Junior Digest

MUMBAI : Infosys, India’s No.2 IT services company, named Salil S Parekh as chief executive on Saturday, picking an outsider for the job a second time and handing him the twin challenges of reviving growth and making peace between its founders and board.

Parekh, who will join from consultancy firm Capgemini where he is currently an executive, has been given a 5-year term effective Jan.2, an Infosys filing to exchanges showed.

U.B. Pravin Rao who was serving as the interim CEO has been re-designated as chief operating officer from Jan. 2, Infosys said.

“After a comprehensive global search effort, we are pleased to appoint Salil as the CEO & MD,” said Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, chairperson of the nomination & remuneration committee at Infosys.

“He was the top choice from a pool of highly qualified candidates. With his strong track record and extensive experience, we believe, we have the right person to lead Infosys.”

Former CEO Vishal Sikka announced a sudden exit in August after a protracted public spat with the company’s founding executives, led by Narayana Murthy, over strategy and alleged corporate governance lapses.

Sikka, who joined from German software maker SAP SE in 2014, was the first outsider to be appointed CEO of the Bengaluru-headquartered company.

His exit and the prolonged public row led to a reshuffling of the Infosys’ board with Nandan Nilekani, a co-founder and former CEO, returning as non-executive chairman.

Nilekani, credited with four-fold growth in Infosys’ revenue to $2 billion during his tenure as CEO, had said at the time that cultural fit would be an important criteria for the top job, making internal candidates “very strong contenders”.

 LAS VEGAS : Miss South Africa Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters who was representing South Africa won the Miss Universe crown Sunday.

Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters, who recently earned a business management degree, was crowned during the event at The AXIS theater at Planet Hollywood casino-resort on the Las Vegas Strip. The runner-up was Miss Colombia Laura Gonzalez, while the second runner-up was Miss Jamaica Davina Bennett.

Ninety-two women from around the world participated in the decades-old competition. This year’s edition had the most contestants ever, including the first ever representatives of Cambodia, Laos and Nepal.

Mirabai Chanu became the first Indian in over two decades to win a gold medal at the World Weightlifting Championship in Anaheim, USA, exorcising the ghosts of her forgettable outing at the Rio Olympics.

Chanu, who is employed with the Indian Railways, lifted 85kg in snatch and 109kg in clean and jerk to total an impressive 194kg in the women’s 48kg, in the process setting a new national record.

Seeing the tricolour from the podium, tears of joy rolled down her cheeks, as Chanu picked up a rare honour for an Indian at the marquee event.

Olympic bronze medallist Karnam Malleshwari had won the top prize in worlds twice – in 1994 and 1995.

New Delhi, Dec 1 : Finance Minister Arun Jaitley  said improved macroeconomic fundamentals have placed India on 7-8 per cent growth trajectory and the country needs big infrastructure investments over next two decades to evolve into a middle income economy and then into a developed one.

The funding requirement for infrastructure in the country is huge and there is a requirement of a whopping Rs 50 lakh crore investment in the sector over next five years, he said.

India has spent Rs 60 lakh crore in infrastructure during 2007-17.

Stating that India has been the fastest growing major economy in the last three years, Jaitley said, “We do hope that in the first instance we evolve into a middle income economy and subsequently we graduate into a developed economy.

“That’s the economic roadmap that we have for us. If we have to aspire to reach this, India will need to upgrade infrastructure over the next two decades. We need a lot of investment and we will need a lot of spending,” he said while delivering 5th Annual Defence Estates Day lecture here.

Observing that inadequate infrastructure is a major hindrance in the growth, he said, the government has been increasingly raising allocation for development of the sector.

In recent times, the government has increased infrastructure spending, Jaitley said, adding the Budget 2017 -18 made allocation of Rs 3.96 lakh crore for the sector.

Noting that the investment in infrastructure is essential to growth and it improves productive capacity of a nation, he said it leads to more jobs and more economic well being.

