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Thursday, December 17, 2020
XCVI NO. 301
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NEW DELHI/METRO
Thursday, December 17, 2020
n VOL. XCVI NO. 301
1971 war heroes commemorated
Prime Minister Narendra Modi pays tribute at the National War Memorial to mark the 49th anniversary of the end of the 1971
India-Pakistan war that made Bangladesh an independent country, in New Delhi. “On Vijay Diwas, we recall the unwavering
courage of our armed forces that resulted in a decisive victory for our nation in the 1971 war,” Modi tweeted.
Dissent in TMC official,
Adhikari quits as MLA
Tanmay Chatterjee
tanmay.chatterjee@hindustantimes.com
KOLKATA: Dissidence within the
Trinamool Congress (TMC)
became official on Wednesday
when former cabinet minister
Suvendu Adhikari resigned
from the West Bengal assembly
and held a closed-door meeting
with some rebel lawmakers for
the first time, triggering specu-
lation that Union home minis-
ter Amit Shah’s visit to the state
this weekend could be marked
by defections to the BJP.
Shah will address rallies and
party workers in three districts
on December 19 and 20.
Adhikari and the rebels
assembled 165km away from
Kolkata, at the residence of the
TMC’s Burdwan East Lok
Sabha MP Sunil Mandal. Asan-
sol city’s outgoing mayor and
GOVT APPROVES
AUCTION OF
₹3.92 LAKH CR
4G SPECTRUM
NEW DELHI: The Union Cabinet
on Wednesday approved a pro-
posal for the auction of 2,251.25
megahertz of 4G spectrum
worth ₹3.92 lakh crore at the
base price.
The telecom ministry plans
to issue a notice to invite bids in
December and hold the spec-
trum auction by March, telecom
minister Ravi Shankar Prasad
said. The government will also
identify “trusted” sources of tel-
ecom equipment that can be
used by India’s cellular opera-
tors on their networks as part of
the national security directive
for the sector approved by the
Cabinet Committee on Security.
A list of manufacturers, to be
certified as ‘Indian trusted sour-
ces’, will be created and the
names of the firms whose
equipment cannot be used will
also be shared, Prasad said. Glo-
bally, there are five major tele-
com equipment makers, of
which two are Chinese. →P17
READ: Scan
the QR code
to access the
digital version
of today’s
edition
{ YEAR AFTER OUTBREAK } FINDING THE SOURCE
Team probing Covid origin to go to China in Jan
Agence France-Presse
letters@hindustantimes.com
GENEVA: The World Health
Organization (WHO) said on
Wednesday that a team of
international experts would
travel to China next month to
help investigate the animal ori-
gins of Covid-19.
“I can confirm that this will
take place in January,” WHO
spokesman Hedinn Halldors-
son told AFP when asked about
reports that the expert team
would finally go to China next
THE MOVE HAS LED
TO SPECULATION
THAT AMIT SHAH’S
VISIT TO THE STATE
THIS WEEKEND
MAY BE MARKED
BY DEFECTIONS
TO THE BJP
legislator from West Burdwan
district’s Pandabeswar, Jiten-
dra Tiwari, and dissident lead-
ers from at least three districts
attended the meeting. They did
not make any announcement
till the time of going to press.
Adhikari also wrote a letter
to governor Jagdeep Dhankhar
in the evening, seeking protec-
tion and expressing fear that he
and his associates may be
SC issues notice on uniform
divorce, maintenance laws
Abraham Thomas
letters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court
on Wednesday set the ball roll-
ing on a contentious debate over
uniform grounds for divorce and
maintenance/alimony across the
country that are both gender-
and religion-neutral.
A three-judge bench headed by
Chief Justice of India SA Bobde
issued notice on two separate
petitions filed by a lawyer and
Bharatiya Janata Party leader
Bharat Biotech Phase 1
data shows vaccine safe
NEW DELHI: India’s first domes-
tically produced vaccine against
the coronavirus disease (Cov-
id-19), Covaxin, triggered robust
immune response, and reported
no major adverse events, show
findings from the Phase 1 place-
bo-controlled, randomised, dou-
ble-blind trial on the safety and
immunogenicity published by
Bharat Biotech in a pre-print
study on Wednesday.
Only one serious adverse
event was reported, which was
month.
A year into the coronavirus
pandemic, which has killed
more than 1.6 million people
and infected over 73 million
globally, the question of where
the virus came from and how it
first crossed over to humans
remains a mystery.
The WHO has for months
been working to send the team
of 10 international experts,
including epidemiologists and
animal health specialists, to
China, where the virus first sur-
faced last December.
implicated by the police and
the administration in “criminal
cases out of political motiva-
tion and vendetta”.
Adhikari did not say a word
to the media but Dhankhar
tweeted, “Suvendu Adhikari
former minister @MamataOffi-
cial has by way of representa-
tion sought my intervention so
that police @WBPolice @Kolk-
ataPolice and administration
are dissuaded from implicating
him and associates in criminal
cases out of political vendetta.
Taking expected steps.”
Chief minister Mamata
Banerjee, who was on a three-
day tour of north Bengal, called
up Tiwari during the day and
asked him not to take any dras-
tic steps till she returns to
Kolkata and meets him on Fri-
day, TMC leaders said.
continued on →17
Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay.
The petitions highlighted
Article 44 of Constitution which
is a directive principle asking
states to implement a Uniform
Civil Code for all citizens. But
their main thrust was on dis-
criminatory practices existing
within personal laws that violate
Article 14, which offers the right
to equality, Article 21, which
promises the right to dignity. as
well as Article 15, which prohib-
its discrimination. Such prac-
tices place women at an inferior
found to be not vaccination-re-
lated, according to the study.
In Phase 1, initial testing of
the vaccine candidate is carried
out in a small numbers of
healthy adults to primarily test
its safety. The results of Phase 1
results of Covaxin had not been
publicly released yet even
though the data was first pre-
sented to Drugs Controller Gen-
eral of India on October 2 when
the company applied for
approval for Phase 3 trials. →P15
The UN health agency sent
an advance team to Beijing in
July to lay the groundwork for
the international probe. But it
has until now remained
unclear when the larger team
of scientists would be able to
travel to China to begin epide-
miological studies to try to
identify the first human cases
and their source of infection.
Scientists initially believed
the killer virus jumped from
animals to humans at a market
selling exotic animals for meat
in the city of Wuhan, where the
PTI
LEFT WINS BIG
IN KERALA LOCAL
POLLS IN ANOTHER
BLOW TO CONG
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The
ruling Left Democratic Front
(LDF) on Wednesday pulled off
an emphatic victory against the
odds in Kerala local body elec-
tions, considered a semi-final
before assembly elections due in
April-May 2021.
Even LDF leaders and the Con-
gress-led United Democratic
Front (UDF), which won 19 out of
the 20 Lok Sabha seats in Kerala
in the 2019 general elections,
were surprised by the outcome.
The Bharatiya Janata Party
(BJP)-led National Democratic
Alliance (NDA) remained an also-
ran. The local body elections
took place in the backdrop of
mounting challenges to the Com-
munist Party of India (Marx-
ist)-led government of chief min-
ister Pinarayi Vijayan, whose sec-
retary is in jail and a minister has
been questioned by law enforce-
ment agencies in connection with
a gold smuggling racket. →P8
position to men, the petitioner
contends.
The petitions prayed that
regardless of religion or gender,
grounds for divorce or mainte-
nance for men or women should
be the same.
To put this point through, the
petitioner engaged two leading
women senior advocates, Pinky
Anand and Meenakshi Arora, to
convince the court that the issue
at hand was not of encroaching
on personal laws but of gender
justice and equality. →P8
{ VIRAT KOHLI }
INDIA CAPTAIN
P
I represent
a new India.
A
virus was first detected late last
year. But experts now think the
market may not have been the
origin of the outbreak, but
rather a place where it was
amplified.
It is widely assumed that the
virus originally came from
bats, but the intermediate ani-
mal host that transmitted it
between bats and humans
remains unknown.
In October, the international
experts had their first meeting
with their Chinese counter-
parts, but only virtually.
 NEW DELHI
THURSDAY
DECEMBER 17, 2020

Number Theory
Border-Gavaskar trophy:
The real Test begins today
India face Australia in a four-Test series starting on Thursday aiming for a repeat of their
heroic first-ever series win in that country in 2018-19. The opening Test will be played under
lights at the Adelaide Oval. The face-off pits Australia’s pace battalion, who have flourished
with the pink ball, against India’s fine array of batsmen, who will have to be at their best if
they are to hand their hosts a defeat in the first Test.

INDIA AUSTRALIA
#3 #1
TEAM TEAM (LIKELY)
l Mayank Agarwal l Joe Burns
l Prithvi Shaw l Matthew Wade
l Cheteshwar Pujara l Marnus Labuschagne
l Virat Kohli l Steve Smith
WORLD l Ajinkya Rahane WORLD l Travis Head
RANKING l Hanuma Vihari RANKING l Cameron Green
l Wriddhiman Saha l Tim Paine
COACH l Ravichandran Ashwin COACH l Mitchell Starc
RAVI SHASTRI l Jasprit Bumrah JUSTIN LANGER l Josh Hazlewood
l Mohammed Shami l Pat Cummins
CAPTAIN l Umesh Yadav
CAPTAIN l Nathan Lyon
VIRAT KOHLI TIM PAINE
“The pink ball Test is probably going to be a bit more “We've managed to get three nights on the centre
challenging in terms of conditions and how the ball wicket at the Adelaide Oval, which I think is going
moves... Every challenge is new and different and to be a huge advantage to our team... The hardest
you have to understand the difficulties and thing about a pink ball Test is you normally get it
requirement to fulfil that particular challenge and once a year and so you are learning on the job in
hopefully, make sure you come out on top.” conditions that are just so foreign to us."
VIRAT KOHLI, Captain, India TIM PAINE, Captain, Australia

TWILIGHT CHALLENGE
1 7
The number of pink ball Tests Australia have won
India have played, beating every D/N Test they
Bangladesh at Eden Gardens have played, all at
in 2019. They start this tour home. Their record
with their first Day-Night Test in Adelaide is 4-0.
in Australia, at Adelaide

THE KOHLI FACTOR

India skipper Virat Kohli's average

71.83 at Adelaide, in three Tests across 6

years. His Adelaide record is – 3
Tests, 6 innings, 431 runs, 3x100s, avg 71.83.

Kohli scored a century in the only

136 pink-ball Test India played against

Bangladesh, in Nov, 2019.

6
Holds joint record with Sachin Tendulkar (20
Tests) for most centuries in Australia. Kohli
has played only 12 Tests there.

He will fly home after the first Test for the birth of
VIRAT
his first child KOHLI

BATTING BLUES
Australia will be without injured opener
David Warner for the Adelaide Test. He is
Australia's highest run-getter in D/N Tests
with 596 runs in 11 inngs

500 Steve Smith

IN 11 INNINGS (IN D/N)

Marnus Labuschagne
plus score in all 4 D/N

50 Test innings — 436

total runs.

l India will start without the experienced Rohit

Sharma with Prithvi Shaw named to partner
opener Mayank Agarwal
l Australia too have opening issues in Warner's
absence. Regular Joe Burns is short of runs,
failed in both warm-up games versus India.
l All-rounder Cameron Green is set to make his
Test debut after recovering from mild
concussion STEVE
SMITH

PACE
51 17
Kapil Dev's Test haul is Jasprit Bumrah's
the most by an Indian average (4 Tests, 21

BATTLE bowler in Australia;

11 Tests - Avg 24.58
wickets) is the best
in Australia

MEETING FIRE WITH FIRE

India's pace attack was a key factor in their series win two years ago. Bumrah, Shami and Ishant outperformed their
Australia counterparts in best bowling averages and strike rate. A look at how the two pace units match-up this time
TESTS IN AUS TESTS V INDIA IN AUSTRALIA
Player M W Avg Eco SR Player M W Avg Eco SR
U Yadav 8 27 27 45.85 4.52 60.7 M Starc 7 24 24 32.1 3.22 59.7
M Shami 7 31 31 30.83 3.63 50.9 J Hazlewood 7 25 25 30.0 2.7 66.6
J Bumrah 4 21 21 17 2.27 44.9 P Cummins 4 14 14 27.8 2.68 62.1

HEAD TO HEAD IN TESTS

Bowler Batsman I R B W Avg Scoring Rate
M Shami D Warner 4 72 76 0 - 94.7 94.7
M Shami S Smith 6 112 145 1 112.0 77.2 77.2
U Yadav D Warner 14 180 159 6 30.0 113.2 113.2
U Yadav S Smith 14 262 389 4 65.5 67.4 67.4
Stats: CricViz, Text: N Ananthanarayanan
REMAINING FIXTURES
SECOND TEST THIRD TEST FOURTH TEST
DEC Melbourne JAN Sydney Cricket JAN The Gabba, Brisbane
Cricket Ground Ground (1000 a.m. local/0000
26-30 (1030 a.m. local/2330 GMT) 7-11 (1030 a.m. local/2330 GMT) 15-19 GMT)
hindustantimes.com
f @hindustantimes t @httweets i @hindustantimes l @hindustantimes
n VOL.XCVI NO. 301 n PRICE ₹5.00/WITH HINDUSTAN ₹ 9.00 (₹ 7.50 IN FARIDABAD)/WITH MINT ₹ 9.50 n 23 PAGES + 3 PAGES OF HT CITY. AREA
SPECIFIC PAGES EXTRA.
SC steps in: ‘Talks set to fail’
Utkarsh Anand
letters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court
stepped in on Wednesday to try
and end the impasse between
farmers’ unions and the Centre
over the contentious new laws
to open up trade in agriculture,
observing that the protest will
soon become a national issue
and that recent events suggest
government negotiations with
the unions were “bound to fail
again.”
The organisation spearhead-
ing the protest said in its initial
reaction that the court’s deci-
sion was moral victory for the
farmers, but insisted that the
laws should be repealed.
A bench headed by Chief
Justice of India (CJI) SA Bobde
will hold a joint hearing of the
government and the farmers’
organisations on Thursday,
indicating that the court will
set up a committee of repre-
sentatives of both sides to dis-
cuss and resolve the dispute.
“It doesn’t seem the negotia-
tions between the government
and farmers will work,” the
court said.
The CJI-led bench is already
seized of a clutch of petitions
that have challenged the valid-
ity of the laws passed in Sep-
tember. These will also come
up for hearing on Thursday. At
continued on →17
;
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Women, including widows and relatives of farmers who killed themselves over debt, attend a
demonstration against the new farm laws at Tikri border on Wednesday.
No parallel talks: Farm leaders
HT Correspondent
letters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: The Samyukt Kisan
Morcha, a platform of farm
unions leading the protests
against three agricultural laws,
has asked the government not
to hold parallel negotiations
with farmers and stop vilifying
farmers as anti-national ele-
ments.
In a letter to agriculture min-
ister Narendra Singh Tomar, the
group said: “Please don’t hold
parallel negotiations. We have
already said that your proposals
for amendments are not accept-
able to us.”
The letter also asked the gov-
ernment not to spread mislead-
ing information. “The govern-
REUTERS
ment is open to talking to all
kinds of farmers, including
those on protest. Discussion and
dialogue is the only way for a
solution,” farm minister Tomar
had said on Tuesday after meet-
ing a group of farmers.
The government has so far
met four delegations of farmers
who say they support the farm
laws. →P8
PROTESTER, 65,
SHOOTS HIMSELF
DEAD AT SINGHU
ROHTAK/KARNAL: Baba Ram
Singh, the priest of a gurdwara
in Haryana, died after shooting
himself on Wednesday after-
noon at the Delhi-Haryana bor-
der in Singhu, where he reached
last evening and joined farmers
from Punjab and Haryana pro-
testing against three farm laws
passed in the Monsoon Session
of Parliament. He was 65. In a
suicide note, Singh said he
wanted to expose the “cruelty of
the government”. →P4
CABINET APPROVES
₹3,500-CR SUBSIDY
FOR SUGAR EXPORT
NEW DELHI: The Cabinet Com-
mittee on Economic Affairs has
approved a ₹3,500 crore sub-
sidy to export sugar by millers
amid a glut, a farmer-friendly
move through which India is
set to offer sugar export subsi-
dies for a third year in a row.
“Cabinet has taken the decision
to help farmers directly by
depositing money of subsidy
into their accounts ,” Union
minister Prakash Javadekar
said on Wednesday. →P8
8 <
5 4: -:
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US defence bill
slams China on
LAC aggression
Yashwant Raj
letters@hindustantimes.com
WASHINGTON: A US defence
spending legislation that has
been cleared by both chambers
of the US Congress expresses
“significant concern” with Chi-
nese aggression along the bor-
der with India, and urges Bei-
jing to settle the dispute
through “existing diplomatic
mechanisms” and “refrain’’
from using force and coercion.
The National Defense Autho-
rization Act (NDAA), 2021 seeks
to convey this message as an
expression of the “sense of Con-
gress”. Though it is neither a
demand nor a threat tagged
with enforceable consequences,
it is a significant show of sup-
port for India and solidarity,
passed by the Democratic-con-
trolled House of Representa-
tives and Republican-controlled
Senate.
The legislation is now await-
ing the signature of President
Donald Trump. He has until
December 23 to sign the bill into
law or veto it, as he has threat-
ened to. However, since the leg-
islations passed both the House
and Senate with two-thirds
majorities, the measure has
Thursday, December 17, 2020
THE BILL URGES
BEIJING TO SETTLE
THE ISSUE USING
DIPLOMATIC
MECHANISMS AND
‘REFRAIN’ FROM
USING FORCE
AND COERCION
enough support to override a
presidential veto.
In Section 1206 of the bill
titled “Sense of Congress on the
aggression of the government of
China along the border with
India and growing territorial
claims” the bill says, “Continued
military aggression by the Gov-
ernment of China along the bor-
der with India is a significant
concern.”
And that the “government of
China should work with the
government of India toward
de-escalating the situation
along the Line of Actual Control
through existing diplomatic
mechanisms and refrain from
attempting to settle disputes
through coercion or force”.
It goes on to point to China’s
other aggressive actions in the
continued on →17
NEW DELHI/METRO
JEE MAIN TO BE
HELD 4 TIMES
NEXT YEAR, IN
13 LANGUAGES
Prashant K Nanda
letters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: The Union govern-
ment on Wednesday said it will
conduct the marquee Joint
Entrance Examination (Main),
or JEE Main, four times a year
from 2021 in 13 languages includ-
ing English, just days after it said
that a proposal was being evalu-
ated for conducting it more than
twice.
The first of the four attempts
allowed in JEE Main in 2021 will
be conducted between February
23 and February 26 and there
will be no negative marking for
optional questions this time.
The government has decided
to conduct the examination in
February, March, April and May,
after due consideration, Union
education minister Ramesh Pok-
hriyal said. JEE Main will be
conducted in English, Hindi and
11 other languages, instead of just
English and Hindi as is the prac-
tice now, to give opportunities to
students from regional language
backgrounds, he said.
The regional languages will
include Tamil, Telugu, Gujarati,
Marathi, Odia and Assamese.
The new format of the examina-
tion will help reduce the chances
of JEE Main clashing with other
competitive examinations or
board examinations, the Union
education minister said. →P9
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02 NEW DELHI
THURSDAY
DECEMBER 17, 2020

Page One Plus

{ MY INDIA } PARLIAMENTARY PANEL { MY INDIA } UNDP REPORT { MY DELHI } DELHI RIOTS

Rahul walks out of India slips to 131st spot on Govt sanction in

A Dispatch {227} committee meet Human Development Index Khalid, Imam case

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and his colleagues
walked out of a parliamentary standing committee
meeting on defence on Wednesday, saying they
were not allowed to speak during a discussion on
uniforms and ranks. Gandhi, according to people
familiar with the proceedings, expressed an opinion
that such matters were best left for the forces to
discuss. The chairman of the panel asked Gandhi to
stick to the agenda, according to the people. A
Congress MP said Gandhi has been asking for a
discussion on the border standoff with China. →P8
India has dropped two spots on the Human Development Index,
according to the 2020 Human Development Report published by the
United Nations Development Programme on Wednesday. Asia’s third-
largest economy ranked 131 among 189 countries in 2019, according to
the report that measures national progress not by income or gross
domestic product alone, but by development indicators such as
educational attainment, health outcomes and standard of living.
Bhutan and Namibia have overtaken India. →P15
The Delhi government on Wednesday gave its
sanction to the police to charge 18 people accused in
the Delhi riots case — including former Jawaharlal
Nehru University students Sharjeel Imam, Natasha
Narwal, Devangana Kalita, former JNU student Umar
Khalid, and local politicians Tahir Hussain and Ishrat
Jahan — under sections of the Indian Penal Code that
deal with sedition and criminal conspiracy. A court
takes cognisance of the charges and starts trial in a
case only after the state government gives a
prosecution sanction. →P5

{ CULINARY FIRST } SINGAPORE MOVE

Lab-grown meat: Fad or revolution?

Lab-grown chicken meat that does not come from slaughtered animals will make its
debut in Singapore in a first this weekend. With challenges about pricing and whether it
will taste and feel authentic enough, can it live up to the hype and change food forever?
AP
HOW IS IT MADE?

Covid-19: What
A small amount of animal cells is sourced from poultry or livestock.
Those cells are then fed nutrients, including amino acids,
carbohydrates, minerals, fats and vitamins. “Instead of growing the
entire animal, we grow just what is typically consumed. This means
that we use fewer resources to grow the meat and we can be more
efficient, completing growth in weeks... Then, the harvested product
can be used by chefs in multiple final formats, from less structured

you need to
crispy chicken bites, savory chorizo and sausages, to more textured
products such as grilled chicken breasts,” according to the firm

FIRST SALE THE CHALLENGES

On Wednesday, the company There are challenges for cultured
said it made its first commercial meat — from cutting high costs and

know today
sale of the product to 1880, a
restaurant in Singapore’s
Robertson Quay, a posh
riverside entertainment centre;
the restaurant will start serving
it from Saturday. Eat Just chief
executive JOSH TETRICK said
the news “moves us closer to a
R Sukumar world where the majority of
meat we eat will not require
making large-scale production
feasible to winning approval.
There are also concerns about
whether cultured meat will
taste and feel like actual meat
THE FUTURE
Lab-meat startups have grown
from a handful in 2016 to at

