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Prez Trump says there are 72
active trials going on in the
US researching dozens of
therapies, & good progress is
being made on Covid vaccines
Pak removes
nearly 4k names
P
from terror list
akistan has quietly rem-
oved almost 3,800 names
from its terror watch list,
raising concerns that want-
ed terrorists are being pro-
tected despite the country
being on the FATF’s enha-
nced grey list, according to
a US risk compliance com-
pany. The latest list includ-
es 26/11 Mumbai carnage
mastermind and Jamat-ud -
Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed and
Jaish boss Masood Azhar,
among others. P 9
DAY
LOCKDOWN 28
Second MP cop
dies of corona
A 59-year-old police insp-
ector from Ujjain died
of Covid-19 in Indore on Tu-
esday, two days after anoth-
er inspector from Indore pa-
ssed away. Local authorities
have now decided to test all
MP police personnel on Co-
vid-19 duty.
HDFC cuts home
loan rates 15bps
H DFC has reduced its pr-
ime lending rate by 15
basis points with effect fr-
om Wednesday. The change
will benefit all HDFC retail
home customers. Post the
cut, rates will range betwe-
en 7.85% and 8.15%for sala-
ried class borrowers. P 11
It’s for govt to
act on crisis: SC
T he SC has refused to pa-
ss orders on petitions
seeking exemption of face
masks and sanitisers from
GST and other relief, saying
it is for the Centre to take de-
cisions on how to tackle the
crisis, and authorities were
trying to do their best. P 7
States to pick own
academic plan
U nion HRD minister Ra-
mesh Pokhriyal has sa-
id states can develop their
own academic calendar and
assessment schedule and ch-
oose when to have their sum-
mer break depending on the
locally prevalent coronavi-
rus situation. P 8
Staggered health
premiums allowed
T he IRDAI has directed
insurance firms to off-
er customers the option of
paying health insurance pr-
emium in instalments for
policies that are due for ren-
ewal up to March 31, 2021. It
can be monthly, quarterly
or half yearly.
8 can now chat in
WhatsApp video
I n a move that will be wel-
comed by people under
Covid-19 lockdown, Whats-
App is doubling the number
of callers who can partici-
pate in group video chats
from four to eight. P 11
Secret date gets
couple booked
A love-lorn couple—the
man from Jodhpur and
his fianceé who lives in Guja-
rat’s Vastrapur—have been
booked for flouting lockdo-
wn norms and stepping out
to meet each other. The cou-
ple was in a car when Vastra-
pur cops came knocking. P 7
OTHER TOP STORY
SC bats for JVPD
open spaces
O rdering that two open
spaces in the JVPD sch-
eme be maintained as such,
the SC dismissed an SLP filed
by the Anjuman-e-Shiate Ali
Trust challenging a Bombay
HC order that dubbed Mha-
da’s decision to allow const-
ruction as an “illegality”. P 4
WATCH OUT FOR TODAY’S
QUESTIONS ON E6<:*
Times Interact | P 6 & 8
A day later, state rolls back Trump vows immigration
halt,
easing of norms in city, Pune Cites Corona
Sale Of Meds &
Essential Goods
Can Continue
Bhavika.Jain1@timesgroup.com
Mumbai: A day after certain
relaxations in the lockdown
norms came into force, the
Maharashtra government
rolled back all of them on Tu-
FULL COVERAGE: P 2-12
esday for Mumbai and Pune
and the regions surrounding
these two Covid-19 hotspots.
The eased norms can conti-
nue in the rest of the state.
All services that were ope-
rational in the Mumbai Met-
ropolitan Region (MMR) and
Pune Metropolitan Region
(PMR) before Monday, like sa-
le of essential goods and me-
dicines, will go on as usual.
552: State equals its one-day
record; 4k to 5k in just 2 days
419 Cases In City, BMC’S WORLI WORK GETS CENTRE’S PAT
Toll (12) In Double team
Central inspection
Digits After 6 Days work
praises BMC’s
in Worli Koliwada,
says it can be an
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Mumbai: The state recorded
552 fresh Covid-19 cases on Tu-
esday, equalling the highest
one-day rise in cases on April
19 to take its tally to 5,218. Ma-
harashtra’s latest and fastest
addition of 1,000 cases has co-
me in just two days.
Mumbai, which recorded
its second highest single-day
rise in cases with 419 new de-
tections, mainly contributed
to the state’s surge in positive
cases. After six days of recor-
ding deaths in single digits,
Mumbai went back to a doub-
le-digit death toll. It logged 12
deaths, the city’s second hig-
hest daily toll till date.
Over a lakh people in the
state are now under home or
institutional quarantine.
Back to double digits, P 2
India 17th country to hit 20,000
+ve cases, death toll crosses 600
DurgeshNandan.Jha
@timesgroup.com
New Delhi: India became the
world’s 17th country to record
20,000 Covid-19 cases, crossing
the grim milestone on a day
when Maharashtra, Rajasth-
an and West Bengal recorded
their biggest single-day rise in
infections. There was a spike
in deaths as well, with 49 on
Tuesday taking the toll to 645.
The total number of cases
stood at 20,083 late on Tuesday,
as per reports from states, ha-
ving risen by 1,493 during the
day— the second highest daily
rise after Sunday’s spike of
1,613 cases.
Over a third of the new ca-
ses came from Maharashtra.
Rajasthan (159) and West Ben-
gal (53) also saw their sharpest
rise even as Gujarat logged
239 more coronavirus positive
cases on the day.
Guj fastest to 2k cases, P 8
Pecking order of facilities for med staff
Rema Nagarajan
& Sumitra DebRoy TNN
I
n the midst of the Covid ep-
idemic, complaints pour in
about facilities and safety ge-
ar for healthcare workers being
dependent on hierarchy rather
than on the extent to which he-
alth personnel face risk of ex-
posure to the infection. For in-
stance, doctors are accommo-
dated in hotels so that they
don’t have to worry about infec-
ting their families when they
return home. However, nurses
and technicians are put up in
hostels or guesthouses and are
transported to and from their
homes in packed buses, defea-
ting the whole idea of social dis-
MUMBAI | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2020 | PAGES 14
PRICE ` 7.00 ALONG WITH MUMBAI MIRROR OR THE ECONOMIC TIMES OR MAHARASHTRA TIMES *
WHO says all available evidence
suggests the novel coronavirus
originated in animals in China late
last year and was not manipulated
or produced in a laboratory
visa
hopes to be hit
KEY RELAXATIONS THAT APPLIED TO MMR Of city’s 817 sealed
AND PMR BUT STAND CANCELLED NOW
Construction activities if
labourers were on site
Construction of infrastructure
projects if labourers were on site
Opening of confectionaries,
sweet and farsan shops
Industries in rural areas
(outside municipal limits)
IT and IT-enabled services only
if operated at 50% capacity
A senior official said chi-
ef minister Uddhav Thacke-
ray had warned that if peo-
ple failed to maintain social
distancing, relaxations as
approved by the Centre like
opening of farsan and sweet
shops, services by plumbers
and mechanics, renewal of
IT services and limited
construction activities, wo-
uld be rolled back.
example for others
To make more ICU
beds available, BMC
sets up 3-tier care
system for patients
5 prime accused in
Palghar lynching held;
locals identify them in
violence video
Constable, part
of Union minister’s
security, tests +ve
175 patients
discharged from city
25% of Dharavi residents tested in April +ve
N early 25% of the people tested in Dharavi since April 1have
been found to be positive, reports Richa Pinto on Page 2.
Tuesday saw 12 new cases and a death in the slum settlement.
The additions have taken the number of cases in the hotspot to
180, including 12 fatalities. The BMC has screened around 40,000
Dharavi residents, tested 657 of them and found that 168 were
infected with coronavirus. DHARAVI: A PHOTO FEATURE, P 4
RATE OF SPREAD FALLING...
No. of cases based
on log table Cumulative Cases Of Covid-19 Infections In India
100,000
ay
d
very
10,000
ble e
s dou
1000
Case
100
10
1
March 1 March 8
...BUT NUMBER OF NEW CASES RISING
2,000
1,500
1,000
500
598
0
April 8
12-yr-old girl walks 100km
to reach home, dies, P 6
MAKING THEIR VOICES HEARD
Associations of technicians, safai karmacharis, nurses and other
health staff are seeking more rational safety protocol, than one
where rank or hierarchy determines access to protective gear
Class IV staffers are facing
as much discrimination or
hardship of commuting as doctors
and nurses, yet BMC has not pro-
vided them with a decent place to
stay. They don’t want 5-star hotels
but only a decent place to sleep
and bathe —Pradeep Narkar |
Secy, Municipal Mazdoor Union
tancing.
Similarly, in many hospi-
tals, ward boys and sanitation
staff working on short-term
contract have stopped coming
Worldwide death toll crosses
170,000.
With 42,364 deaths, the US has the
highest mortality rate, followed by
Italy with 24,114 deaths & Spain 21,282
S L Shanth Kumar
areas, 297 coded
Malabar Hill
“The pictures on TV chan-
nels and newspapers of long
queues at toll nakas and
crowds at some parts of the
city on Monday prompted
chief minister Uddhav
Thackeray to withdraw all re-
laxations in MMR and PMR,
the Covid-19 hotspots in the
state,” said an official.
Metro work paused, P 2
hospitals — 100 from Kasturba, 75
from other civic-run facilities
Sanitisation domes, tunnels have no
scientific basis and can cause harm,
says state government officials
ys
da
y5
ays
ay
er
Ev
2d
3d
ry
y
er
Eve
Ev
ys
0 da
ry 1
Eve
Currently, India’s
doubling rate is 8 days
March 15 March 22 March 29 April 12
1,613
Source: State govts
April 19
After 12 days, Bhilwara
reports 5 fresh cases, P 8
We are getting reports
from different parts of
the country that nurses either
don’t get PPE or get poor
quality ones. This is because
nurses have no presence in
decision-making bodies
—Inaayat Singh Kakar |
Jan Swasthya Abhiyan
for work as very few establish-
ments made arrangements for
their stay. In Mumbai, a female
cleaner at Kasturba Hospital,
among the first healthcare
Centre says 1.24 crore corona
warriors are available now in the
country & portal covidwarriors.gov.in
has been created as a master database of
healthcare professionals and volunteers
red, 129 orange
W ith the number of con-
tainment zones in
Mumbai rising over 80% sin-
ce Friday (452) to touch 817 on
Tuesday, the BMC has started
to colour-coded such sealed
areas: Red for 297 congested
pockets requiring tight lock-
down; Orange for 129 conges-
ted pockets manageable with
less stringent restrictions;
Blue for 391buildings that are
manageable. At last count,
the number of people quaran-
tines in such zones stood at
53,118. Initially, all of them
were assigned home quaran-
tine, but 4,292 were found to
be living in congested homes
and so were taken to institu-
tional quarantine facilities.
Richa Pinto reports, P 2
India hits back
at China on FDI
policy tweak
Sidhartha@timesgroup.com
New Delhi: A day after Chi-
na’s outburst over the chan-
ge in foreign direct investm-
ent (FDI) policy, India on Tu-
esday hit back, saying the
amendment did not violate
any global commitment as it
did not bar investments fr-
om across the border but on-
ly mandated prior screening
of proposals.
 Arunachal Pradesh in
updated China map, P 8
Besides, sources pointed
to a host of Chinese policies
to argue that Beijing had a
chequered record in followi-
ng “discriminatory” polic-
ies against overseas entities.
Last week, the Centre
had amended the policy to
mandate that all investment
proposals from countries th-
at shared a border with In-
dia would have to be cleared
by the government instead
of them being on the auto-
matic route.
Goods trade, P 8
16 foreigners
held in UP, 619
jailed in India
Prayagraj: Sixteen foreig-
ners were arrested late Mon-
day night under various sec-
tions of the IPC, Epidemic
Diseases Act and the Foreig-
ners Act (for violating visa
20,083
rules), taking the total num-
ber of foreign nationals ar-
rested in the country since
the outbreak of Covid-19 to at
least 619. Barring a few, all
those arrested are linked to
Tablighi Jamaat’s congrega-
tion in Delhi last month, re-
April 21
ports Kapil Dixit.
Uttar Pradesh leads the
list with the arrest of 341fore-
ign nationals, followed by 157
1,493 in Maharashtra, 66 in Bihar,
34 in Karnataka and 21 in
Jharkhand. Three other sta-
tes have lodged FIRs against
foreigners, but no arrests ha-
April 21
ve been made. Telangana has
booked 88 foreign nationals,
TN 72 and MP 65.
157 booked in Maha, P 8
workers to contract the infec-
tion at the nodal Covid-19 ho-
spital, had nowhere to go after
she was discharged on Sunday.
The staffer, a Kalyan resident,
was discouraged to return ho-
me by her worried neighbours,
said a hospital source.
Kasturba administration
then decided to house her in a
ward meant for sweepers and
other ancillary workers cate-
ring to Covid-19 cases, as she is
supposed to be under quaranti-
ne for 14 days after discharge.
And after other staff staying in
the ward objected, a makeshift
partition has been built to sepa-
rate her from them.
No support: Union, P 5
Attack, Need
To Protect Jobs
Chidanand.Rajghatta
@timesgroup.com
Washington: US President
Donald Trump announced on
Monday night that he will si-
gn an executive order to “tem-
porarily suspend” immigra-
tion into the United States, ci-
ting “the attack from the Invi-
sible Enemy, as well as the
need to protect the jobs of our
GREAT American Citizens”.
The cryptic tweet convul-
sed prospective immigrants
and immigrant families in
the US and immigrant hope-
fuls and asylum-seekers acr-
oss the world who aspire for
the American dream, maki-
ng the country the most pow-
erful demographic magnet in
the world. The US admits abo-
ut 1.1 million legal immigra-
nts into the country every ye-
ar, more than any other cou-
ntry. About 600,000 are new
arrivals and about 500,000 are
status adjustments of people
already in the country.
The announcement also
threw into turmoil the alrea-
dy-fraught careers and lives
Raj stops rapid tests, ICMR
asks other states to pause
Complaints Of
Misleading &
Flawed Results
Sushmi Dey &
Indrani Bagchi TNN
New Delhi: With states comp-
laining that the recently acqu-
ired rapid testing kits were de-
livering misleading and inac-
curate results, the Indian Co-
uncil of Medical Research
(ICMR) on Tuesday advised
all states to stop using the an-
tibody test for Covid-19 for two
days until its teams investiga-
ted the functioning of the kits.
The council said it was in-
vestigating the issue as some
states had reported huge vari-
ations — ranging between 6%
and 71% — in test results from
rapid kits which it said was
unacceptable and may need to
be replaced, which will be a
setback to the government's
plan to use rapid tests for sur-
veillance and tracking trends,
though not for diagnostics.
On Tuesday morning, Ra-
jasthan — the first state in the
country to conduct rapid tests
for Covid-19 — decided to stop
using the kit any further as it
was found that the results we-
re inaccurate and did not cor-
relate with the results of the
WHEN OIL GOES BELOW $0
US crude price has hit
sub-zero and Brent is
80
70
at an 18-year low. But
India, the world’s
60
50
third-largest oil
40
importer, has much to
gain though there will 30
be pain for producers
such as ONGC
20
Jan 30
What is WTI and where is it
consumed?
➤ West Texas Intermediary
is an easy-to-process crude
produced from onland fields in
the Permian basin of the US
➤ It is consumed by US
refiners. As such, it is
vulnerabe to availability
of storage space
Why did WTI price crash
below zero?
➤ US is running short of
storage because while the
Covid-19 pandemic sapped
demand, producers continued
to pump oil
➤ Tuesday was the last day
for settling deals for April but
there were no takers for oil
and traders had absolutely
no space left to store the
contracted quantities
Why does WTI still remain
in the negative?
➤ Because traders are unsure
the economy would reopen
anytime soon due to President
REPORT ON PAGE 11
INDIA’S LARGEST ENGLISH NEWSPAPER
Pakistan PM Imran Khan may be
tested for the coronavirus or asked
to go into isolation after well-known
philanthropist Faisal Edhi, who met
him, tested positive for Covid-19
FOREIGN-BORN
INDIVIDUALS IN US
2010 2018
2.7
1.8
India
2.2 2.9
China
Figures in million
FOREIGN-BORN BECOMING US
CITIZENS (% of total)
Country 2017 2018
Mexico 16.8 17.3
India 7.2 6.9
China 5.3 5.2
Source: US Department of Homeland Security
of more than three million
guest workers and students
— nearly a million from India
— with its vague opacity. Ac-
cording to the US Citizenship
and Immigration Services
(USCIS), nearly three out of fo-
ur current H-1B visa holders
(approximately 310,000 out of
420,000) are from India.
Some reports said admi-
nistration officials are still
working on the order and it
will exempt those who are al-
ready in the US. But it was not
clear what would happen to
the hundreds of thousands
who are already in the proces-
REPORTS OF CHINESE KITS BEING FAULTY
➤ Decision after reports of
kits, sourced from 3 companies
based in China, being faulty
➤ ICMR starts investigation
after states report wide
variation in results
➤ To send 8 teams to validate
kits; issue fresh advisory
➤ In the first batch, some
300,000 kits arrived close to
two weeks after they were due
➤ In all, 650,000 kits are to be
Maha stops use of
kits at last minute
M aharashtra, which has
received 75,000 rapid
test kits from the Centre and
planned to use them to test
healthcare workers from
Wednesday and then in hots-
pots like Dharavi, put a last-
minute stop to using the kits
after the ICMR’s statement
on Tuesday. P 4
polymerase chain reaction
(PCR) test. This also triggered
a reaction across the country
with many other states dis-
continuing the testing.
However, well-placed so-
urces said the tests may not be
at fault and might not have be-
en correctly used. "The kits
are not faulty," an official fa-
73.6 Petrol ( /litre)
66.6
Diesel ( /litre)
58.3
Price on ICE
Brent ($/bbl)
2020
Donald Trump’s differences
with several governors,
increasing pressure on storage
How is WTI different
from Brent?
➤ Brent is water-borne oil
produced off the UK coast
from a depth of 500 metres.
➤ It is the benchmark for two-
thirds of the global oil trade
and is more prone
to be affected by any
geopolitical tensions
Does India buy WTI?
➤ India does not buy WTI,
though it imports small
quantities of US shale oil
➤ Brent, on the other hand,
makes up about 27% of India’s
oil purchase, the rest being
Dubai-Oman grades of crude
How does WTI’s price
impact India?
➤ It doesn’t unless Brent also
moves due to common reasons
such as geopolitical tensions
or major supply disruptions
TOP 3 COUNTRIES OF ORIGIN
FOR H-1B VISA
% increase Country New Visas Extensions
50%
India 67,815
(63%)
2,08,608
(81%)
China 15,165 (14%) 19,312 (8%)
32%
Canada 2,226 (2%)
Figures for FY ended Sep 30, 2017
1,532 (0.6%)
Source: USCIS
FOREIGN-BORN GETTING
GREEN CARDS (% of total)
2019 Country 2017 2018 2019
14.6 Mexico 15.1 14.8 15.1
7.5 China 6.3 5.9 6.0
4.7 India 5.4 5.5 5.2
Source: US Department of Homeland Security
sing zone—graduating stude-
nts applying for H-1B visas,
and H-1B visa holders waiti-
ng for their permanent resi-
dency green cards to be pro-
cessed. Trump's tweet did not
provide details on when the
suspension would go into ef-
fect or how long it would last.
Although the tweet indica-
ted the order he is considering
would be temporary, critics
saw the move as part of a gra-
dual tightening of legal im-
migration into the country to
freeze demographic changes.
‘Bid to distract’, P 9
delivered; more to be made
domestically in collaboration
with foreign firms. Some orders
placed with other countries too
STATES THAT HAVE
PUT TESTS ON HOLD
Rajasthan, Maharashtra,
West Bengal, Gujarat, Tamil
Nadu, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh,
Karnataka, Assam, Haryana
STATES YET TO BEGIN TESTING
Madhya Pradesh, Kerala
TN finds 34k kits
from China ‘flawed’
T N, which had distributed
34,000 rapid test kits ac-
ross the state before the ICMR
advisory, had procured the ki-
ts from Guangzhou Wondfo
BioTech Ltd, a Chinese firm
with a poor record in the UK.
The UK is reportedly trying to
return the kits as many were
not working efficiently. P 8
miliar with the testing strate-
gy said. "The use of these kits
for diagnosis is at fault. The
proper test for Covid is the RT-
PCR test. It is possible that sta-
tes may have resorted to a
short-cut in seeing them as di-
agnostic tests," he added.
8 teams for testing, P 8
Parking row:
69.6 3 stabbed by
62.3 neighbour, 2
brothers dead
Ahmed.Ali@timesgroup.com
21.5
April 21 Mumbai: A murder accused
out on bail stabbed to death
two brothers and grievously
wounded their 16-year-old
sibling following a fight bet-
ween two families over par-
king of a bike at a chawl in Se-
wree late Monday. While Sha-
hid Patel (21) died on the spot,
Sahil (19) and Adnan (16) were
rushed to KEM Hospital. Sa-
hil later succumbed to injuri-
es, and Adnan is in the ICU.
The prime suspect Karim
Shaikh (35), his father, sister
and uncle have been arrested
for murder, attempt to mur-
der and for issuing threats.
Karim, who has two offences
of murder against him, was
released on bail last year. His
father is a former police in-
former.
Sources said the two fami-
lies had been locked in tussle
recently. “Since the lock-
down, the Patel family mem-
bers would sit in an open spa-
ce across accused Karim’s
house. Karim’s family objec-
ted to this,” said a source.
‘Sis kicked bike’, P 4
 CORONAVIRUS UPDATE
DAILY PROGRESS OF COVID-19 CASES
TIMES CITY THE TIMES OF INDIA, MUMBAI | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2020
Jalgaon 3 1
Nandurbar 4
Nashik 95 8

Palghar 129 4
STATE TALLY As of 8.30pm, Tuesday
Buldhana 21 1

Dhule 4 1
Akola 16 1 Amravati 6 1 Nagpur
79 1

Gondia 1
State’s Covid-19 *552 from morning till 8.30pm, Tuesday. 553 Chandrapur
Cases analysed CO-MORBIDITY STATUS OF PATIENTS WHO DIED Thane 447 13 Aurangabad 35 3 Washim 1
case curve 472 as per state govt’s formal 24-hour as of 9am, April 21. 2
provided from 80% of Covid-19 patients who Covid-19
tabulation done till 9am, Tuesday 472 *
Total cases in state as Hingoli 1
March 30 onwards. NO have died in the state had co-morbid hotspots Ahmednagar 29 2 Yavatmal 16
of 8.30pm, Tuesday
1st case in Maha Maharashtra 344 350 328 conditions Jalna 1 Parbhani 1
45 Mumbai 151 Pune 716 55 Beed 1
was reported on
March 9 229 210 235 226
288
5,218 (20%) But a disturbingly high proportion,
20%, didn’t have any underlying
With less
case burden
3,451 deaths Latur 8 Other states
15 2
187 Satara 13 2 Osmanabad 3
149 After six days of 181 diseases or pre-existing conditions such than Raigad 50 1
148 117
100 88 110 121 119 recording deaths (80%) as diabetes or hypertension hotspots Solapur 25 2
67
22 17 15
Source: Maharashtra Public Health in single digits, BMC has said people should ring the
Ratnagiri 8 1 Sangli 27 1 CASES 5,218
Department’s Report of Covid-19 Cases Mumbai is back to civic helpline if they have fever, cough Least
YES Study available
Mar 30 31 Apr 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21
double-digit deaths
for 226 deaths or similar symptoms | 022-47085085 affected Sindhudurg 1 Kolhapur 9 DEATHS 251

Questions arise whether some 25% of Dharavi residents tested in last

Covid deaths are being buried 19 days found to be infected: BMC data
Clara Lewis, Malathy Iyer &
Sumitra Deb Roy TNN
Mumbai: Patients labelled as ‘suspected
Covid’ during admission to hospitals here
are not being tested for the novel coronavi-
rus even after death in a bid to dress up in-
fection figures, charged opposition leader
Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday.
He said at least 44 bodies of ‘suspected
Covid’ patients have been released from
the civic-run Nair Hospital — a dedicated
Covid-19 facility now — without the coro-
navirus test. There are several such in-
families stating the patients had SARI (se-
vere acute respiratory illness), but with no
mention of Covid,” said the doctor.
When a person has either died at home
or on the way to hospital, the police rely on
his medical history and whether he was
suffering from fever, myalgia, cough or
any other Covid-like symptoms in the past
5-7 days. “Such cases are labelled as Covid-
suspect and their samples are collected,”
said a doctor from Sion Hospital.
Such bodies are stored in the mortuary
and, if the report is positive, they are han-
Quarantine stamp in Dharavi ded over to the family in a leak-proof body
Richa.Pinto@timesgroup.com
Mumbai: Nearly 25% of tests in Dharavi
have come Covid-19 positive, suggesting a
much higher rate of transmission of the vi-
rus here than in other areas. The first case
in Dharavi was reported on April 1.
Twelve new cases, including one fatali-
ty, were reported from here on Tuesday., ta-
king the tally to 180, including 12 deaths.
Civic data showed that till Monday, the
BMC screened around 40,000 Dharavi resi-
dents, tested 657 of them and found that 168
were infected with the virus. Also, 62% of
the positive cases in the area are from the fi-
ve high-risk zones—Mukund Nagar, Madi-
na Nagar, Muslim Nagar, Social Nagar and
Kalyanwadi. As many as 83 patients were
detected through fever camps/community
screening and separated to contain the
spread, said officials. “It was only owing to
our fever camps and massive community
screening activity that we were able isolate
maximum positive cases from the high-risk
zones,” said assistant municipal commis-
sioner Kiran Dighavkar of G-North ward.
The patient who died on Tuesday was a
62-year-old man from Mukund Nagar. The
new cases included five members of a fami-
ly from Rajiv Gandhi Nagar and four from
Muslim Nagar. A team from the Centre is
expected to visit Dharavi on Wednesday, sa-
id civic officials.
Meanwhile, a 56-year-old cop who lived
in Dadar police colony and was on duty in
‘hotspot’ Worli Koliwada tested positive on
Monday. He was admitted to SevenHills Ho-
spital, said civic officials.
On Monday, three more cases were de-
tected in Mahim—a 22-year-old and a 41-ye-
ar-old from Prakash Nagar and a 29-year-
old woman—taking the total to17, including
one death. The 41-year-old is a watchman at
acommercial centre in Lower Parel and the
22-year-old is a ‘high-risk contact’ of his.

