DAILY FROM: AHMEDABAD, CHANDIGARH, DELHI, JAIPUR, KOLKATA, LUCKNOW, MUMBAI, NAGPUR, PUNE, VADODARA ● REG.NO. MCS/067/2018 - 20 RNI REGN. NO. 1543/57 JOURNALISM OF COURAGE TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2024, MUMBAI, LATE CITY, 16 PAGES `5.00 ● WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM SINCE 1932 Modi Sarkar ki Guarantee Government of India Construction of new, grand and divine Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple; Gift of development projects worth thousands of crores rupees to Shri Ayodhya Dham Hamara Sankalp Viksit Bharat BY UNNY Govt depts red-flag high duties to curb China imports, seek nuance in strategy 18.1 14.3 12.6 14.1 7.5 AMONG THE HIGHEST IN THE WORLD India Kenya Nepal Bangladesh China Canada Australia Vietnam 3.8 2.4 9.6 MFN rate (%) 123 151 Source: WTO MFN: Most-favoured-nation 188 Scan for more information TRADE DIPLOMACY WITH CHINA Tariffs up last 8 yrs; Commerce Ministry denies protectionism RAVI DUTT MISHRA & ANIL SASI NEW DELHI, FEBRUARY 26 MULTIPLE WINGS IN the governmenthavestartedtored-flag the Centre’s moves to progressivelyhikecustomsduties,especially the more recent offensive targeted at imports of Chinese components and inputs. A section within the government is in favour of a more nuanced approach in using tariffs as a diplomatic tool, failing which there is apossibilityof thegainsof India’s manufacturing-focused thrust that include schemes such as Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) being squandered away. What cannot be missed is that China still accounts for 14 per cent of India’s imports with not just inputs for the domestic industry in sectors ranging from electronics to pharmaceuticals and textiles to leather, but also capital goods, being sourced from China. This, coupled with the fact that average tariffs in India have jumped to 18.1 per cent in 2022 from 13 per cent eight years ago in 2014, has made India uncompetitive visa-vis countries such as Vietnam, Thailand and Mexico. In fact, much of the protests from ministries have come after theindustrywarnedof thedetrimental impact of higher tariffs being used as a protectionism tool. The blockade targeting Chinese imports, which gained tractionacrossCentralministries and departments in the aftermathof theGalwanborderclash CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 E E X P L A I NE D BUSINESS AS USUAL Why India Inc wants ● lower duty WHILE INDIA Inc has mostly been at the forefront of pushing for protectionist measures including tariff and non-tariff barriers, it is the industry itself which wants the government to reduce duties on imports of capital goods and key inputs across sectors. 75 Team India seal series win — and a faith in tomorrow’s Team India ‘Bribe for visa’ case: ED files chargesheet against Karti Push for red-ball Chidambaram US airman sets himself ablaze outside Israeli Embassy: ‘Will not be complicit’ Gill, Jurel, Jaiswal, A video grab of Aaron Bushnell, 25 MICHAEL BALSAMO WASHINGTON, FEBRUARY 26 ANACTIVE-DUTYmemberofthe US Air Force has died after he set himself ablazeoutsidetheIsraeli Embassy in Washington, DC, while declaring that he “will no longerbecomplicitingenocide”. The 25-year-old airman, Aaron Bushnell, of San Antonio, Texas, died from his injuries, the MetropolitanPoliceDepartment said Monday. Bushnell had walked up to theembassyshortlybefore1pm on Sunday and began livestreaming on the video streaming platform Twitch, a CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 cricket: BCCI considers hike in Test match fees Sarfaraz, Akash mark the young coming of age SANDIP G RANCHI, FEBRUARY 26 DEVENDRA PANDEY ASBRIGHTyoungstarsShubman Gill and Dhruv Jurel scampered acrossthepitchtosealIndia’sfivewicketand3-1seriesvictoryover England,thehometeamdressing roomspilledontotheground.The symbolismof themomentcould not be lost. After a noon-time mini-collapse, India were totteringat120-5butGillandJureltook the team past the fourth-innings target of 192 with an unbeaten partnership of 72 runs. Not known to chase down tricky totals in pressure situations, India had recorded a rare win. And thanks was due to a bunch of cricketers in their mid-20s. Besides underlining the WITH THE recent trend of players optingto savethemselves for the Indian Premier League (IPL) while ignoring red-ball cricket, the BCCI is now considering a hike in the match fees for Tests, thus putting a premium on the long-form game. It is learnt that the board decided to redraft the salary