and report, said a statement should also set up Flying Squads to assess the situation on the ground, prevent violation Continued on Page 4

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1 tarting November 15, eating Sout in hotels and restaurants would be cheaper. So would be savouring your favourite chocolate or using your preferred brand of cosmetics, as the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council on Friday slashed tax rates on over 200 items in the biggest restructuring exercise undertaken since the new indirect tax system came into force on July 1, reducing 28 per cent tax on 178 items to 18 per cent or less.. Nevertheless, the Council retained the maximum 28 per cent tax slab on luxury, sin and white goods like cigars and cigarettes, washing machines and air-conditioners. The massive reductions are aimed at providing a major relief to consumers as well as businesses. Following the implementation of GST, while traders and small businesses complained of increased compliance burden, the masses dissented on the high tax rate on some common use goods. In one of the most significant decisions, the Council fixed a uniform 5 per cent GST rate for all restaurants, AC or Non-AC. Currently, 12 per cent GST on food bill is levied in non-ac restaurants and 18 per cent in air-conditioned ones. All these got input tax credit (ITC), a facility to set off tax paid on inputs with final tax. The restaurants, however, did not pass on the ITC to customers and so the ITC facility is being withdrawn, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said in Guwahati after chairing he Chief Justice of India on TFriday presided over an unprecedented sitting to overrule a two-judge Bench s order to constitute a larger Bench to hear a petition that alleged bribe was paid to fix a case pending in the apex court. The matter relates to admissions in a Lucknow-based medical college and a retired High Court judge has already been arrested by the CBI in this connection. Sitting in a combination of five judges picked by him, CJI Dipak Misra nullified the order of hile crops have been Wseverely damaged owing to pest attack and farmers are reeling under its impact in the State, the Regional Office of the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) here on Friday forecast a low pressure developing over the Bay of Bengal which is likely to trigger rainfall from November 12. It is apprehended that such a weather condition would add to the woes of the farmers as most of them are reeling under the shocks of crop loss because of pest attack. the Bench of Justices J Chelameswar and S Abdul Nazeer and said that the order could not be binding as the decision to refer a case to a fivejudge Bench was solely the prerogative of CJI, who is the master of the roster in apex court. However, the CJI s ruling came only after unprecedented drama that exposed the rift in the top judiciary in the process. Terming the two-judge bench decision as illegal and void, the court recalled the same and ordered the petition filed by Campaign for Judicial Accountability and Reforms (CJAR) filed by advocate Prashant Bhushan to be heard by an appropriate Bench after three weeks. The Thursday order passed on a petition by advocate Kamini Jaiswal had directed CBI, the probe agency, to submit all records of investigation in a sealed cover before a Bench of five senior most judges The IMD has advised to take necessary steps to protect the standing and harvested crops. According to the IMD forecast, Presently a low pressure system is forming around south-east Bay of Bengal extending upto 4.5 km above sea level in the atmosphere. Its movement has been traced towards Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka. Later after November 15, it is likely to turn north-north east wards along the coast and due to its effect; rains could be experienced in Odisha, The effect is likely to be more in coastal pockets. Apart from coastal districts, other districts like Dhenkanal, Jajpur, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Phulbani, Kalahandi, Nayagarh, Ganjam and Gajapati are also on Monday. The judges sitting along with CJI Dipak Misra - Justices RK Agarwal, Arun Mishra, Amitava Roy, AM Khanwilkar, were unanimous that the action of the 2-judge Bench in listing the case before a Constitution Bench amounted to judicial impropriety. Bhushan was present in court as the hearing of the case witnessed chaotic scenes, with lawyers present in large numbers, shouting down Bhushan and demanding contempt proceeding against him for making insinuations against CJI. The case being investigated by CBI was against a medical college, whose petition was decided by a Bench headed by CJI on September 18, Continued on Page 4 likely to witness rainfall. The weather forecast also states that Odisha would witness overcast sky and light rains at some places while intensity of rainfall may increase after November 15 till 18. Meanwhile, the State Relief Commissioner has issued an advisory to the district Collectors to remain on alert to ask the farmers to store the paddy in safe places or cover it appropriately to save it from damage during the rains. Mandi s were asked to take appropriate measures to keep the paddy stocks safe from damage. However, Revenue and Disaster Mitigation Department Minister Maheshwar Mohanty said there is no threat of cyclones. early two months after the Ncaving in of the Bomikhal flyover in the city in which a man lost his life and 15 labourers were injured, construction of the over-bridge again began on Friday by the Panda Infra, the firm which had been blacklisted by the Government after the mishap. To ward off any mishaps this time, the company performed a ceremonial puja in which its owner and staffs and engineers of the Works Department were present. And the firm which was alleged to have flouted all security guidelines while carrying Continued on Page 4 the marathon 23rd GST Council Meeting. As many as 178 items of daily use were shifted from the top tax bracket of 28 per cent to 18 per cent. Jaitley pointed out. Shortly after the Council s decision, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted, The recommendations made by the GST Council today will further benefit our citizens and add strength to the GST. These recommendations are in spirit of the continuous feedback we are getting from various stakeholders on GST. Jan Bhagidari is at the core of our working. All our decisions are people-inspired, people-friendly and people-centric. We are working tirelessly for India s economic integration through GST, he said. The top tax rate is now restricted to luxury and demerit goods like pan masala, aerated water and beverages, cigars and cigarettes, tobacco products, cement, paints, perfumes, ACs, dish washing machine, washing machine, refrigerators, vacuum cleaners, cars and twowheelers, aircraft and yacht. Continued on Page 4 he Orissa High Court on TFriday disposed of a writ petition filed by social activist Subash Mohapatra, who had sought the intervention of the court into his pending representation before the Election Commission of India (ECI). The petitioner has challenged the election of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik as an MLA from the Hinjili constituency of Ganjam district for allegedly filing false affidavits detailing his election expenses. The HC put an end to the matter in the light of a judgment passed in this regard by the Supreme Court last month, informed the petitioner s counsel Siddharth P Das. Apprehending that he would not get justice from the Orissa High Court, the petitioner had approached the apex court in September seeking a transfer of his case to any other High Court, preferably the Delhi High Court. Adjudicating the transfer petition, the Supreme Court on October 27 disposed it as withdrawn when the ECI expressed its willingness to consider the representation of the petitioner in accordance with law. Since nothing further survived in the petition after the ECI s assurance, the Supreme Court closed the matter asking the ECI to expeditiously consider the petitioner s representation. Notably, BJP leader Devanand Mohapatra, who had lost to Naveen Patnaik in the elections of May 2014, too had approached the High Court seeking to declare Patnaik s election as null and void for filing false affidavits. In the light of the Supreme Court s decision in the matter after ECI assurance, the BJP leader too is going to contest the case before the ECI, informed his counsel Pitambar Acharya. team of BJP national lead- on Friday visited Aers Bargarh district and interacted with farmers regarding the pest attack on their crops and other problems they are facing. The team comprising MPs Sabitribai Thakur and Om Prakash Yadav, BJP Kissan Morcha national general secretary P Sugnakar Rao, secretary Sambhu Kumar, vice president Maheswar Sahu and elhiites can look forward to Da better air quality over the weekend as average Air Quality Index, which remained close to severe plus across all monitoring stations on Friday, is expected to improve further on Saturday with the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) predicting average PM2.5 and PM10 levels at 303 and 470 respectively. It may improve a shade and enter the very poor zone on Sunday night. According to Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), light west-northwesterly surface winds (5-10 kmph) are very likely to prevail over plains of North India during next 24 hours. Wind speed is also expected to be far better from Monday and that can blow away the pollutants in the air. Meanwhile, stepping up efforts to curb stubble burning, one of the leading factors for deteriorating air quality in Delhi and the NCR region, a meeting chaired by Environment Secretary CK Mishra called upon the neighbouring States to set up one or more monitoring groups, which will continuously look at compliance. There were suggestions that State Governments Andhra Pradesh BJP Krushak Morcha Uddi Tirupati Rao along with MLA Pradip Purohit went to Chamarpada in Sohela block, Jaring in Bijepur block, Dhaunrakhenda in Barpali, Kalapani, Saranda, Nuakhairpali in Sadar block and discussed with the farmers about problems. The team not only visited the houses of the farmers who committed suicide due to crop loss on brown plant hoppers attack but also visited the affected paddy fields. They talked to family members of deceased farmers, Khageswar Meher, Brunda Sahu and P Naveen Kumar, who committed suicide recently. oraput Medical College KHospital Superintendent Sitaram Mohapatra on Friday deposed before the Odisha State Human Rights Commission (OSHRC) for being questioned in connection with the Koraput gangrape incident. Mohapatra had submitted the medical examination report of the gangrape survivor to HRPC ADG Mahendra Pratap, who had later handed over the document to the commission. On basis of the medical examination report, the HRPC ADG had told media that experts had found no evidence of gangrape after examining the girl. However, Mohapatra refused to make any comments on the issue after his appearance before the commission. In a related development, the commission directed the SC and ST Development Department Secretary to pay 50,000 assistance to the survivor s family. It also asked the Government to make arrangements for the girl s further studies. Meanwhile, a four-member team of Crime Branch, which had reached Koraput on Thursday, began its probe into the gangrape case. It met the victim, who is presently lodged in a short stay home and recorded her statements. The team also visited the crime spot, where the girl was allegedly raped. Notably, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had ordered on November 8 an inquiry by a sitting District Judge into the case as per the Commission of Enquiry Act The judicial inquiry will run in tandem with the State Crime Branch probe. It is a fact that there has been a major crop loss in the rain-fed and irrigated areas in Bargarh district and also in the Hirakud command area. But Odisha Government has not taken adequate precautions to save crops and farmer suicides. As a result, many farmers have committed suicide and others are going through difficult times, said Sabitribai Thakur and others after the field visit. Why the Government kept silent after knowing the pest problem is still a mystery for us. The people of western Odisha area solely depend on agriculture. Continued on Page 4 should also set up Flying Squads to assess the situation on the ground, prevent violation and report, said a statement here. Continued on Page 4 ith an order passed by Wthe Delhi Lt Governor on Wednesday hiking the parking fees four fold, Friday saw parking attendants adapt a new method to let the commuters park their vehicles. Earlier, people paid Rs 20 for two wheeler and Rs 10 for four wheelers but since Thursday, people are either fighting with us over the fare hike or are leaving the parking lot altogether, said Sunil, a parking attendant at Connaught Place. He was heard saying to a biker that if you ask for slip, I will take Rs 40 but without slip, you will only pay Rs 20. Detailed report on P2 undreds of political and Hsocial activists on Friday staged a dharna near the Orissa High Court here demanding to set up a Bench of the High Court in western Odisha. Leaders of major political parties later led a delegation to meet Chief Justice Vineet Saran and submitted a memorandum. Activists under the banner of the Paschim Odisha Nagarika Kriyanushtan Committee staged the dharna at Bellview Square near the High Court reviving the HC Bench agitation after almost three years. Notably, the State Government had set up a judicial commission in this light which submitted its report to the Government in August Although the findings of the panel are not made public yet, it was learnt that the panel had reportedly suggested that no HC Bench could be set up anywhere as per the guidelines made by the Justice Yashwant Singh Commission of Enquiry.

2 he BJP on Friday alleged Tthat the State Government has betrayed sharecroppers once again by announcing a crop loss package for them without a requisite law. The State Government has been betraying sharecroppers by making only false promises for them. Under which law, the State Government has announced to provide compensation to them for crop loss due to pest attack, wanted to know senior BJP leader and former Minister Biswabhusan Harichandan. Addressing a Press meet, Harichandan said sharecroppers can t get compensation out of an empty package announced by the State fter the success of the Aweekly Ekamra Walks for outside visitors in exploring the rich heritage of Bhubaneswar, the authorities have now decided to hold another heritage walk in Khandagiri and Udayagiri in the city. The new walk would be held within a month for exploring the heritage-rich sites of the Khandagiri and Udayagiri hills, sources in the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) said on Friday. A blueprint has been prepared for the programme informing the visitors about the city s rich heritage and glory. There would be two teams to make different sites in Old Bhubaneswar and Khandagiri and Udayagiri and explore many interesting facts, the sources said. While the Ekamra Walks have particularly witnessed Hindu tourists, the extended heritage walk would commence in Khandagiri and Udayagiri in view of influx of thousands of Buddhist and Jain visitors to the city. There would be arrangements for safety and security of the tourists at the site. The walk would begin from 6.30 am and end at 9.30 am, the sources added. The Ekamra Walks, a joint initiative by the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC), the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) and the Odisha Tourism Department, which had begun from the Mukteswar Temple, raduation is not the end; it Gis just the beginning. Convocation is the reflection of a journey from the achievements of the past to goals to be achieved in future. The 13th Convocation of the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) University on November 11 is a big day for it as it has grown exponentially in 12 years, for the students and the staffs as the event shall mark the beginning of a new journey. The Union Ministry of Human Resource Development granted Deemed University status to the KIIT in 2004 in recognition of the high-quality academic ambience of each of the constituent institutes of this emerging educational hub. With this, the KIIT became the first self-financed professional university in Odisha, the Government in absences of a law. Under the Odisha Land Reforms Act, it is supposed that there can t be any sharecropper. Only privileged Rayats and persons with disabilities can appoint sharecroppers. There needs to be a legislation to compensate sharecroppers. But the State Government has made false promises in this regard for the last three-four years, said Harichandan. He further said that cooperative banks also can t provide recently concluded at the Ekamra Kanan. Around 2,300 tourists belonging to 23 countries participated in the 47th Ekamra Walks. Besides, the authorities have planned a special bicycle tours by tourists to ancient heritage sites, Dhauli and Chausathi Jogini Temple. A bicycle tour would be held for the Dhauli hill, where visitors can visit Dhauli Shanti Stupa, King Ashok s stone script, Buddhist sculptures and many temples situated adjacent to it. Another cycle tour would be planned for the tourists visiting the Chausathi Jogini Temple on outskirts of the city. The tourists can visit Rajarani Temple, Brahmeswar Temple, Bhaskareswar Temple and Megheswar Temple en route the Chausathi Jogini Temple. However, the programme would be held every Saturday instead of Sundays when the Ekamra Walks are organised. Around 200 bicycles, to be used for the Patha Utsav, would be included in the heritage bicycle tour. The aim is to make public and tourists habituated with bicycle ride by conducting such a programme ahead of launching the bicycle sharing system in Bhubaneswar, sources said. The tour operators and guides, who would bring the visitors for the bicycle tour, would be responsible in keeping the cycles in their custody. At the end of the programme, the bicycles would be returned to the BMC, a senior official said. youngest educational hub to become a university as chronicled in the Limca Book of Records. From 1997 to 2017, in a short period of 20 years, the KIIT has come a long way and chartered development of at least 100 years. It has been creating milestones and there has been no looking back. It has created a tradition of success and legacy of goodness. The institution was started in a rented building with two staffs and 12 students in Today, the university, comprising 28 schools, stands majestically on an area spread of over 25 square kilometers with aesthetically-laid out 23 independent but contiguous campuses offering graduate, post-graduate, doctoral and post-doctoral programmes in all popular branches of Engineering, Computer Applications, Business loans to sharecroppers as they don t own the land they cultivate and have no formal identification. He said the State Government has announced the crop loss package only to save itself from the ire and discontentment of farmers and common people. Harichandan demanded that the Government enforce a law through an Ordinance to extend all support to sharecroppers and save farmers from committing suicide at the earliest. Management, Rural Management, Law, Medicine, Nursing, Dental Sciences, Public Health, Mass Communications, Fashion, Films, Sculpture, Sports, and Spiritual Education. In the last 13 years, the KIIT has carved a niche for itself both in academics and researches. The accreditation of NBA of AICTE and NAAC of the UGC and the Ministry of HRD s notification granting A Category, besides a berth in the Washington Accord speak for the quality of education provided at the KIIT. It recently got the Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET), UK Accreditation for its School of Technology. These accreditations make it easy for the students to get jobs abroad and its par with degree from any international university. As many as 27,000 students from all over India and 35 disha and West Bengal Owould hold a joint security exercise Sagar Kavach within a week to check the preparedness of the coastal security agencies to tackle any unforeseen threat on the 630- km coastline of both the States. Speaking to reporters after a high-level meeting at the State Secretariat here on Friday, Home Secretary Asit Tripathy said, Sagar Kavach security exercise is a mock drill to check the efficiency of the security parameters and preparedness of various security agencies like the Indian Navy, Marine Police, Coast Guard, Forest Department, Fisheries and the district administration, Tripathy said. This is the first time that Odisha is having a joint security exercise with West Bengal. During the two-day drill, we are going to organise a simulated terror attack named red countries study here with 95% of the students from outside Odisha. With state-of-the-art facilities and infrastructure progressively developed over the years, the KIIT has become the most sought-after destination for many academic and related national and international conferences, seminars, workshops, conventions, sporting events, etc., which even include mega-conferences like Indian Science Congress, International Sociology Conference, Indian youth, native of the ARasulgarh area in Bhubaneswar, was arrested and forwarded to court by the Sundargarh police on Friday, allegedly for kidnapping a nurse, when she was returning after attending a medical camp duty with other medical staffers on Thursday afternoon. Police chased the vehicle of the kidnapper and intercepted him from Jharkhand on Ranchi route. The accused youth reportedly had one-sided love affair with the girl and attempted to kidnap her. Police also seized the car, which was used for kidnapping. Sources said a team of medical staffers, which included a doctor and a pharmacist and one nurse of Raiboga Primary health centre, had conducted an eye check up camp at Raiboga Primary School on Thursday. After the camp was over at about 2 pm, they had left that place and were returning in a Bolero vehicle when a youth coming from the front side in force at a random place along Odisha or West Bengal coast and check how effective our marine policing is he added. The participants in the joint drill would be the Indian Navy, Coast Guard units of Paradip and Haldia, 18 marine police stations in Odisha and Economic Congress and International Law Conference. The KIIT takes the pride in sending the first-ever woman participant from any university to be in the 100-meter running event at the Olympics. Dutee Chand, a KIIT student, represented India in the Rio Olympics Amiya Mallick, an ace sprinter, is one of the best sprinters in India today. The KIIT has huge sports infrastructure and a home to many sporting events. The academic achievements another car intercepted them and terrorised them. The youth reportedly forced the nurse to his car and fled in that car towards Biramitrapur area. Some locals coming to know about the incident informed Biramitrapur IIC KS Acharya. According to sources, a police team from Biramitrapur chased the car but the culprit was successful in crossing the Odisha - Jharkhand border check gate and also the Bansjor police outpost and was on the way of Ranchi road. The Biramitrapur police team, after chasing about 60 km crossed the accused s vehicle and intercepted him. The accusedyouth and his car were taken back to Biramitrapur. The accused youth was identified as Sourav Kumar Sahoo. Sahoo had come in contact with the girl about eight years back when she was pursing her nursing course at Bhubaneswar. The victim nurse on her FIR had alleged that Sahoo had forcing her to marry him but she did not budge. 12 police stations of West Bengal. Similarly for the first time since the security exercises were initiated by the Indian Navy and Coast Guard, teams of Customs and port officials, Fisheries Department officials have also been included the security drill. The drill is to revaluate the existing Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) mechanisms. All stakeholders who participated in the meeting were made aware about exercise settings and other SOPs. After the drill we would review if there are any loopholes, West Bengal Coast Guard Commander MA Warsi said. n the wake of agitation Iagainst the Puri police for growing lawlessness in the city by the Puri Bar Association members demanding transfer of the Superintendent of Police since last fortnight, suddenly the police swung into action and on Friday with Puri SP Sarthak Sarangi holding a Press meet and claiming to have nabbed the accused persons involved in three separate crimes against tourists. All the three incidents happened within two months near the Sea Bach police station and close to the official residence of the SP along the VIP Road. Sarangi said two persons were involved in cash bag and mobile phone snatching from tourists while they were moving by rickshaw or walking along the VIP Road. The accused driver has been identified as Saroj Kei (25) of Gangadharpur village and the helper is a minor. The driver and the helper after parking the bus moved away by a bike and targeted the tourists mostly on the VIP Road, he said. The police have recovered five mobile phones and a bike from their possession. The accused have confessed to having committed all the three crimes. They were forwarded to the Puri SDJM Court, which remanded them to judicial custody while the minor was sent to juvenile custody. are exemplary. This year, three alumni cleared the Indian Civil Services Examination securing ranks 9, 91 and 646, respectively. A student has cleared he Hind Mazdoor Sabha s T(HMS) two-day State convention would be held here from November 18, informed HMS State president MLA Ranendra Pratap Swain at a Press meet here on Friday. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and HMS All India general secretary Harbajhan Singh Sindhu would attend the convention as guests. Indian Engineering Examination with rank 2. It is the only university in the world to have 30 Nobel Laureates visiting its campus and addressing the students. Hundreds of collaborations made with universities far and wide across the globe has been facilitating student and faculty exchanges, research collaborations and membership in international associations for cooperation in raising standards of education around the globe and global visibility with an aim to make the KIIT a globally-acclaimed centre of excellence in education. It is the only university in the world to integrate formal education with social work. Its humane face is best illustrated through its protégé Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS), which provides food, accommodation, healthcare and education from Kindergarten to Post- Graduation to 27,000 poorest of the poor underprivileged tribal children absolutely free. The KISS, as a unique experiment to eradicate poverty and empower the underprivileged section of people through education, has been recognised all over the world. The KIIT s stakeholders support the KISS, which is the world s first exclusive tribal university. The KIIT has converted the remote village 'Kalarabanka' in Cuttack, Odisha into a model village in 2006 and then consequently to a Smart Village in 2016 and the entire Manpur panchayat into a model panchayat with all city amenities like schools, colleges, health centres, banks, police outpost and so on. It is a fully Wi-Fi and Discussions would be held on the country s social and political situations and the antipeople policies of the State and Central Governments. Around 10,000 representatives from different parts of the State would participate in the convention. Among others, HMS State working president Bidyadhar Barik, general secretary Jyogendra Nath Tripathy and Krushna Chandra Patra were present. he Special CBI Judge here TSwarup Kumar Mishra on Friday sentenced Assistant Superintendent of Post Offices, Bhadrak Dhiren Das to one-year rigorous imprisonment (RI) in a graft case. Sources said a complainant, Antryami Sahu, on September 6, 2014 had stated that he got appointment as a Gramin Dak Sevak, but Das was demanding 5,000 to give him posting. Accordingly, CBI sleuths laid a trap and on September 7, 2014 and Das was caught in his office demanding and taking the bribe money. The CBI lodged a case against him and submitted a chargesheet. The CBI court announcing its verdict found Das guilty and sentenced him to six months rigorous imprisonment under Sections 7 of Prevention of Corruption Act. He was also directed pay a fine of 5,000 and in default undergo one month more imprisonment. The court also sentenced him under Section 13(1) (D) of Prevention of Corruption Act to undergo one year RI and fine of 10,000 In default he has to undergo two more months imprisonment. During the trial, 17 witnesses were examined and 46 documents were furnished. For the CBI, Public Prosecutor Rajeswar Hota conducted the case. solar village. There has been peripheral development of a full-fledged township around KIIT and KISS. It has created indirect employment of 1 lakh. There has been the growth of the city towards this side because of KIIT and KISS. It has become the most vibrant part of the Smart City of Bhubaneswar. Thus, the greatest lesson learnt from the KIIT s journey is that of humanity, compassion and innovation. It success from nothingness to prominence is an example of nothing is impossible. On the occasion of the KIIT s 13th Convocation, we express our sincerest thanks to our well-wishers, students, parents and staffs and everyone who has been instrumental in making the KIIT what it is today. (Prof Samanta is Founder, KIIT and KISS)

