shields, a torch and daggers, said Manjul, adding at least three burial pits have highly decorative coffin covers bearing

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1 ome 60 km drive from SDelhi, at Sanauli in Uttar Pradesh s Baghpat, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has stumbled upon royal burials with remains of chariots dating 2000BC-1800BC. The first-of-its-kind findings in the Indian sub-continent dating back to the Bronze Age suggest that people of that era belonged to the warrior class and were living a highly sophisticated lifestyle. Archaeologists involved in the excavation that started three months ago are excited about the findings. They say that the recovery is set to give new dimension to our history on dating of the Mahabharata period and further into the origins of chariots and horses in the Harappan age. SK Manjul, director of Institute of Archaeology under the ASI, and co-director Arvin Manjul, who led a team in excavating the site, said, The new findings will shed light on India s place in the ancient global history. Previously, chariots were found to be a part of Mesopotamia, Georgia, Greek civilisations. But, the Sanauli recovery shows we were on par with them. He said that though in the past, burial pits were excavated at Rakhigarhi, Kalibangan, and at Lothal, this is the first time that chariots have been discovered alongside the burial pits. This is also for the first time in the Indian sub-continent that we got royal burials pits, he added. It is confirmed that they were a warrior class. The swords have copper-covered hilts and a medial ridge making it strong enough for warfare. We have also found shields, a torch and daggers, said Manjul, adding at least three burial pits have highly decorative coffin covers bearing floral designs and anthropological figures like horned and peepal leafed crown. Some of the graves contained full skeletal remains while others have a few human bones along with pots (secondary burials); in yet others, only pots were found (symbolic burials that suggest that the person died elsewhere, and was symbolically brought here). On being asked whether bull or horse was used in chariots, Manjul said, This is debatable, it could be a bull or a horse, but having said that the preliminary understanding points to the horse. The chariot is a lookalike of the ones found in its contemporary cultures like Mesopotamia. It is a solid wheel with no spokes. In one of the pits, crown or helmet worn by the rider of the chariot has been recovered. The other noteworthy finds were four copper antenna swords, two daggers, seven channel-like objects, shield, comb, mirror, torch, hundreds of small cylindrical paste beads, steatite beads and triangle and rectangular inlays, semiprecious and gold beads, etc. The excavations at the Sadiqpur in Sanauli is the extension of the ASI s excavation in 2005 when around 116 graves belonging to Indus Valley Civilisation were found. These graves, dated BC, were a fairly recent addition to the list of Indus Valley Civilisation sites in India. We wanted to take the research and investigation in that region further and conducted excavations just 120 metres away from the earlier site, as a trial dig, and discoveries are also set to unravel entire new history, Manjul added. This throws light on the lifestyle and cultures of the people who lived in the pre-iron Age there are mirrors with copper, the elaborate burials, all this show the society was technologically advanced, aesthetic and had the sense of art and craft. They were warrior clans, and had a sophisticated lifestyle, he said. While it was difficult to ascertain the exact race of the latest buried remains, the experts feel that the chariots and coffins did not belong to the Harappan civilisation. But again this is the subject of further investigation, Manjul said. resh violence continued in Frestive Shillong on Monday with some agitators attempting to barge into the State Secretariat despite high security and the Army conducting flag march to quell the unrest in the Meghalaya capital, which has been witnessing violence since Thursday night. The Union Home Ministry on Monday rushed six more Central paramilitary forces (CPMF) companies, including two ITBP ones, to the State to deal with the situation. Earlier, the Centre had sent six companies of paramilitary forces to Shillong. The Meghalaya capital, popularly known as Scotland of the East for its natural beauty and soothing climatic condition, continued to be under curfew for the fourth consecutive day on Monday, barring few hours of relaxation. We have got some companies of CPMF. The Home Ministry has sent four additional CRPF and two ITBP companies. Till now there is no loss of life. Tension is prevailing, however police are making all attempts to quell the trouble, Meghalaya Home Minister James Sangma told the media. There have been instances of attempted arson and loot but police are dealing with the situation. The situation is tense but it is under control, said Meghalaya DGP SB Singh. hile use of plastic is Wdegrading the environment health, this year on the World Environment Day, from academic to Government institutions all are working on same line Beat Plastic Pollution. According to various studies and researches, around 87 per cent people in India are concerned about the illeffect of non-recyclable products waste. Incidentally, according to a study conducted around the world by the United Nations, some one million plastic drinking bottles are purchased every minute, and every year we use up to 5 trillion disposable plastic bags. In total, 50 per cent of the plastic we use is single use. The study further states that every year, up to 13 million tonnes of plastic leak into our oceans, where it smothers coral reefs and threatens vulnerable marine wildlife. The plastic adversely affects oceans as the plastic ends up in the oceans can circle the Earth four times in a single year and it can persist for up to 1,000 years before it fully disintegrates. Nearly one third of the plastic packaging we use escapes collection systems, which means that it ends up clogging our city streets and polluting our natural environment, it mentions. Explaining how plastic is threatening human and wildlife, an environmentalist mentioned that plastic makes its way into our water supply - and thus into our bodies. Plastic contains a numbers of chemicals, which are toxic and may disrupt hormones, moreover, this the substance also serves as a magnet for other noxious elements dioxins, metals and pesticides. He said 14 areas in Shillong continues to remain under curfew while night curfew is on in rest of the State capital. Last night, police had forced some protesters, who were apparently involved in the clashes, to leave their hideouts at Mawkhar and Mission Compound areas near Motphran, a few metres away from the Punjabi Line area, where the violence first took place on Thursday. The agitators also overturned a police van near Roberts Hospital and assaulted an on-duty officer in retaliation to the police action on Sunday night. While more than ten people, including police and security forces have been injured during the clash between a mob and the security forces since Thursday night, four trouble-makers have been arrested. It may be mentioned here that Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma had on Sunday said the violence was a local issue and some people with vested interests had been trying to give it a communal colour. hief Minister Naveen CPatnaik on Monday ordered a judicial inquiry into missing keys of the Ratna Bhandar of the Shree Jagannath Temple, Puri. A retired judge of the Orissa High Court would conduct the probe and submit report within three months, an official release said. The panel would probe how, when and under what circumstances the keys went missing. Truth will come out once the judicial inquiry is over. Further course of action will be decided thereafter, said Law Minister Pratap Jena. Meanwhile, the Chief he Supreme Court on TMonday revived the demolition drive in the national Capital s Asola village against illegal farmhouses and constructions on forest land by eminent persons, including politicians, corporate czars, judges, and film personalities. A list of 40 encroachers sitting on forest/gaon Sabha land was drawn up by the Sub- Divisional Magistrate (Saket) Ramchandra M Shingare following an order by the National Green Tribunal to demarcate fter BJP president Amit AShah this week received detailed briefing from BJP s Bihar unit about the party s preparedness for the 2019 general elections and possible seats to be contested, the Janata Dal (United) has begun posturing for the bigger share of 40 Lok Sabha seats from the State. Amid reports of a rift between the BJP and the JD(U) over seat sharing,, senior BJP leader and Deputy-Chief Minister Sushil Modi said here on Monday the votes will be taken in Bihar on the basis of PM (Narendra) Modi s name and Nitish Kumar s work. Sushil Modi s comment came a day after the JD(U) said Nitish Kumar is the face of National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Bihar. The RJD-Congress alliance has weakened a lot now. Nobody can match the BJP- JD(U) alliance when it comes to running a State, Sushil Modi said and claimed that there was no dispute between forest area in the Southern Ridge area of the Capital. This area included the villages of Asola and Bhatti. Using the help of a private agency, the administration demarcated forest land and discovered that over 100 acres of forest land in Asola, and 330 acres in Bhati were under the occupation of private farmhouses and religious establishments. In addition, the Supreme Court Monitoring Committee overseeing encroachments in the Capital too sought a report on the extent of encroachment on land under Gaon Sabha, State or Central Government. Accordingly, public notices were issued to the defaulters and demolition action ensued. Protesting against the demolition action, the defaulters under a common banner of Asola Bhati Residents Welfare Association approached the Supreme Court to stall the demolition. They were unhappy with the manner of demarcation and claimed they were not taken into confidence before preparing the report of demarcating forest land. According to sources in the revenue department, the list of defaulters who have encroached on forest or Government land include private farmhouses owned by former Delhi L-G Tejinder Khanna, former Haryana Chief Minister OP Chautala, former MP and sitting Minister in Uttarakhand Satpal Maharaj, owners of Ranbaxy Group, Sleepwell Mattresses, and inlaws of actor Shahid Kapoor. Minister s announcement triggered reactions from Opposition parties. Announcement for the judicial probe is Naveen Patnaik s tactics to divert public attention. During last 18 years, many probe commissions have been constituted with no result, alleged PCC chief Niranjan Patnaik. The BJP also decried the announcement. The CM is trying to divert the attention of the people. The order for the inquiry is eyewash only. Why he had been silent since April 4, wanted to know BJP State vice-president Sameer Mohanty. He further said the missing of the Ratna Bhandar keys is a criminal case. Those who have stolen from the treasure trove of Lord Jagnnath should be lodged in jail, he said. Continued on page 4 six-hour Chaka Jam held Aby the Congress from 6 am to 12 pm opposing the hike in petrol, diesel and LPG prices affected vehicular movement in the twin cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack on Monday. Holding banners and party flags, Congress leaders and workers resorted to picketing at several important junctions in the two cities. Many cars, buses and trucks remained stranded at various junctions in the cities due to the agitation. The otherwise bustling Barmunda bus-stand in Bhubaneswar and the Badambadi bus-stand in Cuttack wore deserted looks; and no bus plied on the roads. This caused great inconvenience to the bus passengers as they had to wait for hours to the two parties. On Friday, Shah had a meeting with Bihar BJP unit chief Nityanand Rai and other State leaders as also with Bihar state-in-charge Bhupendra Yadav to identify the seats keeping in mind demands of all NDA allies, including JD(U), Lok Janshakiti Party of Ram Vilas Paswan and Rashtriya Lok Samta Party of Upendra Kushwaha. In alliance with the LJP and the RLSP, the BJP had contested 30 seats in Bihar in 2014 and won 22 of them. reach their destinations. Most of the shops and other business establishments downed their shutters apprehending violence. People had difficulty in reaching their offices and other destinations. Congress activists were seen asking commuters not to use vehicles as a mark of protest against the hike in fuel prices. Blaming both the Central and State Governments for the increase in fuel prices, Pradesh A farmhouse owned by a sitting judge of the Supreme Court was also demarcated, but the judge in question has already moved out of the farmhouse, the sources added. Massive encroachment has been done by institutions such Congress Committee (OPCC) president Niranjan Patnaik said, Both the Centre and State can keep the fuel prices under check by reducing their taxes. We are overwhelmed by the support we have received from residents of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack to our call for protest against rising fuel prices. It s not a bandh, but a protest by the Odisha Congress as Radha Soami Satsang Beas and ISCKON Temple, who will face demolition action. Dealing with the petition of Asola Bhati Residents Welfare Association, a Vacation Bench of Justices Adarsh K Goel and Ashok Bhushan found no reason to hold up the demolition. he renewed efforts to res- two trapped drivers of Tcue JCB machines in a stone quarry at Bariput in Koraput district on Monday by NDRAF, ODRAF and Fire Services personnel did not yield any results. Four JCB machines and a stone breaker have been engaged in the ongoing rescue operation. A team of the Odisha Construction Corporation from Cuttack has also reached the spot. The huge boulders are being razed down with the stone breaker and being shifted with ropes and wires. Everything is being done with utmost care to avoid crashing down of more boulders from the hilltop, said an official. However, as more than five days have passed since the incident, the families of the two victims have lost hopes of the trapped workers being rescued alive. Continued on page 4 where people from all walks of life joined us in not using their vehicles till 12 noon, he said T h e Commissionerate police was fully prepared to tackle any untoward situation, but nothing such happened anywhere, Patnaik further said. Though the Congress had said the agitation would be peaceful, there were reports of stray incidents of violence at different places. An ITI student was assaulted at Link Road in Cuttack by the agitators and later he filed a complaint with the Madhupatna police. In Bhubaneswar, there were also heated altercations between the agitators and the commuters at some places during the stir. Later, police arrested some agitators at AG Square to restore communication.

2 ven as three years have Ealready passed since May 2015 when the Union Government had to revise coal royalty as per guidelines, Odisha s repeated requests for increasing the royalty still remains unheard. During three years, the State has suffered a lot due to non revision of coal royalty, said a Finance Department official. The royalty on coal was last revised on 10 May, 2012 and hence the revision is due from May Recently, the State Government urged the Ministry of Coal to revise the royalty on coal immediately without further delay. The rate of royalty, which is 14 per cent at present, is revised every three years, said an official statement. Besides, the Government has also urged the NITI Aayog to take up the matter with Union Government as Aayog s Vice-Chairman Rajiv Kumar is sorting out pending issues. During his recent visit to Odisha, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Chief Secretary AP Padhi also pressed for royalty revision. In its pre-budget memorandum, the State had also urged Minister Finance Arun Jeitley to reflect higher royalty for coal in the Union Budget. Odisha, being a major coal bearing State, face adverse effects of coal mining such as displacement of people, environment pollution and reduction in forest area. The present 14 per cent royalty on ad-valorem basis is inadequate to mitigate these adverse effects, particularly on the open cast mining of coal. The accrual of royalty from low grade coal (F-Grade-preclassified) was less than the royalty accrued from this grade at the pre-revised hybrid formula. The State of Odisha has substantial share of low grade coal for which State could not gain more from overall dispatches of coal. Earlier, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had requested the Prime Minister and Union Coal Minister Piyush Goyal for early revision on a priority basis. The State also argued that additional levy of Rs 295 per tonne collected by the Centre from the prior allocates of cancelled coal blocks should be transferred to the State Government. Besides, the Clean Environment Cess on coal, though enhanced to Rs 400 per tonne in Union Budget , is not also being shared with State Government since then. The Odisha Government has demanded to share 60 per cent of total amount collected under the National Clean Energy Fund (NCCF) among the coal bearing state. he Ravenshaw University s TEducation Department would celebrate its diamond jubilee here on July 8, said Ravenshaw University Education Department Alumni Association (RUEDAA) president Yudhistir Khatua. In the meeting held under the chairmanship of Khatua on Sunday, it was decided that a statue of Utkalmani Gopabandhu Das would be set up in the department. It was also decided that the diamond jubilee would be organised throughout the year. On the occasion, the members held one minute silent to pay respect to late Dr Sarbeswar Samal. Among others, chief advisor Prof Gouranga Charan Nanda, secretary Dr Sudarsan Mishra, VP Dr Sanjay Ketan Swain, Dr Prasanna Mohapatra, executive members Dr Rabinarayan Class X girl of Sambalpur AAmrita Patel has written a letter to PM Narendra Modi to resolve the Mahanadi problem as early as possible. At the outset, she writes : I want to make an earnest appeal to you to save the river Mahanadi before it is too late. She further writes that Mahanadi is not just a river but the lifeline for crores of people of Odisha and the people here treat it as their mother. She has also narrated the utility of the river and its water in day-today lives of the people, including its historical importance. In the letter, she also mentions her childhood memories when she went with her mother to the river bank and enjoyed its scenic beauty and the musical sound of the flowing water. But today I am deeply pained to see Mahanadi as a crying mother. With very scant water left, it is now looking like a desert instead of a river, writes Amrita. After seeing the river now, I feel as if my mother is crying for help and it is you and only you who can do it, she appealed. She further writes that she is too small to understand politics. But it is further a fact that Mahanadi is dying with each passing day. And if it is not saved today, it will die for ever and with it the hopes of lakhs of people for whom Mahanadi is the source of life will die, she mentioned. She further appealed the PM to rejuvenate Mahanadi so that she can enjoy the resonant sound of the flowing water and revive her childhood memories. Sahu, Dr Sarat Kumar Rout, Dr BC Das, Dr Milan Kishore Jena, Sunanda Das, Sasmita Sahu and treasurer Siddharth Rath were present. Khatua urged the former students to be life members of RUEDAA and make the celebration successful. Dr Tarulata Devi gave a vote of thanks. ith an aim to inspire girls Wto pursue higher education in the field of science and technology, the Indian Institute of Technology, Bhubaneswar (IIT BBS) is organising the Vigyan Jyoti programme in its campus at Argul from June 4 to 24 for Odisha region. The event being organised with the support of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, was inaugurated by AIIMS, Bhubaneswar Director Prof Gitanjali Batmanabane in the presence of IIT, Bhubaneswar Director Prof RV Raja Kumar. Prof Batmanabane urged the students to dedicate their mind to the process of learning and encouraged them to pursue their career as a passion. The IIT Director welcomed all the young girl participants and called upon them to participate wholeheartedly and gather actual knowledge rather than securing marks only and utilise the programme for he SDJM Court here on TMonday granted conditional bail to Panda Infra Projects Limited managing director Pratap Panda, who was arrested after a section of the flyover at Bomikhal in the city had collapsed on May 3, The court granted bail to Panda on a condition that he would furnish a bail bond of Rs 50,000 with one solvent surety. The court also asked him not to their overall development. Thirty girl students of Class XI (Science stream) from across the State attended the programme. In addition, the IIT Bhubaneswar made a special provision for five Class-XI (Science stream) girl students from its six adopted villages of the institute under the Unnat Bharat Abhiyan to participate on supernumerary basis. A scholarship of Rs 5,000 would be given to the participants after the completion of the programme. During the threeweek programme, students would be taken to planetariums, science labs, research centers and places of historical interest and would be shown inspirational movies and documentaries on interesting science topics and biographies of famous female achievers. Among others, Nodal Officer Prof VR Pedireddi, Coordinators Dr. Sasmita Barik and Dr Seema Bahinipati were present. influence the witnesses in any manner while on bail. Moreover, he was directed to depose before police once in 15 days. Panda had been arrested a day after a portion of the under-construction Bomikhal flyover caved in, killing a labourer and injuring another. The Panda Infra was the executing agency of the flyover. Notably, the Panda Infra had earlier landed in a soup after a section of the same under-construction flyover had collapsed on September 10, 2017, killing a local resident and injuring 10 others. he State Government s con- and outsourcing Ttractual employees continued wearing black badges at their workplaces for the fourth consecutive day on Monday to press for abolishment of contractual posts and regularisation of their jobs. Over two lakh contractual and outsourcing employees belonging to various offices from block to district levels under the banner of the Odisha Karmachari Mahamacha have been wearing black badges from June 1 and continue to do so till June 8. They would hold a massive rally on June 25 and 26 here in protest against the apathetic attitude of the State Government if demands are not met by then, said association convenor Pravat Mohanty. They alleged that the State Government has defied the Supreme Court s direction of equal pay for equal work and exploited the workers a lot. They also said that they are working at a less salary than even the daily wagers. They have also decided to hold Naveen Nivas Chal programme on June 27 to submit a memorandum to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. Mahamancha convenor Prabhat Mohanty, Outsourcing Employees Associton present Sanjay Kumar Patnaik, Tapas Kumar Mishra, Satyabrat Barik, Prakash Chandra Bedanta, Sachitra Kumar Das, Hemant Bastia, Samarendra Pradhan, Deba Sahu, Pratap Kumar Nath and Arundhati Mishra led the silent protest at their respective offices. n the ongoing fight over the Mahanadi and Polavaram issues, Ithe Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Monday formed a four-member steering committee to decide its further course of action to put pressure on the Centre. Chief Minister and BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik appointed Rajya Sabha members Prasanna Acharya and Soumya Ranjan Patnaik, BJD MLA Debi Prasad Mishra and former Union Minister Chandra Shekhar Sahu as the members of the committee, informed BJD State secretary Bijay Nayak. Patnaik also appointed Commerce and Transport Minister Nrusingha Charan Sahu as the party observer of Puri district. Rajya Sabha member Achyuta Samanta was given the charge of assistant observer of Kandhamal and Mayurbhanj districts. pioneer interview of the week Politics makes strange bedfellows. Once considered a formidable adversary of the BJD Government, Soumya Ranjan Patnaik merged his political outfit Aama Odisha with the BJD on March 6, 2018 and was subsequently sent to the Rajya Sabha as a BJD member. A brilliant academician, a former Oxonian, Soumya Ranjan had joined as a faculty at the BHU for a brief stint. He left the cloistered walls of the university and joined public life. He founded Odia daily The Sambad and continues to be its editor through which he has revolutionised the field of Odia journalism. Of late, he has added to it with news channel Kanak T.V. He opened his political innings being elected to the 11th Loka Sabha as a Congress candidate. Before it, he was in the BJP as its State vice-president. An irreverent iconoclast, he minces no words and is frank and outspoken that endears him to his friends and foes alike. A media baron with a difference, a zestful chronicler of events and issues in his editorials, he has metamorphosed from an angry young man of journalism and mellowed into a seasoned parliamentarian after having earned a berth for himself in the Upper House. As an intellectual, he is ready to aim his guns on various issues of leviathan character concerning Odisha as and when the occasion so demands. His joining the BJD has strengthened the party immensely. When asked about this, he emphatically affirms it without bothering for the shenanigans of the opposition leaders. A son-in-law of Late CM JB Patnaik, Soumya Ranjan is full of appreciation for the legendary leader Biju Patnaik and terms him as a statesman by whom, he admits, he was also inspired. In an interview to The Pioneer, he spokes to Sugyan Choudhury at his residence justifying his transition. All along, you had been an important opposition political prayer. Your joining the BJD has raised many eyebrows. How do you look at it? People vote for a person. They do not vote for the same person or the party for all times. They too change their option; and when they do so, no eyebrows are raised. Similarly, when someone changes his mind to join a different political party, why should there be any problem; why should eyebrows be raised? Personally speaking, I started a newspaper after I came back from the BHU. I have been in and out of politics for the last 25 years. I was born to a Congress family and married in a Congress family. The Congress party could not facilitate my style of functioning and I was rather unceremoniously shown the door. Hence, going back to the Congress was ruled out. Joining the BJP, where I spent quite some time, was not possible again. I was fighting for the people of Odisha for their identity, for their language and culture, for the chit fund-affected people and for the cause of farmers. When I found that the causes which I was championing for the people of are also the issues of the BJD, the BJD became my natural choice and natural ally. I had no other choices left but to strengthen the party together on a collective basic for the larger interests of the people of our State. What was the most important point of inspiration for you to join the BJD? The choice before me was imperative as I found that the issues for which I stood for are also those for which Naveenbabu has started fighting for. Naveenbabu has proved time and again that the people of Odisha are with him. Of late, he has made Odia the official language of the State under an Act; and anybody violating it is punishable. He has also taken initiative ormer Dhenkanal BJD FMLA Nabin Nanda had a narrow escape on Monday after unidentified miscreants hurled country-made bombs at his vehicle near Takhurpal village under Gondia block in the district. Though the SUV of Nanda was badly damaged, he escaped unhurt in the incident. The incident occurred when he was on his way to attend Dhenkanal Swabhiman Surakshya Abhiyan rally along with his supporters. Reports said two motorbike-borne miscreants lobbed two bombs at Nanda s vehicle and fled from the spot. Though the exact motive behind the bombing is yet to be ascertained, it is suspected that the incident could be fallout of some past political or personal enmity. My vehicle has been damaged due to the bomb attack during my visit to Kaluria gram panchayat. I have already informed the district administration and DGP RP Sharma, said Nanda in a Tweet. for returning the money to the chit fund depositors. I am sure something is going to be done by Naveenbabu for the agrarian communities. When all these things started happening, I thought I could be a stakeholder in it and persuade the BJD to take up these issues. If I wanted to be politically relevant, I should be working in tandem with the BJD. As political observers opine, the BJD has got strengthened by your joining. What is your response to this? If observers think that the joining of a small political entity has strengthened the ruling party then one should feel elated and great about it. Whenever I had joined any political party in past, I wished the party to be strengthened and win elections. That is how I must now think about strengthening of the BJD and how the party shall win elections so that we shall remain politically relevant. Do you think that Naveenbabu and the BJD are going to be a major player in national political scenario by the 2019 elections? Look, the BJD has no political pretensions in national politics. We have 20 members in Loka Sabha and nine in Rajya Sabha. All these LS members taken together cannot form a Government at the Centre. But in a critical situation or on political compulsions or during an impasse, these members are a great number. They can influence the way national politics or the political scenario is to move towards a decisive point. Similarly, the nine BJD members in the RS are very important for the Deputy Chairman position of the Upper House. All eyes are now on the BJD. However, Naveenbabu has made it clear that the BJD must maintain equidistance from the two national mainstream political parties, the Congress and the BJP. What and how would you raise issues of Odisha in the RS? Odisha is a very unfortunate State despite the kindness of beauty and bounty of nature accorded to it by Lord Jagannath. We have pockets of poverty around plenty. If you look at mineral resources, it is the envy of many. Similarly, we are endowed with a large precious forest cover and 480 km of seacoast, which no other State has. But the irony is that poor people are living in our State. Hence, it is the duty of the State Government to catapult the State s economic growth trajectory ahead of other States. But unfortunately in a federal system, the State cannot grow unless the Central Government is a willing partner to it. The Mahanadi water dispute is case in point. Unfortunately, the Central Government is not playing its rightful role in solving the imbroglio. Hence, I shall raise my voice in the Upper House for special packages or for Special Category State so that our long underdeveloped State shall be able to march ahead. Your political adversaries maintain that there is a tacit understanding between the BJD and the Congress with the personal chemistry of your relationship unchanged with PCC president Niranjan Patnaik. At the beginning I told you that I was born in a Congress family and married in a Congress family. People in past referred to my relationship with JB Patnaik and Niranjan Patnaik when I was in the BJP. In my opinion, political affiliations and personal relationships should not be equated with each other. I give you an example although there are many such. KV Singh Deo is the BJP Legislature Party in the State. His own uncle AU Singh Deo is a BJD leader. Even, KV s father Rajraj Singh Deo and the latter s brother AU Singh Deo were working for two different parties. Hence, people are reading too much into it. Our leader and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has categorically stated that we must maintain equidistance from both the BJP and the Congress. Then, where does the question of linking me with Niranjanbabu arise? These are all abstract and irrelevant. In my opinion, political affiliations and family bonds are altogether two different things. You mediapersons and political observers read too much into it. I must tell you that I have no political adversaries as I have changed my affiliations many times and; in each political party I have my friends. Nanda further stated that the incident occurred when he was on his way to attend a meeting at Takhurpal village from Kulria gram panchayat. The miscreants had hurled bombs targeting me. But due to God s grace, the bomb hit my vehicle. As I have been visiting different villages and listening to the grievances of people in the constituency, the attack might be the handiwork of my political rivals, said Nanda. Sources said several supporters of Nanda were accompanying him in a motorcycle rally. Meanwhile, police have started investigation into the incident.

