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PAGES: 72 VOL.8 | ISSUE: 4, MAY, 2020
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | FEBRUARY 2020
EDITORIAL
VOL:8 I SSUE: 4 I MAY, 2020 `30 Editor -in-Chief B. G. Rajeswar
Chief of The Bureau D. Bal Reddy
Correspondents P. Vishnuvardhan Reddy P. Ramamohana Reddy M. Vittal Setty, Mallesh Babu, G.P. Nagaraju
Reporters M.Praveen Kumar Mandha Ravi Kumar
Photographers M. Vijay Bhaskar S. Sridhar, Shair Ali Baig Cover & Layout ACK. Venkata Srujan 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
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ven as the lockdown 2.0 announced by the union government seems to be coming to an end, some states have extended the lockdown on their front in view of the seriousness of coronavirus spread. While lockdown 2.0 is to end on May 3, many conflicting theories are advanced with some seeking extension of the same and others seeking ending it on the pretext that further extension would result in huge hunger deaths. Apparently recognising its mistake in not allowing the migrant workers, students and tourists stranded in different places before the announcement of lockdown, the union government on April 29 relaxed its restrictions to make way for the return of migrant workers, students and tourists to their homes with some conditions. Respective state governments have initiated steps to bring the migrant workers, students and tourists belonging to their states. But will the process be easy and will it not help spread of coronavirus which is already gaining momentum after a 40-day-long lockdown is a matter is serious worry. Whether it was a judgmental error on the part of the government is foreseeing the hardships of migrant workers or not, but it is time for the migrant workers to think of living in their own villages and fight for village empowerment. Even the state and central governments should redesign the schemes and provide quality education, health and employment facilities in all villages to encourage the rural population stay in villages instead of migrating to urban areas where they had been leading lives in pathetic conditions. The pathetic conditions have come to fore during the lockdown period very clearly. Besides, the threat from current models of industrialisation, centralised developments in urban areas and population migration have also come to fore. In this backdrop, it is time for the government and also the rural people to give a serious thought on going back to basics, i.e. agriculture and that too traditional, non-chemical based agriculture and animal husbandry to ensure quality of life and further deterioration of environment and economy.
Editor-in-Chief
Note: Focus/Infocus features are marketing initiatives, any legal disputes comes under the jurisdiction of courts in Hyderabad
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | MAY 2020
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CONTENT
Hyderabad cop pays Rs 20,000 hospital bill of Himachal man 8
1.21 lakh vehicles seized in Telangana for lockdown violations 17
Jamaatis distribute sweets to passengers in UP? 20
Attacking medics will land you up to 7 yrs in jail 24
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | MAY 2020
CONTENT
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50% people favour easing lockdown in districts with no Covid cases 26
Modi most popular leader on Facebook 41
India plans to develop 'desi' version of video-conferencing app 35
Trump stops legal immigration 47
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | MAY 2020
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STATE
Godavari project brings cheer to Telangana amid gloom
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elangana has completed a key stage in the Kaleshwaram project across the Godavari river bringing irrigation for 1.10 lakh acres in the Siddipet and Rajanna Sircilla districts. Water from the Kaleshwaram project has been successfully brought to Ranganayak Sagar reservoir in Siddipet. Ministers K. T. Rama Rao and Harish Rao formally switched on the pumps releasing water into the reservoir. This marked the completion of another major component of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS), the dream project of Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao, which is expected to transform the landscape of Telangana.
The state succeeded in bringing the Godavari water from Medigadda barrage in Jayashankar Bhupalapally to Siddipet, a distance of 170 km and more importantly lifting it to a height of 490 meters through massive pumps. When fully completed KLIS will lift water to 618 meters to Kondapochamma Sagar. This is expected to be achieved later this year. Rama Rao, the son of Chief Minister Chandrashekhar Rao, said KLIS would bring a green revolution in the state by irrigating the once parched lands of Telangana. The project, when fully completed, will fill about 46,000 tanks in the state. It was in June last year that KCR, as Chandrashekhar Rao is popularly known, inaugurated the
KLIS along with then governor E. S. L. Narasimhan in the presence of then Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy. Billed as the world's largest lift irrigation project, KLIS is designed to irrigate 45 lakh acres for two crops in a year, meet the drinking water requirements of 70 per cent of the state and also cater to the industry's needs. The foundation stone for the Rs 80,500 crore project was laid in 2016. Claimed to be an engineering marvel, the project comprises a 1,832 km water supply route, a 1,531 km gravity canal, 203 km tunnel routes, 20 lifts, 19 pump houses and 19 reservoirs with a storage capacity of 141 TMCs. It requires nearly 4,992 MW of electricity to pump 2 TMC of water every day in the first phase. The requirement will go up to 7,152 MW for lifting 3 TMC in the next phase. The release of water into Ranganayak Sagar has brought cheers to the state in times of gloom. It comes close on the heels of the state recording a bumper harvest of paddy, which is also attributed to KLIS and 24x7 electricity supply to agriculture. With record cultivation of paddy on nearly 40 lakh acres during the ongoing Rabi season, the state expects a yield of more than one crore tonnes, the highest for the season since the creation of the state in 2014.
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | MAY 2020
STATE
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Telangana woman constable on mission to stitch masks
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woman police constable, serving as the security guard of Telangana Governor, is stitching and distributing face masks, doing her bit in the fight against coronavirus. As B. Amareswari gets off every alternate day, she is using the time to stitch cloth masks at her house for distribution among those who either can't afford face masks available in the market or not using them due to lack of awareness. One of the five female security
guards of Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan, Amareswari makes clothes from sarees and blouse pieces at her home in Katedan, an area on the city periphery. The constable uses her off-duty time to stitch the masks on the sewing machine with the help of her mother. "I stitch 200 to 250 masks every day. I have so far made 3,000 masks and my target is to reach 10,000 masks," said the constable who feels happy to be able to make some contribution when many of her colleagues in the police force are in the frontline in
combating coronavirus by strictly enforcing the lockdown. "I go door to door in colonies near my house and give three masks to every household," said Amareswari. She also uses the opportunity to give them tips on the precautions to be taken to protect themselves from COVID-19. She said many families can't buy masks sold for Rs 30 to 50 each in the market. "They can reuse our masks which are made of cotton cloth and are washable," she said.
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | MAY 2020
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STATE
Hyderabad cop pays Rs 20,000 hospital bill of Himachal man THE NEWS BUREAU
n a humanitarian gesture, a police officer in Hyderabad paid Rs 20,000 from his pocket for the emergency surgery of a man from Himachal Pradesh who got stranded here due to the lockdown. B.L. Laxminarayan Reddy, inspector and Station House Officer of Kukatpally police station under Cyberabad police commissionerate, not only got Lalit Kumar admitted to a private hospital but also paid the hospital bill from his pocket. Lalit Kumar, a resident of Hamirpur district of Himachal Pradesh, was stranded due to the
lockdown at Kukatpally here and was in need of medical surgery. He approached the police and the inspector came forward to get him admitted to Omni Hospital. Himachal Pradesh Governor Bandaru Dattatreya and Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur appreciated the police officer's kind gesture. Dattatreya, who hails from Hyderabad, spoke to Laxminarayan Reddy over phone and lauded him for the immediate help he rendered to the man in distress. He said that the official's action is an inspiration to all. Himachal Pradesh chief minister sent a letter to Laxminarayan Reddy. "This act was a great
gesture on your part and I appreciate your exemplary effort. Your deed is an inspiration to all the persons involved in the fight against covid-19," Thakur wrote. "Your concern beyond humanity towards Mr Lalit who got stranded due to lockdown really deserves this appreciation. Admitting him at hospital and supporting financially on your own, proves once again that police are there to reach every needy. Proud of you dear SHO, Kukatpally," tweeted Telangana Director General of Police M. Mahender Reddy, who also posted Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister's letter of appreciation for the police official.
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | MAY 2020
STATE
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Don’t insist on rents or face action: TS government T
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he Telangana government has issued orders for deferment of collection of rentals for three months for properties leased for residential purposes and warned that violators will be liable for punishment. The government directed the property owners to defer collecting rentals from tenants for three months with effect from March 2020, without interest, in view of the hardships caused by the lockdown. They may collect this amount in instalments after three months. "Whoever violates these orders shall be liable for punishment as contemplated under Section 3 of the Epidemic Diseases Act 1897
and Sections 51 to 58 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005," says the Government Order (GO) issued by Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar. All the Collectors, District Magistrates and the Municipal Commissioners in the state were directed to strictly implement the orders. The GO was issued after the state cabinet took a decision in this regard. Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao had announced that if the tenants are harassed by the property owners for rent, they can complain to police by dialing 100. Within a couple of days police had received 35 complaints from tenants in various places. The GO noted that a large section of the population lives in rented accommodation and that
rentals constitute a significant proportion of the monthly income, in some cases as high as 40 per cent of the monthly income. "These people will be adversely affected, if payment of timely rents is insisted upon by the property owners at this point. Further, any coercion by property owners including the eviction of tenants on account of non-payment of rents at this point would not only result in displacement of the tenants & extreme hardships for them especially since there is a ban on interstate movement of people but also and more significantly, it puts them at great risk towards getting infected with virus by exposing them to unwarranted unknown open spaces," the GO said.
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | MAY 2020
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THE NEWS YOU LIKE | MAY 2020
COVER STORY
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Pharma industry attempt to weaken pollution laws BY BUREAU OF INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM
ndia’s powerful pharmaceutical industry is attempting to weaken a ground-breaking law proposed to tackle pollution linked to the pro-
duction of antibiotics, leaked documents obtained by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism reveal. Most of the world’s antibiotics are made in factories in India and China. Over the past decade, numerous studies have shown that
these facilities leak waste containing antibiotic residue and drug-resistant bacteria into the environment. This pollution, experts warn, fuels the spread of so-called superbugs, micro-organisms that are resistant to antibiotics.
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | MAY 2020
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COVER STORY
In January this year the Indian government published a draft bill to introduce its first limits on the concentration of antibiotics that can be discharged into rivers and the surrounding environment. However, in a series of submissions to the government, the Indian Drug Manufacturers Association (IDMA) – which represents leading pharmaceutical companies – has attempted to push back on the proposed regulations. Specifically, it has argued that the strict limits on pollution should instead be targets, and that large numbers of factories should be exempted from the rules. The government consultation on the proposed legislation – which sets out limits for 121 common antibiotics – closed in March. The law is due to come into effect in the
next few months. The IDMA has lobbied both the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change and the Central Pollution Control Board. In a letter to the ministry, the association claimed that if the proposed environmental measures go ahead, the industry would face “untold miseries from litigations and harassment by the activist and regulator alike”. It also said that the coronavirus pandemic offered a “huge potential for business opportunity” for the Indian pharmaceutical sector to “capture the markets that were hitherto dominated by China”. Responding to the leaked documents, campaigners said that the Indian authorities must stand firm against the industry’s lobbying.
“It is outrageous that the pharmaceutical industry is attempting to use the current Covid-19 crisis to weaken the draft rules for drug manufacturing sites,” said Nusa Urbancic, from Changing Markets, a UK-based campaign group focused on corporate malpractice. “Antimicrobial resistance is a ticking time bomb and numerous studies, including our own investigations, have shown that polluting pharmaceutical factories in India release significant quantities of untreated waste that contributes to the creation of deadly superbugs.” In the leaked documents, the IDMA argues that pharmaceutical factories that operate zero-liquiddischarge (ZLD) systems should be exempt from legislation. This is because, they argue, all wastewater
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | MAY 2020
COVER STORY
from ZLD plants is treated and recycled within the facilities. In other production systems, waste is frequently discharged into rivers. However, a report by Changing Markets claimed that some ZLD facilities did not always live up to their name. The report found “unwarranted manufacturing discharges� at numerous factories across Hyderabad, a major hub for pharmaceutical production where nearly 40% of plants were thought to be operating ZLD systems in 2017. The report detailed how one company that had claimed to be a leader in ZLD had been accused of discharging waste into a lake downstream of its factory. The IDMA letters also ask the government to weaken rules around the levels of antibiotic residues permitted in waste. The IDMA suggests that these should be considered targets, rather THE NEWS YOU LIKE | MAY 2020
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COVER STORY
than absolute standards. The association also complains that the permitted antibiotic levels the bill proposes are not based on targets proposed by the AMR Industry Alliance, a global private sector coalition set up to address antibiotic resistance. The Alliance published a set of targets in 2018. The letter argues that the residue amounts that would be allowed by the Indian law are “arbitrarily” lower, “with no scientific rationale”. The IDMA suggests that deviating from the global industry approach would jeopardise the growth of India’s pharmaceuticals sector. The limits set out in the bill would be much stricter than the Al-
liance’s targets, which measure antibiotic concentrations in the river where the waste is released, rather than in the actual discharge created during the manufacturing process. The Indian government would instead set limits on the waste itself, meaning that much lower concentrations of antibiotics would eventually be released. Concentrations of the antibiotic moxifloxacin found outside factories in Hyderabad were more than 10,000 times higher than the Indian government’s proposed new limit of 0.05 micrograms per litre.
The growth in superbugs is a significant threat to public health, both today and in the future. Nearly 60,000 newborns a year die from superbug infections in India. If antibiotic resistance keeps rising, people around the world could once again die from common infections.
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | MAY 2020
REGIONAL
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Over a lakh Keralites register to return home
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ours after the Kerala government opened a website, on which all those who want to return from abroad would have to register, over a lakh of Kerala diaspora have registered expressing their desire to return, when the airports open. These registrations are mostly from the various Middle East countries and among it, the maximum registrations are from the UAE. The registration has to be done on www.norkaroots.org, of the state-run Norka-Roots, the official body of diaspora. This new facility was opened by the Kerala government, after the Centre, following the numerous re-
quests from several quarters decided to take a positive step. The Union Cabinet Secretary a few days back asked the various state-chief secretaries about the arrangements and the manner in which the returning diaspora would be taken care of. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had informed the efforts of Kerala were praised by the Cabinet secretary and asked other states to follow the way Kerala has done. Vijayan also pointed out that all arrangements were ready at the four Kerala airports. Those arriving will be screened. While those with no Covid-19 symptoms will be allowed to go for home isolation, others will be quar-
antined under the present medical guidelines. According to the state government, various hostels, hotels, halls, private hospitals with accommodation facilities as well as floating houseboats at Alappuzha are ready to house them. While many of these coronavirus care centres would be operated for free, those wishing better facilities and comfort will have to pay. Of an estimated 2.5 million non-resident Keralites, 90 per cent of them are in the Middle East countries, three to five lakh are likely to return after the revival of air services.
