Innholdsfortegnelse for Monday, February 20, 2023 i India Today

Today’s villains were yesterday’s heroes, or vice versa. That, after all, is how the cookie crumbles. It applies to businessmen, politicians, world leaders, even spiritual gurus. As new facts emerge, old perspectives change. So it has been with Gautam Adani, the 60-year-old chairman of the Ahmedabad-based Adani Group, who briefly became the second richest man in the world on September 19, 2022, and held on to the No. 3 spot in the Forbes rich list for a good many weeks last year. A man with the Midas touch, his group’s market capitalisation had grown nine-fold in just three years to touch Rs 18 lakh crore by December 2022, making it India’s second most valuable firm next only to the Tatas. Somewhere along the way, with a business empire spanning ports,…

An unusual fight has erupted in Kerala over former chief minister Oommen Chandy’s treatment for throat cancer, which the 79-year-old Congress leader was diagnosed with in 2019. His younger brother Alex and close associates alleged that he was being denied proper treatment. Former defence minister A.K. Antony, too, discussed the issue with his wife and son. Chandy himself defended his family in a Facebook video and said he was getting the best possible treatment in the country. Meanwhile, the Kerala government has instituted a six-member multi-disciplinary board to review the veteran Congressman’s health.…

On February 7, as Congress leader Rahul Gandhi made his explosive allegations against  Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Lok Sabha, accusing him of unduly favouring billionaire industrialist Gautam Adani at the cost of the country, he charged that “the real magic” started in 2014 after the BJP came to power in New Delhi. The list of accusations was long, with Rahul buttressing the charges by holding up pictures of the PM and Adani together in the latter’s private jet. The scathing attack on the PM went viral on social media, and Speaker Om Birla later expunged 18 remarks Rahul made against Modi and Adani, leading to a Congress leader tweeting on how “deMOcracy was cremated in the Lok Sabha”. In his reply the next day, PM Modi niftily turned around…

Q. Indian foreign minister S. Jaishankar said in October during his visit to New Zealand that the relationship between the two nations was “due for a refresh”. What do you think needed to change in the relationship? NANAIA MAHUTA: I think it was about giving the relationship greater momentum and ensuring consistency in our engagement. New Zealand and India have a positive relationship, but then we didn’t have an Indian minister visiting New Zealand for the last 20 years. We hope we can host the president (of India) in the near future. But it’s a longstanding relationship; we have people-to-people ties. Q. What are the two or three key thrust areas you are looking at for the ‘refresh’? Reflecting on the conversations I have had with Jaishankar, there is a…

↘ PROPER INVESTIGATION AND SPEEDY CONVICTION in the sacrilege incidents and the subsequent Kotkapura/Behbal Kalan police firing that killed two protesters in 2015 ↘ THE RELEASE OF SIKH MILITANTS, or ‘Bandi Singhs’, who remain lodged in jails for decades now. Beant Singh assassin Balwant Singh Rajoana is among them ↘ AN ALL INDIA SIKH GURDWARA ACT to bring about a reunited SGPC, and free Sikh institutions from government control. Haryana has constituted its own gurdwara panel ↘ CHANDIGARH’S TRANSFER TO PUNJAB and termination of the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) Canal project, two key sticking points with Haryana and the Centre ↘ BETTER REPRESENTATION FOR SIKHS in the higher echelons of judiciary, bureaucracy, defence and other security forces besides academia…

↘ CM Stalin closely tracks the REVENUE DEPARTMENT, which processes 27 citizen-centric certificates. Pendency is a concern and Stalin’s watch has helped speed up disposal. Data revealed that 800-odd posts of land surveyors were lying vacant, leading to delays. The CM has asked for posts to be filled by mid-2023. ↘ Textiles hub TIRUPPUR’S CRIME RATE has been high and data showed that while original residents numbered just 500,000, migrant workers had swelled the population to 1.4 million. The 13 police stations were not enough to cover the region. The number of stations have been increased and staff strength beefed up.…

WHAT IS COPD? ↘ Regular exposure to throat irritants causes inflammation and obstruction in the airways. When the obstruction gets severe, breathing becomes difficult. This condition is known as COPD. ↘ According to the global burden of disease (GBD) data in 2019, COPD was the second leading cause of death and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) in India. The cases have increased by nearly 10 million from 1990 to 2019. ↘ While smoking has traditionally been the most common cause of COPD, GBD data shows that 48 per cent of COPD deaths were due to non-smoking causes in India ↘ Air pollution is the second most common cause. Several studies show that toxic air greatly increases the risk of developing COPD. EARLY WARNINGS FOR COPD While breathlessness is a major symptom,…

