C M Y B C M Y B C M Y B C M Y B C M Y B C M y B Truth Prevail RNI No: JKENG/2012/47637 Email: [email protected] POSTAL REGD NO- JK/485/2016-18 Internet Edition www.truthprevail.com Epaper: epaper.truthprevail.com VOL: 9 Issue: 181 JAMMU AND KASHMIR, SUNDAY, JULY 26, 2020 DAILY PAGES 12 Rs. 2/- 3 Advisor Baseer Khan reviews arrangements regarding prevention of COVID-19 5 Nadda addresses J&K BJP Office Bearers meet 12 GoI issues certificate of GI registration for the Saffron grown in Kashmir Valley IPL set to start on Sep 19, final on Nov 8, teams to leave base by Aug 20: BCCI sources Inside Inside TP Correspondent Srinagar, Jul 25 : Security forces on Saturday busted a militant hideout in south Kashmir district of Pulwama and recovered incriminating material, a police spokesman said this afternoon. He said on a tip off security forces and police conducted a joint operation at Awantipora in Pulwama and unearthed a militant hideout. He said incriminating material has been recovered. However, no arrest has been made. Militant hideout busted in Pulwama TP Correspondent JAMMU, July 25 : On 24.07.2020 at about 17:00 hrs,a police party headed by HC Abdul Hamid while per- forming patrolling duty at Muthi area stopped two per- sons who were coming on a Scooter bearing Regd No. JK02W/6026 for checking of the said vehicle. During checking of the scooter, one box containing 40 No's of JK Desi Whisky Quarters Excise 250/250( ML) got found/recovered from their possession.The bootleggers have been iden- tified as 01. Jagdeep Raj S/o Ghara Ram R/o Muthi 02. Tarseem Lal S/o Sham Lal R/o Muthi , Jammu were arrested and a case FIR No.198/2020 u/s 48-A Excise Act was registered at P/S Domana. Further inves- tigation into the case is in process. Two Bootleggers arrested with 40 Quarters of Desi Whisky by Domana Police Station, Jammu TP Correspondent JAMMU, July 25 : Today on 25-07-2020, a police party of Police Station Janipur headed by SHO Janipur Insp Naresh Sharma during Nakka checking stopped one bike having Regd No.JK02AM- 8972. During checking 08 Gm of psychotropic substance was recovered from the rider of bike identified as Sourab Sharma S/o Raj kumar R/O H.No 184 Upper Laxmi Nagar Sarwal . In this regard ,a FIR No.56/2020 u/s 8/21/22 NDPS Act stand registered at P/S Janipur .Accused was arrested on spot.And inves- tigation into the case is in process. Jammu police seeks cooperation from civil pub- lic especially youth in this drive/war against "DRUG MENANCE".For this,mobile no 9086100100 or 100 is available for the cause.Identification of informer will be kept confi- dential. 8 Gm of Heroin recovered by Distt Police Jammu, Accused Arrested Fruit & Vegetable Commission Agents Specialist In : Potato, Onion Shop No. 69, Sabji Mandi Narwal, Jammu. Ph. 2475446, 94191-93836 Jai Baba Kali Veer Ji MANOJ KUMAR & CO. FOR Computer Services Laptop Services BSNL Broadband Pan Card Passport Contact :- Rohit: Mob. 9419626826 JAMMU, JULY 25 : The Government on Saturday informed that 523 new posi- tive cases of novel Corona virus (COVID-19), 156 from Jammu division and 367 from Kashmir division, have been reported today thus taking the total number of positive cases in Jammu and Kashmir to 17305. Also 09 COVID-19 deaths have been reported; 01 from Jammu division and 08 from Kashmir Division. Moreover, 300 more COVID-19 patients have recovered and discharged from various hospitals, 41 from Jammu Division and 259 from Kashmir Division. According to the daily Media Bulletin on novel Corona virus (Covid-19), out of 17305 positive cases, 7483 are Active Positive, 9517 have recovered and 305 have died; 22 in Jammu division and 283 in Kashmir division. The Bulletin further said that out of 570508 test results available, 553203 samples have been tested as negative till July 25, 2020. Additionally, till date 350946 travelers and persons in contact with suspected cases have been enlisted for observation which included 43332 persons in home quar- antine including facilities operated by government, 12 in Hospital Quarantine, 7483 in hospital isolation and 40852 under home surveil- lance. Besides, 258962 per- sons have completed their surveillance period. Providing district-wise breakup, the Bulletin said that Bandipora has 591 positive cases (including 30 cases reported today) with 187 Active Positive, 396 recov- ered (including 09 cases recovered today) and 08 deaths; Srinagar has 3793 positive cases (including 145 cases reported today) with 2189 Active Positive, 1518 recovered (including 40 cases recovered today), 86 deaths; Anantnag district has 1151 positive cases (including 20 cases reported today) with 402 Active Positive, 728 recovered (including 07 cases recovered today), 21 deaths; Baramulla has 1758 positive cases (including 18 cases reported today) with 587 Active Positive, 1108 recov- ered (including 30 cases reported today), 63 deaths; Shopian has 1363 positive cases (including 11 cases reported today) with 457 Active Positive, 886 recov- ered and 20 deaths; Kupwara has 1018 positive cases (including 10 cases reported today) with 358 Active Positive, 644 recovered (including 37 cases recovered today) and 16 deaths; Budgam has 1040 positive cases (including 56 cases reported today) with 408 Active Positive and 611 recovered cases (including 94 cases recovered today) and 21 deaths; Ganderbal has 318 positive cases (including 09 cases reported today) with 163 active positive cases and 149 recoveries (including 08 cases recovered today) and 06 deaths; Kulgam has 1443 pos- itive cases (including 06 cases reported today) with 501 Active Positive and 916 recoveries (including 11 cases recovered today) and 26 deaths and Pulwama reported 1194 positive cases (including 62 cases reported today) with 584 active positive cases and 594 recovered (including 23 cases recovered today) and 16 deaths. Similarly, Jammu has 823 positive cases (including 66 cases reported today) with 327 active positive cases and 482 recoveries (including 10 cases recovered today) and 14 deaths; Udhampur has 388 positive cases (including 02 cases reported today) with 88 active positive cases, 299 recovered and 01 death; Samba has 364 positive cases (including 02 cases reported today) with 161 Active Positive and 202 recoveries (including 15 cases recovered today) and 01 death; Rajouri has 524 positive cases (including 16 cases reported today) with 399 active posi- tive cases and 123 recovered (including 01 case recovered today) and 02 deaths; Kathua has 460 positive cases (including 27 cases reported today) with 161 Active posi- tive and 298 recovered (including 11 cases recovered today) and 01 death; Kishtwar has 106 positive cases (including 10 cases reported today) with 72 active positive cases and 34 recovered; Ramban has 472 positive cases (including 09 cases reported today) with 232 active positive and 240 recov- eries; Reasi has 101 positive cases (including 02 cases reported today) with 56 active positive and 45 recovered; Poonch has 170 positive cases (including 04 cases reported today) with 34 active positive and 135 recoveries (including 04 cases recovered today) and 01 death while Doda has 228 positive cases (including 18 cases reported today) with 117 active positive cases and 109 recoveries and 02 deaths. According to the bulletin, of the total 17305 positive cases in J&K 3832 have been reported as travelers while 13473 as others. The Bulletin said that the breakup repre- sents districts from which the patients have been traced or are ordinarily residing. The bulletin has informed the people that, the best way to protect themselves from COVID-19 is by maintaining physical distance of at least 2 metre from others, frequently cleaning hands with an alco- hol based hand sanitizer or washing them with soap and water and following good res- piratory etiquette and hygiene. As a measure for social distancing in public places and workplaces wear- ing a face cover is compulso- ry. The bulletin again explained that early detection of COVID-19 can prevent the spread of disease so we need to be responsible for the well- being of ourselves and every- one around us. “Not disclos- ing symptoms could put life of individuals and their fami- lies at risk. In case of symp- toms like fever, cough and difficulty in breathing report early. Do not fear, call COVID-19 helpline numbers and seek medical advice”. Advisory has further exhorted upon the people not to step out of home, unless absolutely necessary. “If you have to move out for unavoid- able reasons, ensure that you wear a mask and practice social distancing, personal hygiene and frequent hand- washing with soap and water.” In case of any emergency people can avail free ambu- lance services 24x7 at their doorsteps by calling on toll- free number 108 while as pregnant women and sick infants can avail free ambu- lance services by dialling toll- free number 102. People can also call on toll-free national helpline number 1075; J&K COVID- 19 Helpline Numbers 0191- 2549676 (UT level Cell), 0191-2520982, 0191- 2674444, 0191-2674115 (For Jammu Division), 0194- 2440283 & 0194-2430581 (For Kashmir Division) for support, guidance, and response to health-related queries on Novel Corona virus Disease (COVID-19). Public is advised to strictly follow the advisories issued by the government from time to time and rely only on the information released by the government through the daily media bulletin to print and electronic media. People are also advised to refrain from spreading rumours and pay no heed to them at the same time. Srinagar, Jul 25 : The services of 108 Junior Scale Kashmir Administrative Service (KAS) probationers have been placed at the disposal of Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (RD&PR) in the Union Territory (UT) of Jammu and Kashmir, an official spokesman said. He said an order was issued on Friday by Manoj Kumar Dwivedi, Commissioner-Secretary to the Government that in the interest of administration, the services of 108 Junior Scale KAS Probationers, who are undergoing train- ing at J&K Institute of Management, Public Administration and Rural Development are hereby placed at the disposal of the Department of Rural Development & Panchayati Raj, for their further posting as Block Development Officers (BDOs). The order further said that the Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj shall ensure that these Probationers are posted in smaller blocks, utilizing experienced offi- cers in larger blocks and they shall be posted imme- diately and they shall nei- ther be attached nor kept waiting for posting in any manner. It shall be ensured that the posting orders are strictly complied with and if it is considered necessary to modify a transfer order under some compelling cir- cumstances, it should be done only after obtaining the approval of GAD for which sufficient justifica- tion shall be conveyed in advance; and the formal classroom training of the Probationers shall recom- mence from May Ist, 2021. He said there the 108 posts of Junior Scale of KAS are hereby transferred to the Department of Rural Development & Panchayati Raj, for the pur- pose of drawal of salary of these Probationers. New Delhi, July 25 : A day after the face-off with Governor Kalraj Mishra over convening of a special Assembly session, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, here on Saturday, said he would foil the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) plan of toppling the state government and even "go to the President, if required". Addressing the MLAs at Fairmont Hotel, Gehlot said if required we would stay in the hotel for 21 more days. The MLAs hailed the Chief Minister by raising their hands. The legislators are camping at the hotel to block any attempt of poaching. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his camp are racing against time to answer the six posers by Governor Kalraj Mishra, who consulted with legal experts on Friday on the cab- inet's four-line resolution to call a session. After a marathon meeting of the cabinet last night, Gehlot has called another meeting today to send a request and recommendation to the Governor about calling a session. The trickiest clarification the Governor has sought per- tains to why the Chief Minister wants to call a ses- sion to prove majority when he has the majority already. The governor's import in the question is that no one was asking the government to prove majority, so why should there be a rush. The Chief Minister says he needs to end the political uncertainty created by the rebellion of 19 MLAs, including Sachin Pilot, and that some rebels want to come back but are being held captive in Haryana by the rul- ing BJP. Chief Minister Gehlot feels a floor test will clear everything and will secure the government for six months. Another poser by the Governor is - what's your agenda for the session and what's the date from which you want it? The state cabinet note doesn't mention either. Jammu districts under weekend lockdown Jammu : Amid rising cases and Covid-related deaths, a majority of the dis- tricts in the Jammu region came under the weekend lockdown on 2nd day, restricting the movement of people and operation of all non-essential establishments. The UT administration has already imposed a six-day complete lockdown across Kashmir Valley, except for Bandipora district, following a spike in the number of cases in the past three weeks. Police personnel, assisted by paramilitary jawans, were deployed across the different parts of the region to strictly enforce the lockdown. Police vans were spotted announcing lockdown and telling people to adhere to the guidelines strictly. According to the official statistics, the UT has recorded over 4,000 fresh cases, while 65 patients lost their battle against the deadly virus dur- ing the past one week. According to an order issued by District Magistrate Sushma Chauhan, “There shall be a complete restriction on the movement of individu- als, vehicles and all activities within the entire jurisdiction of Jammu district, except emergency medical services, from 6 pm on all Fridays till 6 am on all Mondays.” Similarly, District Magistrate Udhampur tweet- ed, “From 10 pm today to Monday morning, there is weekend lockdown. Adhere to all instructions issued in public interest. No restric- tion/bar on any kind of gov- ernment construction and related activities.” JAMMU, JULY 25 : A Sweets workshop with unhy- gienic conditions was sealed by the enforcement team of Food Safety department, here at Talab Tillo On the basis of a specific complaint, the team, under the supervision of Designated Officer, Dr. Parvesh Kumar, conducted surprise inspection in the area and the erring owner of the workshop at Panjpeer Gole Puli was found making sweets under unhygienic conditions and without any Food license as mandated under FSS Act 2006 & Regulations made there under. The Designated Officer sealed the premises of manu- facturing and lifted two statu- tory samples of sweats for analysis in the Public Health Laboratory. Around 280 KG sweets were destroyed on the spot to avoid its human con- sumption. Further, one sam- ple of carbonated water (Campa Brand) was also lift- ed during the inspection. The Food & Drugs Administration has directed the enforcement staff to take cognizance of all Food Business Operators carrying out their business without Food License Registration which is punishable offence under the provisions of the Food Safety &Standards Act, 2006 and the regula- tions made there under. The Food Business Operators are also advised to comply with the mandatory provisions of Food Law to avoid any legal action which includes imprisonment up to 6 months and fine upto Rs. 5 Lakhs. New Delhi, July 25 : India has gradually ramped- up its testing capacity for COVID-19 and conducted over 4.20 lakh tests in a day- --the highest ever---the Union Health Ministry said Saturday, crediting the increase in number of labs for the achievement. India had only one lab for testing samples for the dis- ease in January but it has now increased the number to 1,301, including private labs. The Health Ministry said revised guidelines by ICMR and all-round efforts by states also aided in wide- spread testing. Till Friday, a total of 1,58,49,068 tests for COVID-19 had been done in the country. India did 3.50 lakh tests every day over the last one week, the ministry said. With 4,20,898 samples tested in the past 24 hours, it added, the Tests Per Million (TPM) has increased to 11,485 and continue to main- tain an upward trend. "The Union government has advised all state and UT governments to keep up the strategy of 'Test, Track and Treat' with aggressive testing which may lead to higher number of daily positive cases initially but would eventually achieve a decline as has been demonstrated after the central govern- ment's targeted efforts in the NCT of Delhi," the ministry said in a statement. With increased testing of samples for COVID-19, the fatality rate has significantly dropped to 2.35 per cent on Saturday and the recovery rate has surged to 63.54 per cent. "India has one of the low- est fatality rates in the world," the health ministry said. The downward trend in fatality rate means the col- lective efforts of the Centre and state and UT govern- ments have checked the mor- tality due to COVID-19, it stated. A total of 8,49,431 COVID-19 patients have recovered. The recoveries exceed the active cases by 3,93,360. However, with 48,916 fresh cases, India's COVID- 19 tally zoomed past 13 lakh on Saturday, just two days after it crossed the 12-lakh mark, while the death toll mounted to 31,358, the min- istry said. India's COVID-19 tally soars to 13,36,861 with 48,916 fresh cases; death toll now 31,358 India's COVID-19 tally zoomed past 13 lakhs on Saturday, just two days after it crossed the 12 lakh mark, while the recoveries mounted to 8,49,431, according to the Union Health Ministry. With 48,916 fresh cases, the country's coronavirus infection tally surged to 13,36,861, while the death toll rose to 31,358 with 757 more people succumbing to the disease in the last 24 hours, data updated by the ministry at 8 am showed. There are currently 4,56,071 active cases of COVID-19 in the country. Thus, around 63.54 per cent people have recovered so far. The total number of con- firmed cases includes for- eigners. This is the third consecu- tive day when COVID-19 cases increased by more than 45,000. Of the 757 deaths report- ed, 278 were from Maharashtra, 108 from Karnataka, 88 from Tamil Nadu, 59 from Uttar Pradesh, 49 from Andhra Pradesh, 35 from West Bengal, 32 from Delhi, 26 from Gujarat, 14 from Jammu and Kashmir, 11 from Madhya Pradesh and eight each from Rajasthan and Telangana. Assam, Chhattisgarh and Odisha have reported six fatalities each, followed by Punjab five deaths, Kerala and Haryana four each, Bihar and Jharkhand three each, and Puducherry, Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland one fatality each. COVID-19 : JK reports 523 new positive cases, 9517 recovered so far 108 Junior scale KAS probationers places at disposal of RD&PR Ready to approach President, if required: Rajasthan CM Gehlot Sweets workshop with unhygienic conditions sealed India’s COVID-19 testing hits record high of 4.20 lakh samples a day Jammu, July 25 : National Conference presi- dent and former Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah on Saturday dispelled all specu- lations that he was talking to Delhi, saying “I haven’t met anyone”, and that his visit was personal. A three-day visit of Farooq Abdullah to Delhi sparked off a whirlpool of speculations that he might have met some leaders to address the issue of the polit- ical vacuum in Jammu and Kashmir. These speculations were connected to the politi- cal suggestion of Apni Party chief Altaf Bukhari at a press conference in Jammu on Friday that J&K’s statehood should be restored and elec- tions be held without delimi- tation. These dots further fuelled the speculation when senior Congress leader and leader of the opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad met the Prime Minister yesterday. On being asked about all these speculations on phone, Farooq Abdullah told The Tribune, “I haven’t met any- one (in Delhi)”, and emphati- cally added: “I don’t want to meet any one”, suggesting that he had no communica- tion with anyone in the estab- lishment in Delhi. Farooq Abdullah, who was released after more than seven-month detention under PSA since August 5 when the special status of J&K was done away with and the state split into two union territo- ries, has reiterated that the state and its special status should be restored forthwith. He had made these state- ments in public to show to the party cadre and the peo- ple of Kashmir, “deeply attached to the state and the special status” that neither he, nor his party, is going to make any compromise on this sensitive issue. National Conference is regarded as an architect of Article 370 after Maharaja Hari Singh acceded the state to India in October 1947. In many political circles, it is believed that Farooq can help resolve the issues because of his political stature at the national level and experience in politics of decades. Farooq Abdullah dispels speculations, says ‘haven’t met anyone in Delhi’ Photo by - Bikas Bhagat
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Truth PrevailRNI No:JKENG/2012/47637
Email:[email protected]
POSTAL REGD NO-JK/485/2016-18
Internet Editionwww.truthprevail.com
Epaper:epaper.truthprevail.com
VOL: 9 Issue: 181 JAMMU AND KASHMIR, SUNDAY, JULY 26, 2020 DAILY PAGES 12 Rs. 2/-
3Advisor Baseer Khan reviews arrangementsregarding prevention of COVID-19
5Nadda addresses J&K BJP OfficeBearers meet
12GoI issues certificate of GI registration forthe Saffron grown in Kashmir Valley
IPL set to start on Sep 19, final on Nov 8, teamsto leave base by Aug 20: BCCI sources
InsideInside
TP CorrespondentSrinagar, Jul 25 :
Security forces on Saturdaybusted a militant hideout insouth Kashmir district ofPulwama and recoveredincriminating material, apolice spokesman said thisafternoon. He said on a tipoff security forces andpolice conducted a jointoperation at Awantipora inPulwama and unearthed amilitant hideout. He saidincriminating material hasbeen recovered. However,no arrest has been made.
Militant hideout
busted in Pulwama
TP CorrespondentJAMMU, July 25 : On
24.07.2020 at about 17:00hrs,a police party headed byHC Abdul Hamid while per-forming patrolling duty atMuthi area stopped two per-sons who were coming on aScooter bearing Regd No.JK02W/6026 for checkingof the said vehicle.
During checking of thescooter, one box containing40 No's of JK Desi WhiskyQuarters Excise 250/250(ML) got found/recoveredfrom their possession.Thebootleggers have been iden-tified as
01. Jagdeep Raj S/oGhara Ram R/o Muthi
02. Tarseem Lal S/oSham Lal R/o Muthi ,Jammu
were arrested and a caseFIR No.198/2020 u/s 48-AExcise Act was registered atP/S Domana. Further inves-tigation into the case is inprocess.
Two Bootleggers
arrested with 40
Quarters of Desi
Whisky by Domana
Police Station,
Jammu
TP CorrespondentJAMMU, July 25 :
Today on 25-07-2020, apolice party of PoliceStation Janipur headed bySHO Janipur Insp NareshSharma during Nakkachecking stopped one bikehaving Regd No.JK02AM-8972.
During checking 08 Gmof psychotropic substancewas recovered from the riderof bike identified as SourabSharma
S/o Raj kumar R/OH.No 184 Upper LaxmiNagar Sarwal .
In this regard ,a FIRNo.56/2020 u/s 8/21/22NDPS Act stand registeredat P/S Janipur .Accused wasarrested on spot.And inves-tigation into the case is inprocess.
Jammu police seekscooperation from civil pub-lic especially youth in thisdrive/war against "DRUGM E N A N C E " . F o rthis,mobile no 9086100100or 100 is available for thecause.Identification ofinformer will be kept confi-dential.
8 Gm of Heroin
recovered by Distt
Police Jammu,
Accused Arrested
Fruit & Vegetable
Commission Agents
Specialist In : Potato, Onion
Shop No. 69, Sabji
Mandi Narwal, Jammu.
Ph. 2475446, 94191-93836
Jai Baba Kali Veer Ji
MANOJ KUMAR & CO.
FORComputer Services
Laptop Services
BSNL Broadband
Pan Card
Passport
Contact :-
Rohit:Mob. 9419626826
JAMMU, JULY 25 : TheGovernment on Saturdayinformed that 523 new posi-tive cases of novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), 156 fromJammu division and 367 fromKashmir division, have beenreported today thus taking thetotal number of positive casesin Jammu and Kashmir to17305. Also 09 COVID-19deaths have been reported; 01from Jammu division and 08from Kashmir Division.
Moreover, 300 moreCOVID-19 patients haverecovered and dischargedfrom various hospitals, 41from Jammu Division and259 from Kashmir Division.
According to the dailyMedia Bulletin on novelCorona virus (Covid-19), outof 17305 positive cases, 7483are Active Positive, 9517 haverecovered and 305 have died;22 in Jammu division and 283in Kashmir division.
The Bulletin further saidthat out of 570508 test resultsavailable, 553203 sampleshave been tested as negativetill July 25, 2020.
Additionally, till date350946 travelers and persons
in contact with suspectedcases have been enlisted forobservation which included43332 persons in home quar-antine including facilitiesoperated by government, 12in Hospital Quarantine, 7483in hospital isolation and40852 under home surveil-lance. Besides, 258962 per-sons have completed theirsurveillance period.
Providing district-wisebreakup, the Bulletin said thatBandipora has 591 positivecases (including 30 casesreported today) with 187Active Positive, 396 recov-ered (including 09 casesrecovered today) and 08deaths; Srinagar has 3793positive cases (including 145cases reported today) with2189 Active Positive, 1518recovered (including 40 casesrecovered today), 86 deaths;Anantnag district has 1151positive cases (including 20cases reported today) with402 Active Positive, 728recovered (including 07 casesrecovered today), 21 deaths;Baramulla has 1758 positivecases (including 18 casesreported today) with 587
Active Positive, 1108 recov-ered (including 30 casesreported today), 63 deaths;Shopian has 1363 positivecases (including 11 casesreported today) with 457Active Positive, 886 recov-ered and 20 deaths; Kupwarahas 1018 positive cases(including 10 cases reportedtoday) with 358 ActivePositive, 644 recovered(including 37 cases recoveredtoday) and 16 deaths;Budgam has 1040 positivecases (including 56 casesreported today) with 408Active Positive and 611recovered cases (including 94cases recovered today) and 21deaths; Ganderbal has 318positive cases (including 09cases reported today) with163 active positive cases and149 recoveries (including 08cases recovered today) and 06deaths; Kulgam has 1443 pos-itive cases (including 06 casesreported today) with 501Active Positive and 916recoveries (including 11 casesrecovered today) and 26deaths and Pulwama reported1194 positive cases (including62 cases reported today) with
584 active positive cases and594 recovered (including 23cases recovered today) and 16deaths.
Similarly, Jammu has 823positive cases (including 66cases reported today) with327 active positive cases and482 recoveries (including 10cases recovered today) and 14deaths; Udhampur has 388positive cases (including 02cases reported today) with88 active positive cases, 299recovered and 01 death;Samba has 364 positive cases(including 02 cases reportedtoday) with 161 ActivePositive and 202 recoveries(including 15 cases recoveredtoday) and 01 death; Rajourihas 524 positive cases(including 16 cases reportedtoday) with 399 active posi-tive cases and 123 recovered(including 01 case recoveredtoday) and 02 deaths; Kathuahas 460 positive cases(including 27 cases reportedtoday) with 161 Active posi-tive and 298 recovered(including 11 cases recoveredtoday) and 01 death; Kishtwarhas 106 positive cases(including 10 cases reported
today) with 72 active positivecases and 34 recovered;Ramban has 472 positivecases (including 09 casesreported today) with 232active positive and 240 recov-eries; Reasi has 101 positivecases (including 02 casesreported today) with 56 activepositive and 45 recovered;Poonch has 170 positive cases(including 04 cases reportedtoday) with 34 active positiveand 135 recoveries (including04 cases recovered today) and01 death while Doda has 228positive cases (including 18cases reported today) with117 active positive cases and109 recoveries and 02 deaths.
According to the bulletin,of the total 17305 positivecases in J&K 3832 have beenreported as travelers while13473 as others. The Bulletinsaid that the breakup repre-sents districts from which thepatients have been traced orare ordinarily residing.
The bulletin has informedthe people that, the best wayto protect themselves fromCOVID-19 is by maintainingphysical distance of at least 2metre from others, frequently
cleaning hands with an alco-hol based hand sanitizer orwashing them with soap andwater and following good res-piratory etiquette andhygiene. As a measure forsocial distancing in publicplaces and workplaces wear-ing a face cover is compulso-ry. The bulletin againexplained that early detectionof COVID-19 can prevent thespread of disease so we needto be responsible for the well-being of ourselves and every-one around us. “Not disclos-ing symptoms could put lifeof individuals and their fami-lies at risk. In case of symp-toms like fever, cough anddifficulty in breathing reportearly. Do not fear, callCOVID-19 helpline numbersand seek medical advice”.
Advisory has furtherexhorted upon the people notto step out of home, unlessabsolutely necessary. “If youhave to move out for unavoid-able reasons, ensure that youwear a mask and practicesocial distancing, personalhygiene and frequent hand-washing with soap andwater.”
In case of any emergencypeople can avail free ambu-lance services 24x7 at theirdoorsteps by calling on toll-free number 108 while aspregnant women and sickinfants can avail free ambu-lance services by dialling toll-free number 102.
People can also call ontoll-free national helplinenumber 1075; J&K COVID-19 Helpline Numbers 0191-2549676 (UT level Cell),0191-2520982, 0191-2674444, 0191-2674115 (ForJammu Division), 0194-2440283 & 0194-2430581(For Kashmir Division) forsupport, guidance, andresponse to health-relatedqueries on Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19).
Public is advised to strictlyfollow the advisories issuedby the government from timeto time and rely only on theinformation released by thegovernment through the dailymedia bulletin to print andelectronic media.
People are also advised torefrain from spreadingrumours and pay no heed tothem at the same time.
Srinagar, Jul 25 : Theservices of 108 JuniorScale KashmirAdministrative Service(KAS) probationers havebeen placed at the disposalof Department of RuralDevelopment andPanchayati Raj (RD&PR)in the Union Territory (UT)of Jammu and Kashmir, anofficial spokesman said.
He said an order wasissued on Friday by ManojKumar Dwivedi,Commissioner-Secretary tothe Government that in theinterest of administration,the services of 108 JuniorScale KAS Probationers,who are undergoing train-ing at J&K Institute ofManagement, PublicAdministration and RuralDevelopment are herebyplaced at the disposal of theDepartment of RuralDevelopment &Panchayati Raj, for theirfurther posting as BlockDevelopment Officers(BDOs).
The order further saidthat the Department of
Rural Development andPanchayati Raj shall ensurethat these Probationers areposted in smaller blocks,utilizing experienced offi-cers in larger blocks andthey shall be posted imme-diately and they shall nei-ther be attached nor keptwaiting for posting in anymanner.
It shall be ensured thatthe posting orders arestrictly complied with andif it is considered necessaryto modify a transfer orderunder some compelling cir-cumstances, it should bedone only after obtainingthe approval of GAD forwhich sufficient justifica-tion shall be conveyed inadvance; and the formalclassroom training of theProbationers shall recom-mence from May Ist, 2021.
He said there the 108posts of Junior Scale ofKAS are hereby transferredto the Department of RuralDevelopment &Panchayati Raj, for the pur-pose of drawal of salary ofthese Probationers.
New Delhi, July 25 : Aday after the face-off withGovernor Kalraj Mishra overconvening of a specialAssembly session, RajasthanChief Minister Ashok Gehlot,here on Saturday, said hewould foil the BharatiyaJanata Party's (BJP) plan oftoppling the state governmentand even "go to the President,if required".
Addressing the MLAs atFairmont Hotel, Gehlot saidif required we would stay inthe hotel for 21 more days.The MLAs hailed the ChiefMinister by raising theirhands. The legislators arecamping at the hotel to blockany attempt of poaching.
Meanwhile, ChiefMinister Ashok Gehlot andhis camp are racing againsttime to answer the six posersby Governor Kalraj Mishra,who consulted with legalexperts on Friday on the cab-inet's four-line resolution tocall a session.
After a marathon meetingof the cabinet last night,Gehlot has called anothermeeting today to send a
request and recommendationto the Governor about callinga session.
The trickiest clarificationthe Governor has sought per-tains to why the ChiefMinister wants to call a ses-sion to prove majority whenhe has the majority already.The governor's import in thequestion is that no one wasasking the government toprove majority, so whyshould there be a rush.
The Chief Minister sayshe needs to end the politicaluncertainty created by therebellion of 19 MLAs,including Sachin Pilot, andthat some rebels want tocome back but are being heldcaptive in Haryana by the rul-ing BJP.
Chief Minister Gehlotfeels a floor test will cleareverything and will securethe government for sixmonths.
Another poser by theGovernor is - what's youragenda for the session andwhat's the date from whichyou want it? The state cabinetnote doesn't mention either.
