NAVEENA GHANATE n HYDERABAD

Telangana now has 13 Covid-19 positive patients, withseven Indonesians, who hadtravelled along with thePatient 5 reported on Tuesday,testing positive onWednesday. The delegation of11 members from Indonesiacame on a religious tour toIndia. All the Covid-19 pos-itive patients are being treat-ed in an isolation ward atGandhi Hospital.

As per a health bulletinreleased late on Wednesdaynight by the HealthDepartment, all the sevencases "do not belong toTelangana and are not Indian".

Meanwhile, the HealthDepartment has begun contacttracing of the patients who hadcome from Delhi toRamagundem via train onMarch14. All of the sevenpatients have been kept in anisolation ward since March16.

Already samples of Indiancitizens with travel history toScotland reported positive inthe state on Wednesday. Intotal, 8 cases were recorded as

corona positive on a single day. Although so far there has

been no communitytransmission of Covid-19 in Telangana, there areindications that the stateis headed for Stage-2i.e. localt r a n s -m i s -sion rel-a t i v e l ysoon.

As of now,all of ther e p o r t e dCovid-19positive

patients,including thesixth one thatsurfaced onWednesday, reflectStage- cases, meaningthe patients have histo-ry of travel to othercountries.

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HYDERABADWEATHER

Current Weather ConditionsUpdated March 18, 2020 5:00 PM

ALMANAC TODAY

Month & Paksham:Phalguna & Krishna PakshaPanchangam:Tithi: Ekadashi: 05:58 am (Next Day) Nakshatram: Uttara Ashadha: 02:49 pm Time to Avoid: (Bad time to start

any important work)Rahukalam: 01:53 pm – 03:23 pmYamagandam: 06:24 am – 07:54 amVarjyam: 07:12 pm – 08:57 pmGulika: 09:24 am - 10:53 amGood Time: (to start any important

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EIGHT MORE IN TS TEST COVID-19 POSITIVE IN A DAY Maintain Gap: EtelaPNS n HYDERABAD

Amid corona scare, HealthMinister Etela Rajender hasasked people to avoid meetingMinisters, MLAs or relativeswithout valid reason. "We haveshut educational institutions,not to facilitate people to visitrelatives' places, malls, gardensor parks. Ensure that kids arenot contaminated and theyneed to stay at home. We aregetting reports that people arevisiting places, malls and parks.Please don't do that. Don'ttake it easy. Every householdneeds to be serious. You can seewhat happened in Italy for notbeing serious."

The Minister said that peo-ple keep approaching electedrepresentatives for various rea-sons. "For the next 15 days, werequest people to avoid visitinggovernment offices seekingdeputations, transfers, promo-tions, or non-essential activi-ties.

PNS n HYDERABAD

Telangana ChiefMinister K

Chandrashekhar Rao hasconvened a high-level emer-gency meeting on Thursday todiscuss, inter alia, measures to

be taken to contain thespread of coronavirus

and mitigate itsimpact in the

State.

The meet-ing will be held

at 2-00 PM inPragati Bhavan,

involving all DistrictCollectors, PoliceCommissioners andSuperintendents of Police.Medical and Health MinisterEtela Rajender, MunicipalAdministration Minister KTRama Rao, Panchayat RajMinister E Dayakar Rao,

Ministers from Hyderabad --Mohammed Ali, SrinivasYadav, Sabita Indrareddy,Malla Reddy, Deputy SpeakerPadma Rao, PrincipalSecretaries of Medical andHealth, Panchayat Raj,Municipal Administrationdepartments and theCommissioners concernedhave been invited to the meet-ing.

Stage 1 : imported cases:Patients who have travelled

abroad to countries that haveconfirmed cases of the virus and

returned to India

Stage 2: local transmission: Caseswho have come in contact with thosehave a travel history and testedpositive

Stage 3: community transmission:Stage where there is no waythat the virus can betraced back to a certainperson.

Stage 4: epidemic: Theone witnessed in China

CM convenesemergency meet

Coronaviruscases incountry climbto 158PNS n NEW DELHI

The number of novel coron-avirus cases in India rose to158 on Wednesday after fourmore were reported fromvarious parts of the country,according to the HealthMinistry.

The cases include 25 for-eign nationals and the threepersons who died in Delhi,Karnataka and Maharashtra.

Over 5,700 people, whohad come in contact withthese positive cases, are underrigorous surveillance, theMinistry said.

Delhi has so far reportedten positive cases whichincludes one foreigner, whileUttar Pradesh has recorded16 cases, including one for-eigner.

Maharashtra has 42 cases,including three foreigners,while Kerala has recorded 27cases which include two for-eign nationals.

Karnataka has 11 coron-avirus patients. The numberof cases in Ladakh rose toeight and Jammu andKashmir three.

PNS n NEW DELHI

A group of venture capitalistsand start-ups have appealed toPrime Minister NarendraModi to take decisive actionand "impose strict lock-downsand impose Section 144 (toban large gatherings) acrosskey cities this week" to com-bat the novel coronavirus out-break.

In a detailed Powerpointpresentation tweeted Tuesdayevening, Abhiraj Singh Bhal,the co-founder of UrbanCompany, pointed out thatcountries that had "acted earlyand strongly (South Korea,Singapore and Japan)" wereable to control the outbreak ascompared to those which"waited and watched (Iran,Italy and the United States)".

"The virus does not dis-criminate basis nationality -early, strong and decisiveaction is key to containment.Impose Section 144 and strict

lockdown (citizens stay athome) across major cities fortwo weeks starting March 20,2020," the presentation said.

PNS n HYDERABAD

The Telangana State DentalCouncil has advised all dentistsin the state to "strictly avoid alltreatments that result in aerosolgeneration".

Coronavirus can be airborneand stay suspended in the airbecause of heat and humidity.According to WHO, "when youdo an aerosol-generating proce-dure like in a medical carefacility, you have the possibili-ty to what we call 'aerosolize'these particles, which meansthey can stay in the air a little bitlonger". Even WHO is consid-ering "airborne precautions"for medical staff after a newstudy showed that coronavirus

can survive in the air in somesettings.

In this context, as dentistscome under high-risk categoryfor transmitting and contract-ing Covid-19, they have beenasked to avoid such treatments.

Further, as a way to reduce theirrisk, the council advised alldentists practising in the state to"suspend all non-essential andelective dental procedures forthree weeks". The dentists havebeen advised to follow pre-screening protocols and per-form pre-treatment risk assess-ment. The circular read, "Alsoavoid treating high-risk patients,patients who have other co-morbidities and geriatricpatients, unless it is an emer-gency, to avoid transmittingthe infection to these groupswho can become critically ill ifthey contract the virus."

Market crash wipes outRs 15.72 lakh cr wealth PNS n NEW DELHI

Indian equities declined for athird day in a row onWednesday, making investorspoorer by a whopping Rs15.72 lakh crore in the three-day crash since Monday.

Intense selling engulfed theequity market for yet anoth-er day, with the benchmarkindex Sensex plummeting1,709.58 points or 5.59 percent on Wednesday.

Since Monday, the indexhas plunged 5,233.97 pointsto hit a one-year low of28,613.05 as fears of globalrecession due to coronaviruspandemic hit investor senti-ment.

The market capitalisationof BSE-listed companies erod-ed by Rs 15,72,913.52 crore inthree days to reach Rs1,13,53,329.30 crore onWednesday.

Barring ONGC and ITC,all 30 Sensex stocks dived.IndusInd Bank, Power GridCorporation of India, KotakMahindra Bank, BajajFinance and HDFC Bankwere among the major losers,tumbling up to 23.90 percent. Banking shares were hitthe most following theSupreme Court directive totelecom firms to clear AGRdues in full as mentioned inits judgement.

WHO chief saysCovid-19 ‘enemyagainst humanity’PNS n GENEVA

The head of the World HealthOrganisation on Wednesdaysaid the new coronavirus wasan 'enemy against humanity',as the number of peopleinfected in the pandemicsoared past 200,000.

"This coronavirus is pre-senting us with an unprece-dented threat," TedrosAdhanom Ghebreyesus toldjournalists in a virtual newsconference, stressing that itwas "an unprecedentedopportunity to come togeth-er as one against a commonenemy: an enemy againsthumanity."

Saina decries‘profits overplayers’ welfare’PNS n NEW DELHI

Saina Nehwal said officialshad put profits ahead of play-er welfare by allowing the AllEngland badminton champi-onship to go ahead last week-end despite the coronaviruspandemic. The competitionwas one of the few interna-tional sporting events to con-clude Sunday amid the dead-ly outbreak, which hasclaimed thousands of livesacross the globe.

Emirates askspilots to takeunpaid leavePNS n NEW DELHI

Middle East airline QatarAirways laid off about 200Filipino staff in Doha thisweek and rival Emiratesasked pilots to take unpaidleave as the coronavirus out-break hammers demand fortravel.

The state-owned airlineshave had to slash dozens offlights, which are crucial fortheir Gulf hubs that millionsof passengers pass througheach year.

Phi l ippine LabourSecretary Silvestre Bello toldReuters on Wednesday thatthe government was tryingto ascertain the "real cause"behind the unexpected deci-sion to lay off the workers.

Qatar Airways did notrespond to an emailedrequest for comment.

The layoffs were reportedearlier by ABS-CBN. It saidthe Filipino employees,including engineers andmaintenance staff, were laidoff on Tuesday and othershad also lost their jobs.

Favipiravir effective in treating COVID-19: ChinaPatients who took the flu drug recovered quicker and showed greater lung improvementPNS n TOKYO

Medical experts in China haveclaimed that a new flu drug is'clearly effective' in treatingthe coronavirus (COVID-19)pandemic.

Favipiravir, the active ingre-dient in a Japanese anti-flumedicine called Avigan, wastrialled on 340 patients with thedisease in China.

Patients who took the fludrug recovered quicker andshowed greater lung improve-ment compared with patientsnot given the drug.

The component is thought

to block the virus from repli-cating in the body.

Doses will be investigated inmore COVID-19 patients by

Hong Kong researchers, whoclaim they will give their pill'for free' if studies show it issafe.

However, contradictory clin-ical trials suggest Favipiravirwill not be useful in patientswho have more severe illness.

As of yet, there isn't a treat-ment for the coronavirus pan-

demic. Most people have mildsymptoms and can recover athome within a week.

Almost 200,000 have beeninfected and 7,900 have died.

It was given to 80 patients inShenzen and in Wuhan, wherethe novel coronavirus firstemerged in December 2019.

Favipiravir has been effec-tive, with no obvious side-effects, in helping coronaviruspatients recover, ZhangXinmin, an official at China'sScience and TechnologyMinistry, told reporters at anews conference on Tuesday.

STAG

ES O

F CO

VID-

19

Revanth granted conditional bail PNS n HYDERABAD

The Telangana High Court onWednesday granted conditionalbail to Malkajgiri MP RevanthReddy. Last week a local court inKukatpally had rejected his bailpetition. Reddy was arrested onthe charge of using a 'spy' droneto click pictures of a farmhousethat he alleges is owned by TRSpresident and IT Minister K T

Rama Rao. Prior to the MP'sarrest, six other persons involvedin the case viz. Praveen PaulReddy, Vijay Simha Reddy, JaipalReddy, Rajesh, Shiva and OmPrakash Reddy were arrested bythe Narsingi police. Officials saidthat Revanth Reddy had hired thesix persons to use a drone andshoot videos and photos of thefarmhouse.

YES BANK RESUMES FULL SUITE OF SERVICESPNS n MUMBAI

Yes Bank on Wednesday saidit has resumed operations,and all its banking services areavailable for its customersnow. "Our banking servicesare now operational. You cannow experience the full suiteof our services. Thank you for

your patience and co-opera-tion. #YESforYOU @RBI@FinMinIndia," the lendertweeted. The Reserve Bank ofIndia (RBI) had put restrictionon the lender on March 5,under which the bank's cus-tomers were allowed to with-draw up to Rs 50,000 tillApril 3.

The virus does notdiscriminate basisnationality - early,strong and decisiveaction is key tocontainment

TOTAL COUNT UP TO 13; 7 ARE INDONESIANS TELANGANA STARING AT STAGE-2 OF CORONA PANDEMIC

Elective dental procedures on hold Even WHO isconsidering ‘airborneprecautions’ formedical staff after anew study showedthat corona cansurvive in the air insome settings

2

2

2 2

2

Doses will beinvestigated in moreCOVID-19 patients byHong Kongresearchers, who claimthey will give their pill'for free' if studiesshow it is safe

2

2

2

2

GOAIR SUSPENDS FLIGHTS TO FEW NE STATES FOR 28 DAYS

The Press Council of India (PCI) has taken suo moto cognizance of aleading newspaper's headline wthat made a satirical reference to the

President. The PCI issued a showcase notice to the editor of the'Telegraph' newspaper on Tuesday. A press statement issued by the PressCouncil on Tuesday, noted that PCI Chairman JusticeChandramauli Kumar Prasad has noted with concernthe satirical use of the President’s name in aderogatory manner. The editor of the newspaper hasbeen issued a showcause under sections 17(i)(a)(b)and 31(vi) of Norms of Journalistic Conduct.

2 MORE TEST COVID-19 POSITIVE IN BENGALURUKarnataka Health Minister B. Sriramulu on Wednesday confirmed two

more positive coronavirus cases in the state, raising the total to 13."Two more COVID-19 cases have been registered in Bengaluru onWednesday, taking the total infectedcases to 13," tweeted Sriramulu. He saidthe two new cases included a 56-year-oldcity-based man who returned from the US onMarch 6 and a 25-year-old woman who returnedfrom Spain. "Both are admitted in designated isolatedhospital," Sriramulu added.

The deadly coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has now hit all 50 statesin the US. With West Virginia reporting its first case of

infection on Tuesday, Governor Jim Justice said, "Weknew this was coming." New York City said it wasconsidering a lockdown similar to one in the SanFrancisco Bay area, BBC reported. There have so farbeen 108 deaths in the US from COVID-19 andmore than 6,300 confirmed cases nationwide.Globally, there are about 200,000 cases andnearly 8,000 people have died.

COVID-19 HITS ALL 50 US STATES, TOLL SURGES TO 108

SATIRICAL HEADLINE TRIGGERSSHOW-CAUSE NOTICE TO EDITOR

Budget carrier GoAir hassuspended its operations for

28 days in some northeasternstates in view of coronavirusscare and ensuing travel restrictions,officials said on Wednesday. The airlinehas suspended operation for 28 days effective Thursday(March 19) on the Aizawl-Kolkata-Guwahati-Imphal route as apreventive measure, Mizoram government's principal consultant for civilaviation, Wing Commander J. Lalhmingliana, told the media in Aizawl.

Covid-19 requires strictlockdown: 51 entrepreneurssuggest to PM Modi

Dentists told to avoid treatmentsthat make Covid-19 airborne

PNS n HYDERABAD

In view of poor patronagedue to the coronavirus pan-demic, South Central Railway(SCR) has cancelled severaltrains across the zone. Trainswhich have been cancelledinclude Train No.08502Secunderabad -Vishakapatnam on March18, 25 and April 1, TrainNo.08408 Secunderabad -Bhubaneswar on March 20and 27, Train No.08574Tirupati - Vishakapatnam onMarch 24 and 31 and TrainNo.08302 Banswadi -Sambalpur on March 18 and25. In addition, due to changein days of service and oper-ational reasons, TrainNo.17014 and TrainNo.17013, which runsbetween Hyderabad andPune has been cancelled onMarch 31 and April 1,according to a press release.

Printed and published by B Krishna Prasad for and on behalf of CMYK Printech Ltd., Phone: 040-23322341, Hyderabad Office: F-502, Diamond Block, Lumbini Rockdale, Somajiguda, Hyderabad - 500 082. Telangana. Printed at Sree Seshasai Enterprises, Plot No.19, IDA Balanagar , Hyderbad-500037, Medchal -Malkajgiri District, Telangana. Chief Editor: Chandan Mitra. Resident Editor: B Krishna Prasad, AIR SURCHARGE of Rs 2.00.

Although every possible care and caution has been taken to avoid errors or omissions, this publication is being sold on the condition and understanding that information given in this publication is merely for reference and must not be taken as having authority of or binding in any way on the writers, editors, publishers, and printers and sellers who do not owe any responsibility for anydamage or loss to any person, a purchaser of this publication or not for the result of any action taken on the basis of this work. All disputes are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of competent court and forums in Delhi/New Delhi only. Readers are advised and requested to verify and seek appropriate advice to satisfy themselves about the veracity of any kind of advertisement beforeresponding to any contents published in this newspaper. The printer, publisher, editor and any employee of the Pioneer Group's will not be held responsible for any kind of claim made by the advertisers of the products & services and shall not be made responsible for any kind of loss, consequences and further product-related damages on such advertisements.

HYDERABAD | THURSDAY | MARCH 19, 2020 hyderabad 02

MP Santosh Kumar congratulates K Kavitha on being nominated as MLC candidatefrom local bodies constituency of Nizamabad district. "No matter where you are. Youbring the grace to the place." Heartiest congratulations to my dearest sister@RaoKavitha on being nominated as #MLC candidate from local bodiesconstituency of #Nizamabad dist. A fitting gesture from our Honble CM #KCRgaru." The MP tweeted along with the picture.

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PV KONDAL RAOn WARANGAL

On Wednesday, one personwith a travel history to UnitedKingdom was tested positiveCOVID-19 in Hyderabad. Thiswas the sixth positive case inTelangana State.

Though the state govern-ment is making every effort totackle the spread ofCoronavirus in the state, trib-al terrain connectingTelangana-Maharashtra andChhattisgarh are keenly watch-ing the developments and pre-cautions undertaken by thegovernments to meet the chal-lenge posed by the virus.

Though many localities inthe districts of the erstwhileAdilabad are deep inside theforest, the Medical and Healthdepartments are leaving nostone unturned and are mak-ing every effort to create aware-ness on hygienic conditionsamong the tribals.

The thandas and far flungareas face water shortage in theearly summer itself and sincethe tribals rely on the streams

in the vicinity to fetch water,there is scope for unsafe drink-ing water in thandas.

While the plain tribes in theregions like Mulugu districthave got the facility of missionBhagiratha pipelines, the for-est tribes such as Koyas andGutthi Koyas have no access tosafe drinking water.

Since the clean water facili-ties are not available in thepockets on the border villagesconnecting the three states,

clean and hygienic conditionsin those parts seem unlikely.

A research organisationstudying on the conductions oftribes during the present stageof Corona feel that the stage onephase of symptomatic precau-tions can be implemented byquarantining the individuals intheir respective localities but ifthe virus spreads into the secondphase, the preparedness of thegovernments may not match therequired quantity of treatment

facilities in distant places. In many areas, viral fevers are

not treated properly in theremotest corners and theresearch group claimed that thehuman loss went unrecorded inthose localities. If such a seriouscondition prevails even now ata time when Coronavirus isspreading like wild fire, peopleof these interior corners may beforced to face many problems,the research groups opined.

Maharashtra border locali-ties like Paramdholi in theSironcha belt and the Nirmaldistrict tribal villages in theAlampalli area are keen on get-ting adequate precautionarymeasures expansion duringthe present phase. Telanganabound thandas have of coursegot good facility as the 104vehicles frequent these partsoccasionally even during theregular seasons. TheChhattisgarh and Maharashtrabound thandas are trying tosecure this facility during the pre-sent pandemic period and thehealth and medical wing ofthese three states are preparingto meet the challenges.

Tribal terrain ready to deal with corona?

n The Medical and Health departments are leavingno stone unturned and are making every effort tocreate awareness on hygienic conditions amongthe tribals

n Koyas and GutthiKoyas, who staydeep insidethe forests,have noaccess to safe drinkingwater

SCR cancelstrains due toCovid-19

NIT-Warangal developsits own hand sanitiser PNS n HYDERABAD

The Department of Chemistry,NIT Warangal has developedits own hand sanitiser. It hasbeen prepared in accordancewith the norms to protectagainst Covid-19. Director ProfNV Ramana Rao appreciatedthe staff and researchers ofChemistry Department fortheir efforts. He asked thedepartment to prepare handsanitizer in large quantitiesfor further use within the insti-tute. The institute has taken allmeasures including distribu-tion of sanitisers to all the stu-dents and monitoring thehealth of students.

