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Independence Day of India 2020: Message from the Prime Minister

EDITORIAL TEAM Dr Ram Mohan, Chairman Dr Ashutosh Misra, Editor-in-Chief Mr Harpreet Bhagrath, India Editor EDITORIAL BOARD Professor Prasad Yarlagadda, Queensland University of Technology Dr Indrani Ganguly, Author Dr Uttam Kumar Sinha, Senior Fellow, Nehru Memorial Museum & Library, India Mr Shaun Star, Director, Centre for Australia India Studies, Jindal Global University, India INDIA NEWS TV Mr Karthik Pratap Singh, News Director Mr. Agastya Yeturi, Cinematographer Mr Nishit Chandan, Special Correspondent Ms. Ananya Dhyani, Consulting News Editor WRITERS Mr Devashish Chakraborty Mrs Deepika Banerjee Mr Rabindra Mukherji INSTITUTIONAL PARTNERS Institute for Australia India Engagement Australia India Business Council EDITORIAL SUPPORT Cosmos Media www.cosmosmedia.info WEBSITE DESIGN & MANAGEMENT Cosmos Media DESIGNER Cosmos Media PUBLISHING & DISTRIBUTION Star Promotions ADDRESS India News Unit 49, 391, WICKHAM TERRACE, Ground Floor, Spring Hill, Brisbane, QLD – 4000 WEB: www.indianews.com.au FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/indianewsaustralia

His Excellency A. Gitesh Sarma High Commissioner of India, Canberra “I am happy to know that India News is celebrating Indian Independence Day on 15 August 2020, its first since its establishment on 1 July 2020. I wish India News and its subscribers a happy Independence Day, good health and success.”

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As a longstanding friend of India, Australia joins wholeheartedly in its celebration of independence and extends our warm congratulations to the people of India. While this year’s celebrations will be different and many of the traditional gatherings will not take place, we can all draw strength from the values that our countries share. As I said during the visit to Australia of President Kovind: “Our cultures might be different, but we believe in similar things. We believe of the supremacy of the ballot-box in our national life; in the rule of law; in institutions that safeguard rights; and the responsibility of free people to build a better world.” It is because of our shared values, interests and objectives that Prime Minister Modi and I announced the historic elevation of bilateral relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in June this year. Our partnership is geared for the common good of our region and the global community, and this will be critical as we work to overcome the health, social and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The deep friendship between Australia and India is about more than trade and diplomacy. Founded on bharosa (trust) and samman (respect) – it is a friendship with depth, and marked by democracy, defence cooperation, diaspora and dosti (mateship). It was Australia’s second Prime Minister Alfred Deakin who best expressed the hope we have for our bilateral relationship when he wrote “the distance which separates us…is being steadily diminished between us, year by year.” And so it is to this day. We know people are the living bridge between our countries: as students; skilled workers; or joining family, people of Indian heritage have enriched this country. India is now our biggest source of migrants and their presence has contributed to Australia becoming the most successful multicultural nation on earth. May the ties between our countries continue to deepen. I wish you all a Happy Independence Day! The Hon Scott Morrison MP Prime Minister of Australia For comments, queries, and submission of articles please write to info@ indianews.com.au. For advertisement please write to sales@indianews.com.au or call at 1300 859 066

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AUGUST 2020

INDIA NEWS

COVER STORY

Ram temple bhumipujan: PM Morrison reaffirms commitment to Ram lives in our hearts: coronavirus suppression strategy PM Modi Continued from P 1

Continued from P 1 while addressing the seers after the ‘Bhumi Pujan’ of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. Beginning his speech with “Jai Siya Ram” chants, Modi went on to link Lord Ram with modern times and said, “Lord Ram has shown us the path of realisation and research.” He referred to the epitome of morals and dharma “Maryada Purushottam Ram” to stress on the observation of similar “maryada” (limits) in today’s life. The Prime Minister exhorted citizens to follow a similar “maryada” in times of the Covid-19 pandemic by wearing masks and maintaining social distancing. “Ram speaks, thinks, according to time, place and circumstances. Ram teaches us to grow with time. Ram is in favor of change, Ram is in favor of modernity,” said the Prime Minister.

He said that a grand temple will now be built for the Ram Lalla deity who had been living under a temporary tent for many years. “Every heart is illuminated; it is an emotional moment for the entire country... A long wait ends today,” said the Prime Minister. The event sets the ball rolling for the construction of a grand Ram Temple, a key electoral promise of the ruling party. However, the message the Prime

many months from the outset,” Morrison told reporters after the National Cabinet meeting.

Minister tried to drive home was larger. “This day is proof of the truth of the resolve of crores of devotees. This day is a unique gift of a just, fair India to truth, non-violence, faith and sacrifice,” he said. He said Ram is present in different cultures, in different areas. “Thousands of years ago, in the Ramayana of Valmiki, Lord Ram was guiding ancient India, in the Middle Ages, Ram was pushing India through Tulsi, Kabir and Nanak, the same Ram was present in Bapu’s hymns as a force of non-violence and satyagraha during the freedom struggle,” said the Prime Minister, while sending out a powerful message. It was a speech, however, not without a subtle dig. He said, “Ram is carved in our mind, mixed with us. You see the amazing power of Lord Ram -buildings were destroyed, every attempt was made to eradicate his existence. But he still remains in our mind.” But, at the end, the Prime Minister sent a larger message that Lord Ram stands for modernity, development and fairness and those are the aspects all Indians should aspire for, in the name of the deity, he suggested.

“The goal of that is obviously, and has always been no community transmission.” “There will always be cases that come because Australia has not completely shut itself off from the world. To do so would be reckless.”

Prime Minister Scott Morrison attends a press conference in Canberra, Australia, June 26, 2020 (IANS) Morrison said that the National Cabinet -- which is composed of the PM and state and territory leaders -- on July 24 recommitted to suppression as its lead strategy, Xinhua news agency reported. “A couple of other points that were agreed on today was an affirmation of the suppression strategy that we’ve been working to nationally now for many,

As of July 24 there had been 13,595 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Australia, including 139 deaths, according to the latest figures from the Department of Health. Of the new cases, 300 were in Victoria where 20 previously diagnosed cases have been reclassified, resulting in a net increase of 280. “There have been seven new deaths from COVID-19 reported since yesterday,” said a statement from the Department of Health and Human Services in Victoria. “Five of the deaths are linked to aged care facilities. To date,

56 people have died from coronavirus in Victoria.” Morrison said that “while there is some better news today out of Victoria” after three consecutive days of more than 370 new cases in the state but that it was too early to be confident or complacent. The National Cabinet also on July 24 agreed to fast-track 15 major infrastructure projects to tackle rising unemployment and to greater data sharing between governments on COVID-19 to track and document the virus. Paul Kelly, the acting Chief Medical Officer (CMO), said that under the agreement, federal authorities would receive more “granular” data on state and territory testing regimes. “We will want that regularly from all of the states and territories to make sure that that testing regime is remaining as it should be,” he said.

Kashmiris celebrate one year of abrogation of Article 370 Continued from P 1

New Education Policy gets cabinet’s nod, HRD ministry renamed Continued from P 1

Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) has been renamed the Ministry of Education. During the briefing, Khare assured that public investment in the education sector will reach 6 per cent of GDP at the earliest. Currently, it is around 4.43 per cent. Outcomes of the National Education Policy will be universalisation of education from primary to secondary by 2030, attaining foundational learning and numeracy skills by 2025, 100 per cent gross enrolment ratio by 2030, and two crore school children joining back. It will also include preparation of teachers for assessment reforms by 2023, an inclusive education system by 2030, board exams only to test core concepts, and instilling at least one vocational skill in every child. The key highlights of the New Education Policy is use of

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technology in teaching, learning and assessment, a single regulator for higher education, graded autonomy for colleges, and phasing out of the affiliation system in 15 years. It also includes formation of the National Research Foundation, internationalisation of education and multiple entry and exit for students and an academic bank of credit. The major reforms in school education includes universalisation of early childhood care education, setting up of a national mission on foundational literacy and numeracy, 5+3+3+4 circular and pedological structure and no rigid separation between arts and sciences. Students will be taught coding from class 6, there will be vocational integration from class 6 as against from secondary level, and a gender inclusion fund for girl child development. Board examination will now be low stake and based on knowledge

since it kicked off on August 3. Rustic games like horse racing, sheep herding, Tug of War and Wood Chopping competitions were organised on the first day in which the Gujjar, Bakerwal communities from various Bhaiks living in the meadows during the summer months actively participated. On the request of senior community members, a veterinary and medical camp was also organised by the local Rashtriya Rifles unit. A total of

application. The policy also mandates the medium of instruction till at least class 5 and preferably till class 8 and beyond in home or regional language, and 360 degree holistic report card - by children, by classmates and teachers.

679 patients including 49 children were given treatment, advice and free medicines by the doctors. The veterinary camp provided medical aid to 135 livestock in addition to surgical assistance to the wounded. It was organised by the unit of Colonel Ashutosh Sharma, who was among five security forces personnel killed during an encounter with terrorists in north Kashmir. Ashutosh Sharma was the second Commanding Officer of the 21 Rashtriya Rifles who lost

Besides this, PARAKH Performance, Assessment, Review and Analysis for Holistic Development - will form the standard, norm and guidelines for the schools so that it reaches the benchmark. Schools will have transparent online systems for self-disclosure for public

his life while combating terrorism in May this year. On the second day of the festival on August 4, the audience enjoyed folk songs by the Gujjar community, patriotic songs by local children, dances and a Karate Display by the Handwara Kudo Association in addition to the finals of the village games. The event culminated with the National Anthem and a vote of thanks by the community elders to the Army for their support.

oversight and accountability. The National Testing Agency (NTA) will offer a common entrance exam for admission to higher education institutes, and a National Professional Standard for teachers to be prepared by the NCERT and the NCTE.

AUGUST 2020

INDIA NEWS

NEWS FROM INDIA

Disengagement talks between Indian Air India ‘Vande Bharat Mission’ plane and Chinese armies commence skids off runway, at least 14 casualties New Delhi/IANS: The talks between military representatives of India and China to discuss disengagement in the Depsang plains north of Galwan area started on August 8 morning near the Line of Actual Control, sources said. The sources said that the Major General-level talks between Indian and Chinese armies is taking place at Daulat Beg Oldie for the de-escalation of troops and material in the Depsang plains. General Officer Commanding of 3 Mountain Division, Major General Abhijit Bapat, is leading the talks from the Indian side. The main agenda of the meeting is to address the situation in the Depsang plains that has seen big mobilisation of around 15,000 Chinese troops opposite Depsang. New Delhi/Kozhikode/IANS: In one of the worst air disasters witnessed in Kerala, an Air India Express flight returning from Dubai under the ‘Vande Bharat’ mission skidded off the runaway at the ‘table top’ airport in Kozhikode, leaving at least 14 persons dead, including the pilot Captain D V Sathe. Expressing deep anguish over the incident, India’s Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said a formal enquiry will be conducted into the incident by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB). The AAIB was formed in 2012 as an independent accident probe committee under the Ministry of Civil Aviation. Describing the incident in a tweet, the minister said the aircraft overshot the runway in rainy conditions and plunged 35 feet into a slope before breaking into two pieces. Puri added that relief teams from the Air India and the Airport Authority of India have been rushed to the accident spot from Delhi and Mumbai. On the evening of August 7, the ill-fated Air India Express aircraft skidded off the runway after landing on its second attempt amid heavy rains and plunging 35 feet into the valley below. According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, the Air

India Express aircraft landed on Runway 10 amid visibility of 2,000 metres in heavy rain, but overshot and nosedived into the valley and broke into two pieces. An eyewitness said that he rushed to the spot on hearing the sound of the crash. “I live around 20 metres away from the compound wall of the airport. After hearing a loud sound, a few of us came rushing. We saw the cockpit of the aircraft jutting out of the compound wall,” a local resident said. India’s Minister of State for External Affairs, V. Muraleedharan, who hails from Kerala, said the Karipur airport is a table top airport, and that was one reason why the plane plunged into the valley. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spoken to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan about the incident. Table top airports have a disadvantage during rainy seasons. Generally, during heavy rains, aircraft are not allowed to land at table top airports. All these things will come out in the DGCA probe,” said Muraleedharan. According to information received from the spot, the passengers sitting in the front rows of the plane have been seriously injured. The condition of 13 passengers who were brought to a private hospital is stated to be critical.

The Depsang plains is a table-top plateau to the north of Galwan and remains a major hotspot due to its strategic location since it provides access to the logistical hub and airstrip at Daulat Beg Oldie and the critical Karakoram Pass in the north. The meeting will seek to work

out a system of pulling back troops and de-escalation from the 900 sq. km plains situated at an altitude of 16,000 feet. The Indian Army holds a majority of the Depsang plains area while the People’s Liberation Army holds its eastern edge. Chinese troops are concentrating on an area called ‘Bottleneck’, 25 km from the strategic airfield at Daulat Beg Oldie. The troops on either side are denying patrolling rights to each other in the “grey zone” areas, where the perception of the Line of Actual Control varies by several kilometres.

The August 8 meeting is the outcome of the Lieutenant General-level meetings, five of which have been conducted since June 6. Depsang plains saw two major stand-offs in 2013 and 2014, besides dozens of face-offs annually when the troops of the two countries come close while patrolling. In the meantime, the Indian government has witnessed that China’s commitment to disengagement at the Pangong Tso lake remains “unsatisfactory”. India has directed its armed forces to prepare for a long haul.

Foreign Jamaatis allowed to depart India after apology, SC informed hearing of a plea by 34 foreign nationals seeking deportation to their home countries. A bench of Justices A M Khanwilkar and Dinesh Maheshwari noted that Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, on instructions, submitted that the look-out notices issued against the petitioners stand withdrawn.

New Delhi/IANS: The Indian government on August 6 informed the Supreme Court of India that foreign nationals, against whom criminal proceedings are pending in connection with the Tablighi Jamaat congregation in New Delhi, are free to leave the country after tendering an apology.

“In other words, the petitioner(s) concerned will be free to leave India, subject to any other pending proceedings, including order passed by the court requiring his/her presence in the stated proceedings,” it noted.

The submission was made by the Indian government during the

Mehta contended before the bench that in all fairness, if the petitioners concerned tender apology, as envisaged by the Madras High Court in the criminal case concerned, they can be permitted to leave India

erstwhile state and barely nine months after he took over the reins of the newly created Union territory, Sinha was appointed as his successor. Sinha has worn many hats - a former Minister of State for Railways, an IIT graduate, a man who transformed Ghazipur with his developmental initiatives. He climbed the organisational ladder from the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthy Parishad during his student days at Benaras Hindu University (BHU) to the man in 2017 who was followed vigorously by TV cameras, almost certain to

be UP Chief Minister. In fact, his journey from being a member of the BJP’s National Council in 1989 to J&K L-Ghas been a fascinating ride. Many believe that very few lawmakers in the Hindi heartland took Modi’s ‘Vikas’ call as seriously as Sinha. This is why, after winning three times from Ghazipur and confident of a comeback banking high on his reputation as ‘Mr Development’, it stunned many when he lost to Afzal Ansari, the brother of donturned-politician Mukhtar Ansari, by a margin of 1.19 lakh votes. It

despite the pendency of the criminal case but subject to such orders that may be passed by the trial court concerned. He also informed the bench that so far only 10 petitioners have decided to contest the criminal cases pending against them and are not willing to exercise the option of plea bargaining. At this, the top court said that the criminal cases concerning these 10 petitioners pending in different trial courts in Delhi be brought before the same court hearing criminal case arising out of FIR number 63 of 2020, so that all the cases can be disposed of expeditiously. The bench has scheduled the matter for further hearing after eight weeks.

Manoj Sinha appointed new Lieutenant Governor of J&K

Manoj Sinha New Delhi/IANS: Manoj Sinha - an Uttar Pradesh (UP) BJP leader who enjoys the trust of both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah - is the www.indianews.com.au

new Lieutenant Governor (L-G) of Jammu & Kashmir. Among the many things he is known for, this Bhumihar face of the BJP was speculated to be an almost certain choice of the BJP as UP Chief Minister before the party sprang a surprise with Yogi Adityanath. But Sinha never complained and that, many believe, has weighed in. A day after current J&K L-G, G.C. Murmu, in a surprise development, resigned from the post exactly a year after the nullification of Article 370 in the

is believed that caste equations contributed to his defeat, despite his admirable track record. But what made the cut this time for the former BHU student leader and IIT alumnus was his perceived clean image. The ex-civil engineer hardly courted controversy nor made any statements to the media that embarrassed his party or the government. But mostly, the man with a mass base is seen as noncorrupt which played a key role in him being picked as J&K L-G at a time when the Centre is keen to flush out corrupt ‘babus’. AUGUST 2020

INDIA NEWS

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NEWS FROM INDIA

J&K militant activities reach record low, terror groups sans leaders Srinagar/IANS: After the completion of one year of the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu & Kashmir ( J&K), active militancy is in its “lowest” phase in the erstwhile state in decades, and all terror groups are “leaderless” due to the continuous anti-terror operations by the security forces as well as the administration. Dilbag Singh, J&K Director General of Police (DGP), shared the details while talking to IANS here about the current situation in the Union Territory since the nullification of Article 370 on August 5 last year. “The number of active terrorists in J&K has been around 200 compared to 350 or 400 earlier. All the terror organisations

are leaderless now and those militants who are recruited as leaders of any group by Pakistanbased handlers are caught or killed,” Singh said. “In 2019, a total of 131 militants were killed till July but only 29 were killed from July to December that year as we were busy maintaining law and order, and our operations had declined. In total, we killed 160 militants in 2019 in 67 successful operations and over 5,000 cordon and search operations,” Singh said. This year so far, Singh said, a total of 150 terrorists have been killed. Of these 150 terrorists, 30 were foreign and 120 were locals, including 39 top commanders of all major groups. “All terrorists are almost leaderless now,” the

DGP said. Calling 2018 a “landmark” year compared to 2013, the DGP said that security is “much better now than ever before”. “The number of poster boys of militancy started increasing in 2013 and major recruitment was done till 2017. Poster boys like Manan Wani, Burhan Wani and Riyaz Naikoo were so famous here at that time. Youths used to carry their photos and girls got attracted to them.” “Operations against such groups improved in 2017; and 2018 was a landmark year, as far as our operations were concerned. Governor’s rule came in 2018, and there was a huge difference in the first six months and second half of 2018 in terms of law and order

and militancy operations,” Singh said. As per the J&K police chief, the graph of anti-militancy operations reached a high that was not achieved in the last 10 years. Of the 350 to 375 active militants in 2018, 260 were killed in 2018 itself, said the 1987-batch IPS officer who was given additional

charge as the DGP of J & K, replacing S P Vaid. The officer said 93 successful operations took place in 3,600 cordon and search operations in 2018, and the trend set in 2018 was maintained in 2019. In 2018-2019, the officer said, “we managed to target the support structure of the terrorists.”

Kurla on the main line and CSMT and Vashi on the Harbour Line after the heavy downpour, said CR spokesperson ShivajiSutar. Similarly, Western Railway spokesperson Sumit Thakur said that owing to heavy rains, some suburban trains were suspended and all trains were reversed from Mumbai Central, Dadar, Bandra and Andheri. At least 250 commuters stranded in two trains between Byculla and Masjid Bunder stations on the CR were rescued by police and disaster teams. At the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, over half a dozen flights had to do a go-around before coming in but there were no diversions or cancellations, said officials. Major landmarks like the Bombay Stock Exchange’s Phiroze Jeejeebhoy Tower suffered the brunt of the rain fury when its

massive signboard on the 29th floor got ripped off and hung precariously. Some sections of a cement cladding adorning the exteriors of the Jaslok Hospital in south Mumbai were blown off and fell in pieces on the road below, but there were no reports of any casualties. In some areas in south Mumbai, Kandivali, Dahisar, Kurla, Parel, Dadar, Wadala and Sion, water rushed into ground-floor homes, shops or offices as incessant rains continued all day, and the subways in Dahisar, Malad and Andheri were flooded, preventing eastwest movement of traffic. Two persons suffered injuries in a minor house crash in Bhandup, while there were more than 150 incidents of tree crashes in the city, and 10 incidents of electric short-circuits, but there were no fatalities. Huge traffic snarls were witnessed

in south Mumbai with trees falling on some roads in Churchgate, Marine Lines, Charni Road and Worli, hitting vehicular traffic on the Eastern and the Western Express Highways. With thousands of commuters

getting stranded, the Brihan Mumbai Municipal Corporation on August 5 evening said that it had made arrangements for people at 130 civic schools outside the major railway stations.

