cmyk
me/njm_epapers
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Sonia Gandhi
admitted to hospital
for check up
New Delhi: Congress presi-
dent Sonia Gandhi was on
Sunday admitted to the Sir
Ganga Ram Hospital here
for check up after she com-
plained of stomachache,
sources said. Soina will
undergo some tests at the
hospital where she was
admitted earlier on Sunday,
they said. She is reportedly
suffering a stomach ache, a
source close to Gandhi said.
Sources said that her son
Rahul Gandhi and daughter
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra are
with her at the hospital. The
Congress chief did not
attend the Union budget
presentation in Parliament
on Saturday.
A day after firing,
security beefed up
in Shaheen Bagh
New Delhi: Security has
been beefed up in Delhi's
Shaheen Bagh, the epicentre
of anti-CAA protest in the
national capital, a day after a
man fired two rounds in the
air near the venue.
Two layers of barricades
have been put up at a dis-
tance of 100 metres each
and have been placed on
both sides of the road lead-
ing towards the protest
venue, a senior police official
said. On Saturday, a 25-year-
old man fired two rounds in
the air at Shaheen Bagh and
was later taken into custody.
Twenty killed in
Tanzanian church
stampede: Official
Dar Es Salaam: Twenty
people in Tanzania were
trampled to death at an
open-air evangelical
Christian church service in
the north of the country,
officials said on Sunday.
Kippi Warioba, district
Commissioner in the
northern town of Moshi,
said he feared the number
of dead could still rise
from the accident which
took place on Saturday.
“So far, 20 people have
died, but the death toll
could increase as there
were also wounded,”
Warioba told AFP.
TNPSC scam:
CB-CID takes woman
staffer into custody
Erode: In a shocking devel-
opment that sent ripples
across Erode district, a
woman junior assistant
trainee, hailing from
Villupuram district, has
been reportedly taken into
custody by the CB-CID
police on Sunday in con-
nection with the alleged
Tamil Nadu Public Services
Commission (TNPSC)
recruitment scam in
Group-1V services.
■ P4
COUNTER POINT
https://t.
Kamal should read budget text
before commenting: Min
deccanchronicle.com, facebook.com/deccannews, twitter.com/deccanchronicle, google.com/+deccanchronicle
NRI tax not to apply
on bona fide workers
in Middle East
New Delhi, Feb. 2: The
government on Sunday
clarified that the propose
d tax on NRIs will not
apply on bona fide Indians
working in tax-free for-
eign countries and is
intended to tax only those
seeking to escape tax by
exploiting their non-resi-
dent status.
Finance minister
Nirmala Sitharaman in
her Budget for 2020-21 had
proposed to tax Non-resi-
dent Indians (NRIs) who
do not pay taxes in any for-
eign country.
This provision raised anx-
iety in minds of those
working in the Gulf region
where countries don't tax
income earned by individ-
uals.
First Nirmala clarified
that only Indian income of
NRIs is proposed to be
taxed under the new pro-
vision, and later the tax
department issued a state-
ment to say that “the new
provision is not intended
to include in tax net those
Indian citizens who are
bona fide workers in other
countries”. The Union
Budget for 2020-21 present-
ed on Saturday had tight-
ened the screws on those
seeking to escape tax by
exploiting their non-resi-
dent status.
While earlier it was possi-
ble to be classified as a
non-resident by staying
out of the country for 183
days or about six months
in a year, this has now
been, in effect, enhanced
to 245 days.
In an interview to PTI,
revenue aecretary Ajay
Bhushan Pandey said the
new rule was “an anti-
abuse provision planned
to plug loopholes in the
system and not intended
to tax income earned by
those working overseas”.
■ P11
NIRBHAYA CASE
Convicts not
entitled to more
time: Centre
New Delhi, Feb. 2: The
Centre on Sunday told the
Delhi High Court that the
four death row convicts
in Nirbhaya case are “not
entitled” to any more
time, as it cited the 2019
gangrape and murder of a
Hyderabad vet in which
the four accused were
killed by police in an
alleged encounter and
asserted that the credibil-
ity of the judiciary and its
own power to execute
death sentence are at
stake. Solicitor General
Tushar Mehta, represent-
ing the Centre and Delhi
government which have
sought setting aside of a
trial court order staying
the execution of convicts
in 2012 Nirbhaya gan-
grape-murder case, said
that there is a deliberate,
calculated and well
thought of design to “frus-
trate mandate of law” by
the convicts who were
“trying the patience of the
nation”. — PTI
HC: Order CBCID probe into smuggling of 3 kg gold jewels
J. STALIN | DC
CHENNAI, FEB. 2
The Madras high court
has directed the state gov-
ernment to order a CBCID
probe into the incident
allegedly involving smug-
gling of three kg of gold
jewels that culminated in
the punitive transfer of an
Assistant Commissioner of
Police.
A division bench com-
prising Justices N.Kiru-
bakaran and S.S.Sundar
gave the directive while
allowing an appeal from
G.Chakkaravarthy, an
Assistant Commissioner of
Police and quashing his
THE LARGEST CIRCULATED ENGLISH DAILY IN SOUTH INDIA
POLITICS| 4
■ Second coronavirus case in India ■ 323 more Indians evacuated by air
No e-visa for travellers from China
SRIDHAR
KUMARASWAMI | DC
NEW DELHI, FEB. 2
With a second person
having a “travel history
from China” testing posi-
tive for the coronavirus
in Kerala, India — in a
major step aimed at pre-
venting the spread of the
deadly virus in the coun-
try from visiting Chi-
nese or any other foreign
nationals from China —
on Sunday “temporarily
suspended” travel on e-
visas with immediate
effect from China, making
it clear that only those
with a “compelling rea-
son” to visit India may
apply from the Indian
missions in Beijing,
Shanghai or Guangzhou.
In other developments,
323 Indians were evacuat-
ed by Air India in the sec-
ond evacuation flight
from Wuhan along with
seven Maldivian nation-
als on Sunday.
The health ministry
said: “The second positive
case of a novel coron-
avirus patient has been
reported in Kerala. The
patient has a travel histo-
ry from China. The
patient has tested posi-
tive for novel coronavirus
and is in isolation in the
hospital. The patient is
stable and is being closely
monitored.”
It is understood that by
suspending travel on e-
visas from China, the
Indian government will
now have the discretion
of deciding whom to grant
visas to, as there will be a
manual interface now at
an Indian diplomatic mis-
sion if a foreign applicant
from China wants to
apply for a visa to visit
India.
In the case of e-visas
granted online, such an
exercise of discretion
would not have been pos-
sible which is why the
Indian government took
this decision, observers
EIGHTH OZ OPEN WIN
Serbia’s Novak Djokovic celebrates after defeating
Austria’s Dominic Thiem in the final of the Australian
Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, on
Sunday. Djokovic bt Thiem 6-4, 4-6, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4. — AP
Make police dept
accountable: Bench
“The unauthorised
smuggling of gold jewels
by an individual on
behalf of some other per-
son gives an indication
that the persons on
whose behalf the jewels
were smuggled are more
powerful and influential.
transfer order.
According to the appel-
lant while he was working
CHENNAI I MONDAY 3 I FEBRUARY 2020
● “The positive
case of a novel
coronavirus patient
has been reported
in Kerala.
The patient has a
travel history from
China. The patient
has tested positive
for novel coron-
avirus and is in
isolation in the
hospital. The
patient is stable
and is being
closely monitored”
— HEALTH
MINISTRY
point out.
“Due to certain current
developments, travel to
India on e-visas stands
temporarily suspended
with immediate effect.
This applies to holders
of Chinese passports and
applicants of other
nationalities residing in
the People’s Republic
of China. Holders of
already issued e-visas
may note that these are
no longer valid. All those
who have a compelling
reason to visit India may
contact the Indian
embassy in Beijing or
Indian consulates in
Shanghai or Guangzhou,
and the Indian Visa
Application Centres in
these cities,” the Indian
embassy in Beijing tweet-
ed.
External affairs minis-
ter S. Jaishankar tweeted:
“Seven Maldivians
brought back with 323
Indians from Wuhan on
the second Air India
flight today.
#NeighbourhoodFirst at
work again.” India now
has very close ties with
the Maldives, which is
now led by President
Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.
■ Report on P16
An independent enquiry
is required in this case
to bring out truth at
least in public interest to
make the police depart-
ment more accountable
and reliable”, the bench
said and gave the direc-
tive.
as Assistant Comm-
issioner of Police,
Palayamkottai, Tirunel-
SPORT | 14
India complete 5-0
whitewash over Kiwis
Indian nationals after they were brought by an Air India aircraft from China’s coron-
avirus-hit city of Wuhan, stand in a queue at a quarantine facility set up by ITBP, at
Chhawla area in New Delhi, on Sunday. India airlifted second batch of Indians on
Sunday from Wuhan, as the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the deadly
coronavirus a global health emergency.
Madurai air passenger from Chinese tourist
S’pore isolated in Tiruchy hospitalised on
virus suspicion
R. VALAYAPATHY | DC
TIRUCHY, FEB. 2
An air passenger, who
arrived at the International
airport here from
Singapore with symptoms
of Coronavirus attack, was
placed under vigil at the
isolated ward at Mahatma
Gandhi memorial Gover-
nment hospital (MGMGH)
here in the wee hours of
Sunday.
Dr K. Vanitha, dean of the
Dr K A P Viswanatham
Government medical col-
lege hospital and
Subramnai, deputy director
of Public Health told news-
men that the passenger D.
Arun of Kottaampatti in
Madurai district landed
here from Singapore by
Scoot Airlines.
The medical team func-
tioning on round-the-clock
‘Expelled’ AIADMK MP
Sasikala Pushpa joins BJP
J. V. SIVA PRASANNA
KUMAR | DC
CHENNAI, FEB. 2:
Rajya Sabha MP Sasikala
Pushpa, ‘expelled’ from
the AIADMK in 2016,
joined the BJP in the pres-
ence of the party’s nation-
al general secretary, P.
Muralidhar Rao, and for-
mer Union minister Pon
Radhakrishnan, at the
national capital on
Sunday.
Though her term as MP
comes to an end in April,
the attempt to rope her
into the saffron party is
seen as an effort by the
BJP to rework its strategy
to project a popular
woman leader from the
southern district. The
party had kept her joining
plans under wraps and
shifted the venue to the
veli, he received a call
from a person claiming to
be the Inspector General of
Police, South region, and
informed him
M.Sheik Meeran would
approach him to give a
that
complaint which should be
proceeded with by the
appellant. Accordingly, on
December 30, 2018, Shiek
Meeran gave a complaint
alleging that he advanced
a loan of `5 lakh to
Rathinakumar and also 25
sovereigns of gold jewels
believing that he would
return the same.
When he demanded the
jewels, Rathinakumar
refused to give the jewels
cmyk
‘Still feel awkward to
pose for pics’
Vol. 15 No. 308 Established 1938
basis at the Airport to
screen the passengers
found that this passenger
was having high tempera-
ture and his sputum indi-
cating symptoms of
Coronavirus. He was imme-
diately removed to
MGMGH where he was
kept in the isolated ward
with close vigil, they said.
Still he is under observance
of a special medical team
and the patient is doing
well, they added.
The doctors said Arun
who is working as a driver
in Singapore came to India
to attend his younger sis-
ter's marriage. His blood,
sputum and other samples
has been sent to National
Institute of Virology, Pune
for clinical analysis and if
the report is negative, the
patient will be discharged
immediately.
Sasikala Pushpa
party office in New Delhi.
Radhakrishnan and Rao
who frequents Tamil
Nadu, flew to Delhi to
admit her into the BJP.
Though the ruling
AIADMK here does not
view it as a loss, the BJP
feels that this “strong and
vociferous speaker” who
had been former Mayor of
and threatened him,
besides attempting to
assault him.
The appellant conducted
a preliminary enquiry and
found that the complaint
was a false one with
cooked up story. Rathin-
akumar admitted that he
had bought two electronic
speakers from Malaysia to
hand over the same to
some other person at
Tiruchi airport. The com-
plainant also admitted that
the electronic speakers
brought by Rathinakumar
contained three kg of gold
jewels and the complaint
was given by him was to
recover the jewels. ■ P3
TABLOID
— PTI
DC CORRESPONDENT
CHENNAI, FEB. 2
A 46-year-old Chinese
tourist, who arrived from
Malaysia, has been admit-
ted at Rajiv Gandhi
Government General hos-
pital on suspicion of being
infected with coronavirus
on Sunday. He reached the
Chennai airport in
Malaysian Airline in the
small hours of Sunday. The
officials have alerted the
Chinese embassy officials
about the development.
According to sources, the
passenger had visited Hong
Kong and Malaysia.
During screening of pas-
sengers who arrived on
Malaysian Airline, the doc-
tors suspected that he
might have been infected
with coronavirus. ■ P4
Thoothukudi Corp-ora-
tion, would be an asset to
the party. “With the join-
ing of Sasikala, the
party’s capacity to fight
the coming Assembly elec-
tion (next year) will defi-
nitely gain further advan-
tage,” Muralidhar Rao
said.
In August 2016, days
after she allegedly got into
a scuffle with DMK MP
Tiruchi Siva at Delhi air-
port, and was accused of
slapping him, Sasikala
Pushpa was expelled from
the AIADMK by then
AIADMK supremo
Jayalalithaa for “bringing
J.
disrepute to the party.” But
in July 2017 the Supreme
Court found that no expul-
sion notice had been served
and that she had not, in
fact, been expelled from the
party. ■ P4
iNSIDE
Hindu outfit leader Davinder case: NIA
shot dead in Lucknow, raids houses
4 cops suspended in Kashmir
Lucknow: A leader of a right
wing Hindu outfit was shot de-
ad on Sunday while he was out
on a morning walk in the heart
of the state capital. Ranjeet
Bachchan, 40, was shot in the
head and his cousin Aditya
Srivastava injured in the attack
by an unidentified assailant
according to Joint Commissi-
oner of Police Naveen Arora.
Four police personnel including
a sub-inspector, were suspend-
ed for alleged laxity.
■ REPORT ON PAGE 7
| 32 PAGES | ` 3.00
Oppn readies to
corner govt
in Parliament
SREEPARNA
CHAKRABARTY | DC
NEW DELHI, FEB. 2
The Union Budget over,
the Opposition parties
are now gearing up to
corner the government
in Parliament over the
protests against the
Citizenship (Amendme-
nt) Act across the coun-
try. These parties, incl-
uding the Congress and
the Trinamul Congress,
have given notices to
move adjournment moti-
ons in both Houses for a
discussion on the issue.
Not to be outdone, the
ruling BJP is also ready
for a confrontation and
has fielded West Delhi
MP Parvesh Verma, who
was recently barred
from campaigning by the
Election Commission for
his communally divisive
remarks, to move the
motion of thanks to the
President’s address.
Sources in the Cong-
ress said former party
chief Rahul Gandhi has
been requested to open
the debate on the
President’s address from
the Opposition, but if he
does not it would be the
Congress’ Lok Sabha
leader Adhir Ranjan
Chowdhary.
Congress chief whip K.
Suresh and Assam MP
Gaurav Gogoi will,
meanwhile, move
adjournment motions in
the Lok Sabha to imme-
diately discuss the anti-
CAA protests.
No NRC in
Maha, says
Uddhav
DC CORRESPONDENT
MUMBAI, FEB. 2
Chief minister Uddhav
Thackeray on Sunday
said that the proposed
National Register of
Citizens (NRC) would not
be implemented
Maharashtra,
in
arguing
that it would make prov-
ing citizenship complicat-
ed for Hindus and
Muslims. Mr Thackeray,
on the other ha-
nd, defended the contro-
versial Citizenship Ame-
ndment Act (CAA) —
which his Maha Vikas
Aghadi (MVA) allies, the
Nationalist Congress
Party (NCP) and
Congress, have opposed
— saying that it won’t
take away anyone’s citi-
zenship but rather grant
citizenship to persecuted
minorities from neigh-
bouring countries.
Mr Thackeray and the
Shiv Sena have been
vocal supporters of the
CAA, which is considered
the precursor to the NRC.
In an interview to the
Sena mouthpiece Saam-
ana, the chief minister
said, “The NRC will not
be allowed in Maha-
rashtra. Proving citizen-
ship will be difficult for
both Hindus and Musl-
ims. I will not let that
happen,” he said. ■ P7
Srinagar: The National
Investigation Agency on
Sunday morning carried
out searches at five
places, including that of a
Sarpanch, in connection
with a case in which
senior Jammu and
Kashmir police officer
Davinder Singh was
arrested while ferrying
terrorists outside the val-
ley, officials said here.
■ REPORT ON PAGE 7

New strategy
DMK president M. K. Stalin said his party will work with poll
strategist Prashant Kishor's firm 'Indian Political Action
Committee' or I-PAC for the 2021 assembly election
IN
96 Jains including
BRIEF
those from Kovai
embrace monastic life
Surat: Ninety-six men and
women from the Jain commu-
nity took vows of monkhood
in two separate programmes
held at Vesu and Pal localities
of Gujarat's Surat on
Saturday. In the programme
held at Belar House ground in
Vesu, 77 men and women
embraced the monastic life
while in the Pal locality func-
tion, 19 men and women
became monks under the guid-
ance of a spiritual leader,
organisers said. They are
from Surat as well as cities
like Ahmedabad, Pune,
Bengaluru and Coimbatore
among others, and their ages
range from 10 to 88 years,
organisers added. "Among
those who took up monastic
life are 16 children, and all
members of six families.
There are chartered account-
ants, engineers, a Bollywood
editor, businessmen," they
said. The function at Vesu saw
the 3,500 guests accommodat-
ed in a 16,000-foot replica of a
Jain derasar (temple). —PTI
Former Puducherry Chief
Minister N Rangaswamy
AINRC leader
welcomes action plan
on agri in Budget
Puducherry, Feb 2 : Former
Puducherry chief minister N
Rangaswamy on Sunday wel-
comed the "elaborate 16-point
action plan" announced in the
budget presented by Finance
Minister Nirmala
Sitharaman. The Leader of
the Opposition in a release
said the 16-point plan aims at
doubling farmers income and
allocation of funds for promo-
tion of agriculture and its
allied activities such as rural
development. The action plan
will go a long way in enriching
the income of the ryots,
Rangaswamy, who heads the
AINRC, said. In a statement,
BJP Puducherry chief V
Saminathan hailed the budg-
et, describing it as a historic
document aiming to bring all-
round development in the
agriculture sector. He wel-
comed the fillip given to pro-
mote the solar power sector.
Leader of the AIADMK's legis-
lature wing A Anbalagan, in a
statement, complimented var-
ious development-oriented
proposals made in the budget.
— PTI
OPS HAILS FM FOR
PRAGMATIC BUDGET
Conveying his
‘heartiest
congratulations’ to
Union Finance
minister, Dr
Nirmala Sitharaman
for having presented her
second budget on Saturday,
Tamil Nadu Dy Chief Minister,
O. Panneerselvam said, “It
provided a timely stimulus for
growth.’ In a letter to Dr
Nirmala, Panneerselvam, said,
“You have managed to
achieve the difficult balance
between fiscal restraint and
providing for infrastructure
expenditure.”
School girl gets patent for innovative women safety device
Aparna with her grandmother at Hosur.
Icons shared drive for legal hierarchy: Rajmohan Gandhi
Middle class gets
recognition, sort of
R. Mohan
Namma
Chennai diary
T
he middle class can
smile. They have
gained recognition
to the extent of being
given tax sops, with the
lowest slab gaining some-
what to the extent of stay-
ing off the tax net alto-
gether. The class of peo-
ple has been spared a
thought, so to say, because
they were a largely neg-
lected lot in the past.
There used to be basic
incremental tinkering at
every Budget by every
finance minister, but they
liked to believe they have
to think so high that the
bottom of the tax pyra-
mid seemed way beneath
them.
These are not quite
'crumbs' as a former
finance minister sought
to put it. The simplified
tax regime for those with
an annual income up to
Rs 15 lakh will also come
as a relief though they
would have to forego
exemptions and deduc-
tions. A few thousand
rupees a month more
(realistically about Rs
2,500 per month for the Rs
15 lakh category) in the
purse in the coming
financial year might,
however, not amount to
too much considering
how rising inflation has
eaten into their incomes
already. In a sense, what
the taxman giveth, the
taxman taketh away.
The choice of remain-
ing in the existing tax
regime with exemptions
and deductions like stan-
dard deduction, HRA and
Article 80 of IT Act
(insurance premium, con-
tribution towards provi-
dent fund and some pen-
sion funds).might help
those whose earnings are
marginally above Rs 15
lakh per annum. It would
take accountants to work
out what to plump for, but
LIC DISINVESTMENT
PLAN ABSURD: CPI
Vehemently
opposing the LIC
divestment
move by the
Central govern-
ment, the CPI has
condemned the gov-
ernment for not giving impor-
tance to issues faced by the
people in the budget. In a
statement, secretary, CPI, R
Mutharasan, said Union
finance minister Nirmala
Sitharaman announced sell-
ing holdings of country’s
largest public insurer 60-year-
old state-owned LIC, through
an initial public offer.
Author Rajmohan Gandhi
releases the book
Sebastian and Sons
written by musician
T. M. Krishna in Chennai
on Sunday. VCK leader and
MP Thol Thirumavalavan is
also seen. —DC
DC CORRESPONDENT
CHENNAI, FEB. 2
India's national icons like
Mahatma Gandhi,
Jawaharlal Nehru,
Subhash Chandra Bose,
Periyar and Ambedkar had
then the salaried class sops but consumer confi-
who are the most honest
of tax payers (simply
dence is another matter.
The reaction of the capi-
because they can't cheat
much) may have to pay to
know which the better
tal markets is a different
kettle of fish as this
enigmatic entity plays
option is.
Once a tax payer picks
by its own rules of
expectations and
an option he would be disappointments. Having
saddled with it for long. heard that big bang
It's a tricky choice reforms were on the anvil
because there may be no because some major con-
going back to an earlier tours of the Budget were
regime if it saves a bit of said to have been taken
tax. This is for individu- away from the finance
als and their tax analysts minister, it proved so
to work out. The ballpark dispiriting that the mar-
figure of Rs 40,000 crore kets tanked.
tax sops in the hands of The market crash could
the middle class might be put down to the LTCG
seem impressive on its tax not having been done
own, but considering how away with. The reintro-
spread out this will be duction of the LTCG was
across a big nation like owed to Arun Jaitley, who
ours, what effect a few everyone thought was yet
more bucks spent in the another finance minister
markets will mean for an not quite investor-friend-
economy that has been hit ly. Not even the disband-
by a steep drop in con- ing of the Dividend
sumption is anybody's Distribution Tax could
guess. And life's got a compensate for the mar-
whole lot more complicat- kets feeling the investors
ed for the tax payer. had been badly hit by the
It is the incremental LTCG introduced two
nature of many other years ago.
Budgetary provisions This is not a dream
that should worry the budget for a nation that
economists about the swears by inviting FDI as
effect of all this on the
economy that has been hit
by a slowdown. The pur-
chasing power may have
well as FII and FPI
investors. Of course, the
Sensex and Nifty are not
the only indices of the
been upped with the tax economy. In fact, the
‘PSUS SALE SMACKS BUDGET A MELANGE,
OF TEMERITY’ SAYS VIJAYAKANTH
Reacting to the Stating that the
budget, TNCC budget was a
president KS mixed bag of posi-
Alagiri said the tives and nega-
Centre planned tives, DMDK leader
to sell all public Vijayakanth said,
sector undertakings. In “The Centre has not
a statement, Alagiri said that given importance to generate
the Central government con- job opportunities.” In a state-
tinued to sell the PSUs, ment on Sunday, Vijayakanth
including profit-making PSUs. said, as the country is facing
The Centre plans to hand economic slowdown, job oppor-
over four railway stations to tunities for several crores of
private companies, to allow people were at stake. The
them to operate 150 trains Centre has not bothered to
and divestment of LIC. “We improve the income of individu-
cannot accept divestment of als, and has no plan to improve
public sectors,” he said. employment opportunities also.
SANJEEVI ANANDAN | DC
KRISHNAGIRI, FEB.2
At the age of 11, when
others of her age like
to spend extra time in
playing games, this school
girl got patent for
her innovative device
developed for the safety of
women.
Aparna Chandrasekaran,
a grade six student of
Maharishi Vidya Mandir
Senior Secondary School in
Hosur of Krishnagiri dis-
trict, was twice awarded by
DECCAN CHRONICLE
something common in
their mind because of their
drive to bring a legal and
constitutional hierarchy in
place of social hierarchy,
renowned author and his-
torian Rajmohan Gandhi
has said.
Mr Gandhi was releasing
the book 'Sebastian and
Sons' written by noted
musician T. M. Krishna at
a function held at M.S.
Subbulakshmi Auditorium
at Asian College of
Journalism here on
Sunday.
greatest surprise has
been the galloping indices
in the last few months in
the face of a steep eco-
nomic slowdown.
Whatever the experts may
say in this regard, the
small investor knows well
that the markets respond
most to foreign investors
whose dollar heft is about
70 times what the domes-
tic investor can afford to
put up as a long term
investment aimed at mul-
tiplying his savings.
If there indeed is a
major recovery in rural
India after a promised
bumper harvest and if all
the Coronoavirus and
global trade war nervous-
ness disappears, the stock
market momentum could
get going again. Capital
markets do tend to shrug
off bad news quickly
enough though they can
be seen to dip alarmingly
on the day itself as it did
on Saturday with about
Rs 3.4 lakh crore of
investor wealth wiped
out. Governments tend to
ignore the ups and downs
but need healthy indices
when they have to project
India as an investment
destination, including in
the capital markets.
Truth to tell, the Budget
is high on aspiration but
short on substance, save
in the agriculture sector
where a huge amount has
been set apart, but not
really much more than
last year's. This was not
the fiscal stimulus budget
industry was waiting for.
There is no infusion of
capital into banks though
the government owns
nearly two-thirds of the
banking system in terms
of assets. It is the absence
of a fiscal stimulus in a
floundering economy that
will be pointed out as to
why this is no big bang
budget and is, in fact,
quite the opposite.
(R. Mohan is the
Resident Editor of the
Chennai and Tamil
Nadu editions of
Deccan Chronicle)
the President of India
for her 'creative bent of
mind'.
“I was awarded twice by
our country's presidents.
The first award was handed
over to me by the former
President Pranab
Mukherjee after my innova-
tion was selected for the
'Dr.A.P.J.Abdul Kalam
IGNITE award' in the year
2017,” Aparna said.
The girl added, “my sec-
ond award was given this
year (2020) for the same
innovation by our present
Special
MONDAY I 3 FEBRUARY 2020 | CHENNAI
'We know Indian society is
hierarchal and inter-
dependant. The top layer
needs the bottom layer. In
the relationship there are
mutual needs together. But
even in contemporary
times, there is ignorance
on the one side and com-
plete silence on the other
side. There is a system
with one religious group
on the top and others
below. Secular Indians and
devout Hindus are trying
to defend the legal and con-
stitutional hierarchy. This
A mixed
bag for
tourism
industry
DC CORRESPONDENT
CHENNAI, FEB 2
The Union Budget for
2020-2021 was a mix bag
for Indian tourism. Many
industry watchers expect-
ed announcements like
Visit India Year to shore
up the overseas market-
ing and promotion of
Incredible India backed
up by adequate allocation
for destination market-
ing. But nothing like that
figured in the Budget
speech.
The hospitality industry
in the country has been
harping on the demand
for infrastructure status
for the industry for a long
time for hotel projects
beyond a ticket size of
`50 crore, but this did not
favour with the Finance
Minister this year too.
The expectations were
high this year consider-
ing NITI Aayog’s New
India @75 strategy
paper had stressed on
the aspect
recommended infrastruc-
and
ture status for tourism
and hospitality industry.
Nevertheless, the
industry welcomed vari-
ous proposals of
the Budget to increase
the infrastructure
spending, steps to create
iconic destinations, the
proposal to extend grant
to States to viable propos-
als for destination devel-
opment by States, the pro-
posal to introduce Tejas
trains to connect tourism
destinations, proposal to
set up 100 new airports,
etc.
The allocation for
Tourism and Culture
Ministries has also seen
some enhancement in the
Budget 2020-21. The allo-
cation for Tourism
Ministry has gone up
from `2,189 (revised esti-
mate Rs. 1,416 crore) to an
estimated `2,499.83 crore
this year.
Despite good budget, expectations
are high for real estate sector
DC CORRESPONDENT
CHENNAI, FEB 2
The Union Budget 2020 has
measures directed towards
boosting the income of peo-
ple and enhancing their
purchasing power through
tax relief, besides some spe-
cific measures for the real
estate sector, but did not ful-
fill the high expectations of
the real estate sector, says
Surendra Hiranandani,
Chairman and Managing
Director, House of
Hiranandani.
“While the budget overall
had measures directed
towards boosting the
income of people and
enhance their purchasing
power through tax relief, it
has some specific measures
for the real estate sector too.
The budget announced the
President Ram Nath
Kovind. The award was
given after it was selected
for the 'Pradhan Mantri Bal
Shakthi Puraskar' scheme.
It also gave me an opportu-
nity to meet Prime Minister
Narendra Modi”+
Aparna explained her
project work thus: “It is a
watch with in-built chili
spray. The device automati-
cally sprays chili powder on
the enemy who attacks the
wearer.”
The girl-innovator further
said, “in such a situation,
has made the Indian
democracy a proud feature
in our world. Where ever
we walk in the India
whether it is right or left,
we can see the pain. TM
Krishna has captured this
relationship and brought
the pain and wonder of
mridangam creators to our
attention. And it's become
a pathbreaking book', he
said
Mr Krishna recalled his
experiences with mridan-
gam makers while he writ-
ing the book.. He said that
A view of a tea garden in Nilgiris.
Plantation industry
let down: Upasi
B. RAVICHANDRAN I DC
OOTY, FEB.2
The United Planters'
Association of South
India(Upasi) on Sunday
said the union budget 2020
had failed to fulfill the
expectations of the planta-
tion industry.
Reacting to budget pro-
posals, Mr. A.L.R.
M.Nagappan, president of
Upasi, said there was no
specific announcement in
the budget for the planta-
tion sector which is reeling
under severe crisis.
The main issue highlight-
ed by Upasi in its wish-list
was to consider higher
allocation of funds to the
commodity boards to clear
the amount due to the plan-
tation sector. However,
there was only a marginal
increase in the allocation
of funds to the Commodity
Boards, such as Rs.200
crores for Tea Board and
`225 crores for Coffee
Board, he pointed out.
Mr. Nagappan said the
plantation sector has been
facing challenges ever
since the sector was
opened to global competi-
tion under WTO without
ensuring a level-playing
field and the regional free
trade agreements (FTAs)
signed saw surge in
imports of plantation com-
modities. He welcomed the
announcement that the
government will review
Rules of Origin require-
ments, particularly for cer-
tain sensitive items so that
FTAs are aligned to the
initiative to develop five
new smart cities in collabo-
ration with States in PPP
mode. This is a welcome
move and will enhance the
real estate prospects,” he
said. It strengthened the
commitment to affordable
housing, which is the gov-
ernment’s focal point for
real estate.
“We were hopeful that the
budget would chart out
fresh stimulus in terms of
bold fiscal measures for real
estate sector to outperform
its growth traction. We had
certain expectations from
the government from this
budget which have not been
fulfilled which includes our
demand for Industry status,
single window clearance
and reinstatement of Input
Tax Credit in GST. There
was significant expectation
the heart beat and blood cir-
culation differ, triggering
the sensor in the watch to
release the spray and save
the women from bullies.”
Besides, Aparana won the
award at the 'ASEAN India
purshpitek innovative festi-
val' held at Jakarta and
another award given by the
committee that organized
'IEEEE Yesist' award at Hua
Hin in Thailand for her
project.
“My two years of hard
work with the support of
my parents and teachers
PAGE
2
what he saw in the mridan-
gam makers in the differ-
ent South Indian states was
the uniqueness of thoughts
and expertise in making
mridangam with cow skin.
Before felicitating the mri-
dangam makers whom he
interviewed for the book,
Mr Krishna also read out
excerpts of the book to the
audience.
Sebastian and Sons
explores the world of
unsung heroes of mridan-
gam making field, their
history and lore.
A.L.R. M.Nagappan,
president of Upasi.
conscious direction of
India's policy. Similarly,
announcement with
regard to strengthening
provisions of safeguard
duties which are applied
when surge in imports
causes serious injury to
domestic industry is a wel-
come move, he said.
There was no other relief
to the some of the issues
concerning the plantation
industry for which UPASI
has repeatedly been repre-
senting to the government
such as IT Rule 7B(1) be
amended to tax coffee only
from the stage of roasting
and powdering, implemen-
tation of the recommenda-
tion of the Inter
Ministerial Committee for
sharing social costs, fixing
of minimum support price
for plantation commodi-
ties as per the recommen-
dations of the M.S.Swa-
minathan Committee so as
to provide security for the
long-term investment deci-
sion and to ensure remu-
nerative prices to the grow-
ers, he noted.
to cut GST rates to a single,
standard rate, and not have
multiple rates or taxes. It
seems the entire focus of
the government was on the
latter while undermining
the importance of real
estate to the economy,” he
said.
While there was no direct
benefit to the real estate
sector from the budget,
some measures announced
will positively impact the
sector. “We hope that the
government looks into some
of the key concerns raised
by the industry and
addresses the same soon
which is imperative to fuel
India’s growth engine.
Overall, the budget will
boost employment, increase
consumption and attract
global investments,” Mr.
Surendra added.
has brought me laurels to
the level of getting patent
for my device and also my
work being recognised with-
in and outside of the coun-
try,” Aparna said.
The girl also recalled the
memories of her meeting
with Prime Minister Sri
Narendra Modi and said,
“The Prime Minister asked
us to be humble though we
have achieved a big thing at
an early age. He also gifted
me a watch and a Tamil
book titled why fear for
exams.”
 City
Ridiculous
PAGE
PMK founder Dr S. Ramadoss said the Centre
coming out with an education policy on its 3
own is unacceptable
DECCAN CHRONICLE MONDAY I 3 FEBRUARY 2020 | CHENNAI

