RNI Regn. No. MPENG/2004/13703, Regd. No. L-2/BPLON/41/

Transcription

1 RNI Regn. No. MPENG/2004/13703, Regd. No. L-2/BPLON/41/ he spate of lynchings in the Tcountry, latest being that in in Alwar, has prodded the Government into taking measures on Monday. The Centre set up a Home Minister-headed Group of Ministers (GoM) and a Home Secretary-headed committee to suggest ways and legal framework to effectively deal with incidents of mob violence and lynching, even as it sought a report from the Rajasthan Government. The Supreme Court, for its part, decided to hear a contempt plea against the Rajasthan Government over the issue on August 20. The Centre s move also comes against the backdrop of the apex court asking it to frame laws to tackle mobocracy, and with the Monsoon Session in Parliament going on, the Centre is in line of Opposition fire over the rise in such incidents. The panel headed by Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba will suggest measures and legal framework to effectively deal with incidents of mob violence and lynching. The committee will submit its recommendations to the Home Minister Rajnath Singh-headed GoM within four weeks. The GoM, in turn, will submit its recommendations to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In an impromptu intervention at the end of the day s sitting, Singh told the Lok Sabha that the panel will give its report in 15 days. In Parliament and outside, nion Minister Gadkari Ustated that construction work of Chambal Express Way in Gwalior region will be started soon this year. Work to acquire land has been started in this connection. People of this region will get employment opportunities, business and industries will flourish and a new route will be available for transport after the construction of this Express Way. Gadkari was addressing a programme, after performing bhoomi poojan and dedicated development works costing Rs 5,130 crore at Vikas Parva evam Kisaan Maha-Sammelan held at Guna on Monday. Gadkari informed that a new highway is being constructed between Delhi and Mumbai. An amount of Rs one lakh crore will be spent on construction. The highway will pass through Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra state. This highway includes 250 km long road of Madhya Pradesh and will help development of the state. Besides, Gadkari informed that water sharing in connection to the Ken-Betwa Link River Project will be solved soon. Centre on Monday set Tthe deadline of April 1, 2020, for auto manufacturers to roll out BS-VI (Euro 6) compliant engines after it informed the Supreme Court that Delhi s air quality has not shown the desired results despite introduction of BS-VI fuel. In an affidavit, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG) said the best results of BS-VI fuel can be achieved only with BS-VI engines, not the present BS-IV engines. The affidavit added, Sale of BS-VI non-compliant vehicles should not be allowed after March 31, The Centre dumped an while the Congress took on the BJP with its president Rahul Gandhi saying hatred had replaced humanity in Modi s brutal New India, the BJP and the Government hit back terming the Gandhi scion a merchant of hate. Union Ministers Sushma Swaraj, Nitin Gadkari, Ravi Shankar Prasad and Thawarchand Gehlot will be the members of the GoM. And the secretaries of the justice, legal affairs, legislative, and social justice and empowerment departments are members of the committee. The Rajasthan police too set up a high-level committee alternative suggestion of the SC to curb air pollution by making diesel dearer for private and passenger vehicles, calling it impractical. According to the MoPNG, only 13 per cent of diesel is consumed by private vehicles across the country. The remaining 87 per cent is used in other segments, of which agriculture sector constitutes a major chunk. Hence, the Centre does not seem keen to have a higher price for diesel used by private vehicles as all diesel consumers procure the fuel from common retail outlets. With the differential pricing for diesel proposal failing to get Centre s nod, the Bench of Justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta focused on to probe the allegations of delay against the Alwar police in taking the victim Akbar Khan to a hospital after he was allegedly lynched by a group of people on the suspicion of cow smuggling. It will also be probed Besides, he informed that construction work of 100 new national highways is being started in the country. On the occasion, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan transferred an amount of Rs crore online in the banks accounts of farmers under the Crop Insurance Scheme and distributed benefits to 43,882 beneficiaries of various schemes. Chouhan said that Madhya Pradesh has become one of the leading states of the country, emerging out of the sick state category now with the cooperation of the Union Government. An amount of Rs 13,500 crore was provided by the Centre to the state for construction of roads, which helped better construction of roads in the state. Elaborating on Mukhya Mantri Jan-Kalyan (Sambal) Yojana, Chouhan mentioned that all the possible efforts are being made in the state according to the commitment of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to make agriculture a profitable occupation and to double the agriculture production. Chouhan and the Union Minister Gadkari were presented with items manufactured by the women of self-help groups of NRLM. Labourers of the unorganized sector presented a letter of gratitude for implementing Sambal Yojana. The Guna Bar Association expressed gratitude towards the Chief Minister to implement Advocate Protection Act in the state. whether 28-year-old Akbar, alias Rakbar Khan, became a victim of police beating on the intervening night of last Friday and Saturday. Appropriate action would be taken if any lapses were found in the enquiry report, Rajasthan DGP Six youths were killed in a road accident on Sunday night, after their speeding car fell in a stop dam near Kolar Dam. After celebrating birthday of one of the youths late in the night on Sunday, they were returning to the state capital. Sehore SP Rajesh Chandel said that the six were on their way back to Bhopal when their car fell at water inlet for water filter plant probably late in the night and failed to control vehicle. The spot which is stop dam dam is under Bilkishganj police station. It was a left turn and the deceased failed to turn and fell straight into the canal which was around feet wide and deep. The six have gone to celebrate birthday of Akash Gupta. Five of the deceased are residents of Bhopal. One of the deceased hails from Rewa and used to work at Sujalpur and came to Bhopal to attend the party, he added. SP Chandel claimed that as the car was small and was carrying around six persons which were with good built and once the car fell in the water the deceased failed to open the gate due to water pressure and died of drowning. The deceased was identified as Akash Gupta (24) of Anand Nagar, Pankaj Sahu (27) of Transport Nagar, Ranjeet Sahu (28) of Anand Nagar, Gaurav Sahu(24), Abhijeet Rathod(28) of Katara Hills and Rajneesh Patel of Rewa. The bodies have been sent for post mortem in Sehore and case under section 174 of the CrPC has been registered. Police found that the deceased were good friends and used to celebrate everything together. said. The latest incident took place a little more than a year after Pehlu Khan, a dairy farmer, was lynched by cow vigilantes in Alwar itself when he was transporting cattle to his village in Haryana on April 1, The mob suspected that Pehlu was smuggling cows. He died on April 3, two days after the incident. As per reports and Opposition allegations, over the past year, several such lynchings have taken place in Alwar. Policemen in Alwar took 3 hrs to get a dying Rakbar, the victim of a lynch mob, to a hospital just 6 km away. Why? They took a tea-break enroute. This is Modi s brutal New India where humanity is replaced with hatred and people are crushed and left to die, Congress president Rahul Gandhi wrote on twitter. Union Ministers Piyush Goyal and Smriti Irani took on Rahul for his comments. Stop jumping with joy every time a crime happens, Mr Rahul Gandhi. The State has already assured strict and prompt action. You divide society in every manner possible for electoral gains and then shed crocodile tears. Enough is enough. You are a merchant of hate, Goyal tweeted. His remark echoed the attack on the then Gujarat Chief Minister Modi by the then Congress chief Sonia Gandhi during the 2007 Gujarat Assembly poll campaign when she used the phrase maut ka saudagar ( merchant of death ). Continued on Page 4 he BJP and the Congress on TMonday geared to put each other s top leaders on the mat through privilege motion on the Rafale fighter jet deal. As many as four BJP MPs have submitted a privilege notice against Congress president Rahul Gandhi accusing him of misleading Parliament by making false allegations against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. The Speaker said she will look into the matter. The Congress said it will move against Modi and Sitharaman for misleading the House. The Congress fielded former Defence Minister AK Antony to counter Sitharaman s assertions that the secrecy clause was signed during the UPA s tenure itself. Prime Minister and Defence Minister misled Parliament on Rafale deal, this is clearly matter of breach of privilege, said Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala. Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said Rahul was behaving irresponsibly. Dragging the French President into internal politics is unfortunate, he said, adding Rahul s understanding of national security issues is poor. Since a member of the family has resorted to falsehood, the crowd around the family has no option but to collectively sing the tune of falsehood. We clearly state that Congress stand is not in national interest, he asserted. ld battle horse Digvijay Singh is Oout in the open as the State assembly elections are round the corner in Madhya Pradesh. Digvijay's open challenge to Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to arrest him as desh drohi is not coming from the official Congress platform. Coming as it does, at a time when the former AICC general secretary has rather unceremoniously been dropped from the Congress Working Committee (CWC). Is Digvijay's presence going to help his friend Kamal Nath or the ruling BJP? The jury seems divided. In the previous elections, he did not campaign in Madhya Pradesh extensively. He visited a few constituencies and in those assembly segments, Congress was defeated with huge margins. It was believed that the image of Digvijay Singh as Mr Bantadhar, portrayed by the BJP during campaigning before 2003 polls, was alive in Madhya Pradesh. Even in the current scenario, Digvijay Singh, who was being not actively participated in the affairs in Madhya Pradesh, has now come in the centre of the politics. fast-tracking production of BS- VI engines. It asked the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) to suggest whether it will be in a position to stop the sale and manufacture of BS-IV compliant vehicles by March 31, This will include not just private vehicles but commercial vehicles as well. Already the oil manufacturing companies have invested Rs 28,000 crore into production of the Euro 6 clean fuel. With its introduction, the Centre said the difference between the emission by diesel The shadows of the No- Confidence Motion seem to have lengthened with the Congress and the BJP bracing up to defend their respective top leaders in the privilege issue. Four BJP members Nishikant Dubey, Anurag Thakur, Dushyant Singh and Prahlad Joshi have submitted the privilege notice against Rahul. As soon as the Question Hour got over, Dubey said a privilege motion has been moved by his party. Whenever Rahul Gandhi speaks, it only helps in increasing the votes of Two days ago in Satna, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had reportedly said, Talking about Hindu terrorism is an insult to the country and its culture... He is the kind of person who visits the homes of terrorists killed by police and glorifies them. Many times, such acts of Digvijay ji seem antinational. A BJP release issued on July 19, quoted Chouhan as saying so at Satna. In apparent reference to Singh's calling Osama bin Laden as Osama ji, Chouhan asked, according to the BJP release, if adding the honorific 'Ji' for a terrorist was not an anti-national act. Annoyed with the statement of Chouhan, in a letter to the chief minister, Singh said that he would appear before police and they could arrest him. and petrol will be leveled. Presently, BS-IV diesel is seen to emit three times more NO2 (nitrogen dioxide) compared to BS-IV petrol. The SIAM counsel informed the court that registration of vehicles manufactured up to March 31, 2020, should be extended till June 2020 as the manufacturers have been asked to advance production of BS-VI engines at a very short notice. But the SC questioned the counsel by pointing out that initially when the court suggested introduction of electric vehicles, the SIAM objected but later somersaulted and came forward with its production. The SC said the auto industry must consider the public good and the BJP, he said. Amid protests by Congress members, Mahajan said, I will look into it and then let you know. The allegations relate to Rahul s speech in the Lok Sabha in which he had raised the issue of a secrecy clause in the Rafale fighter jet deal with France claiming that French President told him clearly that there was no secrecy pact on Rafale between the two countries. The Congress chief had also accused the Prime Minister of benefiting one industrialist in the deal. Continued on Page 4 "I have taken the oath to follow Constitution. So I have decided to present myself before the law to protect the unity and integrity of India...I would present myself at TT Nagar Police Station (in Bhopal) on July 26," Singh stated in the letter. In his letter, Singh said, "Being the chief minister, it is your constitutional duty to take legal action if any such case falling under the category of antinationalism comes to your knowledge." If the chief minister does not have any evidence against him, then he should apologise, Singh demanded. Notably, with this courting arrest of Singh, his supporters are busy in mobilizing the party workers in the city. His banners and posters are being placed in different parts of the city. Surprisingly, the PCC, PCC Chief Kamal Nath and Campaign Committee Chairman Jyotiraditya Scindia have so far not come up against the statement of Chouhan or in support of Digvijay Singh. Besides, the tour programme issued by Digvijay Singh s office mentions timings of both, his arrival in Bhopal on July 26 and departure on the same evening. This clearly suggests that courting arrest is merely a political stunt and instead of being lodged in the jail, he would return to Delhi the same evening. not be driven by its own interests only. The court even asked the Centre to consider introducing colour-coding for vehicles based on the fuel use. The SIAM said a hologram sticker giving various colour codes for electric vehicles, BS-VI fuel, diesel, hybrid fuel, is possible. Already the Centre has introduced green number plates for electric vehicles. However, the court asked the Centre to report by next Monday on the feasibility of introducing such stickers, cost involved in its production, and the authority to ensure its rollout. There are around 30 lakh private vehicles in Delhi, of which diesel-run vehicles remain a major cause of pollution.

2 has been decided that junior doctors would continue to stay ervices in government hos- associated with five met. off-duty, until our demands are Spitals main government medical colleges across Madhya Pradesh were adversely affected after junior doctors along with Class III and Class IV employees stayed off the work on Monday. The Junior Doctors Association (JDA) has already given a call for indefinite strike. Despite the State government One of the primary demands includes a raise in monthly stipend by about Rs 2,000. Current junior doctor stipend is Rs 4,500 per month. JDA announcement to stay off-duty came after a meeting with top directorate of medical education (DME) officials. Additional Chief Secretary on Monday invoked and Medical Education Essential Services Maintenance Principal Secretary Act (ESMA), the JDA continued its strike. Radheshyam Julania told, It has been made clear to the JDA Hundreds of patients in representatives that confrontation is not the way forward. hospitals associated with Bhopal, Indore, Gwalior, They sought time for another Jabalpur and Rewa government meeting for July 31. If they have medical colleges services came to a standstill. Jabalpur s Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Medical College, dean Dr Navneet Saxena confirmed that FIR has been filed against absentee doctors. Similar situation is expected to be replicated at other medical colleges, with junior doctors being issued notices about ESMA declaring as illegal the doctors stir which has would severely affected functioning of government-run hospitals. About 1,200 strong MP JDA president, Dr Sachet Saxena said, After a meeting it resorted to still remaining on strike and off-duty, law would take its own course. He maintained that government had contingencies in place to meet the situation. he classical music lovers had a delight- evening at the Ram Krishna Tful Mission Ashram, when Amir Khan played an enchanting Raga on the Sarod. A Sarod recital was held at Ram Krishna Mission Ashram on Monday giving a perfect example of calm and divine music. A renowned Sarod played Amir Khan performed Sarod recital at the programme adding more charm in the evening. He began the recital with Raga Gorakh Kalyan. He played variations in Alap, Jhor Jhala. He then performed Ek Taal and Teen Taal. As he was playing the Sarod, his experience and love for music was clearly witnessed by the audience. Raga Gorakh Kalyan is played in the first half of the night. It is an enchanting and a sweet melody which gives relaxation to the listeners. It has some shades of Raga Durga and Bageshri and so it is elaborated and beautiful raga. Amir is known for his versatility and innovations. His style is versatile, ranging from traditional Indian music to new techno style. The innovation he brings into his compositions makes him different from others composers. As he began singing, the audiences were awestruck to witness the programme. He wonderfully blended classical tunes into the rhythm of classical music which was loved by the audience. His performance was a mixture of Indian and Western tunes altogether giving a delightful experience to the audience. The programme was like a mass treat for the classical music lovers as they witnessed young classical star performing before them. n exhibition Azad Katha Abased on the life of Chandrashekhar Azad is put up at Swaraj Art Gallery. The exhibition began here from Monday. To observe the birth anniversary of Chandrashekhar Azad, the exhibition is being organised by Directorate of Culture and Swaraj Sansthan. The exhibition displays the important events and incidents from the life of Chandrashekhar Azad. Amar Shaheed Chandrashekhar Azad is a symbol of the valour and sacrifice of the country in the unequivocal heroes of the Indian independence war. He had such a vision of the strong movement on the path of revolution that he challenged death by smiling many times. Despite many struggles, he continued his fight with the determination for free India. The ind of struggle for the country's independence he put in is worth mentioning. The crucial steps like the killing of Saunders in protest of the Simon Commission, the bomb blasts in protest of the black law made by the British government and Kakori train loot are hunt for a wife begins Twhen landlord asks Prannath to get his wife if he wants to live in the house. The hilarious search for a wife puts Brahamchari Prannat s life in a twist. Shankar Shesh s brilliant comedy story Til Ka Taad was staged at Shaheed Bhavan auditorium on Monday. Marking the last day of Hasya Natya Utsav, the play was performed. Directed by Deepak Kirar, the story of the play revolves around a character Prananath who is the protagonist of the story. Pranath does a job in the city and lives in a rented house. Seth Dhanamal is his landlord. Seth Dhannamal on the other hand is a different character. He does not give his house on rent to bachelors. But to survive, Prananath had to do something. So, he lied to Seth Dhannamal that he is married. The twist in the story ensues when one day Dhannamal threatens Prananath to bring his wife or else his stuff will be thrown out of the house. Being disturbed by this, Prananath looks for the girl. He also asks his friends for help in this context. In the meantime, Manju Devi, a girl trapped in trouble, arrives at his house. She was on the run and some of the major examples. The pictures of such incidents are put up at the gallery. As many as 40 images are displayed in the exhibition narrating the stories of events of various revolutionary movements and his life, and work. The manner in which the boldness and fearlessness of Azad has been presented by famous painter Laxman Bhand, is certainly an inspiring initiative of awakening the spirit of patriotism among the youth. Besides, the poetic presentation by Ranjana Chitale in the words has indeed taken the paintings to another level. The exhibition will be on view till July 27. hiding from her kidnappers Prananath saves her and proposes a deal before her. He asks he to pretend to be his wife before the landlord and she can live in the house. Manjju Devi accepts this deal. Dhannamal inquires about Prananath's family from Manju and in nervousness she said that the Prananath s younger brother is engineer. Dhanamal thinks of fixing his daughter's relationship with him. On the other hand, Brahamchari, Prananath s friend threatens him to disclose the truth. Meanwhile, Prananth s father and father-inlaw happen to visit him and get into a fight with Dhannamal. In the end, Manju Devi unveils the secrets and describes the status of women in society. The play left the audience into a whril of laughter and they enjoyed the play laughing their hearts out. adhya Pradesh Water MSports Academy players performed brilliantly and bagged 16 medals at the Telangana State Open Championship. Exhibiting an impressive performance the players won three gold medals, eight silver medals and five bronze medals. The championship was held during Hyderabad Sailing Week (YAI Multiclass National Ranking Sailing Championship), and Monsoon National Ranking Sailing Championship held in Hyderabad. Here on Monday the winners met State Minister of Sports and Youth Welfare Department Yashodhara Raje Scindia. They met TT Nagar stadium. The Sports Minister appreciated the performance of all the medal winners and encouraged them by congratulating them. On this occasion, Chief Secretary Sports M Mohan Rao and Director Sports and Youth Welfare S.L. Thoussen were also present. It is notable that the Academy's sailing player Satish elcoming the new stu- at university and Wdents exchanging new ideas was all about orientation programme. The orientation programme was organised by Madhyanchal Professional University of Patel Group of Institutions here on Monday. All the newcomers were invited for the orientation programme and were told about the course and the institute. The students were told about various opportunities of career various fields. Notably, the orientation programme was organised to inform the students of new batch about the institute and for this aprogramme was held on the first day of orientation. Further, an introduction session of the new students was held on the first day of the programme. On the occasion, Chancellor of the University and Vice Chairman of Patel Group Ajit Singh Patel was also present. He welcomed the students from the beginning and advised them to work in the same direction by creating a goal with positive approach. University Advisor and Patel Group Director Dr. Gyanendra Singh apprised the students about the facilities and methods of learning available at the Centers of Professional University and educational environment. After the introduction, faculty members welcomed the students. This was followed with an information session conducted by the faculty members of the college. The faculty members explained the students about the various aspects of education through different subjects. They also highlighted the career opportunities that the students get after completing the course. Yadav won the gold medal in the Laser Radial Open competition of Telangana State Open Championship. In the boys category of the Laser 4.7 competition, Academy player Ram Milan Yadav won the bronze medal along players with Rajat and Satish Yadav. Academy girl Ritika Dangi won the silver medal in the girls category of this event. Academy champion Uma Chahan won a silver and bronze medal in the event of the championship. Similarly, Academy's player Ram Milan Yadav won a bronze medal in a gold and open category in the Hyderabad Sailing Week, Layer 4.7 under-16 category of YAI Multiclass National Ranking Sailing Championship.