IIT-H TOO FOLLOWS SUITPNS n HYDERABAD

Indian Institute of Technology-Hyderabad researchers havedeveloped their own hand sani-tiser, in line with the standardsrecommended by World HealthOrganization (WHO) andCenters for Disease Control(CDC), a Federal Health Agencyin the US, for the InstituteCommunity. Around ten litersof this hand sanitiser havealready been deployed in thecampus for the benefit of thestudents, staff and faculty atlocations such as faculty

lounge, Shiru Café, meetinghalls and laboratories, amongother areas. This makes it morelikely that people will use it andthis will help stop the spread ofgerms and promote good healthand hygiene. This has beendeveloped by Dr ShivakalyaniAdepu, who was a researchscholar at the Department ofMaterials Science andMetallurgical Engineering, IITHyd along with Dr MudrikaKhandelwal, Associate profes-sor, Department of MaterialsScience and MetallurgicalEngineering, IIT Hyderabad.

FEAR PSYCHOSIS GRIPS INDIANS PNS n NEW DELHI

Weather change that is associ-ated with common cold casesin India in the month ofMarch-April has left millionsof people who are down withseasonal cough or cold symp-toms self-isolating themselves-- an exercise which is onlycreating unnecessary fear inthe country, say health experts.

Doctors are flooded withpatients who have normalcold or flu - along with con-ditions like anxiety and stress-- in the OPDs. They are veryfearful and assuming it mightbe new coronavirus (COVID-19) disease although they justhave seasonal symptoms.

"People having cough orcold symptoms are somewhatscared in view of the COVID-

19 outbreak. Some might alsofear disclosure in fear of beingisolated. People with an anx-ious and oversensitive predis-position or hypochondriacaland obsessive symptoms arelikely to worry a lot and

engage in an unreasonablyrestricted lifestyle," Dr SameerMalhotra, Head, departmentof mental health and behav-ioural science at Max SuperSpeciality Hospital in Saketsaid.

Despite the Indian Councilof Medical Research (ICMR)declaring there is no commu-nity transmission of the newcoronavirus yet in the country,people in their sixties suffer-ing from pre-existing condi-tions like diabetes and highblood pressure are becomingparanoid.

"They want to get them-selves screened for it whetheror not the symptoms fits thedisease. At the same time,they're also worried abouttheir family, especially theelderly," said Dr MugdhaTapdiya, Senior Consultant,Internal Medicine, Fortis Flt.Lt. Rajan Dhall Hospital,Vasant Kunj.

Health experts are gettingflu test, complete blood countand chest X-ray done wherev-

er it is required."Once results are not sug-

gestive of possibility of coro-navirus disease, patients are atpeace. If there is breathlessnessor there are findings in chest,we also suggest CT scan of thechest area to be done," saidTapdiya. Yes, there is a socialpressure, admit doctors.

"In fact, one girl who cameto me from an NGO wanted towork from home because shehad lots of elderly colleagues.

"She said since I'm sufferingfrom flu, they're asking me totake leave and sit at home,which will be without pay. Sothere is a lot of social pressureespecially in the private com-panies where people are notgetting paid if they're sitting athome, that's why they're hid-ing symptoms," Tapdiya said.

n Doctors areflooded withpatients whohave normalcold or flu -along withconditions likeanxiety andstress --in theOPDs

SSC exams in state fromtodayPNS n HYDERABAD

The SSC PublicExaminations are all set tocommence from Thursday.A total of 5,34,903 students,including 2,73,971 boys and2,60,932 girls, from 11,045schools registered for theexaminations which will beheld till April 6.

The examinations willbegin with first languagepaper-I to be held from 9.30am to 12.15 pm.

In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, to avoid largegatherings, the students willbe allowed to enter the cen-tre from 8.30 am. They areurged to reach the centre anhour prior to the examina-tion, and can wear facemasks.

Medical officials will bedeployed at the centres,and medicines and ORSpackets will be provided. Acontrol room with tele-phone number 040-23230942 has been set upby the Directorate ofGovernment Examinations(DGE) at its office and atevery district educationaloffice to resolve problems,i f any, faced by the students.

Continued from Page 1

According to the police, itwas at the MP's behest that thepersons were hired to captureimages of the farmhouse. TheMP had questioned how thefarmhouse could be built onlands that were protected by aGO.

The GO in question pro-hibits any construction orindustrial activity within 10-kmradius of Himayatsagar andOsmansagar reservoirs.

The Cyberabad Police hadtaken suo motu cognisance ofthe incident and filed a caseagainst the MP and his broth-er Krishna Reddy as well astheir associates for violatingorders against the use ofdrones, conspiracy, and forviolations under the AircraftAct.

The TPCC working presi-dent was arrested on March 5,after he arrived from NewDelhi at the ShamshabadAirport. All the six othersarrested in the case managed tosecure bail, except the MP,who was sent to 14-day judicialcustody.

Last week, a local court atKukatpally refused to grantbail to the MP and dismissed

the petition, after the prose-cutor argued that there is achance of "intimidation ofwitnesses" as the case is underinvestigation.

However, on Wednesday, theHigh Court, while hearing thebail petition, sought twosureties of Rs 10,000 each,before granting the condition-al bail.

The High Court post-poned hearing on the sup-plementary petition thatRevanth's counsel filed, urg-ing the authorities to strikeof f the FIR (FirstInformation Report) thatwas filed against him in thecase. The High court hassought counter affidavitfrom the concerned policeauthorities.

Meanwhile, anticipating acelebratory rally by theCongress party cadre,Rachakonda Commissioner ofPolice has issued prohibitoryorders under the HyderabadCity Police Act.

These orders prevent agathering of five or moremembers and prohibit themfrom taking out any proces-sion, holding dharna, rally orpublic meetings, or makingany speeches.

Continued from Page 1

Although India is already inStage-2 as declared by WHOand ICMR, all these days the sil-ver lining was that Telanganahas been in Stage-1 only.

However, it appears that thefifth case - that of an Indonesian- could push the state into Stage-2, involving local transmission i.e.cases of those people who havecome in contact with those hav-ing travel history. For, the fifthCovid-19 positive patient trav-elled in S9 Coach of HazrathNizamuddin-Tirupati SamparkKranthi from New Delhi. Hetook the train on March13 andreached Ramagundem onMarch14; from there he went toKarimnagar and stayed at amosque for two days. The per-son could have come in contactwith many people through thisjourney before being admitted to

a hospital. So, all possible con-tacts have been identified.Karimnagar CP has been direct-ed to take action as per protocol.

After the Telangana govern-ment requested the DeputyChief Commercial Manager,Secunderabad Railway Station,to provide a list of co-passen-gers, SCR apparently traced 80of those who had travelled inthe train. Health Minister EtelaRajender said that the sixthCovid-19 positive case in theState is a 20-year-old whoreturned from Scotland on 16March. The patient came to theauthorities on Tuesday. Hiscondition is currently stable.The Minister said that so far incontact tracing everyone hadtested negative, including thethree persons from Tolichowkiwho attended the funeral ofcorona positive patient who hadreturned from the Gulf.

8 more in TS test Covid-19 positive in a day CM convenes emergency meet Continued from Page 1

The Chief Minister urgedpeople in the State to be alert,considering that people whohad travelled from Indonesiato Karimnagar tested positivefor Covid-19.

Against this backdrop, dur-ing the meeting on Thursday,preventive measures and reg-ulations to be followed wouldbe discussed. Since Covid-19is spreading mainly throughthose coming from variousnations, all those comingfrom abroad should undergothe mandatory tests. Peoplealso should be alert andinform the authorities aboutthose coming from abroad.

KCR asked officials to

ensure that people comingfrom various nations areallowed to go home only afterthorough screening. The Stategovernment has implementedweek-long and 15-day actionplans to prevent spread of thevirus. Certain other measureswould be decided at the emer-gency meeting, includingadditional preventive steps.

The Chief Minister hasurged people to stay awayfrom festivals and celebra-tions, which would involvegroup activity. He wantedpeople to understand themeasures being taken by thegovernment to prevent thespread of Covid-19. He urgedpeople not to gather in largenumbers at one place.

Maintain Gap,says EtelaContinued from Page 1

Unless it is absolutely nec-essary, we ask people not togo out. Sometimes peoplewant to make a visit toMinister, MLA or officer justto check how-abouts.

Don't come for simplethings; to give a bouquet orshawl or to find out how-abouts or for employment.Try to maintain at least oneyard distance from people. Inbuses or trains, try to main-tain gap."

Telangana health min-istry on Wednesday con-firmed the sixth positivecase of coronavirus in thestate.

Revanth grantedconditional bail

Market crash wipes outRs 15.72 lakh cr wealth Continued from Page 1

Indian equity markets witnessedyet another sharp fall, as theincreasing number of coron-avirus cases and tough stance bythe Supreme Court on AGR duescontinued to spook the markets,"Siddhartha Khemka, Head -Retail Research, Motilal OswalFinancial Services Ltd, said.

"Worries of greater disruptionsin businesses rose due to the ris-ing number of new coronaviruscases in India. Many states haveshut restaurants, malls, gyms andmovie theatres as a precaution-ary measure," he added.

Further, the Supreme Courtheld that no further objectionsto its orders would be allowedagainst telecom's AGR dues

payable. Banks shares slumpedas a collapse of a telecom oper-ator could add to lenders' badloan pile, Khemka observed.

BSE Telecom, Bank, Financeand Utilities were hit hard themost and plunged up to 9.48 percent. At the BSE, 1,882 compa-nies declined, while 963advanced and 186 remainedunchanged. In the broader mar-ket, the BSE mid-cap and small-cap tumbled 4.84 per cent and6.09 per cent, respectively.

The frontline indexes weredown by close to 5.50 per cent,in a market hit by the likelyadverse impact of the pandem-ic, at a time when it was nego-tiating a critical juncture in thealready existing economic slug-gishness.

Coronavirus cases...

‘Favipiravir effective in treating COVID-19’Continued from Page 1

An oral medicine using favipi-ravir, developed by HongKong-based SihuanPharmaceutical, is also in lineto try on COVID-19 patients.

Led by Beijing ChaoyangHospital, a clinical trial is partof a programme by Sihuan and

the Institute of MicrobiologyEpidemiology, a division of theChinese armed forces.

The study will involve 60COVID-19 patients who willbe given treatment for around10 days. Larger trials areexpected later.

Sihuan executive directorChe Fengsheng has said, "After

all the efforts and preparations,our group is fully prepared forfavipiravir's raw material andpreparation production."

An oral medicine usingfavipiravir, developed by HongKong-based SihuanPharmaceutical, is also in line to try on COVID-19patients.

Continued from Page 1

Telangana has reported six caseswhich include two foreigners.Rajasthan has also reportedfour cases including that oftwo foreigners. Tamil Nadu,Andhra Pradesh, Odisha,Uttarakhand and Punjab havereported one case each.

In Haryana, there are 17cases, which include fourteenforeigners.According to theministry's data, 14 people havebeen discharged so far, includ-

ing the three patients fromKerala who were dischargedlast month.

Three persons infected withthe virus have died so far, thelatest casualty being a 64-year-old man from Mumbaiwith a travel history to Dubaiwho succumbed on Tuesday.

A 76-year-old man fromKalaburagi who returned fromSaudi Arabia and a 68-year-oldwoman in Delhi who hadtested positive for coronaviruswere the other deceased.

Coronavirusneed ...Continued from Page 1

"While containmentefforts should continue,imposing a lockdown andSection 144 now, vs 30days later, might reducedeaths by 5x (saving near-ly 10,000 lives," it added.

The presentationacknowledged India had"started well with goodcontainment efforts" thatincluded closing of publicspaces like malls and cin-ema theatres and encour-aging people to work fromhome for social distancing.

However, warning that asecond lockdown mayhave to be imposed, thepresentation also urgedthe government to ensuresupply of essentials, likefood, medicine andmoney, and ensure avail-ability of services like pub-lic transportation.

Saina decries‘profits overplayers’...Continued from Page 1

"Only thing I can think of isthat rather than the players wel-fare n feelings, financial reasonswere given more importance,"Nehwal, who won bronze at the2012 London Olympics, wroteon Twitter."Otherwise therewas no other reason for the#AllEnglandOpen2020 to goon last week."

n Experts are getting flutest and chest X-ray

done wherever it is required

n People having cough orcold symptoms are scared

in view of COVID-19

HYDERABAD | THURSDAY | MARCH 19, 2020 hyderabad 03

RIME ORNERC

PNS n HYDERABAD

Municipal Administrationand Urban DevelopmentMinister KTRama Rao,instructed the officials con-cerned to speed-up theongoing developmentalworks in the HyderabadP a r l i a m e n t a r yConstituency.

The Minister asked themto prepare proposals forlaying four-lane road oneither side of Musi Riverunder East - West corridor.The Minister conducted areview meeting along withthe Mayor Dr BonthuRammohan, MPAsaduddin Owaisi, MLAAkbaruddinOwaisi, deputyMayor Baba Fasiuddin,GHMC CommissionerLokesh Kumar onWednesday.

Speaking about the roadwidening works, KTRasked the officials con-cerned to co-ordinate withthe railway authorities tosort out issues, and withother departments to shiftthe public utilities so as tocomplete the works with-

out any delay. The Minister instructed

to speed-up the workstaken up underSRDPworks including fly-overs, under pass, foot overbridges and road wideningworks, junction improve-ment and beautification,water supply pipe lines,development of sport com-plex, parks, public toilets,nala widening works andother infrastructure facili-ties.

During the review meet-ing, the Minster asked the

officials to submit propos-als for laying VDCC roadsand also to speed the landacquisition process on the20 stretches meant for roadwidening and to post a spe-cial officer for this purpose.He asked the HMWS&SBofficials to repair waterleakages if necessaryreplace with new pipe linesto order to get better watersupply and also to ensurethere is no shortage ofwater supply in summer.Funds were also sanctionedfor the purpose of nalaw-

idening., and also to replaceold sewerage pipes lines.

Minister directed theofficials to take up publictoilets, SHE toilets in theopen places and facilitateopen gyms in parks, todevelop integrated marketcomplex as built in Gajwelin area of more than halfacre.

EVDM directorViswajitKampati, ENCSreedhar, Chief EngineersZiauddin, Vasantha, CCPDevender, Zonal Commissioners Pravinya, AshokSamrat, AdditionalCommissioner Krishna,OSD Housing Suresh, SEVenkatramana, lakesSEMurali Krishna and oth-ers participated in themeeting.

KTR nudges officials tofast-track SRDP works

MA&UD Minister reviews Hyderabad constituency

KTR asked HMWS&SB officials toplug water leakages and ifnecessary replace pipelines toensure better water supply

Mosquito menace: Drone spraysanti-larval insecticide over MusiPNS n HYDERABAD

In a bid to fight the rising mosqui-to menace in the city, GHMC offi-cials on Wednesday used a droneto spray anti-larval insecticide overthe MusiNala under Goshamahalconstituency.

The operation, which is a partof GHMC's pilot project to usedrones for spraying bio-enzymesto contain water hyacinth andmosquito menace, was earlierdone over Miyapur Lake,MalkamCheruvu and BanjaraLake, and a lake inSerilingampally. Following com-plaints from residents of nearbylocalities, the GHMC officialssprung into action.

Goshmahal MLA Raja Singhalong with officials visited Nalaand inspected the spraying oper-ation for controlling mosquitoesspreading dengue. The droneflew over the Nala underGoshamahal constituency andsprinkled the insecticide.

The MLA said, "With manualspraying, It is almost impossibleto cover the entire expanse andreach the other side of the lake,leaving mosquito larva fester inthe center of the lake. The droneshowever reached every part of thesurface area that had to be sprayedfrom the edges of the lake right tothe middle." He added, "Usingdrones in the fight against mos-quito menace seems to be yield-ing positive results, drone technol-

ogy is developing rapidly and hasa lot of potentials to be leveragedin several ways."

Followingcomplaints fromresidents of nearbylocalities, theGHMC officialssprung into action

INTERMEDIATE EXAMS

Fraudsters cash in on virusfears, make fake sanitisersPNS n HYDERABAD

A Special OperationsTeam (SOT) from theBhongir Zone along withthe Kushaiguda andAbdullapurmet Policearrested six people intwo separate raids andbusted a duplicate handsanitiser manufacturingracket.

In the first raid atKushaiguda, three per-sons were arrested. Theywere identified asKakarlapudi KrishnaKiran, 38, VemuriVenkataSubramanyam,50, and VemuriVishwanath, 27. Kiran isthe MD of Seven HillsSoftgel Company.

In the second raid at asub-unit in Abdullapurmet, the police arrest-ed three persons, identi-fied as ChandanPanjwani, 28, AnilKumar, 30 and BommuShanker, 26. Anotherperson, identified asNirmal Kumar, 65, isabsconding, said thepolice.

At the first manufac-turing unit, the policeseized 25,000 sanitiser-bottles besides 11 drumsof Isopropyl alcohol andRs 40 lakh cash. At thesub unit inAbdullapurmet, 2,500bottles of sanitiser and 5cans of liquid sanitiserwas seized, besides a vanand Rs 10 lakh cash. Thetotal worth of the seizedproperty is Rs 50 lakhs,said the police.

Krishna Kiranobtained a licence in thename of AyushSoftgelcapsules & Syrups in theyear 2018 and establisheda unit at IDA Cherlapallywhere he prepared theAyushSoftgel Capsules &Syrups and supplied

them in the market. Police said that, so far

the accused has manufac-tured and marketed 1lakh bottles worth Rs

1.44 crore. While theapproximate cost formanufacturing the sani-tiseris Rs 46, the accusedused to sell it for Rs 144.

Man held forraping minor

A30-year-old man was arrestedfor sexaully assaulting and

raping a minor girl at his homein the city by the MoghalpuraPolice. The information about theNepali native victim was given tothe police by an NGO here. Theaccused, identified as Shiva, wasa cab driver by profession whowas living with the 17-year-oldgirl in Moghalpura area, thepolice officials said. "The manwas living with the girl claimingthat she is his wife. Uponreceiving information a team wassent to their residence and thevictim was rescued. Though sheclaimed her age was 15, duringthe age-determination check, itwas found that she was agedbetween 17-18 years old," saidthe police, who arrested the manand sent him to judicial remandand shifted the victim to a shelterhome. Cases were booked undersections 376, 366, 373, and 323of the IPC and other relevantPOCSO Act.

Fire breaks out inMPDO office

Afire broke out in theMandalParishad Development

Office in Hayathnagar onWednesday. No casualties werereported but files and documentswere reportedly damaged, saidthe fire officials. Officialsinvestigating the cause of the firesaid that preliminaryinvestigation revealed that ashort circuit is suspected to haveled to the mishap. Police saidthat nobody was hurt as theoffice was closed at the timewhen the fire broke out ataround 8:30 in the morning.According to Sreenaiah, SFOHayathanagar, a spark ignited thefire near the main electricalboard and soon caught on to theoffice papers and newspapers.Furniture was gutted in theflames. Officials are estimatingthe value of the property lost.

NIRDPR announceslast date to applyfor diploma coursePNS n HYDERABAD

The last date to apply for the PostGraduate Programmesviz. Diploma inRural Development Management andPostgraduate Diploma in RuralManagement (PGDM-RM) offered bythe National Institute of RuralDevelopment and Panchayati Raj(NIRDPR), is 10th April 2020.

The course boasts of having achieveda 100 per cent placement rate sinceBatch One in 2008 with highly compet-itive salaries. Highlighting the growthin importance of Rural DevelopmentSector, Dr. W.R. Reddy, IAS, DirectorGeneral, NIRDPR, said, "This is anexciting time to build expertise andmake a career in Rural Development.The confluence of policy, technologyand purpose have made what was oncethe preserve of a few well-meaning andhardworking individuals, an open fieldfor innovation of the sort that will drivetransformation. Government, non-gov-ernment and private enterprises are allinvolved in rural development initia-tives."

