cmyk
THE ASIAN AGENATION| 5
Satish Gujral, renowned
artist and architect,
dies in New Delhi at 94
www.asianage.com RNI No. 57290/94, Regd No: DL-SW-05/4189/15-17
WINDOWS
Pope Francis blesses a mirac-
ulous crucifix, that in 1552
was carried in a procession
around Rome to stop the
great plague, during a cere-
mony at the Vatican on
Friday. — AFP
SC allows sale
of BS IV vehicles
for 10 days
New Delhi: In a relief to
automobile dealers, the
Supreme Court on Friday
allowed the sale of BS IV
compliant vehicles
for 10 days, except in Delhi-
NCR, after the ongoing
countrywide lockdown
over the coronavirus pan-
demic is lifted. The apex
court had earlier fixed the
deadline of March 31, 2020
for sale of BS IV compliant
vehicles across the country.
Full report on Page 5
IAS violates Covid
norms, suspended
Thiruvananthapuram: The
Kerala government on
Friday suspended Kollam
sub collector Anupam
Mishra (IAS) from service
for violating home quaran-
tine norms after his return
from abroad and for leaving
the station without inform-
ing his superiors.
Verma, founding
member of SP, dies
Lucknow: Former Union
minister and SP founding
member Beni Prasad Verma
died here on Friday. He was
79. The RS member was
not keeping well for
past few days.
Full report on Page 5
COUNTERPOINT
WEATHER
Max: 27OC
Min: 19OC
RH: 55%
Rain: 1mm
Forecast: Clear sky
ASTROGUIDE
Sarvari: Uttarayana
Tithi: Chaitra Suddha Chaviti
till 12.17 am (Sunday)
Star: Bharani till 12.52 pm
Varjyam: 2.05 am to 3.51 am
(Sunday)
Durmuhurtam: 6.09 am to
7.46 am
Rahukalam: 9 am to 10.30
am
SUNSET TODAY 6.36 PM
SUNRISE TOMORROW 6.15 AM
MOONRISE TOMORROW 8.35 PM
MOONSET TODAY 9.12 AM
RBI presses 3-mth pause on EMIs Boris Johnson
Key rate cut by an unprecedented 75 pts, reverse repo rate cut by 90 basis pts
FALAKNAAZ SYED
MUMBAI, MARCH 27
In a huge relief to individ-
uals and companies reel-
ing under financial stress
after the nationwide lock-
down to combat the
spread of Covid-19, the
Reserve Bank of India on
Friday allowed lenders to
provide a three-month
deferment on payments of
Equated Monthly
Instalments (EMIs) for all
term loans that were out-
standing as on March 1,
2020. Notably, terms loans
include retail loans like
home loans, automobile
loans, personal loans,
credit card dues, educa-
tion loans, micro loans
besides farm loans and
crop loans that have a
fixed tenure. The morato-
rium will apply for loan
instalments falling
between March 1, 2020,
and May 31, 2020. The RBI
also announced deferment
of interest payment on
working capital loans by
INDIA Positive cases 724; 75 new cases in 24 hours Army starts
‘Gap in monitoring’ air travellers
will ‘jeopardise’ our efforts: Govt
AGE CORRESPONDENT
with agency inputs
NEW DELHI, MARCH 27
In view of the rising num-
bers of new positive cases
of novel coronavirus in
India, the Central govern-
ment on Friday said that
the “gap in monitoring”
the 15 lakh air travellers
who arrived in India over
the last two months could
“seriously jeopardise” the
country’s efforts to check
the spread of Covid-19.
Cabinet Secretary Rajiv
Gauba, the country’s top
bureaucrat who is leading
the Covid-19 crisis man-
agement group, wrote in a
sharp letter to states and
Union Territories that
“concerted and sustained
action” is needed urgently
to ensure that passengers
not on the radar are
placed under “close sur-
veillance” immediately.
On Friday, the total
number of positive cases
in India reached 724, out
of which 640 are active
cases, 66 have been cured,
17 have died and one
migrated.
The government main-
tains that there is still no
community spread of
coronavirus and India has
not reached Stage 3. But
given that many of those
who have tested positive
so far in India have a his-
tory of international trav-
el, the government fears a
Rana Kapoor
set to face
lie-test soon
AGE CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI, MARCH 27
Fresh trouble seems to
be brewing for Rana
Kapoor as the CBI and
the Enforcement
Directorate (ED) are
preparing to conduct
“lie-detection” test on
the co-founder of Yes
Bank as part of their
investigation into multi-
ple cases against him.
Sources said, “Kapoor
is not cooperating with
the investigation. He has
not yet provided the
required information
regarding the launder-
ing of proceeds of crime
and other crucial details
pertaining to several
cases against him and
his family. Investigators
are exploring the possi-
bility of conducting lie-
detection test on him.”
NEW DELHI SATURDAY 28 MARCH 2020
3-mth deferment
■ The Reserve Bank of
India on Friday
allowed lenders to
provide a three-month
deferment on pay-
ments of Equated
Monthly Instalments
(EMIs) for all term
loans that were out-
standing as on
March 1, 2020.
three months. Also, in an
unprecedented move, the
RBI on Friday cut the repo
rate, the rate at which the
RBI lends short-term
funds to banks, by 75 basis
points to 4.4 per cent,
while reducing the
reverse repo rate by 90
basis points to four per
cent.
The RBI relief on loans
will significantly ease
pressure on both lenders
and borrowers as availing
such a moratorium would
‘Ops Namaste’
to help govt
fight corona
Delhi govt scales up for
potential stage 3 of virus
SHASHI BHUSHAN
NEW DELHI, MARCH 27
Delhi CM Arvind
Kejriwal on Friday said
that the government is
scaling up food distribu-
tion and health infra-
structure to handle the
situation in case the cap-
ital enters Stage 3 of the
coronavirus pandemic.
Mr Kejriwal said that
spike in the number of
positive cases and has
asked authorities to ramp
up surveillance of air pas-
sengers on a war footing.
“As you are aware, we
initiated screening of
international incoming
passengers at the airports
with effect from January
18, 2020. I have been
informed that up to
March 23, 2020, cumula-
tively, Bureau Of
Immigration has shared
details of more than 15
lakh incoming interna-
tional passengers with the
states/UTs for monitoring
for Covid-19. However,
there appears to be a gap
between the number of
international passengers
who need to be monitored
by the states/UTs and the
‘If even one person doesn’t follow Covid
guidelines, all efforts will amount to zero’
A traffic police personnel folds her hands as she requests a commuter to stay at
home during Day 3 of a nationwide lockdown imposed in the wake of the coronavirus
pandemic in Karad district of Maharashtra on Friday. A health ministry official on
Friday said that if even one person does not follow guidelines related to Covid-19, all
our efforts will amount to zero.
NATION| 3
‘Lockdown will devastate
poor and weak’: Rahul
Gandhi on Covid-19 crisis
Repo rate reduced
■ The RBI finally bit
the bullet on Friday
and responded to the
coronavirus-induced
crisis with a whopping
75 basis points cut in
the repo rate, bringing
it down to 4.4 per cent.
The repo rate has thus
fallen to the lowest
ever.
not lead to a downgrade in
an individual’s credit rat-
ing/credit score and also
not affect the classifica-
tion of the loan on the
banks’ books. The RBI
said availing the morato-
rium does not entail any
changes in the existing
terms and conditions of
the loan. So if you don’t
pay your EMIs in these
three months, the banks
won’t term your account a
NPA.
However, it must be
currently arrangements
are available to handle
100 patients of coron-
avirus per day and it
will be enhanced to 1,000
patients per day.
According to CM
Kejriwal, a team of
doctors have sub-
mitted a presenta-
tion on the
issue.
■ More: Page 2
actual number of passen-
gers being monitored,”
Mr Gauba said in his let-
ter. There have been
instances of people skip-
ping quarantine or hospi-
tal visits after returning
from abroad. In Punjab, a
man who died on
Thursday, and his two fel-
low travellers, met hun-
dreds of people after
returning from a two-
week trip to Germany and
Italy. Fifteen Punjab vil-
lages have now been
sealed. In Kolkata, a teen
who returned from
London tested positive
after he showed up at the
designated hospital two
days after his arrival. His
mother, a senior bureau-
crat, even attended office
and meetings in the state
Moody’s halves
growth forecast
Mumbai: Moody’s
Investors Service on
Friday slashed India’s
economic growth pro-
jection for 2020 to 2.5%
from 5.3% earlier, hold-
ing that the COVID-19
outbreak will cause an
unprecedented shock to
the global economy.
PAGE 8
understood that this is a
temporary deferral and
the interest amount wil
continue to accrue on the
outstanding portion of the
term loans even in the
moratorium period.
The RBI asked institu-
tions to frame board-
approved polices for pro-
viding these reliefs to all
eligible borrowers. In a
video address, RBI gover-
nor Shaktikanta Das said:
“In respect of all term
loans (including agricul-
government building,
where chief minister
Mamata Banerjee also
sits.
Health officials said that
the infection of the three
more persons in Noida
who tested positive on
Friday has been traced
back to a British national
who was in the city earli-
er this month. In all, three
employees of a Noida firm
and their family members
have tested positive to the
virus. Health ministry
said India is diligently fol-
lowing contact tracing as
per the defined protocol as
part of Covid-19 contain-
ment strategy. “We have
to be alert, follow lock-
down and social distanc-
ing norms diligently to
combat coronavirus,”
health ministry official
said. Apart from the 15
lakh air travellers, sever-
al have entered India
through seaports and
international land bor-
ders.
Meanwhile, the govern-
ment has started the
process of procuring
10,000 ventilators through
its PSUs, while BEL has
been asked to provide
30,000 more in two months
time. Covid-19 affects the
respiratory system of
patients who are then
required to be put on ven-
tilator, which is a medical
device used to assist with
breathing.
— PTI
cmyk
TABLOID| 14
Most Bollywood stars yet
to loosen their purse
strings for those in need
Vol. 27 No. 40 | 17 PAGES | `5.00
tests positive,
tural term loans, retail
and crop loans), all com-
mercial banks (including
regional rural banks,
small finance banks and
isolates himself
local area banks), cooper-
ative banks, all-India Hours later, UK health secy
financial institutions, and
NBFCs (including hous-
ing finance companies
Hancock also tested positive
and micro-finance institu-
London, March 27: United
tions) are permitted to Kingdom Prime Minister
grant a moratorium of Boris Johnson sent
three months on the pay- shockwaves across the
ment of all instalments top rung of the UK gov-
falling due between ernment and the world
March 1, 2020 and May 31, when he announced on
2020. The repayment Friday that he is self-iso-
schedule for such loans lating after testing posi-
will be shifted across the tive for Covid-19. Boris Johnson
board by three months. Mr Johnson is the first advised to test for
Interest shall continue to head of government to #Coronavirus,” he tweet-
accrue on the outstanding have contracted the infec- ed. “I’ve tested positive.
portion of the term loans.” tion. Thankfully my symptoms
Ramesh Nair, CEO and “Over the last 24 hours I are mild and I’m working
country head of JLL India, have developed mild from home & self-isolat-
said: “The injected liquid- symptoms and tested pos- ing.” Prime Minister
ity of `3.74 lakh crores itive for coronavirus,” Narendra Modi sent a
along with the three- the Prime Minister wrote “get well” message to his
month moratorium on all on Twitter, along with a British counterpart.
term loans will alleviate video. “I am now self-iso- “Dear PM
short-term liquidity con- lating, but I will continue @BorisJohnson you’re a
cerns.” to lead the government’s fighter and you will over-
come this challenge as
response via video-con-
well. Prayers for your
ference as we fight this
good health and best
virus. Together we will
wishes in ensuring a
beat this.”
healthy UK,” he tweeted.
Mr Johnson said he
UK foreign secretary
would continue to com-
Dominic Raab, who has
municate with his team
and lead UK’s fight
against the pandemic.
previously tested nega-
tive for the deadly virus
after displaying cough
“But, be in no doubt
PAWAN BALI
NEW DELHI, MARCH 27
that I can continue,
thanks to the wizardry of
modern technology to
communicate with all my
symptoms, will be the
next in command in case
Mr Johnson has to take
some time off if he gets
top team to lead the more ill.
Army chief General
Manoj Mukund
national fightback
against coronavirus,” he
One cause for concern
within Downing Street
Naravane on Friday said. “I want to thank quarters is Mr Johnson’s
launched Operation
“Namaste” as part of the
everybody involved and,
of course, our amazing
pregnant fiancée Carrie
Symonds, who is expect-
Armed Forces effort to NHS staff.” Hours later ing the couple’s child in a
aid in combating Covid- UK’s health secretary few months’ time. It is not
19 in the country. The Matt Hancock also tested known if she would move
Army has established positive for the novel out of Downing Street to
eight quarantine facili- coronavirus. “Following self-isolate separately.
ties across the country. medical advice, I was — Agencies
The Army Chief said it
was his force’s duty to
help the government.
“The Indian Army has
code-named its anti-
With 85.6K cases, US
Covid-19 operations as
‘Operation Namaste.’ new corona epicentre
The Army has, so far,
established eight quar- Washington, March 27:
antine facilities across The US now has more ● ACCORDING TO the
the country,” Gen. coronavirus cases than latest figures, the US
Naravane said. any other country after has overtaken China
To assist the civilian more than 16,000 Covid-19 (81,782 cases) and Italy
government in the coun- infections were reported (80,589). But with
try, Lieutenant General there in a single day, tak- almost 1,300 Covid-19-
Anup Banerji, D-G ing the number of
Armed Forces Médical patients in America to
related fatalities, the US
Services, said that there over 85,600, according to death toll lags behind
China (3,291) and Italy
are five hospitals across
Army, Navy and Air
Johns
University data.
Hopkins
(8,215)
Force which can carry The grim milestone
out Covid test, including came as President Donald
Command Hospital Air Trump predicted the added in a single day. A
Force Bangalore, AFMC nation would get back to week ago, the number of
in Pune, Army R&R work “pretty quickly”. confirmed cases were
Hospital at Delhi, Army According to the latest 8,000.
command hospitals at figures, the US has over- It has dangerously
Udhampur and taken China (81,782 cases) surged 10 times in the
Lucknow. and Italy (80,589). But span of a week.
He said that six addi- with almost 1,300 Covid- With at least 263 deaths,
tional hospitals are also 19-related fatalities, the the US also reported most
being equipped with the US death toll lags behind number of fatalities due
resources to begin test- China (3,291) and Italy to the contagion on a sin-
ing. (8,215). gle day on Thursday.
The Indian Army is According to United States President
also ready to dispatch a Worldometer, the website Donald Trump attributed
rapid response team to that records confirmed the spike in the con-
Nepal for assisting in cases of infection and firmed cases to large-
the present Covid-19 sit-
uation there.
deaths globally, about
16,877 positive cases were
scale testing.
— Agencies
‘On public demand, Much respect:
Trump after
Ramayan back on DD’ chat with Xi
New Delhi, March 27: we are starting retelecast Beijing: President
Doordarshan will be tele- of Ramayana from tomor- Trump tweeted early
casting mythological row, Saturday March 28 Friday morning that
series Ramayan from in DD National, One he had “a very good”
Saturday on public
demand, Union minister
episode in morning 9 am
to 10 am, another in the
phone call about
coronavirus with
Prakash Javadekar said evening 9 pm to 10 pm. Chinese President Xi
on Friday. @narendramodi Jinping, signaling a
Many social media @PIBIndia @DD more conciliatory
users had demanded the National,” the Union tone between the two
airing of Ramayan, minister of information countries. “China
directed by Ramanand and broadcasting wrote has been through
Sagar, and Mahabharat, on Twitter. much. We are work-
directed by B.R. Chopra, The Prasar Bharati ing closely together.
during the 21-day nation- CEO thanked Javadekar Much respect!” the
wide lockdown and two and the Sagar family for President said.
days ago, Prasar Bharati the development in a China and the
CEO Shashi Shekhar said series of tweets. United States should
they were working on it. “Thank you Sir for all “unite to fight” the
On Friday, Mr your guidance and sup- deadly coronavirus
Javadekar tweeted about port in making this hap- pandemic, President
the development. pen at this time,” Mr Xi Jinping said in the
“Happy to announce Shekhar said. — PTI call. — Agencies
that on public demand, ■ More on Page 13
 cmyk
THE ASIAN AGENATION| 5
Satish Gujral, renowned
artist and architect,
dies in New Delhi at 94
www.asianage.com RNI No. 57290/94, Regd No: DL-SW-05/4189/15-17
WINDOWS
Pope Francis blesses a mirac-
ulous crucifix, that in 1552
was carried in a procession
around Rome to stop the
great plague, during a cere-
mony at the Vatican on
Friday. — AFP
SC allows sale
of BS IV vehicles
for 10 days
New Delhi: In a relief to
automobile dealers, the
Supreme Court on Friday
allowed the sale of BS IV
compliant vehicles
for 10 days, except in Delhi-
NCR, after the ongoing
countrywide lockdown
over the coronavirus pan-
demic is lifted. The apex
court had earlier fixed the
deadline of March 31, 2020
for sale of BS IV compliant
vehicles across the country.
Full report on Page 5
IAS violates Covid
norms, suspended
Thiruvananthapuram: The
Kerala government on
Friday suspended Kollam
sub collector Anupam
Mishra (IAS) from service
for violating home quaran-
tine norms after his return
from abroad and for leaving
the station without inform-
ing his superiors.
Verma, founding
member of SP, dies
Lucknow: Former Union
minister and SP founding
member Beni Prasad Verma
died here on Friday. He was
79. The RS member was
not keeping well for
past few days.
Full report on Page 5
COUNTERPOINT
WEATHER
Max: 27OC
Min: 19OC
RH: 55%
Rain: 1mm
Forecast: Clear sky
ASTROGUIDE
Sarvari: Uttarayana
Tithi: Chaitra Suddha Chaviti
till 12.17 am (Sunday)
Star: Bharani till 12.52 pm
Varjyam: 2.05 am to 3.51 am
(Sunday)
Durmuhurtam: 6.09 am to
7.46 am
Rahukalam: 9 am to 10.30
am
SUNSET TODAY 6.36 PM
SUNRISE TOMORROW 6.15 AM
MOONRISE TOMORROW 8.35 PM
MOONSET TODAY 9.12 AM
RBI presses 3-mth pause on EMIs Boris Johnson
Key rate cut by an unprecedented 75 pts, reverse repo rate cut by 90 basis pts
FALAKNAAZ SYED
MUMBAI, MARCH 27
In a huge relief to individ-
uals and companies reel-
ing under financial stress
after the nationwide lock-
down to combat the
spread of Covid-19, the
Reserve Bank of India on
Friday allowed lenders to
provide a three-month
deferment on payments of
Equated Monthly
Instalments (EMIs) for all
term loans that were out-
standing as on March 1,
2020. Notably, terms loans
include retail loans like
home loans, automobile
loans, personal loans,
credit card dues, educa-
tion loans, micro loans
besides farm loans and
crop loans that have a
fixed tenure. The morato-
rium will apply for loan
instalments falling
between March 1, 2020,
and May 31, 2020. The RBI
also announced deferment
of interest payment on
working capital loans by
INDIA Positive cases 724; 75 new cases in 24 hours Army starts
‘Gap in monitoring’ air travellers
will ‘jeopardise’ our efforts: Govt
AGE CORRESPONDENT
with agency inputs
NEW DELHI, MARCH 27
In view of the rising num-
bers of new positive cases
of novel coronavirus in
India, the Central govern-
ment on Friday said that
the “gap in monitoring”
the 15 lakh air travellers
who arrived in India over
the last two months could
“seriously jeopardise” the
country’s efforts to check
the spread of Covid-19.
Cabinet Secretary Rajiv
Gauba, the country’s top
bureaucrat who is leading
the Covid-19 crisis man-
agement group, wrote in a
sharp letter to states and
Union Territories that
“concerted and sustained
action” is needed urgently
to ensure that passengers
not on the radar are
placed under “close sur-
veillance” immediately.
On Friday, the total
number of positive cases
in India reached 724, out
of which 640 are active
cases, 66 have been cured,
17 have died and one
migrated.
The government main-
tains that there is still no
community spread of
coronavirus and India has
not reached Stage 3. But
given that many of those
who have tested positive
so far in India have a his-
tory of international trav-
el, the government fears a
Rana Kapoor
set to face
lie-test soon
AGE CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI, MARCH 27
Fresh trouble seems to
be brewing for Rana
Kapoor as the CBI and
the Enforcement
Directorate (ED) are
preparing to conduct
“lie-detection” test on
the co-founder of Yes
Bank as part of their
investigation into multi-
ple cases against him.
Sources said, “Kapoor
is not cooperating with
the investigation. He has
not yet provided the
required information
regarding the launder-
ing of proceeds of crime
and other crucial details
pertaining to several
cases against him and
his family. Investigators
are exploring the possi-
bility of conducting lie-
detection test on him.”
NEW DELHI SATURDAY 28 MARCH 2020
3-mth deferment
■ The Reserve Bank of
India on Friday
allowed lenders to
provide a three-month
deferment on pay-
ments of Equated
Monthly Instalments
(EMIs) for all term
loans that were out-
standing as on
March 1, 2020.
three months. Also, in an
unprecedented move, the
RBI on Friday cut the repo
rate, the rate at which the
RBI lends short-term
funds to banks, by 75 basis
points to 4.4 per cent,
while reducing the
reverse repo rate by 90
basis points to four per
cent.
The RBI relief on loans
will significantly ease
pressure on both lenders
and borrowers as availing
such a moratorium would
‘Ops Namaste’
to help govt
fight corona
Delhi govt scales up for
potential stage 3 of virus
SHASHI BHUSHAN
NEW DELHI, MARCH 27
Delhi CM Arvind
Kejriwal on Friday said
that the government is
scaling up food distribu-
tion and health infra-
structure to handle the
situation in case the cap-
ital enters Stage 3 of the
coronavirus pandemic.
Mr Kejriwal said that
spike in the number of
positive cases and has
asked authorities to ramp
up surveillance of air pas-
sengers on a war footing.
“As you are aware, we
initiated screening of
international incoming
passengers at the airports
with effect from January
18, 2020. I have been
informed that up to
March 23, 2020, cumula-
tively, Bureau Of
Immigration has shared
details of more than 15
lakh incoming interna-
tional passengers with the
states/UTs for monitoring
for Covid-19. However,
there appears to be a gap
between the number of
international passengers
who need to be monitored
by the states/UTs and the
‘If even one person doesn’t follow Covid
guidelines, all efforts will amount to zero’
A traffic police personnel folds her hands as she requests a commuter to stay at
home during Day 3 of a nationwide lockdown imposed in the wake of the coronavirus
pandemic in Karad district of Maharashtra on Friday. A health ministry official on
Friday said that if even one person does not follow guidelines related to Covid-19, all
our efforts will amount to zero.
NATION| 3
‘Lockdown will devastate
poor and weak’: Rahul
Gandhi on Covid-19 crisis
Repo rate reduced
■ The RBI finally bit
the bullet on Friday
and responded to the
coronavirus-induced
crisis with a whopping
75 basis points cut in
the repo rate, bringing
it down to 4.4 per cent.
The repo rate has thus
fallen to the lowest
ever.
not lead to a downgrade in
an individual’s credit rat-
ing/credit score and also
not affect the classifica-
tion of the loan on the
banks’ books. The RBI
said availing the morato-
rium does not entail any
changes in the existing
terms and conditions of
the loan. So if you don’t
pay your EMIs in these
three months, the banks
won’t term your account a
NPA.
However, it must be
currently arrangements
are available to handle
100 patients of coron-
avirus per day and it
will be enhanced to 1,000
patients per day.
According to CM
Kejriwal, a team of
doctors have sub-
mitted a presenta-
tion on the
issue.
■ More: Page 2
actual number of passen-
gers being monitored,”
Mr Gauba said in his let-
ter. There have been
instances of people skip-
ping quarantine or hospi-
tal visits after returning
from abroad. In Punjab, a
man who died on
Thursday, and his two fel-
low travellers, met hun-
dreds of people after
returning from a two-
week trip to Germany and
Italy. Fifteen Punjab vil-
lages have now been
sealed. In Kolkata, a teen
who returned from
London tested positive
after he showed up at the
designated hospital two
days after his arrival. His
mother, a senior bureau-
crat, even attended office
and meetings in the state
Moody’s halves
growth forecast
Mumbai: Moody’s
Investors Service on
Friday slashed India’s
economic growth pro-
jection for 2020 to 2.5%
from 5.3% earlier, hold-
ing that the COVID-19
outbreak will cause an
unprecedented shock to
the global economy.
PAGE 8
understood that this is a
temporary deferral and
the interest amount wil
continue to accrue on the
outstanding portion of the
term loans even in the
moratorium period.
The RBI asked institu-
tions to frame board-
approved polices for pro-
viding these reliefs to all
eligible borrowers. In a
video address, RBI gover-
nor Shaktikanta Das said:
“In respect of all term
loans (including agricul-
government building,
where chief minister
Mamata Banerjee also
sits.
Health officials said that
the infection of the three
more persons in Noida
who tested positive on
Friday has been traced
back to a British national
who was in the city earli-
er this month. In all, three
employees of a Noida firm
and their family members
have tested positive to the
virus. Health ministry
said India is diligently fol-
lowing contact tracing as
per the defined protocol as
part of Covid-19 contain-
ment strategy. “We have
to be alert, follow lock-
down and social distanc-
ing norms diligently to
combat coronavirus,”
health ministry official
said. Apart from the 15
lakh air travellers, sever-
al have entered India
through seaports and
international land bor-
ders.
Meanwhile, the govern-
ment has started the
process of procuring
10,000 ventilators through
its PSUs, while BEL has
been asked to provide
30,000 more in two months
time. Covid-19 affects the
respiratory system of
patients who are then
required to be put on ven-
tilator, which is a medical
device used to assist with
breathing.
— PTI
cmyk
TABLOID| 14
Most Bollywood stars yet
to loosen their purse
strings for those in need
Vol. 27 No. 40 | 17 PAGES | `5.00
tests positive,
tural term loans, retail
and crop loans), all com-
mercial banks (including
regional rural banks,
small finance banks and
isolates himself
local area banks), cooper-
ative banks, all-India Hours later, UK health secy
financial institutions, and
NBFCs (including hous-
ing finance companies
Hancock also tested positive
and micro-finance institu-
London, March 27: United
tions) are permitted to Kingdom Prime Minister
grant a moratorium of Boris Johnson sent
three months on the pay- shockwaves across the
ment of all instalments top rung of the UK gov-
falling due between ernment and the world
March 1, 2020 and May 31, when he announced on
2020. The repayment Friday that he is self-iso-
schedule for such loans lating after testing posi-
will be shifted across the tive for Covid-19. Boris Johnson
board by three months. Mr Johnson is the first advised to test for
Interest shall continue to head of government to #Coronavirus,” he tweet-
accrue on the outstanding have contracted the infec- ed. “I’ve tested positive.
portion of the term loans.” tion. Thankfully my symptoms
Ramesh Nair, CEO and “Over the last 24 hours I are mild and I’m working
country head of JLL India, have developed mild from home & self-isolat-
said: “The injected liquid- symptoms and tested pos- ing.” Prime Minister
ity of `3.74 lakh crores itive for coronavirus,” Narendra Modi sent a
along with the three- the Prime Minister wrote “get well” message to his
month moratorium on all on Twitter, along with a British counterpart.
term loans will alleviate video. “I am now self-iso- “Dear PM
short-term liquidity con- lating, but I will continue @BorisJohnson you’re a
cerns.” to lead the government’s fighter and you will over-
come this challenge as
