Indian American GitanjaliRao is the first ever

TIME "Kid of the Year"

NEW YORK (TIP): 15-year-old IndianAmerican Gitanjali Rao, a "brilliant"young scientist and inventor, has beennamed by TIME magazine as the first-ever 'Kid of the Year' for her"astonishing work" using technology totackle issues ranging from

contd on page 2

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Parkash Singh Badal, Sukhdev SinghDhindsa return Padma awards in protest against farm laws

"Most painful and embarrassing moment in my long political career": Prakash Singh BadalNEW DELHI / NEW YORK (TIP): Former Union Minister

and five-time Chief Minister of Punjab Parkash Badal onThursday, December 3, returned the Padma Vibhushan award inprotest against "the betrayal of the farmers by the Government ofIndia." In a letter to President Ram Nath Kovind, Badal said hewas returning the award due to "the shocking indifference andcontempt with which the government was treating the ongoingpeaceful and democratic agitation of the farmers against thethree farm Acts".

Incidentally, SAD (Democratic) chief and rebel Rajya Sabhamember Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa has also announced that hewould be returning his Padma Bhushan award. Dhindsa waspresented the Padma Bhushan-third highest civilian award -byPresident Kovind last year for his contribution in the field ofpublic affairs. Welcoming the decision of the Akali stalwart,Congress leader Sunil Jakhar said it was the outcome of thegrowing public pressure and mass movement against the farmbills. contd on page 2

Prakash Singh Badal and Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, once allies of BJP ,have returned their Padma awards in protest against "the betrayal of

the farmers by the Government of India."

Moratorium on federal studentloan payments extendedthrough end of January

WASHINGTON (TIP): EducationSecretary Betsy DeVos on Friday,December 4, extended the suspension offederal student loan payments throughthe end of January, giving Congress andthe incoming Biden administrationtime to impose a longer moratorium,The Washington Post reported.

contd on page 2

The agitating farmers in India get hugesupport from Indian Americans

I.S. SALUJA The first week of December witnessed

in New York and New Jerseyenthusiastic support for agitatingfarmers in India, and a damningcondemnation of Modi government'santi-farm sector policies.

States of New York and New Jerseyon the East Coast have a sizeablepopulation of Indian Americans , manyof whom come from farming families.

contd on page 6

A section ofprotesters on5th Avenue in

front of theIndian Consulatein New York on

December 5

Photo /Courtesy

Gurinder Hothi

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Parkash Singh Badal, Sukhdev..."The BJP leadership should be gracious enough to respect

the larger sentiments and call up the Akali stalwart to find away forward in solving the farmers' agitation".

He also welcomed the announcement by Sukhdev SinghDhindsa to return the Padma Bhushan.

The full text of Parkash Singh Badal's letter:

Honorable Rashtarpati ji,I write this letter to return the Padma Vibhushan award in

protest against the betrayal of the farmers by the Governmentof India and against the shocking indifference and contemptwith which the Govt is treating the ongoing peaceful anddemocratic agitation of the farmers against the Farm Acts.

When the Government of India had brought the Ordnances,assurances were given that the farmers' apprehensions onthese Ordinances would be addressed to their satisfactionwhile bringing the relevant Bills and subsequently the Acts.Trusting these assurances, I even appealed to the farmers tobelieve the Government's word. But I was shocked when theGovernment simply went back on its word.

That was the most painful and embarrassing moment in mylong political career. I just cannot put in words the emotionalstress which I have been going through since then. I have trulybegun to wonder why has the Government of the countrybecome so heartless, so cynical and so ungrateful towards thefarmers.

While writing this letter to you, I am conscious that I addressmyself to a President who presides over the destiny of apopulation 70% of whom are farmers. For over 70 years, thesefarmers have been serving the country as its "Annadata" withthe most selfless and self-effacing humility.

I hardly need repeat that the country owes a huge and almostirrepayable debt to them. When the country faced hunger andhumiliation in the sixties, having to beg for food in worldcapitals, the Government turned to the farmers to pull it out ofstarvation. The farmer responded so heartily that in a matterof three years, he turned the country from a food-begging to afood exporting country.

The tide was turned principally by Punjab with GreenRevolution. But in the process, he sacrificed the only twonatural assets he had: soil fertility and water.

Today however, the same farmer finds himself forced towage bitter struggles just to secure his fundamental right tolive . The three Acts fell as bolts from the blue on the alreadybeleaguered peasantry of the country.

Now, the spectacle of hundreds of thousands of farmerscrying out for justice in one voice in the national capital wouldhave moved any other nation or its government. Tragically, nosuch sensitivity towards the farmers' pain and anger is visiblehere. I am sure that as the first Citizen of our great countryand a conscientious public figure, you would be fully aware andperhaps as deeply concerned about these developments as Ihave been.

Even before these Acts were passed, the poor farmers hadalready been in the grip of sever crisis throughout the country.Agriculture was never a lucrative profession in our country asthe costs of agricultural inputs had been rising steeply withwhile there has been just meager hike or no hike on the pricesof agricultural produce. But in recent years, the crisisdeepened with farmers unable to meet the rising costs ofinputs and were driven to draw unbearable loans just to be ableto keep feeding their families. When farm friendly parties likethe Shiromani Akali Dal pleaded for debt relief to farmers inoverall national interest, they were mocked. It was cynicallysuggested that farmers take loans just for ostentatiouslifestyle. This cruel cynicism and malice against the farmersdid not stop even when thousands of farmers in this countrywere and are being driven to take their own lives in aphenomenon called farmer suicides.

Isn't it amazing and unjust that lakhs of crores of corporateloans are waived off with just a single thoughtless stroke of thegovernmental pen? But no one has ever thought of evensubsiding the farm debts, forget a complete waiver. Instead, thecountry chose to let its Annadata die.

Against this background, the Black Laws now implementedby the Govt have come as the proverbial last nail in the coffinof the country's annadata. The farmers are out on the streetsbattling police batons, tear gas shells and water cannons evenas their sources of livelihood dry up. They have come to the

national Capital from all over the country, leaving their fields,crops and even their families and travelled long distances -thousands of kilometers in some cases - to get the attention oftheir own government.

(Read full story at www.theindinapanorama.news)

Indian American Gitanjali Rao is the...contaminated drinking water to opioid addiction and

cyberbullying."The world belongs to those who shape it. And however

uncertain that world may feel at a given moment, thereassuring reality seems to be that each new generationproduces more of what these kids have already achieved:positive impact, in all sizes," Time said.

Ms Rao was selected from a field of more than 5,000nominees as TIME's first-ever 'Kid of the Year'. She wasinterviewed by actor and activist Angelina Jolie for the TIMEspecial.

"Observe, brainstorm, research, build and communicate,"Ms Rao told about her process during a virtual talk with MsJolie from her home in Colorado.

She spoke about her "astonishing work using technology totackle issues ranging from contaminated drinking water toopioid addiction and cyberbullying, and about her mission tocreate a global community of young innovators to solveproblems the world over.

"Even over video chat, her brilliant mind and generous spiritshone through, along with her inspiring message to otheryoung people: don't try to fix every problem, just focus on onethat excites you," Time said.

"If I can do it," she said in the interview, "anybody can do it."Ms Rao said her generation is facing many problems that

they have never seen before."But then at the same time, we're facing old problems that

still exist. Like, we're sitting here in the middle of a new globalpandemic, and we're also like still facing human-rights issues.There are problems that we did not create but that we now haveto solve, like climate change and cyberbullying with theintroduction of technology," she said.

"I think more than anything right now, we just need to findthat one thing we're passionate about and solve it. Even if it'ssomething as small as, I want to find an easy way to pick uplitter. Everything makes a difference. Don't feel pressured tocome up with something big," she said.

When asked when she knew that science was her passion, MsRao said, she always wanted to put a smile on someone's face."That was my everyday goal, just to make someone happy. Andit soon turned into, how can we bring positivity andcommunity to the place we live?" she added.

Ms Rao said that she doesn't look like "your typical scientist.Everything I see on TV is that it's an older, usually white manas a scientist. It's weird to me that it was almost like people hadassigned roles, regarding like their gender, their age, the colorof their skin."

"My goal has really shifted not only from creating my owndevices to solve the world's problems, but inspiring others to dothe same as well. Because, from personal experience, it's noteasy when you don't see anyone else like you. So I really wantto put out that message: If I can do it, you can do it, and anyonecan do it," she said.

She said when she was in second or third grade, she startedthinking about how she can use science and technology tocreate social change. She said she was 10 when she told herparents that she wanted to research carbon nanotube sensortechnology at the Denver Water Quality Research Lab.

When asked by Ms Jolie if she does things that kids her agedo, she said, "Actually I spend more time doing 15-year-oldthings during the quarantine. I bake an ungodly amount. It'snot good, but it's baking. And, like, it's science too."

Moratorium on federal student loan..."The coronavirus pandemic has presented challenges for

many students and borrowers, and this temporary pause inpayments will help those who have been impacted," DeVos saidin a statement Friday. "The added time also allows Congress todo its job and determine what measures it believes arenecessary and appropriate. The Congress, not the executivebranch, is in charge of student loan policy."

The payment freeze, which was first introduced in Marchand later extended, had been set to expire Dec. 31.

NEW YORK CITY, NY (TIP): The firstof the COVID-19 vaccines will arrive inNew York City as early as December 15with high-risk health care workers andnursing home residents and staff toreceive the first doses, said Mayor deBlasio at his daily press briefing onThursday, December 3.

Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccineswill be rolled out this month, with Pfizer'sarriving on December 15 and Moderna'son December 22, Mayor announced

The city is working with Gov. Cuomo'soffice on a distribution plan, which willinclude over 400,000 doses in the month ofthe December.

The mayor said it will take at least a fewmonths before the vaccine can be widelydistributed to all New Yorkers, withpriority going to those in need, includingthose living in the neighborhoods mostdeeply affected by the coronavirus.

"But we're going to, throughout thisprocess, work on the fastest and mosteffective distribution because the fasterwe can move and the more we can educatepeople and the more we can get peopleinvolved, the more people who will besafe," the mayor said.

The announcement comes as the city'scoronavirus indicators continue to movein the wrong direction, according to themayor. As of Thursday, the daily positivityrate stood at 3.9%, the seven-day averagewas at 5.19% and daily hospitaladmissions for suspected coronavirus wasat 174, just below the 200 threshold.

"It's quite clear at this point that the thissecond wave is unfortunately right uponus," Mayor de Blasio said.

The mayor said the one promising signis that city ICUs are not seeing the stressthey did back in the spring.

As for the vaccine, the healthdepartment has the ability to receive,store and ship up to 320,000 doses of thePfizer vaccine as well as millions of dosesof the Moderna one, according to the city'shealth commissioner, Dr. Dave Chokshi.

(Read full story atwww.theindianpanorama.news)

03THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2020NY/NJ/CT

HOUSE OF SPICES, THE OLDEST SOUTH ASIANFOOD COMPANY SET TO EXPAND IN THE US

2nd Generation Family Owners Share Company's New Vision FOR THE U.S. Market

NEW YORK (TIP): House of Spices is the oldestSouth Asian food company in the USA and is widelyknown by its brand "Laxmi". It has evolved over theyears as a business leader in the South Asian food spacewith multiple leading South Asian food brands underits umbrella offering condiments, pantry items, snacks,candy, spices and frozen foods representing all regionsof India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Born out of the absolute need of a young family to beable to enjoy cuisines from their homeland while beingaway from home, it was founded in 1972 by IndianImmigrant G.L Soni who longed to enjoy authenticcuisine from India. As a South Asian immigrant coupleliving in New York, the Sonis, particularly Mrs.Shobhana Soni, faced challenges daily to find Indianingredients for home cooking. This inspired Mr. Soni tostart importing Indian cooking ingredients andfounding the 'LAXMI' brand. Mr. Soni fittingly named it

Laxmi in honor of his parents, Mr. Laxmidas and Mrs.Laxmibai. Also, since Goddess Laxmi embodiesabundance, the name perfectly fits the company's visionof providing authentic cooking ingredients inabundance to South Asian families living in the USAand helping them stay connected with their culturesthrough food.

Today, 48 years later the next generation of the familycarries the torch and enhanced vision into the expandingmarketplace. The children of the founder, Neil & AmarpaliSoni have taken over the company with their sights set onaggressive business expansion, new branding, marketingand distribution, while maintaining the family andcompany values.

The South Asian Market is the fastest growingpopulation in the U.S. since 2000 with a total population of6 million and growing - a 81% growth over the last 10 years!Furthermore, the Asian Indians have a combineddisposable income of $88 billion and an estimated annualbuying power of $20 billion and these numbers aregrowing. The brother and sister duo know that the time isnow to leverage this strong growth of the South Asiansegment and do so by delivering authentic ethnic SouthAsian cuisines and ingredients. They strive hard to ensurethat every item with their brand name is delivered withpurity, quality and value. The recent rebrand of their logoalso demonstrates an effort from the young leaders of thecompany, to be more inclusive towards the overall SouthAsian diaspora and representative of the hospitality andabundance that are trademarks of their culture. The newLaxmi logo is contemporary, universal and visuallyappealing and the icon represents a modernized red andgold Lotus with auspicious royal overtones. But despite thechanges and the new vision of the co-presidents, thesignature product line encompassing the 'Laxmi' Brandstays true to its authentic Indian roots providing thecommunity a way to stay connected to their culture andcuisine. With aspirations to take their product line to themainstream market, House of Spices is poised to bring theIndian grocery store items into our neighborhood big boxgrocery retailers and give a new spin to cooking withhealthy, authentic and fresh Indian ingredients.

(Based on a press release)

Neil & Amarpali Soni have taken over the company with theirsights set on aggressive business expansion, new branding,marketing and distribution, while maintaining the family and

company values.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announcedDecember 3 that City will be getting in twoweeks the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines -

File photo

HICKSVILLE, NY (TIP): GunjanRastogi, a well-known community leader inthe New York region has been elected as thenew President of the National Indo-American Association for SeniorCitizens(NIAASC). Rajeshwar Prasad, thefounder and the outgoing President ofNIAASC, made the announcement at theorganization's 22nd annual meeting andBoard of Directors Meeting (held virtually)on November 8, 2020.

Mr. Prasad elaborated on the process ofNIAASC Board elections: one-third Boardmembers retire every year; however theyare eligible for reelection if they arerecommended by the NominatingCommittee and approved by the GeneralBody at its annual meeting. Of the fiveretiring members, three would continue asBoard members for a period of three yearsending December 31, 2023.

Two members of NIAASC were alsorecommended by the NominatingCommittee to serve on the Board of

Directors and approved by the general body:They are Baldev Seekri, from Rhode Islandand Santosh Kumar from Chicago area.Both Seekri and Kumar, life members ofNIAASC, were speakers at NIAASC'sannual meeting in 2019 held atShantiniketan, Tavares, Florida.

The officers were elected for two-year terms:● Gunjan P. Rastogi, currently the

NIAASC Secretary, was elected asPresident

● Dr. Bhavani Srinivasan, currentlyVicePresident, was reelected as VicePresident for the second full term.

● Harbachan Singh, currently a Boardmember, was elected as Secretary, and

● E M Stephen, who has been associatedwith NIAASC since its inception, waselected as Treasurer.

To learn more about NIAASC or to becomea member, please visit www.niaasc.org.

National Indo-American Association For SeniorsInc. elects officers for 2021

2021 Officers. Gunjan Rastogi (President) ; Dr. Bhawani Sirinivasan (Vice President); HarbachanSingh ( Secretary); EM Stephen (Treasurer)

MAYOR SAYS VACCINES ARE ARRIVING IN LESS THAN TWO WEEKS

WASHINGTON (TIP): US President-elect Joe Biden has selected two formerObama administration officials forsenior roles to help fight COVID-19,including the appointment of Jeff Zientsas White House coronavirus coordinator,media reported on Thursday, December3.

Biden adviser Vivek Murthy willreturn to his role as Surgeon General butwith a broader portfolio as the pandemicrages through the country, Politico said,citing two people familiar with thedecision.

Dealing with the virus that has killedmore than 274,000 Americans as well asthe economic fallout from the crisis isone of Biden's top priorities once hetakes office on Jan. 20.

Politico also said Marcella Nunez-Smith, a co-chair of Biden's COVID-19advisory board, will play a key role in theincoming administration's pandemicresponse, focused on disparities.

Current White House coronavirus taskforce member Anthony Fauci, the top USgovernment infectious diseases expert,was scheduled to have his firstsubstantive talks with the new

administration on Thursday.Fauci told media he expected to have a

comprehensive discussion withmembers of Biden's team working toestablish priorities and ensure a smoothtransition on Inauguration Day.

He said that although he had spokenwith both Zients and Biden's WhiteHouse Chief of Staff Ron Klain in thepast, this would be his first "substantivediscussions" with the Biden team.

"I'm looking forward to it. It likely willbe the first of a series of normal type oftransition undertaking," Fauci toldMSNBC. A Biden transition officialconfirmed the meeting.

Fauci told CBS he wished the processhad begun sooner. The administration ofoutgoing President Donald Trump onlygave the green light for the transition tobegin on Nov. 23. Trump, a Republican, iscontesting the Nov. 3 election, allegingelectoral fraud but offering no evidence.Numerous legal challenges beingpursued around the country have failedto bear fruit, most recently on Thursdaywhen Wisconsin's Supreme Courtdeclined to take up a case filed againstelection officials in the battleground

state.

SECOND SURGE

As director of the National Institute ofAllergies and Infectious Diseases, Faucihas been the most high-profile memberof the White House task force since thepandemic began, often disagreeing withTrump on how to combat the virus.

Fauci told MSNBC he expected to stayon in his current role under the Bidenadministration. U.S. deaths from thecoronavirus pandemic have surged past2,000 for two days in a row as the mostdangerous season of the yearapproaches. Nearly 200,000 new U.S.cases were reported on Wednesday, withhospitalizations approaching 100,000patients. With Pfizer's vaccine alreadyapproved by regulatory authorities inBritain, hopes of a respite are resting onthe start of widespread vaccinations asearly as this month.

Zients, a wealthy businessman whohas moved between the public sector andcorporate America, will oversee themammoth and unprecedented operationto distribute hundreds of millions ofdoses of the new vaccine in the United

States, coordinating efforts acrossmultiple federal agencies.

In recent weeks, Zients has served as apandemic liaison of sorts withgovernors and state officials, frequentlyjoining calls to share data and discussconcerns, according to two sourcesfamiliar with the calls.

Biden announced that Brian Deese,who helped lead then-President BarackObama's efforts to bail out the automotiveindustry during the 2009 financial crisis,will head the National Economic Council."I'm asking Brian Deese to do this jobbecause he's someone who looks at hardproblems and finds solutions that helpmake life better for American families,"Biden said in a video posted by histransition team. "He'll be the first who isa true expert on climate policy."

04THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2020INDIANS ABROAD

Indian American Vivek Murthy tolead COVID-19 fight

Vivek Murthy will return to his role asSurgeon General with a broader portfolio as

the pandemic rages through the country

Indian American Maju Varghese to plan Biden-Harris inauguration

Indian Origin former US Ambassador to India, RichardVerma joins Mastercard as Executive Vice PresidentWASHINGTON (TIP):

Former US Ambassador to IndiaRichard Verma has joinedleading financial servicescompany Mastercard as itsexecutive vice-president forglobal public policy andregulatory affairs.

In this capacity, RichardVerma will oversee thecompany's public policy,regulatory affairs and litigationteams around the world,Mastercard said in a statement.

Mr Verma joins Mastercardfrom capital advisory firm The Asia Group, where he served as vice-chair and partner. He was US Ambassador to India from 2014 to 2017. Inaddition, Mr Verma was the Assistant Secretary of State for LegislativeAffairs, where he led the department's efforts on Capitol Hill, and wasthe former National Security Advisor to the Senate Majority Leader formany years.

Rich (Verma) is a proven leader with extensive experience in publicpolicy, geopolitics, trade and international law, said Ajay Banga, ChiefExecutive Officer, Mastercard.

"In his role as US Ambassador to India, Rich oversaw one of thelargest US diplomatic missions in the world and took integral steps todeepen bilateral ties," Mr Banga said.

With his expertise and strong relationships worldwide, Rich will be akey counselor to industry leaders and governments on the global moveto a digital economy. We look forward to working closely with Rich tobuild on our strong foundation, Mastercard said in its statement.

Richard Verma is a veteran of the US Air Force, and a recipient ofmultiple awards and decorations, including the State Department'sDistinguished Service Award.

He is currently a Senior Fellow at Harvard University's Belfer Centerfor Science and International Affairs and he serves on several boardsand commissions, including the National Endowment for Democracyand Lehigh University.

He holds degrees from Georgetown University (Ph.D.), theGeorgetown University Law Center (LLM), the American University'sWashington College of Law (JD), and Lehigh University (BS).

WASHINGTON (TIP): President-electJoe Biden and Vice President-elect KamalaHarris have formed a PresidentialInaugural Committee with Indian-American Maju Varghese as executivedirector to plan the festivities surroundingtheir swearing-in on Jan. 20.

Varghese, who played a key role in theduo's campaign as its chief operating officerand senior adviser, will be joined by CEOTony Allen, president of Delaware StateUniversity.

Nevada state Sen. Yvanna Cancela andErin Wilson, the Biden-Harris campaign'snational political director, will both serve asdeputy executive directors on the inauguralcommittee.

Accompanying Biden and Harris'announcement on Monday was thecommittee's digital rollout, including a newwebsite featuring an online store "withexclusive inaugural merchandise andcollectables."

Articles on sale include Kamala Black T-Shirt for $30.00, Biden/Harris Navy T-Shirtfor $30.00 and Biden/Harris Water Bottle for$25.00.

A lawyer by training Varghese is the sonof immigrant parents from Thiruvalla,Kerala. He ran the logistics for thenationwide, multi-million-dollar effort toelect Biden and Harris, mobilizing tens ofthousands of staff and volunteers.

Varghese had worked for formerPresident Barack Obama as his specialassistant and deputy director of advance, aposition in which he worked on organizinghis travel in the US and abroad.

One of those assignments was organizingObama's January 2015 historic trip to India

where he was the chief guest at the annualRepublic Day parade. Varghese later becameassistant to the President for administrationand management and oversaw the WhiteHouse complex.

It remains unclear how the ongoingcoronavirus pandemic will affect planningfor the 59th presidential inauguration inless than two months, as public healthexperts warn of surging caseloads duringthe holiday season.

Allen, the committee's CEO,acknowledged in a statement that "thisyear's inauguration will look different amidthe pandemic, but we will honor theAmerican inaugural traditions and engageAmericans across the country whilekeeping everybody healthy and safe."

(Read full story atwww.theindianpanorama.news)

Indian-American Maju Varghese has been taskedwith planning the festivities surrounding Biden-

Harris swearing-in on Jan. 20

Former US Ambassador to India RichardVerma has joined Mastercard as its executive

vice-president for global public policy andregulatory affairs

05THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2020INDIANS ABROAD

Indian-American Ajit Pai announces hisintent to leave as FCC chair on January 20WASHINGTON (TIP): Indian-

American Ajit Pai has announcedhis intent to leave FederalCommunications Commission onJanuary 20, the day Joe Biden takesoath as the 46th President of the US.

As Chairman of FCC, Pai is thehighest ranking Indian-Americanofficial in the TrumpAdministration.

"It has been the honor of alifetime to serve at the FederalCommunications Commission,including as Chairman of the FCCover the past four years," 47-year-oldPai said in a statement on Monday.

Pai thanked President DonaldTrump for giving him the opportunity to lead the agency in 2017,to President Barack Obama for appointing him as a Commissionerin 2012, and to Senate Majority Leader McConnell and the Senatefor twice confirming him.

"To be the first Asian-American to chair the FCC has been aparticular privilege. As I often say: only in America," he said.

During his term as FCC Chairman, the federal commission overthe past four years closed the digital divide; promoted innovationand competition, from 5G on the ground to broadband from space;protected consumers; and advanced public safety.

"And this FCC has not shied away from making tough choices.As a result, our nation's communications networks are now faster,stronger, and more widely deployed than ever before," he said.

He was designated FCC Chairman by Trump in January 2017.He had previously served as Commissioner at the FCC, appointedby then-President Obama and confirmed unanimously by theUnited States Senate in May 2012.

