CMYK TUESDAY www.thestatesman.com 14 JULY 2020 FIND US ONLINE Scan this with your smartphone twitter.com/TheStatesmanLtd facebook.com/thestatesman1875 Pages 12 |` 5.00|LC* KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR CONSERVATIVE DUDA WINS 2ND TERM AS POLISH PRESIDENT GOOGLE TO INVEST RS 75K CRORE IN INDIA OVER 5-7 YEARS P10 P8 WEATHER Generally cloudy sky. One or two spells of thundershower. Temperature will be in the range of 27-32 degrees Celsius. RAINFALL: 2.7mm RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max.85% TEMPERATURE P6 Record spike of over Cong MLAs holed up in Jaipur hotel, doors still 28K cases in India open for Sachin Pilot PRESS TRUST OF INDIA Max: 31.5°C (-1) Min: 26.3°C (0) SUN RISES SUN SETS 05:00 hrs 18:24 hrs MOON RISES MOON SETS 23:56 hrs 11:56 hrs New moon on 20 July JAIPUR/NEW DELHI, 13 JULY 8,78,254 3,01,609 THUMBNAILS 28,701 18,850 STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 13 JULY An artist paints a statue of Lord Krishna at a workshop ahead of Krishna Janmashtami in Chennai on Monday. AFP SC refuses plea on cancelling Amarnath Yatra: The Supreme Court on Monday declined to entertain a plea seeking a direction to the Centre, J&K administration and Shri Amarnath Shrine Board to cancel Amarnath Yatra of devotees this year in the backdrop of the coronavirus outbreak. The apex said it cannot enter into the domain of the executive and district administration. The petitioner has alternatively sought live 'darshan' of Lord Amarnath through Internet &TV "so that crores across the country can have access". The bench said, “... we leave it to the concerned authorities to take a decision on the matter. We are not inclined to entertain P4 this petition.” Punjab bans public gatherings: With Punjab witnessing a spike in Covid-19 cases, the state government on Monday put a complete bar on all public gatherings, while restricting social gatherings to five and marriages, social functions to 30 instead of the current 50. An official spokesperson said mandatory FIRs will be filed against those found violating the curb on public gatherings, which now stand strictly disP4 allowed. ndia recorded the biggest single-day surge of 28,701 Covid19 new cases and 500 deaths in the last 24 hours taking the total tally to over 8.78 lakh novel Coronavirus infections and 23,174 fatalities so far. India, however, remains the third worst-affected country after the US and Brazil, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said. The Health Ministry’s data stated that of the total cases, as many as 5,53,470 patients have recovered, which is over twice the number of active patients that is 3,01,609. The rate of recovery of the Covid-19 patients has touched 62.93 per cent. During the last 24 hours, 2,19,103 samples were tested, as the testing lab network continues to expand. As on date, more than 1,194 labs have enabled people to undergo coronavirus I Cases continue to surge in Bengal STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE KOLKATA, 13 JULY Covid-19 cases continued to surge in West Bengal as the state recorded 1,435 single day cases and 24 deaths. The active cases are 11,279 with a total of 31,448 cases till now while the death toll stands at 956. Kolkata contributed the highest number of single day cases and deaths recording 418 fresh cases and 10 deaths. North 24Parganas recorded 363 cases and eight deaths tests. Maharashtra remained the worst-hit state, with 2,54,427 cases and 10,289 casualties followed by Tamil Nadu with total 1,38,470 cases, including 1,966 deaths. With 1,573 new coronavirus cases and 37 deaths in the last 24 hours, the national capital recorded while Howrah recorded 168 cases and two deaths. Hooghly registered two deaths and one death was registered in each South 24-Parganas and West Burdwan. In the wake of majority of cases being registered from Kolkata and neighbouring districts of Howrah, North and South 24-Parganas, state government today appointed senior bureaucrats to act as nodal officers for overseeing the overall handling of Covid situation. a total tally of 1,12,494 cases, including 3,371 deaths. States with more than 10,000 cases included Gujarat (41,820 cases), Uttar Pradesh (36,476), Rajasthan (24,392), Madhya Pradesh (17,632), West Bengal (30,013), Haryana (21,240), Karnataka (38,843), 23,174 UNION HEALTH MINISTRY FIGURES AS OF 8.00 A.M. MONDAY 13 JULY 2020 Andhra Pradesh (29,168), Telangana (34,671), Assam (16,071), and Bihar (16,642). On the global front, the overall number of global Covid-19 cases was nearing 12.9 million, while the deaths have increased to more than 5,68,000, according to Johns Hopkins University. Meanwhile, 19 states and union territories have a Covid-19 recovery rate higher than