response via video-con-
well. Prayers for your
ference as we fight this
good health and best
virus. Together we will
wishes in ensuring a
beat this.”
healthy UK,” he tweeted.
Mr Johnson said he
UK foreign secretary
would continue to com-
Dominic Raab, who has
municate with his team
and lead UK’s fight
against the pandemic.
previously tested nega-
tive for the deadly virus
after displaying cough
“But, be in no doubt
PAWAN BALI
NEW DELHI, MARCH 27
that I can continue,
thanks to the wizardry of
modern technology to
communicate with all my
symptoms, will be the
next in command in case
Mr Johnson has to take
some time off if he gets
top team to lead the more ill.
Army chief General
Manoj Mukund
national fightback
against coronavirus,” he
One cause for concern
within Downing Street
Naravane on Friday said. “I want to thank quarters is Mr Johnson’s
launched Operation
“Namaste” as part of the
everybody involved and,
of course, our amazing
pregnant fiancée Carrie
Symonds, who is expect-
Armed Forces effort to NHS staff.” Hours later ing the couple’s child in a
aid in combating Covid- UK’s health secretary few months’ time. It is not
19 in the country. The Matt Hancock also tested known if she would move
Army has established positive for the novel out of Downing Street to
eight quarantine facili- coronavirus. “Following self-isolate separately.
ties across the country. medical advice, I was — Agencies
The Army Chief said it
was his force’s duty to
help the government.
“The Indian Army has
code-named its anti-
With 85.6K cases, US
Covid-19 operations as
‘Operation Namaste.’ new corona epicentre
The Army has, so far,
established eight quar- Washington, March 27:
antine facilities across The US now has more ● ACCORDING TO the
the country,” Gen. coronavirus cases than latest figures, the US
Naravane said. any other country after has overtaken China
To assist the civilian more than 16,000 Covid-19 (81,782 cases) and Italy
government in the coun- infections were reported (80,589). But with
try, Lieutenant General there in a single day, tak- almost 1,300 Covid-19-
Anup Banerji, D-G ing the number of
Armed Forces Médical patients in America to
related fatalities, the US
Services, said that there over 85,600, according to death toll lags behind
China (3,291) and Italy
are five hospitals across
Army, Navy and Air
Johns
University data.
Hopkins
(8,215)
Force which can carry The grim milestone
out Covid test, including came as President Donald
Command Hospital Air Trump predicted the added in a single day. A
Force Bangalore, AFMC nation would get back to week ago, the number of
in Pune, Army R&R work “pretty quickly”. confirmed cases were
Hospital at Delhi, Army According to the latest 8,000.
command hospitals at figures, the US has over- It has dangerously
Udhampur and taken China (81,782 cases) surged 10 times in the
Lucknow. and Italy (80,589). But span of a week.
He said that six addi- with almost 1,300 Covid- With at least 263 deaths,
tional hospitals are also 19-related fatalities, the the US also reported most
being equipped with the US death toll lags behind number of fatalities due
resources to begin test- China (3,291) and Italy to the contagion on a sin-
ing. (8,215). gle day on Thursday.
The Indian Army is According to United States President
also ready to dispatch a Worldometer, the website Donald Trump attributed
rapid response team to that records confirmed the spike in the con-
Nepal for assisting in cases of infection and firmed cases to large-
the present Covid-19 sit-
uation there.
deaths globally, about
16,877 positive cases were
scale testing.
— Agencies
‘On public demand, Much respect:
Trump after
Ramayan back on DD’ chat with Xi
New Delhi, March 27: we are starting retelecast Beijing: President
Doordarshan will be tele- of Ramayana from tomor- Trump tweeted early
casting mythological row, Saturday March 28 Friday morning that
series Ramayan from in DD National, One he had “a very good”
Saturday on public
demand, Union minister
episode in morning 9 am
to 10 am, another in the
phone call about
coronavirus with
Prakash Javadekar said evening 9 pm to 10 pm. Chinese President Xi
on Friday. @narendramodi Jinping, signaling a
Many social media @PIBIndia @DD more conciliatory
users had demanded the National,” the Union tone between the two
airing of Ramayan, minister of information countries. “China
directed by Ramanand and broadcasting wrote has been through
Sagar, and Mahabharat, on Twitter. much. We are work-
directed by B.R. Chopra, The Prasar Bharati ing closely together.
during the 21-day nation- CEO thanked Javadekar Much respect!” the
wide lockdown and two and the Sagar family for President said.
days ago, Prasar Bharati the development in a China and the
CEO Shashi Shekhar said series of tweets. United States should
they were working on it. “Thank you Sir for all “unite to fight” the
On Friday, Mr your guidance and sup- deadly coronavirus
Javadekar tweeted about port in making this hap- pandemic, President
the development. pen at this time,” Mr Xi Jinping said in the
“Happy to announce Shekhar said. — PTI call. — Agencies
that on public demand, ■ More on Page 13
 CITY
THE ASIAN AGE | SATURDAY | 28 MARCH 2020 | NEW DELHI
IN
IIT develops fabric to
BRIEF
prevent infections
acquired at hospital
New Delhi: The Indian
Institute of Technology (IIT)
here has developed an
“infection-proof fabric” to be
used at hospitals to prevent
hospital-acquired infections
(HAIs). The development by
“Fabiosys Innovations”, a
start-up incubated at IIT-
Delhi, comes at a time when
the world is dealing with the
deadly coronavirus outbreak.
However, the team has been
working on the project for
over a year with support
from the government’s
Department of Science and
Technology. According to
official statistics from the
ministry of health and family
welfare, for every 100 hospi-
talised patients in developing
countries, 10 acquire HAIs
and the risk is even higher at
the time of a coronavirus
outbreak. The team claims to
have developed an afford-
able, novel textile-process-
ing technology, which con-
verts regular cotton fabric
into infection-proof fabric.
“We take rolls of cotton fab-
ric and treat it with a set of
proprietary-developed
chemicals under a set of
particular reaction condi-
tions, using the machinery
already commonly available
in textile industries. The fab-
ric, after undergoing these
processes, gains the powe
ful antimicrobial functionali-
ty,” Samrat Mukhopadhyay, a
professor at the Department
of Textile and Fibre
Engineering in IIT-Delhi, said.
— PTI
DTC, cluster buses’
staff provided with
masks, sanitisers
AGE CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI, MARCH 27
In view of the coronavirus
outbreak, the Delhi govern-
ment has provided masks and
hand sanitisers to the staff of
public transport buses that
are serving as the lifeline of
the city during the lockdown
by transporting people asso-
ciated with essential services.
Delhi transport minister
Kailash Gahlot on Friday said
drivers, conductors and mar-
shals in all the Delhi
Transport Corporation and
cluster buses were provided
with masks and hand sanitis-
ers. “All DTC and cluster bus
drivers, conductors and mar-
shals have been provided
with mask and hand sanitis-
ers. I am proud of you all.
Doing a wonderful job in
these difficult times by trans-
porting people involved in
essential services,” he said in
a tweet. Barring the over-
6,000 DTC and cluster buses,
all other modes of transport,
including Delhi Metro trains,
taxis, autorickshaws and e-
rickshaws, have been taken
off the road due to the 21-day
nationwide lockdown
announced by Prime Minister
Narendra Modi in a bid to
curb the spread of the deadly
coronavirus. Delhi chief min-
ister Arvind Kejriwal has laud-
ed the personnel involved in
providing essential services,
saying their safety is very
important. “Am so proud of
all Delhiites who are provid-
ing essential services during
the lockdown. Their safety is
very important for us,” he
wrote while re-tweeting Mr
Gahlot’s tweet.
3,432 detained for
violating lockdown,
over 60 cases filed
AGE CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI, MARCH 27
More than 60 cases were
registered and 3,432 people
detained on Friday for vio-
lating government orders
during the coronavirus lock-
down, police said. According
to the data shared by the
police, 65 cases were regis-
tered under section 188 (for
disobedience to order duly
promulgated by public ser-
vant) of the Indian Penal
Code till 5pm. A total of
3,432 people have been
detained under section 65
(persons bound to comply
with reasonable directions of
police officers) and 263
vehicles have been
impounded under section 66
of the Delhi Police Act, they
stated. A total of 4,445
movement passes have been
issued on Friday, police said.
However, on Thursday, 130
cases were registered under
section 188 of IPC till 5pm
and a total of 4,923 people
were detained under section
65 of the Delhi Police Act. A
total of 930 vehicles were
impounded under section 66
of the Delhi Police Act,
according to the data shared
by the police on Thursday.
Scaling up health infra for 3rd stage: Kejriwal
Arrangements being made to tackle up to 1,000 cases instead of 100 per day, says CM
SHASHI BHUSHAN
NEW DELHI, MARCH 27
Delhi chief minister
Arvind Kejriwal on Friday
said that the government
is scaling up the health
infrastructure to handle
the situation in case the
national capital enters
stage-3 of the coronavirus
pandemic. Mr Kejriwal
said that currently
arrangements are avail-
able to handle 100 patients
of coronavirus per day
and it will be enhanced to
1,000 patients per day.
Addressing a digital
press conference, Mr
Kejriwal said a team of
doctors has submitted a
detailed standard operat-
ing procedure (SOP) on the
issue and the government
is fully prepared to deal
with upto 100 patients per
day and is gearing up to
handle 1,000 positive cases
daily in future.
“A five-member team of
doctors under the chair-
manship of Dr S.K.
Sareen, who is the head of
ILBS hospital, had submit-
ted its report on Thursday,
People living in the streets eat food served to them in packets in New Delhi on
Friday.
3 more +ve cases, number rises SDMC to rope in eateries
to 17 in Gautam Buddh Nagar to serve free food to poor
AGE CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI, MARCH 27
Three more persons — two
women in Noida and one
man in Greater Noida —
tested positive for coron-
avirus on Friday, taking
the total cases in Uttar
Pradesh’s Gautam Buddh
Nagar to 17, officials said.
Four patients have already
been treated and dis-
charged, bringing the
active number of cases in
the district to 13, the offi-
cials said.
UP has so far recorded 50
Covid-19 cases, according
to government officials in
Lucknow, who have put
the total number of cases
in Gautam Buddh Nagar
at 18 cases, even as the
health department offi-
cials here said the tally
was 17.
Sources said one person
tested positive at a private
laboratory and his sample
was sent again for assess-
ment and the report would
be out by Saturday.
On Friday, two women, a
mother-daughter duo aged
HC seeks information on steps to
evacuate students from Bangladesh
AGE CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI, MARCH 27
The Delhi high court on
Friday asked the Centre to
explain the steps taken by
it to evacuate around 580
Indian medical students
who are stranded in
Bangladesh due to the
coronavirus pandemic.
A bench of Justices
Siddharth Mridul and
Talwant Singh, in a hear-
ing conducted through
video conferencing, issued
notices to the ministries of
external affairs (MEA)
and home affairs and
sought their responses to
a plea seeking safe return
of Indians stuck in
Bangladesh. The court
listed the matter for hear-
ing on March 30.
including a comprehen-
sive plan of action on the
preparations made in the
wake of the surge in
COVID-19 cases in Delhi.
“They differentiated the
action plan into three
stages, first is what can be
done if we get 100 new
cases every day, second is
what can be done if we get
500 new cases every day,
and third is what can be
done if we get 1,000 new
cases every day,” said the
chief minister.
The chief minister
explained that a detailed
plan has been created to
see how many isolation
beds, ventilators, ICU
beds, testing mechanisms
and strength, ambulances,
and medical staff such as
doctors and nurses under
each head of 100, 500, and
1,000 new cases every day.
Mr Kejriwal clarified
that the situation is under
control right now since
there is a maximum
increase of 3-4 cases per
day and there were also
days when no new cases
were registered.
Arrangements are being
— PRITAM BANDYOPADHYAY
Noida administration arranges
buses for stranded workers
Noida, March 27: Amid
reports of ill-treatment
with migrant workers in
several cities, the
Gautam Buddh Nagar
administration provided
government transporta-
tion to over 600 stranded
people on Friday to help
them reach home during
the lockdown, officials
said. Over a dozen buses
were arranged and the
people, mostly migrant
workers, including
women and children,
were picked up from the
Yamuna Expressway
between 12 night and 3
am, they added.
Several labourers and
55 and 33, residents of
Sector 137, and a 36-year-
old man who lives in
Omnicron-3 of Greater
Noida tested positive for
coronavirus, district Chief
◗ The students told
the lawyer that their
mess is closed and
they are left with a
few snacks
◗ There are no facili-
ties by which they
can prevent them-
selves from getting
infected.
The ministries were rep-
resented through the
Central government’s
standing counsel Jasmeet
Singh.
Petitioner lawyer
Gaurav Kumar Bansal
sought direction to the
authorities to immediate-
ly take steps for safe and
secure return of Indian
Our team is
working
non-stop to
ensure peo-
ple face
least difficulty during
the lockdown. Urge
all media friends to
continue pointing out
gaps in relief work
during this lockdown.
— Arvind
Kejriwal,
Delhi CM
made to be future ready, if
the situation worsens, he
said.
“Coronavirus cases went
up to 39 on Friday, out of
which 29 had come from
aboard and were kept in
quarantine and 10 are
cases of transmission
from infected persons,”
the chief minister said.
In another press confer-
ence on Friday evening,
Mr Kejriwal, flanked by
lieutenant governor Anil
Baijal, said the spread of
the novel coronavirus is
“quite under control” in
migrant workers hailing
from Bihar and places in
interior Uttar Pradesh
had started off on foot
for their homes, the offi-
cials said. Officials also
arranged food packets
for those stranded.
“These workers were
based in Noida and
Greater Noida. Several of
them lived here with
their families. A large
number of people com-
ing from Delhi and
Haryana had also under-
taken the journey of
hundreds of kilometres
on foot,” deputy collector
Abhay Singh said.
— PTI
Medical Officer Anurag
Bhargava said. “All
patients have been admit-
ted at the Super Speciality
Pediatric Hospital and
Postgraduate Teaching
citizens who are stuck in
Bangladesh. He said most
of the students are resi-
dents of Jammu and
Kashmir. The petition has
also sought direction to
the authorities to appoint
nodal officers in the
Indian embassies and
make the contact numbers
and emails of these nodal
officers public so that the
Indians who are stranded
abroad can contact them
and seek help in this time
of global health emer-
gency.
The plea said that the
MEA be directed to formu-
late guidelines for a time-
bound action by the nodal
officers so that Indians
can feel safe during this
time. The lawyer said he
has been receiving numer-
People walk at Ghazipur in New Delhi to reach their destination on the third day of
nationwide lockdown on Friday.
the national capital so far.
The AAP government,
however, is readying itself
so that even if the number
of infected cases increases
sharply, the administra-
tion is prepared to
■ 325 city schools converted into food serving centres
4 lakh poor to be fed daily: Kejriwal
AGE CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI, MARCH 27
Amid reports of hundreds
of people not having
access to food during the
nationwide lockdown,
chief minister Arvind
Kejriwal on Friday said
lunch and dinner would be
served to 4 lakh needy peo-
ple across the national cap-
ital from Saturday.
“So far, we were provid-
ing food to 20,000 people
daily. The number will now
increase to around 2,00,000
from Friday. The number
will be doubled from
Saturday. We will be pro-
viding food to 4,00,000 peo-
ple daily,” Mr Kejriwal
announced.
Mr Kejriwal also said
that the Delhi government
had set up a team of five
Institute in Sector 30 of
Noida,” Mr Bhargava said.
Health Department offi-
cials suspected that all
three cases could be relat-
ed to the same UK-based
carrier who may have
already infected five oth-
ers working for a fire safe-
ty firm in Sector 135. The
district administration
has temporarily sealed
their residential society
and the sector concerned
for a period of 48 hours to
carry out sanitisation
work there. “No entry
into or exit from the soci-
ety or the sector would be
allowed during this peri-
od except for emergen-
cies,” District Magistrate
B N Singh said in an
order.
“A total 441 samples have
been sent for COVID-19
test so far of which 17
have tested positive, 329
negative and result for 96
was awaited,” the depart-
ment said, adding that
1,803 people were current-
ly under surveillance
across Noida and Greater
Noida.
ous calls from the Indian
students who are studying
in Bangladesh and stuck
in their hostels and do not
have masks and sanitis-
ers.
The students told the
lawyer that their mess is
closed and they are left
with a few snacks, which
may last only for a week
and there are no facilities
by which they can prevent
themselves from getting
infected.
In an email to Mr Bansal,
a student said: “As there is
complete lockdown now
we would not even get any
supplies. You have also
closed doors for us. Please
help us reach back home.
Even if we die, we would
like to die in front of our
parents.”
respond, he said. The chief
minister assured people
that medical staff were
ready to tackle the situa-
tion even if the cases go up
at a rate of 100 per day, and
there was adequate medi-
doctors to work out a plan
to tackle the coronavirus
outbreak. He informed
that the team of doctors
submitted a detailed SOP
(standard operating proce-
dure) on the issue and the
government is fully pre-
pared to deal with upto 100
patients per day and are
preparing for 1,000 positive
cases daily in future.
“I had formed a team of
five doctors under the
chairmanship of Dr
Sareen, who is the head of
ILBS hospital. The team
has done brilliant work
and submitted its report
on Thursday, including a
comprehensive plan of
action on the preparations
done in the wake of the
surge in Covid-19 cases in
Delhi.
“They differentiated the
AGE CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI, MARCH 27
The South Delhi
Municipal Corporation
(SDMC) has decided to
rope in big restaurant and
eateries to provide free
food to poor and needy peo-
ple during lockdown. The
SDMC also opened a bank
account where citizens can
contribute funds for meas-
ures to contain coron-
avirus spread. North Delhi
Municipal Corporation
has constituted a high-
level committee to oversee
preventive measures
check spread of coron-
avirus in its jurisdiction.
The SDMC on Friday
arranged 20,000 food pack-
Police allows
delivery of
food, groceries
New Delhi, March 27:
The Delhi police on
Friday issued an order
approving smooth deliv-
ery of essential goods,
including food, gro-
ceries, and medicines, in
the city during the coro-
navirus lockdown.
Commissioner
police S.N. Shrivastava
on Friday issued an
order complying with
the guidelines given by
of
the ministry of home
affairs (MHA).
The MHA has said that
while the country needs
to be in a “lockdown,”
the supply and storage of
essential goods, includ-
ing health infrastruc-
ture and food, must be
allowed.
The order has been for-
warded to all senior offi-
cials and they will now
follow the standard oper-
ating procedure (SOP)
that was given by the
MHA on Thursday.
Under the MHA’s order,
ration shops dealing
with groceries, vegeta-
bles, fruits, dairy prod-
ucts, meat, animal fod-
der, seeds, and pesticides
will be allowed to func-
tion. — PTI
— G.N. JHA
cines and testing kits.
After the press confer-
ence, Mr Baijal tweeted:
“Efforts to maintain social
distancing at dispensing
points to be stepped up.
My advice to all DMs to
action plan into three
stages, first is what can be
done if we get 100 new
cases every day, second is
what can be done if we get
500 new cases every day,
and third is what can be
done if we get 1,000 new
cases every day,” CM
Kejriwal said.
For the poorest sections
of the society, the Delhi
government is providing
free ration to the people.
Those who do not have
ration cards, are being fed
meals by the Delhi govern-
ment at 224 night shelters.
“I have also instructed
the MLAs to ensure that no
one in their constituency
should suffer from hunger.
They should collaborate
with the society and pro-
vide food to all,” said the
CM.
◗ The SDMC on
Friday arranged
20,000 food packets
in association with
the hotels, restau-
rants, mid-day meal
kitchens and some
NGOs
ets in association with the
hotels, restaurants, mid-
day meal kitchens and
some NGOs. The food
packets were distributed
among the poor and needy
with the help of respec-
tive district magistrate
under its jurisdiction.
SDMC has also opened
an account in State Bank
of India, Chandni Chowk,
City air better as
factories shut, less
vehicles on roads
AGE CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI, MARCH 27
With a huge reduction in
vehicular movement and
factories being shut amid
lockdown due to coron-
avirus pandemic, the air
quality of the national
capital has significantly
improved in just the first
three days of the lock-
down.
Delhi, which is infa-
mous for its terrible air
quality index (AQI), has
seen the AQI in major
parts of the city drop to
“good” and “satisfactory”
levels. The AQI, which is
maintained by the
Central Pollution Control
Board (CPCB), recorded a
“satisfactory” reading of
50 in Delhi’s Indira
Gandhi International
Airport on Friday.
According to CPCB data,
this was the lowest in
months. The same area
had regularly recorded
numbers above 300 in
February this year.
South Delhi’s R.K.
Puram area saw the AQI
pg 2
Kejri addresses
global city heads
New Delhi, March 27:
Chief minister Arvind
Kejriwal on Friday
attended a global meet
of C40 Cities Climate
Leadership Group to
discuss the coronavirus
outbreak where he
spoke about the steps
taken in the national
capital to control the
spread of the pandemic.
“This is a crisis of
unprecedented scale
and we are committed
to learn and collaborate
with leaders across the
world. Together, we will
win,” Mr Kejriwal said
at the meeting held
through video confer-
encing. — PTI
keep up the efforts to
maintain lockdown, social
distancing & effectively
coordinate for provision of
food for the homeless &
destitute. None should go
hungry.”
Mr Kejriwal appealed
migrant workers to not
leave the national capital
in the wake of the 21-day
lockdown as the Delhi gov-
ernment has made suffi-
cient arrangements for
them. He said the govern-
ment has also set up
‘’hunger relief centres’’ to
serve free meals to the
needy people in all dis-
tricts.
In the wake of the lock-
down to the combat the
coronavirus threat, thou-
sands of migrant workers
from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar
and other states have start-
ed returning back to their
home states.
The chief minister said
pension of `5,000 each has
been transferred into the
bank accounts of eight
lakh beneficiaries.
where any individual,
group or company can
contribute fund which
will be utilised as per gov-
ernment rule to take
measures to contain
spread of coronavirus and
also to help the affected
persons. The details are:
Account Number-
39238693858, IFSC code-
SBIN0000631.
The SDMC has distrib-
uted 20,000 Vitamin-C
tablets per zone to its
20,000 safai karmcharis
for their better health and
increase the immunity
and decided to procure
more masks, gloves, soaps
and sanitisers for the safe-
ty of their sanitation
workers.
drop even further to 46 on
Friday, according to the
World Air Quality Project
which aggregates data
from several sources such
as the
Department and CPCB.
Indian
M e t e o ro l o g i c a l
As per the categorisation
of the CPCB, 46 qualified
as “good”.
Other areas were the
AQI reaching above 200 is
common also saw the AQI
drop to below “satisfacto-
ry” levels. Popular mar-
ket place Chandni Chowk
in Old Delhi which usual-
ly records high air pollu-
tion levels also witnessed
significant improvement
in the quality of air In
Anand Vihar, the AQI was
70 while in Dwarka it was
80. AQI numbers above
100 are considered unsat-
isfactory and hazardous
to health.
Some areas of the city,
however, still have AQI
figures above 100. Both
Bawana and Siri Fort
areas recorded “unsatis-
factory” AQI of 113 and
135 respectively.
 NATION
THE ASIAN AGE | SATURDAY | 28 MARCH 2020 | NEW DELHI
IN
HRD ministry defers
BRIEF
Neet over lockdown
New Delhi: The Union HRD
ministry on Friday post-
poned the national medical
entrance exam, Neet, in view
of the countrywide lock-
down due to the coronavirus
outbreak, officials said. The
National Eligibility cum
Entrance Test (Neet), whose
marks are used for admis-
sion in colleges across the
country, was scheduled for
May 3. The HRD ministry’s
National Testing Agency
(NTA) postponed the exam
in view of the three-week
lockdown as well as pending
board exams for a few
subjects. Union human
resources department minis-
ter Ramesh Pokhriyal
“Nishank” said the decision
has been taken to avoid any
inconvenience to students
and parents who have to
travel to different centres
across the country to write
the exam. “In view of hard-
ships faced by both parents
and students in view of the
covid-19 epidemic, the Neet
exam scheduled on May 3
has been postponed,”
NTA director general Vineet
Joshi said. — PTI
Bengal will get 4
pg 3
Look into migrant workers’ exodus: Shah to CMs
Asks states to provide adequate support, ensure students, working women from various states not harassed
AGE CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI, MARCH 27 Mobilise voluntary, religious
Union home minister
Amit Shah has spoken to
some of the chief minis-
bodies: Kovind to govs, L-Gs
New Delhi, March 27: the outbreak
ters and asked them to
President Ram Nath of Covid-19.
look into the issue of
Kovind Friday asked gov- President
mass exodus of migrant
ernors and lieutenant- Kovind and
workers from different
governors of states and vice-president
parts of the country
Union Territories to N a i d u
after the announcement
mobilise voluntary and expressed hope that the
of the 21-day lockdown.
religious organisations to Indian society’s inherent
The Union home secre-
aid the effort to contain strength of “sharing and
tary has written to all
the spread of coron- caring” and the govern-
states and Union Territ-
avirus, the Rashtrapati ment’s measures would
ories to immediately
Bhavan said. mitigate the sufferings of
ensure that adequate
In a video-conference the most vulnerable sec-
steps are taken to pro-
with the governors, L-Gs tions of the society, par-
vide adequate support,
and administrators of ticularly the workers of
including food and shel-
states and UTs, the the unorganised sector
ter, to migrant agricul-
President and vice- and the destitute, it said.
tural labourers, industri-
President M. Venkaiah The President urged
al workers and other
Naidu, who also attended everyone to hold regular
unorganised sector
the conference, asked stock-taking with their
workers during the lock-
them to find ways to com- state governments and
down.
plement the efforts of the make contributions in a
There have been
central and state govern- way that the battle again
reports of a large num-
ments in meeting the the coronavirus could be
ber of migrant workers
challenges arising from won. — PTI
leaving their work
places in different parts
of the country and walk-
ing down to their native GoAir, IndiGo, Vistara to send
SpiceJet offer staff on 3-day
places, hundreds of kilo- Medical team members during their door-to-door visit to screen people at Ramganj Bazar in Jaipur on Friday in wake of
— PTI
metres away facing the coronavirus pandemic.