“India has standardised itself ordinarily for a growth rate between 7-8 per cent. If it slows down, it is more towards 7 and if it paces up it is more towards 8 per cent growth. It’s already close to USD 2.5 trillion economy in terms of GDP,” he said.

During the first quarter of the current fiscal, economy witnessed a growth rate of 5.7 per cent, the lowest in the three years.

Observing that the country has moved away from old era of double digit inflation, he said, “our statutorily fixed target is 4 per cent. We have been able to keep our current account deficit under control, and over the last few years India has had exemplary performance in terms of being able to bring down its fiscal deficit,” he said.

The net effect of all these is that India is getting closer to a situation where the country can spend what it earns, and borrows relatively less, he said.

“One of the great challenges which remained in India and that directly impinges on the creation of the world class infrastructure is that India was largely a tax non-compliant society,” he said.

The adverse impact of tax non-compliant society can be felt in many areas.

“One of the efforts the government is making is slowly nudging the system into becoming compliant, he said, adding the ability to raise resources to spend on critical areas of security, infrastructure development and poverty alleviation improves,” he said.

“One factor which has to be kept in mind as far as infrastructure sector is concerned, infrastructure is created when users pay. We cannot expect infrastructure to be created out of thin air … users have to pay for it,” he said.

Citing some of the examples, he said, airport is a success story as airport user charge is in-built in the air ticket and in-built is amount earmarked for development national highways and rural road while buying fuel.

Talking about the thrust of Narendra Modi-led government for infrastructure creation, the finance minister said as many as 250 national highway projects are underway.

“We are in the process of awarding 10,000 km national highway each year and this has now resulted in accumulative programme what is known as Bharatmala…the total investment which is going to go for the Bharatmala project is Rs 5.35 lakh crore over the next few years,” he said.

With regard to air connectivity, Jaitley said the government is in the process of developing 35-50 more airports to improve regional connectivity under ‘Udan’ which provides one-hour flights at a cost of Rs 2,500 to a passenger.

He further said the government is also in the process of modernising 450 railway stations with the help of private sector besides improvement of port facility and inland waterways.

The finance minister said efforts have been taken not only to improve infrastructure in urban areas but also rural infrastructure through rural electrification drive and Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana.

New Delhi, Nov 27: Former RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan today made a strong case for broad-basing economic growth and generating more employment opportunities, arguing that short-term political solutions to the job reservation issue can damage the fabric of the country.

On the solution to the problem of majority of people feeling discriminated, he said, “The only way to solve this is to broad-base economic growth. We need to focus on that as the ultimate solution rather than emphasise grievances… (they are) politically in short-term very convenient but have potential to bring apart the fabric of this country.”

Rajan made these comments referring to rising populist nationalism and also agitation by powerful communities, including Patidar community in Gujarat which is feeling discriminated and is seeking reservation in jobs.

“It (populist nationalism) has a potential to damage. I would define very simply as the majority community feeling aggrieved that it is being discriminated against. It exists across the world. It exists in India also. There are often underlying issues, for example an issue of job,” the ex- Reserve Bank governor said in a recorded interview played at the Times Lit Fest 2017 here.

Some strong communities in India have started protesting to press for reservations because they are not finding jobs, he said, adding that it is very important to tackle underlying economic issues, including unemployment.

On the issue of “illiberal democracy, he said, it is worrying and this system needs to be tackled.

“Illiberal democracy is not only function of leader, function of system which cowed out very easily to strong leader… the press, the business group, all of them tend towards bowing even though there are exceptions because their interests are all aligned,” Rajan said.

There are cosy relationships between political and corporate establishments, he said adding that often press is also owned by corporate establishment and independent voices tend to get suppressed.

On increasing incidences of censorships and bans, the former central bank chief said, these are not a feature of any particular government and have happened again and again since independence.

It is important to recognise that as a tolerant society India is better off having free speech with the provision that it should not propagate violence, Rajan said.

On criticism from various quarters faced during his stint as RBI governor, he said, “We have to develop thicker skins.”