3 aking action against the Teducational institutions offering Plus Two courses without having adequate infrastructure, the School & Mass Education Department has decided to shut four colleges and put restriction on 23 colleges on admitting students in the academic session. The move came for the first time after the Plus Two colleges came under the School & Mass Education Department from the Higher Education Department. As per the decision, the department authorities have taken action against total 27 colleges this academic session. While four Plus Two colleges would be closed, 23 other colleges would be debarred from conducting admission. The students have been asked not to go in for admission in those colleges enlisted for closure and the restricted from admission process that began from June 1. he 6th monthly seminar of TKhadial Mukta Vichar Manch was held at Khariar on Saturday. The topic was Sambadikata re Naitikata ra Abashyakata Achhi ki? Three journalists were chosen to deliberate on the topic. These speakers were Ajit Panda, Khuturam Sunani and Purusottam Singh Thakur. People from different walks of life including women participated in the seminar actively. In spite of difficulties and risks in life, journalists perform their best. It has been proved historically that the Press has played a significant role all over the world in the process of The self-financing Rotary College in Bargarh district, Om Herambalaya Residential College at Brahmapur, Shree Valley College in Rourkela and Deogarh Women s College in Deogarh have been closed in the academic session. The colleges that have been restricted from conducting admission include Bidyabharati Residential College in Angul, RJSMS, Shastri Institute of Science & Technology, Satya Sai Science College and Regional Institute of Science & Technology in Balasore district, Saraswato Sishu Bidya Gyan Mandir in Balangir district, Shakti College in Cuttack, Rengalbeda Regional Panchayat College in Deogarh, Krishna International College of Science & Commerce, Ambedkar College and Pratibha Residential College in Brahmapur, KBK Times Academy in Kalahandi district, Rama Devi College in Kendrapada, Subash Science College and Nano Science College in Khordha, Sarala Science Residential College s part of the BJP s State-wide Acampaign to highlight the crimes against women by organising "Women safety rallies" from May 17, a meeting was held in Keonjhar town being presided over by BJP State Mahila Morcha vice-president Sukeshi Oram on Sunday.. Party women leaders focussed mainly on the girl child abuse cases starting from the Kunduli incident to the recent case of Keonjhar policemen facing child abuse slur. They said the State Government has failed to ensure safety to women. They further highlighted the different steps taken by the Modi Government at the Centre to protect the safety and dignity of women in the country. While the meeting was coordinated by former Keonjhar Sadar MLA Mohan Majhi, women leaders who addressed it included Pinki Pradhan and former Keonjhar Zilla Parishad Chairperson Mamita Naik. change. The role of Press was significant during the Indian war of Independence when morality usually ruled the roost. Everyone knows how the Press stood against the Emergency in post- Independence India. But it has also been seen how the lack of moral standard and ethics in journalism has put a great question mark in the propriety of the fourth estate. There has been a paradigm shift in this profession in terms of integrity, quality and sanctity of news and Mangala Residential College in Puri district, Swami Vivekananda Residential College in Rayagada district, Charmal College and Shree Arovinda Institute of Integral Education and Research in Sambalpur district, Kalinga College and Maa Mekkani Women s College in Subarnapur district and Savitri Gopal Panchayat College in Sundargarh district. Sources said admission would be conducted in more than 1,500 Plus Two colleges in , out of which 435 are self-financing colleges. However, 56 colleges have been given permission on specific conditions to proceed for admission this academic session. Twelve colleges have asked for permission for infrastructure development. The authorities have permitted two colleges to shift their campus. Earlier, the State Government had closed 82 colleges for the academic session. agdish Seth (63) of JGandabahal village in Ullunda block leads a wretched life deprived of welfare schemes of the Government meant to improve the living conditions of the infirm and poor. and credibility of facts after the media was reduced to a thing of commerce in the hands of corporates, said the speakers. But things everywhere are not the same; there are exceptions where morality and ethics still stands high, they added. Khadial Mukta Vichar Manch convenor Shreekant Chatterjee presented his views succsinctly, which was followed by a question-answer session. "The character of media has changed after the LPG (liberalisation, privatisation and globalisation) came into force. No one can deny that the moral has gone down. The control mechanism has changed, said Chaterjee. Reading a passage from Mahatma Gandhi s writing, he elaborated that there was a time when the journalist was being controlled by the people, but the control now comes from above. It is time the society thought about it seriously, he stated. The Manch has been conducting one seminar every month since December The organisers informed that the selection of topic is done on the basis of an event of national or international importance in that particular month. The World Press Freedom Day fell on May 3; thus, the topic this month was on journalism. Dr Fanindam Deo, Sabita Chatterjee, Aditi Agrawal, Jitendra Pattnaik, Noor Md, Kamal Lochan Tandi, Sushanta Bisi and Sishir Bishoi were among others who were present. To make matters worse, Jagdish is unable to walk properly. Despite having paralysis, he is not able to afford the cost of the treatment of any disease and crawls his way to nearby areas where he begs to eke out a living. For some days, he and his wife are forced to go to bed empty stomach when people around them refuse to be generous. He is only getting 5 kg rice per month under the PDS from Government. Contacted, Ullunda BDO Bijaya Kumar Sai said he was unaware of the plight of the Seth and promised that immediate action would be taken to include Jagdish under old age pension, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana and treatment facility of his disease to them. Meanwhile, the locals sympathised with the elderly man and demanded the administration to take note of their plight and provide them a house and pension. he Brahmapur Childline Tteam on Sunday rescued eight girls, including three minors, while they were being trafficked to Hyderabad by a bus to work as migrant labourers. All the girls are natives of Raikia in Khandhamal district. Brahmapur Childline director Sudhir Sabat said, Our team swung into action after the Raikia police officer informed me that eight girls were being sent by bus from Raikia. We checked all the bus coming from Raikia and found eight girls that were being trafficked to Hyderabad. Sabat said during the rescue of the girls, the trafficker managed to escape. Three minors would be handed over to the Raikia police, he added. Sabat also said the trafficking is being done in the knowledge of victim s parents and for which he demanded that stringent action should be taken by the administration against the parents and at district-level. Besides, vocational training should be provided to the victims, he said. Notably, on June 1, the Childline Help Desk rescued six girls and three boys from the Brahmapur railway station while they were taken to Hyderabad. Later, the rescued children were shifted to a children s home. The parents of the rescued had been informed. rked at false information Ipublished in a section of the media, the Bamebari police have urged newspapers not to publish concocted stories about a minor girl rescued by them from her abductor recently. The police in a statement on Monday said the girl has not told them that she was ill-treated in any manner by policeman Biju Naik. But a section of the media has published that she was misbehaved by Naik. We urge all not to publish any imaginary and baseless story regarding the girl. The case is sub-judies now, the police statement said. he own building of the TSteel City branch of the Urban Cooperative Bank, Rourkela (UCBR) was inaugurated here at Ambagan, Sector- 18 on Saturday by the Managing Committee, UCBR president Rajesh Mohapatra. Among others, the vice president of bank Purnima Kerketta, Directors Sudarsan Mishra, Sangram Keshari Samantray, Sukant Mohapatra, Akhaya Kumar Rout, Lalita Nayak, Nikunja Pradhan, Sailendra Kumar Marathia, Rohit Kumar Samal, Machhindra Kalet, Bibhudanand Tripathy, Anant Kumar Jena, Sandhya Rani Rout, Rajkishore Sahoo, CEO Rabindra Kumar Mishra, many former Directors, account holders, share holders, beneficiaries, bank staffers and respected denizens of Rourkela were present on the occasion. Welcoming all on the occasion, Mohapatra briefed about the economic position of the bank and expected the cooperation of all for the development of the bank in coming days. He also informed that since inception the Steel City branch of the bank was functioning in a rented house at Shaktinagar and from now onwards it will function in its own building. With this the financial burden of the bank will be reduced and the customer service will be improved, he said. It may be noted that to reduce the financial burden, the bank management decided to take a piece of land from the Rourkela Steel Plant on lease to construct its own building for Steel City branch. Accordingly the land was taken in 2004 and the construction work of the building completed in the year But due to certain technical reasons, neither the bank got the RBI nod, nor the approval of Registrar of Cooperative Society (RCS) to shift the branch to the new building. As the bank was meeting regular loss and the NPA was high it had become a day dream to get the nod of RBI and approval of RCS. But after taking the charge of management in February, 2015, Mohapatra put his own effort to bring reformation in bank and as a result, the customer service of the bank improved, bank started earning profit and NPA got down. And finally considering the regular improvement in bank s position, both the RBI and RCS gave permission to shift the branch to its new building. he World Environment Day Tis an opportunity to raise awareness and promote action on environmental issues and mitigating damage caused to the environment. The day is observed on June 5 since 1972 in more than 100 countries, and is one of the most popular days on the United Nations calendar. Through World Environment Day, the United Nations Environment Programme is able to personalise environmental issues and enable everyone to realise not only their responsibility, but also their power to become agents of change in support of sustainable and equitable development. A variety of activities are planned to celebrate the great event in different countries to encourage more people towards the celebration. Various news channels take part very actively in the celebration for spreading awareness among common public on environmental issues. Some of the national and international level activities include street rallies, tree plantation, garbage recycling, surrounding areas cleanup, parades and so many activities in order to draw people s attention towards a wide range of environmental issues as well as bring difference. The people of all age groups actively involve during the celebration to save their planet in original form as gifted by the nature. Especially, modern day youths hugely take part in the celebration through many activities such as clean up campaigns, art exhibitions, motivating people for tree-planting, dance activities, recycling garbage, film festivals, community events, essays writing, poster competitions, social media campaigns and lot more. Many awareness campaigns are also run at schools, colleges and other educational institutions to motivate students towards their environmental safety. The celebration takes place at national and international level by organising various activities in the public places to aware common public about the real causes of environment status degradation as well as let them know what steps should be taken to solve such environmental issues. India is the global host of the World Environment Day this year. Beat Plastic Pollution, the theme for the day, urges the Governments, industry, communities, and individuals to come together and explore sustainable alternatives and urgently reduce the production and excessive use of single-use plastic polluting our oceans, damaging marine life and threatening human health. Plastic pollution is the accumulation of plastic products in the environment that adversely affects wildlife, wildlife habitat, or humans. A 2017 study found that 83 per cent of tap water samples taken around the world contained plastic pollutants. In 2015, a study found that sea salt samples purchased in China were contaminated with microplastics, often in concentrations as high as 681 plastic particles for every kilogram of sea salt. A study in Nature Scientific Reports found microplastics in 16 out of 17 salt brands originating from eight different countries. This plastic debris can kill the sea turtle by obstructing the oesophagus. So too are whales; large amounts of plastics have been found in the stomachs of beached whales. Over the years, plastic has emerged as one of the major reasons behind the death of many cows and other animals in India. In one such incident at Bhubaneswar OUAT, veterinarians surgically removed more than 70 kg of plastic from a bull s stomach. Some of the chemicals used in plastic production can cause dermatitis upon contact with human skin. Delhi is the largest contributor to India s 25,940 tonnes of plastic waste every day. Using five plastic bags at the grocery store adds one kilogram of carbon dioxide to our carbon footprint. Every year, more than 500 million single-use plastic straws wind up in the trash. Instead of a plastic straw we can use a stainless steel straw. Based on a study conducted by the Central Pollution Control Board and Central Institute of Plastic Engineering and Technology for 60 cities in the country, during , it was observed that 10 cities viz Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai, Bangalore, Ahmadabad, Hyderabad, Surat, Kanpur and Pune generate more plastic waste. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) said in its 2015 report that as many as 60 tier-i and tier-ii Indian cities roughly account for generation of 4,059 tonnes of plastic waste per day. Delhi is the largest contributor to India s 25,940 tonnes of plastic waste every day. In Bhubaneswar, 30 tonnes of plastic waste is generated every day which accounts for 5 per cent of solid waste generated. (Dr Senapati is Professor and Head, Department of Chemistry, Trident Academy of Technology, Bhubaneswar. He is also a Prakruti Bandhu awardee.)

4 meeting of elected repre- of the local bod- Asentatives ies including Sarapanches of 26 gram panchayats (GPs) and other PRI members was held at Surada on June 2 in which they participated in a direct interaction with Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik through video conferencing. After discussion with the elected representatives of the local bodies, the Chief Minister instantly approved of 195 projects based on the requirements and suggestions made by the Sarapanchs and made a total allocation of Rs 6.25 crore to 25 GPs of Surada Block. However, the project proposal of only one GP, namely, Kulangi GP, could not be sanctioned as the code of conduct to the by-election to the office of Sarapanch of Kulangi GP is still in force, sources said. Significantly, among all the project proposals, a public library at each GP headquarters and Mission Shakti Community Center proposals are considered innovative, sources said. According to information available, more than 12,000 people actively joined the video conferencing with the Chief Minister. The entire event was organised by BDO of Surada Block Sushil uri Govardhan Math head PJagadguru Shankaracharya Nischalananda Saraswati would visit the capital city on Tuesday. He would visit his follower Ajay Kumar Nayak s house at Sector-5, Neeladri Vihar in the evening and give darshan to his followers and religion enthusiasts. The Shankaracharya would spend the night at Nayak s house, which has been renovated for the purpose. More than 500 people would take Prasad at Nayak s house. Aditya Bahini Bhubaneswar regional secretary Subhendu Das and relationship secretary Gyana Bhushan Gupta are looking over all preparations. Nayak has invited all people to have darshan of the Shankaracharya and Prasad at his house. On Wednesday morning, the Shankaracharya would leave for New Delhi by the Duranto Express, said his media-in-charge Arun Mohanty. Kumar Pattnaik. The sanctioned fund will soon be placed to BDO Surada for early execution, sources said. Among others, Aska MP Ladu Kishore Swain, Surada MLA Purnna Chandra Swain, Chairperson of Surada Panchayat Samiti Saibani Mallik, Chairperson of Surada NAC Sanghamitra Swain, district Collector Premchand Choudhury and DRDA Project Director Vijay Amrut Kulange attended. Around 200 bicycles were distributed to Nirman Sramiks (construction workers), 107 old-age pensioners got their pension for the first time, 52 SHGs got their revolving funds of Rs 15,000 each and 104 SHGs got CIF loan under Odisha Livelihood Mission (OLM). From page 1 Despite their best efforts, the rescuing agencies have not been able to move the huge stones which have piled up. Meanwhile, Kotapad MLA Chandrasekhar Majhi visited the spot. He said that there is lack of coordination among the rescuing agencies and the district administration. They should seek the help of the Army or experts outside the State who have experience in handling such disasters.mk From page 1 It may be noted that missing of the keys came to the fore as inner treasure of the Ratna Bhandar could not be opened during the inspection of the treasure house by the team of experts on April 4 on advice of the High Court. The Ratna Bhandar was last opened in he Navnirman Krushak TSangathan (NKS) on Monday formed a human chain and held a meeting in front of the District Collector s office here demanding a cold storage at Jagatsinghpur and Mandis for mung crop in each block. The NKS activists took out a procession from College Square that culminated at the Collector s office parade ground and held a meeting. They blamed district administration for not restoring the defunct cold storage at Jagatsinghpur or establishing a new one besides making no he Paree Express, a van Tmeant to hold Paree Pain Katha Tiye to create awareness against child sexual abuse for 15 days, started rolling down in Balangir district on Sunday. SP K Siva Subramani said the van would cover throughout the district to create awareness among masses against efforts for starting of cold storages in block level. Due to nonexistence of cold storages, farmers are resorting to distress sale of vegetables and other perishable products, said Rashmi Ranjan Swain, who led the agitation. Heavy police deployment was made at the meeting place with senior police officials accompanied by a magistrate being present at the spot. child sexual abuse. The van marched through the town and a meeting was held at Koshal Kalamandal here. On the occasion, Leader of Opposition in the State Assembly Narasingha Mishra along with others took pledge to protect children from sexual abuse. District and Sessions Judge Surya Prakash Kar, ADM Lakshmi Kant Pyarelal Pradhan, CDMO Dr Sugyanendr Mishra, Balangir Municipality Chairman Santoshini Behera attended the opening ceremony. campaign Speak Out Aagainst bullying and child sexual abuse by Odisha born child activist Maharshi Sanket, a Xth standard student, and Bollywood film art director Sukant Panigrahi has received tremendous response from the people. Sanket who carried out a cycle yatra from Bangalore to Mumbai on May 21 ended on June 1 with a grand welcome hosted by Yuva Institute, Navi Mumbai which is working on child rights. The victims, children and parents shared their painful experiences on bullying and child sexual abuse everywhere.it is noted that 53 per cent of children are affected bullying Mishra and others expressed concern over rising incident of child abuse and stressed on the need to respect women and urged the parents to be more watchful to their children and report to police in case of any such incident. The District and Sessions Judge Surya Prakash Kar explained in detail about the legal provisions and facility available to deal such cases and said parents should be more cautious and vigilant towards their children to prevent children from sexual abuse. and child sexual abuse in India either at home, school and other places. Sanket and Sukant being artists used art and painting as a medium for the children and parents to express and speak out the unspoken and initiated them to join the movement. Sukant stated that he will make a short film collating all he Mahima Pustak Mela Twas inaugurated jointly by Steel and Mines and Works Minister Prafulla Kumar Mallick and Commerce and Transport Minister Dr Nrusingha Charan Sahu at the mini stadium here on Friday. The book fair, organised by the District Council of Culture, would conclude on June 8. Notably, the State Government has advised all district Collectors to organise book fairs at respective district headquarters. While Mallick advised district Collector Nikhil Pawan Kalyan for organising the book these experiences to take the movement further. Exhibition of arts by children and the paintings of Sanket added attraction to the events. A song on the theme sung by Ankita, ZEE sarigama pa contestant, lyrics by Sadhu Nityananda, Bhopal was released. fair, Sahu advised him to construct a big library hall so that common readers can sit and read books. Among others, Local MLA Saroj Kumar Samal, Collector Nikhil Pawan Kalyan, municipality Chairman Sudhansu Dalei, Additional District Magistrate Abanikant Pattnaik and ZP President Meenati Nayak, Akhaya Kumar Mohanty and Yogendra Nath Tripathy were present. It might be mentioned here that a book fair was earlier being organised by the Sandhya Tara Sahitya Sansad and District Book Fair Committee. It has not been held for the two years, reportedly due to non-cooperation of the District Council of Culture and the district administration. he Indian Institute of TTechnology, Bhubaneswar (IIT BBS) has successfully commissioned a solar power generating station of 490-KW capacity at its permanent campus. IIT Bhubaneswar Director Prof RV Raja Kumar inaugurated the project in which rooftops of all the existing buildings were utilised for installing solar panels and power generating equipments. The project would not only supply power to the campus through solar generation but would also provide enough data and information for doing research work on solar PV renewable energy systems. The solar PV panels were successfully commissioned on May 14 for testing and the generation is found to be fully intact till date. Prof Kumar said the institute has decided to make the campus green and the solar power generation is one step in this endeavour alongside of undertaking a massive tree plantation drive of 30,000 trees during the last three rainy seasons. He also said that the institute has already awarded a contract to create STP and ETP in the campus through the NBCC and it is also working on rainwater harvesting in the campus with the buildings already designed to be equipped with a rainwater collection system. o provide relief to about 5 Tcrore sugarcane farmers and around 5 lakh workers directly employed in sugar mills and to ensure clearance of their dues, the Modi Government is going to bring out a comprehensive package of more than 8,000 crore. This will include creation of buffer stock of 30 LMT for which the money will be transferred directly to the accounts of the sugarcane farmers. The creation of such a buffer stock will facilitate clearing of cane dues of the farmers and also ensure regular supply of sugar in the market by maintaining the demand and supply balance, said reliable sources. The cost of creation of the buffer stock, including carrying costs and other incidental charges is estimated to be around Rs 1,200 crore. zonal convention of Biju ASramik Sangha (BSS) for Baleswar, Bhadrak and Mayurbhanj districts was held in Baleswar last week. The speakers of BJD joining in the meeting said the BSS would include all the persons in the unorganised sectors after identifying them within three months under Government benefits including insurance and accidental death benefits, etc. The meeting was attended by Higher Education Minister Anant Das, Baleswar MP RK Jena and Bhadrak MP Arjun Sethi, observer of the district MLA Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak and other MLAs including Debasis Samanatray,Byamokesh Roy, Muktikanta Mandal, JP Dash, Jyotiprakash Panigrahi, Aswani Patra, Sukanta Nayak, Planning Board Member Girish Dash, BSS president Rajendra Singh, secretary Subash Singh, Jugal Nayak, Sambhunath Jena, ZP president Nibedita Mohanty and Municipality Chairman Alok Sahu.