3 ata Rana, Phula Majhi, LPurnima Satnami and Bhumisuta Naik are some of the brave adolescent girls of Nuapada district who have struggled hard to overcome the pressure of their parents to tie them in marriage at an early age. These girls, although belonging to different castes, have similar socio-economiccultural backgrounds as well as barriers that make them vulnerable to the social evil called child marriage. All of them belong to poor (BPL), seasonal migrant families; they are school dropouts and support their families financially either by accompanying to brick kilns or working locally as wage labours. But, on the other hand, they have also aspirations to adopt skills, need alternative work opportunities as well as family and societal support to become self dependent. But, do these opportunities exist? No, reveals a study conducted jointly by Save the Children, OXFAM, Population Council and SIMAVI with support from a research organization called IMPACT-Partners in Social Development. eturning home by an auto- after attending a Rrickshaw cremation ritual turned fatal for two women as they were killed and four other persons, including three women, sustained critical injuries when the threewheeler and a speeding car collided on NH-57 near Bhogada under the Daspalla police limits in Nayagarh district late on Thursday night. The deceased were identified as Tuni Behera and Bisika The objective of the study which was undertaken in three States such as Bihar, Rajasthan and Odisha was to understand the economic opportunities, barriers and skill requirement for adolescent girls, says Saumya Ranjan Mishra of Save the Children. Although the State differs, the findings are more or less the same all over, he adds. Save the Children, in association with the NGOs, ASHA Odisha and SWATI, is implementing a project called Marriage No Child s Play (ANANYA) in Nuapada and Kandhamal districts since last year. It has trained adolescent girls to bring change in the existing situation in the operational areas. Lata Rana belongs to Khairani village of Nuapada district. She struggled a lot to change her parents decision to give her marriage when she had just completed fifteen. I would have succumbed to their decision, had I not been supported by the workers of ASHA Odisha, Lata says. Lata s parents, potter by caste, became migrant labourers as their traditional occupation did not help them earn enough to maintain their livelihood. They regularly migrated to Andhra Pradesh to work in the brick kilns and Lata joined them in due course. She was in class VI, when she was forced to give up her study to help the family. Behera, both hailing from Tendabadi village in the Daspalla area. The injured ones Rashmita Behera, Urmila Behera, Paluni Nayak and auto-rickshaw driver Sabar Pradhan were initially admitted to the Nayagarh District Headquarters Hospital and later shifted to a hospital in Bhubaneswar as their conditions deteriorated. Though the car was seized by police, the driver of the vehicle went absconding after the accident. hough Dhanua and Kadua Triver works under Nimapara drainage subdivision have to be completed before June, 2018, the progress of the works has not been satisfactory so far. The department in Nimapara in last three years has been digging again and again the same drain, the locals alleged. The levelling work and the estimates for the works have not been done before the commencement of works. Quality is not maintained in construction of bridges, check dams and guard walls, where low-quality iron rods and cements have been used. The department is also hiding the documents at the time of answering RTI applications. The department has given RTI information to one Somanath Patra where huge mismatches have been noticed. The statements of assistant engineer and executive engineer of the department do not match. In some places, engineers have been working for last 17 years but the department is not transferring them. The best administrator awardee, Chief Minister of Odisha is giving slogans for PC free society but his own department has been plundering crores of rupees for last few years in Nimapara. Also, the Vigilance department, which is headed by the Chief Minister, has been silent over the matter. The work place was not good, but we had no other choice as we are poor, she says. Lata s parents must have thought it safe to give her marriage instead of taking her regularly to an unsafe place. But, the motivation created by the NGO gave her courage to dissuade her parents. The marriage stopped but her migration as well. She now stays with her grandparents in the absence of her parents and the support she was adding to the family has now stopped. Phula Majhi, a tribal girl now 18, of Tanwat village also has simila story to share. She convinced her parents to change their decision on her marriage, last year. Purnima Satnami (16) is a Dalit girl of Biromal village. She is also happy that she was able to motivate her parents against child marriage. Stories of such adolescent girls forced under various circumstances to marry at an early age are many. Despite the legal ban since over 85 years, child marriage continues to exist. This is the situation all over the State of Odisha and even the country. According to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS ), India has the largest number of child brides in the world. However, what should be the efforts to overcome the situation? What is the perception of girls about good works? How working influences marriage prospects? Why unmarried girl should work? The research study was focused on all these aspects. The research findings of the study recently shared by IMPACT in a State level workshop held at Bhubaneswar entitled, Market and labour study to assess economic opportunities and skill for adolescent girls in Odisha reveals that lack of access to economic opportunities for girls makes them vulnerable to the risk and impact of child marriage. As per the findings, the girls believe that both unmarried and married girls should work to earn money to support their families. However, the work opportunities should be available in the village or nearby with good salary and respect for their skills. They should be treated with dignity. With these perceptions of good work, the girls feel that to enhance their skill level, vocational training opportunities should be made available. Most of the girls interviewed, however, have no information about existing income generation opportunities like availability of vocational training options, training centres and Government schemes. The study reveals that less than 3 per cent of girls in Nuapada and about 5 per cent in Kandhamal knew about the Government schemes. Only 6.6 per cent of the total respondents have attended any vocational training. The figure on pursuing graduation is discouraging, because according to the findings, when 72 per cent of the girls are currently going to school, only 3.3 per cent are pursuing graduation. It is interesting that, on their perception of problems at work places, about 13 per cent only feel that they would face abuse and harassment. Above 74 per cent of the girls feel that they should speak English and 88 per cent want computer education. When the perception is so high, the figures on existing work status are discouraging. Only 1 per cent of the total interviewees are self employed, when the rest are engaged as agricultural labourers. Information on financial inclusion reveals that 76.1 per cent have own bank accounts and 97.4 per cent of the accounts are managed by self, however, 82.4 per cent of the girls feel that they would not get financial support from bank as these institutions would not trust the girls. Save the Children and its partners have been working since last one year on child marriage issue adopting a multi-pronged integrated programme approach to reduce child marriage and it s adverse effects on girls and women. Their efforts include enhancing acceptance and availability of family and societal support for adolescents who intend to seek employment opportunities. Change makers like Phula, Lata, Purnima and Bhumisuta have been motivated to form peer groups who take the burden of changing the attitude of family and community members. Although miniscule in scale, the efforts taken by these brave girls have created a ripple in their communities that speak of the possibility of a big change in the society. 19-year-old college girl Ahas alleged that a 24-yearold man sexually assaulted her taking advantage of their relationship and posted photos and videos of their intimate moments in social media by opening fake accounts. She filed an FIR at the Town police station naming the accused as Aswini Prahdan of Talakurunia village under the Khantapara police station. The police have registered a case against Pradhan, who is at large, said IIC Dillip Sahu. According to information, they were in relationship when Aswini promised to marry her. The girl, a Plus Three Final Year Science student, was residing in a private mess. Pradhan, who used to visit her in the mess, raped her after drugging her in absence of other inmates. But their relationship deteriorated as Aswini began asking her not to make friends with other male colleagues and doubting her character. As the girl protested, the accused demanded 1 lakh to destroy their intimate photos and threatened to make those photos public if she doesn t pay the demanded money. He had lost his mother the Jai Andhra Movement Parliamentary Affairs besides He is the embodiment of when he was only one year and for his contribution to the handling the Ministry of courage, conviction and compassion. t is a matter of utmost and three months and his students' movement during Information and Ipride and honour that Vice- father too at an early age. the Emergency. Such struggles Broadcasting. He has brought The compassion was evidently President Venkaiah Naidu, of India, shall grace the 13th Convocation of the KIIT University, Bhubaneswar on November 11 as the chief guest. This is his maiden visit to Odisha after taking up the mantle as the Vice-President. Despite rising to the second highest Constitutional post, he has given a standing instruction that his visit should not halt traffic in any square for more than five minutes. Hailing from most humble Coming from a farmer s family, he had limited financial resources and struggled to become a self-made man by his sheer determination, perseverance and leadership abilities. Everybody knows him as a veteran leader, a gifted orator and a seasoned politician who has a great appeal to the masses, farmers and leaders across parties. He is the leader of the people, by the people and for the people in a true sense. But the struggle underneath the success is immense by accident and chanced upon a Shakha while playing. It was the love for Kabaddi that made him join the RSS, and rest of his political career is history. of slowly raising in the ranks did not make him weak; rather he took it sportingly completing his Bachelors in Law as well as focussing on his larger aim. A quick-witted and effective communicator, Shri Naidu rose from the ranks of a poster-sticking boy to the party president and a Union Minister. He had three continuous terms in the Rajya Sabha from Karnataka from 1998 to 2016, when he shifted to Rajasthan to get a fourth term. various schemes and successfully implemented them as well. Besides his political stint, one remarkable thing that makes him stand apart is his goodness. He believes in the philosophy of Deen Dayal Upadhyaya about uplift of the poorest of the poor (Antodaya se Sarvodaya). The Swarna Bharat Trust, founded by him, is based on the principle of Gandhiji s call Back to villages for ushering in rural development. The driving force of the seen when he visited the Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS), Bhubaneswar on April 15, 2017 and addressed its 27,000 tribal poorest of the poor children and motivated them. He said the KISS is an example of change and amazing revolutionary transformation in tribal lives. This rare privilege of being blessed by a remarkable visionary and a dynamic leader shall be written in the golden letters in the history of KIIT and KISS, two worldstands backgrounds, he under- which is reflected in his mod- He has been an active He was Rural trust is Smt Deepa Venkat, class educational institutions the pains and troubles of a common man. It has been a long and arduous journey for him from esty and humble attitude. He is an embodiment of Simple Living and High Thinking, which is evident from his student leader and activist engaged in putting posters of Shri LK Advani and Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee when they Development Minister during the first NDA Government led by Shri Vajpayee. This was the time when the Pradhan who has been ably working under the leadership of her father. Passionate, poetic and that have redefined the concept of education with its scale, scope and speed and yet, at the same time, have being born in a humble agricultural simple lifestyle. visited south on Yatras just to Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna progressive, he is one of the remained humble and family in Nellore dis- Shri Naidu at 68 years is get a glimpse of these stal- was inaugurated. In 2014, he independent India s most humane. trict of Andhra Pradesh to the young at heart as much as he warts and learn from them. was Union Minister of Urban famous leaders, one who is (Prof Samanta is Founder, highest ranks of power. was when he entered the RSS He came into limelight during Development and known for delivering results. KIIT and KISS) he onus is with the State TGovernment to ensure judicious distribution of available community resources for livelihood and allocation of public opportunities, including employment to all its citizens. The Government has to not only make policies and laws in this regard, but also to see its enforcement while ensuring protection of the excluded. In recent times, with enforcement of the policy of privatization and public- private partnership, the nature of public employment has changed through introduction of contractual appointment, employment of short term nature, project based jobs and outsourcing of recruitment from private sources hired by the Government and the semi- Government bodies. As principle, the Government jobs, contracts, projects and all kinds of employment opportunities being created out of public funds must follow an inclusive employment policy which will not only reduce our persistent caste and gender based inequality but also contribute to strengthen an all-encompassing public participation in nation building. But lack of clear cut rules about inclusion of SCs and STs in public employment and absence of institutional monitoring to ensure their participation have deprived them of their constitutional rights to employment. The modern democratic State came to existence with aspiration of equality and rule of law to end all forms of discrimination and exploitation in society through principles of equity and democracy. Employment is one of the major areas where the focus of the Government should be on building inclusion in employment opportunities. But unfortunately, the contractual appointments and recruitment through outsourcing, project based appointments and many of the Government schemes and programmes run by the Government and private bodies, NGOs and public and private partnership do not follow the policy of reservation in ensuring employment of SCs and STs of the State. There are lakhs of jobs under category of service providers created under different Government schemes of nutrition, health, education, employment, public distribution system and sanitation to serve the poor and marginalized, women and children in rural areas, such as cook and helper of mid-day meal in all Government run private schools, ASHAs, Anganwadi workers and helpers, Gaon Sathi, information and communication technology personnel in panchayat, block, tehsil and district offices and many more whose recruitments are done locally but no policy of reservation is being followed to ensure the employment of SCs and STs in rural areas in these posts and services. On the other hand, these schemes are primarily targeted to serve the rural poor SCs and STs. The schemes, guidelines and a number of court interpretations have conformed building an affirmative employment policy favouring SCs, STs and women in rural areas but it is not being enforced. The international agencies, corporate foundations, private trusts, private universities and NGOs operating with direct support from Government and in partnership with Government in the State have not been following any inclusive employment policy while enjoying all kinds of benefits and State patronage on the pretext of serving the rural poor, SCs and STs. It is fact that providing service to SCs and STs has become a vital source of employment for employees belonging to non SCs and STs in rural and tribal areas of the State where as potential SCs and STs educated youths and women are not being given scope to serve their own community under Government projects. The leaders of these implementing organizations, mostly drawn from upper caste, are avoiding field level social realities to cope with continued caste-based discriminatory social dimension of rural areas. The appointment of SCs and STs in field level as workers has been seen as a social challenge and risk factor with the organization. It has been told that the development work in the State such as Odisha having sizable SC and ST population must have social dimension in its approach to development, especially in the context of employment but, however, when it comes to implementation, the purpose is missing. Therefore, it is suggested that the charity work out of State fund must be converted to social investment over building social capital among the poor and marginalized sections which will contribute to social transformation. There are regular complains from different parts of the State that most eligible youths of SCs and STs are not being preferred as service provider under different Government schemes implemented in rural areas. The selection process is largely under the influence of local dominant groups, land owning upper castes, corrupt bureaucrats, ruling party leaders, having caste and gender bias and corruption in recruitment procedure. The decision of the dominant people is binding on the poor and marginalized in the village by use of physical violence, false court cases and social harassment and atrocities by using the local policy and goons. The social activist challenging corruption and procedural violation are also facing harassment in many ways in the absence of protection mechanism. In a recent move, the of Bihar has introduced reservation in outsource services for SCs, STs, OBCs, MBCs and women of the State because it is found that the outsourcing agencies are not following social inclusiveness in their recruitment. It was reported that mostly in IT based operation, there is nominal participation of marginalized groups and it is monopolized by people belonging to a few dominant caste groups. It is demanded by a number of political parties to extend the ambit of reservation to private sector also to bring inclusion in private work places and democratize large employment market. The Government of Odisha must adopt reservation policy for its majority of the population like the SCs, STs, OBCs, SEBCs and women in rural and tribal areas in recruitment for implementation of all types of Government schemes and programmes. The private agencies, international organizations, UNO bodies operating in Odisha, donor agencies, NGOs and corporate foundation operating in rural and tribal areas and directly involved in development of the poor and marginalized must be instructed to adopt socially inclusive recruitment policy in their agencies. The State SCs and STs, OBCs and minority development department should monitor this to ensure the implementation of provision of reservation and the all private agencies must comply with such norms under the provision of law. (manasbbsr15@gmail.com)