Mumbai, suburbs receive heavy rains for second day running, no deaths reported Mumbai/IANS: Heavy rains, accompanied by gusty winds of upto 70 kmph, lashed Mumbai city and suburbs, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) and coastal Konkan for the second consecutive day on August 5, hitting suburban train services and disrupting normal life, officials said. In a rare development, many parts of south Mumbai like Churchgate, Marine Lines, Marine Drive, Kalbadevi, Dongri, Byculla, Mazagaon, Parel, Dadar and surroundings witnessed heavy waterlogging, throwing the central business district out of gear. Locals attributed it to the ongoing work on the Mumbai Metro Railway and the Coastal Road Project, though officials declined to comment. Central Railway (CR) suburban train services were suspended between Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) and

August 2020 INDIAN INDEPENDENCE DAY I extend my warmest wishes to all Australians celebrating the anniversary of India’s Independence on 15 August. India and Australia have a long and proud history of cooperation and shared values. India has been our largest source of migrants since 2016 and the vibrant Indian migrant community is our third largest, with almost 700,000 people. Last year almost 40,000 Indian nationals made the pledge to become Australian citizens. Australia has greatly benefited from the diversity, skills and continued contributions of Australia’s Indian community. They continue to build on Australia’s position as the most successful multicultural society in the world. As the Prime Minister emphasised at his recent virtual summit with Prime Minister Modi, India is a very important friend to Australia and the strength of our strong bilateral relationship and our like-minded democracies are key to a more open, prosperous and inclusive Indo-Pacific. I thank Indian community leaders and the broader Indian Australian community for your continued support in the fight against COVID-19 and the support you provide to your communities in dealing with issues arising from this situation. I send my best wishes to all those marking Indian Independence Day, noting that like many other occasions it will be celebrated very differently this year.

ALAN TUDGE

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AUGUST 2020

INDIA NEWS

INDIANS IN AUSTRALIA

Perth event ‘Kar Chale Hum Fida’ honors India’s freedom fighters

joint event ‘Kar Chale Hum Fida’, organised by Consulate General of India (CGI), Perth, and Federation of Indian Associations of WA (FIAWA), was held using virtual online platform in Perth on 9 Aug to pay tribute to India’s freedom fighters and soldiers who have sacrificed their present to protect the future for all Indians. The first-ever event in Perth of this kind using the state-ofthe-art virtual technology was widely participated by online viewers including ex-army officers across India, Australia and Europe. A group of renowned Hindi poets and a young singer recited patriotic poems and songs

to infuse national pride and respect for India leading up to Independence Day. Using virtual technology online platform is the way to go for future in this COVID situation where traveling and large gatherings at venues seems improbable in near future. FIAWA Secretary Mr Prashant Singh and CGI Perth staff successfully conceived, coordinated and implemented this great event to bring the rich and diverse Indian culture and Hindi language on the mobile phones of Indian diaspora across the international borders.

FIAWA Secretary Mr Prashant Singh (left)

Indian-origin scholar bags coveted industry fellowship

r. Alka Jaggessar has received the 2020 Advanced Queensland Industry Research Fellowships awarded by Queensland government for early career researchers, for her research project on ‘Antiviral and antibacterial surfaces using nanotechnology for Queensland hospitals’. She has bagged $180,000 funding in Queensland government’s special round of research funding to support Covid-19 research. Dr. Alka’s Advanced Queensland Industry Fellowship is sponsored by Sri Medical Devices and Healthcare Solutions Pty Ltd, Panda Health care Solutions Pty. Ltd. and Royal Brisbane Women Hospital, Metro North Hospitals and Health Services.

Dr. Alka says that due to the rise of antibiotic resistant superbugs there is a critical need to develop and implement technologies to prevent pathogen surface transmission. Her AQIRF Fellowship will use nanotechnology to develop surfaces that deactivate viruses and bacteria in Queensland hospitals, reducing the spread of infectious diseases such as COVID-19. This Fellowship will develop nanostructured metallic surfaces which deactivate SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory viruses, and bacterial strains, tailored for Queensland hospitals and healthcare environments. Implementation of this technology will reduce transmission to

Dr. Alka Jaggessar (left) with Prof. Prasad Yarlagadda

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patients, staff, visitors, and the wider Queensland community. Dr. Alka’s research will benefit Queensland and implementation of research outputs will be accelerated through collaboration with three Queensland based Partners, namely, Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, Panda Healthcare Pty Ltd and Sri Medical Devices and Healthcare Solutions Pty Ltd and help safeguard Queensland against potential future pandemics, contain the spread of infectious disease and reduce the risk of hospital acquired infections. Possessing degree in chemical engineering from the University of Queensland and the industry and teaching experience, she joined the Queensland University of Technology to pursue doctoral research to understand the impact of nanotextured surface production for bactericidal surfaces on orthopaedic implants using hydrothermal synthesis. She has attempted to minimise bacterial infections and improved osseointegration in orthopaedic implant applications. Her research fills the critical gaps in knowledge on the effect of hydrothermal process conditions on the fabrication of TiO2 nanostructured surfaces with inherent bactericidal properties and osteoblast activity response.

She has undertaken hydrothermal nanostructure fabrication, characterisation, and bacterial viability testing, and proved that bactericidal efficiency is statistically correlated to the height of the TiO2 nanostructures. Her research has greatly improved minimising orthopaedic implant failures due to bacterial infection, which will further minimise the need for primary and secondary revision surgeries due to post-surgical bacterial infections. Dr Alka Jaggessar is also an active community volunteer and has been active within the Brisbane Indian community since 2011, and awarded the GOPIO QLD Young Achiever’s Award for Community Services and the Brisbane Lord Mayor’s Trailblazer Grant (2020) from the Brisbane Economic Development Agency. She volunteered at the Radio Brisvaani in 2011 and co-hosted a youth radio program until 2013, addressing youth issues. She has been a great support as Master of Ceremonies for the Federation of Indian Communities Queensland (FICQ), India Australia Society (IAS), Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin Queensland (GOPIO QLD) and Diversity with Harmony. She also represented GOPIO QLD at the GOPIO International

Dr. Alka Jaggessar Convention in Paris (2016) and attended the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention in Jaipur in 2012. She is also a member of the Diversity with Harmony and IAS community groups, and is passionate about Kathak dance, painting and reading. Dr. Alka is also one of the active members of Smart Structures and Bio Interfaces Research group, led by Prof. Prasad Yarlagadda at the Queensland University of Technology and developing tools and strategies to combat against bacterial and viral infections by producing antipathogenic surfaces for various industrial and healthcare applications. Her accomplishments are a huge source of pride for her Smart Structures and Bio Interface colleagues and Prof. Prasad Yarlagadda.

AUGUST 2020

INDIA NEWS

Best wishes on the occasion of Indian Independence Day

NE W L AND RELE A SE OF PREMIUM HOME SITE S Located 35 minutes from Brisbane’s CBD and nestled amongst the rolling fairways of the Greg Norman designed Championship golf course, this is fairway living at its finest. With an architecturally-designed home, emerald green fairways on your doorstep and a concierge service on call, the Dress Circle land release at Brookwater is a combination of luxuries that offer a life that’s truly unique. Brookwater is ideally located within 5 minutes’ drive of both private and public schools, major shopping centre and commuter rail to the city. We would like to extend a warm invitation for you to explore the various living options through our Complimentary Experiences. Please contact us directly on info@brookwater.com.au or by phone 3814 5177 to book your experience with us today.

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Scott Morrison Prime Minister

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AUGUST 2020

INDIA NEWS

MAKE IN INDIA

Make in India: Emerging Opportunities

As world economies restart their engines in a bid to regain lost ground due to the Covid-19 pandemic, India too shows signs of economic buoyancy and promise. India’s Make in India initiative holds a key to the global economic revival, something that should interest Australian government ministries, corporate sector, entrepreneurs, institutions seeking R&D collaborations and Australia Inc in general, among others. India assumes greater importance as several major world economies including American, Japanese, German, British and South Korean look to move out and diversify their businesses from China. India has jumped to 63rd rank in the World Bank’s Ease of Development 2020 report, and has also been ranked as the 9th largest recipient of Foreign Direct Investment destination in 2019 by the World Investment Report 2020 of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). INCREDIBLE INDIA: TRAVEL AND TOURISM The tourism and hospitality industry is one of the largest service industries in India. Tourism is an integral pillar of the Make in India programme. Tourism plays a role of significant economic multiplier and becomes critical since India has to grow at rapid rates and create jobs. India offers geographical diversity, world heritage sites and niche tourism products like cruises, adventure, medical, eco-tourism, etc. Incredible India has spurred growth in Tourists Arrivals and Employment. India’s ranking in the Travel and Tourism Competitive Index (TTCI) of World Economic Forum moved from 52nd position in 2015 to 40th position in 2017. Now India has moved up by another 6 positions and ranked at 34th position in 2019. Tourism tends to encourage the development of multipleuse infrastructure including hotels, resorts & restaurants, transport infrastructure (aviation, roads, shipping & railways) and healthcare facilities. •

By 2028, Tourism & Hospitality is forecasted to earn $50.9 bn as visitor exports compared to $28.9 bn earned in 2018

•

By 2029, Travel & Tourism will account for nearly 53 million jobs as compared to the 43 million jobs directly in 2018 (8.1% of total employment)

•

By 2030, India is expected to be among the top five business travel market

•

100% FDI allowed under automatic route

•

100% FDI allowed in tourism construction projects, including the development of hotels, resorts, and recreational facilities $460 bn contribution to

India’s GDP by 2028 Travel and tourism being the largest service industry in India was worth $234 bn in 2018. The industry has become the thirdlargest Foreign Exchange Earner in India with a 17.9% growth in Foreign Exchange Earnings (in rupee terms) in March 2018 over March 2017. According to The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), tourism generated $240 bn or 9.2% of India’s GDP in 2018 and supported 42.67 mn jobs which is 8.1% of its total employment. The sector is predicted to grow at an annual rate of 6.9% to $460 bn by 2028 which is 9.9% of GDP. FTAs in April 2019 were 7,71,353 viz-a-viz 7,45,051 in April 2018 registering a growth of 3.5%. Further to this, FTAs during the period January-April 2019 were 39,35,293 viz-a-viz 38,60,871 in January- April 2018 registering a growth of 1.9%. During April 2019 total of 2,01,137 tourist arrived on e-Tourist Visa as compared to 1,57,094 during the month of April 2018 registering a growth of 28.0%. Further to this, during January- April 2019, a total of 11,08,665 tourist arrived on e-Tourist Visa as compared to 9,18,792 during January-April 2018, registering a growth of 20.7%. ROADS AND HIGHWAYS TO GROWTH India with a total road network of 5.5 mn Km comprises of national & state highways and urban & rural roads. National highways account for 2% of the total road network and carry over 40% of total traffic. NHAI has accomplished construction of 3,979 km of national highways in the financial Year 2019-20. This is the highest ever highway construction achieved in a financial year. The construction pace as noticed in last years has seen

a steady growth with 3,380 Km construction in the FY 2018-19. Continuing the same trend with the development of 3,979 km of national highways during FY 2019-20

over $10 bn based on the Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM). HAM has balanced risk appropriately between private and public partners and boosted PPP activity in the sector.

•

Indian Railways envisages a prospective investment of $190 bn in the next 5 years

•

Mumbai-Ahmedabad highspeed rail project sanctioned at a total cost of $15 bn

India has a well-developed framework for Public-PrivatePartnerships (PPP) in the highway sector. Asian Development Bank ranked India at first spot in PPP operational maturity and also designated India as a developed market for PPPs.

Asset recycling, through the tolloperate-transfer (ToT) model has been taken up by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) for 100 highways. The first two bundles of 9 highways each were monetized successfully for an investment of over $2 bn.

•

Railway Electrification works completed on a total of 5,782 Route kms during the year

•

100% FDI allowed in railway infrastructure under the automatic route.

The Government of India (GoI) is planning to expand the national highway network to over 200,000 km. The Government launched the BharatmalaPariyojana, which aims to build 66,100 km of economic corridors, border and coastal roads, and expressways to boost the highway network. It is envisaged that the programme will provide 4-lane connectivity to 550 districts, increase the vehicular speed by 20-25% and reduce the supply chain costs by 5-6%. The first phase of the programme will bring in $ 82 bn investments by 2022 for the development of 34,800 km of highways. Industry Scenario The GoI has given a massive push to infrastructure by allocating about $1.4 Tn for infrastructure to be invested until 2025. The government has forecasted an investment of $350 bn towards road infrastructure in the NorthEast region of India during 20202025. The market for roads and highways is projected to exhibit a CAGR of 36.16% during 20162025, on account of growing government initiatives to improve transportation infrastructure in the country. Almost 40% (824) of the 1,824 PPP projects awarded in India until December 2019 were related to roads.

M_rashtra permits Goa-style beach shacks to woo tourists

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The highways sector in India has been at the forefront of performance and innovation. The government has successfully rolled out over 60 projects worth

As one of the biggest reform, the NHAI has gone ‘Fully Digital’, with the launch of unique cloud based and Artificial Intelligence powered Big Data Analytics platform – Data Lake and Project Management Software. The entire project management work flow of NHAI is transformed from manual to online portal based, wherein the complete project execution operations including ‘workflow with time lines’ and ‘alert mechanism’ have been configured. All project documentation, contractual decisions and approvals are now being done through portal only. RAILWAYS: TOUCHING BULLET SPEEDS India has the fourth-largest railway system in the world, lagging behind only US, Russia and China.

•

The Indian Railways’ passenger earnings in 2017-18 have been the highest ever and clocked a 4.86% increase to $7.55 bn from $7.2 bn during the previous financial year. Indian Railways aspires to add 1.5% to the country’s GDP by building infrastructure to support 40% modal freight share of the economy. Two Dedicated Freight Corridors (DFC), one on the Western route ( Jawaharlal Nehru Port to Dadri) and another on the Eastern route (Ludhiana to Dankuni), have been fast-tracked. The Indian Railways is looking electrify the entire network by 2025 which will lead to energy savings of $ 1.55Bn. India Railways is focused on: •

3,360 km dedicated freight corridors by 2020

•

700 stations to be fed with solar power in the medium term

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The Ministry of Railways has decided to redevelop 90 railway stations into worldclass transit hubs

•

Total 28 Projects of 1273 Km length got completed &commissioned during FY 2019-20

Track Renewal speeded up 2148 km old rails have been replaced with new rails upto November 2017

•

Indian Railways is the single largest employer in India and eighth largest in the world; employing close to 1.4 mn people.

Electric Traction of 2367 route kilometre has been achieved

Source: INVEST INDIA, Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Government of India

The Indian rail network is spread across 67,368 km (approximately 93,000 running track km) with about 7,300 stations. The railways run close to 13,000 passenger trains that carry over 23 mn passengers daily. The Indian Railways transported over 1,221.39MT of freight in 2019. •

Industry Scenario

AUGUST 2020

INDIA NEWS

INDEPENDENCE DAY

Greetings from prominent personalities

Mr Maha Sinnathamby, Chairman Springfield City Group It is my profound pleasure to wish everyone a very happy Independence Day. On this 74th anniversary of India’s freedom, we must recall the values and principles that form the core of India’s universal appeal and conduct. It is time to remember Mahatma Gandhi’s resolve and unwavering faith in non-violence and peace and his fortitude to take on the mighty British Empire and with no money and no army change the course of human history. India’s Independence Day is an occasion to take inspiration from Gandhi’s philosophy and help shape a better world for all. Stay safe, dream big and never give up. Jai Hind.

Mrs Archana Singh, Honorary Consul, Queensland As India celebrates another anniversary of independence, I offer my heartiest congratulations to one and all. India’s independence is a cause for celebration not just for India but for the whole world. India’s independence became a catalyst for many freedom struggles and civil rights movements all over the world. Mahatma Gandhi and his powerful message of Truth and Non-Violence are the lasting legacies of this great struggle which will continue to inspire humanity for all time to come. Jai Hind!

Dr Ram Mohan, Director Star Promotions I extend my warmest greetings to over 700,000 Indians in Australia and over 1.3 billion in India on the occasion of India’s Independence Day. May India’s global leadership reach greater heights and bilateral relations with Australia grow deeper and vibrant. We are deeply proud of the Indian community’s role in building a prosperous and multicultural Australia.

Mr Jim Varghese, National Chair, Australia India Business Council Today we celebrate India’s Independence Day. In the midst of Covid-19 India and Australia celebrate the signing of the landmark comprehensive strategic partnership agreement which embodies the economic determination and sovereignty of India 74 years after independence.Let us celebrate India’s Independence Day by promoting and nurturing business to business activities at all levels to grow the economies and social capital of India and Australia.

Mr Dipen Rughani, CEO, Newland Global Group On the 15th of August 1947, India became completely independent from British rule. Today we celebrate 74th anniversary of India’s independence. It is with a warm heart that I wish India and Indians across the world a very happy Independence Day. Also, in these unprecedented times, I urge you all to stay safe.

Mr Mannu Kala, General Manager, Medlab Pathology Regardless of where we live, India will always be our motherland. It has only taken 73 years since the independence for India to now be on the verge of becoming a global leader of the 21st century. Nothing makes me more proud to be of Indian heritage and a proud Australian. The bright future of the India/Australia socioeconomical relationship will be the key to Australia’s economic prosperity. I celebrate with every Indian and global Indian diaspora our Independence Day.

Mr Matthew Hayden, CEO, The Hayden’s Way I wish to congratulate India on celebrating the 74th Anniversary of Independence from the United Kingdom. Long may you individually and collectively strive for excellence aligning on shared values such as collaboration with Nations such as Australia, non-violence through the pursuit of happiness on point with purpose and growth of person and country through the notion of shared value. God bless and love.

Mr Samir Vora, Executive Director, Adani Australia I wish you and your loved ones a safe and happy 74thIndian Independence Day. As Australian citizens and residents, this joyous day is a time to proudly celebrate our Indian heritage, as well as the shared values of the two great democracies to which we belong.

Mr Shyam Das, President, Federation of Indian Community of Queensland As India celebrates 74th Independence Day on the 15th of August so does the Indian diaspora all over the world. In Australia the Indian diaspora will very proudly join the celebration and work together towards the development of bilateral relationship between Australia and India as both the countries share the common values . On behalf of FICQ and its member organisations I wish every Indian and Indian Diaspora a very happy India’s Independence Day . Let us all follow the idealism of Mahatma Gandhi , the main architect of India’s Independence through non-violence said quote “ There is no path to peace , peace is the only path . On this great occasion I on behalf of FICQ congratulate India News and Dr Ram Mohan and his team as well as extend our sincere greetings.

Dr Ashutosh Misra, CEO, Institute for Australia India Engagement Here’s wishing an auspicious, healthy and joyous 74th Independence Day to all our Indian brothers and sisters. May India come out of the current crisis quickly and continue with its role of shaping a peaceful, prosperous and a just world for all. Let us work towards promoting greater mutual understanding to shape more effective engagements.

Ms. Sonia Sadiq Gandhi, Director, Gandhi Creations Pty. Ltd & IABCA Independence Day holds a significant place in every overseas Indian’s life and the Indian diaspora from every corner of the globe celebrates this day with complete zeal and vigour. This 74th Indian Independence Day, let’s celebrate the freedom of spirit & thoughts. I salute all our soldiers who fight every day to keep our country safe. As a very proud Indian Australian, it is wonderful to reflect on my birth homeland India as One Nation. One Vision. One Identity.

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AUGUST 2020

INDIA NEWS

ENERGY & RESOURCES

Construction ramps up at Adani’s Carmichael mine

onstruction of Adani’s Carmichael Mine and Rail Project in central Queensland has now passed the 12-month mark and is advancing by the day. “Alongside our Liebherr R 996B excavator, the first five of our mining trucks are on site and operational, and the assembly of our second excavator will begin soon,” Adani Mining CEO David Boshoff said. “We’ve upgraded our airstrip to enable regular flights for workers from Townsville and Rockhampton, our mine accommodation village has been expanded to 400 beds, and, in line with our approval commitments, we’ve established best practice environmental monitoring systems. “We will bring more than a dozen additional mining trucks online in the coming months as the layers of overburden above the coal seams are taken away and we near export of our first coal in 2021. “We’re also adding to our workforce. There are now more than 700 people working on the construction of the mine and rail line, and skilled positions and new work packages continue to roll out as we head deeper into this exciting stage in the life of this project.