T
he US Food and Drug Administration’s endorsement tearing down a single forest, least 60 now, according to Lux
of the Moderna vaccine’s safety and efficacy on Tues- displacing a single animal's Research Inc. The cell-based
habitat or using a single drop of meat market is projected to
day — a regulatory clearance is expected as early as
antibiotics”. Three cultured reach $140 billion in the next
Friday — came with a bonus: details, hitherto chicken dishes will be served, decade, according Blue Horizon Corp. AG
unknown, that indicated the vaccine’s ability to pre- “each bite influenced by a top
vent or, at the least, reduce the transmission of Cov- chicken-producing country in
id-19. As this columnist has previously written, what most of the the world: China, Brazil and the NEED FOR A GAME CHANGER
Phase 3 clinical trials of vaccines against Covid-19 sought to US”. The meat, to be sold as Meat consumption is projected to increase more
measure as an outcome was effectiveness in preventing infec- nuggets, will be than 70% by 2050. Demand for sustainable meat
tion. The vaccines developed by Moderna, Pfizer/BioNTech, priced at alternatives is rising due to growing pressure from
premium consumers about the environment and animal welfare, A dish made with lab-grown cultured
Astra Zeneca/Oxford, and the Gamaleya Institute, have all chicken developed by Eat Just is
chicken prices but other products in the market are plant-based.
proved to be effective, albeit to varying degrees, though all do pictured in this handout photo. REUTERS
exceed the bar of 50% set by the US regulator.
Based on the trial data published in the public domain, only
AstraZeneca seemed to have tested for the vaccine’s impact on
{ PARLIAMENT COMMITTEE } SOCIAL MEDIA
transmission — it found that the vaccine did reduce transmission
— although this nugget was almost immediately forgotten in the UK officially lists air
Vaccine
criticism that was justifiably and understandably targeted at the
vaccine developers for data based on what was clearly a mash-up
of Phase 3 clinical trials. It’s probably the reason the vaccine
won’t be approved in the US on the basis of these trials; an
Panel grills FB head for pollution as cause
agreements
ALL FIGURES
IN MILLIONS
approval in the UK, one of the places where Phase 3 trials were
conducted, is expected in days.
Now, FDA’s in-depth report on the Moderna vaccine candi- inaction on Bajrang Dal of 9-year-old’s death
2600 date publicises data that was absent in the company’s initial data Prasun Sonwalkar ELLA KISSI-DEBRAH
released in mid-November. According to this report, the com- THE MPS WANTED express themselves freely,” a
pany presented data that showed that the first shot of its two-
Deeksha Bhardwaj
Facebook spokesperson said. letters@hindustantimes.com DIED IN FEBRUARY
dose vaccine actually managed to reduce asymptomatic infec- letters@hindustantimes.com TO KNOW WHY Among other issues dis- LONDON: For the first time in 2013 AFTER A
tions — something that could, if established through further NEW DELHI: The parliamentary FACEBOOK HADN’T cussed were Facebook’s griev- British legal history, air pollution SERIOUS ASTHMA
research, mean that it reduces transmission of the viral disease. panel on information technol- ACTED ON THE ance redressal system, which was confirmed on Wednesday as
Vaccines that don’t just prevent infections but also reduce or ogy on Wednesday reproached the panel said should be based the cause of the death of a Lon- ATTACK. SHE LIVED
stop transmission could effectively crush the pandemic — and Facebook India head Ajit INTERNAL REPORT in India and not in the United don girl in 2013 in a widely fol- 30 METRES FROM A
mean a faster return to normal. For instance, it could mean vac- Mohan over the social media THAT HAD CALLED States. lowed case, whose outcome is MAJOR RING ROAD
cinated people no longer have to wear masks because they can- company’s reluctance to ban the THE BAJRANG DAL The panel also quizzed Face- now expected to lead to new
not be transmitters. Bajrang Dal although an inter- book on its fact-checking mech- measures to curb pollution in IN AN AREA WHERE
Similar data for the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, which is cur- nal report, according to the Wall DANGEROUS anism and revenue model. “It the city. AIR POLLUTION
rently being administered in both the US and the UK, isn’t availa- Street Journal, termed the also has to be ascertained Ella Kissi-Debrah, 9, and her WAS VERY HIGH
ble, although the company is believed to be working on this. Hindu nationalistic group a whether Facebook is a pub- family lived near the South Cir-
1965 While the Pfizer vaccine awaits regulatory clearance in India, “dangerous” organisation. It is ciplinary” approach when it lisher or an intermediary, there cular Road in Lewisham, where
it is likely that most Indians will not receive it. A vaccine dash- the second time in five months comes to enforcing a ban on has to be accountability,” said levels of nitrogen dioxide air pol- of Southampton and Southamp-
board maintained by Unicef puts the number of vaccine doses that the panel has found reason individuals or organisations on the second person. “Facebook’s lution from traffic constantly ton general hospital, told the
for which India has struck agreements with companies at 200 to rebuke the company for not the social media company. ability to manipulate the reach exceeded the annual legal limit court that that a biological cause
million — which is probably more accurate than the 1.6 billion heeding its own internal assess- “We enforce our Dangerous of a post was also brought up at of 40µg/m3, between 2006 and of her disease getting worse in
number doing the rounds. Of this, 100 million doses (of Covis- ments. Individuals and Organizations the meeting. Why is it that anti- 2010. She would walk along the the winter months was the sea-
hield, the two-dose AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine) are through an The question was raised by policy globally without regard government posts don’t get road to and from school. sonal worsening air pollution.
agreement between Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance and Serum Insti- Congress party MPs and mem- to political position or party same traction as pro-govern- Philip Barlow, inner south He said it was the cumulative
tute of India (SII), which is making the drugs locally, and another bers of the panel, Shashi Tha- affiliation,” Stone said, accord- ment ones.” London coroner, said Kissi-De- effects of the toxic air Ella was
100 million, through an agreement between Gamaleya and Het- roor, Karti Chidambaram and ing to the report. The panel also sought back- brah’s death was caused by acute breathing in living within 30
ero Drugs. The Indian government isn’t party to either deal, Nasir Hussain, people familiar People familiar with the mat- ground information on all 268 respiratory failure, severe metres of the South Circular
although there would seem to be an unstated understanding that with the matter said. Tharoor ter said Mohan dismissed the Facebook India employees. asthma and air pollution expo- road that caused her final acute
the government will, pending the vaccine’s approval in India, heads the panel, which met rep- WSJ report as “fake news”. Trinamool Congress MP sure. “Ella died of asthma con- asthma attack. In the three years
acquire most of the output of SII that hasn’t been spoken for resentatives of Facebook to “Some MPs also wanted to Mahua Moitra :also asked Face- tributed to by exposure to exces- before her death, she had multi-
already. question them on its efforts to know why Facebook hadn’t book “whether or not it mone- sive air pollution.” ple seizures and was admitted to
India is also likely betting on Covaxin, the vaccine being devel- safeguard citizens’ rights, pre- flagged it as fake if the article tizes data,” said the first person “There was a recognised fail- hospital 27 times.
oped by Bharat Biotech in partnership with the Indian Council vent misuse of online news plat- wasn’t true,” said the first per- mentioned above. ure to reduce the levels of nitro- The British Lung Foundation
for Medical Research. Phase 3 trials for Covaxin (also a two-dose forms and ensure women’s son cited above. The person added: “Facebook gen dioxide, which possibly con- and Asthma UK said the inquest
vaccine) are currently underway, and interim results are security in the digital space. A second person aware of was evasive on the issue. It tributed to her death. There was had laid bare the “invisible dan-
expected around the end of the year. Bharat Biotech has sought “The MPs wanted to know Wednesday’s proceedings said shows they may not be selling also a lack of information given gers of breathing dirty air” and
emergency-use approval on the basis of data from its Phase 1/2 why Facebook hadn’t acted on the social media company con- the data but they have a system to Ella’s mother that possibly set a precedent for a “seismic
trials (this is as yet unpublished), but India’s drug regulator has the internal report that had tended that Bajrang Dal may that allows them to monetize contributed to her death,” he shift” in government policy.
rightly asked the company to come back with data from its Phase called the organisation danger- remain on Facebook, but any it.” added. Between 28,000 and 36,000
3 trials. Again, while no formal deal exists (or has been publi- ous,” said a person aware of the hate posts on its page would be It’s not the first time that Rosamund Kissi-Debrah, deaths in Britain each year are
cised), the understanding would appear to be that, pending proceedings of the meeting, taken down. Facebook has found itself in the mother of the deceased, thought to be linked to air pollu-
approval, the government will acquire much of Bharat Bio- requesting anonymity. “The MPs also wanted to middle of a controversy in India mounted a legal challenge, argu- tion. According to figures from
700 tech’s output. Wall Street Journal reported know why Facebook can’t take following a Wall Street Journal ing that there was sufficient evi- the London mayor’s office,
SII is conducting its own Phase 3 trials of Covishield that an internal assessment by down a post suo moto {on its report. According to an August dence to conclude that there WHO-recommended limits for
in India, and when that data is released it will be inter- Facebook had described the Baj- own} if its violates its hate pol- 14 report in the newspaper, were failures by the state to take air pollution are broken in virtu-
509 esting to see if there is any indication that the vac-
cine prevents transmission, as suggested by the
rang Dal as dangerous, but the
company did not act on the
icy,” the second person said.
They pointed out that by the
.Facebook’s then-South Asia
public policy director Ankhi
steps to protect the public from
dangerous levels of air pollution,
ally all of the British capital.
Across the world, the global
interim analysis of its Phase 3 trial data that was report because of financial and time someone complains about Das intervened to stop Telan- which amounted to a violation of health body says air pollution
released last month. safety concerns. WSJ on Decem- a post, it may have “already gana Bharatiya Janata Party leg- Article 2 of the Human Rights kills some seven million people
358 340 ber 14 reported that Facebook served its purpose.” islator T Raja Singh from being Act, the right to life. The family’s every year and nine out of 10
315.5 “balked at removing the group” Facebook told HT that the banned from the social media lawyers told the court that air people breathe air that exceeds
266 because its security team social media platform was site over possible fallout for the pollution was a public health guideline limits on pollutants.
200 warned that action against Baj- transparent and allowed people company’s business interests in emergency and there was a Low- and middle-income
150 rang Dal “might endanger both to express themselves freely. India. pressing need for it to be countries are worst affected,
114.8 the company’s business “We thank the Honorable Singh was eventually banned recorded as a cause of death to leading to premature deaths
prospects and its staff in India”. Parliamentary Committee for permanently from Facebook ensure public health pro- from conditions including
Facebook spokesperson Andy their time. We remain commit- and Das resigned from the com- grammes to tackle toxic air are strokes, heart disease, lung can-
Stone had denied the allegations ted to be an open and transpar- pany in October to “pursue my prioritised. cer and infections.
US European COVAX UK Canada Japan Indonesia Brazil India Latin Australia
America* *excl Brazil stating that the company has a ent platform, and to giving peo- personal interest in public ser- Stephen Holgate, an immuno-
Commission SOURCE: UNICEF
“careful, rigorous and multidis- ple a voice and allowing them to vice.” pharmacologist at the University With inputs from AFP
04
Blockade at Chilla border: Sikh religious leader kills
Traffic from Noida diverted himself at Singhu border
Karn Pratap Singh and
Fareeha Iftikhar
letters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: Farmer groups on
Wednesday blocked the car-
riageway from Noida to Delhi via
the Chilla border, even as the
Supreme Court on Wednesday
indicated that it may form a
committee to resolve the dead-
lock over the three new conten-
tious farm laws.
The Delhi-Noida carriageway,
however, remained in operation
with only about 150 farmers
reaching the site instead of the
nearly 2,000 that were expected,
according to farm union leaders.
The Noida-Delhi traffic was
diverted through the Delhi-
Noida Direct Flyway.
In a press conference on Tues-
day evening, farmer leaders had
announced that they will “com-
pletely block” the Chilla (Delhi-
Noida link road) border.
“We were expecting nearly
2,000 farmers to reach there for
the complete blockade of the
Chilla border. However, only a
few could reach and block one
carriageway. We will reach on
Thursday morning in full
strength and block both the
roads,” said Rishipal Ambawata,
head of Bharatiya Kisan Union’s
Ambawata group.
Yogesh Pratap Singh, state
president of BKU (Bhanu), said:
“We will continue the blockade
till the government accepts all
our demands. We are not against
another round of talks, but the
government should also give us
an optimistic response. We are
planning to block DND next.”
The agitation at Delhi’s four
key borders – Singhu, Tikri, UP
Gate and Chilla – entered the 21st
day on Wednesday.
Farm union leaders also said
they had formed an IT cell to
counter the Centre’s “propa-
ganda” about the agitation.
Commenting on the SC’s indi-
cations earlier in the day, Bhar-
NORTH MCD TELLS
HC IT WILL RAZE
TEMPLE TO CLEAR
WAY FOR CHANDNI
CHOWK REVAMP
Richa Banka
richa.banka@htlive.com
NEW DELHI: The North Delhi
Municipal Corporation on
Wednesday told the Delhi high
court it plans to demolish on
December 20 a temple that falls
along the path of the Chandni
Chowk redevelopment project,
after programmes to bring
down the structure were post-
poned twice previously.
In an affidavit filed through
its standing counsel, the North
civic body said caution is being
exercised, in consultation with
the police and other authorities
before the demolition begins.
The reply comes after several
contentions were raised on the
delay in removal of the temple.
The court was hearing an
application seeking the compli-
ance of the court’s earlier order
to demolish the temple which
is under the right of way of
Chandni Chowk main road,
which is part of the redevelop-
ment plan.
On Wednesday, the civic
body told a bench of justices
Hima Kohli and Subramonium
Prasad, that in compliance with
the orders of the court, the
demolition programme for the
removal of the temple had ear-
lier been scheduled for Novem-
ber 1.
“However, keeping in view
the upcoming festival of Deepa-
wali etc. it was decided to post-
pone the said action,” the North
MCD said, adding that the next
date for the removal was fixed
for November 22.
But on the said date, a huge
crowd had gathered at the
demolition site and the civic
body that work could not be
executed on the day due to
administrative reasons. The
civic body told the court that
another encroachment
removal program has been
fixed for December 20.
The court, while taking note
of the submissions, posted the
matter for further hearing on
January 12.
ATTEMPTS TO
BEGIN DEMOLITION
WERE POSTPONED
TWICE, THE NORTH
CORPORATION
TOLD THE HC
Farmers play volleyball during the ongoing protest against the new farm laws at the Delhi-Meerut
Expressway near Ghaziabad.
atiya Kisan Union leaders after
their core committee meeting in
the evening decided “to remain
silent on the matter” until they
receive any notice from the apex
court over constituting the
panel. They had welcomed the
Supreme Court’s decision earlier
in the day, with some sugges-
tions of their own on how the
body would be constituted.
Manjeet Rai, national presi-
dent of BKU (Doaba), said, “In
the meeting, the members of our
core committee decided that we
will not comment anything on
the Supreme Court’s suggestion
of forming a panel of farmers
and representatives of the gov-
ernment for talks on the farm
laws till a formal notice is
received. The matter is listed in
the Supreme Court on Thursday.
Further decision will be taken
accordingly.”
The farm leaders had earlier
demanded that the panel should
mainly consist of the representa-
tives of the farmers who have
been protesting against the farm
Indian Army veterans mark Widows of farmers who
Vijay Diwas at protest site died by suicide join sit-in
Karn Pratap Singh
karn.singh@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: Dressed in their
uniforms and medals, nearly
40 Indian Army veterans,
including some who had fought
and won the 1971 war against
Pakistan, on Wednesday gath-
ered at the Singhu border and
celebrated Vijay Diwas (Victory
Day) along with thousands of
farmers who have been protest-
ing there against three farm
laws for the past 21 days.
The veterans, who are mem-
bers of Indian Veterans’ Orga-
nisation (IVO), said they had
come from five states to the
protest venue to “support and
fight the farmers’ agitation” as
defence personnel.
“On this day (December 16)
in 1971, the Indian Army
defeated Pakistan in war,
which resulted in East Paki-
stan’s liberation and the crea-
tion of Bangladesh. The pro-
testing farmers need something
similar from us to win their
battle against the government
and get freedom from the three
black farm laws. We have come
here to extend our support,”
said Captain Ashin Khan (retd),
Covid-19 positivity rate below 2%
for 2 days, less than 5% for 14 days
Anonna Dutt
anonna.dutt@htlive.com
NEW DELHI: With over 79,000
tests conducted and 1,547 new
cases reported on Wednesday,
Delhi saw a positivity rate of less
than 2% for the second consecu-
tive day, as per the daily health
bulletin shared by the city gov-
ernment. Delhi also reported 32
deaths due to Covid-19, taking
the city’s total toll to 10,147 as on
Wednesday.
The positivity rate – the pro-
portion of samples that return
positive among the total tested –
has remained at 5% or less in
Delhi for the past 14 days, a first
since the government started
releasing daily data in March,
giving rise to hopes that the dis-
ease may finally be under con-
trol in the national capital.
bills at Delhi borders and other
places across the country. They
also said that they will not accept
the “participation of any pro-
government farmer leaders” in
the panel.
“We will not accept any such
leaders in the panel. The com-
mittee should be time-bound.
We request the government of
Punjab and Haryana to play a
positive role and stand in soli-
darity with the agitating protest-
ers. The farmers are dying at the
protest venue because of the
chilling cold,” Satnam Singh
Sahni, BKU Doaba’s general sec-
retary, said in the afternoon
when asked to comment on the
Supreme Court’s decision.
However, the farmer leaders
changed their stand after the
core committee meeting and
decided to maintain silence of
the issue till the Wednesday’s
hearing in the court.
Darshan Pal, president of
Krantikari Kisan Union, said that
the members of All India Kisan
Sangharsh Coordination Com-
Retired army personnel at
Singhu border.
general secretary of the IVO,
adding that he was part of the
Kargil War, and operations
Pawan and Parakram.
These veterans from Punjab,
Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Mad-
hya Pradesh and Delhi, said
that their presence in solidarity
with the farmers should be
considered as the real tribute to
the defence personnel who died
fighting the 1971 war. More
than 1,500 members of the IVO
have visited the Singhu and
Tikri borders since the agita-
tion started 21 days ago, said
Captain Bikkar Singh (retd),
adding that had fought the 1971
Experts believe that the
spread of the infection is under
control if a positivity rate is 5%
or less and hat rate is maintained
for at least two weeks.
“The number of cases and
positivity rate in Delhi have con-
tinued to decline even though
the behaviour of the people –
such as wearing masks properly
in public and maintaining social
distance – has remained some-
what ambivalent. So, the decline
is probably due to a high per-
centage of the population being
exposed to the infection. Now, it
is unlikely that Delhi would see a
large spurt in cases. It might
happen if a lot of susceptible
people return to the city or if the
virus mutates significantly,” said
Dr Shobha Broor, former head of
the department of microbiology,
All India Institute of Medical Sci-
My Delhi
SAKIB ALI/HT PHOTO
mittee (AIKSCC), a platform
leading the protests, will meet on
Thursday morning and decide
the next course of action. “We
will discuss the suggestions
given by the apex court on
Thursday. We will take any deci-
sion after discussing with all the
farmers’ unions,” he said.
On Wednesday, the farmer
leaders said that they have
formed an IT Cell to counter the
central government’s “propa-
ganda” that they have been
spreading against the protesting
farmers through various means.
“Our 50 member IT wing
would respond to all such propa-
ganda of the government and
revert instantly in the same
manner. This cell will also work
to disseminate real-time infor-
mation about our decisions and
progress in the agitation to
nearly 1.2 billion people across
the globe who are associated
with us,” said Rai.
At the Ghazipur and Tikri
borders, the protest remained
peaceful on Wednesday.
war with Pakistan.
Captain Joginder Singh Sen-
gar (retd), national president of
the organisation, said that he
was pained by the “misinfor-
mation” being circulated
through various mediums that
the farmers’ protest is being
“funded by terrorist organisa-
tions” and that “anti-national
elements” have taken over the
protests.
“I came with my team to the
Singhu border to identify such
elements. But forget about ter-
rorists, we have not even found
any political leaders here. All
those who are protesting are
farmers and there is no inter-
national funding as such. If any
anti-national element is identi-
fied, we will catch them and
treat him the way the Indian
Army treats a terrorist,” said
Sengar.
The retired Army officers
said that the farmers and
defence personnel are two
sides of the same coin and by
supporting the farmers they
will be able to uphold former
Prime Minister Lal Bahadur
Shastri’s slogan, “Jai Jawan, Jai
Kisan”.
ences.
The low positivity rate, how-
ever, could mean Delhi might
not scale up testing further, as
implied by Delhi health minister
Satyendar Jain on Wednesday
during a press briefing.
“The World Health Organiza-
tion says tests should be scaled
up till the positivity rate of less
than 8% is achieved. A positivity
rate of 5% is considered to be
optimum, which means that suf-
ficient number of tests is being
done. Delhi has had a positivity
rate of less than 3% for five days
in a row and less than 5% for 15
days in a row. Right now, the
positivity rate is about 2%. Let us
wait and watch as to how long
the 2% positivity rate can be
maintained,” said Jain, when
asked about scaling up testing.
After a meeting with Union
Sunil Rahar and
Neeraj Mohan
letters@hindustantimes.com
ROHTAK/KARNAL: Baba Ram
Singh, the priest of a gurdwara
in Haryana, died after shooting
himself on Wednesday after-
noon at the Delhi-Haryana bor-
der in Singhu, where he reached
last evening and joined farmers
from Punjab and Haryana pro-
testing against three farm laws
passed in the Monsoon Session
of Parliament. He was 65.
In a suicide note, Singh, a res-
ident of Singhra village in Hary-
ana’s Karnal district,said he
wanted to expose the “cruelty of
the government”.
In a handwritten note in Pun-
jabi, he said: “Farmers are in
pain, they are protesting on the
roads for their rights. The gov-
ernment is not giving them jus-
tice, which is cruel. It is a sin to
endure persecution and also a
sin to oppress. Some have stood
for the farmer rights and against
the cruelty. People have
returned their awards to show
protest. I am sacrificing myself.”
HT has seen a copy of the note.
Sonepat’s superintendent of
Several from farm families joined the protest at Tikri border on Wednesday
Fareeha Iftikhar
fareeha.iftikhar@htdigital.in
NEW DELHI : A 56-year-old
woman whose farmer husband
died by suicide five years ago; a
70-year-old who lost her daugh-
ter-in-law, the sole earner of the
family, a decade ago; and a
60-year-old mother whose son
consumed poison in 2010 were
among the several people from
farm families who joined the
protest at Tikri border on
Wednesday.
Jasbeer Kaur, 56, a farmer
from Kakarwal village of San-
grur district of Punjab, said her
husband ended his life in 2015
after he failed to repay his farm
debts. “Our lives had stopped the
very day. We just could not ever
overcome the loss. Things got
more worse after that. We had to
sell the two-acre land and my
16-year-old son is now working
on someone else’s farmland. I
still have to repay a loan of ₹4
lakh,” she said.
Holding photographs of their
loved ones, the women were
seen raising slogans against the
new farm laws at the Delhi-Har-
yana border in Tikri near a sepa-
home minister Amit Shah in
mid-November, when Delhi was
going through the third and the
worst surge in cases, the govern-
ment had decided to scale up the
number of daily tests to between
100,000 and 120,000.
On Tuesday, Delhi had
reported the highest number of
tests in a day – 85,105. Of these,
almost half were conducted
using the more accurate RT PCR
method. The daily number of
tests has gone up from an aver-
age of 52,617 tests, in the first
week of November, to 72,793
over the past seven days, as per
the data shared by the Delhi gov-
ernment.
The proportion of RT PCR
tests daily has also gone up from
27.6% in the first week of
November to 48.25% during the
past seven days.
police Jashandeep Randhawa
confirmed that the police had
received information that a man
shot himself dead at Kundli-
Singhu, where the farmers are
protesting. Ravi Kumar, station
house officer of the Kundli police
station, said the suicide note had
been recovered and that its
authenticity was being ascer-
tained.
“The Kundli police is investi-
gating the case. A thorough
probe will be done,” the SP
added.
Tens of thousands of farmers,
mostly from Punjab and Hary-
ana, have gathered on Delhi’s
borders, demanding the repeal
of three farm laws that allow
businesses to freely trade farm
produce outside the govern-
ment-controlled mandi system,
permit private traders to stock-
pile large quantities of essential
commodities for future sales,
and lay down new rules for con-
tract farming.
Shiromani Akali Dal presi-
dent Sukhbir Singh Badal
expressed his anguish on the
priest’s death. “Anguished to
hear that Sant Baba Ram Singh ji
Nanaksar Singhra wale shot
rate stage set up by Bharatiya
Kisan Union (Ugrahan).
Hardeep Kaur, 70, a farmer
from Ugrahan, said her daugh-
ter-in-law died by suicide a dec-
ade ago after she was trapped in
farm debts. “She was the only
earning member of our family.
Both my husband and my son
are bedridden. We had ₹6 lakh
debt at that time and the pro-
duce from our less than two-acre
land was not enough to repay
that. Her death was like a storm
we feel every day,” she said.
The women said they had
decided to join the stir at Delhi’s
borders because the three new
farm laws will “lead to more
farmers ending their lives”.
To be sure, the suicide cases
are not linked to the new farm
laws, which were approved by
Parliament in September. How-
ever, farmers’ suicides, a long-
standing issue in India, have
been linked to farmers’ indebt-
edness, poor crop prices and
price volatility.
As many as 10,281 agricultur-
ists (5,957 cultivators and 4,324
farm labourers) died by suicide
in 2019, accounting for 7.5% of
total suicides in the country,
{ DELHI COVID VACCINATION DRIVE }
‘Power dept, DJB staff will be
considered frontline workers’
HT Correspondent
anonna.dutt@htlive.com
NEW DELHI: Delhi health min-
ister Satyendar Jain on
Wednesday said the state gov-
ernment would consider
employees of the electricity
department and the Delhi Jal
Board (DJB) as front-line work-
ers and they would be second
in line, after health care work-
ers, to receive the coronavirus
disease (Covid-19) vaccine
when it becomes available.
As per the recommendations
of the National Expert Group
on Vaccine Administration for
Covid-19 (NEGVAC), an esti-
mated 10 million health care
workers, 20 million front-line
workers, including the police
and army personnel, and 270
million people, either over the
himself at Singhu border in
Kisan Dharna, looking at farm-
ers’ suffering. Sant ji’s sacrifice
won’t be allowed to go in vain. I
urge GOI not to let situation
deteriorate any further & repeal
the 3 agri laws,” he tweeted
Congress leader Rahul Gan-
dhi expressed his grief over his
death and said many farmers
have given their lives for the agi-
tation. “The cruelty of Modi gov-
ernment has crossed all limits.
Leave stubbornness and repeal
the three farm laws,” he tweeted.
Delhi chief minister Arvind
Kejriwal tweeted, “The news of
Sant Baba Ram Singh Ji’s suicide
is very painful. Condolences to
his family in this hour of grief.
Our farmers are asking for their
rights, the government should
listen to the voice of the farmers
and all three black laws should
be withdrawn.”
Amarjeet Singh, a close asso-
ciate of Singh, said he shot him-
self in his own vehicle. “From the
dharna site, he was rushed to a
private hospital in Panipat
where he died during treat-
ment,” he said.
Gloom descended on Singhra
village after the news of his
AMAL KS/HT PHOTO
according to official data.
Sarjeet Kaur (60), said her
28-year-old son died by suicide
in 2010 as he could not repay the
debt of ₹10 lakh. “He was our
only son. We are still under huge
debt despite selling our three-
acre land. Both my husband and
I work on our neighbour’s farm-
land. Now, these new farm laws
will further reduce the income of
farmers and will force more
farmers to meet a fate like my
son’s,” she said.
The protesting women said
debt has increased over the
years. Mahinder Kaur, 55, whose
husband died by suicide in 2015,
said, “He ended his life because
he could not repay a loan of ₹5
lakh. Now, that loan has
increased to ₹15 lakh. I can’t end
my life and leave my children
alone. We are also here to ask the
government to give us compen-
sation or waive our debts. This
debt-ridden life is a slow death.”
Harpreet Kaur, president of
BKU (Ugrahan) women’s wing,
said, “We requested the women
to join the stir to make the gov-
ernment understand farmers
have been struggling for years
due to anti-farmer policies.”
age of 50 years or with comor-
bidities, will be the three prior-
ity groups to receive the vac-
cine.
“Yesterday (Tuesday), the
Delhi government has ordered
that the employees of the DJB
and the electricity department
will be on the list of front-line
workers and will be adminis-
tered the vaccine on priority
when it becomes available.
They were working 24 hours a
day even when there was a
lockdown. Police, civil defence
volunteers and safai karma-
charis are already on the prior-
ity list,” said Jain in an interac-
tion with the press on Wednes-
day.
Delhi has already collected
information on health care
workers through the hospitals
and clinics they work in. The
NEW DELHI
THURSDAY
DECEMBER 17, 2020
death spread.
Residents of the village as well
as the priest’s followers from
Karnal as well as from nearby
districts gathered at the Gurud-
wara and accused the Central
government of not solving the
farmers’ issue and forcing Singh
to take his life.
“He had dedicated his life to
Sikh Sanghat and his supreme
sacrifice will not go waste as it
will unite all farmers,” said
Angrej Singh Pannu, another of
his associates.
Singh, who moved to Karnal
in 1983 from Ludhiana in Pun-
jab, was popular in the commu-
nity and had thousands of fol-
lowers in Karnal and nearby dis-
tricts.
He used to organise weeklong
satsangs (prayer meetings) and
langars (community kitchens)
for thousands of people , village
residents said.
His body has been kept at the
Singhra village Gurudwara and
will be cremated on Thursday.
Additional police forces have
been deployed in and around the
village in a preventive measure,
the local police said on Wednes-
day.
BJP STEPS UP
DRIVE TO DRUM
UP SUPPORT FOR
NEW FARM LAWS
HT Correspondent
htreporters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: As the protest by
farmers at Delhi borders inten-
sifies, the Delhi BJP has
stepped up its campaign in sup-
port of the three new farm laws
passed by Parliament and held
meetings with farmers to
“explain” the laws tot them.
On Thursday, Delhi BJP
chief Adesh Gupta, BJP MLA
and leader of the opposition in
Delhi Assembly Ramvir Singh
Bidhuri, and Union minister of
state for agriculture Kailash
Choudhary met farmers in
Narela and Khanjhawla in
north-west Delhi.
BJP leaders said they are
explaining the laws to farmers
and trying to make them
understand how these new leg-
islations will do away with the
middleman.
The BJP also hit out at Delhi
chief minister Arvind Kejriwal
for supporting the ongoing pro-
test and said farmers in Delhi
don’t even get basic benefits
and alleged that the Kejriwal
government in the national
capital has done nothing in this
regard.
Gupta said, “The farmers in
Delhi do not have irrigation
facilities; there is no depart-
ment to solve the problems of
the farmers. The Modi govern-
ment is dedicated to work in
the interests of farmers and is
fighting against the injustice
being done to farmers of Delhi.
We will get them their rights.”
Bidhuri said, “During the
assembly elections, Kejriwal
has made tall promises for the
welfare of farmers. But the gov-
ernment has done nothing
despite being in power for six
years. We will tell farmers in
Delhi about the failure of the
AAP-led Delhi government and
the benefits farmers will get
with the new farm laws.”
The Aam Aadmi Party did
not comment on the allega-
tions.
category of health care workers
includes doctors, AYUSH prac-
titioners, dentists, nurses, para-
medical staff, non-medical staff
in health care facilities, as well
as security personnel in such
facilities.
The districts already have in
place data on the aged and
those with comorbidities in
containment areas, which was
collected during the door-to-
door survey. This will be
updated for the vaccination
drive.
The government has also
started training health care
workers on vaccine administra-
tion. The cold storage facilities
and fixed points such as dis-
pensaries and mohalla clinics
where the vaccine will be
administered are already in
place.
NEW DELHI
THURSDAY
DECEMBER 17, 2020 My Delhi 05

An uneasy calm in Shaheen

MOVE TO RENAME
F’BAD’S BADSHAH Delhi riots: Govt
KHAN HOSPITAL
IRKS TRUST, PUBLIC gives sanction to
Bagh, one year after protest prosecute Khalid
Saurabh Duggal
saurabh.duggal@hindustantimes.com

CHANDIGARH: The Haryana

What started as a
sit-in protest by a
group of around 100
residents snowballed
into one of the largest
protests against
CAA in the country
Prawesh Lama
prawesh.lama@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: A year ago, when
Road Number 13A in Shaheen
Bagh, which connects Noida to
Delhi, was blocked by locals
protesting the Citizenship
Amendment Act, it took Delhi
Police by surprise.
What started as a sit-in pro-
test by a group of around 100 res-
idents snowballed into one of the
largest and most prominent pro-
tests against the Citizenship
(Amendment) Act in the coun-
try. For 101 days the road,
blocked by hundreds of anti-CAA
protesters, became a symbol of
resistance to the government’s
new law. It was cleared on the
morning of March 24, 2020, the
day before the national lock-
down was imposed to contain
the spread of the coronavirus
disease.
This year, as another protest --
this time over three farm laws
that aim to liberalise the farm
economy -- continues to rage
with thousands of farmers on a
similar sit-in protest at several of
the Capital’s entry points, police
are ensuring that nobody starts a
protest within the city -- includ-
ing in Shaheen Bagh’s Road 13A.
At Batla House, about 5km away
from Shaheen Bagh, when a
group of protesters gathered on
Tuesday to mark the first anni-
versary of the violence outside
Jamia Millia Islamia, they were
quickly forced to disperse.
And sometime last week, as
the number of protesting farm-
ers swelled at two entry points
into Delhi (from Haryana),
Singhu and Tikri, police brought
personnel from the Border Secu-
rity Force to guard the streets of
Shaheen Bagh.
“No government wants a
repeat of what happened last
BSF personnel patrol Shaheen Bagh on Wednesday, a year after
the anti-CAA protests began.
year. Until last week, there were
some 5-6 police personnel who
would patrol the market during
the day but not at night. But now
armed commandos are guarding
this place, round-the-clock. They
don’t want this road to serve as a
spot for the farmers’ protest,”
said Kuki Solanki, 40, who runs
a garment shop in the local mar-
ket at Shaheen Bagh.
On Wednesday, when HT
visited the market, a busload of
armed BSF personnel were
alighting, and starting to march
across the market. The officers
declined to speak. “You know
why we are here -- why state the
obvious?” a BSF subinspector,
who asked not to be named, said.
Sporting AK-47 rifles , the
BSF personnel patrolled the
lanes along the market, which
leads to the residential areas of
Shaheen Bagh. A police quick
reaction team (QRT) vehicle,
along with police commandos
and local police officers, was
also on the roads. The officers
walked the streets looking for
potential threats -- those with
banners against CAA, or the
farm laws.
Their anxiety is understanda-
ble. When the protest first
started, no one outside the Capi-
tal, and not even many residents,
knew of Shaheen Bagh, a small
colony in the more famous
Jamia Nagar neighbourhood of
southeast Delhi.
But as the protest grew, peo-
ple from across the city made
RAJ K RAJ/HT PHOTO
their way there. They came to
see the replicas of the India Gate
monument where names of
those who died in the anti-CAA
protests across the country were
etched. They came to hear revo-
lutionary poems being read out
passionately . And they came to
spend time with the grand old
women of Shaheen Bagh, the
Dadis, or grandmothers. In Sep-
tember, 82-year-old Bilkis,one of
the women, was named one of
the 100 most influential people
of 2020 by Time magazine.
The 101-day long protest had
its share of critics, including
thousands of commuters who
used road 13A to commute
between Delhi and Noida daily.
As the protesters blocked the
important Delhi-Noida link,
there were massive traffic
snarls, sometimes spilling to sev-
eral kilometres. Police had to
divert traffic on to the Delhi-
Noida Mathura road leading to
serpentine jams in the morning
and evening peak hours. Multi-
ple petitions were filed in courts
urging them to intervene and ask
protesters to vacate the road.
The Supreme Court appointed
two interlocutors to speak to the
protesters and ensure that the
road was cleared. The talks did
not make any headway.
Much later, in September,
after the pandemic achieved
what the courts or police could
not, the Supreme Court
observed that the right to protest
in public places should be bal-
anced with the right of the gen-
eral public to move freely with-
out hindrance.
“The Covid pandemic came in
the middle of our fight against
the CAA. The voices have
drowned in the noise of this pan-
demic, but they are not dead.
They will rise again. The protest-
ing farmers also learnt about the
way to protest from Shaheen
Bagh. The residents will come
back until justice is done,” said a
member of the Shaheen Bagh
residents welfare association.
CAA, which was passed on
December 12, 2019, replaced the
Citizenship Act, 1955, to fast-
track the grant of Indian citizen-
ship to members of the Hindu,
Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and
Christian communities from the
Muslim-majority nations of
Afghanistan, Bangladesh and
Pakistan. The exclusion of Mus-
lims triggered widespread pro-
tests across the country as did
the linking of citizenship with
religion.
Several residents in the area --
most did not want to be named --
said they believe Shaheen Bagh
was the most successful sit-in
protest, particularly because
there was no violence.
But traders said the “success-
ful protest” came at a cost. At
least 15 shops in the roughly 200-
shop market have shut perma-
nently in one year -- not just
because of Covid, although this
served as a double whammy for
shops that had been put of busi-
ness for three-and-a-half months
by the protest.
When lockdown norms were
relaxed in May, one shopkeeper
said the fear of the virus had kept
the shoppers away. About 60
other shops have not reopened
yet. “People think it is risky to
start a business here. The police
are constantly on guard. What
happened last year has led peo-
ple to believe that this place is in
the radar, and can be shut down
in case of the simplest law and
order problem. Maybe they are
right too. They will start a shop
in Batla House or Sarita Vihar
nearby but not here,” said Ishra-
fat, 24, who works at a garment
store.
Nasir Hussain, president of
the Shaheen Bagh market wel-
fare association said: “Many
shopkeepers did not return.
They suffered heavy losses first
during the blockade and later
because of the lockdown.”
Most traders said they do not
expect a “spontaneous” gather-
ing of locals again, at least not in
Shaheen Bagh. “Delhi is known
for protests but a protest like
that will not happen here again.
It was a spontaneous gathering
of women, children and those
who dared to speak truth to
power. Maybe in other parts of
the city but not here. The place is
under constant surveillance,”
said Mustafa K, 45, a resident.
Delhi Police, however, have a
different take on the Shaheen
Bagh protest. They have alleged
that the protest was not a spon-
taneous gathering of Shaheen
Bagh residents but one planned
and funded by those who were
later involved in the 2020 Delhi
riots, which left 53 dead and over
400 injured.
The residents and others
involved in the protest deny this
contention.
Professor Sanjay Kumar of the
Centre for Study of Developing
Societies said“ It would be wrong
to say that the Shaheen Bagh
protest created a template for
sit-in protests such as the cur-
rent one by the farmers. Shaheen
Bagh was one of the longest ones
and will be remembered in his-
tory. The fact that women, chil-
dren and families came together
for a cause was unique. But it
may not be remembered best for
what many would have liked to
remember it -- it did not achieve
anything concrete. The pan-
demic and social distancing
norms cut it short. The Mandal
agitation achieved results. Even
the anti-corruption movement
resulted in something...”
On Wednesday, as police
teams continued to patrol the
market, a team of officers of the
crime branch and special cell
were still at work, investigating
the riots and connecting dots to
prove how the sit-in protest site
at Shaheen Bagh was used to fuel
the anger and orchestrate the
Delhi riots, one of the worst in
three decades.
government’s decision to
rename the Badshah Khan Hos-
pital in Faridabad after former
prime minister Atal Bihari Vaj-
payee has received criticism
from the public.
The hospital was inaugurated
by prime minister Jawaharlal
Nehru in 1951. A plaque at the
hospital reads: “Badshah Khan
Hospital, the hospital built by
the people of Faridabad with
their own hands was named
after their beloved leader Khan
Abdul Gaffar Khan”.
The name change was noti-
fied by Haryana’s director gen-
eral health services on Decem-
ber 3, following orders from the
chief minister.
Dr Vinay Gupta, principal
medical officer, in-charge of the
hospital, said, “We received the
notification on December 14.
From yesterday (December 15),
we are using the new name in all
our communication and referen-
ces, including the hospital’s
name and on the patient’s card.
In the next couple of days, we
will get the new board (with the
new name) installed at the hos-
pital premises.”
The public, however, is not
impressed.
“Abdul Gaffar Khan was the
beloved leader of all the people,
who came from the North-West
Frontier Province (NWFP).
Many of our elders were part of
the organisation Khudai Khid-
matgar (servants of God) formed
by him in the pre-Independence
era. After resettling in Farida-
bad, they collectively worked in
the construction of the civil hos-
pital and named it Badshah
Khan Hospital in the honour of
Abdul Gaffar Khan,” says
79-year-old Mohan Singh Bhatia,
the president of the Bhatia
Sewak Samaj, an organisation of
the people from NWFP. “Bad-
shah Khan Hospital is our iden-
tity. We request the government
not to change its name. We are
not against the late Atal Bihari
Vajpayee. The government can
build a new hospital and name it
after him,” he said, adding that
they may resort to protests
Faridabad chief medical offi-
cer DR Randeep Poonia, said:
“Please speak to the Prime Min-
ister’s office, which is in charge
of the hospital, regarding the
change of name.”
Prawesh Lama
prawesh.lama@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: The Delhi govern-
ment on Wednesday gave its
sanction to the police to charge
18 people accused in the Delhi
riots case, including former JNU
students Sharjeel Imam, Natasha
Narwal, Devangana Kalita,
former JNU student Umar Kha-
lid, and local politicians Tahir
Hussain and Ishrat Jahan, under
sections of the Indian Penal Code
that deal with sedition and crim-
inal conspiracy.
On November 22, when Delhi
Police charged Khalid and other
accused for their alleged role in
the case, they informed the court
that the sanction to prosecute
the accused persons for sedition
and other sections was still
under consideration.
A court takes cognisance of
the charges and starts trial only
after the state government gives
a prosecution sanction. The
police had sent a request for the
prosecution sanction under sedi-
tion in mid- September.
Last month, the government
had given police prosecution
sanction to charge the accused
persons under Unlawful Activi-
ties Prevention Act. But the sanc-
tion for sedition was awaited.
The accused have been
arrested for their alleged role in
conspiring to orchestrate the
riots in northeast Delhi -- a
charge that they have vehemen-
tly denied.
They have alleged that police
framed them in the Delhi riots
cases because they were promi-
nent faces of the anti-Citizenship
(Amendment) Act protests.
At least 53 persons died while
400 others were injured when
clashes turned violent leading to
full-blown Hindu-Muslim riots
across parts of northeast Delhi.
According to the Delhi gov-
ernment’s sanction approval let-
ter, the police’s charge sheet was
vetted, and after perusal it
appeared that “prima facie the
accused persons had committed
the acts of sedition and criminal
conspiracy.”
HT has seen a copy of the gov-
ernment’s sanction letter.
The government has also
written to police saying that the
granting of the prosecution
sanction has been approved by
COURT TAKES
COGNISANCE OF
SEDITION CHARGES
ONLY AFTER THE
STATE GOVT GIVES
PROSECUTION
SANCTION.
lieutenant governor Anil Baijal.
The Delhi government did not
respond to requests for
comment.
The sedition law under Sec-
tion 124 is a British era law, men-
tioned in the Indian Penal code.
The maximum punishment, if
convicted under the section, is
life imprisonment with fine.
This is the second case in
which Umar Khalid will be tried
for sedition. He and former JNU
students’ union president Kan-
haiya Kumar were booked under
a sedition charge for allegedly
shouting anti-India slogans in
the 2016 JNU case. They have
both denied the charges.
A controversy had erupted
during that case when the Delhi
government said police filed a
charge sheet in January 2019
without getting an approval
from the state government to
include the sedition charge. The
court did not take up the case
until the government granted
sanction in February 2020.
Former Uttar Pradesh police
chief, Vikram Singh, who served
as the state’s director general
between 2007 and 2009, said,
“The government must not delay
in granting sanctions in cases
such as this. The government
has the best legal minds. If there
is a lacunae in the case, the legal
minds can fix it. Delaying the
sanction hurts the government
and the victims at large, both.
The trials keep getting extended
further.”
Court: Ensure Khalid gets
treatment for toothache
Khalid alleged before a Delhi
court on Wednesday that he has
not been given any medical
treatment by Tihar jail for his
toothache for the last three days.
Chief Metropolitan Magistrate
Dinesh Kumar directed the jail
superintendent to provide
proper medical treatment to
Khalid as per the prison rules.