Pai's regulatory philosophy is informed by a few simpleprinciples. Rules that reflect these principles will result in moreinnovation, more investment, better products and services, lowerprices, more job creation, and faster economic growth, accordingto his profile on the FCC website.

He believes that consumers benefit most from competition, notpreemptive regulation. Free markets have delivered more value toAmerican consumers than highly regulated ones.

He believes that no regulatory system should indulge arbitrage;regulators should be skeptical of pleas to regulate rivals, dispensefavors, or otherwise afford special treatment. Pai believes thatparticularly given how rapidly the communications sector ischanging, the FCC should do everything it can to ensure that itsrules reflect the realities of the current marketplace and basicprinciples of economics.

Pai was born in the US after his parents moved from India to theUS in 1971. His mother grew up in Bangalore, and father wasraised in Hyderabad. (Source: PTI)

Indian American Neera Tanden nominated to leadWhite House Office of Management and Budget

WASHINGTON (TIP): President elect Joe Biden hasnamed Indian American Neera Tanden to head thepowerful White House Office of Management andBudget.

Tanden, 50, who currently heads left leaning thinktank Centre for American Progress, will be the firstIndian American to get a cabinet level position in aDemocratic administration.

But overall it will be the second such position for thecommunity as Republican Nikki Haley held cabinet-rank as President Donald Trump's US ambassador tothe UN.

Besides Tanden, key members of Biden's economicteam include Janet Yellen as Secretary of the Treasury,Wally Adeyemo as her deputy, Cecilia Rouse, as Chair ofthe Council of Economic Advisers with JaredBernstein and Heather Boushey as members.

"This crisis-tested team will help President-elect JoeBiden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris liftAmerica out of the current economic downturn andbuild back better," an announcement from Bidentransition said.

"These choices reflect the president-elect'scommitment to building an administration that lookslike America, drawing on the diverse backgrounds andlived experiences of some of our nation's foremosteconomic experts," it added.

"As we get to work to control the virus, this is theteam that will deliver immediate economic relief forthe American people during this economic crisis andhelp us build our economy back better than ever,' hesaid.

Read full story at www.theindianpanorama.newsIndian American Neera Tanden has been named by President-

elect Biden to head the powerful White House Office ofManagement and Budget

Indian origin Republican Nikki Haley slams Biden's immigration policies

WASHINGTON (TIP): Indian originRepublican politician Nikki Haley has slammedPresident-elect Joe Biden's immigration policyas an "insult" to legal immigrants and called hischoice of Neera Tanden as budget director"deeply concerning."

"Biden's immigration policies will createanother border crisis that will undermine therule of law, hurt American workers, and insultthe legal immigrants who did the right thing,"she said in a series of tweets Tuesday, December1.

"It's one more reason why America needs aconservative-led Senate to stop Biden's plan inits tracks," said the former US ambassador to theUN campaigning for two Republican Senators inthe Georgia runoff election next month.

The control of the powerful 100-memberSenate hangs in the balance with the RepublicanParty currently having 50 seats to Democrats' 48after losing the White House. Democrats haveretained their majority in the House ofRepresentatives.

"Biden has promised to reverse the Trumpadmin's immigration policies, halt alldeportations, & introduce amnesty legislationfor illegal immigrants on day 1," Haley said.

"The amnesty bill would send a clear signal topeople across the world: Come to Americaillegally & get rewarded for it," said the formertwo-term Governor of South Carolina.

In another tweet, Haley criticized NeeraTanden's nomination as the Director of Office ofManagement and Budget saying she has shown"bad judgment" in the past.

"Tanden has shown bad judgment in the past.She said that @realDonaldTrump is 'part ofconspiracy against US' & has a track record ofdisparaging Rep Senators," she wrote.

"There's a saying that 'personnel is policy,'which is why Biden's nomination of Tanden isdeeply concerning," Haley added.

"Biden's pick for budget chief is Neera Tanden.Tanden is one of the architects of ObamaCare,has been described as a Clinton loyalist for heryears of service to Hillary Clinton & spent yearsleading a liberal think tank where she oversawproposals like "Medicare Extra for All."," Haleysaid in another tweet.

Several other Republican politicians have alsocriticized Tanden's nomination with Senator

John Cornyn calling her "radioactive" andperhaps the "worst nominee so far".

Another, Tom Cotton tweeted that she was"filled with hate & guided by the woke left" andcited one of her tweets in which she said sheloved Republican Senate Majority Leader MitchMcConnell being called "Moscow Mitch".

However, Biden has defended Tanden as"battle-tested" who will fight for your family as ifit were her own."

"Neera is battle-tested and ready to get the jobdone as our next Director of Office ofManagement and Budget. She has been at theforefront in creating policies designed to supportAmerica's working families," he told hissupporters in an email.

"She'll fight for your family as if it were herown, because her experience as a child relyingon food stamps and Section 8 housing instilled inher a belief that our economy must serve thedignity and humanity of all people," he wrote.

"If confirmed, she'll be the first woman ofcolor and the first South Asian American to leadthe OMB, and I'm excited to watch her makehistory," Biden added.

Meanwhile, South Asians for Biden's NationalDirector Neha Dewan said it was "thrilled" at theselection of Tanden as it "represents Biden'scommitment to pick qualified appointees whoreflect the diversity of America."

Biden and Harris "expressed the importance ofhaving every American's voice heard andrepresented in the administration, and Tanden'sselection to serve in such a high-profile roleconfirms this commitment," she said.

Trump appointee Ajit Paihasannounced his intent to leave

Federal CommunicationsCommission on January 20 -

Photo / @AjitPaiFCC- Twitter

"Biden's immigration policies will create another bordercrisis that will undermine the rule of law, hurt American

workers, and insult the legal immigrants who did theright thing," Nikki Haley said in a series of tweets

Tuesday, December 1..

RICHMOND HILL, NEW YORK (TIP): OnNovember 30, 2020 Council Member Adrienne Adamsjoined Assembly Member David Weprin, and membersof the community to celebrate the co-naming ceremonyof Gurdwara Street. The co-naming ceremonycelebrated the contributions of the Sikh communitythat remains a part of the fabric of Richmond Hill,Queens and New York City as a whole. Gurdwara Streetis located on 97th Avenue between 117th Street andLefferts Boulevard.

"It is important that New York City's diversecommunities see themselves and their varying culturesrepresented in the historical landscape," said CouncilMember Adrienne Adams. "There was no better day tocelebrate the co-naming of Gurdwara Street than on thebirthday of Guru Baba Nanak, one of the mostcelebrated Sikh gurus. This is a long overduerecognition for the contributions of the Sikhcommunity and I am so proud to bring Gurdwara Streetto our city."

"Our city thrives from the cultural, civic, and

business enterprises that the Sikh community hasestablished in Richmond Hill and beyond," saidAssemblyman David I. Weprin. "I am thrilled that 97thAvenue between Lefferts Boulevard and 117th Street isnow formally recognized as Gurdwara Avenue andthank Council Member Adrienne Adams for her effortsin reaching this significant milestone."

"The co-naming of Gurdwara Street was held withinthe most auspicious timing," said Harpreet Singh Toor,Former President of the Sikh Cultural Society. "Thisacknowledgement of the historic inception of the firstand largest Gurdwara on the east coast whichestablished the first place of worship for the Sikhcommunity is a welcomed inclusion to our celebrationof the birthday of Baba Nanak, the founder ofSikhism."

"Gurdwara no doubt belongs to the Sikh religionhowever today was a spiritual one," said RajwinderKaur, District 28 Community Education CommitteeMember. "Today we celebrate Guru Baba Nanak'sbirthday. The basic motives of Guru Baba Nanak were

to shine and rise and give the light of hope. A ray ofhope to the whole world conveying that we are one andwe are equal. As the co-naming was bestowed upon ourcommunity on this significant day, we've expressed tothe people the belief of oneness, despite our color, race,class and creed."

(Based on a Press Release)

06THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2020NY/NJ/CT

COUNCIL MEMBER ADRIENNE ADAMSUNVEILS GURDWARA STREET

Council Member Adrienne Adams joined Assembly MemberDavid Weprin, and members of the community to celebrate the

co-naming ceremony of Gurdwara Street. Seen among othercommunity leaders are Master Mohinder, founder President of

Gurdwara Baba Makhan Shah Lobana Sikh Center (secondfrom left) and Harpreet Singh Toor, a former chairman of Sikh

Cultural Society which manages Gurdwara Richmond Hill (third from right) .

The agitating farmers in India get huge support from Indian Americans contd from page 1

The ones from Indian States of Punjab and Haryana,where the major chunk of population depends onagriculture , have been fuming at the Modi governmentpolicies recently announce in the form of threeordinances which are the reason why the farmers fromall over India have come together to demand repeal ofthe anti-farmer ordinances.

It is a decisive battle the farming community isfighting against an insensitive to farmers governmentof India which seems more inclined to kill them ratherthan protect their interests. The protests which hadstarted some four months ago immediately after thepromulgation of the ordinances -The Farmers' ProduceTrade and Commerce (Promotion & Facilitation)Ordinance 2020 and The Farmers (Empowerment andProtection) Agreement on Price Assurance and FarmServices Ordinance 2020, on June 5, 2020, remainedconfined to Punjab chiefly, but when the government ofIndia turned a deaf ear to their protests and demand forrepeal of ordinances, Punjab farmers marched towardsDelhi. They were later joined by farmers from HaryanaUttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar and other states.

The protest has turned into a movement, the like ofwhich Modi government has never faced.

The overseas Indians coming from families ofagriculturists, and justice loving Indians abroad havelent their support to agitating farmers.

Even leaders of other countries have supported theagitating farmers in India and condemned violenceagainst the peaceful protesters.

Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau took the lead insuggesting to government of India to be civil to peacefulprotesters. It is another matter that government ofIndia did not approve of foreign interference in"domestic policies".

In New York, groups of demonstrators have heldrallies in front of the Indian Consulate. The one onDecember 1 is being followed by a larger group withparticipation from all gurdwaras in the two States.

A protest march was held on Long Island onDecember 3 in which 300 vehicles and around 500protesters participated.

Reports of protests against government of India andsupport for the agitating farmers in India are comingfrom different parts of USA, particularly fromCalifornia where there is a large population of Sikhagriculturists.

The coming days will see a more vigorous responseeven as the agitating farmers in India have decided to

burn the effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi allacross the country on December 5, followed by a call forBHARAT BANDH (total closure of India)

The Indian Panorama reporters spoke to a crosssection od the Sikh community in New York to knowwhat exactly , according to them is the solution.Without exception, all wanted immediate repeal of theanti-farmer ordinances, in the first place.

Here are pictures of protests in New York onDecember 1, and Long Island , on December 3.

The Indian Panorama willbring to readers next week areport on the protest onDecember 5 in front of theIndian Consulate in New YorkCity .

07THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2020ADVERTISEMENT

It is much too soon to be thinking abouta post-Trump America. PresidentTrump remains the most popular

figure among Republicans, and he willcontinue to play a huge role in U.S. politicsin the years to come. But it is not too soonto begin thinking about a post-Trumpdemocracy - a political system that learnsfrom the challenges and threats it hasendured over the past four years.

To those who think this concern isoverblown, that America has provedresilient, I would simply say, "Look out thewindow." Even now, the president of theUnited States is attempting to use thepowers of his office and public platform tooverturn the results of an election.Happily, Trump's efforts have not bornefruit. The courts have refused to bend therules; even Republican-appointed judgeshave followed the law rather than theirpolitical party of choice. Local officialsdid their job.

All of this is encouraging. Even so, thispast month has exposed fundamentalweaknesses in America's electoral system.

American elections are mostly run notby apolitical federal officials but rather bylocal politicians. Elected or appointedrepresentatives of both parties monitorelections and must collectively sign off onthem. The system has worked becauseboth sides have upheld their duty tocertify election results that were free andfair, no matter the winner.

But in this election, the RepublicanParty - the president, the party's nationalchair, key senators and state party bosses -put unrelenting pressure on these localofficials to delay or reject the routinecertification of results. In Georgia, thestate's two current Republican senatorscalled on Secretary of State Brad

Raffensperger to resign because heaffirmed that the state's vote was free andfair. In Michigan, party officials houndedthe two Republicans on the four-personBoard of State Canvassers that certifiesthe state's results. In the face of thisassault, one of the two folded. It was onlybecause the other Republican, 40-year-oldAaron Van Langevelde, stood his groundthat Michigan's results were certified.(President-elect Joe Biden won by morethan 150,000 votes.)

And remember, the story is not over yet.In all likelihood, Trump will keep up hisattacks on those Republican officials inthe key swing states who refuse to do hisbidding. If Raffensperger and VanLangevelde are drummed out of politics,the message to Republican officials in thenext close election will be clear: Put partyover country or you can say goodbye toyour career. The next set of local officialsmight prove to be less honorable. So mighta younger and more partisan batch ofjudges.

America's election arrangements arerooted in a venerable Anglo-Saxonsystem in which citizens or private

groups are periodically called upon toperform official functions. The Anglo-Saxon approach contrasts with theFrench continental system in which thestate has more control. But the Anglo-American system depends on the ideathat these citizens will place the publicinterest ahead of their private interest.Trump has put that assumption to thetest, plunging our democracy into crisis.

We need a set of post-Trump reforms tobolster U.S. democracy. Independent,nonpartisan boards should be establishedto manage elections rather than partisanofficials. Standardized rules should be setabout voter registration, mail-in voting,

ballot challenges and the reporting ofresults.

We also need a broader set of reformsthat draw on the experience of the Trumpyears, ones that codify into law what havebeen traditions and practices. Candidatesshould have to disclose their tax returnsso that the public can be aware of anypotential conflicts of interest. Winnersmust be required to place any of theirbusinesses or assets into genuine blindtrusts.

Additionally, we can now see that thelag between the election andinauguration is much too long - farlonger than most other countries - andthat the incumbent enjoys far too muchpower during this period. The Trumpadministration has made the dangersclear by initially withholding funds forthe transition and refusing to provideintelligence briefings to Biden. Lawsshould be written to ensure a smoothtransition and minimize the possibilitythat the outgoing president can act toenhance his personal fortunes andcripple his successor.

By assaulting U.S. democracy in somany ways, Trump has shone a light onits weaknesses. We should seize thismoment to strengthen our institutions.That way, if another Trump-like politician(or Trump himself in four years) tries topervert the system again, Americandemocracy will be better equipped towithstand it.

(Fareed Zakaria is a columnist)

(Source: The Washington Post)

Trump shows that we need to reform U.S. democracy

08THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2020EDITORIAL

AS I SEE IT

By Fareed Zakaria

GUEST COMMENT

Apart from the fresh amendments, the Centremust consider a legal guarantee for MSP

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha, a federation ofaround 500 farmer organizations, has resolved tointensify its agitation against three farm laws

hurriedly enacted by the Centre. After dismissing theprotests as ill-informed and motivated initially, theCentre has offered to make some changes to the laws,but the farmers have now called for a Bharat Bandh onDecember 8. Thousands of farmers camping on theoutskirts of the national capital are skeptical of thegovernment claim that these laws would makeagriculture more lucrative and secure by allowingmarket forces to play. The fear that the new regime willdismantle the system of procurement under MinimumSupport Price (MSP) and leave farmers at the mercy ofcorporations is real. Responding to concerns, theCentre has suggested safeguards to prevent land

alienation via contract farming; strengthening theState-run mandi system and ensuring its equal footingwith private buyers through equalizing taxes; allowinggrievance redress in civil courts rather than just in theoffices of Sub-Divisional Magistrates; and ensuringproper verification of private traders. It has not,however, offered a legal guarantee of MSP and thequestion of power subsidies also remains contentious.

The Narendra Modi government has a declared policyof ensuring farm prices that are at least 50% more thanthe input costs. This has remained more an intent thanreality, and the discussion has also been muddled by thegovernment's refusal to include rental value of the landin input costs. Agriculture has to remainenvironmentally sustainable and remunerative forfarmers. Significant challenges have emerged withregard to these benchmarks, though India has ensuredsubstantial food stock and a robust distribution

mechanism that covers the entire country. There is astrong case for reworking the incentive structures andcropping pattern in order to account for changes inwater availability and changing dietary requirements.The problems faced by farmers are by no means thesame across India. But a sense of hostility from thestate and market is now pervasive. Changes in landacquisition laws and the general thrust towardsindustrialization together with the pressure onagriculture subsidies have increased the feeling ofvulnerability of farmers in recent years.

The abrupt changes in the sector brought in throughthe three laws have aggravated the trust deficit of thegovernment. The combative attitude of the governmentand the Bharatiya Janata Party towards criticismworsened it further. Food security is considered acomponent of national security by all countries. TheUnion Agriculture Minister has said the governmenthas no ego. The Centre must strive for reaching anagreement with the farmers that addresses theirconcerns. - (The Hindu)

Trust deficit: On MSP and the need for a legal guarantee

:"….it is not too soon to begin thinking about a post-Trump democracy - a political system thatlearns from the challenges and threats it has endured over the past four years.

By assaulting U.S. democracy in somany ways, Trump has shone alight on its weaknesses. We shouldseize this moment to strengthen ourinstitutions. That way, if anotherTrump-like politician (or Trumphimself in four years) tries topervert the system again, Americandemocracy will be better equippedto withstand it.

We need a set of post-Trumpreforms to bolster U.S. democracy.Independent, nonpartisan boardsshould be established to manageelections rather than partisanofficials. Standardized rules shouldbe set about voter registration,mail-in voting, ballot challengesand the reporting of results.

"Keralites cannot befooled any longer by

these frequentdenunciations of

corruption and graft byone party and

presenting themselvesas righteous. They seethrough most of these

characters, except afew with integrity, for

their hypocrisy decryingcorruption at high

places. They have beenwitnessing these

shenanigans for thepast several decades. It

is no longer anoccasional revelation of

wrongdoing but hasbecome a way of life."

If one follows the political dynamicsin Kerala, the recent events surpassany drama on Broadway in terms of

creativity, intrigue, and investigations.At the core of any storytelling lies acompelling array of character types.Unlike many novels, here, we have manythree-dimensional characters with greatbackgrounds and experiences. Daily, theprotagonists, antagonists, and all thesupporting characters present Kerala asa little theatre where the audiences arecondemned to watch this unfoldingdrama at a high cost to themselves interms of resources, serious mental

stress, and physical agony.There must be a woman as one of the

main characters in the story, and SwapnaSuresh is playing that role with passion,and the former Chief Secretary M.Sivashankar is already branding himselfas a dynamic man of mysteries. TheChief Minister of the State, PinaraiVijayan, appears to be twisting in thewind unsure of his own destiny. TheCommunist Party that came to powerattacking corruption seems to swallowtheir own words uttered against a formerChief Minister.

As this drama plays out in the open,one thing is sure. Keralites cannot befooled any longer by these frequentdenunciations of corruption and graft byone party and presenting themselves asrighteous. They see through most ofthese characters, except a few withintegrity, for their hypocrisy decryingcorruption at high places. They havebeen witnessing these shenanigans forthe past several decades. It is no longeran occasional revelation of wrongdoingbut has become a way of life.

Kunhalikutty, a rising star of theemerging political reality in Kerala,revealed as much when he said at a pressconference that during their time inpower, many charges of corruption bythe opposition were brought to theirattention. However, they glossed over ordid nothing about it. He appeared to havetaken pride in their inaction aboutcorruption, fraudulent conduct by thosein power. It is quite amusing how ourpoliticians view bribery, extortion,influence peddling, graft, andembezzlement with such a tongue-in-cheek attitude. In other words,Kunhalikutty is almost telling us that wenot only protected our own corruptedsouls but even the ones who belonged tothe opposition! What a sorry state ofaffairs Keralites are in!

What has changed in the body politic ofKerala? Please take a close look at manyof our leaders in the public arena today.Most of them came from humble ormoderate backgrounds. Some of themmight have come from comfortablesettings but were not wealthy or biglandlords. However, today, scores of themare said to be filthy rich, with most oftheir assets hidden under some Binamisomewhere in India or abroad! Some oftheir submissions with the electioncommission may be characterized as anaffidavit of avoiding the truth.

Keralites, to their credit, tend to topple

corrupt governments. However, moreand more, they look like facilitators ofequal opportunity corruption schemes.They are sick to the stomach of gamesthese career politicians are playing attheir expense and are utterly helplessand unable to do anything about it. Theswamp that includes these politicians,Administrators, and crony capitalistshave been plundering the Treasury anddividing up the government lands for solong that it has become business as usualregardless of who is at the wheels ofpower. In all of Kerala's history, only onepolitician has gone to prison forcorruption, and then Chief Ministercould not wait to get him out of jail sofast.

In the past, Kerala was blessed withgreat leaders who ruled the states withhigh integrity and honor. Having roots inChengannur, I could still recollect thestory of late R. Sankara NarayananThampy, a communist leader who couldhave chosen to live his life in luxury andcomfort but decided to give it up to fightfor the rights of the poor and thedisadvantaged from an entrenched castesystem. He was harassed by thepowerful, repeatedly threatened by lawenforcement, and constantly on the run,often saving himself hiding in mud hutswith those who were the victims ofoppression. He was frequently arrestedand detained for his powerful speechesaimed at Sir C P Ramaswamy Iyer,defending freedom, and promoting socialjustice.

In an interview with Times of India onthe 23rd anniversary of Thampy's deathin 2012, P.L. Thankamma, his wife,reminisced her husband, saying he wasan image of honesty, courage, anddedication. Thampy, who was part of thefreedom struggle at a young age marriedThankamma when she was 20 years old.She recalled when she had to bring theiryoungest newborn daughter to thePoojapura jail in Thiruvananthapuramas he was serving prison time at the timeof her birth. Foregoing the littlepleasures any married woman woulddesire and letting go of all dreams that awoman has for married life, shewholeheartedly supported his endeavorsin the public arena. His hard work anddedication to the cause did not gounnoticed as he was selected as the firstspeaker of the Kerala LegislativeAssembly in 1957.

As the saying goes, this is not yourgrandfather's Communist Partyanymore. It is a party in decline with itsfailed ideology becoming increasinglyobsolete. It has survived so far in Keralaprimarily due to its commitment to theBackward and Scheduled castes whotruly attribute their improved lot to thedecade-old reforms the party haschampioned. Another more recentphenomena for their success has beendue to the growing perception amongsome quarters that they are morereliable to defend secular nationalismand protect the rights of the religiousminorities. In the last election, scores ofChristians, Muslims, and secular Hindusvoted for the Hammer and Sickle againsttheir own age-old aversion towards a

totalitarian ideology.However, today, the belly of the beast is

cut open, baring the ugly secrets of aparty that has sold out its soul for greedand obscene profits. The rulinghierarchy's hypocrisy is wide open,having a lavish lifestyle with estates andposh homes with spoiled childrencreating a ruckus across the globe andengaging in criminal behavior. In themeantime, the young people at the cadrelevel are being asked to sacrifice theirlives for the party, often engaging in riotsand killings allegedly ordered from thetop.

While the public witnesses the heatedrhetoric, the parties hurl at each other,questioning each other's integrity andmotives; bear in mind that it is part of agrand deception, and their only goal is tosnatch the power from each other,especially close to an election date.Behind the scenes, they are all closebuddies, often engaging in joint venturesthat bring in hefty profits. One of the ITcompanies involved in recent scandalsalleged to have vital links with familymembers of both political fronts withstrong financial support from prominentNRIs in the Gulf.

It is time to end this ongoing heist andgrand larceny while exposing the nexusof corruption and criminality that hasgone behind the scenes unchecked fordecades as both fronts have covered upfor each other. Keralites have been takenfor a ride for so long, and their patienceis wearing thin. They deserve agovernment that reflects their characterand traditions and willing to serve thepeople with clean governance. An honestgovernment will never shy away fromexposing the wolves in the sheep'sclothing who have violated their oathengaging in corruption and graft.Poojapura Jail still has a lot of room,andhonorable R. Sankara NarayananThampi never belonged there!

(The author is a former Chief TechnologyOfficer of the United Nations)

09THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2020PERSPECTIVE

By George Abraham

Kerala: It is time to demand clean governanceIt is time to end this

ongoing heist andgrand larceny while

exposing the nexus ofcorruption and

criminality that hasgone behind the

scenes unchecked fordecades as both fronts

have covered up foreach other

Kerala gold smuggling case accused SwapnaSuresh was arrested in Bengaluru by the

National Investigation Agency.

