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PAGES: 68 VOL.6 | ISSUE: 1 | FEBRUARY, 2018
VOL:6 I SSUE:1 I FEBRUARY, 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
The News You Like Phone: 9701141377, 9848133363 E-mail: thenewscoordinator@gmail.com Website: thenews.co.in
Address for correspondance: #3-5-890, Flat No. 203, Paras Chambers, Beside Telangana Tourism Bldg, Himayatnagar, Hyderabad-500029. Phone: 98481 33363, 97011 41377. email: 24thenews@gmail.com thenewscoordinator@gmail.com Printed, Published And Owned By Ramya Sree , Printed At S.M.S. Press, H.No.11-38, Pragathi Nagar, P&T Colony, Saroor Nagar, Dist Ranga Reddy – 60, Published At The News Publications, H.No.334, B, Prajay Sai Gardens, Keesara Mandal, Dist - Ranga Reddy, Telangana Editor : Sudhakar
W
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ith only a year left for the next general elections, everyone connected with the politics except the voters, are pulling their socks up. While the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is aiming to wrench power in maximum number of states before the Lok Sabha elections are held, the Congress seems to have launched efforts to strengthen its rank and file from grass-root level under its new president Rahul Gandhi. BJP president Amit Shah is leaving no stone unturned to win the Karnataka and Kolkata Assembly elections and a few other states where elections will be held are either underway. The BJP is also trying to attract leaders from different parties and lifestyles by one way or the other. Similarly, Rahul Gandhi launched efforts to strengthen party across the country but analysts doubt his capacities. On the other hand, the BJP proposal for holding elections to the Lok Sabha and all the state assemblies at one go under the slogan ‘One Nation – One Election’ seems to be gaining strength. While Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu had already supported the idea, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar too said that he was in favour of one election. However, he suggested for consensus in the matter. In the states too, people from different lifestyles are gearing up for the forthcoming elections. While the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and AIMIM in Telangana stepped their activities, actor Pawan Kalyan also began touring the two Telugu states to garner support for his newly formed party Jana Sena. In Andhra Pradesh, YSR Congress chief Y S Jaganmohan Reddy has already taken up foot march and announced his support for BJP if special status was granted, while the TDP is confident of coming back to power. In Tamil Nadu, Kamal Hassan had announced that he would play active role, while superstar Rajanikanth is still struggling to take a decision about his entry into politics. The DMK and the different factions of AIADMK are also wooing voters in the name of late Jayalalithaa. Even the Election Commission of India expressed its readiness to hold common elections for Lok Sabha and all Assemblies in one go. However, in the melee, no one is bothered about the voters and their opinion.
Note: Focus/Infocus features are marketing initiatives
Any legal disputes comes under the jurisdiction of courts in Hyderabad
EDITORIAL Editorial
(Sudhakar) THE NEWS YOU LIKE | FEBRUARY 2018
4 Content
KCR snub at Andhra leaders triggers row
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Former NIMS PR Executive pleads for 10 pension Officials remove encroachments 6 in ex-servicemen colony
Oicials of the Chunchupally gram panchayat in Kothagudem removed the encroachments in the Sainikpuri Colony recently. The removal of encroachments comes after a report was published in these columns how corrupt oicials helped land sharks build rooms on the vacant lands allotted to ex-servicemen.
EO sacked for alleged tantric rituals 20 at Durga temple
Five held in garbage vehicle scam
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THE NEWS YOU LIKE | FEBRUARY 2018
Content
‘T-TDP should merge with TRS’: Motkupalli
28 Senior TDP leader Motkupalli Narasimhulu triggered a controversy when he suggested on January 18 that the Telangana unit of the party should “merge with the TRS”. The leader was speaking to media persons on the 22nd death anniversary of former Chief Minister and TDP founder NT Rama Rao.
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Alcohol damages DNA and increases cancer risk 31
Disqualify TRS MLAs for holding ‘office of profit’: Revanth writes to EC
Scientists have shown how alcohol damages DNA in stem cells, helping to explain why drinking increases your risk of cancer, according to research part-funded by Cancer Research UK and published in Nature today.
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Congress leader A Revanth Reddy wrote to President Ram Nath Kovind and the Chief Election Commissioner on January 23 seeking disqualification of six MLAs from the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS).
KTR woos investors at WEF 52
COCONUT GOOD FOR 43 SKIN CARE, DIET
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | FEBRUARY 2018
6 Impact
Officials remove encroachments in ex-servicemen colony
O
MANDHA RAVI KUMAR
fficials of the Chunchupally gram panchayat in Kothagudem removed the encroachments in the Sainikpuri Colony recently. The removal of encroachments comes after a report was published in these columns how corrupt officials helped land sharks
build rooms on the vacant lands allotted to ex-servicemen. It may be recalled a report was published in these columns how plot numbers 111 to 117 allotted to ex-servicemen in survey numbe r137/11 near industrial estate in Kothagudem were encroached by land sharks since they were not occupied by the beneficiaries due to
various reasons. The News also reported that the colony welfare association immediately informed the revenue authorities including the local MRO about the constructions taken up by unauthorized people but no action was taken as an assistant engineer of Chunchupally gram panchayat was hand in glove with the land sharks. However, the report appeared in The News coupled with the representations made by the ex-servicemen to the district collector compelled the gram panchayat officials to take action against the encroachments. The officials demolished the illegal constructions made by the land sharks much to the relief of the ex-servicemen.
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | FEBRUARY 2018
8 City News
Hotel Hyatt in Hyderabad fined for using 'unstamped' meat
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THE NEWS BUREAU
fficials of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) raided the posh Hotel Hyatt at Nanakramguda on Saturday and filed the outlet Rs 26,000 for using unstamped meat. Food inspectors who inspected the hotel, also levied an additional penalty of Rs 13,65,600 as part of dues towards their license fees. While the hotel had a license, the amount was due, and a cheque was handed over the GHMC for the same. The GHMC officials collected food samples from the outlet and sent them for forensic
exams. They also instructed the hotel management against repeating the error, a press release said. "The management was using unstamped meat and was not segregating the waste into dry and wet," Dr Abdul Wakil assistant director (West Zone, Veterinary Section) of GHMC said. The GHMC has asked outlets to only use 'stamped' meat, which come from slaughterhouses that are issued permission and monitored by the municipal body, in accordance with norms and rules, to ensure the meat is safe for consumption. However, since this meat is costly, eateries make their purchases f r o m
local butchers, thereby putting public health at risk. This is not the first such posh eatery to be raided and fined by the GHMC. In September last year, a restaurant in Hyderabad's posh Inorbit Mall was raided, and was found to have an unhygienic kitchen and was selling 'unstamped' meat. A fine of Rs15,500 was imposed on the management. In April last year, the GHMC slapped a fine of Rs 30,000 on the Novotel hotel in Madhapur after alleged violations related to the procuring and storing of meat. The same month, the GHMC imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 on a 'Best Price' Walmart outlet in the city that was selling 'unstamped' meat. Outlets in Forum Mall and Manjeera Mall in Kukatpally have also been penalised in the past.
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | FEBRUARY 2018
City News
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g n i t a Se sad a r P t a x e l p i Mult afe uns
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THE NEWS BUREAU
division bench of the Hyderabad High Court issued notices to the management of the Prasad Multiplex in the city on January 23, after a complaint that officials were not taking action as the multiplex failed to follow safety norms. Responding to a petition by RTI activist Vijay Gopal, the bench also issued notices to the Telangana government, Hyderabad City Police Commissioner and Telangana Fire Services authorities. Citing the Cinema Regulations Act, 1955, the petitioner pointed out that the IMAX screen at the multiplex, had 635 seats spread across 14 columns. While each row had 47 seats, the petitioner said that there was no passage or gap in between the row,
for people to evacuate in case of an emergency. As per the 1955 Act, a theatre must have at least a 2-feet wide vertical gangway between every 10 seats, which directly leads to the pathway and the exit. The petitioner also said that he had taken the issue to the concerned authorities, but no action was taken. The same activist had moved the Hyderabad Consumer Forum against INOX theatre situated in GVK Mall, last year, following which the forum ruled that cinema theatres cannot charge more than the Maximum Retail Price (MRP) on water bottles, and asked the multiplex to pay up Rs 5,000, along with another Rs 1,000 to the petitioner. A month earlier, popular restaurant Shah Ghouse in Hyderabad,
was fined Rs 10,000 by the Legal Metrology Department for charging more than the MRP for a soft drink. In November last year, raids took place at several prominent malls and multiplexes in Hyderabad as well. The raids came after the Telangana Legal Metrology Department undertook a special drive across the state following complaints of misuse of Goods and Services Tax (GST) and fined over 1,000 outlets. Stating that 700 out of the 1,062 cases were booked in Hyderabad, reports added that cases were registered against Hyderabad Central, PVR Cinemas, KFC, McDonald's, Prasads Imax, Subway , Sujana Mall in Kukatpally, Blue Fox restaurant, Shanbagh hotel, Golkonda Hotel and Park Hotel.
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | FEBRUARY 2018
10
Former NIMS PR Executive pleads for pension
H
P VISHNUVARDHAN REDDY
ere is a classic case of individual interests of the persons who headed the renowned Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) in the capacity of director ruined the career of one of its employees. In November 2004, R D Varma was a happy man when he was appointed by the then director of NIMS as the Public Relations Executive on adhoc basis. He was given time pay scale and annual grade increments. However, the happiness did not last long for Varma. Sven years later, a new man heading NIMS as director refused extension of service of Varma forcing him to knock the doors of high court for justice. The high court in its interim order directed the head of NIMS to
continue Varma in the same position. The NIMS authorities filed an appeal against the interim order but the same was dismissed. Despite that, the authorities of NIMS refused to follow the order due to
which he was compelled to file a contempt case. Fearing contempt proceedings, the authorities approached the Supreme Court. The apex court directed the NIMS authorities to consider the representation of Varma sympathetically for his employment in any available vacant position. Accordingly, Varma made a representation in February 2012. The then director, instead of appointing him as Public Relations Executive, gave an order appointing him as record assistant on contract basis without mentioning the period of contract. In addition, he got scale of pay, which is given to regular employees. Since his reappointment in NIMS, Varma made several representations to regularize his services as Public Relations Executive. Varma says continuous service for a period of three years in a post is sufficient to regularize the services of any employee. He put in unblemished service without there being any break in the service until his retirement in 2015. However, the NIMS authorities did not extend him pension benefits and other allowances. Varma said that he had put in unblemished and continuous service in NIMS and he is eligible for pension and other allowances applicable for regular employees and requested the authorities concerned to consider his plea keeping his age in view.
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | FEBRUARY 2018
Trends 13
Jewellery trends tO watch Out fOr in 2018
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THE NEWS BUREAU
s the seasons continue to transition and people start to switch closets, women are turning to jewellery choices that are much more distinct and personal. Pearls, statement jewellery are some of the trends that will rule this year. Jewellery designer Pallavi Foley and Sanjay Jagwani, director, Notandas Jewellers, have listed some jewellery trends to watch out for in 2018: Pearls are something that never go out of style. This season opt for Baroque pearls rather than round pearls for their uniqueness in hues
and shapes. This year, people will see a lot more of flora and fauna, which will be an aesthetic combination of glamour, beauty, nature and romanticism. The brooch is officially back on the runways and red carpets, and the millennials love pinning bejewelled brooches to their denim jackets.
Statement jewellery has always worked wonders. A trendy pair of oversized earrings can turn your otherwise boring outfit into an ultra-chic look. With the celebrity staple, the chain drop earrings were a hit at the runway and the red carpet. It is a look that flatters universally. They can be teamed up with both western and ethnic looks. The all-time favourite are stud earrings. Usually preferred by women who like minimalist jewellery. There are a variety of variations in sizes and precious stones like ruby and sapphire which can be worn for different occasions.