5 orried over farmers Wanger reflecting in the recently-concluded bypolls which the BJP lost badly and their ongoing agitation in eight States, the Narendra Modi Government has decided to aid, assist and advise the farmers on how to improve their farming techniques and raise their incomes in 115 aspirational districts. The Government has also deputed director-level officers to get feedback for its flagship programmes, including schemes launched for welfare of farmers and rural development. As many as 111 officers at director-level have also been made in charge of one district each for overall coordination and field level monitoring, sources said, adding four more will be deputed gradually. This is the first time that agriculture and rural development have been added in the aspirational districts. The officials will also assess the implementation of PM Modi s flagship programmes like Ujjwala, Saubhagya, Ujaala Yojana, Jan he Congress on Monday Taccused the Modi Government of protecting its crony friends and asked why it is not ordering a probe into the banking frauds in the country, including the ICICI bank case. Congress leader Pawan Khera asked whether the Government would order an investigation into the ICICI scam in which its CEO is allegedly embroiled and direct every chief of a private bank to declare their relationship with loanees. Instead of oversight, audit, regulations and protection of interests of account holder depositors, stakeholders and shareholders, the Modi Government is busy protecting its crony friends, he alleged at a Press conference here. The Congress leader said the entire fraud is identical to scams perpetrated by Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi and Jatin Mehta who have fleeced and fled the country under the protection of the Modi Government. Will the protagonists of this scam too be permitted to escape the country? The Government cannot just shrug its shoulders and say that we are not responsible, we are not looking at ICICI. This cannot be done, he said, alleging increase in cases of bank frauds during the NDA rule. Khera asked why the Government did not order a thorough probe when the news reports and whistleblower s letters to the Prime Minister emerged as early in March Dhan, Pradhan Mantri Jiwan Jyoti, PM Suraksha Bima Yojana and Mission Indradhanush at grass root level. Sources said the officials will look into distribution of soil health cards to all farmers and 100 per cent coverage of bovine vaccination for Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in this year. What explains the complete silence and the declared non-interference of the Modi Government in this saga of ICICI Bank frauds? he asked. Will acting Finance Minister Piyush Goyal, who himself has been guilty of conflict of interest and impropriety, answer when will the Government order investigation asking every CEO of private banks to declare their any relationship with any loanee? The Congress leader alleged that the lack of oversight and regulatory mechanisms have led to bank loot scams worth 61,036 crore and have eroded the trust of common man in banks. He said Rs 2,849 crore exposure of ICICI Bank, India s largest private sector bank, and the behind the scenes murky deals questions the role of its CEO and it is one such saga of Banking Fraud. After much delay, he said the market regulator SEBI has given a show cause notice to ICICI Bank s CEO and said that it didn t adhere to its code of conduct, which required the disclosure of any conflict of interest in the case. He said as per the media reports, top Finance Ministry officials reflect that Modi Government will not interfere in this banking fraud. Khera also alleged that bad loans of private banks have risen by a whopping 317 pc under Modi Government, which stood at 26,112 crore in and rose to 1,09,076 crore in Who is responsible for them? he asked. each village and making of 100 NADAP pits in each village. They will also assess the 100 per cent coverage of sheep and goat for eradication of Peste des Petits ruminants (PPR) and artificial insemination saturation, sources said. One of the officers said on condition of anonymity that aking a swipe at Prime TMinister Narendra Modi, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Monday accused him of giving scripted interviews and said it would be an embarrassment to us all if he did take real questions. Rahul was referring to an interview Modi gave at the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore during his recent visit to the city-state. After Modi answered a question in Hindi, the interpreter started reading from a piece of paper, prompting speculation that the script may be pre-planned. The first Indian PM who takes spontaneous questions that translator has pre-scripted answers to! Good he doesn t take real questions. Would have been a real embarrassment to us all if he did, Rahul said on Twitter. He also tagged a video of Modi s question and the answer along with that given by the English translator. He is currently abroad along with his mother and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi who had gone for a medical check-up to the United States. Congress leader Shashi Tharoor had tweeted while tagging a news report on the NTU interview, Oh dear. When the translator says what the PM was supposed to say, but didn t. he India Meteorological TDepartment (IMD) said on Monday monsoon is likely to reach Maharashtra and Goa in the next two days. Rain over the western coast, especially in Mumbai, is likely to peak between June 8 and 10, private agency Skymet said. Southwest monsoon is expected to cover remaining parts of Karnataka and Rayalaseema, some parts of South Konkan and Goa, Telangana during the next 48 hours. Conditions are likely to become favorable for further advancement into parts of Maharashtra, Telangana and Coastal Andhra Pradesh in the subsequent 2-3 days, said Skymet. This year, monsoon has hit Kerala three days before they have been told to give feedback on distribution of mini kits of pulses and oilseeds to all besides status of seven flagship programmes launched by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Modi Government is a worried lot after the debacle in the recent bypolls in the country which signaled that resident Ram Nath Kovind Pand Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday asked the Governors to act as change makers by improving the lives of marginalised people, enhancing higher education standards and leveraging their experience to help people derive maximum benefits from Central schemes. Modi also reminded them of their pivotal role in a federal structure. In his opening address at the two-day conference of Governors and Lt-Governors, which began at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Kovind said a Governor is a mentor and guide for the State Government and an important link in the federal structure. The people of the State view the office of the Governor and the Raj Bhavan as a fount of ideals and values, Kovind said, adding there are approximately 100 million people in the country who belong to the Scheduled Tribes. As Governors you can help in the shaping of a road map for the betterment of lives of our fellow citizens, who have not benefited as much as expected nion Home Minister URajnath Singh will begin his two-day visit to Jammu & Kashmir on June 7 during which he will review the suspension of operations in Ramzan and also meet those affected by cross-border shelling, officials said. This is the second highlevel visit to the State after the announcement of unilateral ceasefire by the Centre from May 16. Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had visited all the three regions of the State Ladakh, Srinagar and Jammu. During his stay in Kashmir, the Home Minister will travel its scheduled arrival. The IMD has predicted that with the strengthening of the monsoon, increased rains farmers are not happy with the Government policies. The ongoing farmer s strikes in eight States have put the Government on the backfoot. The loan waiver of the farmer is a big issue across the country which has been neglected at many stages by the current Government. Similarly, nonpayment of sugarcane growers have emerged another issue of farmers unrest, sources added. In another development, the Government has started the Krishi Kalyan Abhiyaan from June 1, which will be undertaken in 25 villages with more than 1,000 population each in aspirational districts identified in consultation with Ministry of Rural Development as per directions of NITI Ayog. An action plan comprising specifically identified activities under various departments of the agriculture ministry will be implemented to saturate these 25 villages in each district with these activities. In districts where number of villages (with more than 1,000 population) is less than 25, all villages will be covered, Agriculture Ministry officials said. from our development journey, the President said. He said India is blessed with the largest youth population in the world. As Governors, you are guardians of our youth - in the sense that you can inspire young people to absorb the right moral values and you can motivate them to both pursue modern education and remain sensitive to our Indian ethos, Kovind said. Talking about the higher education scenario in the country, the President said 69 per cent of total universities in India come under the purview of State Governments and to the frontier district of Kupwara where he will review some projects being undertaken as part of the Border Area Development Programme, officials said. Later, he will review the suspension of anti-militancy operations during the holy month of Ramzan with top police, paramilitary and Central security agency top brass, they said. Singh is also expected to discuss with the State Government and security officials the possibility of extending the suspension of operations beyond Eid and during the period of the Amarnath Yatra, which will begin on June 28. The recent incidents of are expected in Kerala, coastal Karnataka, Konkan belt and Goa, which may also lead to flooding. n a crucial hearing affecting Iprospects of Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe reservation in promotions in public services, the Supreme Court will on Tuesday determine the fate of a Government notification extending SC/ST reservation in promotions beyond five years. Till 1997, reservation in promotion was fixed for a period up to five years as per the mandate of a 1992 Supreme Court judgment in the landmark Indra Sawhney case. But on August 13, 1997, the Centre issued a fresh notification allowing reservation in promotion to continue in perpetuity. This decision was challenged by an NGO All India Equality Forum and other individuals which led the HC to quash the August 1997 notification by its judgment dated August 23, The appeal by the Centre was mentioned on Monday before a Vacation Bench of Justices Adarsh K Goel and Ashok Bhushan. Lawyers appearing in the case drew the attention of the Bench to an about 94 per cent of students enrolled for higher education study in these universities. With Governors as chancellors of most of these universities, Kovind said, they should provide the necessary impetus and inspiration to these institutions and enhance the level of scholarship. The Prime Minister said in States with significant tribal population, they can help in ensuring that these communities take advantage of Government initiatives in fields such as education, sports and financial inclusion. He spoke at length about stone pelting, attacks on security forces in the Kashmir Valley and infiltration attempts along the border will also figure in the meetings Singh will have with the top brass of the security forces, an official said. On the second day of the tour, the home minister will visit Jammu and will take stock of the situation along the international border where over a dozen security personnel have been killed in firing by Pakistani forces. Several thousand people living along the border were also evacuated and taken to safer places due to the continuous firing from across the border, another official said. Monsoon has advanced in some parts of Tamil Nadu, and southwest, West-Central, East-Central, Northeast of Bay of Bengal, and in most of the northeastern States, IMD said. Conditions are likely to become favourable for further advance of southwest monsoon into some more parts of south peninsula, Bay of Bengal, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and remaining parts of Tripura and some parts of Meghalaya, and sub-himalayan West Bengal during next 2-3 days with the likely development of favourable circulation features and strengthening of cross equatorial winds...rainfall activity is likely to increase over parts of Maharashtra and Goa states from June 6, leading to advance of southwest monsoon over these areas during order passed in November 2017, by the apex court referring the issue of SC/ST promotion to a five-judge Constitution Bench. The issue under consideration was whether the test of backwardness should be criteria for reservation in promotions to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. This virtually amounted to reconsideration of a 2006 decision by a Constitution Bench in M Nagaraj case where the SC held that before making provisions for accelerated promotion to SC/ST in Government services, the State must show the existence of compelling reasons by way of their backwardness, inadequacy of representation in services, and the overall administrative efficiency. It will be interesting to see how the Supreme Court will deal with the Centre s appeal for continuing reservation in promotions beyond five years at a June 6 to June 8, the IMD said in its bulletin. During next 48 hours, the South-West monsoon is likely to advance in parts of Telangana. Southern districts are likely to receive light to moderate rainfall and one or two spells of heavy rain IMD officials. According to officials, during the time of Monsoon onset, formation of cyclonic circulations is observed mostly till June while depressions dominate thereafter. During the onset phase, the Pre-Monsoon heat which is retained by the seas remain as the release process is slow, which is precisely why cyclonic storms form. However, after that, due to persistent rainfall activity and lower temperatures, heat potential decreases in the months of July and August, he added. time when a related issue on SC/ST promotion is pending before a Constitution Bench. The State can provide reservation to SC/STs in employment under Article 16(4A) and 16(4B) of the Constitution. In 2006, the SC imposed stiff conditions on States while exercising power under this provision. The idea behind reservation in promotion was to ensure that socially deprived communities do not lag behind and using the crutches of reservation can reach higher posts in Government service by way of an accelerated promotion up the ranks in order to bring them at par with general category posts. To achieve this, the SC in 2006 directed that in future, States have to present quantifiable data showing the extent of backwardness and inadequate representation in public employment of the caste/tribe sought to be benefitted. how Governors could leverage their experience in different walks of life, so that people derive maximum benefit of various Central Development schemes and initiatives. The institution of governor has a pivotal role to play within the federal structure and constitutional framework of our country, Modi was quoted as saying in an official statement. The Prime Minister mentioned some key themes of development such as National Nutrition Mission, electrification of villages and development parameters in aspirational districts. Modi suggested that Governors could also visit a few recently electrified villages to witness first-hand the benefits of electrification. He said during the recent Gram Swaraj Abhiyan from April 14, seven key schemes of the Government were implemented fully in over 16,000 villages. He said these villages have been freed from seven problems through Jan Bhagidaari. Gram Swaraj Abhiyan is now being extended to 65,000 more villages, with a target date of August 15, he said. The PM suggested planning for 50th Governors conference next year should begin immediately. This effort should focus on making this annual event even more productive, the statement said. New Delhi: BJD MP Bhartruhari Mahtab on Monday quit as the head of a sub-panel under the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), weeks after submitting a report on the Bofors case, which is yet to be taken up by the committee. The PAC, headed by Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge, is yet to take up the report and Mahtab was recently shifted from the Bofors panel and put in charge of a relatively insignificant sub-committee. I am surprised to find that for the first time, a sub-committee (on excesses over voted grants and charged appropriations) of this nature is formed, the BJD MP said in a letter to Kharge, adding there was no need for such a panel. There is no necessity to have a sub-committee on excesses over voted grants and charged appropriations. I decline to be associated with it. I would be happy if my name is deleted from this sub-committee of the present PAC, Mahtab, who will continue to remain the member of the PAC, said. A sub-panel headed by Mahtab, senior-most member of the PAC, had submitted a report on Bofors gun-deal case to Kharge in April.