“We remain on track to deliver 1,500 direct and 6,750 indirect jobs.” When it is operational, the Carmichael Project will provide high-quality Australian coal for baseload electricity generation that supports India’s advancement, social progress and energy security. Adani’s 10 million tonne per annum thermal coal project is also one of the newer cogs in the machinery of the Australian resources industry that is helping to cushion the country from the worst of the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic. In May this year, the project awarded its largest construction contract to date – an AUD$350 million civil works package to Queensland-based BMD, taking the total value of contracts awarded since construction began in June 2019 to over AUD$1 billion. “We understand how important it is to continue our operations where safe and practicable to provide certainty of employment for our staff, contractors and the thousands of people across north and central Queensland who indirectly rely on our project for their livelihoods,” Mr Boshoff said.

“We were quick to action Queensland and Commonwealth government advice and implement strict measures to manage the risk of COVID-19 to our people and the communities in which we operate and we continue to update and refine those systems and processes based on the latest advice. “As a result, we’ve been able to continue the construction of the project and provide jobs and economic stimulus at a time when they are needed most.” The Adani Group is investing in a sustainable energy mix of coal and renewables to provide reliable and affordable base load power for developing nations, such as India. Recently, Adani Group company Adani Green Energy Limited (AGEL) announced that it has over 15GW of solar capacity under operation, construction or under contract, accelerating the Adani Group’s journey towards becoming the world’s largest renewables company by 2025. For more information about the Carmichael Project and to stay up to date with the latest news, connect with Adani Australia on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ adaniaustralia or www.linkedin. com/company/adani-australia

Australia

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AUGUST 2020

INDIA NEWS

BUSINESS AND POLITICS

ACT Election 2020: Despite decline in primary votes, Labor may win again An opinion poll survey carried out by uComms has revealed that the Labor party is still treading the path of victory despite a fall in first preference votes in the party’s favour and a rise in that of the Liberals’

Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory Andrew Barr

he 2020 general election for the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Legislative Assembly is scheduled for October 17, the uncertain atmosphere created by the Covid-19 pandemic notwithstanding. The ACT Election Commission is gearing itself up to ensure that all the norms of social distancing and sanitizing are followed at the polling booths, while the voters themselves are being encouraged to vote early. All the eligible members of the electorate will be

able to cast their votes between September 28 and October 17 to avoid overcrowding in any location.

almost 4% in its primary voting figures from 10.3 % in the last elections to 14%, according to the latest survey.

Second term likely for Andrew Barr-led government

In a bid to garner support of the electorate, Andrew Barr declared on 3rd August that if elected for a second term the party would launch a $150 million interest-free loan scheme for home owners with land value of up to $600,000 to provide financial assistance in installingrooftop solar panels, household battery storage and hot water heat pumps. He also added that this would help to generate almost 1200 new job opportunities.

One of the most influential public policy think tanks of the country, the Australia Institute, recently published the outcome of a pre-poll survey carried out by uComms, an Australian market research and analytics platform, over a cross section of 1049 ACT inhabitants on July 20. Interestingly, the first preference votes for the incumbent Labor party have dipped from 38.4 % in the 2016 elections to 37.5 % if the election were to happen now. However, this will still be enough to see them in the lead as the Green party, with whom the Australian Labor Party has been helming the ACT governance since the signing of a formal Parliamentary Agreement in 2016, has shown an impressive jump of

Overwhelming support for truth in political advertising The survey which was conducted primarily to comprehend public opinion regarding truth in political advertising revealed that almost 90 % of the ACT residents have an affirmative stance towards the implementation of such laws with the highest

proportion being Green voters, the figures being 94%, closely followed by 93% of those who are supporting independentsor others. Labor Party supporters stood at 91%, while those voting for the Liberals accounted for 84%. Liberals not close to forming government Although 38.2 % of the respondents claimed that they would cast their votes in favour of the Liberals, this 1.5 % increase as compared to the previous elections in which the party was led by the erstwhile opposition leader Jeremy Hanson will not be enough for them to topple the ruling party. Thus, the Liberals now spearheaded by Alistair Coe will once again find themselves in the role of the Opposition. However, the Liberals have promised a slew of measures with one of the most ambitious ones being their declaration to increase tree cover by planting

one million trees as according to Coe there are many areas like the Woden town centre and the Gungahlin town centre where green space is blatantly deficient. But the ACT government has been critical of what according to them is an unrealistic and unfeasible plan with no clarity on the strategy to achieve it. Youngest voters exhibit strong inclination for Labor Party While the Liberals are the uncontested favourites among the voters above 65 years with approximately 42% expressing support for them, the youngest age group comprising those aged between 18 and 34 years are strongly inclined to vote for the Labor party as 41 % answered that they would definitely vote for the incumbents. As far as the Greens are concerned, they appeared to be a popular choice for the 35-50 years age group. By Deepika Banerjee

AIBC announces Agribusiness chapter launch, highlights growing trade opportunities between India and Australia The latest AIBC webinar on July 30 brought together a panel of expert speakers to announce the launching of the Agribusiness chapter which would capitalize on the increasing avenues of Australian agribusiness in the vast Indian market

he monumental June 4 virtual summit between PM Morrison and his Indian counterpart PM Modi set into motion a myriad of opportunities between both the democratic nations with the long-awaited materialization of the nine Comprehensive Strategic Partnership agreements. Among these one of the most pivotal is the agreement on Agriculture Cooperation and Water resources management which promises opportunities for both the Australian and Indian economies, especially since it is being expected strongly that growth in this sector will continue unabated even in the following year despite the uncertainties surrounding the Covid-19 impact in the near future. The Australia India Business Council (AIBC), which is always at the forefront in identifying and facilitating trade opportunities between the two nations, conducted a webinar on July 30 to launch the Agribusiness Chapter. The participants included key note speakers and panelists comprising Jim Varghese AM, National Chair AIBC; Con Livissianis, Chair AIBC Agribusiness Chapter; David Littleproud, Minister for Agriculture, Drought and Emergency Management; Manish Gupta, Consul General of India, Sydney; Adrian Murphy, President, Grains Industry

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Association of Victoria; Manek Gupta, Managing Director, Glencore Agriculture India, Indian Pulses and Grains Association; Anthony Russell, Executive Manager, Grains Industry Market Access Forum; Shantha Devi Raman, Senior Partner, Law Offices of India, New Delhi; Peter Creaser, Assistant Secretary, Biosecurity Plant Division, Department of Agriculture; and Sumit Rao, Director, Imperial Malt Limited, Haryana, India. Emergence of feasible opportunities for Australian farming ventures Acting as moderators, Jim Varghese AM, National Chair AIBC, and Con Livissianis, Chair AIBC Agribusiness Chapter,averred that the time was ripe for Australian farming businesses to look towards India as a potential and feasible market with a wide array of opportunities in areas of food products, agricultural machinery, food processing, food wastage, supply chain, storage and logistics and water management, and harvesting. A stupendous growth in the Agribusiness sector in India being almost a foregone conclusion in the near future, AIBC must be proactive in identifying and forging ties with strategic partners in India for Australian Agribusiness. Citing the Barley Crisis and the Cotton Crisis, both Varghese and Livissianis stated that

collaboration and cooperation need to be fostered with the latter specifically pointing towards the necessity to address the tariff barriers so that Australia can find a perfect substitute in India as they move away from China following the rise in ideological differences between Australia and China. David Littleproud, Minister for Agriculture, Drought and Emergency Management acknowledged that formalizing the comprehensive trade agreement with India will be mutually beneficial and also said that Agricultural Research and Development, water irrigation and supply chains were key areas in which Australia needs to ramp up its efforts to partner with India. Potential role of AIBC in promoting foreign trade in Agriculture sector Lauding the efforts of AIBC, Adrian Murphy, Grains Industry Association of Victoria, stated that the organization must play a key role in building closer ties between importers and exporters of agri-products and work towards promoting the supply of Australian barley in India. He emphasized that Australia’s pledge to provide quality agricultural products gives them an even stronger footing to add value to the Indian agricultural sector. To ensure that this potential becomes a reality, AIBC

is in an ideal position to act as a mediator and facilitator. Growing market for certain agricultural products and other allied areas Giving an in-depth analysis of the bilateral trade figures of grains, pulses, chickpeas, barley and cotton, Manek Gupta, Glencore Agriculture India, opined that there will be further opportunities in the trade of pulses, grain and cotton. In a similar vein, Anthony Russell, Executive Manager, Grains Industry Market Access Forum, also identified the potential market for pulses as well as the increasing opportunities to upgrade Indian supply chain, grain storage management and food security. However, he feels that the obstacles facing Australian agribusiness in dealing with its Indian counterpart are tariffs and fumigation methods. Apart from this, Sumit Rao, Director, Imperial Malt Limited, Haryana, India, also shared his views about the inclining opportunities for Australian barley in India and supported his assertion by providing a brief overview of the Indian barley market. Conducive measures in the Indian Agricultural Sector Manish Gupta, Consul General of India, Sydney, shared the news about the Indian Government’s decision to launch the National

Agricultural Market and reforms in policies that would encourage optimum investment in Agri e-commerce. Recognizing Australia’s potential to play a major role in strengthening the agricultural sector, he welcomed constructive efforts by India and Australia to collaborate in priority areas such as Agri research, Water management, B2B partnerships and Start-ups. Stringent Indian laws to protect Australian patents Shantha Devi Raman, Law Offices of India, delineated the various Indian laws that are in place to ensure the security of Australian patents and intellectual property of the Australian Agri products in India, extension of patents and Intellectual Property, and overriding provisions of World Trade Organization agreement. She also added that these will not only safeguard enforceability but also deal with infringements effectively. Significant progress in tackling bio-security issues Peter Creaser, Assistant Secretary, Biosecurity Plant Division, Department of Agriculture, on an optimistic note stated that there had been noticeable advancement in dealing with bio-security issues and laid stress on the importance of threat assessment processes for agricultural products, in coming up with the requisite measures.

AUGUST 2020

INDIA NEWS

NEWS FROM AUSTRALIA

Cyber Security Strategy 2020: $200 million Strong online security for families investment in building acceleration and businesses fund to boost jobs, says Cameron Dick

criminal activity on the dark web. The Minister for Home Affairs Peter Dutton said the protection of children and the Australian community from reprehensible criminal activity remains the government’s highest priority. “Paedophiles are targeting kids online in chat groups. Cyber criminals are scamming money off our elderly by stealing their internet banking details and businesses are being locked out of their systems by ransomware attacks,” Dutton said.

investment in the long term.“Post COVID-19 infrastructure investment will play a critical role in facilitating economic recovery” he said. A similar programme in 2017 delivered $3 of private sector investment for every $1 from the government and delivered hundreds of jobs.

Treasurer and Minister for Infrastructure and Planning Cameron Dick MP Brisbane: The Palaszczuk Government has unveiled a $200 million catalytic infrastructure initiative to accelerate the plan to unite and recover for Queensland jobs. Treasurer and Minister for Infrastructure and Planning Cameron Dick said the Building Acceleration Fundwill work in partnership with councils, property developers and industry to accelerate projects that unlock development, increasing construction activity and supporting long-term jobs. “Our plan to unite and recover for Queensland jobs is focused on working with businesses large and small, boost private sector investment to speed up our economic recovery,” the Treasurer said.“Funding catalytic infrastructure creates jobs in the short term and unlocks private

State Development Minister Kate Jones said applications for funding through the Building Acceleration Fund would open soon for projects ready to commence construction within 12 months of funding approval, that demonstrate substantial flowon economic benefits to local communities. Member for Logan Linus Power said the Building Acceleration Fund would provide a vital kickstart for employment throughout the broader Logan community. Queensland Executive Director of the Property Council, Chris Mountford, said that the fund was vital and had unique job creating potential that would help Queensland bounce back from the impact of COVID-19. Lendlease Qld Head of Development, Guy Gibson, said supporting infrastructure for communities like Yarrabilba is vital to properly accommodate the continued growth of the region. “Today’s announcement is an important milestone in ensuring that these major projects will continue to be well planned and appropriately serviced.”

Prime Minister Scott Morrison (C), Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack (L) and Treasurer Josh Frydenberg (R) at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, Jan 6, 2020 (Xinhua-IANS) Canberra (PM Joint Media Release): The Morrison Government’s 2020 Cyber Security Strategy outlines how to keep Australian families and businesses secure online, protect and strengthen the security and resilience of Australia’s critical infrastructure and ensure law enforcement agencies have the powers and technical capabilities to detect, target, investigate and disrupt cybercrime, including on the dark web. The 2020 Cyber Security Strategy is the largest ever Australian government’s financial commitment to cyber security and builds on the strong foundations established by its predecessor.The Strategy invests $1.67 billion to build new cybersecurity and law enforcement capabilities, protects the essential services, assists businesses to protect themselves and raises the community’s understanding of how to be secure online. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the role of the Australian government is to keep Australians safe, and it is important nowto protect Australians online from those who seek to harm them. “The 2020 Strategy means that cyber security is a fundamental part of everyday life, so Australians can reap the benefits of the Internet and the

digital economy safely, and with confidence,” the Prime Minister said. “The digital economy is the future of Australia’s economy. This has been demonstrated by the coronavirus pandemic. We are seeing how much Australians are interacting online – for work, healthcare, education, entertainment and shopping.We want to enlist all Australians in the fight to create a more cyber safe Australia – you are our secret weapon in our cyber security strategy. And we want to give you the tools to protect your family and your business,” said the Prime Minister. “We will protect our vital infrastructure and services from cyber-attacks. We will support businesses to protect themselves so that they can succeed in the digital economy. We will track criminals in the darkest corners of the internet to protect our families and children,” the Prime Minister said. The Government is determined to disrupt the serious criminal activity saturating the dark web. The Government will introduce legislation to bolster the powers of the Australian Federal Police and Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission to identify individuals and their networks engaging in serious

“Families and businesses are all spending more time working and studying online and we need to make it safer. They are stealing the identities and data from unsuspecting Australians. We will continue to ensure that agencies have the powers and capabilities they need to identify and disrupt threats to the safety of Australians – particularly children, the most vulnerable members of our community,” Dutton said. Not all cyber security risks can be addressed by the government. The strategy outlines steps businesses of all sizes can take to protect themselves and their customers. To support improved cyber security in the community, the government will: •

Expand efforts to raise awareness of cyber security threats and drive uptake of safe and secure online behaviours across the community;

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Expand 24/7 cyber security advice hotline for families and older Australians;

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Increase funding for victim support; and

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Introduce a voluntary Internet of Things Code of Practice to help consumers make informed purchasing decisions.

Minister for Home Affairs Peter Dutton said reforms to strengthen the security and resilience of Australia’s critical infrastructure would significantly boost Australia’s ability to deter, prevent and respond to the most significant cyber-attacks.

Australia committed to coronavirus suppression strategy, says PM Morrison Canberra/IANS: Prime Minister Scott Morrison has declared that the National Cabinet is committed to a suppression strategy in response to COVID-19. Despite calls for Australia to adopt an “elimination” strategy similar

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to that of New Zealand, Morrison said that the National Cabinet -- which is composed of the PM and state and territory leaders -- on July 24 recommitted to suppression as its lead strategy, Xinhua news agency reported.

“A couple of other points that were agreed on today was an affirmation of the suppression strategy that we’ve been working to nationally now for many, many months from the outset,” Morrison told reporters after the National Cabinet meeting.

The National Cabinet also on July 24 agreed to fast-track 15 major infrastructure projects to tackle rising unemployment and to greater data sharing between governments on COVID-19 to track and document the virus.

Paul Kelly, the acting Chief Medical Officer, said that under the agreement, federal authorities would receive more “granular” data on state and territory testing regimes.

AUGUST 2020

INDIA NEWS

NEWS FROM AUSTRALIA

Government provides relief to Victorian families and childcare workers Canberra: The Morrison Government has stepped up to provide childcare relief for thousands of Victorian families while ensuring services can remain viable and staff are retained during the Stage four lockdown. Now Victorian Government’s restrictions mean children, except for vulnerable children and those of permitted workers, in metropolitan Melbourne will no longer be able to attend childcare for six weeks. To ease the burden, the Morrison Government will invest $33 million so that childcare services remain open for vulnerable families and permitted workers, while helping Victorian parents keep their child’s enrolment while they must keep their child at home. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the Government had listened and responded with support to help Victorians get through their second, more difficult, lockdown.

To further assist services to keep workers employed, the government will provide $16.3 million to fund a higher Transition Payment of 30 per cent of pre-COVID revenue for Melbourne childcare services. The government will provide a further $16 million to fund an additional top-up payment for eligible services that receive low CCS payments and are experiencing very low attendance. Minister for Education Dan Tehan said the Morrison Government had worked closely with the sector and the Victorian Government to understand the impact of the extended lockdown measures on families, workers and services.

By increasing the number of allowable absence days, the government can continue to pay its contribution to services through the Child Care Subsidy (CCS), which can be up to 85 per cent of the total cost of care. This will guarantee revenue to childcare services through the government’s CCS contribution, even if children are not attending care.

COVID-19. •

•

Several measures have been announced to support Victorian families and child care providers, including: •

Melbourne families in Stage Four lockdown will receive an additional 30 days, or six weeks, of allowable absences from childcare. In conjunction with the gap fee waiver, families should not be charged fees for keeping their children at home and so they will not have to withdraw from the system.

PM Scott Morrison

•

Child care providers who signed up are receiving an additional Transition Payment of 25 per cent of their fee revenue during the relief package reference period (17 February to 1 March) from 13 July until 27 September, which is estimated to deliver $708 million to providers. Families experiencing financial hardship, for example through a loss of income, may be eligible for additional support through the Additional Child Care Subsidy (temporary financial hardship). Up to 31 December, child care services that are open in areas subject to stage 3 or higher ‘stay at home’ restrictions can waive families’ out of pocket fees for families where a child is not attending due to

•

Up to 31 December, child care services are able to waive families’ out of pocket fees if the service is forced to close on public health advice due to COVID-19. We are providing about $6 million to support Outside School Hours Care (OSHC) services to continue providing care for the children of essential workers and vulnerable children. The activity test to access the Child Care Subsidy has been eased until 4 October to support eligible families whose employment has been impacted as a result of COVID-19. Families will receive up to 100 hours per fortnight of subsidised care during this period. This will assist families to return to the level of work, study or training they were undertaking before COVID-19.

•

Under transition arrangements already in place, service fees remain frozen at pre-COVID levels.

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The support package is in addition to the $511 million already provided to Victoria through the Early Childhood Education and Care Relief Package.

Victoria at war with COVID-19 pandemic: Treasurer Josh Frydenberg Canberra/IANS: Australian Treasurer Josh Frydenberg on August 3 said the state of Victoria was at “war” with the COVID-19 pandemic as it continued to be the worst-hit with the number of confirmed cases increasing at an alarming rate. Due to the grim situation, Victoria on August 2 entered a State of Disaster, which saw its capital city of Melbourne moving to Stage 4 restrictions that included a curfew from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. and other stronger rules in a bid to limit the movement of people and the spread of the virus, Xinhua news agency reported. These changes, announced by Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews, will be in place for at least the next six weeks until September 13. “Nobody wanted it to come to this, we very much feel like it’s a warlike situation with every Victorian on the frontline,” Frydenberg, the MP for Kooyong in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs, told Sky News. “Last night’s news that we will be hit with stage four restrictions, curfews, school closures and more constraints on people’s movement is going to hit Victorians really hard. “We can’t afford holes in our defence, and that’s why

Treasurer Josh Frydenburg everyone needs to follow these new rules. “Just a few people can endanger many and that’s the harsh reality of what we find ourselves in in Victoria,” he added. On August 2, Victoria accounted for 98 per cent of Australia’s new cases and in the seven days to August 2, it averaged 518 new cases. The Treasurer further confirmed that the stricter lockdown would exacerbate the impact of the pandemic on the Australian economy. “This is a massive kick in the guts for Victorian businesses. We all want to get to the other side of the coronavirus, no one wanted to see the new cases increase as they have, so everyone recognizes that we must try to do everything to get this under control,” he said.