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | FEBRUARY 2018
ec identifies 30,64,434 bOgus vOtes
But deletes only 6,30,652 votes to help MIM and TRS MIM & TRS won GHMC elections with bogus votes Activists demand deletion of 30,64,434 bogus votes
I
D BAL REDDY
t appears the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) officials attached to the Election Commission are dancing to the tunes of ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and its ally AIMIM in preparing the final electoral rolls. Booth Level Officers (BLOs) of the GHMC have identified as many as 30,64,434 under different categories like duplicates, ineligible, death cases, house shifted and door lock cases during the verification process taken up in the year 2015 as part of linking Aadhar card with voter identity card. The GHMC claimed that it had issued notices to all the 30,64,434 voters for taking appropriate action. However, for the reasons best known to the authorities, merely 6,30,652 votes were deleted in all. The GHMC officials tried to take refuge under the interim order of the Supreme Court asking the government to stop linking Aadhar card for all government schemes. However, the authorities failed to explain why only 6,30,652 votes out of 30,64,434 votes were deleted and rest were allowed to exist. “This is because the authorities are working under the instructions of TRS and MIM leaders. If at all the authorities were acting according to the interim orders of the Supreme Court on Aadhar linkage, they should not have deleted even a single vote out of the 30,64,434 votes,” says activist Ali Bin Omer Afeef Al Yafai. It is on the strength of these bogus votes the TRS and MIM
could win the GHMC elections in the year 2016. Had the GHMC authorities deleted 30,64,434 bogus votes, the two political parties would have lost the elections, he told The News. Not just the 2016 municipal elections, but the MIM has been winning the elections with the help of bogus votes. The Intensive Revision of Electoral Rolls (IRER) taken up by the GHMC in the last few weeks is defective and full of huge irregularities, he alleged. Private agencies were hired for the revision, which worked from the offices of the MIM and TRS in the GHMC limits, and the new additions and deletions were done at the instructions of the leaders of the two political parties, the activist alleged. “I have made a representation to the Election Commission of India and Chief Electoral Officer of Telangana and other authorities concerned requesting them to delete 30,64,434 bogus votes. I will knock the doors of justice if the authorities fail to take action in this regard. We will see that the bogus votes are deleted from the rolls in the 2019 elections,” he said. Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader Mohammed Abdul Akheel, M A Wahab, BJP leaders Ch Roop Raj and Ponna Venkataramana expressed similar views. They alleged that the private agencies hired for revision of electoral rolls deleted existing votes that generally poll in favour of TDP or BJP. However, the names of nonexistent voters have been that go in favour of MIM and TRS, they alleged. The four political leaders have been waging a legal battle against the electoral irregularities since long. Even Akheel and Wahab’s
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | FEBRUARY 2018
Cover story 15 We will see that the bogus votes are deleted from the rolls in the 2019 elections Ali Bin Omer Afeef Al Yafai The High Court has given an interim direction that the final publication of electoral rolls should be taken up subject to the outcome of the petition filed by me. However, GHMC violated the order. P. Venkataramana, BJP The poll irregularities can be curbed if the GHMC authorities delete the 30,64,434 bogus votes it has identified during Aadhar seeding programme taken up in 2015. The authorities must take immediate steps in this connection Roop Raj, BJP The private agencies hired for revision of electoral rolls deleted existing votes that generally poll in favour of TDP or BJP. However, the names of non-existent voters have been that go in favour of MIM and TRS. M.A. Akheel, TDP
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Cover story
father, M A Basith had filed an election petition against the MIM legislator Syed Ahmed Pasha Quadri alleging massive poll irregularities in the 2014 general elections. Unfortunately, Basith died subsequently due to cardiac arrest. “Our father was in second place in the 2014 elections from Charminar Assembly Constituency. He would have won if the authorities deleted the bogus votes. He had requested the authorities under RTI Act to provide information related to poll irregularities. But the information was not provided as long as our father was alive,” said Akheel and Wahab. On the other hand, Ponna Venkataramana said, “The IRER was carried out in violation of the guidelines set by the election commission. The High Court of Hyderabad has given an interim direction that the final publication of electoral rolls should be taken up subject to the outcome of the petition filed by me in connection with the irregularities in IRER. Unfortunately, the GHMC authorities did not respect High Court order and made the final publication of electoral rolls.” Another BJP leader, Roop Raj, who has filed an election petition against MIM legislator from Yakutpura Assembly Constituency, Mumtaz Ahmed Khan, said that it is the age-old practice of MIM to win the elections on the strength of bogus votes. “The poll irregularities can be curbed if the GHMC authorities delete the 30,64,434 bogus votes it has identified during Aadhar seeding programme taken up in 2015. The authorities must take immediate steps in this connection,” he said. The activists and political
STATUS OF DELETION OF NAME OF VOTERS UNDER DUPLICATES / INELIGI DUPLICATES
No. of No. & Name of the Duplicates Assembly Identified
1 57-Musheerabad 58-Malakpet 59-Amberpet 60-Khairatabad 61-Jubilee Hills 62-S.nagar 63-Nampally 64-Karwan 65-Goshamahal 66-Charminar 67-Cgutta 68-Yakutpura 69-Bahadarpura 70-Secbad 71-Sec’bad Cantt Total (Hyd) 44-Malkajgiri 45-Qutbullapur 46-Kukatpally 47-Uppal 49-L B Nagar 50-Maheshwaram 51-Rajendranagar1 52-Spally Total (RR) 40-Patancheru Total
2 5662 3226 7510 3605 4779 3259 5168 5864 3288 4230 3044 3979 2792 4282 874 61562 6403 2320 5829 9149 7692 15733 5313 7369 59808 3391 124761
No. of Notices issued
3 5662 3226 7510 3605 4779 3259 5168 5864 3288 4230 3044 3979 2792 4282 874 61562 6403 2320 5829 9149 7692 15733 5313 7369 59808 3391 124761
leaders fighting for clean election and transparency in the election process demanded that the Electoral Verification Report (EVR) 2015 of all the constituencies in Telangana be posted online on the websites of the election commission and also the GHMC. They alleged that the report was earlier posted on the websites but quickly removed on the instructions of the MIM and TRS. They threatened to move the court if the authorities fail to make the EVR 2015
No. of entries deleted after due process
4 1415 744 5452 1716 1343 1062 2222 2946 5441 3251 334 397 1975 279 4961 33538 355 16476 7317 15576 5403 329 7082 646 53184 2363 89085
No. of eligible electors identified 5 1593 322 630 1595 999 196 1248 683 711 949 347 997 1483 812 6339 18904 719 1611 2506 2158 566 434 559 953 9506 548 28958
INELIGIBLE
No. of notices issued
6 1593 322 630 1595 999 196 1248 683 711 949 347 997 1483 812 6339 18904 719 1611 2506 2158 566 434 559 953 9506 548 28958
No. of entries Retained after hearing 7 162 99 93 485 310 272 0 0 345 107 107 132 127 308 0 2577 143 0 0 1596 0 0 22 338 2099 2 4678
No. of entries Deleted after due Process 8 2 0 3 50 75 15 24 48 2 28 7 0 2 18 4 278 3 85 212 562 24 2 5 15 908 145 1331
public. While the situation stands like this, a silent uprising seems to be taking place from various lifestyles against the bogus votes. Hundreds of representations from different quarters, mostly from the voters belonging to Arab community are reaching the election authorities and the union government seeking deletion of 30,64,434 bogus votes and action against corrupt GHMC officials who had been helping the MIM in carrying out bogus voting.
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | FEBRUARY 2018
D
No. of death cases Identifie
9 4076 2836 3742 3446 2555 3099 4002 2683 1555 2463 1852 2951 2167 3566 1317 42310 4069 1089 2247 4930 3148 3916 3460 3690 26549 1341 70200
Cover story 17
IBLE / DEAD / SHIFTED / DOOR LOCKED CASES AND ACTION TAKEN UNDER NOT ENROLLED (ASSEMBLY WISE)
DEATH CASES
9 6 6 2 6 5 9 2 3 5 3 2 1 7 6 7 0 9 9 7 0 8 6 0 0 9 1 0
10 4076 2836 3742 3446 2555 3099 4002 2683 1555 2463 1852 2951 2167 3566 1317 42310 4069 1089 2247 4930 3148 3916 3460 3690 26549 1341 70200
No. of No. of entries shifted deleted cases after due identified process 11
2 946 662 309 771 475 565 194 2307 0 1 1920 318 401 9786 8 1801 4498 3517 1695 263 165 1275 13223 794 23803
No. of notices issued
12 13 915 59865 45813 45813 58481 58481 57068 57068 82236 82236 63085 63085 567876 567876 46064 46064 26602 26602 31534 31534 57481 57481 55774 55774 26283 26283 62575 62575 29716 29716 757453 757453 113294 113294 168431 168431 188084 188084 81591 81591 104537 104537 57795 57795 90852 90852 182541 182541 987125 987125 46580 46580 1791158 1791158
COMING SOON
ed
No. of notices issued
SHIFTED
No. of No. of of door entries entries No.locked Retained deleted cases after after due identified Hearing process 14 59865 538 2282 19463 32171 700 16941 15780 7178 3217 446 528 1078 764 879 104114 12359 11250 0 27444 26036 8619 3618 77608 166934 6578 277626
DOOR LOCK CASES No. of notices issued
15 16 17 2149 14300 17182 37 30498 30498 15804 15016 15016 27722 43262 43262 49029 65473 65473 23453 39647 39647 18808 47253 47253 21106 47443 47443 2482 40335 40335 4053 25895 25895 17 28558 28558 26 23271 23271 67 31178 31178 20144 34532 34532 107 69862 69862 197155 559405 559405 26291 53347 53347 15610 109043 109043 96810 20457 20457 29522 59106 59106 24761 51461 51461 3532 87509 87509 16344 56578 56578 58647 42921 42921 271517 480422 480422 26124 9530 9530 514796 1049357 1049357
No. of entries retained after hearing
18 17182 1214 184 21003 30513 670 10215 8112 8150 1238 826 1197 921 684 6587 91726 2576 11250 0 33825 19772 5681 2026 9013 84143 3712 179581
TOTAL
No. of Total Total entries deleted entries Total Notices ]after due deleted (2+5+9+12 issued process after due +16) (3+6+10+1 (4+8+11+ 15+19 ) process 3+17 ) 19 20 21 212 2 88378 0 82695 82695 28 85379 85379 91 108976 108976 204 156042 156042 76 109286 109286 16 115547 115547 7 99737 99737 2 72491 72491 3 65071 65071 0 91282 91282 0 86972 86972 0 63903 63903 93 105767 105767 0 108108 108108 532 1439634 1439634 16 177832 177832 18 282494 282494 135 219123 219123 411 156934 156934 41 167404 167404 2 165387 165387 21 156762 156762 252 237474 237474 896 1563410 1563410 209 61390 61390 1637 3064434 3064434
22 88378 783 22233 30241 50960 25377 21545 24682 8121 9642 358 424 3964 20852 5473 241289 26673 33990 108972 49588 31924 4128 23618 60835 339728 49625 630652
23 16634 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
The NEWS has been consistently publishing investigative reports. Some of the reports resulted in action. With the encouraging results, The NEWS team has been making efforts to bring out more and more investigative reports to its readers. In this process, The NEWS will publish series of reports in connection with the Panama Papers that hit headlines across the globe. Also, we will bring out the huge irregularities and corrupt practices in advancing subsidized loans by the department of industries. While some loans were taken by the political leaders, some loans were taken by influential people in the name of poor people who are not aware of the fact that a loan has been taken on their name. The NEWS will publish series of reports along with documentary evidence. Please wait for the coming issues to know the shocking facts. THE NEWS YOU LIKE | FEBRUARY 2018
18 Telangana News
nO fee hike in schOOls fOr 2018-19
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THE NEWS BUREAU
n a major decision, the Telangana government directed the managements of all private schools in the state to maintain statusquo and not hike their fees for the academic year 2018-19. The move brings much needed relief to parents, who have been demanding regulation of the fees in Hyderabad and Telangana. The state took the decision after a report submitted by the Tirupati Rao Committee, and said that the order was applicable to schools following CBSE and ICSE as well. “As the admissions as per the schedule started on January 2, 2018 and will be completed by January 12, 2018, the fee structure is an important aspect...Whatever fee is
already in existence for the academic year 2017-18, will be continued for the academic year 2018-19 until further orders of the government,” the order stated. “Necessary action will be taken against schools that do not follow the orders,” it added. Responding to the order in a statement, the Hyderabad School Parents Association (HSPA) called it a 'welcome step'. "We had pointed this out to the government that schools would begin their admissions with any amount of fee hike from 10% to 100% understanding fully well that the committee is not questioning the base fee but only percentage of the fee hike. The government had said that it was aware of the danger and would take necessary steps. We
did not expect the government to take such a step so fast," the HSPA said. They also thanked Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, Deputy CM and Education Minister Kadiyam Srihari, Ranjeev Acharya and the Commissioner for Education G Kishan for taking the step. "However, we would also like to exercise a word of caution as this is a temporary stay. We can hope and pray that the government would come out with an equally stringent order when it releases its final order on the same. The final order, in fact, would be the most crucial as it would deal with every year's hike. If the final order is weak or lands up again in courts, we would be back to square one," the HSPA added.
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | FEBRUARY 2018
20 AP News
A
EO sacked for alleged tantric rituals at Durga temple
MATTIPATI YANADI REDDY
ndhra Pradesh government sacked Vijayawada Kanaka Durga Temple Executive Officer, A Surya Kumari on January 6 following controversy over alleged tantric pooja inside the temple. The Endowments Department claimed that it was done to “facilitate a proper inquiry” into the controversial incident. The EO was relieved of her duties after Endowments Minister P Manikyala Rao submitted the department’s report on the alleged rituals, while Vijayawada Police Commissioner D Gautam Sawang also submitted a report. “We have submitted a report on the situation in the temple, allegations levelled by the Devastanam Trust Board members and the charges made by various religious organisations on the pujas performed in the temple,” an intelligence official was quoted as saying. Speaking to reporters, Manikyala Rao said, “Naidu is not happy with the performance of executive officer Surya Kumari. She failed to perform her duties. Presence of three unauthorized persons inside ‘antharalayam’ after the closing time of temple is a clear administrative failure. Investigation on the tantric puja is still going on
and Naidu asked us to continue detailed enquiry once Surya Kumari gets relieved of her duties." The Kanaka Durga temple is the second most popular and one of the most crowded temples in the
state after the Sri Venkateswara temple atop Tirumala. Local media reports alleged that a tantric ritual took place after the temple was closed with the knowledge of chief priest Badrinath Babu. CCTV footage allegedly showed that priests had decked up the presiding deity as Goddess Kali and performed ‘Bhairavi puja’ for more than two hours. However, authorities and said that the priests had only performed a ritual to ‘clean’ the sanctum sanctorum by reciting mantras, claiming that it was a monthly procedure.