OTHER STORIES ■ CBI court order convicting rly official for corruption BEACH CLEAN-UP
ADGP knew all
facts of the case, Despite PCA, graft not
eradicated, says HC
says appellant
From Page 1

The appellant alleged that all

these facts were known to
Ravi, the Additional Director
General of Police, Chennai. The
appellant was shocked to
know that the complaint was
given on the advice of
Inspector General of Police
and that behind the entire inci-
dent, ADGP Ravi too was
involved. In this background,
the transfer order was passed
against him, he added.
The bench said on December
30, 2018, a complaint had
been lodged by Shiek Meeran
regarding breach of trust and
physical threat and the com-
plaint discloses only offences
under section 420 and 506 (ii)
IPC. The same person had
lodged a complaint before the
North Police Station, Tuticorin
and the same was closed on
January 1, 2019. It was admit-
ted that both the complaints
were false and it was given to
recover three kg of gold jewels
smuggled by Rathinakumar.
The appellant has stated that
he proceeded with the com-
plaint and conducted an
enquiry pursuant to a call from
a person claiming to be the
Inspector General of Police,
south region. The appellant
has also stated that on
January 5, 2019, he received
another call from Ravi,
Additional Director General of
Police, to enquire the appel-
lant whether he had recovered
the jewels from the accused.
The appellant had reasons to
believe that the transfer was
on account of a wrong notion
that the appellant had recov-
ered the jewels from the
accused but kept it for himself.
It was admitted that the trans-
fer was not only for the appel-
lant but also for other police
personnel who accompanied
the appellant in his attempt to
search and recover the gold
jewels from the accused. The
audio clipping suggests that
the appellant was transferred
in connection with the missing
gold jewels and a message
was conveyed to appellant
that he would not be spared
unless he hand over the jewels
to his superior officers.
Bedi hails proposal
to set up national
J.STALIN | DC
CHENNAI, FEB 2
The Madras high court
has said, “Corruption has
ruined the system.
Despite implementation
of the Prevention of
Corruption Act, corrup-
tion has not been eradi-
cated and it has become a
common affair. Nobody is
having the sense of fear
to the prevailing Act. The
higher officials must act
as an example to their
subordinate in discharge
of their duties. If the
higher officials them-
selves commit mistakes,
then they lose their
morale to question their
subordinates. Ultimately,
the system fails”.
Justice B.Pugalendhi
made the observations
while confirming an
order of the II Additional
District Judge for CBI
cases, Madurai, convict-
ing and sentencing
P.V.Reddy, a senior divi-
sional engineer in the
office of the Divisional
Railway Manager,
Southern Railway,
Tiruchy, to three years
rigorous imprisonment
for demanding and
accepting a bribe of `1
lakh from a civil contrac-
Kanchi acharya opens
legal aid centre in city
DC CORRESONDENT
CHENNAI, FEB. 2
Sri Vijayendra
Saraswathi Swamy, the
peetadhipathi of Sri
Kanchi Kamakoti Mutt,
inaugurated the Sankara
Vivekananda family
counseling and Sankara
Vivekananda Legal Aid
centre here for the bene-
fit of people.
Both the family coun-
seling centre and legal
tor doing railway con-
tract works.
Pandidurai, a civil con-
tractor had taken a civil
contract work. The
accused officer was the
head of the civil engi-
neering section for
Tiruchy division and also
authorised for tender call-
ing. When the proposal
for the contract work was
made, the accused
demanded a bribe of `3
lakh as a reward for hav-
ing recommended the
approval of the excess
work done by Pandidurai.
Pandidurai conveyed his
inability to pay the bribe
amount. Thereafter, the
accused officer reduced
the bribe amount to `1
lakh and again when
Pandidurai expressed his
inability to pay the
amount, the accused offi-
Kanchi seer Vijayendra Saraswathi Swamy interacts
cer threatened him that
he has to face the conse-
quences and his all other
works would be dis-
turbed. Therefore,
Pandidurai approached
the CBI, who laid a trap
and caught the accused
officer when he received
the bribe. A case was reg-
istered and a trial court,
after full fledged trial,
awarded three years RI to
the accused officer.
Aggrieved, he filed the
present appeal.
Dismissing the appeal,
the judge said a motive
was attributed as against
the complainant that his
rider proposal for Than-
javur, Mayiladuthurai,
Kumbakonam and
Ariyalur were rejected by
this appellant and in
order to take revenge for
those rejections, this false
complaint has been foist-
ed as against this appel-
lant. The appellant was a
high level officer in the
railway department, who
was in charge of sanc-
tioning and approving the
contracts. The com-
plainant was a graduate
and also doing contract
work in Southern
Railway for more than 17
years. Admittedly, apart
from this contract work,
the complainant was also
doing several other works
in the Southern Railway.
The contractor has to
depend on the officials
not only for the award of
contract, but also for pay-
ment of their bills. “Bribe
givers only ventilate their
grievance, approach the
vigilance officer after
their prolonged suffering
at the instance of the
accused officer”, the
judge added.
The judge said so citing
unconnected stale motive
was universal in the case
of corruption by fiber
thread of prolonged cross
examination that too
after number of years
from the date of occur-
rence. What was required
for an offence under the
PCA was that the Thousand of people take part in a ploggathon organised by Chennai corporation in
demand, acceptance and Besant Nagar beach on Sunday. —DC
recovery. In this case, the
demand and acceptance
was sufficiently proved
by the prosecution and
the tainted money as
recorded in the entrust-
ment mahazar was also
recovered from the
PIL against ostracising
accused officer. The phe-
nolphthalein test con-
ducted on the both hands
of the accused officer has
13 fishermen, families ● There had been a dis-
also proved positive, the DC CORRESPONDENT and prevented the petition-
judge added. CHENNAI, FEB 2 pute between the fisher- ers from selling their catch
men from Nambiyar at Nagai port.
The Madras high court has Nagar and Akkaraipettai Subsequently, all of a sud-
`4.53 gold seized ordered notice to the state Nagar and the authori- den, claiming themselves
from 3 travelling
government on a PIL,
which sought to direct
authorities to prohibit 11
persons, claiming to be
ties conducted a peace
committee meeting and
solved the problem.
Thereby a compromise
as village panchayatdars
imposed certain restric-
tions not only against the
petitioners but also the
from Chennai to Hyd
Hyderabad: Gold weigh-
ing 31.5 kg has been
panchayatdars from ostra-
cizing 13 fishermen and
their families and others in
Nambiyar
Nagapattinam
village in
district,
was arrived permitting
the petitioners and their
villagers
entire village especially
that the petitioners should
not sell their catch at Nagai
port and they should
restrict their sale only at
seized in Andhra Pradesh under the guise of pan- men community involved Nambiyar Nagar. No one
and Telangana and 12 peo- chayat verdicts. in fishing activity. There from the village should go
ple have been arrested, A division bench com- had been a dispute between in aid of the petitioners, if
the Directorate of prising Justices M. the fishermen from they do so, they will be
Revenue Intelligence said Sathyanarayanan and Nambiyar Nagar and fined `1 lakh and the peti-
on Sunday. R.Hemalatha posted after Akkaraipettai Nagar and tioners were ostracised
Based on specific intelli- four weeks, further hearing the authorities conducted a from the village and no
gence, the accused were of the PIL filed by R.Pari peace committee meeting other villagers should
nabbed during searches and 12 other fishermen. and solved the problem. attend any function of the
in buses and trains on According to petitioners, Thereby a compromise was petitioners and death cere-
four different occasions.
The DRI Hyderabad on
the Nagapattinam port,
which is called Nagai port
arrived permitting the peti-
tioners and their villagers
mony.
These proclamations
Sunday held three passen-
gers travelling from
in Nagapattinam district,
was established as a fishing
to use the Nagai port for
selling their catch as there
were made through ‘Tom
Tom’ in the entire village,

police varsity
Puducherry: Puducherry Lt
Governor Kiran Bedi on
Sunday hailed the proposal to
set up a National Police
University in the union territo-
ry. Finance Minister Nirmala
Sitharman had made the
aid centre would func-
tion on from 3 pm to 5 pm
on Saturday and from 10
am to 12 noon on
Sundays at Perambur for
free.
Earlier, upon his
arrival, the pontiff was
accorded Poorna
Kumbam honours.
K. E. Srinivasan, corre-
with students in Chennai on Sunday. —DC
Perambur, T. Chakravar- Society, Dr. Ragavan vice
thy, vice president of chancellor of Chandra-
Vivekananda Educatio- sekhara Maha Vidyalaya
nal Society, president of Deemed University,
Tamil Nadu and Kerala Ramakrishnan secretary
Vidyabharathi, K. Suja- of Shankara Gorup of
tha principal of Viveka- Schools, Ramakrishna
nanda Vidyalaya, Peram- Prasad Prantha Saha
bur, M. N. Venkatesan, Karyavar and V. Subra-
Chennai to Hyderabad
and seized gold worth
`4.53 crore.
On January 31, the DRI
Nellore unit intercepted
three men travelling on a
train from Chennai to
Warangal in Telangana.
They were stopped at the
Vijayawada railway sta-
tion in Andhra Pradesh
port from the year 2016.
There were 8 villages in
Nagapattinam municipali-
ty, which solely depends on
Nagai port as their main
activity was fishing.
Almost all the resident of
this area were from fisher-
would be numerous buyers
for the catch only at Nagai
port, they added.
They said while so, 11
persons, belonging to the
same village, claiming to be
panchayatdars intervened
with no authority of law
precluding them from car-
rying out their legitimate
right of going for fishing.
Therefore, they sent sever-
al representations to the
authorities. But there was
no response, they added.

SI gets 3-year RI for

announcement in the budget
presented on Saturday. “The
long-awaited national police
university is now part of the
Budget. This will go a long
way in meeting the research
needs of vital security con-
cerns and will also fill the
existing vacuum for a single
platform for academics,
thinkers and scholars in polic-
ing,” Bedi said in a WhatsApp
message to media persons
here. She said such an institu-
tion was always in the pipeline
and was much needed, but
earlier the focus was different.
“Moneys and human resources
were found wanting,” the for-
mer IPS officer said, adding
she was a “witness to these
during my service as DGP of
the Bureau of Police Research
and Development.
Announcements were never
seen to match available
resources and they were mere
announcements.” Bedi
thanked the Centre and said
“it is interesting to see the cur-
rent government gifting the
police service a Police
Memorial inaugurated by the
Prime Minister (in 2018) to
now a National Police
University (a project of the
Union Home Ministry).” —PTI
spondent
Vivekananda Vidyalaya
of secretary of Viveka-
nanda Educational
manian of Janakalyan,
spoke.
and found carrying gold
bars in packets concealed
in bags, the DRI said in a
statement.
On enquiry, they told
police that they carried
cash to Chennai, pur-
chased the smuggled for-
eign-origin gold in the
city and were travelling
back to Warangal to hand
the metal over to the smu-
ggling kingpin at Wara-
ngal, the statement said.
The seized gold weighed
7,228 gm and valued at
`3.05 crore. A day later,
the DRI Vijayawada unit
intercepted three passen-
gers, travelling on a train
from Chennai to Waran-
gal, carrying gold bars in
packets concealed in their
clothing, it said. The pas-
sengers admitted to a sim-
ilar modus operandi. The
DRI seized 7,077 gm gold
valued at `2.99 crore, the
statement said. In anoth-
AWARENESS CAMPAIGN er instance, the DRI
Hyderabad and Vijaya-
wada seized gold worth
`2.73 crore from three
A student paints the outer wall of Kilpauk Mental hospital to raise awareness on passengers travelling to
environment conservation on Sunday. Warangal via Vijayawada
—DC by a state-run bus. —PTI
demanding dowry
DC CORRESPONDENT
CHENNAI, FEB. 2
A special court in Chennai
has convicted a SI on
charge of demanding a
dowry of 150 sovereigns of
gold jewellery and `10 lakh
from his wife, whom he
married in a temple in
2008.
According to prosecu-
tion, Annadurai of
Pudukottai district was
working as a SI in special
force in Tiruchy. He had an
affair with a woman cop in
Armed Reserve Force,
Chennai. After her insis-
tence he married her in a
temple in Vadapalani in
2008. They were living
together in police quarters.
Only a few knew about
their marriage.
However, the woman
demanded Annadurai to
marry her in a marriage
hall and announce their
wedding in public.
Annadurai demanded 150
sovereign of gold and `10
lakh from her. She accused
that Annadurai left her in
lurch after marrying her.
On a complaint from the
woman, the CB-CID filed a
case against Annadurai.
Special court judge R
Selvakumar sentenced
Annadurai to undergo RI
for three years and slapped
a fine of `10,000. The judge
also directed Annadurai to
pay a compensation of `5
lakh to the woman.
Two held with
banned stuff
Chennai: Police on
Sunday arrested two per-
sons including a hotel
manager following raid at
a private hotel at Sastri
Nagar here.
According to the police,
the accused have been
identified as Polo Biswas,
29 , (hotel manger), son of
Shyamal Biswas and
Kausigan 21, son of
Ravichandran, Venkites-
hwara Nagar, Chennai.
The raid was carried out
as a result of the tip off
received at the police sta-
tion in the morning. In
addition to Hookha, ban-
ned stuff like Atfakher,
Sheesha, Pan Masala, and
Zafran Pan were also
seized from the hotel. The
hotel manager bought the
substance with the help of
Shyamal for illegal trade.
The accused was pro-
duced in court in the
evening and sent to judi-
cial custody for 14 days,
said the police. —DC

GIMs showcase TN as preferred investors’ choice: Govt

DC CORRESPONDENT
CHENNAI, FEB 2
The state government has
informed the Madras high
court that the Tamil Nadu
Industrial Guidance and
Export Promotion Bureau
has stated that the MoU
companies inform that
their local employment is
about 90 to 95 per cent in
core manufacturing activi-
ties.
Thus, Global Investors
Meet (GIM) 2015 and GIM
2019 have provided an ideal
platform for understanding
Tamil Nadu as a preferred
Investors’ choice.
N. Muruganandam, prin-
cipal secretary to govern-
ment, industries depart-
ment, stated this in his sta-
tus report filed before a
division bench comprising
Justices M.
Sathyanarayanan and R.
Hemalatha when the PIL
filed by Cascade Energy
Pvt.Ltd, a Singapore based
company, came up for hear-
ing on Friday.
In its petition, the compa-
ny sought a direction to the
state government to frame
guidelines in order to
protect the foreign
investors from getting
cheated by the tainted com-
panies in the interest of the
nation.
Noting that the state gov-
ernment was spending con-
siderable amount in mak-
ing the Global Investors
Meet, 2019, a grand success
and the said effort should
necessarily be transformed
into good and proper invest-
ments, so as to develop
industrialisation and gener-
ate employment especially
for the local people for their
well being, the bench had
on January 25, 2019, direct-
ed the state government to
file a status report as to how
many projects came into
being on account of the
Tamil Nadu Global
Investors Meet, 2015, pres-
ent stage of such projects,
as well the MoUs reached
and the agreements signed
in pursuant to the present
Global Investor Meet, 2019,
and generation of employ-
ment.
Accordingly, the present
status report was filed by
the government.
In status of GIM 2019,
Muruganandam submitted
that the positive response
by the investors surpassed
the estimates of the govern-
ment with 304 MoUs com-
mitting an investment of
`3,00,501 crore and 10.50
lakh jobs.
The investment commit-
ments included those from
reputed companies from
Japan, Korea, Taiwan,
Germany, France, Finland,
China and USA making
TNGIM 2019 a resounding
success, he added and fur-
nished details of depart-
ment-wise status on MoUs
signed.
In status of GIM 2015, he
said to accelerate the
growth rates by attracting
investments in manufactur-
ing, infrastructure and
services, Tamil Nadu gov-
ernment organised GIM
2015 on September 9 and 10,
2015, in Chennai Trade
Centre.
As against the investment
target of `1.0 lakh crore,
GIM 2015 attracted 98 proj-
ects with an investment of
`2,42,160 crore and 10,073
Micro, Small and Medium
enterprises projects with an
investment of `16, 532
crore.
Out of the 98 MoUs signed
during GIM 2015, 71 projects
were under various stages
of implementation.
Due to long gestation,
some projects were still in
pipeline and some projects
have not fructified.
As against the committed
investment of `1,51,710
crore, actual investment
realized was `69,849 crore.
The employment opportuni-
ty created in the above 71
projects was estimated to be
for 1,82,486 persons.
Companies have informed
that more than 90-95 per
cent of their employment in
core manufacturing activi-
ties were locally sourced, he
added and mentioned
department-wise status on
MoUs signed.
The bench posted to April
3, 2020, further hearing of
the case.
 Politics
Adding stress
PAGE
VCK leader Thol Tirumavalavan
said Budget 2020 could push the 4
country into deeper stress
DECCAN CHRONICLE MONDAY I 3 FEBRUARY 2020 | CHENNAI

■ Cooperation minister takes a dig at Kamal Haasan

BRIEF
IN
TN gets testing facility for coronavirus
‘Kamal should read budget Chennai, Feb 2: A testing
facility for the detection

text before commenting’

of novel coronavirus
was unveiled at a
premier state-run institute
here on Sunday as over 800
people are under observa-
tion in homes and hospitals
DC CORRESPONDENT Mr. Raju said the actor after inaugurating the set of Indian 2 direct- in Tamil Nadu.
CHENNAI, FEB. 2 should first read the “Namma Madurai” event ed by Shankar, soon. The testing facility was
entire Budget speech near the Teppakulam On Saturday, taking inaugurated at the King
State Cooperation before expressing his Muktheeswar temple in strong exception to the Institute of Preventive
Minister Sellur Raju took views. “The Union the Temple City, the Budget, Kamal had said, Medicine by health
a dig at Makkal Needhi Budget presented in the Minister said, “the Budget which minister C, Vijayabaskar
Maiam (MNM) leader Parliament on Saturday “Kamal will raise his began with giving halwa who said five blood samples Health minister Dr.C.Vijaybaskar speaks to the media
Kamal Haasan saying the by Union Finance voice only to boost his to the officials ended up have been received at the after launching a testing facility for coronavirus cases
Ajit Kumar actor raises his voice only Minister Nirmala image and will return to giving halwa (taking institute from the health at the King Institute of Preventive Medicine
to boost his image but Sitharaman, has several act in Indian 2.” someone for a ride) to the authorities. Besides, in Chennai on Sunday. Health secretary Beela Rajesh is
Ajit Kumar, new then returns to acting –
and this time to act in
good announcements,
especially those covering
After he underwent a
surgery on Nov. 22 last
common public. A long
speech but not with per-
four specimens had
already been dispatched to
also seen.
Indian 2 film. the poor sections and the year for removing an fect solutions.” He resort- the National Institute of 48 hours after the receipt of ed) are clinically normal
chairman for CBIC Reacting to Kamal’s crit-
icism of the Union
farmers,” the Minister
said on Sunday.
implant on his leg, it was
announced that Mr.
ed to the halwa analogy to
say that the Budget
Virology, Pune, for diagno-
sis, he said, adding the
samples.
"All of them (whose blood
(does not exhibit symptom
presently)," the minister
DC CORRESPONDENT Budget as “halwa budget” Speaking to reporters Haasan would return to lacked solutions. results will be available in specimen have been collect- said. —PTI
CHENNAI, FEB. 2

M.Ajit Kumar, a 1984 batch

IRS officer, has been appoint-
ed as chairman of the
Central Board of Indirect
Anti-CAA resolution to be
taxes and Customs (CBIC).
In his 36 years career he has moved in Pondy Assembly
worked in many capacities in
the department including the
Directorate of Vigilance and
Puducherry, Feb 2 : A
resolution opposing the
Anti Corruption, New Delhi,
Directorate of Revenue
Citizenship Amen-
dment Act would be
Intelligence at Mumbai and moved in the Assembly
Principal
Commissioner of GST Zone
Chief on February
Puducherry
12,
Chief
for Tamil Nadu
Puducherry and Principal
and Minister
Narayanasamy said on
V ture campaign' by his party
Chief Commissioner of Sunday while dubbing
Customs zones at Chennai. the legislation as "ill-
conceived".
The Congress-ruled
Puducherry would be
TNPSC scam: CB-CID the fifth dispensation
to adopt the course
takes woman staffer after the West Bengal,
Kerala, Punjab and
Rajasthan assemblies
into custody passed resolutions
against the amended
DC CORRESPONDENT citizenship law.
ERODE, FEB. 2 Launching a 'massive'
signature campaign
In a shocking development against the CAA, the
National Register of
that sent ripples across Erode
district, a woman junior assis- Citizens and the
tant trainee, hailing from National Population
Villupuram district, has been Register in the union
reportedly taken into custody territory, Naraya-
by the CB-CID police on nasamy said,""We will
Sunday in connection with the never give room for the
alleged Tamil Nadu Public CAA as it is ill-con-
Services Commission ceived and injurious."
(TNPSC) recruitment scam in The resolution con-
Group-1V services. demning the Centre's
The woman junior assistant initiative and also
who was undergoing a 35-day protesting against the
training programme at the CAA would be adopted
training centre run by the on the floor of the ter-
Tamil Nadu government in ritorial Assembly
Bhavanisagar in Erode dis- when it meets on
trict, was picked up from the February 12,
centre and reportedly taken to Narayanasamy said.
Chennai for questioning, "Come what may we
sources said. The training will protest tooth and
centre was, however, nail the CAA and will
tightlipped over the details of give no room for intro-
the woman staff, but another duction of the Act in
arrest with regard to TNPSC the union territory," he
scam has created a sensation said. The signature
here. campaign has been
● “We will never give
room for the CAA as
it is ill-conceived and
injurious." The reso-
lution condemning
the Centre's initia-
tive and also protest-
ing against the CAA
would be adopted on
the floor of the terri-
torial Assembly
when it meets on
February 12”
Narayanasamy said.
announced by the
DMK-led Secular
Progressive Alliance
which includes the
Congress. DMK presi-
dent M K Stalin
launched the initiative
in Tamil Nadu. Others
who participated in the
campaign here includ-
ed the DMK legislator
and convenor of the
DMK (south) wing R
Siva, PCC leader and
PWD Minister A pain that the Centre was
Namassivayam, lead-
ers of the CPI, CPI(M),
VCK, DK and other par-
ties affiliated to the
alliance. The signature
campaign would go on
till February 8. —PTI
Stalin launches anti-CAA sign campaign
D.SEKAR I DC
CHENNAI, FEB. 2 IUML backs DMK move against CAA DMK teams up
Keeping up its pressure on
the BJP-led Central govern-
G. SRINIVASAN | DC
THANJAVUR, FEB. 2
Parliament.
Launching the signature
in the state. The DMK
MLAs' Durai with Prashant
ment, the DMK president M campaign against CAA Chandrasekaran and
K Stalin on Sunday
launched a 'one crore signa-
State president of Indian
Union Muslim League
here on Sunday,
Sri Mohideen said but
T.K.G. Neelamegam,
Udhayakumar of MDMK
Kishor's I-PAC for
and its allies against the
Khader Mohideen has said
that only because of the
for AIADMK , the bill
would not have been
and others participated.
Chandrasekaran said that 2021 TN polls
Citizenship Amendment support extended by passed. 1.25 lakh signatures will be
Act (CAA), and government AIADMK MPs and its As AIADMK has betrayed collected in Thanjavur Chennai, Feb 2 :
of India's moves on the alliance parties, the CAA people by supporting CAA, district till February 8 and Opposition DMK on
National Population (Citizenship Amendment people should support sent to the President of Sunday said it has signed
Register (NPR) and Act) was passed in DMK and bring it to power India. up political strategist
National Registry
Citizens (NRC) here.
of
DMK president
Prashant Kishor's Indian
Political Action Committee
Launching the drive that
included the Congress, Left
M.K. Stalin, after
launching the
to help shape its campaign
for the Tamil Nadu assem-
parties, VCK, IUML and signature bly elections next year.
MDMK and other smaller
parties, as per a resolution
campaign in his
Kolathur
In opposition for nearly a
decade, the DMK, which is
adopted by them last week, constituency, making an all out attempt
Stalin slammed the Centre takes it door-to- to wrest power from the
for "beginning work" on door and gets it ruling AIADMK, said
NRC and NPR, in the man- signed by a several young professionals
ner it had passed the CAA
woman. —DC of the I-PAC were joining
in Parliament. hands with it. For quite
"Sometimes we are con- some time, there was
fused about our own date of speculation that
birth. When this is the case, actor-politician Kamal
a situation has now come Haasan-led Makkal
about in which details Needhi Maiam and the
about older generations like DMK would sign up with
our father and grandfather Nallakannu, CPI the strategist for the
are sought," he said, senior leader, 2021 assembly polls. DMK
launching it in his Kolathur signs the chief M K Stalin took to
constituency. campaign in Twitter to formally
Wearing a badge which Saidapet on announce the move.
said, "No CAA, No NPR, No Sunday. —DC "Happy to share that many
NRC", Stalin went around bright & like-minded young
himself in his constituency professionals of
collecting signatures from Tamil Nadu are joining us
the people against these under the banner of
measures. He expressed @IndianPAC to work with
us on our 2021 election and
turning a deaf ear to the help shape our plans to
cries of the opposition and restore TN to its former
sustained protests by the glory!" he said.
people in different parts of Responding, the I-PAC
the country on this issue. tweeted: "Thanks Thiru
Union Home Minister @mkstalin for the
Amit Shah "autocratically" opportunity. The
declared that the @IndianPAC Tamil Nadu
Citizenship law will be team is excited to
implemented and Prime work with DMK to help

Sasikala Pushpa: Lotus will Minister Narendra Modi

too echoed the view, the
DMK leader regretted.
"CAA must be repealed
secure an emphatic victory
in 2021 elections and
contribute in putting the
state back on the path of

surely bloom in Tamil Nadu

FROM PAGE 1
and initiatives related to
both the NPR and NRC
must not be taken up and
these are the campaign
objectives and this drive
progress and prosperity
under your
leadership.". I-PAC, accord-
able

ing to the group, is "India's

"Sasikala is a very aggres-
sive, vocal leader in Tamil
Nadu. Coming from south
Tamil Nadu, she has also
been a mayor of
Thoothukudi, a port town,
and has worked as the chief
of the AIADMK's women's
wing for the State," Rao said
introducing her. Welcoming
her into the BJP he said
Pushpa's joining would be
advantageous to the saffron
party in Tamil Nadu.
"We have an ideological
and political fight with the
DMK and the Congress. As
we have been fighting all
over the country, the fight
in Tamil Nadu is also get-
ting sharpened day by day.
Even in Delhi, Tamil people
are now supporting the
BJP," Rao claimed.
Endorsing him,
Radhakrishnan said her
joining would strengthen
the party in Tamil Nadu.
Averring that she would
strive for the party's victory
in the state, Sasikala
Pushpa said "lotus will defi-
nitely bloom in Tamil
Nadu."
will emerge victorious," he
added.
Stalin, also slammed the
ruling AIADMK for sup-
porting the CAA and said
the signature drive has
been launched following
several forms of protests
like demonstrations.
The signature campaign
was launched in all the dis-
tricts of Tamil Nadu since
Sunday Morning by DMK
seniors and party secre-
taries, along with their
allies. Volunteers will go
door-to-door and get peo-
ple's signatures after
explaining the reasons, he
said.
After the signature cam-
paign is completed, the
DMK and allied parties
MPs' will submit the list to
President Ram Nath Kovind
and through it "a solution
will come for this problem,"
Stalin expressed the hope.
first and largest cross-party
political advocacy group,
widely credited to have
revolutionised election
campaigning in India."
The group is associated
with the Arivind
Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi
Party for the February 8
polls to Delhi Legislative
Assembly. —PTI

BJP’s olive branch to Omar Abdullah, when razors were no roses

M.R. VENKATESH | DC
CHENNAI, FEB. 2
What is in a symbol? But
when the BJP’s Tamil Nadu
unit recently offered to send
“razors” to the Kashmiri
leader Omar Abdullah on
social media, which the
party quickly retracted, in
the wake of his heavily
bearded, almost unrecog-
nizable photo going viral,
and evoking instant sympa-
thy from parties including
DMK and Trinamool
Congress, they were no
roses.
Intuitively or unwittingly,
it was a throwback to the
BJP’s ideological mentor
Veer Savarkar who began
with a poser ‘What is in a
name’. His essay on
‘Hindutva’ which became
the conceptual base of the
Hindu Mahasabha and the
RSS, seeks to drive home
that ‘Hindutva’ is no mere
word; rather he thought the
word and the essence
(Hinduness) could not be
more “perfectly wed” in
that one symbol/word. Sav-
arkar himself distingu-
ished it from ‘Hinduism’ as
we normally understand it.
If Savarkar’s position is
do not multiply entities
what is philosophically
termed ‘essentialism to the than what is strictly neces-
core’, the offer of ‘razors’ to sary”.
the Kashmiri leader, even in For the otherwise ideolog-
playful zest by the state unit ically insular BJP, to even
of the BJP, comes as an wish to draw inspiration
unintended entwining of from a medieval philoso-
that ‘Sabda (the word)’ with pher from the Western
just its opposite - world would strain our
‘Nominalism’, which the interpretative powers; yet,
14th century English strangely, it also chimes
Scholastic Philosopher with the style of gover-
William of Ockham was nance that today’s BJP gov-
famous for. ‘Nominalists’ do ernment is known for. For
not consider ‘essence’ as there are several real exam-
ultimately real. A ‘table’ ples of ‘Ockham’s Razor’,
may be perceived as a ‘table’ already in work, reducing
for we have an idea of multiplicities to one, cut-
‘tableness’, so to say, in our ting down the clutter, weed-
mind, but there is nothing ing out the unnecessary
out there but for the idea! entities and even outdated
But even more significant- Laws across departments.
ly than his ‘ecclesiastic poli- Since the dawn of the new
tics (wanting to give power millennium, we as citizens
to civil society than to the of India began to feel the
Papacy)’, William of silent march of ‘Ockham’s
Ockham is known for his Razor’ with the BSNL to
celebrated doctrine, start with, ‘one network,
‘Ockham’s Razor’, the way one rate’ - from Kashmir to
he, as the Catholic Kanyakumari. Its cultural
Encyclopedia’ puts it, refor- efflorescence gradually but
mulated the ‘Law of surely came into bloom, as
Parsimony’. Ockham sub-texts began to con-
sought to ‘simplify’ complex sciously presage ‘one
Scholastic doctrines with nation, one culture’. At the
its Aristotelian meta- other end, ‘Ockham’s Razor’
physics; and bang came his has not yet whittled down
formula “‘Ockham’s Razor’- Periyar and Mandal’s cries
REFLECTIONS ON POLITICAL TRENDS
Veer Savarkar
for social justice to just ‘one
religion, one caste’!
The instrumentality of
‘Ockham’s Razor’ took a
huge fiscal step forward
when the historic Goods
and Services Tax (GST) was
ushered in at midnight of
July 1, 2017. The underlying
philosophy was, even as per
the official doctrine, ‘One
Nation, one Tax’. Common
entrance exams are the
‘doors to meritocracy’, yet
State Education Boards still
have a place under the sun
as ‘Education’ remains in
concurrent list. The 2020-21
Central budget, though,
says a new education policy
is in the offing this year.
William of Ockham
Prior to that when the
Planning Commission was
abolished and ‘NITI Aayog’
took its place, the ‘mantra’
was all States should act as
‘one team with one captain
(PMO)’. And the latest is
‘One Nation, one Ration
card’. Even the English the-
ologian would be surprised
to discover that his dictum
covered ‘portability’.
But the overcall of
‘Ockham’s Razor’ in several
other domains is turning
out to be no-trump for the
establishment, like subtle
ways by which Hindi is
sought to be made the ‘sole
official language’. ‘Khelo
India’ could get all the more
patchy and less colourful if
only one national game is
recognised and if only one
trophy was given!
And in territorial reorgan-
izations, whether it is cre-
ation of smaller states /
union territories, or bifur-
cation of districts, the more
the merrier; for even direct
benefit transfers (DBT) and
digital payments need criti-
cal numbers to reach all eli-
gible farmers.
But the reduction of J and
K State into two union terri-
tories has meant a full per-
centage point cut in the
share of divisible pool of
Central taxes for the States
to 41 per cent, going by the
interim report of the N.K.
Singh-headed 15th Finance
Commission whose report
was tabled in Parliament on
Saturday.
These counter-examples,
unexpected fallout, at the
end of the day may be the
country’s saving grace. For
when ‘Ockham’s Razor’ is
over-stretched, cutting
down things to bare mini-
mum in the interests of so-
called simplicity and effi-
ciency, an institutional
over-squeeze naturally
opens the floodgates to plu-
ralism. It draws attention
to one of the fundamental
problems faced by these two
exclusionary positions -
‘essentialism’ on the one
hand, and ‘nominalism’ or
even ‘quasi-nominalism’ at
the other end.
Unlock the doors of plu-
ralism, we find the most
strident ‘essentialist’ needs
the solidity of the ‘other’
even to mark out its stand-
alone claims, its cultural
space. And what is consid-
ered ‘essential’ in one cul-
tural context may turn
‘peripheral’ in another, save
a few biological and trans-
cultural elements, which
constantly battle with
nature to make human exis-
tence livable.
So we inexorably return to
proverbial square one:
Whether ‘essence’ precedes
‘existence’ or vice-versa.
These metaphysical debates
are bound to go on, but no
wonder the Buddha, in
cracking the problem of
human suffering, investi-
gating its causes and find-
ing a way out, wisely hit
upon the ‘Middle Path’. If
Christ internalized the phe-
nomenology of pain to save
mankind, Mahatma Gandhi
lived it differently with
‘Ahimsa’ and ‘Satyagraha’,
where ‘soul force’ prevails
beyond caste and religions.
Nearer our own times,
a great thinker like
Bertrand Russell, who was
a pacifist and was for total
nuclear disarmament,
argued it differently saying
that in a world of increas-
ing inter-connectedness,
first see whether the ‘facts’
bear out the ‘truths’ that
are claimed. As he put it,
‘Love is wisdom, hatred
is foolishness’.
Religions, sans dogmas,
need each other, just as cul-
tures are dependent on one
another, irrespective of
social mores. The
‘Ethical’ is as relative as it
is important and the best of
judgments are tempered by
compassion, mercy like
judge Frank Caprio in the
US. The critical spirit sus-
pends all ultimate judg-
ments while working for the
larger good of humanity.
Every thinker too has
his/her place and context,
and if ‘Ockham’s Razor’
needs to be occasionally
applied, it is well-served
as an anti-essentialist
instrument.

