THE PATRIOTIC BULLETTIN

07 Alappuzha December 2020 20 Pages 7.50 The Patriotic BullettinMonday Over 100 Bhopal Gas Tragedy Survivors Died Of Covid, Says Madhya Pradesh Official However, some NGOs claimed that as many as 254 survivors of the Bhopal disaster have succumbed to the infection till now. Bhopal: The different death figures were revealed on The coronavirus the eve of the 36th pandemic has claimed the anniversary of the Bhopal lives of 102 survivors of gas tragedy. the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy since its outbreak, In what is termed as the the Madhya Pradesh world's worst industrial government said on disaster, over 15,000 Wednesday. people were killed after methyl isocyanate leaked However, some NGOs on the intervening night claimed that as many as of December 2-3, 1984 254 survivors of the from the pesticide plant of Bhopal disaster have died Union Carbide India due to the infection till now. Limited (UCIL) in the people, 69 were above 50 Information and Action tragedy survivors.\" with them,\" she said. city. More than five lakh years of age, while the (BGIA) claimed, \"As per people were affected due remaining 33 were aged the state's health bulletin, \"These 254 victims \"We have collected the to the toxic leak. below 50,\" Bhopal Gas 518 people have died due copies of the smart cards Tragedy Relief and to COVID-19 in Bhopal possessed smart cards that and the compensation order \"Till December 2, Rehabilitation Director district so far. We visited by personally visiting the COVID-19 has claimed Basant Kurre said. the houses of 450 of these were issued by the Bhopal houses of these victims. 518 lives in Bhopal deceased to find out We have even submitted district. Of them, 102 are whether they were gas Memorial Hospital and these documents to chief Bhopal gas tragedy victims or not. Out of medical officer of gas survivors. Out of these these 450 people, 254 Research Center relief, Ravi Varma,\" 102 were found to be the Dhingra added. Bhopal gas (BMHRC), a dedicated However, Rachna facility for the treatment Dhingra of NGO Bhopal of gas victims. They also Group for had the photocopy of the Bhopal gas tragedy compensation order KV NTPC, KAYAMKULAM Admissions open for the Academic Year 2020-2021

The Patriotic Bullettin www.patrioticbullettinonline.com 2020 DECEMBER 07 2 Key routes connecting UP-Delhi closed due to ongoing farmers' protest NEW DELHI: Police on the police to close the from Noida to Delhi are Auchandi & other small nationwide protest on Delhi-UP border on NH- advised to avoid Noida Thursday closed routes 24. link road, the traffic borders also Saturday to oppose what police said. on two national \"The Ghazipur border on closed. Please take they claimed was NH-24 is closed for The Delhi-Haryana highways connecting traffic from Ghaziabad border at Jharoda and alternate routes. Traffic \"corporatisation\" of towards Delhi due to Jhatikra remained closed Ghaziabad to Delhi as farmers' protests. People for traffic movement. has been diverted from farming. are advised to avoid NH- farmers remained 24 for coming to Delhi The Badusarai border is Mukarba Chowk & GTK and use open only for two- adamant on their Apsara/Bhopra/DND wheeler traffic. Road,\" the traffic police instead,\" the traffic demand for scrapping of police said. However, people can tweeted. travel to Haryana the Centre's agriculture It said NH-44 is closed through Dhansa, Daurala, \"Traffic is very on both sides and asked Kapashera, Rajokri, NH- reform laws and stayed people to take alternate 8, Bijwasan/Bajghera, heavy. Please avoid routes via NH-8, Bhopra, Palam Vihar and put at the national Apsara border, and Dundahera border points, Outer Ring Road from Peripheral expressway At the traffic police have capital's borders with the Chilla border, one said. Signature Bridge to carriageway - from Delhi Haryana and Uttar to Noida - has been The police also kept the Rohini & vice versa, opened for traffic. Haryana-Delhi border at Pradesh. Singhu and Tikri closed GTK road, NH 44 & However, the other for traffic for the eighth The protesting farmers carriageway - from day on the trot. Singhu, Auchandi & had on Wednesday Noida to Delhi - is still threatened to block other closed. \"Singhu border is still Lampur borders,\" it said. roads of Delhi if their closed from both demands were not met. People commuting sides. Lampur, As traffic spilled over to alternate routes, it led to long jams there as well. \"The local police have On Wednesday, the closed the routes on NH- farmers had demanded 9 and NH-24 from that a special Parliament Ghaziabad to Delhi. On session be convened to NH-1, both sides of the repeal the three route have been closed agriculture reform laws near Shani Mandir,\" the which were enacted in Delhi Traffic Police September. tweeted. The crowd of farmers The farmers' unions also continued to swell at called for a Ghazipur, prompting

The Patriotic Bullettin www.patrioticbullettinonline.com 2020 DECEMBER 07 3 Shortage of Drivers haunts KSRTC amid pandemic THIRUVANANTHAPURAM Within KSRTC vehicle : Shortage of drivers has once-again affected KSRTC Thiruvananthapuram city. supervisor. He alleged that operations, especially in busy depots in southern districts. We were left without he has faced multiple The crisis comes even when the corporation is operating at enough trained drivers to disciplinary action for its lowest fleet capacity owing to the pandemic. operate it,” said the refusing to assign According to an official, official. The shortage is continuous duty to a several drivers were sent to depots closer to their houses acutely felt in depots at fatigued driver. on work arrangement or transfer during the lockdown. Thiruvananthapuram, “I once even wrote in the “Those drivers have not returned which has led to the Kollam and log book that I could not shortage,” said an officer. At present, the KSRTC is Pathanamthitta. take responsibility for operating around 2,000 schedules against the Though KSRTC has close pushing the driver.” The approved schedule of 5,300. to 10,000 drivers, most of If this continues, the KSRTC, them belong to the Sushil Khanna report on which is already reeling under northern districts. In Sultan huge losses, will fall deeper Bathery, the KSRTC has modernising KSRTC has into debt.To make up for the 180 drivers though it shortage, the management has operates only around 60 mentioned lax resource sought the help of drivers services. Meanwhile, there from across the state who are are allegations that PSC- management leading to trip willing to report for duty in recruited drivers use their these busy depots. political influence to get cancellations. Earlier, the transfer to depots closer to Volvo bus services are among their homes, leading to skewed resource the worst affected. “We faced shortage in other depots. a crisis when we decided to deployment was managed operate 10 AC Volvo services with the support of temporary drivers. But they were retrenched following a High Court order. “Under the earlier work arrangement, drivers Assigning back-to-back in northern districts were duties to available drivers assigned 75 duties (10 despite their fatigue has a weeks of work). However, direct bearing on the safety the system watered down of passengers. “We are recently,” said an officer. forced to assign duty to these drivers since we are threatened with disciplinary action for trip cancellation,” said a

