met at Delhi University. Music and poetry brought you together and defines your relationship even today. Now when you visit college campuses or interact with young students, do you see the same passion and commitment towards music or poetry among them?

RB: It’s a bit of a mixed bag, really. You meet some people who are still very rooted and there are those who are not seriously invested into music. There are purists and there are people who have ‘jawani ka josh.’ There are very few who are taking up music and poetry seriously. Like the Kabir Cafe in Delhi, who seem to have some potential.

So if an aspiring musician comes to you, seeking your advice, would you encourage them to pursue music as a career? Or give them a sense of reality?

RB: I would first hear him or her out to see if there is talent and the inclination to do the hard work that is required to be successful. You see, if your definition of success is being liked by everyone, you are likely to be unhappy with whatever you do or achieve. If you get 100 followers, you will crave for a thousand more. And even then you will sulk. We have never craved numbers. But focussed on our art and people just came along, connected with our work. Like Gulzar Saab has always told us, “Success on your terms.” VB: When we came up, they were very dark times. Now there are so many platforms to showcase your work. At that time there were only recording companies and they were advocating only popular music. Perhaps rightfully so. For them it was commerce. For us it is art. There’s a huge difference. But if you are really talented you can defy the odds with your perseverance and hard work. There is no room for arrogance or shortcuts here.

My question to you Vishal is why have Indian filmmakers stopped making films and music for children? Your composition Jungle Jungle Baat Chali Hai (lyrics by Gulzar) for Jungle Book still resonates. And after your Ruskin Bond adaptations, you did not return to the genre. Why is that?

(Smiles)I started this movement with Makdee and Blue Umbrella and somewhere went on to do different kinds of work. We are a very insensitive adult society. We do nothing for our children, and in the name of entertainment we give them the trash of Bollywood, the really bad dubbed versions of foreign shows. But yes, we are planning a sequel of Makdee, and Shweta Prasad (played a double role) will be involved in the making of the film.

Isn’t there better scope for children’s movies and shows on the OTT platforms?

It is worse. OTT is not interested because they say they work on subscriptions and children are not their subscribers. They will never make any investments for Indian content for that age group.

I tried working with Ruskin Bond’s Mr Oliver’s Diary (a gun-toting, violin playing headmaster, a leopard and other creatures). My long-time associate Aditya Nimbalkar and I had a script. I went to everyone. Trust me, no one was interested.

There is a lot of interesting work happening with languages on OTT though. We see productions with multilingual casts and stories that reflect the plurality that is India. Does this excite you as a filmmaker and composer?

I have been using various dialects and actors from the time I made Kaminey. There was a Bengali gangster, and a Nigerian one. I love all languages and dialects and the authenticity that they bring to any film.

The biggest positive of OTT is this, they broke this myth that everything has to be done in English to be commercially successful. And I had a big problem with it. I had an issue with Richard Attenborough’s Gandhi. Because it was made in English by a Hollywood studio to appease the world market. In the film, beggars are begging in English in Indian streets. I felt so disconnected with it even though it was a beautiful cinematic experience. It just did not have that authenticity.

RB: Even in Slumdog Millionnaire…

VB: That’s right. In slums we do not speak in English or read Three Musketeers. I had a problem with that.

Shabana Azmi in a still from Vishal Bhardwaj’s 2002 film Makdee

‘Narcos’ success showed that audiences crave an authenticity of language’

“The success of Narcos showed the world that people were craving for the authenticity of language, to listen to how local people speak and they were trained to read in subtitles. It was a game-changer for streaming platforms. And now you have the same audience going to the theatre, reading subtitles in English,” says Vishal.

Vishal on the release of his version of Patta Patta Buta Buta

“I have been trying to work with this song for four decades. The lyrics are universal; you can put it in any context. It could be political or personal. Patta patta buta buta haal hamara jaane hai…(hums) every leaf, every plant knows my state of mind except the flower…We are happy that we managed to give this classic our own touch, and released it on World Music Day,” says Vishal.

But make no mistake, it would change Medellin forever.