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | MAY 2020
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REGIONAL
PRAYAGRAJ STUDENT DEVELOPS ALL SEASON JASMINE VARIETY
THE NEWS BUREAU
handra Shekhar, a M.Sc student of Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences (SHUATS) in Naini in Prayagraj, has developed a new variety of star jasmine flower that can withstand the extreme cold conditions of north India. The star jasmine was developed by scientists at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) in 2019 and was meant to be a perennial variety that could be grown in every season in the southern states. The jasmine flower is extensively used in temples and rituals. Tamil Nadu has an average
minimum temperature of 21 degree Celsius in December-January, which the plant can well handle. Northern states, including Uttar Pradesh, witness temperatures as low as 3 to 4 degree Celsius in winters and the plant cannot survive in such cold temperatures. Chandra Shekhar said, "After 10 months of trial and error, we were now be able to harvest the flowers in extreme winter, besides peak monsoon seasons too." The new 'all-season star jasmine' has a long stem and bold buds with a pink tinge. The buds bloom into a white star-shaped flower with usually 10 petals that are leaner and longer. The flowers are mildly fragrant and the leaves
are dark green and glossy. Dr S.S. Saravanan, associate professor of horticulture at SHUATS, and Chandra Shekhar's guide in the project, said that he longer life span and shelf life of the star jasmine could promise roundthe-year income for farmers and could be a game changer. "The all-season star jasmine can certainly change the the pattern of flower cultivation here and revolutionize the agriculture sector. It can also replace the common jasmine because it is more affordable," he said. There is also a high demand for fragrant jasmine that is also used to make essential oils for a wide range of cosmetic products.
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | MAY 2020
REGIONAL
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1.21 lakh vehicles seized in Telangana for lockdown violations
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he Telangana Police have seized 1.21 lakh vehicles as on April 20 across the state for violation of lockdown norms. Director General of Police Mahender Reddy told reporters that after the lifting of the lockdown, the vehicles will be deposited in the courts and the vehicle owners may collect their vehicles from courts. Majority of the vehicles were
seized in Greater Hyderabad. Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi recently demanded the police to frame a policy and release the vehicles as the poor people would need them. Owaisi had made the demand in the wake of Kerala High Court orders, which directed authorities in Kerala to release all vehicles seized for lockdown viola tion on personal bond of owners. The DGP on Monday, however, made it clear that the vehicles have
to be collected from courts after the lifting of the lockdown. The police have decided to act tough against the motorists roaming unnecessarily on roads. It has also people to approach nearest hospitals for minor ailments. Only those with serious health problems will be allowed to go to hospital at distant locations and that too on showing the reference documents. Such people also have to carry proof of residence.
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | MAY 2020
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hiv Nadar University in Greater Noida announced that its researchers have created a molecule that has the potential to be developed into a drug that can cure Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) in COVID-19 patients. The team found a set of New Chemical Entities (NCEs) with the ability to cure Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) or Acute Lung Injury (ALI) induced by COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) or other Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), which are also caused by coro-
against maladies associated with acute respiratory distress syndrome. Our aim is to conclude the preclinical studies by the end of this year, post which the new compound will potentially be ready for the next stage of development along with human trials," study re-
Additionally, the researchers looked into the pathophysiological condition of lungs during respiratory failure. This included extensive investigations of lung specimens from patients who were retrospectively found to have COVID-19. Using these data, they designed the project that helps in attenuating acute respiratory distress. The research team has filed a provisional patent in India to protect the new chemical entities. The novel molecule in discovery is being moved to the next stage of checking where its efficacy will be tested on animals. They believe their therapy
Researchers develop molecule for potential COVID-19 drug in India
naviruses. The two-fold strategy devised by the research team involved the application of the NCEs to inhibit attachment, entry and infection of the new SARS-CoV-2 through a known target on the virus and coadministration of a known drug (that modulates a set of hormonal receptors in human) and these NCEs to attenuate ARDS caused by novel coronavirus. "We hope our therapeutic approach will unravel solutions
searcher Dr Subhabrata Sen, Professor, Department of Chemistry at Shiv Nadar University said in a statement. According to the University, the discovery has come out of months of research, conceptualising small molecule modulators of a set of hormonal receptors in humans and how they are connected with potential receptors in the lungs that act as the entry of SARS-CoV-2, SARS and MERS in the human host.
would not only prevent COVID-19 from affecting a person's lungs but will also address lung injuries already inflicted by the virus, in cases the ventilators are not bringing much relief to COVID-19 patients suffering from ARDS. The study from Shiv Nadar University was conducted in collaboration with Professor Ralf Jockers, an expert molecular biologist from Institut Cochin (INSERM, CNRS, the University of Paris in France).
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | MAY 2020
REGIONAL
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UoH start-up wins BIRAC funding for Covid-19 project
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n a boost to efforts aimed at tackling the pandemic, a start-up incubated at the University of Hyderabad (UoH) has been selected for Covid-19 funding by the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC). OncoSeek Bio Pvt Ltd will receive funding support for developing an in vitro Lung Organoid model, from BIRAC which comes under the Union Science and Technology Ministry's Department of Biotechnology (DBT). OncoSeek's project is one of 16 selected so far from the 500 proposals received for the Covid-19
research consortium. Dr Suresh Poosala, Founder CEO of OncoSeek, said: "Current animal models available for research on Covid-19 are either difficult to get into India or create them in time, to address the pandemic. The company envisages creating novel in vitro platforms for Covid-19 research under the support." Under this grant proposal, the company plans to use their novel platform to screen drugs/peptides/molecules/agents/compounds targeted against the virus or the host cell. It plans to create this capability in the next 6 months. "With the help of talented faculty at the School of Life Sciences, University
of Hyderabad, and ASPIREBioNEST, they can address the challenges and bring out the science to understand and solve the Covid-19 puzzle." OncoSeek is a start-up incubated at ASPIRE-BioNEST at UoH since 2019, and works on developing in vitro and in vivo platforms for specific diseases for therapeutics screening. BioNEST at the University of Hyderabad is a life sciences incubator, set up with the support of the BIRAC, an enterprise under the DBT, to provide a plug-and-play life science ecosystem of incubation.
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | MAY 2020
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REGIONAL
Jamaatis distribute sweets to passengers in UP? M
THE NEWS BUREAU
any participants of the Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Delhi last month, purchased a sweet, 'petha', from Agra and distributed it to friends and cotravelers during their return journey, it has been revealed. According to a police official in Agra, some 'petha' sellers in the city have told the police that some 'Muslims' made bulk purchases of 'petha' after the Holi festival, which is when the Jamaat meeting ended in Delhi. A senior police official on condition of anonymity said, "We have received reports that the Jamaatis distributed sweets. It is not very normal for Muslims to distribute sweets to co-passengers on buses and trains. We are talking to several bus conductors and daily passengers who have monthly passes to confirm this." Meanwhile, sources said Tablighi Jamaat, which had split a few years ago into two factions, may come together, adding that there is a strong possibility as sympathizers want this to happen.
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | MAY 2020
REGIONAL
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Tainted Wadhawans picnic: IPS oďŹƒcer sent on leave
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he Maharashtra government has sent on 'compulsory leave' the Principal Secretary (Special) Amitabh Gupta for allegedly allowing the scam-tainted Wadhawan brothers and others to travel from Khandala to Mahabaleshwar at the height of the lockdown. Simltaneously, the Mahabaleshwar Police early on April 10 booked 23 persons of the Wadhawan family and others for flouting various laws including the Epidemic Diseases Act, an official said. "They were found here on April 9 evening and said they had come from Mumbai, travelling from Khandala to Mahabaleshwar. We have lodged an FIR against them under various laws pertaining to flouting lockdown under the pandemic," an official from Maha-
baleshwar Police Station said. "As per discussion with CM, Amitabh Gupta, has been sent on compulsory leave with immediate effect, till completion of enquiry, which will be initiated against him," said Home Minister Anil Deshmukh in a tweet. The permission - in the form of a 'To Whomsoever It May Concern' letter - was issued by Gupta on his personal letterhead on April 8, permitting the Wadhawans and others to cross from Khandala in Pune to Mahabaleshwar in Satara. The matter sparked off a huge political storm with the Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis and state BJP state Vice-President Kirit Somaiya demanding a probe and Deshmukh's scalp. Deshmukh said the probe will also go into how the 23-member team managed to reach from Khandala to Mahabaleshwar despite the
stringent lockdown which has stranded millions of migrants all over the country. Gupta's letter said: "This is to just inform you that following are well known to me as they are my family friends and are travelling from Khandala to Mahabaleshwar for family emergency. Hence you are hereby informed through this letter to co-operate with them to reach their destination." It listed the registration numbers of all the five vehicles and the names of all the family members, friends, and others who were planning to travel in each of the vehicles for the unspecified 'family emergency'. The Wadhawans have been linked as accused in the Punjab & Maharashtra Cooperative Bank and Yes Bank scams along with the entities, DHFL-HDIL.
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | MAY 2020
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RSS chief calls for 'swadeshi' to combat corona
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ashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat has urged the people to go 'Swadeshi' to tackle the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) that has claimed over 820 lives in India so far. In an online address on April 26, Bhagwat also spoke on the importance of staying at home, following the lockdown rules and social distancing norms to combat the coronavirus. "Stay at home and pray to God," he said. Bhagwat, while addressing the proposed intellectual class online by the Nagpur metropolis of RSS, said that the crisis of corona in the country is increasing. "People can win the war by staying at home. Also, we should follow lockdown norms and social distancing". He said the last few days of lockdown enabled him to spend time at home. Reacting to the killing of two saints in Maharashtra's Palghar, Bhagwat urged everyone to control "anger". "The sages did not harm anyone," he said. He said, "We have to follow the lockdown. We have to get out of this crisis. Our crisis has to be made an opportunity. Swadeshi has to be adopted". Mohan Bhagwat reiterated the point of being self-reliant. "Air and water have become cleaner due to the lockdown," he said. "We have to consider how we can generate employment again after the end of lockdown."
"The entire world is battling coronavirus. We will have to win this battle by staying at home," he said. "This society is ours... the country is ours, that's why we are working. It is a new disease, so not everything is known. So work with caution. Do not get tired, you will have to keep trying. Please follow the government's instructions," Bhagwat said. "We do not distinguish between humans. Our effort is to help the needy," he added. The RSS chief said the Sangh
has postponed all programmes till June 30. Saying that there is a need to learn from the current crisis, Bhagwat said "we will have to adopt Swadeshi behaviour. The society as well as the country should adopt Swadeshi so that no one needs to depend on foreign products." "The coronavirus-triggered crisis can be treated as an opportunity to shape up a new India. Emphasis will have to be given on making quality indigenous products," he said.
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | MAY 2020
NEWS NATION
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Over 93% trust Modi govt will handle Covid-19 crisis well
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whopping 93.5 per cent people in the country believe that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government is handling the coronavirus outbreak effectively, according to a recent survey. The central government had imposed a 21-day nation-wide lockdown on March 25, which was later extended till May 3.
According to the IANS-C-voter Covid-19 tracker, the number of people who laid trust on the Modi government on the first day of the lockdown was 76.8 but that has now increased to 93.5 per cent as of April 21. In the survey, the statement - "I think the Indian government is handling the coronavirus (outbreak) well"- was put forth before people between March 16 to April 21 and their answers were sought.
On April 16, 75.8 percent people said that they have faith in the government, but the percentage increased after the stringent curbs were imposed in the country. Interestingly, an overall confidence in the incumbent government saw a sharp rise on April 1. A 89.9 percent people believed that the government is working well in comparison to March 31, when the percentage was 79.4.
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | MAY 2020
24 NEWS NATION
Attacking medics will land you up to 7 yrs in jail
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n a significant move, the Union cabinet on April 22 amended the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1987 through an ordinance in order to ensure safety of health workers at a time when there has been a spate of attacks on them. Any violence against health workers may now bring steep fines and even imprisonments of up to seven years. This move comes hours after Home Minister Amit Shah addressed Nina Medical Association through a video conference, assuring them of safety and urging them to withdraw the symbolic protest
scheduled for later this month against incidents of violence on health workers pressed into CVID19 duty. From now on, not just such violence is cognizable but also nonbailable offence. Additionally, it has provisions to provide compensation for injury to healthcare service personnel or for causing damage or loss to the property, the government said. K.S. Dhatwalia, Principal Spokesperson for the government, tweeted: "Ordinance would help protect healthcare service personnel and their living/working premises against violence".
"This actually helps protect the entire health fraternity including doctors, nurses, paramedics up to ASHA workers, " said Union I&B Minister Prakash Javadekar. The Minister said the amendment was necessitated after incidents of violence were witnessed against them while discharging their crucial duty for the country. The amendment has ensured that the investigation takes place in a time-bound manner. A special provision is also made in the ordinance in case vehicles or clinics are damaged. In such cases, two times the cost will be recovered from assailants.