Photo / Courtesy PTI

SOUTH ASIA 10THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2020

Jail for 3 more Hafizaides

LAHORE (TIP): A Pakistani anti-terrorism court has sentenced threemore leaders of Mumbai terror attackmastermind Hafiz Saeed's Jamat-ud-Dawa (JuD) to 15-year imprisonmenteach in two more terror financingcases. Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC)Lahore Judge Ijaz Ahmad Buttarhanded down the sentence to AbdulSalam bin Muhammad, Zafar Iqbaland Muhammad Ashraf on Thursday.

JuD chief Saeed's brother-in-lawProf Hafiz Abdul Rehman Makki wassentenced to six months imprisonmentin each case. — PTI

PoK govt signsagreements with Chinese

firm to build 700MWhydropower project

ISLAMABAD (TIP): Thegovernment in Pakistan-occupiedKashmir has signed agreements with aChinese company and a localrenewable energy firm for theconstruction of 700MW hydropowerproject at an estimated cost of USD1.35 billion in the region as part of theambitious China-Pakistan EconomicCorridor, a media report said onWednesday.

China Gezhouba Group and its localpartner Laraib Group Pakistan are theshareholders of the ‘Azad PattanHydropower Project’, which is locatedon Jhelum river in Sadhanoti districtof PoK, Dawn newspaper reported.

The consortium of lenders consistsof China Development Bank, ChinaConstruction Bank, Industrial andCommercial Bank of China and Bankof China, the paper said.

The implementation agreement andwater use charges agreement forconstruction of the project weresigned by PoK Electricity SecretaryZafar Mahmood Khan and Azad PattanPower Private Limited CEO Li Xiaotaon Tuesday, the paper said.

The CPEC, which connects GwadarPort in Balochistan with China’sXinjiang province, is the flagshipproject of Chinese President XiJinping’s ambitious Belt and RoadInitiative (BRI). Originally valued atUSD 46 billion, the CPEC projects wereworth USD 62 billion as of 2017.

India has protested to China over theCPEC as it is being laid through PoK.

The Ministry of External Affairs earlythis year said that Pakistan was told thatthe entire Jammu and Kashmir andLadakh, including areas of Gilgit andBaltistan, are an integral part of Indiaand that Islamabad should immediatelyvacate the areas under its illegaloccupation. The government of Pakistanimplementation agreement, Punjabwater use agreement and tripartite powerpurchase agreements of the project hadalready been signed in the presence ofPrime Minister Imran Khan. - PTI

Afghan government, Talibanannounce breakthrough deal to

press on with peace talksKABUL (TIP): Afghan government

and Taliban representatives said onWednesday they had reached apreliminary deal to press on with peacetalks, their first written agreement in 19years of war.

The agreement lays out the wayforward for further discussion but isconsidered a breakthrough because itwill allow negotiators to move on to moresubstantive issues, including talks on aceasefire.

“The procedure including its preambleof the negotiation has been finalised andfrom now on, the negotiation will beginon the agenda,” Nader Nadery, a memberof the Afghan government’s negotiatingteam, told Reuters.

The Taliban spokesman confirmed thesame on Twitter.

The agreement comes after months ofdiscussions in Doha, the capital of Qatar,in negotiations encouraged by theUnited States. In Afghanistan, the twosides are still at war, with Talibanattacks on government forces continuingunabated.

Taliban insurgents have refused toagree to a ceasefire during thepreliminary stages of talks, despite callsfrom Western capitals and global bodies,saying that that would be taken up only

when the way forward for talks wasagreed upon.

UN envoy for Afghanistan DeborahLyons welcomed the “positivedevelopment” on Twitter, adding that“this breakthrough should be aspringboard to reach the peace wantedby all Afghans”.

Last month, an agreement reachedbetween Taliban and governmentnegotiators was held up at the last

minute after the insurgents balked at thedocument’s preamble because itmentioned the Afghan government byname.

The Taliban refused to refer to theAfghan negotiating team asrepresentatives of the Afghangovernment, as they contest thelegitimacy of the administration led byPresident Ashraf Ghani. --- Reuters

COLOMBO (TIP): Muslim andChristian families in Sri Lanka whoserelatives were cremated during thecoronavirus pandemic in violation oftheir religious beliefs say they have beendenied justice after the supreme courtthrew out their case.

Sri Lanka’s mandatory cremationpolicy for all bodies suspected to beinfected with Covid-19 has been thecause of outrage and trauma for themajority-Buddhist country’s Muslimand Christian minorities, whose beliefsstipulate bodies should be buried. InIslam, to cremate bodies is to condemnthem to hell.

Several of the Muslims whose bodieswere cremated by the authorities had notbeen tested for coronavirus, or had eventested negative. Sri Lanka has had morethan 25,000 cases of Covid-19 and 124deaths, including more than 50 Muslimswho were cremated.

In May, one Muslim man found that hismother had been wrongfully cremated.“The day my mother died at hospital,they took her body away and thenhanded me a pot of her ashes. But thenext day they told me that my mother’stest was negative and it was a mistakecremating her. Every night I wake up andthink of mother’s fate. We are poor andwe do not have the means to demand

justice or fight the authorities,” he said.Eleven affected families, both Muslim

and Christian, took up a legal battleagainst the cremations, accusing thegovernment of violating their freedom ofreligion and fundamental rights underthe constitution. However, this week thesupreme court refused to hear the appealand dismissed the case, dashing theirfinal hopes of justice and a halt to themandatory cremations, which are stillgoing on.

Some Muslim families have begundisowning their dead because they donot want to be complicit in thecremations, which they see as a sin fortheir loved ones. Many have also refusedto pay the fees of 48,000 rupees (£192) thatare demanded by the state to cover thecosts of cremation, meaning bodies ofMuslim Covid-19 victims have begun topile up in hospital morgues.

Among them was Mohammad Ashraff,49, whose uncle Mohammad Jeffrey, 76,died on 26 November of coronavirus. Hisbody was compulsorily brought to ahospital in Colombo. “They demandedpayment for the coffin but I refusedbecause I told them it is against ourreligion to burn bodies. We have to obeythe law but we would not participate, wewould make no payments, we would haveno part and no complicity in this.”

'There will be no hope': Muslims fearRajapaksa win in Sri Lanka election

Human rights activists say the policyis part of an ongoing attack on SriLanka’s Muslim community, who makeup 9% of the population, by the SinhalaBuddhist majority government, led bythe president, Gotabaya Rajapaksa.Rajapaksa was elected last year on awave of anti-Muslim, hardline Buddhistsentiment, following the Easter suicidebombings by Islamist militants inchurches and luxury hotels last Aprilwhich left 267 dead.

Shreen Saroor, a human rightsactivist, said: “The way they are treatingthe Muslim community during thispandemic is clear-cut racism. Thecommunity is being forced to abandontheir own dead in order to protect theirbeliefs and traditions. There is not even ascientific justification for them beingdenied dignity in death.”

Sri Lanka is the only country asidefrom China which has mandatedcremations for suspected coronavirusfatalities, with the governmentjustifying it on the basis of concerns ofthe virus contaminating groundwater,and that Covid-19 victims’ bodies couldbe used as “biological weapons … bycertain groups”.

Theguardian.com

Muslims in Sri Lanka 'denied justice' overforced cremations of Covid victims

11THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2020MISCELLANY

Renew Your DriverLicense online

NEW YORK (TIP): New York Statehas made it easier to renew DriverLicense online. Almost anyone whoselicense expired or will expire Marchthrough December can renew onlineand submit their vision test up to oneyear later. It takes just a few simplesteps to complete the process.

For more information, visithttps://dmv.ny.gov/how-renew-license

Photo for Representational purpose only

Michael Flynn wants Trump to declareMartial Law and redo the Election

WASHINGTON (TIP): MichaelFlynn, President Donald Trump's formernational security adviser who waspardoned by the president last week forlying during the Russia investigation,wants Trump to declare martial law and"temporarily suspend the Constitution"until a new election is held.

Flynn, who had been awaitingsentencing for lying to the FBI about hisRussian contacts before Trump's pardon,on Tuesday retweeted a news releasefrom a right-wing Ohio group called WeThe People Convention asking thepresident to declare martial law sotroops can supervise a do-over of the2020 election.

Flynn tagged many conservativecelebs in his post and added: "Freedomnever kneels except for God."

The news release cites "massive,

planned, illegal election fraud" carriedout by Democrats. Trump lost theelection handily to President-elect JoeBiden and no widespread fraud has beenfound.

If the president doesn't declare martiallaw, the statement retweeted by Flynnwarns, "we will also have no other choicebut to take matters into our own handsand defend our rights on our own."

A retired Army general's support forthe military takeover of U.S. governmentshocked many people on Twitter.

Rep. Eric Swalwell of Californiawondered if elected Republicans wouldcondemn the call for martial law.

Some people pointed out that Flynn'ssuggestion could be considered sedition.

Others called out the right wing'shypocritical notions of personalfreedom.

One person tried to see the bright side,saying the tweet shows it's good Flynndidn't last long as national securityadviser.

(Source: The Washington Post)

The president's freshly pardoned ex-nationalsecurity adviser retweeted a statementadvocating suspending the Constitution.

BY AJAY GHOSH

NEW YORK (TIP): Beyond the COVID-19 Pandemic:Envisioning a Better World by Transforming the Futureof Healthcare, authored by Ambassador Pradeep Kapur,a practitioner of Public Policy, and Dr. Joseph Chalil, anexpert in healthcare policy, is now on Amazon's BestSellers List.

Around the world, providing quality and affordablehealthcare remains a challenge. As the COVID-19pandemic began, it quickly became apparent that publicpolicy and current healthcare systems were ill-preparedto deal with the challenges. Ambassador Kapur and Dr.Chalil discuss the lessons learned and the way ahead inthe book, Beyond the COVID-19 Pandemic: Envisioning aBetter World by Transforming the Future of Healthcare.

The authors offer sustainable and revolutionarysolutions to change healthcare delivery in the UnitedStates and a model for other countries. With acombination of a public SafetyNet and free-marketcompetition, they offer their "Grand Plan." The advancesand adoption of current and new technology willrevolutionize the field of healthcare. They offer criticalstrategies that countries can adopt during naturaldisasters, wars, or a pandemic.

The authors focus on breaking the chain of employer-based health insurance, where your health insurance isnot tied to your employment. Too often, the benefits ofproviding healthcare for all is lost in discussions abouthealth insurance. Yet, this book does not allow theseissues to control the analysis of healthcare delivery.

This book offers practical solutions, addressingcitizens' needs now and into the future whileempowering them to be more responsible for theirhealth. As envisioned by the authors, the emergingglobal scenarios address healthcare needs, education,and sustainable lifestyle choices, reducing the need formore intensive and costly interventions to improve theoverall quality of life. There is a roadmap for U.N. andWHO, which are not living up to their initial promise,beyond just reform. They challenge the world to have thepolitical consensus to create meaningful change for all,both in the United States, the United Nations, andaround the globe.

The COVID-19 pandemic has made it clear thatensuring affordable and timely access to health care is apriority for all. It has shown us the limitations of eachcountry in combating a healthcare crisis like the one we

are experiencing today. As the pandemic began, itquickly became apparent that public policy and currenthealthcare systems were ill-prepared to deal with apandemic's challenges. Providing quality and affordablehealthcare remains a challenge.

Esteemed personalities worldwide have muchacclaimed the timely and insightful edition of the bookreleased in October this year. Gurudev Sri Ravi Shankar,a globally revered spiritual and humanitarian leader,wrote: "Ambassador Pradeep Kapur and Dr. JosephChalil discuss the lessons learned in the book, Beyondthe COVID-19 Pandemic: Envisioning a Better World byTransforming the Future of Healthcare. The authorsoffer sustainable and revolutionary solutions to changehealthcare delivery in the United States and a model forother countries. With a combination of a publicSafetyNet and free-market competition, they offer their"Grand Plan." The advances and adoption of current andnew technology will revolutionize the field of healthcare.They offer critical strategies that countries can adoptduring natural disasters, wars, or a pandemic."

The authors aredonating the profits from the sale oftheir book to AAPI Charitable Foundation and WHEELS!

Ambassador Pradeep Kapur is an acknowledged"luminary diplomat," with a distinguished careerworking with leaders and policymakers in differentcontinents of the world: Asia, Africa, Europe, NorthAmerica, and South America. He was the author andeditor of many books. Kapur was Ambassador of Indiato Chile and Cambodia and Secretary at the IndianMinistry of External Affairs before joining as anacademic in reputed universities in the USA and India. Agraduate of the globally acclaimed Indian Institute ofTechnology, Delhi (IIT-D), he is Executive Director ofSmart Village Development Fund (SVDF); International

Economic Strategic Advisor, Intellect Design Arena; andChairman, Advisory Council, DiplomacyIndia.com. Hishealthcare contributions include setting up of BPKoirala Institute of Health Sciences in Eastern Nepal,which is acclaimed as an exemplary bilateral IndiaNepal initiative.

Dr. Joseph Chalil, an author of several scientific andresearch papers in international publications, is theChairman of the Complex Health Systems AdvisoryBoard, H. Wayne Huizenga College of Business andEntrepreneurship at Nova Southeastern University inFlorida and a member of Dr. Kiran C. Patel College ofAllopathic Medicine (NSU MD) Executive LeadershipCouncil. A veteran of the U.S. Navy Medical Corps, he isboard certified in healthcare management. He has beenawarded a Fellowship by the American College ofHealthcare Executives, an international professionalsociety of more than 40,000 healthcare executives wholead hospitals, healthcare systems, and other healthcareorganizations. Dr. Chalil is the Chairman of the IndoAmerican Press Club (IAPC). He is an expert in U.S.healthcare policy and a strong advocate for patient-centered care. With years of experience working in theU.S. healthcare system, he discusses healthcare deliverychallenges, including providing quality, affordablepatient care to all and alternate templates for healthinsurance.

The authors challenge the world to have the politicalconsensus to create meaningful change for all, both inthe United States, the United Nations, and around theglobe.

For more information, please visithttps://beyondcovidbook.com.

Beyond Covid-19, abook by Dr. Chalil & AmbassadorKapur is now on "Amazon Best Sellers List"

12THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2020US

Interest rates remain the same forthe first quarter of 2021

WA S H I N G T O N

(TIP): The InternalRevenue Service today,December 2,announced thatinterest rates willremain the same forthe calendar quarterbeginning Jan. 1, 2021.

The rates will be:Three (3) percent for overpayments [two (2) percent in the

case of a corporation];one-half (0.5) percent for the portion of acorporate overpayment exceeding $10,000;three (3) percent forunderpayments; andfive (5) percent for large corporateunderpayments.

Under the Internal Revenue Code, the rate of interest isdetermined on a quarterly basis. For taxpayers other thancorporations, the overpayment and underpayment rate is thefederal short-term rate plus 3 percentage points.

Generally, in the case of a corporation, the underpaymentrate is the federal short-term rate plus 3 percentage points andthe overpayment rate is the federal short-term rate plus 2percentage points. The rate for large corporate underpaymentsis the federal short-term rate plus 5 percentage points. The rateon the portion of a corporate overpayment of tax exceeding$10,000 for a taxable period is the federal short-term rate plusone-half (0.5) of a percentage point.

The interest rates announced today are computed from thefederal short-term rate determined during Oct. 2020 to takeeffect Nov. 1, 2020, based on daily compounding.

Revenue Ruling 2020-28, announcing the rates of interest, isattached and will appear in Internal Revenue Bulletin 2020-52,dated Dec. 21, 2020.

(Press Release)

UN says 2020 set to be one of three warmest

years on recordNEW YORK (TIP): The United Nation's World

Meteorological Organization (WMO) said onWednesday, December 2, that 2020 is set to enterthe record books as one of the top three hottestyears, and has the potential to surpass 2016'sdistinction as the warmest year on record.

According to the U.N.'s provisional report, the2020 State of the Global Climate, the past decadewill be the hottest on record, with the pastconsecutive six years, 2015 through 2020, being theplanet's warmest.

"2020 has, unfortunately, been yet anotherextraordinary year for our climate, WMOSecretary-General Prof. Petteri Taalas said in apress release.

"We saw new extreme temperatures on land, seaand especially in the Arctic. Wildfires consumedvast areas in Australia, Siberia, the US West Coastand South America, sending plumes of smokecircumnavigating the globe," he said.

"We saw a record number of hurricanes in theAtlantic, including unprecedented back-to-backcategory 4 hurricanes in Central America inNovember," Taalas continued. "Flooding in parts ofAfrica and South East Asia led to massivepopulation displacement and undermined foodsecurity for millions."

In a speech at Columbia University, U.N.Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said,"Humanity is waging war on nature."3 "This issuicidal. Nature always strikes back - and it is

already doing so with growing force and fury."When U.S. President Donald Trump attended a

briefing on wildfires in California in September, astate official spoke of the science that couldexplain climate change. The president respondedby saying, "I don't think science knows, actually."

"Biodiversity is collapsing," Guterres said. "Onemillion species are at risk of extinction.Ecosystems are disappearing before our eyes.Deserts are spreading. Wetlands are being lost."

(Source: Knowhere)

Wildfire in California

More than half of emergency small-business funds went to larger businesses, new data showsMuch of the funds were used for purposes other than PPP was meant for, which calls for investigation

WASHINGTON (TIP): The Trump administrationhas emphasized PPP loans to small firms, but most ofthe $522 billion went to a tiny slice of borrowers

More than half of the money from the TreasuryDepartment's coronavirus emergency fund for smallbusinesses went to just 5 percent of the recipients,according to data on more than 5 million loans that wasreleased by the government Tuesday evening inresponse to a Freedom of Information Act request andlawsuit.

According to data on the government's PaycheckProtection Program (PPP), about 600 mostly largercompanies, including dozens of national chains,received the maximum amount allowed under theprogram of $10 million.

Officials from the Treasury Department and theSmall Business Administration (SBA) have argued theprogram primarily benefited smaller businessesbecause a vast majority of the loans ? more than 87percent ? were for less than $150,000, as of August. Butthe new data shows more than half of the $522 billion inthe same time frame went to bigger businesses, andonly 28 percent of the money was distributed inamounts less than $150,000.

Liz Hempowicz, director of public policy for thenonprofit Project on Government Oversight, said thenew data shows how the Trump administration chose tofocus its coronavirus relief efforts on helping wealthyorganizations at the expense of truly small firms.

"The data shows that this program primarilybenefited the well-banked and well-lawyered at theexpense of the small businesses it was supposed to

benefit," Hempowicz said.The newly released data comes after a federal lawsuit

filed by The Washington Post and 10 other newsorganizations under the Freedom of Information Actchallenging the SBA's refusal to release records onborrowers and loan amounts. A federal judge orderedthe release of the data by Tuesday and the agency didnot appeal.

Devised as a way to temporarily pay small companiesto keep their employees on staff for eight weeks, thePaycheck Protection Program is widely credited withhelping millions of businesses make payroll during theearly months of the coronavirus pandemic, benefitingtens of millions of employees. A bipartisan group ofsenators unveiled plans Tuesday for another $908billion in stimulus, including nearly $300 billion in newfunding for the Paycheck Protection Program and otherSBA programs. The data released Tuesday disclosed for

the first time the exact dollar figures received by someof the top recipients, showing that a number ofrestaurant chains received the maximum $10 million,among them the parent companies of Uno Pizzeria &Grill, Legal Sea Foods, Boston Market and Cava MezzeGrill. Law firms, churches and professional staffingservices were also among recipients of $10 millionloans.

The SBA calculated loan amounts based on monthlypayroll figures and capped loans at a maximum of $10million. Businesses with up to 500 employees wereeligible, though that limit was relaxed for restaurantand hotel companies. Hempowicz said that because thefirst round of PPP funding favored those withestablished banking connections, smaller operationslost out on funding at a critical time.

"Businesses in that top 5 percent likely have access toother capital," she said. "These are not the ones youwould traditionally think of as a small business. Itreally raises questions about what the priorities of thisSBA are. … Is it to help small business, or is it to returnmoney to the top segment of the economy?"

Amanda Ballantyne, executive director of theadvocacy group Main Street Alliance, said the datashows the impact of relying on banks to distribute thefunds.

"This new data verifies what we have heard directlyfrom our small-business members - that the PPPprogram advantaged big businesses over small andexacerbated long-standing disparities in access tocredit and capital for underbanked communities,"Ballantyne said.

13THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2020US

US Senate passes bill eliminating per-countrycap for employment-based immigrant visas

The legislation eliminates the 7 pc cap for employment-based immigrant visas, a provision that willfacilitate removal of the massive backlog of Indian IT professionals in the US

WASHINGTON (TIP): The US Senatehas unanimously passed a bill thateliminates the per-country numericallimitation for employment-basedimmigrant visas and raises it for family-based visas, a legislation that will hugelybenefit hundreds of thousands of Indianprofessionals in America who have beenwaiting for years to get their green cards.

The passage of the Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act by the Senate onWednesday, December 2, comes as a bigrelief to Indian IT professionals whocome to the US on H-1B work visas andtheir current waiting period for GreenCard or permanent residency is runninginto decades.

Originally passed by the US House ofRepresentatives on July 10, 2019, by abipartisan 365 to 65 votes, the legislationincreases the per-country cap on family-based immigrant visas from seven percent of the total number of such visasavailable that year to 15 per cent. It wassponsored by Republican Senator MikeLee from Utah in the Senate.

The legislation eliminates the sevenper cent cap for employment-basedimmigrant visas, a provision that willfacilitate removal of the massive backlogof Indian IT professionals in the US. Italso removes an offset that reduced thenumber of visas for individuals fromChina. Because of arbitrary per-countrycaps, the legal status of Indian ITprofessionals was constantly in jeopardy.

In fiscal year 2019, Indian nationalsreceived 9,008 category 1 (EB1), 2,908category 2 (EB2), and 5,083 category 3(EB3) Green Cards. EB1-3 are differentcategories of employment-based GreenCards.

In July, Senator Lee had told the Senate

that the backlog for an Indian national toget permanent residency or Green Cardis more than 195 years.

The new legislation also establishestransition rules for employment-basedvisas from FY2020-FY2022, by reserving apercentage of EB-2 (workers withadvanced degrees or exceptional ability),EB-3 (skilled and other workers), and EB-5 (investors) visas for individuals notfrom the two countries with the largestnumber of recipients of such visas.

Of the unreserved visas, not more than85 per cent shall be allotted toimmigrants from any single country.Running against time, the Senate onWednesday moved the process veryquickly. It was passed by the SenateJudiciary Committee by unanimousconsent and soon thereafter it wasconsidered by the full Senate. The Senatepassed it quickly with unanimousconsent.

Currently, there is a backlog of almostone million foreign nationals andaccompanying family members lawfullyresiding in the US who have beenapproved for, and are waiting to receive,employment-based Green Cards. Thelargest number of them are from India.

The Fairness for High-SkilledImmigrants Act creates a more merit-based system that levels the playing fieldfor high-skilled immigrants, saidSenator Kevin Cranmer, who worked toensure that the legislation includessafeguards against fraud and abuse inthe visa system.

The Senate passed the bill as SenatorCramer presided over the chamber.

"Immigration is often a contentiousissue but we should not delay progresswhere there is bipartisan consensus," he

said.In February 2019, Cramer brought

Debjyoti Dwivedy ("DD"), a North DakotaState University alumnus and VicePresident of Immigration Voice, a groupwhich advocates for this bill, as his guestto the State of the Union.

"As Congress debates the many aspectsof our broken immigration system,Debjyoti offers expertise andexperiences that reflect North Dakotapriorities and values," Senator Cramersaid at the time, adding: "It is my hope wecan finally pass a version of the Fairnessfor High Skilled Immigrants Act thisCongress."

"Being invited as his guest to the Stateof the Union was a great honor. To me,this demonstrates his appreciation forthe important role immigrants play toNorth Dakota. His ardent support for theFairness for Immigrants Act is found inboth his conservative principles and hiscommitment to the people of NorthDakota," DD wrote after the event.

In August, Senator Lee on the Senatefloor said he had always been struck bythe fact that the government hasconditioned green cards and a pathwayto citizenship based solely on theapplicant's country of origin.

There may have been some legitimatereason many decades ago in fact for this,but this has led to a system that largelydiscriminates against green cardapplicants from one country, he told hisSenate colleagues.