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | FEBRUARY 2018
Impact 21
Five held in garbage vehicle scam
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THE NEWS BUREAU
t last, the Central Crime Station (CCS) has come into action and arrested five persons in connection with the huge financial scandal in the garbage transport wing of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) related to 2007-09. The action comes in the wake
swindled huge amount of money in collusion with the corrupt officials of the transport wing of the GHMC by furnishing fake bills. It may be recalled that The News published reports about the vigilance and enforcement report on the financial fraud pertaining to 2007-09 involving numerous corrupt officials and contractors. Even as fingers of suspicion are
of unrelenting reports published in these columns on the huge scandal involving numerous officials of the GHMC and private contractors. The CCS sleuths arrested the then chief transport officer Md Hafeez Khan, former deputy executive engineer of Malakpet yard, D Nageswar Rao, the then Foreman Ramachandra Chari and Assistant Foreman R Prabhakar. The cops also arrested a contractor Praveen, owner of Perfect & Universal Enterprises, who had
pointed at the toned down report of the vigilance and enforcement, the GHMC top brass kneeled down before the political bosses and delayed filing criminal case by five years. It was in May 2016, GHMC commissioner B Janardhan Reddy lodged a complaint with the CCS against 10 fictitious suppliers and some officials of the transport section of the GHMC. The CCS of-
ficials recorded the statement of GHMC commissioner who told the investigators that as per the vigilance and enforcement report an amount of Rs 26.72 crore was misappropriated during 2007-09 in the transport section of GHMC in the name of spares and repairs. Based on the complaint, CCS sleuths registered FIR No.127/2016. At a time when rumours were doing rounds that the CCS has sent the case into cold storage, The News published a series of reports prompting the higher ups to dig the case. Consequently, five persons were arrested and many arrests are likely to take place in the days to come. However, social activist, K Venkatanarayana, who had filed a case before the Lokayukta seeking to bring the culprits in the scandal to book, said what has been done by the CCS so far is only the tip of iceberg. He said many more arrests had to be made and most important was to recover the money swallowed by the corrupt people. He also said that he had submitted a representation to the CCS officials demanding the arrest of all the accused and probing the role of two former commissioners of the GHMC in the scandal.
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22 Regional News
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Rayalaseema wants its is due
here is growing turmoil in the Rayalaseema region of Andhra Pradesh over setting up of the new High Court. Protests began in Kurnool, led by lawyers demanding that the new High Court be set up in the city, even as the demand for a steel plant at Kadapa is also gaining momentum. The Rayalaseema region comprises four districts - Kurnool, Kadapa, Anantapur and Chittoor. The region has several droughtprone areas, and witnesses farmer suicides annually. All Bar Associations in Kurnool district are taking to the streets and have collectively decided to boycott courts up to January 25. Some of them have even sat on a relay hunger strike. Advocate Jayaraju Yeggoni, President of the Kurnool District Bar Association, who recently led a large protest, believes that decentralisation of power is necessary. "When the bifurcation took place, there was clear injustice. Since lot of administrative, commercial and industrial offices had been centred in and around Hyderabad, the residual Andhra state realised that there was lopsided development. This is the same mistake we should avoid now," he said. While a ‘South Korean township’ is coming up in Anantapur town, to accommodate residents who need to work at an upcoming automobile manufacturing facility of car major, KIA Motors, near Penukonda, locals feel that it is not enough. Many are appealing to Naidu, to not repeat his ‘mistake’ of developing a single region between Vijayawada and Guntur in the state,
and ignore the rest of the areas. With the bifurcation, the regions of coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema have returned to the initial status quo, and many argue that Naidu must not repeat what is being dubbed, a 'historical blunder.’ Meanwhile, demand for setting up a steel plant in Kadapa district is gaining momentum. Andhra Pradesh was bifurcated in accordance with the AP Reorganization Act, 2014. According to provisions in the Act, the steel Authority of India (SAIL) had to form a committee and within six months of formation of the committee, to check the feasibility of setting up a steel plant in Kadapa district. GV Praveen Kumar Reddy, President, Steel Plant Sadana Samithi, says that they have been demanding a steel plant for two years, but to no avail. "The Act categorically said that the steel plant’s feasibility in Kadapa should be examined, but the state and Centre are trying go back on the promise,” he said. Following a meeting with Union Steel Minister Chaudhary Birender Singh, Union Minister of State for Science and Technology
Sujana Chowdary had earlier said that there would be ‘a clear picture before Sankranti’. On the other hand, Singh said that it had received a positive report and the government would hold discussions with MECON Ltd, a PSU that would make the feasibility study. In the first week of January, a team of 15-member from MECON Ltd along with state Marketing Minister C Adinarayana Reddy visited Jammalamadugu in Kadapa for the study. Despite this, many activists still fear that the steel plant may come up in some other part of Andhra. They pointed out that ‘development’ was being confined to only two or three districts, citing the example of AIIMS, which was promised to Kurnool, but given to Mangalagiri near the capital region. According to activists, the steel plant would generate as many as 20,000 jobs directly and can provide employment to more than 80,000 people indirectly. "We want the government to lay the foundation stone within six months. Students and unemployed youth are worried that promises are being ignored,” Praveen said.
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | FEBRUARY 2018
National News 23
cisf personnel at airports to have body cameras
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y the end of March, CISF personnel at 59 airports across the country are expected to have miniature cameras fitted on their uniforms, quietly keeping a tab on all that happens around them. The much-awaited Rs 3 crore project for the purchase of 500 cameras is under the bidding process. The camera, fitted on the upper body of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel, mostly on the shoulders, will record high quality audio and video. It will greatly help to know who was right and who was in the wrong in the event of disputes between passengers and the security personnel. The gadget will also improve security at the airports as it will film every passenger going through the frisking process -- and more. The step of buying such cameras -- each costing around Rs 60,000 -was initiated by CISF Director General OP Singh, who on Monday moved to Uttar Pradesh to be the Director General of Police there. "The plan was initiated by him to ensure better surveillance at airports. The device can be checked later for both audio and video evidence," CISF Assistant Inspector General Hemendra Singh said. He said some passengers engaged in needless arguments with the CISF personnel during frisking and at times even used abusive language or made derogatory remarks.
On top of it, they also lodged complaints against the CISF personnel, accusing them of misbehaviour, Singh said. Absence of evidence at times leads to unpleasant situations. "Now, this camera will allow the CISF personnel to carry out their duties without any fear or hindrance." Singh said the process of buying these cameras was underway and would hopefully be completed by March-end. The move to install the miniature cameras, a common feature in Western countries, follows a successful three-month trial run conducted by the CISF at the Delhi and Mumbai airports, with three such gadgets at each city. The trial run, which ended last week, was found to be "very satisfactory and effective" in monitoring and detecting people from close range.
Citing the benefit of such cameras, a CISF officer who did not want to be named said: "A passenger got angry with a CISF trooper when he was asked to remove his hat and shoes. But he calmed down after noticing the camera on the body of our man." The officer said the body-worn cameras on trial helped in reducing arguments with passengers at both airports, much to the relief of the CISF personnel. In the first lot, 500 cameras are expected to be bought -- and distributed among 59 major and minor airports all over the country. The CISF is in charge of providing security at all domestic and international airports in the country. CISF personnel are also deployed at the rapidly-expanding Delhi Metro network as well as at leading private and state-run industrial establishments.
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | FEBRUARY 2018
24 Global News
One-third women avoid smear tests due to embarrassment: Survey
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ne in three young women avoid or delay getting screened for cervical cancer because they are embarrassed about their pubic areas, revealed a survey. According to the World Health Organisation, cervical cancer -- a malignant tumour of the cervix, the lowermost part of the uterus -- is the fourth leading cause of deaths from cancer in women worldwide. Cervical cancer can be screened through a pap smear test in which a sample is collected through a routine pelvic examination. A pap smear, recommended for women between 21 and 29 years once every three years, can prevent 75 per cent of cervical cancers. The survey conducted by Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust -- a British cancer charity -- showed that young women are embarrassed to attend smear tests because of their body shape (35 per cent), the appearance of their vulva (34 per cent) and concerns over smell (38 per cent), the BBC reported on Monday. The charity surveyed 2,017 British women and a third of young women said they would not go if they had not waxed or shaved their pubic area. In addition, almost two-thirds of the participants were not even aware that they are at risk of developing cervical cancer. Lauren Bennie, a survey participant, told BBC that she put off having her smear test until the age of 30 because she was "naive, embarrassed and uneducated about the female body". Another participant, Glaswegian, a 33-year-old woman
said: "I didn't know it at the time, but the embarrassment I felt around going for a smear was actually doing my body damage." When she did eventually did a test she was told she needed further examination. "Please don't let unhappiness or uncertainty about your body stop you from attending what could be a life-saving test," said Robert Music, from the charity. "Nurses are professionals who carry out millions of tests every year, they can play a big part in ensuring women are comfortable," Music added.
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | FEBRUARY 2018
Political News 25
KCR SNUB AT ANDHRA LEADERS TRIGGERS ROW
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elangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao’s comments during a recent interview at the India Today Conclave South 2018 have not gone down well with the Andhra leaders. When asked if Telangana and Andhra Pradesh had been competing with each other since bifurcation, KCR said that there was no need for comparing the two states, claiming that Telangana was far ahead. The CM also said that Hyderabad had been a developed city that saw destruction due to the ‘rulers’ of erstwhile Andhra Pradesh state. Pointing out that Hyderabad got power supply around 1915, which was much before Madras, he said that the city was beautiful and well
developed with roads, railway connectivity and even the Begumpet airport, built in the 1930s. Batting for the Telangana model of development, he said, "Instead of concentrating on the development of Hyderabad, the rulers of Andhra Pradesh destroyed it.” Lashing back a day later, KCR's Andhra counterpart, N Chandrababu Naidu, took strong objection to the remarks. Stating that Andhra Pradesh had the lowest per capita income in the south with a difference of Rs 35,000 with the nearest competitor, Naidu said this was not because of the mistake of people but due to the unscientific decision of the UPA, which split the state in 2014. He said five crore people suffered as the then rulers did not do "equal justice" by compensating
the state for the loss of Hyderabad to Telangana. Naidu even threatened the Centre saying that he would move the Supreme Court, if they fail to deliver on their promises made during bifurcation. Naidu is widely credited for developing Hyderabad, when he served as the Chief Minister of the undivided state from 1995 to 2004. It was during his tenure, that several IT companies opened offices in the city’s Cyberabad area. Last month, KCR’s son and Telangana IT Minister KT Rama Rao also said that the TDP chief had played a key role in attracting investments to Hyderabad. "I can't take undue credit for Microsoft being here (in Hyderabad). In fact, all credit goes to Chandrababu Naidu garu. He definitely has done
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | FEBRUARY 2018
26 Political News
his best. In fact, when Hyderabad was not as well-known as it is today in Information Technology space, he went out all the way to Bill Gates, convinced him and eventually the development centre (of Microsoft) happened about 17 years ago. So, all credit to him (Naidu) for that," KTR had said. The Congress has also jumped on the political bandwagon, telling both the Chief Ministers that there was no use in digging the past. Telangana Congress spokesperson Dr Dasoju Sravan Kumar, said, “Instead of digging the past, they must give answers to the people of their respective states about what they have done in the last threeand-half years. Neither of them needs appreciation for what Hyderabad is today. It is people of Hyderabad and its diaspora, who should be patted for its development." Stating that the city also devel-
oped due to the economic liberalization in India under Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao, Sravan Kumar also accused the TRS and TDP of trying to draw political mileage, as the elections inch closer. Brushing off the liberalisation argument, senior journalist TS Sudhir said, “In that case, why did other cities across the country not see the same boom? Local factors matter as well." Stating that Naidu’s government needs to be credited for the development in the IT sector, Sudhir said, “This is not to say that the ‘development’ that it resulted in is ecologically positive.” Sudhir also said that KCR’s remarks negate several good things that took place in the city between 1956 and 2014. Political analyst Telakapalli Ravi argued that the development
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of a city is a long process, that doesn’t happen overnight. "Public Sector Units (PSUs) and companies like Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL), Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL) in the 60s and 70s, also developed the city,” Ravi said. Meanwhile, Naidu also reacted to Chandrasekhar Rao's allegation that rulers from Andhra destroyed Hyderabad. "I developed Telangana and Hyderabad for the benefit of Telugu people. Those making such comments should see what was Hyderabad before 1995 and what was it afterwards," Naidu said. Ravi, responded saying, “While Naidu acted well during the prevailing circumstances, he should come out of the belief that there was nothing before his arrival. Hyderabad is still one of the oldest cities in the country.”
