DAILY FROM: AHMEDABAD, CHANDIGARH, DELHI, JAIPUR, KOLKATA, LUCKNOW, MUMBAI, NAGPUR, PUNE, VADODARA JOURNALISM OF COURAGE WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2020, NEW DELHI, LATE CITY, 18 PAGES SINCE 1932 `6.00 (`8 PATNA & RAIPUR, `12 SRINAGAR) WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM STANDOFF AT MUKPARI, NORTH-WEST OF REZANG LA First time in 45 years, shots fired along LAC as troops foil China’s bid to take a key height Army rejects PLA claim, says Chinese fired in the air after closing in on Indian forward position KRISHN KAUSHIK NEW DELHI, SEPTEMBER 8 Minister Jaishankar arrived in Moscow on Tuesday. ANI been making “almost daily attempts” to try and reach the same heights. “There have been multiple attempts at multiple places” in the sector, he said. Locatedwestof SpanggurTso andnorth-westof RezangLa,the Mukpari heights, a senior Army officer said, provide significant tactical domination, offering a commandingview of the terrain and Chinese positions including its garrison in Moldo. From the heights in the area, troops can keep an eye on the CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Leh nk k Ba an rth hB ut No So Ladakh BLACK TOP Chushul SPANGGURGAP Mukpari RezangLa RechinLa KAUNAIN SHERIFF M NEW DELHI, SEPTEMBER 8 THE CENTRE confirmed on Tuesday that the Sputnik V vaccine — cleared by Russian regulators for public use — could be either manufactured in India in partnershipwithdomesticcompanies, or its Phase 3 clinical trials could be conducted in multiple Indian sites. Dr V K Paul, Member, NITI Aayog and co-chair, National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for Covid-19, said Russia has “sought help on (these) two counts”, and three Indian companies have expressed interest in partnering with the Moscow-based Gamaleya Research Institute of EpidemiologyandMicrobiology. “The Russian vaccine has been under consideration. The Russian government approached India through appropriate channels and sought help on two counts. One, to consider manufacturingthrough our network of companies that are well known for manufacturing vaccines of high quality, and of a size, volume and capacity which Jammuand Kashmir Chinese soldiers with stick-machetes deployed along the LAC in Eastern Ladakh. This photo was released by the Army. ANI Preparing for Moscow, Delhi, Beijing work hotlines to dial down tensions A DAY after the first incident of firing along the Line of Actual Control in 45 years, New Delhi and Beijing were working the diplomatic hotlines to dialdown the tension ahead of the proposed meeting in Moscow between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart,StateCouncillorand Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Monday’sincidentcamefour months after the border standoff beganearlyMayandaviolent clash on June 15 that killed 20 Indiansoldiersandresultedinan unspecified number of Chinese casualties. Diplomats in Delhi and Beijing were in touch with each othersinceMondayevening,The Indian Express has learnt, after the first gunshots were fired. Special Representative-level talks are likely to take place in the coming days. NationalSecurityAdvisorAjit Doval, who last had a video conference with Wang Yi on July 5, was briefed by officials from the military, intelligence and MEA, sources said. Subsequently, he briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi since Jaishankar had left for ARANYA SHANKAR NEW DELHI, SEPTEMBER 8 SHIV SENA MOVES PRIVILEGE MOTION AGAINST ARNAB GOSWAMI, KANGANA PAGE 7 CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 ARUNACHAL YOUTHS TRACED TO CHINA P5 TOPCentraluniversitiesthatsaw campus protests and police action discussed ways Tuesday to enforcedisciplineanddrewadistinctionbetweenstudents“interested” in academics and “rowdy elements” with a different “mindset” and vested interests. Organised by Jamia Millia Islamia, the webinar, “Discipline in Universities,” saw participation by Jamia, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Banaras Hindu University, Aligarh Muslim University and Jamia Hamdard. Chief Guest Najma Akhtar, Jamia Vice-Chancellor, who last December had been critical of police action on her campus, on Tuesday praised the police. She said that, traditionally, the responsibilitytokeepthepeaceon campus was that of the university administration but now the police are involved as well. “It is happy to see the role of police has changed drastically in recent years. Before, or after the problem, they are friends of the students…They know how