Campaign encourages Australians to share WWII veterans’ stories Canberra: In the lead up to the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, Australians are encouraged to capture and share the stories of Australia’s World War Two veterans as part of the Federal Government’s #OneInAMillion campaign. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the campaign is a way for every generation of Australians to learn about Australia’s veterans and also about their own family history. “From the declaration of war in

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1939, to the long awaited words of Prime Minister Ben Chifley, “the war is over” on 15 August 1945, almost one million Australians served in the Second World War,” Morrison said.

story of his grandfather, Gunner Leslie Smith who served in the 2nd/5th Field Regiment with Sir Roden Cutler in the Middle East before returning to the Pacific theatre in PNG and Borneo.

“This service was at a time when our national population was only seven million people, making their story truly remarkable, and their service and sacrifice something we should never forget,” Morrison reminded.

Australians can participate in the #OneInAMillion: Wall of Respect project by posting to their social media an image of them holding a photo of a family member who served in the Second World War, with the hashtag #OneInAMillion.

To launch the #OneInAMillion campaign, Morrison shared the

Minister for Veterans’ Affairs

Darren Chester encouraged all Australians to listen to these stories of inspiration and courage of Australian men and women when faced with the unthinkable. “The Second World War’s impact on Australians was far-reaching and has surrounded us with many truly powerful and unique stories of service,” Chester said. During the Second World War, some 39,000 Australians lost their lives during the war, many more were wounded. More than 30,000 Australian

service men and women, along with some civilians, were taken prisoner or were interned in the Second World War. To learn more about the Australian Government’s commemorations and the #OneInAMillion campaign or the 75 days, 75 stories series, visit the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War page on the Department of Veterans’ Affairs website and follow the Commemorations and War Graves Facebook and Twitter pages.

AUGUST 2020

INDIA NEWS

WORLD

WORLD THIS WEEK Chrishari de Alwis Gunasekare, Sourina Bej, Aparupa Bhattacherjee, Harini Madhusudan Contributed by National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bengaluru*

Sri Lanka: Parliamentary elections held amidst COVID-19; Rajapaksas win ‘supermajority’ What happened? The General Election in Sri Lanka to form a new Parliament, which was initially scheduled for April and then postponed to June, was finally held on 5 August, 2020. Despite experiencing a second wave of the coronavirus in mid-July, the voting took place as planned under strict health guidelines and safety measures on the scheduled date. Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa declared victory and is likely to appoint his brother Mahinda Rajapaksa as the prime minister, who has held the role of caretaker since November last year. Their party, Sri Lanka People’s Front, won two-thirds “super majority” of seats needed to form the government. What is the background? First, the uncertainties surrounding the elections. After the Presidential elections in 2019 bought Gotabaya Rajapaksa to power, the opposition-controlled Parliament was dissolved in March 2020. Initially, the 16th Parliamentary election of Sri Lanka was scheduled in April. However, with the spread of the coronavirus pandemic and an island-wide curfew in effect, the Election Commission postponed the elections indefinitely, despite the President’s insistence to hold the election as scheduled. Since the constitution calls for a dissolved Parliament to be replaced within the three months, the Election Commission decided to open the polls on 20 June in order to avert a constitutional crisis. However, the election again had to be rescheduled to 5 August. Second, a look at the contending political parties. The political party with the highest stake in this election was Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) led by the Rajapaksas. The Opposition, on the other hand, was fractured; it was divided between the United National Party (UNP) under former Prime Minister Wickremesinghe and the newly formed Samagi Jana Balavegaya (SJB) under the leadership of Sajith Premadasa, which is a breakaway group of UNP. This significantly weakened both parties as neither was able to secure the required number of

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Parliamentary seats to challenge SLPP. Besides these parties, the Leftist party Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna ( JVP), now reformed as an alliance named Jathika Jana Balavegaya (NPP) and the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) were smaller parties. Third, the election campaign during the pandemic. The campaigning for the general elections took place in a subdued manner as the Covid-19 Pandemic prevented the candidates from conducting mass rallies. Most activities were conducted through social media, advertisements and through a door to door campaigning in strict compliance with health guidelines, as the candidates tried to connect with the voters from their electorates.

Italy: Former Interior Minister Matteo Salvini to go on trial for blocking ship carrying migrants

What happened? The Senate in on 30 July voted to lift the immunity of former interior minister and the leader of the opposition Matteo Salvini, thereby initiating a possible trial against the minister for refusing to let a ship carrying 150 migrants dock in Italy in 2019. The prosecutors initiated the charge against the minister in Sicily. They have sought to bring accountability to Salvini’s policy to illegally detain the migrants on a ship operated by a Spanish charity. The trial could start later this year in Sicily, the place where the boat eventually docked after almost three weeks at sea in 2019. What is the background? First, Italy is in the front line of two overlapping crises- migration and pandemic. The initiation of the trial against Salvini comes at a time when the country is facing a dual crisis of incoming migrants and the pandemic. Italy has been one of the southern European countries in the front line of Europe’s migration crisis from 2014 to 2017, with thousands of migrants and refugees arriving by boat from Libya. In the first quarter of 2020, ever since the pandemic started, about 12,500 migrants have arrived in Italy by sea. As the migrants keep arriving, the country has an added burden of screening a larger number of people. Also, with a dozen of Bangladeshis migrants (who have arrived in Italy legally) testing positive for the virus, Italy

is grappling with imposing the quarantine rules. The migrant centres are filled beyond their capacity with a risk of contagion. In order to stop the spread of the virus, the government has continued to impose strictest initial quarantine rules in the migrant centres leading many to break out. The Italian government had to deploy soldiers in one of the migrant centres in Sicily to stop the breakouts. Second, the trial is politically motivated but first to bring to justice an anti-immigration policy. As an interior minister from 2018 to 2019, Salvini pursued an antiimmigration policy that drew both criticism and applause. While he was globally criticized for his pushback and denying entry to migrants, domestically, he had the public support who continues to view the migrant influx as a reason for an economic burden. In his tenure, Salvini refused docking rights to several ships captained by Spanish charity nongovernmental organizations. The present trial charge follows another trial he was slated to face for one of the other ships he declined entry to. The Senate, however, upheld his immunity, in that case, thereby making this case the first when Salvini will have to justify his policy in court. The Senate’s decision to lift Salvini’s immunity this time is also because his anti-immigration policy had led to a split in the ruling coalition. As he left the government in 2019 to join the Opposition, the ruling coalition has since grappled with falling approval ratings but still remains one of the strongest political alliance in the country.

Vietnam: The second wave

What happened? After a gap of three months, Vietnam has declared a highalert due to the rising number of coronavirus cases in the country. Till date, more than 30 cases reported including in its capital Hanoi and business capital Ho Chi Minh City. On 29 July, Nguyen Xuan Phuc, the Prime Minister, warned the country and stated that every city and province are at risk and warned that this “new” wave is stronger than the previous one. What is the background? First, Vietnam has been revered globally as a success story. A centralized quarantine programme and an aggressive contact tracking system have been the reasons for success. During the first wave in February, Vietnam managed to keep its tally to total 450 cases, with zero fatality and none reported to be locally transmitted infections. This was commendable due to two reasons; one, Vietnam is a highly populated country

with 95 million people. Second, although it shares a border with China, which has been the source country of the virus, it decided to take a risk and did not close the border unlike the rest of China’s neighbours. Second, the eagerness to revive the economy could have backfired. Vietnam’s enthusiasm and desperation to open were aided by its initial success and the need to sustain its economy. Vietnam, in June, started domestic travel, schools, and offices. Along with the opening of the job sector, the government to boost the slugging tourism industry encouraged discounts on travel and stay and also provided an incentive for people to travel. This explains the large crowd in Da Nang, a popular tourist destination of Vietnam. Third, Vietnam is not the only country, to start the process to return to normalcy. Several other countries, even with a growing number of cases, are compelled to do so due to the negative impact of the pandemic on the economy. This could be one of the reasons for the second wave in most of the countries around the globe.

ALSO IN THE NEWS

Hong Kong: Elections postponed by a year Citing the risks to the health of the citizens and the third-wave of the pandemic as a reason, Carrie Lam invoked emergency powers to postpone Hong Kong Legislative Council polls by a year. This announcement was made one day after the election officials in Hong Kong banned 12 pro-democracy activists from contesting in the elections. Though there was a denial of any pollical motive in the delaying of elections, many believe that the postponement has to do with the recent security law and the arrests. Afghanistan: More than 1200 civilians killed in Afghanistan during Jan-June 2020 A UN report published on 27 July, states that there were 1,282 civilian deaths in the first half of 2020, and 2,176 wounded. The report says Taliban and Islamic State are behind 58 per cent of these attacks and the pro-government forces were responsible for 23 per cent of them. Though the numbers this year show a thirteen per cent decrease in the deaths compared to 2019, these numbers are despite heightened efforts to achieve peace in Afghanistan. Pakistan: Government presents an ordinance on the Kulbhushan Jadhav Case The government passed the ICJ Ordinance 2020 before the National Assembly, to allow consular access in-line with the ICJ verdict. Pakistan court

Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini speaks at the Palazzo del Quirinale in Rome, Italy, on Aug. 28, 2019 announced the formation of two-member bench to hear the case and review the petition filed by the Pakistan government. The bench comprising Islamabad High Court (IHC) Chief Justice Athar Minallah and his fellow judge Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb would take up the government plea on 3 August. The United States: American’s views on China sores, according to a survey According to a new Pew Research Centre survey, unfavourable views of China reach a new high, with the majority supporting a tougher stand on human rights. The survey conducted between 16 June and 14 July among 1,003 adults in the United States, finds that while Republicans and Democrats both have negative views of China and are critical of Beijing’s handling of the coronavirus, and the criticism is more prevalent among Republicans. More Americans also think the US should hold China responsible for the role it played in the outbreak of the coronavirus than think this should be overlooked in order to maintain strong bilateral economic ties. Europe: The EU restricts exporting surveillance technology to Hong Kong The member states agreed to a package of measures as a response to the National Security Law in Hong Kong that the bloc believes would extensively erode people’s rights and freedoms. The European Union announced export restrictions to Hong Kong of any equipment that can be used for “internal repression, interception of internal communications or cyber surveillance,” as measures, Germany announced that it would now treat Hong Kong like it treats mainland China. Chrishari de Alwis Gunasekare, postgraduate scholar UMISARC, Pondicherry University; Sourina Bej Project Associate, NIAS; Aparupa Bhattacherjee and Harini Madhusudan, PhD scholars, School of Conflict and Security Studies, NIAS. *The report has been modified due to editorial considerations by INDIA NEWS

AUGUST 2020

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In breakthrough for Indian Americans, Biden picks Harris as vice president nominee New York (IANS): Democratic Party presidential candidate Joe Biden has selected Kamala Devi Harris as the nominee for vice president in a historic move that marks a breakthrough for Indian Americans in US politics. “I have the great honour to announce that I’ve picked @ KamalaHarris - a fearless fighter for the little guy, and one of the country’s finest public servants - as my running mate,” Biden tweeted August 11 afternoon, ending weeks of speculation. Harris highlights the quintessential American immigrant story as the daughter of Shyamala Gopalan, a cancer researcher from India, and Donald Harris, an African Jamaican economics professor. Her grandfather P V Gopalan was an Indian freedom-fighter, who became a civil servant and was assigned by the Indian government to help Zambia deal with its refugee problem in the late 1960s. The post of vice president is described as “heartbeat away” from the presidency and she is the first non-White candidate for the job and the third woman from a major party. If elected, at 78 years Biden would be the oldest to assumes the office in 2018 while Harris would be only 55. Besides being “simpatico” to Biden, one of the criteria for the Democrat vice president slot was the ability to step into the top job at a moment’s notice. Harris is a senator a former

attorney general of California. She has domestic experience as the top law official of California, the largest US state, and a national senator, and gained foreign policy expertise working on the senate’s Select Committee on Intelligence and the Homeland Security Committee. Harris ran for the Democratic presidential nomination herself against Biden - and nearly a score of others - in the initial phase of the race. In a debate of Democratic candidates she lanced into Biden bringing up his record on racism because of his old history of supporting racial school segregation. That performance initially led to her surge in the polls and a slump for Biden. But her jump in the polls was short-lived and she dropped out of the race for the Democratic presidential nomination. Some months later, she endorsed Biden. Despite her mixed parentage, Harris is presented as an African American, meeting the current party sentiment driven by the movement against discrimination against African Americans and police brutality. Several African American leaders, representing the most important party bloc, had insisted that Biden, who had pledged to have a woman as his running mate, select a Black woman. Harris embraces the African American identity as her primary one, writing in her memoir “The Truths We Hold” that her mother “knew that her adopted homeland would see (sister) Maya

and me as Black girls and she was determined to make sure we would grow into confident, proud black women.” Her parents divorced when she was seven years old and she and her younger sister were raised by their mother. She wrote in her memoir that they were also “raised with a strong awareness of and appreciation for Indian culture,” crediting her grandparents from Chennai and aunts and uncle for it. While she was running for the presidential nomination, she made a video on cooking masala dosai with Indian American actor-director Mindy Kaling highlighting the other side of her genetic heritage. Explaining his pick, Biden refers to her association with his late son Beau, who was the attorney general of Delaware state. He tweeted, “Back when Kamala was Attorney General, she worked closely with Beau. I watched as they took on the big banks, lifted up working people, and protected women and kids from abuse. I was proud then, and I’m proud now to have her as my partner in this campaign.” With her prosecutorial background, Harris would be a formidable debater, which would fill out a weak point for Biden, and be able to take on US President Donald Trump and overwhelm his mild-mannered Vice President Mike Pence. She has put Trump administration officials and other witnesses on the spot while

UNSC to focus on counterterrorism issues in August United Nations (IANS): UN Security Council (UNSC) is expected to have focus on counter-terrorism issues in August, it was reported. The Council will hold a ministerial-level open debate on “the linkages between terrorism and transnational organized crime” on August 6, Dian Triansyah Djani, permanent representative of Indonesia to the UN and president of the Council for the month of August, said at a virtual press conference on the Council’s program of work on August 3. There will also be a briefing on Secretary-Gneral’s biannual strategic-level report on the threat posed by the Islamic State terror group on August 24, reports Xinhua news agency. The Council’s other open debate is “pandemics and the challenges to peacebuilding and sustaining peace”. The likely briefers include Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, former SecretaryGeneral Ban Ki-moon and Sarah Cliffe, director of New York University’s Center on International Cooperation, according to the program of work. Several regular Middle East meetings are on the program of www.indianews.com.au

Photo taken on Oct 2, 2019 shows a UN Security Council meeting on peace and security in Africa at the UN headquarters in New York work as well. national archives. There will be the three monthly Meetings in open and closed Syria meetings: open and closed format are also planned ahead video-conferences on the political of adoptions to renew the UN and humanitarian situation and a missions in Lebanon and Somalia. closed VTC on the use of chemical An adoption is also expected to weapons. renew the Mali sanctions regime, as well as the mandate of its Panel The monthly meetings on of Experts. developments in Yemen and on the situation in the Middle The Council will be watching East, including the Palestinian developments in Burundi, Iran, Question, are also planned in Libya, Myanmar and Sudan, as both open and closed format. well as those related to the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, and In addition, the Council will additional meetings may be added meet for a briefing on recent as necessary, the SCR said. developments in Iraq and on the two latest secretary-general’s Indonesia, the fourth most reports, on the UN Assistance populous country on earth Mission in Iraq and on the issue after China, India, and the US, of missing Kuwaiti and thirdhas been elected four times as country nationals and missing non-permanent member to the Kuwaiti property, including the Security Council.

grilling them like a prosecutor during senate hearings. A contribution to the Democratic campaign - even at the risk of antagonising the ascendant left in the party - is her strong stand on law and order, but combined with racial empathy for Blacks. She said that Black communities wanted policing, but not police brutality. That is important as it will be an antidote to Trump’s campaign highlighting the upsurge of crime and attacks on police following the Democratic Party members’ efforts to cut funding for police and even shutting down police departments. As California attorney general and before that the top prosecutor for San Francisco, Harris had a reputation of being tough on crime, while also introducing some reforms. US President Donald Trump’s campaign immediately launched an attack on her labelling her “phony Kamala,” a monicker he will likely repeat in a demeaning way. The tweet carried on Trump’s account said that Biden was describing himself as a “transition candidate” and that he was “handing over the reins to Kamala Harris while they jointly embrace the radical left.” At a news conference on Tuesday, he said said that she had been “nasty” to Biden and denounced her as a “tax-raiser” who will slash the budget for the military. But when he was still a real estate businessman, Trump had

Senator Kamala Harris of California (Xinhua-IANS) donated a total of $6,000 in 2011 and 2013 to Harris’s campaign for California attorney general. She also got an unusual endorsement from Trump, who told reporters when speculation mounted on her candidacy, “I think she’d be a fine choice.” Former President Barack Obama said that his vice president Biden “nailed it” by picking Harris. She is the “ideal partner to help him tackle the very real challenges America faces right now and in the years ahead,” he said. A tipoff that she may be the vice president candidate came on Tuesday morning in the Democratic Party National Convention schedule that listed her as the speaker in the last session just before the Biden family and his acceptance speech. The two other slates on which women were vice presidential candidates - Democrat Geraldine Ferraro in 1984 and Republican Sarah Palin in 2008 - were both defeated. Harris is married to Douglas Emhoff, a lawyer, and a stepmother to his two children from his previous marriage.

Govt asks Pak to desist from inciting communal tensions in India New Delhi/Islamabad (IANS): The government on August 6 asked Pakistan to desist from inciting communal tensions in India with its provocative statements on its internal matters. Pakistan on Wednesday had strongly condemned the ‘bhumipujan’ ceremony for the construction of the grand Ram temple in Ayodhya. In response to media queries on the issue, the official spokesperson of the External Affairs Ministry, Anurag Srivastava, said on August 6, “We have seen the press statement by the Islamic Republic of Pakistan on a matter internal to India.” Issuing a warning to Pakistan, the spokesperson said that it should “desist from interfering in India’s affairs and refrain from communal incitement.” “While this is not a surprising stance from a nation that practices cross-border terrorism and denies its own minorities their religious rights, such comments are nevertheless deeply regrettable,” he added. The Pakistan government led

Ministry of External Affairs official spokesperson Anurag Srivastava (Photo - twitter@ MEAIndia) by Imran Khan had claimed in an official statement on August 5 that the Ram temple was being constructed “on the site where the historic Babri Masjid stood for around five centuries. Calling the Indian Supreme Court judgement, which paved the way for construction of the temple, “flawed”, Islamabad said that “it not only reflected the preponderance of faith over justice but also the growing majoritarianism in today’s India, where minorities, particularly Muslims and their places of worship, are increasingly under attack.”

AUGUST 2020

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Beirut blasts toll reaches 135, state of emergency declared

A gigantic video display of Ram and the proposed temple in Ayodhaya that was put up on New York_s Times Square on Aug 5 was turned off after protests from Islamic groups (Photo Twitter)

Ayodhya temple foundation celebrated in NY despite ban on video display New York (IANS): Hindus and their supporters in New York City celebrated the laying of the foundation stone for the Ram temple in Ayodhya, ignoring a ban on a video marking the occasion due to pressure from an Islamic group. About 1,000 people turned up for the celebration on August 5 evening singing ‘bhajans’ and chanting at a traffic island on Times Square, while two groups of protesters lined up on either side to heckle them. Earlier, a large video display of Ram and the temple being built in Ayodhya was turned off following protests from a Muslim group claiming it was political. However, a video display announcing “Kashmir Siege Day” flashed across from where the Ram Janmabhoomi video was to have been shown. The celebrations were organised by the Ram Janma Bhoomi Shilanyas Celebrations Committee of USA (RJBSCC). The participants distributed sweets as Times Square echoed with the “Jai Shri Ram” slogan. A group of Khalistanis and

Pakistanis stood on one side of the traffic island and protesters from the South Asian Solidarity Initiative and the Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC) stood on the opposite side shouting slogans flanking the celebration. RJBSCC Chairman Jagdish Sewhani told IANS: “We have come to Times Square to celebrate the historic occasion of the start of the building of the sacred temple. We are not bothered by the display being shut down because we are full of joy that our goal of seeing a temple build on the holy ground is becoming a reality. What they do means nothing to us.” He said that after running the display for several hours in the morning, the company that had the video system turned it off when Muslim groups protested saying they do not allow political advertising, even though the display did not have any political message but was purely spiritual with only a large image of Ram and the temple being built and no text.