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Political News 27
Andhra BJP chief asks Centre to replace Narasimhan
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oining a growing chorus in Andhra Pradesh, BJP State president and Visakhapatnam MP K Haribabu has written to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh to take steps to appoint a new Governor just for the state. Pointing out that ESL Narasimhan, who is presently the commons Governor for Andhra
Pradesh, was functioning from Hyderabad, the senior BJP leader said that they wanted a Governor who stayed in Andhra. “There is a strong feeling and desire in the minds of the people of Andhra Pradesh to have a Governor exclusively for the newlyformed State, which will enable the smooth functioning of the administration,” Haribabu said in his letter. Outlining the bifurcation of the
state in 2014, Haribabu wrote, “Later, Amaravati was announced as the new capital. With the construction of the temporary Secretariat, the administration shifted there. There is also a demand for division of High Court of the two States functioning in Hyderabad. A separate HC should be established for AP.” Expressing his displeasure that the Governor did not approve a bill, the BJP floor leader in Andhra’s Legislative Assembly Vishnu Kumar Raju accused Narasimhan of being biased. Raju, who is also the Visakhapatnam North MLA, claimed that Narasimhan was supporting Telangana and had been showing a ‘stepmotherly’ attitude towards Andhra. Addressing reporters in Visakhapatnam, Raju said that the Andhra government sent a Bill on conversion of agriculture land into non-agricultural land on December 3, 2017. The bill would help in drawing investments to the state, he said. The bill, also known as the NALA Act, 2016, was rejected by the Governor, even as he approved a similar bill from Telangana, the BJP MLA alleged. “I came to know that the Governor has once again sent it back seeking a clarification. All this indicates his lack of affection towards AP and his acts are detrimental to development of business in the State,” the MLA was quoted as saying.
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | FEBRUARY 2018
28 Political News
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‘T-TDP should merge with TRS’: Motkupalli
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enior TDP leader Motkupalli Narasimhulu triggered a controversy when he suggested on January 18 that the Telangana unit of the party should “merge with the TRS”. The leader was speaking to media persons on the 22nd death anniversary of former Chief Minister and TDP founder NT Rama Rao. “The TDP in Telangana is in dire straits today. I will also say that there is a need to come out of this trouble, so that we can go forward and save the party,” Narasimhulu said. “People are saying that the TDP in Telangana is getting dissolved by the day, and this is troubling me. Even if one thinks about mitigating it, no one seems ready to salvage it. This also is painful to me,” the leader added. Narasimhulu then went on to say, “Everyday people are speculating whether the TDP will or will not exist in the state, and I would like to bring this to the attention of (TDP chief and Andhra Chief Minister) Chandrababu Naidu. Both states should fare well. At such a time, when there is such speculation about the TDP, we should look at the TRS party.” “Telangana Chief Minister KCR was also from our party only. Many ministers in the cabinet have worked under Naidu at one point...I think that Naidu and KCR should be like brothers and merge the Telangana unit of the TDP into the TRS,” he added.
KCR had contested and won as a TDP MLA four times before being appointed a minister in NTR’s cabinet. He had also served in Naidu’s cabinet in 1996, before resigning from the party in 2001 and taking up the cause of a separate Telangana state. Meanwhile, arguing for the merger, Narasimhulu also said, “It is better than the shame of going extinct. Chandrababu Naidu will get a good name if he helps the alliance, as a person who helped his friend.” “I’m not saying this with any political motive. No matter who the political leaders are, we should merge into the TRS, so that people in Telangana and Andhra can live peacefully and co-exist,” he concluded. Narasimhulu’s comments come at a time when the TDP is severely battered in the state with the exit of A Revanth Reddy, who defected to the Congress last year. The 47-year-old leader was the floor leader of the TDP in the State Assembly and his defection to the Congress was considered a major
move in state politics. The Naidu-led outfit had won 15 seats in the 2014 Assembly elections but is now left with only a dismal two MLAs. Ever since Revanth’s defection, reports suggested that the TDP and the TRS could form an alliance for the 2019 elections in Telangana. However, Naidu refused to comment on the matter, telling his party men in Telangana, “We will think about electoral alliances only during the 2019 polls. Till then, please concentrate on party strengthening activities.” Narasimhulu’s comments did not go down too well with other party leaders, including Telangana TDP president L Ramana, who said, “There are several lakh cadres who still wish to see the TDP elected to the state. All of us have great respect for NTR and great expectations from all of us.” “We will always listen to the advice of friends, but the matter is clear here. There is a machinery inside the party for feedback, but the Telangana unit of the TDP is determined on winning all the seats in the state and flying the party flag high,” he added. “The TDP will contest the elections and we will uphold the legacy of NTR. Whoever makes such comments, we will not respond. That is up to the party high command,” Ramana said. Narasimhulu’s comments have also triggered speculation on whether he is planning to join the TRS, or if he would be expelled from the TDP for his statement.
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | FEBRUARY 2018
Political News 29
AP CM threatens to drag Centre to court
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mid a perceived strain in ties with the BJP, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on January 19 virtually threatened to drag the Centre to court over the unfulfilled commitments made in state Reorganization Act. The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) President said the state government could move the Supreme Court to get justice. "We are not asking for any extra favours. We are demanding what is due to us under Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Act. We want the Centre to do the handholding and provide level playing field till the state achieves parity with others. If required, we will go to the Supreme Court on one or two issues," he said at a conference of district collectors and other officials. Naidu, who met Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week, said the state would take whatever the Centre gives and then chalk out its future course of action. During the meeting with Modi, Naidu had urged him to release the pending Rs 16,447 crore through NABARD and make other arrangements to fund projects in the ratio of 90:10 between the Centre and state under the Special Assistance Measure announced last year in lieu of special category status. Naidu also demanded that the Centre fulfill its commitment to bear the entire expenditure on
Polavaram project and sought immediate release of Rs 3,450 crore already spent by the state. The TDP chief's remarks came a day after NITI Ayog Vice Chairman Rajiv Kumar's statement in Amaravati that Andhra Pradesh was a fast growing economy and would not need much of help from the Centre.Naidu was also upset with his Telangana counterpart K. Chandrasekhar Rao's statement that Andhra Pradesh was no comparison to Telangana. Stating that Andhra Pradesh had the lowest per capita income in the south with a difference of Rs 35,000 with the nearest competitor, Naidu said this was not because of the mistake of people but due to the unscientific decision of the UPA who split the state in 2014. He said five crore people suf-
fered as the then rulers did not do "equal justice" by compensating the state for the loss of Hyderabad to Telangana. He said in the last three and half years, the state had improved but had not recovered from the loss. "If we have to recover there are only two options. We have to work hard or the Centre has to do the hand holding to undo the injustice." Naidu also reacted to Chandrasekhar Rao's allegation that rulers from Andhra destroyed Hyderabad. "I developed Telangana and Hyderabad for the benefit of Telugu people. Those making such comments should see what was Hyderabad before 1995 and what was it afterwards," said Naidu, who served as the Chief Minister of undivided state from 1995 to 2004.
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | FEBRUARY 2018
30 Political News
‘Will support BJP if Andhra gets special status’: Jagan
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icking off speculation in the state, the Leader of Opposition in Andhra Pradesh YS Jaganmohan Reddy said that his party was ready to enter into an alliance with the BJP for the 2019 election. However, he said that the alliance would only be possible, if the Centre announced special category status (SCS) to Andhra Pradesh. In an interview to an English news channel recently, Reddy said, “Our stand has been very clear. We have
been insisting on SCS. It was promised to the people by both the ruling Congress and the Opposition BJP. However, after coming to power, for reasons best known to Chandrababu Naidu, SCS has taken a back seat. Deprived of such a status, AP cannot compete with cities like Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad. The infrastructure to match these cities cannot be provided unless there is SCS. Why would anybody come and invest in AP where there is no infrastructure? This is the reason we are very particular about the SCS.”
Jagan’s statement comes at a crucial time, as the state plans to go to the polls in 2019. Though the BJP and TDP area allies in the state and Centre, with the latter being part of the NDA alliance, there is a growing rift between the two parties in Andhra. In May last year, Jagan had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi and extended his party’s support for the Presidential candidate. The TDP criticised Jagan for the meeting, stating that he was trying to escape investigation by central agencies.
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Political News 31
Disqualify TRS MLAs for holding ‘office of profit’: Revanth writes to EC C
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ongress leader A Revanth Reddy wrote to President Ram Nath Kovind and the Chief Election Commissioner on January 23 seeking disqualification of six MLAs from the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS). Claiming that the six TRS legislators had been holding ‘office of profit’ as Parliamentary Secretaries, Revanth also alleged that three other MLAs were enjoying benefits of other posts. The MLAs were identified as D Vinay Bhaskar, Jalagam Venkat Rao, V Srinivas Goud, G Kishore Kumar, V Satish Kumar and Kova Laxmi, who were appointed as parliamentary secretaries between December 2014 and May 2015. The Congress leader also named three others for holding office of profit, including E Balakishan Rasamayi, head of the Telangana Culture department, Somarapu Satyanarayana who is the TSRTC chairman and Balkonda V Prashant Reddy as who was the panchayat raj rural development chair-
man. Revanth Reddy also pointed out that the Hyderabad High Court struck down the appointments in May 2015, but some of the legislators have continued to enjoy their posts. “It is clear in the law that holding an office of profit is illegal. There is no doubt about it. Therefore, on behalf of the Congress party, we will bring this to the Centre’s notice and demand their disqualification,” Revanth told reporters. In his letter to the President, Reddy cited the recent disqualification of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs by the Election Commission and demanded the same action against the TRS MLAs. Last week, in a big blow to Delhi’s ruling AAP, President Kovind approved the Election Commission’s recommendation to disqualify 20 of its MLAs in the office of profit case as Parliamentary Secretaries. While the BJP hailed the move, the AAP said it would approach the courts against it. After the President’s approval, the Law and Justice Ministry issued a notification that the President held that the 20 MLAs stand disqualified under Section 15(1)(a) of the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) Act. “If required we will go to the Supreme Court. The Constitution is supreme and is the law of the land and has been protected by our judiciary time and again,” AAP party supremo Arvind Kejriwal said in his response. In November last year, Revanth Reddy defected to the Congress party from the TDP amidst high political drama. The former state TDP working president joined the Congress in the presence of Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi.
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | FEBRUARY 2018
32 Crime News
Stalker stabs woman to death in Hyderabad, second incident in 30 days
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n yet another gruesome incident in less than a month, a man in the Telangana capital allegedly stabbed a woman to death for rejecting his advances. 24-year-old B Janaki, who was working as a sales woman in a supermarket, was killed when her colleague allegedly stabbed her in her house at Moosapet on January 9. Police said that the woman, who hailed from Srikakulam district in Andhra Pradesh, was alone in the house when Anantappa alias Anand barged in, entered into an argument with her and then attacked her with a knife. When Janaki's roommate Rupa returned home, she found her unconscious in a pool of blood. She alerted the neighbours, who shifted Janaki to a nearby private hospital and then to to Omni hospital for better treatment, where she succumbed to her injuries. Police said Anand, who was working with Janaki in the supermarket in KPHB, had been harassing her for more than six months. He had come to her house about 10 days ago and had threatened to kill her and kill himself, if she did not marry him. A sobbing Rupa told media persons that Anand’s behaviour troubled Janaki due to which she was considering going home. She also said that Janaki hailed
from a poor family. In a similar incident on December 21, 22-year-old Sandhya Rani was publicly set on fire by her stalker, Sai Karthik, who was also a colleague. In her dying declaration, Sandhya told the police that Karthik had been harassing her for over a year, demanding that she get married to him.
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | FEBRUARY 2018
Crime News 33
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Police book Verizon for hiring bouncers while firing employees
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he Madhapur police on January 4 registered a criminal case against Verizon Data Services India (VDSI) Pvt Ltd for using the bouncers against employees and extracting resignations from them. According to ForIT (Forum for IT Professionals), the layoffs began in Bengaluru on November 15, following which over 500 people were told to leave in Chennai and over 200 in Hyderabad on December 12 and 13. The employees had earlier alleged that bouncers and counsellors were present in the room, when they were summoned to meet HR, and asked to leave, based on a 'management decision'. Some of the retrenched employees said, the bouncers pushed them back into chairs and held them by shoulders till they signed the document. Following this, a case was registered against VDSI under Sections 506 (criminal intimidation) and 341 (wrongful restraint) of the IPC. A petition was filed with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) against the alleged "inhuman practices" adopted by companies while laying off employees. ForIT, representing over 70
techies, in its petition sought the intervention of NHRC to stall the inhuman practices adopted by the IT managements and to conduct an inquiry into the illegal means being used to retrench employees. "The very intent of having bouncers in the negotiating room is nothing but an act of criminal intimidation on the part of the management," the complaint said. However, Verizon has termed the layoffs as “role rationalisation”. Verizon’s spokesperson told media, “As Verizon consolidates its
strategy, we can scale, compete, and continue to be successful. Verizon’s IT, including Verizon Data Services India, is transforming into an engineering-centric, technology organisation. The transformation entails rationalising roles, which has an impact on headcount.” The company added, "We are doing role rationalisation not to meet a specific number but to match the talent with the requirements of the business for its future."
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | FEBRUARY 2018
34 Corruption
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lalu gets 5-yr jail in third fodder scandal
special CBI court sentenced former Bihar Chief Ministers Lalu Prasad Yadav and Jagannath Mishra to five years in prison in a fodder scam case on January 24. The special Judge for CBI cases, SS Prasad pronounced the judgment related to fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 33.67 crore from the Chaibasa Treasury in 1992-1993. Reacting on the judgment, the RJD said it will go to the High Court, and if needed approach the apex court, against the special CBI court verdict convicting party chief Lalu Prasad in the third fodder scam case.