the national average of 63.02 per cent, the Centre said on Monday, asserting that coordinated steps taken by it along with state governments have contributed to a “gradual surge” in the recovery of patients. It also said that there are 30 states and union territories (UTs) that have a fatality rate lower than the national average of 2.64 per cent. CBSE class 12 exam results declared, girls outshine boys Army chief stresses zero tolerance against infiltration of terrorists STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 13 JULY cent and 157934 students have scored more than 90 per cent in CBSE 12th exam. Among schools , Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs) and Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs) have topped with 98.7 and 98.62 pass percentage. Among regions, Trivandrum region has recorded the highest pass percentage with 97.67 percent. Bengaluru is at second spot with 97.05 pass percentage, and Chennai is third with 96.17 pass percentage. Students can check their results from the board's official result portal, cbseresults.nic.in. The board has followed its revised assessment scheme to prepare CBSE results this year. The board had to revise its assessment scheme after examinations for a few papers were cancelled. JAMMU, 13 JULY Chief of Army Staff (COAS), General MM Naravane on Monday stressed for ‘Zero tolerance’ against the ceasefire violations by Pakistan and infiltration attempts by terrorists. The COAS visited forward areas of the Rising Star Corps to review the current security situation and operational readiness of the troops deployed on g r o u n d i n t h e Ja m m u Pathankot region. The Army Chief was received in Jammu by Lt General RP Singh, GOC-in-C Western Command, Lt General Upendra Dwivedi, GOC Rising Star Corps, Maj General VB Nair, GOC Tiger Division and Air Commodore AS Pathania, AOC, Air Force Station Jammu . The Army chief highlighted that all agencies of the services and Government are working together relentlessly and will continue to do the same to defeat the nefarious design of proxy war being fuelled by our adversaries. SC upholds Travancore Royal family’s rights over Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple SNS & PTI NEW DELHI, 13 JULY The Supreme Court Monday upheld the rights of the Travancore royal family in the administration of historic Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Kerala, considered to be one of the richest temples in the country. It set aside the Kerala High Court’s 2011 verdict which had directed the state government to set up a trust to take control of management and assets of the temple. A bench headed by Justice U U Lalit said that as an interim measure, the District Judge of Thiruvananthapuram will head an administrative committee to manage the temple's affairs. The top court delivered the verdict on a batch of appeals, including the one filed by legal representatives P12 19 states & UTs have a recovery rate higher than the national average Min. 80% CBSE has declared Class 12 exam results on its official website. The total pass percentage recorded an increase of 5.38 percent. This year the pass percentage among girls is 92.15 per cent and among boys it is 86.19 per cent. Girls have done better than boys by 5.96 per cent. Pass percentage among transgender students is 66.67 percent. As per CBSE's statement, 38,686 students have scored above 95 per ENGLAND DEFEND AXING BROAD DESPITE DEFEAT CLUELESS IN TAMIL NADU of the Travancore royal family, challenging the 31 January, 2011 verdict of the high court. The sprawling temple, an architectural splendour in granite, was rebuilt in its present form in the 18th century by the Travancore Royal House which had ruled southern Kerala and some adjoining parts of Tamil Nadu before integration of the princely state with the Indian Union in 1947. While pronouncing the judgement, the apex court held that the death of earlier ruler of Travancore royal family does not affect the right of ‘Shebaitship’ (the right to manage the deity and the temple as a priest) of Marthanda Varma, the brother of last ruler of the royal family, and his legal heirs. The top court said that death of the last ruler of royal family does not entitle the state government to take over the management of committee as law of escheat does not apply in this case and the management of the temple continues to vest in trust of the ruler of Travancore. While making an interim arrangement to manage the affairs of the temple, the apex court said that it will remain in force till a fresh committee is set up and all the members of the committee must be Hindus. The controversy over the administration and management of the historic temple was pending in the apex court for