Beirut (IANS): The death toll from the two deadly explosions at the Beirut port has increased to 135, while the Lebanese cabinet has declared a state of emergency in the capital city of two weeks. he new toll was confirmed on August 5 by Health Ministry Hamad Hassan, Xinhua news agency reported. He added that the number of the injured persons currently stood at 5,000. Meanwhile, the state of emergency will be under the supervision of the Lebanese army who will maintain security in the city. Primary information has revealed that 2,700 tonnes ammonium nitrate stored since 2014 in warehouse No. 12 at the port might have caused the explosions on August 4 evening. The cabinet decided to arrest port officials who were aware and involved in the storage of the ammonium nitrate. It also urged the Public Works Ministry to secure import and export activities through Port of Tripoli, given the destruction inflicted by the accident.

“There are lots of places where we are finding common touchpoints, where we can develop real strength and unity that can, in fact, provide the bulwark that we can build out from all across the world,” Pompeo said on August 6 replying to a question about the Quad and China’s challenge during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing. He mentioned the idea of “a

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The High Relief Commission will work on opening schools and hotels for people who lost their houses. Investigations into the disaster are ongoing and the Higher Defense Council has promised to reveal some results within five days. The UN is also assessing the damages and planning alternative aid operations, according to Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman for Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Specialists are being dispatched to Beirut to assist in the emergency response, both from

the UN and several countries, Haq said, adding that experts are also on the way to support urban search and rescue operations. Meanwhile, Beirut Governor Marwan Abboud has that the explosions cost the city $3-5 billion in material losses. Most of the shops in Beirut’s downtown area were destroyed since the downtown is located close to Beirut’s port. Buildings in other locations in the city, including Ashrafieh, Gemmayzeh, Mar Michael, Jnah and Ras Beirut, were partly if not fully destroyed.

New Delhi (IANS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 5 expressed shock over massive explosions in Lebanon’s capital city Beirut that killed at least 50 people, and prayed for the bereaved families and the injured. Office of the Prime Minister tweeted, “Shocked and saddened by the large explosion in Beirut city leading to loss of life and property. Our thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved families and the injured.” Over 50 people have been killed and around 2,500 wounded in

two huge explosions that rocked Lebanese capital Beirut, Health Minister Hamad Hassan said. The blasts took place on Tuesday evening (around 6.10 p.m. -- local time), shaking buildings all over the city while also causing severe damages and casualties, Xinhua news agency reported. Hassan was quoted by al-Jadeed TV as saying that more than 50 people were killed and 2,500 others were injured in the blasts. The number of casualties was expected to rise.

PM Modi expresses shock over explosions in Beirut

By Arul Louis

Quad can be bulwark for building global challenge to China: Pompeo New York, July 31 (IANS): The Quad group of India, US, Japan and Australia can be the “bulwark” of a global challenge to China’s aggressive behaviour, according to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

Photo taken on Aug. 4, 2020 shows a scene after the explosion in Beirut, Lebanon

new alliance of democracies” and said there were discussions with “friends” in the region about it.He presented a picture of the Quad drawing closer together with an understanding of achieving security in response to aggressive actions by China under Communist Party General Secretary Xi Jinping.

than China as well. These are nations that all have elected leaders all have democracies all understand in different cultures and in different settings all have a central understanding of about how commercial enterprise would be conducted and how military should engage and about how security is actually achieved.”

Republican Senator David Perdue, who heads the Senate Seapower Subcommittee, referred to reports that India was considering inviting Australia this year to the Malabar Exercise with the navies of the other two calling it a “great development.”

He said that he was in frequent touch with the other leaders of the Quad and “we are working on economic efforts together, we are working on COVID responses together.”

Pompeo said, “It is more populous

According to the Australian Foreign Ministry, at a Quad consultation in Bangkok last year,

officials from the four nations discussed “quality, sustainable and transparent infrastructure development in improving economic growth, connectivity, sustainable development and integration in our region. Japan became a permanent invitee in 2015 after having participated intermittently in the Malabar Exercises that began in 1992 between India and the US. Australia had expressed interest in joining the exercise since at least 2015, but had been kept out. With the changed geopolitical situation as China has become more aggressive in IndoPacific region with its maritime neighbours and in South Asia with India and Bhutan, Australia is expected to be invited to the Malabar Exercise to be hosted by India this year. The Quad grew out of the cooperation of the four countries

during the 2004 tsunami. In 2007 a Quadrilateral Security Dialogue was held at the initiative of Japan to discuss strategic cooperation. But it floundered after Australia dropped out the next year in hopes of improving ties with China.The Quad was slowly revived in 2017 as the spectre of China loomed over the region. By Arul Louis

AUGUST 2020

INDIA NEWS

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AUGUST 2020

INDIA NEWS

EDITORIAL

Justifiably 21st cen. Ganga and Ma-Ganga: Rivers India dumps 20th stimulate cooperation T cen. educational model

Dr Uttam Kumar Sinha

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Grading now includes self-assessment and peer assessment, progress in project-based and inquirybased learning, quizzes, role plays, group work, portfolios and teacher’s assessment. Artificial Intelligence-based software will generate specific feedback to student to help prepare and study in a ‘smart’ and focussed manner. Board exams will test primarily core capacities/competencies rather than months of coaching and memorization and class work will help grades in the corresponding subject in the Board exams. Special emphasis is being put on the recruitment standard and professional development of teachers and principals through leadership/ management workshops and online development opportunities. Teacher’s transfers will be checked to develop long term teacherstudent bonding and nonteaching tasks will also be minimised to help teachers focus on teaching. Provision have been also enshrined for hiring eminent persons or experts as ‘master instructors” and by 2030 the minimum education requirement for a teacher will be a four-year integrated B.Ed. Last, to improve India’s less than satisfactory international standing in higher education, NEP 2020 proposes to move educational institutions into large multidisciplinary universities enrolling at least 3,000 or more students. Gross Enrolment Ratio in higher education including vocational education is a long running concern and needs to be raised from 26.3% (2018) to 50% by 2035. Undergraduate degrees will be of three or four-year duration with multiple exit options, yearly vocational and professional certifications or diploma after 2 years of study, but four-year multidisciplinary Bachelor’s programme will be preferred as a holistic and multidisciplinary education. Justifiably, NEP 2020 seeks to build international research collaboration, researcher/ faculty/practitioner exchanges to encourage increased foreign students’ enrolment in Indian institutions. Indeed, for a country of India’s size and increasing youth bulge the NEP 2020 was the long awaited document to make India’s youth future and job ready.

The former secretary-general of ASEAN and the foreign minister of Thailand, the late Surin Pitsuwan, a key initiator to the MGC and a great friend of India, had resolutely stood for social cohesion and democratic values in his long and distinguished career. In his visit to India in August 2017, he had strongly emphasised on these endearing values as he envisioned India and the South-east Asian countries as a shared cultural heritage. Few months later he passed away. The commonalities in terms of such values – the democratic, the social, the cultural and the political are strong drivers to the MGC. In the recent MGC ministerial meeting (August 2019) an action plan 2019-2022 was chalked out with water resources management as a key area of cooperation. India’s foreign minister observed, “The MGC is as much a celebration of our long and rich history of trade, cultural and people-to-people exchanges as it is a vehicle to advance modernday cooperation to bring progress and prosperity

to our peoples.” Cooperation on water resources essentially encompasses a host of activities including the efficient use of water, water harvesting, water data collection, flood and drought management and disaster reduction, groundwater management, water quality monitoring, etc. In the last two decades of the MGC, India’s involvement in water cooperation through Line of Credits in irrigation projects, storage dams and hydro-power projects in the lower Mekong region has been noticeable. Some have been completed and some are ongoing. India has now offered to conduct training programmes and workshops in water resource management and community farming. Future efforts on water cooperation between India and the South-east Asian countries will require building a stronger coordination mechanism. There is also a strategic significance to this which the MGC should not ignore. The Mekong like the Ganga-Brahmaputra-Meghna is

“

The idea of using riverine systems, and connecting people from the two river basins was an aspirational outcome that fitted well with India’s Look East Policy

“

ndia’s New Education Policy (NEP) framework established in 1985 and modified in 1992 has seen the much-needed 2020 version, after three decades! Driven by the United Nations’ Goal 4 or 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and rapidly altering needs and worldview of the 21st century, NEP 2020 is aimed at making students job and future ready with a holistic knowledge, multi-skills and multidisciplinary awareness. The Ministry of Human Resource Development, to be renamed as Ministry of Education, deserves praise for accomplishing this mammoth exercise. NEP 2020 emphasizes on innovation, critical thinking, evidence-based learning, practical skills, hands-on or applied study and vocation skills, along with internships training provisions. 10+2 (similar to International Baccalaureate) system Grade 1 to 10 (aged 6-16) and Grade 11 to 12 (aged 16-18) transitions to 5+3+3+4 system — 5 years of foundational education (Primary to Grade 2) +3 years of preparatory education (Grade 3 to Grade 5) + 3 years of middle education (Grade 6 to Grade 8) + 4 years of secondary education (Grade 9 to 12). The Annual State of Education report 2018 shows that only 42.5% of the grade 5 students could read Grade 2 level text, and only 26.9% of Grade 3 students could recognise number till 9. Hence, Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) now lays greater emphasis on literacy and numeracy skills, and delivery of education in mother tongue till Grade 5, and choice to pick another national language thereafter, in a bid to encouraging multilingualism amongst the future generation. Prime Minister Narendra Modi calls it “setting up of the foundation for 21st Century India or New India”. NEP 2020 creates multiple pathways from school to university, away from “stream-based education” and provides multidisciplinary subject options such as physics, geography and history altogether. This will help switch from one subject stream to another or enable reskilling or upskilling as interests of the students alter. Subjects such as music, physical education and vocational training will be brought at par with main academic subjects. As a part of ‘Bag-less’day, 10 days per year are set aside for vocation training or internship.

wo decades ago, the Mekong-Ganga Cooperation (MGC) was initiated by India and the five ASEAN countries–Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. Interestingly, Mekong means ‘Ma (mother) Ganga’. The idea of connecting the two civilizations’ rivers was expressed with confidence by the then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee as he stated, “We recognize the pragmatic logic of pursuing specific socioeconomic goals in the region through sub-regional groupings. We therefore, strongly support Mekong-Ganga Cooperation...” The two river basins present a unique and powerful platform committed to rejuvenating ties and as potential drivers towards a multi-dimensional and modern cooperative framework. The Ganga and Mekong were to facilitate and provide framework for activities broadly defined as the three Cs, namely culture, commerce and connectivity. The idea of using riverine systems, and connecting people from the two river basins was an aspirational outcome that fitted well with India’s Look East Policy, which now is referred to as the Act East Policy. We have often looked at rivers as marking boundaries and in relations to the historical and political landscape. But rivers are also rich spaces of potential integration bringing peace and prosperity and cultural fusion. Thus the civilization understanding is instructive in India’s strategic partnership today and the ASEAN region is no exception.

a lower riparian basin and the common upper riparian country is China. The Chinese upstream policies are bound to have an impact on downstream water uses. Evidences suggest that the drought conditions in the lower Mekong basin in 2019 was a result of Chinese upstream dams withholding water. Likewise the Chinese action on the Tsang-po that becomes the Brahmaputra in India is far from transparent. It is increasingly becoming clear that China uses rivers to leverage its political and strategic interest. Since China is a common concern it will be helpful to think about a lower riparian coalition of countries on these rivers so as to harmonize water policies, develop legal and regulatory water regimes and where possible put diplomatic pressure on upstream China for new set of dialogues and cooperation on water issues. The nearest to a lower riparian coalition is the existence of a global 13-member delta coalition of countries of which Vietnam, Myanmar and Bangladesh are a

part. Many of the world’s deltas are now facing an existential crisis. Deltas are formed from sediments carried downstream by rivers as it meets the sea. The continuous flow of rivers is critical to maintaining the delta surface and helps in keeping the delta surface above sea level. Apart from the various water cooperation that have been listed in the MGC, cooperation on the delta are equally important. The Mekong has a vast delta and the Sunderban is the world’s largest delta system formed by the great rivers of South Asia. These deltas are critical hotspots of food production. Vietnam’s Mekong delta alone supplies almost 20 per cent of the world’s rice and accounts for Vietnam being the second largest producer of coffee in the world. On the other hand, the Sunderban delta is a unique ecosystem and has the largest mangrove forest in the world. Both these are fast becoming impacted by socioeconomic development and climate change-induced sea level rise as well as flood pulse changes due to upstream water diversion by China. A thorough understanding of the river delta’s long-term dynamic is therefore crucial for an informed management of water resources. It is of significance that the Mekong-Ganga regions exchange knowledge on the deltas and attract international attention to its vulnerability. Rivers are now a key driver to India’s strategic partnership. For example, the Ganga-Volga dialogue is a new space of engagement between India and Russia. Similarly, Ganga-Danube can become an important symbol to drive water cooperation between EU-India. The leadership in India is receptive to rivers and water engagement that can help in building a sound edifice of mutual confidence and open further areas for cooperation on commerce, connectivity, culture and climate change. Dr Uttam Kumar Sinha works at the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, a think-tank of the Government of India’s Ministry of Defence.

AUGUST 2020

INDIA NEWS

SPECIAL COMMENTARY

Metamorphosis in India’s Paradise in Kashmir

n year has lapsed since India’s erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, which Persian poet Firdaus described as a ‘paradise on earth’ underwent a historic metamorphosis on 5 August 2019. The Indian parliament had passed the J&K Reorganisation Bill to abrogate Article 370 that accorded J&K a special status under the Indian constitution (with a separate constitution and flag) and Article 35A that prohibited non-J&K residents from seeking government employment, acquiring immovable property, receiving education and healthcare and settling in the state. J&K was bifurcated into Jammu & Kashmir as a single union territory with a legislature and Ladakh (Buddhist dominated with 65% landmass of J&K) as a separate union territory without a legislature. J&K’s assimilation was complete under the Indian constitution. So wither J&K? The following key dimensions capture the broad transformations in J&K’s ground situation and future challenges. Security: There is a significant decline recorded in terrorist activities, infiltration and stone pelting. From a high of 2,653 stone-pelting incidents in 2016, there is a 50-60% decline in incidents since the abrogation. In 2018, in 206 terrorist incidents, 86 civilians, 95 security personnel and 271 terrorists/militants were killed. However, during 2019/2020 (till 1 August), corresponding numbers are 135/85, 42/17, 78/34 and 163/154. Active militants have been reduced to 200-250

from thousands in the preabrogation phase. As opposed to 84 cross-border infiltration attempts during August-October 2019, so far in 2020 only 26 have been reported. Improving situation has resulted from better interoperability between the security forces, intelligence agencies and state police. Most important, tip-offs from locals symbolises a growing local disenchantment with terrorist groups, suggesting that militancy is on a life-support. Corruption: For decades New Delhi focused on winning ‘hearts and minds’ through financial assistance, but it benefited just the powerful elites, politicians, separatist leaders and other groups with vested interests. Further, Article 370 prevented anti-corruption agencies from investigating corruption scams. Post-abrogation a sense of accountability amongst the local stakeholders before the law has taken effect. Altaf Thakur, a village head in Pulwama says there is now transparency and accountability in the system which is a major departure from the past. Sheikh Ashiq, Chairman, Kashmir Chambers of Industries and Commerce also testifies previous widespread corruption, which is now in check. Development: Article 370 was widely deemed anti-development — prohibiting external investors, corporate or industrial houses from investing and acquiring land or property for setting up business and industries. Tariq Butt, a local journalist says post-abrogation no strikes

have been called and people are hoping for development and investments. Youth is now hoping for employment under the burgeoning economic growth prospect, after the scraping of Article 35A. The Entrepreneurship Development Institute, Ahmedabad reported that around 87% industrial units in J&K lay sick till 2015, which needs now can be revived under the new political and administrative setup. PM Narendra Modi announced that import-export, food-processing and healthcare among others will receive a boost. The local shikara (house-boat) owners in the scenic Dal Lake in Srinagar show optimism too. Children aged 6-14 stand to benefit from the Right to Education provisions and women can marry outside J&K without losing their right to inheritance. Democracy and Civil Liberties: The Modi government has diligently strengthened grassroots democracy in recent years, empowering ground-level people. Post-abrogation block level elections were held in October 2019 across 310 blocs with a 98.3% turnout. Block level and village level institutions received increased funding and powers to address local challenges. Village level elections due in February 2020 were postponed as much of the top political leadership remained under detention, and could be held later this year, if Covid-19 pandemic wanes. Baring the former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti and top separatist Hurriyat leadership, all political leaders have been released. Internet connectivity

which was suspended after the abrogation has been restored, and people seems to have braved these temporary inconvenience for long-term peace. Ladakh: Bordering Pakistan and China this highly strategic territory, where the recent Sino-Indian military clashes occurred has experienced a second birth of sort. The young Ladakhi parliamentarian JamyangTsering Namgyal says that Ladakh had lost its identity under the previous rulers and only received 2% of the budget. Only two Buddhist MLAs out of four reached the J&K assembly whose voices barely mattered. But post-abrogation new healthcare, agriculture, telecommunications, infrastructure and connectivity schemes have been announced. Two new degree colleges were founded during 2019-20 and new ones planned in medicine, engineering and management. Ladakh’s connectivity has been boosted by cutting down over 160 kms, thanks to the new LehSingayla-Padum road (covering 280KM in 8 hours) which earlier took 2 days to cover 440 kms. The locals are upbeat and the youth exude hope and confidence, says Jamyang. Challenges: Pakistan’s leverage in J&K has been curtailed to a great extent due to the growing stranglehold of the state authority and security apparatus and marginalisation of the separatist Hurriyat leaders. Yet, it would be naïve to assume that militancy and decades of alienation has been neutralised completely, says Lt Gen (retd) Syed Ata

Dr Ashutosh Misra

Hasnain, a former military corps commander. On-going political outreach must expand further to complement the military gains, he says. Aarti Tikko Singh, a local Kashmir Pundit and a journalist, who represented India in the US Congressional hearing postabrogation says that the real test lies in rehabilitating the exiled 300,000 Kashmir pundits back in Kashmir safely, and developing the extremely impoverished regions of Jammu. The government must address deradicalisation through a secularliberal curriculum in schools and higher-degree institutions, she believes. PunchukStobdan, a local Ladakhi and former diplomat says Article 370 is history and no one talks about it. People are happy and now ‘terror-free Kashmir’ is shaping the new narrative. Indeed, Firdaus’ paradise has indeed turned a new leaf! Dr Ashutosh Misra is CEO, Institute for Australia India Engagement and Editor-in-Chief India News

One year of union territory status: Ladakh brims with hope Leh/New Delhi (IANS): Unlike every other summer when the bazaars are teeming with tourists, this season, due to the coronavirus pandemic, life in Leh, is placid. Yet as the sharp sun shines on the rugged mountains of the high-altitude desert of Ladakh, natives step out wearing masks and hope. Reason -Ladakh is happy with its union territory status. On August 5 last year, the central government carved out two union territories -- Ladakh and Jammu & Kashmir ( J&K), out of the state of J&K. The union territory of Ladakh had been a long pending demand of the Ladakhi people. The agitation for the demand had begun under Ladakh’s greatest leader Kushok Bakula, 65 years ago and later carried forward by another Ladakhi leader Thupstan Chhewang. Both represented Ladakh in Indian Parliament. “None of us had ever imagined that the demand would be met in our lifetime. In six decades no Prime Minister could do it when Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year, in his second tenure, made the announcement, we could not believe our ears,” Tashi Norbu, a cab driver in Leh said.