Positive response
Law minister C. V. Shanmugam said the govt was waiting
for a positive response from Governor Banwarilal Purohit on
the release of seven Rajiv murder case convicts
SHORT
SR to run special
TAKES
trains for Thanjai
Big Temple fest
Tiruchy: The Tiruchirapalli
division of the Southern
Railway will operate special
trains for Kumbabhishekam
of Brahadeeswarar Temple
(Big Temple) at Thanjavur
from February 4 to 6 from
Tiruchy, Mayiladuthurai,
Tiruvarur, and Karaikal. In a
release here on Sunday,
Manasa Ranjan Dalai, Public
Relations Officer said the
train number 06841
Tiruchchirappalli-Thanjavur
DEMU special train will leave
Tiruchchirappalli at 12.10 hrs
and reach Thanjavur at 13.30
hrs. In its return journey the
train No.06842 Thanjavur-
Tiruchchirappalli DEMU spe-
cial train will leave
Thanjavur at 14.00 hrs and
reach Tiruchchirappalli at
15.30 hrs the same day.
Similarly, DEMU special
trains are being run on
those three days between
Thanjavur-Mayiladuthurai,
Thanjavur - Tiruvarur and
from Karaikal to Thanjavur
and back. These special
trains will stop at all the sta-
tions between
Tiruchchirappalli-Thanjavur-
Mayiladuthurai -Tiruvarur
and Karaikal, release said.
Feb 5 is local
holiday in Nagai
Nagapattinam: The
Nagapattinam district
administration has declared
February 5
Wednesday as local holiday
in view of the famous
'Santhanakoodu
festival' as part of the ongo-
ing Kanthuri festival of
Nagore Dargah in
Nagapattinam district.
Disclosing this in a release
here, district collector
Praveen P Nair said all state
government offices and
educational institutions will
compensate this leave by
working on February 29,
Saturday. District treasury
and sub-treasuries will, how-
ever, function with limited
staff.'Best Students' Chapter
award' for Kovai College
Higher
educational aid
for students
Coimbatore: Final year
undergraduate students of
engineering, arts and sci-
ence stream are invited to
apply for a scholarship
enabling them to pursue
their higher education
abroad. Students from
Coimbatore, Salem, Erode
and Tirupur are eligible to
apply for the financial assis-
tance. Applicants will be put
through a written test,
shortlisted candidates will
be called for an interview
and the best students will
be given a 100 per cent
scholarship courtesy
'Algebra Consultants'. More
information can be obtained
at http://www.algebracon-
sultants.in/ says a release
here.
‘Best Students’
Chapter award'
for Kovai College
Coimbatore: Sri
Ramakrishna Polytechnic
College received the State
Level 'ISTE Best Polytechnic
Students' Chapter Award'
for the year 2019 form the
Indian Society for Technical
Education (ISTE) Tamil Nadu
Section. Dr. B. L. Shivakumar
principal and R. Vanitha,
HoD of ECE and faculty
advisor- ISTE of Sri
Ramakrishna Polytechnic
College received the award
from Dr Pratapsinh Kakaso
Desai president of the
Indian Society for Technical
Education, New Delhi in the
presence of Dr. A. Sankara
Subramanian chairman, ISTE
TN section. The award was
given at the 7th ISTE Annual
Polytechnic Student
Convention in Hosur.
Children take out
fuel savings rally
Pudukkottai: Hundreds of
school students carrying
fuel conservation placards in
their hands took out here on
Sunday organised by the
IOC and the Petroleum
Conservation Research
Association (PCRA) to
create awareness on the fuel
savings. An IOC release said
IOC's Madurai Manager M.
Thiyagarajan presided
over the inaugural.
Kovai industry lauds Nirmala’s budget
S. KATHTHASAMI | DC
COIMBATORE, FEB. 2
Textile and knitwear
industrialists in
Coimbatore region have
welcomed the 2020-21
union budget announce-
ments made in Parliament
on Saturday.
Commenting on the
budget, G Karthikeyan,
convenor, Economic
Affairs and Taxation
Panel, Coimbatore Zone of
Confederation of Indian
Industry (CII), said, "the
budget was presented with
a recessionary phase in the
background and hopes
amongst the populace and
industry alike of some big
ticket reforms and tax
cuts. It is a welcome move
that all round allocations
made in health care,
renewable energy, educa-
tion and technology-relat-
ed advancements will not
only benefit the society at
PAINTING EXPO
People take a look at paintings displayed at the 11th edition of Hindu spiritual fair
held at Guru Nanak College in Velachery on Sunday.
Ex-Waqf Board
chief rebuts BJP
leader’s charges
DC CORRESPONDENT
TIRUCHY, FEB. 2
Former president of the
Tamil Nadu Waqf Board
Hyder Ali said that
Saturday's union budget
will affect not only the
farmers, but also each
and every citizen of the
country.
Addressing a press con-
ference here on Saturday
Mr.Ali also pointed out
that the Union
Government announced
the 100 per cent sale of
public sector Air India,
which will lead to the
only and one public sector
air carrier of the country
going to lose its credibili-
ty.
"Due to the BJP
Government's wrong
decisions, all the public
sector 'Navrathna' indus-
trial undertakings are
going to be privatised
which ultimately will ren-
der 79,000 employees job-
less, and this is highly
condemnable," he said.
Referring to the recent
murder of a BJP func-
tionary Vijay Raghu, he
said the deceased and the
assailant Babu alias
Mittai Babu had personal
enmity on various rea-
sons including sale of
'ganja'.
He took strong excep-
tion to the BJP national
secretary H. Raja's
demand that the police
should conduct checks in
each and every Muslim's
house in Palakarai area of
Tiruchy city. First the
police should conduct
checks at the residences
of H. Raja and Arjun
Sampath, he urged.
Panther on prowl scares farmers
ZAKEER HUSSAIN | DC
ERODE, FEB. 2
Farmers of several vil-
lages near
Gobichettipalayam in
Erode district are in a
state of shock and fear
for the past three days,
as a panther has been
running amok in their
farms and either killing
goats and sheep or drag-
ging them away into the
nearby reserved forest
area.
The villages affected
large but also help in push-
ing aggregate demand."
On the bright side, per-
sonal income tax slabs
have been restructured via
a new simplified regime,
which is similar to what
was done with corporate
tax in September 2019 leav-
ing the option open to indi-
viduals to choose the sim-
plified new regime. Tax-
payers have an option now.
According to him, the
idea is to increase dispos-
able income in the hands
of the individual in a bid
to push demand. The aboli-
tion of Dividend
Distribution Tax (DDT) is
a good move, but it also has
certain adverse implica-
tions. "Considering wealth
creation is the focus, this
may not be in tune with
that aim. A faceless appeal
system has also been intro-
duced ostensibly to control
and reduce corrupt prac-
tices."
Leaders sketched on egg shells
LAKSHMI L. LUND | DC
COIMBATORE, FEB. 2
In an attempt to make
youth cherish names of
the famous Indian and
International leaders, 19-
year-old, R. Monisha drew
the portraits of world
leaders on 50 egg shells.
With this attempt the
young city-based artist
has her name in the India
Book of Records.
The record attempt was
made at her home located
near Thondamuthur here
on Friday.
It took the teenage girl
one hour, 31 minutes and
59 seconds to complete
her work. Portraits of
leaders like A P J Abdul
Kalam, Annie Besant,
Shocked villagers take a pitying look at the carcass of a goat, latest prey of a
deadly panther on prowl near Gobi in Erode district on Sunday.
by the panther's repeat-
ed nocturnal visits are
Kongarpalayam Mothur
and Thasappa Goundan
Pudur, said sources.
Early on Sunday, the lat-
ter witnessed yet anoth-
er shocking spectacle as
the panther allegedly
dragged away a goat
belonging to a farm
worker Kumar.
The carnivore made a
meal of the poor goat in
another nearby farm
owned by one
Vallaiyangiri, left
DECCAN CHRONICLE
K. V. Srinivasan Raja M. Shanmugam
He noted that a long president of Tirupur
standing demand of Exporters Association,
increasing deposit insur- termed it a people-oriented
ance of Banks has been budget, particularly to
met with the limit per women. He appreciated the
deposit increasing from government focus on three
Rs.1 Lakh to Rs.5 Lakhs. aspects, agriculture and
"The MSME categorization farmers' welfare, wellness
limit has been increased to and education and skills.
Rs 100 crore and the He said the measures
income exemption announced will help in
changed to 3 out of first 10 overall economic develop-
years. But whether it will ment.
help push demand and The TEA chief said, "the
investments remain to be allocation of Rs100 lakh
seen, he noted. crore for investment in
Raja M Shanmugham, infrastructure will help to
Med facilities for Big Temple festival
G.SRINIVASAN | DC
THANJAVUR, FEB. 2
The Thanjavur district
administration anticipates
the 'Big Temple' consecra-
tion festival here to be simi-
lar if not larger in scale
than the Lord
'Athivaradhar Darsana
Vaibhavam' at Sri
Varadaraja Perumal temple
in Kancheepuram last year.
Accordingly, as many as
seven high tech ambulances
are kept ready both inside
and outside Big temple with
a view to attend to any
emergency medical help
during the consecration of
the Big Temple to be held on
February 5, said M.
Govinda Rao, Thanjavur
— DC district collector here on
Sunday.
drawing each leader's por-
trait on an individual egg
shell. The medium being
oval was a challenge for
me to draw and moreover,
the egg shell is delicate by
nature. Thus, using an
eraser could result in
bringing in a crack in the
egg shell." she said.
While half the egg shells
R Monisha has entered are empty the others are
the India Book of Records filled, thus making them
for drawing portraits on perishable.
egg shells. —DC The particular record is
the debut entrant in the
Mahatma Gandhi, Swami category in the India
Vivekananda and Book of Records.
Abraham Lincoln among The record is registered
others are drawn on the and the certificate and
individual egg shells. "I medal will be handed over
took a printout of the to Monisha later this
leaders and using a draw- month. Her aim is to etch
ing HP pencil I worked on her name in the Guinness
—DC
behind the remains to the farms on the forest
which were discovered
today. Another sheep of
fringes in Erode district.
Even as fear-stricken
a farmer was bitten by farmers are unable to
the panther and met irrigate their fields dur-
with the same fate, forc- ing night time due to
ing the villagers to lodge these attacks on goat and
a complaint with the sheep by the panthers,
Forest department office Forest department
a t sources said they were
Thookunaiykkanpalaya trying to track the ani-
m. Foresters rushed to mal with the help of
the scene and examined automatic cameras fixed
the remains of the car- in the forest fringes. A
cass and tried to figure cage has also been
o u t placed in the area to trap
the panther's travel path the panther, they added.
State
MONDAY I 3 FEBRUARY 2020 | CHENNAI
G. Karthikeyan
reduce the logistics cost.
Poor logistics is one of the
hindrance factors for
attaining the export com-
petitiveness by our units
now."
Welcoming the move to
set up National Technical
Textile Mission with an
outlay of Rs.1,480 crore, he
said it will boost the manu-
facturing of technical tex-
tiles in India. He also wel-
comed the launching of a
new scheme 'NIRVIK' to
achieve higher export
credit disbursement, main-
K.Shanmugham, chief secretary of Tamil Nadu govern-
ment, releasing Namma Thanjai app for the benefit of
devotees coming to Thanjavur, on Sunday.
He inspected the ambu-
lances at Thilakar Thidal
.Besides these vehicles, five
bike ambulances are kept
ready. Further, another 16
'108 ambulances' will be
parked at temporary park-
ing places.
World Records in the
same category.Artist by
passion, the final year B.
Com (CA) student of a pri-
vate arts and science col-
lege in the textile city
shares that she spends
two hours every day
sketching, painting or cre-
ating a piece of art. She
started drawing at the age
of 10 and since then on
Monisha has grown as an
artist by experimenting
on various mediums
including water color,
acrylic, oil painting, glass
painting besides working
on origami. In order to
obtain formal training in
art, she has enrolled for
the advance diploma in
fine arts programme at a
private institution here.
BLAST FROM THE PAST
Ancient stone axes found in Rajapalayam near Tirupattur by a research team from Holy
Cross College.
ly to support small
exporters, and invoice-
based loans that could be
obtained from NBFCs' to
MSMEs'.
He lauded for allocation
of Rs. 27,300 crores for the
promotion of industry and
commerce development to
fulfill the PM's vision to
make every district an
export hub.
Mr. Raja Shanmugham
said that the digital refund
of duties and taxes of
Centre, States and
exporters from this year
will help to reduce time
taken to refund the
amount.
K.V. Srinivasan, chair-
man of the Cotton Textiles
Export Promotion Council
(Texprocil), said , "the
budget is positive, growth-
oriented and in the right
direction".
He said, "the budget has
abolished the anti-dump-
ing duty on PTA. "This is
—DC
Six medical camps are
already in place. In addi-
tion, 26 mobile medical
camps are also available.
Emergency wards have
been created at Rajah
Mirasudhar government
hospital and Thanjavur
Coonoor dog show a
big winter-end draw
B. RAVICHANDRAN I DC
COONOOR, FEB. 2
The dog show organised
by the Nilgiris Kennel
Association in Coonoor
on Sunday has come as a
winter canine attraction
to woo dog lovers and
tourists to this hill town
as the event saw an
impressive turnout of 250
dogs belonging to over 50
breeds.
While the dog breeders
from across the country
thronged Coonoor hills,
bringing different breeds
to showcase their breed-
ing and grooming mettle,
PAGE
5
an important decision as
PTA is a critical input for
the textile fibres and yarns
and removal of anti-dump-
ing duty will make its
availability to the industry
at competitive prices and
gives a boost to down-
stream value added prod-
ucts."
He also welcomed vari-
ous initiatives in the budg-
et for the MSME sector
such as increasing the
threshold for audit of
books of account from Rs.
one crore to five crore,
among others.
He said, "the decision to
review the Rules of Origin
under all FTAs, then
strengthen the safeguard
measures to deal with
surge in imports and the
review of all Customs duty
exemptions will protect
the domestic manufactur-
ers which in turn will
encourage "Make in India"
initiatives."
Medical college hospital,
the collector said.
Private hospitals have also
been asked to keep ready
emergency wards, he added.
Chief Secretary's inno-
vation:
Meanwhile, the chief sec-
retary of Tamil Nadu Mr. K.
Shanmugham launched the
Namma Thanjai app for
guidance for devotees who
will come to consecration of
Big temple to be held on
February 5.
He said that the app con-
tained route maps, facilities
available, district map,
tourist places, etc.
M.Govinda Rao, Thanjavur
district collector was pres-
ent on the occasion.
Chief Secretary appreciat-
ed the district collector for
making all the necessary
arrangement.
the event saw different
canine breeds participat-
ing.
Vivek Lajapathee, co-
coordinator of the event,
said that organising the
dog show in Coonoor has
not only brought canine
charm linked tourism to
the Coonoor, but, also to
showcase the wealth of
dog breeding industry in
the country and how
these different breeds can
be bred and groomed to
perfection to motivate the
aspiring dog lovers to
take lessons on profes-
sional dog breeding, he
added.
—K. Senthil Nathan
 Nation
Tete-a-tete
Jaishankar holds discussions on PAGE
regional issues with Turkmenistan
counterpart Rashid Meredov 6
DECCAN CHRONICLE MONDAY | 3 FEBRUARY 2020 | CHENNAI

IN BRIEF
3 escape from Mantri says no virus case Coastal security: Bangla
in Assam, denies reports vessels ‘cause for concern’
Amritsar Jail
Chandigarh: Three undertrial
prisoners escaped from
the high-security Amritsar
Central Jail by scaling the
Security agencies asked to follow protocol route
Three test negative
boundary walls, prompting MANOJ ANAND Surveillance of air pas- RAJIB CHOWDHURI is the overall in charge of
chief minister Amarinder GUWAHATI, FEB. 2 sengers is under way at KOLKATA, FEB. 2 Joint drill must the coastal security. mutu-

to keep a vigil
Singh to order a review and Lokapriya Gopinath al understanding is bene-
Assam health minister Bordoloi International The movement of ficial.”

for virus in Jaipur

revamp of prison security
across the state. The three —
one accused of rape and the
other two (both brothers)
of theft and dacoity —
escaped on the intervening
night of Saturday and
Sunday by making a hole in
the wall of their barrack by
removing about 10 bricks,
officials said. “They then
appear to have scaled the
inner wall — which is about
16-feet high — by standing
one atop the other. While the
outer wall — approx 21-feet
— was crossed by them using
a hook made of a steel
bar and the cover of a quilt
to make a ladder. “They final-
ly escaped the jail complex
from a point near Tower no.
10, which was not under
CCTV cover,”
Himanta Biswa Sarma
here on Sunday said that
no coronavirus case has so
far been reported in
Assam. He however admit-
ted that they are alert and
taking all precautionary
steps.
The clarification of the
health minister came in
the wake of a youth shift-
ed to isolation ward of
Guwahati Medical College
Hospital.
Informing that a youth
from Morigaon who works
in Kerala landed at the
Guwahati airport with
symptoms of coronavirus,
sources in Guwahati
Medical College Hospital
said that youth was shift-
ed to isolation ward and
his blood sample has been
collected for confirmation
Jaipur, Feb. 2: Three Indian citizens airlifted
persons who were from China’s Wuhan
admitted to a hospital city, the epicentre of the
here have tested nega- coronavirus outbreak.
tive for the novel coron- The batch of passen-
avirus, officials said on gers has not yet arrived
Sunday. and is likely to arrive on
They were admitted to Monday, said Ravi
the hospital on Saturday Sharma, a state health
and were kept under department official
observation. coordinating with the
“All three have tested Centre.
negative for coron- He said 300 beds have
avirus,” Dr DS Meena, been prepared in two
superintendent of SMS hostels and adequate
Hospital said on Sunday. staff has been deployed.
Arrangements have Deputy CMHO, Alwar,
been made at Alwar’s Dr Chhabil Kumar said
ESIC Medical College the passengers will be
for keeping nearly 300 quarantined. — PTI
Airport,” the minister
said.
Minister of state for
health and family welfare
Pijush Hazarika admitted
that a patient with sus-
pected infection of coron-
avirus has been admitted
to the GMCH as precau-
tionary measaures.
“The patient who was
returning from Kerala
was having a very high
fever. The doctors are
examining and monitor-
ing his health. However,
he may not be infected by
coronavirus, rather he
could have small pox or
dengue,” the minister of
state for health and family
welfare told reporters.
He said that doctors
would be monitoring the
health of patient till
Bangladeshi vessels in the
Sundarbans delta off the
Bay of Bengal has
remained a “concern” for
the coastal security mech-
anism in the eastern parts
of the country.
To tackle the challenge,
the Indian Navy has asked
other security agencies to
follow protocol route for
monitoring the vessels
from the neighbouring-
country in the Indian
waters.
“We have been request-
ing all the agencies that
they should follow the pro-
tocol route. That is the
only the route we can
actually monitor. You will
not be able to know if any
other route is followed.
There is an issue of con-
cern. I am sure the agen-
◗ The chance of a
boat coming
through the sea and
getting detected is
higher than if it
comes via creeks
◗ There are so many
places where peo-
ple can make
crossovers. There
has to be a joint
effort by the police,
marine, border
security force and
customs.
De told this newspaper on
Sunday on the movement
of Bangladeshi vessels.
He elaborated, “It has to
be a collective effort. The
On the security threat in
the delta, Cmde De point-
ed out that the riverine
boundary is “very porus”.
He added, “The chance
of a boat coming through
the sea and getting detect-
ed is higher than if it
comes through creeks.
There are so many places
where people can make
crossovers. So this has to
be a joint effort by the
police, marine, border
security force and cus-
toms. “It is our endeavour
to interact with all the
agencies.”
Commodore Suprobho
K. De was speaking after
flagging in Matla
Abhiyaan, a five-day-long
coastal security exercise
by a 20-member navy team
led by Captain Joydeep

Kerala slams move

of virus. Monday and only after cies concerned are put- Navy is getting involved Chakraborty in two boats
The medical team on the basis of symptoms, need to panic about. “The that they would be able to ting in effort to tackle as it is the maritime river- from Kolkata to

to amend I-T Act

attending the patient said he has been isolated. Centre has issued a proto- clarify whether the this,” naval officer in ine border. The Border Sundarban delta, at Man
that they are not sure Assam health minister col for us to follow and we patient is infected with charge (West Bengal) Security Force is also Of War Jetty in the river
about the coronavirus but said that there was no have already started it. coronavirus. Commodore Suprobho K. there. But since the Navy Hooghly in the city.
Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala

has come out against the
Union government's pro-
posed amendment to section
6 of the Income Tax Act, say-
ing it would affect its econo-
my which is supported large-
ly by remittances from NRKs
in the Gulf. Chief Minister
Pinarayi Vijayan said the
state's economy, which is
substantially supported by
remittances, especially from
those in the Gulf countries,
would be affected by this
amendment.In the Finance
Bill presented along with the
Union budget 2020, the
Centre has proposed to
amend section 6 of the
Income Tax Act, 1961 which
stipulates conditions for
determining residential sta-
tus for tax purposes in India.
Presently, Indian citizens or
people of Indian origin are
treated as residents if they
stay for 182 days or more in
India.
Schengen
Odisha Naxal camp Man enters
visa fee
runway,
busted in major ops damages
hiked to
AKSHAYA KUMAR
SAHOO
force also recovered a
chopper
Euro 80
huge cache of arms and
BHUBANESWAR, FEB. 2 ammunition of the
Maoists at Vijayanagar RABINDRA NATH
Central Reserve Police district near Odisha’s CHOUDHURY
New Delhi, Feb. 2: A Force (CRPF) jawans Koraput district. BHOPAL, FEB. 2
trip to much of Europe seized a huge cache of Similarly, the task force
has gone costlier from arms, ammunition and recovered a clay-more A youth on Sunday
Sunday with increase in other articles used by mine, detonators and entered the runway of
Schengen visa fees to Maoists during combing other explosives during Raja Bhoj
Euro 80 from the current operation in a forest the combing operation at International airport
Euro 60, officials said. under Chandrapur police Bangarugudi area. All the here dodging the
A Schengen visa is limits in Rayagada dis- explosives were reported- security personnel
needed to visit 26 trict on Saturday evening. ly dumped at an isolated deployed in the area
European countries, The 8th Battalion of place. and then damaged a
including Austria, CRPF launched the comb- Meanwhile, the Odisha helicopter when it
Denmark, France, ing operation based on police has beefed up secu- was about to take off,
Germany, Greece, specific intelligence rity on border districts, police said.
Switzerland and Spain. Medics screen Indian nationals after they were brought by an Air India aircraft from regarding the presence of including Malkangiri The man was over-
“The visa fee increases China's coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan, at the airport in New Delhi, Sunday ultras in the region. after a Maoist was stoned powered by Central
from Euro 60 to Euro 80. Though the left-wing to death following a face- Industrial Security

CAA protests: Owaisi hints

This increase is the first extremists managed to off with locals at Janturai Force (CISF) person-
Intruder sneaks one since 2006,” an
European Union (EU)
escape, the security per-
sonnel seized nine guns,
village recently.
DGP Abhay said the
nel and taken into
c u s t o d y .
into Bhopal airport official said.
The increase in the
15 detonators, eight
rounds of live bullets and
state government has
decided to make
Interrogation
under way.
is

Bhopal: In a major security

breach, a 25-year-old man on
Sunday evening sneaked into
visa fee comes as an
updated Schengen Visa
Code takes effect from
February 2 this year.
at launching jail bharo drive other articles of the red
rebels from the spot.
In another incident,
Andhra Pradesh task
Malkangiri district, free
from Maoists and elabo-
rate plans have been
made for the same.
“Interrogation
the youth was on. He
of

was yet to be identi-

fied,” airport authori-
the Madhya Pradesh govern- It brings the fee in line ATHER MOIN I DC Amendment Act (CAA) on Mr Owaisi said that the ties said.

Man booked for giving triple

ment's hangar inter-connect-
ed to the Raja Bhoj airport
here and "damaged" a
parked helicopter before
running towards the apron
area where a flight was taxi-
ing for take- off, a senior
CISF officer said. He was
overpowered at the apron
area by personnel of the
Central Industrial Security
Force. Due to the incident, a
Udaipur-bound flight with 46
passengers on board got
delayed by one hour at
around 8 pm, CISF Deputy
Commandant Virendra Singh
told PTI. The intruder was
identified as Yogesh Tripathi,
a resident of Bhopal.
with the level where it
would be today if it had
been aligned to the gen-
eral EU-wide inflation
rate since 2006.
“The increased visa fee
will provide member
states with additional
financial resources to
process visa applica-
tions quickly and more
efficiently. By interna-
tional standards, the
visa fee remains low,”
the official said.
For regular travellers,
the fee increase is offset
by the new rules on long-
validity visas. These
travellers may save
money under the new
provisions. — PTI
HYDERABAD, FEB. 2
Majlis-e-Ittihadul
Muslimeen president
Asaduddin Owaisi has
indicated that he will
launch a ‘Jail Bharo’ drive
as part of the CAA-NPR-
NRC protests.
He was addressing the
Women’s Protest Meeting
held at Jamia Islamia
Darul Uloom Hyderabad,
Shivrampally organised
by the United Muslim
Action Committee.
Mr Owaisi said that in
Bidar, police sent the
headmistress of a school
and the mother of a girl-
student to jail for staging
a play against theCitizen’s
Republic Day, levelling
sedition charges against
them. He said it is
astounding that if anyone
says anything against
Prime Minister Modi, the
police book him/her on
sedition charges.
“This is an act of atroci-
ty. We will say to Mr Modi
that a time will come
when we decide the time
when to start ‘Jail Bharo
Andolan’. The entire
intake capacity of jails in
India is only three lakhs.
If we come out onto the
roads, jails in India will
not be sufficient to keep
us. Shoot us and we are
ready to face the bullets,”
he said.
language used by a minis-
ter is so filthy that new
words have to be included
in the dictionary.?? A min-
ister says to shoot the peo-
ple and no case is booked
against him.
The Hyderabad MP said
he avoided the Parliament
session yesterday and vis-
ited Bidar to meet the
women who were facing
sedition charges for stag-
ing the school drama. The
government is creating
an atmosphere of dismay
and fear in this way, he
said. “We don’t want to
disturb the peaceful
atmosphere of the city,
but other forces are try-
ingto do so,’’ he said.
talaq to his wife in Jhansi
Gwalior, Feb. 2: A 28-
year-old man from Jhansi
in Madhya Pradesh was
booked for allegedly
divorcing his wife
through the banned triple
talaq method, a Gwalior
police official said on
Sunday.
His father and brother
have also been booked for
harassing the woman for
dowry, police added.
The Muslim Women
(Protection of Rights on
Marriage) Act, 2019
makes talaq-e-biddat or
any other similar form of
talaq having the effect of
instantaneous and irrevo-
cable divorce pronounced
by a husband illegal.
Adil Khan, after
“divorcing” his wife on
January 28, asked her to
marry his father and con-
summate the marriage, as
per “nikah halala”
norms, if she wished to
marry him again, said
Gwalior police official G.
Badhoria. — PTI
According to the
airport sources, the
youth scaled the
boundary wall of the
airport on one side
and entered the run-
way.
He then came in
front of the new
Agusta AW-139, a pri-
vate chopper, which
was about to take off
and then started pelt-
ing stones at it.
The glass window of
the chopper was dam-
aged in the incident,
the airport sources
said.
The chopper was
grounded.

