HYDERABAD  MONDAY  MARCH 22, 2021  `7.00  PAGES 28  LATE CITY EDITION AADHAAR VOLUNTARY FOR DIGITAL LIFE CERTIFICATES CHANGES IN BIOMETRIC ATTENDANCE SYSTEM Authentication norms relaxed after pensioners complained of unreadable fingerprints and non-availability of Aadhaar cards SANDES APP TO BE MADE PUBLIC SOON With this change, the onus is now on the organisations to offer alternative means for submission of digital Life Certificate under the Jeevan Pramaan scheme. Another notification of March 18 makes Aadhaar authentication voluntary for biometrics attendance systems used in government offices. Here too, offices will have to create alternative system for authentication ■ ■ ■ Govt has also made Aadhaar optional for users of the National Informatics Centre-developed instant messaging app Sandes Developed under Government Instant Messaging System project, Sandes is used by public depts for internal communications The app will soon be made available for the general public, too 150+ DEPARTMENTS, INCLUDING NITI AAYOG, INDIAN ARMY, USE SANDES APP 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 EC allows TS to implement pay revision, but with riders Call on Deshmukh the Nagarjunasagar Assembly seat scheduled for April 17. In reply the ECI said it had no ob, jection from the Model Code of Conduct angle, subject to the condition that no undue publicity is created by anyone anywhere for attaining political mileage, particularly in the district where the election is scheduled. The letter was signed by ECI Secretary Avinash Kumar. Chief Electoral Of ficer Shashank Goel said they had received the clarification from the government on Saturday EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Hyderabad THE decks have been cleared for the announcement on the implementation of the Pay Revision Commission (PRC) report, with the Election Commission of India (ECI) giving a go-ahead to the Telangana government. The State government had sought clarification from the ECI on the announcement of the pay revision for the employees in view of the byelection for Slew of freebies to woo women in BJP manifesto Sops for farmers, fisherfolk; CAA right up on agenda; probe on political killings promised EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Kolkata THE BJP on Sunday sought to woo women voters in a big way , by promising 33% reservation in state government jobs, free travel in state-run public transport network and free education from kindergarten right up to the post graduate level. The promises were part of its 62-page manifesto released by Union home minister Amit Shah here. The document also prioritised the implementation of the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Act, saying it would be taken up at the first state cabinet meet after coming to power. It also promised to give Hindu refugees a financial grant of `10,000 per year for the next five years. “It is not just a manifesto but a resolution letter for West Bengal. It emphasises on women’s safety, infrastructure development, better healthcare services and setting up industries in the state. The core idea is to build a Sonar Bangla,” said Shah. The manifesto promises to give `18,000 to each of 78 lakh farmers in Bengal in one go under the Centre’s PM Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme. “The Bengal government deprived the farmers from getting an- Amit Shah releasing the BJP manifesto, at Kolkata on Sunday | BIBHASH LODH nual grant of `6,000 for the past three years. After coming to power in Bengal, we will transfer the due amount of `18,000 in one go. Besides, the annual financial assistance will be increased to `10,000 from `6,000. Landless farmers will also be given `4,000 annual assistance,’’ said Shah. Eying fishermen, who form a considerable chunk of electorate in East Midnapore, South 24 Parganas and North 24 Parganas districts, the manifesto promised a scheme to give `6,000 per year to each fisher family. Shah also announced that if the party wrests power, three AIIMS will be set up in north Bengal, Junglemahal and Sunderabans. Shah announced a special investigation team will be set up to probe all political killings, adding victim families will get `25 lakh relief irrespective of political allegiance. VIRUS LOAD RISING GOOD NEWS IN STORE  TS had sought clarification from the ECI on the announcement of the pay revision in view of the Nagarjunasagar bypoll 29% fitment the TS govt employees are hoping to get and sent it to the ECI, which in turn gave the go-ahead on Sunday A few days before the elec. tions to the two Graduates MLC constituencies of the State Leg-  The ECI said no undue publicity should be created, particularly in the district islative Council, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao had reportedly assured employee unions that the fitment in their pay would be two to three per ASHOKA UNIV ADMITS TO LAPSES nation will not change in the foreseeable future. Mehta recently stepped down as professor saying the founders made it clear that his association with the institution was a ‘political liability’. Subramanian resigned two days later. “We acknowledge that there have been some lapses in institutional processes which we will work to rectify in consultation with EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ New Delhi DAYS after the resignation of political commentator Pratap Bhanu Mehta and economist Arvind Subramanian from Ashoka University, the institution admitted to lapses in its processes on Sunday. Its chancellor said the university remained committed to academic freedom and its board head promised an open line of communication. As for Mehta, he wrote to the the students urging them to not press for his return, pointing out that the circumstances that led to his resig- cases reported from  Maharashtra  Kerala  Punjab  Karnataka  Gujarat  MP 197 deaths reported in 24 hrs 86.8% deaths from the above six states Oustees red-flag bias in house allotment P K R I S H N A @ Siddipet SEVERAL oustees of the Mallannasagar and Kondapochamma projects, who