BENGALURU  TUESDAY  OCTOBER 19, 2021  `7.00  PAGES 18  LATE CITY EDITION CHINA POWERS DOWN AS GDP GROWTH WEAKENS IN 3RD QTR China’s GDP growth slipped to 4.9% in third quarter from 7.9% in Q2, confirming slowdown of the world’s second-largest economy GLOOM SPREADS TO WORLD MARKETS INDIAN BOURSES KEEP OFF BEARISH PATH The dismal growth number is a reflection of China’s massive energy crunch, shipping disruptions and a deepening property crisis. Reacting to the news, major bourses opened on a tepid note on Monday. Dow Jones slipped 150 points in early trades. Germany’s DAX declined 0.5% and the CAC 40 in Paris gave up 0.8%. US markets recovered as trade progressed ■ ■ Britain’s FTSE 100 lost 0.2% to 7,216.79. Stock exchanges in Europe were trading in the red in mid-session deals. Elsewhere in Asia, bourses in Shanghai, Seoul and Tokyo ended with losses India markets, however, shrugged off the bearish trend abroad with the Sensex rising 0.75% and Nifty surging 0.76% on Monday 18.3% THE BLISTERING GROWTH CHINA HAD SHOWCASED IN THE FIRST QUARTER 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 Classes for Std 1-5 to reopen from Oct 25 C H E TA N A B E L AG E R E @ Bengaluru P R I C E F L U C T UAT I O N CITY Lucknow Mumbai Jaipur Kolkata Bhopal Guwahati POTATO TOMATO ONION Fortnight Monday Fortnight Monday Fortnight Monday ago ago ago D28-30 D30 D60 D70-75 D34-35 D50-55 D30 D30 D40 D80 D40 D50 D20 D20 D60 D80 D50 D60 D15 D25 D50 D93 D40 D60 D14-15 D20 D20-30 D60-80 D30 D50 D20 D25 D60 D80 D40 D60 High fuel rates, rain make veggie prices go north Damage to summer crops adds to problem EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE AS if the sky-rocketing fuel prices were not enough to break the back of the common man, the food platter is also getting costlier, with vegetables, including staples like potato and onion, burning a hole in people’s pockets. The soaring prices of petrol and diesel and damage to summer crops due to unseasonal and erratic rains in several states are driving up the prices, according to traders. While the prices of onion, tomato and green vegetables have seen a massive increase in most states over the past two weeks, potato has largely been stable except in a few states. In Uttar Pradesh, the kitchen staple has not seen any rise in prices as the state saw a bumper crop this year. But tomato, which was selling at `60 per kg a fortnight ago, has registered an increase of `10-15 per kg while another kitchen essential, onion, is now costlier by about `20. The prices of other vegetables such as lady finger (okra), brinjal, cauliflower and bottle gourd have been stable. Vegetable traders expected the prices to escalate further. “Since the festive season is on and the fuel prices are touching record highs every day the cost , of transportation of vegetables has gone up. There is no hope of relief in the next few days. Demand is high and supply is less as onions and tomato are coming from outside the state,” said Shahnwaz Huassain, president, fruit and vegetable sellers union in Lucknow. In Jaipur, too, consumers are feeling the pinch as most vegetables in the retail markets have become costlier by 15-25%. Only potato price has remained static. Nisha, a homemaker, said prices shoot up in the festive season every year and with Diwali round the cor ner, they’re going to increase further. “I buy in bulk. So, if I have to pay `1,000-1,200 instead of `600-800, it pinches.” Sanjay, owner of a vegetable shop in Jaipur, said many green vegetables are costlier also because of untimely rains. Worry over oil prices Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday shared her concern on the fuel price rise. “The way the fuel prices are leading to a big crest... I don’t know how much will have to be diverted from other most important considerations, and that’s the challenge I see,” she told a few CEOs in New York In Bengal, even potato has become costlier by `10 compared to a fortnight ago while people have to fork out `20 extra per kg for onions. Tomato has hit the roof and is selling at `90-93 a kilo in Kolkata while brinjal, which was selling at `60 two weeks back, has touched `100. Traders said prices tend to rise during September-October and stabilise only after winter crops arrive in the markets. In Punjab and Haryana, supply shortage caused by heavy rains in the region and several other parts of the country is another factor behind rising prices. Onion is selling at `50 per kg, up from `35, while the price of tomato has doubled in a fortnight — from `40 to `80 per kg. Peas are selling at `120 per kg, up from `80, while cauliflower costs `100 per kg as against `60 per kg earlier. CONTINUED ON: P10 Physical classes will reopen for students of Standards 1 to 5 in the State from October 25 with 50 per cent capacity and schools should strictly adhere to Covid-19 appropriate behaviour and SOPs issued by the Department of Primary and Secondary Education. After a detailed meeting with members of the Technical Advisory Committee on Sunday, the State Government issued orders allowing the schools to resume offline classes, but made it mandatory for schools to collect the consent form from the parents. JAB-O-METER TAKE YOUR SHOT Primary and Secondary Education Minister B C Nagesh said, “Considering the psychological challenges faced by children, the department has decided to conduct classes for half-a-day for the first week. From November 1, classes will be extended to full day .” On resuming midday meals, Nagesh said that the department will not serve cooked food to the children during the first week of classes and resume the programme from November 1 once the classes are held for a full day However, for students . of Standard 6 and above, the meals will be served from P7 October 21. October 17 12,05,162 doses October 18 79,74,435 doses TOTAL DOSES: 98,60,00,264 NATIONWIDE OCT 17 OCT 18 Fresh cases Recoveries Deaths 14,146 13,596 19,788 19,582 144 166 KARNATAKA OCT 17 Fresh cases Recoveries Deaths 326 380 4 OCT 18 214 488 12 E N S @ T’Puram AFTER a spate of deadly landslides and flash floods killed at least 25 people, Kerala is bracing for more rains in the coming days. The situation remains grim as water levels in dams in the densely populated state are rising fast. As many as 10 dams are in red alert zone. In a bid to avoid a re-run of the 2018 deluge, the S U M I S U K A N YA D U T TA @ New Delhi THE admission counselling for IITs and other centrally-run engineering institutes may get more student-friendly this year in order to help applicants avoid unintentional mistakes. Last year, 18-year-old Sidhanta Batra from Agra, who had secured an All India Rank of 270 in JEE Advanced, had lost a seat in IIT Bombay over a wrong click during online counselling. The decision to make the process friendlier for students was made by the Joint Seat Allocation Authority the panel responsible , for admission counseling. “Everyone is new to online counselling,” said an official, adding that online process began only from 2020, in view of Covid-19. Officials in the JoSAA said that two rounds of mock counseling are also being organised this year before the six rounds of actual counseling. And after every round, the students will have the option to seek clarifications from experts. The mock rounds will begin on Oct 21 and the admission process in these institutes is set to be completed by Nov 20. EXPRESS READ Will take K’taka to the top: New CJ BENGALURU: Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, who took charge at the helm of the Karnataka High Court on Monday, said, “I will endeavour to make Karnataka the best in judiciary in the country with the cooperation of all stakeholders and I will continue the good work of my predecessors” P7 GURUVANDANA Coffee table book on Murugha Sharanaru out Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai releases the coffee table book ‘Vishwaroopi Dr Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru’, brought out by The New Indian Express, in Chitradurga on Monday. Dr Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru and P Suresh Kumar, Senior General Manager, The New Indian Express, Karnataka, look on | EXPRESS IT was a historic moment at the Sri Murugha Mutt here on Monday evening as seer Dr Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru completed 30 years as the pontiff. The ‘Guruvandana’ programme, organised as part of the Sharana Samskruti Utsava to honour the pontiff, was made more special with the release of the Kannada coffee table book ‘Vishwaroopi Dr Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru’, brought out by The New Indian Express. Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai released the book in the presence of former chief minis- Routine oxygen level checks (except in cases of fever, cough, cold, difficulty in breathing, etc) discontinued for arriving international passengers at KIA RT-PCR report check on arrival discontinued, except for arrivals from countries notified by Centre Passengers to upload RT-PCR report on Air Suvidha portal Swimming pools will open to public at 50% capacity Night curfew to continue till November-end from 11 pm to 5 am Kerala on the edge as more rains forecast, Idukki dam to open gates Effort to make IIT counselling perfect E X P R E SS N E WS S E R V I C E @ Chitradurga MORE NORMS RELAXED ter B S Yediyurappa and Basavamurthy Madarachaennaiah Swamiji. P Suresh Kumar, Senior General Manager, The New Indian Express, Karnataka, and D av a n a g e r e M P G M S i d deshwara were present. The coffee table book chronicles the reformative steps taken by the respected seer to build an egalitarian society . Releasing the book, Bommai said, “Revolution of thoughts is in Sharana Samskruti (culture). Treating a human as human, and an animal with compassion is Sharana Samskruti. Sharanas preach that duty is the real heaven and it is above worship.” P4 state government has decided to release water from two largest reservoirs in the state, Idukki and Idamalayar, from 11 am on Tuesday . While a high alert has been issued in the coastal districts, the downstream areas of Chalakudy and Pampa rivers are already flooded due to release of water from Sholayar and Kakki dams. Water level in Idukki dam reached 2,397.52 feet (93.60% of its capacity) on Monday. CM Pinarayi Vijayan directed an expert committee to monitor water levels and make necessary preparations. Heavy rain has been forecast from Wednesday to Friday across the state. Yellow alert has been sounded in all districts except Alappuzha, Kannur and Kasaragod for P7 Wednesday . If BJP ignores farmers, it can’t return to power: Malik E X P R E SS N E WS S E R V I C E @ Jaipur MEGHALAYA Gover nor Satya Pal Malik has warned the BJP that it will not return to power unless the Centre listens to farmers protesting the new agricultural laws. “There is only one thing which will solve the entire issue. If the government agrees to give legal guarantee to the minimum support price mechanism, I will mediate and convince the farmers,” he told the media in Rajasthan’s Jhunjhunu on Sunday . “I am with the farmers. I have fought with PM and home minister for them. I have told everyone that what they are doing is wrong and they should not do it,” he said. Malik spoke on the Lakhimpur Kheri violence, when eight people were killed after being knocked down by a vehicle carrying BJP workers. CONTINUED ON: P10