Defence ministry proposes Women take up innovative farm practice

setting up tax-free bonds ■ Project started in Odisha to be extended to 32 gram panchayats soon
PAWAN BALI
NEW DELHI, FEB. 2
The defence ministry pro-
posed to the 15th Finance
Commission that it set up
a “non-lapsable fund” as
well as tax-free defence
bonds, the disinvestment
of defence public sector
undertakings and levy of
cess as a means to gener-
ate additional funds to
meet the big defence
acquisitions needed by
the armed forces as they
look to prepare them-
selves for modern warfare
and a combined threat
from Pakistan and China.
The defence ministry
has also asked the com-
mission to look at the
monetisation of surplus
land.
The defence ministry
said though India is cur-
rently not engaged in any
conflict, the nature of
threats that it faces
demands complete
defence preparedness. It
said big defence acquisi-
tions require large capital
outlays and current provi-
sions are inadequate to
fund these and thus there
is a need for alternate
sources of additional
funding.
Paratroopers descend as
they rehearse for the
Defence Expo 2020, in
Lucknow, Sunday. — PTI
The 15th Finance
Commission has also been
asked to examine whether
a separate mechanism for
funding defence and inter-
nal security is to be set up,
and if so, how such a
mechanism should be
operationalised.
“The commission, with
the objective of ensuring
predictability and stabili-
ty in the flow of funds for
defence and internal secu-
rity, intends to constitute
an expert group compris-
ing representatives of the
ministries of defence,
home affairs and finance
to consider the detailed
modalities and implemen-
tation plan for accretion
to, and utilisation of, the
proposed non-lapsable
fund or alternative mech-
anism,” said its report
tabled in Parliament on
Saturday.
The commission said it
is of the view that the
non-salary component
should be allowed to grow
at a robust pace so as to
allow for a reasonable
level of maintenance of
defence assets. “An annual
growth of 11 per cent in
total defence revenue
expenditure allows expen-
diture on maintenance of
defence assets (the non-
salary component of
defence revenue expendi-
ture) to grow at around
15.5 per cent in 2020-21,
compared to an average
growth of about eight per
cent in the previous two
years,” it said.
■ Tech where fodder is grown in farm & their waste products used as manure
AKSHAYA KUMAR SAHOO
BHUBANESWAR, FEB 2
Women members of several
self-help groups (SHGs) in
Boriguma block of Odisha’s
Koraput have started novel
agriculture practices under
the Integrated Multiple
Farming (IMF) system in
the unused government
lands.
IMF comprises cultivation
of vegetables, flowers,
mushroom and allied activi-
ties like animal husbandry,
poultry and fish farming at
one place. This is an inter-
linked technique where fod-
der for animals is grown in
the farm and their waste
products are used as manure
and fertilizers for crops.
According to local Block
Development officer (BDO)
Pranaya Kumar Behera, the
district administration
under the guidance of the
collector has acquired 18
acres of barren land at
Bhatigam village under
Kamara panchayat in
Koraput district for the pur-
pose and engaged women
members of the SHGs in the
farming activities. Apart
from flowers, vegetables and
fish farming, the SHG
Flower and vegetable cultivation by women in an unused land at Bhatigam village under
Boriguma block in Odisha’s Koraput district.
women members also plant- Mahatma Gandhi National
ed coconut, banana and Rural Employment
other trees in the land. Guarantee Act (MGNRE-
“In the first phase, we have GA). The pilot project was
started a pilot project at started four months ago. The
Bhatigam village and it will first sum of money has
be replicated in 31 more recently come from floricul-
gram panchayats. Women ture and it has been placed
SHG members were engaged with the local gram pan-
in developing the land and chayat. A bylaw is being pre-
paid as provided by the pared for transparent
administration of revenue
earned from the project.
Once the bylaw is ready, the
associated women members
will get their share from the
earned revenue,” said Mr
Behera.
Joshada Bishoyi, an SHG
member, said, “We have
grown varieties of flowers,
vegetables and mushrooms.
We also rear livestock in the
IMF project.”
Another member of the
SHG, Ratna Bisoyi said,
“Now in the first phase, we
have got engaged in the proj-
ect development work and
getting a good payment for
our labour. After the land is
fully developed and farm
activities start, we hope that
each member will earn not
less than `7,000 to `8000 per
month.”
Boriguma block adminis-
tration, as the BDO
informed, is spending
around `60 to `70 lakh in
each panchayat to develop
such farming project.
Satyanarayan Sethi, assis-
tant engineer of Borigumma
block, said, “There were
huge patches of government
land in several panchayats
of the block which were
either encroached upon by
the villagers or left unused.
We identified those lands
and started the project.”
This initiative of the
Borigumma block authori-
ties, first of its kind in the
state, will make the tribal
woman of the region inde-
pendent. Such initiatives
should be taken up across
the state, said a local.

Politics
Rahul takes a dig at PM Modi over
economy, says please try ‘your magical
exercise routine a few more times’
IN BRIEF
60 artists protest
against CAA, NRC
Thane: At least 60 artists
from various parts of the
country on Sunday vented
their anger against the CAA-
NRC-NPR regime on canvas
at Mumbra in Maharashtra’s
Thane district. The “Mumbra
Shaheen Bagh” protest was
organised by the Joint
Action Committee for Social
Justice, the Secular Art
Movement of Maharashtra,
the Artist Rises for India and
local activists in solidarity
with the Shaheen Bagh pro-
testers in Delhi. “The artists
came from different parts of
the country and raised their
voice on canvas against the
Citizenship Amendment Act
(CAA), the proposed
National Register of Citizens
(NRC) and the National
Population Register (NPR),"
an organiser said. He said
they invoked Chhatrapati
Shivaji, saint-poet Tukaram,
and noted Urdu poet Faiz
Ahmed Faiz, demanding that
the Constitution be
protected. —PTI
Raja asks secular
forces to oust BJP
Kolkata: Communist Party of
India (CPI) general secretary
D. Raja on Sunday called
upon secular and democratic
forces of the country to join
hands to oust the BJP from
power accusing it of trying
to polarise the society on
religious lines by bringing
the Citizenship (Amendm-
ent) Act. Addressing a public
meeting on the first day of
the three-day CPI national
council meeting, Raja said
the new citizenship law is
not only against Muslims but
also “against the poor, Dalits,
tribals and common people”.
He said the party is launch-
ing a “BJP Hatao, Desh
Bachao” campaign. “By
bringing in the CAA, the BJP
and RSS want to break India,
divide people, want to
polarise society. This is their
sinister design,” he said.
Punjab CM hits
out at SAD chief
Chandigarh: Punjab chief
minister Amarinder Singh on
Sunday slammed SAD chief
Sukhbir Singh Badal for
praising the Union Budget as
pro-poor and pro-farmer. The
chief minister claimed that
even agriculture experts and
farmer bodies have rejected
the Budget as totally bereft
of any initiative to save the
agrarian sector. “While the
BJP was blinded by power
and could not see the prob-
lems faced by the farmers,
the Shiromani Akali Dal
(SAD) president was appar-
ently so blinded by his syco-
phant love for the ruling
party that he could see noth-
ing wrong in their actions,”
Singh was quoted as saying
in an official statement.
CONCENTRATE ON
BUILDING NATION,
SAYS BHAGWAT
Guna (MP): Rashtriya
Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)
chief Mohan Bhagwat on
Sunday appealed to youths
to focus on the nation-
building by “putting aside
personal interests”.
Addressing the 'Yuva
Sankalp Shivir’ of the Sangh
on its concluding day,
Bhagwat said, “Focus on the
nation building by putting
aside your personal inter-
ests. If you resolve to give a
little time to nation building,
the country would emerge
as the ‘vishwa
guru’ (world
leader)”.
According to
Sangh insiders,
a total of 1376
youth, mostly
students drawn
from Madhya
Pradesh’s 16 dis-
tricts between
the age group of 16 to 30,
took part in the three-day
“Yuva Sankalp Shivir”. The
camp was held in Veer
Savarkar locality in an area
of 10 acres where huts were
pitched for the participants.
Various cultural pro-
grammes, debates on vari-
ous issues and other events
were held, at the camp. It is
known that the Sangh-affili-
ated Akhil Bharatiya
Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP)
and other organisations
have been stridently sup-
porting the Citizenship
Amendment Act (CAA)
which has been opposed by
the Left-backed bodies in
some universities. —PTI
Hindu outfit’s UP chief shot dead Uddhav opposes
Incident in heart of Lucknow; 4 cops, including SI, suspended for alleged laxity
Lucknow, Feb. 2: A
leader of a right wing
Hindu outfit was shot dead
on Sunday while he was
out on a morning walk,
barely a couple of kilome-
tres away from the high-
security Uttar Pradesh
legislature complex in the
heart of the state capital.
Saffron-clad Ranjeet
Bachchan, 40, who had
founded the Vishwa Hindu
Mahasabha, was shot in
the head and his cousin
Aditya Srivastava injured
in the attack by an uniden-
tified assailant who also
snatched their mobile
phones, according to Joint
Commissioner of Police
Naveen Arora.
The attacker had covered
himself in a shawl and
was on foot, police said
quoting eyewitnesses.
Four police personnel,
including a sub-inspector,
were suspended for
alleged laxity and a case
has been registered at
Hazratganj police station
in connection with the
Davinder case: NIA raids
houses in Kashmir
Srinagar, Feb. 2: The
National Investigation
Agency on Sunday morn-
ing carried out searches
at five places, including
that of a Sarpanch, in
connection with a case in
which a senior Jammu
and Kashmir police offi-
cer was arrested while
ferrying terrorists out-
side the valley, officials
said here.
Multiple NIA teams,
fanned in various parts of
south Kashmir's Kulgam
and Shopian districts,
carried out the searches
at the residences of Rafi
Ahmed Rather, an arrest-
ed militant, at Zainpora.
The NIA teams entered
4 more detained J&K leaders set free 57-year-old dies of heart
Currently only 16 politicians are now detained at the hostel attack during CAA protest
YUSUF JAMEEL
SRINAGAR, FEB. 2
Four more mainstream
politicians were on
Sunday released from
detention in Jammu and
Kashmir. They are among
hundreds of political lead-
ers and activists detained
by the police before or
immediately after J&K
was stripped of its special
status and split up into
two Union Territories on
August 5 last year.
The four freed second-
rung leaders belonging to
National Conference (NC)
and People’s Democratic
Party (PDP) were lodged
at Srinagar’s MLAs
Hostel. After their release,
only 16 politicians are now
detained at the hostel.
Those released on Sun-
day include Abdul Majid
Larmi, Ghulam Nabi Bhat
and Dr Muhammad Shafi
of the NC and Muhammad
K’taka Cabinet:
13 MLAs set to
take oath Feb. 6
Bengaluru, Feb. 2:
Karnataka chief minister
B.S. Yediyurappa on
Sunday said the expan-
sion of his ministry will
take place on February 6
and 13 MLAs will take the
oath of office.
These MLAs include 10
legislators who had
joined the BJP from other
parties, including the
Congress and the JD(S),
he said.
Yediyurappa had on
January 31 received the
nod from his party’s cen-
tral leadership for expa-
nding his six-month-old
cabinet. The exercise has
been on the cards ever
since the BJP won 12 of
the 15 seats in the Dece-
mber 5, 2019, assembly
bypolls, helping the Yedi-
yurappa government ret-
ain majority in the House.
“The cabinet expansion
will take place on
February 6 with the oath-
taking ceremony at the
Raj Bhavan at 10.30 am,”
the CM said.
Thirteen MLAs, includ-
Wife of Antarrashtriya Hindu Mahasabha leader
Ranjeet Bachchan, who was shot dead by unidentified
assailants when he was out on a morning walk. —PTI
incident which occurred senior official said.
near the Collectorate
building, days after Bharat Hindu Mahasabha
Lucknow came under the president
police commissioner sys- Chakrapani,
tem with an aim to was also the working pres-
improve law and order.
Later, police released Pradesh unit. C
CCTV footage showing a
suspect and announced a the murder and hit out at
cash reward of `50,000 for chief
providing information, a Adityanath. The incident
into the house of
Lashker-e-Tayyaba ter-
rorist Adil Hussain and
Sarpanch Tariq Ahmed
Mir besides the houses of
Over Ground Workers
(OGWs) at Maldera in
Shopian and Kulgam, the
officials said.
Some documents have
been seized and these are
being analysed, they said.
The NIA had taken over
the case of Jammu and
Kashmir's Deputy
Superintendent of Police
(DSP) Davinder Singh
who was caught in south
Kashmir while ferrying
two terrorists out of the
valley on January 11.
— PTI
2 CRPF jawans injured in
Srinagar grenade blast
DC CORRESPONDENT
SRINAGAR, FEB. 2
Two jawans of Central
Reserve Police Force
(CRPF) and an equal
number of pedestrians
were injured when sus-
pected militants tossed a
hand grenade towards
the security personnel
deployed along Srinag-
ar’s busy Residency
Road on Sunday.
The police and wit-
nessed said that unkn-
Yusuf Bhat of the PDP.
On January 16, five
mainstream politicians of
the NC and PDP were
released from their deten-
tion in the MLA hostel.
ing 10 who
had joined
the BJP from
other parties,
including
Congress and
Janata Dal
(Secular),
will take the oath of
office, he said.
Currently, there are 18
ministers, including the
chief minister, in the cab-
inet, which has a sanc-
tioned strength of 34.
Sixteen
vacant.
Earlier,
berths are
Yediyurappa
had said that most of the
disqualified JD(S)-
Congress MLAs who got
re-elected in the bypolls
on BJP tickets would be
made ministers, but there
would not be additional
deputy chief ministers.
Though he had given an
assurance to all 11 re-
elected legislators that
they would be made min-
isters, he said on Sunday
that only 10 of them
would be made ministers.
—PTI
DECCAN CHRONICLE
comes nearly four months
after the leader of a little
known Hindu Samaj Party
was killed in the city.
On October 18, Kamlesh
Tiwari (45), who was earli-
er associated with a fac-
tion of the Hindu
Mahasabha, was found
murdered at his home in
the congested Naka
Hindola area of the city.
“Such incidents throw a
challenge to UP chief min-
ister Yogi Adityanath. He
should weigh his options
as to whether election
campaigning in other
states is more important
or improving the law and
order of the state,” Mr
Chakrapani said.
According to Akhil Arora said as per initial
information, Bachchan
Swami and his wife Kalindi
Bachchan Sharma Bachchan were
not in a cordial relation-
ident of the outfit’s Uttar ship and a case in this
regard was registered in
hakrapani condemned Gorakhpur. “This angle is
also being looked into,” he
minister Yogi said.
He said Bachchan was
Children run near tulips in full bloom at the Mughal Gardens of Rashtrapati Bhavan,
in New Delhi, Sunday.
their release from prisons
within and outside the UT.
Earlier on January 3,
two PDP leaders Rafi
Ahmad Mir and Abdul
Majeed Paddar were
released from house
own assailant targeted arrest. This was followed
the CRPF personnel fr- by the release of two more
om behind at the eastern mainstream leaders and
corner of Pratap Park, former MLAs Hakeem
yards away from City ce- Muhammad Yaseen and
ntre Lal Chowk. The Muhammad Ashraf Mir
injured were quickly ev- from the MLAs’ hostel.
acuated to hospital whe- The government had on
re their condition is stat- December 30 last year
ed to be ‘out of danger’. released five second-rung
A report put the num- leaders of the NC, PDP
ber of injured civilians and Congress - after they
at five, saying that three reportedly signed bonds
of them received minor assuring the authorities
splinter injuries and did that they will not indulge
not report to hospital. in any activities prohibit-
They were freed days after
ed in the documents.
They included Ishfaq
the J&K government Jabbar and Ghulam Nabi
revoked the detention of Bhat (NC), Bashir Mir (Co-
26 persons under strin- ngress) and Zahoor Mir
gent Public Safety Act and Yasir Reshi (PDP), the
(PSA) and ordered for official sources said.
Devotees from China, Hongkong and Taiwan participate in the 37th Kagyu Monlam
prayers in Bodhgaya on Sunday.
RSS set to expand its base in Scindia bastion
RABINDRA NATH to hold its ‘Yuva sankalp
CHOUDHURY Shibir’, the youth camp, in
BHOPAL, FEB. 2 Guna is a part of the strat-
egy by the sangh to
Rashtriya Swayamsevak ‘expand and then consoli-
Sangh (RSS) has firmed up date’ its base in Guna in
its strategy to expand its the wake of the Bharatiya
base in Guna Lok Sabha Janata Party wresting the
constituency, considered Lok Sabha constituency
the traditional bastion of from Congress veteran
Scindia dynasty of Jyotiradityan Scindia in
Gwalior, in Madhya the last polls, sangh
Pradesh, leaving the rul- sources disclosed to this
ing Congress worried. newspaper on Sunday.
The decision by the RSS RSS supremo Mohan
Nation
MONDAY | 3 FEBRUARY 2020 | CHENNAI
associated with the
Samajwadi Party previ-
ously and took part in
cycle rallies of the party
between 2002-09.
Arora said they are
examining CCTV footage
from the area and check-
ing the background of the
people with whom
Bachchan had any dis-
pute. “As many as eight
teams of the crime branch
are working to solve the
case,” he said.
In the complaint regis-
tered with the police,
Aditya Srivastava said, “I
along with Ranjeet went
out for a morning walk. At
around 6 am, on the road
outside Globe Park, an
unknown person who had
wrapped a shawl came
from a behind, and asked
us to hand over our mobile
phones.”
“After this, the unknown
person fired at Ranjeet,
and also fired at me on my
left arm. I ran from the
spot in order to save my
life,” he added. —PTI
— PTI
RAJIB CHOWDHURI
KOLKATA, FEB. 2
An elderly apparently
died of heart attack early
on Sunday while protest-
ing against the
Citizenship Amendment
Act (CAA), National
Register of Citizens
(NRC) and National
Population Register
(NPR) at an ongoing
Shaheen Bagh-style agita-
tion at Park Circus
Maidan in the city.
Sameeda Khatoon (57),
the deceased, was a resi-
dent of Entally in central
part of the city. She is
survived by her husband,
Mohammed Alauddin Ali
and their eight children.
At around 12.40 am she
fell unconscious at the
agitation venue due to
high blood pressure,
according to sources.
Khatoon was rushed by
—PTI
Bhagwat, significantly,
exhorted people to choose
‘Nayak’ or statesman over
‘Neta’ or leader while
addressing the youths who
attended the camp late on
Saturday.
Sangh sources revealed
that RSS has chalked out a
strategy to ‘expand and
consolidate’ its base in
Guna in the wake of
changed political scenario
in the constituency.
“RSS has been working
NRC, supports
Citizenship Act
DC CORRESPONDENT
MUMBAI, FEB. 2
Chief minister Uddhav
Thackeray on Sunday
said that the proposed
National Register of
Citizens (NRC) would not
be implemented in
Maharashtra, arguing
that it would make prov-
ing citizenship complicat-
ed for Hindus and
Muslims.
Mr Thackeray, on the
other hand, defended the
controversial Citizenship
Amendment Act (CAA) —
which his own allies, the
Nationalist Congress
Party (NCP) and
Congress, have opposed
— saying that it won’t
take away anyone’s citi-
zenship but rather grant
citizenship to persecuted
minorities from neigh-
bouring countries.
Mr Thackeray and the
Shiv Sena have been vocal
supporters of the CAA,
which is considered the
precursor to the NRC.
In an interview to the
Sena mouthpiece
Saamana, the chief min-
ister said, “The NRC will
not be allowed in
Maharashtra. Proving cit-
izenship will be difficult
for both Hindus and
Muslims. I will not let
that happen,” he said.
The Sena chief also reit-
erated that his party
would continue to
endorse Hindutva. “We
have not abandoned
Hindutva and will never
do so. Just that we have
formed an alliance gov-
ernment in Maharashtra
does not mean that we
have changed our reli-
gion. We have not com-
promised anything on the
ideology of Hindutva,” he
said.
her family members and
fellows to nearby Calcutta
National Medical College
and Hospital. Later she
was referred to Islamia
Hospital where she was
declared brought dead.
Asmat Jamil, one of the
organisers of the Park
Circus Maidan agitation,
said, “We are in deep grief
at the sudden demise of
Khatoon, an activist of
Park Circus Shaheen
Bagh Manch. We express
our sympathy with the
bereaved family members
and pledge to carry the
movement in which she
was actively involved
against NRC-NPR-CAA.”
In the afternoon the
demonstrators wearing
black badges observed a
two-minute silence in
Khatoon’s memory. One of
them recalled that
Khatoon used to come at
3pm daily to the agitation
Madhya Pradesh all set
to host IIFA awards 2020
DC CORRESPONDENT
BHOPAL, FEB. 2
Madhya Pradesh is all set
to host International
Indian Film Academy
(IIFA) Awards 2020 in
March this year.
Madhya Pradesh chief
minister Kamal Nath
along with Bollywood
star superstar Salman
Khan are going to
announce the schedule of
the international event in
Indore in MP on Monday,
an official spokesman of
state government said on
Sunday.
The event set to be tele-
in the Lok Sabha con-
stituency since last five
years to generate aware-
ness among the people on
the lack of development in
the area. BJP had cashed
in on the woks done by
RSS, by snatching Guna
seat from Mr Scindia in
the last LS polls”, a senior
sangh leader told this
newspaper on Sunday
requesting not to be quot-
ed since he was not autho-
rised to speak to the
PAGE
7
Uddhav Thackeray
◗ He argued that it
would make proving
citizenship compli-
cated for Hindus
and Muslims.
Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay
Raut, who is also the edi-
tor of Saamana, inter-
viewed the Sena chief. A
short clip of the inter-
view was shared on
Twitter while the full
interview will be released
in the coming days.
The Shiv Sena had earli-
er criticised the Narendra
Modi government over
the new citizenship law
and the proposed NRC,
both of which have led to
protests across the coun-
try. The Sena had earlier
alleged that the Bharatiya
Janata Party (BJP) want-
ed a ‘Hindu-Muslim riot’
over the CAA.
The CAA was passed by
Parliament on December
11. Those opposed to the
legislation have argued
that it violates the basic
tenets of the
Constitution.
However, the govern-
ment and ruling BJP have
been defending the Act,
saying minority groups
from Pakistan,
Bangladesh and
Afghanistan have no
other option but to come
to India to escape reli-
gious persecution.
venue, where several hun-
dred people including 250
women from the city had
been staging a peaceful
sit-in demonstration
since January 7 against
the new act, and stayed
till 1 am to extend her sol-
idarity to the protest.
“Like previous days, she
also came on Saturday.
Her family members
including children were
also present there,” he
said.
A political slugfest has
however began over
Khatoon’s citizenship.
Expressing his doubt,
state BJP general secre-
tary Sayantan Basu won-
dered if the deceased pro-
tester was a Bangladeshi
national. He also claimed
that majority of the
protesters at the Park
Circus Maidan were
from the neighbouring
country.
cast in 90 countries is
scheduled to be held in
the cities of Bhopal and
Indore.
“MP will showcase its
tourism potential at the
international level by
hosting the prestigious
event. Besides, the state
will be able to generate
revenue by telecasting the
event in 90 countries”, the
spokesman said.
The state government
on Sunday constituted a
six-member high-level
official committee meet-
ing to oversee the hosting
of IIFA 2020 in Madhya
Pradesh.
media.
BJP’s K.P. Yadav, a green-
horn, won the seat by
defeating Mr Scindia by a
margin over one lakh
votes in the polls.
The Scindia dynast used
to be seen in reverence by
the people in Guna, once a
part of former Gwalior
kingdom.
Mr Scindia was given the
charge of west Uttar
Pradesh by Congress in
the last Lok Sabha polls.
 cmyk cmyk

Edit
MIND POWER
HAVELOCK ELLIS RAINER MARIA RILKE PAGE
Every artist writes his own The deepest experience of the creator is feminine,
autobiography for it is experience of receiving and bearing
8
DECCAN CHRONICLE MONDAY | 3 FEBRUARY 2020 | CHENNAI

3 FEBRUARY 2020

Budget lacks vision, a Subhani

golden chance wasted
D
isappointment is the one word that sums up Union Budget 2020-21.
Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman had a great opportunity to
boost economic growth, after the ill-conceived 2016 demonetisa-
tion and an ill-timed rollout of the Goods and Services Tax in 2017.
However she frittered away a golden chance to course-correct the coun-
try’s economic discourse by presenting a Budget that doesn’t have any
vision or idea to address the current economic problems.
India’s economy is beset with three major problems: One, low consumer
confidence, which discourages people from spending and thereby fails to
create enough demand for entrepreneurs to invest and create jobs; two,
poor prospects of future growth in demand and this inhibits business peo-
ple from expanding their businesses; three, low capital formation and dif-
ficulty in securing loans. Any solution to boost economic growth must
LETTERS
A ‘make-do’ Budget that
begin with restoring the people’s confidence in the economy’s future. But
there was no major announcement in the Budget — something similar to
the Atal Behari Vajpayee government’s Golden Quadrilateral — that
could revive confidence. When the government, that theoretically has
unlimited spending power, shudders to fearlessly take up mega-projects to
PRIVATISING LIC
This is with reference to LIC to
boost the economy, what can individuals and companies do? Similarly, get listed on stock exchange
nothing was done to either to resurrect state-run banks or privatise them

adjusts to the slowdown

to bring efficiency into their functioning. (Feb. 2). The finance minister
The Budget, however, had some good proposals like encouraging announced in her Budget
women’s self-help groups to build storage facilities for farm produce in vil- about the listing of public
lages, incentivising the construction of cold storages at the block level on sector behemoth LIC to
PPP mode, and prodding state governments to amend archaic laws gov- achieve the government’s
erning market-yards. In the proposed scheme, the Centre would remain a
aggressive disinvestment
mere facilitator by providing financial support. How fast such proposals Sitharaman’s idea or ideas, and the
fructify, especially in the wake of a deep-seated resistance in rural areas
to allow a new social order to emerge, is a trillion-rupee question.
Parsa entire presenta- others in Team Modi
can only do the imple-
target of `2.1 lakh crore. As
rightly put by DC, what is her
Another great disappointment in the Budget was the new income-tax
regime. There are many opinions on taxation — some call for taxing the
Venkateshwar tion on Saturday
seemed like she,
mentation work. Mr
Modi does not know
answer to 40 crore invested
public who trusted the
rich at a higher rate and relatively less rich at a lesser rate, others prefer
a considerably lower rate for everyone without a maze of deductions for
Rao Jr and the govern- whether he should
allow the economy to
sovereign guarantee given by
easy tax compliance, and a few others oppose the concept of income-tax
ment, was waiting function according to the government. And one
itself. On her part, Ms Sitharaman appears to have chosen the advice of for the situation to market principles, with should not forget that the
the second lot, but not wholeheartedly. The result is that she abolished all improve, rather its natural fluctuations, guarantee by the government
deductions to make compliance easy, but tax slabs were rearranged in than do anything its ups and downs, its is not only for the amount

I
such a manner that the taxpayer continues to pay the same tax or maybe n the Winter
a little more. In a nation like India where each individual has to fend for Session of
himself due to the lack of a social security net, most people dislike the idea Parliament in
of working one-third (33 per cent) of their day to pay income-tax. And at December 2019,
any given opportunity, they would try to evade taxes. But if the tax rate is replying to a dis-
low and compliance easy, more people would become taxpayers. But sadly cussion on the econom-
the finance minister failed to realise it, and her tax proposal has ended up ic situation in the Rajya
as the butt of jokes in the social media. Sabha, finance minister
Nirmala Sitharaman
admitted that the econo-
office to turn Indian proactively to boom-and-bust cycles, assured by LIC but also for
into an economic pow- because this would
erhouse has been put on change it mean that he has to
the bonuses vested on each
the backburner. allow economic players policy in force. LIC is a
There are vital clues for teachers, nurses, — companies as well as statutory corporation set up
for this strategy in the para-medical workers individuals — the free- by an Act of Parliament
Budget speech. The first and caretakers as there dom to do what they passed in 1956. Today it is
is the quotation from is a demand for them want to, and reap the growing at a rate which is
the ancient Tamil poet- abroad, and there is a profits and losses
ess of the Sangam era, provision to equip them accordingly, or he much more than any insura-

Indian supremacy my has slowed down

and said that there was
yet no recession. The
Avauyar: “First tend to
till one’s land and then
eat.” This is a thought
with required foreign
language proficiency as
well. The finance minis-
should guide their
activities so that the
nation achieves glory.
nce company in the world. LIC
has contributed around `4
lakh crore a year for

