CMYK THURSDAY www.thestatesman.com 05 MAY 2022 FIND US ONLINE Scan this with your smartphone twitter.com/TheStatesmanLtd facebook.com/thestatesman1875 Pages 12 |` 5.00|LC KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR KARNATAKA CABINET REJIG EXERCISE SHIFTS TO DELHI WHY PUTIN MUST KNOW WAR HAS GONE ON LONG ENOUGH P7 WEATHER Partly cloudy sky. Rain/thundershower very likely. Temperature likely to be in the range of 33-26 degrees Celsius. RAINFALL: Nil RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 90% TEMPERATURE P4 P5 he India-Nordic Summit will go a long way in boosting India's ties with the region, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday after he participated in the summit in Copenhagen, Denmark. The second India-Nordic summit saw the participation of Prime Ministers Mette Frederiksen of Denmark, Katrin Jakobsdottir of Iceland, Sanna Marin of Finland, Magdalena Andersson of Sweden, and Jonas Gahr Store of Norway. Earlier, PM Modi held bilateral meetings with the Nordic leaders. “The India-Nordic Summit will go a long way in boosting India's ties with the region. Together, there is much that our nations can achieve and contribute to global prosperity and sustainable development," PM Modi tweeted. Addressing a special Press briefing, Foreign SecretaryVinay Kwatra said that discussions during the India-Nordic summit were held in three clusters. "One, relating to multilateral cooperation in the context of Covid aftermath. Two, the T THUMBNAILS People experience rain at Rajpath, which brought respite from the heat wave, in the capital on Wednesday.  SUBRATA DUTTA India first 'Country of Honour' at Cannes Film Market: India will be the official ''Country of Honour” at the upcoming Marche’ Du Film, organised alongside the Cannes Film Festival, in France, Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur said. “It is the first time the Marché du Film has an official Country of Honour, and this special focus will continue annually with different nations in the spotlight at future editions,” he said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the leaders of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway & Sweden at the India-Nordic Summit in Copenhagen on Wednesday. ANI/ARINDAM BAGCHI TWITTER) climate and sustainable development and blue economy. Three, the innovation segment," he said. Listing out the key points which came up during the summit, the Foreign Secretary said Prime Minister Modi appreciated the Nordic countries as very reliable partners in the last 75 years of India's journey of growth and economic development. “It was noted that Nordic countries and India have shared values of freedom, democracy and the rules-based order. And also share perspectives on various global matters," he said. “The areas of board cooperative partnership essentially focused on: One, the urban renewal. Two, river cleaning. Three is the entire domain of renewable energy. Four is skill development." PM Modi also said that there is a need for temporary TRIPS (Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights) waiver for vaccine production globally with the view to ensuring vaccine availability for needy countries, Kwatra said. The Foreign Secretary said the PM also reiterated the five commitments that India made during the COP26 summit. This summit was a follow up to the first summit that took place in Stockholm, Sweden in 2018. The Stock- holm Summit was the 1st time India engaged with the Nordic countries as a group on a single platform. The situation in Ukraine also figured during the India-Nordic summit, with a joint statement released after the summit saying the Nordic Prime Ministers strongly condemned the "unlawful and unprovoked aggression" against Ukraine by Russian forces. The PM’s bilateral meeting with his counterparts of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Sweden and Norway, held prior to the summit will boost partnership in blue economy, clean technology, geothermal energy and 5G, Kwatra said. 141 arrested so far for Covid cases rise again after dip, 3,205 new cases recorded Jodhpur violence AGENCIES STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE FACT FILE NEW DELHI, 4 MAY Daily Covid-19 infections in India again crossed the 3000 mark with the country reporting 3205 Covid cases in the last 24 hours, stated the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Wednesday. India’s active caseload now stands at 19,509 