FRIDAY NO BACKCHANNEL TALKS WITH INDIA, SAYS PAKISTAN MINISTER 27 “At this moment, there is no such thing underway,” Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar told Pak Parliament JANUARY, 2023 BUT EXPERTS PITCH FOR SECRET PARLEYS epaper.morningstandard.in facebook.com/TheMorningStandard Her remarks came in the wake of experts, including former Pak foreign minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri, pitching for backchannel talks in the initial phase so that political compulsions don’t come into play. However, both sides have to generate public opinion for improved relations to create an enabling environment for peace, Kasuri told this newspaper recently twitter.com/TheMornStandard CHINA SPY SENTENCED TO 8 YRS IN US JAIL For gathering info on US scientists with knowledge about aerospace PAGE 9 A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS  NEW DELHI  J8.00  PAGES 12 Bilawal Bhutto Zardari Umar Ata Bandial Must be restored before any talks with india, Sharif had said recently PAK REVIEWING INDIA’S INVITATIONS ■ India has invited Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and chief justice Umar Ata Bandial to the SCO meet in Goa in May ■ Confirming it, Pakistan’s Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said the Pak govt is reviewing the invitations | P7 Sub-Mandal & kamandal is Modi formula for 2024 S H A H I D F A R I D I @ New Delhi Women personnel in a marching contingent of the CRPF during the 74th Republic Day parade at Kartavya Path in New Delhi on Thursday | PTI WOMEN POWER POINT Theme of many tableaux was Nari Shakti; women officers led or participated in various marching contingents; military showcased self-dependence on R-Day EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ New Delhi PVC awardees INDIA’S spirit of self-dependence in military and its women power stood out during the Republic Day parade on Kartavya Path here on Thursday Women officers led or par. ticipated in several marching contingents while supreme commander President Droupadi Murmu hosted her Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who was the chief guest for the `event. A combined band and marching contingent of the Egyptian armed forces also took part in the parade that started around 10.30 am and ended close to noon after a fly-past. The Egyptian contingent was led by Col Mahmoud Mohamed Abdelfattah Elkharasawy . Three Param Vir Chakra awardees and three Ashok Chakra awardees also took part in the parade, which also had a veterans’ tableau. A group of Shramyogis involved in the construction of the Central Vista, the Kartavya Path and the new Parliament were specially invited for the parade EXPRESS READ Flier arrested for highjack tweet A 29-year-old SpiceJet passenger onboard a Dubai-Jaipur flight tweeted “highjacked” after the plane got delayed due to bad weather. The man, identified by cops as Moti Singh Rathore, was offloaded and later arrested. P3 Top wrestlers may miss Ranking Series Even as the government on Thursday okayed the participation of wrestlers for the Zagreb Open Ranking Series in Croatia, top wrestlers, including Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat, are unlikely to compete at the event. P11 The unfurling of the Tricolour followed by the national anthem was accompaned by a 21gun salute using 105-mm Indian field guns. The indigenous guns replaced the vintage 25-pounders, reflecting the growing aatmanirbharta in defence. Military assets on display were mostly made-in-India, which included the main battle tank Arjun, the Nag Missile System (NAMIS) and the K-9 Vajra, Light Combat Helicopter Prachand, Akash air defence missiles and Quick Reaction Fighting Vehicles. The Akash weapon system had Lt Chetana Sharma at the forefront. The Indian Air Force contingent comprising 144 air warriors and four officers, was led by Sqn Ldr Sindhu Reddy. The air force tableau, designed on the theme ‘Indian Air Force Power Beyond Boundaries’, displayed a rotating globe highlighting IAF’s expanded reach, whereby it has been able to provide humanitarian assistance across borders, as also exercises conducted with friendly countries. Lt Commander Disha Amrith, posted at a strategic base, led the Navy’s contingent of sailors, which included three women, and six Agniveers, who are undergoing training as part of the first batch inducted under the new armed forces recruitment scheme. The ceremony commenced with Prime Minister Modi visiting the National War Memorial and paying tributes to the fallen heroes by laying a wreath. The parade ended with a fly-past by 45 aircraft of the Indian Air Force, one from the Indian Navy and four helicopters of the Indian Army . A total of 23 tableaux — 17 from states and union territories and six from various ministries and departments — took part with Nari Shakti being the theme of most of them. PRIME Minister Narendra Modi is preparing a heady cocktail for the next general election in 2024. Along with the winning combination of Hindutva and welfarism, Modi plans to appropriate the reservation plank and deny the opposition one of its biggest election issues. The PM had set up a fourmember commission headed