"I mean literally one country. This isinconsistent with our foundingprinciples. This is not how we try to dothings as Americans, and it's not right.Today, if you're a work-based immigrantfrom India entering into the EB- green

card application process, you will waitalmost 200 years before your applicationis even considered solely because ofwhere you were born," he had said.

"Almost 200 years on a waiting list.Some people don't even live that long.Our country isn't much older than thatand that's the amount of time they wouldhave to wait based solely on the basis ofthe country in which they were born,"Lee had said, urging his colleagues to liftthe country-cap on Green Cardapplicants.

"If you're born anywhere else,anywhere else other than China; let's sayin Ghana, Sweden, Indonesia, basicallyany other country other than India yourapplication will be consideredimmediately. This sort of discriminationis simply inconsistent with theprinciples of a merit-based immigrationsystem and with our founding principlesand the principles that unite us asAmericans," he had said.

(Source: PTI)

The passage of the Fairness for High-SkilledImmigrants Act by the Senate on Wednesday,December 2, comes as a big relief to IndianIT professionals who come to the US on H-1Bwork visas and their current waiting periodfor Green Card or permanent residency is

running into decades. - Picture forrepresentational purpose only

US court blocks two H-1B regulations proposed by Trump administrationMost of the nearly 600,000 H-1Bvisa holders in the U.S. are fromIndia and China

WASHINGTON (TIP): In a hugerelief to tens of thousands of Indianprofessionals and top American IT firms,a US court has blocked two H-1Bregulations proposed by the Trumpadministration to restrict the ability ofAmerican companies to hire foreignemployees.

H-1B visas is a non-immigrant visathat allows American companies toemploy foreign workers in specialtyoccupations that require theoretical ortechnical expertise. The US issues up to85,000 H-1B visas each year. Usually,they're issued for three years andrenewable. Most of the nearly 600,000 H-1B visa holders are from India andChina.

In his 23-page order on Tuesday, USDistrict Judge Jeffrey White of NorthernDistrict of California blocked the Trumpadministration's recent policy thatrequired employers to pay foreignworkers on H-1B visas significantlyhigher wages.

He also set aside another policy thatnarrowed the eligibility of H-1B valuedby US tech firms and other employers.

As a result of the ruling, theDepartment of Homeland Security ruleon occupations and other issues thatwere to come into effect from December7, stands invalid. The Department ofLabor rule on wages, which took effecton October 8, is also now no longer valid.

The COVID-19 pandemic has wreakedhavoc on the nation's health, andmillions of Americans have beenimpacted financially by restrictionsimposed on businesses, large and small,

during the pandemic; the consequencesof those restrictions have been a fiscalcalamity for many individuals, the judgewrote.

"However, the history of the US is inpart made of the stories, talents, andlasting contributions of those whocrossed oceans and deserts to come here.The national government has significantpower to regulate immigration. Withpower comes responsibility, and thesound exercise of national power overimmigration depends on the nation'smeeting its responsibility to base its lawson a political will informed by searching,thoughtful, rational civic discourse," hesaid.

The lawsuit, in this case, was filed byUS Chambers of Commerce, Bay AreaCouncil and several universities,including Stanford, and trade bodiesrepresenting top Silicon Valley

companies, including Google, Facebookand Microsoft.

The lawsuit argued the newrestrictions are not only illegal on theirface but that the rushed process forimplementing them was flawed.

"This is a major win for our economyand for our ability to recover from theworst downturn in generations," saidJim Wunderman, Bay Area CouncilPresident and CEO.

"H-1B workers fill an important needin our economy and provide immensebenefits not only to the companies theywork for but the communities wherethey live. Many of the leading andfastest-growing technology companies inthe Bay Area have been founded byentrepreneurs from other countries whofirst came here on visas," he said.

(Read full story atwww.theindianpanorama.news)

14THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2020INDIA

SC rejects demandfor govt nomineesin trust formed forAyodhya mosque

The Supreme Court on Friday, Dec4, rejected the demand to form atrust comprising government

nominees to oversee constructionwork at the 5 acre land allotted to theUttar Pradesh Sunni Central WaqfBoard following the landmark decisionof the top court in theRamjanmbhoomi-Babri Masjid titlesuit in November last year.

A bench of justices RF Nariman andKM Joseph refused to entertain apetition filed in this regard by twolawyers Shishir Chaturvedi andKarunesh Kumar Shukla.

Appearing for the petitioners,advocate Hari Shankar Jain submittedthat as per the November 9, 2019decision of the Supreme Court,deciding the suit in favour of theHindu parties, the Sunni Waqf Boardwas allotted 5 acres of land in villageDhannipur in Ayodhya district. OnJuly 29, 2020, the Waqf Board created atrust called the Indo Islamic CulturalFoundation which had no nomineesfrom either the Central or stategovernment.

TRS largest inHyderabad pollsas BJP improves

tally

The ruling Telangana RashtraSamithi (TRS) emerged as thesingle largest party in the

Hyderabad civic polls on Friday, Dec4,but was jolted by the BharatiyaJanata Party (BJP) that surged intosecond place, a significantachievement for a party that was a bitplayer in the state four years ago.

The TRS won 55 of the 150 seats inthe Greater Hyderabad MunicipalCorporation (GHMC), a deficit of 44seats from its 2016 showing of 99.

The BJP won 48 seats on the back ofa high-octane campaign, a hugeimprovement over its 2016performance of four seats when itfought in alliance with the TeluguDesam Party.

Rajinikanth’saides urge him toproject himself as

CM candidate

Tamil superstar Rajinikanth isbeing persuaded to projecthimself as the chief ministerial

candidate for 2021 assembly electionsin Tamil Nadu, a close aide said Friday,Dec 4, a day after the actor announcedhis intention to launch a politicalparty by January 2021 and contest theassembly election.

“He (Rajinikanth) has taken a firmstand that he will not be chiefminister,” said a person consideredclose to the actor. “He had taken thisdecision even before announcing hispolitical entry in December 2017. Weare trying to convince him to rethink.”

Farmers up ante, call forBharat bandh on December 8

NEW DELHI (TIP): Farmersagitating against three farm laws onFriday, Dec 4 announced a nationwidestrike, or Bharat B andh, on December 8where they said they will block all tollplazas and roads leading to Delhi as theyhardened their position ahead of the fifthround of talks with the centralgovernment scheduled for Saturday, Dec5.

Four rounds of negotiations,conducted between three Unionministers and farmers’ representatives,have so far failed to break the deadlockbetween the two sides as thousands ofcultivators continued their stir justoutside Delhi’s borders for the eightstraight day.

On Thursday, the Centre had agreed toreview the recently enacted legislationand “bring amendments” if required toaddress the farmers’ demands. Thefarmers, however, have stuck to theirstand and said that they did not wantamendments to the new laws but wantthem rolled back entirely.

Farmer leader Gurnam Singh Chadonisaid on Friday that if the Centre does notaccept their demands during fifthmeeting on Saturday, they will furtherintensify their agitation.

“In our meeting today, we have decidedto give a ‘Bharat Bandh’ call onDecember 8 during which we will alsooccupy all toll plazas,” said HarinderSingh Lakhowal, general secretary ofBharatiya Kisan Union, one of thegroups involved in the talks. “We haveplanned to block all roads leading toDelhi in the coming days if new farmlaws are not scrapped,” he said,addressing a press conference at Singhuborder that connects Delhi and Haryana.

“Yesterday (Thursday), we told thegovernment that the farm laws should bewithdrawn,” he told reporters, addingthat the farmers will burn effigies of thegovernment and corporate houses onDecember 5, and that sportspersons willreturn their medals in solidarity with

the farmers on December 7. However, hedid not divulge the details ofsportspersons who would be returningtheir medals.

The call for the Bharat Bandh wassupported by various other farmers’organisations. Hannan Mollah, generalsecretary of All India Kisan Sabha, said,“We need to take this protest forward.”

The government, meanwhile, insistedthat it was approaching the issue with an“open mind”. Union agriculture ministerNarendra Singh Tomar had said after thetalks that the government has no ego andit was discussing the issues raised byfarmers with an open mind. “Thegovernment will discuss points thatemerged at the meeting on Friday andhopes that talks will move towardsfinality when the next round ofdiscussions is held on Saturday,” Tomarhad said.

Thursday’s talks were led by Tomar,railways, food and consumer affairs

minister Piyush Goyal and minister ofstate for commerce Som Prakash, alawmaker from Punjab, whilerepresentatives of some of the biggestfarmers unions in the country, mainlyfrom Punjab, spoke for the farmers.

Tens of thousands of farmers were outon the streets around Delhi again onFriday, forcing police to shut a majority ofroads connecting the Capital fromneighbouring satellite towns such asGurugram and Noida. While the farmerswant the three farm laws approved byParliament in September to be revoked,the government has leaned on its newreform agenda to raise farm incomes andspur investments in the sector.

The recent laws allow businesses tofreely trade farm produce outside the so-called government-controlled mandisystem, permit private traders to stockpilelarge quantities of essential commoditiesfor future sales and lay down new rules forcontract farming.

Farmers during their protest against the Centre's new farm laws, at Singhu border in New Delhion December 5, 2020.

Poonawalla of Serum Institute among 6 named'Asians of the Year' by Singapore daily

SINGAPORE (TIP): Adar Poonawalla,the chief executive of the world's largestvaccine manufacturer Serum Institute ofIndia, is among six people named ‘Asiansof the Year’ by Singapore's leading daily,The Straits Times, for their work infighting the Covid pandemic.

Pune-based Serum Institute of India(SII) has collaborated with the Universityof Oxford and the British-Swedishpharmaceutical company AstraZeneca formaking the Covid vaccine, ‘Covidshield’,and is conducting trials in India.

The other five named in the list areChinese researcher Zhang Yongzhen, wholed the team that mapped and publishedonline the first complete genome of Sars-CoV-2, the virus that sparked thepandemic, China's Major-General ChenWei, Japan's Dr Ryuichi Morishita andSingapore's Professor Ooi Eng Eong, whoare among those at the forefront ofdeveloping vaccines against the virus,and South Korean businessman Seo Jung-jin whose company will enable the

making and dispensing of the vaccinesand other Covid-19 treatments to theworld. Collectively referred to as "thevirus busters", they are heroes of a kind,having devoted themselves to thepressing cause of resolving thecoronavirus pandemic, each in their owncapacity, the daily said.

"Sars-CoV-2, the virus that has brought

death and hardship to the world's largestand most populous continent, is meetingits tamer in The Virus Busters," theaward citation said.

"We salute your courage, care,commitment and creativity. In this peril-filled hour, you are a symbol of hope forAsia, indeed the world."

The Serum Institute was founded byPoonawalla's father Cyrus Poonawalla in1966. Poonawalla joined the SerumInstitute of India in 2001 and became theCEO of Serum Institute with completecontrol of the day-to-day operations ofthe company in 2011.

Poonawalla said that he had put USD250 million of his family fortune intoramping up his institute's manufacturingcapacity.

"I decided to go all out," saidPoonawalla, 39, who has pledged that hisfirm's COVID-19 vaccines will help supplylower- and middle-income countries thatface significant disadvantages in thequest to obtain them.

Adar Poonawalla

15THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2020INDIA

FTA talks with EUstuck due to

bloc’s reluctance:Jaishankar

External Affairs Minister SJaishankar on Friday, Dec 4,said negotiations for a free trade

agreement between India and theEuropean Union were stuck for the lastsix years due to reluctance of thegrouping.

The talks for the FTA have beenstalled since May 2013 when both sidesfailed to bridge substantial gaps oncrucial issues, including on datasecurity status for the IT sector. Askedduring an online interactive sessionwhether the talks were stalled due toIndia’s reservations against FTAs,Jaishankar vehemently dispelled itand said: “It is not a question ofprinciple. India has nothing inprinciple against free tradeagreements or preferential tradeagreements.”

Launched in June 2007, negotiationsfor the proposed agreement havewitnessed many hurdles as both sideshave major differences on crucialissues.

Giving a run down of thedevelopments relating to the proposedFTA, Jaishankar said at the 6thEdition of MED dialogue that Indiawas negotiating on it with theEuropean Union till 2013 but the dealcould not be closed.

Chargesheet filedagainst Arnab in

2018 suicide case

The police on Friday filed achargesheet against Republic TVEditor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami

and two others in a 2018 abetment ofsuicide case. The chargesheet was filedbefore a court in Alibaug inneighbouring Raigad district, wherethe case for alleged abetment tosuicide of interior designer AnvayNaik and his mother Kumud has beenregistered. Besides Goswami, the othertwo accused named in the chargesheetare Firoze Sheikh and Nitish Sarda.

Rs14 cr Mallyaassets seized in

France: ED

Businessman Vijay Mallya’sproperty worth Rs 14 crorelocated at 32 Avenue FOCH in

France has been seized under the anti-money laundering law, theEnforcement Directorate said. It saidthe action was taken by Frenchauthorities “on the ED’s request”.

Covid vaccine may be ready in fewweeks: PM Modi at all-party meet

NEW DELHI (TIP): India is set to geta Covid-19 vaccine within weeks, PrimeMinister Narendra Modi said on Friday,Dec 4, while briefing political leaders onthe preparations for “cheap and safe”Made in India vaccines, assuring themthat immunisation would start as soon asscientists give a go-ahead.

“There are 8 potential vaccines atdifferent stages of trials and theirproduction will be in India. Threeindigenous vaccines are also at differentlevels of trials. Experts believe it will notbe a long wait for a Covid vaccine. It isbelieved that in the next few weeks, aCovid vaccine will be ready. As soon asscientists give the green signal,immunisation will start in India,” the PMsaid, virtually addressing an all-partymeeting.

Modi’s remarks, two days after UK’sauthorisation for Pfizer’s dose, was seenby some as an indication that emergencyapproval may be fast-tracked for theOxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, which isbeing produced by the Serum Institute ofIndia. The other two local vaccines areunlikely to be ready in that time frame:Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin has startedphase 3 trails but the results aren’t outyet; Zydus Cadila plans to start finaltrails in December.

On Saturday (November 28), SII CEOAdar Poonawalla said that SII couldapply for emergency approval of thevaccine within two weeks.

Data from final trials in the UK andBrazil have shown the vaccine to bebetween 62% and 90% effective,depending on the dosage.

The Prime Minister assured thepolitical leaders that Indian vaccines willbe cheap but safe. He insisted ondispelling rumours for they are “never inpublic interest or national interest” and,for the first time, announced the prioritylist of beneficiaries.

“A few days ago, I had very successfultalks with scientists involved in Made inIndia vaccines. Our scientists have highlevel of confidence and they are hopefulabout success. We are hearing names ofsome foreign vaccines in the market. Butworld is looking for the cheap but safestvaccine. And that’s why it’s natural forthe world to also look at India.”

The PM also announced that in the firstleg (to be spread over first six months)priority in immunisation will be given tohealth care workers, frontline workersand senior citizens with co-morbiditiesas per the suggestions of the states. Buthe also added that current anti-Covidprotocols, especially social distancingand masks, must be continued.

INDIA KICK STARTS TWO-DAY NAVALDRILL WITH RUSSIA IN EASTERN

INDIAN OCEANNEW DELHI (TIP): India

on Friday, Dec 4, kick-started a two-day navalexercise with Russia in theeastern Indian Ocean, twoweeks after it conducted theMalabar wargames with theUS, Australia and Japan.

The Russian Navy haddeployed its guided-missilecruiser Varyag, large anti-submarine ship AdmiralPanteleyev and mediumocean tanker Pechenga forthe “passage exercise”, officials said.

The Indian Navy has been represented by indigenously constructed guided-missilefrigate Shivalik and anti-submarine corvette Kadmatt along with their integralhelicopters.

“The exercise is aimed at enhancing interoperability, improving understanding andimbibing best practices between both the friendly navies. It would involve advancedsurface and anti-submarine warfare exercises, weapon firings, seamanship exercisesand helicopter operations,” Indian Navy spokesperson Commander Vivek Madhwalsaid.

“The passage exercises are conducted regularly by the Indian Navy with units offriendly foreign navies while visiting each other's ports or during a rendezvous at sea,”he said.

He said the ongoing exercise reflects the strong long-term strategic relationshipbetween the two countries.

“This exercise is being conducted on the occasion of ‘Navy Day’ which emphasises thestrong bonds of friendship shared between the two friendly militaries. It would beanother step towards strengthening Indo-Russian defence relations,” CommanderMadhwal said.

Navy Day is celebrated every year on December 4 to commemorate the Indian Navy’sachievement in inflicting heavy damage on Pakistani vessels in Karachi harbour duringthe India-Pakistan war in 1971.

India asks forwarning message

with onlinegaming ads

The Union information andbroadcasting ministry hasasked TV channels to carry

statutory warnings whenever theycarry advertisements of onlinegaming or fantasy sports sites.

In an advisory issued on Friday,the ministry said that it has come toits notice that channels wereshowing ads of gaming sites but didnot inform the viewers of thefinancial risks associated.

Online gaming is associated bymany with gambling and followingconcerns, the AdvertisingStandards Council of India (ASCI)has released guidelines for issuingthese ads, the ministry said.

According to the guidelines,which become effective fromDecember 15, no person below 18years of age should be shownplaying such games for real moneywinnings.

Print ads have also been asked todisplay a disclaimer that playingthese games may involve financialrisk and can be addictive. Theguidelines suggest that thedisclaimer should not occupy lessthan 20% of the space of the printad.

India’s Covid recovery rateimproves to 94.2 percent

India's COVID-19 caseload rose to95.71 lakh, while the total number ofpeople who have recuperated from

the disease crossed 90 lakh pushing thenational recovery rate to 94.20 per cent,according to the Union Health Ministrydata updated on Friday, Dec 4.

The total coronavirus cases mountedto 95,71,559 with 36,595 new infectionsbeing reported in a day, while the deathtoll climbed to 1,39,188 with 540 newfatalities, the data updated at 8 amshowed.

The number of people who haverecuperated from the disease surged to90,16,289 pushing the national recoveryrate to 94.20 per cent, while the COVID-19 case fatality rate stands at 1.45 percent. The active COVID-19 caseloadcontinued to remain below 5 lakh. Thereare 4,16,082 active coronavirusinfections in the country whichcomprises 4.35 per cent of the totalcaseload, the data stated.

India's COVID-19 tally had crossed the20-lakh mark on August 7, 30 lakh onAugust 23 and 40 lakh on September 5. Itwent past 50 lakh on September 16, 60lakh on September 28, 70 lakh onOctober 11, crossed 80 lakh on October29, and surpassed 90 lakh on November20. According to the ICMR, 14,47,27,749samples have been tested up toDecember 3 with 11,70,102 samples beingtested on Thursday, Dec 3.

16THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2020FARM LAWS

WHY FARMERS ARE PROTESTINGAGAINST AGRI BILLS

Since 26th November 2020, theborders of Delhi have beenwitnessing a huge agitation being

carried out by farmers, most of themfrom Punjab and Haryana.

The three laws introduced by theGovernment, on paper at least, seemwell intentioned. The Farmers’ ProduceTrade and Commerce (Promotion andFacilitation) Bill, 2020 – allows farmersto bypass the Agricultural ProduceMarket Committee (APMC) and sell theproduce directly to a big company,warehouses, cold storage chains, oreven set up shop to sell directly toconsumers.

The Farmers (Empowerment andProtection) Agreement on PriceAssurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020allows for contract farming, for afarmer to get into a contract with abuyer to cultivate specific products fora specific price. This ensures thatfarmers know the price they will geteven before cultivation starts.

The Essential Commodities(Amendment) Bill, 2020 allows buyers topurchase and stock commoditieswithout getting called a hoarder andbeing vulnerable to penal action.

The changes in law facilitates theentry of big retailers and exporters inthe market. The Government would liketo withdraw from the business ofprocuring foodgrains and eventuallyhand over the assets of FoodCorporation of India (FCI) to theseprivate corporates. While it makessense from the Government’s point ofview, the implications of such a moveare by no means certain in the long run.

Why are the farmers upset?The farmers of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab,

and Haryana are angry with theprovisions of these Bills as they areafraid that these Bills may be theplatform that the government (at theCentre) is setting up for the replacementor scrapping of the otherwise robustsupport system prevalent in their statesfor the purchase of their crops. They fearthat the Minimum Support Price (MSP)guarantee that was their safety net sincethe Green Revolution of the 1960s kickedin, maybe snatched away from under thepretext of giving the farmers moreplaying ground and better platforms.

The state-government driven cropproduce procurement infrastructure inthese areas is very good. Procurementthrough the Food Corporation of India atpromised MSP to farmers, which isdeclared before every agriculture season,encourages farmers to focus on takingmore yield. 23 agricultural crops haveMSPs, though the governmentsprimarily buy only rice and wheat.Farmers fear the two recent bills as theyfeel these agriculture reform processeswill kill the government procurementprocess as well as the MSP. And why d wesee most protesters from Punjab andHaryana? That is because they are thebiggest beneficiaries of this safety net.

Why has the Centre notreached out?

The Central ministers and PrimeMinister Narendra Modi have triedreassuring the farmers that thegovernment has no plans to end thegovernment procurement system nor theMSP policy. But fear, misconceptionspersist and the two sparring parties havenot had meaningful negotiations.

The farmers of Punjab and Haryana

As per certain reports, nearly 89 percent of the rice produced by the farmersin Punjab is procured by thegovernment. In Haryana, it is 85%.farmers in Punjab and Haryana face noprice risk and price risk and are in factincentivised to grow paddy and wheat.But the nation has been facing a shortageof pulses and the wheat and rice insteadhave been a surplus in FCI’s godowns.

Also, rice is a water-intensive crop andfarmers from areas with water shortagetoo grow it as there is an MSP assured inthe end. Continuous adoption of rice-wheat cropping system in North-Westernplains of Punjab, Haryana and WestUttar Pradesh has resulted in depletionof ground water and deterioration of soilquality, posing a serious threat to itssustainability," says a government study.

Also, these Farm Bills are encouragingfarmers to strike deals with largecorporates, and farmers do not trustcorporates.

What are the big concerns

Even as the farmer protests against thethree new agriculture-related laws havegathered momentum, one thing seemsobvious: Much of the opposition really isjust to one of the three laws.

Even in that one - the Farmers'Produce Trade and Commerce(Promotion and Facilitation) Act - thereare only some contentious provisions,which, although key, can still leave doors

open for negotiation.

The other two laws Consider first the two laws that ought

not to be serious cause for farmer angst.The Essential Commodities(Amendment) Act is about doing awaywith the Centre's powers to imposestockholding limits on foodstuffs, exceptunder "extraordinary conditions". These

The laws enacted by the Modi government lay the framework for allowing farmers to sell produce directly to corporates,but farmers fear that this may be an excuse to pull off the Minimum Support Price (market intervention by theGovernment of India to insure agricultural producers against any sharp fall in farm prices) safety net from under their feet

Continued on Page 17

17THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2020FARM LAWS

could be war, famine, other naturalcalamities of grave nature and annualretail price rise exceeding 100% inhorticultural produce (basically onionsand potato) and 50% for non-perishables(cereals, pulses and edible oils).

Given that stock limits apply only totraders - the amendment exemptsprocessors, exporters and other "valuechain participants" as long as they don'tkeep quantities beyond their installedcapacity/demand requirements - itshouldn't concern farmers at all.Farmers, if anything, would gain fromremoval of stocking restrictions on thetrade, as it potentially translates intounlimited buying and demand for theirproduce.

The Farmers (Empowerment andProtection) Agreement on PriceAssurance and Farm Services Act has todo with providing a regulatoryframework for contract cultivation. Thisspecifically concerns agreements enteredinto by farmers with agri-business firms(processors, large retailers or exporters)ahead of any planting/rearing season forsupplying produce of predeterminedquality at minimum guaranteed prices.

Again, there is little rationale forobjecting to an Act that merely enablescontract farming. Such exclusiveagreements between companies andfarmers are already operational in cropsof particular processing grades (thepotatoes used by beverages and snacksgiant PepsiCo for its Lay's and UncleChipps wafers) or dedicated for exports(gherkins). The processors/exporters inthese cases typically not only undertakeassured buyback at pre-agreed prices, butalso provide farmers seeds/plantingmaterial and extension support to ensurethat only produce of desired standard isgrown. The point to note is that contractcultivation is voluntary in nature andlargely for crops not amenable to tradingin regular APMC (agricultural producemarket committee) mandis.

