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PAGES: 68 VOL.6 | ISSUE: 3 APRIL, 2018

EDITORIAL Editorial

VOL:6 I SSUE:3 I APRIL, 2018 `30 Editor SUDHAKAR

Special Correspondent D Bal Reddy

Correspondents Mallesh Babu Mattipati Yanadi Reddy Mandha Ravi Kumar G.P. Nagaraju

Reporters M.Praveen Kumar, P Vishnuvardhan Reddy Photographers M Vijay S Sridhar, Shair Ali Baig Cover & Layout T. Srinivasa Rao

General Manager Mohd Nizamuddin

Chief Executive (Marketing) Venkata K Ganjam (GK) Chief - Business & LifeStyle K. Bharath Reddy Marketing Associate M. Akhil Raj Shaker

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uoyed by BJP’s rout in by-polls in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, Opposition parties seem to be gearing up for a third front – an old and failed idea in Indian politics. While Mamata Banerjee of West Bengal and Left Parties have been trying to unite all the regional parties in the country, the efforts seem to have gained momentum with the by-poll results and with the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) joining the chorus. TRS chief and Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has even announced that he will form and lead the third front. He also told media that he was ready to serve the people of the country if they want, thus expressing his wish to become the third front leader and if possible the next prime minister. It is said Rao is pitching for third front to crown his son as the chief minister when times are good for his party, while TDP has joined the chorus because it is facing heat from the YSR Congress party in Andhra Pradesh which is demanding special status for the newly formed state. However, it seems the BJP national leadership pegged the ideas of TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu and TRS chief KCR through an intermediary who is said to be benami for both the politicians. Similarly, BSP chief Mayawati, who extended support to the SP by not fielding its candidates in the by-polls has already announced that her party will not support others in any of the next elections. On the other hand, the BJP is gaining strength in West Bengal, which is evident from the growing intolerance on the part of Didi and also from the results of the recent assembly elections in the north-east. The idea of third front is likely to collapse if the BJP succeeds in capturing power in the forthcoming assembly elections in Karnataka. Above all, informed voters of this nation appear to be in favour of a strong center instead of a coalition government.

Editor : Sudhakar

Note: Focus/Infocus features are marketing initiatives, any legal disputes comes under the jurisdiction of courts in Hyderabad

(Sudhakar) THE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2018

4 Content Maoists threaten to intensify attack against KCR

Govt sanctions `100 cr for Osman Sagar 10 beautification

Man linked with Panama Papers got voter ID with fake address Panama Papers, which sent shock waves across the globe a couple of years ago, appears to be coming back haunting diďŹ&#x20AC;erent people in diďŹ&#x20AC;erent ways

KCR to hold meetings to prepare 15 national agenda

Temperatures could go up to 47-48O in AP, TS 8

THE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2018

Content

Shock defeat for BJP in UP, Bihar by-polls

28 In results that can set the tone for the 2019 general elections, the BJP on March 14 received a severe drubbing in the Lok Sabha and assembly by-elections in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar losing four of the ďŹ ve seats, including the prestigious Gorakhpur and Phulpur parliamentary constituencies...

Lack of security, poor awareness cause BPO cyber frauds: Survey Lack of strict implementation of existing information security protocols, along with poor employee awareness, lead to most cyber frauds in the country's booming ....

Young obese at higher risk of cancer Obesity which often leads to cancer in older adults is now reported with increasing frequency in young adults, a new study says.

Government to divest 76% in Air India, invites EoI 38

Biopic on NTR launched at grand 40 event in Hyderabad

THE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2018

6 Summer Tips

Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t let your stomach suďŹ&#x20AC;er this summer

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ith summer comes various issues of the stomach. Not only do the high temperatures make us sweat more, it also reduces our immunity so make sure you eat eating properly this season. Experts say: "Summer brings a majority of digestion related illnesses. Considering the rise in temperature every year, it is very important to manage our food habits to avoid stomach illnesses." They suggest few tips to keep your stomach healthy this summer:

Keep yourself hydrated, always: Drinking good amount of water helps in fighting 90% of the diseases. Fiber present in the body pulls water into the colon and helps the body in creating softer, bulkier stools. This makes the passage of the stools easier without causing fissures or piles.

Increase fiber intake: Including elements to your diet that's high in fiber and rich in whole grains, vegetables, legumes, and fruits can improve your

THE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2018

digestive tract. A high-fiber diet helps in avoiding constipation which is a leading cause of fissure.

Avoid Fatty food : Fatty foods, generally, curb the digestive process. It is advisable to avoid intake of fatty substances in your diet during summers.

Limit coffee: Limiting excessive intake of caffeine as it can give rise to trouble with the smooth functioning of your digestive system, and lead to

Summer Tips 7

problems like stomach ulcers, acidity, and heartburn.

Dhrity Vats, Medical Officer, Healthians -- an online diagnostic center that offers home service -- further explains the digestive disorders that can trouble you this summer.

Gastroenteritis: This is the most common stomach infections seen across all age groups. Vomiting, blood in motions, watery motions with froth, dehydration, severe pain in the abdomen are the first symptoms and when not treated initially can cause severe damage like dehydration and sometimes even unconsciousness due to weakness. Jaundice: A very common in-

fection of the liver which shows symptoms like nausea, itching on skin, bitter tongue, pale look of the face with a yellow coloration of the eye. The Hepatitis A virus attacks the liver which starts producing extra bile. Contaminated water or unhygienic food is the main reason for this infection.

Typhoid: A high-grade fever with fatigue, weakness, pain in stomach, vomiting and loose motions, headache and rarely body rashes are all symptoms of the Typhoid Fever. This is a water-borne disease, seen very commonly in summers.

Food Poisoning- This is a typical infection which happens within 6-8 hours of

THE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2018

eating contaminated food kept in low levels of hygiene.

Vats further adds few precautions to be safe

Avoid eating food from outside during summers. Carry your own water whenever stepping out of the house.

Eat freshly prepared food. If the food has been cooked prior either boil it or fry it before consuming it.

If you face any 2 signs of the above-mentioned symptoms, start with lots of fluid like ORS prepared at home with boiled water, coconut water etc. Increase your intake of water and lemon. If the condition worsens, consult your doctor. Get your stomach tested.

8 Summer Troubles

Temperatures could go up to 47-48O in AP, TS this summer

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eople residing in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, brace yourselves for a hot summer! The Indian Meteorological Department has announced that a warmer summer can be expected over the next three months, till the onset of monsoon. IMD Director Y K Reddy said

some of the districts expected to be the worst affected. “Temperatures could go up to 47-48 degrees. Many days will see 43 degrees and above. This year, we can expect more than 30 days when temperatures will be above 43 degrees. In 2017, we had a heat wave on 23 days. This year it could be more than that,” he explained. Residents in coastal districts are

There will be many such situations in the coming months till the onset of monsoon,” Y K Reddy added. Temperatures in many locations have already started soaring, including in Kurnool, Anantapur, Kadapa, Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, Tirupati and more. Temperatures in many places ranged between 37 and 39 degrees. The Met department earlier said

that although hotter days are primarily expected in April and mainly in May, they cannot be ruled out in March either. “This coming MarchMay we are going to have a warmer summer as compared to the last 1 or 2 years. More heat wave days and high intensity of temperature are expected,” Y K Reddy said. Nellore, Prakasam, Krishna, Visakhapatnam and Srikakulam are

already witnessing days that are hotter than normal, though the temperatures haven’t crossed 40 degrees. “In some places in coastal AP, temperatures 4 degrees above normal are being seen, but all of them are below 40 degrees. If the temperature is more than 40 degrees – 5 degrees above normal – then it will be a heat wave situation.

that the pre-monsoon months will be warmer than normal and that a heat wave is expected to hit 16 states in the country. The average temperature will be at least 1 degree Celsius higher than what was seen in previous summers in most regions across India. In certain regions of the south, the temperature rise could be 0.5 degrees, the department had said.

THE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2018

Land Grab

Pratima Hospital controversy refuses to die down

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t appears the controversy surrounding the building that is housing Pratima Hospital in Kachiguda refuses to be muffled. There has been a controversy that the land on which Pratima Hospital building has been constructed belongs to the government as per the provisions of Escheats and Bona Vacantia Act. Kicking up the controversy again, president of Jana Sankshema Sangham, K Venkatanarayana demanded that the government should take over the building and run a government hospital for the poor people. Quoting the proceedings of the joint collector of Hyderabad (Proceedings No.B2/6638/2007, dated 25-09-2014), Venkatanarayana said the land originally belonged to one Sumitra Bai who died heirless. However, the management of Sri Sai Balaji Health Care India Private Limited managed to create fake documents to show that it has purchased the land from certain people, he alleged. Based on the fake documents, the firm tried to begin construction but the same was stopped by the Tahsildar of Himayatnagar. However, management of the firm approached high court and secured an order saying only the joint collector has the powers to interfere,

said the Jana Sankshema Sangham president. In the meantime, the management of Sai Balaji Health Care approached GHMC and got construction permission by managing to town planning officials, Venkatanarayana said adding that the report of the joint collector clearly shows that the GHMC was supposed to insist for NOC from the district collector before granting permission. After securing construction permission through illegal means, Sai Balaji Health Care Private Limited went ahead with the construction despite the fact that the case was pending before the High Court. Meanwhile, the joint collector

THE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2018

gave his report stating that those who were shown as vendors of the property to Sai Balaji Health Care Private Limited have filed colluded suits in civil court to secure title over the property. Therefore, Sai Balaji Health Care failed to establish title over the property. The joint collector also said in his report that the property known as Ashok Vihar (on which now a huge building stands where Pratima Hospital is being run) is an escheated property of late Sumitra Bai Srikande, which is in unauthorized possession of Sri Sai Balaji Health Care India Private Limited. The joint collector also said in his report, â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Tahsildar, Himayathnagar Mandal is hereby authorized to take possession of the land under inventory of panchanama and keep it in his custody till the process under the provisions of the Escheats and Bonavacantia Act 1974 is completed.â&#x20AC;? Despite such clear directions, it is not known to the common people how the management of Sai Balaji Health Care India Private Limited succeeded in running Pratima Hospital in the property, Venkatanarayana said and demanded that the government should order a high level probe and take over the property immediately and take stern action against all the officials and private persons responsible for grabbing the property.

10 Telangana News

Govt sanctions `100 cr for Osman Sagar beautification

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he Telangana government accorded administrative sanction for Rs 100 crore to take up the beautification of Osman Sagar lake, one of the main drinking water sources of the city, at Gandipet. Principal Secretary, Municipal Administration, Arvind Kumar issued orders in this regard. The expenditure will be met directly from the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) funds. 'Gandipet Lake Development Task Force' will be set up under the aegis of the HMDA involving Tourism, Revenue, Irrigation,

Water Board, the Southern Power Distribution Company of Telangana Ltd (TSSPDCL) and Social Forestry, Kumar said. HMDA will come out with an action plan to make the lake a perennial source of drinking water. Further, while developing an ecofriendly recreational tourist destination, the HMDA shall incorporate the latest and best components available world over and would integrate with nature and green cover seamlessly, he said. The HMDA has proposed to make the Osman Sagar lake a holiday destination for tourists, without compromising on the water quality and without taking up any THE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2018

activity which affect the quality of the water body directly or indirectly. "Initially it is proposed to take up the walking track, cycling track, road formation, chain link mesh fencing, street lighting, shoreline strengthening, and landscaping around the periphery of Osman Sagar for length of 25 kms," he said. "Once these works are taken up commercially viable components such as revolving restaurant, cable car, house boats, night camping area, food courts etc. on Public Private Partnership or lease mode will be taken up," said the principal secretary.

opposition leaders pitch for third front

THE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2018

Cover Story 13

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was defeated on the Gorakhpur, and Phulpur Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh by Samajwadi PartyBahujan Samaj Party combine while the Lalu Prasad's Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) defeated the Janata Dal United (JD-U) - an NDA ally -on Araria Lok Sabha seat in Bihar

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pposition leaders on March 14 advocated, with renewed vigour, for a grand alliance to defeat the BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections after it was crushed in the bypolls to three Lok Sabha seats,

especially in Uttar Pradesh where an alliance of arch rivals SP and BSP sealed the BJPs fate. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was defeated on the Gorakhpur, and Phulpur Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh by Samajwadi PartyBahujan Samaj Party combine THE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2018

while the Lalu Prasad's Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) defeated the Janata Dal United (JD-U) - an NDA ally -- on Araria Lok Sabha seat in Bihar. The RJD had the backing of the Congress in Bihar though in Uttar Pradesh the Congress fielded its

14 Cover Story

candidates on both seats. Buoyed by the victory, a number of opposition leaders including RJD's Tejashwi Yadav and veteran socialist leader Sharad Yadav on Wednesday called for a Grand Alliance at the national level to defeat the BJP. Congress President Rahul Gandhi and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee were quick to congratulate the victorious candidates of the opposition camp. Although Samajwadi Party President and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav avoided a direct reply to the chances of his party forging an alliance with BSP and others for the next year's Lok Sabha polls, saying there was still time, but emphasised that the by-polls results did give a "message and a direction" to the national politics. Gandhi, while congratulating the victorious candidates, said that the results showed the "electorate is very angry against the BJP and will vote for the non-BJP candidate most likely to win". Tejashwi Yadav said the Samajwadi Party and the BSP should fight the 2019 Lok Sabha polls to-

gether and urged the Congress to join them. "A Grand Alliance is the demand of time, it is the demand of the people. Keep your ego away. There is a need to teach a lesson to those who have destroyed the country," he said. Sharad Yadav said even "a partial unity" among opposition parties was enough to defeat the BJP. "The (BJP-led) government will go even if there is a partial unity among the opposition parties," he said. Asked if the opposition parties were chalking out unity plans ahead of the 2019 general election, he said the "process is on" and added that the opposition unity was a "big challenge" and would take "time and honest efforts" to materialise. Banerjee congratulated Akhilesh Yadav, BSP chief Mayawati and Lalu Prasad as the opposition took big leads over the BJP in Lok Sabha by-elections. "Great victory. Congratulations to Mayawatiji and Akhileshji... The beginning of the end has started," the Trinamool Congress leader tweeted. "Congratulations to Lalu THE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2018

Prasadji for winning Araria and Jehanabad. This is a great victory," she said. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday said the BJP under-estimated the SP-BSP alliance that led to its defeat in the by-elections to the prestigious Gorakhpur and Phulpur Lok Sabha seats and termed it as a lesson to the party which would do an introspection. Reacting to the shocking defeat of the party in the seats held by him and his Deputy Keshav Prasad Maurya, he, however, expressed confidence that this would have no impact on the general elections in 2019 in which national issues will play a dominant role and it will be a vote on the performance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He said local factors play a role in by-elections but in the general elections, the good performance of the Modi government and its welfare schemes will have an impact in BJP's favour. In Bihar, BJP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi downplayed the RJD's victory, saying it was the result of sympathy votes in Lalu Prasad's favour.

