India News – April16-30, 2021, Vol 1 Issue 20

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11.08 lakh active Covid caseload, US announces Freedom of Navigation Operation India breaks 7-month record Photo Courtesy: IANS

New Delhi, April 11 (IANS): Covid-19 pandemic in India registered another alarming trajectory on Sunday with over 11.08 lakh active caseload reported in the last 24 hours-highest ever in the last seven months.

Only seven days are short in completion of seven months from September 18 last year

when highest ever 10,17,754 active Covid-19 cases were registered in India. Now, the active caseload registered till 7 a.m. on Sunday is 11,08,087.

India's total active caseload now comprises 8.29 per cent of the country's total positive cases-- a net increase of 61,456 cases.

Continued on Page 3

Bijapur Maoist attack: 22 security personnel killed, search on Raipur, April 4 (IANS): In a major Maoist attack this year, at least 22 security personnel were killed and 20 more injured in a fierce gun battle with a platoon of over 300 People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur, officials said.

Photo Courtesy: IANS

in Indian waters New Delhi, April 9 (IANS): The US has announced that it conducted the Freedom of Navigation Operation (FONOP) in Indian waters in the Lakshadweep Islands, leaving the Indian security establishment in a surprise leading to an assessment to ascertain if an operational exercise was actually carried out or was it just an innocent passage.

The US Navy announced that it carried a Freedom of Navigation Operation inside India's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) without prior consent.

Reacting to it, a senior

government official stated that if it was an innocent passage it's not an issue.

"We don't object to normal transiting but if there has been an operational exercise without informing then it needs to be taken up," the official said.

The US Navy statement said: "On April 7, 2021, the USS John Paul Jones asserted navigational rights and freedoms approximately 130 nautical miles west of the Lakshadweep Islands, inside India's EEZ, without requesting India's prior consent, consistent with international law.

Continued on Page 3

Queen Elizabeth II's consort, Prince Philip passes away at 99

Student Visas I Skilled Visas I Tourist Visas London, April 9 (IANS): Prince Philip, the "beloved" consort and a Temporary Graduate Visas I Business Migration crucial supporter and confidante As the identity of the security of UK's Queen Elizabeth II, stream Visas I Partner Visa Specialist I Sponsored personnel isFamily yet to be confirmed, who did muchVisas to modernise both the state police and the the monarchy but was panned Job Ready I Skill Assessments I AAT representation Central Reserve Police Force over his "insensitive" remarks in The gun battle took place on Saturday.

(CRPF) confirmed that 22 bodies were recovered in a massive search operation.

various countries while on state visits, passed away on Friday, the Buckingham Palace announced.

He was 99.

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"It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen has announced the death of her beloved husband, His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle," the statement said, the BBC reported.

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INDIA NEWS

April 16-30, 2021 - Vol 1, Issue 20

EDITORIAL TEAM Dr Ram Mohan, Chairman Dr Ashutosh Misra, Editor-in-Chief Dr Priyabrata Behra, Bureau Chief, New South Wales Ms Priyadarshini Rana, Bureau Chief, Victoria Ms Apoorva Raghubanshi, Bureau Chief, ACT Ms. Garima Sangar, Associate Editor

Indo-Pacific epicentre of strategic competition, says Australia PM

EDITORIAL BOARD Professor Prasad Yarlagadda, Queensland University of Technology Ms Audrey Courty, Griffith University Dr Uttam Kumar Sinha, Senior Fellow, Nehru Memorial Museum & Library, India Mr Shaun Star, Director, Centre for Australia India Studies, Jindal Global University, India INDIA NEWS TV Mr Karthik Pratap Singh, News Director Mr. Agastya Yeturi, Cinematographer Mr Nishit Chandan, Special Correspondent WRITERS Mr Devashish Chakraborty Ms Deepika Banerjee Mr Rabindra Mukherji INSTITUTIONAL PARTNERS Institute for Australia India Engagement Australia India Business Council

WORLD THIS WEEK

Raisina Dialogue

Page 6

Page 17

Water(y) politics and India-Pakistan relations: Learning from history

India, China agree to resolve outstanding issues aimed at disengagement along LAC

World News

Page 20

News from the ACT

Page 22

India a Tri-Polar Nation: Breaking the Ice

Editorial Making India a global hub for IT hardware manufacturing

Page 23

Special Feature

Page 24

Make in India

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Sports

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Bollywood

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INDIA NEWS

April 16-30, 2021 - Vol 1, Issue 20

COVER STORIES

11.08 lakh active Covid caseload, Queen Elizabeth II's consort, Prince Philip India breaks 7-month record passes away at 99

Continued from Page 1 The five states of Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh and Kerala cumulatively account for 70.82 per cent of India's total active cases.

Maharashtra alone accounts for 48.57 per cent of the total active caseload of the country.

Chhattisgarh is on the second place with 7.75 per cent active caseload, Karnataka 5.57 per cent, Uttar Pradesh 5.31 per cent, Kerala 3.62 per cent and rest of India at 29.18 per cent.

Of these five states, 15 districts in Chhattisgarh, Karnataka and Maharashtra cumulatively account for 4,60,643 active caseload.

Of these Maharashtra's Pune tops with maximum of 1,02,115 active caseload followed by Mumbai

(89,707), Thane (71,061), Nagpur (56,698) and Nashik (32,811).

Karnataka's Bengaluru Urban reported highest 44,863 active caseload while Chhattisgarh's Raipur reported 21,329 such cases followed by Durg (18,008), Rajnandgaon (8,388), Bilaspur (4,759) and Mahasamund (3,847).

Meanwhile, India's cumulative recoveries stand at 1,20,81,443 on Sunday with national recovery rate of 90.44 per cent-- a figure that gives a bit relief. A total of 90,584 recoveries were registered in the last 24 hours.

The report comes when India's daily new cases continue to rise with 1,52,879 fresh infections registered in the last 24 hours.

Ten states including Maharashtra,

Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan have shown a rise in the Covid daily new cases with 80.92 per cent of the total new cases in India.

freedoms, and lawful uses of the sea recognised in international law by challenging India's excessive maritime claims.

US forces operate in the IndoPacific region on a daily basis.

"India requires prior consent for military exercises or manoeuvers in its exclusive economic zone or continental shelf, a claim inconsistent with international law."

The statement further said the FONOP upheld the rights,

All operations are designed in accordance with international law and demonstrate that the US will fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows, the statement said.

"We conduct routine and regular FONOP), as we have done in the past and will continue to in the

However, the daily deaths continue to show an upward trend as 839 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours. Ten states account for 86.41 per cent of the new deaths. Maharashtra saw the maximum casualties (309).

Chhattisgarh follows with 123 daily deaths.

Continued from Page 1 future. FONOPs are not about one country, nor are they about making political statements."

Indian government officials said it's unusual for such a statement to be released.

Any activity within 200 km nautical miles, which falls under EEZ or Indian waters needs prior permission as per Indian laws.

Chinese vessels on the pretext of carrying out research activities in Indian waters have been tracked and sent back in the past.

Bijapur Maoist attack: 22 security personnel killed, search on

Continued from Page 1

Of the 22 personnel, nine belong to the CRPF, while the remaining are from state police's District Reserve Guard (DRG) and the Special Task Force (STF).

Five of the 22 bodies of the security personnel were recovered on Saturday and the 17 more bodies were found out on Sunday after a massive search operation was launched by a joint team of the CRPF, DRG and the STF from early Sunday. The Cordon and Search Operation (CASO) was still on.

These 17 security personnel, including seven from the CRPF, were missing since the operation concluded after around nine hour-long gunfight between the Maoists and a joint team of CRPF's elite CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action) unit and Chhattisgarh police's DRG and STF. The 20 injured personnel were stated to be out of danger and recuperating in hospital.

The officials confirmed that at least two bodies of the Maoists were also visible on the spot near

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the Tekulgudem village under Tarrem police station where the shootout began at noon on Saturday in a deep forested interior area. There are reports of heavy damage to the Maoists too.

Sharing fresh inputs received from the spot, CRPF Inspector General (Operations) C.G. Arora told IANS that a total of 22 bodies of the security personnel have been recovered so far from the spot.

"Besides, those five bodies recovered on Saturday, the identity of other 17 bodies is yet to be ascertained. Search operation is still on," Arora told IANS. Asked about the loss of such level, the official said it was a dense forested area where the incident took place and a core Maoist region.

"This is an interior place inside the jungle where access is very limited."

Union Minister Amit Shah has cut short his poll campaign in Assam and is returning to Delhi in the backdrop of the Maoist attack in Chhattisgarh -- an ambush

Continued from Page 1

Maharashtra has reported the highest daily new cases at 55,411.

It is followed by Chhattisgarh with 14,098 while Uttar Pradesh reported 12,748 new cases.

US announces Freedom of Navigation Operation in Indian waters Photo Courtesy: IANS

Photo Courtesy: IANS

similar to the one executed by the Maoists in Tadmetla in 2010 and Minpa in 2020 in which 76 CRPF and 17 security personnel were killed respectively.

Shah earlier in the day spoke to Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel over the phone and had a detailed discussion on the gunfight with the Maoists.

During the conversation, the Chief Minister apprised the Home Minister of the ground reality of the encounter .

The Home Minister said the state and the Centre will jointly win the battle against the Maoists and assured the Chief Minister of all necessary help. He informed the Chief Minister that he had issued instructions to the Director General of CRPF to visit the site of the incident.

On March 23, five personnel of the District Reserve Guard were killed and several were injured in an IED blast -- the first major Maoist attack in Chhattisgarh this year -- in what the police said was a Maoist strike targeting a bus carrying more than 20 security personnel.

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Prince Philip died weeks after he returned home to Windsor Castle, where the Royal couple was staying amid the Covid pandemic, on March 16 from a month-long stay in hospitals in London - first admitted to King Edward VII's hospital on February 16, and then he was operated for a pre-existing heart condition at St Bartholomew's.

had "a sense of fun".

The exact reason for his initial admission to hospital was not disclosed, but Buckingham Palace said at the time it was not related to coronavirus.

Hailing from the Greek and Danish families, Prince Philip was also the nephew of Lord Louis Mountbatten, the last Viceroy of India, under whom the country became Independent.

As the news spread, mourners gathered at both Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle and left floral tributes at the gates. All UK parties announced suspension of their election campaigns as a mark of respect. The Parliament has been called into session on April 12 to pay tributes to Prince Philip.

Top leaders from around the UK, the Commonwealth and acrossed the world, as well as royalty from around Europe mourned his passing.

Emerging out of 10 Downing Street to address the waiting media, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Prince Philip had "earned the affection of generations here in the United Kingdom, across the Commonwealth, and around the world".

"Like the expert carriage driver that he was, he helped to steer the royal family and the monarchy so that it remains an institution indisputably vital to the balance and happiness of our national life," he said.

Extending his condolences to the Royal family, London Mayor Sadiq Khan said: "Today, we mourn the loss of an extraordinary man, who devoted his life to public service and helping others."

Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he "embodied a generation that we will never see again", while former PM Julia Gillard recalled "fond memories" of spending time with him during a Royal visit to Australia, and termed him a "man of duty", who

"My thoughts are with the British people and the Royal Family on the passing away of HRH The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

He had a distinguished career in the military and was at the forefront of many community service initiatives. May his soul rest in peace," Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted.

Living in Britain and joining the Royal Navy in 1939 and seeing action in World War II, he married Princess Elizabeth in 1947, five years before she became the Queen. After her accession to the throne, he had to give up his naval career to help her.

It was as the Queen's key support during her long reign that he is most known, but there were many sides to his personality.

While he was known for his efforts for conservation of wildlife and nature (despite one tiger hunt in India in 1961 that drew flak), and for welfare of youth and providing them greater opportunities, his remarks on the people of host countries on various Royal trips drew much adverse comment.

Supporters, however, contended that he was joking.

The couple had four children, eight grandchildren and 10 greatgrandchildren. There were also claims that he was a "brusque and insensitive" parent, especially with respect to their eldest child and Heir, Prince Charles.

While critics cited the strained marriages of three of their four children, the insiders, on the other hand, cited his concern and support to them.

He was also a keen sportsman, playing polo before shifting to carriage-driving as he aged.

Prince Philip had retired from his Royal duties in 2017, months ahead of the couple's 70th marriage anniversary.

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INDIA NEWS

April 16-30, 2021 - Vol 1, Issue 20

RAISINA DIALOGUE

Raisina Dialogue: Indo-Pacific epicentre of strategic competition, says Australia PM democracies that we love. A liberal democracy and a liberal set of values that underpin the global world order that has delivered so much for the world.

The pandemic has accelerated and accentuated many of the strategic trends that have created this very real strain. However, the pandemic has also given us a fresh perspective and created new opportunities to build a durable strategic balance in the Indo-Pacific.

PM Morrison's address to the 6th Raisina Dialogue on April 15 Namaste. Greetings from here in Australia, in Perth, in Western Australia, our great minerals and resources state.

I'm very pleased today to be joining you to open this third day of the Raisina Dialogue.

I'm delighted to be part of this event, joining other Australian speakers, including my Foreign Minister, Marise Payne, the chief of our Australian defence forces, General Angus Campbell, and former Prime Minister Tony Abbott, a great friend of India.

I congratulate my good friend, Prime Minister Modi and Minister for External Affairs, Dr. Jaishankar, for initiating this dialogue. Thank you for your leadership at this critical time.

In the midst of the most difficult year and three quarters of a century, we know how important this dialogue is and very pleased to participate. I only wish I could have been there with you in person.

We are free peoples, liberal democracies with respect and responsibility, aspiration, the dignity of our people at the heart of who we are as democratic nations. We've been friends a long time, Australia and India. We have so much in common, our values, our passions, especially for our democratic freedoms, our commitment to the rule of law, a free and open Indo-Pacific.

And over the last two decades, we've realised more and more of the enormous potential of our friendship.

We've shown what can be achieved when two diverse, pluralistic, multicultural democracies join in a spirit of

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trust and understanding. Our economic, defence and peopleto-people ties have grown strongly.

India and Australia share a deep friendship, or as you say in India: Maitri. I'm told that's India's version of Australia's mateship.

The ability of men and women to work side by side, trusting each other. That trust, that shared sense of mission and purpose is what we will need so much in the years ahead.

I want to talk today about what it is about our region, about the Indo-Pacific, where we live, and the challenges that we face together. How the COVID-19 pandemic has created momentum for addressing these challenges amongst like-minded nations.

Ladies and gentlemen, the IndoPacific is the region that will shape our prosperity, our security and our destiny, individually and collectively. That is our shared future.

It is a dynamic and diverse region full of promise. But we're also not blind to the geopolitical realities.

The Indo-Pacific is the epicentre of strategic competition. Tensions over territorial claims are growing. Military modernisation is happening at an unprecedented rate. Democratic sovereign nations are being threatened and coerced by foreign interference.

Cyber attacks are becoming more sophisticated, including from state sponsored actors, and frequent. Economic coercion is being employed as a tool of statecraft. Liberal rules and norms are under assault. And there is a great polarisation that our world is at risk of moving towards. A polarisation between authoritarian regimes and autocracies, and the liberal

A strategic balance, as Condoleezza Rice says, that favours freedom. One where like minded nations act more consistently, more cohesively, more often, in our shared interests, on economic security and importantly global environmental issues. And guided by rules based solutions that ensure peace and stability and prosperity for all nations. It's an inclusive notion to achieve our common goals. The pandemic prompted new groupings of like-minded countries to work together like never before. New friendships forged and old ones reenergized. Australia is leading in this area, as is India. We're playing our part together.

Australia has always been direct about our aspirations. It's our nature. We know who we are and we know what we're about. We've been clear about our vision of a free, open and prosperous IndoPacific underpinned by rules of law and respect for sovereignty.

And we have acted to defend and shape it.

Last year we launched our Defence Strategic Update, a major strengthening of our force posture to focus on our immediate region. Australia has committed some $270 billion on our defence capability over the next decade. For us, that's two per cent of our GDP. That's our floor, not our ceiling. Other nations know they can rely on Australia.

This is important as we look ahead towards challenges that no country can take on alone.

That is what I told the Quad leaders meeting last month when I joined with Prime Minister Modi and Prime Minister Suga and President Biden. And I particularly commend my fellow leaders for their involvement and leadership in bringing this forum together at that level. And I particularly say thank you to President Biden for bringing that meeting together and chairing it on that occasion. That meeting was historic, an historic first and a mark of the momentum that continues to be built amongst like-minded countries in our region.

Four leaders of great liberal democracies in the IndoPacific, including, of course, my

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friend, Prime Minister Modi, all leveraging our agency, working on a positive and inclusive agenda for the Indo-Pacific. To deliver peace and stability and prosperity for the shared benefit of all in our region. Their sovereignty, their independence we passionately believe in for all nations within the Indo-Pacific. We pledged to strengthen our cooperation on the defining challenges of our time. Realising a shared vision as expressed through ASEAN for an open, inclusive and resilient region. And to combat COVID-19, combining our significant medical, scientific, financing and manufacturing capabilities for vaccine distribution.

We're building new habits and modes of cooperation and partnership, that's important.

And Australia has continued to invest in the relationships in the Indo-Pacific. Our partnership with our great friend and ally, the United States, continues to strengthen as we mark 70 years of our ANZUS alliance later this year.

We've announced an in principle agreement with Japan on a Reciprocal Access Agreement, a landmark treaty that will see even closer defence and security ties. And I thank my dear friend, Yoshihide Suga, Prime Minister Suga, for the great relationship we've been able to establish so quickly. He is a man committed to peace and prosperity in our region.

We've been working more closely than ever with ASEAN as its oldest dialogue partner, and also enhanced our relationships with Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, all key partners. We continue to strengthen ties with our Pacific family through our Step Up program with additional support during the pandemic, particularly at the moment for Papua New Guinea and for Timor-Leste.

And there is our relationship with India. Australia sees India as such a natural partner in shaping the future of our region.

It's way more than geography. Its history, its values. It's our growing economic, security and peopleto-people ties. It's our strong sense of mutual obligation and responsibility. In India I know we have a friend who will help build our region where all nations can prosper. We have looked on with admiration as in recent times, India has taken an increasingly active role in the Indian Ocean and the wider Indo-Pacific region.

In particular, most recently, we've seen their leadership with the manufacturing and distribution of critical vaccines, helping developing countries in our region. They're building economic capability. They're promoting maritime security, and they're advocating regional cooperation.

We welcome your leadership, Prime Minister Modi, and we welcome India's leadership and engagement. Whether it's on the outstanding vaccines that are necessary and the Maitri campaign that you've engaged in, which has seen over 64 million Indian-made vaccines shipped to more than 80 countries, as I was already referring to. Last June, Prime Minister Modi and I took our relationship to a new level, a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. This is a declaration of our shared values and interests, our capabilities and the deep trust we have for each other. It will see us cooperate in new ways – commerce, critical minerals, science and research, technology, as well as defence, maritime and cyber and critical technology issues.

And we're already seeing this. In November, Australia participated in Exercise MALABAR. It saw our navies, along with Japan and the United States, work together in highly sophisticated training exercises from air defence and anti submarine exercises to at sea replenishment between ships.

This tells a broader story for Australia and India. A story of deep trust, shared ambition and a united commitment to keeping our region safe and secure.

Australia is looking forward to working closely with India on emerging issues such as harnessing opportunities through our Cyber and Critical Technology Partnership, and we continue exploring ways to further deepen our economic relationship.

Our region confronts some formidable challenges, and the pandemic has sparked a renewed appreciation amongst likeminded nations for each other and what we both can contribute, all of us can contribute, to our partnerships and to our region.

For the values and goals we share and what we can achieve by working together. It has inspired action to defend our collective interests. Together, we carry the aspirations for the future. A region stable, a region prosperous with healthy people and a clean environment. We will continue to work together to achieve those goals, and we will gather again together soon.

I want to thank you for your kind invitation to be part of this important dialogue. Dhanyavaad.

To all of you, thank you for the great relationship we have, and as we work together to secure the peace and prosperity of our region.

A free and open Indo-Pacific, a strategic balance that favours freedom.

Thank you for your attention.

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April 16-30, 2021 - Vol 1, Issue 20

INDIA NEWS

RAISINA DIALOGUE

Raisina Dialogue: India has walked the talk, says PM Narendra Modi Address by Prime Minister at the inaugural session of Raisina Dialogue 2021 on April 13

Excellencies! Friends, Namaskar!

This edition of Raisina dialogue takes place at a watershed moment in human history.

A global pandemic has been ravaging the world for over a year.

The last such Global pandemic was a century ago. Although Humanity has faced many infectious diseases since then, the world today is under-prepared to handle the Covid-19 pandemic.

Our scientists, researchers and industry have answered some questions.

What is the virus?

How does it spread?

How can we slow it down?

How do we make a vaccine?

How do we administer vaccine at a scale and with speed?

To these and many other such questions many solutions have emerged. And no doubt many more are yet to come. But as global thinkers and leaders we must ask ourselves some more questions.

For over a year now, the best minds of our societies have been engaged in battling this pandemic. All the governments of the world at all levels are trying to contain and control this pandemic. Why did it come to this? Is it perhaps because in the race of economic development the concern for welfare of humanity has been left behind.

Is it perhaps because in the age of competition, the spirit of

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cooperation has been forgotten.

The answer to such questions can be found in our recent past.

Friends the horrors of the first and second World War compelled the emergence of a new world order. After the end of the second world war, over the next few decades many structures and institutions were created but under the shadow of the two wars they were aimed at answering only one question, how to prevent the Third World War? Today, I submit to you that this was the wrong question, as a result all the steps taken were like treating a patient symptoms without addressing the underlying causes. Or to put it differently, all the steps taken were to prevent the last war not the next one. In fact while humanity has not faced the Third World War, the threat of violence has not reduced in people's lives.

With a number of proxy wars and unending terror attacks, the prospect of violence is ever present.

So, what would have been the right question?

They could have included: Why do we have famines and hunger?

Why do we have poverty?

Or most fundamentally Why can't we cooperate to address problems that threaten the entire Humanity?

I'm sure that if our thinking has been along such lines, very different solutions would have emerged.

Friends! It is not too late even now. The mistakes and misdeeds of the past seven decades need not constrain our thinking for the future. The Covid-19 pandemic has presented us an opportunity to reshape the world order, to reorient our thinking. We must create systems that addresses the problems of today and challenges of tomorrow. And we must think of the entire humanity and not merely of those who are on our side of the borders. Humanity as a whole must be at the center of our thinking and action.

Friends! During this pandemic, in our own humble way, within our own limited resources, we in India have tried to walk the talk. We have tried to protect our own 1.3 billion citizens from the pandemic. At the same time we have also tried to support the pandemic response efforts of others. In our neighborhood, we have encouraged our coordinated regional response to the crisis.

Last year we shared medicines and protective equipment with over a hundred and fifty countries. We understand fully, that mankind will not defeat the pandemic unless all of us, everywhere, regardless of the color of our passports, come out of it. That is why, this year despite many constraints, we have supplied vaccine to over 80 countries. We know that the supplies have been modest. We know that the demands are huge.

We know that it will be a long time before the entire humanity can be vaccinated. At the same time we also know that hope matters.

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It matters as much to the citizens of the richest countries as it does to the less fortunate. And so we will continue to share our experiences, our expertise and also our resources with the entire Humanity in the fight against the pandemic.

Friends! As we gather virtually at the Raisina dialogue this year, I call upon you to emerge as a powerful voice for a human centric approach, As how said elsewhere while we may be used to having Plan A and plan B, there is no Planet B, only planet Earth. And so we must remember that we hold this planet merely as trustees for our future Generations.

I will leave you with that thought and wish you very productive

discussions over the next few days. Before I conclude, I wish to thank all the dignitaries who are adding their voices to these deliberations. My special thanks to Their Excellency’s the President of Rwanda and the Prime Minister of Denmark for their valuable presence in this session of the dialogue. I also wish to thank my friend the Prime Minister of Australia and the President of the European Council who will be joining the dialogue later.

Last but not the least my immense gratitude and heartiest congratulations to all the organizations. They have done fantastic work in putting together this year's Raisina dialogue despite all kinds of challenges.

Thank you. Thank you very much.

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April 16-30, 2021 - Vol 1, Issue 20

INDIA NEWS

NEWS FROM INDIA

SUV case: Sachin Vaze sent to Varanasi to be known judicial custody till April 23 as Sanskrit city Mumbai, April 9 (IANS): A Mumbai special court on Friday sent suspended Mumbai cop Sachin Vaze, nabbed in connection with the SUV case, to judicial custody till April 23.

Arrested on March 13, Vaze had been in the custody of National Investigation Agency (NIA), and has now been shunted to judicial custody by Special Judge P.R. Sitre after the agency did not seek his further remand.

Vaze was nabbed for planting an explosive-filled SUV near Antilia, the home of industrialist Mukesh Ambani on February 25, and later the case of the mystery death of Thane businessman Mansukh Hiran, whose body was found in the Thane Creek wetlands.

Earlier on Friday, Vaze, a suspended Assistant Police Inspector, was questioned by the Central Bureau Of Investigation (CBI) for third consecutive day in connection with the probe into the 'letter-bomb' of former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh.

The NIA has said that during his custodial interrogation over the past around 4 weeks, several critical aspects of the SUV-Hiran cases have emerged including recovery of several luxury vehicles, and cash, and fishing out some of the evidence sought to be destroyed in the Mithi River, etc.

It added that the probe has unearthed a conspiracy hatched

by Vaze and the other accused

- convicted former cop Vinayak Shinde and bookie Narendra Gor - to eliminate Hiran, who is believed to be a co-conspirator in the SUV planting case.

Vaze sparked another controversy earlier this week after a letter he had written to the Special Court on Apri 3, levelling corruption allegations against former state Home Minister Anil Deshmukh, NCP's Deputy CM Ajit Pawar and Shiv Sena Minister Anil Parab had come into the public domain.

Following the letter, the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party leaders had predicted that two more cabinet ministers of the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi would be forced to quit soon.

Rhino calves rescued during floods in Kaziranga to move to Manas Tiger Reserve Photo Courtesy: IANS

and Conservation (CWRC) near Kaziranga, where they were kept ever since they were rescued during the floods in 2019.

would be kept for a stipulated period for habituation before their final release in the wilderness of the reserve.

He said that these rhino calves have undergone a protocol of rehabilitation for two years before they are being translocated to MTR, 176 km west of Guwahati.

"The intra-state rhino translocation would help improve the gene pool of the species," Sivakumar pointed out.

The two female calves were rescued from Hatimura and Kuthuri areas, while the male was rescued from Solmara during the floods that hit Kaziranga in JulyAugust 2019.