T
he Austrians, it is said, had a genius for defeat. If sport is war minus expectation was that in fit for hard times. There ter saw an economic The Economic Survey government's plans. The settl-
the shooting, then the New Zealand cricket team seems to have her Union Budget for is no plenty around. opportunity of attract- of 2019-20, placed on the ement record of LIC is also
become the modern equivalent of the Austrians, the historical losers 2020-21, she would You must work, build, ing foreign students table of the Lok Sabha
on the battlefield, as in World War I. In an unprecedented 5-0 Kiwi-wash, address the issue of the prepare before you can and creating an on January 31, was the best in the industry. In this
Team India came away with all the laurels in the T20 series, which, inci- economic slowdown eat. Though the finance American-type SAT as arguing that there context, the Budget proposal
dentally was their first-ever in this format over the southerners, who have and announce mea- minister used this line an eligibility test for should be minimal state is seen as a move by the
been the eternal bridesmaids of cricket for nearly half-a-century. sures to reverse it, that of poetry to outline the Asian and African stu- intervention in the government to weaken the
Often found, like wine, to be not taking too well to travel, the Indians is provide a stimulus. measures she dents seeking admis- economy. The Prime company and undermine the
stressed their newfound mettle in the white ball game by coming out of But her Budget speech announced for improv- sion to Indian colleges. Minister and his party,
ing cold storage facili- Farmers are to be however, do not favour confidence of insuring public.
each tight situation as is the wont of true champions. Twice they survived lasting two hours and
a test of nerves in Super Overs, which is the game’s most chancy lottery of 40 minutes — the ties in the agricultural encouraged to run their the free market econo- A. Kumar, Chennai
a tiebreaker. There are very good signs to be read in this resilience as the longest ever in the sector, including allow- pumpsets using solar my because of their so- ■
Indians seemed to display the belief that, to borrow a phrase from the leg- country yet — left her ing women self-help energy, and also to gen- called nationalist ideol- The proposal of the Union govern-
endary Yogi Berra, no match is over until it is over. exhausted and left groups (SHGs) to pro- erate solar power and ogy. That is why Mr ment to privatise LIC in its Budget
Undisputed leaders in the Test format, Team India had been lacking the many disappointed that vide cold storage, its contribute to the power- Modi wants the State to 2020 came as a rude shock. Inn-
same self-belief in the white ball game and so the tour of New Zealand may she did not respond to implication is to be grid, as well as use fal- play an active interven- umerable senior citizens of the coun-
represent a significant change. the challenge of the eco- found in what she low and wasteland to tionist role in the econ- try have invested their hard-earned
What may not have changed though is dependence on the top four bats- nomic slowdown. offered in the other sec- set up solar power gen- omy to help improve money in some pension schemes of
men — Rohit Sharma, K.L. Rahul, Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer, with the But if we put aside our tors. There is a recogni- erators which will con- the lives of the people, this prestigious public sector under-
team always looking even more positive when Rohit is in middling form. expectations and pay tion that there are not nect to the power grid but essentially for the taking. This may fill in the coffers of
It is the quality and cleverness in the bowlers of both spin and pace that attention to what she enough doctors, either and this will enable greater glory of the the government but surely shatter
sets this Indian team apart. The 34-run over by the rookie all-rounder said that the govern- general physicians or farmers to earn money. nation. It is this ideo- public confidence. The governments
Shivam Dubey in the last contest may have been an aberration. Not win- ment would do in the specialists. She has Desperate measures? logical bent of mind in this part of the world, after all, are
ning an ICC tournament for seven years is still an albatross around the year, we will see that announced that medical Yes. One is reminded of that places Mr Modi known only for providing job and
necks of this very competitive side led by the combative Kohli. Their 5-0 Ms Sitharaman present- colleges — that is pri- Mao Zedong’s idea of and the BJP in a tight financial security. The government is
win might be a turning point as this year’s T20 world championship is to ed a Budget for a vate medical colleges running backyard steel spot, and leaves no wig- slowly moving away from the canon
be held Down Under. slowed-down economy. which do not have a plants where house- gle room when the econ- of 'welfare state', which is unaccept-
In many ways, she tried hospital attached to holds could produce omy is in a bad shape. able, to say the least
to make do with what them — will be attached steel from micro units. What Mr Modi wants S. Ramakrishnasayee, Chennai
DECCAN CHRONICLE
was at hand, which a
good housewife — this
to the government hos-
pitals in the districts,
At a time when solar
power generation is not
to do is to wait for fair
economic weather and GOOD SAMARITAN
term needs be under- and the state govern- commercially feasible, take advantage of it to While we felt sorry for finance minis-
ADITYA SINHA T. VENKATESWARULU
Editor Printer & Publisher stood not in pejorative ments that agree to do to suggest farm-based claim success and glory ter Nirmala Sitharaman when she
R. MOHAN terms but in the posi- so will get financial solar power generators for his government, and appeared totally exhausted, gasped for
Resident Editor
tive sense of being fru- backing. Then there is a is an eccentric for the nation under his breath and was sweating profusely
DECCAN CHRONICLE offices are located at: after her marathon reading of the
Chennai: SP 3 Developed Plot, Industrial Estate, Guindy, Chennai 600032. Phones: (044) 22254747, gal, judicious and eco- scheme of the local measure. governance. Ms
22254748 nomical — would do. It urban bodies to offer a Will these small mea- Sitharaman’s “make national budget proposals for almost 3
Coimbatore: 77 Vivekananda Road, Ramnagar, Coimbatore 641009. Phone: (0422) 2231255, 2231256 is a housewife’s budget one-year paid appren- sures have a cumula- do” budget this year hours beating her own earlier record,
Hyderabad: 36, Sarojini Devi Road, Secunderabad 500 003. Phone: (040) 27803930-4. Fax: (040)
when things are down. ticeship for engineers. tive impact in the near reflects the Prime It was really heartening to see TMC
27805256. MP Dr Kakoli Ghoash Dastidar sit-
Bengaluru: 5th Floor, BMTC Commercial Complex, 80 Ft. Road, Koramangala, Bangalore-560095. The complaint that she Then there is the skill future, and will things Minister’s approach.
Ph: 08043460500; Fax: 080-22960551/52/55 did not do what was development scheme will turn sunny sooner But economic growth ting in the Opposition benches rush-
Visakhapatnam: Survey No. 1/3A Beach Road, Near Kailasagiri Ropeway, Sector-9 MVP Colony, expected of her or that rather than later? It is and State control are ing to her rescue and helping the min-
Visakhapatnam - 530 017. Phones: (0891) 2552333/2552334, Fax (0891) 2755285
she did not show a way the kind of desperate incompatible. But the ister come out of her sudden sickness
Vijayawada: No. C 3 & 4, Patamata, Industrial Estate, Auto Nagar, Vijayawada (A.P.). Phones: (0866) Her speech lasting Modi government is and predicament. As a medical practi-
out is quite unfair. The wish that people caught
2555284/ 2555287, Fax (0866) 2555234
Rajahmundry: Vemagiri, Dhawleswaram Rd, Rajahmundry 533125. Phones: (0883) 2417208, strategy of the govern- two hours and 40 in a bad situation enter- unwilling to let go of its tioner, Dr Kakoli tried to shake the
2417618 ment is to sit out the minutes — the tain. The Narendra control over the econo- minister's hands forcibly which one
Anantapur: Thapovan Colony, Bangalore Bye-Pass Road, Anantapur 515004. Phones: (08554)
economic lull, and do longest ever yet — Modi government is not my. Hence the large came to learn later that it was a spe-
276903, Fax: 08554-276904
different. But the real number of government- cial first aid for someone who had
Nellore: Survey No. 527/2, Burranpur Village, Venkatachalam (M), Chemudugunta Panchayat, the small things that left her exhausted been standing in one place for long
can be done for the lacuna in the Modi gov- directed small mea-
Nellore. Phone: (0861) 2348581/ 82, Telefax (0861) 2348580
Karimnagar: Survey No. 1341, Vavilalapally Colony, Jagityala Road, Karimnagar 505 001. moment and wait for
and many disap- ernment’s approach to sures just to keep resulting fall in the pulse rate and
Phone: (0878 ) 2228908; Telefax (0878) 2220433
the weather to improve. pointed that she the economy is that it things going. causing disturbance in blood circula-
Kochi: No. 3-B, 3rd Floor, DD TRADE TOWER, Kaloor-Kadavanthara Road, Ernakulam,
This is a kind of Plan B. did not respond to does not know how to tion. Wow! It was indeed a nice gestu-
Ph: 0484-4039408
re from an opposition MP rushing to
Kozhikode: No 6/1002 E, First Floor City Mall, Opp. YMCA Kannur Road, Kozhikode - 673 001 The grandiose econom- the challenge of define its position.
the aid of a minister from the treasury
Fax : 0495 4019018 ic vision of Prime Prime Minister Modi is The writer is a Delhi-
Thiruvananthapuram: St Joseph Press Thycaud post, Cotton Hills, Thiruvananthapuram-14, Ph: 0471-
Minister Narendra
the economic the man who is sup- based commentator benches worthy of emulation by all.
2735105/6/7, Fax: 0471-4016112 Gram: CHRONICLE
08ss
Postal registration no: No. H/SD-348/2006-
Modi in his first term in slowdown posed to provide the big and analyst Tharcius S. Fernando, Chennai

K
erala governor Arif on which a decision has been taken ment as governor of a state ruled Left Democratic Front government “decisions of the council of minis-
Mohammad Khan has by a minister but which has not by a party opposed to the BJP was had moved the Supreme Court ters and proposals for legislation”.
deliberately set himself on been considered by the council.” itself wrong. He was sent to make challenging the CAA and had On the one hand, Khan challenges
a collision course with It is an exact replica of Article 78 things difficult for the Kerala gov- sought to declare it ultra vires the the validity of the Kerala

A.G. chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan

ever since the distinguished histo-
Noorani rian Irfan Habib rebuked him at
the Indian History Congress. But
the issues he has raised should be
considered on their merits. They
concern the right of the head of a
state in a parliamentary system to
be informed of the affairs of the
which defines the Prime Minister’s
duties towards the President. They
codify the conventions that govern
the relations between the Queen
and her prime minister in the UK.
Beneath those conventions lie a
political culture which demands
discretion, decency and rectitude.
The present controversy is a
ernment, a pattern followed in all
states ruled by non-BJP parties.
Distrust grew as a consequence of
Rajiv Gandhi’s arrogance and inep-
titude, and Zail Singh’s ambition
and passion for intrigue.
Amendments to the postal bill pro-
vided a flashpoint. Singh argued
that it violated the right to privacy
constitution. Attacking Vijayan,
governor Khan had earlier said
rulers were to be respected and
that the “whims of an individual or
a political party” could not influ-
ence public affairs and government
business. Kerala was the first state
to pass a resolution in its Assembly
against the CAA.
Assembly’s resolution to say it is
no legislation. On the other, he
demands its notification to him as
if it was a proposal for legislation,
which it is not. It is an expression
of opinion.
The next clause requires the chief
minister to furnish to the governor
such information as he requires on

Arif was made state by the head of the elected gov-

ernment.
Article 167 of the Indian constitu-
Kerala gov
tion says: “It shall be the duty of
the chief minister of each state (a)
to communicate to the governor of
the state all decisions of the council
repeat, in a worse form, of that
which developed in 1987 between
president Zail Singh and Prime
Minister Rajiv Gandhi (from
whose cabinet A.M. Khan resign-
ed). The President’s right to know
became enmeshed in a wider plot
and that he would not give his
assent if the bill was passed.
Neither did his successor. He
leaked to the press, as some gover-
nors do; a vice not confined to BJP
appointees.
A.M. Khan detected a window of
If Zail Singh leaked to the press,
A.M. Khan talks in gross impropri-
ety. Even if the chief minister was
wrong, the proper course was for
the governor to write to him in con-
fidence, in remonstrance. Singh
was at the end of his political
the points the clause mentions,
namely “administration of the
affairs of the state” and “proposals
for legislation”. The state govern-
ment’s decision to challenge the
CAA in the supreme court — which
sent Khan hopping mad — falls

just to spite of ministers relating to the admin-

istration of the affairs of the state
and proposals for legislation; (b) to
furnish such information relating
Pinarayi govt to the administration of the affairs
of the state and proposals for legis-
lation as the governor may call for;
and (c) if the governor so requires,
to submit for the consideration of
the council of ministers any matter
and remained unresolved until
Singh demitted his office as
President. Relations between Zail
Singh and Rajiv Gandhi soured
first; the issue of the former’s right
to know arose later. In A.M. Khan
— though it is hard to keep track of
the political parties he joined and
left — the BJP found one of its few
Muslim poster boys. His appoint-
opportunity in the Kerala govern-
ment’s opposition to the notorious
Citizenship Amendment Act. On
Jan 20, it was reported that a top
source within the governor’s office
said that it “has sought a report
from the chief secretary for not
informing him about the state’s
move to approach the apex court
against the CAA”. On Jan 13, the
career. Khan fancies he is at the
beginning of a new chapter in his
career whose contents would be
into neither category. A petition in
the apex court is not a matter that
affects centre-state relations
written by his mentor — Prime either. They are filed a dime a
Minister Narendra Modi. Khan is
out to please him.
But the three clauses of Article
dozen. The governor has made
himself ridiculous by his conduct.
He could do worse if he does not
167 do not support him. The first stop now.
merely requires the chief minister
to communicate to the governor By arrangement with Dawn
 Oped
Word SPY
TELEWORK LAST MILE PAGE

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DECCAN CHRONICLE MONDAY | 3 FEBRUARY 2020 | CHENNAI

China virus: A prelude to chem and bio warfare?

political and diplomatic dam-
age control measures to curb
the adverse impact on China’s
Abhijit Bhattacharyya
overall image, is China on a
treacherous path?
China will definitely abhor
the prospect of its status dimin-
ishing at a time of such high-
octane global projects as the
Belt and Road Initiative, among
others. Beijing’s Communist
That China is hugely
into CBWs and WMDs
goes without saying.
However, Chinese
laboratories faced a
big blow owing to the
coronavirus ‘leakage’.
This may well be a
prelude, if uncorrected,
and biological warfare, howev-
er, the world woke up with its
first serious act — when the
Biological & Toxin Weapons
Convention (BTWC) began
work in 1972, followed by the
1993 Chemical Weapons
Convention (CWC), and opera-
tions of the Organisation for
the Prohibition of Chemical
Weapons (OPCW) in 2005.
1961 book Has man a future?
appears so relevant! A nuclear
war resulting in “unmitigated
calamity”! Is China doing a
“CBW” to establish herself in a
peaceful graveyard?
There exist today several
global hotspots which are
under close scrutiny of a con-
cerned UN and its members on
weapons of mass destruction
allegedly used a toxic chemical
(acetylcholinesterase
inhibitor) in which was pre-
sent a nerve agent. Though
Russian ambassador
Alexander Shulgin had then
described the alleged Russian
involvement as “unfounded
and absolutely unacceptable”,
it didn’t take away any of the
dangers of CBWs.

T
he Communist
world, includ-
ing China, is
known for its
ingrained psy-
che of secrecy.
The Chinese
Communists,
however, have the added char-
acteristic of mass-scale
research and experiments on
anything or everything artifi-
cial. Which can substitute cats
and dogs, just as much as men
or women, and can create
“artificial intelligence” to
replace human intelligence.
Undoubtedly, though a futuris-
tic/fertile idea, it comes with
the tag of the Han Chinese
being carnivorous, with a pen-
chant for eating and gulping
anything which moves.
This, however, isn’t about any
(non-vegetarian or vegetarian)
food habits, or otherwise, of any
nation, nationality or ethnic
group. Yet the question comes
to mind. How much and how far
should homo sapiens go to con-
sume the flesh of a (non-human)
dead body? And, what possible
long-term damage can the con-
sumed dead body of animals
inflict on the blood composition
and system of human beings?
Does it fundamentally make
man strong in the short, and
weak in the long, run? Does it
have anything to do with a car-
nivore like Genghis Khan’s per-
ilous existence, in later life —
after having consumed exces-
sive “cooked” dead bodies of
animals, as meat, throughout
his reign?
That said, if the present
Chinese-origin coronavirus,
which has already impacted
the whole world, doesn’t abate
soon, critical questions will be
raised about China’s overall
intentions. Is this virus as sim-
ple as it’s being made out to be
by Beijing? Since Chinese PM
Li Keqiang initiated economic,
czars may soon face closer
scrutiny by its people, who
might challenge their iron grip
on the State. It may also pose an
existential internal threat to its
superpower dreams, with a
presence in every continent,
landlocked states, (remote)
empty islands, glittering city
states with gambling dens and
tax-free banking systems. All
these are now under threat
from a toxic virus wave.
Beyond this grandiose
scheme, however, is hidden the
Chinese building of a “chemical
and biological warfare” capa-
bility. It’s the secrecy and
silence of the Chinese which
the world finds inscrutable.
The Chinese continue to nurse
a grudge deep inside — some-
thing akin to Germany after the
1919 Paris Peace Conference fol-
lowing the First World War —
against all those foreign enemy
states of the 19th-20th century
imperial era, Japan included.
to a catastrophic
Chinese venture.
Tokyo, as perceived even today,
did Beijing in. Thus, when
Japan and China signed a
Memorandum of
Understanding in July 1999 on
the destruction of abandoned
chemical weapons in China, fol-
lowed by a report of the
Japanese ministry of foreign
affairs, December 1999, that
Japanese troops abandoned
approximately 700,000 chemical
munitions in China during
their retreat at the end of the
Second World War, Beijing cer-
tainly couldn’t be taking kindly
to it. Any serious tracker of the
contours of Chinese history and
the collective psyche of present-
day Communist rulers would
understand what awaits future
Chinese moves.
In the case of broader (poten-
tially devastating) chemical
In this background, the UN
Security Council adopted
Resolution 1540 by consensus,
calling upon member states to
report on steps taken to control
materials and technologies
that could be used for nuclear
and biological weapons (NBW).
Here, it would be important to
remember that India played a
very positive role on the issue.
Thus, although official public
information on the type and
quantity of India’s chemical
weapon stockpile is limited,
yet “India met its deadline for
destroying 45 per cent of its
Category 1 stocks and was
reported to have completed
destruction of 80 per cent of its
total stocks”. [CBW
Convention Bulletin, No. 66
(December 2004), Page 8.]
The exemplary act by India
apart, the future of man doesn’t
look bright as too many adverse
reports are emerging from all
corners. Bertrand Russell’s
(WMD) and chemical and bio-
logical weapons/warfare
(CBW), especially the latter.
The world, however, seems
more interested in poor,
resource-rich Third World
states. In the process, a giant
like China appears to be escap-
ing the world’s scrutiny as it is
operating below the radar.
That China is hugely into
CBWs and WMDs goes without
saying. Today, however,
Chinese laboratories faced a
big blow owing to the coron-
avirus “leakage”. This may
well be a prelude, if uncorrect-
ed, to a catastrophic Chinese
venture — as it has certainly
awakened the world to the
reality that is China today. In
fact, it appears that the coron-
avirus could well be compared
to the slow poisoning of
humans through a chemical
weapons system, in contrast to
the Salisbury incident of
March 4, 2018 in which Russia
China’s position today, in
comparison to Russia, is total-
ly different. The declining pop-
ulace of 130 million Russians
are no match for China’s
upswinging economy of 1.4 bil-
lion people. Plus, the physical
presence of hordes of Chinese,
as tourists, technicians or
telecommunications opera-
tors, along with its standard or
sub-standard manufactured
goods, definitely constitute a
grave threat to our planet. Yet
much of the world, like India,
refuses to acknowledge the
imminent danger it lies in. It’s
time to keep off China — phys-
ically, materially, financially,
technically as well as commer-
cially. Or else, as after the epic
Mahabharata battle, we may
again face the peace of the
graveyard!
The writer, an alumnus of the
National Defence College, is the
author of China in India

Unlike Gujarat, Modi’s focus is Punjab CM fights

now on ideology, not economy
ly under Mr Modi. However,
there has been no dispute that
there was a determination to
Aakar push economic growth.
Patel When I met him in that peri-
od, Mr Modi said that he want-
ed Gujarat’s GDP to grow at 15
per cent a year so that India
One is awaiting a sign
from Modi that the
attention of his govt
and of him personally
has comprehensively
shifted away from
ideology towards the
by such an important interna-
tional body.
Other than this effort from
India to delay the criticism,
nothing was done to protect
India from the allegation that it
was going down a path that was
worrying the rest of the world.
to retain top cop
Dinkar Gupta
Dilip
agenda and much of that has
already been achieved. The
three big issues on which the
Cherian
BJP was built were Ayodhya,
Dilli Ka
Kashmir and the civil code.
The temple has been gifted to it
by the Supreme Court, and
Babu
Kashmir has been annexed to

T
could grow at 10 per cent. He This is of concern because very little resistance from the he quashing of the ment has, typically, main-
said that seriously, and he economy. The Budget India is dependent on the world court. The criminalisation of appointment of tained an aggressive
meant it. It cannot be disputed that was presented on viewing it positively so that it triple talaq has also happened Punjab DGP Dinkar approach. Most observers

T
he Gujarat model was
based on a particular
narrative. It was that
under Narendra
Modi, there would be
a departure from the way that
government in India was run.
It would be made more effi-
cient, leaner, less corrupt. The
existing bureaucratic appara-
tus would be mobilised under
firm leadership to deliver the
results it was capable of, and
had not been delivering
because of failures of the previ-
ous leadership.
These results would show
themselves above all in eco-
nomic growth. This is what
brought Mr Modi to the atten-
tion of the global media (and
also national media). There
have been some differing views
of what exactly the growth rate
was in Gujarat in the period
before the BJP period (late
1990s to present) and specifical-
that in this same period, there
was also a departure in the way
that the state was governing its
population and its justice sys-
tem. The violence of 2002 was
never put behind, and Mr Modi
was the only leader in India’s
history to have been in power
during a major riot and then
remained in power after that.
But through all of this, his
stated intent was to provide
strong economic growth for
“all five crore Gujaratis”.
It appears to me that this
focus on trying whatever was
possible to push the economy
has gone missing now from the
Narendra Modi outlook. I hope
that I am wrong in assuming
this but it is difficult to see it
and read it in any other way.
The recent thrust from the gov-
ernment has been on an issue
that has not been demanded by
anyone and does not help the
country in any particular way.
Saturday did not send
out that message.
I mean of course the three laws
and actions being pursued by
the National Democratic
Alliance. The Citizenship
(Amendment) Bill, the
National Population Register
and the National Register of
Citizens.
The ministry of external
affairs made light of the fact
that the European Parliament
tabled a motion condemning
the CAA. We were told that the
resolution is not binding on
India and that is true. But the
government nonetheless took it
seriously enough to try and
ensure that the vote on the res-
olution was postponed by six
weeks. Left unsaid was the fact
that this was the first time that
India’s internal policies were
being assessed and condemned
can attract global capital. An
economy cannot be healthy and
cannot grow at optimum rates
if the state is at war with a
large number of its citizens and
views millions of them with
suspicion.
The Budget that was
announced on Saturday did not
seem to take the view that there
was a problem with the econo-
my. It did not please those who
wanted to see some initiative.
This could have come through
the recognition that something
was wrong and then an attempt
at fix it. India is growing at the
lowest rate in the last decade. If
it continues in that path, then
the jobs and prosperity that has
been promised by this govern-
ment and on the basis of which
it was voted in will continue to
elude us.
It has become clear that Mr
Modi is keen on pushing the
ideological aspect of the BJP’s
and that means that only
polygamy remains to be struck
down for the BJP to declare full
victory.
Given all of these develop-
ments, what is the need for Mr
Modi to continue down the
majoritarian path? Why take on
a new front, the CAA-NRC,
when you have already deliv-
ered what you promised you
would do in your manifesto for
three decades? This is puzzling
given his own history in Gujarat
and his ambition for India.
One is awaiting a sign from
Mr Modi that the attention of
his government and of him per-
sonally has comprehensively
shifted away from ideology
towards the economy. The
Budget that was presented on
Saturday did not send out that
message.
Aakar Patel is a writer
and columnist
Gupta by the Central
Administrative Tribunal
(CAT) is a big blow to the
state government, though
not entirely unexpected.
The tribunal also stated
that the process followed
in Mr Gupta’s appoint-
ment in February last
year was against the pro-
visions outlined by the
Supreme Court.
When the Amarinder
Singh government
appointed Mr Gupta as the
state’s top cop, he super-
seded five officers. Two
superseded officers,
Mohammad Mustafa and
S i d d h a r t h
Chattopadhyaya, then
moved CAT to challenge
the appointment, which
has now struck down Mr
Gupta’s appointment.
Further, it has called it an
act of “favouritism” and
“arbitrariness”. The tri-
bunal has now directed
the state government to
send names of the three
have noted that the exist-
ing silos within the Indian
Railways had to be bro-
ken, as recommended in
reports by several com-
mittees, the most recent
being the one led by Bibek
Debroy, eminent econo-
mist and chairman of the
Economic Advisory
Council (EAC) to the
Prime Minister.
Admittedly, it’s not
going to an easy task, espe-
cially integrating some
8,401 officers into the new
Indian Railway
Management Service
(IRMS). But the railways
have begun working
towards it. It has cancelled
its plans to recruit fresh
officers from the engineer-
ing services examination
and the civil service exam-
ination this year. Some
250 candidates were to be
recruited this year to
these services.

Britain needs to rediscover failure seniormost officers to the

UPSC for the appointment
of a new candidate.
But sources say, despite
this major setback, the
state government is deter-
RBI: A HOUSE
DIVIDED
The introduction of the
unified regulatory and
supervisory cadre at the

if it wants to prosper after Brexit mined to protect Mr

for decades, and most policymakers
underestimate the difficulty — and the
Matt
value — of turning an idea into a prod-
uct. Thomas Edison, who worked
Ridley through 6,000 different plant materials
before settling on Japanese bamboo as
the best material for light-bulb fila-
ments, famously said that innovation is
1 per cent inspiration and 99 per cent
perspiration.
The answer does not lie in spin-outs
Edison understood that, as does Jeff
Bezos, who made plenty of mistakes on
his way to huge success. Says Bezos:
“Our success at Amazon is a function of
how many experiments we do per year,
per month, per week.” Among Silicon
Valley’s best features is a forgiveness of
going bust at least once. Capital there is
patient and takes risks.
Paradoxically, one thing Britain needs
is more failure, or rather the courage to
Gupta. The chief minister
reportedly told the state
Assembly that Mr Gupta
will continue as DGP. The
high court has now stayed
scores any future hazard, however the tribunal’s order after
small, but ignores any future benefit, the state government
however large. The principle demands
knocked on its door. So,
that if a product is not known to be safe we can expect this “fight”
then it must be deemed dangerous, even
if it is far safer than the existing tech-
to continue. Watch this
space for updates.
nology it replaces. Thus the EU threat-
ens to ban glyphosate herbicide on pre-
cautionary grounds even though the HEADING DOWN
EU’s own food safety authority says it is
less likely to be carcinogenic than cof- A NEW TRACK
Reserve Bank of India
(RBI) in November 2019
has created a crisis, with
several officers indicating
that they want to opt out of
the cadre. The deadline for
deciding their career path
ends this month-end.
The move, which is prob-
ably the biggest shake up
in the RBI’s history, was
seen as the first step
towards hiving off the
oversight functions into a
separate entity, as recom-
mended by the Srikrishna
panel back in March 2013.

W T
hat was Brexit for? After
finally taking Britain out of
the European Union, the
Prime Minister can now
start to give us his answer — and the
opportunity in front of him is pretty
clear. He could speed up, perhaps dou-
ble, the rate of economic growth by
unleashing innovation. After leaving
the slow steaming European convoy,
Britain must not chug along but go full
speed ahead. That means rediscovering
trial and error, serendipity and swift-
ness — the mechanisms by which the
market finds out what the consumer
wants next.
The stifling of innovation by vested
interests in the corridors of Brussels
has held Britain back for too long — but
it is not the only reason for our sluggish
innovation capacity. We can also blame
creaky infrastructure, neglect of the
north, a glacial-speed planning system,
the temptations of a speculative proper-
ty market, low research and develop-
ment spending, and a chronic inability
to turn good ideas into big businesses.
The problem lies in translating ideas
into practical products people actually
want to buy. Britain’s been bad at this
from universities. As long ago as 1958 the
economist John Jewkes in an influential
book warned governments against
investing in pure science as the main
way of stimulating economic growth.
Science is just as often the fruit of tech-
nology as it is the seed (though fruits con-
tain seeds). Boosting science spending is
a good thing, but it won’t turn Britain
into Silicon Valley on its own.
Richard Jones of Sheffield University
recently caught the attention of
Dominic Cummings with an essay
about the need for better innovation
policies, especially ones that work up
north. Many of his suggestions are valu-
able, but his focus is on how to use the
government to boost innovation, and
that way lies danger. Except when set-
ting standards, government has a habit
of picking technologies it thinks we
should want, rather than the ones we
actually do want. As Oxford’s Professor
Dieter Helm has put it with respect to
energy policy, governments love pick-
ing winners, but losers are good at pick-
ing governments.
History shows that the way innovators
make ideas into practical and affordable
products or processes is trial and error.
take risks. In a high-cost economy it’s
rational to be timid; in a low-cost econo-
my, you can afford to fail in order to
learn. We are currently a high-cost
economy, which makes people risk-
averse. Government has to make risk-
taking less economically dangerous,
and that means a liberal fiscal policy
and speeding up the decisions of regula-
tors: Brussels took more than two years
to decide even whether to regulate
genome editing in plants, while
America and China forged ahead.
Cutting costs and delays will be popular
with households as well as innovators,
so it really shouldn’t be too difficult.
Vast vested interests are ranged
against innovation, especially in
Brussels, where big business and big
pressure groups swarm all over the
Commission and Parliament. For exam-
ple, the green movement raised a lot of
money by opposing agricultural
biotechnology and fracking; big pharma
tried hard to kill vaping to protect its
nicotine patches and gums through an
EU directive. The extreme version of
the precautionary principle in the
Lisbon Treaty is killing innovation:
instead of “better safe than sorry”, it
fee. And coffee is actually drunk, which he Cabinet’s decision
herbicide is not — but the EU has for- to merge eight ser-
mally switched to measuring “hazard” vice cadres of the
not “risk”, which is hazard taking into railways into one has
account actual exposure. Reform need caused much heartburn
not be a race to the bottom, because ever since it was
existing technologies entrench existing announced. But the gov-
hazards. ernment is determinedly
We should not abandon the precau- going ahead, despite the
tionary principle altogether, because it intense social media cam-
is right to consider unknown risks, but paign against it by officers
we should abandon the EU’s extreme who feel worried about
version and balance it with an innova- their seniority and career
tion principle that requires government prospects after the merg-
to take into account the impact of rules er.
on stifling beneficial innovation. After the announcement,
If the British innovation engine starts several officers had begun
purring again, we could rediscover the a campaign where Prime
joys of rapid economic growth, with Minister Narendra Modi
more money for schools, hospitals and was sent thousands of
improving the environment. Having a postcards with messages
global financial centre, a great scientific to “Save Indian
reputation, the common law, the Railways”. Several others
English language and an open trading gave up the protection of
system, Britain is as well placed as any- anonymity and took to
where on earth to attract innovators. social media platforms to
Give it a go, Boris. express shock and disap-
pointment.
By arrangement with However, the govern-
the Spectator
But given that it has creat-
ed unprecedented turmoil
in the organisation, the
central board of RBI is
likely to review the
progress on the unified
cadre during its next meet-
ing in February.
According to sources,
the RBI clearly did not
anticipate the disruptive
impact the new oversight
cadre would have on the
officials. It is now felt that
the groundwork including
addressing the concerns of
the officials could have
been handled better.
Watch this space for
updates.
Love them, hate them
ignore them at national
peril, is the babu
guarantee and Dilip’s
belief. Share significant
babu escapades
dilipcherian
@hotmail.com

