HYDERABAD  WEDNESDAY  DECEMBER 30, 2020  `7.00  PAGES 18  LATE CITY EDITION FAMED FRENCH DESIGNER PIERRE CARDIN DIES AT 98 HE TRANSFORMED HIS NAME INTO A BRAND A licensing maverick, Cardin’s name embossed thousands of products from wristwatches to bed sheets, and goods bearing his fancy cursive signature were sold at 100,000 outlets worldwide. Fashion was just the start of Cardin’s business empire. He went on to sell eyeglasses, umbrellas, perfume, luggage, linens, furniture, mattresses, skis and coffee pots | P11 The iconic French fashion designer, who popularised the ‘space age’ style that became common in the 1960s, died on Tuesday INTRODUCED READY-TO-WEAR WOMEN’S LINE ■ ■ ■ In 1959, Cardin became the first designer to introduce a ready-towear women’s line for a broad audience “Fashion is always ridiculous, seen from before or after. But in the moment, its marvellous,” Cardin famously said in a 1970 interview Born into a poor farmer family, Cardin never married or had kids 800 LICENCES IN 140 COUNTRIES WERE IN HIS NAME DURING HIS HEYDAYS CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA ■ BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOGGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ WARANGAL ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI Contagious UK strain now in India as 6 test positive labs — National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru (3), Centre for Cellular & Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad (2) and National Institute of Virology, Pune (1). But the CCMB chief Dr Rakesh Mishra later said three samples had tested positive at his lab, two from Telangana and one from Andhra Pradesh. All three who tested positive for the UK variant at NIMHANS hail from Bengaluru, including a 34-year-old woman and her sixyear-old child. Tamil Nadu sent all its samples to the Pune lab, EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ New Delhi INDIA on Tuesday joined a list of nations where the highly infectious UK strain of the coronavirus has been detected so far. In all, at least six fliers from Britain have tested positive for that mutant version, the Centre confirmed. They are part of the 114 returnees from the UK on or after November 25 who tested positive for Covid-19. Samples of all 114 were subjected to genome sequencing, which was how the contagious UK strain was identified in six patients in three Farmers harp on repeal before talks time today H A R P R E E T B A J W A @ Chandigarh ON the eve of the sixth round of talks to resolve the monthlong agrarian agitation, farmer unions on Tuesday wrote to Centre formally accepting its invite for talks the next day but , insisted on exploring a ‘rational solution’ to the issues flagged by them, including modalities to repeal the three contentious farm laws. While farmers had sought a ‘rational solution’ in their letter on December 26, Union Agriculture Secretary Sanjay Aggarwal had on December 28 stated the government’s commitment to find a ‘logical resolution’ to all topical issues with an open mind and clear intention. The semantics of a ‘rational solution’ vis a vis a ‘logical resolution’ is expected to play out when both sides meet on Wednesday. But going by the tone and tenor of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha’s latest letter to Aggarwal, any optimism of an early breakthrough could be totally misplaced. Union ministers Narendra Singh Tomar and Piyush Goyal, who have been representing the Centre on the talks table, met home minister Amit Shah to finalise the government’s position for the meeting. The Samyukt Kisan Morcha is an umbrella body of 40 farmer unions. Its agenda for the talks includes legal guarantee for procurement of farm produce on a minimum support price (MSP) regime; amendments to the air quality ordinance; and procedure for withdrawal of draft the Electricity Amendment Bill. In view of the talks, the morcha put off its tractor march from the Singhu and the Tikri border to the KundliManesar-Palwal (KMP) Highway by a day to December 31. COMEBACK KINGS After the agony, the ecstasy. Ten days after a historic low, the Indian team exorcised their demons in some style, winning the second Test against Australia by eight wickets. After bowling out the hosts for 200 before lunch on the fourth morning, India chased down the target of 70, with captain Ajinkya Rahane fittingly hitting the winning run. The third Test begins in Sydney from January 7 “I am really proud of all the players. I want to give credit to the debutants (Mohammed) Siraj and (Shubman) Gill, the character they showed was great to see. Character was important for us, especially after losing Umesh (Yadav).” Ajinkya Rahane 4 This was India’s fourth win at Melbourne, nowhere else have they won as many Tests in a single venue away from home which found one of them with the UK strain. “All these persons have been kept in single-room isolation in designated health care facilities by respective State governments,” said the Union ministry of health and family welfare in a statement. Also, comprehensive contact tracing has been initiated for co-travel- ‘COVAXIN WILL WORK AGAINST NEW VARIANTS