helping hand unpaid leave

hardships on the way.

more test centres Price of

Kolkata: West Bengal will
soon get four more centres
‘Lockdown will devastate
Similarly, the MHA has
also directed the states
to ensure that students, New Delhi, March 27: New Delhi, March 27:
working women or other
working professional vegetables SpiceJet has offered Vistara CEO Leslie Thng

poor, compassion needed’

for Covid-19 virus sample
testing as the total number
of suspected patients in
home surveillance has
services of its aircraft on Friday announced
from other states are and crew members to senior employees will be
also allowed to continue
in their existing accom-
modation and do not
capped the government for any
humanitarian mission
going on compulsory
leave without pay of up

Help migrants walking to in Mohali

crossed 25,000 amidst con- during the 21-day lock- to three days as a meas-
firmation of 10 cases, includ- face any kind of harass- AGE CORRESPONDENT down and the airline is ure to further reduce the
ing a death in the state. With ment. NEW DELHI, MARCH 27 ready to operate some airline’s cost amid the
The advisory suggests

villages: Priyanka to govt

these, the total number of
testing facilities for Covid-19
will go also upto six from
existing two in the state. The
new testing facilities are
School of Tropical Medicine
Kolkata (STMK), Midnapore
Medical College and Hospital
(MMCH), North Bengal
Medical College and Hospital
(NBMCH) and a private hos-
pital: Apollo Gleneagles
Hospital Kolkata which have
been approved by the Indian
Council of Medical Research.
Madgaon rly station
to provide shelter
that in order to mitigate
the situation for unor-
ganised sector workers,
particularly stranded
migrant workers, all
states need to explore
measures by involving
various agencies, includ-
ing NGOs, to provide
food and shelter with
basic amenities like
clean drinking water,
sanitation and other
facilities.
Further, the ministry
has asked the states to
make these vulnerable
groups aware of the
measures taken by the
As thousands of
daily wagers
walked towards
their hometowns
amid the coron-
avirus lockdown, former
Congress chief and
Wayanad MP Rahul
Gandhi on Friday sought
a more “nuanced and com-
passionate” approach to
deal with the crisis.
“The lockdown will dev-
astate our poor and weak.
It will deliver a heavy blow
to the India we love. India
isn’t black and white. Our
decisions have to be care-
fully thought through. A
New Delhi, March 27:
Amid reports of migrant
workers walking down to
their villages due to a
lockdown in the country,
Congress leader Priyanka
Gandhi Vadra on Friday
urged the government to
help them reach their
homes.
In a video message, she
said she was pained at see-
ing them walk for many
kilometres in their bid to
reach their homes and be
with their families.
“When so many people
were stranded abroad, we
sent aircraft to get them
back. Everyone wants to
stay with their families
during such times of cri-
sis. We must help them
and I urge the govern-
ment to help them. We all
political parties must
unite in helping such peo-
ple in distress. UP
Congress has formed a
highway task force to help
such people,” she said in
her video message.
Chandigarh, March 27:
Prices of vegetables
were capped at Punjab’s
Mohali district after the
administration received
reports that essential
items were being sold at
exorbitant prices during
the Covid-19 lockdown.
The district adminis-
tration has fixed the
price of potatoes at `50
per kg, onions at `45 per
kg, tomatoes at `60 per
kg, cauliflower at `40 per
kg, peas at `120 per kg,
carrot at `50 per kg, am-
ong other essential com-
modities, a government
flights from Delhi and
Mumbai to Patna to alle-
viate the suffering of
migrant workers, espe-
cially those from Bihar,
its CMD Ajay Singh said
on Friday.
While domestic and
international passenger
flights have been banned
till April 14 midnight,
IndiGo and GoAir have
also offered their air-
craft and crew and staff
members to the govern-
ment for any mission
required to contain the
spread of coronavirus.
— PTI
coronavirus lockdown.
The compulsory no pay
leave will affect around
1,200 employees in sen-
ior grades. The remain-
ing 2,800 employees of
the airline such as mem-
bers of cabin crews and
ground handling servic-
es will be unaffected.
“While we are doing all
possible, including a
recruitment freeze, we
have to look at other
means to further reduce
our cost,” Mr Thng said
in his email to employ-
ees, which has been
accessed by PTI.

AI plans 9 flights to Frankfurt

government, including more nuanced and com- “I am pained at seeing She also tweeted, “A statement said here.
New Delhi The Disaster provision of free food- passionate approach is thousands of migrant lab- tragic situation has aris- Residents of Mohali
Management Authority, Goa, grains and other essen- required to deal with this ourers walk down towa- en on the border of Delhi, and even other places in

to ferry expats from Mumbai

will take over platforms of
the Madgaon railway station
to provide shelter to home-
less people in view of the
lockdown to prevent the
spread of the coronavirus,
according to an order. The
order from Collector and
Chairperson of South Goa
district Disaster Manage-
ment Authority Ajit Roy has
issued a requisition under
the Disaster Management
Act, 2005, of the services of
all platforms and station
premises of Madgaon railway
station which belongs to the
Konkan Railway for shelter
homes effective immediate-
ly. The requisition has been
made to the station master
of the railway station. — PTI
tial items through PDS.
This would help prevent
avoidable movement of
such people, according
to the advisory.
All the states have been
directed to ensure that
hotels, rented accommo-
dations, hostels contin-
ue to remain functional
and delivery of essential
items is streamlined so
that students, working
women hostel inmates
etc., are allowed to con-
tinue in existing facili-
ties while observing pre-
cautions.
The states have once
again been directed to
enforce the lockdown
strictly and take action
against violators.
crisis. It’s still not too
late,” the former Congress
president said.
Mr Gandhi also asked
the government to ensure
that students who are
stuck in residential facili-
ties and hostels are able to
keep in touch with their
families.
In a letter to Union HRD
minister Ramesh Pokhr-
iyal Nishank, he said that
in light of the national
lockdown, a significant
number of students stay-
ing in hostels and other
residential facilities of
schools and institutions of
higher education have
been unable to go home.
“I have received several
requests from parents to
rds UP from the Delhi bor-
der. They are poor people
and is it not our duty to
help them,” she asked.
ensure the well-being of
their children staying in
residential facilities.
Currently, 20 students
from my parliamentary
constituency, Wayanad,
are studying in Jawahar
Navodaya Vidyalaya,
Nainital,, as part of the
migration programme
between linked JNVs in
different linguistic
regions. I have spoken to
the principal and was
reassured that all meas-
ures for their well-being
are being taken”.
with thousands of people
leaving for their homes on
foot. No means, no food.”
— PTI
He asked the HRD min-
istry to issue instructions
to educational institu-
tions with residential
facilities to facilitate regu-
lar communication
between students and
their families.
“I would also like to
request the ministry to
ensure uninterrupted
supply of basic necessi-
ties, especially in residen-
tial schools like JNVs.
Further, adequate precau-
tionary measures should
be adopted, and institu-
Punjab had complained
that vendors were over-
charging them for veg-
etables and fruits.
The district adminis-
tration claimed that
they were ensuring
uninterrupted supply of
milk to residents.
Usually in the district,
the average consump-
tion of Verka milk is
65,000 litres but during
curfew, it supplied 15,000
litres of extra milk, it
said. Verka is the Milk
Fed brand in Punjab.
The administration
said as much as 39 tonnes
of vegetables were pur-
chased by people so far
during the lockdown.
— PTI
Mumbai, March 27: Air
India plans to operate
nine relief flights to
Frankfurt next week to
ferry hundreds of expats
stranded in the financial
capital due to the lock-
down amid the coron-
avirus outbreak, a source
said on Friday.
The source told PTI that
the flights are likely to be
operated between March
31 and April 3.
Frankfurt is the main
aviation hub of Germany
and has strong connectiv-
ity with various cities
worldwide.
“We plan to operate as
many as nine relief
flights to Frankfurt from
Mumbai to transport
expats who are stuck in
the city due to the ban on
commercial flying,” the
source said.
While five flights may be
operated on March 31, two
services are planned for
April 2. One flight each is
expected to operated on
April 1 and April 3, respec-
tively, the source added.
According to the source,
Air India is expected to
deploy Boeing 777 and
787-8 (Dreamliner) planes
for the relief flights.
— PTI