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | MAY 2020
NEWS NATION 25
Ordinance ďŹ rst step in the right
direction, say medics
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ith the Union cabinet amending the Epidemic Diseases Act, through an ordinance, to ensure safety of health workers amid a spate of attacks on them, the measure has raised some hopes in the medical fraternity but they say this is a temporary relief and a lot more needs to be done in order to stop the violence. The Indian Medical Association's Honorary Secretary General, Dr R.V. Asokan said: "It is an immensely satisfying movement. However it will not stop the future violence. There are lots of limitations of this ordinance but now at least we know that the government needs business and the society as one is by doctors' side in condemning violence against the doctors. "There is a lot more that has to
be done to eliminate violence in the health care sectors but this is the first step in the right direction." There has been a significant number of incidents of violence on the health workers across the country, following which the doctors had called for a nationwide black day. It was called off only after Home Minister Amit Shah and Health Minister Harsh Vardhan interacted with the medical fraternity and brought the ordinance, which provides for heavy fines and up to seven years jails for all those indulging in violence. Dr Vijay Kumar Gurjar of AIIMS Delhi expressed some relief but he also echoed Asokan. "We welcome the decision. It was a long-pending demand. We have been protesting for a very long time... right from Maharashtra incident in 2015 in which a resident
doctor was assaulted by a deceased person's relatives. We worked wear ing helmets as a symbol of protest to the recent assaults on doctors. But this time it is too much therefore it was a much required step to be taken by the government." Dr Adarsh Pratap Singh, President of AIIMS Resident Doctors Association, said: "This is a good step for the medical fraternity keeping in view of the pandemic situation. Something is better than nothing. But a lot needs to be done. "The proposed central protection act needs to be implemented. The government should invest in infrastructure, primary health sector and human resource in the field of medical profession. They should make good referral policies so that people need not to come from far off places just for an ordinary fever. It poses unnecessary burden on both doctor and patient. "There are very few doctors for thousands of people. They resort to violence when they don't get expected attention or long dates for small things like ultrasound and xray. Therefore investing a bigger share of GDP in the health sector and bringing a central protection act will solve the problem." Dr Saurabh Sachar of Safdarjung Hospital said: "It's a great decision. Many other countries also have stringent laws to protect their healthcare workers. I would like to thank the government for enactment of this long pending legislative demand. Hopefully this will go a long way in instilling a sense of security in the healthcare workers and act as a much required detriment for elements who resort to violence against doctors. But this law should be there for all times and not just as part of the Epidemic Act."
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50% people favour easing lockdown in districts with no Covid cases
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lmost half or around 47 per cent of people are in favour of continuing the lockdown till the last week of May in districts with Covid-19 cases after April 15, as per a survey by LocalCircles. However, 79 per cent of the citizens are in favour of unlocking all districts with no cases after April 15.
Around 63 per cent of the citizens are in favour of keeping public transportation systems (air, rail, bus) shut in districts that are kept locked post May 3. LocalCircles said the survey makes it clear that the collective is in favour of opening the lockdown in all districts with no cases after April 15, while keeping only the hotspots in these districts under lockdown.
In districts where there have been active cases after April 15, people are divided about whether the lockdown should be extended till the last week of May or should it be extended just for the hotspots. A total of 47 per cent of the people are on each side of the argument and the LocalCircles view is that the government should take the side of caution, at least in the 27 high load districts.
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | MAY 2020
NEWS NATION As far as opening of intercity public transportation systems i.e. air, train and bus travel goes, 63 per cent people are in favour of keeping them shut in districts where the lockdown is extended post May 3. LocalCircles will submit the findings of this study to Central and state governments for them to decide the way forward, taking into consideration the collective opinion. People have been divided in their thinking on how the unlocking of the unprecedented 40day lockdown should be done. Some people are in favour of complete unlocking, while others want partial unlocking. LocalCircles conducted a survey among the citizens to check their views on the process of easing the lockdown. The three-poll survey received more than 24,000 votes from 254 districts across India In the first question, citizens were asked for districts with new Covid-19 cases after April 15 - how should the Government of India go about lockdown after May 3. Twenty per cent said the gov-
ernment should keep them fully locked till May 23, i.e. for another 20 days, while 27 per cent said the government should keep them fully locked till May 31. Forty-seven per cent said these districts should be unlocked fully post May 3 but the hotspots within the districts should be kept locked down. Only 5 per cent said they should be fully unlocked post May 3. The next question asked for the districts with no new Covid-19 case after April 15 or no Covid-19 cases at all till date - how should the Government of India go about lockdown. Seven per cent said such districts should be kept fully locked till May 23 while 12 per cent said such districts should be kept fully locked till May 31. Sixty-seven per cent said these districts should be unlocked fully post May 3 but the old hotspots, if applicable within the districts, should be kept locked down. Twelve per cent want the government to unlock them fully post May 3 even if there are old
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hotspots that were identified prior to April 15. When asked how should the public transportation (air, rail, inter-city bus) function after May 3, 32 per cent said all inter-district transportation systems must be kept shut, 29 per cent said only inter-district transportation between unlocked districts must be opened, while 34 per cent said all inter-district transportation systems must be opened up with travel restrictions imposed only in locked down districts. LocalCircles said this is quite a tricky issue as the top 27 high load cities in the country are also hubs of travel and hence how can a system be designed where intercity public travel can be permitted while using the hub while citizens who reside in that city are still subject to lockdown restrictions. It is like a train going from Amritsar to Jabalpur without stopping at the New Delhi station which may be quite hard to implement and make the route economically unviable.
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People more prepared
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he Index of Preparedness has gone up sharply in the past one month, the Index of Complacency has gone down while the faith in the government’s efforts to tackle coronavirus pandemic remains not only solid throughout but the approval ratings continue to surge, as per the IANS-CVoter Covid Tracker 2020. According to the tracker conducted from March 16April 20, the number of people planning ahead, captured by the Index of Preparedness is going ahead by stocking up more rations and medicines or keeping aside money to purchase them. As many as 42.9 per cent respondents in the survey, as of April 20, have stocked up on rations and medicines for more than 3 weeks while those with less than 2 weeks is still higher at 56.9 per cent. However, the number of people
who have made preparations for less than a week are only 12.1 per cent. The survey had a sample size of 4,718 persons. The number of people who had less than three weeks ration on March 16 was 90 per cent and almost nobody had ration beyond three weeks. This number has been going up everyday especially around the time the lockdowns were announced in April. On the Index of Panic, the readings show that as of April 20, 41.1 per cent respondents agree that they or someone in their family can catch the coronavirus. A large number at 56.3 per cent still disagree that they can get the virus. At the beginning of the survey only 35.1 percent people thought they could get the virus. This number has risen but has stabilized around the early 40s range. The most consistent reading in the tracker has come on the Trust in
the Government index. A vast majority of Indians, 93.6 percent feel that the government is handling the coronavirus crisis well while only 4.7 per cent disagree. The approval ratings were 75.8 per cent at the start of the survey and since then the number of people who disagree has only been going down showing the immense faith in the handling of the crisis by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government. The Index of Complacency has also come down as 54.1 per cent people disagree with the proposition that the threat from coronavirus is exaggerated while 37.8 agree, as per the latest readings on April 20. Those who agreed with the perception that the threat was exaggerated was much higher on March 16 at 53.6 per cent and this number has consistently been going down as awareness levels have gone up.
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We have to become self-reliant: Modi
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rime Minister Narendra Modi hailed rural India, gram panchayats for playing an active role in the fight against COVID-19 and in supplying food grains to the poor and migrant workers. He launched e-GramSwaraj portal and Swamitva Scheme on the occasion of the Panchayati Raj Day on April 24. He also interacted with village-heads from across the country through video conferencing. However, it was the coronavirus topic that dominated the discourse. Hailing the role of villagers in maintaining social distancing, he claimed Indians have faced difficulties but remained resolute in ob-
serving the lockdown. "You have used a simple term - do gaz ki doori (a distance of two yards)," he said. Prime Minister Modi said that it's the villages that have "shown the way" to the urban centres, who he claimed are finding it tough to deal with the lockdown. "We have to become self-sufficient. Without that, we can't face a threat like that of coronavirus. From villages to the country -- we should be self sufficient. We should not be looking out for help. That is the big take away from this coronavirus outbreak," said Prime Minister Modi while addressing Sarpanches from across the country. He added that in normal situa-
tions, meetings would take place in person. But changed circumstances forced the government to take help of video conferences in order to maintain social distancing. Stressing on the importance of the newly launched e-GramSwaraj portal, Modi said all information, including the funds allowed and progress of work can be accessed through it in the coming days. "This will bring transparency in the system," said Modi. Highlighting the importance of Swamitva Scheme, he said all properties of all the villages will be mapped through the use of drones that will bring an end to property disputes in villages. He claimed this will also help in availing bank loans.
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'People trust India's ability to fight health crisis, doubt on economic front' A
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TRA survey on Friday showed that consumers' trust on India's capability to fight the health crisis is high, but that on the economic wherewithal is low. Consumers' trust on India's health ability to combat crisis is considerably high, at 73 per cent, which translates as 'good', while their trust on India's economic ability to combat crisis is significantly lower at 63 per cent, showing that the fears of a long term financial and economic impact are prominent on the minds of the citizens, according to the white paper titled 'TRA's Coronavirus Consumer Insights
2020'. "Surprisingly, while the health crisis recovery perceptions are high among Indians, the economic recovery perceptions are 10 per cent lower. Unless sufficient direct financial support from government to businesses are made, the economic prospects of India remain weak," said N. Chandramouli, CEO, TRA Research. "With the extended lockdown Indians feel insecure about their ecomomic future, as there seems to be no certainty of when this will end, or about how businesses will cope after this is over," the white paper said. According to it, the overall effectiveness of the lockdown deci-
sion across cities was at 91 per cent, with five of the 16 cities giving it above 98 per cent or 'excellent' score. However the overall implementation of the same across cities was much lower, at 74 per cent, it said. In the 'Family Worry Index', the highest concern across cities was that the family may contract the disease (74 per cent), job or business loss was the second biggest concern (68 per cent), and delayed salary was third (62 per cent). The survey was conducted across 16 cities with 902 urban citizens and delves into their perceptions, attitudes, worries, fears and expectations.
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | MAY 2020
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UIDAI okays Aadhaar updation through CSC
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n a major relief to rural population, the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has allowed the Common Service Centre, an SPV (special purpose vehicle) under the Ministry of IT and Electronics, to start the Aadhaar updation facility at 20,000 centres that operate as Banking Correspondents (BCs). "To make Aadhaar updation easier, the UIDAI has permitted CSCs that are designated as BCs to offer Aadhaar update services. Around 20,000 such CSCs will now be able to offer the service," said Union Telecom, MEITY and Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, here on Monday.
"I would like the CSC's villagelevel entrepreneurs (VLEs) to start the Aadhaar work as per the UIDAI instructions. This facility will help a large number of rural people to get Aadhaar services closer to their homes," Prasad said. The UIDAI has set the June deadline for start of work after CSCs with banking facilities upgrade their infrastructure and get other necessary approvals. Dinesh Tyagi, CEO of the Common Service Centre, has asked all BCs to finish technical and other upgradation work, which the UIDAI had asked for, to start Aadhaar updation the earliest. As per the Supreme Court order, the Aadhaar work through CSCs was discontinued in Decem-
ber 2018. Since then there has been a demand from the VLEs, running over 3.5 lakh CSCs, to start the Aadhaar enrolment work as they had invested in the Aadhaar kits and had trained manpower. The CSCs had generated 20 crore Aadhaar cards, before it was discontinued. "Apart from 20,000 BCs, over 30,000 CSCs are delivering banking service using AePS (Aadhaarenabled payment system). About 1.2 lakhs AePS transactions worth Rs 20 crore are taking place a day. This is helping farmers, Jan Dhan account holders, pensioners, Ujwala beneficiaries in withdrawing the amount, transferred to their accounts by the government through DBT," said Tyagi.
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77% Indians eagerly waiting for dinner at favourite food joints
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nxiously waiting for the lockdown 2.0 to be gradually lifted, 77 per cent of people in India wish to have dinner with friends and family at their favourite restaurants with safety assurance and premier hygiene top on their mind, according to a survey. The survey conducted by restaurant tech platform Dineout said 81 per cent of consumers would rather scan a QR on their phone to place an order instead of handling physical menus or tabletbased digital menus. After a dining experience, 60
per cent prefer seamless walletbased digital payments over cash/cards, while 85 per cent would choose a digital valet over waiting in possibly contaminated public spaces. At least 84 per cent would prefer offering digital feedback over physical feedback collection and over 96 per cent of the respondents demand better waitlist management, the findings showed. "While demand will return rapidly as millions of Indians are craving their favourite dishes, it's also crucial to make the necessary changes to restore consumer confidence and trust by rapidly evolving
the restaurant's approach to using technology as means to implement contactless dining," said Ankit Mehrotra, Co-Founder and CEO, Dineout. Most Indians have been craving Pizza since the lockdown has been implemented, except Chennai, Hyderabad and Kolkata where their popular and indigenous Biryani recipes reign supreme. Post lockdown, people in Delhi would like to eat in places like Big Chill, Barbeque Nation and Social, while Mumbaikars picked Global Fusion, Pop Tates and Asia Kitchen, according to the survey.
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | MAY 2020
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day after the UK High Court in London rejected Vijay Mallya's appeal against extradition, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has said that it was hopeful of getting the custody of the former Kingfisher Airlines chairman once he is extradited to India. Mallya's appeal was rejected by the UK High court and now he has the option to appeal to the Supreme Court there, sources said. An official of the ED said that the system in the UK is a bit different, as Mallya needs to reach the top court there via the High Court again, citing the reason why he needs to move the Supreme Court. The official said that Mallya needs to convince the High Court why there is a need to approach the Supreme Court. "And if the High Court is satisfied then only his matter will be heard in the Supreme Court in UK," he said. The ED official's remarks came a day after Mallya lost his appeal in a UK court against an extradition order to India on charges of fraud and money laundering to the tune of Rs 9,000 crore. When asked if a team of ED officials will be leaving for London soon for the extradition of the businessman, the official said, "We are watching the developments. If the Supreme Court takes up his matter then we will wait for the court orders." The ED has attached several properties of Mallya in the last few years under sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. The High Court in London upheld a 2018 ruling to send him back to India on the grounds that Mallya made a number of misrep-
NEWS NATION resentations leading to the 2012 collapse of his company, Kingfisher Airlines. The former liquor tycoon and chairman of the now defunct Kingfisher Airlines had appealed to the High Court against his extradition to India at a hearing in February this year. Lord Justice Stephen Irwin and Justice Elisabeth Laing at the Royal Courts of Justice in London
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CBI and the Enforcement Directorate in connection with the loan fraud case. The CBI described the UK court rejecting Mallya's appeal as a "significant achievement" in the war against economic fugitives who have been managing to stay away from the judicial process. A CBI Spokesperson said, "It is a significant achievement in continuing a war against economic
ED hopeful of getting custody of Vijay Mallya soon dismissed the appeal in a judgment handed down remotely due to the current coronavirus lockdown. "We consider that while the scope of the prima facie case found by the SDJ [Senior District Judge] is in some respects wider than that alleged by the Respondent in India [Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED)], there is a prima facie case which, in seven important respects, coincides with the allegations in India," the judges ruled on Monday. Mallya is wanted in India for allegedly defrauding banks and on money laundering charges amounting to an estimated Rs 9,000 crore. He is being investigated by the
fugitives, who have been managing to stay away from the judicial process in the country." He said, "It also validates the painstaking investigation done by the CBI." The CBI said that the judgement of the UK High Court is a significant achievement in the context of the CBI's efforts to curb corruption and is a reminder that fugitives, who have eluded the process of law after large scale frauds, cannot consider themselves above the process merely because they have changed jurisdictions. Mallya was arrested by the UK authorities on April 20, 2017 on the request of the Indian investigative agencies.