Mumbai back to double-digits toll

stances from other hospitals too, said Fad-
navis, who tweeted details of the letter he’s
sent to chief minister Uddhav Thackeray.
The BJP accused the state government
of fudging the Covid numbers. Fadnavis
said not testing all patients could artificial-
ly bring down the Covid-19 death numbers
significantly, but result in further spread of
the disease “for lack of high-risk contacts
being traced, tested and quarantined”.
Doctors said Covid-19 cannot be men-
tioned in death certificates without a posi-
tive test report. Dr Mohan Joshi, the new
dean of Nair Hospital, said it would be
unethical to mention Covid in a death cer-
tificate without adequate paperwork.
bag. If the report comes negative, an au-
“The family could face stigmatisation topsy is carried out.
where they live,” he said. In the third scenario, if the individual,
A senior forensic expert from the city brought dead to the hospital, didn’t have
said it was “nearly impossible” to miss Co- any Covid-like symptoms recently, the po-
vid-19 deaths among patients who are ho-
spitalised with fever, cough or any Covid-
like symptoms as their samples are man-
datorily sent for testing.
lice rely on their family physician to fur-
nish a death certificate.
Sion dean Dr Pramod Ingale said in the
‘brought dead’ cases, Covid-19 test is not
after six days but fatality rate dips Sanjay Hadkar
However, a grey area could be the ‘bro-
ught dead’ cases. A doctor from KEM Ho-
carried out. “If there is a clear medical his-
tory of heart, kidney or any longstanding
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
10 more Bhatia
spital said there are at least 10 bodies in
KEM at present that were not tested for Co-
ailment, the death is certified as natural
and no tests are carried out,” he said. Ho-
Mumbai: After six days of re-
cording deaths in single digits, hosp staff +ve,
vid because they were either brought dead wever, the doctor-on-call at Bandra Bhab- Mumbai went back to a double-
or died while waiting for admission. “Most
of these bodies will be handed over to their
ha said they carry out Covid-19 test in ‘bro-
ught dead’ cases too.
digit death toll. Of 19 deaths re-
ported in the state, 12 were from
tally now 45
Mumbai, 3 from Pune, 2 from Mumbai: Ten more staffers at
the Bhatia Hospital in Tardeo

BMC grades containment Constable Thane and one each from Sang-
li and Pimpri-Chinchwad. Five have tested positive, taking the
of the 12 died on day of admis- total count of affected staffers

with Union sion to hospital. The case fatali-

ty rate (CFR), both for the state
from the hospital to 45. It is now
the third-worst hit medical fa-

zones by colour-coding min tests +ve

Richa.Pinto@timesgroup.com
Mumbai: The number of
containment zones in the city
has increased by over 90 since
the weekend. With over 3,450
Mumbaikars testing positive
for Covid-19, the city now has
817 containment zones, up
from 721 just three days ago.
Considering the rapid in-
crease in the zones — which
are designated areas from
where a person tests positive
for coronavirus and where
his or her high- and low-risk
contacts live — the BMC has
graded them by a colour-cod-
ing system: Red is for congest-
ed pockets requiring tight
lockdown, orange is for con-
gested pockets that are man-
ageable with less stringent
restrictions, and blue is for
buildings that are similarly
manageable. In all, 297 zones
across Mumbai are marked
red, 129 orange and 391 blue.
“There was a need to cate-
gorise the zones in order to
decide how many BMC and
police personnel need to be
deputed to patrol a particular
area. Red zones require the
strongest presence of the au-
thorities for ensuring stric-
ter vigil,” said a civic official.
The rise in the number of
containment zones has also
meant an increase in the
number of people who are
quarantined there.
At last count, the number
stood at 53,118. Initially, all of
After relaxation rollback, Metro work stops;
SOP FOR CONTAINMENT ZONES
Congested pockets,
need tight lockdown
Congested pockets, manageable
Buildings, manageable
Population in a
containment zone
needs to be accounted
for daily for up to 14
days from when the
last patient in the area
tested positive for
Covid-19
After 14 days, if there
are no new cases, the
area is declared safe.
Boards specify that
building or area has
been marked as a
containment zone
Each zone is
monitored by a civic
officer, who leads a
team that includes local
police personnel
them were assigned home
quarantine, but 4,292 were
found to be living in congest-
ed homes and so were taken to
institutional quarantine fa-
cilities.
Goregaon corporator
Sandeep Patel said the big-
gest challenge is locking
down slum pockets once they
are marked as containment
zones. “Many of those living
in slums have a hand-to-
for Covid-19
Navi Mumbai: Two persons
tested positive for Covid-19 un-
der PCMC on Tuesday. While
one is a 59-year-old person
WARDS WITH
from Kamothe, the other is a
Mumbai Police constable atta-
K/W MOST ZONES ched to the security detail of a
32 11 Union minister residing in
17 Kharghar. The positive cases
(Andheri- under PCMC areas are now 39.
west) A civic doctor said the Ka-
mothe person had a prostrate
check-up at Apollo Hospital,
H/E 7 17 Belapur. Later, he tested positi-
24 ve at a private laboratory and
(Bandra- was shifted to the sub-district
east) hospital, Panvel, on Tuesday.
Panvel City Municipal
L 18 5 22
Corporation (PCMC) has been
(Byculla)
G/S 29 15 getting samples tested at Reli-
33 ance Life Sciences to avoid de-
(Worli, E 33 3 13 lays at JJ hospital. Commis-
Prabhadevi) (Byculla) sioner Ganesh Deshmukh sa-
id results at private laborato-
High- and low-risk contacts need to
ries take around 24 hours. “I
be separated and health camps set up
did not want to delay treat-
for testing. Those who visit dispensaries
ment of those who test positi-
and hospitals must be listed ve. Therefore, out of 450 sam-
ples tested, 350 have been done
mouth existence. If they sit at by the private laboratory,” he
home, they know their fam- said. NMMC only sends sam-
ilies would go hungry. Hence, ples to JJ hospital, and test re-
the authorities have a tough ports of 229 were pending on
time convincing people living Tuesday. While NMMC sends
in slums to stay at home,” he 30-50 samples a day, PCMC
said. A social worker said that sends around 25.
for anti-Covid measures to be
effective, the authorities
Meanwhile, Raigad dis-
trict administration has star-
need to ensure that the daily ted two community kitchens
needs of those living in pover-
ty in containment zones are
in Ulwe and Pali Devad, Suka-
pur. —Umesh K Parida &
taken care of. Sanjay Banerjee
as well as the city, continued to
decline, though. CFR for state
stood at 4.81% while that for the
city was at 4.37%, down from
7% seen till ten days ago. The
state again attributed the spurt
in cases to addition from Mum-
bai’s private labs.
Health minister Rajesh To-
pe said the state would be set-
ting up oxygen stations in all
Covid-19 designated hospitals
and quarantine centres. He sa-
id manufacturers of medical
oxygen have been instructed
that adequate provision should
be made. Tope said oxygen
masks would be set up near the
bedside of every patient.
Health officials also said
more people have recovered
and gone home. Kasturba Ho-
spital discharged its 100th pati-
ent on Tuesday. Tweeting about
it, the BMC’s official handle
stated, “Kasturba’s century
against Corona! Kasturba dis-
charged its 100th #COVID-19
positive patient today - a miles-
tone we’re all so proud of ! But
we’re not done yet. We are com-
mitted to keep going on and
on.” Civic officials said of the
100 patients, 60 were men and 40
women. About 24 of the 100 we-
re senior citizens above the age
of 60 years, while eight were
children below 10 years of age.
The BMC on Tuesday issu-
ed a circular for conducting a
survey in high-risk pockets of
A PENSIVE MOOD
cility in the city after Wock-
hardt and Jaslok hospitals,
which had 80 and 57 affected
employees respectively. Ove-
A man sits with his child under the FOB near Lokmanya Tilak Terminus
rall, close to 300 medical profes-
sionals in the city have tested
positive for coronavirus.
The count of positive doc-
Govt says sanitisation domes, tors and nurses at Bombay Ho-
spital has increased to19. While
tunnels likely to harm you civic officials said that hospi-
tals will no longer be placed un-
Mumbai: Sanitisation domes and tunnels, being promoted as der containment, manage-
anti-Covid safety measure, have no scientific basis and could ments told TOI that they can-
cause harm, state government officials said on Tuesday. not start operations for want of
“The tunnels are of no use, so we have been advised to stop manpower. “A big chunk of our
their use,” said state National Health Mission director Dr employees are either positive
Anup Kumar Yadav, adding that it was in line with Government or under quarantine. How can
of India guidelines. By walking through the tunnels, people we run hospitals,” said a hospi-
may get a false sense of safety and ignore norms of social dis- tal head. It is believedthe go-
tancing and frequent hand-washing. vernment has instructed BMC
and other private hospitals
Government officials said spraying disinfectants on people
was “physically and psychologically harmful”. Moreover, that they could deduct salaries
there was no scientific proof that Covid can be prevented by or even dismiss staffers if they
show reluctance to work. TNN
spraying a person coming from a high-risk area. TNN
Mumbai to identify individu- from Mukund Nagar area. getable vendor had got the in-
als who are more than 60 years Among the deaths in Mum- fection from an unknown sour-
old, obese, diabetic and hyper- bai were those of a 35-year-old ce. She was admitted to
sensitive. Dharavi continued to man and a 40-year-old man, Horizon hospital on April 14
report more cases even as an both of whom had no underly- and tested positive on April 16.
analysis showed 25% of those ing conditions and died on the Similarly, a 77-year-old woman
tested in the area had come po- day of admission. Among from Naupada who was a high-
sitive till Monday. On Tuesday, others were senior citizens bet- risk patient was initially ad-
a dozen new cases were repor- ween ages 50 and 78 who had co- mitted to a private hospital af-
ted, including a death. The ca- morbidities such as hyperten- ter she had a fall on April 13.
ses in Dharavi now are 180, in- sion, diabetes, kidney diseases. Five more persons tested
cluding 12 deaths. A Central te- Two women from Thane di- positive within the jurisdiction
am is likely to visit Dharavi on ed within a span of 24 hours, ta- of NMMC. Two deaths were re-
Wednesday. The deceased re- king the toll there to six. A 55- ported in the Pune Metropoli-
ported was a 62-year-old man year-old woman who was a ve- tan Region.
Kasturba hosp
KK Choudhary
discharges 100th
Covid-19 patient
Mumbai:The BMC said 100 Co-
vid-19 patients from Kasturba
Hospital and 75 from periphe-
ral civic hospitals like Trauma

pre-monsoon activities to go on, says BMC hospital, Jogeshwari, have re-

covered and been discharged.
Of the 100 at Kasturba, 60
were msale and 40 were female;
From P 1 monsoon works. Also, since and there are chances it could can operate and all agricultu- 24 were senior citizens and
the order covers MMR, some of get flooded in the monsoon, the ral and allied activities can be eight were children below 10 ye-

T
uesday’s order says in vi-
ew of the large number
of people commuting in
view of the relaxations allow-
ed as per a notification on April
17 and the resultant threat of
spread of the pandemic, the re-
laxations stand withdrawn.
With the rollback order,
construction on public pro-
jects like the Metro has come to
a standstill. The Mumbai Met-
ro Rail Corporation (MMRC)
said it has stopped all tunnel-
ling, but will continue pre-
Academics chalk out plans to Covid-proof school campuses
Vinamrata.Borwankar
@timesgroup.com
Mumbai: Schools across the
state are staring at a long bre-
ak from the academic year
due to the ongoing coronavi-
rus crisis and have begun to
look at ways to create safe
campuses for children when
they eventually return. A
group of academicians and
school heads has drafted sug-
gestions that schools could
follow while welcoming
children back to class.
the industries that could have
started in the rural areas (out-
side municipal limits) will not
be able to do so now.
The notification on April 17
in the extended phase of the
lockdown till May 3 had allo-
wed construction activities
within municipal limits if wor-
kers were available on site. The
municipal commissioners in
the two regions have revoked
the order. In Mumbai, initially
limited pre-monsoon work-
—say a basement is half done
A think tank has devised a
standard operating procedu-
re that schools could follow
and shared the document
with the Maharashtra educa-
tion department, the mini-
stry of human resource deve-
lopment, and CBSE and CI-
SCE boards, “Parents’ anxie-
ty levels post the Covid-19
lockdown might remain
high. Hence, schools have to
start incorporating changes
on campus and innovate
structures that enable them
to function with a blended le-
builder could finish it—were
withdrawn in the evening.
Senior officials said civic
pre-monsoon works too were a
part of the relaxation order,
but the permission has been re-
voked. They said the state go-
vernment is likely to issue de-
tailed guidelines allowing the-
se in the next few days. The
BMC said it will carry out pre-
monsoon works as usual with
all precautions in place.
Some private offices that
are part of essential services
TIPS TO CREATE SAFE SPACES FOR STUDENTS
Some suggestions made by a
think tank for schools
Temperature checks
before entering school
buses and campuses
Regular sanitization of
campuses and buses
Masks for individuals exposed through online bank transfer
arning education model
(school, online and home) if
they wish to retain the trust
carried out as allowed in the
original lockdown circular.
As per the April 17 order, pr-
ivate security services and ma-
intenance and upkeep of office
and residential complexes too
were allowed, which will not be
applicable anymore. Also, in li-
ne with the Centre, the state
has allowed vehicles of e-com-
merce companies to ply for de-
livery of essential commoditi-
es only. The allowance for non-
essential goods was with-
drawn earlier.
to multiple people
A nurse in every school
Medical emergency
evacuation drills
Storage of all textbooks
in school; e-books at home
All payments to school
of parents. They have to en-
sure campuses are safe,” said
Francis Joseph, co-founder
Blooming yellow flowers on the jogging track at the Jewel of Navi Mumbai in Nerul
of School Leaders Network,
the think tank.
The group collaborated
with school heads, manage-
ment representatives and
school architects to draft the-
ir suggestions.
These include screening
of students, staff and visitors
for body temperature, crea-
ting safe spaces for those with
other medical needs, cancel-
ling large gatherings for the
rest of the academic year, dis-
persing and assembling stu-
dents in small batches, con-
ducting parent-teacher mee-
tings online, and making av-
ailable school computer
laboratories to children who
cannot attend online classes
from home.
The group has also sugge-
sted that schools run in shifts
and offer a mix of online and
classroom learning to ensure
social distancing. Explaini-
ng a scenario, the document
stated: “Assuming that the
number of students in a 500-
square-foot classroom is 40,
half of the students can atte-
nd school on Monday, Wed-
nesday and Friday, and onli-
ne classes on other days when
the next 20 attend school.
Classroom desks can be redu-
ced and each set six feet
apart.” These models, tho-
ugh, will require a lot of extra
effort on part of teachers.
“These are suggestions
(not guidelines) as context
will vary from school to scho-
ol. But what remains is the
fact that schools have to start
thinking of Covid-19-free
campuses,” said Joseph.
ars. Tweeting about the same,
BMC’s official handle said,
“Kasturba’s century against
Corona! Kasturba discharged
its 100th #COVID-19 positive pa-
tient today - a milestone we’re
all so proud of ! But we’re not
done yet. We are committed to
keep going on and on.” TNN
Use 50% of staff
on rotation: BMC
advice to hosps
Mumbai: With more hospital
staff testing positive and hospi-
tals being shut, BMC issued a
circular listing guidelines for
such institutions. It said hospi-
tals should use “optimal” staff,
given the load of patients, and
to use 50% of staff to pre-empt
all from being exposed to the
risk. Staff can be called on rota-
tion so that a few employees are
kept in reserve, states the circu-
lar issued on April 18.
The exposed areas in a ho-
spital can be disinfected, expo-
sed staff be quarantined and
high-risk contacts tested, inste-
ad of closing the entire hospi-
tal, it further said. TNN
THE TIMES OF INDIA, MUMBAI
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2020
Pallavi.chakravorty
@timesgroup.com
K
enny Basumatary
has started a
new campaign on
Wishberry to fund
his latest film Local Ut-
paat. This is the Assamese
filmmaker’s fourth film as
a director and like one of
his previous films — Local
Kung-Fu 2 – is being fund-
ed through crowdfunding.
“My first film was made
with a budget of `90,000
but for my second film I
needed more money to
give it a wider release.
One of my friends told
me about crowdfunding
and I met the team from
Wishberry. The campaign
helped me raise ` 8.9 lakh
and plan my film on a big-
ger scale,” he said.
Globally, the crowd-
funding market has shown
steady growth after the
2008 financial crisis in
response to the difficul-
ties faced by early-stage
enterprises attempting to
generate funding. Today,
as per Statista, the glob-
al transaction value in the
crowdfunding segment
amounts to $8,537.3 mn
in 2020 (till first quarter),
the highest being reached
in China — $7,049 mn.
India, at $1.8 mn, has the
potential to go a long way.
In fact, according to the
World Bank Crowdfunding
Report 2019, the develop-
ing world has the ability
to deploy up to $96 billion
a year by 2025 in crowd-
*V]PKZJLUHYPV^OLUWLVWSL^PSSILTVYL
cautious about shelling out a big amount,
JYV^KM\UKPUNJHUILL_WSVYLKIL[[LY
ANSHUKILA DUBEY, Co-Founder & COO,
Wishberry
www.re pu bl ic.co/lwor ld-on ine
"ZZZ/ . Z /- Z Z# / A
3
CONSUMER CONNECT INITIATIVE
funding investments. three-month moratorium, crowdfunding has come are more for investors,”
THRIVE WITH
One of the biggest ad- which allows repayments up in a big way. It allowed said Alex Fedosseev, CEO
vantage of crowdfunding to begin only after the said for accredited online plat- & Founder, 1World Online.
is division of risk which time and Koronafree loans forms to act as facilitators Back home, players
allows investors to park — targeting borrowers of equity investment op- such as Catapooolt, Ket-
THE CROWD
small amounts of money. from districts unaffected portunities between start- to, Kickstarter and many
Primarily, there are three by COVID-19 or with less ups and non-accredited others have helped sev-
types of crowdfunding: Do- than 10 confirmed cases,” investors and prompted eral startups and small
nation-based — where the said Rajat Gandhi, Found- players like Republic — an businesses raise funds.
investors or contributors er & CEO, Faircent. RBI equity investing platform Last year, Amazon India
are promised no financial regulations doesn’t allow for startups – to come into launched an initiative
returns as these cam- NBFC-p2p platforms to play. The platform which called Amazon Wings to
paigns are mostly cause- guarantee any return to allows a minimum invest- help its sellers raise funds
based; Debt-based — this investors but Faircent ment of $10 has gained through Ketto. Through
method promises the con- claims to provide a return lot of traction since being the initiative, the company
tributors their money back of 12-28 per cent to its in- founded in 2016. “India aims to help small sell-
with interest. It is also vestors. could unleash huge driv- ers with early-stage ideas
called ‘peer-to-peer (p2p)’ In the US, rewards-based ing force for economic raise funds for product
lending; Equity-based – in platforms like Indiegogo boost (especially after development. Catapooolt’s
this type of funding con- and Kickstarter got the the Covid-19 impact) if it CEO and Co-founder,
tributors acquire equity early attention but after makes equity fundraising Shabir Momin, believes
shares in exchange for the JOBS Act (Jumpstart legal. The true potential the time is perfect to val-
capital receiving return Our Business Startups of crowdfunding can only idate ideas and jump to
Act) of 2012, equity-based be realised when returns execution. “Adaptation is
key to survival and in the
current situation crowd-
R OW D F funding offers an oppor-
Crowdfunding may emerge as a great form of alternative F C
UN tunity of micro investment
IMPRESSIVE
NUMBERS SLUKPUNPU[OLWVZ[*V]PK ZJLUHYPV0[»Z[PTL^LRUV^OV^ O with potential good re-
S
D
China tops the list of turns,” he said.
PE
IN
countries in achieving on their investment as undermined. “Even though or special access to the Crowdfunding can be
the maximum transac- well as a share of the prof- it’s a tough situation, we project they funded (invite especially useful during
G
TY
tion value for crowd- its. They are also entitled are still getting donations to film premiers), limited medical emergencies,
funding projects to a dividend. In India, for daily wage workers edition merchandise, ex- particularly due to plat-
in the world
equity-crowdfunding is working in the film and perience in the making of forms such as Milaap.
deemed illegal while a p2p TV industry. In the post the project, etc. The platform that has
THE TOP 5 lending platform can oper- Covid-scenario, when peo- Some like Faircent, a so far helped raise more
All number in US$
ate only after obtaining a ple will be more cautious p2p lending platform, than ` 800 crore believes
Source: Statista Certificate of Registration about shelling out a big have launched initiatives in being the last layer of
from the RBI. amount, crowdfunding can to help borrowers meet social security for indi-
782M
As per Statista, the be explored extensively by their short-term cash- viduals facing crisis. In
7,049M
global crowdfunding mar- people in need of funds,” flow requirements. The a bid to support more
100M
ket size by 2025 can be said Anshukila Dubey, RBI-registered platform Covid-19 initiatives, the
86M
47M
India 1.8M
$28.8 billion. That esti- Co-Founder & COO, Wish- has till date dispersed company has decided
mate may change in the berry – a reward-based more than Rs 200 crore to waive off the five per
China
US
UK
France
Canada
post Covid-19 situation crowdfunding platform worth of loans since cent fee that it charges
but nevertheless the po- for creative artists. The founded in 2014. “We have DONATION-BASED DEBT-BASED on funds raised through
tential of this form of al- platform gives intangible introduced Anti-lockdown where investors or con- promises contributors its platform. “Our prelim-
ternative lending can’t be rewards such as early bird loans — loans with a tributors are promised no their money back with inary theme of fund rais-
financial returns as these interest. Also called ing was for food followed
campaigns are mostly ‘peer-to-peer (p2p)’
by funds for protective
cause-based lending
We are getting lot of donations for >LVWLYH[LH[PU[LYLZ[ equipment for healthcare
daily wage workers working in the rates starting from 12-28 workers. From where we
ÄSTHUK;=PUK\Z[Y`0U[OLWVZ[ WLYJLU[WH3LUKLYZ[Y` see it, in the next phase,
HUKJYLH[LHKP]LYZPÄLKWVY[MVSPV micro and small busi-
of loans and majority of them earn nesses will need funding
HTPUPT\TVMWLYJLU[YL[\YU EQUITY-BASED support as a stimulus to
start their businesses
RAJAT GANDHI, Founder & CEO, contributors acquire equity shares in exchange for
post lockdown,” said Ma-
Faircent capital receiving return on their investment as well as a
yukh Choudhury, CEO and
share of profits. They are also entitled to a dividend
co-founder, Milaap.
1WORLD II
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 4 TIMES CITY | VIRUS WATCH THE TIMES OF INDIA, MUMBAI
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2020

Social Distancing In Dharavi ‘Worli Koliwada

can be a model for
virus containment’
Central Team Lauds Maha Efforts
Prafulla Marpakwar &
Sujit Mahamulkar TNN
Mumbai:A five-member in-
4 ter-ministerial central team
(IMCT), which is in the city to
assess the Covid-19 situation,
feels Worli Koliwada can be-
come a model for the rest of
the country in containing the
virus outbreak.
Lauding the State’s efforts
to contain the pandemic, the
Central team said the dou-
bling rate of patients in the
State has increased. While
the doubling rate in the state
is now 6.3 days, it is 4.3 days in
Mumbai.
Besides Kasturba Hospi-
tal and the BMC headquar-
1 5 ters, the team, headed by addi-
tional secretary, Manoj Joshi,
PHOTOS BY SL SHANTH KUMAR visited G-south ward on Tues-
day comprising the slum
pockets of Worli Koliwada
ward-wise break-up of posi-
tive cases. Significantly, tou-
rism minister, Aaditya
Thackeray, represents the
Worli assembly constituency.
According to a press re-
lease issued by the chief min-
ister’s office (CMO), Joshi
said Worli Koliwada can be
the best example of a corona-
virus-free zone in the country
and if the work done in the ar-
ea is replicated in other con-
tainment zones, it will help
break the virus chain.
Joshi had a prolonged dis-
cussion with CM Uddhav
Thackeray, municipal com-
missioner Praveen Pardesi
and police commissioner Pa-
rambir Singh on the adminis-
tration’s preparedness to
handle the outbreak.
The team’s focus was on
implementation of lockdown
measures, supply of essential

T
axi drivers, vada pav sellers,
power loom workers, cooks, bar-
bers... a chunk of the working
class men and women who drive
the economic engine of Mumbai in the 21st
century live in 19th century Dickensian con-
ditions in the heart of the metropolis. It’s a
situation Mumbai and the rest of the
country had come to accept —until
A LOCKDOWN
IN THE MOST
CROWDED
now, that is. Compelled to enforce
a lockdown to stop the spread of
the coronavirus infection, the gov-
2
PLACE INSIDE
MUMBAI
ernment is faced with the impos-
sible task of keeping Dharavi’s
teeming residents confined to their
1 A joint family in a 8x10ft space, which doubles up as a shop, airless and congested dwellings. With
now runs a community kitchen for an NGO 2 The home of a Mumbai nearly a million packed into a 2.5 sq km area
cabbie whose family shares the space with another couple 3 Abdul, – the population density here is three lakh
an out-of-work taxi driver, tries to engage his children with stories per square km – all attempts at social dis-
tancing may prove futile in one of Asia’s
biggest slums. Already, the area has notched
up about 170 cases and the death toll has
climbed to 12. There are reports that in some
of the most infected slum clusters, up to 25%
of samples tested have come positive.
For Mumbai to get a grip on the pan-
demic, much will depend on containment
strategies in shanty settlements, the biggest
being Dharavi. But here’s the catch – the
economic hardships of its settlers are bound
to worsen. Abdul, a cabbie who pays a rent
of `1,000 and has a family of four daughters
and a son to support, says, “My children
may end up on the streets unless I find a way
and Jijamata Nagar, which commodities, adherence to
have emerged as Covid-19 hot- social distancing and quality
spots. The G-south ward has of health infrastructure. The
recorded the highest number team asked the civic body to
of cases in the city. As on ensure adequate supply of ox-
April 17, it had 389 Covid-19 ygen cylinders and ventila-
positive cases. After that, the tors in BMC- and govern-
BMC stopped issuing the ment-run hospitals.
Uddhav seeks special
6 7 trains for migrants
4 Migrants from Madhya Pradesh, who make a living selling vada pav, now survive Mumbai: Chief minister Uddhav Thackeray said the Central
on food from community kitchens 5 Man on a ledge in a multi-storeyed slum gets government should consider arranging special trains to send
his moustache trimmed 6 & 7 A view of the narrow interior streets 8 With back the six lakh migrant workers and labourers stranded in
customers keeping away, staff at a barber’s shop give themselves a clean-up Maharashtra to their native places if it anticipates a spike in
cases between April 30 and May 15.
In a video conference meeting with a five-member Central
team, led by additional secretary, Manoj Joshi, which is here to
review the situation in Maharashtra, Thackeray raised the is-
sue of stranded migrants as well as supply of medical equip-
ment.
“These migrants just want to go home. If the Centre feels the
Covid-19 outbreak is continuing to spread, allow stranded la-
bourers to reach their homes as we have ample time to make ar-
rangement for special trains,” said Thackeray. He asked the
Prime Minister and railway ministry to issue guidelines in this
regard by April end.
Thackeray also added special trains could be arranged, and
the entire journey could be monitored. These labourers could
be quarantined as well.
On the issue of medical equipment for frontline workers in-
cluding doctors and nurses, Thackeray asked the Centre to sup-

3 to get behind the wheel soon.” 8 ply PPE kits and ventilators as early as possible. TNN

Church offers food, Thane police

ration to migrants
Mumbai: The Catholic
Church has begun a series of ef-
forts to help marginalised and
vulnerable people in the city
during the ongoing lockdown.
had requested the use of facili-
ties to distribute food to them.
The archdiocese offered the
premises of four schools — St
Stanislaus Bandra, St Anne’s
do ‘aarti’ of
Rapid testing kits 2,000 more units to restart;
violators ‘faulty’, state stops Thane district relaxes order
Thane: Police have found a
unique way to teach a les-
son to those breaching Co-
vid-19 lockdown rules here.
A video, possibly shot
use at last minute Clara.Lewis @timesgroup.com

Mumbai: Over 2,000 industries

The archbishop of Bombay
Cardinal Oswald Gracias has
set up a crisis management te-
am for this purpose and appea-
led to churches to not termina-
te employees.
The Church’s Centre for So-
cial Action is reaching out to
5,000 households and over one
lakh beneficiaries — tribals,
migrant and elderly people,
transgenders and rag-pickers
across the city — with essenti-
al supplies worth Rs 50 lakh.
The Cardinal has been liai-
sing with the PMO and the Di-
rector General (DG) of Home
Guards about providing help
to migrant workers. The DG
Malad, Rosary School in Dock-
yard Road and St John the Bap-
tist School in Thane.
Fr Frazer Mascarenhas, pa-
rish priest of St Peter’s
Church, said, “Fr Felix D’Sou-
za and Tony Coelho, in charge
of the facility, have been ma-
king arrangements for 100 men
and 25 women workers...”
He added, “Our parishio-
ner Dr Richard Pereira concep-
tualised a programme ‘Manna
on Wheels’ to offer 25 lunch
packets in his car initially.
Now, our youth use seven cars
and 20 volunteers who distri-
bute 1,000 lunch packets.”
—Bella Jaisinghani
r r
r that the rapid test kits will on-
recently on Gladys Alvares
Road here, shows few Tha-
ne policemen performing
‘aarti’ of some young resi-
dents who were spotted
strolling on the streets re-
cently.
The clip, which has gone
viral, shows policemen re-
citing a popular hymn who-
se words have been modifi-
ed as a message, requesting
the violators to stay home,
while a female police officer
performs ‘aarti’ of them.
After the ritual, police try to
explain to the youths the
consequences of stepping
out. —Manoj Badgeri
Quarantined guard
escapes, caught
Navi Mumbai:A 45-year-old
security guard, kept at an in-
stitutional quarantine cen-
tre in Khalapur, escaped
through the toilet window,
on Monday morning. He was
traced near a market place in
Khalapur and taken back.
Sumitra DebRoy &
Umesh Isalkar TNN
Mumbai: The state put a last-
minute stop to using the rapid
test kits after the Indian Co-
uncil of Medical Research
(ICMR) on Tuesday said there
were reports that the kits co-
uld be faulty. The state got
75,000 kits from the Centre
and planned to carry out tests
among healthcare workers
and then in hotspots like Dha-
ravi. The BMC had plans to
start testing medical workers
with the kits from Wednesday.
Dr Anup Kumar Yadav,
commissioner of National
DOUBT OVER TEST
Additional municipal
commissioner Suresh Kaka-
ni said everything was set up
to start the tests on Wednes-
day. “Our priority is to test he-
althcare workers as they are
most at risk. Those who test
positive will be taken away
from Covid-19 duties till con-
firmatory tests are done,” he
said. He added that they sub-
sequently decided to use the
kits in hotspots like Dharavi
and Worli to see the seropre-
valence of the virus in the
community. “It’s a surveillan-
ce tool and wouldn’t be any-
way used for treatment. The
last-minute circular has ta-
ken us by surprise. We’ll awa-
it fresh directions,” he said.
An ICMR official, reques-
ting anonymity, confirmed
ly be used as a tool for sero sur-
veillance in the identified de-
mographics across the count-
ry. It will not be used as a tes-
in Nashik, Aurangabad and Vi-
darbha among other places in
the state were granted permis-
sion to resume operations on
Tuesday, the second day of the
easing of the lockdown, after
they submitted online self-de-
clarations to adhere to the gui-
delines for disinfection and so-
cial distancing. And in Thane
district, relaxation orders were
issued on Monday allowing ma-
nufacture of essential goods.
A Anbalgan, chief executi-
ve officer of Maharashtra In-
dustrial Development Corpora-
tion (MIDC), said: “In all 3,865
manufacturing units will resu-
me operations in the state... It is
a good number.”
9 Filipinos to be
arrested after
lockdown: Cops
Chandrakant Salunkhe, fo-
under-president of Small and
Medium Enterprises Chamber
of India, said more industries
want to restart, but there is the
fear of Covid stigma. “If a wor-
ker were to test positive after the
factory resumes operation, it
would again have to shut for 14
days. This would affect deadli-
nes. Many businessmen are
afraid they may get stigmatised
and lose business so they prefer
to stay shut till May 3, when the
lockdown ends,” he said.
Salunkhe said there is also
the issue of paucity of labour.
“Drivers, cleaners, mathadi
workers are not available. Also,
banks must give additional wor-
king capital so that we can pay
salaries and retain workers.”
Meanwhile, following criti-
After 20-yr battle,
SC says 2 JVPD
cism from the industry depart-
ment, the Thane collector, Ra-
jesh Narvekar, on Monday issu-
ed an order relaxing his April 17
order that had declared all mu-
nicipal corporations and coun-
cils in Thane district as contain-
ment zones. He clarified that es-
sential goods and their manu-
facturing would be allowed.
In Nashik, in Satpur and
Ambad industrial estates, ma-
ny of the 2,500 small and large
industrial units are expected to
resume operations in a day or
two. “Many industries are con-
sidering restarting operations,
but are worried about some of
the strict norms,” said Deepak
Kulkarni, chairman, North
Maharashtra zonal council, CII.
(Inputs from Pradeep Gupta
& Tushar Pawar)

Health Mission, said they ha-

Senior inspector Vishwajeet
ve decided to wait for 48 hours
for ICMR’s new advisory. The
ting tool in high-risk zones.
“This means that tested indi-
viduals will only be part of
the larger survey and the indi-
viduals will never be infor-
Navi Mumbai: Vashi police
are waiting for the lockdown to
end to arrest the nine Filipinos
who had been booked for viola-
plots ‘open spaces’
ting visa norms and prohibi- Mumbai: In a decision bring- and 15,129 sq ft plot 3 on North-

MAY 1
Kaingade said he worked in ICMR on Tuesday said it got med about the test results to tion orders two weeks ago. “We ing closure to a 20-year-old South 10thRoad. The spaces
Uran but resided in Khopoli- complaints from many states, avoid giving false hope. The have taken necessary steps to fight, Supreme Court has or- amount to 10% of total area of
.—George Mendonca including Rajasthan, that the sensitivity and specificity of ensure that they do not leave In- dered maintenance of two the two layouts, while BMC’s

HELP
rapid test kits had only 5.4% rapid kits is mired in ambigu- dia when international flights open spaces at Juhu-Vile Par- Development Control Rules
NIA custody of accuracy, or a staggering 95% ity. But as a tool for sero surve- resume after lockdown ends,” le Development Scheme (1967 and 1991) mandate more

fou
activist extended
Mumbai: A special court
on Tuesday extended the
NIA custody of human
rights activist Gautam Nav-
inaccuracy rate. The state is
believed to have stopped
using the kits. The ICMR said
it will carry out field tests
with the kits and issue fresh
advisory on usage in 2 days.
illance, it can be effectively
used to assess how many in a
certain demographics were
exposed to the virus after cut-
ting off the 3% variation rate
in results,” the official said.
said Vashi police senior inspec-
tor Sanjeev Dhumal.
On April 5, the police had re-
gistered an FIR against 10 Fili-
pinos for visa violation norms
as they had lived in a religious
place in Vashi between March
(JVPD) as open spaces only. It
upheld a 2017 Bombay high co-
urt order that had termed
Mhada’s decision to allow
construction on the two layo-
ut open spaces as an “illegali-
ty” and “parting away with a
than 15% as open space for
such large plots.
The two comprise 13 and 19
housing societies, with one
sub-plot in each layout reser-
ved as open space. In 1967, the
two plots were given to the