"The CBI court's conviction is neither final nor the last. We will challenge the verdict in the High Court," Rashtriya Janata Dal leader and Leader of Opposition in the Bihar Assembly Tejashwi Yadav said. It was alleged that Rs 33.67 crore was withdrawn on fake allotment letters. This is the third fodder scam case in which the RJD chief has been convicted. Tejashwi Yadav, former Deputy Chief Minister and younger son of Lalu Prasad, told media that if needed the party will approach the Supreme Court for justice. "We will go to the apex court for justice to Laluji, who is the people's hero and icon of social justice."
Tejashwi Yadav said: "Laluji lives in the hearts of crores of people, not only in Bihar but across the country and abroad. Laluji may be behind bars after being framed under conspiracy by his rivals, mainly the BJP and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who is also JD-U president. RJD will go to the people because their decision is bigger than any decision." "We all know that BJP has been conspiring against Laluji but we have full confidence in the judiciary, and Laluji will get justice soon," he added. Lalu Prasad is currently lodged in a jail in Ranchi after being convicted in a fodder scam case last December.
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | FEBRUARY 2018
Life Style 35
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Sound sleep leads to better sex for women
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mple sleep is what you need to enjoy a long and satisfied sexual life, suggests new research involving over 93,000 women. The study confirms association between shorter sleep durations, higher insomnia symptoms, and decreased sexual function in postmenopausal women. "Women and healthcare providers need to recognise the link between menopause symptoms and inadequate sleep and their effects on sexual satisfaction," said JoAnn Pinkerton, executive director, North American Menopause Society (NAMS).
Analysing data for 93,668 women aged 50 to 79 years, the researchers found that short sleep duration - defined as fewer than seven to eight hours per night - was associated with lower odds of sexual
satisfaction. Of the participants, 56 per cent reported being somewhat or very satisfied with their current sexual activity, and 52 per cent reported partnered sexual activity within the last year. Older women were less likely to be sexually active if they slept fewer than seven to eight hours per night compared with younger women, said the study published in Menopause, the journal of The North American Menopause Society. In fact, women aged older than 70 years who slept fewer than five hours were 30 per cent less likely to be sexually active than women sleeping seven to eight hours.
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36 Life Style
unable to sleep at night? writing a to-do list before bedtime may help
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nable to sleep at night? Try writing a "to-do" list at bedtime as it may aid in falling asleep, a new study suggests. "Most people just cycle through their to-do lists in their heads, and so we wanted to explore whether the act of writing them down could counteract night time difficulties with falling asleep," said the lead author of the study Michael K. Scullin from Baylor University. The study compared sleep patterns of participants who took five minutes to write down upcoming duties versus participants who chronicled completed activities. "There are two schools of thought about this. One is
that writing about the future would lead to increased worry about unfinished tasks and delay sleep, while journaling about completed activities should not trigger worry," Scullin said. "The alternative hypothesis is that writing a to-do list will 'offload' those thoughts and reduce worry," he added. For the study, which was published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology, researchers monitored electrical brain activity using electrodes on a group of healthy young adults. They completed a writing assignment for five minutes prior to overnight polysomnography recording in a controlled sleep laboratory. They were randomly
assigned to write about tasks that they needed to remember to complete the next few days (to-do list), or about tasks they had completed the previous few days (completed list). Participants in the to-do list condition fell asleep significantly faster than those in the completedlist condition. The more specifically participants wrote their to-do list, the faster they subsequently fell asleep, whereas the opposite trend was observed when participants wrote about completed activities. Therefore, to facilitate falling asleep, individuals may derive benefit from writing a very specific to-do list for five minutes before bedtime rather than journaling completed activities, the researchers noted.
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Health 37
Alcohol damages DNA and increases cancer risk
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cientists have shown how alcohol damages DNA in stem cells, helping to explain why drinking increases your risk of cancer, according to research partfunded by Cancer Research UK and published in Nature today. Previous research looking at the precise ways in which alcohol causes cancer has been done in cell cultures. However, in this study, researchers have used mice to show how alcohol exposure leads to permanent genetic damage. Scientists at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, gave diluted alcohol, chemically known as ethanol, to mice. They then used chromosome analysis and DNA sequencing to examine the genetic damage caused by acetaldehyde, a harmful chemical produced when the body processes alcohol. They found that acetaldehyde could break and damage DNA within blood stem cells leading to
rearranged chromosomes and permanently altering the DNA sequences within these cells. It is important to understand how the DNA blueprint within stem cells is damaged because when healthy stem cells become faulty, they can give rise to cancer. These new findings therefore help us to understand how drinking alcohol increases the risk of developing seven types of cancer including common types like breast and bowel. Professor Ketan Patel, lead author of the study and scientist, part funded by Cancer Research UK, at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, said: "Some cancers develop due to DNA damage in stem cells. While some damage occurs by chance, our findings suggest that drinking alcohol can increase the risk of this damage." The study also examined how the body tries to protect itself against damage caused by alcohol. The first line of defence is a family of enzymes called
aldehyde dehydrogenases (ALDH). These enzymes break down harmful acetaldehyde into acetate, which our cells can use as a source of energy. Worldwide, millions of people, particularly those from South East Asia, either lack these enzymes or carry faulty versions of them. Therefore, when they drink, acetaldehyde builds up which causes a flushed complexion, and also leads to them feeling unwell. In the study, when mice lacking the critical ALDH enzyme -- ALDH2 -- were given alcohol, it resulted in four times as much DNA damage in their cells compared to mice with the fully functioning ALDH2 enzyme. The second line of defence used by cells is a variety of DNA repair systems which, most of the time, allow them to fix and reverse different types of DNA damage. However, they do not always work and some people carry mutations, which mean their cells are not able to carry out these repairs effectively.
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38 Health
Promising new hiv drug suppresses virus
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team of researchers tested a new chemical compound that suppresses HIV, protects immune cells, and remains effective for weeks with a single dose. In animal experiments, the compound proved to be a promising new candidate to enhance current HIV treatment regimens -- without increasing toxic side effects, the researchers said. The finding builds on the work of senior coauthors Karen S. Anderson and William L. Jorgensen, who used computational and structure-based design methods to develop a class of compounds that target a viral protein essential for HIV to replicate. The researchers refined this class of compounds to boost potency, lower toxicity, and improve drug-like properties in order to identify a promising preclinical drug
Our drug candidate works synergistically with all current classes of HIV drugs, as well as some that are also being tested in clinical trials. It enhances their potency and could be a better combination medication candidate. In collaboration with Priti Kumar's lab at Yale, the drug candidate was tested in mice with transplanted human blood cells and infected with HIV. In the humanized mice, the compound achieved key goals of HIV treatment: It suppressed the virus to undetectable levels in the blood; it protected the immune cells that the virus infects; and it worked synergistically with approved HIV medications, the researchers said. Additionally, working with Yale drug delivery expert Mark Saltzman and his laboratory, the researchers found that the effects of a single dose of the compound -- delivered in a long-acting nanoparticle form -- lasted for nearly a month. While further testing is needed, the compound has potential for improving treatment for HIV, which affects 37 million people worldwide, said Anderson. "Our drug candidate works synergistically with all current classes of HIV drugs, as well as some that are also being tested in clinical trials. It enhances their potency and could be a better combination medication."
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Health 39
InfertIlIty not just a 'woman's problem'
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nfertility, both in men and women, has become quite common these days and is on the rise in India. As per estimates, there has been a 20% to 30% rise in infertility in the country in the last five years. Infertility is neither an urban phenomenon nor is it confined only to women. Studies have shown that in nearly 30% of all infertility cases, the cause can be attributed to a problem in the man. However, in India, male infertility is largely an ignored phenomenon and women are subjected to a lot of social stigma for being
unable to bear children. The need of the hour is, therefore, to give equal importance to male infertility and create awareness about the condition. Speaking about this, Dr Hrishikesh D Pai, Director IVF & Infertility at Fortis La Femme Hospital, Delhi & Secretary General of the Federation of Obstetrics and Gynaecological Societies of India said, "Infertility is not just a woman's problem and it is important to raise awareness about male infertility and the causative factors. Infertility is broadly used to denote a range of conditions, which affect both men and women." He added, "In men, the most common reasons for infertility include alow sperm
count and poor motility of the sperm. Other factors such as excessive consumption of foods that increase estrogen in the blood, long-term inhalation of toxins in the air, erectile dysfunction, early ejaculation of semen, cancer or infection of the genital system and diabetes also contribute to the condition. Increasingly, following an unhealthy lifestyle including diet imbalance, addiction to smoking or alcoholism, sedentary existence, or mental and emotional stress, have all become factors that contribute to a poor sperm count." The signs and symptoms of infertility in males may include: problems with sexual function; pain, swelling or a lump in the testicle area; recurrent respiratory infections; decreased facial or body
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40 Health
hair or other signs of a chromosomal or hormonal abnormality; having a lower than normal sperm count (fewer than 15 million sperm per milliliter of semen or a total sperm count of less than 39 million per ejaculate). The basic test to determine male infertility is semen analysis. If there are any abnormalities, tests are repeated after a certain duration as advised by the doctor. Dr Nandita Palshetkar, Director, IVF and Infertility at Fortis Bloom IVF Center at La Femme GK 2 and Fortis Hospital Gurgaon & President-elect of the Federation of Obstetrics and Gynaecological Societies of India said, "Although infertility is still considered to be a woman's problem in India, the fact is that in 30% of the infertility cases, the problem is solely with the male partner. It is, therefore, imperative that even the men get tested and at the earliest. Men usually put off testing to avoid embarrassment." "However, getting diagnosed at an early stage will not only save discomfort and expense but also
Some treatment options for addressing male infertility include the following. Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) -This method can be tried when the sperm count is at least 10 million. In this process, the semen is washed using special methods in a lab and a small quantity of sperms are placed, using a thin tube, inside the woman's womb. This is a simple, inexpensive procedure. Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) - This is akin to a testtube baby procedure. Eggs from the women are removed with a needle under sonography control and placed under a microscope. Each sperm is picked up with a needle and injected directly into the egg with a micromanipulator. The eggs then fertilize and divide. After two to three days, the embryo is placed in the womb. PESA, TESA - At times even when a hormone test is normal, there may be no sperms in the semen. In such cases, the sperms can be removed directly from the testes using a tiny needle. These are then injected into the egg using the ICSI procedure. Donor sperms - There are also cases of complete testicular failure with abnormal hormones and no sperms. In such cases, donor sperms obtained from a semen bank. This is then injected into the woman.
help in timely treatment. The bright side is that recent medical breakthroughs have helped even men with very few sperms to become fathers. It is also important to make
certain lifestyle changes such as quitting smoking and drinking, and consuming a healthy diet, all of which can help in preventing infertility and avoiding any possible complications," she added.
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Food 41
Chocolate to disappear by 2040
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he favourite sweet for kids, youngsters and elders chocolate, could disappear in another 30 years and the reason is none other than climate change. According to experts, the cocoa trees, which need heavy rainfall for growth, are strug-
gling to grow due to warmer climates. A report in metro.co.uk quoted US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration as saying that A temperature rise of just 2.1C over the next 30 years could spell doom for chocolate industry on the planet and no amount of rain could compensate for the rise in mercury.
African countries such as Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana, which produce more than 50% of the world's chocolate, are testimony to this problem. "Unlike other tree crops that have benefited from the development of modern, high yielding cultivars and crop management techniques to realise their genetic potential, more than 90 per cent of the global cocoa crop is produced by smallholders on subsistence farms with unimproved planting material," Doug Hawkins, from London-based research firm Hardman Agribusiness said. "All the indicators are that we could be looking at a chocolate deficit of 100,000 tons a year in the next few years," he further said.
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42 Food
eating egg yolks, nuts during pregnancy can boost baby's brain
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ere is good news for mothersto-be. Eating egg yolks, fish, legumes, nuts and broccoli daily during last trimester of pregnancy can boost IQ of babies, suggests a recent study. According to researchers, including egg yolks, lean red meat, fish, poultry, legumes, nuts and cruciferous vegetables can have lifelong benefits on offspring cognitive function. Researchers from Cornell University showed the role in prenatal brain development and cognitive benefits in the offspring of pregnant women who daily consumed close to twice amount of choline during their last trimester. Study's first author Marie Caudill explained through animal models using rodents, that supplementing the maternal diet with additional amounts of this single nutrient has lifelong benefits on offspring cognitive function.
The team examined 26 expectant mothers and randomly divided them into two groups. About half of the women received 480 mg/day of choline, which is slightly more than the adequate intake level and the other half received 930 mg/day. They further tested the information
processing speed and visuospatial memory of babies at 4, 7, 10 and 13 months of age to measure IQ in childhood. They examined as to how long each baby took to look at an image on the periphery of a computer screen, a measure of the time it takes for a cue to produce a motor response. The findings indicated that the information processing speed were significantly faster for the group of women who consumed 930 mg/day when compared with the group that took 480 mg/day over the same period. The research appears online in the Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology.