Are passengers skippingscreening at airport?PNS n HYDERABAD

Despite the screeningat airports, the ques-tion arises on how didall those coronaviruspositive patients man-aged to enter the state.

It is possible to cheatscreening tests at airportby taking medicine orentering even before therestrictions wereimposed. A woman whotravelled from Wuhan inChina to France boastedon social media that shehad been suffering froma fever, but managed toreduce her symptomswith medicine. Indiastarted screening pas-sengers from Chinafrom January and the listof countries to bescreened has increasedto 11. However, thosepeople who made it intothe country even beforethe imposition of restric-tions managed to comeinto the state.

Some of the caseswere allegedly unaware

or apparently took med-ication for the symp-toms. To ensure that thepersons who have had atravel history but man-aged to enter the coun-try, are tracked, govern-ment is deployingGHMC officials inHyderabad and Ashaworkers in villages toresolve the issue.

Health Minister EtelaRajender said that in vil-lages it is easy to trackpeople as they have lesspopulation, so wedeployedAsha workersto take cognisance ofsuch visitors and informthe officials immediately.Meanwhile, GHMC alsobegan a door-to-doorcampaign to track peoplewho have returned fromforeign trips recently.

With more than65,000 passengers arriv-ing in the state since thescreening began, offi-cials were apparentlygiven the details of thepassengers who arrivedin the state.

8 students held for malpracticesPNS n HYDERABAD

Eight students who wereaided by the college man-agement to cheat in theintermediate examinationwere apprehended by theWest Zone Task Forceteam on Wednesday.

The raid was conductedby the Task Force team anda team from Board ofIntermediate (BIE), whonabbed the students, alongwith four faculty mem-bers of New Madina JuniorCollege in Tolichowki whowere charging the examin-ers with a fee to cheat andhanded them over toGolconda Police for fur-ther action.

The staffers were identi-fied as ShoaibTanveer, 29,Shabha, ShahidaShareen,

and Syed Kaleemuddin,while the students wereidentified as MohdIqbalAbbas who had Chemistryexam, FirazMirza who hadCommerce-II, MohdAhmed Hussain appearingfor Commerce- II, AhmadNazeer, MohdRiyan

Nazeer, and Nisar Ahmed,who had Chemistry-II.Two more studentsinvolved in the scam werereportedly absconding.

The students were fromNoesis junior college, St.Joseph junior college, NewReliance junior college,

and Narayana junior col-lege. "The management ofthe college collectedbetween Rs 5,000 to Rs8,000 for helping the stu-dents in writing the exam-ination. They arrangedsome persons to writeexaminations on behalf ofthem at the institution,"said Task Force officials.

The collegemanagementcollectedbetween Rs5,000 and Rs8,000 for helpingthe students,said a Taskforce official

HYDERABAD | THURSDAY | MARCH 19, 2020 hyderabad 04

Flowering trees at NTR Gardens present a pleasant sight to the commuters Photo by SV CChary

SPRING TTIME

PNS n HYDERABAD

Women and Child WelfareMinister Satyavati Rathod onWednesday asked the officialsof Tribal Welfare ResidentialEducational Institutions, ITDAproject officers to take preven-tive measures to tackle thespread of Covid-19 and sensi-tise tribals on Coronavirussymptoms.

In the light of SSC andIntermediate public exams,the Minister reviewed withofficials here on Wednesdaythe steps taken to protect stu-dents from virus, to hold pub-lic exams, put educationalinstitutions on alert about thevirus.

In view of governmentdeclaring holidays for all stu-dents barring SSC andIntermediate, Satyavathi want-ed the officials to pay moreattention on the pass percent-age of students appearing forboard exams.

Since December last, specialclasses are being held for stu-dents appearing for boardexams. Therefore, the officialsshould supervise students fromtime to time so that they getgood marks. Teachers and offi-cials who are on duty shouldremain accessible till comple-tion of board exams.

Teachers accompanying SSCstudents for exams, to be heldfrom March 19 to April 1,should ensure that the studentsshould not mingle with groupsof students and safely bring

them back to schools. Besides sensitising students

on Covid-19, stringent mea-sures to check the spread of thevirus should be put in place,she said. Application of sani-tisers and personal hygieneshould get more attention. Assuggested by the ChiefMinister, the precautions givenby the Medical and HealthDepartment should be fol-lowed without fail.

Measures to prevent spreadof coronavirus from new per-sons or through new methodsshould be implemented in theITDAs. At the same time, theITDA officials should sensitisetribals on precautions to betaken prior to manifestation ofsymptoms and after.

"The ITDA officials shouldprepare plans promote cottageindustries to benefit familiesweaned away from brewingillicitly distilled arrack and

widows. The project officialsshould ensure that the govern-ment schemes for tribals reachthe target group and makethem understand the efforts ofthe government to benefit thetribals," she said.

The ITDA officials shouldformulate schemes and imple-ment works which would ben-efit the tribals. The 'Each OneTeach One' should be imple-mented in tribal areas as sug-gested by Chief Minister, shesaid.

Tribal WelfareCommissioner ChristinaChongtu, ITDA project officerBhavesh Misra, BhadrachalamITDA project officer Gautam,Yeturu Nagaram project offi-cer Hanmanthu, MannanuruITDA project officer AkhileshReddy, tribal welfare addition-al director Sarveswar Reddyand others took part in themeeting.

Tackle spread of Covid-19,says Satyavati Rathod

PNS n HYDERABAD

Former Minister and ex-Leader of Opposition inTelangana Legislative CouncilMohammed Ali Shabbirdemanded that the StateGovernment to waive off croploans in one go and not splitthem into four instalmentslike it did in the past.

Shabbir Ali, in a statementon Wednesday, said that theguidelines for Crop LoanWaiver Scheme issued by theState Government on Tuesdaywere not comprehensive andpromises no major relief forfarmers. He said that the gov-ernment plans to waive off out-standing loans up to Rs. 25,000in the 1st phase and forremaining farmers, it propos-es to waive off the amount infour instalments.

"TRS government is repeat-ing the mistake it committedwhile waiving off crop loans inthe past. Crop loans of nearlyRs 17,000 crore were waivedoff in four instalments and itdid not benefit the farmers.They faced harassment fromthe banks continuously forfour years and even after loanwaiver, they could not get ridthemselves off their debts. The

present outstanding crop loansof nearly Rs. 25,000 croreclearly shows that the previousloan waiver scheme has failedto deliver the desired results,"he said.

The Congress leader saidthat the National Institute ofRural Development &Panchayati Raj has come outwith interesting findings afterdoing a research study'Agrarian Distress, CopingMechanism & Ramifications of

Debt Waiver Scheme (A Studyin Telangana State).

He said the report, in itsconclusion, stated that,"Majority of the farmers i.e.,80 per cent of Small andMarginal Farmer (SMF) and67 per cent of Medium andLarge Farmer (LMF) felt thatthe debt waiver scheme wouldhave been beneficial to them,had it been a onetime settle-ment. Otherwise the instal-ment that is being released isonly serving the purpose ofrescheduling the loans with-out any provision for cropinvestment. Therefore, theywere not completely sureabout the point that the debtwaiver scheme implementedin the State was beneficial tothem. Surprisingly around 11per cent of SMF and 25 percent of LMF felt that very lit-tle relief was provided to themkeeping in view of their totaldebts."

Cong to TS govt: Waivecrop loans in one go

TRS government is repeating the mistake itcommitted while waiving off crop loans in the past.Crop loans of nearly Rs 17,000 crore were waived off

in four instalments and it did not benefit the farmers— MOHAMMED ALI SHABBIR , TTeellaannggaannaa LLeeggiissllaattiivvee CCoouunncciill

PV KONDAL RAOn NIZAMABAD

With Kalvakuntla Kavitha fil-ing her nomination papers forthe MLC seat fromNizamabad constituency onWednesday, there is a renewedenergy among the TRS partycadres in erstwhile Nizamabaddistrict. However, the cadres inthe district are not seeing her nomination as a surprising move. Subsequentto the filing of nomination, theonly loser whose chances werespoiled is Machareddi MPPNarsinga Rao. He is likely towithdraw from the fray follow-ing the nomination of Kavitha.One more leader — ArikelaNarsa Reddy has also expect-ed a ticket for the seat.

The TRS cadres of the dis-trict however are on cloudnine as the Chief Minister'sdaughter got a fresh chance tolead the party from the front.

The TRS is likely to win thissegment hands down as 90 percent of the voters in the localbody list belong to the TRS

party. The BJP and Congressare fielding their respectivecandidates but their presenceis unlikely to show any impacton the elections.

With respect to the suddenselection of Kavitha as the TRSnominee for MLC, the leadersand MLAs of this district areof an opinion that her selec-tion would boost the morale ofthe party in Nizamabad.

Even the nomination of KRSuresh Reddy for the RajyaSabha was also a morale boost-er in Nizamabad TRS but thefresh move could become amajor achiever for the partysince this step strengthens thelocal body representatives inthe district. Earlier in the day,former Nizamabad MPKalvakuntla Kavitha filed hernomination papers as TRSparty candidate for theNizamabad Local Bodies MLCelection at the DistrictCollectorate. She was accom-panied by R&B MinisterVemula Prashanth Reddy,MLAs and several other partyleaders.

KAVITHA'S NOMINATION

TRS cadre inupbeat mood

SBI Hyd circle donatesvan to SevashramPNS n HYDERABAD

SBI is always ahead in CSRinitiatives. In such initiatives,SBI Hyderabad Circle donat-ed Maruthi Eeco 7 Seater Vanworth Rs 5 lakh to'Sevashram', Annaram.

'Sevashram' is an old agehome established in 1994 asa non-profitable organisa-tion with a noble aim of pro-viding not only physical shel-ter and comforts to its resi-dents but also to bring cheerand sunshine in their lonelylives.

The ashramam is 27-year-old NGO and home for 50senior citizens. The Maruthi

Eco Van 7-Seater comes inhandy for senior citizens ofthe old age home in case ofany medical and other emer-gencies.

On the occasion, OP Mishra, CGM,Hyderabad Circle handedover van key to MVBhadram, secretar y,Sevashram. OP Mishraexpressed his happiness andreiterated SBI's commitmentto welfare of the society.

KV Bangarraju, DGM &CDO, Liob A Vijay Kumar,MV Bhadram and LSSVDHanumantha Rao, AGM-PR were also presenton the occasion.

Former MP K Kavitha filing her nomination papers for the Local Bodies MLC inNizamabad on Wednesday

P Mishra, CGM, Hyderabad Circle, hands over van key to MV Bhadram,secretary, Sevashram in the city on Wednesday

‘KCR spreading lies on CAA’PNS n HYDERABAD

Telangana state BJP unit onWednesday submitted a mem-orandum to the GovernorTamilisai Soundararajanagainst the state governmentfor passing a resolution againstthe Citizen Amendment Act inthe Assembly.

In its memorandum, theBJP alleged that the state gov-ernment of flouting constitu-tional propriety and the spiritof federal structure for pettypolemics.

"The resolution alleges thatthe CAA and NPR and thenon-existent NRC would tin-ker with the inclusive andnon-religious nature of thecitizenship. The occasion wasused by the members and cer-tain political parties and theChief Minister himself tospread misconceptions andlies on CAA and NPR. TheChief Minister in particularmade misleading statements

which are potentially incendi-ary. The issue of conferring cit-izenship or rejecting a pleathereof is purely the domain ofthe Union Government underArticles 5 to 11 of the IndianConstitution. Neither the stategovernments nor the assem-blies have any mandate here,"it said in its memorandum.

The BJP blamed ChiefMinister K ChandrashekharRao for allegedly spreading

blatant lies in a manner thatpotentially create wedgeamongst communities.

"The Chief Minister saysthat the CAA is discriminato-ry against Muslims. CAA is ahistorical necessity. WhileCAA is nothing to do with theMuslims of India, ChiefMinister's statement createsapprehensions in their mindsnow and thus create wedgeamongst communities,” it said.

A delegation of BJP leaders submitting a memorandum to Governor TamilisaiSoundararajan at Raj Bhavan in Hyderabad on Wednesday

ManthanimunicipalcommissionersuspendedPNS n HYDERABAD

Dr N Satyanarayana ,Director, MunicipalAdministration Departmenton Wednesday placeManthani municipal com-missioner GuttalaMallikarjuna Swamy undersuspension for violating gov-ernment instructions andshowing negligence in dis-charging his officials duties.

It is learnt that Swamy wassuspended for availing oneday leave in view of a healthyemergency like situation pre-vailing in the state because ofCoronavirus. MandhaniTahsildar Anupama Rao islearnt to be appointed in-charge municipal commis-sioner. On the directionsfrom CS Somesh Kumar,Swamy was suspended.

Mallikarjuna Swamy, whoearlier worked as Manager ofKagaznagar Municipality, wasposted as Commissioner,Manthani Municipalityrecently on promotion.Several have been raisingeyebrows over the suspensionthat took place within 50 daysof the governing bodyassumes office in the munic-ipality.

KCR has ‘big plans' for 2024L VENKAT RAM REDDYn HYDERABAD

Former MP KalvakuntlaKavita's entry into state politicssignals larger plans of TRSsupremo and Chief Minister KChandrasekhar Rao in mindbefore 2024 general elections.KCR's sudden decision tonominate his daughter Kavitato Legislative Council is beingelucidated as a strategy to fur-ther tighten his family's gripover the party and the govern-ment. KCR is nurturing plansto play a key role in nationalpolitics before 2024 LS polls byleading a movement againstCAA, NPR and NRC.

Kavitha's nomination asMLC is being viewed in theparty and political circles asKCR's larger plan to make hisMinister son KT Rama Rao asChief Minister and Kavitha asNo.2 in KTR's Cabinet beforehe shifts his focus to nationalpolitics.

KCR sprang a surprise bynominating his daughterKalvakuntla Kavitha toLegislative Council as MLC onWednesday paving way for herentry into state politics.

This is in sharp contrast tohis earlier stand when he con-fined his daughter to nationalpolitics by fielding her fromNizamabad Lok Sabha seat in2014, which she won with athumping majority.

By doing so, KCR wanted toensure that there should not be

another 'power centre' both inhis party and the government,which may cause hindrance tothe smooth transition of powerto his son KT Rama Rao in thefuture. Since KTR was confinedto state politics and included inhis Cabinet in 2014, KCRensured Kavitha remained innational politics. KCR followedthe 'same mantra' even during2018 Assembly polls and 2019Lok Sabha polls. He did notconsider Kavitha for Assemblypolls in 2018 and fielded her

again from the sameNizamabad Lok Sabha seat in2019. However, her shockingdefeat at the hands of BJP in2019 altered KCR's plans.

Kavitha, known to be hyperactive in TRS, has been keep-ing away from party activitiesafter her defeat in May 2019.Let alone party activities, shewas hardly visible in party orpublic meetings since then.

At this juncture, KCR islearnt to have realised that itwould be fatal for the politicalcareer of Kavitha if she remainsin political oblivion till May2024 Lok Sabha polls.

KCR reportedly took a deci-sion to resurrect her politicalcareer by nominating her toRajya Sabha or LegislativeCouncil, since TRS enjoysabsolute majority in LegislativeAssembly and local bodies tomake Kavitha either RajyaSabha member or MLC.

However, everyone in theparty was expecting KCR to

nominate her daughter toRajya Sabha since for a leaderof the stature of Kavitha, whorepresented TRS in Lok Sabha,nominating her to Rajya Sabhawould be a fitting position. Noone expected her to get nom-inated as MLC as it would sendsignals that she was demoted.

KCR could have nominatedKavitha to Rajya Sabha easily.Instead he nominated

K Keshava Rao and KRSuresh Reddy recently sendinga clear signal that he wants toshift his daughter to state pol-itics. But KCR's latest decisiontriggered speculations in partycircles that he took a strongdecision to handover CM reinsto his son KTR anytime soon,make Kavitha as Minister inKTR's Cabinet and shift hisfocus to national politics. KCRrecently announced his plans tolead a movement against CAA,NPR and NRC by touring allthe states and moblise the sup-port of non-BJP parties.

l Kavitha's entry into state politics signals TRS supremo’s ‘larger plans'

Women and Child Welfare Minister Satyavathi Rathod at a review with officials onWednesday

Tipplers manage to get ‘high’ during shutdownDAVE BENNETT SILVERY n HYDERABAD

Despite the governmentannouncing closure of bars,pubs and permit rooms to curbthe spread of coronavirus, tip-plers still manage to find waysto get themselves intoxicatedduring the shutdown.

Taking undue advantage ofthe wine shops still selling alco-hol, consumers are stocking upalcohol and getting intoxicatedat private properties. While thegovernment has ordered shut-down of multiple establish-ments, citizens have also begunself quarantine, thereby, bring-ing their parties home.

Despite bars, pubs and permit

rooms being closed, the policeare continuing drunk and drivechecks. However, the numbershave drastically come down.The Gachibowli traffic policemanaged to nab only three per-

sons during the drunk and drivecheck on Sunday against the usu-ally high number of detainees.The Traffic Police attributedthis to the shutdown of pubs inthe state capital. However, a

traffic police official said that noinstructions were received tostop the tests due to the virus.“We only received a communi-cation to exercise caution whiledoing the tests and nothingabout stopping the checks alto-gether,” said the official.

Youngsters who are workingfrom home are having a ballwhile able to work in an envi-ronment of their liking. A fre-quent club visitor, RohanKumar, who works at an MNCthat asked their employees towork from home said that hewas joyed at the prospect ofworking while downing a glassof wine in the comfort of hishome. However, the public areannoyed with the fact that wine

shops continue to remain openand are selling liquor unabated.

After the call to shutdownbars and pubs was given, wineshops saw an unprecedentedrush with people thronging theshops to stock up before an Italylike situation prevails. A twitteruser with the handle@KelaBhavesh wrote: "Whyonly gyms and swimming poolsare closed why yourGovernment is not closing Wineshops till 31st march it will makepeople more safe governmentis only taking sympthy if youreally want a public opinion thenclose wine shop for better health# C o r o n a P o l i t i c s#closewineshop" (SIC) com-menting on the issue.

KTR skips wishing his ‘pup'PNS n HYDERABAD

While the TRS party leaderswere cheering KalvakuntlaKavitha Rao over beingpicked as TRS party candidatefor the Nizamabad LocalBodies MLC election, partyworking president KT RamaRao not wishing her hasraised eyebrows.

Last week on former MP'sbirthday, KTR wished hersister on social media andcalled her 'pup' and hoped

that her life be filled with happiness.

While Harish Rao, JSantosh Kumar took to twit-ter to wish Kavitha, the everactive on social media KTR,skipped it raising an eye-brow. It is apparently to avoidcritiscm over fifth memberfrom the family to be induct-ed into role. Already Santoshis Rajya Sabha member whileKTR and Harish are Ministersin government headed byKCR.

Santosh terming it as 'fit-ting gesture by CM KCR'said, "No matter where youare. You bring the grace to theplace." Heartiest congratula-tions to my dearest sister onbeing nominated as MLCcandidate from local bodiesconstituency of #Nizamabaddistrict". Likewise, HarishRao said, "My Heartiest con-gratulations to Kavitha onfiling nomination as MLCcandidate for Nizamabadlocal bodies constituency".

Khammam hospital gets isolation wardPNS n HYDERABAD

The Khammam districtadministration has taken pre-ventive measures to containspread of COVID-19,informed the DistrictCollector R V Karnan.

He along with theCommissioner of PoliceTafseer Iqubal and DistrictMedical and Health Officer

(DM&HO) Dr. BanothMalathi and others inspectedan isolation ward set up attrauma care centre at theDistrict General Hospitalhere on Wednesday.TheCollector informed that a120 bedded isolation wardwhich was equipped with 10beds in ICU and 10 beds inAMC besides wards with 50each for women and for men.