by Justice (Retd) G Rohini on October 2, 2017, to examine if the Other Backward Classes need to be sub-categorised to ensure equitable distribution of the reservation benefits. After 13 extensions, the commission’s term ends on January 31, 2023. Sources said the panel may submit its report anytime to the government. The commission was formed because government data revealed that over 90% of the OBC quota benefits were cornered by about a dozen dominant castes such as Yadavs, Jats, Kur mis, Vokkaligas, Sainis, Thevars, Ezhavas etc. The OBC quota is meant for over 3,000 castes and communities categorised as backward by the Mandal Commission. Therefore, the commission recommends sub-classifica- TRUMP WILL BE ALLOWED BACK ON FACEBOOK AFTER 2 YEARS Facebook parent Meta said on Wednesday it would restore former President’s personal account in the coming wks | P9 AAP moves SC, seeks time-bound mayor poll A N U P V E R M A @ New Delhi AAP on Thursday moved Supreme Court for directions to ensure that the Municipal Corporation of Delhi mayor election is held in a time-bound manner. The court is likely to take up the plea on Friday . The MCD House has been adjourned twice without electing mayor and deputy mayor due to a ruckus between APP and BJP councillors. AAP won the civic elections, ending 15-year BJP rule in the civic body . The AAP’s petition is moved through the party’s leader of the House Mukesh Goel and mayor candidate Shelly Oberoi, FAILED ATTEMPTS JANUARY 6: The first meeting of the House called off amid protests by AAP councillors, who alleged BJP was trying to wrest control of the civic body JANUARY 24: Mayor polls put off again as the presiding officer administered oath to 10 nominated councillors first, despite AAP objection that these councillors, known as aldermen, are not allowed to vote sources said. The party sought the SC intervention mainly on two counts: facilitate the mayor’s election in a time-bound manner while keeping the Al- dermen away from voting as they do not have the right to vote under Article 243R of the Constitution and Section 3 of the DMC Act, sources said. “The MCD should complete the arrangement as stipulated as soon as possible. The party which won the elections should lead the House. The court should help complete the process quickly because the BJP and the Central government will not complete it. Second, Aldermen are unelected nominees and do not have voting rights. But the BJP wanted them to vote. The SC should give orders in the matter to the Central gov- ernment and the administration of the civic agency,” AAP MLA Saurabh Bhardwaj said. The MCD was put under the Central government on the pretext of unification and delimitation. “Despite a clear mandate, the BJP has resorted to dirty politics,” he said. But Delhi BJP’s working president Virendra Sachdeva accused AAP of misleading people. “Whenever they have to divert the people’s attention from their mistakes, they move court. When the court decision does not favour them, they refuse to accept it,” he said. | P3 tions of the dominant castes to ensure a more equitable distribution of benefits. It also suggests dividing the 3,000 OBC communities into four categories with a fixed percentage of benefits going to each type from the overall 27% OBC reservation. Empowering smaller OBC communities may bring huge electoral benefits for the BJP. The party has already successfully experimented with the idea in Uttar Pradesh by creating a social coalition of nonYadav OBC castes. The biggest pushback to Modi’s BJP has come from the leaders of the dominant OBC castes. Among them are Lalu Yadav, his son Tejashwi Yadav and Nitish Kumar in Bihar, Akhilesh Yadav in UP H D Deve , Gowda and son H D Kumaraswamy in Karnataka from the non-Congress parties. From the Congress, most of the top leaders leading the charge against the BJP in the states belong to the OBCs — Bhupesh Baghel in Chhattisgarh, Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot in Rajasthan, Bhupinder Singh Hooda in Haryana, D K Shivkumar and Siddaramaiah in Karnataka. These opposition OBC leaders recently stirred the caste cauldron by demanding a nationwide caste census. They reject the 2006 National Sample Survey Organisation report, which puts the total OBC population at 41%, down from 52% mentioned in the Mandal Commission report of 1980. Nitish has already started a caste survey in Bihar. The Rohini report, therefore, may prove to be the BJP’s ace in caste politics. It has the potential to ignite a debate on the denial of benefits to the overwhelming number of OBC communities. It may, however, face criticism over the authenticity of the data used by it. Social justice, coupled with opening a grand Ram temple at Ayodhya, which is likely to witness a global gathering bigger than the Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas, and subsidised foodgrain for 80 crore people, is the plank on which the PM will enter the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. 