Cover Story 15

Third Front

Kcr to hold meetings to prepare national agenda

D BAL REDDY

elangana Chief Minister and TRS President K. Chandrashekhar Rao, who has mooted the idea of a third front and offered to lead it, unveiled plans on March 5 to conduct a series of meetings across the country to prepare a national agenda. KCR is chalking out a programme to hold meetings with organisations, associations and retired bureaucrats. According to the Chief Minister's Office, he will first meet the retired All India Service Officers like IAS, IPS, IFS and IRS. As these retired officers have seen political developments closely at state and national level, meeting with them will be highly useful, the office said. Rao is also expected to meet retired defence personnel and officers; legal luminaries; farmers' associations and employees' associations of all states; and economists and retired finance secretaries. "These meetings will be followed with meetings with media houses, journalists, industrial houses, labour organizations and so on one after another," the office said. These meetings will be organised in Hyderabad, New Delhi,

Mumbai, Chennai, Calcutta and Bangalore. Rao's idea of a front to provide an alternative to both the BJP and Congress, has already received support from West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi and actor-politician Pawan Kalyan. The TRS leader claimed that six to seven MPs from Maharashtra also telephoned him to convey their support. Stating that both the BJP and Congress failed the people, he said there was a need for qualitative change in Indian politics. He said BJP could bring no changes. He criticised it for not

THE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2018

doing anything for the farmers. "If tomorrow Congress comes to power, nothing will change. Only the names of the schemes will change," he said. Calling for amendments to the Constitution to facilitate higher economic growth, he demanded that the Centre should transfer subjects like education, health, urban development, rural roads, reservation to the states. "I have nothing against Modi or BJP. I am against the slow progress of the country. The slow pace of progress is not digestible," he had earlier said. "I am 64. If I can help bring the change and serve the country for few years, I will definitely do it," he added.

16 Cover Story

union Minister ravi shankar prasad makes light of Kcr's 'third front' idea

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laying down the idea of a third front mooted by Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) chief K. Chandrashekhar Rao, the BJP said the Indian polity has changed much beyond "the murky waters of third front". Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters in New Delhi on March 5 that the "illusory and elusive concept of third front" is not a new idea. He said it started in 1989 itself and the country has seen these governments followed by the stable National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He added that political parties have the right to make efforts to forge a front in a democracy and the judgement lies in the hands of people. He termed the remarks of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader Mayawati about conditions of support concerning Rajya Sabha and legislative council elections as "strange". On BSP's support to Samajwadi Party for Phulpur and Gorakhpur Lok Sabha bypolls, he said there has been a huge impact of the bitterness in ties between the two parties since 1995. "Those who think that they can work magic by allying with a party here and there...the country has changed a lot." Prasad said the BJP had a large

number of allies in the NDA and is gaining more as it supports the quest of regional parties for development, without prejudice, and is sensitive to their concerns. TRS chief and Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao, who has mooted the idea of a third front and offered to lead it, on Monday unveiled plans to conduct a series of meetings across the country to develop a national agenda. Rao's idea of a front to provide an alternative to both the BJP and the Congress has already received support from West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi and actor-politician Pawan Kalyan. The TRS leader claimed that six to seven MPs from Maharashtra also telephoned him to convey their support. THE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2018

Meanwhile, the Telangana units of the Congress and the BJP were unrelenting in their criticism and continued to attack KCR. “He (KCR) doesn’t know the frustration and disappointment of people. He doesn’t know the reality of Telangana and people’s anger against him and his family. He should concentrate on serious issues such as farmers’ distress, unemployment, and fee reimbursement. The people of Telangana have seen Chandrasekhar Rao’s true colours in the past four years. They are ready to teach his government a fitting lesson,” Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) President N. Uttam Kumar Reddy told reporters. Senior Congress leader Revanth Reddy alleged that KCR had a ‘secret agenda’ to form a third front and divide the anti-BJP votes across the country, and ensure that the Congress would not come to power, so that the TRS could ‘protect’ Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Taking to Twitter, BJP MLA Kishan Reddy said, “Anyone can aspire to become PM of the country but KCR is a failed CM, both in administration and policy implementation. His move of aspiring for PM is surprising and a joke. It is a wellknown fact that the people of the country had rejected the idea of third front in the past and there is no place for one in future as well. The talk of a third front, his shift to national politics is just a diversionary tactic to hide his failures.”

18 Panama Papers

Man linked with

Panama Papers got voter ID with fake address panama papers, which sent shock waves across the globe a couple of years ago, appears to be coming back haunting diďŹ&#x20AC;erent people in diďŹ&#x20AC;erent ways THE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2018

G.P. NAGARAJU

ven as the special probe ordered by the Indian government into the Panama Papers has failed to find really something big, enquiries by this correspondent in Hyderabad revealed how those connected with Panama Papers have misused the voter identity proof for starting fake companies for laundering money and evade taxes. For instance, one Venkatachalam Gedupudi’s name found place in Panama Papers. His address has been mentioned as Ramasai’s Symphony Dwellings, Anand Nagar, Khairatabad, Hyderabad. His name

was enrolled in the voters list with the same address. According to the Panama Papers available in the public domain, Venkatachalam is associated with various offshore companies including Castilla Global Assets Limited which is a client of Mossack Fonseca. However, what comes as a surprise is that neither Venkatachalam nor his family ever lived in Ramasai’s Symphony Dwellings. This correspondent got it confirmed with a couple of people in the apartment and with Venkatachalam himself. Yet, he managed to enroll himself in the voters list with the address where he never lived. This clearly shows how pathetic Indian enumeration and authentication systems are. This single issue brings to the fore the serious flaws in the voter enrollment in Hyderabad city in particular because the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) is allegedly winning poll after poll with bogus votes. Recently, the GHMC authorities announced that they have deleted over six lakh bogus votes

Panama Papers 19

from the rolls, while activists are fighting for removal of over 30 lakh bogus votes identified during the Aadhar seeding with voter identity cards. In the wake of Panama Papers, which show the myriad ways in which the rich can exploit secretive offshore tax regimes, and in the wake of such persons getting identity cards with fake addresses, it is time the Indian government take urgent steps to link voter and other identity cards with Aadhar. The Panama Papers are an unprecedented leak of 11.5m files from the database of the world’s fourth biggest offshore law firm, Mossack Fonseca. The records were obtained from an anonymous source by the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung, which shared them with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ). The ICIJ then shared them with a large network of international partners, including the Guardian and the BBC. Twelve national leaders are among 143 politicians, their families and close associates from around the world known to have been using offshore tax havens.

According to the Panama Papers available in the public domain, Venkatachalam is associated with various offshore companies including Castilla Global Assets Limited which is a client of Mossack Fonseca

THE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2018

20 City News

No parking fees in Hyderabad malls and multiplexes for ďŹ rst 30 mins

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n a welcome move, the Telangana government issued orders on March 20 to regulate the parking fee charged by commercial establishments in all urban areas of the state, including Hyderabad. According to the Government Order (GO), visitors of malls and multiplexes can park their vehicles for free for the first 30 minutes, starting from April 1. The GO states that no parking fee shall be collected for the first half an hour, which could be extended to one hour if the vehicle

owner produces a bill of purchase from the mall or multiplex. In case the vehicle has been parked for more than one hour and the owner produces a bill or movie ticket which costs more than the parking fee, then the parking fee will not have to be paid, the GO adds. Besides these exceptions, the prescribed parking fee for a certain duration can be collected by the managements of these establishments. This comes after several citizens complained that they were being fleeced by parking fees, whenever they visited malls and multiplexes. THE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2018

Taking to Twitter, Municipal Administration and Urban Development Principal (MAUD) Secretary Arvind Kumar posted a copy of the GO on social media. "Based on complaints on high parking fee made to MAUD Minister KT Rama Rao, parking fee in malls and multiplexes rationalised for all urban areas including Hyderabad with effect from April 1. No parking fee for first half hour and subsequently, free parking upon producing purchase bills from the mall," Arvind Kumar tweeted. The official also sent instructions to the Greater Hyderabad Mu-

nicipal Corporation (GHMC) to make sure the GO is implemented. This order comes after several citizens moved court and submitted representations on the issue. In February this year, an advocate wrote to Hyderabad Commissioner of police VV Srinivasa Rao, arguing that the collection of parking fees was illegal. "Commercial complex owners have no authority under the act to impose and collect fees from the public. According to rule 12 of the Multi-Storeyed Building Rules 1981 and zoning regulation of GO number 423, it is mandatory for owners of commercial complexes to provide regular parking facility to visitors at free of cost. These complexes shall use them as com-

mercial ventures and make money out of them," Advocate K Ravalee, was quoted as saying. In August last year, an FIR was registered against Inorbit Mall at the Madhapur Police Station, after a resident complained that he was forced to pay Rs 30 for using the parking lot for just 10 minutes. While the move is being welcomed by many, some activists argue that there were a lot of unanswered questions in the order that could be misused. Taking to Facebook, activist Vijay Gopal who had filed the police complaint on the matter said, "The GO does not speak about the fact that it is applicable to the entire state of Telangana, and also says that the GHMC Commissioner must ensure that it is followed and

THE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2018

City News 21

enforced. The GO does not say it is applicable only to GHMC, so I'm not sure if this is answering the issues or raising more problems for citizens? Are we saying people in Warangal, Nalgonda, Nizambad, Karimnagar, etc., should pay for parking?" "Can hospitals charge for parking? What purchase bill will I show? Will single-screen theatres come under the term 'commercial establishments'? How will I, as a consumer, know how much to pay and how much is too much? Who decides the 'prescribed fee' which may be collected? Any private place which does not have 44% of built-up area left for parking, cannot take money as they are already in violation of the law," he added.

22 Regional

Kondandram calls Kcr a hypocrite for refusing permission for spirit of Million March

MANDHA RAVI KUMAR

ccusing Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao of being a hypocrite, Professor M Kodandram Reddy condemned the virtual house arrest of several leaders and the detention of hundreds of activists who were planning to take part in the ‘Spirit of Million March’. On March 10, the Telangana Joint Action Committee, the CPI (M), several left parties and people’s organisations had planned

to take out a rally at Tank Bund in Hyderabad to commemorate the historic ‘Million March’ of 2011 under the united Andhra Pradesh to mark its anniversary. However, the police refused to give permission for the march and even closed the roads leading to Tank Bund. Notwithstanding police orders, the organizations planned to go ahead with their programme scheduled from 1 pm to 4 pm. As a result, police kept political leaders like Kodandram under virtual THE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2018

house arrest against partaking in the programme. They also detained several activists from the across the state who were planning to take part in the programme. Kondandram said that on one hand the Chief Minister wanted the Centre to maintain a federal spirit and uphold democracy, but he objected to the same when people demand it from his government. “This is sheer hypocrisy,” he said. “You (KCR) want democracy at the national level. In a similar fashion, we also want to protect and preserve the democracy of the people in the state,” he said. Kodandram pointed out that KCR wanted to erase and rewrite the history of Telangana statehood in a way it favoured him. “It was a collective struggle by the people of the state. He (KCR) doesn’t want the people to know that Telangana is an outcome of a people’s struggle. He wants everyone to remember it as him who achieved the Telangana dream. He wants his own domination and autocratic rule to be legitimized. He doesn’t want any other perspective which would challenge it,” he said. He also accused the police of flouted rules by detaining activists for more than 24 hours. “More than 3,000 activists have been detained and there are cases where a few were denied food. This is unconstitutional,” he added.

