STAFF REPORTER n NEW DELHI

Bharatiya Kisan Union(BKU) leader Rakesh Tikaiton Saturday said that the farm-ers will stay put at borders ofthe national Capital till October2, demanding to repeal theCentre’s agri-marketing laws.

“We will sit here tillOctober 2,” said Tikait, who isleading the ongoing farmers’protest at Ghazipur border,one of the protest sites. Tikaitalso said that they had receivedinputs regarding some miscre-ants who will try to disruptpeace during the chakka jamon Saturday.

“Because of these inputs,we had decided to call off the‘chakka jam’ in Uttar Pradeshand Uttarakhand,” the 51-year-old Tikait, credited with reviv-ing the farmers’ stir, said.

“Nobody can touch thefarmlands, the farmers willprotect it. Both farmers andsoldiers should come forwardfor it,” Tikait said.

Interacting with securitypersonnel who were on theother side of the barricading,Tikait said, bowing his headand folded hands, “Mypranaam (a respectful saluta-tion) to you all. Now you allwill protect my farms.”

Loud rustic protest songsblared from speakers, the

Tricolour fluttered atop trucksand tractors, and commutersmostly waited patiently asfarmers blocked the KMPExpressway on Saturday aspart of their three-hour “chak-ka jam” to press their demandfor repeal of the three new agri-cultural laws. The call for thenationwide “chakka jam”between 12 pm and 3 pm wasgiven by the farmer unionsprotesting at the Delhi bordersthe Centre’s agricultural laws.

“I came to the stretch at 11am. There were very few peo-ple then, but the numberswelled in no time. The pur-pose is to peacefully do justwhat is instructed to us by ourleaders — block the road till 3pm,” said Mukesh Sharma, alocal farmer supporting themovement.

Biscuits and fruits weredistributed among the protest-ing farmers sitting on the road.Those coming to the stretchwith their vehicles were polite-ly informed about the protestand requested to turn back.

“We don’t want to causeany inconvenience to the peo-ple,” said Ajit Ahluwalia (29),from Haryana’s Hisar.

“That’s precisely the reasonwhy the call given was forthree hours only. Securityforces have been blocking oursand theirs passage for so many

days. We expect the ‘aamaadmi’ to cooperate with us forsome hours at least. And thetruth is they are,” he said.

Some vehicles, carryingpeople with emergency healthconditions, were allowed topass without any delay.

The 136-km Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) wasbuilt to decongest the ever-busyroads of Delhi, especially byreducing the number of trucksentering the national Capital,thus helping to curb pollution.The commuters, mostly wait-

ing patiently, said they knewabout the “chakka-jam” buthad to be out due to social andprofessional engagements.

While Satnam Sandhu(42), a private contractor, hadto attend a business meeting;Sonu Ahuja and his family

were going for his cousin’swedding. “We are farmers our-selves, and support the farmers’movement completely. I havegone to the Singhu Bordermany a times for the protes,”said 36-year-old Ahuja.

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PTI n AMARAVATI

India has so far suppliedCovid-19 vaccine to 15 coun-tries and another 25 nations arein the queue at different levelsfor the jab, External AffairsMinister S Jaishankar said hereon Saturday.

He said there are threecategories of countries whichare keen to get the vaccine fromIndia — poor, price sensitivenations and other countrieswhich directly deal with phar-maceutical companies thatmake the antidote.

“I think right now we havealready supplied to about 15countries (as per my recollec-tion). I would say there wouldbe another about 25 countrieswhich are at different stages inthe pipeline. But what it hasdone is today it has put Indiaon the map of the world,”

Jaishankar told reporters in aPress conference.

The Minister said somepoor countries are being sup-plied the vaccine on a grantbasis while some nations want-ed it on par with the price thatthe Indian Government pays tothe vaccine makers.

Some countries have directcontracts with the Indian vac-cine producing companies andhave negotiated commercially,he said.

The Centre has alreadygiven the nod for two Covid-19 vaccines — Covaxin of city-based Bharat Biotech andCovishield of Oxford, beingmanufactured by SerumInstitute of India in Pune,which are being administeredto frontline workers fromJanuary 16, under EmergencyUse Authorisation.

Drug maker Dr Reddysrecently said it will approachthe Drug Regulator for theEUA for Russian vaccineSputnik V in March.

Jaishankar said PrimeMinister Narendra Modi’s ideawas to establish the country asthe “Pharmacy of the World”,

taking advantage of the domes-tic capabilities and the wayIndia emerged as IT leader dur-ing the Y2K issue.

PNS n NEW DELHI

The CRPF women warriorsbroke the proverbial glassceiling on Saturday as the firstbatch of 34 women personnelentered the elite CoBRABattalion, an exclusive anti-Naxal force under the Centralparamilitary force. The CRPFalso formed an all-womenbrass band on Saturday.

These women will under-go three months of strenuouspre-induction training beforejoining operations on theground for the CombatBattalion for Resolute Action(CoBRA).

“The Central Reserve

Police Force has yet againtaken another step towardwomen’s empowerment byallowing entry of its Mahilapersonnel in the elite CoBRAwing during the 35th RaisingDay celebrations of 88thMahila Battalion. Notably, 88thMahila Battalion of CRPF hasthe distinction of being the firstall Mahila battalion in theworld. In another first, an allMahila brass band was alsoformed on this occasion ofmomentous significance,” theCRPF said in a statement.

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AP n YANGON, MYANMAR

Myanmar’s new militaryauthorities appeared tohave cut most access to theInternet on Saturday as theyfaced a rising tide of protestover their coup that toppledAung San Suu Kyi’s electedcivilian Government.

Numerous internet usersnoted a slow disappearance ofdata services, especially frommobile service providers, thataccelerated sharply lateSaturday morning. Broadbandconnection also later failed,while there were mixed reportson whether landline telephoneservice and mobile voice con-nections were still working.

Netblocks, a London-basedservice that tracks internet dis-ruptions and shutdowns, saidSaturday afternoon that “anear-total internet shutdown is

now in effect” in Myanmar,with connectivity falling tojust 16% of normal levels.

The broad outage followedFriday’s military order to blockTwitter and Instagram becausesome people were trying to usethe platforms to spread whatauthorities deemed fake news.Facebook had already been blocked earlier in theweek — though not complete-ly effectively.

The communication block-ages are a stark reminder of theprogress Myanmar is in dangerof losing after Monday’s coupplunged the nation back underdirect military rule after anearly decade-long movetoward democracy. DuringMyanmar’s five decades of mil-itary rule, the country’s com-munication with the outsideworld was controlled.

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PTI n WASHINGTON

The registration process forthe H-1B visa applicationfor the next fiscal year willbegin on March 1 and the suc-cessful applicants through acomputerised draw of lotswould be notified by March 31,a federal agency hasannounced.

The notification by the USCitizenship and ImmigrationServices (USCIS) on Fridaycame a day after the Bidenadministration announced thatit is delaying the H-1B policyof the previous Trump admin-

istration on the allocation ofthe popular foreign work visasby continuing with the lotterysystem until December 31,2021, to give the immigrationagency more time to develop,test and implement the modi-fications to the registrationsystem.

The USCIS announcedthat the initial registrationperiod for the fiscal year 2022H-1B cap will open at noonEastern on March 9 and runthrough noon March 25.

The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows UScompanies to employ foreignworkers in specialty occupa-tions that require theoretical ortechnical expertise. The tech-nology companies depend onit to hire tens of thousands ofemployees each year fromcountries like India and China.

Turn to Page 4

MAHA: ABDUCTED NAVYSAILOR BURNT ALIVEPalghar: A 26-year-old Navysailor who had been abducted inChennai on January 30 was seton fire by the kidnappers injungles of Maharashtra'sPalghar district and he died ofinjuries, the police said onSaturday.

CONG: WILL RESTORESABARIMALA CUSTOMS Thiruvananthapuram/Kottayam:Ahead ofStateAssemblypolls, theCongress-led UnitedDemocraticFront inKerala said on Saturday if theUDF was voted to power, itwould pass a legislation onSabarimala to protect thecustoms of the shrine, a movedubbed by the ruling Left frontas to fool the people of theState.

POLICE TORTURE: VICTIMDIES IN GUJ HOSPITALBhuj: One more victim of thealleged police torture at Mundrapolice station in Gujarats Kutchdistrict died on Saturday whileundergoing treatment at ahospital in Ahmedabad, takingthe number of the victims totwo, an officer said.

CAPSULE

Farmers throw Oct 2 challengeRakesh Tikait says kisan will sit on protest till Gandhi jayanti; Chakka jampeaceful at KMP, Punjab, Haryana; scattered demonstrations in other States

15 nations alreadysupplied with jabsagainst Covid-19,says Jaishankar

25 countries in queue for Made in India vaccines

ARCHANA JYOTI n NEW DELHI

Artificial intelligence (AI)cannot replace a doctor’sassessment of medical condi-tion of a person infected withdeadly virus, but it can defi-nitely help the fraternity withup to 90 per cent certainty todetermine whether an unin-fected person will die of Covid-19 on catching the infection, astudy has said.

Also, once admitted to thehospital with the infection, thecomputer can predict with 80per cent accuracy whether theperson will need a respirator,researchers at the University ofCopenhagen have found. Indoing so, the computers canalso help decide who should beat the front of the line for thevaccines.

Turn to Page 4

PNS n NEW DELHI

Twenty-two people have sofar died after taking theCiovid-19 vaccines in India, butthe Government has claimedthat they didn’t succumbe toany complication arising fromvaccination. Making this claim,the Health Ministry onSaturday said so far over 56lakh persons have been inocu-lated.

“There have been 22 deathssubsequently, but these are notlinked to the vaccination,” theHealth Ministry said.

The Government has alsoasked States and UTs to com-

plete the first dose adminis-tration to all health-care work-ers by February 20 and mop-uprounds by February 25.