6 elangana became the first TState in the country to launch first of its kind free life insurance scheme for the farmers. The State Government on Monday signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) in Hyderabad under which the State Government will pay the premium for all the policies of farmers and in case of death of any farmer due to any reason the LIC will pay 5 lakh to his or her nominee. Speaking on the occasion the Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao said there should not be any doubt that his Government was partial towards the farmers. After the path breaking Ryhtu Bandhu scheme, this is another major step for the welfare of the farmers in Telangana, he said. Life Insurance Corporation Chairman VK Sharma lauding the insurance scheme for the farmers called the Chief Minister KCR a friend of farmers and a visionary leader. I am also from farmers family and worked in many parts of the country but have not seen a insurance scheme like this anywhere in the country, Sharma said. He pointed out that LIC had already invested 40,000 crore in Telangana. The insurance scheme will cover all the farmers in the age group of 18 to 60. While under the Rythy Bandhu scheme, every farmer will get 4000 investment support per acre per crop, the insurance scheme will help the family of any farmer after his death. The purpose of both the schemes was only to see the farmers in the State happy, KCR said. the farmer who feeds the people should be satisfied. The country will progress only when the farmers are happy. The insurance scheme will come in to effect from August 15 and in case of death of a he West Bengal Pollution TControl Board (WBPCB) on Monday gave a call for shunning single-use plastics which triggers natural disasters such as flood and pollute the environment. Single-use plastics are used only once before they are thrown away or recycled. These items include plastic bags, straws, coffee stirrers, soda and water bottles and food packaging materials. "We can't go without plastics but we must stop dumping single-use plastic. We must refuse when vendors give us items in plastic packets which can't be used twice. That should be our resolve on the eve of World Environment Day on June 5," WBPCB Chairman Kalyan Rudra told reporters here. He said the WBPCB will organise a number of functions on World Environment Day on Tuesday projecting this objective. "To stop single-use plastics, he JD(U) has taken a decision to Tpress for the demand of special category status to Bihar with the NDA Government and likely to mount pressure on the BJP which has preferred to keep silence on the issue and its leaders neither supporting nor opposing the demand which is close to the heart of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. It is widely believed that Nitish wanted to put moral pressure on the BJP top brass before the 2019 Lok Sabha election and bargain for the seat adjustment. After dashing a letter to the 15th Finance Commission last week, the JD(U) leaders decided to make the demand more vigorously. The senior party leaders, who met here on Sunday under party chief Nitish, though did not say this demand could be their poll plank but asserted that this was their old demand and the party would continue pressing for it in the larger interest of Bihar and its people. we need active participation of every citizen as this task cannot be solely accomplished by the Government and the WBPCB," Rudra said. He was talking to reporters on the sidelines of a seminar 'Beat Plastic Pollution' organised by the Bengal National Chamber of Commerce & Industry and the National Small Industries Corporation Limited. Rudra said India has been chosen by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) as a host for this year's World Environment Day celebrations on Tuesday, for taking constructive action against plastic pollution. "Kolkata should play its role in making this campaign 100 per cent success," he said. Asked if imposing fine on single-use plastic users can improve the situation, Rudra said, "The WBPCB can't impose fines on its own. But the Government can formulate act and empower urban local authorities to this effect." JD(U) secretary general K C Tyagi said, We have decided to further push our demand for special status. A new strategy will soon be chalked out and a committee has been constituted involving Pawan K Varma, Harivansh and me. He admitted that the movement got slowed down in recent times but added that it has once again been accelerated and the party would meet the 15th Finance Commission when it would visit Patna in second week of July. The Nitish led party has been spearheading the movement for the past one decade and it collected over one crore signatures which were submitted to the President a few years ago. But ironically, the BJP never clarified its stand on this demand. When the JD(U) was pressing the then UPA Government to concede the demand the saffron party despite being an ally of Nitish remained indifferent. The BJP also did not participate in the two rallies JD(U) had organized in Delhi and Patna. When asked about what arely a week after pro-quota Bstir leader Hardik Patel s show of strength Patidar Mahapanchayat organised on the day of Narendra Modi Government s fourth anniversary (May 26), differences within his organisation Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) surfaced on Monday. Hardik s former close aides Dinesh Bhambaniya, Varun Patel, Reshma Patel, Dinesh Patel and Dilip Sabva literally opened up a front against him and also threatened to take legal actions following the supreme PAAS leader s allegations that they had received crores to disrupt the pro-quota Patidar agitation. The 24-year-old Patidar leader made these allegations after a series of videos went viral on social media showing senior community members interacting with members of PAAS and talking indirectly about money being taken by was the stand of the BJP, most of the leaders of the party avoid a direct reply. They say that Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an economic package on which work was going on and some say there was no longer any provision to grant special category status to any State. None of them want to come on record. Recently the LJP came in vocal support of this demand and its chief Ram Vilas Paswan said it was justified demand for the progress of Bihar. He called on BJP president Amit Shah in Delhi on Sunday and apart from other issues talked about this demand also. The NDA has claimed that it was united in Bihar and all the allies would contest with honourable seat sharing formula. Apprehensions are that parties might go for hard bargain for seat sharing. The special status demand at this juncture is seen in that contest. Nitish would contest under NDA but wanted to assert his own importance and gain a bargaining power for seat adjustment. farmer, his family will get the claim within ten days. The Chief Minister directed the agricultural officers to ensure that the filled in form of every farmer was submitted to LIC before August 15 with the correct names of the insured person and his nominee and other details. He also wanted the officials to ensure that the farmers raise only those crops for which there was a demand amil Nadu Chief Minister TEdappadi Palaniswamy declared on Monday that the decision to close down the polluting Sterlite Copper plant at Thoothukudi in the State was final and there was no possibility of the plant resuming its production in future. The Sterlite Copper plant, owned by the Vedanta Group, was shut down and sealed by Sivagama Sundari, the Tahsildar of Thoothukudi last Monday following widespread riots and police firing resulted in the death of 13 persons in the port city. The Opposition DMK, which had boycotted the Legislative Assembly in protest against the police firing had in the market. KCR said that he as a farmer had not taken the cash benefit under the Rythy Bandhu scheme and had asked the other famers with big income to do the same. But now I will surely take the insurance scheme and ask all the farmers to take it, he added. KCR said that if quality power was available, water is available and minimum support price was assured the farmers would not face any problem. But unfortunately fixing the MSP for crops was not in the hands of the State Government. Quoting a report the Chief Minister said that of the 57 lakh farmers in the State, 89% were happy with the Rythu Bandhu scheme. There were 32 lakh farmers who own 1 or 2 acres of land in the State. Telangana already has made a name for various unique initiatives to help the farmers including the 24x7 free power supply. declared that it would not return to the House until Palaniswamy resignedas Chief Minister owning up moral responsibility for the unjustified police firing. The Chief Minister retaliated the next day by declaring in the House that it was the DMK-led Government which had provided land and money to the Sterlite Copper s expansion plan in This together with film actor-turned politician Rajinikanth s visit to Thoothukudi forced the DMK to change it s decision andey returned to the House on Monday. The proceedings began with a calling attention motion by M K Stalin, Leader of Opposition, on the Thoothukudi issue to which the Chief Minister replied with the statement that elief has begun to dawn Rthough slowly in the northern Kerala districts of Kozhikode and Malappuram that were hit by the deadly Nipah virus which has so far claimed 17 lives with health officials assuring that the situation has come under control and as no new cases have been reported in the recent days even as a high-level meeting held on Monday to assess the situation observed that there was no need of anxiety. Presently, there is no situation for the people to feel anxious. However, the alert should continue, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan told the media after the high-level meeting held in Thiruvananthapuram. It was unfortunate that some people had been carrying out an adverse campaign over the his former close aides. In the videos Mansukh Patel, who played important role as mediator between PAAS leader and the BJP ruled State Government ahead of the assembly polls is being seen hinting about the deal. Mansukh was also instrumental in organising the first mega rally of Hardik Patel in August 2015 at GMDC ground in Ahmedabad, which made Hardik a force to reckon with. On this Hardik stated that the videos were the proof of BJP government having offered money to break the agitation and defame him. He enlisted names of several of his former associates, including Dinesh Bhambaniya, Varun Patel, Reshma Patel, Dinesh Patel and Dilip Sabva, as having received anywhere between 4 crore to 8 crore to abandon PAAS and join BJP ahead of 2017 Assembly polls. He also took names of several businessmen and BJP leaders from Patidar community who offered his former close aides money. Taking Hardik s allegations seriously, Dinesh Bambhaniya, once considered as the most trusted soldier of Hardik filed a police complaint against him on Monday. According to Bambhania, Hardik must provide proof of his allegations. Another ex-paas leader Sabva threatened to file a legal case against Hardik. Varun and Reshma who have joined BJP denied allegations and warned him saying that Hardik can apologise to them in writing within five days and in case he fails to do so, they would file a defamation case against him. the Sterlite Copper s Thoothukudi operations has come to an end. "The Government s order to close the factory was passed after consulting senior Ministers and legal experts to ensure that the plant remains permanently closed. We also went a step further and cancelled all permissions issued to the Sterlite Copper like water, electricity and boiler license. Even the land alotted for the plant s expansion has been cancelled, said Palaswamy while replying to Stalin s question. We have taken all necessary measures to halt the plant s operation and stop it from resuming its functioning, declared Paliswamy amidst thumping of the desk by the treasury benches. Nipah situation through the social media. The Chief Minister congratulated the health workers in Kozhikode who had acted courageously and with dedication to contain the Nipah spread. Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala praised the State Government for the steps it had taken to deal with the virus situation. The Government would bear the medical expenses of all those who had undergone treatment for virus infection. Meanwhile, doctors at the Government Medical College Hospital (MCH) in Kozhikode, the nerve-centre of anti-nipah operations, said that the situation had come under total control. As things stand, we don t expect more persons to contract the virus in its Stage 2. Things are progressing almost exactly as we had expected, said a senior doctor. Since its presence was first identified three weeks ago, there have been 18 positive cases of Nipah in Kozhikode and Malappuram districts. The virus has so far claimed 17 lives though the blood and body fluid samples of Sabith of Soopikkada, Perambra in Kozhikode district, the first person to die with Nipah symptoms, had not been subjected to analysis. However, alert would continue till June 30, Health officials said. A total of 2,079 people, who were thought to have come into contact with affected persons, had been placed under observation. The inference of the Health officials is that nobody has contracted the virus after May 17 considering its incubation period. elangana has recorded a GSDP growth of 10.4 per cent Tduring , much higher than the national average of 6.6 per cent year on year growth of 6.6 per cent. Similarly the share of Telangana s economy in the national GDP has also increase 9 basis points to 4.37 per cent during the same period. It was 4.28 per cent last year. State Industries Minister K Taraka Rama Rao released these figures on Monday while launching the annual report of the Industries department in Hyderabad. Highlighting the features of the industrial growth in the State he said that TS-iPass had played a major role in it by making the entire processing of investments very easy and transparent and helped significantly in getting the number 1 rank to Telangana in ease of doing business. Under the TS-iPass, launched in June 2015 the State has attracted a total investment of 1.23 lakh crore, 47 per cent of which was in the last financial year. During the state Industrial Infrastructure Corporation developed 148 industrial parks with core infrastructure and allotted acres of land to 460 industries, he said. On this occasion he also presented awards to top industrialists and companies of the State. come together, I see hope in the conversation I had with him. The way ilm actor and politician Kamala forward is for people to have the FHaasan on Monday met mindset to go forward, he said. Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy in Bengaluru seeking the release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu. Makkal Needhi Maiam chief Kamala Haasan was very happy with the response of the Chief Minister Kumaraswamy. He met Kumaraswamy at the official residence of the Chief Minister for over an hour and said he came on behalf of the people of Tamil Nadu and Cauvery basin is getting rains as the monsoon has started pounding the area. Kamal said The kuruvai crop is coming up. You have seen some rain; you can afford to be kind. However he denied discussing anything about the release of super star Rajnikanth s Kaala or about any films. This discussion was nothing about films. There is chamber to look wants the Cauvery Management into it. This (Cauvery issue) is more Authority to be expedited. important, said the Makkal Needhi In a joint briefing Kumaraswamy Maiam leader. On being asked if he said the farmers of the two States are important and wants a cordial relationship without hurting each other. lution of the issue, keeping the interests of farmers of both the States in mind, were discussed. When asked expedited. This attitude is what we are expecting. I am very happy that here is a CM who's looking at it in was going to be the bridge between the two States, Kamal said, I come on behalf of the people. I can be anything. He said Regarding Water if he was willing to hold talks with the same manner. I am a child. Mine is a new Management Board, what Kamal discussed with me, both States maintain cordial relationship as brothers and sisters whatever problems we have to Tamil Nadu on Cauvery he said if the Tamil Nadu Government is ready, I am willing. Kamala Haasan who shares a Like an astute politician Kamal went on to say that although the matter is in court, the water sharing dispute needs to be decided between party. I can be anything for the people. Earlier in the day, while speaking to reporters in Chennai, Kamal equally share. Both Karnataka and good relation with HD the people. I am a son of lawyer and said there should be no politics over Tamil Nadu farmers are important. Kumaraswamy said maintaining a harmonious relation between the two States and expediting the reso- Kumaraswamy also a film producer and said Chief Ministers response was heartening. He said We would like Cauvery Management Authority I have a lot of lawyers. And their advice is settling it between people. Court should be last resort. If people of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka the Cauvery verdict. He, however, added, There should be no trace of violence in protests, but (the State) shouldn't stop protests.

7 Sector Commander-level Aflag meeting between Pak Rangers and BSF counterparts was organised late Monday evening opposite BOP Octroi in Suchetgarh area of RS Pura sector with an aim to broker peace in the region. According to BSF spokesman, the meeting went off in a conducive atmosphere with prime focus to maintain peace and tranquillity on border. During the meeting the officers from both the countries decided to hold next Sector Cdr level meeting on 21 Jun BSF spokesman also expressed hope that the meeting is likely to bring firing-free environment, particularly for border area villagers on both sides. Commanders on both side agreed to keep talks on at meeting of Hindu religious Aheads and leaders of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) in Hyderabad has called upon the Hindu community to unite to protect the Sri Venkateshwara temple of Tirumala and other institutions under the Tirumala Tirupati Devsthanam. The meeting was called by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad in the wake of the allegations of mismanagement in the TTD and some of the jewels of the Tirumala temple going missing. Expressing deep concern over the alleged mismanagement in the TTD affairs, the meeting demanded that Dharmik Mandali should be constituted and the Government and political interference in the TTD management should be ended. The meeting also wanted the Government to order a thorough probe in to the allegations of the theft of the jewels and allay the apprehensions of the devotees. The meeting was attended by the head of the Hampi Peeth Sri Vidyaraniya Bharati, prominent seer Sri Paripurvananda Swamy, founder of Hindu Temples Protection Committee Sri Kamlananda Bharati and many other religious figures. State VHP President M Rama Raju, working president Surinder Reddy, former State Government Chief Secretary IYR Krishna Rao were also present in the meeting. The meeting also demanded that the State Government should consult the religious heads on the steps to be taken to protect the sanctity of the temple. The next meeting will be held at Tirupati on June 9 and issue a declaration with guidelines to unite the Hindu society, a press release of VHP said. A row was kicked up last month with a former Chief Priest of Tirumala temple Ramana Deekshitulu alleging that many ancient jewels of the temple were missing and there were serious irregularities in the management of the temple. The ruling Telugu Desam party on the other hand alleged that the BJP was hatching a conspiracy to destabilize the state by leveling baseless allegations regarding Tirumala temple. every level to develop confidence between two border guarding forces, BSF spokesman said. On Sunday, shooters deployed by the Pakistani rangers in their forward posts had targeted BSF jawans from a very close range before puncturing their head and chest along the International border in Akhnoor sector of Jammu frontier. While BSF authorities handed over a strong letter of protest to their Pakistani counterparts they pounded several forward villages in the area and targeted civilian population for about 10 hours on Sunday. The BSF too had hit back and retaliated strongly. Highly placed official sources told The Pioneer, After scanning the videos and thermal images recorded in the surveillance grid senior officers of the BSF Jammu frontier have concluded that an ASI and BSF jawan both attained martyrdom after they were hit by a sniper shot from a very close range. One of the BSF soldier was shot in the head and another in the chest by the sniper shot, official sources revealed. On Sunday BSF spokesman had claimed, ASI SN Yadav and constable VK Pandey had sustained critical injuries during unprovoked firing and later they succumbed in the hospital. emonstrating that the Dshocking defeat it suffered in the May 28 Assembly by-election in Chengannur has not diminished its fighting spirit, Kerala s Congress-led Opposition UDF unleashed a storm of protest in the Assembly and disrupted proceedings on Monday, the very first day of the monsoon session, demanding a CBI probe into the recent incident of the alleged honour killing of a 26-year-old man. Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan was forced to rush through business and announce adjournment within three hours of the start of the session after slogan-shouting UDF members disrupted proceedings by charging into the well of the House. They alleged hmed Shaikh, a key accused Ain the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts, on Monday told a special court here that he had nothing to do with the blasts in which more than 257 people were killed and 713 injured. Shaikh (52), also known as Lambu, was arrested by the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) on June 1 and was brought to the city by the CBI on Sunday on a transit remand. He was produced before special Judge S M Bhosle of the TADA court in the afternoon on Monday. The prosecution told court that Shaikh had voluntarily given a confessional statement to the CBI about his role in the blasts. Earlier in the day, the accused was produced before the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court, which has taken the cognisance of his confessional statement given to the investigating agency, the prosecution said. The accused confirmed before the judge that he had given a confessional statement to that there were serious lapses from the part of the Home Department and the police in the case of the honour killing. Trouble started in the House after Congress legislator Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, who moved notice for an adjournment motion over the issue, alleged that those behind the honour killing had the active connivance of the Government and the police. He demanded a discussion on the alleged situation where the police themselves were becoming law-breakers. In an indirect bid to hold the ruling CPI(M) responsible for the honour killing, Thiruvanchoor, a former Home minister, said that two of the accused in the case of the honour killing of the youth, Kevin P Joseph of SH Mount, Kottayam, were members of the party s youth wing, DYFI. He accused the Government of supporting the culprits and the victim s kin at the same time. more prosecution wit- in the Sohrabuddin Oness Sheikh and Tulsiram Prajapati alleged fake encounter cases turned hostile before a special CBI court here on Monday, taking the total number of such witnesses to 60. The court has so far examined 86 prosecution witnesses. The witness, Bhawar Singh, the then station house officer of Hathipol police station in ourists visiting this pic- hill station are at Tturesque the receiving end as curfew remains in force in the entire city and parts of it are virtually under siege due to continuing clashes between two groups since Thursday. A number of hotels in Shillong told PTI that there were anxious queries from tourists and last minute cancellations of rooms due to fear of a breakdown of the law-and-order situation.violence broke out on Thursday after local tribals and Punjabi residents clashed in the city s Punjabi Line area after a bus handyman was allegedly beaten up by a group of people. The Army conducted a flag march on Monday and is scheduled to conduct another again at 10 pm. We have received a lot of queries from guests on the current situation in the State capital. There have been cancellations of advanced bookings at our hotels in the last 72 hours, a manager at Hotel Centre Point told PTI. She said the hotel had witnessed record reservations and bookings over the past few years during the summer break and hoped that the situation returned to normalcy soon. A guesthouse operator at Sohra (erstwhile Cherrapunji) said if the situation in Shillong did not improve soon, the money he had invested in the guesthouse would not give him any returns. the CBI. He, however, told the TADA court that he had asked the metropolitan court to remove a line, about the 1993 serial blasts, from his confessional statement. He then told the TADA court, Mera blast se kuch lena dena nahi hai (I have nothing to do with the blasts). The TADA court sent Shaikh to CBI custody till June 14. The prosecution had sought custody on the ground that it needed to ascertain the correctness of the accused s confession. Shaikh, who lived in a dormitory in Mumbai, left the country immediately after the blasts and had been absconding since. A red-corner notice had been issued against him. He was also carrying a reward of 5 lakh on his head. Shaikh is accused of attending a meeting in Dubai in which the conspiracy to carry out the blasts was hatched. Shaikh and some others are accused of going to Pakistan to train in bomb-making, handling firearms and converting vehicles into bombs. Kevin, who married Neenu Chacko (20) of Thenmala, Kollam at the end of a threeyear-long love affair on May 24, was abducted from a relative s house by a gang in the wee hours of May 27 and his body was found in a small river near Thenmala on May 28. Economically backward Kevin was a Dalit Christian whereas Neenu belonged to a well-to-do Roman Catholic family. The police have already arrested all the 14 accused including Neenu s father Chacko and brother Shanu. When Neenu and Kevin s relatives had reached the Gandhi Nagar Police Station at Kottayam on May 27 to complain about his abduction, the Sub-Inspector there had told them they could do nothing as they were busy with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan s security. It has now been established that an Assistant Sub-Inspector and the driver of the police station had known about the plan of Neenu s relatives to kidnap him and had provided them with all necessary assistance. Four policemen have already been suspended from service over the incident and the ASI and the police driver have been arrested. Supplementing Thiruvanchoor s notice for the adjournment motion, Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala alleged that the law and order system had already gone haywire in the State under the Marxist Chief Minister who was also holding the Home Portfolio. The CBI should probe this case as there is no point in the police investigating police s own crime, he said. Replying to the notice, the Chief Minister said that it was indeed an incident of honour killing and that the culprits would get severe punishment. It has been proved in the investigation that Kevin was abducted and murdered. All the Rajasthan, was the investigating officer of the Hamid Lala murder case in which both Sohrabuddin and Tulsiram Prajapati were accused. Singh deposed in Monday before special judge S J Sharma. In a statement given before CBI officer NS Raju in December 2010, Singh had said that he and his team had arrested Prajapati from the house of one Chandan Jha in Bhilwara on November 29, fourteen persons named as accused have been arrested. Action has been taken against the erring police officials, Pinarayi said. He attacked the Opposition by saying that it was trying to divert the focus of the probe by politicizing the matter. In response to Thiruvanchoor s charge on the involvement of DYFI men, Pinarayi said, Neenu s father and brother are said to be Congressmen. Can we say that Congress was behind this just because of that? This triggered instant protests from the Opposition members who disrupted the proceedings. After the Speaker announced adjournment for the day, Opposition members came out of the Assembly hall shouting slogans against the Government. Outside the Assembly, the Opposition alleged that the police s role behind the honour killing could not be ignored. Rajkot: Ten agitators, including a Congress MLA, were on Monday detained and three policemen were injured during a protest against sand mining in Vanthali town in Gujarat s Junagadh district. Protesters blocked the Vanthali-Junagadh road for nearly two hours and when police tried to disperse them, they pelted stones, said Junagadh Superintendent of Police Nilesh Jajadia. Three policemen were injured in the stone pelting and were rushed to a nearby hospital. To control the situation, we lathi-charged the protesters and fired seven teargas shells, he said. We have detained ten persons. Congress MLA Jawahar Chavda has been kept under preventive detention as we are investigating his role in the protest, the SP said. Chavda is the sitting Congress MLA from Manavadar Assembly seat in Junagadh district.the protesters had called for a bandh today in Vanthali town to protest against the district administration s decision to issue a permit for sand mining. PTI He made a similar statement before the judicial magistrate under section 164 of the CrPC. However, in another statement before CBI officer Vishwas Meena in 2011, Singh had said that the arrest was made on November 26, On Monday, he told the court he had to change the date as the CBI had threatened that he would be arrested and made an accused in the encounter case.

8 The political fallout of the hung verdict delivered by the Karnataka electorate in the recent State Assembly election where losers ganged up to form a Government that was never envisaged by the people, may warrant a fresh look at existing laws pertaining to the Government formation and defection. A law to sanctify pre-poll alliances and delegitimise opportunistic post-poll alliances may be necessary if one wants some correlation between the people s mandate and the Government that is eventually formed after the results are in. BJP leader BS Yeddyurappa s decision to throw in the towel soon after being sworn-in as the Chief Minister was the only honourable course open to him in the circumstances. There was a time when open trading of MLAs was possible, but those days are over. Political defections became a norm after the Congress became unpopular in some of the northern and central Indian States in the mid-1960s. The fall of the Congress led to the formation of some coalition Governments that were cobbled together post-election to keep the country s oldest party out of power. Many a times, these were wholly unprincipled alliances among disparate political entities which had a common agenda to keep the Congress out. The Congress, being well entrenched both at the federal level and in the States, just could not reconcile itself to being out of power and, therefore, began deploying its resources to buying MLAs to form Governments or to bring down the rag-tag coalitions that emerged in these States. The first significant step towards ending rampant political defections was taken when the Parliament passed an anti-defection law in 1985 and incorporated the same in the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution. This law barred individuals from crossing the floor in legislative chambers but permitted splits and mergers. It allowed one-third of a legislative party to break away and form a new entity. Similarly, mergers were permitted, provided two-thirds of a legislative party broke away to merge with another party. Initially the law seemed to have a salutary effect but soon political parties and legislators found ways to circumvent the law. The provision to split a legislative party came in for gross misuse. For example, a Chief Minister who was short of a couple of votes in the Assembly, could entice two members of a six-member party to split the party and cross over. The Parliament decided to plug this loophole when it enacted the 91st Constitutional Amendment, which took effect in This amendment removed the provision that permitted splits, thus ending defection by one-third of the members of a legislative party. The 91st Amendment has had a bearing on post-election developments in Karnataka both in 2008 and In 2008, Yeddyurappa led the BJP to a spectacular show in the State Assembly polls but he ended up with 110 seats in the 224-member Assembly. He was three short of a majority and he quickly made this up with the support of six independents. Also, in order to further strengthen his position, he launched Operation Kamala and got several MLAs of the Congress and the JD(S) to resign their seats and recontest on BJP tickets. Several of them won, thus giving him the necessary cushion in the State Assembly. But 2018 is a different ball game. Yeddrurappa had 104, he was nine short of a majority and there were just two independents. In order to repeat his 2008 feat, he would have had to entice a dozen or more MLAs of the Congress and JD(S) to resign their hard won seats and ensure their victory on a BJP ticket. This would have thrown the BJP into a political quagmire and driven the party to a morally untenable position, weakened Prime Minister Narendra Modi and given his opponents a fresh rallying point. Sir It was distressing to see farmers spilling milk and vegetables on streets in protest to try and force the government to accede to their demands. Unfortunately in India, contemporary protests have become extremely violent and unpleasant in nature thereby making it difficult for law enforcing agencies to confront protestors because the latter often take law into their own hands and vandalize public and private property. This is a serious problem because law enforcement agencies often use restraint instead of force because of the fear of protests turning more violent. India therefore needs adequate mechanisms to deal with such situations. Devendra Khurana Bhopal Sir This refers to the report, Pak backstabs BSF under peace guise (June 4). It is deeply saddening that we as a nation tend to be facile and over-trusting, particularly in regard to our habitually vicious and slippery neighbour Pakistan. Decades of bilateral talks with our supposedly younger brother, after separation in August 1947, for peace and friendly relations, led us nowhere. India fought few wars followed by agreements, like the one in Shimla when it returned thousands of their prisoners of the 1971 conflict. Similarly, our However, this does not mean that the eventual outcome is what the doctor ordered. An unholy, unprincipled alliance between the Congress and the JD(S) was certainly not on the voters menu. This brings us to the issue of ensuring that there is no disjunction between the voters choice and the kind of Government that it eventually gets. The National Commission to review the working of the Constitution (NCRWC), which was headed by Justice MN Venkatachaliah examined this issue in detail and said that the provisions of the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution should be amended specifically to provide that all persons defecting whether individually or in groups from the party or the alliance of parties, on whose ticket they had been elected, must resign from their Parliamentary or Assembly seats and must contest fresh elections. The Government accepted the commission s recommendation and brought the 91st amendment which barred splits. However, the commission s suggestion in regard to sanctity of pre-poll alliances has not been implemented yet. The Second Administrative Reforms Commission which was headed by M Veerappa Moily, said coalitions are necessitated by the fact that it is difficult today for a single party to obtain a clear majority in the legislature. In order to make coalitions legitimate, it is necessary for coalition partners to reach an understanding based on broad-based programmes..such an understanding needs to be translated into a common minimum programme and announced either prior to the election or before the formation of the coalition government. The Moily Commission said that the ethics of coalition Government become seriously strained when coalition partners change partnerships mid-stream and new coalitions are formed, primarily driven by opportunism and craving for power... It said to maintain the will of the people, it is necessary to lay down an ethical framework to ensure that such exercises in opportunism, through redrawing of coalitions between elections, do not take place. The commission also recommended an amendment to the Constitution to ensure that members of a party or parties to a common programme mandated by the electorate either explicitly before the elections or implicitly while forming the Government, shall seek a fresh mandate from the electorate should the party or parties realign midstream with one or more parties outside the coalition.an extension of this argument would be that post-election bonhomie between parties which were at loggerheads with each other during the campaign, is also unethical. The people s mandate must reflect in the process of Government formation. (The writer is Chairman, Prasar Bharati) country signed an agreement in 2003 which said that we would not allow our territory to be used for hostile acts against each other. Pakistan merrily forgot these sooner than later. The latest understanding reached was five days ago between the Director Generals Military Operations (DGMO) of India and Pakistan when it was agreed that the ceasefire agreement of 2003 would be followed in letter and spirit. Old habits die hard; within a few days, Pakistani aggressors shelled Indian positions on the international border, causing several casualties. Is it not high time that we learn our lessons vis-a-vis Pakistani duplicity and act in a manner that deters them for all times? M Ratan Via mail Sir We have made the ecology suffer by our thoughtless actions. We have polluted the encasing of the earth, namely the water and the air, far beyond its capacity to cleanse itself. Urgent measures are needed to check further environmental degradation. Nature has already started warning us in the form of unexpected disasters and diseases. It will take a foolish person to ignore these warnings. Our motto should be to improve our ecology or perish in the absence of it. Jubel D Cruz Mumbai