Regional 23

Maoists threaten to intensify attack against KCR

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day after 10 guerrillas of the Communist Party of IndiaMaoist were killed in a gunfight with the police in Telangana's Jayashankar Bhupalapally district in the first week of March, the banned outfit has threatened to avenge the deaths. A letter, seemingly issued by the outfit's official spokesperson, Jagan, is doing the rounds and states that it would 'intensify' its attach against TRS leaders and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao. "For giving water and land to corporate companies, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao is conducting fake encounters. Henceforth, we will intensify our attack on TRS leaders. Hindutva leader Raman Singh (Chhattisgarh Chief Minister), dictator KCR together are eliminating Adivasis, those who question, by indulging in

attacks," the letter was quoted as saying. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Comrade Hari Bhushan, Bade Chokka Rao alias Damodar and K Raji Reddy did not die in the encounter as the police was falsely propagating," the letter added. Meanwhile, officials said that seven out of the ten bodies had been identified after a postmorterm was conducted at the Area hospital in Badrachalam. Strict security was maintained and the entire process was also videographed as per instructions of the Hyderabad High Court, which is hearing a petition on the killings. While two of the bodies were identified as natives of Telangana, the rest of the deceased hailed from Chhattisgarh. The police said that these bodies would be handed over to the Chhattisgarh police, who would in turn, hand it over to their families. The exchange of fire between the Maoists and a joint police team

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of the two states ensued in the forest near Venkatapuram village in Tadapalagutta-Pujarikanker area on the Telangana-Chhattisgarh border as security forces launched combing operations after a tip-off. As per a statement from the Telangana Director General of Police office, the Maoists opened fire, to which police retaliated in self-defence. One AK-47 rifle, five Insas rifles, one self-loading rifle, two single-bore rifles, one .303 rifle, one pistol, one Sony radio, Rs 41,000, three claymore mines, six rocket bombs, two solar plates, besides empty cartridges, and live ammunition of different calibre were seized from the scene. The killed police official was identified as Greyhounds Constable Sushil Kumar. Three injured police personnel were airlifted to Bhadrachalam town. The bodies of the Maoists were also shifted to the town for autopsy.

24 National

Government claims of saving in PDS, LPG by Aadhaar linking inďŹ&#x201A;ated, SC told

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he government's claims of saving by plugging leakage by linking disbursal of rations under the Public Distribution System and LPG with Aadhaar was "incorrect and inflated" as there was no study to back such a claim. Telling the five judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra on March 14 that there was not a single study to demonstrate that "identity fraud" is a large proportion of corruption in the implementation of welfare system, senior counsel K.V. Viswanathan said claims of savings were "incorrect and inflated". Asserting that there was evidence that "quantity of fraud is pervasive", he told the bench also comprising Justice A.K. Sikri, Justice A.M. Khanwilkar, Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and Justice Ashok Bhushan that the government claim of saving, inter alia of Rs 14,000 crore in the PDS system,

"due to the detection of 2.33 crore ration cards is incorrect, inflated and based on wrong assumption." Appearing for social activists Aruna Roy, Nikhil Dey and Nachiket Udupa, Vishwanathan said that the government does not have the estimates of the leakage in PDS and also no study has been carried out to ascertain if POS machines were effective in removing irregularities. Telling the constitution bench that government was conflating the issue of "bogus/ineligible ration cards" with identity fraud, he said that "a large number of these 2.33 crore cards were deleted even before Aadhaar-integration and seeding came into effect". Referring to the figures of decline in the leakage in PDS system even before it was linked to Aadhaar, Viswanathan held that "the state has failed to demonstrate that increased savings and better targeting are of an order of magnitude that justifies" the serious inTHE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2018

fringement of fundamental right to privacy of the citizens. Assailing the report of the UIDAI on the saving through Direct Benefit Transfer to the user of LPG which claims to have saved Rs 14,672 core in 2014-2015, Rs 6,912 crore in 2015-2016 and Rs 4,9824 crore in 2016-2017, he said that the report of the committee of secretaries headed by Cabinet Secretary had said that the "de-duplication of beneficiaries using Aadhaar was able to identify only 9 lakh duplicate connections, and the total saving in the annual subsidy was only Rs 91 crore". The court was told this in the course of the hearing of a batch of petitions by former Karnataka High Court Judge K.S. Puttuswamy, Magsaysay awardee Shanta Sinha, feminist researcher Kalyani Sen Menon and others challenging the constitutional validity of the Aadhaar scheme on the touchstone of the fundamental right to privacy.

National 25

niti aayog launches ranking of 'aspirational districts'

The dashboard will facilitate District Collectors of all the aspirational districts to input the latest available data of their respective districts.

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he NITI Aayog has launched the baseline ranking for 101 aspirational districts based on 49 indicators across several sectors including health and nutrition, education, agriculture and water resources. The other sectors include financial inclusion, skill development and basic infrastructure. NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant said on March 28 that a few more districts will be added to the list taking the total to around 115. From May onwards, the districts will be ranked on their incremental progress, hence exemplifying and encouraging the spirit of competitive federalism, he said. "The aspirational districts programme, through real-time monitoring and proactive course corrections, reinforces the mechanisms of cooperative and competitive federalism between the Centre and the states, down to the districts," he said. According to the baseline rankings, the worst performing districts in the country are Mewat (Haryana), Asifabad (Telangana) and Singrauli (Madhya Pradesh).

Kant said the 'Champions of Change' dashboard for real-time data collection and monitoring will be open for public viewing from April 1. The dashboard will facilitate District Collectors of all the aspirational districts to input the latest available data of their respective districts. "People will know which districts are performing well and which are lagging behind. So there will be pressure from district level officials to the MLAs, MPs and the Chief Minister to improve the performance of those districts creating THE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2018

a healthy competition among them," he added. Kant said that unless these backward districts -- which the NITI Aayog has dubbed as aspirational districts -- improve, India cannot progress at high growth rates. "We want to create competition at the state, district and even the block level. Why do some districts lag on crucial indicators of human development while other districts in the same State excel? Bridging this 'distance to frontier' is key to ensuring the states' prosperity and the nation's progress," he added.

26 Urban News

Bengaluru worst in urban governance: Report

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engaluru, India's technology hub touted as the Silicon Valley of the East, fared the worst in urban governance as evident from its lowest ranking among 23 cities across the country in a recent survey by a city-based NGO. "Bengaluru lacks a city sanitation plan, comprehensive mobility plan and resilience strategy," said the survey by the Janaagraha Centre for Citizenship and Democracy. The fifth annual survey released in the first week of March evaluated the cities based on 89 different parameters. It was based on the citysystems, namely urban planning and design, urban capacities and resources, empowered and legitimate political representation and transparency, accountability and participation of citizens.

Among the 23 cities surveyed, Pune in Maharashtra ranked the highest, followed by Kolkata, Thiruvananthapuram, Bhubaneswar, Surat and New Delhi. While major cities in the world like London and New York scored 8.8 on a scale of 10 in the citysystems, Pune fared 5.1 and Bengaluru a mere three. "The better a city scores in the survey, the more likely that it will be able to deliver better quality life to citizens over the medium and long terms," the report said. Twelve out of the 23 Indian cities faring below four in terms of the city-systems scores is an indication that Indian cities are "grossly under-prepared" to deliver a high quality of life that is sustainable in the long term, it noted. "The recurring floods, garbage THE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2018

crises, fire accidents, building collapses, air pollution and dengue outbreaks are only symptoms of this deeper governance crisis in our cities," the report reiterated. Bengaluru has been witnessing polluted air and water bodies, with the city's largest Bellandur Lake catching national attention after it was seen frothing several times due to toxic substances. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) had directed the state in August to submit a detailed plan on reviving the 910-acre lake and asked the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) to shut down about 100 polluting units around it. Above normal rainfall from June to October last year had also exposed the city's poor infrastructure with severe flooding of roads and low-lying areas.

28 Politics

shock defeat for bJp in up, bihar by-polls

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n results that can set the tone for the 2019 general elections, the BJP on March 14 received a severe drubbing in the Lok Sabha and assembly by-elections in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar losing four of the five seats, including the prestigious Gorakhpur and Phulpur parliamentary constituencies, after non-BJP parties teamed up in alliances against the saffron party in the two states. The BJP also lost the Araria Lok Sabha constituency and the Jehanabad assembly seat while scoring a consolation win in Bhabhua assembly seat in Bihar. The results in both the states triggered calls for a Grand Alliance - a la Bihar - all across India to take on the BJP in the next Lok Sabha polls. After sweeping the Lok Sabha

elections in 2014 and the assembly elections last year, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) faced formidable rivals in the form of Samajwadi Party (SP) and BSP who stitched a last minute alliance in the by-polls. Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati had announced the backing of her party for SP candidates in both the constituencies in return for a SP support to her party candidate in the Rajya Sabha biennial elections. The BJP lost Gorakhpur seat to the SP by a margin of 21,961 votes. SP candidate Pravin Kumar Nishad got 4,56,437 votes over his nearest BJP rival Upendra Dutt Shukla who secured 4,34,476 votes. Congress candidate Sureetha Kareem polled 18,844 votes. Yogi Adityanath, who had represented Gorakhpur seat in the Lok Sabha for five times, winning the

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last elections in 2014 with a margin of 3.13 lakh votes, resigned from the seat after he was became the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. Before him, his mentor Yogi Avaidyanath was MP from the seat for two terms, in 1991 and 1993. In the Phulpur constituency, which was once represented by first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, SP candidate Nagendra Pratap Singh Patel defeated BJP candidate Kaushalendra Singh by a margin of 59,613 votes. The winner polled 3,42,796 votes while BJP candidate got 2,83,183 votes. Former mafia donturned politician Ateeq Ahmed secured 48,087 votes while the Congress's Manish Mishra polled 19,334 votes. The SP has been the runner-up on Gorakhpur seat many times before, while it had won the

Politics 29

Phulpur seat four times since 1996. BJP won Phulphur Lok Sabha seat for the first time in 2014 when (now) Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya won by a margin of over three lakh votes. In 2014, BJP and its ally Apna Dal had won 73 of 80 Lok Sabha seats and 325 out of 403 seats in the 2017 Assembly elections. In the neighbouring Bihar, the opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) dealty a stunning blow to the saffron party and its ally JD-U headed by Chief Minister Nitsh Kumar when it bagged the Araria Lok Sabha seat. The RJD's Sarfaraz Alam defeated the BJP candidate Pradeep Kumar Singh by over 60,000 votes in Araria. In Jehanabad assembly constituency, Suday Yadav of RJD defeated Janata Dal-United candidate Abhiram Sharma by 35,036 votes while BJP's Rinki Pandey worsted Sambhu Patel of the Congress, a RJD ally, by 15,000 votes in Bhabua assembly constituency.

It was a direct fight between the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance and the Grand Alliance of the RJD-Congress in Bihar, a year ahead of the next Lok Sabha battle. With the original Grand Alliance having come apart as the JDU deserted it and joining hands with the BJP, there was a lot at stake for everyone in the by-elections: the RJD, JD-U, BJP and Congress. Workers of SP and RJD celeTHE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2018

brated across Uttar Pradesh and Bihar by distributing sweets and bursting firecrackers. At the Bihar Assembly premises, RJD legislators played Holi, splashing each other with colour powder. Elsewhere, RJD workers beat drums and raised slogans hailing Lalu Prasad, who has been jailed for corruption, and his son Tejashwi Yadav, who asked opposition leaders to join hands at the national level to take on the BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha battle. The balloting in Jehanabad and Bhabua followed the death of RJD and BJP legislators respectively. The Araria Lok Sabha seat became vacant after the death last year of Mohammad Taslimuddin, the RJD MP. The RJD fielded Sarfaraz Alam -- son of Taslimuddin and a legislator of the ruling JD-U. Last month, he left the JD-U and quit the Assembly to join the RJD. He is a former legislator from Jokihat in Araria district.

30 Politics

pawan launches attack on tdp and bJp, points fingers at nara lokesh

MATTIPATI YANADI REDDY

ctor-turned-politician Pawan Kalyan lashed out at the TDP and the BJP for failing to keep their promises to the people of Andhra Pradesh. The Jana Sena chief who was addressing a massive rally for his party's fourth Formation Day meeting at the open grounds opposite Acharya Nagarjuna University on March 14. Pawan began his speech stating that he would also stand to 'fight for people's problems and support the public.' Pawan Kalyan took on the BJPled union government over its 'injustice' to the state and accused the party of 'controlling' Telugu MPs.

"The kind of injustice that has been meted out to state is agonising and deeply painful," he said. In response to recent remarks of Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, that the state's demands could not be met on 'sentiment' alone, Pawan said, "Wasn't it sentiment that caused you to support the bifurcation of Telangana then? The BJP government has gone back on the promise of granting special status for 15 years." He alleged that the BJP had pushed the state into agitation mode. Speaking about Andhra Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, Pawan levelled corruption charges against the TDP. "I supported the TDP and the BJP parties during the general elecTHE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2018

tions held in 2014 with a hope that they would rebuild the state which had no Capital and no financial resources. But the state government has belied my hopes and the aspirations of crores of people. Why should I support these parties which have betrayed the people?" he asked. Talking about why he had supported the TDP-BJP coalition, he said "Naidu is an expert and a good administrator but I'm hearing false statements and half-truths. You (Naidu) said 1,500-2,000 acres is enough for capital construction, but the figure has now gone to 36,000 acres." "What about Uttarandra , Rayalaseema and Prakasham district ,why are you doing same mistake of

Politics 31

just developing one region?" the Jana Sena chief asked. He said that the party's strategy and alliances would be outlined in its election manifesto that will be released in August. However, he mentioned that he would go alone in the upcoming local body elections at the panchayat, mandal and municipal corporation level. In another blow, Pawan also accused Naidu of letting his son and Andhra IT Minister, Nara Lokesh, go scot-free over corruption charges. "Don't you know about your son Lokesh's corruption? Are you letting him do it despite your knowledge? if so, I'm leaving it to your wisdom," he said. He alleged that businessman Sekhar Reddy who was arrested

post-demonetisation, was in touch with Lokesh. Indicating that he was unlikely to support the TDP again, Pawan said, "You have satisfied no one. You have lost the faith of people including mine." In 2014, the Jana Sena had backed the NDA coalition and did not contest the previous elections. Pawan had campaigned for the TDP-BJP at the time, sharing a stage with Chandrababu and then Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi. Pawan, who plans to contest from Andhra Pradesh in 2019, chose Kodangattu in Telangana to launch his political campaign as it was here that he had a narrow escape when a high-tension wire fell on him as he campaigned for THE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2018

the 2009 elections. Pawan was then rooting for Praja Rajyam, the party floated by his elder brother, superstar Chiranjeevi. After floating his own party in 2014, Pawan decided to register himself as a voter in Eluru town of Andhra Pradesh in 2016 after a delegation of party leaders from West Godavari district called on him and made a request to this effect. At the time, he had said that his party's first office would come up in Anantapur. However, earlier this week, performed a 'bhoomi puja' and laid the foundation stone for his new residence-cum-office in Andhra's Amaravati region, hinting that he was going to participate actively in the state's political discourse.