The Patriotic Bullettin www.patrioticbullettinonline.com 2020 DECEMBER 07 4 INTERNATIONAL Joe Biden officially The Enforcement Directorate has seized businessman Vijay Mallya’s assets secures enough electors to in France. become U.S. President “On the ED’s request, a property of Mr. Mallya located at 32 Avenue FOCH in France has been seized by the French authorities. The property’s value is 1.6 million euros [about 14 crore],” said an agency official. The action was taken after the agency found that a large amount had been remitted abroad from the bank account of Kingfisher Airlines Limited. The ED’s money laundering probe is based on an FIR registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation against Kingfisher Airlines, Mr. Mallya and others on January 25, 2016. The agency has so far attached assets worth 11,231.70 crore in the case. A charge sheet has been filed against Mr. Mallya, UBHL, Kingfisher Airlines, bank officials and others. He was declared a fugitive economic offender by a Special Court on January 5 last year. China turns on ‘artificial sun’ The hidden mechanics of electing a U.S. President have drawn new The nuclear reactor is expected to provide clean energy scrutiny this year as President Donald Trump continues to deny Joe Biden’s victory. China successfully powered up its “artificial sun” nuclear fusion reactor California certified its presidential election on Friday and appointed 55 for the first time, state media reported on Friday, marking a great advance electors pledged to vote for Democrat Joe Biden, officially handing him in the country’s nuclear power research capabilities. the Electoral College majority needed to win the White House. The HL-2M Tokamak reactor is China’s largest and most advanced Secretary of State Alex Padilla’s formal approval of Mr. Biden’s win in nuclear fusion experimental research device, and scientists hope that the the State brought his tally of pledged electors so far to 279, according to a device can potentially unlock a powerful clean energy source. tally by The Associated Press. That’s just over the 270 threshold for It uses a powerful magnetic field to fuse hot plasma and can reach victory. temperatures of over 150 million degrees Celsius, according to the These steps in the election are often ignored formalities. But the hidden People’s Daily -- approximately ten times hotter than the core of the sun. mechanics of electing a U.S. President have drawn new scrutiny this year Located in Sichuan province and completed late last year, the reactor is as President Donald Trump continues to deny Mr. Biden’s victory and often called an “artificial sun” on account of the enormous heat and pursues increasingly specious legal strategies aimed at overturning the power it produces. results before they are finalised. Although it’s been apparent for weeks that Mr. Biden won the presidential election, his accrual of more than 270 electors is the first step toward the White House, said Edward B. Foley, a law professor at Ohio State University. Vijay Mallya’s assets in France seized Property worth about 14 crore seized on ED’s request

The Patriotic Bullettin www.patrioticbullettinonline.com 2020 DECEMBER 07 5 Coronavirus vaccine — Pandemic Threatens how to distribute it Global Airline Industry around the world? with Financial Losses A long-awaited coronavirus vaccines are about to be approved and The global airline industry’s survival is being threatened with nearly $160 distribution might start soon in Germany and other European nations. billion in projected losses this year and next because of the coronavirus But major distribution challenges will leave poorer nations waiting crisis, the International Air Transport Association said Tuesday. longer.Several vaccines are awaiting approval by health authorities. But even before the official go-ahead has been given, the United States and The IATA downgraded its outlook for the industry in response to a second European countries have signed contracts and secured the rights to outbreak of the coronavirus and airline closures afflicting large markets. billions of doses from several companies, including Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Johnson and “The COVID-19 crisis threatens the survival of the transport industry,” Johnson, CureVac, SanofiGSK. said the IATA, which also warned that 2020 will be the industry’s “worst” If the vaccines all get approval, the European Union has secured more year ever. COVID-19 is the illness caused by the coronavirus. than enough vaccines for its population, even though two doses have to be administered to induce immunity. In June the IATA had forecast $100 billion in losses over the next two Read more: The global race to buy coronavirus vaccine years, but it has revised its forecast to show $118.5 billion in losses in But what about less affluent countries, which can not afford to make 2020 and $38.7 billion for 2021. swift direct deals with pharma companies? They will be dependent on COVAX, a program led by the World Health The bleak outlook highlights the challenges the sector still faces despite Organization, Global Vaccine Alliance Gavi, and the Coalition for recent favorable breakthroughs in the development of COVID-19 Epidemic Preparedness. vaccines. IATA chief economist Brian Pearce describes COVID-19 as the It was established in order to accelerate the development and equal biggest shock to aviation since World War II. distribution of vaccines around the world. The IATA’s forecasts assume some countries will reopen their borders by the middle of next year, as they are helped by some combination of coronavirus testing and vaccine deployment. The IATA repeated its call for governments to replace travel restriction requirements with widespread testing programs.

The Patriotic Bullettin www.patrioticbullettinonline.com 2020 DECEMBER 07 6 Travel industry opts to It’s the lack of coordinated policy around testing requirements that has continue with Covid-19 thwarted any type of global (or even country-wide) expansion. testing at airports even “If they rolled out a national testing mandate for air travel, we’d be there after the vaccine comes to support in as many airports as possible,” adds Evans, who has been out lobbying vociferously for that exact approach to “get the world moving again.” In hubs large and small, from JFK to Boston to Frankfurt, Germany, a Both Satzman and Evans think their efforts will pay off, whether they’re variety of companies are figuring out how to scale preflight rapid and the turtle or the hare in a race with vaccines. After all, both executives are PCR Covid testing in hopes of facilitating safe air travel and lessening of the mindset that airport testing will be a long-term need, relevant for at quarantine requirements for anyone who isn’t first in line for Covid-19 least the next two years and possibly far longer. vaccine shot Mounting Pressure For both Satzman and Evans, providing airport testing is less a way to Even as the race to approve and distribute Covid-19 vaccines is compensate for Covid-related losses than a means to get air travel—and entering its final stretch, parts of the travel industry are sprinting to a therefore their core businesses—back on track. As Satzman puts it, “It’s different finish line: airport testing. not a big money thing, it’s a service you offer to let people back in so you can make money off your other businesses. ” In hubs large and small, from JFK to Boston to Frankfurt, Germany, a The same could be said about Lufthansa, which in mid-November started variety of companies are figuring out how to scale preflight rapid and to roll out free and rapid pre-flight testing for certain flights between PCR Covid testing in hopes of facilitating safe air travel and lessening Munich and Hamburg in collaboration with the German biotech quarantine requirements for anyone who isn’t first in line for a shot. firm Centogene. “Successful testing of entire flights can be the key to The leaders of that effort may come as a surprise. revitalizing international air traffic,” says Christina Foerster, Lufthansa Group’s executive board member for customer, IT, and corporate In the US, it’s XpressSpa, the purveyor of quickie mani-pedis and travel responsibility. pillows. It’s currently operational in four major US airports, with more to There’s data to support the idea that testing could re-establish consumer come in December. confidence. In a study published by the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) in October, 76% of respondents said that rapid In the UK, Collinson—the parent company of the Priority Pass airport testing prior to departure—with waived quarantining requirements for lounge network—is the testing partner for London Heathrow and Virgin those who test negative—would be the best way to open up international Atlantic, which recently began offering free tests for passengers on flights travel. to select Caribbean destinations. This effort expanded to three additional The barrier is a patchwork approach to entry requirements across state, U.K. airports this week. Collinson also announced a partnership in mid- regional, and international levels, and the lack of a unified system to November with American Airlines, British Airways, and the Oneworld verify results. In Hong Kong, for instance, travellers need to present a airline alliance that will bring testing to select flights and hopefully lead to “physical, stamped, paper copy of results,” says Collinson’s Evans; the creation of an “air bridge.” travellers to other destinations need only log into a health portal for an agent to review. In other words: Momentum is building. Satzman doesn’t see much of that changing. In the U.S., as in other countries, coordinated policy for airport testing would require “We went from concept to pilot in 75 days,” says XpressSpa Chief unprecedented cooperation among agencies as wide-ranging as the Executive Officer Doug Satzman of the effort’s early days; the company’s Federal Aviation Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and first Covid-19 testing facility opened at New York’s John F. Kennedy Prevention, and the Department of Health and Human Services. But with International Airport in June. But expanding has been slow work. infections in the U.S. reaching an all-time high, and Europe batting down “Operating in airports is a difficult, highly complex, highly regulated its second wave, the need for testing has become more urgent. Add in the environment—just getting an electrician in to fix something in your store desire to make long-awaited holiday travels stick, and you have demand is kind of a pain,” Satzman explains. boiling over from passengers who are less concerned about quarantine “It’s been a tiring journey, I won’t deny it,” says David Evans, co-CEO of requirements than keeping their relatives safe. Collinson, whose company got into the testing game due to its knowledge of airport operations and its history as a purveyor of travel insurance. Slow and Steady Difficulties have little to do with square footage or money. Creating Against all these odds, airport testing efforts are gaining liftoff, thanks to airport testing sites, Evans says, is a low-cost proposition that can fill any a few recent developments. First is the recent, increased availability of empty or under-utilized space, of which there are many in airports today. rapid tests, which have allowed companies such as XpressSpa to think a bit further outside the box. Reliability is a growing positive, too: Just this week the NFL announced that it has helped prove the concept of a rapid test that’s as reliable as PCR swabs. Then there’s interest from airlines, who are seeing wide adoption of a vaccine as too far-off to suit their financial hopes. “Airlines are the ones stringing together the air bridges,” says Satzman, referring to the joint participation of two destinations in a pre-approved testing requirement for entry. “They see us as a strategic partner because we’re the only ones that will be in various airports.” As a result, Satzman says XpressSpa is carrying out negotiations with nearly every major American carrier, from implementing a pilot program that one airline hopes to roll out across all of its busiest airports to bundling the price of a required pre-flight Covid test with airfares. The next steps, say both Satzman and Evans, involve creating digital passports via which results could be uploaded and accessed by airline agents and border control officials, as needed. (Imagine, for instance, not being able to board a plane unless you scanned your boarding pass and your digital health app at the gate.) Then, Satzman says, it can be time to look at the next chapter: administering vaccines in addition to tests, and providing additional services such as strep throat tests to help unwell passengers decide whether it’s prudent to board a plane. “Whether we call this XCheck or something else—whatever this turns into, I do believe it will be bigger than the XpressSpa business,” Satzman adds. “There’s a lot to do in airports. And we’re going to do it, step by step by step.”