TOO’ Hyderabad: The chairman and managing director of city-based Bharat BioTech, Dr Krishna M Ella, expressed confidence over the effectiveness of Covaxin, the Covid vaccine being manufactured by his company, and said that it would also prove effective against the new virus variants | P4 0 Ajinkya Rahane became the recipient of the first ever Mullagh Medal, given to the Man of the Match of the Boxing Day Test. He scored 112 and 27 not out | AFP Hyderabad: Two persons from Telangana and another from Andhra Pradesh, who had recently returned to the country from the UK, have been infected with the new mutated variant of the novel Coronavirus. Their samples were sequenced in the Hyderabad-based Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB). CCMB Director Dr Rakesh Mishra said that all the 14 mutations of the United Kingdom variant of the novel Coronavirus were observed in these samples. The CCMB said that the mutations of the virus have not worsened symptoms in patients | P4 SCALED DOWN Shorter R-Day parade, fewer participants and viewers K Chandrasekhar Rao, CM 3-MEMBER COMMITTEE TO BE CONSTITUTED The State government will constitute a three-member official committee headed by Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar, and the hike in salary and enhancement of retirement age will be implemented only after the committee submits its report, said the CMO M AYA N K S I N G H @ New Delhi TGO and TNGO leaders call on Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao at Pragathi Bhavan on Tuesday KCR ‘gifts’ pay hike to govt staff Over 9 lakh employees in TS to get salary hike; govt to enhance their retirement age too EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Hyderabad THE Telangana government on Tuesday announced a hike in salaries of all its employees, and enhanced their retirement age, which is currently 58 years. Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao called it a New Year’s gift. The salary hike will benefit around 9,36,976 employees, including daily-wage employees, homeguards, anganwadi workers, outsourced employees among others. The salaries of TSRTC employees will also rise; the government, and not the TSRTC, will bear the additional financial burden. The government will constitute a three-member official committee headed by Chief Sec- retary Somesh Kumar, and the hike in salary and enhancement of retirement age will be implemented only after the committee submits its report, according to a press release from the Chief Minister’s Office. The three-member committee will meet in the first week of January and study the report of the first Pay Revision Commission (PRC). The committee will meet the employees’ unions in the second week of the January. Later, the government will take a final decision on the matter. The CM said that besides increasing the salaries and retirement age, the government will also take a final decision by February on giving promo- tions, transfers and simplifying the service rules of employees. Employees would get all terminal benefits on the day of their retirement, the CM said. The government will also take a decision by February on compassionate employment. Leaders of TGOs and TNGOs, namely V M a m at h a , M R a jender and R Pratap, called on the Chief Minister at Pragathi Bhavan on Tuesday and thanked him for the decision. Recruitment from Feb The CM said that the filling up of vacant posts in government departments will begin from February, following suggestions by the three-member RAJINI QUITS POLITICS BEFORE ENTERING IT The actor decided to opt out of the political race, citing his health PAGE 7 PAVING way for the construction of a 22.6-km-long bund on the Mallanna Sagar Reservoir, the Telangana High Court on Tuesday modified its previous order, and directed the State government to construct the structure by following the due process of law. A division bench of the court, comprising Chief Justice Raghvendra Singh Chau- han and Justice B Vijaysen Reddy, passed this order in a petition filed by a farmer named C Ummareddy and two others. Their petition challenged the panchanama of the authorities concerned in taking possession of the petitioners’ lands in Etigadda Kistapur village in Medak. The petitioners urged the court to suspend the panchanama dated September HIGH STAKE SALE Air India on mind, Tatas take full control of AirAsia India A R S H A D K H A N @ New Delhi MALAYSIAN airline AirAsia Group Berhad has decided to sell 32.67% of its shares in AirAsia India to its Indian partner and majority shareholder Tata Sons for $37.7 million. This deal will take Tata’s shareholding in AirAsia India to 83.6% from 51% while AirAsia Group’s holding comes down to 16.33% from 49%. Tatas also have the option to acquire the remaining 16.33% stake for $18.83 million. This development comes two weeks after the Tata Group had submitted an Expression of Interest for Air India. The deadline to submit a physical bid gets over on December 29 and industry sources believe Tatas may use AirAsia India as the vehicle to buy Air India. As for Air Asia, the sale would allow it to focus on its recovery in its key Southeast committee on