Karnataka to vote on May 12, verdict on May 15

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arnataka, where the Congress and the BJP are set to clash for major sweepstakes ahead of the next year Lok Sabha polls, will vote on May 12 in a single-phased poll to elect its new assembly. The results will be declared on May 15, Chief Election Commissioner O.P. Rawat announced on March 27. The date of notification is April 17 and nominations can be filed till April 24. The scrutiny of nominations will take place on April 25 and the last day for withdrawal is April 27. The 224-member Assembly expires on May 28 in the state where the Congress is currently in power, with 122 seats against the BJP's 43.

The BJP views Karnataka as a gateway to the south where it is looking to widen its base and increase its haul of Lok Sabha seats in 2019. It had been in power in Karnataka from 2008 to 2013. The Congress has announced incumbent Chief Minister Siddaramiah as its chief minister candidate while the BJP is projecting former Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa as its face. Minutes before Chief Election Commissioner Rawat announced the schedule of the polling and counting, Bharatiya Janata Party's IT cell head Amit Malviya had tweeted the dates of the poll and counting day, sparking a row. When questioned by the media about the "leak" of poll dates, Rawat first dismissed Malviya's tweet as "conjectures" but later said THE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2018

the commission would investigate the matter and take appropriate action. "People can have conjectures. You cannot stop conjectures. Let me announce the dates and see if they are the same. But certain things may have leaked for which the EC would take appropriate action," he said. However, as he announced the dates, it turned out that the scheduled date of polling - May 12 - was the same as tweeted by Malviya. The date of counting was different though. "Definitely, it will be investigated and when investigation delivers certain facts fix responsibility and whatever action legally and administratively befitting the occasion will be taken. Please rest assured."

However, Malviya wrote to the poll panel clarifying that he had picked the dates from a news channel report and attached the screenshots of the report. It also turned out that Congress party's Karnataka unit's social media in-charge, Srivatsa, had also tweeted the same dates at around the same time as Malviya, that is, 11.08 a.m. The poll panel announced the schedule around 11.20 a.m. Rawat said the model code of conduct would come into effect immediately in the state which will also be applicable to the central government. Rawat said VVPAT machines, apart from EVMs, will be deployed in Karnataka for the polls. "VVPATs will be used along with EVMs in all 56,696 polling

stations of 224 assembly constituencies of Karnataka. On a pilot basis, VVPAT from one polling station in each assembly constituency will be randomly selected to count VVPAT paper slips for verification of the result obtained from the control unit," Rawat said. He said the First Level Check of EVMs and VVPATs has been completed in the presence of representatives of political parties. A two-stage randomization of EVMs and VVPATs will also be done. The election expenses ceiling for candidates has been fixed at Rs. 28 lakh per candidate for Karnataka though there is no expenditure ceiling for political parties, he said. He said webcasting at identified critical stations for live monitoring of election process, to keep a check

on illegal activities such as booth capturing, money distribution and bogus voting etc will also be done. All registered service voters will be delivered e-postal ballot of their respective constituency through electronically transmitted postal ballot (ETPBS), which will be printed and after casting the vote will be sent back to the Returning Officer by post. In a first, one all-women managed polling station in each assembly constituency would be set up where the entire polling staff, including the police and security personnel, will be women. Rawat also appealed to Karnataka's IT professionals to lend a helping hand in preventing any "malicious, divisive or targeted social media campaigns connected with any harvesting of data etc".

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34 Business

Will do our best to break â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;unholy nexusâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; between bizmen, bankers: Urjit Patel

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reaking his silence over the Rs 13,540 crore fraud at state-run Punjab National Bank (PNB), the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Urjit Patel on March 14 said the central bank, as the guard of people's deposits at banks, will do its best to break the "unholy nexus". "I have chosen to speak today to convey that we at the RBI also feel the anger, hurt and pain at the banking sector frauds and

irregularities. In plain simple English, these practices amount to a looting of our country's future by some in the business community, in cahoots with some lenders," Patel said while delivering a lecture at the Gujarat National Law University. "As safeguards of your deposits at banks, and starting with the Asset Quality Review of banks announced by the Reserve Bank in 2015 -- since ably conducted by our supervisory teams and as acknowledged objectively by experts of reputed

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multilateral agencies, we are doing all we can to break this unholy nexus," he said. Expressing deep anguish over the frauds in public sector banks (PSBs), Patel said the RBI will do its duty and even consume the poison and face brickbats. "If we need to face the brickbats and be the Neelakantha consuming this poison, we will do so as our duty; we will persist with our endeavours and get better with each trial and tribulation along the way," Patel said.

36 Business

PNB fraud fallout

RBI scRaPs LetteRs of UNdeRtakINg system

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he Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on March 13 discontinued the system of issuing Letters of Undertaking (LoUs) by banks for availing trade credits for imports into India in the wake of the Rs 12,600 crore fraud on state-run Punjab National Bank (PNB) unveiled last month. According to an RBI notification, the move will come into effect immediately. "It has been decided to discontinue the practice of issuance of LoUs/ LoCs (Letters of Comfort) for trade credits for imports into India by AD CategoryI banks with immediate effect," the notification said. "Letters of credit and bank guarantees for trade credits may continue to be issued subject to compliance with the regulations." LoUs are bank guarantees

through which a bank allows customers to raise money from another Indian bank's foreign branch as short-term credit. The PNB scam by diamantaire Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi involved using LoUs issued in favour of the accused by bank employees who misused their access to PNB's SWIFT -- the electronic messaging system used for overseas funds transfers. None of these fraudulent transactions were registered on the bank's internal transaction messaging system, the Core Banking Solution (CBS), enabling the fraud to go undetected for long. The fraud, which was initially Rs 11,000 crore, has only been getting worse. The Punjab National Bank (PNB) filed a fresh complaint to the CBI alleging it has uncovered additional exposure of about Rs THE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2018

942.18 crore defraud by Gitanjali Group of companies in connection with a multi-crore fraud. The PNB, the country's secondbiggest state-run lender, filed a supplementary complaint to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on March 4 against Gitanjali Gems Ltd, Gill India Ltd, Nakshatra Brand Ltd and Asmi Jewellery India Ltd for the additional fraud amount. It said a total amount therefore allegedly defrauded by the accused till date is about Rs 7,080.86 crore during 2013-17, according to a document submitted in special CBI court in Mumbai on Tuesday. The court filing said that the Gitanjali group of companies controlled by jeweller Mehul Choksi allegedly defrauded PNB of Rs 4,8886.72 crore regarding which the CBI filed a case on February 15.

Business 37

rbi fines icici bank `59 crore for securities' sales violation rbi has imposed a penalty on the bank for continued sale of government securities classified as htM

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he Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said on March 29 that it has imposed a penalty of Rs 58.9 crore on ICICI Bank for non-compliance of its directions on direct sale of securities. The bank clarified its position saying its held-to maturity (HTM) sales happened "due to a genuine misunderstanding on the timing of the applicability of RBI's direction in this matter." An RBI statement said the penalty had been imposed in "exercise of powers vested in RBI under the provisions of Section 47A(1)(c) read with Section 46(4)(i) of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949, taking into account failure of the bank to adhere to the aforesaid directions/guidelines issued by the RBI." The apex bank said the action was based on the deficiencies in regulatory compliance and was not

intended to pronounce upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by the bank with its customers. "RBI has imposed a penalty on the Bank for continued sale of government securities classified as HTM. ICICI Bank had continued with the sales from HTM category for a few weeks during the quarter ended March 31, 2017, due to a genuine misunderstanding on the timing of the applicability of RBI's direction in this matter," ICICI Bank said in a statement. It further added: "As per RBI guidelines, the Bank had disclosed in its annual report for FY2017 that it had sold more than 5 per cent of investments categorised as HTM. However, the bank had not made the specified additional disclosure at that time. The Bank has subsequently been making the specified disclosure as directed by RBI in the audited financial results since the quarter ended June 30, 20"7." THE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2018

The RBI guidelines require banks to classify investments into three categories -- Held For Trading (HFT), Available For Sale (AFS) and Held to Maturity (HTM). The securities acquired by the banks with the intention to hold them till maturity can be classified under HTM. If the value of sales of securities from HTM category exceeds 5 per cent of the HTM investments, banks are required to disclose in the audited annual financial statements, the market value of the HTM investments and indicate the excess of book value over market value. The ICICI Bank also clarified: "During the current year, that is, FY2018, the bank has sold less than 5 per cent of securities from its HTM portfolio. The Bank would like to re-iterate that it continues to give utmost importance to regulatory compliance and endeavors to meet supervisory expectations."

38 Business

Government to divest 76% in air india, invites eoi

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he Central government has invited 'Expression of Interest' to divest 76 per cent stake and management control of the national passenger carrier Air India (AI). The Preliminary Information Memorandum (PIM) inviting the "EoI" for the strategic divestment of AI, along with the airline's shares in AIXL (Air India Express) and AISATS (Air India SATS Airport Services) from private entities including the airline's employees was issued on Wednesday. The central government owns 100 per cent equity of Air India. In turn, the airline holds full stake in Air India Express, while it holds 50 per cent stake in the joint venture AISATS. Accordingly, it has been planned to divest 76 per cent government stake in AI, 100 per cent in AIXL and 50 per cent in AISATS. "The Government of India has given 'in-principle' approval for the strategic disinvestment of AI by way of the transfer of manage-

ment control and sale of 76 per cent equity share capital of AI held by GOI, which will include AI's shareholding interest in the AIXL and AISATS," said the PIM document. The document detailed that apart from AIXL and AISAT, other subsidiaries of AI Group like AIESL (Air India Engineering Services Ltd), AIATSL (Air India Air Transport Services Ltd), HCI (Hotel Corporation of India) and AASL (Airline Allied Services Ltd), "will not be part of the proposed transaction". On the debt restructuring, the PIM disclosed that the "existing debt and liabilities of AI and AIXL as on 31st March, 2017 are being reallocated and it is expected that debt and liabilities, including net current liabilities of Rs 88,160 million, aggregating to Rs 333,920 million will remain with AI and AIXL". "The balance debt shall be allocated to Air India Asset Holding Ltd which is 100 per cent owned by the GOI subject to receipt of

THE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2018

requisite approvals from lenders and regulators, as applicable." Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) Secretary Neeraj Kumar Gupta said that non-core assets like buildings and others will be transferred to the SPV. "Only the core assets which are essential for operation, they are being transferred with Air India. All non-core assets are being hived off to the SPV. It will be separately monetized. "There will be some time for those parties who are interested, they will go through the document and come out with the expression of interest," he said. Besides, the PIM had revealed that "Confirmed selected bidder" will be required to be invested in the airline for at least three years and keep the "substantial ownership and effect i v e

control" of both Air India and Air India Express vested with Indian nationals. The selected bidder will be allowed to use the "Air India" brand for AI business operations for a minimum specified number of years..." Last month, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha had said that the government plans to divest its stake in the national passenger carrier by this year-end. He said the bidding process is expected to be finished by June, by when the winning bidder will be chosen, and all the "legal formali-

ties" will be completed by December. As per the plan, the Air India group will be divested as four different entities. In his Budget speech for 201819, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had said: "The government has also initiated the process of strategic disinvestment in 24 Central Public Sector Enterprises. This includes strategic privatisation of Air India." The airline is under a massive debt burden of over Rs 50,000 crore. Till now budget passenger carrier IndiGo has evinced interest in buying the airline's international

Business 39

operations and its subsidiary Air India Express. Besides IndiGo, aviation industry majors SATS, Bird Group and Celebi have shown interest but in buying Air India's ground handling unit. Currently, the combined entity of AI and AIXL has an extensive network connecting around 43 international destinations and around 54 domestic destinations. The entity operated a fleet of 138 aircraft as of December 31, 2017 comprises 69 Airbus and 69 Boeing plans.

FB revamps privacy settings after data breach scandal

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acebook on March 28 announced an overhaul of its privacy tools that will make it easier for users to find and edit the personal information the company holds. The move followed intense criticism of the social media giant after it emerged that data of about 50 million users had been harvested and passed on to political consultancy firm Cambridge Analytica, the BBC reported. The London-based political research organisation, which collaborated with the election campaign of Donald Trump in the runup to the 2016 US vote, used the leaked information to develop a computer programme to predict the decisions of US voters and influence them. However, Facebook said the revamp was already in the works ahead of the scandal in order to

comply with new EU rules. The announcement coincided with a fresh dispute with New Zealand's privacy watchdog, which accused Facebook of being in breach of local laws.