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Even as tourism “the sector on which a huge section of Ladakhis are dependent economically” been hit due to coronavirus pandemic, common people in markets which are partially closed, are brimming with hope. “Ladakh and Ladakhis are finally going to shape their own future and have their own identity, independent of Jammu & Kashmir,” Stanzin, a seller of organic produce in Leh said. Putting the constitutional change in perspective, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Leh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Gyal P. Wangyal pointed out how Jammu and Kashmir state used to draw funds from the central government in the name of Ladakh’s geographical area of 45,000 sq km, which was 65 percent of J&K, but granted only two per cent of the allotted budget to Ladakh because the state government would distribute the resources on the basis of population. Last year, the budget for Ladakh was Rs 57 crore. The budget today is four times of the last year’s -- Rs 232 crore. Ladakh got Rs 6000 crore budget as a special development package. “But unfortunately, covid-19 pandemic happened which has set us behind

By Aarti Tikoo Singh

by three years because we could not hold the meeting to approve the budget in the council,” Wangyal who has been the CEO of LAHDC for the last one year, said. “J&K was already established, but we are starting from zero. It will take time, another two to three years. Ladakh’s future will depend on it,” Wangyal said. The union territory is headed by Lieutenant Governor R.K. Mathur and a team of his advisors and officials who work closely with the 30 members of LAHDC. S.S. Khandare, Inspector General of Police (IGP), a post that has been created for the first time in Ladakh substantiated the same view further, “Ladakh’s police infrastructure was very poor before the formation of UT. Now we are ramping up. Ladakhis who served in J&K police have been sent back to Ladakh and posted here in their own police now. Ladakh police has acquired its own identity. We are purchasing modern gadgetry.” Ladakh Buddhist Association (LBA), the largest socio-political organization of Ladakh, has been grateful to the central government for fulfilling its demand for union territory status. “But the biggest challenges ahead are related to employment,

environment and land. Ladakhis want some protection in all three areas. We are hopeful that the government will address our concerns,” President of LBA P.T. Kunzang said. Even the opposition party, Congress which runs municipality in Leh is cheerful and optimistic about Ladakh’s future as a union territory. President of Municipal Committee Leh, Ishey Namgail told IANS that the change process has just begun with the “elevation of two districts of Leh and Kargil to union territory had elevated the profile of the region. He said he was very confident that it

will further make Ladakh a top international tourist destination. In Leh’s newly-built government offices which came up soon after the decision, even as strong fragrance of fresh paint hasn’t faded and the dust of the gravel in the premises hasn’t settled, officials stay up late nights to hold meetings and clear the files which contain the blueprint of Ladakh as a union territory. “We have lost a lot of time because of the coronavirus pandemic and we have a lot to accomplish in the months ahead,” a young officer who did not want to be quoted said.

AUGUST 2020

INDIA NEWS

CORONA CRISIS

Overcoming loneliness and despair in times of a pandemic

n ‘A Tale of Two Cities’, Charles Dickens wrote: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times; it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness; it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity; it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness; it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.” Words written in 1859 and yet they sum up brilliantly the times we are living in. If I could add anything to that classic quote to describe our current reality of a global pandemic, it would be: “it was the age of camaraderie, it was the age of loneliness.’ Even as families learn to spend more time together… even as we reach out to lend a helping hand… even as we look inwards and reconnect with our true selves… In the midst of it all, a new epidemic is born. An epidemic of loneliness. An epidemic of emotional distancing. An epidemic of quiet despair. I know you are afraid. We all are. Not necessarily to the same degree. And not necessarily for the same reasons. But the truth is that living in the shadow of fear and despair has become the new ‘normal’ for many of us. ‘Overcoming’ despair seems too daunting a task. Why don’t we learn to ‘move through’ our fears

instead? Here are some easy tips to keep fear and despair at bay: Consume the right amount of news Each morning and evening, I watch the news just long enough to understand the reality that is unfolding on a day-to-day basis. It is so easy to get sucked into watching an endless round of news updates and feel increasingly hopeless. It’s important to know when to say, ‘This is enough for today’. If we keep consuming the news, we will only get sucked into fresh bouts of anxiety and despair. Pick a new hobby Working from home means we may have a little more time on our hands. Why not pick a new hobby or learn a new skill? I have recently started studying Stoicism (an ancient Greek school of philosophy) – it occupies my mind, leaving less room for needless fears. Nothing lasts forever Think back to all the wonderful experiences in your life. Those precious moments filled with laughter and joy. Did they last? They didn’t, did they? You are left simply with the memories. If the good times did not last, the bad times won’t either. Hold on to that thought.

Recognise that everything you read on social media is not necessarily true There is so much fake news doing the rounds and it is so easy to believe everything we read. Not only do we believe it, we also feel the need to forward that piece of unverified information to everyone in our network. Can you imagine how much that adds to the prevailing sense of doom and gloom? When we click ‘forward’ or ‘share’ on any of the social media platforms without first verifying the content, we are not simply forwarding a message. We are also forwarding mass hysteria, false assumptions and general panic. Knowledge is vital. But half knowledge helps no one. As you’re about to hit forward or share, pause for a few moments and reflect. Not everything you read is true. The world is frightened enough already. If you are going to add to the fear quotient, make sure the facts have first been checked. Now let us talk about the sense of loneliness that seems to have engulfed so many people. Social distancing has also led, in many ways, to emotional distancing. So, how does one navigate this crushing loneliness? Below are three suggestions: Build a family tree

If you have never been interested in genealogy (tracing your ancestors) before, now’s a good time to explore it. There are many genealogy websites where you can do just that. You are the legacy of a long line-up of hardy ancestors who lived through ‘the best of times, the worst of times’, who overcame unimaginable hardships and bravely faced harsh living conditions. You are here because of them. When you recognise that you are part of a rich heritage of unsung warriors, you no longer feel alone. Plan your next holiday If you think that actually going on a holiday is the greatest fun, think again. Planning a holiday can easily rank higher on the fun barometer. While booking a vacation is impossible in these times, you can certainly start thinking about where you would like to go when things go back to normal – physically, emotionally and financially. Read up on tourist attractions in the city you would like to visit. Their most popular restaurants. Their tucked-away shopping paradise. Their museums and art galleries. Planning and researching will soothe your soul and reduce the sense of loneliness. Understand the WHY Emotional distancing can crush

By Ms. Nim Gholkar

our mental well-being unless we allow ourselves to attribute a sense of meaning and purpose to our current reality. Every time you find yourself drowning in a spiral of loneliness, remind yourself of why you are practising isolation. It is so that you can keep yourself and the people you love out of harm’s way. And in doing so, keep the larger community safe. While this may seem like ‘the winter of despair’ Dickens described more than a hundred years ago, remember that ‘the spring of hope’ is not too far away. Ms Nim Gholkar is an international speaker, author and communication skills mentor and the author of three books, Diary of an Immigrant Bride’, ‘Unlock the Real You’ and the recently launched ‘A Little Wiser, A Little Happier’. Her work can be accessed on www.nimgholkar.com

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AUGUST 2020

INDIA NEWS

CORONA CRISIS

Indian-origin scientists find novel way to treat severe Covid-19 New York (IANS): A team of Indian-origin researchers has found that patients experiencing severe Covid-19 symptoms had improved outcomes when administered an Interleukin-6 (IL6ri) inhibitor, sarilumab or tocilizumab -- used in treating autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and other several inflammatory conditions. The treatment was more effective when administered earlier in the disease course, reducing mortality rate and the need for intubation. Published in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases, the results showed that Interleukin-6 inhibitors appear to be a more effective treatment method as compared to other options, including remedesvir and dexamethasone, which are recommended and are being currently used to check the pandemic. “At a time when treatments are being tested with urgency amid the Covid-19 pandemic, our study results offer some hope towards finding solutions to better treat patients infected by this disease,” said study researcher Manish Sagar from the Boston University in the US. According to the study, elevated IL-6 levels may mediate the severe systemic inflammatory responses that occur in patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome or Covid-19 infection. The observational study included 255 Covid-19 patients being treated with IL6ri during stage IIB (149 patients) and stage III (106 patients) of the disease.

Once an appropriate patient was identified, he/she was given IL6ri (sarilumab or tocilizumab) based on iteratively reviewed guidelines. The IL6ri was initially reserved for critically-ill patients, but after review, the treatment was liberalised for patients with lower oxygen requirements. The IL6ri recipients had considerably higher supplementary oxygen requirements, indicating more advanced disease than patients in previous remdesivir and dexamethasone trials, and would have been expected to have a higher mortality rate. The study’s sampling-withreplacement analysis found that the patients who received IL6ri had a lower mortality rate than patients in the intervention and control groups of remdesivir and dexamethasone trials. The 22.9 per cent mortality rate for the 105 Boston Medical Center patients that required ICU care (41.1 per cent) was considerably lower than previously published 45-50 per cent mortality in other ICU studies. “The greatest benefit of IL6ri use was seen in patients who received the drug in an earlier stage, prior to critical respiratory decompensation, showing the importance of prompt testing and treatment,” said study researcher Pranay Sinha. “We hope these findings can help guide physicians as we seek solutions to reduce mortality, increase extubation, reduce the length of stay in the hospital, and have more patients discharged from the hospital alive,” Sinha added.

Saudi Arabia concludes Hajj amid COVID-19 pandemic Riyadh (IANS): Saudi Arabia’s health authorities said no coronavirus cases were reported at the holy sites during this year’s Hajj. Pilgrims on August 3 bade farewell to Mecca after Hajj rituals were concluded, Xinhua news agency reported. The General Presidency for the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque had provided all relevant facilities for the pilgrims while ensuring precautionary measures against

COVID-19. The kingdom has organized an exceptional Hajj season with a limited number of pilgrims amid the COVID-19 pandemic. This season is only limited to domestic pilgrims who are residents and citizens living in Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, the Health Ministry announced on August 3 1,258 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the accumulated infections to 280,093. The total recovered cases rose to 242,053 with the registration of 1,972 newly recovered cases.

Global COVID-19 cases top 18.5 mn: Johns Hopkins fatalities at 4,771,080 and 156,801, respectively, according to the CSSE. Brazil came in the second place with 2,801,921 infections and 95,819 deaths.

A man wearing a mask rides a bicycle near the National Zoo in Washington D.C., the United States, July 23, 2020 (IANS) Washington (IANS): The overall number of global coronavirus cases has topped 18.5 million mark, while the deaths have increased to over 700,000, according to the Johns Hopkins University. As of August 5 morning, the

The US accounted for the world’s highest number of infections and

The other countries with over 10,000 deaths are the Mexico (48,869), UK (46,295), India (39,795), Italy (35,171), France (30,297), Spain (28,498), Peru (20,007), Iran (17,617), Russia (14,327) and Colombia (11,315).

Women essential in fight against COVID-19 pandemic: UN United Nations (IANS): The full participation of women is essential for an effective response to the COVID-19 pandemic and also in the advancement of peace processes, said a UN policy brief released. UN Women and the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs on August 3 launched a joint policy brief entitled “COVID-19 and Conflict: Advancing women’s meaningful participation in ceasefires and peace processes,” Xinhua news agency reported. In support of UN secretarygeneral’s call for a global ceasefire, the brief addresses “the importance of women’s full, equal and meaningful participation to an effective pandemic response and to peacemaking efforts.” It also provides a preliminary analysis of the impact of COVID-19 on women’s participation in ceasefires and peace processes and offers a series of recommendations, including on “building back better.” President of the UN General Assembly Tijjani MuhammadBande warned in July that advances in gender equality are greatly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and this may mean a significant setback worldwide if inaction in this regard continues. In March 2020, UN SecretaryGeneral Antonio Guterres called for a global ceasefire to allow the world to address COVID-19.

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total number of cases stood at 18,540,119 and the fatalities rose to 700,647, the University’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed in its latest update.

In terms of cases, India ranks third (1,908,254), and is followed by Russia (859,762), South Africa (521,318), Mexico (449,961), Peru (439,890), Chile (362,962 ), Colombia (334,979), Iran (314,786), the UK (307,256), Spain (302,814), Saudi Arabia (281,456), Pakistan (280,461), Italy (248,419 ), Bangladesh (244,020), Turkey (234,934), France (228,576), Argentina (213,535), Germany (212,828), Iraq (134,722), Canada (119,659), Indonesia (115,056), Philippines (112,593) and Qatar (111,538), the CSSE figures showed.

Afghan women make facemasks at a tailoring shop in Sari Pul province, Afghanistan, April 13, 2020 (Photo by Mohammad Jan Aria-Xinhua-IANS) Since the outbreak of the pandemic, women have been at the forefront of effective COVID-19 prevention and response efforts - from frontline service delivery to the highest levels of decisionmaking, said the UN chief. The impact of the crisis on women in conflict-affected contexts is of particular concern. In these already tragic contexts, many women have had their access to sexual and reproductive health, livelihoods and other essential services severely restricted, according to the policy brief.

Women’s increased exposure to the disease due to their high levels of engagement in paid and unpaid care work, the surge in domestic violence and already fragile health systems being overwhelmed are driving home the genderdifferentiated impacts of the pandemic, said the brief. Displaced, refugee, rural and other marginalized women face additional challenges including a lack of reliable information and access to critical technologies, the brief noted.

AUGUST 2020

INDIA NEWS

EDUCATION

IDP Education organises virtual fair for Indian students

IDP Education

o address various challenges faced by the students around their abroad plans due to Covid-19, IDP Education, a global leader in international education services, is hosting a virtual education fair from August 10 to October 10 in India. Over 150 leading institutions from Australia, the UK, the US, Canada, New Zealand, and Ireland are participating in the virtual education fair to interact with Indian students and help them with their overseas education plan. IDP Education said the aim of the initiative is to solve the concerns of students and help them connect with their preferred institutions over a one-on-one video call from the comfort of their homes. “IDP offers Indian students the right advice and top-quality assistance to choose the right course and institution in Australia, UK, U.S. Canada, New Zealand, and Ireland to meet

their career aspirations,” Piyush Kumar, Regional Director (South Asia), IDP Education, said in a statement. “IDP has over 700 world-class institution partners across these six destinations and is best placed to offer students the choice to find the course most suited to them,” he said. Through this virtual fair, students can apply directly to the institutions of their choice and get detailed information on scholarships, ranking, visas, etc., by IDP’s experienced and certified education experts over a one-onone video call feature. “We understand that shortlisting an institution and working through the application process can be a bit challenging for students. Our goal, therefore, is to assist and guide them through all the steps from the initial exploratory stage, application submission to safe arrival on campus,” Kumar said. Online education not a perfect substitute for schools

While online education seems to be the order of the day across the world amid Covid-19 infections, it cannot match the advantages of classes held at schools, says Nandan Kuthiala, who is a trustee of Jodhamal Public School, Jammu. During the lockdown a lot has been written about the way school kids would be taught in schools and at home in the postCovid-19 months. But talking about a generational change in the method and practice of teaching in schools is a very tall ask, especially when the standard operating procedures are still evolving on Covid-19 and one is hoping that the present phase is just an aberration. No doubt most of the private schools have started online classes in the last 5-6 weeks and plan to run these classes till the schools re-open. Whereas students of 9thto 12th would be having online classes for 5-6 hours a day, those in nursery wing would be limited to 1-2

hours. These classes are mostly theoretical in nature and the institutions at present are using this time period to cover some of the course and are hoping to re-open sometime in August or September.

moment the schools are hoping that the present phase is just an aberration; exposing growing kids to many hours of computer or digital screens is not the way ahead.

Online education not suitable for schools

As and when the schools reopen the biggest challenge is going to be social distancing of students in classrooms,fields, buses, etc. The schools will have to run at 50 per cent capacity with all classes divided into odd and even roll number groups. Students with odd roll numbers will attend the school on odd dates and vice versa. With 50 per cent reduction in the number of students in classrooms and buses, some semblance of social distancing can be maintained. Naturally, school assembly will be in classrooms and the midday break in staggered intervals. Majority of the sports and cocurricular activities would have to be cancelled. In the era of social distancing, events like parentteacher meetings, annual days, sports and graduation days would not be possible. All inter-school andinter-state competitions would not be possible. In fact, most of the inter-class activities would not occur.

While online education as a model can perhaps be adopted successfully in colleges and universities, this will not be the case for schools. Here the age of students varies from 3 years to around 18 years in K-12 schools. These are the formative years in an individual’s life. Besides the three Rs (Reading, [W]riting and [A]rithmetic), the schools play a very vital role in shaping the habits, personality, and ultimately the character of the students. At schools, kids are exposed to a whole lot of activities, competitions, sports, drills, interaction and so on; the list is endless. The spirit of camaraderie, friendship, sharing and caring is an integral part of schooling. Exposing tiny tots to the wonders of music, dance, art and craft, hobbies,drama,debates, science, etc., basically helps the child to try and live up to her or his full potential. Another integral part of growing up is discipline, time management anda sense of responsibility. School days prepare an individual to have the ability to withstand pressure and handle stressful situations in future adult life. The immortal words of Duke of Wellington, “The battle of Waterloo was won on the playing fields of Eton”, bears testimony to what a school is. Education is not filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire. The years at school hone the soft skills of the students, which is of paramount importance in adult life. All the above skills cannot be taught to a child online. At the

Challenges ahead

All this will make Jack a very dull boy and very adversely impact the psychological, physical and mental growth of kids. We, who belong to the school sector all over the world, are praying that the Covid-19 era is a temporary aberration and will be over by September or October. As of mid-May nearly 1.3 billion students are missing school in 186 countries.They all are praying that a vaccine may be developed soon and Covid-19 would be forgotten. Never say never again, the Covid – 19 era too shall pass. School is a building which has four walls with tomorrow inside.

JNU granted Rs 455 crore to construct academic complexes, hostels New Delhi/IANS: The Jawaharlal Nehru University ( JNU) has secured the Higher Education Funding Agency’s (HEFA) approval for Rs 455.02 crore fund for the construction of new academic buildings, hostels and research centres. With several new schools and centres coming up at the JNU, the requirement for academic and hostel facilities has increased.

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“The funds allocated by the HEFA will be used for construction of hostels for students and researchers of the School of Engineering and the Atal Bihari Vajpayee School of Management & Entrepreneurship, and the new academic complexes,” said JNU Vice-Chancellor M. Jagadesh Kumar. The new complexes include facilities for trans-disciplinary

academic research, advanced animal research, advanced instrumentation research, incubation centre for start-ups, special centre for e-learning, lecture hall complex and integrated & unified education ERP system, he added. The JNU admits over 2,000 students each year from among 1.3 lakh applicants. JNU

AUGUST 2020

INDIA NEWS

HEALTH

Habits you need to teach your Human sperm swims in entirely different child in a COVID-19 world sneeze in your elbow sleeves Corona enters the body if we touch our nose, mouth, and eyes. So always wear a face mask, that covers the nose and mouth while outdoors and do not touch you face. Do not remove your mask or touch it till you reach home

way than earlier thought

Take bath if possible when you come home, if not, wash your hands thoroughly Eat healthy home cooked immunity boosting food, including vegetables, fruits and legumes Continue to be in touch with their peers and family members, not physically but by digital means

he fight against COVID-19 continues to take place all over the world. With most of us homebound owing to the home-sheltering and social restrictions, we have been able to spend quality time with the family. For those with young children, managing work from home as well as keeping the little ones occupied has been challenging. Children are often bored at home and wish to go out, play and meet their friends, however that’s best restricted right now. Thankfully, children do not seem to have suffered serious illnesses owing to this pandemic, but its best to equip them with information about the right way of safeguarding themselves against diseases. Parents have a major role to play while teaching and inculcating these good habits and to make optimum utilization of the

Inculcate a habit of physical activity comprising fun indoor exercises

lockdown. Dr Gurudutt Bhat, Consultant Pediatrician, Fortis Hospital Kalyan and Dr Jesal Sheth, Sr. Consultant, Pediatrician and Neonatal Intensivist, Fortis Hospital Mulund suggests some habits that you could gradually inculcate in your child: Hand-washing properly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, is the cornerstone of our efforts to avoid all illnesses not just COVID19 Follow this with sanitization of hands multiple times a day Follow social distancing while visiting public places, this habit will have to be practiced for a long time to come

Proper use of the internet and online tools with appropriate use of child-safe tools must be taught Instill in them the habit of reading, writing or following a hobby of their choice This is the best time to get to know your kids, understand the challenges that they might be facing. It is recommended to talk about the importance of mental health, especially during these challenging times Pray and respect for all service workers that are helping COVID-19 patients, is important

Always maintain a distance of 2meters or 6feet between yourself and the other individual, when you go out, or see your friends

While you are at home, make the most of your time and teach your children life lessons by setting an example by things you regularly do. It could be spiritual, reading to them, or even as basic as dinner table discussions.