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Food 43
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Coconut good for skin care, diet
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oconut is an all-rounder not just for your diet, but also for your skin. It can enhance the sweetness of your desserts and make for a good moisturiser, toner and make-up remover, suggest experts. Edible uses of coconut: Coconut can enhance the sweetness of your desserts. Add grated coconut or coconut milk in your favourite sweet treat. You can also substitute all-purpose flour with coconut flour while baking a cake or make your pie tastier with a filling of tender coconut chunks. Also, roll your chocolate cookies in desiccated coconut before baking to relish the goodness of the fruit. Make some refreshing drinks with a variety of fruits such as watermelon,
orange or sweet lime and add coconut water in it to delight your guests. Serve your guests sol kadhi made of kokum fruit and coconut milk after meals to aid digestion. If you are looking to give a twist to your daily fruit smoothie, try a tropical-flavoured one made of low-fat coconut milk or coconut water. You can also add tender coconut chunks along with your choice of fruit(s) and blend them together to enjoy something cool and healthy. If you have a craving for the tropical taste of coconut, infuse coconut milk or add grated coconut in your curries. You can also substitute olive oil with coconut oil to make your salad dressing and temper your chutneys, curd-based curries, poriyals, and dals
with the precious coconut oil. Coconut for skin care: Coconut can be used as a natural moisturiser. Coconut will hydrate your skin and keep it nourished all day long. Applying virgin coconut oil directly or mixing a few drops of it to your daily moisturiser will make your skin ready to go out. Coconut not just smoothen your skin but also works as a natural toner. The fats present in coconut minimises the pores that attract all the dirt and bacteria and prevent the skin from getting damaged. The toning property of coconut helps in preventing acne by minimising the pores of the skin. Make-up remover: Take a dab of coconut oil and rub it gently to your face. It will remove all the makeup and excess oil leaving your skin supple and smooth.
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | FEBRUARY 2018
44 Feature
tech giants want kids to curb screen time
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ore and more kids are hooked on to screens, parents are worried how to create homework-play balance and tech giants in Silicon Valley are in a huddle, deliberating over how to help children cut screen addiction. Two key Apple shareholders this month requested the Cupertino-based iPhone maker to take urgent steps to safeguard young users from the ill-effects of iPhone addiction. In a letter, Jana Partners and the California State Teachers' Retirement System told Apple to make its products safer for the younger users. "We have reviewed the evidence and we believe there is a clear need for Apple to offer parents more choices and tools to help them ensure that young consumers are using your products in an optimal manner," the letter read. Facebook, which has over two billion users, is making drastic changes to its News Feed that will allow users to see more updates from family and friends than posts from businesses, brands and media. According to its CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook has got a feedback from the community that public content -- posts from businesses, brands and media -- is crowding out the personal moments that lead us to connect
more with each other. Zuckerberg admits that the new changes might not pay off at first, but believes it is important that users have more meaningful social interactions. The decision may result in a massive $23 billion revenue loss for Facebook as advertisers are not happy about being shooed away from their biggest online market on Earth. This is not the first time such fears have come out in the open from the global tech industry. Microsoft founder-turnedphilanthropist Bill Gates, in an interview to the Mirror last year, said he has set strict rules for how his three kids grew up "in a home that forbade cell phones until age 14, banned cell-phone use at the dinner table, and set limits on how close to bedtime kids could use their phones". " Yo u ' r e always looking at how it can be used in a great way -homework and staying in touch with friends -- and also where it has gotten to excess," Gates told the Mirror. Late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs never let his kids use iPads at home. "We limit how much technology our kids use at home," Jobs had told
The New York Times. According to Sean Parker, one of Facebook founders, the digital world's addictive qualities "exploit a vulnerability in human psychology... God only knows what it's doing to our children's brains". To buttress their point, Apple shareholders, in their letter, cited
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | FEBRUARY 2018
Feature 45
latest research that linked depression to smartphone use among students. However, a December study from the University of Michigan suggests that how children use the devices -- not how much time they spend on them -- is the strongest predictor of emotional or social problems connected with screen addiction. "Typically, researchers and clinicians quantify or consider the amount of screen time as of paramount importance in determining what is normal or not normal or healthy or unhealthy," said lead author Sarah Domoff. "Our study has demonstrated that there is more to it than number of hours. What matters most is whether screen use causes problems in other areas of life or has become an all-consuming activity," she added. Some of the warning signs include if screen time interferes with daily activities, causes conflict for the child or in the family, or is the only activity that brings the child joy. It's now a familiar sight in the majority of families including in India -- young children bent over a screen for hours, texting or gaming,
lost in a digital world -- with parents worrying how much screen time is too much. The awakening in the tech world is just another discussion point -- this time among those who built it in the first place. However, with billions of devices now being used in homes across the world, it is practically impossible to turn the clock back and tell kids to stop using gadgets. The onus lies on parents who can learn from Gates and Jobs how
to minimise screen time cautiously and judiciously -- without making our kids angrier and more stubborn. Meanwhile, Apple CEO Tim Cook wants all primary school children to be taught coding alongside the alphabet. For him, coding is "just another language, and just like any other language, it should be taught in schools". It is possibly time to buy a device with high-performance computing capabilities for your kids at home.
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | FEBRUARY 2018
46 Economy
Bankers suggest lowering corporate tax, MAT to boost credit growth: Survey
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ankers have suggested accelerated investments and interest subvention for investments in long gestation infrastructure projects, along with lowering of corporate tax rate and minimum alternative tax (MAT) to boost credit growth, said a survey released on January 24. The survey, by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce
& Industry (Ficci) and the Indian Banks' Association (IBA), also said bankers recommended that the government should allow a full tax deduction on the NPA provisioning as against the cap of 5 per cent of taxable income. "The bankers have suggested specific measures that may be announced in the upcoming Union Budget to facilitate credit growth and investment pick-up in the economy. They recommend accel-
erated investments in infrastructure sector as well as interest subvention for investments in long gestation infrastructure projects," the survey said. According to it, most of the responding banks have suggested a reduction in corporate tax rate from 30 per cent to 25 per cent, lowering of MAT rate to 15 per cent and enhancing tax deductions and exemptions for individuals. "This should boost credit
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demand at both corporate and retail level," it said. The sixth round of the survey was carried out for the period July to December 2017. A total of 19 public sector, private sector and foreign banks participated in the survey. These banks together represent 59 per cent of the banking industry, as classified by asset size. Bank credit has been growing at a slow pace in the economy. The survey findings reveal that banking sector performance during the July-December 2017 period remains more or less similar to the previous six months on the parameters studied. "Nearly 67 per cent of the participating banks have maintained their credit standards for large as well as small enterprises. Out of the few who have tightened credit for large enterprises have cited a rise in NPAs or a risk of the asset turning into NPA as the main reason for their action," the survey said. The share of corporate to retail loans also remains
Economy 47
the same at 56:44 as noted in the previous round of the survey. "58 per cent of the respondent banks reported a rise in NPAs, significantly lower than 80 per cent reporting so in the previous round of the survey indicating possible stability in credit environment," the survey revealed. Following the repo rate reduction of 25 basis points by the Reserve Bank of India in August 2017, almost 84 per cent of the respondents have reduced their MCLR (marginal cost based lending rate). Banks have welcomed the recapitalisation plan of Rs 2.11 trillion for public sector banks and believe that it will help in boosting credit growth and subsequently growth recovery of the economy. A large number of banks have also welcomed the RBI's move of constituting a high-level task force for setting up a public credit registry, the survey added.
Loans above Rs 250 crore will undergo special monitoring
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iming at maintaining healthy books of public sector banks, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley charted out the government's recapitalisation plans, underlining that all loans above Rs 250 crore will undergo special monitoring. The capital infusion plan for 2017-18 includes Rs 80,000 crore through recap bonds and Rs 8,139 crore as budgetary support. "We have announced Rs 2.11 lakh crore recapitalisation of PSBs in October 2017. I have already moved a supplementary grant in Parliament on this. The
entire objective of this exercise has been that it is government's prime responsibility to keep PSBs in good health," Jaitley told reporters. "We inherited a very major problem. The problem is of the past. Our objective was to find solution and create an institution so that the mistakes are not repeated," he said. The government has decided to give Rs 8,800 crore to State Bank of India, Rs 5,375 crore to Bank fo Baroda, Rs 4,865 crore to Canara Bank and Rs 4,524 crore to Union Bank among various other PSBs. Jaitley said while planning recapitalisation the government had
two objectives - which bank would get how much money and various steps to be taken to ensure that the PSBs follow higher standards. There are 21 PSBs in the country that comprise 70 per cent of the banking industry, said Rajiv Kumar, Banking Secretary. "As discussed earlier this recapitalisation will be front loaded depending on the performance and merit of the PSB," said Kumar. Allaying fears, he said: "Depositors' money in PSB is safe." He also added PSBs should give loans responsibly so that there are no non-performing assets.
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48 Science & Tech
Google Lunar XPRIZE moon mission ends in damp squib
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oogle Lunar XPRIZE has announced that no team will make a launch attempt to reach the moon by March 31, 2018 due to fundraising issues faced by all teams. “This literal “moonshot” is hard, and while we did expect a winner by now, due to the difficulties of fundraising, technical and regulatory challenges, the grand prize of the $30M Google Lunar XPRIZE will go unclaimed,” the XPRIZE team said in a statement. After nearly a decade of work gone into prepping to go to the moon, with less than two months left to the deadline, no team is close to being ready to launch. The original deadline for GLXP was 2014, which was extended several times, finally closing in on March 31, 2018. It also started with over 30 teams registering for the competition. But eventually, only five teams made it to the finals. It was reported earlier this month that India’s only entry to the mission TeamIndus’ contract for a chartered launch on ISRO’s rocket Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), was called off, making it nearly impossible for it to secure another contract on any other
rocket and launch before the deadline. And the reason behind this was attributed to lack of funds, procuring hardware and certain management issues. The team from Israel ‘SpaceII’ was also on the verge of dropping out of the challenge after it failed to raise sufficient funds. TeamIndus dropping out became a challenge for the Hakuto, the team from Japan who partnered with TeamIndus to transport Hakuto’s rover as well as its own to the moon using its own spacecraft. XPRIZE says that it is exploring a number of ways to proceed from here. “This may include finding a new title sponsor to provide a prize purse following in the footsteps of Google’s generosity, or continuing the Lunar XPRIZE as a non-cash competition where we will follow and promote the teams and help celebrate their achievements,” it said. While the competition failed, XPRIZE says that one big achievement was changing the belief that it’s no longer the sole purview of a few government agencies, but now may be achieved by small teams of entrepreneurs, engineers, and innovators from around the world.
There were also several accomplishments through the course of the competition such as the $300 million raised by the teams and the companies that own them through corporate sponsorships, government contracts and venture capital, including the largest space-related series A investment of $90 million. More than $6 million was awarded in prize money to teams over the course of the competition in recognition of the milestones they accomplished. XPRIZE also claims that the competition also sparked the creation of hundreds of jobs. This isn’t the end of ‘audacious’ competitions for XPRIZE. It says that it will continue to launch competitions that are literal or figurative moonshots, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible “In conclusion, it’s incredibly difficult to land on the Moon. If every XPRIZE competition we launch has a winner, we are not being audacious enough...We are inspired by the progress of the Google Lunar XPRIZE teams, and will continue to support their journey, one way or another, and will be there to help shine the spotlight on them when they achieve that momentous goal.”
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Science & Tech 49
cartosat-2 becomes operational, beams images
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ndia's remote sensing satellite Cartosat-2 has become operational and started beaming images from the earth's lower orbit, according to an official. "Cartosat-2 has been operationalised and beamed the first image on Monday after it was launched and deployed in the earth's lower orbit on January 12," Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Director D.P. Karnik told IANS. The first image in high resolution shows a part of Indore, about 200 km from Bhopal in central India. "As one of our earth's observatory in the Cartosat-2 series, the spacecraft has become operational after it was injected into a sun-synchronous orbit at 505 km above the earth," said Karnik.
The 710 kg spacecraft was launched on board a polar rocket (PSLC-C40) along with 30 satellites including one nano and micro from India and 28 from six countries. As a follow-on mission, Cartosat will also relay high resolution scene specific spot imageries with data from its panchromatic and multi-spectral cameras operating in time delay integration mode. It has a 5-year life span. "The Cartosat-2 imagery will be useful for cartographic applications, urban and rural applications, coastal land use and regulation, utility management like road network monitoring, water distribution, creation of land use maps and change detection to bring out geographical and manmade features," said ISRO in a statement.
"The 10 kg nano-satellite and 100 kg micro satellite are also functioning and have started relaying data from their respective orbits to our receiving stations," added Karnik. The micro-satellite is the 100th spacecraft the state-run space agency had launched and deployed around the earth orbit. The micro-satellite was also placed in the sun synchronous orbit 359 km above the earth after the space agency's mission control had fired the rocket's engines to restart its fourth stage for the intended orbit. The first space mission in 2018 onboard the PSLV-C40 comes four months after a similar rocket failed to deliver the country's eighth navigation satellite in the earth's lower orbit on August 31 last year.