3 hief Minister Shivraj Singh CChouhan was called on by the delegation of SOPA and Industries at the state hangar today. The delegation expressed gratitude towards Chouhan for initiating efforts to encourage soybean export. It was informed by the delegation that on the efforts of the Chief Minister, the Union Government has taken action in record time to increase incentive from 7 per cent to 10 per cent on soya meal export. This has generated a new enthusiasm in the soybean industry and has triggered scope of export. Members of the delegation also invited the Chief Minister to attend Soya Meal and Soybean Exporters and Importers Conclave to be held at Indore. Chouhan has assured the delegation that every possible effort will be made to export soybean to enable farmers to get better price for their crop. he crime branch has Tnabbed one miscreant and three jewellers from Qazi Camp and recovered silver and gold jewellery worth Rs 10 lakh from their possession; accused confessed a dozen burglaries along with his two aides. Police said that acting on a tip off a miscreant identified as Irfan Baig alias Nange(45) was nabbed at Qazi Camp who was trying to sell valuables at low price and when he was asked regarding valuables he failed to provide details and documents of the valuables. Later he confessed that along with Waseem Tanker and Annu alias Anwar had committed around a dozen burglaries in different parts of the city. Further when he quizzed regarding the persons who helped in disposal of the valu- ables he provided informa- tion of Manirul Ali alias anumanganj police have Hnabbed a traffic police constable posted in the state capital and a constable posted at 29th Battalion Datia for sexually assaulting a 29-year-old divorcee woman at Shanti Lodge on Sunday. Police said that late in the night on Sunday the victim was accompanied by accused Yogendra Narwaria to the State capital from Vidisha and later she was gang-raped along with Yogendra s friend Awdesh Narwaria posted as driver at 29th Battalion in Datia. Addl SP Zone 3 Rajesh Singh Bhadoria said that the two have been arrested and statement of the woman have been recorded after the complaint was lodged but on Monday morning she provided an application that as she was drunk she has altercation with the accused and she was not sexually assaulted by the accused. The victim was acquainted with Yogendra while on Sunday night Awdesh joined them at the lodged to have food and liquor. At the moment the enquiry regarding the sexual assault has to be ascertained, he added. The police have registered a case under section 376 and 34 of the IPC and started further investigation. Now as the victim has strayed away from her statements police are investigating to find that she was sexually assaulted or she has lodged complaint under the influence of alcohol. The 29-year-old victim is a divorcee and came into contact with Yogendra and became friend with him when he was posted in Vidisha, said police. On the day of the incident Yogendra went to Vidisha and brought the victim to state capital. They also discussed about the obstacles in connection to soybean export and export promotion efforts. Chouhan has informed that high level efforts have been made to increase scope of soybean export to China. He also mentioned about the discussions held with the Prime Minister, Union Minister for Commerce and Union Minister for External Affairs. He mentioned that he will again discuss with the Prime Minister on various issues related to encouragement to soybean export. He will urge the Union Minister for Railways to make the rack available to the state for exporting soybean to Bangladesh. Moreover, by holding discussions with the Union Commerce Minister, he will make efforts to include delegation of Madhya Pradesh with delegations of the Union Government to be sent to China, Japan and European Union. Minister from the State meeting between the own- and drivers of school Aers buses and vans and the school administration was conducted on Monday in the school premises. Principal Sr Mary CD welcomed all and reminded them about the revised CBSE guidelines. PTA executive body members and bus in-charge teachers were also present in the meeting Santosh Philipose read the guidelines aloud. He especially requested them to look into the lapses and emphasised on the use of speed governors and authorized/ branded gas kits. He insisted that they should complain against the unruly students. PTA executive body vicepresident Rajesh Kumar Patil appealed them to do their noble work with utmost responsibility. Drivers also shared their practical problems R Government will also be sent as a representative of the State Government with delegation. Besides, Chouhan stated that he will request the Union Minister for External Affairs to direct Indian Embassy in China for providing full cooperation to soybean exporters of the state. The delegation informed about the scope of soybean and soya meal export and said that 1260 lakh MT soybean is exported in the world. Out of this about 94 per cent ie 950 lakh MT by China, 172 lakh MT by European Union and 60 lakh MT by Japan is imported. Besides, the delegation has urged the State Government to make efforts to increase 10 per cent import duty on soybean oil and to abolish non tariff barriers restriction imposed by the China on soybean import from India. The delegation of SOPA and Industries included Davish Jain, Basu T Badwala, Girish Matlani and DN Pathak. with the teachers. Supervisor Anu Johnson informed them that the bus and van going students and walkers will be given different coloured ID cards belts for their convenience so that they can easily identify the students. She also said that the drivers should have good rapport among the children and they should never use indecent language. Principal Sr Mary CD pointed out that some drivers issue receipt in the name of the school and told them to keep the fare moderate. PTA body ex evenue, Science and Technology Minister Umashankar Gupta told students that they should only work hard, the government will do the work of mobilisation of resources. Gupta said this at the Praveshotsav of the Government College Tribal Boys Hostel, Bhadbhada Road. It may be noted that today that Hostel Praveshotsav is being celebrated in the entire state. Citing the example of the selection of a student of Dewas from a poor family in MBBS in AIIMS, Gupta said that no particular section has monopoly over knowledge. Work hard and make efforts in the right direction and success will be definitely yours. He said that if you do not get place in a hostel, take a rented house, the rent of which will be borne by the government. The government will also bear the expenses for coaching for a good job. Science and Technology Minister Gupta said that skill development classes should be held in the hostels. He said that skill development training should be imparted to the students in their spare time according to their will. Gupta said that it is difficult to get job on the basis of just the marksheet. With skilled people, there will no problem of employment. Gupta said that students in the hostel should be served food on his behalf once a year. He planted saplings of mangoes and guavas in the hostel premises. Local public representatives were present on the occasion. isabled students will also Dbe provided laptops and tricycles under the Chief Minister s Disabled Education Incentive Scheme. Disabled students of Class IX who have passed with minimum 50 per cent marks will be benefitted under the scheme. Giving this information Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Gopal Bhargav said that this scheme will benefit about one thousand disabled students. Under this scheme run by Department of Panchayat and Social Justice, vision impaired, hearing impaired, students with bone deformities and mentally retarded students with minimum 50 per cent marks in Class IX and those who have been admitted in Class X or in ITI will be benefitted. On taking admission in ITI, the disabled students who have taken admission in courses related to computer operator, programming assistant or computer will be given laptops. Students with bone deformities and who have passed officer-bearer Sanjeev Shrivastava urged them to cooperate with the school administration for the smooth running of the school. Alka Pandya expressed gratitude to all for the cause. Anil Gopalan was chosen as the leader of the group and given the responsibility to maintain a record of all the drivers and conductors. He assured that the drivers will always be ready to co-operate with the administration to keep a vigil on the irregularities. Class X and are taking admission in graduate courses and whose 60 per cent or more body below the waist will be provided motor tricycles. It has been made clear in the scheme that the beneficiaries will be provided this facility on one time admission. Besides, Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Gopal Bhargav will inaugurate a two-day workshop on promotion of digital transaction and taxation in gram panchayats at WALMI on Tuesday at 10 am. Minister of State for Panchayat and Rural Development Vishwas Sarang Maqbool, Vinod alias Sitaram Soni and Iqbal Uddin of the state capital and based on the information the three were nabbed and recovered gold and silver jewelry, one motorbike and other valuables worth Rs 10 lakh. Irfan has been booked for 56 cases in the past and the has been booked for around 22 times by Hanumanganj police, 18 times by Nishatpura police, he was also booked by Chola Mandir, Koh-e-Fiza, Aishbagh, Gautam Nagar and MP Nagar police. He has been booked for burglaries, stealing, possession of arms illegally and other crimes. Manirul Ali works as jewelry designer, Vinod works as jeweler while Iqbal Uddin is a auto rickshaw driver. Police have started search for Anwar and Waseem who are still absconding. lert has been sounded at Aseveral nearby areas of river banks which have swollen in heavy rainfall in the past 24 hours in the state. Low pressure area over north east Madhya Pradesh and adjoining areas, upper air cyclonic circulation and a low pressure area system from Odisha to Bay of Bengal have created havoc which has been witnessed for the past 24 hours across the state. For the past whole night continuous heavy rainfall has been witnessed across the state. Rainfall continued throughout the day across 10 districts on Monday. The state capital received good amount of rainfall and after death of 4-year-old kid who swept in the heavy water current no major mishap has been reported. The state capital recorded 2.4 cm of rainfall till 5.30 in the evening and which continued till late in the night. In Chhatarpur, 10 children who got trapped in the nidentified miscreants loot- four women passengers Ued aboard Overnight Express in the wee hours on Monday after the train left Narsinghpur railway station. The train was coming to Bhopal from Jabalpur. The passengers robbed of belongings of passengers travelling in the AC coach. One of them is a sessions judge posted at Rewa. According to station house officer (SHO), government railway police (GRP), Jabalpur Y Mishra, the CCTV phootages revealed that three persons boarded the AC coach at around 4 am as the train was leaving Narsinghpur railway station and carried out the loot in AC-2 coach. They were armed with knives. They took will be special guest. Subject experts will impart training to around 200 panchayat representatives of 5 districts at the workshop. Director, Panchayat Raj Shamimuddin told that the Panchayati Raj Ministry of Government of India is making efforts for the empowerment of the panchayats in the Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan. This special workshop will be organised in this series. On the first day of the workshop on July 24, panchayats will be informed about the process of mandatory and alternative tax imposition and recovery under taxation process besides transaction process and technical information of UPI, USSD, AEPS, POS, Mobiliwallets, BHIM Ape under digital transaction. On the second day on July 25, representatives of the best panchayats of Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat state will give a presentation and experts from Central Bank of India, SVLC Conveyor and IT experts will address the workshop. the past 24 hours. The Met Department has warned of heavy rains in 31 districts of the state. Warning of heavy rainfall in Sagar, Guna, Ashoknagar, Chhatarpur, Raisen and Bhopal, Sehore, Gwalior, Shivpuri, Sheopur, Umaria, Shahdol, Neemuch, Mandsaur, Agar, Shajapur, Tikamgarh, Panna, Sidhi while heavy rains hare likely to be witnessed in Singrauli, Katni, Seoni, Chhindwara, Balaghat, Mandla, Jabalpur, Narsinghpur, Hoshangabad districts. Ratna Kushwaha died after a wall of her house caved in. Alert has been issued in the On Monday Sagar recorded 5 cm of rainfall, Ujjain and Jabalpur recorded 4.5 cm of area situated near to Chambal rainfall, while Damoh, River after the increase water current due to heavy rainfall in Hoshangabad and Mandla recorded 4 cm of rainfall. river were rescued. The children were trapped after sudden rise in Dhasan Katan river and were rescued after around 10 hours of rescue. In another incident in Faddipura village of Morena district, a pregnant woman S tate programme officer of blindness eradication Hemant Sinha has shared that a special campaign will be launched in the State to free cataract backlog in rural areas. Under this campaign people of above 40 age group, will be primarily examined and identified for their cataract surgeries in various government and NGO hospitals. This campaign would be undertaken from August to October In view to undertake this campaign Optometrists, ANM and ASHA workers would be deployed. Day to day progress of this campaign will be monitored at state Health directorate. This was told to optometrists in a one day training session held at Sewa Sadan Eye Hospital here on Monday. As many as 70 Optometrists, DPM and DDPM have participated in the session. Eminent ophthalmologist Dr AC Agrawal and Managing Trustee of SSEH LC Janiyani were mainly present on the occasion. Hemant Sinha told that Delhi based AIIMS hospital have conducted a sample survey at Sehore district where it was found that the quality of cataract surgery is comparatively very good than the agencies working in other states. He complimented optometrists DPM s, Govt and NGO hospitals for this appreciable remark. He further informed that optometrists will very soon get the primary investigation equipments of blood pressure, Glucose and Eye Pressure. Sinha told that there are two main reasons of blindness, first is cataract and another is lack of follow-up examination of operated cataract patients. These negligencies can cause permanent blindness of the cataract patients. Therefore the optometrist should pay special attention for periodic follow up examination of operated cataract patients. In beginning, MT of Sewa Sadan LC Janiyani threw light on the objectives and services of SSEH. He assured that Sewa Sadan will always be ready to support Govt Health organisations in eradication of blindness from the society. away seven mobiles, jewelry worth Rs 3.5 lakh and cash of Rs 40,000 before pulling the chain and jumping out of the train. Mishra said that one of the loot victims is Arti Shukla Pandey, an additional district & sessions judge at Rewa while the other three have been identified as Anita Sharma, Renu Sainy and Poonam Bhaleja. Other passengers who were targeted in the robbery were- Anita Sharma, wife of Lokesh Upmanyu of Mandla, Poonam Baweja of Kolgawan and Tushmul Jha (son of Rajya Sabha MP Prabhat Jha). Both GRP and Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel have started further investigation and searching for the miscreants.

4 aryana Police is planning Hto strengthen the Special Task Force (STF) by inducting 100 highly-qualified cyber experts to crackdown on highprofile active criminals on social media platforms, Director General of Police (DGP) BS Sandhu said on Monday. He said that in view of its performance and the need to tackle cyber crime, the STF would be strengthened. The STF of Haryana Police formed in January this year with 40 men to deal with organized crimes has performed exceedingly well by arresting 13 most-wanted criminals and in seizing huge quantity of illicit arms as well as narcotics so far, Sandhu said. Going a step further, Haryana Police is now planning to strengthen STF by inducting 100 highly-qualified cyber eople in and Paround here on Monday rushed to Terahal village as a news spread that a floating stone has been recovered. Two persons from the village had gone into bathing in the Bhargavi river on Monday afternoon and while bathing, the stone weighing about 10 kg hit them. To their surprise, they found the stone to be floating. They recovered the stone and brought it to the village. he Rastriya Jal Biradari, TOdisha Branch has conducted a river Aarati to rejuvenate drying Brahmani in a stretch from Jenapur to Bari block s Kaipada in Jajpur district. Hundreds of women have been offering diyas en masse to the river goddess once a week for the last eight months. They use that much coconut oil which they would have used that day. Hence, they don t spend any extra money for conducting nadi aradhana (river prayer). Poetess Bharati Dash, the Delhi Centre for Science and Indian Philosophy Prabhu Narayan, Biradari State unit convenor Manas Ranjan Mishra, Rabindra Nath Mohapatra, Bhanumati Pradhan, Santilata Ghadei, Jayanti Pradhan, Satyabhama experts to tackle cyber crime, he said. He said that the arrests by STF were made in crime related to narcotics, extortion, gang wars and of notorious criminals. The DGP said that State Police is serious in providing safety and security to its people at all places and introduced STF to deal with the menace of organized crime especially in the NCR areas in the state. He also congratulated the STF team for its significant achievements in a short period. Giving details about the seizure of illicit arms and narcotics, Additional Director General of Police Crime, PK Agarwal said that STF sleuths have so far recovered 50 country-made pistols, one revolver, one rifle, four pistols and 76 rounds. Apart from this, it had also seized 57 kg 600 gm poppy straw, 22 kg 900 gm cannabis, 1 kg 402 gm opium, kg There they threw the stone to a pond and found that the stone was floating there too. Soon, the news spread and people in droves thronged Terahal village pond to have a glimpse of the stone. Pradhan, Kalyani Jena, Nayana Behera, Vishnu Charan Ghadei, Kanak Behera, Reena brown sugar and gram heroin. Agarwal said that STF had identified 20 most wanted criminals who were dreaded and spreading their criminal activities in the states of Haryana, Delhi, Rajasthan, western UP, Chandigarh and Punjab. Due to continuous fear and pressure of STF, most of these criminals are staying out of Haryana. He said that STF had killed dreaded gangster Balraj Bhatti in an encounter in Noida. He was a member of Sunder Bhatti gang and carried a bounty of Rs 2.5 lakh on his head. In addition, STF had recently arrested most wanted criminal Sampat Nehra, a member of Lawrence Bishnoi gang, from Hyderabad. He was wanted by Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and Chandigarh Police. The police had fixed a bounty of Rs 2 lakh on his head, he said. he biggest festival in TKeonjhar district witnessed by 10 million people, called Bada Jatra, concluded with much fanfare in spite of inclement weather that prevailed during the last week. Lord Baladev Jew, worshipped as the supreme deity of Keonjhar district over last 500 years, was taken on a chariot ride along with His brother Lord Jagannath and sister Goddess Subhadra to their Mausi Maa s house on July 14 where they stayed for 8 days. Although this Ratha Yatra has many similarities in rituals and customs with Puri, there is a distinct mark of tribal influence in the Bada Yatra. The chariot of Lord Baladev jew is Nandi Ghosha instead of Taladwaja as in Puri and this chariot is said to be the Behera, Alaka Behera, Manasmita Dash, Jyotsna Bhuyan, Raghunath Ghadei, ive persons, including three Fwomen, were charred to death at Ner Chowk, near Mandi on past midnight on Monday when a domestic gas cylinder burst in a house where many guests had arrived to attend a wedding function. Those killed have been identified as Narender Soni 67, his wife Veena 63, Monika 35 and Sain, 7. Ner Chowk plunged into grief and hundreds of residents woke up to bring the fire under control along with fire tenders. Chief Minister, Jai Ram Thakur, rushed to Ner Chowk to condole the aggrieved family. Former Union Minister, Sukh Ram, former Excise and Taxation Minister, Prakash Chaudhary, Deputy Commissioner and other officers also rushed to the scene of accident. Fire tenders from Mandi, biggest and tallest chariot with a height more than 73feet. The rope used to pull the chariot is made from Siali creeper unlike coir rope used in Puri. Goddess Subhadra is red in color instead of yellow as in Puri. Apart from this there are some special rituals and customs observed in the Keonjhar Neta Behera, Akanshya Dash and many others participated in the movement. Sundernagar and Beas Sutlej Link Project rushed to the spot and brought the fire under control averting a major tragedy as all structures were made of wood were highly inflammable. The shops in the town were also full of electronic goods. Later, the Himachal Pradesh government ordered a magisterial inquiry into the blaze. The fire broke out early this morning when the people were asleep after returning from a wedding procession with the bridegroom and the bride late in the night, family sources said. Mandi Deputy Commissioner Rugved Thakur said that Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Rajiv Kumar would probe the incident. The ADM will inquire all the aspects including the cause of the fire and allegations of fire-fighters arriving late at the spot. The ADM will submit the report within seven days, he said. Rath Yatra. The deities returned back on the same chariot on the Bahuda on July 22 and appeared before the devotees with their jewelleries and ornaments (Suna Besha) on Monday before they were to enter the temple. The 10- day festival was colorful with varieties of cultural dances and They demanded for commissioning of the CWPRS (Central Water and Power Research Station) East Half of India branch and formation of Ganga Sansad as well. People in all 17 GPs in Bari block were sensitised by Su Dash and Mishra along with members of the BUDP and other NGOs. A manmade British structure in the river is understood as a cause for the crisis while rivers Kharashota and Kelua are well off with water. While Kharashota is commissioned to be inland waterway and Kelua connects the Brahmani system with the Mahanadi system. The Brahmani is being exploited with heavy industries and mining right from Rourkela up to Kalinganagar. While Rengali dam and Samal barrage hold back major share during lean season, Brahmani in crisis stretch is getting deposits of vast sand dunes due to no impetus in ow, travelling on Delhi NMetro has been made more hassle free with the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) upgrading its already existing Mobile Application with several new commuterfriendly features. It allows passengers to locate the nearest Metro station, find fares for desired travel, feedback from passengers, information for timings about the first and last train at stations and information about the availability of shorter routes. Also, they can file complaint without any hardship. While launching the app on Monday, Union Housing and Urban Affairs (UHAF) secretary Durga Shankar Mishra, along with the DMRC bhajan programmes every evening. Free food, water and sweets distribution was organised by some local organisations. The temple administration and other line departments including the police worked hard to organise the mega festival in a disciplined manner. he apology rendered by TLaksar MLA Sanjay Gupta for his Beef Biryani statement against the Chief Minister might help him to avoid a harsh disciplinary action. It is learnt that the leadership of the Bharatiya Janata Party which was in favour of strict action against the MLA for his outburst earlier is now veering round to a forgive and forget stance in the aftermath of the apology. Gupta on Sunday had said that he has dispatched the reply of the show cause notice issued by the party to the State party General Secretary Naresh Bansal. He had further said that he had expressed regret over his statement. Gupta had added that being a disciplined soldier of the party, he had acknowledged his fault. Gupta had also promised that such a thing would not repeat in future. The party had earlier authorised its State president Ajay Bhatt to take appropriate action on the issue. Incidentally, Gupta is the third legislator to whom the saffron party has issued show cause notice. Party had slapped notice on Khanpur MLA Pranav Singh Champion after his utterances against party leadership on inclusion of the brother of the former MLA Mohammad Shahzad in the district panchayat coordination committee. Similarly, a notice had been served to Rudrapur MLA Rajkumar Thukral for his alleged misbehaviour with a woman. Interestingly, the party had refrained from taking any action against both of them following the receipt of their explanation. It is now appearing increasingly possible that Gupta too would escape punishment on his Beef Biryani statement which created a flutter in the State s political circles as he had made the chief minister his target for ignoring the party MLAs and befriending those who are critical of the party s ideological stance. hief Minister Trivendra CSingh Rawat reviewed the status of the development declarations made by him for the Assembly constituencies spread over Almora and Bageshwar districts at the State secretariat on Monday. While reviewing Almora Assembly constituency, CM said that a sum of 2 lakh should be spent in all development blocks to promote Aipan art form. He further said that the State cabinet would soon take a policy decision for construction of parking spots and their management in Almora and other hill stations. CM was informed during the meeting that sanction for a new electricity feeder at tourist spot Kasar Devi has been given. The secretary Education said that an amount of lakh for construction of four classrooms in Government Inter College, Reggal has been sanctioned and work has started. Regarding Someshwar Assembly constituency, CM was informed that construction of 33/11 KV sub-station at Takula and reconstruction of Government Junior High School, Bhetuli in Someshwar have already started. The officials claimed that the order to connect Sheetlakhet with the tourist circuit would be issued within 15 days and the detailed project report (DPR) for the proposed Kakdighat lake has been approved. While reviewing works in Kapkot Assembly constituency, CM said that special focus should be laid for the conservation of Saryu river and maintaining its continuous flow by tree plantation, digging trenches and water conservation through public participation. The meeting was informed that in 12 out of total river flow. Hence, surgical dredging of river bed and making of multiple small dams are needed to harvest water in these sand dunes. While the State Government is busy blaming neighbouring States, it seems that nobody is concerned with forming a River Basin Authority to manage the flow dynamically. Thus, villagers recited verses of Adi Shankaracharya to appease the river goddess, said Mishra. The economy of locals is dwindling as crops harvest is decreasing due to lack of water. Youths are being forced to go out of State to work as bonded labourers. Even industrial effluents pollute water to a stretch of 35 km downstream. Notably, waterman Rajendra Singh Akshaya Bharat, Kulamani Sukla and Prafulla Dash have visited the area, among others. From Page 1 Irani accused Rahul of doing vulture politics and claimed that not a single instance goes by where he doesn t attempt to rupture social bonds for electoral gains. She further alleged that Rahul s family presided over the worst form of hate in 1984, Bhagalpur, Nellie and many other instances. The incident also rocked the Lok Sabha where last week From Page 1 He sought all the details of the Rafale deal, including the cost of each Rafale fighter jet, accusing a huge cost escalation by the Modi Government. Sitharaman had rejected the charges saying the secrecy pact was signed during the Congress regime in 2008 and signed by the then Defence minster AK Antony. The BJP also objected to Rahul s comments regarding betrayal of the Indian Army in Doklam, and dubbed them as unsubstantiated charges. On Monday, the Congress, however, accused Modi and Sitharaman of misleading Parliament and the country on the Rafale pricing issue, saying there is no clause in the 2008 pact between India and France that prevents the Government from divulging price details of the aircraft. Former Union Ministers Antony and Anand Sharma besides Surjewala issued a joint statement claiming the Prime Minister and the Defence Minister had sought to lie on the floor of Parliament. Antony said the Government s claim that a secrecy clause in the pact was forcing it to not reveal price details of the deal was totally wrong. They have to reveal 20 villages which were handed over from UREDA to UPCL, the work of reorganization of power lines and equipment has been done. The officials claimed that the work on 60 meter long span swing bridge at Devli will be completed by May 2019 and the places for building mini stadiums at Kidai, Difad, Malukhet and Besani have been identified. In course of the review of Bageshwar Assembly constituency, CM directed that all pending works should be completed. He said that the work on the project to set up a modern 'Kill Waste machine for the Managing Director Mangu Singh, and Transport Commissioner Varsha Joshi, the UHAF secretary said the application can be downloaded on iphones and Android smartphones through Apple Store and Google Play Store respectively. The app, which works with internet/gprs and provides information with GPS availability for passengers, can also be downloaded directly from DMRC s website delhimetrorail.com. This revamped mobile application will be of great benefit to the people of the entire NCR. This app shows how technology can be effectively used to provide better services to the people, said Mishra. too during the No Confidence Motion debate several Opposition leaders had attacked the Modi regime on increasing instances of mob lynching across the country ever since NDA came to power. Congress member Karan Singh Yadav raised the issue on Monday during Zero Hour prompting BJP members to protest. Karan alleged that it was the fourth such incidents in the State and alleged that those who claimed to be gaurakshak (cow protectors) are behind this murder. price details of each aircraft, said Antony, adding that the more they are trying to hide, the more suspicion there is about the deal. He also said the Government cannot hide the price details of the Rafale jets as the deal has to be scrutinised by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) as well as Parliament s Public Accounts Committee (PAC). They must reveal the price details of the aircraft and they must also tell us why a company was selected as offset partner who has no experience manufacturing aircraft, said Antony, alleging the private player has benefited by crores. Sharma said the Government owes Parliament an explanation on why Modi and Sitharaman misled the nation on the price issue. The French Government had no objection in revealing the price of the Rafale aircraft. This was conveyed by the French President to Rahul during a meeting in which I was present along with the former Prime Minister, he said. Asked if the Congress would give a notice of privilege motion against the Prime Minister and Defence Minister, he said, The issue pertains to the Lok Sabha and the leader of the Congress parliamentary party will take a decision on the issue soon. disposal of the garbage in Bageshwar and all the hill towns should be taken up seriously. The officials told that DPRs are being prepared for construction of Dharmashala at Bagnath temple and a museum at Baijnath temple at Garud. He was informed that a proposal worth Rs 14 crores has been sent by the Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam ( KMVN) to connect the Kukdamai-Girechina- Paldichina Mainchula Mai temple with the tourism circuit. CM was further informed that land for construction of the Chhana Bhaint mini stadium and mini stadium in Binta in Dwarahat has been identified and approval orders would be issued in a month. The work on beautification of Mansa Devi temple is also under progress, he was informed. While reviewing works for Salt Assembly constituency, CM issued instructions for the construction of toilets in all the girl schools of the state, including those at Salt, on a top priority. He directed the district administration to conduct soil testing survey in an organised manner for the promotion of the herbs and fruit production at Manila, Salt.