Jammu districts under weekend lockdown
Jammu : Amid risingcases and Covid-relateddeaths, a majority of the dis-tricts in the Jammu regioncame under the weekendlockdown on 2nd day,restricting the movement ofpeople and operation of allnon-essential establishments.
The UT administration hasalready imposed a six-daycomplete lockdown acrossKashmir Valley, except for
Bandipora district, followinga spike in the number of casesin the past three weeks.
Police personnel, assistedby paramilitary jawans, weredeployed across the differentparts of the region to strictlyenforce the lockdown. Policevans were spotted announcinglockdown and telling peopleto adhere to the guidelinesstrictly.
According to the official
statistics, the UT has recordedover 4,000 fresh cases, while65 patients lost their battleagainst the deadly virus dur-ing the past one week.
According to an orderissued by District MagistrateSushma Chauhan, “Thereshall be a complete restrictionon the movement of individu-als, vehicles and all activitieswithin the entire jurisdictionof Jammu district, except
emergency medical services,from 6 pm on all Fridays till 6am on all Mondays.”
Similarly, DistrictMagistrate Udhampur tweet-ed, “From 10 pm today toMonday morning, there isweekend lockdown. Adhereto all instructions issued inpublic interest. No restric-tion/bar on any kind of gov-ernment construction andrelated activities.”
JAMMU, JULY 25 : ASweets workshop with unhy-gienic conditions was sealedby the enforcement team ofFood Safety department, hereat Talab Tillo
On the basis of a specificcomplaint, the team, underthe supervision of DesignatedOfficer, Dr. Parvesh Kumar,conducted surprise inspectionin the area and the erringowner of the workshop atPanjpeer Gole Puli wasfound making sweets underunhygienic conditions andwithout any Food license asmandated under FSS Act2006 & Regulations madethere under.
The Designated Officersealed the premises of manu-
facturing and lifted two statu-tory samples of sweats foranalysis in the Public Health
Laboratory. Around 280 KGsweets were destroyed on thespot to avoid its human con-sumption. Further, one sam-ple of carbonated water(Campa Brand) was also lift-ed during the inspection.
The Food & DrugsAdministration has directed
the enforcement staff to takecognizance of all FoodBusiness Operators carrying
out their businesswithout FoodLicense Registrationwhich is punishableoffence under theprovisions of theFood Safety&Standards Act,2006 and the regula-tions made there
under.The Food Business
Operators are also advised tocomply with the mandatoryprovisions of Food Law toavoid any legal action whichincludes imprisonment up to6 months and fine upto Rs. 5Lakhs.
New Delhi, July 25 :India has gradually ramped-up its testing capacity forCOVID-19 and conductedover 4.20 lakh tests in a day---the highest ever---theUnion Health Ministry saidSaturday, crediting theincrease in number of labsfor the achievement.
India had only one lab fortesting samples for the dis-ease in January but it hasnow increased the number to1,301, including private labs.The Health Ministry saidrevised guidelines by ICMRand all-round efforts bystates also aided in wide-spread testing.
Till Friday, a total of1,58,49,068 tests forCOVID-19 had been done inthe country.
India did 3.50 lakh testsevery day over the last oneweek, the ministry said.
With 4,20,898 samplestested in the past 24 hours, itadded, the Tests Per Million(TPM) has increased to11,485 and continue to main-tain an upward trend.
"The Union governmenthas advised all state and UTgovernments to keep up thestrategy of 'Test, Track andTreat' with aggressive testingwhich may lead to highernumber of daily positivecases initially but wouldeventually achieve a declineas has been demonstratedafter the central govern-ment's targeted efforts in theNCT of Delhi," the ministrysaid in a statement.
With increased testing ofsamples for COVID-19, thefatality rate has significantlydropped to 2.35 per cent onSaturday and the recoveryrate has surged to 63.54 percent.
"India has one of the low-est fatality rates in theworld," the health ministrysaid.
The downward trend infatality rate means the col-lective efforts of the Centreand state and UT govern-
ments have checked the mor-tality due to COVID-19, itstated.
A total of 8,49,431
COVID-19 patients haverecovered.
The recoveries exceed theactive cases by 3,93,360.
However, with 48,916fresh cases, India's COVID-19 tally zoomed past 13 lakhon Saturday, just two days
after it crossed the 12-lakhmark, while the death tollmounted to 31,358, the min-istry said.
India's COVID-19 tallysoars to 13,36,861 with48,916 fresh cases; death tollnow 31,358
India's COVID-19 tallyzoomed past 13 lakhs onSaturday, just two days afterit crossed the 12 lakh mark,while the recoveries mountedto 8,49,431, according to theUnion Health Ministry.
With 48,916 fresh cases,the country's coronavirusinfection tally surged to13,36,861, while the deathtoll rose to 31,358 with 757more people succumbing tothe disease in the last 24hours, data updated by theministry at 8 am showed.
There are currently4,56,071 active cases ofCOVID-19 in the country.
Thus, around 63.54 percent people have recoveredso far.
The total number of con-
firmed cases includes for-eigners.
This is the third consecu-tive day when COVID-19cases increased by more than45,000.
Of the 757 deaths report-ed, 278 were fromMaharashtra, 108 fromKarnataka, 88 from TamilNadu, 59 from Uttar Pradesh,49 from Andhra Pradesh, 35from West Bengal, 32 fromDelhi, 26 from Gujarat, 14from Jammu and Kashmir,11 from Madhya Pradesh andeight each from Rajasthanand Telangana.
Assam, Chhattisgarh andOdisha have reported sixfatalities each, followed byPunjab five deaths, Keralaand Haryana four each, Biharand Jharkhand three each,and Puducherry, Tripura,Meghalaya and Nagalandone fatality each.
COVID-19 : JK reports 523 new positive cases, 9517 recovered so far
108 Junior scale KAS probationersplaces at disposal of RD&PR
Ready to approach President, ifrequired: Rajasthan CM Gehlot
Sweets workshop with unhygienicconditions sealed
India’s COVID-19 testing hits record high of 4.20 lakh samples a day
Jammu, July 25 :National Conference presi-dent and former ChiefMinister Farooq Abdullah onSaturday dispelled all specu-lations that he was talking toDelhi, saying “I haven’t metanyone”, and that his visitwas personal. A three-dayvisit of Farooq Abdullah toDelhi sparked off a whirlpoolof speculations that he mighthave met some leaders toaddress the issue of the polit-ical vacuum in Jammu andKashmir. These speculationswere connected to the politi-cal suggestion of Apni Partychief Altaf Bukhari at a pressconference in Jammu onFriday that J&K’s statehoodshould be restored and elec-tions be held without delimi-tation. These dots furtherfuelled the speculation whensenior Congress leader andleader of the opposition inRajya Sabha Ghulam NabiAzad met the Prime Ministeryesterday.
On being asked about allthese speculations on phone,Farooq Abdullah told The
Tribune, “I haven’t met any-one (in Delhi)”, and emphati-cally added: “I don’t want tomeet any one”, suggestingthat he had no communica-tion with anyone in the estab-lishment in Delhi.
Farooq Abdullah, who
was released after more thanseven-month detention underPSA since August 5 when thespecial status of J&K wasdone away with and the statesplit into two union territo-ries, has reiterated that thestate and its special statusshould be restored forthwith.
He had made these state-ments in public to show to
the party cadre and the peo-ple of Kashmir, “deeplyattached to the state and thespecial status” that neitherhe, nor his party, is going tomake any compromise onthis sensitive issue.
National Conference is
regarded as an architect ofArticle 370 after MaharajaHari Singh acceded the stateto India in October 1947.
In many political circles,it is believed that Farooq canhelp resolve the issuesbecause of his politicalstature at the national leveland experience in politics ofdecades.
Farooq Abdullah dispels speculations,says ‘haven’t met anyone in Delhi’
Photo by - Bikas Bhagat
Ladakh Lt Guv holds discussions with SonamWangchuk on preserving pollution-free Ladakh
Jammu, July 25 : In whatis seen as a determined effortin preserving the pollution-free environment and buildingfuture of the region, LadakhLt Governor RK Mathur helddiscussions with world-renowned and MagsaysayAward winner native of theplace, Sonam Wangchuk, onFriday evening.
Sonam Wangchuk, whoinspired "3 Idiots" movie, isalso known as the iceman ofLadakh. He has built iceStupas and created artificialglaciers.
Wangchuk shared his ideaswith the Lt Governor aboutwhat is called 'Future Ladakh'.
Ladakhis, particularlythose living in Leh district ofthe trans-Himalayan regionrich in glaciers and rivers,have always been sensitiveabout the preservation of theirenvironment and cautiousabout the impact of the pollu-tion-injecting things.
Their sensitivities have
gone up further ever sinceLadakh became a UnionTerritory on October 31 last
year.The UT came up with the
promise of industrial develop-ment and enhanced energy-generating mechanisms inLadakh, which madeLadakhis wary about the con-sequences of these develop-ments. They had also urged
the Centre to ensure the envi-ronment of Ladakh was freefrom all sorts of pollution.
The ideas were exchangedbetween Mathur andWangchuk on keepingLadakh free of pollution andat the same time, not losingthe development with theirfocus being on clean energy.
"During the interaction,the Ladakh government's
spokesperson said: "Bestpractices of energy utilisationin Ladakh and the prospectsof building future Ladakhusing the traditional wisdomof energy saving in tandemwith technological advancesin energy management."
They also discussed issuesrelated to water resources andthe education system inLadakh.
SRINAGAR, JULY 25 :The Enforcement Wing ofLakes and WaterwaysDevelopment Authority(LAWDA) today demolishedtwo illegal constructionsincluding on concrete hut anda plinth with some concreteblock bricks over it, in the uphills of the Dossari NallahBonigam Shalimar.
These illegal structureswere raised in brazen viola-tion of the laws as the viola-tors had not even bothered toseek any “No ObjectionCertificate” from the con-cerned Departments.
Also one more illegal con-struction of a single storeyhouse going on at LashkariMohalla NFR was immedi-ately demolished on spot.
LAWDA demolishesillegal constructions
including concrete hut
BANDIPORA, JULY 25: The Deputy Commissioner,Bandipora, Dr Owais Ahmadtoday inspected ongoingworks at District HospitalComplex here.
The DC took stock of var-ious ongoing works of thecomplex including landscapeand fencing works being car-ried out around the hospitalpremise.He urged the execut-ing agency to complete thepending works as soon aspossible so that the hospital ismade functional to the gener-al public.The DeputyCommissioner also visiteddifferent wards of the hospi-tal including OPD, Operationtheatre, IPD, pediatric sectionand took stock of all thearrangements and other facil-ities. During the visit, the DCwas accompanied byExecutive Engineer HousingBoard, CMO Bandipora andothers concerned.
DC B’pora inspects ongoing works at District
Hospital Complex
Jammu, July 25 :Authorities are worried ascoronavirus has spread to themost remote areas of Jammuand Kashmir.
COVID-19 infec-tions were reportedon Saturday from theremotest Chatrooarea of the mountain-ous Kishtwar district.
"09 personsreported COVID-19positive today. 08 arein administrativequarantine & 01 isshopkeeper fromChatroo area.Wearing face maskand maintainingsocial distancing willkeep COVID-19infections at bay. Plzu n d e r s t a n d " ,Rajinder Singh Tara,D e p u t yC o m m i s s i o n e r ,Kishtwar tweeted.
The authorities are worriedbecause cases that have beenreported are considered as'inaccessible' due to theunavailability of road connec-tivity.
For the last week, reportsof COVID positive caseswere reported from theremotest areas of hilly belts of
Ramban, Rajouri, Doda andKishtwar districts of Jammuprovince.
On July 20, DistrictCommissioner, Ramban,
Nazim Zai Khan had imposeda lockdown like restrictions intehsil Pogal Paristan Ukharalfollowing the detection ofCorona positive cases there.
These areas are theremotest and inaccessiblebelts of the district.
Ramban reported 90 posi-tive COVID-19 cases on July20.
"Several cases now com-ing from #community and#preventive measures becomemore and more important.#stayhome #avoid travel",
said Deputy CommissionerRamban in a tweet after asurge of cases.
The same situation at theborder district of Rajouriwhere positive cases reportedfrom the remotest areas likeKandi, Budhal, Thanamandi,Ghambir Mugla and someborder areas of Nowshera andSunderbani sub-divisions.
J&K authorities grow worried as coronavirusspreads in ‘inaccessible’ areas
TRUTH PREVAILJAMMU SUNDAY JULY 26, 20202 SPECIAL
DC B’pora inspects ongoing works atDistrict Hospital Complex
BANDIPORA, JULY 25: The Deputy Commissioner,Bandipora, Dr Owais Ahmadtoday inspected ongoingworks at District HospitalComplex here.
The DC took stock of var-ious ongoing works of thecomplex including landscapeand fencing works being car-ried out around the hospitalpremise.
He urged the executingagency to complete the pend-ing works as soon as possibleso that the hospital is madefunctional to the general pub-lic.
The DeputyCommissioner also visiteddifferent wards of the hospitalincluding OPD, Operationtheatre, IPD, pediatric sectionand took stock of all thearrangements and other facili-
ties.During the visit, the DC
was accompanied byExecutive Engineer Housing
Board, CMO Bandipora andothers concerned.
'TUNNEL BREAKING CEREMONY' MARKS COMPLETION OF TUNNEL CAVING WORK ATWDFC'S 1 KM LONG TUNNEL THROUGH THE ARAVALLIS NEAR SOHNA IN HARYANANew Delhi : This will be
world first electrified Railtunnel fit to run double stackcontainers. This work of tun-nel has been completed inrecord less than a year time.Work started on this site in2019. The last blasting of thetunnel which is situated on theRewari-Dadri section hasbeen done today dated24/07/2020.
Geologically this tunnel issafe and stable as it is cavedthrough 2500 to 500 millionyear old Proterozoic Rocksmainly Quartzite, Schists andslates of Alwar/Azabgarhgroups of Delhi Supergrouprocks which have high bear-ing capacity. Double stackcontainers and 25 ton axleload freight trains will runthrough this tunnel at a speedof 100 KMPH.
The tunnel connectsMewat&Gurugram district ofHaryana and negotiates asteep gradient on the uphilland downhill slope of theAravalli range. The D-shapedtunnel has a cross-sectionalarea of 150 square metres toaccommodate double linewith higher OHE (Over HeadEquipment) to enable doublestack container movement onWDFC. Cross-sectional areawise, it is one of the biggestRailway tunnels in India. Oneend of the tunnel is nearRewari and is called Portal -1or west portal while the other
end of the tunnel at Dadri isdesignated as Portal -2 or eastportal. Double line electrifiedtrack for double stacks trainmovement, the Dimension of
tunnel 14.5 meter and 10.5meter height in straight por-tion and 15 meter wide and12.5 mtr. Height meter to pro-vide extra clearance whilenegotiating the curve.
Tunnelling work has beendone systematically and in aplanned manner from both theends by deploying high techman & machinery. This is thereason behind completing thecaving work in a record oneyear time. The high-techmachinery used were:
Boomer Double arm typewith arm reach spanning 7metres (2 Nos), ShotcreteMachine Robotic Arm typewith a reach of 12 metres (2
Nos.), Transit Mixer having6CUM Capacity (5 Nos.),Hywawith a Load capacity of20 Tons (10 Nos), ScissorLift (1 No), DG Set of 500KVA capacity (3 Nos.),Concrete Pumps (2 Nos.),Grout Pumps & ROC.
There are a total of six tun-nels in both the Eastern andWestern Dedicated FreightCorridors.In WDFC there arethe 1 km long Sohna Tunnel,the 320 Metre long VasaiDetour North Tunnel and the
430 Metre long Vasai DetourSouth Tunnel. Likewise, theEDFC also has 3 tunnelsmeasuring 150 Metre, 475Metre and 300 Metre respec-
tively in the SonnagarGomohSection.
DFCCIL has run morethan 1600 trains in theBhadan-Khurja section ofEDFC and the Madar-Rewarisection of WDFC till date.Despite the Coronavirus pan-demic situation, work is pro-gressing at a fast and resolutepace in DFCCIL.
The Eastern (excluding thePPP section) and WesternDFC is slated for completionin June 2022.
Director Horticulture conducts extensivetour of B’la, Kup & B’gam
SRINAGAR, JULY 25 :Director HorticultureKashmir, Ajaz Ahmad Bhattoday conducted an extensivetour of Pattan Baramulla,Chogul and ChandiganKupwara besides Budgam, totake stock of all developmen-tal programmes being under-taken in the field.
The Director, during hisday long tour paid a visit tofruit plant nursery Pattan totake stock of various activitiesundertaken in the nurserybesides getting the knowhowof the detail of transplantationof Apple clonal rootstock forpropagation.
He issued on spot instruc-tions for conducting the timebound operations and propermaintenance of the nurserywhile following the guide-lines and SOP related toCOVID-19-Pendemic.
Later on the Director visit-ed base station ChogulKupwara to review progressmade in various developmen-tal activities in the nurseryparticularly convergence of 4hectare area under high densi-ty plantation.
He also undertook stock ofactivities in relation to grow-ing of fruit plants under con-trolled conditions in high tech
greenhouses and directed thestaff for better utilization offacilities and resources.
During the inspection ofwalnut nursery ChandigamLolab, the Director wasapprised about various devel-opmental activities that are inprogress to ensure that the
nursery area is developed forproduction of high qualitywalnut plants for further dis-tribution to the farmers in line
with feasibility of the area.During his tour to Budgam
the preceding day, theDirector visited various highdensity orchards and passeddirections to officers to guideand aware fruit growers aboutthe latest techniques of fruitcultivation.
He instructed them tocover more orchardists undera high density plantation pro-gramme, so as to ensure dou-
bling their income by way ofmaking all efforts in the fieldof Horticulture. He alsoinspected various fruit plantsnurseries and laid emphasison propagation of qualityplanting material and intro-duction of new high yieldingvarieties of different cultivars.
DC Budgam reviews Eid-ul-Adha arrangementsBUDGAM, JULY 25 :
Deputy Commissioner (DC)Budgam, Shahbaz AhmadMirza today convened a meet-ing of concerned officers andtraders union to review arrange-ments for the upcoming festiveoccasion of Eid-ul-Adha.
The DC urged upon tradersunion to cooperate with Districtadministration and follow allnecessary SOPs and guidelinesrelated to COVID-19 pandemicin letter and spirit to preventfurther spread of COVID-19
during relaxation in lockdown,to allow opening of markets for3 days in wake of upcoming Eidul Adha. The meeting wasinformed that on the eve of Eid,the Animal HusbandryDepartment would set up saleoutlets for sale of 1.3 lac poultrychicken at Tehsil Headquartersof Chadoora, Charar-e-Sharief,Budgam, Beerwah and KhanSahib.
The meeting was furtherinformed that special sale mar-kets have been established at
Budgam, Beerwah, Chadoora,Charrisharrief, Khansahib, andall other prominent towns,where 22242 sacrificial animalswill be put on sale.
A.D, FCS&CA apprised themeeting that 96 percent ofRation for the month of July hasalready been distributed andremaining shall be distributedwithin the next two days.
The DC directed theMunicipal authorities to ensureproper fumigation, sanitationand cleanliness at all the places
amid COVID-19 pandemic.He said that strict orders
have been placed that no oneshould be allowed to violateSOPs related to COVID-19because of anticipated con-sumer rush in the markets, andanyone found in such involve-ment will be dealt strictly underlaw. During the meeting, theDC urged upon sectoral officersof PHE & PDD to ensure unin-terrupted supply of water andelectricity barring curtailmentschedule to the district.
100057 passengers arrive at Srinagar Airport fromwithin and outside India till date
BUDGAM, JULY 25:Since the fall out of Covid-19pandemic and subsequentresumption of flights, the UTAdministration has facilitatedarrival of total 100057 pas-sengers from May 25, 2020 toJuly 24, 2020 at SrinagarInternational Airport fromwithin and outside Indiaunder strict protocols.
The UT administration hadto face a lot of challenges incontaining the spread of thisdreaded disease and lots ofinitiatives were taken particu-larly formulating a compre-hensive fool proof plan ininstantly establishing requi-site number of quarantine,wellness and Sample collec-tion centers.
Among all such chal-lenges, the management of
arrival of stranded passengersof J&K amid pandemic was abit more challenging and theadministration put elaboratearrangements for COVIDmitigation which includes onspot e-registration of eachpassenger at arrival, ICMRdevised application baseddata entry at testing channeland transportation of passen-gers to designated quarantinecenters at district level.
The Srinagar airportreceived 753 domestic and 15international flights from May25, 2020 to July 24, 2020including those evacuatedunder Vande Bharat Missionfor stranded passengers invarious countries and out of40304 samples collected atthe airport 351 have testedpositive till July 22, 2020.
The testing at the airport ismandatory for passengerscoming from outside the J&Kwith administrative quaran-tine till the test reports arenegative, the mandatory test-ing at the airport has allowedadministration to successfullydetect and isolate positivecases under a proactive strate-gy for COVID-19 mitigationin J&K.
Out of 40304 sampled pas-sengers, 34199 persons haveundergone administrativequarantine while 5927 and144 persons were placed inhome and protective quaran-tine respectively as per SOPsissued by the DivisionalAdministration.
The Administration proac-tively executed all arrange-ments which include estab-
lishing of special help desks,sample collection kiosks, pro-viding transport facilities tothe passengers who were sub-jected for administrative orhome quarantine.
Nodal Officer andIncharge SrinagarInternational Airport,Muzafer Ahmad Peer statedthat the testing Kiosks ofhealth department and RTCbuses for transportation ofpassengers to quarantine cen-ters are placed at the arrivalarea of the Srinagar Airportfor facilitating the passengerseffectively.
On arrival, passengershave hailed the efforts andarrangements executed by theAdministration, particularlyfacilitating comfortable sam-pling, testing on the arrival.
Ramban admin bringing out Coffee TableBook on major achievements
RAMBAN, JULY 25 :District administrationRamban is going to bring outa Coffee Table Book encap-sulating the major achieve-ments of government depart-ments besides capturing thedifferent stages of projectimplementation.
In this regard, DistrictDevelopment Commissioner,Nazim Zai Khan, today con-vened a meeting of districtand Sectoral officers to dis-cuss the modalities for pub-lishing Coffee Table Book(CTB).
ADC, Ashok Sharma,ACD, Zameer Ahmed Rishu,DPO, Sunil Bhutyal, ALC,AD Employment, XENs ofPWD, PHE, PMGSY andPDD, DFOs, CEO, EO MCand several other officersattended the meeting.
The DDC constituted a 4member committee headedby Chief Planning Officer
(CPO), Dr. Kasturi Lal com-prising officers and officialsof different departments forthe execution of the Project.
He directed the officers to
provide relevant pictures,videos and other necessaryinformation to the committeefor publication in CTB.
The DDC impressed uponthe officers to avail thisopportunity to highlight
achievements of their respec-tive departments.
He said that it wouldintensify the Information,Education and
Communication (IEC) activi-ties in the district besidessensitize the public about thedevelopment Scenario oftheir local area and the dis-trict. He said that it willshowcase the key milestones
achieved under differentschemes taken up by thedepartments and shall be thebest sensitization activity forawareness about different
schemes.He encouraged the depart-
ment to undertake such kindof IEC activities for portrayalas well as dissemination ofvision and mission of theirdepartments.
Passion plus Govt schemes script successstory of orchardist Sham Singh
JAMMU, JULY 25:Passion to achieve big byavailing the Governmentschemes has scripted the suc-cess story of orchardist ShamSingh of village Badoi,Samba district.
Once a marginal farmer,at present, Sham Singh’s netincome per hectare is 6.5lakh against Rs. 1 lakh costproduction per hectare with10 M T per hectare produc-tivity.
Sham Singh has been cul-tivating Strawberries,Mangos, Litchis, summerapples (grown in sub tropicregion), along with his tradi-tional agricultural practicesfor cereals. His journey froma marginalized conventionalfarmer to a self-sustainingorchardist has made Singh arole model for other farmersof the area.
The Success story ofSham Singh life has twoaspects one change in behav-ior and other change in eco-nomical status. In the earlydays of farming, Sham Singh
used to cultivate only cerealswith traditional agriculturalpractices and the rate of
returns were very negligible.With the meager returns, itwas very difficult for him tomake the two ends meet.
His passion for successled Sham Singh to knowabout the government
schemes meant for benefitsof farmers especially inHorticulture sector. He would
attend camps, seminars,awareness programmes andnew about the rainbowschemes. He then approachedthe department of horticul-ture, Samba to explore hisintuitions regarding upgrad-
ing his farming techniquesbesides switching over tocash crops.
Sham Singh took benefitsof Central sponsored andstate sponsored schemesincluding technological mis-sion 2004-05, MIDH(Mission integratedDevelopment ofHorticulture), RKVY(Rashtra Krishi VikasYojana) 2018-19. He alsogot technical assistance fromthe department besides tak-ing benefit of subsidizedmodern farm tools and equip-ments. Sham Singh has beenalso facilitated with goodagriculture practices,Shallow bore well water sup-ply, quality plant material,fencing material, on farmhandling unit (pack house)and like. At present ShamSingh is recipient of Nationalaward, Krishi Rattan con-ferred on him on Feb 13,2016. He is also a proud arecipient of trophies andmementos from the erstwhileJ&K state government.
Div Com reviews IndependenceDay-2020 arrangements
Stresses on fool-proof preparations, strict adherence to Covid-19 protocolSRINAGAR, JULY 25 :
The Divisional CommissionerKashmir, Pandurang K Poletoday chaired a meeting ofofficers to review the arrange-ments for the ensuingIndependence Day- 2020.
The meeting was informedthat the main function shall beheld in summer capitalSrinagar, where LieutenantGovernor, Girish ChandraMurmu shall hoist theNational Flag.
At the outset, the Div Comsensitized DeputyCommissioners, SSPs andother concerned officers abouttheir role and responsibilityand directed them to makefool-proof arrangements inadvance for the smooth con-duct of celebrations in all dis-tricts.
He said that there shall beno relaxations to any loop-holes and instructed them toensure strict adherence toCovid-19 protocol whileholding functions at all ven-ues.
The Div Com said studentswho can’t participate inparade and cultural events dueto Covid-19, however, shallmake their participationthrough a digital platform.
He directed concernedofficers to identify 5-10 loca-tions in Srinagar and installLEDs at these public places toensure live telecasting offunctions for wide publicity,similarly DCs from other dis-tricts were also directed tomake arrangements for live-telecasting.
Calling upon for makingfool-proof security arrange-ments to ensure hassle-freecelebrations of Independence
Day function, the Healthdepartment was instructed todeploy their men with thermalguns at all entry points asmandatory for Covid-19 con-tainment.
The DeputyCommissioners were given
instruction to felicitate Covidwarriors for recognition oftheir services rendered duringpandemic in their districts.
The Div Com called fordistributing pamphlets amongthe participants regardingCovid-19 containment forwide publicity of Covid pro-tocol compliance duringIndependence Day functions.
To ensure strict adherenceto laid down guidelines andprecautions, the Div Comemphasized on conductingantigen testing of all, partici-pating in march past paradeson August-13 for their safeparticipation in full day
rehearsal and final day func-tions.
Meanwhile, contingentsincluding of J&K Police,Armed, CRPF, LadyContingents, Home Guard,Fire & Emergency Servicesand Forest Protection Force
shall participate in the marchpast and make band arrange-ments as per the past prac-tices. Similarly instructionswere given to the concernedto ensure organizing culturalperformances at all majorvenues during the celebra-tions.
The Div Com directedconcerned to shortlist Blockand Tehsil level venues wherefunctions have to be held andensure proper arrangementsare put in place well inadvance.
Besides security arrange-ments, traffic, security passes,seating arrangements, decora-
tion, Shahnaivadan, commen-tators, illumination of offices,PAS, Power and water sup-ply, sanitation, medicare facil-ities, invitation cards, culturalactivities were discussedthreadbare and concernedwere given strict instructions
to ensure all related arrange-ments are made properly forsmooth conduct of functionsin all districts.
Among others, the meet-ing was attended by DIG BSF,CRPF, Director, H&P,Floriculture, RTO Kashmir,Chief Engineers from R&B,PHE and SEs from variousengineering wings, JDInformation & PR Kashmirand representatives from con-cerned departments.
IG Police Kashmir, DCs,SSPs, SSP Security, SSPTraffic and other concernedalso attended the meetingthrough video- conferencing.
DDC Kulgam reviews I-Day, Eid-ul-Adha arrangements
KULGAM, JULY 25 :District DevelopmentCommissioner Kulgam,Showkat Aijaz Bhat todayconvened a meeting to final-ize the arrangements for thesmooth celebration ofIndependence Day here.
The meeting discussed thevenue for the main function,fool-proof security arrange-ments, decoration, salute byMarch past contingents ofJKP, CRPF and others andplaying of Shahnai Vadan.
Other necessary arrange-ments that were also finalizedinclude, Medical Facility,Drinking water facility, unin-terrupted Power supply,Sanitation and Seatingarrangement with propersocial distancing in view ofCOVID-19 pandemic.
The DDC asked the officerto put in place all the neces-sary arrangements well intime and adopt a coordinatedapproach for the smooth cele-bration of the IndependenceDay function.
It was also decided that a
full dress rehearsal shall beheld on August 13, 2020.
Later the DC chaired aseparate meeting of officers to
review the arrangements putin place for the ensuing festi-val of Eid ul Adha.
The DC emphasized onPDD and PHE to ensure unin-terrupted power and drinkingwater supply across the dis-
trict during the festival days.He also directed EO's of
Municipal Committees toensure proper sanitation and
regular lifting of garbagearound religious and marketplaces.
The DC directed the con-cerned officers to intensifymarket checking and ensurethat the commodities includ-
ing essential items are sold asper the rate list already noti-fied by the concerned depart-ments.
Among others, ADDC,ADC, A-SP, ACR, JD-Planning, Ex Er. PWD(R&B), PHE, ARTO and EO'sbesides other district and sec-toral officers attended themeeting.
Advisor Baseer Khan reviews arrangementsregarding prevention of COVID-19
Emphasise on strict enforcement of wearing masks, social distancingJAMMU, JULY 25 :
Advisor to LieutenantGovernor, Baseer Khan, todaye-reviewed measures beingput in place by various healthcare institutions regardingprevention and control ofCOVID-19 during a meetingwith officers of Kashmir divi-sion.
Advisor had a detailedassessment about the prevail-ing situation arisen due to out-break of the global pandemicand its management by allconcerned agencies inKashmir division.