Guwahati, April 9 (IANS): Three rhino calves, two females and one male, which were rescued two years ago during floods at the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve (KNP&TR) in Assam would be trans-located to the Manas Tiger Reserve (MTR) on Saturday, officials said on Friday.

The translocation is part of an ongoing effort to increase the number of wildlife at the MTR in Baksa district bordering Bhutan.

The national park was devastated for many years due to terror activities and rampant poaching.

Sivakumar said that the convoy carrying the three rhino calves would reach MTR early on Saturday for the scheduled release of the animals in their dedicated 'boma', where they

Photo Courtesy: IANS

"Under our commitment to bring back Manas, we have augmented the national park with 19 rhinos, including offsprings of the released rhinos, out of the total population of 44 rhinos," he said.

The Kaziranga National Park, extending across eastern Assam's Golaghat, Nagaon, Sonitpur, Biswanath and Karbi Anglong districts, is home to more than 2,200 Indian rhinoceros. With an estimated rhino population of 2,640, Assam has the largest number of Indian rhinos in the world.

Lucknow, April 11 (IANS): Varanasi, the parliamentary constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will now be known as the Sanskrit city in the world.

Varanasi has the maximum number of Sanskrit schools as well as the highest number of students studying Sanskrit.

There are more than 110 Sanskrit schools that are functional in Varanasi.

Two more will be added to this tally by the new session while 13 new Sanskrit schools are also going to be opened across the state by the Yogi Adityanath government.

According to the government spokesman, the Yogi Adityanath government is going to set up Sanskrit Directorate on the lines of Directorates of Secondary and Basic Education.

After the creation of the Directorate, Sanskrit language will get a new identity.

Apart from this, for the first time in Uttar Pradesh, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath started releasing government press notes

in Sanskrit. He also tweeted in Sanskrit from his official Twitter account.

After the Chief Minister's initiative, the Sanskrit Board has also started promoting Sanskrit language in the state in a big way.

According to the officials, the state will get 13 new Sanskrit schools and these schools have already met their prescribed standards. Out of these, two will be opened in Kashi and one in Jaunpur.

A total of 1,164 Sanskrit schools are being run by the Uttar Pradesh Secondary Sanskrit Education Council, of which 971 schools are aided schools.

More than 97,000 students are studying in these Sanskrit schools. In order to connect Sanskrit schools with modern education, the computer education and NCERT books are being provided to students from Class 6 to 12.

It has also been decided to provide free food and hostel facilities to more than 4,000 students in about 200 'gurukul' Sanskrit schools in the state.

Rahul Gandhi to campaign in WB from Modi govt has mismanaged situation, April 14 says Sonia in Covid meet KNP&TR Director Karmashree P. Sivakumar said that the rhino calves will be shifted from the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation

Every year, the monsoon floods devastate the KNP&TR and a large number of animals including rhinos are killed by the deluge.

Chowdhury is also holding the fort in the state.

New Delhi, April 10 (IANS): Amid the surge in the number of Covid-19 cases in the country, Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi on Saturday hit out at the centre and said it has "mismanaged the situation", exported vaccine and allowed a shortage to be created in India.

She also stressed on transparency in the Congress and opposition ruled states to reveal the actual numbers of infections and deaths and focus on India's vaccination drive.

Her remarks came during a meeting of Congress ruled states and party's ministers from alliance states to review the efforts to fight Covid-19 including availability of vaccines, access

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to medicines and ventilators.

Former party chief Rahul Gandhi also attended the meet.

Sonia Gandhi said, "Covid is surging and as the principal opposition party, it is our responsibility to raise issues and push the government to move away from PR tactics and act in the interest of the people."

India on Saturday recorded over 1.45 lakh fresh Covid cases and 794 deaths in the last 24 hours.

Several states have red flagged the government over the shortage of the Covid-19 vaccines.

"Therefore, there must be transparency - governments must reveal the actual numbers of infections and deaths across

states, whether Congress ruled or otherwise," she said.

Highlighting the lack of Covid vaccines in several states, the Congress leader said, "We must focus on India's vaccination drive first and foremost. Then only export vaccines and gift them to other countries. We must stress on responsible behaviour - adhering to all laws and Covid regulations without exception."

She also emphasised on the cooperation with states respecting federalism and in turn, "for us to be constructive and cooperate with the government in its efforts to fight the pandemic is equally important". We are all united in this fight, she said.

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New Delhi, April 11 (IANS): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will begin campaigning in West Bengal from April 14 where he will address the rallies in Goalpokhar and Matigara-Naxalbari.

The former Congress president will start the campaign after four phases of polling has ended in the state where the party is contesting on 92 seats in allianc with the Left.

The party is filled up with energy after the announcement as it was struggling to find leaders to campaign in the state as state in-charge Jitin Prasada tested positive for Covid. The only big names from Delhi who had campaigned here are Salman Khurshid and Jaiveer Shergill.

Apart from them, party leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan

Sources said that lack of positive feedback from the state is stopping the leaders from coming here.

While the ruling Trinamool Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are in direct contest, the Left is trying to win back its rural support, and the Congress is trying to retain its last tally of 44, in 2016 elections. The Congress' vote share had declined to 4 per cent in the 2019 General Elections, but it still remains an important factor in some districts such as Purulia, Malda and Murshidabad.

Sources also said that the Congress leaders were refraining from sharing the dias with the Left till elections in Kerala got over as Rahul Gandhi has been attacking them in Kerala.

6

INDIA NEWS

April 16-30, 2021 - Vol 1, Issue 20

Wheat procurement in Punjab begins as 'arhtiyas' call off stir Photo Courtesy: The Indian Express

Chandigarh, April 10 (IANS): Wheat procurement kicked off in Punjab on Saturday with the Arhtiyas calling off their proposed strike after Chief Minister Amarinder Singh ordered various steps to ensure their continued involvement in the process and immediate release of their pending payments of Rs 131 crore without waiting for dues to come from the FCI. On the Chief Minister's directives, the state Food Department has amended the procurement software so that the Arhtiyas or commission agents will continue to be involved in the process of release of payments to the farmers, albeit in a modified manner, while farmers get their payments in their bank accounts

Transfer (DBT) system, the Chief Minister said, "We fought hard with the Centre on the issue, but they were adamant, and even went to the extent of threatening not to procure from Punjab if we do not implement the DBT."

within 48 hours, as mandated by the state government.

Declaring his unequivocal commitment to safeguarding the interests of Punjab's Arhtiyas, Captain Amarinder said despite the government of India's directives to exclude them from MSP payments, "the Arhtiyas shall always be associated with procurement".

"Till I am there, you will part of the system, and your role will always remain," he asserted, adding that he will ensure that the Arhtiya's commission and other charges permitted under the APMC Act shall continue.

Commenting on the government of India's adamant refusal to accept the state's request for deferment of the Direct Benefit

The Chief Minister also ordered the Finance Department to immediately release Rs 131 crore due to the Arhtiyas without waiting for it from the Food Corporation of India (FCI), which had withheld payments after some Arhtiyas had failed to upload details.

These Arhtiyas were probably misguided at that time by people who wanted to play politics, he said, adding that even though the money was yet to come from FCI, his government would release it immediately, without waiting for the same.

He also assured the Arhtiyas that his government will take up with the Centre the issue of 30 per cent deduction in labour payments made by the FCI. CM Singh thanked Vijay Kalra, the president of the Federation of Arhtiya Association of Punjab, for heeding his government's plea to withdraw their proposed strike and lift the grain as the farmers would otherwise have suffered.

NEWS FROM INDIA

20 doctors, 6 students test Covid positive at AIIMS

New Delhi, April 9 (IANS): At least 20 doctors and six MBBS students on Friday tested positive for coronavirus at the All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) here, sources told IANS. "Of the total 26 healthcare staff, 20 are doctors and six MBBS students of AIIMS, who were found to be Covid-19 positive in the last 10 days."

Of these 26, only two had taken both the doses of Covid vaccine, sources said.

This comes a day after it was reported that 37 doctors tested positive for coronavirus infection at Delhi's Sir Ganga Ram Hospital.

The 20 doctors testing positive at AIIMS include two faculty members, while the rest are resident doctors. Majority of them have mild Covid symptoms.

The contacts of most of them have been traced and the process is still on for some, the source said. There are more than 3,000 doctors, including resident doctors and faculty members working at AIIMS. The news of Covid-19 positive from Delhi's these two big hospitals have come in the backdrop of surging cases in the city for the past few weeks.

On Thursday, the national capital witnessed its highest single-day spike this year after 7,437 fresh cases of Covid-19 were reported.

In view of the rising number of coronavirus cases every day, the Delhi government has ordered closure of all the government and private schools.

Delhi Govt orders closure of all schools due to spike in Covid-19 cases Photo Courtesy: IANS

Farmers block

Rafale row: India cheated to tune of KMP Expressway Rs 21,000 crore, alleges Congress with trolleys, mattresses and cots

Photo Courtesy: IANS

New Delhi, April 9 (IANS): The Congress on Friday questioned the Narendra Modi-led government over the explosive revelations made by a French news portal in the Rafale deal alleging that there was 'massive corruption' and 'loss to public exchequer of at least Rs 21,075 crore.

The remarks came after a French news portal mediapart. fr in a three series investigation claimed that it was in possession of documents that showed Dassault Aviation, which manufactures the Rafale jet, and its industrial partner Thales, a defence electronics firm, paid a "middleman" several million euros in "secret commissions" in connection with the Rs 59,000 crore deal for 36 jets for the Indian Air Force (IAF).

In a tweet, former Congress President Rahul Gandhi fired salvos at Prime Minister Narendra

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Modi over the Rafale row and said, "Dear students, Prime Minister said answer questions without fear and nervousness.

Please ask him to do the same: Who took money in the Rafale corruption scandal? Who deleted the anti-corruption clauses in the contract? Who gave middlemen access to key Defence Ministry documents?"

Rahul Gandhi was referring to Modi's interactive 'Pariksha pe charcha' programme with students.

His sister and Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in a tweet said, "Difficult questions first, would the Prime Minister and his billionaire friends care to respond? Who took money in the Rafale corruption scandal? Who deleted the anti-corruption clauses in the contract? Who gave middlemen access to key Defence Ministry documents?"

Sonepat (Haryana), April 10 (IANS): As the farmers' agitation entered the 135th day on Saturday, the coalition of farmers unions, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) blocked the Kundli-ManesarPalwal (KMP) Expressway for 24 hours to press their demand for withdrawal of the three contentious farm laws. Farmers have parked trolleys, placed cots with mattresses on the highway and have also set up a podium at the toll plaza to deliver speeches.

On the lines of closing the KMP highway, farmers from the Singhu border have closed 1 number Kundli toll plaza (Western Peripheral Expressway) at Sonepat in Haryana.

More than 500 farmers also observed a 2-minute silence following the death of a farmer at Tikri border during the KMP highway closure and raised the slogans of 'Shaheed Kisan Amar Rahe'.

Farmers are now engaged in giving a strong impetus to the ongoing agitation at the various borders of Delhi.

They have been protesting at various borders of the national capital since November 26 last year against the three newly enacted farm laws.

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New Delhi, April 9 (IANS): Amid the continued surge in Covid-19 cases in the national capital, the Delhi government has ordered the closure of all government and private schools in the city. The announcement in this regard was made by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday.

"Due to increasing cases of Covid, all schools (including government, private) in Delhi are being closed for all classes till further orders," the Chief Minister said on Twitter.

The national capital has been reporting a steep spike in new Covid-19 cases for the last few weeks. On Thursday, the city reported 7437 new Covid-19 infections, which was the highest

number of cases in a single-day this year. The capital's total active cases have reached close to 24k (23,181 till Thursday evening), while the daily positivity rate crossed 8 percent.

Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Thursday stated that the current wave of coronavirus spreading among the people aged between 20 to 45 years has raised concerns. He said that youth may not get affected much but it can pose a threat to the elderly at home. Therefore, vaccination should now be made available to all ages.

In view of the Covid -19 cases in the city, the Delhi Government had on April 6 imposed night curfew between 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.

7

April 16-30, 2021 - Vol 1, Issue 20

INDIA NEWS

Court permits ASI survey at Kashi Vishwanath temple site Photo Courtesy: IANS

Maharaja Vikramaditya about 2,050 years ago, but Mughal emperor Aurangzeb destroyed the temple in 1664 and used its remains to construct a mosque, which is known as Gyanvapi masjid, on a portion of the temple land.

Varanasi, April 8 (IANS): A Varanasi court has ordered an archaeological survey of the Kashi Vishwanath Temple-Gyanvapi mosque site.

The court, on Thursday, gave its approval for survey of Kashi Vishwanath temple and Gyanvapi Mosque complex by Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). The court further directed the Uttar Pradesh government to bear the cost of the survey.

The ASI is likely to set up a fivemember team that will visit the campus soon.

The court order came on a petition filed by a local lawyer Vijay Shankar Rastogi, who had demanded that the land entailing the Gyanvapi Mosque be restored to Hindus.

The petition was filed in December 2019 on behalf of

Swayambhu Jyotirlinga Bhagwan Vishweshwar in the court of civil judge.

The petitioner claimed that Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, in 1664, had pulled down a portion of the 2000-year-old Kashi Vishwanath temple to build the mosque in its place.

The petitioner requested for a survey of the entire Gyanvapi compound by the ASI. He had filed the petition as the 'next friend' of Swayambhu Jyotirlinga Bhagwan Vishweshwar. In January 2020, Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee had filed an objection against the petition.

The Gyanvyapi mosque management committee had opposed the petition.

The petitioner had further contended that the Kashi Vishwanath temple was built by

NEWS FROM INDIA

CoBRA commando Manhas released by Maoists, family rejoices Photo Courtesy: IANS

his release.

Neighbours and family members reached his residence, raised slogans and celebrated the news of his release by distributing sweets. His wife said she had not slept since he was made captive by the Maoists.

The petitioner requested the court to issue directions for the removal of the mosque from the temple land and give back its possession to the temple trust.

The first petition was filed in the Varanasi civil court in 1991 on behalf of Swayambhu Jyotirlinga Bhagwan Vishweshwar seeking permission for worship in Gyanvapi.

The petition contended that the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act was not applicable to the suit as the mosque was constructed over a partly demolished temple and many parts of the temple exist even today.

In 1998, Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee moved the High Court contending that the mandir-masjid dispute could not be adjudicated by a civil court as it was barred by the law. The High Court stayed the proceedings in the lower court which had continued for the past 22 years.

"I want to thank the Prime Minister. I wasn't able to sleep for the last six days," said Meenu.

Raipur/Jammu, April 8 (IANS): CRPF commando Rakeshwar Singh Manhas, who was held captive by the Maoists in Chhattisgarh for over 100 hours after the April 3 gun battle, was released on Thursday evening, the CRPF said.

Manhas, a constable of the 210th CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action), an elite wing of the CRPF, was safely handed over to the state police and to Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).

"Our CoBRA commando Rakeshwar Singh Manhas has reached our camp safely.

He is being sent for medical examination," CRPF's IG, Operations, C.G. Arora told IANS. Manhas is physically fine, he added.

In Jammu, family members of Manhas celebrated the news of

"I am very happy that he has been released... we just got the news," said his brother Sahil.

The trooper had gone missing during the fierce gun battle with over 300 PLGAs ultras in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district on April 3 in which 22 security personnel were killed and 31 were injured. Over 1,000 security personnel of the CRPF and Chhattisgarh's District Reserve Guard (DRG) and Special Task Force (STF) took part in the operation. The gun battle took place on Saturday noon near Tekulgudem village under Tarrem police station.

The Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee of the outlawed CPIMaoist on Tuesday announced Manhas was "safe" in their custody and sought an interlocutor appointed to for his release.

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8

April 16-30, 2021 - Vol 1, Issue 20

INDIA NEWS

ADVERTORIAL

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9

INDIA NEWS

April 16-30, 2021 - Vol 1, Issue 20

NEWS FROM AUSTRALIA

'Nothing off table to redress Aus vax shortfall' Australia suspends Apple-Epic Kelly told the ABC that "nothing is Corporation (ABC).

Canberra, April 9 (IANS): case as battle shifts to US off the table" as the government Australia's Chief Medical Officer "The important thing is for the Paul Kelly on Friday declared that "nothing is off the table" in order to make up for a shortfall in Covid-19 vaccines.

Kelly urged Australians to remain confident in the country's coronavirus vaccine rollout after use of the AstraZeneca-Oxford jab was limited, reports Xinhua news agency.

Kelly and Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced on Thursday evening that access to the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine, which Australia has acquired 53.8 million doses of, would be limited for citizens under the age of 50 on the advice of medical regulators.

It came after the European Medicines Agency (EMA) advised that "very rare cases of blood clots" were a side effect of the vaccine.

Australian public to know that as soon as we've known something, as soon as our expert advice from the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) gives us the guidance on immunisation, we went out (and informed the public).

"We've made this preference for not using AstraZeneca in the under 50s on the basis of that safety concern but ... I would really urge people to make sure that they are lining up when their turn comes to get the appropriate vaccine."

Kelly and Morrison said that the Pfizer vaccine, which Australia has only 10 million doses of, is "preferred" for adults under 50 who have not already received their first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Kelly on Friday said he understood that the announcement could undermine confidence in vaccines but reassured Australians that authorities were working to secure additional doses of safer jabs.

Thursday night's announcement is the latest in a series of significant blows to Australia's vaccine rollout, which has been delayed by supply issues.

"Of course something like the announcements overnight can affect vaccine confidence," he told the Australian Broadcasting

In January the government promised that 4 million people would be vaccinated by the end of March.

On Thursday, Australia surpassed 1 million vaccine doses administered.

seeks to address vaccine shortfalls, flagging a deal with Moderna.

The federal government has previously agreed to acquire 51 million doses of Novavax's vaccine, which has not yet been approved for use by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA).

"We are looking at all of those options right now. We know that Novavax, we have 51 million doses on order, but that is not yet approved by the TGA," Kelly said.

"The TGA will absolutely expedite that matter. And as soon as Novavax is ready to supply to Australia we will be going through those processes."

Despite Thursday's announcement that use of the AstraZeneca vaccine will be limited, biotechnology company CSL, which was contracted by the government to manufacture 50 million doses locally, said it would continue to produce it.

"CSL remains committed to meeting its contracted arrangements with the Australian government and AstraZeneca for locally produced AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines," the company said in a statement on Friday.

Young Aus women most resistant to Covid vax: Poll

San Francisco/Sydney, April 11 (IANS): As Apple and Fortnite developer Epic Games continue to battle in the US, an Australian judge has ruled that Epics lawsuit against Apple in Australia will be temporarily suspended.

According to Gizmodo Australia, Apple had asked for a permanent stay of the case in Australia, arguing that the US and Australia cases were very similar.

Justice Nye Perram has ordered that the case be temporarily stayed for a period of three months.

"If Epic does not commence a suit in the US alleging contraventions to Australian Consumer Law within three months then the case will be permanently stayed," the report said on Saturday.

As the lawsuit hearing in the case of Fortnite game developer Epic and Apple is set to begin next month, the two companies have reiterated their stands before the trial, as they got themselves involved in a legal battle over the use of an in-game payment system.

While Epic Games argues about Apple's monopoly over the app market and treats 30 per cent standard fee amount to anticompetitive behaviour that must be regulated by antitrust law, Apple contends that "the whole antitrust allegation and associated dust-kicking is little more than a PR stunt," reports TechCrunch.

Apple CEO Tim Cook as well as Epic Games founder and CEO Tim Sweeney may testify in the trial, set to begin from May 3.

For Apple, the proposed witness list also includes Software Engineering Senior Vice President Craig Federighi and Apple Fellow, Phil Schiller.

On team Epic, the Vice President Mark Rein is also included as witness, besides Sweeney.

The Fortnite game was removed from App Store in August of last year after the company allegedly violated rules by adding an ingame payment system aimed at depriving Apple of its commission on in-app purchases from App Store.

Ex-Aus PM mistaken as Uber driver Photo Courtesy: IANS

administered.

Photo Courtesy: IANS

reassured Australians that authorities were working to secure additional doses of safer jabs.

"Of course something like the announcements overnight can affect vaccine confidence," he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).

Canberra, April 9 (IANS): Australia's Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly on Friday declared that "nothing is off the table" in order to make up for a shortfall in Covid-19 vaccines.

Kelly urged Australians to remain confident in the country's coronavirus vaccine rollout after use of the AstraZeneca-Oxford jab was limited, reports Xinhua news agency.

Kelly and Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced on Thursday evening that access to the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine, which Australia has acquired 53.8 million doses of, would be limited for citizens under the age of 50 on the advice of medical regulators.

It came after the European Medicines Agency (EMA) advised that "very rare cases of blood clots" were a side effect of the vaccine.

Kelly on Friday said he understood that the announcement could undermine confidence in vaccines but

www.indianews.com.au

"The important thing is for the Australian public to know that as soon as we've known something, as soon as our expert advice from the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) gives us the guidance on immunisation, we went out (and informed the public).

"We've made this preference for not using AstraZeneca in the under 50s on the basis of that safety concern but ... I would really urge people to make sure that they are lining up when their turn comes to get the appropriate vaccine."

Kelly and Morrison said that the Pfizer vaccine, which Australia has only 10 million doses of, is "preferred" for adults under 50 who have not already received their first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Thursday night's announcement is the latest in a series of significant blows to Australia's vaccine rollout, which has been delayed by supply issues.

On Thursday, Australia surpassed 1 million vaccine doses

In January the government promised that 4 million people would be vaccinated by the end of March.

Kelly told the ABC that "nothing is off the table" as the government seeks to address vaccine shortfalls, flagging a deal with Moderna.

The federal government has previously agreed to acquire 51 million doses of Novavax's vaccine, which has not yet been approved for use by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA).

"We are looking at all of those options right now. We know that Novavax, we have 51 million doses on order, but that is not yet approved by the TGA," Kelly said.

"The TGA will absolutely expedite that matter. And as soon as Novavax is ready to supply to Australia we will be going through those processes."

Despite Thursday's announcement that use of the AstraZeneca vaccine will be limited, biotechnology company CSL, which was contracted by the government to manufacture 50 million doses locally, said it would continue to produce it.

"CSL remains committed to meeting its contracted arrangements with the Australian government and AstraZeneca for locally produced AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines," the company said in a statement on Friday.

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Canberra, April 7 (IANS): Former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd briefly stepped into a new role as an Uber driver in Queensland state, giving a lift to a group of "tipsy" diners who mistakenly piled into his car.

find a park because it's raining," she wrote.

"Guilty as charged," Rudd tweeted in response to a media report on the incident on Wednesday.

She said the "lovely but tipsy crew had been at the restaurant since lunch".

"Four young Melburnians getting drenched in a Queensland subtropical downpour at Noosa last night with no Uber in sight...

So what's a man to do?" he said in the tweet The former Prime Minister's daughter Jessica Rudd had tweeted the series of events as it happened, reports dpa news agency.

"Dad just dropped us off at a restaurant in Noosa then went to

"Then I thought I saw some people pile into his car, told myself it wasn't, must be a similar looking Uber. It wasn't. It was Dad's car."

When the former leader told them he wasn't an Uber they offered to pay him to drive them to a nearby street anyway.

His daughter said it took the group half the ride to realise their driver was the 26th Prime Minister of Australia.

Rudd was the leader of the Labor Party, serving as Australia's Prime Minister between 2007-2010 and again from June-September in 2013.

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Aus to convene national women's safety summit

Canberra, April 8 (IANS): The Australian government announced that it will convene a national summit on women's safety in July, which will shape a new plan to prevent all kinds of violence, including domestic and sexual, against women and children.

The announcement came after federal, state and territory ministers recently agreed to the terms on the National Women's Safety Summit, reports Xinhua news agency.

"This summit will further elevate the important national discussion we are having about women's safety and ensure that we bring all people along with us as we develop the next national plan,"

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said in a statement on Wednesday evening.

It comes three years after the last summit, which was attended by about 100 delegates and secured A$328 million in funding for the current plan that ends in 2021.

The new summit on July 29 and 30 is expected to be bigger as the government faces calls for greater action to prevent domestic violence.

Anne Ruston, the Minister for Women's Safety, Families and Social Services, said that delegates will have the opportunity to share their personal experiences and make suggestions for prevention and response measures.

Dutton, one of the most senior ministers in the federal government, said that Australia was not in the same "mad panic" as other countries to inoculate the population against Covid-19, reports Xinhua news agency.

He compared Australia's situation to that in the US and the UK, where he said there are thousands of new cases every day.

"We haven't lived in that environment, (and) we don't

want to," Dutton told Sky News Australia.

According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, sexual assault is a major health and welfare issue in Australia and worldwide.

Almost 2 million Australian adults have experienced at least one sexual assault since the age of 15.

Greg Hunt.

"There will be hiccups from time to time in terms of the rollout of the vaccine, but we'll work with the states, we'll work with general practitioners."

That figure includes a 44-yearold Melbourne man who was admitted to hospital recently for blood clots about two weeks after receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine.

His comments came after Nine Entertainment newspapers reported on Sunday that the first phase of the vaccine rollout will not be completed until the end of May, almost two months later than the early April deadline previously set by the government.

"There is one case which has been under investigation with regards to potential side effects and clotting. That will be determined through the medical processes, but I want to thank our medical experts," Hunt told reporters on Sunday.

As of Saturday evening, Australia's vaccination tally was at 841,885, according to Minister for Health

"We will continue following their advice as we have done through the pandemic."

A group, called "StrandedAussies. org", said in documents lodged with the UN Human Rights Committee that Prime Minister Scott Morrison's government has "arbitrarily breached their right to return to the land of their birth or citizenship", reports Xinhua news agency The National Cabinet, which is composed of Morrison and state and territory leaders, introduced a cap on international arrivals to Australia in July 2020 to prevent the hotel quarantine system from being overwhelmed.

The group said the cap has prevented them from returning home with airlines cutting flights to Australia and significantly increasing prices.

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"International law recognises the strong bond between individuals and their homeland and no respectable government would impose travel caps to prevent, for over a year, its citizens from returning if they are prepared to do quarantine," Geoffrey Robertson, a lawyer advising the group, said on Wednesday.

"Both our political parties have, in the past, done what they can to help Australians overseas but Mr Morrison is behaving as if in a moral vacuum - he does not seem to care very much about the suffering caused to fellow Australians."

Morrison in September 2020 promised to bring "as many people home if not all by Christmas".

At the time, 24,000 citizens or residents overseas had registered with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) to return to Australia.

Photo Courtesy: IANS

"We must have a goal towards zero and the next plan will be an ambitious blueprint to stop the rot that is domestic violence across our national landscape."

Stranded Australians file UN legal action against govt Canberra, April 1 (IANS): Australians stranded overseas amid the coronavirus pandemic have filed a legal action against the federal government with the UN.

