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Front Page

- NCW: Probe misconduct by Punjab minister

- RIL readies quick commerce launch

- Oly: Saree back as ceremonial attire

- Hosp forensic head behind sample-fixing

- Doc, 2 kin killed as car falls into gorge

- Adani eyes foray into fintech, in talks with Paytm

- Cyclone Remal strikes NE states, 33 killed

- At 49.9°C, city records its highest temp ever

- ED claims chats between Kejriwal & accused linked to hawala operators

- Story of Delhi’s fires: Trial slow, all accused out on bail

- India, France to talk on `50k cr marine Rafales

- HC acquits Ram Rahim in murder of ex-manager

NCW: Probe misconduct by Punjab minister

NCW has sought urgent action from DGP Punjab to probe allegations of inappropriate sexual conduct involving AAP Punjab minister Balkar Singh in a video call with a 21-year-old woman seeking a job. BJP functionaries have questioned AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal’s silence.

P 16

RIL readies quick commerce launch

RIL is all set to enter the quick commerce space to take on Zomato’s Blinkit, Tata Group’s BigBasket, Swiggy’s Instamart & Zepto. JioMart could launch the service next month, sources said.

P 19

Oly: Saree back as ceremonial attire

Saree will return after a gap of eight years as the official ceremonial uniform of India’s women athletes at Paris Olympics. The pre-pleated ikat sarees will be paired with saffron blouses.

P24

Hosp forensic head behind sample-fixing

The arrested head of forensic sciences at Pune’s state-run Sassoon General Hospital was the one who suggested swapping blood samples in the Porsche case, police said Tuesday.

P8

Doc, 2 kin killed as car falls into gorge

A doctor, his wife and their daughter died when their car fell into a gorge in Almora district’s Syalde Monday. Their son survived and spent nearly 15 hours in the gorge. TNN

Adani eyes foray into fintech, in talks with Paytm

Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani is looking to buy a stake in One 97 Communications, which operates Paytm, said sources familiar with the matter, reports Reeba Zachariah. Paytm founder & CEO Vijay Shekhar Sharma met Adani at the latter’s office in Ahmedabad on Tuesday to “finalise the contours of a deal”, the sources added.

If a transaction works out between the two first-generation entrepreneurs, it will mark the ports-to-airports group’s foray into the fintech sector, competing against Google Pay, Walmart-owned PhonePe and Mukesh Ambani’s Jio Financial. It will also be one of Adani’s significant purchases after Ambuja Cements and NDTV

Cyclone Remal strikes NE states, 33 killed

Strong storms with damaging winds and heavy rain in the aftermath of cyclone Remal pummelled Mizoram, Assam and Meghalaya from Monday evening, resulting in 33 deaths and many missing people, officials said Tuesday, report HC Vanlalruata and Mukut Das. The cyclone, which dissipated into a deep depression, moved through the Northeast, leaving a path of destruction — landslides, collapsed buildings, power and internet disruptions. In Bengal, nine people have died since Monday, taking the overall cyclone toll to 42.

P 7

At 49.9°C, city records its highest temp ever

No Respite For 2 Days, Light Rain On Fri-Sat

Kushagra.Dixit@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: Scorching heat, cloudless skies and searing winds blowing from Rajasthan sent Tuesday’s day temperature soaring to an all-time high on record in Delhi. While the mercury shot up to 49.9°C — nine notches above normal — in Mungeshpur and Narela, it was 49.8°C in Najafgarh.

In Safdarjung, the city’s base observatory, maximum temperature was 45.8 degrees, five degrees above normal, and the highest this year.

There is little respite in sight in the next two days, with India Meteorological Department (IMD) issuing a red alert for heatwave and severe heatwave for Wednesday and an orange alert for Thursday, when the day temperature may witness a very slight drop. However, there’s a glimmer of hope: the capital may receive very light rain on Friday and Saturday, according to IMD.

Blame it on ‘West’, P 2

Summer leaves consumer forum dysfunctional, P 2

3 dead as Raj heatwave continues for 17th day, P 16

Water rationing likely, south Delhi to bear brunt

Many parts of south Delhi, including Greater Kailash, Lajpat Nagar, Panchsheel Park, Hauz Khas and Chittaranjan Park, are likely to face the brunt of a water rationing plan announced by water minister Atishi on Tuesday. These areas currently receive water twice a day, but it will be reduced to once, reports Siddhanta Mishra.

Other than areas of south Delhi, parts of north and south-west Delhi like Mehrauli and Chattarpur are currently reeling under water scarcity.

People should not wash their vehicles with water from open pipes while the crisis lasts, Atishi said, adding challans could soon be issued for misuse of water.

P 2

ED claims chats between Kejriwal & accused linked to hawala operators

Vineet.Upadhyay@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: Enforcement Directorate told a Delhi court on Tuesday that it has in its possession direct chats between chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and Vinod Chauhan, the man allegedly handling proceeds of crimes connected with hawala operators. Chauhan is an accused in the money laundering case linked to Delhi’s excise policy that has been scrapped.

Referring to the chats, the special counsel appearing for ED, Zoheb Hossain, claimed that Chauhan was close to Kejriwal. Chauhan had been arrested by ED from Goa in connection with the case on May 4 for allegedly transferring a cash bribe from South Group to the election campa- ign of AAP during the Goa assembly elections in 2022.

He was sent to jail by a Delhi court.

 Court to decide, P 5

CJI to take call on CM plea for bail extn

Supreme Court on Tuesday said CJI D Y Chandrachud will decide when and which bench will hear CM Arvind Kejriwal’s plea seeking extension of his interim bail by a week till June 9 to undergo full body medical tests.

P 5

Atishi summoned in defamation case

A Delhi court on Tuesday summoned minister Atishi in a defamation case filed by BJP functionary Praveen Shankar Kapoor over claims that AAP politicians were approached by BJP to join them in exchange for money.

P 5

Story of Delhi’s fires: Trial slow, all accused out on bail

Courts Point To Shoddy Probe, Laxity By Officials

Raj Shekhar Jha & Abhay TNN

New Delhi: In almost every major incident of fire which caused multiple casualties in the past five years, people arrested in the case are out on bail and the trial seems to be moving at a slow pace.

Whether it is the case of a blaze at a hotel in Karol Bagh, which caused 17 casualties in 2019, or the Anaj Mandi fire the same year, in which 42 people were killed, the story is the same. Investigators agree that there can be hardly any deterrence in such a situation and that may be emboldening the culprits who have brazenly violated rules.

It’s not that the accused have been given bail mechanically. Shoddy investigation and laxity by authorities which contributed to such incidents happening have been highlighted by the courts before granting them bail. For example, the court had pulled up Delhi Police, MCD officials and Delhi Fire Services while granting bail to two employees of Hotel Arpit Palace in Karol Bagh. It had observed that the officers from the agencies had committed criminally culpable acts by allowing the law to be flouted. But harsh words do not deter the offenders.

In the latest case of fire at a neonatal unit in Vivek Vihar, the entire machinery seems to have turned a blind eye to regulations and allowed the facility to function without any obstacles.

A common thread, P 3

After Rajkot fire, all Guj gaming zones shut, P 8

India, France to talk on `50k cr marine Rafales

India will kick off official contract negotiations with France this week for the mega acquisition of 26 RafaleMarine fighters for over Rs 50,000 crore, with the Navy keen on inducting the supersonic jets for its two aircraft carriers as soon as possible due to Chinese threat in IOR, reports Rajat Pandit.

A team of French govt officials, fighter-manufacturer Dassault & weapon systems integrator Thales, among others, is arriving in Delhi on May 30 for talks with defence ministry’s contract negotiation committee.

P9

HC acquits Ram Rahim in murder of ex-manager

Ajay.Sura@timesgroup.com

Chandigarh: The Punjab and Haryana high court acquitted on Tuesday Dera Sacha Sauda chief and rape convict Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh and four others in a 22-year-old case involving the murder of his then manager Ranjit Singh, citing “a tainted and sketchy investigation” and presentation of evidence “unworthy of credence”.

Several lapses, P 11

IN THE COURTS

➤ 2 convicted colleagues of Mumbai salon executive Kirti Vyas sentenced to life by Mumbai court for her murder 6 years ago

P 7

➤ Pocso court gives life term to UP man who burned a 16-year-old girl to death for thwarting advances, based on her statement in hospital, considered ‘dying declaration’

P 15

➤ Delhi court rejects Umar Khalid’s bail plea in larger conspiracy case related to 2020 N-E Delhi riots

P 6

Times Nation

- UN’s gender advocate of the year award for Maj Radhika Sen

- Remal’s wake leaves 33 dead, many missing in N-E; WB toll 9

- Will sacrifice personal ties for people’s welfare: PM

- 2 colleagues get life term for Mumbai salon exec’s murder

- Sassoon forensics HoD suggested swapping blood samples: Pune CP

- Legislator’s son was in Porsche when it crashed: Maha Cong prez

- Panel set up to probe if JJB followed judicial process in granting bail to Porsche teen

- After Rajkot inferno, all 101 gaming zones in Guj shut

- Petrol and gas cylinders in game zone fuelled tragedy, say police

- Contract talks on Rafale buy for Navy to kick off this week

- Busy diplomatic schedule awaits new govt

- All your jobs are coming to us, Kharge tells Shah

- B’desh MP case: 4kg of flesh found in septic tank of complex

- Woman undergoes op & loses 35kg to donate part of liver

- Verdict points to several lapses in probe

- Main accused in Patna student’s murder held, hunt on for accomplices

- Abducted & abandoned in childhood, man reunited with mom after 22 yrs

- K’taka man beheads wife after fight, held

- Named by minor in ‘dying declaration’, man gets life term in rape-murder case

- New IndiGo option to aid women pick seats

- SIT arrests 2 for leaking Prajwal sex videos

- 4 dead, 32 hospitalised after food poisoning in Udaipur

- Pune man drowns at Ratnagiri beach

- China ‘allegedly’ invaded in 1962, says Aiyar, apologises after row

- Punjab mantri’s ‘sleazy’ clip surfaces, NCW seeks probe

- Trekker dies of heart attack in Uttarkashi:

- Churu in Raj sizzles at 50.5°C, 3 deaths reported in Jaipur

- 8 held as Hyd cops bust child trafficking racket, rescue 11

UN’s gender advocate of the year award for Maj Radhika Sen

UN secretary-general António Guterres described Major Radhika Sen as a ‘true leader and role model’ whose service was a credit to the UN as a whole

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: An Indian soldier, Naik Dhananjay Kumar Singh, will be posthumously honoured by the UN on Thursday, while another Indian Army peacekeeper, Major Radhika Sen, will be conferred with the 2023 Military Gender Advocate of the Year award.

Naik Singh, who laid down his life while serving with the UN Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO), will be among the 64 peacekeepers to be honoured posthumously with the Dag Hammarskjold medal by UN secretary-general António Guterres at a ceremony in New York.

Guterres described Major Sen, who also served with MONUSCO from March 2023 to April 2024, as a “true leader and role model” whose service was a credit to the UN as a whole.

Major Sen, who served as the commander of MONUSCO’s engagement platoon for the Indian Rapid Deployment Battalion, and her troops engaged with conflict-affected communities, including women and girls, in an escalating conflict environment in North Kivu. “She earned their trust, doing so with humility, compassion, and dedication,” UN statement said.

She is the second Indian peacekeeper to receive the prestigious award after Major Suman Gawani, who had served with the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), in 2019.

Remal’s wake leaves 33 dead, many missing in N-E; WB toll 9

Worst Affected Is Mizoram With 28 Deaths

Commuters move past uprooted trees in Guwahati on Tuesday

HC Vanlalruata, Mukut Das | TNN

Aizawl/Guwahati: Strong storms with damaging winds and heavy rain in the aftermath of Cyclone Remal pummelled Mizoram, Assam, and Meghalaya from Monday evening, resulting in at least 33 deaths and many missing people, officials said Tuesday. The cyclone, which dissipated into a deep depression, moved through the North-East, leaving a path of destruction — landslides, collapsed buildings, power and internet disruptions.

Apart from the fatalities in the North-East, Kolkata and the districts recorded three more deaths Tuesday, adding to the six reported the day before since the cyclone made landfall between Sagar Island in Bengal and Khepupara in Bangladesh Sunday night. The nine deaths in Bengal were attributed to electrocution, fallen trees, and house collapse.

In Mizoram, 28 people lost their lives in landslides and rain-triggered events since Monday night, according to state disaster management and rehabilitation officials. “The death toll may rise further as rescue work contin- ues,” an official said Tuesday.

State capital Aizawl was the hardest hit, with heavy rain sweeping away dozens of buildings. Thirteen bodieswere retrieved from debris in Melthum locality after a stone quarry collapsed and destroyed their homes.

In nearby Hlimen neighbourhood, six people perished. A landslide in Salem locality of southern Aizawl claimed the lives of a threemember family. Their bodies were found on Tuesday.

In Assam, the cyclone claimed four lives, including a student, and injured several schoolchildren. The Assam State Disaster Management Authority reported fatalities in Kamrup, Kamrup (Metro), Morigaon, and North Lakhipur districts, with three deaths caused by falling trees and one by a landslide.

Meghalaya reported one death in East Jaintia Hills after a wall collapsed on a 26-year-old man. In response to the devastation, Mizoram govt ordered the closure of all educational institutions and offices, except for emergency and essential services.

Power and communication services were disrupted across many areas due to fallen electric poles and uprooted trees in Mizoram, Assam and Meghalaya.

The storm’s impact extended from Bengal and Bangladesh through Mizoram, Tripura, and up to Assam, affecting a vast area.

Will sacrifice personal ties for people’s welfare: PM

Odisha will prosper if it comes out of captivity, said PM Modi

Ashok.Pradhan@timesgroup.com

Bhubaneswar: BJD reacted strongly on Tuesday to Odisha becoming the focal theme of PM Narendra Modi’s elucidation of why he would readily “sacrifice personal relationships” for people’s welfare, alluding to his cordial ties with CM Naveen Patnaik taking a beating as BJP bids to have one of its own take the reins on June 10.

“In a democracy, nobody is an enemy...But the question is: Do I maintain my relationships with others or think about Odisha’s future? I have chosen my path. Odisha’s bright future is my priority,” Modi told news agency ANI in an interview.

“Odisha’s fortunes are about to change. Govt is changing. I declare that the current Odisha govt’s expiry date is June 4. A BJP CM will be sworn in on June 10.”

Naveen’s aide V K Pandian, touted as his political successor, retorted that BJD had already achieved a majority and Naveen would start a record sixth successive term in office.

Six Lok Sabha seats — Mayurbhanj, Balasore, Bhadrak, Jagatsinghpur, Jajpur and Kendrapada — and 42 assembly segments within these constituencies will vote in simultaneous elections on June 1. “These areas are BJD strongholds. We will have a strike rate of 90-95 % in the last phase,” Pandian said.

Before prospects of a BJP-BJD tie-up dissipated, PM would address Naveen in public as “my friend” and “Odisha’s popular CM”.

Modi told ANI that he would convince everyone after the election that he has no enmity with anyone.

“Odisha has been deprived of development over the past 24 years. The biggest concern is the existence of a coterie that holds the entire system to ransom. They have captured the system. Odisha will prosper if it comes out of captivity,” he said.

EC suspends special secy to Odisha CM

Bhubaneswar: Ahead of the last phase of elections on June 1 in Odisha, Election Commission (EC) on Tuesday suspended CM Naveen Patnaik’s special secretary, DS Kutey, for “unduly interfering in the conduct of the election”.

EC also ordered inspector general (CM security) Ashis Singh, who has been on medical leave since May 4, to appear before an AIIMS-Bhubaneswar medical board for examination by Thursday.

The poll body directed chief secretary to chargesheet Kutey by Thursday.

TNN

2 colleagues get life term for Mumbai salon exec’s murder

Rebecca.Samervel@timesgroup.com

Mumbai: A day after convicting them for the murder of 28-year-old BBlunt Salon executive Kirti Vyas in 2018 despite her body never being found, a sessions court on Tuesday sentenced her colleagues Siddhesh Tamhankar (33) and Khushi Sahjwani (48) to life imprisonment by relying strongly on corroborated circumstantial evidence.

They were also sentenced to seven years’ rigorous imprisonment for destruction of evidence by dumping Vyas’s body in Mahul creek.

In a 114-page judgment, additional sessions judge M G Deshpande said “the unbroken chain of links of circumstances” proved the crime beyond reasonable doubt. The court said all the evidence — the deposition of 39 witnesses; call data records; CCTV footage from March 16, 2018, (the day Vyas went missing) that was recovered from various spots; and the conduct of the accused — conclusively established that Vyas was strangled to death by the duo inside Sahjwani’s car. “...The presence of bloodstain (in the car) and the DNA analysis report confirm that Kirti was not alive but had been killed.”

The judge said the prosecution cannot be forced to prove what had happened inside the car when Vyas got into it and after her phone was switched off at 9.30am in Worli that day, adding that her being with them leads to “the only and only inference that she was murdered by both of them”.

Tamhankar, an accounts executive with the salon in Andheri, feared losing his job after being put on notice by Vyas, a finance manager, over his poor performance, and about his relationship with a married Sahjwani being exposed. “...the way Siddhesh and Khushi were living their lives clearly indicates anxiety about separation, which motivated both of them to cause Kirti’s mysterious disappearance,” the judge said.

Sahjwaniworked at the salon’s academy. The judge observed that a senior employee had said Sahjwani had taken substantial amounts from students but did not deposit them in the company’s account. “She was under the dread of her fraud being exposed, and Kirtiwas responsible for overseeing all financial aspects. This provides the motive for the mysterious disappearance of Kirti when she was with both accused inside Khushi’s car,” the judge said.

Along with the prosecution and the defence, the accused, too, made submissions on Tuesday on the quantum of sentence. Tamhankar only urged the judge to grant leniency. Sahjwani, who was taken into custody on Monday after being on bail since 2021, however, broke down. In between sobs, with folded hands, she said the evidence had been planted. “She (Vyas) is still missing. What if she comes back? It is the cops’ job to find her. Please don’t make me suffer like this. I have done nothing,” she said. Family members of both the convicts, including Sahjwani’s 22-year-old son, were present in court.

Sassoon forensics HoD suggested swapping blood samples: Pune CP

Maha Med Council Sends Notice To Docs, Action To Follow

Cops arrested Dr Ajay Taware (L), head of forensic sciences, and casualty medical officer Dr Shrihari Holnur for allegedly conspiring with the teen’s father to replace his blood sample with that of someone else

Gitesh Shelke & Neha Madaan TNN

Pune:The arrested head of forensic sciences at Pune’s state-run Sassoon General Hospital was the one who suggested swapping blood samples to manipulate an alcohol test and shield the underage driver who fatally struck two techies on a motorbike with his Porsche early on May 19, police said Tuesday while invoking the Prevention of Corruption Act against Dr Ajay Taware.

Casualty medical officer Dr Shrihari Holnur and mortuary staffer Atul Ghatkamble were arrested along with Taware Monday for allegedly conspiring with the 17-yearold’s father, a Pune builder, to replace the boy’s blood sample with that of someone else.

Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) issued notices to both the doctors, seeking explanations for their alleged unethical acts within a week. “We will have an inquiry, for which we have sought some documents from Pune police,” MMC administrator Vinky M. Rughwani told TOI.

Rughwani said MMC was empowered to suspend the doctors’ licences in the event of a breach of ethics being proved.

Pune police commissioner Amitesh Kumar said investigators weren’t ruling out a huge bribe being paid to tamper with the blood samples. “So far, Taware has not disclosed the amount that we suspect may have exchanged hands. But his questioning did reveal that he gave the idea of replacing the blood sample and asked Holnur to help after his conversation with the builder.”

Kumar said police had already confiscated Rs 2.5 lakh from Dr Holnur and Rs 50,000 from Ghatkamble. The casualty medical officer confessed to having received Rs 3 lakh from Taware, of which he paid Rs 50,000 to the mortuary staffer, he said.

The police commissioner said that now that the antigraft law had been invoked, the state anti-corruption bureau might be called in to investigate a potential case of disproportionate assets against the arrested employees.

“We will write to the state health authorities about the arrest details so that they may initiate the process of suspending these public servants. We will also seek permission under Section 197 (Prosecution of Servant) of CrPC as Taware is a Class I officer,” Kumar said.

A preliminary probe revealed that after their first phone conversation, the builder called Taware 20 times using an app within a few hours the night after the accident.

The Porsche Taycan hit the victims’ motorbike at Kalyaninagar around 2.30am on May 19. The boy, according to the police, had visited two pubs before the accident with his friends. At one of the pubs, the bill for drinks was Rs 48,000.

Police have started contacting various govt and private agencies to recreate the accident digitally as part of the evidence that may be required by the prosecution.

Police already have the CCTV footage of different spots the car crossed in Mundhwa and Kalyaninagar before the 160kmph rush that culminated in the fatal crash.

A guard has been deployed at Taware’s office in Sassoon’s forensic sciences department to prevent tampering of potential evidence.

Legislator’s son was in Porsche when it crashed: Maha Cong prez

Anurag Bende & Prafulla Marpakwar TNN

Pune/Mumbai: Maharashtra Pradesh Congress chief Nana Patole on Tuesday alleged that the son of a legislator was in the Porsche Taycan when it crashed into a motorcycle killing two techies on May 19. “An MLA’s son was also involved in the case. After the accident, two persons got down from the car and govt should reveal who the other person was,” Patole said, while demanding a CBI probe into the case.

“We have reasons to believe that all-out efforts have been made to save the builder’s son owing to his links with leading politicians,” he said.

Patole alleged that Dr Ajay Taware of Sassoon Hospital, who was arrested Monday for allegedly swapping the blood samples of the minor accused in the case, had links with a politician. Earlier too, Patole said, five-star facilities were provided to drug lord Lalit Patil in the same hospital. “From official records, it has been established that a local legislator and a cabinet member played a crucial role in the appointment of Dr Taware (as medical superintendent of the hospital). People of Maharashtra must know the name of the legislator and the minister who recommended Taware’s name,” he said, referring to NCP MLA Sunil Tingre.

On Monday, Maharashtra medical education minister Hasan Mushrif had told TOI that he had received a recommendation from MLA Sunil Tingre’s office on Dec 26, 2023, recommending Dr Ajay Taware for the post of superintendent of Sassoon. Later, Dr Taware was removed as superintendent after a controversy involving a rat bite death.

Panel set up to probe if JJB followed judicial process in granting bail to Porsche teen

MANGLED REMAINS

Nisha.Nambiar@timesgroup.com

Pune: Maharashtra woman and child development commissioner has constituted a four-member committee to find out if the Juvenile Justice Board properly followed the judicial process while granting bail, on certain conditions, to the teenager involved in the May 19 Porsche Taycan crash.

The inquiry will be carried out against the two members appointed by the state govt to the board, commissioner Prashant Narnaware told TOI Tuesday. JJB also has a principal magistrate appointed by the judiciary. The tenure of the three members are for a three-year period.

Barely 15 hours after the crash, JJB released the 17-year-old on bail on a surety of Rs 7,500 and an assurance from his grandfather to keep him away from bad company. A 300-word essay on road ac- cidents and a visit to the RTO to study rules and regulations were the other bail conditions. Following a public outcry and police’s review application, the juvenile board on May 22 cancelled the bail and sent the teenager to an observation home till June 5.

Narnaware said, “After getting flak on social media, a committee has been set up. It will evaluate the two members’ past records and orders &submit a report in 15 days.”

The two were hired one-and-a-half years ago, the commissioner said and added that based on the report, state govt could terminate their appointment. Activists said writing an essay was good enough under rehabilitation but not when it was such a grave accident and definitely not when the minor was produced first time before the board.

Anuradha Sahasrabudhe, former director of Dnyandevi Childline and former JJB member, said the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act does not prescribe any strict punishment. “However, an order when passed should be given a proper thought. The speed in which the hearing was done seems suspicious. The 300-word essay is ridiculous as the spirit behind the act has been misinterpreted,” she added.

After Rajkot inferno, all 101 gaming zones in Guj shut

20 gaming zones were permanently sealed, while the remaining 81 have been temporarily closed; Rajkot police chief visited the site on Tuesday

Kapil.Dave@timesgroup.com

Gandhinagar:Gujarat govt has ordered the closure of all 101 registered gaming zones across eight major cities in the wake of the tragic fire at TRP Game Zone in Rajkot that claimed 28 lives Saturday. The crackdown follows inspections that revealed multiple safety violations.

Of the 101 gaming zones, 20 have been permanently sealed because of the lack of necessary authorisations, including building use permissions and fire department NOCs, sources said on Tuesday. The remaining 81 have been “temporarily closed” until further safety assurances can be implemented.

Rajkot saw the highest number of closures, with eight out of 12 zones sealed. Ahmedabad followed with five closures, while Junagadh and Bhavnagar had four and three, respectively. Authorities are also investigating the presence of any unregistered and potentially illegal entertainment zones operating without licences.

Civic authorities across the state are issuing notices to gaming zone operators to implement the required safety measures. In Vadodara, where 16 gaming zones, including 11 indoor ones, have been shut down, civic chief Dilip Kumar Rana said: “Notices will be issued to these establishments asking them to ensure safety measures. After they comply with the notices, they can be reopened.”

The decision to shut down these facilities reflects either an abundance of caution by the govt or a lack of confidence in the current safety standards of gaming zones.

Ahmedabad deputy municipal commissioner (urban development) IK Patel said the closures are precautionary. “Shutting down all gaming zones does not mean that they were all unsafe. We are ensuring all major and minor concerns of experts are addressed for maximum safety of citizens,” Patel explained.

The govt is currently working on a new policy for entertainment facilities, which will encompass comprehensive safety guidelines. This new policy is expected to be announced soon, and gaming zones will be allowed to reopen once they comply with the updated regulations.

“The home department will notify rules for entertainment zones that include gaming zones, amusement parks,” an official source said. The move is part of govt’s broader effort to enhance safety standards and prevent future tragedies similar to the fatal Rajkot blaze.

Petrol and gas cylinders in game zone fuelled tragedy, say police

Key Accused Also Died In Rajkot Blaze

Accused Dhaval Thakkar was sent to police custody for 13 days

Nimesh.Khakhariya@timesgroup.com

Rajkot: The fire that snuffed out 28 lives was a catastrophe in the making with police admitting that huge quantities of petrol and gas cylinders were stored on the first floor of the recreational facility. Sparks from welding work being carried out near the gaming zone are suspected to have resulted in the killer blaze.

The FIR filed Sunday hadn’t mentioned that highly inflammable material was stored in the premises, which is thronged by hundreds during vacations and weekends. However, in its application for the accused’s remand moved in a local court on Monday, police said: “There were gas cylinders at the crime spot. We require custodial interrogation of the accused to know how many cylinders were kept and who had brought them. It’s suspected that gas cylinders exploded, which only increased the intensity of the fire manifold.”

The court remanded the proprietor of the game zone, Yuvrajsinh Solanki, his partner Rahul Rathod and manager Nitin Lodha in 13-day police custody. Another prime accused, Dhaval Thakkar, who was nabbed from Abu Road on Monday night, was remanded in police cus- tody for 13 days on Tuesday.

Special public prosecutor Tushar Gokani, while seeking Thakkar’s remand, informed the court that in 2021, the booking licence of the game zone was allotted in the name of Thakkar’s firm. It was submitted that the land on which the game zone was set up was earmarked for residential purposes in the town planning scheme and there was no permission for commercial use.

The court questioned the authorities how they did not come to know about this flagrant violation even when a three-floor infrastructure was erected. “The prosecution submitted that the police are investigating this point and the involvement of officers of other departments also be probed,” Gokani said.

Another key accused and partner, Prakash Hiran, who had been missing since Saturday, perished in the inferno. Meanwhile, 25 of 28 victims were identified till Tuesday.

Contract talks on Rafale buy for Navy to kick off this week

Govt Aims To Complete Deal Within This Financial Year

The proposed deals for 26 Rafale-Ms and 3 Scorpene submarines for Rs 30,000 crore were granted acceptance of necessity on July 13, 2023

Rajat.Pandit@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: India will kick off official contract negotiations with France this week for the mega acquisition of 26 Rafale-Marine fighters for over Rs 50,000 crore, with the Navy keen on inducting the supersonic jets for its two aircraft carriers as soon as possible due to the expanding Chinese threat in the Indian Ocean region.

A team of French govt officials, fighter-manufacturer Dassault and weapon systems integrator Thales, among others, is arriving on May 30 for talks with the Indian defence ministry’s contract negotiation committee (CNC).

This comes after MoD and Navy evaluated the letter of acceptance (LoA) submitted by France in Dec in response to India’s letter of request (LoR) for the acquisition of 22 singleseat jets and four twin-seat trainers, along with weapons, simulator, spares, crew training and logistics support.

“It took time to examine the voluminous LoA with its offer, technical specifications, costs and other details. The CNC is headed by an offi- cial from the MoD acquisitions wing and includes representatives from the Navy,” an official said.

The aim is to conclude the techno-commercial negotiations and ink govt-to-govt deal, after the requisite approval by the PM-led cabinet committee on security, within this financial year.

The proposed deals for the 26 Rafale-Ms and three additional Scorpene submarines to be built at Mazagon Docks for around Rs 30,000 crore were granted acceptance of necessity by Rajnath Singhled Defence Acquisitions Council on July 13 last year, a day before the subsequent Mo- di-Macron summit in Paris.

The Navy only has 40 of the 45 MiG-29K jets, inducted from Russia at a cost of $2 billion from 2009 onwards, to operate from the decks of its two over 40,000-tonne aircraft carriers, the older Russian-origin INS Vikramaditya and the new indigenous INS Vikrant. The MiG-29Ks have also been dogged by poor serviceability and other problems over the years.

With the indigenous twinengine deck-based fighter (TEDBF) likely to take at least adecade to become operational, the Navy had pushed for the 26 Rafale-M jets as an interim measure. The IAF has already inducted 36 Rafales under the Rs 59,000 crore deal inked with France in Sept 2016.

China is now conducting trials of its third aircraft carrier, the over 80,000-tonne Fujian, after earlier inducting the 60,000-tonne Liaoning and the 66,000-tonne Shandong, and building more such warships.

Indian govt, in contrast, is yet to even give the preliminary nod for the long-pending case for a third 45,000-tonne aircraft carrier, let alone a more potent 65,000-tonne one, which will take at least a decade to build.

The US has 11 ‘super’ 90,000-100,000-tonne nuclear-powered carriers, each of which can carry 70-80 fighters and aircraft. Significantly, the Fujian has an electromagnetic catapult system to also launch much heavier aircraft for surveillance, early-warning and electronic warfare.

While the 10 US Nimitzclass carriers have steam-powered catapults, INS Vikramaditya and INS Vikrant as well as Liaoning and Shandong have only angled ski-jumps that allow fighters to take off under their own power.

Busy diplomatic schedule awaits new govt

The Indian PM will likely come face to face with Chinese President Xi Jinping for the first time after elections at SCO summit

Sachin.Parashar@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: After a lull because of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, a hectic diplomatic schedule awaits the new govt that will be sworn in some time late next week, subsequent to the June 4 poll results. The prime minister will literally hit the ground running, as the leader will travel to Italy for the G7 summit during June 13-15.

The ministry of external affairs is preparing for the G7 summit, where the world’s most advanced nations will discuss issues related to the global economic situation, international trade, climate and the effects of Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Hamas conflicts.

Even before that, the ex- ternal affairs minister will be expected at the BRICS foreign ministers’ meeting in Russia on June 11. Russia will host the BRICS summit in Oct.

The Indian PM is expected to host Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina in the last week of June, before participating in the SCO summit in Kazakhstan in July. This is also where the Indian PM will likely come face to face with Chinese President Xi Jinping for the first time after elections.

However, one major event that any Indian PM or EAM will give a miss is the Ukraine peace summit, which Switzerland will host immediately after the G7. Russia’s reservations about the summit coupled with Ukraine’s insistence on blocking any invite to Moscow will preclude high-level participation by any Indian govt. A secretarylevel official will most likely represent India. Significantly, US President Joe Biden is yet to confirm his participation in the summit.

Diplomacy, in fact, could take centerstage as early as the oath-taking of the PM next month. Like in 2014 and 2019, MEA is working on a guest list for the event, in line with India’s strategic and economic interests. If the Modi govt indeed returns, as many seem to be suggesting, the list is likely to be expanded to include countries from Africa, as also the Gulf region. The UAE, Saudi Arabia and Oman are among the countries India could consider inviting. The inclusion of African Union in the G20 last year was among the top two achievements of India’s presidency of the bloc, along with the Ukraine consensus that facilitated a joint declaration.

The list may also include a few countries from India’s neighbourhood too. The Modi govt invited SAARC and BIMSTEC leaders in 2014 and 2019 respectively.

All your jobs are coming to us, Kharge tells Shah

‘I’m In Politics Not For A Job, But To Serve’

Kharge criticised Punjab’s AAP govt, saying that ‘there was widespread frustration’ among the youth

Kharge at a Congress rally at Kotkapura in Punjab on Tuesday

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Amritsar: Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday reacted to Union home minister Amit Shah’s remark that the former was going to “lose his job (as Congress chief)” after the poll results, saying that he was in politics to serve the nation and didn’t belong to “the self-seeker lot”.

Shah had said at an election rally in UP on Monday that Rahul Gandhi and his sister will not take responsibility for a Congress defeat after the results and would instead pin the blame on Kharge.