5 Parliamentary committee Aon the fund utilisation of the six flagship programmes of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed its displeasure about the actual scenario and the trend of Central funds not being utilised. Taking note of Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry s excuse pertaining to poor spending the committee stated that the Government should get its act together and identify problematic areas leading to this slack implementation. The six flagship programmes are AMRUT, HRI- DAY, Smart Cities Mission, Swachchh Bharat, National Urban Livelihood Mission and Prime Minister Awas Yojana. The Committee is constrained to observe that the Ministry is giving the usual excuse of procedural delays in accounting for spent funds in case of the prestigious flagship schemes but the reality is that enough thought has not gone into the promises given to the people, the committee said in its report. The reply has tried to project that the utilisation certificates actually due on March 31, 2018 was only for the funds released up to March 2016 urdened with the highest Bnumber of leprosy cases in the world, India s fight against the crippling disease is becoming a tad tougher with a firstof-its kind global study ( ) warning that antimicrobial resistance (AMR) cases are emerging in the sector. AMR against prevalent drugs means prolonged and expensive treatment and greater risk of disability to the person afflicted with leprosy. Researchers from across the countries on behalf of the WHO had studied the multibacillary leprosy cases at sentinel sites of 19 countries including India where five laboratories across the country were selected for the same. As per the Antimicrobial resistance in leprosy: results of which is not true and is in contravention of the General Finance Rules which allows a 12 months period up to March 31, 2017 not up to March 2018, the report said. As per latest data, the total cumulative grants released were 46,663 crores up to March 7, The utilisation certificates (UC) were due for 10,365- crore worth of projects in At the end of , actual UCs for an amount of 15,403 crore were received in the Ministry as against the due UCs for an amount of ongress MPs on Monday Ccharged the Government with carrying out surveillance on Opposition members after an officer was seen taking notes of the debates in the Lok Sabha from the Officers' Gallery. This prompted the Speaker to give an assurance that she would look into the matter. While Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal immediately clarified that the officer belonged to his Department and was doing his duty only, HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar said the Lok Sabha proceedings were telecast live and everyone can see what is happening in the House. People even now can see who is winking in the House, he said in an apparent dig at Congress President Rahul Gandhi, who was not present in the House. During the Question Hour, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge brought the attention of Speaker Sumitra Mahajan that an officer was standing in the Officers' Gallery, taking notes of the debates and even counting the number of MPs present in the opposition benches. It is surveillance. Who is he? Why is he taking notes? He is counting the number of MPs, Kharge said amidst vociferous protests by his party MPs. Kharge also claimed that as they were raising the issue, the officer concerned is seen leaving the House. The Speaker assured the agitated members and said she could not see the Officers Gallery from her seat but she will look into the matter. I will see to it, she said. the first prospective open survey conducted by a WHO surveillance network for the period ', among the 1,932 (1,143 relapse and 789 new) cases studied, 3.8 per cent showed gene mutations showing resistance to Rifampicin, 4.5 per cent for Dapsone and 1.1 per cent for Ofloxacin. Certain cases showed resistance to more than one drug. Globally, 20 cases showed Rifampicin and Dapsone resistance, four showed Ofloxacin and Dapsone resistance. Interestingly there were no cases of resistance to Rifampicin and Ofloxacin together. India and Brazil topped the list with more than 10 rifampicin-resistant cases each, said the study published in the journal 'Clinical Microbiology and Infection'. In India, among the ,365 crores. Under Swachchh Bharat Mission,a total fund of 7,540 crore was released. Of these, 6,645 crore released under various projects. Similarly, 10,504 crore was released against the total fund allocation of 10,634 crore under Smart City Mission till March 31, The utilization certificate were due of 1,469 crore. In the Prime Minister Awas Yojana, total 17,900 crore has been allocated. Of these, 16,982 crore have been released including grants in aid while the utilization certificate was issued of 2,516 crore. In the case of AMRUT, a huge share of 13,427 crore has been allocated to scheme meant to provide for water supply, sewerage and drainage facilities to selected 500 cities. Ofthese, 13,395 crore released. In the case of HRIDAY, out of the 700 crore, only 278 crore have been released while under the National Urban Livelihood Mission, against 1,992 crore allocation, 1907 crore has been released. The committee advised for addressing the problematic area on war footing including the brittle financial health of most the municipal bodies in undertaking Centre s flagship schemes. he CBI has arrested eight Tpersons in a case related to fake recruitment in Indian Railways. The arrested persons have been identified as residents of Agra and Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh, Chomu in Rajasthan, Sonepat in Haryana and Delhi. The agency has registered a case under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 66D of IT Act, The case was registered on the allegations of bogus railway recruitment by the accused using fake website in the name of Railway Recruitment Control Board. The accused allegedly set out a detailed cases studied, 4.7 per cent showed resistance to Rifampicin, 6.4 per cent and 4.4 per cent respectively showed Dapsone and Ofloxacin resistant. Primary drug resistant cases were seen mostly in Northern parts, often in difficult and hard-to-reach areas with tribal and similar population groups. High resistance has been observed in both he Government on TMonday informed the Rajya Sabha that there was no proposal to make military education compulsory for three years after Class 12 for those seeking Government jobs besides armed forces or paramilitary forces. This assurance was given by Minister of State for Defence Subhash Bhamre in a written response to a question. He gave this reply to a query whether the Government proposes to make it mandatory for students after Class XII to take compulsory military education for three years before they are appointed in government jobs and armed or para-military forces. Replying to another question about education facilities to children of defence personnel, he said about 5,500 children of armed forces personnel were selected for professional courses like MBBS and BTech since fiscal under the PM s scholarship programme. Amid ruckus created by TDP members in the Rajya Sabha over their demand for special category status for Andhra Pradesh, he said from , a total 5,500 students are selected for professional degrees courses like B Tech, BE, new and relapse cases in Agra and New Delhi. Relapse cases may be under-diagnosed as we rely on self-reporting and there is decreasing leprosy expertise. Now, with the emergence of AMR, it also stresses the need for immediate notice, routine investigation and establishment of proper treatment guidelines by the government, said Dr UD Gupta, one of the authors of the paper. No resistance was observed from other sentinel sites in India. Communitybased surveillance is required to get better data. Challenges identified include identification of relapses and their referral, inadequate tissue material available for testing, technically demanding procedures and difficulty in collecting skin smears from child cases, said he Government on TMonday introduced the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2018 in Lok Sabha, providing for stringent punishment including death penalty for those convicted of raping girls below the age of 12 years. This apart, the Lok Sabha passed the amendment Bill on Negotiable Instruments Act for enabling speedy prosecution in cheque bounce cases and the legislation to amend the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) Act seeking to provide postfacto approval to those approved institutions which are funded by the Centre or states, but do not have recognition under the 1993 law. The Government also moved the National Sports University Bill, 2018, in the Lok Sabha to establish a specialised sports university in Manipur to promote various aspects of sports such as management, technology and coaching. The Rajya Sabha, for its part, passed the bill proposing to grant a party the right to seek damages from the other side in case of a breach of a business contract and to reduce discretion of courts in such matters. The amendment Bill, once approved by Parliament, will replace the Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance promulgated on April 21, following an outcry over the rape and murder of a minor girl in Kathua in Jammu & Kashmir and the rape of another woman in Unnao in Uttar Pradesh. Introducing the Bill, Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju said the recent incidents of rape and gang-rape of women under the age of 16 years and 12 years have shaken the conscience of the entire nation. Therefore, the offences of rape and gang-rape of women under the age of 16 years and 12 years required effective deterrence through legal provisions of more stringent punishment, he said. The Negotiable Instruments (Amendment) Bill, which was passed by a voice vote, provides for allowing a court trying a cheque bounce offence to direct the drawer (person who writes the cheque) to pay interim compensation to the complainant. This interim compensation, recruitment procedure similar to one followed by authorised government recruitment agencies. The accused lured candidates mainly from the states including Rajasthan that have greater number of job seekers in Group C and D categories in Indian Railways and other government organizations. The unsuspecting victim candidates were instructed to fill application forms and submit their documents related to their qualification, IDs, photographs etc. The aspirants were then directed to visit government hospitals for procuring medical fitness certificates. Now, these candidates were asked to check their results on the website that served as replica of the original. Bogus training sessions were also organised for selected candidates. A successful candidate was asked to pay amounts ranging from 3 lakh to 5 lakh. They only later realised that they had been in the name of employment offer. The CBI said searches were conducted at the premises of accused persons at 08 locations in Delhi, Lucknow, Jaipur, Sonepat and Agra which led to recovery of several incriminating documents, mobile phones, Bank cards, seals and cash. The arrested accused were produced before the CBI court and remanded to police custody up to July 26. MC chief and West Bengal TChief Minister Mamata Banerjee will visit Delhi for three days next week to personally invite Opposition leaders to the federal front rally she plans to hold in January in Kolkata, party sources said on Monday. Banerjee is scheduled to arrive in Delhi on July 31. During her previous visits to Delhi, she met the leaders of regional and opposition parties as part of her efforts to cobble up support for the federal front she has proposed to take on the ruling BJP in the BDS, MBBS, BEd, BBA, BCA and B Pharma only recognised by respective Government regulatory bodies. The scholarship was introduced in to encourage higher professional education for the dependent wards of ex- servicemen, ex-coast guard personnel and their widows below the officers rank, besides dependents, wards, widows of ex- servicemen who have died or become disabled in service irrespective of their rank, Bhamre said during Question Hour. As regards medical facilities for ex-servicemen, Bhamre informed the members at present 426 poly clinics were functioning all over the country. There was now an effort to have a poly clinic in all the districts of the country for the benefit of ex-servicemen, he said Lok Sabha election. The sources - who are close to Banerjee - said she has been invited to Delhi by St. Stephen's College to deliver a lecture on August 1, but she is likely to invite opposition leaders personally for the rally to be held on January 19 next year. On July 31, the day she arrives in Delhi, Banerjee would speak on the atmosphere of fear and intolerance against minorities prevailing in the country at a gathering organised by Christian organisations, the sources said. The meet would be attended by archbishops of Delhi. Dr Gupta. Dr VV Pai, Director of the Bombay Leprosy Project working towards the welfare of leprosy patients, echoed similar views saying that AMR cases have started trickling, hence there is a need for initiating surveillance in new and relapse cases to curb the disease. Vinita Shankar, Director of the Sasakawa India Leprosy Foundation, noted that India continues to account for 60 per cent of new cases reported globally each year, mainly because of prevalent stigma. We need to reduce the associated stigma, because it not only limits the medical reach of the leprosy eradication programme but also violates human rights. Shankar also stressed on empowerment of leprosy affected people to bring them into the mainstream. not exceeding 20 per cent, may be paid under certain circumstances, including where the drawer pleads not guilty of the accusation within 60 days of the trial court's order to pay the compensation. The amendment bill to the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) Act was to provide post-facto approval to those approved institutions which are funded by the Centre or states, but do not have recognition under the 1993 law. HRD Minister Prakash Javedekar said several state and central universities were running Bachelor of Education (B.Ed) and related courses, but do not have recognition. Replying to the concerns raised by members, he said though the amendment was small, but it rectifies a major error. The Parliament even passed a bill proposing to grant a party the right to seek damages from the other side in case of a breach of a business contract and to reduce discretion of courts in such matters. The Specific Relief (Amendment) Bill, 2018, which was passed in the Lok Sabha in March, was cleared in the Upper House by a voice vote this afternoon. The bill aims to tweak a 54-year-old law that deals with specific fulfilment of a contract, as part of the government's ease of doing business policy. In Rajya Sabha, the opposition members insisted for sending the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill and the bill to amend the Ancient Monuments and Archeological Sites and Remains Act to Select Committee for further debates. The Bill has already been passed by Lok Sabha but the opposition leaders insisted on their demands. Government agreed to send the amendment bill on archeological sites to the Select Committee. Opposition parties, including the Congress, opposed the proposed amendments to the Motor Vehicles Act in the Rajya Sabha, saying it would help the corporates and dilute the powers of the state governments. The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, which has already been passed by the Lok Sabha, was introduced in the Upper House in April 2017 but was referred to a select panel. After taking into account the panel's recommendation, the bill was re-introduced in the Rajya Sabha. Before the Zero Hour was adjourned, Anand elugu Desam Party (TDP) Sharma(Congress) charged the Tmembers on Monday government with misusing the raised a ruckus in the Rajya central investigative agencies Sabha forcing an adjournment for targeted political vendetta and shouting slogans besides leading to atmosphere of distrust, fear and terror. coming into the well during the Question Hour. A visibly upset He alleged parallel proceedings for one alleged offence Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu, however, persisted with the were being conducted simultaneously ministers answering to questions by the Central and ordered stopping of Bureau of Investigation(CBI), live telecast of proceedings for Enforcement Directorate and about 15 minutes. The Chair repeatedly said he had allowed a discussion as demanded by the TDP last week on the issue of granting special status to Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday under rule 176. However, the TDP now seeking the debated under (apart from listed proceedings) will go on record. Please take note, neither the electronic media, nor the print media. Following this, the live telecast was stopped for about 15 minutes. Earlier, when the House had assembled for the day, Revenue Intelligence. However, he did not refer to any particular case. These remarks led to protests from treasury benches with Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Vijay Goel stating that Sharma was trying to demoralise the probe Rule168 was not permitted, TDP members led by Y S agencies. Chairman M Naidu said. The TDP members led by CM Ramesh did not relent forcing an adjournment for about 40 minutes during the Zero Hour and then raising slogans during the Question Hour. As they continued with their protest, Naidu quipped only voice will go, noise will not go adding all other MPs were keen to let the Question Hour function. As the ruckus continued, the Chair said nothing else Chowdary and Ramesh were up on their feet as soon as listed papers were laid on the table of the House and Zero Hour commenced. The Chairman said their notice has been converted into a short-duration discussion which would be taken up on Tuesday. Naidu said he was willing for a discussion on the issue last week itself but TDP leaders wanted it to be slated for Monday and then they had sought its listing on July 24. Venkaiah Naidu said legal avenues were available for individual grievances. Sharma, however, went on to say the agencies have a mandate to investigate an offence but it cannot be abused, and sought a statement from the government on the issue. Goel said the agencies cannot function if their working is discussed in Parliament. The law is doing its job, please allow them to do that, the Minister said.