Government of India, Ministry of Rural Development

National Rural Infrastructure Development Agency
RELEASE DOCTORS’
SALARIES: DELHI Officials fear mayors’ protest BJP WORKERS TO
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HIGH COURT TO
CIVIC BODIES
Richa Banka
richa.banka@htlive.com
NEW DELHI: The Delhi high
court on Wednesday directed the
North Delhi Municipal Corpora-
tion (NrDMC) and the East Delhi
Municipal Corporation (EDMC)
to release the salaries of the doc-
tors of the nine hospitals they
run for the month of October.
A bench comprising justices
Hima Kohli and Subramonium
Prasad said that the salaries
should be released within two
weeks while hearing an applica-
tion moved by the Indian Medi-
cal Association (IMA) seeking
directions to the two civic bodies
to clear the arrears of salaries of
the doctors and health workers.
In its impleadment applica-
tion, IMA had sought that doc-
tors of three hospitals—Swami
Dayanand Hospital, Chandiwala
Maternity Home and Shahdara
Polyclinic—managed by EDMC
also be included in the list of
hospitals being considered for
relief by the high court.
The application was filed as
part of a petition which the court
had initiated on the non-pay-
ment of salaries to the doctors of
the Kasturba Gandhi Hospital.
The doctors had threatened to
resign as they have not been paid
salaries since March this year.
Subsequently, many more
petitions related to non-payment
of salaries by the three munici-
pal corporations of Delhi—
North, East and South—to their
employees and pensioners were
filed.
The petitioners in those pleas
include doctors, nurses, para-
medic staff, safai karamcharis,
teachers, Class-IV employees
and retired staff such as teachers
and engineers.
On Wednesday, senior advo-
cate Maninder Singh, appearing
for the IMA, told the court that
the doctors have not been given
salaries for the last two months.
The court observed that the
salaries to the doctors should be
released despite administrative
differences between the civic
bodies and the Delhi govern-
ment. “The doctors should not
be deprived of their salaries,” the
court said.
“In the meantime, NrDMC
and EDMC shall release the
arrears of salaries of doctors
within two weeks,” the court
said.
could delay civic proceedings
Ashish Mishra
ashish.mishra2@htlive.com
NEW DELHI: The sit-in protest of
Delhi’s three civic bodies’ may-
ors outside the residence of chief
minister Arvind Kejriwal contin-
ued for the 10th day on Wednes-
day. Though mayors and other
functionaries of the municipal
corporations sitting on dharna
have started basic work from the
protest site, municipal officials
fear that budget proceedings and
discussions might get delayed if
the protest continues. According
to civic officials, budget propos-
als cannot be approved until
there are proper deliberations by
councillors, leader of the House
and standing committee chair-
persons of the three corpora-
tions.
Budget proposals for the
financial year 2021-22 were pre-
sented in the north, east and
south corporations earlier this
month by additional commis-
sioners of the civic bodies. These
proposals are now to be dis-
cussed and approved by the
elected representatives in the
standing committees and House
meetings.
A senior official of the South
Delhi Municipal Corporation
AAP, BJP trade accusations
over sanitation workers
NEW DELHI: The Aam Aadmi
Party (AAP) on Wednesday
alleged that leaders of the Bhar-
atiya Janata Party (BJP) are forc-
ing sanitation workers to partici-
pate in the ongoing protest by all
three mayors outside chief min-
ister Arvind Kejriwal’s resi-
dence.
The BJP dismissed the allega-
tion and said sanitation workers
are in distress because of the
Delhi government.
For the past 10 days, mayors of
the three BJP-ruled municipal
bodies and party supporters
have been camping outside the
CM’s residence in north Delhi’s
Flagstaff Road demanding funds
of ₹13,000 crore which they
claim the Delhi government
owes the civic bodies. The Delhi
government has dismissed the
claim.
The protest by mayors began
BUDGET
PROPOSALS FOR
THE 2021-22 FISCAL
WERE PRESENTED
IN THE NORTH,
EAST AND SOUTH
CORPORATIONS
EARLIER THIS
MONTH
(SDMC) said that the budget pro-
posals are to be discussed in the
standing committee meeting of
the civic body on December 21
and the House meeting is likely
to be conducted on December 24
to deliberate on different issues.
However, the chairperson is pro-
testing in front of the CM’s
house.
“In such a case, either we have
to postpone the meetings while
we wait for this impasse to be
over or the deputy chairperson
of the standing committee will
have to handle the meeting for
budget discussion. As of now
there is not much of a problem
but the deliberations on the bud-
get may get delayed if the protest
continues for another week,” the
official said, requesting anonym-
after sanitation workers to stop
work if not paid on time.
“The BJP’s dirty politics is
quite evident in videos which
show BJP leaders blackmailing
MCD unions to go on strike and
turn Delhi into a “garbage capi-
tal”,” said AAP’s chief spokesper-
son Saurabh Bhardwaj.
AAP leader Rakhi Birla said,
“Most sanitation workers are
Dalits and by not paying their
wages for around three months
now, the BJP has exposed its
anti-Dalit face.”
Delhi BJP spokesperson Prav-
een Shankar Kapoor said, “The
allegations are baseless. It
reflects the AAP’s frustration as
despite strong provocation, sani-
tation workers have not gone on
strike even though they are fac-
ing hardships. AAP will have to
face the consequences in the
2022 municipal polls.” HTC
ity.
Officials in the North and East
Delhi Municipal Corporation
said that had there been no pro-
test, the deliberations on the
budget would have been sched-
uled for next week, but “the
process might get affected” in
the current scenario.
They, however, said that as of
now budget proposals are being
tabled in zonal offices before dif-
ferent municipal committees
that do not require mayors or
other senior political functiona-
ries to be present.
“Budget proposals are
approved after several delibera-
tions at different levels. After
being tabled by the commis-
sioner, the budget is put before
different municipal committees
and then presented in the stand-
ing committee for deliberations
and remarks of the chairman. It
is then reviewed by the leader of
the opposition and finally
approved by the leader of the
House. The process starts soon
after the budget presentation by
the commissioner. If the protest
continues further, we may
require changes in the schedules
of deliberations on budget,” a
north corporation official said
on the condition of anonymity.
FAST TODAY Consultants as detailed below on contract basis:-
S. No. Name of the post No. of Posts
NEW DELHI: The Delhi BJP also
1
2
Senior Consultant (Technical)
Consultants/AD (Technical)
2
2
said around 40,000 party work-
ers will sit on a day-long fast on
3 Young Civil Engineer 3
4 Rajbhasha (Consultant) 1
Thursday against the Delhi gov- Interested candidates may apply with their detailed Curriculum Vitae (CV) to Director (F&A). The last date of receipt of
ernment and demand the release applications in NRIDA is 17.1.2021.
of ₹13,000 crore in funds to the
three municipal corporations.
For details & eligibility criteria login to the website www.pmgsy.nic.in under “Vacancy icon” and https://rural.nic.in under
“Advertisement/Tenders section”.
They will also stage a protest Director (F&A)
outside the Delhi assembly on
Thursday to oppose the special
session called by the government
to discuss the alleged ₹2,400
crore irregularities in the North
Delhi Municipal Corporation.
Harish Khurana, spokesper-
son, Delhi BJP, said, “Around
40,000 party workers will sit on
a fast on Thursday from 9am to
5.30pm in support of our may-
ors.”
In a statement, the AAP said,
“The AAP wants a CBI probe into
the corruption in the MCDs, and
we protested for the same.”
Chail Bihari Goswami, chair-
man, standing committee in
north MCD, on Wednesday had
sent a legal notice to Delhi health
minister Satyendar Jain, Delhi
Jal Board V-C Raghav Chadha,
AAP MLAs Atishi and Sourabh
Bharadwaj for “making false
allegations” of ₹2,400 crore
scam. The corporation in a state-
ment also denied the allegations.
The AAP did not respond for
comment on the legal notice.
06
Delhi, UP govts spar over Delhiwale
Covid testing, education
HT Correspondent
letters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: The governments of
Delhi and Uttar Pradesh were
locked in a tussle on Wednesday
over Covid-19 management and
school education with Delhi
chief minister Arvind Kejriwal
hitting out at his Uttar Pradesh
counterpart, Yogi Adityanath,
over the quality of testing in
India’s most populous state.
The war of words came a day
after Kejriwal announced that
the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will
contest the 2022 assembly polls
in Uttar Pradesh, prompting crit-
icism from UP’s basic education
minister Satish Dwivedi over the
state of government schools. On
Wednesday, Delhi deputy chief
minister Manish Sisodia sought
an open debate on education
with top UP political leaders.
“It seems like the good gov-
ernance of the AAP in Delhi
haunts Yogi Adityanath. The
great work we have done on Cov-
id-19 management in Delhi is
now being discussed by people
across Uttar Pradesh. Unlike
you, we did not have to resort to
fake Covid-19 tests,” Kejriwal
{ AFTER 6 YEARS }
Rahim’s tomb reopens to public today
Kainat Sarfaraz
kainat.sarfaraz@htlive.com
NEW DELHI: Six years after its
restoration work began, Rahim’s
tomb in south-east Delhi’s
Nizamuddin will be reopened to
the public from Thursday.
Union minister for Tourism
and Culture Prahlad Singh Patel
will be presiding over the com-
pletion ceremony on the 464th
birth anniversary of Abdur
Rahim Khan-i-Khanan – a poet
and one of the navaratnas ( nine
gems) of Mughal emperor
Akbar’s court.
Built in 1598 by Rahim for his
wife Mah Banu, historians say
the building was the first
Mughal monument built for a
woman and the architectural
innovation developed there
Homage
THE WAR OF
WORDS CAME A
DAY AFTER
KEJRIWAL
ANNOUNCED THAT
AAP WILL CONTEST
THE 2022 ASSEMBLY
POLLS IN UTTAR
PRADESH
tweeted, sharing a news report
alleging irregularities in Covid-19
testing in Uttar Pradesh.
“Anyway, Manish (Sisodia)
has accepted the invitation by
your minister and he shall be in
Lucknow on December 22 for a
debate,” Kejriwal added.
To be sure, Uttar Pradesh has
conducted 21,844,458 tests, the
most in the country, but a major-
ity of this has been by the less-ac-
curate rapid antigen testing
method. Delhi has conducted
7,450,994 tests, and has scaled
up the more accurate Reverse
Transcriptase Polymerase Chain
Reaction (RT-PCR) method, con-
sidered the gold standard of Cov-
id-19 testing, in recent weeks.
The UP government hit back.
Rahim's tomb near Nizamuddin in New Delhi.
“informed the designs of Taj
Mahal”. Following his death in
1627, Rahim’s body was also
placed there.
The mausoleum is con-
structed in the vicinity of the
“As far as the fight against
Covid-19 in Delhi is concerned,
why did the central government
have to intervene? Because they
(AAP government) had failed…
Mr Kejriwal is day dreaming,”
said state minister Sidharth Nath
Singh, referring to a raft of meas-
ures announced by the Centre in
June and November to ramp up
testing and curb the surge in
infections in the Capital.
Sisodia and Dwivedi publicly
argued about the quality of edu-
cation in the two states.
On Tuesday, Dwivedi had
invited Kejriwal and Sisodia for a
visit to Uttar Pradesh and take a
tour of government schools.
In his UP polls announce-
ment, Kejriwal had highlighted
the conditions of healthcare
facilities, schools, governance
and law and order in Uttar Pra-
desh.
In response, Sisodia, who is
also Delhi’s education minister,
said on Wednesday that he was
ready for a public debate.
“BJP leaders asked for a
debate on school models. They
challenged me for a visit and
also an open debate. I accept
both the challenges. Next Tues-
VIPIN KUMAR/HT PHOTO
shrine of the 13th century Sufi
saint Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya
as it was believed to be auspi-
cious to be buried near the grave
of a saint.
Experts said the monument
My Delhi
NEW DELHI
THURSDAY
DECEMBER 17, 2020
Mayank
Austen Soofi
EXPERIENCE YOUR CITY LIKE NEVER BEFORE
day (Dec 22), I will be in Luc-
know. Please let me know where
to come for the debate and who
to argue with – the chief minis-
ter, deputy CM or education
minister of UP. Let’s have an
open debate on government
schools in Delhi and Uttar Pra-
desh… I have one request, please
do not back down now,” he said,
in a video briefing.
The Delhi government is the
first and the only one to spend
25% of its budget on schools…
The plight of UP government
schools is well-known widely… I
urge Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi
Adityanath to improve the con-
dition of schools in Uttar Pra-
desh,” he added.
But Dwivedi dismissed the
suggestion and called it childish.
“I only reacted to AAP chief
and Delhi chief minister Arvind
Kejriwal announcement that the
party would contest the 2022
assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh.
And that there was no question
of debating with him (Sisodia). I
have several other commitments
on that day and there’s no time
to debate with him,” he added.
“It is an attempt to gain some
On walking past Old Delhi’s
iconic Gali Jagat Cinema Wali
limelight.”
where giant film posters would be displayed. The
The afterlife of a long-gone grand single building is sandwiched by various small eateries.
screen cinema, now ignored The grilled lobby has stray cats wandering like
purposeless ghosts.
Jagat screened some iconic Hindi movies,
The grilles are shuttered, but the lobby including Mughal-e-Azam in the 1960s. Another
was “used as a quarry” from 18th
century to early 20th century --
stones from the beautiful tomb
were plundered to construct
{ PUBLIC
INTEREST } can be seen through them: the ticket
window, the board displaying the show
timings and the ticket rates—32 rupees
for Box.
was Meena Kumar’s Pakeeza that ran for six
months. A poetically inclined resident of the
nearby Matia Mahal neighbourhood would come
to see Pakeeza every day, travelling on a tonga
monuments elsewhere in the Some things become history, are forgotten and with the women of the family. The entire party
capital city-- leaving the struc- yet a little something remains. Like the Jagat Cin- would wait for the song, Chalte Chalte, and then
ture in a dilapidated condition ema in Old Delhi. leave the theatre.
and at risk of a collapse. Originally named Nishat, it used to be referred Jagat must have had many more stories, but
Historian Rana Safvi said, to as “Macchliwallon ka Talkies” because of its the one of the Pakeeza aficionados has stayed
“The structure was in a bad proximity to the fish market. Though it stopped more than the others —it was told by author Ziya
shape even when Sir Sayyid
Ahmad Khan was writing the
first edition of his book Asar us
Sanadid (The Remnants of
screening films in 2004, the cinema building
remains.
The place lies mostly ignored, when it should
be a draw for connoisseurs of single screens, espe-
Us Salam in his book on Delhi’s cinemas.
While the theatre has been long closed, its pres-
ence reins heavy in the area, so much so that it
gives its name to the neighbourhood. Letter boxes
w
READ:
For more
Ancient Heroes) in 1847. In that, cially those who like the grandeur of the old in the houses and shops on an adjacent street, for
he describes the disrepair that sprawling cinema houses, when these places were instance, are marked with ‘Gali Jagat Cinema stories by
the tomb of the Mughal noble not just another outlet in a shopping mall but sub- Wali’. This alley has another sight, too—that of a Mayank
had fallen into . I am glad that stantial buildings in their own right. This cold slotted window built on the side wall of the cin- Austen
this noted scholar’s tomb has morning, the clear sunshine is streaming over the ema building. It must be the box office for the Soofi, scan
once again been restored to Jagat, its pink walls textured with the patina of cheap front-row stall. Standing by this window, the above
some semblance of its former several winters and summers. The large hollow you almost feel the presence of the clerk behind. QR code
glory,” said the author who frame on the building’s front may be the place Lost time suddenly feels within grasp.
translated the book into English.
U. P. RURAL ROAD DEVELOPMENT AGENCY
Department of Rural Development, Government of Uttar Pradesh
4 & 5 oor, Ganna Kisan Sansthan Building, New Berry Road, Lucknow
th th
Ph. No. 0522-2209450, Mob.: 7311189228, E-mail : up-cexo@pmgsy.nic.in
Letter No. 2172/T-252(FDR)/UPRRDA/2020 Dated 15.12.2020
Corrigendum
E-Procurement notice No. 2161/T-252(FDR)/UPRRDA/2020
Dated 14.12.2020.
Work description-Notice inviting online offers for setting of a PMU.
In reference of the above e-procurement notice, the last date for
submission of the Bid online is being revised as 15.01.2021 till 3:00 PM.
Other terms and conditions will remain same.
Chief Executive Ofcer Office of The Superintendeing Engineer,
3rd Circle P.W.D. Pithoragarh
Government of Uttarakhand, (E-mail: sepwdpth@rediffmail.com)
Letter No. 5945/62M-03/2020 Date: 15.12.2020
NOTICE INVITING TENDER (NIT)
On behalf of the Governor of Uttarakhand. the Superintending Engineer,
3rd Circle PWD, Pithoragarh invites proposals from eligible NABL accredited
laboratories for Concurrent Evaluation of Construction Works in the District
of Pithoragarh and Champawat. uttarakhand for various construction works
under Scheme for Special Assistance to State for Capital Expenditure.
The Request for Proposal (RFP) document shall be available online on
the e-tender portal of Government of Uttarakhand, https://www.ukten-
ders.gov.in. from 17 December, 2020 (from 15.00 hrs IST). Bid must be sub-
mitted online at e-tender portal of PWD Uttarakhand on or before 31
December, 2020 (upto 15.00 hrs IST). All relevant information about the
assignment may be obtained from the RFP Document. Yours sincerely,
Superintending Engineer, 3rd Circle,
´FÂFFaI - 14295/ ÀFc.E½Fa »Fû.ÀFa.d½F./dQ. 16.12.2020 P.W.D. Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand.
08
Amid farm stir, Cabinet clears
₹3.5k cr sugar export subsidy
Javadekar says the
subsidy will benefit
50 million farmers
across the country
HT Correspondent
letters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: The Cabinet Com-
mittee on Economic Affairs has
approved a ₹3,500 crore subsidy
to export sugar by millers amid
a glut, a farmer-friendly move
through which India is set to
offer sugar export subsidies for
a third year in a row to pare sur-
plus stocks and ensure domestic
prices don’t crash.
Export subsidies are necessi-
tated when exports becomes
unviable because international
prices are lower than domestic
prices. “Cabinet has taken the
decision to help farmers directly
by depositing money of subsidy
into their accounts. The subsidy
will be given on 60 lakh tonnes
of sugar exports at the rate of
₹6,000 per tonne,” Union minis-
ter Prakash Javadekar said on
Wednesday.
The minister said the subsidy
will benefit 50 million cane
farmers in the country. Uttar
Pradesh, Maharashtra and Kar-
nataka are among the three larg-
est cane-producing states.
India is the world’s largest
sugar consumer, but 90% of the
country’s output goes into com-
mercial food products while 10%
is bought by household consum-
ers. The decision comes amid a
persistent standoff between
large farm unions and the gov-
ernment over three recent laws
{ JYOTIRADITYA SCINDIA } RAJYA SABHA MP
P parallel negotiations. We have
We got political freedom
70 years ago and now
under the leadership of PM
Narendra Modi, farmers got
economic freedom. PM
broke the shackles with a
hammer and gave
A
freedom to farmers.
SC seeks govt reply on uniform divorce laws
Abraham Thomas
letters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI : The Supreme Court
on Wednesday set the ball roll-
ing on a contentious debate over
uniform grounds for divorce and
maintenance/alimony across the
country that are both gender-
and religion-neutral.
A three-judge bench headed
by Chief Justice of India (CJI) SA
Bobde issued notice the ministry
of home affairs, ministry of law
and justice, and ministry of
women and child development
on two separate petitions filed by
a lawyer and Bharatiya Janata
Party (BJP) leader, Ashwini
Kumar Upadhyay.
The petitions highlighted
Article 44 of Constitution which
is a directive principle asking
states to implement a Uniform
Civil Code for all citizens. But
their main thrust was on dis-
criminatory practices existing
within personal laws that violate
Article 14, which offers the right
to equality, Article 21, which
promises the right to dignity. as
well as Article 15, which prohib-
5 judges elevated as CJs, 4 transferred Rahul walks out of House panel meeting
Abraham Thomas
letters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: Effecting a major
revamp in the ranks of the higher
judiciary, the Supreme Court colle-
gium has elevated five judges as
chief justices of high courts and
transferred four chief justices.
The decision was taken at the
meeting of the collegium held on
Monday that was chaired by Chief
Justice of India (CJI) SA Bobde and
attended by the two other senior-
most judges, justice NV Ramana
and justice Rohington F Nariman.
The list of transfers has raised
some eyebrows, particularly that
of justice JK Maheshwari, the chief
justice of the Andhra Pradesh high
court, who has been asked to swap
positions with Sikkim high court
chief justice AK Goswami.
Others who have been trans-
that aim to liberalise the farm
economy. The subsidy is likely
to be highlighted by the govern-
ment as a key step. “The deci-
sion to continue cane subsidy is
welcome. This will however
have no impact on our agitation
(against the new laws),” said
Rakesh Tikait of the Bharatiya
Kisan Union (Tikait faction).
Plentiful stocks, the highest
since 2012, cheaper imports and
mounting dues millers owe to
the tune of over ₹12,000 crore
have accentuated woes of sugar-
cane farmers. “Farmers sell their
sugarcane to the sugar mills,
however the farmers are not get-
ting their dues from the sugar
mill owners as they have surplus
sugar stock. To address this, the
Government is facilitating the
evacuation of surplus sugar
stock. This will enable payment
of dues of the sugarcane farm-
ers. Government will incur
about ₹3,500 crore for this pur-
pose, and this assistance would
be directly credited into farmers’
accounts on behalf of sugar mills
against cane price dues and sub-
sequent balance, if any, would be
credited to mill’s account,” an
official statement said.
The country could produce
over 31 million tonnes of sugar
this season, well above the
expected domestic demand of
about 26 million tonnes. “The
subsidy amount is lower than
last year but considering that
the world sugar prices are
higher as compared to what
they were at the same period in
the last season, the industry is
confident to perform well again
in 2020-21,” said Abinash
Verma, the chief of Indian Sugar
Mills Association.
its discrimination. Such prac-
tices place women at an inferior
position to men, the petitioner
contends.
The petitions prayed that
regardless of religion or gender,
grounds for divorce or mainte-
nance for men or women should
be the same. To put this point
through, the petitioner engaged
two leading women senior advo-
cates, Pinky Anand and Meenak-
shi Arora, to convince the court
that the issue at hand was not of
encroaching on personal laws
but of gender equality.
Initially hesitant to issue
notice, the CJI-headed bench
asked Anand: “You are taking us
into a direction which will
encroach upon personal laws
and demolish what they seek to
achieve.” Anand said discrimina-
tory practices exist within per-
sonal laws of each religion, but
the court has seen those issues
from the prism of gender equal-
ity and gender justice.
She cited a 2017 decision by a
Supreme Court Constitution
Bench in the Shayara Bano v
Union of India case striking
ferred include chief justice RS
Chauhan of the Telangana high
court to the Uttarakhand high
court and chief justice Moham-
mad Rafiq from the Orissa high
court to the Madhya Pradesh high
court. Replacing them will be the
judges who have been elevated as
chief justices.
There has been friction
between justice Maheshwari, who
took over as Andhra Pradesh chief
justice in October 2019, and chief
minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.
In March this year, the high court
put a spoke in the state’s decision
to paint panchayat buildings with
the colours of the ruling party. A
month later, the high court set
aside Reddy’s decision to intro-
duce English as the medium of
instruction in schools. The tussle
reached a flashpoint in September
when the high court issued a gag
A farmer holds a banner during protest against the new laws, at Singhu border.
Farm unions urge Centre to
stop ‘parallel negotiations’
HT Correspondent
letters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI : The Samyukt Kisan
Morcha, a platform of farm
unions leading the protests
against three agricultural laws,
has asked the government not to
hold parallel negotiations with
farmers and stop vilifying farm-
ers as anti-national elements.
In a letter to agriculture min-
ister Narendra Singh Tomar, the
group said: “Please don’t hold
already said that your proposals
for amendments are not accept-
able to us.” The letter also asked
the government not to spread
misleading information.
“The government is open to
talking to all kinds of farmers,
including those on protest. Dis-
cussion and dialogue is the only
way for a solution,” farm minis-
ter Tomar had said on Tuesday
after meeting a group of farmers.
The government has so far
met four delegations of farmers
PLEA HIGHLIGHTS
ARTICLE 44 OF
CONSTITUTION,
ASKING STATES
TO IMPLEMENT A
UNIFORM CIVIL
CODE FOR ALL
down the practice of triple talaq
as unconstitutional. Anand also
referred to a 1995 SC decision in
the Sarla Mudgal case wherein
the court asked the Centre to
involve the Law Commission in
framing a comprehensive legis-
lation that rationalizes the per-
sonal laws of minorities in keep-
ing with the human rights.
The petition highlighted the
discriminatory grounds for
divorce existing among Hindus
vis-à-vis Muslims, Christians and
Parsis. For instance, adultery is a
ground for divorce for Hindus,
Christians and Parsis, but not for
Muslims. Incurable leprosy is a
ground for divorce among Hin-
dus and Christians but not Parsis
or Muslims.Impotency is a
order barring the media from
reporting the contents of a FIR in a
land scandal in Amaravati involv-
ing former advocate general Dam-
malapati Srinivas and daughters
of a sitting Supreme Court judge,
justice NV Ramana. In October,
Reddy wrote a letter to CJI Bobde,
complaining that justice Ramana
was trying to influence cases in the
high court to destabilise his gov-
ernment.
Notable among those elevated
are justice S Muralidhar, whose
parent high court is Delhi. The col-
legium has recommended that he
be moved as chief justice of the
Orissa high court. Justice Hima
Kohli, the senior-most judge in the
Delhi high court after chief justice
DN Patel, has been recommended
to become chief justice of Telan-
gana high court.
In March, justice Muralidhar
My India
who say they support the farm
laws. “Yesterday, the PM made a
wrong claim that milk produc-
tion has been promoted by non-
government private sector, while
it is the government- aided coop-
erative sector which has helped
milk farmers, and later the entry
of the private sector stressed the
milk sector,” said Avik Saha, a
leader of the SKM.
A massive farmers’ rebellion
was set off by the three laws
pushed by the government in
September that allow agribusi-
nesses to trade with minimal
regulation, permit traders to
stockpile large quantities of food
commodities for economies of
scale and lay down new contract
farming rules.
“PM {Narendra} Modi’s docu-
ment Putting Farmers First says
that the laws “open up avenues
for agribusiness” and it is the
corporates and MNCs who these
laws and government is helping,
not the farmers,” the letter said.
Farmers say the new rules
ground for divorce for Hindus
and Muslims but not for Chris-
tians and Parsis. Underage mar-
riage is a ground for divorce
among Hindus but not Chris-
tians, Parsis or Muslims.
The bench, also comprising
justices AS Bopanna and V Ram-
asubramanian, said: “Can we
remove these discriminatory
grounds without entering into
the personal laws. Triple talaq
was found to be a practice not
approved by the religion. Gov-
ernment may know the pulse of
the people, but how do we
encroach upon personal laws.”
Arora, who argued in favour
of uniform grounds, pointed out
that when religious practices
infringe on rights guaranteed
under the Constitution, such
practices should not get any pro-
tection from the courts. “Differ-
ent grounds of divorce are based
on and reinforce patriarchal and
stereotypical notions about
women. Personal laws discrimi-
nate against women in marriage,
inheritance and guardianship of
children. For this reason, it com-
pletely contravenes principles of
was transferred from Delhi to the
Punjab and Haryana high court.
The decision created a contro-
versy as it came soon after he
pulled up Delhi police for not reg-
istering a FIR against three leaders
of the Bharatiya Janata Party for
allegedly inflammatory speeches
they made in the run-up to the
February riots in the national Cap-
ital. Justice Muralidhar , however,
put the controversy to rest by clari-
fying that the CJI had sought his
consent in February for the trans-
fer.
The other judges who were rec-
ommended for elevation as chief
justices include justice Sanjib
Banerjee from Calcutta to Madras
high court, justice Pankaj Mithal
from Allahabad to the Jammu and
Kashmir high court and justice
Sudhanshu Dhulia from Uttara-
khand to Gauhati high court.
AJAY AGGARWAL /HT PHOTO
favour big corporations to whom
they will lose business and grad-
ually end the system of state-set
minimum prices.
Farmers decided to call off
negotiations on December 8,
after a meeting with home min-
ister Amit Shah, claiming a stale-
mate. The government on
December 9 sent a written pro-
posal to amend some provisions
of the laws for greater oversight
on deregulated markets, sparing
farmers from penalties for stub-
ble burning, which causes pollu-
tion, and promising to keep pro-
viding farmers subsidised power
instead of direct cash transfers,
but farm unions say they will not
call off their protest until the
laws are repealed.
w
Tomar thanks
Madhya Pradesh
farmers for supporting farm laws
equality and dignity under Arti-
cles 14, 15 and 21 and the global
conventions,” the petition stated.
The Court underlined another
concern. “The question that
arises is which grounds to adopt
– Hindu, Islam or Christianity.”
The bench spotted an alternative
prayer mentioned in both peti-
tions where it asked the court to
direct the Law Commission of
India to examine all personal
laws and suggest uniform
grounds for divorce and mainte-
nance considering the best prac-
tices of all religions and interna-
tional conventions. The bench
cited this prayer and said, “This
can be considered. We will issue
notice but with great caution.”
Upadhyay later told reporters:
“It is unfortunate that 70 years
since our Constitution was
adopted, no government has
taken steps to implement Article
44. This shows they are not
interested in gender justice and
equality. With the Court issuing
notice, I am convinced that the
Centre will respond to my prayer
for uniform grounds for divorce
and maintenance.”
{ DISCUSSION ON UNIFORMS AND RANKS } SAYS NOT ALLOWED TO SPEAK
Sunetra Choudhury
letters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: Congress Member of
Parliament Rahul Gandhi and his
colleagues walked out of a Parlia-
mentary standing committee
meeting on defence on Wednes-
day, saying that they were not
allowed to speak during a discus-
sion on uniforms and ranks.
Gandhi , according to people
familiar with the proceedings,
expressed an opinion that such
matters were best left for the for-
ces to discuss and suggested that
the panel focus on more substan-
tive issues. The chairman of the
panel, Jual Oram, then asked Gan-
dhi to stick to the agenda of the
day, listed as “an introduction to
the rank, structure of the Defence
forces including their uniforms,
LDF sweeps Kerala
local body elections
Ramesh Babu
letters@hindustantimes.com
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The
ruling Left Democratic Front
(LDF) on Wednesday pulled off an
emphatic victory against the odds
in Kerala local body elections, con-
sidered a semi-final before assem-
bly elections due in April-May
2021.
Even LDF leaders and the Con-
gress-led United Democratic Front
(UDF), which won 19 out of the 20
Lok Sabha seats in Kerala in the
2019 general elections, were sur-
prised by the outcome. The Bhar-
atiya Janata Party (BJP)-led
National Democratic Alliance
(NDA) remained an also-ran in the
fiercely contested elections.
The local body elections took
place in the backdrop of mounting
challenges to the Communist
Party of India (Marxist)-led gov-
ernment of chief minister Pinarayi
Vijayan, whose secretary is in jail
and a minister has been ques-
tioned by law enforcement agen-
cies several times in connection
with a gold smuggling racket
uncovered in July.
Powerful party secretary Kodi-
yeri Balakrishan was forced to pro-
ceed on leave after his son was
arrested in connection with a nar-
cotics haul in Bengaluru. Many
central agencies have also pitched
their tents in the state, probing a
series of alleged kickback scandals.
Although the Congress and BJP
tried their best to exploit these sen-
sational cases to their advantage,
the LDF pulled off a victory that is
considered a personal triumph for
the CM. A close look at the poll
outcome shows that a political
realignment in the LDF (the Kerala
Congress Mani and Loktantric
Janata Dal joined the ruling coali-
19-yr-old Muslim man
booked under UP ‘love
jihad’ law in Bijnor
S Raju
s.raju@htlive.in
MEERUT: The police registered
a case under the new UP Prohi-
bition of Unlawful Conversion
of Religion Ordinance 2020,
commonly known as the ‘love
jihad’ law, and other provisions
of the Indian Penal Code at
Dhampur police station in Bij-
nor district of western Uttar
Pradesh and arrested a 19-year-
old Muslim man on Wednesday
on charges of enticing a minor
girl, allegedly by concealing his
original identity and attempting
to coerce her into conversion.
Arun Kumar Tyagi, the sta-
tion house officer of Dhampur
police station, said the 14-year-
old girl belonged to a scheduled
caste. He added that a case has
been registered against 19-year-
old Mohd Saqib alias Sonu
under Sections 363 (punish-
ment for kidnapping), 366 (kid-
napping, abducting or inducing
a woman to compel her mar-
riage) of the Indian Penal Code,
provisions of Pocso (Protection
of Children from Sexual Offen-
ces) Act, Scheduled Castes and
Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of
Atrocities) Act and the new
ordinance against forced and
dishonest religious conversion.
Under the new law, the char-
ges, if proved, could mean
imprisonment of up to pun-
ished with imprisonment of 10
years with a fine of not less than
₹25,000.
The accused and the girl are
from villages in the Dhampur
area of Bijnor district. Tyagi
claimed that Saqib enticed the
girl by representing himself as
Rahul Gandhi
stars and badges, and review of
working of cantonment boards”.
The meeting was attended by
Chief of Defence Staff Bipin Rawat,
Army Vice Chief Satinder Kumar
Saini and Defence Secretary Arun
Kumar. According to some of the
members, Rajya Sabha member Lt
Gen (retired) DP Vats was asking
the officers why the Indian defence
establishment couldn’t have a uni-
form rank system, that is same
P
We are humbled by
the trust and the
confidence of the
people of Kerala.
This is a victory for
secularism and
inclusive
development
PINARAYI VIJAYAN, CM
tion), the effective battle it waged
against Covid-19 and welfare
measures it launched, including
free rations, paid rich dividends.
Its high-decibel campaign that
central agencies were targeting its
leaders and trying to sabotage wel-
fare programmes also helped it
attract sympathy votes, political
observers said. Consolidation of
the minority vote against the BJP
also helped, they said.
In the LDF surge, many Chris-
tian-dominated forts of the Con-
gress like Kottayam and Patha-
namhtitta crumbled and the party
suffered a humiliating defeat even
in the wards of opposition leader
Ramesh Chennithala in Haripad
(Alapuzha) and former chief min-
ister Oommen Chandy in Putha-
pally (Kottayam).
The poll results raised question
about the UDF’s prospects in the
2021 assembly elections. “The Con-
gress will have to do enough intro-
spection and check differences
among its leaders,” said senior
journalist and political commenta-
tor John Mary, adding that over-
confidence contributed to the
party’s crushing defeat.
The BJP remained a distant
third although it managed to wrest
THE ACCUSED HAS
BEEN ACCUSED OF
ENTICING A MINOR
GIRL, ALLEGEDLY
BY CONCEALING
HIS IDENTITY AND
ATTEMPTING TO
COERCE HER INTO
CONVERSION
Sonu. He also claimed that the
couple was in a relationship for
over a year and eloped on the
night of December 14.
They reached the town of
Nahtaur where they were
apprehended by the police who
also informed the Dhampur
police.
Tyagi said he approached the
girl’s family at her village in
Dhampur, that they admitted
the girl eloped on December 14,
and that they did not report the
matter to the police to avoid
embarrassment.
Tyagi also said that during
interrogation, the minor girl
alleged that the man had ini-
tially hidden his identity, intro-
duced himself as Sonu, and ,
subsequently, tried to coerce
her into conversion and mar-
riage.
The girl was sent for medical
examination and the accused,
Saqib, to jail, he said.
w
Plea filed against
UP’s ‘love jihad’
law in Allahabad high court
designations in the Army, Navy
and Air Force like the US.
Gandhi, according to a BJP MP
and a Congress MP, said the forces
were the best judge of the matter.
The Congress MP added that Gan-
dhi had been asking for a discus-
sion on the border standoff with
China and was disappointed that
it was not happening. The BJP MP
claimed that Gandhi came late and
was absent in a previous hearing.
Chairman Oram is believed to
have told Gandhi to allow the
members ask questions and voice
their opinions on the scheduled
topic, but according to the people
cited above, Congress MP Rajeev
Satav, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut
and a few others asked that Gan-
dhi be allowed to speak his mind.
When this request was denied,
Gandhi and two other Congress
NEW DELHI
THURSDAY
DECEMBER 17, 2020
one more civic body -- Pandalam
(Pathanamthitta) -- besides iPalak-
kad that it already held. Its effort to
win the Thiruvananthapuram
Corporation fell flat. Its hopes of
pulling off a Hyderabad-like per-
formance in the state capital failed
to materialise -- out 100 corpora-
tion seats, the LDF won 52, NDA
35, UDF 10 and others three.
Out of six corporations, the LDF
won four -- Thiruvananthapuram,
Kollam, Thrissur and Kozhikkode.
UDF emerged victorious only in
Kannur (north Kerala). Kochi pro-
duced a fractured verdict. Out of
944 local bodies, LDF managed
514, UDF 377, NDA 25 and 29 went
to others. “It is a victory of the
alternative policy being pursued
by the CPI(M). People gave a befit-
ting reply to the Centre’s plan to
destabilise the state government
using its agencies. We salute the
people of the state. This mandate
will help the LDF to retain its
power in assembly elections also,”
CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram
Yechury said in Delhi.
Congress leaders said they will
examine the reasons for the UDF’s
debacle and introspect. “Political
climate was conducive for the
party. We will examine reasons
and take corrective measures,”
said party leader T N Prathapan.
BJP state chief K Surendran
said both LDF and UDF helped
each other and cross-voted to con-
tain the saffron party’s surge. “Last
week LDF convenor A Vijayara-
ghavan said the CPI (M) had taken
enough measures to stop BJP in its
tracks. In many wards, Congress
workers gave their vote en bloc to
the CPI(M) to sabotage BJP chan-
ces in Thiruvananthapuram,” he
said, adding that the ruling party
also distributed leaflets in many
places for minority consolidation
against the BJP.
DELHI HC GRANTS
PROTECTION TO
INTERFAITH
COUPLE FROM U.P.
Richa Banka
Richa.banka@htlive.com
NEW DELHI: The Delhi high
court on Wednesday granted
protection to an interfaith cou-
ple from Uttar Pradesh, who
fled to the national Capital fear-
ing persecution, days after the
new UP Prohibition of Unlawful
Conversion of Religion Ordi-
nance 2020, commonly known
as the ‘love jihad’ law, was
passed.
The couple has alleged that
they were forced to leave their
parental houses due to reports of
harassment on interfaith cou-
ples. Justice Anu Malhotra,
while granting protection, also
directed the Delhi government to
provide them a safe house in
accordance with an earlier order
of the Supreme Court.
According to the plea, the
21-year-old Hindu woman met
the 25-year-old Muslim man at a
coaching centre in Shahjahan-
pur. They fell in love and wanted
to get married under the Special
Marriage Act, as they did not
intend to convert. However, the
parents and relatives of the
woman opposed their alliance.
The plea, filed through advo-
cates Soutik Banerjee and Aak-
arsh Kamra, alleged that the
woman’s parents and relatives
tortured her physically and men-
tally. Fearing harassment, the
couple reached Delhi on Decem-
ber 11 and contacted an NGO.
Appearing for them, advocate
Vrinda Grover said the couple
sought protection from the Delhi
government’s Social Welfare
Department. However, they
were turned away, which “jeop-
ardises the right to life, liberty
and privacy”.
MPs, Satav and Anumula Revanth
Reddy, walked out.
BJP MP Pratap Simha who was
present at the meeting said Gan-
dhi’s actions didn’t convey respect
for the forces. “If he has so much
respect for the forces then why did
he meet the Chinese ambassador
at the height of the Doklam stand-
off?’’ General Vats said the subject
being discussed was important. “I
doubt Rahul Gandhi will be able to
distinguish between one rank and
another,” he added.
Oram declined comment.
“What Rahulji said is absolutely
right. When India is faced with an
unprecedented crisis at the LAC
border, the committee is discuss-
ing ranks and uniforms...! BJP lev-
erages India’s defence forces for
political gains and wants to escape
accountability...,” said Satav.
NEW DELHI
THURSDAY
DECEMBER 17, 2020 My India 09
BOMBAY HC STAYS
WORK ON MUMBAI
METRO CAR SHED
JEE Main to be conducted 4 { THE CROSSWORDS }
CRYPTIC CLUES PUZZLE 15795 © Gemini Crosswords 2018 All rights reserved

Kanchan Chaudhari
kanchan.chaudhari@htlive.com
MUMBAI: In a setback for the
Maharashtra government, the
Bombay high court on Wednes-
day stayed an October 1 order by
the Mumbai suburban district
collector that allotted 102 acres
of saltpan land to the Mumbai
Metropolitan Region Develop-
ment Authority (MMRDA) to
build an integrated car shed for
multiple Metro rail corridors.
The division bench of chief
justice Dipankar Datta and jus-
tice Girish Kulkarni also
restrained MMRDA from carry-
ing out any more work on the
plot. The authority’s contractor,
Delhi Metro Rail Corporation
Limited, has been conducting
soil testing work at the site in
Kanjurmarg.
Reacting to the court order,
state environment minister Aad-
itya Thackeray tweeted: “Hon’ble
HC has granted a stay to Kanjur-
marg work. We await the
detailed written order to decide
the future course of action. This
land is crucial for Metro Line 6, 4
and 14, apart from 3, as it will
save almost ₹5,500 crore of govt
and be a nodal point for 1 crore
citizens.”
times a year from 2021: Govt
Prashant K Nanda
letters@livemint.com
NEW DELHI: The Union govern-
ment on Wednesday said it will
conduct the marquee Joint
Entrance Examination (Main),
or JEE Main, four times a year
from 2021 in 13 languages
including English, just days
after it said that a proposal is
being evaluated for conducting
it more than twice.
The first of the four attempts
allowed in JEE Main in 2021
will be conducted between 23
February and 26 February and
there will be no negative mark-
ing for optional questions this
time, Union education minister
Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’
said.
“We have examined the sug-
gestions received from stu-
dents and various quarters,
and it has been decided that
JEE-Mains will be held in four
sessions in February, March,
Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’
April and May,” Pokhriyal said.
JEE Main will be conducted
in English, Hindi and 11 other
languages, instead of just
English and Hindi as is the
practice now, to give opportu-
nities to students from regional
language backgrounds, the
minister said.
The regional languages will
include Tamil, Telugu, Guja-
rati, Marathi, Odia, Bengali and
Assamese.
The new format will help
reduce the chances of JEE
Main clashing with other com-
petitive examinations or board
examinations, the minister
said.
“The move will ensure that
students do not miss out on
opportunities due to clash of
exams or due to the COVID-19
situation at present,” the min-
ister said.
The education ministry had
on 10 December said it is
exploring the possibility of
holding JEE Main three or four
times a year. The syllabus will
be the same as the previous
year. The ministry on Wednes-
day said students will be given
the choice of answering 75
questions (25 each in physics,
chemistry and mathematics)
out of 90 questions (30 each in
physics, chemistry and mathe-
matics).
The top performers of JEE
Main, around 150,000 of the
candidates, are shortlisted for
giving JEE Advanced, the sec-
ond leg of the JEE entrance sys-
tem, which opens the door for
ACROSS
1 A composer frequently, we hear, followed by
another (9)
8 Latin works set to music (5)
admission to the Indian Insti- 9 Somebody incompetent (7)
tutes of Technology. JEE Main 10 It’s held musically to follow the wrong
results are also used for admis- tune (6)
sion into engineering colleges 11 Girl that is a famous film star (6)
in several states and some of 12 Stayed with us erratically, coming once a
week (8)
the top centrally-funded engi-
15 Marriage, for example, makes a nice change
neering and tech schools. after all (8)
A candidate has the option to 18 Five in debt - but promising (6)
apply for one session (Febru- 20 Cable was twisted in her grasp (6)
ary) or more than one session, 21 Astute amendment about the first
March, April, May 2021 enactment (7)
together and pay the examina- 22 Mackerel bait? (5)
tion fee accordingly. 23 Sign-writing? (9)
“However, if a candidate
appears in more than one ses- DOWN
sion then his or her best of 2 Growing girl? (5)
scores in 2021 will be consid- 3 Pass directions around the circuit (6) QUICK CLUES
ered for preparation of merit 4 Report the rifle is loaded (8)
list or ranking. The question 5 Poor houses (6) ACROSS DOWN
1 Meddlesome (9) 2 To shape (5)
paper will contain 90 ques- 6 Uniform for a soldier (7)
8 Rubbish (5) 3 Middle East country (6)
tions, in which the candidate 7 Many awakening us with their revels (9)
9 Except for (7) 4 Humiliation (8)
will have to attempt a total of 11 A dispiriting thing to do (3,1,5) 10 Saunter (6) 5 Unchanging (6)
75 questions. In the new paper 13 Its employers needn’t take flight to reveal 11 Atone for (6) 6 Using few words (7)
pattern, there will be no nega- distress (8) 12 Passive (8) 7 Defy boldly (9)
tive marking in the 15 alterna- 14 Runners, but not in the vegetable 15 Unfaithful (8) 11 Interpretation (9)
garden (7) 18 Eventually (2,4) 13 Everything considered (3,2,3)
tive questions,” Pokhriyal said.
16 They don’t play principal parts (6) 20 Something of little value (6) 14 Pain-relieving drug (7)
“The candidates have to
17 Flicker of an electric light? (6) 21 Grandeur (7) 16 Do favour for (6)
attempt 75 questions out of 90, 22 To be paid (5) 17 Emphasis (6)
19 Get a letter in time? It’s out of the
or 25 questions out of 30 in question (3,2) 23 Area fenced off (9) 19 To drive (5)
each section of chemistry,
physics and maths,” he said.
YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS (15796) DIFFICUL
DIFFICUL
DIFFICUL
DIFFICUL
DIFFICUL
{ SUDOKU } DIFFICULTY LEVEL