Always follow cough etiquettes, which means that you cough or

By Puja Gupta

New simple approach visually evaluates mask effectiveness

ocial distancing norms is the ‘’new normal” and it has the world spending more time indoors than ever, but a new survey revealed that 94 per cent of people report they are happier and healthier when they spend time outdoors. As per Outdoorsy’s Road to Wellness report, the open road is a welcome relief as people search for safe travel options. 71 per cent of respondents who had to cancel their summer travel plans are now considering alternative vacation, such as a road trip. It seems like remote workers have also caught the travel bug. For those with the flexibility

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to work from the road, a change of scenery doesn’t have to tap into vacation days. Work-from-home (WFH) workers are 2.5 times more likely to say they would take more road trips if they had access to an RV, with 72 per cent of respondents reporting they are planning to take more road trips as a result of widespread workfrom-home policies. The survey shows 70 per cent of respondents would rather go on a road trip with family or a significant other than go alone, and that air travel could be a hassle. Three out of four people noted they would describe their last road trip as

a “much needed escape” and would plan to take one again soon Time spent outdoors has a positive effect on an individual’s wellbeing, but with this survey

London (IANS): In a breakthrough for fertility science, scientists have shattered the universally accepted view of how sperm ‘swim’. About 300 years ago, Antonie van Leeuwenhoek used one of the earliest microscopes to describe human sperm as having a “tail, which, when swimming, lashes with a snakelike movement, like eels in the water”. This is an optical illusion, according to the new study. “Human sperm figured out if they roll as they swim, much like playful otters corkscrewing through water, their one-sided stoke would average itself out, and they would swim forwards,” said study author Hermes Gadelha from the University of Bristol in the UK. “The sperms’ rapid and highly synchronised spinning causes an illusion when seen from above with 2D microscopes - the tail appears to have a side-to-side symmetric movement, like eels in the water, as described by Leeuwenhoek in the 17th century,” Gadelha added.

incredibly high rate, they were able to scan the sperm swimming freely in 3D. The study, published in the journal Science Advances, revealed the sperm tail is, in fact, wonky and only wiggles on one side. While this should mean the sperm’s one-sided stroke would have it swimming in circles, sperm have found a clever way to adapt and swim forwards. “Our discovery shows sperm have developed a swimming technique to compensate for their lopsidedness and in doing so have ingeniously solved a mathematical puzzle at a microscopic scale: by creating symmetry out of asymmetry,” said Gadelha. According to the researchers, the otter-like spinning of human sperm is however complex: the sperm head spins at the same time that the sperm tail rotates around the swimming direction. This is known in physics as precession, much like when the orbits of Earth and Mars precess around the sun.

Using state-of-the-art 3D microscopy and mathematics, the research team have pioneered the reconstruction of the true movement of the sperm tail in 3D.

This discovery, with its novel use of 3D microscope technology combined with mathematics, may provide fresh hope for unlocking the secrets of human reproduction.

Using a high-speed camera capable of recording over 55,000 frames in one second, and a microscope stage with a piezoelectric device to move the sample up and down at an

“With over half of infertility caused by male factors, understanding the human sperm tail is fundamental to developing future diagnostic tools to identify unhealthy sperm,” Gadelha noted.

we learned more about the wellness benefits attributed to time spent outdoors with family, said Outdoorsy. “The survey found an overwhelmingly positive sentiment to family road travel and anecdotal reports found that family ties were strengthened in direct correlation to the amount of

time a family spends together in nature,” it said. Overall, 88 per cent of survey respondents say they want to incorporate the outdoors into their daily routine more often. By SIddhi Jain (IANSlife)

AUGUST 2020

INDIA NEWS

TRAVEL

Your guide to geo-tourism in India W ith diverse physical attributes, rich cultural heritage and ancient history, India is an adventure lover’s paradise. Of late, there has been significant initiative in promoting tourism even in the remotest corners of the country.

The Indian subcontinent exhibits imprints of varied geological processes through the ages and is a storehouse of interesting geological features. Geological Survey of India has already enlisted some of those locales as National Geological Monuments.

It is imperative that the Tourist Map of India should be enriched by the inclusion of these geological monuments and alike, so that visitors, both domestic and international, can gain an insight in to the past - the formation of the subcontinent, the orogeny, the palaeo environment and the

A View of the impressive and massive exposure of Peninsular Gneiss at Lalbagh in Bangalore (Photo Courtesy Wikipedia)

Rock Monuments

Peninsular Gneiss National Monument at Lalbagh, Bengaluru Lalbagh is one of the most celebrated botanical gardens in the city of Bengaluru. One of the four Towers to restrict the city limits was erected by Magadi Kempgowada on Lalbagh hills. The monument is located in the southern part of Bangalore the capital city of Karnataka state, India and is easily approachable by road. Gneisses and related granitoids constitute one of the most abundant rocktypes exposed on earth. The Lalbagh hill is composed of dark biolite gneiss of granitic to granodioritic composition containing streaks of biolite. Vestiges of older rocks are seen in the form of enclaves within the gneiss. The quarries of Lalbagh are of great importance for researches on earth sciences towards evolution of the terrain.

exotic collection of paleo - flora and fauna.

Geological Survey of India has undertaken the responsibility of protection and promotion of such features and has declared 34 such sites, located in different parts of the country, as National

Geological Monuments. (With inputs from Geological Survey of India) (Siddhi Jain can be contacted at siddhi.j@ians.in) By Siddhi Jain (IANSlife)

Wood Fossil Park, Jaisalmer (Photo Courtesy TourMyIndia)

Fossil Wood Parks

Akal Fossil Wood Park, Jaisalmer Akal Fossil Wood Park, Jaisalmer District is a wonder for the tourists who know that Jaisalmer as a part of the great Thar desert. The petrified wood carries signature of the luxuriant forests in a warm and humid climate, bordering the sea some 180 m.y. ago. The 21-hectare Fossil Park contains about a dozen fossil wood logs lying horizontal in random orientation. The fossils are of petrophyllum, ptyllophyllum, equisetitis species and dicotyledonous wood and gastropod shells of Lower Jurassic period.

Siwalik Fossil Park (Photo Courtesy Wikipedia) St Mary Islands, Volcanic rocks, Dacites, Near Malpe, Udupi, Karnataka (Photo Courtesy Ravi Mundkur)

Siwalik Fossil Park

Columnar Basaltic Lava, Coconut Island (St. Mary’s Islands) Udupi District, Karnataka The site displays majestic array of multi-faced columns developed in the basalts of Deccan Trap. These marvellous structures, called Columnar Joints in geological parlance are nature’s exquisite handiwork. The geometrical form of the rock mosaic resembles the work of an expert sculptor. The Deccan Trap, evolved due to vast outpouring of hot molten basaltic lava in the western part of India during Cretaceous’ Eocene time (about 60 million years ago) now present as flat topped hills and step like terraces.

Saketi, Sirmur District, Himachal Pradesh Siwalik Fossil Park, Saketi, Sirmur District, Himachal Pradesh contains rich collection of 2.5 million years old vertebrate fossils from Siwaliks. It covers an area of about 1.5 sq. km at Saketi, in the Markanda valley of Sirmur district, H.P. and was built to check indiscriminate destruction of fossil bones. Some of these fossils are in possession of the British Museum, London, American Museum of Natural History, New York, Indian Museum, Calcutta and elsewhere. The park displays life-size fiberglass models of six of the prehistoric animals that lived in the area 1 to 1.5 million year ago. The animals exhibit are giant land tortoise, gharial, four horned giraffe, sabre-toothed tiger, large tusked elephant and hipopolamid. A large and rare collection of vertebrate fossils recovered from Siwalik hills in Saketi and adjacent areas has been displayed in a field museum in the park.

Road trips, outdoor time linked to happiness: Survey

ocial distancing norms is the ‘’new normal” and it has the world spending more

time indoors than ever, but a new survey revealed that 94 per cent of people report they are happier

and healthier when they spend time outdoors. As per Outdoorsy’s Road to Wellness report, the open road is a welcome relief as people search for safe travel options. 71 per cent of respondents who had to cancel their summer travel plans are now considering alternative vacation, such as a road trip. It seems like remote workers have also caught the travel bug. For those with the flexibility to work from the road, a change of scenery doesn’t have to tap into vacation days. Work-from-home (WFH) workers are 2.5 times more likely to say they would take more road trips if they had

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access to an RV, with 72 per cent of respondents reporting they are planning to take more road trips as a result of widespread workfrom-home policies. The survey shows 70 per cent of respondents would rather go on a road trip with family or a significant other than go alone, and that air travel could be a hassle. Three out of four people noted they would describe their last road trip as a “much needed escape” and would plan to take one again soon Time spent outdoors has a positive effect on an individual’s wellbeing, but with this survey we learned more about the

wellness benefits attributed to time spent outdoors with family, said Outdoorsy. “The survey found an overwhelmingly positive sentiment to family road travel and anecdotal reports found that family ties were strengthened in direct correlation to the amount of time a family spends together in nature,” it said. Overall, 88 per cent of survey respondents say they want to incorporate the outdoors into their daily routine more often. By SIddhi Jain (IANSlife)

AUGUST 2020

INDIA NEWS

SPORTS

Steve Smith disappointed with IPL 13 venue change same has been communicated to the franchises. Smith stated players will have to adapt to the conditions of the UAE but that’s not going to be a problem as according to him, everyone will be eager to just get on the field and play good quality cricket following the coronavirus stoppage.

Steve Smith New Delhi/IANS: Rajasthan Royals skipper Steve Smith has expressed his disappointment regarding this year’s Indian Premier League (IPL) being played outside of India. The 13th edition of the cash-rich league, which was postponed in March due to coronavirus pandemic, will now be held in the UAE from September. IPL chairman Brijesh Patel recently confirmed to IANS that this year’s league will be played around the September 19 to November 8 window and the

“I think part of being a professional cricketer is to adapt to any condition you are faced with and that is going to be the clear message from the coaching staff,” Smith told reporters via video conference after the special premiere of Rajasthan Royals’ documentary ‘Inside Story’ -- a three-part documentary series produced by Red Bull Media House -- which showcases the team’s 2019 IPL campaign. “Conditions in Dubai can be similar to what you get in India or it can be different, it’s about adapting on the run to what the condition suits. Couple of players obviously have experience of playing there before. The IPL was there in 2014 I think, so a lot of people have played IPL there before.

“I think guys will be just jumping out of their skins to play some quality cricket. Obviously it’s disappointing that it’s not in India. We would have absolutely loved to play there,” he added.

IPL 2020: Following Vivo’s exit, BCCI set to invite tender for IPL sponsorship

Smith also spoke about the prospect of players coming into the tournament a bit rusty considering some of them haven’t played international cricket for a while now following the COVID-19 hiatus. The talismanic Australia batsman said everyone would be on the same boat with this regard and thus there won’t be an added advantage for any team in particular.

New Delhi/IANS: Following the official confirmation regarding Vivo’s exit as title sponsors for the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will now invite bids through a tender process for IPL 2020 soon.

“Yeah, it has been challenging. A lot of players haven’t played any cricket. From that point of view it will be an even contest,” Smith said.

“BCCI will come out with theInvitation to Bid (ITB) soon. Tender process will be followed as the board believes in transparency,” the source said.

“Everybody will be going in with the same sort of preparation which is nice. It has been incredibly different times and guys are trying to get their cricket back in any way possible.

Under the ITB, the winning bidder will be granted title sponsorship rights for this year’s IPL season set to be played in the UAE from September 19 to November 10.

“It certainly is going to be very exciting when IPL rolls around that’s for sure,” he added.

Speaking to IANS, sources in the know of developments said that the BCCI will follow due diligence and transparency while recruiting a new title sponsor for IPL 13.

Earlier on August 6, BCCI decided to officially announce the suspension of the partnership with title sponsors Vivo.

The move comes after the BCCI and the IPL Governing Council were both criticised for retaining Vivo as the title sponsor amid raging anti-China sentiment. The government has already banned 59 Chinese mobile apps, placed stringent restrictions on Chinese investments, and is reviewing the partnerships Indian educational institutions have with Chinese counterparts. All this development took place in the backdrop of tensions between the two countries along the LAC in Ladakh where a scuffle between the two armies resulted in the death of 20 Indian soldiers in June. Earlier on August 3, the Confederation of All India Traders, which is spearheading a movement for boycott of Chinese goods, had also criticised BCCI’s decision to retain Vivo, the Chinese company, as IPL’s title sponsor.

CA consider shifting Kerala defers Nehru boat race Boxing Day test for third consecutive year from traditional MCG home Melbourne/IANS: Cricket Australia is mulling the option of moving the Boxing Day Test from the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in the wake of a spike in COVID-19 cases in the state of Victoria. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Adelaide has emerged as a potential host. The report says that CA chairman Earl Eddings has called for a rare convening of the national cricket cabinet to talk about how the game’s $300 million season will go ahead. A senior cricket official told The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age that there is no way the current schedule can go ahead as planned with the current state border restrictions amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Earlier, Cricket Australia had said that the current schedule is subject to change and there are plenty of options being

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considered, including the use of hubs for the Tests against India and the Big Bash. In July, it had said it is working towards preparing Adelaide Oval in such a way that Australia and India cricketers get the best training facilities during the quarantine period before the Border-Gavaskar Trophy scheduled to be played later this year. The four Tests of the muchanticipated series are currently scheduled to be held at Gabba, Adelaide Oval, Melbourne Cricket Ground and the Sydney Cricket Ground, respectively, starting December 3. CA acting chief executive Nick Hockley had stated that Adelaide Oval is similar to Ageas Bowl and Old Trafford, where players can stay at an on-venue hotel and prepare themselves for the matches.

Alappuzha (Kerala)/IANS: Kerala’s signature event - the annual Nehru boat race, which was scheduled for August 8, has been postponed in view of the Covid pandemic, the organisers said. The race this year would be the 68th edition of the hugely popular event, which has always been considered the curtainraiser for a new tourist season in Kerala. But things have not gone according to plans in the previous few years, with delays in 2018 and then in 2019, on

account of the worst-ever floods witnessed in the state. The race was finally held in November in 2018 and on August 31 in 2019. The history of the event dates to 1952 when the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru visited the area and a small flotilla of decorated boats accompanied him from Kottayam to Alappuzha on the famed backwaters. An impromptu race was conducted in his honour. Thrilled by the performance of the oarsmen, Nehru, too,

jumped into a snake boat. On returning to Delhi, he donated a silver trophy, comprising a replica of a snake boat placed on a wooden abacus with an inscription and his signature. This trophy is awarded to the winner of the snake boat category every year. The snake boat race is the main tourist attraction because of the boat’s length, spanning from 120 to 140 feet, and with about 120 oarsmen to propel it.

AUGUST 2020

INDIA NEWS

SPORTS

Indian hockey team captain, 4 others test Covid-19 positive

Manpreet Singh Indian hockey team captain

Bengaluru/IANS: Indian men’s hockey team captain Manpreet Singh, Surender Kumar, Jaskaran Singh, Varun Kumar and Krishan Pathak have tested COVID-19 positive after reporting to the national hockey camp in Sports Authority of India’s (SAI) National Centre of Excellence (NCOE) in Bengaluru along with the team.

some COVID-19 symptoms later because of which they along with other ten athletes who had travelled together were given the Quantitative RT-PCR test on August 6.

All four tested negative in the rapid test, SAI said but Manpreet and Surender began to display

All athletes, including Manpreet, who reported to the camp were undergoing quarantine as per the

SAI made it mandatory for all athletes, who reported back to the camp to take a rapid COVID-19 test upon arrival.

Health Ministry Guidelines and as a precautionary measure, were kept in isolation. The quarantined athletes did not interact with other athletes who were already present at the camp. The Standard Operating Procedure of the state government and of SAI is being followed strictly across the campus. “I am self-quarantined on the SAI campus and I am very happy

with the way SAI authorities have handled the situation,” said Manpreet. “I am very happy that they made the testing of athletes mandatory. That proactive step helped in identifying the problem right in time. I am doing fine and hope to recover very soon.” SAI had previously stated that the men’s and women’s national hockey camp were to restart at the Bengaluru campus on August 4.

Brian Lara refutes rumours of testing Covid-19 positive New Delhi/IANS: Former West Indies captain Brian Lara has denied rumours about him testing positive for coronavirus, saying it was “false” information. Rumours were making rounds on social media with many posts stating that the legendary West Indies batsman has been diagnosed with COVID-19.

However, Lara clarified that he did get tested for the virus but the result came out negative. He further asked people not to use the pandemic as a tool for spreading negativity. “Hi everyone, I have read all the circulating rumours regarding me testing positive for the coronavirus and it is important

I clarify the facts. Not only is this information false, but it is also detrimental to spread such panic in a community already feeling the distress of the COVID situation,” Lara said in an Instagram post. “While you haven’t personally affected me, what causes concern is that spread of wrongful

information is careless and causes unnecessary worry amongst a lot of people that would have been in my circle. This virus isn’t something we should be using in a negative manner to create sensationalism. I hope and pray that all of us remain safe because as is noticeable COVID 19 is going nowhere in the near future,” he added.

Brian Lara

Pujara: Kohli’s presence eases pressure off batsman at non-striker’s end New Delhi/IANS: India Test batsman Cheteshwar Pujara gave an insight into what it’s like to be at the crease with skipper Virat Kohli and how his approach takes pressure off the batsman at the non-striker’s end. Pujara stated that when Kohli walks out to bat, the entire focus of the opposition shifts to him and they try to get rid of him as soon as possible. In doing so, according to Pujara, bowlers lose track of the

batsman at the other end and he can play his natural game without any pressure. “I enjoy playing with him (Kohli) and the reason is that he is a very positive player. Once he is at the crease, I know, bowlers will try to take his wicket because they think they can get him out early,” Pujara told Cricbuzz. “But he is always positive. If he gets a half-volley on the first ball,

he will try to hit it for a four. So the scoreboard keeps moving and there is not much pressure on myself because the opposition is thinking of taking the wicket of Virat. “So the focus keeps shifting to Virat and I can be relaxed at the other end. There have been instances where opposition have been focusing on Virat and I have got a few loose balls,” he added.

Pujara is currently trying to regain his rhythm after being at home for a long time due to the lockdown put forward by coronavirus pandemic. Recently, he showed glimpses of his net session, where he was seen putting bat to ball in his usual inimitable style. His Twitter post read: “New Day Same Intensity.” Pujara will once again play a huge role when the Indian team travels down under, later this year, for a four-match

Cheteshwar Pujara Test series against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

From Bengaluru to Sydney: A woman biking aficionado’s incredible journey Indian woman biker Candida Louis’ daring journey from Bengaluru to Sydney is an inspirational story not only for women that they can break the stereotypical outlook of solo travelling not being the fairer sex’s cup of tea but also for all those who are still hesitant about pursuing their passion as their career

Courtesy Deccan Chronicle

ast year when Bengalurubased biker Candida Louis successfully accomplished her goal of travelling from Bengaluru to Sydney covering approximately 28000 km, her sole companion was her Bajaj Dominar motorcycle. While

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women bikers in India are not completely unheard of, the most striking feature about this long journey, which entailed traversing across 10, nations namely, India, Bhutan, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia, was that only the first two days of this solo trip were planned. She undertook this journey after having been chosen for the “Change Your World” fund travel project, which was established to honour the memory of Alistair Farland, a young Australian biker who lost his life in 2014 during his biking trip from Alaska to South America. Echoing the sentiments of the deceased biker, Candida is also dedicated to exploring the world and bringing change in the society. A few years ago she and a few bikers from the US and Canada rode to remote villages in Cambodia to deliver laptops to the inhabitants and also showed

them how to use the laptops. The origins of Candida’s biking career The seed for her wanderlust had been sown ever since she was a school girl when she would ride with her father on his motorcycle to her aunt’s place in Goa. Her romance with biking and travelling kept on burgeoning and in 2016 she became the proud owner of her own bike which was gifted by her father on her birthday. Hailing from Hubli, a city in the Indian state of Karnataka, Candida relocated to Bengaluru about 6 years ago and just like many other girls of her generation began to work as a finance professional in a multinational company. But soon it dawned on her that she was not cut out for a job which involved being stuck at a desk for hours on end, however lucrative the salary might be,

and she made a firm resolve to take up biking as her full-time occupation. Ever since taking the plunge to pursue her passion, Candida has travelled across 24 states in India and has also spearheaded many international biking tours. The initial trials and tribulations followed by triumph While the idea of leading an adventurous life exploring the world sounds immensely alluring, one needs to consider all the sacrifices and financial uncertainties that those courageous enough to give up a conventional career encounter before fortune at last smiles on them. For Candida also there were many occasions when she questioned her decision to go down a less treaded path, particularly when she saw her savings evaporating with no certainty of earnings in the future. She also had her parents’

expectations in mind for they had invested their hard-earned earnings in ensuring that she received the best education. Nevertheless, it was Candida’s sheer tenacity and faith in her conviction that one must always make a career out of something that one is passionate about, which kept her motivated to make her dreams into reality. As she went on creating unique content about her adventure stories, she succeeded in building her own brand and at last her hard work and determination paid off. She was able to garner the attention of sponsors who began to sponsor her bikes and tours. Money and fame both began to pour but it is not materialistic gains or the ambition to become a public figure that keeps her inspired to continue her biking tours, rather it is her quest for adventure and the desire to change the world that keeps her going.