6 COMMENT & ANALYSIS Road ahead While there are many NGOs working on the environment, some are nothing more than fronts for political parties or plain blackmailers. It is this lot of no-goodorganisations who will be worst-hit by the NGT s order directing petitioners to approach the Government authority concerned for any grievance and give it at least 15 days to act before coming to the NGT for relief. Fighting trafficking Pakistan between mufti and mullah As Pakistan goes to polls tomorrow (July 25), it appears that the blurring lines between mufti and mullah will converge further, to the detriment of its struggling democracy. The economic crisis, aggravated by unserviceable debts from infrastructure related to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, could trigger a complete meltdown, which a bailout from the International Monetary Fund (top priority of the new regime) may not be able to avert. Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaaf (PTI) leader Imran Khan, for whom the military deep state has reportedly fixed the pitch, is unequal to the challenges of a failing currency, water and power shortages, Pashtun resurgence, and continuing violence by terrorists and Baloch insurgents. The military, equally unqualified to manage the crises, has suppressed all voices in favour of the PTI, Hafez Saeed s Milli Muslim League (contesting under the banner of Allah-o-Akbar Tehrik) and Government is misusing CBI, ED to settle political scores. This will lead to an atmosphere of distrust, fear and terror. Congress leader ANAND SHARMA Sir This refers to the editorial, Superman v child-man (July 23). Congress president Rahul Gandhi s hug may have set an example of spontaneity, genuine respect for elder political adversaries by their younger counterparts but alas his gesture fell short of setting the benchmark and became a victim of its anti-climax when the Congress scion walked back to his seat after all the hugging and hand-shaking, looking at his colleagues and sharing that smut see-ihoodwinked-him wink. other creations, including the Balochistan Awami Party. Dawn (July 21) has reported Islamabad High Court judge Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui alleging that the Inter-Services Intelligence is manipulating judicial proceedings and has asked the Chief Justice to ensure that Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz remain behind the bars throughout the elections. Addressing the Rawalpindi District Bar Association, the judge said, Their personnel get benches formed at their will. He alleged that the Chief Justice was urged not to include him (Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui) on the Bench hearing the Sharifs appeals. Siddiqui was allegedly told that cases pending against him before the Supreme Judicial Council would be quashed and he would be made Chief Justice of the High Court by September. Another disturbing development is the Ahmadiyya (167,505 voters) decision to boycott the elections due to persisting discrimination. The current voter list also omits Jewish voters (809 in 2013), for reasons unknown. Ahmadiyya woes began when Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto ( ) succumbed to radical clerics and declared Ahmadis a non-muslim religious minority (Amendment No II of the Constitution). Under Gen Zia-ul-Haq s 8th Amendment, electoral lists were prepared for different religious groups. However, under Western pressure, Gen Pervez Musharraf reintroduced the joint voter list for all barring Ahmadis (Conduct of General Elections (Second Amendment) It looked as though Rahul Gandhi had come well-rehearsed for theatrics, but unprepared for the debate. The Congress president s speech did have some punch but lacked substance. Everybody knew that the floor test was merely a formality. It was a wastage of time, and crores of rupees of the taxpayers. What is the use of these abortive bids when the ruling party and the Opposition have to hug each other in the end? It looked like a friendly match. J Akshobhya Mysuru First of all, legal avenues are available. Why is Anand Sharma demoralising investigating agencies like the CBI and ED? Rajya Sabha Chairman VENKAIAH NAIDU Moon s takeaways from India S outh Korean President Moon Jae-in s recent visit to India from July 8-11 was landmark in providing a new impetus to India-South Korea relations. This was Moon s first official visit to India. Essentially, he took this visit in pursuance of his new southward strategy, whereby he seeks to pursue a balanced diplomacy by strengthening his relations with ASEAN countries, including India and South Asia. Even during his election campaign last year, Moon had said that it is time for Seoul to expand its relations beyond the traditional four powers the US, China, Russia and Japan. Ever since assuming office, Moon has shown great interest, particularly in elevating India to the level of those four powers. To be sure, Moon Jae-in s visit came at a time when India-South Korea ties have matured into what is called a special strategic partnership. India described South Korea as an indispensable partner in its Act East policy. During the last 45 years of their diplomatic relations, both India and South Korea have succeeded in fashioning a robust, multi-dimensional partnership encompassing a wide range of interests, including nuclear disarmament, maritime security, regional economic cooperation, counter terrorism, and energy cooperation. Both share common interests in contributing to the creation of a regional order which is open, balanced and inclusive, and free from any single country s dominance. Since both countries depend on sea-borne trade for their economic prosperity, they share a strong commitment to ensure freedom of navigation and unimpeded commerce in the open seas. Both countries forged strategic partnership in 2010 and followed it up by signing a comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA). After the advent of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, bilateral engagements received stronger impetus. His official visit to Seoul in 2015 proved to be a major turning point in the bilateral relations. Both countries upgraded the bilateral ties to a special strategic partnership and the decided to add more content in such areas as foreign affairs, defence, trade and investment. They also agreed to hold annual summit meetings of their top-most leaders alternatively in New Delhi or Seoul or on the sidelines of multilateral events. For instance, last year, both Moon and Modi met on the sidelines of the G-20 meeting held in Germany. They also set up institutional mechanisms to pursue their strategic dialogue at different levels. President Moon s visit came at a time when both countries are well poised to expand their security and economic engagements. His new Southern Policy is basically driven by a strong desire to lessen Seoul s undue dependence on traditional partners such as the US, China, Japan and Russia and to seek to pursue a balanced diplomacy by strengthening its relations with countries like India, ASEAN, and Australia. In their joint statement titled, A vision for people, Prosperity and Peace and our Future, Moon called India a central pillar of Republic of Korea s (ROK) new southern policy. Realising the importance of the synergy between India s Act India policy and South Korea s Southward Policy, both leaders not only agreed to add more content to their cooperation, but also decided to explore tripartite partnership for development in Third countries starting with capacity-building programme in Afghanistan. This is a novel idea which, if carried out successfully, can open up new prospects for India-Republic of Korea cooperation in many areas. It is also important to note that India has expressed interest in handling the recent peace processes on the Korean Peninsula as a stakeholder and South Korea, perhaps for the first time, recognised India s inclusive and cooperative vision for the Indo-Pacific region. India s interest in establishing peace in Korea and reunification is not new and dates back to the Korean War. Its role in repatriation of the prisoners of war and the Korean Armistice agreement is of great relevance in the ongoing peace process. India has always maintained diplomatic relations with North Korea and in May this year, Minister of State for External Affairs General VK Singh made a surprise visit to North Korea. It is encouraging that Prime Minister Narendra Modi underlined India s interest in the Korean peace process and as and when the denuclearisation of the Peninsula starts, countries like India can extend full cooperation in the seemingly long drawn-out process. Understanding economic engagements form the bedrock of bilateral partnership, one of the main objectives of the present visit was to reinvigorate the two-way trade and investments. For instance, both countries signed the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement way back in 2009, which provided enormous scope to expand bilateral trade andinvestment. The volume of trade rose to $20.5 billion in 2011, but declined eventually due to unstable global economic climate. In 2017, bilateral trade picked up to record $20 billion again. Ever since, both countries have taken measures to review the working of the CEPA. Both also agreed to increase bilateral trade to $50 billion by President Moon showed great interest in Modi s Make in India and agreed to increase Korea s investment in India. For example, both Moon and Modi inaugurated Samsung s world s largest mobile phone manufacturing facility in Noida. Samsung has already invested a lot in India and provided jobs to many Indians. The present visit gave a great opportunity to both Modi and Moon to revitalise their economic relations by preparing a road map for the future. The potential of the partnership has still not fully been tapped. The joint vision proposed by the two leaders will give a new impetus to the partnership. (The writer is a distinguished Fellow at Observer Research Foundation, New Delhi) Sir It looks from now, politics for Congress chief Rahul Gandhi will not be just about a hug or a wink, rather, he will be engaged in the nitty-gritty of stitching pre-poll and post -poll alliances. The realisation that the Congress must share political space if it wishes to make inroads in non- Congress ruled States has become the underpinning of the congress working committee (CWC) authorisation. This is the first indication that the Congress has moved away from its unipolar position and is looking at Pakistan s democracy is under severe battering, a sight not too uncommon for its people. This because the country was born clashed with democracy and, hence, the state of democracy today. While India got a Constitution in 1950, Pakistan had to wait for nine years to produce a presidential-style of governance in 1956 under the militarybureaucratic oligarchy. The President possessed powers to appoint and dismiss Prime Ministers, and a serving General in Ayub Khan was appointed as the Defence Minister who not only abrogated the Constitution in 1958 in a coup, but also framed the Constitution in 1962, providing for an indirectly elected President on the basic democrats idea. But where were the democrats? They were around waiting for an opportunity that came in 1970 when General Yahya Khan rejected the election results in which East Pakistan (now Bangladesh)-based Awami Muslim League (AML) emerged as the largest party. In West Pakistan (now Pakistan), Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto s Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) emerged as the largest party and refused to accept AML chief Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as the Prime Minister. A civil rebellion ensured East Pakistan seceded as Bangladesh and rest is history. In West Pakistan, exploiting the military s loss of credibility, Bhutto tailored the 1973 Constitution and laid the foundation of parliamentary democracy, and also a long-drawnout civil-military contest. Ironically, Bhutto s autocratic ways created civic disturbances that General Zia-ul Haq grabbed with both hands in 1977 staging the coup and hanging Bhutto to eliminate any potential challenge to military rule. Cleverly, Zia only kept the Constitution in abeyance to escape treason charges and later created a façade of democracy under a protégé, Muhammad Khan Junejo. A Prime Minister was appointed after the eighth amendment inserted Article 58 2(b) in the Constitution, giving the President arbitrary powers to dismiss national and provincial Assemblies at will. During the decade of democracy ( ), the President, at the military s behest, dismissed democratically elected Governments of Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif on charges of corruption, misrule, misgovernance, national security, law and order and meddling in military affairs. The democrats struck back after Nawaz Sharif, secured a two-third majority in the National Assembly in 1997, scraped Article 58 2(b) from the Constitution. But like ZA Bhutto, Nawaz Sharif, emboldened by his rising political clout, went too far to dismiss Gen Musharraf, which led to an overthrew of his majority Government in yet another military coup in 1999, while the PPP and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) cadres celebrated with drums. With common experience, PPP and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) realised that their mutual acrimony and political hostility was a contributing factor in their downfall. A new realisation dawned upon the two leaders, matured their democratic understanding as a consequence. The Charter of Democracy was signed between Benazir Bhutto and Sharif in London in 2006 which declared:... the military dictatorship and the nation cannot co-exist as military involvement adversely affects the economy, democratic institutions as well as the defence capabilities, and the integrity of the country the nation needs a new direction different from a militaristic and regimental approach of the Bonapartist regimes, as the current one. The Charter also called for purging the Inter-Services Intelligence s (ISI) and military s political interference and abolishing the National Accountability Bureau (created by General Musharraf in 1999 to force compliance from political leaders and had arrested Nawaz and Marayam Sharif on July 13). Both leaders pledged: We shall not join a military regime or any militarysponsored Government. No party shall solicit the support of military to come into power or to dislodge a democratic Government. PTI leader Imran Khan, tipped as the next Prime Minister and not a party to the Charter, fits the Bill in Rawalpindi a supporter of 1999 coup, champion of anti-americanism and acceptable to far right parties as well. But Imran Khan s power obsession has blinded him to the illeffects of playing ball with the military. He had first become a parliamentarian in the 2002, guided elections under Pervez Musharraf and was reportedly offered prime ministerial position too. Hailing from Punjab, bastion of the PML-N, he is conscious of his inadequacies to overthrow PML s dominance in the state. Plus, the PPP was another national party with a large political base and a hindrance in his political ascent. He needed allies and favourable constituencies to back his political rise, and so he shifted to the far right of politics and became a champion of anti- Americanism during the war on terror. He found support among the Islamist parties who were squeezed by the Pakistani and US military operations on the one hand and centrist parties like the PPP and the PML on the other. In 2013, Khan became the leader of Opposition in Punjab and Sindh Assemblies and secured power in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly. Riding on anti-american wave and anti-corruption crusade against the PPP and the PML-N, Imran Khan had finally arrived having nemesis in common with the general headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi. To maintain political visibility and relevance, he resorted to street activism staging million marches and protest rallies against the Nawaz Sharif Government, alleging electoral fraud in the 2013 elections. In September 2014, he joined hands with the Canadian cleric Muhammad Tahir Ul Qadri, laying siege to Islamabad and demanding inquiry into the alleged electoral fraud. A smirking GHQ saw a suitable protégé in Imran Khan to undermine Nawaz Sharif s clout, and the military-jihadi industrial complex sprung in action to destabilise the democratic dispensation. In 2017, when Islamists led by Tahir Ul Qadri again lay siege to Islamabad in protest of the alleged blasphemous legislation in the National Assembly, the military backed the protestors, and a Major was reportedly spotted distributing money to the jihadis. GHQ had long been uncomfortable with Sharif s overtures towards India. Alarm bells were set off in 2014 when Nawaz Sharif accepted Narendra Modi s invitation to attend his swearing-in ceremony in New Delhi and later hosted his counterpart during an impromptu visit to Pakistan, first by an Indian Prime Minister since Atal Bihari Vajpayee in The growing thaw proved quite disconcerting for the GHQ. The February 1999 bus trip to Lahore by Vajpayee had led to the Kargil War and subsequent military coup in October toppling Sharif. This time again following Modi s visit to Pakistan, Sharif s clock began ticking. Sharif not only had once clipped the presidential powers but brazenly dismissed a serving general, and Assault on democracy redux With the military having little to worry as long as there are leaders whose ambitions outweigh their principles, the future of Pakistan rests on two alternatives: Imran the compliant and Nawaz the defiant came to be seen as a doyen of peace with India. This was blasphemous for Rawalpindi. He had to go. GHQ s core strategy remained unchanged derail peace with India by delegitimising the entire democratic system as corrupt and anti-pakistan and project military as the credible alternative or if direct rule seemed unconducive due to international and domestic circumstances, promote a civilian protégé to rule indirectly. Between , it was Muhammad Khan Junejo and between there were Zafarullah Khan Jamali, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Shaukat Aziz. During the 2002 elections, Pervez Musharraf had created the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid-e- Azam (PML-Q) referred to as the King s party to induce desertion from PML-N through intimidation and offering a choice between portfolio or prison. Musharraf also marginalised the PPP and the PML-N by disqualifying many candidates questioning their degrees, but approving the madrassa degrees of Muttahida- Majlis-e-Amal candidates. The same holds true now as leaders take flight from the PML-N to the PTI. Had corruption eradication been the sole objective of initiating proceeding against the Sharifs, then Generals and judges would also have been booked on corruption charges. But the GHQ s sole purpose was to weaken the PML-N through forced desertion and intimidation a larger alliance which can take on the Modi juggernaut. The CWC might have given Rahul Gandhi the mandate that he can cobble together alliances, ultimately it has to be seen whether the allies will give him the preeminent role that he is seeking as the lead player. P Arihanth Secunderabad Sir Congress president Rahul Gandhi s efforts to mimic actor Sanjay Dutt and Priya Varrier with his hug to the Prime Minister and a wink to his party colleagues in Parliament was not only a flop show but also in poor taste. It was unbecoming for a leader of a major political party. Parliament is no place for jadoo ki jhappi. Issues that are discussed in Parliament are serious in nature and such an occasion did not merit frivolous indulgence by the leader of Opposition. S Vasudevan Secunderabad Order, 2002). Under Article 7C, Muslim voters were required to sign a declaration of belief in the unqualified finality of the Prophethood of Muhammad; those who refused were put on a supplementary list of voters in the same electoral area as non-muslims. The Nawaz Sharif Government, in the Elections (Amendment) Bill 2017, tried to modify the clause regarding finality of Prophethood, but was forced to restore the Khatm-i-Nabuwwat laws to their original form after an outcry. Pushed to a separate voter list that makes their identities and addresses public and makes them vulnerable to extremist attacks, Ahmadis opted for boycott, something they have done for nearly four decades. Unsurprisingly, observers are questioning the conduct of the polls. Election observers from the European Union are unhappy that their visas and Government accreditations were delayed for weeks, giving them only few days on the ground before polling, whereas long-term observers earlier got five to six weeks on the ground. Journalists have complained of pressure to toe the Army s line; those deviating have suffered. In March, Pakistan s top private news channel, Geo News, was taken off the air. Anchor Talat Hussain tweeted that despite the massive rallies (of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz), news media have been told to stay free of fact ; A spineless media industry has obliged ; and This country is in the grip of martial law. Geo News returned after weeks of negotiations with the military whereby its executives reportedly agreed to curb criticism of the Army and judiciary. Dawn reported disruption in its sales networks after publishing a long interview with Nawaz Sharif in May. The newspaper said the restrictions were deeply alarming and should concern all free-thinking and democratic citizens of the country. The elections have also been marred by harassment and arrest of workers of some parties; some suffered assassination attempts and terrorist attacks, including a suicide bomb that killed 149 people at a rally in Mastung, Balochistan (July 13, 2018). Amidst growing concerns about the treatment meted out to the PML-N, Pakistan People s Party and Awami National Party, the Pakistan Human Rights Commission, an NGO, said it was gravely concerned over what it sees as blatant, aggressive and unabashed attempts to manipulate the outcome of the upcoming elections. It expressed anxiety over the Army s plan to deploy over 370,000 troops at polling sites, as against merely 70,000 in the general election of 2013, when the security situation was much worse. Even more ominously, the Election Commission has allowed Army personnel to transport ballot papers to and from polling stations, raising questions about the transparency of the vote. The PML-N has alleged serious harassment by the military. Former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi told the media that senior party members were coerced to switch sides (to Imran Khan) and threatened with corruption cases. and press terrorism charges on its leaders for staging a protest (a democratic right) against the arrests of Sharifs. It is also reported that while the Civil Aviation Authority allowed Imran Khan s plane to fly from Lahore, PPP leader Bilawal Bhutto was denied permission. Both Bilawal Bhutto and Asif Ali Zardari have slammed terrorism charges against the PML-N, which augurs well for democracy under the Charter of Democracy spirit. Imran Khan on the other hand, not being a signatory to the Charter, is focussed on wresting the apex political chair, ignoring lessons of history. The PML-N learned harsh lessons after being dismissed at the centre repeatedly; found its leader first, then banished and now land in jail. The PPP too has learnt the hard way being toppled twice in the 1990s; seeing Benazir banished from Pakistan and then assassinated in Imran Khan must realise that rejoicing and keeping silence on the fate of Sharifs means tomorrow would be his turn, as for the military he is only a protégé until the next coup. For Pakistan s democracy, it is a déjà vu. After a brief period of defiance under Chaudhry Iftikhar against General Musharraf despotism, the courts have again aligned with the military establishment to target the civilian leaders. This renewed compliance of the judiciary with GHQ s diktats will only undermine the democracy further. But there are good signs too. A discernible transformation can be noted in the civilian leaders resolve and courage to resist the influence of the man on the horseback. In 2007, Benazir Bhutto had made a defiant and courageous return despite threats to her life, to demonstrate her commitment to Pakistan and democracy, ultimately paying with her life. Similarly, the Sharifs also returned to Pakistan fully aware of the fate that awaited them to send a strong message to the establishment that democrats are up for a fight. Unfortunately, the military has little to worry as long as there are compliant leaders whose ambitions outweigh their principles. On July 25, Pakistan s future rests on two alternatives: Imran, the compliant and Nawaz, the defiant. (The writer is CEO and Executive Director, Institute for Australia India Engagement, Brisbane) Some members claimed to have been hounded through the courts. Abbasi s nomination papers were challenged in the Supreme Court, but he was ultimately cleared. Sharif was ousted in 2017 after the Pakistan Supreme Court upheld a charge of failure to disclose a company directorship while in exile in Saudi Arabia, from which he had not drawn any salary. Later, he was banned from politics for life and sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for failing to explain how his family acquired four luxury apartments in London. Sharif is not listed as the owner, but the court ruled that his conduct violated a Constitutional provision that officeholders be honest and truthful. He thus became the only Pakistani official ever convicted under that law, which many felt was selective accountability. The real reasons for Sharif s fallout with the Army are his attempt to prosecute former dictator Gen Musharraf for treason, and seeking peace with India. However, by promptly returning to face imprisonment, he has made himself a martyr for democracy in Pakistan. Come Wednesday, the Generals will likely succeed in making Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf the largest party and Imran Khan their proxy Prime Minister. But as the economic crisis escalates and mullahs in Parliament demand their pound of flesh, Gen Zia s heirs may find it difficult to cope with the mess of their own making. (The writer is Senior Fellow, Nehru Memorial Museum and Library; the views expressed are personal)