Aus PM calls on EU to release Covid jabs

"We need to make sure that we move from just reducing violence against women and their children to ending violence against women and their children," she told Nine Entertainment newspapers.

No need to panic over slow vax rollout in Aus: Minister Canberra, April 5 (IANS): Australian Defence Minister Peter Dutton has called for calm over the delayed rollout of Covid-19 vaccines in the country.

NEWS FROM AUSTRALIA

However as of late March, the figure had risen to 36,206, more than 4,000 of whom were considered vulnerable.

Deborah Tellis, a spokesperson for "StrandedAussies.org", said they were "a group of ordinary Aussies who have been left high and dry by an unfeeling government".

"The government is responsible for quarantine and has a duty to allow its citizens to return and enter into it - it should force the states to admit us and provide for them to increase their quarantine facilities. What it must not do is to breach international law," she said.

"The damage it is doing to many stranded Australians is terrible they are unable to get back to see dying parents or sick relatives, unable to return to take up jobs or start university courses. By going to the UN, we hope to highlight what an unfeeling government Morrison heads."

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Canberra, April 7 (IANS): Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Wednesday called on the European Union (EU) to release doses of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine.

Morrison said that delays to Australia's vaccine rollout were a matter of "straightforward maths" with AstraZeneca blocked from exporting more than 3 million doses, reports Xinhua news agency.

"It's straightforward maths - 3.1 million out of 3.8 million doses did not come to Australia," he told reporters in Canberra.

"That obviously had a very significant impact on the early rollout of the vaccination program, until we got into a position when the domestically produced AstraZeneca vaccine would be in place."

Earlier the European Commission said that only 250,000 doses of the vaccines had been formally blocked.

In response, the Australian government said in a statement that the Commission was "arguing semantics".

Morrison has previously announced that 1 million of the vaccines will be redirected to Papua New Guinea (PNG) if they are allowed to leave Europe.

On Wednesday, the Prime Minister said he would write to the EC asking that they be exported.

Morrison was joined by Brendan Murphy, the Secretary of the Department of Health, who said that the domestic production of AstraZeneca vaccines was continuing to escalate but had not reached the goal of manufacturing 1 million doses per week.

So far about 920,334 vaccines had been administered in Australia, short of the government's initial target of 4 million by the end of March.

Aus PM welcomes NZ travel bubble Canberra, April 6 (IANS): Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Tuesday welcomed New Zealand's decision to open its borders to travellers from the country.

Earlier in the day, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced that Australians will be allowed to enter the country without mandatory quarantine from April 19.

It comes about six months after Australia opened its borders to New Zealand travellers in October 2020.

Morrison said the opening of the travel bubble both ways was the "first of many steps to come" as Australia begins to slowly open itself up to the rest of the world.

"This is the first of many more steps to come, I believe, as we get back to a normal, more normal position, not only over the course of this year but beyond," he said in

Canberra.

"This will mean importantly, jobs for Australia."

It will mark the first time that Australians will be able to freely leave the country since March 2020 when the National Cabinet banned citizens from leaving the country except for essential reasons.

Morrison flagged bubbles opening with Singapore, Japan and South Korea but warned they could be months away.

He also defended the speed of Australia's Covid-19 vaccine rollout, saying delays have largely been a result of international supply issues.

"There were over 3 million doses from overseas that never came.

And that's obviously resulted in an inability to get 3 million doses out and distributed through the network," Morrison said.

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WHAT’S ON

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INDIA NEWS

NEWS FROM WESTERN AUSTRALIA

PM Morrison enjoys morning tea with WA's Indian community

T

he Prime Minister enjoyed a morning tea with the Western Australian Indian community at the Bollywood Restaurant, Innaloo on April 15.

"Delighted to join the Indian community here in Perth for breakfast this morning.

They’ve shown the very best of the Australian spirit during COVID-19, stepping up and supporting their community through the toughest time," PM Morrison said.

After acknowledging the Indigenous owners of the land, PM Morrison said during his address to the Indian community gathered there: "Can I say thank you to all of you here this morning for joining

me. It is wonderful to be here with you. When I sat down and I looked out at this wonderful place with Jim and Badri I thought to myself, Jenny and I are coming back here. We’re coming back for a meal, we’re coming back for when the Bollywood night is on and we’re going to love coming back here. I can understand why this is a place that people feel very comfortable and happy and I’m sure you’ve had many great times here together and celebrated wonderful times together as a family and as a community and really that’s what I think all of this is about."

difficult challenge, it’s different in this country in how we have been able to be successful in managing and supressing COVID-19 here in particularly in Western Australia and I want to thank the entire community for the amazing job that you have done supporting each other and ensuring that Australia has come through to this point with great success," he added.

"I know that for many of you there will be great heartache at the moment as you see COVID ravage India. It is an incredibly

THE HON ALEX HAWKE MP

MINISTER FOR IMMIGRATION, CITIZENSHIP, MIGRANT SERVICES AND MULTICULTURAL AFFAIRS

MESSAGE FOR VAISAKHI 2021

We support IABCA 2021 Gala Awards

Wishing all members of the Australian Sikh community a wonderful Vaisakhi celebration.

As you gather with your family and community to mark the founding of Sikhism as a collective faith, I hope today is a celebration of not just your history and identity but also the principles of equality and justice that the Khalsa order embodies so well.

As one of the largest faith communities in Australia, your community has continually strived to incorporate the Australian values in everyday life. Particularly in recent times, you have shown the power of respect and humility, and a deep commitment to helping those in need. Through bushfires, the COVID-19 pandemic and the eastern Australia floods, I take this opportunity to thank you for the extraordinary efforts you have undertaken and your ongoing commitment to supporting all Australians.

As you gather to celebrate this occasion, I wish you all a safe and happy Vaisakhi.

Vaisakhi diyan lakh lakh vadhaiyan

ALEX HAWKE

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INDIA NEWS

Backing multicultural young people to be leaders at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Thursday. The Bachar Houli Foundation will use this funding to continue its Girls Leadership Program, which strengthens identity and community connectedness among Muslim girls aged 12 to 17 years.

Melbourne, April 12: The Andrews Labor Government is backing multiculturalyoung people with more opportunities to develop their skills and come together through sport.

Minister for Youth Ros Spence has announced $450,000 for sporting organisations that deliver mentoring and skill building activities for African and Muslim young people. This includes $150,000 each for the Bachar Houli Foundation, Western Bulldogs Community Foundation and The Huddle.

The grants were announced at a special event with BacharHouli and the Richmond Football Club

It will also support the Foundation’s A-Game program, which engages Islamic young people through mentoring opportunities and interactive modules, and the Richmond Football Club’s Tiger Paw program which educates primary school students about teamwork and physical and mental wellbeing.

Funding will also support delivery of the Western Bulldogs Community Foundation’s GOAL Youth Mentoring Program, which engages African young people in Melbourne’s West through mentoring and personal development workshops. And it will continue The Huddle’s Wyndham Project, which is based at the North Melbourne Football Club and works with

schools in Wyndham to engage African young people in sport and recreation activities and education and career support.

Young people from Victoria’s multicultural and faith communities have faced significant challenges during the coronavirus pandemic. With investments like these, the Labor Government is ensuring young peoplecan recover stronger than ever.

Minister for Youth Ros Spence said; “Sport is a fantastic way to engage young people with their communities, build confidence and grow leadership skills.

“The skills and values these programs promotewill empower a new group of young leaders in our community. It is our responsibility to make sure every young Victorian is supported to fully recover from the significant challenges they have faced over the past twelve months. I am proud to support three programs that foster such a strong sense of community and belonging in young people.”

Investing in our future: Student festival to grow in 2021 Melbourne, April 5: The Andrews Labor Government is supporting the recovery of the international education sector in Victoria with the expansion of the innovative Future Founders program.

Acting Minister for Trade Jaala Pulford today announced that Study Melbourne will once again team up with the State Library Victoria’s StartSpace to launch an expanded and revamped $500,000, year-long program in 2021.

Delivered across onsite and online platforms, the program will include community roadshows led by industry experts, immersive bootcamps, the Future Founders Festival and Australia’s first international student incubator initiative, with

$10,000 venture scholarships on offer for up to eight startup teams.

Participants will have the chance to learn from leading business entrepreneurs to bolster their career readiness and build networks in the Victorian business community, and the program will also engage international students offshore through Victoria’s innovative new Study Melbourne Hubs initiative.

The five hubs – to be based in Asia, India and Latin America – are designed to create a pathway for students to study in Victoria and better support overseas students studying online. The investment is part of the Government’s $33. 4 million International Education Short-

Term Recovery Plan announced in the Victorian Budget 2020-21, which includes initiatives to reset and stimulate the sector and position Victoria for recovery.

There are 90,000 international students currently studying in Victoria, along with thousands more enrolled online overseas.

International education was Victoria’s largest services export in 2019, contributing $13. 7 billion to the state’s economy and supporting around 79,000 Victorian jobs.

Pacific Island workers touch down In Victoria Melbourne, April 2: More than 100 Pacific Islands workers arrived in Victoria today, as part of an agreement with the Tasmanian and Andrews Labor Government to provide vital support to farms and agriculture businesses across the state.

Additional workers will arrive from Tasmania in the coming days as part of a planned, rolling schedule of arrivals that will see up to 1,500 Pacific Islands workers join the local workforce in Victoria. These workers are

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an integral part of the seasonal workforce, undertaking important work to support our state’s $15.9 billion agriculture industry.

The workers have completed 14 days quarantine in Tasmania, thanks to the landmark agreement between the Victorian and Tasmanian governments.

They will join the agriculture workforce in Victoria and spend the next couple of days settling into their new homes, preparing to start work next week.

The first group of Pacific Islands workers will bolster the seasonal workforce across the state, from the Yarra Valley and Gippsland right across to Sunraysia. A group of additional workers will also start work on Tasmanian farms.

The Labor Government thanks them for their commitment and valuable contribution to the agriculture industry and will continue to provide support to farm businesses and employers as they manage the labour requirements of this season’s harvest.

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NEWS FROM VICTORIA

ASTRAZENECA COVID-19 Vaccine effective Melbourne, April 8: Earlier this evening the Australian Government received advice from the vaccine expert taskforce, the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI).

The Government accepts the advice from Australia’s medical experts and will move swiftly to ensure Australia’s vaccination program and advice to patients is adjusted accordingly.

The Australian Government places safety above all else, as it has done throughout the pandemic, and will continue to follow the medical advice in protecting Australians. The ATAGI advice is clear that the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine is highly effective in preventing severe disease caused by COVID-19.

The medical advice to the Government is that the risk of blood clotting side effects from the Astra Zeneca vaccine is four to six in one million people, in the first four to 20 days post the vaccine. This is a rare but serious side effect. On that basis, the recommendation is that it is preferred that the Pfizer vaccine be provided to adults under the age of 50.

The AstraZeneca vaccine should only be given as a first dose to adults under the age of 50 where the benefit clearly outweighs the risk for that individual.

AstraZeneca is recommended for those over the age of 50.

The vaccination program will continue, particularly for the most vulnerable Australians in Phase 1B including those over the age of 70 who are not impacted by this revised advice.

The longer-term timeframe for the program is being reviewed following this medical advice. The Department of Health will provide preliminary, updated advice to general practitioners and health professionals. The ATAGI advice follows further international evidence including from the vaccinations in Europe and the United Kingdom.

ATAGI had already provided updated guidance on 2 April.

The ATAGI advice has today been considered by the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC), which is the Medical Expert Panel led by the Chief Medical Officer, and also comprising all State and Territory Chief Health Officers.

Nominations for Multicultural Film Festival open Melbourne, April 8: The rollout of the Victorian-led component of the COVID-19 vaccination program is on time, on target and on track to deliver 300,000 total doses by 16 May. This figure, which forecasts vaccine delivery at state commissioned vaccination sites, will ensure Victorians can be confident in how the Victorian Government’s rollout is progressing.

Victoria is also expanding the number of sites and outreach models for its vaccine delivery, with two new high-volume centres at the Melbourne Showgrounds and the Mercure Ballarat to be activated in the coming weeks. These sites join five existing high-volume centres across the state plus dozens more hospital vaccination hubs, b-hubs, and outreach delivery services currently in operation or preparing to come online.

Victorians living in public housing and included in Phase 1a and 1b will also be able to receive coronavirus vaccinations close to home through dedicated community health centres and mobile ‘pop up’ clinics. This innovative, targeted approach recognises that many Victorians more vulnerable to coronavirus may not be able to travel long

distances to get vaccinated due to carer obligations, disability, or lack of transport options.

The community vaccination centres will be established in Prahran, Lilydale, Broadmeadows, West Melbourne and Deer Park, supported by community health partner agencies and using their local community expertise – with vaccinations already underway.

Mobile vaccination vans will also be used to provide outreach, partnering with local organisations and workplaces across the state.As part of the Commonwealth’s rollout, Victoria is responsible for providing vaccinations to workers in health, emergency services and other critical industries and public sector aged care.

As at 7 April, more than 120,000 vaccine doses have been administered at state commissioned sites. Almost all Hotel Quarantine and port of entry workers have received their first dose of the vaccine, plus more than three-quarters of health workers in phase 1a. By the end of the next two weeks every public residential aged care facility will have been visited to deliver the first vaccine dose to residents.

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NEWS FROM VICTORIA

Victoria gets its first Indian Community Centre

Government and I am so pleased to see it up and running,” Mr Tudge said.

“There are now over 200,000 people of Indian heritage in Victoria who call Australia home.”

“The Indian community is the fastest-growing diaspora in Australia and their values of aspiration and hard work have helped to shape modern Australia.”

“This centre will be a meeting place, a place for learning, for charitable activity and for sharing the rich Indian culture.”

“I hope everyone in the community will access it and be enriched by it.”

I

ndian communities across Victoria are set to benefit from a new Indian Community Centre opened by the Hon Alan Tudge MP in Rowville today.

The centre was partially funded by the Australian Government with $2.5 million in funding.

Federal Member for Aston Alan Tudge said that once final council approval is complete the two-storey building will be

used as Victoria’s first Indian Community Centre, and include multiple assembly halls, a commercial kitchen, meeting and storage rooms, a carpark, an administration and reception area, offices for three Indian community peak bodies as well as a secure area for Museum India which showcases India’s rich history and heritage.

“This was an election commitment of the Morrison

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development Michael McCormack said the Australian Government’s $2.5 million investment in the Indian Community Centre would provide long term benefits to Victoria’s Indian communities and the local economy.

“In addition to Indian communities, this investment will produce long-term economic

benefits to the region through generating increased foot traffic to local businesses,” the Deputy Prime Minister said.

“By supporting 2 jobs in construction and creating an expected 15 ongoing jobs after completion, in addition to using local businesses and supplies, this project will bring economic benefits to Knox for many years to come.”

Chair of the Australia India Community Charitable Trust Vasan Srinivasan said that he was truly excited for the community centre to officially opened.

“I wish to thank the Morrison Government and our Deputy Prime Minister, the Hon. Michael McCormack for the funding and approval of this project, along with Hon. Alan Tudge and Hon. Michael Sukkar for their support

to see this project formalised and delivered,” Mr Srinivasan said.

“I am also excited to see the Community Centre become the new home of the Museum India, which will be named in memory of Dr Dinesh Parekh – the collector and curator or the museum’s collection.”

This Indian Community Centre is funded by Australian Government under the Community Development Grants Programme.

The Programme delivers projects identified by the Australian Government to support needed infrastructure that promotes stable, secure and viable local and regional economies.

Projects range from new sporting facilities, to upgrading community centres and smallscale infrastructure projects.

Source URL: https:// indiandownunder.com. au/?p=16233

Historical moment of spiritual integration of two ancient Nations Australia and India

I

t is an utmost pride and a remarkable moment of connecting and integrating two ancient Nations Australia and India at a spiritual level that holds lots of similarities in their culture and traditions.

It was a historical moment when Prakruthi Mysore Gururaj the first Indian to be welcomed and accepted into Gunggari Nation by one of the keepers of Indigenous Australian tradition and culture Aunty Peggy and Aunty Cathy whose traditional totem is the Emu (Nurinj). The ceremony was witnessed by many multicultural groups present at the Harmony Day event organised by Fiji Senior Citizens Association Of Queensland.

Before this, Djandi Lee Merenda Granddaughter of Aunty Peggy Tidyman was welcomed and accepted into Women’s Ceremonial Circle in 2015 which was the first Gunggari women's ceremony held on country in over 70+years giving a young woman a traditional naming (Mirilani -thili) Shining Star.

Djandi means Pretty flower. Only Traditional Elders can give a person a traditional name as they observe the young girl growing into womanhood and only Women Elders can invite other women into the Women’s Ceremonial Circle.

Now after 6 years since Djandi Lee Merenda, Granddaughter of Aunty Peggy Tidyman was

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welcomed by descent, Prakruthi Mysore Gururaj was welcomed based on spiritual connection.

This is a very rare aspect that has happened in the history of Emu (Nurinj) traditional elders.

unexplainable and has thoroughly enjoyed every moment as they got to explore many more commonalities between Indian and Indigenous Australian culture and traditions.

This sacred ceremony conducted by the Aboriginal elders Aunty Peggy and Aunty Cathy whose traditional totem is the Emu (Nurinj), welcomed Prakruthi as their traditional family member that marked as an acceptance of Prakruthi into Gunggari women's circle. Prakruthi was given a traditional name 'Bua Bua' which means butterfly and hence will be called the 'Butterfly lady' in the Gunggari culture. Aunty Cathy's granddaughter Shontara Rainbow was also present in the ceremony who performed the traditional dance with Aunty Peggy, Aunty Cathy and Prakruthi and assisted Aunty Peggy by bringing the 'ochre' to perform the ceremony.

On the day of the ceremony Prakruthi read an excerpt from an article 'Aboriginal Spirituality and Hindu Faith' written by Mr Surendra Prasad 's friend Mr Vijay Singhal as follows:

This amazing spiritual journey started almost a year back when the Gunggari elders felt the spiritual connection with Prakruthi who resembled one of their family members. Once this was expressed in Dec 2020 and the ceremony day was decided to be on 20th March 2021 during Harmony Day celebration, it took Prakruthi weeks to prepare from familiarising the Gunggari values, hand painting the ceremony clothes and to learn the traditional dance. Prakruthi shares her experience being

"Australian aborigines claim to have lived here for over 50,000 years and as per a study in 2013 at the Max Planck Institute by researchers, led

by Irina Pugach suggested that Aboriginal genomes consist of up to 11% Indian DNA which is uniformly spread through Northern Australia indicating a substantial gene flow between Indian population and Northern Australians occurring around 4,230 years ago. Some changes in tool technology and food processing also appear in archaeological records around this time, suggesting some migration from India.

1. Smoking ceremony similar to Indian Havan/Yagna 2. Worshipping Mother Nature 3. Spirituality is cosmogony" Prakruthi feels blessed to get an opportunity to extend the spiritual connection between 2 nations along with Aunty Peggy, Aunty Cathy and all the people from various Multicultural background on this special occasion of harmony day

Hindu faith is also one of the oldest living religions in the world. Hindus call it Sanatana Dharma – the Eternal Religion, ever existing. It predates recorded history.

Both these cultures are very ancient and there are some basic similarities in their spiritual thinking. Some of the below similarities were explained on day

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INDIA NEWS

Qld company’s 15-min rapid Covid-19 test takes fight to Europe Photo Courtesy: Financial Times

isolation of infected patients.

NEWS FROM QUEENSLAND

Qld cities top the list of most sought-after destinations for Kiwi tourists Photo Courtesy: Kind Of Normal

Member for Toohey Peter Russo said on product launch in Australia AnteoTech will have capacity to produce a large quantity of tests per week at its facility at Eight Mile Plains.

“We’ve seen good numbers to many regions over Easter and with more flights from New Zealand, we’re expecting numbers to grow in coming weeks.

“We’re Good to Go and ready to welcome these visitors to Queensland.

“They will partner with contract manufacturers to scale-up test kit production to meet increased demand to satisfy the Australian market,” he said.

Brisbane, April 12: Queensland company AnteoTech has won a vital European accreditation for its 15-minute COVID-19 rapid test.

“We’ll continue to support our best and brightest to develop technology that can create jobs here in Queensland and help fight the global pandemic.”

AnteoTech now has ConformitèEuropëenne Mark registration for its innovative point-of-care COVID-19 antigen rapid test platform, EuGeni.

Treasurer and Minister for Investment Cameron Dick said Queensland ingenuity was proving crucial in stopping the spread of COVID-19.

This meets crucial health and safety conditions in Europe and the United Kingdom.

“The COVID health solutions being produced here in Queensland are world-leading and life-saving,” Mr Dick said.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the Queensland Government was proud to provide support to companies developing technology to fight COVID-19.

“Queensland is on the forefront of fighting the COVID pandemic globally, creating more jobs and economic opportunities locally,” she said.

“Earlier this year we committed $1.4 million to help AnteoTech to progress the COVID-19 rapid test from prototype through to product launch.

“Now AnteoTech is taking the pandemic fight to Europe.

“This is world leading technology being produced in Queensland and exported overseas.

“We’ve already seen Queensland start-up Ellume secure a $304 million US government contract for their COVID-19 self-testing kit,” she said.

“This tick from Europe will help AnteoTech accelerate commercialisation of their product in Australia, generating more than $2 million in private sector investment and creating five new jobs while strengthening vital industry supply chains.”

The COVID-19 rapid test is based on AnteoTech’s proprietary binding technology coupled with global advancements in assay detection systems which provides valuable decision-making support for the early detection and

“I am excited by the immediate opportunity and the leverage opportunities that lie ahead of us,” he said.

“CE Mark registration for the COVID-19 antigen rapid test platform provides AnteoTech with an opportunity to capture some of the large and growing European antigen rapid test market.

“With the support of the Queensland Government, we hope not only to successfully deliver this project, but create valuable supply chains to ensure the success of future projects.

“I would also like to thank the Queensland Government for their contribution through the Essential Goods and Supply Chain Program, to the commercialisation of our test and platform.”

Women leading the charge at TAFE

Brisbane, April 10: TAFE Queensland is helping more women across the state unlock new careers.

That includes breaking the barriers into traditionally male dominated industries.

Minister for Employment and Small Business and Minister for Training and Skills Development Di Farmer said the number of women enrolled in TAFE and then obtaining their qualifications is increasing.

“During COVID-19 we know that more women lost their jobs,” Minister Farmer said.

“We needed to address that head on.

“So far this financial year female enrolments across TAFE Queensland have increased by around 7,375 compared to the same period in 2019-20.

“Women enrolling in construction is the standout figure, with an increase of more than 200 when compared to the same period last

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financial year.

Lamari said.

“There have also been big increases in women enrolling in automotive, engineering, hospitality and retail.

Minister Farmer said the Palaszczuk Government’s Free TAFE and Free Apprenticeships programs are funding the training costs for women to take up in-demand apprenticeships, traineeships or other vocational education and training qualifications.

“This is great news with an increase of 1,164 more women completing their qualifications this year when compared to the same period in 2019-20.

There have been 38 more women in Construction,156 more women in Primary Industries, 84 more women in Laboratory Operations and 40 more women in Health who have graduated.

Fiona Lamari co-Vice President of NAWIC said an increase in the number of women taking up training means more women are likely to get jobs, including more women jumping the hurdle into male-dominated industries.

“Many employers and industries that were struggling to find skilled workers are looking to recruit, train and retain more women in their workforces,” Ms

“It’s no secret that Queensland has some of the world’s best tourism experiences, attractions and destinations.

“AnteoTech’s next step is to gain approval from the Therapeutic Goods Administration to start manufacturing here and get Australians using this rapidscreening technology.”

AnteoTech CEO Derek Thomson said the launch of the EuGeni Platform provides a strong foundation for AnteoTech to grow a suite of qualitative and quantitative tests for the Pointof-Care market.

“This allows young people to focus on their studies and work without the worry of training debt,” Ms Farmer said.

“Employers, colleagues, industries, schools and parents need to continue playing their roles supporting more women to commence and complete their studies and to build careers in their trades of choice.

Brisbane, April 11: Airports, airlines and tourism booking platforms have all enjoyed strong surges in demand from travellers looking to book Queensland holidays in the past week, showing positive signs for the industry’s ongoing recovery.

New data released today shows close to 146,000 people flew into Queensland’s largest airports over the Easter long weekend.

38,000 flew into Cairns, 50,000 flew into the Gold Coast, 40,000 into Brisbane and 17,900 to the Sunshine Coast.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said airlines were also reporting a huge surge in demand for trans-Tasman services, adding more than 230 flights per week to New Zealand’s major airports following the announcement of unrestricted travel both ways commencing this month.

Meanwhile searches on Expedia. co.nz have surged by almost 460 per cent compared to last week.

The Premier said Queensland’s record investment in tourism was helping the industry bounce back from the coronavirus pandemic.

“After a tough year for our tourism industry, things are starting to look up for many operators in some of our most important visitor destinations,” the Premier said.

“We’re investing millions of dollars in new marketing campaigns and to fast-track direct flights back to Queensland because we know this is an important part of our economic study in-demand qualifications.”

“The investment of $21 million to extend the free training to under 25s this year means that 37,000 more young men and women have become eligible to enrol in 165 priority qualifications, through Free TAFE or Free Apprenticeships.

“The Palaszczuk Government has invested more than $150 million to revitalise TAFE infrastructure across Queensland since 2017.

“More than 30,500 young Queenslanders now have accessed our free training, including over 27,000 apprentices and trainees,” Ms Farmer said.

“Our Government is also covering the training costs for eligible young people up to 25 years old to

For further information visit www.desbt.qld.gov.au or call 1300 369 935.

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recovery plan.

“So it’s no wonder that our destinations dominate searches on Expedia.co.nz – with Gold Coast top of the list and Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast in the top five.

“Tourism supports thousands of businesses and thousands of Queensland jobs. We want to see those businesses and those jobs get through this pandemic.”

The recent surge in demand comes on top of a successful Christmas school holiday period, where latest Tourism Research Australia (TRA) figures show that, despite a January lockdown, the January holiday season brought the most visitors and visitor spend for Queensland in a year.

Visitors spent $1.9 billion in Queensland in January 2021, up from $1.3 billion spent in December 2020, according to TRA’s National Visitor Survey.

TRA’s ‘Tourism Recovery Scenarios’ report, released last week, also showed Queensland was mostly likely to recover faster than any other state or territory, returning to pre-pandemic 2019 domestic tourism levels around March 2022.

Tourism Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said Easter and the school holidays had delivered an economic boost for some destinations.

“We’ve had encouraging reports of Easter occupancy rates seeing positive growth and continuing into the school holidays,” Mr Hinchliffe said.