Chief minister Uddhav Thack-
eray on October 11 announced
moving the Metro-3 (Colaba-
Bandra-Seepz) car shed from
Aarey Milk Colony to Kanjur-
marg, scrapping a decision taken
by the Devendra Fadnavis gov-
ernment, after environmental-
ists and citizen groups
demanded shifting the depot to
save trees. The Maharashtra
No decision on scrapping quota
for IIT faculty recruitment: Govt
HT Correspondent
letters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: The Union education
CRYPTIC
UP WAQF BOARD
EYES R-DAY TO LAY
FOUNDATION OF
AYODHYA MOSQUE
to the ministry in May. It comes at reconsidered for inclusion of IITs
a time when several IIMs are car- in the schedule taking into account
HT Correspondent
rying out special drives to recruit the nature of these institutions,
letters@hindustantimes.com
faculty members from scheduled duties, and their activities. The

Vikas Aghadi government later
announced that the car shed in
Kanjurmarg will also be utilised
for Metro-6 (Swami Samath
Nagar-Vikhroli), Metro-4 (Wada-
la-Kasarwadavali) and Metro-14
(Kanjurmarg-Badlapur) corri-
dors.
The high court’s stay on work
at Kanjurmarg is likely to result
in delays and cost escalation for
Metro lines, especially the Cola-
ba-Bandra-Seepz underground
corridor on which more than
60% civil work has been com-
pleted.
RA Rajeev, metropolitan com-
missioner, MMRDA, declined to
comment on the impact the
order may have on the Metro
corridors. “We are waiting for
the detailed order,” he said.
With Tanushree Venkatraman
ministry said on Wednesday that it
had taken no decision on imple-
menting a controversial proposal
to exempt IITs from quota norms
for faculty hiring even as a political
controversy brewed over the sug-
gestion.
The proposal was made by an
expert committee, headed by IIT
Delhi Director V Ramagopal Rao
and comprising representatives
from four top IITs and three gov-
ernment ministries. The panel, set
up by the ministry in April, also
told the ministry that IITs were
institutes of excellence and mat-
ters of faculty hiring should be
dealt with the board of governors
of these colleges. “There is no such
decision by the ministry,” said a
senior ministry official. The panel
was asked to look into the reserva-
tion process for students and
teachers and submitted its report
caste, scheduled tribes and other
backward class communities, in
line with government guidelines.
The panel noted that the IITs
were institutions of national
importance, set up by an act of
Parliament and having a mandate
to contribute to the development
of India and the world. It said that
vacant positions should not be
blocked for a long period. “Since
IITs have flexible faculty structure
and there is no specified tier-wise
faculty strength, all appointments
are through open advertisement,
without specifying specific num-
bers to be hired. It is important
that this aspect of the selection
process be retained,” the report
said. The panel made some spe-
cific recommendations. One,
bringing IITs under the list of insti-
tutions exempt from reservations.
“This must be immediately
QUICK
matter of reservations in these LUCKNOW: The Uttar Pradesh
institutions may be vested with Sunni Central Waqf Board
their respective board of gover- (UPSCWB) may lay the founda-
nors to deal with as per the board tion of a mosque on the five-
resolutions, statutes, and bye- acre land allotted to it at Dhan-
laws,” the panel said. nipur village in Ayodhya on the
Two, a new “preparatory” pro- Republic Day.
gramme to attract quality PhD The board will hold a press
Fill in all the squares in the grid so that each row, column and
candidates from reserved catego- conference on December 19 to
each of the 9X9 squares contains all the digits from 1 to 9.
ries. If this was not possible, the share its plan pertaining to the
panel recommended that reserva- mosque.
tions for all categories could be The land was allotted to the
capped at the position of assistant board in line with the Supreme
{ WEATHER } TEMPERATURE IN
professor, and not extended to Court judgment in the Ayodhya ALMANAC
TEMPERATURE HIGH LOW Today is FOUR METROS
higher posts of associate and full title dispute case. “No day
17th December 2020 Delhi
professor. Three, vacancies not could be better than January 1 Jumada Al-Awwal 1442
●
18°c I 05°c
filled up with adequate representa- 26, the day on which our con- ● Margashirsha,
Shukla Paksha, 3 Mumbai
tion from reserved categories in a stitution came into existence. If THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY ● Samvat 2077
Sunset: Thursday 30°c I 22°c
particular year due to non-availa- all goes as per plan, we may lay Cold day Cold day Shallow fog at 05:27 p.m. Kolkata
bility of suitable candidates be the foundation of the mosque Sunrise: Friday
26°c I 17°c
at 07:08 a.m.
de-reserved in the next year. The and other establishments, on Moonrise: Friday
Chennai
BJP didn’t react to the recommen- Republic Day,” said Athar Hus- at 10:26 a.m.
30°c I 22°c
dations. But the Congress accused sain, spokesperson for Indo-Is- 18°c I 05°c 19°c I 05°c 20°c I 06°c Moonset: Friday
at 09:15 p.m.
the Centre of being anti-Dalit. lamic Cultural Foundation.

DELHI JAL BOARD: GOVT. OF N.C.T. OF DELHI

OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE ENGINEER (NW) II
H-BLOCK, SECTOR-15, ROHINI, DELHI-110089
PH: 27851040 (E-MAIL: eenw2.djb@gmail.com)
“STOP CORONA; Wear Mask, Follow Physical Distancing, Maintain Hand Hygiene”
PRESS NIT No. 41 (2020-21)
Press Notice Tender
S. Name of Work Amount put to Earnest Money/ Date of release of tender Last date/time of
No. Tender Tender Fee procurement solution/I.D. receipt of bid through
No. e-procurement solution
1. Shifting of water line coming in the Rs. 59,75,917/- Rs. 1,19,600/- 15.12.2020 05.01.2021
alignment of sewer line by P/L 100 mm Rs. 1000/- 2020_DJB_197503_1 Upto 3.00 PM
dia DI water line in Tikri Khurd village
in AC-01, Narela under EE(NW)II.
Further details in this regard can be seen at https://govtprocurement.delhi.gov.in
ISSUED BY P.R.O. (WATER) SUDHIR KUMAR
Advt. No. J.S.V. 262/2020 Executive Engineer (NW)II

City
THERE
IS NO
PLANET B,
WARNS
‘CLIMATE
CHAMP’
BHUMI CHECK
OUT
TODAY’S
EDITION

Indian Ports Association (IPA)

1st Floor, NBCC Place, South
Tower, B.P. Marg, Lodi Road, New Delhi-110003
Tel. No. 011-24369061/63, 24368334
Email: ipa@nic.in
Recruitment
IPA/GAD/Recruitment/Mos-Sagarmala/2020 Date: 17.12.2020
Indian Ports Association (IPA) on behalf of Ministry of Ports, Shipping and
Waterways invites applications for the following posts on deputation basis:
1) Managing Director, Sagarmala Development Company Limited (1 Post).
2) Director (Finance), Sagarmala Development Company Limited (1 Post).
The details in respect of qualifications, job description & responsibilities
can be downloaded from the website http://www.ipa.nic.in under the head-
What’s New/Recruitment Notice/Advt. of IPA. The last date of submission of
application(s) is 01.02.2021.
Sd/-
dvap 37203/11/0009/2021 Chief Administrative Officer
New Delhi, Thursday, December 17, 2020
PROPERTY
NORTH DELHI
KOTHIS / Flat 200-3500yd Civil Line VASANT VIHAR Bungalow 1800
/Model Town/B.D.Estate/Tagore Pk
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RENTED PROPERTY- Axis Bank
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Bank 42,000
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Subway 1,80,000
Bank 2,65,000
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HighStreet(rajouri) 6,50,000
Full Building 7,50,000
Multiplex 10,00,000
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Reasonable Price.
DISTRESS SALE Sukhdev Vhr 4BR,
3.15cr & 3BR, 1.85cr GK2(400)4br@
6.10cr East of kailash 4BR, 2.95,NFC
3BR, 2.45cr & 4BR@ 3.45cr NZMDN
(W)(200)kothi @9.50 # 9810473675
JORBAGH, 375 sq yds, Clear Title,
Independent Bungalow for
immediate sale. Contact. Amit
Salwan: 9810063891
ANAND NIKETAN, 200yds, New
TF+Terr Garden, Park facing,
3BHK@4.30cr also in Green Park,
355yds, 4BHK, TF+Terr, @4.50cr.
Call # 9999062968
SUNDER NAGAR 866YD Zoo
Facing Best Location House
Available For Sale. Contact Gaurav
Goel : 9811554178
GK- 2, 1000yds, FF N/E lift, Prkg
@8.5Cr. Saket 400yds, F.F, 4Br lift
Parking, Wide Road @ 4.60Cr.
SDA, 400yds FF, 4Br, Park facing
@ 6.5Cr. 9818881000 9599808726
GK4 NRI Col.311y GF 4br2car 3.60
Panshil Encl 265yFF3br2car lift 4.40
Deshbndhu Apt TF+Trc 3br lift 1.60
Shop CRPrk comrcial GF 200ft 1.22
#9810017982,9810364472 Bahlsons
G.K-I, B Blk Main Rd, 1000 Sq.Yd.
Corner Plot, 3 Sides, N/E & Park
Face, Vaastu Perfect. Beautiful
Ground Flr & 2000 Sq.Ft Front
SOUTH DELHI
VASANT VIHAR Bungalow beauti-
fully built 1200 yds Wide Road, 400
yds N/E facing good location, Anand
Niketan 400 yds Good location.
Contact: Tara Estates 9810055500
WESTEND 500- First Floor
Corner back Park @10.75 also
Anand Niketan -200- Third Ter-
race Park Facing @ 4.50 both stilt
Parking & Lift. Rajesh 9810209711
DLF − SUSHANT LOK
VASTU PERFECT Luxurious
Builder Floor DLF-1, E- Block Arjun
marg 4BR, 300yd @2.65Cr Marble
flooring, modular kitchen, stilt, lift,
Servant Qtr, 100% PBU. 9911441118
DLF PLOTS J-215 @1.95, L-300
@1.60, K-300 @1.75, J-300 @2.00,
M-300 @1.75, J-500 Corner Park
@1.65, A-500 @1.65, SL-I C-300
@1.45, A-418 @1.25 9810112870
SECTOR- 18 (adj.NH-8)450mtr
building for sale built 12000 sft
(wide rd) b'ment & Ground rented
@1.75 lac, first & second vacant.
Contact Owner 9811687247
PLOTS IN DLF 1 / DLF 2 : 300yds,
400 yds, 500yds available for sale.
confirmed options at Reasonable
price . Perfect Estate Agency-
9910293837
PIONEER PARK, 3 Bed Room /
Drawing Dinning 1800 sqft /
Beautiful Ground Floor Flat is
available on sale in Tower C,
Contact- 9899335431
RENTED BANK Rent 138300/-
Eros City Square sector-49 Gurgaon.
Best Location Call: 9717437773
FOR SALE 3 BHK Spacious Builder
Ground & 1st Floor 270 Sq.Yds in
DLF Ph-I, High Class Modern Const,
Stilt Prkg, Lift, Exclnt Loc, Gated
Colony. Owner: 9818334312
FLOORS DLF-II 300 SF+R@ 2.30Cr
(Unused,W/lift) & Old 1.40Cr, 300
FF@ 1.75Cr & 1.40Cr, 250 SF@ 1.35Cr
TO BOOK YOUR AD CALL SEVEN DAYS A WEEK→
DLF − SUSHANT LOK
AKASHNEEM MARG DLF City-II,
390 Yds: Distress Sale G.Flr 4 BHK
with Basement Hall – Sept. Entry,
Old Construction, Excellent Location,
Going Cheap. Rahul Jain 9810173231
GOLF COURSE Road (S.Lok-2)
4 bhk ultra luxury builder floors
approx 3000 sft, ready to move,
100% PBU @2.30 Cr onwards. 2%
comm. to brokers. 9810011187
DISTRESS SALE floors DLF-II J-215
GF@1.25, M-300 GF @1.50, J-300 FF
@1.45, K-300 SF+TR @1.30, M-400
FF @1.80, N-400 B+GF @ 2.40, K-
200 3bhk Stilt/Lift@1.55 9810112870
UNUSED BEAUTIFUL Two Floors
for the Price of One Plus Construc-
tion Rights on Terrace. DLF2, 300
Yd Duplex, 4BHK, Bar & Theatre
Pkg, SQ # 9953003292.
S.LOK 1, Plots & Kothi vastu perfect
215 C blk North fac/215 B blk east fac
/502 B blk east fac plot/502 B block
east fac well maintained kothi/ 418
C blk liveable villa. # 9899215980
SALE FLAT Sector - 56 Gurgaon
JNU society (Plot No 5 ), 3 BHK D/D 3
bothroom 2 balcony. Car Parking 1st
floor with lift contact : 9810856550.
PLOTS/ OLD Built - 500 Sq.yds
Ashoka Crescent DLF Ph-I, 500 Sq.
yds. Club Marg, 215 Sq.yds Sushant
Lok-I. Many More Options Call
Luxerise # 9910716962, 9971155712
DLF GALLERIA DLF City-IV, Comm-
ercial Corner G.Flr Shop 723 Sq Ft,
Tenant top food chain, Rent 4.40L+
GST PM, 9 years Lease (Renewed/
Fresh) @ 9.70Cr. 9700800100 Amitt
GURUGRAM
PRE-RENTED
ASSETS
IN PRIME LOCATION GURGAON
REACH 3 ROADS - RETAIL
BAJORIA FURNITURE’S
BRAND SERVING IN 17 CITIES
ACROSS INDIA
DLF CORPORATE PARK -
MG ROAD
UNITECH BUSINESS PARK -
HUDA CITY CENTRE
SEWA CORPORATE PARK -
MG ROAD
TIME TOWER - MG ROAD
MANY MORE OPTIONS AVAILABLE
9650052223
7428769640
FOR SALE Tata Gurgaon Gateway
Sec 113, 3BHK with study 14th floor ,
club house & Pool facing, 2 covered
parking, semi furnished, AC & power
backup.#9810025508, 9818336685.
INDEPENDENT LUXURIOUS
Floors available in Palam Vihar,
Gurgaon, furnished 3 & 4 BHK Floors
with lift and Covered Parking. Om
Shivam Buildtech # 7502030406
FARIDABAD
FOR SALE 253 yds Commercial/ SCO
Plot Corner, N/E on 45 & 24 mtr
Rd Sec-83, M-Blk, BPTP, Faridabad
NOIDA/GREATER NOIDA
NOIDA RESIDENTIAL Plots/Kot-
his 450mtr, 300mtr, 200mtr Sector
19,17,30,20,27,26, 31, 39, 36, 44,40,
48,47,46, 51, 50, 92, 93B, 108, 105
& 15A. Raj Assotech 9871146434.
FULLY FINISHED Spacious 2 & 3
BHK Luxury Apartments @ Antara,
by Max India Group, Sec 150, Noida.
All incl. 1.08 Cr onwards. High-end
specifications&amenities.Possession
in Dec 2024. #9810553957
PLOT FOR Sale/JV Area 20,000
mtr. in Sec-132, Build to suit
option, facing Expressway, Suitable
for MNC/ ITES/ Data Center.
Contact: 9971768326
TASTEFULLY DESIGNED Kothi,
B'mnt: Park 8 car, Party Hall,GF/1st/
2nd Flr: 5BR attach Dressing / toilet,
storeroom. Study cum office, Gym,
Sauna,2SQ 9315113443/9810075068
YAMUNA EXP- Plot-Sec-18&20 Gr.
Noida-plot/Kothi-alpha,Beta Gama
delta Eta Sigma ChiPhi P3 Nri City
omic sec-2&3 all Sec Ind.-Ecotech,
UPSIDC #9999004005, 9999611530
DESIGNER BUNGALOW for
sale in sec 44, 350 sqmtr with 7
BR+basement+3 storey building
with lift, modular kitchen,
park facing CALL #7838871119
TO-LET
NORTH DELHI
ROHINI- SECTOR 5, Independent
Commercial Bldg. in DDA Commer-
cial Complex, G.F, 1st, 2nd, 3rd
Floor. 6500 sq ft with Lift, Ample
Parking. Contact: 9810025054
RANI BAGH Pitampura.4000 sq ft.
commercial Space ground floor
partially also available, Suitable for
Bank's, Insurance Co, Showroom &
MNC's Etc.9210027962,9810582924.
EAST DELHI
WEST DELHI
1800 103 1800 OR
{Thursday}
NOIDA/GREATER NOIDA
INDUSTRIAL SECTOR 63: Plot
1000mtr - 30mtr Road / Building
1000mtr 22000sqft - 30mtr road.
Immediate Sale, Contact:
98 999 888 00
SHOP IN Sector -76, Noida For Sale By
Owner Ground Floor, Registry Done
Super Area 136 Sqft, Already Given on
Rent @20K, Regular Monthly Income.
Demand @ 47L Negotiable. Contact
9811407878, 9891083693
GHAZIABAD
VAISHALI: SHOP 14½ x 30'
Rented 40K, @ 80L at 80' Road in
Prime Location For Sale. Owner
# 9911501965
NEW FLAT For Sale 1 BHK 16L,
2 BHK 24L, Shops 20L to 22L Noida
Extn. Opp. Gaur City-2, with
Parking, Lift, Solar Penal Contact:
9650701965
INDIRAPURAM SHOWROOM
For Sale Rented 60K @ 1.25 Cr. at
120' Road in Prime Location
Contact Owner # 9911501965
PROPERTY WANTED
WANTED BUILDINGS in Delhi,
suitable for running Old Age Home /
Primary School. contact: Jaipuria
Trust, 52, Janpath, New Delhi.
Moblie No:-8802735502.
OFFICE PREMISES
FURNISHED OFFICE Space,
Super Area 10,576 sq. ft. at 3rd
Floor, Plot No. 65, Sector 44,
Gurgaon, Near Huda Metro Station.
Contact: 9810026972
SOUTH DELHI
OKHLA I-II-III- 400,600,1200,
1000Sqyd, Nrth/Est, Crnr Factory/
Bldg/ W'shop/ Off/ W'Hse RCC or
Shed 800-1,00,000sqft for Rent
# 7982306104, 9810058453.
ACCOMMODATION WANTED
for Embassy/Foreigners/MNC- Flats
/ Houses/ Bungalows in South Delhi.
contact Anil Makhijani 9811047035
Kajal 9811647035/ 29835250
CR PARK Main Rd Comm GF 1000sft COMMERCIAL SPACE avbl for
B'ment 1000sft, GF 500sft all with
pantry toilet, also resdl properties
G.K, CR Park, Kalkaji3/4 bhk lift, pkg
SQ 9810888826, 9999242466
B-529 NEW Friends Colony 500Sq.
Yds Full House, Basement, G.F, F.F,
S.F, 3Servant Qtr, 27 Kw, 4Water
Mtr. Vacated by Big Corporate
House #9810020299, 24694911
KALKAJI 200 Sqyds & C.R. Park
both 2nd Floor 3BRS D/D Ampl
Parking Nr. Nehru Place & Okhla
Ind. On Lease # 9911226444 /
01126273298.


  

E-MAIL→ counterclassifieds@hindustantimes.com
FOR ENQUIRY CONTACT→ 011-66561389/66561161
SOUTH DELHI
SAKET J-65 Basement 1700 sq.ft.
(Commercial) fully furnished with
EMPLOYMENT
cabins, A/c, pantry, washroom,
parking etc Available on lease
Contact: 9818860436.
OFFICE CABINS. A/c fully furnd.
@20K PM incl.(Tea/coffee,Internet,
Elect.),Okhla Main Road. Adjoining
ACADEMIC
NSIC Metro Stn., Capt. Gaur Marg.
Brokers welcome. 9899966622
RENT GF 3000sqft + FF 3000sqft,
lift excellent location 60ft Niti Bagh
Rd 15 Car Parkng suits Banks, Profe-
ssional, Doctor, Gym, Lab, Clinic IVF.
Owner # 9810136101, 9810666227
NEHRU PLACE: G.F. SA.1065 sq.ft.
Front Facing, Prime Location,
Suitable For Banks, Textiles, Export
Fabric etc. (Full/Part) # 9350155911,
9811055911, 9810476762.
COMMERCIAL/ WAREHOUSE
Space available for Lease/Rent
5,000-20,000 sqft. in Prime Locati-
on Chattarpur, South Delhi Contact
Jain - 9810143904, 9871772342
AVAILABLE APPROX 16000 Sqft
Residential Area for Rent in Kotla
Mubarakpur South Delhi.
Contact: 46099797.
OKHLA PHASE-1, Basement
2000, 1st Floor 1800 & 2nd floor
1800Sq. ft. avble for Rent for Office,
Godown &light work. Nice location &
ample Parking space. # 9810962603
GEETANJALI ENCLAVE 3BHK,
laundry room, park facing, servant
qtr, genset, lift, stilt car prkg, 360
sq.yd plot. Ready to move. Keys in
hand. Rent 1.20L. Kartik 9911492862
FOR RENT Defence Colony C-224,
2nd Floor Corner 325 Sq.yds.
3 BHK attach Bathroom 1 Study
room, D/D, without lift, Contact
owner Taneja 9999696369.
SDA/ SAFDARJUNG Encl (opp
IIT/ Deer Park, DDA Market): Shops
& Office on Rent. GF/ Mezz/ FF. Ideal
for Restaurant, Bank, Wine Shop,
Bakery etc. Owner 9810040681
G.K. I, M-BLOCK Market, Prime
Commercial Building available on
Lease: Basement + G.Flr 2000 Sqft,
F.Flr /S.Flr 1600 Sqft each, Excellent
Location. Owners Rep. 99106-44333
BHANDARI HOUSE Nehru Place
Semi Furnished Covered Area AC
Power Backup, 609 Office 691Sqft
107-B shop showroom 260Sqft
9810020299, 24694911
GREEN OFFICE Bldg Vasant Kunj
Surrounded by Trees & Nature.
8100sft, 65 workstation, 6 cabins
Ideal for Corporates NGO parkings &
lift. Reasonable rentals 9873340866
A-44 NEW Friends Colony 4 Bed-
room drawing dinning modular
kitchen lift, stilt car parking power
back up . Immediately available.
Contact: Rohit 9811072455
PANCHSHEEL PARK 800 Sq.Yds.
Builder Floor 4 Bedrooms, D/D,
Modular Kitchen, Lift & Stilt Car
Parking. Nice Location. Dheeraj
Nathani: 9654329909, 9990202752.
rent Hauz Khas Village(lake facing). ACADEMIC MEDICAL
Pollution free environment with suf-
ficient prkg, pwr bckup, Area upto
25000sqft. 9811033036, 9910901111 EDUCATION POINT Convent GIAN SAGAR Medical College and
School, Plot-3 & 4, Vikas Nagar, Som Hospital, Ram Nagar, Rajpura,
AVAILABLE AT Okhla Ph-I, First Bazar Road. Req. Spl Edu, Librarian, Distt. Patiala Requires Professors/-
floor 2500Sqft, Wide Road, well TGT- Science, Hindi & Asst. Teachers Assoc. Professors, Assistant
maintained, ample parking, prime Contact : 9899304208 Professors, Senior Residents, for
Location. Contact: 9810025508, Clinical and non-clinical depart-
ments. Eligibility as per MCI/NMC.
9818336685.
DEFENCE COLONY, 2nd F, Un/-
ACCOUNTS/FINANCE Interested Candidates can apply on
principalmedical@giansagar.net,
Fully Fur, Corner, 1950sf, Nth face, Paramedical Staff (O.T. Technicians,
D/D, 3 Bed, 4 Bath, Lounge,Study, REQDUIRED ACCOUNTANT
Radiographers, MRI and CT-SCAN
Lift, 3 side open,balcns,Wd Rds, Amp With knowledge of Tally ERP & MS Technicians with 2 years exp.) can
Pking@1.30L, Owner 9811825502 Office. for Export House based in
apply on msoffice@giansagar.net
Noida. Send resume at Email :
FOR RENT: Space avbl on ground
somnathd@masomexglobal.com
flr & lower ground area of 4000 sqft
on 80ft wide road suitable for medi-
cal facility in Safdarjung Enclave. ADMINISTRATION/
Call: 9811033036, 9910901111 SECRETARIAL
VASANT VIHAR Indep. Building REQUIRED OFFICE admin with
250 FF@ 1.75Cr, 215 GF@ 1.40Cr, @ 70K p.sq.yd. Bank Loan  ))  '&
'% 9 Bedrooms, Att Baths,3 Drawing- good command in English for
Facing Bsmt For Sale # 9810806666
ing wide road 7star const CCready 215 FF@ 1.20Cr # 8130510099 available. Owner 7291033503 #%
 %#'
rooms, 3 Kitch, Garage, 3 S.Qtr, Joint marketing activities in Kishangarh,
Pavneet9811036030,9999926224
KOTHI: DLF City-II: 215 Sq.Yd with OFFICE SPACE Approved #)) '%
''

or Sepratly Residence/Guest House Vasant Kunj (New Delhi). Contact
GREENFIELD 3 BR Flat (cash) 29 to commercial 1120 sq.ft., indepen-  )) 
 #%( !
/Embassy. Call Dogra 9811087358 9310272262
Bsmt. Floors: DLF-IV/S.City-I 360 Yd. 31Lac, 3 BR Resale S.U. 55 to 58 with
PUNJABI BAGH West, Plot Area Highend Const, Park Face, Gated loan,New Flat. 3 BR 67 to 72, 4 BR
dent 3rd floor, fully furnished *) #('" SAKET Block-D, 4 BHK, fully
WANTED EXPERIENCED Time
with toilets, Karampura behind
280 sq.yards, East Facing Double Lane, Plots: 500 Sq.Yds. in DLF-I. 81 to 85 Lac with loan, S.pkg lift, SR, Milan cinema. Contact: #  *#)) ##  furnished third flr + terrace,
Keeper for Manufacturing Industry.
Storey House on road no. 62, Crown Estate 9810092129. Chirag Prop. B-116 Fbd. 9811031478. 9810077785/ 9811393262 
 
   plot-300yds, Mod. Kitchen, SQ,
Lift, 2 Pkg in Stilt. # SB Saluja @ Will Take Care of EPF, ESI, Gratuity,
immediate sale. D.Salwan : %# #) $ %'

 8377909091/ 9999904543 Salary & other Admin Work. Email
9910034566
NOIDA/GREATER NOIDA FOR RENT 3BHK Flat, on 200yds.  ) 
#)  at: kayceejk1959@yahoo.com
Plot near Tilak ngr.metro stn., &
*  GULMOHAR PARK, 2nd Floor
AV ON rent office, 5000/10000 ft SALE/ RENT S-52, GK 1 Basement/ With Terrace, 3BHK attached baths,
modular/adjustable, furmsd, AC, Lift GF 5BHK attached Baths, Moduler FOR SALE, Hostel 4000sqmtr with One Room fully furnshd., indepntd.,  
#
 Drawing, Dinning, Kitchen, 2 SQ's, SALES & MARKETING
power backup, withwork station,
Cabins, T L cubicle,meeting rooms,
conference. Owner 8377001616
KAROL BAGH Pusa Road Sale /
Rent - Offices , Shops, Godowns,
Showroom, Flat's, Any Size
Available. Khosla Associates :
9811420026, 9811033781, 28759651
JANAKPURI AVAIL C4C Mini MIG,
Ground floor Newly renovated,Exte-
nded, East facing & commercial flat
Shani Bazar Rd. Pahuja Associates
C2A/253A Janakpuri 9810030463
CENTRAL DELHI
RENTED PROPERTIES Bharat
Petroleum 91K, Nestle 1.14L,German
Co. 45L, Indian Oil 9L, Birla 75K.
All rentals are reasonably low with
new long leases 9717050553
OFFICE SPACE For Sale, at
Pusa Road, 1650 sqft, Tastefully
Furnished, Separate Cabins, Work-
stations, Bathroom, Pantry situated
at Metro Route. Contact 9811662223
CONNAUGHT PLACE, Office
Space Available in Reputed Multy
Storied Buildings, K.G. Marg, Area
730 sq.ft, 1200 sq.ft. For Sale.
Contact: 9811026451
SAFDARJUNG DEVELOPMENT
Area, Plot size 450 sq.yards, Ground
floor, 4 BHK, 3 Car Parking, A+ Con-
struction. Peaceful Location @ 6.75
Cr. Contact Jaspreet 97119 96652
SALE BY Owner Aurobindo Marg,
Green Park, 1280 sq.ft., 1st Floor,
Commercially Approved. Call:
+91-9560330018
PAMPOSH 200Y Corner+Park 3BR
GK-I 208y GF 3BR, W.Rd; GK Encl-I
200y TF+T 3BR; CR Park 233y Park
fac GF 3BR; SJ Encl 240y TF+Tr 3BR
@ Best Prices. Vineet 9871417999
FARM HOUSE For Sale
Deramandi (South Delhi) 2.5 Acre
Beautifully Built-up Prime
Location Also Vasant Kunj 1008
sq.yds Sai Property 9599008861
SAFDAR- JUNG Development Area
Park Facing Excellent Construction
D/D, Lounge 3/4 Bedrooms.
Stilt Parking, Lift. SQ. Grover &
Associates 9810173911, 26511118
NEETI BAGH 325yd, Prime location,
FF Spacious 3 bhk, S.Qtr., lift, 1 car
parking, park facing, reasonable
price, Broker Excuse #7838871113
Kitchen, 2 parking, Opp. Huge Park,
14 ft height AAA grade finish.
Call # 9650637878
DEF COL. 325 sqyd Independent
Bungalow, State of the Art Const.,
Prime & Peaceful Location
Reasonable Price, Broker Excuse
#7838871113
VASANT VIHAR 600 & 400
exclusv basement/ground duplex
& Third+Terrace Ready & Booking
options from Reputed builders at-
tractive prices Rajesh 9810209711
CHITTARANJAN PARK (125 Yds)
3rd Floor with Complete Terrace 3
Beds att. Baths, Separate Gate Car
Park, S.Q., Lift, Brand New. Rajender
Chauhan 8882139523, 9818619911
VASANT VIHAR, 600 sq yds,
North facing Independent Bungalow
for immediate sale.Contact Raman
Salwan: 9810062871
 
 
SUSHANT LOK-2 (Block-
A,B,C,D) 255Yds House/Plot
@125k, 300Yds Plot @110k,
500Yds Plot @80k, 1000Yds
@61k. NSS Realtor 9810047003
PACE CITY-II (Sector-37) 250
basement+6 floor, 5000 bed
available, covered area 70000sqft,
Sector-knowledge park, Price-22cr,
Call #9999921997
FOR SALE!! 200 sqmtr kothi
available with 5 bedrooms@ sec 30,
18 mtr road, North East facing,
desperate deal for self-users
Call #7838871119
VIP SECTOR-15A Noida, Park
Facing, 200sqmtr plot for Sale,
Completion done, one-time lease
rent paid, close to DND & Delhi.
Contact: 9999011116
300 SQMTR C.C. Residential Plot
for sale in Sector-44, G-Block on
24mtr wide road, North-West
facing. Cont: Owner 9350114511,
9810571605
SEC-63, 67, 1000mtr. Plot Hosiery
30mtr Rd, 1250mtr Fac Sec 59,
2100mtr Shed Sec 138, 140 Ex-way
Contact: 9810207945
PLOT SEC 30 260 mtr/200 mtr Sec
41,216mtr Corner East Facing 12 Mtr
Rd Sec 51 300 mtr Park Facing
& 450 mtr Gr Belt Facing.
RGPC (P) Ltd 8860004733
FOR SALE, Residential kothi
Sector- 49, Noida, main road,
250 sqm, 9 bhk attached bath,
One Time Lease Paid,
Contact - 9711938296
FOR SALE 4000 mtr plot, Shed
Flat with Kichen+bathroom
# 9891980405
AVAILABLE ON Lease/Rent 2000
Sq.ft. 2nd floor. Fully furnished 80
seats, main Shivaji Marg New Delhi.
Suitable for Call Centre/ Corporate
office etc. Cont- 9760487522.
CENTRAL DELHI
WITHIN 1 km from Connaught Place
office for lease GF 4000 Sft, FF
14000 Sft, SF 12000 Sft for Banks,
Govt/NGO. Cosmos 9810001682 /
cdplrealtors@yahoo.co.in
OFFICE SPACE avbl for lease 6200
sq ft, well furnished suitable for 50
employees & 1200 sq ft also furnis-
hed in reputed bldg Connaught
Place. # 9871091517 & 9810061692.
SHOWROOM CUM Cold Storage
at CP Outer Circle Ground Floor
1400 sq ft with Signage and
Parkings. Contact: 9873340866,
43004300
SOUTH DELHI
ANAND LOK- Four/Five Bed
Rooms, Drawing/ Dining, Lobby
Lounge, Servant Quarter Parking,
Contact 41036873, 45151664,
29835170, 29835250.
HAUZ KHAS F.Flr 4 Beds attach
4 Baths, Huge D/D, Lift, SQ, 2 Car


A2/6, VASANT Vihar, New Delhi
basement, GF, 1st floor, 2nd floor,
2 kitchen, 2 dining hall, 9 Rooms
detach bathroom. Contact:-
9971300139, 9971859607.
4 BHK Fully Furnished Flat For
Rent in Greater Kailash-2, New
Delhi Contact: 9910039837
GREEN PARK Near Main Market,
1st Floor, Lift 3 BHK+ 3 Bath, Draw-
ing/Dining, Powder Room, Servant
Quarter, 2 Car Parking inside.
Call: 8851532615, 9818841270
C-87 GK-1, 300sqyds newly Constd
1st&3rd flr,facing park,D/D+4 bedroo
ms with AC & a'tchd bath,lift,balcony
covered pkg,svt qtr.prfd sal,Prof/new
const Parties9313746411,9873094655
HAUZ KHAS Apartment,
3 Bedrooms, Drawing/Dining,
2 Balcony, 2nd & 3rd Floor Duplex
Flat Good Condition For Rent.
Contact- Rajesh 8920694778
VASANT KUNJ, B-1 Block,
Ground Floor, 2BHK Flat, Park
Facing, 3 Side Open. Available
for Rent. Ready for Possession.
Contact: 9871698717
VASANT KUNJ Avl.D-3 C-2 C-3 B-11
GF,D-1 C-8 FF 4 BED,B-5 S/T Dup, B-5
GF B-2 SF,B-5 B-10TF 2Bed Co./Prsnl.
1 car parking Contact Raghav-
9810044057
REPUTED MEDICAL Company
COMMERCIAL AREA 2100 Sq.Ft.
Semi Furnished 2nd Flr Main Rd,
Defence Col. Suite Showrooms /
Educational institutions.# Bhalla:
9810245757, Naveen: 9811951030.
DLF − SUSHANT LOK
PALMS : South City-I, fully furnished
& AC Middle Floor Like Service Aptts
Spacious 3 BHK, S.Qtr, 2 Car Parking,
Recently Renovated, Bring in your
Suitcase only. Owner 9811114642
TO- LET: 3- BHK, IND. Floor at
sushant Lok(Near Artimis Hosp.)
With Lush Green Surroundings
Cont: Owner-9810018812
GURUGRAM
E 203, Pilot Court, Essel Tower, M.G.
Road, Gurgaon comprising fully
furnished 4 bed living cum dining.
Suits Expat / MNC. D.Salwan
9910034566.
looking for Science Graduates for
marketing of Medical & Research
oriented products. Share resume at
contact@allianceinternational.in
REQUIRE , Medical Representative
SLDV Lifesciences Pvt Ltd HQ, Delhi
& NCR, 1 Year Exp is Mandatory.
Cont. 7668187288 Send Resume
Email: marketing.sldv@gmail.com
REQD. GYNAECOLOGIST MD/
MS Radiologist MD/ DNB/DMRD For
Full/ Part time/ Night Duty MBBS
RMO Maharaja Agarsain Hospital
Narela Delhi-40 # 9891654929.
WANTED LAB Technicians, Lady X
Ray Technicians , Phlebotomist. Call-
Capital X Ray and Scan Clinic (NABL
Accredited) Contact 9911226464 .
Email: capital.xray@yahoo.in
AAKASH HOSPITAL Najafgarh
Wanted - BAMS female only
Chambers available for Peads,
Gynae, Medicine, Ortho.
Contact 9873489338
COMPUTER
 meter transferable industrial plot
covered area 18000 sf, double
height shed@EIE, Prime location, Park also Green Park 3 Beds attach Lease Bhardwaj Asso.# 9818223623,
9818223048, 26130777/0888. OPERATOR
3 Baths, D/D, Fully Furnished Floor, FOR RENT Office Space Area

 for sale (wide road, East facing).
For further details kindly Contact
Completion and functional
Call #9999327596 Co./Personal Lease. call 9811616363 B-3 PANCHSHEEL Enclave 2000 to 8000 sqft Rent REQ. STAFF for Online/Social
FLRS : Anand Lok 800yd SF+1/3Ter@
  owner 9811687247 @ 30-45 sqft 791, Ph-V promotion of Scientific instrument
E- COMMERCE Office cum Self Sto- Ground Floor 1 Room Indp. Furni-
15.25; Def. Col 400yd Cnr SF @7.25 & IMMEDIATE SALE! Residential shed Set with Pantry, Toilet @ 16K.
Udyog Vihar # 9810027005 ENGINEER/ through E-commerce like LinkedIn,
HOTEL FOR sale in Karol Bagh 18 rages Dera Mandi, main road 20,000
rooms. With All licences. Wide Road,
325y P/F G+Bmt @8.75; Shanti Nktn
400yd SF &TF+Ter @8.5/9.5; GK-I/II,
   
ANSAL ESSENTIA Sector-67,
plot In VIP Sec-44, 240 sqmtr on
wide road, Park facing, prime
sq.ft. 4 acre Land. Parking for Cars
Suits Office, Godown, Clinic. Brokers
Exc. Jain:98714 94495,99991 83913.
JMD MEGAPOLIS Sohna Road, 2842 PROD/TECHNICAL Facebook etc. at N.S.P, Pitampura
# 9811236960, nssdel@gmail.com
Sqft. 6th Floor, Fully Furnished, Hi
 
50 metres from Pusa Road Excellent 500/350 Cnr P/F all Flrs.7982156567 Gurgaon Plot 325 sq.yds on C Block location, close to DND & Delhi. & Trailors. Ideal for IT Campus @6.5
location. GP Singh & Co. Main Entrance, Park Facing, North Contact: 9999011116 Lacs. # 9873340866, 43004300 End Interiors, Main Road Facing, Top REQUIRED B.SC Student, Testing
9818855880 Facing Reasonable Price, for sale TO LET South Delhi Munirka enclave, Location. For MNC/ Company Lease. ISI Markpaint, Factory at Okhla

  
  FULLY FURNISHED Office Space
SOUTH DELHI
KAILASH HILL Excellent Location
Third /Second Floor 3Beds Drawing
Dining Lift Parking Terrace
Reasonable Price. Sudesh
8447600000 / 9811448544
VASANT VIHAR new610yd flr@11&
kothi@40 & 260 yd groundbmt@ 6.5
& Def col new325yd groundbmt@10.5
& 3rd+terc@8.5 & kothi@21. Gk flr
5bhk+terc@11.5 Ravi 9818935156
VASANT VIHAR, B+GF, 400yds,
New 4BHK, @8.60cr also Kothi in
Safdarjung Enclave, 200yds, 10cr.
for more info CALL #9999062968
VASANT VIHAR – 1044 –
Corner Ground floor & Basement,
also Entire first floor, Brokers
Welcome, Windchimes Construc-
tions 9810014771, 9810019279.