last nine years in the wake of charges of alleged financial irregularities. Even after India's independence, the temple continued to be governed by a trust controlled by the erstwhile royal family for whom Lord Padmanabha (Vishnu) is their family deity. The top court had on 10 April last year reserved its judgement on the appeals against the high court’s verdict. The high court had directed the state government to take steps to set up a body or a trust to take control of the temple, its assets and management and to run the temple in accordance with the traditions. It had on 2 May, 2011 stayed the high court’s direction regarding taking over of the assets and management of the temple. The top court had also directed that there shall be a detailed inventory of the articles, valuables, ornaments in Kallaras (vaults) On 8 July, 2011, the apex court had said that “opening of kallara 'B' is to be kept in abeyance till further orders”. In July 2017, the apex court had said it would examine the claims that one of the vaults the temple contained extraordinary treasure with “mystical” energy. It had passed a slew of directions including on the security of the treasures, auditing of accounts and repair of the deity. The top court was in July 2017 told by senior advocate Gopal Subramanium, who is assisting the court as an amicus curiae in the matter, that ‘Kallara’ (vault) B of the temple should be opened as it was closed “on the apprehension that there is some mystical energy”. CMYK Congress MLAs on Monday holed themselves up in a resort near Jaipur after a legislature party meeting, where they expressed support for Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot and only indirectly referred to Sachin Pilot, whose rebellion threatens his government. A resolution adopted at the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting urged strong disciplinary action against any party officebearer or CLP member who does anything to weaken the government or the party. But the resolution stopped short of naming Pilot, who is deputy chief minister and also heads the state unit of the party. Before the meeting, senior Congress leader Randeep Surjewala adopted a conciliatory tone, saying Pilot and other MLAs could still attend the CLP meeting from which they had distanced themselves. Sources said Congress president Sonia Gandhi and former party chief Rahul Gandhi were in touch with Pilot, upset since he was denied the Rajasthan chief minister’s post after the December 2018 Assembly elections. There was no official word on the number of MLAs who attended the Congress Legislature Party meeting at Gehlot's home, but party leaders claimed 106 legislators were there. If correct, this staves off the immediate challenge posed by Pilot, who claimed on Sunday night that he has the support of over 30 Congress MLAs and the Gehlot government is in minority. The Congress has 107 members in the state assembly and also claims the support of some independents. But with the Congress MLAs being packed into buses headed for Fairmont Hotel on the outskirts of the city, it is clear that the crisis is not over. The CLP resolution blamed the BJP for the crisis. On Saturday, Gehlot had accused the opposition party of trying to lure away Congress MLAs. It demanded strong disciplinary action against any Congress office bearer or CLP member who directly or indirectly acted against the party. Addressing a press conference before the meeting, AICC spokesperson Randeep Surjewala indicated that Pilot and his supporters were still welcome to attend it. Doors are open for Sachin Pilot and other MLAs, he said. He said the party’s top leadership spoke to Pilot several times in the last 72 hours. Surjewala said differences in a family can be resolved within the family, suggesting that Pilot and other MLAs should come and discuss grievances at party forums. When a member of the family gets annoyed, he does not make the family fall but sits with family members and resolves the issue, he said. Doors are open for Sachin Pilot and other MLAs. They will be heard and solutions will be found. This is the discipline of the party, the AICC spokesperson said. The Congress had rushed Pande, Surjewala and Ajay Maken to Jaipur as observers at the meeting, amid a power tussle between its two Rajasthan leaders. The party had issued a whip ahead of the CLP meeting, indicating disciplinary action against any MLA who failed to turn up. In a statement, Pilot, however, had made clear that he would not attend the meeting. He also claimed that he had the support of over 30 Congress MLAs and some independents. The Congress Legislature Party meeting began about three hours later than scheduled, with ministers and MLAs flashed victory signs for the cameras.