The Patriotic Bullettin www.patrioticbullettinonline.com 2020 DECEMBER 07 7 BUSINESS High onion, potato, Kharif foodgrain tomato prices pinch production likely to be household budgets: record 144.52 million survey tonnes in 2020-21: Agriculture Minister 70% families paid 25-100% more for essential vegetables Foodgrain production stood at 143.38 million tonnes during the 2019- Retail prices of essential vegetables, especially tomato, potato and onion, 20 kharif season, as per official data have sky rocketed across India in the last two months, upsetting household budgets when earnings have been impacted due to the Foodgrain production is pegged at record 144.52 million tonnes in the pandemic. 2020-21 kharif season notwithstanding COVID-19 crisis, Agriculture According to a survey conducted by Local Circles, 71% of citizens said Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said on Friday. they were paying more than Rs.50 per kg for tomato, Rs.40 per kg for Foodgrain production stood at 143.38 million tonnes during the 2019-20 potato and Rs.50 per kg for onion. kharif season, as per official data. In comparison, according to a similar survey conducted by the same entity Currently, harvesting of kharif crops is underway. Rice is the main kharif and published on September 11, 2020, 61% households had said they crop. were paying more than Rs.60 per kg for tomato, Rs.30 per kg for potato “Foodgrain production will be better than last year. As per the initial and Rs.25 per kg for onion. estimates, foodgrain production is projected to be 144.52 million tonnes in Thus the average retail price the majority of households paid per kg for the 2020-21 kharif season,” Mr. Tomar said addressing a digital potato rose by 30% and onion rose by 100%, while the price for tomato conference organised by industry body CII. fell by 15% in just one month. Production of cash crops such as sugarcane and cotton is also expected to “The individual data on these three vegetables suggests that 42% citizens be good, he said. bought tomato at Rs.60 or higher, potato at Rs.60 or higher, and onions at Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a record increase in area Rs.70 or higher,” the findings said. sown to kharif crops by 4.51% to 1,121.75 lakh hectares this year, he “Whereas, 29% citizens said they bought a kilo of tomato at Rs.50-59, added. potato at Rs.40-59, and onion at Rs.50-69”, while 11% said to have Mr. Tomar said agriculture is the pillar of the Indian economy. The sector bought tomato at Rs.30-49, potato at Rs.20-39, and onion at Rs.30-49, grew 3.4% during the first quarter of 2020-21 fiscal even as the total only 6% citizens said they bought tomato at Rs.20 or lower, potato at economy showed a decline in the said period. Rs.19 or lower, and onion at Rs.29 or lower in some places, the survey On the new farm laws, the Minister asserted that farmers are being found. “misled” about the reforms and reiterated that procurement at minimum The survey received more than 16,000 responses from citizens across 242 support price as well as mandis will continue to function across the districts of India. Of which, 58% were from tier 1, 23% from tier 2, and country. 17% respondents were from tier 3, 4 and rural districts. In October, Mumbai witnessed record high prices of these essential vegetables with onion selling at Rs.130 a kg, potato Rs.60 a kg and tomato at Rs.60 kg. The prices of these perishable vegetables go up in the retail market at different States due to several factors including disrupted supplies.

The Patriotic Bullettin www.patrioticbullettinonline.com 2020 DECEMBER 07 8 RBI tightens oversight of LIC’s online policy sales NBFCs, UCBs rise 128%, says MD Kumar Regulator strengthens audit norms for urban cooperative banks, non- bank lenders in moves to bolster financial stability The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday announced the introduction of Digital payments gain in popularity risk-based internal audit norms for large urban cooperative banks (UCBs) and non-banking financial companies (NBFCs), as part of measures aimed Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) has posted a 128% growth year-on-year at improving governance and assurance functions at supervised entities. in online sales of insurance policies during this fiscal up to October, and The RBI also moved to harmonise the guidelines on appointment of settled maturity claims and survival benefits worth more than Rs.57,000 statutory auditors for commercial banks, UCBs and NBFCs in order to crore, said Managing Director Raj Kumar. improve the quality of financial reporting. The insurer has been resilient during COVID-19 times, reaching out to Observing that the growing significance of NBFCs and their interlinkages people, he added. Alternative payment channels such as Google Pay and with different parts of the financial system had made it imperative to PhonePe witnessed ‘a huge response’ during the pandemic with more than enhance the sector’s resilience, RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das said, it had 42% of the premium being collected via the digital route, he said. been decided to put in place transparent criteria for the declaration of In all, 72% of the premium collections occurred outside of the traditional dividends by different categories of NBFCs. cash counters in offices. Thus, digital route had gained popularity during Systemic risk potential the pandemic, he added. “Further, the current regulatory regime for the NBFC sector, built on the Till November, LIC recorded an investment income of more than Rs.1.49 principle of proportionality, warrants a review,” Mr. Das said. “It is felt lakh crore, registering a growth rate of 20%. It had booked Rs.25,000 that a scale-based regulatory approach linked to the systemic risk crore in profit via stock trading, Mr. Kumar said in a statement. contribution of NBFCs could be the way forward,” he added. The RBI would remain strongly committed to preserving the stability of the financial sector and would do whatever was necessary, the Governor asserted. “While we are constantly focussed on strengthening the regulations and deepening our supervision, financial sector entities like banks and NBFCs should also give highest priority to quality of governance, risk management and internal controls,” Mr. Das stressed. “They are the first line of defence in matters relating to financial sector stability,” he said. With a view to deepening financial markets, regional rural banks would be allowed to access the liquidity adjustment facility (LAF) and marginal standing facility (MSF) of the RBI, as also the call/notice money market. Secure digital payments To significantly improve the ecosystem of digital payment channels with robust security and convenience for users, the RBI has proposed to issue Digital Payment Security Controls directions for the regulated entities. “These directions will contain requirements for robust governance, implementation and monitoring of certain minimum standards on common security controls for channels like Internet and mobile banking and card payments,” he said. Justifying the RBI’s action on HDFC Bank, he said there was a need for all banks and financial entities to invest more in their IT systems so that public confidence was maintained. On an RBI panel’s recommendation that corporates may be allowed to open banks, Mr. Das said, “The report of the internal working group is now in the public domain. We will receive comments. After getting comments from various stakeholders we will examine the whole matter and take a considered decision. That is how it stands”. He also indicated that the crisis at Punjab & Maharashtra Cooperative Bank (PMC) appeared headed for an early resolution based on a positive response from prospective investors.