Of the 56,36,868 benefi-ciaries vaccinated, AdditionalSecretary in the Union HealthMinistry Manohar Agnani said52,66,175 are health-care work-ers and 3,70,693 are frontlineworkers.

He further said that 54.7per cent of the healthcare work-ers registered on the Co-WINapp have been vaccinated.

“No new case of hospital-ization or death reported in thepast 24 hours,” he said.

Turn to Page 4

AI can predict with90% accuracy if aperson will diefrom Covid or not 22 deaths after jab not linked

to complications arising outof vaccination: Health Min

Breaking glass ceiling,34 CRPF women joinelite CoBRA forceWill undergo 3-month training;all-women brassband also formed

Coup protests expand,Myanmar blocks Net

Registration for H-1Blottery from March 1

Biden Admindecides to revertto lottery system for H-1B visas

BKU leader Rakesh Tikait holding a spade waves a Tricolour during the protest against Centres new farm laws at Ghazipur border in New Delhi on Saturday PTI

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USUALSUSPECTSSWAPAN DASGUPTA

The ongoing agitation involving farmers from Punjab,Haryana and, to a lesser extent, western Uttar Pradeshand Uttarakhand, has attracted support from the unlikeliestof quarters. Predictably, the Akali Dal in Punjab and thefragmentary remnants of Chaudhury Devi Lals empire haveendorsed a movement aimed at safeguarding the interestsof big farmers. The Congress, naturally, will support anymovement that disturbs the tranquillity of the Narendra ModiGovernment. Less understandable, however, is the supportthe agitation has secured from the larger Left-liberalecosystem, from individuals and organisations that, in thepast, decried the stranglehold of the kulak lobby on Indiasagricultural policies.

The reasons are perhaps obvious. Just as last yearsmovement against the Citizenship Amendment Act hadbrought together individuals and political parties whoseconnections with fast-tracking citizenship applications fromHindu and Sikh refugees from neighbouring countries weretenuous, the target has always been the Modi Government.Last year, it was the Muslim community that provided thecrowds and the rioters in Delhi and the border districts ofWest Bengal. This time, a small group of people withquestionable links have taken control of the farmersmovement, with logistical planning outsourced toprofessional agitators.

The farmers agitation has secured valuable support fromintellectuals and media, notably those who have remainedunreconciled to the defeat of the Congress and the adventof the Modi Government since 2014. It is interesting to note

that whatever the issue and these haveranged fromdemonetisation, theAyodhya verdict and thesurgical strikes to theanti-CAA stir and thefarmers agitation thefaces who have opposedthe Governmentstandpoint haveremained more or lessthe same. This includeseconomists and otherswho had earliervociferouslyrecommended the verysame reforms theGovernment enacted inthe previous session ofParliament. They justifiedthe U-turn on the groundthat public consultationson the changes shouldhave been moreelaborate, never mindthe Covid-19 pandemicand the lockdown.

This is both curiousand, at the same time,drearily predictable. Itsuggests that the realtarget of Oppositionwasnt the specificmeasures of theGovernment but theexistence of the ModiGovernment itself.

It is this visceralOpposition to the ModiGovernment thatexplains the inordinatehaste with whichjournalists with a trackrecord of batting againstthe Prime Minister andthe BJP spread theobviously fake news of afarmer being shot deadby the police as heattempted to ram themetal barricades with hisfast-moving tractor. Thefake news could havetriggered a riot. It istherefore unfortunate thatthe Editors Guild thought

it necessary to issue a statement that, in effect, seeks togloss over this wilful misdemeanour.

The blind Opposition has touched ridiculous extremes.On the occasion of the 125th birth anniversary of NetajiSubhas Chandra Bose, a portrait of the stalwart of thenationalist movement was unveiled in Rashtrapati Bhavan. Itwas a painting by the eminent Bengali artist Paresh Maity.However, the tweet of this occasion was followed bymembers of the same ecosystem questioning theauthenticity of the person depicted in the painting. It wasmade out that the person portrayed in the painting was thatof Prosenjit Chatterjee, a well-known Bengali film star whohad played the role of Netaji in a film on Gumnami Baba.The fake news here too may have acquired the status ofconventional wisdom had not one of Netajis grandnephewstweeted the original photograph on which the painting wasbased.

The incident may be trivial and is likely to be forgottenbefore the week ends. However, it reveals the sheerdesperation of an extra-parliamentary Opposition that hasbeen trying to create disturbances against the ModiGovernment, almost incessantly since 2014. So far, theirpolitical success has been patchy but they have beenunrelenting in the hope that some issue or another is boundto click. The efforts by any Opposition force to move againstthe Government is a democratic right and cannot bequestioned. What, however, does need highlighting is thefact that their efforts are linked to a well-defined politicalpurpose. It is this agenda that needs to be simultaneouslyhighlighted, not least because a section of the media areparticipants in this game.

Farm stir a ruse forOpp to unseat Modi

It reveals the sheerdesperation of an extra-parliamentary Oppositionthat has been trying tocreate disturbances againstthe Modi Government,almost incessantly since2014. So far, their politicalsuccess has been patchy butthey have been unrelentingin the hope that some issueor another is bound to click.The efforts by anyOpposition force to moveagainst the Government is ademocratic right and cannotbe questioned. What,however, does needhighlighting is the fact thattheir efforts are linked to awell-defined politicalpurpose

CHAMCHAM FINALLY TURNS BRIDE

Colors popular show Namak Issk Kawhich capture the journey of nachaniyaChamchams (played by Shruti Sharma) hasenticed viewers. As she takes on society and

their judgments and shows us the kind ofprejudices that a dancer in her position hasto deal with, she comes across Yug (Playedby Aditya Ojha).

In an ironic and completely unexpectedturn of events, Yug who has always lookeddown upon dancers ends up leaving his ownbride and marries Chamcham!

Shruti Sharma's stunningtransformation from being a nachaniya toDulhaniya is a sight to behold.

Chamcham's look is completelydifferent from what we have seen bridesdress this season. Dressed in pastel shadeswith some exquisite Kundan jewelry in adull-gold finish, Chamcham's look is sure toinspire the brides in the upcoming weddingseason!

JOAQUIN INSPIRES RAGHAVZee TV recently launched Hamariwali

Good News, which presents a heart-warmingstory showcasing a unique role reversalbetween a daughter-in-law Navya (SrishtiJain) and her mother-in-law Renuka (JuhiParmar) to give their family the much-awaited Good News. Over the last couple ofweeks, we've seen a lot of drama take placeat the Tiwari house, especially with Aditya(Raghav Tiwari) losing his job as well asRenuka Mukund's (Shakti Anand)ongoing divorce drama. With severaldramatic and emotionally drainingsequences being shot, the shootingschedules have been impacting all theactors, especially Raghav Tiwari. However,the actor reveals to us how Hollywood actorJoaquin Phoenix has been helping himunwind and stay sane.

As Raghav Tiwari who plays the role ofAditya mentioned: In the current scenario,

Aditya is in a huge predicament after losinghis job and seeing his parents fight andgoing for a divorce. All this has made himvery volatile, and he has become veryaggressive. He is frustrated and while Navyatries to be his saviour, he is in a downwardspiral. Aditya is seen fighting with everyone,removing his frustration at his wife andmother as well as breaking down in front ofthem. These sequences were one of themost challenging ones for me and I mustsay as an actor I enjoyed shooting for them.However, to showcase all these emotionsproperly, I had to resort to method actingand I imagined myself in these scenarios,immersed myself in them completely andthen my natural reactions came out.Obviously, it did affect me, especially afterhaving to cry and burst out from one sceneto another. There was no stopping point andit did impact my personality a bit.

However, it looks like Hollywood starJoaquin Phoenix's piece of advice reallyhelped him out. As Raghav added, "We'veseen many actors get affected by theircharacters beyond a point of no return likeHeath Ledger and it can happen to anyonewho resorts to method acting. However, Ialways had Joaquin Phoenix's advice in mymind. He had once said that while we shouldget into the skin of your character toshowcase the exact raw emotions, weshould also remember to cut off from it andaccept reality. He had said that when weaccept the reality, it will help us get back to

our normal selves the moment the directorcalls cut and that's what I did. Apart fromthis piece of advice, I have a very supportivecast including Srishti, Shakti ji and Juhi ji.All of them helped me unwind and I mustsay this sequence has been one of myfavourites to shoot.

While Raghav is enjoying the shoot,looks like a lot of new twists and turns areset to come in Renuka and Mukund's lifeafter Vrunda (Samikssha Bhatnagar) exposesSumitra's long kept secret. What will happennext?

RAJEEV DISGUISES AS A TUTORCapturing the true essence of slice of

life, light-hearted comedy, Sony SABs TeraYaar Hoon Main is set to witness Rajeevsnew andaaz. While Rajeev (SsudeepSahir) and Daljeet (Sayantani Ghosh) aretrying to strike a balance to make theirkids get along, a new challenge hasmade its way in their lives. Theupcoming episodes will witness Daljeetand Rajeev joining hands to make theirsons and get rid of deceitful Shaktiwho has made his way into theirhouse.

The union of both the Bansal andthe Bagga families have not beeneasiest so far. Adding to this rift isRishabh (Ansh Sinha) and Barrys (VirajKapoor) ongoing rivalry. While Rajeevand Daljeet are finding ways to strike abalance with one another, Shakti (MohitDagga) after getting hurt by Rajeevs scooter,persuades dadaji (Rajendra Chawla) to lethim stay in their house. On the other hand,both Barry and Rishabh decide to participatein a mathematics competition and Daljeettakes this opportunity to keep an eye onShakti at all times. Rajeev disguises as amathematics tutor and starts prepping Barryfor the competition while Daljeet finds herown sneaky methods to help Rishabh.