PROP. FOR sale RK Puram Som
Vihar 3 BHK (135sq mt) with servant
quarter (Attached Bathroom) stilt
parking. Contact 9312221242,
9810367908, 9810772552
FOR SALE
MAHARANI BAGH
800 Sq. Yards
Top Class
DEFENCE CLY 325 B+GF with Lawn
New Construction
Gulmohar Park 300 FF 4 Beds P/Fac
GK-II, 1000 yds GF 5 Beds with Lawn
Green Park 320yds FF 4 Beds D/D, ALL FLOORS/
lift. Contact: Shekhar: 9810537700
FULL BUILDING
FOR SALE Farm House in Rajokri AVAILABLE
9818079154
(on NH8) Near IGI Airport Area: 2.5
Acres Only Serious Buyers Call
981823 0051 Aankith Badhwarr
Contact: 9811026451
GUEST HOUSE in South City-1
500yd fully furnished (Rental 3.5
Lac) with B'ment & Lift @plot rate
only. 2 mins walk from Huda City
Metro. NSS Realtor 9810047003
DLF PHASE-3 Plot 502 sq. yd. Plot
316 sq.yd. main road and park
facing. Confirmed Deal. clear title.
Devender R.D Associates Properties
9810414957.
UDYOG VIHAR Ph-1 (nr NH-
8) 2100 meter plot for sale (best
for rental income/ office) eligible
for 250% FAR value for money.
Contact owner 9811687247
UDYOG VIHAR Phase-1 (near
old Delhi-Gurgaon Road) 450
meter plot for sale (reasonable
price/ value for money). Kindly
contact owner 9811687247
BUY/ SELL Yamuna Exp Resi Plot in GREEN PARK, G.Floor & B'ment fully
sec 18 & 20, Gr.Noida Resi/Industrial
Plots. Alpha, Beta, Gama, Delta,
P-3, S.Nagri, Omicron, Sec-2, 3 Ghar
Sansar Prop.9873731820,9871015111
BUY/ SELL & Construction, Yamuna
Expressway Resi. Plots in Sec-18 &
20 & Jaypee Green Sec-128, Golf, 131,
133, KP-1st and 2nd Cont: Rastogi
Prop. 9810354215, 9953450804
JP GREEN Pavilion Court, Sector
128 Noida, Must Sell 1820 Sq.Ft.
Ground Floor 3 BHK, attached
baths and balconies, Best bargain.
Call 9818523149
PRIME LOCATION Sector-44,
Residential cc plot for sale north
facing,18 Mtr road, vastu perfect,
clear tittle one-time paid.
Call # 7838871110
FOR SALE 600 sq meter corner
factory Ground+1st floor covered
area 6000 sqft 30-meter-wide road
in Greater Noida Call #7838801113
b'ful furnished, 3 side open 200 yd.
Corner buldg, Coml. Loc, ample pkg,
ready to move, false ceiling suitable
for professionals Owner 9811118088
HUAZKHASS BUILDER Floor
3-BHK + 1 Servent Room First Floor
Area 2000 Sqft with Parking In
Prime Location in South Delhi.
Contact # 9910830054
RESIDENTIAL FLOORS available
on Rent, fully/semi furnished with
Elevator and 100% Power backup,
1st and 2nd flr, 4BHK at 49, Pocket-2
Jasola Vihar, New Delhi-110025.
Cont. : 8860008600 or 9811817347.
OKHLA PHASE 2, Ground floor
Area 2000 'ft and 2nd floor Area
3500 'ft available for rent.
Contact: 9810033404
PAMPOSH ENCL, 253 sq.yd. 2nd Flr, ECOTECH 12, RCC Building
JORBAGH- 3BHK, Renovated,
First Floor, Park Facing, Excellent
Location. On Lease. Contact #
9810019480.
DDA SFS, GF, 3 beds attached bath
D/D, lobby, modern kitchen, garden,
car parking, company lease preferred
Contact : 011-45086198, 8766267189
LEASE 12500 sq.ft., IT/ ITES fully
PRIME LOCATION at 130Mtr road
3BR with bath, study Rm. powder
Rm., store, stilt park, 1715 sqft. new
excllnt accomm. Ready to move Co.
lease preff. Call 9810049425
Ph : 9810072875, 9810610419 Phase-II, Knowledge of Laptop,
Good Salary # 9811180913, Email-
3010 Sqft 2 Cabins, Pantry, Recep-
evershinerpdhawan@gmail.com
tion & 64 Work Stations, 3Parking REQUIRED FRESHER QC/
at BPTP Park Centra NH-8 Highway
Support Electronics Technician (ITI/
Facing. 9810128760, 8898880005 Diploma) SoftChip Instrumentation
F-107, Sector-8, Noida Mobile
8750995888, 8470045886.
NOIDA/GREATER NOIDA
PART TIME JOB
furnished, air conditioned office
space at Sector-16, Noida. Excellent
OPPORTUNITY Earn 5,000/- to
Location. Primo Realty 9818900459,
9315553158. 50,000/- (Assured)-Zero Investment
Part Time Job-Earn on Commission
Basis -Refer and Earn Business
Corner,RCC Structure under constru- Opportunity Call 8130264104.
ction 40,000+SQft Ecotech-12 10500
Sqft each floor possession in Febru-
More Classified Ads
ary #9810253033 Dealers Excuse.
(13000Sq Feet), GF-10500 sq Ft.
on Page 12
and FF Office Block 2500 sq ft.
Electricity 600 KW Load Connected.
Cont. 9810253033 Dealers Excuse.
NEW DELHI
THURSDAY
DECEMBER 17, 2020
{ INTERVIEW } ARJUN SUBRAMANIAM, AIR VICE MARSHAL (RETD)
‘1971 saw India’s emergence
globally as a mature State’
rjun Subramaniam is a
A
retired Air Vice Marshal
from the Indian Air Force
and the author of India’s
Wars: A Military History 1947-1971
& Full Spectrum: India’s Wars
1972-2020. On the 49th anniver-
sary of India’s victory over Paki-
stan in the 1971 war that created
Bangladesh, he spoke to Marika
Isabel Mary Gabriel about
India’s moment of triumph:
How do you look back at the
1971 war and India’s tri-
umph?
There are a few issues that
immediately strike a historian
when one looks back at the 1971
war. The first is that the war and
the liberation of Bangladesh was
an outcome of a “whole-of-govern-
ment” approach. There was per-
fect synergy between the political
establishment, the military com-
manders and operational com-
manders... PM Indira Gandhi
wanted General Sam Manekshaw
to go into Bangladesh in March-
April of 1971. But Gen Manekshaw
explained to PM the need for a
fairly long preparatory period that
would allow him to offer a decisive
outcome to the military operation.
It goes to the credit of PM Gandhi
that she listened and waited for six
more months.
The second is the jointness
among the Army, Navy and Air
Force. Third, by going into the
country in December, India gave
itself the time to train the Mukti
Bahini — which emerged as the
eyes and ears of the Indian Army
when it moved into Bangladesh in
1971. Lastly, at a tactical level, there
was professional acumen and
courage across junior leadership.
What were the key elements
of India’s military strategy
that helped it win the war?
It was decided that there would
be different strategies for the west-
ern front and the eastern front.
On the eastern front, the strat-
egy was one of creating over-
Lt Gen Jagjit Singh Aurora (left) watches as Pakistan’s Lt Gen Amir
Abdullah Khan Niazi signs surrender documents in 1971. HT ARCHIVE
Pakistanis to the point of psycho-
logical collapse in East Pakistan.
On the western front, what Gen
Manekshaw and India’s strategic
establishment realised near-parity
of ground forces between the
Indian and Pakistan armies. But
India realised that to drive any
decisive victory, you needed the
Indian Army to be able to score
decisive victories across the west-
ern front, which was a difficult
proposition. Therefore, Gen Man-
ekshaw’s strategy for the western
front was what was called “offen-
sive defence”. His move to pull out
forces from the western front to
the eastern front was to create this
overwhelming superiority in the
east... What emerged out of the
war was that the Indian Air Force
and the Indian Navy grew out of
the shadows of their big brother,
the Indian Army. They performed
spectacularly and emerged as
independent service entities...
The arrival of the US seventh
fleet remains an abiding
memory and scarred gener-
ations about the US. At the
same time, India was able to
rely on Soviet support to an
extent. How did India deal
It allowed India a strategic buffer,
but ultimately, we must give our-
selves credit for the outcome.
As far as international opinion
is concerned, and why I call it a
“whole-of-government” approach,
is that by March, PM Gandhi real-
ised that India had to go to war,
but being a mature democracy, it
did not want to go to war...PM
Gandhi and foreign minister Dr
Swaran Singh... tried their best,
globetrotting across the world to
impress upon the West to call
upon Pakistan to stop the genocide
in Bangladesh... This is how India
emerged internationally as a
mature State. Not one country,
except China, criticised India’s
move. If India not intervened,
there would have been a genocide
of even more horrific proportions.
This raised India’s stature on the
world stage.
Despite the support to the
war of liberation, how do
you see the ebbs and flows
of the relationship with
Bangladesh?
Bangladesh is emerging as the
driving force for India’s Act East
Policy... A good relationship
with Bangladesh has many posi-
PM Narendra Modi and
Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina
MODI, HASINA
LIKELY TO INK
9 KEY PACTS TO
BOOST TIES AT
SUMMIT TODAY
Rezaul H Laskar
letters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: India and Bangla-
desh are expected to sign nine
agreements to boost cooperation
in diverse areas and revive a rail-
way link disrupted by the 1965
war with Pakistan during a vir-
tual summit between Prime
Minister Narendra Modi and his
counterpart Sheikh Hasina on
Thursday.
With Bangladesh focused on
celebrations marking its Victory
Day on December 16, the upcom-
ing 50th anniversary of inde-
pendence in March and the birth
centenary of its founder Sheikh
Mujibur Rahman, the two lead-
ers will release a commemora-
tive stamp and open the “Banga-
bandhu-Bapu Digital Exhibi-
tion”. Officials of the two sides
are giving final shape to nine
memorandums of understand-
ing (MoUs) expected to be signed
during the summit, Bangladesh
foreign minister AK Abdul
Momen has said.
The two premiers, who will be
meeting virtually for the first
time since the Covid-19 outbreak,
will witness the reopening of
Chilahati-Haldibari railway
route, 55 years after it was
snapped during the India-Paki-
stan war. At that time, Bangla-
desh was known as East Paki-
stan. The two sides have already
reopened four of six rail links
suspended in 1965 – Petrapole-
Benapole, Gede-Darshana, Sing-
habad-Rohanpur and Radhika-
pur-Birol. The Haldibari-Chila-
hati link was part of the main
My India
{ DURING INDIA VISIT }
Indo-Pacific tilt aimed at PLA after Galwan, says
managing China-linked
issues: UK foreign secy
top Indian commander
Rezaul H Laskar
letters@hidustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: The UK’s planned
“Indo-Pacific tilt” is as much about
managing the challenges and pres-
sures arising from China’s asser-
tive actions as it is about taking
advantage of opportunities across
the region, British foreign secre-
tary Dominic Raab said on
Wednesday.
Raab, who held talks with his
Indian counterpart S Jaishankar
on Tuesday on a 10-year roadmap
for bilateral ties and a free trade
deal, also said he raised the farm-
ers’ protest in Delhi in view of the
strong connect between the poli-
tics of the two countries given the
Indian diaspora in Britain.
In an interaction with reporters,
Raab said the UK was acting to
address “as swiftly as possible” the
outstanding legal issues that have
held up the extradition of fugitive
businessman Vijay Mallya.
The UK’s integrated defence
and foreign policy review, set to be
published in early 2021, is expected
to outline the “Indo-Pacific tilt”,
and Raab said the rise of China
juxtaposed with the growth of
economies in Southeast Asia and
the Far East present both challen-
ges and opportunities.
“Actually, that’s all part of the
Indo-Pacific tilt, which is to be
more engaged in grasping the
opportunities but also more
engaged in managing some of the
challenges and the pressures,” he
said in response to a question on
China’s belligerent actions, includ-
ing the miliary standoff with India
along the Line of Actual Control
(LAC). “Obviously, there is the rise
of China and the position of China,
and the opportunities but also the
risks it presents,” he said.
India and the UK, Raab said,
can cooperate on issues such as
cyber-security and countering dis-
information.
Against the backdrop of Indian-
origin British MPs asking the UK
government to raise the farmers’
protest with New Delhi, Raab said
he discussed the issue with Jais-
hankar. “Obviously, we respect the
fact that the reforms going
through your system here are
domestic reforms. Of course,
they’ve elicited the protests that
you refer to, and your politics, in
some sense because of the Indian
diaspora in Britain, is our politics.”
“But I think India, as well as
having a market-driven economy,
also has a vibrant heritage of
peaceful protests and vigorous
debate and we watch that with
interest and we respect it.”
Asked about the delay in the
extradition of Vijay Mallya, Raab
declined to specify whether the
matter figured during his meet-
ings but said the two sides always
had discussions on “issues of con-
cern”. “We’ve made it clear that in
those cases, there’s still some legal
issues outstanding.”
No trust between army,
Press Trust of India
letters@hindustantimes.com
KOLKATA: Eastern army Com-
mander Lt Gen Anil Chauhan on
Wednesday said there have been
no intrusions or major face-offs in
the area of responsibility of the
Eastern Command since the
Ladakh standoff between Indian
troops and China’s PLA.
He said post the Galwan Valley
clash, bonhomie and mutual trust
on the Line of Actual Control
(LAC) between India and China
evaporated, and it will take time
for things to stabilise and rebuild.
“Since the clash with China in
Ladakh, there has been no major
intrusion or confrontation in the
Eastern Command area. Post-Gal-
wan incident mutual trust on LAC
between us and the People’s Liber-
ation Army (PLA) of China has
evaporated and will take time to
stabilise,” he said.
Lt Gen Chauhan, General-Offi-
cer-Commanding, Eastern Com-
mand, said the Indian Army and
the People’s Liberation Army
(PLA) of China had undertaken
some precautionary deployment
during the Ladakh crisis, which is
now witnessing a gradual de-in-
duction in the eastern sector, due
to the onset of winter.“However,
the Indian Army is fully prepared
to beat any challenge during win-
ter,” he told reporters at the Fort
William here on the occasion of
Vijay Diwas.
He said the PLA carried out
11
P
Post-Galwan
incident, mutual
trust on LAC
between us and the
PLA of China has
evaporated and
will take time to
stabilise.
LT GEN ANIL CHAUHAN,
Eastern army Commander
rapid infrastructure development
activities of roads and tracks, and
of defences along the Sikkim bor-
der and in Kameng in Arunachal
Pradesh. “We are taking reciprocal
actions and prepared to meet
emerging challenges...,” Lt Gen
Chauhan said.
Regarding Doklam, he said it is
an issue between the governments
of Bhutan and China, and that
India’s involvement comes “when
we have to decide the tri-junction
between the three nations”.
“Bhutan is a friendly nation
with which the government of
India has very close ties. The Royal
Government of Bhutan (RGOB)
and Royal Bhutan Army (RBA)
have taken sufficient steps to pro-
tect their interest in this particular
region and we feel assured by the
steps they have taken,” he said.

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE BOARD OF INDIA

whelming superiority to drive a
decisive outcome — the defeat of
the Pakistan army in East Paki-
stan. The creation of Bangladesh
or the liberation of East Pakistan
was not one of the initial military
objectives. It came in later because
of the spectacular success of the
armed forces in pressurising the
with the international geo-
politics of the war?
One thing that deserves men-
tion is that we must not undercut
ourselves to look back on our own
performance in isolation in the
1971 war. Yes, the Indo-Soviet
Treaty of Friendship and Coopera-
tion was a big confidence-booster.
tive outcomes for India. broad gauge route between
Kolkata and Siliguri.
w
READ: Scan the
Momen also said Dhaka will
raise all major bilateral issue
during the summit, including
sharing of river waters, Covid-19
NORTHERN REGIONAL OFFICE
NBCC Complex, Office Tower-1, 8th Floor, Plate-B
QR code for full
interview of Arjun Subramaniam
cooperation, border killings,
trade imbalance and the
East Kidwai Nagar, New Delhi-110023
Rohingya crisis.
SALE OF OLD AND USED FURNITURE & FIXTURES
Old and used Furniture & Fixtures owned by SEBI
are available for immediate sale on “as is where is
basis”. The complete details are available in SEBI’s
website “www.sebi.gov.in” under the head
“Tenders” and on Central Public Procurement
Portal (CPP) Portal@http://eprocure.gov.in/
cppp. The offers should be submitted on or before
3.00 P.M within 7 days from the date of publication
of this advertisement in newspapers.
davp 15204/11/0247/2021

OFFICE OF THE MANAGING DIRECTOR, J&K HOUSING BOARD

Nodal Agency Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) Mission
AD Block, Green Belt Park, Gandhi Nagar, Jammu/Habitat Centre, Bemina Bypass, Srinagar
Email: jkhousingboard@gmail.com
KASHMIR DIVISION
J&K Housing Board invites proposals from eligible consultancy agency/firms for the appointment
as Third Party Quality Monitoring Agency (TPQMA) in reference to the guidelines of TPQM-2017
issued by the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs, Govt. of India under Pradhan Mantri Awas
Yojana (Urban) Mission for 29 towns of Kashmir Division Qazigund, Pahalgam, Mattan, Dooru-
Verinag, Kokernag, Achhabal, Aishmiquam, Seer Hamdan, Kulgam, Devsar, Frisal, Yaripora,
Awantipora, Khrew, Pampore, Tral, Beerwah, Chadura, Charai-i-sharif, Khansahib, Magam,
Bandipora, Hajan, Sumbal, Langet, Kunzer, Pattan, Uri and Watergam.
The interested agency/firm should be registered as legal entity and operational in India for at least
5 years with experience of TPQM in civil works in the last five years and a sound technical capacity.
The agency/firm should have strong financial capability demonstrated through an average annual
turnover for the last three financial years to be equal to or greater than Rs. 1 Crore. The firm must
be having a valid PAN & GST Number. Interested agencies/firms may download the complete
RFP document from the website www.jkhousingbboard.jk.gov.in. The eligible bidders submit their
proposals along with a nonrefundable demand draft of Rs. 5000/- (Non-refundable) in favor of
Director Finance, J&K Housing Board, A/D Block, Greenbelt Park, Gandhi Nagar, Jammu payable at
Jammu. Pre-bid meeting (if required) shall be held in the office of Managing Director (Nodal Officer,
PMAY) J&K Housing Board, A/D Block, Greenbelt Park, Gandhi Nagar, Jammu on 28.12.2020.
Hardcopy of the EOI document complete in all respect should reach the Office of Managing
Director, J&K Housing Board, A/D Block, Greenbelt Park, Gandhi Nagar, Jammu on or before
06.01.2021 at 4 pm by registered post/speed post/courier.
Interested consultancy firms may submit their duly filled proposals in the prescribed format
available on www.jktenders.jk.gov.in not later than 06.01.2021 at 6 pm. Amendments to EOI if
any would be published on the jkhousingboard.jk.gov.in website only, and not in newspaper. The
Managing Director J&K Housing Board reserves all rights to accept or reject any or all tenders
without assigning any reasons.
Note: The TPQMA will be responsible for undertaking desk review of documents and make site
visits to each town as mentioned above and according to TPQM reference guide of MoHUA, Govt.
of India.
Sd/-
No: HB/4154 (Mohammad Shahid Saleem Dar) KAS
Dated: 14.12.2020 Managing Director
Nodal Officer - PMAY (U) Mission
DPR-JK-3049 J&K Housing Board, Jammu
New Delhi, Thursday, December 17, 2020 TO BOOK YOUR AD CALL SEVEN DAYS A WEEK→ 1800 103 1800 OR E-MAIL→ counterclassifieds@hindustantimes.com
FOR ENQUIRY CONTACT→ 011-66561389/66561161

EMPLOYMENT
EXPORT HOUSE JOBS
GARMENTS EXPORT House
in Gurgaon Reqd. Sampling
Merchandiser Min Exp 2 - 5 Years,
Call: 0124-4940008 & Send CV at
Email : pngtextiles@gmail.com
GENERAL MULTIPLE
VACANCIES
REQUIRED AN experienced
candidate more then one year
experience who can handle
air bnb property. contact-
7982018808/01146567375
BUSINESS
IMPORT WITH peace of mind
through FTWZ unit at Noida. No
demurrage, detention or late
filing penalty. Pay duty in parts
7838362222.
MACHINERY/
TOOLS & PLANTS
ONE HYDRAULIC deep draw
press cap. 250 Ton , Two Power
Presses cap. 100 ton in perfect
running condition. Two ELGI
Compressors 10HP # 9810502456
LOAN/FINANCE
HOME LOAN 6.75 % LAP 7.5%.
Loans for Plot Purchase &House
Construction, Schools, Warehouses,
Builders, CC/OD Limit, Unsecured
Business Loan Cont: 9810888588
OLD OTIS Lift For Sale, in
Working Order, 4 Floors.
Stretcher Use. Contact: Narender
Singh 9871331962 E-mail.
lionstrust2007@gmail.com
LOST & FOUND
I, HEMANT Joshi S/o Sh. S N Joshi
R/o DDA MIG Flat No 400 Sector 13
Pkt-A Dwarka New Delhi-110078
have lost my original Class XII CBSE
Certificate Roll No 6225375 year of
passing 1999. If found pls contact at
9818492387
ARTI D/O Ashok Kumar have lost
my original passing certificates of
Class X, yr. 1999, R. No. 6429472) &
class XII, yr. 2001, R.No. 6664137.
Finder Call: 9810386372
LOST & FOUND
IT IS notified for information that my
original qualifying examination
certificate of main Senior Secondary
Examination of year 1992 and Roll
No. 6654601 issued by CBSE has
been actually lost. Finder contact
candidate- Ajeet Kumar Madan
S/O M Madan 157-A Pocket -1
Delhi 110091 # 9818844715
I SHYAM lal Sethi S/o Late Sh. H.R.
Sethi R/o H.No. 224, Street 15,
Faridabad, have lost my original
documents of Plot No. 45, sebros
industries pvt. Ltd.,Sector-25, Fari-
dabad 1. Allotment letter dt.
04.08.1969 Re-allotment letter dt.
27.04.1983, Possession certificate,
Conveyance Deed bearing document
no. 6012 dt. 18.08.1983. Finder
contact above address #9811200156
CHANGE OF NAME
I, SUSHILA Devi W/o Late Shri.
Kunwar Singh R/o 1072 Type-4, R.K.
Puram, Sector-8, South West Delhi-
110022, hereby Declare that in the
service record document of my late
husband bears the name of mine
as Smt. Sushila and date of birth
as 01.07.1941, which is incorrect
name and date of birth, instead
of Smt. Sushila Devi which is the
CHANGE OF NAME
I PRADUMAN Bidhuri S/o Late Sh.
Gyan Chand Bidhuri R/o House No.
24, Chhuriya Mohalla, Madanpur
Khadar, Sarita Vihar, New Delhi -
110076 have changed my name to
Pradeep Bidhuri for all purposes.
I, VAIBHAV S/o Vinod Singh R/o
943/27, Gali No. 11, Madan Puri,
Gurgaon (Hr), have declared that
Vaibhav and Vaibhav Singh both are
same and one person
I, HITHERTO known as Kamlesh
Kumari Daughter of Late Sh. Kanwar
Bhan Munjal, wife of Sh. Sunder
Dass Chopra, Residing at 58, Pocket
2, Jasola, New Delhi - 110025, have
changed my name and shall here-
after be known as Sunaina Chopra.
I, SAUMYA Agrawal D/o Pramod
Kumar Agrawal R/o B-92, Sec-46,
Noida, UP have change my name
Saumya Agrawal to Rashika Agrawal
for all future purposes.
I, HITHERTO Known as Vijay
Kumar Sahu Son of Mr. Rohit Sahu
Residing at H.No. 127 ward no. 05,
brahman Para, Navagaon bemetara,
Chhattisgarh-491335 have changed
my name and shall hereafter be
known as Khubiram Sahu. it is
certified that i have complied with
other legal requirement in this
{Thursday}
CHANGE OF NAME PUBLIC NOTICES PUBLIC NOTICES
I, NEERU Sharma W/o Sh. Inder
Mohan Sharma R/o H.No.3678, FF,
sec -3, Ballabgarh, Distt. Faridabad
declare that Neeru Sharma & Babita
both names are the same & one person.
I, R.P. Shah S/o Ram Prasad Sah
B-234/2 Birla Farm Chhattarpur
Extn. New Delhi- 110074 have
changed my name to Ramesh
Prasad Sah for all purposes.
I, JANANI R, W/o Sh. Raj Kumar E,
R/o No. 53, Osuramman Street,
Village Agatheri Pattu, Tehsil-
Cheyyyar, Distt- Thruvannamalai,
Tamil Nadu-604409. have changed
my name to Janani N for all
purposes.
I, SHUBHNITA Choudhary W/o
Mr. Pramod Kumar Choudhary R/o
Village & P.O. Kheri Tehsil Dadri,
P.S. Surajpur, Gr.Noida have declare
that my name Shubhnita Choudhary,
Shubhnita Chaudhary & Shubhnita
Singh are same and one person.
I, PRAMOD Choudhary S/o Mr.
Ramesh Choudhary R/o Village &
P.O.Kheri Tehsil Dadri, P.S. Surajpur,
Gr.Noida have declare that my name
Pramod Choudhary, Pramod

SHOPPING/RETAIL correct name and 22.08.1940

which is the correct date of birth.
I, DIPTI Kumari D/O Sheetal R/o H.
No-25, Humayunpur, Safdarjung, New
Delhi-29 have changed my name to
Dipti for all purposes.
I NO. 14847194W, NK Kapil Kumar
GENERAL MULTIPLE Unit- 898 AT, BN C/o 56 APO has


VACANCIES applied for correction of name of my
brother from Niten Kumar to Nitin
REQ RETAIL store Mngr (M)- 4-5 Kumar in my service record.
in South Delhi/GGN, Telecaller (F) Concerned may note. Nitin Kumar
6-7 in Noida. Walkin 14 to 19 Dec Urf Niten Kumar S/o Prakashchand
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URGENT REQ. for Leading CPWD I, HARREET Kumaarr s/o Sh Kul
contracting co. in NCR Accountant: Bhushan Kumar R/o 222 D, Konark
3-5 yr exp.B.Com With Tally & GST Enclave, Sector 17 D, Vasundhara
Knowledge Store Keeper: Graduate+ Ghaziabad NCR 201012 Uttar Pradesh
3-5 yr. exp of construction site, India changing my Name to my
Central store, Senior Engr. for original name spelling to Hareet
Tender Costing, Planning & Kumar for all future purposes.

connection. Vijay Kumar Sahu
I SHARWAN Kumar Mahato
S/O Shambhu Mandal R/O Napit
Chaudhary & Pramod Kumar
Choudhary are same and
one person.
Para (Naya Basti), P.O-Namo para,
Distt-Purulia, pin-723103 state-WB
723103 have changed my name PUBLIC NOTICES
and shall hereafter be known as
Sharwan Kumar Mandal.
I, KAMALA Devi R W/o Pitamber 
Bhatt R/o B-50, Pochanpur Exten-
sion, South West Delhi - 110077 have
change my name Kamala Devi R to
Kamla Devi for all future purposes.
I, MEENAKSHI Koul w/o Rajesh Kaul
R/o H.No-16/3A Rail Vihar ,Sector-56,
Gurgaon,have changed my name
from Meenakshi Koul to Meenakshi
Kaul for all future purposes.
I, PARUL Devi W/o Let. Hazari Lal
Poddar R/o D-2/362, Sultanpuri,
Delhi-110086, have changed my
name to Parul Rani Poddar for 
Procurement, site Progress all purposes. 
 