There is hardly any domestic marketfor gherkins, just as the milk in mandiseither. The produce sugar mills and dairyplants source from them is practicallycontract farming. An Act that formalizescontract cultivation through a "nationalframework" and explicitly prohibits anysponsor firm from acquiring the land offarmers - whether through purchase,lease or mortgage - should actually bewelcomed.

The contentious one That leaves the only law - the FPTC Act,

for short - which is a bone of contention.It permits sale and purchase of farmproduce outside the premises of APMCmandis.

Such trades (including on electronicplatforms) shall attract no market fee,cess or levy "under any State APMC Actor any other State law".

At issue here is the very right of theCentre to enact legislation on agriculturalmarketing. Article 246 of the Constitutionplaces "agriculture" in entry 14 and"markets and fairs" in entry 28 of theState List. But entry 42 of the Union Listempowers the Centre to regulate "inter-State trade and commerce". While tradeand commerce "within the State" is underentry 26 of the State List, it is subject tothe provisions of entry 33 of theConcurrent List - under which the Centrecan make laws that would prevail overthose enacted by the states.

However, some experts make adistinction between agricultural"marketing" and "trade". Agriculture per

se would deal with everything that afarmer does - right from field preparationand cultivation to also sale of his/her ownproduce.

The act of primary sale at a mandi bythe farmer is as much "agriculture" asproduction in the field. "Trade" beginsonly after the produce has been"marketed" by the farmer. Going by thisinterpretation, the Centre is within itsrights to frame laws that promote barrier-free trade of farm produce (inter- as wellas intra-state) and do not allowstockholding or export restrictions.

But these can be only after the farmerhas sold. Regulation of first sale ofagricultural produce is a "marketing"responsibility of the states, not theCentre. Farmers, for their part, wouldwant no restrictions on the movement,stocking and export of their produce.

Maharashtra's onion growers havevehemently opposed the Centre's resort toban on exports and imposition of stocklimits whenever retail prices have tendedto go up. But these restrictions relate to"trade". When it comes to "marketing" -especially dismantling of the monopoly ofAPMCs - farmers, especially in Punjaband Haryana, aren't very convinced aboutthe "freedom of choice to sell to anyoneand anywhere" argument.

The reason for this is simple: Much ofgovernment procurement at minimumsupport prices (MSP) - of paddy, wheatand increasingly pulses, cotton,groundnut and mustard - happens inAPMC mandis.

In a scenario where more and moretrading moves out of the APMCs, theseregulated market yards will lose revenues."They may not formally shut, but it wouldbecome like BSNL versus Jio. And if thegovernment stops buying, we will be leftwith only the big corporates to sell to," saida Panipat (Haryana)-based farmer.

What could be negotiated If the protesting farmer union leaders

were to sit down at the negotiating table,the government can possibly get them toagree to drop the demand on repealing allthe three laws. Their problem isessentially about the FPTC Act and itsprovisions that they see as weakening theAPMC mandis. There is also disquiet onthe dispute resolution mechanism fortransactions outside the mandis. The Actproposes these to be referred to offices of

the sub-divisional magistrate and districtcollector. "They aren't independent courtsand cannot deliver us justice, leave aloneguarantee timely payment," alleged thesame farmer. These may be just fears, butthey aren't small. From the government'sstandpoint, the elephant in the roomwould be if the farmers insist on anadditional demand: Making MSP a legalright. That would be impossible to meet,even if the three farm laws were to be puton hold.

Why MSP is not a solutionA key debate after the enactment of

three farm-reform laws and thesubsequent protests is around the issue offederally-fixed minimum support prices(MSPs), a system guaranteeing farmersassured prices for their produce throughprocurement. MSP is an obligatory, not astatutory exercise. Farmers havedemanded a legislation to prohibit sale ofany farm produce below these minimumprices. If the government agrees to this, itis likely they will end their protestsagainst the three new farm reforms.

But a law making MSPs the legal floorprice defies economic logic. Thegovernment sets MSPs for 23 crops, but itis effective only in case of rice and wheatbecause it buys only these twocommodities in sufficiently largequantities. MSPs are an assurance thatthe government will intervene if marketrates fall below that threshold, therebyhelping avoid distress sale. This policywas salutary when India faced acute foodshortages. Farm policies to deal with

surpluses will fundamentally have to bedifferent from measures adopted toovercome a previous era of scarcity. A lawbarring purchases of the other 21 cropsbelow MSPs by any private trader willalso, immediately, fuel high inflation.Every one percentage point increase inMSPs leads to a 15-basis point increase ininflation. Higher MSPs could also upendthe Reserve Bank of India’s inflationtargets, hurting economic growth. AnMSP mechanism that ignores demandand global prices creates market distort-ions. If it is not profitable for traders tobuy at MSPs, then the private sector willexit the markets. In such a scenario, thegovernment cannot be a monopoly buyer.Mandatory MSPs will render India’s agri-exports non-competitive because thegovernment’s assured prices are wayhigher than both domestic andinternational market prices.

MSPs have also incentivised foodgrainsover other crops, giving rise toimbalances of water and land resourcesand shifting land away from crops such aspulses and oilseeds, necessitating costlyimports. Surplus cereals can’t beexported without a subsidy, which invitesthe World Trade Organization (WTO)’sobjections. WTO rules cap governmentprocurement for subsidised foodprogrammes by developing countries at10% of the total value of agriculturalproduction based on 1986-88 prices indollar terms. There is no argument thatfarmers need support, but policies thatare less distortionary are in the interest ofboth farmers and consumers.

Continued from page 16

Jacqueline Joins Akshay &Kriti in 'Bachchan Pandey'

Jacqueline Fernandez has been keeping quite busywith her projects. She was recently inDharamshala shooting for the horror-comedy

Bhoot Police alongside Saif Ali Khan, Anil Kapoor andYami Gautam. Now, according to a report by MumbaiMirror, Jacqueline has joined the cast of SajidNadiadwala-produced gangster drama BachchanPandey. The film also stars Akshay Kumar and KritiSanon.

Speaking to the publication Jacqueline says, "SajidNadiadwala and my friendship go way back. I had justjoined the film industry when I did the song 'Dhanno'for Housefull. Bachchan Pandey will be Sajid and myeighth collaboration and I am looking forward to it. Asfor Akshay, its always been great fun to work withhim".

A source told Mumbai Mirror that while Kriti Sanonplays a journalist who aspires to be a filmmaker in themovie, details about Jacqueline's character is yet to begiven. The Farhad Samji directorial will go on floorsfrom 6 January.

KATRINA KAIF CALLSHERSELF A ‘NOOB’

Aditya Narayan ties the knot withShweta Agarwal

Singer AdityaNarayan andactress Shweta

Agarwal tied the knoton Tuesday, Dec 1, ina small templeceremony. Thewedding took placeon groom's singer-father Udit Narayan'sbirthday.

The newly-wedcouple were dressedin shades of beigeand pink for their bigday. The bride dazzledin a glittering,embellished lehenga,and the groom optedfor a classicsherwani.

According to areport by MumbaiMirror, the couplehad a packed weekend of pre-wedding festivities - Tilak on Saturday,Mehendi on Sunday and Haldi on Monday.

Narayan Sr, along with the groom's friends, sang ' Mehndi Laga KeRakhna' and ' Bole Chudiyaan' for Mehendi ceremony. While Haldiceremony was a family affair, Narayan had informed that the weddingwill be at a small temple with just 50 guests in attendance, followed by areception. "I've invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi, AmitabhBachchan, Shatrughan Sinhaji, Dharmendraji, Ranveer Singh, DeepikaPadukone and Madhuri Dixit, but with Covid-19 cases on the rise, I don'tknow if they will be able to attend," he told Mumbai Mirror.

Katrina Kaif has spoken abouther struggles withtechnology, along with a

detailed step-by-step explanation ofwhat happens during her videointerviews. The actor called herselfa ‘noob’.

She shared a video on Instagramwhich showed her trying to connectwith a person online. Shemistakenly called different people,including her fitness trainer YasminKarachiwala and Shaheen Bhatt.The video opened with Katrinagoogling the meaning of the word‘noob’, which has been explained as- ‘a person who is inexperienced in aparticular sphere or activity,especially computing or the use ofthe internet’. She was seencommitting various mistakes, likeswitching off her camera or blamingher network as she disconnectedwith the person on the other side.She even forgot to switch off thevirtual meeting before making sideconversations with her sister.

Sharing the video, she wrote, “Forthose not so tech savvy people. Whoelse has spent a great deal of timethis year struggling withconnectivity issues on their lives. -turn your WiFi on , -turn your WiFioff , - are you on 4G ? ‘Yes I AM’. holdpleasant face while waiting for yourguest to join who cannot - ensuing asmall panic. - most important makesure you END your live session -before having side conversations."

Alia says she has seen ‘a lot of hate’

Actor Alia Bhatt hasentered the clothesretail business and

what to make it an eco-friendly, home-grown successstory. In a recent interview,she opened about the newventure and how all thetrolling and hate she hasreceived online recently, hasmotivated her to spread morekindness in the world.

After laying low online forthe last few months, Alia isback in full throttle onInstagram. She has beenpromoting her clothesbrands for kids--Ed-a-mamma and starting a newjourney as an entrepreneur.

Speaking to Your Story,Alia said, “The new phase ofmy work life will be differentin taking that time off andmaking time for them. I haverealised we have to be kind toeach other and to our planet.I’ve seen a lot of hate, and alittle kindness can take you along way."

Alia received hatecomments and threats onsocial media soon after thedeath of Sushant SinghRajput. His fans were

targeting ‘star kids’ forhogging limelight inBollywood and not lettingoutsiders such as Sushant gettheir due. Apart from Alia,stars such as Ananya Panday,

Kareena Kapoor, Sara AliKhan and many others werealso targeted. Alia’s sisterShaheen had also sharedscreenshots of the commentsthey had been receiving.

18THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2020BOLLYWOOD

GAL GADOT TO STAR IN‘HEART OF STONE’

Hailee SteinfeldConfirmed as Kate

Bishop The inclusion of Kate Bishop in

Hawkeye has been the hypest part ofthis series since it was announced at

San Diego Comic-Con 2019. Created bywriter Allan Heinberg and artist JimCheung, the character is the first woman toadopt the Hawkeye mantle. The daughterof one of New York City's wealthiestfamilies, Kate turns her attention tofighting crime after a life-changing attackin central park, joining the YoungAvengers and eventually settling on fellowarcher Clint Barton as a mentor. Rennerteased Kate's arrival to set on Twitter butthere hasn't been an official castingconfirmation from Marvel quite yet. So,you know, don't tell them about this.

For as long as people have been talkingabout Kate Bishop finally making the jumpto live-action, they've been discussingHailee Steinfeld filling the role. The youngactress first made a spash at 13 in the CoenBros' True Grit remake before starring intwo Pitch Perfect sequels, leading theTransformers spinoff Bumblebee, andproviding the voice for Gwen Stacy inSpider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.

Jennifer Lopez Reacts to Her and AlexRodriguez Elopement Rumors

MILEY CYRUS ADMITS SHE‘STILL’ LOVES LIAMHEMSWORTH

Miley Cyrus says she still ‘loves’ ex-husbandLiam Hemsworth and always will. But sherevealed why they suddenly married and had

things dramatically end in divorce only months later.Miley Cyrus says that the massive losses she

suffered when her Malibu home with then-fianceLiam Hemsworth burned to the ground in the 2018Woolsey Fire ultimately led to the couple’s demiselater down the road. The 28-year-old singer explainedto Howard Stern on his Dec. 2 SiriusXM radio showthat losing literally everything but Liam, 30, causedher so much trauma. As a result, they rushed intomarrying six weeks later on Dec. 23, 2018 at herNashville home, which turned out to be a big mistake.

“We were together since 16,” Miley explained aboutLiam, as they fell in love while filming the 2010 lovestory The Last Song. “Our house burned down. Wehad been like, engaged — I don’t know if we reallyever thought we were actually going to get married.”

Life sometimes imitates art forJennifer Lopez -- but it's not alwaysplanned. The entertainer has a slew

of projects in the works, including theupcoming films Marry Me and ShotgunWedding, which have fans speculating ifshe and fiancé Alex Rodriguez are eitheralready married or eloping.

As Lopez, 51, told ET while promotingher new skincare line, JLo Beauty, it'sjust pure coincidence, but it does makefor a good story.

"It's funny because life does reflect intothings you are doing at times," theHustlers star explained. "But it's justkind of a coincidence because when I did'El Anillo,' the song in Spanish, which is,'When are you going to give me a ring?,' Iwas not really trying to send a message. Itwas just a song that we wrote that weliked and with Marry Me, it wassomething we were developing for, Iwould say, seven years."

"All of that stuff and it was happeningnow where Alex and I are engaged andabout to get married at some point," shecontinued. "It just happens that way. It's afunny thing, life and art, they kind ofintersect."

19THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2020HOLLYWOOD

In an eight-figure deal that puts her at theupper levels of the actress salary scale,Gal Gadot has been set to star in Heart of

Stone, an original international spy thrillerhatched by Skydance Media that endeavorsto put a female spin on action franchiseslike Mission: Impossible and 007. TomHarper, who helmed The Aeronauts andWild Rose, is in talks to direct.

The script is by Greg Rucka (The OldGuard) and Allison Schroeder, latter ofwhom was Oscar nominated for HiddenFigures. The film will be produced bySkydance Media’s David Ellison, DanaGoldberg and Don Granger, along withGadot and her Pilot Wave producingpartner Jaron Varsano, Bonnie Curtis andJulie Lynn. Skydance Media is keepingoptions open on whether this will be atheatrical or streaming bow.

Gadot, whose next Patty Jenkinscollaboration Wonder Woman 1984 has beenset to debut Christmas Day on HBO Max,will next star in the Kenneth Branagh-directed Death on the Nile. She alsorecently wrapped Red Notice for Netflix, theRawson Thurber Marshall-directed heistdrama she stars in with Dwayne Johnsonand Ryan Reynolds. She continues togravitate toward tentpole projects,including Cleopatra, the Jenkins-directedperiod pic that Laeta Kalogridis is writingbased on a story by Gadot. Paramountacquired that project in heated bidding.

Beyond The Aeronauts and Wild Rose,Harper’s directing credits include the BBCminiseries War & Peace, along with PeakyBlinders, Misfits and This Is England ’86.He also directed the pilot of AMC’s TheSon.

20THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2020FILMS ON VOD

DECEMBER FILMS ON VODBY MABEL PAIS

DEAR SANTADIR: Dana Nachman l USA l 2020 l Doc/Family l1h 24m

DEAR SANTA," from veteran documentarian andproducer Dana Nachman. She is one of the greatdirectors who are using their talents to tell

inspiring stories in the face of the pandemic andeconomic downturn that have impacted so manyfamilies.

The film shines a light on the 100-year-old OperationSanta Program of the United States Postal Service.Each year, hundreds of thousands of letters to Santaarrive at Post Offices around the country. ThroughOperation Santa, the United States Postal Servicemakes it possible for the public to safely adopt theseletters and make children's dreams come true. The filminvites audiences along for the magic of this massiveendeavor. Traveling the country, much like Santa doeson Christmas Eve, the film focuses on select OperationSanta centers: some in metropolitan areas like themassive operation in New York City and others in smalltowns where the post office is the heart of thecommunity.

The film highlights letters where a child is asking forsomething poignant, something that goes beyond thecommon wish for a toy. Santa will explain how heenlists kind-hearted strangers across the country forthese special requests while he concentrates on toymaking and his demanding delivery schedule.

This timeless documentary captures the warmth andspirit of Christmastime through the lens of this greatAmerican tradition, provoking audiences throughoutthe world to ask themselves how they can make theworld a better place, one gesture at a time.

Watch the trailer - youtu.be/0MhSPWfBbtEFor more information, visit www.dearsanta.movieRelease: On December 4 in Theaters Nationwide and onVOD including Amazon, Apple TV, YouTube Google Play,Vudu, XBox, XFinity, Spectrum & DirectTV. Visit -dearsanta.movie/watch-at-home

SKY BLOSSOM: Diaries of TheNext Greatest Generation

DIR: Richard Lui l USA l 2020 l Doc l 1h 20m

Iwanted tos h o wcaring for

other peopleis still anhonor. Youngc a r e g i v e r sare also doingthe mostdifficult, butfor (the)family. Thisnext greatestgeneration deserves all the effort we can muster."

"I am one in three Americans who is touched bycaring for an ailing loved one. And I'm part of the halfa trillion annual dollars in work me and 53 millionothers do for loved ones. A major part of thiscommunity is military caregivers. Military caregiverjourneys start earlier and last longer than most.

"Diversity and inclusion remained part of the film'sDNA in front and behind the camera. I wanted to staytrue to this both with the families that I chose and mycrew. They also lose on average, almost $200,000 inwages over their lifetimes." - Richard Lui, Director

"SKY BLOSSOM" is an Academy-Award-qualifying-film salute to 2020. It is a raw, uplifting window into 24.5million children and millennials stepping forward asfrontline heroes. Caring for the family with toughmedical conditions, they stay at home doing thingsoften seen only in hospitals. They are cheerleaders,work part time, and go to college - but also live doublelives - quietly growing up as America's next greatestgeneration.

The filmmaker, veteran journalist and award-winning CNN/MSNBC news anchor Richard Lui saysthe interviews were so honest they genuinely surprisedhim, as they revealed insights into the lives of youngpeople across America. Troops used to look up and say,"Here come the Sky Blossoms" - paratroopers rushing totheir aid. Today, there is a new generation answeringthat call. These are their stories.

My DARLING VIVIAN - Gives Voiceto Johnny Cash's First Wife

DIR: Matt Riddlehoover l USA l 2020 l Doc l 1h30m'VARIETY': OSCAR CONTENDER for BEST DOCFEATURE

In "MYDARLINGVIVIAN,"

director MattRiddlehoovertraces theromantic,wrenching, anddizzying journeyof VivianLiberto, JohnnyCash's first wifeand the motherof his fourdaughters, whowas targeted by hate groups over her perceived race.

"After their divorce, [the public] saw her as, I don'tknow, as nothing," daughter Rosanne Cash says in this

touching, often heartbreaking, and revelatory film. "So,my mother faded into a kind of negative obscurity."

"My Darling Vivian" has exclusive, unprecedentedaccess to never-before-seen footage, photographs, andlove letters, as well as to all four Cash daughtersthemselves. Rosanne Cash, Kathy Cash Tittle, CindyCash, and Tara Cash Schwoebel share first hand, andfor the first time, their mother's entire untold story.

Watch the trailer - youtu.be/3bjwGJOE5VMWebsite: mydarlingvivian.comFacebook: facebook.com/mydarlingvivianInstagram: @mydarlingvivianfilmTwitter: @mydarlingvivian

KOKO-DI KOKO-DADIR: Johannes Nyholm l Sweden l 2020 lSwedish & Danish w/Eng subs l Color l 1h 26m l NR

Elin and Tobias are a happily married couple whoregularly vacation with their young daughter.The family is on a dreamy holiday when an

innocuous case of food poisoning derails their plansand forever alters the course of their lives.

Three years later, the once loving couple is on theroad again to go camping, looking for one last chance togo back to the way things used to be. But what once wasis lost, and our characters instead find themselveshaving to relive the same nightmarish events, as thatday and the horrors it brings repeat themselvesinfinitely. Together, they must overcome their trauma,reconcile with their past and fight for their lives. Over,and over, and over again.

Discerned through a dreamlike fabric, a storyemerges about relationships in general, grief andreconciliation in particular, and love as a healing force.

Watch the trailer - youtu.be/TbOanKCcVWAVod Release: December 8 (US & Canada) Including: AppleTV/ iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, Xbox, Vudu, You Tube,Fandango Now, Dish Network and all major cable providers(Including: Comcast/Xfinity, Spectrum, Cox and VerizonFios)

18 TO PARTYDIR: Jeff Roda l USA l 2019 l Eng l 1h 20m

It's 1984 and outside a small-town nightclub, a groupof 8th graders gather, grappling with a spate ofrecent suicides, UFO sightings, their absentee

parents, and each other. 18 TO PARTY spans a singleevening in the lives of these kids, but manages totransport us fully to a time when waiting for somethingto happen felt just as significant as the thing itself.

Gorgeously atmospheric, with a pulsating sense ofanticipation that steadily builds, the film pulls us intothe fears, wounds, and desires of each character,ultimately revealing that hope may arrive from the lastplace we expect.

The meticulously authentic production design, killersoundtrack, and universally excellent performancesrecall the spirit of classic 80s teen movies like Stand ByMe and The Breakfast Club. 18 TO PARTY is a spot-onlove letter to Gen X, awkward teenagers, and thetranscendent power of friendship.

Watch the trailer - youtu.be/k3jqnEzuHWIWebsite: https://www.18topartymovie.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/18ToPartyMovieTwitter: https://twitter.com/18ToPartyMovieInstagram: 18ToPartyMovie@18ToPartyMovie#18ToPartyMovie

VOD Release: Currently available on Apple TV, PrimeVideo, Google Play, Vudu, Fandango and more to follow.

Mabel Pais writes on The Arts and Entertainment, SocialIssues, Spirituality, and Health & Wellness.

"Dear Santa" Poster.Credit: dearsanta.movie/IFC Films.

Director Richard Lui with his ill dad.

Credit: Sky Blossom Films.

Vivian Liberto Cash, Johnny Cash withchildren.

Credit: Courtesy, mydarlingvivian.com

21THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2020NEW JERSEY

BY MABEL PAIS

NJ: LEADING THROUGH CRISES

LEADING THROUGH CRISES:GOV. MURPHY ON NJ, THE

PANDEMIC, & THE WAYFORWARD

Halfway through his first term as New Jersey'sgovernor, Phil Murphy was confronted by acrisis of extraordinary magnitude: A worldwide

pandemic, which immediately impacted NJ, followed byan unprecedented financial downturn.

Murphy fought these dual emergencies with everytool at his disposal - daily briefings, limits on indoorgatherings, a celebrity-studded COVID relieffundraiser, even "Don't Be A Knucklehead" signs onmajor highways to remind Garden Staters to embracesocial distancing.

Thanks to his leadership, New Jersey successfully"flattened the curve" of coronavirus infections - but thestate still faces the pandemic's second wave, lingeringeconomic hardship, and delays before a vaccine isavailable.

Join the next NJPAC Business Partners "Roundtable@ Home" at 9AM on Friday, December 11, for anenlightening 30-minute conversation with GovernorMurphy at the to find out what the Governor learnedfrom the singular challenges of 2020, and his plans forthe year ahead.

Follow the registration link below; details for loggingonto this Zoom meeting will be emailed to you.

njpac.org/support/bprt-registration-form/For more information on the event, contactbusinesspartners@njpac.org

John Schreiber Pays Tribute toNJPAC's Eunice Peterson

Eunice insisted that every artist - from ArethaFranklin to a local student who'd never been onstage before - got the same high-level care."

Allison Wyss, NJPAC's Senior Artist Assistant,(worked with Eunice for over 20 years)

In an open letter to NJPAC wellwishers, JohnScreiber, President & CEO of the Arts Center, paystribute to recently deceased Staff member, EunicePeterson.

He considers NJPAC's team members as NJPAC's"owners" - because they see NJPAC as "their" place.They're deeply invested in ensuring that it thrives.Schreiber considers the Arts Center (NJPAC) to beblessed in having a team of fierce advocates("owners") working to advance its mission. Hebelieves that of all these "owners" of NJPAC, EunicePeterson, who passed away recently, was "one of theproudest and one of the most effective."

From the Arts Center's opening in 1997 through theSpring of 2019, Eunice was the Senior ArtistAssistant. An artist assistant is the person who greetsperformers when they arrive at NJPAC's stage door,brings them to their dressing rooms, and sees to theirevery need while they're there. A good artist assistantwill know how to give performers just what theyrequire - silence or conversation, a cup of tea or awarm towel - so that when they appear on stage, theyfeel nurtured and valued.

"They feel, in short, like they're at home. And no onedid that the way Eunice did.

She just had the gift of hospitality. Whenperformers came to NJPAC and spent time withEunice, it was like they were hanging out in theirmomma's kitchen, that's how at ease they felt," EyeshaMarable, Director of Community Engagement, tellsJohn Schreiber.