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50 Business
Telangana first state to begin TOT road monetisation
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elangana has become the first state to initiate asset monetization through the tolloperate-transfer (TOT) scheme and has appointed transaction advisors to sell the 158-km-long Nehru Outer Ring Road in the state capital Hyderabad. While the Union road transport and highways ministry and the National Highways Authority are expecting bids for the first TOT bundle of national highways in February, Telangana has become the first state to begin asset monetization drive. The Hyderabad Growth Corridor recently started the monetization process under the model and has appointed a consortium led by
LEA Associates South Asia and Crisil Risk & Infrastructure Solutions as transaction advisors. The project is expected to garner significant extra- budgetary resources for Telangana that can be used for other infrastructure assets. There is no additional cost to users or taxpayers," Crisil said in a statement. The ORR was constructed in three phases at a cost of Rs 6,696 crore and comprises 13 road stretches with 19 toll plazas that would be monetized. "TOT is an effective asset recycling model, enabling governments to raise resources for infra investment without resorting to budgetary support or debt. This project will be watched closely, as it will show other states
the way forward on asset recycling," Crisil director for transport and logistics Jagannarayan Padmanabhan said. The Hyderabad Growth Corridor envisions adding value to the outer ring road with private sector participation that would upgrade the asset on a continuous basis while efficiently taking care of its operations and maintenance needs, the release stated. "The project is expected to generate significant interest among investors--both domestic and foreign, including sovereign wealth funds, infrastructure investment funds and road developers-due to its location, minimum construction risks, land acquisition, green clearances, and known traffic flow for the past few years," Crisil noted.
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Business 51
T-Hub, Facebook launch accelerator programme in AR/VR
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tartup incubator T-Hub in partnership with Facebook has launched the India Innovation Hub Accelerator Programme to foster innovation in Augmented Reality/ Virtual Reality (AR/VR) space. T-Hub and Facebook will aid the selected start-ups working in the field with cutting edge technology to scale using innovation programmes, global outreach and technology depth. Start-ups, which are in the space of AR/VR application to healthtech, industrial manufacturing, education, corporate learning and development, hardware and accessories positioning, gesture and eye tracking, mobile hardware and enablement, video processing, developer tools, camera, capture technology, can participate in this programme.
The start-ups selected as part of this programme will have an opportunity to work and scale up under the aegis of Facebook. The start-ups will be given an opportunity to develop Proof of Concept (PoC) on the prioritised solution and showcase their PoC to key executives of Facebook and THub during the 'Demo Day' at THub Hyderabad. Also, the qualified start-ups will be directly accepted to the FB Start
programme and could access THub's network of mentors, industry experts, investors, service providers and community/ecosystem. "The Indian AR/VR market yet nascent is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 76 per cent over the next five years, fuelled by demand from business and consumer sectors. Our intent, as an ecosystem enabler is to partner with pioneers like Facebook and explore new frontiers that are relevant for India like healthcare, education etc with AR/ VR and XR," said Jay Krishnan, CEO, T-Hub. "Through our Accelerator Programme with T-Hub, we want to provide the right support, training and mentorship to the start-ups," said Satyajeet Singh, Head of Platform Partnerships, Facebook India and South Asia.
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52 Business
ktr wOOs investOrs at wef
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articipating in the World Economic Forum (WEF) for the first time, India's youngest state Telangana tried to woo investors. The delegation led by Minister for Information Technology, Industries and Municipal Administration K T Rama Rao called on top executives of various companies and business leaders in Davos. At the state pavilion at WEF, the delegation met the investors and briefed them of the enormous opportunities Hyderabad and other parts of the state offer. The minister met Petra Laux, Head Global and Public Affairs, Novartis. Rao tweeted that expansion of Novartis in Hyderabad was among the issues discussed. He also explained the progress
KTR, as the minister is popularly known, also met delegation from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries led by Ken Kawai, Executive Vice President of Hyderabad Pharma City, a stateof-the-art facility coming up with a university and research centre. KTR, as the minister is popularly known, also met delegation from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries led by Ken Kawai, Executive Vice President. He also called on Aloke Lohia, founder and group CEO, Indorama Ventures PCL, the world's largest polyester company by capacity. During the meeting, the minister explained about the Telangana's
progressive industrial policies and also the existing textiles ecosystem in the state. He invited Aloke Lohia to explore investment opportunities in Kakatiya Mega Textiles Park coming up in Warangal. With AirAsia Berhad's CEO Anthony Fernandes and Deputy CEO Aireen Omar, KTR discussed the prospects of setting up AirAsia's Tech Center and running innovation programmes to support startups in the aerospace sector. KTR, who is Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao's son, tweeted that he also had a brief but scintillating meeting with Chairman of RIL, Mukesh Ambani. Earlier, the minister also met Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and his son and cabinet minister Nara Lokesh.
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Entertainment 53
63rd Jio Filmfare Awards
Irrfan Khan, Vidya Balan win best actors'
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ctor Irrfan Khan won the Filmfare Best Actor in Leading Role (Male) award for "Hindi Medium" while Vidya Balan bagged the Filmfare Best Actor in Leading Role (Female) Award for "Tumhari Sulu" at the 63rd Jio Filmfare Awards here. From giving the awards to iconic actors like Irrfan Khan to Rajkummar Rao, Vidya Balan to Zaira Wasim -- the 63rd Jio Filmfare Awards 2018 celebrated the
talents of different ages, on January 20. Vidya received her award from legendary actress Rekha. Rajkumar Rao bagged two awards. He won the Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Male) for "Bareilly Ki Barfi", and also Critics' Award for Best Actor (Male) for "Trapped". The evening was graced by who's who of Bollywood including Akshay Kumar, who walked the red carpet along with his "Pad Man" co-star Sonam Kapoor, R. Madhavan, Arjun Kapoor, Alia
Bhatt, Shahid Kapoor, Parineeti Chopra, Saqib Saleem, Armaan Malik, Amaal Malik, Karan Johar, Preity Zinta, Rekha, Jaya Bachchan, Madhuri Dixit, Vidya Balan among many others. Meher Vij won the Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Female) for "Secret superstar". Actress Zaira Wasim won the Critics' Award for Best Actor (Female) for the same film. Ayushmann Khurrana made the evening entertaining with some of the evergreen super hit cult classics like "Jab koi baat bigad jaaye",
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54 Entertainment
"Tera mujhse hai pehle ka nata koi", "Ruk jaana nahi tu kahi haar ke", "Kehdu tumhe ya chup rahu" and "Janu meri jaan main tere qurbaan" on stage. Ranveer Singh appeared at the function with an interesting outfit that clubbed poster motifs of various classic Hindi films. When host Shah Rukh Khan asked Ranveer about his costume, he replied: "People eat movies, drink movies, I even wear movies." Konkona Sen Sharma won the Best Debut Director Award for "A Death In The Gunj". Receiving the award from Jaya Bachchan and Sonali Bendre, Konkona said, "Thank you so much... It's unbelievable. I would like to thank Jio Filmfare. I would like to extend my biggest thank you to my team." Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari won the Best Director Award for "Bareilly Ki Barfi". Amit V. Masurkar bagged the Best Original Story Award for his Oscar-nominated film "Newton". the film "Newton" also won the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Film. "Hindi Medium" won the Best Film (popular) Award. Like last year, Jio Filmfare award ceremony has created special space for celebrating short films. this year, Jackie Shroff won the Best Actor in Short Film Award for "Khujli". Neeraj Ghaywan won the Best Short Film Award for "Juice". Filmfare Best Playback Singer (Male) Award went to Arijit Singh for "Roke Na Ruke Naina" from "Badrinath Ki Dulhania". Meghna Mishra won the Best Playback Singer (Female) Award for "Nachdi Phira" from "Secret Superstar". Iconic music composer and singer Bappi Lahiri won the Jio Filmfare Lifetime Achievement
Award. Actress Vidya Balan, who handed over the award to the legend, mentioned: "It's a very special moment for me. Bappi has given the most successful song of my career."
After receiving the award, the music composer said: "Thank you Jio Filmfare. I am very happy. I would like to dedicate it to my parents, wife and my full family. It's a hard work of 46 years."
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | FEBRUARY 2018
Health 57
Can heart failure risk depend on where you live?
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new study suggests that the risk of developing heart failure also depends on where we live. The research compared census tract data on socioeconomic deprivation - a clustering of neighborhood-level variables of wealth, education, occupation and housing patterns - and heart failure rates among 27,078 middle-aged whites and AfricanAmericans from the Southeastern states. Researchers grouped the participants (average age 55, 69 percent African-American, 63 percent women) in three groups ranging from the least-deprived to the most-deprived neighborhoods. During an average follow-up of more than five years, 4,300 participants were diagnosed with heart failure. Researchers noted that residents living in more socioeconomically deprived areas were at the highest risk for heart failure. As neighborhood socioeconomic factors worsened between one group to the next, researchers noted a 12 percent increase in risk of heart failure. After adjusting for other factors, researchers say 4.8 percent of the variance in heart-failure risk was explained by neighborhood factors. "There is existing evidence suggesting strong, independent associations between personal socioeconomic status - like education, income level and occupation -
and risks of heart failure and many other chronic diseases," said Loren Lipworth, the study's co-senior author. "But what this study adds is evidence suggesting that characteristics of your place of residence, actually also play a significant role in influencing the risk of heart failure over and above the role of your own individual socioeconomic characteristics," she said. "It opens the door for possible interventions that center on preventive measures in the community." Study participants were from the Southern Community Cohort Study (SCCS) - an ongoing prospective investigation of cancer and other chronic conditions in a largely resource-limited, underinsured group of recruits in 12 Southeastern states. More than 50 percent of the participants studied lived in the most deprived neighborhoods. Seventy
percent of residents studied earned less than $15,000 a year. Researchers suggest residents may benefit most from improvements in community resources such as exercise facilities, healthy food outlets and medical facilities. "Increased and improved access to communitylevel resources could mitigate cardiovascular disease risk factors like obesity, hypertension and diabetes," said Elvis Akwo, first author of the study. "Improved community-level resources may ultimately reduce the risk of heart failure in these communities." The focus on public policy and prevention may have the greatest potential to mitigate the burden of cardiovascular disease and improve overall health, researchers said. An accompanying editorial by Wayne Rosamond Ph.D.; M.S. and Anna Johnson, Ph.D.; MSPH, said this research adds an important aspect to our understanding of the role of neighborhood in health by focusing on low-income neighborhoods. "By conducting this study in a predominantly low socioeconomic status (SES) population, the potential for bias from individual SES is reduced, allowing for a direct interpretation of associations of neighborhood aspects with heart failure incidence," Rosasmond and Johnson wrote. The findings have been published in the journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | FEBRUARY 2018
Women Power 59
112 First Ladies who dared to dream and break the glass ceiling
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irst Ladies' from across 112 different fields and professions, who broke the glass ceiling in their respective fields, were felicitated on January 20. The first ladies include several unsung heroines -- from the first woman porter to the first female auto-rickshaw driver, the first female train and bus driver, and even the first bartender and the first women in the army and navy. The 112 women were not just from the traditional occupations but from the odd fields also. They also included the country's first professional woman coffee taster, the first woman detective, first competitive female bodybuilder,
the first woman cybercrime investigator and the first female bagpipe artist. Among the celebrated women was the first woman auto-rickshaw driver Shila Dawre. Defying stereotypes, she started driving the auto-rickshaw in 1988. "My parents were educated, but when I decided to be an auto-rickshaw driver, no one supported me. I left my house at the age of 18 years to become a driver. Now I feel good that there is recognition for me. Although my family was later happy with me, getting recognition at the national level is good and will help other women also come up and take to driving as a profession," Dawre said during a media interaction.
Pankaj Bhadouria, the first woman to win Master Chef India, said, "It is a beautiful initiative. It is not only giving recognition to those who are already doing good but will also motivate young girls to come up and do good in life." Upasana Taku, the first woman to lead a payments start-up, had dreams for a cashless economy before several others and started working on her dream from 2009. Taku is co-founder of leading epayment platform MobiKwik. "I always had this feeling that we should not waste our time in queues for just a payment, and it all started from there. I am glad that I am getting such recognition," Taku said. Kalpana Chawla (the first
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60 Women Power
Indian woman in space), Bachendri Pal (first Indian woman to summit Mount Everest), Aishwarya Rai Bachchan (first Indian actress to be jury member at Cannes) and Nicole Faria (first Indian woman to win the Miss Earth title) were also included in the list. From sports too, several women were selected for felicitation. Dipa Karmakar, the first woman gymnast to qualify for the Rio Olympics, Anjum Chopra, the first woman cricketer from India to be awarded an honorary life membership of the Marylebone Cricket Club -(MCC), Deepa Malik, the first woman to win a medal at the Paralympics and P.V. Sindhu, the first Indian woman to win an Olympic silver medal, were also in the list. Saina Nehwal (first badminton player to win an Olympic medal), M.C. Mary Kom (first Indian woman to win a medal in Asian Games for boxing), Sakshi Malik (first Indian woman wrestler to win an Olympic medal) and Mithali Raj (first woman cricketer to achieve a record 6,000-run mark) were also included in the list along with Sania Mirza (first Indian woman to be ranked no.1 in Women's Tennis Association (WTA) Double rankings) and P.T. Usha (first Indian woman to reach the final of an Olympic). President Ram Nath Kovind felicitated these exceptional women achievers, who are the first to set a milestone in their respective fields, at Rashtrapati Bhawan. The list, which united the women icons together, has been prepared after an extensive research by the Ministry of Women and Child Development over a period of a year. "We should celebrate people
who have done exceptional things in life. Bringing together these women is a way to celebrate them and their works," Minister of Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi said. "Through the 'first ladies' initiative, the Ministry has identified the 'first' women achievers from varied industries. We looked for the women who are first in their profession and collected these names from different sources," Gandhi said. "Each one of them needs to be celebrated and recognised. Their achievements will inspire many other ladies in the country," Gandhi added. The list also included women who are the first army woman, first pilot, first merchant navy captain, first woman judge, first weightlifter, first ODI captain and many such. The felicitation, for most of the women, was a recognition for all the other women in the various
fields they represent. Although most felt that every woman is special and unique, they also said they feel wonderful after meeting so many achievers about whom they have never heard about. Lt Col (Retd) Josycila Farida Rehana, the first woman paratrooper of the Indian Army (AMC), told IANS it is no less than a lifetime achievement award for her. Born in 1940 in Mysore, Rehana joined the Indian Army in 1964. The first woman cricket coach, Sunita Sharma, who is the recipient of the Dronacharya award, said that it is better late than never. "I am happy that although little late, we are getting recognition for our contributions." "Not just awards, but the government should also do something for the job opportunity for female players. They only have job options in Railways. Other departments should also focus on giving job options to the players," she said.