with active cases now constituting 0.05 per cent of the country's total positive cases. As per data shared by the ministry, India’s recovery rate stands at 98.74 per cent with 2802 patients having recovered in the last 24 hours. While the weekly positivity rate in the country currently stands at 0.76 per cent, the daily positivity rate has jumped to 0.98 percent, as per the data. Under the National vaccination drive, 189.48 crore TOTAL CASES 4,30,88,118 ACTIVE CASES 19,509 NEW CASES 3,205 NEW RECOVERIES 2,802 TOTAL DEATHS 5,23,920 UNION HEALTH MINISTRY FIGURES AS OF 8.00 A.M. WEDNESDAY 04 MAY 2022 Bengal recorded 31 cases and zero deaths vaccine doses have been administered so far. Covid-19 vaccination for the age group 12-14 years was started on 16 March, 2022. So far, more than 2.95 Crore (2,95,09,889) adolescents have been administered with the first dose of Covid-19 vaccine. Covid-19 precaution dose administration for age group 18-59 years started from 10 April, 2022 onwards. Meanwhile, Hyderabadbased pharma company Bharat Biotech has sought permission from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) to conduct trials of Covaxin as Covid-19 vaccine booster dose in the 2-18 age group, news agency ANI reported. The company has applied for permission a week ago. It has already conducted trials in the age group of 2-18 for two doses of Covaxin. Recently, Bharat Biotech has also received an Emergency Use Authorisation (EUA) approval for 6-12 years old children for two doses. JAIPUR, 4 MAY A total of 141 persons have been arrested by police so far over the communal violence which erupted in Jodhpur on Monday midnight and continued till Tuesday midnight, said officials. Director General of Police ML Lather said that the situation in Jodhpur is now under control. “Police are taking all possible steps to maintain peace and order. A total of 141 persons have been arrested by the police so far.” “Of these, 133 have been arrested under section 151 and 8 persons in other cases,” he informed. “A total of nine policemen were injured in the disturbance, however, all are okay now. Three persons were hospitalised and all three are out of danger," he added. Record applications for LIC IPO, India’s biggest public issue STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE The LIC IPO was subscribed 67 per cent on the first day, led by demand from policyholders and employees. The policyholder segment was fully subscribed within three hours of the IPO’s opening NEW DELHI, 4 MAY The much-hyped initial public offering (IPO) of the Life Insurance Corporation of India was subscribed 67 per cent on the first day, led by demand from employees and policyholders. The IPO opened today for the general public in the price band of Rs 902 to Rs 949 per equity share. The LIC IPO is one of the biggest public issues ever, valued at Rs. 21,000 crore. It was eagerly awaited by the general public as well as institutions. As of 6 p.m. on the first day, LIC policyholders have already subscribed 1.99 times the portion reserved for them, with the category getting fully subscribed within three hours, while the employee reserved portion has been subscribed 117 per cent. Retail investors have applied for 0.60 times the shares allocated for the category. This is one of the biggest government steps toward disinvestment. It plans to sell a 3.5 percent stake in the insurance behemoth instead of the five per cent as stipulated earlier. ASIAN NEWS INTERNATIONAL MUMBAI, 4 MAY ASIAN NEWS INTERNATIONAL COPENHAGEN, 4 MAY Max: 33.1 °C(-2) Min: 24.7 °C(-1) SUN RISES SUN SETS 05:01 hrs 18:05 hrs MOON RISES MOON SETS 08:04 hrs 22:09 hrs Full moon on 16 May P12 hikes repo India-Nordic summit Reserve Bankon inflation rate by 40 bps to boost ties: PM Modi worries, equities plunge Multilateral cooperation, climate change, blue economy focus of discussions Min. 60% RICHARD NAMED AS ENG WOMEN'S HEAD OF PERFORMANCE PATHWAYS BJP TARGETING RAJASTHAN, SAYS GEHLOT After the Life Insurance Company (LIC) IPO, India's biggest public issue, opened to primary markets this morning, there has been a mad rush to bid for it. LIC has kept 15.81 lakh shares for employees and around 2.21 crore shares for LIC policyholders. The LIC IPO has been valued at Rs 21,000 crore. The public issue will remain open for bidding to the general public till 9 May 2022. Investors are allowed to apply for LIC shares in lots, with each lot consisting of 15 shares. The investment