to handle (the problem) in a more humanistic way. So they are no longer feared by students,” she said. Akhtar said the police “cultivate friendship and relationship at all levels” and are “softer” than before. Jamiastudentsfacedpoliceaction twice last December during the anti-CAA protests. On December 13, police used lathichargeandteargasduringamarch inwhicharound25studentswere CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 PM-Kisan norms eased Rlys works on upgrading Sleeper for Covid, TN probes and General Class coaches to AC Rs 110 cr fraud, 18 held AVISHEK G DASTIDAR ARUN JANARDHANAN CHENNAI, SEPTEMBER 8 THETamilNadugovernmenthas discovered ascamamountingto over Rs 110 crore in the PMKisan Scheme, with money withdrawn fraudulently online with the help of government officials and local-level politicians. Initial estimates show nearly five-and-a-half lakh people may havebenefitedasadvantagewas PAGE 1 ANCHOR THE NARCOTICS Control Bureau (NCB) on Tuesday arrested actor Rhea Chakraborty on charges of procuring drugs along with Sushant Singh Rajput and paying for the same. Based on statements by Chakraborty's brother Showik, and Rajput's cook and house- Moscow via Tehran Tuesday morning — he reached Moscow in the evening. New Delhi’s assessment, as of now, is that Beijing is “rattled” after a series of pre-emptive steps by Indian troops along the LAC on the south bank of Jamia, JNU, BHU, AMU talk of segregating rowdies to interacting with police Rhea Chakraborty at the ED office on Tuesday. Ganesh Shirsekar taken of clearance norms being relaxed after the Covid-19 lockdown began. Principal Secretary Gagandeep Singh Bedi said they first noticed the unusually high number of beneficiaries being added to the scheme in August, especially from 13 districts. While 18 people, all ‘agents’ or ‘brokers’,havebeenarrested,80odd officials associated with agricultural schemes have been CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 NEW DELHI, SEPTEMBER 8 INAmovetoupgradetraintravel forthecommonman,theIndian Railwaysisredesigningthe3-tier non-AC Sleeper Class and unreserved General Class coaches as AC (air-conditioned) coaches. This will allow the Railways to roll out all-AC trains, without taking away the option of lowcost travel for the public, said officials. Officials said the upgraded Sleeper Class coach will be an Mockup of the AC sleeper coach at Rail Coach Factory, Kapurthala. Express “economical” AC 3-tier Class, in between what is now the AC 3tier Class and non-AC Sleeper Class. Sources said the Rail Coach Factory in Kapurthala has been entrusted with the job of making the prototype of the upgraded Sleeper Class coach, which will have 83 berths instead of the current 72. Internally, theupgraded coach is being termed as “AC 3-tier Tourist Class”, an official said. “It is like an affordable AC 3tier Class,” said a senior official, CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 NBFC fundraising is up 15 times in four months SUNNY VERMA & SANDEEP SINGH NEW DELHI, SEPTEMBER 8 IN AN indication of stabilising financing conditions, fundraising by Non Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) in the short-term money market has risen nearly 15 times over the last four months. NBFCs raised Rs 63,677 crore inAugustthroughtheissuanceof commercial papers (CPs), a dramatic increase from the Rs 4,275 crore that they raised in April. In August, housing finance companies (HFCs), too, raised over four times the funds they did in April; and over the same period, fundraising by financial institutions more than doubled. (See chart on Page 2) Any market-wide challenges related to financing, as well as the subsequent stability, are manifested first in the shortterm money market. A CP is an unsecured money market instrument that can be issued for maturity periods ranging from seven days to a year. The increasing risk appetite E ● Goodsign, notenough GREATER RISK appetite of mutual funds, more liquidity in the system, lower interest rates have allowed NBFCs to raise funds from money markets at a record pace in August. This indicates emerging stability in the funding markets for top firms, but NBFCs argue they need more options to raise long-term funds to ensure credit expansion. of mutual funds, improved systemic liquidity, reduction in interest rates, and the restarting of economic activity compared to the March-April freeze, are understoodtobethemajorreasons for the pick-up in funding. “Short-term yields have dropped significantly, making it very attractive for NBFCs