The changes fell into three categories and were announced in a blog. At present, mobile users see a list of about 17 different options, each of which is marked by a short title. However, the new version reTHE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2018

groups the controls and adds descriptions to make it simpler. Now, there is a new privacy shortcuts menu. The dashboard brings together what the firm said "were the most critical controls into a single place. It suggested this will make it faster for people to do things such as review the posts they have shared or reacted to, and to limit the information used to target ads at them. Also, a new page called Access Your Information allows users to review past interactions with the site -- including the things they have "liked" and the comments they have posted -- with the option to make deletions. In addition, members will be able to download specific categories of data -- including their photos -- from a selected time range, rather than only being able to export a single large file that might take hours to obtain.

40 Entertainment This was the moment many in Telugu film industry have long been waiting for... The launch of a biopic on the legendary actor and former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N.T. Rama Rao

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t an impressive ceremony which brought together the Who's Who of Tollywood on March 29, Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu gave muhurat clap for the movie in which actor Nandamuri Balakrishna will be playing the role of N.T. Rama Rao, his father. At the grand event held at Ramakrishna Studios, Balakrishna said it could be his good karma in the past life which gave him the opportunity to play his legendary father on the big screen. "We are making this film to ensure that the present and coming generations know about NTR and his great contributions to the film industry and to society," said Balakrishna, who had dressed up as Duryodhana for the muhurtham shot. Director Teja and other members of crew created a court

Biopic on NtR lau grand event in Hy scene from the 'Daana Veera Soora Karna', the blockbuster in which NTR played the roles of Karna, Lord Krishna and Duryodhana. Balakrishna admitted that it was no easy task to do a film on NTR. "It is even more difficult to do justice to his multifaceted personality. We are working hard on the script which will be the most challenging part of doing this film," he said. Balakrishna explained why they choose this day to launch the film. He said it was on March 17, 1951 THE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2018

that 'Patala Bhairavi' was released but the massive response at the box office forced the producer to release more prints on March 29. The film created history with the highest number of prints in south India. It turned out to be a blockbuster and made NTR a mass hero. Balakrishna recalled that 'Lava Kusa' was also released on this day in 1963. NTR's first colour film 'Desoddharakulu' (1973) also released on the same date. "It was on this day (1982) that

unched at yderabad

the film will begin from March 30. He plans to release the movie, to be made in Telugu and Hindi, during Dussehra. Venkaiah Naidu said that he usually does not attend film functions but since this film is about NTR, he accepted Balakrishna's invitation. Paying tributes to NTR, the Vice President said his portrayal of Lord Krishna and Lord Vishnu would always be remembered. He also recalled the late leader's contribution in preserving the language and the culture and his championing the cause of Telugu people. Teja is planning to begin shooting in Chennai, where NTR was a government employee in 1947. He quit his job after he got an opportunity to act in B.A. Subba Rao's 'Palletoori Pilla'. Produced jointly by Balakrishna, Sai Korrapati and Vishnu Vardhan Induri, the film will cover the meteoric rise of NTR as a mass hero and later his entry into politics. Balakrishna also wants to highlight some incidents that happened in his father's life but which re-

NTR founded the Telugu Desam Party," said Balakrishna, who is also a TDP legislator. Teja said he was lucky to get the opportunity to direct a film based on the life of NTR. "I am his biggest fan and I never even in my dreams thought I will be directing a film on him one day," he said. Teja said they had enough content from the life of NTR to make as many as six films. He said it would be a challenge to compress them into one movie. Teja said the regular shooting of THE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2018

Entertainment 41

mained hidden from the public. NTR, the thespian who was worshipped as god by many, had created a record by coming to power within nine months after launching the TDP, ending the monopoly of the Congress in Andhra Pradesh politics. With revolutionary pro-poor schemes like Rs 2-a-kg rice and total prohibition, he became one of the most popular leaders in Andhra's history. NTR also played a key role in bringing together non-Congress parties at the national level by floating the National Front. NTR died on January 18, 1996 at age 72, a few months after his son-in-law N. Chandrababu Naidu unseated him from power following alleged growing interference in party affairs and administration by NTR's second wife Lakshmi Parvathi. Interestingly, Chandrababu Naidu, who is now the Chief Minister of the bifurcated Andhra Pradesh and national president of TDP, did not attend the launch of biopic.

42 Cyber Threat

77 per cent firms lack proper cyber security measures globally: report

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early 77 per cent companies lack proper cyber security measures and almost half of them have either informal/ad hoc or completely non-existent response plans in case of a data breach, a global study said. Despite the lack of formal planning, 72 per cent still feel more cyber resilient today than they were last year, said the study conducted by leading IT security research organisation Ponemon Institute and sponsored by IBM Resilient, an IBM company. "In fact, 60 percent of respondents consider a lack of investment in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) as the biggest barrier to cyber resilience. "A response plan that orchestrates human intelligence with

machine intelligence is the only way security teams are going to get ahead of the threat and improve overall cyber resilience," said Ted Julian, Vice President of Product Management and Co-Founder, IBM Resilient. Nearly 57 per cent of the respondents said the time to resolve an incident has increased while 65 per cent reported the severity of the attacks has increased. "These areas represent some of the key factors impacting overall cyber resiliency. These problems are further compounded by just 31 per cent of those surveyed having an adequate cyber resilience budget in place and difficulty retaining and hiring IT Security professionals (77 per cent), the report noted. The lack of a consistent CSIRP is a persistent trend each year despite a key finding from IBM’s 2017 Cost of a Data Breach Study. THE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2018

The cost of a data breach was nearly $1 million lower on average when organizations were able to contain the breach in less than thirty days – highlighting the value and importance of having a strong CSIRP. The global survey features insight from more than 2,800 security and IT professionals from around the world, including the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Brazil, AsiaPacific, Middle East, and Australia. “A sharp focus in a few crucial areas can make a big difference when it comes to Cyber Resilience,” said Dr. Larry Ponemon. “Ensuring the security function is equipped with a proper incident response plan, staffing, and budget will lead to a stronger security posture and better overall Cyber Resilience.”

Cyber Threat 43

lack of security, poor awareness cause bpo cyber frauds: survey

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ack of strict implementation of existing information security protocols, along with poor employee awareness, lead to most cyber frauds in the country's booming business process outsourcing (BPO) sector, a joint study said on March 29. The survey, "Understanding the perceptions and awareness around cyber security among employees working in BPOs", jointly conducted by apex body Assocham and Microsoft, noted that awareness about cyber frauds was low amid freshers and job applicants, but it was relatively higher in experienced employees. Experienced BPO professionals admitted that both employees and customers were to be blamed for cyber frauds -- as employees lack ethics and customers were careless about security and privacy -- while acknowledging that computer hacking, credit card/bank frauds, malware/virus, tech support scams are most prevalent, the survey said.

Highlighting the poor levels of awareness among freshers and job applicants, the survey said perceptions about cyber frauds are mostly driven by word of mouth and media. "Besides, the predominant perception for causes of cyber frauds is the growing shift of online transactions -- from shopping to banking and consumers' growing trust on internet and its safety nets," it said. According to the Assocham-Microsoft survey, while enough measures exist in the BPO sector to keep a check on cyber frauds, it is the lack of seriousness at the organisational level towards the issue which is the root cause of the problem as casual attitude is often passed down to employees. "Basic protocols like frisking/checking before entry/exit, no mobile phones on floor, no pen and paper and others are frequently overlooked, thereby exposing gaps," said the survey. It was also revealed that certain casualness exists as the general feeling was that most cyber frauds

THE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2018

occur on a larger scale and the security staff was not aware of implications of not following proper protocols. "There is also little awareness on importance of protecting data of clients leading to casual attitude of employees towards data," it added. The industry body said it has, in collaboration with Microsoft, launched "Cybersuraksha Youth Awareness Campaign", wherein series of workshops are being organised in various states with an aim to promote awareness about cyber security threats among citizens and provide up-to-date security information through education and sharing of good practices. The joint survey was conducted in Delhi-national capital region (NCR) and Kolkata to ascertain the level of awareness regarding cyber frauds among people employed in the sector. The survey sample design comprised of four focus group discussions (FGDs) and 20 in-depth interviews (IDIs) held across Delhi-NCR and Kolkata.

44 Crime

CBI books two cheating cases in `539-crore IDBI Bank

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he Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has booked 41 persons including three officials of the Industrial Development Bank of India (IDBI) for cheating the bank to the tune of Rs 539 crore in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. The federal agency registered two separate cases relating to largescale frauds in IDBI branches in the two states in sanctioning pisciculture loans. In the first case, 31 persons including IDBI's General Manager Battu Rama Rao and former Chief General Manager R. Damodaran, 22 aggregators and bank panel valuers were booked for cheating the bank to the tune of Rs 445.32 crores. Rama Rao has also been removed from the service. The central agency booked the accused on charges of criminal

conspiracy, cheating, forgery, criminal misconduct and misappropriation. The action came after a complaint by IDBI official in Hyderabad that about 220 borrowers, consisting of 22 aggregators, conspired with IDBI bank officials at its Basheerbagh (Hyderabad) and Siripuram (Visakhapatnam) branches, along with bank panel valuers, and availed Kisan Credit Card (KCC) and pisciculture loans through 220 loan accounts from different branches of the bank aggregating Rs 198.28 crore The loans, which were availed on the basis of fake documents and overvalued collateral property, subsequently become NPA. The outstanding amount as on September 2017 stood at Rs 445.32. It was found that pisciculture or no other fish farming activity was ever taken up in the said lands in East and West Godavari and Krishna districts of Andhra Pradesh

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and Adilabad district in Telangana and that sanctioned loans were misappropriated. Bank panel valuers Lt. Col. B.K. Sahoo, Aakar Consulting Engineers, R.A. Sharma, M.V. Srinivasulu, Subha Syndicate, Srinivasa Rau and Somasekhara Rao were among those booked. In the second case, the CBI booked a IDBI official and nine others for defrauding the bank to the tune of Rs 93.73 crore. Chandrasekhar Harish Chennapagari, who was working as Assistant General Manager at Guntur branch of IDBI, allegedly abused his official position to process and sanction 142 pisciculture loans from 2010 to 2012. He has been removed from service by the IDBI. Investigations revealed that the loans were sanctioned on the basis of fake documents. The accused include a bank panel valuer, a bank panel advocate, aggregators and individual borrowers.

Fact File 45

Illicit aďŹ&#x20AC;air leads to murder, kids turn orphans

P VISHNUVARDHAN REDDY

he was so obsessed and shameless that she helped her paramour kill her husband and then had sex with her paramour beside her dead husband before fleeing from the one room tenement in Fatehnagar. She also tried to make it look like a suicide but to no use. Family of the deceased informed police about the illicit relationship the woman has with another man. Consequently, police arrested the woman but her paramour is still at large. According to Sanathnagar police, 27-year-old Jaimangal Das was found dead in his one room tenement on February 2. Police reached the place after receiving information in the afternoon and found that Jaimangal Das was a native of Ibrahimpur village of Chapra district in Bihar. He worked in a private company in Fatehnagar for livelihood. Police said Das came to Hyderabad about eight years ago in search of work. Initially he came alone leaving his wife back home and visited them once in a year. Over a period the couple was blessed with three children. About a year ago, Das brought his elder son Sachin to Hyderabad and joined him in a school and four months ago brought his wife Malathi Devi and two other sons also to Hyderabad after he came to know that his wife developed illicit relationship with one Neeraj Kumar of his native village, police said.

While bringing her to Hyderabad, Neeraj Kumar met the couple at the bus station in Ibrahimpur village and threatened Das with dire consequences if he troubled her. Even after coming to Hyderabad, Malathi used to speak to Neeraj over phone which was gifted by him. This resulted in every day quarrelling between the couple, police said. Malathi informed this to her paramour and both decided to eliminate Das as Neeraj assured her that he would marry her and take care of her children too. Accordingly, Neeraj came to Hyderabad couple of days before the fateful day, police said. On the night of February 1, Malathi was waiting for Neeraj after her husband and children slept. After midnight, Neeraj crept into the one room tenement of Das and strangulated his throat with a rope supplied by Malathi, who held her husbandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s legs tight. After making sure that Das was dead, they covered blanket on the body and had sex in the room, police said. Neeraj brought condoms and used one of them while kept the THE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2018

unused condoms beneath the mat. Then he prepared a suicide note as if to show that Das committed suicide due to financial problems and fled the place after giving Rs 12,000 to Malathi, police said. Next morning, neighbours found Das lying dead under the blanket and questioned Malathi for which she gave contradictory replies following which they called police. In the meantime, Malathi fled the place along with her two young sons leaving behind her elder son. However, family members and neighbours pointed fingers of suspicion on Malathi and disclosed about her illicit relationship. Accordingly police teams were able to spot her near Secunderabad railway station on February 8 and arrested her. During questioning, Malathi confessed to killing her husband with the help of her paramour. Consequently, she was sent to prison and while efforts are underway to arrest Neeraj. While Malathi could not join her paramour and derive physical pleasure, her three kids were forced to become orphans as their father was killed and mother is languishing in prison.