PNS n NEW DELHI

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birlaon Wednesday cautioned MPsnot to ask questions based onwhat is published in newspa-pers and raise issues only on the basis of their own information.

Birla's direction came afterA. Raja, a Dravida MunnetraKazhagam leader and an MPfrom Mayiladuthurai in TamilNadu, referred to a newspaperarticle while asking a supple-mentary question duringQuestion Hour.

"MPs should not ask ques-tions based on informationpublished in newspapers. Thisis in the rule book that ques-tions should not be askedbased on the information ofnewspapers and televisionchannels. So, ask questionsbased on your own informa-tion," Birla said while inter-

rupting Raja. Raja put a sup-plementary question whenquestion number 346 linkedto Universal Ser viceObligation Fund (USOF)mentioned in the list of 20questions for oral answer wasraised. "Yesterday, newspa-pers carried very hot and

burning articles. This govern-ment came to power by say-ing that Rs 1.73 lakh crore lossto the exchequer in 2G (spec-trum allocation). We suffereda lot. That is not the question.I want to ask a legitimatequestion," Raja said.

"The newspapers carried

articles that the Law Ministerand the Telecom Ministrysucceeded in getting theSupreme Court's permissionto allow private telecom oper-ators like Airtel, Vodafoneand Idea to pay statutorydues totalling Rs one lakhcrore over 20 years. You suc-ceeded. Who gave conces-sion to the operators?."

HYDERABAD | THURSDAY | MARCH 19, 2020 nation 05SHORT READS

MP: Cong urges Guvto ensure release ofrebels in BengaluruBHOPAL: Ruling CongressMLAs on Wednesday metMadhya Pradesh Governor LaljiTandon and requested him toensure the release of their rebelcolleagues from the "captivity"of the BJP in Bengaluru. In amemorandum, the Congressrequested the governor to usehis Constitutional office toensure release of the 16 MLAsbeing held "captive" by the BJPat a resort, said state Congressspokesman Bhupendra Gupta.The letter stated that formerchief minister Digvijay Singhand other MLAs wereprevented from meeting thelegislators in the Karnatakacapital by Bengaluru Police onWednesday morning. Being aRajya Sabha candidate, Singhwanted to meet the MLAs butthe Bengaluru police and localadministration detained himand other leaders of theCongress, it stated. Meanwhile,Congress workers staged aprotest in front of the statue ofMahatma Gandhi in Minto Hall,the old Assembly buildinglocated in front of Raj Bhavan.

Nirbhaya convict's wifedoesn’t want to be knownas ‘rapist's widow'AURANGABAD : The wife ofone of the convicts in theNirbhaya gang rape case, whoface the gallows later this week,has filed a divorce petitionbefore a court here saying shedoes not wish to live with thelabel of being "a rapist'swidow". Puneeta Devi, wife ofAkshay Thakur, who hails fromNabinagar block in this centralBihar district, moved the familycourt on Tuesday and thepetition is likely to come up forhearing on Thursday.According to her counsel,Mukesh Kumar Singh, there isa provision in law that awoman can seek divorce on theground of her husband beingcharged with a sexual offence.Till recently, Thakur's wife hadmaintained that her husbandwas "innocent" and wronglyaccused of involvement in theheinous gang rape that tookplace inside a moving bus inNew Delhi on December 16,2012 triggering nationwideoutrage.

‘Don't ask questions basedon newspaper information’

MPs should not askquestions based oninformation

published innewspapers. This is in therule book that questionsshould not be asked based onthe information of newspapersand television channels. So,ask questions based on yourown information,

— OM BIRLA Lok Sabha Speaker

Roche Diagnostics Indiafirst private firm to getCOVID-19 test approvalPNS n NEW DELHI

Swiss firm Roche DiagnosticsIndia received the license forconducting coronavirus testsafter approval from drug regu-lator DCGI, making it the firstprivate firm to get such permis-sion after the governmentdecided to allow accredited private labs to test for COVID-19.

According to a senior official,the Drug Controller General ofIndia (DCGI) is now assessinggiving license to another privatediagnostic firm, bioMérieux,which has also sought approvalto conduct tests for coron-avirus. The official said twoIndian diagnostic companies —Trivitron Healthcare and MylabDiscovery Solution — have

also sought approval from theDCGI for the coronavirus test-ing kits developed by them.

The Union health ministryhad on Tuesday issued guide-lines for private sector labora-tories intending to initiateCOVID-19 testing whileappealing them to conduct thetests free of cost.

CBSE asks examcentres to ensureadequate distanceNEW DELHI: The Central Boardof Secondary Education (CBSE)has directed board examinationcentres to ensure sittingarrangement with adequatedistance between students tocontain the coronavirus spread."It shall be responsibility ofexamination centres to ensurethat candidates for boardexams are seated at distance ofone metre from one another.For wherever the size of roomdoesn't permit that, theexaminees can be split intoother rooms. "The examinvigilators should wear masksor cover face withhandkerchiefs during exams,"CBSE Controller of ExamsSanyam Bhardwaj said in anadvisory.

‘Malik's remarks hurtdignity of Raj Bhavan’PNS n MUMBAI

Shiv Sena mouthpiece'Saamana' on Wednesday saidthe remarks made recently byGoa Governor Satya PalMalik about governors ingeneral has hurt the dig-nity on the RajBhavan.

While speak-ing at an eventin UttarP r a d e s h ' sBaghpat, Malikhad reportedlysaid on Sundaythat governors in thecountry do not havemuch work to do and that ofJammu and Kashmir "drinkswine and plays golf ".

The Sena said in its edito-rial in 'Saamana' that throughhis remarks, Malik has insult-ed the people of Jammu andKashmir, where he was post-ed as its governor earlier.

"What the governor doesinside is his prerogative, buthe shouldn't cross the line ofdiscipline. All the governorsin the country should cometogether and respond toMalik's allegations," it said.

"If the governors don'thave any work to do,

then why look afterthese white ele-phants?" it asked."Earlier, RajBhavans weremeant to rehabil-

itate old politi-cians, but now

under the Modi rule,one-time RSS pracharaks

are being sent to the RajBhavans," it added.

"Pracharaks don't consumemeat or alchohol, but still thisgovernor, who has been apracharak himself, says thatRaj Bhavan is a place to con-sume alchohol. This is notright," the Marathi daily said.

PNS n MUMBAI

In a bid to tide over the short-age of masks during the coro-navirus outbreak inMaharashtra, prisons in thestate have stepped in to man-ufacture the protective gear.

Speaking to reporters onWednesday, Home MinisterAnil Deshmukh said in orderto meet the increasing demandfor masks during the pandem-ic, inmates in central prisonsacross Maharashtrahave start-ed manufacturing them.

The minister said the prisonadministration approved ofhis idea and have started man-ufacturing. Some of thesemasks are used by inmates,prison officials and the rest aresold to suppliers, Deshmukhsaid, adding that prisonersare paid for this work.

Meanwhile, the HomeMinister has directed theprison administration to

screen all new inmates in viewof the pandemic.

Authorities have also beenasked to subject inmates, whoare already lodged in prisons,to medical tests, he added.

Moreover, to prevent over-crowding, some inmates willbe shifted to other jails and

new inmates in Mumbai will be moved to Taloja Jail, hesaid.

Families will not be allowedto visit prisoners for the timebeing, he said, adding thatcourts are also requested toconduct trials through videoconferencing.

Prisoners start manufacturingmasks to overcome shortage

PNS n NEW DELHI

Union Health MinisterHarsh Vardhan onWednesday held a reviewmeeting on containmentand management of thecoronavirus, directing thatteams be deputed to regular-ly inspect and monitor quar-antine facilities for ensuringnecessary amenities arebeing provided.

The meeting was attend-ed by senior health ministryofficials, the directors ormedical superintendents ofcentral government hospi-tals such as the SafdurjungHospital, the RML Hospitaland the AIIMS-Delhi.

Vardhan reviewed thepreparedness of hospitals interms of availability of test-ing kits, personnel protectiveequipment, medicines andisolation wards.

He directed hospitals toensure adequate availabilityof protective gear for allhealthcare workers.

Vardhan reviewed indetail the quarantine facili-ties for evacuees, includingthose at airports and otherkey transit points, in termsof segregation of passen-gers, transportation to quarantine facilities andchecks-ups.

PNS n PUDUCHERRY

Puducherry Chief Minister VNarayanasamy on Wednesdayannounced closure of all barsin the union territory as partof steps to prevent spread ofcoronavirus.

While bars have beenordered to remain closed fromThursday till the month-end,wholesale and retail sales ofliquor would however, be per-mitted, he told reporters here.

He said the governmenthad already launched a slew ofmeasures to tackle the spreadof coronavirus in Puducherry.

Narayanasamy said he andthe Health Minister MalladiKrishna Rao would visit Mahe

region, an enclave ofPuducherry in Kerala, andreview steps taken there toprevent spread of the infec-

tion. He said one womanbelonging to Mahe regionwho had returned from SaudiArabia recently after attending

a religious function had devel-oped positive symptoms ofcoronavirus. She was admittedin the isolation ward in the

government general hospitalin Mahe. "Doctors are attend-ing on her and she is stable,"the chief minister said, addingthe health authorities werecollecting details as to whetheranyone had been in contactwith the patient. Meanwhile,the territorial governmentintensified measures to imposerestrictions on the movementof the people in various pub-lic places.

The district Collector TArun announced closurewith immediate effect of allpublic parks, botanical gar-den, Aurobindo Ashram,museum, boat houses atPoornankuppam and atThengaithittu. In a release,

he said the closure becamenecessary in the wake ofCOVID-19 being declared adisaster under provisions ofDisaster Management Act.He said preventive measureshad been intensif ied toimprove various restrictionsunder the Epidemic DiseasesAct 1897 to prevent spreadof the infection.

He also said all medicalcolleges, dental colleges andphysiotherapy centres hadbeen directed not to declareholidays as services of thestudents, faculty and para-m e d i c a l s t a f f wou l d be needed for strengtheningthe hea lthcare del iver ysystems.

Puducherry govt orders closure of bars till month-end

UK asks it’s nationals in India withCovid-19 symptoms to self isolatePNS n NEW DELHI

The UK has advised Britishnationals in India that if theyhave symptoms of coronavirusthey should self-isolate forseven days and contact theGovernment of India's helplinein case their condition wors-ens. UK's Acting HighCommissioner to India JanThompson, in a video postedon Twitter, also said the situ-ation remains "fluid" and it isrecommended that all Britishnationals should continue tomonitor any advice on state-level restrictions and follow theinstructions of local authoritiesin India.

"Given the current circum-stances, we understand thatmany people currently in Indiamay want to return to the UKsooner than planned. Providedyou are not subject to quaran-tine, anyone who wishes to doso should contact their airline

or travel provider in order toarrange for their journeyhome," Thompson said.

"We are working closely withIndian authorities to monitordevelopments," she said.Thompson said the Foreignand Commonwealth Office(FCO) has advised against allbut essential travel to India.This follows the Indian govern-ment's announcement that pas-sengers from the UK, the EUand Turkey will be prohibitedfrom entering India.

Airlines will not permit pas-

sengers from these countries toboard planes from 1200 GMTon March 18, 2020, she said.

Thompson asked Britishnationals due to travel betweenthe UK and India after March18 to contact their airline ortravel provider as soon as pos-sible. "If you are currently inIndia and suffering fromsymptoms associated withcoronavirus then you shouldself isolate for seven days. Ifyou feel the symptoms worsen-ing contact government ofIndia's 24/7 helpline," she said.

Centre issuingadvisory tostates

RACIAL REMARKS

PNS n NEW DELHI

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju onWednesday said a strict advi-sory is being issued to all statesto take action aftersome incidentsof racialr e m a r k sagainst peo-ple belong-ing to theNorth East insome parts of the countrywere reported in the wake ofthe coronavirus outbreak.

Rijiju, who hails fromArunachal Pradesh, also saidthe issue was taken up with theNorth East division in theMinistry of Home Affairs.

"Some incidents of racialremarks against North-Eastpeople have emerged in someparts of India in the wake of#Coronavirus due to culturalignorance, prejudice minset &lack of understanding. Matterdiscussed with NE Division,MHA. Strict advisory is beingissued to the States," Rijijutweeted. According to healthofficials, the total number ofnovel coronavirus cases in thecountry rose to 147 with 10fresh cases reported from var-ious parts of the country onWednesday.

DISSENT IN TIMES OF COVID-19

PNS n NEW DELHI

The National Commission forProtection of Child Rights onWednesday wrote to the DistrictMagistrate of South East Delhito submit a report regarding theassembly of people in ShaheenBagh protest site amidst thecoronavirus outbreak.

In the letter, the NCPCR saidit had received a complaintregarding the large gathering atthe site which they said was tak-ing place despite an advisoryissued by the state and centralgovernment regarding safetyand prevention for COVID-19.

The Delhi government hasannounced that any gathering- religious, family, social, polit-ical or cultural - of more than50 people will not be allowed inthe national capital till March 31amid the coronavirus scare.

"You are kindly requested totake necessary action in view ofadvisory issued by the StateGovernment and the CentralGovernment regarding safetyand prevention for COVID-19and submit a report to theCommission within three daysfrom the date of issue of this let-ter," the letter from the NationalCommission for Protection ofChild Rights (NCPCR) said.

Hundreds of people, includingwomen and children, are stay-ing put on the road as part oftheir protest against theCitizenship (Amendment) Act(CAA). Protests against theCAA had started on December

15 last year at Shaheen Bagh andeventually at other places in thenational capital and elsewherein the country.

The number of novel coron-avirus cases in the country roseto 147 on Wednesday, with 10fresh cases reported from vari-ous parts of the country, accord-ing to the Union health min-istry. The cases include 25 for-eign nationals and the three per-sons who died in Delhi,Karnataka and Maharashtra.

Over 5,700 people, who hadcome in contact with theCOVID-19 positive cases, areunder surveillance, the ministrysaid.

Minister directsteams to visitquarantinefacilities

The official said two Indian diagnosticcompanies — TrivitronHealthcare and MylabDiscovery Solution —have also soughtapproval from the DCGIfor the coronavirustesting kits developedby them

Narayanasamy saidhe and the HealthMinister MalladiKrishna Rao wouldvisit Mahe region,an enclave ofPuducherry inKerala, and reviewsteps taken there toprevent spread ofthe infection

Thompson said the Foreign andCommonwealthOffice (FCO) hasadvised against allbut essential travelto India

NCPCR seeks report onShaheen Bagh Congregation

799 held in detentioncentres in Assam: GovtPNS n NEW DELHI

A total of 799 people are cur-rently held at detentioncentres for declared orconvicted foreign-ers in Assamwhere 26detainees dieddue to illness inlast four years,Rajya Sabha wasinformed onWednesday.

Minister of State forHome G Kishan Reddy saidthe Foreigners Tribunals (FTs)in Assam operate under theprovisions of Foreigners Act,

1946 and Foreigners(Tribunal) Order, 1964. Asper the information provided

by the government ofAssam, 799 detainees

are held in detentioncentres in Assamas on February27, 2020. Out ofthese, 95detainees have

completed threeyears or more in

detention, he saidreplying a written ques-

tion. Reddy said 26 detaineeshave died during their deten-tion due to illness in the pastthree years and current year.

PNS n NEW DELHI

From checking flu symptomsamong soldiers on their returnfrom leave to cancelling non-essential travel and confer-ence, the Army on Wednesdaysaid it has taken a series ofprecautionary measures toprevent the coronavirusspread among the forces. Ithas also stopped the recruit-ment drives across the coun-try, including the ServiceSelection Board (SSB) exams,officials said.

At some locations, theysaid, the Army has also placedsoldiers under quarantineafter their return from leave.At other locations, it is check-ing symptoms of flu amongsoldiers after resuming of work.

It has also asked its person-nel to avoid non-essential

travel. The Air Force too hasannounced postponement ofthe Air Force exams whichwas scheduled later this week.

The Indian Army reportedits first case of the coronavirusafter a 34-year-old soldierfrom the Ladakh Scout regi-ment tested positive for theinfection in Leh, army sourcessaid on Wednesday as the totalnumber of cases in Indiaclimbed to 147 after severalstates reported fresh cases ofCOVID-19.

Army takes steps: Checkingflu symptoms to banningnon-essential travel

In participative democracies, the prin-ciple of civilian supremacy over themilitary is both mandated and essen-tial. In democracies like the US andIndia, which have active combat com-

mitments towards the armed forces, theorders to partake, intensify or withdraw fromsuch roles ultimately come from the civilianleadership. This lends itself to strategic andoperational situations where the military hasto abide by civilian orders even where it dis-agrees as the latter has the “right to be wrong.”Such disagreements have led to subliminalcivilian-military tensions, which are natur-al and expected in the normal course of pro-fessional disagreements.

By constructive design, the military hasa black and white instinct of situationalimperatives, which are supremely effective,kinetic and blunt. Whereas by nature, a polit-ical decision is more complex, asymmetricand given to the “unapparent.” This impliesthat the military may pay the price for par-tisan politics that comes along with the deci-sion-making process in democracies. Yet, themost compelling argument for persistingwith this imperfect civil-military equationis the alternative track record of nations,where the military has the last word on gov-ernance matters. The ideal leadershiprequirement for civilian politicians is inmaintaining professional respect, maturerestraint and operational independence ofthe military so as to ensure that its apoliti-cal discipline, efficacy and steel is maintained.

In recent times, unrest and violence insociety has posited the public faith and trustonto the “soldier” even higher when all otherarms of governance seem to have failed.Unfortunately, the Indian armed forces, whoought to be the “last recourse” of theGovernment, are getting increasingly requi-sitioned to bail out the beleaguered State asit fumbles from one man-made or natural dis-aster to another. They have been doing it all— from fighting insurgency in Kashmir toquelling communal riots in Delhi to settingup Coronavirus-related camps across coun-try. The “soldier” seems to epitomise solutionsfor all societal, natural or national urgencies.

However, this public imagination andperception of the “soldier” has not gone unno-ticed to the overzealous politicians, who areincreasingly and unhealthily co-opting theimagery of the “soldier” onto their ownimage, policies and posturings. This situationcould potentially narrow the required distanceand apolitical bearing of the armed forces asit risks pushing the “soldier” towards politi-cal opinions, preferences and biases.Xenophobically nationalistic and self-obsessedleaders like US President Donald Trump typ-ify the sort of political leadership that milksthe image of the “soldier” as he tries to justi-fy his tenure decisions — for them, populism,even at the cost of long-term impact on thearmed forces, is par for the course.

The recent case involving the SpecialWarfare Operator chief, Eddie Gallagher of

the elite US Navy SEALs (Sea,Air and Land) team, is sympto-matic of the political interfer-ences in an institution thatprides itself on discipline, com-mand and ethos of the warfight-ers. These “frogmen” are theultimate warriors of covert oper-ations, who had earlier “takenout” Osama bin Laden andconducted many other acts ofdaredevilry. The SEALs person-ify the finest soldering, training,culture and compliances that arerequired to undertake complexand dangerous missions.

The SEALs wear a reveredpin called the “trident” or “thebird,” which is freighted withincalculable heft and pride on thechest of a serving officer. It isextremely hard-earned and easyto lose, should one fail to live upto its exacting physical, moral andpsychological standards. RearAdmiral Collin Green, as theCommander of Naval SpecialWarfare Command (which over-sees SEALs and their specialoperations and missions), hadsought to withdraw the symbol-ic pin from the errant SEAL,Eddie Gallagher, as he found hisconduct unbecoming.

Rear Admiral Green waskeen to clear the Augean stableof war crimes, murder, drugissues and sexual assaults amongothers that had tainted the insti-tution in recent times. The open-and-shut case of Eddie Gallagherhad been one such professionaldereliction that warranted correc-

tive disciplining. Unfortunately, this incident

offered Trump an opportunityto exhibit his misplaced sense ofpolitical “muscularity” bydefending the errant SEAL,much against the professionalassessment of his Commanderand the institution of the armedforces. Amid disconcertingmurmurs, Rear Admiral Greenhad to acquiesce to the presi-dential and unwarranted polit-ical intervention in a routinedisciplinary case. His profes-sional concerns of the “ethical-ly misaligned” combatants wererubbished and the dignified“soldier” was left with no optionbut to step down earlier thanrequired. Military culture lost,politics won.