‘Prime accused’s sis

1 lakha, accused in the Elgar
I I I..
Parishad case, by a week.
Navlakha had surrendered
before NIA in Delhi on
April and was subsequent-
ly arrested. TNN
WR parcel trains
earn most in India
1 1 1 ? 1
Mumbai: Western Railway
(WR) earned the highest reve-
I i 1
nue from parcel trains among
all zonal railways in India for
April. Spokesperson Ravin-
Please c o nA der Bhakar said WR earned
Jai Sarsar: 9867505472 , Rin Rs 3.05 crore, almost 39% of
Indian Railway’s total ear-
nings from parcel trains. WR
operated 74 trains carrying
10,750 tonnes of goods. TNN
You can also call our 24x7 helpline number II 120 5474
kicked victim’s bike’
From P 1
A
ll the four — Karim, his
father Yusuf Shaikh
(70), sister Minaj, and
uncle Mehraj Shaikh (65)—
will be produced in court on
Wednesday.
On Monday, Shahid went
to buy essential goods for the
family. On returning, he par-
ked his bike near the open
space at Kulsumbhai Bhola
chawl near the railway sta-
tion. This led to an argument
between the two families. So-
urces in Rafiq Ahmed Kidwai
Marg police station said Ka-
rim’s sister Minaj allegedly
kicked Shahid’s bike and this
snowballed into a bigger
fight.
Shahid was standing out-
side when Karim stabbed him
from behind. Sahil and Ad-
nan rushed to his rescue and
they, too, were stabbed, said
police. While Shahid collap-
sed on the spot, locals rushed
Sahil and Adnan to hospital.
10 and 16 without informing the
local police after returning
from the Tablighi Jamaat cong-
regation in Delhi. Though
three of them tested positive
for Covid-19, they did not self-
quarantine themselves. One of
the affected Filipinos succum-
bed to the virus. Later, the offi-
ce-bearer of the religious place,
his son, a house maid and his 18-
month-old grandson tested po-
sitive for coronavirus.
The 10 Filipinos were boo-
ked for violation of prohibition
order during lockdown under
IPC Sections 188, 269 and 270, as
well as the Epidemic Diseases
Act, 1897, Maharashtra Co-
vid-19 Management Rule, 2020
and Foreigner Act, 1946.
— George Mendonca
goldmine, giving enormous
benefit to private parties wit-
hout public exchequer get-
ting slightest benefit”.
Dismissing a special leave
petition filed by Anjuman-E-
Shiate Ali Trust of Bohri
community challenging the
HC order, the apex court sta-
ted, “As rightly held by HC, we
are also of the view that the
two plots, shown as open spa-
ces/garden in approved layo-
ut, cannot be allowed to be
used for construction.”
The matter was fought by
architect P K Das, Save Open
Space convenor Ashoke Pan-
dit and a resident, Bharat
Shetty.
The matter refers to 22,500
sq ft plot 6 on 9th Wireless Road
trust, which handed them to
57 individuals and two co-ope-
rative societies for housing
low-income members of the
community. In 1999, Mhada
submitted a revised layout
plan for JVPD to BMC for up-
dation, showing no reserva-
tions on the plots.
In SC, the trust argued
that the 1967 layout was tem-
porary. But SC said, “There is
no such concept as temporary
layout in the scheme of Mum-
bai Municipal Corporation
(MMC) Act and Regulations.”
The court observed that
1999 development plan did not
show details of internal layo-
uts sanctioned by BMC. SC
concluded there was no merit
in the appeals. —Clara Lewis
 THE TIMES OF INDIA, MUMBAI
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2020 TIMES CITY | VIRUS WATCH 5
CORONAVIRUS 100
STATE, INDIA PROPORTIONATELY TESTING FEWER THAN GHANA WORLD | 25,31,804 WHERE INDIA STANDS SPAIN
1,82,816
ITALY
1,68,941
1,50,000
UPDATE Testing rate is total number of tests
per 1,000 people. GDP per capita is
21 tests per 1,000 COVID-19 TESTING RATE
VS PER CAPITA INCOME
Comparison of weekly cases with other countries
Due to differences in reporting
adjusted for price differences between
Italy INDIA | 18,985 methods, retrospective data
USA 6,04,070
Though MAHARASHTRA, The chart shows how many New York state continues to FRANCE
countries (Purchasing Power Parity) USA consolidation, and reporting 1,07,778

Total tests per thousand

with 83,111 laboratory 10 Turkey coronavirus tests per 1,000 have more coronavirus cases
delays, case numbers are than any country outside US
samples, has the highest persons have been done in select MAHA | 5,218 1,00,000
not the totals the selected
testing rate in India, both the Ghana countries. Like Maharashtra and

Cases
Vietnam South Africa countries had as of April 21, IRAN CHINA
state and the country have India, governments worldwide Tuesday, but the last available
Japan are in the process of ramping up 74,877 83,597
one of the lowest rates when 1 Number of cases above for weekly comparison
Pakistan coronavirus testing as of 9pm, April 21
compared to countries like 50,000
Nepal Mexico (GDP axis not to scale for Sources: WHO, Union Ministry (Countries vary
Ghana and Vietnam, not to Kenya India Till now, Italy has conducted the Arrows in time comparison chart rest at
Indonesia reading convenience)
highest number of Covid-19 tests
of Health & Family Welfare, in testing criteria INDIA JAPAN
speak of hotspots like Italy Bangladesh numbers at start of stated week, not latest data 25,000 State Covid-19 Report and extent) 13,387
0.1 as a proportion of population. 9,167
and the US Sources: Maharashtra Public Health Department’s 12,500
Sources: Our World in Data, World Bank Next are the US and South Korea Report of Covid-19 Cases, European Center for 0
Africa Asia Europe North America $10,000 GDP per capita (PPP) in 2020 $100,000 (not shown on the chart) Disease Prevention and Control, WHO Week 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th 13th

60,000 cases
of lockdown BMC sets up three-tier care 5 main members of Toll charges for
E-way hiked
violation
system for Covid patients Palghar mob held Navi Mumbai: Revised toll char-
ges for Mumbai-Pune Express-
way have come into effect from
Mumbai: The Maharashtra
police have recorded 60,000 ca-
ses across the state and collec-
ted Rs 2.30 crore in fines for flo-
VijayV.Singh@timesgroup.com
Elders in high-risk areas to be identified the task force formed by the
state government for patient
on info from locals April 20. The toll operator revised
charges after three years, as per a
government gazette. Charges for
LMVs (cars, jeeps and vehicles
uting lockdown-related rules. Mumbai: Hospitalization for management protocol for se- TIMES NEWS NETWORK BJP, complained to the police with capacity of 12 passengers)
According to data released
by the state on Tuesday, betwe-
a Covid-19 positive patient
may now on entail moving
T he BMC on Tuesday issued a circular for conducting a survey
in high-risk coronavirus pockets in the city. The purpose is to
identify individuals who are more than 60 years of age, obese,
rious and critically-ill Covid
patients. Mumbai:The five prime accu-
that she was being threatened
by the families of those arres-
were increased from Rs230 to
Rs270; mini-buses (20), from Rs355
en March 22 and April 20, 13,381 from one kind of Covid hospi- diabetic and hypersensitive. Such individuals will be checked for “A change in discharge sed in the Palghar lynching ca- ted. VHP working president to Rs420; and buses, from Rs675 to
people were booked and some tal to another. The BMC has oxygen levels by a pulse oxymeter and those found low in oxygen policy will help to optimize se were arrested after they we- Rajesh Gupta demanded a spe- Rs797. —George Mendonca
arrested for violation of rules tweaked its discharge policy will be picked up for further treatment as will be directed in a use of Covid hospitals and fa- re identified from the CCTV fo- cial fast-track court. “The kil-
under various acts. Nearly
42,000 vehicles have been sei-
in such a manner that seri-
ously-ill Covid patients who
training to be held shortly at non-Covid hospitals. Two
community health workers and an assistant medical health
cilities. It will help us to prior-
itize treatment and keep hos-
otage of the Thursday night in-
cident by locals.
lings have taken place in the
stronghold of CPI(M),” he sa- Navi Mum cops
zed for violation of lockdown are admitted to Covid-only officer will undergo training for conducting the survey. TNN pital facilities ready for those Suspended in-charge of Ka- id. BJP politician Uma Bharti
or for illegally ferrying pas-
sengers or non-essential goods.
hospitals will be moved down
the chain to a dedicated Covid rious patients recover in a gling to get ambulances to re-
who need them most,” said a
civic official.
sa police station Anantrao Ka-
le had named the five, Jairam
urged chief minister Uddhav
Thackeray to lodge a murder
deploy drones
Police have registered 1,062 ca- health centre (DCHC) once DCHC, they could be moved ach hospitals or get admitted. The BMC also took the de- Bhavar (25), Mahesh Ravte (19), case against the policemen Navi Mumbai: Police are using
ses against citizens engaging they start showing signs of to CCCs, which are divided The BMC has decided to cision to discharge high-risk Ganesh Devjirao (31), Ramdev who allegedly did not help the drones to keep a check on crow-
in illegal movement of goods. recovery. This movement will into two types — CCC1 (locat- admit only critical patients to contacts from CCC1s if their Asre (27) and Sunil Ravte (25). victims. BJP politician Kirit ding in public places, movement
There were also 121 cases of at- ensure that intensive care ed in hotels, lodges, halls, its dedicated Covid hospitals test reports come negative af- The arrest of the prime ac- Somaiya said an investigation of vehicles and to prevent people
tack on police personnel. TNN beds — which are in short newly constructed buildings; — Kasturba, Nair and Seven- ter seven days, and put them cused led to other 105 suspects, should be done under the gui- from going to terraces. DCP (zone
supply — are free for those they don’t have round-the- Hills. They will be discharged with a home quarantine including nine minors. The dance of a judge of a high co- 1) Pankaj Dahane said they were

Consider Covid who need it.

On lines of central guide-
lines, the BMC has set up a
clock medical care) and CCC2
(government centres with
doctors and nurses 24x7).
and shifted to CHCs once they
improve, but continue to have
symptoms. If a patient fur-
stamp. High-risk contacts
would be housed at CCC1s
and asymptomatic Covid pa-
mob was acting on rumours of
thieves moving in a car. The
lynching took place on the
urt or by the CBI.
NCP chief Sharad Pawar
condemned the lynching as
using them to manage traffic at
Vashi toll plaza and at APMC mar-
ket too. —George Mendonca
duty as part of three-tier care system, begin-
ning with dedicated Covid
The BMC is struggling to
increase bed capacity of Co-
ther improves and becomes
asymptomatic, the BMC will
tients at CCC2s. Officials said
treatment isn’t offered to peo-
Dabhadi-Khanvel Road near
Gadchinchale village. The vic-
well as the opposition reaction
to it. “At a juncture when the
hospitals at the top of the hos- vid hospitals and CHC hospi- shift them to a CCC2. ple (high risk contacts) at tims were two sadhus, Chikne state has geared up for tackling
bond, say docs pital pyramid, followed by
DCHCs and with Covid care
tals along with the required
staff and doctors. There have
The decision on the new
discharge policy has been
CCC1s, but BMC will shift
those who become symptom-
Maharaj Kalpvirkshagiri (70)
and Sushilgiri Maharaj (35),
coronavirus, it is alleged that
law and order has collapsed HAPPAIMES
Mumbai:The extended duty of centres (CCC) at the bottom. been several complaints in taken on the suggestion of Dr atic and also those who test and their driver Nilesh Telga- and that home minister should
resident doctors, who are on The guidelines say that as se- the past week of people strug- Sanjay Oak, the chairman of negative to other facilities. de (30). They had left Kandivli resign. This is not the occasion
the frontline fighting Covid-19, for Surat. Their car was stop- to politicise the issue,’’ he said.
may be considered part of their
one-year service bond. A pro-
posal to this effect is under con- GUNNING FOR THE VIRUS If lockdown ped at Dadra and Nagar Haveli
and they were asked to go back.
After the lynching, two po-
The Shiv Sena said the inci-
dent was an attempt to malign
the state’s image and it was
Knowledge is Safety!
Read the paper to enhance
your awareness and safety
sideration by the state’s medi-
cal education department. ends May 3, no licemen were suspended and
the CID given the case. Deputy
“inhuman” to give it a commu-
nal colour. “The local admini- during these times.
Resident doctors appealed chief minister Ajit Pawar said stration sent them back, despi- Healthcare vouchers
to the government to consider
their additional duty as part of
vacation for HC the guilty would get strict pu-
nishment. “The Palghar inci-
te their saffron robes. If they
had been held back there itself
to be won daily.
Convert points to
their mandatory bond in pub- Mumbai: Bombay high court dent is a blot on humanity, it is and the state government had 5X TIMESPOINTS
lic health service. The Directo- will not avail of its summer condemnable,” he said. been informed, the matter co- for assured rewards.
rate of Medical Education and vacation if the lockdown is lif- Village sarpanch Chitra uld have been resolved,” a Sa- Weekl y Points Bonanza!
Research (DMER) sent a propo- ted on May 3, as per plan. This Chaudhari, who is from the amna editorial said. Weekly draws for 4000
sal to the department, said di- year’s vacation is scheduled TIMESPOINTS,every Sunday.
rector Dr TP Lahane. Postgra-
duate medical students or resi-
dent doctors in government ho-
from May 7 to June 7.
The plan to skip the vaca-
tion was made at a meeting
5 held for shooting video that T&C5 ap:il Participation vri nd DW: 7 to 11AM

1 I

spitals have to complete their

programme of 36 months and
held by Chief Justice B P
Dharmadhikari on Friday af-
shows ‘cop’ asking for money
then serve for one year in go- ter consulting with judges Mumbai: Making a TikTok video that shows a “policeman”
vernment sector. and other stakeholders. stopping an auto and asking for money has led to the arrest of fi- l
The doctors also asked for If before June 7, the lock- ve Bandra (east) youths. Avinash Varma (26), Jalim Siddiqui
clarity on their final-year ex- down is lifted and normal wor- (20), Salman Shaikh (22), Sajid Shaikh (24) and Nafeez Ansari (28)
ams. While an earlier circular king is restored, judges in were arrested on Monday for not only violation of the Covid-19 F w Y} F}
had postponed their exams Mumbai will work from lockdown and prohibitory orders but also criminal defamation.
from May 15 to June 15, a circu- 10.30am-1.30pm & 2.30pm-5pm, On Sunday, the police had arrested two youths, Mohammed Onswer V in9746966661
lar from the Maharashtra Uni- an increase by half an hour Shaikh (24) and Asif Shaikh (19), for recording TikTok videos in Stay Safe Tip!
versity of Health Sciences on daily, high court registrar ge- Dongri that the police said insulted them. Both were paraded
Monday said they will be held ON THE FRONT LINE: A health worker checks a colleague’s temperature with an infrared thermometer neral S B Agrawal said. TNN across Bhendi Bazaar. - V Narayan
post June 15. — Yogita Rao

TOM TRIBAL COOPERATIVE MARKETING DEVELOPMENT

Hosp staffer dies
of cardiac failure State govt partly 1 held for killing
kin’s ‘murderer’
FEDERATION OF INDIA LIMITED (TRIFED)
(Ministry of Tribal Affairs . Govt . of India)
Navi Mumbai: A 28-year-old
staffer of Tata Memorial Ho-
spital’s Advanced Centre for
rolls back order on Mumbai: Three days after the
police found the body of a man
E
TRIFED
NCUI Building 2nd floor, August Kranti Marg, 3 Siri Institutional Area, Hauz Khas, New Delhi - 110016
Tel.-011 -26968247 , 26569064 , 26514854 . Fax:091 -11-26866149
Email- mdtrifed @rediffmail .com , Website : www.trifed.in

newspaper delivery
Treatment, Research and near VP Road, a local from the
Education (ACTREC) in area was arrested on Monday. CORR IGENDUM
Kharghar died on Saturday. The police claimed that the •• D i
She was from Nashik but resi- accused, Vinod Sagliyar (35),
ded with a colleague in Kharg- Prafulla.Marpakwar they may be sold through estab- has confessed that he had clob- Name of work - Planning, Design , Fabrication , Supply, Erection , Testing, Commissioning and Trial Run
har. Panvel sub-district hospi- @timesgroup.com lishments that are exempted as bered the victim, identified (3 Months) of Multiple Fruits and Vegetables including all Plant & Machinery and allied MEP works on
tal forensic expert Dr Babaso per the April 17 order.” only as Kishore, as he had kil- TURNKEY BASIS i.e. , complete in all means at Raigad at Taloja Industrial Area , Village Chal ,
Kalel said she died of cardiac Mumbai: Faced with criticism, A day after PM Modi decla- led Sagliyar’s brother nine ye- Panvel, District - Raigad , Maharashtra
failure but no Covid-19 test the state government on Tues- red a nationwide lockdown on ars ago by using black magic.
was conducted later.—Umesh day partly reversed its order of March 24, the Union home mini- Sagliyar has said that he wan- Page Concern Clause Query Clarifications/ Revised
K Parida April 18 prohibiting door-to-do- stry had issued guidelines ted to avenge his brother’s de- No. Clause/ Amendments
or delivery of newspapers. Now, which stated that print and elec- ath, the police said. TNN
(If any)
Fire at quarantine barring MMR and Pune, door- tronic media would be exemp-
DATE AND PLACE OF PREBID MEETING :
hotel, 25 shifted
to-door delivery of newspapers
will be permitted.
ted from the lockdown. When
the lockdown was extended up Foodgrains for 27th March 2020 , Time:- 11:00 Hours
DATE AND PLACE OF
PREBID MEETING:
In his order, chief secretary to May 3, MHA again issued gui-
Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development
Mumbai: A fire broke out at Ho- Ajoy Mehta said wherever door- delines reiterating the point. 35 tribal homes Federation of India Ltd
5th May, 2020, Time:- 11:00
tel Rippon Palace in Mumbai to-door delivery is done, it “shall The state on April 17 issued
Hours
Central on Tuesday evening. be with the knowledge of recei- its own guidelines but excluded Mumbai: Thirty-five tribal TRIFED 1st floor , TRIFED Tower , Plot no. 3
Tribal Cooperative
Two employees were rescued ver and the delivery of newspa- print media from the exempted families from two tribal ham- sector-17 , Opp. Khanda colony, Mumbai-
from the hotel on Bellasis Road. per personnel.” These person- category. Following a protest, on lets in Aarey Colony were fa- Marketing Development
Pune old Highway, New Panvel (west)-
The hotel was as a Covid-19 care nel “shall wear mask and use April 18, guidelines were amen- cing a food crisis with no inco- Federation of India Ltd
centre, and 25 people were quar- hand sanitizer and maintain so- ded and print media placed in me for a month during the 410206 , Raigad, Maharashtra
Extension of TRIFED 1st floor, TRIFED
antined there. They have been cial distance.” But “given the ex- the exempted category, but with lockdown. The families of dai- Contact No. 022-27463820/ 27463826
Pre Bid Tower , Plot no. 3 sector-17 ,
shifted to another facility near- tent of spread of Covid19, door a rider – newspapers would be ly-wage earners were provi- 06 Email: trifedmumbai@gmail.com
by. Four fire engines and two wa- to door delivery of newspapers printed but door-to-door delive- ded with monthly ration by of- meeting Opp. Khanda colony,
ter tankers were used to douse and magazines is prohibited in ry was barred. After some jour- ficials of Adani Electricity on Date. Mumbai- Pune old Highway,
the flames. The ground plus MMR, Pune municipal corpora- nalists’ groups moved Bombay Tuesday. The company was Further the above was amended as under:
New Panvel (west)- 410206 ,
three structure was completely tion and in all containment zo- high court against the order and alerted by customers last we- The pre bid meeting will not be held
smoke-logged, said officers. TNN nes as may be decided by the dis- HC issued notices to the state, ek about the plight of these tri- Raigad , Maharashtra
physically as given in tender documents.
trict magistrates. In these areas, the move was reversed. bal families. TNN Contact No. 022-27463820/
The bidders can email their pre bid queries (if
27463826.
any) to the following Email ids:
Class IV staff face same travel woes trifed. mfpdivision@gmail.com
trifedmumbai@gmail.com
by 31St March 2020 (6.00 PM )
Email:
trifedmumbai@gmail.com

as docs, but get no support: Union LAST DATE AND TIME FOR RECEIPT OF
BIDS :
th
DATE: 17 April 2020,
LAST DATE AND TIME
FOR RECEIPT OF BIDS:
th
DATE: 25 May 2020 ,
Extension of
Rema.Nagarajan & stay. They don't want 5-star 5am for his 7.30 shift. bearer of the United Nurses TIME: 15:00 Hours. TIME: 15:00 Hours .
Bid
Sumitra Deb roy TNN hotels but only a decent place Nurses in the Delhi gov- Association, adding this was 06
to sleep and bathe,” said Pra- ernment’s main Covid hospi- why associations of techni- Submission
TIME AND DATE OF OPENING OF BIDS : TIME AND DATE OF
Date.
D
iscrimination against deep Narkar, secretary, Mu- tal, LNJP Hospital, face a sim- cians, safai karamcharis, th
lower levels of fron- nicipal Mazdoor Union. ilar bias in access to accomo- nurses and other health staff Date: 17 April 2020 OPENING OF BIDS :
tline health workers He added that after repeat- dation and safety gear. They asked for more rational safe- TIME: 16:00 Hours Date: 25 th May 2020
has begun to be reported from
various coronavirus hot
ed protests, BMC agreed to
open up rooms in BMC
were first made to stay in dor-
mitories in the hospital while
ty protocol, where rank or
hierarchy do not determine
TIME: 16:00 Hours
spots. For instance, ward schools. “It only means they doctors were put up in a plush access to protective gear. All other clauses remain same as given in tender document. Further updates (if any) will be
boys and sanitation staff who will provide mattresses,” hotel nearby. It took a protest “We are getting reports available atwww.trifed.in
change bedsheets, clean said Narkar, adding that only by their association for them from different parts of the
floors and toilets and change staffers from the ENT Hospi- to be given better facilities. country that nurses either DGM/ MFP
diapers don’t get PPE kits, tal in Fort have been accom- Nurses have also complained don’t get PPE or get poor quali- Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India Ltd.(TRIFED)
and are instead forced to modated in a hotel. A 42-year- that doctors get priority for ty ones. This is because nurses NCUI Building, 2nd Floor , 3, Siri Institutional Area , August Kranti Marg, New Delhi-110016.
work in HIV kits, which don’t old cleaner from one of the PPEs during a shortage. have no presence in decision-
cover the body properly, said civic hospitals said, “We “Within a Covid ward or making bodies and hence
Tel: 011-26968247 , 26569064 , Fax: 091 -11-26866149
an Indore hospital employee. clean the patients, take away isolation facility, if some peo- their concerns are not taken Email: trifed .mfpdivision@gmail .com , Website : www.trifed.in
“Class IV staffers are fac- their plates, give them water. ple wear protective gear up. That needs to change,” said
ing as much discrimination Don't our families face the while others don’t, it defeats Inayat Singh Kakar, of Jan Regional Manager
or hardship of commuting as chance of getting the infec- the whole purpose. It is this Swasthya Abhiyan. She point- Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India Ltd .(TRIFED)
doctors and nurses, yet the tion from us,” he said, adding kind of behavior which has ed out that a much larger num- TRIFED 1st Floor, TRIFED Tower, Plot no. 3 Sector-17, Opp Khanda Colony, Mumbai-Pune
corporation has not provided that he travels from Asan- led to health facilities becom- ber of nurses have been infect- Old Highway, New Panvel (West), 410206 , Raigad, Maharashtra
them with a decent place to gaon and leaves home around ing hot spots,” said an officer ed than doctors.
Contact : 022-27463820/ 27463826 , Email: trifedmumbai@gmai l.com, Website : www.trifed.in