9 M odern technology is giving us unprecedented capabilities to attain what was previously deemed impossible. As you can imagine, there s probably an app that works it out. Similarly, applications need to evolve and businesses need to modernise as customers grow in sophistication and embrace digital technologies but new innovative capabilities also mean that workloads are getting more data-intensive. For businesses seeking to manage these exponentially increasing workloads, it all starts with the data centre. It has a crucial role to play in any business that has a robust digital transformation strategy, for four reasons: i) Get rid of inefficiencies enable resources to be focused where they really matter while reducing costs As companies transition to the modern, increasingly software-defined data center, they are reaping the benefits of virtualised workloads and simplified management. Having eliminated the traditional data centre s need for manual input, they are in a much better position to allocate resources properly. Managing IT and facilities becomes much less complex, and workloads can now be moved anywhere allowing IT staff to create and innovate, rather than look after the dayto-day systems maintenance. Technologies like software-defined storage thrive in environments with enhanced flexibility, allowing businesses to tailor their software configurations to their application needs. When resources can be pooled and infrastructure changes can be made en masse at the software level, instead of making changes to physical storage or the actual server, businesses can obtain more out of the same resources while Alarge number of people died and more people may die this summer due to heat waves across the northern plains and the Deccan plateau of India. The ancient literatures the Vedas and the Puranas describe the swarg (heaven), the patal (valley) and narak (hell). During the Vedic period, the Devas and the Asuras fought battle after battle to take possession of the Devlok, the heaven the most suitable and liveable land in Tibet the land in and around Kailash, Manasarovar and the Meru Mountains. Hot environmental conditions intensified across north India in the last week of May, 2018 with the mercury hovering between 46 and 50 degrees Celsius across the landscape. In the absence of adequate forests in the Vindhyas and Aravallis, the rocky hills radiated infra-red radiation, generating tremendous heat and warming the air. In Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, temperature exceeded 47 degrees Celsius, breaking the previous record. At few sites, the temperature touched the 50 degrees Celsius mark. Several cities such as Barmer, Sri Ganganagar, Kota, Jhansi and Allahabad were the warmest with temperatures touching/crossing 47 degree Celsius. Several people succumbed to sunstroke as most parts of the northern plains simmered at record temperatures. The last decade was the warmest during the last few hundred years. Like this year, India was struck by a severe heat wave in May 2015, causing the deaths of at least 2,500 people in various regions. Around 2,320 people died in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, where temperatures crossed 46 degrees Celsius; Khammam recorded a scorching 48 degrees Celsius. A score of human death this year may reach an unprecedented high due to heat waves and storms in northern India. The stable climate is perturbed and this extreme environment is an indicator of climate change. The northern plains and the Deccan Plateau are turning into hell and not, not liveable, especially if the summer temperature further increases by few celsius. The debate of global warming is a topic hotly discussed round the table. In 1990, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) mentioned that the greatest single impact on climate change had been the human migration with millions of people displaced by the advancement of the Ice Age or the abrupt rise in temperature or shoreline erosion, coastal flooding and droughts. In the ancient time, people had no technological options and they had to migrate searching for a suitable environment. Various analysts explained advancement and collapse of civilisations with the climate change and natural calamities being the prime factors. It appears logical that the destruction of Devlok a land where Devas, a tribe of the Aryans lived or the decline of the Saraswati-Indus valley civilisation or migration of the Aryan were due to climate change. Several historians believed that the Aryans lived in some lands in the northern part of Europe or Asia before the Ice Age when climate was suitable there. The period from 23,000 to 9,000 BCE was the Ice Age when people from the Arctic region migrated to the South. The glaciation ended in 8,500 BCE and the climate became moderately hot by 7,600 BCE. It is possible that during the hot period (7,600-6,400), some people moved to the North or in the mountains to avoid heat. The presence of the Aryans and the development of their civiliation in the Pamir Mountains, upper Indus Valley and Caucasus mountains during this period is guessed. Some Indian historians believe that Devas established their Devlok during this period but the mini Ice Age around 6,200 BCE create some doubts. The 8,200 year event is the term that climatologists have used for a sudden decline in global temperatures that occurred approximately 8,200 years before the present, and which lasted for the three centuries (6,360-6,030 BCE). The 8,200 year cooling was a significant exception to general trends of the Holocene climatic optimum. The Pamir, the Himalayas and Tibet could be extremely cold, almost the temperature of the glacial age. The climate in this region was not suitable for people during this period. In the backdrop of this fact, there is less possibility of the existence of Devlok in the Tibetan region during this period. Let s agree with the ancient literature and several authors that Tibet was Devlok in the past. But when? The climate started getting warmer from 6,000 BCE and reached to its unprecedented peak, highest since man stepped out from Africa, around 5,850 BCE when a very long warm period prevailed for over six hundred years. During this period of 6,000-5,400 BCE, the earth was warmest in the previous one hundred fifty thousand years, before man stepped out Africa. Scientists established a fact that the salt water of the Mediterranean Sea entered the Caspian Sea (a fresh water lake before this event) in this period. The climate of Tibet turned cool but pleasant with plenty of soft grasslands. Plenty of water, lakes and rivers and extensive pasture lands attracted the pastoralists Aryans. Migration of the Aryans from their lands near Aral or Caspian Sea to the Pamir Mountains and then to Tibet appears logical. This was the period when cow and horse rearing reached its peak. Deva-civilisation flourished in the best environment in Tibet when the Indian plains and Deccan plateau were were so warm that they were called hell. Tremendous heat, explosion in the population of reptiles, harmful bacteria and virus in warm environment made this land not liveable whereas the high Himalayas and the land around Mansarovar and Kailash in Tibet with wonderful pastureland, ungulates, and cattle were heaven. Devas occupied this land, pushing the Asuras down the Himalayas. The tribes fought battle after battle to take possession of the most liveable land the swarg, the Devlok. At times, Devas lost to Asuras but later regained their territory. The climate in the Devlok remained relatively stable for over 600 years till the cold period began when progenies of Devas-Manvas came down from the Devlok and the Himalayas to the Indo- Gangetic plains. Due to the presence of heavy snow in Tibet and the high Himalayas, the land turned hostile. The hell in the plains of northern India became liveable. The great civilisation flourished in the Indo-Gangetic plains for a long period. But nature has its own way to complete the cycle. If the present trend of global warming continues and the temperature goes up by few degree Celsius, the northern plans and Deccan Plateau of India may turn into hell again while Tibet may gain its previous glory. The climate change data after the Ice Age has been developed by the climate experts in the world. Are we entering in another era of Hot Age? (The writer is Member, National Board for Wild Life) reducing time to market. ii) Transform ways to work enable an adaptable, scalable business architecture Workloads continue to evolve and diversify. Modern, software-defined architecture means virtualized workloads and simpler-to-manage, scale-out solutions. With data center infrastructure that is designed to be configured in different ways, businesses can excel at handling a range of workloads, thus retaining competitive advantage. In the case of in-memory computing for example, non-volatile memory express (NVMe) low-latency storage applies intelligent software to consolidate workloads and offer big gains in efficiencies and cost savings, especially vital for businesses looking for that competitive edge in the market. iii) More insights mean better decision making and more informed business directions As more connected devices are made available, IoT takes root and stakeholders connect personal devices to corporate networks, organisations have to deal with handling exponentially more data.while adding more storage may have worked in the past, the sheer amount and complexity of that data now requires new data management methods in the data centre. The data has to be processed and prepared for analysis if it is to be of any use to the business, and intelligent software that applies machine learning to self-optimise storage can address these new needs. Digital transformation means businesses taking advantage of the opportunity to use data in new ways, leverage applications to do a job better or to undertake more tasks and reach out to new markets and customer segments. A data centre which can handle more data quicker for analytics and machine learning will yield richer insights in less time, or even in real time as internal stakeholders and customers increasingly demand. iv) A strong data centre means a resilient business that can protect itself and its customers The increase in the amount of data and the number of connected devices has a downside more cyber security risk and as cyber threats and attack methods become more sophisticated, data centre must be able to withstand intrusions and security breaches. Reliable breach detection and rapid recovery to a trusted baseline are some of today s data centres advanced proactive protection capabilities. Protecting firmware from malicious attacks, or inadvertent changes and easy ways of recovering the basic input/output system (BIOS) and operating system can all contribute to a high level of cyber-resilience. A data centre not only ensures that businesses operate productively, smoothly and cost-effectively, but also holds the key to success in a changing world. Transforming the business digitally will mean taking stock of what is in the data centre and making sure the infrastructure can support the demands of today and tomorrow. (The writer is head, Primary Storage, Modern Infrastructure Team, India)

10 ndia on Monday received its Icheapest LNG under a longterm deal as Russia began shipping natural gas at a delivered price of close to $7 per million British thermal unit. At current oil prices, the Russian rate is $1.5 per mmbtu less than the price at which Qatar, India s oldest supplier, delivered liquefied natural gas (LNG). Russian supplies are also cheaper by $1-1.5 per mmbtu than the LNG sourced from Australia and the US. Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who flew in here to witness arrival of first LNG ship under a 20-year import deal with Gazprom, termed the event as Golden Day in the India s energy pursuit. State-owned gas utility GAIL India Ltd had in January taken advantage of Russian company s inability to deliver LNG from the previously agreed Schtokman project in the Barents Sea, to renegotiate price agreed in GAIL also deferred taking deliveries of full 2.5 million tonnes a year LNG. The contract period was extended by three years to accommodate the supplies not taken in initial years as well as get an additional 2 million tonnes overand-above the 50 million tonnes it had agreed to take in 2012 over the 20 year contract period. LNG carrier LNG Kano, bringing cargo from Russian supplier Gazprom, docked at Petronet LNG Ltd s import facility here this morning. Gazprom supplied the 3.4 trillion British thermal unit (TBtu) of cargo from Nigeria. First we renegotiated price of LNG from Qatar, then reworked Australian supplies and now gas from Russia under renegotiated terms has started to flow, Pradhan said after receiving the LNG cargo. India will import LNG rivate sector ICICI Bank has Pinitiated the process of appointment of non-executive chairman as the term of incumbent MK Sharma is coming to an end on June 30. The process has started and the board has to take a call if the appointment has to be made from the existing pool of independent directors or by inviting an outsider to take up the position, sources said. As the term of the current chairman is coming to an end so a new chairman has to be appointed, sources added. Among various independent directors, seasoned banker and former Bank of Baroda chairman and managing director MD Mallya is set to be frontrunner to succeed Sharma. Mallya was recently appointed to the ICICI Bank board as an independent director on May 29. Other independent directors are Uday Chitale, Dileep Choksi, Neelam Dhawan, Radhakrishnan Nair, VK Sharma (LIC Chairman), and Lok Ranjan (Government nominee director). ICICI Bank is facing the heat in view of the allegations made against its CEO and MD Chanda Kochhar for allegedly providing loans on quid pro quo basis to benefit family members. Last week, the board of India s largest private sector lender ICICI Bank had ordered an independent probe into allegations of conflict of interest and quid pro quo in Kochhar s dealing with certain borrowers. There are allegations of involvement of Kochhar and her family members in a loan provided to Videocon group on a quid pro quo basis. It was alleged that Videocon Group pumped money into NuPower Renewables, a firm owned by Deepak Kochhar, husband of Chanda Kochhar. Last month, market regulator Sebi had served a notice on Kochhar on dealings of the bank with Videocon Group BI s Monetary RP o l i c y Committee (MPC) on Monday began three-day meeting amid speculations that key interest rate may be hiked for the first time after fourand-half years on account of firming prices of crude oil and high inflation. The six-member MPC, headed by Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Urjit Patel, is meeting for three days for the first time instead of the usual two days due to some administrative exigencies. The resolution of the second bi-monthly monetary policy meeting in the current financial year, , will be made public on Wednesday. It was in January 2014, that RBI had last raised the shortterm lending rate (repo) to 8 per cent; since then it has either reduced it or maintained status quo. The current repo rate stands at 6 per cent. The 7- quarter high GDP growth rate of 7.7 per cent in the January- March quarter of and forecast of a normal monsoon have reduced the clamour for a cut in the benchmark lending rate (repo). Retail inflation, a key data for RBI, has remained above 4 per cent since November Besides, oil prices have been rising for the past few months. While petrol in Delhi costs a litre, diesel is at per litre. The Government has mandated the RBI to restrict the retail inflation at 4 per cent (with a margin of +/- 2 per cent), while supporting growth. Indicating hardening of the interest rate scenario, several major lenders including SBI, PNB and ICICI Bank have already raised their lending rates from June 1. Some of the banks have also increased the deposit rates. In the last MPC meet, held in April, RBI Deputy Governor and member of the panel Viral Acharya had indicated that he would vote for withdrawal of monetary accommodation in the June policy. Another member Michael Patra had voted for a hike in repo rate but was overruled by majority that opted for status-quo. and Nupower. The scope of enquiry would be comprehensive and include all relevant matters arising out of and in course of examination of the facts and wherever warranted, use of forensics/ reviews and recordal of statements of relevant personal, the statement had said. The enquiry, the bank had said, will be conducted by an independent and credible person. The whistleblower had alleged that the bank s MD and CEO had not adhered to provisions relating to code of conduct of the bank and legal and regulatory provisions relating to conflict of interest over a period of time and also alleged quid pro quo in the course of Kochhar s work in dealing with certain customers/borrowers of the bank. Interestingly in April, the board had expressed full confidence in Kochhar and ruled out any quid pro quo as alleged with regard to certain loan given to Videocon group. The regulator filing, which came on Monday after close of stock market, further said the enquiry will cover all connected matters in the course of investigations to bring the matter to a final close. worth an estimated $25 billion over the contract period from Russia, he said. Gazprom price (after being reworked) is very competitive. While he did not give details, sources with direct knowledge of the development said the reworked price at current oil rate comes to close to ormer IDBI Bank MD and FChief Executive MK Jain was on Monday appointed a new Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for a period of three years, an official statement said. The appointment was made by the Financial Sector Regulatory Appointment Search Committee, which includes the RBI Governor, the Financial Services Secretary, besides other independent members. The post of one of the Deputy Governors at the Central bank fell vacant after the retirement of SS Mundra on July 31, Jain has been at his current post at State-run IDBI Bank since April 2017, and has previously served as the Chief Executive of Indian Bank. A career banker, he has also been a member of the Indian Banks Association Committee on risk management. The Government had advertised for the post of RBI Deputy Governor in January this year and as many as 40 applications had been received in response, according to sources. $7 per mmbtu, which is cheaper than the delivered price of LNG under the 25-year deal with RasGas of Qatar. Also it is cheaper than Gorgon LNG from Australia and Henry-hub linked US LNG, supplies of which started only a few weeks back. India, Pradhan said, is pushing towards a gas-based economy by raising the share of environment friendly fuel in the energy basket to 15 per cent from current 6.2 per cent. There exists huge scope for gas usage in Indian economy from generating power to producing quality steel, he said, adding that increasing gas share would also help the country meet its COP21 commitment to cutting carbon emission. India is dependent on imports to meet 45 per cent of its gas needs. Beginning of supplies from Russia comes within weeks of India importing its first ever LNG cargo from US under a long-term import deal. Pradhan said the starting of LNG imports from Russia has added a new dimension to the Indo-Russian bilateral relations, particularly in the oil & gas sector. Russia has emerged as a long-term source for India s hydrocarbon imports, he said. Stating that the Government is committed to transforming India into a gasbased economy, he said investments are being made for augmenting natural gas infrastructure, including pipelines, LNG import terminals and City Gas Distribution networks. he BSE Sensex skidded over T215 points on Monday as nervous investors took money off the table amid speculation that the RBI may go for a rate hike this week. Rate sensitives led the decline, with the BSE Realty index emerging as the worst performer among sectoral indices by slumping 3.25 per cent. Banking, financials, consumer durables and capital goods tumbled up to 1.83 per cent. The RBI s Monetary Policy Committee began its threeday meeting on Monday amid speculation that it may hike the key interest rate on June 6 for the first time in over four years due to firming inflation. The 30-share Sensex, which opened on a strong footing amid positive global leads and hit a high of 35,555.59, soon slipped into the negative zone on massive selling in several heavyweights. It finally ended at 35,011.89, down points or 0.61 per cent. The broader NSE Nifty too ended lower by points, or 0.63 per cent, at 10,628.50, after hovering between 10, and 10, Meanwhile, foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) offloaded shares worth a net crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) bought equities to the tune of crore on Friday, as per provisional data. Market erased early gains despite positive momentum in the global market as investors are gradually factoring a rate hike ahead of RBI s monetary policy. As the result season is over, market participants are keen on macros, the movement of oil price and rupee... On the other hand, the tailwinds caused by prognosis of good monsoon and uptick in economic activity in Q4FY18 will boost consumption led story and rural economy, said Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Financial Services. HDFC Bank was the top loser in the Sensex pack, falling 2.99 per cent, followed by Adani Ports at 2.87 per cent. Other laggards included Bharti Airtel 2.77 per cent, Power Grid 2.06 per cent, HUL 1.73 per cent, ONGC 1.71 per cent, NTPC 1.43 per cent, SBI 1.37 per cent, Asian Paints 1.20 per cent, ICICI Bank 1.14 per cent and Kotak Bank 1.13 per cent. arliamentarians on Monday Pasked bankers to prepare a road map to deal with mounting bad loans in the system, which touched 8.31 lakh crore at end-december It was also emphasised during a meeting of the bankers with Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance, headed by Lok Sabha MP Verappa Moily that corporates should not be painted with a same brush as all are not wilful defaulters, said sources. Among others, SBI Chairperson Rajnish Kumar and PNB MD Sunil Mehta briefed the panel on various aspects of non-performing assets (NPAs) and banking frauds. RBI Governor Urjit Patel too will brief the committee later this month. Gross NPAs of Stateowned banks had crossed 7.77 lakh crore at the end of December 2017, according to official data. During the meeting, one of the committee members also wondered why pubic money was being used to recapitalise the state-owned banks which are losing money due to frauds and defaults by corporates, sources added. The committee was earlier briefed by Financial Services Secretary Rajiv Kumar about issues related to the banking sector. Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who is also a member of the committee, is likely to attend the meeting. itch Ratings on Monday Fdowngraded viability rating of fraud-hit Punjab National Bank (PNB), citing significant deterioration in its credit profile and oversight gaps. The viability rating (VR) has been downgraded to b from bb- and maintained on rating watch negative (RWN). The two-notch downgrade to PNB s VR is a reflection of the significant deterioration in its standalone credit profile, mainly due to a drop in its core capital ratio that was bigger than Fitch s expectation, the rating agency said in a statement. VRs represent the capacity of the bank to maintain ongoing operations and to avoid failure. The deterioration in its core capitalisation was caused by a sharp increase in its non-performing loans (NPLs), including the $2.2 billion in fraudulent transactions reported in February 2018, and the related increase in credit costs, which resulted in large losses in the financial year ended March 2018 (FY18). The decline also highlights management s weaker execution and previous underwriting and oversight gaps, which the bank has already started taken steps to address, Fitch said. The RWN reflects Fitch s expectations that the pressures, mainly relating to asset quality, earnings and profitability, which will persist at least over the next few quarters. This could weaken its already low core capitalisation further unless the bank is able to save or generate capital through intrinsic sources such as non-core asset sales and cost reductions although there is the prospect of the Government injecting further capital into the state banks, Fitch said. The viability rating reflects PNB s weak capitalisation and profitability due to poor asset quality. PNB s earnings were affected by high credit costs and the one-off expensing of its pension and gratuity liabilities in fourth quarter of last fiscal, Fitch said. Nonetheless, PNB s standalone credit profile continues to benefit from its robust funding and stable liquidity, a result of its strong domestic deposit franchise, it added. Fitch, however, affirmed PNB s long-term issuer default rating (IDR) at BBB-, with a stable outlook. It expects PNB s capital position to recover gradually, but downside risk remains. Ongoing efforts at rationalising risk density (risk-weighted assets to total assets) and planned noncore asset sales are likely to play an important role. We expect a recovery in earnings to be handicapped by elevated credit costs, with potential for further deterioration. The resolution of some of the large NPL accounts during the course of the year, not our base case, presents the possibility of positive surprises in its earnings and asset-quality performance, it said. However, if PNB is unable to generate adequate resources on its own to support core capitalisation, that could impinge further on its standalone ratings as the bank is currently in breach of at least three separate risk thresholds of the Reserve Bank of India s prompt corrective action framework, Fitch added. il Minister Dharmendra OPradhan on Monday ruled out a daily price review of petrol and diesel but said the Government was concerned about pinching fuel prices and is working on a long-term solution. He asked State Governments to tax petrol and diesel within a reasonable and responsible band and not continue to reap bonanza from rising oil prices. There is no review of daily price mechanism, he said after an event to mark receipt of first LNG cargo from Russia under a long-term contract. Daily revision in petrol and diesel prices, which was introduced in mid-june last year, had come in for criticism after rates were hiked everyday last month in step with firming international oil rates. It was speculated that the longterm solution being worked out by the Government to deal with the volatility may involve review of the daily price review mechanism. Pradhan said fuel prices have started to decline during the five days but the rates continue to pinch.