Creating divisions withinthe uniformed fraternity mayresult in short-term politicalbenefits for politicians but itcould immeasurably weakenthe sword-arm of the nation.Certain institutions and entitiesneed to be spared the interfer-ences and appropriations thatare borne out of compulsivepoliticisation and partisan one-upmanship. Such misplacedpolitical enthusiasm needs to benipped in the bud, else politi-cians get emboldened by theirown liberties and recklessness.Trump has unconvincinglyposited his intervention towards“sticking up for our armedforces” — nothing could befurther from the truth as com-

mand-and-control and unim-peachable discipline are thebackbone of military profes-sionalism. Trump will mostprobably be replacing Greenwith another two-star SEAL,Wyman Howard, who has aquestionable past. He is said tohave encouraged his men tocarry hatchets during combatdeployments.

Politicians do not under-stand the intricacies, sensitivitiesand traditions of the armedforces. To them, the “soldier”serves the limited utility of con-textualising political decisions “inthe interest of the soldier” andthereby, “in the best interest ofthe nation.” A global wave ofuber nationalistic politics hasaccelerated these tendencies ofexclusivism, polarisation and“divides” that are normally ananathema to the inclusive, apo-litical and simple moorings of asoldier, who swears by his paltan(battalion), regiment and to thenation. Ever-increasing opera-tional deployments, invocationsand allusions have exposed the“soldier” to the societal morassthat prevails. The duty to protectthe “soldier” from political mis-use is one of every serving sol-dier and veteran. Militaries thatavowedly shun political appro-priations remain strong andprofessional. Those that don’t,resemble political parties.

(The writer, a military veter-an, is a former Lt Governor ofAndaman & Nicobar Islands)

COVID-19, a global pandemic triggered bya virus that emerged in China late lastyear, has had several fascinating story

threads. First in list is the Wuhan-based oph-thalmologist Li Wenliang, who tried to alert theChinese authorities about the spread of the dis-ease before it became a critical issue but wasinstead censured, although in death, he hasbecome a national hero. Then there is the storyof the “31st case” in South Korea, about awoman member of a cult who became a “superspreader” and was linked to almost 80 per cent

of the 8,000 plus cases registered in that country. Thankfully, strict action andinformation transmission by authorities managed to slow down the spread andcontain fatalities, too. In Iran, however, inaction on the part of the authorities inclosing major sites of Shia worship has led to a national catastrophe. Coronaviruscases have exceeded 17,000 and over 1,700 deaths have been reported offi-cially. A large number of the 255 Indians diagnosed with the virus are believedto be Shia pilgrims, many of whom had visited Qom. Opposition to closing reli-gious sites by both religious authorities and politicians has clearly led to this cri-sis. Fanatical devotees have not made things easier.

India should learn lessons from both Iran and South Korea as well as the Vatican,which has even cancelled Easter festivities this year. The MaharashtraGovernment has taken a positive step by closing the Shri Siddhi Vinayak templein central Mumbai. Other State Governments must follow suit. Major temples,masjids, gurudwaras, churches and other religious sites must be shut down. Onthis front, the Government has to be completely secular. Major religious celebra-tions must be curtailed, if not postponed, such as the Uttar PradeshGovernment’s plans of a big Ram Navami celebration, the first one since the SupremeCourt paved the way for the construction of a new temple in Ayodhya. In Tirupati,even though the authorities wanted to restrict the entry of devotees, more havethronged. This highlights the fact that in times of crisis, people turn to their gods.But devotees must be made to understand that their god is not running away.Like global civil aviation, religion, too, is a major vector for the spread of this dis-ease. If “flattening the curve”, as authorities desire, is to be achieved, then organ-ised religion has to be curtailed this time. Not everybody will agree but faith is inthe mind and not prostrating oneself at a holy site. The latter can wait awhile.

Ostensibly, there is nothing technicallywrong with ex-Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoiaccepting a presidential nomination to

become a Rajya Sabha member. Given hisextensive domain knowledge and experienceof the law, he does qualify to be a notable whocan contribute valuably to the Upper House. Heis, in the end, somebody who has excelled insociety in his chosen field. There’s no short-coming there. Also, he is not the first retiredChief Justice to have benefitted from the exec-utive’s munificence; there have been others

propped up by several regimes before him as a reward for services that were“friendly” to them. If whataboutery is the logic, he can quote precedence. Andwe know he knows his law. There’s enough counter-logic going around as tohow Justice S Fazl Ali was the first Supreme Court judge to be made Orissa Governorin 1952 and was the beginning of the Congress’ endorsements of judicial lumi-naries that continued till the party was in power. From Assam itself, there’s theexample of Justice Baharul Islam, who began as an advocate in the Assam HighCourt in the early 1950s and went on to serve a decade-long term as Rajya Sabhamember. As far as controversial rulings go, then the Congress suitably accom-modated former Chief Justice Ranganath Misra, who gave a clean chit to the RajivGandhi-led Congress in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case. After his retirement, he wasmade the first chairman of the National Human Rights Commission and was evenelected to the Rajya Sabha on a Congress ticket in 1998. The examples are somany that at one time, there was much debate over how judges should not beencouraged to take up the offer of the Government’s post-retirement benefits, likeheading commissions of inquiry, simply because that could cloud their impartialjudgments and colour their opinions in sensitive cases. Why then is there suchdeep discomfort about Gogoi’s induction in the Rajya Sabha, that, too, in a posi-tion that is much lower than the Chief Justice of India? Is it because of the imme-diacy of the appointment, barely allowing for a cooling off period, one that wouldnot have led to deductions that he was being rewarded for favourable judgments,be it in Rafale or Ayodhya? Or is it because of a lack of pretence and proprietyin the face of the ruling BJP’s brazenness in protecting its favourites?

Yet nobody is holding the party to account simply because it is doing whatthe Congress did for so long. But there’s much criticism of Gogoi because hewas at one time considered a “rebel” judge and, therefore, now looks like a testcase of how the institution of the executive superseded that of the judiciary anda one-time warrior appeared to have fallen in line. Remember the time when Gogoi— then the seniormost after the then Chief Justice Dipak Misra – held a pressconference in January 2018 to express concern over the arbitrary manner inwhich Misra was running the top court? He had specifically made a referenceto the selective allocation of sensitive files. Therefore, there was a sense of expec-tation built around him, one of them being that he would ensure the indepen-dence of the judiciary. There was faith he would not be coopted by an execu-tive that was backed by a mammoth electoral verdict and could heave upon rea-soned judgment calls as not being in sync with the times. Subsequent judg-ments have replaced the crusader halo with a shadow. For somebody who spokeagainst the roster system of his predecessor, he was seen as ensuring theGovernment line held ground in most politically-sensitive cases. Perhaps, Gogoicould have got some of his old glow back had he refused such an offer, know-ing full well that he was landing himself in another controversy. Nobody betterthan him knows that Rajya Sabha nominations are quid pro quo for servicesrendered to the regime of the day. He perhaps could have waited to take up somenational-level commission instead and not seemed so desperate. But Gogoi jus-tified his acceptance saying, “It would be an opportunity to project the views ofthe judiciary before the legislature and vice versa.” He could argue that this beinga presidential nomination, he was, again technically speaking, independent ofpolitical affiliations and could act as the “conscience keeper” of the nation. Perhaps,he wants to retrospectively decide to be true to his oath and “bear true faith andallegiance to the Constitution” and perform duties “without fear or favour.” Onlytime will tell whether he scores a moral victory by trying to fight the challeng-ing circumstances of politically charged times as a respected citizen of India.Or whether we are judging him too harshly for eroding an institution.

Detection is the key

Sir — This refers to the article,“We can just wait and watch”(March 18) by Kalyani Shankar.The outbreak of COVID-19,which started in China about twomonths ago, has now tightened itsgrip across the globe. A panic-likesituation has developed, giving jit-ters to one and all, including eventhose unaffected.

In the midst of all this, thewriter has made an intriguinginference of this abysmal situationby terming it to be “a blessing indisguise” for the CentralGovernment as all burning issues,be it the controversial CitizenshipAmendment Act (CAA) or theDelhi riots and even the econom-ic problems, have taken a backseat in the wake of the outbreak.

Given the fact that India, likeChina, is the most populousnation in the world, contain-ment measures that proved suc-cess elsewhere in Asia may notwork here. Enacting strict socialdistancing measures like thewidespread lockdowns and quar-antines may be a challenge in ourcountry. The key to managing theCOVID-19 outbreak is to identi-fy people with symptoms early so

they can be isolated. But oftenpeople don’t come forward untilthey have advanced symptomsand have spread the disease. We need to enhance our testingsystems.

Azhar A KhanRampur

A lingering aftertaste

Sir — Back in 2019, the ModiGovernment had appointed aretired Supreme Court judge asthe first Lokpal. If this elevatedboth the level of public discourse

and the regard for our upper judi-ciary, we now see theGovernment inducting a retiredChief Justice of India into thepolitical arena to a seat of powerthat is covered under the inves-tigative ambit of the Lokpal.

The apparent contradiction of

policy approach of theGovernment vis-a-vis the judicia-ry has either been missed or it istoo sanguine to fret over. It mayyet redeem itself by entrusting theportfolio of law to this newincumbent. This, however, mayleave an awkward aftertaste as thejudiciary chooses to rub shoul-ders with the Government thatappears before it as a plaintiff ordefendant in a majority of thecases for adjudication.

R Narayanan Navi Mumbai

Don't stop Press

Sir — As part of a set of measuresto prevent the spread ofCoronavirus, Jordan has bannedprinting of newspapers. This isindeed unwarranted. In times ofdifficulty, we need to access infor-mation. In times when there is somuch panic and misinforma-tion, the need for “real story”needs no emphasis. This is not a“stop the Presses” moment butrather “print the paper” time.

Dennis FitzgeraldMelbourne

P A P E R W I T H P A S S I O N

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op nionHYDERABAD | THURSDAY | MARCH 19, 2020

06

Milking the men in uniform

BHOPINDER SINGH

The global wave of uber nationalistic politics has accelerated exclusivism, polarisation anddivides that are normally an anathema to the inclusive and apolitical moorings of a soldier

The way the BJP is doing politics, it stands exposed. Itis using money and power inthe Rajya Sabha elections. TheGujarat Congress MLAs weregiven bribe and they resigned.

NCP leader—Nawab Malik

Star kids have an advantage asthey have easier access to people from the industry. Butnow that I've got that chance,it's unfair for me to waste it. Iwant to make my father proud.

Actor—Ananya Panday

China is engaged in a disinformation campaign toshift its responsibility in thespread of the Coronavirus.We'll do the after-actionwhen the time is right.

US Secretary of State—Mike Pompeo

S O U N D B I T E

L E T T E R S T O TT H E E D I T O R

Coronavirus: A test of our resilience

Extraordinary circumstances are upon us. As COVID-19 spreads across the globe, Governments arescrambling and citizens are fearful. There is little

doubt about the immensity of the challenge that liesahead. Few will have contended with anything remote-ly like this in the past. A global pandemic has thrust itsvirulent tentacles far and wide. It will test our collectiveeconomic, social and political resilience like never before.Battling it will demand a globally coordinated responseand reserves of individual patience. Across continents,the scenes played out are scarcely believable.

In a span of a few months, we have gone from socialnetworking to social distancing. With several bordersshutting, panic stockpiling of essential items and a pub-lic health crisis unfolding, what might have hithertoseemed a script from a movie has taken on a grim real-ity. Empty supermarkets, distressed travellers and fren-zied headlines have combined to convey an urban apoc-alyptic vision. On the one hand, medical experts and para-medics are working towards containing and mitigatingthe outbreak. On the other, Governments and banks arestitching together fiscal and monetary stimulus pack-ages to calm the contagion in global financial markets

driven by this outbreak. Europe is in lockdown for themost part: The physical containment is also segueinginto a huge mental struggle. Not for nothing did the ItalianPrime Minister Giuseppe Conte somberly invokeChurchill by declaring, “It is our darkest hour.” But inthe face of adversity, Churchill had also famously declaredthat the population will get through. That demands a mea-sure of collective self-belief and resolve.

Javvadi Lakshmana RaoVisakhapatnam

CREATINGDIVISIONS WITHIN

THE UNIFORMEDFRATERNITY MAY

RESULT IN SHORT-TERM

POLITICAL BENEFITSBUT IT COULD

IMMEASURABLYWEAKEN THE

SWORD-ARM OFTHE NATION.

CERTAININSTITUTIONS NEEDTO BE SPARED THE

INTERFERENCESAND

APPROPRIATIONSTHAT ARE

BORNE OUT OFCOMPULSIVE

POLITICISATION

Send yyour ffeedback tto:letterstopioneer@gmail.com

Put religion on holdAnti-defection law shouldbe abrogated. MLAs shouldbe given free hand toexpress their choice. Thislaw is against the basicprinciples of democracy.

Haryana Minister—Anil Vij

The former CJI’s nomination to RS is not surprising butraises questions on propriety and independence of judiciary

The spread of COVID-19 among Shia devotees in Iranshould give all religious bodies food for thought

Gogoi's new run

Wolves in sheep’s clothing

MY PRESENCE IN PARLIAMENT WILL BE ANOPPORTUNITY TO PROJECT THE VIEWS OF THE

JUDICIARY BEFORE THE LEGISLATURE AND VICE VERSA.—FORMER CHIEF JUSTICE OF INDIA

RANJAN GOGOI

THIS (RS NOMINATION) REDEFINES THEINDEPENDENCE, IMPARTIALITY AND INTEGRITY OFTHE JUDICIARY. HAS THE LAST BASTION FALLEN?—FORMER SUPREME COURT JUDGE MADAN B LOKUR

POINTCOUNTERPOINT

The field of social entrepreneurship has attract-ed great global interest on account of its rolein providing sustainable solutions for address-

ing a diverse range of complex and stubborn envi-ronmental and social problems and the systems thatperpetuate them. Social entrepreneurs are drawn bya variety of social missions and are passionate abouttackling a problem, have an idea for a solution andthe determination to make that solution happen.This fertile field has given rise to extraordinarily inge-nious people, who have conjured brilliant ideas andused them with operational prowess to dramatical-ly improve people’s lives. At the core of social entre-preneurship is the recognition of a new mindset —that believes in an agenda oriented around makingthe world a more just and equal place.

Social entrepreneurship is an appealing con-struct precisely because it gives primacy to socialbenefits while at the same time remaining firmlygrounded in sound financial principles. Finding thebalance between social purpose and commercial via-bility remains the toughest challenge for any socialentrepreneur.

The social entrepreneurship community hasnow a big tent and a major challenge is to protectthe purity of its mission. It is tragic that we are wit-nessing an unsavory and disconcerting trend whichis muddying the waters and putting this noble fieldunder strain. An increasing number of purely busi-ness ideas is being masqueraded as social innova-tion. Thus several false trappings of innovation arebeing embraced over truly innovative ideas.Resources are squandered when the innovation’sactual capabilities fall short of its promise. We nowhave so many “lost Einsteins” because the prolifer-ation of so many so-called social innovations isobscuring several genuine ones who are left to lan-guish.

Several so-called entrepreneurs are being hailedas saviours and game changers when the impact andoutcome of their work is nowhere near proven —still less studied are the damaging, unintended con-sequences of their enterprise. In many cases, theirmission is not their work — but they themselves.There is a huge mismatch between rhetoric and real-ity — as is the misalignment between their person-al lifestyle and the public stance about the poor, lead-ing to a pervasive loss of trust.

Trust is the currency that facilitates every socialtransaction. Without trust, society risks moral bank-ruptcy. We cannot take trust for granted. It must beearned in all we do, every day. These new socialclimbers must be made to understand that the poorcannot be used as raw material for individual or cor-porate salvation. Microfinance was once hailed asone of the most revolutionary ideas of the century.But rigorous studies have demonstrated that micro-finance, more particularly microcredit, has only amodest role in improving the lives of the poor.Microcredit is so longer an ally in a social entrepre-neur’s toolbox.

Since the term social innovation is still quiteamorphous, several business leaders are conflatingit to cover even purely profit-driven inventions. Oneof the prime determiners of meaningfulness and rel-evance of the innovations is their affordability to end-users while being sustainable for the providers also.An initial subsidy for training support is alright butin the long run the providers must be able to meetcosts .

Technology is an unmixed blessing. All tech-

nological change is a trade-off and maybe better termed as a Faustian bargain.Alan Moore once said, “Technology isalways a two-edged sword. It will bring inmany benefits but also many disasters. Forevery advantage a new technology offers,there is always a corresponding disadvan-tage. These are unevenly distributedamong the population. Some benefit,while some others are harmed. The con-sequences of the changes are vast andunpredictable and often irreversible. It isin this context that Bertrand Russellwarned that “unless men increase in wis-dom as much as in knowledge, increaseof knowledge will be increase of sorrow”.

Poor societies have long been used asguinea pigs by development scientists. Thisis perfectly alright as long as the objectivesare fair and rational. But the emergenceof a tribe that sees the world through abusiness lens and wants to use vulnera-ble communities as a constituency for fur-thering its commercial goals has set theactivist camps on fire. The avowed socialmission of these self-serving entrepreneursis meant to camouflage their rapaciousbusiness interests. In this pursuit, they areusing their semantic skills to justify theiraction by garbing the wolfish acts in sheep’sclothing. Social science tends to focus onaverage outcomes and makes littleallowance for negative tail-end effects.Most modern entrepreneurs are productsof business schools where the training isfocussed on maximising shareholdervalue with limited understanding of eth-ical and social considerations essential toa truly visionary leadership.

The key to compassionate and sus-tainable capitalism is reasonable profits asopposed to maximisation of profits. In thepresent system, one section of society istrying to maximise profits, totally uncon-

cerned with the consequences it is hav-ing on the well-being of the larger soci-ety, while one section is investing its timeand effort in dealing with the fallout. Thesystem is not working. There are now peo-ple, particularly among the socially con-scious ones, who are embracing thenotion of “entrepreneurship for society”rather than “commercial” or “social”entrepreneurship.

There is no that doubt that millionsof people lack access to basic services butthere are ethical questions when productsand services are tested and sold in the guiseof a public service. Everyone has hearddepressingly familiar tales of poor anduneducated people saying how privilegedthey were made to feel as they were sud-denly offered the chance to receive med-icines and nutritious food they couldn’tusually afford. Such interventions are inmany cases part of clinical or field trials.These people are chosen because they donot understand their implications andagree to them without any fuss.

Every social innovation normallyinvolves an unsettling of the status quo andreordering of the social ecosystem — andthese disruptions may impose new costsfor some members of a community or ele-ments of an ecosystem. Yet, when theimpact is measured, there’s a tendency toavoid assessing the full range of positiveand negative impacts and to only focus onmeasurable effects within the “good partof the impact spectrum”, which is what iscrucial to mobilise investment. Much lesseffort is put in for measuring the poten-tial negatives, which are critical to the per-spective of the user community. While itis true that several innovations becomeuseful after a period of refinement, thefinal impact can only be measured byunderstanding the damage caused during

the transition. Innovators must giveimportance to this window before scalingup and take measures to minimise thenegative consequences.

Ideas that generate commercial div-idends along with even bare social divi-dends charm investors — the investors andpolitical actors who are now importantplayers in the ecosystem. Most innovationsare measured in terms of their businessworth and how effectively they can bepitched to the investment world. The lan-guage of innovation is getting increasing-ly grounded in financial logic.