You can tell a lot about a musician by the instrument they choose to play, and that’s especially true for Trilok Gurtu. The 71-year-old percussionist and composer has assembled a truly unique “floor kit” consisting of a tabla, drums, gongs, a djembe, ghungroo, cowbells and a water-filled bucket, which reflects the range of his stylistic influences. Much like his kit, Gurtu’s music transcends genre and tradition—American jazz, Indian classical, African rhythm. This vision, of music without any barriers, has been his guide over a five-decade career as one of the most innovative musicians of our time. “Music is one, God is one, that’s what my guru [Ranjit Maharaj] told me,” he says when we meet for coffee near his family home in Mumbai. The Germany-based musician is in town ahead…

How Nitish’s Samadhan Yatra has stirred Bihar politics By Amitabh Srivastava If Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra injected hope in the Congress, the Bihar CM’s statewide tour has made opponents sit up and take notice https://bit.ly/3HCpHBC STORY OF THE DAY Can Mamata weather the ‘corruption’ storm ahead of the Bengal panchayat polls? By Romita Datta Singed by allegations of irregularities in housing and job schemes, the Trinamool Congress has launched a village-to-village outreach to douse public anger and win back trust https://bit.ly/3Ys47GY GROUND REPORT | MAHARASHTRA ASSEMBLY BYPOLL Why the BJP may face Brahmin voters’ ire in the Maharashtra assembly bypoll By Dhaval Kulkarni The February 26 by-elections to the Kasba Peth and Chinchwad assembly segments in Pune are expected to indicate which way political winds are blowing after the…

Caste seems the ultimate determinant of politics in Uttar Pradesh. In the newest season of Mandal battle offensives, though, it is taking on Mandir in a bare-knuckled confrontation. Bihar education minister Chandrashekhar may have been the straw that stirred the varna drink first with cutting remarks on medieval Bhakti poet Tulsidas and his classic Ramcharitmanas, but senior Samajwadi Party leader Swami Prasad Maurya has opened up another flank in the debate—and roiled UP’s political waters too in the process. While a section of his party now seems to want to make the most of it, pro-Hindutva voices are cavilling in anger. But even the BJP seems wary of letting Mandal leaders run away with the script, and has been forced into a pro-Mandal gesture on the caste census. At recent…

Tamil Nadu is India’s leading medical tourism destination, and attracts patients from around the world. According to the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), every year about 15 lakh patients visit Tamil Nadu for medical diagnosis and treatment. The major hospitals have dedicated services for international patients, and patients from across India too, visit Tamil Nadu for treatment. Tamil Nadu is known for its world-class medical facilities, highly trained medical professionals, and affordable treatment options. One of the key attractions of medical tourism in Tamil Nadu is its focus on traditional Indian healing practices, such as Ayurveda and Siddha. These practices offer a holistic approach to healing and are becoming increasingly popular among patients seeking alternative forms of treatment. In addition, Tamil Nadu also boasts advanced medical facilities, including state-of-the-art hospitals…

At Xavier University’s convocation ceremony in Kolkata, where Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was conferred a D.Litt., governor C.V. Ananda Bose compared her with John Milton, Winston Churchill, S. Radhakrishnan and A.B. Vajpayee, all renowned statesmen and also known for their literary pursuits. However, it was the comparison with poet-PM Vajpayee that riled the Bengal BJP. The saffron leaders could not fathom how someone cherry-picked by Union home minister Amit Shah and thought to be the prime minister’s preferred bureaucrat do something like this. The Left is laughing out loud.…

When Gautam Adani became India’s richest individual and the world’s third wealthiest towards the end of 2022, he shrugged off such rankings as inconsequential. The chairman of the Adani Group, a multi-billion-dollar ports-to-power conglomerate, told INDIA TODAY, “I get my thrills from handling challenges—the bigger they are, the happier I am.” Standing before him now is the biggest challenge of his career and the consequences so far have been completely unfavourable for him and the Ahmedabad-based group he has built single-handedly. Adani Enterprises had been preparing to launch an FPO (follow-on public offer) when, on January 24, the New York-based short-seller Hindenburg Research came out with a sensational report that levelled a series of allegations against the group, including stock-market manipulation and accounting fraud. The group’s shares plummeted, eroding as…

YES! I WISH TO SUBSCRIBE TO INDIA TODAY Please tick your subscription choice and send the form to: We Care, Living Media India Limited, C-9, Sector 10, Noida-201301 (India) SCAN HERE TO SUBSCRIBE FOR MORE DETAILS ON THE OFFER, YOU MAY CONTACT THROUGH BELOW OPTIONS PHONE 18001800100 E-MAIL wecare@intoday.com LOG ON TO www.indiatoday.in/subscribe Whatsapp "Hi" to +91 8597778778 Living Media India Ltd. reserves the right to terminate or extend this offer or any part thereof at any time. For other terms and conditions, please visit www.indiatoday.in IRS 2019 Q4 (TR)…