4 orashamati Majhi, a resi- of Bhuruamunda Gdent under Nuapada district s Sinapali police limits, has urged the Labour Commissioner to conduct an investigation into the reported killing of her husband Habelal Majhi in a brick kiln in Chennai. In a letter, Gorashamati informed the Commissioner that her husband, Habelal Majhi, had been taken to Chennai by five Sardars namely Ratan Bag, Bishi Kata, Shishu Bag, Arjun Bag and Jadu Bag to Chennai on August 28, 2017 to engage him in the RS Bricks as a worker. However, she recently got to know that they (Sardars) have killed her husband. When asked, they told her that they along with the brick kiln owner have sent him back to village by a train. I request you to conduct an investigation and make me know whether he (Bahelal) is alive or dead, Gorashamati urged the Commissioner. From Page 1 In such circumstances, taking casual view to farmers problem is nothing but an unpardonable offence, said Thakur. She said the team would submit its report party s national president Amit Shah who would take up the matter with Union Agriculture Minister. The Union Government will do its best to curb such a menace in Odisha, Yadav said. Meanwhile, deceased farmer Brunda Sahu s daugh- he Parliamentary Standing TCommittee on Agriculture headed by MP Hukumdeo Narayan Yadav, comprising 13 MPs, visited ICAR-CIFA on November 9. They visited farm facilities and witnessed the haul of different variety of fishes. The committee appreciated the research work carried out by ICAR-CIFA for domestication and dissemination of various indigenous fish varieties. An From Page 1 Though the dense smog layer thinned considerably and level of pollutants dropped steadily in Delhi on Friday, data collected from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) showed that the levels of PM2.5 and PM10 (particles with diameter less than 2.5 and 10mm) were severe. According to SAFAR, the average AQI of Delhi was recorded 480 close to ters Preeti and Pushpa refuted the charge of the BJP s involvement in their father s suicide. Our father had himself taken the video to show the Government s failure. The BJP is no way involved in it, they severe plus, while the average PM2.5 (particles with diameter less than 2.5) of 24 active monitoring stations was 479 units by 12 pm. It saw slight improvement at 7 pm with the average PM2.5 and PM10 was over 375 and 590 units respectively. The safe limit for PM2.5 is 60 microgrammes per cubic metre according to national standards and 25 microgrammes per cubic metre as per international standards. said. They lamented that Labour Minister Sushant Singh, who belongs to the district, was yet to meet their family. Instead of helping us, he is sitting in Bhubaneswar and making irrelevant statements, they alleged. T he National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) directed the DM and SP, Gautam Budh Nagar district, UP to personally appear before it on December 26 in dealing with the case of child rights activist Lincon Subudhi of Odisha. The NHRC passed the order following a petition and subsequent submissions filed in this regard by Supreme Court lawyer and rights activist he decomposed carcass of Ta female elephant, aged about 45 years, was recovered on Friday by forest officials at Badajora under the Baniabandha Reserve Forest of the Badamba Forest Range area. On a tipoff from woodcutters, the forest officials along Badamba Range Officer Subash Chandra Ratha and ACF Raj Kisore Das rushed to the spot and recovered the carcass. An autopsy of the pachyderm was conducted by veterinary surgeons of Maniabandha. The cause of the death would be cleared after viscera report comes. The elephant died at least three to five days back, said ACF Das. exhibition was also arranged to display all fingerlings and the technology products of ICAR- he DAV School of Business TManagement here organised DSBM Genesis A National Management Event in which students of higher secondary schools participated in events like Business Quiz, Ad Mad Show, Paper Presentation and Moot Court. The objective was to provide a vigorous platform for students to demonstrate their knowledge and skills. Prof Mukti Kanta Mishra, Centurion University of Technology and Management president, who was chief guest, addressed the forum on Skill India and shared his views on quality assurance mechanism in the education sector of Odisha. DSBM president MM Panda motivated the budding talents for their elegant speeches and Principal Dr DN Mishra urged them to strive for excellence. he India Post has released Ta postal stamp, My Stamp on Dr Sarat Kumar Acharya, NLC India Limited CMD, by recognising his achievements as an outstanding business leader and a visionary which is a rare honour for the eminent personalities in the country. The stamp bearing the photograph of Dr Acharya alongside the national monument of Mysore palace was released by Tamil Nadu Circle Chief Post Master General 35-year-old woman and her Afour-year-old daughter committed suicide by jumping before CIFA. The team had an interaction session with the aquafarmers and entrepreneurs from select States of the country and took stock of the pressing problems faced by the farmers. The committee also had a meeting with Director and senior officers of the institute. The group of MPs offered several of suggestions to improve the outreach of the aquaculture technologies of the institute. Director, ICAR-CIFA Dr JKSundaray and his team made all the arrangements seamlessly. Radhakanta Tripathy. Lincon, an IT professionalturned social worker, was admitted to a hospital after the brutal attack on September 19, 2013 after she tried to stop the marriage of 15-year-old Shaida Khatoon, a student of Class VIII in a charitable school in Noida. Lincon was teaching the girl for the past year. Lincon had reportedly helped her a year ago in a similar issue and managed to ward off the marriage. Earlier the Commission had The DAV Public School, Unit-8 emerged as the champions while the DAV Public School, Pokhariput and the Mother s Public School, Bhubaneswar bagged the 1st and 2nd runners-up trophy for Business Quiz, respectively. In Paper Presentation, the DAV Public School, Unit-8 clinched the winner s trophy and the DAV Public School, Rourkela bagged the 1st runners-up trophy and the Mother s Public School, Bhubaneswar the 2nd runners-up trophy. The winner of Ad Mad Show was the DAV Public School, MCL, Burla. In the Moot Court, the winners were the DAV Public School, Pokhariput. State Planning Board Special Secretary Sujeet Kumar, who was chief guest at the valedictory session, urged the students to empower their knowledge and develop enterprising skills to match the expectation of the global market. directed the DM and SP, Gautam Budh Nagar, UP, to expedite the matter and inform the Commission about the status and outcome on attack on Subudhi case; steps taken for the rehabilitation of the rescued minor girl and on the death of Shaida Khatoon, the mother of the victim, within six weeks. But, no report has been received from any of the authorities despite repeated notices. Hence, a final reminder was issued directing them to send IPOS M Sampath in a specially function held at Neyveli in Tamil Nadu recently. Dr Acharya has been honoured with many national and international awards. Last year he has received the Scope Excellence Award from President of India. He is one of the few inspirational corporate leaders whose name finds place in the book Most Powerful HR Professionals of India. He is a Lifetime Achievement Awardee by Green Tech Foundation for promoting sustainable HR and CSR. a running goods train at the Soro railway station in Baleswar district on Friday. The deceased woman was identified as Urmila Pandey, wife of Dinesh Pandey, he Commissionerate Police Tnabbed two miscreants, who looted commuters by brandishing toy guns on the National Highway between Khandagiri and Tamando in the city. The arrestees were identified as Susanta Mohanty of Ganjam district and Jibanjyoti Swain of Jajpur district. Police also seized one motorbike, one toy gun and five mobile phones From Page 1 Earlier in the day, CJAR petition was heard by a Bench of Justices AK Sikri and Ashok Bhushan which said it was pained that despite the petition being listed before it, a fresh petition by Jaiswal was mentioned and heard on the same set of facts. Advocate Bhushan sought tagging of the matter with the petition listed for Monday. But the Bench placed it before CJI for listing before appropriate Bench and allowed Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) to join the proceeding. On this order, CJI constituted a five-judge Bench post-lunch at 3 pm. Initially, a seven-judge Bench was notified to hear the case but within minutes, it was replaced by a fresh one announcing a five judge Bench, with the names of Justices AK Sikri and Ashok Bhushan being dropped. Bhushan, accompanied with advocate Kamini Jaiswal created a flutter with his opening remark when he said, the name of CJI is in the CBI FIR. The Bench pulled up Bhushan for making such irresponsible remarks. the requisite report within six weeks, positively, failing which the Commission shall be constrained to invoke coercive process. In a camp sitting at Bhubaneswar, Lincon with the guidance and advice of Tripathy filed her submiss on stating therein that she has already incurred more than Rs 5 lakh for her treatment and requested for reimbursement of medical expenses and compensation of 10 lakh. pecial Judge, Vigilance, SBaripada convicted former president, Urban Cooperative Bank Ltd, Baripada Bimal Lochan Das, an ex-mla, and Jayanta Kumar Mohapatra of Deuli village, under Chandua police station in Mayurbhanj in connection with a Balaeswar Vigilance PS case in Das was sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment (RI) for a year and pay fine of Rs1 lakh for an offence and RI another year for a year and pay fine of 10,000 in another the offence. In default, he will undergo RI for a period of one year and 02 months respectively. Similarly, Mohapatra was sentenced to undergo RI for a period of one year and pay a fine of 1 lakh in one offence and RI for a period of one year and fine of 10,000 in another the offence. He will undergo RI for a period of one year and two months respectively in default. a resident of CDA Cuttack. The reason behind the suicide was yet to be ascertained. The Government Railway Police (GRP) have started investigation. from their possession. Speaking to mediapersons, DCP Satyabrata Bhoi said, A few days ago, a report was lodged about loot of one motorcycle and some cell phones. The special squad was tracking them and managed to trace them. They nabbed the two accused and also seized one motorcycle, one toy gun and five mobile phones from their possession. Bhoi said, Another gang member has also been identified and we are trying to nab him. Generally they were active between Khandagiri and Tamando area during late night. They used to prey on lone commuters and used to snatch motorbikes, mobile phones and cash. hree persons died on the Tspot as a Narsinghpur bound speeding passenger bus, Radhamadhab (OR-05 D 7097) ran over them in front of the Abhimanpur Primary School under Badamba block on Friday afternoon. The deceased were identified as Udayanath Swain (35), Subrat Muduli (34) of Odasinga village of Narsinghpur block and Ananda Behera (27) of Tentulia village of Banki block. The mishap took place while they were standing near the road. Badamba police rushed to the spot and seized the bus. Besides, they sent the bodies to the Badamba hospital for postmortem. Following the death, irate locals broke the glasses of the bus and blocked the road demanding ex-gratia for the deceased. Athagarh SDPO PC Pal and IIC of Badamba PS pacified them after discussion and assurance of ex-gratia. Later, the road blockade was lifted. As per primary inquiry, the police said that the driver lost balance while a car was overtaking the bus causing the accident. From Page 1 As per the Council s decision, chewing gum, chocolates, coffee, custard powder, marble and granite, dental hygiene products, polishes and creams, sanitary ware, leather clothing, artificial fur, wigs, cookers, stoves, after-shave, deodorant, detergent and washing power, razors and blades, cutlery, storage water heater, batteries, goggles, wrist watches and mattress are among the products on which tax rate has been cut from 28 per cent to 18 per cent. Restaurants in starredhotels that charge Rs 7,500 or more per day on room tariff will be levied 18 per cent GST but the ITC is allowed for them. Those restaurants in hotels charging less than Rs 7,500 room tariff will charge 5 per cent GST but will not get ITC. Tax on wet grinders and armoured vehicles has been cut from 28 per cent to 12 per cent, he said, adding the tax rate on six items was reduced from 18 per cent to 5 per cent, on 8 items from 12 per cent to 5 per cent and on six items from 5 per cent to nil. Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi said the cut in tax would cost Rs 20,000 crore in revenues annually. There was unanimity that in the 28 per cent slab, there should only be the socalled sin and demerit goods (the consumption of which is discouraged through high tax rates). So, today the council took a historic decision to retain only 50 items in the highest slab and to bring down the rate on the rest to 18 per cent, added Modi. In order to ease compliance burden to the tax payers, the Council also relaxed the return filing criteria and also lowered the penalties for late filing. As part of efforts to rationalise GST structure, the Council has been reviewing rates from time to time.

5 fter denying access to for- Indian Navy official Amer Kulbhushan Jadhav for nearly two years now, Pakistan on Friday finally allowed Jadhav s wife to meet him on humanitarian grounds. "The Government of Pakistan has decided to arrange a meeting of Commander Kulbhushan Jhadav with his wife, in Pakistan, purely on humanitarian grounds. A Note Verbale to this effect has been sent to the Indian High Commission in Islamabad, today," Pakistan Foreign Ministry said on Friday. It is learnt that the time frame allowing the meeting between Jadhav and his wife to file its reply to the ICJ by December 13. India has in the last 21 months requested at least 18 times for Consular Access to Jadhav. The ICJ had in May this year stayed the execution of Jadhav, who was awarded death penalty by the Pakistan military Kulbushan Jhadav alias, Hussain Mubarak Patel, a serving Commander of the Indian Navy, working with Indian Intelligence Agency/RAW was apprehended by Pakistan law enforcement agencies on March 3, 2016 after he illegally crossed over into Pakistan. has been given around end of court. India's Consular Access He confessed before a December. Sources in the Pakistan Government said that the access to Jadhav's wife has been given keeping in view India's requests for meeting. Incidentally, the Pakistan s decision comes days before it has to file a reply in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) where India has complained that Jadhav was denied Consular Access under the Vienna Convention despite repeated requests. Pakistan has request to Jadhav is still pending. In addition External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had written to the former Pakistan Foreign Affairs Advisor Sartaz Aziz requesting him to allow visa to Jadhav s mother to facilitate her meeting with her son and file an appeal against the death sentence. Pakistan, however, remained silent over Swaraj's letter. Pakistan s statement on Friday added: Commander Magistrate and the court that he was tasked by RAW to plan, coordinate and organise espionage, terrorist and sabotage activities aimed at destabilising and waging war against Pakistan. The Indian Government has strong objection to Jadhav being portrayed as a RAW spy. The Indian Government maintains that he was a businessman who was abducted by the Pakistan agencies. n a day the GST Council Oslashed the GST rates on over 150 items, Congress vicepresident Rahul Gandhi on Friday said his party will not allow imposition of the "Gabbar Singh Tax" and asked the Centre to do some course correction "shedding arrogance". Taking to Twitter, Rahul also said that the Government cannot break the back of small and medium size enterprises in the country, crush the informal sector and destroy millions of jobs. "We will not allow the BJP to impose a Gabbar Singh Tax on India. They cannot break the back of the small and medium businesses, crush the informal sector and destroy millions of jobs. #GSTCouncilMeet," the Gandhi scion tweeted. He suggested the Government to give the country a "genuine simple tax". The Government, he said, should not "waste time" of the country by allegedly engaging in lip service. "... Acknowledge your incompetence, shed away your arrogance and listen to the people of India," he said on the micro-blogging site. ith a huge buffer stock at Wits disposal, the Union Cabinet on Friday gave its goahead to the Centre to utilise a little over one-fourth of the stock of pulses for meeting the protein component under various Central Government schemes, like Mid-Day Meal (MDM), providing nutrition to beneficiaries and target groups. The disposal through the Central Government Schemes is in addition to the disposal of pulses from the buffer through open market sale and supply to States at lower rates. The Centre has created a buffer stock of 20 lakh tonnes of pulses through local procurement and imports this year. Of this, 5.5 lakh tonnes will be used for the purpose. For the first time, the Government had last year decided to create a buffer stock of pulses to ensure better prices to farmers and at the same time use the stock to augment local supply in times of price rise. Incidentally, when the crop was bumper and prices crashed, it started procuring at the support price. The cost of pulses supplied to States would, in no case, be higher than the Later at the AICC Press briefing, Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi sought to find "flaws" in the GST, saying it cannot be a "one nation, one tax" if 40 per cent to 45 per cent of the goods or services are kept out of its ambit. He questioned the timing of the GST Council meeting, which he said, took place ahead of the Gujarat Assembly polls New Delhi: News reports in some Russian portals suggesting that India breached the contract by allowing a US Navy technical crew onboard nuclear powered submarine INS Chakra have led to a controversy. While there was no official reaction by the Government here, sources in the Defence Ministry said the report was wrong and the US crew was not allowed on the submarine manufactured by Russia. India has taken this Akula class submarine on a 10-year lease and the Russian portals he Union Home Ministry Ton Friday created new divisions to check radicalisation and cyber fraud as part of a major rejig of some of its crucial wings. Two new divisions Counter Terrorism and Counter Radicalisation (CTCR) and Cyber and Information Security (CIS) have been created. The CTCR division will devise quick strategies for deradicalisation and check terrorism, as per an order issued by the Home Ministry. Threats to internal security from increased radicalisation, mostly online, and terrorism were growing, the officials said, adding that the new wing will focus on assessing the reach of global terrorist outfits besides shaping strategies to counter their propaganda and activities. It will also hire domain experts for the purpose. The other new wing, CIS, claimed allowing the US crew on the submarine last week in Visakhapatnam was against the contractual agreement. Denying the report, sources said here on Friday adding Russian personnel are posted in Visakhapatnam naval base to help maintain and operate the submarine. Sources also said the timing of the news report was strange as it comes a month ahead of the visit of the Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin. Both the countries are likely to finalise the terms of the has been created to monitor online crimes and threats, including cyber fraud and hacking, and suggest ways to minimise and fight them. This division will track and counter online fraud, hacking, identity theft, dark net, trafficking and cyber attacks on critical information infrastructure, the officials said. Several divisions have also been merged as part of the administrative changes. At present, the Home Ministry has three divisions on internal security Internal Security I, II and III (or IS-I, IS-II and IS-III). The Home Ministry has merged its Internal Security-I and Internal Security-III divisions, besides modifying the work of the IS-II division, which will now be known as the CTCR. The existing International Cooperation division, which deals with matters related to international/bilateral security issues such as Mutual Legal lease for another Russian nuclear submarine of the same class. Russia and India last year arrived at an agreement for the Indian Navy to acquire the submarine for approximately US $2 billion. The likely induction of that submarine will coincide with the INS Chakra's lease ending and returning to Russia. A 14-member team of US delegates of the India-US Joint Working Group on Aircraft Carrier Technology Co-operation had visited some Indian naval bases last week. They also visited the Russian built aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya and sources termed it routine and did not involved transfer of any classified information about the warship. PNS Assistance Treaty, has been merged with the Coordination and Public Grievances division. A new wing, Coordination and International Cooperation, has been carved out of them. Similarly, the judicial wing has been merged with the Centre- State division. The judicial division deals with matters relating to legislative aspects of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) and the Commission of Inquiry Act. The Centre-State wing looks after work related to Constitutional provisions governing such relations like the appointment of Governors, creation of new States, nominations to Rajya Sabha/Lok Sabha, inter-state boundary disputes, overseeing the crime situation in States and imposition of President's rule. The Ministry will continue to have 18 divisions, each led by a joint secretary-level officer. (scheduled to be held on December 9 and December 14). Hitting out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Government, Singhvi said that the Centre has been going about implementing the GST "without thinking first". "The Prime Minister and his Government first shoot, then they aim and then think, be it on the issues of demonetisation or GST. And that is exactly what is happening in the case of GST," he added. He alleged the "noble conception" of GST has been distorted. He accused the Government of not addressing the real concerns relating to the tax regime because of its "arrogance and rhetoric". "The anomalies need proper application of mind (to be solved) and not arrogance," he said. ndia and Bhutan on Friday Iheld their annual Development Cooperation Talks to discuss the implementation of ongoing projects in the Himalayan Kingdom. "The Annual Development Cooperation Talks is an important bilateral mechanism to review the entire gamut of India's development partnership with Bhutan. Government of India has committed assistance of 4,500 crore for implementation of development projects during Bhutan's 11th Five Year Plan ( ). Over 675 projects, including 595 small development projects, have been under implementation in Bhutan during the XIth plan period within GOI's committed assistance of 4,500 Crore," Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said on Friday following the talks. Bhutan's 11th Five Year Plan ( ) is now entering the final phase and the two governments reviewed the overall progress in the implementation of the ongoing bilateral development projects. "The Bhutanese side conveyed appreciation of the Royal Government of Bhutan for the invaluable support of the Government of India for their socio-economic development priorities, and for timely disbursements of funds for the ongoing projects. The two sides also initiated discussions on Government of India's assistance to the 12th Five Year Plan ( ) of the Royal Government of Bhutan. India has been a privileged partner of Bhutan in its socio-economic development. GOI's commitment to continue its support to Bhutan in its development efforts was reiterated by the Indian side," Raveesh added. market price, protecting their interest as well. The country had produced a record million tonnes in the crop year (July-June) buoyed by good rains and higher support prices. Around 3.5 lakh tonnes of pulses will be given at a lower rate to five States Karnataka, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana because these States have responded to the Ministry's urging to provide pulses at cheaper rate. Around two lakh tonnes of pulses will be given for consumption under various Central welfare schemes including the mid-day meal programme. According to officials, the Centre's decision will help to ensure adequate supply of nutrients/pulses under the various schemes and programmes of the Centre and State Governments including the MDM scheme, Anganwadi and Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme hospitals, etc. as well as Ministries/Departments or their agencies providing food/catering/hospitality services. The HRD Ministry is responsible for the MDM scheme which provides meals to school children in the country. Similarly, the Women and Child Welfare Ministry, responsible for ICDS schemes, can take good quantity of pulses from the central buffer stock. The scheme aims at holistic development of children below 6-years of age, pregnant women n a move aimed to meet the Ishortage of specialists in the country, the Medical Council of India (MCI) has allowed the MBBS students to practice as medical specialists in case they have done the two-year diploma courses from the Mumbai-based College of Physicians and Surgeons (CPS). Presently, MBBS holders are allowed to perform surgeries, anesthetic procedures or C-section only after they have acquired Post-Graduate (PG) degree. However, as per the recent direction of the MCI, even those with the two-year Diploma courses offered from the CPS will be eligible to become specialist in the subject. Last month, the Health Ministry issued a notification in this regard. Incidentally, in 2009, the medical education regulator had derecognised the courses offered by the CPS which was established way back in 1913 during British rule to fulfill the need of intermediate specialists. The CPS offers two-year diploma courses in broad specialties like anesthesia, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, orthopedics, radiology and a few others. These were till recently were recognised only by Maharashtra and Gujarat Governments. But now with the MCI tag, says Devi Shetty, chairman of Narayana New Delhi: The Border Security Force (BSF) on Friday raised concern about the unprovoked cross-border firing incidents, infiltration and smuggling occurring from Pakistan side with their counter parts Pakistan Rangers. The three day meeting bi-annual talks of BSF and Pakistan rangers, concluded in Delhi, stressed for the need of timely exchange of information and field Commander level frequent meetings to settle the tensions in the border areas. "The Indian side firmly and strongly took up specific issues of concern including incidents of unprovoked cross border firing, smuggling of narcotics, infiltration attempts, tunneling and defence construction activities. The issue of inadvertent crossing over by the border population and ways to facilitate their return on both the sides was also discussed. It was agreed upon in deliberations that utmost caution and care should be exercised in dealing with the civilians. and lactating mothers by providing a package of six services comprising supplementary nutrition; immunisation; health check-up; referral services; preschool non-formal education; and nutrition and health education are provided to the targeted beneficiaries i.e. all children below 6-years, Pregnant and Lactating Mothers. The number of beneficiaries [children (6 months to 6 years) and pregnant and lactating mothers] for supplementary nutrition under ICDS scheme has increased from lakh to lakh and Number of beneficiaries [children (3-6 years) for pre-school education increased from lakh to lakh in Similarly, Anganwadi Centres have also increased from 1,338,732 to 1,349,091 in The total beneficiaries under MDM are over 21 lakh in the country. "To give effect to the decision, the CCEA has empowered the concerned departments/ministries to carry out suitable amendments in their schemes/guidelines to enable them to take/provide pulses from the buffer in 'kind' under their respective schemes," officials said. Hrudayalaya and founder of the Association of Healthcare Providers India (AHPI), "the MBBS doctors can acquire intermediate specialisation from the CPS which will help strengthen rural healthcare delivery and improve healthcare indicators by making available adequate specialists in healthcare delivery." He said, now 65,697 MBBS doctors in Government hospitals are eligible to become specialists in two years. All 200-bed multispecialty hospitals and 100 bed single hospitals in Government and private sector having experienced faculties and adequate clinical load will be eligible to host the CPS training courses. Dr Giridhar Gyani, also from the AHPI added that in keeping with the Supreme Court order on a single entrance for all post graduate courses, CPS too will be taking in only NEETqualified candidates and through a centralised counselling. Currently, about 1,600 MBBS graduates from Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Dadra and Nagar Haveli are enrolled for various CPS diploma courses. Gyani further said that the gross underutilisation of doctors in India is due to huge disparity between number of undergraduate and post graduate seats. "India is producing 63,835 MBBS graduates every year but has less than 25,000 PG seats. We cannot improve on health indicators unless we have specialists to deliver medical care." For instance, he said, we need 2,00,000pediatricians against presently available 23,000, similarly we need 100,00 radiologists while we are producing just 10,000. "The need for timely exchange of information, at the field level with increased frequency of field commanders level meetings, simultaneous coordinated patrolling etc. were also discussed. The need for cooperation to maintain the sanctity of the borders was emphasised upon. The talks were held in a constructive atmosphere. The talks concluded with both sides agreeing on constant endeavor to maintain peaceful and tranquil borders. It was mutually agreed to hold the he Union Cabinet chaired Tby Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday accorded approval for continuation and restructuring of National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP) to make it outcomebased, competitive and better monitored with increased focus on sustainability (functionality) of schemes to ensure good quality service delivery to the rural population. A sum of 23,050 crore has been approved for the programme for the 14th Finance Commission (FFC) period to , as per a statement here. "The programme will cover all the rural population across the country. The restructuring will make the programme flexible, result-oriented, competitive, and will enable the Ministry towards to reach the goal of increasing coverage of sustainable piped water supply," it added. A new sub-programme under NRDWP viz. National Water Quality Sub-Mission (NWQSM) which has been started by the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation in February 2017 will address the urgent need for providing clean drinking water in about Arsenic and Fluoride affected habitations (already identified). As per estimates, about 12,500 crore as Central share will be required over 4 years i.e. up to March, This is being funded from the allocation under NRDWP, the statement added. As per the Government data, about 77 per cent of rural habitations in India have achieved a fully covered (FC) status (40 litres per capita per day) and 56 per cent of the rural population have access to tap water through public stand posts within which 16.7 per cent have household connections. New Delhi: The Centre on Friday took serious exception to a comment by the United Nation's Special Rapporteur on the right to safe drinking water and sanitation comments who said that the Swachchh Bharat Mission "lacked a holistic human rights approach". The Government also took exception to Leo Heller's reference to Mahatma Gandhi's spectacles in the mission's logo, and his "rambling" report containing "inaccuracies, sweeping generalisations and biases". "In the last two weeks I have visited rural and urban areas, slums and settlement camps where undocumented population is residing... And I have found that these initiatives lack a more human rights approach," he had said to the reporters here. Taking strong note of his remarks on the logo of the Clean India Mission, the Government issued a statement deploring that it showed "serious insensitivity towards the Father of the Nation". The Government statement said the world knows that Mahatma was the foremost proponent of human rights. PNS next round of talks in Pakistan," said the statement issued by Union Home Ministry after the BSF-Pakistan Rangers meeting. The 23-member Indian delegation was led by KK Sharma, DG BSF. Major General Muhammad Saeed, Director General, Pak Rangers (Sindh) led a 19-member Pakistani delegation to India. Both the delegations also had representatives from respective Home and Foreign Ministries along with officers from Narcotics Control and Survey Departments.