11 R etinoids are chemicals whose effect on the skin is similar to that of Vitamin A (retinol). They may be obtained naturally or created synthetically. The outermost layer of the skin the epidermis consists of a top-layer of dead cells that act as a barrier to microorganisms and the environment and help in water retention. The top layer is a dynamic structure that also contains melanocytes, responsible for skin pigmentation and Langerhans cells, which drive the skin s immune response system against infections. Retinoids help to loosen or separate this top layer of the epidermis. By hampering the decomposition the material making up the skin, retinoids allow for thickening of the layer of skin where wrinkles originate. Evidence and practice has led dermatologists to recommend retinoid based drugs to mitigate skin disorders such as psoriasis, acne, skin ageing due to overexposure to UV rays from sunlight. Retinoids can minimise the onset of wrinkles, decrease the rate of collagen breakdown hence regulating epithelial cell growth, reduce discoloration/pigmentation and maintain skin elasticity. Pigmentation is caused by melanin. Retinoids suppress the production of melanin and hence reduce discoloration. Exposure to harmful UV radiation is the single biggest cause of skin aging. The skin ages naturally as epithelial regeneration rate slows down. But the effects of sunlight can be seen in a thickened epidermis and deep instead of fine wrinkles, blotchy dark spots, lax, dull and rough skin. Retinoids can halt the process of skin aging by fattening the layer of the dermis which largely contains collagen. Collagen fibers give structure and tensile strength to the skin. They bind with elastin fibers to maintain skin elasticity and with water to keep the skin hydrated. Retinoids help prevent their breakdown by preventing the production of the enzyme collagenase that decomposes collagen after sun exposure. Over the counter (OTC) retinoids contain retinol, which is not as potent as prescription based formulations containing retinoic acid. Retinol has to combine with other substances on the skin to turn into retinoic acid and hence avoids the initial redness and peeling of the skin that appears on first time prescription retinoid usage. OTC retinoids may be more apt for those beginning this therapy for aging. Drugs that are prescribed by dermatologists contain tretinoin and retinoic acid that could be up to a hundred times more active than an OTC retinoid. Retinoid use may cause dryness and irritation on the skin, may induce changes in skin colour, heat sensitivity, redness, swelling, custing or blistering. To avoid these side effects, one should avoid direct sunlight, especially during warm weather, in the middle of the day. If sunlight is unavoidable, one should wear adequate sunscreen (SPF 30 or higher). Clothing that covers most parts of your body should be worn. One should take precautions not to exceed prescribed quantities for use as advised by a certified dermatologist or as mentioned on the label for OTC retinoids. One may also keep the skin hydrated by using sufficient moisturizer. Pregnant or expecting mothers should not use retinoids at all. Also known as Nashpati, Pears are rich in antioxidants, flavonoids, and dietary fiber and pack all of these nutrients in a fat-free, cholesterol-free, 100-calorie package. Pears have the ability to fight infection, diabetes, cancer, colitis, arthritis, osteoporosis, gallbladder disorders, and gout. These are exceptionally high in fiber, which keeps your system regulated. Since their skin provides about half of the pear's total dietary fiber as well as its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory phytonutrients, it is best to not peel the fruit but eat the entire pear. Combine pears with mustard greens, watercress, leeks and walnuts for a delicious salad. Add chopped pears, grated ginger and honey to millet porridge for a pungently sweet breakfast treat. I t was earth-shattering for Asha Intervention Centers (DEICs) and Pundir, a mother of two, when medical colleges to help regular follow ups and to be able to provide she found out that her younger son, Aditya Pundir was born with hearing impairment. They showed him to an ENT specialist who told her that four out 1,000 children are born deaf in India. Hearing loss or hearing impairment is a partial or total inability for one to hear that may occur in one or both the ears. According to World Health Organisation (WHO) the incidence of hearing impairment is increasing in children at a very fast rate but around 60 per cent of these can be prevented by early diagnoses, by providing immunisation against various diseases and by use of certain medications. In India, it is estimated that four lakh children at present, under the age of four are prone to hearing loss and approximately one lakh children born every year with a severe risk of hearing loss. Out of these only 2,000 children are fortunate ness about Universal New-born advanced services. Gone are the days when children born with hearing impairment were considered to be the victim of their destiny. Cochlear has come up with innovative technology to not only screen and detect hearing impairment at an early stage but also provide implantable hearing solutions that serve a lifetime of hearing outcomes. With current technological advancements, it hardly takes five minutes to get UNHS test done. The sooner a child is screened for hearing impairment, the sooner viable treatment becomes possible, if required to be done. Parents may not be able to identify hearing loss in their child either when the child is born or is very young, which is why hearing screening tests become crucial. It enables early intervention so that the child doesn t face any difficulty when it comes to learning enough to get their hearing loss Hearing Screening (UNHS) and treated. If right measures are not urge the Government to mandate and development, Agarwal tells taken by 2050, over 900 million this screening, Cochlear s Global you. children will have severe hearing Hearing Ambassador, cricketer Cochlear started doing loss. Brett Lee was recently at the UNHS implants in 2011 and has been After consulting with the doctors, Aditya got Cochlear s advance Leading surgeons and experts Dr children every year. The implants at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital (SGRH). doing implantations in about 2,000 hearing implant installed in his ears Shalabh Sharma, ENT consultant were done on children as young as and since then he is able to hear Surgeon, SGRH) and Asha nine months of age and as old as 84 clearly and lead a normal life. Agarwal, Cochlear implant consultant also joined him to talk about years. Cochlear s implantation has given my children the freedom to dream hearing related issues. what they want to be when they Lee said: Now that we have the Keeping in mind India s love for grow, Pundir says. implanting devices, some amazing cricket, Cochlear is spearheading Aditya shares that he loves surgeons and clinicians who are awareness about the issue by using playing guitar and listening to Ed doing great job, there is a need for a campaign Sounds of Cricket the Sheeran s songs, while another awareness, we need people on the campaign focuses on sounds of the recipient Aditya Srivastava, a cinemophile, says how he used to child is born, he has to get the people would take for granted. streets to understand that when a little things in cricket that normal watch silent movies earlier but now, after getting the implant done has no restrictions while enjoying his favourite movies. screening test done which is the most important thing because this can help in early detection of the issue. developed ones, have UNHS mandatory. Even in India, a lot of I want to use this platform to draw attention to the growing incidence of profound hearing loss, because I strongly believe that Doctors share that most of the hospitals have started doing this everybody deserves to hear the children who couldn t listen when test, Cochlear itself has been doing sounds of life. I am very proud to they were born are now been able to hear with the advance hearing technology and have hobbies like singing, watching movies and listening to songs. According to the 2011 India Causes of childhood hearing loss is 40 per cent genetic causes; 31 per cent infections like measles, mumps, rubella and meningitis; 17 per cent occur due to complications at the time of birth, prematurity, low this test for the past 12 years, and Cochlear s main aim is to make the UNHS test universal in India, as well. Kerala was the first State in the country to provide hearing screening raise awareness about the critical issue that impacts millions of lives. We should attempt to make UNHS mandatory nationwide, Lee said. Cochlear has covered cities like Banglore, Pune, Kochin, census data, hearing disability was birth weight and neonatal jaundice; for children in the 66 Chandigarh, Trivandrum, marked as the second most common cause of disability after locomotory disability. The need of the 4 per cent expectant mothers and newborns unknowingly using medicines that are harmful to hearing. Government maternity centres. The Kerala Social Security Mission developed a software to keep a Guwahati and Amritsar over the last three years and is leaving no stone unturned in an effort to hour is to have early screening and record of real-time data of the newborn screened and share with other countries that have UNHS manda- make India a part of the list of intervention for children with profound hearing loss. To raise aware- Many countries, especially the institutions such as District Early tory for newborns. Got a sudden stitch in your back? There is so much you can do with herbs that has no connection with your food platter. ROSHANI DEVI tells you about some innovative ways to deal with inadvertent backaches Ginger, basil, poppy seeds and even wheat are things God made for dealing not just with your hunger pangs and tongue delights but also to deal with aches, pains and inflammations that can be tackled at home, sometimes. Here are a few for backaches: Ginger is a wonder root we all know but did you know that its paste helps immensely in reducing and even healing backpain? Grind ginger root finely and apply directly on the painful area of the back and then rub some eucalyptus oil for best results. Alternately thinly slice ginger root and boil it in a cup of water for around 8 to 10 minutes. After it cools, strain it and add honey to the concoction and sip it slowly, two to three times a day for a couple of days to improvement. Blackpepper, clove and ginger powder works equally well but in peak summers, these hot spices may cause rushes. Did you know that the good old Wheat has analgesic compounds which can minimise pain? Soak wheat grains overnight. In the morning, mix in cuscus grass powder and green coriander. Add a cup of milk and boil it for a few minutes until it thickens. Drink the mixture twice daily for maximum relief. Basil soup and paste too work well. I n what can be called a rare but rapidly spreading disease, the Kawasaki Syndrome or Disease (KD) continues to remain one of the largely undiagnosed conditions in Indian children, primarily due to lack of awareness amongst pediatricians. KD is believed to be the commonest vasculitic disorder of children. Incidence rates as high as 60 to 150 per one lakh children below the age of five have been reported from several countries. It is a condition that causes inflammation in the walls of medium-sized arteries throughout the body, including the coronary arteries, which supply blood to the heart muscle. It is also called mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome because it also affects lymph nodes, skin, and the mucous membranes inside the mouth, nose and throat. Some of the classic symptoms of KD Syngene International has entered into a non-exclusive partnering agreement with Zumutor Biologics, an emerging immuno-oncology Company, to access Zumutor s proprietary naïve human phage/yeast display library. Under the terms of the agreement, Syngene will screen target antigens against Zumutor s proprietary human antibody libraries to identify and characterize novel antibody clones, which will be further developed apart from fever include redness in both eyes; a very red, swollen tongue; redness of the palms or soles; skin peeling; a rash; and swollen lymph nodes. The symptoms usually appear in three phases. The goal of initial treatment is to lower fever and inflammation and prevent heart damage. The recommendations may include infusion of an immune protein (gamma globulin) through a vein (intravenously) to lower the risk of coronary artery problems; and high doses of aspirin to help treat inflammation. The aim is to prevent thrombosis and myocardial ischemia while maintaining optimal cardiovascular health. Riskstratification of patients for effective longterm evaluation and management should be done according to the relative risk of myocardial ischemia, either related to coronary artery thrombosis or stenoses/occlusions. by Syngene towards novel biotherapeutics programmes for its partners. Commenting on the collaboration, Dr Manoj Nerurkar, Chief Operating Officer, Syngene International, said: Syngene has been a pioneer in discovery research and we see discovery biology as one of our growth drivers. This partnership will expand our existing portfolio of therapeutic antibody discovery platforms for our clients. BEAT THE SUMMER HEAT I ndian summer is as hot as ever. Cases of heat stroke, dehydration, food poisoning, sluggish liver and bloating are on a rise. Apart from following the thumb rule of drinking lots of fluids to keep hydrated, here are a top 10 foods to one should incorporate and avoid in this scorching summer: Watermelon: It contains 90% water and is low in calories, making it the first option to hydrate in the sun. Opt for the whole fruit or a glass of fresh juice. Gazpacho: It is a perfect cold summer soup, which is both delicious and refreshing. Cooked with healthy ingredients like bell peppers, tomatoes, and cucumbers, this light yet flavourful soup is preferred for its anti-oxidant properties. Rich in lycopene and Vit C, Gazpacho has anti-ageing properties also. Avocado: It is an excellent source of monounsaturated fat and is recommended for a healthy heart. Cucumber: It contains 95% of water, helping you keep hydrated and is low in calories and fats, vitamins, folate and potassium. It helps in weight loss, boosts metabolism and immune system. Mint: It can be added to curd to create an appetizing raita or chutney or as a dip. Mint leaves are loaded with antioxidant and phytonutrient which helps in digestion and soothes our tummy. Coconut water: It is the best natural thirst quencher and adds a glow to your skin. It is rich in minerals like zinc, magnesium, calcium, potassium, sodium. It has cancer-fighting and anti-ageing properties as well. Curd: It is the best source of probiotics. Curd has a cooling effect and can be consumed by people who are lactose intolerant. It is rich in calcium and protein. Regular consumption of curd lowers the risk of heart disease. Corn on the cob: Corn on the cob without butter or salt is a high-fiber, low-calorie food. It aids in digestion. Green veggies: They have a high content of water in them. Loaded with vitamins, minerals and dietary fibres, they help in digestion and to keep the bloated stomach and sluggish liver at bay. Fruit salad: Summer is a peak season for fruit lovers and weight watchers. Fruits are a potent source of dietary fibre, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. So, have ample of fruit salads.

12 t least fourteen people were Akilled on Monday when a suicide bomber detonated near a gathering of top clerics in Afghanistan's capital Kabul, roughly one hour after the group proclaimed such attacks a sin, police said. The blast in the western part of the city, near universities and a police academy, is the latest demonstration of the militants' chilling ability to carry out attacks in the heart of Kabul, which is now the deadliest place in the country for civilians. The bomber detonated at about am (0700 GMT) at the gates of Kabul's Polytechnic University, police and officials said. The Loya Jirga tent where thousands of clerics from across Afghanistan were meeting is on the campus. The tent is a huge venue often used for top religious or government gatherings. Loya Jirga means grand assembly in Pashto. Most of the casualties were civilians. According to our initial information, seven people have been killed including a policeman. Nine others have been injured, including two policemen, police spokesman Hashmat Stanikzai told media. Interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish confirmed it was a suicide attack, and said the bomber had been on foot when he detonated his explosives at the university gate. Police spokesman Stanikzai said the blast was outside the tent. No group has claimed the attack, but the Taliban issued a statement on Twitter saying its fighters had nothing to do with the bombing. Both the Taliban and the Islamic State group have stepped up their headline-grabbing assaults on the heavily fortified capital in recent months. Local media said thousands of clerics had gathered at the Loya Jirga tent for the meeting of the Ulema Council, Afghanistan's top religious leaders. Earlier they issued a fatwa against the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan, where the Taliban have been fighting an insurgency against government forces for nearly 17 years, while other militant groups have also been carrying out attacks. The Ulema Council -- seen by the militants as having some links to the government -- termed suicide attacks a sin against Islam. They have issued such fatwas in the past. The ongoing war in Afghanistan does not have a legal basis, only Afghans are the victims of this war... (it) does not have religious, national or human value, they said, according to government officials. Roads around the university were quickly blocked by security officials after the blast, with heavy traffic jams building in the city as many commuters headed home due to Ramadan, the holy Islamic fasting month, during which government offices close early. Kabul accounted for 16 percent of all civilian casualties last year, when 1,831 civilians were killed or wounded nationwide, according to the United Nations. The myriad attacks in the last 12 months included two of the deadliest in the city since the US invasion: a truck bomb on May 31, 2017 that killed more than 150 people, and an ambulance bomb on January 27 this year which killed more than 100. S and North Korean offi- held a fifth round of Ucials working-level talks at the border truce village of Panmunjom on Monday to prepare for a planned summit between the leaders of the two countries. Sung Kim, US ambassador to the Philippines and former nuclear envoy, is leading the American delegation while the North's team is headed by Pyongyang's Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui, reports Yonhap News Agency. They met in the same place on May 27, May 30, June 2 and 3. The two sides are expected to focus on narrowing the gaps over how to achieve Pyongyang's complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization (CVID) and offer in return Washington's security guarantee in the same CVI manner. The two sides could also discuss the issue of declaring a formal end to the Korean War. On June 1, US President Donald Trump put the planned summit with Kim Jong-un back on track after he cancelled it on May 24, citing open hostility from the communist regime. The reversal came after a conciliatory gesture from Pyongyang and Seoul's mediation. Seoul: Seoul is monitoring developments in the North's military, it said today after reports Pyongyang replaced three of its top military officials ahead of a summit with the US. President Donald Trump is due to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on June 12 in Singapore with Pyongyang's nuclear arsenal high on the agenda and reports said that the reshuffle could be aimed at taming the military. Late last month the North's state media revealed that Kim Su Gil had been appointed as director of the military's powerful General Political Bureau (GPB), replacing Kim Jong Gak. AP ran's Foreign Minister IMohammad Javad Zarif has urged international condemnation of US attitude towards Iran's 2015 landmark nuclear deal, the media reported. In letters to his counterparts of a number of countries, Zarif on Sunday warned of the dangerous consequences of the US illegal and unilateral move to pull out of the nuclear agreement, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Xinhua reported citing Press TV. He called for international condemnation of what he called Washington's extremism, urging the world to withstand US lawbreaking and bullying behavior. Illegal withdrawal of the US government from the JCPOA... is challenging the goals and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and the efficiency of international bodies, the Iranian Foreign Minister said. Likewise, the US withdrawal from the JCPOA was the country's biggest effort aimed at violating and weakening the nuclear accord and the UN Resolution 2231, adopted in July 2015 to endorse the historic deal, he said. Zarif further said the JCPOA put an end to an unnecessary crisis which lasted for more than one decade. He emphasized that the agreement's scope, regulations and time frame were the outcome of accurate, sensitive and balanced multilateral talks and it is impossible to make any changes on or hold new negotiations about them. US President Donald Trump announced on May 8 to pull out of the treaty, and vowed to re-impose sanctions on Iran, which was alleviated under the JCPOA. Kabul: Disfigured by four decades of war, the Afghan capital Kabul offers few reminders of its former glory in Islamic art or religious tolerance but a rare exhibition of Mughal paintings is seeking to change that. Dozens of enlarged reproductions of miniatures -- highly detailed paintings the size of a school notebook -- that were created in Kabul during the 16th century have gone on display in Babur Gardens, where the first Mughal emperor is buried among roses and pomegranate trees. For American historian and Islamic art expert Michael Barry, the exhibition of more than 60 paintings is the culmination of a promise he made to himself while working in Kabul over the past decades. When I was standing in this garden, shattered under mortars and rockets in the 1990s (civil war), I swore to myself that one day I would bring back its glory, Barry told AFP recently during a tour of the display he curated. AFP Washington: Former President Bill Clinton says the #MeToo movement is overdue. Just don't ask him about Monica Lewinsky. In an interview with NBC's Today Show released Monday, Clinton bristled at questions over whether he should have resigned 20 years ago over his sexual relationship with the White House intern and whether the #MeToo movement has changed his perspective. At the same time, the former Democratic president claimed credit for empowering women in his orbit and disputed that he might owe Lewinsky a private apology, insisting his public televised apology was adequate. Lewinsky wrote in March that their relationship was not sexual assault but constituted a gross abuse of power. AP he White House has come Tout strongly in support of recently appointed Chief of Staff of the National Security Advisor Fred Fleitz whose views on radical Islam have sparked controversy in the past. Fleitz, National security adviser John Bolton's new chief of staff, has drawn scrutiny for his past work with the Center for Security Policy, a conservative think-tank, that has been accused of promoting anti- Muslim messages. Fleitz, who joined the National Security Council this week, was an outspoken opponent of the Iran nuclear deal when he worked as the senior vice president for policy at the think tank led by Frank Gaffney, whose views on Islam and theories about the Muslim Brotherhood's influence have sparked controversy, CNN reported. Govt of NCT of Delhi PRESS NOTICE hina lashed out at the CUnited States on Monday after Washington marked the anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen protests by urging Beijing to disclose how many people were killed in the crackdown. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo issued a statement to remember the tragic loss of innocent lives on June 4, 1989, when the Communist Party sent tanks to quash the peaceful demonstrations around Tiananmen Square in Beijing. Open discussion of the crackdown is forbidden in China, where hundreds -- perhaps more -- died. A British diplomatic cable released last year said at least 10,000 people were killed. Pompeo quoted the dissident Liu Xiaobo, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate who died of cancer while in custody last year, as saying: The ghosts of June 4th have not yet been laid to rest. The chief US diplomat added: We join others in the international community in urging the Chinese government to make a full public accounting of those killed, detained or missing. He also urged China to release those jailed for trying to keep the memory of the protests alive, and stop harassing Tiananmen participants and their relatives. The Executive Engineer, South West Road-1, PWD, Brar Square, New Delhi invites on behalf of President of India, online Percentage rate tenders from approved and eligible contractor of appropriate civil category of CPWD and those of appropriate list of MES, BSNL, and other state Govt. Departments dealing with building and roads and other experienced contractors who satisfy the criteria of execution of similar works i.e. 3 no. works each of value not less than 40% of estimated cost put to tender or 2 no. works each of value not less than 60% of estimated cost put to tender or 1 no. work each of value not less than 80% of estimated cost put to tender in last 7 years for the following work through Delhi Government's e-procurement website SI. NIT/Tender ID No. Name of work Estimated Amount of Time Release of Last Date & Time or Date & Time No. cost (Rs.) EMD (Rs.) Allowed Tender online submission of of Opening of Tender by e-tendering Financial Bid. and physically submission in the office EE/M-113 regarding Qualification Eligibility Bid 1 37/EE/SWR-l/PWD/ Improvement of Footpath 25,72,342/- 51,447/- (to be upto P.M at various Roads Under returned after Months PM 2018_PWD_152172_1 PWD Division South receiving West Road-1 during performance SH: Reapirs to guarantee) damaged Footpath, missing drain, cc pavement, etc. at Tamil Sangam Marg under Sub niuicinn -II Complete detail of Tender can be seen and downloaded from the website Sd/- Executive Engineer PWD, M-South-West, Road-1 Brar Square, Ring Road, New Delhi anadian Prime Minister CJustin Trudeau on Monday slammed the tariffs imposed by the Trump administration on steel and aluminum as insulting and unacceptable and said he would retaliate by placing similar penalties on US goods. Beginning this month, US President Donald Trump has imposed a 25 per cent tariff on import of steel from Canada and another 15 per cent on aluminum using the national security interest provisions of the existing American laws. We're putting the same kinds of tariffs exactly on steel and aluminum coming from the United States into Canada to be directly reciprocal. But we're also putting a number of tariffs on consumer goods, finished products for which Canadians have easy alternatives, Trudeau told NBC News in an interview during a Sunday talk show. PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT NOTICE INVITING e-tenpers The Executive Engineer South Building (M) PWD, P.T.S., Malviya Nagar, New Delhi invites on behalf of President of India online PercentageRate/Jlem Rale Tender/bid from approved and eligible contractor of CPWD, those of appropriate list of MES, BSNL and other state Govt. Departments dealing with buildings and roads and other experienced contractors who satisfy the criteria of execution of similar works for Following works:- (1).NIT No. 110/EE/PWD/South Building (M)/ Tender ID 2018_PWD_151953_1. Name of work: Structural failure and threat of loss of property and life at Delhi Archives Building Special Institutional Area during (3rd call). Estimated Cost Rs.84,84,240/- Earnest Money Rs. 1,69,685/- Period of completion 06(Six) Months, Last Date and time of submission of Tender Through website on 07/06/2018:15:00 PM, Date and Time of opening of Tender 07/06/2018:15:30 PM. (2).N1T No.23/EE/PWD/South Building (M)/ Tender ID 2018JPWD_151957_1. Name of work:- "Renovation and setting up of Record rooms in DIPSAR, Pushp vihar Sector -III New Delhi.". Estimated Cost Rs. 16,30,655/- Earnest Money Rs.32,613/- Period of completion 02(Two) Months, Last Date and time of submission of Tender Through website on 07/06/2018:15:00 PM, Date and Time of opening of Tender 07/06/2018:15:30 PM. (3).NIT No.25/EE/PWD/South Building (M)/ Tender ID 2018_PWD_151963_1. Name of work: Setting up of pantry, Reception area, Student section, partition of passage section creation of cabins for officials and work station for clerical staff in Admin block and development of cabinet vice Chancellor at DPSARU at DIP- SAR, Pushp Vihar, New Delhi. Estimated Cost Rs.23,01,532/- Earnest Money Rs.46,031/- Period of completion 02(Two) Months, Last Date and time of submission of Tender Through website on 07/06/2018: 15:00 PM, Date and Time of opening of Tender 07/06/2018:15:30 PM. The Bid/Tender form and other details can be obtained from the website:- DIP/Shabdarth/0638/1819 eteran actor Richard Gere Vsays he is the happiest man in the universe after marrying his girlfriend Alejandra Silva. The 68-year-old star, who tied the knot with the Spanish activist in an Indian style wedding in May, shared photographs of their D-day with HELLO! Gere said he found a great life partner in Silva, 35. I'm the happiest man in the universe. How could I not be? I'm married to a beautiful woman who is smart, sensitive, committed to helping people, who's fun, patient, who knows how to forgive, who's a great cook - and who makes the best salads in the world! Alejandra meditates, she's a vegetarian, a great mother, has the touch of an angel... And she's also Spanish: the land of kings and queens, of Cervantes and Bunuel... You can't get any better than that, he told the magazine.