  
Monitoring B. Tech Civil/Elec. With I, RAJ Kumar S/o Sh. Mangal Ram R/o

Simply call
10 yr. exp. Project Engr. for Billing- Vill. Dharuhera, Distt. Rewari (HR)
B.Tech (Civil) 3-5 yr exp. In billing of
govt. Projects Project Engr- B.Tech
declare that in my Service Discharge
Book ( PPO No. 165201901138) my
son's name Raman Kumar & DOB
To book your ad
(Civil) 3-5 yr exp & B. Tech (Elect.) 14.03.2002 is wrongly mention. Acco- with
1800-103-1800
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Draftsman (Civil) 2-3 yr exp. with
Autocad. email- rajeevraghav7@
gmail.com Mob- 9810018812
name is Raman Kumar Tawar & DOB
04.04.2002 for all future purposes. Hindustan Times
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NEW DELHI
THURSDAY
DECEMBER 17, 2020
MP varsity faces flak for House panel to review working
unique first-aid diploma of RTI watchdogs, experts wary
Experts say govt-run
Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Hindi University’s
one-year course could
‘promote quackery’
Shruti Tomar
shruti.tomar@hindustantimes.com
BHOPAL: The Madhya Pradesh-
government run Atal Bihari Vaj-
payee Hindi (ABVH) University
has started a new diploma
course in first aid that it has
tried to popularise by effectively
promoting quackery, and to
which it has tried to lend a
veneer of respectability by cre-
ating a First Aid Council of India
(FACI), which has signed off on
the programme.
“Neem Hakeem, Jhola Chaap
doctor (read quacks) or any
other person can start their first
aid centre to earn money after
getting first aid specialist
diploma course,” said an adver-
tisement issued by the univer-
sity in different newspapers and
on social media platforms on
December 14 to promote the
one-year diploma course. The
course fee is ₹28,000.
Doctors and experts have
raised objection to the course
saying it promotes quackery.
The university, which was
started in Bhopal in 2011 with a
vision to promote Hindi, has
introduced three diploma
courses - First Aid Specialists,
Natural Pharma and Yoga and
Natural Therapy.Governor
Anandiben Patel is chancellor
of the university.
Additional secretary to gover-
nor Rajesh Kaul said, “The uni-
versity is an autonomous body
and the executive members are
free to take decision related to
the course. If we receive any
complaint, we will take action.”
“These are the first-of-its kind
courses,” Ramdev Bhardwaj,the
university’s vice-chancellor said
in a message to media persons
to promote the course. “Various
state governments and the cen-
tral government have many
times discussed the proposal of
starting a first aid course but no
institution in India has ever
introduced one. We have taken
A view of the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Hindi University.
the initiative and it is essential
for every people to learn lifesav-
ing first aid methods.”
Ajay Sahu,the director in
charge of the diploma courses,
said this course provides an
opportunity to everyone, includ-
ing class 12 graduate and even
medical practitioners without
degrees, to become self-reliant.
His reference is to local (often
unlicensed) medical practition-
ers.
“The course basically needs a
basic understanding of health
which a student having cleared
class 12 has. It is not a subject-
specific thing so doesn’t need
any basic qualification and
knowledge of any particular
subject.”
“Even, World Health Organi-
zation (WHO) promotes first-
aid programmes. We are follow-
ing the 300-page manual of
WHO for the first-aid
course.The videos, audios and
booklets prepared by experts
and medical practitioners will
be provided to students.They
will be running online due to
the Covid-19 pandemic,” Sahu
explained.
He also claimed this course
did not need any kind of per-
mission or recognition. To but-
tress his claim, he shared with
HT, replies of the Medical
Council of India (MCI) and min-
istry of Ayush to the Right to
Information (RTI) applications
he had filed, stating that the
area (first-aid) does not come
under their purview.
Dr Rajan Sharma, president,
Indian Medical Association,
which is protesting against
allowing Ayurvedic doctors
over 50 surgeries like allopathic
doctors, said, “This does not
sound like a healthy trend
wherein non medical colleges
are offering medical courses,
even if short-term. The Indian
Medical Association has also
been running such training pro-
grammes for a while now. IMA
is also not against Ayush sys-
tems; the body, however, has a
problem with trivialising mod-
ern medicine. There should be
no mixing of streams. You will
end up in a mess, with our
future generations suffering in
the long run. It will also indi-
rectly promote quackery.”
National Medical Commis-
sion (NMC), which has replaced
MCI to regulate medical educa-
tion, declined to comment since
the issue was of another minis-
try.
Sahu said FACI was regis-
tered with the ministry of cor-
porate affairs under the Compa-
nies Act in October, a few weeks
before the course was ready for
promotion.
Interestingly, the university
formed the First Aid Council of
India, an autonomous body,
which claims that it works to
promote first aid treatment in
India. An advertisement for the
programme, featuring photo-
graphs of Prime Minister Nar-
endra Modi and Madhya Pra-
desh chief minister Shivraj
Singh Chouhan, claims FACI is
opening a research centre in the
university campus in Bhopal to
promote national health.
FACI president Shabab
Aalam declined comment
through a representative.
Objecting to the course, Mad-
hya Pradesh’s National Health
Mission (NHM) additional
director and former chief medi-
cal health officer (CMHO), Bho-
pal, Dr Pankaj Shukla, said,
“The reply of Medical Council or
Ayush ministry that the course
doesn’t come in their purview
doesn’t mean that the course
can be run without their per-
mission. The university should
take permission from (the state
government’s) directorate of
medical education for the
course and from the CMHO for
running the first-aid centre
because it is a medical course.”
He also said anyone opening
a first-aid centre without pos-
sessing requisite qualifications
would be committing a crime.
“If these diploma holders start
their own first-aid centre in any
part of the country, they would
be sent behind bars for violation
of the Clinical Establishment
Act. The university is promoting
quackery. ”
A former faculty member of
the university and now profes-
sor at Indian Institute of Mass
Communication (IIMC), Amra-
vati, Anil Saumitra said the uni-
versity was being forced to
launch such courses to stay
afloat.“The university started
with a vision to promote Hindi
by developing different courses
in the Raj Bhasha (state lan-
guage).” But because of
improper planning, a pro-
gramme in engineering failed to
take off, he said.
“Now, the university is facing
existential (financial) crises and
is forced to start such courses,”
he added.
Despite repeated calls and
messages, vice chancellor
Bhardwaj couldn’t be reached
for comment.
(With inputs from Rythma Kaul in
New Delhi)
My India
HT Correspondent
letters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: A parliamentary
standing committee, for the first
time, will scrutinise the working of
the transparency watchdogs, the
Central Information Commission
(CIC) and the State Information
Commissions (SICs), a move that
has caused consternation among
Right to Information (RTI) activ-
ists who see it as an attempt to
“usurp” the powers of state legisla-
tures.
As the information commis-
sions are statutory bodies, the CIC
is required to submit annual
reports to Parliament and the SICs
to state legislatures through their
administrative wings, the ministry
of personnel and training at the
Centre and the services depart-
ments in the states.
These annual reports are rarely
debated in Parliament or state leg-
islatures although members have
raised questions over the efficacy
of the RTI law in short-duration
discussions and during the zero
hour, where a member can raise
an issue approved by the presiding
officers.
Rajya Sabha secretary general
Desh Deepak Verma has listed 12
issues for examination by the par-
liamentary standing committee in
the current financial year
(2020-21), which includes a review
of the working of the Central Infor-
mation Commission and State
Information Commissions. Other
issues listed on the agenda include
reviews of the working of virtual
courts, guardianship and adoption
laws and functioning of Alternate
House panel to study
impact of Covid-19
NEW DELHI: In a first such
move, a parliamentary
standing committee will
study the long term impact of
the Covid-19 pandemic on the
global economy and financial
markets. The standing
committee on finance will
also prepare a report on
financing the MSME sector,
providing credit to the
agricultural sector, and
efficacy of tax framework..
EXPERTS
QUESTIONED HOW
A HOUSE PANEL
COULD REVIEW
WORK OF STATE
INFORMATION
COMMISSIONS,
WHICH COME
UNDER PURVIEW OF
STATE GOVTS
Dispute Resolution Mechanisms.
Committee chairperson and
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
leader Bhupendra Yadav was not
available to comment on the mat-
ter. A Rajya Sabha official familiar
with the development said the
committee decides on the agenda
after gathering inputs from all
members, including 10 MPs from
the Rajya Sabha and 20 from the
Lok Sabha. “The committee has
taken a decision to review the
information commissions as there
were lots of media reports about
their functioning,” said the official,
who requested anonymity.
The committee has the powers
to summon any official and seek
suggestions from non-government
organisations to review the per-
formance of any organisation,
including the information com-
missions, he added.
A report by the Satark Nagarik
Sangathan (SNS) released in con-
nection with the 15th anniversary
of the RTI law on October 9, 2020,
said that around a third of infor-
mation commissions in India were
headless, with a fourth of informa-
A
l
Modi to attend AMU
centenary celebration
ALIGARH: Prime Minister
Narendra Modi will be the
chief guest at the centenary
celebrations of the Aligarh
Muslim University (AMU) on
December 22, officials said.
He will attend the function
via video conference along
with Union education
minister Ramesh Pokhriyal.
AMU vice chancellor Tariq
Mansoor thanked the PM for
accepting the invitation.
tion commissioner posts lying
vacant.It added that the Jhark-
hand and Tripura information
commissions were defunct.
The report said nine states,
including Uttar Pradesh, Telan-
gana and Rajasthan, did not have a
chief information commissioner,
whose appointment under the RTI
law is a statutory require-
ment.Since then, Rajasthan has
appointed a chief information
commissioner.The Centre on
November 10 filled the post of
chief information commissioner, a
position that had been vacant
since August with the appoint-
ment of Yashwardhan Kumar
Sinha.
Another report filed by Trans-
parency International India on the
same day said that around 33 mil-
lion RTI applications had been
filed with various government
departments across the country in
the past 15 years, showing the
widespread use of the watershed
law that empowers citizens to
raise governance questions with
public authorities.Only about 9%
of these RTI applications resulted
in a second appeal, meaning that
over 90% of the applicants were
satisfied with the government’s
response, something that trans-
parency law activists see as RTI’s
biggest achievement.
“We have no problem with a
review of the chief information
commission by a parliamentary
standing committee as the legisla-
ture has powers to review,” said
Anjali Bhardwaj of SNS. “We want
the committee to give terms of ref-
erence of the review and the exer-
cise should not be used to weaken
Pak army shells
forward posts at LoC
JAMMU: The Pakistan Army
violated ceasefire by
resorting to heavy firing and
mortar shelling along the
Line of Control (LoC) in
Jammu & Kashmir’s
Nowshera sector in Rajouri
district on Wednesday
evening, officials said. The
Indian Army retaliated
befittingly to the unprovoked
firing, a defence
spokesperson said
13
the RTI Act. Earlier, the Centrehad
weakened the RTI law by bringing
new service rules for information
commissioners.”
The Centre, in October 2019,
notified rules downgrading the
information commissioner’s post,
which was on par with that of an
election commissioner, to equiva-
lence with the post of a secretary
in the Government of India. The
new rule also reduced the term of
an information commissioner
from five to three years and
empowered the Centre to remove
the officer, which, Bhardwaj said,
had undermined the spirit of the
RTI Act.
Venkatesh Nayak of the
National Campaign for People’s
Right to Information (NCPRI)
wondered how a parliamentary
panel could review the functioning
of the state information commis-
sions, which come under purview
of state governments and state
legislatures.“This is another
attempt to usurp the powers of the
state legislature, to which state
information commissions submit
their annual reports,” Nayak said.
The importance of that RTI Act
in India can be gauged from a 2019
verdict of the Supreme Court,
which said the law had the poten-
tial to bring about good govern-
ance, which is an integral part of a
vibrant democracy.
RTI is a central law, which was
adopted by the states without any
substantial change. States have,
however, effected some changes in
the appointment of information
commissioners and the function-
ing of the state information com-
missions by amending some rules.
SC notice to govt on
medical devices
NEW DELHI: The Delhi high
court on Wednesday sought
response of the Centre on a
plea challenging its decision
to notify all devices, like
blood monitoring devices
and digital thermometers,
intended to be used specially
for human beings or animals
as drugs. A two-judge bench
issued notice to the health
ministry and sought its stand
on the petition

POSTGRADUATE INSTITUTE OF MEDICAL EDUCATION & RESEARCH, CHANDIGARH

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14 NEW DELHI
THURSDAY
DECEMBER 17, 2020

Opinion

{ OUR TAKE }
E STA B L I S H E D I N 1 9 24
Indian diplomacy’s
Stay firm, but climate test
be sensitive India has been an
overachiever on Paris —
Joe Biden’s climate agenda is global. India, as yet, is not in a position to set
Kerry’s assertion that, “America will an economy-wide net-zero target as it
soon have a government that treats needs to sustain economic growth,
the climate crisis as the urgent pull millions out of poverty and pro-
The government must defend farm laws. But but the road ahead is national security threat that it is” vide power to them. Our policymakers
use words carefully, don’t defame protests strewn with challenges reflects the thinking that the impact of are struggling to find solutions to
the climate crisis is becoming more restrain stubble-burning in some

C
ome 2021, the climate for complex. regions despite their horrendous

T
he farm protests have continued despite the diplomacy will change. In
2020, the black swan event
government’s offer to amend the laws and of the pandemic was
address key concerns of agitating groups — unforeseen. In contrast,
except an outright repeal of laws and the pivoting of the global
diplomatic agenda towards the cli-
inserting the guarantee of continued procurement mate crisis is visible.
under the minimum support price regime within Numerous conventional diplo-
the law. This newspaper has consistently backed matic issues loom on India’s horizon.
They include tackling China’s increas-
the agrarian reforms, and continues to believe that ing assertiveness and engaging a new
the protesting farmers would do well to adopt a United States (US) administration;
more flexible approach to the issue. But this does reinforcing bonds with our neigh-
bours and strengthening bridges with
not absolve the government of its duty of
our extended neighbourhood; bolster-
continued outreach. ing relations with the European
This, indeed, has happened. But along with that, Union (EU) and reinvigorating ties
with a post-Brexit United Kingdom;
ministers as well as leaders of the Bharatiya Janata countering the perennial pestilence of
Party (BJP) have sought to undermine the farm midnight’s other child; and enhancing
movement, with pejoratives, including by labelling our burgeoning ties with developing
states globally. However, its the
them as the “tukde-tukde gang” — a term that adds unconventional that may upend all
little analytical value but has unfortunately been these important goals.
used by the regime to label criticism as anti- When climate takes centre stage of
global policymaking, the economic,
national, meant to fragment the country. This is social and political implications of the
unfortunate. The farm movement — despite the solutions to address the transbound-
presence of select individuals who harbour ary concerns are likely to override all
else on the diplomatic agenda. The
extreme identity-based aspirations and the announcement of John Kerry’s
counterproductive role of the diaspora — is a appointment to the new post of spe-
rooted mass movement, which has genuine cial presidential envoy for climate is
an indication that US President-elect
economic and political concerns. By tarnishing the
credibility and motivations of farmers, mostly
from Punjab, the government risks deepening the
trust deficit and alienating a large segment of the
population in this crucial northern border state. To revive the economy,
It doesn’t help that the Opposition too ends up
responding in a similar manner, with Akali Dal
leader — and a BJP ally till not so long ago —
go back to the grassroots
Sukhbir Badal calling the BJP the real “tukde tukde
hese are difficult times. We are in the cash support in Rajiv Gandhi Kisan Nyay
Calls for greater ambition to reach impact in nearby regions. The diverse
net carbon neutrality by 2050 have sensitivities that need to be borne in
gathered steam. The Virtual Climate mind in our global engagement will The world cannot solve the climate crisis without India’s active
Ambition Summit held on the fifth far surpass the concerns our trade participation. We will need to seek an equitable outcome based on climate
anniversary of the Paris Agreement negotiators went into Regional Com- justice that also provides for financing and space for our transition HT PHOTO
on December 12 is a precursor to the prehensive Economic Partnership
efforts underway. More (RCEP) negotiations had The Conference of Parties (COP) 26 and security issue is likely to grow.
than 125 states have com- to take into account. Cli- in Glasgow next year will not be just Diplomacy will inevitably be a tool in
mitted to the goal of a net mate negotiations poten- another multilateral meeting. Prime addressing the growing importance of
zero carbon future by 2050. tially are more far-reach- Minister Narendra Modi, addressing the phenomenon.
Others are veering towards ing for our polity, econ- the Climate Ambition Summit, sig- It may be time for the ministry of
it. A majority of the G-20 omy and society. Several naled that, “Centennial India will not external affairs to foster greater inte-
are on board; 38 countries Syed are suggesting that our only meet its own targets, but will also gration and coherence in the evolving
have declared “climate best option is a “No” to exceed your expectations”. It is now external dimensions of India’s
Akbaruddin
emergencies” until carbon more ambitious commit- for our thought leaders and officials approach to the multi-faceted nature
neutrality is reached. China ments. to flesh this out and suggest options. of climate crisis challenges in various
has provided a goal of 2060 However, we need to These could perhaps be of a sectoral forums.
and sees climate diplomacy as an be cognisant that some are preparing nature and encompass power, trans- The world cannot solve the climate
opportunity at resuming the G-2 play- tools of coercive climate diplomacy. port, agriculture and forests as possi- crisis without India’s active participa-
book of the Paris Agreement. The EU is eyeing a carbon border adjust- ble areas for achieving decarbonising tion. While contributing to the global
incoming Biden Administration is ment mechanism by 2021. The Biden target dates. effort, we will need to seek an equita-
expected to set its target too. Once the administration will also look to favour India has set up an Apex Commit- ble outcome based on climate justice
US gets on board, those accounting a carbon tax with border adjustments, tee for Implementation of Paris that also provides for financing and
for 63% of global greenhouse emis- although whether it can get through Agreement (AIPA) to ensure coordi- space for our transition. While the
sions would have agreed to carbon such legislation remains uncertain. nation among 14 key ministries and to policies of the developed countries are
neutrality targets. Despite their Kerry will try for a major interna- engage business and other stakehold- the primary cause of this phenome-
announcements, there are gaps tional breakthrough in his first year. ers. We will also need to leverage non, a sustainable global transition is
between 2050 targets and the policies Having witnessed his hectoring bilateral ties with key players such as in India’s interests too.
that these countries have put in place. approach to promote ratification of the US and EU; espouse common con-
India is one of the few overachiev- the Paris Agreement, caution needs to cerns in plurilateral groups such as Syed Akbaruddin is a retired
ers in terms of meeting the Nationally be our watchword. For a sui generis BRICS which we currently chair; and diplomat who served as India’s
Determined Contributions state such as ours with varied inter- make tactical alliances where possi- Permanent Representative to
announced under the Paris Agree- ests, to gather allies with similar cli- ble. Besides, the thrust towards cli- the United Nations in New York
ment for 2030. At the same time, mate goals is not easy. mate crisis as an international peace The views expressed are personal
{ SAM MANEKSHAW, 1971 } FIELD MARSHAL
P
Professional knowledge and
professional competence are

T
gang” and warning against the deepening Hindu- middle of a pandemic which is claim- Yojana. Under this scheme, about ₹10,000 of the main attributes of leadership.
Sikh divide. In a state with a troubled history of ing hundreds of lives daily even after cash support per acre of cultivated land is
communal relations, a discourse that moves from 10 months of disaster management. given to those who are growing paddy, sugar- Unless you know, and the men
economic anxieties to one about nationalism and The economy is officially in recession, unem- cane and maize. This scheme was substan-
ployment and reverse migration or ruralisa- tially supported by a sensitive public distribu-
you command know that you
communalism will only entrench attitudes and tion is a hard reality. Additionally, there is the tion system (PDS). know your job, you will
make a compromise difficult. Political

A
farm sector crisis and the Centre cutting After taking oath as chief minister two
competitiveness inevitably leads to crudity in social sector and welfare spending. In con- years ago, we began this journey of enabling never be a leader
trast, the stock exchange is at an all-time high. the grassroots by waiving off ₹9000 crores of
political language. And this has only deepened Something seems missing in our reading of farm loans for around 1.8 million farmers, as
over the last few years with increased political the situation. The pandemic has only wor- promised. Implementation of forest rights act
sened already deep inequality. (FRA) entitlements is crucial and we have
polarisation. But words have consequences, and The Congress government in Chhattisgarh ensured that land rights — both individual
can well have serious implications for national
Decoding the DC-
believes that no economy can prosper by leav- and societal — are transferred as a matter of
unity. The government must stay the course on ing the majority of the rural poor behind. top priority. So far, we have given individual
Democracy is the first in the line of fire when- FRA titles to almost 450,000 people, 46 thou-
the laws — but it must do so while sensitively ever the economy is in trouble, from the same sand community FRA and over 5 million
reaching out to farmers to allay their
apprehensions, perhaps with a senior minister
making a visit to the sites of agitation and
people who never realised that all economies acres of community forest resource rights.
start at the grassroots. During the pandemic, we realised that the
One pivotal argument is that we have been tribal people should be empowered with
a consumption-driven economy unlike the accessible resources within their vicinity. An
Brussels-Beijing
engaging in dialogue as a symbolic mark of
respect to the movement.
export-based Asian economies, and
for our true potential to be realised,
we need to expand consumption
patterns across the entire demogra-
increase in the cover of minor forest
produce, under minimum support
price regime, from seven to 52
helped achieve this objective.
geopolitical triangle
phy. But apart from consumption, The Mahatma Gandhi National oe Biden’s election as the United States to become the EU’s largest trading partner

The importance of
political memoirs
our productivity needs to grow, and
that means the health and educa-
tional standards for the poorest and
remotest must improve. For this, we
have taken steps to reopen the
Bhupesh
Baghel
Rural Employment Guarantee
Scheme (MNREGS) has again proven
to be a wonderful scheme, creating
huge opportunities for migrant
labourers who came back after the
J (US) president has led to talk of greater through the first half of this year. The trade
coordination between Washington and remains skewed, with European imports out-
Brussels over China. In early November, stripping its exports. This does lead to some
European Union (EU) foreign affairs chief consternation. However, as a recent study by
Josep Borrell was quick to call for “a coherent the Mercator Institute for China Studies
schools closed in the last 15 years in lockdown mishap. It provided them and robust China stance” between the trans- argued, cheap Chinese imports free up
the Maoist-inflicted areas and launched an with some cash to survive and spend on atlantic allies. Biden, meanwhile, has prom- greater disposable income of European citi-
he late former president, Pranab Mukherjee’s extensive nutrition program, Mukhya Mantri necessities. ised to consult traditional allies to “develop a zens. The researchers found that there were

T final book, in his series of memoirs, on his

presidential years has run into controversy. In
the backdrop of early excerpts put out by the
Suposhan Abhiyan, which aims at eliminat- To strengthen the rural economy, we need
ing malnutrition in the state within the next to strengthen the rural ecology too. Our flag-
three years. We have brought 67,000 children ship programme Narve, Garva, Ghurva, Bari
out of around 500,000 children out of malnu- tries to unify ecology and economy, and aims
coherent strategy” on China. 103 product categories in electronics, miner-
In late November, Financial Times reported als, pharmaceuticals, etc, in which the EU
that a draft EU Commission paper had called “has a critical strategic dependence on
for working with the US to deal with the “stra- imports from China”. The study also informs
publisher — where Mukherjee was critical of the trition within six months. Coupled with at improving the riverine system, both surface tegic challenge presented by China’s growing that on average, China accounted for over 11%
mobile medical services of Haat Bazar Clinic, and groundwater availability, stray cattle and international assertiveness” with of the profits European companies
political management under the United Progressive we wish to make healthcare accessible to all. village waste management, and small back- the technology domain being the in 2019. That’s not a huge amount,
Alliance (UPA) after his elevation to Rashtrapati Our special drive in remote areas of Bastar yard farming to maintain diversity. Along “the backbone of a wider coalition but it is still significant, consider-
Bhawan — his son, Abhijit, has demanded that the has helped in reducing malaria cases by 65% with forest water conservation and increasing of like-minded democracies”. This ing that despite the calls for build-
in just one year. the share of fruit-laden trees in the forests, we was followed by reports of the EU ing supply chain resilience and
book’s publication be stopped. In contrast, his The challenge of this developing state has are trying to firm up the rural productivity proposing a new Transatlantic decoupling, only around 11% of
daughter, Sharmishta, has backed the publication of been to empower the poor and tribals with a which is more democratic in access and not Trade and Technology Council to Manoj European companies in China say
the book and lent it greater credibility by saying that sense of dignity and confidence to enable limited to those with capital and resources. jointly set standards on new tech- they are thinking about shifting
them to enter the modern economic system To provide the impoverished with the nec- nologies, strengthen technological Kewalramani investments to other markets.
her father had completed the manuscript and the and market. To do so, we first need to give essary familiarity with the monetised econ- and industrial leadership and Irrespective of this economic
final draft had his approval. them some bargaining power, which means omy, there needs to be a significant source of expand trade and investment. engagement, there is friction
The book, of course, must be published. But this they get freedom from the debt trap and have cash income. Only then will capital be able to None of these reports have been confirmed. between Beijing and Brussels, which is inde-
subsistence income. This was successfully streamline labour and make it productive. But the EU Council highlighted “shared prior- pendent of Washington. This is evident in
debate goes beyond the feud within the Mukherjee made a reality through higher returns of Our leader, Rahul Gandhi, had rightly advo- ities” for Brussels and Washington. frustrations over market access and State sub-
family — and raises a larger question about the place paddy, sugarcane and maize through direct cated for minimum ensured income through At the same time, however, Borrell was sidies, as it was in the European discourse
of political memoirs in India. India has seen some Nyay. keen to point out the need to strengthen Euro- over China’s mask diplomacy. On values, For-
In these difficult times, the way out for the pean autonomy. This desire lies at the heart of eign Minister Wang Yi’s threat to Czech Sen-
great classics in this genre by its tallest leaders — economy is to invest heavily in the rural sys- EU-US tensions, particularly after the tumult ate President Milos Vystrcil from the podium
Mahatma Gandhi’s My Experiments with Truth and tem. The ongoing nationwide farmers’ agita- of the Trump era. Autonomy has emerged as in Berlin in September highlighted the chal-
Jawaharlal Nehru’s autobiography are at the top of tion directs us towards the lack of such pro- a strategic objective for the EU. Not surprising lenge. A few weeks after that fiasco, during
people initiatives. The agitation shows both then that it is one of the spaces around which the China-EU summit, Xi dismissed concerns
the list. These memoirs give a glimpse of the early the dominance of predatory market forces Beijing has focused its efforts. For instance, over Hong Kong and Xinjiang, saying that
socialisation of those who ended up shaping the and how the building blocks of our economy Chinese officials have repeatedly emphasised China didn’t need an “instructor” on human
nation’s trajectory, their motivations, and offer to and democracy have been egregiously offered the threat of US unilateralism and a new Cold rights.
up for exploitation. War undermining EU’s interests. Chinese The adoption of the European Magnitsky
historians rich material to understand the how and By surviving the slowdown, Chhattisgarh media and analysts have been dismissing the Act is a manifestation of Europe’s desire to
why of historical events. has developed a new model and proved what possibility of a coordinated EU-US action. lend teeth to its proposition on human rights.
Yet, the tradition of political memoirs is marked by Mahatma Gandhi had advocated to be the At the same time, Chinese officials have It remains to be seen, however, if the bloc will
best way forward - strengthen the villages and emphasised the economic opportunities that be using this against Beijing. Borrell has said
paucity. Many leaders don’t record their experiences poor, the country will become strong auto- Beijing has to offer. In an article last week, that he doesn’t want the designation of China
or gloss over inconvenient facts. They don’t allow matically. We read in school “durbalanaam Zhang Ming, China’s ambassador to the EU, as a “systemic rival” to lead to a “systematic
biographers access to their private papers or make balam rajah” — the power of the king or State said that “China’s domestic demand is the rivalry”. Gaining from economic engagement
is the strength of the weak. These are not the EU’s external demand, which means a source despite the political and strategic gap remains
access contingent on control. What India needs is times when the State can withdraw under the of growth for the EU”. He added that the two the EU’s challenge in dealing with China. In
more — not less — of candid autobiographies by garb of reforms. sides had signed an agreement allowing this, Biden’s victory lends it leverage.
those who helmed the nation; it also needs readers to greater market access for European agricul-
Bhupesh Baghel is the chief tural goods and highlighted that the invest- Manoj Kewalramani is fellow,
be more open in treating this as a historical record To strengthen the rural economy, we need minister of Chhattisgarh ment treaty was just around the corner. China Studies, The Takshashila Institution
rather than scoring political points over it. to strengthen the rural ecology too REUTERS The views expressed are personal This has some merit. China pipped the US The views expressed are personal

R. N. I. No. 503/1957 ● Postal Reg. No. DL(ND)-11/6058/2018-19-20 ‘Licensed to post without prepayment’ LICENCE No. U(C)-113/2006-08, Air surcharge: Raipur and beyond by Rail or Road - Re 5/-, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Coimbatore, Chennai, Cochin, Goa, Hyderabad, Khajuraho, Mumbai, Trivandrum, Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada and beyond by Rail or Road - Rs. 10/-;

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Editor: KUNAL PRADHAN

NEW DELHI
THURSDAY
DECEMBER 17, 2020
CLOCK MAY RUN
OUT ON INTERIM
INDIA-US TRADE
DEAL: LIGHTHIZER
HT Correspondent
letters@hindustantimes.com
WASHINGTON: The top US trade
negotiator on Wednesday indi-
cated that though a smaller trade
deal with India was within
reach, the clock may run out on
it because of a “political change”
taking place. The reference was
to President-elect Joe Biden tak-
ing over from President Donald
Trump in January.
“We’re not that far away from
a deal like that,” said Robert
Lighthizer, the US trade repre-
sentative of the outgoing Trump
administration, referring to a
small, interim trade deal. He
added, “We have a political
change going on over here and
that’s going to be a bit of a set-
back, certainly to the extent that
I can facilitate that I’d be happy
to do it, but there’s going to be
some change. My guess is that’s
going to slow things up.”
It was the possible end of the
Trump administration’s efforts
to get an interim trade deal with
India to set up a larger FTA later.
A
l London moves into
EU moves to rein
in US tech giants
BRUSSELS: US tech firms
including Amazon,
Apple, Facebook, and
Google face fines of up
to 10% of annual
turnover and could even
be broken up under
draft EU rules
announced on Tuesday
aimed at curbing their
powers. REUTERS
Pak okays tough
anti-rape law
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan
has okayed the chemical
castration of rapists as
part of new legislation
sparked by outcry over
the gang rape of a
woman near Lahore.
The new laws were
approved by President
Arif Alvi on Tuesday. HTC
India deteriorates to 131 in UN Human Development Index Bharat Biotech’s
Zia Haq
Zia.haq@htlive.com
NEW DELHI: India has dropped
two spots on the Human Devel-
opment Index, according to the
2020 Human Development
Report published by the United
Nations Development Pro-
gramme on Wednesday.
Asia’s third-largest economy
ranked 131 among 189 countries
in 2019, according to the report
that measures national progress
not by income or GDP alone, but
by development indicators such
{ BEYOND THE NEWS }
Early Chinese intel warning came 7 years ago
Shishir
Gupta
NEW DELHI: Before he became
National Security Adviser in
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s
first term, Ajit Doval, as director
of the Vivekananda Interna-
tional Foundation, a policy
think-tank, wrote a seminal
paper, published on July 3, 2013
titled Chinese Intelligence: From a
Party Outfit to Cyber Warriors.
The paper highlights the Chi-
nese intelligence agency, Minis-
try of State Security’s penetra-
tion into the Dalai Lama’s estab-
lishment in Dharamsala,
support for anti-India insurgent
groups in the Northeast with the
help of Pakistan’s Inter Services
Intelligence (ISI), and the close
watch it kept on Indian Army
activities on the border with
Tibet.
“The People’s Liberation
Army (PLA) over the years has
upgraded its intelligence capa-
bilities at tactical, technological
and strategic levels, particularly
in Asia Pacific Region, South
Asia and Central Asia. The MSS
has evolved itself as the premier
foreign intelligence agency and
besides diplomatic intelligence,
it has been aggressively hunting
for technological data and sys-
tems information to augment
national economic and military
A man walks past a mural in Dublin, Ireland with a message aimed at motivating people amid the coronavirus pandemic.
WHO fears fresh Covid
surge across Europe
highest alert level of
virus curbs; WHO’s
global vaccine plan
comes under scrutiny
Agencies
letters@hindustantimes.com
COPENHAGEN/LONDON: The
World Health Organization
(WHO) has warned of a “further
resurgence” of Covid-19 across
Europe in early 2021, as it urged
families to wear face masks dur-
ing Christmas gatherings.
“There is a high risk of further
resurgence in the first weeks and
months of 2021, and we will need
to work together if we are to suc-
ceed in preventing it,” the orga-
nisation said in a statement, add-
ing that while it may feel awk-
ward to wear masks around
family members, “doing so con-
tributes significantly to ensuring
that everyone remains safe and
healthy”.
In the UK, the government
as educational attainment,
health outcomes and standard of
living. Bhutan and Namibia
have overtaken India, and were
placed at the 129th and 130th
spots. “India’s HDI value for
2019 is 0.645 -- which put the
country in the medium human
development category -- posi-
tioning it at 131 out of 189 coun-
tries and territories. Between
1990 and 2019, India’s HDI value
increased from 0.429 to 0.645,
an increase of 50.3%,” the report
said.
Norway came out on the top
capabilities,” the paper said.
“It continues to bank heavily
on Chinese global diaspora that
provides it a vast catchment area
for human assets for intelligence
gathering and espionage. To
widen its catchment area, it is
expanding its illegal cover for
intelligence gathering for using
commercial companies and
business houses, media agen-
cies, Chinese banks etc.
Establishment of nearly 380
Confucius Institutes in 180 coun-
tries, Chinese language institutes
etc. also are part of its foreign
intelligence activities. China
envisions for itself a big power
role and, silently but steadily, is
building up its intelligence capa-
bilities commensurate to that
vision,” the paper concluded.
While it is quite evident from
the monograph that the Western
world, countries in the Indo-Pa-
cific and India knew about the
penetration of Chinese intelli-
gence, everyone was still taken
by surprise when PLA troops
aggressively transgressed into
the north bank of Pangong Tso
followed by the Galwan and
Gogra-Hot Springs areas of East-
ern Ladakh this year.
This week, an investigative
report by The Australian spot-
lighted how loyal members of
the Communist Party of China
infiltrated western consulates
and mega corporations, mas-
querading as professionals. The
VIRUS TRACKER
WORST-HIT NATIONS
Global cases
74,123,485 1
2
Global deaths
3 Brazil
1,648,021 4
5
(AS OF 10:45 PM IST) SOURCE: WORLDOMETER *COMPILED BY HT
was reviewing the tiered lock-
down allocations for different
parts of the country as scheduled
by law, even as millions of more
people in and around London
moved into the highest alert
level of Tier 3 restrictions after a
worrying spike in infections.
With the addition of the UK
capital and surrounding areas of
Essex and Hertfordshire to Tier
3, or near complete lockdown,
around 61% of England’s popula-
tion is living under the toughest
lockdown rules which impose a
ban on inter-household min-
gling indoors and a closure of all
BHUTAN, NAMIBIA
OVERTOOK INDIA
AND WERE PLACED
AT 129TH AND
130TH SPOTS
of the index, followed closely by
Ireland and Switzerland.
Among a clutch of South
Asian nations, India, Bangla-
desh, Myanmar, Nepal, Cambo-
dia and Pakistan were ranked
under a grouping of countries
with medium human develop-
CONFUCIUS
INSTITUTES IN 180
COUNTRIES,
LANGUAGE
INSTITUTES, ETC
ARE ALSO PART
OF CHINA’S
FOREIGN
INTELLIGENCE
ACTIVITIES
2016 leak of the Communist
Party member data-base also
reveals, according to The Aus-
tralian, that newspaper editors
and intellectuals act as influen-
cers of the largest Communist
Party in the world on social
media and in seminars.
Even though The Australian
report does not talk about India,
India’s lead intelligence agency
did caution the cabinet secretary
and senior secretaries of the
threat posed by Chinese intelli-
gence , particularly in the areas
of telecommunication, power
and higher education on July 15.
The Indian agency’s presenta-
tion gave a broad overview of
Chinese intelligence infiltration
attempts into the government
and the key pillars of democracy.
The use of Chinese mobile appli-
cations for extracting data , the
embedding of malware in power
equipment, and the role of Con-
World
COUNTRY CASES DEATHS
US
India*
17,176,893 311,742
9,951,038 144,505
6,985,555 183,053
Russia
France
2,734,454 48,564
2,391,447 59,072
restaurants and bars.
Germany reported a record
number of deaths from Covid-19
on Wednesday, the first day of a
new partial lockdown to try to
halt a surge in infections. A total
of 952 people died in the previ-
ous 24 hours.
In Singapore, serology testing
has revealed nearly half of the
323,000 migrant workers living
in dormitories were infected
with Covid-19, far higher than
the official tally and indicating
the virus spreads widely among
people who may not show any
symptoms.
My India
ment. In contrast, among
emerging Asian economies,
Malaysia ranked 62, figuring in a
category of countries with very
high human development. Sri
Lanka, Thailand and China,
Indonesia, the Philippines and
Vietnam ranked lower that
Malaysia, but were ahead of
India and classified as econo-
mies with high human develop-
ment. India’s gross national
income per capita fell to $6,681
in 2019 from $6,829 in 2018 on a
purchasing power parity basis,
the report said. India figured in
fucius Institutes as an influencer
were also highlighted.
It was then decided that the
government review the Confu-
cius Institutes in the country and
that memorandums of under-
standings with countries sharing
land borders with India should
first be approved by the minis-
try of external affairs and the
ministry concerned. The action,
five months later, is still a work
in progress.
Doval, in his 2013 paper,
wrote that in 2009, the Univer-
sity of Toronto’s Information
Warfare Monitor published a
“Ghost Net” report detailing
intrusion by Chinese hackers
into the network system of the
Indian security establishment
and offices of the Dalai Lama’s
secretariat.
The report was expectedly
rejected by Beijing.
Although Indian counter-in-
telligence closely tracks Chinese
activities, the reduction of Paki-
stan to a client state of the Mid-
dle Kingdom would have serious
security repercussions for the
subcontinent as Islamabad could
become an important source of
intelligence collection against
India and the subcontinent with
linguistic and cultural similari-
ties.
The appointment of officials
belonging to the Chinese United
Front Work Department, which
reports directly to the central
AFP/FILE
Poor nations may have to
wait till 2024 for vaccine
The scheme to deliver Covid-19
vaccines to poorer countries
faces a “very high” risk of failure,
potentially leaving nations home
to billions of people with no
access to vaccines until as late as
2024, say internal documents,
according to a Reuters report.
The WHO’s COVAX pro-
gramme is the main global
scheme to vaccinate people in
poor and middle income coun-
tries around the world against
the coronavirus. In internal doc-
uments reviewed by Reuters, the
scheme’s promoters say the pro-
gramme is struggling from a
lack of funds, supply risks and
complex contractual arrange-
ments which could make it
impossible to achieve its goals.
w
READ: Boris
Johnson urges
‘extreme caution’ over Christmas
the bottom third for most devel-
opment indicators, including
quality of health and education
and an adverse sex ratio, as per
the report. The country also
ranked in the bottom third for a
high percentage of people in vul-
nerable employment. India,
however, figured in the top third
grouping of countries with a
lower unemployment rate and
high representation of women in
elected local governments.
The idea of human develop-
ment, pioneered by economists
Mahbub al Haq through the
committee of the Chinese Com-
munist Party, as ambassadors to
countries in the Indian subconti-
nent presents a bigger security
challenge.
These ambassadors are ideo-
logically committed workers of
the Chinese Communist Party as
opposed to Indian diplomats
whose views on India and the
world are not dictated by the
political party in power.
Given the humongous finan-
cial resources with these embas-
sies, Indian security agencies are
already fighting a uphill battle
against Beijing’s influence.
It is quite evident that the two
iron brothers will exploit all
Indian fault-lines -- Kashmir, the
Northeast insurgencies, Maoist
strife; economic disparity and
religious fundamentalism -- to
destabilise India.
It is to the credit of Chinese
pelf and power that even though
1.6 million people have suc-
cumbed to the coronavirus dis-
ease, which originated in the
central Chinese city of Wuhan in
November 2019, that the interna-
tional community finds it very
hard to blame Beijing or demand
reparations for the year lost.
With India standing up the
PLA aggression in Eastern
Ladakh and demanding that the
status quo ante of April be
restored, the Narendra Modi
government needs to be battle-
prepared for a dominant China.
{ MILESTONE } A FIRST FOR AN OPENLY GAY PERSON
Buttigieg picked for
US cabinet position
Yashwant Raj
yashwant.raj@hindustantimes.com
WASHINGTON: US President-
elect Joe Biden has nominated
Pete Buttigieg, the openly gay
former mayor, as his transporta-
tion secretary. If confirmed, he
will be the first LGBTQ person to
hold a cabinet post in America.
Biden has also decided to
name Jennifer Granholm, the
former governor of Michigan, to
head the department of energy,
which is entrusted with the
upkeep of the country’s nuclear
arsenal. Gina McCarthy, former
head of the environment protec-
tion agency under president Bar-
ack Obama, will be Biden’s
domestic climate policy chief.
Buttigieg and Granholm, who
hasn’t been officially announced
yet, will have to be confirmed by
the US Senate.
Biden said in a statement that
he was appointing Buttigieg
transportation secretary because
“this position stands at the nexus
of so many of the interlocking
challenges and opportunities
ahead of us. Jobs, infrastructure,
equity, and climate all come
together at the DOT, the site of
{ CHARLIE HEBDO } TERROR CHARGES
IS gunman’s fugitive widow
convicted in Paris attacks
Associated Press
letters@hindustantimes.com
PARIS: The fugitive widow of an
Islamic State gunman and a man
described as his logistician on
Wednesday were convicted of
terrorism charges in the trial of
14 people linked to the January
2015 attacks in Paris against the
satirical Charlie Hebdo newspa-
per and a kosher supermarket.
The verdict ends the three-
month trial linked to the three
days of killings across Paris
claimed jointly by the Islamic
UNDP’s Human Development
Reports, and Amartya Sen, who
weighed in with a conceptual
and theoretical framework for it,
has now become an influential
paradigm for development.
“India’s slip on the global
ranking is concerning, under-
scoring the need for higher
investment in social infrastruc-
ture rather than a preoccupation
with industrial development,”
said Ashish Pai, a member of
India’s first state-level human
development index brought out
by Madhya Pradesh in 1995.
INDIA, UK LAUNCH
VIRTUAL HUB TO
DELIVER VACCINES
HT Correspondent
letters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: India and the UK on
Wednesday launched a virtual
vaccines hub to facilitate the
delivery of vaccines for Covid-19
and other viruses and to foster
cooperation between experts on
clinical trials and regulatory
approvals. Visiting UK foreign
secretary Dominic Raab
announced the launch of the
hub, aimed at protecting people
in both countries by enhancing
collaboration on the develop-
ment and distribution of vacci-
nes and better aligning the inter-
national regulation of vaccines.
The hub will also foster part-
nerships to develop innovation
“moonshots” that can define vac-
cine delivery over the next dec-
ade. It will enable British and
Indian experts to share knowl-
edge on clinical trials and regu-
latory approvals and get vacci-
nes to people who need them
most. The Pune-based Serum
Institute of India plans to make
more than a billion doses of the
vaccine developed by Oxford
University and AstraZeneca Plc.
Raab said: “This Serum Insti-
tute and Oxford University part-
nership demonstrates the UK-In-
dia relationship at its best – a
vaccine developed in the UK and
made in India, drawing our
brightest minds together to save
lives as a global force for good.”
Pete Buttigieg (right) with Joe
Biden in Dallas, US. REUTERS/FILE
some of our most ambitious
plans to build back better”.
“This is a moment of tremen-
dous opportunity - to create jobs,
meet the climate challenge, and
enhance equity for all,” Buttigieg
tweeted. “I’m honoured that the
President-elect has asked me to
serve our nation as secretary of
transportation.”
Buttigieg’s selection is in line
with Biden’s promise to name a
cabinet that reflects the diversity
of the country. He will be joining
Neera Tanden, the first Indian-
American named cabinet secre-
State group and al Qaeda. During
the proceedings, France was
struck by new attacks, a wave of
coronavirus infections among
the defendants, and devastating
testimony bearing witness to
bloodshed that continues to
shake France.
All three attackers died in
police raids. The widow, Hayat
Boumeddiene, fled to Syria and
is believed to still be alive. The
two men who spirited her out of
France, who were also tried in
absentia, are thought to be dead.
Eleven others were present.
Covaxin safe, says
Phase 1 trial data
Rhythma Kaul
letters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: India’s first domes-
tically produced vaccine against
Covid-19, Covaxin, triggered
robust immune response, and
reported no major adverse
events shows findings from the
Phase 1 placebo-controlled, ran-
domised, double-blind trial on
the safety and immunogenicity
published by Bharat Biotech in a
pre-print study on Wednesday.
Only one serious adverse
event was reported, which was
found to be not vaccination
related, according to the study.
The results of Phase 1 results
of Covaxin had not been publicly
released yet even though the
data was first presented to Drugs
Controller General of India
(DCGI) on October 2 when the
company applied for approval to
start Phase 3 trials.
“BBV152 induced binding and
neutralising antibody
responses… Vaccine induced
neutralising antibody titers were
reported with two divergent
SARS-CoV-2 strains. BBV152 is
stored between 2°C and 8°C,
which is compatible with all
national immunisation pro-
gramme cold chain require-
ments,” says the paper, which is
yet to be peer-reviewed.
To be sure, data given in the
study released on Wednesday
only pertains to the first of the
three-phased clinical trials for
vaccine authorisation. In Phase 1,
initial testing of the vaccine can-
didate is carried out in small
numbers of healthy adults to pri-
marily test its safety. The results
of this phase do not play a role in
the market authorisation.
Other organisations that have
been developing Covid-19 vacci-
nes published data from their
Phase 1 trials several months
ago. Moderna Inc, for instance,
published its Phase 1 data in July.
The Pfizer/Biontech vaccine,
which has already started being
administered in the United
States and Britain, released data
15
tary to head the budget depart-
ment; Janet Yellen, the first
woman treasury secretary; Lloyd
Austin, the first African-Ameri-
can nominated for defence sec-
retary; Katherine Tai, the first
Taiwanese-American named US
trade representative; and Xavier
Becerra and Alejandro May-
orkas, the first Latinos to head
the departments of health and
homeland security, respectively.
And, of course, Kamala Harris,
the first Black, woman, Asian-
American and Indian-American
vice-president.
Biden to take oath
outside Capitol
Biden and Harris will take their
oaths of office outside the US
Capitol building as inauguration
planners seek to hold an event
that captures the traditional
grandeur of the historic cere-
mony while seeking to comply
with Covid-19 protocols.
Biden’s team released some
broad details for the January 20
event on Tuesday. They’re pro-
ceeding with the plans without
any assurances that outgoing
President Donald Trump will
participate.
At the heart of the trial is who
helped the attackers and how.
Three of the 14 fled to Syria
just ahead of the January 7-9,
2015 attacks in Paris, which left
17 dead along with the three gun-
men — who claimed the killings
in the name of al Qaeda and the
Islamic State group.
The other 11, all men, formed a
circle of friends and prison
acquaintances who claimed any
facilitating they may have done
was unwitting or for more run-
of-the mill crime like armed rob-
bery.
from their vaccine’s Phase 1
results in August.
Phase 2 involves larger num-
bers of subjects and is focussed
on data about a vaccine’s ability
to safely produce its desired
effect (immunogenicity).
The Phase 3 is the pivotal
study on which licensing is
based and it checks for the effec-
tiveness of immune reaction
triggered by the vaccine. Efficacy
of the vaccine will be determined
only in Phase 3 trials. The results
of Phase 3 are finally presented
as the data on which authorisa-
tion is obtained. Bharat Biotech
has not yet submitted results of
Phase 3 trials, which began in
mid-November. On December 7,
the firm had applied to DCGI for
emergency use authorisation for
Covaxin, following which the
Subject Expert Committee (SEC)
recommended that it present the
safety and efficacy data from
Phase 3 trials in order for its
application to be considered .
Bharat Biotech has developed
the whole-virion inactivated
SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidate
(BBV152) in collaboration with
ICMR.
In the Phase 1 study, a total of
375 participants were random-
ised equally to receive three vac-
cine formulations (n=100 each);
the control arm had 75 partici-
pants. Vaccines were adminis-
tered on a two-dose intramuscu-
lar accelerated schedule on Day
0 (baseline) and Day 14. The pri-
mary outcomes were reactogen-
icity and safety. The secondary
outcomes were immunogenicity.
The follow-up visits were sched-
uled on days 7, 28, 42, 104, and
194.
Experts, however, say much
depends on the Phase 3 trial
results. “At this stage, there are
many promising vaccine candi-
dates but Phase 3 trial results
will be significant in terms of
which ones finally materialize,”
said public health expert Profes-
sor K Srinath Reddy, who is also
a member of the National Task
Force on Covid-19 management.
16 NEW DELHI
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2020