6 mid major protests by the ABJP and Sangh Parivar organisations, the ruling Congress Government celebrated Tipu Sultan Jayanti in Karnataka on Friday. Though the official programme was boycotted by the BJP and other rightwing parties, the celebrations went on without any untoward incidents barring minor incidents across the State. The celebration of Tipu Sultan s birth anniversary, an 18th century ruler of Mysore kingdom ahead of ensuing polls in the State has become a major row between the ruling Congress and the major Opposition BJP. Last year when the Siddaramaiah Government decided to celebrate Tipu s birth anniversary as a State function it was vehemently opposed by the BJP and marred with violence which saw the brutal death of two people in Kodagu district. This year too, the BJP opposed the celebration by saying Tipu was a tyrant monarch for being biased against Hindus. But Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his Government say that Tipu Sulatan was a patriot and fought against the British. This is the third year in a row the ruling he massive raids launched Tby the Department of Income Tax on Thursday as part of its Operation Clean Money initiative in 187 locations associated with the jailed AIADMK leader, VK Sasikala and her nephew TTV Dinakaran continued on Friday. According to sources in I-T Department, raids were completed in 40 places while the search in on in 147 locations. This round of raids may go on till Monday as the number of people under our scanner and the bank accounts which are being probed are many, said the official on condition of anonymity. But the I-T Department is yet to come out with any official statement about the raids. The official who spoke to the media on Friday confided that 1,800 personnel were involved in the operation. More than 300 bank accounts operated by the relatives and associates of Sasikala are being examined and scrutinised. Their bank lockers Government celebrated Tipu Jaynthi amidst protests. A thick blanket of security was put in place across the entire State to see that the celebrations take place peacefully. As many as over 54,000 police personnel and platoons of the Karnataka State Reserve Police, bolstered by the Rapid Action Force, kept a hawkeyed vigil as functions were held at the district headquarters, where State Ministers and others hailed the legacy of Tipu. On Tuesday Karnataka High Court had refused to put on stay Tipu Sultan Jayanti celebrations. BJP and other Hindu outfits have opposed Tipu Jayanti celebrations, by calling him religious bigot, fanatic and anti- Kannada. However, Siddaramaiah had also defended the State Government s decision to celebrate the birth anniversary of the Mysore ruler by saying he was the first ruler to fight against the British and a great warrior to protect the kingdom. There were reports of stones being hurled at a State transport bus and over 100 people, including local BJP MLA Appachu Ranjan, being detained in Kodagu district, where widespread protests and violence had marred the Tipu Jayanti celebrations two years ago, when a are also under the scanner, he said. The official said the shell companies connected to Sasikala and her relations are being thoroughly probed by the Department News Today, a prominent evening newspaper in Chennai has come out with an exclusive news report about the how ferocious dogs were unleashed at the sleuths of the Income Tax department when they went to one of the places for the raid. The I-T officials had to summon armed police to go ahead with their work, reports the newspaper. The official has been quoted as telling that this was the first instance of this kind he faced in his decades long profession in the Income Tax department. Even as the sleuths were going ahead with their job in Chennai and other places in the State, political landscape in Tamil Nadu started sending out signals of new permutations and realignment. While the ruling faction of the AIADMK said there was nothing unusual in the operations, the BJP washed its hands off the Clean Money drive. local VHP leader died and several others, including policemen, were injured. Kodagu district observed a shutdown in response to a bandh called by the BJP and certain rightwing outfits. Prohibitory orders are in place in the district till Saturday morning. Prohibitory orders had also been clamped at certain places in Belagavi and Chitradurga districts. In Mangaluru, BJP district minority morcha president Franklin Monteiro, who tried to break the security cordon and barge into the premises where the celebrations were organised, was placed under arrest. Even as BJP MLAs and MPs stayed away from the event, with some even writing to the respective district administrations not to mention their names in the invitations for it, party MLA from Vijayanagara constituency in Ballari district Anand Singh joined the celebrations. engaluru-based Art of Living BFoundation has brought together the people of conflictridden Jammu & Kashmir to heal their pain. In a programme organised at the Art of Living centre on the outskirts of Bengaluru on Friday the initiative was to bridge the mistrust, heal the hearts, and bring about a reconciliation among people, who have directly suffered in the long-drawn conflict in Jammu & Kashmir. The Art of Living under the guidance of spiritual Guru Sri Sri Ravishankar organised a programme called Paigam-e- ne of the allies in BJP-led ONational Democratic Alliance (NDA) Government at the Centre, Shiv Sena is seriously mulling to contest ensuing Gujarat elections by fielding candidates in 50 to 75 Assembly seats out of 182. Gujarat elections are slated in two phases on December 9 and 14. Talking to mediapersons Shiv Sena leader and Rajya Sabha member Anil Desai said that BJP had forgotten it s original aim of preserving sentiments of the majority community. According to him, Hindutva has always been the forte of Shiv Sena since its inception. Unfortunately the saffron party had forgotten that people voted it over the agenda of Hindutva, Desai said, adding that Shiv Sena Mohabbat (Message of Love) which brought together family members of slain terrorists, families of victims of cross-firing would give better option to people of Gujarat. He quickly added that Hindutva wouldn t be the only agenda of his party as the party founded by Bala Saheb Thackeray would also focus on basic issues including health, education, agriculture and overall improvement of quality of life. On Hardik s meeting with Shiv Sena supremo Uddhav Thackeray, Desai said that only from across Kashmir and families of defence and security personnel from across the country who have been martyred in the Valley. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, hailed this as a landmark beginning to foster the spirit of love, forgiveness and reconciliation, and is likely to play a historic role in creating an ecosystem for peacebuilding in the troubled Valley. The programme brought together family members of slain terrorists and victims of cross-firing from Kashmir and families of defence and security personnel from all over India who have been martyred in the Valley. Representatives from over 200 affected families, including thing discussed during that meeting was with regards to Maratha reservations. Caste and casteism is not our cup of tea. To us, all communities are equal, he added. Shiv Sena would prefer to contest singlehandedly in certain seats without any political alliance in Gujarat, he said, adding that a team of the party is working on the seats where candidates from the political outfit have chance of winning. It is believed that the saffron party would focus its attention on urban centres as Ahmedabad, Rajkot and Surat, where BJP or Congress had won with a margin of less than 5,000 votes. These urban centres also happen to be places where Congress is seen to be denting the margins of BJP, courtesy caste issues and issues related to GST and demonetisation. Lucknow: Hitting out at the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav said that since the Yogi Government has come to power it has exploited farmers by playing with their sentiments and depriving them of their basic rights. The BJP gained publicity by claiming that it had waived crop loans of farmers. But the fact is that genuine farmers have been deprived of this benefit. This is a matter of probe as to who are the farmers who got money in the name of loan waiver. The Yogi Government will never do it because it knows that if a probe was ordered, the truth would come out, Yadav said in a statement issued in Lucknow on Friday. The SP chief said that the Government announced just `10 as increase in SAP of sugar cane ina similar fashion which was hardly going to help sugarcane farmers. "The Government is playing in the hands of sugar mill owners, he said. Similar is the case with potato farmers. The Government had announced MSP of potato but can the CM tell a single farmer who got that money. Potato growers were forced to keep their produce in cold storages and had to face huge losses, he said. PNS 60 women, travelled all the way from remote places in Kashmir to attend the programme. It was a heart-touching moment for everyone to see the families share the pain they have gone through and renounce the culture of militancy, which has claimed their dear ones. Sri Sri said, When the families affected by violence come together in a spirit of forgiveness, a new vision for a non-violent society will emerge. I am confident that this would inspire many youths to take that path. Unless and until we put a balm to heal the hurt and give a new vision, the chain reaction of violence will continue, he added. Central Market, Punjabi Bagh, New Delhi Tel : , POSSESSION NOTICE (For Immovable property/ies) (As per Appendix IV read with rule 8(1) of the security Interest (Enforcement) Rules,2002) Whereas, The undersigned being the authorized officer of the Syndicate Bank, Punjabi Bagh Branch, Bldg No 2 & 3,Central Market, West Punjabi Bagh, New Delhi ,Under the Securitization and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act, 2002 and in exercise of powers conferred under section 13 (12) read with rule 3 of the security Interest (Enforcement ) Rules,2002 issued a Demand Notice Dated , Calling upon the borrower M/s Unison Overseas, Prop: Saurav Gulati and surety Sri. Anil Gulati to repay the amount mentioned in the notice being Rs.5,18,70,706/- (Five Crores Eighteen Lakhs Seventy Thousand Seven Hundred and Six only) as on together with further interest thereon at the contractual rate plus costs, charges and expenses till date of payment within 60 days from the date of receipt of the said notice. The borrower having failed to repay the amount, notice is hereby given to the borrower and the public in general with the undersigned has taken possession of the property described herein below in exercise of powers conferred on him/her under sub section (4) of the section 13 of the Act read with rule 8 of the Security Interest Enforcement rules, 2002 on this the 7 th Day of November of the year Two Thousand and seventeen. The borrower/guarantor/mortgagors in particular and the public in general is hereby cautioned not to deal with property and any dealings with the property/ies will be subject to the charge of the Syndicate Bank, Punjabi Bagh Branch, Bldg No 2&3, Central Market, West Punjabi Bagh, New Delhi , for an amount Rs.5,18,70,706/- (Five Crores Eighteen Lakhs Seventy Thousand Seven Hundred and Six Only) as on and future interest thereon at the contractual rate plus costs, charges and expenses till date of payment. The Borrowers attention is invited to provision of sub section (8) of section 13 of the Act, in respect of time available, to redeem the secured assets. DESCRIPTION OF THE IMMOVABLE PROPERTY All the part and parcel of the property consisting of UREM of Residential Property at Residential House no 20 (measuring 450 Sq mtrs), situated in residential sector no 1,IMT Manesar, Tehsil-Manesar, Dist-Gurgaon, Haryana in the name of Mr. Anil Gulati together with all construction made thereon bound as under. Bounded by:- On the North by : Front 40 Wide On the South by : Left Park On the East by : Right Plot No 21. On the West by : Rear Another property Authorised Officer Date : Place : New Delhi Assistant General Manager Syndicate Bank

7 riday saw West Bengal Chief FMinister Mamata Banerjee s ex-man Mukul Roy who recently joined the BJP witnessing a qualitative transformation in his former boss dropping one hell of a bombshell implicating top Trinamool leadership in the multi-crore Saradha chit fund scam. Stopping not just at that he also alleged how some of her relatives benefited from the nepotism cult unleashed by her Government. Appearing in his first public meeting for the BJP Roy dropped a bomb saying how one top Trinamool leader held a number of meetings with now jailed Saradha boss irst of its kind in State FPower Utilities in India, the Andhra Pradesh State Power Generation Corporation (APGENCO) has set a novel path to complete the power generation projects much before contract period. In its initiation, APGEN- CO Management has taken a key decision to incentive EPC Contract Agencies which would complete projects in advance prior to closure of contract period without requesting Extension of Time (EOT) to the contract. The Management has taken this decision to gain multi benefits in the form of saving Interests During Construction (IDC) and to generate power in targeted period particularly in New Hydro Power Stations and to sell the power to distribution companies to retrieve back investments much early. As the power reforms are taking new shapes across the world, after the regime of Actual Based Tariff System in the country, State Power Generation Companies are facing backing down of plants Sudipto Sen. The former Railway Minister who finds himself at the receiving end of police actions after joining the BJP stopped short of naming the Chief Minister directly but iterated, I was personally present in the meeting with Sudipto Sen at Dello Bungalow (in Kurseong) adding, Many other meetings were held with the Sharada chief like the one at the house of painter Suvaprasanna. Meetings also took place at a Bengali newspaper office, following which the ponzi king pin invested liberally about 840 crore in tourism, media and ambulance services. Incidentally the Opposition parties had earlier complained about how ambulances were used during the nights to carry hard cash of the chit fund company from Jangal Mahal area to Sen s office in Kolkata. problems in intolerable manner financially. On one hand, the Central Electricity Authority of Ministry of Power putting the condition to maintain the average Plant Load Factor (PLF) not less than 85% per annum in Thermal Power Plants. On the other hand, the Electricity Regulatory Authorities are restricting power supply prices based on ABT system. In contrast situations, State Power Generation Companies are landing in catastrophic situations and not able to meet the losses and expenditures of Variable Costs of Thermal Plants. Also, in Andhra Pradesh, for FY , the State Government has asked APGENCO to project actual power generation quantities in realistic approach by taking 70% PLF on an average to avoid increase of power tariff while Similar allegations had been made by rebel Trinamool MP Kunal Ghosh earlier when he said, Mamata Banerjee is the biggest beneficiary of the Sharada chit fund scam. The Opposition had also filing Average Revenue Realization (ARR) of Power Distribution Companies (DISCOMs) of the State. After thorough discussions, the APGENCO Management has taken a decision to incentivize EPC contract agencies of new hydro power stations to control IDC and to get back the investment at the earliest by selling generated power from new hydro stations to Discoms. To set path, the Management has decided to 50% of saved IDC to the EPC agency of 960 MW (12 x 80 MW) Polavaram Hydroelectric Project, Navayuga Engineering Company-Alstom Joint Venture. The APGENCO Management Director, K Vijayanand, has categorically clarified the Chairman of NEC, C.V. Rao, not to misuse the incentive offered and also warned if NEC JV fails to complete within Contract period, it would be penalized with 50% of IDC could accrue in the Extension of Time of the Contract. The EPC has agreed to the decision of the APGEN- CO and promised to complete the Polavaram Hydroelectric Project within contract period. kicked off a storm when Banerjee was the Railway Minister and when Sen used his tourism company s logo alongside that of the Indian Railways. Her opponents also objected to the way Sen s company was allowed to benefit from Railway Ministry's Bharat Teertha Darshan scheme. Much to the chagrin of the Bengal ruling outfit Roy complained how the State had been turned into a personal fief of a particular family where even the FIFA under-17 World Cup was given to be organised by a company named Bishwa Bangla and owned by Abhishek Banerjee (the MP nephew of Mamata Banerjee). In a calculated move Banerjee let State administration to react through a Secretary who said though the Bishwa Bangla logo was created by Banerjee herself she had given it to be used by the Government and he ongoing work on the TMumbai Metro Line III gathered momentum on Friday, as the authorities began excavation work using Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) at Nayanagar in Mahim in south-central Mumbai. The Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) will in all be using 17 TBMs to construct 33.5 km-long twin tunnels. Of the 17 TBMs being imported by the state-run Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MM- RDA), three have arrived, while 13 more TBMs are expected to arrive in the city by February Of the four TBMs currently in use, three have been lowered. One of the TBMs began excavation work on Friday, a MMRC spokesperson said. Senior MMRC officials, including its Managing Director Ashwini Bhide, were present when the TBM began excavation work at the tunnel at Nayanagar. To be built entirely underground, the Mumbai Metro Line III will connect downtown Cuffe Parade in south Mumbai with Santacruz Electronics Export Processing now the logo was exclusively the State s property. Roy also said the junior Banerjee owned a company that ran the Trinamool Congress mouthpiece Jago Bangla though he would not reveal as to what cooked up inside. Campaign materials, literatures, leaflets, monograms and everything are printed by this company, he said adding even the common party members of the TMC did not know that. This is the first installment I have given there are many more files to come in the future, he said. Attacking the Banerjee for her regular foreign sojourns he said the Marxist patriarch Jyoti Basu also had the penchant for his London trips but he kept things within his own family but here the present Chief Minister takes with her a whole army of officials, politicians and media people. Zone (SEEPZ) and Aarey locality at Goregaon in north Mumbai. It will also pass through the Domestic and International airports of Mumbai. There will in all be 27 railway stations. The MMRDA, which is coordinating with the MMRC in the construction of Mumbai Metro Line III, will launch 17 TBMs through seven shafts and start boring the metro tunnels from various points like Cuffe Parade, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Mumbai Central, Worli, Bandra Kurla Complex, Mumbai Airport and Marol Naka. if you people cannot grant us citizenship special representative "India is of the State of Jammu a big country take us anywhere ejected with the poor & Kashmir we are ready to relocate to any other place in India". We also want to live with dig- you want to we are ready to go. Dresponse of the successive State and Centre Governments towards granting them citizenship/voting rights in the State Assembly members of the West Pakistan Refugee Action Committee on Friday spelt out their frustration in clear words Gandhi said, "We have been projecting our demand in front of every one for over 70 years now but we are still deprived of our citizenship rights". Everyone is talking about Kashmir but we are living here nity. We are proud citizens of India not J&K. They have not accepted us till date". Our children have grown over age and they have been denied caste certificates by the Revenue authorities in J&K. before the Centre for last 70 years and still They cannot get entry in the Government s special representative Dineshwar Sharma. After meeting Sharma here at Jammu convention centre chairman of the West Pakistan Refugee Action committee Labha Ram Gandhi told reporters, Today I made it deprived of our basic rights. According to official sources, an estimated 19,960 families of West Pakistan Refugees with a population of around 80,000 to 85,000 are registered with the Revenue authorities in J&K. paramilitary/defence forces in the absence of caste certificate. Gandhi also made a passionate appeal to the Prime Minister for expediting compensation package and granting them the voting rights failing which disgruntled youth would be forced clear to the special representative The West Pakistani to take the same route adopted of the Union Government Refugee leader said, "We told by the Kashmiri youth. he Border Security Force Tseized five Pakistani boats on Friday with three persons aboard from Haraminala area situated in the Gulf of Kutch. The patrol teams of the 79th battalion of the BSF have arrested Pakistani nationals Niyaz Hussain Gohar Ali, Laung Ali Babu Ali and Rajib Ali Habibulla. In primary interrogation, the Pakistani nationals said that they all belonging to Jatti area under Sindh province of the neighbouring country. The five boats fitted with Chinese fan made propelling motor had entered the India waters in the night and were caught by BSF patrol team. Three persons sitting in these boats were nabbed while the other over two dozen managed to flee to the Pakistani territory through nearby land border. They all looked like fishermen and nothing objectionable from the boats was found. Fishes, fishing equipment and diesel have been found in it. Since August 2017 as many as 28 Pakistani boats and 9 fishermen having Pakistani nationality have been nabbed from Haraminala area off Koteshwar coast. M antralaya, the Secretariat of the Maharashtra Government, witnessed a high drama on Friday afternoon, as a young farmer climbed onto the terrace of the seven-storey building and threatened to commit suicide by jumping from there. The security personnel at the State Secretariat were taken by surprise, as the young man identified as one Jnyaneshwar Salve from Osmanabad district in Marathwada region, as they saw him standing on the terrace and threatened to leap from there, if they did not facilitate his meeting with either Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis or the Agriculture Minister. Before long, a huge crowd gathered outside the state secretariat. A huge posse of police, fire brigade personnel and senior State Government officials rushed to the scene and made efforts to bring the youngster down. During the course of his agitation, Salve threw a chit carrying his mobile number. State Education Minister Vinod Tawade, who was among the persons present on the scene, spoke to the young farmer, assured him that his demands would be looked into and requested him to come down. After considerable persuasion, Salve came down from the terrace.