The Patriotic Bullettin www.patrioticbullettinonline.com 2020 DECEMBER 07 9 Lalbazar in West Bengal is now art hub, thanks to artist Mrinal Mandal Tourists come to Khwaabgram not just to buy handicraft but also to take a look at the village itself, where the walls of most houses are now themselves works of art. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement By settling there and teaching its people, he has demonstrated how art is Until he arrived on the scene, the villagers mainly worked as labourers in capable of rescuing a neglected human settlement. nearby farms and some of them were small farmers themselves. Today, they are trained in kutum-katum (handicraft made from twigs and roots), Two years ago, Kolkata-based artist Mrinal Mandal was so captivated by kantha stitching, pottery and wall painting. the charm of a tiny village — close to where West Bengal borders Jharkhand — that he decided to make the hamlet of some 80 people his “All these years, I survived on whatever little I made from farming,” said second home. In doing so, he has demonstrated how art is capable of Sashti Charan Ahir, 46, who, in spite of a physical handicap, is today rescuing a human settlement from neglect and poverty. successful as a kutum-katum artist. An art form introduced by “I have been travelling in search of folk art from the time I graduated Abanindranath Tagore, it means making use of found objects. from the Government Arts College 20 years ago,” Mr. Mandal, 42, told The Hindu. “In 2018, I chanced upon this village, surrounded by “Every morning, I go out to the forest to collect twigs and branches, then I forests, and I immediately took a liking for it. I decided to make it a roam around there for a while to get ideas — should I make a bird today beautiful village by teaching art to its people.” or some animal? People visiting the nearby deer park now often come to our village to take a look and buy our products — that has indeed made our life better,” Mr. Ahir said. Mrinal Mandal | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Today, the residents of the village — officially called Lalbazar but christened Khwaabgram, or village of dreams, by one of the admirers of the project — earn a decent income by selling paintings and handicraft to tourists, whose increasing presence, in turn, has earned it the attention of the local authorities. Tourists come to Khwaabgram, about 4 km from Jhargram, not just to buy Residents of the village earn a decent income by selling paintings and handicraft but also to take a look at the village itself, where the walls of handicraft to tourists, whose increasing presence, in turn, has earned most houses are now themselves works of art. it the attention of the local authorities. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement “These people are from the Lodha tribe, once outlawed by the British. The public attention has led to improved conditions in the village, and Traditionally, they are very shy people; if you built a house next to theirs, what Mr. Ahir wants now is a school to be built there. “My daughter’s they would shift elsewhere. It wasn’t easy for me to make friends with school is on the other side of the forest, and I spend a better part of the them, until I began making drawings related to their life,” said Mr. day taking her there and bringing her back. A school will really help — I Mandal, who lives in Jhargram and commutes to Khwaabgram on a daily believe they are considering the idea,” he said. basis.

The Patriotic Bullettin www.patrioticbullettinonline.com 2020 DECEMBER 07 10 Bharti Airtel share price India has potential to soared 25% in less than export Rs.8 lakh cr two months worth motherboards between 2021-26: Report Bharti Airtel has jumped 25% in less than two months to the current India has potential to export motherboards, technically called printed market price of Rs.494.50. Bharti Airtel share price was hovering circuit board assembly(PCBA), worth up to Rs.8 lakh crore between around Rs.400 around 20th October. Robust earnings for the September 2021-26, mobile devices industry body ICEA and EY said in a joint quarter aided the telecom operator's stock prices to soar. Bharti Airtel report. narrowed its consolidated net loss to Rs.763 crore in the second quarter, However, in the absence of government incentives and subsidies the posting record consolidated revenue boosted by the continued recovery of export potential will be around Rs.29,500 crore during the five year its India business. Net sales or revenue was Rs.25,785 crore, up 22% on- period, the report said. year in the second quarter, a seasonally weak quarter for the telecom India Cellular & Electronics Association (ICEA) Chairman Pankaj sector. Mohindroo said the government is required to realise the cumulative According to the latest Trai data, Airtel added 3.8 million subscribers, export potential of Rs.8 lakh crore by 2026. while Reliance Jio added 1.5 million users in September. Vodafone Idea \"If support of 4-6 per cent on exports of PCBAs can be provided, by lost 4.6 million subscribers in the month. 2025-26, the cumulative PCBA export for India can be about USD 109 Shares of Bharti Airtel on Friday gained 3.44% after telecom regulator billion (over Rs.8 lakh crore). However, if no support is offered, the data showed that it has gained 2.3 million more subscribers than Reliance export is estimated to dwindle to USD 4 billion (around Rs.29,500 Jio in September. The stock gained as much as 3.44% to hit a high crore),\" the report said. of Rs.496.70 a share. PCBA forms the base of electronic products. Year to date, Bharti Airtel share price has risen by 8.33%. The telecom Mohindroo said the current size of PCBA industry in India is around Rs.2 stock was recommended by most of the biggest brokerages in India as one lakh crore and it is expected to reach Rs.6.4 lakh crore during 2021-26. of their top stock picks during Diwali. Kotak Securities recommended The National Policy on Electronics 2019 (NPE) envisages electronic Bharti Airtel with a target price of Rs.710 in a year's time. manufacturing turnover of USD 400 billion ( Rs.26 lakh crore at the time policy was approved) by 2025, out of which USD 190 billion ( Rs.13 lakh Bharti Airtel recently made an unexpected move to increase its ownership crore) is expected to come from the mobile phone segment. in Bharti Infratel. The last anyone heard was that Airtel was looking to According to ICEA, IT hardware -- laptop and tablet manufacturing -- has sell-down its Infratel stake and improve its own liquidity. potential to contribute over Rs.7 lakh crore to the NPE target and PCBA Bharti Airtel Ltd, through its wholly owned subsidiary Nettle can add another about Rs.8 lakh crore. Infrastructure Investments Ltd, on Wednesday acquired an additional \"We have requested for separate production linked incentives for PCBA. stake of 133 million shares or 4.94% in tower company Bharti Infratel Ltd The consumption of PCBA in India will be majorly driven by mobile for Rs.2,882.32 crore, according to a filing. Prior to the acquisition, Bharti devices,\" Mohindroo said. Airtel and Nettle Infrastructure held 23.04% and 13.69%, respectively, in Bharti lnfratel. He said there are a lot of cost disabilities which India has to address to compete with other Asian countries like China, Vietnam etc. \"Standalone PCBA exports from India face cost disabilities against well- established manufacturing hubs, with large manufacturing capacities, such as China and Vietnam. In addition, China offers various incentives for R&D activities, tax benefits on exported goods, policies to promote an export culture, significant investments across the value chain and technology transfer from global players,\" the report said. India’s exports of standalone PCBAs for mobile phones were USD 0.15 billion ( Rs.1,100 crore) in 2019-20 and are expected to be USD 0.30 billion ( Rs.2,200 crore) in 2020-21. \"For other electronic products, standalone PCBA exports are estimated to begin only from 2022-23 as manufacturing capacities increase in the country,\" the report said.