While the parents are busy befriendeach others sons, Shakti is trying to find thetruth behind Daljeet and Rajeevs marriage.

Will Rajeev and Daljeet win over Barryand Rishabh? Will Shakti find any evidenceagainst Daljeets marriage with Rajeev?

Ssudeep Sahir, essaying the role ofRajeev said, It was such a refreshingchange to don a disguise for the upcomingepisodes on the show. It is always fun toplay a different character, you get to trysomething new. For this character, I eventouched upon my Punjabi. I will be essayingthe role of Punjabi mathematics tutor andthe viewers must get ready to witness Rajeevin a never seen before avatar. While it tookme a while to get into the look but the finaloutcome was good and I am sure theepisodes further will be entertaining for ourviewers.

T E L L Y T A L E

nWhat is your role in PandyaStore?

I play Gautam Pandya, ashopkeeper. He is a kind-heartedand family oriented person. Hekeeps his family’s dreams andhappiness above his needs. Hisfather is no more with them andhis mother is bed ridden, so theresponsibility of taking care of thefamily lies on his shoulders. The

story revolves around how heruns the store and during

the process gets to knowthat Pandya Store ismortgaged. He thengets married toDhara, who thenhelps him inrunning the store.

nWhat attractedyou towards therole?

The simplicityof the character.There is no need ofover-the-top acting,

it all comes sonatural. Also, Gautam

is a person who wantsto see everyone happyand that was one of the

reasons what got meattracted towards thischaracter.

nWhat all preparationsdid you have to do?

I had to shed five kgs tofit into the shoe of thecharacter. Also, I had towork on my dialect a bit.Though it was not thatdifficult because the show ispan India. I had to learn tospeak slowly and not justrush into words. And lastly,I have to work a bit on mybody language as well.

nYou have played bothnegative and positivecharacters. Which one doyou prefer to play?

I would like to playmore positive charactersbecause a hero is alwaysshown in that light.Though negativecharacters offer more

scope to show youracting skills, but

having said that my priority isalways to play protagonists. Also,my face suits best for positivecharacters so I mostly get cast forsuch roles only.

nWith that being said, did youhave any apprehensions intaking up the negative roles?

Not at all. I believe an actorshould explore all kinds of roles

and genres. The more types ofcharacters you play, the morerefined your craft gets.

nWere you concerned aboutlosing your positive image in theminds of the audience?

The audience liked thecharacters I played. I have beenfortunate enough to have got theaudience’s support in whateverrole I played. There were noconcerns at all. Also, the morenegative comments you get foryour role, it means you are ableto justify your character andstrike the right chord with theaudience. It is like a validation foryour work and we take it in ahealthy and positive way.

nHow did acting happen toyou?

I did an acting course andthen went on to do theatre for twoyears. In 2007, I got my first breakin Dhoom Machao Dhoom and Ishifted to Mumbai for the shoot.Then I went on getting more andmore shows and this is how Ireached here. Ups and downs arealways there in every field, but Iwas lucky enough to keep ongetting shows after shows.

nWas there a moment whenyou felt like quitting?

Not at all. I was mostly busywith work and even if when I wasnot, that gap was not that bigenough to demotivate me. In thatgap, I focused on reinventingmyself and my craft and never losthope.

n Do you mind givingauditions?

No. Today, we don’t call itaudition, we call it look testinstead. But it is more or less thesame thing and without it thingswill not work. I never shy awayfrom giving auditions.

nHow has your life changedafter Sapna Babul Ka...Bidai?

The popularity quotient wentup. I started getting more respectin auditions. A lot of thingsdefinitely changed for the betteronce the show became a hit. Mylife changed after the success ofthe show.

NEW DELHI | SUNDAY | FEBRUARY 7, 2021 films & tv 02

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MALCOLM & MARIE Netflix*ing: Zendaya, John David Washington Rated: 5/10

Malcolm & Marie reminds one of a moviethat’s closer to home. Many wouldremember the 1964 movie and Anil inYaadein played by Sunil Dutt. Yaadein, a blackand white film is all about a man whoreminiscences his indiscretions when, one dayhe comes home to find that his wife and sonare not there. This movie only had Sunil Duttwith a silhouette of Nargis at the end.

Malcolm & Marie may not be about a loneman but it is about relationships, a movie thatspends 106 minutes of running time in tryingto get it’s lead — Malcolm played by Washington— to apologise to his partner, a woman he loves,for not thanking her for her contribution in hislife at his debut movie as a director.

The entire movie is strangely cathartic andyet exhaustive as the only two people here go

back and forth talking about their relationship,art, politics and how White people see acoloured person and sees everything with atainted vision and turning it into a racist orpolitical issue. It is taxing to see these charactersgo back and forth with highs and lows on arepeat like q broken record.

Still the acting by Washington is brilliant.His almost 10 minute tirade of what he thoughtof the review by a White lady of Imani, acoloured person who struggles with addiction,is an absolute joy to watch even though the fourletter word finds its way at 50 times if not more.In fact, that is the high point of Malcolm &Marie; this and the climax.

Zendaya, the only other character her playsher part rather well and matches Washingtonto bring out Marie’s need to be thanked for herrole.

Watch this for its roller coaster emotionsthat has well-fleshed out characters.

Shalini Saksena

A talkathon onrelationships

Bidaai changed my lifeMUSBA HASHMI speaks with KINSHUK MAHAJAN about his rolein Star Plus latest offering Pandya Store, the attraction of playing itand how his life has changed after Sapna Babul Ka...Bidaai

Plan Your Day

Look good, feel goodVenue: Potenza Wellness, D-7, Hauz Khas, NewDelhi-110016When: February 14, 2021Time: 9:30 am to 6:30 pm

If you are dating or single, take this Valentines Dayan opportunity to pamper yourself and yourpartner with some Beauty, Health and WellnessRituals. Although these are important throughoutthe year but they are all the more important on aday dedicate to love.

Still dont know where to go? We have theanswer for you, located in the heart of the capital,Potenza Advance Wellness introduces the mostadvanced machines and non-invasive, painlessbeauty, health and wellness treatments easy on yourpocket. Now you dont have to fly abroad towellness centres to get yourself and your loved onepamper because Potenza has brought theinternationally acclaimed technology to India duringa time in history when wellness is most appreciatedand needed by us.

Bring your partner at Potenza Wellness,experience our exclusive Hyper Baric OxygenTherapy (introduced for the first time in India),enjoy the effortless process of rejuvenating andoverall well-being in a pressurised chamber like anaeroplane, while watching your favourite Netflixshow with your loved one (The HBOT Chamberseats four people at the same time)

Potenza Wellness has made this ValentineWeek even more special with their V-Day offers ontheir exclusive services.

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Get Advanced Hydra facial at offer price:`7,500

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Take 5 sessions of Pain Management Therapyand get 5 complimentary.

Maldives Calling

The 104.8 ISHQ FM, Indias only romantic radio station, is back with itsannual Valentines Day campaign. Mohabbat in Maldives is a month-long campaign that gives an opportunity to Delhiites and Mumbaikars towin an all-inclusive couples holiday to the dream destination Maldives.

The campaign which started on February 5, 2021 will give couples achance to battle it out through a series of contests centred on music,Bollywood and travel. Two lucky couples one from Delhi and one fromMumbai will win an all-expense paid romantic getaway to the Maldives.

Speaking about the campaign, Rahul Kumar Shaw CEO,Television & Radio (104.8 Ishq) TV Today Network said: The monthof Love is important for us and Ishq FM is the Mecca of romanceamongst the radio stations in India. We are happy to announce our thirdValentines Day campaign Mohabbat in Maldives. This year, we aregiving a chance to couples to go to the Maldives, which has becomeBollywoods favourite holiday destination. With such offerings ourendeavour is to stay true to our brands commitment of providinginnovative and exciting content to our listeners.

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Although every possible care and caution has been taken to avoid errors or omissions, this publication is being sold on the condition and understanding that information given in this publication is merely for reference and must not be taken as having authority of or binding in any way on the writers, editors, publishers, and printers and sellers who do not owe any responsibility for anydamage or loss to any person, a purchaser of this publication or not for the result of any action taken on the basis of this work. All disputes are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of competent court and forums in Delhi/New Delhi only. Readers are advised and requested to verify and seek appropriate advice to satisfy themselves about the veracity of any kind of advertisement beforeresponding to any contents published in this newspaper. The printer, publisher, editor and any employee of the Pioneer Group's will not be held responsible for any kind of claim made by the advertisers of the products & services and shall not be made responsible for any kind of loss, consequences and further product-related damages on such advertisements.

I would liketo play more

positivecharactersbecause a

hero isalways shownin that light.

Thoughnegative

charactersoffer morescope to

show youracting skills,but having

said that mypriority isalways to play

protagonists

It is veryconfusing BLISSAmazon Prime Video*ing: Salma Hayek, Owen Wilson Rated: 4/10

Here is another movie that not onlyexhausts one, in trying to decipherwhat is happening, it is confusing sinceone tries to discern between reality and fiction.While some may find the narrative of this filmeasy enough to follow from the word go,others, who hate loose ends will want to knowthe answers to questions that remainunanswered.

One would have thought that a moviestarring Salma Hayek and Owen Wilson wouldbe far more entertaining and fun to watch butBliss, unlike it’s title is anything but that.

Interestingly, despite the major drawbackof this movie, it manages to capture one’sattention and hold it all through the 103minutes. There is something that capturesimagination. Curiosity killed the cat and theneed to see how things end keeps one glued.