8 Compassion, one of the noblest of human emotions, and caring, frequently its manifestation, cut across social strata. Two recent events in Delhi once again underlined this perennial truth. The first had at its centre Pratima Devi, a rag-picker who cares for 400 dogs in the region of PVR Anupam in Saket. The other occurred at the high-end residential complex of World Spa in Gurugram. In the first instance, the shack in which Pratima Devi lived, and from which she cared for her canines, was demolished by South Delhi Municipal Corporation on October 30. She, however, continues to live there, in a make-shift apology of a shelter, as she would not leave them. Winter is approaching and she is worried. The flimsy shelter will not keep the knife-edged winds out. Nor will it help when heavy rains are blown in by the winds. Adversity, however, is not new to her. Married at the age of seven to a man more than 10 years older, and who often returned home drunk and beat her, life was not happy. Finally, she left him and moved away from Nandigram in Midnapore in West Bengal where they lived. After many vicissitudes, she landed in Delhi in the early 1980s with her two sons. Settling down in the PVR Anupam complex, building a new life and continuing to look after dogs as she did in Nandigram. Slowly, their numbers grew to the present strength of 400. While many people in the neighbourhood have helped her in her noble mission, some, animal haters, and those who view most poor as actual or potential criminals, have been harassing her. One of them is suspected to have got her shack set on fire causing her burn injuries and killing several of her dogs. No action was taken against anyone. She, however, stayed on and continued to care for her dogs. She is doing so now. All who value compassion and caring, must give her every assistance they can. And they must also congratulate all involved in the providential rescue of a two-month old puppy brought home from the streets with a broken leg which fell from the 17th to the 14th floor of Tower B6 at World Spa West. A little after 8:30 pm on November 3, the puppy, Bernie, apparently, in an adventurous and celebratory mood after dinner and the removal of the plaster on her leg following the healing of the fracture, decided to have a peek down the hole leading to a shaft in the building going down to the ground floor. Curiosity cost her dear. While what she did is unknown, the end result was that she fell into the shaft and went down. Her disappearance was first noticed by Zoha, a passionate animal lover, who frantically called her parents, Anju and Arjun Srivastava who, besides Bernie, had three other local canines and two beagles as pets. After running through several possibilities, they concluded that she must have gone down the shaft. Arjun, his son, Viramaditya and nephew Armaan, rushed downstairs to the guards room to seek help. The guards, in turn, alerted the maintenance staff who swung into action. Figuring out that the base of the shaft was in the ground floor lobby, they made a hole in the wall to reach it only to find that there was no puppy. They then went up to the 17th floor balcony form where Bernie had fallen and broke stone slabs to reach the shaft. That done, they flashed a torch and, fortunately, could see her below. Lowering a string tied to a stone to measure, they found that it was 35 feet to where she was, which meant it was the 14th floor and by the balcony of the flat in which Deepa and Sunil Mohindra lived. They were out at dinner at another apartment which, as luck could have it, was also in World Spa West. Receiving a call from the guards room that a dog had fallen down the shaft and that they needed to return to their flat for it to be recovered, they rushed back. Members of the maintenance staff who were waiting, said Sir This refers to the editorial, Going for broke (November 10). The smog that has engulfed Delhi and some parts of north India is mainly because of stubble burning by farmers in neighbouring areas. Resultantly, smoke gets trapped in the layers of lower atmosphere, which leads to extremely toxic air. Particulate matter enters the blood stream through the lungs, which causes serious health problems. Besides, greenhouse gases to pollution levels in a big way. Authorities in Delhi are trying various options to keep a check on high pollution levels but keeping in view the enormity of the problem, steps should have been taken before the air quality became so poor. Devendra Khurana Bhopal Sir This refers to the editorial, Was it worth it? (November 8). Demonetization anniversary on November 8 was observed by both the Union Government and the Opposition as an economic success and a black day in India s economic history respectively. It has been a year since both the Government and the Opposition have been indulging in an unabated war of words over the move which has caused mental anguish to the common man. In support of demonetisation, the common man stood in long queues in banks and ATMs to withdraw and deposit money. they would have to break a part of the wall to reach the shaft. They agreed immediately. But it was, as Sunil Mohindra put it, a tricky job, as they had to locate the precise spot where Bernie was. The maintenance staff went up again and lowered a line attached to a stone and found that it was, indeed, 35 feet. To reach her, they had to remove a stone slab measuring three feet by two feet to get at the tower s cement and concrete wall and make an opening through it. In all this, they had to be very careful and also very lucky to ensure that no part of the wall or the plaster fell on Bernie, killing her. Proceeding with extreme caution, they removed the stone slab and began hammering on the wall. After a while, when the wall had thinned somewhat, they could hear Bernie whimpering. She was alive! Now the task was to bring her out alive! A hole was made through which a hand could go in and light from a torch showed were she was. The hole, however, was not big enough for her to be taken out. One member of the maintenance stuff held on to the puppy when the hammering resumed both to reassure her and ensure that she did not slide further down if the wires and rubber pipes she stood on, began subsiding under the impact of the hammer blows! Finally, the puppy was out and, to everyone s relief, it looked all right except being in a state of shock. What happened was a miracle. But it could happen because people cared. Arjun Srivastava, Vikramaditya and Armaan were on their toes until around midnight when the puppy was rescued. Deepa and Sunil Mohindra did not think twice before agreeing to have their wall broken. And the maintenance staff did much more than travel that proverbial extra mile. Concern for the puppy, this writer was told, was writ large on their faces as they worked feverishly; so were joy and relief after taking her out alive. More, while they hammered in relay in Mohindras apartment, one held his hand on the other side of the wall, taking the full shock of each impact, to prevent pieces of plaster, that might be broken, falling on Bernie. All of them Raju Sah (supervisortechnical), Sandeep (electrician), Sukul Das (electrician), Anwar Hussain (lift operator), Netra Pal and Manoj (both plumbers), Brijesh (fire technician), Surendar (supervisor-security) and Madal Lal (security officer) deserve a huge round of cheers, as does the Board of Management, headed by Siddharth Gupta, president, and represented on the spot by Vineesh, without whose support none of all this would have been possible. (The writer is Consultant Editor, The Pioneer, and an author) Now, we have been informed that demonetisation and the Goods and Services Tax have numerous benefits. However, the claim is baseless. The upcoming Assembly elections in several States, including Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat, may answer the question whether both the moves really benefited the common man or broke their backbone. Azhar A Khan Rampur Sir This refers to the report, Five-day Odd-Even rerun from Nov 13, exemptions intact (November 10). The implementation of odd-even scheme for cars in the Capital city with too many exemptions after the worst polluted days seem to be over may prove to be simply theoretical since two-wheelers, which have been exempted, are highly polluting vehicles as they burn petrol mixed with mobile-oil. It is not understood how reducing metro fares will help curb pollution because people who desire to shift to metro are precisely those who can afford cars too. Odd-even, if applied, should be from 4 pm to 12 midnight to additionally tackle road jams because of the marriageseason. The scheme has been a boon for car-manufacturers and rich people because of doubling car-fleet with alternate numbers by rich section of society. Madhu Agrawal Delhi

9 t a time when Saudi Arabia is Acaught up in a whirling vortex of tremendous domestic and external challenges, the kingdom has given birth to a visionary and secular despot unlike earlier rulers who invoked puritanical Islamic norms to legitimise and secure their rule in Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS). King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud has allowed MBS to wield enormous power when the Government handouts have failed to keep the youth in good humour. Cashing in on the undercurrent of resentment against rampant corruption, widespread nepotism and the gilded royal members who splurge national resources on themselves, MBS launched, in the name of the King, a massive anti-corruption drive arresting over 200 (till November 9) members, including billionaire Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal and ousted head of the powerful National Guard Prince Miteb. MBS crackdown team has claimed that over $100 billion were siphoned off in the past two decades. However the timing of the ostensible anti-graft purge has raised obvious allegation: A power grab by crushing down the Crown Prince s potential rivals and hurdles to the throne, under the guise of cleaning garbage for his ambitious Vision 2030 game plan designed to get rid of the desert country s image as an oil-dependent state. End of consensus By usurping all powers, the Crown Prince has demolished the concept of consensus, among royal family members of the House of Saud, to nip in the bud any rivalry among the ruling clan. Although, according to a local custom, the King is the last word, Assabiyah (group solidarity) gives popular legitimacy to the royal authority. In the history of the kingdom, it is for the first time that ruling family members have been unceremoniously removed and persecuted publically. Ironically, nobody is talking about the precursor to the anti-graft purge. MBS ambition is seen as the sole driving force. However, the foundation for such an unprecedented crackdown on members of the House of Saud was laid by King Salman, who strategically deviated from the agnatic seniority rule to appoint his son as successor. It has been done even when the youngest and the only other member of Sudairi Seven, Prince Ahmed bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, is alive. In fact, when King Abdullah, the then monarch, had entrusted Prince Ahmed with the interior ministry an important portfolio during those times when the kingdom was reeling under security threat from al- Qaeda and the Shia uprising was at its peak in 2012, it was considered in Saudi Arabia as a confirmed ticket for Prince Ahmed to succeed then Crown Prince Salman (present King) as King. The day never came. King Salman did the trick by deviating from the custom of appointing his next younger brother (Ahmed) as the Crown Prince, and chose his nephew Muhammad bin Nayef Al Saud as the Crown Prince, only to be unceremoniously removed for King Salman s son MBS. Surprising the deposed Crown Prince Nayef, who was awarded by the CIA for his contribution to counter-terrorism, is one of the victims of the sweeping purge. When corruption is a widespread concern in the kingdom, King Salman could not choose a better moment to authorise his successor, MBS, to lead the war on corruption and consolidate his grip on power by earning kudos from the public. New West Asian Order The Crown Prince s challenges are not limited to domestic ones. Saudi Arabia has long been facing hurdles in creating a new West Asian Order, an alignment that suits to the interest of the kingdom. It has been customary in Saudi Arabia for all kings to acknowledge themselves as custodians of two holiest places among Muslims Mecca and Medina to accentuate their leadership of Muslim-majority countries. This caused the kingdom to espouse the puritanical Islamic norms and assume charge as protector of the faithful and destroyer of the heretics such as Shias. However, in reality the conflict has seldom been driven by Sunni-Shia hatred, but the sectarian perception gives a peculiar twist to the predicament. Seen in this context, Shia-majority Iran, with its own brand of Islamism, is a natural rival in public perception in Saudi Arabia, but in reality even the kingdom considers it an arch rival, albeit because it threatens Saudi hegemony in the Muslim world. Iran too considers Saudis are trying to create in the West Asia and North Africa (WANA) region a new order that is inimical to the interest of Teheran. The result is interference by Saudis and Iran in the internal and external affairs of sovereign nations of WANA. Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri is the latest casualty of MSB s foreign policy. Sunni-majority Qatar is already angry for the ill-treatment by the kingdom and four of its Gulf neighbours on the charge of hobnobbing with Shia Iran. MBS needs to work for further realignment against the backdrop of the void created by the collapse of ISIS as a functioning entity in Iraq. The Crown Prince s task is more difficult as depending on who fills the space left by ISIS will have a major impact on the US security interests in the region. MBS new war against Iran and his willingness to sign huge defence deal with the US have already made him the darling of the Trump administration. Now, MBS is trying to keep a balance between Russia and the US. The main objective is not to have Russia place all its cards in the region behind Iran, MBS has reported to have said. The endgame At the outset, the anti-corruption crackdown on high-ups and the Crown Prince s overt endeavour to modernise the economy by shedding the total dependence on oil when its prices have been on the wane have created a good perception among the public, but the way the arrests particularly of those considered as hurdles to MBS elevation to the throne were made without credible evidence has stirred up a hornets nest. Though there is no overt resistance against the sweeping purge to the contrary some denizens have showered praises on MBS on social media the move is fraught with danger as deeply tribal Saudi Arabian history is witness to the consequences of public insult to royal family patriarchs or tribal heads/representatives in power. Therefore, the Crown Prince needs to keep the tribal lords and the clerics in good humour as the House of Saud takes legitimacy in Wahabi Islam to rule the Kingdom. His idea of moderate Islam is set to ruffle a few feathers of a section of the cleric, but its seems MBS is relying on the ultra-conservative religious establishments, which have in the past thrown their weight behind the Kings in the time of crises, to extend at least silent support to his agenda of modernising Saudi Arabia. MBS ambitious economic reforms will also face challenges as the no taxation, no representation premise based on the other royal legitimacy rentierism that ensures free social economic services to the citizens will take a hit. Two other biggest hurdles for him are unemployment and housing. Admitting reservations among the public about his agenda, he had told an investors conference in Riyadh, If the Saudi people are convinced, the sky is the limit. But that sky has several other potential dark clouds. For example, if the kingdom obliges US President Donald Trump by listing Aramco at the New York Stock Exchange, it may face the danger of seizure by the US authorities under the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act, which gave a legal option to the families of 9/11 victims to pursue a civil suit against Saudi Arabia to seek damages for its alleged involvement in the terror plot. Also there is uncertainty as to how much Vision 2030 will be successful in creating jobs. The question has arisen considering the fact that Neom the planned investors hub where companies will not be bound by the local rules is expected to employ more machines than people. On the external front, MBS has not been very successful. He has been leading a team to increase the kingdom s regional influence and stem the expansion of the Shia crescent. His Yemen operation has cost the Saudi exchequer heavily, but MBS has failed to install his favourite Government there. Instead it took several innocent lives. In fact, the war helped Iran bolster its position as the defender of human rights in the Muslim world. However, it will be injustice to write MSB off at the moment as the churning stirred by the ostensible anti-corruption purge is still going on. The young imminent successor to the throne must be given time and support to establish and prove his leadership credentials. (The writer is Associate Editor, The Pioneer) ladimir Putin, the current Russian VPresident, has made obviously more headlines than the much-talked about celebration of the 100th year of the historic October Revolution last month across the globe, including its homeland. His date with Kremlin in a very unusual style for more than one-and-a-half decade has set his persona as no less than a charismatic leader. His Russia has an edge over many powerful nations of Asia and Europe. At a time when Europe is encountering the fall of the great European unity (mostly from within, the last being Catalonian crisis in Spain), Russia is quietly demonstrating its stability under Putin. Precisely, Russia today is capable of bringing back its imperial glory to millions of young people who are offering support to Putin. Therefore, his Russia is fast creating a sense of stability and strength for a long period than the turbulent days of Mikhail Gorbachev and Boris Yeltsin of the 1990s. When the centenary of the Revolution came this October, what the whole world witnessed was more of a celebration of Putin s achievements in power since 1999 than anything else. Indeed official silence on the Revolution speaks volumes about the wariness of the country s ruling elite, especially about President Putin. Though a few public exhibitions displayed the greatness of the two revolutions one in February which overthrew the imperial Government and second in October which brought the Bolsheviks to power under the legendary leadership of Vladimir Lenin yet the current official narrative truly ignored the spirit behind the Revolution in all spheres of political system. This is all because of the fact that today s political elite, mostly the ex- KGB men, their close family relatives and cronies in the industry have actually grabbed each and every opportunities across the country. And clearly all of them want the new Tsar to continue so as to exploit the system in their favour. Hence Russia cannot expect any Revolution to emerge in the present political, social and economic environment of the country. Neither is it engaged in any war-like situation as it was in the peak days of Besides, the energy, the enthusiasm and particularly the revolutionary fervour spread by a tall figure in Russian society is truly lacking. Many political and strategic commentators on Russia opine that today the Russian elite are far more consolidated around Putin than they were once around Tsar Nicholas II. It is all evident that the way Putin has modelled and wielded power through the organs of the State resembles more of a Tsar of the yesteryears than any grand politiburo chief of the former USSR. The litany of horrors brought forth by Putin is indicating the re-emergence of a Tsarist rule in its most modern form in Russia. First of all, he has sent hundreds of spies around the world, especially to Britain, than there were during the Cold War. He has carried out vendettas outside Russia in the same way it was done in the heydays of the USSR, but in a more sophisticated manner to convey to the rest of the world that a new emperor is back. His Government is believed to have murdered many activists, journalists and Opposition leaders in the recent past. In fact, it has been creating more tension and terror since he has assumed office. Putin was rediscovered as a super hero by the Russians when for the first time he came in public in the wake of the war in Chechnya in When the bombing of the apartments took place in Moscow and some other cities in that very year, the blame was passed on to dreaded Chechen rebels. And Putin appeared as no other than a saviour to the helpless Russians who were desperately looking for a strong leader who could bring back their confidence and put back the country as a great power on the global stage. Putin took full advantage of this situation and promised his countrymen a better future for the first time since the coming of the post- Soviet era. This all worked like a magic as those were the last few days of the ailing and dying President Yeltsin. Russia s annexation of Crimea in 2014 was regarded as the first unilateral land grab in Europe since 1945 and it really shocked the whole world, particularly the NATO allies in and around the former USSR. The Russian military, which has so far assumed a new role, had gone to intervene in Donbas region of Ukraine, took aggressive positions both in Chechnya and Georgia and finally entered the battleground in Syria to save one of Russia s old allies. Since Russia s entry into West Asia, the geopolitics of the region has taken entirely a different turn. Putin has acted like a life jacket for the embattled Syrian President Bashar al Assad, who was almost on the verge of losing his power. This has above all given him a status not less than the country s most ruthless ruler, Stalin, who was known for brutally executing his agenda. Surely, Putin needs to be taken seriously by the leaders in the West. The western observers and policymakers have misread him simply as a strategist. He is working more like a Tsar and consolidating power in every possible way. The supporters of Opposition leader Alexei Navalny echoed slogans across St Petersburg this October, Down with the Tsar. The authoritative book titled Mr Putin: Operative in the Kremlin, written by Fiona Hill and Clifford G Gaddy in 2015, clearly cautions the Western leaders in this manner: First, many in the West underestimated Putin s willingness to fight, for as long and as hard (as dirty) as he needs to achieve his goals. Vladimir Putin will use all methods available and he will be ruthless. Second, Western observers misread his skill as a strategist. Putin is not, as some have said, a mere tactician. He thinks strategically and he has great advantages over the Western leaders in his ability to translate that thinking into action. Both the authors were absolutely right and the whole world can witness how he has worked and turned situations in his favour to project himself as Hobson s choice in Russia. But then what has helped him to rise beyond the rank of a very stereotypical KGB man to the status of one of the most powerful rulers of Russia? Putin knows very well that his country does not have the industrial and economic might to sustain a long drawn war against the West. Still, Russia is beefing up its armed forces and keeping its forces on a war gear for some time now. It s bringing a new identity to one of the world s largest forces. But today, Russia s position is less secure than that during the 1980s. It was a time when the USSR could no longer hold back its East European allies and the socialist satellite nations around the world for its dying economy. What Putin is fighting for is self respect of his country. He wants to invoke history to regain the control of the old Russian Empire. It is no other than the fear of being encircled by either NATO or other Western countries as many of the former Russian republics have already moved into the closet of the West. Putin is a fighter and a survivalist. Though his United Russia Party has been described as a collection of crooks and thugs by Navalny, it rules and does what makes him stronger in every possible way. Just two days before Yeltsin handing over power to Putin in December 29, 1999, in a manifesto titled Russia on the Threshold of the New Millennium, Putin formally declared the supremacy of the Gosudarstvo. This word refers to an extension of the Tsar as the final source of order and authority. It seems he has sent a clear signal to the people of Russia and to the world what he exactly aspired to do. In subsequent years, he has been able to display unity with his people like any other Tsar in the past. He is truly wedded to the Russian people and no one can dare to stand between the people and his persona. He has established this thread through the Statesponsored media houses and has always tried to project himself not as an ambitious politician, but only as an honest slave of the masses like any other Russian monarch. He smartly justifies Kremlin s monopoly over politics and the rising economy by evoking Tsarist rule of the past. He does it beautifully by calling upon cultural stereotypes of the past Russian society. This is working fantastically for now, but then no one knows what kind a dangerous vacuum Putin will create once he retires from formal politics. However, Tsarist legitimacy cannot be passed on to the next generation. This will indirectly question the very presence of the larger than life image of Putin. This increased preponderance of power in the corridors of Kremlin will lead to an unmanageable situation for the Russians who might see another breakdown much worse than the chaos of the 1990s. Whatsoever it may be, Russia s meandering across the Putin agenda will not help the country stabilise in future. Russia would probably be unwieldy once he exits from the political scene. The reasons are not far to seek. He is even not allowing his own party to project someone as his successor. Because once it is done, the myth around him will be no more there. He has been projected by the State, his cronies and the official media as the only legitimate power centre which can effectively rule the country. Hence an Opposition party or a strong leader, emerging to challenge him at any time would be similar to dethroning him from the Kremlin. Today, a strong voice like that of Navalny, who is on his way to challenge Putin in the next year s presidential poll, will probably change the political landscape of the country. But by now, Kremlin has branded him as a violent ultra-nationalist and at times as a pro-american liberal. Further, the Russian state has declared him ineligible to run for the presidential election next year as he is convicted in a case related to embezzlement in But he is contesting any way even if Moscow uses all types of terror tactics (both mental and physical). And for sure, Putin will employ all his KGB-style methods to deal with Navalny. How fearful Putin is about the presence of him can be observed very well in some recent instances: On October 2, a few days after Navalny s tour to the country s Far East region, he and his campaign chief were jailed for 20 days. It was an attempt by the Kremlin to stop him from staging a huge rally in St Petersburg, the hometown of the President on the very birthday of Putin. Unfortunately, thousands marched without Navalny and raised prominent slogans such as Russia without Putin by painting their faces with both the Russian flags and a large N. What does all this mean? The reordering of Russia by Putin may not herald a new era to this land symbolised by rich history, culture and traditions. There could have been an alternative or a different way to make Russia great again. The new oligarchs who are jostling for power, profit and position may not even support Putin when he falls. They are a new brand of opportunists who are ashamed of identifying themselves with the ethos of the October Revolution. Bringing home a modern state in such a situation wherein hardly there is any chance for an Opposition and social activism growing, the new generation of the Russians may have to think of a silent revolution so as to secure their future. Let us wait and watch who brings this Nadezhda, (the Russian word for hope). (The writer is an expert on international affairs)