Citing example of flag burning incidents in the US, he said, once the Supreme Court decided to allow this as part of protest, the incidences slowly diminished.

Rajan also said that India is a vibrant democracy and it has to be seen as a strength rather than as a weakness.

“Growth in democracy is much more stable unlike authoritarian rule. It is beneficial because it tends to be egalitarian. It tends to take people along with. Democracy gives right, allows people to protest,” he said.

On the threat to Hinduism due to rising intolerance, Rajan said “it is a vast house and it can survive”.

“Hinduism is a tolerant religion which is the way it has always structured or evolved. So, I think specific incidence of intolerance is overstating the risk. My sense is that we have gone through this but Hinduism has survived,” he added.

Agartala, Nov 26 : Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar today accused the central government of “neglecting” the interests of the peasants and the middle class, and adopting policies to “protect” the interest of corporates.

“Three-and-a-half years ago, a government led by Narendra Modi was installed at the Centre which is taking steps to protect the interest of corporates both at home and abroad by compromising the interest of peasants and the middle class,” Sarkar told a rally organised by the CITU, the CPI(M)’s trade union, here.

He alleged that the central government abolished the Planning Commission and formed NITI Aayog to research and find out how the corporates could be given better facilities.

“This is not a government of proletariats, peasants and middle class or common people, because it was doing jobs to protect the interests of the capitalists and zamindars,” he said.

Sarkar said after the Left Front came to power in Tripura in 1978, it tried to form an alternative government by formulating laws to protect the interests of the working class people.

“It tried to form a government by creating an alternative model by giving reliefs and concessions to the working class people and protecting the trade union rights,” he said.

Sarkar claimed the Left Front government in Tripura always protects the interests of the working class.

Kolkata, Nov 25: Former India captain Sourav Ganguly on Friday said that he was “desperate” to become the national coach but ended up being an administrator.

“You should do what you can and not thinking about the outcome. You never know where life goes, you never know where life will take you. I went to Australia in 1999, I wasn’t even the vice-captain. Sachin (Tendulkar) was the captain and in three months I became the captain of India,” he said.

“When I got into administration, I was desperate to be the coach of the national side. (Jagmohan) Dalmiya called me and said ‘why you don’t you try for six months’. He passed away and none was around, so I became the CAB president.

People take 20 years to become president. You have to live for the day,” Ganguly said while speaking at the India Today Conclave East 2017.

He also spoke about his controversial face-off with coach Greg Chappell and why he called it quits.

One of the most successful Indian captains Ganguly was dropped in January 2006 but made a comeback against South Africa in the Johannesburg Test in December and went on to score an unbeaten 51.

In the home series against Pakistan in 2007, Ganguly notched up a century and a double hundred before retiring against Australia in the Nagpur Test in November 2008.

“As I announced retirement in 2008, Sachin came at lunch and asked me ‘why did you take such a decision?’ I said because I don’t want to play any more. He then said ‘this is the best time to see you play in such flow. Last three years had been your best’.

“I retired because at some point you’ve had enough. The reason is not because you have had enough of playing the sport but because you’ve had enough of getting selected all the time. I remember those days and think individual sports is a lot better when you are not dependent on team.”

Ganguly said the biggest problem in a team sport is the fact that one gets selected by others, so even if one works well, he/she may not get a place in the side.

“I often keep telling that Leander (Paes) plays this way because he rules his life. On the flip side if you go down ladder it is difficult to come back. Being dropped and getting selected are part and parcel of every sport. Greats like Diego Maradona, Rahul Dravid all made way for someone else. They could have played more,” the 45-year-old said.

Terming the Chappell saga as an eye-opener that made him a better person, Ganguly said: “Before that, from 1995-2006, the graph was only up. I never missed a series. I was captain of India for six years. The world was at my feet till 2006.

“Not many captains in the world would go from not being captain to not even being in the side.”

He also gave example of how current skipper Virat Kohli treats predecessor Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

“You look at Dhoni. He is not the captain of the team but look at the way Kohli looks after him and they go about their job.