While reviewing the stepsbeing taken up to control thespread of COVID-19, hestressed upon all the DeputyCommissioners to ensurestrict enforcement of all SOPsand guidelines like wearingmasks and maintaining socialdistancing in their respectivedistricts. He directed them todeal strictly with the violatorsand impose fine on them.
Divisional CommissionerKashmir, Pandurang K Pole,Deputy Commissioners ofKashmir Division, DirectorSKIMS Soura, Kashmir,Director Health ServicesKashmir, Principal GMCSrinagar and other senior offi-cers of the concerned depart-ments attended the meetingthrough video conferencing.
Advisor sought feedbackfrom all the DeputyCommissioners regarding themeasures being implementedby them towards containmentand management of Corona
Virus in their respective dis-tricts.
Baseer Khan directed theDeputy Commissioners ofKashmir Division and thedivisional administration to
ensure hundred percentscreening and testing of vul-nerable patients sufferingfrom the critical diseases likeDiabetes, Cancer,Hypertension and undergoingDialysis besides those whoare 60 years and above.
Advisor emphasized uponthe officers to ensure thatguidelines issued by the gov-ernment regarding COVID-19 are strictly adhered to andthere is no violation of the
lockdown measures in redzone areas. He also askedthem to conduct aggressiveand intensive testing in theirrespective districts especiallyin the red zone areas.
Advisor further directedthat every step must be takenup to ensure availability ofessential commodities, medi-cines and other items in thered zone and lockdown areasat the door steps. He alsoasked them to generate moreand more awareness amongthe general public about thedreaded infection and involvethem in the fight againstCOVID-19 pandemic.
The officers expressed sat-
isfaction about the availabilityof the facilities with regard tomedicines and other infra-structure in their respectiveinstitutions.
Advisor stressed upon the
concerned to increase man-power and bed capacity in thehospitals so that the patientsdon’t suffer on this account.
Meanwhile, Advisor alsodiscussed the arrangements tobe put in place for celebrationof upcoming festival of Eid-ul-Azha. He instructed theconcerned officials to keep astrict vigil over profiteeringand black-marketing of essen-tial commodities during thefestive days.
TRUTH PREVAILJAMMU SUNDAY JULY 26, 20203 NEWS
SRINAGAR, JULY 25 :According to the PowerController, KashmirProvince, Bemina Srinagar,in order to carry out augmen-tation, repairs and branch cut-ting works, shutdown of 33kV Amargarh Watergam Lineshall be observed on July 27from 6 am to 1 pm.
To carry out stabilizationand augmentation of conduc-tor, the power supply toReceiving Stations Lethpora,HPCL, Konibal and LadhooIrrigation fed from PamporeLethpora 33kV line shallremain shut on July 26, 28and 30 from 9 am to 5 pm
Similarly, the power sup-ply to Receiving StationKhrew fed from Pampore JKCements 33kV line shallremain shut on July 26, 28and 30 from 9 am to 5 pm
Power shutdown
KUPWARA, JULY 25 :The District Level Screeningcum CoordinationCommittee (DLSCC) meet-ing, which met here under thechairmanship of DeputyCommissioner, Kupwara,Anshul Garg settled 95 cases,today.
As many as 102 cases ofmilitancy and cross bordershelling were put up beforethe committee for discussion,Out of these, 95 cases weresettled for grant of ex-gratiarelief.
These 95 cases include 04death cases, 20 injured cases,70 property cases and 01SRO case.
Speaking on the occasion,the DC stressed on the con-cerned officers to speed upthe disposal of all cases pend-ing in their offices so thatquick settlement of casescould be held in the nextmeeting of District LevelScreening cum CoordinationCommittee
Additional DeputyCommissioner, Kupwara,Nazir Ahmad Lone; AssistantCommissioner, Revenue,Bashir Ahmad Bhat Officersof Police, Army, CRPF andother concerned attended themeeting.
DLSCC Kupwarasettles 95 Cases
DGAT reviews functioning of Treasuries in Jammu divisionStresses on adopting e-Kuber Payment System
JAMMU, JULY 25 : Ameeting of District TreasuryOfficers, City TreasuryOfficers of Jammu Provincewas held today to review thefunctioning of the Treasuries.
Mahesh Dass, DirectorGeneral Accounts &Treasuries, FinanceDepartment, chaired themeeting, held here at FinanceComplex Muthi,.
Speaking at the meeting,the Director GeneralAccounts & Treasuries,Mahesh Dass said that theTreasuries are the face ofFinance Department andadvised the officers to ensurestrict adherence to codal pro-visions for its smooth andtransparent functioning. Helaid emphasis on the strictimplementation of the various
orders/circulars/directivesissued by the FinanceDepartment/DGAT from time
to time. He also laid specialemphasis on clearance ofaudit paras, OB suspense andRed DC accounts.
While reviewing theComputerization of
Treasuries, the DGAT threwlight on the importance ofcomputerization/online trans-
action and directed all theTreasury Officers to submitthe computerized accounts tothe concerned quarters withinstipulated time frame. He alsosensitized the participating
officers to ensure timelyuploading of the NPS sub-scription to the Trustee Bank
within stipulated time andany old unposted amountshould be uploaded.Performance Indicators alsoneed to be reviewed andupdated.
DC Shopian convenes meeting ofPanches, Sarpanches
SHOPIAN, JULY 25 :Deputy Commissioner (DC)Shopian, ChaudaryMohammad Yasin today con-vened a meeting of Panchsand Sarpanchs asking themto create mass awarenessamong people with regard toadherence of COVID-19related SOPs including usageof masks and maintainingsocial distancing to avoidfurther transmission of virus.
On the occasion, DCemphasised on the Panchs
and Sarpanchs that funds willbe provided to all thePanchayats for purchasingsurgical masks, soaps andother necessary items to dis-tribute among the downtrod-den BPL besides other desti-
tute families so that they areable to adhere to the medicaladvisories and guidelinesissued by the govt. from timeto time.
The DC directed theBDO’s to coordinate with
Panchs and Sarpanchs in thisregard.
Among others, BlockDevelopment Officers, NodalOfficer COVID-19 besidesother officers and officialswere present in the meeting.
SDM Karnah reviews Eid-ul-Adha arrangementsKUPWARA, JULY 25 :
Sub Divisional Magistrate(SDM), Karnah, Dr BilalMohi-ud-Din today con-vened a meeting to reviewarrangements put in place forsmooth celebration of Eid ulAdha in the sub division.
The SDM directed theTeshildar and concernedNaib Tehsildars to ensure thatthe COVID-19 related SOPsincluding wearing masks andmaintenance of social dis-tancing are followed at allpublic places.
The SDM directed theConcerned FCS&CA officerto ensure ration, vegetablesand other essential commodi-ties reach the people in 4 Redzones including Khawarpora,Shartpalla, Suliman andBagbhella through ‘Rationon wheels’ pattern.
The SDM asked the con-
cerned officers of FCS&CAto coordinate with police forregular market checks to curbprofiteering by traders.
To ensure adequate supplyof livestock, the SDMordered Animal and SheepHusbandry officers to closelymonitor and make arrange-ments for additional supplyof livestock if necessary.
Meanwhile, the SDMappealed to the people ofKarnah to coordinate withthe administration in suc-cessfully implementing thelockdown to safeguard theirlives.
Among others, TehsildarKarnah, Nodal OfficersCOVID-19, SHO, NaibTehsildars, TSO FCS&CA,BDC Chairpersons, membersof Traders Federation andother concerned were presentin the meeting.
GANDERBAL, JULY 25 : DeputyCommissioner Ganderbal, Shafqat Iqbaltoday visited Hatbura to inspect ongoingmacdamization work on Hatbura-Shalabug road.
During the visit, the ExecutiveEngineer PMGSY, Mushtaq Ahmadbriefed the DC about the progress ofwork s and said that black topping on saidroad is in full swing and 2.5 km of lengthis already macadamized.
While giving details about the target
and achievements for black topping ofroads in the district, he informed the DCthat 11.86 km length of roads are alreadymacadamized including Wussan-BelaWussan Road, Kachnambal-Pethpora road and Chappergund-Babawail road out of 35.30 km target forthe year 2020-21, besides macadamiza-tion on other roads including Lar-Chontiwar and Kachnambal-WangathviaBaba Nagri is in full swing.
The DC directed the Executive
Engineer to expedite the works on allroads so that black topping is completedat an earliest with no compromise onquality parameters.
He also stressed to follow guidelinesof PMGSY while executing the worksand implement the same in letter andspirit. The DC during the visit wasaccompanied by Additional DeputyCommissioner Ganderbal, FarooqAhmad Baba besides other concernedofficers and officials.
DC G’bl inspects macadamization work on Hatbura-Shalabug road
DIP/J-2765/20Dt : 24-07-2020
TRUTH PREVAILJAMMU SUNDAY JULY 26, 20204 EDITORIAL/ARTICLE
Withstanding expansionismEver since the skirmish in the Galwan Valley, there has
been a strong resentment against China. Our martyrs haveonly strengthened our resolve to stand up against theexpansionist neighbour. Though open for diplomacy, theChinese have not retired from their forward positions. Infact, they have strengthened these positions at the LAC ascorroborated by satellite images. Despite talks at the levelof Corps Commanders and Foreign Ministries, the onlykind of status quo is that of the stand-off between the twoneighbours. It is, therefore, not surprising that calls forboycotting Chinese goods echo across the nation. Areview of Chinese contracts and Chinese imports havealso been initiated. To further harden its stance againstChinese aggression, India on Monday decided to block 59apps linked to China. In its own capacity, the retaliatorysteps initiated by India portray its intent with regard to theChinese agenda. The banning of Chinese-origin apps maynot be on the same scale as the military clash, yet it doesconvey India's protest. These apps can be convenientlyflushed out of Indian markets relative to economic goods.The problem with the latter being that both our economyas well as our WTO commitments would be affected.Banning apps is likely to affect Chinese companies astheir user base in India is quite substantial as per data; TikTok alone having 611 million total downloads. But thismerely makes a dent. Unless we embark on a truly self-reliant trajectory, rejecting Chinese goods and contractsaltogether, we will not leave the desired impact on China.While banning apps is a good show of intent, New Delhimust continue to put pressure on Beijing for its incursionin our territory. The Sino-Indian military stand-off is notjust significant for the two Asian powerhouses but theentire continent as well as the world. China is the world'smanufacturer today. However, its expansionist policy hasbeen well acknowledged owing to its exploits in SouthChina sea, Indo-China border and the debt trap ploy acrosscountries. India not only has the potential to emerge as analternative manufacturing hub for the world, competingwith the Chinese, but it can also check Chinese excessesby valiantly standing up to its military aggression in at theLAC. Already, India did not become a party to China'sBelt and Road Initiative (BRI). Indian actions hereafterwould be instrumental in shaping the trade bloc in Asia.Having refused to join the RCEP, India has kept its creden-tials clear of not supporting Chinese trade deals in anymanner. Further aggression could also force an exit fromthe SCO and BRICS that have only produced a lukewarmimpact on India's prospects. But just as India distancesitself from the Chinese shadow, its reliance on trade chan-nels with other countries such as the US will increase.
In the era of peacetime, such skirmishes at the bordercan snowball into trade stand-off and strained bilateralrelations. Although these do not benefit either but asrepeatedly mentioned, there can be no compromise withthe nation's integrity and sovereignty. While India mustbrace the future challenge of being self-reliant, it must notlose sight of its neighbourhood other than China. WithPakistan hand-in-glove with the Chinese, India must notlose its other neighbours to Chinese ploy as has been thecase with Sri Lanka for instance. The debt trap has alreadymade Sri Lanka lose a port to China, giving the latteraccess to the Indian Ocean. It would be prudent on India'spart to aid its neighbours through enhanced bilateralagreements and maintain the regional tempo. India's aid tothe Maldives is a case in point. With India's expandingmobile manufacturing market, the trend should be extend-ed to other products so that the bid to become self-reliantcan be realised. This would benefit not just our exportsand subsequently our GDP but our regional stand as wellagainst an unkind neighbour.
EDITORIALEvery war brings death
and destruction in its wake. Italso opens windows of oppor-tunities for those who seek it.Though the global war on theCOVID-19 is by no meansover it has brought a host ofopportunities with it. So, dowe Indians continue to remainin the abyss of poverty or dowe take a plunge into the newworld that is opening up? Itneeds to be remembered thatin the past, India was a leaderin manufacturing. As perWilliam Dalrymple’s bookThe Anarchy, in 1608, India“was producing about a quar-ter of global manufacturing;indeed in many ways it wasthe world’s industrial power-house and world’s leader inmanufactured textiles.”Whatever happened thereafteris history and during theBritish rule, India lost theleadership role in manufactur-ing. We missed the IndustrialRevolution and it had a tellingeffect on impoverishing India.
Thankfully, we did catchthe train of Digital Revolutionbut the gains were not inclu-sive enough to pull us out ofpoverty. The opportunity thatthe COVID revolution is pre-senting needs to be grabbedwith everything that we have.As Prime Minister NarendraModi put across to the coun-try, his vision of “Atma nirb-har (self-reliant)” India androlled out financial packagesto support the vision, manyopportunities could open up,particularly in defence pro-duction.
India is one of the biggestarms importers in the world.In 2013-2017, India toppedthe list as it accounted for 12per cent of the world’s armsimports. The US was thehighest arms exporteramounting to 34 per cent ofthe global share. EvenNetherlands, which is 79times smaller in size thanIndia, was the tenth-largestexporter of arms, accountingfor 2.1 per cent of the globalarms exports. Surely, arenewed Make in India willprovide the country withunparalleled benefits. Self-reliance in defence could havethe best advantages for India,as, besides the economic ben-efits that will accrue, it willalso result in strategic inde-pendence, which is a keyingredient of national securi-ty. Threat perception is mostlywhat drives force structuringand weaponisation. With thebreak-up of the USSR, thethreat perception reduced sig-nificantly and it was possiblefor some European nations toscale down their armedforces. However, in the Indiancontext, the perceived threatfrom the Northern andWestern neighbours does notappear to be reducing in theforeseeable future. While thespectrum and type of conflictthat may manifest can bedebated, what is of impor-tance is that the preparednesshas to be long-term in theinterest of overall nationalsecurity.
Though there has beenindigenisation in the field ofdefence production for thelast decade, its output hasobviously not been as desired.Also, in terms of quality, therehave been instances of theproduct not being suitable forcombat conditions. One cantake the case of the INSASrifle with problems of movingparts and magazines. Timetaken for developing a prod-uct is also important — as inthe case of MBT Arjun.
Indigenisation for defenceis simply not “Made in India”or “Manufactured in India.”To be successful, “Make inIndia” has to include theentire process and thisincludes: Identification of theweapon or equipment or plat-form to be manufactured;technology; design;patent/IPR and related issues;manufacturing ecosystem andoperational maintenance andlogistics.
Identification of theweapon/equipment/platform:Based on the threat perceptionand a long-term integratedplan, each weapon/equip-ment/platform is to be decid-ed. This is an importantprocess, needing strategicperception and long-termcapability development andwould be in the realms of thearmed forces, with inputsfrom sources as desired bythem. The process alsoincludes formulation ofGeneral Service QualitativeRequirements (GSQR), whichneed to be realistic whilemeeting the operationalrequirements of the armedforces. I am reminded of thedays when I was serving inthe Siachen glacier, in one ofthe most challenging posts, in1992. Since our post was onan ice-wall and was partiallyunder enemy observation, thehelipad was located some dis-tance away. Due to the restric-tion of the valley width asalso very limited availabilityof landing ground, only thesmallest helicopter, the
Cheetah (French Allouetteengine) could fly there. In itsfirst sortie, with full fuel load,all that it could carry waseither one man without hisequipment or his equipmentor a jerrican (20 litres) ofkerosene oil.
I wondered at that time asa young Major, that, whereasa sizeable portion of our armyis deployed in high altitudeand super high altitude areas,why is it that we don’t have anIndian helicopter to meet ouroperational requirements?
Through “Make in India,”we can achieve to get what weneed for our operational con-ditions and not what someother country wants to sell,which could be quite unrelat-ed to our requirements. Noother country would be fight-ing wars in the varied terrainand other conditions that pre-vail along our borders.
Technology and Design:For the success of “Make inIndia,” the process of technol-ogy and design would proba-bly be the most significantone. This applies equally toboth, i.e. platforms made bylarge industries or smallersub-systems manufactured byMSMEs. Technology mustdrive the equipment to beunfailingly combat-effective,be it a platform like the air-craft carrier, an aircraft, mainbattle tank; or a small part likethe magazine of a rifle; eachneeds combat-worthy tech-nology.
Fortunately, India hasenough technology experts inthis field but their expertiseneeds to be harnessed in ahighly organised manner.
A conducive ecosystemneeds to be created, whereinthey can contribute to nation-al security as a matter ofpride, while their individualaspirations are also taken careof. There is also a need to har-ness Indian technologyexperts who may have movedto the US/Europe or othercountries, giving them theoption of repatriating, includ-ing those who may have losttheir jobs in the current situa-tion. Alternatively, they couldwork on a project basis inIndia. An opportunity can thusbe created for them to “giveback” to their country which,in a large number of cases,would have given them basiceducation to achieve success.
There are, of course, prod-ucts utilising very high-endtechnology, which may not bereadily available. There is aneed to acquire such technol-ogy leveraging India’s otherstrengths. For the long-termsuccess of “Make in India,”such borrowed/acquired tech-nology cannot be an answer.Dedicated investment must bemade on R&D of short andlong-term defence equipmentrequirements, taking advan-tage of the technology expertsof the entire country, on aproject basis. Such researchprojects and their byproductscould also be utilised forcivilian purposes, in the long-term. Patent/IPR: All existingpatent/IPR rules/regulationsmust be fully implemented.Excellence/innovation needsto be honoured and rewarded.Even individual interests ofscientists, where applicable,in relation to patents must berespected. Clauses of nationalsecurity, where desirable canbe enunciated. ManufacturingEcosystem: With the “Makein India” friendly packagesannounced by theGovernment, including itemsthat cannot be imported, bothlarge industrial houses andMSMEs have an unprecedent-ed opportunity. However, tocompete, their standards haveto be really world-class. Forlong-term success, the manu-facturing capabilities need tobe upgraded where required,to supply fail-proof combatequipment. Promising manu-facturing units, includingstart-ups, could be providedappropriate efficiency andoutput-based support.
Operational Maintenanceand Logistics: In the variedterrain conditions that IndianArmed Forces operate in,including a major portion inhigh altitude and super-highaltitude areas, operationalmaintenance and logisticswould play a significant role.In situations where feasible,the original equipment manu-facturer could take on theresponsibility of logistics andsustenance. The design of theweapon/equipment must takeinto consideration the require-ments of field maintenance inextremely challenging situa-tions and terrain. The 21stcentury has presented Indiawith an unique opportunity,which could fulfil the require-ments of inclusive growth aswell as meet many otherexisting challenges. Through‘Make in India’, the countrygains strategic independence,the industry makes progress,jobs are created and mostimportantly the soldier getsindigenously-manufacturedequipment meeting worldstandards.
Make (in) India great
How close are we to the silver bullet?-Sunit MedirattaThe world is constant-
ly being fed news andreports focussed onCovid-19-related matters.The most exciting amongthem is any news aboutthe possible discovery ofa wonder drug or a vac-cine against Covid-19that would help mankindget rid of this pandemicand solve all problemsresulting from it.
People get excited assoon as a new drug devel-opment is announced andTV channels grab eye-balls by breaking newsabout newer vaccineshaving been developedby scientists from aroundthe world. Let me reas-sure you that no drug orvaccine can be developedovernight. In fact it takesyears of research andclinical trials before anynew drug or vaccine canbe made available forcommercial use. Mostpeople would wonderwhy. The answer lies inunderstanding how anyvaccine discoveryprocess works.
The first step is theexploratory stage, wherethe scientists identify nat-ural or synthetic antigensthat might help prevent ortreat a disease. These
antigens could includevirus-like particles,weakened viruses or bac-teria, weakened bacterialtoxins. This stage aloneusually takes at least twoyears but with Covid-19,scientists have a headstart because this isn't thefirst Coronavirus theyhave tried to make a vac-cine for. Vaccine trials forSevere Acute RespiratorySyndrome (SARS) andMiddle East RespiratorySyndrome (MERS) hadalready begun in 2003and 2012 respectively butwere abandoned whenthose outbreaks recededon their own. Then comesthe pre-clinical stagewhere animal testing isundertaken using rats,rabbits or monkeys.Scientists may vaccinatethe animals and then tryto infect them with thetarget pathogen, to testthe immune response ofthe candidate vaccine aswell as its safety. Thesestudies give an idea of theresponse they mightexpect in human bodiesand help arrive at a safestarting dose as well as asafe method of adminis-tering the vaccine.
Many candidate vac-cines never progressbeyond this stage because
they fail to produce thedesired immuneresponse. This processtakes at least a year. Onsuccessful completion ofanimal trials, an institu-tion, private sponsor orcompany puts up applica-tions to regulatoryauthorities for approvalof the investigational newdrug. Human trials canonly begin after suchapprovals are granted.
The vaccine nowenters phase I of humantrials, which may have asmall group of 20 to 50participants. Participantsare injected with the vac-cine to assess the typeand extent of immuneresponse in humans. Asmall minority of partici-pants may be injectedwith the pathogen afterthey have been vaccinat-ed.
Promising results inthis phase allow the drugto enter into the Phase IIof testing. Several hun-dred volunteers partici-pate in Phase II testing.These are randomised tri-als and include a con-trolled group of peoplethat are given the drugand a placebo group ofpeople that are givensaline or water.
The objectives of
Phase II testing are to fur-ther evaluate the vac-cine's safety, immuno-genicity, proposed doses,schedule of immunisa-tions and method ofdelivery.
Successful Phase IIcandidate vaccines moveon to larger trials orPhase III. This phaseinvolves thousands ofpeople and the experi-mental vaccine is testedagainst a placebo. Thesetrials are randomised anddouble blind whichmeans that neither thevolunteer nor the healthofficials are aware of whoreceived the vaccine andwho got the placebo. Tofully assess the protectiveefficacy and safety of avaccine, this phase oftesting usually requireshundreds of thousands ofparticipants. The Salkpolio vaccine was testedon over 1.3 million peo-ple. On successful com-pletion of this phase thevaccine gets licenced forcommercial production.
The World HealthOrganisation (WHO) rec-ommends that if a vac-cine contains geneticallymodified organisms(GMOs) anEnvironmental RiskAssessment should also
be undertaken andapproved by the appro-priate agency.
In general, non vac-cine drugs are developed,tested and regulated in amanner almost similar tovaccines except that thenumber of human sub-jects in vaccine trials isusually larger.
Scientists caution thatless than 10 per cent ofthe drugs that enter clini-cal trials in the US areapproved by the Foodand Drug Administration.The rest fail because theyare not effective or havetoo many side effects.Because of this high fail-ure rate, we must havemultiple potential vac-cines to test.
To put things in per-spective, the history ofvaccine developmentworldwide is not encour-aging. The record in theUS for developing anentirely new vaccine isfour years. Despite all theefforts under way to fasttrack administrativeclearances, experts in theUS believe that a vaccineagainst the Coronaviruscould be developed in 12to 18 months.
And beyond this pointlie the challenges of pro-duction and distribution
at scale. All vaccinesrequire maintenance ofthe cold chain to preservetheir efficacy. Setting upscaled production anddistribution infrastructurewill require collaborationbetween the public andprivate sectors which inturn will add to the timeto market.
So one must not gettoo excited by the fre-quent breaking news onTV and our WhatsAppgroups. Any claim of aninstant breakthrough inCovid-19 care is a shamfor sure. And anyGovernment or organisa-tion claiming that theywould have a drug orvaccine ready in a matterof months should betaken to task for spread-ing false hope and mak-ing irresponsible claims.The truth is that sciencecannot be rushed and thedevelopment of a reliableand safe vaccine or drugby any institution, nomatter where, will needto follow the higheststandards of rigour, andthat will take time. In themeantime, social distanc-ing is the only protectionyou need from the pan-demic. (The writer is aneurosurgeon at ApolloHospital).
CREATIVITY AMID LONELINESS-Moin QaziNothing can make us feel
better - calmer, happier andclearer - than beingimmersed in a book, a pieceof music or in the plaintivewoods, away from themadding crowd. This is asentiment expressed bymost people when they talkabout their privacy and thepleasure they derive from it.It is actually somethingdeeper than just a feeling ofecstasy. It's only when oneloses oneself in the stillnessby stepping briefly awayfrom family and friends thatone experiences creativity.
COVID-19 has forcedmillions of people into inter-nal exile, many of whomhave been overcome by adeep sense of loneliness.The pandemic has made ourunderstanding of solitudemore acute than ever. Whilethe outbreak has opened upour minds to the benignityof loneliness, it has alsogiven us an idea of the fearsand nightmares that accom-pany it. For instance,researchers at the Universityof Essex, UK conducted astudy and found out thatwomen are more vulnerableto mental health problemsduring the Coronavirus pan-demic than men. The studyrevealed that the number ofwomen suffering from stressand loneliness during theoutbreak has risen from 11per cent in normal times to27 per cent. On the otherhand, the number of mensuffering from at least onemental condition during thepandemic has reached 18per cent from seven per centearlier.
Loneliness, uncertainty,desolation and the economicdespair triggered by the con-tagion have led to a spurt indistress calls to the nation'ssuicide prevention helplines.
In India, the Mumbai-based VandrevalaFoundation, an NGO thataims to provide aid to thosesuffering from mental healthissues in the country, says itused to receive 90 calls aday before the lockdown.Since the lockdown began,these calls have gone up to150 a day as people find itdifficult to deal with isola-tion and loneliness. Also,the emails received by thefoundation have gone upfrom 80 to 120.
Part of the reason that thecurrent crisis is so frighten-ing is that it sets off a fear ofnot just being in quarantinebut also of being abandonedaltogether. This fear is pro-foundly affecting individual
psyche and world views. Novisitors. No shared meals.No one to hold our hands.We're all cut off from eachother, trapped inside thewalls of our own domesticspace, the 21st-century ver-sion of being marooned.
Social distancing andsometimes self-quarantiningis the most important pro-tective gear for theCoronavirus but that doesn'tmake it easy when we haveto do it. One of theinevitable costs will besocial isolation and anincrease in our loneliness.More people live alone nowthan at any other time in his-tory. The weird gift of lone-liness is that it grounds us inour common humanity. Thewhole world is in the sameboat.
However frightened wemay feel, we have neverbeen less alone. It has alsoheightened the conscious-ness about belonging to onefamily. It has shown thatonly by taking care of oneanother - as well as the plan-et on which we all depend -can any of us hope for a bet-ter future. It has shown howhelpless we as individualsare despite being blessedwith the best of this world.
Loneliness is a uniquecondition in which an indi-vidual perceives himself orherself to be socially isolat-ed even when among otherpeople. The deleteriouseffects of loneliness are,however, not due to somepeculiarity of individualswho are lonely; instead theyare due to the effects ofloneliness on ordinary peo-ple. It gives a feeling ofbeing unable to connectdespite being surrounded bymillions of others. Beingalone and being lonely arenot the same thing, ofcourse, and many peoplewho live by themselvesspend little time alone.
Being single can feellonely but it doesn't alwayshave to. Likewise, being in arelationship doesn't makeyou immune to loneliness.Just as you can feel lonely inthe company of others, youcan feel perfectly content in
your own company. It's justthat many of us don't knowhow to be alone.
However, one should notlet being alone during thepandemic get us down.There's a positive side to itas well. It is in isolation thatwe are able to do most ofour sharpest thinking andyield a harvest of our bestideas. It is only when youview the world from a dis-tance that you are able see itwhole and understand it bet-ter. We are able to achievean ambience that is great forcreativity. Loneliness isn'tthe same thing as solitude,nor is it solitude's inevitableconsequence. It can arisejust as easily in situations ofproximity. You can be lone-ly in a crowd, lonely at abirthday party - at occasions
of intimacy, closeness, con-nection.
There is differencebetween loneliness and soli-tude. Solitude purges thedestructive capacity of lone-liness and allows us to tapthe protective potential ofsequestration. The words"solitude" and "loneliness"ought to have similar mean-ings: "Solo" and "alone" doafter all. But faced withcourage and determinationthey do not. Loneliness is anegative, sad feeling. On theother hand, solitude is ele-vating, blissful.
Loneliness is the night-mare of the social animal. Itis a taboo state in our socialworld. It may not be fullytrue under ordinary circum-stances, or even under quar-antine. But there are otherways in which lonelinesscauses pain, too. It has real,tangible effects on ourbrains and bodies. The needfor connection is so centralto our being that to experi-ence its lack plunges thebody into a state of minoremergency.
But loneliness isn't just anegative state, to be van-quished or suppressed.There's an intensifying ofperception that led VirginiaWoolf to write in her diaryof 1929: "If I could catch thefeeling, I would. The feelingof the singing of the real
world, as one is driven byloneliness and silence fromthe habitable world." Woolfwas no stranger to quaran-tine. She was confined to asick bed for long periods butfound that even thesepainful periods yielded har-vests of creativity justbecause she used them notas periods of solitary con-finement or detention but asperiods of meditations andself-reflection.
This commitment tospending time alone hasbeen particularly importantin a hyper-connected worldwhere our inner sentimentsand thoughts are drownedout by the constant chatteror updates of other people.
Many of us confusealone time with "doing noth-ing" or equate it to physicalisolation. But solitude is astate or a situation - not aplace or final destination.After all, mastering the artof solitude isn't about beingantisocial but rather know-ing and understanding our-selves better in order to con-nect to others. Solitude is anopportunity to renew our-selves and deepen self-knowledge. It gives us timeto explore and know our-selves. It is the necessarycounterpoint to intimacyand allows us to polish theself to make it relevant tothe outer world.
Solitude gives us achance to regain our per-spective and connect to oth-ers in a far richer way. PearlBuck sums it up beautifully,"I love people. I love myfamily, my children…butinside myself is a placewhere I live all alone andthat's where you renew yoursprings that never dry up." Itallows us to get back intothe position of driving ourown lives, rather than hav-ing them run by schedulesand demands that are out ofour control. Thoreau spent along time in solitude in thewoods of Walden and heconsidered it as constructiveand purposeful solitudebecause he was insulatedfrom the ego-driven clam-our of human discourse.Silence is a necessary pre-condition to contemplationand meditation - religious orotherwise. The effort neededto achieve quiet, let alonesilence, usually makes itmore rewarding than theambient noise. It's why wego to the woods, or the sea,or up on hillsides to renewourselves. It is also why wetake up meditation, or spendtime in quiet places of wor-ship.