HEALTH WORKERS WHO DIE ON DUTY TO BE DECLARED CORPORATE HOUSES, PSUS SHOULD USE CSR TO HELP
MARTYRS, GIVEN STATE FUNERAL: NAVEEN PATNAIK DISPLACED WORKERS, SAYS PRIYANKA GANDHI VADRA
Supplies hit,
health ministry
says ban export
of anti-TB drug
Sushmi.Dey@timesgroup.com
New Delhi: The lockdown due
to Covid-19 outbreak has severe-
ly hampered the supply of anti-
TB drugs to the Centre’s Nation-
al TB Elimination Programme
(NTEP), prompting the health
ministry to recommend a ban on
export of these drugs.
Leading anti-TB drugs man-
ufacturers Macleods and Lupin
— with factories at Ankleshwar
and Bharuch in Gujarat, Baddi
in Himachal Pradesh and Da-
man in Daman and Diu — have
written to the health ministry
highlighting that in view of the
emergency measures undertak-
en, availability of manpower
and material to the pharmaceu-
tical industry is limited, affect-
ing their production capacity.
Health secretary Preeti Su-
dan has written to an empo-
wered group of government offi-
cials to direct the department of
pharmaceuticals and com-
merce ministry to ban export of
the drugs. Sudan also asked the
chief secretaries of states where
the manufacturing factories are
located to ensure transportation
is available to maintain supplies
of finished products.
Full report on www.toi.in
Movement of
vehicles on NHs
up by 60-100%
Dipak.Dash@timesgroup.com
New Delhi: Vehicle moveme-
nt on several stretches of na-
tional highways linking ma-
jor urban centres increased
by more than 60%, and in
some cases nearly doubled, on
Monday, compared to the dai-
ly average during lockdown
period. After 25 days, tolling
on the NHs resumed as eco-
nomic activities started again
in a graded way.
Data with GST Network on
e-way bills, however, suggest-
ed that there was only a minor
rise in traffic with an estimat-
ed at 3.3 lakh nationally on
Monday, compared to a little
under 3.2 lakh on Saturday.
12-yr-old walks
100km to reach
home, dies
Raipur: A 12-year-old tribal
girl, daughter of migrant
workers, died after walking
100km with her family from
Telangana to try to reach their
native village in Bijapur dis-
trict of Bastar.
The girl, Jeeta Madkami,
died 50km short of home.
Chief minister Bhupesh Bag-
hel has announced a solatium
of Rs 5 lakh for the family. TNN
TIMES in ter
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Bengal obstructing Centre’s
Covid-19 teams, says MHA
Stopped From
Visiting Spots,
Meeting Docs
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
New Delhi: The Centre on
Tuesday said while Maha-
rashtra and Rajasthan were
fully cooperating with inter-
ministerial teams sent to bo-
ost anti-Covid-19 actions, the
West Bengal government
had restrained the teams sent
to Kolkata and Jalpaiguri
from functioning, escalating
the political battle with Tri-
namool Congress.
Home ministry spoke-
sperson Punya Salila Srivas-
tava said the West Bengal go-
vernment’s actions amoun-
ted to obstructing implemen-
tation of the order issued on
Monday under the Disaster
Management Act where state
authorities were asked to ma-
ke arrangements for the
IMCTs (inter-ministerial
central teams) to assess the
ground situation.
“It has been brought to
the notice of this ministry
that IMCTs at Kolkata and
Jalpaiguri have not been pro-
Didi hits back, says attack on federal
norms; TMC questions Centre’s intent
Mohua.Chatterjee
@timesgroup.com
New Delhi: A full-scale poli-
tical battle has broken out
between the BJP-led Centre
and the Trinamool Congress-
led West Bengal government,
sparked off by the “unanno-
unced” landing of a central
team of officials in Kolkata
on Monday morning.
With CM Mamata Baner-
jee viewing the move as an at-
tack on the federal scheme of
governance, Trinamool ac-
cused the Centre of “playing
politics at a time when states
and the Centre are expected
to work together to combat
coronavirus”. Banerjee shot
off a letter to PM Narendra
Modi protesting “breaking of
federal norms”.
Addressing an online
press conference on Tuesday,
TMC parliamentary leaders
Sudip Bandopadhyay and
Derek O’Brien questioned
the Centre’s “intent”. “Why
are opposition-governed sta-
tes like West Bengal being
put on targeted watch when
states under BJP like Gujarat
and Uttar Pradesh, or even
states like Tamil Nadu and
Telangana, governed by fri-
in just 3 easy steps
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i Union Bank Bhavan,
TIMES NATION
LOCKED IN: A boy wearing a mask looks out through a window of
his house in Murshidabad on Tuesday
vided with the requisite coo-
peration by the state and local
authorities. In fact, they have
been specifically restrained
from assessing the ground si-
tuation,” home secretary
Ajay Bhalla said in a letter to
West Bengal chief secretary.
The war of words, howe-
ver, became heated with Tri-
namool leader Abhishek Ba-
nerjee tweeting, “You cripple
West Bengal with faulty kits
from ICMR and then send
IMCTs to monitor its perfor-
mance while keeping the sta-
te government in the dark. In
the name of combating the
Covid-19 crisis, you’re play-
ing with the lives of Bengalis
CM Mamata Banerjee at Park Circus during her tour of Kolkata on
Tuesday where she urged people to follow social distancing norms
endly parties, with higher
positive cases are not being
monitored by the Centre,”
they asked.
“Unfortunately, when
Bengal and all other states
are fighting coronavirus, the
Centre is fighting the states,”
O’Brien said, adding, “The
Centre refused to call off the
budget session of Parliament
and delayed a lockdown
when the virus was sprea-
ding, paying no heed to
TMC’s warning on social dis-
tancing to be observed, appa-
rently to install a BJP govern-
ment in Madhya Pradesh.”
Bandopadhyay said, “Pe-
ople want to know what the
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THE TIMES OF INDIA, MUMBAI | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2020
while your leaders use
skewed testing numbers for
fake propaganda.”
The Centre had previous-
ly written to West Bengal po-
inting out that social distan-
cing was being slackly imple-
mented. CM Mamata Baner-
jee said the state would
implement curbs with a “hu-
man face”.
Bhalla said the state’s re-
fusal to assist the teams “am-
ounts to obstructing imple-
mentation of the orders issu-
ed by central government un-
der Disaster Management
Act, 2005, and equally bin-
ding SC directions”.
Full report on www.toi.in
Subhojyoti Kanjilal
central ministerial team is
looking for, what it has found
and why it has not consulted
with the CM or any state go-
vernment official on their vi-
sit.” He added that the state
was coordinating with the
Centre and following every
guideline. “So, what happe-
ned suddenly?” he asked.
Asked whether people
would suffer if the war aga-
inst coronavirus got caught
in political wrangling, Ban-
dopadhyay said, “Hopefully,
good sense will prevail. The
Centre will restrain itself in
future and will consult state
governments and state go-
vernments will cooperate.”
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Disaster Mgmt
Act allows govt
to call out Army
Pradeep.Thakur
@timesgroup.com
New Delhi:The West Bengal
administration’s refusal to
provide assistance to the two
inter-ministerial central te-
ams despatched to assist the
state can have serious securi-
ty implications if provisions
of the Disaster Management
Act are examined, as they
empower the Centre to de-
ploy military or paramilitary
to enforce guidelines issued
by the home ministry in any
part of the country.
Given the sensitivity of
the situation, the Centre may
choose persuasion or even a
hard nudge rather than invo-
ke the more stringent provi-
sions. As it is, the Trinamool
has raised the issue of federa-
lism and an emotive outburst
of populist emotions will
worry the Centre. But at pre-
sent, the DM Act, which over-
rides all existing laws, has be-
en invoked till May 3.
Full report on www.toi.in
In Moradabad,
Mamata takes 5 who attacked
the fight to health staff &
Kolkata streets cops test +ve
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Kolkata: Bengal CM Ma-
mata Banerjee on Tuesday
drove around Kolkata, stop-
ping at several densely-po-
pulated neighbourhoods to
appeal to people to stay indo-
ors.“ The Centre has impo-
sed this lockdown and we
have to abide by it,” she said.
The Bengal government
has been in an eye-ball-to-
eyeball confrontation with
the Centre over allegations
of laxity in enforcing the
lockdown and social-distan-
cing norms. The state has
strongly rebutted the char-
ges, with chief secretary Ra-
jiva Sinha saying on Tues-
day that over 28,000 people
had been prosecuted and
3,100 FIRs lodged in the past
four weeks.
Trinamool seniors said
the CM’s drive was a signal
to the Centre that she was
not going to back down wit-
hout a fight.
J
toliot
Judo claw
orl&
Shivraj cabinet
grows by five;
ministers given
Covid duty
Ashutosh.Shukla
@timesgroup.com
Bhopal: Nearly a month after
CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan
took oath of office, Madhya Pra-
desh got a ‘covid-cabinet’, but
still no health or home minister.
The ‘mini-cabi-
net’ has just five
ministers – no-
ne with a portfo-
lio. The chosen
ones are Narot-
tam Mishra,
Kamal Patel, Meena Singh,
Tulsi Silawat and Govind Si-
ngh Rajput.
Silawat and Rajput are Scin-
dia loyalists and were minist-
ers in the Kamal Nath cabinet.
No portfolios have been allo-
cated yet, but the ministers ha-
ve been put in charge of two di-
visions each to manage the
fightback against Covid-19.
For nearly a month after be-
ing sworn in as CM, Chouhan
ran a one-man show without a
council of ministers, trigge-
ring criticism from the opposi-
tion. The buzz is that a tug of
war between factions in BJP —
including Scindia’s — for plum
portfolios was delaying forma-
tion of the cabinet.
Chouhan said: “The cabinet
is small but balanced, and effort
has been made to give represen-
tation to all sections of society.
Whatever is left will be taken
care of in the next expansion af-
ter the lockdown is lifted.”
Full report on www.toi.in
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Bareilly: At least five of the 17
persons who were arrested for
allegedly attacking a team of
health staff and policemen in
Moradabad’s Nawabpura lo-
cality on April 15 have tested
positive for Covid-19.
Following this, the entire
Nagphani police station was
quarantined. Senior superin-
tendent of police Amit Pathak
told TOI, “It is a setback. All
policemen, including the sta-
tion house officer of Nagpha-
ni, had come in contact with
the accused while arresting
and shifting them to jail. They
have all been quarantined.”
According to sources, at
least 73 cops have been quar-
antined. The five attackers,
who tested positive forCo-
vid-19 on Monday, are kept in a
temporary jail set up at a pub-
lic school on Delhi Road.
According to health offi-
cials, 15 fresh Covid-19 cases,
including a doctor and nurse
working at a quarantine cen-
tre, have surfaced in Morada-
bad, taking the tally to 69. The
district has witnessed three
deaths so far.
A young woman, who is a
Delhi University student and
had come home to Moradabad
after lockdown, also tested
positive on Tuesday.
Epidemic could peak in
India by mid-May: Study
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
T
he coronavirus epidemic
could peak in India by the
middle of May and gradu-
ally peter out after that, a model-
ling exercise by Times Network
in partnership with global con-
sulting firm Protiviti, has pre-
dicted. The ‘Times Fact India
Outbreak Report’ looks at three
different possibilities and sug-
gests that India could see the
number of coronavirus cases
crossing 75,000 around May 22.
The team built three models
to predict the progression of the
coronavirus. Each model pro-
vides an estimate of how the out-
break could unfold under differ-
ent conditions and provides in-
sights on how the government
and health infrastructure can re-
spond to the crisis.
The report used three mod-
els: the percentage model, the
time series model and the Sus-
ceptible Exposed Infected Reco-
Indian-American
doctors helping US
fight pandemic
Rohan.Dua@timesgroup.com
E
very day at 7 pm, when Dr
Mona Singh steps out of the
Metropolitan Hospital in
New York at the end of her shift,
she is greeted with claps and che-
ers by local residents. The gestu-
re — meant to thank doctors on
the frontline of Covid-19 fight —
helps her forget, momentarily,
the stress and anxiety that are
part of her daily life now, trea-
ting patients at the Covid-19
ward in one of worst-affected ci-
ties in the world. As she walks
home, it’s now her turn to give a
pep-talk to her parents in Chan-
digarh, assuring them she is he-
althy and safe.
Like Dr Singh, the daughter
of legendary athlete Milkha
Singh and an associate profes-
sor, (emergency medicine) at the
hospital, several Indian-Ameri-
can doctors are aiding Ameri-
ca’s fight against the pandemic.
According to estimates, 90,000
Indian-American doctors have
settled in the US over the last two
decades and now constitute the
largest ethnic group of physici-
ans in that country.
For many, the satisfaction of
helping their adopted country in
such times is immense, but so is
the sadness. Doctors on Covid-19
duty that TOI spoke to said they
were afraid of never seeing their
parents and friends back home
1st batch of stranded
sugar cane workers
leaves Kolhapur
The Kolhapur district administration has arranged for MSRTC buses to take
14,000 workers back to their native villages, mostly in Marathwada
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Kolhapur: The first batch of aro-
und 2,000 of the 14,000 sugar cane
workers, most of them from Ma-
rathwada, started their journey
home from Kolhapur, said an offi-
cial from the district collectorate
on Tuesday.
The district administration
has arranged for MSRTC buses
to take the stranded workers
back to their native villages, whi-
le their cattle will be transported
in trucks.
Arun Kakade, deputy district
registrar, Kolhapur district, said
that the medical examination of
all the workers was conducted at
the mills while RTO officials
checked the buses.
OUTBREAK PROJECTION
Thousand
80
70
60
46,819
50
38,534
40
30
PROJECTED NUMBER OF CASES
20
10
0
May 3 May 8
Projections are average of all three models
vered (SEIR) model. The per-
centage model uses trends in the
spread of the disease in Italy and
the US, and applies them onto In-
dia to predict its trajectory.
The time series model takes
into consideration data across
time periods in China and South
Korea, and adapts them to In-
dia’s data. The SEIR model is
based on an estimation of repro-
duction rate of the virus, which
is the average number of people
each positive person infects. To-
gether, the three models provid-
ed six projections for the out-
break and give an indication of
Dr Mona Singh, daughter of
Milkha Singh, flanked by colleagues
or worried about when they wo-
uld get to visit India or get any vi-
sitors “from home”.
The fears are not unfounded.
At least five Indian-American
doctors have died treating Co-
vid-19 patients while others are
battling the disease. Dr Prakash
Sidhwani, associate professor of
pediatrics, Columbia University
Medical Centre, was among tho-
se who contracted the virus, go-
ing right back to treating the pa-
tients as soon as he recovered.
Families of doctors back ho-
me in India are worried sick.
While Dr Singh sends a photo of
herself in personal protective
equipment (PPE) gear to her pa-
rents daily to allay their fears,
for Dr Devang Sanghavi, direc-
tor of medical ICU at Mayo Cli-
nic Florida, the day begins with
sending his health update home.
“I tell my parents in Mumbai
that I am taking all possible pre-
cautions,” he said.
Full report on www.toi.in
The workers were sent home
after getting approval from the
authorities. “We have communi-
cated with the authorities of the
districts through which these bu-
ses will be passing and asked
them to allow the workers to go
home. The buses will return after
dropping them off,” he said.
Cane crushing season usual-
ly begins in October every year
and lasts till February. However,
the season was delayed this year
and continued till late March.
The sugar cane cutters were
stuck after the government im-
posed lockdown on March 24.
The cutters return to their villa-
ges and start sowing operations
for the kharif crops till the next
crushing season starts.
75,349
65,601
May 14 May 22
when it might be safe to lift
the lockdown.
The report also predicted two
scenarios to show when the case
tally could fall to zero. The scena-
rios assume the lockdown is ex-
tended beyond May 3 and the re-
production rate of the virus is
0.8, that is, each infected person
spreads the disease to 0.8 other
people. In the first scenario, if
the lockdown is extended to May
15, the case tally will fall to zero
by September 15. In the second
scenario, if the lockdown is ex-
tended to May 30, cases will drop
to zero by mid-June.
 THE TIMES OF INDIA, MUMBAI
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2020
Amid lockdown,
aerosol levels in
northern India at
20-yr low: Nasa
Vishwa.Mohan@timesgroup.com
New Delhi: Satellite data
show that the levels of aero-
sols over northern India drop-
ped significantly since the
lockdown began, said the US
space agency, Nasa, on Tues-
day. Aerosols are solid and liq-
uid particles, suspended in
air, that reduce visibility and
can damage lungs and heart.
The Nasa satellite sensors
observed “aerosol levels at a
20-year low for this time of
year in northern India” after
just a week of reduced human
activities such as closure of
factories and reduced vehicu-
lar and airplane traffic — a sit-
uation which allowed some in
Punjab to report seeing the Hi-
malayan range with the naked
eye for the first time in years.
The space agency, however,
noted that the story in southern
‘69% cases found +ve Explain ban on doorstep delivery
were asymptomatic’ of newspapers, PCI tells Maha govt
Figure Put At
80% By Only 1
Study: ICMR
Sushmi.Dey@timesgroup.com
New Delhi: Covid-19 tests
that delivered positive re-
sults in India so far show 69%
positive cases were asympto-
matic, whereas 31% are
symptomatic representing a
ratio of 1:2, the Indian Coun-
cil of Medical Research
(ICMR) said on Tuesday. So
far, over four lakh samples
have been tested for Covid-19
in India and of these, 18,601
were positive.
ICMR head of epidemiol-
ogy and communicable dis-
eases Dr R R Gangakhedkar
said, “There is only one
TIMES NATION | Lockdown-Day 28
Farmers line up their tractors carrying wheat grain at a wholesale
market during the lockdown near Jabalpur in MP on Tuesday
ery single case detected there
would be about two cases
that could be termed as
asymptomatic.”
Seeking to address con-
cerns over asymptomatic
cases, the health ministry
said they include those with
mild and sometimes “very
mild” symptoms and efforts
“We are working with a
pre-emptive approach while
working on community sur-
veillance. If we find a so
called asymptomatic case in
a field with high risk or di-
rect contact, then we collect
even that sample for testing.
In that case, when a person
has even very mild symptom,
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
New Delhi: The Press Coun-
cil of India (PCI) on Tuesday
issued a notice to the Maha-
rashtra government over pr-
ohibition of doorstep deliv-
ery of newspapers and maga-
zines in the state, and sought
an explanation from the ch-
ief secretary.
The Maharashtra govern-
ment had on Saturday decid-
ed to stop door-to-door deliv-
ery of newspapers and maga-
zines to contain the spread of
coronavirus in the state.
A PCI statement said the
body’s chairman, Justice
Chandramouli K Prasad (re-
tired) was concerned over the
Maharashtra government’s
order, especially since it did
not adhere to the Union gov-
ernment’s March 23 directive
7
Editors Guild condemns J&K for booking 2 cial media platforms, has also
journalists, says it’s ‘gross misuse of power’
emphasised the necessity of
newspapers in disseminat-
ing reliable, fact-checked in-
T he Editors Guild of India on Tuesday condemned the Jammu &
Kashmir administration’s lodging of cases against two
formation to people.
The PCI also advised state
Kashmiri journalists, Peerzada Ashiq and Masrat Zahra, for their
reportage in mainstream and social media, and alleged a “gross
governments and administr-
ative authorities to take nec-
misuse of power” by the government to “strike terror into essary measures to ensure
journalists”. Referring to the move as a direct attempt to intimidate smooth functioning of media
journalists across the country, the Editors Guild said both Ashiq and during the lockdown. “Tak-
Zahra should not be harmed or harassed, and demanded the ing suo-motu cognisance of
withdrawal of cases against them. Ashiq is a correspondent with The the issue, the chairman has
Hindu, while Zahra is a freelance photographer. “If the government issued a notice for comments
has any grievance against their reporting, there are other ways of to the chief secretary to the
dealing with such issues in the normal course. Merely social media government of Maharash-
posts of factual pictures can’t attract the toughest anti-terror laws tra,” the PCI statement said.
passed for hardened terrorists. And in the case of The Hindu reporter While the Maharashtra gov-
(Ashiq), the correct course was to escalate the complaint to the ernment has said the produc-
newspaper’s editor,” the Editors Guild of India said in a statement. TNN tion and sale of newspapers
and magazines is allowed at
asking all states to ensure op- pers are an unlikely medium stalls and shops established
erational continuity of print for the spread of coronavi- for the purpose, the print
media. Doctors and epide- rus. The government, grap- media has been asked to avoid
miologists have said newspa- pling with fake news on so- home deliveries.

WHO raises alarm, warns worst is yet to come

India is a little hazier as satellite
data show that the aerosol levels
have not yet decreased to the
same extent and the levels, in
fact, seem to be slightly higher
than in the past four years. It
said though the reasons are un-
clear, it could be related to re-
cent weather patterns. “By all
accounts, the lockdown re-
duced those human-made
emission sources,” said a post
of Nasa Earth Observatory
that analysed the data.
On Earth Day, Times Evoke begins Evoke Inspire, a unique forum for young
readers to express their ideas on the environment and global existential issues
The current world situation offers an
study that suggests there are
80% cases. Secondly, in case
of asymptomatic, where the
symptoms are not very clear,
the chances of the patient
coming and reporting the
case too becomes low. I am
now saying for the first time
that if we look at the number
of tests done, so far 31% be-
long to the symptomatic
category and the rest 69%
would fall under asympto-
matic... we can say that for ev-
are on to identify such cases
through contact tracing and
community surveillance.
Citing observations of
the World Health Organisa-
tion, health ministry joint
secretary Lav Agarwal said
there are three phases: pure-
ly asymptomatic, pre-symp-
tomatic and symptomatic,
and in common parlance
even pre-symptomatic cases
are called asymptomatic
when symptoms are mild.
the test is positive. This way
we can timely identify, re-
duce mortality and provide
treatment,” Agarwal said.
Government officials TIMES NEWS NETWORK The comments came in the alarm bells about the pandemic One, it allowed time for prepare-
said there is a probability wake of WHO director general just as many countries are start- dness, to create health infrastr-
there are several asympto- New Delhi:The Indian Council Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus ing to ease restrictive measures. ucture, and two, it helped buy
matic persons who may not of Medical Research (ICMR) on alluding to the Spanish flu in Highlighting the preventive time while science is progr-
know they carried the virus Tuesday said India was doing and pre-emptive measures tak- essing fast to develop interventi-
for a while, but the numbers the best possible as per its capa- INDIA IS DOING en by the government, ICMR’s ons to combat the disease.
so far are not seen to be so bilities to combat the Covid-19 head of epidemiology and com- He added that while new
high as to represent a threat outbreak and that one must
ITS BEST: ICMR municable diseases Dr R R Gan- drugs and vaccines are in the
of undetected transmission have faith in science which was 1918 as a reference for the coro- gakhedkar said by implement- pipeline, India too will benefit
on a significant scale. making fast advances towards navirus outbreak and saying ing lockdown and social dista- from them when the lockdown
developing a vaccine and ther- the worst was to come in the cor- ncing measures early, India had is lifted, even as cases will be in
apeutic interventions. onavirus outbreak, raising new secured dual benefits for itself. control due to these measures.
MHA nod for 675 seamen
to disembark in Mumbai e-Procu rement Notice No. 0 4l O C C L l 2 0 2 0 2 1 ( o n l i n e )
TIMES NEWS NETWORK 23 Goan crew members, is also Type of Work . - Low Height Storage Structure

opportunity to mitigate climate change Panaji: Nearly 675 Indian

crew members, including
at Mumbai port.
In a late night order on
Tuesday, the ministry of home
Total No of Works
Period of completion

Bid
:- 01 (One) No.
24 calendar months.
Amount put to Availability of Submission
Procurement Tender Bid Security
Writing for Evoke over 180 Goans, aboard three affairs gave the nod for Indian
officer
Identification
No (Approx .) (in Rs.)
Tender
(On -line)
of Tender
(On-line)
cruise ships that have been crew members to sign-off (in Rs.)
Inspire, Siddhant in the Indian waters for 40 from ships that arrive at Indi- Managing 28.04 .2020, 28.04.2020,
OCCL-
Nigam Sinha, a student days have been allowed to an ports. “Change of crew of Director, 0CC JGP/01/ 66.00 Crore 66,00,000.00
10.00 A.M to 10.00 A M to
Ltd., 12 05 .2020, 12.05.2020 ,
at Philips Academy disembark in Mumbai and ship is an important measure Bhubaneswar 2020-21 5.30 P.M 5.30 P.M
travel to their places of resi- for operation of merchant
Andover, and founder dence, provided they test neg- ships,” the home secretary Date of opening of the Technical Bid: 14 .05. 2020 at 12.00 Noon.
Further detail can be seen from the Govt. website
of the SUN Foundation, ative for Covid-19. said, while detailing the stan- (www. te ndersodi sha. gov. in )
While one of the cruise dard operating procedure Sd/-
discusses steps towards a ships, Karnika, with 498 Indi- (SoP) to streamline the sign- Managing Director
more sustainable world an seafarers is anchored at the on and sign-off of seafarers at
Mumbai port, Marella Discov-
ery with 146 Indians is off
Indian ports. The home minis-
try also allowed Indian seafar-
VISVESVARAYAJALA NIGAM LIMITED
(Government of Karnataka Enterprise)
Mumbai coast and Mumbai- ers to join a vessel if they ( V, Office of The Executive Engineer. VJNL , Upper

I
n these trying times, our news
feeds are overwhelmed by re-
ports from around the world
of the huge costs of Covid-19.
We hear of hospitals inun-
dated with patients, health workers
facing enormous strain, individuals
battling extreme circumstances. In
the midst of this, however, one ray
of hope has emerged —
global greenhouse gas
emissions have declined
and air and water qual-
ity has improved in mul-
tiple places. In India, for
instance, a decline in
factory production, air
I N S P I R E
traffic and construction activity have
together reduced pollution, leading to
noticeably cleaner skies. Astonishing-
ly, the Himalayas were recently visible
from Jalandhar, a city hundreds of kil-
ometres away, while numerous reports
indicate how rivers like the Ganga and
Yamuna are much cleaner today.
However, global carbon emissions
have seen this decline only due to the
current pandemic. In China, as people
stayed home and factories contracted
output, emissions dropped reportedly
by 25%, which translates to around
200 million metric tonnes of carbon
dioxide. Some forecasts similarly sug-
gest that European emissions this year
could also be nearly 400 million tonnes
less than last year.
However, seemingly positive
though they are, these changes are in
no way sustainable as they have come
SMOKE SIGNALS: It’s time to heed the Earth and envision cleaner economies
not due to planned ac-
tions but on the back
of a global crisis,
causing unprecedent-
ed economic disrup-
tion. Last month, as
economic activity
contracted, a record
10 million Americans reportedly
filed for unemployment benefits. In
rural and urban India, a large num-
ber of business owners and workers
face sharply reduced sources of in-
come while economists predict the
damage caused by the corona virus
could take economies years to re-
cover from. Climate positives that
are an outcome of such emergencies,
and enormous human distress, are
clearly not sustainable.
Yet, this moment offers us a chance,
of thinking of ways to save our world
from the impacts of climate change in
the near future. A silver lining today
is that many people around the world
are finally turning to science and facts,
rather than opinions or stands, for in-
formation on the corona virus. This
presents an opportunity to orient more
people towards learning and trusting
Goa cruise ship Angriya with cleared the Covid-19 test. Bhadra Project Division No.9 Sira-572137
Phone: 08135-276101 E-Mail: ubpee09@gmail .com
No EE/VJNL/ UBP,Div-9/Sira/TankfllingiCorrir2019-20/ Date 2 0 0 4 2 : :
SC leaves it CORRIGENDUM
C OR RIGENDUM-4
No .W.623/15. Dt . 18.04.2020 Reference: This Office Tender notification No. EENJN.
to govt to pay Tender No. 57/202OR to 61/2020
invited vide NIT No. W.623/15/date
UBP/ D-9/Sira/Tank/tender-noti/ 11 /2019-20 Dt :19.02.2020
Following corrections are made in the Calendar of Events ^f
the science on climate change as well,
and thinking of innovative solutions
daily-wagers 05.03.2020 which were due for
closing on 03.04.2020 at 15.30 Hrs
will now be closed on 08.05.2020 at
tender notification are published in e-portal.
(1) As appeared in the corrigendum-3 of above tend 'r
and preventative measures, based on Dhananjay.Mahapatra 15.30 Hrs. Other terms and notification , the Calendar of Events SI. No. (D) The last da-e
such science. @timesgroup.com conditions will remain unchanged. for submission of completed tender documents (Cover-1 &
To stand a chance against cli- Sr. Divisional Engineer (Coordination), cover-2) through e-portal. Date: 20.04.2020 To be read a
West Central Railway, Kota
mate change, we need to implement New Delhi: The Supreme Date: 05.05.2020 & (E) Date & time of opening of Technical
sustainable and planned structural
changes. Importantly, we must re-
Court on Tuesday said it Bid (Cover-1) by Executive Engineer , V.J.N.L , UBP, Divisio ,
would not get into the bud- No.9 , Sira Date: 22 .04 .2020 after 4.30pm To be read as
duce our reliance on coal, a major getary or financial domain Date: 07.05.2020 after 4.30 pm
contributor to global carbon emis- of the Centre by directing it
sions. In addition, we must transi- MANUFACTURE AND SUPPLY OF
Sd/- Executive Engineer . VJNL .UBP, Division No.9 Sira
to pay basic minimum wag-
tion to environmentally-friendly es to migrant workers dur- GALVANIZED ELASTIC RAIL CLIP
energy sources, such as solar power ing the lockdown as de- For & on behalf of President of India ,
or wind energy. Combating climate Principal Chief Engineer , Central
manded in PILs by rights ac- Railway. G. M. Building , 2nd floor,
change also requires multilateral ac-
tivists Harsh Mander, Swa- CSMT Mumbai -400001 invites e-bids
tion as emissions from any country
mi Agnivesh and others. at e - P r o c u r e m e n t w e b s i t e ,
have a global impact. Once this crisis (An Autonomous Institute of the Department of Biotechnology, Govt. of India)
Another PIL sought a di- "www.ireps .gov.in ". Tender No.
passes, restoring economic health W.188.C.3046/2020, Date & Time of Admission to the THSTI-JNU PhD Program for the Academic
will be vital for all the nations of the rection to states to pay mini-
mum wages to self-employed closing : 25.05.2020 on 11:00 hrs., Year 2020-2021-Monsoon Session
world. But this moment gives us all Descri ption of Stores : Manufacture Recruitment Notice No. THS /RN/19/2020
a chance to think of new and better workers like rickshaw pu- and supply of Galvanized Elastic
methods to reorganise our econo- llers, auto-drivers etc. But Rail Cli p Marked for Narrow Gauge Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI) is part of the
mies, in a way that cleaner air and the bench said: “Are we ex- sleepers to RDSO Drg. No.T-3722 inter-disciplinary Biotech Science Cluster at Faridabad in the National
less polluted rivers do not become a perts in such matters? These (Latest Alt). Tender Q u a n t i t y : Cap ital Region . THSTI is desi gned to be a dynamic and interactive
thing of memory, but are a lasting are elected governments 1,17,240 Nos., EM D : Rs.1 ,32 ,630.00. organization with a mission to conduct innovative translational research
The c o m p l e t e i n f o r m a t i o n of across disci plines and professions to accelerate the development of
positive from this experience. The having a mandate to govern.
a b o v e E - P r o c u r e m e n t Tender concepts into products to improve human health. THSTI is a recognized R&D
youth of today must inherit a world We are not getting into issues notice is a v a i l a b l e on w e b s i t e
where forethought, planning and of financial support or inad- institute of the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi, offering
"www.ireps .gov.in". Bids other than
doctoral programs.
global cooperation can save us from equacy of funds,” it said. in the form of E-bids shall not be
yet another catastrophe. Full report on www.toi.in accepted against above Tender . 1 App lications are invited for the THSTI-JNU PhD program . Last date for
app lying online is 20th May 2020. For detailed advertisement visit our
website (www .thsti.res .in).

Cupid-struck I

TIMES ascent
(.(r
"
i
1 ' . OF B1HAR
646;i
?7 11

couple booked 0 ? A
=' B I I IA R CO\ IBINED ENTRANCE CONIPETITIVE E X A M IN A T I O N BOARD
NOTICE INVITING TENDER I. A .S. Association Building. \ car Patna Airport , Patna-14 .
Catapult your career in Ahmedabad Tender No Material Description Due Date 1 GRA DUATE MEDICAL A DMISSI ON COUNSELLING I I
WW Union Bank
A U/ 1 TIMES NEWS NETWORK 202113 Bleached Chemi-Thermo Mechanical Pulp- for 1 MDS in Government / Private Medical / Dental colleges of Bihar
W of India 09.05.2020
000079 Hardwood 83 (Qt y: 4500 ADMT±5%)
affim
Ahmedabad: A 30-year-
202123 Stoneground Softwood Pulp Advt. :Vo. - BGECI:B(PG XIAC) 2113(1/113 Dated : 21.04.2020
09.05.2020
Important Notice regarding Preponement of Schedules of PGMAC-2020
old Jodhpur-based man
%
000020 (Qty: 1000 ADMT ±5%)
Head Office : 239 , Vidhan Bhavan Marg, Nauman Point , Mumbai-000 021 . and his 40-year-old girlfri-
end, who stays in Vastra- Detailed terms & conditions, Qty_ , Tender Fee , EMD, etc. are
In continuation to Advert isem ent No. 13CECEl3(PGM .AC)-2020/0l & 2020/02 Dated : 17 .04.2020
APPOINTMENT OF CHIEF RISK OFFICER & pur, could not meet for available in tender document at our websites : www.tnol.com /
it is informed to PGMAC-2020 candidates . NEET(PG)-2020 candidates and all concerned that th e
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER (ON CONTRACTUAL BASIS) about a month due to the www.tenders .tn.aov.i n
Diva/ 1663 /rel,de./2 02 0 schedules published for filling Online Application for PGMAC-2020 is hereby preponed in the li ght of
In view of the extension of lockdown for COVID - 19 pandemic, lockdown. While the lock-
Notice Ref. No. F.No .t1- 1 202 1/44/2020-2 1 MEC dt. 17. 0x 2020 of office of ADG( ME). Directorate
Union Bank of India has extended the last date for submission of down has prevented Co-
General of Health Services . Medical Counselling Committee. Government of India and rescheduled
application for the post of Chief Risk Officer (One) and Chief vid-19 from striking, it co- 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