Moscow, Nov 29 : Expressing his full satisfaction over the results of his talks with various Russian leaders, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said here that Russia is “one of the most credible friends of India.”

Addressing a gathering of members of Indian community at the end of his three-day visit yesterday in Moscow, Mr Singh said that his visit has led to concrete outcomes to strengthen cooperation between India and Russia in the fields of security, counter-terrorism, counter-radicalization, anti-drug trafficking, counterfeit currency, information sharing and on training specialists in these areas.

During his speech, he noted the “long history and foundation of the relationship” between India and Russia, developing into a strong friendship between the two countries.

Bhopal: Even as the CBI has filed a charge sheet in the Vyapam case, Dr Anand Rai, one of the persons who blew the whistle on the large-scale scam, on Thursday said the chief patrons of the accused were still outside the probe agency’s net.

“There is a ray of hope as some high profile persons were named in the charge sheet. But, where are the main patrons under whose protection the accused committed such a big scam? I can’t oppose the anticipatory bail of all 592 accused. So I have symbolically opposed the anticipatory bail pleas of some accused named by the CBI,” said Rai.

Rai on Thursday filed, in the CBI court, applications opposing anticipatory bail pleas of SN Vijaywargiya of People’s Medical College, NM Srivastava, the then-joint director in the Medical Education Department, and Ajay Goenka of Chirayu Medical College besides an official of People’s Medical College.

Congress’s chief spokesperson KK Mishra alleged the CBI named 592 people in the charge sheet but left out the real culprits who protected them.

“The CBI has left out the people under whose protection the entire scam was executed. The investigating agency should state who was the minister of medical education when this scam occurred,” Mishra said.

The then-principal secretary of medical education had recommended registration of an FIR against the promoters of a medical college but the minister turned it down, he alleged and said the CBI should clarify who was this minister.

The charge sheet was filed in the special CBI court in Bhopal in the case of Pre-Medical test (PMT) conducted by the Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board or Vyapam in 2012.

When students in their mid-teens started school at 10am instead of the usual 8:30am, rates of illness decreased by more than half over a two-year period, and got significantly better grades.

The long-term study, which was carried out in an English state school, demonstrated the huge health impact that early start times and more sleep can have on teenagers.

“The big issue about school times is health,” said Dr David Kelley of the Open University, the lead author of this new paper. “It starts with physical illness, and then there’s mental illness, and last but not least academic performance.”

According to Dr Kelley, conditions as diverse as obesity and depression have been linked with excessively early school times and lack of sleep, and a growing body of evidence is giving calls for change real scientific clout.

“There is an increasing amount of research coming out showing similar effects from around the world,” said Dr Guy Meadows, who is co-founder of The Sleep School and was not involved in the study.

He noted that British schoolchildren are the sixth most sleep-deprived in the world, with American children topping the rankings.

Earlier this year, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine issued a position statement declaring that “delaying school start times positively impacts student achievement, health and safety”.

They have joined other major US organisations such as the American Medical Association in calling on all schools to implement start times of at least 8:30am. As it stands, many schools in the US currently start as early as 7am.

But the new Frontiers in Human Neuroscience study, led by Dr Kelley, suggests that schools need to start considerably later if the full health benefits are to be realised.

“Ten isn’t a magic number,” he said. “The time shift gets progressively later, for biological reasons, from the onset of puberty.”

Previous work by Dr Kelley and his collaborators with university students suggested that by the age of 18, academic performance would be optimised if teaching began as late as 11am or even noon.

“And that’s also going to be relevant for work, because not everyone aged 18 and 19 is in university,” said Dr Kelley.

Biological factors mean that teenagers have different sleep requirements compared to older people.

Adults might only require seven hours of sleep, but according to a TED talk given by neuroscientist Professor Russell Foster of the University of Oxford, teenagers “need nine hours for full brain performance.”