TRUTH PREVAIL
JAMMU, SUNDAY, JULY 26, 20205 STATE
Com Bhushan
Dewan joins
UDATP CORRESPONDENT
JAMMU, JULY 25:Commander Bhushan Dewan,Member UNO Forum onBusiness & Human Rights-2019 and Ex NavalCommander of Indian NavalForces and war veteran of1971 Indo-Pak war, onSaturday joined UnitedDemocratic Alliance, Jammuand Kashmir.
Commander Bhushan, whohas more than 20 years' expo-sure to the education industryas Professor, HOD, VC,Provost and in other leader-ship roles in different univer-sities and educational institu-tions, expressed thanks toMedia Incharge andSpokesperson of UDA, RajivMahajan for inviting him tojoin UDA. After joining,Commander Bhushan said,"With effective removal ofArticle 35 and 370, and re-organisation thereafter, J&Khas been almost in a newavatar, with vast possibilitiesto realise it's true potentialspeedily. Therefore it's anhonour to be able to make acontribution to this greatregion." "Besides many estab-lished large parties alreadypresent, there is now immensehope that social and politicalactivists at grass roots levelcan make a big difference ifthey synergize, collaborateand network among them-selves," he said.
TP CORRESPONDENTJAMMU, JULY 25: Sunil
Dimple President JammuWest Assembly Movementtalking to media persons hasthanked people, traders,transporters for completelock down and following allthe guidelines of the LGadministration.
Dimple expressed greatshock and concern, over thesudden spike in Covid+VEcases in west assembly con-stituency Jammu. Hedemanded LG govt to installsanitizers tanks or put sanitiz-ers in Water coolers ofJammu city at all crossingslike Kachi Chawni, Prade,City Chowk, Purani MandiChowk, Raghunath MandirChowk, Jewel Chowk,Vikram Chowk, Janipur, NewPlot, Rehari Chungi cross-ings. So that the people cansanitize their hands from timeto time whoever goes out forjobs.
Dimple demanded LG tostart immediate sanitizersspray in whole Jammu cityround the clock and expeditethe sanitization process in thewest assembly constituency.He demanded to make sepa-rate cremation centres for thecorona virus died patients
cremation. As the peopledon't allow the respect fullcremation of the COVID-19deceased.
Dimple alleged in ourJammu region hospitals; inthe COVID-19 hospitals wehave shortage of "RapidTesting Kits" for the coronavirus tests. He alleged theJammu Region has no ade-quate number of theVentilator and all the Jammuregion and even GMCJammu, Supper specialistsand Director health, districthospitals also have no of
required number ventilatorseven our Sarwal DistrictHospital is without ventilator.He said the govt shouldextend complete lock downfor one month in JammuKashmir, keeping in view theprevailing pandemic situationas the COVID-19 is fastspreading in all Jammu,Udhmpur, Samba, KathuaRajouri and it has turned in tothe community spread pan-demic. He said the govtshould distribute free rationto every ration card holder ofAPL, BPL ration cards as all
people are facing economiccrises.
Dimple alleged that theEconomic crises have startedknocking the doors in upperclass and middle class fami-lies also and before announc-ing further lock down thespecial financial help and freeration should be given to thepeople of Jammu Kashmir.
Dimple appealed the LGGC Murmu to stop chargingtoll tax in pandemic period inJammu Kashmir, waive offpower tariffs of domestic,commercial connections,waive off banks interestonline of transporters, housesand traders for at least sixmonths, In this pandemicperiod.
He appealed to people tofollow govt guidelines andstay at home. He demandedthe Govt to distribute freestandard corona masks topoor families.
He said in Jammu Kashmirmany hospitals have noVentilator and all the Jammuregion and even GMCJammu, Supper specialistsand Director health, districthospitals also have no ofrequired number ventilatorseven our Sarwal DistrictHospital is without ventilator.
Dimple thanked people for complete lockdown,
following all guidelines of LG administration TP CORRESPONDENTJAMMU, JULY 25: BJP
National President J. P.Nadda, National Vice-President & Prabhari J&KAvinash Rai Khanna, NationalGeneral Secretary RamMadhav, J&K BJP PresidentRavinder Raina and UnionMinister in PMO Dr. JitendraSingh addressed a meeting ofJ&K BJP through virtual (dig-ital) mode from their respec-tive places.
Former BJP State President& Dy. CM Dr. Nirmal Singh,former State President & MP(Rajya Sabha) ShamsherSingh Manhas, former StatePresident & MP (Lok Sabha)Jugal Kishore Sharma, formerState President & formerMinister Sat Sharma, formerDy. CM Kavinder Gupta,JK& BJP General Secretary(Org.) Ashok Kaul, partyVice-President Dr. NarinderSingh, party GeneralSecretaries Sunil Sharma (for-mer Minister) and Dr. D.K.Manyal (former Minister)addressed the meetingthrough the virtual stage set atparty headquarter, TrikutaNagar, Jammu.
J&K BJP Office Bearers,party District Presidents andparty Morcha Presidents par-ticipated in the meeting fromthroughout the J&K through
virtual mode.J.P. Nadda, in his address,
congratulated the BJPactivists from J&K for thelevel of dedication they haveshown in serving the needythrough the lockdown period.He insisted that in the lockdown period the partyactivists from top to bottomlevel were activated to themaximum for they needed toserve the mankind with dedi-cation. He said that PANIndia, more than 19 Crorefood packets, 5 Crore RationCrore Ration kits, 5 CroreFace masks, sanitizers andsimilarly other essential com-modities were distributed byBJP activists.
Nadda said that timely deci-sive actions by Prime MinisterNarendra Modi saved theNation from disaster thatcould rock India from suddenonslaught of Covid 19Pandemic. He said that due totime window borrowed bytimely Lockdowns, now weare in a better position tocounter Covid 19 infection byhaving operational sufficientdedicated hospitals havingsufficient oxygen beds, suffi-cient testing labs, manufactur-ing sufficient PPE kits etc.
Nadda also focused on thestrengthening of party up tobooth level. He talked of"SarvSparhi Bhajpa" reachingevery individual irrespectiveof caste, colour, creed or sexand laid emphasis on involve-ment of more youth in theparty. He also paid homage toWaseem Bari, Armed person-nel and all others who sacri-ficed their lives in J&K.Avinash Rai Khanna said thatduring the past few months,BJP activists have provedtheir real intentions to servethe Nation and the mankind.He said that it is the "SewaDharma" that is embedded inthe mind of BJP activists, theyserved the needy without anycare for their personal safety.He enumerated various"Sewa" programmes likePlantation, Safai, distributionof essential etc. which couldbe undertaken in the societynear the period of historic dayof 5th August. RavinderRaina, in his Presidential note,paid respect to Waseem Bari,his father, brother all otherswho laid down their lives. He
appreciated the steps taken byModi ji for tackling the men-ace of Covid 19. He providedthe details of all the relief pro-grammes undertaken by partyactivists during coronaLaockdown in J&K. He saidthat party activists in J&K areon forefront to provide anytype of assistance to the needylike distribution of dry Rationkits, food packets, face masks,hand sanitizers, helping thestranded persons through BJPhelplines etc. He also provid-ed details on current political,social and economic scenarioin J&K and various pro-grammes during the"Pakhwara from 5th August to20th August.
Dr. Jitendra Singh said thatthe populous Nation like Indiawas saved with timely actionby Modi ji. He talked in detailabout the concept of "AatmaNirbhar Bharat" by Modi jiand stressed that self-reliancedoesn't mean that we have tolimit ourselves and not keepus updated or modern, ratherit means that we have toadvance ourselves by pushingourselves to manufacture evensmall things like nuts & bolts.He said that Modi ji grantedabout 10% of GDP for fueling"Aatman Nirbhar Bharat"mission and helped smallbusinesses to big ones, SCIsto MSMEs to bigger ones,from farmers to labourers.
Ashok Kaul discussed allthe forthcoming party pro-grammes with the party lead-ers and asked the party leadersto ensure successful pro-grammes during the"Pakhwara from 5th August to20th August and discussedtheir details minutely with theparty leaders. Sunil Sharmaconducted the proceedings ofthe meeting. Dr. NarinderSingh and Dr. D. K. Manyalpresented the note of thanks.Dr. Pardeep Mahotra recitedthe Vande Mataram. AseemGupta read report on the"Feed the Needy" programmeundertaken by the partyactivists. Tilak Raj Gupta readthe details of SamparkAbhiyaan by the party. SunilSharma pad respect to allthose who lost their lives dur-ing previous months includingsecurity personnel, armedforces, BJP activists and com-mon masses.
Nadda addresses J&K BJP
Office Bearers meet
JKNPP to hold protests on August 5 on District, Tehsil Hqrs
Navodhyam ki Paathshala, J&K concluded under
SMVDU, TBIC 100 startups J&K initiative TP CORRESPONDENT
JAMMU, JULY 25: ShriMata Vaishno DeviUniversity, TechnologyBusiness Incubation Centrein association with StartupBuddy has successfully con-ducted a four day workshop"Navodhyam Ki PaathshalaJ&K" - a unique online eventthat has been carried out inHindi for broader reachout.JK Startup Associationhelped as Ecosystem partnerin reaching out to local entre-preneurs for the event. Thepurpose of the workshop wasto generate awareness regard-ing domains likeE n t r e p r e n e u r s h i p ,Importance of IntellectualProperty Rights, MarketingStrategies, CustomerAcquisitions andManagement, Govt. led fund-ing schemes, Technologyinterventions and importanceof storytelling in entrepre-neurship. This 4-day eventwitnessed overwhelming reg-istrations of more than 500students and aspiring entre-preneurs across the country.Rahul Dev, ex. HonoraryAdvisor-Speakers ResearchInstitute, Parliament of Indiaand Prof. Ravindra KumarSinha, (Padamshree)Chairperson GC & MC,SMVDU TBIC andHonorable Vice ChancellorSMVDU inaugurated theevent and interacted with theparticipants. Speaking on thisoccasion, they emphasized onthe changing businessdynamics and how oneshould work towards solvingcommon/complex problemsvia innovative solutions, theessence of PM Modi's VocalFor Local call. They alsoshared that India is on the
track to become self-sustain-able and entrepreneurshipcould prove as one of theforces behind becomingaatma nirbhar.
The event was meticulous-ly designed in a way that ittouched perspectives of thefull cycle of Startups, fromestablishment, to operations,to funding through VCs andGovt. bodies and it concludedwith interaction with highlysuccessful startups. Theworkshop was moderated byDr. Swarkar Sharma, CEOSMVDUTBIC and Mr. AmitSinghal, CEO Startup Buddy.
Day one activity includedsession by Mr. Vivek Dhaiya,Director Startup Buddy whointroduced entrepreneurshipin his session. It was followedby "Introduction to proce-dures and formalities in set-ting up a start up" by Ms.Rakhi Singhal, Co-FounderStartup Buddy. The sessiongenerated awareness amongthe participants about how toinitiate start-up operations.
The sessions started withMr. Saurbah Jain, VicePresident Paytm, sharing hisexperience on product devel-opment and strategies andmany inspiring stories of hisentrepreneurial journey.Next, Mr. Saurabh Trivedi,Director Startup Buddy,shared importance of intellec-tual property rights and howimportant is it to safeguardthe innovations right at thebeginning. It was followed bya session by Mr. ShauryaGarg, Founder Fundooworks,and shared his views onCustomer Acquisitions andManagement using variousMarketing Techniques. Healso shared his own entrepre-neurial journey with the par-
ticipants and inspired them tothink out of the box to con-nect with their customers.
Day 3, started with Mr.Bibin Babu, Co-founderBlocspaze and Innowork,who emphasized on impor-tance of storytelling whilepresenting the elevator pitchto stakeholders. He sharedthat it creates a huge impacton the potential customer/investor and open many newavenues to explore for anentrepreneur. The event thenmoved forward with a veryinteractive discussion on var-ious funding aspects by Mr.Amit Singal, CEO StartupBuddy and various financialaspects were discussed whichgave confidence to the partic-ipants on how to deal withfinancial aspects of a busi-ness. Next, Mr. MrutyunjaySuar, CEO of KIIT TBI tookthe session on variousGovernment led schemeswhich are helping entrepre-neurs and their innovativeideas to flourish. He present-ed a very neat description ofvarious Govt. schemes atevery stage of a Startupwhich generated awarenessamong all. Last day of eventwas initiated by Amal PS,founder of Keito Works. Heshared about the importanceof technology and how tech-nological interventions arechanging the face of varioustraditional business. With it,the technical sessions con-cluded and it was followed upby interactions with success-ful entrepreneurs.
The first interaction waswith Mr Vikas Bagaria,founder Pee Safe. He talkedabout how one incidentinspired him to create a revo-lutionary product in femalehygiene and how theirStartup is expanding in otherareas with many collabora-tions in their pipeline.
Restore statehood to J&Kat the earliest: Harsh Dev
TP CORRESPONDENTJAMMU, JULY 25:
Seeking the restoration ofstatehood for J&K, thePanthers Party would holdprotests at District and TehsilHeadquarters on August 5, theday the erstwhile State wasdemoted to the level of UnionTerritory (UT). The NPPactivists would organize suchprotests in their respectiveDistricts and Tehsils and sub-mit memorandums to DCs,SDMs and Tehsildars high-lighting the demand for imme-diate grant of State status toJ&K which was wrongfullydowngraded in August last,said Singh. The decision wastaken in a Party meeting heldunder the Chairmanship of Mr.Harsh Dev Singh, Chairman-JKNPP & former Minister.The meeting was attended byMr. Balwant Singh MankotiaState President, Yash PaulKundal State President YoungPanthers besides other seniorleaders of the Party.
Speaking to media persons,Harsh Dev Singh said thatwhile the NPP had endorsedthe abrogation of Article 370,it was strongly opposed to thedismantling of 200 year oldhistorical State of J&K anddowngrading it to the level ofUT. He said that such move ofBJP led government had not
only lowered the morale of thepeople of erstwhile State butcaused huge disenchantment inthe hearts and minds of gener-al masses. "It was not a demo-tion of the State only. Infactevery sensible citizen feltdowngraded and humiliated. Ithad deeply hurt the sentimentsof the people of Jammu in par-ticular as J&K was the onlyDogra State in the countrywhich was conceptualized andcreated by Dogra rulers withcountless sacrifices by thewarrior clan" said Singh.
"History bears testimonythat J&K acceded to Union ofIndia in 1947 only due to thehistoric decision taken byMaharaja Hari Singh despitenumerous odds, pulls and pres-sures. The demotion of State toUT level was not onlyunprecedented in the historybut amounted to huge dispar-
agement of the patrioticDogras of Jammu region",observed Singh.
Alleging continued neglectand deprivation of Jammuregion even after abrogation ofArticle 370 and 35 A, Mr.Singh said that BJP had failedto redeem any of its promisesmade to its electorates withmajority of the developmentprojects of Jammu having beeneither stalled or abandoned.The Dogra land has continuedto remain the victim of thecold criminal negligence of thepresent regime. The projectsincluding Artificial Tawi Lake,Mubarak Mandi HeritageProject, Cable Car Project toBahu and Mahamaja, SmartCity, AIIMS all appeared tohave been abandoned.Unemployed and underem-ployed youth were on theroads. 4G connectivity waswithdrawn. And the onlyachievement of the BJP ledgovernment after Article 370abrogation appeared to be theinstallation of multiple TollPlazas, asserted Singh.
Urging upon the people tosupport the movement ofPanthers Party for restorationof statehood, Mr. Harsh Devurged for personal interventionof President of India to savethe people of J&K from dicta-torial and autocratic regime.
TP CORRESPONDENTJAMMU, JULY 25: I am
taking this liberty seekingyour kind intervention toensure safety, integrity andapplication of all fundamen-tal rights of the citizens ofIndia residing in Jammu andKashmir. This is not surpris-ing that Jammu and Kashmiracceded to the Union of Indiain 1947 and it enjoyed parlia-mentary system and democ-racy right from day one start-ing from January 26, 1950when the Constitution ofIndia was made applicable tothe Union of India.
This is surprising thatJammu and Kashmir, one ofthe oldest states in the Unionof India was deprived of itsstatehood and converted intoUnion Territory against themandate of the Constitutionof India and the principlesadopted by the ConstituentAssembly while framing theConstitution.
Jammu and Kashmir hasbeen passing through diffi-cult times right from the dayit integrated with the Unionof India under the signs andsignatures of Maharaja HariSingh, the then Ruler of J&Kin 1947. Unfortunately, theresidents of J&K haveremained subjected to manyhardships and political blun-ders of the Central leader-ship. The latest situationwhich has emerged by theconversion of the State ofJ&K into two Union
Territories has created anunfortunate situation onlybecause the Central rulingleadership has failed tounderstand the situation andtake appropriate stepsaccording to the need and theconstitutional status ofJammu and Kashmir.
I am writing this letter tothe leadership of all thenational and state politicalparties recognized by theElection Commission ofIndia. The J&K NationalPanthers Party is one of thethree recognized state politi-cal parties in Jammu andKashmir, besides J&KNational Conference andPeople Democratic Party.The J&K state has been with-out Legislature/Assemblysince 2018 and there is nohope of fresh elections togive an opportunity to theresidents of J&K to establisha democratic government inthe state.
The present Union Govt.has committed not only themistakes but blunders whichneed to be corrected at theearliest to save the residentsof J&K (citizens of India)from ruthless and undemoc-ratic governance in Jammuand Kashmir which has beenunder President's Rule fol-lowing the dissolution of thestate legislature since August5, 2019.
The participation of thepeople has disappeared andthe Union Territory, Jammu
and Kashmir being ruled bybureaucracy and policeadministrators as there is nopublic participation at anylevel and kind of anarchy hasdeveloped in Jammu andKashmir, the residents arebeing ruled ruthlessly.
I have been urging thePresident of India and plead-ing with the Prime Ministerof India to; restore statehoodof Jammu and Kashmir with-out any delay so that thepolitical participation/involvement of the people ofJ&K shall be revived withoutany delay; I have been urg-ing before the President ofIndia for his urgent interven-tion to restore statehood ofJ&K at the earliest so that thehistory, culture and secularcommitment of the residentsof J&K is provided all consti-tutional safeguards. KeepingJammu and Kashmir as aUnion Territory is not onlyunconstitutional, but alsodamaging the national inte-gration as well as history ofJ&K which stood like a rocksince partition of India beinga Muslim majority state. Thebrotherhood and democracywhich the people of Jammuand Kashmir conveyed to thewhole world is the soul ofsecular democracy of Indiawhich Mahatma Gandhi him-self had admired in 1946 dur-ing his visit to Jammu andKashmir; The President ofIndia is governing the Stateof J&K as the UnionTerritory is under thePresident's Rule. The same isthe situation in Ladakhregion which has also beenconverted into UnionTerritory.
NPP Supremo appeals to regional & national recognized
political party for support of political revival in J&K
Students performing well even in difficult
time of pandemic of COVID-19: KavinderTP CORRESPONDENT
JAMMU, JULY 25:Former Deputy ChiefMinister and Ex MLA ofGandhi Nagar Constituency,Kavinder Gupta, felicitatedmeritorious students of 12thClass CBSE Examination2020.
Appreciating efforts of thestudents in difficult times ofpandemic of COVID-19,Kavinder said Saesha Guptasecured 97 percent, JasnoorBakshi got 94.5 percent, EvaGupta 93 percent, JanviGupta 87 percent marksbesides Shivansh Gupta andSohan Gupta performingwell in CBSE 12TH Classexamination and have madetheir parents and schoolproud by achieving top posi-tions in thier stream, adding
that girls have proven theirintelligence by shinning inevery field of life. "It is theduty of the parents to giveequal opportunities of studiesand growth to the girl child.
He said that the brilliantperformance shown by thestudents is testimony of thetalent in the region and allout efforts would be made tonurture and encourage theyoung talent. Congratulatingparents and the family mem-bers, Kavinder Gupta, saiddedicated attention by thefamily, teachers and constantefforts of meritorious stu-dents have born fruits.
Kavinder Gupta sharedthat the National Council ofEducation Research andTraining (NCERT) hasrevised a chapter in its Class12 Political Science textbookto remove a portion on sepa-ratist politics in Union terri-tory of Jammu and Kashmirafter the abrogation ofArticle 370 by the Uniongovernment, which gave spe-cial status to the erstwhile
state of Jammu and Kashmir.Kavinder said, while the
topic "Separatism andBeyond" has been deletedfrom the chapter, the abroga-tion of Article 370 has beenincluded under the topic"Regional Aspirations".
He said that last year onAugust 5, the Government ofIndia revoked the special sta-tus granted under Article 370of the Indian Constitution toJammu and Kashmir throughan amendment in Parliamentand also scrapped Article 35A, and the state was bifurcat-ed into two union territories -- Jammu Kashmir andLadakh. He said that NCERTtextbooks are used by allschools affiliated to theCentral Board of SecondaryEducation (CBSE) and sev-eral state boards have alsoadopted these books.
He further said thatNCERT has also replaced theold map of Jammu andKashmir in Class 12 politicalscience textbook from thisyear.
AJKYF stands against privatization,
auctioning of J&K industries and assetsTP CORRESPONDENT
JAMMU, JULY 25: All J&KYouth Federation (AJKYF)Incharge Jammu Province, Ch.Sanjay Singh Sandhu lashed outCentral Government and admin-istration of Union Territory ofJammu and Kashmir for the pri-vatization and auctioning of theindustries and assets of the J&Kindustries Ltd, J&K mineralsand J&K cements besides clos-ing down of the SICOP. In apress statement AJKYF termedthe decision of privatization andauctioning as unfortunate andagainst the interests of theemployees and public at large.
AJKYF Provincial Inchargetermed this move of the govern-ment as the result of their failureand and suggested them to put inthe best effort of professionals tomanage these organizationswhich will enhance the chancesof employment to youth besidesaffecting large employees ofthese organizations.
Ch. Sanjay Singh Sandhuurged upon the central govern-ment and UT administration toreview the decisions to saveassets of the government and tocreate more job opportunitiesrather than shutting down thejob opportunities.
Photo by Bikas Bhagat
Photo by Bikas Bhagat
Photo by Bikas Bhagat
TRUTH PREVAILJAMMU, SUNDAY, JULY 26, 20206 NATIONAL/STATE
Activist Varavara Rao's Family Writes To Human
Rights Body, Seeks Updates On His HealthHYDERABAD: Family
members of activistVaravara Rao, accused inthe Elgar Parishad-Maoistlink case, have approachedthe National Human RightsCommission (NHRC) seek-ing a direction to a Mumbaihospital, where he is beingtreated for COVID-19, andprison authorities to provide"transparent" updates on hishealth status. The petitionfiled on Friday stated thatthe family was compelled toapproach the rights body asthey were denied any infor-mation about his conditionor his treatment at theNanavati Hospital inMumbai. "Today, we are
compelled to write this letterto you, as we are denied anyinformation about his condi-tion or his treatment at theNanavati Hospital. From thetime he was shifted out ofTaloja Jail to St Georges
hospital to Nanavati hospi-tal, the only official infor-mation provided to the fam-ily was that he had testedpositive for the COVID-19,"they said.
Denial of any information
on Varavara Rao's health is adirect violation of NHRC'sJuly 13 order, whereby ithad specifically directed theprison authorities to provideall the necessary medicalcare and assistance to thepoet with intimation to hisfamily members, theyadded.
Seeking NHRC's inter-vention, the family soughtofficial updates on his healthand line of treatment everysix hours. Varvara Rao, 80,was undergoing treatment inMumbai hospitals since July16 after being tested forcoronavirus positive.
He has been in jail foraround 22 months and had
approached the special NIAcourt, seeking bail on med-ical grounds and the prevail-ing COVID-19 situation.Varavara Rao and nine otheractivists have been arrestedin the Elgar Parishad-Maoistlinks case, which was ini-tially probed by the PunePolice and later transferredto the NIA in January thisyear. The case related toalleged inflammatoryspeeches made at the ElgarParishad conclave held inPune on December 31,2017, which the policeclaimed triggered violencethe next day near theKoregaon-Bhima warmemorial.
In 2020's "Largest" Drug Raid, 234
Kg Of Opium Seized In RajasthanNEW DELHI: The
Narcotics Control Bureau(NCB) has seized nearly234 kgs of opium fromRajasthan, the "largest"seizure this year yet, andarrested two people oncharges of drug trafficking,the agency said on Friday.
The seizure was madeon July 19 from Shadi vil-lage in the state'sChittorgarh district.
"A team from theJodhpur zonal unit raidedthe residential premises ofa person, R Lal, and seized233.97 kgs of opium.Another person MKDhakad of Bhilwara dis-trict has also been arrest-ed," NCB Deputy Director(Operations) KPSMalhotra said in Delhi.
The agency also seized asports utility vehicle(SUV) as part of the opera-tion, he said.
"This is the largestopium seizure of the yearin the country. Preliminaryinvestigation has foundthat the opium was sourcedfrom the legal cultivationarea of Chittorgarh andwas destined to Jodhpur,"he said.
The consignment
belonged to MadhyaPradesh and Rajasthanbased drug traffickers, MrMalhotra said.
Opium is dried latexobtained from the seedcapsule of the opiumpoppy plant and it is chem-ically processed to produceheroin.
The Central Bureau ofNarcotics, under the Unionfinance ministry, giveslicence for its legal pro-duction in three states -Madhya Pradesh,Rajasthan and UttarPradesh.
Mr Malhotra said theprobe into the latest casefound that some legal cul-tivators, especially those inMandsaur, Neemuch andRatlam districts of MadhyaPradesh and Chittorgarhand Jhalawar districts ofRajasthan, diverted opiumthrough illegal channelsand sold it to intermedi-aries for profit.
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"These intermediariestraffic this opium to otherparts of the country forconsumption and conver-sion into heroin," he said.
MUMBAI: MaharashtraChief Minister UddhavThackeray has warnedagainst rushing to lift thecoronavirus lockdown,pointing to similar meas-ures by western countriesthat then scrambled to re-impose restrictions whenthey realised the virus wasstill spreading.
In a two-part interview,the first of which wasreleased Saturday, withShiv Sena MP Sanjay Rautfor party mouthpiece"Saamna", Mr Thackerayalso cautioned people inMumbai, where the out-break appears to be undercontrol, against letting theirguard down, saying "I'mworried about that".
"This is war against theCOVID-19 virus and wher-ever countries removed thelockdown, all at once, theyare now again re-imposingthe lockdown - likeAustralia," UddhavThackeray said.
"Everyone says open andunlock things and that theeconomy is under threat.Yes, I agree. But will thesepeople take responsibility ifmany people get infected ordie? Are you ready to letpeople die for the econo-my?" he asked.
Mr Thackeray then took aswipe at US PresidentDonald Trump, whose han-dling of the health crisis,particularly his resistance totougher restrictions, hasbeen heavily criticised.
"I am not Donald Trump.I cannot see my people suf-fer in front of my eyes," hedeclared.
"My focus is on reopen-ing things slowly. I agreepeople are tired but I can'topen everything at once.We are calling this a pan-demic because no one hasany quick fix for this," hesaid, adding, when askedabout places of worshipbeing re-opened, that "Godis within us".
2f54edn8I am not DonaldTrump, Uddhav Thackeraydeclared, taking a swipe at
the US PresidentMaharashtra is India's
worst-affected state withover 3.57 lakh cases, ofwhich 1.44 lakh are activeinfections and over 13,000are deaths linked to thevirus.
Mumbai, which has over1 lakh cases, and Pune,which is nearing the70,000-mark, are bothbadly hit. However, whileinfections in Mumbai seemto be dropping, those inPune are spiking.
"I don't want to commentso early (the COVID-19 sit-uation in Mumbai). If webelieve it is under control,we will get relaxed. And I'mworried about that," theChief Minister said aboutthe city, while also pointingout that containment meas-ures in Dharavi had been sosuccessful as to earn praisefrom the WHO.
Mr Thackeray alsopraised the state's overallresponse to the pandemic,which has infected over13.36 lakh in the countryand killed more than31,000.
"Maharashtra did notrequire help from the Army.We built field hospitals andramped up medical capaci-ties. We held meetings andworked accordingly. I amproud of my government,"he said, adding, "LikeChina, we also built hospi-tals within 15-20 days".
In his wide-ranging inter-view, which also touchedupon haircuts at home dur-ing the lockdown, MrThackeray discussed examsfor university students intheir final year.
"Whenever possible wecan take exams for finalyear for those who are inter-ested. So either you acceptaggregate marks or exams,"
he said, referring to analternative system for pass-ing students in lieu ofexams.
Maharashtra, like Delhi,has cancelled final yearexams for state-run institu-tions. Central colleges willhave their exams inSeptember - a decision theYuva Sena, the youth wingof Mr Thackeray's ShivSena has challenged in theSupreme Court under theleadership of his son andcabinet minister AadityaThackeray.
Mr Thackeray alsotouched upon politicalpoints in his interview,playing down any talk of arift between his party andthe ideologically disparateCongress and NCP, withwhom the Shiv Sena is in athree-way alliance to ruleMaharashtra.
"I am leading this gov-ernment but this is a three-party government and eventhe independents are withus. More importantly, thepublic is with us. So it iseveryone's government," hesaid.
"I'm happy that peopletrust me and co-operatewith me. This gives mestrength," Mr Thackerayadded.
On a question about coro-navirus vaccine trials, theChief Minister said hehoped a vaccine could bedeveloped in India by theend of this year.
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COVAXIN, India's firstindigenously developedvaccine, began human tri-als.
The second part of MrThackeray's interview withSanjay Raut is expected tobe released tomorrow.
"War Against COVID-19": Uddhav Thackeray
Cautions Against Lifting Lockdown
NEW DELHI: BJP leaderUma Bharti today said "itdoes not matter" to her whatthe judgement in the 1992Babri Masjid demolition casewill be. Uma Bharti, LKAdvani and Murli ManoharJoshi are among the BJPleaders accused of conspira-cy in the case.
"I was called by the courtfor my statement and I havetold the court what was true.It does not matter to me whatthe judgement will be. If I amsent to the gallows, I will beblessed. The place where Iwas born will be happy,"Uma Bharti told NDTV. TheBJP leader had appearedbefore a special CBI court inLucknow earlier this month.
While veteran BJP leaderLK Advani, 92, appearedbefore the court through
video conference onSaturday, Murli ManoharJoshi recorded his statementbefore the court on Thursdaythrough video conference.