structureinthewakeofwicket-keeper batsman Ishan Kishan ignoring the team management's calls to playdomesticcricket,andinstead opting to prepare for the IPL that begins next month. Explaining the new remuneration model, a source in the CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 MUMBAI, FEBRUARY 26 Shubman Gill and Dhruv Jurel after India won the fourth Test match against England, in Ranchi on Monday. PTI TATA MEMORIAL HOSPITAL RESEARCHERS DEVELOP NOVEL MEDICINE TO COUNTER IT Post-cure worry: Dying cancer cells can induce cancer in healthy cells, finds study RUPSA CHAKRABORTY MUMBAI, FEBRUARY 26 CANCER THERAPIES cause chromatin fragmentation, whichcan turn healthy cells cancerous, potentially spreading cancer in newareasinpatientspost-treatment, according to a decadelong research by Tata Memorial Hospital (TMH). PAGE 1 ANCHOR CBC 22201/13/0299/2324 Virasat bhi, Vikas bhi To counter this, researchers developed a novel medicine containingcoppernanoparticles and a grape skin derivative, aiming to eradicate chromatin fragments and prevent their transformation into cancer cells, offering new hope in cancer treatment. Led by Prof Indraneel Mittra from the Translational Research Laboratory at the Tata Memorial Centre’s Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer, over the span of a decade, the research team explored this complex phenomenon, seeking answers to the potential contribution of conventional cancer treatments — chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery — to the metastatic spread of cancer. The study revealed a con- cerning phenomenon: dying cancercellsreleasechromosome fragments containinggenesthat havethepotentialtoinducecancer in healthy cells. These fragmentsexhibitaremarkableability to traverse the bloodstream, infiltrating healthy cells in various organs and triggering the potentialspreadof cancertodistant sites within the body. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Has denied he facilitated visa for any Chinese national EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, FEBRUARY 26 THEENFORCEMENTDirectorate (ED) has filed a chargesheet against Congress MP Karti Chidambaram in an alleged moneylaunderingcaselinkedto allegations that he accepted a bribe of Rs 50 lakh to facilitate visas for some Chinese nationals in 2011. Sources said the chargesheet wasfiledlastmonthbutthespecial court is yet to take cognizance. Citing sources, a PTI report said the court has listed the matter for hearing on March 16. PUNE, FEBRUARY 26 MARATHA QUOTA activist Manoj Jarange Patil on Monday withdrew his indefinite hunger strike, which he had started 17 days ago. The move came a day after Chief Minister Ekanth ShindecautionedJarangePatilto not“crosshislimits”afterthelatter alleged that Deputy Chief MinisterDevendraFadnaviswas conspiring to “eliminate” him. HC dismisses two pleas of Gyanvapi panel, allows puja in southern cellar Says State Govt’s oral orders in 1993 stopping prayers arbitrary, illegal MANISH SAHU LUCKNOW, FEBRUARY 26 DISMISSING TWO appeals filed by the Anjuman Intezamia MasajidCommittee,whichmanages the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi, the Allahabad High Court Monday said the move of thestategovernmentin1993restraining puja in the southern cellar of the mosque complex, adjacenttotheKashiVishwanath temple, was “illegal”. The mosque committee had filedappealschallengingtwoorders of the Varanasi District Judge’s court on January 17 and January 31. On January 17, the District Judge had appointed the Varanasi District Magistrate as receiver of the southern cellar, which the Hindu plaintiffs call “Vyasjikatehkhana”.Thesecond orderonJanuary31allowedpuja in the cellar. The same night the cellar was opened and a priest performed prayers. The puja order had come on a petition filed by Shailendra KumarPathak,theheadpriestof Acharya Ved Vyas Peeth temple, whoclaimedthathisgrandfather SomnathVyas,alsoapriest,used CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 RS polls today: UP, Karnataka, Himachal to see tight contests CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Jarange Patil withdraws indefinite hunger strike MANOJ MORE Outside the Gyanvapi mosque on Monday. Anand Singh “Iamwithdrawingmyindefinite hunger strike after 17 days. This hunger strike is being converted into relay hunger strike. Every day, four youths will sit on relay hunger strike. Similar relay hunger strike should be organised by Maratha community all overthestate,”Jarange-Patilsaid while