“There’s solid demand for Queensland holiday experiences but we know there’s still work to be done with not all destinations enjoying the same strong results.

“Easter, the school holidays and news of the New Zealand travel bubble have certainly boosted optimism among tourism operators that have done well, although confidence is patchy in areas of the state that haven’t.

“We’ll continue to support initiatives to grow visitor numbers and provide a hand-up to operators where they need it.

“The Palaszczuk Government is already ramping up marketing in New Zealand to let Kiwis know Queensland is Good to Go with targeted approaches for domestic tourism to specific regions on the way.”

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April 16-30, 2021 - Vol 1, Issue 20

Making a difference for a more inclusive Canberra Canberra, April 9: When Canberran Steph Lum had the idea of launching YOUth&I, the world’s first publication for intersex youth, they could never have imagined the community it would create. Launched in 2019, with the help of Intersex Human Rights Australia, the project brought together writing and artwork from young intersex people in Canberra and around the world. Two years on, it continues to be a valuable resource. “I wanted to create something centred on intersex people’s voices, which allows them to tell their stories in their own words. The stories shared are powerful to read and are so important for young intersex people to see that there are other people out there with similar experiences.” Steph said. “These include experiences of medical interventions at a young age, secrecy over their bodies and

histories, shame and isolation, but also positive experiences when people found community and began to accept and celebrate who they are.”

To be intersex—to have innate variations in sex characteristics that are often stigmatised—is not to be any one thing. There are intersex people of all ages, all backgrounds, all faiths, and all sexual orientations. There are over 40 intersex variations and many different body types. This means that intersex people can have different needs from each other and different experiences in how they have been treated by people around them and how they see themselves. YOUth&I was supported in the first round of the Capital of Equality grants program. Run by the ACT Government Office of LGBTIQ+ Affairs, the grants aim to support Canberrans to create a fairer,

more inclusive Canberra for people of diverse sexualities, genders, bodies and relationships.

Applications are now open for the 2021 round of Capital of Equality grants until 21 April. In this round, projects related to community recovery from the pandemic, sexual minorities beyond the gay and lesbian community, intersex human rights, or young LGBTIQ+ people aged 12 to 21 are particularly encouraged, though all eligible applications will be considered.

Steph said they are “thankful” for the program’s support of YOUth&I, which has provided a platform for young intersex people to be visible, valued and respected. “Creating safe spaces in community to share, hear, and hold each other is incredibly important,” Steph said. YOUth&I can be download free online, borrowed from ACT Libraries or purchased at select bookstores.

Final areas of Namadgi reopen Canberra, April 8: Namadgi enthusiasts and newcomers alike can now enjoy the full Namadgi experience following the reopening of the last of the closed off areas at the National Park. Access has been restricted in the Park since being ravaged by bushfire last year. Now all of Namadgi is open to the public once again, except for the Yankee Hat Rock Art Site. This location remains closed for upgrades, including new infrastructure, signage and experiences that respects and values the Ngunnawal culture and celebrates the cultural significance of this site and its surrounding location.

For many Canberrans, they will be heading into Namadgi for the first time since the Orroral

Valley bushfire in January 2020.

The bush is still recovering, and the safety hazards brought about by the fires haven’t completely gone away. As you make your way to Namadgi again please tread carefully, stay safe and drop in to the Namadgi Visitor Centre before you set off. And before you head off, don’t forget to familiarise yourself with Namadgi’s safety information and you know what to pack and bring along with you.

The ACT Government has worked hard to get Namadgi ready to be reopened, by making the infrastructure and environment safe for the community. Because of the heavy rainfall event in late March some public roads remain closed which may restrict vehicle access in areas of the park.

During that week over 200mm was dumped on the Orroral Valley in less than 36 hours. Most of the work that has occurred in the Park since the launch of the Bushfire Recovery Plan last September has been focused on addressing critical safety issues with surrounding infrastructure and along public roads into the park. The completion of this work now allows Canberrans to get back into areas of the Park that have been closed since December 2019. Recovery work in the park was able to progress faster than originally anticipated thanks to a combination of favourable weather conditions and the hard work of the recovery team, Roads ACT and various volunteer groups from within the community.

New range of travel possibilities to Canberra available

to travel again as restrictions continue to ease around Australia.

Growing aviation is a priority for the ACT Government.

Photo Courtesy: Travel Daily

Affordable fares will encourage more travel to Canberra, boosting our tourism sector as we adjust to COVID-normal life. With competitive fares and more services, Canberra businesses, including retail, hospitality and accommodation, all stand to benefit from increased visitors to Canberra, which in turn will stimulate jobs and give the local economy a boost.

Canberra, March 26: Travel to Canberra for business or pleasure just got easier, with the announcement that Rex is the latest airline to fly in and out of Canberra. Rex will launch seven daily flights on 19 April between

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Canberra and Sydney.

With fares starting at just $99 one way, it will make Canberra more accessible to the Sydney market.

It will also make a huge difference to Canberra households, by giving Canberrans more options

Before you travel, remember many states and territories have different travel requirements in place due to COVID-19. Make sure you check the COVID-19 website of the state or territory you are travelling to before you leave.

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NEWS FROM THE ACT

A joint statement from Professor Brendan Murphy

(Department of Health Secretary and Professor Paul Kelly, Australian Government Chief Medical Officer).

Photo Courtesy: The Mandarin

Canberra, April 8: Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the highest priority in our response has been to protect the safety of the Australian population.

It is for this reason, Australia’s response has always been based on expert medical advice. The Australian Government received important advice this evening from Australia’s expert vaccine advisory body, the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI). ATAGI has very carefully considered the latest vaccination findings out of Europe and the UK – which follow extremely rare instances of people, having taken the AstraZeneca vaccine, developing a very specific syndrome involving blood clots with low platelet counts. The syndrome is called “thrombosis with thrombocytopenia”.

ATAGI has recommended the COVID-19 Pfizer vaccine is preferred over the AstraZeneca vaccine for adults aged under 50 years. This recommendation is based on the increasing risk of severe outcomes from COVID-19 in older adults – and hence a higher benefit from vaccination – and a potentially increased risk of “thrombosis with thrombocytopenia” following AstraZeneca vaccination among those aged under 50. ATAGI has further recommended the AstraZeneca vaccine can be used in adults aged under 50 where the benefits clearly outweigh the risk for that individual and the person has made an informed decision

based on an understanding of the risks and benefits. It has also recommended people who have had the first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine without any serious adverse effects can be given the second dose, including adults under 50 years.

The Government has accepted ATAGI’s recommendations and will move swiftly to ensure Australia’s vaccination program and advice to patients is adjusted accordingly. The experience in Europe is that approximately one in every 250,000 people vaccinated with AstraZeneca is diagnosed with the rare blood clots. One person in Australia developed the syndrome after receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine. It is important to note the AstraZeneca vaccine remains highly effective at preventing death and severe illness among people who have contracted COVID-19 – and that the incidence of the blood-clotting syndrome is very rare. The most effective way for eligible people over the age of 50 in the Phase 1b category of Australia’s rollout program to protect themselves from the effects of COVID-19 is to be vaccinated.

The decision by the Government to accept the ATAGI advice will have implications for the vaccine rollout program. The Australian Government will work through these implications with the states and territories as an urgent priority.

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INDIA NEWS

ISI, Dawood get breather as US drops extradition request against top D-Company financier Photo Courtesy: IANS

Jabir, involved in drug trafficking and handling of international financial deals of Dawood Ibrahim, has been detained in London since 2018 on the request of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Jabir would now be freed from a London prison, as per the reports of a prominent Pakistan TV channel, which spoke to the lawyers of Dawood's aide.

For Indian intelligence agencies, the US move to drop the extradition request against the D-Company-aide has come as a surprise.

IANS had earlier reported that the officials of the Pakistan High Commission in London were supporting Jabir Motiwala's case in a bid to thwart the extradition process which had the potential to expose D-Company's nexus with Pakistani agencies in a US court.

Businessman-turned-underworld

operative, Jabir Motiwala, a Pakistani national also known as Jabir Siddiq, had earlier appealed against his extradition order in the High Court of London and was awaiting judgment when the extradition request was reportedly withdrawn by the US authorities.

The US extradition request in the British court had revealed that Jabir Motiwala reported directly to underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, who is a designated global terrorist and is wanted in the 1993 serial bombings in Mumbai.

While security agencies of both India and Pakistan were awaiting the judgement of the high court on Motiwala's extradition, the eleventh hour decision of the US on withdrawing the extradition process was not expected by many.

Earlier, a section of Pakistani media had said that Motiwala, who hails from a well-to-do family in Karachi, is being framed by the US law enforcing agencies in connection with drugs operations.

In fact, Pakistani diplomats feared that once Motiwala is extradited to the US, the close aide of D-Company could reveal the entire nexus between Dawood Ibrahim's underworld network (being operated from Karachi) and the don's connection with Pakistan's spy agency, Inter Services Intelligence (ISI).

The US had already declared Dawood Ibrahim a global terrorist running an international drug syndicate and sharing the gang's routes with Pakistan-based terror outfits. In August 2018, Motiwala was produced before the Magistrates court in London after his arrest by the Scotland Yard Extradition Unit on charges of money laundering and sharing the proceeds of narcotics money earned on behalf of the D-Company.

Sources said that Barrister John Hardy, appearing on behalf of the US government, had earlier revealed to the Magistrate's court that Motiwala travelled extensively and conducted (underworld crimes related) meetings for his boss Dawood Ibrahim.

NIA court sentences Bangladesh terrorist to 7 yrs jail Photo Courtesy: IANS

Kolkata, April 8 (IANS): A special NIA court on Thursday sentenced Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) terrorist Rizual Islam aka Riyaz aka Sumon to seven-year rigorous imprisonment in a 2017 case related to planning to commit terror acts in India.

An NIA spokesperson said that Islam, a resident of Khulna in Bangladesh, was convicted under several sections of the Indian Penal Code, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, and the Foreigners Act. A fine of Rs 36,000 was also slapped on him.

The Kolkata STF had registered a case on November 21, 2017 pertaining to arrest of five members of ABT, a proscribed terrorist organisation in Bangladesh, in the city.

TFour of the arrested members were Bangladeshi nationals and one an Indian national.

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India, China agree to resolve outstanding issues aimed at disengagement along LAC Photo Courtesy: IANS

On the other hand, the US agencies had initially provided documentary evidence of drug dealing and handling the finance of D-Company, including tapes, against Motiwala in the court.

Pakistani diplomats had earlier tried to thwart the extradition move by submitting a letter on behalf of the accused's lawyer in the Magistrate's court, saying Motiwala was a "well known respected businessman in Pakistan".

London/New Delhi, April 10 (IANS): After years of persuasion, the US has reportedly dropped an extradition request against Jabir Motiwala, the alleged financier of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim.

WORLD NEWS

The official said that the NIA took over the probe on March 1, 2018 and after completion of investigation, filed a charge sheet against five accused.

"They were also aiming to procure arms and ammunition in Kolkata.

Several incriminating materials like map of Sealdah Railway Station, Howrah Bridge, literature on explosives and bomb-making, fake Adhaar Card, fake PAN Card

"The two sides agreed on the need to resolve the outstanding issues in an expeditious manner in accordance with the existing agreements and protocols," a government statement said.

Talks between Indian and Chinese military delegates were held at Chushul on Friday to discuss the next phase of disengagement in Eastern Ladakh, which lasted for 13 hours.

The 11th round of Corps Commander-level talks at Chushul took place after a nearly two-month gap. The Indian military delegation was led by Lieutenant General P.G.K. Menon, the Commander of 14 Corps based in Leh. The two sides had a detailed exchange of views for the resolution of the remaining issues related to disengagement along the LAC. "It is also highlighted that completion of disengagement in other areas would pave the way

were seized from the possession of the accused in the case," the official added.

Two accused in this case were convicted and sentenced earlier by the special NIA court here. The trial against the remaining two arrested charge-sheeted accused continues.

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for the two sides to consider deescalation of forces and ensure full restoration of peace and tranquility and enable progress in bilateral relations," the statement said.

As the India-China military tussle completes almost a year, tensions remain along the borders, even after the successful disengagement process in Pangong Lake. Tanks and troops from both sides have pulled back and there is no eyeball-to-eyeball confrontation, but the build up across Eastern Ladakh continues.

After the recent talks, the two sides agreed that it is important to take guidance from the consensus of their leaders, continue their communication and dialogue and work towards a mutually acceptable resolution of the remaining issues at the earliest.

They also agreed to jointly maintain stability on the ground, avoid any new incidents and jointly maintain peace in the border areas, the statement said.

India and China are engaged in a year-long standoff along the LAC. The confrontations began on the north bank of Pangong Lake, both in the waters and on the banks, as Chinese incursions increased in early May last year.v

India, Kazakh defence ministers discuss ways to strengthen military ties

New Delhi, April 9 (IANS): Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Friday held bilateral talks with visiting Kazakhstan's Defence Minister Lieutenant General NurlanYermekbayev, in which he discussed ways to further strengthen bilateral defence cooperation.

During the probe, it was found that the four Bangladeshi ABT members had entered India in 2016 and were conspiring to commit terrorist acts in India.

The official said that the accused had travelled and stayed at Hyderabad, Pune and Mumbai in the guise of labourers and had tried to procure chemicals from a shop in Patna and were planning to establish hide-outs in Ranchi.

New Delhi, April 10 (IANS): India and China have agreed to resolve the outstanding issues aimed at disengagement along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Eastern Ladakh, thereby paving the way for complete de-escalation, the Indian government said on Saturday.

During the meeting, the two ministers exchanged views to further strengthen bilateral defence cooperation, including through training, defence exercises and capacity building.

They agreed that both sides must look at the possibility of defence industrial collaboration of mutual interest.

Lieutenant General Yermekbayev thanked Singh for the opportunity given to the Kazakh troops for deployment as part of the Indian

battalion in United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). Both ministers also positively assessed the annual KAZIND Exercise.

Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Karambir Singh, Defence Secretary Dr Ajay Kumar, Secretary (Defence Production) Raj Kumar and other senior civil and military officials of Ministry of Defence were also present on the occasion.

Lieutenant General Yermekbayev is on a three-day official visit to India from April 7-10, 2021.

He visited HQs 12 Corps at Jodhpur and the Longewala sector in Jaisalmer. The Kazakh Defence Minister is in India on the invitation of India's defence minister.

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INDIA NEWS

WORLD NEWS

SC declines to free Rohingyas but says India, Sri Lanka to set up 'nodal points' for security challenges no deportation without due process New Delhi, April 8 (IANS): The Supreme Court on Thursday declined to release nearly 150-170 Rohingya refugees held in a subjail in Jammu while ordering they should not be deported unless the procedure prescribed is followed.

A bench, headed by Chief Justice S.A. Bobde and comprising Justices A.S. Bopanna and V. Ramasubramanian, said: "Two serious allegations have been made in reply of the Union of India. They relate to (i) the threat to internal security of the country; and (ii) the agents and touts providing a safe passage into India for illegal immigrants, due to the porous nature of the landed borders."

The top court noted a similar application in 2018 challenging the deportation of Rohingyas from Assam was dismissed by it on October 4, 2018.

"It is also true that the rights guaranteed under Articles 14 and 21 are available to all persons who may or may not be citizens.

But the right not to be deported, is ancillary or concomitant to the right to reside or settle in any part of the territory of India guaranteed under Article 19(1)(e)," it said.

According to the petitioners, Rohingyas were persecuted in

Photo Courtesy: IANS

Myanmar even when an elected government was in power and that now the elected government has been over thrown by a military coup, therefore the danger is imminent.

The petitioners also contend that India is a signatory to the Protection of All Persons against Enforced Disappearances, the Convention against Torture and other Cruel and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.

The top court, however, noted that there is no denial of the fact that India is not a signatory to the Refugee Convention, and serious objections are raised, whether Article 51(c) of the Constitution can be pressed into service, unless India is a party to or ratified a convention.

"But there is no doubt that the national courts can draw inspiration from international conventions/treaties, so long as they are not in conflict with the

municipal law," it observed.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, submitted that India has open/ porous land borders with many countries, there is a continuous threat of influx of illegal immigrants and such influx has posed serious national security ramifications. He added though the rights guaranteed under Articles 14 and 21 may be available to non-citizens, the fundamental right to reside and settle in this country guaranteed under Article 19(1)(e) is available only to the citizens.

The top court said: "Therefore, it is not possible to grant the interim relief prayed for.

However, it is made clear that the Rohingyas in Jammu, on whose behalf the present application is filed, shall not be deported unless the procedure prescribed for such deportation is followed."

An application had been filed

by Mohammad Salimullah and another petitioner, a Rohingya refugee, through advocate Prashant Bhushan, seeking direction from the top court to the government to refrain from implementing any orders on deporting the Rohingya refugees who have been detained in jail in Jammu. The petitioner had also sought their release.

Myanmar state of emergency could be extended Nay Pyi Taw, April 9 (IANS): The Myanmar military's spokesman Zaw Min Tun said the one-year state of emergency imposed by the junta during its February 1 coup could be extended, thereby pushing back potential elections.

He did not give a clear timeline for elections, but said the state of emergency could be extended for six months or more, in excerpts from an interview with CNN published late Thursday, reports dpa news agency.

He said a free and fair vote would have to be held within two years under the country's constitution, but also told the broadcaster

"the standard of democracy in Myanmar will not be the same as from Western counties".

Zaw Min Tun also said there is "solid evidence" of the voter fraud which the army has used to justify seizing power, but did not present any proof to CNN. Civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi was detained by the military in the February coup after her National League for Democracy (NLD) party won an election by a landslide.

Local observers have said the vote was credible.

The military's actions have

prompted widespread protests, to which soldiers have responded with a violent crackdown on the population.

Nearly 2,850 have been arrested, and at least 598 have been killed, including 48 children, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), a nonprofit organization.

Zaw Min Tun said the security forces were using "minimum force" against protesters.

"There will be deaths when they are cracking down (on) the riots, but we are not shooting around without discipline," he said.

10,242 arrested over HK social unrest Photo Courtesy: IANS

Hong Kong, April 9 (IANS): The Hong Kong government's Department of Justice said that 10,242 people have been arrested between June 9, 2019 and February 28, 2021 over the social unrest in city, of which 2,521 are undergoing judicial proceedings.

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In a statement on Thursday, the Security Bureau said that the 2,521 people, about 720 were charged with riots, while the rest were charged with other crimes including illegal assembly, arson and insulting the national flag, reports Xinhua news agency.

In response to questions from Legislative Council members on Thursday, the Department of Justice said that among the 2,521 people involved in judicial proceedings, 883 people had to bear legal consequences, including 614 people convicted,

261 were bound over, four were sentenced to care or protection orders, and four were punished through civil proceedings for contempt of court.

In addition, 50 people were acquitted of their charges, 186 people were acquitted after trial, and the judicial proceedings for the rest are still ongoing.

The Civil Service Bureau said that by the end of February, 26 civil servants had been arrested on suspicion of participating in illegal activities.

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New Delhi, April 8 (IANS): India and Sri Lanka on Friday decided to strengthen their existing cooperation mechanisms and also designate "nodal points" for timely and effective handling of existing as well as emerging security challenges.

ongoing action against drug traffickers and other organised criminals exploiting the narrow sea route between the two countries, the two sides emphasised the need for sharing of real time intelligence and feedback.

The decision was taken in the first delegation level virtual Police Chiefs' Dialogue, where the Indian delegation was led by Director, Intelligence Bureau, Arvind Kumar while the Sri Lankan delegation was led by Inspector General of Police, C.D. Wickramaratne.

Noting that the meeting was held in an environment of positivity and trust, the Ministry said: "As the way forward, it was decided to strengthen the existing cooperation mechanisms, as also designate 'nodal points' for timely and effective handling of existing as well as emerging security challenges."

Both sides also agreed to work jointly against the terrorist entities including the Global Terrorist Groups and fugitives, wherever they are present and active, the Ministry of Home Affairs said.

While appreciating each other's

The institution of Police Chiefs' Dialogue, assisted by the members of other security agencies on both the sides, will further enhance the existing cooperation between the police forces of both the countries.

Global Covid-19 caseload tops 135.8mn Washington, April 12 (IANS): The overall global Covid-19 caseload has topped 135.8 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 2.93 million, according to the Johns Hopkins University.

In its latest update on Monday morning, the University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed that the current global caseload and death toll stood at 135,855,351 and 2,934,981, respectively.

The US is the worst-hit country with the world's highest number of cases and deaths at 31,196,121 and 562,064, respectively, according to the CSSE. Brazil follows in the second place with 13,482,023 cases and 353,137 fatalities.

The other countries with more than two million confirmed

coronavirus cases are India (13,358,805), France (5,119,585), Russia (4,589,209), the UK (4,384,610), Turkey (3,849,011), Italy (3,769,814), Spain (3,347,512), Germany (3,012,158), Poland (2,574,631), Colombia (2,536,198), Argentina (2,532,562), Mexico (2,280,213) and Iran (2,070,141), the CSSE figures showed.

In terms of deaths, Mexico comes in the third place with 209,338 fatalities.

Nations with a death toll of over 50,000 are India (169,275), the UK (127,331), Italy (114,254), Russia (101,282), France (98,909), Germany (78,425), Spain (76,328), Colombia (65,889), Iran (64,490), Poland (58,421), Argentina (57,779), Peru (54,669) and South Africa (53,322).

Russian fighter intercepts US reconnaissance plane Moscow, April 11 (IANS): A Russian MiG-31 fighter has intercepted a US reconnaissance plane above the Pacific Ocean, the Russian Defence Ministry said.

The crew of the Russian jet identified the air target as an RC-135 strategic reconnaissance aircraft of the US Air Force and escorted it over the Pacific Ocean.

Russian airspace control systems detected an air target approaching the Russian state border and a MiG-31 of the Eastern Military District took off in response, the ministry said on Saturday, Xinhua news agency reported.

After the US aircraft flew away from the Russian border, the MiG-31 returned safely to its home airfield.

The Russian fighter strictly complied with international rules for the use of airspace during its flight, the centre added.

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April 16-30, 2021 - Vol 1, Issue 20

INDIA NEWS

WORLD THIS WEEK Contributed by the National Institute for Advanced Studies, Bengaluru

Compiled by Poornima B, Abigail Miriam Fernandez, Sukanya Bali, Avishka Ashok and Vinay Bhora

Iran: Return of the JCPOA talks Photo Courtesy: BBC

What happened?

On 9 April 2021, a Joint Commission meeting of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action ( JCPOA) members (excluding the United States) was held in Vienna.

The meeting followed a virtual and in-person meeting held a few days earlier, resulting in two working groups. One group looks at the US sanctions imposed on Iran; the other will develop conditions that Iran has to comply with to execute the JCPOA. The US representatives stayed at a different hotel as the Iranian delegation refused to meet them directly. Messages about the negotiations were relayed to the US by the other signatories to the JCPOA- Russia, European Union, China.

As the talks' progress, the US and Iran will be involved in indirect talks from the coming week. Iran has expressed its willingness to negotiate provided the US also followed suit. The other parties expect that the negotiations will culminate with a credible outcome that outlines the measures needed to be taken by them to reignite the JCPOA. What does it mean?

First, disagreement over what sanctions to remove could be a potential hurdle for the negotiations. While Iran demands all sanctions imposed after January 2016 be lifted, the US does not want to remove non-nuclear sanctions. Moreover, President Trump had smudged the difference between nuclear and non-nuclear related sanctions by placing some into terrorismrelated sanctions. A major challenge for the US delegation would be deciding whether to stick to these designations or look beyond them. The US will also have to convince its allies in the Middle East.

Second, the negotiations the negotiations have to fructify before the Iran presidential elections in June. If a hardliner replaces Rouhani (who is considered a moderate), Iran could revisit its negotiations.

The deal must see the light for the moderates to retain their face amid widespread call for a hardliner Presidential candidate in Iran. Such political change could delay the talks' outcomes, as opposed to what the other parties aim to achieve.

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Pakistan: A “new era” with Russia Photo Courtesy: Dawn

What happened?

On 7 April, the Foreign Minister of Russia Sergey Lavrov arrived in Pakistan for a two-day visit, the first in nine years. On his arrival, he met with the Foreign Minister of Pakistan, who termed the meeting as the beginning of 'a new era' with Russia. The two held wide-ranging talks during which they reviewed their bilateral cooperation in energy, security, including counterterrorism and defence, besides having an in-depth discussion on the situation in Afghanistan.

Lavrov said Russia was ready to build further counter-terrorism potential by providing military equipment to Pakistan. He said: "This is in the interest of all states of the region," adding that both sides also agreed on joint military exercises and drills.

FM Lavrov also met Imran Khan and General Bajwa. Khan reiterated the importance Pakistan attaches to Russia's relations as a key foreign policy priority and reaffirmed Pakistan's resolve to expeditiously conclude the requisite legal process for the "Pakistan Stream" (NorthSouth) Gas Pipeline project and commence the work soon.

What does it mean?

First, a paradigm shift in PakRussia relations when compared to the 1980s. Although Pakistan and Russia have no history of a substantial relationship, their strategic realities have caused the current shift, which is a positive development for both Islamabad and Moscow.

Second, the Afghan factor is the start of something new. Their mutual interest in Afghanistan has brought the countries together. However, this factor can be seen as the start of bringing Russia and Pakistan towards further engagements.

Ukraine: Escalation of tensions with Russia What happened?

On 10 April, Ukraine's defence minister warned against Russian exacerbation in Eastern Ukraine's Donbas region as a provocation.

Kyiv has raised the alarm over

Russian troops' buildup along the border that separates Ukraine and Russia in Donbas. The Kremlin rebuffed accusations of the troops being a threat.

On 9 April, Russia admonished that in the event of an attack on the Russian population in the Eastern part of the country, Moscow might intervene to protect and aid the Russian speaking residents. Ukraine argued that two of its soldiers Photo Courtesy: BBC

ALSO IN NEWS Hong Kong: Jimmy Lai and two other pro-democracy leaders plead guilty On 7 April, Jimmy Lai, a former Hong Kong media tycoon with two former lawmakers, Lee Cheuk-yan and Yeung Sum pleaded guilty, for taking part in an illegal anti-government protest organized on 31 August 2019.

The charges carry five years of imprisonment. The ex-lawmakers admitted the same offence and said they did not regret their actions, which were a show of civil disobedience.

China: The Philippines continue allegations over the South China Sea On 5 April, China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson said the Philippines should stop their allegation on the South China Sea. Earlier, on 4 April, Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana urged the Chinese vessels that are still around the Niu'e Reef to leave early, as per the South China Sea arbitration.

He also denied that the Niu'e Reef and its adjacent waters as traditional fishing grounds for the Chinese fishermen.