promotion channel, problems with regard to the new zonal system etc, and later, a meeting of the State Cabinet, which will take the final decision. KCR praised the role of State government employees in the Telangana Statehood movement and mentioned that his government had given 42 per cent fitment to government employees after the State formation. The TRS had assured in its 2018 Assembly election manifesto that the retirement age of the government employees would be increased from 58 to 61. “We are committed to implementing the same,” Rao said. He, however, added that the official committee would discuss the retirement age with the employees’ unions. THE government has decided to scale down the 2021 Republic Day celebration in view of the coronavirus pandemic, sources said. For one, the Republic Day Parade marching distance has been cut short to 3.5 km from 8.5 km and the Parade will culminate at the National stadium instead of the Red Fort. Keeping the social distancing in mind, the number of soldiers in each marching contingent has been cut down to size. Instead of 144 marchers in each contingent, 12 rows, and 12 columns, there will be only 96 marchers, 12 rows and 8 columns. This has been done to allow ample space between each row to follow social distancing norms. There will also be age restrictions on children desirous of attending the Parade d i s p l ay. T h e s p e c t at o r strength has also been drastically cut down from 1.25 lakh to 25,000 this year. As a mark of special gesture, Bangladesh’s band will be participating this year. The neighbouring country is celebrating the Golden Jubilee of its Independence. HC nod for bund construction on Mallanna Sagar E N S @ Hyderabad No Australian batsman has scored a century against India in the last six Tests UK STRAIN FOUND IN TWO FROM TS, ONE FROM AP The TRS had promised to increase the retirement age of employees. We are committed to implementing the same 3 India is only the third team to come back from 0-1 down to level a series in Australia lers, family contacts and others. K VijayRaghavan, principal scientific advisor to the prime minister, said there is no evidence yet that current vaccines will fail to protect against Covid-19 variants from the UK or South Africa. However, he advised people not to get complacent. VK Paul, member (health), Niti Aayog said, “now that it’s here it does destabilise our preparations.” P9 Group’s cumulative market share at 13% If Tatas acquire Air India, it could take its cumulative market share in the domestic aviation market to over 23%. Air Asia India has a market share of 6.6%. Vistara, another JV airline of Tatas, has a market share of 6.3% while Air India’s market share is pegged at 10.3% Asian markets after being hit by the Covid-19 pandemic. AirAsia had previously shut down operations in Japan due to pandemic-related issues. Bo Lingam, president (airlines) at AirAsia Group, said, “This transaction will allow us to use cash to grow market share in our core markets in Asean as well as for our future expansion into Cambodia, Myanmar and Vietnam.” He added, “This transaction will ensure strict cost containment for AirAsia Group in the short term, and strengthen our presence in Asean while continuing our market dominance for travel from Asean to India and North Asia.” Air Asia entered the Indian Market in 2014 but it never managed to compete against the likes of IndiGo and SpicetJet. It flies to 19 domestic destinations across India with 30 Airbus A320 aircraft. 6, 2019, and direct authorities not to interfere with the ownership of their lands, which are under acquisition for the bund construction. On November 22 last year, the Green Bench of the High Court had directed the State government to file a counter affidavit in the case. Back then, the government counsel had said that the standing crops on the petitioners’ lands would not be disturbed. The case had not come up for hearing since then, until now. Recently, the government had filed an interim application with a plea to modify the impugned order, in order for it to go ahead with construction of the bund. When the matter came up for hearing, the bench felt that its previous order needed to be modified, and stated that the entire bund construction could not be stopped. PLOTS IN UNAUTHORISED LAYOUTS CAN BE RESOLD EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Hyderabad PROPERTY owners in Telangana, who had purchased and registered plots/buildings in unauthorised layouts in the past, can now resell their properties with ease. The Stamps and Registration Department, on Tuesday , clarified that the registration of open plots/buildings could be done, provided that the property in question was acquired by the present owner using a valid re gistered document. In other words, if one purchased a land in an unauthorised layout and got it registered in the past, then he/she is permitted to resell it. It may be recalled that over 25 lakh people, who had purchased plots in unauthorised layouts, had applied for the LRS recently The State government’s . decision regarding these applications is pending due to an ongoing case in the High CONTINUED ON P7 Court.