limit for a retail individual investor is Rs 2 lakh, meaning a retaiil investor can apply for a minimum of one and a maximum of 14 lots. The minimum amount required to apply for the LIC IPO is Rs. 14,235 ( Rs 949 x 15). The Rs 2 lakh cap does not apply to non-institutional individual investors (high net-worth individuals) or qualified institutional buyers. LIC policyholders can avail of Rs. 60 discount per share while LIC employees get Rs. 45 discount per share. Ten per cent of the total size of the issue has been reserved for policyholders while five per cent of shares has been reserved for the employees. The IPO was to be launched before March 31 but it was postponed due to sluggish market conditions. The LIC IPO has received Rs 13,000 crores worth of investment commitments from anchor investors. This is double the value of shares offered to such investors. The LIC shares are likely to be listed on BSE and NSE on May 17. Clashes broke out at the Jalori gate circle in Jodhpur, chief minister Ashok Gehlot's home district, following Eid prayers on Tuesday. Police resorted to a lathi charge to disperse the mob.This followed stone-pelting incidents on Monday between two groups over the raising of different flags at Balmukand Bissa at the Jalori Gate intersection circle. The Jodhpur district administration had suspended mobile internet services in the area till further notice along with the imposition of curfew. Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said that the culprits involved in riots will not be spared while the government will ensure that no incidents of violence take place. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has asked for a detailed report from the Rajasthan government over the communal tension. The Reserve Bank of India's Monetary Policy Committee in an unscheduled meeting on Wednesday decided to increase the policy repo rate by 40 basis points to 4.40 per cent with immediate effect citing inflation worries. This is the first increase in the policy repo rate since May 2020, marking a reversal of the RBI's monetary policy stance. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) decided to hold an off-cycle meeting on 2 and 4 May, 2022 to reassess the evolving inflation-growth dynamics and the impact of the developments after the MPC meeting of April 6-8, 2022, RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das said. “Based on this assessment of the macroeconomic situation and the outlook, the MPC voted unanimously to increase the policy repo rate by 40 basis points to 4.40 per cent, with immediate effect,” Das said. The repo rate is the interest rate at which the RBI lends short-term funds to banks. The standing deposit facility (SDF) rate stands adjusted to 4.15 per cent; and the marginal standing facility (MSF) rate and the Bank Rate to 4.65 per cent. The MPC also decided to remain accommodative while focusing on withdrawal of accommodation to ensure that inflation remains within the target going forward while supporting growth, Das said at a press conference. The RBI had maintained status quo on key policy rates for almost two years. In response to the Covid19 pandemic, monetary policy had shifted gears to an ultra-accommodative mode, with a large reduction of 75 basis points in the policy repo rate on March 27, 2020 followed by another reduction of 40 basis points on May 22, 2020. In the first scheduled monetary policy announcement of the current financial year on April 8, the RBI had decided to keep the key policy rates unchanged for the 11th time in a row. Today’s unscheduled announcement by the central bank surprised the equity markets, which nose-dived right after. The BSE Sensex tanked nearly 1,100 points, whereas Nifty fell over 300 points. (See also Page 8) Maharashtra on alert as Raj Thackeray’s ultimatum ends ASIAN NEWS INTERNATIONAL PUNE, 4 MAY Maharashtra has been put on a high alert on Wednesday as Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray's ultimatum for loudspeakers ends today. Pune Police Commissioner Amitabh Gupta said that as many as 2,500 security personnel have been deployed across the city to maintain law and order. He also informed that following Supreme Court orders, several mosques did not play the morning Azaan on the loudspeaker "voluntarily". Addressing a press conference, Gupta said, "Situation is under control. Many Mosques did not play morning Azaan on loudspeakers voluntarily, following Supreme Court guidelines. A total of 2,500 security personnel are deployed across the city to maintain law and order." As per the Maharashtra Home Department, in Mumbai, of the total of 1,140 mosques, 135 used loudspeakers before 6 am today. Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday had ordered the police to take all measures to maintain law and order and not wait for anyone's order. Earlier on Tuesday, Maharashtra Police registered a case against Raj Thackeray over his speech at a rally held in Aurangabad on May 1. Police registered the case after seeing the viral videos of his public rally. Following this heavy police deployment was made outside the MNS chief's Shivaji Park residence. Undeterred, Raj Thackeray persisted with his antiloudspeaker campaign, as he shared a video of the Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray on Wednesday in which he is seen speaking against the use of loudspeakers and Muslims offering prayers on the roads. The loudspeakers row started when the MNS chief on April 12 gave an ultimatum to the Maharashtra government to remove loudspeakers from mosques by May 3, failing which, he warned, MNS workers will play Hanuman Chalisa on loudspeakers. A case was filed against Raj Thackeray on Tuesday when he appealed to people to play Hanuman Chalisa on loudspeakers in the areas where loudspeakers are used for 'Azan' from today. BCCI bans journalist Boria Majumdar for two years for ‘intimidating’ Wriddhiman Saha INDO-ASIAN NEWS SERVICE MUMBAI, 4 MAY The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has banned journalist Boria Majumdar for two years for "threatening and intimidating" India wicketkeeper batsman Wriddhiman Saha. The ban includes Majumdar not getting press accreditation for domestic or international matches in India, no interviews with any "registered players" and no access to cricket facilities owned by the BCCI or the state/member associations, for the two years. In a letter sent to its members on Tuesday, the BCCI said that a three-member committee comprising vice-president Rajeev Shukla, treasurer Arun Dhumal and councillor Prabhtej Singh Bhatia had spoken to both Saha and Majumdar and concluded that Majumdar's actions "were indeed in the nature of threat and intimidation". They recommended the sanctions to the BCCI's Apex Council, which agreed and imposed the ban. “The BCCI Committee con- CMYK sidered the submissions by both Mr Saha and Mr Majumdar and concluded that the actions by Mr Majumdar were indeed in the nature of threat and intimidation. The BCCI Committee recommended the following sanctions to the Apex Council of BCCI,” the letter read. “The Apex Council of BCCI agreed with the recommendations of the BCCI Committee and imposed the following sanctions: i. 2 (two) year ban on getting any accreditation as a member of the press in any of the cricket matches (domestic and international) in India; ii. 2 (two) year ban on get- ting any interview with any registered players in India; and iii. 2 (two) year ban on access to any of BCCI and members associations owned cricket facilities," it added. The development comes on the heels of the 37-year-old wicketkeeper posting a tweet on February 19 that captured a screenshot of the messages that a journalist had sent him on WhatsApp. “After all of my contributions to Indian cricket..this is what I face from a so-called "Respected" journalist! This is where the journalism has gone,” the cricketer tweeted. "You did not call. Never again will I interview you. I don't take insults kindly. And I will remember this. This wasn't something ypu [sic] should have done,” one of the messages said. Though Saha hadn't named the journalist in question, Majumdar responded on March 5, saying he would serve a legal notice to Saha for defamation. The Kolkatabased journalist, in a video posted out on social media, said the screenshot Saha had put out was a doctored version of an exchange between the two. The BCCI, as it says in the message to the member associations, "had taken cognizance of this incident and deemed it necessary to investigate and probe the matter to avoid the recurrence of such instances with other players”, and formed the three-member committee.The committee subsequently “considered the submissions” of Saha and Majumdar before arriving at their decision. Saha is currently representing the Hardik Pandya-led Gujarat Titans in the IPL 2022 as an opening batter, scoring 154 runs in 5 matches.