Japan: Sanction extended on North Korea for two years

were killed due to the shooting by the pro-Russian separatists.

According to the open-source intelligence reports, the satellite images showcase an increased presence of tanks, artilleries and short-range ballistic missiles transported to just 150 miles from Ukraine. The Ukrainian President has implored NATO to set up a membership path for Ukraine to join the military alliance to stop the confrontations with Russia.

What does it mean?

Russia has been building its military presence in the region, causing instability. One of the objectives is to ensure that Ukraine does not side away with the EU or NATO and drain the Russian earnings from the region. Ukraine has also been an important location for the former USSR and now Russia in the postcold war period.

The intervention is also meant to support the pro-Russian rebels in Eastern Ukraine. Putin has been backing the rebels to maintain a perpetual separatist crisis, maintain clout over the Ukrainian government, and encroach the region as he did in Crimea.

The recent developments do not clarify the Russian move; it could just be an intimidation tactic or a prelude to a major escalation.

However, the massive troop movements and the antagonistic attitude have caused a ripple in Kyiv and the other Western capitals. The US and NATO will be obligated by Article 5 of the NATO treaty to retaliate. This could escalate into a war between Russia and the United States, and its NATO allies.

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On 6 April, Japan renewed sanctions and a ban on all trade from North Korea for two years. The cabinet approved the extension. According to Kyodo News, the measure aims to pressure North Korea to "give up its nuclear and missile programs."

Myanmar: Both the public protests and the military crackdown continue As of 11 April, more than 700 people are killed by the security forces. On 8 April, an explosion

by Tatmadaw while retaliating against the ongoing clashes in the Sagaing province killed 11 and injuring 30. In the Shan province, the conflict between the two ethnic armed forces RCSS and TNLA has forced villagers to escape. This has added to numbers of exodus to the neighbouring countries. In Kachin State, the Tatmadaw raids in the churches have garnered anger among the locals. On 7 April, a series of attacks in Yangon targeted the military establishments.

Myanmar: Ambassador to the UK, locked out of the embassy On 8 April, the Myanmar ambassador was locked out of the embassy. He described the incident as another "coup". He also said the staff was threatened with "severe punishment if they don't continue to work for the military general." According to Reuters, Chit Win, Deputy ambassador, has taken over as chargé d'affaires in London.

India: 11th round of Corps Commander talks held with China On 9 April, India and China held their 11th rounds of talks at the Chushul border. Both have agreed to maintain stability on

WORLD THIS WEEK the ground and to avoid new incidents in the eastern Ladakh region. The talk focused on disengagement from Patrolling Points (PP) at Gogra and Hot Springs. Ministry of Defence stated: "The two sides agreed that it was important to take guidance from the consensus of their leaders, continue their communication and dialogue and work towards a mutually acceptable resolution of the remaining issues at the earliest."

India: Russian Foreign Minister's visit On 6 April, the Indian Foreign Minister and Russian Foreign Minister held talks in New Delhi. Both ministers agreed to enhance defense cooperation and explore the possibility of "additional" production of Russian equipment in India. The bilateral talks also addressed the regional issues, especially Afghanistan, and collaboration in the pharmaceutical sector.

India: US naval presence in India's EEZ opposed On 9 April, India protested over the US patrolling in Indian Exclusive Economic Zone in the western Indian ocean. India's Ministry of External Affairs said: "the Government of India's stated position on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) does not authorize other States to carry out in the EEZ and on the continental shelf, military exercises or manoeuvres, in particular, those involving the use of weapons or explosives, without the consent of the coastal state."

The US: President Biden pushes for gun control legislation On 8 April, the US President revealed a series of actions to tackle increased gun violence in the country. While quoting the extremely large number of casualties due to gun-related violence, he said, "Gun violence in this country is an epidemic, and it is an international embarrassment." He urged the US lawmakers to support effective legislation that will help in amending laws, rectifying loopholes and protecting the rights of citizens. Even though the US House of Representatives passed a bill that pushes for background-checks in March, the bill will definitely face obstacles in the House of Senates. Biden's statements were directly aimed at "gun violence" instead of "gun control", which might show positive results in the country's fight against the irresponsible use of weapons.

About the authors Poornima B is a PhD scholar from Manipal University, Abigail Miriam Fernandez and Sukanya Bali are project associates, Harini Madhusudan is a PhD scholar and Avishka Ashok is a research assistant in the School of Conflict and Security Studies at the National Institute of Advanced Studies. Chetna Vinay Bhora is a Research Scholar from the University of Madras.

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April 16-30, 2021 - Vol 1, Issue 20

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April 16-30, 2021 - Vol 1, Issue 20

INDIA NEWS

Fostering community engagement and resilient societies through sport Photo Courtesy: Unicef Inocenti

Water(y) politics and IndiaPakistan relations: Learning from history

By Ashok Behuria At a time when vernacular media in Pakistan is abuzz with a neologism “Aabi Dahshatgradi” or ‘water terrorism’ by India, it is not by happenstance that an Indian scholar has come out with an engaging treatise on history and hydrology of the Indus river and its basin, pointing perhaps to the futility of the dance of politics at the banks of an epic river across centuries, from Alexander to Nehru and beyond, that lends its name to a country and a subcontinent.

W

e live in a complex world, ridden with chasms based on caste, creed, colour, nationality and religion. The Covid-19 pandemic has further made societies inward looking, ironically in reaction to a threat that is global in outreach and impact. The impact of the pandemic has not only debilitated the world economies but also increased social tensions among the people. In this context, while states are fighting hard to rebuild their shattered economies, very little focus has been attributed to bridging social tensions. The growing mutual mistrust between diverse communities and between communities and government stakeholders requires a holistic approach with initiatives which build greater social interaction between the diverse communities and government stakeholders.

This is necessary to build to resilient society for a better postCovid world. There are many vehicles to achieve this objective, and sport is one such potent vehicle.

The United Nations General Assembly has emphasized on the positive contribution that sport can have on the realization of sustainable development and on the advancement of human rights. 6 April was proclaimed the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace (IDSDP) vide the UNGA Resolution 67/296 in 2013.

In addition, the United Nations General Assembly also commemorates 2021 as the ‘International Year of Peace and Trust’, wherein sport can play and instrumental role.The UN International Day of Sport for Development and Peace 2021 recognizes the role that sport plays in communities, in individuals’ lives, in building resilience and in the recovery from the pandemic. The 2021 International Day of Sport for Development and Peace aims to achieve the following key outcomes: – Reaffirm the place of sport in the recovery from the pandemic and beyond – Foster equity, solidarity,

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community and team spirit in response to the pandemic – Encourage healthy habits through physical activity and building emotional wellbeing – and inspire hope through sporting analogies.

In Australia, sport in recent years has gained prominence as a vehicle for community development and engagement.

Research shows a positive correlation between team sport participation and volunteering as a young adult. Ian Ritz in a 2006 study, “Playing for an active community: Youth sports participation and civic engagement” argued sport is an active vehicle to instil positive behaviour, social values, cooperation and greater motivation to succeed.

Therefore, inclusion of sports and physical activityis instrument in youth development, developing life skills and promoting positive social behaviour. In this context, India News in conjunction with the Institute for Australia India Engagement (IAIE) is hosting a cricket match between the South Asian community and Queensland Police to build greater mutual understanding. The idea is to build a more resilient Queensland through sporting engagement and creating a healthier intercommunity relationship.

The greater the mutual understanding, the easier the task for the law enforcement agencies and government stakeholders for strengthening the multicultural ethos of Queensland and Australia. The match between the IAIE XI representing the South Asian communities and Queensland Police Commissioner’s XI has received a strong support from the local federal members of parliament, state members of parliament, councillors, community leaders and local businesses. The idea has already garnered immense interests amongst the diverse South Asian communities and government stakeholders and is slated to become a recurring annual event. This is a clear winner for all sides!

EDITORIAL

Such work only revives faith in human capacity for learning from history rekindling hope that humankind may not be condemned to repeat it. Dr Uttam Sinha, well-known for his work on non-traditional security issues of transboundary nature, in his recent book, titled Indus Basin Uninterrupted, has relied on archival data to piece together facts hitherto underutilised that compels one to look at the tremendous possibilities of cooperation that can overcome divisive politics and stitch together a robust framework for peace and understanding, based on trust and goodwill.

A backdrop to hydro-politics around the river systems that water the two states of India and Pakistan is apt here. It was only a quirk of fate that both countries, despite deep disagreements, could pull out an agreement in 1960 under the auspices of the World Bank in September 1960, that settled the issue of river water dispute between the two countries, after several inconclusive sessions of talks spread over 13 long years.

Finally, the solution to the issue was not to share river waters, but to divide six rivers of the Indus system between the two countries.

The waters of the eastern rivers-Sutlej, Beas and Ravi--were entirely allocated to India for unrestricted use, while India agreed to allow unrestricted flow of waters on the western rivers—Jhelum, Chenab and Indus—subject to minimal nonconsumptive use of water for irrigation, limited storage (3.6 million acre feet) and production of hydel power (mainly run-ofthe-river type). Out of the 3.6 MAF that India could harness, 1.60 MAF was allotted for hydro-power, 0.75 MAF for flood moderation and 1.25 MAF for general storage for non-consumptive uses, including power generation. Interestingly, India has not been able to store as much even today, after nearly 51 years, despite advances in technology and availability of resources.

Based on data between 1950s and 1960s, as per the treaty provisions, India was allowed exclusive rights

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over a combined average annual discharge of 33.8 MAF in eastern rivers, while Pakistan was given exclusive rights over annual discharge of 135.6 MAF (measured on the Pakistani side with water collected on the rivers from the Pakistani side of the basins) flowing in the western rivers.

However, by 1960, the line of control (LoC) had come up as a line that effectively divided the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir between the two countries and Pakistan was allowed to build the Mangla dam and even India agreed to partly pay for its construction.

The Indus Water Treaty proved an interesting agreement that honoured the sensitivities of the upper as well as the lower riparian countries. There is no such example available in the entire world where the upper riparian country has been as accepting of the needs of the lower riparian. Whatever the considerations and higher allocation of water to the lower riparian was traded off for exclusive use of lower amount of water in the three eastern rivers.

It begs mention here nevertheless that the people of Kashmir felt bypassed while the two countries engaged in hydro-politics and hydro-understanding.

However, the relationship between the two countries, especially the way it has developed over the years, has subjected the agreement to strains from time to time.

Changing climatic conditions leading to receding glacial cover and reduced discharge in the rivers and Indian efforts to build run-of-the-river facilities to produce hydel power has led to suspicions in the especially since the 1970s have led people to say in Pakistan that India is stealing waters assigned by the treaty to Pakistan.

Propelled by anxiety about reduction in per capita water availability estimated at 1,017 cubic meters —close to the scarcity threshold of 1,000 cubic meters (compared to about 1367 cubic metres for India (decline from 1861 cm in 2001)— the people in Pakistan are both open to unfounded rumours about Indian machination and oblivious of the fact of poor internal water management that allows in excess of about 29MAF water downstream Kotri — the last structure on the Indus system for water regulation — flowing into the Arabian Sea every year.

Due to siltation existing dams are storing less water than before. For example, the storage capacity of Mangla has dropped from 9.7 MAF to 7.3 MAF. India-Pakistan enduring rivalry notwithstanding there are silver linings in the cloud thanks to the decision of the governments of both countries to stick to the

Treaty, which provides “difference and dispute” settlement mechanism (vide Article IX and attendant Annexures F and G) in three different ways: resolution of differences: (i) through mutual consultations in the Permanent Indus Water Commission established under the Treaty; (ii) through a Neutral Expert acceptable to both or appointed by the World Bank in case of disagreement, and (iii) resolution of any ‘dispute’ by a Court of Arbitration. Pakistan has used these provisions on numerous occasions to obstruct many projects being planned by India, well within the treaty provisions.

India has obliged Pakistan with information regarding its projects from time to time.

In the last 61 years, despite the regular and asymmetric wars and surgical strikes, the Indus Commissioners of both countries have met every year at least once, as per the treaty provisions, excepting perhaps last year due to the pandemic. The photo released to the media on the occasion of the latest 116th meeting held on 23-24 March 2021, showed the two Commissioners laughing away, indicating perhaps that there is still room for the two countries to tide over mistrust if such opportunities are leveraged well.

Today, when constituencies in both countries are busy whipping up antipathies against each other and clinging on to their exclusivist positions, positive exchange of views in such forums can act as building blocks for reconciliation and understanding.

The real challenge is beating the governmentality in Pakistan that seeks to use anti-India sentiment at one level to retain its hold on power and pretend it is interested in peace by offering to talk at another. There is a need to attempt transformational politics in both countries aimed at changing the existing narratives, build constituencies of peace, move away from nurturing a culture of hatred and proxywars and resort to humanitarian politics. Real politic and climate science would teach us that possessing nuclear weapons and playing irredentist politics would not ensure us more water in our rivers but cooperative dialogue on basin management will help us manage our common resources better.

Dr Ashok Behuria is Senior Fellow and Coordinator, South Asia Centre at Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA), New Delhi, India. The views expressed are his own.

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April 16-30, 2021 - Vol 1, Issue 20

INDIA NEWS

SPECIAL FEATURE

India a Tri-Polar Nation: Breaking the Ice

By Dr. Uttam Kumar Sinha India recently unveiled a draft Arctic policy outlining its engagement in the Arctic. The draft paper noted the five pillars of India’s Arctic policy: science and research; economic and human development cooperation; transportation and connectivity; governance and international cooperation; and national capacity building.

The Arctic is a vast geographic region spreading around the North Pole with wooded tundra, glaciers and endless stretches of permafrost and sea ice cover that are undergoing dramatic changes as the climate warms.

The physical changes or the ‘shrinking’ of the Arctic, as it is generally described, is not only creating imbalances in global climate but has socio-politicoeconomic consequences as well.

Scientific endeavours While the Arctic is far and away from India yet it is near. This is being increasingly evidenced through the atmospheric science of ‘teleconnections’ which refers to ‘climate anomalies being related to each other at large distances.’ India’s long years of polar research endeavours in the Antarctic and its more recent scientific footprint in the Arctic brings the science of snow, ice and permafrost closer home to the Himalayas. The AntarcticArctic-Himalaya is now described as the ‘Three Poles’ with the Himalayan system as the Third Pole and India very much a ‘TriPolar’ nation. India in 2008 set up a research station Himadri and since 2013 has been an observer member of the Arctic Council along with other Asian countries including China, Japan, Korea and Singapore. The glaciological and atmospheric developments in the Arctic are thus important for India.

in the popular imagination. There is a historical legacy that needs to be underscored by looking at Tilak’s arguments and his work should be celebrated as a knowledge heritage.

India’s relationship with the Arctic, has indeed racial, philosophical, anthropological and linguistic dimensions, especially when seen through some of India’s ancient texts.

Mainstreaming these textual connections to contemporary Arctic policies, which have largely been dominated by scientific narratives, is a useful exercise to emphasize that the Arctic has profound roots in Indian thinking and can thus be seen as a ‘familiar’ region to India.

The government could do well to release a postage stamp underscoring India’s interest in the Arctic. Interestingly, 2020 also marked 100-years of our colonial participation to the Spitsbergen Treaty (1920) that defined Norway’s sovereignty over the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard.

Given India’s connection to the Arctic region, it should celebrate Yoga International Day in Ny-Alesund research station in the Savalbard, the northern most inhabited island, 1234-km from the North Pole, where a community of international scientists, including Indians, work in harmony and collaboration.

Yoga is an important tool of India’s soft power and the most impactful public good. Further India’s emphasis on solar energy and its leadership in the International Solar Alliance (ISA) can have a footprint in the Ny-Alesund research station by setting up solar panels thus emphasising clean energy in mitigating the impact of climate change.

Economic emphasis India is one of the fastest energy

consumers in the world and the Arctic presents an opportunity to join hands with the Arctic littorals like Russia in exploring the hydrocarbon potential. Apart from hydrocarbons, in particular natural gas, India should look at mineral development in the Barents area and secure an investment footing with the assistance of Norway and Russia.

The Barents region has some of the best known mineral deposits and some of the world’s best deep harbours from which to ship the products. The region is rich in iron-ore and the demand for steel will be critical to India’s growing economy.

India’s labour force with skills in port development and mining can help develop the Barents region. Indian business should participate in the Arctic Economic Council, created in 2013 that facilitates business-to-business activities and responsible economic development.Moreover, India’s healthy relations with Norway and Russia and the time-tested Norwegian and Russian cooperation in the Barents can help facilitate our economic ventures. From a scientific, economic and strategic perspective a tripartite grouping of INR (India-Norway-Russia)can be an important catalyst of peace and development in the Arctic.

Like the Russia-India-China (RIC) strategic grouping it can renew old ties (with Russia) and foster newly discovered friendship (with Norway).

Emphasising the bilateral The Arctic can be an important domain of India’s engagement with both the permanent members of the Arctic Council and the Asian observer members at bilateral levels. While India’s bilateral Arctic efforts has gained traction with Russia and Norway, it can become an enduring

Civilization connect While India’s scientific engagement is noted, the draft policy makes it amply clear that it cannot be the only lens to look at the Arctic. The Arctic, often less emphasised, incredibly showcases India’s civilizational connect and soft power. The preceding year (2020)marked Bal Gangadhar Tilak’s death centenary. Tilak, a prominent leader of India’s independent movement in his work (The Arctic Home in the Vedas, 1903) concluded that the ancestors of India’s ancient Vedic civilization lived in the Arctic region. It was for the first time that the Arctic was featured in India’s racial debate. This, of course, was challenged later by the ‘Out-of-India’ thinking that claimed the Indo-European languages originated in India and moved ‘westwards’, thus debunking the Aryan migration theory. The point, however, is not to contest or support Tilak’s findings, but to locate the Arctic

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feature of our cooperation with US and Canada as well. Setting up research bases in the Alaska (US) and the Cambridge Bay (Canada) to study impact of climate change, ice melting, marine life, bio-diversity and geothermal energy potential will enhance our capabilities in dealing with these challenges in our neighbourhood. Also observing the rights and voices of the indigenous community in the entire Arctic region will help in our own inclusive and integrated economic development.

Arctic issues can be a core component of India-Norway relations. Norway led from the front in supporting India’s candidature in the Arctic Council and continues to back India’s candidature for permanent membership in the UN Security Council. Both the countries can further cooperate in the field of science and technology particularly as India is in the process of building its own icebreaker to conduct scientific and business activities in the Arctic Ocean. Recently, India deployed the IndARC mooring in the fjord with the help of Norwegian vessel and Norway will continue to give this facility till India gets its own vessel. The geothermal sector in India remains largely unexplored and most of India’s geothermal locations are in the Himalayas.

India has already signed an institutional agreement with Iceland (2018) in the geothermal sector. With Asian actors, South Korea will be important. As the northern sea route opens up, South Korea will become a potential hub for oil storage.

The Comprehensive Economic partnership Agreement (CEPA) with South Korea now includes maritime transport and maritime technologies. In the light of this, it would be important for India to rework the Free Trade Agreement

with South Korea.

Considering a Himalayan Scientific Council The outcomes of India’s diplomatic engagements in the Arctic can enhance India’s regional role in the Hindukush Himalaya and advance the need for a Himalayan Science Council with the Himalayan states: Pakistan, Nepal, China, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Bangladesh. In the ‘Neighbourhood First’ approach many initiatives have taken place like the launch of the South Asian Satellite and the setting of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), South Asia Regional Center (ISARC) at campus of National Seed Research and Training Center (NSRTC) in Varanasi. Like Norway’s global seed bank in Longyearbayen (Savalbard) to which India made its first seed deposit (pigeon pea) in the Vault in 2014, India too has a seed vault at a height of 17,500 ft at Chang-La in the Himalayas, 75-km from Leh in Ladakh. In an effort to conserve crop diversity and develop food resistant to the vagaries of climate change the Himalayan Scientific Council can play a knowledge-policy role in the region.

Conclusion The contemporary Arctic presents an ‘antithetical situation’ with economic and commercial interests on the one end and a need for mitigating climate risks and resource governance, on at the other. The evident geophysical changes accompanied by development opportunities have turned the Arctic into an important space with many perspectives that often ‘blur the lines’ between business, governance, science, and society. India’s Arctic approach needs to be well rounded and comprehensive considering the convergence of the threegeos: the geo-physical, the geo-economic and the geo-strategic.

Dr Uttam Kumar Sinha works at the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, New Delhi. He has extensively travelled the Arctic region and in August 2017 visited India’s research station Himadri in Ny-Alesund in the Svalbard archipelago.

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April 16-30, 2021 - Vol 1, Issue 20

INDIA NEWS

MAKE IN INDIA

Making India a global hub for IT hardware manufacturing It is the largest port in India in terms of average output per shipberth-day. During 2018-19, 109.27 million tons of cargo was handled.

By Lakshya Sharma and Shivangi Sinha In a bid to provide a boost to IT hardware manufacturing in India, the Union Cabinet approved the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for IT Hardware on 24 February this year. The underlying vision is clear: To make India a global hub for manufacturing and attract large investments in the value chain.

The scheme offers an incentive of 4% to 2% / 1% on large-scale production of laptops, tablets, all-in-one PCs and servers for a period of four years. Today, India’s demand for these products is largely met through imports.

Given this and growing strategic security concerns, it has become necessary to develop a trusted and reliable value chain for the market.

Making India global hub for manufacturing India is a large and growing market for IT hardware products.

India is expected to consume over $120 bn of IT hardware over the next decade. We have a great opportunity to leverage this impending demand and build economies of scale along with global competitiveness. To enable this, a cascading structure of incentives has been created to effectively incentivise every level of the value chain. The PLI will attract global majors to shift significant manufacturing capacities to India and encourage MSMEs to leverage opportunities offered by a vibrant and robust ecosystem. The scheme also includes a push to develop competence and 'Atmanirbharta' (self-reliance) in critical subassemblies like PCBA, Battery Packs, Power Adapters, Chassis etc. This will nurture the ecosystem and enhance cost competitiveness. Besides the PLI, incentives are also being provided on capex for the manufacturing of components and sub-assemblies and for creation of electronics manufacturing clusters. These schemes will create positive spill over effects for multiple allied sectors in addition to ensuring employment generation.

and inclusive governance. Critical to this is our mission of bridging the digital divide across India.

The COVID-19 pandemic has only further awakened us to this reality. According to the 59th Review Report of the National Digital Literacy Mission (NDLM), around 16 crore rural households in India do not have access to computers. This is something PLI for IT Hardware will aim to address by creating a vibrant industrial ecosystem to cater to the ever-growing domestic demand.

In addition, the push for data localization and data governance demands that India develops a secure and reliable hardware supply chain. The PLI scheme is a step in this direction.

All in all, the scheme aims to realise the vision of transforming India into a digitally empowered society, with indigenously built digital infrastructure.

Make in India opportunities Odisha Produces more than 50% of aluminium in India Odisha is the mineral hub of India and the largest aluminium, steel and stainless steel producer in the country. Highest mineral production of INR 49,505.66 crore with 13.88% of India’s total value.

Odisha, with a coastline of 480 km, is located on the east coast of India along the Bay of Bengal.

The state is served by 3 portsParadip, Dhamra and Gopalpur.

Paradip port is one of the largest ports on the eastern coast of India and has a capacity of 127 MMT. Photo Courtesy: The Economics Times

The state is domestically wellconnected with over 250,000 km of road length and 15 national highways passing through the state. The state has installed power capacity of over 8,861 MW and is the first state in India to have undertaken restructuring initiatives in the power sector.

Bhubaneswar, the state’s capital, was ranked first in the ‘Smart City Challenge’ of Government of India.

A first-of-its-kind Single Window Portal called Government of Odisha – Single Window for Investor Facilitation and Tracking (GO SWIFT) has been introduced covering the complete life-cycle of industrial projects for timebound and hassle-free investment in the State.

Puducherry Tourist arrival of over 1.8 mn in 2018 Agriculture and tourism sectors are major contributors to the economy of Puducherry and about 35% of the UT's population depends on agriculture and allied activities.

The degree of irrigation is as high as 90% of the total land. Major food crops grown in the territory include rice, ragi, bajra and pulses, while various cash crops grown include sugarcane, cotton and groundnuts.

Puducherry has mineral deposits of limestone, clay, lignite, phosphate rocks, canker and laterite, among others.

Some of the key industries in Puducherry include chemicals, textiles, leather, electronics, light engineering, metals, tourism and food processing.

Puducherry is situated on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal. Being a former French colony, the territory witnesses a prominent presence of French culture. The territory is conveniently located about 135 km away from Chennai, with a minor port located between two major ports at Chennai and

Punjab Largest agricultural area under irrigation in India Punjab has an excellent network of irrigation facilities with 99.9% of net area sown covered under irrigation.

Punjab, called the "Granary of India", is bounded on the west by Pakistan, on the north by Jammu and Kashmir, on the northeast

by Himachal Pradesh and on the south by Haryana and Rajasthan.

The state has one of the highest road densities amongst Indian states at 133 km per 100 sq. km.

It is well connected to all major markets with 72,212 km of the total road network, 2,830 km of rail track network and 5 airports.

It has a total installed capacity of over 13,400 MW. Punjab ranks second in logistics ease in the country. It also offers a strong logistics backbone with five container freight stations (CFSs) and four inland container depots (ICDs); thereby easing exports and imports for the state.

The state has a total cultivable area of 4.2 mn ha, which constitutes 3% of the net area sown in India. With this area, Punjab produces 18% of wheat, 12% of rice, 10% of milk, 20% of honey, 48% of mushroom and 5% of cotton in the country. In terms of wheat production, it generates the third largest marketable surplus after Canada and Australia; while in case of rice, its market surplus is second only to Thailand.

Major industries in Punjab include food processing, tractors and auto components, agro-based parts, bicycle and bicycle parts, sports goods, light engineering goods, metal and alloys, chemical products and textiles. The state has also emerged as a key hub for textile-based industries, including yarn, readymade garments and hosiery. The clusters around food and dairy products are the other major

New digital realities Launched in 2015, the Digital India campaign aims to deliver better services and create infrastructure for transparent

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Tuticorin. Gingee and Pennaiyar are the major rivers in the region. Ministry of Shipping has identified a lighthouse in the territory to be developed in phase-I of its Lighthouse Tourism initiative.

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sectors of the state.

Rajasthan Highest solar energy potential in India - 142 GW Agriculture sector contributed close to 25% to Rajasthan's GDP in 2017-18. It is the largest producer of coarse cereals and coriander, and the second largest producer of pulses, oilseeds, cumin and garlic in India.

The state provides opportunities in the areas of organic and contract farming as well as in infrastructure developments related to agriculture. The state is home to over 850 factories in the food processing sector.