`2,200cr package
for poor in Odisha
Bhubaneswar: Odisha chief
minister on Friday
announced `2,200 crore
package to provide assis-
tance to the people of the
state amid countrywide lock-
down for coronavirus out-
break. The state government
will provide `1,000 each to
94 lakh Food Security Act
beneficiary families. An
amount of `940 crore will be
spent in this regard, the CM
said. Similarly, 48 lakh bene-
ficiaries of social welfare
schemes in the state will
receive allowance of four
months in advance and an
amount of `932 crore will be
spent for the purpose, said
Mr Patnaik. Announcing
assistance for construction
workers, the CM said `1,500
each will be provided to 22
lakh such workers, for which
`330 crore will be spent.
Pray at home:
■ Hindu body asks people to chant Vijay Mahamantra 108 times daily
VHP invokes divine intervention Nepal for Covid assistance
AGE CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI, MARCH 27
To combat the Covid-19
pandemic, the Vishwa
Hindu Parishad (VHP) has
asked people to invoke
divine intervention by
chanting the “Vijay
Mahamantra” 108 times
every day at their homes.
While the Rashtriya
Swayamsevak Sangh affil-
iates are helping the poor
and the needy by provid-
ing food and assisting the
people who are in distress
during the ongoing
national lockdown to com-
bat the virus, the VHP has
also prescribed the
mantra as it feels that the
“war” against the pan-
demic can be won “with
Army set to send team to
the blessings of the paraa
and aparaa (absolute and
relative powers).
“Our country has been
fighting the deadly coron-
avirus pandemic. The
Central government and
all state governments are
taking timely necessary
actions to overpower it.
Divine blessings are nev-
ertheless important in
fighting such crisis.
Therefore, we appeal to
the entire country to
invoke the intervention of
divine powers in this diffi-
cult hour,” reads a state-
ment issued by saints
associated with the VHP,
which also includes two
members of the Supreme
Court-mandated Shri
Ramjanambhoomi Teerth
● THE RSS and its
affiliates have
engaged medical
professionals who are
helping people in need
Kshetra trust. The RSS
has deployed its volun-
teers to assist the Centre
and state governments to
assist people during the
lockdown. They are
engaged in services like
distributing food packets,
creating awareness about
the virus, promoting
social distancing, distrib-
uting masks and other
essentials and are also
running 24x7 helplines.
The RSS and its affiliates
have also engaged medical
professionals who are
helping people in need.
Meanwhile, the BJP,
which had announced that
its workers across the
country will provide food
to over five crore people in
the wake of the lockdown
after Prime Minister
Narendra Modi’s appeal,
implemented the initia-
tive from Friday. BJP pres-
ident J.P. Nadda himself
distributed food among
police personnel. Many
BJP leaders distributed
food packets and essential
items, especially in slum
clusters. In Punjab, the
BJP has launched “roti
banks” where party volun-
teers are reaching out to
households urging them
to donate food for the poor
and the needy.
PAWAN BALI
NEW DELHI, MARCH 27
Indian Army is ready to
dispatch a rapid response
team to Nepal for assist-
ing in the present Covid-
19 situation there.
To assist the civilian
government in the coun-
try, Lt. Gen. Anup Banerji,
DG, Armed Forces
Médical Services, said
that there are five hospi-
tals across Army, Navy
and Air Force which can
carry out Covid-19 tests.
These hospitals include
Command Hospital Air
Force, Bangalore, AFMC
in Pune, Army R&R
Hospital in Delhi and
Army command hospitals
in Udhampur and Luck-
now. He said that six addi-
tional hospitals are also
being equipped with the
resources to begin testing.
“Presently, 28 service
hospitals have been ear-
marked as Covid-19 hospi-
tals for managing purely
corona infection cases.
This will include Armed
Forces patients as well as
civilian patients trans-
ferred from state health
authorities, in case their
capacity is overwhelmed,”
said Lt. Gen. Banerji.
He said that as of now,
there has been only one
case of serving soldier
who tested positive for
coronavirus. “He was on
leave at his home in Leh,
taking care of his father
who had returned recent-
ly from Iran and suffering
from Covid-19 infection.
The soldier has made an
uneventful recovery,” said
Lt. Gen. Banerji.
Army Chief Gen. Manoj
Mukund Naravane on
Friday launched opera-
tion “Namaste” as part of
Armed Forces effort to aid
in combating Covid-19 in
the country.
“Apart from Maldives,
we are ready to dispatch a
RRT to Nepal for assisting
them with the present sit-
uation there,” said Lt.
Gen. Banerji.

Jamiat to Muslims INSIDE INDIA

New Delhi: Prominent
Muslim body Jamiat Ulema-
e-Hind on Friday appealed
to Muslims to offer prayers
at home instead of congre-
gating in mosques amid the
coronavirus outbreak. Jamiat
president Maulana Arshad
Madani said he himself is
offering prayer at home. For
daily prayers, he said
Muslims should pray at
home, instead of congregat-
ing in mosques. Muslims are
supposed to pray five times
in a day at designated hours
of the day. “All people must
avoid gatherings at any
place, and follow the Sharia
guidelines for the protection
of human life,” he said. Mr
Madani lauded the communi-
ty for adhering to appeals of
clerics and offering the Fri-
day prayers at home. — PTI
Nod to additional `5,751cr
to 8 states as calamity relief
New Delhi, March 27: The Centre
on Friday approved additional
`5,751.27 crore as aid to eight states hit
by floods, landslides, cyclone and
drought last year, the home ministry
said.
The eight states which will get the
financial assistance are: Kerala, Mah-
arashtra, Bihar, Nagaland, Odisha,
Rajasthan, West Bengal and
Karnataka.
A high-level committee under the
chairmanship of Union home minis-
ter Amit Shah approved `5,751.27
crore as additional central assistance
to the eight states for floods, land-
slides, cyclone “Bulbul”, drought dur-
ing 2019; and Karnataka for drought
(rabi) of 2018-19, the statement said.
— PTI
A blocked road to village Boiragi Para,
on the outskirts of Agartala in Tripura,
during the nationwide lockdown to
fight the pandemic on Friday. — PTI
Rly cop booked for trying
to ferry workers by train
New Delhi, March 27: The Railways on
Friday said the Delhi police had sus-
pended a GRP constable for trying to
ferry migrant workers to their home-
towns in an empty train on March 26.
RPF DG Arun Kumar said the
Government Railway Police (GRP)
constable had taken money from the
migrant workers, saying he would
help them get to their hometowns by
train. CCTV footage at the New Delhi
railway station showed that the con-
stable facilitated around 45 people to
get aboard an empty rake of the
Magadh Express on Thursday, the rail-
ways said.
Sources said the inspector took `500
each from the desperate workers and
shoved them into the rakes, which
were not going anywhere. — PTI
Two men engage in a scuffle as other
daily wagers and homeless wait in a
queue to receive food distributed by
the Delhi government on Friday. — PTI
Extend all help to pilgrims
stranded in Qom: SC to govt
AGE CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI, MARCH 27
The Supreme Court on Friday asked
the Centre to extend all assistance to
500 Indian pilgrims stranded in Qom
city of Iran due to Covid-19 and sought
its response on a plea seeking them to
be evacuated to India.
There are about 500 Indian pilgrims
from Ladakh who had gone to Qom for
pilgrimage and were expected to
return earlier, but were stranded
because of the coronavirus outbreak.
Seeking Centre’s response on a plea
for immediate evacuation of all
stranded pilgrims, the SC bench
sought the assistance of solicitor-gen-
eral Tushar Mehta on March 30 — the
next date of hearing.
 NATION
THE ASIAN AGE | SATURDAY | 28 MARCH 2020 | NEW DELHI
pg 4

Day 3: Life under 21-day lockdown

SHORT TAKES
ALL VEGETABLE
MARKETS SHUT
DOWN IN ASSAM
MANOJ ANAND While many people and families across the country are struggling to cope with isolation and being house-bound, lakhs of migrant
GUWAHATI, MARCH 27
workers are trying to reach home, many of them being forced to walk long distances for days in the absence of local and inter-state
Assam government on
Friday declared the transport. Authorities are right in implementing social distancing and lockdown rules, but there has to be an official response from the
Guwahati Medical College
and Hospital as exclusive government to help migrant workers reach their native villages, cities. Otherwise, this humanitarian crisis will soon blow up in our face.
isolation centre for the treat-
ment of Covid-19 patients.
Besides, it decided to with-
draw exemption given to
vegetable markets to func-
tion as hundreds of people
crowded the vegetable mar-
kets on Friday and violated
the guideline of lockdown to
maintain mandatory social
distance. Informing that all
the patients from Guwahati
Medical College and
Hospital, except maternity,
cancer and emergency
wards, will be shifted to 36
private nursing homes,
health minister Himanta
Biswa Sarma told reporters,
“We have signed MoU with
36 nursing homes to take
the load of patients going to
GMCH for two months so
that the GMCH could be
converted into an exclusive
hospital for coronavirus
patients.” Mr sarma said that
the government is leaving

NEW DELHI
no stone unturned in prepar-
ing for the impending threat
of coronavirus outbreak in
the state. He lauded the pri- An overcrowded bus carries passengers as others wait for transport to their native places
vate nursing homes for on the NH24 near Delhi-UP border on Friday in view of the nationwide lockdown. — PTI
opening their premises for
handling the flow of patients
in government hospitals. He
said that the government
would pay these nursing
homes for two months
according to charges fixed
by the national health
authority. The state health
minister added that the state
will set up five 300-bed hos-
pitals with ICU and ventila-
tor facilities in the next
60 days.

PM THANKS UAE
FOR ITS HELP TO 19
INDIANS IN DUBAI
AGE CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI, MARCH 27

Hours after Prime Minister

Narendra Modi spoke to Abu
Dhabi’s Crown Prince on the

MUMBAI
coronavirus pandemic, India
“thanked the UAE authori-
ties for accommodating 19
Indian nationals who were
An aerial view of deserted J.J.
stuck at Dubai airport for
the past several days”. The PRAYAGRAJ Bridge during the nationwide
lockdown in the wake of coron-
Indian mission in Dubai
tweeted: “They got stranded People maintain social distancing as they wait to collect food distributed by police personnel on Day 3 of the avirus outbreak in Mumbai on
due to various restrictions to nationwide lockdown in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, on Friday. — PTI Friday. — PTI
deal with Covid-19 pandem-
ic. Hotel rooms have been
given to them inside the air-
port. Our consulate had
been in constant touch with
the Indian nationals and UAE
and Indian authorities. We
had also provided some
financial help to enable our
stranded passengers to buy
food. The situation was
tough due to the pandemic
situation.” During their chat
on Thursday evening, Abu
Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh
Mohammed Bin Zayed Al
Nahyan had “assured Prime
Minister Narendra Modi
about the welfare of the
over two million Indians liv-
ing in UAE and contributing
to its economy”. Mr Modi
“thanked the Crown Prince
for his personal attention to
the health and safety of
Indian expatriates in the JAMMU GUWAHATI PRAYAGRAJ
present situation”. Migrant workers along with their familes walk to return
A policeman chases away a commuter for defying the nationwide lockdown A policeman punishes a rickshawpuller for allegedly flouting to their villages after a 21-day nationwide lockdown was
MAHA RECORDS imposed in the wake of coronavirus pandemic in Jammu on Friday. — PTI lockdown in Guwahati on Friday. — PTI imposed by the government in Prayagraj on Friday. — PTI

28 NEW CASES
IN 24 HOURS
AGE CORRESPONDENT
MUMBAI, MARCH 26
Number of coronavirus cases
in Maharashtra climbed to
153 with 28 new patients in
the state on Friday. The new
patients included 15 persons
in Sangli district, four from
Nagpur, two each from
Mumbai and Thane and one
each in Palghar, Kolhapur,
Gondia and Pune. State
health minister Rajesh Tope
said the state government is
considering providing insur-
ance cover to the medical
staff treating Covid-19
patients in the state. Several
6-month-old among 5 of Bengal family tests +ve Give info on public
RAJIB CHOWDHURI
KOLKATA, MARCH 27
The total number of
Covid-19 patients jumped
to 15 including a death in
West Bengal on Friday
after five members of a
family including a new-
born among three chil-
dren from Tehatta in
Nadia tested positive to
the virus. The five infected
family members are a six-
month-old female child, a
nine-year-old girl, an 11-
year-old boy, a 27-year-old
woman and a 45-year-old
woman. They came in con-
tact with a youth, who had
travelled from London, at
a relative’s wedding in
New Delhi recently. On
March 16-17, the youth was
admitted to Ram Manohar
Lohia Hospital with ill-
ness. He was later found
infected with the deadly
virus. The family of five
returned home to stay in
isolation allegedly with-
out informing the state
health department about
their visit, sources
revealed. The five patients
are being brought to
Special flight
◗ SPICEJET FLEW a
Boeing 737 from Delhi to
Coimbatore carrying only
one Hazmat suit and no
other cargo to help local
authorities replicate and
start manufacturing of
suits. The flight was oper-
ated free of cost.
Infectious Diseases
Hospital in Beliaghata for
quarantine.
This is the first time so
many members of a fami-
ly in the state were found
to be infected by Covid-19.
The development comes as
the 10th Covid-19 patient,
admitted to a private hos-
pital, been put on ventila-
tor after his condition
turned very critical. The
66-year-old man had come
in contact with some for-
eigners at a relative’s wed-
ding in Midnapore recent-
ly.
Meanwhile, the state will
get four more centres for
testing Covid-19 virus
samples as 25,096 suspect-
ed patients were in “home
surveillance” till March
26. These will increase the
total number of such test-
issues: Modi to RJs
ing facilities to six here. New Delhi, March 27: ies swiftly and
The new testing facilities Prime Minister Narendra in a timely
are School of Tropical Modi on Friday urged manner, he
Medicine Kolkata (STMK), radio jockeys to provide said.
Midnapore Medical feedback on the difficul- The Prime
College and Hospital ties and challenges faced Minister said
(MMCH), North Bengal by people due to the coro- as mass communicators,
Medical College and navirus outbreak to help radio jockeys can play a
Hospital (NBMCH) and a the government resolve proactive role in inform-
private hospital: Apollo their problems swiftly. ing their listeners about
Gleneagles Hospital Interacting with a group the announcements,
Kolkata which have been of radio jockeys via along with educating
approved by the Indian video, he also urged them them about social distanc-
Council of Medical to spread information ing and the importance of
Research (ICMR). about the views of self-quarantine.
experts and steps taken He also stressed on the