Financial Officer (One) on contractual basis up to 08.05.2020. uld do nothing about Cu-
Interested candidates may refer to full advertisement dated 27.03.2020 pid, and the lovelorn cou-
available on Bank's Website 'www.unionbankofindia .co.in' as ple decided to meet. The
also for other details related to Eligibility Criteria , Age , application duo was, however, booked
form/fee challan etc. by police for violation of
lockdown notification.
Mumbai
20.04.2020 General Manager (HR) On Tuesday, the man,
an online namkeen pro-
ducts trader, and his girl-
friend were talking to
each other in a car on the
AES ground near a TV to-
wer in Ahmedabad’s Bo-
M
dakdev area. A Vastrapur
Invitation for Applications Police team was patrol-
for Administrative Positions on All India Basis ling the area at around
9.30am when they saw the
Recruitment Notice No. 01 & 0212020 dated 13/0412020 car and approached it.
Applications are invited through proper channel for Registrar The couple told the
(on deputation ) and through online mode for Assistant cops that they had come
out to give milk to stray
Sports Officer, Junior Finance Officer, Staff Nurse dogs but police did not
on contract), Estate Officer and Junior Administrative consider this reason va-
Officer positions from 15104/2020 to 1410512020 . For more lid and booked them.
details, please visit Institute website : www .iiitnr .ac.in under They were released on ba-
Careers section. Registrar il, said the officer.
Governmerri of 0dishe Undertaking) acc ording ly as given below:
Important Resched uled dates for PGMAC-2020 :
St. Particulars Earlier published Re-scheduled
"e" P r oc u r e m e n t Notice No. 03 !000L/ 2020-21
Schedule Date Date
Bid Ide nt ifi cat ion No. OCC L-SG P/02/2020-21
Online tender is invited on EPC Contract (Turn - Key Basis ) for the
---- ------------------------------------------------- - ---------------------------- - ----------------------------
following work: (i) Online Registration Closing Date 28.04.2020 (11 59 P.M.) 25.04.2020 (11:00 P.M )
1. Name of Work : Construction of Dharmadandinalla and Gurandinalla (ii) Last date of payment through Challan 29.04.2020 24.04.2020
lift project in Sonepur District with intake on Dharmadandinalla to feed
after submission of Online Application (Upto Banking hour) (Upto Banking hour)
to Sukha distributary near RD 31200 ft to stabilize 734 Ha. and intake
on Gurandinalla to feed to Dunguri palli Minor near RD 29000 ft to form of Registered candidate
stabilize 1078 Ha. on "EPC - Turn Key" basis including power system (iii) Last date of payment through Net 30.04.2020 (11 59 RW) 25.04.2020 (1 1:59 PM )
connectivity and Operation & maintenance of complete commissioned
schemes for fiveyears. Banking / Debit Card/ Credit Card after
2. Period of comp letion : 11 (Eleven) calendar months including rainy submission of the Online Application
seasons. Form of Registered Candidate
3. Date & Time of availabilit y of bid document in the portal : From
04.05.2020 , 10.00A.M. to 19.05.2020 up to 5.30 P.M. (iv) Online Editing of Application Form 01.05.2020 to 26.04.2020 (11.59 P. M.)
4. Last Date/Time for receipt of bids in the portal : 19.05.2020 up to 02.05.2020 (11.59 P.M.)
05.30 P.M. (v) Publication of Rank Card/ Merit List 04.05.2020 (8 00 P.M.) 28.04.2020
5. Date & Tlme of OpeningofTechnicalBid :21.05.2020at12.00Noon.
6. Name & address of the officer inviting bid : Managing Director,
(vi) Proposed date of Online Choice filling To be notified later on 30.04.2020 to 01.05.2020
Odisha Construction Corporation Limited. (vii) Publication of Seat Allotment Result - 02.05.2020
7. Seeking Clarification : 10.00 A.M. of 04.05.2020 to 03.00 P.M. of (viii) Reporting through web portal - 03.05.2020 to 04.05.2020
11.05.2020.
Further details can be seen from the e-procurement portal
2. Others i n f o r m a t i o n s and conditions of earlier published A d v e rt i s e m e n t shall remain same.
https ://tendersodisha.gov.ln 3. This advertisement is also available on BCECE Board web site : bceceboard.bihar.Lov .in
Sd/
Managing Director Controller of Examination
OCCL, Bhubaneswar
 8 TIMES SPECIAL | Virus Watch
Six Other Ways Of
Looking At Covid-19
1 By cases per million people
Outside of the absolute numbers of cases, where India ranks
No. 17, the magnitude of the crisis has been less severe in
terms of per capita impact. As of April 21, India has about 13
cases per million as against more than 2,380 cases per million
in US. China, which has a comparable population to India’s,
had a little under 60 cases per million people
INTENSITY GREATER IN WESTERN COUNTRIES
The number of confirmed cases is lower than the number of
total cases. The main reason for this is limited testing
No data 0 5 10 50
4 By tests per confirmed case
Authorities have only one tool to establish the number of total confirmed cases: testing. But testing has been
one of the most contentious elements in countries’ response to the outbreak with several developed countries,
too, struggling to expand testing. Tests per confirmed case can indicate two things: How people have been
tested and the scale of the outbreak. In the case of Vietnam, 750 tests per confirmed case shows that either
it has conducted a lot of tests or the size of the outbreak is small. Now compare that with US, with highest
reported cases, and it is evident the rate of testing is low given the magnitude of the outbreak
LEVEL OF TESTING HIGH IN EAST ASIAN COUNTRIES
Vietnam
Taiwan
New Zealand 76.1 (Apr 18)
Australia 63.9
Russia 53
South Korea 52.4
South Africa 38.9 (Apr 18)
India 25.9 (Apr 18)
Czech Republic 25.7 (Apr 18)
Iceland 24.4 (Apr 18)
Tunisia 19 (Apr 17)
Canada 15.8
Japan 10.9
Philippines 9 (Apr 18)
Italy 7.6 (Apr 18)
Indonesia 6.8
Serbia 6.5
US 5.3 (Apr 18)
UK 3.3
Ecuador 2.1 (Apr 15)
Guj records
2k cases in 34
days, fastest
for any state
 From P 1
G
ujarat, which has emer-
ged as the biggest Co-
vid-19 hotspot after Ma-
harashtra, crossed the 2,000
mark in cases and overtook
Delhi to claim the No.2 spot in
the country. Compared to 35 da-
ys taken by Maharashtra and
45 by Delhi, the only two other
Indian states with more than
2,000 cases, Gujarat reach the
grim milestone in 34 days. The
total tally of cases in the state
now stands at 2,178.
On Tuesday, as many as 15
Covid-19 patients died in Ah-
medabad city. Two deaths were
reported in Surat and one each
from Bhavnagar and Bharuch.
Maharashtra and Gujarat
recorded the maximum of 19
deaths each, taking their re-
spective tolls to 251and 90.
Delhi, which has been re-
cording Covid-19 deaths daily
since April 8, did not confirm
any new death, although there
were reports of a vegetable dea-
ler at the Azadpur mandi ha-
ving died of the virus. The
number of new cases in the sta-
te was 75, taking its tally to
2,156. The number of persons
who have recovered from Co-
vid-19 in Delhi rose to 611 with
180 patients being discharged
on Tuesday. Rajasthan, too, re-
ported the highest number of
cases of Covid-19 in a single day
on Tuesday when 159 persons
were found infected with the
virus from different parts of
the state.
Full report on www.toi.in
100 500 1,000 2,000
Note: Data as of April 21
134.2 (Apr 18)
Wealthier countries have reported both more cases and deaths. This
is likely because wealthier countries are also the ones more capable
of conducting testing on a larger scale. But wealthier countries were
also hit the hardest because their residents are likely to travel more
frequently than those in poorer countries. Almost 80% of Covid-19
cases are concentrated in high-income countries
WEALTHIER NATIONS HAVE BEEN HIT HARD
Confirmed Covid-19 cases per million people
‘States can develop academic ICMR to send 8
calendar, alter vacation time’ teams for testing
States can develop their own academic calendar and
assessment schedule and choose when to have their summer
break depending on the locally prevalent situation,
Union HRD minister Ramesh Pokhriyal tells TOI’s
Manash Gohain. Even as online learning portals see sharp
rise in number of hits, he said CBSE will assess the loss of
instructional time due to the lockdown for a proportionate
reduction in curriculum load for board exams 2021. Excerpts:
 How has the MHRD han-
dled the lockdown period?
Fulfilling the Prime Minis-
ter’s wishes, the MHRD is
working 24x7 during the lock-
down period with the spirit of
‘students-teachers’ safety and
learning’. In the initial period
of lockdown we announced a
plethora of measures, start-
ing with the promotion policy
for students of various class-
es. We then decided to post-
pone various exams. The min-
istry has set up three task
forces to focus on online learn-
ing, academic calendar as well
as examinations and to deal
with mental health issues of
students. Following their re-
ports, respective bodies after
due consultation with the
MHRD, will issue appropriate
guidelines for schools, univer-
sities/colleges.
TN got rapid test kits from ‘New FDI rule won’t impact goods trade’
‘suspect’ Chinese company
Bhilwara reports 5 new Covid-19 cases T
Ram.Sundaram
@timesgroup.com
Chennai:Tamil Nadu, which
had distributed 34,000 Co-
vid-19 rapid test kits across
the state before the ICMR on
Tuesday gave a directive to
states to hold back the tests,
had procured the kits from
a Chinese firm which has
had a poor record in the Unit-
ed Kingdom.
TN got the first batch of
kits from Guangzhou Wondfo
BioTech Limited, the same
company from which the
United Kingdom had pro-
cured 2 million kits in the first
week of March. According to
the UK media, that country is
trying to return the kits as it
found many of them were not
working efficiently. Records
THE TIMES OF INDIA, MUMBAI
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2020
Given that it is a pandemic that has struck in the big-data era, How Asymptomatic
statistical perspectives into the Covid-19 outbreak
are as numerous as they are varied and thought-
provoking. From modelling the outbreak’s trajectory
to mapping its impact, researchers have utilised
Cases Fuelled Spread
As India nears the 20,000 cases mark, a senior scientist
at Indian Council of Medical Research said as much
data to present insights for policy-makers to better as 80% of all cases could be asymptomatic — infected
address the crisis. Here are a set of charts from people not showing any signs of illness. But what is an
Our World In Data and Worldometer that offer asymptomatic case and what causes it?
different perspectives on the outbreak Pre-Symptomatic Or Asymptomatic?
WHO notes it may more often be a case of people being “pre-
symptomatic” than completely asymptomatic. ProPublica reported
2 By death rate WHO found few cases where “a patient tests positive and has zero
The percentage of people who die of Covid-19 out of the total symptoms for the entire course”. People who are pre-symptomatic
that are infected gives us the death rate, or the case fatality rate
3 Population distribution by age show no symptoms when they test positive but develop symptoms
(CFR). Experts say that CFR does not give an accurate idea of The risk assessment for older people would suggest that countries with
later. A WHO team in China found about 75% of people who were
exactly how deadly a disease is because it relies on the number a larger share of aged people face the greater brunt of the outbreak.
early on classified as “asymptomatic” went on to develop symptoms
of confirmed cases and, with the fast-moving Covid-19, many While this assumption may not be necessarily true for Japan (with just
while a study in the Science journal said 86% of all infections in
cases are not being reported or detected. Further, the probability over 11,000 cases on Tuesday), Western European countries, which have a
China were “undocumented” prior to its lockdown.
of dying from a disease depends on factors like treatment and much higher proportion of older people as compared to the likes of India
and China, emerged as the epicentre of Covid-19 as it spread globally
can vary by location and demographics of the infected population Why Some People Could Be Asymptomatic
SHARE OF THE POPULATION THAT IS 70 YEARS AND OLDER, 2015 Robert Redfield, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and
CONFIRMED DEATHS VS CONFIRMED CASES FRANCE Prevention, said as many as 25% of people may be asymptomatic,
16% while other estimates range from 18% to 30%. It is still unclear why
14% some people exhibit symptoms while others don’t. Two theories
ITALY suggest it could be linked to an individual’s stronger innate immune
12%
response to the virus or if they are exposed to a smaller viral load.
10%
Neither theory has been proved yet.
8%
WORLD
6%
US
4%
INDIA
2% GERMANY
>5,000
0%
Feb 25, Mar 11 Mar 21 Mar 31 Apr 10 Apr 19
2020
No data 0% 2% 4% 8% 12% 16% 20%
6 By recovery rate
Global recovery rate in closed cases — all the cases that have
either ended in deaths or recoveries — rose after the first wave of
infections in China, and has since flattened. As Europe and the US Only Testing Can Give A True Picture
tackle the outbreak, the recovery and death rates in closed cases Since there is asymptomatic spread and there may be people
750 (Apr 16)
will provide a clearer picture of how effective treatment measures who don’t show serious enough symptoms and yet spread
the disease, it is clear why testing is such a crucial factor in
have been and how severe the disease can become
controlling the disease. In fact, ProPublica quotes a health expert
5 By GDP per capita Outcome of total closed cases (%), cumulative total deaths and as saying that “symptomatic versus asymptomatic isn’t really the
recoveries over cumulative number of closed cases
appropriate dividing line” and that it should be “documented versus
GLOBAL RECOVERY RATE VS DEATH RATE undocumented infection”, that is those confirmed and those not.
100
Recovery rate People May Be Most Infectious In Earliest Phase
75
How infectious a person is depends on what experts describe as
50 the viral load of the disease carried by them. For Covid-19, studies
have found that the viral load is the highest right at the onset of the
25
Death rate disease. The combination of pre-symptomatic transmission and
10,000 Spain 0 peak viral load at outset for Covid-19 “could account for the fast-
Turkey 2 6 10 14 18 22 26 1 4 9 13 17 21 25 29 2 6 10 14 18
Switzerland
Iran Feb Mar Apr spreading nature of this epidemic”, said authors of a Lancet study.
1,000
Russia Singapore
Brazil
Australia INDIA DEATH RATE VS RECOVERY RATE How Are They Spreading Covid-19?
100 Philippines 100
Japan
Recovery rate
When doctors say this disease spreads primarily via respiratory
Thailand
75
droplets they don’t mean only those released while coughing or
10
India Sri Lanka sneezing. Because we can be releasing droplets while speaking,
1
50 breaking into a laugh, singing, etc. In a closed space, there is a real
Nepal risk that those droplets may hang in the air long enough to infect
25
0.1 Death rate others. Hence, the need for all to wear masks and constantly wash
0 their hands, because one may contract the virus from touching an
$1,000 $10,000 $100,000 15 18 21 24 27 1 4 7 10 13 15 19 22 25 28 31 3 6 9 12 15 18
infected surface and then touching one’s nose or mouth.
GDP per capita in 2017 Note: Data as of April 20
Feb Mar Apr
Graphic: Karthic R Iyer Source: ProPublica, Inverse, media reports
15 FIRs against
157 foreigners
 From P 1 with more in the pipeline by
in M’rashtra
 From P 1
A
duction in curriculum load for way of domestic operations ll the16 foreigners arrested
T
board exams 2021. In accord- hanks to this, India’s in collaboration with foreign in Prayagraj were taken to
ance, course committees of testing rate has drop- firms and other orders that the temporary isolation
the board have initiated work ped from 35,000-odd on have been placed. The kits are ward set up in the Naini jail.
on reduced syllabus in vari- Monday to 27,500 on Tuesday being sent to states based on Along with the foreigners, a pro-
ous scenarios. as states are using testing in- their requirements. fessor of Allahabad University,
frastructure for antibody There were complaints too, was arrested for arranging
How is MHRD harnessing tests. ICMR is expected to is- from states with the kits me- accommodation for 21TJ delega-
tech to make assessments sue a detailed clarification so- ant to be used in hotspots and tes and not informing police and
100% digital? on. There have also been re- red zones as a supplement to administration about them. The
To assess possibility of con- ports that the temperatures the polymerase tests that are professor had also attended the
 Has online teaching been ducting online exams for high- needed for the rapid tests ha- much more reliable but take congregation in Nizamuddin
able to make up for the loss er education, MHRD has con- ve not been observed. more time as it’s are a four- along with the foreigners.
of classroom teaching? stituted a taskforce under In a tweet late on Tuesday, stage procedure to be conduc- Around 85% of the total 341
Number of hits on key online UGC. We will issue guidelines Rajasthan chief minister As- ted in labs. foreigners arrested in UP are
educational portals in higher
education like SWAYAM ,
TOI INTERVIEW based on their report. hok Gehlot said: “I had earlier
suggested to GOI (govern-
“On Monday, we received
a complaint from one state
Bangladeshis, according to the
police records. Rest of them
SWAYAM Prabha, Virtual mendation on early declara-  Has this unprecedented ment of India) that a centrali- about less detection through are from Indonesia, Thailand,
Labs, FOSSEE, E–Yantra and tion of summer vacations. period also given India an sed mechanism with proper rapid antibody test kits. So we Malaysia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz-
Spoken Tutorial has gone up However, education being a opportunity to boost online guidelines of quality check asked around three states on stan and Tajikistan. The foreig-
five times since the lockdown. concurrent subject, states can education and improve digi- may be developed for the pro- Tuesday and found among ners have been mostly booked
Within a week of lockdown, develop their own academic tal infrastructure? curement of medical equip- positive samples of RT-PCR, under Section 14 (b) of the Fore-
there were two times increase calendar and assessment For the first time we are creat- ment. Unfortunately this was there is too much variation in igners Act, 1946 .
in the use of DIKSHA ((Na- schedule and also decide on ing a dedicated division for on- not accepted. Had this sug- rapid antibody tests,” said In Maharashtra,15 FIRs have
tional Teachers Platform for having an early or as usual line learning in MHRD, which gestion been accepted, failure ICMR’s head of epidemiolo- been lodged against 157 foreig-
India). There have been 8.75 summer break depending on is going to be headed by the ad- of Rapid Test kits could have gy and communicable disea- ners for violation of the Foreig-
crore page views and 57 lakh the locally prevalent situa- ditional secretary. Officers been avoided. We have writ- ses, Dr R R Gangakhedkar. ners Act, inspector general of
content downloads in tion. We have also formed a will be called on deputation to ten to ICMR for the same.” “In some places, 6% to 71% of police Milind Bharambe told
DIKSHA since March 23rd. special taskforce under work in this division who will The kits had arrived last RT-PCR positive samples we- TOI. All of them had attended
NCERT to deliberate on im- work exclusively on online week after several delays and re positive,” he added. the congregation at Nizamud-
 Is the ministry thinking portant issues such as aca- education. To address the digi- have been sourced from three ICMR has decided to send din in Delhi. They are lodged in
of advancing summer vaca- demic calendar and examin- tal divide, MHRD has tied up companies based in China. In eight teams for testing and va- different jails across the state.
tion and reducing the syl- ations, which is likely to sub- with I&B ministry to air the first batch, some 3,00,000 lidating the kits over the next (With inputs from Mumbai,
labus for 2020-21session? mit its report soon. CBSE will SWAYAM PRABHA channels kits arrived close to two we- two days, after which it will is- Patna, Ranchi, Bengaluru,
MHRD has presently not is- assess the loss of instruction- on DTH platforms. eks after they were due. In all, sue a fresh advisory on its use. Hyderabad, Chennai and Bhopal)
sued any guidelines or recom- al time for proportionate re- Full report on www.toi.in 6,50,000 are to be delivered Full report on www.toi.in Full report on www.toi.in
 From P 1
Now, China includes parts of with either China or Nepal,
which have been terminated.
his tool allowed entities to “The provisions only apply to
Arunachal in ‘updated’ map simply inform the RBI af-
ter getting the funds into
investment already made into
India prior to the termination
the country. of the treaty. So, no retrospec- New Delhi: China has included dia and Tibet in 1938. China con-
B hilwara, acknowledged worldwide for its ruthless containment
model, reported five fresh Covid-19 positive cases on Tuesday ,
reports Intishab Ali. The five cases were reported after a gap of 12
The latest move was seen to
be targeted at China, prompt-
ing it to complain that India had
tive action has been taken to ne-
gate existing investments and
there is no violation of the re-
parts of Arunachal Pradesh
within its international bound-
aries, an updated version issued
tinues to consider Arunachal
Pradesh a part of Tibet, which it
had occupied in 1951.
days. The last (28th) case was reported on April 9, when a teacher violated its commitment under spective BITs. The same measu- by Sky Map has revealed. Sky Until now, the map of China
was found to be infected. Of the new cases, two people had returned WTO agreements. Governme- re was for Pakistan and Bangla- Map, China’s authority on digi- is based on the 1989 edition of the
from Delhi on April 16, while two labourers (husband and wife) had nt officials, however, said there desh for long and without any tal maps, is constructed and op- Sky Map of its national borders.
been undergoing treatment at Bhilwara district hospital for cough was no concern as the move challenge,” an official said. erated by a unit directly under Though since then, China has
and fever for the past five days. The fifth is the son of a compounder would not impact goods trade In contrast, officials said Beijing’s National Surveying successively solved its border is-
at the district hospital. Officials said they have quarantined more and the latest press note did not China had adopted policies that and Mapping Geographic Infor- sues with Russia and Central
than 100 people who had been in contact with the Covid-19 patients. fall within the illustrative list restricted access of foreign in- mation Bureau. Asian countries, but none of th
under Trade Related Invest- vestors in sectors such as finan- Recently, Sky Map users dis- em have been reflected in the
show ICMR validated Wondfo can only confirm the pres- ment Measures, which is also cial services, telecom and covered that it has updated the map. However, as per a news re-
kits on April 2. Wondfo did not ence of antibodies in a person part of the WTO commitment. media. Indian IT companies for country’s map with the latest na- port in Chinese, some users no-
respond to emails. who was infected. The results Similarly, under the servic- long have complained of mar- tional borders, including India’s ticed that Sky Map has now up-
The firm’s website claims are likely to be inconsistent es agreement at WTO, the latest ket access restrictions, crip- Arunachal Pradesh, according dated the geographic inform-
it is the first approved one to during the initial phase of the move does not automatically pling their growth through to a media report. Arunachal ation at the “county” level.
sell such kits. disease,” he said. result in any cap on equity or non-tariff barriers. Last De- Pradesh, a hill state in the north- “The boundaries of some
Ram Rajasekaran, head of Wondfo told Chinese impose any restrictions but on- cember, China ordered state of- east bordering Tibet, was part of counties transcend the red col-
TN Central University’s mi- newspapers that their kits ly requires fulfilment of a dif- fices to remove foreign hard- British India in 1913-14 and for- our ma-rked 1989 edition of the
crobiology department said were aimed at supplementing ferent procedure. Officials said ware and software within three mally included in India when national border, especially in Ti-
the average efficiency of any patients who have tested posi- India has not violated the Bilat- years, even as Twitter and Face- the McMohan Line was estab- bet area bordering Bhutan and
rapid test kit is only 65%. “It tive for the virus. eral Investment Treaties (BITs) book are blacked out. lished as the border between In- India,” the report said. AGENCIES

SALMA HAYEK SAYS SHE WAS TOLD TO ‘SOUND DUMBER’ BY JLO SUED FOR $150,000 BY PHOTOGRAPHER FOR POSTING A
DIRECTORS WHEN SHE HAD JUST STARTED OUT AS AN ACTOR PHOTO ON HER INSTAGRAM WITHOUT TAKING PERMISSION
Covid-19 Toll Discrepancies
Add To List Of Uncertainties
As Nations Combat Covid, UN Food Agency Says World On Brink Of Hunger Pandemic
D security officials said
octors are scrambling to
treat the coronavirus,
researchers are racing
to find a vaccine, economies
are suffering, and now there is
a further element of uncer-
tainty to the outbreak that has
touched nearly every corner of
the globe: Even the death toll is
being called into question.
Increasing evidence sug-
gests there is a significant gap
between the number of con-
firmed coronavirus deaths
and the true number of fatali-
ties: At least 28,000 more peo-
ple have died during the coro-
navirus pandemic over the
last month than official counts
report. The gap was highlight-
ed in an analysis of mortality
data from 11 countries that
show far more deaths than the
average for the same period in
recent years, which include
deaths from Covid-19 and
those from other causes, po-
tentially including those who
could not be treated when hos-
pitals became overwhelmed.
The New York Times found
that in Paris alone, more than
twice as many people have died
than during the same time
frame in other years. In New
York City, the number is four
times the normal amount. The
disparities between the official
death counts and the total rise
in deaths most likely reflect
limited testing for the virus,
rather than intentional under-
counting. Officially, over
170,000 people have died world-
wide of the virus as of Tuesday.
But the differences are par-
ticularly stark in countries
that have been slow to ac-
knowledge the scope of the
Pakistan PM
to get tested
for COVID-19
Omer Farooq Khan TNN
Islamabad: PM Imran Khan
will take a test
for Covid-19
amid fears that
he may have
contracted the
novel coronavi-
rus from a phi-
lanthropist who called on him
on April 15 to donate Rs 1 crore
for the PM’s Coronavirus Relief
Fund. Neither of them wore
masks and gloves at the time of
the meeting. Faisal Edhi, chair-
man of the Karachi-based Edhi
Foundation and son of the late,
much revered philanthropist,
Abdul Sattar Edhi, tested posi-
tive for Covid-19 on Tuesday.
“PM Imran Khan has agre-
ed to get tested for the coronavi-
rus after meeting with someone
(Faisal Edhi) who tested positi-
ve for the virus,” Faisal Sultan,
Khan’s personal physician, sa-
id. Mohammad Bilal, spokes-
man for the Edhi Foundation,
said Edhi took a test for Covid-19
on Sunday. “We feel he contrac-
ted the virus in Islamabad, as he
has been there for a week.
‘It’s Trump bid to distract from his Covid response’
Continued from P 1
C
ritics saw President
Trump’s immigration
move as part of a gradu-
al tightening of legal immigra-
tion into the country to freeze
demographic changes, which
many Republicans see as being
electorally disadvantageous to
them while favouring Demo-
crats. A majority of new immi-
grant citizens have a Democra-
tic persuasion and the Demo-
cratic Party itself is more di-
verse and immigrant-heavy.
Some others saw the move
as Trump playing to his white
conservative base in an effort
to distract them from the mes-
sy economic situation the US
finds itself following the coro-
navirus pandemic. “Trump
failed to take this crisis serio-
usly from day 1 and his aban-
donment of his role as presi-
dent has cost lives,” Califor-
nia Senator Kamala Harris sa-
id, adding that “he’s
shamelessly politicising this
pandemic to double down on
his anti-immigrant agenda”.
Trump did not specifically
mention the pandemic but the
assumption is that his referen-
ce to the “Invisible Enemy”
meant the coronavirus. Many
A man and his daughter walk near Eiffel Tower in Paris. France entered its 36th day of lockdown on Tuesday
problem. Istanbul, for exam-
ple, recorded about 2,100 more
deaths than expected from
March 9 through April 12 —
roughly double the number of
coronavirus deaths the gov-
ernment reported for the en-
tire country in that period.
In many European coun-
tries, recent data show 20% to
30% more people have been dy-
ing than normal. That trans-
lates to tens of thousands of
more deaths than reported.
The revelations came as
parts of Asia took steps on
Tuesday to halt renewed out-
breaks in places that were once
held up as examples of how to
effectively combat the virus.
Hong Kong, which has been
battling a second wave of infec-
China plans to give medics
Covid vaccine by 2020-end
Beijing: China plans to in-
ject its medics with corona-
virus vaccines by the end of
the year to protect and pre-
pare them to deal with any
emergency situation due to
the pandemic, while 11 new
confirmed Covid-19 cases
were reported in the coun-
try, health officials said.
China’s National Health
Commission on Tuesday said
that 11 new confirmed Co-
vid-19 cases were reported on
Monday, of which four were
imported. No death was re-
ported on Monday. Health of-
ficials apprehend a second
wave of the coronavirus at-
tack especially from hun-
dreds of Chinese nationals
returning from abroad.
Gao Fu, director of the
Chinese Centre for Disease
Control and Prevention said
in an emergency situation,
some Chinese medics would
be injected with coronavirus
vaccines. “I believe we could
come up with vaccines with
the joint efforts of everyone,”
saw the order as a ruse to shut
down immigration complete-
ly, something his far right sup-
porters have been demanding.
Others expressed concern
that Trump was unfairly ma-
ligning immigrants and dimi-
nishing their frontline role du-
ring the pandemic. In fact, so-
me reports indicate more mi-
nority and immigrant
frontline responders are dying
of coronavirus than native-
born population. “President
Trump now seeks to distract
us from his fumbled Covid-19
response by trying to put the
blame on immigrants. The
truth is many immigrants are
on our frontlines, protecting
us as doctors, nurses, health
aids, farmworkers, and restau-
rant workers,” said New York
Democrat Jerry Nadler.
Some critics also noted
that far from immigrants
bringing coronavirus to the
US, the rest of the world feared
Americans now, given that the
US has the most Covid-19 infec-
tions in the world. The US cur-
rently has more confirmed co-
ronavirus cases (800,000) and
more deaths from it (42,500)
than any other country. One
recent cartoon showed Mexi-
cans building a wall on the so-
TIMES GLOBAL
tions, on Tuesday extended a
range of social distancing mea-
sures to May 7, a day after re-
porting no new virus infecti-
ons for the first time since early
March. In Singapore, PM Lee
Hsien Loong extended a lock-
down by four weeks, until June
1, to stem a sharp rise in cases.
In Europe, Italy became
the latest to announce that it
would pull back from restric-
tions and gradually open back
up, joining a list that includes
Germany, Spain and Denma-
rk. PM Giuseppe Conte anno-
unced plans to begin easing
the country’s lockdown, likely
by May 4. Austria Chancellor
Sebastian Kurz said all shops
will be up and running in the
country at beginning of May
Coronavirus likely of animal origin,
no sign of lab manipulation: WHO
T he World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday that
all available evidence suggests that the novel coronavirus
originated in bats in China late last year and it was not
manipulated or constructed in a laboratory. US President
Donald Trump said last week that his government was trying to
determine whether the virus emanated from a lab in Wuhan in
central China .“All available evidence suggests the virus has an
animal origin and is not manipulated or constructed virus in a
lab or somewhere else,” WHO spokeswoman Fadela Chaib told
a Geneva news briefing. “It is probable, likely that the virus is of
animal origin.” It was not clear how the virus had jumped the
species barrier to humans but there had “certainly” been an
intermediate animal host, she added. REUTERS
he was quoted as saying by
state-run Global Times.
China has approved three
COVID-19 vaccine candi-
dates for clinical trials. An
adenovirus vector vaccine,
developed by Institute of Mil-
itary Medicine under the A-
cademy of Military Sciences,
was the first to be approved to
enter a clinical trial. The first
phase of the clinical trial was
TRACKING OUTBREAK
Countries Infected
United States 8,04,194
Spain 2,04,178
Italy 1,83,957
France
1,56,495
Germany 1,48,007
United Kingdom
Turkey
1,30,164
95,591
Iran 84,802
China 83,853
Russia
52,763
uthern border to stop Ameri-
cans. “This is really funny,
considering the corona death
rate in the US is THREE TI-
THE TIMES OF INDIA, MUMBAI | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2020
AFP
and restaurants in mid-May
In the US, some states, in-
cluding Georgia, South Caroli-
na, Tennessee, West Virginia
and Colorado, announced
plans to gradually reopen in
the coming days, despite the
concerns of health officials.
Boeing and at least one other
American heavy equipment
manufacturer resumed pro-
duction. But governors from
many other states said they
lack necessary testing supplies
and warned they could get hit
by a second wave of infections.
On Tuesday, Britain’s par-
liament agreed to move to a hy-
brid format while a lockdown
to tackle the virus outbreak
continues, with only a handful
of lawmakers attending in per-
completed at the end of
March, and the second phase
started on April 12.
It is the first Covid-19
vaccine in the world that
has entered the second
phase of clinical trial, ac-
cording to WHO. Several
countries are speeding up
vaccine, development to cut
the time span to few months
instead of several years. PTI
Death
185
43,200 countries/
21,282 regions hit
24,648
25,31,804+
20,294 infected globally
4,939
1,74,336+
17,378
have died
2,259
5,297 6,59,732+
have recovered
4,636
Source: Johns Hopkins
456 University
MES anywhere else in the
world. NOBODY is beating
down the door to come here,”
read one snarky tweet respon-
Spelling Bee, Spain’s
bull run, Oktoberfest
cancelled due to virus
S pain cancelled the Running of
the Bulls in July, the US scrap-
ped the national spelling bee in
June and Germany even called off
Oktoberfest, making it clear on
Tuesday that the effort to beat ba-
ck the coronavirus and return to
normal could be a long and disp-
iriting process. The Running of the
Bulls in Pamplona is more than
400-year-old event. It was last cal-
led off during the Spanish Civil
War in the 1930s. Whereas Scripps
National Spelling Bee has been
held since 1925 and was scrubbed
only once before — in 1943-45,
because of World War II. The can-
cellation of Oktoberfest for the fi-
rst time since W WII deals a fresh
blow to the beer industry. AP
son and more than 100 others
joining virtually. The new ar-
rangements will initially be in
place until May 12 but may have
to be renewed at that point.
Meanwhile, UN leaders
called for efforts to ensure that
all people have access to test-
ing, medical supplies, drugs
and future vaccines, especially
in developing countries. Also,
the head of the UN food agency
warned that the world is also
“on the brink of a hunger pan-
demic”. World Food Pro-
gramme executive director
David Beasley said today 821
million people go to bed hun-
gry every night all over the
world, a further 135 million peo-
ple are facing “crisis levels of
hunger or worse” NYT & AGENCIES
First at-home
virus test kit
okayed by FDA
Washington: US health regu-
lators on Tuesday okayed the
first coronavirus test that al-
lows people to collect their own
sample at home, a new appro-
ach that could help expand tes-
ting options in most states. The
test from LabCorp will initially
only be available to health care
workers and first responders.
The sample will still have to be
shipped for processing back to
LabCorp. Allowing people to
self-swab at home would help
reduce infection risks for front-
line health care workers and
help conserve protective gear.
For the home test, people
are initially screened with an
online questionnaire. If autho-
rised by a physician, LabCorp
will ship a testing kit to their
home. The kit includes cotton
swabs, a collection tube, an in-
sulated pouch and box to ship
the specimen back to LabCorp.
To take a sample, a cotton swab
is swirled in each nostril. The
test results are posted online to
a secure company website. The
company said it will make the
test available in the coming we-
eks. Each kit will cost $119. AP
ding to the US president.
Others posted memes showing
Trump’s own immigrant ori-
gins, including the fact that his
wife is an immigrant.
In any case, with few
flights into the US and no pro-
tocol about how regular travel
and tourism — much less the
immigration process — wo-
uld be resumed, no one is co-
ming into America just now
or is being processed for im-
migration, with the whole
process functionally shut
down. The state department
has suspended almost all visa
processing for weeks now. The
White House has closed both
the northern border with Ca-
nada and the southern border
with Mexico for all except es-
sential workers. Tens of thou-
sands of Mexicans commute
from across the border each
day for agriculture, construc-
tion, and manual labour, whi-
le Canada supplies the US
with healthcare workers.
Indeed, immigration forms
the backbone of the US econo-
my and constitutes the founda-
tion of the country itself. More
than a quarter of its healthca-
re workers, including doctors
and nurses, are immigrants.
Full report on www.toi.in
A PENNY SAVED IS A
PENNY EARNED
Pak removes about 3,800
names from its terror list
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
P
akistan has quietly remo-
ved almost 3,800 names
from its terror watch list,
raising concerns that top ter-
rorists are being protected by
the state despite being on the
FATF’s enhanced grey list.
The ‘Proscribed Persons
List’, Pakistan’s terrorist
watch list, had about 7,600
names, but it has been redu-
ced to almost half, according
to Castellum.AI, a US risk
compliance company. A note
by Castellum said, “Between
March 9 and March 27, Cas-
tellum AI data showed that
Pakistan removed 1,069 na-
mes from the Proscribed Per-
sons List, and that all those
names then appeared on the
country’s Denotified List, a
term used in Pakistan to sig-
nify an official removal. Sin-
ce March 27, about 800 more
names were removed from
the terrorist watch list and
placed on the Denotified
List. Since its peak, about
3,800 names were removed
from the Proscribed Persons
List, without explanation or
notification to the public.”
Contrary to reports, ho-
wever, while the latest list do-
es not include the name of 26/
11 mastermind Zaki-ur Reh-
man Lakhvi, the original list
did not either. According to
Indian security officials, Pa-
kistan never put Lakhvi’s na-
me on its proscribed list.
Both Maulana Masood Az-
har and Lakhvi are “protec-
ted” assets of the Pakistani
military-intelligence state.
The latest list includes
Reports claim Kim gravely ill;
S Korea & China cast doubt
Seoul: South Korean and
Chinese officials on Tuesday
cast doubt on reports claim-
ing North Korean leader Kim
Jong-un was ill after media
outlets said he had undergone
a cardiovascular procedure
and was in “grave danger”, as
US officials closely eyed the
reports. Daily NK, a Seoul-
based speciality website, re-
ported late on Monday, citing
one unnamed source in
North Korea, that Kim was
recovering after undergoing
the procedure on April 12.
The North Korean leader is
believed to be about 36.
“We’re monitoring these
reports very closely,” US Pres-
ident Donald Trump’s nation-
al security adviser, Robert
O’Brien, told Fox News in an
interview on Tuesday, but he
gave no other details. Two
South Korean government of-
ficials rejected an earlier CNN
report citing an unnamed US
official saying Washington
was “monitoring intelli-
gence” that Kim was in grave
danger after surgery, but they
did not elaborate on whether
Kim had undergone surgery.
The South Korean presi-
dential office said there were
no unusual signs coming from
Sikh emergency
consultant dies
of Covid, PIO doc
toll in UK now 5
Naomi Canton
London: Britain’s first Sikh
emergency consultant has died
of Covid-19, joining the list of
Indian frontline doctors and
medical staff in the UK who ha-
ve lost the battle to the infection.
Manpreet Singh Riya, 52,
who worked as an emergency
medicine consultant at Uni-
versity Hospitals of Derby
and Burton (UHDB), passed
away on April 20. Gavin Boyle,
chief executive of UHDB,
said: “Manjeet (a father of
two) was the first A&E con-
sultant from the Sikh commu-
nity in the country and was in-
strumental in building the
emergency medicine service
in Derbyshire over the past
two decades. He was a widely
respected consultant in emer-
gency medicine nationally.”
Around 100 NHS staff have
died of the novel coronavirus,
exacerbating calls for the UK
government to source morepro-
tective gear. In total, five Indian
medical practitioners have lost
their lives to Covid-19 so far.
— BENJAMIN FRANKLIN
Hafiz Saeed (No. 1069) and
Azhar (No. 1635). Sources in
New Delhi said top terror le-
aders like Azhar, Lakhvi, Da-
wood Ibrahim and members
of the Haqqani Network re-
main free and active, with
not even one criminal char-
ge against them.
Until 2019, Pakistan had
told FATF that all of its about
7,600 terrorists, under Sche-
dule 4 of its Anti Terrorist
Act, were under close month-
ly monitoring of its police sta-
tions. Their bank accounts
were frozen but they were al-
lowed to earn separately.
Pakistan’s case is expected
to be reviewed by the FATF in
June, but with the Covid-19
pandemic showing no signs of
abating, it’s anyone’s guess
whether the FATF plenary
can be held then. Sources said
it could move back to Septem-
ber, which will keep Pakistan
in the enhanced grey list until
then. In the last review, Pakis-
tan was deemed to have made
progress on 14 out of 27 points
it was supposed to execute.
Sources said there conti-
nued to be 130-odd UN desig-
Several media outlets reported
that Kim Jong-un, believed to be
about 36, was in ‘grave danger’
following a cardiovascular proce-
dure on April 12. If anything were
to happen to the North Korean
leader, the line of succession is
not clear. A BBC report said
Kim’s sister, Kim Yo-jong, would
seem the most obvious choice
the state. Bloomberg separate-
ly quoted an unnamed US offi-
cial as saying the White House
was told that Kim took a turn
for the worse after the surgery.
Kim is the unquestioned
leader of North Korea and
the sole commander of its nu-
clear arsenal. He has no clear
successor and any instability
in the country could be a ma-
jor international risk. Analy-
sts have instead focused on
Kim’s sister, Kim Yo-jong,
who has accompanied her
brother to meetings with the
leaders of South Korea, Chi-
na and the United States. The
AROUND THE WORLD
A police officer takes part in a dance session organised by
residents of a neighbourhood in Prestatyn, Wales, on Tuesday
UK Queen marks
low-key 94th
b’day amid curbs
B ritain’s Queen Elizabeth II
on Tuesday marked her
94th birthday
privately at
Windsor
Castle after
she had
cancelled all
forms of
public celebration amid the
coronavirus lockdown. Bucking-
ham Palace released special
images and videos on social
Contrary to reports
that Zaki-ur Rehman
Lakhvi’s name was
removed, Indian
the 26/11 mastermind’s
name was never even
included in Pakistan’s
original ‘Proscribed
Persons List’
nated terrorists, of which
Pakistan claims there are on-
ly 16 on its territory, while se-
ven are dead. Pakistan says it
has no idea of the location of
114 of them. According to In-
dian sources, Pakistan has
removed a big chunk of na-
mes from its proscribed list
because the burden of track-
ing them and acting against
them would be too much.
The Castellum note focu-
sed on a name, Zaka-ur Reh-
man, which it believed was
close enough to Zaki-ur Reh-
man. But Indian officials said
all his aliases were covered in
the UNSC designation. “In
the case of Zaka-ur-Rehman,
the difference between Zaka
and Zaki fits within the para-
meters of an accurate phone-
tic translation. Castellum al-
so searched for the Lashkar-e-
Taiba leader’s full name, Za-
ki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, on the
Pakistan Proscribed Persons
List, and he was not on it. This
means that if the removed na-
me is a false positive, that Pa-
kistan has not added the
Lashkar-e-Taiba leader to its
terrorism watch list,” it said.
state KCNA news agency
gave no indication of the
whereabouts of Kim in rou-
tine dispatches on Tuesday,
but said he had sent birthday
gifts to prominent citizens.
Speculation often surfac-
es about North Korea’s lead-
ership based on attendance at
important state events. Kim
missed the celebration of the
birthday of his late grandfa-
ther and state founder Kim Il-
sung on April 15, the country’s
most important holiday. But
he presided over a meeting on
April 11, discussing coronavi-
rus prevention and electing
his sister as an alternate
member of the political bu-
reau of the ruling Workers’
Party, according to KCNA.
An official at the Chinese
Communist Party’s Interna-
tional Liaison Department,
which deals with North Ko-
rea, expressed the belief that
Kim was not critically ill. Chi-
na is North Korea’s only major
ally. Chinese foreign ministry
spokesman Geng Shuang said
Beijing was aware of reports
about Kim's health, but said it
does not know their source,
without commenting on whe-
ther it has any information
about the situation. REUTERS
AP
media to reflect the milestones
of the monarch’s reign. “The
longest reigning Monarch in
British History. Wife, mother,
grandmother and great-grand-
mother. Happy birthday, Your
Majesty,” read the Buckingham
Palace birthday message.
A US doctor self-isolates
in his kids’ treehouse
A Texas emergency room
physician has chosen a novel
place to self-isolate as he’s
treating coronavirus patients —
his children’s treehouse. He has
spent nearly three weeks in
there and often shouts down to
his kids if he needs something.
10 COMFORTING THE AFFLICTED AFFLICTING THE COMFORTABLE
THE TIMES OF INDIA
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2020