“Many of them, on a school night, are only getting five hours of sleep,” said Professor Foster. “It’s simply not enough.”

As we go through puberty, the circadian rhythms that control the daily cycle of our bodies become delayed by a couple of hours. The release of melatonin, a chemical in the brain that governs sleep, occurs later, meaning that teenagers have a natural tendency to go to bed later than their parents.

This, combined with the higher sleep requirement for teenagers, results in widespread sleep deprivation.

Further complications come from individual variation in sleep requirements, or ‘chronotypes’, with everyone possessing different circadian rhythms. Some are ‘larks’ who like to rise early, and some are ‘owls’ who prefer to stay up late.

Dr Meadows said that recognition of individual sleep requirements was growing, with workplaces increasingly likely to offer flexible hours based on their staff’s needs.

“The world is recognising that individual circadian timing is important,” he said.

As for schools, Dr Kelley thinks it is vital that the world recognises the issue and pressure is applied to encourage schools to make significant changes to their schedules.

“Students themselves, and their parents, should realise that there is a problem,” he said.

“This is a big issue that isn’t just about sleep, but circadian rhythms, chronotypes and the mistiming of our society.”

The Independent report.

New Delhi, Nov 24 : The Winter Session of Parliament will commence from December 15, a day after the second phase of the Gujarat Assembly elections, and conclude on January 5.

The Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs (CCPA) headed by Home Minister Rajnath Singh today met here to decide the dates of the Winter Session.

The CCPA recommended that the session be held from December 15 to January 5, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar told reporters here.

According to procedure, the CCPA’s recommendation would be forwarded to the president.

Justifying the government’s decision to call the Winter Session after the assembly polls, Kumar said it was also done by governments in the past, including Congress dispensations headed by Indira Gandhi, P V Narsimha Rao and Manmohan Singh.

“We request and seek cooperation from all parties, including the opposition, for smooth functioning of both Houses to make this session fruitful,” he said.

Sources cited several instances where the session dates were changed so that they did not overlap with elections, including the 2011 Budget Session in the UPA II tenure when polls were underway in five states.

Similarly in 2008, under the UPA I the session was divided in two parts as assembly elections were going on in five states in October, they said.

It is not a new practice to adjust the session dates while keeping in mind the election schedule and it has been done by various governments, they claimed.

When asked whether MPs would be asked to be present on January 1, Kumar said parliamentarians were supposed to be present on all working days, including on new year’s day.

Some very important bills are expected to be introduced in the session, including one on triple talaq, NCBC and few others.

The session will have 14 working days

Surat, Nov 27:  Union Finance Minister and election in-charge of ruling BJP in Gujarat, Arun Jaitley on Sunday said the situation in Kashmir has changed during Modi government’s rule and for the first time the security forces has established dominance over terrorists in the region.
He also said post-demonetisation the funds used to gather stone-pelters has stopped and whoever becomes Lashkar ‘commander’ does not last for more than 2 to 3 months.

Addressing a meeting here after the Man Ki Baat Chai Ke Saath programme of the party near a booth, Mr Jaitley said the Modi government has increased the strength and pride of the country.

“Those supporting the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks (Pakistan) have been alienated in the world. And the situation in Kashmir that our government had got as a legacy 2 to 3 years ago have also changed. Now the crowd of stone pelters who used to assemble on every petty issue are not visible,” said Mr Jaitley.

“Today the intelligence system has again been restored across the villages and for the first time the security forces were dominating the terrorists there. The demonetisation move has dried up the funds of those who used to gather stone pelters by giving them money. After November 8 last year in such incidents never a crowd of more than 100 people has been seen,” he added.

Talking about Gujarat, he said BJP for the past 22 years was working with the sole agenda of development.

He said the attempt of Congress to gather anarchists would neither do any good of people, society or the state of Gujarat.

He said the biggest challenge now was to continue the journey of development in Gujarat and keeping the society together.