“I came to politics in child- hood not for a job but for sewa (service). (PM) Modi ka jitna umar hai utna mera umar politics mein service karney ka hai (I have served in politics for as many years as Modi’s age),” Kharge told mediapersons here, and quipped: “Waise bhi unka job khali honey wala hai. Theek bol rahen hain. Mera job chaley jana wala hai. Unke sab job humen milenge (Anyways, his job is going to be vacant soon. It’s true. My job is about to end and all those jobs will come to us.)”

Kharge criticised the AAP govt in Punjab, saying that “there was widespread frustration” among the youth of Punjab due to drug addiction and this coupled by deteriorating law and order situation is the “greatest challenge” to the state’s future today. “People are abandoning their villages, farmers are selling their land and parents are sending their children abroad to prevent them from falling into the trap of drug addiction.”

Alleging that BJP has been using various govt departments such as ED, Income-Tax and CBI as “weapons to intimidate people”, Kharge said the Congress govt would make policies which would “lessen the problems faced by industrialists”. He added that this would be guided by the Constitution.

B’desh MP case: 4kg of flesh found in septic tank of complex

Kolkata: After six days of search for murdered Bangladesh MP Anwarul Azim Anar’s body parts, investigators Tuesday found 4 kg of flesh in the septic tank of the housing complex in Kolkata’s New Town where he was killed on May 13. Suspecting the flesh to be that of the MP, police have sent it for forensic test, report Dwaipayan Ghosh & Mayukh Sengupta.

Investigators had returned to the complex after efforts to locate body parts in Bagjola canal failed to yield any result.

According to sources, Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s detective branch chief Mohammad Harun-or-Rashidasked CID officers to check the septic tank after interrogating Bangladeshi butcher Jihad Howladar, arrested by CID, for over four hours. Main plotters had brought Jihad to Kolkata to ensure Azim’s body could be disposed of in such a way that it would be difficult to find any trace.

Bangladesh police are considering conducting DNA tests of blood found in the flat to match the results with that of the murdered MP’s kin.

Woman undergoes op & loses 35kg to donate part of liver

Mumbai: A100kg woman from Panvel underwent a weight-loss surgery for an unusual reason: To donate a part of her liver to her sister’s husband, reports Malathy Iyer. Thirty-year-old Namrata Jadhav, who works as an accountant in a hospital in Panvel, lost around 35kg over nine months to donate a portion of her liver. “No one else on either side of our family was a match for my brother-in-law. I couldn’t see him and my sister suffer,” she told TOI. “It was a humane thing to do,” she added.

The transplant, which was carried out at Nanavati Hospital, Juhu, took place on April 9. While Namrata was discharged after five days, her brother-in-law, Santosh Daki, was discharged after 10 days.

“This is perhaps the first liver donation post-bariatric surgery in the country,” said liver transplant surgeon Dr Anurag Shrimal. While doing a medical literature search, his team found only five other mentions of donation after weight-loss surgery—four in Chile and one in Jordan. “We are writing up Namrata’s donation for a medical journal as well,” he said.

Hepatologist Dr Aabha Nagral (who wasn’t associated with this transplant) said it’s unusual to hear that a person underwent bariatric surgery in order to donate. “She thus helped two people, the patient and herself,” she added.

Daki was advised to undergo a liver transplant after he was diagnosed with cirrhosis a couple of years back. However, none from his immediate family or his in-laws were a match. And, although Namrata was a match, she had a slew of health conditions, right from obesity, fat- ty liver and polycystic ovary syndrome. Her body mass index was 42.7 kg/m2.

“She couldn’t be a donor for Daki because her liver functions tests were off the mark,’’ said Dr Shrimal. That is when the medical team advised her to have bariatric surgery mainly “for her own health”.

Daki was put on the waiting list for a cadaver donation. Meanwhile, Namrata consulted a bariatric surgeon and underwent a sleeve gastrectomy—a bariatric surgery that reduces the stomach’s size by approximately 15%—on May 4, 2023.“I returned to work exactly 15 days after my donation. I now have no health issues,”she said.

Hospital removes woman’s healthy kidney in botched op

A private hospital in Rajasthan’s Jhunjhunu removed the healthy right kidney of a 30-year-old woman admitted there for treatment of her diseased kidney on May 15, leaving her battling for life without govt intervention until the botched surgery was reported Tuesday, reports Intishab Ali.

Eid Banu was referred to Jaipur’s govt-run SMS Hospital on May 18 when her condition deteriorated after surgery at Dhankar Hospital in Jhunjhunu. “Here we learnt that the healthy kidney was removed instead of the infected one,” Banu’s cousin told TOI.

Banu’s body swelled Tuesday, requiring emergency hospitalisation. Jhunjhunu collector Chinmayee Gopal said, “We have seized the patient’s medical records and sealed the hospital.” A five-member team has been constituted to probe the case.

Verdict points to several lapses in probe

Ajay.Sura@timesgroup.com

Chandigarh: A special CBI court in Panchkula had sentenced Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh and his co-accused to life imprisonment in 2021 — his third conviction in as many cases. He has been in jail since Aug 2017, serving a separate 20-year term after being convicted of raping female disciples. On Jan 17, 2019, a CBI court sentenced him to life imprison- ment for the Nov 2002 murder of Sirsa-based journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati, just over four months after his then manager Ranjit Singh’s killing.

The verdict by Justices Sureshwar Thakur and Lalit Batra highlights multiple lapses in the probe into the former Dera manager’s murder, including the revelation that the presumed murder weapon wasn’t used in the crime. It also points out that the vehicle supposedly used in the murder was never seized.

Justice Thakur said despite witnesses testifying that all four assailants were armed, CBI failed to confiscate any of these firearms. CBI also didn’t present a site plan of the place where the alleged conspiracy to kill Ranjit was hatched on June 16, 2002, he said.

The court observed that “the intellectual strength” of the investigating officer appeared to have “become staticised by the glare of media publicity”. Ram Rahim and his co-accused — Avtar Singh, Krishan Lal, Jasbir Singh and Sabdil Singh — had appealed CBI court’s Oct 18, 2021 verdict sentencing them to life imprisonment. The Dera chief, who is currently serving time in Rohtak’s Sunaria jail, has challenged his other two convictions too.

Main accused in Patna student’s murder held, hunt on for accomplices

Patna: The prime accused in the murder of Patna’s B N College student Harsh Raj was arrested on Tuesday. The accused has been identified as Chandan Kumar, a final year student of Patna College, police said, reports Faryal Rumi.

Chandan confessed to his crime during interrogation, said City SP (East) Bharat Soni. “He had hatched the plan to kill Raj over an old enmity between two students’ groups,” he said.

The 22-year-old final year student was beaten to death by 10 to 15 masked youths in the parking lot of Patna Law College on Monday.

Police have identified the other miscreants, which includes some Patna University students. Raids are being conducted in Patna and other districts to nab the rest. Their criminal history is also being checked, said the SP.

HOME AGAIN

Abducted & abandoned in childhood, man reunited with mom after 22 yrs

Cop Helps Him Trace Way Back To UP Village

Amit Kumar, 29, with his mother Sunita and sub-inspector Rajesh Kumar

Mohammad.Dilshad@timesgroup.com

Agra: Amit Kumar, now 29, was seven years old when he was ‘abducted’ from a village in Saharanpur district of UP and abandoned on a busy railway platform in Mumbai in 2003. After spending 3-4 days on the platform, a local cop put him on a train to Delhi. The boy started begging in the national capital and a few days later, police found him alone, roaming around. Since he could not remember his village’s name, he was sent to a Delhi orphanage where he grew up and studied till class X.

All along, he was haunted by memories of his parents and home. However, he could hardly remember names of the villages, Balachor and Ghumawti (where his parents belonged), in Saharanpur and Muzaffarnagar districts. He remembered jaggery-making units (kolhu) and bullock carts.

At 18, Amit started working in a shelter home for children in Ghaziabad where he met Haryana-based sub-inspector Rajesh Kumar, posted in an anti-human trafficking unit. Rajesh helped Amit trace his way back to his mother after nearly 22 years. His heart-warming story is now spreading like wildfire.

Rajesh told TOI: “Amit remembered a place called ‘Bala chowk’, instead of ‘Balachor’, where there were buffalo carts and kolhu units. He searched for his home for years. It was a big challenge for me too. After months of investigation , I concluded that ‘kolhus’ and buffalo carts — both in the same village —were mainly found in districts of western UP . Finally, I ended up in Muzaffarnagar district and traced his mother.”

When Rajesh reached Ghumawti with Amit on May 19, the latter’s mother Sunita Devi hugged him in joy and disbelief.

His village also erupted in jubilation with hundreds of people, young and old, gathered to meet the ‘lost son’. “I have no words to thank Rajesh sir. I had been looking for my village for two decades with the only hope of seeing my mother again... I’m earning these days and before I think about getting married , I want to repair my old house and admit my brother to a good school,” Amit said.

His parents, Jaggu Singh and Sunita Devi, were separated over 22 years ago, and he started living with his maternal grandfather in Balachor. Months later, Sunita’s parents got her married again in Ghumawti in Muzaffarnagar. After some time, Amit’s father took him along to his village Bahadarpur in Saharanpur. It was from here the seven-year-old boy was taken away by unidentified men.

On Tuesday, an overjoyed Sunita Devi, 55, said, “After losing him, not a single day passed when I did not miss him. But I never lost hope. I somehow knew in my heart that I would meet my son one day.”

K’taka man beheads wife after fight, held

A 40-yearold man was arrested for allegedly strangling his wife to death, beheading her, and skinning the body in Karnataka’s Tumakuru Monday.

TNN

Named by minor in ‘dying declaration’, man gets life term in rape-murder case

The judge called it a ‘rarest of rare’ case. During trial, 12 witnesses, including the girl’s 10-year-old sister, testified before the court

Rahul.Singh1@timesgroup.com

Meerut: A special Pocso court in Bulandshahr has sentenced a 24-year-old man to life imprisonment for attempting to rape a 14-year-old girl and burning her alive when she resisted his advances. Special public prosecutor, Mahesh Raghav, said, “On March 24, 2019, Mohd Aamir was charged with sexual harassment and burning alive a minor. In her dying statement before the magistrate in hospital, she mentioned the name of the convicted man.”

Raghav added: “The girl was at home with two younger sisters when their tenant, Aamir, tried to rape her. When she resisted, the culprit poured kerosene oil on her and set her on fire. Her younger sisters who were witnesses to the crime, called neighbours for help.”

Neighbours informed her parents who were out for work and the girl was taken to district govt hospital from where she was referred to Delhi’s Safdarjung hospital. She succumbed to severe burn injuries on March 30. Following her death, Aamir, a Bulandshahr resident, was also charged with IPC sections 302 (murder) and 354 (criminal assault on a woman), and section 8 (punishment for sexual assault) of Pocso Act.

During the trial, 12 witnesses provided their testimonies before the court. These included her 10-yearold sister. Considering it a “rarest of rare” case, the court of special judge (Pocso), Tarun Kumar Singh, sentenced the man to life imprisonment on Monday.

New IndiGo option to aid women pick seats

New Delhi:Women passengers on IndiGo, while selecting seats during web check-in, can now see which seats have been pre-booked by other women and accordingly choose their own. This feature, the airline said, was introduced after market research to make “travel experience more comfortable” for women passengers.

The rationale behind the move is to allow women travellers, especially if they are travelling solo, to prebook a seat next to one occupied by another woman for safety reasons, if they so wish.

TNN

SIT arrests 2 for leaking Prajwal sex videos

Bengaluru: SIT probing charges of sexual abuse against Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna in Karnataka arrested two persons on Tuesday for leaking sleaze videos. Naveen Gowda and Chetan, both in their 30s, were arrested when they reached HC to file anticipatory bail petitions.

Police said, Naveen had posted on his Facebook page: “Countdown begins for release of tapes.” “We suspect Naveen distributed the videos on social media. Chetan is the one who distributed the pen drives containing the videos,” he added.

TNN

4 dead, 32 hospitalised after food poisoning in Udaipur

Four people died while 32 others were hospitalised due to suspected food poisoning during an engagement ceremony in the Kotda region of Rajasthan’s Udaipur late Monday night.

Ashok Kumar Singh, the in-charge of Kotda police station, said that the incident happened at the engagement ceremony of one Chatra, son of Puna Pargi, in Sawan Kiara village on Monday night. After returning home from the dinner, many attendees began feeling unwell.

TNN

Pune man drowns at Ratnagiri beach

A Pune resident drowned at Aare-Ware beach in Ratnagiri on Sunday evening, reports Umesh K Parida. The victim, Pankaj Gadekar (33), had entered the water along with three relatives for a swim when a wave hit him and pulled him away

China ‘allegedly’ invaded in 1962, says Aiyar, apologises after row

New Delhi: Congress’Mani Shankar Aiyar’s remarks using the word “alleged” for Chinese invasion in 1962 kicked up a political row on Tuesday with BJP calling it a “brazen attempt at revisionism”.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh pointed out that Aiyar had subsequently apologised “unreservedly” for using the term “alleged invasion” “mistakenly,” and that the party distances it- self from the “original phraseology”. Ramesh also accused PM Narendra Modi of giving a “clean chit” to the Chinese for their incursions in May 2020.

According to a purported video of an event at a club in Delhi, Aiyar, while narrating an anecdote, said, “...In Oct 1962, Chinese allegedly invaded India.” Later, in a brief statement, Aiyar said, “I unreservedly apologise for having mistakenly used the word ‘al- leged’ before ‘Chinese invasion ’this evening.”

BJP’s IT department head Amit Malviya slammed Congress over Aiyar’s remarks. “ Aiyar, during launch of a book called Nehru’s First Recruits, refers to Chinese invasion in 1962 as ‘alleged’. This is a brazen attempt at revisionism,” he said on X.

Meanwhile, Ramesh said, “Allowances must be made for his (Aiyar’s) age. INC distances itself from his original phraseology.”

PTI

Punjab mantri’s ‘sleazy’ clip surfaces, NCW seeks probe

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: National Commission for Women (NCW) has sought urgent intervention and action from DGP Punjab to investigate allegations of inappropriate sexual conduct involving AAP Punjab minister Balkar Singh in a video call with a 21-yearold woman seeking a job.

The video has since stirred a political storm with BJP functionary Tajinder Bagga and national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla demanding action and questioning silence of AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal on the issue. As per reports Congress candidate from Jalandhar Charanjit Singh Channi too has sought action and sacking of Balkar Singh.

TOI has sought a reaction from AAP on the case but there was no response till the time of going to press. Commenting on the video, Balkar Singh was quoted by ANI on Monday as having said, “I have no comments and (it is) not in my knowledge.”

NCW chairperson Rekha Sharma in a letter addressed to Punjab police chief Gaurav Yadav said the commis- sion has come across a “distressing post” of Tajinder Bagga on X“enclosing a video of Punjab cabinet minister Balkar Singh allegedly masturbating on a video call with a 21-year-old woman compelling her to strip naked on the pretext to provide her with a job”.

She goes on to say that the commission has prima facie observed that the reported incident attracts section 354 of IPC that deals with assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty and section 354-B on assault or use of criminal force to woman with intent to disrobe.

“The incident is outrageous to dignity of a woman and the commission strongly condemns the unwarranted and lascivious behaviour of Balkar Singh. You are required to intervene and ensure fair and swift investigation in the matter.

Sharma has sought that section 354 and 354-B must be incorporated in the FIR along with other provisions of law, if the allegations levelled are found to be true. “Accused should be arrested at the earliest and a detailed action taken report be sent to the commission within 3 days,” said Sharma.

Trekker dies of heart attack in Uttarkashi:

A trekker from Bengal died of heart attack on Monday during his visit to SankariDhoomdhar Kandi trek in Uttarkashi, reports Abhyudaya Kotnala. During the final leg of the trek near Harsil Valley, the trekker fell ill and subsequently died, police said.

Churu in Raj sizzles at 50.5°C, 3 deaths reported in Jaipur

Jaipur:Rajasthan continued to suffer a blistering heat wave for the 17th consecutive day on Tuesday, with Churu being the hottest place in the state where the mercury touched the 50.5 degree Celsius mark. In most places, the maximum temperature remained almost 5 degrees above the normal for this season.

However, some relief is likely from Thursday, when rainfall is expected at Jaipur, Bikaner and Jodhpur division, the Met office said.

Health department confirmed three deaths caused by heatstroke in Jaipur on Tuesday, taking the official toll to four in the state so far. Two women from Delhi and Karnataka, both aged 63, and a 40-year-old man from Agra were undergoing treatment for heatstroke at Sawai Man Singh Hospital in Jaipur. The hospital administration said despite all possible efforts, they could not be saved.

Another person, a student appearing for a pharmacy test at a private college in Jaipur, also died, but there was no official confirmation. Adding to the woes are abrupt power cuts and erratic drinking water supply being reported from across state.

TNN

Rains lash Kerala, 4 dead

Heavy rain lashed central and south Kerala on Tuesday, with waterlogging, landslides and destruction of houses reported across towns. Ernakulam, Kottayam, Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram mainly bore the brunt of the downpour.

Four persons were killed in rain-related incidents on Tuesday. Aravind, 28, of Mavelikkara was killed after an uprooted coconut tree fell on him; Sadanandan, 60, drowned in Vaikom while fishing; fisherman Abraham, 60, of Anchuthengu drowned after his boat capsized at Muthalapozhi, Thiruvananthapuram; and Rajan, 57, of Pambar was washed away in strongcurrents in Marayur, Idukki.

TNN

8 held as Hyd cops bust child trafficking racket, rescue 11

Hyderabad: Investigation into the sale of an infant in Hyderabad recently blew the lid off an inter-state child trafficking racket, leading to arrest of eight persons on Tuesday and rescue of 11 children, aged between 23 days and three years, from different parts of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

The operation was conducted by Rachakonda police after three persons, who were part of the racket, were arrested earlier this month. According to police, the children were trafficked through ‘suppliers’ operating out of Delhi and Pune, and sold to childless couples in the two southern states. So far, the gang has trafficked over 50 children and sold them for up to Rs 6 lakh.

A hunt is still on for the ‘suppliers’, said police, adding that they were yet to ascertain how these children entered this illegal market. “All the rescued children are in good health. Five children were located in Vijayawada (Andhra), and we are in the process of rescuing them,” said Tarun Joshi, CP Rachakonda. Cops said the Hyderabad-based operators of the racket approached childless couples and offered to help them for a handsome amount.

TNN

Times City

- Summer leaves this consumer forum in city dysfunctional

- Water In Taps Once A Day In Several Areas

- Blame it on ‘west’: As city flirts with 50°C, don’t expect too much of a respite today

- Still No Clarity On What Caused Hosp Fire

- Karol Bagh to Mundka, a common thread — no end to wait for justice

- Stricter fire norms for nursing homes: Matter pending before HC since 2022

- ACB to probe registration of all pvt nursing homes in capital: LG

- LG does not take action against guilty officials, claims Bharadwaj

- What Drives Poor Patients Into Jaws Of Death

- Audi involved in Noida hit & run found at NBCC parking

- A third of nursing homes in capital are running without registration

- When firefighters saved 19 babies in nick of time

- 2 injured as DTC buses collide in Nauroji Ngr

- Dumper truck mows down 29-yr-old in Dwarka

- Blaze at eye hospital in west Delhi causes panic

- Nearly 100-year journey from palace to seat of justice

- ‘Defamation’: Atishi Summoned By Court

- Atishi is next in line to be arrested, claims Kejriwal

- CJI to decide listing of Kejriwal’s plea for extension of interim bail

- Court to decide on taking note of supplementary chargesheet against CM & AAP on June 4

- All tests Kejriwal needs can be done in a day: BJP

- DU Launches Single Girl Child Quota Across UG Programmes

- Assaulted by bouncers in club: Woman

- Cops present ‘digital evidence’ in additional Shraddha chargesheet

- Sarita Vihar flyover repair may start soon

- ‘Bomb@5.30’ note in IndiGo aircraft causes chaos, turns out to be hoax

- 3 days to cops for Bibhav’s interrogation

- Delhi court rejects Khalid bail plea in 2020 riots case

- Gang that duped people by staging arrest busted

- NCRTC plans to plant over 25 lakh trees along RRTS corridor

- Chief secy gets extension, NDMC chairman shifted

- HC seeks ED’s reply to Jain’s default bail plea in laundering case

Summer leaves this consumer forum in city dysfunctional

Dhananjay.Mahapatra@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:The sizzling summer heat has forced a district consumer forum in the national capital to defer hearing of cases as it did not have air conditioning, a development that negates Supreme Court’s three year-long suo motu initiative to ensure adequate infrastructure and manpower for district consumer redressal forums.

The Dwarka district consumer forum bench of president S K Gupta, Harshali Kaur and R C Yadav on May 21 was dealing with a consumer complaint filed by one Rajender Singh against Vodafone.

In its order deferring hearing to Nov 21, the forum said, “There is neither air conditioner nor (water) cooler in the courtroom. The temperature is more than 40 degrees Celsius. There is too much heat in the courtroom which led to sweating as such it is difficult to hear arguments.”

The problem is that the president and members of the consumer forum could not even try beating the heat by drinking excess water as that would entail periodic visits to the washroom. “Moreover, there is no water supply even to go to the washroom to ease ourselves,” the order noted.

The president-led bench had no option but to adjourn the hearing to cooler times in Nov and send a copy of the order to secretary-cum-commissioner of Delhi govt, which appears to be unmoved by repeated orders of the SC for providing adequate infrastructure to district forums since Jan 25, 2021, when it had decided to take suo motu cognisance of the massive problems faced by consumers at the district, state and national level. Delhi has 10 district consumer forums.

SC had sought responses from the Centre and state govts detailing the sanctioned posts in consumer forums, vacancies and the nature of infrastructure made available to them. The Consumer Protection Act was enacted in 1986 to set up quasi-judicial bodies at district, state and national level to provide speedy and simple redressal to consumer disputes.

On Feb 22, 2021, the court had said, “There should be not only sufficient number of presiding officers but support staff for the presiding officers and facilities for public and lawyers who attend to these proceedings.”

Though the court made numerous attempts to force the states to fill vacancies in consumer forums, it appears to have achieved little on the ground. Moreover, a tired SC also appears to have lost grip on the matter, as there had been no effective hearing in the suo motu matter since March 14 last year.

Water In Taps Once A Day In Several Areas

CRISIS DEEPENS: Atishi Announces Rationing In Parts Of South Delhi

Siddhanta.Mishra@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: Several parts of South Delhi are likely to get water supply only once, instead of twice, according to the rationing plan announced by water minister Atishi on Tuesday.

These areas include parts of Greater Kailash, Lajpat Nagar, Panchsheel Park, Hauz Khas, Chittaranjan Park and adjoining areas. These areas will get water once a day till the supply situation improves.

The city, which once set the target of supplying 24x7 water to residents, now faces a severe water crisis.

“I know that where water is being supplied twice a day, people will be troubled if it is cut off for once a day, but I appeal to all Delhiites that we should not think only about ourselves. We should think about everyone,” minister Atishi said.

Parts of North and South West Delhi such as the areas of Mehrauli and Chattarpur are also facing water problems this summer.

According to govt, since the beginning of May, Haryana has stopped releasing Yamuna water to Delhi, which has caused the level of water to continuously fall at the Wazirabad water treatment plant.

“On May 1, the Yamuna's water level was 674.5 feet at Wazirabad. Within a week, by May 8, it came down to 672 feet. The level continued to fall, and on May 20, it came down to 671 feet. By May 24, this level came down to 670.2 feet, and currently, the water level is 669.8 feet,” Atishi said.

When the amount of raw water decreases, the quantity that the treatment plants (WTP) produce, and the water distributed across the city also decrease.

In the summer bulletin of DJB on Tuesday, the overall water production was at 978 million gallons per day (MGD), and at Wazirabad, 110 MGD of water was produced against the capacity of 131 MGD.

According to DJB’s bulletin, water supply has improved slightly from Monday, when the overall production was 969.32 MGD, but the problems at Wazirabad continue to drag down the overall production.

DJB is yet to respond on the matter.

Atishi asked for “collective responsibility” and urged people not to wash their vehicles or engage in wasteful activities. “It is our responsibility that whoever is getting adequate supply should not use it wastefully. Please do not wash your vehicles from open pipes,” the minister said. She added that if this appeal does not work, in the next few days challans will be issued.

Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said that amid the scorching heat, the severe water shortage faced by the people was a direct result of the incompetence of the AAP govt. “For this situation, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and water minister Atishi are responsible. Every year, under the direct supervision of the chief minister, the govt holds meetings to prepare a summer action plan,” Sachdeva said.

Blame it on ‘west’: As city flirts with 50°C, don’t expect too much of a respite today

Kushagra.Dixit@timesgroup.com

HEAT IS ON

New Delhi: Rain is nowhere in sight in Delhi but it’s definitely raining records, with parts of the capital just a touch shy of 50 degrees Celsius mark.

Rajasthan’s Churu, meanwhile, was the hottest place in India on Tuesday at 50.5°C — close to its highest-ever temperature of 50.8°C. In Rajasthan’s Phalodi, 51°C in 2016 is the all-time record in the country.

“The winds blowing into Delhi have a majority of westerly component from Haryana and Rajasthan. Under this impact, the city, especially its outer areas, are witnessing a huge rise in temperature,” said Kuldeep Srivastava, senior weather scientist, IMD.

Srivastava said since the westerly winds were dry, the humidity, too, had dropped, which was reflecting in the city’s heat index or ‘feel-like temperature’. “The heat index of the city on Tuesday was 47°C, while a few days back it was 55°C, even though the maximum temperatures were slightly lower then. Since the humidity is low, the discomfort level is not as high as it was a few days back,” he said.

Apart from Mungeshpur, Narela and Najafgarh, several areas of the city, including Pitampura, Pusa and Jafarpur, also recorded severe heatwave on Tuesday, with the maximum temperature eight to nine notches above normal.

The situation was not much different in the city’s neighbourhood. Gurgaon witnessed the season’s highest temperature at 47 degrees Celsius on Tuesday, marking the third heatwave day this sea- son. As the temperature soared, there was a forest fire at the Aravalis near Faridabad’s Surajkund around 1pm on Tuesday. Although the fire department managed to douse the flames within 30 minutes, several acres and trees had already been charred, residents alleged. Noida sizzled at 47.3.

With temperatures exceeding 42 degrees Celsius, people are prone to heat stroke, which is a medical emergency characterised by an elevation in core body temperature, often exceeding 104°F (40°C). Doctors say the heat stroke may lead to central nervous system dysfunction. When the body’s ther- moregulatory mechanisms fail, extreme dehydration ensues, signalling an alarm.

Highlighting the perils of the hot temperatures, doctors warn that a heat stroke could even lead to a brain stroke in extreme situations, particularly when it causes excessive dehydration, which leads to the thickening of blood and makes its flow challenging throughout the body.

Meanwhile, the city continued to reel under poor air quality. The air quality index (AQI), on a scale of 0 to 500, was 244 on Tuesday, against 223 a day earlier.

Still No Clarity On What Caused Hosp Fire

EDELHI TRAGEDY:LPG Cylinder Mishap On Rooftop Or Electrical Malfunction Could Be Reasons

Five oxygen cylinders had exploded, suggesting that they could have triggered the fire

Abhay@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: Even 72 hours after the Vivek Vihar hospital fire that killed six babies on Saturday night, its origin remains a mystery. While the preliminary investigation focuses on the blaze starting from oxygen cylinders, investigators are also examining two other potential causes — a mishap on the rooftop or an electrical malfunction due to a short circuit in the wiring or equipment.

Five of the 32 oxygen cylinders had exploded, suggesting that they could have triggered the fire. Police have also found that the accused, Dr Naveen Khichi, had violated the oxygen cylinder storage guidelines by keeping them near the neonatal unit on the first floor where the children were being treated.

On the terrace of Baby Care Newborn Hospital, police have fo- und a generator room and a small cooking gas cylinder in close proximity, and are investigating whether a malfunction in the generator room or someone using the cooking cylinder had sparked the fire.

The cops have also found more evidence of hospital employees having ample time to evacuate the infants. Besides a delay in reporting, CCTV footage also shows two individuals rushing out of the building when the fire had just started. “There seems to be a window of at least 10 minutes during which the fire spread rapidly, and there was time to take the babies out,” said a source. Later, the fire spread downwards. While six babies perished in the fire, five children in the other room survived. They were shifted to another hospital.

“At the time of the incident, Dr Akash, who has been arrested, and a driver were inside the hospital. Akash told us that he had tried to enter the building but it was filled with smoke, and he tried to alert police. However, we received the first PCR call at 11.30pm, a minute after the first blast occur- red,” a source said.

On Tuesday, the cops confronted Dr Khichi and Dr Akash and also questioned them separately. “Khichi told us that he had four doctors, only one of whom was an MBBS, the rest were BAMS (ayurveda). On several occasions, two or more children were kept in one bed,” said a police officer.

Police also worked with two nurses from the hospital to reconstruct the sequence of events. “The nurses only left the building after all the children were shifted to another hospital. They were traumatised,” said an officer.

In one of the affidavits by Dr Khichi, it’s claimed that the building is below the prescribed height required for a fire clearance, but all arrangements were made to tackle fire. Police may visit his house in Paschim Vihar as they suspect that he used to treat children there as well.

Karol Bagh to Mundka, a common thread — no end to wait for justice

Continued from P1

From necessary permissions and clearances to grant of licence and absence of basic fire-fighting systems, there seems to have been brazen disregard of rules by all stakeholders. Even the illegal filling of oxygen cylinders allegedly happening there seems to have gone unnoticed or was winked at.

In January 2018, a fire ripped through a firecracker factory in Bawana, claiming 17 lives. The tragedy exposed lax safety measures, leading to the arrest of the co-owners. However, they secured bail with ease. After he was released on bail, the main accused, Manoj Jain, opened a firecracker factory in Haryana’s Kundli. In 2020, he was arrested by Haryana police for illegally manufacturing crackers and sent to jail, but he once again came out on bail. In July last year, Jain set up a new factory in Ghaziabad, which was raided by local police but Jain gave them the slip.

Just over a year after the Bawana incident, Karol Bagh’s Hotel Arpit Palace turned into an inferno in February 2019, trapping guests and leading to the death of 17 people. The hotel owners and employees were similarly in and out of jail, leaving the bereaved families in both pain and despair.

If the year had virtually begun with a tragedy of immense proportions, it ended with an even darker chapter in the city’s story of brazen flouting of all norms at the cost of human lives. In December 2019, there was a huge blaze at a factory at Anaj Mandi which manufactured school bags and shoes. Fortythree labourers were killed, exposing the vulnerability of those working in unsafe conditions. Arrests were made but the cycle of bail and pending trials continued.

It is pertinent to note here that in all these cases, it was the neglect of norms which led to casualties. A status report submitted to court in the Anaj Mandi fire, for example, highlighted glaring lapses on part of the owners. “It has emerged during investigation that the accused criminally neglected upkeep, especially the electricity layout, that too in a building where highly inflammable material was stored/used illegally. The building had two staircases. An alternative staircase was blocked and even the main staircase was not clear for free movement of occupants. The building was neither properly ventilated, nor compartmented, and also did not have fire safety arrangements. The occupants could not escape by themselves as the area near the staircase was involved in the fire and dense smoke filled the rooms completely,” said the report.

In May 2022, Mundka wit- nessed another factory fire engulfing a three-storey building and killing 27 workers. Both the owners of the factory and the building owner were apprehended, only to be released on bail. The same set of lapses – as flagged in other factory fire cases – were found to be the underlying causes for the casualties.

The fire at a paint factory in Alipur’s Dayalpur market in February this year followed a similar pattern. Eleven workers perished. Arrests were made but the accused are now on bail.

In most of these cases, particularly true of the neonatal facilities, the owners seem to be taking advantage of a loophole which allows them to operate without a fire NOC (no objection certificate) if their building is less than 9 metres in height. Most such facilities have restricted themselves to a maximum of two floors and function without adhering to basic safety norms.

Stricter fire norms for nursing homes: Matter pending before HC since 2022

SUNDAY TRAGEDY

Abhinav.Garg@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: The issue of stricter fire safety norms applicable to nursing homes/ hospitals operating from residential areas has been pending before Delhi High Court for the past two years.

While the devastating fire at a Vivek Vihar hospital has triggered a safety review of all such establishments in Delhi, govt earlier gave an undertaking in court that it won’t take any coercive action against nursing homes till the matter was decided.

Govt has also sought early hearing of the matter, arguing last Dec that interim orders from court had left it unable to act against nursing homes flouting norms. The court is slated to take up the matter in July.

In 2022, Delhi Medical Association (DMA) had moved the high court challenging govt’s directions to all nursing homes operating in Delhi that are more than 9-metre high for obtaining the fire safety certificates from Delhi Fire Services (DFS).

Also representing interests of nursing homes, DMA argued that norms for residential development would in any case apply to these units and additional safety permits should not be imposed by authorities.

In a reply before HC, DFS had said it couldn’t exempt anyone from following building bye-laws and dilute rules laid down by govt since it was only an implementing agency. It said though Master Plan 2021 allowed operation of nursing homes amid residential buildings/colonies, any change in occupancy of any building required fire safety-related compliances couldn’t be ignored.