Rajasthan is the second-largest mineral producing state and the sole producer of lead and zinc in India. The state has one of the highest limestone reserves, making it a hub for cement industries. The state attracted about 59 mn tourists including foreign tourists during 2019.

The state is home to India's first successful Japanese Industrial Zone located at Neemrana, spread across 473 ha.

Rajasthan is the largest state in India (area wise). It shares its border with five major Indian states — Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. An area of 13,447 sq km of the state falls in the National Capital Region (NCR), which is around 24.5% of the total NCR. The state has the solar potential of 142 GW, highest among Indian states, and wind potential of 18.7 GW. The total installed power capacity is nearly 23,000 MW. Rajasthan ranks #1 in Export Preparedness Index 2020 under Landlocked states category.

Moreover, it has a vast network of national highways and railways, which provides excellent connectivity to major cities and ports of Gujarat and Maharashtra.

The state's total road length is approximately 236,572 km, while the railway length stands at 5,929 km. The state has an international airport and an air-cargo complex in Jaipur, the state’s capital, and eight inland container depots.

Source: Invest India, Government of India

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INDIA NEWS

Flipkart enters into strategic partnership with Adani Group New Delhi, April 12 (IANS): Flipkart, India's leading homegrown e-commerce marketplace, Monday announced a strategic and commercial partnership with the Adani Group, India's largest multinational infrastructure company.

In this two-pronged partnership, Flipkart will work with Adani Logistics Limited, the largest diversified end-to-end logistics service provider in the country and a wholly owned subsidiary of Adani Ports & Special Economic Zone Limited, to strengthen Flipkart's supply chain infrastructure and further enhance its ability to serve its rapidly growing base of customers.

In addition, Flipkart will set up its third data centre at Adaniconnex Private Limited Chennai based facility, leveraging AdaniConneX's world-class expertise and industry-leading data centre technology solutions.

Adaniconnex Private Limited is a new Joint Venture formed between EdgeConneX and Adani Enterprises Limited.

As part of this partnership, Adani Logistics Limited will construct a massive 5,34,000 sq. ft. fulfilment centre in its upcoming logistics

hub in Mumbai that will be leased to Flipkart to address the growing demand for e-commerce in Western India and support market access of several thousands of sellers and MSMEs in the region.

Leveraging state-of-the-art technologies, the centre is expected to be operational in Q3 2022 and will have the capacity to house 10 million units of sellers' inventory at any point. In addition to strengthening Flipkart's supply chain infrastructure to support MSMEs and sellers, the facility will enhance local employment and create 2,500 direct jobs and thousands of indirect jobs.

The other prong of the partnership will see Flipkart developing its third data centre at the AdaniConnecX facility as a part of one of the largest private cloud deployments in the country, thereby further strengthening its growing marketplace e-commerce business in India.

The data centre has been designed to meet the highest standards in reliability, security, and sustainability, which will capitalise on the Adani Group's capability as the largest solar player in the country to generate and source green power.

The AdaniConneX data centre is a brand-new facility enabling

'E-commerce growth in tier-2, 3 cities outpace tier-1 Indian cities' Photo Courtesy: IANS

Mumbai, April 11 (IANS): The growth of e-commerce volumes in tier 2 and 3 cities in India is outpacing that in tier-1 cities, according to a recent report.

"Smaller Indian cities are now accounting for a bigger volume of e-commerce sales. E-commerce growth in tier 2 and tier 3 cities in India is outpacing that of tier 1 cities," said an ICICI Securities report.

Volume share of these smaller cities in India's e-commerce market increased to 46 per cent in Q4CY20 from 32 per cent YoY. Also, online spending per customer in tier 2 and tier 3 cities has also improved as these cities held a 43 per cent share of the e-commerce sales value last quarter, up from 26 per cent YoY. "This has raised hopes of a

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sustainable last mile delivery economics emerging for the industry - yet hyperlocal last mile small parcel deliveries remain economically as challenging as ever," it said.

"We continue to see emergence of end-to-end logistics contracts with Bajaj Electricals and Flipkart with Mahindra Logistics," it said, adding that the trend, while accreting value to the service provider, also gains currency as emergence of multiple channels is increasing supply chain challenge and risks.

This, in a way, is also augmenting demand for organised warehousing, the report said.

It noted that post GST implementation, a gradual move towards organised large format 'grade A+/grade A++' warehousing is leading to significant business opportunities for sector participants.

ICICI Securities, however, sees challenges with asset heavy road transportation players and it said that many transportation models are at the risk of not reinventing, especially as SME business environment recovers and new star-tup ecosystem starts to aggressively target the same.

Flipkart to design the data centre to its growing infrastructure needs with a significant focus on security and keeping data locally within India.

Speaking on the strategic partnership between the two companies, Karan Adani, Chief Executive Officer of Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) said, "I am delighted to see two of India's fastestgrowing businesses come together to help build some of the most critical as well as state-of-the-art infrastructure that our nation needs. This is what Atmanirbharta should be all about. This broad-ranging partnership across our logistics and data centre businesses is a unique business model, and we see this as a great opportunity to serve Flipkart's physical as well as digital infrastructure needs.

Flipkart has been instrumental in defining e-commerce adoption in India, both through the value it creates and its constant technological innovation to serve its consumers. We look forward to a long and fruitful partnership as we focus on learning from each other as well as leveraging our mutual strengths to prioritise consumers and development of India's MSME ecosystem."

Sensex tanks 1,700 points; banking, finance stocks slump

Photo Courtesy: IANS

Mumbai, April 12 (IANS): The Indian stock market slumped on Monday with the BSE Sensex falling over 1,700 points amid rising cases of Covid-19 and localised lockdowns.

India reported 1,68,912 new Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours, as per health ministry data.

With this, India has once again taken its spot as the second-worst hit nation in terms of infections after the US. Along with the surging Covid cases, the subdued trend in the Asian markets also weighed on the Indian indices.

Around 12.10 p.m., Sensex was trading at 47,834.84, lower by 1,756.48 points or 3.54 per cent from its previous close of 49,591.32.

It opened at 48,956.65 and has so far recorded an intra-day high of 48,956.65 and a low of 47,813.60 points.

BUSINESS & TRADE

Pramerica Life Insurance appoints Kalpana Sampat as MD

Photo Courtesy: IANS

Chennai, April 12 (IANS): Pramerica Life Insurance Ltd on Monday announced the elevation of Kalpana Sampat as its Managing Director & CEO with effect from April 9, 2021.

She was earlier the company's Chief Operating Officer.

With her elevation, Sampat becomes one of the three female CEOs in the Indian life insurance sector.

"Kalpana is a respected leader in life insurance with an exceptional record. The Board is optimistic that the company can deliver substantial strategic and operational progress under her able leadership," Sunil Kumar Bansal, Chairman said.

Prior to joining Pramerica Life Insurance, Sampat was the CEO for Swiss Reinsurance Co., India branch, and was instrumental in its launch in 2015.

Rise in Covid cases to delay demand recovery in global oil market Global manufacturing activity The Nifty50 on the National Stock Exchange was trading at 14,304.00, lower by 530.85 points or 3.58 per cent from its previous close.

Mumbai, April 11 (IANS): Fresh surge in Covid-19 cases, eventual lockdowns is likely to delay the demand recovery in the global oil market, said an ICICI Securities report.

expands in March: Index Photo Courtesy: IANS

It however, noted that with 'OPEC+' capping supply to ensure supply deficit, impact on oil prices is likely to be muted.

"Fresh surge in Covid cases, consequent lockdowns and slow rollout of vaccines, especially in Europe, are likely to delay demand recovery to pre-Covid levels," the report said.

However, delay in demand recovery may delay gross margin recovery for refineries.

The ICICI Securities report also noted that vaccine-driven recovery in global oil demand and permanent closure of refineries is estimated to boost global refinery utilisation to 77.8 per cent in CY21E from 37-year low of 72.5 per cent in CY20E. "We estimate global refinery utilisation to gradually rise from 79.1 per cent in CY22E to 80 per cent in CY26E. IEA estimates permanent closure of 3.6m b/d (barrels per day) of refining capacity, but believes 6m b/d is required to ensure global refinery utilisation is sustainably above 80 per cent."

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Beijing, April 11 (IANS): The global manufacturing sector expanded at a faster pace last month, according to an index published by the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing (CFLP).

The global manufacturing purchasing managers' index (PMI) stood at 57.8 in March, up by 2.2 percentage points from the previous month, according to the CFLP, Xinhua reported on Sunday.

The reading, which marks the second monthly increase, remains in the expansion zone for the ninth consecutive month and indicates further economic

recovery worldwide, it said in a statement.

The federation attributed the faster growth to market confidence boosted by Covid-19 vaccines, fiscal and monetary policies of developed economies, and world trade recovery.

The CFLP, however, warned that despite the rebound, a resurgence of Covid-19 cases and global inflation worries can still bring uncertainties to the world's economy.

China's manufacturing PMI came in at 51.9 in March, edging up from 50.6 a month ago, official data showed.

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April 16-30, 2021 - Vol 1, Issue 20

INDIA NEWS

HEALTH

Nationwide 'Tika Utsav' begins, Modi Sonu Sood is Punjab's brand ambassador for vaccination urges people to abide by 4 things Photo Courtesy -Firstpost

Photo Courtesy: IANS

have proper resources and who are less aware.

Under his "Each One-Save One" formula, the Prime Minister said the emphasis is "I myself should wear a mask and thus save myself and save others as well".

New Delhi, April 11 (IANS): Announcing that a four-day countrywide 'Tika Utsav' (inoculation festival) is being started from Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged people to abide by four things that include wearing of masks as well as motivating others to follow the norm in the fight against Covid-19 pandemic.

The initiative, which will continue till April 14, is called by the Centre a second major war against the deadly virus which registered the highest single-day spike on Sunday infecting 1,52,879 more people within 24 hours.

"Today, on the occasion of Jyotiba Phule Jayanti, we are starting countrywide 'Tika Utsav'. This exercise will run till April 14, the event of Baba Saheb Ambedkar Jayanti. This celebration is, in a way, the beginning of another

major war against Corona," the Prime Minister made the announcement through Twitter.

In the 'Tika Utsav', the Prime Minister said: "We (countrymen) have to give special emphasis on personal hygiene as well as social hygiene".

For a successful fight against Covid-19, the Prime Minister stressed on the need to follow four things: "Each One-Vaccinate One", "Each One-Treat One", "Each One-Save One" and "Micro Containment Zone".

"Explaining "Each One-Vaccinate One" formula, the Prime Minister urged people to help those who are less educated, elderly, who cannot go and get vaccinated themselves.

Modi advised people to help in providing Covid treatment to all as per his "Each One-Treat One" call helping people who do not

And the fourth important thing, the Prime Minister said, in the event of someone being a Covid-19 positive, the people of the society should lead the creation of a "Micro Containment Zone". "Where there has been a positive case of a single corona, the people of the family, the people of the society should create a 'Micro Containment Zone'."

Our success will be determined by how much awareness we have about the 'Micro Containment Zone', Modi said.

The Micro Containment Zone is also an important way of fighting against corona in our densely populated country like India, said the Prime Minister, adding "it is very important for all of us to be aware when a single positive case comes, and to test others".

Modi further emphasised on "zero vaccine waste", saying "We have to ensure that there is no loss of a single vaccine. We have to move towards zero vaccine waste".

He also advised to stay at home until there is extreme need, mentioning "our success will be determined by this fact".

Chandigarh, April 11 (IANS): Actor SonuSood, the Messiah of the migrants who refuses to call himself so, has donned a new hat. Beginning Sunday, he is the brand ambassador of the Punjab government for its Covid vaccination programme.

The actor says he will make a good example out of Punjab which will inspire the entire nation.

Talking about the responsibility that he now has, Sonu tells IANS, "I feel really blessed, motivated.

A huge amount of responsibility is on my shoulders that I have to spread the message across to everyone. People have to get vaccinated and we make sure that every family gets its share of vaccination. We should be an example for everyone that how fast people get vaccinated in Punjab. I am on it and we will make sure that the message

said: "There is a potential of further increase in demand of injection remdesivir and remdesivir active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) in the coming days."

"In light of the above increasing Covid cases, Government of India has prohibited the exports of injection remdesivir and remdesivir active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) till the situation improves."

New Delhi, April 11 (IANS): In wake of the recent surge in Covid-19 cases, India on Sunday prohibited the exports of remdesivir injections and active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) till the situation improves.

The decision was taken considering a sudden spike in demand for remdesivir, which is used in treatment of Covid-19 patients, a Health and Family Welfare Ministry statement said.

Noting India has 11.08 lakh active Covid cases as on Sunday amid an increasing trend, the Ministry

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Seven Indian companies are producing injection remdesivir under voluntary licensing agreement with Gilead Sciences, US. They have an installed capacity of about 38.80 lakh units per month.

In addition, the Central government has taken several steps to ensure easy access of hospital and patients to remdesivir.

As part of its effort, it has advised all domestic manufactures of remdesivir to display details of their stockists or distributors on their websites to facilitate access to the drug.

"Drugs inspectors and other officers have been directed

to verify stocks and check malpractices and also take other effective actions to curb hoarding and black marketing," the Ministry said.

"The state Health Secretaries will review this with the Drug Inspectors of the respective states and Union Territories (UTs). The Department of Pharmaceuticals has been in contact with the domestic manufacturers to ramp up the production of remdesivir."

The Centre has also advised states that the "National Clinical Management Protocol for Covid-19", developed after many interactions by Committee of Experts, is the guiding document for treatment of Covid-19 patients and lists remdesivir as an investigational therapy, where informed and shared decision making is essential, besides taking note of contra indications mentioned in the detailed guidelines.

The states and UTs have been advised that these steps should again be communicated to all hospitals, both in public and private sector, and compliance monitored.

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Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh made the announcement of appointing SonuSood as brand ambassador for vaccination a day after meeting him, who called on him at his residence.

"There is no one more ideally suited to inspire and influence people to take the vaccine. There is a lot of hesitancy among people here in Punjab. Sonu's popularity among them, and his exemplary role in helping tens of thousands of migrants reach safely home since the pandemic broke out last year, will help counter their reservations," said the Chief Minister earlier on Sunday."When people hear this Punjab 'da puttar' talk about the benefits of vaccines, and how safe and essential it is, they will believe him. Because they trust him," Amarinder Singh said.

SonuSood has lately been working for people - from helping migrants stuck during lockdown, to providing e-rickshaws to the unemployed, the actor is garnering praise from fans across the country.

New gadget that claims to contain airborne spread of Covid-19 Photo Courtesy: IANS

Covid spike: India prohibits exports of remdesivir Photo Courtesy: IANS

reaches out to everyone and reaches fast. I always feel that when something like this happens, it has to start from Punjab."

Shyam Krishnan Kurup said the company's appliance, when switched on, will provide 360-degree protection, 24x7 shield by sterilising the air.

"This will also prevent the inhouse transmission of viruses inside any space. The negative ions also have proven to enhance health and vitality," claimed Kurup.

Kochi, April 10 (IANS): Incubated under the Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM), Allabout Innovations Pvt Ltd has successfully developed an electronic gadget in containing airborne spread of Covid-19 by performing real-time sterilisation.

The 'Wolf Airmask' ruptures the SARS-CoV-2, having proven its efficiency at tests conducted by the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB), an autonomous institute of the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India.

RGCB is an ICMR-recognised testing lab. The 'Wolf Airmask' is the first of its kind in the country for RGCB to give such an attestation.

The gadget claims to reduce 99 per cent of the novel Coronavirus in just 15 minutes, according to the test held with support from the Indian Council of Medical Research Allabout Innovations founder

The Wolf Airmask, developed using German technology and with components from Denmark, can be used for 60,000 hours (spanning nine years). Facilitating purification of air up to a space of 1,000 square feet, it requires no service or change of parts.

The new tool will be of benefit to hospitals, laboratories, auditoria (including cinema houses), cafeteria and banks that people frequent .

The Wolf Airmask has the capacity to deactivate the microbes, bacteria and fungus. It brings the ozone production to BDL (below detection level), as per a test with a lab under the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL).

Founded in August 2020 and headquartered in Alappuzha, Allabout Innovations has been working in association with scientists, entrepreneurs, doctors, engineers, social volunteers and commercial partners to make out sustainable and eco-friendly solutions .

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April 16-30, 2021 - Vol 1, Issue 20

INDIA NEWS

India and Netherlands strengthen partnership to check pollution in rivers focusing on promoting water efficiency, its quality and safety through flagship schemes and initiatives like the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana, water to every farm campaign (har khet ko pani), Per drop more crop, Namami Gange Mission, the Jal Jeevan mission and the Jal Shakti Abhiyan, a 'catch the rain' campaign.

Photo Courtesy: IANS

New Delhi, April 11: India has decided to launch a 'strategic partnership on water' with the Netherlands, a world leader in water management, by elevating the existing Joint Working Group on water to the ministerial level.

The decision follows a virtual summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Netherlands PM Mark Rutte on Friday where the two leaders discussed in detail the bilateral cooperation and new ways of strengthening the relationship. Rutte has just begun a fourth term as the Dutch Prime Minister after his People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) had powered to a fourth consecutive victory last month.

Netherlands remains the best protected delta in the world.

Over the decades, the Dutch have mastered the art of flood protection and water supply and treatment, in the process also helping other countries across the globe in the prevention of flood disasters.

The Indo-Dutch partnerships in water are strong, diverse, and mutually beneficial. Cleaning up the river Ganga has been one of the key priorities of PM Modi since he first took office in 2014.

During his visit to the Netherlands in 2017, Modi and Rutte agreed to work together to clean up the river.

The Indo-Dutch partnerships in the field of water are strong, diverse, mutually beneficial and cover areas like tackling river water pollution including river Ganga, delta management, promoting water management, water quality issues and waste water recycling, decision support systems and introduction of new water technologies.

With more than a one third of its area lying below sea level, the

Having successfully overcome the water related challenges, the Dutch, besides being a global maritime power, have also become world leaders in technology solutions in delta management, flood control, desalination of soil, ports and inland waterways, water recycling as well as wastewater to energy conservation.

The Indian government has been

On Friday, both Modi and Rutte reviewed the ongoing projects in the water sector including the Dutch India Water Alliance for Leadership Initiative (DIWALI), the Local Treatment of Urban Sewage Streams for Healthy Reuse (LOTUS-HR) and the Indo-Dutch R&D projects under Namami-Gange Programme.

The Department of Science and Technology (DST) and the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) have been working closely with the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) on these projects.

Both leaders also discussed the upcoming joint Indo-Dutch interventions like the R&D projects on 'water as leverage' in selected towns in Ganga Basin and another pilot project on 'pollution and effective waste management of textile industrial cluster' in Haryana's Panipat. They also noted the joint DST-NWO support to the consortium 'Water4Change' for designing integrated urban water systems formed during the 2019 Technology Summit in which the Netherlands was a partner country.

US to help India achieve 450 GW green energy goal: Kerry

Aramco signs $12.4 bn infra investment deal with EIG-led consortium

Dhahran, April 10 (IANS): Aramco has signed a deal with a consortium led by EIG Global Energy Partners (EIG), one of the world's leading energy infrastructure investors, to optimise its assets through a lease-and-lease-back agreement involving its stabilised crude oil pipeline network.

Upon closing, Aramco will receive upfront proceeds of around $12.4 billion, further strengthening its balance sheet through one of the largest energy infrastructure deals globally.

The transaction represents a continuation of Aramco's strategy to unlock the potential of its asset base and maximize value for its shareholders. It also reinforces Aramco's role as a catalyst for attracting significant foreign investment into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The long-term investment by EIG and other institutional investors underscores the compelling investment opportunity represented by Aramco's globallysignificant pipeline assets, the Company's long-term outlook and the attractiveness of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as a desirable investment destination for international investors.

The transaction is expected to

Rounding up a three-day visit to India on Thursday, Kerry told reporters: "That's a terrific goal, we think that's a powerful goal," and "we want to make sure that we're facilitating the ability to reach that goal".

Photo Courtesy: Sify.com

Kerry said "that's part of the partnership that we reached" in discussion with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other Indian leaders Last year, Modi set the target of 450 GW green energy by 2030 as India, which now heavily coaldependent marches towards an ultimate goal of net zero greenhouse gas emissions.

Modi tweeted after their meeting on Wednesday: "Had an excellent discussion with US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry. His passion and

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Chennai, April 10 (IANS): International Finance Corporation (IFC) plans to debt finance the construction of Thar Surya 1 Pvt Ltd's 300 MW solar power project in Bikaner, Rajasthan by $50 million.

commitment to expedite climate action are commendable."

Kerry's visit to India comes ahead of the virtual Leaders Summit on Climate convened

by President Joe Biden on April 22 and 23, and the UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow in November.

Biden has made climate change one of his top priorities and appointed Kerry, a former Secretary of State, to be the point person for it.

The President sees an important role for New Delhi in his global climate agenda as the two countries draw closer together strategically while India is

the third biggest emitter of greenhouse gases after the US and China, although in per capita terms it is a much smaller polluter.

Although Biden seeks cooperation with China on climate change, unlike with New Delhi, political and strategic relations with Beijing are hostile.

Kerry said that "India is a key partner" of the US fighting climate change.

"It's not only the largest democracy in the world, but it is by values a country that hugely cares about the relationship of all of us to the planet, to the environment, the surroundings

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close as soon as practicable, subject to customary closing conditions, including any required merger control and related approvals.

This is one of the world's largest energy infrastructure deals.

Newly-formed entity, Aramco Oil Pipelines Company, to lease usage rights of Aramco's stabilised crude oil pipeline network over 25-year period.

Transaction reflects ongoing progress in Aramco's portfolio optimization program, which aims to unlock value and maximize shareholder returns.

Significant injection of foreign capital reinforces Aramco's leading position in the international energy arena and Saudi Arabia's appeal to prominent institutional investors globally, a statement said.

As part of the transaction, a newly-formed Aramco subsidiary, Aramco Oil Pipelines Company, will lease usage rights in Aramco's stabilised crude oil pipelines network for a 25-year period.

In return, Aramco Oil Pipelines Company will receive a tariff payable by Aramco for the stabilized crude oil that flows through the network, backed by minimum volume commitments.

IFC proposes $50mn debt finance for Thar Surya solar power project

Photo Courtesy: Social News XYZ

New Delhi, April 9 (IANS): US Special Presidential Envoy on Climate Change John Kerry has welcomed India's ambitious goal of generating 450 gigawatts of renewable energy by 2030 and said that Washington will help New Delhi achieve it by helping mobilise international funding.

ENERGY & RESOURCES

Apart from lending $50 million, IFC will also mobilise $100 million debt through parallel lenders.

According to IFC, the total solar power project cost is estimated at $200 million.

sponsored by Enel Green Power India, one of the step-down subsidiaries of Enel Green Power S.p.A., an existing IFC client.

Enel Green Power is one of the largest renewable energy developer in the world with 49 GW installed capacity across wind, solar, geothermal and hydropower projects, and with presence in 28 countries.

Enel Green Power is a subsidiary of Enel S.p.A., Italy.

The solar power generation project was awarded by Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI).

The solar power project is

The power generated by Thar Surya will be sold to SECI under 25 year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA).

around us," he said.

solutions.

"Prime Minister is hugely seized by a sense of responsibility which we feel provides the capacity for a very important partnership."

About the scope of the climate change partnership between India and US, Kerry said: "We have, both of us, innovative, entrepreneurial populations that are always trying to push the limits of discovery -- research and development, the creation of new products, new

"During his India visit, Kerry also met Environment Minister Prakash Javdekar, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, Finance Minister Nirmala Seetharaman, Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Power and Renewable Energy Minister Raj Kumar Singh, Commerce and Industry Miinister Piyush Goyal, and NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant.

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April 16-30, 2021 - Vol 1, Issue 20

INDIA NEWS

India beat Argentina 3-0 in Pro League Photo Courtesy: IANS

Buenos Aires (Argentina), April 12 (IANS): India's men's hockey team completed their second win in as many days in the FIH Pro League as Harmanpreet Singh (11th minute), Lalit Upadhyay (25th min) and Mandeep Singh's (58th min) goals helped the visitors outclass the Olympic Champions 3-0 here in Buenos Aires on Monday.

Argentina got off to a great start, raiding the Indian circle in numbers. Krishan Bahadur Pathak, who was playing his 50th international match, made three brilliant saves in the first quarter to deny the hosts from taking the lead. Forwards Macio Casella and Martin Ferrerio's efforts from close range were expertly pushed away by Pathak.

India gradually found their feet in the contest with Rajkumar Pal testing Argentina's veteran goalkeeper Juan Manuel Vivaldi.

In the 11th minute, Harmanpreet scored his third goal in two days, drilling a Penalty Corner away from Vivaldi's left and into the corner of the net.

The second quarter saw the Indian defence having little trouble keeping the Argentinian attackers at bay. Argentina saw more of the ball and had more circle penetrations too

--21 to India's 19 -- but created few meaningful chances. The visitors doubled their lead with a delightful field goal five minutes before the end of the first half.

Vivaldi had initially saved Gurjant Singh's shot after Lalit set him up with a determined run inside the Argentinian circle. Lalit, though, was quick to pounce on the rebound to give India a 2-0 lead.

In the third quarter, India's highintensity pressing continued to force Argentina into making mistakes. They dominated possession and swarmed all the over the Argentinian defence by regularly finding space behind the full backs. India bagged their third goal two minutes before full time after Shamsher Singh found Mandeep, who tucked the ball into the net despite losing

his balance. Pathak deservedly earned a clean sheet while Rajkumar, Shamsher and Hardik Singh put in excellent displays for their side.

"We were a lit bit asleep in the first quarter. We woke up in the second quarter. Controlling possession made the difference," chief coach Graham Reid reflected on India's superb turnaround in the game. The win pushed India up to fourth place (after eight games) in the FIH Pro League.

India will play two more friendly matches against Argentina on April 13 & 14 in Bueno Aires, before they resume their FIH Pro League matches against Great Britain on May 8 and 9 in London.

SPORTS

Australia women make clean sweep of ODI series against NZ Mount Maunganui (New Zealand), April 10 (IANS): Australia women's cricket team opener Alyssa Healy slammed a 39-ball 46 while Meghan Schutt took two crucial wickets as the visitors made a clean sweep of the three-match ODI series, defeating New Zealand women by 21 runs in a rail-curtailed D/N match in Mount Maunganui on Saturday.

The 31-year-old Healy, a veteran of 78 ODIs and 118 T20 matches, smashed six boundaries during her 50-minute stay at the crease after New Zealand won the toss and decided to bowl in a match reduced to 25-over-a-side due to soggy conditions. Thanks to Healy, who was declared 'Player of the Match', and Beth Mooney (28), the visitors put up 149/7 on the board with New Zealand's Leigh Kasperek taking 3/24.