7 cleaner was killed and a Adriver injured early Monday morning when their lorry came under stone-pelting near the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border amidst the ongoing indefinite truckers strike which entered the fourth day on Monday even as vegetable prices began to climb in Kerala markets allegedly due to fall in arrival of trucks from neighbouring States. Though the truck driver had initially said that the incident had taken place at Kanjikode in Kerala s Palakkad district, he later claimed that the vehicle had actually come under stone-pelting inside the Tamil Nadu territory near the Kerala border. The police were verifying the veracity of the driver s claim. The truck was carrying vegetables from Mettupalayam in Tamil Nadu to Chengannur in Kerala s Alappuzha district when it came under stone pelting. There were about 15 people in the group that hurled stones at the truck. The windshield was broken in the stonepelting and a heavy stone hit my cleaner right in his chest, said driver Noorullah. The cleaner, identified as Mubarak Badshah from Mettupalayam, was rushed to a Government hospital in Palakkad where he was declared brought dead. Kerala State Lorry Owners Welfare Federation president KK Hamzah said, My information is that the miscreants were not our people. We had not issued any instruction to block vehicles as part of the stir. Initially, the driver whose injuries were not serious had told the police and the media that the incident had taken place when the truck had reached Kanjikode inside Kerala territory bur hours later he changed his statement to claim that the stone-pelting had happened between Chavadi in Tamil Nadu and Valayar in Palakkad district, Kerala. According to the driver, he had initially said that the incident took place at Kanjikode because somebody told him they would get medical assistance in Palakkad only if they claimed that the place of occurrence of the incident was inside Kerala. A police official said that they were examining whether the driver had changed his statement under pressure. Meanwhile, the indefinite truckers strike demanding reduction in Central and state taxes on diesel, insurance premium and road toll rates began to impact the vegetable markets in Kerala on Monday with the prices of several items going up allegedly following decrease in arrival from the neighbouring states. A minimum of 20 truckloads of vegetables used to arrive here every day but only less than ten came today, said a vegetable wholesaler at Kochi market. Also, the prices have begun to go up. For example, tomato price went up by Rs 10 per kilo just today. The situation can worsen in the coming days if the lorry strike continues, he said. However, traders in leading Kerala markets said that it was not yet time for the truckers stir to affect vegetable prices wo more suspects have been Tarrested in the Gauri Lankesh murder case, according to the sources. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Karnataka Police arrested Amit Baddi and Ganesh Miskin from Hubballi on Sunday, sources in the SIT informed. The accused were produced before a court in Bengaluru on Monday and taken into police custody until August 6. With these arrests, the total number of accused in custody has risen to nine. On 18 July, the SIT arrested suspect number seven. "A person identified as Mohan Nayak, 50, was arrested from Dakshin Kannada district of Karnataka," SIT investigating officer said. He was produced in the Third Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court which sent him to six-day police custody, he added. The sixth person arrested by the SIT was 26-year-old Parashuram Waghmare from Sindhagi in Vijaypura district of the state. He was held in June. Waghmare was said to have links with right-wing groups. The SIT previously arrested five people: KT Naveen Kumar alias Hotte Manja, Amol Kale, Manohar Edve, Sujeeth Kumar alias Praveen and Amit Degvekar. Naveen Kumar is from Maddur in Mandya district of Karnataka, while Kale and Degvekar are from Maharashtra. Edve and Sujeeth Kumar are also from Karnataka. Karnataka deputy chief minister who holds the Home portfolio G Parameshwara has said the SIT was confident of cracking the murder of Gauri Lankesh. He said the investigation has reached its final stages but refused to reveal any details at this juncture which he thinks will hamper the investigation. The SIT source also confirmed they would be in the last leg of the investigation towards cracking the case. On the condition of anonymity an officer privy to the investigation said one of the two suspects is believed to be the key to finding the weapon used to kill Gauri and professor MM Kalburgi. but some middlemen might be trying to reap huge profits by arbitrarily increasing the prices in the name of the agitation. However, there was every possibility that the strike and the continuing heavy rains would push the prices up in the coming days, they said. About 2,000 trucks used to bring goods, including food grains, vegetables and other essential commodities to Kerala. As the truckers stir entered the fourth day on Monday, this had come down to around 300 trucks, according to wholesalers in the market. However, most trucks transporting essential commodities were not participating in the stir, they said. Wholesale dealers at Valiyangadi in Kozhikode, the The Bill was passed by opposition party in staging undergone a huge change for 39,486. He made fun of politicians Similarly the clause of the FIR who had been claiming against all adult members of the voice vote in absence of the walkout. good and its impact could be ihar Chief Minister Nitish opposition. The RJD wanted to Since all the changes in the seen in each house in any village. He said the families of ple were behind bars. He also sumed was also deleted. that more than one lakh peo- family where liquor was con- BKumar said the purpose defer the debate on the amendment Bill had been pushed by behind making some changes in the total prohibition law was to make it more effective and protect the innocent people from its misuse. Speaking in the Bihar Assembly on Monday before the passage of the Bihar bill and instead take up its adjournment motion for debate on drought like situation in the State. When the motion was rejected and Speaker Vijay Choudhary took up amendment bill, the RJD members Ramdeo Rai of Congress, who made exit from the House, none of them could be taken up for debate and they were rejected. The Bill passed by the legislature will be sent to the Governor for his ascent. very poor, SC, ST and EBCs were worst affected because of the drinking habit of one person of the family but now the same people were the benefactors of the prohibition added that 62 per cent of the arrested people were drinkers while 38 per cent were non-drinkers including suppliers. Nitish said some clauses of the Act have The CM announced that a survey was being conducted by Jeevika groups to identify the families in rural areas who were involved in liquor manufacturing so that alternative source of livelihood is provided to Prohibition and Excise trooped in the well of the Nitish said the total prohibition law. been eliminated like the them. The Government will (Amendment) Bill, 2018 he lashed out at the opponents of the total prohibition and called them enemy of poor and dalits. House and began slogan shouting for sometimes before walking out led by leader of opposition Tejashwi Prasad Yadav. Congress also joined the main will continue and he would not compromise with it. Calling the prohibition policy a major social reform, he claimed the rural society has The CM said till July 12, 2018, only 6,932 people were in jail in prohibition related cases and the total capacity of Bihar jails was only provision of community fine, seizure of premises where liquor was found or the bus in which a passenger was caught carrying bottles. give financial support of Rs 60,000 up to a maximum of Rs one lakh to such people for starting alternative occupation, the CM announced. earning lessons from the Llast Assembly polls in the State the alerted BJP high command has asked its Gujarat unit to prepare a detailed report on how the party could ensure victory in all 26 Lok Sabha seats in the upcoming 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Of the 182 assembly seats, ruling BJP had won 99 in the 2017 Assembly polls which are less than 16 seats compared to 2012 state elections. Wary over the result senior leaders in the State have already shown their concern in wake of the impending general elections. It would extremely important for the ruling party to win maximum seats from Gujarat to form the Government at the centre again. In 2014 Lok Sabha polls BJP set a record by winning all 26 seats in Gujarat. No political outfit had achieved the feat in Gujarat before. Even in 1984 Lok Sabha polls, Congress could win 24 seats in the state despite massive sympathy wave in favour of Rajiv Gandhi following his mother Indira s assassination. It would be an uphill task for us to repeat 2014 performance. However, things can be changed in coming days as still over eight months Gandhinagar: Political heat is soaring in Prime Minister Narendra Modi s home-state Gujarat in wake of Lok Sabha polls. With a view to keep an eye on different departments of Gujarat Government, the Congress party would form a shadow ministry. This shadow ministry would tell people about failure of BJP-ruled Government in the State by identifying pending and unfinished development works and projects. The ministry would also raise various issues related to people. The party has prepared a detailed plan to use Right to Information (RTI) tool to dig out details related to people s issue. PNS to go for the general elections. The state unit is heavily depending on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has capability to turn the tide in BJP s favour, says a senior Gujarat BJP leader admitting that as of now the party can t win more than 16 seats in the state. Sources in the ruling party said that the party high command sitting in Delhi has sought for list of pending development works at taluka and district levels. It has also told to prepare a list of those projects which would be directly impacting to the people. Besides the high command has also asked the state functionaries to prepare a list of high performing officials, who have ability to implement government schemes and projects speedily and effectively. Both state government as well as state party organisation have been asked to submit the report separately before August 2018 end. biggest market of essential commodities in northern Kerala, said on Monday the stir had not so far affected the arrival of rice from other states, mainly Andhra Pradesh and therefore the prices had not begun to climb. But the situation might not remain so if the stir continued, they pointed out. The strike had started on July 20 but we have been receiving goods sent by trucks from other states till today as the trucks were sent even on July 19. But that is going to end by tomorrow and shortage is likely after that, said Muhammad, a rice wholesaler at Valiyangadi even as lorry owners said they would not be transporting commodities to Kerala anymore. ebunking the Hindutva Dpractised by the ruling BJP, Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray on Monday slammed the Narendra Modi Government over the continued incidents of mob lynching, by saying that given the emphasis on protection of cows, India had become most unsafe country for women in the world. In the first instalment of a three-part marathon interview published in the Sena s official mouth-piece Saamana, a candid Thackeray said: We never have said that cows should be slaughtered... In the name of protecting cows, India has become most unsafe country for women in the world. We should be ashamed of this. Yes. We should protect Gau mata (cows). What about our mothers? Instead of protecting women, the emphasis of some people is on going after people on suspicion that they are eating cow meat. I strongly disapprove of this kind of Hindutva, Thackeray said. Elaborating on the Hindutva practised by the Shiv Sena, Thackeray said: We believe that if the country is safe and secure, it is a place for Hindus...Late Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray would say nationalism is our Hindutva. I do not want a Hindu who believes in going to temples and chiming bells or a person wearing scared threads... Our concept of Hindutva is as used practised by late Sena chief or Maratha warrior Shivaji. Taking an indirect dig at BJP s national Amit Shah who is often described as a modern-day Chankya for the manner in which he goes about power in state after state, Thackeray said: Chankya used his neeti for the sake of the country. But, the fundamental difference is that the original Chankya neeti was for the welfare of the country, while current modern-day Chankya neeti is being used for the widening the party base. I do not need Chankya neeti for strengthening my party. In the Chankya era, there were no elections. But in the Hitler era, the Goebbels neeti was used to carrying false propaganda. The neeti being used today leaves Goebbels tactics far behind.. The present day dictum is : I am the only patriot and rest are anti-nationals... Can we construe that only those sitting in the pparently buoyed by the Agrand success of July 21 Trinamool Congress rally in Kolkata from where she gave out the call to oust BJP andsave the country, Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is all set to take the national plunge on July 31 when she will deliver a lecture at the elite St. Stephens College in Delhi to begin with. In what, the TMC leaders believe, is sure to afford her a truly national, secular image, Banerjee is also likely to attend aprogramme organised by the Christian community in the national Capitalon the same day, sources say. At the country s premier institution the Chief Minister is likely to do well on the inclusive philosophy of Nehru- Gandhi school. She is expected to drive home how Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru preached and practiced the true Indian ethos, and how an India perceived by them was the true Government are patriots and those speaking against the Government are all antinationals? (Alluding to the debate on no-confidence motion against the Government in Lok Sabha) Don t forget that people across the country have voted for all those who have been elected to Lok Sabha?, the Sena President said. Justifying the Sena s decision to stay away from the debate and voting on the noconfidence motion against the government in Lok Sabha, Thackeray said: If we were vote to in favour of the Government, we would not have criticised the Government all these days on issues of public importance.. The Sena has all along spoken against the Government. Today, the Opposition parties are taking against the government. It was only the Sena that had in the past shown courage of talking against the Government.... Being in the ruling alliance, India, party sources said. Mamata Banerjee truly believes that Tagore, Gandhi and Nehru stood for an India where hatred has no place and where non-violence and mutual trust is the buzz word, a senior leader who often accompanies the Chief Minister said. After addressing the elite institution Banerjee is also likely to meet the leaders of the opposition outfits. In a bid to unite the anti-bjp forces Banerjee will meet these national leaders at the central hall of Parliament, sources adras High Court, once Mrated as the arena of the country s leading legal luminaries who through their articulation and interpretation of law set new benchmarks in the field of jurisprudence, has been afflicted with an ailment by name Madras Syndrome, according to a senior lawyer in the court. Case Bundles are fast disappearing from the Court and this has led the judges to order probes by the CBI as well as the Tamil Nadu Police. For the first time in the history of the Madras High Court (established in 1862), the serving Chief Justice has expressed shock and dismay over missing case bundles from the court premises as well as from the residences of judges. Last week saw Justice G Jayachandran ordering a probe by the CBI to trace and locate about 100 case bundles which vanished from the residence of former judge T Mathivanan. All the case bundles were taken by Mathivanan to his residence for putting his signature as well as for correcting the dictated notes. When the case bundles did not come back to the High Court Registry, many lawyers took up the issue with the Chief Justice Indira Banerjee who ordered an inhouse probe. It was found that all the case bundles that disappeared should we join the Opposition to vote against the Government? What is that the Opposition parties have done that impresses to join them in the no-trust vote against the Government. Thackeray said that nobody can use our shoulders to shoot and the "Sena will not fire from someone else's shoulders either." Thackeray said that he was satisfied that the TDP and all Opposition parties had the same stand against Government on various issues as the Sena had done so from time to time during the last four years. We had said all these things earlier. If we had taken a stand against the Government, it was in the national interest, he said. Thackeray, whose party has repeatedly said that it would not align with the BJP in the elections in the future, said that while he agreed the BJP was a friendly party, we cannot be friends with just one party. said. When asked as to whether she already has talks with some of them the TMC leader said she is already in touch with a large number of leaders from Bihar and UP in the North to Tamil Nadu and Kerala in the South. On whether she will also meet the Left leadership, Trinamool sources said the Chief Minister has already expressed her willingness to invite the Left parties at the January 19 all-party rally at Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata which is an indication enough that she is not averse to meet any leader who has anti- BJP views. On whether her move may irk the Congress leadership which has in its CWC meeting already projected itself as the rallying point for the anti-bjp and secular forces the leader said, each party is working in its own way to oust the BJP. When the goal is the same then there should not be any problem for the parties to work for it. were being heard by Mathivanan during his tenure as high court judge. He had pronounced verdict of a case on March 21 this year but that too was revealed only when the court officials started reconstruction of records of the missing case files as per the order of the Chief Justice. Justice Jayachandran expressed his shock over the disappearance of case bundles. It is alarming to note that the case bundles have disappeared from the radar like the missing vessels in the Bermuda Triangle. It is also shocking that case bundles which were taken to the judge s residence did not return to the High Court registry, said the judge while ordering a probe by the cemtral agency into the incident. A day after this, another judge Justice P N Prakash asked the Crime Branch-Criminal Investigation Department (CB- CID) of the Chennai Police to probe the disappearance of 55 case bundles, which were found missing from the court of small causes situated inside the madras High Court premises itself. The judge said that all the cases belonged to a single judge and all of them were related to compensation sought by motor accident victims. Though the Madras High Court police tried to trace the case bundles, it ended in failure which resulted in Judge Prakash ordering a CB- CID probe. ujarat s rapid progress in Gkey macro economic parameters has been impressive and it has shown a lead to the overall economic development, said NK Singh chairman of the 15th Finance Commission on Monday. Addressing a Press conference at the State capital Gandhinagar Singh said that commission was particularly impressed with the reduction of Gujarat s Debt to GDP Ratio close to 20 per cent which is almost in lines with new FRBM Act. Gujarat is the sixth State visited by the commission and its members appreciated efforts of the State Government to bring fiscal deficit well below 3 per cent. Gujarat is improving its expenditure in health and education areas which deserve fuller attention over the coming years. The State has shown the lead in achieving more balanced development among primary, secondary and tertiary sectors, he said adding that however one of big challenges Gujarat is facing is GST collections. Once the 114 per cent guarantee as GST compensation by the union government winds up, the state will need to look at the GST collection projections seriously and tax buoyancy may become an issue, he opined.

8 Muzaffarpur (Bihar): A girl at a Government-funded shelter home here has alleged that an inmate was beaten to death and buried on the premises and several other girls were raped, prompting the Bihar police to dig up the ground to look for the body. Sexual exploitation of girls lodged at the shelter home in Bihar had come to light in a social audit by a Mumbai-based institute, following which the State social welfare department lodged an FIR in this connection last month and 10 people were arrested. The police are, however, yet to find the body after digging up the ground. The Opposition RJD raised the issue in both the Legislative Assembly and the Council demanding a CBI inquiry into the allegations and claimed that the scandal involved many well connected people whom the Nitish Kumar Government was trying to shield. Muzaffarpur SSP Harpreet Kaur told reporters, We are carrying out the excavation based on the statement given by one of the girls. The spot has been identified by her. Nothing has so far been found from the site during the excavation. However, the area of excavation might be enlarged after further examination of the girl who had alleged in her testimony that one of the inmates had been beaten to death, the officer said. More than 40 girls had been lodged at the shelter home and medical reports suggest that over half of them may have had sexual intercourse at some point of time, she said, adding, Altogether 10 people, including the district child protection officer, women staff members of the shelter home have been arrested so far. The NGO running the shelter home has been blacklisted, she said adding, all the girls have been shifted to shelter homes in other districts while the premises here have been sealed. The incident drew sharp criticism from political parties in the State with the Opposition RJD demanding a CBI inquiry into the allegations of sexual exploitation of girls at the shelter home. Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Tejashwi Yadav alleged that the scandal involved many well connected people whom the Nitish Kumar Government was trying to shield. Opposition leader in the Legislative Council Rabri Devi too raised the issue in the Upper House. Speaking to reporters outside the House, both Tejashwi Yadav and Rabri Devi alleged, Many safedposh (white-collared) people are involved in the Muzaffarpur scandal and they enjoy proximity to the ruling dispensation. A CBI inquiry should be ordered so that the accused are not able to influence the investigation. Yadav said the Muzaffarpur incident will be highlighted by his party as one of the many failures of the Nitish Kumar government, during the state-wide cycle yatra scheduled to commence later this week. This regime has failed on all fronts be it law and order or relief to droughtaffected farmers, he said. PTI he Kerala High Court on TMonday granted bail to Fr Johnson V Mathew, one of the four priests of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church who have been accused of sexually exploiting a young woman by blackmailing her using her confession secret. Fr Johnson Mathew of the Thumpamon Diocese of the Church, third accused in the case, has been charged with outraging the modesty of woman and using obscene language to her while the other three priests have been slapped with the charges of rape, using threats to exploit the victim sexually and outraging the modesty of woman. The court granted bail to the accused priest, who was arrested on July 14 from his house at Kozhanchery in Pathanamthitta district, considering his counsel s submission that he had not been charged with rape, that he had not sexually exploited the victim and that he had only sent some mobile messages via WhatsApp to her. As per the conditions for his bail, he should surrender his passport before the trial court in Thiruvalla, Pathanamthitta. He should appear before the investigators twice every week and should not enter Pathanamthitta, the native district of the victim. He had moved the High Court after a court in Thiruvalla turned down his bail plea last week. Fr Job Mathew of the Niranam Diocese of the Church, second accused in the case arrested on July 12, has also approached the High Court for bail. The court is expected to consider his application on Tuesday. He has been accused of raping the woman by threatening to reveal her Confession secret that another priest had raped her before her marriage to her husband. The Supreme Court has directed the State Police s Crime Branch probing the case not to arrest the other two accused, Fr Abraham Varghese (Sony) of the Niranam Diocese of the Orthodox and Fr Jaise K George of its Delhi Diocese, till it pronounced its verdict on their anticipatory bail applications. The sex scandal rocking the Orthodox Syrian Church erupted last month after an audio clip containing a purported conversation between the woman s husband and a Church official in which the former alleged sexual abuse of his wife by the priests came out through social media. He said the priests had sexually abused his wife by blackmailing her with her confession secret. According to the woman, first accused Fr Abraham Varghese (Sony), who was her neighbor then, had sexually exploited her first in 1999 when she was only 17 and unmarried by promising to marry her and he had continued to exploit her even after her marriage by threatening to disclose the matter to her husband. The woman had revealed this in her Confession to Fr Job Mathew, her parish priest then, after her marriage but he used this secret to rape her by threatening to disclose it to her husband. She had shared the story of her ordeals with Fr Johnson V Mathew, an old friend, but he made lustful approaches to her using morphed photographs, she told the investigators. Fr Jaise K George, fourth accused in the case, had exploited her sexually after she described her experiences to him in a counseling session but he also used it to exploit her sexually, according to the woman. She said the Delhibased priest had raped her several times at a luxury hotel in Kochi and he had even made her pay the hefty hotel bills. next to a bridge raising slogans The Marathas are expected Other Backward Classes OBCs, introduce scholarships demanding reservations for to intensify their agitation from (OBCs) and announced its for Maratha students in 605 Patna: Senior RJD leader everal parts of Maharashtra Marathas, before jumping into Tuesday. Among other things, readiness to accord reservations educational courses, extend all Tejashwi Prasad Yadav on Serupted on Monday, after by the Godavari river. agitators are planning road to the community in education such student scholarships given Monday said his party would a 27-year-old youth committed Shinde s parents and agitators supporting refused to take state, while the Maratha comity of the promises made by the the mark percentage criteria blockades in several parts of the and government jobs, a major- to OBCs to Marathas, reduce launch a three-day cycle suicide by jumping into a river march from Gaya to Patna on as part of a Jal Samadi (watery his body from the hospital s munity members are planning Devendra Fadnavis dispensation from 60 per to 50 per cent to have remained on paper. Maratha students seeking schol- July 28 to expose the Nitish grave) agitation undertaken by morgue saying that they would to take a mock funeral procession of 11 MLAs/ MPs in Jalna On the demand for reserarships and provide fee con- Kumar Government s alleged Marathas demanding reservations for their community was registered against chief district. vations to Maratha communicessions to 10 lakh Maratha stu- not take the body unless a case failures. We will be undertaking a members. minister Devendra Fadnavis It may be recalled that on ty, the chief minister had dents. three-day cycle march from The youth, identified as for inciting the youth to commit suicide. lakh Marathas virtually laid delegation then that the scholarships to Maratha stu- August 9 last year, more five informed a agitating Maratha Apart from extending Gaya to Patna on July 28 to one Kakasaheb Dattareya expose Nitish Government s Shinde, took a plunge into the As the news of Shinde s seize to south Mumbai for Bombay High Court had dents under Chhatrapati failure on various issues especially on deteriorating law and Kaigaon Toke near the pro-maratha reservation reservations and other tions issue to the Maharashtra state government had assured Godavari river from a bridge at death spread across the state, nearly six hours to press for referred the Maratjha reserva- Shahu Maharaj Scheme, the order situation, Tejashwi told Aurangabad. The local police activists went on a rampage in demands. The morcha to the State Commission for the agitators that it would set reporters on the assembly premises here. the repeated rape incidents in Gaya, Muzaffarpur and other bottom as per Public Affairs Index We will tell the took him out of the water and rushed him to the Ghati several parts of the state, damaging state-run buses and state headquarters was a culmination of 57 similar silent rallies Backward Classes to ascertain if the Maratha community was aside Rs 5 crore for building hostels for Maratha students in It has become quite difficult places including at people that Nitish Kumar has Hospital in Aurangabad, where resorting to road blockades at that the Marathas work- socially and educationally back- all districts of the state, allocate for girls to move out even Government funded shelter destroyed Bihar completely, he died during the course of several places. The incidents of ing under the banner of the ward. the state government Rs 200 crore to the Annasaheb with their parents as the state homes, he said. Tejashwi said. treatment. road blockades and damage to Maratha Kranti Morcha would submit to the Patil Arthik Vikas government has no control on law and order in Bihar, the leader of Opposition in the State Assembly claimed. During our cycle march, we will raise various issues before the people the issues of farmers, labourers, youths, education, law and order and Claiming that developmental work has come to a standstill in Bihar, he said the state has been ranked at the bottom as per the Public Affairs Index 2018, whereas Kerala has ranked number one as the best governed state. Bihar has been ranked at The Public Affairs Index 2018 has been released by Bengaluru-based think tank Public Affairs Centre. It examines governance in states through a data-based framework, ranking them on social and economic development. PTI A resident of Kannad village in Gangapur tehsil of Aurangabad district, Shinde was part of the ongoing agitation demanding reservation for Maratha community members. Eyewitnesses said that Shinde was standing with a few more youngster on a platform buses were reported from the Aurangabad-Ahmednagar road, Hingoli-Kalmnori highway, Hyderabad-Akola Road. Since Tuesday last, the Marathas have been agitating in various parts of the state demanding reservations for their community members, (MKM) had taken out earlier to various district headquarters and major towns across the state. Though the BJP-led saffron alliance government had come out with a package for Marathas, including concessions in education along the like Commission whatever inputs and it expected the commission to submit within a definite time-frame. The other announcements that Fadnavis made then were: the state government would provide concessions to Maratha students along the lines of Mahamandal to take care of the financial needs of Marathas, provide skilled vocational training to 3 lakh children of Maratha farmers and distribute caste and subcaste certificates to the members of 18 Maratha communities and sub-sects. ArrayKolkata: Bangladesh High Commissioner in India Syed Muazzem Ali on Monday expressed concern over the condition of the one million Rohingya refugees staying in Bangladesh and appealed to the Myanmar Government to take these people back by giving them citizenship rights and security. Nearly one million Rohingya refugees from Myanmar are now staying in Bangladesh. If you do not accept your own people and force them to come to our country... If there is a flare up due to this in our region, all of us will be affected. So I request the Government of Myanmar to take back their own people and give them their rightful citizenship and give them security. I hope they can live in peace and also let us live in peace, Ali said while speaking at a seminar on Bangladesh s Graduation from LDC: Prospects of Bangladesh-India Economic Engagement organised by the MCCI. Pointing out that his country has no bilateral dispute with Myanmar, the Bangladeshi envoy said the Rohingya crisis snowballed after Myanmar refused to accept the residents of their country s Rakhine State as their citizens. We do not have any bilateral dispute with Myanmar. The problem is that Myanmar doesn t accept the residents of its Rakhine state as Myanmar nationals. But everybody knows who they are and what is their origin, he said. Ali said like many other south Asian countries, Bangladesh also faces a number of issues with its population and termed it as one of the most vulnerable countries with regard to natural disasters. The magnitude of loss we suffer due to natural calamities like cyclone, is not seen anywhere in the world. So the south Asian countries like Bangladesh have demographic pressure, he said. IANS ith Prime Minister WNarendra Modi complimenting Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao in the Lok Sabha on Friday for showing maturity in resolving bifurcation-related issues with Andhra Pradesh, the Chief Minister has stepped up efforts to resolve the contentious division of the High Court between Telangana State and Andhra Pradesh. On Sunday Rao made a sudden visit to the residence of High Court Chief Justice THB Radhakrishnan to discuss the issue. He followed this up with a meeting with Governor ESL Narasimhan at Raj Bhavan. Though the CM s Office described his visit as a courtesy call, sources revealed that the CM is learnt to have promised all support from the State Government for the smooth bifurcation of the High Court at the earliest. Rao also requested Governor Narasimhan to pursue the issue seriously with AP CM N Chandrababu Naidu and the Centre. He brought to the Governor s notice the hardships faced by TS advocates due to the delay in the bifurcation of the High Court. Telangana Rashtra Samiti MPs also raised this issue in the Lok Sabha on Friday during the debate on the no-trust motion. TRS deputy floor leader BVinod Kumar accused the AP Government of deliberately blocking the division of the High Court.