Office of the Superintending Engineer 6th Circle,

Public Work Department Uttarkashi
Government of Uttarakhand
No- 6167/56 M.-06/2020 Dated: 11-12-2020
NOTICE INVITING TENDER (NIT)
On behalf of the Governor of Uttarkhand, the Superintending Engineer 6th
Circle Public Works Department Ultarkashi hereby invites proposals from
eligible NABL accredited laboratories for concurrent Evaluation of construc-
tion works in the district of Uttrkashi, Uttarakhand for various construction
works under scheme for Special Assistance state for Capital expenditure. The
request for proposal (RFP) document shall be available online on the
e-tender portal of Government of Uttrakhand https://www.uktenders.gov.in
from 17 December, 2020 (from 1500 hrs IST) Bid must he submitted online at
e-tender portal of PWD Uttrankhand on or before 31 December, 2020 ( Up to
1500 hrs IST). All relevant information about the assignment may be
obtained from the RFP document Yours Sincerely
( Anirudh Singh Bhandari),Superintending Engineer,
´FÂFFaI - 14291/ ÀFc.E½Fa »Fû.ÀFa.d½F./dQ. 16.12.2020 6th Circle P.W.D. Uttarkashi

MP POORV KSHETRA VIDYUT VITARAN CO. LTD.

BLOCK NO. 8, SHAKTI BHAWAN, RAMPUR, JABALPUR (M.P.)
Tel.No. : 0761-2702473, e-mail : cepurez@yahoo.in CIN : U40109MP2002SGC015120
No. CGM/PUR/EZ/GM/II/2476 TENDER NOTICE Jabalpur, dtd:- 10.12.2020
Online Tenders are invited for following services :-
Sr. T.S. No. NAME OF ITEMS APPROX. VALUE TENDER FEE DATE OF OPENING
No DISCOM/EZ/PUR (Rs. in Lakhs) (in Rs.) OF TENDER
1122 Appointment of MSP for
1. (E-Tender No. Providing and Managing the
2020_PKVVC_ Infrastructure on Cloud for 1600.00 11,800.00 07.01.2021
117887_1) Billing System
For Other details visit our website- www.mpez.co.in & mptenders.gov.in.
CGM
‘SAVE ELECTRICITY’ kkd¶FªF»Fe C´F·Fû¢°FF °½FdS°F ÀFZ½FFAûÔ IZ d»FE kkÀ¸FFMÊ d¶FªF»Fell E´F I F C´F¹Fû¦F I SmÔll (PURCHASE)

Government of Jammu & Kashmir

Office of the Superintending Engineer, Civil Circle, P.W.D., Devpura Haridwar Office of the Director Archives, Archaeology and Museums
Culture Department
Phone/Fax: 01334-221407, Email ID: sepwdharidwar@gmail.com, Web: pwd.uk.gov.in E-mail: jk.dama.gov@gmail.com
Phone/Fax No.: 0191-2578834
Letter No.: 2772/06C- Civil Circle/20 Dated: 15.12.2020
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP)
Short Term National Competitive Bidding, (E-Tendering)
The Superintending Engineer, Civil Circle, PWD, Haridwar on behalf of "Governor of Uttarakhand" Bid Identification No.: 2020_cc_111536_1NOeNIT/DAMA-01/2020-21
invites item rate tender through Short term E-tendering under Two Bid system. All information will Dead line for submission of Bids: 11 January 2021 up-to 1600 Hours
be available from date 18.12.2020 and onwords on website http://www.uktenders.gov.in. Earliest For and on behalf of Lt. Governor of Jammu & Kashmir, Director, Archives, Archaeology and Museums, Culture Department
invited Tender for this work, through Tender Notice vide letter no-2558/06C-Civil Circle/20 Dated 23- Jammu & Kashmir Invites e-Tenders comprising of two covers A&B from eligible Consultants who are registered as company/
11-2020 at Serial no. 3, which may be deemed cancelled. firms for below mentioned work.

Sl. Name of work Ernest Cost of Validity Time of Comp- Category of Sr. Name of Work Bid Cost of Bid Time of completion
No. Money Tender of Tender letion of work Contractor No. security Document for work
(Rs. in Lacs) (Rs.) (Days) (days) 1.(a) Consultancy services for restoration and conservation and 50,000/- 2000/- Till completion of
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Development of Shergari Heritage Complex, Srinagar as project.
1. Temporary establishment of Media Center on 5.20 Rs. 5000.00 30 45 Days Firms/Contractor Cultural centre and
Days having similar works Consultancy services for Restoration/ conservation of Old
rental basis (60 days) for Haridwar Mahakumbh + 18 % GST experience with
Mela-2021. SPS Museum Building, and its re-use plan and setting up
nature.
Decorative Art Museum
Note:- Submission of following documents in original is essential in office of undersigned
upto/before the last date and schedule time of uploading tender by the bidders. The bidding documents consisting of qualifying information, eligibility criteria, specifications, set of terms and conditions of d³FQZVFF»F¹F, ¸FdW»FF ÀFVFd¢°FI S¯F E½Fa ¶FF»F d½FI FÀF d½F·FF¦F CØFSF£F¯O
´FÂFFaI - 14294/ ÀFc.E½Fa »Fû.ÀFa.d½F./dQ. 16.12.2020 contract and other details can be seen/downloaded from the J&K Government e-procurement website www.jktenders.gov.in d³FI M ³F³QF I e ¨FüI e, ÀFbðû½FF»FF, ¨FI SF°FF SûO, QZW SFQc³F
Sd/- QcS ·FF¿F ÀFa. 0135-2775814,16 R` ¢ÀF: 2775813, BÊ -¸FZ»F: dir.icds.ua@gmail.com
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WZ °Fb BÊ-d³Fd½FQF AF¸FadÂF°F I e ªFF°Fe W` Ü BÊ -d³Fd½FQF dQ³FFaI 18 dQÀF¸¶FS, 2020 ÀFF¹Fa
04.00 ¶FªFZ ÀFZ ½FZ¶FÀFFBÊ M https://www.uktenders.gov.in ´FS C´F»F¶²F
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IÈ °FZ-d³FQZVFI Ü

Office of ADGP TECHNICAL SERVICES, Punjab, Chandigarh

Punjab Police Headquarters
Sector 9A, Chandigarh-160009
Advertisement regarding Notice Inviting e-Tender
ADGP Technical Services, Punjab, Chandigarh intends to float a Tender on 17.12.2020 which will
be uploaded on https://eproc.punjab.gov.in (e-procurement portal of Punjab Government) for
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For any queries, please Contact Sh. Tarvinder Singh, PPS, Dy. SP/Modernization/Technical
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In case of any amendment in the Tender document corrigendum will be uploaded on https://
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bidders are advised to regularly check the website mentioned above.
Sd/-
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Growth is for Inspector General of Police-cum-