Bengaluru, Nov 30 : Digital India did not mean providing debit
and credit cards and payment gateways for all, but to unveil
products to the poor with negligible transaction costs, Union
Minister of state for Communication Manoj Sinha said on Thursday.
Addressing a Symposium organised by International Telecom Union
here, he said telecom services will be the core for financial
inclusion and digital economy of India and the country would bank on
its own ICT and IT services expertise to create payment
applications, especially Aadhaar and biometric payment authorisation
systems.’We have to do away with using plastic cards with crypticpasswords,’ he stressed.
He said the core of digital India was to create Internet access
to every citizen and BharatNet aimed to connect all 6 lakh villages
with this.
‘India is aiming to be a USD 10 trillion economy and only this
technology will enable it. Financial inclusion will be bigger than
industrial revolution,’ he asserted.
Mr Sinha also said the Union government led by Mr Narendra Modi was
committed to eradicate cyber threats to the maximum extent.
He said Internet connection to every village was the key and
Internet accessability at 35 percent or 460 million users as of now
as on the lower side.
‘The digital economy pushed by the Modi government has seen all
round increase and disbursal of benefits to the poor through digital
means to their bank accounts. Since January 1, 2017, about 26.7
billion digital transactions have been completed. This number is
still significant as there are only 460 million internet users in the
country amounting to 35 per cent of internet penetration.
‘Every single person should become online, whether he pays for
it or not, this is our aim. This possibility is exciting,’ he said.

Mumbai, Nov 28: Commerce & Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu has asked the industry to set a timeline for achieving a USD 1 trillion in manufacturing revenue and take its share in GDP to 20 per cent.

The share of manufacturing in GDP has been trending at 16-17 per cent for some years now and the previous Manmohan Singh government had set a target of taking this share to 25 per cent of GDP by the turn of 2025.

“The government aims to increase the share of manufacturing in GDP to 20 per cent,” the minister told a CII-organised event on the topic here today without offering a timeline to achieve the same. But instead he asked the industry to set a timeline for themselves to achieve this as also to take the value of manufacturing GDP to USD1 trillion.

“Without a number it is not possible for the industry to prepare a roadmap for achieving this milestone,” he said.

To help achieve this, the minister said government is working on getting into the top 50 slot in the World Bank’s ease of doing business rankings.

“We have jumped 30 slots to 100 in the ease of doing business ranking in 2018 (of the World Bank), and we want to be among the top 50. We are on the verge of a big economic growth and the recent upgrading by credit rating agency is also a recognition of a series of reforms undertaken by the government,” he said.

It can be noted that early this month, the World Bank ranked the country at the 100th slot in its ease of doing business report for 2018, climbing 30 notches from 2017 citing the central and state reforms.

Prabhu also expressed optimism that exports will gather momentum going forward on the back of the revival in the economy which is on course to double to USD 5 trillion and become the world’s third largest in over the next few years.

He pointed out that government is establishing relationships with top Fortune 500 companies and will welcome all sorts of foreign investments that help in creating jobs.

Promising to ease the problems being faced by exporters under the new tax regime, he admitted that “exporters are facing challenges in the goods and services tax (GST) regime and that his ministry is taking up the issue with the authorities concerned.”

“It is not possible for a small businessman to sit here and do business globally. We want to create a support system, especially for small businesses, by creating a brand equity for India globally. Linkages with global markets are necessary for promoting our products and we will do that,” the minister said.

He also said government is identifying specific products that can be sold in specific geographies globally through market research with the help of the Exim Bank, and the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade.

Taking note of the potential of countries like Russia and other geographies, he said, “we are working on a strategy for each of these markets. We are also looking at opening offices in 10 geographies to penetrate in global markets.”

He said his ministry will work on developing global supply chains for the agriculture sector. “We’ve the right to access global markets for our farm produce by removing all trade restrictive practices,” he said.

Chennai  December 1 : The India Meteorological Department(IMD) on Friday said the cyclonic storm Ockhi has intensified into severe cyclone and lies at about 110 kilometer northeast of island Minicoy and likely to cross Lakshadweep during next 24 hours.