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No temple activity till lockdown is lifted: VHP S
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hri Ram Janambhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has decided not to hold any meeting or event related to the Ram temple in Ayodhya till the lockdown is lifted. The proposed 'Bhumi Pujan' of the temple that was tentatively scheduled for April 30 has also been indefinitely postponed. Ram temple trust General Sec-
retary and VHP International Vice President Champat Rai said in a statement, "I don't think there will be any religious leader or entity in the world who would want any activity at the cost of the lives of devotees. We are not in favour of organizing any event in Ayodhya till the lockdown is lifted." The VHP leader said that the trust will not flout the lockdown rule. "There is no way forward but
to wait and watch," he said, adding that the trust will not act irresponsibly like the Tablighi Jamaat in fulfilling its religious goals at the cost of country and lives of scores of people. VHP sources said the trust will decide another date and time for starting the Ram temple construction by convening a meeting in Ayodhya after the lockdown ends.
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he Centre is planning to bankroll the development of a 'desi' video-conferencing mobile application, which will initially cater to the Central and state government entities. Significantly, the development comes at a time when the Centre has red-flagged an international video-conferencing mobile application over security concerns. As per plans, under the Digital India programme, the Centre has called upon India-based developers to create a tool with primary function of video-conferencing. This solution from the concept stage will be scrutinised for various aspects, including data security features. The selected application will get a contract for use by Central and state government entities for video-conferencing purposes for a period of four years. The developers will also be free to market their product to entities outside the government organisations. According to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, the selected solution will receive Rs 1 crore in the first year and an additional support at the rate of Rs 10 lakh per year for the next three years towards operation and maintenance of the application. Lately, travel restrictions imposed due to the lockdown measure has made these applications quite popular. Presently, the majority of non-essential service sector manpower is working from home. Many business establishments are heavily reliant on these applications to coordinate their workforce and conduct meetings. The nationwide lockdown, which has been deemed necessary
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India plans to develop 'desi' version of video-conferencing app
to curb the spread of Covid-19, has dealt a heavy blow to the service sector, leading to a temporary closure of shopping malls and restaurants, shutting down offices and deserting market places. At present, major IT players, including Microsoft Teams and Cisco Webex, have developed such applications which differ in features but offer the commonality of allowing for video-conferencing using mobile phones. Incidentally, the Cyber Coordination Centre (CCC) of the Ministry of Home Affairs in an advisory issued on April 12 mentioned that "secure use of Zoom meeting platform is for private individuals and not for use of government offices or official purposes".
The government said that the CERT-In had been informed on February 6 and March 30 this year, clarifying that "Zoom is not a safe platform". In a set of guidelines for the safety of private users, the CCC division of the MHA mentioned that "those private individuals who still would like to use Zoom for private purposes" should follow certain guidelines like prevention of unauthorised entry in conference room and unauthorised participants to carry out malicious activity on terminals of others in the conference. The advisory also suggested to "avoid 'DOS' attacks by restricting users through passwords and access grant".
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TERROR
Pak sending COVID-infected militants into J&K P
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akistan is now pushing militants suffering with the coronavirus infection into the union territory, said J&K Director General of Police (DGP), Dilbag Singh. Interacting with some media persons, the police chief said till now Pakistan had been sending militants with arms and ammunition into J&K, now the neighbouring country is pushing in militants who are infected with COVID-19. Singh cautioned people to watch out for these infected militants who could spread the virus in areas they hide in or visit during their subversive activities. During the recent days there has been a spurt in militant violence in Kashmir. Four militants were killed earlier in the day in a gunfight with the security forces in Shopian district of Kashmir.
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | MAY 2020
TERROR
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Terror groups may use virulent coronavirus strains to strike T
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error groups may gain access to virulent strains of the novel coronavirus and use it to launch a bio-terror attack, UN SecretaryGeneral Antonio Guterres has warned. After a closed-door discussion at the UN Security Council, Guterres in a brief press statement said: "While the COVID-19 pandemic is first and foremost a health crisis, its implications are much more farreaching. The pandemic also poses a significant threat to the maintenance of international peace and security -- potentially leading to an increase in social unrest and violence that would greatly undermine our ability to fight the disease." Guterres spoke by video confer-
ence at the UNSC meeting on the COVID-19 impact. It was the first discussion of the UNSC on the pandemic. Terrorist groups, he said, may see a window of opportunity to strike while the attention of most governments was turned towards the coronavirus pandemic. "The weaknesses and lack of preparedness exposed by this pandemic," the UN chief said, adding: "Provide a window onto how a bioterrorist attack might unfold - and may increase its risks." "Non-state groups," he warned "could gain access to virulent strai ns that could pose similar devastation to societies around the globe". Guterres said that in some conflict settings, the uncertainty created by the pandemic may
create incentives for some actors to promote further division and turmoil. "This could lead to an escalation of violence and possibly devastating miscalculations, which could further entrench ongoing wars and complicate efforts to fight the pandemic," he added. On March 23, the SecretaryGeneral had called for an immediate global ceasefire, urging all warring parties in conflict zones to suspend violence in view of the devastating effects of the coronavirus and the global efforts to combat the pandemic. The UN chief said the engagement of the Security Council will be "critical to mitigate the peace and security implications of the COVID-19 pandemic".
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TERROR
Pak removes names of 4,000 terrorists from its watch list
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akistan has discreetly removed the names of around 4,000 terrorists from its watchlist, including that of one of the major planners of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, an Artificial Intelligence (AI) startup has revealed. Due to Pakistan's long history of exporting terror to India and the rest of the world, the country has been placed under grey list by Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the global watchdog for terror funding. Dissatisfied with Pakistan's efforts to curb terror-funding, the FATF in February noted that Islamabad had addressed only 14 points out of 27 conditions to get off the grey list. The FATF is to again evaluate Pakistan's progress in June. The New York-based startup Castellum, which automates watchlist compliance, has found that in the last year and a half, Pakistan has deleted "3,800 names from the Proscribed Persons List, without explanation or notification to the public". The Imran Khan government removed about 1,800 names from
its terrorist watchlist since March 9th "without any public explanation, including Zaka ur-Rehman, an alias of the Lashkar-e-Taiba leader and alleged mastermind of the Mumbai attacks", the Castellum report said. According to a FATF report, Pakistan's terrorist watchlist had about 7,600 names in October 2018. Castellum.AI, which regularly uses new data sources, added the Pakistan Proscribed Persons List to its database on March 9. Between March 9 and March 27, Castellum.AI data showed that the Khan government removed 1,069 names from the Proscribed Persons List, and that all those names then appeared on Pakistan's official denotified list. Since March 27, another 800 or so names have been deleted. To ensure that the AI looked at only the most likely cases where internationally listed terrorists were removed, the startup first downloaded the official Denotified List, then screening the names against its watchlist database. Following this, the AI removed all matches that did not match all name parts and removed all
matches where the listed persons were not citizens of Afghanistan or Pakistan (the Proscribed Persons list seems to only have these two groups). Then the AI ensured that exculpatory information does not exist, for example, IDs that do not match, or news reports that the individual is deceased. The AI also ensured that the name, if not exact, matches an official alias. For example, Zaka Ur Rehman, who is more commonly known as Zaki Ur Rehman Lakhvi, but has an official alias 'Zaki Ur Rehman'. "In the case of Zaka Ur Rehman, the difference between Zaka and Zaki fits within the parameters of an accurate phonetic translation. Castellum.AI also searched for the Lashkar-e-Taiba leader's full name, Zaki Ur Rehman Lakhvi, on the Pakistan Proscribed Persons list, and he was not on the list. This means that if the removed name is a false positive, that Pakistan has not added the Lashkar-eTaiba leader to its terrorism watchlist," the report said. Pakistan's Countering the Financing of Terrorism (CFT) lead, the National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA), has provided no explanation for removal of the names. Castellum.AI provided data to the Wall Street Journal who in turn contacted the Pakistani government for comment. On April 15, an article was published in a Pakistani newspaper, saying that names were removed because "the list has been bloated up to 7,000 names with multiple inaccuracies such as the names of dead individuals, Afghan nationals, untraceable names without proper identifiers".
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | MAY 2020
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The virus will be with us for a long time: WHO chief
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he coronavirus continues to be extremely dangerous and will remain for a long time, said the World Health Organisation. "Make no mistake: We have a long way to go. This virus will be with us for a long time," Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of the World Health Organization has said. Globally, almost 2.5 million Covid-19 cases have been reported to the WHO, while more than 160,000 people have succumbed to the dreaded virus so far. The WHO DG said that most countries are still in the early stages of the pandemic. "And some that
were affected early by the pandemic are now starting to see a resurgence in cases," he added. Ghebreyesus also said that there's no doubt that stay-at-home orders and other physical distancing measures have successfully suppressed the transmission of the virus in many countries. "But this virus remains extremely dangerous. Early evidence suggests most of the world's population remains susceptible. That means epidemics can easily reignite," he said. "One of the greatest dangers we face now is complacency. People in countries with stay-at-home orders are understandably frustrated with being confined to their homes for
weeks on end," he said. Ghebreyesus said that people understandably want to get on with their lives, because their lives and livelihoods are at stake. "But the world will not and cannot go back to the way things were. There must be a 'new normal' -- a world that is healthier, safer and better prepared," he emphasised. "The same public health measures we have been advocating since the beginning of the pandemic must remain the backbone of the response in all the countries -- Find every case; Isolate every case; Test every case; Care for every case; Trace and quarantine every contact," Ghebreyesus said.
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Unicef warns over lack of life-saving vaccines for kids
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he Unicef has warned that millions of children were in danger of missing life-saving vaccines against measles, diphtheria and polio due to disruptions in immunization services caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Most countries had suspended mass polio immunization campaigns and 25 countries had postponed mass measles immunization campaigns, the Unicef said in a statement on Friday, adding that even before the COVID-19 pandemic, measles, polio and other vaccines were out of reach every year for 20 million children below the age of one, reports Efe news. Over 13 million children below the age of one did not receive any vaccines at all in 2018, it added.
"The stakes have never been higher. As COVID-19 continues to spread globally, our life-saving work to provide children with vaccines is critical," Robin Nandy, Unicef Principal Adviser and Chief of Immunization, was quoted as saying. "With disruptions in immunization services due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the fates of millions of young lives hang in the balance," he said. An estimated 182 million children missed out on the first dose of the measles vaccine between 2010 and 2018, or 20.3 million children a year on average, according to a Unicef analysis. This is because the global coverage of the first dose of measles stands only at 86 per cent, well below the 95 per cent needed to
prevent measles outbreaks, said the statement. Widening pockets of unvaccinated children led to alarming measles outbreaks in 2019, including in high-income countries like the US, UK and France. Among low-income countries, the gaps in measles coverage before COVID-19 were already alarming, warned Unicef. Between 2010 and 2018, Ethiopia had the highest number of children under one year of age who missed out on the first dose of measles, at nearly 10.9 million. It was followed by the Democratic Republic of Congo (6.2 million), Afghanistan (3.8 million), Chad, Madagascar and Uganda with about 2.7 million each, said UNICEF.
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | MAY 2020
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ith around 45 million likes on his personal page, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi continues to be the most popular world leader on Facebook. Trump is the second most popular world leader on Facebook, with around 27 million likes and Jordan's Queen Rania is in third position with 16.8 million likes, according to the rankings by leading global communications agency BCW (Burson Cohn & Wolfe). Ahead of his India visit in February this year, Trump bragged about being No. 1 on Facebook. "Great honor, I think? Mark Zuckerberg recently stated that "Donald J. Trump is Number 1 on Facebook. Number 2 is Prime Minister Modi of India." Actually, I am going to India in two weeks. Looking forward to it!," he said in a tweet. Although Trump is the second most popular world leader on Facebook, the new study found that the US President dominates the rankings for the most interactions with 309 million comments, likes and shares on his Facebook page over the past 12 months, ahead of Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro with 205 million interactions. Modi is in third place with a total of 84 million interactions over the past 12 months, the research revealed. For the first time the study, now in its fourth year, has incorporated the true reach per post for each of the Facebook pages of world leaders defined as a prediction of the number of real views an influencer gets per post rather than the volume of followers alone. Modi reaches on average 1.7 million of his fans which represents
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Modi most popular leader on Facebook
only 3.8 per cent of his Facebook community. Brazil's President reaches on average 956,000 of his 10 million fans and Trump reaches 877,000 fans, said the study. During the month of March, the 721 pages of world leaders analysed in the study, part of the Twiplomacy series, added 13 million new page likes, a 3.7 per
cent increase, which is almost half of the growth these pages enjoyed overall over the past 12 months. Notably, the pages of Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte and those of the governments of Austria, Estonia and Italy more than doubled their page likes in March 2020 alone.