1st intranasal Covid vax launched, rollout to begin in pvt hosp soon K A V I TA B A J E L I - D AT T @ New Delhi LAUNCHING the world’s first made-in-India intranasal Covid-19 vaccine iNCOVACC on India’s 74th Republic Day on Thursday, Union Health Minister said that it is a glorious tribute to the call for “Atmanirbhar Bharat”. Mandaviya launched the intranasal vaccine, which will be available in government hospitals for Rs 325 and Rs 800 in the private market, with Union Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh. “Proud to launch iNCOVACC®, the world’s 1st intranasal vaccine for COVID, along with Minister @DrJitendraSingh Ji, on #RepublicDay. A mighty display of India’s research & innovation prowess under PM @NarendraModi Ji’s leadership,” he tweeted. “This is a historic achievement & a testimony to the innovative zeal of our scientists. It has made every Indian proud. Heartiest congratulations to all our hardworking scientists and innovators who are working relentlessly to fulfill the dream of an Aatmanirbhar Bharat,” Mandaviya tweeted. The vaccine was developed Cost-effective jab iNCOVACC does not require syringes, needles, alcohol wipes, bandage, is cost-effective Utilises a vectorbased platform, which can be easily updated with emerging variants leading to large-scale production, within a few months Has received DCGI’s approval last Nov for restricted emergency use among adults as a heterologous booster dose by Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech International Limited (BBIL) in collaboration with Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance (BIRAC), a PSU under the Department of Biotechnology Ministry of Sci, ence and Technology . iNNCOVACC is the world’s first intranasal Covid vaccine to get approval for the primary 2-dose schedule and as a heterologous booster dose. Its rollout may begin in private hospitals that have placed orders. GROUND REALITY No pucca house for this Padma Shri winner Irula tribal awardees in TN caught in a trap award but is equally sad for not having a proper house. TRIBAL labourer-turned-paintRecounting her meeting with er Jodhaiya Bai Baiga, 84, who Prime Minister Narendra Modi is among the 91 Padma Shri in March 2022 on the eve of awardees, is still awaitNari Shakti Puraskar, ing a pucca house that she said: “I hugged Modwas promised to her iji and shared my pain when she was given the about not having a pucNari Shakti Puraskar ca house, after which he last year in Delhi. promised that I will get The octogenarian, a a house. But I still live in Jodhaiya Bai widow, lives with her a kutcha house.” teenage granddaughter According to sources, Rupa in the clay plaster- and the aged tribal painter has two asbestos-thatched hut at Lorha sons. The elder son who lives village, Umaria district, Mad- close to her house, has got a hya Pradesh. She is elated at be- house under PM Awas Yojana a ing selected for the coveted few years ago, while the youngA N U R A A G S I N G H @ Bhopal er son resides with his family around 5 km away . However, Umaria district collector K D Tripathi told this newspaper that her name doesn’t figure in the list of those selected for PM Awas scheme. “Benefits under PM Awas Yojana are awarded to those who are eligible for the scheme. Since her name doesn’t figure in the list of those selected for PM Awas Scheme, she hasn’t got benefits under the scheme. Being awarded Padma Shri and getting a PM Awas are two separate issues. Linking them would be inappropriate,” he said over phone. Inspiring life story After spending 50 years as a labourer at construction sites, cutting woods and even selling liquor to raise her children, Jodhaiya Bai Baiga learnt painting at the age of 70. Her paintings were exhibited in Paris and Milan S V K R I S H N A C H A I TA N YA @ Chennai THE news about two Irula snake catchers getting Padma Shri caught the nation’s attention on Wednesday and is being celebrated widely but the social , status of these tribesmen and the quality of life of their ilk leave much to be desired. One of the two awardees, Masi Sadaiyan (45), earns just `2,000 to `4,000 per month for risking his life in catching deadly snakes for venom extraction. He also works as a farmhand and wood cutter in summer months when snake catching is prohibited. Vadivel Gopal, Masi Sadaiyan “Getting Padma Shri is a great recognition for our work but our standard of life is nothing to be happy about. My three children could not get education because of my poor income. They are working as daily-wage labourers. We need some guaranteed monthly in- come for our high-risk work. We were bitten by snakes and endured life-threatening situations several times over the years,” Masi Sadaiyan said. The Irula Snake Catchers’ Industrial Co-operative Society Limited, a 45-year-old institution which is India’s largest producer of snake venom where Sadaiyan and another Padma Shree awardee Vadivel Gopal work, has 348 other members who have similar tales to share. The anti-venom produced using the venom extracted by them saves thousands of lives, but these Irulas continue to languish in neglect and poverty . Delayed approval The delay in the TN forest department’s approval to catch snakes for venom extraction denies Irualas a regular income. On an average, the co-op society is allowed to capture 5,000 snakes of four species a year