A thought for today

It amazes me that we are all on Twitter and Facebook.
By “we” I mean adults. We’re adults, right?
But emotionally we’re a culture of seven-year-olds
The New Untouchability Act
MARC MARON, US writer Social distancing, Madi and Aacharam in the time of coronavirus
Chidanand.Rajghatta@timesgroup.com Namaste and the Japanese Ojigi

Level The Field A series of fires in a

theatre, a nightclub, and
a school that took more
(bowing). Hopefully, neckties, those
superfluous, germ-laden accoutre-
ments, will be dispensed with next.
Madi and Aacharam: Ironically too, it
News producers can’t keep incurring the costs than a thousand lives in was two Chinese travellers, Faxian and
the United States nearly a Xuanzang, who noted and recorded social
while digital platforms drain away profits century ago generated distancing that was already prevalent in
new building codes across America. From India centuries ago. Although it eventually

R
ecall Mark Twain’s Tom Sawyer who gets his friends to paint a banning use of inflammable material in devolved into the ugly practice of
fence on a sweltering summer day and walks away making them theatres, to enforcing seating capacity, untouchability and came to be inextricably
pay him the wages for their labour. Indian media companies requiring buildings to have designated linked to the loathsome caste system,
are in a similar situation with Facebook and Google. These digital egress doors and windows, mandating Faxian’s “chandalas” were largely fisher-
that exit signs be visible at all time (even men and butchers who were isolated from
platforms demand gratitude for imparting wider reach to news
when there is no electricity), lawmakers rest of the society and had to sound an
content and play deaf to sharing revenues for content produced at passed laws that reduced fire hazard and alarm if they entered the mainstream so
considerable cost. Google and Facebook don’t have to invest in news brought down the death count. that other citizens could avoid them.
gathering but can waltz away with the ad revenues and earn close to Among the simplest changes was one Xuanzang added scavengers and executio-
trillion dollar valuations while paying a pittance for journalism. The that required all exit doors in public ners to this list, all this doubtless before
Centre must take note of such brigandage, as well as of Australia’s buildings in America to swing outwards. the advent of soaps and disinfectants.
response to it forcing Google and Facebook to share online advertising Another code change mandated revolving Still, keeping a no-contact physical
doors should be flanked by at least one distance – consecrated in practices such
revenues with local media companies.
normal, outward swinging door. You see as madi and aacharam, widely prevalent
With Covid-19 sending advertising these codes at work across the world today. among Brahmins in the south – was fun-
revenues crashing, authorities must The coronavirus pandemic will likely damentally a health and hygiene issue.
urgently address the glaring asymmetry leave a lasting effect on public health In fact, even today in many traditional

between digital platforms and news out- policy, business practices, social engage-
lets. News outlets invest vast human and ment and personal behaviour, particularly
financial resources in news gathering in a country where a sneeze or a cough is
now considered more lethal than a guns-
operations, to publish a curated pool of
hot. Of course, it is entirely possible that
high quality content that is fact checked with rapidly developed therapeutics and
and meticulously edited for relevance, vaccines, it could be back to business-
brevity and style. During natural disasters, as-usual by this time next year. But right
communal riots or health emergencies now Americans are spooked.
like Covid-19, it is journalists who serve A country whose inadequacies have
citizens accurate information, even at grave personal risk. been shown up badly in the present crisis
is more likely to use this as a “sputnik
If Google and Facebook succeed in devastating the newspaper
moment” to demonstrate that
industry, it won’t be good news for democracy, public order or livelihoods. it has not lost any of its sense
Journalism offers an independent outlet for information in public
interest. It also safeguards the nation and its citizens from social media
of mission on the 50th anni- the newnormal
versary of its Apollo 13 event
fuelled misinformation that sows distrust, panic and hysteria. Digital – from recapturing its manufacturing
platforms end up enjoying the best of both worlds, monetising news mojo to setting new standards in public
while ducking accountability for fake news and viral misinformation. and private engagement, notwithstanding
the social and political discord right now.
Getting digital platforms with multinational footprints to play
Open Sesame, Exit Door Handle: Some
ball requires hardnosed negotiation. Early Spanish and French go- of the changes are already becoming
vernment attempts to force them into revenue sharing models failed. visible, and technology exists to make
Like French and Australian competition regulators, India can start them fully operational. It’s known now
by ordering digital platforms to negotiate with news producers on re- that beyond airborne transmission thro-
muneration. Australia is urgently proceeding on a legislative course ugh droplets when someone sneezes or
after a voluntary code made little headway and Covid-19 triggered clo- coughs, the next big coronavirus danger
is from surface transmission – when you
sures of several dozen newsrooms. A level playing field is needed
touch a doorknob or hard object that an
where multinational digital platforms abjure monopolistic tendenci- infected person may have landed the
es. Facebook and Google cornered nearly 70% (Rs 11,500 crore) of onli-
ne ad revenues from India in 2018-19, a market pegged at Rs 28,000 cro-
re by 2022. The Government of India must resist a digital colonisa-
tion, where the sweat and toil of Indians is drained out of the country
while local communities and businesses are destroyed.
‘We need to recognise women as independent
individuals … Review all land laws with a gender lens’
Palghar Horror Despite constitutional provisions to empower
women, one critical area where they continue
to be denied their full rights is inheritance of
Rumour mongering must be dealt with swiftly, agricultural land. Shipra Deo, director for
especially during Covid-19 lockdown Women’s Land Rights at Landesa, spoke to
Rudroneel Ghosh about it:
virus on. Human beings are instinctively
tactile. In fact, one reason for the Big
Apple’s high rate of infection could be
the number of “touches” a New Yorker
goes through in a day – from the door
handle to elevator buttons to the
mailbox to subway turnstiles to vending
machines to the inevitable handshakes,
it is one long touchy-feely day.
But motion sensitive
and voice activation techno-
logies have been around for
some time and are impro-
ving rapidly all the time. There is no
particular reason for one to touch a light
switch or door handle or elevator knob or
an ATM. The Arabs can boast that Ali
Baba cracked it centuries ago with his
“Open Sesame”, but for now the credit
goes to American companies such as
AT&T, IBM, Microsoft, Apple and Google,
backed by government institutions such
as NSA, DARPA and universities such as
Carnegie Mellon. Ironically, some of the
pioneers of this technology happen to be
immigrants, notably Raj Reddy from
India and Xuedong Huang from China.
inheritance laws with respect to
agriculture land?
Yes, certainly. Haryana is a classic
example where the state assembly twice
attempted to take away the progressive
rights given to women through personal
laws such as the Hindu Succession Act. It
Uday Deb
A country whose inadequacies
have been shown up badly in
the present crisis is more likely
to use this as a “sputnik
moment” to demonstrate that it
has not lost any of its sense of
mission on the 50th anniversary
of its Apollo 13 event
At the sociological and anthropological
level, Americans are also talking of
forsaking the formal handshake – already
being eclipsed by informal high-fives,
dap (a horizontal fist bump), and the
chest bump – in an effort to make social
distancing a more permanent aspect of
life. Amid recommendations from
Anthony Fauci, the infectious diseases
pundit, that people abjure all unnecessary
physical contact, leaders of a Western
society that signed off till recently with
“hugs and kisses” (xoxo in the emoji era)
are suddenly embracing the Indian
this regressive approach?
The land reform principle popular at
the time of Independence was ‘land to the
tiller’ and lawmakers – then and now –
continue to see the tiller as male. But even
this doesn’t hold true. Statistics tell us
that women constitute around 65% of all
Indian homes, it’s normal to leave one’s
footwear outside the front door and
enter the house barefoot, and to drink
water without putting the glass or cup or
tumbler to one’s lips (holding it an inch
or two above one’s mouth).
If you have a haircut, you go straight
into a bath or shower (haircuts and
barbers, like meat and butchers, are
considered unclean); guests are always
invited to first wash up as soon as they
come in (fresh towels and dhotis are offe-
red in traditional homes); and children
playing outdoors are instructed to wash
hands, feet, and face before settling
down for homework or dinner.
For India, the pandemic offers an
opportunity to reset and restore a range of
good practices that have been forsaken in
a blind imitation of Western customs and
behaviors, including the use of toilet
paper. The Untouchability (Offences) Act
of 1955, which eventually became a Protec-
tion of Civil Rights law, was aimed at
outlawing an abhorrently discriminatory
practice. But thanks to the coronavirus,
we may be getting a new universal untou-
chability protocol – social distancing in
today’s lingo – that is healthily discrimi-
nating rather than socially prejudicial.
■ How do we get around the patriar-
chal mindset that is preventing equal
inheritance of agricultural land?
First and foremost, we need to recognise
women as independent individuals, in
word of law as well as in spirit. Today, most
land laws do not pass the test of gender

T
he horrific incident of mob lynching in Maharashtra’s Palghar equality. There is a need to review all land
■ How are women in India could not do so because the amend- agricultural workers, but only 14% of all
where two sadhus and their driver were killed by villagers on being denied their right to ment was rejected by the President operational landholders. laws with a gender lens and identify areas
suspicion of being thieves is not only a failure of law and order inherit agricultural land? of India. Another example is from In addition, many argue that because where there is either overt or covert discri-
but also exemplifies policing challenges during the nationwide lock- Most of the existing Indian laws UP, where since 2016, unmarried daughters move to other villages after mination against women. The incongru-
down. The incident was fuelled by rumours that there were bandits don’t provide equal rights to women daughters are primary heirs equi- marriage, allowing them to inherit their ences in inheritance provisions in state
on the prowl looking to take advantage of the lockdown. In fact, to inherit agricultural land. And even valent to a son, but married daughters are parents’ land will lead to fragmentation of laws need to be addressed in states.
two days before the sadhus and their driver were attacked on April 16, when there are laws that have progressive not. In effect, this means that a daughter agricultural lands. But such concerns are Legal legitimacy must essentially be
provisions in this regard, they are not effec- must choose between not raised in the case of sons who migrate accompanied with efforts to establish the so-
a couple of doctors were assaulted and held hostage in an adjoining cial legitimacy of women’s claims. Concer-
tively implemented, and women continue inheriting land from to urban areas or to other countries.
hamlet. Luckily the doctors were rescued by the police. to be denied their rights. Under the current her father and These are double standards emanating ted efforts are required to shift patriarchal
Following the lynching, the Maharashtra government has promised scheme of things, there is an overwhelming getting married. from patriarchy. The people responsible attitudes and gendered norms expressed by
action and more than 110 accused have been maze of laws that govern inheritance When we approa- for making and implementing these laws government officials, elected leaders and
arrested. Plus, a CID probe has been ordered provisions. There are personal or religious ched officials, often carry these biases. other thought leaders in the civic space.
and two policemen suspended. While rumours laws enacted at the national level, there are there was a strong ■ Could you elaborate on the ■ Could you give us examples of how
of thieves and child lifters are nothing new, they also state revenue laws enacted by each resistance to procedural impediments to women equal inheritance to agricultural
state. As per the Constitution, succession is giving married registering agricultural land even land has helped women?
get accentuated in tense situations when social In today’s world, land is one of the most
part of the concurrent list, meaning both daughters equal where this is allowed?
trust runs low. This is precisely what is happe- states and Centre can legislate on this rights. In many places where daughters can significant productive assets, and inheri-
ning in many parts of the country with even aspect. But agricultural land is a state sub- ■ Why do you inherit agricultural land as per law, tance is a central way to own it. Ownership
doctors and health workers being assaulted. ject, which takes succession of agricultural think many their names are still not entered into the of agricultural land strengthens a woman’s
The latest such assault was reported from land into the states’ domain. The north- states have records because of the responsible reve- identity as an individual and gives her the
Bengaluru when a team of health workers was western states – Punjab, Haryana, Hima- nue officials’ biases. This bias is woven strength necessary to exercise her agency.
trying to take contacts of Covid-positive patients to institutional chal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand into the social fabric, and daughters Agricultural land specifically increases
and Delhi – have the most regressive inheri- are not expected to claim their sha- her visibility and recognition as a farmer,
quarantine. Add to this fake news and misinformation circulating on which essentially means enhanced inclu-
tance provisions that explicitly prefer male re. They are subject to extreme
social media, and we are looking at a recipe for disaster. descendants over females. In these states, backlash and ostracisation if sion in the entire agriculture value chain.
For social isolation and lockdowns of this scale to work, policing even when a woman gets land, her rights they choose to assert their It increases her access to technical know-
needs to be highly efficient. People under stress need to be calmed are limited, which means she often loses claims, though many times ledge, government schemes, institutional
while those in need of immediate attention need to be helped. But the rights if she remarries or if she doesn’t women and girls them- credit, farming inputs, and market
most of all, rumour mongering needs to be nipped in the bud and cultivate land for a specific period. selves don’t know that they can linkages, and has the power to disrupt the
■ Is there resistance to reforming inherit and own land. cycle of poverty and exclusion.
those responsible for spreading canards dealt with strictly. A certain
section of politicians has been insinuating a communal angle to the
Palghar incident. This is condemnable as it can seriously undermine the dilbert Sacredspace
fight against Covid-19. Efficient policing is the only thing that stands
in the way of Covid-19 fuelled chaos. It must not be compromised. Terrible Mistake
The most alarming of all man’s

Homeward bound assaults upon the environment is

the contamination of the air, earth,
rivers, and seas with dangerous,
Because of the coronavirus lockdown, a lot of people and even lethal, materials. This
pollution has rapidly become
are making new discoveries in the places they live almost universal, and it is for the
Jug Suraiya most part irrecoverable…
and irreversible.
Bunny and i have recently discovered the small terrace
adjoining our bedroom on the first floor. It’s always been there Rachel Carson
for all the past 24 years that we’ve been living in this house, of
course, and every now and then we would look at it and wonder
what we could do with it.
For most parts of the year, Gurgaon where we live, is either
too hot or too cold for us to use the terrace as a sit-out. We could have turned it
into an extra room, but we don’t need more enclosed space. So the terrace lay
Why We Regard Earth As Our Mother
there like a fallow field, unproductive and useless. Radhanath Swami principles seem to be forgotten and there little Ravanas to becoming little gifts that God has given us and how to
Then came the coronavirus lockdown, and because of it we discovered our is wide-scale exploitation of natural Hanumans … from exploiting the earth respect those divine gifts.

I
long-neglected terrace. Unable to leave home because of the curfew, we began ndic culture and tradition venerates resources. Instead of caring about the for our own purposes to protecting and Mother Earth has a body that is very
to use our terrace for our daily evening walk of 45 minutes. Our white elephant the earth as one’s own mother. First, long term well-being of the world, the honouring the earth for divine purposes. much like our bodies. When there is a
of a terrace became a godsend. acknowledging the earth as a person environment is brazenly being destroyed There is no other permanent problem, she heals herself. But like our
Like us, a lot of people all over the world are indicates that we are not indifferent to it and serious implications of it are visible solution. All other solutions from bodies, if her body is exploited again
making all sorts of happy discoveries in their ho- but understand its needs and concerns, in the way weather patterns are environmental organisations may be and again and filled with more and more
secondopinion mes. These needn’t be as large as even a tiny and accord to it the highest respect and changing; species and habitats are good, necessary and vital, but we must toxins and is never given the time to
terrace – ours is 20 feet by 15 feet. Indeed some of honour, just as the mother is getting depleted, and more. understand that unless there is a replenish itself, then it can’t heal itself
these chance findings could be small, like a discarded, frayed rug unearthed at respected universally in all the cultures Personally, if we deal pro- change in consciousness, those and the result is serious diseases. When
random from the recesses of a cupboard and which becomes a handy yoga mat, and traditions. As a mother nourishes perly with our consciousness, solutions are not sustainable. Mother Earth gets a disease, it results in
to help keep you fit during lockdown. the child, the earth nourishes all living then we can realistically deal Years ago, i met the disasters.
It could be a book you’d bought, but forgotten to read, a DVD you’d got but never beings by providing them various with the problems of this environmental minister of It is necessary, therefore, to clean the
watched. It might be a bottle of sauce, or a jar of a condiment, you come across necessities and shelter, without world. The cause of all India. She questioned me, ecology of our consciousness, and the
while rummaging through the kitchen cabinet and which inspires a new, tasty discrimination and timelines. physical pollution is pollu- what good the mantras of simplest and most powerful agent to
twist to an old recipe to help dispel corona blues. But perhaps the best thing we The five elements – earth, air, water, ted consciousness, because sadhus were doing for the remove the pollution of our minds and
discover about our homes, which we take so much for granted that we overlook or ether and fire – are all acknowledged as our minds are polluted with environment. I replied that hearts as per age-old tradition is the
fail to appreciate about them, is how lucky we are to have a home to call our own, personalities in Indic culture, and also toxic greed which can never these mantras clean the heart. chanting of Krishna’s holy names. It can
while millions of fellow citizens live on pavements or in makeshift shanties. mentioned in the Vedas and Puranas. be satisfied. We are trying to satiate our If you clean the rivers but not hearts, then restore the love, compassion and inner
There’s an old saying, Ghar ki murgi, daal barabar, which roughly Traditionally, various rules had been greed through exploiting nature. The people will just pollute the rivers again, satisfaction that we are all longing for, it
translates as, Even something special made at home becomes ordinary. laid out for dealing with each of them in Vedic solution is to learn how to be even if you clean them hundreds of will simplify our lives and it will also help
Today that should be inverted to, Ghar ki daal, murgi barabar. order to uphold respect for them. For content and satisfied with simple things – times. We have to clean the rivers and restore the health of this planet. (The
secondopinion@timesgroup.com example, one should not pollute, that is, simple living and high thinking – to also, we have to educate people about how writer is a guru at International Society
blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/jugglebandhi defecate in a running river. Today, these change our consciousness from being to find satisfaction in the simple, divine for Krishna Consciousness)
Bank Slippages To Rise In FY21
As Businesses Lose Revenue
Banks were expected to post an improvement in
their non-performing loans in FY21 with higher
recoveries under the insolvency process. With
8

5
TIMES BUSINESS 6
THE TIMES OF INDIA, MUMBAI | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2020
7
Slippage (` L cr)

5.5
Slippage Ratio

the outlook changing after Covid-19, bad loans 4.4

are set to soar again as the top lines of most 4
3.3 4.8
businesses take a hit for at least a quarter 4.2
3
Source: UBS, *Estimated FY16 FY17 FY18 FY19 FY20* FY21* FY22*

US Oil Meltdown Roils Mkts, Traders At Multi Commodity Exchange Feel The Heat, But Plunge Will Ease Import Burden

Oil in -ve zone: MCX buyers Exporters

face losses
HC quashes
prosecution
WhatsApp ups
face `410 crore fund dues on forward of 2 former video-call user
$ contracts IFIN auditors
May Move Court | Sellers Gear Up To Protect Their Interest
Partha.Sinha@timesgroup.com sanct, MCX announced the fi-
Mayur.Shetty@timesgroup.com limit to 8 from 4 Swati.Deshpande
@timesgroup.com

Mumbai: The negative clo-

sing for WTI crude on the Ny-
mex on Monday night has
caught a large number of Indi-
an buyers of crude oil cont-
racts on the MCX here on the
wrong foot. These investors are
now together expected to pay
about Rs 410 crore to the sellers.
This being a rare event
that was not anticipated, most
investors are finding it diffi-
cult to meet their obligations
to settle the trades, commodi-
ty players said. Some of the
brokers who are on the losing
side may even move court.
The situation arose becau-
se, according to MCX’s rules,
the WTI closing price for crude
oil contracts will be the official
settlement price of MCX crude
futures contracts as well. Eve-
rything was fine till 5pm on
Monday when MCX closed tra-
ding according to the truncated
trade hours due to the nation-
wide lockdown. However, abo-
ut six hours after MCX closed,
the WTI crude prices — for the
MARKETS REGULATOR STEPS IN
On Monday night, WTI April
crude oil contracts on Nymex
close at negative $37.6/barrel
Settlement price of
MCX crude contracts
are linked to the WTI
crude price
On Tuesday, investors
holding MCX April crude
contracts face settlement
prices deep in the red
MCX changes trading hours
Mumbai: Commodity exchanges on Tuesday said that, from
April 23, all those commodities for which the settlement price is
the price of an international exchange will continue to trade
from 9am till 11.30pm — extended from the 5pm closing now. All
other commodities will be traded between 9am and 5pm. TNN
first time in its history — ente-
red the negative territory and
closed at -$37.6 per barrel.
At Monday’s close, the
MCX crude for April was tra-
ding at Rs 965/barrel with one
lot of the contract having 100
barrels. Initially MCX, due to
some reason, announced a pro-
visional settlement price of Re
MCX announces a
provisional price of
Re 1/contract
Investors, who were
gainers, raise issue
with Sebi. The markets
regulator steps in to
order MCX to honour
contract specifications
MCX announces final
settlement at negative `2,884
1 for its crude contracts. Howe-
ver, there was hectic lobbying
by brokers from both sides —
those who were to pay Rs 410
crore, and those who were to
get this money — throughout
Tuesday to push their case.
Finally, after Sebi inter-
vened and said that the cont-
racts’ conditions were sacro-
nal per contract settlement
price at a negative Rs 2,884.
There were about 11,500 lots to
be settled. At the changed sett-
lement price, and a conver-
sion rate of Rs 76-per-dollar,
the total settlement amount
that the buyers were to pay
jumped from Rs 110 crore to Rs
410 crore, market players said.
An MCX official, however,
said that the provisional price
was announced for the ease of
calculation initially since it
was for the first time the ex-
change was calculating with a
negative price. MCX officials
were confident that all the
brokers will pay up and there
was no chance of any default.
Sources said the commodi-
ties broking arm of Motilal Os-
wal group had the biggest pay-
ment obligation. A spokesper-
son for the group said total due
from the clients was about Rs
80 crore and there were no pro-
prietary positions. “But we are
confident of fully recovering
the money from clients,” the
spokesperson said.
Mumbai: Many exporters who
have sold their anticipated dol-
lar revenues in the forward mar-
ket are staring at a crisis as they
risk losing millions. While the
dollar’s market rate has soared
compared to the rate at which
they were sold, the lockdown has
stalled exports. Small busines-
ses are worried of the cash loss
they will suffer when banks de-
bit their accounts for the diffe-
rence in the dollar rates when
they fail to deliver.
Exporters sell a large part of
their expected revenues in the
six-month or one-year forward
markets. By doing so, they are
not only guaranteed an ex-
change rate but also earn a
small premium as the dollar is
expected to be worth more in fu-
ture. Now that many export
shipments are stalled either in
factories, warehouses, in trans-
it or even at the destination port
NEW CRISIS
because of the Covid-19 lock-
down, they are not earning dol-
lars. As against the 72-levels at
which the forward contracts
Zoom, Houseparty See Spike,
So Do Desi Cos Zoho, Airmeet
Digbijay Mishra &
Madhav Chanchani TNN
Bengaluru: Popular messa-
ging application WhatsApp is
doubling the number of callers
that can participate in group
video conversations to eight
people from the existing four
as the communication mode
sees a significant uptake
across the world during lock-
downs. The update is already
available to some customers,
with a broader rollout expec-
ted in 1-2 weeks, said a source
briefed on the matter.
WhatsApp, which has over
400 million monthly active
users in India, did not respond
to an emailed query on this
matter. Earlier in the month,
WhatsApp had told TOI that it
has witnessed a rise in messa-
ging, voice and video calls in
general during the lockdown.
Earlier this month, What-
Mumbai: In a major win for
auditors BSR Associates and
Deloitte Haskins & Sells, the
Bombay high court on Tuesday
said Rahul Matthan, partner at quashed their prosecution as
Trilegal, who heads technolo- erstwhile auditors of the cri-
gy practice for firms. sis-ridden IL&FS Financial
According to Matthan, se- Services (IFIN). The HC held
curity is not a major concern that the prosecution by the Se-
here when WhatsApp has said rious Fraud Investigation Offi-
its platform has end-to-end en- ce (SFIO) was unsustainable.
cryption, meaning a third par- But the HC, disagreeing with
ty cannot access it. auditors, upheld the constitutio-
nal validity of section 140(5) of
DOUBLE CAPACITY the Companies Act under which
the ministry of corporate affairs
WhatsApp is (MCA) had sought a ban on the
already beta- company’s auditors for five ye-
testing the ars. Significantly, the HC said
doubling of video- these provisions, which are “re-
call capacity to 8 medial and regulatory” in natu-
re, would not apply to auditors
The plan is to roll
who have already resigned.
it out for all users
In this case, BSR — which is
within 1-2 weeks a sub-licensee of auditing giant
Users must have the most KPMG International and
updated version of the app KPMG India — had resigned as
for this facility to work statutory auditors of IFIN last
June, and Deloitte about a year
Monthly downloads of vi- earlier. “CAs who defrauded the
deo-calling application Zoom company but have completed