13 A person who stayed out in the sun, worked on his crops, drank water fresh from the stream, came back to a mud house which was cool, ate unprocessed food and never needed supplements or medicines he was a healthy Indian in an idyllic rural scene. Cut across to today and you would find the exact opposite. The man drives to work, stays chained to his office desk, sits in an office where the temperature and the environment is controlled, grabs a pizza or a burger for food and gulps down RO bottled water along with supplements and/or some medicines. Lifestyle has undergone a drastic change which in turn has affected our health as well. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), overall, about 13 per cent of the world s adult population (11 per cent of men and 15 per cent of women) was obese in The worldwide prevalence of obesity nearly tripled between 1975 and The global prevalence of diabetes among adults has risen from 4.7 per cent in 1980 to 8.5 per cent in Cancer is the second leading cause of death globally and nearly one in six deaths are due to cancer. Emerging research demonstrates that our diet, pollution and other environmental factors can alter the function and expression of human genes and lead to a heightened disease risk. The genes are turned on or off depending on the exposure to chemicals in the environment. Environment induces changes in the gene expression, functions of cells and thus, a person s predisposition to disease. Sujay Ojha, advisor, Weather Risk Management illennials prefer to travel sustainably Mduring their holidays to have an enriching experience and not harm the environment in the process. This has been made possible due to the growing awareness through internet about environmental degradation and its repercussion can be seen through global warming, ozone layer depletion and ever increasing pollution. Sustainable tourism implies that neither the natural environment nor the socio-cultural fabric of tourist destinations is impacted by the arrival of tourists. The sustainability measures are not a matter of inconvenience for the youth as many Indian travellers said in a survey that they engage in conscientious behaviour only because it adds a positive experience to their trip. On the eve of the World Environment Day, the study was released by a travel company that assesses young Indian s demand for sustainable tourism and its perception of a Green Holiday. Thanks to growing awareness through the internet and various activations, the young Indians are in the forefront to curb their carbon footprint by opting for a sustainable holiday. The Cox & Kings study shows a whopping 87 per cent of the respondents feel strongly about saving the environment. The study also highlights the deciding parameters for accommodation, adventure type, the rise of voluntourism, transport and travel logistics for the young Indian travellers. It was based on the survey carried out in key cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad and Thiruvananthapuram among 5,000 youth aged between years. It s not hidden that tourism s global carbon footprint has increased, accounting for about 8 per cent of global greenhouse gas Services Pvt Ltd, says, These changes are inheritable, meaning they can be passed on from parent cell to daughter cell within the body, and from parent to child. This is clearly evident from the survivors and the later generations of the victims of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The nuclear radiation of the atom bombs that were dropped in August 1945 during World War II adversely affected the survivors as well as the future generations. Many children are born with birth defects, mental retardation and increased cancer risk till date. Another classic case is emissions, transport and food are also significant contributors. While the service providers at one end are modifying the business models to contribute positively, the travellers are becoming more conscious than ever. Close to 72 per cent of the participants said while on a holiday in Europe, they would prefer to hire a bicycle or simply take a bus/train to explore. While there is very little that can be done to contain the greenhouse emissions by air-travel, millennials in India wish to compensate by choosing the right local travel. Places to eat are chosen either through local or online research. A restaurant providing locally sourced food, liquids with no straws, minimal or no usage of single-use plastics top the list for about 67 per cent of the young Indian travellers. The demand for Green Hotels and accommodation facilities is on the rise. An impressive 89 per cent of the respondents agreed to have chosen their stay post researching their sustainable practices. Be it a luxury accommodation facility or budget one, the young Indian explorer would choose the one that prioritises local community, local procurement of resources, solar power usage, waste treatment facilities and technologyintervention to minimise carbon footprints. About 59 per cent of survey participants mentioned they reused their bath towels and asked for a no-replacement from the hotel staff. Voluntourism, an emerging trend of travel linked to doing good while on the go is also a big hit. About 92 per cent of the young Indians expressed interest in participating in plogging events, rural tours, farming trips, NGO visits, cause-based trips and sustainable treks/hikes. In short, merging altruism with travel is highly satisfying for the Indian millennials. For many, over tourism is a concerning phenomenon. About 74 per cent of the respondents agreed to skip destinations that are reeling under the problem of over tourism or mass tourism. In order to minimise the pressure on local resources, the conscious Indian traveller avoids visiting the place. While a young Indian traveller is now in the driving seat of sustainable tourism, they seem to be determined to make tourism the channel for change. that of the Bhopal Gas tragedy. On a cold December night of 1984, Bhopal was struck by one of the worst industrial disasters when 40 tonnes of poisonous Methyl Isocyanate (MIC) gas leaked from the Union Carbide factory, killing over 1700 and affecting more than 5 lakh people. Thirty-three years later, its effects are still visible in the children and grandchildren of those who survived. In a nutshell, the choices we make in life, the food we eat, the air we breathe all influence our internal world of expressed genes. This clearly indicates that our environment impacts our genes and the changes are heritable in nature. Says Ojha, The environment and the climate change contributes to the genetic build up. All living entities have a genetic code. The environment plays a huge role in the adaptation of the genetics. The climate influences everything in the animal and plant kingdom. He also points out that as the population increases the demand for food increases as well. This can lead to deforestation. So there is adaptation on both sides which can be seen in man taking over forests and the monkey menace in many cities as their natural habitat has been taken away. So there is a need to maximise the output. Similarly harnessing water is important because this too is a precious resource. On the other side, the cattle health and reproductive cycle has to be monitored to maximise the output. He also suggests that there should be an increased interaction between man and nature and sensibility towards animal and plant kingdom which would help in better appreciating the food that we eat. He goes on to add that we need to appreciate the food being brought to the table. There should be an increased interaction with agriculture where children are taught to be better citizens at school level and so on, he says. In the cities, we should work towards switching back to traditional ways of temperature control and opt for a less device-controlled environment. There should be buildings with double walls and more light and fresh air, reducing the load on electricity and at the same time getting the body used to a less controlled environment, says Ojha. Moreover, everything we do, mostly causes pollution from driving cars to building a house, almost everything done by us is not eco-friendly. Pollution is created by the most destructive thing ever, humans. Only we can stop it. Pollution causes diseases and extinction of a wide variety of species of flora and fauna. It harms the ecosystems, the food chains and water cycles. Basically, it harms everything we are living for. The time is indeed ripe for the Fifth Industrial Revolution in which only eco-friendly technologies should be used. ctor Taapsee Pannu says the reason why female actors have Anot called out sexual abusers in Hindi film industry is because they fear being judged and shamed. The #MeToo campaign, which sparked off a movement in Hollywood late last year, is yet to arrive in Bollywood. There are only a handful of Bollywood stars who have spoken about sexual harassment prevalent in the industry, without taking any names. Taapsee says fortunately or unfortunately she did not face any sexual harassment, otherwise she would ve probably helped voicing it. It s not that it doesn t happen, it does. I am aware of it because I hear from people who tell me this but the same people probably aren t ready to openly talk about it because there are a lot of taboos attached to it. They feel whatever little momentum their career has gained, because of this a lot of people will not support them; (they) will think this is a cheap way of publicity. Their ethics and characters will be questioned, said Taapsee. While Hollywood had actors are naming and shaming their abusers, the film fraternity here has been silent on the topic, thereby inviting criticism from fans. Taapsee says things are a bit complex here. It s not who was wrong and right in that situation. They will look at the person with a doubt that you are exploiting this situation for your benefit. Especially for girls who have no family here or someone supporting them here. It s not like that. So may be that insecurity really haunts them and that holds them back, she adds. The actor has currently featured in the short film Nitishastra directed by Kapil Verma. Kapil Verma said, Nitishastra is a compelling narrative and an intense film, so it was challenging for me to showcase the story in 20 minutes. Both Taapsee Pannu and Vicky Arora have played their characters with perfection. I believe that Royal Stag Barrel Select Large Short Films is the perfect platform to celebrate the short films and it has truly been the torch bearer for short films in the country. At the launch of the short film, Taapsee said she does not view the label negatively. In this industry, for an outsider to have any image is a big thing. People do so many things, just to have an image, whether it s through PR or films. To have such a strong image, without any acting, off-camera, I feel blessed. The fact that my audience relates to me and has brought me so far, and you all have come to watch my short film, I think the image is working well for me, she said.

14 T he Middle East has huge populations of Indians, North as well as South, and it is natural to expect a thriving concert culture of both Carnatic and North Indian classical music. The cities of Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Muscat and Bahrain have hosted concerts of Indian music since the last years; the venues are as varied as five-star hotel rooms to halls in the Indian consulates to more public concert spaces. Recently the opening of the Louvre Museum in Abu Dhabi was celebrated with a flute recital by Pt Hari Prasad Chaurasia. Among others, an organisation called Ragamalika also hosts an annual two or three-day festival in Abu Dhabi. Ticket sales flourish; the average audience size varies from or more. Noted flautist Shashank feels the South Indian communities in the Gulf, despite being fairly fragmented, do feel the need to reach out to each other through music; predominantly the Tamilians and Malyalees are the most active. He feels the most active cities are Dubai Kuwait and Muscat which also feature Hindustani music concerts too in prestigious venues like the opera house. He commented that the audience varies as much as any audience anywhere there will be lay listeners, as well as the more knowledgeable listener who has learnt the intricacies of the art in his youth perhaps. Not just music, the region features dance performances as well. One interesting difference between the ethnic populace in the Gulf countries and perhaps the residents of the US Canada or England is that the latter are active disciples and talented amateurs who have managed to attempt professional careers in music and performed in India as well. This has not yet been seen in the Gulf countries; signifying the dissemination of culture is a slower process in the region. Nightingale of the South Bombay Jayashri concurs. She has performed in all the cities of the Gulf for years, and finds the audience receptive and enthusiastic; the duration of the concerts is sometimes shorter, maybe two or twoand-a-half hours. Tabla wizard Pt Subhankar Bannerji feels Dubai today surpasses even Singapore in terms of the number of concerts; North Indian classical music concerts have been a regular feature in Dubai and Muscat especially, since the last 25 years, he said. Unusual jugalbandis like Pt Jasraj with Pt Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Vidwan N Ramani with Pt Hari Prasad Chaurasia, have been featured in Dubai years ago; something that is rare in India. In Dubai there are several music circles that organise concerts, Subhankar said, the efforts of Yogesh Mehta are particularly to be lauded. Sacred Drums of India, a percussion ensemble headed by Pt Subhankar Bannerji, has performed more than once in Muscat, even in the presence of the Oman ruler. Dr Sathish Kumar, another very active organiser in Dubai, shared how he had started holding concerts when he relocated there around five years ago. He has held classical music festivals in Coimbatore, for the last 25 years but Dubai as a venue is a difficult ball game he said. Carnatic vocalists appear to draw more crowds than the instrumentalists Dr Sathish felt, but many artists disagree with this perception. Senior practitioners like veena exponent Jayanthi Kumaresh confirmed she has several times been asked to perform in the Gulf cities of Dubai Sharjah and Muscat to packed halls, of predominantly Indian audience. Sangeet Natak Akademi awardee, senior violinist Mysore Manjunath has a different perspective. Music in the Arab world has always thrived; since Arabic music is slightly closer to ours in terms of sliding ornamentation (meend) they can relate very well to our instrumental music. I find they love traditional music but are open as well to innovative music too. They are very hospitable and organise concerts and artists requirements really well. One can wait for a day in the near future when Gulf-born Indians start to storm the concert platforms in their country of origin. boy with the springy Thead bounces on to the mountain, then on to the sun before finally coming to a rest on tree where he goes off to sleep. Pontaro, The Boy With a Bouncy Head by Shinta Cho is one of the many Japanese stories that is graphic and illustrative. This artistic way of teaching kids as well as the masses about various aspects of society was presented in an exhibition with the works of Japanese artist Chihiro Iwasaki and other picture book artists from Japan. The exhibition, Chihiro Iwasaki and Picture Books of Japan, is being held at Lajpat Nagar and will continue till June 12. Organised by the Japan Foundation and the Chihiro Art Museum, the collection features a series of water-coloured illustrations of flowers and children, for which the artist is famous. They are simplistic, minimalist and use a limited colour palette, keeping the communicative bandwidth easy on children. Her works like Girl Wearing Brown Hat (1970s), Cat and Children Carrying Satchels, Butterflies Fluttering in Meadow, Green Fantasy, Woodpecker and many more are aimed to stoke the imagination of children and prod their understanding of the world around them through a strong visual appeal. There were also paintings of Gorsh the Cellist by Takeshi Motai, Peek-a-Boo by Yasuo Segwa, Oniroko and Carpenter by Suekichi Akaba and Pontaro, the boy with a Bouncy Head by Shinta Cho. The gallery also displayed a brief history of the evolution of art and picture books in Japan. The oldest work in the gallery is from 1624 which is Vo no Utaawase by Tanroku-Bon. It further displays the works of 18th and 19th centuries by Gokan, E- Demon, Ebanash Series Nihon and Akahon. Most interesting were the remains of certain picture magazines and scrolls from as old as the eighth century. The ambience and the lighting were white to offset the play of colours. We organised this exhibition to introduce children to the way life looks beyond the digital images, said Pradipta Brahma, programme coordinator, Japanese Foundation. It also has a training institute for teaching water painting to trainees. Talking about the way water painting is done in Japan, Zingjar Zimik, the PR coordinator of the Foundation, emphasised, We basically use normal paper, wet it and then apply dollops of paint on it. After that we allow the paint to take a shape and form a pattern. We do not use brush and let the water do the job. Certainly a unique experience. new exhibition Atlanta celebrates AWinnie-the-Pooh, wandering through his magical world and giving visitors a peek behind the scenes at the people, relationships and inspirations behind the silly old bear and his friends. Winnie-the-Pooh: Exploring a Classic opens Sunday at the High Museum of Art. It highlights the intensely collaborative relationship between author AA Milne and illustrator EH Shepard, who brought the stories to life, and guides visitors through those tales and their lessons. It s the idea that a writer can imagine a whole world but the written descriptions can only go so far, and then the illustrations take you to the next step, said Virginia Shearer, the High s director of education. Milne was inspired by his young son s stuffed toys to create stories about a boy named Christopher Robin (his son s first and middle names) and his beloved Winnie-the-Pooh, also known as Pooh Bear. The bear and his plush friends come to life on the page just as they do in the imagination of a child, animated by witty prose and playful drawings. In a room hung with pale blue and white striped wallpaper to evoke a nursery, a faux window looks out on the imaginary world created by Milne and Shepard as the only known recording of Milne reading from the Winnie-the- Pooh book of stories plays in the background. A glass case houses replicas of the plush toys that inspired the characters. Milne invited Shepard to his home to draw portraits of his son s toy animals from life and hosted Shepard at his country home so he could observe and sketch the trees and landscapes that inspired the Hundred Acre Wood, where Pooh and friends live. Some of the pencil-sketched studies that resulted are on display in a part of the exhibition that explores their collaboration. Drawings grouped by the chapters in Winnie-the-Pooh and The House at Pooh Corner are the exhibition s main focus. Story panels at adult eye-level give brief summaries of the chapters. Panels at child eye-level are written for beginning readers and encourage children think about the lessons learned. The exhibition ends with a room filled with Winnie-the-Pooh merchandise, ranging from the earliest days to the present, to illustrate the spread and growth of the brand. It includes the familiar plush bear with a red T-shirt reading Pooh marketed by Disney, which bought the character rights in The exhibition is a continuation of a series at the High that puts the spotlight on children s book authors and illustrators. I think with all of these projects we re encouraging people to look closely at what they have at home and realize they have works of art in their own homes, said co-presenting curator Ginia Sweeney. Another goal, she said, is to provide children with skills they can use to visit and enjoy the rest of the museum and to give parents the tools to help them. Shearer and Sweeney said they hope the exhibition inspires children to get outside, away from screens, to have adventures. Christopher Robin says his favourite thing to do is nothing because you have so many possibilities when you have nothing to do, Sweeney said. The exhibition was organised by the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. After its US premiere at the High Museum, where it will be on view from Sunday through September 2, the exhibition is set to be on display at Boston s Museum of Fine Arts from September 22 through January 6 before heading to Japan. AP