10 NEW DELHI: Industrial production grew at a slower pace of 3.8 per cent in September, mainly due to subdued performance of the manufacturing sector coupled with contraction in output of consumer durables. Factory output measured in terms of the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) rose 5 per cent in September 2016 and 4.5 per cent in August this year, data released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) showed on Friday. According to the data, IIP grew at a meagre 2.5 per cent in April-September this fiscal compared to 5.8 per cent in the first half of In September, growth in the manufacturing, which accounts for per cent of the index, slowed to 3.4 per cent, from 5.8 per cent a year earlier. During April- September, manufacturing grew at 1.9 per cent, down from 6.1 per cent in the same period last fiscal. Consumer durable goods output contracted by 4.8 per cent in September as against a growth of 10.3 per cent in the previous year. During the first half of this fiscal, the output of these goods declined by 1.5 per cent as against a growth of 6.9 per cent last year. Electricity generation growth slipped to 3.4 per cent in September compared to 5.1 per cent a year before. However, mining recorded a growth of 7.9 per cent in the month under review as against a contraction of 1.2 per cent a year ago. According to the usebased classification, growth rates in September 2017 came in at 6.6 per cent for primary goods, 7.4 per cent for capital goods, 1.9 per cent for intermediate goods and 0.5 per cent for infrastructuregoods compared to the previous year. PNS S tate Bank on Friday reported a group net of 1, crore for September quarter, boosted by the gains from the public offer in its life insurance arm and a very low base when it had a paltry crore of profit. Since the nation's largest lender had merged its five associate banks and Bharatiya Mahila Bank from April this year, the numbers are not comparable. However, on consolidated basis, the merged entity would have made a loss of 557 crore in the same period last fiscal, as the associate banks had incurred huge losses due to higher slippages after the RBI's asset quality review forcing them to make additional provisions. On standalone basis, net profit plunged to 1,582 crore from 2, crore a year ago. In absolute terms, gross bad loans rose to 1,86, crore or 9.83 per cent from 1,05, crore or 7.1 per cent, while net NPAs rose to 97, crore or 5.43 per cent from 60, crore or 4.19 per cent. However, on a sequential basis, gross NPAs and net NPAs improved a bit to 9.97 per cent and 5.97 per cent, respectively. Fresh slippages stood at 9,026 crore in the reporting quarter. Commenting on the numbers, which was lapped up by the market with an over he nine-million tonne mega project Tof Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL), the Barmer refinery plant in Rajasthan, is on the track and the company is expected to complete the project by March The State-run oil retailer also plans to invest over 40,000 crore in the Barmer project, while over 7,000 crore will be spent initially in this financial year, according to a top official of the company. We have got all the approvals for setting up our proposed mega refinery complex at Barmer in Rajasthan. As of now, the project is on the track and all the land deed has been completed and the environment clearance has been given a goahead for the project. As far as non-plant related tender activities are concerned, our team has already initiated the process and we expect to complete the project by 2022 for the 9-Million Tonne (MT) refinery plant in barmer, the official told The Pioneer. As for total investment, we plan to invest over 40,000 crore in the project, where 7,100 crore has been planned to invest in the current financial year, he added. Keeping Prime Minister Narendra Modi s aspiration intact to cut the oil import significantly and increase the oil output capacity in the country, HPCL has been making its all-out efforts to meet its demand in the near future. However, confirming the development on the Barmer project, HPCL Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) MK Surana said, The Government approval is already in place 6 per cent rally, SBI Chairman Rajnish Kumar said, this is a very satisfying quarter as far as our performance is concerned. If you look at our operating income, the story is very strong. Our retail franchise is giving us tremendous support in these times and digital offering also remains very strong, he told reporters on a concall on his maiden earnings presser after assuming office last month. During the reporting quarter, State Bank of India sold its shares in life insurance business SBI Life for 5,436 crore. Domestic net interest margin declined in the quarter to 2.59 per cent from 2.98 per cent a year ago. Net interest income rose a tad to 18,586 crore from 18,119 crore. On asset quality, the chairman said we are capable of handling NPAs and we'll emerge stronger. Just wait for a few more quarters and you will see improvements. The watch list has come down from 24,000 crore to 21,000 crore in the quarter and fresh slippages stood at 9,026 crore. The slippage ratio declined to 1.85 per cent from 5.38 per cent in the first quarter. The bank upgraded 1,113 crore of loans while recovered 2,210 crore. Total provision rose to 18,418 crore from 14,546 crore. The bank parked a part of the IPO proceeds from SBI Life for accelerated provisioning taking its provision coverage ratio to per cent. NEW DELHI: The Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM) on Friday made a case for incentivising states for achieving results in sectors like health and education, an official statement said. The EAC-PM, headed by Niti Aayog Member Bibek Debroy, at its meeting took stock of the prevailing economic situation and spelt out a clear road map for stepping up skill development, job creation and enhanced resource investment in the social sector - including for health and education and boosting infrastructure financing. It formulated far-reaching recommendations to guide the evolving framework for the Fifteenth Finance Commission, including the incentivisation of states for achieving health, education and social inclusion outcomes, the release said. The Council is also evolving the design of a new Economy Tracking Monitor, linking economic growth indicators with social metrics for last-mile connectivity. Presentations by experts were made to the Council on key themes, including infrastructure financing by Debroy. He underlined the need for infrastructure financing to be accorded high priority, with new mechanisms for a risk coverage umbrella. The unique feature of the new Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister is turning out to be its ability to link economic growth with social aspects, with greater last-mile connectivity, the release said. Its value addition as an independent institutional mechanism for providing informed advice to the Prime Minister is increasingly being recognised, it added. PTI P assenger vehicle (PV) sales declined to 2,79,837 units in October from 2,80,677 units in the same month last year, the first decline in four months with companies resorting to inventory correction, according to the data released by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) on Friday. Car sales were also down 5.32 per cent to 1,84,666 units last month as against 1,95,036 units in October last year. This is also the first decline since June this year when car sales declined by per cent. The festive season could have been a lot better but this is not necessarily a reflection of market sentiment. It is a temporary blip...the decline in sales is more to do with inventory correction by the manufacturers, SIAM Director General Vishnu Mathur said here. From July to September there was inventory build up by manufacturers at dealerships ahead of the festival purchases and in October they have reduced dispatches, he added. The last drop in PV sales this year was in June when the dispatches declined by per cent, Mathur said. The decline was also reflected in the overall vehicle sales across categories, which stood at 21,62,164 units as against 22,01,489 units in October 2016, down 1.79 per cent. This is the first decline since January this year. and a land deal has been signed. Boundary wall constructions have already started. The configuration part is over and we have started RFPs for process licences. In Barmer, we are planning an investment of 43,129 crore, which we are planning to complete in The oil and gas retailer is looking forward to expand its refineries aggressively in the near future. HPCL also informed that project activities for Vizag Refinery Modernization project and Mumbai Refinery expansion project are on track. We are expanding the Vizag refinery from 8.3 MT to 15 MT, expanding the Mumbai refinery from 7.5 MT to In the passenger vehicle segment, Maruti Suzuki India posted a growth of 9.25 per cent at 1,35,413 units but that of Hyundai Motor India was down 0.86 per cent at 49,588 units. Mahindra & Mahindra also posted a decline of 5.35 per cent at 23,413 units although homegrown rival Tata Motors saw a growth of 3.22 per cent at 18,314 units in October this year. Total two-wheeler sales also dropped in October by 2.76 per cent to 17,50,966 units compared to 18,00,668 units in the year-ago month. This is the first decline in the segment since February this year. Motorcycle sales last month also declined by 3.50 per cent to 11,04,498 units compared to 11,44,512 units in October Market leader Hero MotoCorp posted domestic sales of 5,40,552 units as against 5,61,427 units in the year-ago month, down 3.72 per cent. Rival Bajaj Auto saw its bike sales dropping marginally to 2,11,553 units as against 2,12,997 units in the same month last year. Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI) also saw its sales dropping by per cent to 1,44,431 units as against 1,67,496 units in October MT, and setting up a new 9-MT refinery in Barmer as well, Surana added. As far as the Vizag refinery is concerned, he further said, We will be investing 20,000 crore. The two phases of the Mumbai refinery will come to the tune of 8,500 crore. We will invest another 35,000 crore in marketing infrastructure. In total, we are planning about 60,000 crore worth of investments. When asked about demand of petroleum products in India, Surana said, India has the potential to develop as a refining country. In terms of petrochemicals, demand is growing and our per capita consumption is very low. I think the demand for overall petroleum products is set to grow at around 4-5 per cent. Considering the population that we have, demand will increase because of the availability of money in the hands of people, greater tendency of people to use vehicles than what it used to be. NEW DELHI: GST Network on Friday said businesses can now make changes to the forms uploaded on the portal to claim transition credit. The facility to revise Form GST TRAN-1 declaration has been introduced on the GST Portal for taxpayers who had already filed it prior to November 9, 2017, GSTN said in a statement. Form TRAN-1 declaration is to be filed by persons registered under GST law who wish to claim credit for taxes paid under pre-gst regime. The functionality to fill the claim form was provided on the GSTN portal in August The Government in September allowed for one-time revision of TRAN-1. The facility to revise TRAN-1 declaration has been enabled for taxpayers who had already filed it, the GSTN statement said. PNS

11 MUMBAI: Markets managed to beat a spell of fluctuations towards the fag end on Friday and closed with modest gains, giving a guarded response to the GST Council's decision to reduce tax rate on a host of daily-use items. After some dithering, the 30- share Sensex scaled the day's high of 33, after the GST Council slashed tax rates, but closed at 33,314.56, a moderate gain of points, or 0.19 per cent. The gauge had inched up points on Thursday. The NSE 50-share index Nifty finished higher by points, or 0.12 per cent, at 10, For the week, the Sensex recorded a fall of 371 points, or 1.10 per cent, and the NSE Nifty points, or 1.25 per cent. The GST Council on Friday provided some relief to several sectors by slashing tax rates on a host of consumer items -- from chewing gums to detergents -- to 18 per cent from the current 28 per cent. It also trimmed the list of items attracting the top 28 per cent tax rate to just 50, from the 227 previously. In effect, the Council, at its 23rd meet, slashed rates on 177 goods. The outcome of the GST Council will decide the trajectory of some sectors like consumer durables, auto ancillaries, infra and building products. Weaknesses in global market and rising oil prices may push investors to turn conservative on the board market, said Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Financial Services Ltd. Other Asian shares traded mixed following political developments in Saudi Arabia and a surging oil, tracking overnight weakness at Wall Street amid fears of delay in US corporate tax cut. European shares were down. The country's largest lender, SBI, surged 6.20 per cent to the maximum jump in the Sensex kitty -- after the company today posted strong quarterly earnings. L&T followed with a gain of 3.90 per cent after the company's construction won big job orders. Other big gainers included Hindustan Unilever, M&M, ICICI Bank, Bajaj Auto and PowerGrid, rising up to 2.99 per cent. Domestic institutional investors (DIIs) stuck to their buying behaviour, picking up shares net crore. raders body CAIT on Friday Tsaid the move to cut GST rates on over 200 items, saying the relief granted to businesses and consumers will be a game changer in simplifying the tax regime and encourage its wider adoption. In a statement, the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) said in the wake of current situation where traders are a depressed lot, such relief were much awaited. It is estimated that by reducing tax and likely increase in composition limit, the Government will suffer a loss of about 34,000 crore rupees. If NEW DELHI: The telecom regulator continues to examine all plans by operators including bundled and cashback offers, and will intervene in case it finds anything contrary to the regulations, TRAI Chairman RS Sharma said on Friday. Sharma refused to be drawn into commenting on the new plans by any specific operator but emphasised that examination of offers unveiled by telcos is a continuous process of the TRAI. The TRAI chief was responding to a query on the telecom operators teaming up with handset makers to bring low-cost bundled handsets into the market. Also, newcomer Jio has yet again opened a new front in price war by lining up cashback and vouchers on certain recharges. I don't want to comment on operator-specific plans. All offers by telcos to the customers are continuously examined in TRAI including bundled traders are taken in confidence and various procedures are eased, the trading community will ensure compensation of such losses by making all efforts to widen the tax net base, CAIT said. Industry body Assocham said the decision of the GST Council would lead to a pickup in consumer demand and significantly revive the business sentiment. Assocham Secretary General DS Rawat said, The increase in the composition scheme threshold would make life much easier for the small business entities. He added that the impact of these changes would be positively felt in the next few months. As many as 178 items of daily use were shifted from top tax bracket of 28 per cent to 18 offers, including cashback offers and other kinds of offers...so we will continue to examine them, Sharma told PTI. He asserted that in case TRAI found anything contrary to the regulations during the course of its examination, it would immediately reach out to the concerned operator to stop the said plan. At the same time, he pointed out, telecom tariffs are under forbearance (operators are only required to report their plans to the regulator within seven days of launching them). Another TRAI official who did not wish to be named said that while individual plans are continuously looked into, the regulator is happy with the accelerated pace of conversion of devices into 4G and VoLTE (Voice over Long-Term Evolution) compliant smartphones as it will ensure that the handsets too are compatible with modern technologies being deployed at the back-end by operators. PTI NEW DELHI: Cement manufacturers on Friday expressed disappointment over the GST council retaining cement in the highest slab of 28 per cent saying clubbing the construction material along with luxury item is quite unfortunate. The Cement Manufacturers Industry (CMA) said it was disappointment for the entire industry, which is integral to the Government's key schemes such as housing for all, Swachh Bharat related constructions and building and other key infrastructure projects. PTI NEW DELHI: Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL), which has recently introduced RElan - a portfolio of specialty fabrics, is in talks with several apparel brands for co-branding of apparels, a top company official said. Besides, RIL is also adopting a B-2-B-2-C approach under its HEP (Hub Excellence Program) in which it is forging partnerships with textile manufacturers to provide technology to manufacture high performance fabrics RElan. We are taking the high quality and high performance products to the consumers in tie-up with the per cent, while a uniform 5 per cent tax was prescribed for all restaurants, both air- conditioned and non-ac, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said. Currently, 12 per cent GST on food bill is levied in non-ac restaurants and 18 per cent GST for AC restaurants. All these got input tax credit, a facility to set off tax paid on inputs with final tax. The traders' body, CAIT, further said these measures will mitigate practical difficulties for smooth execution and adoption of goods and services tax (GST) by small traders. It said the move which will help the trading community tide over the initial teething problems that are being faced in the aftermath of the transition to the GST regime. CAIT further said that there are issues with the non- performance of the GST portal which need to be taken up on immediate priority. The all-powerful GST Council pruned the list of items in the top 28 per cent Goods and Services Tax (GST) slab to just 50 from current 228. So, only luxury and sins goods are now only in highest tax bracket and items of daily use are shifted to 18 per cent. Chewing gum, chocolates, coffee, custard power, marble and granite, dental hygiene products, polishes and creams, sanitary ware, leather clothing, artificial fur, wigs, cookers, stoves, after-shave, deodorant, detergent and washing power, razors and blades, cutlery, storage water heater, batteries, goggles, wrist watches and mattress are among the products on which tax rate has been cut from 28 per cent to 18 per cent. The top tax rate is now restricted to luxury and demerit goods like pan masala, aerated water and beverages, cigars and cigarettes, tobacco products, cement, paints, perfumes, ACs, dish washing machine, washing machine, refrigerators, vacuum cleaners, cars and twowheelers, aircrafts and yachts. brands. We have identified certain products, a Reliance Industries spokesperson said. The categories include denim, ethnic wear, formal wear, women's wear. RIL has entered into partnership with US-based VF Corporation, owner of the Wrangler brand and the largest denim player globally. We have already tied up with VF Corporation, which would be launching Wrangler Jeans under our fibre. They would be launching in India and Asia Pacific markets, he said. PTI

12 US Congress has tasked Tthe Pentagon to develop a forward-looking strategy to build an enduring defence relationship with India in line with its designation last year as a Major Defence Partner of the United States. The Congress s directive is set out in the National Defence Authorisation Act for 2018 after reconciling the differences between the Senate and House versions of the omnibus legislation through the conference mechanism. The legislation that also sets the limit for disbursements to Pakistan under Coalition Support Funds at $700 million for fiscal 2018 extends the conditionality, Danang (Vietnam): US President Donald Trump will not hold a meeting with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of a regional summit in Vietnam, the White House said today after the two countries sent mixed messages about the encounter. Relations between Moscow and Washington have plummeted as a US probe has accused Trump s former campaign aides of secretly meeting Kremlin-connected officials - a charge Moscow denies. Both leaders are attending the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in the city of Danang and there had been conflicting indications as to whether a face-toface was on the cards. Regarding a Putin meeting, there was never a meeting confirmed, and there will not be one that takes place due to scheduling conflicts on both sides, press secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters just before Air Force One touched down in the Vietnamese beach resort city. AFP S President Donald Trump Uon Friday said the Asia- Pacific region was being held hostage by the twisted fantasies of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, as he called on countries to stand united against Pyongyang. Trump has embarked on a tour of Asia this week trying to rally regional support for curbing North Korea s nuclear tying 50 per cent of the funding to Islamabad s demonstrable steps against terror outfits Haqqani Network and Lashkar-e-Tayyeba. Making its case for beefing up defence ties with India, the Senate-House conference document says the modified provisions of the Act require the Secretary of Defence to develop a forward-looking strategy that would build upon current objectives and goals, underlining a mutual desire to develop an enduring defence relationship with India. Noting that the Major Defence Partner designation is unique to India, the report says the reconciled version of the legislation institutionalises the progress made to facilitate defence trade and technology cooperation between the United States and India to a level commensurate with the closest allies and partners of the United States. The designation also promotes joint exercises, defence strategy and policy coordination, military exchanges, and port calls in support of defence cooperation between the two countries. In respect of cooperation on Afghanistan, the document said, The United States and India should work closely with Afghanistan to promote stability in the region to include targeted infrastructure development and economic investment, means to address capability gaps in country, and improved humanitarian and disaster relief assistance. weapons programme, warning that time is running out over the crisis. The future of this region and its beautiful people must not be held hostage to a dictator s twisted fantasies of violent conquest and nuclear blackmail, he said during a speech in Vietnam to the annual Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum. The region, he added, must stand united in declaring that every single step the North Danang (Vietnam): US President Donald Trump arrived in Vietnam on Friday where he is expected to flesh out his America First vision for the future of world commerce, fresh from a visit to fellow superpower China which is pitching itself as the new architect of global free trade. Trump, who tweeted his arrival shortly after stepping off Air Force One at Danang airport, is likely to press his protectionist doctrine when he addresses The report requires the Pentagon and the State Department to brief the appropriate Congressional committees within 90 days of commencement of the Act, and every year thereafter, on the actions taken by them to promote US-India defence cooperation. Following the reconciliation exercise, the National Defence Authorisation Act 2018 will now go back to the House and the Senate for a formal approval and then head to the White House for the President s signature. As for Pakistan, the reconciled legislation says that of the total amount of $900 million that may be provided under Coalition Support Funds during fiscal 2018, the amount for Korean regime takes toward more weapons is a step it takes into greater and greater danger. The US administration thinks China s economic leverage over North Korea is the key to strong-arming Pyongyang into halting its nuclear weapons and missile programmes. On Thursday, Trump was in Beijing meeting President Xi Jinping, where he called on China to act fast over North Korea. CEOs ahead of the APEC forum. In a day mixing big hitters of politics and business, Trump will share the venue with world leaders including Russia s Vladimir Putin, Japan s Shinzo Abe and China s Xi Jinping. Xi will also deliver a speech, likely to double down on his commitment, delivered at the recent Communist Party Congress, that China is ready and able to step into the role of global free trade leader vacated by America. Pakistan would be limited to $700 million. The provision would also extend for one year certain notifications and certification requirements relating to payments to Pakistan, it says, adding: The provision would make $350.0 million of this amount contingent upon certification from the Secretary of Defense that Pakistan is taking demonstrable steps against the Haqqani Network and Lashkar-e-Tayyiba in Pakistan. The House recedes with an amendment that would extend the CSF authority through December 31, 2018 and remove Lashkar-e- Tayyeba from those certification requirements not eligible for a national security waiver, it said. Islamabad: Pakistan will construct community bunkers on the Line of Control (LoC) to protect civilians from firing by Indian troops, Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said on Friday. Abbasi accompanied by Chief of Army Staff Qamar Javed Bajwa and PoK Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider visited the Chirikot sector of the LoC, the Pakistan Army said in a statement. While interacting with families of those killed and injured in the cross-border firing, Abbasi appreciated their determination and resolve. He announced enhancement in financial assistance to the families of those killed or injured in the firing and approved funds to develop community protection bunkers for the safety of civilians, according to the statement. PTI

