New Delhi : India’s first World Cup winning-captain Kapil Dev was on Sunday discharged from a city hospital, two days after undergoing angioplasty following a heart attack.
The 61-year-old complained of chest pain on Thursday following which he was taken to Fortis Escorts Heart Institute’s emergency department.
He is doing fine now.
“Mr. Kapil Dev got discharged today afternoon. He’s doing fine and can resume his regular daily activity soon. He’ll be under regular follow-up consultation with Dr. Atul Mathur,” the hospital said in a statement.
Angioplasty is a procedure to open blocked arteries and restore normal blood flow to the heart.
Following his admission, Kapil’s condition was evaluated and an emergency coronary angioplasty was performed by Dr. Mathur, who is the director of cardiology department in the Fortis Escorts Heart Institute.
“Dr Atul Mathur did Kapil paji angioplasty. He is fine and discharged. Pic of @therealkapildev on time of discharge from hospital,” his former India teammate Chetan Sharma tweeted along with a photo of Kapil and the doctor who performed the procedure.
The legendary all-rounder was wished a speedy recovery by many on social media, including India’s current captain Virat Kohli and batting great Sachin Tendulkar among others.
One of India’s greatest cricketers, Kapil played 131 Tests and 225 ODIs.
He remains the only player in cricket’s history to claim over 400 wickets (434) and accumulate more than 5000 runs in Tests.
He also served as India’s national coach between 1999 and 2000.
Kapil was inducted into the International Cricket Council’s Hall of Fame in 2010. (AGENCIES)
Kapil Dev discharged from hospital
Nawazuddin Siddiqui on playing different shades of lower middle class men: It makes me feel rich
MUMBAI : Actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui says bringing lower middle class men’s simple yet profound life story on screen gives him the opportunity to explore different human emotions.
Siddiqui, a National School of Drama (NSD) graduate, has established himself as one of the most sought after performers in Hindi film industry courtesy his portrayal of the complex common man in films like “Kahaani”, “Gangs of Wasseypur” series, “The Lunchbox”, “Bajrangi Bhaijaan” and web series “Sacred Games”.
The 46-year-old actor believes playing characters that belong to working class enriches him as an artiste.
“Each person is different from other, especially in lower middle class families. People have various shades. Their life struggles are different from one another, unlike the rich who wear a mask and have a cliched way of life.
“As an actor, I feel rich when I get to explore this (lower middle class) society. I want to explore different minds,” Siddiqui said during a session titled “Making of Serious Men” at India Film Project on Saturday.
The actor said when essaying a layered character he relies on the director’s vision.
“I try and understand the vision of the director and mould myself as an actor,” he said adding that he followed the same process while working on his latest Netflix movie “Serious Men”, directed by Sudhir Mishra.
The film is an adaptation of author Manu Joseph’s 2010 novel of the same name. It chronicles the story of an ambitious underachiever who capitalises on his son’s newfound fame as a boy-genius to improve his family’s fortunes.
The film offers a stark commentary on caste discrimination and upper class privilege through its protagonist Ayyan Mani (Siddiqui), a Tamil Dalit, who keeps challenging the system which has oppressed people for generations.
“I have met a lot of people who are like (Ayyan Mani) and they do feel they have something less in life but they don’t play the victim card or look for sympathy,” Siddiqui said.
Produced by Bombay Fables and Cine Raas, “Serious Men” also stars Aakshath Das, Shweta Basu Prasad, Nassar, and introduces actor Indira Tiwari. (AGENCIES)
DGCA approves 12,983 weekly domestic flights in winter schedule
NEW DELHI : The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said it has approved 12,983 weekly domestic flights of airlines for the winter schedule that begins on Sunday and ends on March 27 next year.
In last year’s winter schedule, the aviation regulator had approved 23,307 weekly domestic flights.
The DGCA said on Sunday it has approved 6,006 weekly domestic flights of IndiGo for this year’s winter schedule. IndiGo is India’s largest airline.
SpiceJet and GoAir have got 1,957 weekly domestic flights and 1,203 weekly domestic flights approved, the regulator said.
Currently, airlines in India are allowed to operate a maximum 60 per cent of pre-COVID weekly domestic flights.