46 Legal

No stay of trial in civil or criminal cases to last beyond six months: SC

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he Supreme Court on March 28 said that the stay of trial court proceedings, both in civil and criminal cases, would come to an end after the expiry of six months from the date of grant of stay, unless extended in exceptional circumstances. "We direct that in all pending cases where stay against proceedings of a civil or criminal trial is operating, the same will come to an end on expiry of six months from today unless in an exceptional case by a speaking order, such stay is extended", said the bench of Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel and Justice Navin Sinha in their judgment. Justice Rohinton Fali Nariman gave a separate but concurring judgment. The court said that in all pending matters before the high courts or other courts relating to Prevention of Corruption Act or all other civil or criminal cases, where stay of proceedings in a pending trial is operating, "stay will automatically lapse after six months from today unless extended by a speaking order on above parameters." In cases, the court said, "where stay is granted in future, the same will end on expiry of six months from the date of such order unless similar extension is granted by a speaking order". Saying that the stay of trial in

civil and criminal matters would not operate beyond six months unless extended, Justice Goel and Justice Sinha said that the "rhe speaking order must show that the case was of such exceptional nature that continuing the stay was more important than having the trial finalized". The trial court, the judgment said where order of stay of civil or criminal case is produced, may fix a date not beyond six months of the order of stay so that on expiry of period of stay, proceedings can commence unless order of extension of stay is produced. The top court further said that the challenge to an order of charge should be entertained in a "rarest of rare" case only to correct a patent error of jurisdiction and not to reappreciate the matter. Even where such challenge is entertained and stay is granted, the matter must be decided on day-today basis so that stay does not THE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2018

operate for an unduly long period. Though no mandatory time limit may be fixed, the court said that the decision may not exceed two-three months normally. "If it remains pending longer, duration of stay should not exceed six months, unless extension is granted by a specific speaking order, as already indicated. "Mandate of speedy justice applies to the PC Act cases as well as other cases where at trial stage proceedings are stayed by the higher court i.e. the High Court or a court below the High Court, as the case may be," the apex court said. "The trial courts may, on expiry of above period, resume the proceedings without waiting for any other intimation unless express order extending stay is produced." The court asked the high courts to issue instructions to this effect and monitor the same so that civil or criminal proceedings do not remain pending for unduly period at the trial stage.

Science & Tech 47

India successfully launches GSAT-6A satellite

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ndia successfully launched the GSAT-6A satellite on March 29 that would provide mobile communication facilities, using its heavy rocket Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-F08), in a copy book style. The GSLV-MkII rocket slung the satellite in a geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO) from where it would be taken up to its final geostationary orbit by three orbit raising manoeuvres. ISRO's scientists at the mission control centre were visibly happy, slapping each others' backs and hugging each other once the rocket ejected the satellite into the intended orbit. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman K. Sivan said: "This is the sixth successful launch of GSLV with indigenous cryogenic engine. The GSAT-6A satellite was placed in its designated orbit precisely." "The GSAT-6A will complement GSAT-6 launched earlier. The two satellites will provide platform for advanced technologies for point-to-point communication." He said the GSLV rocket had major improvements to enhance its performance. The induction of high-thrust Vikas engine enhances the performance capacity of the second stage by around six per cent. Sivan said the rocket has been fitted with electromechanical actuation system in the place of electro-

hydraulic actuation system, adding that the electromechanical actuation system was made with ISRO developed space grade lithium-ion (Li-Ion) cells. Precisely at 4.56 p.m., the GSLV rocket ascended into the sky from the second launch pad here at Satish Dhawan Space Centre and the 49.1 metre tall rocket, weighing 415.6 tonne, slung the two tonne satellite into the intended orbit 17.46 minutes into its flight. The purpose of the satellite is to provide mobile communication applications in S-band in five spot beams and C-band in one beam during its 10-year life span. ISRO said that the GSAT-6A was similar to the GSAT-6 put into THE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2018

orbit in 2015. The GSLV is a three stage/engine rocket. The core of first stage is fired with solid fuel while the four strap-on motors by liquid fuel. The second stage is the liquid fuel-propelled and the third is the cryogenic engine. According to ISRO, two improvements -- induction of Vikas engine and electromechanical actuation system -- have been made in the rocket's second stage this time around. One of the crucial rocket engines is the cryogenic engine, designed and developed by ISRO, and more efficient than the other two variants as it provides more thrust for every kilogram of propellant burnt. With this successful launch, India established the performance of its GSLV-MkII rocket which in future may fetch orders from third parties for launching their satellites. India puts into orbit foreign satellites for a fee using its lighter rocket - the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) as their weight is not much. Revenue for launching satellites depends on weight of the satellite higher the weight, higher will be the revenue. According to the latest Economic Survey, foreign exchange earnings of India from export of satellite launch services increased noticeably in 2015-16 and 2016-17 to Rs 394 crore and Rs 275 crore from Rs 149 crore in 2014-15.

48 Research

90% bottled water brands contaminated globally

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ith a market value of nearly $150 billion per year, bottled water from leading brands, including from India, have been found to be 90 per cent contaminated by microplastics, posing potential harm to humans, a report has said. The report, led by Orb Media, a US-based non-profit, revealed widespread contamination with plastic debris including polypropylene, nylon, and polyethylene terephthalate (PET). The findings suggest that a person who drinks a litre of bottled water a day might be consuming tens of thousands of microplastic particles each year. Plastic was identified in 93 per cent of the samples. Particle concentration ranged from zero to more than 10,000 in a single bottle. On average, plastic particles in

the 100 micron (0.10mm) size range -- known as microplastics -were found at an average rate of 10.4 plastic particles per litre. Even smaller particles were more common, averaging about 325 per litre. Bottles of water from the same brand contained a wide range of plastic contamination, with particles as small as 6.5 microns. This variability is "similar to what is seen when we sample open bodies of water" for microplastic pollution, said Sherri Mason, leading microplastics researcher from the State University of New York at Fredonia. Valued at $147 billion per year, bottled water is marketed the fastest-growing beverage market in the world. However, the researchers are not yet sure about the extent and consequences of it on human health, the report said.

THE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2018

Including India, the samples came from 19 locations in nine countries in five continents besides Brazil, China, Indonesia, Kenya, Lebanon, Mexico, Thailand, and the US. To test the invisible plastic in bottled water, the team used a special dye, an infrared laser and a blue light. Under a laminar airflow hood that sucks dust and airborne particles up and away, each bottle was infused with a dye called Nile Red that binds to plastic polymer. The dyed water was then poured through a glass fibre filter. When viewed through a microscope, under the blue beam of the crime light, with the aid of orange goggles, the residue from each bottle glowed with the flamecoloured fluorescence of sometimes thousands of particles. The study identified particles between 100 microns and 6.5 microns.

Research 49

HIV antibody tested on monkeys is eďŹ&#x20AC;ective: study

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n experimental HIV antibody tested on a group of monkeys showed to be effective as it suppressed the virus for nearly six months without additional treatment, researchers have found. The findings lend a clue to strategies that attempt to achieve

"HIV excels at evading the immune system by hiding out in certain immune cells," said Anthony S. Fauci, Director at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) in Maryland, US. "The virus can be suppressed to very low levels with antiretroviral therapy, but quickly rebounds to

sustained, drug-free viral remission in people living with HIV, the Xinhua reported. The researchers may have targeted the viral reservoir -- populations of long-lived, latently infected cells that harbour the virus and that lead to resurgent viral replication when suppressive therapy was stopped, the study noted.

high levels if a person stops taking medications as prescribed. "The findings from this early stage research offer further evidence that achieving sustained viral remission without daily medication might be possible," he added, in a paper released at the 25th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Boston. In the study, scientists infected THE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2018

rhesus macaques with simianhuman immunodeficiency virus (SHIV), an HIV-like virus commonly used in nonhuman primate studies. They then initiated daily antiretroviral therapy (ART) for 96weeks, during acute infection to suppress the virus to below detectable levels in the monkey's blood. After discontinuation of ART, the virus rebounded in the blood of all monkeys that neither received HIV antibodies or immune stimulant after a median of 21 days. A group of monkeys who received the therapy combination showed a delayed viral rebound after a median of 112 days, another group did not rebound for at least 168 days. "Our findings suggest that the development of interventions to activate and eliminate a fraction of the viral reservoir might be possible," the researchers said. Compared with the antiretroviral therapy which needs to be taken daily, antibodies to HIV tend to last longer in the body and have shown promise for longer-acting HIV therapeutics and prevention modalities, they noted.

50 Research

19 cities in world rely on precipitation for water supply: study

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wing to increased urbanisation, 19 of the 29 largest cities in the world depend on evaporation from surrounding lands for more than onethird of their water supply, finds a study. Urbanisation has taken billions of people from the rural countryside to urban centres, adding pressure to existing water resources. Many cities rely on renewable freshwater regularly refilled by precipitation, rather than groundwater or desalinated water. The dependence on this water supply was found to be higher in dry years. The study focussed on how moisture recycling is linked to a city's water supply. Moisture recycling occurs when water evaporates from the land and rises up into the atmosphere. This moisture then flows along prevailing wind currents through the atmosphere, falling out as precipitation elsewhere, the researchers said. Cities that are most dependent on this type of recycling include

Karachi, in Pakistan, and three cities in China: Shanghai, Wuhan and Chongqing. At the opposite end of the scale, the research team found the cities with the least vulnerable moisture recycling include Cairo, in Egypt; Paris, in France; Sao Paulo, in Brazil; and Chicago, in the US. "A lot of these cities have complex and significant management processes for water resources and supplies," said Pat Keys, researcher at the Colorado State University in the US. "Cities and countries have limited resources... If I were in one of those highly vulnerable cities, I'd want to look at this additional dimension of vulnerability for the water supply," Keys added

THE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2018

For the study, published in the journal PLOS ONE, the researchers evaluated the sources of municipal water for 29 cities representing more than 450 million people around the world, and found that most of these cities relied on surface water. The team then used a moisturetracking model to calculate the precipitation-shed -- a watershed of the sky that identifies the origin of precipitation falling in a given region -- for these sources of surface water. The results showed that cities and countries have limited water resources and, importantly, very few of the cities will shrink in size and more "megacities" will be added to the list.

Food 51

bad food raising under-nutrition & obesity: experts

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iant corporates selling processed foods are not only raising under-nutrition but also over-nutrition, or obesity, in a country that is seen as the hub of stunted and under-nourished children, say experts. They cited how biscuits, savoury snack packets and the likes, costing between one and five ruppess, have replaced many meals for a large chunk of population across rural and urban India. "The region is seeing a rapid transition to a new situation where it faces a 'double burden of malnutrition' whereby gains related to reduction in under-nutrition, are being undermined by an increase in overweight and obesity," said Dr Vandana Prasad, National Convenor, Public Health Resource Network (PHRN) at the start of a three-day global meet. "There are common roots to both these issues and they lie in the maldevelopment that we have engaged in this country," she said at the conference on 'Critical Public

Health Consequences of the Double Burden of Malnutrition and the Changing Food Environment in South and South East Asia'. While under-nutrition is closely associated with communicable diseases like TB, malaria, pneumonia and diarrhea, over-nutrition leads to non-communicable diseases like diabetes, hypertension, cardiac disease, strokes and certain cancers. Further, there is a growing evidence linking under-nutrition in childhood with increased risk of obesity and non-communicable diseases in later life. New research links anaemia in early life with obesity in later life. Around 250 researchers, academicians, practitioners, policy makers and activists from 13 countries are attending the meet with an aim to positively influence the right to food and nutrition and public health policy landscape. "Around 39 per cent of Indian children are stunted and more than a third of women and men are now over-weight or obese," said Dr Rasmi Avula of International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).

THE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2018

"We have to look at all these issues from an inequity lens. It's really important to fill the inequity gap. We cannot let the inequity grow," she said. The unregulated penetration of food and beverage companies and the aggressive marketing of processed and ultra processed foods have begun to severely compound the problem, say experts. "The food chain from farm to fork is controlled by increasingly few large corporates at every node pesticides, chemicals, seeds, processing, manufacture, retail and supply. Its important that we understand this and take action, otherwise we have a disaster in waiting," said Prof David Sanders, Global Chairperson of People's Health Movement (PHM). The packaged food is high in sugar, salt and fat, all addictive in nature, but low in nutrition. Its long shelf life, cheap and convenience is changing the food system, said Dr Arun Gupta, Regional Coordinator, International Baby Food Action Network (Asia).

52 Food

HSI, CCMB join hands to develop laboratory grown meat

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he Humane Society International/India has said it has joined hands with the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology to develop and promote laboratory grown meat in India. Called 'clean meat', it is touted to be the next revolution in the way meat is produced, HSI said on March 28. By collaborating with the Atal Incubation Centre under CCMB, the partnership looks to promote the technology to develop clean meat while bringing start-ups and regulators together under the same roof. The effort to develop clean meat has emerged due to the unsustainable methods of large-scale industrial animal agriculture. The

current intensive practices neglect basic animal welfare, and consequently pose a threat to the environment and food security, it said. Clean meat production requires far less land and water than conventional meat production and therefore alleviates repercussions of exponential climatic change. Clean meat technology obliterates the severe environmental damages resulting from poor waste management prevalent in current farming practices. The technology does not require antibiotics, produces no bacterial contamination and ensures the welfare of animals. "While technology exists to multiply literally any type of cell, including mammalian cells, the scaling up of the same in a economically affordable manner as a meat substitute remains a major THE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2018

challenge. There may also be cultural and social factors that will need to be addressed for this to be socially acceptable," said CCMB Director Rakesh Mishra. "Scaling up of cell multiplication at industrial scale is also desirable for upcoming era of bio-actives and bio-therapeutics that are expected to replace the chemical drugs in future. Clean meat grown ex-vivo also offers possibility of augmentation of the nutritional value by using genome editing technology and synthetic biology approaches," he added. N.G. Jayasimha, managing director for HSI/India, termed the development as history in making. "Clean meat technology is taking the world by storm with even the biggest meat producers investing in companies developing clean meat. It is time India begins this dialogue, and we are honoured to have CCMB partner with us for first step we take in this direction. We are also grateful to Good Food Institute India for guiding us with their expertise on the technology," he said.