Last year, a five-judgeconstitution bench of theSupreme Court ruled that the2.77 acre land claimed byboth Hindus and Muslimswould be handed over to agovernment-run trust for thebuilding of a temple. The topcourt had also announced afive-acre plot at another sitein Ayodhya for Muslims.
The CBI court, throughdaily hearings, has to com-plete the trial and deliver itsverdict by August 31.
Uma Bharti also hit out atNCP chief Sharad Pawarwho had taken a swipe atgrand groundbreaking cere-mony for the construction of
a Ram temple in Ayodhya,saying "some people mightthink that corona will goaway after a temple is built".
"There is no connection inthe two things. An entire sys-tem, of doctors and healthworkers, are fighting Covid.And an unrelated set willbuild the temple... I see a dif-ferent meaning in Mr Pawar'sstatements... Some peopleare concerned that all this ishappening without too muchfuss. I want to ask Pawar-ji tosing 'Shri Ram Jai Ram'when Modi-ji is in Ayodhya,"Uma Bharti said.
"Give me 5,000 lives ver-sus this one day (August 5). Iwill choose this one day. It isnot important whether I amthere or not. It is a non-issuefor me. What is important isthat Modi-ji will be there andwill lay the foundation stone.It is important for Modi-ji tobe there," she said.
The groundbreaking cere-mony or "bhoomi poojan"for the Ram temple inAyodhya will be held onAugust 5 inside the RamJanmabhoomi complex.Prime Minister NarendraModi and a host of VVIPsare expected to attend theceremony.
"If I Am Sent To Gallows, I Will BeBlessed": Uma Bharti On Babri Case
MGR's Statue Found Draped With Saffron Shawl
In Puducherry, AIADMK Demands Action
PUDUCHERRY/CHENNAI: A statue of formerTamil Nadu Chief MinisterM G Ramachandran wasfound draped with a saf-fron shawl at Puducherryleading to protest byAIADMK and ChiefMinister V Narayanasamyon Friday assured mem-bers of the territorialassembly that quick actionwould be taken against theculprits.
The AIADMK founderleader MGR's statue, instanding posture at thePuducherry-Villianoorjunction in the union terri-tory, was found drapedwith a saffron shawl onThursday evening.
AIADMK co-coordina-tor and Tamil Nadu ChiefMinister K Palaniswamicondemned it as a "barbar-ic" act.
Days after socialreformer Periyar's statuewas smeared with saffronpaint at Coimbatore lead-ing to brief tension andarrest of a fringe Hinduoutfit functionary, he saidvandalising and desecrat-ing the statues of leaders"is a shameful barbaricact."
It caused grief, he said
and urged Narayanasamyto take swift action andbring the anti-socialsbehind such elements tobook .
When AIADMK MLAin Puducherry, Anbalagan,after staging a protest lastnight, raised the issueinthe House on Friday,Narayanasamy assuredstrict action against cul-prits.
Against the backgroundof popular Tamil spiritualhymn ''Kanda SashtiKavacham'' gettingallegedly denigrated by agroup "KarupparKootam," Palaniswamisaid hurting people in theguise of freedom ofexpression through cheapcriticism went against thevery human civilisation.
Tamil people wouldnever accept such tacticsto fetch votes by infringingthe unity and integrity ofIndia, he said.
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The Chief Minister,however, did not directlyname any group or refer tothe controversy followingthe alleged objectionablepost by Karuppar Kootam.
"If Governor Is Being Threatened...":BJP Leader On Ashok Gehlot Remarks
NEW DELHI: BJP leaderGajendra SinghShekhawat, accused bythe Congress of conspir-ing to topple the govern-ment in Rajasthan, todayhit out at Ashok Gehlotover the Chief Minister'scomments that his gov-ernment will not beresponsible if people ofthe state "gherao" theGovernor's house.
"When the Governor himselfis being threatened bythe Chief Minister, it isuseless for people inRajasthan who arestricken by theft, rob-bery, rape, murder andviolent clashes to appealto the Chief Minister fortheir safety," MrShekhawat tweeted inHindi.
BJP leader Gulab ChandKataria, who is alsoLeader of Opposition inthe Rajasthan Assembly,
accused Mr Gehlot ofinstigating public againstthe Governor.
"Chief Minister AshokGehlot is instigatingpublic against Governor.I still demand CRPFshould be deployed inRaj Bhawan. AshokGehlot's proposal hadflows that's why it wasrejected. He wants to callassembly just to disqual-ify rebel MLAs," he toldNDTV.
On Friday, Mr Gehlot -- whohas accused theGovernor Kalraj Mishraof sitting on the requestof calling an assemblysession -- held a protestfor more than four hoursat Governor's house topress forth his demandfor an Assembly session.
"The entire state is with us.People are with us. If themasses surround the RajBhawan in protest, we
will not be responsible,"Mr Gehlot had toldreporters shortly beforevisiting the Governor'shouse with MLAs sup-porting him.
The chief minister's remarksaw a strongly-wordedresponse from theGovernor. "Who shouldI speak to for my securi-ty? "Today, on July 24, Iwatched your remarkson electronic media, inwhich you tried to give apolitical colour toConstitutional requestsand Constitutional deci-sion-making. I am sadand hurt because of it,"the Governor said.
On Friday, Mr Gehlot sub-mitted a list of 102MLAs to the Governor,who asked him to send afresh request for a ses-sion.
Late on Friday night, MrGehlot chaired a cabinet
meeting at his residencewhere six points raisedby the state Governorregarding calling asassembly session werediscussed. It was decid-ed in the cabinet meetingthat the agenda of theassembly session will becoronavirus and the eco-nomic crisis, sourcessaid.
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Mr Gehlot believes he hasthe number to prove hismajority in the Houseand if he wins the trustvote, there can't beanother for the next sixmonths.
According to the rules,rebels can be disquali-fied if they vote againsttheir party, in violationof the whip. But theirvotes will be counted asvalid.
JAIPUR: Congress work-ers on Saturday stageddemonstrations at severalplaces in Rajasthan againstthe BJP, accusing it of "con-spiring" to topple the AshokGehlot government.
The Congress had onFriday given the call fordemonstrations in all districtheadquarters against the "con-spiracy to murder democracy"and to press the governor forconvening an Assembly ses-sion.
The Congress government
is pushing for a session of theAssembly so that ChiefMinister Ashok Gehlot canprove his majority on thefloor of the House after theRajasthan High Court onFriday ordered that status quoshould be maintained on thedisqualification notices sentout by the Speaker to rebelleader Sachin Pilot and 18other MLAs.
In Jaipur, the demonstra-tion was held at the YouthCongress office. Party leadersaddressed the gatheringsacross the state.
"The BJP''s intentions willnot work out and the AshokGehlot government will com-plete its tenure. It is also dis-appointing that the Governoris not calling an Assemblysession. The session shouldbe called," a party leader said
in Bikaner.Congress workers took out
a rally in Kota and staged adharna in Jodhpur. Similarprotest demonstrations wereheld elsewhere in the state.
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Giving the call for demon-strations, state Congress pres-ident Govind Singh Dotasarahad on Friday said the pro-grammes would be held fol-lowing COVID-19 preventivemeasures such as social dis-tancing.
He said that not more than50 persons would gather inany place. However,Congress workers gatheredfor the demonstrations inlarge numbers in all districtheadquarters disregardingsocial distancing norm.
Congress Workers Stage Demonstrations
Across Rajasthan Against BJP
BHOPAL: MadhyaPradesh Chief MinisterShivraj Singh Chouhan, 61,has tested positive for thenovel coronavirus, it wasconfirmed on Saturdayafternoon. He will beadmitted to the ChirayuHospital in state capitalBhopal, Home MinisterNarottam Mishra toldNDTV.
"My dear countrymen, Iwas having COVID-19symptoms and, after a test,my report came back posi-tive. I am following all theguidelines and will quaran-tine myself according to thedoctor's advice," the ChiefMinister wrote on Twitter.
He also appealed to col-leagues and individuals totake all possible precautionto avoid infection and urgedthose who had come in con-tact with him to get theirtests done as well
"I appeal to the people ofmy state to be careful, just alittle carelessness invitesthe coronavirus. I madeevery effort to avoid thevirus but people used tomeet me on many subjects,"Mr Chouhan added.
Close contacts of theChief Minister, who was tohold a meeting at 11.30AM, have been quaran-
tined. In his absence, MrChouhan wrote, HomeMinister Narottam Mishra,Health Minister VishvasSarang and others will leadthe meeting.
Mr Mishra, among thoseto have had close contactwith the Chief Minister,will also be tested for thevirus.
An ambulance enters theofficial residence ofMadhya Pradesh ChiefMinister Shivraj SinghChouhan
News of Mr Chouhantesting positive comes twodays after a minister in hiscabinet, Arvind SinghBhadoria, said he wasinfected. Mr Bhadoria wasamong the ministers atWednesday's cabinet meet-ing, which was chaired bythe Chief Minister.
Meanwhile, the ChiefMinister reassured support-ers that there was no need topanic and that despite hismedical condition he wouldcontinue to lead efforts tocontain the virus in hisstate. "No need to panic, Ifcoronavirus is treated intime, it is curable," he said.adding, "I have beenreviewing the status ofcoronavirus infectionsevery evening since March
25. I will try to review thisvia video conferencing asmuch as possible now".
Former Chief MinisterKamal Nath tweeted: "Ipray to God for his (MrChouhan's) speedy recov-ery".
Another former ChiefMinister, Uma Bharti, saidshe was praying for therecovery of both MrChouhan and Mr Bhadoria."I pray they get well soon.All be well. May this dis-ease leave our planet," shesaid.
Mr Chouhan and MrBhadoria had attended thefuneral of the late MadhyaPradesh Governor LaljiTandon, who died at a hos-pital in Uttar Pradesh'sLucknow on July 21.
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Madhya Pradesh hasrecorded over 26,000COVID-19 cases so far,including 791 deaths linkedto the virus. The number ofactive cases in the state ismore than 7,500.
Across India the numberof coronavirus cases hascrossed 13.36 lakh, withmore than 4.56 lakh activecases and 31,358 deathslinked to the virus.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj
Singh Chouhan Tests Coronavirus Positive
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Man, 30, Gets First Dose Of India's
Covid Vaccine As Human Trial BeginsNEW DELHI: A 30-year-
old man was on Friday giventhe first dose of undertrial coro-navirus vaccine Covaxin atDelhi's All India Institute OfMedical Sciences (AIIMS).
A total of 12 volunteers werecalled for a number of pre-teststhat include blood andnasopharyngeal testing forCOVID-19. After results, 10healthy individuals were select-ed for the vaccine to be given inphases. After the first dose, areport on their health conditionwill be submitted to the ethicscommittee, which will review-ing the entire process. 100healthy people will be vacci-nated at AIIMS during thesetrial. Covaxin, developed byHyderabad-based Bharat
Biotech in collaboration withthe ICMR and the NationalInstitute of Virology (NIV),had recently got the approvalfor human clinical trials fromthe Drugs Controller Generalof India (DCGI). AIIMS-Delhiis among the 12 institutesselected by the Indian Councilfor Medical Research (ICMR)for conducting the first twophases of the randomised, dou-ble-blind, placebo-controlledclinical trials of Covaxin.
Phase I of the vaccine trialwill be done on healthy peopleaged between 18 and 55, hav-ing no co-morbid conditions.Women with no pregnancy willalso be selected to be a part ofthe trial in the first phase, newsagency had reported.
TRUTH PREVAILJAMMU, SUNDAY, JULY 26, 20207 HEALTH
The iliotibial band (IT bandor ITB) is a thick band of con-nective tissue that runs longi-tudinally along the outside ofyour leg. It begins at the hipand continues to the knee andshinbone. The IT band pro-vides stability and movementin the knee and strengthensand protects the lateral thigh.
It also helps with hip rota-tion, extension, and sidewaysmovements. The IT bandbecomes tight due to overuse,repetitive movements, andmuscle weakness. You mayexperience this tightness inyour hip, thigh, and knee.
There’s some debate aboutthe best way to alleviate tight-ness in the IT band andwhether you should use a foamroller to do this. Read on totake a look at the pros and consof using a foam roller to easeIT band tightness, as well assome different treatmentoptions.
Why is a foam roller notideal for the IT band?
While it’s often recom-mended that you use a foamroller to loosen up your ITband, it may not be the bestoption. Instead, you can focuson alleviating tightness in yourhip and leg muscles. Thisincludes the tensor fasciaelatae muscle, which is foundon the outside of the hip.
If you have a lot of tightness
in or around your IT band,foam rolling may be extremelypainful and can even causemore discomfort. This is espe-cially likely if you do it incor-rectly. Plus, it may not be thateffective.
An older study from 2010found that IT band stretchescreated almost no difference inthe length of the IT band. Thisresearch recommends thatother treatment options areconsidered when treating ITband tightness.
Research from 2019 foundthat foam rolling isn’t particu-larly effective in improvingperformance and recovery. Incertain cases, it was more use-ful. For example, foam rollingbefore a workout showedshort-term improvements in
flexibility without affectingmuscle performance. Overall,the research suggests that foamrolling can be useful pre-work-out instead of as a recoveryoption.
When a foam roller mighthelp
A foam roller may be an OKoption if you have mild tight-ness in your IT band area.Before you foam roll your ITband, roll out your glutes, hips,and quadriceps. Then do yourhamstrings and calves. Hereare a few tips for using a foamroller correctly:
Use gentle pressure.Choose a soft-surface foam
roller.Use your other body parts to
support your body weight.Go slowly.
Roll over a small area at onetime.
Use a mat for cushioning.Avoid any areas that don’t
roll smoothly.What else can you do? When you experience pain,
soreness, or tightness in yourIT band, you must rest as muchas possible and take a breakfrom any activities that arecontributing to the discomfort.Give your body a chance tofully heal.
Here are a few ways to treata tight IT band:
nonsteroidal anti-inflamma-tory drugs (NSAIDs)
an ice pack or heating padfor 15 minutes at a time, a fewtimes per day
stretchesacupuncturesports massagemyofascial release massageself-massage to apply a
muscle rub or essential oilsCreate a movement routine
that you can do at homeOur Move Your Body
Challenge has one exercise for25 days to build a routine, noequipment needed.
You can’t stretch or elongatethe actual IT band due to itsthick, tough nature. However,you can loosen up the nearbymuscles, which include thehips and legs. Do exercises tostretch and strengthen the hipand leg muscles.
Is a Foam Roller Recommended
to Ease a Tight IT Band?
The iliotibial (IT) band is athick band of fascia that runsdeep along the outside ofyour hip and extends to yourouter knee and shinbone.
IT band syndrome, alsoreferred to as ITB syndrome,occurs from overuse andrepetitive movements, whichcan lead to pain, irritation,and inflammation in yourknee and surrounding ten-dons.
While ITB syndrome isoften referred to as runner’sknee, it also commonlyaffects weightlifters, hikers,and cyclists.
Certain exercises andstretches can help heal ITBsyndrome by improvingflexibility and strengtheningthe muscles surroundingyour IT band. These exercis-es can also prevent furtherissues.
Here are five IT bandexercises to get you started.Try doing these for a mini-mum of 10 minutes per day.
1. Side-lying leg raisesThis exercise targets your
core, glutes, and hip abduc-tors, which helps improvestability. For more support,bend your bottom leg. For achallenge, use a resistanceband around your ankles.
How to do it:Lie on your right side with
your left hip directly overyour right.
Keep your body in astraight line, pressing yourleft hand into the floor forsupport.
Use your right arm or apillow to support your head.
Position your foot so yourheel is slightly higher thanyour toes.
Slowly raise your left leg.Pause here for 2 to 5 sec-
onds.Slowly return to the start-
ing position.Do 2 to 3 sets of 15 to 20
repetitions on each side.2. Forward fold with
crossed legs The forward fold stretch
helps relieve tension andtightness along your IT band.You’ll feel a stretch along themuscles on the side of yourthigh as you do it. To stretchmore deeply, place all ofyour weight onto your backfoot.
Use a block or prop underyour hands if they don’treach the floor, or if youhave any low back pain. Ifyou have concerns withblood coming to your head,keep your back flat and yourhead raised.
How to do it:Stand with your feet hip-
distance apart.Cross your left foot over
your right, aligning yourpinkie toes as much as possi-ble.
Inhale and extend yourarms overhead.
Exhale as you hinge for-ward from your hips, andlengthen your spine to comeinto a forward bend.
Reach your hands towardthe floor, and elongate theback of your neck.
Keep your knees slightlybent.
Hold this position for up to1 minute, then do the oppo-site side.
3. Cow face poseThis yoga pose relieves
deep tightness in your glutes,hips, and thighs, improvingflexibility and mobility. Italso stretches your knees andankles.
Avoid sinking over to oneside. Use a cushion to evenlyground both sitting bonesinto the floor so your hips areeven. To make this pose eas-ier, extend your bottom legout straight.
How to do it:Bend your left knee and
position it at the center ofyour body.
Draw in your left foottoward your hip.
Cross your right knee overthe left, stacking your knees.
Place your right heel andankle to the outside of yourleft hip.
Hold this position for up to1 minute.
To go deeper, walk yourhands forward to fold into aforward bend.
Hold this position for up to1 minute, then do the oppo-site side.
Create a movement rou-tine that you can do at home
Our Move Your BodyChallenge has one exercisefor 25 days to build a rou-tine, no equipment needed.
4. Seated spinal twist This stretch relieves tight-
ness in your spine, hips, andouter thighs. It opens yourshoulders and chest, allow-ing for improved posture andstability.
For a more gentle stretch,extend your lower leg outstraight. Place a cushionunder this knee if your ham-strings are especially tight.
How to do it:From a seated position on
the floor, bend your left legand place your left foot onthe outside of your right hip.
Bend your right leg andplace your right foot flat onthe floor on the outside ofyour left thigh.
Exhale as you twist yourlower body to the right.
Physical activity is knownfor boosting energy. That’sbecause exercise increasesyour heart rate and blood flow,making you feel awake. It’sone of the many benefits ofworking out.
However, it’s also possibleto get tired after exercise. Thisis especially common afterhigh-intensity workouts.Physical activity, after all,requires a lot of energy andstamina.
If you feel tired after aworkout, you may want totake a nap. In this article, we’lldiscuss the pros and cons post-exercise napping, along withtips for doing it right.
Is this normal?In general, feeling sleepy
after exercise isn’t a cause forconcern. It’s normal to feeltired after physically exertingyourself.
This is more likely after
intense workouts. For exam-ple, you can expect your ener-gy levels to dip after a longrun or high-intensity intervaltraining.
On the other hand, a lighterworkout like a leisurely walkprobably won’t make youtired.
Everyone is different,though. Your energy afterexercise depends on many fac-tors, including:
your fitness levelyour dietyour level of hydrationtype of exerciseduration, intensity, and fre-
quency of exerciseunderlying medical condi-
tionshow much sleep you got the
night beforeIn some cases, feeling
sleepy after exercise might bea sign that you’ve pushedyourself too hard.
Why does it occur?Post-workout sleepiness is
caused by the body’s naturalresponse to physical activity.
When you exercise, yourmuscles repeatedly contract.They use adenosine triphos-phate (ATP) to produce thesecontractions. ATP is a mole-cule that provides energy foryour cells. Your ATP levelsdecrease as you continueworking out. This reducesyour muscles’ ability to func-tion, resulting in musclefatigue. It’s known as periph-eral fatigue.
Your central nervous system(CNS) also plays a role.During exercise, your CNSrepetitively fires signals toactivate your muscles. The fir-ing, however, will become lesscharged the longer you workout.
Additionally, exerciseincreases various neurotrans-
mitters, including dopamineand serotonin. These changesreduce your CNS’ capacity toactivate your muscles, leadingto central fatigue. As a result,you may feel tired and want totake a nap.
HEALTHLINE CHAL-LENGES
Create a movement routinethat you can do at home
Our Move Your BodyChallenge has one exercise for25 days to build a routine, noequipment needed.
Pros and consIf you’re thinking of taking
a post-workout nap, considerthe potential pros and cons.
Pros of taking a nap afterexercise
The advantages of nappingafter a workout include:
Muscle recovery. Taking anap after exercise can supportmuscle recovery. When yousleep, your pituitary gland
releases growth hormone.Your muscles need this hor-mone to repair and build tis-sue. This is essential for mus-cle growth, athletic perform-ance, and reaping the benefitsof physical activity.
Improved sleep debt. Sleepdeprivation hinders musclerecovery. It also slows downcognitive function and weak-ens the immune system, con-tributing to poor athletic per-formance. By taking a nap,you can lessen the effects ofsleep deprivation by getting
more rest.Reduced physical fatigue.
Feeling sleepy after exercise isa sign of muscle fatigue.However, as napping encour-ages muscle recovery, itdecreases fatigue. This canmake it easier to handle otherobligations during the rest ofthe day. Increased mentalalertness. Similarly, taking anap after exercise can give youa boost of mental energy. Ifyou woke up early to workout, a nap can help you feelless tired.
Is It Normal to Take a Nap After a Workout?
5 Recommended Exercises for
Iliotibial Band (ITB) Syndrome
These Are the 12 Best Dumbbells to Use
at Home, According to a TrainerWorking out at home may
have always been your jam.Or maybe it’s new territoryfor you.
No matter what camp youfall in, making home work-outs effective can pose somechallenges — one of whichcan be lack of equipment.
But with some level ofinvestment, you can create ahome “gym” that truly worksfor you.
Key to this will be pur-chasing a few integral pieces— like a set of dumbbellsthat will help you reach yourgoals — to take your homeworkouts from drab to fab.
Go search “dumbbells” onGoogle or Amazon, though,and it becomes clear thatthere are lots of options. Andif you don’t know where tostart or what to look for, itcan get overwhelming quick-ly.Let us take the guessworkout of the purchasing processfor you.
How we selected theseproducts
We tapped Nicole Davis,an ACE-certified personaltrainer, to identify 12 of thebest dumbbells across all fit-ness levels and budgets.
She took the followinginto consideration whenselecting her picks:
anecdotal advice from realpersonal trainers
user reviewsshape, grip, and overall
quality.
In July 2019, 73-year-old SherryRichards had a severe stroke causedby infusion therapy for dermato-myositis, an autoimmune conditionthat causes skin changes and muscleweakness.
She immediately underwent acombination of physical, occupa-tional, and speech therapy, and hadto learn how to walk and talk again.
“Paralysis to the right side causedspasticity in my arm and hand, so
the therapy was crucial in helpingme continue to recover and strength-en movement,” Richards toldHealthline.
When the COVID-19 pandemichit, all in-person and in-home thera-py came to a halt. Rather than fallbehind on her care plan, Richardsrelied on telehealth to continuemodified therapy at home.
Her family stepped in and workedwith her so that she wouldn’t lose
ground in her recovery.“Even missing a week could mean
muscle atrophy and weakness, so weknew how critical it was to keep upwith her therapy as best as wecould,” her daughter Kim Donald,told Healthline.
However, they couldn’t have doneit without guidance from Richards’healthcare providers.
Using telehealth via Updox, thefamily was able to keep in contactwith her team of physicians toensure she was practicing her thera-pies correctly, taking medications asprescribed, and communicatingsymptoms with her doctors.
“Having telehealth options wassuch a reassurance for us becausewe were able to confirm through herdoctors that we were doing every-thing we could to support her. Sincewe were dealing with a major healthrecovery, the ability to check in andverify/validate what we’re doing
was like having a shoulder to leanon,” Donald said.
Dr. Joshua Willey, vascular neu-rologist at NewYork-PresbyterianHospital and associate professor ofneurology at Columbia UniversityIrving Medical Center, said tele-health has been a solution for himand his patients during the pandem-ic. “[Telehealth] was very helpful incontinuing to follow patients fortheir stroke risk factors and post-stroke complications. Telehealthalso allowed our institution to seenew stroke patients with non-dis-abling deficits who chose to not goto the ER within a rapid access for-mat to complete all of their stroke-related testing such as MRIs,”Willey told Healthline.
The main benefit of telehealth, headds, is that it allows people wholive in rural areas to connect withtheir doctors without having to trav-el to seek care from a sub-specialist.
Exercise offers a number ofhealth benefits, from boostingyour mood to lowering yourblood pressure to giving you achance to socialize with yourfriends.
It can also lower your riskof death — especially if youregularly meet the govern-ment’s physical activityguidelines — according to anew study published July 1 inThe BMJTrusted Source.
“This was a nice study, andsupports the idea of physicalactivity being an importantlifestyle behavior that canimprove health and well-being,” said John Jakicic,PhD, an exercise physiologistin the University ofPittsburgh’s School ofEducation, who wasn’tinvolved in the new research.
Benefits of meeting physi-cal activity guidelines
The 2018 Physical ActivityGuidelines forAmericansTrusted Sourcerecommends that people do atleast 150 minutes a week ofmoderate-intensity exercise,or 75 minutes a week of vig-orous-intensity physicalactivity, or a combination ofboth.
People should also aim todo moderate- or vigorous-
intensity muscle strengthen-ing activities on 2 or moredays a week.
In the new study,researchers looked at respons-es to the U.S. National HealthInterview Survey (NHIS) for1997 to 2014 to see if peoplemet the physical activityguidelines. This includedalmost 480,000 Americansages 18 and older.
Researchers also looked atnational death records to iden-tify how many of these peoplehad died by the end of 2015.
Compared to people whodidn’t meet the recommendedactivity levels, people whoengaged in sufficient aerobicactivity were 29 percent lesslikely to die from any cause.
Those who met the recom-mended muscle strengtheningactivity level had an 11 per-cent lower risk of dying fromany cause.
People who met the recom-mendations for both aerobicand muscle strengtheningactivities achieved even largerbenefits — a 40 percent lowerrisk of death from any cause.
“The results show thateither aerobic or resistanceexercise at [the recommend-ed] levels was beneficial,”said Jakicic. “However, it
appears that a combination [ofthe two] is even more benefi-cial at reducing all-cause mor-tality.”
Similar benefits wereobserved for deaths from car-diovascular disease, cancer,and chronic lower respiratorytract diseases.
The study had a few limita-tions, including its observa-tional nature, which meansthe researchers can’t showcause and effect.
People also self-reportedhow physically active theywere, which isn’t as accurateas using an activity monitor(aka accelerometer).
But Jakicic said the largenature of the study provides“some level of confidence” inthe results. It also fits withother researchTrusted Sourceshowing the benefits of exer-cise.
Less exercise is still benefi-cial
Jakicic said the new studyshows that the 2018 PhysicalActivity Guidelines forAmericans are still a “goodbarometer” for how muchmovement you should aim todo each week.
One graph in the scientificreportTrusted Source thataccompanies the guidelines
highlights where the “sweetspot” is, at least for aerobicactivity. The lowest risk ofdying occurs between 150 and300 minutes a week of moder-ate-intensity aerobic activity(or the corresponding amountof vigorous-intensity activi-ty).
If you exercise more, youget some additional benefit,but not much. There’s also agreater risk of overuseinjuries at higher volumes ofexercise. However, thesharpest increase in benefitoccurs early on — just by get-ting off the couch.
“Even if you’re not meet-ing the recommendations,you’re getting substantialhealth benefits by not beingsedentary,” said Linda S.Pescatello, PhD, a kinesiolo-gy professor at the Universityof Connecticut.
These benefits also apply topeople with chronic disease,
as long as they’re exercisingsafely — which sometimesmeans talking to their physi-cian first. This is somethingthat both the new study andthe physical activity guide-lines emphasize.
“The scientific report [forthe guidelines] shows that thepeople who stand to benefitthe most from exercise are thepeople who need it the most,”said Pescatello. “And thatwould include people withchronic diseases and condi-tions.”
However, despite the evi-dence, very few Americansmeet these guidelines.
The authors of the newstudy found that only 16 per-cent of people met the physi-cal activity guidelines forboth aerobic and musclestrengthening activity. This islower than the 23.2 percentseen in the more recent 2018NHISTrusted Source.
Staying Physically Active May LowerYour Risk of Death by 30%
One of the most dauntingchallenges for seniors liv-ing on their own could bedealt with by something assimple as a wireless net-work.
A new system developedby researchers at theUniversity of Utah targetsthe leading cause of injury-related death among people65 and older—falls.According to the Centersfor Disease Control andPreventionTrusted Source,one in three older adultsfalls each year. In 2010, thisaccounted for 2.3 millionvisits to emergency roomsand $30 billion in medicalcosts.
As the population of theU.S. ages, with a large num-ber of baby boomersalready in their goldenyears, this will likelybecome even more of anissue. “The costs of nursinghome care are so high, andpeople generally want tolive independently,” saysstudy author Neal Patwari,Ph.D., an associate profes-sor of electrical and com-puter engineering at theUniversity of Utah. “Itmakes sense to deploy someinexpensive sensors thatcan detect falls and call forhelp if the person can’tthemselves.”
Using Wireless HasAdvantages
The sensors chosen byPatwari and computer engi-neering graduate studentBrad Mager are similar tothose used in home Wi-Finetworks. The researchersdeployed these small, low-cost radio-frequency (RF)sensors around a room attwo different heights. This
enabled them to deter-
mine whether a person inthe room was falling.
Unlike other systems thatdetect falls, the RF sensornetwork doesn’t requirepeople to wear a device,such as the familiar medicalalert buttons used by manyelderly people.
“Most people who ownone of those emergency callbuttons or fall sensorsaren’t wearing them at thetime of their fall,” saysPatwari, “so they are notparticularly useful.”
In addition, the RF sensornetwork is more respectfulof privacy because it candetect only the location ofobjects larger than six inch-es. Fall detection systemsthat rely on video surveil-lance, on the other hand,can make people feeluncomfortable because theytake continuous anddetailed recordings.
Building a 3D Image of aPerson
The system worksbecause the human body islargely made up of water.So as a person stands in aroom, his or her body altersthe strength and path of thewireless signals as they passfrom one sensor to another.
The radio waves, howev-er, are not blocked by non-metal walls or furniture,meaning the system can“see through” most obstruc-tions. The sensors can alsobe hidden behind walls orinside other objects.
The information gatheredfrom the wireless networkcan be used to pinpoint thelocation of a person in theroom. In essence, theresearchers are able to takemany one-dimensionalmeasurements between the
sensors and convert theminto a three-dimensionalimage of a person—a tech-nique that’s called “radiotomography.”
Tracking Falls from aRough Image
By placing the sensors attwo levels, they are alsoable to determine if a per-son is standing, sitting, orlying on the floor.
“I thought that if we putsensors at different heights,it might be possible tolocate someone with thesame accuracy in threedimensions, and then poten-tially detect a fall,” saysPatwari. “That is, we mighthave the potential, with ourradio tomography technolo-gies, to detect falls withoutrequiring the person to wearanything.”