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | MAY 2020
42 NEWS WORLD
China includes Arunachal in its updated map
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China has included parts of Arunachal Pradesh within its international boundaries, an updated version issued by Sky Map has revealed. Sky Map, China's authority on digital maps, is constructed and operated by a unit directly under Beijing's National Surveying and Mapping Geographic Information Bureau. Recently, Sky Map users discovered that it has updated the country's map with the latest national borders, including India's Arunachal Pradesh, a DW media report said. Arunachal Pradesh, a hill state in the North East Inaid bordering
Tibet, was part of British India in 1913-14 and formally included in India when the McMohan Line was established as the border between India and Tibet in 1938. But China continues to consider Arunachal Pradesh a part of Tibet, which it occupied in 1951. The map of China, until now, is based on the 1989 edition of the Sky Map of its national borders. Though since then, China has successively solved its border issues with Russia and Central Asian countries, but none of them have been reflected in the map. However, as per a DW news report in Chinese, some users noticed that Sky Map has now updated the geographic informa-
tion at the "county" level. "The county boundaries of some counties clearly transcend the red colour marked 1989 edition of the national border, especially in Tibet area bordering Bhutan and India," the report said. China has claimed its sovereignty over Tibet "counties bordering India and Bhutan from east to west -- "Chayu county, Medog county of Linzhi city, Cuona county, Luoza county of Shannan city, Kangma county, Yadong county of Xigaze city". Chayu, Medog, and Cuona counties are divided by the McMahon Line with the northern parts in China and the southern parts in India. "Longzi County in
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | MAY 2020
Shannan City does not theoretically border India, but the McMahon Line runs through the county from southwest to northeast, with Chinese control in the west and Indian control in the east." However, China calls Indian area and part of Chayu county, Motuo county of Nyingchi city and Longzi county and Cuona county of Shannan City, "South Tibet". As per the updated Sky Map, "the southern boundary of Chayu county is roughly the same as the boundary in 1989, the southern part of Motuo county has contracted northward, and the southern boundary of Cuona county also roughly coincides with the bound-
ary in 1989. The Longzi county does not border India at all, as Beijing advocates. Cuona county of Shannan city not only borders with India but also borders with Bhutan." "China-Bhutan border dispute area, Mulasading, is located in Cuona County-south of the McMahon Line. Mulasading originally belonged to Tibet and was managed by the Tawang Temple. In 1949, India and Bhutan signed the Permanent Peace and Friendship Agreement to transfer Mulasading to Bhutan. In the latest Sky Map, the border of Cuona County in the Mulasading region is south of the 1989 edition of the national
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border." "In addition to Tibet, the borders of Tashkurgan County in the Kashgar region of Xinjiang have also changed. The northwestern part of the border is more than the 1989 edition. According to the 2011 border agreement between China and Tajikistan, this extra part is 1,158 square kilometers east of the Sarekole Mountains," the report said. China occupies India's Aksai Chin, around 37,000 sq km uninhabited high-altitude desert part of the former state of Jammu and Kashmir, bordering China's Xinjiang province.
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China continues fortiďŹ cation of its claim over South China Sea
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midst the global coronavirus pandemic which originated in China last December, the Asian giant has been aggressively trying to lay its claim over the disputed South and East China Sea, triggering a major pushback from the big powers and ASEAN countries. Recently, claiming sovereignty over South China Sea (SCS), Chinese authorities released names, longitudes and latitudes for 25 islands and reefs as well as 55 undersea geographic entities, stan-
dardizing the disputed region. Part of the Pacific Ocean, SCS encompasses an area from the Karimata and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan. It provides sea food security to Southeast Asia and also serves as a major shipping route with one-third of the world's shipping dependent on it. Taiwan, Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia have disputed China's sovereignty over the SCS and its islands. However, China has been increasing its military and naval presence by constructing artificial
islands and carrying out other exercises. The latest standardization of names of disputed islands came a day after the Beijing announced the establishment of two new districts in the city of Sansha in Hainan province to administer islands and reef waters in the disputed SCS. While the local governments of one of the new districts is to control the islands and reefs of the Paracel Islands, the other is to administer the Spratly Islands. The local government for the Spratly Islands is on the Fiery Cross Reef, which China has occupied. Infuriated by China's aggression in the SCS while the world is combating the COVID-19 pandemic, the US, Japan, Europe, Australia, Germany along with Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries were now pushing back. Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi lodged a protest on Tuesday against the Xi Jinping government sending its ships into the Japanese territorial waters near the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea. Chinese ships have intruded in the waters near the Japanese-controlled islets seven times this year, most recently on April 17 when
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | MAY 2020
four coast guard vessels sailed through the area for about 90 minutes. China calls the islets Diaoyu and claims them as its own. A US warship sailed through the Taiwan Strait for the second time in a month after a Chinese aircraft carrier passed near the island. The USS Barry also sailed through the strait, on the same day that Chinese fighter jets drilled in waters close to Taiwan, the democratically-ruled island. At a video conference related to a public health initiative with ASEAN leaders, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in a stern message warned China against "bullying" activities in SCS that distract from current efforts to deal with the pandemic. He also revealed that as per a scientific report, Beijing's upstream dam operations have unilaterally altered flows of the Mekong, causing droughts in Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia which can deprive 60 million people who depend on the river for food, energy, and transportation.
"Even as we fight the outbreak, we must remember that the longterm threats to our shared security have not disappeared. In fact, they've become more prominent," Pompeo said. Beijing has moved to take advantage of the distraction, from China's new unilateral announcement of administrative districts over disputed islands and maritime areas in the SCS, its sinking of a Vietnamese fishing vessel earlier this month, and its "research stations" on Fiery Cross Reef and Subi Reef, he said. China continues to deploy maritime militia around the Spratly Islands and most recently, it has dispatched a flotilla that included an energy survey vessel for the sole purpose of intimidating other claimants from engaging in offshore hydrocarbon development, Pompeo pointed out. The Communist Party of China (CPC), he said, is exploiting the world's focus on the COVID-19 crisis by continuing its provocative behaviour.
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"The CPC is exerting military pressure and coercing its neighbors in the SCS, even going so far as to sink a Vietnamese fishing vessel. The US strongly opposes China's bullying," he said urging American allies to protest against such predatory behaviour. Pompeo asked China to close wet markets and urged ASEAN countries to do the same at the online conference. Meanwhile, some ASEAN nations were also pushing back against Chinaaes belligerence amidst the coronavirus outbreak. The Philippines has lodged two diplomatic protests against China over violations of international law and Philippine sovereignty over the islands whose names China standardized. The country expressed its displeasure to the Chinese Embassy in Manila about China's harassment of sailors of a Philippine Navy ship and its unilateral establishment of two districts that cover Philippine territories in the West Philippine Sea.
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SL tourism readies for post COVID-19 revival
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ri Lanka tourism was readying for an early revival post COVID-19, as the country starts opening up gradually from April 13 amid the coronavirus pandemic, a media report said. A major step was the Cabinet approving the critical five-year global promotion initiative. "We are now finalising the Terms of Reference and appointment of the Procurement, Project and Technical Evaluation Committees; and will start the process, to be in readiness when the time is right," Sri Lanka Tourism Chairperson Kimarli Fernando told the
Daily Financial Times. She said a traveller-focused, evidence-based promotion strategy will be developed. "The approach focuses on consumer types and will allow for a research supported global promo tional campaign for Sri Lanka," she added. With shutting down of borders and widespread social distancing, tourism was the worst affected sector following COVID-19 pandemic which has killed seven people and infected 259 others in the island-nation. Fernando said Sri Lanka Tourism was also currently working with the UN Development Program (UNDP) in a three-stage
strategy of situation assessment, impact assessment and road mapping, to "help get tourism industry back on its feet". According to Fernando, the Sri Lanka Tourism's post COVID-19 approach will take place in two stages – the Stage 1 (December season 2020) and Stage 2 (Post-December 2020). She said Stage 1 focuses on the immediate recovery of the industry, which involves changes to the visa process to include mandatory testing, adjustments to immigration process, airport entry, hotel transfer and certification of hotels to ensure health and safety of tourists, employees and the local community.
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Trump stops legal immigration
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n a sudden twist, US President Donald Trump has announced that he was shutting the country to legal immigration temporarily through an executive order. "In light of the attack from the Invisible Enemy, as well as the need to protect the jobs of our great American Citizens, I will be signing an Executive Order to temporarily suspend immigration into the United States," he tweeted on April 20. Trump refers to COVID-19 as the "Invisible Enemy". He made a campaign against illegal immigrants a key part of his election platform, but so has been receptive to those coming in legally, although he has tried to change the qualifications. Trump has said that he wanted to change the existing immigration system to give preference based on merit to immigrants coming for jobs at the expense of other categories like relatives, which he wants to end. He said that he was working to replace the current "immigration system with one based on merit, welcoming those who follow the rules, contribute to our economy, support themselves financially, and uphold our values". It would appear that by saying that the temporary ban was "to protect the jobs of our great American Citizens", Trump was trying to appeal to 22 million people who have lost their jobs so far due the COVID-19 pandemic. The announcement made through, Twitter, his favourite
vehicle for important decisions, was as terse as it was muddled leaving hanging when he would enact it, how long it would be in effect and how it will square with the immigration laws and quotas enacted by Congress. Democrat Representative Don Beyer pointed out in a tweet that "immigration has nearly stopped and the US has far more (coronavirus) cases than any other country". "This is just xenophobic scapegoating," he said. Trump has already banned noncitizens, who are not already permanent residents (or green card-holders) from 28 European countries, China and Iran from travelling to the US and air connections from several countries are not operating making it difficult for immigrant visa-holders from many others to come in. The announcement also drew a swift rebuke from Democrat Senator Kamala Harris, who
accused him of "shamelessly politicising this pandemic to double down on his anti-immigrant agenda" having failed to take the COVID-19 crisis seriously. "The American people are fed up," Harris, who is of Indian and Jamaican descent, tweeted. The US diplomatic missions in several countries have stopped holding immigrant visa interviews, although according to the New Delhi embassy website it appeared that interviews were continuing with interviews for some categories done only at the Mumbai consulate. The immigration service has also temporarily stopped immigration interviews within the US because of the social distancing rules. Trump had already barred asylum-seekers from coming through the Mexican border and the immigration authorities have been returning to Mexico anyone caught crossing over illegally.
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NEWS WORLD the cleansers, Bryan said: "No, I'm here to talk about the findings that we had in the study. We won't do that within that lab and our lab." Trump quickly changed tracks and said: "It wouldn't be through injection. We're talking about through almost a cleaning, sterilization of an area." Taking a shot at the media, Trump said: "I once mentioned that maybe it (COVID-19) does go away with heat and light (of summer). And people didn't like that statement very much. The fake news didn't like it at all." But Bryan wasn't fully on board about the bright sunshine and heat of summer killing off the COVID-
Trump tried to play scientist, but ends up with science-fiction
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S President Donald Trump, who has been accused of being scientifically challenged, has tried to play scientist but ended up with a serious flub when he made a science fiction leap to sending light waves inside the body to destroy the COVID-19 virus. After a scientist made a presentation at the daily Coronavirus Task Force briefing on April 23 showing that COVID-19 virus is killed by sunlight in two minutes, Trump suggested bringing powerful light inside the body. He compounded it further by suggesting injecting cleansers like bleach and isopropyl alcohol because Bill Bryan, the head of Homeland Security Department's Technology Directorate said that bleach killed the virus in five minutes and alcohol in 30 seconds. Trump wondered if the cleanser gets in the lungs and it does a tremendous number on the lungs. It
will do a number on the lungs, only it won't be what Trump is expecting. Bryan's report on the experiments with COVID-19 virus carried out by his laboratory and Johns Hopkins University pertained to external surfaces and not to the body. Trump conceded: "I'm not a doctor." But quickly added: "I'm like a person that has a good you know what." The scientists, Bryan and the task force coordinator Deborah Birx, appeared embarrassed by Trump's far-out ideas when he looked to them for affirmation. He told Bryan: "Supposing you brought the light inside the body, which you can do either through the skin or in some other way, and I think you said you're going to test that too." Without contradicting him, Bryan played along: "We'll get to the right folks who could." About Trump's idea of injecting
19 virus entirely. When Trump said that playground equipment would be sanitised by the sun's rays and would be safe, Bryan countered that the underside of the gear would still harbour the virus since it won't be exposed to sunshine. Trump turned to Birx and asked about heat and light killing COVID-19. She was evasive, saying in general terms about the effect of heat on viruses. "When you have a fever, it helps your body respond. But not as - I've not seen heat..." Because of the confusion caused by Trump, who at times has appeared to side with protesters demanding the lifting of restriction, Bryan gave the warning: "It would be irresponsible for us to say that we feel that the summer is just going to totally kill the virus and that if it's a free-for-all and that people ignore those guidelines. That is not the case."
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Pak running propaganda against India on social media P
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akistan has been running social media propaganda against India using fake Arab, Christian and Hindu identities to target Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government. Security agencies and independent social media users after investigation found that the recent hashtags like Islamophia in India on Twitter, were mostly sourced to bots, trolls and people in Pakistan. The idea was to bombard social media with content to generate anti-Modi sentiment in Gulf countries and create a wedge between India and its allies in the Middle East, sources said. In one of the cases, a Twitter account which was initially @pak_fauj had changed it to @SayyindaMona and used profile picture of an Arab Mona Bint Fahd Al Saeed @MonaFahad13. Hundreds of bots were liking and retweeting this handle's anti-India content. A social media influencer Anshul Saxena exposed how a Facebook page, Classified Journal Post (CJ Post) with thousands of subscribers including many Indians, is run by Pakistan. The CJ Post usually posts propaganda videos and falsehoods to incite different communities against each other with an objective to disintegrate India into independent Kashmir, Khalistan, Dravidistan etc.
It frequently targets Brahminism with an agenda to fuel antiBrahmin sentiments within Indian society. All the videos are hosted by White Caucasian women anchors. After Saxena scanned all their accounts across social media platforms, it turned out that the earliest posts were only about Pakistan and mostly in Urdu language. At some stage, all the CJ Post handles on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter switched to global news. However, the accounts changed the content after the Modi government came to power, targeting India. CJ Post hired anchors from a website called Fiverr, where people charged $10 to 50 UK pounds or so to read out a script of the client, on phone camera or desktop using a
video maker. Feverr's Spokesperson Videos' section provides customizable anchors in different gender, color, age categories. The anchors can make videos from their homes in their respective countries. The videos are then sent to their customers via internet. These attempts at disinformation against India on social media are not new. The Pakistani ISI is known to have been running social media propaganda against India over Kashmir. Thousands of handles pretending to be Hindus try to incite Muslims in Kashmir and the rest of India, using fake news about human rights violations committed by Indian security forces. Many bots post communal content against Muslims with an aim to incite communal violence.