Allow yourself to be drawn into the rollercoaster ride that its characters go through andlet the drama unfold however confused it nayleave one at the end. Shalini Saksena

India Craft WeekVenue: British Council and Bikaner House in New DelhiWhen: February 18 to February 21, 2021Time: 11 am to 7pm

Hailed as Indias Official and the second-largest craft week in the worldafter its international counterpart London Craft Week, India CraftWeek (ICW) is aliberatedinitiative/event tobridge our nation'siconic heritage,skilled craft-people,independentmakers, andcontemporarybrands, allowingthem to narratetheir untold stories.It is the onlyplatform in India tobring artisan,designer, & luxurybrand on a singleplatform. In order to give sustainable livelihood & exposure to craftcommunities post-pandemic, New Delhi based social venture craft villagehas joined hands with British Council to kick-start the third chapter ofIndia Craft Week good stories untold. The showcase this year brings acommunity of over 100 craftspersons, makers, craft brands, museums,organisations, and figureheads while embracing multiple artistic genres.In addition to the exhibits, cross-talks, workshops, installations, and CraftCinema a chance to immerse oneself in the crafting history ofarchitecture that the centuries-old city has to offer.

NEW DELHI | SUNDAY | FEBRUARY 7, 2021 capital 03

STAFF REPORTER n NEW DELHI

The Delhi Police on Saturdayintensified security at allborder points of the city asthousands of personnel includ-ing paramilitary forces weredeployed to deal with any sit-uation emerging out of thenationwide “chakka jam”.

Police also detained around50 people near Shaheedi Parkin central Delhi for allegedlyholding a protest in support ofthe ‘chakka jam’ call given bythe farmers.

Police forces were alsodeployed at important junc-tions across the national capi-tal including Red Fort andITO which witnessed violenceon January 26 during the trac-tor parade by the protestingfarmers in which over 500police personnel were injuredand a protester died.

Drone cameras werepressed into service to keep atight vigil at protest sites. Multi-layered barricades, barbedwires and nail-studded roads atthe protest sites are also part ofthe precautionary measurestaken by the police force.

“In view of the violencethat took place on January 26,adequate security arrangementshave been put in place by theDelhi Police at the borders sothat miscreants are not ableenter the national capital. Policeteams are monitoring content

on the social media to makesure rumours are not spreadagainst the police. The protes-tors are camping at the bordersof Delhi. We are in touch withthe police force of other statesalso,” said Chinmoy Biswal,the Public Relation Officer(PRO) of Delhi Police onFriday.

Thousands of farmers havebeen camping at several Delhiborder points, demanding acomplete repeal of the threefarm laws — the Farmers’(Empowerment andProtection) Agreement onPrice Assurance and FarmServices Act, the Farmers’Produce Trade and Commerce(Promotion and Facilitation)

Act, and the EssentialCommodities (Amendment)Act — and legal guarantee ofminimum support price fortheir crops.

Enacted in September2020, the government has pre-sented these laws as majorfarm reforms aimed at increas-ing farmers’ income, but theprotesting farmers have raisedconcerns that these legisla-tions would weaken the mini-mum support price (MSP) and“mandi” (wholesale market)systems and leave them at themercy of big corporations.

The government has main-tained that these apprehen-sions are misplaced and hasruled out a repeal of the laws.

STAFF REPORTER n NEW DELHI

Following “chakka jam”called by farmers agitatingagainst the new agri laws, theDelhi Metro on Saturday closedten of its stations, includingMandi House and ITO andreopened them after the protestended at 3 pm.

The Delhi Metro RailCorporation (DMRC) in aseries of tweets in the morninginformed commuters that mul-tiple stations have been closed.

“Security UpdateEntry/exit gates of MandiHouse, ITO and Delhi Gate areclosed,” it tweeted. It later alsotweeted that entry and exitgates of Vishwavidyalaya sta-tion were also closed.

“Entry/exit gates of LalQuila, Jama Masjid, Janpath

and Central Secretariat areclosed. Interchange facility isavailable,” the DMRC said.

“Entry/exit gates of KhanMarket and Nehru Place areclosed,” it tweeted.

After the Republic Dayviolence, the Delhi Police hasdeployed additional measures,including tightening securityand intensifying vigil at thecity’s border points, to deal withany situation emerging out ofthe “chakka jam”, officials hadsaid.

During the ‘Chakka jam’on Saturday, farmers shoutedslogans and parked their trac-tors-trolleys in the middle ofhighways at several places inPunjab and Haryana to blockroads. In Rajasthan too, farm-ers protesting against theCentre’s new agri laws andother issues blocked roads atseveral places.

The DMRC in the eveningtweeted that entry and exitgates of all 10 metro stationshad been re-opened, and nor-

mal service were resumed.“Security Update

Entry/exit gates of all stationsare open. Normal service hasresumed,” it tweeted.

Farmer unions on Mondayhad announced a countrywide“chakka jam” on February 6during which they had declaredthat they would block nation-al and State highways between12 noon and 3 pm to protestthe internet ban in areas neartheir agitation sites, harass-ment allegedly meted out tothem by authorities, and otherissues.

However, the SamyuktKisan Morcha, an umbrellabody of the farmer unions, onFriday had said the protesterswill not block roads in Delhi,Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhandduring the “chakka jam”.

Security uppedat city borders

FARMERS CHAKKA JAM

50 detained at Shaheedi Park for staging protest

Police detain left-wing activists during a protest to support the ongoing farmersagitation against Centres farm reform laws, at Shaheedi Park in New Delhi onSaturday Ranjan Dimri | Pioneer

Lal Quila metro station closed in view of the nationwide chakka jam, in support ofongoing agitation against Centres farm reform laws in New Delhi on Saturday

Ranjan Dimri | Pioneer

PARVESH SHARMA n GURUGRAM

In view of farmers’ nationwide“chakka jam” (road blockade)against three farm laws, theSamyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM)in Gurugram staged symbolicprotest at Krishna Chowk nearBheghera flyover on PalamVihar road in Gurugram onSaturday.

Aroud 200 protesters andleaders from political partiessat in the middle of road block-ing the movement of traffic.They raised anti Governmentslogans against the newlypassed three agricultural laws.

“As per the schedule we willprotect here for three hoursfrom 12 pm to 3 pm. TheGovernment is adamant infavour of these three black laws.SKM will protest against thesethree farm laws till it’s roll back,”said Chaudhary Santokh Singh,President SKM Gurugram.

Meanwhile, the traffic wasdisrupted as the protesters spe-cially women made humanchain towards Bheghera flyoverto disrupt traffic movement.They also sat at the Krishnachowk to disrupt the traffic

movement towards PalamVihar and Delhi.

The protesters at the sitewere also distributing antiGovernment pamphlet inwhich they had mentionedcons of these three black laws.

A number of police per-sonnel were deployed to han-dle the traffic movement andprevent any untoward inci-dents. The Gurugram policehave made adequate arrange-ments in view of the farmers’

“chakka jam”, said senior offi-cials.

“We have diverted the traf-fic and keep asking commutersto avoid visiting Palam ViharRoad towards Krishna Chowkand Bheghera Flyover. A num-ber of police check poins areinstalled to check vehicles. Wehave asked the protesters to liftthere protest but they were notready to listen to us. Theprotest till now was peacefuland no untoward incident was

reported,” said Rajeev Kumar,ACP (Udyog Vihar).

Apart from this, theGurugram roads including theDelhi-Jaipur Expressway,Kundli-Manesar-Palwal andState highways were remainedunaffected from nationwide“chakka jam”.

The Farmers hadannounced nationwide “chak-ka jam” (road block) over threefarm laws for three hoursbetween 12 pm to 3 pm

SKM stages symbolic protest in Gurugram

10 metro stations closed during road blockade

Protesters shout slogans in support of farmers; chakka jam protest against farm laws in Gurugram on Saturday Pioneer photo

STAFF REPORTER n NEW DELHI

The Delhi Government haslaunched various socialmedia handles for its SwitchDelhi campaign to sensitizeDelhiites on the need to switchto “Electronic Vehicles” (EVs),the environmental and finan-cial benefits and the benefitsthat can be availed by con-sumers under Delhi’s electricvehicle policy.

The ‘Switch Delhi’ cam-paign was launched earlier thisweek by Chief Minister ArvindKejriwal for informing moti-vating and encouragingDelhiites to accelerate theadoption of EVs in the nation-al Capital.

The Dialogue andDevelopment Commission ofDelhi (DDCD) will be leadingthe social media outreach of thecampaign.

“These media handles willbe used as a medium for con-necting directly with the pub-lic, addressing grievances of

people trying to claim subsidiesor any other issues they have inbuying EVs, and the handleswill also share success storiesand testimonials of EV buyersto motivate Delhiites.

DDCD will also beresponding to queries and mis-conceptions people have onEVs via the social handles,” the government said in a statement.

Social media outreach isone of the major componentsof the eight-week mass aware-ness campaign of the Delhigovernment on promoting theuse of electric vehicles in Delhi.It will be an important tool inmaking the CM’s clarion call amass movement across Delhi,it said.

Delhi’s Electric VehiclePolicy was well-receivedbecause it sets an ambitiousvision for Delhi to drasticallyreduce air pollution from vehi-cles and become one of the topcities of the world in terms ofthe adoption of EVs.

STAFF REPORTER n NEW DELHI

The Aam Aadmi Party(AAP) on Saturdayannounced the names of thecandidates for the five seats ofthe upcoming municipal by-elections which will be held onFebruary 28.

“All these candidates haveworked for the people of Delhiin their respective areas. Tohonour their contribution intaking forward the develop-ment work and pro-peoplepolicies of the KejriwalGovernment the AAP hasselected them,” the party said ina statement.

The candidates areDhirendra (Bunty Gautam),Ward Kalyanpuri 8E, VijayKumar, Ward Trilokpuri East2E, Mohammad Isharaq Khan,Former MLA Seelampur, WardChauhan Bangar 41 E, RamChandra, Former MLABawana, Ward Rohini C32N, Sunita Mishra,Ward Shalimar Bagh — North62 N.