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | FEBRUARY 2018
Sports 61
'Ex-athletes, not politicians, should govern Indian sports'
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ormer sportspersons and professionals rather than politicians and bureaucrats should drive Indian sports federations if the country's standards are to improve, says Geoff Schoenberg, a Research Fellow at Australia's Deakin University, whose post-doctoral work is specifically focused on sports governance in India. "One of the common things I heard from the people I talked to is that governance of Indian sports federations often lack the perspective on the sport itself that can be derived by having athletes and former sports persons. "It is very different in Australia; for a long time in Australia, the governance has been done by exsports people and in India a lot of governance is done by the people outside the sport like bureaucrats and politicians, which has some advantages but you start to lose track of the central role," added Schoen-
berg, who works out of the Centre for Sports Research at Deakin University that is affiliated to the Australia India Institute. This is Australia's only centre for the study of contemporary India and the Australia-India relationship. Schoenberg said bringing in professionalism would raise the governance of the sports to new levels. "One of the big things that will help Indian sports governance is professionalisation. By bringing in professional staff members to perform the operational roles will allow the executive committees (of the federations) to focus on the long-term vision," he said. Schoenberg also explained the difference between governance and management. "After spending 16 months studying sports governance in India there are few things to note. First is to separate governance and management. "Right now many executive
committies of Indian national sports federations are focusing running their organisations by organising national championships, but this is the task of the management. Governance is all about the long-term strategic vision and supervising what the management is doing," he said. Cricket dominates the sports space in India. Asked about the challenges faced by the other sports bodies in such a scenario, Schoenberg said: "When you start thinking about the governance of an organisation, there is not necessarily any loser. All sports, if governed properly, can be bigger and better. So, just because cricket is dominant in the country, it does not mean other sports can't do well. "It does not mean looking to cricket for guidance because the resources and opportunities that cricket provides are different. The less promising organisations can look towards others that are successfull. Looking at guidelines and good governance principals in other parts in the world will also help," he added. Kate Palmer, the Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Sports Commission, also stresssed on the importance of good governance in sports organisations. "The Sports Commission focuses very closely on the governance of sports in our county. I am really pleased Deakin University is conducting this project to improve Indian sports and its governance," she added.
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | FEBRUARY 2018
62 Sports
iPl 2018 to start on apr 7 with revised timings
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he 11th edition of the cash-rich Indian Premier League (IPL) will be held from April 7 to May 27 with revised timings, the IPL Governing Council (GC) announced. Accepting broadcaster Star Sports' request, the IPL GC, which met here on Monday, has also allowed a shift in the timings of the matches, which will see the 8 p.m. games being advanced by an hour while the 4 p.m. afternoon games have now been pushed to 5.30 p.m. Addressing the media at Mumbai on January 22, IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla said the tournament opener and final will be played here while the opening ceremony of the tournament will take place here on April 6. "The broadcaster has requested for change in timings. By and large the GC has accepted it. It gets too late in the night if the game starts at 8 p.m.," Shukla said. "As far as the double headers on weekends are concerned. The 4 p.m. game will now be played at 5.30 p.m. There will be an overlap but the broadcaster says it has enough channels to show the
games simultaneously," Shukla added. At the meeting, it was also decided that Kings XI Punjab will play four of their home games in Mohali and three in Indore. Commenting on whether Rajasthan Royals, who are returning to the IPL after serving a two-year ban, will play in Jaipur, Shukla said a final call will be taken after the Rajasthan High Court's hearing on January 24.
"The matter is in court. I think on 24th (Wednesday), the court may dispose off the matter. We are waiting for that. Preference will be given to Jaipur if the stadium is ready and court clears RCA's status. If that doesn't happen, the alternate venue will be Pune," Shukla said. A total of 578 players including 360 Indians will go under the hammer at the IPL auction in Bengaluru on January 27 and 28.
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | FEBRUARY 2018
Legal 63
hc summons telangana, aP officials on student suicides in colleges
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iting a letter written by a social activist, the Hyderabad High Court has admitted a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) on the increase of student suicides in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, on January 22. The court was responding to Dasari Emmanuel, Prakasam district co-convener of the Lok Satta Agitation Society, who alleged that one of the main offenders, Narayana Junior College, was owned by a cabinet Minister from Andhra Pradesh. He also claimed that 10 students had killed themselves in the recent past from Narayana and the Sri Chaitanya group of institutions. Besides issuing summons to the chief secretaries of both the states, along with other officials, the court also marked the directors of Sri Chaitanya and Narayana colleges as respondents. The entire issue came to light late last year, when activists claimed that over 50 students had killed themselves in the two states, over the period of one month. The main offenders are generally Junior Colleges, where every second of a student's life is dictated. Sri Chaitanya and Narayana, two major institutes that provide Intermediate education, are often known to be notorious for the harsh conditions that they put students through. The students, especially those
who live in hostels, are made to follow a rigorous time schedule, leaving no time for the child to rest or play. This stress often takes a heavy toll on the mental health of the students. Taking note, the Telangana government issued show cause notices to 194 junior colleges for violation of guidelines issued by the State Board of Intermediate Education (BIE). Deputy Chief Minister and Education Minister Kadiyam Srihari said that the BIE conducted an
inquiry, and found that daily hectic schedules, lack of holidays, frequent weekly tests and lack of proper facilities in hostels were some of the leading causes leading to stress and suicides among the students. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu had also warned corporate institutions against harassing students. He also directed the Board of Secondary Education to remove the ranking system as a step to prevent student suicides.
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | FEBRUARY 2018
64 Legal
Decide on TN proposal to free Rajiv assassination convicts: SC to Centre
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he Supreme Court has asked the Centre to take a call on the Tamil Nadu government's 2014 communication proposing to grant remission of sentence to seven convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination conspiracy case. "You take a decision. That itself will decide the matter," said Justice Ranjan Gogoi heading the threejudge bench hearing a 2014 plea by the Centre challenging the Tamil Nadu government's February 19, 2014 decision to remit the sentences of the seven. The bench, also comprising Justice Abhay Manohar Sapre and Justice Navin Sinha, gave the Centre three months' time to decide on it. A day after the top court commuted the death sentence to life imprisonment of three key conspirators -- V. Sriharan alias Murugan, A.G. Perarivlan alias Arivu and T. Suthendraraja alias Santhan -- the Tamil Nadu government (on February 19) sent a proposal to the Centre to release all the convicts including four others. On February 20, the Centre moved the top court seeking a stay of the Tamil Nadu government's decision to release the seven. It was stayed. The Centre had contended that since Rajiv Gandhi's assassination and the conspiracy dimension was
investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation, it alone had the power to grant remission of sentence. The entire controversy whether "consultation" with the Centre (by the state government in grant of remission of sentence) meant "concurrence" and other questions were referred to a constitution bench. Another question that was referred to the five-judge constitution bench included "whether once power of remission under Article 72 or 161 or by this court exercis-
ing the Constitutional power under Article 32A is exercised, is there any scope for further consideration for remission by the executive". The constitution bench by its December 2, 2015 verdict held that "consultation" with the Centre meant "concurrence" for the grant of remission of sentence of the convicts in the cases investigated by the CBI. While the constitution bench had decided the question of law, the court on Tuesday noted that the Centre has not yet responded to the February 19 proposal of the Tamil Nadu government and asked it to respond. Besides Sriharan Perarivlan and Suthendraraja, the other four accused who would have walked free following the Tamil Nadu government's decision included Nalini, Robert Pius, Jayakumar and Ravichandran, serving life terms.
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | FEBRUARY 2018
Social Menace 65
Increased social media usage helps fake news to thrive: Panel
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panel of journalists, social activists and politicians here attributed the phenomenon of fake news in the country to the rise of social media and said the wide circulation of such news makes them seem increasingly trustworthy to people. "The use of internet has increased enormously and it is reaching the farthest corners of the country. But it is reaching many people who take the words on a newspaper as gospel truth and these people are now exposed to social media like Facebook and Whatsapp where there is absolutely no tool to verify the authenticity of the information they get," Pratik Sinha, co-founder of Alt News, an Indian fact checking website, launched to combat fake news phenomenon, said at the Tata Steel Kolkata Literary Meet. "That's why people are falling prey to fake news to the extent that they tend to act on it. As a result incidents like lynching on the basis of a fake news is taking place. While the fake news is not tough to detect, it is often tough to reach out to the people who are circulating it within a personalised Whatsapp group that has end to end encryption," he pointed out. Sinha claimed several promi-
nent ministers often retweet or quote from certain websites that promote fake news for financial gains and such acts make those news seem far more believable in the eyes of the common people. Echoing Sinha, Amnesty Inter-
national India's Executive Director Aakar Patel said the emergence of non-traditional media has made it possible for someone to propagate an information as authentic news, at least temporarily. "I think what's new is we never had non-traditional media with a loud voice. But today the democratisation of the media space, which is a fine thing in many ways, has also led to the ability of an individual or a group to broadcast a material and make it look true at least
temporarily. That is the most important bit," Patel said. He said while the mainstream media moves on from one story to the other with time, the people with an intention to control the narratives to insert a lie or an exaggeration in people's mind are able to do so by amplifying the circulation of fake news in social media. Accepting that fake news is alarmingly on the rise, Trinamool Congress MLA Mahua Moitra claimed there has been a pushback against the phenomenon since the expose of various fake news videos, including a regional film clipping that was circulated as a video of communal violence in West Bengal's Basirhat. "There has been a pushback against fake news in the last four months in Bengal. Earlier it was extremely difficult for us, as people thought everything that came their way as news was true, but now they have come to understand fake news. Forwarding Whatsapp messages is a mob mentality of rural people. They hardly think before forwarding the messages," she said. Moitra also argued for penal provision for circulating a fake news on communal lines. She said such cases should lead to a higher
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66 Social Menace
EC debuts on social media platforms FB, YouTube
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o bolster its social media presence, the Election Commission (EC) launched its Facebook page and a YouTube channel on January 24. Chief Election Commissioner O.P. Rawat said that the EC's social media hub is primarily aimed at "educating and empowering" the voters through the dissemination of relevant information and "dissipate" any misgivings spread on social media. "At this point, perhaps one can no longer afford to be away from technology and social media. We found it is essential for EC to be there on social media for inclusive participation of every voter," Rawat said. degree of punishment to stop similar practices. Senior Indian journalist and Member of Parliament Swapan Dasgupta, however, claimed fake news was a "term created by the mainstream media" to hide their inabilities to report on certain issues. "Do not confuse rumours, mis-
However, the EC has stayed away from Twitter, the most "happening" of social media platforms. "Right now, we don't have enough workforce to be active on Twitter. Also, you have to be very active over this particular platform. But soon we will be moving to Twitter as well," he said. "As for me, I don't have time to tweet personally," the CEC said. The EC has already instructed all Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) of the states and District Electoral Officers (DEOs) to be active on social media.
representations, lies and propaganda as they are very different things. I think there is a scare among the mainstream media about their own increasing irrelevance because of social media. Hence, the whole bogey of fake news has been brought up. This is a media invention to protect itself," he said.
Answering a question about mainstream media shying away from covering certain issues, Dasgupta said, "the mainstream media does exercise a certain amount of censorship... which results in certain very inconvenient stories either not being covered or being brushed under the carpet".
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | FEBRUARY 2018
The News You Like February, 2018
RNI No: APENG/2013/48048 P.R. No. LII/RNP/HD/1187/2017-19 (DOP: 1st of Every Month; DOP: 8/9-2-2018)
We are proud to complete five years of existence and step into sixth year. The journey has been fascinating but not without hardships. Yet, we have been successful in sticking to ethics and published innumerable investigative stories resulting in action from the administration. We are grateful for the readers, patrons, advertisers and all those who have helped in one way or the other in keeping up the journey.