The Patriotic Bullettin www.patrioticbullettinonline.com 2020 DECEMBER 07 11 ‘Economic recovery At the HT Summit two weeks ago, Serum Institute of India CEO Adar from next year itself’, Poonawalla had said that the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine which is being says FM Nirmala manufactured in India -- could become available for the general public by April-May next year and is likely to cost around Rs 500-600 for a dose. Sitharaman acknowledged that the current situation in the country was drastically different from when she presented the budget in February but added that the government had steered the country through the pandemic with a judicious mixture of fiscal and monetary measures. Sitharaman The finance minister also touched upon the recovery in the second quarter of 2020-21, when the economy shrank by 7.5, outperforming most India can see a proper recovery next year on the back of positivity and expectations and registering is a sharp improvement from the 23.9% confidence due to Covid-19 vaccines, Union finance minister Nirmala contraction in the previous quarter. Sitharaman said on Friday, arguing that steady growth and capacity expansion in the past two months had pulled the economy out of its pandemic Sitharaman attributed this showing to an expansion in the core sectors and trough. said that just pent-up demand and the festive season could not have driven this recovery alone. She also pointed to revenue from the Goods and India can see a proper recovery next year on the back of positivity and Services Tax (GST) exceeding Rs 1 lakh crore for the second consecutive confidence due to Covid-19 vaccines, Union finance minister Nirmala month in November, as a clear indication that economic activity was Sitharaman said on Friday, arguing that steady growth and capacity returning to normal. expansion in the past two months had pulled the economy out of its “Recovery is consistently happening in the last two months…you hear pandemic trough. core sector industries, cement, iron and steel, integrated plants are all going in for expansion, not just in one unit but across the country, you’re Speaking at the 18th Hindustan Times Leadership Summit, Sitharaman hearing of expansion,” she said. also defended the Centre’s controversial farm reform laws, said she is not “There is an indication that additional demand coming in. It is not pent up worried about food inflation and hailed the spirit of cooperation that steers or festival demand. It is likely to sustain.” the running of the GST Council. Sitharaman contested the assumption that private sector investment continued to be weak, and said core sector expansion couldn’t happen The finance minister’s comments came days after UK became the first without additional private buy in. country in the world to approve a vaccine made by Pfizer-BioNTech, with “Banks are also seeing industry approach for additional expansion-related the United States and European Union expected to grant regulatory funding requests. You are seeing expansion in capacities and it cannot be clearances later this month to stave off a disease that has killed 1.5 million without private investment,” she said, adding that one may have to wait worldwide. for a month to see if credit is also equally expanding. When asked about inflation – hours after the Reserve Bank of India held So far, four vaccine candidates – including one that is being manufactured rates, indicating inflationary anxieties – Sitharaman said she was not in India -- have declared encouraging late-stage trial results. Hours before worried by what she termed as seasonal fluctuations. the summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that India is set to “There are seasonal ups and downs in prices and the commodities about get a vaccine within weeks. which we are seeing clear hike in prices are largely seasonal. If you take foodgrains and edible commodities, there are seasonal fluctuations. The “The vaccine coming brings in a certain positivity. A vaccine efficiently government, through inter-ministerial group, has been very frequently delivered…will only bring in confidence among the people, both the looking at changes and taking conscious calls to fill in any supply level workers, employers and also people who are engaged in some or the other shortages through imports and logistical constraints are getting sorted.” economic activity,” Sitharaman said at the 18th Hindustan Times “This blip in inflation, particularly of food items, will ease out.” Hours Leadership Summit. before, RBI governor Shaktikanta Das said retail inflation is likely to remain elevated and pegged it at 6.8% for the third quarter. Sitharaman defended the government’s relief measures for the middle class, and said 300 million people received cash transfers during the pandemic lockdown period but acknowledged that the fiscal deficit will certainly be higher than the 3.5% of GDP target set in the 2020 Union budget. “What has given me most strength is that people of India, given the challenges and difficulties, have still kept going and today, that’s the reason for the revival… It’s the virus and related matters were more of a worry than the economy,” she added “The vaccine will bring in optimism and positivity. With the vaccine, economic activity will get traction.” With 2020-21 being seen as when large numbers of Indians will get inoculated, with frontline workers and vulnerable populations prioritised, the finance minister also pointed towards the importance of logistics and distribution networks. She refused to specify how much money would be set aside for Covid-19 immunisation in next year’s Union budget. “We don’t know what will be the details which come with the vaccine. Will it be one dose or two doses? Will it be two doses with two or three weeks in between? Will two doses be sufficient? Unless we get all these details, I really cannot work towards a number.”

The Patriotic Bullettin www.patrioticbullettinonline.com 2020 DECEMBER 07 12 SCIENCE Chinese scientists make Study focuses on world’s first light-based restoring rudimentary quantum computer form of vision in the blind Google declared its 53-qubit quantum computer had achieved the same breakthrough last year as Chinese scientists have claimed.(Reuters) Chinese scientists claim to have created the world’s first light-based The idea of stimulating the brain via an implant to generate artificial quantum computer which can solve problems far faster than a classical visual percepts is not new and dates back to the 1970s.(Pixabay) supercomputer, an advance hailed by experts as a “major achievement” that provides a fundamentally different approach to designing such Restoration of vision in blind people through a brain implant is on the powerful machines, the official media reported on Saturday. verge of becoming reality. Recent discoveries at the Netherlands Institute Jiuzhang, the quantum computer, can reliably demonstrate “quantum for Neuroscience (NIN) show that newly developed high-resolution computational advantage”, a milestone in computing, state-run China implants in the visual cortex make it possible to recognise artificially Daily quoted a study published in the journal Science. induced shapes and percepts. Quantum computers excel at running simulations that are impossible for The findings were published in the journal Science. conventional computers, leading to breakthroughs in materials science, artificial intelligence and medicine. The idea of stimulating the brain via an implant to generate artificial visual percepts is not new and dates back to the 1970s. However, existing Jiuzhang takes its name from an ancient Chinese mathematical text. It can systems are only able to generate a small number of artificial ‘pixels’ at a perform an extremely esoteric calculation, called Gaussian boson time. At the NIN, researchers from a team led by Pieter Roelfsema are sampling, in 200 seconds. The same task would take the world’s fastest now using new implant production and implantation technologies, cutting- classical supercomputer Fugaku around 600 million years, the report said. edge materials engineering, microchip fabrication, and microelectronics, It is the second such milestone after Google declared its 53-qubit quantum to develop devices that are more stable and durable than previous computer had achieved such a breakthrough last year. implants. The first results are very promising. Jiuzhang used a new method of manipulating 76 photons to do Electrical stimulation calculations instead of Google’s, which uses superconductive materials, the report said. When electrical stimulation is delivered to the brain via an implanted electrode, it generates the percept of a dot of light at a particular location Experts hailed China’s quantum computer as a “state-of-the-art in visual space, known as a ‘phosphene.’ The team developed high- experiment” and a “major achievement” in quantum computing, as it resolution implants consisting of 1024 electrodes and implanted them in proves the feasibility of photonic quantum computation, thus providing a the visual cortex of two sighted monkeys. Their goal was to create fundamentally different approach to designing such powerful machines, it interpretable images by delivering electrical stimulation simultaneously said. via multiple electrodes, to generate a percept that was composed of multiple phosphenes. “The number of electrodes that we have implanted China has been investing heavily in mastering the quantum technology in in the visual cortex, and the number of artificial pixels that we can recent years. generate to produce high-resolution artificial images, is unprecedented,” says Roelfsema. In 2017, China had launched quantum communication satellite boosting hack proof and ultra-high security features, the Chinese Academy of Recognizing dots, lines and letters Sciences (CAS) said. The monkeys first had to perform a simple behavioural task in which they The Quantum Experiments at Space Scale (QUESS) satellite is the first- made eye movements to report the location of a phosphene that was ever space-ground test platform for quantum communication, Wang elicited during electrical stimulation via an individual electrode. They Jianyu, executive deputy chief engineer of the project had told the official were also tested on more complex tasks such as a direction-of-motion media earlier. task, in which micro-stimulation was delivered on a sequence of electrodes, and a letter discrimination task, in which micro-stimulation Chinese officials claimed that the quantum satellite was expected to was delivered on 8-15 electrodes simultaneously, creating a percept in the provide a full proof hack-free communications which make foreign form of a letter. The monkeys successfully recognized shapes and powers to monitor or intercept China’s communication systems. percepts, including lines, moving dots, and letters, using their artificial Later in the year, China has launched a 2,000-km “hack proof” quantum vision. communication line between capital Beijing and its commercial headquarters Shanghai which cannot be wiretapped. This research lays the foundations for a neuroprosthetic device that could allow profoundly blind people to regain functional vision and to recognize objects, navigate in unfamiliar surroundings, and interact more easily in social settings, significantly improving their independence and quality of life.