Before she came to the Arts Center, Eunice's firstcareer was as an in-demand backup vocalist whotoured and recorded with Cissy Houston, WhitneyHouston, Darlene Love, Dionne Warwick and manyothers from the 1960s through her arrival at NJPAC.

"I have this beautiful memory of hanging out withDionne Warwick, Johnny Mathis, Lee and Eunice inthe production office of NJPAC, and all of them justtalking about the good old days," says Chris Moses,

NJPAC's Senior Director of Production.Eunice and Chris Moses's predecessor, Larry

Goldman, created the artist assistant program atNJPAC before the opening night, basing theirapproach on that of Carnegie Hall.

"Eunice insisted that every artist - from ArethaFranklin to a local student who'd never been on stagebefore - got the same high-level care."

"Because she remembered what it was like to be aperformer. She would tell stories of all the times shewas on the road, how hard it was, the things sheencountered: No proper dressing rooms, no access tofood, even the unacceptable names she was called asan African-American artist touring in the 1960s and1970s. She vowed nothing like that would happen toany artist at NJPAC."

Eunice's performing days didn't end when she cameto NJPAC. In 1998, a year after the Arts Center opened,Larry decided to establish a community choir andencouraged staff members to audition. Eunice was acharter member of what became the 'JubilationChoir'. She sang soprano with the choir until she fellill.

"She'd traveled the world with a lot of these artists,she knew them personally. We ended up on a lot ofprojects, like Dionne Warwick's latest, really becauseof Eunice running her mouth about the choir. She'dsay to them: 'Oh, y'all sound good, but you need to hearmy choir' and give them a bunch of CDs," Rev. StefanieMinatee (Rev. Stef), Artistic Director of the JubilationChoir, says.

"Genuine," "sincere" and "loving" are the wordsalmost everyone at NJPAC has reached for to describeEunice as her passing was mourned.

That sincerity, that love, made the Center'sbackstage a uniquely warm and welcoming space, anda particularly appealing one to artists. Great artistsknow when you're for real and when you're just goingthrough the motions. Eunice never went through themotions.

"Although we miss Eunice's hugs and her caring,her outfits and her remarkable voice, she'll neverreally be gone. When you go backstage at NJPAC,you'll feel her spirit. You may not know her the way wewere privileged to, but her vibe - her great,comforting, warm, loving vibe - is embedded in ourwalls. This was her place; it always will be," Rev.Stefanie Minatee.

(Mabel Pais writes on Health & Wellness, The Arts andEntertainment, Social Issues, and Spirituality)

NJ Governor Phil Murphy

Photo / Courtesy NJPAC

Eunice Peterson - Photo / Courtesy NJPAC

RAMALLAH (WEST BANK) (TIP):

Israel handed over a backlog of billionsof shekels in tax money to thePalestinian Authority on Wednesday,both sides said, in another sign ofwarming ties between the sides after theUS presidential election victory of JoeBiden.

The taxes, managed by Israel underinterim peace accords from the 1990s andusually handed over monthly, make upmore than half of the budget of thePalestinian Authority (PA), whoseeconomy has been hard hit by thecoronavirus pandemic.

The 3.77 billion shekels ($1.14 billion)transfer is the first since June, when thePalestinians snubbed the handover dueto Israeli Prime Minister BenjaminNetanyahu's plans, currently suspended,to annex parts of the occupied WestBank.

The Palestinians also rejected the cash

several times in 2019 after Israeltrimmed the sum in retaliation for fundsgoing to the families of jailed or killedmilitants. It usually amounts to about$190 million a month.

"The #Israeli government transfers allfinancial dues of the clearance to theaccount of the #Palestinian Authority,"Palestinian Affairs minister of civilaffairs Hussein al-Sheikh tweeted, givingthe figure as 3.768 billion shekels.

The Israeli Finance Ministryconfirmed the details.

The PA has been unable to pay fullwages of its 130,000 employees in the pastmonths. Palestinian Prime MinisterMohammad Shtayyeh said this week itwould pay full salaries once it receivedthe tax money.

Israel froze its annexation plans inAugust as part of an agreement to forgediplomatic ties with the United ArabEmirates. The Palestinians in November

said they were resuming civil andsecurity cooperation with Israelsuspended over the annexation. Theannouncement came about two weeksafter Biden beat incumbent DonaldTrump in the U.S. presidential race.

Palestinian President MahmoudAbbas has since indicated he will drophis three-year political boycott of theWhite House.

"Right now we are sending clearmessages not only to the Israelis, notonly to the Biden administration but alsoto the Europeans and many others thatPalestine, and the Palestinians are readyto reengage completely with Israel,"Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki said in a November 26 videoconference.

($1 = 3.2861 shekels) --- Reuters

Suspected murdererremanded in custody

after German carrampage

TRIER (TIP): A 51-year old Germanman suspected of murdering fivepeople, including a baby, by ploughinga speeding car into a pedestrian zonein Trier on Tuesday, is to be held inprison after a judge decided he did notneed to be sent to a psychiatricinstitution.

The man, who had been drunk, hadshown psychological abnormalitiesduring and after his arrest on Tuesday,said the Trier prosecutor, adding anexpert would examine him and issuean official opinion.

"A preliminary evaluation finds noconcrete indications to completelyexclude culpability," said theprosecutor, adding he was suspected ofcommitting five murders andattempted murder and grievous bodilyharm in a further 18 cases.

"The accused is suspected of havingrandomly and deliberately driven athigh speed in the pedestrian zone inTrier ... with a Land Rover with theintention of killing or at least injuringas many people as possible," said theprosecutor.

The motive of the suspect, notnamed by prosecutors but identified asBernd W. by media, was still unclear,said the prosecutor, reiterating,however, that questioning so far hadgiven no indication of a political orreligious background.

Residents and politicians wept andhugged as they placed flowers, candlesand hand-written messages to thevictims in the city's landmark Romangate, Porta Nigra.

"The pain of the mother who lost herchild and her husband takes my voiceaway," said Malu Dreyer, premier ofthe state of Rhineland-Palatinate, hervoice breaking.

"There will never again be thelaughter of the father and the child.Others who have to mourn dead feelthe same way... they will have to carrythis burden for the rest of their lives,"she said. --- Reuters

Argentina cops searchoffice of 2nd doctor in

Maradona caseBUENOS AIRES (TIP): The

investigation into Diego Maradona'sdeath continued with police raids onthe office and home of the psychiatristwho cared for the soccer star and isbeing investigated for possible medicalnegligence.

By order of the attorney general'soffice of San Isidro, officers entered anapartment used by Agustina Cosachovfor consultations in Buenos Aires onTuesday, while another group of policesearched her private home. AP

22THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2020WORLD

China’s Chang’e-5 probe drillsMoon’s surface, collects samples

BEIJING (TIP): On the most complexmission to the Moon, China’s Chang’e-5probe drilled the lunar surface, collectedsamples on Wednesday in the first sucheffort in over 40 years and beganpreparations to bring the precious soil toearth, the country’s space authority said.

The Chang’e-5 probe has collectedMoon samples after landing on Tuesday,the China National SpaceAdministration (CNSA) announced onWednesday.

The unmanned probe landed in thearea called Oceanus Procellarum, alsoknown as the Ocean of Storms, on thenear side of the Moon and started rollingout its solar panel wings and unlockingsome of the payloads on-board to preparefor sample collection.

The lander first drilled a 2-meter-deephole, digging out soil, and sealed it up at4:53 a.m. on Wednesday. Next, it will useits robotic arms to scoop up moresamples from the lunar surface forbackup, state-run media reported.

About two kg of samples are expectedto be collected and sealed in a container,CNSA officials said.

State-run media has shown photos ofthe lander on the lunar surface after itlanded successfully.

“We designed two methods for thespacecraft to collect samples. One is tosample the lunar surface, and the otheris to drill underground. The two methodscould increase the chance of gettingmore diverse samples,” Peng Jing,deputy chief designer of the Chang’e-5probe said.

It is China’s maiden attempt toretrieve materials from an extra-terrestrial body.

The United States sent astronauts tothe Moon to collect samples. In the SovietUnion’s unmanned lunar samplingmissions, the spacecraft took off from

the Moon and returned to Earth directly.The US space agency on Wednesday

congratulated China for the Chang’e-5mission. Nasa’s top science official, DrThomas Zurbuchen, said he hoped theinternational research communitywould eventually get the chance toanalyse any samples sent home.

“When the samples collected on theMoon are returned to Earth, we hopeeveryone will benefit from being able tostudy this precious cargo that couldadvance the international sciencecommunity,” he tweeted.

Explaining why China chose to dowhat has been accomplished by the USand Soviet Union much earlier, PeiZhaoyu, deputy director of the LunarExploration and Space Program Centreof the CNSA said that China chose acomplicated technological approachincluding unmanned rendezvous anddocking in lunar orbit, and could bringback more samples and lay atechnological foundation for mannedlunar missions.

The samples collected on Wednesday,will be sealed in what scientists havedescribed as a long “sausage-likepackage”. “Samples have to be sealed up

in case any contamination occurs duringthe course back to earth,” Luan Enjie,the chief commander of China’s firstlunar mission told the China CentralTelevision (CCTV).

“The Moon environment is verydifferent from the Earth, so samplesneed to be stored in a very cleancontainer,” he added.

These soils obtained from the Moonare expected to provide informationabout its geological evolution and offerinsights into solar activities in theuniverse, according to the mission team.

The Chang’e-5 probe includes a lander,ascender, orbiter, and return vehicle. Thesealed packages will be stored in theascender, which will lift off from theMoon’s surface to transfer the samples tothe returner and orbiter waiting in lunarorbit.

At the proper time, the returner willthen separate from the orbiter and carrythe samples back to Earth, finallylanding in north China’s InnerMongolia.

A no stranger to the Moon, Chinalaunched its first lunar probe, Chang’e-1in 2007 which orbited 200 km above theMoon and mapped 3D images of thelunar surface followed by Chang’e-2 in2010 which had sent high-resolutionphotos of the Moon’s surface.

Chang’e-3 was launched in 2013 whichsoftly touched down on the Sinus Iridum12 days later.

The Chang’e-4 probe was launched in2018. It made the first-ever soft landingon the Von Karman Crater in the SouthPole-Aitken Basin on the far side of theMoon. A major space power, Chinalaunched its first Mars mission‘Tianwen-1’ on July 23 this year. TheMars spacecraft which included anorbiter, lander and rover is on its way tothe red planet. PTI

Israel hands over $1 billion in Palestinian taxbacklog in sign of warming ties

South Korea passeslaw allowing BTS stars

to postpone militaryservice

NEW YORK (TIP): In a majormove, the South Korean parliamenthas passed a bill allowing musicsensation BTS and other musicians topostpone their mandatory militaryservice until the age of 30.

As per the South Korean laws, allable-bodied South Korean men, agedbetween 18 and 28, are required toserve in the military for about twoyears, reported New York Times.

Two of the members of the group,Jin and Suga, will soon turn 28 andtheir with the group was under threat.

According to the revised MilitaryService Act, "a pop culture artist whowas recommended by the Minister ofCulture, Sports and Tourism to havegreatly enhanced the image of Koreaboth within the nation and throughoutthe world" would be allowed topostpone their military service untilage of 30 if they do not have anextraordinary reason.

Before revision, the Military ServiceAct only gave deferral exceptions toathletes, classical musicians, andthose who enrolled in Ph.D. programsabroad. All seven members of BTS—the full name is Bangtan Sonyeondan(Bulletproof Boy Scouts) or BeyondThe Scene as their English branding—meet that requirement as they wereawarded the medal in 2018.

The fans of the group, known as theBTS Army, celebrated the legal changeon social media, calling it a gift to Jinahead of his birthday on December 4.PTI

23THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2020WORLD

WeChat blocks Australian PrimeMinister in doctored image disputeSYDNEY (TIP): The Chinese social

media platform WeChat blocked amessage by Australia Prime MinisterScott Morrison amid a dispute betweenCanberra and Beijing over the doctoredtweeted image of an Australian soldier.

China rebuffed Morrison's calls for anapology after its foreign ministryspokesman Zhao Lijian posted thepicture of an Australian soldier holdinga bloodied knife to the throat of anAfghan child on Monday.

The United States called China's use ofthe digitally manipulated image a "newlow" in disinformation.

Morrison took to WeChat on Tuesdayto criticise the "false image", whileoffering praise to Australia's Chinesecommunity. In his message, Morrisondefended Australia's handling of a warcrimes investigation into the actions ofspecial forces in Afghanistan, and saidAustralia would deal with "thornyissues" in a transparent manner.

But that message appeared to beblocked by Wednesday evening, with anote appearing from the "Weixin OfficialAccounts Platform Operation Center"saying the content was unable to beviewed because it violated regulations,including distorting historical eventsand confusing the public.

Tencent, the parent company ofWeChat, did not immediately respond toa request for comment.

Australian special forces allegedlykilled 39 unarmed prisoners andcivilians in Afghanistan, with seniorcommandos reportedly forcing juniorsoldiers to kill defenceless captives inorder to "blood" them for combat, a four-year investigation found.

Australia said last week that 19

current and former soldiers would bereferred for potential criminalprosecution. China's embassy has saidthe "rage and roar" from Australianpoliticians and media over the soldierimage was an overreaction.

'Hypocrisy is obvious to all'Australia was seeking to "deflect

public attention from the horribleatrocities by certain Australiansoldiers", it said.

Other nations, including the UnitedStates, New Zealand and France – andthe self-ruled island of Taiwan whichChina claims as its own – have expressedconcern at the Chinese foreignministry's use of the manipulated imageon an official Twitter account.

"The CCP's latest attack on Australia isanother example of its unchecked use ofdisinformation and coercive diplomacy.Its hypocrisy is obvious to all," the USState Department said on Wednesday,referring to the Chinese CommunistParty. State Department deputyspokesman Cale Brown said thefabricated image of the soldier was "anew low, even for the ChineseCommunist Party". "As the CCP spreads

disinformation, it covers up itshorrendous human rights abuses,including the detention of more than amillion Muslims in Xinjiang," Brownwrote in a tweet.

France's foreign affairs spokesmansaid on Tuesday the tweeted image was"especially shocking" and the commentsby Zhao "insulting for all countrieswhose armed forces are currentlyengaged in Afghanistan".

China's embassy in Paris hit back onWednesday, saying the soldier image wasa caricature by a painter, adding thatFrance has previously loudly defendedthe right to caricature.

WeChat has 690,000 active daily usersin Australia, and in September told anAustralian government inquiry it wouldprevent foreign interference inAustralian public debate through itsplatform. Morrison's message had beenread by 57,000 WeChat users byWednesday. Zhao's tweet, pinned to thetop of his Twitter account, had been"liked" by 60,000 followers, after Twitterlabelled it as sensitive content butdeclined Canberra's request to removethe image.

Twitter is blocked in China, but hasbeen used by Chinese diplomats.

China on Friday imposed dumpingtariffs of up to 200 per cent on Australianwine imports, effectively shutting off thelargest export market for the Australianwine industry.

A group of parliamentarians from 19countries that has lobbied againstChina's actions in Hong Kong, where ithas cracked down on dissent, and in thefarwestern region of Xinjiangcampaigned on social media for thepublic to drink Australian wine. Reuters

Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong defiant as he is jailed over 13 months for protestHONG KONG (TIP): Joshua Wong, 24, one of Hong

Kong's most prominent democracy activists, was jailedon Wednesday for more than 13 months over an unlawfulanti-government rally in 2019, the toughest and mosthigh-profile sentence for an opposition figure this year.Wong's sentence comes as critics say the Beijing-backedgovernment is intensifying a crackdown on Hong Kong'sopposition and chipping away at wide-ranging freedomsguaranteed after the former British colony returned toChinese rule in 1997, a charge authorities in Beijing andHong Kong reject.

Reacting to the court ruling, Britain's foreign ministerDominic Raab urged Hong Kong and Beijing authoritiesto stop their campaigns to stifle the opposition.

Wong had pleaded guilty to organising and inciting anunlawful assembly near the city's police headquartersduring the height of the sometimes violentdemonstrations in June last year. He faced a maximumof three years in jail.

About 100 supporters gathered quietly inside thecourt ahead of the sentence, while a small group of pro-Beijing people rallied outside, calling for a hefty prisonsentence. "I know the coming days will be tougher. Wewill hang in there," Wong, wearing a black sweater andsurgical face mask, shouted after the sentence was readout. "It’s not the end of the fight," Wong said laterthrough his lawyers.

"Ahead of us is another challenging battleground.

We're now joining the battle in prison along with manybrave protesters, less visible yet essential in the fight fordemocracy and freedom for Hong Kong."

Wong's long-time colleagues Agnes Chow, 23, and IvanLam, 26, were jailed for a total of 10 and seven months,respectively, on charges linked to the same siege whenthousands of protesters surrounded the policeheadquarters on June 21 to demand the governmentwithdraw a now-shelved extradition bill.

Chow, who cried inside the court room on hearing hersentence, had pleaded guilty to incitement andparticipation in an unlawful protest, while Lam pleadedguilty to incitement. A familiar face at democracyprotests since he was a teenager, Wong was less than a

year old when Hong Kong returned to Beijing 23 yearsago with a guarantee of freedoms not enjoyed on themainland, including freedom of speech and assembly.China's imposition of a national security law on HongKong on June 30 was seen as the latest blow to the city'sliberties, which are crucial for its status as a globalfinancial hub.

‘KEEP THE FAITH’ : Ahead of sentencing, thedistrict court judge read a letter from Wong's mother tothe court in which she said her son was "a young personwho cares about society and is persistent in his ideals".

Under the handover agreement in 1997, Beijingpromised to maintain the free-wheeling city's way of lifefor 50 years under a "one country, two systems" formula,although some fear 2047 is arriving early as authoritiestighten their grip.

US Senator Marsha Blackburn accused China ofcracking down on human rights and destroying "anysemblance of autonomy in Hong Kong".

"Keep the faith, Joshua, you are truly an inspiration tofreedom fighters everywhere," Blackburn said in astatement. Rights groups were swift to condemn thecourt ruling. "By targeting well-known activists fromHong Kong’s largely leaderless protest movement,authorities are sending a warning to anyone who daresopenly criticise the government that they could be next,"said Amnesty International’s Asia-Pacific RegionalDirector Yamini Mishra. - Reuters

HOME REMEDIES TO NOURISH YOUR DRY SCALP

CONNOISSEUR’SCHOICE

By Tript Arora

Pav Bhaji is a MumbaiStreet Food popular allover India. It is sold in

every nook and corner withthe name 'Bombay Pav Bhaji'written on the stalls. The basicingredients in this mouthwatering dish are potatoesand tomatoes. While cookingthis dish at home I try to makeit healthy by adding as manyvegetables as possible. Youcan add whatever veggies areavailable at your home. Cutthem in bite-size pieces andpressure cook them withwater for 7 whistles or slow-cook them for 10 minutes after one whistle. Mash the cookedmixture and temper with ginger & garlic paste, onions and butter.Street food is always prepared with lots of butter. But you canadjust the quantities if you are calorie conscience. However thetaste will be a little different if you use less butter. My family lovesto have it as breakfast on Sundays. The recipe I am sharing todayis very easy to prepare. You can boil vegetables a day before, storeit in the refrigerator (without mashing) and use it the next day.This way you can enjoy Pav bhaji even on the days when you aretoo lazy to cook, because the subsequent steps don’t take muchtime.

Traditionally, the Pav is cooked on the Tawa (Girdle) with Bhaji butthat way the paav soaks up a lot of butter. Therefore, there is atwist here. I cook it on an electric griller to reduce butter.

We need 1 Cup Peas, 1 Large Capsicum, 200 Gm Potatoes, 250 GmTomatoes, 12 Cloves Of Garlic, 2" inch Ginger, 1 Green Chillies, 1Large Onion, 1 Lemon, 2 Onions Chopped, 1Tbsp Oil, 2 Tbsp Butter,1 Tsp Cumin Seeds (Zeera), 1 Tsp Kasuri Methi, 2 Tbsp ChoppedCoriander, 3 Tbsp Pav bhaji Masala, ¼ Tsp Red food Colour(optional), 1 Tbsp Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder, 1 Tsp of Salt.

Let us StartWash all the vegetables . Peel potatoes. Cut them into cubes. De-seed Capsicum and cut into cubes. Chop tomatoes. Grind ginger,garlic and green chilli together to a fine paste.

Add all the vegetables to a pressure cooker with 2 cups of wateralong with salt and 1 Tsp of Pav bhaji masala. Cook it till 6 whistles.Don't release the pressure, let it cool on its own. Open only whenthe pressure is totally released.

All the vegetables are soft by now. Mash them well with a handmasher. Don't use a blender otherwise bhaji will become veryloose and runny like a chutney!

After everything is blended together , keep another pan on flame.Add butter and oil to it. It is always advisable to add oil along withbutter to prevent the butter from burning into an ugly browncolour. Add 1 Tsp of zeera. When it starts sputtering, add choppedonions to it. Saute them on low flame till translucent brown.

When the onions turn to translucent brown add ginger, garlic andchilli paste to the pan. Saute for one minute.

Add a pinch of salt, turmeric powder, Coriander powder, Kasurimethi, 2 tsp of Pav bhaji Masala and kashmiri red chilli powder.Add 2 tbsp of water and saute till oil separates out on the sides.Adding water prevents the masala from burning.

Now our masala is ready. Add mashed vegetables to it. If you wantmarket style red colour of Bhaji then you can dissolve ¼ tsp offood colour in 1 Tbsp of water and add to the bhaji . Give it a goodmix. Now let the vegetables simmer for 4 to 5 minutes to absorb allthe flavours in it. After 4 to 5 minutes of simmering, bhaji is readyto serve. Just squeeze one lemon on it and mix well, right beforeserving it to give it a tangy taste.

Heat an electric griller. Soften around 3 Tbsp of butter. Now pastethe Pav with the softened butter. Put it in the griller and grill it tillyour desired level of crispness. Avoid tightly closing the griller. Justkeep the lid softly otherwise the pavs will become hard and crisp.

Pav Bhaji is ready to be served! Just top the bhaji with butter,serve it with grilled pavs, green chutney and chopped onions.Enjoy the street food of Mumbai in the hygiene of your kitchen.

You Can reach me at: www.triptasfoodtunnel.comEmail : triptasfoodtunnel@gmail.com.

Instagram: @triptasfoodtunnel

24THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2020WOMEN

There are several potentialcauses of a dry scalp. Theseinclude washing the hair too

frequently, not drinking enoughwater, and having a reaction to harshhair care products. Healthconditions such as psoriasis couldalso result in a dry scalp.

However, a person may be able totreat their dry scalp at home.

Although they may not work foreveryone, the following are somepotential home remedies that mayhave some merit when it comes totreating a dry scalp.

Coconut oilCoconut oil has some recognition

in the medical community as beingan effective moisturizer.

A review of research found thatcoconut oil is safe and effective intreating dry skin, which mayindicate that it could also be usefulin treating scalp dryness.

However, another study showedthat although coconut oil did nothave any ill effects, there was nonoticeable difference between thescalps of people who used the oil andthose who did not. In this study, theresearchers compared the hair carepractices of 240 medical students.

Tea tree oilTea tree oil is a popular essential

oil that lots of people use for itsmany potential health benefits.

According to a research review inthe journal Clinical MicrobiologyReviews, tea tree oil may haveantifungal, antiseptic, and antibioticproperties that could help with scalpdryness.

Aloe veraSome people use aloe vera for

relief from sunburn and dry skin.Research suggests that people mayexperience relief with aloe vera dueto its anti-inflammatory effects.

When a person applies it to thescalp, aloe vera may help alleviatethe itching associated with a dryscalp. It may also help withmoisturizing the scalp.

An old study comparing the use ofaloe vera gel with a placebo in 44participants with seborrheicdermatitis — which is a conditionthat causes scaly, flaky skin — foundthat the aloe vera gel was moreeffective in reducing scaliness anditching.

Olive oilIn the diet, olive oil has displayed

anti-inflammatory properties. Someresearch suggests that theseproperties could also be present

when a person applies it to the skin.A review of research notes that

olive oil has helped boost woundhealing and skin regrowth in animalstudies, largely through its anti-inflammatory effects. Skininflammation can lead to dry skin.