In their book Poor Economics, EstherDuflo and Abhijit Banerjee have listedhundreds of “common sense” develop-ment projects — micro insurance, hous-ing, food aid, microcredit — those eitherdon’t help poor people or make thempoorer. Many of the serious problems offarmers and the rural poor are largely aresult of misguided projects that haveseverely impaired the local ecology, lead-ing to soil degradation, acute shortage ofwater, and resistant pests. There are sev-eral policies which have novel features thatare not organically integrated. They haveexcellent ingredients but have to bemeshed in proper proportions so that theymake an effective recipe. A policy must beseen as a living organism where each organhas its own unique role

Every society is going through differ-ent stages of development and the neces-sary solutions and interventions must beappropriate for its unique cultural and eco-nomic context. By respecting the cultur-al outlook of the people and embracingtheir concerns we enlist their buy-in andthat is what paves the way for enduringand sustainable success.

(The writer is a well known develop-ment professional)

An increasing number of purely business ideas is being masqueraded as social innovation.Thus several false trappings of innovation are being embraced over truly innovative ideas

analysis 07F I R S T C O L U M N

Boris’ sinisterCoronavirus plan

GWYNNE DYER

The problem is that this would kill a great manyBritons for nothing if Johnson is wrong —

which most experts think he is

MOIN QAZI

THE EMERGENCEOF A TRIBE THAT SEES

THE WORLD THROUGH A

BUSINESS LENS AND

WANTS TO USEVULNERABLE

COMMUNITIES ASA CONSTITUENCYFOR FURTHERINGITS COMMERCIAL

GOALS HAS SET THE

ACTIVIST CAMPSON FIRE. THE

AVOWED SOCIALMISSION OF

THESE SELF-SERVING

ENTREPRENEURSIS MEANT

TO CAMOUFLAGETHEIR RAPACIOUS

BUSINESSINTERESTS

Imust level with the British public. Many more families are going tolose their loved ones before their time,” said British Prime MinisterBoris Johnson on March 11.

“Just stay calm. It will go away,” said US President Donald Trump,March 10.

The contrast between the two major populist leaders of the English-speaking world could not have been greater. Donald Trump, who spenttwo months dismissing the Covid-19 virus as a “hoax” cooked up byhis opponents to crash the market and scupper his re-election chances,finally did an about-face on March 13 and declared a “national emer-gency.” But on Sunday he was still fantasising that “we have tremen-dous control” over the virus.

Johnson, on the other hand, assumed a grave manner as he deliv-ered the bad news. It’s serious, many people will die but we do havea plan. The problem is that the plan would kill a great many Britons fornothing if he is wrong — which most experts think he is. “When I heardabout Britain’s herd immunity Coronavirus plan, I thought it was satire,”epidemiologist William Hanage of Harvard University told The Guardianon Sunday. But it is deadly serious. Boris Johnson, unlike Donald Trump,listens to scientists but the ones he listens to most, Chief Scientific AdviserSir Patrick Vallance and Chief Medical Adviser Chris Whitty, have a planthat most other experts think is crazy. “Herd immunity” occurs whena large majority of the community has acquired immunity to a disease.That breaks the chain of transmission for the virus in question and eventhose without immunity are fairly safe so long as their numbers staylow. So this is Boris’ cunning plan.

Let the coronavirus spread until around 60 per cent of the popu-lation has acquired and survived it. Then the dreaded “second wave”of the epidemic will not happen, because herd immunity will protect every-body. Alas, there are a few flaws in this plan.

For starters, 60 per cent of the British population is about 40 mil-lion people. Only 0.2 per cent of adults under 40 who contract Covid-19 die from it (and those under 10 don’t get sick at all). The death rategoes up steeply for older age groups but even for those in their 60s it’sonly 3.6 per cent. So for all the under-70s it’s only — hang on a minute,that’s 445,000 deaths. More than British military deaths in World War-II. That’s assuming that Britain’s National Health Service (NHS) can giveintensive care to all the severe cases of Covid-19. If the UK follows thepattern in China, around one in five Coronavirus patients will need inten-sive care to recover. One in five of 40 million people is eight million.

The number of beds in intensive care units (ICUs) in British hos-pitals is 4,300. Maybe the NHS can improvise 10,000 more, but it stillwouldn’t go far if up to eight million severely-ill patients need ICU bedsthis year, each for weeks at a time. Many more than 445,000 woulddie. The whole scheme is lunacy — and we still haven’t got to the planfor the over-70s.

The death rate from Covid-19 for people in their 70s is eight percent. For 80 and over, it’s at least 15 per cent. So while everybody under70 takes their chances with the virus, all those over 70 must self-iso-late for four months. Moreover, there may be unknown after-effects ofhaving Covid-19, like getting shingles decades after you had chicken-pox. There are reports of lung damage in many survivors. Re-infectionmay be possible: Infected people have tested positive again after beingdischarged negative. Why don’t we give Covid-19 to 40 million peopleand see what happens?

Now, it’s possible that Boris Johnson’s advisers are right and every-body else is wrong. Maybe there is a devastating “second wave” com-ing next winter and this bizarre plan is the only way to stop it. But wedon’t even know if Covid-19 will have a second wave. There wasn’twith Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), a similar Coronavirus.As William Hanage said, “Vulnerable people should not be exposed toa virus right now in the service of a hypothetical future.”

Elsewhere, there’s a dramatic fall in the number of new infectionsin Asian countries that started testing, contact tracing and social dis-tancing early on. China has had 81,000 cases but on Monday report-ed only seven new cases.

No official will say this aloud but Britain is deliberately neglectingall that and letting the infections rip. Testing, contact tracing and socialdistancing may turn out to be ineffective: Infections may pick up againin other countries when the rules are finally relaxed. (280 million Chinesewent back to work recently after two months of lockdown). But thatstrategy is certainly worth a try, whereas Johnson, in the words of RichardHorton, editor-in-chief of leading British medical journal The Lancet, is“playing roulette with the public.”

So not all that much difference between the mini-Trump and thereal thing after all. And the “herd immunity” nonsense won’t last muchlonger. The British public is starting to realise what Johnson’s Governmentwas actually planning and he has begun his retreat back to sanity.

(Gwynne Dyer’s new book is Growing Pains: The Future ofDemocracy and Work.)

The Environment Ministry’snotified rules on PersistentOrganic Pollutants (POP)

completed two years this month.POPs are used in a wide range ofindustrial and agricultural applica-tions. Some are pesticides, others areindustrial products or unintendedby-products resulting from industri-al processes or combustion.

They are rapidly becoming asource of concern globally as thereis documented evidence of POPscausing damage to human health andthe environment. Also termed as the“forever chemicals”, POPs are organ-ic compounds that are resistant to

environmental degradation throughchemical, biological or photolyticprocesses and it may take themcenturies to be degraded. Due to thispersistence they tend to bioaccumu-late and pose a serious threat tohumanity and the ecology.

POPs enter into a cycle in nature,accumulating in the bigger animalsas they eat the smaller ones. Immunedysfunction is considered as a plau-sible cause for increased mortalityamong marine mammals. It is pos-tulated that the consumption byseals of fish contaminated with POPsmay lead to vitamin and thyroid defi-ciencies and cause increased suscep-tibility to microbial infections andreproductive disorders.

The Stockholm Convention,2001, became one of the first majorinternational congregations to dis-cuss the possibilities of radicallyrestricting the use of POPs across theworld in order quell their adverseimpacts.

Though India signed the conven-tion in 2002 and ratified the same in2006, new and preemptive regula-

tions banning the manufacture, use,trade and import or export of POPswere only introduced in March 2018by the Government. Though Indiahas been a party to the StockholmConvention, its progress has beenrather slow, especially when com-pared to other nations such as China,where the regulations have beentightened to restrict the use of POPs.As a result today, China has lessexposure to POPs as compared toIndia.

Other Stockholm Conventionsignatory nations have also been ableto tighten the noose on the sevenmost dangerous POPs notified underthe Stockholm Convention by ban-ning the same.

POPs have a perilous impact onhuman health. According to theInternational Agency for Research onCancer (IARC), POPs are confirmedGroup 1 carcinogens which can alsocause allergies, hypersensitivity, dam-age to the peripheral nervous system,immune system and reproductivesystem. In spite of the glaring evi-dence against POPs, India has been

conspicuously slow in adopting aproactive and expedited approachtowards banning their use.

This can be understood by thefact that it was only in 2018 — a full12 years after India ratified theStockholm Convention — that theGovernment banned 18 pesticidesthat were harmful to human healthand the environment. But even thisban was not complete and compre-hensive as many of the actuallyharmful chemicals, pesticides andmosquito repellents such as DDT(Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane)which are a part of the POP familyhave been left out of the ban.

In order to ensure security toboth human health and the environ-ment, there is an urgent need tostrengthen India’s chemical prolifer-ation and bring the nation at par withinternational regulations as laid bythe conventions of Basel, Rotterdam,Stockholm and Minamata.

The Government’s efforts torein-in POPs can bear results if thepolicies and regulations are imple-mented better. For instance, the

compliance report for the regulationsintroduced in 2018 need to be crit-ically examined in order to under-stand the gap between policy andimplementation and how the suppli-ers, users and manufacturers are stillable to get away by using POPs anddisposing the same in an unsafemanner, thereby polluting soil andwater-bodies.

Additionally, the Governmentmust also strengthen the capacity andreliability of its offices so that the reg-ulations and policies pertaining tothe use and disposal of hazardouschemicals are minutely observed bythe related departments and offend-ers and violators are exemplarilypunished.

This will also help the offices toadequately deal with issues of lack ofawareness, outdated technologiesunder use and substandard policyimplementation. Moreover, collabo-ration with international aid organ-isations and institutions must also beforged to ramp up skill imparting andtraining, which in turn will stimulatenationwide capacity-building and

research. These initiatives will enableenforcement of the conventions towhich India is a signatory.

POPs have reigned supreme inevery Indian citizen’s life, either in theform of pesticides or countless chem-icals that one comes in contact withon a daily basis. Already everyhuman today carries approximately250 chemicals within his body thatdid not exist prior to 1945. Therefore,it is imperative for the Governmentto reduce this chemical load byfocussing on those chemicals whichhave a diabolical history of claiminglife and ensure that their manufac-ture and use is stopped immediate-ly.

However, the critical aspect hereis to act expeditiously as more andmore humans are exposed to POPsdaily, foremost being the Indianfarmers who spray a deadly cocktailof pesticides on a regular basis,exposing them to an array of healthproblems whose treatment they can-not even afford.

(The writer is an environmentaljournalist)

Need to POP this pollution bubbleThough India signed the Stockholm Convention in 2002, new and preemptive regulations banning the manufacture, use

and trade of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) were only introduced in March 2018

KOTA SRIRAJ

HYDERABAD | THURSDAY | MARCH 19, 2020

www.dailypioneer.com

F O R E I G N E Y E

The International RescueCommittee is stepping upits work to providesanitation and hygienefacilities in Afghanistan andIran. BloombergPhilanthropies says it willfund a $40 m globalinitiative to fight thevirus's spread in low andmiddle-income countries,especially in Africa. Associeties seal themselves off and turninwards, we must notforget to look beyond ourborders.

(The Guardian editorial)

DON’T FORGETTHE POOR

HYDERABAD | THURSDAY | MARCH 19, 2020 money 08

CAPSULE

Stressed NBFCsector relying moreon banks MUMBAI: Facing difficulties inraising money from the capitalmarket, non-banking financialcompanies are relying moreon banks to meet their fundingrequirements, with lending toNBFCs seeing a jump of 34.7per cent in more than a year,says a report. Non-bankingfinancial companies (NBFCs)are struggling to raise fundsfrom the capital market due tohigher cost and lack ofavailability of funds. “NBFCs'borrowing profile has changedsignificantly from capitalmarket instruments to bankborrowings. Banks' lending toNBFCs registered a growth of34.7 per cent from September2018 to January 2020," CareRatings said in a report.

IRF urges govt totreat road accidentson lines of Covid-19NEW DELHI: Highlighting thatthere are as many as 417deaths on Indian roads everyday, global road safety bodyIRF on Wednesday demandedtreating road accidents in Indiaat par with coronaviruspandemic. According toInternational Road Federation(IRF), road accidents in Indiacontribute 12 per cent of theglobal accidents, which is noless than a pandemic andcould be effectively checkedand handled with governmentsupport. The organisationwelcomed Indiangovernment's quick moves toprevent the spread of deadlycoronavirus in the country bytaking various measures buturged it to treat road accidentsin the country on similar linesto prevent fatal accidents.

PNS n MUMBAI

Equity benchmark Sensexplunged over 1,709 points onWednesday as talks of stimu-lus measures to cushion theeconomic blow of the Covid-19 pandemic failed to cheermarkets across the globe.

The BSE barometer swungover 2,488.72 points in a high-ly volatile session, before end-ing 1,709.58 points or 5.59per cent lower at 28,869.51.

Similarly, the broader NSENifty settled 498.25 points,or 5.56 per cent, down at8,468.80 .

IndusInd Bank was the toploser in the Sensex pack, plum-meting over 23 per cent.PowerGrid, Kotak Bank, BajajFinance, HDFC Bank andNTPC also finished signifi-cantly lower.

ONGC and ITC were theonly stocks in the index thatended with gains.

Traders said domes-tic equities failed tohold on to earlygains as concernsover an econom-ic recession

continued to hammer investorsentiment.

Earlier in the day, S&PGlobal Ratings lowered India'seconomic growth forecast to5.2 per cent for 2020, sayingthe global economy is enteringa recession amid the coron-avirus pandemic.

The agency had earlier pro-jected a growth rate of 5.7 percent during the 2020 calendaryear.

Asia-Pacific economicgrowth in 2020 willmore thanhalve to lessthan 3 per

cent as the "global economyenters a recession", S&P said ina statement.

Bourses in Shanghai, HongKong, Seoul and Japan too

plunged up to 4.86 per cent.Equity benchmarks in

Europe tumbled up to 4per cent in early trade.

US PresidentDonald Trump

has proposed aneconomic pack-

age whichc o u l d

approach USD 1 trillion, a res-cue initiative not seen since thegreat recession of 2008.

Further, the AsianDevelopment Bank (ADB) hasannounced a USD 6.5 billionpackage for its developingmember countries to fight thepandemic.

The number of deathsaround the world linked toCovid-19 has topped 7,400,with over 1,80,000 infectionsrecorded globally so far.

In India, the number ofinfected cases stood at 130, asper the union health min-istry. The rupee depreciated 12paise to 74.36 against the USdollar (intra-day).

Meanwhile, global oilbenchmark Brent crudefutures fell over 3.48 per centto USD 27.73 per barrel.

Earlier in the day, S&P Global Ratingslowered India's economic growthforecast to 5.2 per cent for 2020, sayingthe global economy is entering arecession amid the coronaviruspandemic.

PNS n NEW DELHI

Bank shares continued to faceheat of heavy selling pressurein the equity market, tumblingup to 24 per cent onWednesday led by IndusIndBank.

"With the Supreme Courtnot providing any respite totelecom players, the bankingstocks which have exposure tothe telecom sector were mostimpacted today," Vinod Nair,Head of Research, GeojitFinancial Services said.

The Supreme CourtWednesday pulled up theCentre and telecom companiesfor doing self-assessment orreassessment ofthe AdjustedGross Revenue(AGR) dues fixedby the apex courtin its verdict given on October24 last year.

Shares of IndusInd Bankplummeted 23.90 per cent,Kotak Mahindra Bank 11.23per cent, HDFC Bank 9.92 per

cent, Federal Bank 6.79 percent, City Union Bank5.22 per cent, AXISBank 3.36 per cent,ICICI Bank 2.96 percent and SBI 0.12 per

cent on the BSE.Tracking decline in these

companies, the BSE bankindex dropped 6.99 per cent.

"The fall was widespread butit was banking and financial

pack which was hammeredbadly. Markets are not show-ing any sign of slowdowndespite the sharp correction inthe benchmark and stocksacross the board. And, thepressure in the banking spacehas raised fresh concerns,which might cascade in the fol-lowing sessions too," AjitMishra, VP - Research,Religare Broking Ltd said.

PNS n LONDON

The UK must act like a"wartime" government anddo whatever it takes to sup-port the country's economy,Prime Minster Boris Johnsonhas said as Britain's death tollfrom the COVID-19 rose to71 and the number of casesstand at nearly 2,000.

London is described as thehotspot of the pandemic asthe virus rapidly spreadsacross different parts of theUK, which remains in semi-lockdown in line with the UKgovernment's advice foreveryone to avoid non-essen-tial social contact and travel,

both domestic and interna-tional.

Johnson's remarks came asIndia closed its borders tothose travelling from the UK.The Indian HighCommission in London hasset up a system of online reg-istration for all Indian citizensin the UK worried abouttheir visas and keen to travelback to India and said it wasworking to "address all con-cerns".

India on Monday bannedthe entry of passengers fromEurope, Turkey and the UKfrom March 18 till March 31to contain the spread of thedeadly virus.

"We announced the stepsthat we did – advisingagainst all unnecessarycontact – steps thatare unprecedentedsince World War II.

They will havean effect on thespread of the dis-ease," said Johnsonin his daily briefingrelated to the pan-demic from 10Downing Street onTuesday.

The current death tollin the UK stands at 71 -with half of England's fatali-ties reported in Londonalone. The cases exploded by

407 to1,950 on

Monday, the biggestdaily increase yet.

"We must act like any

wartime government and dowhatever it takes to supportour economy," he said, asUK Chancellor Rishi Sunakunveiled a massive 330-billionpounds bailout package forbusinesses to survive throughthe crisis.

Global stocks sink afterTrump promises virus aidPNS n BEIJING

Global stock markets sankWednesday in a third day ofwild price swings afterPresident Donald Trumppromised aid to get the USeconomy through the coron-avirus outbreak.

London and Frankfurtopened more than 3 per centlower and Shanghai, Tokyo andHong Kong all declined.Australia's main index fell 6.4per cent.

The White House proposalcould approach USD 1 trillionin spending to ward off thepressure of business closures tocontain the virus. The FederalReserve has announced moremeasures to keep financialmarkets operating.

Treasury Secretary StevenMnuchin said Trump wants tosend checks to Americans inthe next two weeks to help sup-port them while more parts ofthe economy come closer toshutting down.

On Wall Street, the future

for the benchmark S&P 500index was down 3.7 per cent.The future for the Dow JonesIndustrial Average was off 3.9per cent.

On Tuesday, the S&P rose byan unusually wide daily mar-gin of 6 per cent, regaining justunder half the previous day'shistory-making loss.

India on Monday banned theentry of passengers from

Europe, Turkey and theUK from March 18 till

March 31 to containthe spread of thedeadly virus.

PNS n NEW DELHI

The government is consider-ing rate moderation for smallsavings schemes in theupcoming quarter, a develop-ment that could lead to speed-ier transmission of monetarypolicy rate cuts, sources said.

During the current quarter,the government refrainedfrom cutting interest rates onsmall savings schemes, such asPublic Provident Fund (PPF)and National SavingsCertificate (NSC), despitemoderating bank deposit rates.

Bankers have been com-plaining that high rates onsmall savings schemes prohib-it them from cutting depositrates.

Currently, there is a differ-ence of nearly 100 basis pointsbetween deposit rate of banksand small savings rate forone-year maturity.

Earlier this week, RBIGovernor Shaktikanta Dassaid the Monetary PolicyCommittee (MPC) will take acall on an interest rate cut andall options were on the table tocounter the coronavirus blow.

Last month, the governor inan interview with PTI said,"We have said it in MPC res-olution that there is a case forreducing the small savings

rates and aligning it morewith the formula-based ratefixation. We have referred toit in the MPC resolution."

The MPC in its FebruaryBi-monthly Monetary PolicyStatement said that while thereis a need for adjustment ininterest rates on small savingschemes, the external bench-mark system introduced fromOctober 1 last year hasstrengthened the monetary

transmission. The finance ministry has

been nudging public sectorbanks to pass the whole reporate cuts to retail loans forpushing consumption.

Banks have resisted it fear-ing their margin will take a hitin case of 100 per cent trans-mission.

Rates on small savingsschemes are revised on quar-terly basis.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin saidTrump wants to send checks to Americansin the next two weeks to help support themwhile more parts of the economy comecloser to shutting down.