In comparison to last year’s winter schedule, when 23,307 weekly domestic services were approved by the DGCA, this year’s winter schedule has got just 55.7 per cent (12,983 flights) of those flights approved, according to the aviation regulator.
These 55.7 per cent flights will be operating from 95 Indian airports between October 25 and March 27, 2021, the DGCA said.
India resumed scheduled domestic flights on May 25 after a gap of two months due to the coronavirus pandemic. At that time, airlines were permitted to operate just 33 per cent of their pre-COVID domestic flights. This figure was gradually increased in the later months. (AGENCIES)
Various public delegations call on Lt Governor
SRINAGAR: Former Legislator and various public delegations today called on the Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha here at the Raj Bhavan and sought his intervention in early redressal of their issues and grievances.
A delegation of All J&K Mobile Seasonal Teachers Forum led by its President, Shabir Chowdhary apprised the Lt Governor about the issues of the Mobile/ Seasonal Centres.
They requested the Lt Governor for converting Mobile/Seasonal centres into permanent Mobile Primary Schools, especially for Gujjar and Bakerwal community; regularization of seasonal EV (Teachers); provision of mid-day meal, bags, books, and other facilities in the mobile centres; enhancement of salaries; First Aid Training to Seasonal Mobile Teachers, etc.
Sh. Abid Hussain Ansari, former MLA, drew Lt Governor’s attention towards various developmental issues of Zadibal constituency. He also projected several welfare issues of the Shia Community.
Faculty Forum SKIMS Medical College-Hospital headed by its President Prof. Naseer A Mir also met the Lt Governor and apprised him of the Administrative issues of SKIMS Medical College.
The Lt Governor enquired about COVID care facilities; bed capacity; ventilators and oxygen supplies, besides other basic Medicare facilities available in the Hospital.
A delegation of All J&K Plus-2 PSC Lecturers’ Association also called on the Lt Governor and projected their concerning issues pertaining to assured career progression, and time-bound promotion.
While interacting with the members of the delegations, the Lt Governor observed that the J&K Government is committed to reaching out to the people with responsive and accountable governance and is taking comprehensive measures for ensuring prompt and speedy disposal of their grievances. UT Administration is dedicated towards equitable development and welfare of all sections of the society without discrimination, he added.
He assured the members of the delegations that all their genuine issues would be looked into meticulously and taken up for redressal.
Govt employees can submit multiple bills to avail LTC cash voucher scheme benefit
NEW DELHI : Central Government employees can submit multiple bills of goods and services purchased in their own name to avail the benefit of the LTC (Leave Travel Concession) cash voucher scheme, according to the Finance Ministry.
The Expenditure Department, under the Ministry, has issued a set of FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) on LTC cash voucher scheme, clarifying that an employee can also avail the scheme utilising the applicable LTC fare without leave encashment.
The Government on October 12 announced the LTC cash voucher scheme under which Central Government employees can purchase any goods or services with GST rate of 12 per cent or above to avail the benefit.
Till now, employees got LTC benefits only on travels made, or had to forgo the amount.
The Ministry said employees can avail the scheme utilising the applicable LTC fare without leave encashment.
“The expenditure should be in accordance with the ratio as prescribed for LTC fare,” it said.
To a query on whether the scheme would be applicable if a particular LTC which is meant to be used for the scheme has been partially availed by either self or members of the family, the FAQ said, “This scheme is applicable to the LTC fare left unutilised during the block year (2018-21).”
On whether an employee with four family members eligible for LTC can avail the scheme for less than four members, the Ministry said an employee can avail the scheme in partial, that is for the LTC part of the eligible family.
“Since this is an optional scheme, if the LTC fare of any member of the family has not been utilised for this purpose, those members can avail LTC subject to extent instructions under LTC rules.”
The FAQ further clarified that multiple bills would be accepted, but purchases should happen within the current financial year ending March.
“The purchase should carry a GST of 12 per cent and above and payment should have been made through digital mode,” it added.
It said reimbursement would be based on production of invoice with details of GST.
“As far as possible, the claim should be made and settled well before March 1, 2021 to avoid any last minute rush and resultant lapse”.