ICICI’s $100m Crude crash to ease some

were struck, the greenback is
now inching towards Rs77.
The Apparel Exporters Pro-
loan at risk, motion Council (AEPC) has
sApp put new restrictions on
users who can forward messa-
ges to just one person or group
have increased 17-fold from
500,000 in February to over 8.7
million in March.
their term & left cannot be
changed and therefore not ame-
nable to section 140(5). They can
at one time once it has been pre- Similarly, Houseparty saw be tried for professional miscon-

Covid-19 pain for India

stock falls 8%
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Mumbai: Shares of ICICI
Bank crashed 8% on Tuesday
following news that it had a
$100-million exposure to a tra-
ding firm Hin Leong being in-
vestigated by Singapore for ir-
regularities, including hiding
its losses. The private bank on
Tuesday confirmed the expo-
sure, stating that it is taking
steps to protect its interest.
On Monday, news agencies
had reported that ICICI Bank
was making attempts to impo-
und two tankers belonging to a
unit of Hin Leong after news of
the losses emerged. The tra-
ding firm owes global banks al-
most $4 billion.
According to a court filing,
HLT’s founder and director
Lim Oon Kuin had directed his
firm not to disclose hundreds
of millions of dollars in losses
over several years.
Sanjay.Dutta@timesgroup.com
New Delhi: Black Gold has
fallen from grace. And how!
US crude WTI sank into
negative territory for the first
time in history at -$37/barrel
and Brent, the benchmark for
two-thirds of the global oil
trade, settled at an 18-year low
of $21.5 on Tuesday, sending
traders and the global oil in-
dustry scurrying for cover.
But India, the world’s third-
largest oil importer, has much
to gain though there will be pa-
in for producers like ONGC.
The price crash has come at a
time when the country is in
lockdown mode and economic
activities remain seriously
curtailed, with the possibility
they will remain so for longer
than anticipated. The produ-
cers, however, will see return
on their big-ticket investments
turn negative without tax reli-
ef from the government.
countries who created the con-
ditions for the crash and are
now trying to artificially raise
it. As an economy dependent
on (oil) imports, low prices are
always good. The present situa-
tion is better because there is
no certainty that economic ac-
tivity will return to the pre-Co-
vid-19 period quickly. So cur-
rent low prices, when econo-
mic activities are muted and
may remain so, are preferable
BAD NEWS
FOR OIL COS
than, say, $50-60/barrel,” a key
government official told TOI.
Oil imports are a big drag
on the country’s finances and
cheaper oil will help reduce the
burden when the government
has to find money for fighting
Covid-19 and incentivising the
economy. “Demand will be lo-
wer this year. Lower prices will
shrink the import bill further.
he said, requesting anonymity.
The WTI crash, he said,
was purely ‘causal’ and a local
phenomenon. “Tuesday was
the last day of settlement for
April futures. When traders ne-
ither found takers nor storage
space, they didn’t know what to
do and dumped their positions.
There is limited linkage to
Brent as shipping costs have
gone up because the tankers
are being used as storage.”
Cheaper oil keeps macroe-
conomic parameters such as
CAD (current account deficit)
and inflation in the comfort zo-
ne by reducing crude import
and subsidy bills. Low oil pri-
ces will reduce input cost for
farmers who use diesel to run
farm equipment. Lower fuel
and fertiliser subsidy liabiliti-
es will free up funds for social
sector and infrastructure spen-
ding, which are expected to dri-
ve economic activity. Every
$10/ barrel fall in oil prices re-
written to the RBI, highligh-
ting the big loss that exporters
would suffer because of the
penalty that banks are char-
ging. “It is requested that the
charges for the exchange rate
fluctuations and cancellations
are waived for the period of
which export orders have been
cancelled,” said AEPC chair-
man A Sakthivel.
According to K N Dey, foun-
der of United Financial Con-
sultants, which advises firms
on forex, banks can help expor-
ters tide over the situation by gi-
ving them 90 more days to deli-
ver the dollars at the same price
as the existing forward cover.
CORRIGENDUM
No .W.623/ 15, Dt. 18.04.2020
Tender No. 62/2020 to 75/2020
invited vide NIT No W.623/1 5/ date
18.03.2020 which were due for
closing on 14.04.2020 at 15.30 Hrs
will now be closed on 12.05.2020 at
15.30 Hrs and tender no. 76/2020
also invited vide above NIT will now
be closed on 15.05.2020 at 15.30
Hrs. Other terms and conditions will
viously forwarded 5 times or active users increase about 16 duct under section 132 or under
more. The latest development times in the same time period. the Chartered Accountants
comes at a time when the home
ministry’s Cyber Coordina-
Right now, Zoom allows up to
100 participants in its basic
Act,” said the HC.
The HC also held that a “dis-
tion Centre said that “Zoom is a plan, while Houseparty limits qualification or debarment” un-
not a safe platform”, advising it to eight people. der the provision is “not as a pu-
government employees to not Several Indian companies nishment for fraud but it is a cau-
use it because of security con- offering a similar service have tion which Parliament felt ne-
cerns and privacy lapses. also seen a consumption spike cessary to administer to avoid
“With everyone locked in, in their products. Bengaluru- delays in matters of vital impor-
there is no better time to roll based startup Airmeet, which tance”. The HC bench of Chief
this out, when people are wor- does conferences online, has Justice B P Dharmadhikari and
king from home and one wants seen time spent on its platform N R Borkar said there appeared
to talk to people. WhatsApp’s jump from 500 minutes per day to be non-application of mind in
vast majority of users are con- in February to 500,000 minutes the manner the Centre directed
sumers (individuals), while per day now. SFIO to initiate prosecution wit-
Zoom is primarily a corporate Zoho has also been seeing a hin 30 hours of a 732-page report
solution and its issues do have jump in downloads for its app- of the agency with 32,000 pages
a direct impact on corporates,” lication Zoho Meeting. as annexures.
SOFTWARE TECHNOLOGY PARKS OF INDIA
(An Autonomous Society under Ministry of Electronics &
Information Technology, Govt. of India)
NOTIFICATION
This is with reference to the earlier notification uploaded on STPI web portal w.rt. the Employment Notice no.
2(2)/VSTPI•HQ/2019-20 dated 12.02 ,2020 for the post MTS E-lV (Scientist 'E'), MTS E-III (Scientist' D') & MTS
E-ll (Scientist'C') and 2(3)/I/STPI-HQ/2019-20 dated 15.02.2020 for the post of MTS E-I (Scientist 'B'). The dates
for submission of online application & receipt of signed-in application for the above mentioned posts are hereby
extended as follow:
Closing Date of Receipt of Online Application: 05.052020
Closing Date of Receipt of duly signed-in Application: 20.05.2020

Birla holding “The crash saves India

from subsidising the exporting
So overall, as an economy, the
current price levels will help,”
duces import bill and CAD by
about 0.43% of the GDP.
remain unchanged.
Sr. Divisional Eng ineer (Coordination),
West Central Railway. Kota
Closing Date of Receipt of duly signed-in Application from the remote area :
However, reckoning of age as on last date of receipt of application as published earlier in the concern Nati onal
News Papers shall not be changed. The remaining conditions of the above advertisements will remain unchanged.
30.05.2020

IIIIIIIIIII-77Lr F7=7A
co Pilani to (Chief Administrative Officer), STPI

raise `1,000cr
Oil price slide, virus spread
?"-_, Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation Ltd.
Near Indira Brid ge , Bhat ,

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Kolkata/Mumbai: Pilani In-

pull sensex down 1,011 pts Candhinagar - 382 428 (Gu j ar a t ), India
Web: http://www.i pr.res.in

The Institute for Plasma Research has developed proprietary p lasma

??
?
?_ REQUEST FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST (REOI)
(CONSULTING SERVICES-FIRM SELECTION)
vestment & Industries, the hol- TIMES NEWS NETWORK shutdown due to the coronavi- Country : INDIA Name of Project : MUTP III
pyrol ysis technology which the industry can commercialize for safe
ding company of some of the VOLATILE MONTH rus pandemic is also showing
disposal of bio-medical waste. Applications are invited from Indian
Assi gnment Title: Selection of Consultant for "TECHNICAL
Birla group of companies, is Mumbai: The troubles in the in corporate earnings. “Post- ASSISTANCE STUDY FOR BALLAST LESS TRACK IN MUMBAI
Sensex in April Industries for availing non-exclusive technology knowhow and SUBURBAN AREA IN CONNECTION WITH'MUTP- III' PROJECT. "
raising Rs 1,000 crore by issu- global crude oil market and earnings management gui-
ing commercial papers (CPs), the rising number of Covid-19
32,000
dance has also not given any license of Plasma Pyrolysis Technology for bio-medical waste Reference No. MRVC/TA/118 dated 22 .02.2020
disposal. Interested part ies may visit IPR' s website-http:// Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation Ltd. now invites eligible consulting
a type of short-term corporate cases in India unnerved Dalal clear indication about the re- firms ("Consultants ) to indicate their interest in providing the Services for
bonds, the company told the Street investors on Tuesday
31,000
covery path,” Nair said. Go- www.ipr.res.in/eoi.html
above mentioned assignment . Interested Consultants should provide
exchanges on Tuesday. and the consequent selling ing forward, earnings of lea- information demonstrating that they have the required qualifications and
30,000
relevant experience to perform the Services. The consulting services
,ii Cauvery Neeravari Nigama (L)
According to company so- pulled down the sensex by 29,468 ding companies will to some
urces, Pilani Investment, 1,011 points, or 3.2%, to 31,637. 30,637 extent decide the market’s di- include providing "TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE STUDY FOR BALLAST
Hemavathy Dam Division, Gorur- 573120
29,000
controlled by Kumar Manga- Banking and financial stocks rection, among other factors. LESS TRACK IN MUMBAI SUBURBAN AREA IN CONNECTION WITH
'MUTP - III' PROJECT." The estimated duration of consultancy services
lam Birla with a 59% share- led the slide. On the NSE, the 4% The day’s losses also left
28,000 postponed Tender Notification on 16.04.2020 is 42 weeks. Detailed REOI with Draft Terms of Reference are
holding, the fund-raising is ai- Nifty closed 280 points lower investors poorer by Rs 3.3 available on MRVC web site www .mrvc .indianrailways .gov.in. A
The Calendar events of the short term Tender notificat o
med at investing in group at 8,981points. lakh crore with BSE’s market Consultant will be selected in accordance with the QCBS method set out
No 19/19-20 D:28.02.2020 called by the u n d e r s i g ned
27,000
companies, including to in- According to Vinod Nair, Mar 31 Source: ETIG Apr 21 capitalisation now at Rs 119.6 in PIR. Furt her information can be obtained at the address below during
crease stakes in those entities. head of research, Geojit Fi- lakh crore. Meanwhile, the through E-portal has been postponed on 16.04.2020 s off ice hours between 10:00 hrs. to 17:00 hrs. on working days. The
The shareholding of Pila- nancial Services, as the US the WTI crude oil futures clo- markets regulator Sebi on Tu- rescheduled due to e-portal technical reasons. Downloadng corrigendum if any, will be hosted on MRVC' s website. Expression of
interest must be delivered in a written form to the address below (in
ni Investment has been a mat- crude oil prices crashed, “In- sed at -$37.6/barrel, its first esday said all the public offers the tender documents through E-portal w e b s :e person or by email) by 30/05/ 2020.
ter of litigation for about two dian markets, in sync with ever negative close with sel- including IPOs that got its (www.eproc.karnataka.gov.in) Up to 11.05.2020 , pre bid Address for correspondence:
decades as Birlas are at log- global markets, traded negati- lers paying the buyers to lift nod to open between March 1
gerheads with Harsh Lodha, vely, as the extent of the im- their produce as storage capa- and September 30 this year meeting D: 05.05.2020 , Opening of Technical bid 12.05.2020 , Bhavesh Kumar Jha , CPM-V, Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation Ltd., 2nd
4.30PM. Remaining conditions etc., are holds good. Fr)( floor, Churchgate Railway Station Building, Churchgate . Mumbai40002O.
whose father was bequeathed pact of lockdowns and the glo- cities were running low. can launch the offer within Tele: 022-22071885 , Fax: 022-22096972 , Email: ccpm 5 mrvc.gov.in
a substantial stake by a Birla bal slowdown is becoming In addition to the slide in one year of the nod, up from further details contact in the undersigned office between and/or cpm5mrvc @g mail.com , dycpmcivilmrvcpune @gmail.com ,
family heir. evident”. On Monday night, oil prices, the impact of the six months now. 10.30 AM to 5.30 PM on every working days. .
Website: www.mrv c indianrailways gov.in .
Sd/- Executive Engineer , CNNL

Retailers eye revenue-share pact at malls 1 1

Hemavathy Dam Division , Gorur , Hassan D i s t r c t

1 1 1 1 ' 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 ' 1 1

John Sarkar & Avik Das TNN math and thereby sustain six n n

New Delhi/Bengaluru: In a
move that could change mo-
dern retail dynamics in India,
top retail companies, inclu-
ding Future Group, Aditya
Birla, Arvind, Raymond and
Litebite Foods, are in discus-
sion with mall owners to mo-
ve into a pure revenue-share
model from a fixed-rent model
or a minimum guaranteed
rent model for nine months
starting March 1, which they
believe is critical for survival
of the retail industry.
At present, only big box
fast-fashion retailers enjoy a
revenue-share rent model in
India with malls.
Around 75 retailers that
operate 200 brands have writ-
ten a letter to mall owners, se-
en by TOI, stating that reve-
nue-share percentage should
SEEKING RELIEF
Mall owners have made
representations to the
government for relief such
as waiver of property tax,
waiver of fixed demand
charges from utility
companies’ bills,
moratorium on EMIs
without any interest
for the lockdown period
Some mall owners such
as Prestige, Brigade and Lulu
have given rent waivers to their
tenants till lockdown is in place
be a flat percentage depen-
ding on the category of stores.
They suggested, for instance,
revenue-sharing percentage
for vanilla brands should be
10-12%, including common
area maintenance (CAM),
Prestige, which owns malls
like Forum Shantiniketan, UB
City and Forum in Bengaluru,
has waived off rental
for some clients
since March 14
Brigade, which
operates two Orion
Malls in Bengaluru,
has decided to give
up rentals for some clients by
50% for the entire period
of lockdown
while for fast food brands and
large format lifestyle stores, it
should be 7-8%.
“Our objective is to ensure
that all businesses in the reta-
il industry are able to survive
this pandemic and its after-
million jobs that this industry
generates. For that it is criti-
cal that mall owners and te-
nants (brands and retailers)
are able to arrive at a mutual-
ly agreeable arrangement on
rentals, not only for the period
of shutdown but also thereaf-
ter till normalcy returns,” the
letter, also signed by Jubilant
Foods, Bata and Adidas, said.
While high street land-
lords such as those from New
Delhi’s Khan Market and
small malls, such as, ones in
Bhopal, Jaipur and Lucknow
have taken action (revenue-
sharing, rent waiver) retai-
lers said big ones are yet to re-
act. Most of the large mall ow-
ners contacted by TOI said
they were yet to decide whet-
her to give a rent waiver for
the period of lockdown or en-
ter a revenue-sharing model.
P r oc u r e m e n t N o t i c e No. O 1I000U20 2 0-21
Bid Identification No. OCCL-DGP/01/ 2020.21
Online tender is invited on EPC Contract (Turn - Key Basis) for the
following work:
1. Name of Work : Construction of under Ground Pipe Line Irrigation
System (Gravit y Flow) for 640 Ha. of CCA and Command Area
Development (CAD) for 1362 Ha. CCA of Sadasivpur Branch Canal of
Rengali Right Irrigation Project in Dhenkanal district of Odisha on EPC -
Turn Key basis.
2. Period of comp letion : 11 (Eleven) calendar months including rainy
seasons.
3. Date & Time of availability of bid document In the portal : From
04.05.2020, 10.00A.M. to 19.05.2020 up to 5.30 P.M.
4. Last Date/Time for receipt of bids in the portal : 19.05.2020 up to
05.30 P.M.
5. Date & Time of Opening ofTechnical Bid : 21.05.2020 at 12.00 Noon.
6. Name & address of the officer inviting bid : Managing Director,
Odisha Construction Corporation Limited.
7. Seeking Clarification : 10.00 A.M. of 04.05.2020 to 03 .00 P.M. of
11.05.2020.
Further details can be seen from the e-procurement portal
https ://tendersodisha .gov.in
Manag ing Director
OCCL , Bhubaneswar
" e " P r oc u r e m e n t N o t i c e No. 02 f 0 0 0 L/ 2 0 2 0- 2 1
Bid Identification No. OCCL-SGP/0 1/2020-21
Online tender is invited on EPC Contract (Turn - Key Basis ) for the
following work:
1. Name of Work : Execution of 6 Nos. of Lift Irrigation Schemes with
intake point on Tel, Mahanadi , Indravati reservoir , Indravati , Ong,
Suktel river having command area between 500 He. to 2000 He. in
cluster No. XVIII in the districts of kalahandi , Bolangir and Bargarh
including its distribution network up to 1 He. chak having total p lanned
culturable Command Area of 9.547 Ha. on "EPC - Turn Key" basis
including power system connectivity and Operation & maintenance of
comp lete commissioned schemes for fiveyears.
2. Period of comp letion : 24 (Twenty four) calendar months including
rainy seasons.
3. Date & Time of availability of bid document In the portal : From
04,05.2020,10.OOA.M. to 26.05.2020 up to 5.30 P.M.
4. Last Date/Time for receipt of bids in the portal : 26.05.2020 up to
05.30 P.M.
5. Date &Time of Opening ofTechnicalBid : 28.05.2020at12.00Noon.
6. Name & address of the officer inviting bid : Managing Director,
Odisha Construction Corporation Limited.
7. Seeking Clarification : 10.00 A.M. of 04.05.2020 to 03.00 P.M. of
16.05.2020.
Further details can be seen from the e-procurement portal
https ://tendersoclisha.gov.in sdi-
Managing Director
OCCL. Bhubaneswar
 TIMES SPORT THE TIMES OF INDIA, MUMBAI | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2020

NADAL FRUSTRATED BY LOCKDOWN, FEDERER FELT DISAPPOINTED AFTER BEING LEFT OUT OF
HAPPY WITH POST-SURGERY RECOVERY INDIA’S TOUR OF AUSTRALIA IN 2007-08: PARTHIV
Rajtilak Naik

Oz may host India GALLERY

for a five-Test series Crisis has made us more

Sydney: Cricket Australia is
considering the prospect of
JUST NOT THE SAME: The ISL final turning its four-match Test
between ATK and Chennaiyin FC on series against India later this
March 14 in Fatorda was held without year into a five-game contest
fans due to the Covid-19 outbreak as it continues looking for
ways to compensate the finan-
cial losses caused by Covid-19.
stage the season. At this point,
we won’t rule anything out in
terms of the Indian series.
Along with the BCCI, the In-
dian players and their support
staff, we want to stage a series
that inspires the cricket world,
whether or not there are peo-
compassionate: Kohli
India skipper Virat Kohli on Tuesday said
people seem to have
become more compas-
sionate while coping with
the Covid-19 pandemic
and hoped the sense of

NO FANS,
India’s tour of Australia
will begin with a T20 Tri-series
in October and is scheduled to
end with a four-match Test
series in December. In be-
tween, there is the T20 World
ple in the stands,” he added.
Adding a fifth Test match
in the series, which could be
played in one city at a stadium
without spectators, is one of
the options discussed by the
gratitude towards fron-
tline workers like doctors
and police personnel remains even after
the crisis is over. “The one positive out of
this crisis that we as a society have be-
come more compassionate. We are show-
ing more gratitude to the frontline workers

NO SPORT
BCCI, AIFF Not Keen To Start Events With
Empty Stands; Bhutia Lone Differing Voice
Dwaipayan.Datta@timesgroup.com
Chennai: Bundesliga is likely to be
the first top-flight league which will
resume in early May in front of
empty galleries. While it is being
considered by many across the world
as the first step towards a new real-
ity — sports in empty stadiums — the
Indian fraternity isn’t quite cozying
up to the idea.
BCCI president Sourav Ganguly
made it clear that Germany and In-
dia are not the same. “The social
reality of Germany and India are
different, there will be no cricket in
India in the near future,” Ganguly
told TOI on Tuesday.
The former Indian captain feels
in the current situation, cricket in
front of empty galleries is a far-
fetched idea. “There are too many ifs
and buts involved. More importantly,
I don’t believe in sport when there is
a risk to human life,” Ganguly added,
which all but quashes any hopes of
IPL anywhere in the world in the
There will be no
cricket in India in
the near future. There are
too many ifs and buts of
playing in empty stands. I
don’t believe in sport when
there is a risk to life.”
SOURAV GANGULY, BCCI President
during our practice sessions at Che-
pauk when we said we can’t allow
people inside the ground. Lives are
at stake, you can’t control Indian
crowds that easily. Yes, there will be
next few months. financial losses, but we have to live
His former India teammate and with it,” Viswanathan said.
current CSK offie, Harbhajan Singh, While cricket, for now, presents
echoed his former boss when he said a bleak picture, former Indian foot-
top-flight cricketers in India don’t ball captain Bhaichung Bhutia has
just attract people inside the ground. a different view. He feels when
“When IPL teams travel, there’s a things get just a little better, top-
huge crowd at the airports, hotels, flight football should start even if
outside the stadium. How are you fans can’t be allowed.
going to stop them if you are looking “There’s so less sport available
to maintain social distancing? There live on TV. This may be an opportu-
nity for Indian football to attract
VIRUS IMPACT more viewers. I am not asking for
the sport to resume when there is a
should be no top-flight cricket till crisis, but if the government allows
there is a vaccine for Covid-19,” sport to start with empty stands,
Harbhajan said. we shouldn’t miss the opportunity,”
He also feared that even if there Bhutia said.
are no crowds inside the stadium, He, though, was contradicted by
there can always be a situation AIFF vice-president Subrata Dutta,
where a teammate shows symptoms. who says that even if you allow only
The broadcasters, of course, the TV crew and journalists inside
wouldn’t mind IPL being played in the stadium, there will be more than
empty stadiums once things are a bit a hundred people. “Who will guaran-
under control, but KS Viswanathan, tee that no one will have any symp-
the CSK CEO, feels this is probably toms of Covid-19? If something hap-
not the time. “Did you see the crowds pens, the entire stadium will be
When IPL teams
travel, there’s a
huge crowd at airports,
hotels & outside grounds.
How’ll you stop them?
There should be no cricket
till there is a vaccine.”
HARBHAJAN SINGH, Ex-spinner
Cup, scheduled for an October the financially struggling CA. in this war, be it police personnel, doctors
18 start, but the mega event’s or nurses,” said Kohli.
future is also shrouded in un- T20 WC in empty stadiums?
certainty due to the global CA is also discussing hosting Shutdown has exposed inequities: King
health crisis. the T20 World Cup without any Tennis great Billie Jean King says the
“If you contemplate the fans. “We might not generate financial fallout from the coronavirus
prospect of the international financial returns that are as shutdown has exposed the unfairness of
season in particular being af- significant as the internation- the sport and that it is important for the
fected, we have an issue of al cricket season. But the big- top players to lead the cause for change.
hundreds of millions of dol- ger returns from the broadcast “Maybe some day, and I didn't think it is
lars on our hands,” Cricket rights around the event that possible, we might have a Commissioner. I
Australia CEO Kevin Roberts are generated by the ICC are don’t know. We are not the biggest sport in
sealed... And don’t forget, fans are the
lifeblood of Indian football, gate re-
said on Tuesday.
“So it’s very important that
very important to all of our
counterparts around the crick-
the world, so we need to stick together
and everyone needs to help each other,”
ceipts do matter here,” Dutta said.
The ISL final, not too long ago,
... we do everything possible to et world,” Roberts said. AGENCIES
Getty Images
she said. “The thing that’s also good is it
shows the inequities that go on. So this is
was played in front of empty galler- a good time to reset and think about how
ies, but Dutta said that can’t be the we want our sport to look in the future.
norm. “That was a one-off. The derby What can we do to make it better, stron-
in Kolkata between East Bengal and ger and more secure?”
Mohun Bagan the next day didn’t
happen...We have to wait, there’s no Bagan confirmed I-League champions
point rushing anything,” Dutta said. The All India Football Federation's exec-
There aren’t any big tennis events utive panel on Tuesday ratified its league
in India but there’s a huge following committee's recommendations to cancel
of the sport on TV. While Wimbledon the remaining 28 matches of the I-league
has been cancelled, French Open has in view of the coronavirus-forced lock-
been rescheduled for September and down and declare runaway leaders Mohun
the US Open organisers have sug- SPOT THE FANS: The iconic Sydney Cricket Ground could host Bagan as champions. The AIFF also said it
gested that it’s difficult to see the
Grand Slam happening without fans
the first semifinal of the T20 World Cup without any fans, just
like it did during the Australia-New Zealand series in March
is waiting to discuss with the Asian Foot-
ball Confederation (AFC) the feasibility of
in the arena. organising a shorter duration tournament
Top Indian star Mahesh Bhupathi next season with second division clubs for
feels a tournament will lose a lot INDIA, AUS CAN SWAP AS HOSTS qualification to the Hero I-League 2020-21.
without fans, but in the current sce-
nario, players and broadcasters may OF T20 WORLD CUP: GAVASKAR Anand to lead Indian challenge
be OK for the sport to resume in front New Delhi: Sunil Gavaskar says “As we all know, Australia Former world champion Viswanathan
of empty galleries. India can swap the T20 World has barred foreigners from Anand will lead the
“The atmosphere won’t be the Cup with Australia and host it entering the country till Indian challenge in the
same. May be the Grand Slam organ- this year instead of the September 30. The tournament Online Nations Cup, a
isers won’t be ready to have a tourna- scheduled 2021 edition, starts in mid-October so it is team competition to be
ment without fans, but smaller provided the Covid-19 looking difficult at the held from May 5 to 10. The
events could start after the crisis curve flattens in the moment,” Gavaskar International Chess Feder-
period is over,” Bhupathi said. country. told India Today. ation (FIDE) and Chess-
Global sporting “Next year the T20 .com announced the Online Nations Cup
activities have come World Cup is which will see six teams take part. The
There’s no live to a halt due the scheduled in India. If participating teams are Russia, USA,
sport on TV. This is Covid-19 pandemic, India and Australia come Europe, China and India plus a team
a chance for Indian football jeopardising events like the to an agreement and the representing the “Rest of the World,” FIDE
to get more viewers. If 2020 T20 World Cup, scheduled Covid-19 curve in India flattens said on its website.
govt allows sport in empty in Australia from October out, they can swap. It can be
stands, we shouldn’t miss 18-November 15. India are held in India this October- Barca offer Camp Nou naming rights
the chance.” supposed to host the next November and next year in La Liga champions Barcelona are search-
B BHUTIA, Ex-India captain edition in 2021. Australia.” PTI ing for a stadium sponsor for the first time
to raise funds in the fight against the novel
coronavirus, the club said in a statement
on Tuesday. Barca said the club’s founda-

KERALA MEDICAL SERVICES CORPORATION LTD.