Prezspeak
Iranians must have right
to choose in polls, says
President Hassan Rouhani
IN
4 children killed
BRIEF
in Oz accident
Sydney: An alleged drunk driver
has been charged with multiple
offenses including manslaughter
after a SUV struck seven children
on a Sydney sidewalk, killing four
and seriously injuring a fifth.
The children were walking to buy
ice cream when they were struck
before 8 p.m. on Saturday by a
vehicle driven by Samuel
Davidson, police said. Three of
the children killed were siblings
and their brother was taken to a
hospital in serious conditions.
The fourth child killed was the
daughter of their father’s cousin.
The father, Danny Abdallah, told
reporters on Sunday he was hea-
rtbroken. “I don’t know what to
say. I’m numb,” Abdallah said.
“All I want to say is please, driv-
ers, be careful.” “These kids were
just walking innocently, enjoying
each other’s company ... and this
morning I woke up and I have
lost three kids,” he added. His
children Antony, 13, Angelina, 12
and Sienna, 9, were killed. Their
10-year-old bother was in serious
but stable condition.
Guaido calls for
great mobilisation
Miami: Venezuelan opposition
leader Juan Guaido promised “a
great mobilization in Caracas”
when he returns to the country
after a two-week international
tour, drumming up support to
dislodge President Nicolas
Maduro. Recognized as interim
president by more than 50
nations, Guaido said in Miami on
Saturday he would end the
“tragedy” in his country, which
has been battered by political
and economic crises. “In the
next few days, despite the risk,
we will be entering Venezuela,”
Guaido said at a convention cen-
ter near the airport. Guaido
defied a travel ban imposed by
local authorities to leave the
country and meet with officials
abroad. “There is only one
option — to achieve free elec-
tions,” he added, calling on
Venezuelans to be “prepared for
the announcement of a great
mobilization in Caracas.” Trump
and Guaido missed each other at
the world economic forum in
Davos, with Guaido saying he
would try to meet with the
US president.
Israel launches
strikes on Gaza
Jerusalem: Israel launched air
strikes on the Gaza Strip
early Sunday in retaliation for
projectiles fired from the
Palestinian enclave into
southern Israel, the army
said. Military jets and heli-
copters struck targets linked
to Hamas, the Islamist group
that controls Gaza, shortly
after midnight, with no
reported casualties. Israel
also suspended cement deliv-
eries to the enclave and can-
celled 500 commercial entry
permits into Israel “until fur-
ther notice”. The action was
taken “due to the continued
rocket fire and launchings of
incendiary balloons from the
Gaza Strip into Israel,” said a
statement by Major General
Kamil Abu Rukun, head of
the Israeli military unit
responsible for coordination
in the Palestinian territories.
VENICE CLOSES
FOR WW II-ERA
BOMB REMOVAL
Rome, Feb. 2: A Venice port
area was evacuated on Sunday
morning as a World War II-era
bomb was defused and set to be
exploded in the sea.
The operation in the port of
Marghera, a mostly industrial
area separated from the tourist
city by water, required the
evacuation of about 3,500 resi-
dents beginning in the early
morning.
Boat, train and bus traffic
was all halted during the opera-
tion and planes were prohibit-
ed from flying to and from
Marco Polo Airport from
8:30am (0730GMT) until 12:30
pm. The bomb, which weighed
about 225 kilos (500 pounds)
and contained about 129 kilos
of TNT, was discovered during
an excavation to fix sewer lines
in January.
At mid-morning, authorities
said the first two phases of the
operation — the evacuation of
residents, and the process to
strip the fuses from the bombs,
had been successfully complet-
ed. Gianluca Dello Monacco,
commander of the Army regi-
ment that carried out the work,
told Rai24 that the precautions
were justified.
“It still carried a high risk of
explosion,” Dello Monacco
said. Next was the transfer of
the bomb on a ship to a remote
area in the sea, where it was to
be detonated.
Shaadi.com under fire in UK over caste-based matches
London, Feb. 2: India’s
leading matrimonial site
Shaadi.com has come
under fire in the UK for
allegedly reinforcing
caste-based discrimina-
tion with an option for
Scheduled Castes to be left
out of algorithms.
The website, which is
UK’s largest marriage site
catering to the Indian com-
munity, has been accused
of allowing discrimina-
tion against the Scheduled
GOP set to defend
Trump’s acquittal
In Senate, Republicans hold 53 seats, Dems 47
According to the RealClearPolitics website, US President Donald Trump currently has a 44.6 per cent approval rat-
ing in collated polls, almost exactly the same as when he came to office in January 2017
Washington, Feb. 2:
Republicans prepared to
defend their expected acq-
uittal of President Donald
Trump, on Sunday's TV
talk shows, after their
Senate votes to reject wit-
ness testimony at his
impeachment trial spar-
ked criticism they were
aiding a cover-up and
abdicating their duties.
According to the
RealClearPolitics website,
Trump currently has a
44.6 percent approval rat-
ing in collated polls,
almost exactly the same as
when he came to office in
Top EU diplomat to visit 20 dead in Tanzania stampede
Tehran amid N-tensions
Tehran, Feb. 2: Top EU
diplomat Josep Borrell
was Monday due to visit
Iran, said officials in
Tehran and Brussels, on
his first trip there since
taking office, aiming to
reduce rising tensions
over the Islamic republic's
nuclear programme.
Borrel was set to meet
President Hassan Rouh-
ani, Foreign Minister
Javad Zarif and parlia-
mentary speaker Ali
Larijani on the two-day
trip, his office said in a
statement. The 2015
nuclear deal between
Tehran and a group of
world powers has been
crumbling since US
President Donald Trump
CRIME | SCENE
2 killed, 1 injured in shooting after Florida funeral
Emergency responders at the scene of a shooting at the
Victory City Church in Riviera Beach.
Caste community, and
raised questions about
whether its algorithms are
consistent with the coun-
try’s equality law.
According to a report in
The Sunday Times, a pro-
file set up for a higher
caste person was not
offered lower caste poten-
tial matches unless they
adjusted their preferences
to include all other castes.
While Shaadi.com has
denied caste-based bias
■ DEMOCRATIC
CANDIDATES bolt
Sunday across Iowa,
where no handshake
or pit stop is too
insignificant one day
ahead of the state’s
presidential nominat-
ing process, which is
the first in the
nation.
January 2017. His asser-
tion, made on Twitter,
came with Washington
also awaiting the results
Josef Borrell’s mission
aims to de-escalate ten-
sions and seek opportunities
for political solutions to the
current crisis. The visit will
allow Borrell to convey the
EU’s strong commitment to
preserve the nuclear deal
— Office of EU’s high repre-
sentative for foreign affairs
and security policy
withdrew from it in 2018,
and Washington has since
stepped up sanctions and
a campaign of "maximum
pressure” against Iran.
Tehran has gradually
stepped back from its own
commitments under the
deal, while military ten-
■ Police said listening devices in the area detected sound of 13 rounds of gunshots fired
—AP
because its “community”
setting is not discrimina-
tory, a barrister has
warned that there might
be a potential breach of
the UK's Equality Act.
“Restricting matches by
caste could be contraven-
ing the Equality Act. By
forcing users to state their
caste, the sites are either
discriminating them-
selves, or knowingly aid-
ing discrimination by
users,” Chris Milsom, a
■ US OFFICIALS have
cited presidential
privilege in withhold-
ing details of 24
emails related to
President Donald
Trump’s hold on mili-
tary assistance to
Ukraine, US media
reported on
Saturday.
of Monday’s all-important
Iowa caucuses.
The first vote in the US
primary process will be
sions with the United
States have brought the
arch foes to the brink of
full-blown confrontation
in recent weeks.
Borrell’s mission aims
“to de-escalate tensions
and seek opportunities for
political solutions to the
current crisis,” said the
office of the EU’s high
representative for foreign
affairs and security policy.
The visit will allow
Borrell “to convey the
EU’s strong commitment
to preserve” the nuclear
deal, known as the Joint
Comprehensive Plan of
Action, and to discuss
cooperation between the
EU and Iran, his office
said. — AFP
Riviera Beach (US), Feb.
2 : Gunfire erupted after a
funeral Saturday in
Florida, killing a teenager
and a man and leaving one
other person wounded,
police said.
Riviera Beach police said
in a statement that the
shooting happened near
the Victory City Church
shortly after 2:30 p.m.
They said a 15-year-old boy
and 47-year-old Royce
Freeman died at the scene.
The teen’s name wasn’t
immediately released.
Police initially said a
woman and a teenager
were also wounded, but
later released a statement
DECCAN CHRONICLE
■ THE WEBSITE,
which is UK’s largest
marriage site cater-
ing to the Indian
community, has been
accused of allowing
discrimination
against the
Scheduled Caste
community.
barrister who led the first
successful charge of caste
— AFP
closely watched as a sign
as to which of 11 Demo-
cratic candidates are gain-
ing early momentum to
challenge Trump in
November's election.
As Democratic con-
tenders raced across the
Midwest state, the US
Senate on Friday rebuffed
Democratic calls for wit-
nesses at only the third
impeachment trial of a US
president. Trump is all
but assured of being
acquitted by the Senate,
where Republicans hold 53
seats to 47 for the
Democrats. — AFP
Dar Es Salaam, Feb. 2: T
As many as 20 people in
Tanzania were trampled
to death at an open-air
evangelical Christian
church service in the
north of the country, offi-
cials said on Sunday.
Kippi Warioba, district
Commissioner in the
northern town of Moshi,
said he feared the number
of dead could still rise
from the accident which
took place on Saturday.
“So far, 20 people have
died, but the death toll
could increase as there
were also wounded,”
Warioba said. At least 16
others were injured in the
crush, he said.
The tragedy happened
when a crowd of worship-
pers was attending a
prayer ceremony on
Sunday night saying the
juvenile male was shot at a
different location in
Riviera Beach. The wom-
an, whose name police did-
n’t immediately release,
suffered non-life-threaten-
ing injuries, police said.
No arrests were
announced as of late
Saturday. Police said lis-
tening devices in the area
that detect the sound of
gunshots counted 13
rounds fired. Pastor
Tywuante D. Lupoe said in
a video statement posted
on Facebook that the
church was “very aware”
that violence was a possi-
bility at the funeral
World
MONDAY | 3 FEBRUARY 2020 | CHENNAI
discrimination in the UK
in 2015, told the newspa-
per. Caste discrimination
is outlawed in India.
In the United Kingdom,
the Equality Act 2010 pre-
vents discrimination on
the grounds of race and
other protected character-
istics, with caste consid-
ered an aspect of race.
Santosh Dass, chair of the
Anti-Caste Discrimination
Alliance, which has been
lobbying for a standalone
Man shot dead by
UK police in London
London, Feb. 2: A man
was shot dead by armed
Scotland Yard officers in
south London on Sunday
in a terror-related stab-
bing incident which inj-
ured at least two people.
Emergency services,
including paramedics and
armed police, responded
to the incident on
Streatham High Road,
from where social media
images showed plain-
clothed policemen pursu-
ing a suspect who was
later pronounced dead.
“A man has been shot by
armed officers in Strea-
tham,” the Metropolitan
Police said in a statement.
“At this stage it is
believed a number of peo-
ple have been stabbed.
The circumstances are
being assessed; the inci-
dent has been declared as
terrorist-related,” it said.
The police later con-
firmed that the scene had
been “fully contained”.
“We believe there are
two injured victims. We
await updates on their
conditions,” they said.
The exact circumstances
of the incident remain
unconfirmed but some
Imran on two-day damage
control visit to Malaysia
SHAFQAT ALI | DC
with agency inputs
ISLAMABAD, FEB. 2
Pakistan Prime Minister
Imran Khan will embark
on a two-day visit to Kuala
Lumpur from Monday to
placate the Malaysian
leadership after he
skipped a major summit
of Muslim nations report-
edly under pressure from
Saudi Arabia.
The Pakistan Foreign
Office on Sunday said
“(PM) Khan is visiting
Malaysia on February 3-4”
The stampede occurred when preacher Boniface
Mwamposa poured what he said was holy oil on the
ground and the crowd surged to touch it
Saturday led by the popu-
lar preacher, Boniface
Mwamposa, who heads
the Arise and Shine
Ministry Tanzania.
because of a family dis-
pute and that it had pro-
vided armed security. A
Riviera Beach police offi-
cer also was present, he
said. He said the security
guards and police officer
had left after the service
when there were only a
few stragglers remaining
in the area. He said that’s
when a fight broke out
across the street from the
church and the shooting
erupted; police also said
the shooting didn’t happen
on church grounds. He
said none of the victims
are church members and
no one was injured on its
property. —AP
anti-caste law in the UK,
said, “Using algorithms to
segregate and favour cer-
tain users on the grounds
of caste is outrageous —
you would never do the
same with race. I am
shocked.”
However, Shaadi.com
said that its “community”
question “works as an
important proxy to deter-
mine lifestyle fitment” but
that it did not “remove any
community from user
Forensic experts at the scene where police shot a man
during a terrorism-related incident that involved stab-
bings of several people at Streatham in London
eyewitnesses reported
seeing a machete-wielding
man with some silver can-
isters strapped to his body
before he was shot.
Police shouted for people
to “get back” as they
cleared the area of shop-
pers and bystanders.
Prime Minister Boris
Johnson took to Twitter to
on the invitation of
Malaysian Prime Mini-
ster Mahathir Mohamad.
Khan will be accompa-
nied by a high-level dele-
gation, including Cabinet
members and senior offi-
cials.
During the visit, the two
heads of state would have
tete-e-tete followed by del-
egation-level talks.
They will witness the
signing of important
agreements/MoUs and
have joint press meets.
Prime Minister Khan
will also address a think-
The stampede occurred
when Mwamposa, who
calls himself the
“Apostle”, poured what he
said was holy oil on the
Three dead in shooting
at a Toronto Airbnb
Montreal, Feb. 2: Three
people were killed and two
others wounded in a shoot-
ing in an apartment rented
on Airbnb in Toronto, pol-
ice said Saturday.
Three people were shot
dead late Friday and a
fourth injured, police in
Canada’s biggest city said
in a tweet. A fifth person
was stabbed but the vic-
tim’s life was not in dan-
ger, police said. Police by
Saturday still had not
PAGE
10
preferences.” “There is no
bias built in the system
that reduces the visibility
of a particular communi-
ty. We are not in violation
of any act as the platform
does not discriminate [on
the] basis [of] community
or race and provides equal
opportunity to everyone
regardless of their race
and community,” a
spokesperson of the matri-
monial site told the news-
paper. — PTI
— AP
thank the emergency
services for containing
the incident. “Thank you
to all emergency services
responding to the incident
in Streatham, which the
police have now declared
as terrorism-related. My
thoughts are with the
injured and all those
affected,” he said. — PTI
tank event organised by
the Institute of Strategic
and International Studies
(ISIS) of Malaysia.
Khan’s visit is being
called a “damage control”
exercise by local media.
Khan had confirmed
Pakistan’s participation
in the December 19-21
summit hosted by the
Malaysian prime minister
but skipped the event at
the 11th hour due to pres-
sure exerted by Saudi
Arabia and the UAE - key
financial backers of the
cash-strapped country.
ground and the crowd
surged toward to touch it
in the hope of being cured
of sickness, witnesses
said.
“The Apostle Boniface
Mwamposa poured sacred
anointing oil on the
ground,” one witness,
Jennifer Temu, said.
“Dozens of people imme-
diately fell being jostled
and trampled, and some
died. We have counted 20
people killed - but there
are also wounded.”
Mwamposa, the preach-
er, fled the scene after the
stampede, and police
appealed in a broadcast on
national television for
him to hand himself in.
The preacher was arrest-
ed in the port city of Dar
es Salaam later on Sunday.
— AFP
given any information on
the victims’ identities or a
possible motive, only say-
ing that the violence hap-
pened in an Airbnb online
rental downtown.
A spokesperson said that
the dead were young men
aged 22, 20 and 19. On
October 31, a gunman ope-
ned fire at a house party in
Orinda, California that
was an Airbnb rental.
Four men and a woman
were killed. — AFP

MONDAY | 3 FEBRUARY 2020 | CHENNAI
quick No intention to tax global
BITES
INDICATORS % tions under the proposed
Sensex 39,735.53 -2.43
Nifty 50 11,661.85 -2.51
S&P 500 3,225.52 -1.77
Dollar (`) 71.35 -0.20
Pound Sterling (`) 93.58 0.48
Euro (`) 78.74 -0.067
Gold (10gm)* (`) 41,453▼131 -0.31
Brent crude ($/bbl) 56.62 -0.71
IN 10-Yr bond yield 6.599 +0.621
US 10-Yr T-bill yield 1.505 -0.800
As of Friday/Saturday
FPIs invest
`12,000 cr in
equities in Jan.
Foreign portfolio investors
have pumped in Rs 12,122 crore
in the stock market in January,
remaining net buyers of Indian
equities for the fifth consecu-
tive month, helped by easing
geopolitical tensions. However,
they withdrew a net amount of
Rs 11,119 crore from the debt
segment last month. This trans-
lated into a net investment of
Rs 1,003 crore.
China’s PBOC to
pump $173 bn
into economy
China's central bank said it
would pump 1.2 trillion yuan
($173 bn) into the economy as it
ramps up support for a nation-
wide fight against the coron-
avirus. The People's Bank of
China (PBOC) said it would
launch a 1.2 trillion yuan reverse
repurchase operation on
Monday to maintain "reasonable
and abundant liquidity" in the
banking system.
CSL gets 100%
control of two
Kolkata dry docks
Cochin Shipyard (CSL) has
taken 100 per cent stake in an
SPV that it formed along with
Hooghly Dock and Port
Engineers Ltd for modernisa-
tion and renovation of the two
dry docks on western bank of
the Hooghly river. The special
purpose vehicle, Hooghly CSL,
was set up to bring new
investors to revive docks in
Nazirgunj and Salkia.
Sobha Q3 net
profit up 5%
at `73 crore
Realty firm Sobha Ltd has
reported a 5 per cent rise in its
consolidated net profit at Rs
73.2 crore for the December
quarter compared to Rs 69.8
crore in the year-ago period.
Total income rose to Rs 901.2
crore from Rs 807.7 crore. J.C.
Sharma, VC&MD, Sobha, said:
"We are poised to launch real
estate projects to the tune of
13.64 million square feet.”
Printed & Published by
T Venkateswarlu on behalf of Deccan
Chronicle Holdings Limited. Printed &
Published at Deccan Chronicle Presses
situated at SP-3 Developed Plot,
Industrial Estate, Guindy, Chennai.
Editor: T.Venkatram Reddy, RNI Reg.
No. TNENG/2008/25473 Air surcharge Re
1. © All rights reserved. Reproduction in
whole or in part without written per-
mission of The Editor, Financial
Chronicle ® is prohibited.
■ Those working in Middle East, tax-free countries won't be taxed
income of NRIs, says FM
New Delhi, Feb. 2:
Finance minister Nirmala
Sitha-raman on Sunday
said the government has no
intention to tax the global
income of NRIs and only
income generated in India
will be taxed. She also said
the proposed tax on non-
resident Indians (NRIs)
will not apply on bona fide
Indians working in tax-free
foreign countries, like the
Middle East countries, and
is intended to tax only
those seeking to escape tax
by exploiting their non-res-
ident status.
Following the budget
announcement on
Saturday there was confu-
sion about the tax liability
of NRIs on their global
income. "What we are
doing now is that the
income of an NRI generat-
ed in India will be taxed
here. If he's earning some-
thing in a jurisdiction
where there is no tax, why
will I include that into
mine that has been gener-
ated there," she asked,
adding: "Whereas if you
have a property here and
you have a rent out of it,
Budget could trigger Budget blues could take Nifty to 11K level
a rally in G-secs
FC BANKING BUREAU
MUMBAI, FEB. 2
The budget could trigger a
short-term rally in bonds,
with relief stemming
from the absence of addi-
tional borrowing for the
remaining part of the fis-
cal year and gross
issuance largely in line
with market expectations,
said experts. Bonds are
likely to rally when mar-
kets open on Monday.
The FY21 budget pegged
the FY20 (revised esti-
mate) deficit at 3.8 per
cent of GDP and FY21 at
3.5 per cent. This over-
shoot was backed by evok-
ing the 'escape clause'
under the Fiscal
Responsibility and Budget
Mechanism (FRBM),
which allows for a 0.5 per
cent deviation on targets
on certain conditions.
Abhishek Goenka,
founder, IFA Global, said,
"The FY21 gross borrow-
ing at Rs 7.8 lakh crore
and fiscal deficit at 3.5 per
cent of GDP is in line with
what the markets were
pricing in. Therefore, the
bond markets may not be
as unhappy with the budg-
et as the equity market."
Nomura, in its report on
the budget, said, "The
budget should be neutral
to slightly positive for
bonds, with some relief
stemming from
absence of additional bor-
the
rowing in FY20 and gross
issuance largely in line
Start-ups seek removal of regulatory hurdles SECOND TRANCHE
SANGEETHA G
CHENNAI, FEB. 2
Though start-ups got a shot
in their arm from the
Budget presented by
finance minister Nirmala
Sitharaman on Saturday,
they are disappointed that
measures to ease regulato-
ry hurdles, a pressing need
for them, was not
addressed by the Budget.
However, start-ups got
much relief on the tax
front. The Budget proposed
to increase the limit and
extended the duration for
tax deduction and relaxed
the employee stock option
(Esop) norms.
According to the propos-
als, an eligible start-up hav-
ing turnover up to Rs 25
crore is allowed deduction
What we are doing
now is that the
income of an NRI
generated in India will
be taxed here. If he's
earning something in a
jurisdiction where there
is no tax, why will I
include that into mine
that has been
generated there
—NIRMALA
SITHARAMAN
but because you are living
there, you carry this rent
into your income there and
pay no tax there, pay no tax
here ... since the property is
in India, I have got a sover-
eign right to tax," she said
in a post Budget interac-
tion with media.
"I am not taxing what
you're earning in Dubai but
that property which is giv-
ing you a rent here, you
may be an NRI, you may be
with our forecasts (Rs 7.8
lakh crore versus Nomura
forecast of Rs 7.6-7.9 lakh
crore). Continued fiscal
consolidation in FY21
could be viewed by mar-
kets as positive for the
Indian rupee, but the
weak external environ-
ment remains a consider-
able headwind."
The government also
announced several meas-
ures intended to deepen
the bond market, such as
increase in foreign portfo-
lio investment (FPI) limit
in corporate bonds to 15
per cent from 9 per cent,
allowing NRIs to partici-
pate in G-Secs, cut in with-
holding tax on overseas
listed corporate bond
issuances and a debt ETF
for government securi-
ties.
Radhika Rao, senior vice
of 100 per cent of its the
profits for three consecu-
tive assessment years out
of seven years if the total
turnover does not exceed
Rs 25 crore. The turnover
limit has been increased to
Rs 100 crore and period of
eligibility for claim has
been extended to 10 years.
living there but that is rev-
enue being generated here
for you. So that's the issue."
The Finance Bill, 2020 has
proposed that an Indian cit-
izen shall be deemed to be
resident in India, if he is
not liable to be taxed in any
country or jurisdiction.
This is an anti-abuse provi-
sion since it is noticed that
some Indian citizens shift
their stay in low or no tax
jurisdiction to avoid pay-
president & economist,
DBS Group Research,
said, "Bond supply and
optimism that ongoing
tweaks could pave the way
for a bond index inclusion
eventually, will be con-
strued as positives by the
bond markets. Slippage in
the fiscal targets was
largely priced in, we don't
expect a lasting impact on
the GSec yields. Small
savings collections are
expected at Rs 2.4 lakh
crore in FY21, broadly
steady from FY20 and con-
tinues to remain a key
source of support on the
financing end. Notably,
the global environment is
bullish for bonds, as glob-
al central banks maintain
loose monetary policies
and outbreak of the coro-
navirus adds to the down-
drift in global yields."
Currently, Esops are tax-
able as perquisites at the
time of exercise. This leads
to cash flow problems for
the employees who do not
sell the shares immediately
and hold them for the long
term. The Budget deferred
the tax payment by five
years or till they leave the
Budget
2020-21
and after
ment of tax in India, the
finance ministry said in a
statement. "The new provi-
sion is not intended to
include in tax net those
Indian citizens who are
bona fide workers in other
countries. In some section
of the media the new provi-
sion is being interpreted to
create an impression that
those Indians who are bona
fide workers in other coun-
tries, including in Middle
RAVI RANJAN PRASAD
MUMBAI, FEB. 2
After the disappointment
from the Union Budget,
brokerages feel the equity
market is likely to trade in
a narrow range and the
Nifty-50 Index could dip to
11,000 levels based on the
Budget fine print.
With corporate earnings
not so overwhelming and
negative global cues from
China, the market could
feel the pressure. Good
rabi crop harvesting is the
only green shoot expected
as of now.
"Market expectations
from budget were high on
some kind of sector-specif-
ic stimulus (housing, infra-
structure) and capital mar-
ket reforms (abolishment
of LTCG on equities)
which have not materi-
alised and to that extent
there could be near-term
disappointment. The fine
print in the budget has also
increased the disappoint-
ment factor. Any further
escalation of the coron-
avirus epidemic can be
negative for Indian equi-
ties," said Kotak
Securities.
"Budget lacked punch as
there was no fiscal stimu-
lus, although it was not
acknowledged explicitly,
the budget appears to have
realised the fiscal limits.
Not surprisingly then, it
did not excite the market,
where expectations were
running very high," said
analysts from Motilal
Oswal.
"Overall from an equity
market perspective, we
believe the budget has
company or when they sell
their shares, whichever is
earliest. The government
also proposes to provide
early life funding, includ-
ing a seed fund to support
ideation and development
of early stage start-ups.
In order to encourage
entrepreneurship the
Budget proposed to set up
an Investment Clearance
Cell that will provide "end
to end" facilitation and sup-
port, including pre-invest-
ment advisory, information
related to land banks and
facilitate clearances at
Centre and State level. It
will work through a portal.
The Budget also proposed
a digital platform that
would facilitate seamless
application and capture of
IPRs and a centre would be
BPCL EoI in next few days
It's official: General
Motors confirmed its plan
to reboot the Hummer—a
military-style behemoth
once seen as a symbol of
American excess—in an
all-electric version. GM
will unveil the revamped
GMC Hummer EV in an ad
during Sunday's Super
Bowl game, reviving the a vehichle launched in the 1990s
but phased out after the 2008 financial crisis.
East, and who are not liable
to tax in these countries
will be taxed in India on the
income they have earned
there. This interpretation
is not correct," it said.
In order to avoid any mis-
interpretation, it is clari-
fied that in case of an
Indian citizen who
becomes deemed resident
of India under this pro-
posed provision, income
earned outside India by
him shall not be taxed in
India unless it is derived
from an Indian business or
profession, it added.
Revenue secretary Ajay
Bhushan Pandey said the
new rule was "an anti-
abuse provision planned to
plug loopholes in the sys-
tem and not intended to tax
income earned by those
working overseas". He said
Indians working in the
Middle East, as well as
those in Merchant Navy,
will not be taxed.
The CBDT said an
"Indian citizen shall be
deemed to be resident in
India if he is not liable to
be taxed in any country or
jurisdiction. —PTI
been a non-event and
belied the lofty expecta-
tions. Incrementally, it
puts the hopes of a sharp
corporate earnings recov-
ery at risk. We believe once
the fine print is absorbed,
the market's focus should
revert to fundamentals,
viz. corporate earnings
growth, global cues around
the spread of coronavirus
and its potential impact on
global growth," Motilal
Oswal said.
Given the absence of
sharp growth revival, ana-
lysts expect the market to
stay in a narrow range.
Select sectors with better
earnings visibility will
continue to enjoy valua-
tion premium over the
broader markets.
The Nifty can potentially
go down to around 11,000
levels if there are further
negatives related to the
capital markets or taxa-
tion that came out in the
fine print. The risk-reward
ratio turns very
favourable closer to 11,000
levels, says Kotak
established to work on
Intellectual
Knowledge
Clusters.
Property.
Translation
However, the industry
wants many regulatory
hurdles to go. "MSMEs and
start-ups are neck deep in
managing the day-to-day
complexity of multiplicity
of licences, registrations,
renewals, maintaining reg-
isters, managing returns
among others. They end up
seeking professional help
from professionals and
consultants in managing
their labour and tax com-
pliance. Budget has largely
remained silent on serious
reforms in Land, Labor
and Contract Enforce-
ment," said Rishi Agrawal,
co-founder and CEO,
Avantis Reg Tech.
New tax regime to hurt
insurance & ELSS flows
FALAKNAAZ SYED
MUMBAI, FEB. 2
The removal of tax exemp-
new tax code could hurt
the insurance business
and hamper insurance
penetration and density,
which are lagging in com-
parison to other developed
countries. Apart from
insurance, equity linked
saving schemes (ELSS)
products offered by mutual
funds, which are notified
under Section 80 C exemp-
tions, will also be impact-
ed. This is because many
taxpayers use life insur-
ance policies, ULIPS and
ELSS to fill their quota of
deductions, which may not
apply anymore in the new
dispensation.
Soumya Kanti Ghosh,
group chief economic
advisor of State Bank of
India, said, "In the previ-
ous budgets, government
had given thrust to the sec-
tor by offering a number of
schemes like Pradhan
Mantri Jan Surakhsha
Yojana, Pradhan Mantri
Jevan Jyoti Bima Yojana,
etc. This will affect the
insurance business and
may also affect the insur-
ance penetration and den-
sity in India, which is lag-
ging compared to other
developed countries.
India's insurance penetra-
Securities.
As the Budget is not neg-
ative from the foreign
investors' perspective, in
the short to medium term,
the market may not face
any sudden exit from
them.
"From a flow perspective
budget is not very negative
for FPIs but their actions
would be more top-down
based on global develop-
ments and view on emerg-
ing markets. Interest in
mid and small caps had
revived before the budget
but it may take a backseat
for some time till clarity
emerges on the broader
Nifty-50 Index," Kotak
Securities said.
The market attention is
likely to shift to the rural
economy, with rabi crop
harvest beginning. "Rural
sector could revive with
bumper rabi output and
higher food prices. Revival
in rural consumption
could provide the much-
needed green shoots in the
coming months," accord-
ing to analysts.
OF DEBT ETF IN Q4
FC BUREAU
NEW DELHI, FEB. 2
With an aim to improve
retail participation and
broaden the government
securities, or G-sec, space
the Centre is expected to
launch its second tranche
of debt-based exchange
traded fund (ETF) in the
current quarter. The gov-
ernment move follows the
success of Bharat Bond
ETF, the first corporate
bond ETF meant for public
sector entities, launched in
December 2019.
Finance minister
Nirmala Sitharaman on
Sunday said the govern-
LIC public offer
after Sept.
New Delhi, Feb. 2:
The listing of Life
Insurance Corporation
may be done in the sec-
ond half of the next
financial year, finance
secretary Rajiv Kumar
said on Sunday. Many
processes have to be
followed and legislative
changes would also be
required for the listing
of LIC, Kumar said.
“Listing in the second
half of FY21 seems log-
ical," he said. — PTI
tion is at 3.7 per cent com-
pared to US at 7.14 per cent,
UK at 10.61 per cent and in
Asian countries like Japan
at 8.86 per cent, South
Korea at 11.16 per cent and
Singapore at 7.82 per cent."
The budget has proposed
rejigging the income tax
slabs to reduce the total tax
payable by individuals.
Accordingly, 70 tax exemp-
tions and deductions will
not be available in the new
regime, including Sec. 80 C
investments, HRA, home
loan interest, LTC, medical
insurance premium, stan-
dard deduction, savings
bank interest and educa-
tion loan interest.
Brokerages and stock
exchanges are, however,
excited about the budget
proposal for an LIC IPO.
Kajal Gandhi, analyst,
ICICI Direct, said, "Life
Insurance Corporation is
likely to become the coun-
try's biggest company by
market capitalisation on
the day of the listing given
it's the largest company
managed by assets under
management…At even 25-
30 per cent of its AUM, the
company can be valued at
around Rs 8-10 trillion.
Even a 10 per cent dilution
will be difficult for market
to absorb in one go and the
government may look at
doing this in lots."
Motilal Oswal said, "The
government's proposal to
list LIC will be a signifi-
cant event to monitor. LIC
accounted for 61 per
cent/71 per cent of total
new business on weight-
ed/un-weighted basis as at
9 months of FY20; its share
in industry AUM stood at
78 per cent (Rs 27.6 trillion)
as at FY19."
ment might launch its sec-
ond tranche, primary for
government securities, in
the current quarter.
An ETF is a mode of
investment that comprises
a basket of stocks or bonds
that are traded, similar to
individual stocks, on an
exchange during regular
trading hours.
At present, retail partici-
pation in the G-Sec market
is quite negligible. In a
move to depen the bond
market, Sitharaman in her
second budget on Saturday
proposed floating of a new
debt ETF comprising pri-
marily of government
securities.