Besides, the invoice which is being submitted for reimbursement under the scheme should be in the name of the employee availing the scheme. (AGENCIES)
Warner rues batsmen’s complacence but still optimistic
Dubai : His team may be faced with the herculean task of beating the tournament’s top three sides to keep its playoff hopes alive in the ongoing IPL but Sunrisers Hyderabad skipper David Warner is confident the former champions “will definitely” get the job done.
Warner, though, rued his batsmen’s “complacence” after they collapsed from a highly advantageous position in a chase of 127 in their game against Kings XI Punjab on Saturday.
“I would like to think that the team will do that, definitely,” Warner said.
“We’ve got three challenging games coming up, one here and two in Sharjah. If you want to win the tournament, you’ve got to beat the top three teams and that’s what we face in our next assignment.”
With only eight points in their kitty ahead of their remaining three games against the Delhi Capitals, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mumbai Indians, SRH will now not only have to win all of those matches for a realistic shot at making the playoffs, but might have to depend on net run rate to scrape through.
KXIP made an incredible comeback at the death, taking five wickets in the final two overs to emerge victorious by 12 runs.
“In regards to our batting, obviously very disappointed,” Warner said at the post-match press conference.
“We didn’t get the job done. We were probably a bit complacent in the middle. We didn’t take the game on enough like we did the previous game (their victory against the Rajasthan Royals).
“I think we probably just felt that we were just going to get the runs easily, and then we sort of let the balls get ahead of the runs. That’s what happens in a game of cricket, if you give your opposition a sniff it can get taken away from you very fast.”
Chasing a modest target, SRH batsmen surrendered the advantage after a solid 56-run opening stand between Warner (35) and Jonny Bairstow (19) to be all out for 114 in 19.5 overs.
He was full of praise for his bowlers, having restricted Kings XI Punjab after their brisk start.
“I think our bowlers did an incredible job to bowl them out [restrict them] for under 130,” Warner said.
“I felt that they did an exceptional job through the middle period to take wickets and to use the pitch to their advantage. I think in previous games we probably didn’t do that as well as we would have liked (with the ball), and today was a special day for them.”
On a slow, turning pitch, the Sunrisers bowlers had restricted Kings XI Punjab to 126 for seven. In reply, SRH were bowled out for 114 in 19.5 overs.
This despite a breezy start by Warner, who went hard at the bowlers after having played the role of an anchor for a better part of the tournament so far.
“Yeah, I was going back to my old-school days. I was opening my front leg and just taking on the powerplay, something I haven’t done for a long time.
“It’s one of those things, where I felt that the best part of the powerplay was to try and go after it, go after their main bowler who swings the ball and is a very good bowler – (Mohammed) Shami.
“So I just tried to apply a little bit of pressure. And yeah, it’s fair to say that I’ve probably been quite reserved the last few years, so it was nice to open the front leg and show that I’ve still got that.” (AGENCIES)
We’re trying to make winning a habit, says Rahul
Dubai : Kings XI Punjab skipper KL Rahul said his side is trying to make winning a habit, after a fourth straight victory kept its play-offs hopes alive in the ongoing Indian Premier League.
KXIP made an incredible comeback at the death, taking five wickets in the final two overs to beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by 12 runs and stay afloat in the tournament.
Chasing a modest 127-run target on Sunday, SRH made a mess of it after a solid 56-run opening stand between skipper David Warner (35) and Jonny Bairstow (19) to be all out for 114 in 19.5 overs.
The win helped them jump to fifth spot in the eight-team standings with 10 points from 11 games.
“Yes we are making it (winning) a habit. In the first half we somehow couldn’t make this a habit. I am just speechless right now to be honest. Very happy with the show from the boys,” he said after the low-scoring contest.
“The work done is always behind the scenes, not just the players, but the support staff. You can’t change much in a player in two months but you can always make them mentally better and that’s what coach Kumble, Andy, Charl, Jonty and Wasim have done.”
Rahul said soon after being sent in to bat, he realised it was going to be a low-scoring tie.
“After me and Mandeep (Singh) played the first over we know it’s not a high scoring wicket. We were thinking close to 160. They went hard in the first six. But I knew we could pull things back if we don’t leak many runs in the powerplay as we have two leggies.
“We sat down and thought about the things that the bowlers would need in conditions like these and it’s good to see the work paying off,” he said.
SRH still have an outside chance to make it to the play-offs and for that to happen they will need to win their remaining three games with good net run rates.