AUGUST 2020

INDIA NEWS

ARTS & LITERATURE

Theatre maestro Indian-origin author’s work finds Ebrahim Alkazi dies at 94 place in 2020 Booker Prize longlist New Delhi/IANS: Considered the father of modern Indian theatre, Ebrahim Alkazi, the first Director of National School of Drama (NSD) breathed his last in the Indian capital on August 4. He was 94. Also an art connoisseur, collector and gallery owner, he founded Art Heritage Gallery in New Delhi. This Royal Academy of Dramatics Art (RADA) pass-out staged more than 50 plays during his distinguished career and won the BBC Broadcasting Award in 1950. Some of the major plays directed by him include “Tuglaq” (Girish Karnad), “Ashadh Ka Ek Din” (Mohan Rakesh), Dharamvir Bharti’s “Andha Yug”, besides several Greek tragedies and Shakespeare’s works. Recipient of the Padma Vibhushan (2010), Padma Bhushan (1991) and Padma Shri (1966) honours, he was known to be a strict disciplinarian who provided a blue print for theatre training during his years as

Ebrahim Alkazi the Director of NSD (1962-1977). Associated with training some of the best known talents in the country, including Naseeruddin Shah, Om Puri, Uttara Baokar and Rohini Hattangadi, besides a host of major theatre directors in the country, Alkazi was married to Roshan Alkazi, who designed costumes for his plays. His two children are also theatre artists. Amal Allana is a theatre director and former Chairperson of NSD, while Feisal Alkazi too is a theatre director.

Chandigarh museum brings out book on its iconic artworks and artifacts

Chandigarh/IANS: The Government Museum and Art Gallery here has brought out a publication which features 60 iconic artworks and artifacts from the museum’s rich collection.

contemporary Indian works by artistes like MF Husain, FN Souza, and Satish Gujral; decorative art; rare manuscripts; coins dating back to Kushan and Gupta dynasties; and some textiles.

The book entitled Masterpieces was released by Chandigarh Adviser Manoj Parida on July 21.

The text has been contributed by Vrinda Agrawal, Tagore National Research Scholar for Cultural Research at the museum while the photography of the artworks has been done by Girish Nephade.

The publication has coloured illustrations and each artwork is accompanied by a textual description that highlights the aesthetic and historical significance of the masterpiece. Among those featured are Gandhara sculptures; miniature paintings from the courts of erstwhile Pahari and Rajasthani kingdoms; modern and

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Light” (4th Estate, HarperCollins); Colum McCann (Ireland/ US), Apeirogon (Bloomsbury Publishing), Maaza Mengiste (Ethiopia/US), “The Shadow King” (Canongate Books), Kiley Reid (US), “Such a Fun Age” (Bloomsbury Circus, Bloomsbury Publishing) ; Brandon Taylor (US), “Real Life” (Originals, Daunt Books Publishing); Anne Tyler (US), “Redhead by The Side of The Road (Chatto & Windus, Vintage); Douglas Stuart (Scotland/ US), “Shuggie Bain” (Picador, Pan Macmillan); Sophie Ward (UK), “Love and Other Thought Experiments” (Corsair, Little, Brown) ; and C. Pam Zhang (US), “How Much of These Hills is Gold” (Virago, Little, Brown). “Each of these books carries an impact that has earned it a place on the longlist, deserving of wide readership. Included are novels carried by the sweep of history with memorable characters brought to life and given visibility, novels that represent a moment of cultural change, or the pressures an individual faces in pre- and post-dystopian society,” Margaret Busby said. “Some of the books focus on interpersonal relationships that are complex, nuanced, emotionally charged. There are voices from minorities often unheard, stories that are fresh, bold and absorbing. The best fiction enables the reader to relate to other people’s lives; sharing experiences that we could not ourselves have imagined is as powerful as being able to identify with characters. “As judges we connected with these writers’ well-crafted prose, the mastery of detail, the arresting sentence, the credibility

New Delhi/IANS: What happens when two disparate people grow up together but stay apart, only to eventually fall in love?

Sahil learns why Arya is so private and that is when the most damning truth about her life is revealed. As soon as they cross that bridge and try to move on, another cruel blow threatens to tear them apart.

Avni Doshi of the narrative arc, the ability to use to the full, the resources of storytelling. Unplanned, our final selection encompasses both seasoned favourites and debut talents ? a truly satisfying outcome,” Busby added. Gaby Wood, Literary Director of the Booker Prize Foundation, noted that when the judges had drawn up their longlist, one of them asked: “Out of interest, how many debuts are there?’ “We counted. It was more than half the list. That’s an unusually high proportion, and especially surprising to the judges themselves, who had admired many books by more established authors, and regretted having to let them go. It is perhaps obvious that powerful stories can come from unexpected places and in unfamiliar forms; nevertheless, this kaleidoscopic list serves as a reminder. “In this year of seismic change, visibility for new books published in the UK has been drastically low. So, however unintended the ratio, it’s especially heartening to know that some authors who have launched their careers in the midst of Covid-19 may now have a chance to reach the readers they deserve,” Wood added.

A romantic fiction reflective of modern times

Government Museum and Art Gallery, Chandigarh

He commended the efforts of the museum and suggested that the book should be made available at multiple tourist spots in the City Beautiful to increase awareness about the museum’s rich collection.

New Delhi/IANS: Indian-origin author Avni Doshi’s “Burnt Sugar” and two titles from Bloomsbury - “Apeirogon” by Colum McCann and “Such a Fun Age” - by Kiley Reid are among the 13 books in the 50,000 pounds Booker Prize 2020 longlist announced, with jury chair Margaret Busby saying that each of them “carries an impact... deserving of wide readership”. The longlist was drawn up on July 28 by a panel of five judges that apart from Busby, included editor, literary critic and former publisher author Lee Child; author and critic Sameer Rahim; writer and broadcaster Lemn Sissay; and classicist and translator Emily Wilson. The list was chosen from 162 novels published in the UK or Ireland between October 1, 2019 and September 30, 2020. The Booker Prize is open to writers of any nationality, writing in English and published in the UK or Ireland. The shortlist of six books will be announced on September 15 and the winner, who can expect international recognition, will be announced in November. Each of the shortlisted authors will receive 2,500 pounds and a specially bound edition of their book. The 2020 longlist, or ‘The Booker Dozen’ as it is known, is: Avni Doshi (US), “Burnt Sugar” (Hamish Hamilton, Penguin Random House); Diane Cook (US), “The New Wilderness” (Oneworld Publications); Tsitsi Dangarembga (Zimbabwe), “This Mournable Body” (Faber & Faber) , Gabriel Krauze (UK), Who They Was (4th Estate, HarperCollins), Hilary Mantel (UK), “The Mirror & The

According to Museum Director Radhika Singh, the selection was not an easy process as the museum has innumerable outstanding works. The selection was made on the basis of the significance of the object in the art history context and also its value as representative of diversity of the museum collection. The book will be available for sale at the museum souvenir shop once it reopens for the visitors.

Shravya Bhinder, the bestselling author of “Something I Never Told you”, who gave up a fulltime corporate career to focus on writing full-time, explores these emotions in her new book “To You With Love”, which really is a story of our times. Right from their childhood, Sahil and Arya have been very different from each other. Sahil is careless and carefree -- in short, a brat -- and after ‘new money’. Arya is just the opposite, too sensitive, reserved, shy and not easy to talk to. But then, this is probably what attracts Sahil to her. Slowly and very delicately their story progresses, and in comes love and things begin to take on a golden hue. However, as life begins to unravel,

with her family in a house with a barren backyard and a lifetime’s collection of books. It’s an environment that’s bound to tickle the brain cells.

It’s now about a life beyond life, and about a love somewhere among the stars. Author Shravya loves to keep an eye out for stories she feels are hidden all around her and it is in these that she draws her inspiration from. Formerly a corporate employee, she managed to flee the madness of that world after a few years to become a full-time writer. She is a sucker for romance and strives to pen exciting stories. When she is not reading and writing, she is out enjoying nature, playing with her dogs or cooking for her family. Shravya lives in Melbourne

AUGUST 2020

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ENTERTAINMENT

Sushant’s legacy lives on with the song ‘Khul ke jeene ka’: Shashaa Tirupati could be an extension to the legacy of the late actor. “For the longest time, I really wanted to sing for a film that starred Sushant Singh Rajput, and it didn’t happen. I was completely oblivious to the fact that ‘Dil Bechara’ had him as the male lead. When the news of his demise broke and I went through social media seeing the details of the cause, that’s where I read that ‘Dil Bechara’ was his last film,” Shashaa told IANS about the actor, who was found hanging at his Mumbai residence on June 14.

Shashaa Tirupati New Delhi/IANS: Sushant Singh Rajput celebrates life in the song ‘Khul ke jeene ka’, picturised on him in his last release, Dil Bechara. Shashaa Tirupati, who voiced the song, feels that the number infused with positivity

“I was very shocked at that moment. Initially, it was very emotional but it translated into a point where I kind of felt that singing a song with the lyrics being ‘Khul ke jeene ka tareeka tumhe dikhate hain’ (ways to live life to the fullest) -- just the fact that in a way it could be an extension to Sushant’s legacy,” she added.

Composed by AR Rahman and written by Amitabh Bhattacharya, the song is sung by Arijit Singh and Shashaa. She calls it a masterpiece. “It’s one of those songs that you always go back to. When you listen to it (you wonder) how the idea occurred to him (Rahman). Intertwining notes, the harmonies just hug each other so beautifully and personally. I am a massive fan of Amitabh Bhattacharya’s work. The kind of words he has used -everything about it is so beautiful and in the current situation I feel, so deeply applicable,” she said. “The times that we are going through right now, it’s something that we have forgotten or lost touch with, and ‘Khul ke jeene ka’ acquaints you to that,” shared the National Award winner. She has worked with Rahman on quite a few film songs, including the award-winning track “Vaan Varuvaan”.

Being an outsider in Bollywood challenging, admits Shivaleeka Oberoi you are actually talented, you reach the right places. I have a belief that you have to be at the right place at the right time. Destiny plays a very important role.”

Shivaleeka Oberoi New Delhi/IANS: Budding actress Shivaleeka Oberoi admits it is not easy for an outsider to carve a path in Bollywood, and says that one needs to have immense selfbelief to survive the journey. “Honestly, it is not easy,” Shivaleeka told IANS, when asked how tough it is for an outsider to find a way and sustain in Bollywood, and then added: “But if you believe in yourself and if

“I never thought that I would be an actor. My mom is from a different line, my dad does something else and my sister does something else. I’m the only one in the acting field. My grandfather (Mahavir Oberoi) had produced a film once, but he passed away when my father was young, and since then we had no touch with the industry. I actually found my way, in terms of being on a film set, by becoming an assistant director. I gained maximum experience and knowledge by being an assistant director. It really helped me as an actor,” she added. Before her debut as an actor, Shivaleeka worked as an assistant director on “Kick” and “Housefull 3”. She made her acting debut in 2019 with romantic thriller “Yeh Saali Aashiqui” opposite Amrish Puri’s grandson Vardhan Puri, and will next be seen in “Khuda Haafiz”,

co-starring Vidyut Jammwal. Looking back at her short journey so far, she said: “It was not easy. To be very honest, what comes easy does not last. My parents have always taught me that ‘jo bhi chai yeh life mein uske liye hard work karna padega’ (you have to work hard to achieve what you want).” For Shivaleeka, that meant lots of auditions. “I have given an insane amount of auditions, and that’s how I bagged my first film, and then second. My role in ‘Khuda Haafiz’ is completely different from what I portrayed in my first film. It is a huge jump and people are going to see that variation.” “Your versatility as an actor is the only thing that really matters in this industry. For me, being a complete outsider, I kind of felt that it is important to show different shades and a variation to your characters,” she said. Her next release “Khuda Haafiz” is a romantic action thriller inspired by real life-events, and has been directed and written by Faruk Kabir. It will release on August 14, on Disney+ Hotstar VIP.

Sushant case: Bihar police seek police officer’s release following CBI takeover Mumbai/IANS: A day after CBI investigation was ordered into the Sushant Singh Rajput case, the Bihar Police Headquarters has written to the Commissioner of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), requesting the release of Bihar IPS Vinay Tiwari, who is currently quarantined in Mumbai. Bihar DGP Gupteshwar Pandey took to Twitter on August 6 evening to inform about the development. “The Bihar Police Headquarters has written a letter to the Commissioner of BMC today, citing the remarks of the Honourable Supreme Court, requesting the release of Bihar’s IPS Vinay Tiwari from quarantine and return to Bihar. We are awaiting their decision!” tweeted DGP Pandey in Hindi. Early on August 6 he had tweeted sharing the opinion of the apex court regarding the quarantining

IPS Vinay Tiwari of IPS Vinay Tiwari in Mumbai. “The Honourable Supreme Court has stated that it is wrong to forcefully quarantine IPS Vinay Tiwari of Bihar in Mumbai, and despite that BMC has not released him yet. They do not even care about the Supreme Court! Now what will you call it? Regret!” DGP Pandey had tweeted in Hindi.

Bobby Deol debuts on digital platform; says challenging times for actors Mumbai/IANS: Actor Bobby Deol is looking forward to foraying into the digital world, and says it is an exciting as well as challenging time to be an actor. The actor makes his digital debut with the film “Class Of ‘83”, which is backed by superstar Shah Rukh Khan’s banner Red Chillies Entertainment. “I love the sheer variety of content a digital medium has to offer and it’s truly encouraging to know that your work can reach so many people across the world,” Bobby said.

decides to punish the corrupt bureaucracy and its criminal allies by training five lethal assassin policemen. “Class Of ‘83” also stars AnnupSoni, Joy Sengupta, Vishwajeet Pradhan, Bhupendra Jadawat, Ninad Mahajani, Hitesh Bhojraj, Sameer Paranjape and Prithvik Pratap, and releases on Netflix on August 21.

“The 1980s was a fascinating period in Mumbai’s history and this film allowed me to live and feel that era all over again. When (director) Atul (Sabharwal) and Red Chillies Entertainment approached me, I was drawn by the intensity and depth of the character. It’s my first attempt on digital. It’s an exciting and challenging time to be an actor,” said Bobby. The film is the story of a policeman, who is shunted to a punishment posting as the Dean of the police academy, and narrates how he, in turn, Bobby Deol

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AUGUST 2020

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ENTERTAINMENT

Muzaffar Ali showcases ‘Naya Kashmir’ via his film but none of them have led me back to the land of my birth.” Things change when his daughter, a computer circuit designer, opts to go back to the Kashmir Valley. “Strange are the ways of the universe, I think, that conspired to bring me here,” she says. Further explaining what pulled her towards her roots, she shares: “I couldn’t sleep that night after seeing the haunting images of Muzaffar Ali’s film ‘Zooni’, shot in Kashmir in 1989. I wanted to see Kashmir, my own land and just check it out for myself.” “Zooni” is a still-unreleased film, starring Vinod Khanna and Dimple Kapadia. It revolves around the 16th century Kashmiri poet Habba Khatoon.

Naya Kashmir New Delhi/IANS: Veteran filmmaker Muzaffar Ali unravels a new side of Kashmir in a new video film, with the help of his daughter Noor.

over-20-minute video shows the beauty of Kashmir, through the eyes of Noor. The conversation between father and daughter forms an engaging narrative.

Ali’s “A New Dawn In The Valley” premiered on the first anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370, on August 5. The

The video opens with Ali saying: “It seems like another era since I left my beloved Kashmir. Life has taken so many twists and turns,

Moving on from the images of the film, the video shows the beauty of pashmina and other crafts. Noor, in turn, feels at home, and encourages her dad to join her. “They are building new roads, planning to set up IIMs and IITs, all this could mean that you could come back to teach and maybe even work at big hospitals like AIIMS that are coming up,” she says.

Angad Hasija not keen on doing nude and bed scenes Mumbai/IANS: Actor Angad Hasija says he is not comfortable doing nude or bedroom scenes on screen. After working in the television industry for over 15 years, Angad made his OTT debut last year with “Ishq Aaj Kal”. “Working in a web series was undoubtedly a good experience, but being a TV actor I feel that you are not that busy when you are working in a web series. We shot the entire show in about 10-12 days, but when you are working in TV you are busy all the time,” he said. He confessed that web series are in trend right now, but he is being offered shows that require nudity and he is not comfortable doing it. “Web series is in trend right now, but whatever show I am offered, it requires bed scenes and nude scenes, and I am not comfortable with that. I have got calls saying, ‘you have done nude photos, so why do you have a problem with this?’ But people need to understand that getting photographs clicked and performing a nude or bed scene are two different things. Unless

Angad Hasija and until I feel that it’s really required for the concept and the show, I don’t think I would do any such scenes on-screen,” Angad said. Angad made a name for himself in the industry with his portrayal of Alekh Rajvansh in the TV show “Sapna Babul Ka... Bidaai”. His debut show was “Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi”, where he played a cameo.

Bhojpuri actress India needs shift in attitudes to beAnupama Pathak come global power: Aparna Pande kills self in Mumbai problem probably lies in the gap between the dreams and ambitions of becoming a ‘great’ nation, and the willingness and ability to formulate and implement policies that would be consonant with that goal.

away from your problems so that they don’t get into trouble after you die. Also people will make fun of you and disrespect you in front of others. So never share your problems with anyone and never consider anyone your friend,” Anupama said in Hindi in her August 1 Facebook live video.

Anupama Pathak Bhojpuri Actress Mumbai/IANS: Bhojpuri actress Anupama Pathak allegedly committed suicide at her residence in Dahisar. The 40-year-old actress reportedly committed suicide on August 2. A day before her death, Anupama went live on Facebook (unverified account) where she spoke about feeling cheated and not being able to trust anyone. “If you confide to someone that you are going through some problems and feel suicidal, that person, no matter how good a friend he or she is, will immediately ask you to keep them

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“Be the person whom everybody can trust but never trust anyone. I have learnt this in my life. People are very selfish and don’t care for others,” she added in the video.

“My book analyses what holds India back and what could make it great. At a time when many around the world would like to see India play a greater role not just in South Asia but also Asia, why is being a great power still beyond India’s grasp,” she said.

Bhojpuri film and television actress Anupama hailed from Bihar’s Purnea district and resided in Mumbai for work purpose. A complaint has been registered with the police and an investigation has started.

To this end, the book looks at why the methodical development of the wherewithal of global power has proven difficult for India. India’s promise is enormous. Yet 73 years after independence, India has yet to fulfil its potential.

As per reports, a suicide note has been recovered where the actress has written about investing Rs 10,000 in a company named Wisdom Producer Company in Malad and not getting it back even after maturity date in December 2019. Unconfirmed reports also stated that she has allegedly named a person called Manish Jha, who took her two-wheeler at her hometown during the lockdown and never returned it.

Aparna Pande New Delhi/IANS: As an Indian, like millions of others, Aparna Pande, Director of the Initiative on the Future of India and South Asia at the Hudson Institute, Washington, D.C., too grew up believing in the inevitability of India achieving great power status. But, she discovered, countries become great powers not by wishing alone. As Pande perceptively points out in “Making India Great The Promise Of A Reluctant Global Power” (HarperCollins), the

In every arena, social, economic, human capital, military, and foreign policy, India has multiple opportunities to move forward and yet there are innumerable challenges that hold India back. The answer lies in the need for a shift in attitudes. “My book seeks to explain the dichotomy that lies at the heart of India: the belief in being a great

power and yet the reluctance to consistently implement policies and take actions that would help India achieve its goals,” Pande said.

“This is a thought-provoking new book pinpointing where India sometimes falters strategically, from a subject expert; it will be a fascinating read for anyone who looks at India from a policy perspective,” HarperCollins Publisher Udayan Mitra said. Born in India, Pande received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in History from St. Stephen’s College, University of Delhi, before receiving an M. Phil in International Relations from Jawaharlal Nehru University. She completed her Ph.D. in Political Science at Boston University in the United States. She is the author of “From Chanakya to Modi” (HarperCollins, 2017), “Explaining Pakistan’s Foreign Policy: Escaping India” (Routledge, 2010) and is the editor of “Contemporary Handbook on Pakistan” (Routledge, 2017).

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