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | MAY 2020
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USCIRF warns Pakistan
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he US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has reprimanded the Pakistan government for denying food aid to Hindus and Christians in Pakistan amid the coronavirus pandemic and warned that it will trigger an additional crisis due to religious discrimination. The USCIRF is an independent federal government entity set up by the US Congress to monitor and report on religious freedom in the world. Pakistan continues to be in the tier one of the USCIRF list of the countries whose record on religious freedom remains abysmal. In a statement issue on Monday, the USCIRF said it was troubled by the reports of food aid being denied to Hindus and Christians in Pakistan amid pandemic. Citing one of the examples of religious discrimination, the
USCIRF said that in Karachi, the Saylani Welfare International Trust, a non-government organization set up to help the homeless and seasonal workers, has been refusing food aid to Hindus and Christians and providing it only Muslims. Describing such actions "reprehensible", the USCIRF commissioner Anurima Bhargava said: "As COVID-19 continues to spread, vulnerable communities within Pakistan are fighting hunger and to keep their families safe and healthy. Food aid must not be denied because of one's faith." One of the USCIRF commissioners, Johnnie Moore warned that if the Khan government continued with such policies, Pakistan would add an additional crisis. "In a recent address by Prime Minister Khan to the international community, he highlighted that the challenge facing governments in the developing world is to save people from dying of hunger while
also trying to halt the spread of COVID-19. This is a monumental task laying before many countries. "Prime Minister Khan's government has the opportunity to lead the way but they must not leave religious minorities behind. Otherwise, they may add on top of it all one more crisis, created by religious discrimination and intercommunal strife." The organization which makes foreign policy recommendations to the US President, the Secretary of State, and Congress, urged the Pakistani government to ensure that food aid from distributing organizations is shared equally with Hindus, Christians, and other religions minorities. Last year, in its annual report, the USCIRF had noted that Hindus and Christians in Pakistan "face continued threats to their security and are subjected to various forms of harassment and social exclusion".
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ECONOMY
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IMF Chief predicts worst economic fallout since Great Depression
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he world may face the worst economic fallout since the Great Depression of the 1930s, said Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director of International Monetary Fund (IMF). In her latest address on April 10, she said that the global growth will turn sharply negative in 2020, and over 170 countries will experience negative per capita income growth this year. "It is already clear, however, that global growth will turn sharply negative in 2020, as you will see in our World Economic Outlook next week. In fact, we anticipate the worst economic fallout since the Great Depression," said the IMF Chief. She said that the bleak outlook applies to advanced and developing economies alike. "This crisis knows no boundaries. Everybody hurts," she said. Given the necessary containment measures to slow the spread of the virus, the world economy is taking a substantial hit, Georgieva said, adding that this is especially true for retail, hospitality, transport, and tourism. In most countries, the majority of workers are either self-employed or employed by small and mediumsized enterprises and these businesses and workers are especially exposed, she said. She also noted that the economic crisis is expected to hit vulnerable countries hardest. Emerging markets and low-income
nations, across Africa, Latin America, and much of Asia, are at high risk. With weaker health systems to begin with, many face the dreadful challenge of fighting the virus in densely populated cities and poverty-stricken slums, where social distancing is hardly an option, said the IMF Chief. "With fewer resources to begin with, they are dangerously exposed to the ongoing demand and supply shocks, drastic tightening in financial conditions, and some may face an unsustainable debt burden." She also noted that the emerging and low-income countries also are exposed to massive external
pressure. In the last two months, portfolio outflows from emerging markets were about $100 billion, more than three times larger than for the same period of the global financial crisis, she said. Commodity exporters are taking a double blow from the collapse in commodity prices, and remittances are expected to dwindle. "We estimate the gross external financing needs for emerging market and developing countries to be in the trillions of dollars, and they can cover only a portion of that on their own, leaving residual gaps in the hundreds of billions of dollars. They urgently need help," Georgieva added.
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ECONOMY
25% of US workers fear job loss next year: Gallup poll
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s the unemployment rate continues to rise sharply in the wake of the novel coronavirus, a record-high 25 per cent of employed adults in the US think they are likely to lose their jobs in the next year, a Gallup poll said. With the spread of COVID-19 causing massive disruptions to businesses, more than 20 million US workers have filed for unemployment benefits, and many more have been furloughed by their em-
ployers - meaning they continue to receive benefits, though not pay. For this survey, Gallup counted workers who said they were furloughed as employed. These abrupt changes in the economy have led people in the US to be more fearful about losing their own job, as well as shaken their confidence in the US economy and the job market more generally. Only about 12 per cent employed Americans predict that they would last a year or longer before experiencing significant hardship if
they were to lose their jobs, the results showed. Three-quarters said they would last less than a year, including 13 per cent who could go only one week, 28 per cent up to one month, and 34 per cent no more than four months. Results for this Gallup poll are based on telephone interviews conducted between April 1-14, with a random sample of 540 adults, aged 18 and older, living in all 50 U.S. sta tes and the District of Columbia who are employed full or part time.
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | MAY 2020
BUSINESS
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64% Indian consumers to prefer online shopping in next 6-9 months
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n view of the coronavirus pandemic and persistent concerns, the share of Indian consumers preferring online shopping over physical shops may rise to 64 per cent in the next 6-9 months, according to a survey by Capgemini Research Institute. The report said that prior to the pandemic, around 57 per cent people preferred online shopping and the rate in the current lockdown situation stands at 46 per cent. Further, in next 6-9 months, consumers in the country would decrease their shopping at physical retail stores and around 46 per cent of Indian will shop at physical
retail stores compared to 59 per cent who did before the pandemic. Around 72 per cent of Indian consumers will prefer to purchase from retailers which will offer delivery assurance as well as assurance of compensation for future cancellations and 74 per cent of Indian consumers will prefer to purchase from retailers offering delivery at flexible timing, it said. Globally, the survey found that 59 per cent of consumers had high levels of interaction with physical stores before Covid-19, but today less than a quarter see themselves in that high-interaction category. In next 6-9 months, 39 per cent of consumers expect a high level of interaction with physical stores. The report said that the Covid-
19 pandemic has forced the consumer products and retail industry to review its core markets and operating model. The sector has had to reassess consumer preferences and behaviour in an era of great uncertainty and consumer nervousness about the economy and their own future. "We are seeing a pattern shift in the way we consume and think about consumption, leading to a change in buying behavior. And, many of these behavioral changes may turn out to be permanent. At the same time, supply chains have received a significant shock and we have seen unprecedented demand for - and mass stockouts of - essential items," said the report.
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BUSINESS
Companies may review their 'work from home' policy
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ith 'work from home' turning into the new trend in corporate sector amid the coronavirus crisis, a survey has found that around 83 per cent companies have said that they are considering revision of their 'work from home' policy. The 'COVID-19 India Readiness Survey' by Willis Towers Watson finds that 83 per cent of organisations plan to review their work-from-home policy, and 46 per cent indicated that they would reimburse employees the expenses incurred for setting up their home internet for work purposes. "Employers are also taking several measures to keep employees engaged in the new scheme of
things. These include team-based virtual or social engagement initiatives, regular company-wide or department level communications, and town halls organised to address employee concerns," said the report. Further, amid the growing concern over Covid-19, around 57 per cent of companies in India expect a moderate to large negative impact on their business in the next six months, it said. The report said that 46 per cent expect this to last over a 12-month period. "Signalling the long-term business impact of the coronavirus, 19 per cent expect such an adverse im pact to last over a two-year period," said the report by the advisory, broking and solutions company. Only 5 per cent of organisations expect a positive business impact
within the next 12 to 24 months. "The tough economic conditions and anticipated business impact could drive organisations to consider workforce optimisation. Employers should take an emphatic and considerate approach and evaluate options such as staff redeployment, reduced working hours/days, long service leave, sabbatical, furlough, hiring freeze and voluntary pay cuts, before any serious consideration of a workforce reduction," said Rohit Jain, Head of India, Willis Towers Watson. He added that in a post-Covid19 world, some companies may need to re-hire and potential employees will factor in the consideration of organisational culture and how companies have treated their employees during the crisis.
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | MAY 2020
BUSINESS
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78,000 'ready to move in' homes unsold across top cities
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round 78,000 ready-to-movein housing units, valued at Rs 65,950 crore, remain unsold in the country, according to a report by Anarock Property Consultants. It accounts for nearly 12 per cent of the 6.44 lakh unsold units in cities. The report suggests that homebuyers seeking de-risked ready-to-move-in properties can leverage the COVID-19 period to their advantage. The report said that although construction activity is completely halted across India, first-time homebuyers are at an un-
precedented advantage to negotiate good deals on ready-to-move-in options and simultaneously benefit from all-time low interest rates of 7.15-7.8 per cent. Anuj Puri, Chairman, Anarock Property Consultants, said: "Of the total unsold ready stock, MMR and Pune together have approximately 35,200 units, which are collectively worth Rs 37,550 crore. This accounts for 57 per cent of the total value of ready unsold homes across all top seven cities." The National Capital Region (NCR) has around 15,600 unsold ready units, followed by Bengaluru
with nearly 10,100 apartments. Hyderabad has least unsold ready stock of around 2,400 homes worth Rs 1,870 crore. Puri was of the view that the lockdown period has kick-started rapid technology-led evolution on the Indian real estate market. "Some states are now also mulling the introduction of e-registration of property documents, thereby completing the entire value chain. This is necessary since physical site visits are unlikely to pick up quickly even after the lockdown ends, as both buyers and sellers will remain wary," he said.
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HEALTH
Heavy drinking hampers decision-making the next day
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rinking too much? Stop it right now. Researchers warn that heavy drinkers or people with a hangover have less ability to plan or set goals and make decisions the following day. When hungover, individuals have a reduced ability to retain information in their short-term memory - for example retaining a telephone number whilst taking a message at the same time. They also highlight impair-
ments when it comes to individuals' ability to switch attention between tasks and focus on a goal. Published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine, the study highlights the true impact of heavy drinking and provides new evidence as to why hangovers cost the wider economy so much. A recent report, which involved the same team, found that hangovers cost the UK economy 1.4 billion pound a year in wasted productivity, including people working while hungover.
"We know that hangovers can have a big economic cost, but we did not know how hangover affects our ability to switch attention from one task to another, update information in our mind, and maintain focus on setting goals," said study lead author Craig Gunn from the University of Bath in the UK. "Our study asked participants to complete tasks measuring these processes when they had a hangover and again when they had not consumed alcohol. The results suggest that all of these processes are impaired by a hangover, which could have consequences for other aspects of our lives," Gun explained. The latest study involved thirtyfive 18 to 30-year-olds who had reported experiencing a hangover at least once in the past month. Individuals completed measures which assessed their ability to switch attention between tasks, to update and process information from multiple sources and to guide and plan behaviour, whilst experiencing a hangover. Few studies have explored how hangover affects key cognitive processes, the so-called 'core executive functions', which we use in daily life to planning, set goals and make decisions. "Our data show that this impairment is likely the result of reduced capability in several core executive functions, which are important for tasks such as workplace performance and driving," said study senior author Dr Sally Adams.
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HEALTH
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'Panta bhaat', drumsticks may help boost immunity
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s a strong immune system plays a key role in keeping us disease-free, especially during these times when the coronavirus pandemic is spreading fast, experts at healthtech company Reverse Factor has compiled a list of food that includes "panta bhaat" and drumsticks, among others to boost your immunity. If the name "panta bhaat" sounds a bit unfamiliar, this could be because this easy recipe is known by different names in differ-
ent regions of the country. It is a natural probiotic which is excellent for a healthy gut, according to Reverse Factor. And it is very easy to prepare. All you need to do is soak some plain steamed rice in water overnight and eat it next morning along with water. Besides boosting your immunity, "panta bhaat" helps in curing gastro issues and regulates good bowel movement, according to Reverse Factor. Other foods that can strengthen immunity include drumsticks, coconut water with lemon,
pumpkin seeds and red capsicum, said the experts. However, besides eating the right food, one should also follow healthy lifestyle habits. One needs to avoid stress, do pranayam, take proper rest and maintain hygiene, the experts said. Moreover, certain eating habits may also contribute to holistic wellness. These include eating cooked food, eating fruits in empty stomach, having one small bowl of cucumber and carrot before lunch, drinking at least two litres of water daily, and avoiding junk food.
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oft drinks, ketchup, jams, tinned fruits and potato chips all these taste delicious and are convenient, but it is important to note that they are examples of processed foods and large quantities may be harmful to your health. According to UK's NHS, processed food is any food that has been altered in some way during preparation. Food processing can be as basic as freezing, canning, baking, and drying. Processed food is not real food; it is food that has been modified by chemical processes and
foods are harmful because they contain higher amounts of unhealthy fat, sugar and salt. The extra calories - termed 'empty' calories because they lack nutritional value - consumed in the form of fat and sugar, from processed food, leads to weight gain and high blood sugar. Excess
ference by the time they entered primary school. Two large European studies have studied the link between consumption of processed foods and health. One study found that people who consumed even 10 percent more processed food, had increased risk of heart attacks and strokes. The second study showed that those who consumed 4 or more servings of processed food a day had a 60 percent increased chance of dying, when compared with those who consumed less than 2 servings of processed food per day. In addition to the poor
Processed foods harmful for health contains additives, flavorings, emulsifiers and stabilizers. The food is then assembled into readyto-eat hyper palatable food called 'Cosmetic food'. Natural sugars are found in fruit, cereals and vegetables along with fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants and thus, they are heal thy. Refined or processed sugar, however, lacks these accompanying vital nutrients and is found in most processed foods, even those that are not considered sweet like ready-to-eat soups and ketchup. Notably, processed food includes packaged breads, breakfast cereals, confectionery (sweets), biscuits, pastries, buns, cakes, industrial chips and french fries, soft and fruit drinks or packed juices, packaged pre-prepared meals (frozen meals) and reconstituted meat products. According to experts, processed
sodium that comes from salt, in this type of food raises blood pressure and causes water retention. The combination of high blood sugar and blood pressure with obesity increases the risk of heart diseases and cancer. Furthermore, most processed foods also lack fiber and protein, which are necessary for satiety or the feeling of being full after a meal. Failure to feel full results in consumption of large quantities of the processed food at one time. Lastly, these processed foods contain little to no vitamins and minerals. If a large part of a person's diet consists of processed foods, they can suffer from lack of important vitamins and minerals. "A study from Brazil showed that preschool children who consumed excess ultra processed food (40 percent of their daily calorie intake) had increased waist circum-
nutritional quality of the food, substances formed from additives during the production, processing and storage as well as contact of food with the packaging have unknown effects. The NutriNetSante study from France found an increase in overall cancer risk, as well as breast cancer risk by 10 percent for each 10 percent increase in consumption of processed food. In India, consumption of packaged food is on the rise paralleling an increase in overweight and obese children and adults. Strict policies need to be in place for food labelling, tackling the availability of packaged foods near schools and colleges as well as increase in taxation for companies manufacturing processed foods. Only then can we stem the tide of increasing obesity, heart disease, diabetes, cancer and death.