“Yeah it does (hurt a lot). Our bowlers did a fantastic job to restrict them. After the start we got, we took our foot off the pedal. Felt on that wicket it was going to get tougher once the spin came into it,” SRH captain David Warner said.
“For us it was about trying to apply pressure upfront, negate the swing bowling, but obviously we didn’t get across the line.”
Despite the loss, Warner said his bowlers did well in the match.
“They bowled well with the new ball. Didn’t get all the wickets upfront but we brought it back well. Today our bowlers executed the plans well, very happy with them. Just have to forget this game and move forward,” he signed off. (AGENCIES)
Team’s belief has been great since the Super Over win: Arshdeep
Dubai : The nervy double Super Over win against defending champions Mumbai Indians sky-rocketed Kings XI Punjab’s belief and played a role in effecting a turnaround in their fortunes in the IPL, according to the team’s left-arm fast-medium bowler Arshdeep Singh.
Arshdeep played a pivotal role in KXIP’s 12-run win over Sunrisers Hyderabad on Saturday night, returning impressive figures of 3/23 to help them defend 126.
The win kept them afloat in the tournament.
“We are not looking that far and taking it game by game. After we won that Super Over, the belief has been great in the squad. We believe that we can do anything that is needed for the team. We just stuck to our plans and it paid off,” he said.
The win over MI came after KXIP had gone through a lean patch.
Thanks to their bowlers, KXIP secured their fourth win on the trot after a prolonged struggle.
Arshdeep lauded the “exceptional” performance of teammate Ravi Bishnoi. The miserly leg-spinner picked up one wicket during the match and gave away only 13 runs from his four overs.
“Ravi has been really exceptional for us. He has been bowling really well. The main thing is that his overs are very economical. And when he gets a chance, he gives us a major breakthrough,” Arshdeep said at the post-match press conference.
Chris Jordan also claimed three wickets and was named the Man of the Match.
With the win, KXIP have taken their points tally to 10 and are placed at the fifth spot in the standings.
The 21-year-old Arshdeep, a former India U-19 player, added,” The score wasn’t big so we thought we’d give it our best. But in the end, we saw an opportunity for the win. The plan was to dig it into the wicket and make them hit to the big side.
“I’ve been backed up really well by the management, and I’m enjoying this moment. The plan was to just hit the hard lengths.” (AGENCIES)
COVID-19 pandemic has pushed back luxury car segment in India by 5-7 yrs: Audi
NEW DELHI : The coronavirus pandemic has hit hard the luxury car segment in India, taking it back by five to seven years, and it will take two to three years to reach the levels witnessed around 2014-2015, according to a top official of German auto major Audi.
With gradual recovery taking place post COVID-19 induced disruptions, sales will witness growth next year, albeit on a lower base.
“While we all are saying that sales are growing and there are positive sentiments and we will also grow next year…The base has become lower,” Audi India Head Balbir Singh Dhillon said.
“The number of cars that were sold in 2014-2015, we are not going to reach those levels immediately next year. So pandemic has actually taken us back by five-seven years,” Dhillon added.
In 2014, luxury car sales in India stood at around 30,000 units, while it was at around 31,000 units in 2015.
When asked how soon the luxury car industry can turn around and recover the lost ground, he said, “For sure not next year, for the luxury segment (it will take) two to three years to reach those levels again.”
Indian luxury car market, comprising top five players — Mercedes, BMW, Audi, JLR and Volvo, is estimated to have sold nearly 35,500 units in 2019, down from 40,340 units in 2018.
Dhillon said the entire automotive sector has taken a big hit this year and “even last year for the luxury segment was also a degrowth year”.
So in terms of volume growth, it is going to start from next year, he said.
“We are not coming back to the best of our years, but we are happy that we are moving in a positive direction,” Dhillon said, while exuding confidence about the long-term potential of Indian automobile market.
Stating that motorisation level in India is very low, he said, “We have less than 30 cars for every 1,000 people as compared to other developing or developed countries where it is somewhere as high as 800 in China…We still have a lot of motorisation to happen.”
“What India offers at this point of time is a lot of potential for the long term. Economy for sure is going down, but every estimate shows that there will be a V-shaped recovery in 2021 on the base of a lower economic activity this year, which will definitely improve the market,” Dhillon said.