9 he Finance Ministry has Trefused to share copy of three reports on the quantum of black money held by Indians inside the country and abroad, saying its disclosure would cause a breach of privilege of Parliament. Replying to an RTI query, it said the study reports prepared by National Institute of Public Finance and Policy (NIPFP), National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER)and National Institute of Financial Management (NIFM) were received by the Government on December 30, 2013, July 18, 2014, and August 21, 2014, respectively. The UPA Government in 2011 had commissioned these studies The Ministry said these reports were submitted to the Standing Committee on Finance on July 21 last year and the committee is now seized of the matter. Accordingly, the disclosure of information would cause a breach of privilege of the Parliament. Therefore, the information sought is exempt from disclosure under Section 8 (1) (c) of the RTI Act, it said in reply to the RTI application filed by this PTI correspondent. The section bars information, the disclosure of which would cause a breach of privilege of Parliament. There is, at present, no official assessment on the quantum of black money in India and abroad. According to a study by US-based think-tank Global Financial Integrity (GFI), an estimated $770 billion in black money entered India during Nearly $165 billion in illicit money exited the country during the same period, the latest report by the global financial watchdog said. The issue of black money has attracted a lot of public and media attention in the recent past. So far, there are no reliable estimates of black money generated and held within and outside the country, the Finance Ministry had said while ordering the studies in These estimates were based on various unverifiable assumptions and approximations, it had said. Government has been seized of the matter and has, therefore, commissioned these institutions to get an estimation and sense of the quantum of illicit fund generated and held within and outside the country, the Ministry had said. The Terms of Reference (ToR) for the studies included assessment or survey of unaccounted income and wealth and profiling the nature of activities engendering money laundering both within and outside the country. The studies were to identify, among other issues, important sectors of the economy in which unaccounted money was generated and examine the causes and conditions that resulted in the generation. he rupee retreated from Tearly high levels to close down with a modest loss of 2 paise at against the US currency on stray dollar demand from importers. The home currency initially reacted positively to the GST Council s decision to cut rates on several items and also tracking broad weakness in the dollar. It touched a high of in early trade before slipping back toward the tail-end trade. Consistent unwinding by foreign investors on growing expectations of Fed rate hike kept home currency under pressure, a dealer said. Overall, forex sentiment remained fragile in the face macro challenges coupled with tense trade relations between the US and major economies and expectations that the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates further this year. The Indian rupee had hit its life-time low of a dollar last Friday. Oil prices too inched up today after tensions worsened between Iran and the US. The Brent crude rising 66 cents to $73.73 per barrel and West Texas Intermediate gaining 27 cents to $68.53 per barrel. anks and FIs, including SBI Band LIC, on Monday entered into an overarching inter-creditor agreement (ICA) to fast track the resolution of stressed assets, with Finance Minister Piyush Goyal describing the move as a huge step forward in addressing the banking industry s problems. The ICA is being signed by 22 public sector banks (including India Post Payments Bank), 19 private sector banks and 32 foreign banks. Besides, 12 major financial institutions (FIs) and intermediaries, like LIC, HUDCO, PFC and REC, are also signatories to the pact. It will cover cases of stressed assets worth at least Rs 50 crore under consortium lending. Almost the entire banking system and prominent NBFCs like REC, PFC are joining the ICA which has held back fast and effective resolution of stressed assets for decades in the past, Goyal said, adding that several others including ata breach incidents in DIndia have been higher compared to the global average, according to a survey conducted by defence grade technology maker Thales. Around 52 per cent of Indian respondents reported a data breach last year, way above the global average of around 36 per cent. A full three quarters (75 per cent) of respondents in India reported data breach at some time in the past, compared with just 67 per cent globally, James Cook, sales director South Asia, Thales Security told PTI while sharing details of Thales Data Threat Report Thales, a Rafale aircraft vendor, globally surveyed over 1,200 senior IT security managers, including 100 in India between October-November Indian companies with revenue in the range of $100 million to 1 billion were covered in the study. This year's India Data Threat Report 2018 emphasizes the need for change in security strategies to prevent the continuous increase in data breaches and also highlights Foreign investors remained net investors in stock markets as they bought equities worth Rs 259 crore on net basis today. Domestic bourses maintained their bullish momentum for the second-straight session with the flagship BSE Sensex ending at a historic closing high driven by optimistic corporate earnings as well as strong buying from investors. The rupee resumed higher at against weekend close of at the Interbank Foreign Exchange (forex) market on increased selling of the American currency by exporters and banks. It extended gains to hit a the ICICI Bank would be joining the agreement after seeking board approval. ICA was drawn up by banks themselves and is a reflection of bankers resolve to collectively find a solution to the problems of the banking sector, he said. This is a huge step forward. It is a historic occasion. There is absolutely no parallel system. This is within the framework of IBC that the entire process has been worked out and it will help in faster resolution within extant guidelines and rules, Goyal said. The agreement, as suggested by the Sunil Mehta committee, has aligned its processes with every instant laws, rules and regulations of the land and the RBI. Goyal further said that ICA, which has been drawn up by the banks themselves, is truly a reflection of the consciousness that has now come into the Indian banking system. He said there were often occasions that a good resolution plan, which would have privacy and data protection practices, Emmanuel de Roquefeuil, vice-president and country director, Thales in India said. Cook said that security breach is higher in India because they have been spending their budget either at wrong places or were more focussed only at the end points. According to the study, 81 per cent respondents lay emphasis on endpoint or mobile defences - which is ranked at the top in terms of spending plans, while data-atrest stood at the bottom with 54 per cent. Data-at-rest are those information saved in archives, hard drives, thumb drives etc which many not be put to use frequently. Cook said that Aadhaar is driving security spent in India and 93 per cent of organisations surveyed in the country are planning to increase their budget on IT security which is the highest in the world. According to the report, strict privacy guidelines concerning Aadhaar, a 12-digit unique number, are driving far more Indian organisations to plan IT security spending increases than any other geographic session high of 68.65, but the upside attempts fizzled out quickly following fresh dollar demand. The local currency dropped to a low of before settling at 68.86, showing a loss of 2 paise. The Financial Benchmarks India private limited (FBIL), meanwhile, fixed the reference rate for the dollar at and for the euro at The bond market also witnessed fresh selling and the 10- year benchmark yield end at higher at 7.81 per cent. In the cross currency trade, the rupee continued to lose ground against the pound sterling to finish at per pound from and dropped against the euro to end at as compared to It also slumped further against the Japanse yen to close at per 100 yens from earlier. In forward market today, the premium for dollar displayed lacklustre trading activity owing to lack of market moving factors. The benchmark six-month forward premium payable in November softened to paise from paise, while the far-forward May 2019 contract inched up to paise from paise. Bill specifying the turnover Aof a business entity which would classify it as a micro, small or medium enterprise, was introduced by the Government in the Lok Sabha on Monday. The Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development (Amendment) Bill provides for change in the criterion of classification of MSMEs from the existing based on investment in plant and machinery or equipment to annual turnover of the enterprise. The Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha by Minister of State for MSMEs Giriraj Singh, after he withdrew the 2015 Bill on the issue. As per the amendments, any business with a turnover of up to 5 crore would be considered as a micro enterprise. A small enterprise would be the one whose annual turnover is more than 5 crore to 75 crore. Those businesses with turnover over 75 crore but he amendments to the Tinsolvency law which empowers home buyers to be recognised as financial creditors was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Monday, even as Opposition parties objected to certain changes in the Act alleging that these intended to help one industry. The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Second Amendment) Bill, 2018, was introduced by Finance Minister Piyush Goyal. The bill replaced the Ordinance which was approved by the Union Cabinet in May. The amendments to the IBC is intended to give relief to the home buyers by recognising their status as financial creditors, thus giving them due representation in the Committee of Creditors (CoC) and making them an integral part of the decision-making process. The bill also proposes to reduce the minimum voting threshold for the CoC to 66 per cent, from 75 per cent for key decisions-- a provision which was opposed by BJD member Bhartruhari Mahtab. Opposition Congress and helped saved jobs, save national assets and recover large amounts of loans, were held up by one or two creditor for months and years, thereby eroding value of the banking system....we finally have the banks recognising the importance of working as a team to collectively find solution to the banking problem and ensuring an orderly credit flow in the future so that we don t have to see the kind of problems that we inherited in 2014 in terms of large amount of NPAs which have cost the nation dear and which have affected the credibility of India, Goyal said. Under the ICA, which is part of project Sashakt, each resolution plan will be submitted by the lead lender to an Overseeing Committee. As per the ICA, The lead lender, that is the lender with the highest exposure, shall be authorised to formulate the resolution plan, which shall be presented to the lenders for their approval. The decision-making will be by way of approval of majority lenders, those with 66 per cent share in the aggregate exposure. Once a resolution plan is approved by the majority lenders, it will be binding on all the lenders that are a party to the ICA. The agreement said that each resolution plan that is formulated in terms of the ICA will be in compliance with the Reserve Bank of India circular and all other applicable laws and guidelines. The operating guidelines for functioning of the Overseeing Committee including the terms of reference shall be as approved (and amended from time to time) by 66 per cent by number of the Lenders upto 250 crore would be deemed as a medium enterprise. The 2006 MSME Act was enacted to facilitate the promotion and development and enhancing competitiveness of MSMEs. The statement of objects and reasons of the bill said it has been observed during stakeholders consultation that the criterion of investment in plant and machinery or equipment entails physical verification having associated transaction costs. It incentivises the tendency in the promoters of the enterprises to keep the investment size small in a particular TMC also supported Mahtab, who said the decision was being taken to benefit one industry. Citing the resolution process of the textile firm Alok Industries, Mahtab said two major companies had jointly submitted before the CoC to acquire the company. However, the CoC of Alok Industries could not approve the resolution plan as it got over 70 per cent vote, as against the required 75 per cent, the BJD member said. The Ordinance brought by the government lowers the minimum vote requirement for passing the resolution to 66 per cent from 75 per cent in the original act. This is nothing but a fixed match... It is a clear case of crony capitalisation and loot of public money, Mahtab said. He said Alok Industry, which is worth Rs 29.6 crore, is being sold for just Rs 5 crore and hanks are taking 84 per cent haircut because of the complacity of the government. The bill is being brought just to help one industry, Mahtab charged. Terming this as baseless allegations, Goyal said the law is prospective and is not intended to benefit anyone. that are a party to this Agreement, it said. The lead lender will submit the resolution plan along with the recommendations of the Overseeing Committee to all the relevant lenders. The framework authorises the lead bank to implement a resolution plan in 180 days and the leader would then prepare a resolution plan including empanelling turnaround specialists and other industry experts for operation turnaround of the assets within RBI s stipulated time-frame of 180 days. Pursuant to the recommendations of Sunil Mehta Committee and under the aegis of Indian Banks Association (IBA), an Inter-creditor Agreement (ICA) has been prepared which shall serve as a platform for the banks and financial institutions to come together and take joint and concerted actions towards resolution of stressed accounts, said the agreement. The non-performing assets (NPAs) or bad loans in the business entity in order to retain the benefits associated with MSME category, it added. While evaluating various alternatives, it has been considered appropriate that if the annual turnover is taken as a criterion for classification, the information available with the Goods and Services Tax Network and other sources can be used for determination of category of the enterprises. Overall, the turnoverbased classification will promote the ease of doing business and will put in place a non discretionary transparent and objective classification system, the Bill says. he benchmark BSE Sensex Tadvanced over 100 points in early trade today led by gains in FMCG stocks after the GST Council on Saturday cut rates on over 100 items, amid fresh capital inflows by foreign funds and strengthening rupee. The 30-share index was trading higher by points, or 0.31 per cent, at 36, All the sectoral indices, led by FMCG, consumer durables and power stocks were trading in the positive zone, rising up to 1.21 per cent. The gauge had gained points in the previous session. The NSE Nifty too rose by points, or 0.39 per cent, to 11, Top gainers include Asian Paint, ITC, Bharti Airtel, NTPC, Adani Ports, Coal India, ICICI Bank, Sun Pharma, L&T, Axis Bank, Yes Bank, SBI and Vedanta, gaining up to 3.77 per cent. Brokers said investor sentiment got a boost after the GST Council, on Saturday, cut rates on over 100 items, including footwear, refrigerator, washing machine and small screen TV, while the widely demanded sanitary napkins have been exempted from the levy. banking sector crossed Rs 9 lakh crore at end-december 2017 and the Reserve Bank of India has warned of further worsening of the situation. Each of the relevant lenders appoint the lead lender to act as its agent under and in connection with the formulation and implementation of any resolution plan in the manner contemplated in this agreement, the ICA said. In case a lender dissents, the lead lender will have the right but not the obligation to arrange for buy-out of the facilities of the dissenting lenders at a value that is equal to 85 per cent of the lower of liquidation value or resolution value. The dissenting lenders can exercise such right of buy-out in respect of the entire facilities held by other relevant lenders, it said. This agreement will be terminated in case there is any guidance or prescription from the RBI or any other regulatory or governmental authority to terminate it.

10 A 29-year-old gunman opened fire on pedestrians in a bustling Toronto neighborhood, killing two and wounding a dozen others, police in Canada s largest city said today, adding the suspect was found dead in an alley after an exchange of gunfire with police. A video clip posted by Canadian media appeared to show a dark-clad man walking on the sidewalk in Toronto s Greektown neighborhood Sunday night and then turning to aim and fire a handgun. At approximately 10 pm on July 22, 2018, a man walking along Danforth Avenue fired shots at groups of people several times. Several people were struck. Two civilians were fatally injured, the Ontario Special Investigations Unit said. The unit, which investigates police-involved shootings, said officers located the man on a cross street and an exchange of gunfire took place. The man fled the area and was located deceased on Danforth Avenue, it said. Toronto police chief Mark Saunders had said earlier that one of the victims was a young woman, and that a young girl two-month-long election- by candidates con- Aeering testing the July 25 elections in Pakistan were making last ditch efforts through public gatherings, corner meetings and door-to-door canvassing before the campaign comes to an end at midnight tonight, amid low voter enthusiasm and a tense security situation. Over 12,570 candidates, including a number of hardline clerics, are contesting the elections to the parliament and four provincial assemblies. Against the National Assembly s seats, about 3,675 candidates are in the electoral race whereas about 8,895 for the provincial legislatures of all four provinces, according to the data shared by the Election Commission of Pakistan. According to election rules, the public campaign must end at midnight. was in critical condition. It put the number of wounded at 13. The gunman, who police said was 29, was not identified by name and a motive for the shooting in a district of cafes and restaurants was not immediately known. Officers, some armed with rifles, sealed off Danforth Avenue, Greektown s main street, after getting the call around 10:00 pm (0200 GMT Monday). Witnesses reported hearing about 20 shots. There was a lot of shots. It would shoot, there d be a pause, we heard more shooting, and then a pause and then more shooting, The Globe and Mail quoted John Tulloch, who was out for a walk at the time, as saying. There must ve been 20, 30 shots, altogether. It was a lot. We just ran. Jody Steinhauer told CBC News she was at a neighborhood restaurant with her family when she heard what sounded like 10 to 15 blasts of firecrackers. She said she was told to run to the back of the restaurant. We started to hear people scream out front, Steinhauer told the broadcaster. Ontario s new Premier Doug Ford called it a horrific act of gun violence and said his heart went out to the victims. The incident comes with Canada s largest metropolis concerned over a surge of shootings. Canada traditionally has relatively low levels of gun violence, particularly compared with neighboring United States. Mayor John Tory said Sunday night s firearms violence is evidence of a gun problem in Toronto. Guns are too readily available to too many people, Tory told a news conference. Tory added that details of the latest incident remained sketchy and urged people to stay calm. S President Donald UTrump said on Monday he was very happy with how talks were progressing with North Korea, as observers and the media highlight the lack of concrete results one month after his summit with Kim Jong Un. A Rocket has not been launched by North Korea in 9 months. Likewise, no Nuclear Tests. Japan is happy, all of Asia is happy, Trump tweeted. But the Fake News is saying, without ever asking me (always anonymous sources), that I am angry because it is not going fast enough. Wrong, very happy! In a joint declaration after his historic summit with Trump on June 12 in Singapore, the North Korean leader reaffirmed his commitment to work towards the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. But the actual details of the process, including how and when the North s nuclear program is to be dismantled, have yet to be hammered out. A month ago, the US administration insisted on the urgency of denuclearization, and said it would begin very s Pakistan heads into par- elections this Aliamentary week, the country s minorities are looking for better representation and a voice that will speak up for them in what rights groups warn is in an increasingly intolerant atmosphere in this Muslim-majority nation. It s an uphill struggle for Pakistani Christians, Sikhs, Ahmadis and others. Minority religions make up just 4 percent of Pakistan s 200 million people; Shiites account for about 15 to 20 percent of the Muslim population. The country s complicated electoral system allots minorities and women a small number of reserved seats, based on their parties gains at the polls. But for the rest of the seats - both in the 342-seat National Assembly, the law-making lower house of parliament, and the four provincial legislatures - members of minority groups are increasingly choosing to run as independent candidates, without affiliation to any political party. The minorities major concern ahead of Wednesday s vote has been the plethora of radical religious and sectarian groups that have resurrected themselves under new names and fielded candidates for the polls - including Sunni extremists who promise to rid Pakistan of Shiite Muslims. Other radical parties have campaigned on promises to enforce Pakistan s controversial law on blasphemy, which carries the death penalty and which has allowed for the prosecution of anyone deemed to offend Islam. Frenzied mobs have killed at the mere suggestion that an act of blasphemy was committed. Pakistan is becoming more and more intolerant of minority rights, said rights activist I.A. Rehman, a founding member of the independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. He is urging the government to make sufficient effort to ensure minorities can cast their votes. Garbage is piled by the roadside and cinderblock homes have flimsy curtains instead of doors in Rimshah, a squatters settlement on the outskirts of Islamabad. Years ago, scores of Christian families settled here when a mob of Muslim men, enraged over an alleged act of blasphemy by an 11-year-old Christian girl, tried to kill her and drove them out of their homes. They named the slum Rimshah, for the 11-year-old girl with Down s syndrome who was eventually cleared of charges of tearing up pages of an Islamic religious book. Michael Rose, an outspoken advocate of the Christian community, which numbers about 3 million in Pakistan, campaigns in Rimshah for Asif Shahzada, an independent Christian candidate. Rose says that independent minority candidates are the best hope of getting Christian grievances heard. Minority representatives chosen on the reserved seat system tow the quickly. We re hopeful we can get it done by 2020, before the end of Trump s term, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said at the time. Pompeo has been charged with the challenge of putting meat on the bare bones of the Singapore commitment. But 40 days and one apparently fruitless visit by Pompeo to Pyongyang later, the tone of the American side has clearly changed. We have no time limit, Trump told reporters last week. We have no speed limit. Asked about the change in tone, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert sought to reassure: We have teams in place that are working very hard on this issue every day, she said. We have said there s a lot of work left to be done. hilippine President Rodrigo PDuterte pledged on Monday to press ahead with a war on drugs that has already killed thousands, and castigated critics of his signature initiative. Duterte opened his annual State of the Nation Address with a defence of the narcotics crackdown that is now in its third year and remains largely supported in the Philippines despite fierce international censure. Let me begin by putting it bluntly: the war against illegal drugs is far from over, he told hundreds of assembled lawmakers, celebrities and dignitaries. It will be as relentless and chilling, if you will, as on the day it began. Duterte launched the crackdown shortly after coming to power in June Since then authorities claim 4,354 alleged drug users and dealers have been killed in police operations. However, human rights groups and critics say the true number of dead is at least triple that. They say the killing could amount to crimes against humanity. Washington: US President Donald Trump called once again today for an end to special counsel Robert Mueller s probe into Russia interference in the 2016 election, insisting it has been discredited. A disgrace to America, Trump tweeted, referring to the rationale prosecutors used to place a former campaign advisor, Carter Page, under FBI surveillance. They should drop the discredited Mueller Witch Hunt now! he added. Trump has come under a barrage of criticism over the past week for what was seen as overly conciliatory treatment of Russian President Vladimir Putin at their summit in Helsinki. Mueller, a former FBI director, is investigating whether Trump s campaign colluded with Russia s covert attempt to sway the US elections in favour of the former reality TV star, and if the president obstructed justice. A dozen Russian intelligence agents were recently indicted for hacking into Democratic party computers. Four members of the Trump campaign also have been charged for alleged crimes, but they were not directly linked to collusion.afp If you think that I can be dissuaded from continuing this fight because of demonstrations, your protests which I find misdirected, then you got it all wrong, he said, referring to critics. Your concern is human rights, mine is human lives, he added. hina s President Xi Jinping Cinked 15 deals including loans and grants worth millions of dollars with Rwanda on Monday as part of a whistlestop tour to cement relations with African allies. Among the deals agreed, the value of which was not revealed, were loans for road construction, hospital renovation and the development of Rwanda s new Bugesera airport. As part of his first overseas trip since being re-elected in March, Xi last week visited Senegal to conclude a raft of trade accords. He will head to Johannesburg tomorrow for a summit of the BRICS emerging economies -- Brazil, China, India, Russia and South Africa. Since taking office, Xi has overseen efforts to expand Chinese influence in Africa. China has already provided vast sums to the continent with Beijing s financial largesse raising fears that poor nations are unprepared for such massive debts. We are bound with common interest. To grow our solidarity with Africa is an important foundation for China s foreign policy, said Xi at a media conference where no questions were taken. This year s address was marked by high drama as political infighting in Congress delayed the passage of autonomy legislation for the nation s Muslim minority. After years of political wrangling and negotiations, a final draft of the proposed law was on the point of being S President Donald UTrump has warned Iran of grave consequences which a few countries have paid before, his national security advisor said on Monday, hours after a stunning presidential tweet threatening Tehran. I spoke to the President over the last several days, and President Trump told me that if Iran does anything at all to the negative, they will pay a price like few countries have ever paid before, US National Security Advisor John Bolton said in a statement. Bolton was responding to reporters questions about Trump s tweet in which the president issued an unprecedented warning to Iran. In the nearly allcaps tweet, Trump mentioned about the dangers to Iran of making hostile threats after Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said, America must understand well that peace with Iran is the mother of all peace and war with Iran is the mother of all wars. To Iranian President Rouhani: NEVER, EVER THREATEN THE UNITED STATES AGAIN OR YOU WILL SUFFER CON- SEQUENCES THE LIKES OF WHICH FEW THROUGHOUT HISTORY HAVE EVER SUFFERED BEFORE. WE ARE NO LONGER A COUNTRY THAT WILL STAND FOR YOUR DEMENTED WORDS OF VIOLENCE & DEATH. BE CAUTIOUS! Trump tweeted. The White House today blamed Rouhani for inciting a war of words with President Trump, saying his tweet shows he is not going to tolerate critical rhetoric from Iran. approved and sent to Duterte for his signature. But a fight for control of the top leadership post in the House of Representatives led to the delay of a final vote. Duterte, who uncharacteristically stuck to a prepared speech, promised the legislation would still move forward. he UK Government on TMonday concluded that caste discrimination among the Indian diaspora here does not require separate legislation and said it can be covered as part of emerging case law in the country. The Caste in Great Britain and Equality Law A Public Consultation had been launched in March last year to gather the public s views on how best to ensure that there is appropriate legal protection against caste discrimination in Britain. Having given careful and detailed consideration to the findings of the consultation, the government believes that the best way to provide the necessary protection against unlawful discrimination because of caste is by relying on emerging case law as developed by courts and tribunals, the UK government s Equalities Office said in its conclusion released here.