calling off his strike. OnMonday,JarangePatiltargeted Fadnavis again. “A crowd of over 25,000 people including 5,000 women had gathered CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Preparations for the Rajya Sabha elections at the Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Sabha in Lucknow on Monday. PTI MAULSHREE SETH, AKRAM M & NAVJEEVAN GOPAL LUCKNOW, BENGALURU, CHANDIGARH, FEBRUARY 26 MOCK VOTING, dinners and back-channel dialogue, a complaint to the Election Commission(EC),andlegislators sequestered in a hotel. The stage is set for a high-octane Rajya Sabha election battle in Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, and Himachal Pradesh on Tuesday. Thereare10UpperHousevacanciesfromUP,of whichtheBJP has the numbers to win seven unopposed and the Samajwadi Party (SP) can win three. But with the BJP fielding businessman-turned-politician Sanjay CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Beyond Sita, Akbar, zoos cheered Ram, Mumtaz, Tendulkar, Azadi JAY MAZOOMDAAR NEW DELHI, FEBRUARY 26 TRIPURASUSPENDEDitstopforest official last week for recording two lions as Sita and Akbar, after the Calcutta High Court cautioned against naming zoo animals after deities and prominent figures revered by people. Official records show that in zoosacrossIndia,foryears,naming animals hardly set off any ripples. In the 1970s, Gujarat’s Junagadh zoo, for example, paired lion Ram with lioness Mumtaz, while cubs born to tigress Radha and tiger Krishna in Mysore zoo were named Mumtaj and Safdar in1980.LongbeforetheCalcutta HC putevenfreedomfighters on the no-go list, Azadi was a proud lioness born in the same Junagadh zoo in 2004. Entertaining a petition against the naming and pairing of Sita and Akbar, two zoo lions transferredfromTripuratoWest Bengal, Justice Saugata Bhattacharyya had on February 22 said his conscience did not support such naming. “It is not just Sita. I also do not support naming a lion as Akbar. Will you name a lion Samrat Ashok?” he said. It turns out that Gujarat’s Tiger Harishchandra (1998 Bannerghatta) | Lion Sikander (1989 Junagadh) | TigersAshok (1981,1994 Nandankanan)| LionAshok (1991 Junagadh) | Lion Akbar (2011 Hyderabad) | Tiger Akbar (2016 KINGS, SAGES & STARS ■ Mangalore) ■ Tigers Vishwamitra, Vasishta (1986 Nandankanan) and Agasthya (2002 Mysore) ■ Lion Kapil (1989 Chedilal,a‘maneater’, at Lucknowzoo. WTI/Lucknowzoo Junagadh) | Lioness Hema (1990 Junagadh) | Lion Amitabh (1991 Junagadh) | Tigress Aishwarya (1994 Kanpur) | Tigress Rekha (1993 Vanvihar) Lioness Rekha (1994 Hyderabad) | Lioness Madhuri (1990 Junagadh) | Tigress Karishma (1997 Mysore) | Lioness Kajal (2000 Junagadh) | Tigers Tendulkar, Dravid and tigress Kalpana Chawla (2002 Bannerghatta) | Tigress Kareena (2015 Aurangabad) | Tigers Prabhas (2011, Hyderabad) Dhanush (2013, Hyderabad) Junagadh zoo had, indeed, named a lion Ashok in 1991. Odisha’s Nandankanan zoo, too, had named two tigers Ashok in 1981 and 1994. In 2000, when the younger Ashok fathered a male cub with tigress Tanuja, the same zoo named it Shamsher. Tanuja, incidentally, was the daughter of tiger Viswamitra, named after one of the Vedic Saptarishi (seven venerated sages). Tiger Viswamitra’s brother was aptly named Vasistha, a fellow Saptarishi. According to the Central Zoo Authority’s National Studbooks (2018editions)thatcontainpedi- gree information of endangered speciessuchastigersandlionsin captivity since the 1950s, both Sita and Akbar have been popular names in zoos across India. Mumbai’s Byculla zoo named a lionessSitain1996.Atleast13tigresses have been named Sita/Seeta/Seetha by 12 zoos in Karnataka, Delhi, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Assam, Punjab, Bihar,RajasthanandOdishasince 1974. In 2011, a male cub born to lion Atul and lioness Sonia was named Akbar in Hyderabad zoo. One of Akbar’s sisters from the same litter was named Laxmi. In 1981, Mysore zoo named a litter of three tiger cubs Amar, Akbar andAnthony.Mangalorezoodid the same in 2016. Records show that dozens of big cats in Indian zoos have shared their names with religious and mythological figures such as Brahma, Shiva, Krishna, Balaram,Shankar,Parvati,Durga, Saraswati, Laxmi, Ganesh, Karthik, Ganga, Radha, Yashoda, Kunti, Rukmini, Ram, Lava, Kusha, etc.. Even the Dalai Lama shares his name with a snow leopard that Darjeeling zoo named Tenzin in 2021. Every zoo cat has three identities: the number on its CONTINUED ON PAGE 2
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