Chairman Tender Committee
118622 TS, Punjab, Chandigarh
not just about net gains. d¶FWFS »FûI ÀFZ½FF AF¹Fû¦F
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Growth is...On. as Chunk C at West Delhi District Centre, Shivaji Place, Raja Garden for
a period of two years w.e.f. 01.01.2021 to 31.12.2022 for temporary
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utilisation for the purpose of organising Marriage/Social/Cultural/ dIY¹FZ ¦F¹FZ RYûMXû E½Fa WXÀ°FFÃFSX IYF BʸFZþ AÀ´FáX/A´FNX³Fe¹F E½Fa dSX¢°F W`XÜ ½F`ÀFZ
Religious functions, Fair/Fates, Exhibition and Cultural Events by way
of booking at their own level.
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DATE OF E-AUCTION IYSX³FF ÀFbd³FdV¨F°F IYSmÔX¦FZ :-
05.01.2021 (Tuesday) from 10.00 AM to 1.00 PM 1. A·¹F±FeÊ AF¹Fû¦F IZY ½FZ¶FÀFFBÊMX www.bpsc.bih.nic.in ´FSX CX´F»F¶²F §Fû¿F¯FF ´FÂF
Online registration starts : 16.12.2020 (Wednesday) IYû ´Fc¯FÊøY´F ÀFZ ·FSXIYSX CX³FIZY d³FdQÊáX À±FF³F ´FSX dIYÀFe SXFþ´FdÂF°F ´FQFd²FIYFSXe ÀFZ
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documents with EMD 29.12.2020 (Tuesday) upto 6.00 PM dWX³Qe E½Fa Aa¦Fimþe ¸FZÔ IYSmÔX¦FZÜ
For detail of chunks and Procedure kindly visit the e-auction 2. SXFþ´FdÂF°F ´FQFd²FIYFSXe ÀFZ Ad·F´Fi¸FFd¯F°F Qû SaX¦Fe³F RYûMXû ¸FZÔ ÀFZ EIY RYûMXû A·¹F±FeÊ
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participate in e-auction. For facility of the prospective bidder, Help Desk
have been setup at C-62, Ilnd floor, Preet Vihar, Delhi-110092 (opposite IYFOÊX B°¹FFdQ ¸FZÔ dIYÀFe EIY IYe LXF¹FF´Fid°F, þû SXFþ´FdÂF°F ´FQFd²FIYFSXe ÀFZ
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For inspection of chunk(s), prospective builders may contact Deputy ³FûMX : d½FdWX°F §Fû¿F¯FF ´FÂF AF¹Fû¦F IZY ½FZ¶FÀFFBÊMX www.bpsc.bih.nic.in ´FSX
livemint livemint.com Director (RP Cell), DUSIB, Vikas Kutir, I.P. Estate, New Delhi, Phone CX´F»F¶²F W`XÜ
No. 011-23378847, Mob:- 9717999106.
for Deputy Director (RP)
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DIP/Shabdarth/0497/20-21 (Phone No. 011-23378847) d¶FWXFSX »FûIY ÀFZ½FF AF¹Fû¦F, ´FMX³FF
NEW DELHI
THURSDAY
DECEMBER 17, 2020
Spectrum for 4G to be
auctioned off in March
Govt to auction
₹3.9 L cr worth of
airwaves across
7 spectrum bands
Ishita Guha
ishita.g@livemint.com
NEW DELHI: India plans to auc-
tion ₹3.92 lakh crore worth of
airwaves suitable for fourth-
generation (4G) mobile net-
works in March after a gap of
more than four years, as the
government seeks to raise
resources to fund infrastructure
spending and carry out a
nationwide vaccination pro-
gramme.
The Union cabinet on
Wednesday approved the auc-
tion of 2,251 megahertz (MHz)
of spectrum, telecom minister
Ravi Shankar Prasad said. The
government will auction spec-
trum in the 700MHz, 800MHz,
900MHz, 1800MHz, 2100MHz,
2300MHz and 2500MHz bands,
some of which are touted as the
most efficient for 4G services.
Spectrum in the 3300-
3600MHz bands, recommended
by the telecom regulator for
fifth-generation (5G) networks,
have not been included in the
proposed auction.
The auction is crucial for
Maruti to roll out compact SUV on Baleno platform
Malyaban Ghosh
malyaban.g@livemint.com
NEW DELHI: Maruti Suzuki India
Ltd is developing a compact
sport-utility vehicle (SUV) that
would be based on its popular
Baleno hatchback, two people
directly aware of the company’s
plans said.
Code-named ‘YTB’, the new
model is likely to be designed as
a coupe or a mini crossover, the
people cited above said on condi-
tion of anonymity.
The new model is among a
series of SUVs planned by the
WEST BENGAL
Tiwari has accused
urban development minister
Firhad Hakim and the govern-
ment of depriving Asansol of
central funds meant for devel-
opment.
Adhikari resigned from the
legislative assembly around
4pm on Wednesday, 18 days
after quitting the cabinet in
which he held three depart-
ments.
He represented East Midnap-
ore district’s Nandigram seat
where a long land movement
helped TMC chief Mamata
Banerjee oust the Left Front
government in 2011.
Adhikari went to the assem-
bly house and submitted a
handwritten letter at the secre-
tariat since the speaker, Biman
Banerjee, was not present in his
office. The letter raised several
technical questions since
Adhikari did not put any date
on it and did not write or sign it
before the speaker, something
anti-defection rules of the
assembly demand.
“I have not received any let-
ter. The secretary has no
authority to accept an MLA’s
resignation letter. I have to
review the matter,” the speaker
said in the evening.
The dissidents started speak-
ing out in different districts of
south Bengal since Tuesday,
hours after the chief minister
addressed rallies in north Ben-
gal where the BJP won seven of
the region’s eight Lok Sabha
seats in 2019.
On Wednesday, while Baner-
jee headed for more rallies in
north Bengal, several lawmak-
ers in south Bengal, where the
BJP did not do so well in the
Lok Sabha polls, raised a voice
against organisational deci-
sions and election strategist
Prashant Kishor.
Mandal, the two-time Lok
Sabha MP from Burdwan East
constituency, which was one of
the strongest citadels of the
Marxists till he wrested the
seat in 2014, told local media
that the TMC needs reforms.
The rebel leaders met at his
home in Kanksa.
Questioning the necessity of
Kishor and his company, I-Pac,
Mandal said, “Is it acceptable
that those of us who worked on
the ground among people and
rose from the ranks have to
take instructions from paid
employees of I-Pac on where
and how to hold processions?
Under the hammer
The Centre is planning to auction airwaves suitable for 4G
mobile networks in March after a gap of four years. A look at
what’s on offer in key metros
770 58.7 15.6
1200
Bands (in MHz)
800
400
NA NA NA
0
700 800 900
Graphic: Sarvesh Kumar Sharma/Mint
Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd as
its rights to use a major chunk
of its spectrum in the 800MHz
band will expire next year. Ana-
lysts said Reliance Jio may also
bid for spectrum in the 700MHz
band, which is the most suited
for 5G among the bands on sale.
Mukesh Ambani, chairman of
Reliance Industries Ltd, has said
Jio plans to roll out 5G services
in the second half of 2021.
“Jio may look at renewal and
add new spectrum in circles to
accommodate 4G growth, while
Suzuki Motor Corp. unit to bol-
ster efforts to regain market
share lost to new and established
rivals such as Hyundai Motor
India Ltd and Kia Motors in
India’s fast-growing SUV mar-
ket. By tapping the existing
Baleno platform, Maruti would
be able to save on costs and time
spent normally on developing a
vehicle from scratch.
“Internally, it’s been referred
to as the ‘sister car’ of Baleno and
companies often take this route
to expand their product portfolio
quickly. Maruti has already
adopted this strategy success-
People of Bengal are sensitive
and intelligent. Processions do
not ensure votes.” Posters
appeared in his support in sev-
eral parts of East Burdwan.
Statements against the TMC
leadership were also made by
Dipak Haldar, the legislator
from Diamond Harbour in
South 24 Parganas district and
Biswajit Kundu, the legislator
from Kalna in East Burdwan
district.
Adhikari’s aides said he may
join the BJP on December 19 or,
he may do so on December 18
as he had plans to fly to Delhi
on Thursday.
Adhikari, his father and two
brothers represent two Lok
Sabha constituencies and an
assembly seat in East Midnap-
ore. They also run the civic
body at Contai, their home-
town.
“The entire Adhikari family
will eventually join the BJP. It is
only a matter of time,” said a
senior TMC leader who did not
want to be named.
Reacting to Adhikari’s resig-
nation from the assembly, BJP
national general secretary Kai-
lash Vijayvargiya said the rebel
leader would be welcomed
when he joins the BJP.
Saugata Roy, the TMC Lok
Sabha member who held rec-
onciliatory talks with Adhikari,
said, “Suvendu is taking one
step at a time before joining the
BJP. This is not unexpected for
us.”
The developments took place
while the chief minister
addressed people and party
leaders in north Bengal.
“People cannot change their
character every day. You can
change clothes every day but
not idealism. Do you, the com-
mon people, have faith in me?
Those who are with the party
since its birth are still there. A
few of those who joined us later
are leaving. It will not make
any difference,” Banerjee said
at a rally in Cooch Behar.
Mihir Goswami, the TMC
legislator from the Cooch
Behar South seat, joined the
BJP last month. In a parallel
development, forest minister
Rajib Banerjee’s followers put
up more posters in different
districts, including East Mid-
napore.
The minister, too, made sig-
nificant statements at a public
programme on Tuesday. With-
out naming the TMC, he said he
had been deprived.
134.2 275 560 230
Reserve price per MHz (in ₨ cr)
Delhi Mumbai Kolkata
Spectrum available for sale (in MHz)
Note: Spectrum in
the 900MHz band
is not put on sale in
metro circles
1800 2100 2300 2500
Source: Trai recommendations
in August 2018
Airtel and Vodafone Idea will
not be that aggressive.
Airtel may pick up spectrum
in metro circles to improve the
quality of its services, while Vi is
expected to only renew spec-
trum due to its financial situa-
tion,” said telecom expert Rajiv
Sharma.
The department of telecom
(DoT) will conduct the auction
at the reserve price recom-
mended by the Telecom Regula-
tory of India (Trai), said a gov-
ernment official, adding that the
fully with XL6 and Ertiga. They
definitely need a good number of
SUVs in the portfolio to keep
increasing their market share in
the SUV segment,” said one of
the two people cited above.
The new model would
become the second compact
SUV offering for Maruti after
Vitara Brezza, which was
launched in 2016. Though the
car market leader has main-
tained its dominance in the
hatchback and sedan segments
there has been a steady increase
in customer preference towards
SUVs, necessitating the need for
{ }
FARMER PROTESTS
least six factions of the BKU
will be there at Thursday’s
hearing. Permission was
granted to implead major farm
unions as respondents in the
case, including the Bharatiya
Kisan Union (BKU - Rajesh Tik-
ait), BKU - Sidhupur (Jagjeet S.
Dallewal), BKU - Rajewal (Bal-
beer Singh Rajewal), BKU -
Lakhowal (Harinder Singh Lak-
howal), and others.
The three laws triggered a
massive protest by farmers,
mainly from Punjab and Hary-
ana, who have massed at the
borders of Delhi since Novem-
ber 26. The laws allow agri-
businesses to trade with mini-
mal regulation, permit traders
to stockpile large quantities of
food commodities for econo-
mies of scale and lay down new
contract farming rules.
Farmers say the new rules
favour big corporations to
whom they will lose business
and gradually end the system of
state-set minimum prices. Pro-
testers decided to call off fur-
ther negotiations on December
8, after a meeting with home
minister Amit Shah, claiming a
stalemate.The government has
offered to amend the laws sub-
stantially; the farmers’ unions
want nothing short of their
repeal.
“The SC’s order, in which it
suggested a committee for
negotiations, are a big moral
victory for farmers. But talks
will help only if they are about
withdrawing the three laws,”
said Avik Saha, secretary of the
All India Kisan Coordination
Committee, a large platform of
farm unions spearheading the
protests.
The AIKSCC said the Prime
Minister was misinforming the
nation about the Acts not
affecting farmers’ land, about
minimum support prices and
diverting attention from the
real issues by invoking the
bogey of “Opposition fooling
farmers”.
“The Movement in Delhi will
continue till 3 Acts are with-
drawn. Farmers always ready
to explain their issues to either
the court or government. We
will come up with more
detailed views after studying
the SC order,” said Darshan Pal,
another farmers’ leader.
During the hearing on
Wednesday, solicitor general
Tushar Mehta, representing the
Union government, com-
Business
reserve price was calculated by
removing the value of the 3300-
3600MHz bands.
However, analysts fear the
next round of spectrum auction
may be a repeat of the 2016
fiasco when large chunks of air-
waves remained unsold due to
high minimum prices. Four
years ago, the government had
raised just ₹65,789 crore
through spectrum auction, a
fraction of the ₹5.63 lakh crore
worth of airwaves put on sale.
Spectrum in the 700MHz and
900MHz bands were completely
unsold in 2016.
Pricing of spectrum has been
an issue, with top executives at
Bharti Airtel Ltd and Vodafone
Idea Ltd repeatedly demanding
that the government lower
spectrum prices.
“700MHz spectrum is likely
to be skipped again unless the
reserve price is lowered. Supply
of spectrum is higher compared
to demand, and we expect most
spectrum to get sold at or close
to the reserve price,” a telecom
analyst said, requesting ano-
nymity.
Bidders will have to comply
with auction conditions such as
block size, spectrum cap, which
specifies the maximum limit for
holding airwaves by each bid-
der. The spectrum sold will be
valid for 20 years.
Maruti to grow its own portfolio.
In the past year, the company
has lost market share in the
highly profitable and volume-
generating SUV segment to
rivals such as Hyundai and Kia
due to the lack of new products.
In the compact SUV segment,
where Maruti leads with Vitara
Brezza, competition has intensi-
fied with almost every manufac-
turer eyeing a pie of this growing
market.
In FY20 and the first six
months of the current fiscal,
Hyundai tipped Maruti as the
largest maker of SUVs in India.
plained that “some other inter-
ests” have taken over the farm-
ers’ protests and that the pro-
testors’ representatives turn
their chairs, showing their
backs to the union ministers
during the talks.
“They come with placards,
written ‘Yes or No’. The govern-
ment was ready and is still
ready to engage in talks with
the farmers. But the problem is
that their stand is either you
repeal the laws or we don’t
want to talk. I can submit that
the government will not do
anything which is against the
interest of the farmers,” added
the law officer.
But the bench was not
impressed. “What is the point
of saying this when they per-
ceive it to be against their inter-
ests? Your negotiations do not
appear to work and are bound
to fail again. What’s the point
of saying something very good
when it serves no purpose
since the farmers are not
before us (the court)?”
The bench, which included
justices AS Bopanna and V
Ramasubramanian, pointed
out that while the bunch three
petitions were filed before it by
lawyers with different kinds of
prayers, no farmers’ union or
representative is a party to the
hearings.
The court issued notices on
the petitions but it underscored
the need to give an audience to
the farmers’ representatives for
a suitable adjudication of the
issues, which ranged from
clearing the road blockades to
directing the government to
ensure the farmers’ demands
are met.
Responding, the SG said that
he was aware that the Bharat-
iya Kisan Union (BKU) was at
the forefront of the protests
THE SC BENCH
POINTED OUT THAT
WHILE THE BUNCH
3 PETITIONS WERE
FILED BEFORE IT BY
LAWYERS WITH
DIFFERENT KINDS
OF PRAYERS, NO
FARMERS’ UNION
OR ANY OF THEIR
REPRESENTATIVE IS
A PARTY TO THE
HEARINGS
Powered by
GOVT TIGHTENS
NORMS FOR
SOURCING
TELECOM GEAR
Ishita Guha
ishita.g@livemint.com
NEW DELHI: The government will
identify “trusted” sources of tele-
com equipment that can be used
by India’s cellular operators on
their networks as part of the
national security directive for
the sector approved by the Cabi-
net Committee on Security.
A list of manufacturers, to be
certified as ‘Indian trusted sour-
ces’, will be created and the
names of the firms whose equip-
ment cannot be used will also be
shared, minister for communi-
cations, electronics and IT Ravi
Shankar Prasad said on Wednes-
day. Globally, there are five
major telecom equipment mak-
ers, of which two are Chinese.
“Considering the need to
ensure India’s national security,
the cabinet has accorded
approval for the national secu-
rity directive on the telecom sec-
tor. Under the provisions of this
directive, to maintain integrity of
the supply chain security, the
government will declare a list of
trusted sources,” Prasad said.
The directive comes amid
security concerns raised against
Chinese equipment maker Hua-
wei globally. Earlier this month,
the UK government said new
installation of Huawei’s 5G gear
will be banned from September
2021, as it seeks to phase out all
Huawei networks by 2027. The
US has also banned Huawei gear
till May, citing national security.
The India-China border ten-
sion that started in May has
fuelled the security concerns.
The government has banned
more than 200 Chinese apps cit-
ing threat to national security.
A ban on the use of Chinese
equipment would hit Bharti Air-
tel Ltd and Vodafone Idea Ltd as
equipment sold by Ericsson,
Nokia and Samsung is relatively
expensive and may add to their
input cost. Reliance Jio Info-
comm Ltd does not use Chinese
equipment.
While the directive will not
mandate replacement of the tele-
com equipment in use, telcos
will have to use devices
approved as trusted products by
the national security coordinator
for new devices, Prasad said.
and that his office would be
sharing the contact details of
their leaders so that they can be
heard tomorrow.
At this, the CJI told Mehta:
“Tentatively, we will form a
committee comprising repre-
sentatives of the Bhartiya Kisan
Union, the government, and
other farmers’ organisation
from other parts of India
because this will soon become
a national issue. So, we will
have other organisations from
other parts of the country too.”
One of the petitioners cited
the need to move the farmers to
a designated spot and clear the
roads in the backdrop of the
Supreme Court’s judgment in
the Shaheen Bagh case wherein
it was held that public roads
cannot be blocked indefinitely
by protestors. The Shaheen
Bagh protest was against the
Citizenship (Amendment) Act .
The bench, however, said no
order can be passed without
the court hearing the other
side. “What were the number of
people in Shaheen Bagh? How
many blocked the road? Will
the numbers not matter? Who
will take the responsibility?
There cannot be any precedent
in a law-and-order situation,” it
added.
The Delhi government’s
standing counsel Rahul Mehra
also appeared in the case. While
he questioned the petitioners for
filing half-baked public interest
litigations (PILs), Mehra said
that it was very important that
some urgent steps are taken by
the Centre given the fact that
farmers have been compelled to
protest in the open in a cold
winter.
At this, SG Mehta retorted:
“Mr Mehra seems to be appear-
ing for some union and not a
government. Which union are
you appearing for, Mr Mehra?”
This triggered a sharp response
from Mehra, who said he can
also comment on why and for
whom Mehta was appearing in
the matter.
The bench asked the two
lawyers to refrain from per-
sonal comments and fixed the
matter for a hearing on Thurs-
day, pointing out the court will
be on a winter break after Fri-
day. Senior advocate Harish
Salve is also expected to appear
in this matter on Thursday for
a new petition or application.
Zia Haq in New Delhi
contributed to this report
Few stocks stand to
gain from PLI scheme
Clifford Alvares and
Harsha Jethmalani
clifford.a@livemint.com
MUMBAI: Indian manufacturers
may be on the brink of discover-
ing their potential. The incen-
tives offered under the produc-
tion-linked incentive (PLI)
scheme is a catalyst that inves-
tors are betting could be a game-
changer. However, there are
very few publicly traded firms
that could benefit from the pro-
gramme. Shares of the few that
Auto part makers’ revenue declined
by 34% in first half of FY21: Acma
Malyaban Ghosh
malyaban.g@livemint.com
NEW DELHI: India’s auto parts
makers recorded a 34.6% decline
in revenue in the fiscal first half
from a year earlier as production
came to a halt due to the nation-
wide lockdown, showed data
issued on Wednesday by the
Automotive Component Manu-
facturers Association (Acma).
The sector, however, reported
a swift turnaround in the second
UNITED STATES BILL
region and around, and says
that Congress believes that
“attempts by the Government of
China to advance baseless terri-
torial claims, including those in
the South China Sea, the East
China Sea, and with respect to
Bhutan, are destabilizing and
inconsistent with international
law”.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
signed the NDAA last Friday,
starting the 10-day notice period
for the President to sign it.
Trump has threatened to veto
the bill if it did not contain pro-
vision taking away immunity
enjoyed by social media plat-
forms from prosecution for con-
tent published by them, under
Section 230 of the Communica-
tion Decency Act. He wants to
punish Twitter, Facebook and
other platforms for censoring
and labelling objectionable con-
tent published by him and his
conservative allies.
The $740 billion defence
spending bill doesn’t contain
that provision, in a rare joint
snub by both Republicans and
Democrats, which has set up a
confrontation with lawmakers
of both parties, who are deter-
mined to override his veto.
Raja Krishnamoorthi, the
Indian American member of the
House of the Representatives
who led the effort to include this
language int the bill, said in a
statement, “Violent aggression
is seldom the answer, and this is
especially true for the Line of
Actual Control, which is the dis-
puted border region that sepa-
rates the People’s Republic of
China from India.”
He added that the inclusion
of this language in the bill and
its enactment by the US govern-
ment will send a clear signal
that “China’s military provoca-
tions of India will not be toler-
ated” and that the US is “com-
mitted to standing with our
allies and partners like India in
resolving the border standoff
using diplomatic means”.
TRUMP HAS SAID
HE WILL VETO THE
BILL IF IT DID NOT
HAVE PROVISION
TAKING AWAY
IMMUNITY FOR
SOCIAL MEDIA
PLATFORMS
are listed have already surged
considerably on the announce-
ment of these incentives.
Analysts estimate that the
scheme could add $144 billion to
revenues of companies by FY27
and India’s exports could
increase by $55 billion. Besides,
these incentives are also likely to
create 2.2 million jobs and see
$22 billion of direct capital
spending, according to a Decem-
ber 11 report by Credit Suisse
India. Among the sectors that
could benefit hugely is electron-
ics manufacturing, particularly
mobile manufacturing. The PLI
scheme provides incentives
equivalent to 4-6% of incremen-
tal sales over a base year for
locally made electronic products
to propel India into the top three
mobile manufacturers.
Electric vehicle makers, bat-
tery producers, textile firms and
food processing companies are
and third quarters as automobile
production improved to record
levels before the festive season.
Revenue in the six months
ended September 30 fell to ₹1.19
lakh crore from ₹1.82 lakh crore
a year earlier, according to
Acma.
Component imports declined
too—probably as a result of the
Union government’s push for
automakers to use locally-made
parts. In the fiscal first half, com-
ponent exports fell by 23.6% to
{ 2019 MP ELECTIONS }
EC seeks action on 4
for unaccounted cash
HT Correspondent
letters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: The Election Com-
mission ordered Madhya Pra-
desh chief election officer on
Wednesday to lodge a criminal
case against four bureaucrats for
their alleged role in the use of
black money during the 2019
assembly elections in the state.
The bureaucrats include IPS
officers Sushobhan Banerjee,
Sanjay and V Madhu Kumar and
state police officer Arun Mishra.
“(The) Commission deliberated
upon a report, received from the
Central Board of Direct Taxes
(CBDT), intimating its search
operations in Madhya Pradesh
and its findings of extensive use
of unaccounted cash during the
General Elections 2019 in Mad-
hya Pradesh,” the EC said.
“It is reported that these enti-
ties/individuals engaged in
unauthorized and unaccounted
cash contributions to individuals
on behalf of certain political
party, which is reported to be
corroborated during searches
against persons by Income Tax
department under Section 132 of
the Income Tax Act, 1961...”
The Commission has directed
the chief electoral officer of Mad-
hya Pradesh to lodge criminal
action with the Economic Offen-
8 dead, 21 injured in UP
as bus, tanker collide
HTC and agencies
letters@hindustantimes.com
MEERUT: Eight people died
while 21 sustained injuries here
on Wednesday morning when
an Uttar Pradesh Roadways bus
collided with a gas tanker amid
reduced visibility due to fog,
police said.
The crash took place in the
Dhanari police station area, they
added. “Eight people have died
in the accident involving a bus of
the UP Roadways and a gas
tanker. All injured have been
hospitalised. The number of
injured persons is 21. The bodies
have been sent for autopsy. Traf-
fic has been diverted since there
17
some others that will gain from
the push to encourage local
manufacturing. About 62% of
the second PLI scheme outlay of
₹1.46 lakh crore is towards sup-
porting automobiles, batteries
and drugs production over a
five-year period.
“Production-linked incentives
are a meaningful change in
India’s industrial policy,” said
the Credit Suisse report.
But there are some sceptics.
“China has built infrastructure
and logistic parks, which provide
facilities such as power at much
cheaper rates. Even the land cost
for manufacturers is lower (than
India). India is lagging in these
aspects. Eventually, the market
will realise that the benefits
being expected from the package
are not coming as easily or as
quickly as was anticipated,” an
analyst at an institutional bro-
kerage said, seeking anonymity.
₹39,003 crore, while imports
also dropped by 32.7% to ₹37,710
crore. The recently-announced
PLI scheme might help the sec-
tor maintain the export surplus
status in the coming years, ana-
lysts said. According to Deepak
Jain, president of Acma, the
component industry’s perform-
ance has improved manifold
after the lockdown measures
were lifted and the industry
expects significant recovery in
demand in the next fiscal year.
ces Wing. It has also asked the
Chief Secretary, Madhya Pra-
desh for similar action against
State officer. “It was a search and
seizure operation carried out by
the CBDT. The Commission has
found actionable evidence in the
report,” said an EC official.
Banerjee allegedly received
₹25 lakh from Pratik Joshi,
whose residence was raided by
the income tax department last
year. Joshi was known to be a
close associate of Ashwani
Sharma, an alleged power bro-
ker. They were purportedly in
touch with Kamal Nath’s aide
and former officer on special
duty Pravin Kakkar. Kakkar is
currently under investigation by
the Income Tax department.
According to the CBDT report,
Mane received ₹30 lakh, Mishra
7.5 crore and Kumar got over 13
crore. Congress claimed that
money seized belonged to the
Bharatiya Janata Party leaders.
On April 9, 2019, Kamal Nath
alleged that the BJP was trying to
exert pressure on him. Congress
MLA PC Sharma said, “BJP-led
central government is misusing
the central investigating agen-
cies for a long time. But now the
government has started pressur-
ising ECI to work in the favour of
BJP. This is nothing but a con-
spiracy against Congress.”
is still some gas in the tanker,”
Moradabad Inspector General of
Police (IG) Ramit Sharma told
reporters.
Earlier, Superintendent of
Police Chakresh Mishra had put
the number of injured at 25 and
said the head-on collision took
place on the Agra-Moradabad
road. Police said the deceased
are yet to be identified. District
administration and police offi-
cials are at the spot and rescue
operations are on, they added.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi
expressed grief over the incident.
He offered offered his deep sym-
pathies to families of the
deceased and wished a quick
recovery for the injured.
18
New hurdles to cross in age-old rivalry
Back to where they
scripted history two
years ago, India kick
off Test series with
Adelaide day-nighter
Aditya Iyer
aditya.iyer@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: There’s a special
something contained in the
promise of a Test series between
India and Australia that forces
its narrative to go where few
modern-day cricket rivalries
go—beyond the realms of the
game itself. This is true for the
Ashes and an India-Pakistan
contest as well. But the former
excludes the sport’s biggest
stakeholders—the Indian fans—
from having a sense of true
belonging and the latter hasn’t
taken place in 13 years, which is
longer than Virat Kohli’s inter-
national career.
This was perhaps why on the
eve of the first Test in Adelaide,
and with the larger significance
of the four-match series in
mind, India captain Kohli spoke
of why he (and by extension his
team) represents “the new
India”. And “the cultural effort”
that goes into winning games
for the country in what is widely
considered their greatest chal-
lenge—a Test series against
Australia, in their backyard.
“For us, it’s about playing for
the general public who want to
see India perform as a team,
which was the highlight of our
last tour here,” Kohli, who led
India to their first-ever Test
series win in Australia in
2018-19, added in the online
press conference on Wednes-
day. “Our focus remains that—
everything else is not in our
control even if it is great for the
publicity of the series.”
Publicity there certainly has
been, especially for the opening
Test of the series, which will
also mark Kohli’s final appear-
ance on this tour. He will return
to India on paternity leave after
the day-night affair at the Ade-
laide Oval. “Till the time I’m
here,” said Kohli, “I will con-
tinue to provide captaincy and
leadership and performances to
the best of my abilities.”
Adelaide has always been
kind to Kohli. On his first tour of
Australia in 2011-12, a young
Kohli struck his very first Test
century here, at the backend of
a miserable series. In 2014-15, a
new-look Adelaide Oval met a
new-look Kohli—as stand-in
skipper he smashed twin hun-
dreds within the confines of a
India wary of Kookaburra
pink ball, Australian twilight
Rasesh Mandani
rasesh.mandani@htlive.com
MUMBAI: When the pink ball
replaces red, some of cricket’s
established theories change.
Aware of the behaviour of a red
ball, why and when it seams
and swings, cricketers need to
change approach when the ball
is pink and play begins in the
afternoon. What makes it diffi-
cult for India is that they have
never played with the Kooka-
burra pink ball and played only
one Test under lights.
The pink ball is known to
move under lights making life
difficult for batsmen. But, days
are long in Australia. So part of
the second session before sun-
set could be a time of toil for
bowlers. The sun sets early in
India. So the second session had
the most for fast bowlers in the
only day-night Test India have
played. The SG ball didn’t just
come faster off the deck; there
was appreciable swing too at
Eden Gardens in November
2019. Bangladesh were blown
away.
But the Kookaburra behaves
differently. “What I have seen
on TV, the pink Kookaburra
ball does not swing as much but
there may be more pace,” said
India No 3 Cheteshwar Pujara.
What gets the pink ball to
move faster, under lights in
Australia? Is it the extra coating
of lacquer? “There is some
belief that the pink finish helps
swing early, but this is really
hard to quantify or be definitive
about,” said David Orchard,
GM, Kookaburra.
“The conditions under lights
are obviously very different
than in daylight but it is the
pitch preparation, playing con-
ditions, and the skill of the
bowlers that will play the great-
est part in the outcomes in the
rebuilt ground. On the following
tour in 2018-19, Kohli didn’t
score big runs in Adelaide, but
became the first Indian captain
to win the opening Test in Aus-
tralia; and then the series itself.
This time, Adelaide presents
him with a new challenge—the
colour of the ball, pink, and the
hours during which the Test
will be held. “Every challenge is
new and you have to under-
stand the requirements to fulfil
that particular challenge. The
pink-ball Test is probably going
to be a bit more challenging
(than the earlier Tests in Ade-
laide) in terms of the conditions,
and how the ball moves around
in the evening,” said Kohli. “For
us, it is about adaptability.”
India have played just one
day-night Test—against Bangla-
desh at the Eden Gardens last
year. They adapted rather
quickly, what with Kohli’s hun-
dred and five-fors by pacers Ish-
ant Sharma and Umesh Yadav
sealing an innings win. Ishant
won’t have an effect on this Test,
having been ruled out of the
series, but Yadav well could.
Assured approach
India announced their playing 11
shortly after the captain’s
presser. Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah
and Mohammed Shami form
the three prongs of India’s fast
bowling attack with R Ashwin
the lone frontline spinner.
Wicketkeeper Wriddhiman
Saha expectedly got the nod
ahead of Rishabh Pant, who
walloped a hundred in the final
tour game. The surprise was at
the other end of the batting
order with Prithvi Shaw (not
Shubman Gill or KL Rahul)
picked to open with the estab-
lished Mayank Agarwal.
Shaw had a middling tune-up
to the Test series, scoring 0, 19,
40 and 3 over the two practice
games in Sydney. Though Gill
seemed the likelier of the two
21-year-olds to play—and make
Aussie bowlers rule
TOP BOWLERS IN D/N TESTS IN AUSTRALIA
Player Mths Wkts
M Starc 7 42
N Lyon 7 28
J Hazlewood 6 26
P Cummins 4 19
SESSION-WISE DISMISSALS IN D/N TESTS IN AUS
Session 1
Session 2
Session 3
WICKET SHARE IN D/N TESTS IN ADELAIDE
Bowling Inngs Wkts
Pace 15
Spin 15 24
SPINNERS MORE SUCCESSFUL WITH KOOKABURRA BALL
BETWEEN SEPT 2018 AND SEPT 2019 Pace
Total wickets
Kookaburra 969 503
(51.91%)
827
Others* 1,454 (56.88%)
middle.”
India vice-captain Ajinkya
Rahane, who lost his wicket to
the moving ball in the twilight
in the pink ball warm-up tie in
Sydney, said: “The pace of the
red ball stays the same through-
out. Pace of the pink-ball
changes completely in those
40-50 minutes when the sun
sets. Both off the pitch and in
the air.”
India players warm up at a training session, a day before their four-Test series gets underway with a day-nighter in Adelaide from Thursday.
Australia skipper Tim Paine is confident his team will have the
edge as India have played just one pink-ball Test.
his Test debut—after improving
scores of 0, 29, 43 and 65 in Syd-
ney, Shaw perhaps received the
nod for having Test experience
in the first place. “Prithvi has
performed at the Test level, but
he will be playing in Australia
for the first time. It is very excit-
ing to see his progress,” said
Ave Econ 5 wkts
19.23 3.23
25.96 2.8
22.38 2.71
18.57 2.57
65
85
81
101
Spin Others**
438 28
(45.2%) (2.89%)
589
(40.51%)
*SG and Duke's; **Run out, retired, etc
A break-up of the fall of wick-
ets per session in the seven pink
ball Tests in Australia—all won
by the hosts—shows 81 wickets
in the post-dinner final session
and 65 in the second.
It’s a small sample size but
we have already seen team tac-
tics revolve around this fast-
paced twilight session. Teams
look to declare early to expose
the opposition to some hostile
Sport
GETTY IMAGE
Kohli. “It is always exciting to
have young guys because they
can play freely while seniors
take the pressure that comes
with playing a full Test series.”
Switching leaders
A full series is precisely what
Kohli will not be playing, which
pace. It won’t be a surprise if
Steve Smith is batting in those
conditions and Jasprit Bumrah
repeats his around-the-wicket
spell of the trial game that was
full of bouncers. Fast bowlers
3 have ruled in the four pink ball
1 Tests at Adelaide taking 101
wickets at an average of 26.76 as
1
per ESPNcricinfo. With 24 wick-
1 ets at an average of 49.83, spin-
ners have found it tougher.
Some spinners find the Kook-
aburra tougher to grip, than SG
and the Dukes ball (used in
England) because its seam isn’t
as pronounced. While all the
three brands have six rows of
Avg stitches, they are hand-stitched
26.76 in Dukes and SG.
49.83 In Kookaburra, only the two
rows of inner seam are hand-
stitched, the four outer rows are
stitched by machine. It could be
the reason why the Kookaburra
seam flattens faster.
Orchard contested the claim.
“Our aim has always been to
provide a ball that allows all
38
(2.61%) parts of the game to shine; some
swing, something for the seam-
ers, something for the spinners
and an ability for the batters to
have trust and consistency in
the ball once they’ve got
through the start of their
innings,” he said. “If you were to
look at the stats, you will see the
Kookaburra Turf Ball provides
the best balance between seam-
ers and spinners with regards to
wickets taken.”
Pace or spin, Australia’s lead-
ing bowlers have shone with
pink at home. Mitchell Starc has
been the most productive with
42 wickets in seven games, Josh
Hazlewood has 26 wickets in six
and Pat Cummins has 19 wick-
ets in four Tests. And amid the
struggle of overseas spinners,
Nathan Lyon’s haul of 28 wick-
ets with his off-spin in seven
day-night Tests stand out.
begged the question—at the
presser too—if vice-captain
Ajinkya Rahane was prepared
to step up in his absence for
three of the four games? “We
have had a lot of mutual under-
standing over the years, and
some great partnerships while
batting together, which is based
on trust and the understanding
of knowing what needs to be
done for the team,” said Kohli.
“We already know the template
that we play with, so we’re abso-
lutely on the same page. Jinx
has done a tremendous job in
the two practice games as well.”
Rahane has twice led the
team on Kohli’s behalf in the
past, but one of those occasions
was just as significant as the
upcoming series. On Australia’s
thrill-a-minute Test tour of
India in 2017, and with the
series hanging in the balance,
Rahane led India to a win in the
Anshu settles for silver in 57kg World Cup final
NEW DELHI: India’s Anshu
Malik lost in the women’s
57kg final of the wrestling
world cup in Belgrade on
Wednesday. The 19-year-old
found Moldova’s Anastasia
Nichita too tough to handle
as she lost 1-5 in the final.
Anastasia, 21, underlined her
superior technique and
power throughout. She
turned a crucial defence into
offence to lead 3-0 at the
{ COVID EFFECT }
Where are Comaneci’s young gymnasts now?
Dhiman Sarkar
dhiman@htlive.com
KOLKATA: Jashika Khan realises
early in the phone call that a
short tutorial on street dance
would help the conversation.
She draws a deep breath. “Hip-
hop is a dance form,” is how her
explainer for dummies begins.
“There are other forms such as
urban, contemporary and free-
style. I do all styles but more of
hip-hop. It’s urban hip-hop that
I like. That’s what helped me
learn cartwheels and back-flips.”
Those cartwheels and back-
flips—performed in the indigo
blue skirt and white top of a
school uniform with a satchel
strapped to her shoulder—
changed Khan’s life and that of
Mohammed Azajuddin, her
gravity-defying friend. The act
was filmed by their dance
teacher Sekhar Rao and
uploaded as a 15-second video on
Facebook (“to inspire other chil-
dren, nothing else,” he says).
“This is awesome,” tweeted
Nadia Comaneci, the first gym-
nast to score a perfect 10 in the
Olympics, and the video
acquired a life of its own, and
one of its effects was that Khan
and Azajuddin were inducted
into the Sports Authority of
final Test in Dharamsala, bat-
ting at the very end when his
side won by eight wickets.
That series is remembered
for the high quality of cricket,
but specifically the phenomenal
run-making abilities of Steve
Smith, just as the Border-Gavas-
kar Trophy in 2018-19 is remem-
bered for Cheteshwar Pujara’s
defiant role in India’s historic
series win, played out in the
absence of Smith and David
Warner.
Warner has been ruled out of
Adelaide and Smith’s position in
the side could well be a concern
after Australia’s former captain
began cutting short net sessions
due to a sore back. And then
there is the Kohli-shaped void
post-Adelaide. The series is deli-
ciously set-up despite the big
absences—a great rivalry await-
ing new faces to take the narra-
tive forward.
A
l
break before applying the
lock to add two more points.
Anshu Malik beat Alyona
Kolesnik of Azerbaijan 4-2
and then Germany’s Laura
Mertens 3-1 in the quarters.
She defeated Russia’s
Veronika Chumikova 7-4 in
the semi-finals on Tuesday.
The Belgrade World Cup is
being held in place of the
championships that was not
be held due to the pandemic.
India (SAI) centre in Kolkata on
the recommendation of Union
sports minister Kiren Rijiju.
That was on September 5,
2019. For the next six months
and some, Khan, 12, and Azajud-
din, 14, learnt gymnastics six
days a week. “We would train
from 6 to 9:30 in the morning
and from 4 to 7 in the evening,
three apparatus at each session,”
says Ajazuddin speaking sepa-
rately. “Floor exercises are my
favourite.” It was wonderful,
says Khan who, like Azajuddin,
spoke in Hindi. “Training on
bars, the beam and the floor,
doing routines we would only do
on the road or a maidan (field),”
says Khan.
Then came the hard lock-
down for Covid-19 in March.
Khan and Ajazuddin have been
home since with no idea of when
they will be able to return. “I
want to go back as soon as possi-
ble,” says Khan. “Her health had
improved. She was happy and so
were we,” says her mother
Reshma. “I really want to go to
SAI and resume training. But I
also know that when I go there, I
will miss home,” says Azajuddin.
As the lockdown restrictions
eased, Khan and Azajuddin
resumed training with Rao. All
three live in Garden Reach, an
NEW DELHI
THURSDAY
DECEMBER 17, 2020
AFP
{ TIM PAINE } AUSTRALIA CAPTAIN
P
You certainly don’t go
into it planning to
have run-ins or be
overly aggressive or
anything of that. We
just sort of go out,
try and execute our
plans, firstly with our
skill, with bat and
ball.
A
on whether sledging would play an
important part in the series.
Chelsea lose, City held
LONDON: Chelsea lost their
Bagan beat Goa
MARGAO: ATK Mohun Bagan
second straight Premier
League game within days
when they were beaten 2-1 by
Wolves at the Molineux
went joint-top of the Indian
Super League (ISL) standings
alongside Mumbai City on
Wednesday after a 1-0 win
Stadium on Tuesday. In over FC Goa at the Fatorda
another game, Manchester Stadium in Margao. With the
City drew their second
consecutive game when they
scores level at 0-0, Goa’s
Aibanbha Dohling brought
were held to a 1-1 draw at down Fijian striker Roy
home by West Brom. Despite Krishna in the 84th minute.
the result, West Brom sacked Krishna stepped up and
manager Slaven Bilic on converted the spot kick to
Wednesday. seal victory.
area named after a ship building to think a lot),” says Azajuddin
company in south-west Kolkata when asked which he would
near the Hooghly river. “They choose if he could pursue either
spend most of their days with dance or gymnastics. “At SAI, in
me,” says Rao, who works in film our room, I would play music
choreography and is also dance and dance on my own. I really
and physical education teacher don’t want to let it go but I don’t
at a city school. want to let go of gymnastics
In 2013, Rao set up a dance either.” Khan says she tries to
school hoping to make a living practice what she learnt at SAI
from it. “But for it to be a good and learn “new things from Sir.”
academy, it needed the infra- Like at SAI, they train twice
structure I couldn’t afford. No daily at the dance school, a
one came. Then I focused on 30-minute walk for neighbours
children from slums in the area. Khan and Azajuddin. “Sir has
I would organise a talent hunt said there could be some compe-
and select 10-15 boys and girls titions so we are training hard,”
and teach them for free. I teach says Khan. With school now
around 80 kids now,” says Rao, closed, that is pretty much all
speaking in Bangla. she does, says Reshma who
That is how Khan and Azajud- works in a store. Khan’s father is
din came to meet him. “Lovely a driver. Azajuddin’s parents
and Ali (Khan’s and Azajuddin’s work in a nearby tea warehouse.
pet names) would pick up very Their days are long with a lot
quickly. They started with hip- of dance and a bit of schoolwork,
hop before changing to urban. but through them all they wait
B-boying (or Breaking, a dance for the phone call that will take
form now a sport inducted into them back to a life they didn’t
the 2024 Olympic programme) know existed before Rao’s video
enhances flexibility. You do not caught Comaneci’s attention.
need soft mattresses for it. “Papa has tried calling them a
B-boying made them fearless. number of times,” says Azajud-
But they never trained in gym- din, referring to SAI. “No one
nastics. It was only dance,” says answers.”
Rao. “We have been told that their
Dance is important for both. hostel is yet to open,” says
“Bahut sochna padega (Will have Reshma.
22 NEW DELHI
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2020

DIAl GUES SCHOOL EDITION

Role of parents in
the education system

Ms. Aprajita Gautam Mrs. Rachna Pant M

Ms. A
Anupama Ch
h
Chand Ms.Anjali
M A j li
l Bh
Bhandari
h d rii Mr. Bh
M Bharat
h t Alagh
Al h
President, Principal, Primary School Head , Teacher, Parent,
Delhi Parents Association Ramjas School Gyan Bharati School, Maxfort School, St. Mark's Sr. Sec Public School,
R.K Puram Saket Dwarka Meera Bagh

17th December’20 (Thursday) at 3PM onwards.

Watch it LIVE on
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NEW DELHI
THURSDAY
DECEMBER 17, 2020
time out 19

‘Be it insider or
CRANBERRIES:
PHOTO:
VIRAL
BHAYANI

outsider, only
SUPERFOOD
Scan the code
to read

good work and

more on
Tamannaah
Bhatia’s

THAT ACTS
views on

talent sell today’

the insider
vs outsider
debate

Shreya Mukherjee
shreya.mukherjee@htlive.com

he recent debates around

T Bollywood have seen
many actors, directors
and writers express their
views. Joining the list is
Tamannaah Bhatia, who feels
the film industry is an “easy
target” and hopes this phase
too shall pass.
“I think this is the worst
phase that the industry is
going through. It’s wrong and
unfair to blame the industry
for anything and everything.
Because we’re always
in the limelight, it just
becomes easy to make state-
ments. There is good and bad
AS A SHIELD
everywhere,” says the actor,
who has done Hindi films
such as Chand Sa Roshan
Chehra (2005), Himmatwala
(2013), Entertainment (2014)
and will be seen alongside
Nawazuddin Siddiqui in Bole
Chudiyan.
We ask Bhatia if she faced
any bias as an outsider, given Neharika Sharma
that she’d spoken about not neharika.sharma@hindustantimes.com
getting substantial work in
Bollywood while the South ranberry is a versa-
offered better scope. “If you’re
dedicated, hardworking and
talented, you’ll survive,” she
says, adding, “I think being an
insider doesn’t promise you
C tile superfood that
can be con-
sumed in vari-
ous forms — raw,
dried, frozen, etc.
anything more than a few They’re a wholesome
opportunities. Most of the big- source of nutrients and
gest stars today are outsiders. vitamins and also help
Only good work and talent in strengthening immu-
sell.” nity, which has become
our foremost concern due
to the coronavirus outbreak.

P Cranberries grow under very

special conditions, and aren’t
produced in India. That’s
It’s wrong to where the US Cranberries
blame the come in. “India is a growing
market for US Cranberries. In
industry for the last few years, the demand
everything. has grown rapidly as Indian
consumers have found out
There is good more about its health benefits.
and bad The new research that cran-
berry and its juice can help
everywhere. fight off H Pylori bacterial
infection will have tremendous
TAMANNAAH BHATIA, benefits for Indians,” says
Actor Sumit Saran, India representa-
tive of US Cranberries.
Let us discuss in detail the
various benefits of consuming
cranberries.
KEEPS A CHECK ON UTI
Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) is
a common bacterial infection,
especially in women. “The high
level of proanthocyanidins in
cranberries helps lower the
adhesion of certain bacteria to
the urinary tract walls, thus
fighting off infections. Cran-
berry juice helps to lower uri-
nary tract infection, too,” says
Dr Pooja Sharma, consultant
dietitian, nutritionist and lifes-
tyle expert, and partner with
SeekMed.
HELPS MANAGE WEIGHT
Cranberries are nearly 90%
water. They are fat-free, choles-
terol-free, low on sodium and
a good source of dietary fibre.
Half a cup of cranberries con-
tains only 25 calories. “You can
sneak in cranberries into oat-
meal chocolate chip cookies
and muffins or sprinkle a
handful on your salad or even
in your go-to morning cereal,”
says Dr Sharma.
BOOSTS HEART AND
GUT HEALTH
“The basic purpose of antioxi-
Dr Pooja Sharma, Dr Anil Arora and Dr Amy B Howell
US Cranberries presents HT CITY SPOTLIGHT
In conversation with dietitian, nutritionist and lifestyle
expert Dr Pooja Sharma, gastroenterologist Dr Anil Arora,
associate research scientist at the Marucci Center
Dr Amy B Howell and India representative of
US Cranberries Sumit Saran.
When: Today; Timing: 6pm
Live on: https://www.facebook.com/hindustantimes/
dants is to clean unwanted IMMUNITY BOOSTER
and harmful products called Ever since the pandemic
oxygen reactive species. They started, the stress to have a
are required for the smooth better immune system has
functioning of the body and magnified. People have
help with inflammation, heart started looking for food items
health, etc,” says Dr Anil that strengthen immunity and
Arora, gastroenterologist and provide a plethora of nutri-
hepatologist. Cranberries ents. Cranberries have flavon-
improve gut health and reduce oids and other natural com-
bile acids that have a link to pounds that promote good
gastrointestinal cancers. health.

{ DAILY HOROSCOPE }

Thursday, December 17, 2020

Dr Prem Kumar Sharma (Astrologer and Vaastu expert) can be contacted at: Delhi: 011-47033152, 40532026 (Sat
to Mon); Panchkula: 91-172-2562832, 2572874 (Tues to Thurs); Mumbai: 09716145644 (Last week of every month)

ARIES LEO SAGITTARIUS

MAR 21-APR 20 JUL 23-AUG 23 NOV 23-DEC 21

A L
You will manage to con-
vince someone to take on
your workload on the pro-
fessional front. You may
need to increase your earning to
repay a loan.
LOVE FOCUS: Nearness of lover may
ignite passions.
LUCKY NUMBER: 1 LUCKY COLOUR:
Magenta
A decision on the profes-
sional front may prove
favourable to you. A relax-
ing environment on the
home front is indicated and will help
you unwind.
LOVE FOCUS: You will look your best to
win over someone special.
LUCKY NUMBER: 3 LUCKY COLOUR:
Crimson
s
Money is not a problem
and you will be able to buy
all the comforts you need.
Opinion of others will
matter in a workplace situation, so
don’t seal yourself off.
LOVE FOCUS: Spending time with lover
may prove most fulfilling today.
LUCKY NUMBER: 9 LUCKY COLOUR:
Lemon

TAURUS VIRGO CAPRICORN

APR 21-MAY 20 AUG 24-SEP 23 DEC 22-JAN 21

T I
Loaned money will be
returned sooner than
expected. Your hard work
and dedication to task will
be hard to ignore. You are likely to
smoke the peace pipe with a rival.
LOVE FOCUS: A disagreement with
lover threatens to put paid to an
evening out.
LUCKY NUMBER: 11 LUCKY COLOUR:
Silver
This is not the best time to
spend money on some-
thing expensive. Gains are
indicated for those playing
the stocks. You will have to keep
someone on your right side.
LOVE FOCUS: Your romantic ties get
strengthened, as lover lavishes you
with love and affection
LUCKY NUMBER: 9 LUCKY COLOUR:
Lemon
c
Someone known is likely
to give you correct gui-
dance in a financial mat-
ter. Your idea of an outing
or some other activity is likely to be
shot down by family members.
LOVE FOCUS: At times, it is better
to stay silent than trying to equate
with things from the past in a disa-
greement.
LUCKY NUMBER: 17 LUCKY COLOUR: Blue

GEMINI LIBRA AQUARIUS

MAY 21-JUN 21 SEP 24-OCT 23 JAN 22-FEB 19

G l
Some of you will be able to
save enough to buy what
you had always wanted.
Effort put into a job is
likely to get recognised. Peace pre-
vails on the domestic front.
LOVE FOCUS: A romantic evening out
is foreseen.
LUCKY NUMBER: 6 LUCKY COLOUR:
White
Those freelancing are
likely to earn well today.
Shift workers will find the
timings to their liking.
Those travelling should not throw
caution to the winds.
LOVE FOCUS: Disagreements and argu-
ments are foreseen.
LUCKY NUMBER: 5 LUCKY COLOUR: All
Shades of green
a
Financial front appears to
be stable as money arrives
from the most unexpected
source. Stars foretell an
enjoyable vacation, so pack up your
bags and go.
LOVE FOCUS: A fling at the work place
is likely to keep you captivated.
LUCKY NUMBER: 4 LUCKY COLOUR: Dark
Grey

CANCER SCORPIO PISCES

JUN 22-JUL 22 OCT 24-NOV 22 FEB 20-MAR 20

C S
Good profits are foreseen
for middlemen and retail-
ers. You may have to be at
your professional best to
make a career move. Arrival of guests
will make the day most fulfilling.
LOVE FOCUS: Your romantic overtures
are likely to get a matching response.
LUCKY NUMBER: 18 LUCKY COLOUR:
Sandy Brown
Chances look bright for
those seeking a raise.
Health remains satisfac-
tory through your own
efforts. A complicated case can come
your way at work.
LOVE FOCUS: Enjoying your time on
the romantic front is indicated.
LUCKY NUMBER: 18 LUCKY COLOUR:
Brown
P
Health remains satisfac-
tory with own efforts.
Repayment of a loan
should become your top
priority now. Your professional side
does not look too bright today
LOVE FOCUS: Things appear rosy on
the romance front today.
LUCKY NUMBER: 3 LUCKY COLOUR:
White
20 NEW DELHI
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2020
Thursday, December 17, 2020
P FILE PHOTO
I believe it is
important for
the youth of
India to step
forward on this
critical issue.
BHUMI PEDNEKAR,
Actor
There is
no planet B,
warns
‘climate
champ’
Bhumi
Rishabh Suri
rishabh.suri@htlive.com
eing a celebrity comes with
B many perks, and one of them is
having a voice that’s heard.
Bhumi Pednekar knows that
well, and she has been using her voice
to raise awareness on climate change,
launching an initiative, Climate War-
rior, to mobilise Indians to protect the
environment.
And now, the actor is all set to
become a part of a global citizen initia-
tive, Count Us In, initiated by a group of
organisations and counting, with the
support of former UN Climate chief,
Christiana Figueres. Pednekar has been
roped in as a Stubborn Optimist — a cli-
mate champion. She will work to
inspire and educate people in India to
reduce their carbon footprint.
“Protecting the environment has
become my life’s mission and I’m
thrilled to partner with Count Us In to
raise more awareness towards climate
change in India,” says the 31-year-old.
All praise for Figueres, who she calls
Actor
Tom Cruise took
As biopics on Dhyan Chand and Viswanathan Anand get underway, it’s interesting
to see how sports-based movies have enthused Hindi filmmakers lately
some crew members
of Mission: Impossible 7 to
task for breaking Covid-19 STOP PRESS
norms on set in London.
“...if I see you do it again
an “inspira-
you’re f***ing gone,” he
said in an audio
tional human
being”, she says, “I
clip.
believe it is important for
the youth of India to step forward on
this critical issue. We have to all join
hands and work to protect our planet,
there is no planet B.”
Count Us In and Climate Warrior will
work together to incubate people and
local organisations with similar objec-
tives, to protect what they love, from cli-
mate change, before it’s too late. Over
the next decade, Count Us In aims to
inspire 1 billion people worldwide to
reduce carbon pollution. Figueres says,
“We have less than a decade to do what
science shows is necessary — halving
emissions by 2030. Climate change
affects us right now.”
n.
f @HTCITY t @HTCITY i @HTCITY y /USER/HT. ENTERTAINMENT & PROMOTIONAL FEATURES
PHOTO:
AMAL KS/HT
Ranveer Singh
(left) in a still from
’83, a film on the Kapil
Dev-led Indian cricket
team’s World Cup win
(inset); Taapsee
Pannu
City
:
GA M E O N
S
Delhi
SP OR T
FIL M S G O
FO R T H E
G LO R Y!
(Clockwise from above,
left) Chess grandmaster
biopics of female sports stars
are also in the offing. So, if
Anushka Sharma will report-
his film is a “very endearing
love story of a boxer”. “What I
liked the most about it (the
Viswanathan Anand and
hockey legend Dhyan edly play cricketer Jhulan story) was that it has a new
Goswami, Taapsee Pannu voice. Boxing is not a rich
Chand are the subjects of
upcoming biopics; actor (who will also be seen in a man’s sport, anywhere in the
sports drama, Rashmi Rocket) world,” Mehra says, pointing
Shahid Kapoor in the film
Jersey
life. These follow other sports-
is set to portray the latter’s
teammate, Mithali Raj. Plus,
Parineeti Chopra is busy with
her next, a biopic of badmin-
ton star, Saina Nehwal. Biop-
out it is set in a different eco-
nomic segment compared to
others in the category.
Actors, on their part, love
going through the grind to
Prashant Singh based projects such as Ajay
Devgn-starrer Maidaan (he
ics on tennis player Sania
Mirza and badminton player
look convincing as sportsper-
sons. “It’s been very challeng-
prashant.singh@htlive.com
plays football coach Syed PV Sindhu have also been ing. Kapil sir (Kapil Dev) has a
ollywood seems to be Abdul Rahim), Ashutosh announced. very distinct manner of speak-
B in a sporty mood
when it comes to tell-
ing gripping stories.
So, even as the Kabir
Khan-directed film, ’83, read-
ies to hit theatres, a number of
other sports-based movies/
Gowarikar’s Toolsidas Junior,
Tiger Shroff’s Ganpat, Farhan
Akhtar-starrer Toofan and
Shahid Kapoor’s Jersey among
others.
Experts feel sports films
bring an innate sense of thrill.
Filmmakers seem clearly
kicked about recreating the
drama around sports on the
screen. As Khan puts it: “It
(Indian team winning World
Cup in 1983) is probably the
best story I’ve heard in my life.
ing, besides having a unique
and difficult bowling action,”
says Ranveer Singh, who plays
the former Indian cricket cap-
tain in ’83, adding that the idea
is the players “whose story we
are telling, should be proud
biopics are in various stages of Says trade analyst Taran But there’s a dearth of writing that we celebrate their
production. Adarsh, “There are many real- about it. There’s such less achievement in the best possi-
NOTE TO READERS: Some of the Now, filmmaker Abhishek life heroes in India whose sto- material written on it despite ble manner”. For Pannu too,
coverage that appears on our pages
is paid for by the concerned brands.
Chaubey is set to helm a biopic ries need to be told. Also, the fact that it was such an training for Rashmi Rocket
No sponsored content does or shall on hockey legend Dhyan sports-based films are always iconic moment in the history was “taxing and difficult”. In
appear in any part of HT without it Chand, while Aanand L Rai thrilling and have an element of our country.” fact, the actor took three
being declared as such to our valued will showcase chess grand- of drama.” Toofan director Rakeysh months to make herself physi-
readers. master Viswanathan Anand’s Interestingly, a number of Omprakash Mehra believes cally resemble an athlete.