11 M esut Ozil is quitting Germany's national team following criticism over his decision to pose for a picture with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. In a series of statements posted on Sunday on Twitter, the Arsenal star announced his retirement from international football. He attacked the German football federation (DFB), its president, fans and the media, criticising what he saw as racism and double standards in the treatment of people with Turkish roots. Citing anti-turkish comments from far-right politicians and fans, Ozil said he would "no longer be playing for Germany at international level whilst I have this feeling of racism and disrespect." He added: "Racism should never, ever be accepted." The photo of Erdogan, Ozil and Manchester City's Ilkay Gundogan meeting in London caused an uproar in Germany two months ago. At the time, the head of Germany's football federation, Reinhard Grindel, publicly accused the players whose families came to Germany from Turkey of allowing themselves to be "exploited" by Erdogan for political purposes. Some German politicians questioned Ozil and Gundogan's loyalty to Germany and suggested they should be removed from the national squad ahead of the World Cup. Gundogan distanced himself from the photo, but Ozil refused to comment publicly until Sunday when he published a three-part statement in English which defended his actions and attacked those who have criticised him. "The picture we took had no political intentions," said Ozil, adding that it "was about me respecting the highest office of my family's country." He also took a swipe at the German media who suggested that the 29-year-old midfielder was partly to blame for Germany's shock group-stage exit from the World Cup. "This crosses a personal line that ven though Sebastian Vettel has won four EFormula One titles and 51 races, he is still prone to worrying lapses of concentration. The Ferrari driver accepted his small mistake at Sunday's German Grand Prix cost his team in a big way, and gifted Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes a victory they could hardly have expected. Leading both the drivers' and constructors' championships before the race, Vettel and Ferrari are now behind in both. As the rain came thudding down at the Hockenheim ring near to where Vettel grew up his judgment seemed to slip away. Leading from pole position with only 15 laps to go, Vettel misjudged a routine entry into a turn, slid off the track and slammed into the barriers. Race over. Even worse, Hamilton profited from his mistake to reclaim the championship lead by 17 points. "I threw it away. It was my mistake. We had the pace and we controlled the race for most of it," Vettel said. "We had the race in the bag." Vettel, who made key mistakes last season as Hamilton secured the title, seemed keen to use the rain as a factor for his crash on Sunday. "It's not like tonight I'll have difficulties to fall asleep, because of what I've done wrong. We didn't need the rain," he said. "It was a small mistake but a big impact on the race. A tiny bit too late on the brakes, I locked the rears and I couldn't turn. It wasn't the biggest mistake I've done, but one of the mostly costly ones." Vettel climbed out of the car and kicked the gravel in frustration. "I realised quickly that it was over," said Vettel, who again played down his mistake. "I think it feels better if it's spectacular, because then you've done something really wrong." He added that "I didn't do much wrong" but his performance was "not enough to finish the race." Vettel and Hamilton are both chasing a fifth F1 crown to move level with Argentine great Juan Manuel Fangio and go two behind recordholder Michael Schumacher. After the Azerbaijan GP in June 2017, Hamilton publicly spoke about his rival's apparent vulnerability under pressure as something he could exploit. Vettel had played a very weak hand in Baku. Irritated by what he perceived to be Hamilton's deliberately slow driving behind a safety car, he accelerated alongside the British driver and then inexplicably swerved into the left side of his Mercedes. Vettel subsequently apologised but by September the German driver had lost his way, never regaining the momentum after a huge mistake in Singapore. Before that Grand Prix, Vettel was only three points behind Hamilton with seven races remaining. He took pole position and, better still, Hamilton was fifth on the grid. It was the perfect scenario but Vettel went diagonally across the track to cut off Red Bull driver Max Verstappen and crashed out of the Singapore GP. With 25 points beckoning, Vettel got none. The nightmare scenario concluded with Hamilton profiting from the chaos to win. It was should never be crossed, as newspapers try to turn the nation of Germany against me," Ozil said, noting that there had been little criticism of former Germany captain Lothar Matthaeus over a recent meeting a similar scenario at Hockenheim on Sunday. Mercedes team chief Toto Wolff on Monday denied that the use of team orders in Sunday's spectacular German Grand Prix signalled that Lewis Hamilton would be preferred as the number one driver. Wolff was adamant that the triumphant Hamilton and his team-mate Valtteri Bottas will remain free to race each other until late in the season when there might be championships decided by such decisions. "Racing is most important," said Wolff. "We always said if the championship goes into its last third, or last quarter, and there is a big difference between the drivers, then we might make these unpopular calls. "But it's much too early in the season to do this. We made it in order to bring a one and two home... And we would have done it the other way around." Bottas attempted to challenge and pass Hamilton for the lead in Sunday's rain-hit race following a Safety Car period after Sebastian Vettel crashed while leading for Ferrari. The two Mercedes men battled side-by-side before Hamilton emerged in front and Mercedes intervened with a team radio message to 'hold position'. Wolff said the message did not mean Hamilton, who declared his German win from 14th on the grid as the greatest of his career, was seen as favoured ahead of Bottas as a clear number one driver. "No, absolutely not," he said. "If it had been the other way around, with Valtteri in the lead and Lewis second, we would have made the same call. Identical call. It was about bringing it home irrespective of who was in front." Wolff added it was still raining at the time of the message and the team did not want to take any risks. with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Ozil reserved his sharpest words for Grindel, however, alleging that the federation president had been "patronising" toward the player, who was a key part of Germany's 2014 World Cup-winning team. "I will no longer stand for being a scapegoat for his incompetence and inability to do his job properly," Ozil said, claiming that Grindel had made "unforgivable and unforgettable" comments about immigrants and Muslims in the past. On Twitter, Ozil said: "The treatment I have received from the DFB and many others makes me no longer want to wear the German national team shirt. "I feel unwanted and think that what I have achieved since my international rancesco Molinari played a steady hand amid the Fcheers for Tiger Woods and another crazy ending at Carnoustie to win the British Open and become Italy's first major champion. Woods brought pandemonium by charging into the lead on Sunday at a major for the first time in nine years, only to lose it with one bad hole. Jordan Spieth cost himself by failing to make a single birdie. Seven players had a share of the lead at some point. Six were still tied on the back nine. Molinari closed with a 2-under 69, playing the final 37 holes on the toughest links in golf without a bogey. The clincher was a bold drive on the 18th hole that flirted with edge of a pot bunker, a wedge to 5 feet and a birdie putt that gave him a lead no one in the last two groups was able to erase. The 35-year-old Molinari finished at 8-under 276, the lowest score in eight Opens at Carnoustie. Earlier in the day, playing partner Woods had every reason to believe he would cap a most amazing comeback. He had a one-shot lead until a double bogey on the 11th hole, a bogey on the next. Woods closed with a 71 to tie for sixth, three shots behind. It was the first time since 2007 that he trailed going into the final round of a major, had the lead and failed to win. The victory adds to Molinari's best stretch of golf. Now at a career-best No 6 in the world, he has won three times and been runner-up twice in the past two months. Rory McIlroy (70), Kevin Kisner (74), Justin debut in 2009 has been forgotten." While Ozil said he had received support from German President Frank- Walter Steinmeier and national team coach Joachim Low, he claimed "in the eyes of Grindel and his supporters, I am German when we win, but I am an immigrant when we lose." Mesut Ozil's angry departure from Germany's national team amid accusations of racism has drawn mixed reactions at home on Monday, prompting both sharp criticism of the player and concern over the country's attitude toward Germans with foreign roots. "calmer and focused" Ramkumar A Ramanathan is not crying over losing out on the chance to create history in Indian tennis and he would rather savour the priceless moment of earning his maiden singles final on ATP World Tour. Ramkumar became the first Indian in seven years to advance to the singles final of an ATP World Tour event but missed out on ending India's 20-year title drought when he lost the Hall of Fame final to Steven Johnson on Sunday night. "I was disappointed for not winning the final but it is tough to reach this far. I just fell short. I will watch the match (recording) again and see (what went wrong) but it's a learning experience. And nothing can buy this moment, so I will take positives out of it," Ramkumar said from Newport. The last Indian to win an ATP singles trophy was Leander Paes, who incidentally had won on the grass courts of the same Hall of Fame tournament in Ramkumar was not in great form coming into the tournament, having lost four first-round matches in a row Winnetka, Recanati, Wimbledon qualifiers and Ilkley but went on to create the best week of his career thus far. He said by adding meditation and yoga to his routine, he has learnt to transform himself from being someone who will be defensive when attacked, to a player who will not buckle in pressure cooker situations. Plus, after the big confidence-boosting win over top-10 player Dominic Thiem, things have been falling in place for the Chennai boy. Asked about the chance to create history and he said, "I had some tough days before this but I am trying to be more calm and focused. I now meditate every morning and it helps in staying calm in tough situations. It helps in keeping things under control." Rose (69) and Xander Schauffele (74) tied for second, two stroke back. Spieth went from a bogey-free round on Saturday that gave him a share of the lead to a birdie-free round that led to a 76, his highest Sunday score in a major. "I regularly took yoga and meditation classes when I was years old but then I stopped. Now for the past one year I have added it to my routine and it does make a huge difference to my game. I am not putting myself under pressure now. "I have been working on it and try to stay fresh and keep 100 percent energy on the court. The second round the match against Denis Kundla (at Newport) was tough but I remained composed. Leander Paes was also watching from the stands and supported me. merican international Christian Pulisic scored Atwo second-half goals to lift Borussia Dortmund to a 3-1 win over Liverpool in an International Champions Cup friendly in North Carolina on Saturday. Pulisic almost completed the hat trick in the 93rd minute but his blast from in close was stopped and the rebound went to teammate Jacob Bruun Larsen who deposited it into the empty net as Dortmund improved to 2-0 in the 18-team pre-season tournament. With Mohamed Salah, Pedro Chirivella, Georginio Wijnaldum, Sadio Mane and Marko Grujic sitting out it was an inexperienced Liverpool side that took to the field at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. Netherlands' Virgil van Dijk opened the scoring for Liverpool in the 25th minute with a perfectly timed leaping header off a long cross from Andrew Robertson. Dortmund's best chance to score in the first half was a sharp angle shot by Marius Wolf that Liverpool keeper Loris Karius easily handled. Both teams swapped out several players to begin the second half which brought the German side to life. Liverpool's Sheyi Ojo had a chance to pad the lead on a solo opportunity in the 64th minute but his shot deflected off goalkeeper Marwin Hitz and then bounced off the crossbar. That helped set the stage for Pulisic's heroics. He tied it 1-1 in the 66th minute on a penalty conversion, hammering his attempt straight down the middle of the net. Pulisic scored again in the 89th minute by finishing off a nice passing play with teammate Marcel Schmelzer with a low shot to the near post. Manchester United, buoyed by the arrival of Alexis Sanchez on Sunday, nevertheless remained without a win in their North American pre-season tour after a 0-0 draw against the San Jose Earthquakes. The match at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, pitted a United side playing its second match of the pre-season against an Earthquakes team in the midst of what has been a lackluster Major League Soccer campaign. Sanchez was a lively presence after missing the 1-1 draw against Club America of Mexico in Phoenix on Thursday because of visa issues. But in hot conditions before a sparse crowd, United created few chances, and saw Antonio Valencia limp off with an apparent calf injury less than 10 minutes in. "This is one more training session. We are not a team. We're a group of players from different teams," said Mourinho. "Some are first-team, some under-23s, some coming from loans and going on loan, some are younger, under-18s. "We don't have a team to play much better than we did but (it's) one more training session." Sanjay sir also guided me. These little things also helped me stay mentally strong." Paes has been mentoring Ramkumar for some time. The two trained during the Maharashtra Open in Pune and also played a Challenger together before that. Ramkumar has four runner-up finishes on the ATP Challenger Tour in the last 15 months but the biggest moment came when he defeated then World No eight Dominic Thiem at Antalya Open after qualifying for the ATP 250 event.

12 A clean house is important for the health and well-being of your entire family. First of all, a dirty house is a germy house, and the best defence against the spread of illnesses is to keep the germs washed away. The well -being of the family is enhanced by an uncluttered atmosphere. If the rule of a place for everything and everything in its place is observed, the environment will be more serene, and less time will be wasted in looking for items. This is particularly true when you have a modern house design. The clean flow of the lines gets lost when the house is dirty. A clean home makes it easy to organize your belongings in a manner that makes sense. Your keys deserve to have a permanent home by the front door, and your remote control should have its own spot on the coffee table. Imagine how much time you would save every day if you didn t have to look for these things. Whether it s a layer of dust or a pile of disorganization, it s hard to focus on the task at hand when your eye keeps being drawn away to the dust bunny hopping along under the couch. You re more likely to finish projects around the house, or even just finish a sentence when things are organized and clean. Your family deserves to live in a healthy home environment. Removing dust particles keeps their lungs filled with fresh air, zapping bacteria keeps illnesses at bay, and organizing their surroundings keeps them from tripping over clutter. If the last thing you see before you close your eyes at night is your dust-covered ceiling fan, you are probably going to have nightmares. By ditching the stress that is caused by a disheveled home, you are actually going to sleep more soundly at night. As a parent with little children, keeping the house clean can be a difficult task. Children, however, learn what they see their parents do. It is important to train growing children to inculcate neat and tidy habits. Once old enough, they need to keep away their own things, and keep their room and the house clean. That is not always easy, because most children find it a chore. But insisting on them following certain rules of cleanliness around the house helps you to get a neat and clean home. Never Leave a Room Empty Handed this is one habit that can make a huge difference in the general tidiness of your home. As you move from one room to another {or from one floor to another}, try to do a quick scan to see if there is anything that you can take with you that belongs where you are going. Take only what you will have time to put away moving a pile from one room to another without actually putting anything away doesn t really help you out much. It can be a couple of dirty dishes that you put in the dishwasher or some laundry that needs to be put away upstairs. Always keep in mind the one touch rule, meaning that you ideally only want to touch items one time before they are put away. Every time you touch an object to move it from one place to another you are using up precious time and energy so make that extra little effort to put it directly away. If you focus on keeping the high traffic areas clean on a daily basis, you can really help to prevent the spread of dirt and dust throughout the rest of the house. Make sure you have a dedicated spot for shoes at the entrances to your house to remind everyone to take off their shoes and to keep all of the shoe dirt contained in one spot. Small area rugs at doors can also help to trap a lot of the incoming dirt. For furry friends that come in and out, have a an old towel by the door to quickly wipe down paws as they come in. Putting things away as you go doesn t really take up much time but it will definitely make the difference between a tidy house and a messy house at the end of the day. Take your clothes off by your closet and either hang them back up or put them directly in the laundry. Load the dirty dishes directly into the dishwasher instead of just placing them on the counter. Put your shoes and coat away as you come in the door. Have all the family help out cleaning up the kitchen after dinner so you are not stuck with a messy kitchen when it s really time to go to bed. All of these little things are just habits that can be created with a little intentional planning. Obviously there will be times when this is not possible, but do it when you can and you will save yourself a ton of cleaning up in the end. If you are less strict in your requirements, you can do two areas each week so that the whole house is cleaned every two to three weeks. If you are more relaxed and can live with a certain amount of messiness and dirt, you can get away with cleaning one area each week. In this case, the whole house would be finished approximately every month. You may also want to assign different areas to various members of the family. For example, each person should keep his or her personal area (i.e., the bedroom) neat and clean. In addition, each family member can clean one area of the house. They may prefer to do the same area every week, or they may prefer to set up a rotation. The first step of every housecleaning is always the same. This step consists of picking up the clutter. Each member of the family must go through the entire house to retrieve and put away all personal items that are strewn about the house. For example, the living room floor cannot be vacuumed if there are six pairs of shoes between the front door and the bedrooms.

13 M ulk, the concept of a country, signifies a place where everyone is equal irrespective of their religion, ethnicity and caste. But an Attitudes Research, a survey which was conducted in 70 towns across 20 states in India, by the promoters of the movie directed by Anubhav Sinha, belies the claim. It has revealed the deep-seated insecurities of Muslims and the biases that the majority community harbours against them. It also reveals how the deep-rooted scepticism and stereotypes from the past still lurk in people s conscience making togetherness seem like a distant dream. As per the survey, in India more than one out of two or 52 per cent non- Muslims in India believe that Islam is the major cause of terrorism around the globe, whereas 44 per cent Muslims feel a majority of non-muslims see them as terrorists. While the terrorism statistics undoubtedly touch the skies, there is also a sense of uneasiness that is common. Around 45 per cent non-muslims feel uncomfortable if a Muslim man with a beard and a cap sits next to them in a bus or at a public place. Around 35 per cent of them feel uncomfortable if it is a Muslim woman wearing a burkha. The stats also reveal how the first basis to judge a person is his/her appearance and how it affects their social and personal identities. Around 24 per cent Muslims said that they have been advised to not keep a beard, wear a cap or a burkha to appear normal. Every Pakistani is a Muslim but is every Muslim a Pakistani? The answer to this question for 37 per cent of non- Muslims is yes. They admitted that they have, at least once, seen a Muslim and slotted them as a Pakistani. Around 12 per cent non-muslims, at least once, have actually referred to their Muslim friends as a Pakistani in jest. Over 27 per cent Muslims agreed to have been called a Pakistani on their face, at least once. And the men have it tougher than women. About 34 per cent Muslim men have been branded so as compared to 19 per cent Muslim women. Taking the rhetoric further, around 29 per cent Muslims have also been told that they should go to Pakistan. Moreover, since the rivalry with our neighbouring country is often manifested in the cricket field, winning against Pakistan is considered mandatory. And it is here again that Muslims get bracketed. Around 44 per cent non-muslims believe that when India plays Pakistan in a cricket match, the minority supports Pakistan rather than their own country. It is also borne out by the fact that 42 per cent of Muslims have been asked during an India-Pakistan match if they are supporting Pakistan instead of India. Eating habits, too, have been put under the scanner given the current alk about superstitions and you ll find Ta thousand in your own home. From placing a nimbu-mirchi (lemon-chili) at the doorstep to putting a devil s face at the rooftop, we adopt all kinds of totems in the name of keeping our houses safe from what could be, a dark energy, an evil soul or a notorious witch. A fear which has spawned horror stories and literary genres. Bathed in folklore and myths, India has an unending list of witches and conjurers. Considering that Netflix and Amazon Prime are rolling out content for a largely urban audience, Star Plus is venturing out in the Tier III and hinterland space with a new show called Nazar, a supernatural fantasy drama starring Bhojpuri actress Monalisa Biswas. The show questions, What if daayans are found not just in sleepy towns but in city homes, in bustling streets or crowded shopping centres? How can you be sure that the person sitting next to you isn t a daayan? Monalisa, of the Bigg Boss season 10 and Nach Baliye season 8 fame, is all set to play the lead role in the show as a temptress named Mohana, a powerful and hair-raising villain on TV. The actress had not dreamt of being a part of showbiz while she was working in Kolkata. But she acted on people s suggestion that she should give acting a shot. Said she, I never thought of becoming an actress while growing up. But when I decided to give it a shot, I went for profiling and posed for photo shoots to get a portfolio. Eventually, I landed in Mumbai where I got selected for Bhojpuri films. However, her outing in Bhojpuri films has been absolutely different. She has always played the positive lead. So this switch is something that she has been looking forward to. She said, I was waiting for a negative role since a long time. Though I didn t get to choose this role, I jumped at the opportunity when I got a call. I agreed to play the part without even listening to what the character would turn out to be. Then when the role and script were finally announced, it made me happier and excited. I was lucky to find such a role. She explained how she finds the character of Mohana intriguing and unique: She possesses many supernatural powers, in her choti (hair lock). The most unique feature is that no one can say that she is a witch since she projects herself as a good soul like any human being. Monalisa is not enacting the role only because she finds the concept fascinating but because she has grown up listening to such stories. She said, Just as positive energy and God exist so does negative energy. I have grown up listening to such myths and superstitions. Once on the set of a film, there was a haunted place where I sensed some dark energy. I ve believed in these things since the incident took place. I feel that there is definitely something. However, a question arises here. What about the people who are not aware or educated enough to differentiate between myths and realities, souls, spirits and humans? Will not a show like this promote such fabrications and illusions in the name of entertainment? For this, Monalisa has a straight-forward and direct approach and says that shows like these are only for the entertainment rather than being realistic. Putting forth her caveat, she said, We aren t promoting superstition. I am not saying that people who don t believe in such concepts should start agreeing with it. It s up to the audience whether or not they wish to follow it. Whenever a horror show or a film is made, it should be looked at from an entertainment point of view rather than trying to find a meaning or parallels in real life. Another interesting societal reference is that terms like daayan, chudail and others are synonymous with women. There have been many other shows on TV like Nazar which have portrayed only women as subjects which can scare. Why so? (Laughs) That isn t true. For example, Naagin revolves around a female protagonist. A male can t enact its character. There are more female characters because women watch daily soaps on television. I feel that this is different since such a character has never been showcased before, claimed Monalisa. Netflix has been robbing away the TRPs of Hindi TV shows but Monalisa believes that TV is still relevant. Many people are opting for online channels to watch shows and movies because they can watch these whenever and wherever. Despite that TV shows are also gaining TRPs and popularity as a huge section of the audience isn t net savvy, she added. The actress feels that a change is important in everyone s lives and watching stereotyped characters on TV bores them. A wily witch might just do the trick. Monalisa is betting on this chance encounter therefore. brouhua over beef. Here the biases run deep where 36 per cent non-muslims believe Muslims who eat beef should be jailed. This perception is particularly strong in North India where 43 percent are for it. Another nine per cent non- Muslims believe that Muslims who eat beef should be lynched to death. But on the other hand, 45 per cent Muslims believe that their fellow Muslims should not eat beef as it hurts the sentiments of Hindus in India. The biases are also reflected in the What is your character all about? Tanya is 19. She is at the cusp of teen years and adulthood. She is confident, feisty and very practical in her approach to life. She is extremely unapologetic and uninhibited about things she does. For her, there is no concept of log kya kahenge. She is confident and sure of herself. It is very much like the millennials of today and it is certainly a slice of life. How did you land the role in the movie? The director, Akarsh Khurana, and me are alumni of a youth festival called Phespo. He was a part of it in the second year and I was a part of the festival in the 14th. So we knew each other and suggested me to Nandini Shrikant who was the casting director of his debut film as a director. I was shortlisted and did the look test. I waited for long and then almost gave up as we are quite used to auditions not translating into work. Then one day Akarsh told me that I was on. Was it overwhelming to be a part of a movie which had big names like Irrfan and Dalquer? It was a dream come true for me because who doesn t want to work with two of the finest actors in the country? It was, of course, intimidating to be sharing screen space with the two of them even though it was not of their doing. They eased me into it and made sure that I was comfortable. I was like a child who was thrown into a candy shop. I was awe struck because I was also the youngest. There was constant learning on the set. They are effortless and spontaneous in their craft. It was surreal, overwhelming and enriching. Initially I would get lost in their performance like an audience and forget that I had to respond as a co-actor. Then I synced up. Any particular anecdotes? Dalquer has a huge fan following in the south. So people would turn up when we were shooting in Kerala. We had a scene on a bridge in a remote area and thought that nobody would come there. But there was a huge crowd waiting for us. Akarsh was trying to capture all this and someone thought that he too was a fan. So he climbed up on the director s shoulder to click a photograph. Girl in the City how much do you identify with the character considering you are a Bombay girl? The character helped me fall in love with the city that I was already in love with all over again. Now I can identify with a different perspective. It is a struggle when you come from a small town, it is quite a daunting task to take in the city s pace. I looked from a different perspective and it was still home. Hi Chal turu turu, the cup song, is what you started out with. What was the the inspiration? I didn t decide to do this. It was an experiment. I just did it for fun. I learnt to do the rhythm from YouTube videos which was inspired by Anna Kendrick s cup song in a movie called Pitch Perfect. It is a four-beat rhythm which can be done with any four-beat discrimination that Muslims often encounter in their lives. In various walks of life, 45 per cent Muslims have been denied a job at least once and 38 per cent of them have been denied a property (rent/ sale) because of their religion. And there is a reason as 43 per cent non- Muslims said they will feel uncomfortable if a Muslim family shifted into their neighbourhood. More than half of Indian Muslims, 54 per cent to be precise, believe that during a police case, he/she does not get a fair investigation because of his/her religion. There are other deep-seated biases. Muslims are more old-fashioned and backward compared to people of other religions in the country, believe 61 per cent of non-muslims. This perception is particularly strong in the East where it soars at 76 per cent and North at 68 per cent. The feeling that the culture of India does not match the culture of Muslims is a belief held by 61 per cent of non-muslims. And the bias extends to them not being a part of India as 47 per cent non-muslims in India believe that India will be a better country if there are no Muslims in it. This perception is ever stronger in the metros (54 per cent), North India (58 per cent) and surprisingly South India (61 per cent). Almost two out of three non-muslims in India hold Muslims responsible as the primary cause of India s high population. When asked what was the first thought that comes to their mind when they see a Muslim man in a beard and wearing a cap on the road, 58 per cent non-muslims admitted harbouring negative thoughts, biases and making instant judgments. rhythm song. So I made this video with a Marathi song. What happened to my experiment was unexpected. How and when did you decide that you want to be an actor? When I decided to do films, I knew I wanted to be a part of Bollywood. Who doesn t want to be a part of that? I had signed up for the deal of running around trees and singing songs. The acting bug bit me in my school years. I was quite active in extra-curricular pursuits, good in elocution, debates and was a part of the choir. I decided to be an actor at 12 but nobody took me seriously, not even myself. It was considered a pipe dream. What was your experience in your debut movie, Katti Batti? Any project is special and there I was working with Nikhil Advani who is one of the finest directors in the industry. He welcomed me as he did all of us who were from the theatre background. Kangana Ranaut and Imran Khan were great to work with. I have grabbed every opportunity that has come to me with both hands. Whatever came to me, I experimented with it. Whatever you do is a learning experience. You ve done web series, ads, movies...how is each medium different? There is only one difference, one being on stage and the other being in front of the camera. However, whether it is theatre, film or web series, content is king. Future plans? Nothing concrete as yet. The third season of Girl in the City is going on air now and also the second season of Little Things will be out soon. What do you like to do outside work? I like sleeping since that is one thing that I am not able to do when I am working. I also love to sit on the swing in my house and listen to music.