The rough image of theperson appears as five sepa-rate layers. Falls are detect-ed, then, by seeing howeach layer changes overtime. For example, a personfalling would quickly dis-appear from the top layer,followed by taking up morespace in the bottom layer.
The researchers conduct-ed experiments to train thesystem to identify differentmovements within thespace—falling, sittingdown, and lying down onthe floor.
Detecting More ThanJust Falls
The system, which waspresented Sept. 10 at ameeting of the Institute ofElectrical and ElectronicsEngineers, is still in theearly stages. Patwari hopesto develop it into a commer-cial product through hisstart-up company, XandemTechnology.
In addition to alertingcaregivers or emergencyservices if an elderly personfalls, the system could alsobe tied into a larger homesensing system that tracksthe overall health of thoseliving there. “Our same RFsensors deployed for fallsensing can simultaneouslybe used for room-leveltracking and breathing ratemonitoring, as we havedemonstrated in pastwork,” says Patwari.
Which Communities Will Be Hit
Hardest by West Nile Virus This Year?
She Had a Stroke, Then the Pandemic Hit.
Here’s How She Fought to Recover
TRUTH PREVAILJAMMU, SUNDAY, JULY 26, 20208 INTERNATIONAL
FBI Finds Chinese Students, Researchers
With Army Links, Search 25 CitiesWASHINGTON: US
Federal prosecutors havecharged four Chinese nation-als with visa fraud for lyingabout their status as mem-bers of the Chinese Army,while they were conductingresearch in the US, the jus-tice department said.
The FBI has arrested threeof them, while the fourth,who is a fugitive, is current-ly being harboured at theChinese Consulate in SanFrancisco, it said.
Each defendant has beencharged with visa fraud. Ifconvicted, they face a maxi-mum of 10 years in prisonand a fine of USD 250,000.
In addition to the arrests,the FBI has recently con-ducted interviews of visaholders suspected of havingundeclared affiliation withthe Chinese military in morethan 25 US cities.
"These members ofChina's People LiberationArmy (PLA) applied forresearch visas while hidingtheir true affiliation with thePLA," said AssistantAttorney General forNational Security John CDemers. "This is another partof the Chinese CommunistParty's plan to take advan-tage of our open society andexploit academic institu-tions. We will continue toconduct this investigationtogether with the FBI," hesaid. Noting that the US wel-comes students, academics,and researchers from acrossthe globe, John Brown,Executive Assistant Director
of the FBI's NationalSecurity Branch, said thatthe announcement shows theextreme lengths to which theChinese government hasgone to infiltrate and exploitUS' benevolence.
According to a complaintthat was unsealed in theNorthern District ofCalifornia on June 8 andcourt documents filed onJune 11, Xin Wang enteredthe country on March 26,2019, after receiving a J1non-immigrant visa inDecember 2018.
Xin's visa application stat-ed that the purpose of hisvisit was to conduct scientif-ic research at the Universityof California, San Francisco(UCSF). He is alleged tohave made fraudulent state-ments on the visa applica-tion. Specifically, Wang stat-ed that he had served as anAssociate Professor inMedicine in the PLA, fromSeptember 1, 2002-September 1, 2016.
In reality, when inter-
viewed by officers ofCustoms and BorderProtection (CBP) at LosAngeles Airport on June 7,Wang said that he was, infact, still currently a "Level9" technician in the PLA,employed by a military uni-versity lab, which, accordingto CBP, roughly correspondswith the rank of a Major.
According to court docu-ments, Wang was stillemployed by the PLA whilehe was studying in the US,and made false statementsabout his military service.
According to court docu-ments unsealed in theEastern District of Californiaon July 20, Juan Tang, aresearcher at the Universityof California at Davis,applied for a non-immigrantJ1 visa on or about October28, 2019. The visa wasissued in November 2019,and Juan came to the US onDecember 27, 2019. She isalleged to have made fraudu-lent statements on her visaapplication.
Iran Condemns American Jet Fly-By Of
Airliner, US Says It Kept Safe DistanceDUBAI: Iran said on
Friday a US fighter jet"harassed" an Iranian civil-ian airliner in an act of ter-rorism that injured and pan-icked passengers, dismiss-ing a US account that the jetwas merely conducting avisual inspection.
State TV video footage ofthe inside of the Mahan Airairliner showed a passengerlying immobile on the floorand another with a woundednose and forehead, present-ing his bloodied face maskto the camera.
Several passengers, someseen screaming and shout-ing, were injured in theflight manoeuvre over Syriaas the airliner rapidlychanged altitude to avoidcollision, according toIranian media.
The US military said itsF-15 had kept at a safe dis-tance. Its Central Command,which oversees Americantroops in the region, said thefighter was conducting avisual inspection of the air-liner as it passed near theTanf garrison in Syria, hometo U.S. forces. The inspec-tion was carried out inaccordance with internation-al standards "at a safe dis-tance of about 1,000 metres(3,280 feet)... to ensure thesafety of coalition personnelat Tanf garrison," seniorspokesman Captain BillUrban said.
"Once the F-15 pilot iden-tified the aircraft as a MahanAir passenger plane, the F-15 safely opened distancefrom the aircraft."
The United States haslong accused Mahan Air of
ferrying weapons forIranian-linked guerrillas inSyria and elsewhere andimposed sanctions on theairline since 2011.
The pilot of the passengerplane contacted the jet pilotsto warn them to keep a safedistance and they identifiedthemselves as American,Iran's official IRIB newsagency reported. IranianRoad Minister MohammadEslami was quoted by thesemi-official ISNA newsagency as saying Tehran hadlodged a complaint with theInternational Civil AviationOrganization, describingThursday's incident as a"terrorist act, one of aggres-sion". Laya Joneydi, vicepresident for legal affairs,was quoted as saying byIranian media that the U.S.action was "harassment of apassenger plane" and a"clear violation of aviationsecurity". "The explanationsprovided so far (by the U.S.military) are unjustified andunconvincing," she said.Lebanon's powerful Iran-backed Hezbollah move-ment, condemned the inci-dent in a statement as a "ter-rorist act ...that could haveled to consequences of anunknown extent in theregion".
Iran's Foreign Ministrysaid the encounter might belinked to the upcoming U.S.presidential election, statemedia reported.
"The security of WestAsia should not become aplaything in the U.S. elec-tion campaign," ministryspokesman Abbas Mousavisaid.
WASHINGTON: A ster-ilization program that ran inthe US state of NorthCarolina from 1929 to 1974was explicitly designed to"breed out" black citizensand met the UN definition ofgenocide, a study said thisweek.
Almost 7,600 men,women and children asyoung as 10 were surgicallysterilized under the programthat was created to serve the"public good" by preventingpeople deemed "feeblemind-ed" and others from becom-ing parents.
Most were coerced butsome women who had noother means of birth controlsought out sterilization byhaving themselves declaredunfit mothers.
The new paper was pub-lished in the AmericanReview of PoliticalEconomy.
It examined the years 1958to 1968, a period in whichmore than 2,100 authorizedsterilizations occurred acrossthe state's 100 counties.
The authors found that, forthe period they studied, ster-ilization rates increased withthe size of the unemployedblack population -- butunemployed whites andother races were not similar-ly targeted.
William Darity Jr, a pro-
fessor at Duke Universityand co-author, said theUnited Nations's definitionof genocide cites intent todestroy, in whole or in part, anational, ethnic, racial orreligious group.
This includes, accordingto the text of the GenevaConvention, "imposingmeasures intended to preventbirths within the group."
"North Carolina's dispro-portionate use of eugenicsterilization on its black citi-zens was an act of genocide,"said Darity.
Previous work had shownthat the eugenics programhad disproportionately tar-geted black people, but thenew paper shed light on themechanics by which the pro-gram worked and itsmotives. "Controlling blackbodies and their reproductivechoices is nothing new,"added co-author RhondaSharpe of the Women'sInstitute for Science, Equity,and Race. "Our study showsthat North Carolina restrictedreproductive freedom, usingeugenics to disenfranchiseblack residents."
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The state set up a founda-tion in 2010 to compensateliving victims of the pro-gram.
Massive protest to be held in Canada
against China's Communist regime
CANADA: Canadianswith ancestral origins frommainland China, HongKong, Tibet, Xinjiang, Indiaand Philippines will hold arally outside the VancouverArt Gallery to condemn theoppression of Beijing'sCommunist regime towardsHongkongers, Tibetans andoccupied East Turkestan, aswell as Beijing’s aggressiontowards its neighboringcountries of India and thePhilippines on July 26.
The protestors willdemands for immediaterelease of the twoCanadians, Michael Korvigand Michael Spavor whohave been detained in Chinain December 2018, andcharged with espionage inChina. ''We demand Beijingto respect the fundamentalhuman rights of one millionUyghur Muslims who are
detained in concentrationcamps to be indoctrinatedwith the Communist Partypropaganda,'' said one pro-testor who is associated withVancouver UyghurAssociation. This is the firstmulti-nationality multi-eth-nicity rally will be held inCanada against the ChineseCommunist Party’s aggres-sion towards its own peopleand other foreign countries.
''With the Indo Canadiancommunity, we commemo-rate the 20 Indian soldierswho were killed by Chinesesoldiers on defending theircountry’s border along thebarren and uninhabitedstretch of mountains in theHimalayas,'' said anotherprotestor associated withFriends of Canada IndiaOrganization.
There is anger againstChina worldwide for impo-
sition of the new NationalSecurity Law which severe-ly erodes Hong Kong’sautonomy under the “OneCountry Two Systems” prin-ciple and demand for freenavigation of the SouthChina Sea and oppose theunilateral construction andterritorial claim of artificialislands and military bases byCommunist China whichthreaten the sovereignty ofnations including thePhilippines, Vietnam andTaiwan.
The rally will be hosted byCanada Tibet Committee &the Tibetan Community,Friends of Canada IndiaOrganization, Global PinoyDiaspora Canada,Vancouver Society ofFreedom, Democracy &Human Rights forChina,Vancouver Society inSupport of DemocraticMovement (VSSDM) andVancouver UyghurAssociation shows theresupport the people in Tibetwho speak out against theCommunist regime’s corrup-tion and violation of free-doms of religion and expres-sion but are arbitrarilyimprisoned for so-called ter-rorism and separatism.
They urge theGovernment of Canada tounite with other free andrule-based nations in stand-ing up to China’s encroach-ment and secure the immedi-ate release of the twoMichaels.
"Potential Death Penalty Awaits In India": US
Court Rejects Pak-Origin 26/11 Plotter's BailWASHINGTON: A US
court has rejected the USD 1.5million bail application ofPakistani-origin Canadianbusinessman Tahawwur Rana,who has been declared a fugi-tive by India for his involve-ment in the 2008 Mumbai ter-ror attack case, describing hima flight risk.
Rana, 59, a childhoodfriend of David ColemanHeadley, was re-arrested onJune 10 in Los Angeles on anextradition request by India forhis involvement in the 2008Mumbai terror attack in which166 people, including sixAmericans, were killed.
He is a declared fugitivein India.
US District Court Judgein Los Angeles JacquelineChooljian, in her 24-page orderdated July 21, denied bail toRana arguing that he is a flightrisk. Describing Rana as aflight risk, the US governmentopposed his release on bail,arguing that if he were to fleeto Canada, he may escape thepossibility of a death sentencein India.
"Given the stakes, anallowance of bail in anyamount would not guaranteeRana's presence in court.Granting bail would invite thepossibility of embarrassing theUnited States in the conduct ofits foreign affairs, straining its
relationship with India,"Assistant US Attorney John JLulejian had told the court.
On the other hand, Rana'sattorney told the court that the26/11 accused is not a flightrisk and has proposed a USD1.5 million bond for hisrelease. Rana, in his defence,has argued that the US's deci-sion not to extradite his co-con-spirator, David Headley, toIndia is inconsistent and barshis extradition. While Rana"has presented a robust bailpackage and proffered condi-tions which significantly miti-gate the risk of flight, the courtcannot find that he has negatedthe risk of flight and according-ly grants the Detention Request(of the government) on thatbasis," Judge Chooljian said.
For someone facing con-spiracy to murder and murdercharges in India, the incentiveto flee to avoid extradition isstrong, the court said.
Pakistan-born Rana com-pleted Army Medical Collegethere, and served in thePakistani Army as a doctor formore than a decade, but even-tually deserted.
He is currently aCanadian citizen, but was aresident of Chicago where hehad a business. According tothe court papers, he has alsoresided in and traveled toCanada, Pakistan, Germanyand England and speaks sevenlanguages.
If he flees to Canada, hecould effectively avoid expo-sure to the death penalty as
such country's extraditiontreaty with India contains aprovision which allows extra-dition to be refused if theoffence for which extradition isrequested is punishable bydeath in India and is not pun-ishable by death in Canadaunless India gives assurancesthat a death penalty would notbe executed, federal prosecu-tors had said.
"There is no question inthe court's mind that givenRana's significant foreign ties,particularly to Canada, and thepotential death penalty await-ing him in India if he is extra-dited on and convicted of themost serious pending charges,he is a flight risk," the courtsaid. According to the courtpapers, Rana had tested posi-tive for COVID-19 at TerminalIsland in Los Angeles on April28, 2020, but was asympto-matic and has since recovered.
He tested negative in thelast three tests on June 13, June15 and June 25. According tothe federal prosecutors,between 2006 and November2008, Rana conspired withDavid Headley, also known as"Daood Gilani", and others inPakistan to assist Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Harakat ul-Jihad-e-Islami, both US-desig-nated terrorist organisations, toplan and carry out the Mumbaiterrorist attacks.
US shuts down Chinese consulate
in Houston after four decadesHOUSTON: The Chinese
consulate in the US city ofHouston officially closedafter over four decades onFriday as the US-China rela-tions hit a new low.
Tensions between bothnations have escalated inrecent months over theBeijing's handling of thecoronavirus pandemic,China's crackdown on itsUygur Muslims in Xinjiangand Beijing imposing a con-troversial national securitylaw in Hong Kong.
According to mediareports, the US had askedChina to close down itsConsulate General inHouston within 72 hours,with Secretary of State MikePompeo alleging that it wasa hub of spying and intellec-tual property theft.
Top American officialshad also accused the con-sulate in Houston of beingpart of Beijing's "espionageoperations" in the US.
In a tit-for-tat move, Chinatoo on Friday ordered the USto close down its consulatein Chengdu. While orderingthe closure, China hadaccused the US of interferingin its "internal affairs andharming national securityinterests".
On Friday, the flag and theseal of the People's Republicof China was taken downfrom outside the Houstonconsulate as US officialstook over the building, lessthan an hour after the dead-line set by the Trump admin-istration expired. Early in themorning, the consulate staff
was seen removing theirbelongings from the build-ing.
Around 30 protesters withbanners were seen celebrat-ing outside the consulate.
Moments before the evic-tion deadline, the Houstonpolice set up barricades,closing off streets near thebuilding the Chinese govern-ment has occupied for fourdecades.
Help These Poor ParentsArrange Rs 5 Lakh To SaveSon’s Life
KettoMatching pace with solu-
tions unique to India and theneed for efficient mass urbantransportation.
Mitsubishi ElectricForty minutes after the 4
pm eviction deadline passed,a man believed to be a StateDepartment official enteredthe consulate, along withothers, after a small backdoor was pried open. Aboutan hour later, the fire depart-ment crew entered the build-ing. Trump administrationofficials provided furtherdetails on Friday regardingtheir decision on theHouston mission, claimingthe diplomatic outpost wasone of several across thecountry facilitating influenceefforts on behalf of Beijingthat the US government saidveered into the coercive orcovert".
The sum total of theHouston consulate's activi-ties went well over the lineof what we're willing toaccept, and unless we dis-rupted it, it threatened to
LONDON: Britain'sPrince Harry and his wife,Meghan, have distancedthemselves from anupcoming book on theirtime in the royal family,saying they were notinterviewed for the biog-raphy and did not makeany contributions to it.
The book, entitled"Finding Freedom", is dueto be published in Augustand is expected to shedlight on the couple's frus-trations with the palaceand press, local mediareported on Saturday.
"The Duke and Duchessof Sussex were not inter-viewed and did not con-tribute to 'FindingFreedom'," a spokesper-
son for the couple said ina statement.
"This book is based onthe authors' own experi-ences as members of theroyal press corps and theirown independent report-ing", the statement added.
The book, authored byroyal reporters CarolynDurand and Omid Scobie,is expected to detail howthe couple felt the royalinstitution had failed tosupport them, accordingto The Telegraph newspa-per.
The Times newspapercited extracts from thebook suggesting infight-ing among family mem-bers, with Harry believingMeghan was not liked by
some of his relatives andothers feeling that thepopularity of the couplehad to be "reined in".
The newspaper saidMeghan described tabloidcriticism as "death by athousand cuts".
According to TheTelegraph, the book pres-ents Harry and Meghan asdisruptive forces with theability to modernise themonarchy, only for themto be discouraged by the"grey suits" and hostilemedia coverage of theirprivate life.
The couple and their14-month-old son, Archie,now live in Los Angelesafter they stepped downfrom their royal roles inMarch to forge newcareers. In January, theyannounced plans to lead amore independent life andto finance it themselves.
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Harry and Meghan, aformer actress, married inMay 2018 in a weddingwhich was heralded at thetime as infusing a blast ofHollywood glamour andmodernity into the monar-chy, and made them oneof the world's biggestcelebrity couples.
US Sterilisation Program Tried To
"Breed Out" Black People: StudyW A S H I N G T O N ,
UNITED STATES: TheTrump administration movedFriday to ease controls onexports of armed drones, say-ing that allies need US tech-nology and that other coun-tries outside of a non-prolif-eration pact were taking overthe market.
The White Houseannounced that PresidentDonald Trump had approveda move to diverge partlyfrom the 1987 MissileTechnology Control Regime,in which 35 countries agreedto restrict the sales ofunmanned weapons deliverysystems.
The MTCR was aimed atcontrolling the spread of mis-siles that could deliver largepayload like nuclearweapons. But it also coveredarmed drones, at the time nota major component of armedconflict as they are now.
The change ordered byTrump will reclassify armeddrones from technologywhose export is severelyrestricted to a category thatcan be considered on a case-by-case basis.
The drones in the categorymust have a maximum air-speed of less than 800 kilo-meters per hour, which willallow sales of the Reaper andPredator drones used by theUS military, as well as others
made by US defense manu-facturers.
"The MTCR's standardsare more than three decadesold," the White House said ina statement.
"Not only do these outdat-ed standards give an unfairadvantage to countries out-side of the MTCR and hurtUnited States industry, theyalso hinder our deterrencecapability abroad by handi-capping our partners andallies with subpar technolo-gy."
The White House state-ment said two years of talkshad failed to reform theMTCR.
The move has worriedarms control advocates whosay the US sale of advanceddrones to more countriescould fuel the global armsrace.
"The Trump administra-tion has once again weak-ened international exportcontrols on the export oflethal drones," said SenatorBob Menendez in a state-ment.
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"This reckless decisionmakes it more likely that wewill export some of our mostdeadly weaponry to humanrights abusers across theworld," he said.
Donald Trump Eases Controls
On Export Of Armed Drones
Harry, Meghan Distance Themselves
From Book On Time In Royal Family
Thousands Crammed Into Philippines
Stadium After Covid Evacuation FailsMANILA: Thousands of
Filipinos were crammed intoa baseball stadium in Manilaon Saturday, breaking socialdistancing rules despite coro-navirus risks, after peoplewanting to return to theirhome provinces flooded agovernment transportationprogram. Officials hadreserved the stadium as aplace to test people beforetransporting them back totheir home provinces under aprogram to help people whohad lost their jobs in the cap-ital return to their familieselsewhere.
Officials had planned for7,500 people to arrive at thestadium from Friday, butwere caught out when anoth-er 2,000 people who werenot yet scheduled to travelheaded there anyway.
"Because of the overflow-ing number of people, wecan no longer control (thesituation) and the relevanceof social distancing had beendiminished," AssistantSecretary Joseph Encabo,who is overseeing the gov-ernment's transportationassistance program, toldReuters by phone. Policewere deployed to urge socialdistancing, but people,including the elderly, chil-dren and pregnant women,were seen in close contactwith each other. Some were
not wearing masks.Many of those at the stadi-
um had got stuck in the capi-tal when it imposed one ofthe strictest and longest lock-downs in mid-March inresponse to the coronaviruspandemic.
That was eased at the startof June, allowing businessesto reopen in a limited capac-ity, but schools remain shutand mass gatherings arebanned. People must wearmasks in public and observeone-metre social distancing,while children and the elder-ly are urged to stay at home.
Coronavirus cases havemore than quadrupled sincerestrictions were eased to78,412, with more than halfof those in the capital andsurrounding areas.
Among those at the stadi-um was Fred Marick Ukol,40, who became stuck inManila after his flight toAustralia, where he hadfound work as a welder, wascancelled. "We don't havework and now all of our sav-ings have dried up becauseof the lockdown," Ukol said,referring to himself and fel-low overseas Filipino work-ers.
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Encabo said everybody atthe stadium would undergorapid testing for COVID-19and must be cleared beforebeing allowed to board thebuses, sea vessels, and trainsthe government has pre-pared.
TRUTH PREVAILJAMMU SUNDAY JULY 26, 20209 SPORTS
We should not stop because otherswill not sleep: Klopp
Liverpool : Liverpoolmanager Jurgen Kloppbelieves his side will need tokeep improving to hold offthe chasing pack next seasonafter lifting the PremierLeague trophy.
Chelsea have alreadystrengthened ahead of nextseason with the signings of along-term Liverpool targetTimo Werner and HakimZiyech.
Klopp also expectsManchester City andManchester United to bolstertheir squads. But the Germanbelieves there is stillimprovement for his players
to make despite becomingEnglish, European and worldchampions over the past 14months.
"We should not stop, wehave internal challenges toimprove," said Klopp. "Wehave the chance to makeanother step, but we have tobecause the others will notsleep. Chelsea is such a tal-ented team, we had to bringeverything on the pitchtonight. Man Utd, Man City(will contend), there are noguarantees for anything, butwe will try."
Liverpool also beatChelsea to lift the Uefa Super
Cup at the start of the seasonto go with the PremierLeague, Champions Leagueand Club World Cup andKlopp admitted he will taketime for a special momentoafter an incredible run of suc-cess.
"We are champions ofEngland, Europe and theworld. We won four trophies,really big ones, so I couldn'tbe more proud," he added."I'm usually not a person whoneeds pictures but I will havea picture with all four trophiesbecause it doesn't happenoften, so we should."
Jordan Henderson had the
honour of becoming the firstLiverpool player to lift thePremier League trophy andthe Reds' captain believes themanner of victory over aChelsea side, who needed aresult to confirm their place inthe Champions League nextseason, bodes well for whatcan be achieved next season.
"It's been a journey and tofinish it off like this is reallyspecial," said Henderson."After this, next season isgoing to be a big challengefor us. But I thought tonightwe showed the mentality tocome and perform again andget the result we did."
Ex-BCCI umpire translates Laws of Cricket into HindiIndore : Former BCCI
umpire Rajiv Risodkar hastranslated the Laws of Cricketinto Hindi, which have beenuploaded on the website ofthe Marylebone Cricket Club(MCC).
The MCC is the custodianof cricket laws.
"It is a matter of pride forthe Madhya Pradesh CricketAssociation (MPCA) that theHindi translation of the Lawsof Cricket (The 2017 code2nd Edition 2019) framed byMCC is now available on theofficial website of this presti-gious club.
"The translation has beendone by Risodkar," MPCA'shonorary secretary, SanjeevRao said on Friday.
Risodkar, 58, served as theBCCI umpire from 1997-2016.
Presently, he is a BCCI
Level 3 umpire educator andin the last two decades, hastrained many umpires.
"Traditionally, the lan-
guage of cricket rules is con-sidered as English. On theproposal of BCCI, I translatedthese rules into Hindi so that itcan reach as many people aspossible in this cricket-crazynation, said Risodkar.
He expressed hope that itwill also benefit a large num-ber of Hindi-speakingumpires and those givingtraining in this field, to whomthe rules in English are hard tounderstand.
He said it took nearly amonth for him to complete thetask.
The Lord's-based MCCwas established in 1787 andsince then it is shouldering theresponsibility of framing lawsfor cricket.
On Klopp of the world!Liverpool : Liverpool
manager Jurgen Klopp saidhaving the opportunity to liftthe Premier League trophy atAnfield meant the world tohim despite having to do so inan empty stadium with fansshut out due to coronavirus.
The Reds sealed a firsttop-flight title for 30 years lastmonth, but had to wait untilafter a thrilling 5-3 win overChelsea in their final homegame of the season to lift thePremier League trophy for thefirst time.
"You make the best ofwhat you can," Klopp toldSky Sports. "Today our fami-lies are allowed to be therewhich is incredible. It meansthe world to me. Everythingwould be better with fans butfor months we knew thatwould be impossible. A fewmonths ago I thought it wasimpossible that we play foot-ball.
"I couldn't be happier to behonest, it would be perfect ifthe stadium would be full butwe cannot change it. What wetried to do is make it clear tothe people that we really do itfor them. It's an absolutelygreat moment."
Despite pleas for fans tostay away on the nightLiverpool finally got theirhands on the trophy, support-ers crowded around the stadi-um even prior to kick-off,while the second half wasaccompanied by the constantcrackling of fireworks lit byfans outside the ground.
On the field, Klopp's menensured a memorable nightwas accompanied by a posi-tive result after just two winsin five previous games sincethey clinched the title. Andthe German again promisedthe fans a proper party with aparade planned through the
city once restrictions are lift-ed.
"You have to prepare for aparty," he added. "When Idon't know, when this virus isgone then we will have a partyall together."
The result had far biggerconsequences for Chelsea asthey slip to fourth and leavesFrank Lampard's men still
needing a point at home toWolves at Stamford Bridge onSunday to secure a place inthe Champions League.
'in our hands'"It's huge, we know the sit-
uation," said Lampard. "It's inour hands to get a resultagainst a very good Wolvesteam."
Chelsea have already bol-stered their attacking optionsfor next season with the sign-ings of Timo Werner and
Hakim Ziyech, while they arereportedly closing in on a dealfor the 90-million euro ($103million, £81 million) ratedKai Havertz of BayerLeverkusen.
But it is at the other endLampard clearly has to findsolutions as they completedan entire league season withjust one clean sheet away
from home and have nowconceded 54 times in thePremier League this season.
Liverpool were 3-0 upinside 43 minutes as sweetstrikes from Naby Keita,Trent Alexander-Arnold andGeorginio Wijnaldum gaveChelsea a mountain to climb.
They nearly did so evenafter Roberto Firmino scoredhis first league goal at Anfieldall season restored Liverpool'sthree-goal cushion to cancel
out Olivier Giroud's strike justbefore half-time for the visi-tors.
Christian Pulisic was sur-prisingly left on the bench byLampard from the start and hechanged the came after hewas introduced alongsideTammy Abraham and CallumHudson-Odoi.
The American skipped
past four challenges beforesquaring for Abraham andthen fired powerfully into theroof of the net with theLiverpool defence all over theplace. But Chelsea wereundone again at the other endas a blistering break frominside their own box sawLiverpool surge forward andAlex Oxlade-Chamberlainsmashed home AndyRobertson's cross at the backpost.
Pope, Buttler keep WI at bayManchester : Ollie Pope
and Jos Buttler made theirfirst big scores of the series inputting on an unbeaten standof 136 runs to rebuildEngland's innings against theWest Indies and put the hostson top on day one of thedeciding Test at Old Traffordon Friday.
England recovered from122-4 just before tea to closeon 258-4, with Pope on 91 ashe goes in search of his sec-ond Test century and Buttleron 56.
Both players were underpressure to deliver in the thirdtest after underwhelming per-formances so far in this series.Buttler, in particular, is feel-ing the heat from Ben Foakesfor the wicketkeeper positionand a first half-century in testssince September justified theselectors' backing of the limit-ed-overs specialist.
Buttler smashed recalledspinner Rahkeem Cornwallfor two sixes in the same over- one over deep midwicketand the other over long-on -but otherwise stayed meas-ured and largely restrained ina 120-ball knock. His one andonly test century came twoyears ago against India.
Pope, whose highest scorein this series was 12, com-piled his runs quicker - a rari-ty for a batsman alongsideButtler - and struck 11 fours
before bad light stopped playfor the day about 10 minutesbefore the scheduled end inManchester.
Before Pope and Buttlercame together, the wisdom ofEngland deploying a truncat-ed batting lineup and includ-ing four fast bowlers alongwith a spinner was being
questioned.Dom Sibley (0) departed
off the sixth ball of the dayafter playing across KemarRoach and getting trapped
lbw, and captain Joe Root,attempting a quick single, wasrun out by Roston Chase'sdirect throw for 17 just beforelunch.
When Ben Stokes - pro-moted to No. 4 and playing asa specialist batsman - wasbowled through the gate byRoach for 20, England was
92-3 and its batting lineupwas suddenly looking waferthin.
Rory Burns (57) thenedged Chase to slip, where the
burly Cornwall took a bril-liant, instinctive one-handedcatch.
England responded well,though, and moved into astrong position to win a seriesthat is poised at 1-1.
The Windies, who won thefirst test in Southampton, arelooking to capture a Test
series in England for the firsttime since 1988.
Roach has 2-56 off 18.4overs, and needs one morewicket for 200 in Tests.
IPL set to start on Sep 19, final on Nov 8, teamsto leave base by Aug 20: BCCI sources
New Delhi : The eagerly-awaited Indian PremierLeague (IPL) will start onSeptember 19 in the UnitedArab Emirates (UAE) withthe final slated on November8, well-placed BCCI sourceshave told PTI.
While the IPL GoverningCouncil will meet next weekto chalk out the final detailsand approve the schedule, it isunderstood that the BCCI hasinformally intimated the fran-chises about the plan.
"IPL, in all likelihood, willstart on September 19(Saturday) and the final willbe held on November 8(Sunday).
It is a 51-day windowwhich will suit the franchisesas well as the broadcastersand other stakeholders," asenior BCCI official told PTIon conditions of anonymityon Thursday night.
The IPL has been madepossible by the ICC's decisionto postpone the October-November T20 World Cup inAustralia owing to theCOVID-19 pandemic due towhich the host countryexpressed its inability to con-duct the event.
While there was specula-tion that the IPL will startfrom September 26, the BCCIdecided to advance it by aweek in order to ensure thatthe Indian team's tour ofAustralia is not jeopardised.