Table of Contents

TOI Print Edition Jun 28, 2024

Front Page

IT’S INDIA VS SA FOR T20 CROWN

Delhi breathes cleanest air in 281 days as AQI improves to ‘satisfactory’

LG dissolves Delhi govt’s advisory body, wants ‘domain experts’ in place

Budget ’24 will roll out historic steps, speed up reforms: Prez

Sebi eases delisting norms, tightens finfluencer rules

Jio hikes mobile tariff up to 25%

Hate speech rising in India: Blinken

ASI denies nod for puja at fort temple

Police rejig in 3 Hry dists where BJP lost

Man called to clean NCR sewer dies

Finger in ice-cream was unit worker’s

NEET: CBI arrests Patna duo, detains J’khand principal, takes over Latur case

Birla’s UltraTech buys 23% in India Cements in mkt share race with Adani cos

A temple for Mahabharat’s arch villain, now a taxpayer

‘Unflinching’ Roy awarded UK ’s PEN Pinter prize

IN THE COURTS

Times Nation

Surrendering before god a ground for relief to death row convict?

HC orders Odisha safety audit after kid’s death in school toilet wall collapse

Electricity can’t be free, says SC, but stays `94 lakh bill served on MP bar body

Why water shortage can leave economy parched

Boy takes free dip in swimming pool, killed

Rain brings down MP airport shed

Bus ticket, bag help cops nab killer of 3

In Prez remark, hint of govt intent to check ‘fake news’

Minorities outfit criticises US for biased report

‘Concerning rise’ in hate speech, anti-conversion laws in India: US

Drop cases against Arundhati, says UN Human Rights Office

Goa DGP sided with intel officer’s wife, bullied cops, got house razed

Land-for-jobs: HC grants interim bail to Lalu aide on medical grounds in laundering case

Modi praises Bihar’s growth under Nitish

Remarks ‘political and avoidable’: Rahul to Speaker

MAHA ‘LIFT-OFF’ STIRS BUZZ

Maha still tops FDI charts but inflow dips 15%

Congress slams Speaker for chiding Tharoor

Oppn to go all out on NEET ‘leak’ in LS, RS

Maha teacher arrested for NEET scam link suspended

Student ends life, 12th Kota suicide in ’24

Thakur may initiate LS debate on Prez speech

Govt committed to fair probe into paper leaks, says Murmu

Oppn calls Prez speech ‘full of lies’; comprehensive, says BJP

PM: Murmu presented road map of progress and good governance

FCI stock 3.5 times more than buffer, Centre may resume rice sale to states

MSCB scam: EOW opposes ED claims on Ajit

In Pocso case, CID files 750-page chargesheet against BSY, 3 others

Hand over CM’s post to DKS: Seer to Sidda

Monsoon fury claims 2 lives in K’taka:

Kerala denies reprieve plan for Chandrasekharan case convicts

Court raps UP DGP as cops fail to present ex-MP despite 53 NBWs, several letters

Probe report reveals bid to shield civic body chief in boat tragedy case: Guj HC

Don’t link CIBIL score to farm loan: Maha dy CM

Harassed over loan, woman and daughter die by suicide in Bihar’s Vaishali

Didi halts drive to evict hawkers, warns against cop-neta nexus

CBI charges 5 former cops for ‘framing’ Nambi in Isro spy case

ASI denies nod for puja at temple in Daulatabad fort

Times City

Delhi Rejoices As Trailer Of Monsoon Releases

City records cleanest day since Sept 19 with AQI of 79

From 1960 to 2023, rains arrived in city 33 times in July, 31 times in June

Can & (differently) able! Meet new police recruits

AAP To Move Court Over LG’s Decision

Ruckus over water crisis, MCD House meeting adjourned

No work allocation among members of DDCD, says LG

A sign of things to come? Rain causes waterlogging in several areas of capital

Man jumps in front of metro

Since Jan, city sees over 200 dengue cases

Time to go: Govt depts directed to scrap end-of-life vehicles at earliest

NEET Protest Turns Violent, 70 Detained

RS chairman revokes Singh’s suspension

Cheat code? Study points out how AI may pose risks to integrity of education system

Cancellation of UGC-NET leaves scores anxious

Lying defunct for almost 3 months, doorstep delivery of services scheme awaits relaunch