to raise funds.Also,thereishugeliquidity CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 At critical time, Indian-origin SA cricket boss takes strike NIHAL KOSHIE BY UNNY MUMBAI, SEPTEMBER 8 keeper, who were arrested earlier,theNCBsaiddrugswereprocured on the directions of both her and Rajput, and that both paid for them, thus establishing that “she (Chakraborty) was an active member of (a) drug syndicate connectedwithdrugsupplies”.NonarcoticshavebeenrecoveredfromeitherChakraborty or Showik. In its remand application to Univs discuss how to get students to behave Money market stabilises, INSIDE CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 BUSINESS AS USUAL MOHAMED THAVER NEW DELHI, SEPTEMBER 8 CHINA PANGONGTSO Rajput procured, paid for drugs: NCB SHUBHAJIT ROY INDIA Russia seeks India help for Sputnik Ph 3 trials, manufacture Rhea held, NCB says she got Rajput drugs ‘for consumption’ E X P L A I NE D REJECTING BEIJING’S allegation thatIndiantroopsfiredshotsata Chinese patrol, the Indian Army Tuesday said it was the PLA troops who “fired a few rounds in the air” while attempting to “close in” on an Indian forward position along the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh. This is the first instance since 1975whenshotshavebeenfired along the LAC — 45 years ago, an Assam Rifles patrol was ambushed bytheChineseinTulung La in Arunachal Pradesh. Army sources said Indian troops at Mukpari, one of the heights they occupied a week ago in the Chushul sector, foiled a Chinese attempt to reach the top of the hill feature Monday evening. Until Tuesday evening, Indian and Chinese troops continued to be in the general area of the standoff site, a few hundred metres separating them. An Army officer said ever since the August 29-30 Indian operation, the Chinese have NEW DELHI, SEPTEMBER 8 FACING A financial crunch and allegations of racial discrimination from its players, Cricket South Africa (CSA) has turned to Kugandrie Govender, the great granddaughter of an Indian farmer who migrated from Madras to Durban in the late 1800s to work on sugarcane plantations. The 46-year-old public relations and marketing management graduate was recently appointed acting chief executive officer (CEO) of CSA after her predecessor resigned before the end of his term. The mother of two teenage daughterssayssheneverthought she would reach this far “even in a million years” when, as a 22year-old, she succeeded in convincing her textile mill worker parentstoallowhertobuyaoneway plane ticket from Durban to Johannesburg. Openings for Indians were limited in the postapartheidperiod,andshedidnot want to be stuck in a menial job that would make her university education redundant. “I grew up in a typical Indian home.Ialmostexpectedmyparents to say ‘no’ to my career move.ButIused themagicword when I spoke to my mother. ‘I need to build a career.’ It struck a chord with her. My mom, despite not having finished school, was a wise woman,” Kugandrie told The Indian Express. She has her hands full in the new job, working up to 17 hours a day. CSA has been in turmoil since July, when former fast bowling star black sporting icon Makhaya Ntini spoke about being “forever lonely” during his playing days when Graeme Smith, the current director of cricket, was captain. Another black pacer, Lungi Ngidi, was criticised by some former play- Kugandrie Govender’s great grandfather left India to work as a labourer in Durban. BackpagePix/ Cricket South Africa ersforsupportingtheBlackLives Matter movement. Growing up in Chatsworth, the township set up by the former apartheid regime to segregate Indian families, Kugandrie witnessed racial tensions and subsequent efforts at reconciliation from close quarters. She went to a school designated for those of Indian origin. “We were only allowed to mix with Indians,” she recalled. She also remembers spending a lot of time on the farm in VerulamnearDurban,ownedby her grandfather, Shunmugan Govender. “My great grandfather came asalabourerandworkedonsugarcane farms in Durban. A lot of hard work and many years later, my grandfather ended up buying land. My mom worked on the farms until she got married and moved to the city. Mom and dad worked in a textile factory. It was not a rich upbringing, but it was a happy upbringing. It was about hours of toiling in the sun, toiling in the rain, with the whole family helping,” Kugandrie said. Shedevelopedanearlyinterest in cricket because of her two older brothers who played the game. Later, as a university CONTINUED ON PAGE 2