moved the Telangana High Court for ‘just’ compensation, are facing discrimination in the allotment of houses. Officials, nursing a grudge against them, have not been Shocking allotting the double bedroom revelation houses, as promised, in the rehabilitation colony at Mutra- Thogita tahsildar K Balreddy said jpally they have alleged. , While the Mallannasagar senior officials project is still underway and had told him not the evacuation of people is not to allot double complete, the Kondapocham- bedroom houses ma project is already full with to Mallannasagar water and those living in the project oustees, villages under its submer- who approached gence have been shifted to the High Court, makeshift houses. Of those and that they who have shifted to the reha- would take a call bilitation colony in Tunki Bol- once the verdict laram, the HC petitioners are was out facing the heat. For them, it was like jumping from a frying pan into fire as the sheds in which they have been accommodated in are unlivable. When rains lashed the area recently the oustees were rendered homeless. P4 , 394 Of these, 84 cases were NEW reported from the GHMC area. CASES The State also recorded three deaths on Saturday IN TS 1,15,99,130 NATIONWIDE TALLY 92 casualties in Maharashtra In the past two days, 73 students studying in govt residential schools and staying in welfare hostels tested +ve The rehabilitation colony coming up at Mutrajpally WITH THIS ISSUE THE ESSENTIAL CAMPUS DIGEST YOUR LIFE COACH 28 PAGES, INCLUDING 16 OF edex (TABLOID) CM GYAAN Blame self for few kids, less ration: Rawat V I N E E T U PA D H YAY @ Dehradun NEW Uttarakhand Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat’s footin-the-mouth moments continued to grow on Sunday, as he berated jealous people with planned families for taking home lesser free ration. “ N ow b ro t h e r, who is to blame for this? He produced 20 (children) and you produced only two. So he gets a quintal of ration. When there was time you produced only two and not 20. Now why this jealousy?” the CM reasoned while dwelling on the ration scheme in his speech in Nainital to mark the World Forestry Day . He said the government provided 5 kg of high quality rice per person and those with 20 in the family took home 100 kg during the pandemic. Rawat also erroneously blamed the US instead of the UK for 200 years of rule in India. “America, which enslaved us for 200 years and ruled the whole world, it is struggling at present to manage Covid,” was his second nugget. By his count, the Covid mortality figure in the US currently stands at 50 lakh, while the actual toll is 5.4 lakh. CONTINUED ON P7 In his separate letter, chancellor Rudrangshu Mukherjee wrote, “the founders have never interfered with academic freedom: faculty members have been left free to construct their own courses, follow their own methods of teaching and own methods of assessment.” 27,126 new cases in Maharashtra, followed by Punjab (2,578) 38 succumb in Punjab all stakeholders. This will reaffirm our commitment to academic autonomy and freedom which have always been at the core of the Ashoka University ideals,” the institution said in a statement that was jointly issued by the university chancellor, vice chancellor and the chairman of Board of Trustees, along with Mehta and Subramanian. No interference in academic freedom: Chancellor On a day India registered its highest single-day tally this year, the Centre said six states are the worst-hit. A look 43,846 highest single-dayyear spike in India this cent more than what the Andhra Pradesh government was paying to its staff. Since the AP government had announced 27 per cent fitment, the Telangana employee unions expect about 29 per cent of their basic pay . Leaders of the TGOs and TNGOs — V Mamatha and M Rajender — had then said that the Chief Minister promised to make an announcement in the Assembly after March 19. The government may also enhance the retirement age from 58 to 61 CONTINUED ON P4 years. Ripped jeans Last week, Rawat had criticised women wearing ripped jeans, wondering what values they would impart to children. A huge backlash later forced him to apologise today, says Pawar They will have to do it now because people are fed up with all this,” said Ribeiro, who has A day after shunted out Mum- served as the Mumbai Police bai police commissioner Para- commissioner and the DGP of mbir Singh outed home minis- Punjab and Gujarat. ter Anil Deshmukh’s extortion Saturday’s letter bomb by racket, an embarrassed NCP Singh had accused Deshmukh chief Sharad Pawar on Sunday of directing controversial asadmitted that the charges were sistant police inspector Sachin very serious and required an Waze, who is at present in in-depth probe. NIA’s custody to run an extor, With Deshmukh’s future tion racket to raise `100 crore hanging by a thread, per month. Pawar said the call Trying to deflect will be taken by criticism from Chief Minister UdThackeray and Deshdhav Thackeray by mukh, Pawar sought Monday. Despite to blame Waze’s concalls for his resignatroversial reinstatetion growing, the ment on Singh. “It NCP ruled it out. was Singh who asSharad Pawar Pawar also tried signed sensitive casto limit damage since es to Waze. After Deshmukh belongs to his par- Mansukh Hiren’s wife alleged ty, by suggesting that a probe Waze was involved in her husinto the charges be conducted band’s death, we decided to inby supercop Julio Ribeiro. But vestigate it thoroughly,” he Ribeiro rejected it, saying at 92 claimed. he was in no position to initiIt was only after Singh was ate a probe and in any case it transferred that he made the was the NCP founder who was allegations, said Pawar. He the best person to do it. conceded that Singh had “The probe must be done by briefed him earlier on DeshSharad Pawar himself. He is mukh, but said the CoP had the head of the party. They not mentioned the sum colthemselves know everything lected or handed over to the and they should take action. minister or his staff. EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Mumbai