The cyclone has created widespread havoc, bringing normal life to a halt. Hence, schools in Chennai, Kanyakumari, Tuticorin, Kancheepuram, Villupuram, Madurai, Theni, Thanjavur and Thiruvarur will remain closed today.

At least five Navy ships have been deployed from Kochi, two ships on standby in Lakshadweep, and two ICG ships each deployed from Kochi and Tuticorin, for search and rescue operation.

A P8I aircraft, the Navy Dornier and the Coast Guard Dornier have also been deployed for the same. Helicopters are kept ready on standby.

Earlier, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also confirmed that several naval ships were deployed for rescue operations as Tamil Nadu and Kerala brace for the cyclonic storm Ockhi.

Cyclone Ockhi that has created massive destruction in Tamil Nadu and Kerala is now moving towards Lakshwadeep Islands.

In a series of tweets, Sitharaman further informed that six warships and two coast guard ships have been deployed along with additional air effort.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has already issued an alert of heavy to very heavy rainfall in both the states.

The depression in southwest Bay of Bengal had snowballed into the cyclonic storm- Ockhi.

The cyclone has so far claimed the lives of four people in both Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

The deadly storm has killed seven people in neighbouring Sri Lanka and affected the lives of nearly 20,000 people

Islamabad [Pakistan], November 27: Pakistan Law Minister Zahid Hamid has tendered his resignation to Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, in the face of the growing countrywide protests by religious zealots over the Khatam-e-Nabuwwat clause fiasco.

The protests followed Saturday’s crackdown by the police and paramilitary personnel on Islamabad sit-in staged by a religious group.

Hamid’s resignation will be accepted later in the day, sources told Geo News.

“I was not directly responsible for the introduction of the controversial amendment to the Finality of Prophethood declaration for electoral candidates,” said Hamid, adding, “In order to restore peace in the country, I have decided to step down from my position.”

The ‘Faizabad dharna’ started after the cleric, Khadim Hussain Rizvi, and his followers demanded resignation of Hamid, as they saw the change in the words of an oath taken by the lawmakers as blasphemy.

Though the change was reversed, the protestors continued to demand Hamid’s resignation.

The protests which took place in Sindh, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa resulted in at least one death and left dozens injured, besides the 250 injuries reported in Islamabad.

The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) had warned it would not cover Faizabad sit-in during a police crackdown on the protestors. Following the PEMRA order, there was a media blackout in Islamabad, where almost all leading private TV channels went off air.

Patna, Nov 27: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar  claimed that ban on alcohol has brought a positive change in the society and his government was committed to punishing those who violate the prohibition law.

There has been a drop in various crimes, including domestic violence and road rage, since the imposition of the ban, he said at a function on the occasion of “Nasha Mukti Diwas”.

Hitting out at detractors who have been attacking his government over hooch tragedies, Kumar said, “Some people say prohibition has failed and should be withdrawn, citing a few incidents of deaths caused by spurious liquor consumption.

Such people should remember that laws cannot be revoked just because a crime has not stopped.”

A few violations do not imply that law enforcement agencies are not doing their job, the chief minister said.

“If we look at the figures of the central government, every day 80 to 90 murders take place across the country.

Should then the law relating to murder be done away with? The police and the excise department are functioning with due diligence,” Kumar said.

The chief minister also claimed that contrary to apprehensions, there has been a rise in the number of tourists visiting Bihar after the liquor ban last year.

“Those who make fun of this measure do not realise that people from far-off places visit Bihar because it is the land of the Buddha, or to perform ‘pind daan’ (prayers for departed souls) at Gaya. They do not come here to enjoy a good drink,” he asserted.

The government will ensure strict enforcement of liquor prohibition, Kumar said.

“We are not sparing government servants who play a role in violating the law. If we speak about the police department alone, action has been taken against 242 personnel – 29 have been dismissed and 80 were sent to jail. Also, we have created a new post of Inspector General (Prohibition),” he said.