“Delhi Fire Services cannot exempt any requirement of fire and life safety stipulated in Building Bye Laws and National Building Code, which have been formulated by a large committee of many ex- perts,” it had informed the court, saying that norms relating to the width of 6-foot access road, 2.4-metre-wide corridors, 2-metre-wide staircases, fire extinguishers and a water tank are non-negotiables.

“Life and fire safety requirements change as per occupancy and differ from residential to institutional. These are also based on height and covered area of the premises in a particular occupancy. Some of the nursing homes may be in a seriously dilapidated condition and do not at all conform to the basic minimum standards prescribed. Therefore, the grant of FSC/NOC must take place on a case-by-case basis and is not on a one-size-fits-all basis,” DFS stated.

DMA, through advocate Bharat Malhotra, has argued that several smaller hospitals and nursing homes in residential areas will shut down as they find fulfilling such strict requirements challenging and sought flexibility for such small hospitals. DMA has contended that once the master plan permits a residential plot being put to mixed use, it would be the norms applicable to residential development which would apply and the requirement of a fire safety permit would not sustain.

However, Delhi govt has opposed the plea and underlined that requirement of a fire safety permit flows from a separate statute that mandates that permit be obtained the moment the height exceeds 9 metres.

ACB to probe registration of all pvt nursing homes in capital: LG

VK SAXENA SAYS I have taken a very stern view of the matter (Vivek Vihar hospitla fire). Though this is a transferred subject, in the larger public interest, I am forced to step in, on account of the lack of seriousness on the part of authorities entrusted with these responsibilities

Abhinav.Rajput@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:Taking a stern view of the deaths of newborns at a hospital in Vivek Vihar, LG VK Saxena on Tuesday ordered a probe by Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) into the registrations and regulatory management of all private nursing homes in the capital.

In the official communication to the chief secretary, Saxena said: “I have taken a very stern view of the matter. Though this is a transferred subject, in the larger public interest, I am forced to step in, on account of the lack of seriousness on the part of authorities entrusted with these responsibilities”.

LG cited “total absence of ministerial oversight, sheer mismanagement, criminal neglect and connivance of govt officials" in granting and renewing the registration of nursing homes.

The ACB probe will assess the number of nursing homes functioning without registrations and compliance with prescribed norms under Delhi Nursing Homes Registration Act, 1953.

Pointing out that the incident had put a serious ques- tion mark on ministerial responsibility in a matter directly related to health and the lives of residents of Delhi, LG said that even after a tragedy of this magnitude, which should have stirred the conscience of the political leadership, he was disappointed that "the chief minister and minister have paid only lip service and given sound bytes, finding alibis and shirking responsibility”.

Administration couldn’t be run on social media or by brushing such serious matters under the carpet, he added.

“I am given to understand that there are 1,190 nursing homes, of which more than a quarter are operating without a valid registration. Also, there are many nursing homes in the city that have never applied for a registration but are still operating,” Saxena said. “Even those nursing homes that have a valid registration may not be meeting the safety and regulatory standards as prescribed in The Delhi Nursing Homes Registration Act, 1953, and the rules made there under,” he said.

“The very existence of such nursing homes that serve the poor and not-so-well-off sections of society speaks volumes on the larger issue of severe lack of public health infrastructure in the national capital. This is a larger issue that has been left neglected, contrary to the claims in the public domain,” LG said in the note.

Saxena directed that “it may be clearly ascertained during the investigation whether the grant of registration or its renewal by health department was done after 100% site inspection. Is there a proper checklist to ensure whether the facility meets the requisite safety norms and has the medical in- frastructure and professionals as provided under law?”

It has also been directed that ACB determine the connivance and complicity of public servants concerned of health department and bring out the criminal misconduct and negligence in this matter.

“What is even more heartrending is that parents belonging to lower-income groups were being duped by this nursing home that was operating without a valid registration,” Saxena said. “The whole episode has brought out the sheer mismanagement, criminal neglect and connivance of officials of health department, in granting and renewing registrations of nursing homes. At the same time, it puts a serious question mark on the ministerial responsibility, in a matter directly related to the health and lives of hapless residents of Delhi,” he said.

LG does not take action against guilty officials, claims Bharadwaj

SAURABH BHARADWAJ SAYS Any person, even if on leave, sick, or away, should have the humanity to try to inform their minister about it (fire) through their phone, cancel their leave, or fulfil their duties from wherever they are

Abhinav.Rajput@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: Alleging that lieutenant governor did not refrain from doing politics even over the death of innocent children, health minister Saurabh Bharadwaj claimed on Tuesday that he protected officers who didn’t follow ministers’ orders, and stopped free treatment and medicines and work for the public.

“It has been four days since the incident and the health secretary is missing. Even after repeated phone calls, messages and emails, there is no response from the health secretary,” Bharadwaj said.

He alleged that LG did not say a single word about the secretary. “There is no use in complaining to LG saheb, he protects such officers.”

In a letter to Union home secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla, Bharadwaj said that though the fire at the Vivek Vihar hospital occurred on Saturday night, he was not informed about it by officials till the next day. “It was through the media that I learned about the tragic fire. Upon receiving this information, I immediately called health secretary SB Deepak Kumar, but he did not answer.”

The minister said that when Kumar did not respond to repeated calls, he sent him a message on WhatsApp informing him about the fire and requested all related information immediately. But he did not receive any response, Bharadwaj said. He said that on Monday, he had called a meeting at his office inviting the health secretary and other health officials. “However, the health secretary did not attend it. When I inquired with the special secretary, I was informed that the health secretary was on leave. I am surprised that as a minister, I did not receive any leave application from the health secretary, which I would have approved,” he said.

Stating that health department plays a crucial role in any emergency situation, he said it was beyond comprehension that a health secretary would go on leave without informing the minister.

He claimed it was happening because all officials in Delhi had been told that they were not accountable to their minister. Calling it a shameful situation, he said, “I am wri- ting this letter to you to clarify whether central government is protecting such officials or will take action against them.”

Bharadwaj added, “Any person, even if on leave, sick, or away, should have the humanity to try to inform their minister about it (fire) through their phone, cancel their leave, or fulfil their duties from wherever they are.”

The minister said ideally he should have written to LG, but his experience over the past two years had shown that LG didn’t not take any action against guilty officers in such matters. “Despite repeated complaints, LG continues to protect those officers.”

What Drives Poor Patients Into Jaws Of Death

Costly Pvt Hospitals, Shoddy Infra In Govt Setups Lead Them To Badly Monitored Nursing Homes

ADOCTOR SAYS Neonatal intensive care, as well as adult intensive care, are both highly resourceintensive specialised care. These are unaffordable in the private for-profit sector for nearly 90% of India's population

Anuja.Jaiswal@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: The prohibitive cost of treatment in private corporate hospitals in Delhi and inadequate infrastructure in govt facilities have led to a significant demand for private nursing homes. Unfortunately, rules are flouted with impunity in these establishments and the administration does little to enforce accountability.

The fact that at least 30% private nursing homes in Delhi function without proper registration illustrates the extent of the decay and strengthens the observations of Delhi High Court that recently said the city’s health infrastructure, including the availability of NICU beds in the national capital, is inadequate. The report submitted by a committee constituted by the high court said: “Doubling and tripling is a norm in neonatal units, and this definitely affects the quality of patient care/patient satisfaction.”

The only reason these private nursing homes continue to flourish is that private healthcare in big hospitals is out of reach of the common man, and govt hospitals do not have the wherewithal to cater to the demands of Delhi's residents. The figures speak for themselves. While the daily charges of NICU care in a good private corporate hospital in Delhi are around Rs 50,000-75,000, the smaller nursing homes charge around Rs 10,000-12,000 per day. This makes them a viable option for those with limited funds who desire to give the best to their families.

According to the secretary general of the National Neonatology Forum (NNF), Dr Surender Singh Bisht, at least 3 lakh children are born every year in Delhi, and 10% of them need NICU care, while 3-5% may require ventilator care. “Those in the middleand lo- wer middle-class can’t afford such facilities in big hospitals and govt hospitals lack the infrastructure, leaving them with no option but to opt for these nursing homes,” he said.

He added that there are 260 NNF-accredited hospitals across the country including 16 in Delhi which follow stringent international levels of NICU standards.

“Neonatal intensive care, as well as adult intensive care, are both highly resource-intensive specialised care. These are unaffordable in the private forprofit sector for nearly 90% of India's population. The alternative to this situation is not the presence of inadequately and inappropriately staffed NI- CUs or ICUs, with units that are inadequate and under-trained staffed. It requires change at multiple levels,” Dr Sumit Ray, medical director and head of critical care medicine at Holy Family Hospital, said.

He added that an increase in the number of accessible and accountable units in govt setups, as well as well-regulated setups in the private sector, is necessary. This ensures that the quality of care is maintained while controlling costs and checking profiteering.

Dr RD Srivastava, head of the department and senior consultant in paediatric medicine and neonatology at Sri Balaji Action Medical Institute, said: “The presence of a mother in the NICU is highly beneficial. Her presence offers emotional support and comfort to the baby, positively impacting the infant's recovery and well-being.”

Normally, neonatal care is required for premature births, low birth weight, delivery complications, congenital abnormalities, respiratory issues, infections and metabolic disorders such as hypoglycemia, said Dr Bilal Khan, paediatrician at Narayana Super Speciality Hospital.

Audi involved in Noida hit & run found at NBCC parking

The owner of the Audi – registered in Gurgaon – is a businessman. He is originally from Palamu in Jharkhand, police said. Luv, who was driving the car, is his brother-in-law

Advitya.Bahl@timesgroup.com

Noida:After a 48-hour search that involved scanning around 400 CCTV camera clips, police traced the Audi that mowed down a 64-yearold retired staffer of All India Radio in Sector 53 on Sunday to the parking area of NBCC (National Buildings Construction Corporation) office in Delhi’s Kidwai Nagar.

A 24-year-old man – Luv Kumar – who was driving the car when the accident occurred near Kanchanjunga market was arrested on Tuesday evening. Prince Kumar, his friend who was in the Audi with him, was picked up too.

The owner of the Audi – registered in Gurgaon – is a businessman named Pramod Kumar. He is originally from Palamu in Jharkhand, police said. Luv, according to cops, is his brother-in-law.

Early on Sunday morning, Luv and Prince had visited Noida for coffee. They were on their way back to Delhi when they lost their way, a police officer said. They switched on Google Maps and were on their way to Kalindi Kunj when they ploughed into Janak Dev Shah, aretired Group D employee of All India Radio.

The car was believed to be speeding at 100kmph when the accident occurred at 6.30am. Shah, who was out to buy milk when the white Audi crashed into him from behind, was flung in the air and landed some 20m ahead on the road as the Audi sped past him, almost crushing his legs under the rear wheels.

Following a complaint by Shah’s son, an FIR was registered against the car driver under sections 304A (causing death by negligence) and 279 (rash driving) of the IPC.

Police had said on Monday that the car might have taken the Maharaja Agrasen Marg – which runs below the Noida elevated road – to escape to Delhi after the accident. Seven teams were working in tandem to trace the Audi.

“We formed seven teams to trace the car. They scanned some 400 clips from CCTV cameras placed at 150 locations in Delhi and Noida,” said Manish Mishra, additional DCP. “After we pieced together the different footage, we managed to trace the car to the parking area of the NBCC building in Kidwai Nagar,” he added.

Shah’s family members said he would go out for morning walks daily and return with milk.

A third of nursing homes in capital are running without registration

Anuja.Jaiswal@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: Nearly 30% of 1,183 nursing homes in Delhi are functioning illegally in Delhi with expired registrations just like the Baby Care New Born Hospital in Vivek Vihar where six infants died in a fire on May 25.

The number of such hospitals could be higher as this data of 340 such centres was collected from Delhi govt’s website. It lists functional nursing homes along with details of the validity of their registration, updated on May 7, 2024.

The registration of the 340 nursing homes — marked in red — expired between 2018 and 2024, clearly indicates that the administration has not taken significant steps to ensure their renewal under the laid-down provisions.

These private nursing homes are in various areas of Delhi. Some of them are in Dwarka, Uttam Nagar, Janakpuri, Tilak Nagar, Ashok Vihar, Shastri Nagar, Nangloi, Shahdara, Yamuna Vihar and Vikaspuri.

According to officials in the health department, many of the nursing homes have inadequate fire safety infrastructure, and their registration renewals are delayed because the matter is pending in court.

Officials claimed that "coercive action" against these expired registrations is pending due to court orders.

Officials revealed that the Director General of Health Services is the supervising authority of the Delhi Nursing Home Registration Act. Registration, renewal and cancellations can only be done by DGHS.

About Baby Care New Born Hospital, a health official said that at the time of registration, the owner presented three MBBS doctors, three specialists (paediatricians), and 15 nurses necessary for operating a five-bedded neonatal unit (one nurse for each bed in three shifts). However, after registration, to cut costs, he most likely removed them and appointed an ayurveda professional instead.

The accused, Dr Naveen Khichi, is a repeat offender. He was found operating a nursing home in B block, Vivek Vihar, without registration. This led to a case against him in Karkardooma court in 2019. “During the ongoing case, he applied for registration for a new nursing home in C Block on Jan 29, 2021. The supervising authority directed CDMO Shahdara to inspect the premises in order to determine whether permission for registration can be granted or not.”

Though he had applied for 10 beds, during the inspection, it was found fit for only 5 beds. Consequently, he was given registration in Aug 2021, which was valid till March 31, 2024. In 2019, he filed a case against an official of the directorate of health services in the National Commission of Scheduled Castes, stating that, being a Scheduled Caste member, he was being targeted.

In his Paschimpuri nursing home, he had registration for nine beds but 50 babies were found. This became known to officials during a surprise inspection, and his registration was cancelled in Jan 2018.

However, despite the cancellation, he continued to run the nursing home.

When another surprise inspection was conducted on Aug 13, 2018 children were found admitted there, resulting in a case being filed against him in Tis Hazari court in 2020.

Officials stated that the renewal of registration must be applied for two months prior to the expiration of the registration.

Otherwise, a 10% penalty of the total registration fee will be imposed in the first month, followed by an additional 10% penalty every month until July 31. If a nursing home is operated on the second floor or above, at a height of 9 metres or more, it can only be renewed if a fire safety clearance certificate is obtained.

According to the Delhi Nursing Homes Registration (Amendment) Act, 2003 — for section 6 of the principal act the following section will be substituted: “Whoever contravenes the provisions of section 3 shall, on conviction, be punished with a fine which may extend to five thousand rupees or, in the case of a second or subsequent offence, with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months, or with a fine which may extend to five thousand rupees, or with both.”

When firefighters saved 19 babies in nick of time

A fire broke out in a hospital for newborn babies in Dwarka 2023

Abhay@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:The night of June 9, 2023, still gives jitters to firefighters at Dwarka fire station. It was half-past-one when a chilling SOS was sent out from ‘The Nest’, a neonatal facility in Dwarka. Fifty firefighters manning nine tenders rushed to the spot, covering the 6km distance in five minutes. For the next 45 minutes, they displayed immense grit and presence of mind, safely rescuing 19 newborns from the inferno.

The firemen recalled how they had put their lives on the line to rescue the babies. “The entrance was blocked and smoke had engulfed the entire building. However, we didn't blink twice because the lives of newborns were at stake,” a member of that team recalled.

According to Delhi Fire Services chief, Atul Garg, the furniture in the basement was burning rapidly, leading to the upper floors getting clogged with smoke. “Time was of utmost importance. While one team began to douse the blaze, the other started the rescue and evacuation operation. Our firemen put on the breathing apparatus and entered the burning hospital,” he said.

It was chaotic. On the first floor, smoke had engulfed the corridors. “The nurses and doctors told us 20 newborns, some as young as two days old, were inside. We had breathing apparatus on, but the nurses didn't. We told the staff to cover their faces with cloth. Some babies were on medical support. We unplugged medical equipment and broke windows. Then, we used a narrow gallery with an iron mesh bridge as an escape route,” recalled a fireman.

One by one, the firefighters lifted the babies in their arms, wrapped them in towels, and began to move out. The infants were carefully transferred to a nearby restaurant. From there, ambu- lances transported them to other hospitals for further care. “All newborns remained unharmed. Three were subsequently discharged, 13 were moved to Arya Hospital in Janakpuri, two to Dwarka More Newborn Child Hospital, and two were taken to JK Hospital in Janakpuri,” Garg added. The fire, believed to be caused by a short circuit, was contained within an hour, and a cooling operation was initiated.

Police had booked the owner of the hospital, who had claimed that no fire NOC was required as his building was less than 9m in height. In any case, this close call should have served as a stark reminder of the importance of fire safety regulations, particularly in facilities caring for vulnerable populations. Exactly a year later, the incident at the facility in Vivek Vihar has rekindled the memories.

2 injured as DTC buses collide in Nauroji Ngr

New Delhi: Two people were injured when a Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) bus collided with another stationary bus in southwest Delhi’s Nauroji Nagar on Tuesday morning. Police received information about the accident which occurred around 9am on Outer Ring Road. During inquiry, it was revealed that a DTC electric bus was picking up passengers at Nauroji Nagar bus stand when another DTC bus struck it from behind, a senior police officer said. "Two DTC electric buses collided at the Nauroji Nagar bus stand. One, driven by Akash, was picking up passengers when the other, driven by Chandveer, hit it from behind," the officer said. Two people identified as Mukesh Kumar and Shamshula, both residents of Durga Park in West Sagarpur, sustained minor injuries and are currently receiving treatment at the hospital, the officer added.

TNN

Dumper truck mows down 29-yr-old in Dwarka

New Delhi: A 29-year-old man died after he was allegedly mowed down by a dumper truck in southwest Delhi's Dwarka area on Tuesday. Upon receiving a PCR call at 8 am regarding an accident at Dwarka Sector 23, a police team rushed to the spot and victim Akashdeep, a resident of Dwarka Mor, was rushed to the hospital where he was declared brought dead, a senior officer said. “He was going somewhere on the motorcycle when he was hit by the truck,” the officer said, adding that multiple teams have been formed to nab the truck driver.

TNN

Blaze at eye hospital in west Delhi causes panic

CHARRED

New Delhi: There was panic at Eye Mantra Hospital in northwest Delhi's Paschim Vihar area after a fire broke out on Tuesday. No injuries were reported, fire department said.

After receiving a PCR call around 11.35 am, six fire tenders, with 36 firefighters, were rushed to the spot near Metro Pillar No 262, a senior official said.

Atul Garg, director of Delhi Fire Services, said that the fire, which originated on the second floor of the building, was successfully extinguished without any casualties. “It was controlled in some time and no evacuation was done,” Garg added.

The incident involved a blaze which started in a split air conditioning unit, spreading to wall fixtures, and affected a lasik laser machine. “What we suspect is that there was a short circuit which led to the fire,” Garg said, adding the reason behind the incident will be investigated.

The incident came days after six babies died after a fire erupted at a hospital in Vivek Vihar.

TNN

TIMES Special

Nearly 100-year journey from palace to seat of justice

FROM INDIRA ASSASSINATION TO PARLIAMENT TERROR ATTACK, PATIALA HOUSE COURT COMPLEX HAS SEEN MANY HIGH-PROFILE HEARINGS

Abhinav.Garg@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:From how a State Bank of India official was tricked into paying Rs 60 lakh to a caller pretending to be the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to tales of a haunted courtroom and a secret tunnel built during British era, Patiala House court complex has — over its nearly 100-year-old heritage — been a part of many significant events that remain largely unknown to the public.

Renowned writer and poet Amrita Pritam, too, briefly resided there in 1949.

Originally intended as a residence for royal princes visiting Delhi to pay homage to British Emperor during Delhi Durbar, the palace was handed over to British govt within a year of its construction in 1938 to serve as a war office until the end of World War II. During this period, the building witnessed visits from prominent leaders of Indian Freedom Movement, such as Jawaharlal Nehru, G B Pant and Jagjivan Ram, who frequently interacted with Maharaja of Patiala.

These fascinating details are featured in a book that traces the history of Patiala House, authored by former Delhi High Court judge Poonam A Bamba. It follows the 100-year journey of Patiala House, from its beginnings as a plot of land allocated by the colonial British govt to the royal family of Patiala in the 1920s to its cur- rent role as a seat of justice.

Speaking to TOI, Justice Bamba explained that she became interested in the subject during her two-year tenure as the district judge of Patiala House, where she had the opportunity to closely observe the complex. “During my two-year stint, I could feel the energy of the place. In my quieter moments, I sensed its unique persona and started the project. Ir’s a tribute to and a celebration of the rich heritage and architectural grandeur of Patiala House. Its beauty got lost in the hustle and bustle of the business of courts. So, I have tried to showcase its journey from a Patiala plot to a royal palace to a seat of justice,” she said.

Between 1915 and 1920, the British govt initially agreed to allocate plots of land to royal Indian households who frequently visited Delhi to deal with the imperial govt. A 'Princes Park' was established at what is now the India Gate hexagon, with plots assigned to Baroda, Hyderabad, Patiala and a few others. However, it wasn't until the late 1960s that the palace's association with the judiciary began, when Delhi High Court moved to the complex. Official records indicate that the high court operated from Patiala House until 1976 before relocating to its current location on Sher Shah Road.

The recently vacated Patiala House became an ideal location for housing sessions and magistrate courts for central Delhi, which were previously operating from a location on Parliament Street. In 1977-78, criminal courts were moved from Parliament Street to Patia- la House. Over time, other types of courts were added, such as Motor Accidents Claims Tribunal and civil courts.

One of the first high-pro- file cases to be heard at Patiala House was the assassination of Indira Gandhi. Since then, the court complex has been the venue for several land- mark cases and trials, including Parliament attack terror case, BMW hit-and-run matter, Phoolan Devi's murder trial, the infamous Jessica Lal murder and Nitish Katara murder, to name a few.

Despite the gruesome crimes and punishments associated with the court complex, its architectural marvels are often overlooked by the majority of lawyers, litigants, staffers, policemen, and even judges in the daily hustle of life. The complex boasts “a conglomeration of chhatris, a long continuous chajja, protruding balconies, the jaalis that allow comfortable cross-ventilation, floor designs and stair railings with motifs of a peacock reigning supreme,” along with a sprawling district judge's courtroom.

The story of a haunted courtroom can be traced back to the times when a few caretakers reported hearing music from district judge's court in the middle of the night. Additionally, there is a small winding staircase in one part of the building that leads to a dead end — possibly a tunnel intended for escape in case of an emergency. Today, the court complex is one of the six district courts functioning in Delhi.

Constructed on an area measuring 31,872 square meters, the entire complex is divided into five parts, housing 45 criminal and civil courts, a mediation centre, a lock-up, Delhi Legal Services Authorities Office and various other branches and lawyers’ chambers.

As regards to the man who impersonated Indira Gandhi and ran off with Rs 60 lakh, he was subsequently arrested and faced trial, while the money was recovered.

‘Defamation’: Atishi Summoned By Court

But Court Refrains From Issuing Summons To CM

Atishi alleged that AAP politicians were approached by BJP to join them in exchange for money

Vineet.Upadhyay@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: A Delhi court on Tuesday summoned minister Atishi in a defamation case filed by BJP functionary Praveen Shankar Kapoor over claims that AAP politicians were approached by BJP to join them in exchange for money.

The court of Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Tanya Bamniyal, taking note of the testimonies of the witnesses and the evidence placed on record, said it, prima facie, appeared that the minister made specific defamatory statements. The court directed Atishi to appear in court on June 29.

"It appears that accused no. 1, by her spoken words and words that were intended to be read, has made defamatory imputations, which, prima facie, have lowered the reputation of the complainant amongst the right-thinking members of society, and the same has been ma- de knowing and intending to harm the reputation of the complainant," the court said.

However, it didn’t issue summons to CM Arvind Kejriwal, another accused against whom the criminal defamation case has been filed.

Kapoor, in his plea, stated that he was aggrieved by AAP's claim that BJP was trying to poach its functionaries every time they were approached by ED, adding that the allegations were false and unsubstantiated. Referring to a tweet on X, posted by Kejriwal on Jan 27, and a press conference conducted by Atishi on April 2, Kapoor stated that due to the widespread telecast of the statements of the accused, the reputation of the complainant was greatly harmed.

He alleged that Atishi and Kejriwal, through press conferences and social media posts, had publicly stated that BJP was trying to topple and remove AAP from govt of Delhi by contacting its 21 MLAs and offering them Rs 25 crore each for joining BJP.

Kapoor added that he was identified as a BJP man for his long association with the party and was also working as media head as well as spokesperson of its Delhi unit, and therefore, his reputation was linked with that of the party. Any dent to the party’s reputation was perceived by people at large as lowering the moral character and creditworthiness of the complainant himself, he added.

Atishi is next in line to be arrested, claims Kejriwal

CM Arvind Kejriwal

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Hours after a court summoned AAP functionary Atishi in a defamation case, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal claimed that she was next in line to be arrested and termed it "complete dictatorship".

In a post on X, CM said, “I had said earlier that they would arrest Atishi next. They are planning to do so now. Complete dictatorship. In completely flimsy, frivolous and false cases, they are arresting all functionaries of AAP one by one. Every single opposition leader will be arrested if (Narendra Modi) ji comes back to power. AAP is not important. Saving our dear country from dictatorship is important," he said.

Atishi said, "I want to know from BJP how they for- med govt in Goa, Manipur, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Arunachal Pradesh without a majority. BJP will have to answer how MLAs from other opposition parties reach BJP. It will also have to answer how it happens that NCP splits into two, and how CBI-ED cases against all their functionaries who joined BJP ended one by one," she said.

She added: "BJP should answer how all cases of Economic Offences Wing against Ajit Pawar, his wife and his nephew got closed after he joined BJP. 'Operation Lotus' of BJP is well known and AAP need not answer this," she said.

Hitting back, Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor claimed that Kejriwal was a master of manipulation of political or legal developments. "For more than two years, he and his colleagues, including Atishi, kept blaming BJP for running Operation Lotus. But now, by filing a defamation suit, we have made Atishi accountable towards the law of the land," he said. Kapoor, who had filed the defamation suit, said, "To take action or not is now in the purview of the court, but if CM Kejriwal and Atishi fear arrest or legal action so much, then they should apologise to BJP workers and end the matter."

CJI to decide listing of Kejriwal’s plea for extension of interim bail

Dhananjay.Mahapatra@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: Supreme Court on Tuesday said CJI D Y Chandrachud will decide when and which bench will hear Arvind Kejriwal’s plea seeking extension of his interim bail by a week till June 9 to undergo full body medical tests for what the Delhi CM has termed abnormal health symptoms.

Appearing before a vacation bench of Justices J K Maheshwari and K V Viswanathan, Delhi CM's counsel, senior advocate A M Singhvi, had sought urgent hearing, preferably by Wednesday, on Kejriwal's s application for extension of interim bail in an excise scam-related PMLA case to enable him undergo tests to investigate whether his rapid weight loss, high blood sugar level, coupled with “periodic episodes of giddiness, pal- pitation and overwhelming lethargy” had impacted his heart and kidneys.

The court, however, asked Kejriwal why he did not file his application before Justice Dipankar Datta who, along with Justice Sanjiv Khanna constituted the bench which on May 10 granted him interim bail with the direction to surrender to Tihar Jail authorities on June 2. Justices Khanna and Datta also heard in detail the Delhi CM's petition challenging the legality of his arrest by Enforcement Directorate and have reserved their verdict.

“When one of the members of the bench, Justice Datta, was available on the vacation bench till May 24, why did you not mention this application before him? When that bench has reserved the verdict, it would be appropriate for us to direct the registry to place the application before the CJI to take a decision,” the bench of Justices Maheshwari and Viswanathan said.

Singhvi said physicians from a private hospital examined Kejriwal on May 25 and prescribed a host of tests including PET-CT and Holter monitor. “That is why the application was filed on Monday. Kejriwal has no problem if his application is heard, if needed, through virtual mode by Justices Khanna and Datta,” he said, while informing the bench that there had been no breach of bail conditions during the interim bail period.

In his application, Kejriwal said immediately after voting concluded in Delhi on March 25 evening, he had to go “for a week of campaigning to Punjab, where his party AAP is contesting elections on all 13 seats and voting for which is scheduled for June 1”.

“In view of the above, the appellant (Kejriwal) has hardly had sufficient time to get the prescribed tests done, which are sequential in nature and require 5-7 days to be conducted in a particular order and with necessary prerequisites. These tests cannot be concluded in a period of one effective day that he will have after the conclusion of the campaigning process and before his surrender on June 2, which is Sunday,” the CM’s application said.

“Appellant’s present health complications and increased risk indicators warrant that these tests are carried out before his surrender, to avoid any aggravation during his further incarceration and any potential long-term damage to his health and life. Non-identification of the health issues at this stage can have potentially very catastrophic consequences to his health and life,” it added.

Court to decide on taking note of supplementary chargesheet against CM & AAP on June 4

 Continued from P1

The ED had told the court that VinodChauhan was involved in transferring proceeds of crime worth Rs 25.5 crore. The agency had added that Rs 1.06 crore was seized after Chauhan’s office was searched.

ED also submitted before the court of special judge Kaveri Baweja that Kejriwal was the “kingpin” and “key conspirator” in the case. "CM Kejriwal was part of the larger conspiracy to generate proceeds of crime. He ensured that there was no meaningful discussion," the ED counsel told the court.

ED made the submissions on consideration of its supplementary chargesheet filed against Kejriwal and AAP in a money laundering case. The court reserved its order on whether to take cognisance of the supplementary chargesheet for June 4.

The agency also told the court that part of Kejriwal's stay at a seven-star hotel in Goa was paid for using proceeds of the alleged crime and the payment was facilitated by Charanpreet Singh, another accused in the case who allegedly acquired money from hawala dealers, which was used for the Goa elections and other purposes.

Further, ED told the court that stakeholders who were willing to in- vest but were not ready to accept these demands were left out. It claimed that the Punjab excise department was used to extract bribes for the Delhi liquor business.

“There were some wholesalers in Punjab who didn’t agree to pay up and were then forced to go out of business. There was no reason for Mahadev Liquor to surrender their flourishing business,” said the agency.

ED's counsel added that Vijay Nair, AAP’s former communications in-charge, claimed he could secure favours under the policy in exchange for funds for AAP.

Elaborating on how AAP as a political entity could be prosecuted for money laundering, ED submitted it could be done under the Representation of the People Act as a political party was an association of individuals, which fulfilled the definition of a company and, hence, could be prosecuted.

“Kejriwal had endorsed AAP’s former communications in-charge Vijay Nair, and he held meetings with people on behalf of Delhi govt and sought favours in the nature of party funds. The group of ministers was set up by him and he was part of the larger conspiracy to generate the proceeds of crime. He ensured that GoM is a farce and there is no real meeting and discussion,” said the ED counsel.

All tests Kejriwal needs can be done in a day: BJP

New Delhi: Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva claimed on Tuesday that though chief minister Arvind Kejriwal had demanded a seven day extension of interim bail for his medical tests, they could be completed in a day.

AAP stated on Monday that Kejriwal had sought the extension as he needed to undergo tests due to his recent weight loss and rise in the ketone level, which could be an indicator of some kidney problem or even cancer. Kejriwal is out on interim bail granted by Supreme Court.

Sachdeva said, “Along with Kejriwal’s family, we are also concerned about his health. So, if he comes to Delhi, I will personally take him to hospital and get all the tests that he wants done, and the results will be available by the evening.”

AAP did not respond to the allegations. TNN

DU Launches Single Girl Child Quota Across UG Programmes

Admissions Under Common Seat Allocation System Begin

Shreya.Ghosh@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: Delhi University has decided to provide single girl child quota across its undergraduate programmes from the academic session 2024-25, registrar Vikas Gupta announced on Tuesday as DU launched the first phase of its common seat allocation system (CSAS) for UG admissions.

The registration on the CSAS website will be open for a month, and the second phase will start after the common university entrance test (CUET) results are out. The university will open a mid-entry phase against a non-refundable fee of Rs 1,000 to help candidates failing to apply for CSAS (UG)-2024. DU offers 71,000 seats for 79 undergraduate programmes across 69 colleges. The new session will begin on Aug 1.

The admissions to School of Open Learning (SOL) will start on June 3 while the same for Non-Collegiate Women’s Education Board (NCWEB) began on Tuesday. SOL director Payal Mago said the CUET score won’t be required for the admission to its UG programmes, but it would be essential for PG courses barring MBA and library sciences.

NCWEB has around 15,000 seats for bachelors in 39 programmes where only girls from Delhi can apply. Depending on the course, admissions will be based on either the CUET score or the Class XII marks. Among the courses, NCWEB offers two undergraduate programmes, BA and BCom, at 26 constituent colleges of DU.

Gupta said the registration process for the postgraduate, BTech and the five-year law integrated programmes had started on April 25. The first allocation list may be released by June 20. He said that till May 27, 80,346 registrations had been done for PG, 9,052 for BTech and 7,362 for law programmes.

DU has also identified 26 games/sports under its sports supernumerary quota and 14 categories, including NSS and NCC, under the extracurricular activities (ECA) supernumerary quota. It has been decided that 5% of the total sanctioned strength of a college will be allocated for ECA and sports quotas.