Ads invade Byte
The looping video app
has launched its first ad
campaign with Nike
SHORT
NEW BILL TO
TAKES
PUNISH COs
FOR USING E2EE
Washington, Feb. 2: A new
bill in the United States would
reduce legal protections for
apps and websites, potentially
jeopardising online encryp-
tion. The draft bill would form
a “National Commission on
Online Child Exploitation
Prevention” to establish rules
for finding and removing child
exploitation content, accord-
ing to multiple reports.
As per reports on Bloomberg
and The Verge, companies not
following these rules could
lose some protection under
Section 230 of the
Communications Decency
Act, which largely shields
companies from liability over
users’ posts.
— Agencies
AVAST SHUTS
DOWN ITS DATA
COLLECTION BIZ
New Delhi, Feb. 2: Following
the revelation of Avast’s data
collection business, Avast
CEO Ondrej Vlcek, in a public
letter, wrote that he and the
company’s board of directors
have decided to “terminate the
Jumpshot data collection and
wind down Jumpshot’s opera-
tions, with immediate effect.”
Vlcek, who became CEO of
Avast seven months ago, said
he has spent the first few
months of his job “re-evaluat-
ing every portion of our busi-
ness,” and that the Jumpshot
revelations had eroded trust in
the company: “I feel personal-
ly responsible and I would like
to apologize to all concerned.”
“I came to the conclusion
that the data collection busi-
ness is not in line with our pri-
vacy priorities as a company
in 2020 and beyond,” he wrote.
“It is key to me that Avast’s
sole purpose is to make the
world a safer place, and I knew
that ultimately, everything in
the company would have to
become aligned with that
North Star of ours.”
— Agencies
HUAWEI RIVALS
MAY STRUGGLE
TO MEET DEMAND
Helsinki, Feb. 2: Tougher UK
and EU rules restricting 5G
network supplier Huawei
should be a golden opportuni-
ty for competitors Nokia and
Ericsson, but the companies
may struggle to meet the
increased demand, analysts
warned.
On Tuesday, Britain imposed
a 35 per cent cap on the role of
“high-risk vendors” in build-
ing the country's next-genera-
tion communications net-
work, over security concerns.
The change will hit Chinese
giant Huawei, whom critics
accuse of being ultimately
under the control of Beijing,
an allegation it strongly
denies.
The EU followed by releasing
guidelines urging member
states to avoid dependency on
“high risk” suppliers, though
the bloc stopped short of nam-
ing Huawei or calling for an
outright ban.
On the face of it, the biggest
beneficiaries from this week's
announcements appear to be
the Chinese firm's two largest
competitors, Nokia and
Ericsson.
But industry watchers claim
that fulfilling the increased
demand left by market leader
Huawei may not be straight-
forward. Huawei is widely
seen as providing the most
advanced 5G for the super-fast
data transfers, necessary for
self-driving cars and remote-
controlled robots in factories
or operating theatres. — AFP
3D printing clones old Watershed moment
musical instruments for ‘biometric privacy’
Paris, Feb. 2: When Mina
Jang played the same
melodious tune on two dif-
ferent flutes behind a
screen, she said the exam-
iners grading her couldn't
tell the difference.
Yet the two instruments
were made in dramatical-
ly different ways.
One was a handmade
version of an original
early 18th-century flute
crafted in 2001, while the
other was made of white
plastic and “cloned” using
a 3D printer in 2019.
The Museum of Music in
Paris, whose collection
includes a 2,500-year-old
flute made of a vulture
bone, has recently begun
experimenting with the
technique in an effort to
better preserve period
instruments. “The idea
was to find out how to rap-
idly obtain a copy of an
instrument whilst respect-
ing the original flute,” said
the 35-year-old profession-
al flautist and researcher
in baroque music, who ini-
tiated the idea.
Before being printed, the
carefully copied 18th-cen-
tury flute was x-rayed to
identify its precise char-
acteristics. The original it
was based on was made by
the celebrated French
composer and instrument
maker Jacques-Martin
Hotteterre and is today
preserved behind glass at
the museum.
MUSICAL TIME
TRAVEL
3D printing has advan-
Mina Jang with two copies of a flute. While one is a handmade version of an original
early 18th-century flute, the other was made white plastic using a 3D printer. — AFP
FCC: At least 1 telco broke law
Washington, Feb. 2: At
least one US phone compa-
ny likely broke the law by
sharing data that can pin-
point the location of
smartphone users, the
Federal Communications
Commission said Friday.
FCC chairman Ajit Pai
said in a letter to Congress
that one or more wireless
companies apparently vio-
lated federal law and could
be subject to penalties. He
didn’t name any compa-
nies but said the commis-
sion would decide soon on
enforcement actions, now
that the agency has com-
pleted an investigation.
The FCC’s enforcement
E-Health Records and the need for Health Surveillance
Srinivas Kodali
T
here is an interna-
tional outbreak of
coronavirus leading
to thousands of people
being kept under quaran-
tine and watched for
symptoms. In Kerala, a
patient who has been a
victim of coronavirus has
resulted in the health min-
istry tracking 69 people in
direct contact with the
patient and in total
around 1793 people are
being watched. The
Kerala health ministry
needs to be lauded for
what they are doing, but
the question is can this be
replicated in larger scales
in remote parts of the
country.
Tracking the travel and
contact history of individ-
uals will be really hard as
tages over handmade
instruments, taking just
24 hours to make, com-
pared to a month in a
workshop, and costing
hundreds instead of thou-
sands of euros.
But Stephane
Vaiedelich, in charge of
the museum's laboratory
which worked with other
partners on the project
too, says the move is pure-
ly about conserving musi-
cal heritage. “3D printing
isn't about replacing
instrument makers,” he
told AFP. “The idea is to
recreate a historical
instrument so that the
public can appreciate its
sound and to revive an
important heritage.
“It's an extraordinary
way of travelling through
time and recapturing old
repertoires,” he said,
adding that a second flute
had also been cloned.
While 3D printing has
become increasingly pop-
ular in different sectors
over the last 20 years,
including for reproducing
instruments, Vaiedelich
said the museum believed
it was the first to experi-
ment with the 3D repro-
duction of old instru-
ments, using a scientific
approach.
A few orchestras play
using original instruments
from the period, such as
the French group Les
Siecles (The Centuries),
but wind instruments
struggle to withstand
humidity. “It expands wood
and can break” the instru-
bureau began investigat-
ing following 2018 reports
that US wireless providers
were selling real-time
phone location informa-
tion to outside data aggre-
gation firms without
phone users’ knowledge or
consent. Location-track-
ing services can use the
data to keep tabs on pack-
ages and vehicles or create
personalised marketing
pitches, but it can also be
used by bounty hunters or
stalkers to identify the
whereabouts of nearly
any phone in the US with-
in seconds.
The reports led the four
major companies,
state machinery goes thin
in various parts of the
country. The state over the
years has developed and
evolved techniques to help
it aid with this task.
Epidemiology as a branch
evolved with the cholera
outbreak in 19th century
London and John Snow’s
map was used to identity
it was water-borne and
wells in London were
helping spread the dis-
ease. John Snow’s map is
an important piece of his-
tory which was replicated
with cholera outbreaks in
other cities including cal-
cutta to track victims and
deaths.
Health surveillance and
quarantine protocols are
not new, the history of
quarantine leads directly
DECCAN CHRONICLE
ments, Vaiedelich said.
The museum chose to
copy a transverse flute,
precisely because -- unlike
an oboe -- most of the
musician's breath passes
outside the instrument.
“The material has less of
an impact on the timbre,”
Vaiedelich said.
Using plastic for the 3D
reproduced instruments
also raises environmental
issues. Vaiedelich said the
ideal would be to print
using recycled materials.
Fanny Reyre Menard,
vice-president of the
trade union grouping
together makers and
repairers of instruments,
said the material used was
the only downside.
“For craftsmen, plastic
cannot be compared to
wood,” she said. “A wood-
en sound box is funda-
mental for a violin.”On
the whole though, Menard
said that 3D printing pre-
sented an opportunity.
“It's not a danger, but
rather a very good tool for
sharing information and
prototypes between crafts-
men,” she said.
Instruments sometimes
need to be customised for
musicians with different
needs. “Some parts are
improved when adapted,
for example chin rests for
violins or mouthpieces on
wind instruments,” said
Menard.
“If I find a form that
interests me, I send a file
to a colleague and he
prints it. It's great.”
— AFP
Verizon, AT&T, Sprint and
T-Mobile, to pledge to stop
providing users’ location
information to data bro-
kers, stepping back from a
business practice that had
drawn criticism for
endangering privacy.
A statement by FCC
Commissioner Jessica
Rosenworcel said the safe-
ty and privacy of millions
of Americans was at risk
and “it’s a shame that it
took so long for the FCC to
reach a conclusion that
was so obvious.”
“For just a few hundred
dollars, shady middlemen
could sell your location
within a few hundred
back to the 15th century
sea explorers returning
from their african and
asian adventures and
brought back some exotic
diseases with them. This
lead to the creation of
public health departments
across the world over the
years. But with people
moving so fast across the
globe, disease spread has
also become a major issue.
If the corona virus toll
indeed rise up, a global
travel ban would be immi-
nent and health surveil-
lance becomes key.
Health surveillance in
general is a very passive
exercise where public
health officials are moni-
toring the spread of dis-
ease by looks at statistics
across hospitals. But dur-
The National Health Data Blueprints recommends a variety of
systems to be built to improve public health, but it also has
another aim of enabling a health-tech industry. This makes
the storage and sharing of health data complicated
considering the private nature of health data and how it could
be exploited against an individual.
Technomics 12
FB settles class action suit on how it uses facial recognition
Washington, Feb. 2:
Facebook’s massive settle-
ment in a class action case
over violating a state law
on how it uses facial recog-
nition is being hailed as a
watershed moment for
“biometric privacy.” The
leading social network said
Wednesday it agreed to the
$550 million payout after
failing to win dismissal of
the case alleging it illegally
collected biometric infor-
mation for “face tagging”
in violation of a 2008
Illinois privacy law.
The settlement could
have wide-ranging impli-
cations for Facebook and
other tech firms using
facial recognition technol-
ogy, and highlights the
potential for state laws to
force changes in privacy
practices.
Plaintiff attorney Jay
FB TO REMOVE
HOAXES ON
CORONAVIRUS
San Francisco, Feb. 2:
Facebook said it will take
down misinformation
about China’s
spreading coronavirus,
fast-
in a rare departure from
its usual approach to
dubious health content
that is presenting a fresh
challenge for social
media companies.
The coronavirus out-
break has stoked a wave
of anti-China sentiment
around the globe. Hoaxes
have spread widely
online, promoted by con-
spiracy theorists and
exacerbated by a dearth
of information from the
cordoned-off zone
around China’s central
city of Wuhan, where the
outbreak began.
Facebook said that it
would remove content
about the virus “with
false claims or conspira-
cy theories that have
been flagged by leading
global health organisa-
tions and local health
authorities,” saying such
content would violate its
ban on misinformation
leading to “physical
harm.” — Reuters
meters based on your
wireless phone data,” she
said. “It’s chilling to con-
sider what a black market
could do with this data.”
Democrats in Congress
clashed with Pai on this
issue last year, expressing
concern in a November
letter to the FCC that it
was shirking its duty to
protect consumer privacy.
Pai, a Republican,
responded in December
that FCC was taking its
investigation seriously
and said he recognised the
importance of the issue to
domestic violence victims,
victims of sex trafficking
and others. — AP
ing health emergencies it
becomes an active form of
surveillance where people
are being tracked directly.
This is the only form of
surveillance no sane per-
son can argue against, it is
important and opposing
this only invites actual
harm to society. Not all
forms of surveillance are
bad, only the forms which
are invasive and non-
accountable are the prob-
lem.
The ministry of health
has been pushing for digi-
tization of personal
health records over the
years and has brought the
electronic health records
standards in 2016. These
standards enable the hos-
pitals and government to
store patients records
MONDAY | 3 FEBRUARY 2020 | CHENNAI
Edelson said the case helps
establish the principle of
biometric privacy, or the
right of users of tech serv-
ices and products to con-
trol access to their data
used for facial recognition.
“Biometrics is one of the
two primary battle-
grounds, along with geolo-
cation, that will define our
privacy rights for the next
generation,” Edelson said
in a statement.
“We hope and expect that
other companies will fol-
low Facebook's lead and
pay significant attention
to the importance of our
biometric informa-
tion.”Attorney Nathan
Wessler of the American
Civil Liberties Union,
which backed the plain-
tiffs' legal arguments, said
the settlement could mark
a turning point for con-
Budget and
Cybersecurity, a missed
opportunity
Prateek Waghre
I
n the lead up to the 2020
Budget, the industry
looked forward to two
major announcements
with respect to cybersecu-
rity. First, the allocation of
a specific ‘cybersecurity
budget’ to protect the
country’s critical infra-
structure and support
skill development. In 2019,
even Rear Admiral Mohit
Gupta (head of the
Defence Cyber Agency)
had called for 10 per cent
of the government’s IT
spend to be put towards
cyber security. Second, a
focus on cybersecurity
awareness programmes
was seen as being critical
especially considering the
continued push for
‘Digital India’.
On February 1, in a budg-
et speech that lasted over
150 minutes, the finance
minister made references
to ‘cyber’ only twice. Once
in the context of cyber-
forensics to propose the
establishment of a hygiene among citizens.
National Police University
and a National Forensic
Science University.
Second, cybersecurity
was cited as a potential
frontier that Quantum
technology would open up.
This was a step-up from
the last two budget speech-
es (July 2019 and February
2019) both of which made
no references to the term
‘cyber’ in any form.
In fact, the last time
cyber was used in a Budget
speech was in February
2018, in the context of
over the years and even
transfer them to other
hospitals, when patient
moves. The government
after working on the stan-
dards is now working
towards building health
data repositories part of
National Health Data
Blueprint.
The National Health
Data Blueprints recom-
mends a variety of sys-
tems to be built to improve
public health, but it also
has another aim of
enabling a health-tech
industry. This makes the
storage and sharing of
health data complicated
considering the private
nature of health data and
how it could be exploited
against an individual. The
proposed solution for this
sumers and biometrics.
“Companies are going to
have to take this serious-
ly,” Wessler said.
“Hopefully a settlement
of this size will be a deter-
rent.”The deal is one of
the largest settlements in
a US privacy case, topped
only by Facebook's $5 bil-
lion deal with the Federal
Trade Commission on its
data practices. Both are
awaiting court approval.
FACIAL
RECOGNITION
The legal case comes
amid an array of deploy-
ments of biometric tech-
nologies such as facial
recognition for law
enforcement and border
control, but also for “tag-
ging” in social networks
and in applications for
retail stores or unlocking
The oft-reported
instances of
cyber or cyber-
enabled fraud
that one sees
practically every
day in the
newspaper
clearly point to
a low-level of
awareness and
cyber-hygiene
among citizens.
Allocation of
additional funds
for Meity’s Cyber
Swachhta Kendra
at the Budget
would have sent
a strong signal of
intent towards
addressing the
problem.
cyber-physical weapons.
When combined with
other recent developments
such as National Security
Council Secretariat’s
(NSCS) call for inputs, a
National Cyber Security
Strategy (NCSS), the inau-
guration of a National
Cyber Forensics Lab in
New Delhi and an
acknowledgement by Lt.
Gen. Rajesh Pant
(National Cyber Security
Coordinator) that ‘India is
the most attacked in cyber-
has been to anonymise the
data and not allow anyone
access without the
patient’s direct approval
except in case of emergen-
cies. During emergencies,
the blueprint allows the
government to de-
anonymise the individu-
als personal details with-
out consent.
The idea of de-
anonymization of data
directly comes for active
health surveillance and is
indeed important during
emergencies. People need
to be tracked and the
spread of disease cannot
be allowed. These health
protocols evolved over
time, the use of data for
this is not new and tech-
nology can indeed help.
But the economic inter-
ests of capitalism without
the right laws could lead
to exploitation. Higher
premiums because your
health records says you
are more prone to disease
should not be allowed.
This is why privacy is also
critical for individuals.
The proposed data pro-
PAGE
personal devices and cars.
Several US cities includ-
ing San Francisco have
passed bans on the use of
facial recognition technolo-
gy. There are concerns
about creating large data-
bases with the potential for
errors in identifying some
individuals. “We have seen
growing recognition in the
courts and in the public for
the last few years on the
need for reasonable but
strong limits on the collec-
tion and use of our most
private information,”
Wessler said. The Illinois
law does not apply to gov-
ernment entities or con-
tractors. At least two other
states have similar laws,
but Illinois is the only one
allowing for private law-
suits for damages when
companies collect data
without consent. — AFP
sphere’ are signals that the
government does indeed
consider cybersecurity an
important area.
While the proposal to
establish a National Foren-
sic Science University is
welcome, it will do little to
meaningfully address the
skill shortage problem.
The Cybersecurity Strat-
egy of 2013 had envisioned
the creation of five lakh
jobs over a five-year peri-
od. A report by Xpheno
estimated that there are
67,000 open cybersecurity
positions in the country.
Globally, Cybersecurity
Ventures estimates, there
will be 3.5 million unfilled
cybersecurity positions
by 2021. Two million of
these are expected to be in
the Asia Pacific region.
It is unfair to expect this
gap to be fulfilled by state
action alone, yet, the
budget represents a
missed opportunity to
nudge industry and aca-
demia to fulfilling this
demand at a time when
unemployment is major
concern. The oft-reported
instances of cyber or
cyber-enabled fraud that
one sees practically every
day in the newspaper
clearly point to a low-level
of awareness and cyber-
Allocation of additional
funds for Meity’s Cyber
Swachhta Kendra at the
Union Budget would have
sent a strong signal of
intent towards addressing
the problem.
(The writer is a research
analyst at The
Takshashila Insitution,
an independent centre for
research and education in
public policy. All views
are the author’s own and
do not necessarily reflect
the newspaper’s)
tection law penalises de-
anonymisation of person-
al data, but there is a use-
case for it during emer-
gencies. To implement
this in the right way, the
government needs to pro-
vide exemptions but with
due checks in place. Mis-
use of personal data can
always happen, the key is
to balance public interest
and personal interest.
This is why laws are
designed to withstand var-
ious tests, if the govern-
ment intends to bull-doze
certain issues without
thinking them straight, it
will only harm the society
more. The key issue with
data and technology in the
hands of government is
accountability. Until we
don’t have accountability,
no amount of technology
can help us solve our
problems.
(The writer is an inde-
pendent researcher work-
ing on data, governance
and internet. All views are
the author’s own and do
not necessarily reflect the
newspaper’s)
 Benedict Cumberbatch confessed that in one of
the final scenes of The Imitation Game (2014), he
couldn’t stop crying and had a breakdown
OUR CRITIC’S RATING Outstanding ★★★★★ | Great ★★★★ | Good ★★★ | Okay ★★ | Poor ★ | Truly Terrible TT
Cool dude Saif nails it, again!
Jawaani Jaaneman
(U/A) 119 min
CAST: Saif Ali Khan, Tabu, Alaya F,
Farida Jalal, Chunky Pandey
DIRECTOR: Nitin Kakkar
RATING: ★★★★
ARNAB BANERJEE
H
ow would a 40-year-old bache-
lor react when he comes to
know that, as luck would have
it, he could not only be a
“father”, but also a “grand
dad”? Saif Ali Khan, who seems to be
having a lot of fun playing characters
these days (Tanhaji, Lal Kaptaan, Chef,
Kalakandi, or even Sacred Games), plays
a Casanova in Nitin Kakkar’s hilariously
funny Jawaani Jaaneman, who is sud-
denly forced to deal with a young girl’s
(presumably his daughter’s) pregnancy. A
difficult situation, for sure. But that his
pleasure-seeking lifestyle would get
severely affected is the least of his wor-
ries: what hits him most is when this girl
suggests that he could be a “grandfather”
as well.
Jassie Singh or Jazz (Saif Ali Khan)
lives in London with his family. Though
things are not too bad for him as his full-
time job as a real-estate agent seems
promising, all the more because a grand
multi-million deal would lead to his
raking it in, his brother Dimpy (Kumud
Mishra) worries about his care-two-hoots
attitude. His mother (Farida Jalal) too
insists that he reassess his goals and
behaviour. But Jazz remains
unperturbed, and spends his time
partying at pubs. The only time he pours
his heart out is when he goes to his
hairdresser friend Rhea (Kubra Sait) who
makes sure he dyes his hair to look
younger. When the unexpected
emergence of an unwanted guest Tia
(Alaya F), whom he eyes at the pub and
Malala biopic a harmless bore!
Gul Makai
(U/A) 129 min
CAST: Reem Shaikh, Atul Kulkarni, Divya
Dutta, Om Puri
DIRECTOR: Amjad Khan
RATING: ★
ARNAB BANERJEE
I
t’s raining biopics in Bollywood, and
in keeping with the current trend,
one name that ought to have been
thought of as a subject much earlier
is Pakistani teenager Malala Yousafzai’s.
We are all aware of how the name of a
courageous 15-year-old Malala has
become synonymous with advocacy that
has grown into an international move-
ment. This week’s release, Gul Makai, a
biographical drama based on her life,
would have been a fitting tribute to her, if
only it had been a film!
Directed by H.E. Amjad Khan and
researched and written by Bhaswati
Chakrabarty, the full-length feature film
is regrettably only a sketchy life story of
this ordinary girl with an indomitable
spirit who almost single-handedly
became a prominent activist for the right
to education. A Noble Prize winner,
besides being awarded several other
Botched comedy masquerading Film with a relevant message
as action and romance
DACKALTI
CAST: Santhanam, Ritika
Sen, Yogi Babu, Radha Ravi
DIRECTOR:
Vijay Anand
RATING: ★★★
ANUPAMA SUBRAMANIAN
G
uru (Santhanam) and
his friend (Yogi Babu)
are petty thieves in
Mumbai who work for a
gangster Bhai (Radha Ravi).
One day Bhai assigns Guru
the job of finding a girl from
a portrait as she is wanted by
billionaire Vijay Samrat
(Tarun Arora). And the back
story of Vijay is that he (Ritika Sen) from down
comes up with sketches of south and the money he has
random girls and once he fixed to get her is Rs10 crore.
completes, he wants those Guru finds out that Malli
girls in bed. The womanizer lives in Tiruchendhur and
sends his henchmen spread she is an aspiring filmmaker.
across the country to kidnap Malli on the other hand runs
them and is ready to shell out away from home to board a
a tonne of money to get bus to Chennai as her par-
them. And in this case, the ents are against her film-
girl in the painting is Malli making dreams. Now, our
begins to flirt with, threatens to upset the
life of this aging playboy, he doesn’t
realise there’s more in store for him. Tia
shares her predicament of coming all the
way from Amsterdam to look for her
biological father she has never seen, and
soon, moves in with him in his
apartment. An enraged Jazz is not too
happy about her opportunistic and
almost parasitic ways, and he gets the
shock of his life when she tells him that
he could be her father. To make matters
international honours, the remarkable
Malala gets reduced to being an unfortu-
nate, but strong central character, whose
courage, at every turn, gets undermined
by a plot that not only springs zero sur-
prises, but also reduces the terror to
mere life lessons for her.
So superficial and shallow is the
film that had Gul Makai been a doc-
umentary, I would still have had
problems with it. The film rarely
gives us any insights into her
inner being and instead focuses
only on incessant bombings and
devastation that the Taliban
has been infamous for.
When a masked Taliban gun-
man shot her in the afternoon
on October 9, 2012 as she
rode home on a bus
after taking an
exam in
Mingora in
Pakistan’s Swat
Valley, she not
only survived,
but almost
instantaneous-
ly, was made a
“hero” as her pop-
ularity extended
much beyond
Pakistan and all
throughout the
world.
A huddled
screenplay
hero coincidentally meets
her and manages to lure her
with an offer of getting her
directorial chances
Bollywood. He tells her that
he knew Shah Rukh Khan's
manager and instead of
using her script for Ajith or
Vijay, she can give a try with
SRK. The rest is all about the
duo's adventurous trip from
worse, he is further shocked out of
his wits when he discovers that
she could also be pregnant.
Such an utterly charming plot
could only be a joyride if the
writing is in its place. The film
that is a remake of an
Argentinian film Igualita a
mi is warmly touching as it
deals with a man who
refuses to grow up, and
instead, loves life to the
hilt
a s
a
that features prominent actors like Atul
Kulkarni and Divya Dutta as her parents,
Mukesh Rishi and Abhimanyu Singh as
terrorists, Kamlesh Gill (of Vicky Donor
fame) as the grandmother, Pankaj
Tripathy in a blink-and-miss cameo
among others, barely clicks
with the audience. Even
the lead, Reem Shaikh
as Malala, adds
n o t h i n g
spectacular in this
lacklustre story
that only
connects the
clichés but
leaves the
characters
isolated.
There is so
m u c h
violence that
h e r become a source of inspiration for the
resilience
and sense
Tiruchendur to Mumbai and
how and why he has a
change of heart after hand-
ing over Malli to Vijay
Samrat.
Dackalti is a Santhanam
film and hence the minimum
you can expect is a fun ride.
The concept of two colluding
timelines is nothing new, and
the problem is that our main
guy has to mix his signature
comedy with romance and
action, but excels in none of
them. Of course, they could
always rely to some extent on
Yogi Babu to bring back the
laughs but that can't save an
entire film. His comedy is
largely distasteful.
Newcomer Ritika Sen is just
randomly tossed in as your
trifling and dense K-town
girl who's only job is to look
cute. And when the pockets
of laughter subside, you are
left hanging in the middle of
nowhere.
in Technically, Vijay Narain's
music is good and songs are
hummable. The pacing and
editing could have used some
more work. Yes, the run time
is good but the scenes do
jump a bit too much.
Perhaps watchable once!
DECCAN CHRONICLE
Movies
MONDAY | 3 FEBRUARY 2020 | CHENNAI
single life that is more of a prolonged
adolescence. His newfound fatherhood
and grandfatherhood hits him like a ton
of bricks, as he tries to deal with the
abrupt change in his home. But there’s
more to come: Tia’s mother Ananya
(Tabu) and her boyfriend and the father
of her unborn child Rohan (Dante
Alexander) too, land up at Jazz’s home
one day after completing a six-week
workshop on meditation in Amsterdam.
Almost throughout the film, the screen-
play and dialogue by Hussain Dalal and
Abbas Dalal add their deft touch and
manage to sustain the disorderly energy
of the scenes. Kakkar and writers bring
great laughs, as also spicy conversations
that make the 119-minute film clever,
silly, slick and fun. The gradual under-
standing of Indian families to move out
of their shanty dwellings to bigger batter
apartments serves as a subtext signifying
the breezy lifestyle that the young aspire
for. Save perhaps for the last few reels
when forced sentimentality creeps into
Jazz’s innermost soul for him to start
valuing family and the ideals that are a
must, the film fulfils the film’s key prom-
ise to milk for all its worth.
Among the cast, it’s a team effort with
everyone working together in harmony
to get the job done to great effect.
Stopping at the right moments from
turning the story sleazy, it remains well
within the believable parameters of an
amusing film that has in its heart a sharp
commentary on bachelorhood and its
wayward ways.
Saif is having a ball, and nails it with
his insouciance and minimised and
understated humour and expressions.
Alaya F is a confident newcomer and
acquits herself well in the presence of
veteran actors. Tabu, post her critically
acclaimed Andhadhun, is a delight once
again). Kubra looks and acts the part she
is expected to play with ease and self-
assurance and conviction.
It’s great to see Hindi cinema giving its
audience what they have been asking for
— some real characters who are all out to
have fun. And yes, that includes leading a
debauched adult life too!
of empowerment that it seems was
ingrained in her right from the time she
was a child is never drawn attention to.
Other characters too, who played a
significant role in shaping her are on the
sidelines. The same treatment is given to
her father Ziauddin’s character, whose
daring resolution to speak up against the
atrocities committed by the Taliban
remains on the periphery.
Talibanisation, imposing strict moral
ethics for the people of the Swat Valley in
her hometown in northern Pakistan,
looks caricaturish when actors are
shown spewing venom sporting wigs and
screaming ominously. Also, how and why
Ziauddin escapes their wrath remains a
mystery and never fully explained. All
we get to see are menacing voices
underlining the patriarchal tribal
culture in remote areas.
The idea of a girl in Pakistan who has
endless people suffering from oppression
across the world, and who as a mere
teenager rose from her humble upbring-
ing to become a champion for free educa-
tion to all may have been enough to hap-
pily fill half an hour of footage on any
television channel. In its 129-minute film
version, it fails to effectively stretch it
out to feature-length, and devolves into
over-the-top drama and a suffocating
heavy-handedness.
It takes a certain touch to pull it off,
and here, neither the director nor the
writers seem to have it!
MAAYANADHI
CAST: Aadukalam Naren,
Abi Saravanan, Venba
DIRECTOR:
Ashok Thiagarajan
RATING: ★★★
ANUPAMA
SUBRAMANIAN
D
ebutant Ashok
Thiagarajan's
Maayanadhai is
inspired by real life inci-
dents and conveys a mean- Since Anbarasan loses his
ingful message as how wife while giving birth to
falling in love in adoles- Kausalya, he aspires to
cent school going age make his daughter a
leads to disastrous situa- gynaecologist and save the
tions. It is a story of a bril- lives of pregnant women.
liant plus-2 student who He goes to any extent to
aspires to become a doctor, fulfill her desires, so that
but fate has something her focus is only on stud-
else in store when she falls ies. His trust in her such
for an auto driver. that he does not believe
The movie is refreshing- when his brother comes
ly set in Mayialduthurai, and tells him
where Kausalya(Venba) is Kausalya is seen often
a school topper and her with auto driver
world revolves around her Senthil(Abi Saravanan)
dad Anbarasan who picks her up to
(Aadukalam Naren), a school.
widower and school However, when reality
teacher who dots on her. (Kausalya enters into
Vietnam war film
fumbles its mission
MARK KENNEDY
T
here’s been a lot of
talk recently about so-
called “dad movies”,
partly sparked by the
success of Ford v Ferrari.
And when it comes to that
driving flick, a new movie
says, “Hold onto your
Dockers”. The Last Full
Measure — which details the
fight to bestow the Medal of
Honour to medic William H.
Pitsenbarger — is catnip for
dads, a true-life Vietnam war
film that offers valour, a band
of brothers, some dogged and
righteous steadfastness, hon-
our and grace. It also has a lot
of loving things to say about
fathers. Director and writer
Todd Robinson has not just
assembled some of the best
older actors working today —
Christopher Plummer,
William Hurt, Ed Harris,
Samuel L. Jackson, Amy
Madigan, Diane Ladd and the
late Peter Fonda — but also
elicited some astonishing
dramatic moments on film.
But though Robinson han-
dles the first half with skill
and care — weaving battle
scenes with craggy portraits
of the survivors today — the
second half disappoints as he
amps and warps the Stateside
struggle to get Pitsenbarger
the medal, even creating a fic-
tional Pentagon official
charged with investigating the
merits of the case. The film is
“inspired by a true story”,
which means Robinson has
given himself license to mess
around with truth.
That’s a shame. There’s
enough natural drama in the
story of Pitsenbarger, who on
April 11, 1966, was aboard a
helicopter trying to rescue
wounded Army soldiers sur-
rounded by Viet Cong troops.
The 21-year-old Air Force
medic chose to drop down and
help winch soldiers up to the
chopper. In four hours of hell,
Pitsenbarger successfully
evacuated nine soldiers before
the choppers had to flee under
increasingly heavy fire.
Refusing multiple orders to
evacuate, Pitsenbarger ran
into enemy fire several times
to drag wounded soldiers back