Mashed bananasWitch hazel may also help with

the symptoms of a dry scalp, suchas itchiness.

According to some research,the nutrients in bananas mayprovide effective scalp treatment.

One research paper, forexample, suggests that thepotassium, oils, and vitamins inbananas can help moisturize thescalp, treat dandruff, andimprove hair health. The authorsstate that people can try thisnatural remedy by making theirown banana hair conditioner athome.

PAV BHAJI

Scotland becomes first nation to makemenstrual sanitary products free

Scotland on Tuesday, Dec 1, made sanitary productsfree to all women, becoming the first nation in theworld to take such a step against “period poverty.”

The measure makes tampons and sanitary padsavailable at designated public places such ascommunity centres, youth clubs and pharmacies, at anestimated annual cost to taxpayers of 24 million pounds($32 million U.S.).

The Period Products (Free Provision) Scotland Billpassed unanimously, and First Minister of ScotlandNicola Sturgeon called it “an important policy forwomen and girls.”

“Proud to vote for this groundbreaking legislation,making Scotland the first country in the world toprovide free period products for all who need them,”Sturgeon posted on Twitter.

During the debate, the bill’s proposer, ScottishLabour MP Monica Lennon, said: “No one should haveto worry about where their next tampon, pad orreusable is coming from.

“Scotland will not be the last country to consignperiod poverty to history, but we have the chance to bethe first,” she said.

In 2018, Scotland became the first country to providefree sanitary products in schools, colleges anduniversities.

Some 10% of girls in Britain have been unable toafford sanitary products, according to a survey by the

children’s charity Plan International in 2017, withcampaigners warning many skip classes as aconsequence.

Sanitary products in the United Kingdom are taxed at5%, a levy that officials have blamed on EuropeanUnion (EU) rules that set tax rates on certain products.

Now that Britain has left the EU, British FinanceMinister Rishi Sunak has said he would abolish the“tampon tax” in January 2021.

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PPAAGGEE SSPPOONNSSOORREEDD BBYY

Reasons why you're notlosing weight

Countless guides exist on how to lose weight,which makes it hard to figure out whatapproach is right for you. However, before you

start trying to lose weight, it's important to considerwhether or not you should lose weight — and if so,how much is healthy.

Therefore, you should consult with your doctorbefore beginning any weight loss program, as theycan help you decide if losing weight is right for you.They can also help you determine the safest way tolose weight based on your own unique health needs.While shedding pounds may help decrease your riskfor heart disease and diabetes, losing too muchweight can also come with its own set of healthconditions such as fatigue, weak bones, and fertilityproblems.

Once you're in a healthy weight-loss plan, there'salways the risk of not losing as much weight as youlike. Adjusting your diet or activity level might be allyou need to do to see results. But sometimes, yourefforts can fall flat. Here are some common reasonswhy you may be struggling to lose weight:

You're eating too many calories To lose weight, you need to take in fewer calories

than you burn. This is called a calorie deficit. Ifyou're in a calorie surplus, your body stores thoseextra calories as fat.

To ensure you're consuming the right amount ofcalories, monitor your caloric intake, as well asphysical activity. You can do this by keeping track ofthe calories you're eating and burning throughfitness apps or in a food log. A large 2006 study foundthat those who planned meals and tracked caloriessuccessfully lost weight and maintained weight lossmore than those who did not.

You're drinking too much alcohol Alcohol is energy dense, meaning it contains a

high amount of calories per volume, says ArianaChao, CRNP, the medical director of the Center forWeight and Eating Disorders at the University ofPennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine.

For reference, alcohol has about seven calories pergram, while a carbohydrate has four calories pergram. Alcohol can also reduce inhibitions abouteating, making you more likely to choose high-calorie foods if you're drinking, Chao says.

A large 2018 study of overweight and obese peoplewith type 2 diabetes found that people who drankheavily lost less weight over a four-year period thanthose who did not drink and decreasing alcoholconsumption may improve weight management inpeople with diabetes.

You're not drinking enough waterDrinking water can help you lose weight by

boosting your metabolism and suppressing yourappetite, thus making you feel fuller.

A small 2007 study found that drinking 500 mL (twocups) of water increased energy expenditure by 24%in overweight or obese individuals. Additionally, asmall 2015 study of obese people comparedparticipants who drank two cups of water beforemeals with those who did not. It found those whodrank water lost an average of almost three morepounds.

CAN STRESS CAUSE HIGHBLOOD PRESSURE?

Stress—and often how you copewith it—can make so manythings worse, including your

blood pressure.A major risk factor for heart

disease and stroke, high bloodpressure stage 1 is defined as anupper or systolic blood pressurereading of 130-139 systolicmillimeters of mercury (mm/ Hg)and a lower or diastolic pressurereading of 80-89 mm Hg. Systolicblood pressure is the pressure whenyour heart beats while pumpingblood, and diastolic blood pressureis the pressure when your heart isat rest between beats. A bloodpressure of less than 120/80 mm Hgis considered normal.

Stage 2 is when blood pressureconsistently ranges at 140/90 mmHg or higher. This is when doctorsare likely to suggest medication andlifestyle changes, according to theAmerican Heart Association.

Untreated, high blood pressurecan set the stage for heart attack,stroke, and other complications bydamaging blood vessels throughoutyour body. Stress can have bothdirect and indirect effects on bloodpressure levels, explains VijayNambi, MD, associate professor ofmedicine, Baylor College ofMedicine, Houston.

Here's what you need to knowabout stress and how it affects yourheart rate and blood pressure.

Stress triggers your body's fight-

or-flight response, and this is a goodthing when you are faced with animmediate threat or scare, says Dr.Nambi.

"If something scares me andjumps in front of me, my bloodpressure should go up," he says. Inthese cases, stress stimulates yoursympathetic nervous system whichreleases the stress hormonesadrenaline and cortisol that canincrease heart rate and bloodpressure.

This is exactly what is supposedto happen to help you avoid harm,he notes.

Chronic stress—whether relatedto work, finances, personalrelationships, or life in general—is

another story altogether.Researchers are still trying tounravel how chronic stress directlyimpacts blood pressure. What theydo know is that that stress gets inthe way of making healthy choices,which will have indirect effects onyour blood pressure.

When you are stressed, you areless likely to do the things that youknow are good for you. Thisincludes following a healthy dietand exercising regularly, saysStephen J. Huot, MD, professor ofmedicine (nephrology), associatedean and director of graduatemedical education, Yale School ofMedicine/Yale New HavenHospital.

Cancer survivors at higher risk ofdying from flu: Study

Survivors from a wide range of cancers are morelikely than people in the general population to behospitalised or die from seasonal influenza even

several years after their cancer diagnosis, warnresearchers, including one of Indian-origin.

The study, published in the journalEClinicalMedicine, suggests that cancer survivors arealso likely to be at higher risk of severe Covid-19outcomes.

The research team from the London School ofHygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), analysedmedical records from 1990 to 2014 of more than 630,000people in the UK, including over 100,000 survivors of arange of cancers.

Comparing the rates of influenza hospitalisationand death between cancer survivors and the cancer-free population, they found that the risk of theseoutcomes was more than nine times higher insurvivors from lymphomas, leukaemia, and multiplemyeloma, compared to those with no prior cancer.

Crucially, this raised risk persisted for at least 10years after cancer diagnosis.

Despite the risks being raised compared to thegeneral population, the absolute risks of developingsevere flu were still relatively low, with about 1 in 1000survivors of these types of cancer hospitalised withflu each year.

Survivors from other types of cancer also had morethan double the risk of severe influenza outcomes forup to five years from diagnosis.

These findings persisted even after accounting for

other suspected risk factors such as old age, smoking,socioeconomic status, body mass index and otherillnesses.

The researchers also found that cancer survivorswere more likely to have other diseases that areassociated with increased risk of severe Covid-19outcomes, such as heart disease, diabetes, respiratorydisease and kidney disease.

"These findings have an immediate relevance as weenter the winter period: we have a flu vaccineavailable, and the likelihood of a Covid-19 vaccine inthe near future," said study author KrishnanBhaskaran from LSHTM.

25THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2020HEALTH

26THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2020SCIENCE & TECH

Google set to winEU approval forFitbit takeover

next week

Google is set to win conditionalEuropean Union approval for its$2.1 billion takeover of health

tracker Fitbit Inc. this month, peoplefamiliar with the discussions said.

The deal could be approved as soon asnext week after national competitionauthorities give their opinion, said thepeople who asked not to be namedbecause the procedure isn’t public. TheEU usually consults the so-called advisorycommittee on mergers days before itissues approval. Google announced itsplans to buy Fitbit in November 2019,noting that it would use the smartwatchmaker to improve its lagging hardwarebusiness. Clearing regulatory obstaclesfor the deal come in a tough climate whenthe company is facing mounting globalscrutiny of big technology companiesand potentially restrictive regulation inthe EU and other regions.

Amazon now letsyou interact withAlexa via text on

iOS

Alexa can now respond tocommands via text on iOS.Amazon appears to have quietly

added the capability in the last fewdays, though the company officiallyconfirmed the feature to The Verge.

With the change, users can opt to textcommands to Alexa rather thanspeaking them. According to Amazon,the feature is still a “public preview,”so it could have some bugs and maychange before it becomes official. But ifyou want to try it out now, it’s alreadyavailable in the Alexa app on iOS(tapping the Alexa button in the appwill bring up a keyboard icon thatopens a chat window).

Microsoft aims tohelp businesses

get handle on datawith new tool

Microsoft Corp on Thursday, Dec3, announced a new cloud-based tool designed to help

corporate customers understand wheredata is scattered throughout theiroperations and whether they are incompliance with data privacyregulations. Once known for itsWindows operating system andapplications such as Office, Microsofthas built a large business in cloudcomputing, helping store and processhuge amounts of data for corporatecustomers. Last year, it introduced atool called Azure Synapse that is beingused by companies such as FedEx Corpto analyse the flow of its 16 million dailypackages. But for large companies,stores of data have become so large, anddistributed across so many countries,that Microsoft is rolling out a tool calledAzure Purview to help companies betterunderstand precisely what informationthey have and where it resides.

Indian companies face highestnumber of malware attacks

after US, Japan: ReportIndia is on the third position

when it comes to highestnumber of malware

attacks, after the US andJapan, according to a 2020Acronis Cyberthreats Report.It has been mentioned that 1168malware detections wereencountered per 1000 clients ina month. Also, Mazeransomware detections werereported at 7.8% in Q3 2020.

The report also warns usersabout cyber criminals who cannow pivot their attacks fromdata encryption to dataexfiltration. “Ransomwarecontinues to be the leadingthreat in India with Mazeransomware accounting fornearly half of all known casesin 2020. Yet the AcronisCyberthreats Report points toa growing trend ofcybercriminals trying to

maximize their financial gain.Not content to collect ransomsto decrypt infected data, theysteal proprietary – andsometimes embarrassing –data before encrypting it. Theythen threaten to publiclyrelease the stolen files if thevictim doesn’t pay up,” saysthe report.

It has been mentioned that

while 31% of global and Indiancompanies reported dailycyberattacks in 2020, thefrequency of attacks targetingtheir remote workers isprojected to increase in 2021.That’s because the defenses forsystems outside of thecorporate network are moreeasily compromised, givingbad actors access to that

organization’s data.“When it comes to existing

solutions and strategies, thecurrent trends in cyberattacksall show that traditionalcybersecurity is failing –globally and in India, it’susually because of weaktechnologies and human error,which are both avoidable,” saidRajesh Chhabra, GlobalBusiness Development Leaderof Inside Sales at Acronis.“Just as cybercriminals areevolving their attacks,organizations in India need toadvance their protection andsecurity. Comprehensive cyberprotection solutions offer theintegration and automationthat eliminate complexity,optimize performance, andstreamline recovery when asuccessful attack inevitablyoccurs.”

Hackers Target Covid-19Vaccine Distribution

'Cold Chain'

Hackers “assumed to be state agents” have beenwaging a phishing campaign againstpharmaceutical firms and other institutions

involved in the forthcoming distribution of a vaccineagainst the novel coronavirus, IBM announced onThursday, December 3.

In a post on Security Intelligence releasing theirfindings, IBM Security X-Force researchers wrote that“precision targeting of executives and key globalorganizations hold the potential hallmarks of a nation-state tradecraft,” adding the unknown hackers likelysought to obtain “advanced insight into the purchaseand movement of a vaccine that can impact life and theglobal economy.” The target, according to IBM, appearsto be the “cold chain”—a term for the logistics networkthat allows vaccines and other drugs to be carried frompoint of manufacture to distribution in temperature-controlled shipping containers. What the attackershoped to accomplish is unknown, with possible motivesranging from theft of technology to intel that could beused to undermine trust in the vaccine or disruptdistribution.

IBM researchers wrote that the individuals targetedfirms in at least six countries and used tactics such asimpersonating a Haier Biomedical executive to sendspear-phishing emails and targeting the help andsupport pages of organizations.

Google Maps to Get New ‘Go’ Tab forQuick Access to Frequent Destinations

Google Maps is getting a new‘Go' tab to help usersnavigate easily to

frequently visited places. Thisnew tab will replace the Commutetab that currently sits betweenthe Explore and the Saved tabs.Google Maps Go tab will let youpin your favourite destinations toquickly get information aboutthese places. People will be able toadd frequent destinations like aschool or a grocery store markedto the new Go tab, to quicklyaccess directions, see how long itwould take to reach, as well as livetraffic trends. This new Go tab iswill go live soon in Google Maps.

The tech giant posted on itsblog that Google Maps is getting anew Go tab soon. Users will beable to pin their favouritedestinations, and once pinned,you will not have to type a place'saddress every time they needroute information, and can easilyhead to the Go tab and accessdetails about frequently visitedplaces.

The new Go tab will also letusers pin public transit routesthey frequent. “If you take publictransit, you can pin specificroutes, which will let you seeaccurate departure and arrivaltimes, alerts from your localtransit agency, and an up-to-dateETA right from the Go Tab. Youcan even pin multiple routes(including a driving route and atransit route) to the samedestination to see which one willget you there most efficiently,”Google said in the blog.

Recently, Google Mapsintroduced a new community feedin the Explore Tab.

This new community feedoffers recommendation ofnearby events and places. Itshows latest reviews, photos,and posts of places and eventsnear you, offered by people andbusinesses you follow. It alsooffers content from experts likefood and drink merchants, andarticles from noted publishinghouses.

27THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2020BIZ & FINANCE

RBI keepsbenchmarklending rate

unchanged at 4%

Concerned over elevated inflation,Reserve Bank of India on Fridaydecided to leave benchmark

interest rate unchanged at 4 per centbut maintained an accommodativestance, implying more rate cuts in thefuture if need arises to support theeconomy hit by the COVID-19pandemic.

The benchmark repurchase (repo)rate has been left unchanged at 4 percent, Governor Shaktikanta Das saidwhile announcing the decisions takenby the central bank's Monetary PolicyCommittee (MPC).

Consequently, the reverse repo ratewill also continue to earn 3.35 per centfor banks for their deposits kept withthe Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

He said MPC voted for keepinginterest rate unchanged and continuedwith its accommodative stance tosupport growth.

The central bank had slashed therepo rate by 115 basis points since lateMarch to support growth.

The RBI had last revised its policyrate on May 22, in an off-policy cycle toperk up demand by cutting interestrate to a historic low.

HCL's RoshniNadar richest

woman in India

IT major HCL Technologies' RoshniNadar Malhotra has topped a list ofthe richest women in the country

with a networth of Rs 54,850 crore,followed by Biocon's Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw at Rs 36,600 crore, a report saidon Thursday, Dec 3.

A total of 31 women in the list of 100having a networth of at least Rs 100crore, prepared by Hurun India andKotak Wealth, are "self-made", it said.This includes six professionalmanagers and 25 entrepreneurs.

Shaw leads in the self-made category,followed by Radha Vembu of Zoho (Rs11,590 crore networth) and JayshreeUllal of Arista Networks (Rs 10,220crore), it said.

Interestingly, all the three—Shaw,Ullal and Vembu—also feature in aglobal rich list prepared by Hurun.

The average age of women on thelist, whose cumulative wealth ispegged at Rs 2.72 lakh crore, is 53 and19 of the 100 women are under the ageof 40, it said.

Two of the women have promotedunicorns—retailer Nykaa's FalguniNayar who has a wealth of Rs 5,410crore and 34-year-old Divya Gokulanthof Byju's with a networth of Rs 3,490crore.

Salesforce to buy office chatapp Slack for $28 billion

Cloud computing giant Salesforce isacquiring workplace chat appSlack, the two companies

announced on Tuesday. The deal,rumblings of which began surfacing lastweek, marks one of the mostconsequential acquisitions in thebusiness software industries in recentyears and Salesforce’s biggest purchaseever.

Salesforce is paying $27.7 billion forSlack, according to the press release.“Under the terms of the agreement,Slack shareholders will receive $26.79 incash and 0.0776 shares of Salesforcecommon stock for each Slack share,representing an enterprise value ofapproximately $27.7 billion based on theclosing price of Salesforce’s commonstock on November 30, 2020,” theannouncement reads.

“Stewart and his team have built one ofthe most beloved platforms in enterprisesoftware history, with an incredibleecosystem around it,” said SalesforceCEO Marc Benioff. “This is a match madein heaven. Together, Salesforce and Slackwill shape the future of enterprisesoftware and transform the way everyoneworks in the all-digital, work-from-anywhere world. I’m thrilled to welcomeSlack to the Salesforce Ohana once thetransaction closes.”

“Salesforce started the cloud

revolution, and two decades later, we arestill tapping into all the possibilities itoffers to transform the way we work. Theopportunity we see together is massive,”said Slack CEO Stewart Butterfield. “Assoftware plays a more and more criticalrole in the performance of everyorganization, we share a vision ofreduced complexity, increased power andflexibility, and ultimately a greaterdegree of alignment and organizationalagility. Personally, I believe this is themost strategic combination in the historyof software, and I can’t wait to get going.”

Slack has transformed from a fast-rising startup formed as a gamingcompany in 2009 into a major competitorof Microsoft with more than 12 milliondaily active users as of October of lastyear (and likely many more now, thoughthe company has not disclosed concretenumbers) and a market value of close to$25 billion. The company, led by Flickr co-creator Butterfield, started primarily asan email alternative that pitched itself tostartups, media companies, and othertech-savvy businesses to better manageinteroffice communication.

Mahashay Dharampal Gulati,the owner of spicecompany MDH Masala,

passed away on Thursday, Dec 3,morning due to a cardiac arrest at aDelhi hospital. Clad often insignature red turban and whitepearls, the Masala King was the faceand brand ambassador of hiscompany. The 98-year-old went on tofeature on several televisioncommercials and became one of thecountry’s most recognisable faces.The MDH jingle also made anindelible impression.

However, in the business community and people who knewhim well, Gulati will always be remembered as the dedicatedperson who built an empire from scratches. Even at the age of90, Gulati was said to have actively participated in hiscompany’s day to day operations. Born in Sialkot (Pakistan) in1923, he left school before he could have completed fifth class tohelp his father Chunni Lal Gulati who had founded MahashianDi Hatti (MDH) in 1919.

Dharampal came to India after partition with just Rs 1,500 inhis hand. Initially, he is started work as a horse-cart puller butsoon gathered enough to open a spice shop in Karol Bagh andlater in Chandni Chowk. Slowly and steadily, he turned it intoan Rs 1,000 crore empire, globally known as MDH Masala today.

It has a strong global presence with offices in Dubai andLondon, and in India it is only second to S Narendrakumar’sEverest Spices. Gulati himself was one of India’s highestpaying executives and took Rs 21 crore salary in 2017. He,however, has donated nearly 90 per cent of his income to charity.

Gulati’s entry to fame was rather comical and accidental.Coming to his popularity, ‘Mahashay Ji’, was no less than aBollywood Star. He was often compared with Queen Elizabethon social media as the duo, despite being 90-plus, enjoyed a verystrong recall value.

Indian economy is graduallyrecovering: IMF

‘Spice King’ MD Gulati passesaway at 98

In d i a ’ se c o n o m y ,s e v e r e l y

affected by thec o r o n a v i r u spandemic, isg r a d u a l l yrecovering, theI n t e r n a t i o n a lMonetary Fundsaid on Thursday,Dec 3.

India’s economyrecovered fasterthan expected inthe Septemberquarter as a pick-up inmanufacturing helped GDP clock a lower contraction of 7.5 percent and held out hopes for further improvement on betterconsumer demand.

“India has indeed been severely affected by the pandemic butis gradually recovering,” IMF chief spokesperson Gerry Ricetold reporters.

Fiscal, monetary, and financial sector measures announcedto date provided much-needed support to the economy,including businesses, agriculture, and vulnerable households,Rice said in response to a question on the IMF’s assessment ofIndia’s economy during the coronavirus pandemic.

“To further support growth, we believe the Indianauthorities should prioritize swift implementation of theexisting support programs and may need to considerexpanding their scope, as warranted,” Rice said.

In her address to the International Monetary and FinancialCommittee (IMFC), the ministerial-level committee of the IMF,through video conference, Union Finance Minister NirmalaSitharaman had said that a V-shaped pattern of recovery isbeing seen in several high-level indicators.

28THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2020ASTROLOGY

ARIES: Ganesha says your finances may not beon point at the starting of the week and also yourexpenses will increase. Don't think about any longinvestments this week. You may travel shortdistance. Neptune says you can reveal yoursecrets and you can meet new people. Untidyscenarios of last few days will be swept off.Projects will restart which stopped. You will visitto spiritual places with your life partner andSoulmate.

TAURUS: Your financial planning will showresults this week. Don't make emotional decisionsthis week. This week will require you to bephysically and mentally strong. Also focus onfamily security. You can also think about smallinvestment this week. Take a chance to re-join thecreative group. You will be attracted tospirituality this week. Love will flourish forpeople with Taurus zodiac. Praying LordHanuman will help you find peace this week.

GEMINI: Ganesha says, you may face afinancial crisis this week and therefore have a redeye on your spending habits. You may also facelosses in long term investments with siblings youmake this week so be careful. Praying LordGanesha will help you this week. You mayexperience a little sleep disturbance. Stars in yourhoroscope will boost up some confidence. Thingswill be confusing by the end of the week but thenext week will calm think down.

CANCER: Laziness may kick in at the startingof the week and due to less focus, you may feeldemotivated but things will be fine. You maythink of short-term investment but avoid takinghaphazard decisions. Love is in the air this week.Try to restore connection in relationships.

LEO: Financial conditions this week arelooking strong. Be patient while making bigdecisions this week. Try to stay balanced andmeditate. This week is lucky for monetarytransactions. This week be careful about how youspend your time. People in love will be able tospend time with their partners. You may find thatperfect job this week which you have been seekingsince long and your talents will be put on displaysoon.

VIRGO: You may find new projects this week.There are chances of good news coming thisweek. It would be good seven days to makefinancial moves. You may feel peevish but trustyour intuitions about creativity and takerecommendations from your superiors will helpyou make better decisions.

LIBRA: You must be careful about your healththis week. Your mind is wavering around newbusiness plans but widely research and analyseyour plans before making a decision. Practiceself-care this week as it will remove the feeling ofdullness. Buying luxury goods this will attractnegativity so avoid it. Family issues aboutchildren may arise but try to deal patiently withthem.

SCORPIO: Think before spending this week.Your hard work is going to pay off this week.Don't doubt yourself so much, you are headingtowards the right direction. Your subordinatesand superiors are going to appreciate your workand capabilities. Avoid taking monetary decisionsthis week as it is not the good time. Spend moretime with family. Your over thinking issue isgoing to go away as Mercury will leave yourzodiac.

SAGITTARIUS: You will make a good shortterm plan this week and your finances willsupport your moves. Goddess Laxmi will send youblessings so worship her. You will make calm andclear choices. Health of elderly people willimprove. You will also attain good mental health.Singles will make unexpected connections.

CAPRICORN: You will set into a new routineand adapt new schedule. You may feel negative bythe middle of the week but gradually it willimprove. Venus will help you captivate crowds.You will come over disappointments. You willfind higher strata in your family. Students willfind creative aspects of themselves and will dobetter in studies.