STAFF REPORTER n NEW DELHI

Delhi Bhartiya Janata Party(BJP) on Saturday passeda resolution describing theUnion Budget as a historicone. The BJP in Delhi State has14 district executive commit-tees. All members in theirrespective areas lauded theunion Budget 2021-22 andsaid this will lead to develop-ment works focusing buildinginfra and health care.

At the meeting in Shahdaradistrict, the national generalsecretary and MP, DushyantGautam, said it is a uniqueBudget as it takes care of all sec-tions of the society despite thecountry going through criticaltimes because of the coronapandemic. He said for the firsttime there is a tax-free Budget.

Gautam also said keeping inthe mind people’s healthcare dueto the pandemic, theGovernment has presented awell thought Budget that takescare of all sections of the soci-ety and will lead to the goal ofself reliance. He said India hasshown the world that it can tack-le such difficult situation withdetermination and planning.

The former UnionMinister and ex-Delhi BJPPresident, Vijay Goel, while

addressing the workers, said thebudget will prove to be a mile-stone for the country. It hasprovision to ensure that MSP isat least 1.5 times the cost ofproduction across all com-modities, he said that adding ithas made a whopping provi-sion of `35,000 crore for vac-cination.

The East Delhi Member ofParliament Gautam Gambhirsaid this budget will prove to bepath breaker and has beenmade keeping in mind interestsof one and all. In the Northeastexecutive committee’s meet-ing, former Delhi BJP presi-dent, Manoj Tiwari said thisbudget will provide economicstability to the country and atime will soon come whenIndia will lead the world.

In the Mehrauli’s districtmeeting, the MP RameshBidhuri said the budget hastaken special care of farmersand made provisions to ensuretheir income grows appreciably.Similar attention has also beengiven to senior citizens, womenand youth of the country, headded.

In the Northwest district,Hansraj Hans said this is a his-toric budget as it has beenmade after passing through acritical phase of pandemic.

SAPNA SINGH n NEW DELHI

Delhi on Saturday crossedone lakh mark in Covid-19vaccination in first phase.

While the vaccination offrontline workers also started,the District Magistrate of sev-eral districts in the nationalCapital came forwarded tovaccinate themselves.According to DelhiGovernment’s health depart-ment, with 9,510 beneficiariesvaccinated, the governmentachieved target of one lakh vac-cinations.

In the National Capital,senior administration officersset an example of leadershiptaking the lead in the ongoingvaccination programme asDMs of South West district DrNaveen Agarwal, NorthDistrict Isha Khosla, WestDistrict Neha Bansal, NorthWest district Chestha Yadav,North East district PankajKumar vaccinated themselves

G Sudhakar, DistrictCollector, MunicipalCorporation Delhi (MCD) has

also taken the vaccine. “Severalpolice personnel have alsocome forward for vaccination.The District administratorsreposed their faith in the vac-cines and sought to inspire con-fidence in the general publicregarding the safety and effi-cacy for the same.,” a govern-ment official said.

According to healthdepartment data, 9,216 peoplevaccinated on Friday, 9464 onThursday, 7,365 on Wednesday,9,356 on Tuesday and 7,893 onMonday vaccinated this week.

To create awareness amongon Corona vaccination pro-gramme , Delhi Governmenthas taken a number of mea-sures. From counselling tomobilizing the health workers,frontline workers and promot-ing feedback for the acceptanceof the vaccine.

Meanwhile, Delhi reported123 fresh Covid-19 cases withfour deaths, 63,322 tests con-ducted , 0.19 per cent positiv-ity rate recorded and 151 recov-ered. So far, the capital record-ed 6,35,916 positive cases, thecumulative positive rate 5.73while the fatality rate was 1.71percent with total 1,174 activecases, according to healthdepartment.

Delhi has total 977 con-tainment zones.

Government launchessocial media handles ofSwitch Delhi campaign

AAP announcescandidates forMCD bypolls

BJP passes resolutionlauding Union Budget

Over 1 lakh people givenCovid jabs so far in Delhi123 new cases incity; positivity ratedips to 0.19 %

Police warn of strictaction againsttravellers found withcartridges at IGIASTAFF REPORTER n NEW DELHI

The Delhi Police on Saturdayurged travellers at IndiraGandhi International (IGI) air-port to re-check their belongingsand warned of legal actionagainst those found with ammu-nition, a day after 11 cartridgeswere found in the baggage of apassenger at the airport.

A total of 13 cases, whereammunition has been found inthe baggage of passengers dur-ing security check, have alreadybeen registered this year at theIGI Airport police stationunder sections of Arms Act.

According to RajeevRanjan, the DeputyCommissioner of Police(DCP), IGI airport, as per legalprovisions, an FirstInformation Report (FIR) isregistered against such pas-senger for the possession ofammunition illegally without avalid license issued for Delhi orall India and the passenger hasto face criminal proceedingsbefore the court of law.

“Such lapses affect the jour-ney of the passenger badly asthey cannot embark on theirjourney and their co-passen-gers and family members alsoface an awkward situation,”said the DCP. A passenger atIGI’s Terminal-3, who was trav-elling from Delhi to Maldivesby a private airlines, was foundcarrying 11 cartridges of .32bore in his check-in baggage onFriday.

“During questioning, thepassenger had told the policethat the recovered cartridgesbelonged to his licensedweapon and had also pro-duced his valid arms licenseissued in his name with areavalidity for Haryana,” a seniorpolice official.

In another instance, awoman travelling from Terminal-3 was also found in possession ofone live ammunition duringscreening of her baggage and shecould not produce valid docu-ments for it, he said. In both theinstances, cases were registeredunder sections of the Arms Actat IGI Airport police station.

nation 04NEW DELHI | SUNDAY | FEBRUARY 7, 2021

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmiron Saturday recorded 65 newcoronavirus cases that raised itstally to 1,24,850, officials said.

The union territory did notreport any death due to theinfection in the past 24 hours,they said.Of the fresh cases, 15were recorded from the Jammudivision and 50 from theKashmir division, the officialssaid.They said Srinagar districtrecorded the highest of 26 caseswhich included 11 travellers.

While eight districts of theUT did not report any fresh case,10 others had fresh cases in sin-gle digits, the officials said.Pulwama reported 10 COVID-19 cases.

The number of active casesis 631 in the union territory,while 1,22,275 patients haverecovered so far, the officialssaid. PTI

J&K records65 new Covid cases

Tourists visit the Solang valley after a fresh spell of snowfall in Manali on Saturday PTI

Kanpur: Senior BJP leader and Union MinisterMukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Saturday said “reject-ed politicians” and the “bogus Bharat bashingbrigade” are involved in a criminal conspira-cy to defame the country.

Speaking to reporters here, Naqvi said,“Such criminal syndicate of misinformation andBharat bashing has always been defeated by thecommitment of the people of India.”

“Such people created a ruckus on the so-called intolerance in the country, raised ques-tions on surgical strike on Pakistan, created con-fusion over CAA, and opposed steps taken forthe well-being of people during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Naqvi said.

Now, the ‘gumrahi' (misleading) gang hashijacked the farmers' agitation and doing pol-itics over it, he said, adding that some people in the country still have “feudal arro-gance”.

In a statement, Naqvi said the people ofthe country, while rejecting all criminal con-spiracies and political hypocrisies of some vest-ed interests, have expressed trust in the lead-

ership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. People gave a massive mandate to the BJP-

led NDA in 2014 and again in 2019. The mass-es have supported the policies of the prime min-ister by giving “tremendous support” to the BJPin assembly, panchayat and local bodies elec-tions in different states and union territories,he said.

“On one hand, the Bharat bashing brigaderaised false and fake propaganda of so-calledinsecurity among minorities, on the other handPM Modi worked tirelessly to make all sectionsof society including minorities an equal part-ner of mainstream development,” he said.

“Prime Minister Modi's commitment to‘sabka sath, sabka vikas' has always exposedthese characters. The entire world is admiringModi's commitment towards inclusive devel-opment,” he added.

Naqvi said, “When our security forcesdestroyed terrorist camps by conducting a sur-gical strike, then some people outside the coun-try and leaders of the grand old party, demand-ed proof. It was an amazing 'jugalbandi'.” PTI

Jammu: Asserting that the “negative pow-ers” attempting to create misconceptions overthe new agri laws would fail, Union MinisterJitendra Singh on Saturday said the Centreis working with an open heart to address theongoing farmers' agitation.

He, however, insisted that the new lawsare “pro-farmer” and can never result in loss-es to them.

“The government is working with anopen heart to address this issue (farmers agi-tation). All the laws which have been enact-ed are pro-farmer and even the earlier gov-ernments were discussing implementingsuch types of laws in the country,” the min-ister of state in the Prime Minister's Officetold reporters at the BJP headquarters here.

He said several Opposition leaders hadspoken in Parliament in support of suchtypes of laws earlier.

“Now they are raising concerns on suchthings which are not part of these laws.Nobody can say that these laws can result inlosses to the farmers,” Singh said.

Responding to a question about manyinternational personalities like pop starRihanna speaking about the farmers' agita-tion, he said, “Nobody can say these laws canresult in losses to the farmers.

“Government is prepared to address themisgiving and misconceptions and this is the

directive from the Prime Minister. I have fullfaith that the misunderstanding of thefarmers will be addressed and the attemptsto create misconceptions by negative pow-ers will fail,” he said.

Asked whether IAS officer Shah Faesalhas a genuine change of heart or some typeof backdoor talks are going on with him sincehe had started showering praises on PrimeMinister Narendra Modi in the recenttimes despite being vocal in his criticism ofabrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation ofthe erstwhile state into two Union Territoriesin August 2019, Singh said, “There is no issuediscussing such a thing. The important thingis that there is heart transformation.”

Singh congratulated the people ofJammu and Kashmir for getting back 4Gmobile internet service after 18 months andsaid “media and students suffered becauseof lack of this facility”.