Health 53

Young obese at higher risk of cancer

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besity which often leads to cancer in older adults is now reported with increasing frequency in young adults, a new study says. According to the researchers, obesity increases the risk of 13 different cancers in young adults. The meta-analysis describes how obesity has shifted certain cancers to younger age groups, and intensified cellular mechanisms promoting the diseases. "Young people with body mass indexes (BMIs) over 30 are more likely to experience aggressive malignancies," said lead author of the study Nathan A. Berger, professor at the Case Western Reserve University. Obesity can permanently alter a young person's likelihood of developing cancer. Even after losing weight, the cancer risk remains. "If you are obese, you are at a higher risk of cancer. If you lose weight, it improves the prognosis and may lower your risk, but it

never goes away completely." Obesity causes changes to a person's DNA that can add up over time. These changes include genetic flags and markers -- epigenetic modifications -- that increase cancer risk and may remain long after weight loss, the researcher said. Of the 20 most common cancers in the US, nine are now reported in young adults. According to the researcher, in 2016, nearly one in 10 new breast cancer cases and one in four new thyroid cancer cases were in young people aged 20-44. For the study, published in the THE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2018

journal Obesity, the researcher provided quantitative and anecdotal data supporting an association between early obesity and specific cancers. The researcher cited one study of over 1.1 million men tracked over time. Those who were overweight in adolescence, between 16 and 19 years, had a 1.5fold increased risk of developing colon cancer by age 48. The new review integrates animal studies, clinical trials, and public health data to help explain rising cancer rates among young adults. It describes how the childhood obesity "pandemic" promotes cancer.

54 Health

Urinary, respiratory tract infections may double stroke risk: Study

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hose suffering from urinary or respiratory tract infections may face nearly double the risk of heart attacks and strokes than obesity, researchers have warned. The study -- led by a researcher of Indian origin -- found that if the frequency of these common infections causing hospitalisation continues for a longer period it may even lead to death. Patients diagnosed with any one of these common infections were three times more likely to die than those without prior infection after developing heart disease, and almost twice as likely to die if they

had a stroke. "Our figures suggest that those who are admitted to hospital with a respiratory or urinary tract infection are 40 per cent more likely to suffer a subsequent heart attack, and 2.5 times more likely to have a stroke, than patients who have had no such infection - and are considerably less likely to survive from these conditions," Rahul Potluri, researcher at Britain's Aston University, said in a statement. The effects of the common infections were of similar magnitude among the people suffering from diabetes, hypertension, and cholesterol, researchers said. "It is notable that infection appears to confer as much, if not THE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2018

more, of a risk for future heart disease and stroke as very well established risk factors such as high blood pressure and diabetes," Potluri added. Researchers conducted the study over 34,027 patients who had been admitted with a urinary or respiratory tract infection with an age and sex-matched control group without infection. Factors such as age, gender, ethnicity, obesity and tobacco use, as well as medical conditions including excess cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes and kidney disease, heart failure and atrial fibrillation were also taken into account.

Education 55

Private varsities bill passed by TS Assembly

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Bill to allow private universities in Telangana was passed by the state Assembly on March 28. The 'Telangana State Private Universities (Establishment and Regulation) Bill, 2018', introduced by Deputy Chief Minister and Education Minister Kadiam Srihari in the Assembly yesterday, was passed after discussions today amid a walk out by opposition parties, including the BJP and TDP. During the discussions, Srihari said setting up of private universities was aimed at ensuring availability of worldwide educational and research opportunities to students in Telangana. "State run universities will be developed. Private universities will not be accorded a red-carpet

welcome at the cost of state universities. In that connection I give an assurance on behalf of the state government," he said. BJP, Congress and TDP ruled states also have private universities, not just Telangana, he said, adding 11 private universities are coming up in Andhra Pradesh. "It is not meant to affect either government educational system or to cause any injustice to poor students", the Minister said, on concerns raised by some legislators. He further said that there are 1,528 vacancies in 11 universities in Telangana and that permission has been given to different universities to fill up 1,061 vacancies. "Soon a notification will be issued," Srihari said. According to the draft Bill, 25 per cent of seats for admissions in various courses offered by private universities will be exclusively reTHE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2018

served for students of Telangana on the basis of domicile. Meanwhile, members of different student outfits marched towards the Assembly, demanding that the government withdraw the Bill and accused it of neglecting state universities and encouraging privatisation of higher education. However, police foiled their attempts to picket the Assembly and took several protesters into preventive custody. The private varsities which will come up in Telangana will have full autonomy with regard to starting various academic programmes and also in the admission process. The Bill also states that the university should obtain accreditation from the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NACC) within five years from the commencement of the programme and courses in the university.

56 Sports

Smith apologizes for â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;failure of his leadershipâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

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reaking down repeatedly during a press conference, a distraught former Australia skipper Steve Smith on March 29 apologised for his involvement in the ball tampering scandal and took full responsibility for it. Smith, who along with his deputy David Warner was banned for a year, arrived here on Thursday and appeared before the media when he admitted that the Cape Town ball tampering scandal was a failure of his leadership. "I am sorry. I want to make it clear that as captain of the Australia Cricket team I take full responsibility. I made a serious error of judgment and I now understand the consequences," an emotional Smith told reporters. "I will do everything I can do to make up for my mistake and the damage it has caused. If any good can come of this, it can be a lesson to others, and I hope can be a cause for change," he added. Smith, who was stripped of the Australian captaincy for at least two years, owned full responsibility for the whole scandal that broke out during the third Test against South Africa in Cape Town. "I've been privileged and honoured to represent my country. Cricket has been my life and I hope it can be again. "I'm sorry and I'm absolutely devastated. I don't blame anyone. I'm the captain of the Australian

team. It's on my watch and I take responsibility for what happened," he added. The 28-year-old delivered a heart-breaking message before breaking down when mentioning the impact the saga has had on his family. "I say two things, or three things. Firstly, I'm deeply sorry. I love the game of cricket, I love entertaining young kids, I love kids wanting to play the great game of cricket that I love," he said. "The two other things are that, any time you think about making a questionable decision, think about who you're affecting, you're affecting your parents. THE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2018

"To see the way my old man's been ... it hurts. I just want to say I'm sorry for the pain that I've brought to Australia and the fans and the public, it's devastating and I'm truly sorry," he added. Smith also hoped that he can earn back the respect and trust of the fans with the passage of time. "I hope in time I can earn back respect and forgiveness, I've been so privileged and honoured to represent my country and captain the Australian cricket team. "Cricket is the greatest game in the world. It's been my life, and I hope it can be again. I'm sorry and I'm absolutely devastated," he said.

Special Report 57

'61% parents use social media to keep tab on kids'

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hile social media has been associated with a negative impact on children, 61 per cent parents feel that the online medium has enabled them to keep a track of "tweens", according to a survey. "Tweens" is a term given to children between the early elementary grades and those entering teenage. 55 per cent of parents would read their tween's texts or social media pages to learn if their tween was invited to a boy-girl party at the home of

an unfamiliar family. Also, 39 per cent of parents reported tracking their tween's location on their cell phone during the party. Mothers were more likely, than fathers, to say they would use technology to monitor their tweens, according to a report from the University of Michigan's C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health. "The tween stage brings new challenges for parents as they often must balance their child's desire for more freedom and independence with supervision. It's not an easy balancing act," said Sarah Clark, poll co-director. "In some

THE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2018

families, reading text messages or social media posts might be seen as 'spying.' But in others, parents discuss rules including sharing passwords," said Clark. "Establishing family rules around the use of social media, and discussing the reasons for those rules, is an important part of parenting tweens," Clark said, in a statement released by the varsity. However, 91 per cent still wanted to get the information about their child via the traditional way, which includes talking with the parents of their kids' classmates. About one in four parents reported being very concerned about their tweens experimenting with sexual activity, marijuana or other drugs, beer or liquor, and guns or other weapons. Importantly, twothirds of the parents agreed that tweens need some freedom to make mistakes, and balancing freedom with supervision. "Parents must balance their responsibility to help their tween learn to be responsible and make good decisions while ensuring their tween's safety," Clarks said.

58 Special Report

Childhood friendships may boost boysâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; health in adulthood

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pending a fun-filled childhood with friends can help boys to have good physical health in adulthood, according to a new study. "These findings suggest that our early social lives may have a small protective influence on our physical health in adulthood," said coauthor Jenny Cundiff of Texas Tech University in the US. "It's not just our care-givers or financial circumstances, but also our friends who may be health protective," added Cundiff. For the study, published in the

journal Psychological Science, researchers examined a longitudinal study following cohorts of boys who were initially recruited to participate as students. Specifically, they examined data from 267 individuals in the youngest cohort, most of whom were Black (about 56 per cent) or White (about 41 per cent). The participants' parents reported how much time their children spent with their friends during an average week, beginning when the boys were about six-years-old and continuing through age 16. The study shows that boys who THE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2018

spent more time with friends as children tend to have lower blood pressure (BP) and lower Body Mass Index (BMI) as men in their early 30s. This association was held even after the researchers accounted for other potential influences, including physical health in childhood, and social integration in adulthood. The researchers noted that expanding the scope of measures used in future research could help to illuminate the pathways that link early peer relationships with physical health decades later.

Srinivas Chamarthy

stable economy through product development

ndia’s capability of product development has come down drastically over the last two decades as Indian economy drifted towards service industry to create jobs for the youth. Even the young generation preferred service industry in view of the comforts at the workplace. However, in this drift towards service industry, the economy neglected product development forcing the country to depend on imports even for products required for basic needs. This is a dangerous trend that makes the economy volatile. Service industry cannot create a stable economy in the long run and with the advent of advanced self operating artificial intelligent software and systems, the scope of service industry jobs also will drastically come down. While this is so, we have more than 4700 engineering colleges producing lakhs of engineers every year. The quality of engineering education did not improve proportionately with the number of colleges.

Lack of qualified and capable engineers is another limitation for product development. In fact, most of the engineering and scientific students are directionless. Engineering demands understanding practicality through

implementation of science and technical methods in product development, which is hardly happening. Primary goal of engineering is product development and this needs to be addressed. It is necessary to empower young minds with ideas towards product development and share the product development process before they graduate. Unless this is inculcated in THE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2018

young minds, Make In India will remain a dream forever. It is a harsh reality which we have to accept. It is the duty of the present generation to build a stable economy for next generations. Let us take up the challenge and focus on developing efficient engineers and scientists with capabilities focusing on product development. (The author is a small scale entrepreneur and started “A Journey To Realize Self” on 15th July 2015. He travelled 92,300 kms in 29 states, delivered 242 lectures and participated in 307 interactions till date. The focus of this journey is to empower young minds, professionals and lecturers by discussing the need of the day especially Innovation, Start ups, One Man Company, Core Technologies, Product development process, Integrated engineering. He can be contacted via Mail: sch.ajtrs@ gmail.com, Whats app: +91 9160882600, Facebook / YouTube: A Journey To Realize Self)

60 Obituary

Stephen Hawking dies, world loses its brightest star

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enowned British physicist Professor Stephen Hawking, who shaped modern cosmology and inspired millions despite suffering from a lifethreatening condition, died on March 14 -- leaving millions in mourning globally. He was 76. His family released a statement in the early hours of March 14 confirming his death at his home in Cambridge. "We are deeply saddened that our beloved father passed away today. He was a great scientist and an extraordinary man whose work and legacy will live on for many

years," Hawking's children said in a statement. "His courage and persistence with his brilliance and humour inspired people across the world. He once said, It would not be much of a universe if it wasn't home to the people you love.' We will miss him forever," the statement added. Hawking is survived by three children -- Robert, Lucy and Timothy -- from his first marriage to Jane Wilde, and three grandchildren. The physicist was born on January 8, 1942 in Oxford, England. Known the world over for his acclaimed book "A Brief History of Time: From the Big Bang to Black THE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2018

Holes", Hawking was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) -- a progressive neuro-degenerative disease -- in 1963 at age 21, The Guardian newspaper said. Hawking's doctors gave him nearly two years to live but he defied medical history and survived for decades. For the rest of his life, the physicist used a wheelchair to move around and a speech synthesizer that allowed him to speak in a computerised voice with an American accent. For Hawking, the early diagnosis of his terminal disease ignited a fresh sense of purpose. "Although there was a cloud

hanging over my future, I found, to my surprise, that I was enjoying life in the present more than before. I began to make progress with my research," he once said, the paper reported. "My goal is simple. It is a complete understanding of the universe, why it is as it is and why it exists at all," Hawking added. With fellow physicist Roger Penrose, Hawking merged Einstein's theory of relativity with quantum theory, suggesting that space and time began with the Big Bang and end in black holes. In 1974, Hawking proposed what is known as his most significant theory that black holes can emit sub-atomic particles. Published for the first time in 1988, "A Brief History of Time" stayed on the Sunday Times bestsellers list for an unprecedented 237 weeks. It sold 10 million copies and was translated into 40 different languages. Hailed as one of the most brilliant theoretical physicists since Albert Einstein, Hawking never won a Nobel Prize. In India, President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Science Minister Harsh Vardhan condoled the demise of Hawking. "Sad to hear of the passing of scientist Stephen Hawking. His brilliant mind made our world and our universe a less mysterious place. And his courage and resilience will remain an inspiration for generations," Kovind said in a tweet. Modi also took to Twitter to pay tribute to Hawking and said: "Professor Stephen Hawking was an outstanding scientist and academic". It was January 2001 when Hawking came to India for the first time, later describing the 16-day

Obituary 61

long tour as "magnificent". In the first leg of the tour in Mumbai, Hawking addressed an international physics seminar at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR). The physicist also celebrated his 59th birthday at the Oberoi Towers hotel where he stayed. In New Delhi, Hawking met then President K.R. Narayanan at Rashtrapati Bhavan who later described the 45-minute meeting with the British physicist as "an unforgettable experience". The US space agency NASA tweeted: "Remembering Stephen Hawking, a renowned physicist and ambassador of science. His theories unlocked a universe of possibilities that we & the world are exploring. May you keep flying

courage for a career in astrophysics happened due to Brief History of Time - a used copy that I got from a street vendor in my small town of [India] 12 yrs ago." "A loss for all humanity. RIP Stephen Hawking," tweeted American astronaut Scott Kelly. The physicist's inspiring story gave birth to the 2014 movie "The Theory of Everything," which was based on a memoir by Hawking's first wife Wilde. Actor Eddie Redmayne's portrayal of Hawking in the film won him an Oscar for Best Actor. From Hollywood to Bollywood, condolences poured in for Hawking. While actor Eddie Redmayne remembered him as a "ladies man", the official Twitter account of "The Big Bang Theory",

like superman in microgravity, as you said to astronauts on @Space_Station in 2014". "We lost a great one today. Stephen Hawking will be remembered for his incredible contributions to science -- making complex theories and concepts more accessible to the masses," tweeted Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. Astrophysicist Dr Karan Jani, who works for the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO), wrote: "The

a TV series that witnessed appearances of the famed professor, also remembered him. "RIP Stephen Hawking. A major loss to the scientific community and to the millions he inspired through his work and life. Condolences to the family," tweeted actor-producer Farhan Akhtar. Oscar-winning sound designer Resul Pookutty said: "Remember to look up at the stars not down at your feet"! A sad day for all of us".