to safety and began treating
their wounds. The next day, his
lifeless body was found lying
next to men he didn’t know, but
gave his life trying to save.
Obvious Medal of Honor
work, right? But there were
bureaucratic hurdles —
Pitsenbarger was Air Force
and the men he saved were
infantry — and lingering out-
rage when it emerged that the
CLARIFICATION The name of the director in
Rajavukku Check review carried on Movies Page on January
26th DC issue was inadvertently published wrongly. The
film has been directed by Sai Rajkumar.
secret wedding with
Senthil) strikes him,
Anbarasan takes a differ-
ent stand. And before she
could come out of this
shock, things go topsy-
turvy for Kausalya, with
yet another twist in the
tale.
The father-daughter
relationship has been
effectively portrayed and
that the duo Aadukalam Naren
and Venba does a neat job.
They also score in emo-
tional scenes. Abi
Saravanan has done his
part with conviction. But
having projected him as a
bold guy throughout, the
PAGE
13
soldiers were being used as
bait to flush out the enemy.
Pitsenbarger never got the
nation’s highest military hon-
our and the soldiers he saved
that day waged a campaign to
get it for him. His mother and
father were finally handed
the medal during a ceremony
in 2000.
Robinson creates Pentagon
lawyer Scott Huffman to sift
through the 30-year evidence
and try to find out why the
award wasn’t initially given
and how he can get it now.
“Justice delayed is justice
denied,” he is told by the
character played by Hurt,
who turns in an astonishing-
ly moving performance.
Much better is the portrayal
of Vietnam vets still working
through issues of guilt, PTSD
and alienation. Huffman visits
each vet at their homes and
The Last Full
Measure
(U/A) 116 min
CAST: Samuel L. Jackson,
Sebastian Stan, Jeremy Irvine,
Ed Harris
DIRECTOR:
Todd Robinson
RATING: ★★★
they all tell vibrant stories.
Jackson has a wonderful aria
in which he calls himself “a
refugee in my own country”.
Fonda plays a veteran so dam-
aged by the war he stays
awake at night. Harris’ char-
acter is broken and anguished.
Plummer plays Pitsenbar-
ger’s very ill father with such
grace and good will that dads
in the audience may have
tears streaming down their
faces as they listen to the
actor describe how he regrets
never getting to see his son
fall in love or have a child,
because only then could he
understand fully how much
his father loved him. “Dying
isn’t harder than losing a
child,” he says.
That — along with the char-
acter sketches of veterans —
are the best parts of the film,
not the conspiracies or the
endless pats on the backs at
the end. Pitsenbarger and his
family deserve our endless
thanks. That is clear. Despite
its flaws, this movie reminds
us all of the sacrifices made
by soldiers and to be mindful
of how we treat them when
they come home. — AP
pre-climax scene associat-
ed with his character is
contradictory. Appu Kutty
is aptly cast. The fresh
locations and settings add
to the authenticity of the
script.
The first half moves at a
slow pace, but post inter-
val the film is packed with
twists and turns. The
school portions are shot
well. Bhavatharini's soul-
ful music reminds of her
dad Ilayaraja in many
places, especially the
background score. A taut
narration and a little bit of
coherence would have
enhanced the product.
 Chappell hails Kohli
Australian great Ian Chappell has lauded India captain Virat Kohli for
being able to channelise his “highly emotional temperament” towards
building a versatile team that has tasted plenty of overseas success
SHORT TAKES
Shubman Gill
Gill smashes 204*
in a drawn game
Christchurch: Shubman Gill is
expected to retain his place in
India’s Test squad after scoring
an unbeaten 204 for the ‘A’
team in the drawn four-day
game against New Zealand ‘A’
here on Friday. Resuming the
day four at 127 for two, India ‘A’
went on to make 448 for three
in their second innings with Gill
scoring his second double cen-
tury on an away tour (the first
one came in West Indies last
year). Gill and Test regular
Hanuma Vihari (100 off 113)
shared an unbeaten 222-run
stand for the fourth wicket to
save the game for India A.
Another valuable contribution
came from Priyank Panchal (115
off 164). Gill’s 279-ball effort
comprised 22 boundaries and
four sixes. It was a much
improved batting effort from
India A as the pitch eased out
at the Hagley Oval. — PTI
It’s a disappointing
series, says Taylor
Mount Maunganui: After India
secured a win in the fifth T20I,
New Zealand batsman Ross
Taylor said the whole series has
been disappointing. Taylor on
Sunday became the first New
Zealand male cricketer to play
100 T20I and scored 53 in the
match. Despite his brilliant per-
formance, India managed to
thrash the hosts by seven runs
in the fifth T20I. “It was nice to
contribute and play 100 games
but I think the whole series has
been disappointing by the way
we put ourselves in good posi-
tions and fail to capitalise on
that... You cannot give this
Indian side an inch and we gave
them a lot more than that and
they took advantage of that,”
Taylor said in the post-match
press conference.
— PTI
England, SA
in ODI battle
Cape Town: World Cup
champions England return
to one-day international
action when they start a
three-match series
against South Africa at
Newlands on Tuesday.
Both countries have
made numerous
changes from the
squads that played in
the global event between May
and July last year. Only eight
of England’s winning squad will
be in action, while South Africa,
the first team to be eliminated
from contention for the World
Cup semi-finals, have retained
only five players. — AFP
Kohli looks a much secure captain than he was India women go
Hemant Kenkre
Silly Point
V
irat Kohli & Co. have
made a strong state-
ment. The side that
landed bleary eyed in the
southwestern Pacific
Islands and were put
straight to the test by play-
ing the first T20 at
Auckland, is now bright
and bushy-tailed having
won the T20 international
series 5-0 a feat never
achieved by any Indian side
across all formats of the
game.
The two wins at Hamilton
and Wellington, both going
into super overs adding to
the excitement, is proof of
the mindset that the team
has. In both matches, India
came back from the brink
and turned the game their
way in the final over. In the
first, it was Mohammed
Shami who showed he has
ice running in his veins
while in the second game, a
relatively inexperienced
Shardul Thakur shut the
door on the Kiwis who had
looked like running away
with the game.
In both matches, the usu-
ally consistent Jasprit
Fantastic five
India complete their 5-0 whitewash of Kiwis with a seven-run win in final T20
Mount Maunganui,
Feb. 2: India choked New
Zealand yet again to turn
it around for a seven-run
win in the fifth T20
International, giving
them a rare 5-0 series
whitewash in the short-
est format here on
Sunday.
The Indian pacers, led
by ever-reliable Jasprit
Bumrah, shared seven
wickets among them for
25 runs in match-chang-
ing 7.2 overs to restrict
the Kiwis to 156 for nine
while defending 163 for
three.
Bumrah conceded just
12 runs in his four overs
and got rid of three bats-
men, bowling block-hole
deliveries during death
overs. India’s total was
built around stand-in
skipper Rohit Sharma’
60-run knock after they
elected to bat. Tim Seifert
(50) and Ross Taylor (53)
kept the Black Caps in
hunt for a consolation
win but the hosts again
fell near the finish line.
This is only third time
that India have white-
washed opponents in
away T20
<<<
Jasprit
Bumrah
Batsman
Rohit Sharma (India)
Virat Kohli (India)
Paul Stirling (Ireland)
Martin Guptill (NZ)
David Warner (Aus)
Bumrah ran off his tested
track and was punished
severely by Kane
Williamson at Hamilton
and in the two overs he
bowled in the eliminators.
When your lead bowler
struggles the others need to
provide the back up which
Shami and Thakur did
admirably.
What was more commend-
able was that inspite of
Bumrah going a bit awry,
skipper Kohli gave him the
ball in both overs of the
eliminators.
Today, Kohli looks a much
secure captain than he was
in many series preceding
those played in the past.
One sees him willing to bat
lower down the order to
give inexperienced players
like Shivam Dube a chance
to bat higher. There were
many experts who had Virat Kohli and Kane Williamson.
opined that Kohli should
bat at number 4 at the ber 3, and the team kept
International Cricket experimenting throughout
Council World Cup 2019 in the tournament which saw
England to settle down India lose the semi-final to
India’s middle order issues. the Kiwis by 18 runs. Giving
Kohli continued to bat at an opportunity to KL Rahul
his favourite position, num- to come in at the third posi-
Team India pose after completing their 5-0 T20I series win over New Zealand at Bay Oval on Sunday.
series and first time in a
five-match rubber. India
had blanked the West
Indies 3-0 in 2019 and beat
Australia 3-0 in 2016. New
Zealand got off to a poor
start and were quickly
reduced to 17 for three in
the fourth over.
Bumrah had Martin
Guptill lbw, and Sundar
bowled Colin Munro (15).
Tom Bruce’s run-out did-
n’t help the situation
We need everyone to be best
version of themselves: Kohli
Mount Maunganui,
Feb. 2: India captain
Virat Kohli on Sunday
said he wants his players
to be the “best version of
themselves” in order to
dominate world cricket
in the coming years.
“We need everyone to
be the best versions of
themselves. It is all
about laying the vision
in front of the boys, the
way you think, prepare.
The guys are taking
notice of it and they
realise that the team
needs 120 percent from
them every time,” Kohli
MOST 50+ SCORES IN T20I
M Runs
108
82
75
88
76
tion against Australia in
the first ODI against
Australia at Mumbai and
getting Dube to bat at that
position at Hamilton, in the
third T20 against the Kiwis
shows he is willing to give
either. Taylor and Seifert
came together at that
juncture, putting on 99
runs for the fourth wick-
et, raising vision of an
improbable win.
Seifert reached his half-
century off 29 balls,
including five fours and
three sixes. while Taylor
got to his half-century in
42 balls.
He hit five fours and two
sixes. They took 34 runs
said.
“Because only then you
will find ways to win.
That has been a massive
change for us in the last
two-three years. We have
seen the results; we obvi-
ously won’t win every-
thing and these victories
give a lot more pleasure
than the one-sided victo-
ries.”
Heaping praise on the
team, Kohli said: “All of
us are really proud of
how we played. It’s
about finding
ways to win.
Today, all these
INDIA’S OVERSEAS SERIES WIN IN T20s
50+ Year Venue
2773 25 2020 New Zealand
2794 24 2016 Australia
2052 17 2016 Zimbabwe
2536 17 2018 South Africa
2079 16 2018 England
— Twitter
DECCAN CHRONICLE
off Shivam Dube in the
10th over, after which KL
Rahul, who led in absence
of inured Rohit Sharma,
had to take corrective
measures.
He brought back his
frontline pacers and they
both etched out wickets.
Navdeep Saini dismissed
Seifert and then Bumrah
bowled Daryl Mitchell
with a searing yorker.
— PTI
young guys were on the
field after Rohit’s unfor-
tunate injury and them
coming together
and handling the
pressure.”
— PTI
Opponents
New Zealand
Australia
Zimbabwe
South Africa
England
Stats: S. PERVEZ QAISER
others a chance to prove
themselves.
Batting position apart,
what was very creditable on
Kohli’s part was the faith he
put in Bumrah in both elim-
inators. The Gujarat lad is
the most valuable bowler in
India at this point in time.
He is the fulcrum around
which the Indian bowling
attack revolves. Kohli could
have asked Shami and
Thakur to do the honours in
the super overs at Hamilton
and Wellington.
Both had their rhythm
very finely tuned when they
bowled the 20th overs in the
matches and no one would
have questioned Kohli’s
decision had he done so.
Kohli’s act of asking
Bumrah to bowl in the
super overs just shows he
does not want his spear-
head to lose his confidence.
Kohli knows Bumrah is his
best bet if he has to contin-
ue India’s wining streak in
the three ODIs to follow and
in the important two-Test
series which is crucial for
India in the World Test
Championship.
Giving all selected team
members a chance was rare
of in Indian cricket. There
have been many tours in the
past where team members
were divided into players
and tourists. The current
Indian team management,
led by Kohli and team coach
Cricket
MONDAY | 3 FEBRUARY 2020 | CHENNAI
Result
5-0
3-0
2-1
2-1
2-1
KL Rahul
Ravi Shastri, are giving
opportunities to players sit-
ting on the benches to com-
pete with those that are reg-
ulars in the playing eleven
and making them feel a part
of the team.
They have given many
opportunities to young
Rishab Pant and are pick-
ing players like Washington
Sunder and Sanju Samson
in the playing eleven to
prove themselves in the
field of play. Kohli and
Shastri would have had no
opposition had they contin-
ued playing with a full side
in the last two T20s against
New Zealand after having
won the T20 series.
Investing in people is what
makes great leaders and
drives teams to be success-
ful across all genres. By
resting in-form players like
Rohit Sharma, Ravindra
Jadeja and Shami and
allowing Sunder, Samson
and Navjot Saini to play the
fourth T20, they have shown
their willingness to create
assets.
Backing talent and creat-
ing resources at the cost of
going for glory — Kohli
could have continued the
same eleven for a 5-0 brown-
wash — will hold Kohli and
Shastri in good stead. I do
believe the duo, and the
selectors, have realised the
value these assets will pro-
vide in the future.
PAGE
14
Rohit injured,
KL says he’ll
recover soon
Mount Maunganui,
Feb. 2: Stand-in India
skipper Rohit Sharma
did not take the field
after injuring his calf
while batting in the fifth
T20 against New Zealand
but teammate KL Rahul
Sunday said that “he
should be fine in a cou-
ple of days”.
Rahul captained the
side in Rohit’s absence.
Virat Kohli was rested
the final game of the
series.
“Rohit Sharma is being
assessed at the
moment,” read an offi-
cial update form the
BCCI. At the post-match
presentation, Rahul
said: “Rohit’s alright,
unfortunate injury,
hopefully he should be
fine in a couple of days”.
Rohit, batting at num-
ber three, was retired
hurt after injuring his
left calf whilst hitting a
six.
Rohit walked off the
field in discomfort.
The Mumbai star faced
41 balls for his 60, hitting
three fours as well as
three sixes. India play
the first game of the
three-match ODI series
— AP
on Wednesday.
— PTI
Rahul wants to carry
his form to T20 WC roles I am doing for my side.
Not thinking too much about
the T20 World Cup at the
moment, but hopefully I can
continue batting this way,”
he said.
M o u n t The T20 World Cup will be
Maunganui, held in Australia from
Feb. 2: Chief October 18 to November 15.
architect of
India’s rare
5-0 clean
India notched up a rare 5-0
whitewash over New Zealand
with a seven-run win in the
sweep
New Zealand, India
opener KL Rahul on
over
Sunday said he is not yet
fifth and final T20
International and Rahul said
the team’s ability to find
answers in difficult situa-
thinking about the T20 tions was the key to its suc-
World Cup but wants to cess.
carry his sparkling form “I am pleased. It is great to
into the big event.
The 27-year-old from
be standing here winning 5-0.
Very happy that my perform-
Karnataka was named the
Player of the Tournament for
ances could result in victo-
ries for India. We were happy
scoring 224 runs in the five- to come into this series with
match series at an average of confidence and to keep exe-
56. “I am batting really well cuting our skills every
now and I am happy to do the game.” — PTI
SCORECARD
India: KL Rahul c Santner b Bennett 45, Sanju Samson c
Santner b Kuggeleijn 2, Rohit Sharma retd hurt 60, Shreyas
Iyer (not out) 33, Shivam Dube c Bruce b Kuggeleijn 5,
Manish Pandey (not out) 11. Extras (LB-1 W-6) 7. Total (for
three wickets in 20 overs) 163.
FoW: 1-8, 2-96, 3-148.
Bowling: Southee 4-0-52-0, Kuggeleijn 4-0-25-2, Bennett
4-0-21-1, Sodhi 4-0-28-0, Santner 4-0-36-0.
New Zealand: Martin Guptill lbw b Bumrah 2, Colin Munro
b Washington Sundar 15, Tim Seifert c Samson b Navdeep
Saini 50, Tom Bruce run out 0, Ross Taylorc Rahul b
Navdeep Saini 53, Daryl Mitchell b Bumrah 2, Mitchell
Santnerc Manish Pandey b Thakur 6, Scott Kuggeleijnc
Washington Sundar b Thakur 0, Tim Southee b Bumrah 6,
Ish Sodhi (not out) 16, Hamish Bennett (not out) 1.
Extras (LB-1, W-3, NB-1) 5. Total (for nine wickets in 20
overs) 156.
FoW: 1--7, 2-17, 3-17, 4-116, 5-119, 6-131, 7-132, 8-133, 9-141.
Bowling: Sundar 3-0-20-1, Bumrah 4-1-12-3, Saini 4-0-23-2,
Thakur 4-0-38-2, Chahal 4-0-28-0, Dube 1-0-34-0.
down to Aussies
Canberra, Feb. 2: Indian BRIEF SCORES
women suffered a four-
wicket loss against the India 103/9 in 20 overs
mighty Australia after a (Smriti Mandhana 35; Ellyse
disappointing batting per- Perry 4/13, Tayla Vlaeminck
formance in their second 3/13 ) lost to Australia 104/6
match of the T20 tri-series (Ellyse Perry 49; Rajeshwari
here on Sunday. Gayakwad 2/18)
India struggled to 103 for
nine in 20 overs after being
asked to bat. The visiting Oval in Melbourne on
team’s bowlers did well to February 7.
stretch the game till the Barring opener Smriti
penultimate over but there Mandhana (35) and
were not enough runs on Harmanpreet (28), Indian
the board. batters showed complete
Elysse Perry was the lack of application on a
undisputed star of the pitch offering extra
game, picking up three bounce.
wickets in one before India lost their last six
before making 49 off 47 wickets for 21 runs with
balls in Australia’s chase. pacer Perry (4/13 in 4
India had beaten England overs) picking three of
in the tournament opener them in 14th over over,
while Australia had lost to removing Harmanpreet,
England in a Super Over Taniya Bhatia and Deepti
finish on Saturday, leaving Sharma.
all three teams with a win Sixteen-year-old Shafali
each. Verma, touted as the next
“Our lower order defi- big thing in women’s crick-
nitely needs to bat a lot bet- et, lasted only three balls
ter, especially when the while Jemimah Rodrigues
top-order doesn’t get runs. crawled to 1 off 11 balls,
However, really appreciate leaving their team at 16 for
the performance of the two in three overs.
bowlers,” said India skip- The experienced
per Harmanpreet Kaur at Mandhana and
the post-match presenta- Harmanpreet stitched a 40-
tion. run stand before the lat-
India next play against ter’s dismissal triggered a
England at the Junction collapse. — PTI
 Sidelined
Toronto Raptors guard Norman Powell who
suffered a fracture in his left hand last week
has been sidelined indefinitely
SHORT
Ankita clinches
ITF singles title
TAKES
New Delhi: India’s best woman
singles player Ankita Raina won
her first ITF singles title of the
season and 10th of her career
when she beat Chloe Paquet in
the summit clash of the USD
25000 event in Nonthaburi,
Thailand on Sunday.
The third seed Indian recorded
a facile 6-3, 7-5 win over the
fourth seed French woman,
ranked even places below the
Indian at 178.
She has also won the doubles
title with Dutch partner Bibiane
Schoofs. It was Ankita’s first
victory against Paquet, who
emerged winner in previous
two meetings. It has been a
good start for Ankita in the
2020 season, as she had made
the semifinals at the another
USD 25000 event in Canberra.
“It’s a positive start to the sea-
son. I didn’t get much time for
pre-season training but my
coach was travelling for 3
weeks which helped me to train
physically and tennis wise,”
Ankita said. — PTI
McDowell wins,
Bhullar tied 67th
King Abdullah Economic City,
Saudi Arabia: India’s Gaganjeet
Bhullar had another average
day as he carded a second suc-
cessive one-over 71 on the final
day to finish tied 67th at Saudi
International golf tournament
here on Sunday.
Bhullar finished with a total of
three-over 283. He had two
birdies and three bogeys in his
card.
Graeme McDowell used all his
experience and stayed patient
to finish at 12-under, two shots
clear of defending champion
Dustin Johnson (67) to claim
the title. The win ended
McDowell’s nearly six-year long
title drought on the European
Tour. His last win came at the
Open de France in 2014. It was
McDowell’s 11th European Tour
victory and 16th overall and
they have come in 12 different
countries.
“I hope this win will do for me
what the Abu Dhabi win did for
my friend, Shane Lowry last
year. It was great of him to be
there to congratulate me,” said
McDowell. — PTI
Finau in lead at
Phoenix Open
Los Angeles: Tony Finau was on
fire in the Arizona desert
Saturday, posting an eagle and
seven birdies in a nine-under
par 62 for a one-shot lead in
the US PGA Tour Phoenix Open.
Finau’s 16-under par total of 197
put him one in front of fellow
American Webb Simpson,
whose seven-under 64 included
a hole in one at the par-three
12th.
Overnight leader J.B. Holmes
carded a one-under 70 on the
TPC Scottsdale Stadium Course
and was tied for third with
Hudson Swafford (66) on 199.
“I hit more fairways today, so I
was able to give myself some
short irons into the par-fours,”
said Finau, who started the day
four strokes off Holmes’s lead.
He hit 12 of 14 fairways in regu-
lation and 15 of 18 greens and
said the round didn’t require a
lot of thinking. Finau was five-
under for the day when he
rolled in a 20-foot eagle
putt at the 13th. — AFP
R. Anupama
TN’S ANUPAMA
WINS HER 3RD
NATIONAL TITLE
Chennai: R. Anupama of Tamil
Nadu bagged her third national
junior billiards title at the
Manisha Vascon National
Championship 2020 at Pune.
Anupama defeated last year’s
champion Ishika Shah of
Madhya Pradesh, scoring 163-
85 in one-hour format.
Another Tamil Nadu player, J.
Mariam Agnes, finished fourth,
having lost to P. Keerthana of
Karnataka.
Lakers back on track
Davis leads LA to their 1st win since Kobe tragedy
Los Angles, Feb. 2:
Anthony Davis scored a
team-high 21 points as the
Los Angeles Lakers put
the emotions of their
Kobe Bryant tribute night
behind them with a 129-
113 victory over the
Sacramento Kings on
Saturday.
The Lakers won their
first game since Bryant
died in a horrific helicop-
ter crash after losing 127-
119 on Friday to Portland
on a night when they paid
tribute to the former NBA
legend.
Davis followed up his 37-
point performance
against the Trail Blazers
with another team-high
total in the second game of
a back-to-back set.
“We got our first win. It
is never going to feel nor-
mal. It is never going to
feel the same,” said
Lakers
Vogel.
coach Frank
“That is our first win
since this happened.
There are going to be a lot
of important steps for us
along the way. I loved the
way we came out tonight,”
he added.
LeBron James had a
triple-double of 15 points,
10 rebounds and 10 assists
and Avery Bradley scored
16 of his 19 points in the
first 12 minutes as the
Lakers racked up 81
points in the first half.
Bryant’s career high was
81 points in 2006 against
Toronto second only to
Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-
point game in 1962.
“We knew last night was
going to be an emotional
game. We got through it.
Tonight it was get back on
track and go out and get a
win no matter what,”
Vogel said.
James’ triple-double was
his 11th of the season, one
off Luka Doncic’s league
lead, and the 92nd of his
career.
Only Oscar Robertson
(181), Russell Westbrook
(146), Magic Johnson (138)
and Jason Kidd (107) have
more career triple-dou-
bles.
James said they had to
get used to Bryant trib-
utes whenever they travel
to a new NBA building,
noting: “It should be
acknowledged because of
what he meant to this
franchise for 20 years.”
One of the last people to
talk to Bryant before he
and eight others died last
Sunday, James said it was
a bittersweet recollection.
Real on top in Madrid derby
Madrid, Feb. 2: Zinedine
Zidane’s double substitu-
tion at half-time trans-
formed the Madrid derby
on Saturday as Real
Madrid edged past
Atletico 1-0 to move six
points clear at the top of
La Liga.
Karim Benzema scored
the winner at the Santiago
Bernabeu after Zidane’s
decisive intervention
turned a contest that
Atletico had dominated
into another comfortable
Real Madrid victory.
Vinicius Junior, one of
the substitutes, was also
key to the goal.
“I wasn’t happy with
what I saw but it’s not
down to the players, it’s
my responsibility,” Zidane
said.
Second-place Barcelona
Bhavika makes a splash
DEEKSHA VERMA
CHENNAI, FEB. 2
Coimbatore swimmer
Bhavika Dugar has made
quite a splash at the
recently concluded
Khelo India Youth Games
at Guwahati. She bagged
gold medal in the 1500m
freestyle event and won
three silver medals in the
200m, 400m and 800m
events.
The bespectacled
Bhavika is one of the best
long-distance swimmers
in the country now. She
won silver (1500m) in the
2019 senior national
aquatics championship.
Bhavika took to swim-
ming like a duck to water.
After all, the sport is in
her blood as Bhavika’s
mother Shilpa is a former
LeBron James (right) of Los Angeles Lakers drives against Harrison Barnes of Sacramento Kings during their NBA game in
Sacramento, California (USA), on Saturday. The Lakers won 129-113.
Elsewhere, red-hot
Damian Lillard continued
blistering pace with 51
points to lead the Portland
to a 124-107 victory over
the Utah Jazz.
Lillard connected on 17
of 29 field-goal attempts
and made all eight of his
free throws en route to his
third 50-point perform-
ance over the past six
games and fourth of the
season.
In Boston, Jaylen Brown
scored 32 points as the
Boston Celtics won their
sixth game in the last
seven with a 116-95 victory
over the Philadelphia
76ers.
Jayson Tatum tallied 25
points, and Brad
Wanamaker chipped in 15
as the Celtics avoided a
season sweep by
Philadelphia.
Boston played without
Karim Benzema (left) of Real Madrid celebrates after
scoring during their Spanish league football match
against Club Atletico de Madrid.
can cut the gap back to
three points by beating
Levante at home on
Bhavika Dugar
state-level swimmer.
“It all started when I
was a three-year-old and
my parents wanted me to
pursue an individual
sport,” said Bhavika, a
class 12 student of
CURRY SET TO RETURN
San Francisco, Feb. 2: Injured Golden State
Warriors guard Stephen Curry, a two-time NBA
Most Valuable Player and three-time league champi-
on, will be re-evaluated in four weeks and could
return in March, the club said Saturday.
Curry, who turns 32 on March 14, suffered a broken
left hand on October 30 against the Phoenix Suns
and underwent surgery two days later.
Curry “has made good progress during his reha-
bilitation over the last several weeks and continues
to expand his individual on-court work each week,”
the Warriors said in a statement.
Curry averaged 20.3 points, 6.5 assists and 5.0
rebounds in four games before the injury. He had
career averages of 23.5 points, 6.6 assists and 4.5
rebounds entering this season.
injured leading scorer
Kemba Walker, who has a
sore left knee. Ben
Simmons led the 76ers
with 23 points, and Joel
Embiid was held to 11 on a
dismal one-of-11 shooting.
— AFP
Sunday but Atletico now
trail the leaders by 13.
While Diego Simeone’s
Bharathiya Vidya
Bhavan Matric Higher
Secondary School.
After learning the
basics from her mother
Shilpa, Bhavika started
training at Jenny’s Club
DECCAN CHRONICLE
— AFP
Philadelphia was done in
by poor shooting. They
attempted 33 shots from
three-point range but
made just seven.
The 76ers had beaten the
Celtics in their first three
side were strong in the
first half, they were yet
again blunt in front of
goal and then failed to
respond when their oppo-
nents found a different
gear.
This is Atletico’s fifth
game without a win and
on this form, they might
begin to worry about
missing out on
Champions League quali-
fication.
It is a far cry from pre-
season when they
thrashed Real 7-3 and
many were tipping them
as serious challengers.
Zidane was under pres-
sure then but his team are
on a relentless run, now 21
games unbeaten, the lat-
est due in large part to his
changes.
— AFP
under Ramesh. “I started
taking part in
district-level events and
found that freestyle suit-
ed me well,” added
Bhavika.
“The year 2015 was the
turning point in my life. I
was picked for the Asian
Age Group championship
in Bangkok. That’s when
I decided to take swim-
ming as my career,” she
added.
Bhavika says swimming
has taught her a lot of
valuable lessons in life.
“It has helped me stay
disciplined. I wake up
early every day and sleep
early in the night.
Swimming keeps me
more active and fresh. It
has brought in a lot of
positivity in my life,” she
said.
Games
MONDAY | 3 FEBRUARY 2020 | CHENNAI
— AP
meetings this season,
including December 12 at
the Boston Garden.
Also, Kawhi Leonard
scored at least 30 points
for the ninth straight con-
test as the Los Angeles
Clippers beat the
Minnesota Timberwolves
118-106.
Leonard, who also had
six rebounds, needed just
24 minutes of playing
time to score 31 points.
Paul George, playing in
his second contest after
missing nine games
because of a left ham-
string strain, had 21
points and seven
rebounds in 25 minutes.
In Washington,
Brooklyn Nets guard
Kyrie Irving sprained his
right knee in the fourth
quarter of Saturday’s 113-
107 loss to the Washington
Wizards. — AFP
CRISTIANO
SHOOTS PAST
FIORENTINA
Milan, Feb. 2: Cristiano
Ronaldo stretched his
scoring streak to nine
consecutive league games
with a penalty double on
Sunday as Juventus
bounced back from last
weekend’s defeat to
Napoli with a 3-0 win over
Fiorentina.
The Portuguese striker
slotted in both his goals
from the spot in either
half in Turin with Dutch
defender Matthijs de Ligt
heading in a third in
injury time.
Maurizio Sarri’s side
open up a six-point lead
on top of the Serie ‘A’
table on second-placed
Inter Milan.
— AFP
St. Joseph’s College of Engineering, winners of the CIT basketball trophy 2020. They beat
SSN College of Engineering, Chennai, in the final (66-32).
PAGE
15
Magesh scalps six
in Kamyuth’s win
DC CORRESPONDENT
CHENNAI, FEB. 2
R. Magesh scalped six
wickets to help Kamyuth
Club post an easy win over
Netaji Cricket Club in the
fifth division ‘A’ of the
TNCA league.
In third division ‘B’, B.
Nishaanth’s unbeaten cen-
tury went in vain as Rising
Stars Cricket Club lost to
Sical Recreation Club.
R. Magesh
Stephen Angello (62) and
M. Eshwar (57 not out)
were the star performers of
Rising Stars CC.
A. Aasrit’s five-wicket
haul guided Prithvi
Cricket Club to an 87-run
victory over Young Men’s
Association in the fourth
division ‘A’ league.
Brief scores: III-Division
‘B’: Rising Stars Cricket
Club 216/5 in 50 overs (B.
Nishaanth 114 not out, D.
Giripal 31) lost to Sical
Recreation Club 217/7 in B. Nishaanth
48.4 overs (Stephen Tamizharasan 34, V.
Angello 62, M. Eshwar 57
not out); Royapettah
Dhaneshwaran 4/16,
Sanchan P Shaju 3/30) lost
Cricket Club 152 in 49.3
overs (S. Akshay Kumar 45,
to Ranji Cricket Club 114/8
in 31 overs (P.L.
M. Parthiban 33, M. Harshavadhan Sai 40, R.
Elavarasan 3 for 26) lost to Kaleeswran 4/44); BSNL
Triplicane Cricket Club Chennai Telephones
153/3 in 26.1 overs (M. Recreation Club 150 in 48
Suganesh 56, G. Sriram 55); overs (Senthil Kumar
Perungalathur Cricket Club Shanmugam 5/45) lost to
248 in 47 overs (G. Rajesh Mambalam Mosquitos 151/8
98, S. Gunaseelan 53, K. in 46.1 overs (C. Ravi 3/36).
Vignesh 31, D. Tamil V-Division ‘A’: Youth Centre
Kumaran 3/67, G. Babu Cricket Club 145 in 47.4
3/73) bt Sea Hawks Cricket overs lost to Vepery Cricket
Club 96 in 27.4 overs (R. Club 146/8 in 36.3 overs (M.
Nandagopal 41, M. Prabakaran 3/44, Mustansir
Sadiqulameen 4/13, Siraj 3/23); Gandhi Cricket Club
Muneer 3/31). 193/6 in 50 overs (R. Raj
IV-Division ‘A’: Social
Pounwals 61, V. Santhosh
Cricket Club 203 in 47 58, J. Parthiban 3/31) bt
overs (R. Nishanth Kumar
Chennai P&T Audit
Alwar 58, D. Kanan 46, T. Recreation Club 146 in 41.1
Prasath 38, M. Anush 3/48, overs (A. Sintha 78, S.
K.S. Harris Roshan Abraham David Samrot 4/42, M.
3/32) lost to Purasawalkam Pradeep 4/25); Friends XI
Cricket Club 204/8 in 44 275/9 in 50 overs (M.S.
overs (R. Bharat Srinivas 51 Rajeev 70, R. Divakar 44, K.
not out, K. Sivakumar 48,
Vikraman Narayana Sami
4/47); Prithvi Cricket Club
Dravid 45, R. Dinesh 4/76,
L.J. Mukund 3/61) lost to
St.Mary’s Cricket Club
211 in 49 overs (N. 276/8 in 46.5 overs (V.
Balasubramanian 77, L. Simon Stanley 52, S. Surya
Ramnath 61, R.N. Natesan Narayanan 45, S. Mohan Raj
30, R. Sukumar 4/55) bt 38; S. Maran 3/54); Netaji
Young Men’s Association Cricket Club 51 in 26.3
126 in 32.1 overs (T. Chandru overs (R. Magesh 6/22) lost
50, A. Aasrit 5/17, R.
to Kamyuth Club 55/2 in
Bharath Rajan 3/35). 14.1 overs.
IV-Division ‘B’: Chennai V-Division ‘E’: Indian Oil
Port Sports Council 172/9 in
50 overs (B. Ashok Kumar
42, K. Syed Shahabuddin
Sports and Recreation Club
194 in 45.5 overs (S. Dipen
Chandrakanth 62, D. Suresh
3/46, M. Huzefa 3/47) lost
to Komaleeswarar Cricket
35, S. Karthik 3/38, M.
Balamurugan 3/74) bt
Club 174/4 in 40.1 overs (M. Comrades Cricket Club
Santhosh Gopi 54, M.S. Raja 145/9 in 46 overs (J.
37 not out, S. Surender 32 Bharani Dharan 59, J.
not out); Sridhar Cricket Joseph Jebaraj 3/20, D.
Club 110 in 34.4 overs (M. Karthik 3/36).
TN go down to Rajasthan
Tamil Nadu lost to Rajasthan by 26 runs in the under-
23 BCCI women one-dayers at IITM–Chemplast
Ground, Chennai. Rajasthan’s Sumitra Jat top scored
with 62 runs.
Brief scores: Rajasthan 185/8 in 50 overs (Sumitra
Jat 62, Tanuja Vaishnav 54 not out) bt Tamil Nadu
159/9 in 50 overs (Arshi Choudhary 44, C.
Shushaanthika 28; Suman Meena 3/14). Points:
Rajasthan 4 (20); Tamil Nadu 0 (4).
12-year-old Ackeel reigns in
open category
M. Ackeel of Shishya (OMR), 12-year-old, defeated fide-
rated Abdul Azeem in open category to win the
Emmanuel Chess Centre’s monthly chess tournament
held at Russian Cultral Centre. Azeem and Venkatesan
finished second and third respectively.
Final standings: Open category: 1. Ackeel, 2. Abdul
Azeem, 3. Venkatesan. U-15: Ashi Gagoria (CSI
Ewarts school). U-12: G. Aravind (The Grove School).
U-9: Yashwanth (Don Bosco). U-7: H. Swaroop
Athith (Narayana School, MR).
St Joseph’s emerge winners
St. Joseph’s College of Engineering outplayed SSN
College of Engineering, Chennai, 66-32 to emerge win-
ners of the CIT basketball trophy 2020.
Results: Final: St. Joseph’s College of Engineering bt
SSN College of Engineering, Chennai 66-32.
Semifinals: St. Joseph’s College of Engineering bt
Peri Engineering, Chennai 50-26.
Quarterfinals: St. Joseph’s College of Engineering bt
Rajalakshmi Engineering College, Chennai 52-11.
First match: St. Joseph’s College of Engineering bt
Saveetha Engineering College, Chennai 32-14.