Dean (admissions) Haneet Gandhi said the university had set up an admission support system. Last year, almost 1,000 UG seats stayed vacant even after four rounds of the UG seat allocation. To achieve optimal seat allocation and fill up the seats becoming vacant due to dropouts/withdrawal, 20% extra allotment will be done in the unreserved, OBCnon-creamy layer, and EWS categories and 30% extra allotment in the scheduled caste and tribe and disability categories for all programmes in all colleges. However, the colleges where the withdrawals were less than 5% of the sanctioned strength last year, the extra allotments will be 10% and 15%, respectively.

Assaulted by bouncers in club: Woman

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:A woman has alleged that she was assaulted by bouncers inside a club at a fivestar hotel in central Delhi early on Tuesday. Police have filed an FIR and are investigating the matter. The incident took place at a club named Belisario.

Management of the club denied the accusation. They said they had also filed a counter complaint against the woman.

Police received a PCR call about the incident at 8 am on Tuesday. “The PCR call originated from Belisario Club at Shangri-La Hotel in New Delhi. The caller, a woman, reported being beaten and abused by one Girish Kumar and bouncers at 7.30 am," police said.

Deputy commissioner of police (New Delhi), DCP Devesh Mahla, added that the woman’s statement was recorded. Police said it was being alleged that Kumar was the owner, but he is not. “We are investigating who he is and what he was doing there and what was the reason behind the arguments,” the officer said.

Based on her statement, police filed a case under sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 341 (wrongful restraint), 354 (assault or criminal force on a woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 506 (criminal intimidation), 509 (word, gesture, or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman), and 34 (common intention) of the IPC.

Meanwhile, a club staffer claimed all the allegations were baseless, and they had submitted CCTV footage to police.

Cops present ‘digital evidence’ in additional Shraddha chargesheet

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Delhi Police has filed a 3,000-page supplementary chargesheet in the Shraddha Walkar murder case. It contains various “digital evidence”, including the Google location history of Aaftab Poonawala, which has been corroborated with his travel to the locations where he disposed of her body parts.

Source said it also included Google locations of Shraddha’s phone and showed how the phone travelled twice to Mumbai and the history disappeared when Aaftab was called for questioning.

The chargesheet also contains the search history of Aaftab with references to the use of “flare gun”, etc. His other search history also corresponds to the events that unfolded, the cops have claimed.

A senior police officer said the supplementary chargesheet had been filed in the court of Aviral Shukla, metropolitan magistrate in Saket Court, with respect to the digital investigation conducted in the case.

Aaftab, then 28, and 27-year-old Sharddha were from Vasai near Mumbai and shifted to Delhi in May 2022. He allegedly killed Shraddha on May 18, 2022.

Police had filed the first chargesheet in the case in Feb last year in which they stated that after killing Shraddha, Aaftab had gone to a nearby shop and bought a saw, three blades, a hammer and plastic clips. He returned home and moved the body to the bathroom and severed her hand at the wrists with the saw and put them in a white polybag.

On the night after the murder, Aaftab had got rid of one thigh in the Chhatarpur Pahadi jungle. Over the next four-five days, he chopped the body into 18 pieces and disposed them of as per his convenience. He told the cops that he had bought a refrigerator on May 19 to prevent the body parts from decomposing and causing an odour.

Aaftab had even entertained a woman in his house when he hadn’t got rid of all of Shraddha’s body parts, the first chargesheet has stated.

Sarita Vihar flyover repair may start soon

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Public Works Department (PWD) has sought a no objection certificate from traffic police to carry out repair works at Sarita Vihar flyover. The work will commence immediately after approval is received, once the model code of conduct (MCC) is lifted, officials said.

The flyover, constructed during the Commonwealth Games, required replacement of expansion joints. But according to officials, the approvals haven’t come through.

“We have applied for repair work of Sarita Vihar flyover in the last meeting held two-three days back, it was conveyed to us the after the MCC is lifted there is a possibility. But no date has been finalized yet,” said a PWD official.

According to the procedure, any infrastructural project which involves traffic diversions has to be finally approved by PWD minister before the work starts on ground, in this case the approval has been given.

The repair work could result in traffic jams in Kalindi Kunj, Okhla, Badarpur, Sarita Vihar, and Faridabad. Alternative routes will be prepared for the commuters using this flyover in the next few days, said the official.

According to officials, the work will be carried out in the same procedure as it was done at Chirag Dilli flyover. Half of the carriageway will remain open for vehicles to pass while the other will go under repair and then the other half would be done.

To avoid any inconvenience to the commuters, PWD officials have been directed to complete the maintenance work within the stipulated time. For this, as per the repair plan at least two months would be required to finish the job. The work was approved in 2022 when Manish Sisodia was the minister in charge of PWD.

‘Bomb@5.30’ note in IndiGo aircraft causes chaos, turns out to be hoax

PANIC STATION: A passenger of the Varanasi-bound IndiGo flight being evacuated through the emergency door on Tuesday

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: The discovery of a note reading “bomb@5.30” in the lavatory of a Varanasibound aircraft caused chaos at IGI Airport on Tuesday morning, leading to the evacuation of 174 adult passengers and two children on board through emergency exits.

The note was found around 5 am, when the IndiGo aircraft was scheduled to depart. In videos of the evacuation that have gone viral, passengers can be seen sliding down the emergency exit. Some passengers and crew exited by walking down the aisle of the aircraft.

Security agencies described the bomb threat as specific, and the aircraft was moved to an isolation bay for checks. An alternate aircraft was arranged, and the flight departed for Varanasi at 11.10 am, a delay of over six hours.

Security agencies later said the bomb threat was a hoax.

DCP (IGI) Usha Rangnani said, “Following standard security protocols, a thorough inspection was conducted, and no suspicious items were found.”

An airport official said, “The bomb threat paper was found inside the lavatory of the flight Indigo 6E2211. This was seen by the crew of the flight. At that time, the flight was pushed back after completion of boarding. Immedia- tely, the flight was taken to the isolation bay for further necessary action. The bomb threat assessment committee (BTAC) was convened. All security agencies searched the flight but nothing objectionable was found.”

An IndiGo spokesperson said, “All necessary protocols were followed. The aircraft was taken to a remote bay by airport security agencies. All passengers were safely eva- cuated via emergency exits.”

“An alternate aircraft was arranged to operate flight 6E2211 from Delhi to Varanasi. Passengers were provided with refreshments and boarded. The flight departed for Varanasi at 11.10 am. We regret the inconvenience caused to the passengers,” added the spokesperson.

Similarly, on May 16, tissue paper with “bomb” written on it was found in a DelhiVadodara Air India flight’s lavatory at IGI Airport. All passengers were safely deboarded, and nothing suspicious was found in the aircraft after checks.

On Feb 27, a bomb threat was received for a Delhi-Kolkata flight, but the threat turned out to be a hoax. The flight departed after a delay of 6.5 hours.

On Jan 24, a bomb threat was made for a Darbhanga to Delhi SpiceJet flight. After a thorough search, the call turned out to be a false threat.

3 days to cops for Bibhav’s interrogation

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: A Delhi court on Tuesday granted three days for custodial interrogation of chief minister Arvind Kejriwal's aide Bibhav Kumar.

Metropolitan magistrate Gaurav Goyal said that it needed to be probed why Kumar remained for a sufficient time in a room where the network video recorders (NVRs) were installed.

The court said, "Investigating agency cannot be deprived of their rights to make the best endeavour to recover the mobile that the accused carried" at the time of the alleged assault on AAP Rajya Sabha member Swati Maliwal at the chief minister's official residence on May 13.

Allowing the application for police custody noting the bona fide requirements of the probe agency, the court also took note of Maliwal’s specific allegation that Kumar had recorded the incident of his mobile.

The court also allowed Kumar’s applications for providing medicines and daily meetings with his advocates, wife, and daughter.

Additional public prosecutor (APP) Atul Srivastava submitted before the court that IPC section 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence) was added in the case as according to the CCTV footage, Kumar was seen standing for around 20 minutes in the rooms where NVRs were installed, adding that the initial CCTV footage given to police, however, was blank for the relevant time.

“There is a strong possibility that the accused tampered with the evidence," submitted the APP, adding that between the FIR being lodged and his arrest, Bibhav visited places outside Delhi and in one of the videos, he was seen carrying two mobile phones. “As per the complainant's statement, the accused has videographed the incident, which needs to be probed and his custodial interrogation is required to recover the mobile,” the APP said.

Kumar’s counsel, opposing Delhi Police’s plea for custodial interrogation, submitted that it has no evidence and justification and said police wanted to create false evidence at the instance of Maliwal.

Delhi court rejects Khalid bail plea in 2020 riots case

WOES CONITNUE: Khalid

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: A Delhi court on Tuesday rejected the bail plea of former JNU student Umar Khalid, an accused in a case of alleged larger conspiracy linked to the 2020 Delhi riots.

Khalid has been booked under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

Additional sessions judge Sameer Bajpai remarked that in this case the prosecution had not delayed the framing of charges, nor was the start of trial delayed. Khalid had cited delay in the framing of charges and sought bail on that ground. The court said that “when the delay in the proceedings is not on the part of the prosecution, and in fact is on the part of the accused persons, the applicant cannot take benefit of the same."

The court was hearing the second regular bail plea by Khalid. It said its previous order rejecting bail had attained finality. It said “when Delhi High Court has already dismissed the criminal appeal of the applicant (Khalid), and thereafter, the applicant approached Supreme Court and withdrew his petition, the order of this court, as passed on March 24, 2022, has attained finality”.

In March 2022, the trial court had first denied bail to Khalid following which he approached Delhi High Court, which also denied him relief in October 2022. Khalid filed an appeal in Supreme Court, but withdrew it in Feb, citing a “change in circumstances”.

The court on Tuesday rejected the argument of Khalid’s counsel that Supreme Court's view about prima facie evidence against Khalid had changed because of the bail granted to activist Vernon Gonsalves in July 2023 and to academic-activist Shoma Kanti Sen on April 5 in the Elgar Parishad case.

Additional sessions judge Bajpai said that in Khalid case “no deep analysis of the facts... can be done and only surface analysis of the probative value of evidence has to be done”. He added that “as such the high court has in fact done a complete surface analysis of probative value of the evidence while considering the prayer of the applicant for... bail, and after doing so, it was concluded that prima-facie a case is made out against the applicant."

On May 13, the same court reserved its order on the plea.

Gang that duped people by staging arrest busted

New Delhi: A52-year-old woman, allegedly part of a gang which duped people on the pretext of staging their arrest, was nabbed from Indirapuram, Ghaziabad. Suspect Sudha Srivastava, held from an apartment during the “digital arrest” case probe, was also found involved in five other cases, a senior police officer said.

“Analysis of her phone revealed her involvement in a larger network engaged in cybercrime, defrauding multiple individuals. She has revealed the identity of three of her associates and we are looking for them,” said Rohit Meena, DCP (southwest).

On Sept 15, 2023, a woman from Vasant Kunj complained to police that she had been defrauded of Rs 9,03,634 under the pretext of NOC, tracking, and police clearance.

After raids at several places, Srivastava was arrested on May 15 and her mobiles were recovered, said the DCP.

TNN

NCRTC plans to plant over 25 lakh trees along RRTS corridor

New Delhi: The National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) is planting over 25 lakh trees along the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) corridor from Sahibabad to Shatabdi Nagar in Meerut, an official statement said on Tuesday.

According to the statement, this initiative aims to create an eco-friendly, green and visually attractive environment, aligning with global goals for environmental protection and sustainability.

In a stride towards environmental sustainability, the tree planting initiative covers the area under the corridor, the median between roads, and at stations and depots.

“The project is divided into two major sections, the median under the viaduct along the 48 km RRTS corridor from Sahibabad to Shatabdi Nagar, where more than 95% of the plantation work has been completed and the RRTS Depot in Duhai,” the statement said.

The plants being introduced in the median from Duhai to Shatabdi Nagar include bougainvillea, tecoma, plumeria alba, allamanda, mansoa, jasmine and madhumalati. These species are known for their vibrant flowers. Tree planting will commence once the construction of the corridor from Shatabdi Nagar to Modipuram is ready, it added.

The section from Duhai (EPE) to Shatabdi Nagar includes seven stations — Muradnagar, Modinagar South, Modi Nagar North, Meerut South, Partapur, Rithani and Shatabdi Nagar.

PTI

Chief secy gets extension, NDMC chairman shifted

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: The Union home ministry announced on Tuesday that Delhi chief secretary Naresh Kumar’s tenure would be extended for three months, till August 2024.

The decision follows his previous three-month extension, which expires on May 31.

The order, signed by BG Krishnan, director (services) of the ministry, stated, “Approval of the competent authority is, hereby, conveyed for the extension in service of Naresh Kumar, chief secretary, GNCTD for a further period of three months beyond May 31.” AAP-led Delhi govt had opposed the extension of the chief secretary’s tenure.

Kumar, a 1987-batch IAS officer from the AGMUT (Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram and Union territory) cadre, took on the role of Delhi chief secretary in April 2022, after ser- ving as the chief secretary of Arunachal Pradesh. Though he was supposed to retire on Nov 30, 2022, the 60-year-old bureaucrat’s tenure was extended by Centre.

In a related development, the central bureaucracy underwent a shuffle of Union secretaries on Monday. Amit Yadav, the current chairman of New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), was transferred and appointed as the officer on special duty in the department of social justice and empowerment, Govt of India.

He will replace Saurabh Garg, who is to retire on July 31. Yadav, a 1991-batch AGMUT-cadre IAS officer, was appointed as the NDMC chairman in Oct 2022. He holds a BSc degree in chemistry as well as LLB and MBA degrees. Before his role at NDMC, Yadav served as an additional secretary in the Union ministry of commerce and industry.

HC seeks ED’s reply to Jain’s default bail plea in laundering case

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Delhi High Court on Tuesday asked Enforcement Directorate (ED) to respond to a plea by jailed former minister Satyendar Jain seeking default bail in a money laundering case.

Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma issued notice to ED and asked it to file a status report on the matter. The court also called for the nominal roll of Jain containing related details from the jail and listed the case for further hearing on July 9.

Jain is accused of having laundered money through four companies allegedly linked to him. In his appeal before the high court, Jain has challenged a trial court’s May 15 order denying him default bail.

He has contended that ED failed to complete the investigation in all respects within the statutory period. Instead, it filed an incomplete chargesheet to deprive him of his right to default bail under Section 167 (2) of CrPC. Jain argues that filing an incomplete chargesheet while the investigation was on also violates his fundamental right to life and liberty under Article 21 of the Constitution.

ED arrested the former Delhi minister on May 30, 2022, in the case based on a CBI FIR lodged against him in 2017 under Prevention of Corruption Act. He was granted regular bail by a trial court on Sept 6, 2019, in the case lodged by CBI.

Dance Of Democracy

- 25 yrs after death, Rai still sets the bar for Ghosi

- Battle Royale? Mandi’s ‘King’ & ‘Queen’ Spar For Supremacy With Jibes & Insults

- Drugs, joblessness and crime: Can ballot bail out Ferozepur?

- Why Jharkhand may hold key to nat’l tribal politics

- For 2 yrs, no relief for farmers in ‘sandwich zone’

- After end of campaign, Modi to meditate in Kanyakumari

- Naveen should’ve fought from TN, will be ex-CM on 4th: Shah

- ‘Modi’s gone now, oppn bloc will win’: Lalu’s salvo from Misa seat

- After Phase 5, women surpass men in turnout in Phase 6 too

25 yrs after death, Rai still sets the bar for Ghosi

Rajiv.Srivastava@timesgroup.com

Ghosi (Mau): Even 25 years after his death, no candidate addresses the people of Ghosi Lok Sabha constituency during the ongoing campaign without remembering Kalpnath Rai — a politician who continues to be synonymous with Mau.

“A four-time member of Lok Sabha and thrice of Rajya Sabha, Rai carried out development works in and around the district which continue to serve as benchmark. No other parliamentarian from Mau has been able to match the standard till now, let alone surpassing it,” says Virendra Kumar aka Virendra Engineer, once an associate of Rai.

“In contrast to Rai’s contribution, barely two months after the death of five-term MLA from Mau Sadar and mafia don-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari, no sympathy wave is palpable in the constituency in general, and Mau Sadar assembly seat in particular. Behind Ansari’s success were an atmosphere of fear, backing from a particular community and the interests of a handful of people who got contracts,” says advocate Hari Kant Singh.

“It is hard to forget Kalpnath Rai’s name when the development of Mau is discussed. It is equally hard to pin-point development works undertaken during Ansari’s five terms, barring construction of roads, drains and setting up of transformers at some places in the constituency,” a govt official, listening to the conversation, chips in.

Development Man

Discussing the projects completed in Rai’s tenure, Virendra Engineer reels out the numbers: “Around 23 power sub-stations, 28 automatic telephone exchanges, and one of the first three 400 kVA power substations in the region were set up in Mau. The other two came up in Varanasi and Gorakhpur.” He points towards an 18-acre rose park across the MauBallia Road, adding that this is one of the last works done by ‘Rai Saheb’ before he died on June 4, 1999, at age 58.

“Rai also got a new DM residence built on a five-acre land, a new collectorate and court and over half-a-dozen modern guest houses. The Indian Institute of Seed Science and National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Microorganisms also came in Mau during his time,” Virendra says, adding that several politicians who came after Rai’s demise claimed they would take Mau to newer heights but none could.

“Mau had three railway overbridges at a time when even the state capital didn’t have one,” says Avinish Rai, from Kopa in Mau district. “Rai’s vision of development was such that Mau Sadar, which was not even a tehsil until 1987, became a district in 1988,” he adds.

“Politicians have been challenged by people to just get the infrastructure and buildings that Rai got constructed whitewashed and maintained during their fiveyear term. This itself will be a great service to the people of Mau. But even that hasn’t been done,” says Virendra.

Shravan Kumar, another Rai admirer, says: “There are many people who have the vision but very few have a strong passion to work for their constituency.”

Tussle For Legacy

Ironically, candidates across party lines continue to try and show themselves as the “true heir” of Rai’s legacy. After the MP’s death in 1999, his second wife Sudha Rai and his son Siddharth contested against each other in the LS polls. But both lost. Sudha was fielded by Congress while Siddharth was a nominee of George Fernandes-led Samata Party, then part of NDA.

“While every second person in Mau talks about Rai’s achievements, his home in Semari Jamalpur wears a deserted look,” says Narendra Rai from Kalpnath’s village. “Not sure who all live there nowadays,” he adds.

Balkrishna Chauhan, who won the 1999 LS elections on a BSP ticket is once again the party candidate. He is pitted against SP-Congress alliance candidate Rajeev Rai and Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP)-BJP alliance candidate Arvind Rajbhar. Arvind is the son of SBSP chief Om Prakash Rajbhar, who is a cabinet minister in the Yogi govt.

INDIA bloc’s Rajeev promises to develop Mau as Rai had done while Rajbhar and Chauhan say that they will fulfil “Rai’s dreams” of bringing unprecedented development to Ghosi.

BSP has won the seat thrice — Chauhan in 1999, Dara Singh Chauhan, now a state minister, in 2009, and sitting MP Atul Rai in 2019. SP’s Chandradeo Prasad Rajbhar won the election in 2004 and BJP’s Hari Narayan Rajbhar bagged the seat in 2014.

Rai had won the Ghosi seat in 1989, 1991, 1996 and 1998. “Despite his achievements, even Rai had to sweat it out in Mau when it came to winning elections,” says Virendra, adding that the caste equations, which ruled then, dominate even to this day in this constituency.

Battle Royale? Mandi’s ‘King’ & ‘Queen’ Spar For Supremacy With Jibes & Insults

Rohit.Mullick@timesgroup.com

Mandi: Walking out of an election gathering on a hot May afternoon in Takoli village of Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi district, Krishna Vaidya is all smiles. “I had seen her in movies but never in real life. Today, my wish came true,” gushes Vaidya, who is in her late 50s and resides in a nearby village. Vaidya is not alone.

At almost all her political gatherings, actor Kangana Ranaut, BJP’s candidate for Mandi parliamentary constituency, gets surrounded by fans who come in droves, pulled by her Bollywood star image.

While Kangana, a political greenhorn, is using Modi and movie magic to win the hearts of voters in Mandi, her bête noire and scion of the erstwhile Bushahr princely state, Congress candidate Vikramaditya Singh, is being helped by his royal lineage.

For Vikramaditya, son of six-time Himachal CM late Virbhadra Singh and Congress state president Pratibha Singh, Mandi LS seat is familiar territory given that his parents have represented it three times each.

When the names of candidates were announced, it was billed as the battle between ‘king’ and ‘queen’, the latter reference being to a hit Kanganastarrer. The contest though has turned into the ugliest political duel ever fought in the mountains of Himachal.

The first salvo was fired by Congress. In March, its leader Supriya Shrinate published a sexist post on social media with derogatory remarks against Kangana. Thereafter, it’s been a no-holds-barred slugfest.

If Kangana has called Vikramaditya ‘Chhota Pappu’, a ‘spoiled shehzada’, ‘someone who doesn’t respect women’ in her election rallies, the latter’s jibes at the actor include ‘comedian’, ‘monsoon frog’, ‘imported leader’ etc.

Mandi is the largest parliamentary constituency in Himachal with 17 assembly segments that cover six of the state’s 12 districts from the tribal belts of Bharmour and Lahaul-Spiti to Kullu, Manali, Mandi, Kinnaur and Shimla.

Although Kangana hails from Bhambla village in Mandi district, Congress has been portraying her as an outsider who did not stand with the people during the havoc wreaked by monsoon last year. But that doesn’t seem to perturb Kangana as she has also made little mention of any local issues in her election meetings and is solely banking on Modi’s popularity.

The confidence also stems from the fact that BJP won nine of the 10 seats in Mandi district in the 2022 assembly elections.

“Kangana is the daughter of Mandi. She’s a Mandial and belongs to this place. Moreover, Modi himself wanted her to contest elections from our constituency,” says Sanjay Kapoor, a shopkeeper in Mandi town.

Using local dialect ‘Mandiali’ in her speeches, Kangana seems to have struck a chord with the voters in the district. But in the upper reaches of Kullu, Kinnaur, Shimla and Chamba, it’s Vikramaditya who seems to have an upper hand.

“All my life, I’ve voted for Raja sahib (Virbhadra Singh) and later Rani sahiba (Pratibha Singh) and now it’s their son Vikramaditya, the Tikka sahib. You see, Raja family knows and understands this place, the people and the issues so well. They deserve to be elected as our leaders,” says Mahal Chand Negi, 65, a resident of Chhatenseri village near Manali populated by people from Kinnaur district.

While promising to solve longpending issues faced by Mandi voters, Vikramaditya has also been making it a point to mention his father’s legacy and ‘Devniti’ — a religious code of the deities followed in the villages of the state, especially in areas of upper Himachal.

“It’s our responsibility to strengthen Devniti. Rest assured, I will extend my support to all the religious and Devniti functions the way my father Raja Virbhadra Singh used to,” Vikramaditya told a cheering crowd at a recent election gathering in Sundernagar in Mandi.

As June 1, the polling day in Himachal Pradesh, draws closer and the political temperature rises, both Kangana and Vikramaditya sweat it out throughout the length and breadth of Mandi constituency to win over the electorate. At stake is not only their reputations but also the shape of their future.

STAR VS PARIVAR: BJP candidate Kangana Ranaut’s campaign banks heavily on her star image and on PM Modi’s popularity. Congress candidate Vikramaditya Singh’s parents have held the Mandi seat for three terms each. In 2021 byelection, Vikramaditya’s mother Prathibha Singh won Mandi LS seat by a slender margin of 8,766 votes

Drugs, joblessness and crime: Can ballot bail out Ferozepur?

Drug addicts line up for their daily dose of medicine at a govt treatment centre in Ferozepur

Sanjeev.Verma@timesgroup.com

Ferozepur: “Shaheedan di dharti de soormeyan da khoon hun chitta pe gaya ey. Pakistan di himmat nai, saade apne hi gaddar jimmevar ne es nasalkushi layi (Bravehearts in land of martyrs now have white blood. Pakistan doesn’t dare, our own traitors are responsible for this ‘genocide’).”

This is how Ajit Singh (84), who valiantly donned the olive greens during the 1965 and 1971 Indo-Pak wars and retired from the Army as a havaldar, sums up the sorry state of affairs in Punjab’s border district Ferozepur, which is tightly in the grip of ‘chitta’ (heroin), being pumped in from Pakistan through the international border.

Ask anyone in this border belt about the burning issues in the Lok Sabha elections and pat comes the response, generally in this order — drugs, unemployment, lack of industries, theft, snatchings and extortions.

And, all these issues are interrelated. People also demand reopening of the Hussainiwala international border for trade since it has been lying closed after the 1971 Indo-Pak war. It is in Hussainiwala that the last rites of revolutionary martyrs Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev were performed in March 1931 on the banks of Sutlej river.

A native of Baba Ram Lal Nagar, where at least 200 houses out of nearly 300 have one or more members settled abroad, the Army veteran says, “Chitte ne jinda murde banate saade jawan munde ithe. Saanu shauk nahi karza le ke bachcheyan nu baahar bhejan da (Heroin has turned our young boys into living corpses here. We are not pleased to send our children abroad by taking loans).”

Drug Pangs

A long queue of addicts outside the outpatient opioid assisted treatment (OOAT) centre at Ferozepur’s district hospital from 8am to 2pm daily depicts the enormity of the situation. They come here to get their free dose of buprenorphine and naloxone combination sublingual tablets in a bid to get out of the clutches of substance abuse.

Since its start in 2018, this OOAT centre has had 3,346 drug-dependent patients, including seven women, in the 17-86 age bracket.

There are over 20 OOAT centres across Ferozepur district. Centres with the maximum registration of heroin addicts include Makhu, Guru Har Sahai and Mamdot.

“We are registering on average 10-15 new patients every month. Female patients are generally those who have either their husbands hooked to heroin or have distorted relationships or are into prostitution,” says Dr Navdeep Soi, a psychiatrist at the hospital.

She says the patients have to come to the OOAT centre daily for medicines and only after a month are they given pills for 14 days in one visit. “There are patients who sell their medicines for money,” she says.

A 28-year-old injectable heroin-dependent truck driver registered here in 2019 accepts that like many drivers he does sometimes get “bhukki” (poppy husk) from Phalodi in Rajasthan. “A single dose of heroin called ‘bit’ by users is now available for nearly Rs 800-1,000,” he claims.

A 73-year-old opium-dependent patient in the queue says that bike thefts by unemployed drug addicts in Ferozepur are common, even on the district hospital campus.

“It is very difficult to get out of drug addiction. Unfortunately, many parents have lost young boys to heroin overdose in many areas, including the infamous Basti Shekhan Wali,” he rues.

There’s a strong local network of drug distributors. Parkash Singh (47) of Gatti Mattar village under Mamdot block says that nearly 10 days back, police had arrested a youngster, Charanjeet Channi, of his village with a big haul of heroin.

Migration Blues

Ajit’s three grandchildren have already flown to Winnipeg in Canada and one to Adelaide in Australia in the last few years, just like many of his neighbours in Baba Ram Lal Nagar. Singh says all the three grandsons work as truck drivers, earning between Rs 3-3.5 lakh per month.

The granddaughter was sent to Winnipeg on study visa to pursue a sixmonth MSc nursing course, for which the family spent Rs 22 lakh. They took an education loan of Rs 15 lakh from UCO Bank at nearly 11% interest rate and the remaining amount as a property loan at almost similar rates.

The granddaughter also works in a departmental store in Winnipeg, earning $16 per hour and working for 20 hours in a week.

Agnipath Scheme

Ferozepur has one of the oldest Army cantonments in the country, established by the British in 1839. Since this cantonment also has an Army recruitment office, it has served as one of the major employers for the youth in the region.

But the launch of the Agnipath Scheme in June 2022, under which youths aged 17.5 to 21 years are recruited as Agniveers for a period of four years without any pensionary benefits, has come as a major setback.

“This will definitely dent BJP’s vote bank. We are a martial race and the govt is forcing our youth towards unemployment, drugs and crime,” says Anokh Singh, a retired subedar from Aliwala village in Ferozepur, pointing to the rising number of gangsters in the region, who even call the shots from inside jails.

The Contest

Ferozepur Lok Sabha constituency has been a Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) stronghold since 1998.

But this time it is not an easy game because of a multi-cornered contest.

Since sitting MP and SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal has refrained from contesting, the party has fielded former MP Zora Singh Mann’s son Nardev Singh, alias Bobby Mann.

Former MP from SAD Sher Singh Ghubaya, representing the strong Rai Sikh community here, is contesting on a Congress ticket while Muktsar MLA Jagdep Singh Kaka Brar has been fielded by Aam Aadmi Party. Former cabinet minister in the state Congress govt, Rana Gurmeet Singh Sodhi, is the BJP nominee.

Why Jharkhand may hold key to nat’l tribal politics

ASRP.Mukesh@timesgroup.com

Ranchi: Jharkhand accounts for 2.42% of the country’s total geographical area and 2.77% of the total population. Yet in terms of representation, it has 14 seats — 2.5% share — in the 543-member Lok Sabha.

Why is such a state relevant in national politics? Primarily because of the tribal population as the state accounts for five of the 47 seats reserved for scheduled tribes nationally. For BJP, Congress and even the regional parties that fought for a separate tribal state since pre-independent times, these seats matter.

Since its formation, Jharkhand has seen BJP-led alliance govts none of which could complete a full term. Political instability hindered the state’s development, despite its rich mineral resources.

But the saffron party has improved its performance in the Lok Sabha polls. From one seat in 2004, BJP made it 12 out of 14 in 2014 and maintained the tally in 2019 by taking Ajsu party alongside. The opposition had a different story to tell. CPI and RJD were wiped off the scene in 2009 while Congress had to settle for one seat. In 2014, Congress drew a blank, but it re-emerged in 2019 with one seat. JMM, however, gave the saffron party a fight in all these elections by retaining at least one seat.

The LS polls this year will also set the stage for the assembly elections to be held later this year.

Jharkhand’s tribal population, primarily consisting of Ho, Munda, Santhal, and Oraon communities, comprises 26.21% of the state’s 3.2 crore population as per the 2011 census. The number is expected to be higher in the upcoming census.

The current non-BJP govt in the state, the JMM-Congress-RJD combine, has been at odds with the central govt since it came to power in 2019, primarily over funds. The state govt alleges it is being destabilised using central agencies.

The arrest of former tribal chief minister Hemant Soren by ED for alleged land grab earlier this year is being portrayed as a fight for ‘tribal Asmita’ (pride) and ‘abuse of constitutional bodies’.

BJP, which was criticised for choosing non-tribal Raghubar Das as CM in 2014, lost the next assembly elections. Soon after, the state’s first CM, Babulal Marandi, was brought back to lead the party in Jharkhand. BJP has manoeuvred carefully in the state to demonstrate its ‘love for tribes’ but it has been challenged by local parties as well.

“Tribals in Jharkhand have long been demanding the implementation of the Sarna code, which would give them a separate religious identity. They have also been demanding the inclusion of their languages in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. With state govt backing it vehemently, tribal voters could swing in its favour in these polls,” remarked a political science professor at Ranchi University.

He said the ongoing polls may also throw a referendum indirectly on JMM patriarch Shibu Soren’s successor Hemant, to decide the future course of him and his party.

“With the incarcerated Hemant still being the face of the state’s coalition govt and INDIA bloc in the state, the LS poll outcome will also be a referendum on whether tribal voters consider him as a culprit or victim of political vendetta. It is because in the last four years, he emerged as the most vocal tribal voice nationally to stand against BJP and Modi regime,” he added.

Main opposition BJP, on the other hand, has been trying to attract tribal voters by showcasing the development work done by the central govt.

However, a slew of unsuccessful attempts to amend CNT and SPT Acts between 2014 and 2019 and the introduction of the contentious anti-conversion bill during Das’s tenure has contributed to a perception — which still persists — that BJP is an ‘anti-tribal’ party.

THE LARGER FIGHT IN LAND OF FORESTS

➤ Jharkhand accounts for 5 of the 47 seats reserved for STs

➤ Tribal population, primarily consisting of Ho, Munda, Santhal, and Oraon communities, comprises 26.2% of the state’s 3.2 crore popn as per 2011 census

➤ BJP & AJSU together won 12 LS seats in 2019 while Cong and JMM bagged one each

➤ Coming just a few months after former CM Hemant Soren’s incarceration, these polls may indirectly be a referendum on whether tribal voters believe he is corrupt or a victim of political vendetta

➤ Soren is seen as a tribal voice, standing against BJP and Modi regime

For 2 yrs, no relief for farmers in ‘sandwich zone’

While farmers in Punjab have been agitating for guaranteed MSP, tillers whose farms are in the ‘sandwich zone’ between the border fence and actual international border with Pakistan have another grouse — they haven’t received their promised annual inconvenience compensation of Rs 10,000 an acre for the last two years.

The state and Centre are supposed to share the compensation burden equally, but New Delhi releases fresh payouts only after a utilisation certificate has been submitted by the state for the earlier released amount. Sukhjinder Singh of Rajamohtam in Ferozepur district has more than 2 acres in the zone beyond the fence. He hasn’t received his compensation for 2022 and 2023. “There are many like me in nearby villages. We’d last got this compensation in 2022, after a four-year gap and following protests,” he said.