private doctors have
stopped their medical due to
the coronavirus scare. As per
the information received by
the Sangli district collector,
medical squad had collected
swab samples of 25 mem-
bers of a family who are
under institutional quarantine
in Islampur. Out of which, 15
reports turned out to be pos-
itive. They had come in con-
tact with a family, which had
returned from Saudi Arabia.
On Friday, the health minister
went live on Facebook to
inform that apart from the
insurance cover, the govern-
ment also plans to give mon-
etary incentive to the staff
working to provide medical
treatment to coronavirus
infected people.
India for shared Saarc platform to fight virus Youth ends life over non availability of liquor
AGE CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI, MARCH 27
India has proposed a “shared elec-
tronic platform for all Saarc
nations to share and exchange
information, knowledge, expert-
ise and best practices for jointly
combating the coronavirus epi-
demic”. India “proposed that till
such time the electronic platform
is fully operational, a network of
experts representing the health
services of all Saarc countries
may be set up on email/WhatsApp
to enable exchange of all relevant
information between the Saarc
countries on real-time basis”.
The suggestion was made earli-
er at a video conference of health
professionals on Thursday on the
coronavirus pandemic in which
all eight Saarc member-nations
including Pakistan participated,
the MEA said on Friday, adding
that the participation was at the
level of directors-general of
health services, and chaired by
India. Pakistan was the only
Saarc country not to make a mon-
etary contribution to the Saarc
Covid-19 fund proposed by India.
Despite that, however, New Delhi
on Friday said “the enthusiastic
and constructive participation by
all Saarc member states demon-
strated the shared commitment
to work together to defeat the
challenge posed by the coron-
avirus epidemic in the region”.
AGE CORRESPONDENT
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM,
MARCH 27
A youth committed suicide
allegedly because of non availab-
ility of liquor in Kunnamkulam
in Thrissur district of Kerala.
The body of Sanoj, 38, was found
hanging from the ceiling of his
room at his house in Thuvanooor
in Kunnamkulam on Friday . He
was unmarried.
The Kerala government on
Wednesday decided to shut all
liquor outlets in the state during
the 21 day lockdown period. There
are 265 outlets run by government
owned Beverages Corporation
and 36 rub by the Consumerfed.
According to relatives of Sanoj,
the youth was showing signs of
restlessness and disorientation
for the last two days because of
non availability of alcohol. A
painting worker, he used consume
liquor thrice a day at a local bar.
They say the youth probably
could not cope with the withdraw-
al symptoms and had severe
health and mental complications
that finally pushed him to take
the extreme step. Kunnamkulam
police has registered a case in
connection with the incident.
CM Pinarayi Vijayan referred to
the youth’s suicide and said the
closure of liquor retail outlets has
started resulting in unfortunate
incidents.
by the government to importance of educating
tackle the situation. the public about the dedi-
Underlining the impor- cation of police personnel
tance of empathy, the who are working continu-
prime minster said it is ously to assist people.
important to tell the sto- The Prime Minister said
ries of misbehaviour people should cooperate
with doctors, health care with the police, adding
workers and airline staff that while police should
due to societal fears of avoid use of strong arm
them being infected by tactics, it is also neces-
the virus so that such sary to enforce discipline.
challenges are overcome. He observed that the
Mr Modi said the gov- public broadcaster All
ernment has announced a India Radio (AIR) has a
number of measures to particularly important
assist the poor and under- role to play in stopping
privileged in these diffi- the flow of rumours.
cult times. The Prime Minister also
It is important that requested the radio jock-
information about these eys to also work towards
announcements reaches checking the spread of
the intended beneficiar- rumours. — PTI
 NATION
THE ASIAN AGE | SATURDAY | 28 MARCH 2020 | NEW DELHI
SHORT
INDIA CALLS FOR
COMPLIANCE OF
TAKES
BIO WEAPON PACT
New Delhi: India on Friday
pitched for strict compliance
of a global treaty banning
production of entire range
of biological weapons of
mass destructions, highlight-
ing the need for effective
response to the challenges
posed by new scientific
developments in the area. In
making the fresh call to ban
biological weapons on the
occasion of 45th anniversary
of the Biological and Toxin
Weapons Convention com-
ing into force, India also
made a mention of the fast
spreading coronavirus and
its global impact. In a state-
ment, the MEA, without
elaborating, said the impact
of the Covid-19 pandemic
has underlined the need for
international cooperation,
including institutional
strengthening of the World
Health Organisation. It said
India has been working with
other member countries of
the Convention to establish
a database which can play
an important role in dealing
with bio-threats and bio-
emergencies. “India strongly
believes that the BWC must
respond effectively to the
challenges posed by the new
and emerging scientific and
technological developments
of relevance to the conven-
tion,” the MEA said. It said
India has been submitting an
annual resolution at the
UNGA on the “Role of sci-
ence and technology in the
context of international
security and disarmament”,
which has been adopted by
consensus. “The global eco-
nomic and social implica-
tions of the pandemic,
caused by Covid-19, have
underlined the need for
international cooperation,
including institutional
strengthening of the WHO,”
it added. — PTI
HACKERS USING
CORON MALWARE
TO STEAL DATA
AGE CORRESPONDENT
MUMBAI, MARCH 27
Amidst the Covid-19 out-
break, Dhule police has
unearthed a malware called
“coronavirus map” devised
to steal confidential data,
including bank account
details and passwords. The
police found out about the
malware a week ago and
have urged people not to
open any coronavirus-relat-
ed links circulated on social
messaging apps. The offi-
cials said that the malware
was being used in various
links named under coron-
avirus and was circulated via
social messaging apps. “The
accused are being ques-
tioned on how many persons
have been targeted so far
and the quantum of the
fraud. This malware link was
being shared on messaging
apps like WhatsApp and
other social networking plat-
forms,” said a police officer.
The link lured the persons
with information on preven-
tion of coronavirus, claiming
that it has important infor-
mation about ways to pre-
vent infection. If one clicks
on the link, it installs a spy
software, which can steal
bank account details, pass-
words and other personal
data The police said that the
cyber wing is now gathering
details of the victims and
will identify them and record
their complaints for carrying
out detailed investigation in
connection with the fraud.
The police have filed a case
of cheating, forgery, acts of
common intention as per the
Indian Penal Code and as
per the provisions of the
Information Technology Act
and further investigation is
underway.
BENI PRASAD,
SP FOUNDING
MEMBER, DIES
Lucknow: Beni Prasad
Verma, a founding member
of the Samajwadi Party and
former Union minister who
was considered close to
party patriarch Mulayam
Singh Yadav, died on Friday.
He was 79. The Rajya Sabha
MP was not well for past few
days. He was admitted to a
private hospital in Lucknow,
where he died around 7 pm,
his son Rakesh Verma told
PTI. Verma was the telecom
minister between 1996-1998
in then prime minister H.D.
Deve Gowda's cabinet and
was the steel minister in the
Congress-led UPA govern-
ment. Samajwadi Party pres-
ident Akhilesh Yadav
reached the hospital and
condoled his death. Verma is
survived by three sons and
two daughters. — PTI
Renowned artist Satish Gujral dies at 94
THE ARTIST WAS AWARDED THE PADMA VIBHUSHAN, INDIA’S SECOND-HIGHEST CIVILIAN AWARD, IN 1999
SC gives marginal relief to auto sector Rana Kapoor may
Allows 10-day sale of 10% of BS-IV unsold inventory post lockdown
PARMOD KUMAR
NEW DELHI, MARCH 27
In the wake of the Covid-
19 lockdown, the Supreme
Court on Friday permitted
the sale of 10% of the
unsold BS IV vehicles
within 10 days of the lift-
ing of the lockdown with a
caveat that these vehicles
would not be sold in Delhi
NCR.
The last date for the sale
of BS IV vehicles as per
4 more test
+ve in J&K,
total is 18
YUSUF JAMEEL
SRINAGAR, MARCH 27
The number of Covid-19
cases in Jammu and
Kashmir went up to 18
on Friday after four
more persons, all of
them Srinagar resi-
dents, tested positive.
Thirteen more persons
are being treated for the
deadly disease in
Ladakh. One of the
affected persons died at
a hospital in Srinagar
on Thursday.
Meanwhile, no Friday
congregations were held
in any major mosque in
J&K or Ladakh. While in
most cases the custodi-
ans of mosques volun-
tarily called off the
weekly gatherings, the
law enforcing agencies
had to intervene at place
to prevent people from
entering the places of
worship.
Srinagar’s DC Shahid
Iqbal Choudhary had on
Thursday with a view to
prevent the spread of
the virus issued a formal
order for the closure of
all places of worship in
the district.
However, the manage-
ments of Srinagar’s
famed Dargah Hazrat-
bal, historic Jama Masj-
id and Khankah-e-Naqa-
shbandia had already
been shut for worship-
pers.
New Delhi, March 27: Satish Gujral,
one of India's best known artists
and architects, died in his Delhi
home, his family said on Friday. He
was 94.
Gujral, who was renowned for his
versatility across different medi-
ums, died on Thursday night of old
age reasons.
He was the brother of former
Prime Minister I.K. Gujral and is
survived by his wife Kiran, daugh-
ters Alpana and Raseel, and son
Mohit.
“The noted painter and architect
passed away peacefully at 10.30 last
night in his home. He died of old
age,” the artist's nephew and Rajya
Sabha MP Naresh Gujral told PTI.
Gujral, who was awarded the
Padma Vibhushan, India's second
highest civilian honour, was an
architect, painter, muralist, sculp-
tor and graphic artist.
His artworks were heavily
inspired by the turbulence
of his early years, includ-
ing the illness that
impaired his hear-
ing as a child and
the Partition of
the subconti-
nent.
P r i m e
Minister
2018 top court order is Automobile Dealers
March 31, 2020. Association, the court said
Observing that vehicle that it understood the
dealers wants to take “psychology of business-
“advantage of a few days es, dealers”.
lockdown” in March on Observing in the course
account of corona, a bench of the hearing that there
of Justices Arun Mishra was “no point extending
and Deepak Gupta said time for BS IV vehicles,
that the BS IV vehicles burdening environment
that have been sold prior further”, the court said,
to lockdown could be regis- “Understand frailty of
tered after it was lifted. humans.” The top court
Relaxing its order on a permitted the automobile
plea by the Federation of dealers to sell 10% of their
‘Jugaad’ in corona time: Leaves, tissue paper become masks
RABINDRA NATH crisis. Tribals are prepar-
CHOUDHURY ing masks out of leaves,
BHOPAL, MARCH 27 now popularly called “bio-
mask” in the region.
Contrary to hue and cry Tribal women and men
over shortage of masks all were currently seen mov-
across India, people in ing wearing “bio-masks”
Chhattisgarh are not com- in villages in south Bastar
plaining. People in the districts of Narayanpur,
state have turned to vari- Sukma and Bijapur.
ous ways to make masks. “We have received
Leaves, hankies and tissue reports of tribals in remote
papers are being used to pockets of Bastar using
make masks to meet the masks made of leaves due
urgent demands of the to coronavirus outbreak.
health emergency. This clearly indicates that
The tradition tribal awareness has already
knowledge of making cups been generated among the
and other utilities out of tribals in Bastar on the
tree leaves has come in virus outbreak. It is a good
handy for the adivasis in development,” P.
remote pockets of Bastar Sunderraj, Bastar range
region in this period of inspector general of police,
pg 5
 Gujral, who was awarded the Mumbai.
One of the major turning points
Padma Vibhushan, India's sec- in his artistic career was when he
ond highest civilian honour, got a scholarship to travel to
was an architect, painter, Mexico. His interactions with
muralist, sculptor and graphic Mexican painter Diego Riviera
artist. went on have a deep influence on
 In 1952, he got a scholarship his work.
to study at the revered Palacio “Unlike many of his peers, who
went to Paris or London in the early
de Bellas Artes in Mexico City 1950s, Gujral went to Mexico City to
where his friends included study with Diego Rivera and
Frida Kahlo and Octavio Paz Siqueiros. Gujral's was a versatile
 Gujral's familiar works practice spanning painting, sculp-
include the alphabet mural on ture and architecture. RIP,” curator
the outside wall of the Delhi and artist Ranjit Hoskote said on
high court. Twitter.
 He also designed the Belgian Adwaita Gadnayak, director gen-
eral of Delhi's National Gallery of
Embassy in Delhi, UNESCO Modern Art, said the artist's bril-
building in Delhi, Goa liance lay in his “ability to use his
University and even the sum- creativity to the fullest in many
mer palace for the Saudi Royal forms and ways”. Self portrait (above) by Satish
family in Riyadh. “His highlight happened in 1952, Gujral and some of his famous
 Satish Gujral had told inter- when he got a scholarship to study
paintings
viewers that he immersed him- at the revered Palacio de Bellas
self in painting after witness- Artes in Mexico City, where he was
ing the horrors of Partition. apprenticed under renowned
artists Diego Rivera and David
Alfaro Siqueiros - who were
Narendra Modi condoled the death remarkable figures of the 20th-cen-
of the artist, who was born in 1925 tury art scene. To have Frida Kahlo
in Jhelum in pre-Partition west and Octavio Paz as his friends
Punjab and not just witnessed the became the important point of syn-
division of the country but also ergy,” he said. Several others also
helped several refugees cross the mourned his death.
border safely. Congress leader Rajeev Shukla
"Satish Gujral Ji was versatile said Gujral must also be remem-
and multifaceted. He was admired bered for rescuing people during
for his creativity as well as the Partition.
determination with which he over- "Passing away of famous painter,
came adversity," Mr Modi artist Satish Gujral will leave a
wrote on Twitter. deep void in world of art. Brother of
He said Gujral's intel- ex-PM I.K. Gujral, Satish ji was
lectual thirst took him known for his services to rescue
far and wide, yet he people during Partition @mohitgu-
remained attached jral @NareshGujral," he said.
to his roots. Union minister Harsimrat Kaur
"Saddened by Badal and SAD leader Sukhbir
his demise. Om Singh Badal also expressed their
Shanti," the condolences.
Prime Minister “Saddened to learn about the
added. demise of legendary painter, writer,
Gujral's famil- sculptor & architect Satish Gujral
iar works include ji. His contribution to the creative
the alphabet field shall always be cherished. My
mural on the out- thoughts and prayers are with the
side wall of the bereaved family, friends & admir-
Delhi high court.
He also designed
ers. May his soul rest in peace!
#RIP," the union minister tweeted.
the Belgian
Embassy in Delhi.
“Deepest condolences on the sad
demise of acclaimed artist, archi-
He received his
training in art
tect, sculptor, writer & Padma
Vibhushan recipient Satish Gujral
first at Lahore's ji. Passing away of Satish ji will
Mayo School of leave a deep void in the world of art.
Art and then at May his noble soul rest in peace!”
the Sir J.J. Sukhbir Badal said on the micro-
School of Art in blogging site. — PTI
face lie-detection
unsold inventory of BS IV would be permitted to be AGE CORRESPONDENT
vehicles by relaxing its sold and registered across NEW DELHI, MARCH 27
October 24, 2018 order. the country.
The court relaxed its The court by its said Fresh trouble seems to be
October 24, 2018, order on order had said, “No motor brewing for Rana Kapoor
a plea by the Federation of vehicles conforming to the as the Central agencies —
Automobiles Dealers emission standards CBI and the Enforcement
Association seeking exten- Bharat Stage IV shall be Directorate (ED) — are
sion of April 1, 2020, dead- sold or registered from preparing to conduct “lie-
line in the wake of ongo- April 1, 2020.” It was con- detection” on the co-
ing three weeks lockdown. tended that 15,000 passen- founder of Yes Bank as Rana Kapoor
The court had on October ger cars, 12,000 commer- part of their investiga-
24, 2018, ordered that from cial vehicles, seven lakh 2- tion into multiple cases the person concerned.
April 1, 2020, only Euro VI wheelers were at stake due against him. After that the agencies
fuel complaint vehicles to BS IV deadline. Sources said, “Kapoor is will have to seek permis-
not cooperating with the sion from the competent
investigation. He has not court for conducting this
yet provided the required
information regarding
the laundering of pro-
scientific test, they added.
The ED recently filed a
case of money-laundering
ceeds of crime and other
crucial details pertaining
against Rana Kapoor, his
wife Bindu Kapoor and
to several cases against
him and his family mem-
bers to the sleuths of the
promoter of Avantha
Realty, Gautam Thapar.
The case is in connection
central agencies”. with the alleged suspi-
Investigators are explor- cious deal between
ing the possibility of con- Avantha Realty and
ducting lie-detection test Kapoor and wife through
A farmer on him, they added. Bliss Abode. Bindu Rana
drains rain- “Investigators want to Kapoor is one of the direc-
water from trace the end use of the tors of Bliss Abode. The
his flooded huge amount (in several CBI had also on March 13
wheat field crores), which appear to registered a fresh case
have been laundered by against Kapoor, Gautam
on the out-
the accused”, sources Thapar, Bindu Rana and
skirts of said. The investigation unknown others for the
Amritsar agencies will first seek same deal. The case by
after heavy his consent as legal provi- CBI was registered under
rainfall on
sions entail that such a sections 120 B and 420 of
Friday. test cannot be conducted IPC and Section 7, 11 and
— PTI without the permission of 12 of PC Act, 1988.
told this newspaper. market. They are selling at
Mr Sunderraj however highly inflated price of Rs
appeared worried about 150 per piece against the
possible Maoist plan to actual price of Rs 5.
disrupt efforts of local Hence, people have no
administrations to protect option but to use hankies
the tribals from virus and tissue papers as
infection. Maoists had ear- masks when they venture
lier this week ambushed a outside,” eminent tax con-
search party of security sultant of Raipur in
personnel in south Bastar Chhattisgarh, Ajey Dewta,
district of Sukma and told this newspaper.
killed 17 soldiers. Meanwhile, some enter-
The urban people in prising businessmen in
Chhattisgarh have also Raipur have started plac-
been seen making up with ing orders with the local
the acute shortage of med- tailors to make designer
ical masks by using hand- masks to attract cus-
kerchiefs and tissue tomers, particularly the
papers to cover their women, leading masks to
mouth and noses. appear in various hues
“There is acute shortage and shapes such as stars
of medical masks in the and ribbons. Tribal people wearing masks made of leaves.
 EDIT
THE ASIAN AGE | SATURDAY | 28 MARCH 2020 | NEW DELHI
pg 6

28 MARCH 2020

Stimulus package may Subhani

fail to mitigate distress
I
n a joint effort to mitigate financial stress expected to be caused by the
deadly Covid-19, the Central government and the Reserve Bank of India
(RBI) have announced a stimulus package worth `5,40,000 crores. In addi-
tion to this, the RBI has declared a three-month moratorium on term loan
repayment and the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India
(IRDAI) has announced a grace period of one more month (in addition to the
existing 30-day exemption). The monetary value of both the moves in terms of
deferring people’s expenditure is huge and may run into several lakh crores.
While these two steps could protect a common man from the cascading effects
of a default, they miserably fall short of expectations if the money earning
avenues dry up for a family.
The government announcements appear to have been designed for a sce-
nario where a family has money — either through truncated salary or per-

Fear, panic not the best

sonal savings — to take care of the food bill but not for paying loan instal-
ments. But officials at the finance ministry seem to have forgotten that many
people in the upper-middle class too, leave alone other weaker sections, have
LETTERS
hand-to-mouth existence. If such people don’t get even a truncated salary, they
won't be able to bring food to their table. While the RBI has eased liquidity for NOT COVID-PROOF
banks and is encouraging them to lend money to companies for working cap-

way to fight a pandemic

ital to pay salaries in troubled times, the actual transmission of the intent on
ground is doubtful. The companies may
Three months have
borrow money through the working capi- passed since the deadly
The government tal window and not pay salaries to employ- coronavirus wrecked
announcements appear ees, mess.
placing them in a deeper financial
havoc across the world,
to have been designed The situation of unorganised labour or consuming more than
for a scenario where a the employees of micro and small scale The medical frater- through medication and
24,000 lives. Studies say
family has money — industries, devoid of any social security critical care.
nity feels less
either through truncated net, would be pathetic. The measures
announced by finance minister Nirmala
Parsa confident when it is
There is a sense of help-
lessness among doctors
that hydroxchloroquine
salary or personal sav- Sitharaman on Thursday are grossly inad-
ings — to take care of equate and would not help anybody in
Venkateshwar not armed with a and researchers right
can stop coronavirus.
Equally, the antiviral drug,
tested vaccine or now that they have no
the food bill but not for case of a prolonged lockdown. The Rao Jr medicine to fight known medication to
counter Covid-19 success-
Remdesivir, first devel-
paying loan instalments Narendra Modi government has
announced free supply of cereals, pulses Covid-19. But clini- fully, and it is this that is oped to treat Ebola, has
and LPG cylinders to ensure the food secu- cal data about the spreading the air of worked against the dis-

T
rity of poor. Given the loopholes in the he lockdowns
public distribution system, one cannot guarantee its smooth implementation. in Italy, Spain,
Of the `1.7 lakh crores stimulus package, a significant amount — according to France, Brit-
an estimate `60,000 crores — is spent for transferring `2,000 in advance for ain, the United
each farmer under the existing PM Kisan Yojna (PMKY) scheme. Minus this States and of
scheme, the size of the bailout package aimed at supporting the poor and lower course India in the wake
middle class shrinks to `1.1 lakh crore. of the coronavirus (or
The government has also proposed to transfer 24 per cent of wages to PF Covid-19) outbreak is a
accounts of people drawing a monthly salary of below `15,000. It proposed to
necessary response, but
transfer between `500 and `1,000 to women, senior citizens and differently- it hides the fact that gov-
abled people. Success, however, depends on the efficient functioning of vari- ernments and people the
ous stakeholders. An ideal and simple way, however, could have been the world over are running
transfer of cash — may be `10,000 per month — to the bank accounts of 27.5 scared of the virus. It is
crore LPG users (which cover 96 per cent of population), entailing a total the not the best way of
expenditure of `2.75 lakh crores. On the supply side, an efficient door delivery grappling with the pan-
system for essential commodities would prevent jacking up of prices. demic. The exponential
infection rates which
caused the panic, and
After Omar, free Mufti swiftly rightly so, will be flat-
tened out in the new few
weeks and months, but
near-unanimity of the
view that viruses are not
to be classed with living
matter as they cannot
replicate themselves.
There is no getting the
world of the viruses. We
must learn to deal with
them, and thankfully
there are just over a
dozen viruses from
among millions of them
which threaten the life
and well-being of humans
and which need to be
combated through vac-
cines and retroviral med-
ications. So, the reality is
that the medical fraterni-
ty can combat Covid-19
through the discovery of
100,000 or so who
have recovered...
must provide clues...
points, it can be readily
inferred that all those
who are infected would
not require hospital care,
though they would need
to be quarantined wher-
ever they are, including
the home, and that all of
them would not end up in
an intensive care unit
and they would not
require ventilators.
Many of those who have
died are not merely the
aged, but they were suf-
fering from other serious
gloom and doom. The
ease. Now we are waiting
medical fraternity feels
less confident when it is for a vaccine to make us
not armed with a tested
vaccine or medicine to
Covid-19-proof.
fight Covid-19. But clini- R. Sivakumar
cal data about the 100,000 Chennai
or so people who have
recovered from the infec-
WELL DONE, RBI
tion, as well as the infor-
mation connected with
the 30,000 or so who died I WELCOME the Reserve Bank of
because of it, must pro- India action to minimise the
vide enough clues to the economic impact of Covid-19 by
doctors of dealing with it, allowing banks to introduce a
and telling people that moratorium on payment of
Covid-19 does not mean a instalment on term loans for three
death sentence. The new months. These include home and
viral strain is dangerous
and can wreak havoc on
the health of large popu-
auto loans but not credit card dues.
Bhagwan Thadani
Mumbai