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | MAY 2020
RESEARCH
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59
COVID-19 may not spread through sperm: Study
THE NEWS BUREAU
he deadly coronavirus is unlikely to spread through sperms, say researchers, adding that they found no evidence of the virus in the samples of semen of men infected with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 disease. It comes as a huge relief as that would have made the spread multiply. "The fact that in this small, preliminary study that it appears the virus that causes COVID-19 doesn't show up in the testes or semen could be an important finding," said study co-author James M Hotaling from the University of Utah in the US. "If a disease like COVID-19 were sexually transmittable that would have major implications for disease prevention and could have serious consequences for a man's long-term reproductive health," Hotaling added. For the findings, published in the journal Fertility & Sterility, the international team of researchers from China and the US launched the study in response to concerns that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, could be sexually transmitted like Ebola, Zika and other emerging viral pathogens. To find out, they collected semen samples from 34 Chinese men one month (on average) after they were diagnosed with mild to moderate cases of COVID-19. Laboratory tests did not detect
SARS-CoV-2 in any of the semen samples. But just because the virus wasn't present in the existing semen didn't necessary rule out that it hadn't entered the testes where sperm cells are formed, the researchers said. "If the virus is in the testes but not the sperm it can't be sexually transmitted but if it is in the testes, it can cause long-term damage to semen and sperm production," said study co-author Jingtao Guo. To sort this part of the puzzle out, the researchers analysed a dataset generated from a single cell mRNA atlas from healthy young organ donors that were available from prior work. This atlas allows them to examine mRNA, the genetic material used to make proteins, in any single testicular cell. In this case, the scientist used it to examine the expression of a pair
of genes associated with SARSCoV-2.These two genes, angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and transmembrane serine protease 2 (TMPRSS2) act as receptors, allowing SARS-CoV2 to penetrate cells and replicate. In order for the virus to access cells effectively, both receptors must be present in the same cell.When the researchers examined the dataset, they found that genes encoding these two proteins were only found in four of the 6,500 testicular cells, suggesting that SARS-CoV-2 is unlikely to invade human testicular cells. Despite these findings, the researchers acknowledge that their study has several important limitations including small sample size and the fact that none of the donors had been severely ill with COVID19.
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | MAY 2020
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N
TECHNOLOGY
NASA engineers build low-cost ventilator to ďŹ ght COVID-19
THE NEWS BUREAU
ASA engineers have designed a new low-cost high-pressure ventilator tailored specifically to treat COVID-19 patients. The device, called VITAL (Ventilator Intervention Technology Accessible Locally), passed a critical test on April 21 at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York -- an epicentre of COVID-19 in the United States, NASA said. The device now is under review for an emergency use authorization by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the US space agency said. VITAL is designed to treat patients with milder symptoms, thereby keeping the nation's limited supply of traditional ventilators available for patients with more severe COVID-19 symptoms. The device can be built faster
and maintained more easily than a traditional ventilator, and comprises far fewer parts, making it more economical to produce, NASA said. Developed by engineers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Southern California, the device was designed to use parts currently available to potential manufacturers but not compete with the existing supply chain of currently made ventilators. "We specialise in spacecraft, not medical-device manufacturing," said JPL Director Michael Watkins. "But excellent engineering, rigorous testing and rapid prototyping are some of our specialties. When people at JPL realised they might have what it takes to support the medical community and the broader community, they felt it was their duty to share their ingenuity,
expertise and drive," Watkins said. Like all ventilators, VITAL requires patients to be sedated and an oxygen tube inserted into their airway to breathe. The new device wouldn't replace current hospital ventilators, which can last years and are built to address a broader range of medical issues. Instead, VITAL is intended to last three to four months and is specifically tailored for COVID-19 patients. "Intensive care units are seeing COVID-19 patients who require highly dynamic ventilators," said J.D. Polk, NASA's Chief Health and Medical Officer. "The intention with VITAL is to decrease the likelihood patients will get to that advanced stage of the disease and require more advanced ventilator assistance."
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | MAY 2020
TECHNOLOGY 61
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THE NEWS BUREAU
orried over the popularity of Zoom in social distancing times that allows up to 100 people to join a video meeting from the comfort of their homes, Facebook has announced Messenger Rooms that will allow group video calls of up to 50 people with no time limit. People can create a room right from Messenger or Facebook, and invite anyone to join the video call, even if they don't have a Facebook account. In Facebook Messenger Rooms, the users can post links in their News Feed or in Groups or event pages. "When you create a room, you choose who can see and join it. You can remove people from the call and lock a room if you don't want anyone else to enter," Facebook said in a statement late Friday. If your friends or communities create rooms that are open to you, you'll see them on Facebook so you can find things to do and people to hang out with. "When you're invited to a room, you can join from your phone or computer — no need to download anything to get started. If you have the Messenger app, you can play with AR effects like bunny ears, and new AI-powered features like immersive 360 backgrounds and mood lighting," informed the social networking giant. Messenger Rooms is rolling out in some countries like the US this week and will expand to the rest of the world soon. According to Facebook, bet ween WhatsApp and Messenger, more than 700 million accounts participate in calls every day. In many countries, video calling on Messenger and WhatsApp more
Facebook takes on Zoom with Messenger Rooms
than doubled, and views of Facebook Live and Instagram Live videos increased significantly in March when the lockdowns and social distancing came into practice globally. Messenger Rooms is rolling out in some countries this week and will expand to the rest of the world in coming weeks. "We're rolling out a new product called Messenger Rooms, the first video chat designed with social interactions in mind," said Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. "The ability to feel like you are directly connected with someone live over video" is essential to maintaining that togetherness, Zuckerberg said in a Facebook Live broadcast. Messenger Rooms will have Zoom like "immersive 360-degree backgrounds and 14 new camera filters that offer ambient lighting to brighten your space and your face". Marred by privacy and security issues, Zoom has surpassed 300 million daily users globally, a 50
per cent increase over the 200 million users it had last month and significantly more than the 10 million members it had at the end of 2019. The video meet app has seen a spike in users since the COVID-19 pandemic as millions have been forced to work from home. Facebook also made it official that people will soon be able to have group voice and video calls with up to eight people on WhatsApp. "As before, these calls are secured with end-to-end encryption so no one else can view or listen to your private conversation, not even WhatsApp," it added. The company also announced to add an option in Facebook Dating to invite people to a virtual date. "When they accept, you'll start a video chat in Messenger to get to know each other. This will roll out in the coming months," said Facebook.
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | MAY 2020
62
TECHNOLOGY
Salem students create eBike that runs 80 kms on one charge
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THE NEWS BUREAU
n their contribution towards green mobility, six final-year mechanical engineering students from Thiagarajar Polytechnic College in Salem, Tamil Nadu, have designed a low-cost eBike that can run 80 kms on full electric charge and recharge for the bike costs mere Rs 20. The eBike is called Fuerza (meaning force in Spanish) and has been developed for just under Rs 1 lakh. The six students -- Elavarassan, Abinash, Ahmed Taufeeq, Balachandran, Chandradevan and Jagadeeswaran -- aided by their faculty at the 60-year old polytechnic grabbed an old petrol motorcycle ready for the scrap heap and set
to work on it. They spent Rs 98,000 on the Fuerza prototype, but claim it can be produced on a amss scale for Rs 60,000-70,000. "Once the lockdown is over, the College team would showcase their e-bike to bike manufacturers," Dr V. Karthikeyan, principal of Thiagarajar Polytechnic College, said in a statement. The students chose a brushless DC Motor that delivered a max speed of 40 kmph. A belt drive was chosen that would reduce power consumption and protect the motor's life. At the same time, the structure supports a load of 250 kg at a speed of 35 kmph. The jury at ‘Mobility Mission Festival 2019-2020', instituted
under the aegis of All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), awarded the project first prize and Rs 50,000 in cash reward recently. According to the students, while the lack of charging stations is a big barrier, the biggest barrier seemed to be pricing. They had to choose components carefully to keep them cost-effective, yet efficient and convenient. Another issue to address was of storage space. The student team used the fuel tank to convert it to an all-purpose storage unit of 12 litre capacity. The bike's electric system is also customised using a mono shock absorber to reduce the vibrations affecting the body when the road is bad, informed Karthikeyan.
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | MAY 2020
OBITUARY Irrfan Khan
63
Rishi Kapoor
Two Bollywood actors passed away
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THE NEWS BUREAU
wo renowned Bollywood actors Rishi Kapoor and Irrfan Khan, who won millions of fans with their roles, left for heavenly abode in the last week of April, leaving their fans aghast. Irrfan was admitted to Mumbai's Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani hospital on April 28 with a colon infection, where he succumbed a day later. The actor has been ailing ever since he was diagnosed with neuroendocrine tumour a while back, and has been under medical attention for the same. He even went abroad for treatment. On the work front, Irrfan Khan
was last seen in "Angrezi Medium", last-released Bollywood film before COVID-19 forced complete shutdown of cinema halls. "Angrezi Medium" ran in theatres for just a day before halls all over India were shut down. Another actor, Bollywood veteran, Rishi Kapoor passed away on April 30 after a two-year battle with leukemia. In 2018, Rishi Kapoor was diagnosed with cancer for the first time, following which the actor was in New York for nearly a year to undergo treatment. He returned to India in September 2019 after recovering. Post return to India, his health
has frequently been in focus. The actor was admitted to hospital in quick succession in February. Amid speculations about his health, he had been hospitalised in New Delhi in early February, while on a visit to New Delhi. Rishi Kapoor belongs to the illustrious Kapoor family of Bollywood, widely known as first family of Hindi films. Son of late iconic actor-filmmaker Raj Kapoor, his uncles Shammi Kapoor and Shashi Kapoor were stars, too, as have been his brothers Randhir and Rajeev Kapoor in their time. Rishi Kapoor is survived by wife, actress Neetu Kapoor, daughter Riddhima and son Ranbir.
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | MAY 2020
64
LITERATURE
Shameless' on Kindle
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THE NEWS BUREAU
aslima Nasreens latest offering, 'Shameless', the sequel to her bestselling 'Lajja', is now out on Kindle. Published by Harper Collins India, the book follows Suranjan, the principal character of 'Lajja', who moves to Kolkata with his
family after facing persecution in his native Bangladesh. But is life for a Hindu family from an Islamic nation any better in a country where a majority of the population happens to be Hindu? Leading poor, unmoored lives, exploited and frustrated at every step of the way, and always carrying with them the memories of a
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | MAY 2020
scarred communal history, Suranjan and so many others like him seem to lead incomplete lives. The book is an uncompromising, heart-breaking look at ordinary people's lives in our troubled times. Author Taslima Nasreen said that she wrote 'Shameless' in 2007 while being forced to live under house arrest in Kolkata. "Now, in 2020, to save humanity from the contagious and deadly Covid-19, we are placing ourselves in self-quarantine or social isolation. But humans are social animals, we cannot live totally alone. We need ways to imagine a world where these hindrances don't hold us back," she said. She added that there is no better way to spend this time than read books. "When I was under house arrest, I spent my time writing and imagining the friends who could not come by," she said.
EDU-VOICE
65
PROF. G. NARSIMULU
D
Telangana educational institutions
Can Do online classes replace chalk & talk teaching?
ue to spread of COVID-19 and Lockdown in the entire country from 22 March 2020 to 3rd May 2020 the educational institutions from primary schools to universities are closed and students were asked to vacate campus hostels and stay in their respective homes. Every year March and April months are important for UG,
a Video conference on 6th of April with officials of Telangana state council for Higher Education, Directorate collegiate education. The Vice-Chancellors and The Registers of universities to explore the possibility of conducting ONLINE CLASSES so that the academic activity at universities will not be disturbed.