Sukhjinder’s family harvested wheat a few weeks back on the restricted side; they grow chillies on the other side of the fence. An 11-footwide village strip on the Indian side is the BSF patrolling zone. Crops in the restricted zone can’t be above 4ft high for security reasons. In Hazara Singh Wala village in Mamdot block, former panchayat secretary Sandeep Kumar said farmers “have to stick to wheat, paddy and chilli and bear with a limited produce.” The state and Centre have been sitting on their land-acquisition request for decades. Fazilka and Ferozepur Border Area Sangharsh Committee district president Ramesh Vadhera (67) said: “The land along the zero line in Ferozepur is worth between Rs 10-12 lakh an acre, but for two years, there’s been no compensation for tilling it.”

“We had released inconvenience compensation for 2022. Many farmers in Guru Har Sahai tehsil have received it and the process is close to completion in Ferozepur. This district has 3,000 acres beyond the barbed-wire fence. The office is yet to receive the compensation money for 2023, so far,” a senior official said on condition of anonymity.

Sanjeev Verma

After end of campaign, Modi to meditate in Kanyakumari

To Spend 48 Hrs At Vivekananda Rock Memorial From May 30

PM Modi in Kedarnath after the end of campaigning in May 2019

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Continuing with his practice of visiting a prominent Hindu pilgrimage site on the culmination of the poll campaign, PM Narendra Modi will meditate in Kanyakumari for two days from May 30 to June 1 after logging out of the intense electioneering.

Sources said the PM will visit the Rock Memorial in Kanyakumari and meditate at the Dhyan Mandapam from the evening of May 30 to the evening of June 1 at the same place where Swami Vivekananda had meditated. It was here that Vivekananda was said to have had a vision and received enlightenment which steeled his belief in India's intrinsic strengths and that the country was destined to regain the glory it lost after coming under foreign occupation and because of internal weaknesses. The last phase of voting is scheduled on May 1.

The choice of the site, importantly, fits in with PM Modi’s Viksit Bharat campaign theme.

“This rock had a major impact on Swami Vivekananda’s life. People believe that like Sarnath holds a special place in the life of Gautam Buddha, this rock holds a similar place in the life of Swami Vivekananda. “It was here that he arrived after wandering across the country, meditated for three days and attained a vision for a developed India,” a BJP source said, explaining the choice of Kanyakumari.

“Meditating at the same place shows PM Modi’s commitment to bringing Swami ji’s vision of a Viksit Bharat to life,” a senior BJP functionary said. “It also shows the PM’s deep commitment and love for Tamil Nadu that he is visiting the state even after elections are over,” he added.

Kanyakumari also holds great significance for Hindus because, according to mythology, Goddess Parvati meditated at the same place on one foot as she waited for Lord Shiva.

In 2019, after the poll campaign had come to an end, Mo- di had visited Kedarnath, one of the 12 revered Jyotirlingas, and meditated inside a cave.

The PM is known to undertake spiritual journeys at the end of election campaigns. In 2014, he visited Pratapgarh in Maharashtra and paid homage to Chhatrapati Shivaji who had won a crucial battle in Nov 1659 after slaying Afzal Khan, the general of Adilshahi Sultans of Bijapur. His victory cleared the way for his coronation as the head of the Maratha empire which the Chhatrapati termed Hindavi Swaraj.

‘BJP known to magnify non-issues’: Naveen dismisses Himanta’s shaking-hand jibe

BJD chief Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday dismissed BJP’s concerns over a viral video allegedly showing his key associate, V K Pandian, assisting him with his shaking hand during a rally, reports Ashok Pradhan.

“BJP is known for magnifying non-issues. It will certainly not work,” Naveen said. Many BJP functionaries shared the video in which Pandian, holding a microphone, was seen trying to place Naveen’s shaking left hand, which he had placed on the podium, away from public view.

“This is a deeply distressing video. I shudder to imagine the level of control a retired bureaucrat from Tamil Nadu is exercising over the future of Odisha,” said Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma, who campaigned in Odisha’s Jagatsinghpur, Bhadrak and Mayurbhanj for BJP on Tuesday.

Addressing a public meeting at Nilgiri under Balasore Lok Sabha seat, Pandian said political rivals had resorted to insulting the CM after they realised that Naveen will take oath as CM on June 9. “Give them a betting reply,” he told the gathering.

Recovered, gave back `17,000cr of scam money to people: PM

Kolkata/Dumka: PM Narendra Modi announced on Tuesday that the Centre has successfully recovered and returned Rs 17,000 crore of “scam money” to people across India. He also reiterated his commitment to specifically give back Rs 3,000 crore to Bengal citizens allegedly defrauded by Trinamool govt, report Rohit Khanna & Rajesh Kumar Pandey.

“Will get the money out from scamsters and return it to those who have been duped,” he said at a rally in Ashoknagar, part of Barasat Lok Sabha seat, as his Bengal campaign nears its end. He reinforced his earlier pledge: “Na khaunga, na khane dunga” (Will not indulge in corruption, nor let anyone indulge in it).” Modi’s rallies in Ashoknagar and Baruipur were followed by a 2.5km roadshow in Kolkata (North) seat. He visited Mayer Bari, residence of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa’s wife Sarada Ma, before the roadshow, which concluded near Swami Vivekananda’s birthplace.

The PM condemned TMC’s alleged “abuse” of Ramakrishna Mission, ISKCON, and Bharat Sevashram Sangha sadhus, linking it to the party’s “appeasement” politics.

In Dumka, during the final leg of his campaign in Jharkhand, Modi said the state became a “hotbed of loot and corruption” over the past five years under JMM-Congress-RJD alliance govt. He promised stringent action against the corrupt after the poll results on June 4.

Naveen should’ve fought from TN, will be ex-CM on 4th: Shah

Amit Shah in Jajpur on Tuesday

Debabrata.Mohapatra@timesgroup.com

Bhubaneswar: Union home minister Amit Shah Tuesday predicted that BJP will win more than 75 assembly and at least 17 of the 21 Lok Sabha seats in Odisha. “On June 4, Naveen babu will become exCM,” he said, reiterating that after winning the polls, BJP will appoint a ‘bhoomiputra’ (son of the soil) who speaks Odia and respects the local culture as the chief minister.

Keeping up his attack on Naveen’s close confidante V K Pandian without naming him in back-to-back rallies in Bhadrak, Jajpur and Jagatsinghpur seats, Shah said, “The Tamil babu has taken control and now dreams of becoming the CM of Odisha. Naveen babu has given mineral resources, contracts and jobs to Tamils. He (Naveen) should have contested from Tamil Nadu, not from Odisha, as several people from the southern state have benefited from Odisha’s mineral resources, contracts and employment opportunities.”

Shah said Naveen and his ‘Tamil babu’ stopped Odia people from celebrating ‘Ram Mahotsav’ in Ayodhya in January. Raking up the issue of the missing keys of Puri Jagannath temple’s Ratna Bhandar, Shah sought an answer from Naveen about the whereabouts of the treasury’s original keys, saying he was answerable to the people of the state on this issue.

BJP controlled inflation: Rajnath

Defence minister Rajnath Singh took on the Congress over inflation during a rally in Punjab’s Jalalabad on Tuesday, saying that it was higher when Congress was in office at Centre. He said during the last 10 years, BJP eased inflation and ensured unemployment rate was lowest among big countries. Rajnathwas reacting to Congress allegations of rising inflation and one crore vacancies.

TNN

‘Modi’s gone now, oppn bloc will win’: Lalu’s salvo from Misa seat

RJD president Lalu Prasad campaigns for his daughter Misa Bharti in Patna on Tuesday

Manoj.Chaurasia@timesgroup.com

Patna:RJD president Lalu Prasad on Tuesday claimed there was no chance of PM Narendra Modi returning to office and that INDIA bloc would form the next govt at the Centre.

“Modi gaye ab (Modi is gone now),” the former Bihar CM told media on Tuesday as he stepped out of his home to campaign for his eldest daughter Misa Bharti.

“We will soon know the results. He (Modi) claims to be an avatar rather than a biological being. He will no longer be in office. Our govt will be formed on June 4,” the RJD chief asserted.

Earlier, Lalu visited Emarat-e-Shariah and Khanqah Mujibia to seek support for his daughter who is contesting from Patliputra Lok Sabha seat for the third time in a direct fight with BJP’s Ram Kripal Yadav. In the past two elections too, she lost to Yadav by small margins.

Lalu visited the Muslim organisations setting aside PM Modi’s remark at an election rally that INDIA bloc’s functionaries were doing “mujra” (dance) for minority votes.

Accompanied by party leader Abdul Bari Siddiqui, Lalu visited several other Patna localities and held road shows.Those campaigning for Misa included former CM Rabri Devi, her younger son and leader of opposition in assembly Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, and daughter Rohini Acharya, who also fought the LS polls from Saran this time.

On majority of the 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar, the INDIA bloc candidates are locked in a direct fight with NDA.

After Phase 5, women surpass men in turnout in Phase 6 too

Bharti.Jain@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:Women once again outshone men in terms of turnout in Phase 6, clocking nearly 65% voting as against 61% among their male counterpart. After Phase 5, which was the first round to see a higher polling percentage among women, Phase 6 is only the second of the six completed to witness better female participation.

EC on Tuesday released not only the overall and genderwise turnout data for all states and parliamentary seats where polling was held in Phase 6 but also the absolute electors data and the absolute count of votes cast in the phase. While the absolute figures for Phase 6 have been shared by EC just three days after polling, it had put out the corresponding data for all the first five phases only on May 25, a day after Supreme Court had declined to direct the poll body to place Form 17C voter details in the public domain.

EC on Tuesday clarified that the data released by it was based on EVM votes and did not include postal ballot votes. It however said daily account of postal ballots received was shared with all candidates.

As per data for the six phases released by EC, 173 of the total 486 LS seats, where the votes lie sealed in EVMs, saw female voters beat their male counterparts in terms of polling percentage. The gender-wise poll percentage for Outer Manipur could not be worked out as voting there was split between Phase 1 and 2, with Phase 1 showing the turnout higher among female electors and Phase 2, among the male voters.

The EC took a slew of initiatives to improve women’s participation in polls. However, the higher female voter turnout in states like Bihar, Jharkhand and Odisha is also being linked to out-of-state work migration by the men in the household.

Times Ascent

- How You Can Upskill To Thrive In A Dynamic Job Market

How You Can Upskill To Thrive In A Dynamic Job Market

By Richard Lobo

Candidates should position themselves at the intersection of innovation and talent management to reap the benefits of job opportunities in the new age. They can proactively prepare for the right job and enhance their career prospects through the following strategies:

Decoding Market Dynamics: Digital transformation and the increasing prevalence of remote work are reshaping hiring practices in various industries, requiring candidates to possess new skills and adaptability. Hence, understanding current market trends is crucial for improving employability. In the IT sector, the growing impact of AI and machine learning is creating new job opportunities and changing requirements for existing roles, making upskilling necessary. Similarly, banking and finance industries are experiencing a notable shift toward fintech solutions, necessitating a deep understanding of financial principles and advanced technologies. To remain competitive in the dynamic job market, candidates should embrace li- felong learning and prepare for future demands.

Staying Relevant is Key: Mastering adaptability, communication, and leadership is paramount for those aiming to stay indispensable. These soft skills contribute to improved teamwork, problem-solving abilities, and readiness to navigate the complexities of modern workplaces. Additionally, proficiency in technical areas such as AI literacy, data analysis, and cybersecurity is vital. These skills empower professionals to leverage emerging tools effectively, ensuring their roles and organisations remain at the forefront. Upskilling and staying updated with technological a dvancements i s crucial for individuals to secure position in the future of work.

Leveraging Technology: Le- veraging technology for career advancement is not just beneficial — it is essential. Digital proficiency has transitioned from a desirable trait to a fundamental requirement. Mastering digital tools and p latforms enhances visibility and operability in any field. A crucial aspect is refining online presence, particularly on professional networks. Optimising a professional profile is not just about updating job history, it involves strategically showcasing skills and achievements to reflect a unique professional narrative and personal brand. This digital showcase should be meticulously curated to attract potential employers and network contacts by emphasising measurable outcomes and standout projects. The ability to effectively present oneself online opens doors to global opportunities.

Personal Growth & Wellness: Focusing on personal development and wellness is crucial for maintaining a healthy work-life balance, which, in turn, enhances job performance and overall satisfaction. To succeed professionally and personally, it’s important to adopt strategies that effectively manage stress, promote mental well-being, and build a resilient mindset. This can be achieved through setting achi- evable goals, practising mindfulness, and ensuring regular physical activity. Additionally, maintaining a positive outlook and embracing career challenges as opportunities for growth are essential practices that contribute to career success and fulfilment.

Remember, your employability is a dynamic asset you can enhance with intention and effort. As you apply these strategies, consider the vast potential within you to grow and excel. With the right approach, every challenge is surmountable and every career goal, achievable.

(The writer is the chief people officer, Tech Mahindra)

Times Business

- Adani Ent gets nod for `16,600cr share sale

- HDFC to stop SMS alerts for UPI payments below `100

- Adani in talks with Sharma to acquire stake in Paytm

- SBI staff to not hold demat a/c outside group

- Govt holds talks to set SoPs for FTAs

- Hindalco’s unit Novelis seeks $945mn in US IPO

- Avendus to raise $350mn for late-stage investments

- Salesforce India ups hiring for new AI roles

- RIL gears up to enter quick commerce space

- RBI launches G-Secs app to woo retail investors

- Wipro, IISc partner for AI health tech

- Sensex falls for 3rd day ahead of poll results

- TCS, IIT-B team up for chip imaging tool

Adani Ent gets nod for `16,600cr share sale

Move comes a day after Adani Energy got board approval for Rs 12,500 crore

Adani Enterprises, the flagship of billionaire Gautam Adani’s empire, has secured the board’s nod to raise as much as Rs 16,600 crore ($2 billion), a day after Adani Energy Solutions got similar approval for Rs 12,500 crore ($1.5 billion).

The holding company and the business incubator of Adani Group can deploy multiple modes including a share sale to institutions, Adani Enterprises said in an exchange filing on Tuesday. The fundraising may happen in one or more tranches, it added.

Adani Energy Solutions had received similar consent from its board on Monday to raise as much Rs 125 billion rupees ($1.5 billion), in a sign that the ports-to-power conglomerate will step up capital spending.

These firms secured similar approvals in 2023 to raise a total of $2.6 billion, but those approvals were set to expire in June, triggering the need to get fresh sign-offs from the two boards. The conglomerate, which has raised almost $6 billion from marquee investors including Rajiv Jain’s GQG, Qatar Investment Authority and Total Energies since Jan 2023, is back to aggressively expanding its businesses. A scathing short-seller attack by Hindenburg early last year had forced the conglomerate to rein in debt and go slow on its rapid growth spree after a stock rout.

BLOOMBERG

HDFC to stop SMS alerts for UPI payments below `100

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Mumbai: HDFC Bank has said it will stop sending text alerts for low-value UPI transactions — so customers will get SMS alerts only if they send more than Rs 100 or if they receive over Rs 500 via UPI. Email alerts will continue to be sent to HDFC Bank customers for all transactions.

According to norms, banks are required to send text messages for transactions over Rs 5,000, however, many send alerts for lower value debits. The bank said that it had received feedback indicating that alerts for low-value transactions were ‘not useful’. There is duplication of notifications as apps used for UPI payments also send out alerts.

According to bankers, there is a cost of Rs 0.01-0.03 for bulk text messages. Given that UPI transactions are averaging around 40 crore a day, banks spend a few crores of rupees a day on text messages.

Banks are also encouraging customers to shift to UPI Lite for transactions up to Rs 500. Under UPI Lite, a small amount of money is set aside by the app, enabling quick payments without the need for second-factor authentication.

Adani in talks with Sharma to acquire stake in Paytm

Move Marks Adani’s Attempt To Foray Into Fintech Sector

Reeba.Zachariah@timesgroup.com

Mumbai: Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani is looking to buy a stake in One 97 Communications, which operates Paytm, said sources familiar with the matter.

Paytm founder & CEO Vijay Shekhar Sharma met Adani at the latter’s office in Ahmedabad on Tuesday to “finalise the contours of a deal”, the sources added.

If a transaction works out between the two first-generation entrepreneurs, it will mark the ports-to-airports group’s foray into the fintech sector, competing against Google Pay, Walmart-owned PhonePe and Mukesh Ambani’s Jio Financial. It will also be one of Adani’s significant purchases after Ambuja Cements and NDTV.

Sharma owns about 19% in One 97, which is worth Rs 4,218 crore based on the stock’s Tuesday closing price of Rs 342 apiece. Sharma owns 9% in Paytm directly, and holds another 10% through a foreign entity Resilient Asset Management. Both Sharma and Resilient, accor- ding to One 97’s filings with stock exchanges, are listed as public shareholders.

Sebi rules require an acquirer, holding less than 25% in a target company, to make an open offer for a minimum 26% stake of the company. The acquirer can also make an open offer for the entire share capital of the company.

Sources said that discussions between Adani and Sharma have been going on for a while and their meeting at Adani Corporate House in Ahmedabad on Tuesday involved “finalising the contours of the deal”. They added that Adani is also in talks with funds from West Asia to bring them as investors in One 97, which pioneered mobile payments in the country.

Other significant shareholders of One 97 are private equity fund Saif Partners (15%), Jack Ma-founded Antfin Netherlands (10%) and the company’s directors (9%). Emails sent to Adani Group and One 97 on Tuesday didn’t elicit a response till the time of going to press. One 97, founded by Sharma in 2007, and whose IPO was the second biggest in the country, has a market cap of Rs 21,773 crore.

“With the financial strain and regulatory bottle- necks that Paytm is facing, aligning with Adani Group would provide the robust financial backing needed to address regulatory compliance issues and stabilise its operations. For Adani, integrating Paytm’s established digital payments platform into their diverse business portfolio would enhance their digital footprint and accelerate their ambition to become a leading player in the fintech space,” said Katalyst Advisors’ executive director Binoy Parikh.

“It would also provide Adani with immediate access to Paytm’s extensive user base and technology infrastructure, enabling the group to offer a seamless digital payments experience across its various consumer-facing businesses, including airports, retail, and energy,” Parikh added.

One 97, which started out as a recharge platform, had moved its payment and merchant acquiring business to Paytm Payments Bank (PPBL). However, with RBI freezing the activities of PPBL this year, it focused on UPI payments, distribution and merchant acceptance.

SBI staff to not hold demat a/c outside group

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Mumbai: SBI has prohibited its employees from opening demat or trading accounts for themselves or their dependents with providers outside of the SBI Group, without prior permission from top executives. The bank has also instructed employees to close any existing accounts within six months if they do not have the permission to maintain them.

The bank stated the reason to be that it needs to establish a system where it can monitor or place restrictions on employees’ stock market activities. This directive is due to the fact that the SBI Group provides trading and demat services through its subsidiary, SBI Securities.The bank’s circular directing officers and award staff was issued as employees opted for demat accounts outside the Group.

Govt holds talks to set SoPs for FTAs

New Delhi: The commerce ministry held deliberations with experts, former officers and senior officials from different departments on framing a standard operating procedure for free trade pacts and other related issues under these agreements, an official release said on Tuesday.

The participants deliberated on standard operating procedures for FTA negotiations, capacity building and resource management for trade negotiations as well as certain contemporary issues under modern FTAs such as labour, environment, and gender.

AGENCIES

Hindalco’s unit Novelis seeks $945mn in US IPO

Aluminium producer Novelis is seeking to raise as much as $945 million in a US IPO that could be another test for the resurgent market for first-time share sales.

Novelis, owned by Kumar Mangalam Birla’s Hindalco Industries, plans to sell 45 million shares for $18-21 each, a filing on Tuesday showed. Hindalco will own about 92.5% of the company after the IPO.

At the top of the indicated range, Novelis would have a market value of about $12.6 billion, based on the outstanding shares listed in its filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

Novelis has been on a decade-long drive to boost production capacity and is the world’s largest aluminium recycler, operating 14 scrap processing plants across North America, Europe, Asia and South America.

The world’s biggest maker of flat-rolled aluminium products ranging from cars to soda cans, said in Feb it had filed confidentially for the listing with regulators.

Hindalco purchased Novelis in 2007 at about a $6 billion valuation including debt, a filing from the time shows. About 42% of Atlanta-based Novelis’s global net sales come from North America, according to its IPO filing.

The company made $600 million in net income in the year to March, down 9.5% year-on-year, the company said in a filing earlier this month.

Competitors including Norsk Hydro and Alcoa have reported lower earnings too.

The decline came as elevated interest rates, inflation and geopolitical tensions weighed on demand for some of its products, particularly in areas like building and construction. It has put cost control measures in place across its business in response to higher energy, freight and labour prices, but warned that it may not be able to mitigate the impact of higher input prices indefinitely.

Novelis is working with Morgan Stanley, Bank of America, Citigroup, Wells Fargo, Deutsche Bank and Bank of Montreal as underwriters on the listing. The company plans for its shares to trade on the New York Stock Exchange.

BLOOMBERG

Avendus to raise $350mn for late-stage investments

Asmita.Dey@timesgroup.com

Mumbai:Avendus is seeking $350 million (nearly Rs 3,000 crore) from investors for its new fund through which the company plans to make latestage investments in new age as well as legacy businesses across a range of sectors.

The strategy would be to make 10-12 investments and bet on companies valued anywhere between $800 million to $5 billion. “Our objective is to come into these businesses either through a consortium of investors whenever they are raising capital or through bilateral deals,” Ritesh Chandra, managing partner at Avendus Future Leaders Fund, told TOI.

Avendus, which is looking at an average deal ticket size of Rs 200-300 crore, would primarily be betting on companies in the healthcare, manufacturing, digital & technology, consumption and financial services segments. The firm largely taps domestic family offices and HNIs for its funds.

“About 20% capital is expected to come from US-based investors in this fund and we hope to keep expanding the base,” Chandra said. Avendus has previously backed companies like Lenskart, FirstCry, Ujjivan SFB and SBI General Insurance, and is looking to fund businesses which have a proven track record of execution and ride on their growth. “We focus on strategic competitive moats around a business. Our strategy doesn’t involve competing with the large private equity players. We take minority positions in companies,” Chandra said. The company is open to making both primary and secondary transactions through the new fund.

Salesforce India ups hiring for new AI roles

Shilpa.Phadnis@timesgroup.com

Bengaluru: New AI jobs require new skills and on-the job learning.

According to Nathalie Scardino, chief people officer in Salesforce, the company is increasingly hiring for positions such as prompt engineers, AI trainers, and ethical AI architects. “AI is fuelling job creation. While traditional roles will continue to evolve, AI is also creating a myriad of new high-paying, in demand roles across industries — including at Salesforce. We’re hiring for jobs today that didn’t exist as recently as last year. For instance, the ethical AI architect is really sitting with our product teams to think objectively about how bias could show up within AI,” she said. Scardino highlighted that the chief AI officer is the newest role in the C-suite responsible for setting the overall AI strategy for an organisation.

Prompt engineers, for instance, write prompts for AI tools, like a GPT product or chatbot, to get the most accurate or desired results. An AI trainer works with extensive data sets to train chatbots to respond to user inputs in a more humanlike manner. AI architects, on the other hand, are responsible for developing applications that adhere to the responsible use of AI and operate within a governance framework. A recent IDC white paper sponsored by Salesforce expects a sharp increase in hiring for da- ta architects, AI ethicists, and AI solutions architects, over the next 12 months. The report also forecasts the creation of 11.6 million new jobs within the Salesforce ecosystem alone over the next six years.

Salesforce has revamped its hiring process to focus on skills and core competencies. “We’re matching potential candidates to roles based on leads through our recruiting events, career website, social channels and more — regardless of whether they’ve formally applied. We receive over 2 million applicants a year, so it has helped ensure we don’t miss out on top talent. Using AI and automation to help surface the right talent for the right job based on skills of those who do apply,” Scardino explained.

RIL gears up to enter quick commerce space

Plans Instant Grocery Delivery Via JioMart From Next Month, To Take On Zomato, Tatas, Swiggy

Asmita.Dey@timesgroup.com

Mumbai: Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries is all set to enter the quick commerce space to take on Zomato’s Blinkit, Tata Group’s BigBasket, Swiggy’s Instamart and Zepto. Reliance Retail’s JioMart could launch the service as early as next month, sources told TOI.

To begin with, JioMart will deliver groceries in at least 7-8 cities and eventually scale up the service to cover over 1,000 cities. The development comes a little over a year after the company discontinued its 90-minute grocery delivery service JioMart Express. The plan now is to fulfil deliveries under 30 minutes, the sources said. Reliance Retail did not respond to queries.

Reliance’s move comes at atime when Walmart’s Flipkart is also gearing up to foray into the quick commerce space, a concept which has found rapid traction, particularly among millennial and Gen Z households. Blinkit, Swiggy and Zepto service deliveries of groceries and a range of non-grocery items in 10-15 minutes. Unlike incumbent players, JioMart will not adopt a dark store model for its quick commerce operations but instead tap into Reliance Retail’s vast network of stores and fulfilment centres.

As of now, JioMart offers slotted and next-day delivery options to customers. “Over time, JioMart will also deliver non-grocery items through quick commerce,” sources said, adding that this is where it can effectively tap into Reliance Retail’s over-18,000-stores across categories and formats. “JioMart is focused on hyper local omni-channel presence and continues to serve its customers from thousands of stores located in proximity to consumers across the country,” said a source aware of the company’s strategy.

Reliance’s entry into quick commerce will intensify competition in the space and play- ers will have to contend with the company’s pan-India reach and deep pockets. Currently, Blinkit leads quick commerce with about a 40-45% market share. Goldman Sachs estimates the size of online grocery market in terms of gross order value to be about $11 billion as of FY24 of which, quick commerce already makes up about 50% or $5 billion in GOV. Analysts also say that instant deliveries may well be eating into the share of kirana store purchases.

RIL to buy Russian oil in roubles

New Delhi: Reliance Industries, operator of the world’s biggest refining complex, has signed a one-year deal with Russia’s Rosneft to buy at least 3 million barrels of oil a month in roubles, four sources aware of the matter said.

Shift to rouble payments follows Russian President Vladimir Putin’s push for Moscow and its trading partners to find alternatives to Western financial system to facilitate trade despite US and European sanctions. A term deal with Rosneft also helps privately run Reliance to secure oil at discounted rates at a time when the Opec+ group of oil producers is expected to extend voluntary supply cuts beyond June.

REUTERS

RBI launches G-Secs app to woo retail investors

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Mumbai:RBI has launched a mobile app to enable retail investors to buy and sell govt securities on the go.

The app — RBI Retail Direct by the Clearing Corporation of India — helps investors place a bid as a non-competitive applicant during RBI’s auction of govt securities. Investors can also buy and sell govt securities on the CCIL’s negotiated dealing system order matching segment (NDS-OM).

The retail app, which is available on both the Android Play Store and the App Store for iOS users, was launched by RBI governor Shaktikanta Das on Tuesday. Das launched two other initiatives: the PRAVAAH portal to enable individuals and entities to apply online for various regulatory approvals seamlessly and a Fintech Repository, which will provide insights into each entity, acting as a data storehouse for firms in the sector.

The PRAVAAH portal aims to improve the ease of doing business for those dealing with RBI. It offers a secure and centralised online platform for seeking authorisation, licenses, or regulatory approvals for any references made to RBI.

Wipro, IISc partner for AI health tech

New Delhi: IT services major Wipro on Tuesday announced a partnership with the Centre for Brain Research to leverage the power of AI, machine learning, and big data analytics for health behaviour innovations. CBR is an autonomous, non-profit research organisation hosted at the Indian Institute of Science.

A release announcing the collaboration between Wipro and the Centre for Brain Research said the partnership will “focus on harnessing the power of AI, ML and big data analytics to develop new technologies that will provide precision support towards the prevention and management of long-term health disorders”.

AGENCIES

Sensex falls for 3rd day ahead of poll results

Mumbai: Extending the falling streak to the third day in a row, the sensex closed in the red in volatile trade on Tuesday due to profittaking in power, oil and capital goods shares ahead of results of Lok Sabha polls.

After gyrating between gains and losses during the day, the sensex ended 220 points lower at 75,170. Nifty dropped 44 points to settle at 22,888 despite beginning the day on a positive note.

Analysts said that stock markets are witnessing ‘buying on dips and selling on rallies’ amid uncertainty ahead of poll results. The sensex and Nifty scaled lifehighs on Monday but closed lower due to heavy profit taking at the fag-end.

From the sensex pack, Power Grid, NTPC, Tech Mahindra, Bharti Airtel, Tata Motors, IndusInd Bank, Reliance Industries, Kotak Mahindra Bank and Maruti were among the laggards. On the other hand, Asian Paints, Wipro, JSW Steel, Hindustan Unilever, Bajaj Finserv and Mahindra & Mahindra were among the biggest gainers.

“The Indian market ex- hibited mild consolidation after the recent sharp surge. The uncertainty-led volatility is likely to continue as markets approach the election outcome,” Vinod Nair, head of research at Geojit Financial Services said.

Analysts said midand small-caps underperformed, while defensive sectors like pharma and FMCG were optimistic. In the broader market, the BSE small-cap gauge declined 1.1% and mid-cap index fell 0.6%. In Asian markets, Seoul, Tokyo, Shanghai and Hong Kong settled lower. European markets were trading on a mixed note.

AGENCIES

TCS, IIT-B team up for chip imaging tool

New Delhi: TCS and IIT Bombay have joined hands to build India’s first advanced sensing tool for semiconductor chips. The tool is expected to reduce chances of chip failures and improve the efficiency of electronic devices, the IT major said on Tuesday.

Collaboration between TCS and IIT Bombay to develop a quantum imaging platform for the non-destructive examination of chips is the first such initiative in India, the company said in a statement. “This advanced sensing tool will hold the potential to unlock new levels of precision in the examination of semiconductor chips and redu- ce chip failures,” it said.

Over the next two years, experts from TCS will work with Kasturi Saha, associate professor in the department of electrical engineering of IIT Bombay, to develop the quantum imaging platform in the PQuest Lab.

The Quantum Diamond Microchip Imager can image magnetic fields that will enable a non-invasive and non-destructive mapping of semiconductor chips. The imager uses the defects in a diamond’s structure, known as Nitrogen-Vacancy centres, together with the other hardware and software for detecting and characterising anomalies in semiconductor chips.

AGENCIES

Editorial

- Sugar & Vice

- Elderly Gaps

- Dalal St dilemma

- The Subtle Expansion Of Microcosm

- ‘BJP parliamentary board has only one woman…33% reservation may make more progress in states than Centre’

- 4 Ideas Have Won The Election

- CONTRAPUNTO

- Sacred space

Sugar & Vice

Better food labelling will be a better deterrent. Public health trumps industry interests

Historically, food industry bats for unhealthy status-quoism. Like, the 1960s US effort to boost cavity prevention didn’t choose the obvious guidance – eat less sugar. Instead, industry interests managed to push alternatives such as, fight dental plaque. Today, in India, the NIN-ICMR recommendation to set thresholds for sugar in packaged food and beverages, is being called ‘impractical’ by company executives. The appropriate adjective is ‘imperative’.

Bitter formula | It felt bitter to be told that Nestle does not add sugar to the infant milk it sells in Europe, but does so in India. Giant food & beverage MNCs do have different quality standards for different countries. But what is no less bitter is that the 2011 Dietary Guidelines for India actually advised feeding infants one teaspoon of sugar per 120-180 ml milk feed, 6-8 times a day. This year’s update of the guidelines was most needed. It responds to a science that can no longer be silenced, which has countries from east to west beginning to treat sugar as on the same level of a health threat as tobacco.

Rough drink | Setting threshold limits for sugar is a very important first step towards easing Indians’ very sour addiction to it. This has to be followed by the much harder work of educating the public about new labelling, and monitoring it for accuracy. The recent GOI advisory against the use of the ‘health drink’ label for some popular brands, is also important in this context. A better-educated consumer will read the labelling for nutrient details, instead of being swayed by ‘health’ claims. A better monitoring regime will investigate the veracity of such claims 24x7.

Junk mithai | But what about your neighbourhood mithai shop? Maybe there is more than one. Eitherways, the sugar bombs here are free to explode as they will. No label or threshold inhibits them. Clearly, a lot of the dangerous food habits that are perceived as traditional also need changing. Schools have to play a key role in this transformation. Starting off with good food habits is much easier than fixing bad ones.

Elderly Gaps

Health insurers have mostly bypassed senior citizens. That’s the market a new entrant must cover

India’s insurance regulations may be tweaked to dismantle the wall between life and non-life insurers. If that happens, LIC, the market leader in life insurance, will consider getting into health insurance. It’s well placed to do so, with an annual profit in excess of `40,000cr and its share price having almost doubled since Oct. The big question is, what will this mean for consumers.

Dissatisfaction amidst plenty | Health insurance is highly competitive. At end-2023, there were 29 insurers underwriting health policies, the largest segment of the non-life market. It’s also fast growing. Health insurance premium in 2023 expanded 21%, which was seven percentage points faster than the overall growth in non-life segments.

The numbers are at odds with consumer experience. A survey by insurance broker Policybazaar showed that while 96% of the sample was aware of health insurance, only 43% owned a policy. Two of the three most important reasons for insubstantial ownership were a feeling that premiums are too high and that policies are complex in terms of ailments excluded from coverage etc.

Lopsided market | India’s health coverage is dominated by govt sponsorship, but the premium is raised overwhelmingly from private policies. Insurance regulator Irdai’s data showed that 550 million people have health cover. About 54 of every 100 covers are govt-sponsored. But `91 of every `100 collected as premium come from individual and group policies.