"The Indian team willhave a mandatory quarantineof 14 days as per theAustralian government rules.A delay would have sent theplans haywire," the officialsaid.
"The best part is that 51days is not at all a curtailedperiod and there will be muchless double headers. We couldstick to original five doubleheaders in seven week win-dow," he added.
The Indians are set to playa four-match Test seriesagainst Australia startingDecember 3 in Brisbane.
It is expected that witheach and every team needingat least a month's time to train,the IPL franchises will beleaving base by August 20which gives them exactly fourweeks time to prepare.
The cash-rich event wasoriginally scheduled to start atthe end of March but theCOVID-19 pandemic and thetravel restrictions that were
put in place to contain thevirus, led to an indefinitepostponement.
However, BCCI PresidentSourav Ganguly maintainedthat the event will be heldsome time this year.
The eagerly-awaitedIndian Premier League willstart on September 19 in theUnited Arab Emirates (UAE)with the final slated onNovember 8, IPL ChairmanBrijesh Patel told PTI onFriday.
While the event'sGoverning Council will meetnext week to chalk out thefinal details and approve theschedule, it is understood thatthe BCCI has informally inti-mated the franchises about theplan.
"The GC will meet shortlybut we have finalised theschedule. It will run fromSeptember 19 to November 8.We expect the governmentapproval to come through. Itis a full 51-day IPL," Patelconfirmed the developmentafter PTI reported the dates onThursday.
The IPL has been madepossible by the ICC's decisionto postpone the October-November T20 World Cup inAustralia owing to theCOVID-19 pandemic due towhich the host countryexpressed its inability to con-duct the event.
Patel said that the StandardOperating Procedure to com-
bat the COVID-19 threat isbeing prepared and the BCCIwill formally write to theEmirates Cricket Board.
"We are making the SOPand it will be ready in a fewdays. To allow crowd or not
depends on the UAE govern-ment. Anyway social distanc-ing has to be maintained. Wehave left it for their govern-ment to decide on that. Willalso be writing to the UAEboard formally," Patel said.
There are three groundsavailable in the UAE -- DubaiInternational Stadium, SheikhZayed Stadium (Abu Dhabi)and the Sharjah ground.
It is learnt that the BCCIwill be renting the grounds ofthe ICC Academy for trainingof the teams.
The ICC Academy has twofull-sized cricket groundsalong with 38 turf pitches, 6indoor pitches, a 5700 squarefoot outdoor conditioningarea along with physiotherapyand medicine centre.
As per the current healthprotocol in Dubai, there is noneed to be in quarantine ifpeople are carrying a negativeCOVID-19 test report, but ifthey are not, they will have toundergo a test.
While there was specula-tion that the IPL will startfrom September 26, the BCCIdecided to advance it by aweek in order to ensure thatthe Indian team's tour ofAustralia is not jeopardised.
"The Indian team willhave a mandatory quarantineof 14 days as per theAustralian government rules.A delay would have sent theplans haywire," a BCCI offi-cial said on conditions of
anonymity."The best part is that 51
days is not at all a curtailedperiod and broadcasters willbe happy with full seven-week window," he added.
While the original sched-ule had five double-headers,Patel said the new one willfeature around 12 double-headers which means twomatches each on bothSaturdays and Sundays.
The Indians are set to playa four-match Test seriesagainst Australia startingDecember 3 in Brisbane afterthe IPL.
It is expected that witheach and every team needingat least a month's time to train,the IPL franchises will beleaving base by August 20which gives them exactly fourweeks time to prepare.
The cash-rich event wasoriginally scheduled to start atthe end of March but theCOVID-19 pandemic and thetravel restrictions that wereput in place to contain thevirus, led to an indefinitepostponement.
However, BCCI PresidentSourav Ganguly had alwaysmaintained that the event willbe held some time this year.
Anand crashes to third straight defeatin Legends of Chess tourney
Chennai : Indian aceViswanathan Anand struggledfor the third consecutiveround, losing to Russia'sVladimir Kramnik to languishat the bottom of the pointstable in the USD 150,000Legends of Chess online tour-nament.
Anand went down 0.5-2.5to Kramnik late on Thursday.
The former world champi-on, who had lost in the firsttwo rounds to Peter Svidlerand Magnus Carlsen respec-tively, could not turn thingsaround.
Anand lost the openinggame despite some brilliantplay as his Russian opponentfought back strongly.
A defeat in the second putthe Indian No.1 on the back-foot and a draw in the thirdended his hopes.
The Chennai-based Anandis making his maiden appear-ance on the Magnus CarlsenChess Tour.
World No.1 Carlsen sharesthe top spot with Svidler, withthree victories and nine matchpoints.
Meanwhile, world No.3Ding Liren continued tostruggle as he lost after lead-ing 1.5-0.5 to Ukraine veteranVasyl Ivanchuk.
Anand and Liren lie at thebottom of the table, without awin against their name.
The Indian meets AnishGiri (the Netherlands) in thefourth round later tonight.
All the round-robin gamesare best-of-four game con-tests.
Legends of Chess is an
event where Carlsen, Liren,Nepomniachtchi and Giri,semifinalists at the ChessableMasters (part of the MagnusCarlsen Tour), received an
automatic invite.They are up against six
legends aged 40-52, who havebeen at the top of world chessat various points in theircareer. The tournament is partof the Magnus Carlsen ChessTour. The winner of this eventwill qualify for the $300,000Grand Final scheduled fromAugust 9 to 20.
Results: Round 3:Vladimir Kramnik beatViswanathan Anand 2.5-1.5;Vasyl Ivanchuk beat DingLiren 2.5-1.5; IanNepominiachtchi beat AnishGiri 2.5-1.5; Magnus Carlsenbeat Peter Leko 2.5-1.5; PeterSvidler beat Boris Gelfand2.5-1.5.
Indian GrandmasterViswanathan Anand sufferedhis fourth straight defeat in
the USD 150,000 Legends ofChess online tournament,going down 2-3 to Anish Giriof the Netherlands.
The former world champi-
on Indian and Giri played outfour draws before the Dutchplayer pulled off a win in theArmageddon game (a tie-break) late on Friday.
Anand, however, pickedup his first point of the event.He remains at the bottom ofthe table. He had earlier lost toPeter Svidler, MagnusCarlsen and VladimirKramnik.
The Chennai-basedAnand, who is making hismaiden appearance at theMagnus Carlsen Chess Tour,settled for a 82-move draw inthe opening game of the best-of-four contest.
The second game was a49-move affair while the thirdand fourth games were drawn,setting the stage for theArmageddon.
Giri grabbed the deciderwith black pieces to securevictory and two points.
Anand meets Hungary'sPeter Leko in the fifth roundlater on Saturday.
Russia's Peter Svidler, whowas in joint lead with MagnusCarlsen, lost to Ding Liren ofChina 1.5-2.5 to hand the solelead to the Norwegian worldNo.1. Carlsen has 12 matchpoints and is followed by IanNepomniachtchi (11).
It was Liren's first win inthe tournament.
Carlsen had no troubles,thrashing veteran Israeli BorisGelfand 3-0.
All the round-robin gamesare best-of-four game con-tests.
Legends of Chess is aunique event where Carlsen,Liren, Nepomniachtchi andGiri, semifinalists at theChessable Masters (part of theMagnus Carlsen Tour),received an automatic inviteand are up against six legendsaged 40-52, who have been atthe top of world chess at vari-ous points in their career.
The tournament is part ofthe Magnus Carlsen ChessTour. The winner of this eventwill qualify for the USD300,000 Grand Final sched-uled from August 9 to 20.
Results: Round 4: AnishGiri beat Viswanathan Anand3-2; Magnus Carlsen beatBoris Gelfand 3-0; VladmirKramnik beat Peter Leko 2.5-1.5; Ding Liren beat PeterSvidler 2.5-1.5; IanNepominiachtchi beat VasylIvanchuk 2.5-1.5.
Blades, Villa braced for PL restartBirmingham : Sheffield
United manager Chris Wilderand Aston Villa boss DeanSmith said they were awarethe eyes of the world wouldbe on their match when theyrelaunch the Premier Leagueon Wednesday.
The high-flying Bladestravel to Villa Park for the firstgame in the English top-flightafter a three-month suspen-sion. Later on Wednesday,Manchester City host Arsenal,with 92 games packed intojust five-and-a-half weeks.
“First game back is goingto be a little bit different, whatwe understand is the magni-tude of the game, the cover-age of the game,” Wilder saidat his pre-match video pressconference on Monday.
“Villa-Sheffield Unitedwas a Championship gamelast year and would possiblyhave been seventh or eighthon (BBC’s) Match Of TheDay and now it is 6:00 pm onthe TV and worldwide cover-age.“From our point of viewwe want to put on a goodshow and make sure we playwell.”
Sheffield United, whohave 10 games to play, areseventh in the table, chasingChampions League football.
They could move up tofifth place with three points atVilla Park, but Wilder will notallow himself to get distractedby talk of Europe.
“If it gets to the situationwhere we are one or twogames out and we are still in a
fantastic position then we willpossibly talk about that,” saidWilder.
“But at the moment wehave quarter of a season to go,near enough. I am sure thatyou have seen the fixture listas such as I have seen it.There are some incrediblechallenges in front of us.”
ITCHING TO PLAYVilla manager Smith,
whose side are in the relega-tion places, said it was anhonour to be playing the firstgame in the English top-flightsince March.
Victory over the Blades,their game in hand over theirrelegation rivals, would takethem out of the drop zonewith nine matches remaining.
“The eyes of the world
will be on us and we are look-ing forward to it,” said Smith.
“The players have beenitching to get back,” he added.
Smith questioned the tem-porary rule change to allowfive substitutions duringgames, saying it would bene-fit certain clubs. Teams canalso name nine substitutesinstead of seven.
“I wasn’t for it,” he said. “Ijust believe we started the sea-son with certain rules andnow we have changed it. Isuppose it helps the clubs withthe bigger squads. “There wastalk to change it because thereis more risk of injury but hav-ing more subs doesn’t helpthat. I just wanted it to stay asit was. I think SheffieldUnited were the same.”
TRUTH PREVAILJAMMU SUNDAY JULY 26, 2020ENTERTAINMENT10
Ishita Dutta is enjoying doing
her favourite thingsActress Ishita Dutta has
been engaging in paintingand sketching lately, whichare part of her favouritethings.
"I am sketching and paint-ing. They are among my
favourite things. I am alsobingewatching my favouriteshows online and trying outmy cooking skills. It's such abliss to be able to find time todo things that you love," shesaid. "I have been asked tocook less as my family is
gaining weight because of allthe amazing food I am mak-ing so I take that as a compli-ment, but yes I do miss goingout to restaurants withfriends and family," sheadded.
She is aware that it is veryimportant for people to stayhome right now, and not goout unless absolutely neces-sary in times of the Covidpandemic.
"So guys please stay athome and be safe," she said.
Filmmaker TigmanshuDhulia's directorial venture"Yaara" will premiere on July30 on ZEE5, the streamingplatform announced onTuesday.
The film starring VidyutJammwal, Amit Sadh,VijayVarma, Shruti Haasan, KennyBasumatary and SanjayMishra, is a licensed adapta-tion of the French feature filmA Gang Story".
Set in the backdrop ofNorth India, the film revolvesaround an enduring friendshipbetween four notorious crimi-nals and traces their rise andfall.
"Friendship is the onlycement that will hold theworld together.'Yaara' is astory of friends growing uptogether and their journeys,"Jammwal said in a statement.
Sadh said "Yaara", beauti-fully captures the bond offriendship.
"'Yaara' is extremely close
to my heart, it gives a newmeaning and outlook to whatdescribes a bond between a
group of friends. The charac-ters are really living their trueself in the movie and every-one is free spirited. All of usshared a great bond on the setwhich translates naturally onscreen," he said.
Varma added that it wasthe easiest yes he has ever
said to a film and he is happythat the film is coming out onFriendship Day.
"It is a story of four notori-ous criminals and time willsurely test their friendship,that's how the narrative offilm is shaped. The timingwith Friendship Day is per-fect! . Yaara is produced bySunir Kheterpal for AzureEntertainment.
Tigmanshu Dhulia's Yaara' topremiere on ZEE 5 on July 30
Singer Arjun Kanungo,who is known for belting outhits like "Khoon choos le",
"La la la" and "Baaki baateinpeene baad", says what islacking in Hindi cinema is thefocus on musical artistes.
"I think what's lacking isfocus on musical artists.Everything is focused onactors and scripts. I have donea few films in my life and Ican tell you that nobody istruly interested in makingoriginal music for a film. It'salways in the confines of thescript," Kanungo told IANS.
He added: "While that is agood thing and a bad thing,we should have more films
which work the other wayaround, more around theartists that are making themusic, and I think that willhappen soon."
The singer feels the lock-down has helped bring backcreativity.
"You are going to find a lotof scripts next year with a lotof original music because theone thing that the lockdownhas done is it has shown uswhere we were lacking in cre-
ativity and I think that it isgoing to change," he said.
Kanungo says he has been
"super productive" amid thelockdown and has penned 12tracks.
"It's amazing how self-suf-ficient I have become in lock-down. The thing is the lock-down makes you morefocused. I didn't have any-thing else to do right now so Ihave been super productive,and I have written around 12tracks that I am dying torelease now. I am ready for2021," Arjun told IANS.
Arjun Kanungo: Nobody is interestedin making original music for a film
With their next film"Yaara" scheduled for a July30 release, to mark WorldFriendship Day, actors VidyutJammwal, Amit Sadh, ShrutiHaasan, Vijay Varma, KennyBasumatary and SanjayMishra are excited.
Talking about how he val-ues friendship in life, Vidyutsaid: "Friendship is the onlycement that holds the worldtogether. 'Yaara' is a story offriends growing up togetherand their journeys."
Amit added: "The film isextremely close to my heart. Itgives a new meaning and out-look to what describes a bondbetween friends. The charac-ters are really living their trueself in the movie and every-one is free-spirited. Thisunforgettable story aboutfriendship will definitely trig-ger a lot of emotions. All of usshared a great bond on the set,which translates naturally onscreen."
"Gully Boy" famed VijayVarma mentioned: "It is astory of four notorious crimi-nals and time will test theirfriendship. That's how thenarrative of the film is shaped.The timing with FriendshipDay is perfect!"
The story of theTigmanshu Dhulia film is setin North India, shows the riseand fall of a group of fourfriends who rustle operationsacross the Indo-Nepal border.
Sharing her experience ofworking with Dhulia, Shrutisaid: "Tigmanshu sir has beena fantastic guiding forcethroughout. This is a tale thatwill take you on an emotionalride. That's what friendship isall about, isn't it? The ups anddowns. 'Yaara' beautifullyportrays all aspects of friend-ship by wrapping the narra-
tive in a bundle of history. Thetime will test their friendshipand my character will be acatalyst to it."
"Yaara" is a remake of theFrench film 'Gang Story', andit releases on Zee5
Vidyut Jammwal is among
several industry colleagueswho are promoting late actorSushant Singh Rajput's lastfilm, "Dil Bechara" on hisbehalf.
On Monday, soon after thetrailer of "Dil Bechara" wasreleased, Vidyut shared a linkto it on Twitter.
The actor also posted avideo urging his fans to makeSushant's last release thehighest-watched film ever.
"This message is for all theJammwalians. I just want youto know that I love you andthank you for everything. I amvery proud of you. Today thetrailer of Sushant SinghRajput's movie "Dil Bechara"
will be releasing on theDisney+Hotstar multiplex. Iwant you all to watch thismovie and we should makesure that this is the highestwatched movie ever!" Vidyutsays in the video.
"Dil Bechara" is Sushant's
last film, releasing digitallyon July 24. However, fans ofthe late actor are not happywith the development andthey have been requesting onsocial media for a theatricalrelease.
"Dil Bechara" marks thedirectorial debut of castingdirector Mukesh Chhabra.The film stars newcomeractress Sanjana Sanghi in thefemale lead and has Saif AliKhan in a cameo.
The film is a remake onthe 2014 Hollywood hit "TheFault In Our Stars", whichwas based on John Green's2012 bestseller novel of thesame name.
Vidyut Jammwal: Friendship is the onlycement that holds the world together
Telly stars Rashami Desaiand Adhvik Mahajan will beseen together for the first timein the short film "Tamas".
"I'm really excited for'Tamas'. It is my first shortfilm. I had shot during thelockdown when we were fac-
ing such a difficult time. Inever thought that Adhvikwould be able to create some-thing like this and I'll get anopportunity to work withhim," she said.
"We have never sharedscreen space before but hon-estly, I feel he's a very goodwriter and DOP because I sawmy shot, without any profes-sional set up and I loved it.The quality is amazing. Forthe production also, he hasworked very hard and he hasmade this entire film for agood cause. I agree with the
story that we actually chooseour other priorities overhumanity. We have made thisworld with different thoughts,so I like the thought," sheadded.
Adhvik has donned multi-ple hats for this project.
Besides acting, he is thewriter, director, producer, anddirector of photography of thefilm.
"I had thought about thisidea a while ago, but got theopportunity to work on it dur-ing the lockdown. One day Igot a text from a casting teamfor a web project asking formy work profile but his replywas 'bhai tv ka experiencecount nahi hoga (TV experi-ence won't be counted), any-thing substantial in cinema orweb'.
That triggered
something in me and I decid-ed to make my project all bymyself," said the "DivyaDrishti" actor.
Then he approachedRashami with the script.
"It was very kind of her totrust me and believe in the
project, which was really abig deal for me. She has givena personal touch to the char-acter with her innocence. It'sbeen a wonderful experienceworking with her.
I think this process mademe better as a creative personand I have learnt a lot. Thisexperience has taught me thatwith passion and zest you cando anything, and I'm reallyhappy that I was able to make'Tamas' the way I have imag-ined it," said the actor.
"Tamas" is set to releaseon July 7 on YouTube.
Rashami Desai, Adhvik Mahajan ontheir short film shot during lockdown
Deepika Padukone to participate in session on mental wellness in Covid era
Abhishek Bachchanturned 20 inBollywood years
last month and after a periodof self-reflection, the actorsays he now wants to focus onthe coming decades.
The actor, who along withKareena Kapoor Khan madehis debut with JP Dutta's 2000film "Refugee", returned toscreen with Anurag Kashyap's"Manmarziyaan" in 2018after a brief hiatus.
"I have reflected far toomuch. Past two-three years, Ihave only been reflecting inthe media. So, I'm now donewith that. When I completed20 years last month, I said'Enough of looking back, nowwe have to look forward',"Abhishek told PTI in an inter-view over a Zoom call.
Known for his perform-ances in films like "Yuva","Guru", "Bunty Aur Babli"and "Bluffmaster", the 44-year-old actor said in the spir-it of going ahead the firstthing he has to offer is hiswork.
Abhishek, who will nextbe seen in Amazon PrimeVideo series "Breathe: IntoThe Shadows", said he happyto be getting the opportunityto play a gamut of roles.
"I don't know in the nextsix months what state of mindI'm going to be in to decidewhat kind of work I want todo. But currently, I just lovethe fact that the producers,directors and audience areallowing me to do workwhich has a lot of variety. Ihopefully show them thatthere are different things that Ican convincingly do," he said.
The psychological thrilleris the follow-up to the 2018"Breathe", which starred RMadhavan.
The new season goesahead with Abhishek, who
plays Avinash Sabharwal, apsychiatrist who will go toany length to find his missingdaughter Siya. It starts stream-ing from July 10.
Director of the show isMayank Sharma who has alsoco-written the show withBhavani Iyer, Vikram Tuli,and Arshad Syed.
Created by AbundantiaEntertainment and producedby Vikram Malhotra, "IntoThe Shadows" also marks theactor's digital debut, but hesaid yes to the project on itsstory's merit.
"When I heard the story, Iimmediately said yes. The cri-teria that it was on AmazonPrime Video, or it was goingto be a movie or TV show isimmaterial to me. At the endof the day, it was great materi-al which I really liked and
wanted to be a part of it."The actor said today's
audience is more interested inseeing characters that are realand flawed rather than being
fantastical."That time is gone when
the hero has to be morally ona higher ground to the audi-ence. In today's day and age,especially the youth, theywould much rather see aflawed character achievesomething by admitting theirflaws and trying to work withit," Abhishek, son of actorsAmitabh and Jaya Bachchan,said.
"There are lesser and less-er fantastical characters. Ourmost popular heroes today areall great characters whichhave one or two flaws whichjust makes them real. That justmakes the character more tac-
tile and approachable," headded.
Besides "Into TheShadows", the actor has aslate of three films -- "The Big
Bull", reportedly based onIndia's biggest securities scamof 1992, Anurag Basu'santhology "Ludo" and crimethriller "Bob Biswas".
A rags-to-riches story "TheBig Bull", which will digitallyrelease on Disney+Hotstar,has "thematic similarities" to"Guru". The 2007 dramadirected by Mani Ratnam alsocharted the journey of a sim-ple man's rise to ambition.
"That's the only similaritythat it is thematic," Abhishekadmitted.
"'The Big Bull' is a story ofperseverance, hard work, anddedication. I like watchinginspirational movies. What I
liked about this one is that itwasn't just a whitewashpiece," he added.
The actor, who has alsoworked with Ratnam in"Yuva" (2004) and "Raavan"(2010), said he would love tocollaborate with the "genius"filmmaker again.
"He is one of my favouritedirectors. Mani has an amaz-ing way of working. He tellsgreat stories, his style oftelling those stories is unique.I'm blessed to have three ManiRatnam films in my reper-toire. I know actors whowould give an arm and a legto do one film with him.
"Mani is family to me andAishwarya. He just has to callme and I'll be there."
"Ludo", a dark anthologycomedy, gave him an opportu-nity to work with Basu, thedirector with a "wonderful,quirky mind".
"He is a director I've hadgreat admiration for. A latentdesire that I'd get the opportu-nity to work with him and he'slived up to it. He's a madgenius. I loved working withhim. I just love the way helooks at life and I think thatreflects in his films. He has avery unique perspective oneveryday things," Abhisheksaid.
Production on "BobBiswas" came to a halt amidthe coronavirus-led lockdownand they still have about 12-13 days of shoot left.
The actor said they want tofinish the shooting on a prior-ity basis.
Bob Biswas was a break-out character in filmmakerSujoy Ghosh's 2012 thriller"Kahaani", starring VidyaBalan. Played by actorSaswata Chatterjee, Bob wasan LIC agent who moonlight-ed as a cold-blooded contractkiller.
I'm done with reflecting, time to lookforward : Abhishek Bachchan
Vaani Kapoor shares her
biggest lesson from pandemicActress Vaani Kapoor
says the biggest lesson shelearnt from the Covid pan-demic to the importance ofbeing prepared.
"I believe the biggest les-son is to realise the extraordi-
nary importance of prepara-tion at least for the comingfuture, in case something likethis ever had to happenagain," Vaani told IANS.
She added that anotherlesson learned through thepandemic is the sense ofappreciation.
"I also guess in a new waywe have learnt to feel a newsense of appreciation for ourlives, and for the ones welove. One needs to be grate-ful on so many levels. Also,
(remember) the fact that weshouldn't take things forgranted," she added.
When the lockdown isfully lifted and Vaani returnsto work, she will be ready toface the cameras. Among her
upcoming assignments is hernewly-signed project,"Bellbottom", starringAkshay Kumar. This isVaani's first film withAkshay.
Inspired by true events,the film is set in 1980s, andthe story is about one ofIndia's forgotten heroes.Directed by Ranjit M.Tewari, the film is scheduledto go on floors later this year.It is written by Aseem Arroraand Parveez Shaikh.
TRUTH PREVAILJAMMU SUNDAY JULY 26, 2020
BUSINESS NEWS11
ZeeBusiness.in crosses 25 mn monthly active users inMay 2020, registers massive year-on-year growth of 7.5xNew Delhi : ZeeBusiness.in
- the digital platform of businessnews channel Zee Business –clocked 27.1 million monthlyactive users as per ComScoreIndia report in May 2020. Thewebsite has grown massively by7.5 times in terms of MAUsyear-on-year. Last year in May2019, the website had 3.6 mil-lion users as per the ComScorereport.
The growth witnessed byZeeBusiness.in has been thehighest when compared to itstop competitors. During thesame period,E c o n o m i c t i m e s . c o m ,L i v e M i n t . c o m ,FinancialExpress.com, andMoneycontrol.com grew byonly 1.5 times, 3.7 times, 1.9times and 1.2 times respective-ly.
Speaking on the occasion,Sudhir Choudhary, CEO -Cluster 1, ZMCL, said “AsIndia's first Hindi business newschannel, Zee Business has
always been in a league of itsown. It's a product for the com-mon Indian. Our coverage isaimed at helping the laypersondecode the developments in themarket and plan his or her
future finances. This unprece-dented growth in our audiencein the wake of the pandemic andeconomic uncertainty, showsthe faith people repose in ZeeBusiness. We hope to live up tothis vote of confidence fromIndia”.
Anil Singhvi, ManagingEditor – Zee Business, shared
“At Zee Business, our constantendeavour is to give consumerscredible information on StockMarkets, Investments, Trading& more that would add value totheir Portfolio. ZeeBusiness.in
to have achieved this milestonefirst time in the history of thebrand, shows the growing trustour consumers have in us inMoney matter decisions. Wedeeply thank our consumers andshall continue to provide guid-ance along with accurate &timely information”.
ZeeBusiness.in has been
focused on bringing latest busi-ness news and updates to itsreaders while continuously edu-cating them about latest stockmarket trends, data and insights.The platform integrates with itsbroadcast property to presentexpert analysis of StockMarkets for online readers.
Commenting on the phe-nomenal performance, RohitChadda, CEO - DigitalPublishing, ZEE Group, said,“Our strong focus on the per-sonal finance space has driventhe maximum number of usersto the platform. The sectioneducates investors on safeinvestment practices, idealschemes and a lot more. Whenit comes to money matters,ZeeBusiness.in has emerged asthe one stop solution for queriesand investment ideas, beatingcompetition hands down. Wetry to break the most complicat-ed news items and present themin snackable format for readerswhich has worked for us.
Gold hits fresh high of Rs 51,946, rises by Rs 475New Delhi : Gold prices in
the national capital continuedto hit new highs, rising by Rs475 to Rs 51,946 per 10 gramon Friday, on the back ofgains in the internationalprices of the precious metaland a rupee depreciation,according to HDFCSecurities.
In the previous trade, ithad closed at Rs 51,471 per10 gram.
Silver, however, declinedby Rs 109 to Rs 62,262 perkg, from Rs 62,371 per kg onThursday.
"Spot gold prices for 24karats in Delhi continued tohit new highs, rising by Rs475, with recovery in interna-tional gold prices and a rupeedepreciation," HDFCSecurities Senior Analyst(Commodities) Tapan Patelsaid.
The rupee slipped 8 paiseand settled at 74.83 againstthe US dollar on Friday, asweak domestic equities andescalating tensions betweenthe US and China weighed oninvestor sentiments.
In the international mar-ket, gold was quoting higherat USD 1,897 per ounce andsilver was trading with mar-ginal gains at USD 22.70 perounce.
Increased tensionsbetween the US and Chinaand worries over growingcoronavirus cases are expect-ed to increase safe-havendemand for the precious met-als, he said.
Meanwhile, Gold prices inthe international market onFriday (July 24) reached all-
time high levels seen nineyears ago in the wake of theUS-China spat amid fearsover the economic hit fromthe coronavirus pandemic.
The yellow metal wit-nessed its biggest weekly gain
in more than three months asit held firm near a nine-yearhigh, benefiting from a weakdollar and inflation expecta-tions due to stimulus forvirus-battered economies,said a Reuters report.
Spot gold was up 0.3% at$1,893.21 per ounce by 0739GMT, having hit its highestsince September 2011 at$1,897.16 on Thursday. Priceshave risen more than 4% thisweek, putting gold on coursefor its longest winning streaksince late 2011.
Gold tends to benefit from
widespread stimulus meas-ures from central banks as it isperceived as a hedge againstinflation and currency debase-ment.
Rising Sino-US tensionsalso prompted investors to
seek safety in bullion. Chinaordered the United States toshut its Chengdu consulate inretaliation for the closure ofits consulate in Texas.
Gold prices in Delhi, how-ever, continued to hit newhighs on Friday, rising by Rs475 to Rs 51,946 per 10 gramon the back of gains in theinternational prices of the pre-cious metal and rupee depre-ciation.
In the previous trade, ithad closed at Rs 51,471 per10 gram.
In Mumbai, standard gold
today closed 0.8 percent up toreach another high of Rs50,919 per 10 grams. Silveralso closed 1.5 percent lowerat Rs 59,885 a kilo.
non-yielding gold hassurged 24% this year, under-
pinned by low-interest ratesand stimulus from centralbanks to revive theireconomies, which benefitsbullion since it`s a perceivedhedge against inflation andcurrency debasement.
Further helping gold, thedollar index held near a two-year low and was on track forits biggest weekly declinesince early June.
Silver, however, declinedby Rs 109 to Rs 62,262 perkg, from Rs 62,371 per kg onThursday. Silver was en routeto its best week since 1987.
IndiGo to hold board meeting on July 30 to considerraising funds through equity and debt
New Delhi : IndiGo onFriday said its board of direc-tors will hold a meeting onJuly 30 to consider raisingfunds through measures likeissuance of equity shares, for-eign currency convertiblebonds (FCCBs) and non-con-vertible debentures. On July20, the airline had said itwould lay off 10 per cent ofits workforce to fly throughthe "economic storm" causedby the coronavirus pandemic.
The airline's holding com-pany InterGlobe Aviation toldthe BSE (Bombay StockExchange) on Friday themeeting of its board of direc-tors is "proposed to be held onJuly 30 to discuss and consid-er, among other things, raisingof funds through issue ofequity shares, and/or foreigncurrency convertible bonds,and/or non-convertible deben-tures, and/or any other eligi-ble instruments or securitiesrepresenting equity shares orconvertible into or exchange-
able for equity shares".The aviation sector has
been significantly impacted
due to the travel restrictionsimposed in India and othercountries in view of the coro-navirus pandemic. All airlinesin India have taken cost-cut-ting measures such as paycuts, leave without pay and
firings of employees in orderto conserve cash.
IndiGo is flying only a
small percentage of its fullfleet of 250 airplanes, its CEORonojoy Dutta had said onJuly 20.
"From where things standcurrently, it is impossible forour company to fly through
this economic storm withoutmaking some sacrifices inorder to sustain our businessoperations," Dutta noted.
"Therefore, after carefullyassessing and reviewing allpossible scenarios, it is clearthat we will need to bid apainful adieu to 10 per cent ofour workforce. It is for thefirst time in the history ofIndiGo that we have under-taken such a painful meas-ure," he added.