The Patriotic Bullettin www.patrioticbullettinonline.com 2020 DECEMBER 07 13 Potential life on Mars These suggest the Red Planet had abundant liquid water in the Noachian era, the researchers said. likely lived below the This apparent contradiction between the geological record and climate surface: Study models is the faint young sun paradox, they said. The study may help resolve what is known as the faint young sun On rocky planets like Mars, Earth, Venus and Mercury, heat-producing paradox -- a lingering key question in Mars science. elements like uranium, thorium and potassium generate heat via radioactive decay. In such a scenario, liquid water can be generated through melting at the bottom of thick ice sheets, even if the Sun was fainter than now. On Earth, for example, geothermal heat forms subglacial lakes in areas of the West Antarctic ice sheet, Greenland and the Canadian Arctic. The researchers noted that it is likely that similar melting may help explain the presence of liquid water on cold, freezing Mars 4 billion years ago. China’s spacecraft takes off from moon with lunar samples Life, if it ever originated on Mars, may have followed liquid water to progressively greater depths.(AP file photo) If life ever existed on ancient Mars, it would have lived up to several miles below the surface of the Red Planet, likely due to subsurface melting of thick ice sheets fuelled by geothermal heat, according to a study. The research, published in the journal Science Advances, examined various Mars datasets to see if heating via geothermal or underground heat would have been possible 4.1 billion to 3.7 billion years ago or in the Noachian era. They showed that the conditions needed for subsurface melting would have been ubiquitous on ancient Mars. Even if Mars had a warm and wet climate 4 billion years ago, with the loss of the magnetic field, atmospheric thinning and subsequent drop in global temperatures over time, liquid water may have been stable only at great depths, the researchers found. Therefore, life, if it ever originated on Mars, may have followed liquid A Chinese spacecraft carrying the country’s first lunar samples has started water to progressively greater depths, they said. its return journey from the moon, according to the country’s space authority. “At such depths, life could have been sustained by hydrothermal (heating) activity and rock-water reactions. So, the subsurface may China’s Chang’e-5 probe, comprising an orbiter, a lander, an ascender, represent the longest-lived habitable environment on Mars,” said lead and a returner, was launched on November 24, and its lander-ascender author Lujendra Ojha, an assistant professor at Rutgers University-New combination touched down on the north of the Mons Rumker in Oceanus Brunswick in the US. Procellarum, also known as the Ocean of Storms, on the near side of the moon on December 1. The study may help resolve what is known as the faint young sun paradox -- a lingering key question in Mars science. After the samples were collected and sealed, the ascender of Chang’e-5 took off from the lunar surface on Thursday at 11:10 pm (Beijing Time), “Even if greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and water vapour are pumped into the early Martian atmosphere in computer simulations, It represented the first-ever Chinese spacecraft to take off from an extra- climate models still struggle to support a long-term warm and wet terrestrial body. Mars,” said Ojha. The ascender is expected to complete the unmanned rendezvous and “I and my co-authors propose that the faint young sun paradox may be docking with the orbiter-returner in lunar orbit and the samples will be reconciled, at least partly, if Mars had high geothermal heat in its past,” transferred to the returner, the report said. he said. When the geometric relationship between Earth and the moon is suitable, The researchers noted that our sun is a massive nuclear fusion reactor the orbiter will carry the returner back to Earth. that generates energy by fusing hydrogen into helium. This is the first effort to bring samples from the moon in over 40 years. Over time, they explained, the Sun has gradually brightened and warmed The United States sent astronauts to the moon to collect samples. In the the surface of planets in our solar system. Soviet Union’s unmanned lunar sampling missions, the spacecraft took off from the moon and returned to Earth directly. According to the researchers, about 4 billion years ago, the Sun was much fainter so the climate of early Mars should have been freezing. The soils obtained from the Moon by the Chinese spacecraft are expected to provide information about its geological evolution and offer insights However, the surface of Mars has many geological indicators, such as into solar activities in the universe, according to the mission team. ancient riverbeds, and chemical indicators, such as water-related minerals.

The Patriotic Bullettin www.patrioticbullettinonline.com 2020 DECEMBER 07 14 EDUCATION UP CM distributes Board exams 2021: appointment letters to CISCE writes to all CMs 36,590 newly appointed to allow partial assistant teachers reopening of schools from January for classes 10 and 12 Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday distributed appointment letters through the online process to 36,590 newly appointed assistant teachers in primary schools. The Chief Minister also congratulated teachers who attended the event via The Chief Executive and Secretary Council for the Indian School video conferencing. Certificate Examinations (CISCE) has written to all chief ministers to allow schools to reopen partially from January onwards, especially for “Heartfelt wishes for the bright future to the newly appointed teachers in students of classes 10 and 12 who will be appearing for board exams. Primary Schools. The energy of all the talented and creative teachers who are selected by a fair and transparent recruitment process will help in The council has also written to the Chief Election Commissioner of India bringing changes in the primary level education. Congratulations to the to share the poll schedule of the states where elections are due in April newly appointed teachers!” Adityanath tweeted. and May so the datesheet for board exams can be finalised accordingly. Earlier on October 16, appointment letters were distributed to 31,227 “Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all schools have been closed from assistant teachers March 2020 till date. However, despite the closure, most of our schools have continued with the teaching and learning process in an online, offline IGNOU July 2020 or blended manner, as indicated by a survey conducted by CISCE on the status of online teaching, assessment and completion of syllabus,” said session: Application Gerry Arathoon, Chief Executive of CISCE. deadline further Arathoon asserted that if allowed to reopen, the schools will be informed to follow the directives of the state government regarding COVID-19 and extended till December to conform to the safety guidelines and the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) of the health department to prevent the spread of coronavirus. 15 “CISCE has also requested the Chief Election Commissioner of India to IGNOU July 2020 session: The Indira Gandhi National Open University share the election dates of the states that are due to have their elections in (IGNOU) has once again extended the deadline to apply for admission the months of April - May next year,” he said. and re-registration for July 2020 session. Students can now apply till December 15, 2020. “This will enable CISCE to finalise the schedules for ICSE (Class 10) and ISC (Class 12) year 2021 examinations and to ensure that there are no However, this extension of last date shall not apply to Certificate and clash of dates, interruption of the examinations or any inconvenience that Semester-based programmes, i.e., MP, MPB, PGDMM, PGDFM, may be faced by the candidates taking these examinations,” he added. PGDHRM, PGDOM, PGDFMP, DBPOFA, PGDIS, MCA, BCA, and all Certificate and Awareness programmes of 6 months duration or less. Schools across the country were closed in March to contain the spread of COVID-19 and partially reopened in some states from October 15. Candidates can apply online for all programmes at ignou.ac.in. However, a few states decided to keep them closed in view of a spike in infections. The programmes offered by IGNOU include all undergraduate, postgraduate, diploma, certificate, PG Certificate and The board had to cancel its pending exams in March view of the spike in appreciation/awareness level programmes. COVID-19 cases and the result was declared on the basis of an alternative assessment scheme. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) too is yet to take a decision on the schedule for conducting board exams next year. However, the board has ruled out conducting online exams and has clarified that the board exams will be in pen and paper mode only.