13 N oted theatreperson Manav Kaul, who has been experimenting with theatre to an extent that he believes the medium won t grow until it is turned inside out, is a practical man. Much as he loves shuttling between cities for his new play Chuhal, he says his character roles in mainstream Hindi cinema have given him the dough to lead a good life. And the two media never collide because he knows the limits of each. In town to promote Tumhari Sulu, where he plays Vidya Balan s husband, he never forgets to mention how he continues to be loyal to his play Chuhal. Yesterday I was performing at a theatre festival in Hyderabad and have hardly got any sleep, he tells us. Chuhal, dealing with two people who want to retain their individuality while forging a relationship, was staged at Old World Theatre Festival last year. Inspired by Charles Bukowski, Vinod Kumar Shukla, Franz Kafka and Nirmal Verma, Kaul was so particular about Chuhal that he changed the ending thrice till all cast members approved of it. That s how precise he is. After playing several characters in Kai Po Che and Wazir, how did you end up signing for the male lead in Tumhari Sulu? It was the director who thought I could do this because of the kind of onscreen characters I have played before (Kaul essayed a charismatic and fanatical right-wing politician in Kai Po Che! and in Wazir, he played off against Amitabh Bachchan as a murder suspect. A new film, Maroon, about an insomniac professor, will have a digital premiere). Normally, theatre actors get picked up for character roles but their malleability is what today s filmmakers are banking upon. I gave my audition, they liked it and that is all there is to it. Vidya is such a fine actor, it was a treat to work with her. We just clicked on the day we met. I read the script and knew that everyone would connect with this film, thinking this is us. What attracted you to the story, considering you are very demanding when it comes to the scripts of your plays? First of all, we haven t seen a Hrishikesh Mukherjee kind of film in a long time. People have reacted positively to the trailer and songs because the story is fresh and real. There is a positivity around the film and the trailer and songs are an extension of that. When I read the script, I called Suresh Triveni asking how he did it. Because it is very difficult to write about simplicity. Then I got to know him as a person and let me tell you he finds humour in the mundane bits of life. He laughs at small things. I told him that you are blessed and that worldview is very much required in today s times. The husband of Sulu seems indulgent and supportive, gentle and kind. As a male lead how does your character challenge stereotypes? The best part about Ashok (Kaul s character) is that he knows Sulu the best. So he never says no to her as he knows that there is huge entertainment involved in the task that she proposes. Sulu is filled with the attitude that she can do anything. They (Sulu and Ashok) dance together in the confines of their house which is very normal and middle class. Even after 12 years of marriage, this trust in and comfort with each other make them explore life. This is a reality with most regular couples I know and not some social discovery. Ashok doesn t break any stereotype, he is just too real. Even in mainstream commercial formats, the change is evident. In the good old days, songs were about hero chasing the heroine. Now there are no films in which the hero says, you have to be mine, unless he is a negative or dark character. In today s times, a man and woman have to be supportive about each other. This is Sulu s story and yet it gave me so much to bring to the table as Vidya took care of the rhythm of the film. My character is written very well, people will love it. Ashok is very much like my own brother. Initially, my brother was not happy with his wife working but now they have much more to talk about as they both fill in each other on their experiences. They support each other. Every relationship has to be balanced. The humour of the film is brought about by the housewife who creates drama, and the man who shares it. What are the changes you would love to see in theatre as a playwright and director? I write experimental theatre and have never tried to earn money from it. I stage plays because I love writing. When I started doing plays, I knew there would be no money. So I didn t complain as I had made a conscious choice. It pays you enough for a simple living but with experimental theatre, there are 50 per cent chances of failure and you have to take that risk. Commercial theatre is like doing a bad film and earning money from it. The point of doing theatre is that you can say and do things which you can never even imagine and that s what I am interested in, have done and am still doing. I do films, theatre, write short stories and travel. So I have no holistic idea about the theatre scenario. But I will say this, theatre has amazing talent. Young stars like Abhishek Majumdar are doing good work. I also think theatre needs to be pushed to another level as it s a fluid form. People are not experimenting with theatre much, considering the digital and film media rule our consciousness. For example, there is an image-based theatre movement in Germany which is showcased through images. We can change the language of theatre but it s not happening. One of my own plays, Park, can be staged in any park with three benches. The digital platform has allowed for a confluence of various artistes across genres. What does it do for a creative artiste like you? It allows me to assess talent and let me tell you some of it is so good that it encourages you to change your script. Every production house is searching for good scripts and the moment they see talent that can translate it onscreen, they go for it. There is a risk here Everything you do on the internet better be good to get noticed. Eventually only the good will survive. So people are working hard wherever they are. I love the entertainment industry because it is very brutal. If you are good (at your job), they will receive you with both hands. If not, they will tell you as it is. There is no illusion. There is a perceived environment that seems to limit creativity. Your take? We are not approaching contentious issues in a right manner, afraid that something might go wrong. You are actually highlighting the oddities by banning films. Once you ban a film, there is too much unhealthy curiosity about it and it becomes an unnecessary talking point. India is such a diverse country that it can digest anything. And if a film is genuinely flawed, the audience can sink it noiselessly. Only the good films last in the end. So artistes should say things freely, there should be absolute freedom. ecently Tabu revealed her skin care mantras. She Rbelieves that lifestyle and diet play a crucial rule when it comes to having great skin. Tabu said, Fortunately, and unfortunately for my profession, I don t have a choice but to be camera-ready and for that, I think confidence comes from having great skin and that comes from combination of things. My mother put a lot of importance on us eating right as kids. Tabu divulged details on her skincare routine, My mother made sure we ate plenty of fruits, and greens. Now, I ensure that I follow the most important steps for skincare which include eating healthy, staying hydrated, exercising regularly and most importantly, moisturisation. For a healthy looking skin, diet also plays a major role. I believe that you need to enjoy a healthy and happy lifestyle and for this, food and sleeping habits play a very important role. Drinking enough water or fluids and eating right is important to take care of your skin and health, said the Golmaal Again star. Not only this, regular exercise and meditation are pivotal to be beautiful inside out. Maintaining a positive attitude towards life boosts good health. I exercise regularly and particularly enjoy long walks and meditation to maintain a positive attitude towards life. I do not believe in fad diets, they do not help you in the long term and cause more harm than good when undertaken without the right guidance, she added. For Tabu, Hema Malini is Bollywood s eternal beauty. Hands down, it s Hema Malini. She is the ultimate beauty and every time I meet her, I cannot stop staring. Her skin is always glowing, she said. Sharing her take on skincare beauty treatments, Tabu said: I don t enjoy facials or chemical body scrubs. I prefer making my own body scrubs. I use sea salt and petroleum jelly as a prebath exfoliator. Tabu, who started her career in 1980 with Bazaar with a small part, says moisturiser comes in handy to her in dealing with dry skin, especially when she shoots in cold climates. She is known for films like Astitva, Chandni Bar, The Namesake, Cheeni Kum and Life of Pi. Tabu believes that healthy skin reflects good health. I am a big believer that skin is a reflection of one s health and hence it should not be taken for granted. riti Kharbanda, the Delhi girl has Kdabbled in many mediums. From being spotted on the Spar billboard which in turn led her to being selected as the female lead for the Telugu film Boni, to becoming a prominent face in Kannada and Telugu films. And with her foray in romantic comedy, she is now all set to dazzle people with her film Shaadi Mein Zaroor Aana. The 27-year-old s search for a script with a strong female character ended with this Ratnaa Sinha movie where she is pitted against the powerhouse performer, Rajkummar Rao. There are very few films with strong female characters, so this was an opportunity that I didn t want to lose. I really enjoyed being a part of it so much so that I am facing withdrawal symptoms now. I was telling Ratnaa that I am not sure if I really want to watch the film as it would mean that the process has come to an end. The story revolves around Satyendra (Rajkummar Rao) and Aarti (Kriti Kharbanda) who meet for a proposed arranged marriage and fall in love in the process. On the night of their marriage, an unexpected turn of events leaves their world upside down. Set in the backdrop of India s civil services, the film explores the challenges that Satyendra and Aarti face as a middleclass couple in India. Aarti is young and vivacious but someone who is close to her traditions. Her desires are very limited she is really excited to find a man who loves and supports her. Any girl can relate to her as she is very clear about what she wants to do with her life. To an extent I once was like Aarti, says Kharbanda. But there is another side to her as well. She is extremely vulnerable which is a beautiful attribute to have. Vulnerability to a certain degree shows the purity of your soul, shares Kharbanda who feels that the film was an emotional ride. At the end of the day, I m taking genuine and true friends. Add to it the fact that as an actor I am really satisfied with my character something that I have been craving for. After Rajkummar Rao s excellent performance in Newton the charming Oscar pick, his co-star Kharbanda too is all praise for him. Everyone knows how good an actor he is. And I have been really fortunate to be able to work with him, get a first hand experience of seeing him act and to understand his approach to characters. He has been one of the most helpful co-actors that I have ever worked with someone who thinks of the larger picture and not just himself. This is something that I want to carry forward for the rest of my life, she says. Kharbanda does not look at anything in particular in the script to sign on a movie as there is no assurance that a good script would work out to be a great film. There are times when an ordinary script is made into a great film, purely by performance and direction. So, she goes with her gut feeling. I concentrate on the person who is narrating the film, how well he/she brings forth the character. I always believe that human emotions don t lie, so I have a talk with the script writer, the director and producer I understand the school of thought, their expectations, she adds. Kharbanda has featured in a comedy film Guest Iin London, written and directed by Ashwni Dhir starring Kartik Aaryan, Paresh Rawal, and Tanvi Azmi. It was sequel to Ajay Devgn-starrer film Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge? Having the experience of working in different cinemas, she feels that it s not the budget that matters, rather the emotions do. What really attracts me to the Indian cinema is the fact that it s so unpredictable just like my personal journey. Ten years ago when I was in college, if someone had asked me if I ever thought of becoming an actor, I would have laughed. I was never ambitious, nor did I felt the need to be an actor. I was just 18 when I was offered my first film. And I hardly knew what I wanted at that time. Initially, I felt that I have films to work in and I am not bad at it and also because it was paying me well, I continued to do so. But in the past few years, I think I have grown as an actor as well as a person. Now I am more determined than ever and want to be known for my acting. Kharbanda feels that there is hardly any difference in the working of the regional and Hindi cinema. It depends on the people you meet that helps you decide which industry you want to be a part of there is no good or bad cinema, there are good and bad people. My idea is to keep working which defines my approach.

14 hen Phanishwar Nath WRenu s work Mare Gaye Gulfam was reprised on the silver screen for the first time, the result was National Award winner Teesri Kasam starring Raj Kapoor and Waheeda Rehman by the acclaimed filmmaker Basu Bhttacharya. But many promises would have been made and broken during the 50 years since the movie was made before the another director has decided to put the author, who brought the silent regional voices into the mainstream Hindi literature, again under a spotlight. Prem Prakash Modi has picked up Renu s work, Panchlight to craft a movie. Panchlight is a kerosene lamp with paraffin and a hand pump which is used to pressurise, to light it up, in older times. It plays an integral part in the villagers life and possessing one is a mark of honour. The film revolves around a specific village community Mahato Tola and how they acquire the coveted Panchlait after much ado and the chain of incidents which lead upto it. On reprising the novel Panchlight into an eponymously named Hindi film, Modi said, Actually, I read the story when I was in class 9th or 10th. I belong to a very small place, and every time I read this story, I always connected with it. Phanishwar Nath Renu is a renowned and credited writer, and when I became a part of the film industry, I had already decided to do a film on this story. Renu has written 63 stories, and the one thing about him that always pulled Modi towards him was his simplicity which was reflected in his work. There was a regional flavour too, which I could relate to. So, even when I became an actor, I knew I wanted to do a film on this someday. He started his career as an assistant director with Aparna Sen and has also worked with Tapan Sinha, Anjun Dutt, Gul Bahar Singh, Shyaman and Jalan, Indranil Goswami among others. Often, people in the industry face problems in finding producers for contentdriven films, especially if no big name is associated with the movie and this venture was no different. Modi said that the most difficult task was finding a producer to back such a story. I finally found the producer which took eight years and now I am able to bring this story to the big screen. One will see the simplicity and religious background of our culture in this movie. As a director, I feel it is my responsibility to make a movie that has a social message and tells something relevant to the audience about our roots and the diversity of our culture. This is his his second directorial outing after Arjun:Kalimpong E Sitaharan, a Bengali film. Modi gravitates towards literary works. Arjun was based on a novel by Samaresh Mazumder and featured Sabyasachi Chakraborty, Dipankar Dey, Churni Ganguly and others. He has not made any major changes to Renu s novel Panchlight to retain the authentic flavour I have made an original movie. I haven t made a lot of changes as I wanted to do justice to his work. My scriptwriter, Rakesh Kumar Tripathi and I had a lot of discussions about how to go forward and our main idea was to keep the content intact and put our interpretations to it. There are no big changes in it; it is our work on the original story. But every time a piece of literature is picked up to be adapted as a film, some things are bound to be tweaked, but we did our best to stick to the story, he said. The movie will also have an announcement in the beginning which would say that if anyone finds fault with the script, it would be the film maker s fault and not the influential writer Renu s. The story is simple: a village has different communities, and every community has kerosene lamp, except for one. They suffer from inferiority complex and crowdfund to get it. They do buy one but none of them knows how to light it up, which creates an interesting situation. The protagonist of the story knows how to use it, but he was shunned from the community because he fell in love with a girl, and her parents complained to the village head about it. Another reason why he was shunned was because he refused to give donation for the kerosene lamp. The story then proceeds when the villagers asks the protagonist to return and try to bribe him by cancelling his punishment. Renu originally wrote, towards the end of the story that the brightness of this light lit up the village, and it is through this light that we try to fight the casteism in India. Talking about the challenges that came his way, Modi said, Besides finding a producer, we found a real location and went there. We had to shoot in front of people who had never seen a shooting before and that too was a big challenge. 1 On filtering the actors, he said, I think, my grooming in the film industry has always been such that I have always been associated with serious filmmakers like Aparna Sen. Every time we have created a character, a vision of him/her has first appeared in our mind and for the characters of this movie, I knew the kind of look I needed. The main cast of the movie was already decided from the very beginning and for others, we held auditions and then shortlisted them. But will the story of a kerosene lamp strike a chord with the hip audience of today? Literature never gets old. It needs to be read, and every parent needs to inculcate it in their children. Nowadays, most of the movies that are being made are from English literature or from contemporary Indian writers like Chetan Bhagat but I think our desi Indian flavour and Hindi literature needs to be brought to the front. I think when people will watch it, they will be able to connect with it, and they themselves will say that there is a need for such kind of films to be made more often. We can see our culture and its roots kept intact in this movie. Gauging from the trailer, the film has an old-worldcharm and portrays villagers in an authentic manner. I think it is because we took a real location for the shoot. We shot the entire film 60 km interior from Deoghar in Jharkhand and we found our perfect location there. I myself belong to Jharkhand. I researched about the costumes a lot, our entire costume team and we worked hard on it. id you know that the Dinordinate craftsmanship of each Pashmina shawl has about 50,000 stitches? It s a matter of art and technique and we owe it to the craftsmen on how they do it. Being a textile designer, I would not say that it s my expertise, but it s a bit of my contribution towards reviving this beautiful fabric that I have been providing to the craftsmen, mentions Varuna Anand, founder, the Splendor of Kashmir. She showcased her new collection called The Heirloom Collection which was recently exhibited at The Imperial Hotel in Delhi is endorsed by Sarah Abdullah Pilot. While Splendor of Kashmir has never made a luxury product, Pashmina is considered as a royal luxury item since its inception. Mrs. Pilot who is acquainted with my work since 2011 agreed upon a mutual collaboration last year to endorse this collection from my range. Each piece is something to treasure because every piece takes very long and is a perfect heirloom to passover to the next generation, says Varuna Anand. The genensis of the brand owes to the fact that Anand along with her late husband Praveen Anand wanted to promote the art of shawl-making, an age-old heritage that takes you back to the times of Napoleon. And she chartered out her territory by spending her formative years learning and designing Home Textiles and Sarees for the likes of House of Fraser, John Lewis, Galleries Lafayette Printemps, Laura Ashley, Tommy Hilfiger and Satya Paul. While stoles and sarees are available as a part of the this collection, Anand is also open to taking up large custom orders. The collection has combined the traditional with the modern. Sharing about the craftsmanship and the patterns she says, Our collection encircles around traditional classic patterns. However, we have experimented with a new range of colours in keeping with the latest trends. Usually the beige and black dominate the palette of pashmina but we have introduced other variety of colours that includes magenta, purple, rust, bright red and more, she informs. Maharana Arvind Singh Mewar from Udaipur is a patron of collection. The exhibition will travel to Gurugram, Mumbai and Chennai. The premium category starts from Their Ethereal Collection consists of shawls and has hand-embroidered Jamavars called Sui Kaam Jamavars in both Sozni and woven Jamavars called Kani Shawls The exhibition was also attended by Dr Farooq Abdullah (Former Union Minister, Govt of India), Omar Abdullah, former Chief Minister of Jammu & Kashmir along with Sachin Pilot, Rajasthan Congress Chief.