Govt may cut rate on smallsavings schemes next quarter

Govt liabilities up 3.2%at Rs 93.89 lakh crorePNS n NEW DELHI

Total liabilities of the govern-ment increased to Rs 93.89lakh crore at the end ofDecember 2019, up 3.2 percent as compared to the previ-ous quarter, said finance min-istry data on Wednesday.

The liabilities, includingthose under the publicaccount, had stood at Rs91,01,484 crore at the end ofSeptember 2019.

Public debt accounted for90.4 per cent of total outstand-ing liabilities at the end ofDecember 2019.

The Public DebtManagement Quarterly Reportfurther said the proportion ofdebt (dated securities) matur-ing in less than one year washigher at 6.64 per cent at theend of December 2019 ascompared to its previous quar-ter level of 5.41 per cent.

The proportion of debtmaturing within 1-5 years wasalso higher at 25.09 per cent atthe end of December 2019,compared with 23.65 per centat end-September 2019.

Debt maturing in the nextfive years worked out to 31.7per cent of total outstanding

debt at the end of December2019 or 6.3 per cent of out-standing stock, on an average,needs to be repaid every yearover the next five years.

As per the report, the yieldson G-Secs moved in a narrowrange during October-November 2019, before hard-ening in the first fortnight ofDecember 2019.

This reflected the impact ofseveral developments, namelyreduction in the repo rate byRBI, contraction in IIP for themonth of October and simul-taneous purchase and sale ofgovernment securities inDecember 2019, the reportsaid.

AscendasIndia Trustbuys Arshiya'sWarehousePNS n NEW DELHI

Ascendas India Trust hasacquired a warehouse, com-prising 2 lakh sq ft area,from Arshiya at Khurja inUttar Pradesh for around Rs95 crore as part of its expan-sion plan. Ascendas Property FundTrustee Pte Ltd, the trustee-manager of Ascendas IndiaTrust (a-iTrust), announcedsigning of a definitive agree-ment for acquisition of theincome-producing ware-house with a total floor areaof about 0.2 million sq ft fromArshiya Northern FTWZ Ltd.

The warehouse, which ispart of a Free TradeWarehousing Zone (FTWZ)spread over about 127 acresof freehold land, has attract-ed multinational customers,including ZTE, Corning,CFM Aircraft Engines,among others, a companystatement said.

Within theFTWZ facility,Arshiya has two exist-ing warehouses andsubstantial land bank tobuild additional ware-houses. The future devel-opment potential ofthe site is estimated atabout 3.6 million square feet.

NCLT allows 90 days' extension for Jet Airways’ insolvency processPNS nMUMBAI

The National Company LawTribunal (NCLT) onWednesday allowed 90 days'extension for the corporateinsolvency resolution process ofJet Airways.

Jet Airways' resolution profes-sional had last week filed anapplication inNCLT seeking90 days' exten-

sion for the insol-

vency process of the groundedairline after it failed to attract any

bidder.The NCLT bench, compris-

ing Bhaskara Pantula Mohanand Rajesh Sharma, grantedthe extension as the Committeeof Creditors (CoC) voted for thesame, with 70 per cent votes infavour.

The CoC had on February 18set a new deadline of March 10

f o rsubmission of bids

for the groundedairline after South

American conglomerateSynergy Group and New Delhi-based Prudent ARC failed to

meet the previous deadline.Later, Synergy Group had

backed out of the biddingprocess over slot issues. TheMarch 10 deadline was set afterRussia's Far East AsiaDevelopment Fund also evincedinterest in Jet Airways.

The cash-strapped airline,which was grounded in April2019, owes more than Rs 8,000crore to banks, with public sec-

tor lenders having significantexposure.

The NCLT had on June 20,2019, admitted the insolvencypetition filed by the lenders' con-sortium led by State Bank ofIndia against Jet Airways.

The tribunal had alsoappointed Ashish Chhauchhariaof Grant Thornton as the reso-lution professional for the crip-pled airline.

Facebook and Google in talks withWashington to track infections: USPNS n SAN FRANCISCO

Facebook and Google are intalks with Washington overpotentially using individuals'personal data to track andcombat the coronavirus out-break, US media reported.

The project would involvecollecting location informationfrom Americans' smartphonesand using it anonymously tomap the spread of the diseaseand predict urgent medicalneeds, for example.

In a statement to theWashington Post, Google

spokesman Johnny Luu con-firmed they were "exploringways that aggregated

anonymized location informa-tion could help in the fightagainst COVID-19.

The CoC had on February 18 set a newdeadline of March 10 for submission of bidsfor the grounded airline after SouthAmerican conglomerate Synergy Group andNew Delhi-based Prudent ARC failed tomeet the previous deadline.

BMW to shutdownEuropeanPNS n FRANKFURT AM MAIN

German carmaker BMW saidWednesday it would closeEuropean and South Africanfactories accounting for half itsoutput for a month, matchingother car giants stricken bycoronavirus containment mea-sures. It also warned that prof-its this year would be signifi-cantly lower as a result of thecrisis.

"From today, we will shutdown our European car facto-ries and the Rosslyn factory inSouth Africa," chief executiveOliver Zipse said, adding thatthe interruption is expected fornow to last "until April 19".

BMW's factories aroundEurope -- in Bavaria, else-where in Germany and furtherafield -- combined with theSouth Africa plant accountedfor half the 2.56 million cars thegroup built in 2019.

Around Europe, other man-ufacturers including Mercedes-Benz parent Daimler,Volkswagen, Ford, Fiat andPeugeot have also moved toshut factory doors through thecoronavirus crisis. "As for manygoods, demand for cars willsink sharply" because of thevirus and associated contain-ment measures, BMW CEOZipse said.

In a statement to the Washington Post,Google spokesman Johnny Luu confirmedthey were "exploring ways that aggregatedanonymized location information couldhelp in the fight against COVID-19.

Sensex crashes 1,709 pts;Nifty tanks below 8,500

Tracking decline in these companies, theBSE bank index dropped 6.99 per cent.

Currently, there is a difference of nearly100 basis points between deposit rateof banks and small savings rate for one-year maturity.

Asian marketstumble asearly stimulusrally fizzles outPNS n HONG KONG

Asian markets plungedWednesday, reversing anearly rally fuelled by globalstimulus pledges, including amore than $1 trillion packageflagged by the United States.With borders being shut andcountries going into lock-down, there is a broad expec-tation the world economy willplunge into recession as mar-kets convulse.

Dealers across the planet,who have been sent runningfor the hills, have been beg-ging for government mea-sures to mitigate the impactof the disease as trade collaps-es and businesses close.

On Tuesday, the US led thecharge, with TreasurySecretary Steven Mnuchinsaying officials were drawingup a package that could sur-pass $1 trillion, on top of$300 billion in deferred taxpayments, making it amongthe largest federal emergencyplans ever and far surpassingassistance during the 2008global financial meltdown.

As per the report,the yields on G-Secs moved in anarrow rangeduring October-November 2019,before hardeningin the firstfortnight ofDecember 2019.

Bank shares continue toremain under massive selling

UK in ‘wartime' scenario as 71 die of Covid-19

Follow us on@TheDailyPioneerfacebook.com/dailypioneer

ThursdayMarch 19, 2020

For more than a decade,Hyderabad Harpers, a motley

group of people from all walks oflife — students, Army personnel,techies, doctors and businessmen

— have been getting togetherevery Sunday morning at the

Indira Park to play the harmonicaand share insights about

improvisation with the instrument,writes V SATEESH REDDY

group of like-minded people,comprising doc-tors, techies,retired armypersonnel, busi-

nessmen and more —started the HyderabadHarpers in 2009 to sharetheir love for the harmoni-ca.

The group meets at theIndira Park every Sunday

and shares tips and infor-mation about the tinyinstrument. The years ofbonding and camaraderiehas led to performances atvarious cultural centres inthe city.

Speaking to The Pioneer,Debayan Bhattacharjee,one of the members of thegroup says, “HyderabadHarpers was one of thefirst such groups formedin India on September 28,2009 on Vijayadashamiday. The main purposewas to create a platformthat can nurture, sustain,and promote love for theharmonica. There are norigid rules to become amember of the group andwe are literally withoutboundaries. We are inclu-sive and not exclusive.Whether one is a player orjust an admirer, a studentor an employee, a busi-nessman or a retired per-son, from or away fromHyderabad, we welcomethem to join our group.The only qualification forjoining the group is lovefor the harmonica. Also,there is no age bar. Thereare several school-goingchildren too in the group.”

The group started cele-brating Indian Harmonica

Day on November 22, thebirthday of Milon Guptawho played a key role inpopularising the tinyinstrument by playing invarious movies like Sholay,CID, Dost, Dosti, Roti etc.

Debayan says, “On thisday every year, the groupinvites star harmonicaplayers from across Indiato participate in a musicalevening and play alongwith local players. It isa great opportunityto learn from stal-warts of thisinstrument.”

About thetypes of theinstrument,Debayan says,“There are manytypes of harmoni-ca, including dia-tonic, chromatic,tremolo, octave,orchestral, and bass ver-sions. It is played by usingthe mouth to direct airinto or out of one or moreholes along with a mouth-piece. Behind each hole isa chamber containing atleast one reed. A harmoni-ca reed is a flat elongatedspring typically made ofbrass, stainless steel, orbronze, which is secured atone end over a slot that

serves as an airway. Whenthe free end is made tovibrate by the force of air,it alternately blocks andunblocks the airway toproduce sound.”

Harmonica originated inEurope but like manyother instruments, trav-elled far and wide and

tookmany different forms tosuit local requirements.Although this instrumentappears deceptively simpleand is often overlooked asa mere toy, the fact is thatit is a serious and versatilemusical instrument, whichmay be used to play any

genre of music. Not only does the

instrument produce soul-ful music, it also helpspeople to overcomebreathing issues and oth-ers.

Debayan says, “Apartfrom being such a handyinstrument which you caneasily slip into your pock-et, it has several healthbenefits as well. It pro-

vides much-neededrelaxation, especially

at the end of a hardday’s work. It is rec-ommended bydoctors as a pow-erful aid for car-diovascular exer-cise for control-ling blood pres-

sure and forenhancing concen-

tration. Since inhal-ing and exhaling pat-

tern changes accordingto the blow-draw sequencerequired for each song,playing this instrumentregulates breathing andimproves lung capacity.One can start on an exhil-arating and healthy musi-cal journey by spending aslittle as a few hundredrupees on a harmonica.”

Although this tinyinstrument is widely used

in professional music inseveral countries and wasused by some music direc-tors in old Indian movies,it is not a well-knownmusical instrument to thepublic.

There were only someisolated exponents of thisinstrument in some citiesor towns in India and untilabout two decades ago,there was little communi-cation amongst those play-ers.

“After the adventYouTube, as in other fields,posting of audios andvideos was made possible.This provided a virtualplatform for mouth organplayers to interact andeven meet personally. Thiswas the starting point ofplayer interaction and as ofnow, several hundreds ofharmonica players cometogether to share knowl-edge and experiences regu-larly.”

The group membershave also performed atvarious locations inHyderabad and on theradio.

Many have also beenparticipating actively inthe Indian Mouth OrganPlayers Meet held everyyear during September.

A harmonica of

music and

HEALTHA

HARMONICA ISRECOMMENDED BY

DOCTORS AS A POWERFULAID FOR CARDIOVASCULAR

EXERCISE, FORCONTROLLING BLOODPRESSURE, AND FOR

ENHANCINGCONCENTRATION

Flea markets turn anubiquitous part of HydFrom clothing,

accessories andhandicrafts to

food, livemusic, art andculture, these

markets, in theform of fun-

filledexhibitions,

bring massestogether from

various spheresof life for a

good time ofshopping and

recreation, findsSHIKHA

DUGGAL

he bustling city ofHyderabad hasrecently witnessedan increased ratein emergence ofgigantic flea mar-

kets! A platform for buddingentrepreneurs, small businessowners, independent andpassionate sellers to displaytheir craftsmanship, flea mar-kets are set-up frequently inthe city, mostly at the Hitex-exhibition centre.

Its attractive grandeur usu-ally made of recycled wasteand unique choice of master-pieces in vibrant colours willleave you awestruck. All ittakes is Rs 100 to get an entryto these markets.

Multiple set-ups of stall thatsell beautiful furniture, hand-made dream catchers, resinjewellery, etc. These marketsare currently the biggestattraction in the city. Fleamarkets helps skilled crafts-

men curate & connect withlike-minded people and comeup with potential earningopportunities. With an

astounding fusion of deliciousfood and captivating livemusic, the gorgeous arrange-ment tops it all. It doesn’t endhere; you will also find enthu-siastic customers move fromone stall to another bargainingfor the right price. For anamateur enterpriser apprehen-sive of investing in a stall,these outdoor markets helpallay these fears by ensuringminimal risk!

For Shivaani Vaishnavi, a21-year-old resin art jew-eller, flea markets help herfind a place to sell theseextraordinary handiwork,which is otherwise difficultto find in local markets. “Ihad my first flea displayalong with local artists toencourage craftsmanship.Despite having minimalproducts on display, I got agreat response from con-sumers. Many a time, I havemet the same consumers invarious other markets. Infact, customers find our art-work so appealing that theygive exciting ideas for prod-ucts. Basically, customisationis the new trend of flea mar-

kets,” she said. Namratha Vippala,

founder CEO of Duskmiller& Confectionery, turned herpassion for baking into abusiness venture. Shebelieves that flea marketsprovide an enticing opportu-nity of presenting themedcakes. “Investing ample timewith rich flavours of cakes, Iensure that my customers getto have varied samples whenthey arrive at flea markets,”she informs.

On the rising trends ofsuch markets, Teja Guna, aregular customer, tells, “Fleamarkets offer us both newand old goods. Earlier openmarkets were the basic norm,today you can see these out-door markets running paral-lelly. Through my mural art,I want customers to knowthe details behind it. Thenext time I set up a displayof my art, I want it to be fullypacked.”

A crowded spot with vin-tage furniture and distinctivemerchandise, flea marketsare turning out to be the bestway to spend one’s weekend.

T

Investing ampletime with richflavours of cakes, Iensure that mycustomers get tohave variedsamples when theyarrive at fleamarkets.

NAMRATHA VIPPALA

I had my first fleadisplay along with localartistes to encouragecraftsmanship. Despitehaving minimalproducts on display, Igot a great responsefrom consumers.Basically, customisationis the new trend of fleamarkets

SHIVAANI VAISHNAVI

Flea markets offer us bothnew and old goods.Earlier open markets werethe basic norm; today youcan see these outdoormarkets runningparallelly. Through mymural art, I wantcustomers to know thedetails behind it

TEJA GUNA

PARTY

10

Hyderabad Thursday March 19, 2020

l Anjani Shah

l Meera Goradia and Usha Bhagia

l Arthi Shah l Bina Mehata

l Manisha

FUN AND FROLIC Members of the Sanskruti Ladies Organisation held their 10th

meeting of the year recently at ITC Kakatiya in Hyderabad.During the meeting, mentalist Dr Kruti Parekh mesmerised the

audience by performing various mind tricks. The members had a galatime over delicious food.

Photos bby SV Chary

CITY GUIDE

GET YOUR EVENT LISTED: To get your events listed, send your details alongwith a poster and contact number to pioneer.features@gmail.com

EVENTS

l Hyderabad Readers and Writers Group ishosting a book reading session on March 21 atPhoenix Arena from 6 pm.

BOOK READING

l Lamakaan, Banjara Hills is conducting a painting workshop on its premises on March 22from 11.30 am. The artistes will provide step by stepinstructions on how to paint.

PAINTING WORKSHOP

l More than 20 women photographers fromacross the country are showcasing their latestphotographs on various topics in an exhibitiontitled Resilience at State Art Gallery, Madhapur.The exhibition is on till March 27 between 10am and 6 pm.

l ‘Aur Karo Shaadi’ is the voice screaminginside every married man (and woman)!.Hyderabad's one of the best comedians AvinashAgarwal, who got married recently, will performthis stand up, at Aaromale on March 21 at 8 pm.

AUR KARO SHAADI

PUPPETRY DAY

COMEDY NIGHTSl Stand-up comedian Vivek Muralidharan ishosting his new stand-up show ‘VivekMuralidharan Live’ on March 22 at PhoenixArena from 5 pm. In this weekly show, he willspeak about various societal issues.

PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION

l Nori Art and Puppetry Centre is conducting WorldPuppetry Day Celebrations on March 21 at Lamakaanfrom 6.30 pm.

what’s brewing?

FUN

Rules

ARCHIE

GARFIELD

SUDOKU

REALITY CHECK SPEED BUMP CROSSWORD

GINGER MEGGS

NANCY

CALVIN AND HOBBES

l Each row and column cancontain each number (1 to 9)exactly once.

l The sum of all numbers inany row or column mustequal 45.

Yesterday’s solution

l A

nkith

a

couple of days after askinghis fans and general pub-lic to remain safe fromcontracting Covid-19 andnot to believe fakeWhatsApp messages in a

video, Ram Charan has nowappealed to his fans to desist fromcelebrating his birthday on agrand note this March 27. It is apractice for mega fans to cele-

brate their beloved stars birth-day by gathering in large num-

bers and distributing food tothe needy. This time around,

Charan called for socialdistancing among his fansand requested his fans towithdraw celebrations ifany. “It’s an extraor-dinary situationthat we are inright now and itdemands that we

don’t form hugegroups,” he said in astatement on Wednesday.

He also appealed to hisfans to co-operate withhealth officials and helpspread a word about contain-ing Covid-19. “It would bethe best gift that you can giveme,” he added.

he US leg filming ofBellamkondaGanesh’s maidenfilm with PremaIshq Kadhal directorPavan Sadineni has

been postponed followingcoronavirus pandemic. “Theunit was supposed to leave forthe US schedule — of 20 days— on March 25 but with a trav-el ban in place there; the team’splans have been disrupted. Infact, they wanted to shoot asmall schedule in Hyderabadbeginning earlier this week butwith Telugu film bodies unani-mously asking productions tohalt shoot, this plan too had tobe called off. Now, the unit isplanning to complete theIndian leg of filming by April

end before they think of the UStour again. They are consider-ing going to US in May-June asof now,” said a source close tothe unit.

Meanwhile, Pavan is editingthe film that he has shot untilnow. “40 per cent of the filmhas been wrapped up and he isextremely happy with thefootage on hand. Ganesh hassurprised him with his actingchops,” added the source. Themovie which chronicles heart-breaks and relationships of ayoungster features Daksha(Hora Hori fame), Natasha andAnanya Agarwal and a coupleof new girls opposite Ganesh.It is a joint production venturebetween Lucky Media andBetel Leaf Productions. — NG

The film has a thinstoryline, which is whythe director wantedentertainment in it to beon a higher level, findsNAGARAJ GOUD

Hyderabad Thursday March 19, 2020

11

tollywood

early six yearsafter his last direc-torial Oka LailaKosam, directorVijay KumarKonda is ready

with his next, Orey Bujjiga,starring Raj Tarun andMalavika Nair. He tells usthat it took two years for himto pen the complete script ofhis latest directorial. “Thefilm has a thin storylinewhich is why, I wanted enter-tainment in it to be on a levelhigher to that Jabardusthcomedy, Tiktok videos andwhat’s app forwards. My ear-lier two films had entertain-ment in portions whereasthis film will be a thoroughentertainer. Yes, it hasromance and drama butentertainment will dominateeverything. Audiences willroll in the aisles for all itsrunning time of two and halfhours,” the director promises.

Stressing that writing com-edy comes naturally to him,he goes on, “The film hasentertainment of 10-15 filmscombined together.Especially, there is a hospitalscene of 15 minutes and itsimpact will be akin to the

famous cow scene inHanuman Junction. It will bea rib-tickling affair. Theepisode took me six monthsto write and two and halfdays to film. It was shot onthe lead pair, Naresh, PosaniKrishna Murali, Saptagiri andMadhunandan.”