Gaps galore | Standalone health insurers have sidestepped govtsponsored health coverage. This group of insurers concentrates on the private market and has a far lower claims payout ratio than PSUs and private general insurers. How does that really help when GOI data showed that a mere 6% of the population with an individual health cover are senior citizens even though Irdai encourages their coverage? The most vulnerable group is excluded mainly because the hike in premium is particularly steep for that demographic. A new entrant needs to figure out how to fill the large gap in India’s health cover. Will LIC be that insurer?

second opinion

Dalal St dilemma

A voter’s quandary deciding between politics and the profit motive

Jug Suraiya

The stockbroker had faced a most challenging quandary. Politically speaking, he was inclined to vote for Opposition, whose ideology he preferred to that of the govt in office.

However, if the govt were to be ousted, the stock market, which was the broker’s bread and butter, would take a nosedive.

So what should he choose: Opposition or govt? Politics or profit? But for him, oughtn’t politics be about profit, his own and that of his investors, many of whom were retirees dependent on him for their income?

However, did this mean that he was putting his personal financial interests, and those of his clientele above his allegiance to the country? Was he putting pursuit of financial gain above patriotism? That was his dilemma.

The solution was simple: he simply wouldn’t vote, for anyone. But the simple solution wasn’t simple at all.

What do you mean you won’t vote? said Mrs Broker in indignant ire. Don’t you know how privileged we are to live in a democracy?

And that with that privilege goes the civic responsibility of voting? What would happen if, like you, no one voted? Our democracy would be dead as a dodo, and we’d all be living in something like North Korea, or Myanmar, or the Ku Klux Klan, wherever that is, said Mrs Broker.

All his friends, relatives, and one Uncleji called EC, said much the same thing.

But surely the right to vote must include its opposite, the right not to vote, the broker tried to argue. Don’t talk rot, he was told, in a chorus led by Uncle EC.

How could one choose to choose not choosing? How could one vote without being forced to choose between personal gain and patriotism? Toss a coin? Heads, Opposition? Tails, govt? But that would involve choosing which was which.

So he did the only thing he could. He went to EVM, shut his eyes, hit a button at random and, eyes still shut, left without knowing his unchosen choice.

After all, he told himself, what’s a secret ballot if it isn’t also a secret from oneself.

THE SPEAKING TREE

The Subtle Expansion Of Microcosm

Shri Shri Anandamurti

Brahmn is the most expansive entity, the all-pervading existence. His subtlety is unfathomable. Due to subtlety, His identity cannot be perceived by the senses. It is not accessible to the extroversial mind. The cruder the object, the less its capacity for expansion and vice versa. Thus, the liquid’s degree of expansion and subtlety is greater than the solid’s.

The aerial factor is even subtler than liquid. The ethereal factor is the most expansive and subtlest of all the five fundamental factors. That is why it is not perceptible to the indriyas. It is impossible to determine its size, fathom its subtlety, or make any measuring rod for that purpose. Although one of the five fundamental factors, this ethereal body is almost beyond the scope of human perception. It requires a highly developed human intellect and continuous scientific pursuit for its perception, so how can a common person grasp something even more subtle than that?

The subtler an object the less the capacity of the indriyas, faculty, to perceive it. As the greatness of expansion depends upon the degree of subtlety of an object, the more expansive an object, the more difficult it becomes for the indriyas to perceive it. To grasp such an object requires constant endeavour and a refined intellect. That is why human beings try to understand subtler objects with the help of their minds. What is beyond the perception of the physical organs, the eyes or the ears, can often be perceived with the help of the internal ears or internal eyes, or the introversial mind.

Wherever the extroversial mind might work in the internal mind or in the external world, it cannot go beyond the periphery of the ethereal factor and is thereafter forced to return to its own abode. We constantly come in contact with an entity beyond the periphery of the five fundamental factors. That entity is the human mind. Although the mind cannot be perceived by the indriyas, with a bit of introversion, its existence is substantiated without doubt in individual life.

Another entity is subtler than the mind: the cognitive faculty Purushatattva or Brahmattva. Being subtler than the mind, it is beyond the mind’s capacity to grasp it. But in the process of sadhana, when the mind becomes so subtle and expanded that it loses its individual existence, the Supreme cognitive factor can be recognised.

While discussing a subtle entity, one is reminded of the ethereal factor, the subtlest factor of this perceivable world. That is why people loosely describe Brahmn as being ‘like ether’ or ‘beyond ether’. This Supreme entity, who is as subtler than ether, is called Akshara because He is not transmuted from the original stance.

Conversely, the entity or entities which have been transmuted and are undergoing various transmutations are called kshara. Only the Supreme entity, Parama Purusha, is akshara. The various emanations of the Supreme Entity, subject to constant change, are known as devatas, mythological gods or deities. These devatas or divine emanations lie embedded in the Cosmic body. Brahma is the source of infinite energy. Whatever has been created or will be created is a vibrational flow from Him. The seed of all emanations lies embedded in Him.

Q&A

‘BJP parliamentary board has only one woman…33% reservation may make more progress in states than Centre’

Rina Verma Williams is Professor of Political Science and Associate Dean for Social Sciences at the University of Cincinnati. Her book ‘Marginalised, Mobilised, Incorporated: Women and Religious Nationalism in Indian Democracy’ is a historical study of women’s involvement in Hindu nationalist politics. She shares with Renuka Bisht her ideas about BJP’s women workers and leaders:

● How has the ‘incorporation’ of women by BJP contributed to its success?

Studying the role of women in the Hindu Mahasabha in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, we see they never managed to include women – women were largely marginalised in the organisation.

Bharatiya Jana Sangh did better. Then from 1980 onwards, BJP began mobilising women in earnest, effectively bringing them to the streets in support of the party’s causes and agendas. But only by 2014 did BJP find away to incorporate women: this meant bringing women into positions of power within the party and giving them voice to speak for the party’s causes and agendas. Overall, BJP’s political success tracks with its increasing success in bringing women into the party.

● Why has this incorporation had a tense relationship with feminism?

The tense relationship was at its peak in the 1980s. From the Shah Bano case to Roop Kanwar’s satiand Ayodhya, BJP leaders – men and women – in this earlier period challenged feminist claims to speak for (all) Indian women. They did so by co-opting gendered discourses and rallying women into the streets. This shows us that women’s empowerment is not a ‘yes-no’ kind of concept. How different women experience empowerment, of what types, in different time periods is, of course, a much more complicated question.

● What is its relationship to traditional gender ideologies?

In Hindu Mahasabha, (male) party leaders argued openly that women belong in the home, not in politics. By the 1980s, BJP was mobilising women into politics, but many women, especially the most prominent party leaders, did not necessarily have active family responsibilities. Today, almost all the women BJP leaders I interviewed have active home lives and family responsibilities, so that is a big change. And every leader I interviewed argued that it is possible for them to balance party work with their personal home lives because there is family support for their political work. Without family support, most of them argued, their political work would tear apart the family. BJP’s gender ideology today comes closest to what is called ‘complementarity’: this is the idea that men and women are equal, but just have different roles to play in society.

● How strong are BJP women leaders today?

They are far stronger and more important in the party than their predecessors in earlier eras. There could still be more improvement. To give one example, the parliamentary board – arguably one of the most powerful decision-making bodies of BJP – still has only one woman member out of 11. So, though women have made major strides in the party and they now occupy a significant place alongside men, it is not the exact same place.

● How will the 33% women’s reservation play out?

This issue came up several times in all my interviews from 2013 and again from 2016. There was a palpable sense of disappointment that having formed govt at the Centre – with significant support from women – BJP had not done enough to advance women’s reservation. My best guess is that the cause will continue to advance in the state assemblies, but still may not make progress at the Centre. I would be happy to be proven wrong on this, as I believe many women supporters of BJP would be too!

● How do you think ‘women’s issues’ impact elections?

This can vary a great deal depending on historical and political context, timing, and even the particular election. For example, sexual harassment news from the political sphere generates a lot of headlines and even protest – rightly so – but might not become an ‘election issue’. Even women’s issues in political party manifestos do not provide a clear link to election outcomes. So, this is a very important question with a very unclear answer.

● What will be women voters’ impact this time?

The 2019 election was a high mark for the party in terms of running women candidates and gaining the support of women voters. But we should note that the largest jump in women’s participation came in 2014. There was another increase in 2019, but the magnitude wasn’t as large. This leads me to anticipate only small shifts, no large movement in either direction.

Image is for representational purposes

POLLITICS Special Series on Elections

4 Ideas Have Won The Election

● Welfarism expanded to include official charity ● Economic data-based quota politics ●Wider acceptance of Muslims’ negative portrayal ●Universalisation of religion-based politics

Hilal Ahmed

The 2024 general election is going to be an important event for two reasons. First, the outcome of this electoral battle will decide the political destiny of two powerful coalitions – BJP-led NDA and Congress dominated INDIA bloc. BJP has so far relied heavily on Modi. It will be interesting to observe how this Modicentric campaign helps the party retain its electoral hegemony.

On the other hand, Opposition, especially Congress, has been successful so far in establishing itself as a serious challenger. This is certainly a new development. BJP’s electoral success has played a significant role in the political marginalisation of Opposition in the last 10 years. This time, however, Opposition is much more active in pursuing an aggressive electoral campaign. This aggressive politics will certainly have an impact on the electoral outcome.

Battle of ideas | The 2024 election has another significance, which doesn’t entirely depend on the Lok Sabha results. This election has led to an interesting battle of political ideas and imaginations. For the first time in three decades, fundamental questions of our political life are being debated and discussed. Issues such as citizenship, elections, democratic decentralisation, role of judiciary and other govt agencies – usually taken as settled matters of democratic polity – are being systematically redefined as contested entities.

Modi-led BJP posed a serious challenge to the Nehruvian consensus, especially in relation to the constitutional ideals of secularism and affirmative action. This attack mode of intellectual politics by BJP forced Opposition to take a rather defensive position. Rahul’s two Bharat Jodo Yatras were a turning point. These grassroots-oriented political interventions provided a new vocabulary to Opposition leaders. They began to talk about nyayas a new ideological template. This nyay-centric narrative is pitted against Hindutva-driven nationalism in an interesting manner. Broadly speaking, four key political ideas have started taking concrete shape.

The charitable state | Democratisation of economic sphere has become a political reference point. Congress manifesto emphasises the fact that BJP’s economic policies have led to ever-growing economic inequalities. BJP, especially PM, hasn’t ignored this issue either. In an interview, Modi clarified his govt’s welfare schemes have helped poor and marginalised communities to develop their economic capacity.

This argument, in a way, justifies what can be called the Charitable State model – a state that offers welfarism as a kind of official charity, while remaining committed to open market economy.

It’s important to note here that Congress, and for that matter other parties in INDIA, are also committed to some form of populist schemes to mobilise electoral support. However, their position on economic disparity somehow pushes them to rethink their version of Charitable State model.

A new caste prism | Secularisation of affirmative action is the second key idea. INDIA bloc has made it clear it will go for a countrywide caste census. This argument has two related implications.

First, it would unpack the existing logic of affirmative action across the country. This will help assess caste-wise benefits of reservation. Second, it will provide socio-economic status of each caste group, including non-Hindu castes. This will help decide on further affirmative action.

The debate on possible inclusion of Muslim and Christian Dalits in Scheduled Caste list, which is still restricted to Hindu, Buddhist, and Sikh Dalits, might get a new lease of life. BJP hasn’t yet taken any clear position on this issue. However, the party has evoked the Muslim reservation issue to reiterate its official position that the purpose of reservation has always been to reform Hinduism; hence, Muslims and Christian Dalit communities should not be given SC status.

That minority matter | Negative representation of Muslim presence is the third key idea that evolved in this election. After the first phase of polling, BJP establishment decided to launch an aggressive political campaign to reach out to its traditional support base. Party brass systematically followed clear anti Muslim rhetoric to justify the old BJP argument on Muslim appeasement.

Interestingly, Congress and other Opposition parties didn’t respond to this active anti-Muslim politics. Their strategic silence underlines the fact that they haven’t yet produced any convincing position against the negative portrayal of Muslim presence in public life.

God’s come home | Religionisation of politicsis the fourth central theme that’s going to affect the future discourse of Indian politics. BJP establishment evoked the Ram temple and other religious symbols more directly to mobilise voters. Opposition parties, on the other hand, did not object to this active use of religion in politics. Instead, leadership of non-BJP parties did not hesitate to invoke Hindu religious symbols to show their Hindu credentials. This uncritical acceptance of religion in election process will have far-reaching political consequences.

It’s too early to make any observation on this political-intellectual churning. BJP is keen to appropriate nyay in its framework of Hindutva, while Opposition is still hesitant to give up the Hindusentiments argument completely. This tussle, arguably, will produce a new narrative of politics in years to come.

The writer is Associate Professor, Centre for the Study of Developing Societies

CONTRAPUNTO

In Xanadu did Kubla Khan A stately pleasure dome decree

– COLERIDGE

Sacred space

I am a thing that thinks. That is, a thing that doubts, affirms, denies, understands a few things, is ignorant of many things, is willing, is unwilling, and also which imagines and has sensory perceptions.

René Descartes

Times Techies

- WILL THE NEXT SATYA NADELLA SIT OUT OF INDIA?

- Leaders in over 100 GCCs get $1mn+ compensation

- Hyderabad gains the most in past 5 years

- CAN YOU USE AI TO UNLEASH YOUR CREATIVITY?

WILL THE NEXT SATYA NADELLA SIT OUT OF INDIA?

American firms have more employees in India than in any other foreign country

Sujit John & Shilpa Phadnis | TNN

In the past decade, as startups have boomed, it has been common to hear experts say: “It’s a matter of time before India produces a Google or Facebook.” That hasn’t happened yet, though we too believe it will, sooner than later.

Today, as global capability centres (GCCs, the offshore tech & business entities of MNCs) in India surge, we are beginning to hear similar excited words. “Maybe the next Satya Nadella is going to be sitting somewhere in Bengaluru,” says Lalit Ahuja, founder & CEO of ANSR, a consultancy that has helped over 100 GCCs establish bases in India.

TOI, and Times Techies in particular, have been tracking the meteoric rise of GCCs for years now. In 2018, we carried a twopager in TOI on how core operations of MNCs are being moved into their GCCs in India, why India’s vast tech talent has become so globally coveted, and how the faces of cities like Bengaluru are being changed by the entry of GCCs. Late last year, we wrote, based on consultancy Zinnov’s estimates, that more than 5,000 global leaders of MNCs are sitting out of India GCCs. These are not just tech leaders, but also operations’ leaders, including, significantly, the chief customer officer of US data protection and management company Commvault (by that yardstick, the possibility of a Nadella sitting out of India isn’t far-fetched). Zinnov estimates this number will rise to 30,000 by 2030. In February, we wrote, based on consultancy Wizmatic’s estimates, that the GCC revenue figure of $46 billion that Nasscom put out for 2022-23 could be a gross underestimate, that it could actually be more than $100 billion. That’s more than 3% of India’s GDP.

GAINING GLOBAL ATTENTION

Today, the India GCC phenomenon has caught international imagination. The Economist magazine has just written articles on it, pointing out also that American firms have 1.5 million staff in India, more than in any other foreign country. They note the substantial contribution of GCCs to India’s GDP, and more particularly the country’s services exports. They point out that GCCs could do to India what FDI into China’s manufacturing did for that country. And the value brought in could be even more significant, considering what’s moving into India is the knowledge base of the world.

Ankur Mittal, SVP of technology & MD for India at Lowe’s, the $86-billion US retailer specialising in home improvement and which has a 5,000-strong GCC in India, says US companies have realised that talent availability in India is “far superior to most other loca- tions.” There are, he says, pockets of talent in the US, in countries in Europe, but nowhere is the abundance of talent like in India.

EASIER TO TRANSFORM

Ahuja says it’s easy to build a large-scale team in India that can be trusted to drive business outcomes with certainty and predictability. “A company like Best Buy that is just coming into India can hire from Walmart, Target, Lowe’s, Amazon, and even Microsoft and Google. They can hire teams within weeks that can build enterprise-grade capabilities and help in digital transformation. A Cigna comes to India and can do 10,000 people in three years,” he says.

He says given that MNCs today are attempting major transformations, it’s also far easier for them to do it out of a new remote location. In home locations, he says, there could be employee resistance to change. Young employees in India, he says, also work a lot harder, and are a lot more committed than employees in home locations.

UNDER-ONE-ROOF ADVANTAGE

Another huge India advantage is the possibility of housing di- verse talent under one roof, which almost every MNC today is consciously putting in place. Mittal notes the presence of technology, design, product management, data science, AI and even business talent like marketing and merchandising in Lowe’s Bengaluru facility. “When business is closer to engineers, bringing out a product becomes a lot faster,” he says.

CUTTING-EDGE WORK

Over 120 global functions across business and engineering are carried out from Goldman Sachs’s India GCCs that have 8,500 employees. Over the last two decades, functions performed from India have evolved from end-of-day support for trading platforms and exchange connectivity, to algo trading platform support, data analytics, and client reporting. “Today, our India GCC is a CoE (centre of excellence) with thought leadership for several equities engineering functions,” says Gunjan Samtani, global COO of engineering at Goldman Sachs.

A major project that the India centre led is Atlas, a low-latency trading platform that hosts a suite of trading strategies to help clients achieve their trading objectives, perform historical analyses, build quantitative models with real-time market information and trade execution. This platform helped trim microseconds in execution of trades for Goldman Sachs’ clients. “This latency reduction helped us engage existing and newer hedge funds and quant clients,” Samtani says.

JPMorgan Chase, the world’s largest bank, has some 55,000 people in its India GCCs. Deepak Mangla, CEO of corporate centres for India & Philippines at the bank, says the India GCC is a microcosm of practically all lines of businesses and functions, not just technology. “We manage operations for the bank, we engage extensively in risk management, we perform significant work for finance and HR controls,” he says.

Among several path-breaking work done at Lowe’s India is what’s called LORMN (Lowe’s One Roof Media Network). It was conceptualised in India and is among the fastest growing retail ad networks in the US. It allows vendors to put ads on Lowe’s website and other sites. “It’s very challenging work because everything has to be automated, all the bidding has to happen in milliseconds, and then we have to provide vendors with analytics around it. It’s a very high margin business, so it is driving margin and contributing to the topline,” says Mittal.

And that’s precisely why more and more global leaders of MNCs are sitting out of India.

Leaders in over 100 GCCs get $1mn+ compensation

Shilpa.Phadnis@timesgroup.com

GCCs have emerged as great paymasters, outshining their IT services peers. Around 100 Indian GCCs have top leaders netting nearly $1 million in annual compensation, including cash and stock rewards, says Lalit Ahuja, founder of consulting firm ANSR. These roles include India site leaders and SVPs who lead technology functions.

Other roles too have seen a good increase in salaries. ANSR’s research shows that the average salaries for those who have around seven years of experience in digital roles have increased by 33% to $45,000 (Rs 38 lakh) in 2024, from $33,000 (Rs 28 lakh) in 2021. On the other hand, the median remuneration of employees in an IT services company in India was around Rs 9 lakh ($11,000) in FY23, up from Rs 5 lakh ($7,400) in FY15 – a CAGR of 8% over the last eight years, in line with industry revenue growth, says a report by Goldman Sachs.

Consulting firm Zinnov estimates that GCCs gave increments of 12.6% last year, even as most major IT services com- panies deferred salary increments or gave it only to select few top performers. Those at junior levels in GCCs received on average 13.2% increments. Top performers, Zinnov says, received average increments of 20.2%.

An HSBC report highlights that GCCs’ cost per head is 30%-40% higher than that of Indian IT services providers, given that GCCs have traditionally hired laterally, and have far fewer freshers. GCCs also give higher salaries for the same level. However, as IT service providers have a sig- nificant offshore markup (pricing over costs), GCCs’ cost per head is 20-25% cheaper than the billing rate of service providers, says HSBC analysts Yogesh Aggarwal and Prateek Maheshwari.

An EY report says that the overall cost of a full-time employee in a GCC will increase from the current average levels of $29,100, to $37,760 by 2030. According to its research, the cost per employee has increased by 27% from the year 2019 to 2023. However, it is expected to increase by 30% from now until 2030.

Hyderabad gains the most in past 5 years

Nilesh Thakker, president of Zinnov, said about 28% of all new centres in 2023 were established in Hyderabad, with the same trend continuing into 2024 — a clear indication of the city’s rapid growth and rising prominence. “With strategic investments in AI, blockchain, biotechnology, and life sciences, Hyderabad is establishing itself as a next-generation GCC hub,” he said.

Swati.Bharadwaj@timesgroup.com

While Bengaluru continues to be India’s hottest GCC hub, accounting for about a third of the total, it’s Hyderabad that has seen the biggest jump in the share of GCCs. In 2019, when India was home to around 1,250 GCCs, Hyderabad had a 13% share at around 160 GCCs, while today, when the total number of GCCs has grown to over 1,600, the city houses around 19% or 304 GCCs, as per data provided by ANSR Research.

Hyderabad’s better infrastructure and lower costs compared to Bengaluru, a proactive government, and MNCs’ Bengaluru+1 strategy is benefiting the city.

All of the five biggest global tech companies – Microsoft, Google, Apple, Meta and Amazon – have large centres in Hyderabad. As do big pharma like Novartis, Bristol Myers Squibb and Sanofi, healthcare and medtech players such as Providence and Medtronic, BFSI giants like Goldman Sachs, StateStreet, S&P and London Stock Exchange Group, semiconductor biggies like Micron, AMD and Qualcomm, and automotive giants like Stellantis and ZF.

Hyderabad is estimated to have added around 40 GCCs in 2023 and is on track to add a similar number in 2024.

Real estate consultancy Knight Frank’s Q12024 report estimates that Hyderabad accounted for 39% of the total 5 million sqft of GCCoriented transactions across the top eight markets in the country.

“Hyderabad offers more affordable and cost-efficient real estate options than other major cities, allowing GCCs to optimise their operational expenses,” points out Anshuman Magazine, chairman & CEO – India, SE Asia, ME & Africa of property consultancy CBRE.

He says the Telangana government has also implemented favourable policies to attract and support businesses, including streamlining of real estate approval processes and incentives for setting up operations.

Telangana’s IT minister Duddila Sridhar Babu says Hyderabad’s biggest asset in the GCC race is the availability of a healthy pool of skilled talent along with the fact that it is an affordable city that boasts of world class amenities and infrastructure that has been built over the past two to three decades.

Of the over 1.6 million talent employed by GCCs in India currently, Hyderabad accounts for around 3.1 lakh (18%). In 2019, when the GCC talent pool in India was around 1 million, Hyderabad accounted for about 1.2 lakh or 12%. These talent pool is poised to go up to nearly 3.5 lakh by 2025, says ANSR Research. The city has a total IT talent pool of around 9-10 lakh.

Gaurav Gupta, partner & GCC industry leader at Deloitte India, says what Hyderabad also has going for it is the fact that it has evolved from the talent perspective. “Today close to 17% of the country’s digital and tech talent sits out of Hyderabad, roughly 10% of India’s finance and accounts related talent and 13% of business operations talent is based in this city,” Gupta points out.

CAN YOU USE AI TO UNLEASH YOUR CREATIVITY?

TIMES TECHIES.AI

Share your prompt and AI-generated image on the theme “Mobility in 2050” along with your name and city, over email on timestechies@timesgroup.com or WhatsApp on 8150011001.

Best entries will be featured on TimesTechies.ai page on Friday and win e-vouchers worth 500 each.

Times Global

- Hush money: Trump lawyer casts him a victim of blackmail as trial nears end

- Israel presses on with its Rafah offensive, tanks in heart of city

- India announces $1 million aid for landslide-hit PNG

- HK arrests six for sedition under new security law

- AROUND THE WORLD

- ‘Climate change added a month’s worth of extra-hot days last year’

- Pope issues rare apology over reported homophobic slur

- Among Nato countries, calls mount to let Ukraine strike Russia with Western arms

- Nawaz Sharif is re-elected PML-N chief

- Japanese city recognises gay couple in rare step

- Why two old `10 notes could sell for `2.7 lakh each today

Hush money: Trump lawyer casts him a victim of blackmail as trial nears end

Outside the NYC court where Trump is standing trial, Robert De Niro called ex-prez a dangerous ‘clown’ who will become a dictator for life if reelected. ‘When Trump ran in 2016, it was like a joke. We have a second chance, and no one is laughing now. This is the time to stop him,’ he said

New York: Donald Trump’s lawyer cast the former US prez as avictim of a porn star’s blackmail and argued that prosecutors had failed to prove he covered up a hush money payment to her as Trump’s criminal trial neared conclusion on Tuesday.

In closing argument, Trump lawyer Todd Blanche said Stormy Daniels had been trying to extort Trump by threatening to go public with her story of a sexual encounter as he battled a string of unflattering stories in the final weeks of the 2016 election. “She was trying to use the 2016 election as leverage to try and get paid,” he told the 12 jurors who will decide whether Trump, 77, becomes first US prez to be convicted of a crime. The jury could begin deliberations as soon as Wednesday.

His lawyers have said he paid her off to protect his family from embarrassment, not to boost his campaign. Trumpfaces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. REUTERS

Israel presses on with its Rafah offensive, tanks in heart of city

21 Dead In Fresh Strike On ‘Safe Zone’ Camp: Gaza Officials

Palestinians flee Rafah during an Israeli ground and air offensive on Tuesday

Israeli strikes on a tent camp in an evacuation area west of Rafah killed at least 21 on Tuesday, Gaza health authorities said, and tanks advanced to the centre of the southern Gaza city for the first time after a night of heavy bombardment.

Two days after an Israeli air strike on another camp stirred global condemnation, Gaza emergency services said four tank shells hit a cluster of tents in Al-Mawasi, a coastal area that Israel had advised civilians in Rafah to move to for safety. At least 12 of the dead were women, according to Hamas health officials. An Israeli military spokesperson said: “As of this time, we are not aware of this incident.”

In central Rafah, tanks and armoured vehicles mounted with machineguns were spotted near Al-Awda mosque, witnesses said. The Israeli military said its forces continued to operate in the Rafah area, without commenting on reported advances into the city centre.

International unease over Israel’s three-week-old Rafah offensive has turned to outrage after an attack on Sunday set off a blaze in a tent camp in a western district of the city, killing at least 45 people. Israel said it had targeted Hamas com- manders and had not intended to cause civilian casualties. Tuesday’s attack occurred in an area designated by Israel as an expanded humanitarian zone, to which it had called on civilians in Rafah to evacuate for their own safety when it laun- ched its incursion in early May.

Residents said Rafah’s Tel Al-Sultan neighbourhood, the scene of Sunday’s night-time strike in which tents and shelters were set ablaze as families settled down to sleep, was still being bombarded. REUTERS

Israel says munitions used ‘too small’ to ignite deadly fire at Rafah tent, blames second blast

The Israeli military says an initial investigation into a strike that sparked a deadly fire in Rafah has found the blaze was caused by a secondary explosion. Daniel Hagari, the chief military spokesman, said Tuesday that the military fired two 17-kg munitions that targeted two senior Hamas militants. He says the munitions would have been too small to ignite a fire on their own. Hagari said the army is looking into the possibility that weapons were stored in the area. Palestinian officials say at least 45 people were killed in Sunday’s strike. The fire also could have ignited cooking gas canisters. AP

Spain, Norway, Ireland formally recognise a Palestinian state

Spain, Norway and Ireland formally recognised a Palestinian state on Tuesday in a coordinated effort by the three European nations to add international pressure on Israel to soften its response to last year’s Hamas-led attack. Israel condemned the diplomatic move, which will have no immediate impact on the war in Gaza.

Spain PM Pedro Sanchez said “this is a historic decision that has a single goal, and that is to help Israelis and Palestinians achieve peace”. Israeli foreign minister Israel Katz said Sanchez govt was “being complicit in inciting genocide against Jews”. Ireland and Norway soon joined Spain in formalising a decision they had jointly announced the previous week. Palestinian flag was raised outside Leinster House, the seat of Ireland’s parliament.

The move means 146 of the 193 UN member states of now recognise a Palestinian state. However, none of the key Western powers do so. The move will likely put pressure on EU heavyweights France and Germany to rethink position. AP

India announces $1 million aid for landslide-hit PNG

India has announced immediate relief assistance worth $1 million to Papua New Guinea (PNG) in the wake of a devastating landslide that buried hundreds of people and caused major destruction. PM Modi expressed deep condolences and conveyed India’s readiness to extend all possible support. “As a close friend and partner under the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) and as a gesture of solidarity with the friendly people of Papua New Guinea, Govt of India extends an immediate relief assistance...,” said the govt in a statement, adding that India has firmly stood by PNG during times of difficulty and devastation caused by natural disasters, like in the wake of the earthquake in 2018 and volcanic eruptions in 2019 and 2023. TNN

HK arrests six for sedition under new security law

Hong Kong: Hong Kong national security police arrested six people across the city on Tuesday under a new security law for alleged seditious intent, including a pro-democracy barrister already behind bars. Security secretary Chris Tang told reporters the six were suspected of using a Facebook page to “advocate hatred’ against the govts in Hong Kong and China and against the judiciary.

He said one of those arrested was Chow Hang-tung, a prominent barrister and pro-democracy activist who has been detained since Sept 2021 at a maximum security prison. These were the first arrests under a new batch of national security laws that were passed by the city’s pro-Beijing legislature in March despite global outcry. REUTERS

AROUND THE WORLD

HOLES POKED IN MOUNT FUJI BARRIER: A Japanese town that mounted a huge barrier to deter unruly tourists from taking photos of Mount Fuji said Tuesday that around 10 small holes have already been poked in the mesh screen. The barrier was put up a week ago in a popular photo spot in Fujikawaguchiko town, where residents had complained about streams of mostly foreign visitors littering, trespassing and breaking traffic rules. ‘It’s about manners. It’s a shame,’ he said of the holes, big enough to fit a finger through but perhaps too small to capture the Instagram-friendly juxtaposition of the snow-capped volcano emerging from behind a convenience store

Bob Dylan gave his ’68 painting for astrology reading. It has now sold for nearly $200K

A rare abstract painting created by singer Bob Dylan over 50 years ago recently sold for $196,156 at an auction. The painting, from circa 1968, was created during the musician’s time in Woodstock, New York. RR Auction described the painting on its website as a “colourful and energetic abstract composition featuring the large central outline of a bull”. “The canvas is filled with recognisable imagery, including music notes, bow ties, animals. At the top is the red outline of a man in a brimmed hat-mirroring his own style,” it said. As per the auction house, Dylan offered the painting to Woodstock-area resident Sandy LePanto in exchange for an astrology chart, noting that the painting had been with her family and was recently found. “Dylan gave Sandy a painting in exchange for the charts and readings she’d done for him.”

Aus arrests man for running naked through aircraft aisle

A man accused of running naked down the aisle of an Australian domestic flight, knocking down a flight attendant and forcing the plane to turn back, was arrested by police at the airport, officials said Tuesday. The incident happened early in what was scheduled to be a 3-hour & 30 minute Virgin Australia flight Monday from the west coast city of Perth to Melbourne on the east coast. The man was transferred to hospital for assessment, where he remains.

‘Climate change added a month’s worth of extra-hot days last year’

31 Days Of Atypical Warmth Since ’23 May For 80% Of Popn: Study

ALARMING TREND

Over the past year of record-shattering warmth, the average person on Earth experienced 26 more days of abnormally high temperatures than they otherwise would have, were it not for human-induced climate change, scientists said on Tuesday.

The past 12 months have been the planet’s hottest ever measured, and the burning of fossil fuels, which has added huge amounts of heat-trapping gases to the atmosphere, is a major reason. Nearly 80%of the world’s population experienced at least 31 days of atypical warmth since last May as a result of human-caused warming, the researchers’ analysis found.

Hypothetically, had we not heated the globe to its current state, the number of unusually warm days would have been far fewer, the scientists estimated, using mathematical modelling of the global climate.

The precise difference varies place to place. In some countries, it is just two or three weeks, the researchers found. In others, including Colombia, Indonesia and Rwanda, the difference is upward of 120 days.

“That’s a lot of toll that we’ve imposed on people,” said one of the researchers who conducted the new analysis, Andrew Pershing, the vice president for science at Climate Central, a nonprofit research and news organisation based in Princeton, N.J., adding, “It’s a lot of toll that we’ve imposed on nature.” In parts of South America and Africa, he said, it amounts to “120 days that just wouldn’t be there without climate change.”

Currently, the world’s climate is shifting toward the La Nina phase of the cyclical pattern known as the El Nino-Southern Oscillation. This typically portends cooler temperatures on average. Even so, the recent heat could have reverberating effects on weather and storms in some places for months to come. Forecasters expect this year’s Atlantic hurricane season to be extraordinarily active, in part because the ocean waters where storms form have been off-thecharts warm.

The analysis issued Tuesday was a collaboration between several groups: Climate Central, the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre and World Weather Attribution, a scientific initiative that ex- amines extreme weather episodes. The report’s authors considered a given day’s temperature to be abnormally high in a particular location if it exceeded 90% of the daily temperatures recorded there between 1991 and 2020.