Railways told to pay `1L to woman for luggage theft

2 arrested for sexual assault on woman

Love Triangle Behind ACP Son’s Murder: Chargesheet

Gang sent links to dupe many, busted

Surgery helps 185kg man regain ability to walk

Bail relief for man accused of raping classmate

Special camp for revamp of Delhi villages

Stir Against New Criminal Laws Reaches Bar Council

2kg tumour removed from 16-yr-old’s thigh

Police arrest rape accused after chase spanning 1,800km

Owaisi claims house vandalised

Man enters septic tank in Ggn to clean it, chokes to death

7 held for fraudulent land deals near Noida airport

CINEMA OF THE WEEK

Times Global

Israel readies troops on Lebanon border

Brazil top court decriminalises pot possession for personal use

Le Pen threatens to challenge Macron’s control on military

China expels 2 ex-def ministers from CPC over graft allegations

Bolivia coup bid fails after short-lived military assault on presidential palace

Illegal-marriage case: Imran, wife’s jail terms upheld

AROUND THE WORLD

US SC blocks opioid settlement that gave immunity to Purdue co’s Sackler family

Elon Musk’s SpaceX gets $843m to help discard ISS around 2030

Washington DC of today too hot for Lincoln: Wax statue melts, turns into a meme

Times Business

HC: Ex-Religare promoter Shivinder can’t travel abroad

Shareholder nod for Singhania to remain Raymond chairman

Anti-dumping duties on Chinese products

JSW Infra to buy 70% in logistics co Navkar

Amazon fund flow into payments arm

Record St: Sensex tops 79k, Nifty crosses 24k milestone

Hyd’s Megha bags `13k cr NPCIL contract

GST: Post-sale discounts under lens

Sebi eases delisting norms, tightens finfluencer rules

Investors pull out `1.4k cr in 3 days this week: Quant MF

‘Fin sector governance needs highest priority’

Infy’s Parekh settles insider trading case with Sebi

Jio hikes tariffs by up to 25%, Airtel & Vi may follow

No board seat for UltraTech in India Cements

Flipkart sellers allege price curbs

Times Techies.AI

SERVICE BOTS GET OUR LINGO

On-device AI is cheaper and faster than cloud

Claude 3.5 Sonnet sets new coding benchmarks

IS AI RESHAPING THE WORLD?

THE POWER OF FINE-TUNING PRE-TRAINED MODELS

BUILDING ONLINE STOREFRONTS FASTER

Editorial

The Law Of Not-So-Small Things

Physical, Failed

Mother Of All Biases

Holy terrors

Keep Your Enemy Closer

Finding Hope When Chips Are Down

A thought for today

Sacred space

Times Sport

THE DREAM STAYS ALIVE FOR INDIA

Ruthless SA exorcise SF ghosts with Afghanistan demolition

‘Finger spinners can still play a major role in white-ball cricket’

Not a pitch you want to have a WC semifinal on: Trott

SL head coach Silverwood resigns after poor T20 WC

Bharat Army donates 250 SF tickets to local schools

Scheduling of T20 WC under scanner

GEORGIA ON MY MIND

Crescent Stars over the moon after proving critics wrong

Paraguay loom as Brazil yet to find cutting edge

Coach Sagnol, the French connection

RONALDO AVOIDS BEING HIT BY FAN WHO JUMPED FROM THE CROWD

REMEMBER THE NAME IANIS: HAGI JUNIOR IS MAKING HIS OWN NAME

EURO 2024: THE STORY SO FAR

MIRABAI SETS MARKER FOR PARIS OLYMPICS

EX-REAL MADRID CAPTAIN NACHO JOINS SAUDI CLUB AL-QADSIAH

Haryana’s Kiran books Paris berth

Emma saves match point, in quarters

Max to stick with Red Bull in 2025

Prez address hints reduced tally may not inhibit BJP

CBI NEET probe team in Hazaribag collects CCTV footage, seizes a laptop and 2 mobiles

A village where Duryodhan’s a benign deity, is called ‘grandpa’

Thompson-Herah to miss Paris Olympics

GALLERY

Delhi Times

‘WE’RE AN INSENSITIVE SOCIETY, GIVING TRASH TO OUR KIDS AS ENTERTAINMENT’

KATY PERRY ANNOUNCES SONG WITH A 500- FOOT DRESS

BUZZ STOP

Amp up salads with croutons

Intermittent fasting, sweets, burgers: A peek into billionaire CEO ‘diets’

Haldi, paprika: Try natural food colours

Seeing my abs peek through feels very rewarding: Avika

TRIPPIN

My grandkid is learning to sing: Udit

HEY BABY!

Harry Potter TV series to be led by Succession makers

Much ado over fake brands?

Evening workouts are ideal for weight and sugar control

‘Why is no one calling out George Clooney?’

DID YOU KNOW?

Marilyn Monroe’s California home declared heritage landmark, saved from demolition

‘OTT broke the myth that everything has to be in English to be successful’