14 T o glimpse Nilima Sheikh s Terrain at Bikaner House (presented by Gallery Espace) is to be invited into an engagement with the pain, pathos and the struggling voices of humanity. Terrain consists of eight panels that are seven feet high and a little less than three feet wide. They are painted on paper pasted on cloth. Six panels have painted images, while two include texts, mostly poetry, written on painted surfaces. The poetry quotations are wide-ranging, including the works of the medieval Kashmiri mystic poet Lal Ded, Agha Shahid Ali of Kashmir, as well as Punjabi and Gujarati folk songs. Much of it has a note of yearning melancholy. Inscribed in these panels are stories from folklore to present times that lend to each other new and cumulative language, and contexts.this work was shown last year at Documenta 14 in Kassel. Curator Gayatri Sinha says, For her participation at Documenta in Kassel 2017, Sheikh creates a new format of viewing, an elliptical wooden screen form with eight painted scrolls on each side creating an unusual structure, one that unites both distance and intimate viewing, engaging some of Nilima s primary sources of inspiration: the Chinese hand and vertical scroll, the irque du Soleil will mark the world premiere Cof its touring show Bazaar in India soon. The country will play an important role in the growth of the globally popular live entertainment company, said its CEO Daniel Lamarre. They want to take it slow and find the right moves to enter the heart of Indians. We always wanted to go to India. We truly believe and hope that with our approach, India will become one of the most important countries for Cirque du Soleil, Lamarre told reporters in Montreal. Cirque du Soleil is known for reinventing the culture of circus with themed, theatre-style acts without animals featuring multi-talented performers such as acrobats, gymnasts, mimes and musicians. Originally composed of 20 street performers in 1984, Cirque du Soleil has wowed audiences with its death-defying stunts, extravagant sets and whimsical costumes through its productions in close to 450 cities in 60 countries. Recalling the origin of the idea to come to the economically sound India, he said: I have been at Cirque for 17 years and I have a lot of Indian friends who asked me, How come you are not coming to our country? We had to wait to find the right partner. Bazaar, its 43rd original production with an Indian artiste Rajesh Mudki, will have its world premiere with shows in Delhi and Mumbai later this year, before heading to other countries. I believe that India will influence our evolution moving forward. A lot of people talk about diversity. At Cirque du Soleil, we don t talk about diversity. We live it every day with different nationalities influencing our growth. Now, it is Japanese painted screen, as well as the Persian/Indian muraqqa or painted miniature manuscript. Sheikh has inspired several generations over her five-decade career as a Baroda-based painter and deeply revered mentor. During the last two decades, she has often been working on subjects that relate to the northern region of the Indian sub-continent, with particular emphasis on Kashmir. Sheikh often visited Kashmir during her childhood and her intense internal turmoil after the 2002 Gujarat riots engaged her ability to address her connection with Kashmir s anguish through her art. This has accumulated in a body of work that has created a visual language to bring together different aspects of the region, and its histories, in an attempt to understand some of the complexities therein. In the current work, Sheikh speaks about the abandoned girl-child, finding love outside her community or a woman crossing a mountain river supported by an earthenware pot to meet her lover every night as in Sohni Mahiwal. These songs of doomed resistance are still sung across Punjab, both in India and Pakistan. Coming to more contemporary times, the young student Rohit Vemula battling the lifelong hatred that birth in a low caste Dalit family brought him, ends his life as a final political act. Sheikh also includes song and poetry as a performative mode of public address, echoing the 14th-century female mystic Lal Ded of Kashmir (translated by Ranjit Hoskote), along with references to texts from several writers who have written about Kashmir such as Aga Shahid Ali and Salman Rushdie. Sinha in her note presents deeper studies of aesthetics and art history to us. Presented in this composite form, the work invites comparison with the Chinese and Japanese painted scroll, both sources of intimate study for Sheikh. The form may derive from the Japanese sliding door (fusuma) and your (India s) turn to influence the growth and content of Cirque du Soleil, said Lamarre. I want more and more artistes coming from your country because you have great talent, he added. The production level and scale of Bazaar has been tweaked. But Lamarre feels it will give a basic idea about the Cirque du Soleil show. The creative process was to deliver to India the best level of performance that you can deliver, he said. How have they worked out the logistics for tickets? We have brought Bazaar to a scale and pricing which can be affordable. When we enter a new country, we want to get involved socially and that is what we would like to do in India as well. There are programmes which we want to develop and bring to the country to help the people who don t have as much money as they should. Having said that, the ticket price will be affordable to a majority of people. Lamarre is not oblivious to the power and influence of Indian cinema. And feels it will work in favour for their format. I don t see the movie business as our competitor. It is a little bit like what I have observed in China. Movie business was developed first, and now live entertainment is following. I see the same pattern in India. The fact that there is a well established movie industry in India is a positive for us and not a negative. It is making people more open to new type of entertainment and that is what we are going to offer. folding screen (byobu) of the Japanese Yamato-e era, or indeed the Nagasaki school of the 19th century, richly contaminated with Chinese and European influences, that were so much a part of its effulgent creativity. By separating the scroll from its function as a screen, or a partition, Sheikh lends it an extraordinary density and narrative depth. In effect, we then have the scroll deploying the traditions of Asian painting in a tantalising amalgam. Evanescent figures float across her terrain, sometimes dwarfed by the enormity of nature, and circumstance, like Sohni swimming in the deep waters of the Indus.These are narratives of love and longing, amidst deep sadness. Mahmud Darwish speaks of the present absent status of Palestinians, a term used by the Israeli state. Sheikh uses this allusion of absence and presence and the tenuous liminal space between the two to pack in the most profound emotion, around freedom and captivity, beauty and violence, love and deep betrayal. A delight for art lovers and students who must understand the language of art woven into the realms of literature. (Terrain: Carrying across, leaving behind, is on at Bikaner House, till July 29, 2018 ) eteran actress Shabana Azmi, who is socially Vaware about many things and an admirer of art, has said that we don t look after art in our society. Shabana Azmi was interacting with the media at the event of Odisha Triennial of International Art (OTIA) on Saturday in Mumbai. Talking about the need to nurture art, Azmi said, I think any form of art plays an important role in our society to shape a human being, to form his point of view and to make him a complete human being but we don t look after that aspect of art. We should give encouragement and patronage to arts. From school days, we should introduce different kind of art forms to children because when you get an exposure then only your imagination becomes more vibrant. Asked whether artists should also have their unions to address their issues in a united manner, she said, I think that matter should be decided by artists themselves and I can t participate in that. In our film industry, we have cine artists union, producers union and directors union, so they have to decide themselves. "Odisha will play host to what is billed as India s first private sector triennial in December-January that will see the convergence of artists from the national and international scene during the 40-day mega event. There will also be a series of seminars involving experts and scholars from the fields of films, theatre, art, music, performance and new media art. rtist Oinam Dilip is concerned that the flatness of Athe digital world may ultimately wipe out micro and folk cultures and is clutching on to his Manipuri origins through his paintings. Instead of taking to photography, he chose the brush to tell his stories and highlight the need to freely experiment with the cultural and anthropological vibrancy of the Northreast. Contending his art as a window through which he sees his state and the Northeast, Oinam says he has painted folk artists, tribals and other people from the region. He sees these works as free experiments with the real and the abstract. The current works are inspired by identity-based iconic images, the environment, and tangible cultural objects, he added. Describing some of his works, he told us, I try to encapsulate Manipur culture as the only continuity. One of my paintings depicts a female boxer as an embodiment of the sporting talent pool that is helping change the perception about our state. Another story talks about how the migration of youngsters has left the old alone and helpless. They encourage their children but hold a lot of pain beneath and are left alone with nobody to talk to or share their anxieties with. They are the last protectors of life as we know it. Oinam has adopted the realistic, portrait style in some of his works because he wanted people to easily understand his roots and inspirations. He pointed out to another such accent in his painting Virgin Lady. Said he, Earlier brides used to sport a lot of ornaments on their forehead. Traditional belief goes that the ornaments don t stay on the bride s head if she is not a virgin. With changing times, nobody follows this particular ritual. I wanted to demonstrate a societal change through this work. This is an honest internalisation of experiences. His earlier works engaged with the themes of solitude, grim sentimentalism and forbidding darkness. Next month, he is planning to take the exhibition to Manipur so that they can relate to his angst. Oinam did his graduation from College of Art, New Delhi, and has exhibited widely in Bengaluru, Muscat and Delhi.

15 C M Y K V irat Kohli feels "it doesn't matter if he doesn't score runs as long as India wins" but England pace spearhead James Anderson says the Indian captain has to be lying if he states that his individual form won't be a factor in the upcoming five-test series starting August 1. "It doesn't matter if he gets runs or not? I think he is telling lies there," Anderson said in jest when asked about Kohli's statement during an exclusive chat on Monday. In 2014, Kohli had struggled to get going and managed only 134 runs in five Tests here, one of his worst Test performances. It is a blot on his stellar career to this day, even though he scored 655 runs in five Tests against England in the home series ( ) to lead his side to a 4-0 win. At the beginning of the ongoing tour, Kohli had laughed off queries about his form, stating that he intends to enjoy his time here rather than obsess over his individual form as long as the team does well. "For India to win here, of course it matters. Virat will be desperate to score runs for his team, as you would expect from the captain and one of the best players in the world," Anderson said. The 35-year-old pacer has an outstanding record against Kohli, having dismissed him four times in six innings during the 2014 tour. Overall, in Tests, Anderson has dismissed Kohli five times going back to However, Anderson struggled during the 2016 tour of India with modest returns record double-century part- between Tamim Anership Iqbal and Shakib al Hasan paved the way as Bangladesh bounced back from their Test series drubbing with a 48-run win over West Indies in their opening one-day international on Sunday. Man-of-the-Match Tamim blasted an unbeaten 130, the highest by a Bangladeshi in ODIs against the West Indies, while Shakib weighed in with 97 a second-wicket partnership of 207. Captain Mashrafe Mortaza then led the way with the ball in taking four for 37 as the hosts were limited to 231 for nine in reply. "It was important for us to make a strong statement here after the way we played in the Tests," Mashrafe said after the victory at Guyana's National Stadium. "This ground has been a ndian pacer Jasprit Bumrah says metic- planning before an overseas tour is Iulous not just confined to cricket for him, as he also likes to explore the country he visits. "You look to enjoy the country, you look to see the place. That is how you get to know about the culture of the place and you eventually start enjoying the country. It then reflects on your performance as well," Bumrah, who will be available for selection from the second Test onwards, was quoted as saying by his IPL franchise Mumbai Indians. "Whenever I go to a new country, I always plan in advance. Before visiting the country, I have a look at a few videos. What works over there. What the home team does over there. It is very important for long tours to enjoy the country and see the places. So that's the basic thing that I look to follow," he said further. Bumrah, a key bowler for India in limited overs cricket, also did well in his debut Test series in South Africa, picking up 14 wickets in three games. Having suffered a thumb injury in the T20 series against Ireland, Bumrah was unable to take part in the following T20 and ODI series against England. Recalling his Test debut in South African, the 24-year-old said: "I always wanted to play Test cricket. I was happy when I finally got to play it in South Africa. The start also went well. I always loved Test cricket and I rate it very highly. "I enjoy playing each and every format but for me, Test cricket is at the paramount level because I feel everything is tested at that level." He is determined to prove himself in the longest format as well. "Hopefully, whenever I play more, I'll be able to do well and gain more confidence. So that will reflect on other formats as well. I don't have any personal goals. I take it one day at a time," he added. happy one for us over the years and we are looking now to clinch the series in the next match on Wednesday." West Indies were on course to seriously challenge the target with Chris Gayle and Shimron Hetmyer at the crease. However when Gayle was run out for 40 and Hetmyer fell to Mustafizur Rahman for a topscore of 52 the innings went into freefall and an entertaining unbroken last-wicket stand of 59 between Devendra Bishoo and Alzarri Joseph merely delayed the inevitable. Smarting from the annihilation endured over the two Tests, both of which ended inside three days, Bangladesh immediately found the less challenging circumstances of ODI cricket more to their liking. "For those of us who were involved in the Test series it mattered to us to come out here fighting and I am glad we did that," Tamim said. Mushfiqur Rahim also belted 30 off just 11 deliveries and made a significant difference to his side's innings in the final overs. His late assault contributed to 43 runs being taken off the last two overs the most productive ever for Bangladesh in their ODI history - off the bowling of Jason Holder and Andre Russell. For Holder it represented a turnaround from earlier in the morning, when he removed opening batsman Anamul Haque for a duck in his opening over after Mortaza chose to bat first. Tamim then found a resolute partner in Shakib as they set about the task of preventing the sort of batting capitulation that was repeatedly evident in the Test matches. Their cause was assisted considerably by sloppy West Indies catching. Tamim was missed on 17 and 20 while Shakib was let off on 15 and 85. They made the home side pay dearly for those lapses. Shakib's luck eventually ran out when three runs short of the landmark. Their partnership was the highest for any wicket in ODI's at Providence. of four wickets in three Tests. "Today, cricketers learn from not only watching match footage but also from past experiences. So I would expect a batsman of Kohli's quality to have learnt from that last series here (in 2014). "I am sure he (Kohli) is practising hard at certain aspects of his game and that will make the battle between him and not just myself, but him and the rest of our bowlers, a really exciting one," Anderson said. Kohli has scored 301 runs in six limited-overs innings on this tour at an average of India won the T20I series 2-1 and England claimed the ODIs by a similar margin. The visitng skipper's two halfcenturies in the ODI series, 75 in Nottingham and 71 in Leeds, showed he is in ominous form. When Anderson asked about it, he ith an aim to prepare WYuzvendra Chahal for the Test format, the selectors on Monday named the leg-spinner in the India A team for the two four-day matches against South Africa A, starting August 4. The selection committee meeting was held in Kolkata. Chahal, who has been an automatic choice in the limited overs format has not played any first-class cricket since December 2016 (for Haryana in Ranji Trophy), but the Indian team management and especially skipper Virat Kohli has indicated that he wants the wiry leg-spinner for five-day matches also. The first of the two games will be played in Bengaluru (August 4-7) followed by the second (August 10-13). It is widely believed that Chahal is being kept match-ready as the selectors have named senior squad for only three Test matches. "The current team management want wrist spinners in their squad. Kuldeep-Chahal combination has worked pretty well in the limited overs. However, Chahal has not played too many first-class matches (27 games, 70 wickets). "This is an ideal opportunity to replied, "No. I think, it is a really difficult one to answer because you would think that the red ball swings more or does more off the seam. But it doesn't work like that. "A batsman like Virat plays the ball so late that they have got so much time and they make you feel slow as a bowler. It is hard with white or red ball. (But) sometimes when batsmen are trying to be more attacking in white ball cricket than red ball, you might create more chances. Overall it is hard to say." With AB de Villiers retired, Steve Smith serving a year's ban and Kane Williamson enjoying some off time during New Zealand's winter, this summer promises to be a clash between two in-form batsmen, Kohli and Joe Root. Having bowled to all of the above names, Anderson was asked to pick the best batsman in world cricket at the moment. "Well I don't like bowling to any one of them to be honest," he replied, with a smile. "It is hard to pick one of them because they are all different in their own way. They have all got a lot of qualities. The thing that makes them stand out above other batsmen around the world is how they adapt to all different forms of the game. "That's what's most impressive - to not only be able to score 50 off 20 balls in a T20 but also get a 100 off 250 balls in a Test match. It takes a special batsman and special mentality to do that. So, I will sit on the fence and say these are the best batsmen in the world, and not pick one," Anderson said. test him. Even if he is not picked for last two Tests against England, selectors might try him against West Indies at home," a source close to the selection committee said. There is a school of thought that Ravindra Jadeja will be slowly eased out of the longer version if Chahal is able to show his skills in the four-day games. The talented Sanju Samson has been reinstated in the A team having passed the Yo-Yo test. The four-day team will be led by Shreyas Iyer with most of the players, who were in England for the first-class matches, being picked. Among left-arm spinners, Axar Patel will play the first game while Shahbaz Nadeem will replace him in the second. The four pacers - Rajneesh Gurbani, Mohammed Siraj, Ankit Rajpoot and Navdeep Saini are also there in the team. The batting line-up comprises Prithvi Shaw, Mayank Agarwal, Hanuma Vihari - all of whom enjoyed success in England. For the quadrangular One Day series involving South Africa A and Australia A, Shreyas and Manish Pandey have been named captains of India A and B respectively. Most of the fringe players have been selected along with IPL performers. ri Lanka on Monday completed a 2-0 STest sweep of South Africa to record their first series win over the Proteas since 2006 after Rangana Herath wreaked havoc with six wickets. The visitors were all out for 290 in the second session of day four in Colombo, 200 runs short of their highly improbable winning target of 490 on a bone-dry wicket. It was South Africa's first Test whitewash since they went down in the island nation 2-0 in a two-match series almost 12 years ago. Sri Lanka had wrapped up the first Test in Galle within three days, reducing South Africa to 73 in the second innings - their lowest Test total since readmission to international cricket. "Right through the series we didn't have that ability to score partnerships. I think we only had three partnerships of 50 and above the whole series," Faf du Plessis, South Africa's crestfallen skipper, said Monday. "But once again you have to give credit to the opposition. They were able to put us under pressure for long periods of time and therefore we made a lot of mistakes," he said. "In hindsight I think we definitely would have played a second spinner. Our thinking was on this surface that the ball would reverse (swing) but there was zero reverse swing this innings." In the second Test, Sri Lanka scored 338 in their first innings and South Africa could only respond with 124 as versatile off-spinner Akila Dananjaya made hay, taking five wickets. The hosts then scored 275 for five before declaring halfway through the afternoon session on day three, setting the visitors a highly improbable victory target. They were already five wickets down for 139 at stumps on Sunday, with Dananjaya dismissing du Plessis for seven and Herath getting Hashim Amla for six. The wickets fell despite a comedy of errors from Sri Lanka, who dropped two catches, wasted both their reviews - on successive balls - and could have had Dean Elgar out twice beforehand had Perera not overstepped. Theunis de Bruyn and Temba Bavuma kept the spinners at bay for most of the first session on Monday, putting on a valiant sixth-wicket stand of 123. Their partnership was South Africa's best ever in a fourth innings in Asia, and was by a distance their biggest of the series, the previous best having been worth only 64. De Bruyn was especially impressive, sweeping judiciously and defending doggedly on a tough surface, while Bavuma was also adept at picking gaps on the leg side and rotating the strike. Bavuma's resistance ended just after he was caught behind off left arm spinner Herath for 63. He also had wicketkeeperbatsman Quinton de Kock lbw for eight on the stroke of lunch. After lunch de Bruyn recorded his maiden century - South Africa's only one of the series - but was bowled by Herath for 101. A Sri Lankan Test cricketer has been suspended after a Norwegian woman accused his friend of raping her in a hotel room where he was present, an official said on Monday. Dhanushka Gunathilaka, 27, and his friend, who cannot be named, took two Norwegian women to the hotel where the player was staying in Colombo in the early hours of Sunday. One of the women later accused the second man, a British passport-holder of Sri Lankan origin, of raping her and police arrested him. The 26-year-old "is under arrest and we are continuing our investigations," a police official said. "A Norwegian tourist made the complaint of rape." He said there was no allegation against Gunathilaka, who is currently Sri Lanka's best-performing batsman in an ongoing tour by South Africa. However Sri Lanka Cricket on Sunday night suspended him on a "misconduct" charge, although he is allowed to play in the match that is currently taking place. The governing body's rules stipulate that during matches players must be back in their hotel rooms by midnight and cannot have guests. The cricket board will also "withheld Gunathilaka's fee for the ongoing Test match until the outcome of the inquiry," it said. C M Y K