AQUARIUS: Your finances will be balanced.Your work will be supported by your subordinatesand partners. Avoid taking any emotionaldecisions this week. You may also spend timewith your family. Heavy gains of pastinvestments will find its way to you this week.Try to improve relationship with your life partnerthis week. Praying Lord Ganesha will bring youdomestic peace.

PISCES: As your horoscope suggests, you willhave a very busy week and find it difficult toimplement all your plans at once. Your overseasnetwork will help you solve your business issues.Beware of your distant enemies. This week willbe the triumph time for you. Mercury will getyour prime concerns on top. You will have lots ofopportunities this week but be careful aboutspending. Stay warned about your health and tryto speed down on road. Spend time with yourchildren this period and pray Lord Shiva, he hashis eyes on your period.

Shree Ganeshaya Namah

By Vedic Astrologer Nastur Bejan Daruwalla

is available for astrologicalconsultations.

He can be reached atinfo@bejandaruwalla.com

and on phone

+91 8141234275 for astrological

querieswww.bejandaruwalla.com

WEEKLY HOROSCOPE DEC 07-13, 2020

The Indian Panorama brings you Weekly and Birthday Horoscope from the World's mosttrusted Vedic Astrologer Nastur Bejan Daruwalla.

DEC 7: Ganesha says though activities seenpretty well lined up when the day begins, planscan begin to fall apart. It will help to put asidehabitual or narrow ways of reacting andinstead view things from a more inclusive angle.

DEC 8: A rather tense or discouraging moodcan prevail and stir up trouble, but only if youlet it. Yesterday's advice applies again today;don't be inflexible. Open minds make quite adifference.

DEC 9: Excellent ideas flow and areexchanged, which can stimulate a moreenlightened approach to relationship interests.Some carefully chosen words can work wonders.

DEC 10: Any one of a number of snagsbehind the scenes can make things touch and gotoday and tonight. Concentrate on neglectedwork. Let bygones be bygones.

Dec 11: Your heart may just not be inwhatever you have to do in the outside world.

Regardless, benefits can be derived from takinga time - out.

DEC 12: It's a good policy to question yourselfand others closely today, as perceptions can goaskew and misunderstandings ensue, especiallywhen you encounter unexplained or passiveresistance.

DEC 13: Your way with others is confident,thanks to the Moon in your sign. Still, youshould prepare to disarm some home-frontresistance.

Birthday Horoscope December 7 to December 13, 2020

VEDIC ASTROLOGER NASTUR BEJAN DARUWALLA Chirag Bejan Daruwalla with his father late Bejan Daruwalla

Sankashti Chaturthi is one of themost auspicious days that isobserved every month on the fourth

day Krishna Paksha in the honour ofLord Ganesh. This month, SankashtiChaturthi will be observed on December4. On this auspicious day, devotees LordGanesh observe fast to seek his blessingsand to get rid of all obstacles in theirrespective lives. If you too are going tofast on Sankashti Chaturthi, then herewe are with the auspicious time ofSankashti Chaturthi and its importance.

Auspicious time for Sankashti Chaturthi Puja:

Sarvartha Siddhi Yoga- December 3,Thursday afternoon, 12 noon to 22minutes until December 04, Fridaymorning at 6:59 am.Moonrise time- 7:56 pmSandhya Puja- From 5:24 pm to 6:45pm.

Importance of SankashtiChaturthi

If Ganesh ji is worshiped onSankashti, the negative effects of thehouse go away. Also, peace prevails in thehouse. It is believed that during thisperiod, all the disasters coming into thehouse are overcome by worshipingGanesha by law. Chandra Darshan is alsovery auspicious on this day. This faststarts at sunrise and ends at lunardarshan. Please tell that 13 fasts ofSankashti Chaturthi are kept in thewhole year.

It is also said that if the devoteesworship Lord Ganesha on SankashtiChaturthi, all their sorrows will bedestroyed. Every Sankashti day isassociated with a Peetha, and a specificform of Ganesha is worshipped on thisday. During Adhik Maas Chaturthi,devotees pray to Vibhuvana PalakaMaha Ganapati and the Peetha is DoorvaBilva Patra Peetha.

The tradition of keeping fast on thisday dates back to the time of KingChandrasen in the Satyuga. PandavaKing Yudhishthir also practiced it afterlearning about its significance fromMaharshi Ved Vyasa, a great sage andthe author of the Mahabharata. TheRishi Markandeya also narrated the taleassociated with Sankashti to KingChandrasena and thus the tradition ofkeeping fast on this day started.

Puja VidhiOn the day of Sankashti Chauth

(Chaturthi), after bathing in themorning, women worship Lord Ganesha,who offers Riddhi-Siddhi and observe afast throughout the day. After this, in theevening, Lord Ganesha is worshipedwith rituals and, flowers, sesame,jaggery etc. are offered. Do not forget tooffer a coach in the worship of Ganesha.Light a lamp in front of Ganapati andchant the mantra of Ganesha. After therise of the moon, offer Arghya whilelooking down.

The fast is performed for the well-being and progeny of the family. Thedevotees must observe the fast frommorning till evening. After the Ganeshpuja, moon god is sighted and offeringsare made to the moon god. People need toabstain from daily food items but hereare few of the items that you canconsume during the fast.

Puja MantraOm Gam Ganpataye NamahVakratunda Mahakaya, Surya Koti

Samaprabaha

Nirvighnam Kurumedeva SarvaKaryeshu Sarvada

OM Ekadantaya Viddhmahe,Vakratundaya Dheemahi

Tanno Danti Prachodayat

Sankashti Chauth Vrat KathaIt is said that in the Satyuga there was

a potter in the kingdom of KingHarishchandra. Once, despite all efforts,when his dishes were being left raw, hetold this to a priest. The priest told himthat the problem would be solved only bythe sacrifice of a young child. After that,the potter caught a child and put it inAnwa. It was the day of Sakat Chauth.Even after much searching, when hermother could not find her son, sheprayed before Ganesh Ji with a sincereheart. On the other hand, when thepotter woke up in the morning, hisdishes were cooked in Anwa, but thechild was also safe.

After this incident, the potter gotscared and reached before the king toldthe whole story. After this, the kingsummoned the child and his mother, andthe mother described the glory of SakatChauth, who had overcome the troubles.Since then, women started fasting for thegood luck and long life of their childrenand family.

Difference between SankashtiChaturthi and VinayakaChaturthi

A lunar month comprises of twofortnights. The fortnights can bedivided into the dark half of thelunar month (Krishna Paksha) andthe bright half of the lunar month(Shukla Paksha). The Chaturthi thatarrives in the dark part is termed asSankashti Chaturthi. While the

Chaturthi that falls in the bright halfis known as Vinayaka Chaturthi.Sankashti Chaturthi fasting isobserved for the deliverance fromdifficult times. While VinayakaChaturthi fasting is done for thesalutations of Supreme Lord,Ganesha.Sankashti Chaturthi is popular asSankatahara Chaturthi, whereasVinayaka Chaturthi is famous asVarada Vinayaka Chaturthi

SANKASHTICHATURTHI

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29THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2020SPIRITUALITY

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The overall number of globalcoronavirus cases has topped65.7 million, while the deaths

have surged to more than 1.51 million,according to the Johns HopkinsUniversity.

In its latest update on Saturday, Dec5, the University`s Center for SystemsScience and Engineering (CSSE)revealed that the current globalcaseload and death toll stood at65,771,488 and 1,516,035, respectively.

The US is the worst-hit country withthe world`s highest number of casesand deaths at 14,343,430 and 278,605,respectively, according to the CSSE.India comes in second place in termsof cases at 9,571,559, while thecountry`s death toll soared to 139,188.

The other countries with more thana million confirmed cases are Brazil(6,533,968), Russia (2,382,012), France(2,321,703), the UK (1,694,800), Italy(1,688,939), Spain (1,684,647),Argentina (1,454,631), Colombia(1,352,607), Germany (1,157,514),Mexico (1,156,770), Poland (1,041,846)and Iran (1,016,835), the CSSE figuresshowed. Brazil currently accounts forthe second highest number offatalities at 175,964. The countrieswith a death toll above 20,000 areMexico (108,173), the UK (60,714), Italy(58,852), France (54,859), Iran (49,695),Spain (46,252), Russia (41,730),Argentina (39,512), Colombia (37,467),Peru (36,076) and South Africa(21,963).

US deaths from the coronaviruspandemic have surged past 2,000for two days in a row as the most

dangerous season of the yearapproached, taxing an overwhelmedhealthcare system with US politicalleadership in disarray.

The toll from Covid-19 reached itssecond-highest level ever on Wednesdaywith 2,811 lives lost, according to aReuters tally of official data, one short ofthe record from April 15.

Nearly 200,000 new US cases werereported on Wednesday, with recordhospitalizations approaching 100,000patients. The sobering data came as thehead of the US Centers for DiseaseControl and Prevention on Wednesdaywarned that December, January andFebruary were likely to be “the mostdifficult time in the public health historyof this nation.”

CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield toldan event hosted by the US Chamber ofCommerce that the United States couldstart losing around 3,000 people - roughlythe number that died in the attacks ofSept. 11, 2001 - each day over the next twomonths.

“The mortality concerns are real and Ido think unfortunately before we seeFebruary, we could be close to 450,000Americans that have died from thisvirus,” Redfield said. The US death toll

since the start of the pandemic stands ataround 273,000.

Meanwhile, the administration ofoutgoing President Donald Trump has yetto articulate an effective strategy to containthe virus beyond promoting thedevelopment of a vaccine, which could berolled out later this month but faces anuphill battle amid a skeptical public andlogistical challenges.

The Republican president’s few publicappearances recently had been dedicated toefforts to overturn the results of the Nov. 3election won by Democratic President-electJoe Biden, who will assume office on Jan.20. Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, a

Republican, said he had been concernedabout the transition between the Trumpand Biden administrations, but he hadgrown more hopeful that the federalgovernment response would not lapse.

“We’re in the middle of the worst battle ofthis war, and the hand-off has got to besmooth. We’ve got to work together. There’sgot to be no politics in this virus,” he toldABC News’ “Good Morning America”program.

Hogan echoed Redfield’s warning, citingdark days ahead and noting even whenvaccines are approved, there initially won’tbe enough to even cover all of his state’shealthcare workers.

TRACKING THE VIRUSGLOBAL INDIA

Cases65,771,488

Cases9,571,559

Deaths1,516,035

Deaths139,188

32THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2020COVID-19 CRISIS

Moderna to makeup to 125mn

Covid-19 vaccinedoses available

globally

US-based drugmaker Modernahas said that it expects to havebetween 100 million and 125

million doses of its experimentalCovid-19 vaccine available globally inthe first quarter of 2021.

Out of these, about 85-100 milliondoses will be made available in the USand 15-25 million doses will beavailable outside of the US, thecompany said on Thursday.

These expected first quarter dosesare inclusive within the 500 million toup to one billion doses that thecompany expects to manufactureglobally in 2021.

Moderna also re-affirmed itsexpectation of having approximately20 million doses available in the US bythe end of this year.

The development comes after thecompany's November 30announcement that the primaryefficacy analysis of the Phase 3 studyof the "mRNA-1273" vaccine showedefficacy of 94.1 per cent.

Also on November 30, Modernasubmitted a request for an emergencyuse authorisation (EUA) from the USFood and Drug Administration (FDA)and conditional approval from theEuropean Medicines Agency (EMA).

S'pore tocontribute $5mn

to help othernations get Covid-

19 vaccines

Singapore on Friday announced itsdecision to contribute $5 million tosupport low- and lower-middle-

income countries procure Covid-19vaccines. The announcement was madein a joint statement by the Ministries ofForeign Affairs and Health, reportsXinhua news agency.

The money would go through theCovid-19 Vaccine Global Access(COVAX) Advance Market Commitment(AMC) mechanism, which will helpsupport 92 low- and lower-middle-income countries' access through theCOVAX Facility, said the statement.

The COVAX Facility is a global risk-sharing mechanism which seeks toprocure, equitably allocate and deliver 2billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines bythe end of 2021. Singapore is one of 97self-financing participants in theFacility.

The contribution is part of "ourconsistent support for vaccinemultilateralism, and the fair andequitable access and allocation ofvaccines", said the statement.

The AMC eligible countries includeseveral ASEAN countries as well assmall states globally, it added.

The Covid-19 virus "does not respectborders, and no one is safe untileveryone is safe", said the statement,adding that the successful developmentof safe and efficacious vaccines is acritical step towards overcoming thepandemic.

Global Covid-19 cases top65.7mn: Johns Hopkins

US pandemic death toll mounts as danger season approaches

33THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2020TRAVEL

Jodhpur, the second largest city inRajasthan is popularly known as theBlue City. The name is clearly befitting

as most of the architecture – forts, palaces,temples, havelis and even houses are builtin vivid shades of blue. The strapping fortsthat tower this magnificent city sum up toa spectacle you would not want to miss. Themammoth, imposing fortress ofMehrangarh has a landscape dominating arocky ridge with the eight gates leading outof the fortress. The new city is locatedoutside the structure. Jodhpur is alsoknown for the rare breed of horses knownas Marwari or Malani, which are onlyfound here.

Jodhpur marks its origin back to theyear of 1459 AD. The history of thisprosperous city revolves around theRathore clan. Rao Jodha, the chief ofRathore Clan is credited with the origin ofJodhpur in India. The city is known to bebuilt in place of the ancient capital,Mandore of the state of Manwar. Hence,the people of Jodhpur and surroundingareas are commonly known as Marwaris.Also, it is believed that the relics ofMandore can still be witnessed in theMandore Gardens.

PLACES TO VISITMEHRANGARH FORT

Rising perpendicular and impregnablefrom a hill which is 125 metres aboveJodhpur’s skyline is the Mehrangarh Fort.This historic fort is one of the most famousin India and is packed with history andlegends. Mehrangarh Fort still bears theimprints of cannonball attacks courtesythe armies of Jaipur on its second gate.Chiselled and sturdy, the fort is known forits exquisite latticed windows, carvedpanels, intricately decorated windows andwalls of Moti Mahal, Phool Mahal andSheesh Mahal.

KHEJARLA FORTLocated 85 kilometres from the main city,

the 400-year old Khejarla Fort is situated ina rural setting. The stunning red sandstonemonument, now a hotel, is an example ofRajput architecture. Visitors will bemesmerised by the fort's picturesquesettings, latticework friezes and intricateJharokas.

UMAID BHAWAN PALACEUmaid Bhawan Palace was built by

Maharaja Umaid Singh in 1929 to counter afamine which had hit the state at the time.It was also known as the Chittar Palacewhile being constructed thanks to the useof stones drawn from the Chittar hill. Thepalace was designed by HV Lanchester, arenowned British architect, and wascompleted in 16 years. Built with sandstoneand marble, the architecture of the palaceis described as a blend of lndo-Saracenic,Classical Revival and Western Art Decostyles. It is recognised as one of the largestprivate homes in the world and also one ofthe more spectacular buildings. It is theonly palace built in the 20th century.

MOTI MAHALMoti Mahal, as the name suggests, is the

Pearl Hall where the royal families heldtheir audience. The hall is known to haveglass windows and five nooks that enabledthe queens to listen to the proceedingstaking place in the Sringar Chowki, TheRoyal Throne of Jodhpur.

SHEESH MAHALSituated within the compound of

Mehrangarh Fort is the glass palace ofJodhpur, popularly known as SheeshMahal. This magnificent piece ofarchitecture is adorned with walls ofmirror work that stretch across ceilings

and to the floors. It is superimposed by themirror work of brightly painted religiousfigures cast in plaster.

PHOOL MAHALGoing by the name, the Phool Mahal or

Flower Hall is the most exorbitant of all thehalls in the palace. This beautiful chamberis said to be the pleasure dome for theMaharajas. The gold used for constructingthe Mahal came from Ahmedabad,Gujarat.

CHAMUNDA MATAJI TEMPLEChamunda Mataji was Rao Jodha’s

favourite goddess and so her idol wasbought to the Mehrangarh Fort. Thus, thefort became a place of worship and wasturned into a temple. Since then, localshave followed the culture of worshippingChamunda Mata. In fact, till date, thegoddess remains the Isht Devi (the adoptedgoddess) of Maharajas and the royal family.

RANISAR PADAMSARLocated near the Fateh Pole in

Mehrangarh, the Ranisar and Padmasarare adjacent lakes that were constructed inthe year 1459. Ranisar Lake was built onorders of Queen Jasmade Hadi, RaoJodha's wife while Padmasar Lake wasordered by Queen Padmini of Rao Ganga,daughter of Rana Sanga of Mewar.

JASWANT THADAThis milky white memorial built

towards the end of the 19th century as atribute to the leader Jaswant Singh is ahuge tourist attraction. Jaswant Singh,who ruled Jodhpur, invested well in hisstate. He made attempts to bring downthe level of crime, subdue dacoits, builtrailways and broadly worked on raisingthe economy of Marwar. Jaswant Thadais managed and looked after by theMehrangarh Museum Trust (MMT) andis open to public.

The Trust is operating a Museum inJaswant Thada displaying portraits ofMarwar rulers along with informativedidactics – the information serves asorientation space to understand thehistory of Marwar through thePortraits. Its grounds serve as a serenevenue for morning concerts duringmusic festivals such as the RajasthanInternational Folk Festival and theWorld Sacred Spirit Festival.

JODHPUR: THE BLUE CITY

34THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2020SPORTS

Tokyo Olympicsdelay costs mayreach USD 2.8

billion

The cost of the postponed TokyoOlympics could reach aboutUSD 2.8 billion, according to

figures released on Friday by theTokyo organising committee, theTokyo city government and Japan'snational government.

The numbers are in line withestimates that have been made inJapan since the Olympics werepostponed eight months ago.

They are now set to open on July23, 2021. About two-thirds of theadded costs are being picked up bythe two government entities, withthe other one-third going to theprivately funded organizingcommittee. The operational cost forthe delay is listed at 171 billion yen,or about USD 1.64 billion at thepresent exchange rate. Theorganizing committee and the Tokyogovernment share equally incovering the expenses.

SA-England ODIpostponed after

positive case

The first ODI between SouthAfrica and England that wasscheduled December 5 has been

moved to Sunday, Dec 6, after a playerfrom the home team testecd positivefor Covid-19. Cricket South Africa saidthe latest round of tests conducted onThursday resulted in an unnamedSouth African player returning apositive result, the third from withinthe camp during the six-matchlimited-overs series. The teams hadtravelled to the stadium to prepare forthe game but it was officially called offan hour before the start. The decisionplaces a spotlight on the South Africacamp and their protocols during atour. Two players tested positive aheadof the T20I series that started onNovember 27 and was won 3-0 byEngland. Yet more worrying will bethe positive case from within thesecure hotel bio-bubble, where bothteams have been based sinceNovember 17.

West Indies winMCC’s Spirit ofCricket award

West Indies have won thisyear’s Spirit of Cricketaward after sending both

their men’s and women’s teams totour England during the COVID-19pandemic, the Marylebone CricketClub (MCC) has announced. Themen’s side arrived in England inJune for a three-test series played ina biosecure environment, which sawinternational cricket resume for thefirst time since the novelcoronavirus outbreak brought theglobal calendar to a halt. The womenfeatured in a Twenty20 internationalseries against England in Septemberafter India and South Africa wereunable to tour because of thepandemic.

‘Concussion Sub’ Chahaltrumps Australia, India win

first T20 by 11 runsCANBERRA (TIP): Yuzvendra Chahal

turned out to be the perfect concussionsubstitute after an injured RavindraJadeja did his part with the bat as theduo played their roles to perfection inIndia's impressive 11-run victory overAustralia in the first T20 Internationalhere on Friday, Dec 4.

While Jadeja smashed an unbeaten 44off 23 balls to propel India to 161 for 7, hishead injury turned out to be a blessing indisguise with India unleashing Chahal(3/25 in 4 overs) on an Australian sidecaught completely off-guard.

The hosts could manage only 150 for 7in 20 overs.

Credit was also due to the lion-heartedeffort from debutant ThangarasuNatarajan (3/30) and off-spinnerWashington Sundar (0/16 in 4 overs), whobowled well in Powerplay.

ICC match referee David Boon allowedthe visitors a "like for like" replacement,as mandated by the rules, for Jadeja inChahal even though home team coachJustin Langer looked visibly angry.

And to make matters worse, Chahaldismissed two form men -- Aaron Finch(35) and Steve Smith (12) -- in his first twoovers to turn the game on its head.

At the end of it all, he also scooped theman of the match honours for his superbeffort.

The Australians were not prepared forChahal, who bowled way better in hismost preferred format, varying the paceof his deliveries and using the flight togood effect.

Natarajan, whose nerves had eased

after a decent ODI debut, was right on themoney and got one to straighten catchingGlenn Maxwell plumb in-front.

If that wasn't enough, Natarajansnuffed out a frustrated D'arcy Short (34off 38 balls) to make it 113 for 4 and Indiadidn't have to look back from then on.

Earlier, vice-captain KL Rahulcontinued his impressive run in theshortest format with yet another fifty butit took Jadeja's brilliant back-endflourish to take India to a fighting total.

The Indian vice-captain hit 51 off 40balls but leg-spinner Adam Zampa (1/20in 4 overs) and all-rounder MoisesHenriques (3/22 in 4 overs) were brilliantbetween overs 11th and 15th, whichshifted the momentum in favour of the

home team till Jadeja came into playwith a 44 not out off 23 balls.

During 11th and 15th over, India scored22 runs and lost three wickets in SanjuSamson (23 off 15 balls), Manish Pandey(2 off 8 balls) and Rahul.

However, Jadeja (five fours and a six),who suffered from hamstring trouble,launched into Josh Hazlewood andMitchell Starc in the final two overs thatyielded 34 runs taking Indian to a par-score at the Manuka Oval.

The Indians found Zampa difficult toget away as he conceded only oneboundary while Henriques conceded justa six, cleverly varying the pace of hisdeliveries with a good mix of cutters andseam-up stuff.

Jadeja ruled out ofremainder of T20I series

India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja was ruled outof the remainder of the T20I series againstAustralia after sustaining a concussion in the

first match in Canberra on Friday. In a press release,the BCCI announced that Jadeja will no longer be apart of the squad for the remaining two T20Is.

“Ravindra Jadeja sustained a concussion afterbeing hit on the left side of his forehead in the finalover of the first innings of the first T20I againstAustralia in Canberra on 4th December 2020,” theBCCI press release said.

“The diagnosis was confirmed based on a clinicalassessment in the dressing room during the inningsbreak by the BCCI Medical Team. Jadeja remainsunder observation and will be taken for furtherscans if required based on the assessment onSaturday morning. He will not take any further partin the ongoing T20I series,” the release furtheradded.

Jadeja was struck on the helmet by Australian fastbowler Mitchell Starc during the final over of India’sinnings. The left-handed batsman did not return totake the field as leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal wasnamed as his concussion substitute. Chahal pickedup 3 wickets for 25 runs as he helped India to a 11-runwin in the first T20I.

Jadeja’s knock of 44*runs set up the victory forIndia as the visitors were struggling at 116/5 whenHardik Pandya was dismissed. Jadeja’s cavelierknock took India to a competitive total of 161/7 in 20overs.

Williamson’s double ton puts NZ ontop against West Indies

HAMILTON (TIP): The secondday of the first Test between NewZealand and West Indies belonged toKane Williamson.

The New Zealand captain, whoseactions and decisions shaped the day,scored 251, his third double centuryand highest score in Tests, beforemaking an assertive declaration at519/7 early in the final session.

Williamson’s innings came to anend 14 runs before his declarationbut he courteously waited for KyleJamieson to complete his maidenhalf-century before calling hisbatsmen in, with around 26 overs leftin the day.

At stumps, West Indies, depleted by minor injuries to batsmanDarren Bravo and wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich, were 49/0. Bravo has asprained ankle and Dowrich an injured hand.

Openers Kraigg Braithwaite (20) and John Campbell (22) batteddoggedly through the late afternoon.

Most of the day was a process of ticking off milestones forWilliamson who steadily built his innings and played New Zealand intoa more dominant position than it could have hoped when it lost the tossThursday and was sent in.

“After the day’s play yesterday and looking at the surface, we werepretty happy finishing with only a couple of wickets down because bothteams were pretty keen to bowl first,” Williamson said.

Indian teammates celebrate the wicket of Australia's Glenn Maxwell during their T20I match atManuka Oval, in Canberra.

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