THE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2018

62 News Bytes

Exercise your right to report misleading ads: ASCI

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Over 60% of Indians feel sleep is not a priority: Survey

THE NEWS BUREAU

ver 60 per cent of Indians feel exercise is the top factor impacting health and wellbeing more than sleep, finds a survey that highlighted the need for good sleep for better health. The survey, led by Philips India, showed that 19 per cent of Indian adults account overlapping work hours with normal sleep time (shift work sleep disorder) as a key barrier to sleep. According to another 32 per cent, technology is a major sleep distracter. While 45 per cent adults have tried meditation to initiate and maintain good sleep, 24 per cent reported having tried specialized bedding. "Sleep disorder is a much more serious issue than what most people understand, especially given their direct correlation with other

serious conditions like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, stroke etc," Harish R, Head (Sleep and Respiratory Care) at Philips, said in a statement. "In a country where snoring is traditionally associated with sound sleep, it is extremely challenging to make people aware that it is a sign of a serious sleep disorder," he added. The findings will provide directions to raise awareness and innovate interventions to ensure an important but oft-neglected aspect of health and wellbeing: sleep health. The survey was based on Philips annual global survey conducted with over 15,000 adults across 13 countries -- India, the US, the UK, Germany, Poland, France, China, Australia, Colombia, Argentina, Mexico, Brazil and Japan.

THE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2018

he Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) on March 14 urged all citizens of the country to be "vigilant and alert" and be the "leader of change by flagging misleading advertisements. In a message on the occasion of World Consumer Rights Day, it stressed that the rights of all consumers should be respected and protected. In an effort to capture consumers' imagination and sell the product, advertisers often end up distorting factual data, it noted. "Advertising is a vital marketing tool that plays a significant role in influencing consumer choices by changing their perception towards a brand. Misleading advertisements can have serious repercussions on consumers as they not only violate the consumer's right to information but could also affect their health and safety," the advertisement watchdog said. It also explains how consumers can play an important role in curbing such misleading advertisements by identifying and reporting them absolutely free of cost through using social media.

News Bytes 63

tdp's exit from nda signals opportunity for us to grow in andhra, says bJp THE NEWS BUREAU

The BJP has said that the exit of TDP from the NDA was "inevitable after its mischievous propaganda against the Centre" and asserted that the latter's exit is "a timely opportunity" for the saffron party to grow in Andhra Pradesh. "TDP's decision to quit was inevitable after its mischievous propaganda against the Centre," BJP spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao said in a tweet. "People of Andhra Pradesh have now realised that the Telugu

Desam Party is resorting to lies to cover up its inept and inert governance. Far from being a threat, TDP's exit is a timely opportunity for the BJP to grow in Andhra Pradesh," Rao said. The BJP leader's remarks came soon after the TDP announced its exit from the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) over the Centre's refusal to award special status category to Andhra Pradesh. The BJP leader also said, “We believe that the TDP is finding the going tough in AP. They are

seeing a defeat for themselves in 2019 and they want to use this as an alibi to really retrieve lost political ground. Question being asked in AP as to why the CM took 4 years to realise that this is not working.” “The state government and TDP are feeling the pinch of the public opinion going against them and BJP will use this as an opportunity to grow as a political party and emerge as a dominant political force in Andhra Pradesh. For us, it will prove to be the next Tripura,” he added.

national herald case: Young indian asked to deposit `10 crore

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he Delhi High Court on March 19 directed Young Indian Pvt Ltd (YI), whose major stakeholders are Congress President Rahul Gandhi and his mother Sonia Gandhi, to deposit Rs 10 crore in the Rs 249.15 crore income tax proceedings against the firm. A bench of Justices S. Ravindra Bhat and A.K. Chawla asked the company to deposit half the amount with the Income Tax Department before March 31 and the remaining by April 15. The High Court directed the IT Department not to enforce the demand of Rs 249.15 crore. The

court listed the matter for April 24 for further hearing seeking response from IT Department on the plea. The company requested the court to stay the recovery of tax and interest of Rs 249.15 crore raised in pursuance to a December 27 notice issued under section 156 of the IT Act for the assessment year 201112. The company submitted that it is a charitable firm and does not have any income and the Income Tax authorities have wrongly raised a demand of Rs 249 crore for the assessment year 2011-12. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Subramanian Swamy had filed a complaint about "cheating"

THE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2018

in the acquisition of Associated Journals Limited (AJL), which published the National Herald newspaper, by Young Indian, "a firm in which Sonia and Rahul Gandhi each own a 38 per cent stake". Swamy had accused them of allegedly conspiring to cheat and misappropriate funds by just paying Rs 50 lakh, by which Young Indian Pvt Ltd obtained the right to recover Rs 90.25 crore which AJL owed to the Congress. Former Congress President Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi, party leaders Motilal Vora, Oscar Fernandes, Suman Dubey, Sam Pitroda and Young Indian are accused in the case.

64 News Bytes

Cong rule ends in Meghalaya, Conrad Sangma new CM

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ringing an end to the 10year rule of the Congress Party in Meghalaya, National People's Party (NPP) president Conrad Sangma took oath as the 12th Chief Minister of the state on March 6. Governor Ganga Prasad invited Sangma to form the government after the March 3 results threw up a fractured mandate. Sangma has claimed support of 34 MLAs. Apart from Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah, Assam Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who is the

chairman of the North East Democratic Alliance, was also present at the swearing-in ceremony at Raj Bhavan here.

As per the results of the Meghalaya State Assembly polls declared on March 3, the Congress party retained its hold with 21 seats, while the NPP bagged 19 seats. Following its defeat in the state

Assembly polls, the BJP on March 3 had suggested that the NPP and UDP to enter into an alliance to form a "non-Congress government" in the state. After which the NPP got support from United Democratic Party (UDP), People's Democratic Front (PDF), Hill State People's Democratic Party (HSPDP) and the BJP and an Independent. UDP, PDF, HSPDP and BJP have six, four, two and two seats respectively. Therefore, the Congress failed to form a coalition government in the state even after emerging as the single largest party.

NIT graduates invent air suspension seat for bikers

he students of National Institute of Technology (NIT) Hyderabad have invented an air suspension seat that has improved the shock absorbing capacity of the bikes by almost 46 percent. Three NIT graduates, who wanted to rid two-wheeler riders of their back pain, invented the unique seat. NIT student Vishwanath, who invented the seat, said, "We three college friends wanted to come up with an idea, which could find resonance across the country. One day,

when I came back home, I had a terrible backache. On researching, I came to know that this problem is with 70 percent Indians." Vishwanath further said, he along with his other mates started working towards the problem and realised the best suspension technology in the world was air suspension technology. "We thought to bring air suspension technology into a motorcycle and a car at an affordable rate. It took us about two and half years to

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design," he added. He further said their design has received many awards, including Asia's top five startup award, which has given them encouragement. "We launched this product in December and had limited money to start, so we decided to only take orders up to two lakhs, but within two months we have received orders worth Rs 32 lakh," he said. The innovators added that they were satisfied with the response they were getting.

Spiritual 65

healing systems of the world

Yatu Vidya, from Atharvaveda

YOGI ASHWINI

diseased body is nothing but a result of an imbalance. Healing systems from various parts of the world give techniques to remove the root cause of the disease without any damage to the physical body. For the reader, I will touch upon the science of spiritual healing (yatu vidya). Spiritual Healing finds mention in one of the 4 Vedas called the Atharvaveda given by Rishi Angiras under the section of Yatu Vidya where it has been explained in detail. Unlike most modern medical sciences, that tend to suppress the disease or kill the diseased cell, which is the symptom, Spiritual Healing transforms the cause of the disease. Yatu stands for now and Spiritual Healing also happens with no time lag. It effectuates the healing from the dimension of colour. There are different colours with millions of shades in this Creation. Each shade is associated with specific attributes. Some are pleasant, soothing, some represent love, some Divinity, some stand

for power, some for anger, and some are dull and depressing. All are different and have different effects on the physical. A clairvoyant uses these colours to assess the state of health or disease of a being. And through these colours the healer effectuates the koshas or the layers of an individual thereby affecting the physical body. In fact, Dhyan Ashram sadhaks gave live demonstration of the science at Indian Medical Association, where they detected the imbalances in the bodies of the subjects whose pictures were provided by the doctors, by scanning their energy patterns.

Colour prana is only one media cleanse and balance the body, there are others like herbs, sounds, thoughts, light, touch, shapes, energy beings etc which find mention in different healing systems of the world. Dhyan Foundation is organising an All India Conclave in New Delhi on Healing Systems of the World on 30 March 2018 at Civil Services Officers Institute, Chanakyapuri where topic of self healing from various systems like wicca (witchcraft), shamanism (using nature), ayurveda (use of herbs), ashtang yog (use of postures), shatkarmas (cleansing techniques), Anglican pillar of white light healing, drums which come from African jungles, occult, tantra, various forms of martial arts, the psychic surgery, clairvoyance, chromotherapy (sthool and sukshma), mantras, chakral healing, aromatherapy, ancient Chinese healing technique (yin & yang) will be discussed. Doctors, ayurvedacharyas and renowned speakers from various fields will be participating to supplement.

66 News Bytes

deadline for linking aadhaar with pan extended till June 30

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he government on March 27 extended the deadline for linking Aadhaar with PAN for the fourth time by three more months, till June 30. The earlier deadline was March 31. The decision came after the Supreme Court earlier this month extended the deadline for linking of various services with Aadhaar till it delivers its judgment on a batch of petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the biometrical identification scheme. During the proceedings, the government had told the Supreme

Court that if required it might consider extending the March 31 deadline for linking Aadhaar to various government schemes as well as mobile phones and bank accounts. This is the fourth time that the deadline for Aadhaar-Permanent Account Number (PAN) linking has been extended. The government had first made it mandatory to link Aadhaar number with PAN till July 1, 2017. It first extended it to

August 31, 2017 and then to December 31, 2017 citing difficulties faced by taxpayers. As many taxpayers had not completed the linking of PAN with Aadhaar even till December 31, the government extended the deadline till March 31 this year. Last week, the government had also extended the last date for reverification of mobile connections through Aadhaar based EKYC process till the Supreme Court's verdict.

indian mobile internet users may reach 478 mn by June

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he number of mobile Internet users in India is likely to reach 478 million by June, according to a report. "The number of mobile Internet users increased by 17.22 per cent from December 2016 to reach 456 million users by December 2017," said the report titled "Mobile Internet in India 2017", published jointly by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) and KANTAR-IMRB. The report attributed the popularity of mobile Internet in the country to its affordability. "Expenditure on voice has been steadily decreasing from

2013; and with the popularity of VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) and video chatting, the expenditure on voice services has decreased drastically in recent times," the report said. "This, in turn, means that there is a rise in proportion of data expenditure in comparison to voice (services) expenditures for most users," it added. It said: "Urban India witnessed an estimated 18.64 per cent yearon-year rise, while rural India witnessed an estimated growth of 15.03 per cent during the same period (December 2016 to December 2017)." The report estimates that there are 291 million urban mobile InTHE NEWS YOU LIKE | APRIL 2018

ternet users and 187 million rural users as on December 2017. The study, however, predicts a slowdown in Internet penetration in urban India with 59 per cent penetration already taken place, while with 18 per cent mobile Internet penetration in rural India, growth is expected in the rural areas in the days ahead. "Going forward, NTP (National Telecom Policy) 2018 with focus on new technologies like 5G is expected to promote better quality data services at more affordable prices and can be expected to help address the digital divides and promote internet penetration in the rural areas via mobile internet," the report said.

The News You Like April, 2018

RNI No: APENG/2013/48048 P.R. No. LII/RNP/HD/1187/2017-19 (DOP: 1st of Every Month; DOP: 8/9-4-2018)