T
he release earlier this week of former J&K chief minister and National we have not seen the last
Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah from nearly eight months of Covid-19 yet. It is likely
in detention, just 10 days after his father Farooq Abdullah, also a for-
mer CM and NC chief, was set free on March 13, is likely to release some
to return next winter. All
governments and the
international pressure on the Narendra Modi government on the Kashmir medical fraternity,
issue. This should help India free its arm somewhat in tackling Pakistan. including doctors and
Regardless of that, however, the release of key Kashmiri political figures researchers, hope that
from imprisonment on trumped-up charges is a public good in its own right. they would be armed by
It is noteworthy that upon their release, the Abdullahs have sought to press then with some form of
the Centre to immediately set free Mehbooba Mufti, the PDP leader who too vaccine or other medica-
is a former CM, besides all political prisoners. tion. The greatest fear
The NC and PDP have been bitter regional rivals and yet NC leaders have haunting governments is
said they will address political matters only after they have had a chance to that if too many people
confer with Ms Mufti. This is a new kind of development for Kashmir. are infected with Covid-
If some accommodation is reached between NC and PDP, the quisling Apni 19, the public and private
Party of tier-two defectors — got together by the government recently with health systems cannot
the avowed aim of inaugurating a new era of politics in J&K — could turn
out a stymied enterprise. In such a scenario, the message whispered around
cope with it, and the
health infrastructure
that the NC has done a “deal” with the Centre is likely to get scotched. will crash. It is to stop the
Just a day before their arrest in August 2019, the leaders of Kashmir’s people’s run on the
mainstream parties, including Ms Mufti, had met at Dr Abdullah’s house to healthcare system that
pass the so-called “Gupkar Declaration”, that aimed to uphold Kashmir’s governments are anxious
“identity” and “autonomy”. How feasible that goal is in today’s situation and eager to prevent the
will become clear when the freed politicians get into their stride. In his long infection spreading so
public life, Dr Abdullah has never refused conversation with the Centre. It that people do not get it,
is the terms of engagement that will be watched. do not develop the symp-
toms and fever, and they
would not require hospi-
THE ASIAN AGE tal care. Even if a fraction
of those testing positive
T. VENKATRAM REDDY for Covid-19 were to fall
Printer & Publisher: T. VENKATESWARLU
Editor in Chief
critically ill, the entire
hospital system would
THE ASIAN AGE offices are located at:
break down.
New Delhi: Jawaharlal Nehru National Youth Centre, 219 Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg,
New Delhi-110002. Phone: (011) 23211124. Microbiologists and
Mumbai: Sigma House, # 43, Ground Floor, R. A. Kidwai Marg, Near Wadala Rly Station, Wadala (West), Mumbai -
virologists know only too
400 031 Phone (022) 24195301 Fax (022) 24195347
Kolkata: 4th Floor, Chowdhury Building, 8/1A Little Russel Street, Kolkata 700 071. well that viruses are an
Phone: (033) 2289 0676/77 Fax (033) 2289 0686 inherent part of the pro-
Registered as a newspaper at the Post Office in the United Kingdom tein chain, though there
Air surcharge for Kathmandu and J&K `1
is the definitional dis-
Published and Printed on behalf of and for
◗ Deccan Chronicle Holdings Limited, Jawaharlal Nehru National Youth Centre, 219 Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg, agreement whether
New Delhi 110 002 at BFL Infotech Ltd., C-9, Sector-III, Noida -201301. ◗ Mumbai: Dangat Media Pvt Ltd, Plot No viruses are anterior to
22, Digha MIDC, TTC Industrial Estate Area, Vishnu Nagar, Digha, Navi Mumbai-400708. ◗ Kolkata: Satyajug
Employees Cooperative Industrial Society Ltd, 13/A, Prafulla Sarkar Street, Kolkata 700 072. ◗ London: Quickmarsh
the emergence of early
cellular life or they came
Ltd, 8th Floor, Block 2, Elizabeth House, 39 York Road, London, SE1 7NQ. RNI Registration number: 57290/94
after. There is, however,
Postal registration numbers: DL(S)-05/4189/15-17
a vaccine which may
need to be updated regu-
larly as in the case of the
flu vaccine.
At the moment, howev-
er, the justified panic
response of the govern-
ments through wide-
spread lockdowns has
sent out a message to the
people that Covid-19 is
fatal, and if they are
Covid-19 positive, and if
they develop the pneu-
monic fever which is its
signature, then they will
die. It is an exaggerated
fear and the statistics
prove that it is not so. In
the more than 400,000
people who have been
infected with it, nearly
100,000 have recovered
and around 30,000 people
have died. Without
resorting to arguments
about percentages of
mortality rates to score
statistical brownie
The new viral strain
is dangerous and
can wreak havoc
on the health of
large populations,
which is unaccept-
able. But what is
needed is a field
strategy of dealing
with it through
what is at hand.
ailments, which have
now been classified as co-
morbid conditions. There
is then a need to under-
stand that Covid-19 is a
viral fever, which can
turn fatal, but it need not.
The fear of governments
and that of the public
health system managers
is that they would not be
able to cope with it if too
many people need to be
admitted to hospitals and
if a large number of them
were to require critical
care should not be the
sole factor in describing
the pandemic. And they
want to put the fear of the
pandemic in the hearts of
people, which is not a bad
thing when there is no
ready medical remedy,
but it should not push
people into mental mor-
bidity, which is counter-
productive. But the
desire to control the con-
tagion by emphasising
the dangers should not
push people to the brink
of panic and breakdown.
There is also the need to
cut through the myth of
general perceptions that
young people are
immune to it, and that
the old have no defences
against it. The young
could catch the viral
fever and the old could
manage to either escape
the fever and they
may survive the fever
lations, which is unac-
ceptable. But what is
needed is a field strategy
of dealing with it through
what is at hand by way of
medication and other
precautions. Lockdown
is a partial response, and
the doctors as well as
medical researchers are
fully aware of this truth.
They are looking for
breathing time for them
to sequence the Covid-19
genome and create the
antidote to successfully
battle the pathogen.
Lockdown is a way of
buying time. It does not
eliminate the threat
posed by Covid-19.
The epidemiology of
Covid-19 need not be
restricted to the figures
of those who tested posi-
tive, who passed through
the phases of infection
and survived, and also
those who did not. What
we need is also the other
aspect of the pandemic —
the people who survived
the symptoms and what
was the available medica-
tion that saw them
through it. The co-mor-
bidity conditions have to
be a necessary part of
the Covid-19 mortality
profile.
The writer is a Delhi-
based commentator
and analyst
WORSE PLIGHT
THE CENTRE has come out with
plans to provide financial aid and
free rations to millions, but how far it
will be fairly distributed to genuine
beneficiaries is anybody’s guess.
Even the announcement to distrib-
ute grain to needy is confusing.
Without a transparent system in
place, it will add to the people’s woes.
M. Jeevanand
via e-mail
TEST INDIANS
THE TOTAL NUMBER of
coronavirus deaths rose to 19 in India
with 780 active cases as on Friday but
encouragingly there has been little
community transmission. Following
in the footsteps of South Korea and
Germany, India should increase
testing on a war footing to isolate the
critical population.
S.S. Paul
Chakdaha, West Bengal
BOLD MOVE
IT IS HIGHLY commendable that
finance minister Nirmala
Sitharaman has announced a relief
package worth `1.70 lakh crore.
Thousands who have lost their jobs
due to the lockdown are in dire need
of such assistance. It’s a bold move.
M.N. Qasmi
via email
letters.asianage@gmail.com.

A
few months ago, it would
have been impossible to
imagine the world so still.
Planes flew across the
skies, men and women rose in the
mornings and set out to work, chil-
Rafia Zakaria dren went to school and the world
hummed along. All of that is fast
becoming the jurisdiction of mem-
ory now. Human contact, any-
where and everywhere in the
world, now carries the burden of
contagion. Invisible enemies are
the worst, blurring as they do the
lines between truth and paranoia.
Harari’s words are thought-pro-
voking and to some extent hearten-
ing. It feels good to consider the
future, beyond the question of the
sickened and the dead. That future,
the long-term future brought close
by transformations and decisions
that are taking place now, will
sound different, look different and
feel different.
Take, for instance, the question of
work: of where it is done and how it
is done; how co-workers communi-
cate, and how they are managed.
As one business owner in
There will be positive conse-
quences from this as energy will be
saved when offices shut down.
Instead, businesses will have to
invest in ensuring that workers
have access to adequate housing
and communication facilities.
Women, who often face hostile
and adverse work environments,
could well have an edge in such a
new world. Motherhood and sex-
ism, both of which tend to take
women out of the workforce, might
have less of an impact on the work
lives of women.
all the women saddled with this
thankless job now have to work
constantly. And that is the most
positive scenario; as happens often
during public holidays, more
women are likely to face violence
when their abusers (usually
the men of the family) are con-
stantly at home.
Those who live alone but rely on
visits and interaction with friends
and family members are also fac-
ing a long period of adjustment. To
preserve life, these interactions
must be sacrificed at least in the
physical proximity.
For whom the requirement of
physical presence has been oner-
ous, halted and stymied by borders
and passports, this may just be the
breakthrough they need. If an
accountant works from home, it
does not matter whether that
accountant is in Tibet or New York
or Karachi. The already borderless
virtual world will become even
more important.
The coming days will be challeng-
ing. For humankind, there is noth-
ing less macabre and unsettling

Watch the birth Who has it and who can give it and
who will get it are the subtext of
every exchange.
of a brave new
In the midst of darkness, it is dif-
ficult to imagine light or a future.
The future that will be will not
resemble the past we have known.
Philadelphia wondered, why
should I keep paying the exorbitant
rent for my office space when all
my employees are successfully
working from home? For this to
happen, the world’s employers will
have to shift from a ‘presence’ to a
These are things that are immi-
nent, but it feels odd to consider the
worth of the world that is
coming upon us when the con-
straints of a confined globe press so
hard upon us.
The lockdown is forcing people to
short term, leaving relationships
transformed. The new isolation,
which produces depression and
even suicidal thoughts in some,
will be just as heavy to bear as the
virus and its associated risks of
death. Some will be able to make
than an invisible enemy whose
contagion spreads in mysterious
ways. The normal, already inter-
rupted, will be reborn as some-
thing different and for those of us
who will remember what had been
before, it might be particularly dif-

world amid Author of Sapiens, Yuval Noah

Harari, puts it well in a recent
essay. He writes, “Many short-term
emergency measures will become a
Covid-19 churn fixture of life. That is the nature of
emergencies. They fast-forward
historical processes. Decisions that
in normal times could take years of
deliberation are passed in a matter
of hours. Immature and even dan-
gerous technologies are pressed
into service, because the risks of
doing nothing are bigger.”
‘productivity’ model. The old style
where you got paid largely on the
basis of showing up on time and
where productivity was a sec-
ondary consideration will likely
die along with physical office
spaces.
The capacity being built to work
remotely using virtual networks
will make physical offices relics
from a time long gone and the idea
of having to commute to work will
be rendered similarly archaic.
coexist in small spaces. Families
with multi-generational house-
holds are likely to spread the virus
among themselves if one falls sick.
Even more likely is the tension in
households where the men have
emptied out in the mornings by
going off to work, giving women
some respite from their usually
demanding presence.
Too many Pakistani men expect
wives and mothers and sisters to
wait upon them hand and foot and
adjustments, others will find their
lives shortened by the new and
shrunken world.
The hope to see a future awaiting
us after Covid-19 is essential. Crises
such as these invoke terror and
panic and survivalist behaviour.
They also provoke writers, artists,
engineers and business leaders to
innovate, create new ways of being,
and transform the use of old tools to
transcend the constraints
imposed by a near moratorium on
ficult. We will remember the days
when fear was not the ingredient of
every embrace and handshake, the
days when people collected togeth-
er to work, talked and chatted and
laughed (and even sneezed and
coughed) on a regular basis. As we
mourn that lost world, let us also
begin to envision the transformed
world of the future. That world is
being born before our eyes.
By arrangement with Dawn
 WORLD
THE ASIAN AGE | SATURDAY | 28 MARCH 2020 | NEW DELHI
IN
Iran virus toll
rises to 2,378
BRIEF
Tehran: Iran on Friday
announced 144 new deaths
from the novel coronavirus,
bringing the official number
of fatalities to 2,378 in one of
the world's worst-hit coun-
tries. “In the past 24 hours,
we've had 2,926 new con-
firmed cases of Covid-19
infections across the coun-
try,” health ministry
spokesman Kianoush Jah-
anpour said in a televised
news conference. “This
brings the overall confirmed
cases to at least 32,332,” he
added, noting that 11,133 of
those hospitalised so far
have recovered.
S’pore may jail
who stand close
Singapore: Singaporeans
could be jailed for up to six
months if they intentionally
stand close to someone else,
under tough new rules
announced Friday to halt the
spread of the coronavirus.
The city-state has intro-
duced a series of new meas-
ures to tackle the virus,
including closing bars and
cinemas as well as banning
large events. One step aimed
at ensuring “social-distanc-
ing” — a key approach being
used worldwide to halt the
spread of the contagious
disease — is a ban on indi-
viduals standing less than
one metre (three feet) apart
in certain settings.
Venezuela reports
1st virus death
Caracas: Venezuela reported
its first coronavirus death on
Thursday after a 47-year-old
man with a pre-existing lung
disease died, the govern-
ment said. The man from the
northern Aragua state had
previously suffered from an
“occupational disease in the
lungs,” Vice-President Delcy
Rodriguez said in a televi-
sion address. The patient
had been admitted to a pri-
vate clinic suffering from pn-
eumonia and three days later
tested positive for Covid-19,
Rodriguez said. The South
American country has now
reported 107 virus cases.
Flights sent to
rescue tourists
Kathmandu: Foreign govern-
ments on Friday stepped up
operations to evacuate tens
of thousands of tourists
stranded by the coronavirus
pandemic in remote locations
across South Asia from Ev-
erest base camp to beach
hotels in Sri Lanka. A plane
chartered by Berlin took 304
people out of Kathmandu in
the first of a series of flights
aiming to ferry more than
10,000 people from Nepal.
Almost 17,000 tourists are
stuck in Sri Lanka while tens
of thousands of travellers and
expatriates are in India,
according to authorities in
the two countries. All have
cut or virtually halted interna-
tional flights over the past
week in a bid to halt the
coronavirus spread. The plane
that left Kathmandu was car-
rying Germans and other Eur-
opean nationals, Rajan Po-
khrel, director general of
Nepal’s Civil Aviation
Authority.
UN CONDEMNS
‘HEINOUS’
TERROR ATTACK
United Nations: The UN
Security Council has con-
demned the “heinous and
cowardly” terrorist attack on
a gurdwara in Kabul that
killed 25 people, underlining
the need to hold the perpe-
trators and sponsors of these
“reprehensible” acts to jus-
tice. The over two dozen
worshippers were killed and
eight others injured when a
heavily armed suicide
bomber stormed a gurdwara
on Wednesday in the heart
of Afghanistan’s capital of
Kabul, in one of the deadliest
attacks on the minority Sikh
community in the strife-torn
country. In a statement
issued on Thursday, the 15-
nation Council said it “con-
demned in the strongest
terms the heinous and cow-
ardly terrorist attack” that
took place in Shor Bazar
area. The Islamic State (IS),
which has targeted Sikhs
before in Afghanistan,
claimed responsibility for the
attack. Expressing their
deepest sympathy and con-
dolences to the families of
the victims and to the gov-
ernment of Afghanistan, the
Council members reaffirmed
that terrorism in all its forms
and manifestations consti-
tutes one of the most serious
threats to international
peace and security. — PTI
US tops world, Italy logs 1K deaths
USA has recorded 1,178 deaths and more than 83,000 people have tested positive for virus
Washington, March 27,
The United States on
Thursday took the grim
title of the country with
the most coronavirus
infections and reported a
record surge in unemploy-
ment as world leaders
vowed $5 trillion to stave
off global economic col-
lapse.
More than 500,000 people
around the world have now
contracted the new coron-
avirus, overwhelming
healthcare systems even in
wealthy nations and trig-
gering an avalanche of
government-ordered lock-
downs that have disrupted
life for billions.
Italy recorded a shocking
spike in coronavirus
deaths Friday with 969 new
victims, the worst daily
record for any country
since the pandemic began.
The infection rate howev-
er continued its downward
trend, with the civil protec-
tion agency reporting
nearly 86,500 confirmed
cases in Italy -- a 7.4 per-
cent increase, down from
around 8.0 percent in pre-
vious days.
In the United States,
more than 83,000 people
have tested positive for
Covid-19, edging out Italy,
which has reported the
most deaths, and China,
where the virus was first
detected in December in
the metropolis of Wuhan.
The US has recorded
1,178 deaths, while the
global death toll stood at
25,262. “We are waging war
on this virus using every
financial, scientific, med-
ical, pharmaceutical and
military resource, to halt
its spread and protect our
citizens,” US President
Donald Trump said.
With about 40 percent of
Americans under lock-
down orders, Trump urged
citizens to do their part by
practicing social distanc-
ing: “Stay home. Just
relax, stay home.” With
fears mounting of a global
recession if not depres-
sion, leaders from the
Group of 20 major
economies held crisis talks
by video link Thursday,
pledging a “united front”
to fight the outbreak —
along with an enormous
financial injection.
“The virus respects no
borders,” the leaders said
in a statement.
“We are injecting over $5
trillion into the global
economy, as part of target-
ed fiscal policy, economic
measures, and guarantee
schemes to counteract the
social, economic and finan-
cial impacts of the pan-
demic.” They also pledged
“robust” support for devel-
oping nations, where coro-
UK PM Boris tests +ve for virus Pak opens border
Madrid, March 27 : Bri-
tish Prime Minister Boris
Johnson became the first
major world leader to test
positive for the coron-
avirus on Friday as Spain
saw a record number of
deaths from the pandemic
that is threatening mil-
lions around the world.
In a grim milestone, the
United States overtook
China as the country with
the most coronavirus
cases, while seeing an
unprecedented amount of
newly unemployed amid
fears of a global economic
meltdown.
And Africa’s economic
powerhouse South Africa
on Friday became the lat-
est nation on the continent
to start life under lock-
down as it reported its
first Covid-19 deaths.
Johnson, whose country
has seen more than 11,600
declared coronavirus
RIGHT TO | WORSHIP
Brazil lists churches as ‘essential service’
Braslia, March 27: Br-
azilian President Jair
Bolsonaro decreed Thu-
rsday that places of wor-
ship are “essential servic-
es” that must be exempted
from coronavirus confine-
ment orders, the far-right
leader’s latest jab at
aggressive containment
measures. The decree, pu-
blished in the government
diary, adds “religious
activities of any kind” to
the list of exempted serv-
ices, alongside super-
markets and pharmacies.
It adds that such activi-
ties must be carried out
“in accordance with
health ministry guide-
General view of Park Avenue after it was announced that some streets will be shut as lockdown continues in response to the coronavirus outbreak on Friday in New York City.
● WITH ABOUT 40 per-
cent of Americans under
lockdown orders, Trump
urged citizens to do
their part by practicing
social distancing: “Stay
home. Just relax, stay
home.”
navirus could next take
hold after ravaging China
and then Europe.
But the unity pledged by
the G20 has been in short
supply, with China and the
United States trading
barbs over their handling
of the coronavirus crisis.
And Italy as well as
Spain, which has the sec-
ond-highest death toll,
objected to a draft econom-
ic plan by the European
Union which they saw as
too weak.
Italian Prime Minister
Giuseppe Conte wants a
“strong and sufficient”
financial response that
deploys “innovative finan-
cial instruments truly
adapted to a war,” his
office said.
— AFP
● BRITAIN’S HEALTH
Secretary Matt Hancock
on Friday said he had test-
ed positive for Covid-19,
after Prime Minister Boris
Johnson.
● IN A TWEET, Hancock
said, Following medical
advice, I was advised to
test for coronavirus. I‘ve
tested positive.
cases and 578 deaths, said
he had developed mild
symptoms over the previ-
ous 24 hours and was self-
isolating after testing posi-
tive.
Spain reported that its
death toll had hit 4,858
after 769 people died in 24
hours, a record one-day
figure for fatalities and far
higher than in Italy, which
counted 662 deaths in its
last daily update on
Thursday night. Although
Most places have suspended services, often broadcasting prayers online
Brazilian soldiers disinfect a train carriage in Central
Station as a measure against the spread of the coron-
avirus, in Rio de Janeiro.
lines.” Bolsonaro, who was
elected in 2018 with the
backing of Brazil’s bur-
US, China to fight together: Trump
SRIDHAR
KUMARASWAMI
NEW DELHI, MARCH 27
Just days after he termed
the coronavirus as a
“Chinese virus”, leading
to a furious response from
Beijing, a much-chastened
United States President
Donald Trump on Friday
said he had “a very good
conversation” with
Chinese President Xi
Jinping and praised
China, adding that both
countries were “working
together” amid “much
respect”.
This was just hours after
a G-20 “Extraordinary
Virtual Summit” in which
leaders did not discuss the
origins of the virus nor
China’s initial handling of
the crisis when the pan-
demic first broke out in
Wuhan.
The US is reeling under
the coronavirus pandemic
and there are fears it may
become the new epicentre
the figures showed a daily
increase of nearly 8,000
new infections, the uptick
comes as Spain moves to
dramatically increase its
rate of testing, ordering
millions of new kits from
around the world. Despite
the increase, the rate of
new infections appears to
be slowing, registering a
14 percent increase com-
pared with 18 percent.
Europe has suffered the
brunt of the coronavirus
crisis in recent weeks,
with millions across the
continent on lockdown
and the streets of Paris,
Rome and Madrid eerily
empty.
Prime Minister Edouard
Philippe warned that
France — reeling from the
deaths of more than 1,600
people including a 16-year-
old girl — was facing diffi-
cult days ahead.
“We find ourselves in a
— AFP
geoning evangelical
Christian community, has
clashed with local authori-
of the dreaded virus.
“Just finished a very
good conversation with
President Xi of China.
Discussed in great detail
the Coronavirus that is
ravaging large parts of
our Planet. China has
been through much and
has developed a strong
understanding of the
Virus. We are working
closely together. Much
respect!” US President
Trump tweeted.
China had
Wednesday lashed out at
on
its critics and said it had
“neither created the (coro-
na)virus nor intentionally
transmitted it”, adding
that the “so-called (term)
‘Chinese virus’ is
absolutely wrong”.
Beijing had also claimed
“there is no evidence that
China is the source of the
virus that caused the
Covid-19 (Coronavirus)
although Wuhan city in
China first reported the
virus outbreak”.
crisis that will last, in a
health situation that will
not improve any time
soon,” Philippe said. But
focus is turning from Eur-
ope to the United States,
where the number of
known infections reached
almost 86,000 on Friday,
higher than both China
and hard-hit Italy.
Prime Minister
Narendra Modi swiftly
sent a “get well” message
to his British counterpart
on Twitter, hailing him as
a “fighter” and expressing
confidence he would
“overcome this challenge
as well”.
PM
Mr Modi tweeted, “Dear
@BorisJohnson
You’re a fighter and you
will overcome this chal-
lenge as well. Prayers for
your good health and best
wishes in ensuring a
healthy UK.”
— Agencies
ties who have closed
schools and businesses in
places such as Sao Paulo
and Rio de Janeiro in a bid
to contain the spread of
the new coronavirus.
The president, who has
called the reaction to the
pandemic “overblown,”
says such measures are
unnecessary and will
wreck Latin America’s
biggest economy.
Most places of worship
in Brazil have already sus-
pended services because of
the outbreak, often broad-
casting them online
instead.
However, some promi-
nent religious leaders have
On the G-20 Summit on
Thursday that was held
through video-conferenc-
ing, sources had earlier
said that discussions
between leaders were in a
“collaborative spirit” and
that “there were no dis-
cussions on the origin of
the crisis”.
Sources had also said the
focus was on “how to miti-
gate the crisis” and that it
was the “best illustration
of global cooperation”.
It may be recalled that
angered over United
States President Donald
Trump’s initial use of the
term “Chinese virus”,
Chinese foreign minister
Wang Yi had spoken to
Indian external affairs
minister S. Jaishankar
ahead of the G-20 Summit
to drum up support
and had conveyed
saying that China should
“not be stigmatised” and
that India should
“oppose such a narrow
mindset”.
with China for aid
Islamabad, March 27:
Pakistan on Friday
opened its borders with
all-weather ally China for
a day to accept Chinese
medical supplies to fight
the coronavirus outbreak
which has infected nearly
1,300 people and killed
nine others, officials said.
China on Thursday
asked Pakistan to open
the border between the
two countries for one day
on Friday so that medical
supplies to fight coron-
avirus pandemic could be
transported into the
country. The number of
coronavirus patients in
Pakistan has reached to
1,286, according to the lat-
est data.
There were 440 patients
in Sindh, 419 in Punjab,
131 in Balochistan, 176 in
refused. Asked if the coro-
navirus in Brazil could
reach the same level of
infection as in the United
States, Bolsonaro said he
didn't “believe it will reach
that point.”Brazilians, he
said, “don’t catch any-
thing. You see a guy jump-
ing over sewer water
there, he goes out, he falls
in... and nothing happens
to him.” “Moreover I
believe that many people
are already infected (with
the coronavirus) in Brazil,
weeks or months ago —
they already have antibod-
ies that help it to not pro-
liferate,” Bolsonaro said,
speaking to reporters out-
UN YET TO
DISCUSS VIRUS
CRISIS WITH CHINA
United Nations, March 27:
The UN Security Council,
under the presidency of
China this month, has not
yet scheduled any meet-
ing to discuss the rapidly-
escalating coronavirus
crisis even as the number
of Covid-19 cases across
the world crossed 530,000
and over 24,000 people
have died due to the dis-
ease.
The number of Covid-19
cases across the globe has
skyrocketed to 531,860 and
a total of 24,057 people
have died so far. At 85,653,
the US now has the high-
est number of confirmed
coronavirus cases in the
world, surpassing China
and Italy.
— PTI
K hy b e r- Pa k h t u n k h w a
(KP), 91 in Gilgit-Balt-
istan, 27 in Islamabad and
2 in Pakistan-occupied
Kashmir. So far, nine
patients have died, 23
recovered and 7 others
are in critical condition.
A Pakistan Tehreek-e-
Insaf party lawmaker of
the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Assembly from Mardan
was tested positive for
coronavirus on Friday. “I
am not saddened by my
diagnosis; my conscience
did not allow me to look
the other way while oth-
ers were suffering. God
willing, I will recover
soon and continue to
work for the people of my
constituency,” Member of
Provincial Assembly Ab-
dul Salam Afridi said in a
video message. — PTI
side the presidential resi-
dence in Brasilia.
Last week, the influen-
tial evangelical pastor Si-
las Malafaia, a Bolsonaro
ally, called confinement
measures “a tactic by
Satan.” “My friends, do
not worry about coron-
avirus. It is just another
tactic by Satan. Satan
works with fear,” he said.
Malafaia changed course
Friday and suspended his
churches’ services. But he
insisted that was because
of official restrictions on
public transportation, and
said the doors would rem-
ain open for worshippers.
— AFP
pg 7
— AFP
HUNGARY
ORDERS TWO
WEEK LOCKDOWN
Budapest, March 27:
Hungarian Prime Min-
ister Viktor Orban on
Friday ordered a nation-
wide lockdown for two
weeks to fight the spread
of the new coronavirus.
“We are introducing cur-
few restrictions through-
out Hungary between
March 28 and April 11,”
he told public radio. “For
two weeks we can all lea-
ve our homes or places of
residence only for work
or for managing basic
needs.” Exemptions inc-
lude trips to shops and
pharmacies for necessi-
ties, with infringements
liable to police fines of
up to 500,000 forints.
Shops will be open
exclusively for those
aged over 65 between 9
am and 12 noon to “sepa-
rate youth from elderly
in a bearable way,” said
Orban. The move is the
latest in a series of gov-
ernment decrees includ-
ing school closures intro-
duced after a state of
emergency was anno-
unced March 11.
Hungary closed its bor-
ders to non-nationals fro-
m March 17, which led to
chaos for travellers and
freight hauliers at border
crossings and Budapest
airport. Parliament is set
to grant Orban sweeping
powers of decree until
the government declares
an end to the state of
emergency. — AFP
VETERAN ACTOR
MARK BLUM DIES
OF CORONAVIRUS
Los Angeles, March 27:
Actor Mark Blum, best
known for featuring in
movies such as “Des-
perately Seeking Susan”,
“Crocodile Dundee” and
Netflix series “You”, has
died of complications
from Covid-19. He was 69.
The news of his death
was shared by Rebecca
Damon, the executive
vice-president of Screen
Actors Guild - American
Federation of Television
and Radio Artists. “It is
with such deep sorrow
that I’m writing to share
the news that our friend
and former board mem-
ber Mark Blum has
passed away as a result of
complications from the
coronavirus”.
“Mark was a dedicated
Screen Actors Guild and
Sag-aftra board member
serving from 2007-2013,”
Damon tweeted. The
actor was most recently
seen in Lifetime and Net-
flix’s hit series “You”,
where he portrayed the
character of Mr. Mooney,
a bookstore owner and
former boss of Penn
Badgley’s Joe. — PTI
 SATURDAY | 28 MARCH 2020 | NEW DELHI
pg 8