The home team's reply faltered with opener Katey Martin out for 5, and New Zealand could not quite up the tempo, losing wickets at regular intervals, finally managing 128/9 with Schutt taking the important wickets of Martin and Lauren Down.

Photo Courtesy: IANS

Earlier, right-arm fast bowler Darcie Brown, who is fast emerging as one of the most exciting talents in Australian cricket, became the country's 144th cricketer to receive an ODI cap. She only got one over to bowl and conceded six runs.

Brief scores: Australia Women 149/7 in 25 overs (Alyssa Healy 46, Beth Mooney 28; Leigh Kasperek 3/24) beat New Zealand Women 128/9 in 25 overs (Amy Satterthwaite 20; Megan Schutt 2/22, Georgia Wareham 2/25).

Australia pull out of relay Worlds due to Covid-19 fears Photo Courtesy: IANS

CSK skipper Dhoni fined Rs 12 lakh for slow over-rate Mumbai, April 11 (IANS): Chennai Super Kings (CSK) skipper, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, was on Sunday fined Rs 12 lakh for slow over-rate in the match against Delhi Capital (DC), which the three-time Indian Premier League (IPL) champions lost by seven wickets at the Wankhede Stadium here on Saturday.

A media advisory issued by the IPL on Sunday said, "Chennai Super Kings captain MS Dhoni has been fined after his team maintained a slow over-rate

during their VIVO Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 match against Delhi Capitals at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on April 10.

"As it was his team's first offence of the season under the IPL's Code of Conduct relating to minimum over-rate offences, Mr Dhoni was fined Rs 12 lakh."

In a match, which was termed a clash between two skippers at opposite ends of the captaincy spectrum -- it was Rishabh Pant's maiden outing as DC skipper, while Dhoni has been CSK skipper

for ages, besides captaining India in all three formats of the game -- the Delhi franchise made CSK pay for their lapses on the field and poor bowling, winning their opening contest with eight balls to spare.

Chasing 188 for 7, DC's Prithvi Shaw (72 off 38 balls) and Shikhar Dhawan (85 off 54 balls) put on a 138-run opening-wicket partnership in 13.3 overs that saw their side make a mockery of the challenging 189-run target set by CSK.

Sports minister inaugurates rowing centre in Srinagar New Delhi, April 10 (IANS): Union sports minister Kiren Rijiju inaugurated the Khelo India Centre of Excellence in Rowing in Srinagar on Saturday.

The training centre, situated in Dal Lake, that comes under the Jammu & Kashmir Sports Council was upgraded with modern facilities and equipment including 16 new boats -- four each in single sculls and double sculls.

Four coxless four boats too have been purchased for the centre that has 50 regular athletes under

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the scheme.

"The region has huge potential.

The training centre will give a chance to youngsters of the region to excel through water sports," said the sports minister.

"The new set of equipment will give a further boost to water sports activities in the region," said a national level coach from Kashmir valley.

Earlier this year, the sports ministry had organised Khelo India Winter Games in Gulmarg in the Kashmir valley.

"The sports ministry also plans to start a Khelo India Women's Football League and a marathon race in Pahalgam," the minister added.

The ministry will initially provide a one-time grant of Rs 145.16 lakh to the rowing centre and an annual recurring grant of Rs 96.17 lakh for the development of water sports in the region.

The central government had upgraded facilities for fencing at the Maulana Azad Stadium in Jammu.

There are currently 24 Khelo India training centres across the country.

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Sydney, April 11 (IANS): The organisers of the 2021 World Athletics Relay Championships in Silesia, Poland suffered a setback as Athletics Australia (AA) confirmed on Sunday it is withdrawing its team for the May 1-2 event due to Covid-19 challenges.

A statement issued on AA's website stated: "The decision was made in light of the Covid-19 situation in Poland and greater Europe, with the safety and wellbeing of Australian participants at the forefront of the decision-making process."

Athletics Australia CEO Darren Gocher said that, while the withdrawal is disappointing for athletes, a thorough process had been undertaken to consider all associated risks with travelling to Poland and the quarantine requirements on their return to Australia.

"It is always disappointing to withdraw a team from a major event. However, we believe the decision is in the best interest of the health and safety of our

athletes, staff and coaches," said Gocher.

"We acknowledge the work World Athletics is doing in attempting to hold a safe event ahead of the Tokyo Olympics. However, after seeking the advice of medical professionals and considering health risks, current government advice and international travel and the need to quarantine upon return to Australia, it was decided it is not viable or safe to travel to Poland for this event," Gocher further said.

To compensate for the loss of competition to its athletes, AA is planning to host relayspecific events in June with the support of Oceania Athletics, so that Australia's relay teams can attempt the qualifying standards needed to compete at the Tokyo Olympics in July.

India, meanwhile, will send a 20-member-strong contingent to the World Athletics Relay Championships, which has the likes of sprinters Dutee Chand and Hima Das, among others.

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April 16-30, 2021 - Vol 1, Issue 20

'TOPS programme has spurred India's Olympic medal hopes' New Delhi, April 10 (IANS): India's top javelin thrower and Tokyo Olympic Games medal hopeful, Neeraj Chopra, on Saturday gave the credit for his string of good performances recently to the support given by the Sports Ministry's Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS).

The Asian Games and Commonwealth Games gold medallist said that without the support of the TOPS programme, it would have been difficult for athletes to return to competition in the pandemic-hit times.

Chopra, who will be leaving for a training stint in Turkey later this month along with compatriot Shivpal Singh, posted a video on the Sports Authority of India's (SAI) Twitter handle, saying that the support from SAI and TOPS were the main reason why Indian sportspersons were doing well on the international stage.

Photo Courtesy: IANS

promptly opened with Covidcompliant protocols."

Chopra, who holds the national record of 88.07 metres in javelin, conceded that the lockdown had taken a massive toll on the mind and body, but "with the training back in full swing, it won't be long to return to full fitness".

"Their (SAI and TOPS) support and financial assistance for equipment, international exposure trips and help to players injured during competition and training is helping us in a big way," said 23-year-old Chopra, who set the world record on way to gold during the 2016 World U-20 Championships in Poland.

"They are motivating us to give it our best shot. SAI ensured that athletes could get back to training as quickly as possible after the lockdown and that the ground and training facilities were

Espousing the virtues of patience, Copra said the trait had been ingrained in him since childhood.

"I have suffered several injuring in my career and made several comebacks too, but I kept my patience and focus on the work on hand, and I am sure, it will ensure successful in future."

He asked the budding athletes to not go after instant performance because that puts more pressure on the body and urged them to "not eat something extra because of pressure of performance" as it could be detrimental to their careers.

Japan in 'jubilant mood' as Hideki Matsuyama wins Masters title Tokyo, April 12 (IANS): Japanese fans and officials were elated at the news that golfer Hideki Matsuyama has won the 85th Masters at Augusta National in the US. The 29-year-old Matsuyama became the first Japanese to win a major championship, a decade after he finished as the leading amateur at the Masters.

Many Japanese got up early Monday morning to watch the historic moment live on TV, DPA reported.

A television newscaster for Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS) choked up with tears when Matsuyama clinched the tournament win.

"Japan is in a jubilant mood," he said.

Tsuneyuki Nakajima, one of Japan's legendary golfers, who was a commentator on the TBS program, said, "I'm really glad to witness this moment. I had never

imagined that this day would come. I am at a loss for words."

"When you come back to Japan, let me slip into the green jacket," Nakajima asked Matsuyama.

Matsuyama's victory "inspired and encouraged the Japanese public amid the prolonged effects of the novel coronavirus," Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga told reporters.

"He also became the first Asian to win the Masters Tournament.

It was a really remarkable achievement.

Since Matsuyama graduated from Tohoku Fukushi University in north-eastern Japan, "I believe this victory has given strength to the recovery from the region's disaster," the Prime Minister said, referring to the 2011 earthquake and resulting tsunami.

The disaster left about 18,400 people dead or missing and caused the nation's worst nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi

Nuclear Power Station.

"Mr Matsuyama is still young.

I look forward to his future performances," Suga added.

When Matsuyama entered Tohoku Fukushi University, his golf club head coach Yasuhiko Abe told him to "become a golfer to be able to compete abroad, not in Japan," he recalled at a news conference.

With 105 days to go for the quadrennial event, Japan's national hockey team player Ohashi Masaki gave a virtual tour of the pace at which the game is played and what pressures players go through in the 60 minutes they are on the hockey turf.

The project will provide an experience of what it looks like to compete as a top-level athlete, covering all 55 disciplines on the Tokyo Olympics programme.

Masaki, nicknamed 'Samurai Japan', says that on the turf "The ball, the run, the pace of the game -- everything moves at incredible speed. The ball travels very fast,

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Rana, Tripathi, Krishna lead KKR to 10-run win over SRH Chennai, April 11 (IANS): Manish Pandey (61 not out) and Jonny Bairstow's (55) half centuries were not enough to push SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) over the line on Sunday as they fell to a 10-run defeat to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the IPL.

While Abdul Samad gave hope to the 2016 champions with two sixes in the 19th over, SRH needed 16 runs off the last six balls to win the match. Andre Russell bowled the last over and conceded just five runs off five balls to take KKR over the line.

KKR were propelled to 187/6 in 20 overs thanks to Nitish Rana (80) and Rahul Tripathi's (53) knocks.

In reply, SRH were restricted to 177/5 with Prasidh Krishna taking two wickets for 35 runs.

Earlier, SRH took five wickets in the last five overs and conceded just 42 runs but could only restrict KKR to 187/6. KKR looked set for a total well above the 200-run mark when their top order batsmen Nitish Rana (80), Rahul Tripathi (53) and Shubman Gill (15) took on the SRH bowlers.

The SRH innings started with captain David Warner being dropped at point off the bowling of Harbhajan Singh, who was playing his first competitive match since the 2019 IPL. The over ended with WriddhimanSaha hitting a six but Warner fell in the next over to Krishna on three runs.

Saha then fell off the very first ball of the third over bowled by Shakib Al Hasan.

Bairstow and Pandey then got SRH on track with a 92-run partnership for the third wicket which came off just 67 balls.

However, KKR tightened the noose after the 13th over in which Bairstow fell to Pat Cummins.

However, SRH's Afghanistan duo Mohammad Nabi and Rashid Khan led the way in pulling things back in the death overs. Dinesh Karthik then scored 22 runs off nine balls to get KKR close to the 190-run mark while Shakib fell to Bhuvneshwar Kumar off the last ball of the innings.

Brief scores: Kolkata Knight Riders 187/6 in 20 overs (Nitish Rana 80, Rahul Tripathi 53; Rashid Khan 2/24) vs SunRisers Hyderabad 177/5 in 20 overs (Manish Pandey 61 not out, Jonny Bairstow 55; Prasidh Krishna 2/35)

Esports likely to be medal event at 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games

Photo Courtesy: IANS

Abe said Matsuyama has been an aspiring player.

"I believe he is now thinking about winning a next tournament and a next major title after this victory," he said.

Tiger Woods, who won the Masters five times, including the 2019 tournament, also congratulated Matsuyama.

"Making Japan proud Hideki.

Congratulations on such a huge accomplishment for you and your country. This historical @ TheMasters win will impact the entire golf world," Woods tweeted.

Olympic Games organisers look to give fans virtual feel Tokyo, April 9 (IANS): The Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (TOCOPG) wants to give the spectators and fans a virtual feel of what the athletes experience first-hand on the field. For that they launched the 'Let's 55 Virtual Experience' in Tokyo on Friday.

SPORTS

and even I feel it as a player".

He says that the players, despite running at incredible speeds all the time, look refreshed because that is what they learn during training. "That's what's so great about hockey," says Masaki.

On Japan's hopes at the Games, he says, "Of course I would like us to win the gold medal, but I also hope the Games would help promote hockey as well."

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Hangzhou (China), April 11 (IANS): In an indication that esports will certainly be a medal event during the Hangzhou Asian Games, the recognition given to the Asian Electronic Sports Federation (AESF) by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) is being seen as a "very positive step" ahead of the quadrennial games in September 2022.

The recognition drew applause from top sports administrators, with Saudi Arabia's Prince Faisal Bin Bandar Bin Sultan Al Saud, whose country will host the 2034 Asian Games, welcoming the move.

"The partnership between AESF and the Olympic Council of Asia further legitimises esports globally and provides the athletes and the fans the support they deserve," Prince Faisal Bin Bandar, who is the president of

the Saudi Arabian Federation for Electronic and Intellectual Sports (SAFEIS), said.

The high-ranking Saudi sports official said that by making esports an official medal event, it will provide young athletes and esports enthusiasts with "sustainable career paths in the Olympic sphere".

Prince Faisal Bin Bandar added that Saudi Arabia was extremely happy to be competing in the Hangzhou Asian Games and promised a successful 2034 Games, which will take place in Riyadh.

The Esports Federation of India (ESFI) director, Lokesh Suji, said that the move towards full medal status at the quadrennial continental event was a success for not only the Indian esports athletes and fans but the whole of Asia

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April 16-30, 2021 - Vol 1, Issue 20

INDIA NEWS

Multiple rhythms for a unique sound Photo Courtesy: www.swaraagmusic.com

'Lok Mein Ram' art exhibition brings to life varied facets of Lord Ram Photo Courtesy: IANS

Talking about novel ways to reach new audiences, the band's cofounder admits that social media has the ability to make things viral overnight. "For the music industry, it has provided support to independent artists and will continue to do so."

P

laying multiple genres including Rajasthani Folk, Folk Rock, Sufi fusion, instrumental and Bollywood, Rajasthan-based band 'Swaraag' has carved a distinct niche for itself.

Co-founder of the band, Pratap Singh tells IANS that while travelling across the country, they realised that the audience connects with them more intimately when they listened to music close to their local language. "This is how we started to experiment mixing multiple genres in a concert. For example, we found that the audience likes to listen to Rajasthani Folk but not hundred per cent. People admire Sufi but not essentially a complete concert devoted to that genre.

We start to change the flow after 15-20 minutes, and it has really worked," he says.

Founded in the year 2014, when Singh met Arif Khan for the first time at a concert, the former recalls, "Khan was a freelance musician then. We clicked instantly and continued to meet.

There was no doubt in our minds

around the possibility of creating a band together. And that is how 'Swaraag' began."

Lamenting that it was extremely tough for an independent band or musician to survive and make a mark in the industry dominated

by Bollywood, Singh smiles that though it has been a roller coaster ride for them, it is the recognition from their fans and followers that keeps them going. "We have learnt so many things from this industry and we stick with our principle of not using any electronic patches in our live performances."

Talking about last year's lockdown and the grim situation ahead considering the second wave of the pandemic, he says, "It is tough to explain how traumatizing it was initially. However, we learned from the unprecedented times.

But yes, there were many delayed projects pertaining to album recordings and social promotions which we managed to complete during that period. Lockdown taught us that nothing can replace your quality of work, and the importance of skills to market

Recently a part of HCL Concerts 'Soundscapes', the band members feel that not just the government, but the corporate sector too needs to pitch in when it comes to promotion of arts. "We have been collaborating with HCL for the past three years, and it has been a fruitful partnership. Let's hope some more business houses come in," says Singh.

Adding that experimentation is the key word for them, the co-founder says that while the group boasts of artists belonging to different gharanas, the most important key is the liberty to experiment with the music till one is satisfied. "All of us love to experiment in order to create a unique blend of traditional and modern music," says Singh, as the band is working on an original song which is in the final stages of recording.

RSS chief Bhagwat to launch Sanskar Bharti art and culture campus Photo Courtesy: Times of India

Deendayal Upadhyay Marg.

The Sanskar Bharati 'Kala Sankul' is an eclectic art and culture complex, which will bring together a number of disciplines including the arts, literature and theatre. An exhaustive library equipped with books on art and culture; an art gallery, auditorium, studio and conference room will be available in the campus.

The initiative will be pursued in close collaboration with Sanskar Bharati, a cultural organisation which is committed to implant national values in people's lives through traditional, classical, folk, and modern arts of India.

New Delhi, March 31 (IANS): On April 2, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Chief Mohan

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Bhagwat will inaugurate the Sanskar Bharati Kala Sankul (campus) to be located at 33,

The objective of Sanskar Bharti is development of a person through value-based art and entertainment.

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Sita's swayamvar!

The other work portrays Ram, a devoted student, with his hands folded in front of his Acharya, praying for divine weapons. What strikes the viewer is how the artist has used the divine arrow with a golden aura around it to light up the whole canvas!

your work," says Singh.

Stressing that 'Swaraag', which also uses traditional music instruments such as KhartalMorchang and Zitar is in fact an attempt to bring people in touch with their roots of the traditional music, Singh feels that sometimes 'fusion' is quite a misunderstood term. "In 'Fusion' one can create a blend of any classical & western in 40:60 ratio or 30:70 ratio. It's really hard to define it."

CULTURE

New Delhi, April 7: The ambience at the group art exhibition "Lok Mein Ram" mounted at the newly inaugurated New Delhi-based Sanskar Bharati Kala Sankul is divine and aesthetic. The reason is that the 25 artworks and one installation - all exquisite and engaging -- at Sankuls maiden exhibition are all devoted to Lord Ram and Ramayana, one of Indias holiest scriptures.

On till April 13 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. the exhibits give viewers a glimpse of varied facets of God and his life. All the artworks are acrylic on canvas barring one.

The first display to catch immediate attention is the "Ram Setu", with the words Ram forming a trail to follow across the wooden benches covered with glass. It has been done by the Director-General of National Gallery of Modern Art, Adwaita Gadanayak. The placement of padukas (wooden footwear) gives it an authentic touch! The work stresses emphatically that even though he was an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, Ram in human form had to make an effort to reach Lanka.

Gamut of emotions Continuing with the human dimension of the God, there were other works that brought alive a gamut of emotions. Kishan Soni's "Balroop Ram" shows him as a child exuding innocence, and adorned with jewellery, as the eldest prince should be, while playing with the wooden toys, like an elephant and horse, as the parrots watch him in awe.

The exact opposite of this work is Bhargav Kumar Kulkarni's "Sita Viyog". The distraught Ram looks every bit a husband, desperately in search of his abducted wife.

He appears to be appealing to the Heavens above to intervene and help. Behind him, there is Lakshman, resting his hand against a tree, in sheer dejection.

Valorous Ram The courage and strength of Ram are nicely portrayed in two works, namely, Vijay Chandrakanth Jadav's "Divya Aashtra" and "Shiv Dhanush" by Abhishek Acharya.

The latter shows the Prince resplendent in regal finery, without much of an effort, lifting the legendary bow of Lord Shiva.

The setting in the background, all in red and golden hue, gives one the feeling of actually watching

Bringing into focus how Ram was a true egalitarian, are artworks "Ram With Sabri Mata" and "Ram With Ramnami Tribal Man" by Balaji Ubale, and "Sabri Tapasya" and "Ahilya Udhaar" by Kudlaya M. Heeremath. The first one shows Ram about to eat the fruit first tasted by Sabri to ensure that it is sweet, while the other shows him hugging a tribal devotee with all his love! The third shows Sabri welcoming Ram in her humble abode with complete love and devotion. In the last, the beautiful Ahilya is redeemed by God's touch. In both paintings, Ram's humbleness comes across as he greets Sabri and Ahilya with folded hands.

True devotee Hanuman Regarded as the complete devotee of Ram, Hanuman too is the subject of some paintings. In "Lanka Dahan" by Lalchandra Suryavanshi he is shown in his mammoth size, burning the Ravana's capital to ashes. The artist brings out the power and strength of the devotee in all its glory in yellow and gold.

Stunning works!

Two works are absolutely stunning in their colour and depiction. Ganesh Kalskar "Mareech Vadh" showing the golden deer (Mareech) being hunted by Ram. The deer in shining yellow stands out in the dense foliage of the jungle. Vijay Chandrakanth Jadav's "Ravan Jatayu Yudh" gives one the feel and impact of aerial warfare.

In the glare of sunlight, the legendary bird attacks Ravan who is abducting Sita.

Return of Ram Dinakar Janmali artwork "Ayodhya Agaman" in pen and ink, in black and white stands out among all the acrylic on canvas works.

Abroad the pushpak viman, Ram, Sita and Lakshman with Hanuman guiding the viman is beautifully etched and looks exquisite. The artist's other work "Ayodhya Return" in a modern style, is a fine mix of colours blue, white, brown, yellow and grey - showing the people of Ayodhya rejoicing on the arrival of their beloved King.

Organised by Lalit Kala Akademi and Naimisharanya Foundation, the displayed works were all created at a workshop organised last year at Ayodhya by these two organisations. Held from March 1 to 5, 2020, at Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Avadh University, the workshop saw participation by artists specialising in realistic art, who truly brought alive the life of the God.

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April 16-30, 2021 - Vol 1, Issue 20

INDIA NEWS

ART & LITERATURE

'Venom' a mythological Devdutt Pattanaik retells iconic stories of Abrahamic lore in new book fantasy-mystery set in Photo Courtesy: IANS

New Delhi, April 5 (IANS): India's favourite mythologist, Devdutt Pattanaik will introduce readers to the fascinating mythology of angels, demons, prophets and kings of the Abrahamic religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam, in his new book, "Eden: An Indian Retelling of Jewish, Christian and Islamic lore" (Viking).

The bestselling author of "Jaya",

"Sita", "Shyam", and "Olympus" will now chronicle the Abrahamic myths that emerged in the Middle East over 3,000 years ago and formed the foundation of some of the world's major religions.

This myth of loss, and rescue, the author argues, plays a key role in shaping secular Western ideologies such as Capitalism, Communism, Socialism, and Scientism that dominate the world today.

The book will also include stories from Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Greek, Ugarit and Zoroastrian mythologies that shaped the monotheistic worldview, as well as stories from Indo-Christian and Indo-Islamic folklore that it inspired in South Asia.

Meru Gokhale, Publisher, Penguin Press, Penguin Random House India commented: "Devdutt is a master storyteller, who has an unparalleled talent for writing about big subjects intimately. We are indeed very proud to publish

this book."

Devdutt Pattanaik writes, illustrates and lectures on the relevance of mythology in modern times. He has, since 1996, written over 50 books and 1,000 columns on how stories, symbols and rituals construct the subjective truth (myths) of ancient and modern cultures around the world.

His books with Penguin Random House India include "Shyam: An Illustrated Retelling of the Bhagavata", "The Book of Ram, Jaya: An Illustrated Retelling of the Mahabharata", "Sita: An Illustrated Retelling of the Ramayana", "The Girl Who Chose" and the "Devlok with Devdutt Pattanaik" series, among others.

He consults with corporations on leadership and governance, and TV channels on mythological serials. His TV shows include Business Sutra on CNBC-TV18 and Devlok on Epic TV.

Of the power of books and the bonds of friendship Photo Courtesy: IANS

existence in gossipy smalltown Montana is unexpectedly interrupted by her neighbour Lily, a lonely teenager craving adventure. As Lily uncovers more about Odile's mysterious past, they find they share not only a love of language but also the same lethal jealousy. Odile helps Lily navigate the troubled waters of adolescence by always recommending the right book at the right time, never suspecting that Lily will be the one to help her reckon with her own terrible secret.

current times

Photo Courtesy: IANS

New Delhi, April 1 (IANS): Is the Mahabharat an epic or is it history? Is Ashwathama, one of the seven 'Chiranjeevis' or immortals, a figment of past imagination or does he really continue to wander the Earth to this day? Could he really be seeking revenge on Krishna, and be willing to curse all of humanity with a deadly plague?

After writing a bestselling thriller, "The Emperor's Riddles" and the biography of Sridevi, Satyarth Nayak is back with "Venom" (Amaryllis), a mythological fantasy-mystery set in current times.

What begins as an investigation by police officer Parag Suri and author Om Patnaik into attacks on the Who's Who of the country quickly turns into a mind-boggling unveiling of an ancient cursed being who is hungry to execute his evil plan of retribution. What dark secrets lie hidden behind the masks of normalcy? How will the paranormal puzzle that is terrifying the city be decoded?

What is the role of a sevenyear-old autistic girl amidst this bewildering struggle? Why do her drawings symbolise the country's matinee idol, Ashwin Tomar?

What dark secrets lie hidden in the heart of Tomar's secretary, Yeva?

And, what horror has taken birth in the mind of an ancient being that could forever annihilate mankind?

The writing is simple yet bold.

The narrator suggests that Ashwathama is a bloody-thirsty

revenge-seeker and a murderer.

The story brings in personalities from the cricketing, media and business world while borrowing from numerous interesting myths and stories from folklore.

This highly-engrossing tale is for those who love mythology and thrillers.

Satyarth Nayak is an author and screenwriter based in Mumbai.

His debut novel, "The Emperor's Riddles", released in 2014 and became a bestselling thriller, earning comparisons with Dan Brown. Nayak has also scripted Sony's epic show "Porus", touted as India's biggest historical TV series.

Nayak's short stories have won the British Council award and appeared in an anthology curated by Sudha Murthy, titled "Something Happened On The Way To Heaven". Named one of the Top 50 authors to follow on social media, Nayak is currently scripting a web-series for Amazon.

Based on a true World War II story, Janet Skeslien Charles' "The Paris Library" (Hachette) is an unforgettable novel about the power of books and the bonds of friendship -- and the ordinary heroes who can be found in the most perilous times and the quietest places and the courage it takes to forgive.

New Delhi, March 31 (IANS): The obsession with World War II continues -- and from all indications, is not likely to die down anytime soon.

Paris, 1939: Young, ambitious, and tempestuous, Odile Souchet has it all -- Paul, her handsome police officer beau; Margaret, her best friend from England; Remy, her twin brother who she adores; and a dream job at the American Library in Paris, working alongside the library's legendary director, Dorothy Reeder.

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When World War II breaks out, Odile stands to lose everything she holds dear -- including her beloved library. After the Nazi army marches into the City of Light and declares a war on words, Odile and her fellow librarians join the Resistance with the best weapons they have: books. Again and again, they risk their lives to help their fellow Jewish readers, but by war's end, Odile tastes the bitter sting of unspeakable betrayal.

Montana, 1983: Odile's solitary

Janet Skeslien Charles is the award-winning author of "Moonlight in Odessa", which was published in ten languages. Her shorter work has appeared in revues such as Slice and Montana Noir. She first became interested in the incredible true story of the librarians who stood up to the Nazi "Book Protector" Dr. Hermann Fuchs, who had full authority over intellectual activity during the occupation, when she worked as the program's manager at the American Library in Paris. "The Paris Library" will be published in thirty countries.

She divides her time between Montana and Paris. Visit her at JSkeslienCharles.com or connect with her on Twitter @ SkeslienCharles.