THYCAUD P.O., THIRUVANANTHAPURAM - 865014 , T410:0471-2945648, 2045800 Fox: 2945447
Feels like death is knocking on tion would manage the bid for the naming
rights of the 99,000 capacity Camp Nou
stadium for the 2020/21 stadium. “The
income generated will create a fund that
E

No KMSCL/EP/202/2020 Part - 57
QUOTATI O N NOTICE
CIN No. U24233KL20073GCO21616

In view of the Covid - 19 pandemic Govt. of Kerala has decided to procure antibody
Dated : 21 .04 .2020
your door every day: Rajkumar will be divided in the following way: a part
will be destined for a project on Covid-19
driven by the sponsors... and the rest will
be shared out amongst other projects that
based Rapid Test Kits on an emergency basis. Online quotations are invited for the supply Sabi.Hussain@timesgroup.com come out of our rooms to meet in the are being developed in parallel,” said the
of the followin g . living room. My family back home is statement.
Last dabs of Online
New Delhi: “I have seen deaths in my worried about my well-being. They
SI. Quotation Descri ption
submission neighbourhood and bodies being tak- have warned me against venturing Euro playoffs may be held in Oct-Nov
No No.
en away by health officials. It’s scary out but if I don’t go to buy essentials, Uefa vice-president Sandor Csanyi said
1. Q63/2020 Antibody (IgM , IgG) based Rapid Diagnostic Test 25 .04 , 2020 and I fear for my own well-being,” said how will I survive on empty stomach? playoffs to decide the last four places in
Kit for COVID - 19. 11, 00 a.m.
Rajkumar Tiwari, his voice trem- I have to risk my life,” said the 28-year- the postponed European Championship
Quotation documents and all other information related to the bidding process can be bling. Rajkumar, India’s lone gold old, who stays in a rented accommoda- could be played in October or November.
downloaded from the website www.kmscl.kerala.gov.in. medal-winning ice skater and a silver tion owned by an Indian couple. The 16-nation playoffs have twice been
Sd/- Managing Director(Tender Inviting Authority) medallist in pairs at the Special Olym- Rajkumar informed that when he postponed because of the virus. Euro 2020
pics World Winter Games 2013 in Pye- had arrived in the US, there were has been delayed one year. Csanyi told
ongChang, South Korea, has been hardly any cases of Covid-19. He con- Hungarian media that October and No-
WESTERN RAILWAY living in the United States since Rajkumar Tiwari tinued with his training till the ice vember are options while there is un-
VARIOUS WORKS February 2. rink was closed on March 16 due to the certainty about when soccer can resume
Divisional Railway Manager(WA), Western Railway, 6th floor, Engg . Deptt . Mumbai-400008 , invites E-tender as per Delhi-boy Rajkumar, who hails cases (source US Public Health De- lockdown announced by the Donald in Europe. All 55 Uefa member countries
details given as follows. from Paharganj’s Multani Dhanda, partment). Santa Clara county, which Trump government. When he decided are currently scheduled to play Nations
had made a journey to the US to train is 10 miles away from Fremont and to return to India, Prime Minister Na- League games in October and November.
Sr. Tender Notice No. Work and location Approx. cost of EMD Rs , at the San Jose Shark ice rink in Fre- where Rajkumar often goes for prac- rendra Modi announced the first
No. & Date work in Rs.
mont city of California’s San Francis- tice at a different ice rink, has report- phase of 21-day nationwide lockdown Uefa recommends completing leagues
1 2 3 4 5
co Bay area. The training was part of ed 83 deaths and over 2,000 cases. on March 24, restricting the arrival of Uefa made a “strong recommendation” on
1. BCT/20-21/ 34 Zone A -Church gate- Virar Section - General repairs in the 81 ,03 ,293.17 1,62,100.00
did. 20.04.2020
his preparation for the Oceania Inter- “It’s been a month since I have ven- all international passenger flights. “I Tuesday that domestic European football
jurisdiction of SSE(W) Badhwarpark section of Badhwar Park
colony, including all Railway officers flatsiquarters all recreational
national Figure Skating competition tured out of my flat, fearing for my life. was in the process of arranging my league seasons, currently on hold because
buildings etc.. at Badhwar Park area in Colaba. in Auckland, New Zealand in May, and I have run out of grocery stock and tickets when India announced the of the coronavirus pandemic, be complet-
2. BCT/20-21/35 Zone-B- CCG-Virar Section-General repairs in the jurisdiction of 91,02 ,355.00 1,82, 100.00 later for the World Championships in managing on leftovers. I fear that if I lockdown. Now I want to be on the first ed. “There was a strong recommendation
dtd. 20 .04.2020 SSE(W) Churchgate in section from CCG. (Incl) 10 Marine Lines Montreal, Canada in October this go out to a nearby 24x7 store, I might flight back home as and when the sit- given to finish domestic top division and
(excl) & (incl) CCG Station complex with all Rly Offices therein , year. Both these events have now been contract the virus because it looks like uation normalises.” cup competitions,” European football’s
Western Railway HQ officers, Service bldgs, including CCG Rly. indefinitely postponed. Rajkumar every other person in the US has the Rajkumar also fears for the well- governing body said. Uefa, European
Qtrs . in Churchgate.
had received a $500 scholarship from symptoms. I am petrified. Every day, being of his younger brother Man- football’s governing body, has made it
3. BCT/20-21/36 Zone -C-Church gate-Virar Section- General repairs including 75 .03 ,025.86 1,50, 100.00 the Shark ice rink after completing his we live in this fear whether we’ll sur- jesh, himself a brilliant figure skater clear that it wants its member associ-
did. 20.04.2020 painting in the jurisdiction of SSE(W-1) Mumbai Central which
certification course offered by the US vive the virus or not. It’s like death is in the junior category, who is in South ations to complete their domestic seasons
includes Mumbal Central (Main). JRH, J.R. Hospital , Quarters in
J.R.Hospital , A gripada colony, Skyscrapper . 14 officers flat ,
Figure Skating Association (USFSA). knocking on your door. Trust me, the Australia on a scholarship. “He has rather than abandon them. It also hopes to
Reservation office buildings, DRM's office and all service buildings Rajkumar said that situation is se- situation is so grave that I haven’t met been there for past five-six months. finish the Champions League and Europa
in Mumbai Central. rious in his county Alameda – in my Indian landlord for nearly a week He’s also locked indoors. Now, I don’t League competitions. All 55 member
4, BCT/20-21/37 Horticulture Zone - Churchgate-Virar section - Development of 30.97 ,260.02 62,000.00
which his city Fremont falls – with 42 now despite living in the same flat. We know when I will again be able to meet associations took part in a video confer-
dtd. 20.04 .2020 gardens of supply of fertilizers , manure seeds, plants, flower pots , deaths and nearly 1,200 confirmed use the kitchen separately. We don’t him” Rajkumar said. ence with Uefa officials on Tuesday.
garden equipment and accessories.
Sr. No .: 1 to 4. Date & Time of submission : On 18.05.2020 till 15.00 hrs. Date & Time of opening: On 18.05.2020 at 15.30 hrs.
Regarding detailed nature of work , containing cost of tender document ( non refundable ), EMD , eligibility criteria , similar nature of
work , detailed tender conditions, please visitwww .ireps.gov.in Manual offers will not be considered.
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02 Dingko to be airlifted
for cancer treatment
Olympics delay: Hosts Japan,
MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA New Delhi: Asian Games gold-winning boxer
Dingko Singh will be brought here on April 25 by the
Boxing Federation of India (BFI) to resume his
IOC spar over extra costs
INDIAN RAILWAYS ORGANIZATION FOR ALTERNATE FUELS treatment for liver cancer after he was forced to Tokyo: An open conflict broke ther side has given an official esti- IOC removed Abe’s name and any
miss a scheduled radiation therapy session due to out between Tokyo Olympic orga- mate, but Tokyo CEO Toshiro reference to Japan’s financial
Corrigendum-5 the ongoing coronavirus-forced lockdown. nisers and the IOC on Tuesday Muto has called the postpone- obligation. The edited version
CALL FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST (EOI) GLOBAL In order to develop Technical The 41-year-old, who is currently in Imphal, was over who will pay for the ment costs “massive.” reads: “The Japanese govern-
specifications for development and manufacture of Hydrogen Fuel Cell Powered Hybrid due to undergo radiation therapy a fortnight back unprecedented year-long “It’s not appropriate for the ment has reiterated that it stands
Distributed Power Rolling Stock (DPRS) with regenerative braking system, EOI but could not come to Delhi because of the lock- postponement. prime minister’s name to be quot- ready to fulfill its responsibility
(IROAF/CME(G)/FUELCELL POWERED) invited on 03.01.2020. down. “He has been contacted and arrangements Tokyo spokesman Masa Ta- ed in this manner,” Takaya said for hosting successful games.”
have been made for him to be brought here on an air kaya said the organising commit- on a 90-minute teleconference. Without using Abe’s name,
The date of submission of EOI in the prescribed Format is extended from 27.04.2020 to
ambulance to continue his radiation therapy,” BFI tee asked the Switzerland-based The IOC statement, on a page IOC President Thomas Bach said
27.05.2020 Executive Director RK Sacheti said. PTI International Olympic Commit- titled “Frequently Asked Ques- almost exactly the same thing 10
Please visitwebsite of IROAF hftps :/riroaf.indianrallways.gov.!rL/-Io.IROAF Tenders-*Expression tee (IOC) to remove a comment tions about Olympic Games To- days ago in an interview with the
of Interest. REGD. NO. TN/Chief PMG/398/2002 from its website suggesting that kyo 2020,” said Abe agreed that German newspaper Die Welt on
Contact person: RNI NO. 1547/57 ISSN 0971-8257 Prime Minister Shinzo Abe Japan “will continue to cover the Sunday. He said Japan would “on-
Chief Mechanical Engineer/BD, agreed that Japan would shoul- costs it would have done under tinue to cover the costs it would
No. 95 Vol. CLXXXIII Air Charge: Raipur & via Re 1.00 , Chennai, Kochi, Coimbatore, Ernakulam,
Trivandrum & via Rs. 2.00, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mangalore, Udaipur, Vizag & via

Indian Railways Organization forAlternate Fuels (IROAF),

Rs. 4.00, Delhi, Kolkata, Patna & via Rs. 5.00. der most of the postponement the terms of the existing agree- have done” under the agreement
International Retail Prices (Daily): Oman 350 Baizas, Singapore 4 S$.
costs. ment for 2020, and the IOC will signed in 2013. Japan is spending
Government of India , Ministry of Railways Published for the proprietors of Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd., by R. Krishnamurthy, at The Times of
India Building, Dr. D.N. Road, Mumbai-400 001, Tel. No (022) 6635 3535. Fax: (022) 2273 1144 and
printed by him at (1) The Times of India Suburban Press, Akurli Road, Western Express Highway, Media reports in Japan esti- continue to be $12.6 billion to organize the Olym-
4th Floor, Railway Office Complex, Tilak Bridge , New Delhi-110002 Kandivli (E), Mumbai-400 101. Tel No. (022) 2887 2324, 2887 2930 and (2) The Times of India Print
City, Plot No. 4, T.T.C. Industrial Area, Thane Belapur Road, Airoli, Navi Mumbai-400 708. Tel. No. mate the year-long delay caused responsible for its share of the pics, but a government audit re-
Telephone no.:- 011-23379107 , Fax no. :- 011-23379083 (022) 2760 9999; Fax: (022) 2760 5275. Tel. Nos. Mumbai Response (022) 6635 3636, 2273 3636,
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ick B. D’Sa - responsible for selection of news under PRB Act © All rights reserved. Reproduction in
whole or in part without written permission of Publisher is prohibited. cost $2 billion to $6 billion. Nei- After Tokyo’s complaint, the much. AP
 BOMBAY TIMES, THE TIMES OF INDIA
WEDNESDAY APRIL 22, 2020 I ADVERTORIAL, ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY PROMOTIONAL FEATURE
LEISURE / BOMBAY TIMES 13

Corporates retract campus placements amid #CORONASUTRA

The best of locked-down creativity

lockdown-induced global economic crisis

Hansy.Sanctis@timesgroup.com sector, for instance, employees
are looking at job losses, pay cuts #CoronaConcern
freeze hiring in their respective
companies for students from IIT’s
he global economic crisis due I WAS EXPECTING
T
and furloughs, as companies deal different branches. But that, it
to the coronavirus pandemic is with the massive fall in revenue. would seem, has not deterred AN EXTENSION IN
unprecedented, given that it Recruitments are always the first to be CAMPUS PLACEMENTS ON MNCs from withdrawing offers, with THE JOINING DATE
has affected small and large frozen in times of a financial crunch. HOLD DESPITE REQUESTS rejection letters sent out as recent as
enterprises and people across This time around, it comes at an BY HRD MINISTRY this week. OR A PAY CUT, BUT
socioeconomic strata. In the corporate inopportune moment for the student
population, many of who were on the AND INSTITUTIONS STUDENTS WITH CONFIRMED WHAT I GOT WAS
cusp of a professional journey, having In early April, HRD Minister Ramesh OFFERS HAD NO BACK-UP A TERMINATION
cleared campus selection processes, Pokhriyal appealed to companies to PLAN IN PLACE LETTER. THE FIRM
Pics: iStock

only to now be told that the offers not withdraw job offers made during Vivek Saurav, a 25-year-old first year
stand cancelled. campus placements due to the student of National Institute of
current economic downturn. Days
later, the director of Indian Institute
Industrial Engineering (NITIE),
Mumbai, is currently looking for a
of Technology (IIT) Jodhpur, six to ten-week summer internship
Summer Professor Santanu Chaudhury
opportunity. He says, “I was offered
wrote an open letter to companies,
internships, which imploring them to not cancel or
an internship in an MNC through
campus recruitment, but it was
are vital for called off due to the circumstances
brought on by the COVID-19
students to bag pandemic. Hence, I am trying to find
placements, are another job and have been applying
to any available opening online.”
also currently Arjani Roy (named changed), a
multimedia journalism student from
on hold the Bengaluru-based Indian Institute
of Journalism and New Media
(IIJNM), was one of the eight from
her batch chosen by an international
news agency. “On April 13, the news
agency decided against hiring me,
giving no explanation and leaving
me with no back-up plan in the
current atmosphere,” she says.
SEVERAL STUDENTS DEAL
WITH UNCERTAINTY AS
COMPANIES FACE LOSSES
Kunvarjit Singh, a mechanical
engineering student from Delhi
Technology University, was expecting
a postponement in his joining date or
CITED REVENUE LOSS
AS REASON
— Kunvarjit Singh,
engineering student who was
to join a tech firm
a renewed offer with lesser pay. “What
I got was a termination letter. When I
discussed this with the firm’s HR
department, I was told it was solely
because of the lack of revenue at the
time,” he says.
Psychiatrist Dr Sagar Mundada
shares that he has counselled MBA
students, who received job offers via
campus placements, which failed to
materialise due to the COVID-19
crisis. “These students are in their
late 20s and had recently completed
their MBA. While one had got an offer
in the tourism sector, the other
received a placement in the financial
sector. However, due to the pandemic,
their offers have been put on hold and
would be looked into only post the
lockdown. This has made them
anxious as they’re worried about
their future.”
— With inputs by
Melissa.D’Costa@timesgroup.com

TIMES HITORI LOOP THE LOOP THE DAILY CROSSWORD

How to play Rules
1. A number ■ Connect adjacent dots with vertical or
may appear horizontal lines, creating a single loop (Fig A).
just once in ■ Crossovers or branches are not allowed
each row or (As shown by dotted lines in Fig B).
column. ■ Numbers in the puzzle indicate the number of
lines that should surround it, while empty cells (Fig A) Not allowed
Eliminate (Fig B)
ENGINEERING | MANAGEMENT | MEDIA | LAW repeat may be
numbers by surrounded by
SUDOKU CHALLENGE darkening any number of
cells. (see lines.
HOW TO PLAY example) ■ You can’t draw
2. Darkened lines around
Fill in the grid cells must zeroes.
so that every never be ■ Each puzzle
horizontal row, adjacent in has just one
every vertical a row or unique solution.
column and column. How to begin:
every 3x3 box 3. Unmarked Example (Fig A) -
‘sandwiched’ Level: Easy
contains the cells must create a Begin with the
between
digits 1-9, single continuous zero next to 3.
neighbours of
without area, undivided by Since no lines
the same value
repeating the darkened cells. can be drawn
can be circled.
numbers in the 4. Every time around zero,
(e.g. 6 4 6 )
same row, you darken a mark crosses
column or 6. A “triple” around it, as
cell, you can
box.You can’t is a special shown. Now there is a cross in one space around 3. So we know the three
automatically
change the case of lines of 3 can only be drawn in the remaining three spaces. Next, these lines
circle its vertical
digits already sandwich. can only be extended in one direction each. Continue, using the same logic.
and horizontal
given in the Circle the centre
neighbours, which Hints: Keep eliminating possibilities by marking crosses in spaces
grid. Every cells, and darken
means they cannot between dots where a line isn’t possible, i.e., if you have already
puzzle has the ends.
be eliminated. completed required lines or where a line extension may create a branch
one solution. (e.g. )
Level: Medium
5. Any cell 666 or cause a deadend (Fig B)

HEALTH CAPSULE JUMBLE

GARFIELD
HI AND LOIS

,
one else guides this project, you could
face trouble realising your vision.
VIRGO August 22 - September 21

FinOlex
ANIMAL CRACKERS

,16
Take charge and finish what’s left
undone. You’ll feel much better once
you have put everything in its place,
ARCHIE

FORTUNE Anup- V K? I-i whether in your personal life or

professional dealings. It’s easier to
move forward when you have noth-
;i anupamvkapil@gmai l.com ing holding you back.
or sms cn 9822042295.
LIBRA September 22 - October 22
BIRTHDAY TODAY Participation will change your life.
Y ou will develop some common interests after Listen, learn and experience what life
meeting like-minded people.
Tip: Your lucky colours are blue, gold, yellow, orange
has to offer and what others have to
and golden brown. Your lucky gems are turquoise, say. Create the type of environment
diamond, topaz and amber. that you want to live in. Your intuition
You share your birthday with: Amber Heard will not let you down.
SCORPIO October 23 - November
PEANUTS

NANCY

ARIES March 20 - April 18 Keep yourself 20 You often have premonitions

busy and avoid any unnecessary conflicts about how a situation could unfold. If an
in order to focus on personal and profes- easy matter becomes difficult because
sional progress. Don’t get tangled up someone else doesn’t know what they’re
in other people’s problems. Stick to what doing, you could get frustrated. Be patient
you know and do your best to get things and keep working.
done in a proper fashion the first time SAGITTARIUS November 21-December
around. Focus on your fitness and health. 20 Take the initiative to make some changes
TAURUS April 19 - May 19 Others may at home or in your living conditions that are
SPELLATHON SOLUTIONS TO GAMES/PUZZLES seek you out, but you do not need to take sure to ease your stress and make your life
a decision right now. Flow with the better. Moving things around, making
Today’s Ratings: 06-Average TIMES SUDOKU TIMES HITORI LOOP THE LOOP moment. Know that when you do come adjustments to your living arrangements
07-Good 09-Outstanding to the fork in the road, you’ll figure out the and looking for an alternative lifestyle are
THE BETTER HALF

best path. all favoured right now.

MINDBENDER
What am I?
I stare at you, you stare at me.
I have three eyes, yet I cannot see.
Every time I blink, I give commands.
You do as you are told with your feet
and hands
GEMINI May 20 - June 20 Your desire for CAPRICORN December 21 - January 19
T change can lead to trouble. Consider the Engage in discussions, listen carefully and
L A ramifications, should you make choices that find out where you stand. Let your experi-
don’t sit well with others. Take care of ence guide you in a direction that will bring
U the issues that could slow you down. Be you greater happiness. Change may be
B U willing to do the work yourself. difficult but the results will be worthwhile.
CANCER June 21 - July 21 Reach out to a AQUARIUS January 20 - February 18
R loved one at a distance. When you speak If you want something done, do it yourself.
with each other, you always get down to the Take care of your responsibilities before
How many words of four or more let- JUMBLE fundamentals. You also get great feedback someone complains. Expand your interests
ters can you make from the letters was — DUMBSTRUCK from this person. If you’re working on your and you will meet someone who motivates
shown in today’s puzzle? In making a Answer: He didn’t look in his rearview mirror before backing up and as a result own today, you’ll get a lot done, because you to do what’s necessary to fulfill
word, a letter can be used as many no one is standing in your way. However, if your dreams.
Jumbles: SNARL UDDER MARKET CHUBBY
times as it appears in the puzzle. Each you have to cooperate with or depend on PISCES February 19 - March 19 Your
word must contain the central letter. others, try to be flexible. emotional ways and sensitivity often endear
There should be at least one seven let- SPELLATHON LEO July 22 - August 21 Assume the lead- you to others. Sometimes, the people around
WHATZIT? MINDBENDER
ter word. Plurals, foreign words and TUBULAR, ultra
Telephone number A traffic light ership role at work or around a community you don’t understand how attuned you are,
proper names are not allowed. British abut, blur, blurt, brut, brutal, burl, tuba,
issue. You may have a certain vision about but they eventually will. A misunderstand-
English Dictionary is used as reference. how the situation should evolve. If some- ing can happen out of the blue.

Devki Bhatt
This lockdown has helped me
take things slow: Taapsee Pannu
The actress talks about the projects she was working on when the lockdown was
announced, and how she has been dealing with this phase of being homebound
Rachana.Dubey@timesgroup.com
R
eportedly, you were planning to
complete six films by the end of the
year, including a thriller in Tamil.
Did you ever fear a burnout situation?
So far, I have not felt a burnout, but this
lockdown has helped me take it slow. I
chose my projects with a lot of
excitement and love for the subject and
the people I was teaming up with. When
everything opens up, ideally, we’ll try and
wrap up Haseen Dilruba first because 90
per cent of it has been shot. The tougher
part will be to reschedule Rashmi Rocket,
Shabaash Mithu and Loop Lapeta. When
the lockdown set in, I was a month away
from achieving the ideal physique for
Rashmi Rocket. We had to shoot in Bhuj,
but May and June will be too hot there.
So, we will have to wait for an ideal
weather window.
Were you training rigorously for
Rashmi Rocket, which is based on a
(fictional) female athlete from Gujarat?
We are living under the same roof: Rashami Desai:
Sunidhi Chauhan’s husband Hitesh Why did Arhaan
dismisses separation rumours transfer my
Onkar.Kulkarni@timesgroup.com
T
here were rumours doing the
rounds that singer Sunidhi
Chauhan and music director
Hitesh Sonik’s marriage has hit a rough
patch. The two have been married for
eight years and have a two-year-old son,
Tegh. The buzz was that Sunidhi and
Hitesh have been living separately since a
few days and have managed to keep the
news of their separation under wraps.
When Bombay Times reached out to
Sunidhi, she took a “No comments”
stand. Meanwhile, her husband, Hitesh,
rubbished the reports, and said, “It’s not
true.” However, when we told him that
his wife had neither confirmed nor
denied the rumours, he said, “Maybe she
doesn’t want to comment on it because
she finds the news too outrageous to even
think about it.”
Hitesh further clarified that the duo is
living together in the same house. “We are
Follow us on:
twitter.com/BombayTimes
facebook.com/BombayTimes
instagram.com/BombayTimes
Share a picture wearing a homemade mask on your social media handles using #MaskIndia. The best pictures will be featured in this space and on maskindia.com
came to a sudden halt. I will have to
IT LOOKED LIKE restart this journey almost from scratch.
Thappad was still in theatres when the
THAPPAD WAS GOING lockdown set in...
TO HAVE A GOOD RUN It looked like we were going to have a
good run in the third week, too. We had
IN THE THIRD WEEK, even planned a success party for it. But a
TOO, BUT A PANDEMIC pandemic like this is so huge. You can
always make another movie and earn
LIKE THIS IS SO HUGE. what you couldn’t this time.
YOU CAN ALWAYS Lastly, how have you been spending
time indoors, given that you’re always
MAKE ANOTHER MOVIE on the move?
AND EARN WHAT YOU My sister and I are in Mumbai, while
the rest of the family is in Delhi. We’re
COULDN’T not brats, but cooking was not
something that we had done while
I was being coached by four trainers, growing up. If I had it my way, I would
simultaneously. While one taught me have skipped it even now, but since I
how to sprint like a track athlete, the don’t have house-help around at this
other trained me to get the ripped body of time, we have to do it. I’ve been
a professional sprinter. A nutritionist watching online videos for recipes.
was helping me with an organic diet Other than that, I want to brush up my
plan, while a physio helped me stay Tamil and Telugu, and read all my
injury-free during this process. All this pending scripts.
money into his
account?
Neha.Maheshwri@timesgroup.com
A
fter joining Bigg Boss 13 as a
much-in-love couple, Rashami
Desai and Arhaan Khan’s
relationship suffered a blow on the reality
show, when it was revealed that Arhaan
had a child from his first marriage. After
the show ended, the actress had minced
no words in saying that their relationship
was over. And now, their equation has
taken a murkier turn. A couple of days
ago, the screenshots of Rashami’s bank
statements were posted on social media,
apparently by one of her fans. It showed
that lakhs had been transferred to
Arhaan’s (originally Mazhar Shaikh)
account while Rashami was inside the BB
house. While Arhaan blames Rashami for
the ‘leaks’, she refutes the allegation. BT
spoke to both of them and this is what
Sunidhi Chauhan and
they had to say...
Hitesh Sonik I HAVE NO CLUE WHO
LEAKED THOSE STATEMENTS:
RASHAMI DESAI
The actress says, “These transactions
were made in my absence, and that too,
WE HAVE DIVIDED without my knowledge, when I was
inside the BB house. When I came out
THE HOUSEHOLD and learnt about it, I shared the
screenshots of my personal documents
CHORES IN THIS
LOCKDOWN PERIOD.
WELL, MAYBE SUNIDHI BUZZSTOP JLO, ALEX WANT TO STARS COME UNDER SCANNER FOR
ISN’T HAPPY WITH MY
CLEANING, WHICH IS BUY BILLION-DOLLAR VIOLATING SOCIAL DISTANCING RULES
WHY SUCH A STORY HAS BASEBALL TEAM
SURFACED (LAUGHS!)
— Hitesh Sonik
living under the same roof. I am too busy
cleaning the house to even read the news.
We have divided the household chores in
this lockdown period. Well, maybe she
isn’t happy with my cleaning, which is
why such a story has surfaced (laughs!).”
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2020 I
ADVERTORIAL, ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY
PROMOTIONAL FEATURE I MUMBAI
Let the Khans do Bollywood films,
I am happy doing Tamil and
Punjabi movies: Harbhajan Singh
The cricketer will play an engineering student in his debut film down South
Rashami
Desai
As ex-couple Rashami Desai and Arhaan Khan’s
equation gets murkier, the big question is,
who leaked Rashami’s bank details online?
I HAVE NO CLUE WHO
HAS LEAKED MY BANK
STATEMENTS ON SOCIAL
MEDIA. IF I HAD TO
LEAK ANYTHING, I
WOULDN’T HAVE
WAITED FOR TWO
MONTHS AFTER BIGG
BOSS. I DON’T WANT
ANYTHING TO DO WITH
ARHAAN
— Rashami Desai
and these transactions with my
accounting staff and a few others. Why
did Arhaan transfer my money into his
account? Also, I don’t know the people he
has further transferred those funds to.
Apart from the `15 lakh that Arhaan has
JENNIFER LOPEZ AND ALEX RODRIGUEZ
are looking to raise capital in an attempt to
make a bid to purchase a stake in the New
York Mets, according to reports. Billionaire
and minority owner Steve Cohen’s attempt to
buy an 80 per cent stake of the Mets for $2.6
billion fell through in February. The combined
net worth of Rodriguez and Lopez is around
$700 million, as per the report. — Agencies
India takes the
#MaskIndia challenge
@PratimaPatel
Pics: maskindia.com
@sen_sha
Renuka.Vyavahare@timesgroup.com
C
ricketer Harbhajan Singh, who was seen in a special
appearance in the Punjabi movie, Bhaji In Problem
(2013), is all set to make his debut in South films with
Friendship. In the Tamil film directed by John Paul Raj and
HARBHAJAN Sham Surya, the cricketer essays the role of an engineering
SINGH student, who hails from Punjab. When we asked Harbhajan,
who is in his late 30s, whether he was apprehensive about
playing a student on screen, he said, “I think I am fit enough
to pass off as a college student, uncleji nahi lagunga.”
Talking about playing a lead role in a Tamil film, he joked,
MY WIFE, GEETA (BASRA), TOLD
ME NOT TO GET INTO FILMS AS IT’S
NOTHING LIKE THE SPORT THAT I
PLAY. ACTING IS NOT EVERYONE’S
CUP OF TEA, BUT IF NOTHING ELSE,
TAJURBA TOH MIL HI JAYEGA
“Let the Khans do Bollywood films, I am happy doing
Tamil and Punjabi movies.” On a serious note, he added,
“I get immense love from the people of Tamil Nadu as I
have played for the Chennai team in the Indian Premier
League (IPL). So, the language is not absolutely unknown
to me, but yes, I do need a translator on set, who helps me
with my scenes. I have also shot a cameo for another Tamil
film, which is yet to release.” However, Friendship will be
Harbhajan’s first full-fledged film as an actor down South.
Harbhajan is aware that many cricketers have tried their
luck in front of the camera in the past, but haven’t been
successful. “My wife, Geeta (Basra), told me not to get into
films as it’s nothing like the sport that I play. She is right in
the sense that acting is not everyone’s cup of tea, but if
nothing else, tajurba toh mil hi jayega. For the film
Friendship, I shot for two days before the lockdown, and now,
around 15-20 days’ work is pending,” he said.
Speaking about how he is testing the waters in the film
world, he shared, “I could think of pursuing acting, but it all
depends on how I fare in this film. I have also been offered a
Punjabi film. For 19 years of my life as a cricketer, I have
travelled constantly. Today, I only play in the IPL, which
happens once in a year. I have 10 months in the year for
myself, so why not do something new?”
Arhaan Khan:
Rashami and
I were in a
business
Arhaan
Khan
partnership
for two months after BB. I don’t want
anything to do with Arhaan. The whole
incident is disturbing and it has taken a
toll on me, emotionally.”
THIS IS A CURATED PLAN TO
MALIGN ME: ARHAAN KHAN
ANY TRANSFER OF Arhaan says, “Nobody can release these
statements except Rashami or me. Since
FUNDS IS EITHER MY the allegations are against me, it’s
RIGHTFUL PROFIT OR obvious that she leaked those
screenshots. Half the transactions
RETURN OF DEBT. ALSO, involving huge amounts aren’t mine.
Rashami had set up a production house,
TRANSFER OF FUNDS which I had joined as a partner. I have
WOULDN’T HAVE BEEN invested equally, both financially and
emotionally. Any transfer of funds is
POSSIBLE HAD either my rightful profit or return of
RASHAMI NOT GIVEN debt. Also, before making such
allegations, it is to be noted that transfer
ME SIGNED CHEQUES. of funds wouldn’t have been possible had
SHE WAS AWARE OF Rashami not given me signed cheques.
She had asked me to transfer money to
THE TRANSACTIONS certain people in her absence. It was
— Arhaan Khan work-related. She was fully aware of the
transactions and I have bills to prove my
to pay me, as can be seen in the claim. I strongly believe that this is a
screenshots, he owes me more money, curated plan to malign me, as I had
received messages, warning me against
which he is refusing to return. Talking
adversities post April 15. It’s unfortunate
about the screenshots, I have no clue who
has leaked them on social media. If I had that our relationship has reached a point
of no return.”
to leak anything, I wouldn’t have waited
KYLIE JENNER visited her friend
Stassie despite authorities’ pleas to
citizens to ‘stay home’ to help flatten the
COVID-19 curve. Footballer Tom Brady
received a citation this week, after he
was spotted working out in a park that
was closed due to the pandemic. Actor
Josh Brolin, too, apologised to fans on
social media for visiting his parents
amid the coronavirus lockdown in
California, calling his action
irresponsible. — Agencies