■ Injects massive liquidity into system, facilitates credit flow, eases burden of borrowers Quotes
quick RBI brings cheers amidst gloom
BITES FALAKNAAZ SYED
MUMBAI, MARCH 27
SBI cuts lending, FIRING ON ALL CYLINDERS
as on March 1, 2020 without
any impact on the asset
classification downgrade

INDICATORS %
In an unprecedented move,
the Reserve Bank of India
(RBI) on Friday unleashed
deposit rates ● Repo rate slashed by 75 basis points to 4.4%
and an impact on borrow-
ers credit score. The move
provides huge relief to
Sensex 29,815.59 -0.44 ● Reverse repo rate cut sharply by 90 basis
war efforts to fight Covid- FC BANKING BUREAU home loan borrowers, car “Today RBI
points to 4%, making
Nifty 50 8,660.25 0.22 19 impact on the economy, MUMBAI, MARCH 27 loans, personal loans, cred-
bring in financial stability unattractive for banks to deposit funds it card borrowers, MSME
has taken
S&P 500* 2,544.36 -3.26
and restore business confi- State Bank of India on ● Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) decides and corporate borrowers. giant steps to
Dollar (`) 4.85 0.419 dence. The Monetary Friday reduced its lend- to continue with the accommodative stance as Banks are allowed to defer safeguard our
Pound Sterling (`) 91.45 -1.51 Policy Committee (MPC) of ing and deposit rates long as it is necessary payment of interest rate on economy from the
the RBI cut interest rate after the RBI cut the working capital loans for impact of the
Euro (`) 82.449 -0.01 sharply to a two-decade repo rate earlier in the ● Several measures taken to infuse liquidity of three months.
Gold (Oz)* ($) 1,653.70 -0.40 low, surpassing market day. India's largest bank about `3.74 lakh crore into the financial system In a video address, Coronavirus. The
expectations. cut interest rate by 75 Shaktikanta Das, governor, announcements
Brent crude ($/bbl)* 24.61 -6.57 ● RBI to undertake repo operation to infuse `1
In addition, the RBI also basis points on loans RBI, said the decision to will improve liq-
IN 10-Yr bond yield 6.144 -1.318 announced a series of linked to External Ben- lakh crore advance the MPC meeting uidity, reduce the
measures to address the chmark-linked lending has been warranted by the
US 10-Yr T-bill yield* 0.738 -8.663
stress in the financial con- rate (EBR) and Repo
● Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) cut sharply by one destructive force of the cost of funds, help
* As of 9:30 pm IST ditions caused by the pan- Linked Lending rate per cent to three per cent releasing `1.37 lakh coronavirus. "We are living middle class and
demic such as injecting (RLLR) from April 1. crore into the system through an extraordinary businesses”
sizeable liquidity in the The EBR reduced to ● RBI assures to work in mission mode, moni- and unprecedented situa-
Clearly a war effort has — Narendra Modi,
Govt raises financial system, ensuring
credit flow, relaxation in
7.05 per cent per annum
from 7.80 per cent while
toring the evolving financial market and
macroeconomic conditions
to be mounted and is
being mounted to com-
tion. Everything hinges on
the depth of the Covid-19 Prime Minister

`11,500 cr from
strategic sale
The government has raised Rs
11,500 crore through strategic
sale of its stake in two state-
owned power companies, THDC
and Neepco, to NTPC. With
this, the total disinvestment
proceeds in the current fiscal
stand at over Rs 46,500 crore.
The government has sold 74.49
per cent stake in THDC for Rs
7,500 crore and 100 per cent in
North Eastern Electric Power
Corp (Neepco) for Rs 4,000
crore.
Cognizant to
pay extra 25%
on base salary
repayment and debt servic-
ing pressures for individu-
als and corporate borrow-
ers and improving the
functioning and stability of
the financial markets.
Temporary compliance
relaxations were also
announced for the banking
sector.
The RBI announcement
came days ahead of the
MPC meeting that had to
be held on March 31 to
April 3.
The benchmark repo rate
(the rate at which banks
borrow short-term money
from the central bank) has
been cut by a whopping 75
basis points to 4.40 per cent
below the global financial
crisis level in 2009. The
cash reserve ratio (CRR)
was cut by 100 basis points
to 3 per cent. CRR is the
portion of banks deposits
that needs to be kept with
the RBI.
The cut in the repo rate
was accompanied by an
asymmetric slicing of the
reverse repo rate by 90 bps
to 4 per cent in an attempt
to dissuade banks from
parking money with it and
instead divert the money
the RLLR reduced to 6.65
per cent per annum from
7.40 per cent.
SBI said EMIs on home
loan accounts linked to
EBR or RLLR will get
cheaper by Rs 52 per Rs
1 lakh on a 30-year loan.
The lender has also
reduced interest rates on
retail and bulk deposits
by between 20 to 100
basis points across vari-
ous tenors.
towards the markets.
The measures are expect-
ed to bring down the lend-
ing rates for new and exist-
ing home, auto loan and
corporate borrowers.
In another significant
move to ease the impact of
the coronavirus outbreak
on the livelihood of mil-
lions of individuals follow-
ing the lockdown in the
country, the central bank
said that all commercial
banks, including housing
finance companies, have
been allowed to give a
moratorium of three
months on the monthly
instalments in respect of
all term loans outstanding
● All instruments — conventional and uncon- bat the virus, involving
ventional — on table to support financial sta- both conventional and
bility and revive growth unconventional meas-
ures in a continuously
● RBI assures that banking system in India battle-ready mode
safe; deposits safe in private bank; public
should not resort to panic withdrawal — SHAKTIKANTA DAS
RBI governor
● RBI says macroeconomic fundamental
stronger than that in aftermath of 2008 finan-
cial market crisis
FORECAST
● GDP growth rate of
● Last tranche of the capital conservation
five per cent for 2019-20
buffer (CCB) for banks deferred for 6 months
at risk from the impact
to September
of pandemic
● Global slowdown to
deepen with adverse
implication for India;
crude oil slump upside
for country
● Upside growth
impulses to emanate
from monetary, fiscal
measures and the early
containment of Covid-19
● Food prices to soften
on back of record food-
grain production
● Refrains from giving
out growth, inflation
outlook for coming fis-
cal on uncertain outlook
outbreak, its spread and its
duration. Clearly, a war
effort has to be mounted
and is being mounted to
combat the virus, involv-
ing both conventional and
unconventional measures
in continuous battle-ready
mode. Life in the time of
Covid-19 has been one of “Appreciate
unprecedented loss and
isolation. Yet, it is worth-
RBI Governor
Shaktikanta
while to remember that
Das' reassuring
tough times never last;
words on financial
only tough people and
tough institutions do," said stability. The 3-
Das. month moratorium
Liquidity to the tune of
Rs 3.74 lakh crore would be on payments of
term loan install-
made available in the bank-
ing system on account of ments (EMI) and
the measures announced interest on work-
with regard to targeted
long-term repo operations
(TLTRO), CRR cut,
ing capital give
much-desired
increased marginal stand-
ing facility (MSF) accom-
relief. The slashed
interest rate
modation, said the gover-
nor.
needs quick
All the six members of transmission”
the MPC voted to cut the — Nirmala
policy rate, however in
Sitharaman,
terms of quantum of the
rate cut, four members finance minister
voted for a 75 bps cuts
while two member sought
a 50 bps cut.

IT firm Cognizant said it will

give employees who are at
associate level and below in
India and the Philippines, an
additional payment of 25 per
cent of base pay for April, in
recognition of their extraordi-
nary continuity-of-service
efforts amid the Covid-19 out-
break. The move benefits over
1,30,000 Cognizant employees
in India. CEO Brian Humphries
said the extra payment will be
processed with their April pay.
News of branch
closure false:
DFS secretary
Denying reports of branch clo-
sure, financial services secre-
tary Debasish Panda said cus-
tomer service branches are
committed for necessary serv-
ices during the lockdown and
there is no shortage of cash.
The Department of Financial
Services asked people not to
believe rumours of the closure
of customer service bank
branches. "Customer service
bank branches...will continue to
provide services,” Panda said.
JICA, Centre
sign `15,295-cr
loan pacts
Japanese government funding
agency JICA has on Friday
signed agreements totalling Rs
Tata Motors looking for a partner?
Splits car business into a subsidiary
MICHAEL GONSALVES
PUNE, MARCH 27
Tata Motors, India's
biggest automaker on
Friday decided to convert
its passenger vehicle (PV)
business unit, including its
new-found electric vehicle
business, into a separate
subsidiary.
The move is aimed at
facilitating any potential
alliance partnership for
the future.
There have been hints of
Tata Motors looking for a
partner for its car busi-
ness, most notably Chinese
carmaker Chery, and this
restructuring could be the
first step to such a move.
The company has in the
past made a few unsuccess-
ful attempts at forming
partnerships with global
automakers. In 2015, it was
in talks with French car-
maker PSA Peugeot
Citroen for a tie-up that
would have seen Tata man-
ufacturing and producing
the cars for the French
company from its Sanand
factory in Gujarat.
However, the deal did not
fructify. In 2017, it signed
an MoU with Skoda-led
Volkswagen Group to joint-
ly develop a small car plat-
form. It was called off after
just four months.
With a clutch of Chinese
carmakers looking to enter
India, the new found sub-
sidiary could become an
easy target for a tie-up.
It rival Mahindra and
Mahindra already has an
alliance with US car major
Ford.
Tata Motors' new sub-
sidiary, having a car portfo-
lio that includes the Nexon
and Harrier models, would
be led by the present presi-
dent of the EV business,
Shailesh Chandra from
April 1. Mayank Pareek,
president, passenger vehi-
cles at Tata Motors, will
retire from the company in
February next year.
"The board has in-princi-
ple approved to sub-
sidiarise Passenger
Vehicle business (includ-
ing EV) by transferring rel-
evant assets, IPs and
employees directly relat-
able to the PV business for
it to be fully functional on a
standalone basis through a
slump sale. However, cer-
tain shared services and
central functions will be
retained at Tata Motors to
deliver cost efficiencies for
the entire group," the com-
pany said in a statement.
This shall help provide
differentiated focus for the
PV and commercial vehi-
cle businesses and help
each of them realise their
potential, it said.
"This decision is a first
step in our plans to secure
mutually beneficial strate-
gic alliances for the domes-
tic PV business and help
secure its long-term viabil-
ity."
The PV business unit is
considered the weaker of
Tata's standalone India
businesses. Tata Motors
had reported revenue of Rs
3.02 lakh crore in 2018-19
with the India business
accounting for Rs 72,607
crore while its UK based
subsidiary Jaguar Land
Rover accounted for Rs
223,514 crore.
The PV business account-
ed for nearly 20 per cent of
the India standalone busi-
ness and less than 5 per
cent in the consolidated
company. During the fiscal
the PV business unit had
incurred a loss of over Rs
1,500 crore as against a loss
of over Rs 3,800 crore in
financial year 2018. The
commercial vehicle busi-
ness on the other hand had
returned a profit of over Rs
3,500 crore in FY19.
The PV business land-
scape is seeing rapid trans-
formation in the form of
tightening emission
norms, push towards elec-
trification, enhanced dis-
ruptions from autonomous
and connected technolo-
gies, the company said.
India continues to
remain an attractive mar-
ket for global automakers.
‘Clear we
have entered
recession’:
IMF chief
Washington, March 27:
The coronavirus pan-
demic has driven the
global economy into a
downturn that will
require massive funding
to help developing
nations, IMF chief
Kristalina Georgieva
said on Friday.
"It is clear that we have
entered a recession" that
will be worse than in
2009 following the global
financial crisis, she said
in an online briefing.
With the worldwide
economic "sudden stop,"
Georgieva said the fund's
estimate "for the overall
financial needs of
emerging markets is $2.5
trillion." But she warned
that estimate "is on the
lower end."
Governments in emer-
ging markets, which
have suffered an exodus
of capital of more than
$83 billion in recent
weeks, can cover much
of that, but "clearly the
domestic resources are
insufficient" and many
have high debt loads.
Over 80 countries,
mostly of low incomes,
have already have
requested emergency aid
from the IMF. —AFP
Banks see `53,000-cr
withdrawals in 2 weeks
SANGEETHA G
CHENNAI, MARCH 27
Amidst Covid-19 fears,
people are keeping more
cash in hand to meet any
eventuality. In the fort-
night ended March 13,
customers withdrew
around Rs 53, 000 crore in
cash from banks, which is
a multi-month high.
During the fortnight,
people withdrew Rs 52,885
crore and the cash with
the public went up to Rs 23
lakh crore. The total cash
held by public around the
same time last year, or the
fortnight ending March
31, 2019, was around Rs 20
lakh crore.
In the previous fortnight
that ended on February
28, 2020, people were seen
depositing more and the
net deposits were at Rs
2,085 crore. The total cur-
rency with the public then
stood at Rs 22 lakh crore.
Cash withdrawals were
as low as Rs 3,411 crore in
the fortnight ending
January 31.
"It was expected. This is
definitely due to the
impact of coronavirus as
people want to hold more
cash in hand during emer-
gencies. In the past seven
to eight days we have seen
increasing number of
withdrawals through
bank branches and ATMs.
“The RBI
policy
announce-
ments are bold,
decisive, com-
pelling and with a
humane
touch.,..(the
measures) will
help financial
markets stabilise,
lead to immediate
rate transmission
and address the
Considering the crisis sit- credit needs of
uation, banks also have the real economy”
not been refusing," said
Asutosh Khajuria, execu- — Rajnish Kumar,
chairman, SBI
tive director and chief
financial officer, Federal
Bank.
According to him, in the
past few months, the with-
drawals had been lesser as
customers were making
more digital transactions.
But the pandemic has
reversed the trend.
The trend is likely to
continue till the virus con- Such robust
cerns are eased. Further,
the direct benefit transfer measures
as part of the Rs 1.7 lakh were unan-
crore package announced ticipated and
by the central government would restore the
will see more cash in the
hands of the public.
confidence of the
Even for essential goods market, restrict
like groceries and medi- foreign capital
cines, people are using
more cash during the
outflows and will
help in arresting
lock-down as the e-com-
merce deliveries have depreciation of
been distorted. rupee
"Going ahead cash with-
drawals are going to rise — Arun Singh,
further," Khajuria added. chief economist,
Dun & Bradstreet