The other thing, he said, is the demographics of India with 65 per cent of population under the age of 35 years.
“These are those individuals who are ready to experiment, these are those individuals who do not believe in only saving but also in spending, these are those individuals who want to experience things other than put the money in their bank accounts.
“So for them, experience matters more than ownership of goods. These are all positive things, which we think will continue to give positive energy to the automotive energy,” Dhillon added. (AGENCIES)
Pompeo, Esper to push Trump’s anti-China message in India
WASHINGTON, : Just a week before November’s election, two of President Donald Trump’s top national security aides will visit India for meetings focused largely on countering China’s growing global influence.
As the bitter race between Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden winds down, the talks this week in New Delhi aim to reinforce the president’s anti-China campaign message.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defense Secretary Mark Esper will meet their Indian counterparts for strategic and security talks on Tuesday, after which Pompeo will travel on to Sri Lanka, the Maldives and Indonesia. All of them are contending with a tug-of-war between Washington and Beijing that has intensified as Trump seeks to paint Biden as weak on China.
Trump has played up his friendship with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his re-election bid but may have set his case back with an off-the-cuff remark about climate change at his Thursday debate with Biden. “Look at China, how filthy it is. Look at Russia. Look at India, it’s filthy. The air is filthy. ” he said, defending his decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord.
Whether offense will be taken by the Indians or whether it will affect Pompeo and Esper’s mission is not clear. Yet, regardless of election considerations, it is a critical time in the U.S.-India relationship as China looms large over what Washington has labeled the Indo-Pacific region.
Heightened border tensions between New Delhi and Beijing have only added to Chinese-American animosity that has been fuelled by disputes over the coronavirus, trade, technology, Taiwan, Tibet, Hong Kong, human rights and disputes between China and its smaller neighbours in the South China Sea. Those competing maritime and territorial claims will figure prominently at Pompeo’s last stop in Indonesia.
Meanwhile, India is looking to emerge from a shell of internal issues, including unrest in the Himalayan region of Kashmir, and is keen to join a group of like-minded countries facing twin threats from China and Pakistan.
Tuesday’s meetings come amid a recent flareup in military tensions between India and China over disputed mountainous border with tens of thousands of their soldiers in a standoff since May. Trump has has offered to help defuse tensions but has yet to receive any indication of interest from either side. India and China fought a month-long war over the region at the height of the Cuban Missile Crisis in the fall of 1962 and some fear a similar confrontation before this winter sets in.
Pompeo has made no secret of the Trump administration’s desire to isolate China. Asked about his trip, Pompeo said last week: “I’m sure that my meetings will also include discussions on how free nations can work together to thwart threats posed by the Chinese Communist Party.”
Ahead of Pompeo and Esper’s visit, Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun visited New Delhi last week and called China “an elephant in the room,” stressing that Washington is keen to advance India’s interests in the region, build a free and open Indo-Pacific, and counter risks posed by Chinese high-tech telecommunication networks that the U.S. Sees as central to China’s predatory economic activity.
“We will take every opportunity to really advocate for a strong digital economy and partnership in the countries where we’re going and seek support of the Clean Networks, which we think works to every country’s advantage,” said Dean Thompson, the top U.S. Diplomat for South Asia.
Since Trump became president, the U.S. And India have steadily ramped up their military relationship. When Trump visited India in February, the two sides concluded defense deals worth over $3 billion. Bilateral defense trade has increased from near zero in 2008 to $15 billion in 2019.
Still India is wary of being drawn into the fight between the world’s two largest economies. G. Parthasarthy, a retired Indian diplomat, said India was not interested in becoming a front-line state against China. “It is a move to balance the growing Chinese power in this area. The India-China border issue is not going to go away with the Chinese claims increasing,” he said.
The talks in New Delhi on Tuesday follow a meeting that Pompeo had earlier this month in Tokyo with his counterparts from India, Japan and Australia, which together make up the four Indo-Pacific nations known as “the Quad.” The Quad is seen as a counterweight to China, who critics say is flexing its military muscle throughout the region.
Pompeo will head back to Washington by way of Sri Lanka, the Maldives and Indonesia during which he plans to press each nation to push back in Chinese assertiveness. He’s also expected to raise human rights issues at each stop. (AGENCIES)