Veteran filmmaker ADOOR GOPALAKRISHNAN is a colossus of Indian cinema who, over the past five decades, has also been a cultural ambassador of sorts for his home state Kerala. During this time, the 81-year-old auteur has made 12 features, which include world-renowned gems such as Elipathayam (The Rat Trap) and Vidheyan (The Servile), and some 30 documentaries. He has won the National Film Award 16 times and was awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 2006. Adoor resigned on January 31 as chairman of the K.R. Narayanan National Institute of Visual Science and Arts, Kottayam. This was a corollary to the resignation of Shankar Mohan, a reputed filmmaker and administrator who resigned from his position as director of the institute following student protests and allegations of caste discrimination. Adoor talked to Jeemon Jacob about…

Kanpur University vice-chancellor Professor Vinay Kumar Pathak rejoined office recently after two and a half months. He had gone incommunicado after an FIR was registered against him for bribery, corruption and extortion. The media cell of the university says the V-C was on medical leave. Pathak’s return has come as a shock as the CM’s office had wanted action against him. Opposition parties are now questioning the government’s declared policy of zero tolerance against corruption and hinting at some sort of behind-the-door “settlement”.…

Composition: A JPC comprises members of both ruling and Opposition parties, from both Houses of Parliament. Mandate: A JPC’s mandate is decided during the motion. The committee is authorised to collect evidence in oral or written form or demand documents related to the matter. If a witness fails to appear before the JPC, his conduct amounts to contempt of the House. The proceedings and findings of the committee are confidential, except in matters of public interest. The JPC is dissolved when the task is completed. Power: JPC recommendations have persuasive value but the committee cannot force the government to take any action. The government may decide to launch fresh investigations on a JPC report. It is required to report on the follow-up action taken on the recommendations of the JPC…

INCUMBENTS ↘ GIANI HARPREET SINGH Who is he: The chief of Sikh seminary Damdami Taksal, he is also the acting jathedar (custodian) of Akal Takht, the community’s highest spiritual seat Panthic push: Finding his influence waning, the jathedar is pushing for panthic unity on contentious issues, such as the release of Sikh militants ↘ HARJINDER SINGH DHAMI Who is he: Heads Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, which is tasked with managing Sikh religious institutions Panthic push: Drawing flak for being ineffective in dealing with proliferation of deras and churches in Punjab and separate gurdwara bodies elsewhere, he got portraits of Sikh militants installed in the Central Sikh Museum ↘ SUKHBIR SINGH BADAL Who is he: The chief of Shiromani Akali Dal, the original custodian of panthic politics for over a century Panthic push:…

The digital dashboard is a visual display of important information on government programmes, consolidated and arranged on a single screen for easy monitoring. For this, at the apex CM’s office level, the Tamil Nadu e-Governance Agency (TNeGA) created the exclusive TN Decision Support System (DeTN) in October 2021. When needed, new features are added to provide functional utility and visual and analytical depth. DeTN, as a connected data ecosystem, is distinct from similar initiatives in other states as it runs from the CMO. This is even as government departments, directorates and flagship projects are in different stages of developing software on their own to assist the initiative.…

Shashank Mishra had never heard of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) till his 69-year-old father was diagnosed with it last December. Since then, life has turned upside down for the Delhi-based engineer, because “there is nothing more difficult than watching a parent struggle for breath”. Common COPD symptoms include breathlessness, constant mucus formation and wheezing, which prevents many patients from falling asleep. “My father is now going to respiratory rehab, but since there is only one centre near our house, getting an appointment takes long,” says Mishra. It is a problem many in the country have found themselves facing in the past few years. “COPD is not Covid or asthma,” says Dr Vivek Singh, director of respiratory and sleep medicine at the Medanta hospital in Gurugram. “It is an irreversible…

Itis almost nine on an early January morning, and the day has begun in earnest in Sakleshpur, a town located at the edge of the Western Ghats in Karnataka’s Hassan district. Sachin Gowda, a planter, is getting his 10-year-old son ready for school. It’s the land of coffee—in the front yard of Gowda’s estate home laid out to dry in the winter sun are coffee berries from the first pickings of the season, which will stretch till February. Soon, the plants will blossom and clothe the undulating terrain in a sea of white, stringy flowers. By now, the picking of berries should have been in full swing. But Gowda has given the day off to his workers, fearing for their safety. A herd of 26 elephants has moved into the plot…

Q. Was Mimi [2021] the game-changer in your career in the way people see and treat you differently now? Absolutely. People take me a lot more seriously as an actor… Every actor has milestones and Mimi was one for me. Bareilly ki Barfi was also one, where it was like ‘Yeh acting bhi kar sakti hai [she can act too]’ and ‘there’s more to her than the looks’. Q. Shehzada feels like a safe bet. It is a remake of a hit Telugu film [Ala Vaikuntha-purramuloo, 2020], and you work with Kartik Aaryan, with whom you have had a hit already. Was it challenging? I am a very commercial audience and I like watching films like Hum Aapke Hain Koun…!, Hum Saath Saath Hain, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, which had a lot…