India resumed domesticpassenger flights from May25 after a gap of two monthsdue to the COVID-19 pan-demic. However, the airlineshave been allowed to operateonly a maximum of 45 percent of their pre-COVIDdomestic flights.
Occupancy rate in Indiandomestic flights has beenaround just 50-60 per centsince May 25. Scheduledinternational passenger flightscontinue to remain suspendedin India since March 23.
Banks sanction Rs 1.30 lakh crore loans toMSMEs under credit guarantee scheme
New Delhi : The financeministry on Friday said bankshave sanctioned loans ofabout Rs 1,30,491 crore underthe Rs 3-lakh croreEmergency Credit LineGuarantee Scheme (ECLGS)for MSME sector, hit hard bythe economic slowdowncaused by COVID-19 pan-demic. However, disburse-ments against this stood at Rs82,065 crore till July 23 underthe 100 per cent ECLGS formicro, small and mediumenterprises (MSMEs).
The scheme is the biggestfiscal component of the Rs20-lakh crore AatmanirbharBharat Abhiyan packageannounced by FinanceMinister Nirmala Sitharamanin May.
The latest numbers on theECLGS, as released by thefinance ministry, comprisedisbursements by all 12 pub-lic sector banks (PSBs), 22private sector banks and 23non-banking financial compa-nies (NBFCs).
"As of 23 July 2020, thetotal amount sanctioned underthe 100 per cent EmergencyCredit Line GuaranteeScheme by #PSBs and privatebanks stands at Rs1,30,491.79 crore, of whichRs 82,065.01 crore hasalready been disbursed," thefinance minister said in atweet.
Under the ECLGS, theloan amounts sanctioned byPSBs increased to Rs71,818.16 crore, of which Rs47,631.41 crore has been dis-bursed as of July 23, she said.
At the same time, privatesector banks have sanctionedRs 58,673 crore and disbursedRs 34,433 crore.
"Compared to 20 July2020, there is an increase ofRs 2,909.19 crore in thecumulative amount of loanssanctioned & an increase ofRs 4,451.95 crore in thecumulative amount of loansdisbursed by both #PSBs andprivate sector banks com-bined as on 23 July 2020,"Sitharaman said.
Among the banks, SBI hassanctioned the highest amountat Rs 21,027 crore of loansand disbursed Rs 15,112crore. It is followed by PunjabNational Bank, which hassanctioned Rs 9,463 crore.However, its disbursements
stood at Rs 5,295 crore as ofJuly 23.
On May 20, the Cabinetapproved additional funding
of up to Rs 3 lakh crore at aconcessional rate of 9.25 percent through ECLGS forMSME sector.
Under the scheme, 100 percent guarantee coverage willbe provided by the NationalCredit Guarantee TrusteeCompany (NCGTC) for addi-tional funding of up to Rs 3lakh crore to eligible MSMEsand interested Micro UnitsDevelopment and RefinanceAgency (MUDRA) borrowersin the form of a guaranteedemergency credit line(GECL) facility.
For this purpose, a corpusof Rs 41,600 crore was set up
by the government, spreadover the current and next threefinancial years.
The scheme will be appli-
cable to all loans sanctionedunder GECL facility duringthe period from the date ofannouncement of the schemeto October 31 or till theamount of Rs 3 lakh crore issanctioned under GECL,whichever is earlier.
All MSME borroweraccounts with an outstandingcredit of up to Rs 25 crore ason February 29, which wereless than or equal to 60 dayspast due as on that date, i.e.,regular, SMA-0 and SMA-1accounts, and with an annualturnover of up to Rs 100 croreare eligible for GECL fundingunder the scheme.
New rules for e-commerce entities notified;'country of origin' tag made mandatory
New Delhi : The govern-ment has notified new rulesand regulations for e-com-merce companies under theConsumer Protection Act,2019, making it mandatory todisplay the 'country of origin'on their products stating thatany non-compliance willattract penal action under theAct.
The 'Consumer Protection(E-Commerce) Rules, 2020',notified on July 23, is part ofthe Consumer Protection Act,2019. It was to be implement-ed in the country from July20, but will now be imple-mented from July 27.Consumer and Food AffairsMinister Ram Vilas Paswanwill address a press confer-ence on July 27 on the same.
The Ministry of ConsumerAffairs, Food and PublicDistributions notified theConsumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020, tocover all goods sold onlinethrough the marketplace orinventory-led models. Thenew norms aim to protect therights of consumer by estab-lishing authorities for timelyand effective administrationand settlement of consumers'disputes.
'Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020' will
be applicable to all electronicretailers (e-tailers), registeredin India or abroad but offeringgoods and services to Indian
consumers. The new rulesempower the central govern-ment to act against unfairtrade practices in e-com-merce, direct selling. Theyrequire e-tailers to facilitateeasy returns, address cus-tomer grievances and preventdiscriminating against mer-chants on their platforms.
The new rules mandatethat marketplaces, as well assellers, would be required tohave grievance officers whohave to respond in a time-bound manner.
According to the newrules, the e-commerce playerswill have to display the totalprice of goods and services
offered for sale along with thebreak-up of other charges.They are also required tomention the 'expiry date' ofgoods offered for sale and the'country of origin' of goodsand services that are neces-sary for enabling the con-sumer to make an informeddecision at the pre-purchasestage.
E-commerce players mustdisplay details about return,refund, exchange, warrantyand guarantee, delivery andshipment, modes of payment,
and grievance redressal mech-anism, and any other similarinformation that may berequired by consumers tomake informed decisions.
Sellers offering goods andservices through a market-place e-commerce entity willhave to provide the abovedetails to the e-commerceentity to be displayed on itsplatform or website.
The new rules do not per-mit any inventory e-com-merce entity, including single-brand retailers and multi-channel single-brand retailers,to 'falsely represent itself as aconsumer and post reviewsabout goods and services ormisrepresent the quality or thefeatures of any goods andservices'.
Inventory e-commerceentities will also have toensure that the advertisementsfor the marketing of goodsand services are consistentwith the actual characteristics,access and usage conditionsof such goods or services.
Under the new rules, noinventory e-commerce entitywill be allowed to refuse totake back goods or withdrawor discontinue services pur-chased or agreed to be pur-chased, among others, subjectto various conditions.
Shipping Ministry waives waterways usagecharges to promote inland water transport
New Delhi : UnionShipping Ministry on Friday(July 24) decided to waivewaterway usage charges withimmediate effect consideringthe government`s vision topromote inland waterways asa supplementary, eco-friendlyand cheaper mode of trans-port, according to an officialstatement.
Charges are waived initial-ly for three years. Currently,only 2% of the total cargotraffic moves through water-ways.
The government hopesthat the decision of waivingwaterway charges will attract
the industries to use thenational waterways for theirlogistical needs. Water usagecharge was applicable on useof all the national waterwaysby vessels, it said.
Presently, InlandWaterways Authority of India(IWAI) levies the waterwayusage charges at a rate of Rs0.02 per gross registered ton-nage (GRT) per kilometer forplying of Inland cargo vesselsand Rs 0.05 per gross regis-tered tonnage (GRT) per kilo-meter for plying of cruise ves-sels on national waterways,the statement said.
The decision is estimated
to increase the inland water-way traffic movement to 110MMT in 2022-23 from 72
MMT in 2019-20. It will ben-efit the economic activitiesand development in the
region, the ministry added.The industry has stated
that the charges acted as a hin-
drance in the administrationof traffic movement and thecollection of traffic data.
Vodafone Idea, Airtel strongly defend priority plans;say no service deterioration for other users
New Delhi : Telecomoperators Vodafone Idea andBharti Airtel have vehementlydefended their priority plans,which came under regulatorTRAI's glare, and have arguedthat the offers have not deteri-orated experience of othernetwork users, nor violatedany norms. They said the sub-scribers of the plans constituteonly a small portion of overallcustomer base.
In a letter to TRAI,Vodafone Idea Ltd (VIL) saidthe benefit featuring networkpriority "is fully compliant toall applicable tariff orders andregulations" and that "TRAIhas prejudged and premature-ly concluded poor networkservice".
VIL, which recentlyobtained a stay from the tele-com tribunal and is free toonboard new customers to itspriority plan for the timebeing (while Trai examinesthe issue), has asserted thatdisclosures made interms/conditions of the offer"are adequate and not mis-leading by any means".
Last week, telecom tribu-nal TDSAT had stayed TRAI'srecent order on VodafoneIdea, which had asked thecompany to withhold its offer-ing promising priority 4G net-work on RedX plan.
At the same time, theTelecom Disputes Settlementand Appellate Tribunal(TDSAT) had said it would beopen for TRAI to proceedwith the inquiry and pass finalorders in accordance with lawat the earliest after ensuringthat requirements of naturaljustice are satisfied. It hadalso said VIL should be givenopportunity to explain anyalleged contravention of theregulator's directions.
The Telecom RegulatoryAuthority of India (TRAI)had, earlier this month, hadquestioned the two telecomcompanies on whether net-work preference to specificcustomers came at the cost ofdeterioration of services forother non-premium sub-scribers.
VIL has argued that theoffering in question - the
RedX plan - was launched inNovember 2019 and has 1.27lakh subscribers. VodafoneIdea said that during the eightmonths that its plan was oper-ational, TRAI never raisedany concern suggesting thatthe plan was, in any way, non-compliant with any provi-sions.
VIL further pointed outthat it has undertaken substan-tial addition of capacities, andoptimisation resulting in moreefficient use of spectrum, andbetter services despite
unprecedented traffic growth."Thus, question raised by
TRAI is based on incorrectpremise that VIL is not creat-ing additional capacity," thecompany said.
Further, it said the numberof such customers is minis-cule fraction of overall base(much less than even 0.01per cent of subscriber baseand less than 0.13 per cent of4G users). Data usage ofsuch customers is less than0.4 per cent of overall 4Gdata usage.
"Considering that usage ofVodafone REDX plan users isvery miniscule, it will not becorrect to assume that by pro-viding a better experience tosuch nominal base and in suchmanner, the overall experi-ence of more than 99.99 percent customers gets impact-
ed," Vodafone Idea said in itsresponse. It also added thatthe company was also com-plying with service qualitynorms.
In its letter, VIL hasblamed free services, unlimit-ed packs and daily packswhich were initially allowedat below cost prices for thesector's financial plight.
"The free services, unlim-ited packs or daily packs ofdata usage in GBs at belowcost prices, when introducedwere not questioned by
TRAI... The concerns forcapacity constraint and quali-ty of service were far morematerial under those circum-stances and were not raisedthen," VIL said.
VIL added that if the con-cern regarding capacity issuesand impact on users is beingtaken so seriously, "we wouldlike to draw your attention tothe past precedence whereTRAI decided not to interfereon the action of a telecomservice provider who intro-duced free or below costprices with unlimited orheavy daily usage packs ondata and when the impact wasexponentially large on con-sumers and industry".
Meanwhile, Airtel has alsosent out a detailed response toTRAI's questions on its prior-ity plan, where it has said that
its offering constitutes 1-1.5per cent of the subscriberbase.
"Capacity upgrades areinitiated on sites with conges-tion to maintain an optimumlevel of internet speed bothfor our platinum and non-plat-inum customers.
"Hence, the impact ofapplying priority to aninsignificant base of 1-1.5 percent users and that too forshort duration of congestion,does not have any significantimpact on the experience of
non-platinum data," Airtel hassaid.
It said providing faster 4Gdata speeds to platinum cus-tomers has not degraded othercustomers' experience.
Airtel said it consistentlycomplies with TRAI's net-work service quality norms,and has worked towardsimproving capacity, quality,and coverage.
"Having said this, the per-formance of our network hasimproved significantly in thelast 6-9 months...Further, allefforts are made to resolve thecomplaints of all the cus-tomers," Airtel said.
It also added that there-fore, the present offer of theplatinum class is not at all aploy to encash customer senti-ments on poor network cover-age
TRUTH PREVAILJAMMU SUNDAY JULY 26, 2020NEWS12
GoI issues certificate of GI registration forthe Saffron grown in Kashmir Valley
Lieutenant Governor compliments Agriculture Deptt for GI tagJAMMU, JULY 25 : In
a momentous decision GoIhas issued certificate of GIregistration for the Saffrongrown in the Kashmir Valley.
Expressing happiness onthe development, Shri G. C.Murmu Lieutenant Governor,Union Territory of J&K saidthat this is the first major stepto put Saffron produced in theKashmir Valley on the worldmap with authentication.With the GI tag, KashmirSaffron will acquire moreprominence in the export mar-ket and would help the farm-ers get the best remunerativeprice.
Lieutenant Governor whilecomplimenting the DirectorAgriculture Kashmir for pur-suing GI certification said thatrestoring the pristine glory ofKashmir saffron is top priori-ty for both the Govt. of UT ofJ&K as well as GoI. He fur-ther said that with the comple-tion and inauguration of Stateof Art Spice Park next month,these measures will prove tobe the game changer forKashmir Saffron.
Giving further details, Mr.Navin K. Choudhary,Principal Secretary to
Government, Agriculturalproduction Department saidthat GI certification establish-
es specific geographical ori-gin and certifies certainunique qualities of the prod-uct. GI certification enables
those who have the right touse sign in order to preventthird party using the sign.
This GI certification wouldalso stop the prevalent adul-teration of Kashmir Saffronand thereby authenticated
Saffron will fetch much betterprices.
Mr. Choudhary furtherinformed that KashmirSafrron is the only one in theworld grown at an altitude of1600 meters, which adds to itsuniqueness and differentiate itfrom other saffron varietiesdue to its unique characteris-tics like longer and thickerstigma, natural deep-redcolour, high aroma, bitter fla-vor, chemical free processingand high quality colourstrength, flavor and bitterness.
Mr. Choudhary furtherinformed that on the direc-tions of LG, SprinklerIrrigation System in the entiresaffron fields are beinginstalled on a war footing andlikely to be completed in nexttwo weeks. With the comple-tion of Sprinkler IrrigationSystem and inauguration ofState of Art Saffron SpicePark at Pampore, the popula-tion associated with Saffronwill witness sea change fromthe production to marketing.He also complimentedDirector Agriculture Kashmir,Shri Altaf Aijaz Andrabi forvigorously pursuing for thiscertification.
Western Army Commander reviewed theoperational readiness of Rising Star Corps
Jammu, July 25 : Lt GenRP Singh, Western ArmyCommander alongwith LtGen Upendra Dwivedi, GOC,Rising Star Corps visitedBasoli, Bakloh & MamunMilitary Stations to reviewthe current security situationand operational readiness.
The Army Commanderreviewed the operational pre-paredness in the forward areasand interacted with the fieldformation Commanders. TheArmy Commander boostedthe morale of the troops onground and was confidentabout the preparedness of theRising Star Corps to thwartany type of threat posed byour adversaries and AntiNational Elements. Heexhorted all ranks to continueworking with same zeal andenthusiasm. Mrs Alka Singh,
Regional President AWWA,HQ Western Command alsoaccompanied the Army
Commander. She interactedwith families of soldiers andpraised for their strong sup-
port and also for contributionin fight against COVID–19pandemic.
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GDC Paddar to have science stream fromnext session : Commissioner HED
Inspects pace of work on Rs 11.42 cr campus buildingKISHTWAR, JULY 25 :
Commissioner SecretaryHigher EducationDepartment, Talat ParvezRohella, today announcedScience stream for theGovernment Degree CollegePaddar from next session.
The HED Commissionerwas responding to thedemands of locals during anextensive tour of Paddar areaconducted to take stock ofvarious ongoing developmen-tal works and assess the infra-structural requirement of thehigher educational institutionsin the area. TheCommissioner inspected thepace of work on the campusbuilding of the college com-ing up at Rs 11.42 crore.
He was accompanied byAdditional DistrictDevelopment CommissionerKishtwar Mohammad HaniefMalik; Block DevelopmentCouncil Chairman Paddar,Arpan Singh; BlockDevelopment Officer Paddar,Abhay Indu Sharma;Tehsildar Paddar MajorSingh; Principal GDCKishtwar Anirudh Sharma;Principal GDC Paddar, AnilKhajuria; Assistant ProfessorGDC Kishtwar FaisalMushtaq Kichloo; BMOPaddar Dr Raj Kumar, AEEPWD(R&B) division Paddar,Sanjay Rathore, besides sev-eral other PRI members.
He also inspected theprogress of work on the 40bed girl hostel block of GDCPaddar where work has beenresumed after the COVID-19-unlock.
The Commissioner lis-tened to the demands of
locals, who sought full pay-ment of compensation of landacquired for the college cam-pus and its fencing to preventencroachment.
In this regard, he issued onthe spot directions to the con-cerned and asked for earlyresolution of their demands tofacilitate uninterrupted con-struction of the College build-ing for its timeline comple-tion. He also visited themakeshift college buildingfrom where GDC Paddar isfunctioning since 2019.
Assuring sustained pace ofwork on the college building,the Commissioner informedthat the building is being builtunder RUSA at an estimatedcost of Rs1142.89 lakh,against which Rs 1.5 crore hasbeen released till ending July2020. He directed AEEPWD(R&B) Sub divisionPaddar to expedite the pace ofwork and complete it withinprescribed timeline.
After a detailed review ofthe site, contour plan and set-ting timeline for each stage ofwork, he directed the R&B toimmediately submit the DPR
for the boundary wall.The Public of Paddar also
sought Girls HigherSecondary school for the area,timely completion of Hr. Sec.School building at Sohal,enhancing of the land com-pensation for the landacquired for various projects ,adequate staff at the only Hr.Sec. School in the area atAtholi, among others.
After giving patient hear-ing, he assured that being thedevelopmental Secretary ofKishtwar he will personallypursue all their grievances toensure time bound redress ofthe same. He asked the BDCChairman to monitor the qual-ity and pace of work andreport, if he observes anycompromise in the quality andpace of execution.
Responding to the demandof the public, theCommissioner Secretarydirected the Principal to startthe science stream in GDC
Paddar from next session. TheAEE PWD (R&B) was direct-ed to explore the suitableaccommodation for the same.
Meanwhile, he alsoinspected the upcoming sci-ence block at the GHSSAtholi, the work of which hasbeen stopped due to theunavailability of funds. Heassured that the remainingfunds would be released soonso that the work is completedat the earliest.
He also inspected the con-struction work on the SubDistrict Hospital AtholiPaddar, which is going in fullswing after the unlock. Hedirected ADDC Kishtwar forexpansion of premises ofunder construction hospitalbuilding by acquiring theadjoining state land.
NIC hosted portal for Domicile fulfils demandof 'Unregistered Migrants' & NRIs : Chrungoo
JAMMU, July 25 :"While it is gratifying to notethat the UT government final-ly launched the NationalInformatics Centre hostedportal for registration of"unregistered migrants" withthe Relief Commissioner'soffice at Jammu for purposesof Domicile Certificate, it willalso cater to the demand ofNRIs and the other categoryof the displaced persons aswell", said Ashwani KumarChrungoo, senior BJP & KPleader and Incharge:Department of political affairs& feedback, J&K-BJP.
Chrungoo said that thegovernment and especiallythe department of DMRR andthe office of the ReliefCommissioner deserve dueappreciation for fulfillingtheir promise to do it wellbefore the target, i.e the end ofJuly 2020. It hence paves wayfor registration of all the'Unregistered Migrants' &NRIs and others who are thehereditary residents of Jammuand Kashmir but have notbeen living in the J&K statefor a long time now.
He said, "Those NRIs whoare OCl/PIO certificate hold-ers and are the hereditary state
subjects can apply for theDomicile procedure on theNIC portal with immediateeffect. People of J&K scat-
tered all round the countryand who are registered withany other state/UT govern-ments also have to register onthe same portal".
It is now the turn of thepolitical parties, social organ-izations and the voluntaryinstitutions to encourage,inspire and motivate people toregister and apply for the
Domicile procedure and cer-tificate. There is a need ofsocial awakening and cam-paign for this purpose.
Though we have one year leftwith us to do our registrationyet it will be better to goonline as soon as possible forthe procedure on the link:http://jkmigrantrelief.nic.in
Chrungoo maintained thatthe political upmanship indemanding statehood back isbeing seen by the people asmotivated by selfish ends. In a
federal structure of the Union,it is futile to differentiatebetween the statehood and theUT status. "In all cases, weare Indians and are governedby the constitution of Indiahaving sovereignty ofParliament as the supremeideal. It is simply aimed at tohoodwink the public opinionwhen some political groupscry hoarse about the so-calledstatehood".
He also said that the"August 5 evolutionary-revo-lution" that was brought by anact of parliament last yearneed to be celebrated alongwith the "bhumi-pujan" ofRam Mandir at Ayodhya on5th August this year. It is ahistoric day which should becelebrated by the people of allregions, castes and creeds. "Anew history is in making inIndia and it is happening withthe concurrence of the legaland constitutional mechanismestablished by law"."Weappeal to the people to cele-brate August 5 this year bylighting lamps and candles intheir houses, lanes, offices,places of worship, businessestablishments and the neigh-borhood throughout theUnion Territory".
SRINAGAR, JULY 25 :J&K Girls Bn National CadetCorps (NCC) today carried outplantation of saplings at theNCC complex, here. The plan-tation of saplings was carriedout as part of a tree plantationdrive being carried out acrossthe country with an aim tospread awareness amongst thepeople about the importance ofGreen World for mankind. Theevent was marked with plant-ing of saplings of HimalayanBlue Pine by NCC Officers,Associate NCC Officers, NCCCadets and the staff.
J&K Girls BnNCC carries out
‘Plantation Drive’
Class IV posts: JKSSB’s Portal records 3,09,001 registrations;1,60,350 candidates submit online application so far
JAMMU, JULY 25 : Tilltoday morning, 3,09,001Registrations have been doneby the candidates on JKSSB’sOnline Portal, since the com-mencement of online applica-tion submission from 10thJuly, 2020 and 1,60,350 can-didates completed their onlineapplication submissionprocess for Class IV posts.Also 22,230 applications havebeen submitted online for thepost of Accounts Assistant. Ithas been noted that about99,000 unique visitors visitedthe online application portalof JKSSB yesterday.
Pertinently, the Jammuand Kashmir ServicesSelection Board has adver-tised 8575 Class IV posts forDistrict/Divisional/UnionTerritory cadre in variousdepartments under the provi-sions of the Jammu andKashmir Appointment to theClass-IV (SpecialRecruitment) Rules, 2020, inpursuance of General
Administration Department’sRevised Indent No.GAD/Mtg/RB-IV/50/2020Dated 22.06.2020 underAdvertisement NotificationNo. 01 of 2020 dated26.06.2020.
Further, the ServicesSelection Board has opera-tionalized two helplines oneeach at Srinagar and Jammufor the convenience of aspi-rants. In addition, any personwho finds difficulty in sub-
mission of application formdue to technical issue or forany other reasons, may send aself-explanatory mail at [email protected] forseeking guidance, clarifica-tion etc.
"From Rags to Riches" ministers' assets need to be probed
Former Congress ministers looted public money, neverempowered democratic institutions : Raman Suri
JAMMU, July 25 :Coming down heavily on achosen few former Congressministers for criticisingBharatiya Janata Party for noreasons, BJP J&KExecutiveMember Raman Suri todaysaid that those, who are facingtrials for grabbing state landand looting public money, arebeating drums for smallworks done by tax payersmoney and have lost people'ssupport. These parasites, whobuilt mansions with tax pay-ers money, are today a lostforce and now trying to mis-lead masses by boasting ofhaving served the community.
Raman Suri stated, thestory “From Rags to Riches"of such Congress leaders isknown to the entire public.Instead of leaving their occu-pation of state land, they areshamelessly roaming on samestreets of Jammu, where theylooted its people by makingfalse promises. This is the rea-son that they have lost theground now and are not evenable to gather people, so theyjust keep speaking to samefive to six people on thestreets.
Raman Suri said that these
Congress leaders, in con-nivance with NC and PDP,allowed the elected municipal
bodies to lapse and never heldelections to them. They neverextended the 73rd and 74thConstitutional AmendmentAct to Jammu and Kashmir,and these Congress leadersdidn't even hold Panchayatpolls or empowered theselo-cal bodies at grassroot level.Lust of power didn't let pow-ers to be decentralised andtoday, they are beating drumsof good governance, which
never existed during theirtenure.
He said such political par-
asites joined politics as novicewith minimum financialresources, and today they aremulti-millionaires. Fromwhere did they get all thismoney, it needs a thoroughprobe. He also said thatdespite being in-charge ofdepartments like Housing andUrban DevelopmentDepartment, CAPD andRevenue besides SocialWelfare, these former minis-
ters have nothing to prove thatthey worked for the welfare ofpeople.
There is not even a singlework that these Congressleaders can truly boastof,which is helping the socie-ty as a whole. Instead ofworking for the masses andwelfare of the erstwhile state,these spent forces dividedpeople on religious andregional lines, encouragedcorruption, encouraged trans-fer mafia and looted publicmoney for their own politicalmotives.
Before accusing BJP ofanything, these Congressleaders must introspect as tohow they used to misuse theofficial resources and howthey didn't let the State as wellCentral Welfare Schemesreach the poor and needy.Today, when they are not inpower, all that they are tryingto do is exploit the sentimentsof people and criticise BJP-led Government at the Centre,which is working hard for thebetterment of society and ismaking a New and StrongIndia, where everyone will beequal and empowered in real-ity.
Per million Covid testing in J&K reaches 44744;recovery rate touches 53.01%
JAMMU, JULY 25 : ThePer million testing in Jammuand Kashmir has reached44744 as against 12742 in thecountry, even as the recoveryrate in the Union territory hastouched 53.01 percent as onJuly 23, 2020.
The overall positivity ratein the union territory is 3 per-cent as against 8.3 percent inthe country. It is 1.3 percentin Jammu province and 4.7percent in Kashmir province.
Jammu and Reasi districtshave recorded lowest, 0.8positivity in the UT, whileSouth Kashmir districtShopian has witnessed thehighest positivity rate at 8.3percent followed by 5.3 inBaramulla.
Bandipura and Ganderbaldistricts in Kashmir Divisionrecorded lowest 2.3 percentpositivity rate. In Jammuprovince, district Ramban ison top with 3.7 percent posi-tivity rate followed byRajouri with 2.1 percent.
The UT has also consider-ably low mortality rate of 1.7percent as against 2.4 percentin the whole country. Themortality rate in Jammu
province is far low at 0.6 per-cent as against 2.0 percent inKashmir.
As per official figures, theCovid recovery rate in
Jammu and Kashmir hastouched 53.01 percent in 20days, starting from July 3 tillJuly 23,2020. The averagecases per million in the
Union Territory stand at1339, though it is far low inJammu division at 623 asagainst 1899 in Kashmirdivision.
JAMMU, JULY 25 : TheJammu and KashmirGovernment has evacuatedabout 2,60,615 JK residents,stranded in other parts of thecountry due to COVID lock-down, via Lakhanpur andthrough special trains andbuses till date amid strictobservance of all necessaryguidelines and StandardOperating Procedures.
As per the official datareceived in this regard, the
Jammu and Kashmir adminis-tration has received 94 specialtrains at Jammu andUdhampur railway stationsfrom different states and UTs,so far, with about 79,199 pas-sengers while about 1,81,416persons from other states andUTs including 901 fromabroad have been evacuatedby the government throughLakhanpur till date.
As per the detailedbreakup of the figures, about
2078 stranded passengershave entered throughLakhanpur from July 24 toJuly 25 mornings while 969passengers have reachedtoday in the 73rd DelhiCOVID special train atJammu. So far, 73 trains havereached Jammu with a total of63,503 stranded passengersbelonging to different districtswhile 15,696 passengers havereached Udhampur in 21 spe-cial trains, so far.
COVID-19: Govt evacuates 2,60,615 stranded JK residents;1,81,416 via Lakhanpur, 79,199 through special trains
JAMMU, JULY 25 : OnDay 62 of resumption of rou-tine domestic operations inJammu and Kashmir, 24domestic flights with 2,704passengers on board todayarrived at Jammu andSrinagar Airports. Besides, anInternational evacuation flightwith 145 passengers on boardhas arrived at Srinagar Airportunder Vande Bharat Mission.
A total of 834 passengersaboard 9 regular commercialflights arrived at the JammuAirport while 15 domesticflights with about 1870 pas-sengers on board landed at
Srinagar Airport today.Pertinently, Jammu
Airport Authorities havereceived a total of 469 domes-tic flights with 34,782 passen-gers while Srinagar AirportAuthorities have received 762domestic flights with 98,596passengers since 25th of Maytill date. Also, the Jammu andKashmir government hasbrought back about 3,476 pas-sengers from various coun-tries to the Union Territorythrough special evacuationflights in the wake of globalpandemic till date.
After arrival, all the pas-
sengers were tested for theCOVID-19 and transported totheir destinations at both theairports amid strict obser-vance of all necessary preven-tive protocols.
The Government has madeelaborate arrangements forthe arrival, screening, sam-pling and proper transporta-tion of the passengers to thequarantine centers taking spe-cial care of guidelines andStandard OperatingProcedures (SOPs) prescribedby the Union Ministries ofCivil Aviation and Health andFamily Welfare.
Day 62: Jammu, Srinagar Airports receive 24domestic flights with 2,704 passengers
International evacuation flight with 145 passengers aboard
arrive at Srinagar Airport under Vande Bharat Mission
Jammu July 25 : BJYMRural activists today felicitat-ed Tehsildar Marh Sh.Rampal Sharma under theleadership of DistrictPresident Deepak Raj Pandey.
On the occassion deputyTehsildar Magh Shri BrijKumar Ji, Sub TehsildarSuhjatpur Shri Desh RajAvoidance Ji and all staffmember working in Tehsiloffice or sub Tehaldar officewere also felicitated.
On this occasion, DeepakRaj Pandey said that in theCovid 19 epidemic wherepeople were afraid to get outof the houses, all the person-nel posted in tehsil Marh haveleft no stone unturned in thepeople's khidmat from time totime. The full staff is engagedin the issuance of domicilecertificates, caste certificates,and other certificates of the
people who come to tehsilconscientiously and patientlyand quickly. It is a great
example to work in a servicespirit by becoming a warriorat the time of the Covid 19infection. The work and con-tributions of all these are
incredible, invalid, that islaudable.
Pardeep Chouhan (Distt.
Vice President BJYM), SahilSharma, Vikas Salaria, LoveSharma, Aman Sharma, RajuSanga, Parsotam Sharma andothers were also present.
BJYM felicitated Tehsildar Marh
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