Praising the Union budget for focusingon key sectors like health which was givena grant of over Rs two lakh crore by 137 percent enhancement and infrastructure devel-opment like highways and railways, he saidat a time when Modi's New India will illu-minate at the global level, Jammu andKashmir has also been in the focus to ensurethat it will shine alongside other parts of thecountry as well. PTI

Guwahati: Assam Congress onSaturday staged protests in frontof petrol pumps across the stateagainst rising prices of petrol,diesel and LPG.

Protests were held in dif-ferent blocks of the state by thedistrict Congres committees,party sources said.

Assam PCC general secre-tary Bobbeeta Sharma said whenUPA was in power the price ofinternational crude was high butthe Congress government led byDr Manmohan Singh ensuredthat it did not affect the commonma. It had kept petrol and dieselprices low and affordable.

The international crude oilprice is low during PrimeMinister Narendra Modi's rulebut its benefit has not reached

the common man, she said.The skyrocketing prices of

petrol and diesel have led to theincrease in the price of essentialcommodities, she said. “Peopleare devastated by the prevailingsituation of increased joblessnessdue to the sudden demonetisa-tion and the Covid-19 drivenlock-down”, she said.

The BJP government at theCentre has proved to be “anti-poor and anti-people” and hasmade no effort to controlincreasing petrol and dieselprices and that of essential com-modities, Sharma alleged.

“The prime minister whois arriving in Assam tomorrowhas to answer all these questionsthat affect each and every com-mon man”, she added. PTI

PTI n PATNA

Union Minister RaviShankar PrasadonSaturday contributed Rs 11lakh for the construction of theRam temple at Ayodhya.

Prasad handed over thecheque to Mohan Singh andRajesh Pandey, representativesof Sri Rama JanmabhoomiTeerth Kshetra trust.

Singh, who is RSS region-al general secretary (kshetrakaryawah) of Bihar andJharkhand and Pandey, theprant Prachar Pramukh ofSouth Bihar RSS, received thecheque at the organisation'sstate headquarters here.

Prasad, the union ministerfor law and justice, electronics

and information technologyand communications, said I amextremely happy that I ammaking an announcement ofcontributing Rs 11 lakh for theconstruction of a grand Ramtemple at Ayodhya, Prasadsaid.

I was the lawyer for RamLalla in Allahabad High Courtwhere we won (the case). Itwould be great if I had theopportunity to argue the casein Supreme Court but since Iwas the (union) law minister, Icould not argue the case,Prasad said.

Its a matter of pride that Iwill be going out to collectdonations for the purpose ofconstructing a grand Ram tem-ple, he added.

Naqvi: Rejected politicians,bogus Bharat bashingbrigade defaming India

Negative powers trying to create misconceptions over farm laws will fail, says Jitendra Singh

Cong protests at petrolpumps in Assam

Ravi Shankar Prasad donates`11 lakh for Ram Temple

TN RAGHUNATHA nMUMBAI

In a shocking incident, an Indian Navysailor was abducted from Chennaiand burnt alive in the forests of Palghar,near Mumbai, by three unidentifiedmiscreants after he refused to pay upa ransom of Rs 10 lakh to the abduc-tors.

The victim navy man – identifiedas Surajkumar Mitilesh Dubey –wasfound on early Friday in half-burnt,semi-nude condition in a forestedarea. He was rushed first to the CottageHospital at Dahanu and then onto theSion Hospital in north-central Mumbai,where he succumbed to burns.

In his dying declaration,Surajkumar – hailing from Daltonganjin Jharkhand – said that he was post-ed on INS Agrani in the run-up to theincident. He was abducted fromChennai on January 30 and held cap-tive there by three unknown persons,while he was returning to his work sta-tion after his vacation.

Upon his arrival from Ranchi toChennai to join duty on January 30,Surajkumar was accosted at gunpointoutside the Chennai airport andwhisked away to an unknown location

where he was captive for 3 days.The abductors allegedly demand-

ed a ransom of Rs. 10 lakh from him.When he refused to pay up the ransom,he was abducted and brought to thejungles of Vevji within the limits ofGholdwad of Talasari in Palghar dis-trict.Giving the details of how the policetraced Surajkumar in the forests,Investigating officer in-charge of thecase Sarjerao Kumbhar said: “After herefused pay them the ransom, theypoured petrol on him and set him onfire in the jungles before decampingfrom there. Some local people alertedus after seeing him in a half-burnt con-dition”.

The police have meanwhile regis-tered a case of murder, attempt to mur-der, kidnapping of ransom, robbery andsections of the Arms Act against threeunknown persons and have launcheda massive search for the three adduc-tors who eventually set the victim onfire.

In a related development,Surajkumar’s body has been sent for apost-mortem. The police haveinformed his family in Jharkhand andthe Naval authorities in Mumbai havebeen informed of his death.

Navy man burnt alive in Palgharafter ransom demand not met

From Page 1He added that 13 States and UTs, including Bihar,

Madhya Pradesh, Tripura, Uttarakhand and UttarPradesh, have vaccination coverage of 60 per centamong health care workers while 12 States and UTs,including Delhi, Punjab and Assam, have less than 40per cent vaccination coverage among health care work-ers.He said Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushanon Saturday reviewed the performance of vaccinationdrives with all States and UTs.

“He advised States/UTs to improve coverage, ben-eficiary turn out per session and minimize vaccinewastage,” Agnani said.“The State health secretaries havebeen asked to analyze the daily variation in the num-ber of average vaccinations and take necessary stepsto increase them. States/UTs were advised to ensure100 per cent saturation of people who have already beenregistered on CoWin digital platform.

“They were also asked to organise simultaneousvaccination sessions/day in the health facility wher-ever possible. Each State/UT was advised to devise aState specific strategy to achieve this target,” said theMinistry. “Every State/UT must schedule all health-care workers for vaccination at least once beforeFebruary 20, 2021 and immediately thereafter organ-ise mop-up rounds for them. Similarly, all frontlineworkers must be scheduled for vaccination at least oncebefore March 6, 2021 and immediately thereafter organ-ise mop-up rounds for them,” the Ministry said.

From Page 1Thousands of farmers have

been protesting since lateNovember at the Delhi borderswith Haryana and Uttar Pradesh,demanding a rollback of theFarmers’ Produce Trade andCommerce (Promotion andFacilitation) Act, 2020; Farmers’(Empowerment and Protection)Agreement on Price Assuranceand Farm Services Act, 2020; andEssential Commodities(Amendment) Act, 2020.

The protesting farmers haveexpressed apprehension that theselaws would pave the way for thedismantling of the minimum sup-port price (MSP) system, leavingthem at the “mercy” of big corpo-rations.However, the Governmenthas maintained that the new lawswill bring better opportunities tofarmers and introduce new tech-nologies in agriculture.

The three-hour-long agitationwas announced to register protestagainst the internet ban in areasnear their agitation sites, alleged

harassment meted out to farmers bythe authorities and other issues.

Several highways, includingthe Chandigarh-Zirakpur,Amritsar-Pathankot, Tarn Taran-Kapurthala, Ferozepur-Fazilka,Muktsar-Kotkapura, Bathinda-Chandigarh, Ludhiana-Jalandhar,Panchkula-Pinjore, Patiala-Kaithal,Jind-Karnal, Karnal-Kaithal,Ambala - Chandigarh Highway,Ambala- Hisar and Mansa-Sirsawere also blocked by the protestingfarmers.Meanwhile, farmers onSaturday parked their tractor-trail-ers in the middle of roads andraised slogans against the Centreduring a three-hour-long “chakkajam” agitation in Punjab andHaryana. The call for the nation-wide “chakka jam” was given by theSamkyukt Kisan Morcha, anumbrella body of farm unionsprotesting the Centre’s farm laws atthe Delhi borders.Farmer leadersclaimed that their three-hour stirremained peaceful in both States.

“The ‘chakka jam’ was com-pletely peaceful,” said Bharti KisanUnion (Ekta Ugrahan) general sec-retary Sukhdev Singh Kokrikalan.

Several highways, includingthe Chandigarh-Zirakpur,Amritsar-Pathankot, Tarn Taran-Kapurthala, Ferozepur-Fazilka,Muktsar-Kotkapura, Bathinda-Chandigarh, Fazilka-Malout,Ludhiana-Jalandhar, Panchkula-Pinjore, Patiala-Kaithal, Jind-Karnal, Karnal-Kaithal, Bhiwani-Hisar, Ambala-Chandigarh,Ambala- Hisar and Mansa-Sirsawere blocked by the protestingfarmers.Protests were also held atShambhu near Ambala and atmany toll plazas in both States.Traffic was also disrupted at theKundli-Manesar-Palwal express-way. Protesting farmers said ambu-lances, army vehicles and schoolbuses were allowed during the‘’chakka jam’’.Though police author-ities diverted traffic at many places,commuters faced traffic snarls.

Kokrikalan said they blockedroads at 33 places in 15 Punjab dis-tricts, including Sangrur, Barnalaand Bathinda.

“Around 6,000 to 7,000 pro-testers on an average took part in‘chakka jam’ at each place,” claimedKokrikalan while commenting on

the protest by the BKU (EktaUgrahan).Farmers carried plac-ards with slogans “Jai Jawan, JaiKisan” and “Kisan Ekta Zindabad”.They also raised slogans against theCentre for not acceding to theirdemand of repealing the farm leg-islations.

In the morning, farmers start-ed assembling at their earmarkedprotest sites in both States.Theyparked tractor-trailers and othervehicles on roads. Women took partin the agitation in sizeable numberat several places, including inPunjab’s Sangrur and Ludhiana.

“The Government shouldrepeal the three laws as they are notin the interest of the farming com-munity,” said a protester at theShambhu border.Punjabi actorsBinnu Dhillon, Dev Kharoud andsinger Pammi Bai took part in aprotest in Patiala.In Phagwara,Bharti Kisan Union (Doaba) leaderKirpal Singh Moosapur said pro-testers squatted near a sugar milland raised slogans against the BJP-led Centre.