The Patriotic Bullettin www.patrioticbullettinonline.com 2020 DECEMBER 07 15 CBSE board exams 2021 Education ministry to to be held in written consult students on mode not online, dates schedule for exams in not yet finalised: Official 2021 The Central Board of secondary Education (CBSE) on Wednesday said The Union education ministry plans to consult students and their parents that no final decision has been taken regarding the dates for conduct of on the holding of examinations as a fresh cycle of key tests is set to begin board exams 2021. The board also said that consultations with with the onset of the New Year, a senior government official said. stakeholders are still in process before taking a final call. With the Covid-19 pandemic continuing, the education ministry thinks that the examination calendar for 2021 will need to be tweaked; students and their parents are the most important stakeholders in the process. CBSE spokesperson Rama Sharma informed reporters that the final dates Among the key exams that have to be conducted by the National Testing for conduct of board exams has not been taken, but they will be conducted Agency (NTA) and Central Board of Secondary Examination (CBSE) are in written mode and not online mode whenever they are held. the Joint Entrance Examination (Main) for admission to engineering schools, Class X and XII exams and the National Eligibility cum Entrance Sharma further said that the exams will be conducted following all Test for students aspiring to study medicine or dental science.. COVID-related protocols. In 2020, most of these exams were rescheduled, but were ultimately held Informing about practical exams, Sharma said in case students are not with strict safety protocols in place. able to do practicals in classes before the exams, alternatives to practical exams will have to be explored. “The ministry is planning to hold a consultation exercise for the next round of exams. It is likely that the process could begin in a day or two In the last week of November, a senior government official had told HT and then depending on the opinion of various stakeholders, Union that the education ministry plans to consult students and their parents education minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank could apprise students of regarding holding of examinations as a fresh cycle of key tests is set to the decisions taken,” said the official cited above. begin with the onset of the New Year. The official said that in opinion of education ministry the examination calendar for 2021 will need to be The decision could be taken as early as a week, the official added, tweaked as Covid-19 situation is still continuing. requesting anonymity. Among the important examination scheduled early next year are JEE (Main), which could be shifted to February or even March, from the conventional January. The CBSE board exams may be delayed by a few weeks from their typical February-March schedule. For the CBSE class X and XII board exams, the ministry will have to consider how many schools have completed their syllabi and how many have not. There are also concerns that there could be an urban-rural divide; schools with inadequate online tools risk falling behind. No final decision on dates has yet been taken, said a second ministry official. On Thursday, the NTA conducted one of the last major exams in 2020 – the CSIR-UGC NET exam to select candidates for the award of junior research fellowships and determining their eligibility for appointment as lecturers in universities and colleges..The exam was postponed in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry because of cyclone Nivar. The JEE (Main) exam for 2020 was held in September instead of April. Over 200,000 candidates did not take the JEE (Main) exam held earlier this month, a figure that is more than double the number of absentees the previous year, according to data shared by the Union education ministry in the Rajya Sabha. According to the data, of the 858,395 registered candidates, 649,612 took the exam this year. Candidates can take the JEE (Main) twice every year. The first test is held in January and the second in April. In 2020, the second test could not be held in April because of the pandemic.

The Patriotic Bullettin www.patrioticbullettinonline.com 2020 DECEMBER 07 16 SPORTS Kane Williamson creates Hamilton after Ross Taylor. But, the skipper achieved records, New Zealand something far more decisive along with Ross Taylor. On a dominate West Indies in green pitch and overcast conditions, Kane Williamson day 1 of Hamilton Test pounced on the erratic and inconsistent West Indies bowling as they wasted the conditions to smash an unbeaten 97 and a partnership of 75 with Ross Taylor. The duo helped New Zealand reach 243/2 at stumps on day 1 in the first Records for Williamson Kane Williamson dominated the West Indies to put New Zealand in a Kemar Roach finally ended Latham’s stint at the crease as the 154-run partnership between Williamson and Latham came to commanding position at the end of day 1 of the Hamilton Test. an end against the run of play. Taylor and Williamson ensured New Zealand didn`t suffer any further loss. Personally for Williamson, this is his 33rd Test as captain moving him ahead of Daniel Vettori (32 Tests) into third on the all-time New Zealand skipper list. Kane Williamson smashed 97 as New Zealand reached a good position against West Indies in the opening day of the Hamilton Test. Kane Williamson became the second New Zealand player to go past 1000 runs

The Patriotic Bullettin www.patrioticbullettinonline.com 2020 DECEMBER 07 17 Arsenal’s Arteta IPL's 10-team plan has expects difficult its pros and cons for January transfer BCCI to consider window Arsenal, who lost to Wolverhampton Wanders on Sunday, are 14th in the Premier League after 10 games and Arteta said they were not on track to meet their objectives. FOOTBALL Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta. (Pool via REUTERS) IPL Trophy. (BCCI/IPL Photo) Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta says the club do not have much room to MUMBAI: The BCCI has officially confirmed, by way of a notice sent manoeuvre in the January transfer window and may have to offload to call for the 89th Annual General Meeting (AGM) on December 24, players before they can add to the first-team squad. that a discussion needs to be held to decide if an Invitation To Tender (ITT) can be floated by the end of this month in order to invite two new Arsenal are reportedly looking for a creative midfielder, with RB franchises to join the Indian Premier League (IPL). That, however, may Salzburg’s Dominik Szoboszlai and Olympique Lyonnais’ Houssem not mean that the BCCI has decided it is looking to introduce two new Aouar among the options being considered, while Arteta would also teams. While contemplation is on, with serious intent, to do so, like to improve his defensive options. \"discussion\" still means that members attending the AGM in the last week of December will have to agree in majority.On the positive side, We are planning, talking with (technical director) Edu and with the club the BCCI can avoid the complications of another mega-auction in a year about the things we can do in January,” Arteta told reporters. from now if two new teams are brought on board together. If only one “But at the moment it’s pretty difficult, unpredictable as well. In terms team gets added for now, with the second to be brought in later, another of places, we are very restricted in the moment. mega auction will be needed in a year's time or so, which would once “We will need to do something knowing the limitations of that market again disturb the aesthetics of the first auction and make the process in January and the limitations we have as well to sign players.” repetitive and cumbersome. There are some more positives. With the Arsenal, who lost to Wolverhampton Wanders on Sunday, are 14th in dynamics of international cricket expected to change over the next few the Premier League after 10 games and Arteta said they were not on years - once the new Future Tours Program (FTP) of the International track to meet their objectives. Cricket Council (ICC) that is being drafted comes into effect post 2023 - the time is ripe for the IPL to expand its existing window and stake claim.

The Patriotic Bullettin www.patrioticbullettinonline.com 2020 DECEMBER 07 18 India vs Australia: Europa League: AC Natarajan can do well Milan and Tottenham under Virat's captaincy, reach knockouts, the way Zaheer did Arsenal stretch unbeaten under Ganguly's, says run to 5 games Karsan Ghavri Tottenham Hotspur, Antwerp, Lille, Villarreal, Braga, Dinamo Zagreb, Red Star Belgrade, PSV Eindhoven, Granada, Bayer Leverkusen, Slavia Prague, Rangers and Benfica joined AC Milan in booking their places in the last 32 of the Europan League on Thursday night. NEW DELHI: Indian cricket has seen a dearth of left-arm fast bowlers AC Milan registered a tremendous comeback win to join Tottenham in who have been able to cement a place for themselves in the playing XI of the Europa League knockout phase while Arsenal maintained their perfect late. After the likes of Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra and Irfan Pathan, many record with the 5th win in succession on Thursday came, made fleeting appearances but failed to make a lasting impact. The Milan came back from being 2 goals down in the game to stun Celtic 4-2 likes of Barinder Sran, Jaydev Unadkat, and Khaleel Ahmed are the latest at the San Siro while the Gunners, who had already qualified for the examples who couldn't be part of Team India's 'left-arm armoury'. knockouts, thrashed Rapied Wien 4-1 at the Emirates stadium. The latest on the list who seems to be an exciting prospect is T Natarajan. Tottenham on the other hand, needed just a point to advance which they . Making his international debut during the third ODI against Australia at did after being held to a 3-3 draw at LASK in a roller-coaster clash. the Manuka Oval, Natarajan bowled 10 overs and claimed two wickets, Antwerp, Lille, Villarreal, Braga, Dinamo Zagreb, Red Star Belgrade, conceding 70 runs. He dismissed Marnus Labuschagne for 7 runs and then PSV Eindhoven, Granada, Bayer Leverkusen, Slavia Prague, Rangers and removed Ashton Agar (28) as his second scalp. Benfica joined Milan and Spurs in booking their places in the last 32 on Though 70 in 10 overs are somewhat expensive figures, the courage the night. displayed by the 29 year old from Tamil Nadu in what were extreme pressure situations was praise-worthy. He came back strong to bowl very well in the death overs and finished strong.