15 N eymar scored one from the spot and missed another Friday in Brazil's 3-1 win over Japan in a friendly. The Paris Saint-Germain striker converted his penalty in the ninth minute, sending Japan goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima the wrong way, after Fernandinho was fouled in the box. The referee at Pierre Mauroy Stadium in Lille used video assistance to award the penalty. Neymar's second penalty attempt didn't go so smoothly. Hotaru Yamagushi was sanctioned for a clumsy challenge on Gabriel Jesus in the 17th, but Kawashima palmed away Neymar's shot. Marcelo and Gabriel Jesus also scored for the five-time champions, who got all three goals in the first half. Tomoaki Makino scored for Japan in the second half. Brazil has embarked on a mini-tour of Europe and will next play England at Wembley Stadium next week. Both Brazil and Japan have qualified for next year's World Cup in Russia. Despite the missed penalty, Marcelo doubled Brazil's lead in the next minute with a superb strike into the top left corner following a corner that was poorly cleared. Brazil made it 3-0 after Japan gave the ball away close to the box. Willian found Danilo on the right flank with the outside of his boot and the Manchester City defender set up Gabriel Jesus at the far post with a precise cross. Japan managed to pull one back from a corner when Makino rose above the defenders to head past goalkeeper Cassio in the 63rd minute. Son Heung-min scored two goals Friday to lead South Korea over Colombia 2-1 in a friendly. Son, who scored the only goal of the oco Vandeweghe will play in the Copening match of the Fed Cup final on Saturday when the United States takes on Belarus looking for its record 18th title in the competition. The 10th-ranked Vandeweghe was drawn to face Aliaksandra Sasnovich in the first singles match. US Open champion Sloane Stephens will then play Aryna Sabalenka. "You play a match, you win, you lose," Vandeweghe said Friday. "You just try your best. Doesn't matter if I play first, second, not at all. I'm out here for these girls (her teammates), to compete as hard as I can." On Sunday, Vandeweghe will go up against Sabelnka, and Stephens will meet Sasnovich. In doubles, the final match of the best-of-five series, Alison Riske and Shelby Rogers will play for the United States against Vera Lapko and Lidzlya Marozova. Stephens, who retired from a match with a knee injury in China last week, said she is ready to play on the indoor hard court. "Really looking forward to getting back on the court," the 13th-ranked Stephens said. "I'm excited to be here for game last weekend in Tottenham's win over Crystal Palace in the Premier League, scored in each half to give South Korea coach Shin Tae-yong his first victory since being appointed in July. Cristian Zapata pulled a late goal back for Colombia with a header from a free kick by James Rodriguez. Both teams have qualified for next year's World Cup in Russia, but both have been struggling lately. South Korea had previously won only one of eight matches in 2017, while Colombia hasn't won in five straight games. roatia took a decisive step toward CWorld Cup qualification on Thursday, overwhelming Greece for a 4-1 victory in the first leg of their playoff. Captain Luka Modric, whose recent form for Real Madrid had been criticized in Spain, opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 13th minute - before leaping into the air in celebration. Italian referee Gianluca Rocchi awarded the penalty after Greece goalkeeper Orestis Karnezis failed to control the ball and fouled Nikola Kalinic with a poorly judged clearance. Kalinic added another goal six minutes later, flicking in a cross from Ivan Strinic with the side of his foot. Greece struggled to regain composure and rarely attacked, but Sokratis Papastathopoulos briefly silenced the home crowd, sending a header over keeper Danijel Subasic and into the net. However, relief for the visitors was short lived. Ivan Perisic headed in a cross from Sime Vrsaljko in the 33nd minute as the Croats dominated both wings. The fourth goal came four minutes after the break from Andrej Kramaric, swooping in after another Greek error, by Kostas Stafylidis. As fans and players celebrated at Zagreb's Maksimir Stadium, Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic highlighted the second leg on Sunday. "We had a tremendous game. I've thanked the players and the fans who made us feel like we had an extra man on the pitch," Dalic said. "But it's not over. This was the first game. "Our aim tonight was to pressure Greece down the wings, and that worked. We had a lapse in concentration and conceded a goal, but I can't really complain." Over 90 minutes, the Croats dominated possession and had nine shots on goal compared to Greece's three. "It was a very difficult night for us... We have never made so many mistakes in one game," Papastathopoulos said. "Of course Croatia has the upper hand now. They have a 90 percent chance of going through." Northern Ireland defender Jonny Evans thinks the contentious penalty awarded for handball during his team's 1-0 loss to Switzerland on Thursday was "a worse decision" than the Thierry Henry handball which deprived neighboring Republic of Ireland a spot at the 2010 World Cup. A volley by Xherdan Shaqiri struck the shoulder of Evans' brother Corey as the Northern Ireland midfielder attempted to block the shot. Romanian referee Ovidiu Hategan pointed to the spot, sparking angry protests from the Since arriving in New Zealand for their World Cup playoff, Peru's players have responded cautiously and patiently to the same question. Not about who might play on Saturday, but Northern Ireland players. Ricardo Rodriguez duly converted in the 58th minute for an away goal that put Switzerland in good position going into the return leg of qualifying for its fourth consecutive World Cup. In 2009, striker Thierry Henry's infamous and deliberate handball set up the goal that sent France to the 2010 World Cup at the expense of the Republic of Ireland. Evans thinks the call in Belfast was worse. "It's a worse decision because the referee has actually made a call," Evans said. "It's different if he didn't see it, (but) he's claiming that he did see something that didn't happen, and that's the hardest bit to take. It's strange because I had a feeling the referee knew that he had made a wrong decision and I'm sure he was getting feed information throughout the game and he could tell with everybody else's reaction that maybe he had made the wrong call." who will not. Paolo Guerrero, Peru's captain and leading scorer, is missing while provisionally suspended for failing a doping test following the World Cup qualifier against Argentina. he new head coaches of Indian Super TLeague sides FC Goa and Chennaiyin FC on Friday expressed hope that they would be able to replicate the achievements of the two World Cup-winning football legends-turned coaches Zico and Marco Matterazi. "Substituting a legend like Zico as coach is a pleasure for me. Everyone knows his skills as a player and coach," said FC Goa's head coach Sergio Lobera of Spain. "We have put together a team from scratch. I will introduce my philosophy. Winning is important, but so is the need to focus on style. We will play the short passing game," said Lobera. Goa had finished runner-up to Chennaiyin FC in season 2 of ISL that had eight teams. This season two more teams have been added Bengaluru FC and Jamshedpur FC. "A lot is expected of us, champions in year two and semi-finalist in the first. Marco Matterazi is a tough act to follow, he's left a big legacy," said Gregory. "This year we don't have a marquee The absence of striker Guerrero is the biggest setback Peru faces as it attempts through home-and-away playoff matches against New Zealand to qualify for the World Cup for the first time in 35 years. There are also the formidable obstacles of travel, time zones and climate which make the match against No. 122nd-ranked New Zealand more difficult than it might have been for 10thranked Peru. Peru's players have tried techniques of sleep deprivation to quickly acclimatize to a new time zone and have padded themselves lavishly against New Zealand's strong winds and cool temperatures. But Guerrero's absence has been the recurring theme. He scored six times in South American qualifiers and led his team to fifth place. Peru's football association will challenge his suspension with the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland and, if successful, will have him for the return leg in Lima on Nov. 16. For now, the South Americans have done their best to treat persistent questions about their captain with respect but indifference. Edison Flores, whose partnership with Andre Carrillo is one of the team's strengths, is hopeful the Guerrero-size gap will be filled by a player he is not naming. "It will be someone who has all our confidence and characteristics similar to those of Paolo," Flores said. "We just have to wait for him to adapt to the work so that he does it in the best way." New Zealand coach Anthony Hudson has said Guerrero is "irreplaceable," taking a neat opportunity to highlight Peru's problem. "I don't really think they have anyone that is a physical presence like him and who can play the type of game they like to play with him in the team," a final. Just hoping to have a great weekend." The Americans won their 17th Fed Cup title in 2000, with Billie Jean King as captain. Since then, they have played in three finals 2003, 2009, 2010 but lost all of them. Belarus is playing in the Fed Cup final for the first time. Kathy Rinaldi, in her first season as United States captain, is trying to become the first woman since King to lead a winning Fed Cup squad. "We know we're going to have a very competitive weekend," Rinaldi said. "We look forward to it. We're here to win. We're here to compete. We're going to put our best foot forward. We're going to have each other's backs and compete as a really tightknit team." Friday's draw ceremony was presented with a nod to traditional Belarusian culture. There was an archer who perfectly placed an arrow through a tennis ball, which contained Sasnovich's name, to determine the order of play. The official photos featured all the competitors holding swords. And two men dressed in oldfashioned knight's attire greeted draw attendees on horseback outside the Minsk City Hall. Sloane Stephens is back in the United States team for the Fed Cup final, and Victoria Azarenka is missing for Belarus. That alone gives the early advantage to the Americans. Stephens, who won the US Open this year for her first major title, missed the opening two rounds of the international team competition because of a foot injury. But she is back and will be playing alongside CoCo Vandeweghe, Shelby Rogers and Alison Riske in the best-of-five series this weekend in Minsk. "I'm happy to be back playing and happy the team made the finals," the 13th-ranked Stephens said Wednesday. "It's awesome I can be on this team." Stephens hasn't played in the Fed Cup since the 2016 quarterfinals, but she said it's been "no problem at all" slipping back onto the squad. player but I still expect a successful season. The least we should be looking for is a playoff position," he added. Head coach of two-time I-League champions Bengaluru FC, Albert Roca, denied he was under any pressure to deliver the goods in the club's debut year in ISL. "We are not under pressure but it's a new challenge. We need to be humble as we are new. Players are wary of the competition," said Spaniard Roca. "After AFC Cup semi finals we have had lot of injuries but we are ready for ISL. All the teams in ISL are of almost equal strength," he said. About the longer duration of the ISL four months compared to two in the first three seasons Roca said it still resembled a sprint as compared to leagues that last for 8-9 months. "It's a longer league now, but I am used to leagues lasting 8-9 months. It's like a sprint in athletics, everyone is concerned about it (players' recovery time from injuries)," he remarked. Bengaluru FC defender John Johnson said his team held a slight edge as it had the chance to blend for a longer period of time. "Obviously, I've known these girls since I was years old, so we're all really good friends," Stephens said. "It's easy to be with girls you like, girls you have fun with and girls you've been around for a really long time." Stephens didn't play from the 2016 Olympics through Wimbledon in 2017 and underwent foot surgery during that period. She arrived in Minsk after not winning any of the four matches she's played since her surprise U.S. Open victory. She retired with a knee injury from her last match against Barbora Strycova in China last week. Vandeweghe, in her first week at a career-high No 10 ranking, won two Fed Cup singles points against Germany in the quarterfinals, and two singles and the doubles points against the Czech Republic in the semifinals. But the US Open semifinalist said she knows very little about this weekend's competition, having never played Aryna Sabalenka, Aliaksandra Sasnovich, Vera Lapko or Lidziya Marozava. Azarenka, a two-time Australian Open champion, is not playing in the final because of an ongoing custody dispute with the father of her infant son. Hudson said. But he makes a concession. "Attacking midfielders, the two who sit in behind whoever plays up front... they're all quality players. Where people say (Peru goes) direct to Guerrero, they actually play a lot through (Christian) Cueva and Flores and (Yoshimar) Yotun. They've got some very good players through the middle." Flores, based in Denmark, is one of those players and part of a new generation. The older generation is represented by 36-year-old New Zealand striker Shane Smeltz and 33-year old Peru forward Jefferson Farfan, both in their last World Cup cycles. Smeltz played for New Zealand at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa but Farfan has never had that experience, which adds urgency to his personal quest in Saturday's match. Smeltz knows the opportunity to play in football's showpiece will never come again for him. "It certainly adds to the occasion, I think, knowing that this is definitely or probably my last," Smeltz said. "It would certainly be a fairytale to get to another World Cup. "I think it's just as exciting, the pressure, the intensity, as it was the first time." Neither Farfan nor Smeltz have fully realized their youthful potential. Smeltz has played 58 games for New Zealand without matching his young promise and Farfan, whose talent was first recognized at 14, first played for Peru at 19. Now at Lokomotiv Moscow and after 75 caps, the inconsistent Farfan remains a contentious figure in Peru. But his greatest endorsement may have come from the absent Guerrero, who said come the World Cup playoffs "Farfan will be playing. He is needed in the team." ani Kapoor put on a fine show as she finished Vthe opening day at tied-4th place in the 11th Hero Women's Indian Open at the DLF Golf and Country Club here. Vani, who is playing her seventh Women's Indian Open but fifth as a pro, used her course knowledge to come back from being two-over after five holes to finish with 69. She had six birdies against three bogeys and was placed tied-4th along with five others. Vani was two shots behind leader Norwegian Marianne Skarpnord, who also had six birdies but only one bogey, the result of a three-putt on fifth, in her first competitive round at the Gary Player layout. Sharing the second place were Camille Chevalier and England's Liz Young, who shot fourunder 68 each. Chevalier had five birdies against one bogey, while Young had six birdies against two bogeys. Vani was tied fourth with Meghan MacLaren, Klara Spilkova, Olivia Cowan, Karolin Lampert and Kanphanitnan Muangkhumsakul. Just behind them was defending champion Aditi Ashok (70) and local DLF golfer, Gaurika Bishnoi, who is also the Order of Merit leader on the local Hero Women's Pro Golf Tour. Among other Indians, Saaniya Sharma (73) was tied- 41st, while Gursimar Badwal (74) was tied- 54th. However, Amandeep Drall (77), Smriti Mehra (78) and Sharmila Nicollet (79) had a disappointing first day. Anirban Lahiri opened with a steady four-under 67 to remain tied 11th after the first round of the OHL Classic at Mayakoba. Lahiri, who is coming off three Top-10s in his last four starts, had four birdies and an eagle against two bogeys in the round. Lahiri, who plans to close for the year after this year, is currently 29th on the FedExCup list and 60th in World rankings. He started with a bogey, but quickly made up with a birdie on third and on the fifth, he landed an eagle that took him to two-under. Another birdie on eighth saw him turn in threeunder. On the back nine, he birdied 11th and 17th, but bogeyed 14th. Patton Kizzire carried some momentum from last week in Las Vegas by running off six straight birdies in the middle of his round Thursday for a career-low 9-under 62 and a two-shot lead. Rickie Fowler, playing for the first time since the Presidents Cup showed no rust in opening with a 65. Kizzire closed with a 64 last Sunday in Las Vegas to tie for fourth. Vaughn Taylor played bogeyfree for a 64. Brandon Harkins, a 31-year-old PGA TOUR rookie, joined Fowler at 65, while two-time Retief Goosen was in the group at 66. Sean Jacklin, the grandson of British Open and U.S. Open champion Tony Jacklin, qualified Monday and shot 71 in his first PGA TOUR event.

16 C hasing an elusive dream of winning their first cricket Test in India, Sri Lanka will begin their gruelling tour with a two-day tour fixture against a depleted Board President's XI here on Saturday. Sri Lanka who will play their first Test in India since have a forgettable record in the country as they are yet to win from 16 appearances and have suffered 10 defeats in their head-to-head record spanning It's an improbable task for skipper Dinesh Chandimal who will play his maiden Test in India and would bank upon the experience of Angelo Mathews and Rangana Herath the only two members who were part of their side which suffered 0-2 defeat seven years back. Having suffered a 0-9 humiliation at home across three formats, the Islanders are here in India in a gap of two months but with a confidence-boosting surprise 2-0 Test series win over Pakistan in UAE last month. The Lankans will play three Tests and as many ODIs and T20Is in the long series concluding in Mumbai on December 24. Chandimal and Co. Will hope to start well against a third-string Board's side led by Sanju Samson. The match is scheduled at the Jadavpur University second campus ground, the deck of which primarily supports seam bowling. Giving importance to the Ranji Trophy, the Board has opted for a third-string outfit primarily comprising of players from -- Hyderabad, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh and Punjab who are not featuring in the ongoing fifth round of the domestic tournament. In such a scenario, it will hardly give the Islanders a perfect build up. For Sri Lanka the spotlight will be on former captain and ace allrounder Mathews who will make a return after missing the entire series against Pakistan. Having recovered from a calf muscle injury, Mathews was in full flow in their first practice here as he will look to get into rhythm ahead of the first Test at Eden Gardens from November Having bagged 16 wickets against Pakistan, senior-most spinner Rangana Herath will eye a rich haul here as he will lead the spin ll-rounder Stuart Binny scored a scintil- century while Shreyas Gopal hit a Alating splendid 92 as Karnataka put on a massive 649 in their first innings against Delhi on the second day of a Ranji Trophy Group A match here. At the close of play, Delhi were 20 without loss in five overs with openers Unmukt Chand and skipper Gautam Gambhir batting on 8 and 12, respectively. Karnataka resumed the day on 348 for four with Binny, starting at his overnight score of 14, hammered 72 runs in only boundaries during his brilliant knock of 118 runs off 155 deliveries. But another overnight batsman Mayank Agarwal was run out after adding just seven runs to his Thursday night's score of 169. After Agarwal's departure, Binny adopted an aggressive approach and scored runs quickly in the able company of wicketkeeper-batsman CM Gautam, who also chipped in with an important 46 off 81 balls with eight boundaries. Shreyas Gopal though missed out on a century by just eight runs, he played a responsible 165-ball 92 that was studded with 11 fours and a six. department. Giving the 39-year-old company will be left-arm chinaman Lakshan Sandakan who bagged a five-wicket haul against India in Pallekele in their third and final Test in August. Fresh from his 93 and 196 against Pakistan, left-handed opener Dimuth Karunaratne will look to continue from where he left in Abu Dhabi as they will also bank heavily on skipper Chandimal and Niroshan Dickwella in batting department. Chandimal also has a century against Pakistan while Dickwella was their third leading run-getter in Abu Dhabi with two halfcenturies. The Board squad has in-form Punjab youngster Anmolpreet Singh, who scored a career-best 267 in the last round Ranji Trophy match against Chhattisgarh. He was drafted in after Naman Ojha, who was originally named A career-best 182 by Sanjay Ramaswamy put Vidarbha in the driver's seat as Bengal trailed by 410 runs in their Ranji Trophy group D fixture at the Bengal Cricket Academy ground here on Friday. Resuming his innings on 117 with Vidarbha at 285 for one, Ramaswamy got past SPB grandmaster Lalith Babu, Pwith nine points, was crowned as the National Premier Chess Champion, thanks to Odisha's grandmaster Debashis Das' victory over other title seeker Aravindh Chithambaram of Tamil Nadu in the Khadi India National Premier Chess Championship, organised by All Bihar Chess Association at Lemon Tree Hotel, Patna on Friday. Irrespective of the loss, Aravindh scored 8.5 points to remain status quo in ranking the runner up spot he secured by losing the final round to RR Laxmanin in Defending champion Karthikeyan could muster only the third position with 7.5 points. Debashis and SL Narayanan of Kerala were placed fourth and fifth with same number of points. Aravindh's preference of Kings Indian defence was not beneficial to him, as Debashis attained a good positional advantage on 12th move itself. To add to the his previous best of 161, scored in their season opener against Punjab. Along with Aditya Sarwate (89), Ramaswamy helped them reach a mammoth 499 in their first innings. Bengal replied shakily as they were 89 for three with skipper Manoj Tiwary (36 batting) and Kanishk Seth (1 batting) at stumps on day two, still 260 runs shy of avoiding follow- on. Riding on centuries by B Aparajith and all-rounder Vijay Shankar, Tamil Nadu piled up 530 for 8 and declared their first innings on the second day of their Group 'C' Ranji Trophy cricket match here on Friday. The hosts reached 36 for no loss at draw of stumps. woes, Aravindh's bad move of Ne5 on 18th move, for which he consumed just 18 seconds, gifted a winning position to his opponent. When Debashis' c6- pawn attacked Aravindh's bishop, the latter's ploy of attacking the queen not only failed miserably, but also proved to be fatal. Debashis demolished Aravindh in just 28 moves. In an equal position arising out of the Catalan opening, Lalith Babu surprised everybody by allowing GM Swapnil Dhopade to repeat the moves and get away with a draw claim in just 14 moves, shortest in terms of both moves and time. Later, the much relieved and elated Lalith admitted that the pressure on him was too much and he boldly took the risk of splitting the point. The splendid performance of Railways international master Arghyadip Das took a back seat in the final round, when he lost to former national champion Abhijit Kunte of PSPB. After castling on the queen side, Arghyadip gave up his bishop for a compensation of three pawns. His another knight sacrifice was unwarranted and Abhijit won in a relaxed manner with plenty of pieces in his kitty. SL Narayanan of Kerala got the better of S Nitin of Railways in the Rubinstein variation of four knights game in 55 moves. Until move 41, the game predicted a captain, was ruled out due to an injury. Punjab opener Jiwanjot Singh, who led their side against Himachal Pradesh in absence of Harbhajan Singh and Yuvraj Singh, too finds a place in the team. There's also Punjab batsman Abhishek Gupta, who scored a double century in his first-class debut in the season opener against Himachal Pradesh. B Sandeep, Tanmay Agarwal and Rohan Prem are the other members in the batting department. The pace department consists of Sandeep Warrier from Kerala and Avesh Khan from Madhya Pradesh. MP all-rounder Jalaj Saxena, who now plays for Kerala, will lead the spin department, assisted by Hyderabad's leg-spinner Akash Bhandari in the squad, coached by former wrist spinner Narendra Hirwani. Aware of the challenge that the Indian spinners are likely to pose in the Test series, the Sri Lankan batsmen today focused on tackling the turning ball ahead of their warm-up against Board President's XI here on Saturday. Left-arm chinaman Lakshan Sandakan, who bagged a five- wicket haul against India in Pallekele in August, was the busiest man at the nets as he kept the batsmen guessing with his variations. Giving him company was senior most spinner Rangana Herath, who not only rolled his arm but also gave invaluable tips to the young attack. A vital cog in their bowling line-up, the 39-year-old also padded up and batted in the second lot alongside skipper Dinesh Chandimal and Angelo Mathews. In the first lot, Dimuth Karunaratne batted with Sadeera Samarawickrama and vicecaptain Lahiru Thirimanne. Former captain and all-rounder Mathews, who will return after missing the entire series against Pakistan last month, looked in full flow in a long session. Three of their players uncapped batsman Roshen Silva, all-rounders Dilruwan Perera and Dhananjaya de Silva skipped practice. draw. The course of the game changed, once Narayanan combined his queen and knight to make an assault on Nitin's king. Failing to safeguard his knight and king, Nitin resigned. In the clash between the tail enders GM Himanshu Sharma of Railways and Sammed Shete of or Rangana Herath, the two- game against Board Fday President's XI may be a warmup game but for home team skipper Sanju Samson, it is an opportunity to gain experience of facing one of the best spinners in world cricket. "He (Herath) is a very experienced cricketer. It is a practice match for him but for us it's a great opportunity to face him. He is one of the greatest spinners Sri Lanka have ever seen. He is one of the legends and to go there and play against him will be a great experience," Samson told reporters ahead of the game. The BCCI has opted for a third-string side giving chance to the players, who are not playing in the ongoing fifth round Ranji Trophy for the tour-match at Jadavpur University second campus Maharashtra, Himanshu brought a halt to his dry spell, by long waited first win in the tournament. In the Fianchetto variation of Grunfeld defence, Himanshu was in his elements during a series of exchanges in the middle game, finally fetching him an extra minor piece. Sammed resigned on ground in Saltlake. Sending a clear message to his team, Samson said: "It is a practice match for them but it's not a practice match for us. We will be looking forward to beat them in the coming match on Saturday. We are lucky to get a good opportunity in this gap." For Samson, this is an opportunity to make a statement to national selectors with a solid performance. "Each and every individual in the team has put his heart together for past many years to perform at this level. It's just a one match but it's a great opportunity for each and everyone of us. We should look this as a great platform to perform and give everyone a chance and succeed." Samson will lead the side on his 23rd birthday. "I have led Kerala for a season and I am up for the challenge. We will have a team strategy," he said on the eve of his birthday. "All of us know each other well as we have been playing domestic matches for many seasons. We have played against and together." The Board President XI captain however conceded that they have not done much planning against the touring side who have a lot of youngsters in their ranks. "They are a quality Test side with a lot of talented and experienced players. They have a lot of new guys in their team. We will take some time and see, we did not have enough time to plan," he concluded. ndian all-rounder Hardik Pandya Iwas on Saturday rested from the first two Test matches against Sri Lanka with the BCCI citing "heavy workload" as the reason despite his selection in the squad initially. The selectors did not name any replacement for Pandya and the BCCI media release did not clarify whether he has sustained injury or it is workload-related issue. Pandya was in pain trying to stop a powerful hit off his own bowling during the final T20 International against New Zealand in Thiruvananthapuram. He nonetheless completed his over. "The All-India Senior Selection Committee in consultation with the Indian team management has decided to rest all- rounder Hardik Pandya for the upcoming Paytm Test series against Sri Lanka. Mr Pandya was named in the squad for the first two Tests. The question that has not been "Considering Pandya's heavy answered is why the selectors did recent workload, the decision was not rest Pandya prior to the Test made to negate any possibility of a squad selection knowing fully well major injury concern. Pandya will what his workload is. undergo a period of strength and When PTI contacted chairman conditioning at the National Cricket of selectors MSK Prasad, he refused Academy in Bengaluru," the BCCI to comment citing protocol. release stated. With Sri Lanka not the most Since the start of Champions powerful team, Indian team management is likely to go in with all Trophy in June, Pandya has played three Tests, 22 ODIs and five T20 three specialist spinners in Internationals -- second only to Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra skipper Virat Kohli in terms of first Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav as the allrounder may not be XI appearances. necessary. Pandya had a memorable Test debut in Sri Lanka where he scored 178 runs, including a century and a half-century on debut. Virat Kohli (Captain), KL Rahul, M Vijay, Shikhar Dhawan, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane (Vice-Captain), Rohit Sharma, Wriddhiman Saha (WK), R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Bhuvaneshwar Kumar, Ishant Sharma. the 47th move. Defending champion Karthikeyan Murali of Tamil Nadu underperformed in the second half of the tournament and the final round was no exception. He conceded a draw to the national blitz champion RR Laxman of Railways in a Reti opening game in mere 30 moves, without any fight. In an English opening, Railways teammates International Master P Shyaamnikhil and GM Deepan Chakkravarthy quickly settled for a draw in 26 moves. Though White had a slightly better position, Shyaam could not convert it to a winning advantage. Ajay Kumar Tripathy, Justice, Patna High Court was the chief guest and Bharat Singh Chauhan, Hon, Secretary, All India Chess Federation, former national champions GM Dibyendu Barua and GM Pravin Thipsay were the guest of honours, together with the president of the Organising Committee RR Laxmanan, Rakesh Prasad, General Manager of NTPC, and Sangita Kumari, Regional Director of Khadi India.