Despite govt word, e-com deliveries stay suspended

15,295 crore with the Indian
government for three mega rail
infrastructure projects Under
these agreements, JICA has
granted Rs 8,553 crore for
phase-1 of the Dedicated
Freight Corridor; Rs 4,262
crore for Mumbai Trans
Harbour Link Project (II) and
Rs 2,480 crore for the Mumbai
Metro Line 3 Project (III).
Printed & Published by
T Venkateswarlu on behalf of Deccan
Chronicle Holdings Limited. Printed at
BFL Infotech Ltd, C-9 Sector 3, Noida-
201301. Published at 219, N D Tiwari
Bhawan, Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg,
New Delhi-110002.
Editor: T.Venkatram Reddy, RNI
Registration number 30074/09, Air sur-
charge Re 1. © All rights reserved.
Reproduction in whole or in part with-
out written permission of The Editor,
Financial Chronicle ® is prohibited.
SANGEETHA G
CHENNAI, MARCH 27
Despite the central gov-
ernment issuing standard
operating procedure to
handle supply of essential
goods, e-commerce com-
panies have not resumed
their deliveries yet. While
some have started taking
orders, all are still wait-
ing for more clarity from
the local authorities.
In a meeting with indus-
try stakeholders to dis-
cuss the issues faced by
them due to the Covid-19
lockdown, minister of
commerce and industry
Piyush Goyal assured that
the government is com-
mitted to ensure that
essential goods reach the
people in the most conven-
ient and safest manner.
At the request of the
Department for
Promotion of Industry
and Internal Trade, the
Ministry of Home affairs
has issued standard oper-
ating procedure for state
governments' guidance on
how to handle various
aspects related to supply
of essential goods. The
department has also set
up a control room to mon-
itor in real time the status
of transportation and
delivery of goods, manu-
facturing, delivery of
essential commodities to
the common man and the
difficulties being faced by
various stakeholders dur-
ing the lockdown period.
The meeting with Goyal
was attended by represen-
Carry, Walmart and RPG
while Express Industry
Council, Delihivery,
Safexpress, PayTM,
Swiggy represented logis-
tics operators.
However, the e-com-
merce players have not
yet resumed their opera-
tions. According to indus-
try insiders, the operating
procedures have to reach
the state and district level
tatives of Snapdeal, authorities.
Shopclues, Flipkart, "Though a central direc-
Grofers, NetMeds, tive has come, it will take
PharmEasy, 1MG Tech, some time for that to
Udaan, Amazon India, Big reach the local level
Basket, Zomato. Large authorities. The issue of
retail operators were rep- huge backlog also has to
resented by Metro Cash & be sorted out. Hence, it
will take some more time
for the customers to
receive the deliveries,"
said an industry insider. The RBI has
However, some of the gone all out
players have started tak- to fight the
ing orders again. "We are
taking orders of only economic fallout
essential products of Covid-19.
through pre-paid payment Although the rate
methods, while we work cut is big, we
towards resuming deliver-
ies soon," Amazon told its
believe the econo-
customers. my will benefit
BigBasket too has start- more from the liq-
ed taking orders and uidity and regula-
hopes to make deliveries tory actions
by the weekend.
Operations of Flipkart — Vijay Chandok,
and Grofers continued to MD & CEO,
be suspended.
ICICI Securities
 GAMES
THE ASIAN AGE | SATURDAY | 28 MARCH 2020 | NEW DELHI
pg 9

SHORT TAKES
O’Brien in tears
after crowd-fund
Christchurch: Stranded after his
flight was cancelled thrice due
to the Covid-19 pandemic, for-
mer New Zealand fast bowler
Iain O’Brien couldn’t hold back
tears after mustering enough
money via crowd-funding to
book his way back home.
The 43-year-old from
Wellington, who now lives in
the UK, was in New Zealand to
deal with his mental health
issues but his month-long trip
was disrupted after countries
went into a lockdown mode.
After three of his flights were
cancelled, O’Brien decided to
seek donations to arrange the
money for his ticket.
On Friday morning, he woke
up to find that his target of
£2,250 was well surpassed and
he now had £3,660 in the cof-
fers, more than enough to cover
his travel cost.
“I woke up this morning and
maybe for the third or fourth
time in my life I cried before I
got out of bed,” he said in a
tearful video message to the
people who had contributed for
his return. — AFP
Badminton body
takes dig at stars
New Delhi: The Badminton
World Federation said it is “dis-
appointing” that some players,
including Indian star Saina
Nehwal, questioned its “sinceri-
ty and motives” when it contin-
ued with the All England
Championships despite the
rapid-growing threat of Covid-
The heat’s off Tokyo
Olympic postponement provides silver lining
Tokyo, March 27: Every
cloud has a silver lining
and the devastating post-
ponement of the Tokyo
2020 Olympics could hand
organisers a heaven-sent
opportunity to solve their
other massive problem:
the summer heat.
The historic decision to
delay the Games due to
the coronavirus pandemic
gave Tokyo a wide range
of options when resched-
uling: the Games will be
held “beyond 2020, but not
later than summer 2021.”
This leaves open the pos-
sibility of a spring
Olympics when the weath-
er in Tokyo is at its finest
and removes at a stroke
the worries about athletes
and fans suffering in the
brutal heat and humidity
of Japan’s summer.
Tokyo Governor Yuriko
Koike confirmed the post-
ponement had opened up
this tantalising option —
that would also give her
the opportunity
reclaiming the marathon
of
which before the post-
ponement was shifted to
the northern city of
Sapporo over heat fears.
“Since we are in this sit-
uation, one idea is to have
(the IOC) move the date to
a time that is not hot,” she
said.
Sachin steps up
to fight Corona
New Delhi, March 27:
Batting maestro Sachin
Tendulkar on Friday
donated `50 lakh to fight
the Covid-19 pandemic,
which has so far claimed 17
Indian lives and wreaked
havoc globally.
Tendulkar’s donation is
so far the biggest contribu-
tion among India’s leading
sportspersons, some of
whom have pledged their
salaries while a few others Sachin Tendulkar
have donated medical
equipment to fight the
dreaded outbreak, which
has caused more than
24,000 deaths globally.
“Sachin Tendulkar decid-
ed to contribute `25 lakh
each to Prime Minister’s
Relief Fund and Chief
Minister’s Relief Fund in
his bid to join the fight
against Covid-19. It was his
decision that he wanted to
contribute to both funds,” Laxmi Ratan Shukla
a source privy to the devel-
opment said on conditions months of my MLA salary
of anonymity. to the Chief Minister’s
Tendulkar has been asso- Relief Fund. Also, I get
ciated with a lot of charity pension from BCCI. I have
work and there has been
umpteen times, he has
donated three months of
my BCCI pension,” Shukla
taken up social causes,
helped people, which has
said on Friday.
Shukla, played three
never been brought to pub- ODIs for India in 1999
lic notice. before ankle injury cut
short his career.
Cricketer-MLA Laxmi A respected all-rounder
donates three months in domestic cricket, he rep-
resented Bengal and East
salary, BCCI pension Zone in over 100 first-class
In this file photo, Governor of Tokyo (left) Yuriko Koike exchanges fist bump with Japan’s President Shinzo Abe. Meanwhile, former India matches and has also been
cricketer Laxmi Ratan a part of IPL-winning

Early birds to keep Games spots

19 pandemic. BWF’s decision to
conduct the tournament in the
wake of the coronavirus out-
break came for sharp criticism
from shuttlers, including Saina,
who had accused the sport’s
administrators of placing
money above players’ safety.
In an open letter, BWF secre-
tary general Thomas Lund said
the decision to go ahead with
the All England Championships
was made based on the best
advice at that time. “It has been
very disappointing to see some
She later added with a
smile: “I think Tokyo
would be good” to host the
marathon if temperatures
were less fierce. IOC chief
Thomas Bach himself has
said rescheduling “is not
restricted just to the sum-
mer months. All the
options are on the table,
before and including the
summer of 2021.”
And it was clearly on the
mind of Tokyo 2020 chief
Yoshiro Mori, even in the
Shukla, who is currently Kolkata Knight Riders
the sports minister of West team.
Bengal, has donated his Among other prominent
three months’ MLA salary cricketers, the Pathan
along with BCCI pension brothers — Irfan and Yusuf
Paris, March 27: Athletes for the same period to fight — donated 4,000 face masks
who had already qualified the Covid-19 pandemic in to Baroda police and health
for the 2020 Tokyo the state. department while
Olympics before they “It is the need of the hour Mahendra Singh Dhoni,
were postponed will keep that we all contribute to through a Pune based
their places when the the best of our abilities. I NGO, made a contribution
showpiece takes place in have already donated three of `1 lakh. — PTI
2021, sources said.
Around 57 per cent of

Hima runs to the

members of the badminton
community speculate on the
sincerity and motives of the
BWF in this time of crisis,”
immediate aftermath of
the crushing postpone-
ment.
“We are trying to set a
the 11,000 scheduled par-
ticipants for Tokyo had
already made sure of tak-
ing part when the IOC
pushed the Games back to

Djokovic donates
Lund wrote. — PTI
one million euros
Belgrade: Tennis world number
one Novak Djokovic said on
Friday he was donating one
million euros ($1.1 million) to
help his native Serbia buy respi-
rators and other gear to com-
bat the coronavirus.
The player was speaking in a
video conference from the
southern Spanish city of
Marbella, where he and his fam-
ily are currently hunkering
down under nationwide lock-
down orders.
“Our donation is for the pur-
chase of life-saving respirators
and other sanitary equipment,”
said the tennis star.
Normally based in Monaco, the
new schedule to be done
by the summer. It might be
earlier... As a result, if the
hottest part of the sum-
mer could be avoided,
wouldn’t that be a happy
thing,” he said just min-
utes after the postpone-
ment.
Bach has described the
unprecedented task of
reorganising the world’s
biggest sports event as a
huge “jigsaw puzzle” and
any rearranged date
brings challenges.
A spring Olympics
would clash with the end
of the European football
season, as well as the NBA
playoffs and the early part
of the baseball season in
the US, noted Marcus
Luer, CEO of sports
branding firm Total
Sports Asia.
2021 due to the coron-
avirus on Tuesday.
The IOC and 32 interna-
tional sports federations
held a teleconference on
Thursday where it was
decided to respect the
qualification process.
“Thomas Bach first
explained the reasons for
the postponement of the
Games, then said that the
athletes qualified for
Tokyo 2020 would auto-
matically be qualified for
2021,” one of the partici-
pants in the conference
said.
“One of the main sub-
jects was to know when
and how to organise the
qualifications. In some
federations, many sports-
men and sportswomen are
not qualified and it takes
at least three months for
rescue of patients
New Delhi, March 27: Star
Indian sprinter Hima Das
has donated her one
month’s salary to the
Assam government to help
the state combat the dread-
ed Covid-19 pandemic.
Das, an Asian Games
gold-medallist besides
being an under-20 world
champion in 400 metres, is
employed with PSU major
Indian Oil as an HR officer
in Guwahati.
“Friends it’s high time to
stand together & support
people who need us. I am
contributing 1 month of
my salary to Assam Govt.
in Assam Arogya Nidhi
India’s star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra has already qualified for the Olympics. Account made to safeguard
the health of people in the
@himantabiswa,” Das
tweeted on Thursday.
Hima joined a growing
list of sports personalities,
including shuttler P. V.
Sindhu, wrestler Bajrang
Punia and BCCI President
Sourav Gangully, who have
come forward to provide
financial aid to fight the
pandemic.
The Assam Cricket
Association offered to con-
vert its Barsapara Stadium
premises into a quarantine
centre as the state govern-
ment braced up for the
Covid-19 pandemic.
Though Assam is yet to
report a positive coron-
avirus case, the state gov-
ernment is not taking any

Tokyo delay good news

family’s stay in Spain is “a pure
coincidence”, according to his
spokesperson.
The 32-year-old said he was
working on keeping a “positive
spirit” and enjoying the family
time with the tennis season
thrown into chaos by the pan-
demic. — AFP
FRENCH EURO
WINNER COACH
HIDALGO DEAD
Paris: Michel Hidalgo, the coach
who led France to the 1984
European Championship title
and the 1982 World Cup semifi-
nals, died on Thursday. He was
87. The French Football
Federation confirmed the
death.
Hidalgo coached the national
team from 1976-84 and led host
France to its first major title at
Euro 1984 with midfielder
Michel Platini scoring nine
goals. Les Bleus reached the
World Cup semifinals two years
earlier but lost to West
Germany in a penalty shootout.
Soccer purists adored the way
Hidalgo’s teams were almost
fixated on creativity, even at
the expense of defending.
The midfield, led by Platini, was
known as the “Magic Fou” and
was arguably the best in the
world at the time. Alain Giresse,
Jean Tigana and Bernard
Genghini were the other three.
“I would like to express all my
affection and my support to his
wife Monique, to his family and
all of those close to him,”
Platini said in a statement.
“As a coach, Michel lifted
France to the summit of its art,
with determination choosing
the beautiful game and allow-
ing each one of us to express
all of our ability and individual
talent.”
Hidalgo coached France in 75
games. — AP
“I like the general idea,
April-May is a beautiful
time in Japan, it makes
sense from that point,” he
said.
However, any reschedul-
ing involves clashes — a
summer Games would
require athletics and
swimming to move their
World Championships.
In terms of cost, organ-
isers had already put
aside huge sums for inno-
vative antidotes to the
summer heat and humidi-
ty, including heat-absorb-
ing road paint, water
sprinklers, and even fake
snow.
After admitting that the
delay will cause “mas-
sive” extra spending,
Tokyo 2020 would surely
welcome the savings if
anti-heat measures were
no longer required.
— AFP
An athlete and a policeman in times of crisis
New Delhi, March 27: They
were at the forefront of pursu-
ing glory for the nation as ath-
letes and now some Indian
sporting heroes are playing a
key role in the raging battle
against the Covid-19 pandemic
— manning the streets as police
officers persuading people to
stay home amid a national lock-
down.
World Cup-winning cricketer
Joginder Sharma,
Commonwealth Games gold
medal-winning boxer Akhil
Kumar and Asian Games cham-
pion kabaddi player Ajay
Thakur have one thing in —
common. They are all full-time
police officers, jobs which they
got thanks to their sporting
accomplishments.
Sharma and Kumar, both
Haryana Police officers and
good friends, listed the chal-
the Olympic Games to wake of Covid-19. @naren- chances and has asked peo-
organise them,” the par- dramodi @sarbanandson- ple to strictly follow the 21-
ticipant added. wal @KirenRijiju day lockdown. — PTI
The 2020 Tokyo Games
were scheduled for July
24-August 9, but after tele-
phone
between
discussions
Bach
Japanese Prime Minister
and for Aussie rugby player UMPIRE DAR OFFERS
Shinzo Abe, a historic
joint decision was taken
for the first postponement
Washington, March 27: A
season-ending knee
injury had Ben O’Donnell
the only bloke that is smil-
ing around here,”
O’Donnell said in a televi-
prospects of the Olympics
starting on schedule on
July 24. Olympic gold
MEALS TO JOBLESS
of an Olympics in peace- convinced he’d be watch- sion interview with the medalists were among the Lahore, March 27: In a heart-warming gesture,
time.
However, there is no def-
ing the Tokyo Olympics
from a distance, with
Associated Press.
“For me, it’s a little sil-
athletes and federations
urging the IOC to delay it.
Pakistani umpire Aleem Dar is offering free food at his
restaurant here for all those rendered jobless by the
inite date yet for the
rescheduled Games with
Bach saying Tuesday the
absolutely no chance of
pulling on the Australian
jersey for the Rugby
ver lining, a little chance,
a little creak in the door.
Still a long way to go,
Yeah, it’s obviously a
common sense decision,
O’Donnell said Friday, get-
Covid-19 pandemic.
Pakistan is under a lockdown right now fighting the
coronavirus outbreak after recording more than 1,000
Tokyo Olympics “must be
rescheduled to a date
Sevens competition.
Forgive him for being a
though. I’ve still got over
nine months of rehabili-
ting more serious when
talking about the difficult
positive cases. “During this lockdown, people have
become jobless. I own a restaurant named Dar’s
beyond 2020 but not later tiny bit pleased this week tation and still need to time it was for most ath- Delighto on Pia Road in Lahore. People who are jobless
than summer 2021, to safe- when the Tokyo Games force my way back into letes and coaches in can come there and eat food for free,” Dar, an ICC elite
guard the health of the were postponed to 2021 that team,” he added. Olympic sports. panel umpire, said in video message on Twitter.
athletes, everybody because of the coron- The decision by the IOC “A lot of teams have The 51-year-old Dar has officiated close to 400 inter-
involved in the Olympic avirus pandemic. and Tokyo organisers to worked really hard in national games. “Coronavirus has spread all over the
Games and the interna- I have seen (teammates) postpone the games ended their qualifications to world, and its effects are now being seen in Pakistan as
tional community”. walking around and they more than a month of secure a spot there and it’s well,” said the former first-class cricketer. — PTI
— AFP keep telling me that I’m speculation about the tough,” he added. — AP
lenges that come with “doing services are being kept open so ble,” Kumar said.
duty” during an unprecedented there is not much panic. I “Hum zameen se jude hain,
crisis. believe only a strict enforce- humein pata hai bhookh kya
“I have been a DSP since 2007. ment of lockdown will be able hoti hai (We are people who
This is one of a kind challenge to halt this virus. People are have come up after lot of strug-
for me as a police officer slowly understanding this,” gle, we know what it means to
because of the general fear and said the 2006 CWG gold-medal- be hungry),” he added.
I can tell you that I have seen list, who turned 38 on Friday, a Thakur, who was bestowed the
quite a few challenges in my working birthday for him. Arjuna award and the Padma
years of service,” said Sharma, The two-time Olympian and Shri last year, is a DSP in
the allrounder who immor- Arjuna awardee has also been Himachal Pradesh Police and
talised himself with the trophy- pooling money with his col- has been in service since 2017.
winning final over against Ajay Thakur, Indian
leagues, including another The 2014 Asian Games gold-
Pakistan in the 2007 T20 World Former Indian boxer Akhil Kumar (left) and boxer-tur ned-policeman medallist was recently seen
T20 World Cup winner Joginder Sharma. kabaddi player.
Cup summit clash in South Jitender Kumar, to buy essen- patrolling the streets of
Africa. tial food items and sanitisers Bilaspur and has been raising
The 36-year-old is currently who are out for fun to their last year is Akhil, the flamboy- for the underprivileged. awareness about the health cri-
posted in Hisar as the nation homes, help those in need of ant bantamweight boxer, whose Jitender, an Asian bronze- sis through video messages on
observes a 21-day lockdown till essentials or medical aid and perilously low guard at the peak medallist, is posted in Rewari. his instagram page, which has
April 14 to combat the pandem- take action against those who of his career became the style “We are trying our best. Those over two lakh followers.
ic, which has killed more than try to defy without any good statement that many in Indian who can afford to stay inside While being on guard for oth-
24,000 globally. reason,” Sharma said giving a boxing continue to try and emu- can and must but there are ers, these men in uniform also
“Our duty time starts around rundown of his average day. late. those who cannot. Our effort is have to ensure that they remain
6 am and we do patrolling, mak- Serving with the Gurugram “People are generally coopera- to ensure that we reach out to as safe themselves.
ing people aware, send those Police as ACP since September tive and in any case, essential many of such people as possi- — PTI