In the film, Malavika willbe seen as an IT employeewho falls for the charm ofBujji (Raj Tarun), an appdeveloper, but quickly dis-tances herself from him oversome issues. “Generally in abudding relationship, oneloves the positives of a per-

son but over a period of time,as one gets to know theirminuses as well, disturbancescreep in. The film tells thatyour love is complete onlywhen you love his negativesas well,” he adds.

The director has made ahabit of wrapping up hisfilms in quick pace. He com-pleted Orey Bujjiga in lessthan 50 days and he credits itto the meticulous pre-pro-duction he undertook andgoing to sets with a boundscript. “Plus, I take a particu-lar shot in only one angle.Actors get strained if they are

needed to say the same dia-logue in three differentangles. On top of it, comedyis all about timing and there’severy chance for the okayedshot in a particular angle dif-fer to that of the second andthird angle. Time is moneyon sets, so I believe in gettingthe perfect shot in one angle,”he maintains.

Raj Tarun’s recent box-office form has been worri-some but Vijay clarifies that ithardly affected the businessof his film. “Business-wise, weare very much happy. Almostall the areas have been sold.Word has spread in the distri-bution fraternity that our filmis a good entertainer and thathelped us. The buzz aboutthe film too, has been posi-tive ever since the firstlook was out,” he states,adding that he will behop genre as far hisnext is concerned.“I’ve done rom-comsmostly till now andI’m looking at a change.My next stand aloneTelugu film will have atinge of action.”

Talking about hisnext, Vijay has

recently wrapped up a smallschedule of his next withKannada actor Nikhil Kumar.The project marks his forayinto Kannada industry. Onhis decision to do a film inKannada, which as an indus-try is relatively smaller toTelugu, he mentions, “Nikhilloves my first two Telugufilms and got in touch withme sometime back tomake afilm forhim.

Luckily I had a story whichfit him and I took it floors.It’s a feel-good love story. Thenext schedule starts in April,”he signs off.

OREY BUJJIGA HASENTERTAINMENT GALORE, SAYS VIJAY KONDA

Covid-19 thwartsBellamkondaGanesh's US plans

N

T

awan Kalyan’s comebackfilm Vakeel Saab might notmake it on the intendeddate of May 15, word onthe street has it. Already

lagging behind the schedule, thefilm was further hit by Telugufilm bodies asking all films onfloors to stop shooting in view ofcoronavirus. With sources indicat-ing that permission to resumeshootings likely to happen only inApril, the March leg filming ofVakeel Saab has gone haywire. “Asthings stand now, it’s unlikely thatthe film will arrive on May 15.Producer Dil Raju also needs toface the issues of dates as Pawanhas given a bulk of his dates inApril for AM Ratnam’s film. Asmuch as he is unhappy over vacat-ing the summer slot, he is lookingat a best possible release date forthe film,” said a source.

In the courtroom drama, Pawanwill be seen as an eccentric lawyerwho defends the three womenfrom trumped-up charges ofassault and prostitution, whileusing his legal acumen to make alarger comment about consentand violence. Directed by VenuSreeram, it is a joint productionventure between Raju and BoneyKapoor.

VAKEELSAABmay bedelayed

P

A

CHARANfor low-keybirthdaycelebrations

The film has entertainment of 10-15films combined together. Especially,

there is a hospital scene of 15minutes and its impact will be akin to

the famous cow scene in HanumanJunction. It will be a rib-tickling

affair. The episode took me sixmonths to write and two and half days

to film. It was shot on the lead pair,Naresh, Posani Krishna Murali,

Saptagiri and Madhunandan. VIJAY KUMAR KONDA

DIRECTOR

AFP n LAUSANNE

Olympic chiefs acknowledgedon Wednesday there was no“ideal” solution to staging

the Tokyo Olympics in response toa growing number of athletesexpressing concern as the coron-avirus pandemic swept the globe.

“This is an exceptional situationwhich requires exceptional solu-tions,” an IOC spokesperson saidafter criticism from top athletes thatthey would be forced to take healthrisks should the Games go ahead.

“The IOC is committed to find-ing a solution with the least nega-tive impact for the athletes, whileprotecting the integrity of the com-petition and the athletes’ health,” thespokesperson continued.

“No solution will be ideal in thissituation, and this is why we arecounting on the responsibility andsolidarity of the athletes.”

Olympic pole vault championKaterina Stefanidi and Britain’sworld champion heptathleteKatarina Johnson-Thompson bothvoiced concerns at the IOC’s stance.

Stefanidi, one of Greece’s mostprominent athletes, was scheduledto hand the ceremonial flame toJapanese officials before the Greekleg of the torch relay was scrappedover COVID-19.

“The IOC wants us to keep risk-ing our health, our family’s healthand public health to train everyday?” Stefanidi tweeted.

“You are putting us in dangerright now, today, not in 4 months.”

‘ZERO RRISK CCONSIDERATION’On Tuesday, minutes before

the IOC statement that it was press-ing ahead with its preparations, Euro2020 was delayed for a year, bowingto the crisis that has paralysedEurope and drastically curtailed

international travel.Olympic qualifying tourna-

ments are among the swathe ofsports events that have been can-celled or postponed. Only 57 per-cent of athletes have booked theirplaces so far.

“It’s unbelievable,” said Stefanidi.“What about team sports that haveto train together? What about swim-ming? What about gymnastics, thatthey touch the same objects?

“There is zero consideration ofthe risk they are putting us in rightnow."

French swimming federationpresident Gilles Sezionale expressedhis disappointment at the IOC“evoking the possible continuationof the Games”.

“I am devastated by so many

inconsistencies when we shouldtoday devote ourselves solely to theepidemic to save lives!”

Johnson-Thompson, who wonher multi-event world title in Dohain October, criticised the IOC fortelling athletes to train “as best theycan”, saying it was at odds with strin-gent government health measures.

“I feel under pressure to trainand keep the same routine which isimpossible,” she wrote on Twitter.

“It’s difficult (to) approach theseason when everything haschanged in the lead-up apart fromthe ultimate deadline,” added theBriton.

‘ONLY FFAIR SSOLUTION’France’s 110m hurdler Pascal

Martinot-Lagarde, a European

champion and world Bronze medal-list who finished fourth at the 2016Rio Olympics, said a postpone-ment was the only fair solution.

“We’re not all in the same boat,there are countries which are lessaffected than others. In some coun-tries athletes can train normallywhile we can’t even access ourtraining track,” he said.

“We are not on an equal footingwhen it comes to preparation. TheGames should be postponed untilthe end of 2020, not next year.”

Germany’s six-time Olympicdressage Gold medallist IsabellWerth meanwhile said not talkingabout a potential postponementwas “an incomprehensible andunjustifiable delaying tactic by theIOC and the Japanese”.

sport 12HYDERABAD | THURSDAY | MARCH 19, 2020

AFP n TOKYO

International Olympic Committeemember Hayley Wickenheiser said

that vows to press ahead with plansfor the Tokyo Games are “insensitiveand irresponsible.”

Wickenheiser, a member ofCanada’s women’s ice hockey teamthat won four straight Olympic Goldsbetween 2002 and 2016, made hercomments on Twitter.

The 41-year-old IOC AthletesCommission member was speakingas the IOC said there was no need for“drastic decisions” over the staging ofthe July 24-August 8 event.

IOC and Japanese officials haveinsisted they are working towardsstaging the Olympics as planneddespite the escalating coronaviruspandemic.

“This crisis is bigger than eventhe Olympics,” said Wickenheiser.

“We don’t know what’s happen-ing in the next 24 hours, let alone thenext three months.”

She pointed to the disruption thepandemic had already caused toathletes preparing for the games.

Athletes have been preventedfrom accessing training facilities

because of virus-related lockdowns,while others have seen key competi-tions and qualifying events can-celled. “From an athlete perspective,I can only imagine and try toempathise with the anxiety andheartbreak athletes are feeling rightnow,” Wickenheiser said.

“The uncertainty of not knowingwhere you’re going to train tomorrowas facilities close and qualificationevents are cancelled all over theworld would be terrible if you’ve beentraining your whole life for this.

“Athletes can’t train, attendeescan’t travel plan. Sponsors and mar-keters can’t market with any degreeof sensitivity.

“I think the IOC insisting this willmove ahead, with such conviction, isinsensitive and irresponsible given thestate of humanity.”

In a later tweet, Wickenheiserexpanded on her criticism.

“Should the Olympics be can-celled? No one knows at this pointand that IS my point,” she wrote.

“To say for certain they will goahead is an injustice to the athletestraining and global population atlarge. We need to acknowledge theunknown.”

PTI n NEW DELHI

Only four Indian shuttlers — Sindhu, B Sai Praneethand men’s doubles pair of Chirag Shetty and

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy — are assured of a spot at theTokyo Games. And there is little hope that Saina Nehwaland Kidambi Srikanth will be able to make the cut, espe-cially after Badminton World Federation (BWF) wasforced to postpone all events due to the COVID-19 pan-demic.

The 57-year-old Vimal, who represented India at the1992 Barcelona Olympics, said it will be sad to see Sainaand Srikanth miss Olympics this time.

“They were going through a low phase for quitesometime and even if the qualifying tournaments hap-pened, it would have taken a herculean task to qualifyfor Olympics. Even at the All England, their performancewasn’t very good,” he said.

“Srikanth needs a separate program regarding hisphysical training, take more initiative and find his wayback. He might not play Olympics this time but can stillcome back and play at top level for 3-4 years. He hadniggles so he couldn’t play attacking badminton.

“Saina also had injury issues. She is putting the effortin the practice sessions but not able to convert in matchsituations. It is sad that they are going through such alow phase. It will be a blow for Indian badminton, theymissing out,” said Vimal, who had coached Saina from2014 to 2017.

Srikanth and Saina are currently ranked 14th and20th respectively in the BWF ranking with only the top16 making the cut when the Olympic qualification dead-line ends on April 28.

Vimal said Srikanth can still squeeze in if BWFfreezes the ranking and doesn’t extend the qualificationperiod.

“Srikanth is still 14th in ranking now and if BWFmaintains this ranking till April 28, he can get lucky andstill make it,” he said.

The former India badminton coach is also extreme-ly disappointed with the way Indonesian doubles coachFlandy Limpele left abruptly in an Olympic year and saidforeign appointees must be held accountable for depart-ing without completing their tenures.

Limpele, who was hired in March 2019, recentlystepped down as India’s doubles coach, citing family rea-sons, becoming the fourth such foreign coach to haveresigned without completing the tenure.

“It was very unfortunate and unprofessional ofFlandy to leave this way. When the doubles players hadqualified for Olympics and had chances of doing well,to leave in the middle of it, I was disappointed,” Vimal,who served as India’s chief national coach from 2003 to2006 said.

“I had a long chat with him in January. He had saidthen that some players were not disciplined but he saidhe will work with them and then suddenly he left justbefore All England.”

Earlier, Korean Kim Ji Hyun, who guided P V Sindhuto a world championship Gold, made an uncer-emonious exit last September.

Renowned Indonesian coach MulyoHandoyo also resigned abruptly inlate 2017 before joining theSingapore squad.

Malaysia’s Tan KimHer stepped down asIndia’s doubles coachearly last year, 18months before histenure was toend.

“I think theyhave to be madeaccountable. Weneed to be veryclear that they stick tothe group, or the certainnumber of players thatthey have to handle. Itshould be in the contract.

“We are paying themhuge money, so we have to takethat responsibility. They just can’twalk off without notice,” hesaid.

PTI n NEW DELHI

The COVID-19 pandemic has thrownthe build-up to this year’s Olympics

into disarray, but Indian boxing’s HighPerformance Director Santiago Nieva feelsthe country’s Tokyo-bound pugilistswon’t be affected as they would be just finetraining at home if travel restrictions don’tease up.

Nieva is in precautionary quarantinetill March 27 after the team’s return fromthe Asian Olympic Qualifiers in Jordan,where India secured an unprecedentednine Tokyo spots.

The entire squad was training in theItalian city of Assisi before heading toJordan.

“It’s actually quite boring (in quaran-tine). I just about manage to pass my timehere but we all have to be patient. This willbe over soon and the preventive measuresare for our good,” he said.

The Argentina-born Swede, whocame on board back in 2017, soundedrelaxed about India’s build-up plans.

“What’s the point in panicking?” heasked. “Whatever happens, it is going tobe same for all the countries. So, even if

the travel bans are not lifted, we have theinfrastructure in India to ensure that ourtraining is not affected,” he asserted.

The Indian boxers have traditional-ly preferred to travel abroad for training

before the Olympics. They were, in fact,scheduled to be in Russia on a training-cum-competition trip in May before thenow-postponed world qualifiers but thatplan looks unlikely to work out in the cur-

rent circumstances.“The world qualifiers (in Paris) are in

any case suspended as of now and we havesecured Olympic spots in nine out of 13categories. That is a huge advantage giventhe situation. As such, we are not underany pressure,” he explained.

Given that all training activities aresuspended for now due to the precaution-ary measures in place, Nieva and hiswomen’s team counterpart RaffaeleBergamasco will be conducting onlineclasses for Indian coaches.

“I have been notified about it by thefederation yesterday (on Tuesday). We willget going soon enough to utilise this time,”he said.

The idea behind the online classes isto ensure coaches in India are abreast withthe latest technical rules. For this, they willalso be given handbooks, detailing thechanges that have come about in the scor-ing system among other things.

Talking about the Olympics, Nievasaid the preparation for Tokyo began soonafter he joined the Indian team in 2017.This was months after the Indian boxersfailed to win any medals at the 2016Games in Rio.

“We now enter the last leg of a processthat started after the Rio Olympics.What we achieved at the Asian Qualifiersis a result of extensive training and com-petitions that we continuously participat-ed in India as well as outside the coun-try,” Nieva said.

“The India Open has become a hugeplatform for our boxers to gain experienceagainst the best in the world. All that hasmade them a very confident bunch andthey are not bothered who is the oppo-sition.

“Plus we are also able to bounce backfrom deficits (during bouts) more strong-ly. We have a large pool of boxers as wellwhich is keeping the national camp pret-ty competitive,” he added.

“When I joined in India, some jour-nalists would ask me what I would do toimprove the boxers' mental strength andI always considered that question funnybecause I never found anything lacking,”he recalled.

“I always knew they had it in themto take on anyone. And they demonstrat-ed that in these qualifiers. I feel very proudof this performance and my conviction,”he said.

NEW DELHI: India’s fastest womanDutee Chand is wary of missing outof the Olympics after she wasdeprived of her training-cum-com-petition stint in Germany, whichaffected her plans to qualify for theTokyo Games.

The 24-year-old Dutee was totrain and take part in Olympic qual-ifying events in Germany fromMarch 2 but despite getting the visaand sponsorship, she could notmake it there as Europe has nowturned into an epicentre of the coro-navirus outbreak.

“I was to go for a training-cum-competition stint in Germany fromMarch 2. I was planning to run insome quality competitions inEurope and hoping to qualify forthe Olympics. But all my plans fellapart due to this coronavirus,”Dutee said from Patiala where sheis taking part in the first leg of theIndian Grand Prix series on Friday.

“I have got the visa and other

travel documents and was ready togo to Germany. But suddenly I gotthe message from the training basein Germany that I should notcome due to the spread of coron-avirus. I am very disappointed,” saidthe national record holder 100msprinter. Asked how confident sheis about qualifying for Tokyo

Olympics, Dutee, who won a Silvereach in both 100m and 200m in2018 Asian Games, said, “I don’tknow. I am worried that I may notqualify for the Olympics.

“It is very tough to qualify forthe Olympics, the qualificationmark is 11.15 seconds. You get goodcompetitors in Europe and thatpushes up your timing. Here onlyfive athletes are taking part in100m (in Indian GP). Competitionis not much here,” said Dutee, whohas a personal best of 11.22 secs.

She is still hoping that the sit-uation caused by the virus improvesin the days to come and she getssome quality competitions inEurope.

“I know the situation is bad andI may not get any race in Europe.But I am still hoping. Now I havethese Indian GP series and theFederation Cup (in Patiala nextmonth) to try and qualify forOlympics. Let us see.” PTI

AFP n LONDON

Wimbledon organisers arestill planning to play the

Grand Slam this year, despitethe coronavirus chaos that ledthe French Open to be pushedback until September.

Wimbledon is scheduled torun from June 29 to July 12, butAll England Club chiefs areaware the sporting schedule hasbeen decimated by the deadlypandemic.

French Open bosses onTuesday revealed the clay-courtevent will move from its sched-uled spring slot to September.

The year’s second GrandSlam was due to begin on May

24, but will now run fromSeptember 20 to October 4.

A roof has been installedover Roland Garros’ centrecourt, Philippe Chatrier, withfloodlights on the three othermain courts, enabling play togo on later.

Wimbledon remain hope-ful that play at the grass-courttournament will be able to goahead if the spread of the virusis slowed.

But Richard Lewis, chiefexecutive of the All EnglandLawn Tennis and CroquetClub, insisted they would putpublic safety first.

“At the heart of our deci-sion-making is our commit-

ment to the health and safety ofour members, staff, and thepublic, and we are grateful tothe government and publichealth authorities for theiradvice and support,” Lewissaid.

“While we continue to planfor The Championships at thistime, it remains a continuous-ly evolving situation and we willact responsibly, in the bestinterests of wider society.

“We thank all of our mem-bers, staff, players, partners,contractors and the public fortheir patience and trust as wecontinue to navigate thisunprecedented global chal-lenge.” NEW YORK: The US Tennis Association

acknowledged on Tuesday that develop-ments in the coronavirus pandemic coulddictate moving the US Open, now sched-uled to start in August.

But the American federation said itwouldn’t determine any new date for itsflagship Grand Slam without consultingthe other major championship organizers,the International Tennis Federation andthe ATP and WTA tours.

“We recognize that such a decisionshould not be made unilaterally,” the USTAsaid in a statement — a scarcely veiled jabat the French Tennis Federation.

In postponing the event originallysheculed for May 24-June 7, the FrenchFederation apparently declined to consultother stakeholders in the sport.

The chosen dates, one week after thecurrent scheduled conclusion of the USOpen, caught the ATP and WTA by sur-prise.

They conflict with the Laver Cup inBoston, where Europe’s top players arescheduled to take on a World team.

Roger Federer has already committedto the event.

The US Open, the final Grand Slamon the calendar, is scheduled to run August24-September 13 at the Billie Jean KingTennis Center in Flushing Meadows,New York. AFP

Indian badminton star Saina Nehwal accused the sport's administratorsof placing money above players' safety by continuing last week's AllEngland Championships despite the COVID-19 pandemic

No ‘ideal’ solution for Tokyo Olympics, says IOC Tokyo plans ‘insensitive, irresponsible’

Artistic Gymnastics World Cup cancelledTokyo: A Tokyo Olympics gymnas-tics qualifier next month, which hadhoped to feature US superstarSimone Biles among its partici-pants, was cancelled on Wednesday.

The Japan GymnasticsAssociation announced the scrap-ping of the Artistic GymnasticsWorld Cup Tokyo on April 4-5, anOlympic test event, just a few daysafter saying it would be held with-out spectators.

“Due to the impact of the spreadof coronavirus infections in Europe

and cancellations of World Cups inother countries, many athletes and

judges decided not to participate inthe event,” the JGA said in a state-ment.

A rhythmic gymnastics Olympictest event scheduled for April 6 is stillgoing ahead, according to the Tokyo2020 organising committee. “Afterconfirming it is safe to do so, Tokyo2020 will carry out an operational testwithin the given dates,” the organis-ers said, adding they will consult withthe International Olympic Committeeand Federation Internationale deGymnastique. AFP

It will be sad to see Saina,Srikanth miss Olympics: Vimal

Indian boxer’s Oly preparation won't be affected by travel bans: Santiago

MC Mary Kom punches her opponent Nikhat Zareen during India’s trial for Asian Oly boxing qualifiers PTI

US Open couldbe postponed

Wimbledon still planning for play despite virus mayhem

Players in action at centre court during Wimbledon 2019 match ATP/Instagram

Dutee worried about Oly qualification

International Olympic Committee memberHayley Wickenheiser raises her concern overTokyo Olympic via series of tweets