Protesters also honked hornsfor one minute, said Moosapur.

From Page 1The diseases and health factors that,

according to the study, have the mostinfluence on whether a patient ends upon a respirator after being infected withCovid-19 are in the following order ofpriority: BMI, age, high blood pressure,being male, neurological diseases,COPD, asthma, diabetes and heart dis-ease.

The research can also be used topredict the number of patients in hos-pitals who will need a respirator anddetermine who ought to be first in linefor a vaccination. The results of thestudy were published in the journalScientific Reports -- Nature. The resultis from a newly published study byresearchers at the University of

Copenhagen’s Department ofComputer Science.

Since the Covid pandemic’s firstwave, researchers have been working todevelop computer models that canpredict, based on disease history andhealth data, how badly people will beaffected by Covid-19.

“We began working on the modelsto assist hospitals, as, during the firstwave, they feared that they did not haveenough respirators for intensive carepatients. Our new findings could alsobe used to carefully identify who needsa vaccine,” explains Professor MadsNielsen of the University ofCopenhagen’s Department ofComputer Science.

The researchers fed a computerprogramme with health data from3,944 Danish Covid-19 patients. Thistrained the computer to recognise pat-

terns and correlations in both patients’prior illnesses and in their bouts againstCovid-19.

“Our results demonstrate, unsur-prisingly, that age and BMI are the mostdecisive parameters for how severely aperson will be affected by Covid-19. Butthe likelihood of dying or ending up ona respirator is also heightened if you aremale, have high blood pressure or neu-rological disease,” explained MadsNielsen.

“For those affected by one or moreof basic parameters, we have found thatit may make sense to move them up inthe vaccine queue, to avoid any risk ofthem becoming infected and eventuallyending up on a respirator,” said Nielsen.

The research was carried out in col-laboration with Rigshospitalet andBispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital.

From Page 1Suu Kyi’s five years as leader

since 2015 had been Myanmar’smost democratic period despite themilitary retaining broad powersover the government, the contin-ued use of repressive colonial-eralaws and the persecution of minor-ity Rohingya Muslims.

The blockages are also addinggreater urgency to efforts to resistthe coup, with Saturday seeingsome of the largest street protestsagainst the takeover. In one of thebigger ones, about 1,000 protesters— factory workers and studentsprominent among them —marched down a main street inYangon, the country’s biggest city,and were met by more than 100police in riot gear.

Members of the crowd shout-ed “down with dictatorship” andother slogans. They marched withtheir hands in the air, formed intothree-fingered salutes, a symbol ofdefiance adopted from protesters inneighboring Thailand, who bor-rowed the gesture from the“Hunger Games” movie franchise.

The demonstration endedpeacefully with no clashes report-ed. It dispersed around the timecommunications were cut, and itwas unclear if the marchers laterregrouped.

Similar-sized demonstrationstook place in at least two other areasof the city, and likewise were tensebut peaceful. People at a protest atYangon’s City Hall presented flow-ers to the police.

Other reports that slippedthrough the communicationsblockade said protests were held inother areas, including Mandalay,

the country’s second-largest city.Telenor Myanmar, a major

mobile operator, confirmed it hadreceived Friday’s order to blockTwitter and Instagram. In a state-ment, Twitter said it was “deeplyconcerned” about the order andvowed to “advocate to end destruc-tive government-led shutdowns.”

“It undermines the public con-versation and the rights of peopleto make their voices heard,” itsspokesperson said.

Since the coup, social mediaplatforms have been major sourcesof independent news as well asorganising tools for protests.

Amnesty International saidthat to shut down the internet whilethe country was coping with thecoup, people displaced by years ofcivil conflict and the COVID-19crisis was “a heinous and recklessdecision.”

Those opposed to the coup andthe arrests of activists and politi-cians have also been gathering atnight at windows and on bal-conies around Yangon to make acacophony of noise in protest bybanging on pots and pans.

The action was not limited toaggrieved citizens on the street. OnFriday, nearly 300 elected law-makers from Aung San Suu Kyi’sNational League for Democracyparty who met in an online meet-ing declared themselves as the solelegitimate representatives of thepeople and asked for internation-al recognition as the country’sgovernment.

They were supposed to havetaken their seats Monday in a newsession of Parliament followingNovember elections when the mil-itary announced it was takingpower for a year.

The military accused Suu Kyiand her party of failing to act on itscomplaints that last November’selection was marred by fraud,though the election commissionsaid it had no found no evidenceto support the claims.

Suu Kyi and President WinMyint are also under house arrestand have been charged with minoroffenses, seen by many as merelyproviding a legal veneer for theirdetention.

In addition to the 134 officialsand lawmakers who were detainedin the coup, some 18 independentactivists were also held, said theAssistance Association for PoliticalPrisoners in Myanmar, whichadded that some have beenreleased.

The office of Australia’s foreignminister said in a statementSaturday that the government was“deeply concerned about reports ofAustralian and other foreignnationals being detained arbitrar-ily in Myanmar.”

The statement said the gov-ernment was concerned in partic-ular about one Australian who wasdetained at a police station. Thestatement did not provide details onthe identities of those being held orthe reasons for their detention.

In New York, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres pledgedFriday that the United Nations willdo everything it can to unite theinternational community and cre-ate conditions for the militarycoup in Myanmar to be reversed.

Guterres said ChristineSchraner Burgener, the UN specialenvoy for Myanmar, had a first con-tact with the military since the coupand expressed the UN’s strongopposition to the takeover.

From Page 1The 34 women personnel from the 6

Mahila Battalions of CRPF who joined theCoBRA will undergo a strenuous CoBRApre-induction training of three months, itsaid.

The training will reinforce their phys-ical capabilities and tactical acumen byimparting next-level training in firing andspecial weapons, tactical planning, fieldcraft,explosives, and jungle survival skills amongothers, the CRPF said.

After the completion of their training,the batch of these ‘Mahila Warriors’ will beposted in the Naxal areas alongside theirmale counterparts.

Mahila personnel of CRPF forming thefirst all-women brass band will also under-go a training course to acquire the requi-site skills on the music instruments. TheCRPF already has an all-women pipe band.

Director-General of CRPF, Dr AP

Maheshwari, in his address, said that theForce has a history of empowered womenwarriors who have not just brought laurelsto the Force but have also made the coun-try proud by conspicuous gallantry both athome in India and abroad in several UNpeacekeeping missions.

Maheshwari said that while this gen-der neutrality adds to the diversity of theforce, empowered women make an empow-ered family which eventually empowers thenation.

Raised on February 6, 1986, 88 MahilaBattalion has completed 34 glorious andeventful years in the service of the nation.The battalion has served across the lengthand breadth of the country and abroad inthe UN peacekeeping missions. Sevenbravehearts of the Battalion have madesupreme sacrifice at the altar of duty. Thewomen warriors of this battalion are proudrecipients of several gallantry medalsincluding the highest peacetime gallantryaward-the Ashok Chakra, it added.

Farmers throw... 22 deaths after jab not ...

Coup protests...

Breaking glass...

AI can predict with 90%accuracy if a person...

From Page 1During the registration

period, prospective petitionersand representatives will be ableto fill out petitioner and ben-eficiary information and sub-mit their registrations, theUSCS said.

The agency said if itreceives enough registrationsby March 25, it will randomlyselect registrations and sendselection notifications byMarch 31.

The successful applicantswould be able to join their newjobs in the US on October 1,when the American fiscal yearstarts.

As mandated by theCongress, USCIS can issue amaximum of 65,000 H-1B visasin a year. It can also issueanother 20,000 H-1B visas toforeign students who havecompleted higher studies froma US university in Science,Technology, Engineering andMathematics (STEM) subjects.

The quick announcementby USCIS on the next year’s H-1B registration process comesa day after it said that it is delay-ing the implementation of theTrump administration policy ofallocation of H-1B through awage and skilled based process.

The Trump era rule wasscheduled to go into effect onMarch 9. On January 7, theUSCIS announced to do awaywith the traditional lottery sys-tem in deciding the successfulapplicants for the H-1B visas.

The USCIS had said itwould prioritise wages to pro-tect the economic interests ofAmerican workers, and betterensure that the most highlyskilled foreign workers benefitfrom the temporary employ-ment programme.

In a statement onThursday, the USCIS, howev-er, said that it is delaying therule’s effective date untilDecember 31, 2021. TheUSCIS can issue a maximum of65,000 H-1B visas in a year. Itcan also issue another 20,000H-1B visas to foreign studentswho have completed higherstudies from a US university inScience, Technology,Engineering and Mathematics(STEM) subjects.

Registrationfor H-1Blottery fromMarch 1

I, Imarana Khatoon, D/oMohammad Chand, R/o J-76/1, Flat No. 108, Abul FazalEnclave-1, Jamia Nagar,Okhla, New Delhi-110025declare that my name haswrongly been mentioned inmy school certificate as Km.Emrana Khatoon where asmy correct name is ImaranaKhatoon for all purposes.

PD(8905)A

◆ ◆CHANGE OF NAME

landmark 05NEW DELHI | SUNDAY | FEBRUARY 7, 2021

52 political parties knockat EC door for registration

RAJESH KUMAR n NEW DELHI

Ahead of the Assembly pollsdue in five States — TamilNadu, West Bengal, Assam,Kerala and Puducherry — inApril-May this year, at least 52political outfits are knocking atthe door of the ElectionCommission ( EC) for regis-tration. As per the EC, morethan 52 political parties haveapproached the poll body forregistration in the past threemonth. Interestingly, over adozen outfits are from thosestates where assembly pollsare due in the coming months.