PG and Professional courses to write their final semester examinations and prepare for the next entrance examinations. All of sudden the COVID-19 made things worse for students of higher education. The Governor of Telangana state who is also The Chancellor of Telangana state universities called
Accordingly the universities and Directorate of collegiate education Telangana state initiated action to start online classes requesting professors and The Deans of Faculty to motivate the teachers to create Microsoft kazela/what’s up to groups of the students of their classes and completing remaining
academic activity including completion of syllabus. Further Faculty are encouraged to record the video lectures so that it can be shared with the students who are not able to participate in online classes. The Directorate of collegiate education Telangana state in a circular to the principals of unaided Colleges of Telangana state asked them to motivate the faculty to continue the academic activity and complete the remaining syllabus through various online and elearning methodology so that There is no academic loss to the students. conducting lectures through any available open platforms like Zoom conference, Skype, Google classrooms, Microsoft Edmodo etc. The university grant commission and AICTE suggested the engineering and management institutions to explore new technology,Online classes, e- the learning platform, virtual classes on the social media platform to replace traditional classroom pedagogy.IIT Kharagpur is holding online classes using Web ex and youth tube link. The top engineering and Business schools in Aborad and India started virtual mode of education as the COVID 19 Pandemic disrupted the educational calendar. As there is no campus activity. The professors have started work from home to
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | MAY 2020
66
EDU-VOICE
develop teaching-learning content to-be directly developed on the smartphone of students. According to Saritha k Das Director of one of the famous IIT in India we must reduce disruption and the hardship caused to students. All our professors have started working from home and within next few days online courses tent and Videos will be available to the students who
post the information in the respective e class. provide study material in soft form to the students using emails/what’s up /any other means as suggested by UGC in its communication F no 1-14/202 dated 25-3-2020 of relevant teachinglearning resources available various digital platforms,such as SWAYAM Online courses, are SWAYAMPRABHA, Youtube etc
have missed out on classes and are at home. It is an opportunity for us to change our teaching model to benefit for our own. The Registrars of Telangana state universities instructed to complete the syllabus and Almanac asked the principals and Deans of the faculty to initiate steps to run the course online. The faculty is asked to initiate for Formation of students what’s app group class-wise for each department under the control of one faculty. The online class information (Link and Password) to-be given to the class representative one day prior to the class scheduled. The class representative will
to the students by the respective teachers apart from the online teaching as per the schedules communicated. The Faculty should maintain attendance of the students as per the online classes and same forwarded to the principal. The students feedback farms Will be collected at the end of the semester. The students of engineering colleges of Osmania university while giving their opinion on online engineering programme expressed that the classroom instruction is only useful to them as Engineering studies have a vast theory and are very technical and mostly based on the problem solving, circuit and analysis of
graphs and there is no proper communication channel for transferring such knowledge to the students. Such studies which requires a step by step explanation of every topic can only possible and be beneficial to students in traditional chalk and talk class. Giving their feedback to the chancellor and Madam Governor the engineering students wanted that at least twenty theory classes will be conducted before commencement of theory and practical examinations and the sudden change from traditional classroom to online classes is not workable at present juncture. In the absence of the regular vice-chancellors for last one year in Telangana universities radical programmes like online courses replacing traditional classroom is not possible. To shift from traditional mode to online virtual classes need systematic groundwork and need professionalism in the faculty. Further the Hyderabad central university after obtaining feedback from the students planning to shift from online instructions to traditional classroom work. The initiation taken by the madam governor and chancellor of Telangana universities is laudable but her state government is not showing interest in appointing vice chancellors and teaching staff plus non-teaching technical staff. With this background and by keeping in view of the socio-economic background of the students of Telangana, it is not an easy task to motivate them to go for online classes where internet broadband is not available in remote villages At present majority of the students are in their native places for last thirty days from 22 March 2020.
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | MAY 2020
(The author is a Retired professor, Life long education Osmania university Hyderabad Telangana.)
DEFENCE COLUMN 67
WG CDR TJ REDDY VSM (RETD)
War against Corona pandemic
o
Armed forces join the fight
n March 11, WHO declared COVID-19 outbreak as a pandemic. Across the globe, the Covid-19 has destabilised 214 countries or territories and are in some form of lockdown measures. Globally deaths have crossed two lakh mark on April 26. In India, the toll was nearing 1000 mark. As the entire world is thus completely focussed on battling the Coronavirus pandemic, the role of armed forces in India and other counties becoming increasingly relevant in fighting this invisible war, the choice of the topic once again fell necessarily on this subject for the current issue also of THE NEWS. There is a grim truth at the centre of the present crisis that makes it feel closer to a war than a recession – a replay of 2008 melodrama. The growing feeling is – it is a war, not just a fight against the pandemic. In the words of Uganda President Kaguta Museveni “The world is currently in a state of war. A war without guns and bullets. A war without human soldiers. A war without borders.” Our nation has shown tremendous solidarity and patience since the time the first lockdown was announced on Mar 25. There were exceptions that proved the rule - the
events of TablighiJamaat and the exodus of migrant labourers from some cities to their homes at the beginning of the lockdown. They were aberrations though unfortunate. The Indians have united for a common cause with a miraculous show of self-restraint. The armed forces have joined the fight against the pandemic. The fight against COVID-19 is possibly the biggest invisible war in our lifetime. The armed forces are assisting the nation in its fight against coronavirus, said Defence MinisterRajnath Singh. He has announced that India has put in place a robust mechanism to insulate the three services and their strategic assets from the coronavirus infection. The three services have been strictly adhering to instructions issued by the PMO, the health ministry and their own medical bodies for protection against Covid-19. Defence Minister has acknowledged the contribution of armed forces in many ways – setting up of quarantine centres, providing health care facilities, evacuating Indian nationals from other countries etc to fight COVID – 19. He was video launching, along with Union Minister of State for Home and Telangana Municipal Adminis-
tration Minister Mr K.T.Rama Rao on Apr 23, the country’s first-ever Bio-safety Level 3 (BSL-3) compliant Mobile Virology Research and Diagnostics Laboratory (MVRDL) at Hyderabad, to speed up Covid-19 screening and related R & D activities, developed by Research Centre, Imarat (RCI), the Hyderabad based Laboratory of DRDO in consultation with ESIC hospital. The laboratory screens 1000-2000 samples per day and can be positioned anywhere. The laboratory was built in a record time of two weeks by two Hyderabad based firms – ICommof MEIL and I Clean Technologies. A retired Air Force Officer Wg Cdr T.Vasudeva Reddy was associated with the later in its development. A team of Army doctors and nursing staff has taken over the operations at a quarantine centre in Delhi, one of the largest in India, managing the isolation unit in northwest Delhi’s Narela. Readers may be aware that of those isolated at this unit, 932 are linked to the religious congregation by the Islamic sect TablighiJamaat, of which 367 are coronavirus cases. Managing the facility from 8 am to 8 pm with a team of 40 has given a huge relief to the Delhi Government doctors
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | MAY 2020
68 DEFENCE COLUMN
and other healthcare workers. Following the increasingly unruly demeanour espoused by Jamaat members at the Narela quarantine facility, a request was made to the Indian Army to take over the medical screening setup. Now, the Indian Army has confirmed that it is in the gradual process of assuming the responsibility of screening duties in the Narela camp. Indian Naval Hospital Ship ‘Patanjali’ which was prepared in every aspect within 24 hours acting on the request from Karwar District administration upon announcement of first phase of 21-day nationwide lockdown from March 25, has been treating civilian corona patients from Uttara Kannada district, taking up this additional responsibility. IAF has flown sorties for DRDO_India and airlifted around 9000Kg of raw material from various nodal points for producing PPE at production facilities of DRDO_India. It also airlifted N95/99 Masks manufactured by DRDO. Armed forces have to contend with another emerging threat: Even as India battles the COVID-19 threat on a war footing it cannot lose sight of the threat building up in Kashmir. The LoC in recent days has seen several ceasefire violations by Pakistan. The security forces combating a three-decadeold insurgency in J & K gunned down 64 persons associated with terrorist outfits since the beginning of this year. April witnessed the highest number of 32 militant casualties. 17 security personnel died while fighting militants or in their
ambushes and sneak attacks in the hinterland and along the LoC. If in the worst of times that the world is passing through Pakistan perceives its national interest to be the pursuit of a vicious campaign in Kashmir through acts of terror, there is little else that India can do except to redouble its capacity to neutralise this. While we may not be able to confirm the rumour that Pakistan was attempting to push COVID-19 afflicted people into Pakistan occupied Kashmir (POK) and thence possibly into India through Kashmir, no one could
have doubted that the threat from COVID-19 would in no way dilute Pakistan's obsession with Kashmir. In the post-COVID-19 period, Pakistan may further throw caution to the winds expecting India to be deeply committed to the recovery process and thus less prepared for the response. Indian Army put in stringent measures for personnel re-joining the forces from leave, temporary duty or courses. Ex-servicemen(ESM) mobilised to combat pandemic: Amid the nationwide lockdown to combat the coronavirus pandemic, the Defence Ministry is mobilising
ex-servicemen to assist the state and district administrations wherever required, in performing public outreach activities such as contact tracing, community surveillance, management of quarantine facilities or any such tasks assigned to them. Army Medical Corps personnel have been identified and kept ready. In Punjab, Chattisgarh, UP, Tamilnadu, AP and Telangana the mobilisation of maximum ESM volunteers have already taken place or is in the process. With gradual relaxations contemplated to allow factories and other establishments to start working with reduced manpower Telangana and other road transport corporations may consider releasing their buses on hire for movement of staff and workers under supervision/regulation by ESM Tail piece : As they say, every adversary has a positive impact. Hyderabad seems to have rediscovered its glorious past as far as weather is concerned, with pleasant mornings and equally pleasant evenings people experiencing with a touch of nostalgia the glorious past of the 1970s with cool and comfortable weather with occasional drizzles in the past ten days and weatherman forecasting occasional thundershowers in the days ahead. A blessing in disguise!
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | MAY 2020
(Author A Wing Commander from Administration branch in the IAF, was a Fighter Controller who actively participated in 1965 and 1971 wars. He was awarded VSM (VishishtSeva Medal) by the President of India in January 1976. He is currently the President of Air Force Association AP &Telangana branch. Views expressed by the author are personal.)
SHOBHA’S PAT ON MIND 69
DR SHOBHA RAJU
Say ‘THANK YOU!’ consciously It's not an exercise of lips
“
If you serve your mother, you’ll get great fame. If you serve your father, you’ll get abundant gives” I heard a discourse to this effect. A piercing question erupted in me. “What? Do I have to be motivated by a benefit - to serve my own mother and father? Or by the ill effects, I court if I don’t? Will any amount of service on my part, would equal her sacrifice for me? Do I have to count the benefits I get back to serve her when she can no more work? Am I investing in a business? How ridiculous! I saw my father, who was deputy collector (a very respectable position in those days), wearing torn bunions. He had a very hard life to support a big family such as ours. Should I be counting the riches I get to look after him at his old age? Shouldn’t my heart go easily and naturally, without a second thought to see him comfortable? There will be a friend, a brother, a sister, an uncle... any human who touches our lives in an emergency
in a helpless situation in a depression in danger. It feels that they are God-sent otherwise there is no way of meeting them at that juncture. Shouldn’t we look at them with a heart filled with gratitude? How do we show our gratitude? I asked a student of Junior Interme-
out any involvement of the heart. I took out a saree to be given to an old lady who helped Annamacharya Bhavana Vahini (ABV). A boy, who was working for ABV said, “Ma’m! She has done what she could already. She will not help us any more. Instead, you give the
diate. “We must say thank you very much”. She instantly replied. That is the effect of modern education. “Thank you very much from bottom of my heart, from the bottom of my kidneys, liver. Thanks a trillion, a zillion.” all artificially uttered with
same to so and so lady. She is a potential source. You can expect help from her. Just say thanks to the old lady in your address. That’s enough”. I was speechless for a while at this motive-driven attitude. I wanted to express my gratitude
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | MAY 2020
70 SHOBHA’S PAT ON MIND THE UNIVERSE WORKS WITHOUT SELF-INTEREST. SUN GIVES SUNSHINE WITHOUT EXPECTATION. MOON GIVES MOONLIGHT WITHOUT EXPECTATION. THE WIND BLOWS UNCONDITIONALLY. RIVERS QUENCH OUR THIRST UNCONDITIONALLY. NO ANIMAL IS SELFISH BEYOND THE SELF REQUIREMENT. A LION DOESN’T KILL A HUNDRED DEERS AND PRESERVE IN THE FRIDGE OR HIDE IN THE BANKS. ONLY HUMAN’S AVARICE IS CROSSING THE LIMITS AND MAKING HIM EXTREMELY UNGRATEFUL. heartily, to the old lady for her help. Here comes a Polonius advice to invest the same in the profit motive, not in gratitude. Gratitude in my view is a state of obligation, filled with utmost love and with total awareness and acknowledgement of one’s heart for the help received. Practically, you may not be able to do anything in reciprocation to the one you are obliged, owing to your own situation. But to be in a state of gratitude by thought, word and deed, is very important. Similarly, you may present someone a gold crown and have no gratitude at heart, then it’s a mechanical action. You’ll be blessed as much as a robot would be. Anyways, the best attitude is to be obliged in thought, word and deed sincerely to the one who has done us a favour, help or service. The one devoid of gratitude is ineligible to be called a human being. Yogi, Vemana, in his famous “Vemana Shatakam” (Collection of a hundred poems) says : It’s not extraordinary to help the one who had helped you. Wise is the one, who helps even the one who had harmed, without finding
fault. But the whole world is functioning in selfishness mode. Thanklessness mode. Simply directing every action towards a self gain. The one who works without any self-interest is looked at as a lunatic. Discrimination is the best tool to employ in helping the one who had harmed because there are some people who are always in the harming mode, in spite of you helping them always. Helping such person amounts to incompetence or weakness. Actually giving is receiving. I experienced in my life that charity attracts a blessing and you receive in some or other way what you give. That is the way existence says thanks to you. They said it well, “What goes around, comes around”. But one shouldn’t give with a mind of getting something in return. The universe works without self-interest. Sun gives sunshine without expectation. Moon gives moonlight without expectation. The wind blows unconditionally. Rivers quench our thirst unconditionally. No animal is selfish beyond the self requirement. A lion doesn’t kill a hundred deers and preserve in the
fridge or hide in the banks. Only human’s avarice is crossing the limits and making him extremely ungrateful. He does business even with The God. “You see that I pass the examination.I will give my hair to You (God has to use His power in barter to his ugly hair). “Get me married. I will come to Your shrine (is He a politician to need you for support?). “Make my business successful. I will give you one per cent of the net profit (What a pitiable partnership!). Like this gratitude has morphed into a business. When gratitude returns to its original disposition, universe assumes it’s true disposition because gratitude is the DNA of it. Human has affected the DNA of the universe and now is reaping the fruit of his ungrateful actions. Let’s practice gratitude, love, compassion at least now and get back our heavenly earth, which even Angela crave to come and dwell upon. Let’s say “thank you” and “I love you” consciously!
THE NEWS YOU LIKE | MAY 2020
(Author is a well-known musician, Devotional singer, writer and composer.)
The News You Like May, 2020
RNI No: APENG/2013/48048 P.R. No. RNP/HD/1187/2020-22 (DOP: 1st of Every Month; DOP: 8/9-5-2020)