15 S pain couldn't manage more than a 1-1 draw against Switzerland in their final match before travelling to Russia for the World Cup. Spain were in control from the start but failed to capitalise on their chances and paid the price after a second-half blunder by goalkeeper David de Gea. Alvaro Odriozola opened the scoring for the hosts with a neat volley from just outside the area in the 29th minute. Ricardo Rodriguez equalised for the Swiss in the 62nd after De Gea dropped the ball in front of goal while trying to hold on to a weak shot from inside the area. Spain coach Julen Lopetegui was satisfied with his team's performance despite the draw. "I liked that we were able to create many scoring opportunities against a difficult team like Switzerland," Lopetegui said. "We played at a high level. There were a lot of positives." The result kept Spain unbeaten in 19 matches since Lopetegui took over after the 2016 European Championship. "We played well," said Odriozola, who was making only his third appearance with the national team. "It was a good tune-up for the challenge that awaits us. We leave in good spirits." Spain, who will travel to Russia on Thursday, weren't at full strength as defensive midfielder Sergio Busquets was dropped from the starting lineup after falling ill with gastroenteritis. Real Madrid players also weren't fully available after reporting late to the squad because of the Champions League final. Sergio Ramos, Francisco "Isco" Alarcon and Dani Carvajal didn't even travel for the match in Villarreal, although Nacho Fernandez, Marco Asensio and Lucas Vazquez were second-half substitutes. Lopetegui played with Diego Costa and Iago Aspas up front, while Jorge "Koke" Resurreccion, Thiago Alcantara, Andres Iniesta and David Silva were in midfield. Cesar Azpilicueta and Gerard Pique started in central defence. Spain will head to Russia looking to rebound from early eliminations at the 2016 European Championship and the 2014 World Cup. La Roja won Euro 2012, the 2010 World Cup and Euro Spain's final warmup match will be against Tunisia on Saturday in Krasnodar, the team's base in Russia. Their first game at the World Cup is against European champions Portugal on June 15. Spain's next Group B matches will be against Iran on June 20 and Morocco on June 25. Switzerland will host Japan on Friday in their final warm-up match before their World Cup opener against Brazil on June 17 in Group E. They then face Serbia on June 22 and Costa Rica on June 27. Peru captain Paolo Guerrero scored twice in a 3-0 win over Saudi Arabia in a World Cup warm-up on Sunday on his comeback, three days after a Swiss supreme court ruling put his doping ban on hold. Guerrero looked every bit the inspirational leader Peru campaigned to clear for action at their first World Cup appearance in 36 years. Peru already led 1-0 when Guerrero followed up to score from close range in the 41st minute after an initial shot was saved. Guerrero's header from Andre Carrillo's cross in the 64th brought more adulation from a partisan Peruvian crowd in neutral St Gallen, Switzerland, near both teams' training camps. Carrillo opened the scoring with a stunning left-foot volley in the 20th. Guerrero could yet have to complete a 14-month ban imposed by the Swiss-based Court of Arbitration for L iverpool striker Mohamed Salah was on Monday included in Egypt's World Cup squad despite still underdoing treatment for a shoulder injury he suffered in the Champions League final, the Egyptian Football Association said. Salah, who hit a stunning 44 goals for Liverpool last season in all competitions, was forced out of the final in tears last month clutching his left shoulder after being wrestled to the ground by Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos. Salah has undergone treatment in Valencia, Spain, in the hope of playing a role in Egypt's first appearance in the World Cup since On Wednesday, the federation had said that Salah would be out for "not more" than three weeks, meaning he could miss Egypt's opening World Cup Group A fixture against Uruguay on June 15. Egypt then face Russia on June 19 and Saudi Arabia on June 25. France formally submitted their 23-man squad for the World Cup on Monday, making no changes from the group named in mid-may. None of the original 23 have been replaced by anyone on Didier Deschamps' stand by list. Several top stars failed to make the cut at all, with Manchester United's Anthony Martial, Arsenal's based on their rankings. Talking about Yuki's exemption, AITA secretary Hironmoy Chatterjee said,"the last Indian player who played Grand Slam singles was Somdev Devvarman. Now that this boy (Yuki) has got an opportunity to compete at the highest level, he needs to be supported." Paes has won a singles Bronze and men's team Gold (at Hiroshima 1994), three Gold medals in men's doubles (1994 with Gaurav Natekar) and with Mahesh Bhupathi in Busan (2002) and Doha (2006) respectively. Alexandre Lacazette and Real Madrid's Karim Benzema all omitted from the final squad. Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic, who had named one extra player for his provisional World Cup squad, on Monday announced that defender Matej Mitovic was the man being dropped. Mitrovic had not played for Belgian champions Club Brugge since April 19 and Dalic said that was one of the reasons the defender was cut. "I've been thinking a lot about this, and since the beginning I was saying that one defender will be removed and I stuck to that," Dalic told reporters. "This is my choice and I Sport for his positive test for metabolites of cocaine at a World Cup qualifying game last October. Still, a Switzerland Federal Tribunal judge said on Thursday that the ban should not apply until Guerrero's appeal is heard in full after the World Cup. Peru are in Group C with France, Denmark and Australia. They play their first game against Denmark on June 16. The 67th-ranked Saudis are the lowest-rated team at the World Cup, and play Russia in the opening game on June 14 in Group A. Costa Rica's national team has bid farewell to their fans with a 3-0 win over Northern Ireland in a friendly match here at the National Stadium as 35,000 fans gave a standing ovation to goalkeeper Keylor Navas. Navas, currently a goalkeeper for Spanish Club Real Madrid, was replaced in the 34th minute, and received a resounding ovation during the Sunday match. stand by it." Croatia are appearing at the World Cup for the fifth time and have been drawn alongside two time former champions Argentina, Nigeria and Iceland in Group D. The Croatia squad is led by international stars Luka Modric, Ivan Rakitic and Mario Mandzukic, but on Sunday they lost a warmup game, 2-0, to Brazil in Liverpool. "We should remain stable and learn the lessons from this match," Dalic said after the defeat that came after goals from Neymar and Firmino. "We are doing our job and nothing will unhinge us." Before flying out to Russia, Croatia will take on Senegal on Friday in Osijek. Skipper Sunil Chhetri made it a fairytale 100th international game with a double strike as India recorded a comprehensive 3-0 victory over Kenya to enter the final of the Intercontinental Cup football tournament here on Monday. After a barren first half, Chhetri, who scored a hat-trick in India's 5-0 rout of Chinese Taipei the other day, broke the deadlock in the 68th minute by calmly converting from the spot after the hosts were awarded a controversial penalty. Jeje Lalpekhlua then doubled India's lead in the 71st minute after Holicharan Narzary's low cross wasn't properly cleared by the Kenyan defence before the Mizo Sniper latched on to the loose ball and a snap right footer crashed into the far corner of the net. The hosts continued to dominate and increased their tally in the additional time when Chhetri (91st) after receiving a perfect cross-field assist from Balwant Singh, sprinted down the middle before chipping it over a surging Kenyan custodian. India break away on the counter and Chhetri n a sign of Germany's depth Iof talent, Leroy Sane was left out of the defending champions' final World Cup squad on Monday. The 22-year-old winger, who won the Premier League title with Manchester City and was voted young player of the year by the Professional Footballers' Association, didn't make the cut when Joachim Loew reduced his squad to 23 players. Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer - who hadn't played a competitive game since September until the friendly loss to Austria on Saturday - was included in the squad for the tournament in Russia. Neuer had been out with a repeat of the fracture in his left foot but played the full game against Austria, likely forcing Marc-Andre ter Stegen to the bench. Bernd Leno was the goalkeeper to miss out, while defender Jonathan Tah and forward Nils Petersen were also dropped from the squad. Petersen made his debut against Austria but Loew is keeping faith in forwards Timo Werner and Mario Gomez. "There are certainly better days in the life of a national coach than when you must send four great players home who would have deserved to be at a World Cup," Loew said at the team's training camp in South Tyrol, Italy. Germany's preparations continue with a friendly against Saudi Arabia in Leverkusen on Friday. "You have to look at the big picture so we have a variable and well-balanced team prepared for all eventualities," Loew said. Germany play their opening Group F match against Mexico on June 17. The defending champions will then face Sweden and South Korea. Goalkeepers: Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Manuel Neuer, Kevin Trapp; Defenders: Mats Hummels, Jerome Boateng, Joshua Kimmich, Jonas Hector, Antonio Ruediger, Niklas Suele, Marvin Plattenhardt, Matthias Ginter; Midfielders: Toni Kroos, Thomas Mueller, Marco Reus, Sami Khedira, Mesut Ozil, Julian Draxler, Ilkay Gundogan, Leon Goretzka, Sebastian Rudy, Julian Brandt; Forwards: Mario Gomez, Timo Werner Vincent Kompany was included in Belgium coach Roberto Martinez's 23-man World Cup squad on Monday despite picking up a groin injury during a friendly over the weekend. The 32-year-old Manchester City center back, whose career has been blighted by injuries, walked off the field early in the second half of Belgium's 0-0 draw with Portugal on Saturday without waiting to be substituted after hurting his groin when overstretching in a challenge. he iconic Leander Paes on TMonday made a comeback to the Asian Games bound Indian squad while Yuki Bhambri was "exempted" as AITA threw its weight behind country's top singles player in his quest for Grand Slam glory. Paes, who has won eight medals at the previous editions of Asian Games, has not competed in the prestigious quadrennial event since winning the men's doubles Gold with Mahesh could not have possibly recovered Bhupathi and mixed doubles Gold for the marquee event. with Sania Mirza at the 2006 Doha The selection committee Games. chose to pick three singles specialists - Ramkumar Ramanathan, The AITA backed Yuki in skipping the Games in Indonesia, Prajnesh Gunneswaran, Sumit where tennis events will begin on Nagal - and three doubles specialists - Paes, Rohan Bopanna August 19, saying there are not many Indians competing in the and Divij Sharan in the men's singles at Grand Slams, thus, "the squad. boy must be supported." The women's squad will be Yuki, ranked 94, is expected led by leading singles player to make the cut for the US Open Ankita Raina. Karman Kaur and since the tennis events in Thandi, Rutuja Bhosale, Pranjala Indonesia will conclude only two Yadlapalli, Riya Bhatia and days before the New York Grand Prarthana Thombare are the other Slam begins on August 27, he players. All of them were chosen gets in behind a struggling Kenyan defence to chip the ball over the onrushing goalkeeper into the net to hand the hosts a comfortable victory. Already assured of a place in the final, India will next play higher-ranked New Zealand in their last round-robin fixture on Thursday Bhaichung Bhutia and IM Vijayan were there, the fans too were there, and the magnet that drew them all into the Mumbai Football Arena for India's Intercontinental Cup game against Kenya here tonight was Sunil Chhetri. Captain Chhetri got, deservingly so, the audience he sought after his impassioned plea struck a chord with fans, who turned up in droves for India's second game. Chhetri, playing in his 100th international game, was felicitated by former skippers Bhutia and Vijayan. He was also given a guard of honour by his team-mates as his wife and parents watched from the stands. "I never thought this would become so big. When you are representing the national team, you deserve an audience," Chhetri said before the start of the game.

16 S erena Williams called off her Grand Slam comeback because of a chest muscle injury on Monday, pulling out of the French Open shortly before she was supposed to play Maria Sharapova in the fourth round. "It's extremely disappointing," Williams said during a news conference at Roland Garros. "But also, I made a promise to myself and to my coach and to my team that if I'm not at least 60 percent or 50 percent, then I probably shouldn't play." Williams, who has won 23 Grand Slam singles titles, said she can't hit serves because of a problem with her right pectoral muscle. Her voice trembled a bit as she explained that she will get an MRI exam and consult with doctors before figuring out what will happen next for her. "The fact that I physically can't serve at all is a good indication that maybe I should just go back to the drawing board and stay positive," Williams said, "and try to get better and not get it to a point where it could be a lot worse." The 36-year-old American was competing at a major tournament for the first time in 16 months - and for the first time since giving birth to her daughter last September. Sharapova wished Williams a speedy recovery and a rapid return to the tour in a two-sentence statement released by French Open organizers. "I was looking forward to my match against Serena and am disappointed that she had to withdraw," Sharapova said. Williams said her chest began hurting in her thirdround singles victory over 11th-seeded Julia Goerges on Saturday. "It was really painful," Williams said, "and I didn't know what it was." Despite that, Williams played in a doubles loss alongside her older sister, Venus, on Sunday and tried to limit the pain by taping up the muscle. But nothing was effective enough that Williams thought she could continue in Paris. Her withdrawal allows Sharapova, a two-time French Open champion, to move into the quarterfinals. Sharapova's coach said the Russian player was waiting courtside when they were informed of Williams' withdrawal. "It was a shock," Thomas Hogstedt said. "We were ready. We prepared a long time for this match." Their match had shaped up as the most-anticipated of the women's tournament, even though Williams has won 19 of 21 previous head-to-head encounters, including the past 18 in a row. Two-time Grand Slam champion Angelique Kerber reached the quarterfinals of the French Open for the second time by beating Caroline Garcia 6-2, 6-3. Garcia saved four match points when serving while trailing 5-1. But Kerber took her next chance when the seventh-seeded Garcia, again serving to stay in the match, hit a forehand wide. Kerber has never been beyond the quarterfinals at Roland Garros and next faces top-seeded Simona Halep, last year's runner-up. Garcia's loss means there are no French men or women remaining in the tournament. Caroline Wozniacki's bid for a second straight Grand Slam title is over. The second-seeded Dane lost to Daria Kasatkina 7-6 (5), 6-3 Monday in the fourth round of the French Open. Kasatkina broke for a 5-3 lead and then served out the match, which started Sunday but was suspended by darkness. "It's something like dream come true to play on this court, it was my dream since childhood," said the 21-yearold Russian, who is seeded 14th. "First time I took a racket in my hand I played like this. It's just the way of my mind." It was Kasatkina's third straight win over Wozniacki, who won the Australian Open for her first major but has never been beyond the quarterfinals at the French Open. Kasatkina has reached the quarterfinals for the first time at any major, and she will next play US Open champion Sloane Stephens. Top-seeded Simona Halep advanced to the French Open quarterfinals for the third time by beating Elise Mertens 6-2, 6-1. Halep, who lost in last year's final, broke the 16thseeded Belgian's serve six times on Court Philippe Chatrier. Serving for the match, Halep dropped her serve for the first time. She broke straight back, winning on her first match point when Mertens double-faulted. Halep, who also lost in the 2014 final, will next face either two-time Grand Slam champion Angelique Kerber or Caroline Garcia. afael Nadal said he doesn't "feel old", after Rmoving a step closer to an incredible 11th French Open title on Monday by beating German Maximilian Marterer to reach the quarter-finals the day after his 32nd birthday. The world number one's 6-3, 6-2, 7-6 (7/4) victory over the world number 70 saw him equal the record of 12 last-eight appearances at Roland Garros, which was set by Novak Djokovic the day before. Top seed Nadal, who celebrated his birthday on Sunday, is now on his own in third on the all-time list for most match wins at Grand Slam events with 234 victories after passing Jimmy Connors. "I don't feel old. But I am 32, and I have been here since 2003, so it's a long way, a lot of years," he said. "I started very young. That's a real thing. But, no, I feel happy to be here. Being honest, I am enjoying the day by day on the tour and I hope to keep doing this for a while." Nadal powered 39 winners past Marterer, who pushed the Spaniard as hard as he could without ever threatening an upset. He will face Argentinian Diego Schwartzman for a semi-final spot, after the 11th seed staged a thrilling comeback to down sixth seed Kevin Anderson 1-6, 2-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7/0), 6-2. "It's always good to see him in the quarter-final because he's a good friend, a good person. He's a worker, and I'm happy to see him having all this success. Hopefully not too much (though)," smiled Nadal, who had a brief practice session with Schwartzman last week. The 16-time Grand Slam champion has now won 37 consecutive sets at Roland Garros. It didn't take Nadal long to figure out his opponent, reeling off four straight games en route to an inevitable one-set lead. The 16-time Grand Slam champion raced through the second set in just 38 minutes, breaking his opponent's serve twice. But Marterer - who was playing in the main draw for the first time - moved into a 3-1 lead early in the third as he threatened to become the first man to take a set off Nadal at Roland Garros since the Spaniard's 2015 quarter-final defeat by Djokovic. But the reigning champion quickly hit back before securing a tie-break on his second match point when Marterer fired long, celebrating with a trademark fist pump. akistan captain Sarfraz PAhmed insisted he was proud of his youthful side even after an innings and 55- run defeat at Headingley denied them a Test-series victory in England. That overwhelming loss, completed inside three days on Sunday, meant the two-match campaign ended all square at 1-1 following what Sarfraz said was Pakistan's "perfect" nine-wicket victory in the first Test at Lord's. Defeat left Pakistan still looking for their first Test series success in England since 1996, when fast-bowling greats Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis were in the side. But having also overseen a victory over Test debutants Ireland in Dublin during this tour, Sarfraz was pleased with Pakistan's progress. "When we came here people thought we will not win one game but the way we played at Lord's everything was perfect, our fast bowling was perfect, our batting and fielding were perfect," Sarfraz told reporters. Lahore: Pakistan, the world's top-ranked Twenty20 side, announced a 15-member squad Monday for their two matches against Scotland later this month. There was only one change in the squad from the T20 series against the West Indies in April, with Haris Sohail replacing Babar Azam, who fractured his wrist during the first Test against England last week. Their two T20s against Scotland will be played on June 12 and 13. irat Kohli is a far more expe- player than what he Vrienced was during his nightmarish tour of England in 2014 but Aussie great Glenn McGrath cautioned that an in-form Jimmy Anderson could make things tougher for the Indian captain this time too. "Kohli is a more experienced player now. Quality player, no doubt about that. But English conditions are very tough. When you have got a bowler like Jimmy Anderson, who is bowling well now, it is going to be hard work. You got to be prepared to work hard. Kohli is a quality player so I am looking forward to that contest," McGrath told mediapersons during an interaction. McGrath made it clear it will be foolhardy only depend on Kohli and in case he fails, it will give other players to raise their hands up. "You always want your best batsman performing. However, it also gives another batsmen a chance to put his hand up and there are still some quality batsmen there, some quality players there. If India are really depending on one player, they have got it wrong...", he added. While Cheteshwar Pujara didn't have a great run during the four-day games in England, the mere experience will prove to be handy, according to McGrath. "I have not seen what the conditions are like in the UK. Pujara, even though he hasn't got runs, he will be there. Just being used to the conditions, I think that will help him," he opined. About the bowling department, McGrath is confident that speedsters Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah will make a mark. When asked who among Indian pacers could do the job in England, McGrath said:"bhuvi and Bumrah. They have got pretty good control. That's what you need, especially in England. The Dukes ball has a pronounced seam. If you get the ball in the right areas consistently, then you are going to do well. The ball will do a little bit, so yeah.. They will do well." Adaptability is the key, said one of Australia's finest fast bowler. "I think a lot of it depends on how the players adapt. You got to adapt a lot quicker these days. During my time, we used to get a couple of tour matches. They will have to adjust and adapt quicker. Obviously, there aren't enough tour matches to really get used to the conditions. They will just have to rely on past experience," McGrath said. McGrath said that the recently retired AB de Villiers was a class player and South Africa will miss him. "AB is class player, no doubt that. He will be missed. He is just a natural," the Australia said. he crown prince of cricket's slam- version, Afghanistan star Tbang Rashid Khan says he is prepared for the "test of patience" that awaits him in the country's five-day debut against India, where all he wants is to keep the jangling nerves at bay. The historic Test against the world No 1 side, which would be without talismanic skipper Virat Kohli, starts June 14 in Bengaluru. "Being a Test cricketer is not a lot different to playing ODIs and T20s," the 19-year-old Rashid, the world's No 1 T20 bowler said. And since he doesn't see much of difference, Rashid said he won't be tweaking his style of bowling at all. "I have done well in whatever fourday opportunities that I have got. If I make changes in my bowling thinking about the Test, it will not be good for me. I will bowl with the same speed I have been bowling so far," he said. "I have to make sure that I don't panic. I know there will be a phase kipper Harmanpreet Kaur delivered a Ssolid all-round performance as the Indian women's cricket team defeated Thailand by 66 runs in the Asia Cup T20 tournament, here on Monday. Put in to bat, India posted 132/4 in the designated 20 overs before restricting Thailand to 66/8 in theirs to record a second successive big win and stay at the top of the points table in the sixnation tournament. The Indian team, which had hammered hosts Malaysia by 142 runs in its opening match, put up another dominating show. The entire top order batting contributed well with Mona Meshram's 45- ball 32 being the top score. However, the impact innings of the where I won't pick up a wicket for 20 overs. And I could pick up two in two overs. It is Test cricket," he explained. match was played by the in-form Harmanpreet Kaur, a 17-ball unbeaten 27 "It is going to be a test of patience. There is a possibility that I might end up being wicketless," he conceded. The 10-ball 34 in the IPL qualifier against Kolkata Knight Riders was without doubt one of the impact T20 knocks this year. But ask him about his phenomenal rise and the all-rounder prefers to talk it down. "I never thought in my life that I would be able to achieve so much in such a short time. It is like a dream," he said. And an extension of this dream has been the wholesome praise coming from legends such as Sachin Tendulkar, who called him the world's best T20 bowler right now. "Sachin's tweet was unreal. I kept on thinking for hours what to reply to him. I was really happy. Virat also praised me a lot and Dhoni also during the course of the IPL. It lifts your confidence a lot when they compliment you," he said. He has resumed national duty after playing a charity match at Lord's and wreaked havoc in the T20 series which steered India to, what became, a winning total. opener against Bangladesh. "Last two months, in fact last two years have been very good for me. Since I have joined the national team, I got the success that I wanted. I am very happy with that. I am enjoying the game and that is why I am doing well," said Rashid. Talking about the depth of Afghanistan's severely-short-of-experience Test team, he said: "We have a good pool of players at the First Class level back in Afghanistan. They just need a little polishing and experience." Expectations are also high from his spin partner Mujeeb Zadran, who too turned heads with his performances in the IPL before getting injured in the second half of the tournament. "We back each other. Whether it is Mohamad Nabi, who is a senior player, and Mujeeb. We share whatever knowledge we have. Mujeeb has been superb and amazing so far. He has lots of skills and in future he will be able to do even better," said Rashid when asked about his rapport with other spinners in the national team. Kaur's knock was laced with three hits to the fence. Smriti Mandhana too continued her fine form for a 22-ball 29, which included one four and a couple of sixes. Kaur than did the job with the ball as well, grabbing three wickets with her off-spin, yielding a mere 11 runs in three overs. Kaur's superb all-round performance fetched her the Player of the Match award. Deepti Sharma also picked up a couple of wickets in her four overs, which went for a mere 16 runs. For Thailand, Nattaya Boochatham top-scored with a 40-ball 21 but the slow knock was hardly what the team needed in the slam-bang format. The Thai team just could not break free during the chase, shackled by an accurate Indian bowling attack.