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Spring Hill Corner, Roma Street Parkland, Brisbane, Queensland

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April 16-30, 2021 - Vol 1, Issue 20

INDIA NEWS

TRAVEL

A Vana Way, Connecting With People and Nature Equally

By N. Lothungbeni Humtsoe

A

dynamic process of change and growth around body, mind and soul. Vana, a Wellness Retreat nestled inside Sal forest in Dehradun, Uttarakhand is one-of-a-kind place where you can rejuvenate from a lockdown stress adopting a completely

different lifestyle - a Vana way disconnecting from outside world and soaking in connecting with people and nature equally.

The retreat welcomes you with an art piece of entangled Bodhi tree roots that reminds each vanavasis, “All Enter As Equals”.

The moment you enter and meander through the pebbled pathways towards the residence, a transition into the experience of being on the retreat begins.

Established in 2014, achieving India’s first retreat LEED Platinum status in 2015 the area is spread over 21 acres. Vana comprises 66 rooms, 16 suites and

Photo Coustesy: IANS

4 duplex style villas each crafted to perfection to evoke a sense of warmth and comfort.

The Kila is the heart of Vana, which has the quality of serenity, sincerity and confidence that one finds in spiritual places.

Expressing the value of comfort, harmony and wellbeing every nook and corner of the Retreat are artfully demonstrated.

The visitors wake up to the views of a misty Sal forest or gardens and fruit orchards, all with balconies and terraces, and begin a day with meditation and yoga asanas. To achieve a holistic healing each vanavasis gets their itinerary curated carefully after a consultation with a wellness doctor. Later, they get to spend a day indulging in its wellness offerings based on Ayurveda, Yoga and Sowa Rigpa and complemented by nourishing cuisine.

Reminding to eat every meal mindfully, making almost all produce from scratch. The kitchen team practices not only make the food healthier and more nutritious, but also reduces carbon footprint.

After a well-spent day involving self-love, Vanavasis tucked under a blanket for a peaceful night under contemporary shapes, natural and sustainable materials,

thoughtful lighting and a neutral colour palette that merges gracefully.

but we also ensure that we work in a sustainable and eco-friendly manner”.

Founded by Veer Singh, Vana believes that only by aspiring to achieve best spiritual, emotional, physical, and intellectual self, we can live life wholesomely.

RETREAT AT VANA INCLUDES: • A Retreat Program with yoga, meditation, cuisine lessons, functional fitness, talks, music and more

You can now book via call or mail Vana's latest offering - ‘Vana 3’.

A three days of wellness journey that offers an introduction to Vana or allows a guest to return for a quick recharge.

• Arrival and departure wellness consultations

Talking about Vana 3, Jaspreet Singh, Executive Director at Vana Dehradun, said “Vana has always aimed to make Vanavasis experience wellbeing from all aspects. Starting from Ayurveda to Yoga to mindful eating; the team at Vana has always emphasized the relevance of leading a disciplined way of life.

We ensure that the wellness quotient remains with the Vanavasis even after their retreat in the outer world. Not only this,

• All cuisine including breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner • Private treatments/ specialist consultations/sessions based on 1 wellness weight per night per guest • Attire to wear within and outside Vana, footwear, summer and winter accessories • Airport transfers from Dehradun Airport • No service charge or gratuities added. Our team does not expect tips as appreciation for their work

This e-bike startup is changing Indian tourism, one tour at a time Photo Coustesy: IANS

F

or the founders of popular e-bike tours startup BLive -- who now host over a dozen cycling-based experiences in nine Indian states including various Goan locations and a Madikeri Nature Trail in Karnataka's Coorg -- sightseeing-centered travel experiences in travel destinations were something lacking a local immersion and green tourism practices.

A travel tech platform that offers immersive experiential tours powered by smart and savvy electric bikes, is how BLive defines itself. Co-founded by Samarth Kholkar and Sandeep Mukherjee, the brand is also an Airbnb Experiences host, and says that listing on Airbnb gives them the "much-needed visibility" to take their initiative to a wider audience, as a startup.

Some of these Airbnb Experiences include Culture Trails of Panjim, Discovery of Divar Island, Village Vistas of Cansaulim, Nature Trail of Chorao and Food Trails of Panjim. They are bookable on the Airbnb platform, and are recommended.

"Sustainable tourism is the need of the hour and it is not just a trend, but a more responsible and practical lifestyle, especially

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Photo Coustesy: IANS

in a post-COVID world. We are slowly moving away from nonrecyclables in our day-to-day life but there is a massive gap between the rising demand for ‘sustainable tourism’ and the lack of options," Samarth Kholkar, CEO and co-founder of BLive explains to IANSlife.

Kholkar also notes that tourist destinations in India are flooded with vehicles increasing our collective carbon footprint. Their solution? E-bike tours that merge local, authentic experiences with sustainability and ecoconsciousness.

"We wanted to offer offbeat and unique experiences but also be environmentally conscious through our platform. We have tried to inculcate the same in every way possible. (For instance) we provide string bags made of cloth so guests can dispose waste if any in it and carry water and other necessities too.

Similarly, when we launched in Goa, we used upcycled shipping containers as our hubs. This was all an effort to reduce waste and make the guest also a much more conscious traveller. With electric vehicle (EV) as a category growing we wanted to ensure that people make that as a consideration even

when travelling. In most cases, it is actually the first time that people actually try out EV when they take our tour."

BLive's three-hour Madikeri Nature Trail, for instance, takes groups of cyclists on e-bikes -- that can be either a regular cycle or a battery-powered vehicle depending on how one flicks a given switch -- for tour of locations such as a dam, a scenic riverside spot, a local coffee plantation, and a high Coorg peak. All this while the cool Western Ghats breeze refreshes cyclists as they pass by picturesque spots.

Asked about their process of

curating tours, Kholkar further explains: "We look at locations which have a good amount of history, strong culture and some very unique offerings in arts, craft or food. It takes us about three months to curate an experience. We engage with the local community to ensure the best experience. Our local guides, whom we call, ‘captains’ besides being great story tellers are completely immersed in the local culture, history and heritage.

Our experiences are hence always unique whether its is seeing the fresh Goan bread 'poi’ coming out of the oven, or seeing hand made bangles being made in Jodhpur or

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seeing coffee brewing process in Coorg."

The 2018-established startup, which has conducted over 10,000 tours, says they are aiming for a pan-India footprint.

"Through our e-bike tours, we want to grow our presence in 200 locations in India. By end of the year we would want to be in international locations like Sri Lanka and South East Asia to start with. We want to accelerate the progress towards switching to EV which is made possible via the experience given on our tours.

Thus creating a larger social impact."

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April 16-30, 2021 - Vol 1, Issue 20

INDIA NEWS

Ancient Indian churches inspire an Easter Sunday getaway built in India. The church was hit by a major flood in 1676, but was rebuilt on the land provided by the government. Pope John Paul II designated the church as a Basilica in 2004. The locals are a big patron of Mother Mary, or Vallarpadathamma as they call her; and the Basilica is considered to be the National Shrine of Our Lady. The Basilica holds an annual feast every 24th of September. So make a mental note of this and consider capturing the festivities for your next blog.

Photo Courtesy: TrekEarth

St. Paul’s Church, Diu

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aster which falls on the first Sunday of April every year is generally celebrated with midnight mass, family get-togethers, large lunches accompanied with an indulgence in timely sweets, including marzipan and easter egg chocolates.

With new lockdowns being announced on a daily basis across India, it may be difficult to celebrate Easter the traditional way this year, but to keep the celebrations alive, Booking. com has curated a list of some of India's ancient churches and cathedrals that are perfect for an Easter-inspired getaway as and when it’s safe to do so.

Thiruvithamcode Arappally, Kanyakumari Currently known as St. Mary’s Orthodox Church, Thiruvithamcode Arappally is

known to be India's oldest church.

It is claimed to have been built in 57 AD by Thomas, one of Jesus’ 12 apostles. It was called Thomaiyar Kovil by the then Chera king Udayancheral. Located in Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu, this church is surrounded by beautiful coconut groves and a lotus pond. Despite its age, the church built from quarry stone is very well kept and captivates the viewer with its granite pillars that make up the door frame and lamps, tiled roof and latticed wooden foyer. An orthodox church with a rustic vibe is perfect for your next #wanderlust post.

Diu’s one and only church, St. Paul is a large structure compared to most churches, with rich wood carvings, unique spiral scrolls dating back to the Corinthians and shell-like motifs that adorn the walls. The Church follows a Baroque-style architecture and the main altar has 101 burning candles offered to Our Lady. The Church is a major tribute to the Jesuits who came to India and have established churches and schools across the country. When it is safe to do so, one must go to this church to experience its grandeur and aesthetics.

All Saints Cathedral, Prayagraj Patthar Girja also known as All Saints Cathedral, an Anglican Christian Church constructed in 1871, and it is a must see if you have been on the lookout for Gothic-inspired churches.

Walking through the main entrance, the carved glass panels allow natural light in that reflects across the room. The main altar is made of marble from the colonial era. If you look around the church, you will find plaques of British nationals who were martyred at the time. Vlogging a walkthrough of this church should be added to your to do list!

Photo Courtesy: TripAdvisor

Photo Courtesy: TripAdvisor

Medak Cathedral, Medak, Telangana While its name may be simple, Medak Cathedral is one of the largest Diocese churches in Asia and amazingly, the second largest Cathedral in the world following the Vatican, being 200 ft long and 100 ft wide. The interiors are very vibrant and decorated with six different colors of imported mosaic tiles. The stained-glass windows are another highlight of the church. They depict the ways of the cross from the Ascension till the Crucifixion. If you have been looking for scenic lightthrough-the glass photographs, Medak Cathedral is one of the best locations to capture this.

San Thome Church, Chennai

Vallarpadam Church was built by the Portuguese missionaries who came to India to spread the word of God. It is believed to be one of the earliest European churches

Another renowned Basilica, San Thome Church is among one of the three across the globe that hosts the tombs of one of Christ's original disciples. The interiors are rustic and stepping in is almost like taking a step back in time and entering a different century. What is even more interesting is that the church

tech-integrated solutions to help travellers prioritise safety at all times.

finalise their travel. Lock fares and reserve their seats without paying for the actual price of the ticket upfront. With this flyers can also secure themselves against any price hike as they can purchase the ticket at the same locked-in price later. The service allows customers to lock airfares for one, three or seven days for a nominal fee – that later gets adjusted into the full price of the ticket at the time of the final purchase. Here’s a quick and easy resolve to buy time and same money on your air tickets!

Lock air fares as you firm up your air travel

Finding an answer for the quintessential question

Staying watchful of the ongoing uncertanity and planning your air travel accordingly is the best that you can do as you firm up your travel dates. But given the evolving sceanrios one cannot worry least about the change in air fares –leaving many to think whether they should wait and consequently risk fare hike, or book the ticket right away. So, here’s what flyers can do as they

‘What if’ the unforeseen happens a few days before the trip?: 2020 was a year of disappointment for travel lovers and having waited long enough for that holiday, you would not want anything to jinx it. But having a Plan B or C is important in these times?

So, while you prepare for that much-awaited summer holiday with your loves ones, take out a few minutes to opt for a Corona

Vallarpadam Church, Kochi

is also partly a museum that showcases some of the souvenirs that have been preserved over time. Remember to carry a camera along with you to capture moments from the past.

TRAVEL

What your travel checklist should include Photo Courtesy: Pixabay

April 8, 2021: Travellers, it’s time you add a few new essentials to your checklist along with your masks, sanitizers and disinfectants. This new list will help you plan a safe, seamless and most importantly, amibiguity-free travel in these uncertain times.

As coronavirus cases see a new spike in the country, MakeMyTrip has released travel products and solutions that one should consider even as you execise more caution while taking up your journey. With a promise to make end-to-end travel safe, contactless and secure, the company has introduced a slew of

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Protection Plan. Bookable on the platform, the plan allows a traveller to cancel the holiday 72 hours prior to the travel date, in case she or her co-travellers tests positive. The booking amount is converted into a Holiday Gift Card for the full value with a validity of one year to ensure you make up for the lost time. So, it’s time you press a shift+alt+delete on ‘What If’ from your holiday plans!

COVID travel insurance a must to protect you or your loved ones It is always wise to prepare for any uncertainty than being sorry later. Yes, it sounds harsh but as unforgiving the virus is, it’s always advisable to take some preventive measures beforehand. It recently rolled out an option for COVID-19 insurance to secure travellers against any risk of infection during the trip. The option provides a coverage of INR 2 lacs (per customer) along with other benefits such as zero restrictions on room rent, consumables, post-hospitalization diagnostics

etc. The insurance also covers hospitalization for 16 days posttravel in case of infection as it usually takes 14-15 days for the virus to surface.

You need not worry about lugging your baggage to the airport: Travelling with baggage can be pretty exhausting, especially in times like now when safety and hygiene are non-negotiable.

In a bid to make flying safe, convenient and hassle-free, the platform has intrdocued a ‘door-to-door’ baggage transfer service for its customers. The new offering allows travellers to book an end-to-end baggage transfer service from the departing address to the destination address. While the service has been designed and developed with an aim to make baggage handling easy for all travellers, it is especially targeted at customers who may check-in with bulk luggage or need assistance otherwise at the airport –for instance, people moving cities, senior citizens among others.

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INDIA NEWS

April 16-30, 2021 - Vol 1, Issue 20

Rashmika thought it was a prank on being told she'll work with Big B Photo Courtesy: OTV News

ENTERTAINMENT

Alaya F says mom Pooja Bedi is 'an extremely positive person' Photo Courtesy: Vogue

was told that, Bachchan sir would be in the film and I was like, 'wait, come again. what?!' It sounded too good to be true and I thought someone was playing a prank," she recalls.

"Until the announcement was done, I was like, 'ok, is this happening? what is happening, please someone tell me'. Then the announcement happened and I was like 'ok, this is happening'," Rashmika adds and giggles thinking about her reaction.

New Delhi, April 5 (IANS) Telugu star Rashmika Mandanna recently courted pan-India limelight starring in Badshah and Yuvan Shankar Raja's new music video "Top Tucker", and is all set for her Bollywood debut. Rashmika has a working birthday on Monday, facing the camera for the Amitabh Bachchan-starrer "Goodbye", which she has signed even before her debut Hindi film "Mission Majnu" released.

Rashmika, who is known for roles in hit Telugu films such as "Geetha Govindam" and "Dear Comrade" among others is amused that fans down South have coined the term "National Crush" to describe her. She prefers to underplay the adulation.

"I am aware of it but at the same time I am not. I know that there is so much love for me out there but I am not swayed by it. I know

where my roots are and I know what all this is. I am mindful of who I am a person, so it is not that I am like 'Oh my God!, I get to be swayed away by all love, appreciation'. I am totally grounded and my team hates me for it, but that is the kind of person I am," shares Rashmika, who shares screen space with Sidharth Malhotra in her debut film "Mission Majnu". The film is currently on floors and the actress will wrap her shoot in the coming week.

Her next film after "Mission Majnu" is the Big B-starrer "Goodbye". Rashmika shares an interesting anecdote about the film.

"Initially when I read the script, it was just about the script because nobody told me anything about who was going to be cast beside me! I liked the script and later I

The actress made her acting debut with the 2016 Kannada film "Kirik Party" followed by the Telugu debut "Chalo". She recently entered the Tamil industry with "Sulthan". Rashmika believes she is a pan-India face because language was never an obstacle in her mind.

"I always believed in breaking barriers. I was never okay with films having language or any other barriers. I think a year down from debuting in Kannada, I was already working in Telugu industry, and two years down in Telugu industry. My first Tamil film has released a year after that, I have Hindi releases now.

For me, I never liked the idea of being in one industry. If an actor's film releases only in a particular language then they are only Kannada or Tamil actors. I never liked boundaries and people know it because from day one I have been saying the same thing.

I call myself a pan-face, because I think that as a person, I can build around anything and do any work in any industry or language and I can do a damn good job," she claims.

2nd wave of coronavirus outbreak, Babloo Bachelor release got postponed have decided to postpone the release of the film. Earlier the film was supposed to release on 16th April 2021 but now it will get delayed due to the 2nd wave of coronavirus outbreak in the country.

D

ue to spikes in the coronavirus cases in the country and the authorities' decision for lockdown 2.0, the cinema industry will again be affected. With the weekend lockdown at most of the states and closing of the cinema hall, the filmmakers of Babloo Bachelor

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Under the banner of Rafat films, Babloo Bachelor is released by Jaiviratra entertainment. The film is produced by Ajay Rajwani and directed by Agnidev Chatterjee.

Story screenplay & Dialogue by Saurabh Pandey and Music By Jeet Ganguli. Lyrics are given

by Kumar, Rashmi Virag, and Ashish Pandey. Arijit Singh and Pappon are the singers and Agnidev Chatterjee is also the cinematographer of the film. The editor is Parth Y Bhatt and the Choreographers are Late Saroj Khan, Kunjan Jani, Ranju Varghis, and Savio Branes. Sharman Joshi, Tejasree Pradhan, Pooja Chopra, Rajesh Sharma, Leena Prabhu, and Neeraj Khetripal are in the lead. .The film will be released by

Jaiviratra entertainment.

Babloo bachelor is a comedy genre film, in which Sharman Joshi is playing the protagonist.

The story of the film is based on UP, where a well-to-do family had always dreamt of their son's wedding with great pomp and show. Babloo (Sharman Joshi) met few girls for his wedding but didn't get the right one.

Then he met Pooja Chopra who was already engaged in another relationship and is not a virgin either. After listening to this, he rejects the proposal. At one wedding he got to meet Tejasri Pradhan, with whom he falls in love and both agree to the marriage. But the twist comes when on the wedding day Tejasri ran away from the wedding and left a letter for him. She had always wanted to be an actor and now she had got a chance as a lead actor in a reality show in Mumbai. Sharman tries everything to reach his would-be

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By Anjuri Nayar Singh Mumbai, April 8 (IANS): Her mom, actress Pooja Bedi, has never really minced words when it comes to sharing her thoughts.

However, budding actress Alaya F says when it comes to sharing knowledge and experiences about the industry, she and her mom have always had positive conversations.

She says when it comes to her mom, she has always been positive about her experience in the industry.

“The one wonderful thing is that she is an extremely positive person. She focusses on telling me the positives. If I ask about it, she will tell me anything I want to know. Most of the conversations related to the the industry have been positive,” Alaya told IANS. She adds that her mother never planned to be an actress.

“My mother never intended to be an actor. It was never her big wife. He even goes to Mumbai.

There, by chance, he again bumps into Pooja Chopra who was the creative head of that channel. He told her everything. She agrees to help him and when finally Tejasri comes back, Sharman falls in love with Pooja Chopra after looking at her initiative and efforts to bring Tejasri back. To whom Sharman will be married now? We will get to know this once the film releases.

dream to be an actor. She kind of fell into it. I don’t think there were many heartbreaks with the industry when it came to her,” she says.

Meanwhile, the actress, who was seen in her film “Jawaani Jaaneman”, recently starred in a music video called “Aaj sajeya”.

The song has been written, composed and sung by Goldie Sohel.

“My film released and the world went into lockdown, so I lost a year at the start of my career.

Which is okay! I knew that I wasn’t going to have a release coming out super soon. When Punit (Malhotra) came to me, I saw no reason not to do it. I mean Manish Malhotra was doing my clothes and Micky (Contractor) sir was going to do my make up and he (Puneet) was directing it.

Everyone else involved was just so wonderful, I was like let’s totally do it!” she says.

Alaya dons the look of a young bride in the music video.

“The concept is fun, young, new, modern bride. It is funny because when I go to a wedding, instead of heels, I wear boots or high sneakers as they are more comfortable. I related to it on a personal level. I loved the whole vibe of it. It was something which my character from ‘Jawaani Jaaneman’ never got. In the film, I got pregnant, but never married.

So here I got to get married!” she says.

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INDIA NEWS

April 16-30, 2021 - Vol 1, Issue 20

OTT: Skirting controversies

BY Vinod Mirani When the OTT streaming platforms came to India, the controversies followed. Because, what followed was an unabashed abuse and misuse of the medium in the name of creative liberty!

The main themes of many OTT streaming serials were gore, violence, sex. The same old Hindi belt "Bahubali" films, which used to fail by the dozen at the box office, were rehashed with stress on sex and violence.

Were the makers suffering from deprivation or did they think the viewer was? Every next such serial went on to outdo the previous one in depicting all that was undesirable. Did these makers have a target audience in mind? Far from it, since the content was meant for a family audience to be viewed within the four walls of a home!

Streaming platforms may have business interests all over the world, but no country offers such a huge chunk of consumer base as India does. As things stand today, Indians are more sensitive to certain kind of content.

Especially, anti-national or antireligious content that provokes the masses to react instantly.

Also, India is a country with myriad ways of life, sentiments and beliefs.

In an event when a film, TV serial

or steaming platform content goes against their sentiments or belief, reactions can rise from any corner of India. Court petitions are a norm. The law says that once a film is passed by the CBFC (Central Board of Film Certification), a court of law can't be moved against it. However, this has not deterred people from getting a film entangled in a legal case. Despite the explicit law to the contrary, the courts pay heed to such cases, otherwise what follows is violence.

When people of a section or a region or a religion take exception to some content, the law gives authority to the local district collector to stop the spread of such content. A DM's intervention is possible when it comes to films, but with OTT streaming it is out of reach for almost all authorities.

When the Aamir Khan film "PK" released, there was much hue and cry, and violence was feared. The film, people felt, made fun of the Hindu gods. But, to demonstrate tolerance and freedom of expression in the democratic set up, the government offered police protection to cinema halls screening the film. The very people who were objecting to the content, flocked the cinema halls to watch it, making the film a blockbuster! That was in 2014. The tolerance level is not the same

Photo Coustesy: Netflix

The first OTT film to draw the ire of the public as well as Indian Air Force personnel was "Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl". The content was said to be based on lies, it was said to have twisted facts and was derogatory to the Air Force. The controversy did not go beyond TV debates, nor did it help the film generate any more viewers as some controversies do.

The recent and more serious case was that of "Tandav", which released on Amazon Prime on January 15 this year. "Tandav" makers were accused of portraying Hindu gods as well as the Prime Minister of India in a bad light. Not only was a police FIR filed but the matter was also taken up at the ministerial level.

The Amazon team was asked for an explanation by the I&B ministry. Apologies were sought and duly provided. The scenes hurting the sentiments of people were removed.

This must have been quite embarrassing for Amazon, a company that does business all over the world. The incident also made the Government answerable for allowing the OTT platforms an unregulated, free run.

This finally led I&B Ministry to introduce some checks on the OTT medium. The ministry has proposed to take over the control of OTT platforms from the Ministry Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).

The platforms were given a timeline by which they were asked to set up a self-regulating body as well as a code of conduct.

Lady love: Digital space explores lesbianism

Moving away from formuladriven content, the digital space has been intrepid in narrating stories where a woman would express love to another woman uninhibitedly.

There are quite a few projects that have come up spotlighting lesbian love. IANS lists some of these:

www.indianews.com.au

Ajeeb Dastaans The upcoming anthology is all about love and longing.

However, one story featuring actresses Konkona Sen Sharma and Aditi Rao Hydari explores a relationship between two women.

Titled "Geeli Pucchi" and directed by "Masaan" maker Neeraj Ghaywan, the story revolves around two women who long for an emotional connect and end up finding it in one another.

Bombay Begums The show, starring Pooja Bhatt, Shahana Goswami, Amruta Subhash, Plabita Borthakur and Aadhya Anand, touches

Photo Coustesy: Amazon

anymore.

This seems to have led to a change in the film content-buying policy of OTT platforms. After all, these platforms, reeling out content on a regular basis, can't afford to have a government appointed CBFC kind of body to check their content. That would lead to a lot of red tape and delays leading to

Mumbai, April 6 (IANS): Samesex love stories with male protagonists, although rare, have still been explored on the Hindi screen, but lesbianism is relatively rarer. The rise of OTT culture has created a platform to explore a variety of subjects. Lesbianism, a taboo word in India, is finding space, too, over the recent past.

ENTERTAINMENT

uncertainties.

awareness is an advantage.

Hence, what looks like a safety valve, the OTT platforms have decided that the films they buy are first censored and also released theatrically. Unlike earlier, only censored films will be aired on OTT. If issues and objections are raised, they will happen before the OTT release.

The recent film, "Mumbai Saga", went through a theatrical release first and will now premiere on OTT, probably on April 13, on Gudi Padwa, which is the Marathi New Year's day.

This reality about films was proved long back when the video format came to India. A lot of aspiring makers took to making films exclusively for the video format. Some reports suggested that the number of such films made stood at over 500. Whatever the number, these films were just not acceptable to the viewers.

The few that released on video found no takers. They were made at moderate budgets of Rs 3 to 5 lakh, or 10th of a feature film cost in those days, but it was all investment down the drain.

The films released on OTT so far have neither brought them glory nor, in all probability, returns worth their while. That would also be a reason why these platforms have to embark on backing their own film projects with face value and themes that work. Besides, with the closure of cinema outlets for over a year as well as slowdown in the production sector, streaming platforms will eventually run out of supply.

Getting into production will ensure a regular flow.

The theatrical release of a film has its value and advantage. The Indian thinking is such that only a film released at cinemas is really a film made for masses and worth spending money and time on. It gives a film the recognition as a feature film. The fact that a film released at cinemas creates

Meanwhile, Neflix, which has acquired the OTT rights of "Sooryavanshi", seems to have waited long enough for the film to hit the screens so as to follow it up with an OTT release. However, the film release has been postponed many times and, as the Covid-19 situation stands today, it is getting worse by the day, and the fear of another lockdown of cinema stares in the face.

Netflix is reported to have set the OTT release of Sooryavanshi for May 28 notwithstanding its theatre release. The makers may, however, plan a theatre release of the film during this period. For, Sooryavanshi is a star-studded film riding the name of director Rohit Shetty, and it would have raked in a massive opening figure under normal circumstances.

Photo Coustesy: IANS

upon themes of ambition, desire, struggle for power and vulnerability through the stories of five modern Indian women in Mumbai. When it dropped, a sensual kissing scene between Plabita and co-actress Sanghmitra Hitaishi created quite a stir.

The Married Woman The web series is about a relationship two women develop, and the circumstances that lead to it. The show stars Monica Dogra and Ridhi Dogra, and is based on author Manju Kapur's bestseller novel of the same name.

Four More Shots Please!

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The show isn't just about lesbian relationships but one of the lead characters, played by Bani J, is bisexual. Soon, the story shifts

to Bani's character falling in love with Lisa Ray's character and the story revolves around their relationship.

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16-30, 2021 - Vol 1, Issue 20 2/2/21 2:18 pm PageApril 1

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