The average American experienced 39 days of such temperatures as a result of climate change since last May, the report found. That’s 19 more days than in a hypothetical world without human-caused warming. In some states, including Arizona and New Mexico in the Southwest and Washington and Oregon in the Northwest, the difference is 30 days or more, a full extra month.

The scientists also tallied up how many extreme heat waves the planet had experienced since last May. They defined these as episodes of unseasonable warmth across a large area, lasting three or more days, with significant loss of life or disruption to infrastructure and industry.

In total, the researchers identified 76 such episodes over the past year, affecting 90 countries, on every continent except Antarctica. There was the punishing hot spell in India last spring. There was the extreme heat that worsened wildfires and strained power grids in North America, Europe and East Asia last summer. And, already this year, there has been excessive warmth from Africa to West Asia to Southeast Asia. NYT

Pope issues rare apology over reported homophobic slur

Italian media said Pope Francis used the Italian term ‘frociaggine’, roughly translating as ‘faggotness’ or ‘faggotry’, as he told bishops he was opposed to admitting gay people into priesthood

Vatican City: Pope Francis, widely quoted as having used a highly derogatory word to describe the LGBT community, did not intend to use homophobic language and apologises to anyone offended by it, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said in an emailed statement said on Tuesday.

It is extremely rare for a pope to issue a public apology.

Italian media had reported Monday that Francis used the Italian term “frociaggine”, roughly translating as “faggotness” or “faggotry”, as he told Italian bishops he remained opposed to admitting gay people into the priesthood. Italian political gossip website Dagospia was the first to report on the alleged incident, said to have happened on May 20 when pope met Italian bishops behind closed doors.

One daily, Corriere della Sera, quoted unnamed bishops who were in the room as suggesting that the pope, as an Argentine, might have not realised that the Italian term he used was offensive.

Bruni said Francis was “aware” of the various articles. The Vatican spokesman reiterated that the pope remai- ned committed to a welcoming Church for all, where “nobody is useless, nobody is superfluous, (where) there is room for everyone”.

His reported comments caused shock and consternation, even among his supporters. Vito Mancuso, an Italian theologian and former priest, told daily La Stampa that Francis’ language was “despicable & surprising because it blatantly jars” with his previous messages on LGBT issues.

Francis, who is 87, has been credited with making substantial overtures towards the LGBT community. In 2013, at the start of his papacy, he famously said: “If a person is gay and seeks God and has good will, who am I to judge?” Last year he allowed priests to bless same-sex couples, triggering backlash. REUTERS

Among Nato countries, calls mount to let Ukraine strike Russia with Western arms

Calls are mounting among Western nations to allow attacks on Russian territory using weapons that they have sent the Ukrainian military, a measure that Ukraine says will enable it to better prevent Russian attacks. On Monday, Nato parliamentary assembly, made up of lawmakers from countries belonging to the military alliance, adopted a declaration urging Nato members to lift a ban on firing Western weapons into Russia. That came after similar calls by Nato’s top official, Jens Stoltenberg, and govt ministers in Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Sweden.

The calls to allow Ukraine to expand its use of the Western weapons are mostly direc- ted at the US, the largest supplier of arms to the Ukrainian govt. Washington has repeatedly asked Ukraine not to fire US-made weapons into Russian territory for fear of escalating the war. Prez Putin has repeatedly warned that hitting Russian soil with Westernsupplied weapons could set the war on a dangerous new path.

For now, the Ukraine has limited itself to using Western weapons to hit targets in Russian-occupied territory within Ukraine. Disadvantage of this became clear this month when Russia started a new offensive in northeastern Ukraine. “We had information about Russia accumulating troops on the other side of the border but we couldn’t strike them to prevent this offensive,” Yehor Cherniev, the deputy chairman of the Ukrainian Parliament’s national security committee, said. “We had to wait for when they crossed the border.” He added: “It cost us a lot of lives.”

NYT

Ukraine should be allowed to ‘neutralise’ Russian military bases, says Macron

Kyiv should be allowed to “neutralise” Russian military bases from where Moscow troops are firing missiles into Ukraine, French Prez Macron said Tuesday. “We think that we should allow them to neutralise military sites where missiles are fired, from where ... Ukraine is attacked,” he said, but stressing that “we shouldn’t allow them to touch other targets in Russia, and civilian capacities”.

AFP

Nawaz Sharif is re-elected PML-N chief

Omer Farooq Khan TNN

Islamabad: Pakistan’s three-time former PM Nawaz Sharif was re-elected president of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Tuesday, six years after he was forced to quit the post after a Supreme Court ruling.

His unopposed election at the party’s general council meeting came on a day that was declared a public holiday by his younger brother, PM Shehbaz Sharif, to commemorate the 26th anniversary of Pakistan’ nuclear tests, conducted during Nawaz’s second term as PM.

Pakistan conducted the tests on May 28, 1998, almost three weeks after India tested its devices, in Chaghi hills of southwestern Balochistan province, making it the seventh nuclear nation in the world and the first Muslim state to have a nuclear arsenal.

While Nawaz was at peak of his popularity in May 1998, he could not celebrate the first anniversary of the nuclear tests following his ouster from office in Oct 1998 by General Pervez Musharraf in a military coup.

The anniversary is being commemorated for the first time in 26 years, coinciding with his re-election as PML-N president. He took the party’s reins back from Shehbaz, who had stepped down on May 13, paving the way for the 74-year-old party founder, to be elected again.

Shehbaz hailed Nawaz, who returned to Pakistan in Oct 2023 after a four-year self-imposed exile in UK, for the nuclear tests, which he said ensured “credible minimum deterrence”. In a post on X, he said: “On this historic day in 1998, then PM Nawaz Sharif demonstrated bold leadership by rejecting nerve-wracking pressures and inducements to make Pakistan a nuclear-armed nation.” He also paid tribute to ex-PM Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, who, he said, was the founder of Pakistan’s nuclear programme, for his “strategic foresight and unwavering commitment to the cause”.

Nawaz says Pak ‘violated’ agreement with India signed by him and Vajpayee in 1999

Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday admitted that Islamabad had “violated” an agreement with India signed by him and ex-PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 1999, in an apparent reference to the Kargil misadventure. “On May 28, 1998, Pakistan carried out five nuclear tests. After that Vajpayee Saheb came here and made an agreement with us. But we violated that agreement...it was our fault,” Sharif told a meeting of the PML-N general council. Sharif and Vajpayee signed the Lahore Declaration on Feb21, 1999. The agreement signalled a breakthrough, but a few months later Pakistani intrusion in J&K led to the Kargil War. He also said, “President Bill Clinton had offered Pakistan $5 billion to stop it from carrying out nuclear tests but I refused. Had (ex-PM) Imran Khan like person been on my seat he would have accepted the offer.” PTI

Japanese city recognises gay couple in rare step

The city of Omura agreed this month to register a same-sex couple as partners under the same address, an unusual step in a country without marriage equality

Tokyo: A Japanese city has registered a same-sex couple as partners under the same address, an unusual step hailed by the men as “groundbreaking” in a country without marriage equality.

In Japan, everyone registers their address with local authorities, and Keita Matsuura, 38, said he used to be listed separately from his partner Yutaro Fujiyama, despite living together. When the pair moved to Omura, in the southern region of Nagasaki, they told city authorities that they wanted to be registered together, like a married couple would be. Initially, the city offered to register Fujiyama as Matsuura’s relative, but after discussions, they agreed this month to register him like a husband, Matsuura said Tuesday. Japan is the only G7 nation that do- esn’t recognise same-sex unions, and local media said the move was unprecedented.

Although the registration is not the same as legal marriage, Matsuura said he was “surprised and very happy”. “I couldn’t stop dancing and smiling,” he said. “It’s a groundbreaking decision — a step further than the non-legally-binding partnership system” under which municipalities issue certificates to gay couples, he said. “I hope this will bring more practical benefits.” AFP

Why two old `10 notes could sell for `2.7 lakh each today

They Floated Out Of A British Ship Sunk By A German U-Boat In July 1918

ON THE BLOCK: These `10 notes from the Shirala’s cargo will be auctioned on May 29, and are expected to fetch £2,000–2,600 each. They have consecutive numbers, 51687 and 51688, which means they came from the same bundle

Abhilash.Gaur@timesgroup.com

On July 2, 1918, towards the end of WW-1, a British ship named ‘SS Shirala’ sank in the English Channel. Its ‘killer’ was the dreaded German submarine UB-57, commanded by Oberleutnant Johannes Lohs who destroyed dozens of enemy ships with a combined capacity of over 1.5 lakh tonnes before he died aged 29.

The Shirala accounted for just about 4% of Lohs’ kills, but it was destined to make headlines long after death, as it’s doing now. Sometime this afternoon, two Rs 10 notes and a Re 1 note salvaged from its wreck will go under the hammer at British auction house Noonans Mayfair. The Rs 10 notes could fetch up to £2,600 (Rs 2.7 lakh) each.

Floating Vault

The Shirala was a small ship, just 425 feet long and 50 wide. It was launched on Aug31, 1901, and had gone around the world many times for the British India Steam Navigation Company, carrying everything from biscuits to railway sleepers.

But when it set out on its final journey to Bombay, on July 1, 1918, it was also loaded with precious cargo. Some say there were diamonds on board, others mention elephant tusks. It certainly had plenty of marmalade jars – specifically, Dundee marmalade – for the British in India and spares for their vehicles and weapons. Above all, the Shirala was bringing new currency notes. There were unsigned notes of Rs 5 and Rs 10 denominations, besides signed Re 1 notes. The Re 1 note had been introduced very recently, on Nov 30, 1917. Until then, Rs 5 had been the smallest denomination for notes in India. An article in the International Bank Note Society Journal says Re 1 notes used to come pre-signed from Britain, so when the Shirala sank, it became the “first case of notes lost at sea which were pre-signed before their arrival in India from England”.

Notes Slip Out

The bigger notes were sent unsigned from Britain, and would have become legal tender only after receiving the signatures of officials at the Indian Currency Office. As the Shirala sank in shallow water close to the English coast, bits of its cargo started washing up on the shore. Among them were notes of all three denominations.

In its Feb 6, 1920 edition, The Pioneer Mail of Allahabad reported that “Some of the notes were saved and have recently made their appearance at the Currency Office in Rangoon from local banks.” In some cases, notes from the Shirala were presented with forged signatures. “So far, eight of these notes are in custody of the authorities… All are of Rs 5 denomination,” the paper said.

Treat For Divers

Some of the Shirala’s rupee notes stayed with their finders, which is why, after 106 years, they are up for auction. Meanwhile, the ship’s wreck has become an attraction for divers. Historic England, which looks after British heritage sites, says Shirala’s holds still contain “cases of wine; crates of Dundee marmalade; spares for vehicles …binoculars and telescopes; some ivory…” But what you might not find now, after a century under water, are its rupee notes.

Times Sport

- OTHER WORLD CUP CONTENDERS: DAD’S ARMIES OR SPECIALISTS?

- Why experience and pedigree have scored over IPL form

- GALLERY

- ICC grants List A status to Major League Cricket in United States

- T20 WC: India the strongest side even with injuries, says Morgan

- ‘Dream come true’ as Uganda prepare for their first cricket World Cup

- Nadal saga yet to enter last chapter

- Nagal chasing Oly berth

- Fit-again Courtois not in Belgium’s Euro squad

- THREE PLAYERS QUIT ARGENTINA’S WOMEN’S TEAM AFTER PAY DISPUTE

- MARTIAL CONFIRMS UNITED DEPARTURE

- RONALDO SETS SAUDI PRO LEAGUE SCORING RECORD

- MENDILIBAR, WHO LED SEVILLA TO EUROPA TITLE, HOPES TO CREATE OLYMPIACOS HISTORY

- Satwik-Chirag duo suffers shock loss in opening round

- A saree in Paris: Drape back as official attire

- Former Australia opener Joe Burns to represent Italy in tribute to late brother

- Kompany set to take charge of Bayern, says Rummenigge

- Rejuvenated Rybakina looking to go all the way

OTHER WORLD CUP CONTENDERS: DAD’S ARMIES OR SPECIALISTS?

Arani.Basu@timesgroup.com

Ever since the inception of T20, it was assumed the format was for younger legs. Rahul Dravid’s withdrawal from the inaugural World T20 in 2007, along with Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly, only added substance to the theory. Yet, over the years, the chaotic, high-paced T20 game has been controlled mostly by those who have put in years on the field. The general belief now is that it’s a game for specialists, irrespective of age.

TOI looks at the contenders, besides India, for the upcoming T20 World Cup and the composition of their teams which, at the outset, look like dad’s armies...

AUSTRALIA

Only Cameron Green is aged under 25. Three players – Josh Inglis, Tim David and Nathan Ellis – are pushing 30. Their core revolves around David Warner, Mitchell Starc, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis and Mathew Wade, who are all on the wrong side of 30. The key here is Mitchell Marsh, has been handed captaincy at 32 ahead of Pat Cummins, 31, who led Australia to the World Test Championship and ODI World Cup title last year. It signals preference for fresh ideas over reputation. This team has stayed together for four years and won world titles across formats. The Aussies crashed on home turf in the last T20 World Cup but this is a champion bunch.

ENGLAND

The defending champions — who sort of owned the template for uninhibited attacking batting — go into the tournament with pretty much the same team as the one that won in Australia in 2022. Continuity is not a bad thing in cricket but the same set of players failed to defend the ODI World Cup last Nov in India. Again, led by Jos Buttler and the ageing leadership group of Jonny Bairstow, Moeen Ali, Adil Rashid and Mark Wood, this team is packed with cricketers who have got a ton of experience in the format. While they wear a similar look to their last campaign 19 months ago, it should be noted that the likes of Harry Brook, Sam Curran, Will Jacks and Jofra Archer are now more experienced.

NEW ZEALAND

It seems like Kane Williamson has been leading New Zealand into World Cup finals and semifinals forever. They have been the perennial underdogs who always punch above their weight. Williamson takes with him a core of senior players who are well past their 30s – Trent Boult, Tim Southee, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Devon Conway, Michael Bracewell, Mitch Santner and Jimmy Neesham. They have always found a way to get the job done in crunch moments. Again, the team isn’t dissimilar to the one that played the semifinals in the last T20 World Cup. Rachin Ravindra, at 24, is the only one under 25. He has been the flavour of international cricket since his astounding ODI World Cup performance last year. With the firepower of Glenn Phillips and Finn Allen, the core group of experienced players will hope they have enough to claim a white-ball championship.

PAKISTAN

Finalists in the last edition, Babar Azam will lead a similar looking team next month. Pakistani cricketers haven’t quite set the T20 scene ablaze. What they have tried to do is have faith in the performers from the Pakistan Super League, which is why you see the comeback of Mohammad Amir and Imad Wasim. The induction of Azam Khan, Abrar Ahmed and Saim Ayub brings freshness. What works for them is the fact that their experienced campaigners like Shadab Khan, Naseem Shah and Shaheen Afridi are all in their early 20s. It’s about finding the spark together as a team.

Why experience and pedigree have scored over IPL form

For The Selectors, Transition Can Wait. The Core Of The Indian Team For The T20 World Cup Was Decided Much Before IPL. How It All Pans Out Will Be Fascinating To Watch…

ANOTHER FLING AT ICC GLORY: Captain Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli

Partha.Bhaduri@timesgroup.com

The IPL’s overbearing presence can often mask the T20 World Cup’s unique imprint on the format. The IPL is at once allencompassing in its scope and specific in its requirements, so India’s selectors chose to be influenced only to an extent by performances in the league.

The Ajit Agarkar-led committee has been both pragmatic and conservative while picking the 15-member World Cup squad. Naturally, this has somewhat dampened the excitement and anticipation around the younger crop of players who sizzled in this season’s IPL.

Where’s Abhishek Sharma? Where’s Harshit Rana? Why Axar Patel over Varun Chakravarthy? Why have no Indian players from both IPL finalists been picked in the World Cup squad? And why does Rinku Singh, a proven finisher, find a place only among the reserves?

It will be interesting to watch whether this safety-first selection approach pays off for Rohit Sharma’s team. It’s relatively easy to poke the weak spots in any IPL team but the T20 World Cup has been a fluid and unpredictable beast. Even the best teams have not enjoyed eras of World Cup domination, unlike in the 50-over format.

The T20 World Cup format also makes it easy for the likes of India to reach the knockouts, so nothing less than a title win will be deemed satisfactory.

When fates can hinge on a single hit or a no-ball, it’s human nature to bet on experience and pedigree. One can say the selectors have been guided as much by gut feel as data.

In effect, this T20 World Cup is a farewell fling at an elusive ICC trophy for some senior cricketers who came so close to attaining that goal last year in the 50-over format.

It’s worth remembering that India have not won a T20 World Cup since the IPL first took off. There are hopes the trend can be broken this time, even with virtually the same crop of top-order players — barring Yashasvi Jaiswal — who faltered in the semifinal against England in Adelaide in 2022.

The nagging feeling remains that in a short format which lends itself readily to experimentation, shouldn’t this season’s IPL performances have counted for more? Should India have banked on inform youngsters like they did back in the inaugural edition in 2007, when they won the tournament for the only time?

It’s worth mentioning that T20 was in its infancy in 2007. The seniors had voluntarily opted out. Analysts still hadn’t run over every possible match-up in forensic detail. The T20 key now is the ability to reinforce experience with the ability to reinvent oneself, as Virat Kohli demonstrated in this IPL.

The winning captain in 2007, MS Dhoni, was the first to red-flag the temptation to pick cricketers purely on immediate IPL form. During the 2009 Champions Trophy in South Africa, Dhoni had said such form must be put in “correct perspective”.

Although Dhoni was talking about format-hopping selection choices back then, the ideology doesn’t seem to have changed 15 years on. “We decided on the core of the team long before the IPL,” captain Rohit Sharma said this time. “In IPL, performances change every day. Anyone will come and score a hundred or take five wickets. We knew 70%-80% of our squad (before the IPL).”

So even though Kohli has remapped his T20 batting, taken on the spinners and lost none of his incredible consist- ency while striking at 154.69 in this IPL, Agarkar suggested his name had been pencilled in long before.

“We haven’t even been discussing Kohli’s strike rate. You take positives from what is happening in the IPL (but) the pressure of a World Cup is different. You need experience,” Agarkar said.

The pitches in the West Indies are different, slower. Unlike in the IPL, there won’t be just range-hitting at play in this World Cup. That doesn’t mean IPL performances haven’t mattered — just look at the impact Shivam Dube has had with his ability to clobber the spinners in the middle overs, answering India’s call for just such a requirement.

Of course, pedigree is no guarantee of success. India’s squad is packed with proven performers but the same bunch has also tended to falter at the doorstep of an ICC trophy in the past.

Also, India’s selections have been a bit random in the 28 T20Is they have played since the last T20 World Cup. That tournament was supposed to draw a line in the sand and mark a move on from the stalwarts. However, after trying out all and sundry — none of whom got a decent run — that transition process has now been abruptly halted.

Having rejected any recency-bias in selection, Rohit and coach Dravid must now address some key issues: Should Kohli open, like he does in the IPL? Should the twin leg-spin attack be the norm on Caribbean pitches? Can Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja find form? Will the Dube ploy work? Will Jasprit Bumrah lack pace support? And how do they cover up for Rinku’s absence?

India’s performance in this tournament will not only reveal if this conservative approach was justified, but also shape future selection policies. By the end of it all, we’ll know if recent form — specifically of the IPL kind — should matter more in a T20 World Cup.

GALLERY

Celtics defeat Pacers to reach NBA Finals

Washington: The Boston Celtics clinched the Eastern Conference championship on Monday with a 105-102 win over the Indiana Pacers, sweeping the series 4-0 and booking a spot in the NBA Finals. The Celtics will face the winner of the Western Conference Finals, where the Dallas Mavericks hold a 3-0 lead over the Minnesota Timberwolves ahead of game four.

Praggnanandhaa beats Alireza: R Praggnanandhaa got off to a flier and defeated Firouzja Alireza of France in the Armageddon game in the first round of Norway Chess tournament on Tuesday. After an easy draw under normal time control, Praggnanadhaa got 10 minutes as white compared to Alireza’s seven but with the condition that he had to win as a draw would have given black extra points.

AGENCIES

ACTION TODAY

BADMINTON: Singapore Open, 7.30 am (BWF youtube);

BASKETBALL: Mavericks vs Timberwolves, 6 am (Jio);

CHESS: Norway Elite C’ships, R3, 8.15 pm (youtube chess24);

CRICKET: Women’s 3rd ODI, Eng vs Pak, 5.30 pm (Sony);

TENNIS: French Open, 2.30 pm (Sony)

ICC grants List A status to Major League Cricket in United States

San Francisco: The ICC has granted official List A status to Major League Cricket matches in the United States of America in only its second season, a move aimed at promoting the game in one of the biggest sports markets. The International Cricket Council’s decision comes a week before MLC commences its second season and less than a week before the Americas host cricket’s showpiece event, the T20 World Cup. The ICC’s move makes MLC as the official T20 league and America’s first world-class domestic tournament. “Now, every century, halfcentury, five-for, run out, win, loss, and championship will be documented as official career statistics in an internationally recognised format of the game,” said MLC in a statement. The official status to MLC means it will provide local US players and upcoming stars of the game the opportunity for interna- tional recognition, furthering the development of domestic talent in the country.

“The List A status comes after the MLC’s successful inaugural season and underscores its unwavering dedication to delivering premier cricket in the United States,” the statement added.

MLC CEO, Vijay Srinivasan, had recently announced the ex- pansion of tournament from 19 games in 2023 to 34 by 2025.

“We saw cricket mania sweep across the US last year off the back of our inaugural season of Major League Cricket. Now, we take exciting momentum into the highly anticipated ICC T20 World Cup and season two of the MLC,”said Srinivasan. “With an unforgettable summer of cricket on our doorstep, we’re ready to capture the hearts of American sports fans with our thrilling, adrenaline-charged game that is the most exciting emerging T20

tournament across the globe.” Sanctioned by USA Cricket, MLC saw several players from across the world take part in the inaugural edition of the tournament last year. S ix teams Los Angeles Knight Riders, MI New York, San Francisco Unicorns, Seattle Orcas, Texas Super Kings, and the Washington Freedom featured in the tournament.

PTI

T20 WC: India the strongest side even with injuries, says Morgan

London:India’s remarkable reservoir of talent and formidable depth within their squad makes them strong contenders to win the upcoming T20 World Cup, feels former England skipper Eoin Morgan. India have gone with almost the same squad as they had in the last edition of the T20 World Cup while adding the likes of young Yashasvi Jaiswal, Yuzvend ra Chahal and Sanju Samson.

“The strongest side even with injuries throughout the tournament is India. Their strength and depth is absolutely incredible,” Morgan said on Sky Sports. “And it’s almost probably, we’re talking about who the players that were missed out in their squad of 15 because of the quality that they possess. They are favourites for me, the quality they have on paper, if they produce it I think they can beat anybody quite well in the tournament,” he added.

India were spoilt for choice as they were forced to leave the likes of Shubman Gill and KL Rahul.

“The only decision I would have had differently and if I was selecting the squad, I would have Shubman Gill over Yashasvi Jaiswal. I have played alongside him, I know how he thinks. I know how he works. I feel he’s a future leader within that side and I think in big moments, the more leaders the better. Even if he’s sitting on the sideline, you still need inspiration from here and there.”

India head into almost every tournament as favourites but they haven’t won an ICC title in over a decade. The last trophy India lifted was the Champions Trophy in 2013. In the last edition of the T20 World Cup they were hammered by 10 wickets by eventual winners England in the semis in Adelaide. “I think they can (win), because they have come to a stage now where Adelaide would hurt, and more recently losing the (ODI) World Cup at home to Australia would hurt. So they’re due,” Morgan said. PTI

‘Dream come true’ as Uganda prepare for their first cricket World Cup

Uganda players sweat it out during a training session in Kampala

Kampala: On a sunny morning at the main cricket oval in Kampala, members of the Ugandan national men’s team are being put through their paces by their new head coach. The Cricket Cranes --clad in their vivid red kit -are training hard for their first ever Twenty20 World Cup, a “dream come true” in a nation where cricket is overshadowed by football as the most popular sport.

But they have a tough road ahead in the tournament, which is being jointly hosted by the United States and West Indies and runs from June 1 to June 29. Among their opponents are New Zealand and West Indies, as well as Afghanistan and Papua New Guinea, with the fixtures being held in Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago.

Time is not on their side --it was barely a month ago that the Uganda Cricket Association named Indian former first-class cricketer Abhay Sharma as the new head coach of the men’s national team. “Mostly we don’t have time to relax. It’s going to be high intensity preparations,” 32-year-old Cranes captain Brian Masaba told AFP after the training session was interrupted by rain.

Masaba has himself already earned an accolade for his performance. In mid-May, the International Cricket Council ranked him as the captain with the second highest number of wins in T20 internationals (44 in 56 matches), just behind Pakistan’s Babar Azam. “If we can pick up a couple of wins at the World Cup, it would be a huge bonus for us. But more importantly for me is the platform the World Cup gives Uganda as a country,” said Masaba. “So it is important for us as ambassadors of the game to portray the country in a good light and that’s by going there and playing good cricket.”

Although this is their first World Cup as a nation, Uganda were part of a combined East Africa team along with Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia that took part in the 1975 ODI World Cup. Cricket was first introduced to the region in the late 19th century by British colonial settlers and became popular among the large number of Indian labourers brought in to work on East African railways.

AFP

TIMES IN PARIS

Nadal saga yet to enter last chapter

Spaniard Says Main Goal Is To Play The Olympics At Roland Garros

Prajwal.Hegde@timesgroup.com

Paris: The 2024 season was supposed to be Rafael Nadal’s last in the sport. A curtain call. The tennis world had steeled itself. After a year spent in repairing and rehabbing a repelling body, the 37-year-old was ready to start in Australia in January. Until he wasn’t.

More issues. Abdominal, then hip or the other way round. The Spaniard was in an impossible race to get his body ready for Roland Garros. In the end, he was short by a few weeks. In the lead-up to this fortnight’s clay court major, Nadal’s body was falling in step, and in the last week, it allowed him the elasticity to stretch, to go beyond the boundaries of restraint. He was reaching further than he had in two years.

It made the 22-time major winner think. Was it time yet, or did he have more steps in those legs? If anything, his straight sets loss to the inform fourth seed Alexander Zverev late on Monday, was a confirmation. Maverick Frenchman Gael Monfils wasted no time in seconding it. “With what Rafa showed us today,” Monfils said, “he would beat so many on the draw. So many.”

For now the goal is the Olympics in July-August at Roland Garros, where he hopes to play singles and doubles. “I need to clear my head and be ready for my main goal which is now to play the Olympics,” he said.

The legendary Spaniard was all over the court in the first-round outing here, earning huge approval from fans on Court Philippe Chatrier. Every time his muscular frame swivelled for a sizzling forehand the fans were in a tizzy.

Nadal doesn’t want regrets. “At the end, it’s about not having the (competitive) feeling for one year and a half,” he said, “but that I didn’t give myself a real chance, because when I started to become a little bit healthier, I stopped.”

The press conference room at Roland Garros was straining with moist-eyed adults, who were trying to assemble words for questions to the 14-time champion. “In terms of what’s driving me, I’m a simple guy. I enjoy what I do. I’m passionate about sport, I’m passionate about competition. I like to practice, I like to play tennis,” he said. “I’m in a different moment of my personal life too, travelling with my son and wife. I’m enjoying these moments.”

“So, if I keep enjoying doing what I’m doing and I feel competitive and healthy, I want to keep going for a while,” Nadal said. “I don’t know for how long, but I want to keep going for a while. I need to give myself a little bit longer to see if my level is (getting better) and my body is holding.”

“That’s why I am not saying I am retiring today,” he finished.

In Spanish media circles there’s an understanding that if Nadal’s body holds up he may play next year. It can be a prayer, a hymn, playing on loop. Or as Nadal would say, it’s a true, no?

Nagal chasing Oly berth

NAGAL

Prajwal.Hegde@timesgroup.com

Paris: Sumit Nagal will attempt a final push at the Heilbronn ATP Challenger in Germany, starting June 3, to make the cut for the 2024 Olympic Games. The tennis cut for the quadrennial Games will be applied at the end of the Roland Garros fortnight.

The Indian, ranked No. 94, went out in the first-round to the 18th seeded Russian Karen Khachanov in Paris on Monday.

It’s a draw of 64 for the Olympics, making it tough for the Indian, but with restrictions on number entries per country, as also tournament withdrawals, if Nagal does well at Heilbronn, he may just give himself a fair chance of making the cut.

Nagal will follow the Heilbronn outing with another Challenger (125) in Perugia, starting June 10, after which he takes a break from clay and logs in a training week on grass before playing Wimbledon.

Nagal will have to play the waitand-watch game for the Olympics. “It all depends on what the cut will be. The first cut will be very strong, prob- ably in the region of 70,” he said, adding, “we’ll have to see what follows.”

Nagal, who was disappointed with his Roland Garros main draw debut, said the goal was to be able to consistently push players ranked in the top-20.

“He (Khachanov) was playing almost every point with a lot of intensity,” the 26-year-old said. “That’s something I can work on, where you give opponents very few free points, it’s happening quite a bit from my side.”

“The goal is to keep improving,” Nagal said, “keep battling these top-20 players. If I can do that by the end of the year, I will be at the level I want to be competing in. The only way that can happen is to play these kind of players more and more.”

NAGAL

Fit-again Courtois not in Belgium’s Euro squad

Coach Patches Up Differences With Witsel, Who Comes Out Of Retirement, But Not With Real Madrid Goalkeeper

CLUB FAVOURITE: Thibaut Courtois prepares for the Champions League final at the Real Madrid training ground. He recently had a feud with Belgium coach Domenico Tedesco

Brussels: Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne will lead a rejuvenated Belgium side including a once-retired Axel Witsel at the European Championship next month.

De Bruyne and Witsel were on the 25-man list unveiled by coach Domenico Tedesco on Tuesday. Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, preparing for the Champions League final, was not. Defender Maxim De Cuyper, who won the Belgian league with Club Brugge last weekend, was the only newcomer.

De Bruyne and Witsel are remaining members of the so-called golden generation of Belgian players. While De Bruyne’s presence was expected, Witsel’s was a surprise after Tedesco dropped him from his first squad last year. Witsel soon after announced his retirement from international soccer and did not play in qualifying.

But Tedesco said Witsel’s recent excellent showings with Atletico Madrid convinced him the 35-year-old midfielder was the right choice. Tedesco also traveled to Spain to meet Witsel and discuss a comeback. There was no hard feelings, the coach said, and Witsel immediately agreed to return. “First of all, it’s about the quality,” Tedesco said. “There is no doubt he is a high-quality player. We need him, he is an experienced player, he can help the young players. Either if he is playing or not, we have a good feeling with him.”

Tedesco said Courtois was not ready for Euro 2024, which starts on June 14 in Germany, after recently returning from injury. The men have been at odds since a dispute last year, and Courtois announced in December he would miss the Euros. “Of course he knows his body the best,” Tedesco said.

Leverkusen trio in Czech Republic squad

Prague: A trio of Bayer Leverkusen players who won the Bundesliga and the German Cup unbeaten headline the Czech Republic squad for the European Championship. Forwards Patrik Schick and Adam Hložek and goalkeeper Matej Kovár were in the 26-man squad. AP

THREE PLAYERS QUIT ARGENTINA’S WOMEN’S TEAM AFTER PAY DISPUTE

Buenos Aires: Three players quit Argentina’s national women’s squad Monday after a dispute over a lack of pay and conditions at a camp ahead of two international friendlies, an unthinkable scenario for the country’s World Cup winning men’s squad. Goalkeeper Laurina Oliveiros, defender Julieta Cruz and midfielder Lorena Benítez, all regular starters for the national team, announced their move as the squad started fine-tuning for friendlies against Costa Rica.

MARTIAL CONFIRMS UNITED DEPARTURE

Manchester United forward Anthony Martial will leave the club when his contract expires at the end of June. The 28-year-old arrived at Old Trafford from AS Monaco in 2015 and has since scored 90 goals in 317 games for the Red Devils. The departure was expected, as he had had not been in the squad for months. AGENCIES

RONALDO SETS SAUDI PRO LEAGUE SCORING RECORD

Riyadh: Cristiano Ronaldo finished the Saudi Pro League by setting the season goal-scoring record on Monday. Ronaldo scored twice in Riyadh as Al-Nassr defeated AlIttihad 4-2 and lifted his league tally to 35, one more than the record in 2019 by Abderrazak Hamdallah. Ronaldo scored four hat tricks and collected one red card. He was also suspended. Al-Nassr meets Al-Hilal in the King’s Cup final on Friday. AP

MENDILIBAR, WHO LED SEVILLA TO EUROPA TITLE, HOPES TO CREATE OLYMPIACOS HISTORY

CONFERENCE LEAGUE

Athens: Olympiacos have a chance to become the first Greek club to win a European

trophy in Europa Conference League final today, but they face a Fiorentina side still smarting from defeat in the last final.