The Patriotic Bullettin www.patrioticbullettinonline.com 2020 DECEMBER 07 19 ‘Even after 11 years, he ‘Sasural mein khoob continues to be grossly underrated’: khoob run banao’: Mohammad Kaif feels India all-rounder Sehwag, Yuvraj and Ravindra Jadeja ‘deserves more respect’ Rahul lead wishes as Dhawan turns 35 Former India cricketer Yuvraj Singh wished Dhawan a lot of success to ‘create some thunder down under’ as the left-handed batsman gears up for the second T20I against Australia on Sunday. It’s been 11 years since Ravindra Jadeja made his debut for India but it is India’s opening batsman Shikhar Dhawan is celebrating his 35th birthday unfortunate that he continues to be underrated, feels former batsman on Saturday. The left-handed batter is currently in Australia as India battle Mohammad Kaif. Kaif’s reaction comes after Jadeja hit a quickfire 23- the hosts in a T20 international series before they embark on four-match ball unbeaten 44 against Australia in the first T20I at the Manuka Oval on Test series. On the occasion, ‘Gabbar’ as he is fondly called received Friday and lifted the team to a total of 161/7, when things looked bleak for birthday wishes from several current and former cricketers . India at 92/5. Former India cricketer Yuvraj Singh wished Dhawan a lot of success to ‘create some thunder down under’ as the left-handed batsman gears up for the second T20I against Australia on Sunday. It’s now two matches in a row that Jadeja has saved India the blushes. In “Janamdin di lakh, lakh vadhaiyan jatt ji @SDhawan25. Wishing you the third ODI, Jadeja hit an impressive unbeaten half-century and along good health and loads of success.! Create some thunder down under!,” with a 92 not out from Hardik Pandya, powered India to a total of 302 Yuvraj tweeted. from the depths of 152/5. Jadeja started his career as a bowler who could bat, but over the years, his batting stocks have increased with the 31-year- India batsman KL Rahul, who was also Dhawan’s opening partner in the old playing several crucial knocks for India down the order. first T20I on Friday, wished the southpaw with all the happiness. One of the many memorable Jadeja knocks that come to mind is his “Happy birthday @SDhawan25, lots of love and wish u all the fighting half-century against New Zealand in the semifinal of the World happiness,” Rahul tweeted. Cup last year, which nearly got India home. And yet, there are those who continue to overlook Jadeja despite the amazing set of skills he brings to Former Indian cricketer VVS Laxman also wished Dhawan on his 35th the table, Kaif reckons. birthday. “For two successive games Ravindra Jadeja showed why he is of so much “Wishing @SDhawan25 a very very happy birthday. May you have a value to India in white-ball cricket as he provides much needed balance,” wonderful year and enjoy lots of success and happiness, Shikhar,” Kaif tweeted. “Even after 11 years he continues to be grossly underrated Laxman tweeted. and deserves a lot more respect than he gets. Feel India will miss him dearly.” Former opening batsman Virender Sehwag said he admires Dhawan a lot and showered heartfelt wishes on his birthday. The reason Kaif tweeted Jadeja will be missed is because the allrounder was ruled out of the remainder of the T20I series against Australia due to a concussion. Jadeja copped a blow to the helmet off a Mitchell Starc delivery during the first T20I, and even though he looked fine after the hit and batted on, it was revealed that the all-rounder showed symptoms of concussion after the end of India’s innings. He has been replaced by Shardul Thakur.

The Patriotic Bullettin www.patrioticbullettinonline.com 2020 DECEMBER 07 20 LIFESTYLE Avocado consumption One of the main challenges for the industry remains to ensure that supply keeps up with demand, to avoid a surge in prices, while also addressing hits record highs as criticism that places like Mexico resorted to deforestation to expand production, he said. people want to eat “We’re just scratching the surface in Europe, China” and other parts of healthy amid Covid-19 Asia and Southeast Asia,” said Steve Barnard, chief executive officer at Mission Produce Inc., the world’s largest supplier, which owns packing pandemic facilities and grows fruit as well. “India is starting to explore avocado consumption and based on the population in those areas, the expansion Avocados are no longer just a component of guacamole for parties and demand has huge opportunity for growth.” but has broadened to salads, burritos and of course, the hipster cliche of avocado toast, making the demand for the fruit accelerate as not To secure avocados year-round, the California-based company has been only the millennials and Gen Z but all age groups are opting for investing in countries such as Guatemala and Peru. Europe “presents a healthy eating amid Covid-19 pandemic great opportunity and is one of the reasons to be in Guatemala” to support expansion, he said. The company’s annual sales more than doubled over the past five years, which gives Barnard reason to be bullish even on China, where challenges remain. The company entered a a partnership with a local importer and a fruit retailer, and their Mr. Avocado venture is the first and currently the only supplier of ripe avocados in the Asian giant. “Chinese consumers are very attracted to the health benefits,” Barnard said. “Right now, China thinks of avocados as a smoothie and baby-food ingredient, whereas the U.S. thinks of avocado toast and guacamole, so as the country continues to gain access and familiarize themselves with the fruit, consumption will continue to grow.” Amar Chitra Katha celebrates the glorious naval and maritime Health-conscious consumers are eating avocados like never before during heritage of India withthe pandemic. After a brief drop in demand at the start of the Covid crisis, European and new comic series on US consumption are hitting record highs, according to Xavier Equihua, Navy Day chief executive officer of the World Avocado Organization, a trade group. “Consumption is off the charts,” Equihua said in an interview from California. “People want to eat healthy. The new luxury post-pandemic is going to be eating healthy, and wellness. Even the fashion industry is saying that.” Demand for the fruit has accelerated as more consumers eat at home. No longer just a component of guacamole for parties, its use has broadened to salads, burritos and, of course, the hipster cliche of avocado toast. Europe’s consumption will jump 12% this year to a record 1.48 billion pounds, according to import data, while US demand will increase 7%, Equihua said, citing industry projections. “It’s not only the millennials,” Equihua said. “They are now having kids and they are eating avocado, too. Gen Z also wants healthy food. We’re going to see a further explosion in the next six to eight years” when Europe may catch up to the top-consuming Americans, he said. The value of global avocado imports grew the fastest among main fruits A comic book series chronicling India’s maritime heritage was launched over the past decade, according to David Magana, senior analyst for by Navy Vice Chief Vice Admiral G Ashok Kumar on the occasion of Rabobank International. Global demand for Hass, the most popular Navy Day, officials said on Friday. variety, will grow at an annual rate of almost 5% through 2025, topping $8 billion globally, the Hass Avocado Board projects. Luckily for consumers, bumper crops in Mexico and California, the top The Navy spokesperson, in the following tweet, informed that the comic suppliers to the American market, brought prices down this year after a book released today tells the story of our nautical past, while the supply disruption in 2019 sent prices to record, Magana said. From 2010 upcoming book two and three will showcase the transformation of the to 2018, world output rose from 2.87 million tons to 6.4 million, with Indian Navy since the Independence. planted area nearly tripling, according to data from the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization, which excludes Chile, an important Every year, December 4 is celebrated as Navy Day to commemorate the producer. decisive naval action by the Indian Naval ships on Karachi Port, which heralded the victory of India over Pakistan in the Indo-Pak War of 1971. While lower prices have helped demand, US market penetration has room to grow, according to Equihua. The average American eats 8 pounds a year, compared with Mexico’s 20 pounds, he said.