As per the Act, registrationof political parties is governedby the provisions of Section29A of the Representation ofthe People Act, 1951. An asso-ciation seeking registrationunder the said Section has tosubmit an application to theCommission within a period of30 days following the date of itsformation, as per the guidelinesprescribed by the Commissionin exercise of the powers con-ferred by Article 324 of theConstitution of India andSection 29A of theRepresentation of the PeopleAct, 1951.

According to the Electioncommission of India, for reg-istration, there must be at least100 members present in the

new political party. Each mem-ber of the proposed partyshould possess a Voter ID card.Possessing a Voter ID cardimplies that the particularmember is above the age of 18.

National Democratic Partyof South India is based inTamil Nadu. Bharath SocialismParty’s office is located in TamilNadu and its president is CArumugam. Bharatha MakkalKazhagam is also Tamil Nadubased political party. UnitedRepublican Party of India isalso office in Tamil Nadu.Bhartiya Yuva Ekta Shakti Partyis Uttarakhand based partyand Neha Singh is the presi-dent. Jan Pragati Party’s officeis located in Uttar Pradesh.Swatanta Abhivyakti Party isfrom Gujarat. Rashtra SamanyaPraja Party is from Telangana.Jan Sahara Party’s office is inDelhi. Rising People’s Partyoffice in Nagaland. PehchanPeople’s Party is based inRajasthan.

The political parties whichapplied for registration includeMakkal Munnetra Peravai,Nava Kerala People’s Party,Makkal Rajjiyam Katchi,Bhartiya Hind Party, PrajaShakti Democratic Party,Bhagidari Party (P), SarvlokhitSamaj Party, Apni Janta Party,Makkal Thilagam MunnetraKazhagam, Vastavik Bharat

Party, Sudharvadi Party, KisanVishwa party, Majaloom SamajParty, Bahujan Lokrajya Party.

The number of registeredunrecognised political partieshas increased two-fold from2010 to 2019, according to areport by Association forDemocratic Reforms (ADR).From 1,112 such parties in2010, the number of unrecog-nised registered parties hasincreased to 2,301 in 2019.“Between 2018 and 2019, itincreased by over 9.8 per centwhile between 2013 and 2014,it increased by 18 per cent,” thereport said. Either newly reg-istered parties or those whichhave not secured enough per-centage of votes in the assem-bly or general elections tobecome a state party, or thosewhich have never contestedelections since being regis-tered are considered unrecog-nised parties.

Experts claim there aredifferent reasons for the mush-rooming of such parties. Peoplehave political ambitions and it’squite easy to register politicalparties. This is why so manysuch parties register. Besidesthese parties might also beused for money laundering asthey are exempted fromincome tax

Besides, Bharat VaibhavParty, Samajwadi Lok Parishad,Indian Movement Party,Sangjukta Anchalik Dal Asom,Krantikari Parivartan Party,Uttarakhand Navnirman Party,Azad Hind Krantikari Party,Bihar Justice Party , SudharvadiParty, Kisan Vishwa party,Majaloom Samaj Party,Bahujan Lokrajya Party,Bhagidari Party (P), SarvlokhitSamaj Party, Apni Janta Party,Makkal Thilagam MunnetraKazhagam and Vastavik BharatParty applied for registration.

PTI n NEW DELHI

Ahacker group has alleged-ly leaked data of Army per-sonnel using Bharti Airtel net-work in Jammu & Kashmir,however, the company hasdenied any breach in its system.

The group, with the nameof Red Rabbit Team, hackedsome Indian websites and post-ed the data on the web pages ofthose portals.

The hackers shared somelinks of those web pages onTwitter in a comment over atweet of cyber securityresearcher RajshekharRajaharia and tagged severalmedia organisations.

The query sent to theIndian Army did not elicit anyreply but an Army official said“We are not aware of any suchinformation but it appears to be

malicious intent of some inim-ical elements”.

When contacted, BhartiAirtel spokesperson denied anybreach of its server.

“We can confirm there isno hack or breach of any Airtelsystem as claimed by this group.Multiple stakeholders outside ofAirtel have access to some dataas per regulatory requirements.We have apprised all the rele-vant authorities of the matter to,therefore, investigate this andtake appropriate action.”

“This group has been intouch with our security teamfor over 15 months now and hasmade varying claims in addi-tion to posting inaccurate datafrom one specific region,” thespokesperson said.

The links shared by thehacker were initially accessiblewith mobile number, nameand address of subscribers but

stopped working after some-time.

Red Rabbit Team in a mes-sage to PTI claimed that it hasaccess to pan-India data ofBharti Airtel through a shelluploaded on the company’sserver and will leak more datasoon.

Rajaharia said that hackershave failed to show any credi-ble evidence of possessing pan-India data of Bharti Airtel andit is also unclear on the way theygot subscriber’s data.

“The hacker group failed toshow evidence that they have awhole India database. Theirclaim of shell upload may bealso fake. The video of SDRportal seems real but only ashort portion of data may leakvia this. It is still unclear howthey got access to whole Jammu

and Kashmir subscriberdata,” he said.

PNS n NEW DELHI

SARS-CoV-2 mutations sim-ilar to those in the new UKvariant could arise in cases ofchronic infection, where treat-ment over an extended periodcan provide the virus multipleopportunities to evolve, scien-tists have said.

Writing in Nature, a teamled by Cambridge researcherssaid they were able to observeSARS-CoV-2 mutating in thecase of an immune-compro-mised patient treated with con-valescent plasma. In particular,they saw the emergence of a keymutation also seen in the newvariant that led to the UK beingforced once again into strictlockdown, though there is nosuggestion that the variant orig-inated from this patient.

Using a synthetic version ofthe virus Spike protein createdin the lab, the team showed thatspecific changes to its geneticcode - the mutation seen in theB1.1.7 variant - made the virustwice as infectious on cells as themore common strain.

SARS-CoV-2, the virus thatcauses COVID-19, is a beta-coronavirus. Its RNA - its genet-ic code - is comprised of a seriesof nucleotides (chemical struc-tures represented by the lettersA, C, G and U). As the virusreplicates itself, this code can bemis-transcribed, leading toerrors, known as mutations.Coronaviruses have a relative-

ly modest mutation rate ataround 23 nucleotide substitu-tions per year.

Of particular concern aremutations that might change thestructure of the ‘spike protein’,which sits on the surface of thevirus, giving it its characteristiccrown-like shape. The virususes this protein to attach to theACE2 receptor on the surface ofthe host’s cells, allowing it entryinto the cells where it hijackstheir machinery to allow it toreplicate and spread throughoutthe body. Most of the currentvaccines in use or being trialledtarget the spike protein andthere is concern that muta-tions may affect the efficacy ofthese vaccines, they said.

Professor Ravi Gupta fromthe Cambridge Institute ofTherapeutic Immunology &Infectious Disease, who led theresearch, said: “What we wereseeing was essentially a compe-tition between different variantsof the virus, and we think it wasdriven by the convalescent plas-ma therapy.

“This effect is unlikely tooccur in patients with func-tioning immune systems, whereviral diversity is likely to belower due to better immunecontrol. But it highlights the carewe need to take when treatingimmunocompromised patients,where prolonged viral replica-tion can occur, giving greateropportunity for the virus tomutate.”

SARS-CoV-2 mutationscould develop in cases ofchronic infection: Study

PTI n AHMEDABAD

Prime Minister NarendraModi on Saturday hailedthe country’s judiciary, sayingthat it has performed its dutywell in safeguarding people’srights, upholding personalliberty, and also in the situa-tions when national interestsneed to be prioritised.

He also said that theSupreme Court has conduct-ed the highest number ofhearings via video-confer-encing in the world during thecoronavirus pandemic.

Modi was speaking aftervirtually releasing a com-memorative postage stampon the completion of 60 yearsof the Gujarat High Court.

“Every countryman cansay that our judiciary hasworked with firmness to

uphold our Constitution. Ourjudiciary has strengthenedthe Constitution by its positiveinterpretation,” Modi said.

“The Supreme Court hasconducted the highest numberof hearings through video-conferencing in the worldduring the pandemic,” he

added.Judiciary has performed

its duty well in terms of safeguarding the rights of thepeople, upholding personal liberty and whenever suchsituations have arisen in whichnational interests need to beprioritised, the PM said.

PM hails countrys judiciary forsafeguarding peoples rights

ARCHANA JYOTI n NEW DELHI

Ateam of scientists from theIndian Institute ofTechnology (IIT) Kanpur hasfound that Ganga river can getrid of the heavy metal pollutionby a minimum of 50 per centin a short time span of a fewmonths if industrial waste-water discharge is cut down for51 days.

In contrast, inputs fromagricultural runoff and domes-tic sewage like nitrate and phos-phate remained almost thesame as these sources were notimpacted by the nationwideconfinement.

Based on these observation,they dismissed the general per-ception that the Covid-19 pan-demic induced lockdownimproved all water quality para-meters of the Ganga river andinstead asserted that the dif-ferent pollutants should be con-sidered individually.

Researchers in their article,

titled “A Time-Series Recordduring COVID-19 LockdownShows the High Resilience ofDissolved Heavy Metals in theGanga River,” said that theycould quantify the impact ofrestricted anthropogenic activ-ities on the water chemistryresilience of large rivers fol-lowing Covid-19 induced lock-down with minimal humanaction.

In the normal times, it is

estimated that industrial waste-water contributes nearly 20 percent of the total volume ofwastewater generated in theGanga Basin.

The research was support-ed by the Indo-U.S. Science andTechnology Forum (IUSSTF),a bilateral organization underthe Department of Science andTechnology (DST) and U.S.Department of States. It is pub-lished in ‘Environmental

Science and Technology Letters.“We therefore conclude

that the Ganga river has a highresilience toward dissolvedheavy metal concentrations andthat the river system wouldrevert toward pristine dissolvedheavy metal concentrations ina short time span of