Jose Luis Mendilibar, who took charge of Olympiacos in Feb, is hoping he can repeat his achievements from last season when he became Sevilla manager late in the campaign and led them to Europa League victory. “The whole scenario is very similar,” Mendilibar said. “Sevilla were in a relegation battle, we weren’t here at Olympiacos, but expectations here are sky high. We couldn’t win the league but we could win in Europe.” REUTERS

SINGAPORE OPEN

Satwik-Chirag duo suffers shock loss in opening round

Manne.Ratnakar@timesgroup.com

Hyderabad:It was a bad day in office for Indian shuttlers as all of them who played on Tuesday including top seeds Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty lost their matches at the Singapore Open BWF Super-750 tournament. The world No.1 pair suffered a straight-game loss against the world No.34 Danish duo of Daniel Lundgaard and Mads Vestergaard 20-22, 18-21. Priyanshu Rajawat, Aakarshi Kashyap, Ashith Surya-Amrutha Pramuthesh and Rutaparna Panda and Swetaparna Panda were knocked out of the tournament.

PV Sindhu, HS Prannoy, Lakshya Sen and others will play their first r ound matches on Wednesday. A week after winning the Thailand Open and reclaiming the world No.1 rank Satwik-Chirag suffered an unexpected loss against the little-known Danes. The Danish pair, playing the Indians for the first time, saved two game points before winning the first game. Trailing 18-20, they won the next four points. A poor service by Satwik allowed the Danish to save the first game point. The Danes made it 20-20 after Satwik erred n ear the n et. After a few exchanges Chirag's return crashed into the net giving the 21st point for the Danes before Lundgaard secured the winner with a wellexecuted smash.

It was a see-saw battle in the second game as well. Though they pushed on, the Indians found it difficult to gain the upper hand. From 16-17, Lundgaard and Vestergaard secured four straightpoints to move to 20-17.

At 17-16, Chirag made a service error. The Danes took the lead (18-17) after Satwik's return crashed into the net. Chirag committed a couple of unforced errors allowing the opponents to move to 20-17.

Indian results (Rd I): Men's singles: Priyanshu Rajawat lost to Lee Cheuk Yiu (Hkg) 21-23, 19-21. Men's doubles: Satwik/Chirag lost to Lundgaard/Vestergaard 20-22, 18-21. Women's singles: Aakarshi Kashyap lost to Pornpicha Choeikeewong (Tha) 19-21, 20-22. Women's doubles: Rutaparna/Swetaparna lost Chang Ching Hui/Yang Ching Tun (Tpe) 12-21, 21-12, 13-21. Mixed doubles: Lee Chun Hei Reginald/Ng Tsz Yau (Hkg) bt Ashith Surya/Amrutha Pramuthesh 21-8, 21-17.

A saree in Paris: Drape back as official attire

DRESSES TO HAVE IMPRESSION OF TRICOLOUR; BLUE BLAZER MISSING FROM ENSEMBLE

Sabi.Hussain@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: Traditional Indian saree will mark its return as the official ceremonial uniform for the country’s women athletes after a gap of eight years at the upcoming Paris Olympics, scheduled to be held from July 26 to August 11.

Last worn at the Rio Olympics in 2016 as a ceremonial attire, paired with uncoordinated blue blazers, the women athletes this time will don standalone pre-pleated ikat printed sarees. The traditional blue blazer with Indian Olympic Association’s (IOA) insignia will not be part of the dress. The saree will be paired with matching blouse pocket (which will have IOA’s insignia), the saffron colour blouse indicating strength and courage of the country. Ikat is a method of printing woven fabric by tiedyeing the warp yarns. The usage of saree as the ceremonial attire was discontinued ahead of the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast and Asian Games in Jakarta/Palembang.

At the Tokyo Games in 2021, the women were dressed in traditional golden salwar suits with jackets while men wore galabandhs (indigenous jackets with high collars). The men will turn out in the traditional kurta-pyjama in Paris, which will be paired with bandi jackets with the official insignia..

The designs were approved by the IOA on Tuesday after the government’s push to go traditional at the Games. India’s male athletes, on previous occasions, had either donned blazers or galabandhs over matching formal trousers, with head turbans. This has also been done away with for Paris. The male athletes will for the first time sport open bandi jackets with printed lower panels, cargo pockets and tape detail paired with kurta and trouser.

Both dresses will be of pure cotton fabric and with an ivory colour design, which will serve the dual purpose beyond mere aesthetics. Amidst the sweltering summer temperatures, the light hue of ivory will help to mitigate the heat, ensuring that our athletes remain cool and comfortable throughout the day.

The dresses will have the impression of tricolour, with the women athletes clubbing saffron colour blouses, while integrating green and orange ikat printed panels and tapes, symbolising the green and saffron bands of the national flag, respectively. The men will have tricolour printed on the tape and lower panels of their open bandi jacket.

According to the official partner for ceremonial attire, the incorporation of the tricolour representation from the Indian flag not only highlights national pride but also strengthens the connection between athletes and their cultural heritage. Additionally, buttonholes in blue further represent the Ashoka Chakra, a prominent feature of the flag. The idea was captured after observing the ceremonial attire of other participating nations which have uniforms corresponding to their flag colours.

(Left) The Indian women’s contingent wore sarees during the opening ceremony of the 2012 London. (Above) Approved sketch of the dresses Indian athletes will wear at Paris Olympics

Former Australia opener Joe Burns to represent Italy in tribute to late brother

Melbourne: Former Australia Test opener Joe Burns has switched allegiance to Italy in a bid to help the Europeans qualify for the 2026 T20 World Cup as a tribute to his late brother. Burns, who played 23 Tests from 2014-20, was left out of Queensland state’s contracts list for the coming domestic season in Australia and has been mourning his brother’s death in February.

Burns wrote about his grief in a social media post with a picture of a blue Italy shirt with the number 85 his brother wore at his amateur cricket club in Queensland.

“While a part of my soul feels like it will always be missing, I know this shirt will carry on his spirit and give me strength,” said Burns. “I often reflect on the bravery and commitment it must have taken my grandparents when they left Italy to start a new life in Australia.

“They found a way to make it work through adversity and this has always given me solace through life’s lessons.

“I’m so proud to represent Italy on our path to the 2026 World Cup.”

Italy, who have never played at a World Cup in any format, finished third in European qualifying to miss out on the coming T20 World Cup in the United States and the Caribbean.

Europe’s top two finishers Scotland and Ireland booked their places in the 20-team tournament, which starts on Saturday.

Italy will try again at a sub-regional tournament in Rome next month as part of the qualifying phase for the 2026 T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka. REUTERS

Kompany set to take charge of Bayern, says Rummenigge

Munich: Vincent Kompany has been chosen as next Bayern Munich coach but details on a contract still need to be ironed out, club supervisory board member Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said Tuesday.

According to German tabloid Bild and English newspaper The Guardian, the 38-year-old Belgian has reached an agreement in principle with Bayern despite overseeing Burnley’s relegation from the Premier League last term.

Rummenigge told Sky Italia there are just a few details to be resolved before Kompany can join.

“Our sports director has chosen Kompany, it’s not official yet,” the 68-year-old former striker told Sky. Rummenigge said Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola had helped them in their choice. “He gave us a big helping hand. He had him as captain at City and he also followed him when he was at Burnley,” Rummenigge said.

AFP

Rejuvenated Rybakina looking to go all the way

Prajwal.Hegde@timesgroup.com

Paris: Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina, the second and fourth seeds in the Roland Garros women’s draw, took early steps towards a high-octane semifinal meeting.

On a wet, miserable Tuesday in Paris, the Belarusian and Kazakh made strong opening statements.

Sabalenka, sporting a terre battue inspired ‘rust factor’ orange dress with a high neckline and cutout back, beat Erika Andreeva 6-1, 6-2 while Rybakina, playing in Paris-motivated sand shades, recovered from a hesitant start to put out Belgium’s Greet Minnen 6-2, 6-3.

Rybakina, the former Wimbledon champion, was playing her first match in over three weeks since her Madrid semifinal loss to Sabalenka. The fourth seed, who was unable to defend her Italian Open title earlier in the month due to illness, had in March pulled out of Indian Wells for similar reasons.

Rybakina’s serve and sharp shotmaking have helped her claim three titles in 2024, but it is her most recent triumph, at Stuttgart, that she takes into the clay court major. The Moscow-born Kazakh, who has a clay court win-loss record of 8-1 this year, has split meetings (1-1) with Sabalenka this season.

“The goal is for me to win titles. That’s what I want. That’s what I’m aiming for,” Rybakina said.

ARYNA SABALENKA

Delhi Times

- You can fake it as an actor. You can’t fake it as a filmmaker: Vishal Bhardwaj

- Cinema Lovers’ Day set to return on May 31

- I GOT LUCKY WORKING WITH RM IN THE MUSIC VIDEO: TAZ SINGH

- Nadal’s ﬁnal goodbye? Maybe not

- 70% presumption: Celeb lives aren’t devious soap scripts

- SOME FAMILIAR RAFA FANS

- A THREE-DAY FASHION FEST IN DELHI

- DID YOU KNOW?

- ‘Tension’s been brewing in Hardik and Natasa’s marriage for 6 months’

- ‘As a ﬁlmmaker, you must follow your heart and be honest with your feelings’

- RM is really cool as a person: Taz Singh

You can fake it as an actor. You can’t fake it as a filmmaker: Vishal Bhardwaj

Vishal Bhardwaj, Vikramaditya Motwane and Rohan Sippy talk about the changing landscape of Indian cinema and how filmmakers are dealing with it

There are no set rules. Shoot 100 bad shorts until you make that one great short film. That’s what I did. I was lucky to get a video camera for my wedding when I couldn’t afford one. I used that to shoot everything, be it a friend’s wedding or car racing. Read a lot and explore life, as that shapes you into a good filmmaker – Vikramaditya Motwane

Forty years ago, Francis Ford Coppola said, ‘People who normally wouldn’t make movies are going to be making them and for once, this whole professionalism about movies will be destroyed and it will become an art form’. That’s the beauty of digital technology. It makes filmmaking handy. How people consume it is up to them – Rohan Sippy

Renuka Vyavahare

Cinema is often considered a medium of change and diverse new voices only contribute to elevating the artform. As part of MAMI’s (Mumbai Film Festival) initiative, five emerging filmmakers, Archana Atul Phadke, Faraz Ali, Prateek Vats, Saumyananda Sahi, and Saurav Rai, were mentored by established filmmakers Vishal Bhardwaj, Vikramaditya Motwane and Rohan Sippy to help them redefine cinematic norms. In an exclusive conversation with us, the trio addressed issues like stifling creative freedom, censorship, corporate interference and more. Excerpts…

CONTINUED ON 4

‘Cinema needs new voices’

There has been a generational shift, believe the filmmakers. Vishal says, “Cinema ko hamesha se hi new voices ki zaroorat hai. Every ten years ek nayi soch aa jaati hai and if we can give them a platform, why not?” Vikram pointed out, “The kind of realism the new generation is bringing to storytelling and performances is admirable.” Rohan adds, “The whole landscape is so different today. I remember we didn’t have multiplexes back then, and Nagesh Kukunoor’s Hyderabad Blues (1998) turned out to be a gamechanger. It created new ways of thinking.”

#CinemaLoversDay

Cinema Lovers’ Day set to return on May 31

Tickets for all films currently running in cinemas will be available at `99 on May 31. We’re celebrating this day to express our gratitude to moviegoers Kamal Gianchandani, President, MAI

Niharika Lal

After the cancellation of Cinema Lovers’ Day due to the ongoing elections, cinemas across the country and the Multiplex Association of India (MAI) have now decided to bring back Cinema Lovers’ Day on May 31. MAI said in a statement, “Building on the success of the last event, Cinema Lovers’ Day this May will unfold across more than 4000 participating screens, including cinemas like PVRINOX, Cinepolis, Miraj, Wave, Delite and many others.”

MAI officials said the initiative is “a heartfelt thank you to moviegoers” who contributed to the success of multiple films at the box office in 2023 and this year.

I GOT LUCKY WORKING WITH RM IN THE MUSIC VIDEO: TAZ SINGH

The much-talked-about ‘Indian-origin guy’ from BTS singer RM’s music video reveals how he landed the role

P4

Taz Singh; (left) RM

Nadal’s final goodbye? Maybe not

I don’t know if it’s going to be the last time that I’m going to be here in front of all of you. I am not 100% sure, but if it’s the last time, I enjoyed it... It’s so special to feel the love of the people the way that I felt in the place that I love the most – Rafael Nadal

“We had something planned for him. But ... because he doesn’t know if it’s going to be his last Roland Garros or not, he wants to leave the door open,” shared French Open director Amelie Mauresmo on a planned farewell for Nadal

Chants of ‘Rafa, Rafa’ echoed under the roof of Court Philippe Chatrier at Roland-Garros as Rafael Nadal took on Alexander Zverev in the first round of the French Open. Rafa’s quest ended in the first round, but love poured from across the world for the former World No 1. While there were talks of this being Nadal’s last French Open as a player, he has left the possibility of a return open.

POV

70% presumption: Celeb lives aren’t devious soap scripts

It the first hint of a rift at home, the knives are well and truly out for Natasa Stankovic, cricketer Hardik Pandya’s wife. The model-actress, who has been married to Hardik for four years and is the mother to their child Agastya, hit the headlines this week when online rumours gathered steam that their marriage was on the rocks and Natasa had demanded 70% of Hardik’s property as divorce settlement. This was enough for the troll universe to go into overdrive, as comments calling her a gold-digger looking to make a fortune off her husband’s hard-earned money crowded her social media feed.

The thing to note here is that neither Natasa nor Hardik have said anything publicly about their marriage to legitimise the rumours. All we know is this: Natasa has reportedly dropped the Pandya surname from her social media accounts and has put out a cryptic Instagram story with the caption, ‘Someone is about get on the streets’ – which the trolls have construed as evidence of a breakup. But none of these reactions are surprising. Malaika Arora, Sussanne Khan, Kusha Kapila – the number of women who have had to bear the brunt of online abuse for a separation or a divorce is shamefully long and follows the predictable trope of blaming the woman for the couple’s real and imagined differences.

Our knee-jerk reaction in scapegoating the woman for a failing marriage smacks of generations of conditioning. In Natasa’s case, there are also the assumptions that it may have been a marriage of convenience and the cricketer’s poor form may have something to do with the so-called rift.

No matter how accomplished and independent the woman, to assume that she either is the homemaker or the wrecker, and must be blamed if anything goes wrong, says more about us than about the relationship.

A divorce almost always comes with pain and heartbreak, and the reasons that led to it are best known to the couple. If Natasa and Hardik are indeed going through a rough patch, they have every reason to demand that they be left alone. Speculating on a relationship supposedly on the brink of collapse is none of our business. Besides, painting the woman as the villain of the piece is just a lingering after-effect of a surfeit of daily soaps. Let’s snap out of it.

Agree? Disagree? Got a POV idea? Write to us at: pov@timesgroup.com

SOME FAMILIAR RAFA FANS

While Rafa fans didn’t get the result they hoped for, they couldn’t help but show up to cheer for the King of Clay. Fans, including tennis aces Novak Djokovic, WTA World No 1 Iga Swiatek, and Carlos Alcaraz, flocked to the Spaniard’s first match in Paris

A THREE-DAY FASHION FEST IN DELHI

Delhi Times Fashion Week (DTFW), presented by KRasa Group and powered by Prius Communications, is all set to kick off today with a three-day fashion extravaganza. Day one will feature a diverse lineup of designers, creative directors, models, and influencers. Among those presenting their collections on the first day are Zillinie by Ahmed Ali, Allie Sharma, Miss and Mrs Red Carpet Crown of India by Mayuri Mittal, Shahid Afridi, Mohd Danish, Zarana by Sana Khan x Tiraa by Tibarumal Jewels, Diadem X NSAM Academy, Sumit Das Gupta X Universal India Awards, Sakshi Bindra, Md Alimuddin X Daya Oinam, and Rabani and Rakha.

Allie Sharma, one of the designers presenting her collection this year, showcased her designs at DTFW 2023 as well

Urmimala Boruah, founder and CEO of UMB Elegant Monarch, says, “We promote collaboration over competition and aim to create a closeknit circle of ambitious women from diverse backgrounds”

Designers Gautam Rakha, Shibani Rastogi and Rahul Rastogi say, “Our collection exudes elegance and sophistication and the ensembles have intricate hand embroideries in tonal hues. Different variation of capes and asymmetrical silhouettes are the main highlight of the collection”

Arvind Singh, MD & Kajal Singh, Joint MD, KRasa Group, say, “We have transformed the landscape of NCR, creating commercial landmarks. Through strategic investments and bold designs, we have turned a dream into reality”

Baldev Raj, founder, Prius Communications, says, “Powered by Prius Brand and Partners, DTFW 2024 is all set to create a big buzz in the fashion world”

Upasana Arora, CEO and Managing Director, Yashoda Super Speciality Hospitals, Kaushambi, the Health Care Partner says, “We are very excited to partner with DTFW this year as it’s sizzling blend of fashion and health”

Prof (Dr) Pradeep Joshi, Amity University, says, “Amity School of Fashion Technology endeavours to provide trained and skilled design professionals to lead fashion industry”

Steve Verma, Director, Wild Vitamin Drink, says, “DTFW is all about elegance and we enjoy it. We look for the same elegance in our drinks”

Avneet Singh, founder & CEO, Medusa Beverages, says, “Delve into the world of fashion with a brew of style and sophistication at DTFW”>>

Designer Prashant Majumdar, “In my designs, one can see all the flavour of Banarasi organza and Mughal Rajbala” >>

Nidhi Bhakhri and Sushil Kumar, Directors, IIFT, say, “IIFT North Delhi campus is overwhelmed to associate with DTFW again. Our students are set to present designs that endorse sustainability”

Jayam Gupta, COO, UJVA Wines, says, “Our brand comprises of the initials of three founders – J,V and A – and U stands for “you”, our audience”

Ambuj Agarwal, CEO, UJVA Wines, says, “Ujva has come to be one of the fastest growing brands in the country”

Vipul Chaturvedi, CEO, Lakmé Lever, says, “This is an exciting opportunity for us to set runway trends & redefine beauty standards”

Presenting Sponsor: KRasa; Powered By Sponsor: Prius Communications; Fitness Partner: Anytime Fitness; Luxury Auto Partner: Scandia Volvo; Healthcare Partner: Yashoda Super Speciality Hospitals, Kaushambi; Education Partner: JCC – JIMS; Hair & Makeup Partner: Lakmé Salon; Flavoured Water Partner: Wild Vitamin Drink; Celebration Partner: Medusa; Pouring Partner: Paul John; Hospitality Partner: The Grand, New Delhi; Luxury Printing Partner: Indicolour Prints; Decanting Partner: Ujva Wines; Safety Couture Partner: Enbio; Talent partner: PFF; Catering Partner: Rawat Hospitality Services Pvt Ltd; Camera & Film Partner: God Bless Films

To stay updated with the latest in fashion follow us on #DelhiTimesFashionWeek; Facebook.com/TimesFashionWeek; Instagram @timesfashionweek; Twitter @timesfashionwk

DID YOU KNOW?

Rebecca Romĳn’s Mystique look took nine hours

Rebecca Romijn’s makeup as Mystique (in the X-Men franchise) consisted of 110 custom-designed prosthetic pieces, which covered 60% of her body. Rebecca had to spend up to nine hours in the makeup chair daily.

‘Tension’s been brewing in Hardik and Natasa’s marriage for 6 months’

The couple is likely to head for a separation. However, the stories around the alimony percentage are speculative and exaggerated. Also, news about this being a PR campaign is untrue – A source

Hardik Pandya and Natasa Stankovic

In the past few days, there has been a lot of chatter around trouble in cricketer Hardik Pandya and model-actress Natasa Stankovic’s marriage. Rumours of an alleged split started doing the rounds after netizens noticed that Natasa had dropped the name Pandya from her Instagram handle. It was observed that she even deleted a few pictures with Hardik and mostly retained the ones with their son Agastya in the frame. This stirred up a storm and gave rise to a few conspiracy theories, too. Some trolled Natasha and labelled her an opportunist, while others wondered if this was a PR campaign to generate sympathy for Hardik. The cricketer’s re-entry into the Mumbai Indians squad as the skipper, replacing Rohit Sharma, got him a lot of criticism in the recently concluded IPL.

The couple has been tight-lipped about the rumours around their marriage. However, a source told us, “Tension has been brewing in their marriage for the past six months. The couple is likely to head for a separation. However, the stories around the alimony percentage are speculative and exaggerated. Also, news about this being a PR campaign is untrue.” We reached out to both Hardik and Natasa, but they did not respond till the time of going to press.

— Renuka Vyavahare

‘As a filmmaker, you must follow your heart and be honest with your feelings’

Nolan can afford to have Imax cameras. Yahan pe, you can’t afford to ask for extra film from the producer. Kaha se milega? Digital is cost-effective and easier to work on. I’d love to shoot something on film if it makes sense financially. I don’t see anything wrong with the digital format – Vikramaditya Motwane on the debate around digital mode of filmmaking against traditional approaches

Vikramaditya Motwane

CONTINUED FROM 1

‘PRIVATE SECTOR CENSORSHIP HAS BECOME MORE DRASTIC THAN CBFC’

About corporate interference and self-censorship, Vishal said, “Do you know what has happened? As filmmakers, we are selfcensoring ourselves. Whenever a thought arises, you first wonder what the money men will think. Will they finance us to get this idea across? This is what the system wanted. Before going to CBFC, we self-censor.”

Agreeing to this,Vikramaditya said, “You start second-guessing everything, and that’s bad. In a way, lawyers run the studios.” Rohan added, “It happens at a corporate level. You are not independently distributing anymore, so you are always dealing with large companies that are sensitive to anything that is deemed controversial. Private sector censorship has become more drastic than the CBFC. You don’t know what lies ahead, so you feel it’s safer to not go down that path.

‘IN FILMMAKING, THE FILMMAKER BECOMES NAKED ON SCREEN, ACTORS HIDE BEHIND THEIR CHARACTERS’

The mentors ranked honesty high as a trait for filmmaking. “As a filmmaker, you must follow your heart and be completely honest with your feelings. In the process of filmmaking, the filmmaker becomes naked on screen, while actors can hide behind their characters. Be it his political views or world views, you can see through the filmmaker. It is he who is seen. You can fake it as an actor. You cannot fake it as a filmmaker. Parda faash ho jata hai”, said Vishal. Countering that thought, Rohan said, “It’s also okay to do the opposite of what Vishal said. Author Hunter S Thompson modelled himself on Ernest Hemingway early in his career. In the beginning, it’s okay to look at others’ work and figure out what you want to do, but don’t delay that start.”

‘You can’t fight technology’

Christopher Nolan has been a champion of traditional techniques known for shooting on film. However, not everyone gets the budget he does, believes Vishal. “We can’t fight technology. When the sound became digital, we used to say the warmth of tape is not there. I don’t think that’s the case at all. Likewise, smartphones have revolutionised filmmaking. I shot a short film Fursat on a smartphone, and I was happy. Steven Soderbergh has shot entire feature films like Unsane and High Flying Bird on a smartphone and he did it years ago. Nolan gets

such huge budgets, so he can afford to say anything (smiles).”

Bhardwaj shot his film Fursat on a smartphone

Rohan Sippy

RM is really cool as a person: Taz Singh

Taz Singh, the Indian-origin actor, who recently featured in BTS’s RM’s recent music video for the song Lost, talks about how he landed the role in the music video

I used to jokingly tell my friends that as an actor, I would try to do something for Korean entertainment. That was 10 years ago, so this meant a lot to me when it happened

Taz Singh with BTS’s RM’s in a still from the music video of the song Lost

Riya Sharma

Ever since Kim Namjoon aka RM from BTS released the official MV of Lost, Indian BTS ARMY have been talking about the Indian-origin guy spotted in the video. At the beginning of the video and towards the end, we see Tarsvinder Singh Sihra aka Taz Singh, as one of the hosts. Taz, the UK talent of Indian-origin, who is currently filming for a project in Japan, tells us that this has been one of his favourite projects so far. “My family is really hyped about it, I think I got lucky. I auditioned for it last year in September. There was an audition for a K-Pop music artiste and at that point, we didn’t know who it was. So I gave the audition and then I had to do another take, and they liked that. When I was auditioning, we didn’t know about it and it was kept confidential but when I got it, I was really hyped. It was crazy, I was like, ‘Really?’ We had to keep a lot of things confidential at that point. But it is my favourite project so far, I really enjoyed it,” says Taz.

The actor shares that he has also been a fan of BTS. “I listen to Korean music and I also speak a bit of Korean. When I got the chance to meet RM, it was a big moment for me,” he adds.

Talking about working with RM in the music video, Taz shares that he feels blessed to have worked with him. “RM is really cool as a person, he is all about the vibe, he is genuine, I had such a great time with him and his team,” he shares.

The Indian BTS ARMY has been talking about Taz ever since the video came out. Taz says, “It has been so encouraging, warm and nice, it makes me really proud. It has been absolutely amazing. It’s been only a few days so I am getting used to it,” shares the actor, who is filming for a project in Japan. “This is a big project here in Japan with an amazing cast and really cool people. I also have some Bollywood auditions but it all depends on my schedule and what comes my way,” he adds.

Table of Contents

TOI Print Edition May 29, 2024

Front Page

NCW: Probe misconduct by Punjab minister

RIL readies quick commerce launch

Oly: Saree back as ceremonial attire

Hosp forensic head behind sample-fixing

Doc, 2 kin killed as car falls into gorge

Adani eyes foray into fintech, in talks with Paytm

Cyclone Remal strikes NE states, 33 killed

At 49.9°C, city records its highest temp ever

ED claims chats between Kejriwal & accused linked to hawala operators

Story of Delhi’s fires: Trial slow, all accused out on bail

India, France to talk on `50k cr marine Rafales

HC acquits Ram Rahim in murder of ex-manager

Times Nation

UN’s gender advocate of the year award for Maj Radhika Sen

Remal’s wake leaves 33 dead, many missing in N-E; WB toll 9

Will sacrifice personal ties for people’s welfare: PM

2 colleagues get life term for Mumbai salon exec’s murder

Sassoon forensics HoD suggested swapping blood samples: Pune CP

Legislator’s son was in Porsche when it crashed: Maha Cong prez

Panel set up to probe if JJB followed judicial process in granting bail to Porsche teen

After Rajkot inferno, all 101 gaming zones in Guj shut

Petrol and gas cylinders in game zone fuelled tragedy, say police

Contract talks on Rafale buy for Navy to kick off this week

Busy diplomatic schedule awaits new govt

All your jobs are coming to us, Kharge tells Shah

B’desh MP case: 4kg of flesh found in septic tank of complex

Woman undergoes op & loses 35kg to donate part of liver

Verdict points to several lapses in probe

Main accused in Patna student’s murder held, hunt on for accomplices

Abducted & abandoned in childhood, man reunited with mom after 22 yrs

K’taka man beheads wife after fight, held

Named by minor in ‘dying declaration’, man gets life term in rape-murder case

New IndiGo option to aid women pick seats

SIT arrests 2 for leaking Prajwal sex videos

4 dead, 32 hospitalised after food poisoning in Udaipur

Pune man drowns at Ratnagiri beach

China ‘allegedly’ invaded in 1962, says Aiyar, apologises after row

Punjab mantri’s ‘sleazy’ clip surfaces, NCW seeks probe

Trekker dies of heart attack in Uttarkashi:

Churu in Raj sizzles at 50.5°C, 3 deaths reported in Jaipur

8 held as Hyd cops bust child trafficking racket, rescue 11

Times City

Summer leaves this consumer forum in city dysfunctional

Water In Taps Once A Day In Several Areas

Blame it on ‘west’: As city flirts with 50°C, don’t expect too much of a respite today

Still No Clarity On What Caused Hosp Fire

Karol Bagh to Mundka, a common thread — no end to wait for justice

Stricter fire norms for nursing homes: Matter pending before HC since 2022

ACB to probe registration of all pvt nursing homes in capital: LG

LG does not take action against guilty officials, claims Bharadwaj

What Drives Poor Patients Into Jaws Of Death

Audi involved in Noida hit & run found at NBCC parking

A third of nursing homes in capital are running without registration

When firefighters saved 19 babies in nick of time

2 injured as DTC buses collide in Nauroji Ngr

Dumper truck mows down 29-yr-old in Dwarka

Blaze at eye hospital in west Delhi causes panic

Nearly 100-year journey from palace to seat of justice

‘Defamation’: Atishi Summoned By Court

Atishi is next in line to be arrested, claims Kejriwal

CJI to decide listing of Kejriwal’s plea for extension of interim bail

Court to decide on taking note of supplementary chargesheet against CM & AAP on June 4

All tests Kejriwal needs can be done in a day: BJP

DU Launches Single Girl Child Quota Across UG Programmes

Assaulted by bouncers in club: Woman

Cops present ‘digital evidence’ in additional Shraddha chargesheet

Sarita Vihar flyover repair may start soon

‘Bomb@5.30’ note in IndiGo aircraft causes chaos, turns out to be hoax

3 days to cops for Bibhav’s interrogation

Delhi court rejects Khalid bail plea in 2020 riots case

Gang that duped people by staging arrest busted

NCRTC plans to plant over 25 lakh trees along RRTS corridor

Chief secy gets extension, NDMC chairman shifted

HC seeks ED’s reply to Jain’s default bail plea in laundering case

Dance Of Democracy

25 yrs after death, Rai still sets the bar for Ghosi

Battle Royale? Mandi’s ‘King’ & ‘Queen’ Spar For Supremacy With Jibes & Insults

Drugs, joblessness and crime: Can ballot bail out Ferozepur?

Why Jharkhand may hold key to nat’l tribal politics

For 2 yrs, no relief for farmers in ‘sandwich zone’

After end of campaign, Modi to meditate in Kanyakumari

Naveen should’ve fought from TN, will be ex-CM on 4th: Shah

‘Modi’s gone now, oppn bloc will win’: Lalu’s salvo from Misa seat

After Phase 5, women surpass men in turnout in Phase 6 too

Times Ascent

How You Can Upskill To Thrive In A Dynamic Job Market

Times Business

Adani Ent gets nod for `16,600cr share sale

HDFC to stop SMS alerts for UPI payments below `100

Adani in talks with Sharma to acquire stake in Paytm

SBI staff to not hold demat a/c outside group

Govt holds talks to set SoPs for FTAs

Hindalco’s unit Novelis seeks $945mn in US IPO

Avendus to raise $350mn for late-stage investments

Salesforce India ups hiring for new AI roles

RIL gears up to enter quick commerce space

RBI launches G-Secs app to woo retail investors

Wipro, IISc partner for AI health tech

Sensex falls for 3rd day ahead of poll results

TCS, IIT-B team up for chip imaging tool

Editorial

Sugar & Vice

Elderly Gaps

Dalal St dilemma

The Subtle Expansion Of Microcosm

‘BJP parliamentary board has only one woman…33% reservation may make more progress in states than Centre’

4 Ideas Have Won The Election

CONTRAPUNTO

Sacred space

Times Techies

WILL THE NEXT SATYA NADELLA SIT OUT OF INDIA?

Leaders in over 100 GCCs get $1mn+ compensation

Hyderabad gains the most in past 5 years

CAN YOU USE AI TO UNLEASH YOUR CREATIVITY?

Times Global

Hush money: Trump lawyer casts him a victim of blackmail as trial nears end

Israel presses on with its Rafah offensive, tanks in heart of city

India announces $1 million aid for landslide-hit PNG

HK arrests six for sedition under new security law

AROUND THE WORLD

‘Climate change added a month’s worth of extra-hot days last year’

Pope issues rare apology over reported homophobic slur

Among Nato countries, calls mount to let Ukraine strike Russia with Western arms

Nawaz Sharif is re-elected PML-N chief

Japanese city recognises gay couple in rare step

Why two old `10 notes could sell for `2.7 lakh each today

Times Sport

OTHER WORLD CUP CONTENDERS: DAD’S ARMIES OR SPECIALISTS?

Why experience and pedigree have scored over IPL form

GALLERY

ICC grants List A status to Major League Cricket in United States

T20 WC: India the strongest side even with injuries, says Morgan

‘Dream come true’ as Uganda prepare for their first cricket World Cup

Nadal saga yet to enter last chapter

Nagal chasing Oly berth

Fit-again Courtois not in Belgium’s Euro squad

THREE PLAYERS QUIT ARGENTINA’S WOMEN’S TEAM AFTER PAY DISPUTE

MARTIAL CONFIRMS UNITED DEPARTURE

RONALDO SETS SAUDI PRO LEAGUE SCORING RECORD

MENDILIBAR, WHO LED SEVILLA TO EUROPA TITLE, HOPES TO CREATE OLYMPIACOS HISTORY

Satwik-Chirag duo suffers shock loss in opening round

A saree in Paris: Drape back as official attire

Former Australia opener Joe Burns to represent Italy in tribute to late brother

Kompany set to take charge of Bayern, says Rummenigge

Rejuvenated Rybakina looking to go all the way

Delhi Times

You can fake it as an actor. You can’t fake it as a filmmaker: Vishal Bhardwaj

Cinema Lovers’ Day set to return on May 31

I GOT LUCKY WORKING WITH RM IN THE MUSIC VIDEO: TAZ SINGH

Nadal’s ﬁnal goodbye? Maybe not

70% presumption: Celeb lives aren’t devious soap scripts

SOME FAMILIAR RAFA FANS

A THREE-DAY FASHION FEST IN DELHI

DID YOU KNOW?

‘Tension’s been brewing in Hardik and Natasa’s marriage for 6 months’

‘As a ﬁlmmaker, you must follow your heart and be honest with your feelings’

RM is really cool as a person: Taz Singh