THRISSUR l friday l january 28, 2022 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l city EDITION PM Modi hosts first-ever India-Central Asia Summit Five presidents — of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan — attended the virtual meet ‘We all are concerned about Afghanistan’ “Our concerns with respect to regional security are the same. We all are concerned about Afghanistan,” Modi said at the summit, which was attended by Kazakhstan president Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Uzbekistan’s Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Tajikistan’s Emomali Rahmon, Turkmenistan’s Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow and Kyrgyzstan’s Sadyr Japarov ■ 1st Focus on regional cooperation ■ At the summit, PM Modi outlined three main objectives: to stress that cooperation between India and Central Asia is essential for regional security; give an effective structure to such a cooperation; and, formulate an ambitious roadmap India has completed 30 yrs of diplomatic ties with central Asia leader-level engagement between India and Central Asian nations | P7 CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA ■ BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOgGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI PTI Chandra meets modi Notable changes Ahead of the transfer of the airline on Thursday, Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi (pic). Later, he said the Tata Group is committed to making Air India a world-class airline Smart and well-groomed cabin crew, better on-time performance of flights, and enhanced in-flight meal service are some of the measures the Tatas are planning to implement Air India begins second tata inningS New owner hits the ground running, starts implementing customer-friendly measures, vows to turn around airline K um a r V i k r a m & A rs h a d K h a n @ New Delhi The Tata Group, which had founded Air India in 1932 before it was nationalised in 1953, officially took over the management and control of the carrier on Thursday after the government transferred 100% shares of Air India to Talace Pvt Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tata Sons. “The Air India strategic disinvestment transaction has been completed with the government receiving `2,700 crore from Talace,” a finance ministry statement read. The transaction covers three entities — flagship Air India, low-cost carrier Air India Express and ground handling unit Air India SATS Airport Services Pvt Ltd. The Tatas also took over `15,300 crore of debt in Air India and Air India Express, while the remaining debt of `46,262 crore plus an outstanding of about `15,000 crore towards fuel bills were paid off by the government. Ahead of the official handover, Tata Sons chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “We are excited to have Air India back in the Tata Group and are committed to making this a world-class airline. I warmly welcome all the employees of Air India, to our Group, and look forward to working together,” he said in a statement. Tatas will be retaining over 10,000 employees of Air India. And, as part of the deal, all of them will have to be retained for one year after the takeover. As the Tata Group’s priority is to turn around the loss-making carrier, there will be a drastic change in the working culture of the staf. In a letter to Air India employees, Chandrasekaran said, “The entire nation’s eyes are on us, waiting to see what we will achieve together. To build the airline our country needs, we need to look to the future.” The group has already started implementing some changes to attract customers. On Day One of its takeover, it introduced an ‘enhanced meal service’ in four flights that will operate from Mumbai. Sources said the changes after ownership transfer had started flowing in the form of advisories to the frontline staff who interact with passengers. A consortium of lenders led by State Bank of India has agreed to provide loans to the Tata Group for the smooth operations of the loss-making airline. The other large lenders in the consortium include Punjab National Bank, Bank of Baroda, and Union Bank of India. Bouquet gets bigger Tata Group, which already holds a majority interest in AirAsia India and Vistara, will have access to a fleet of 117 wide-body and narrow-body aircraft of Air India and 24 narrow-body aircraft of Air India Express. It will also get control of 4,400 domestic and 1,800 international landing, and parking slots at domestic airports Regular market approval Omicron drives 3rd wave, min to two vaccines for adults says next 3 weeks very crucial E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ T’Puram E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ New Delhi Two Covid-19 vaccines, Covishield and Covaxin, on Thursday got the expected approval for regular market sale from India’s drug regulator. But the vaccines will be available only for adults and sold at hospitals and private clinics, not pharmacies. The Drug Controlled General of India’s approval came after the Subject Expert Committee on Covid-19 of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation had on January 19 recommended it. Making the announcement, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya tweeted: “The CDSCO has now upgraded the permission for Covaxin and Covishield from restricted use in emergencies to standard new drug permission in the adult population with certain conditions. The conditions include supply for programmatic settings, including registration on the Co-Win platform and to continue to submit safety data on a six-monthly basis.” The government is yet to announce their pricing. The jabs can be administered in hospitals/clinics only as per the prevailing government guidelines. Jab-o-meter Take your shot Jan 26 22,10,813 doses Jan 27 49,69,805 doses Total doses 1,64,35,41,869 NATIONWIDE Jan 26 Jan 27 Fresh cases 2,85,914 2,86,384 Recoveries 2,99,073 3,06,357 Deaths 665 573 STATEWIDE Jan 26 Jan 27 Fresh cases Recoveries Deaths Blow to NIA, HC acquits Thadiyantevida Nazeer in Kozhikode blast case E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Kochi IN A major setback to the NIA in its very first case filed in the state, the Kerala High Court on Thursday acquitted Thadiyantevida Nazeer — a suspected Lashkar-e-Taiba operative — and his Thadiyantevida Nazeer relative Shafas, both convicts in the 2006 twin bomb blasts in Kozhikode. The court also dismissed an appeal filed by NIA challenging the acquittal of AbThe dul Halim and Aboobacker Yusaf, the investigators third and the ninth accused, respectivedid not make a ly by the trial court. , concerted A division bench comprising Justice effort to ‘go out K Vinod Chandran and Justice Ziyad in the sun’ to Rahman A A passed the verdict acquitcollect indepting Nazeer and Shafas while allowing endent evidence of whatever an appeal filed by them, challenging the version the order of the NIA special court. “There is no reliable evidence on the accused told them preparation or commission of the crime — High Court that incriminates the accused beyond a reasonable doubt,” observed the court. The NIA’s charge sheet stated that Naseer and the other accused conspired, planned, and executed the bomb blasts at the KSRTC and the mofussil bus stands on Mavoor Road in Kozhikode on March 3, 2006. This was done in retaliation against the perceived partisan attitude of the executive and judiciary rejecting bail to the Muslim people accused in the second Marad communal carnage. The meticulously planned explosions occurred within a gap of 10 minutes in the afternoon. Two persons, including a policeman, sustained minor ● More on P4 injuries in the blast. 49,771 34,439 63 51,739 42,653 11 FOR the first time, the state government has confirmed that the third Covid wave in Kerala is propelled by Omicron. Health Minister Veena George said on Thursday that a study found that 94% of the samples analysed showed the presence of Omicron and the remaining six the Delta variant. The rapid spread of the infection and less severity are the characteristics of the Omicron. This is the first such study by the government that confirms the community transmission of Omicron. Earlier, a sample study on international travellers found 80% of infection due to Omicron and 20% due to Delta. On Thursday, the state reported Offline mode to continue for classes 10 to 12 The government has decided to continue with offline classes for students of classes 10, 11 and 12. To finish portions in time, practical exams will be held after the written exams. P2 51,739 covid cases and 11 deaths. Test positivity rate was reduced to 44.6% compared to the last two days. Among the new positives, 1301 were admitted to hospitals. Only 3.6% of the 3,09,489 active patients are hospitalised. Veena said the next three weeks are going to be crucial and the cases are likely to increase till the first week of February. The use of ICUs decreased by two per cent this week compared to the previous week. The use of ventilator also casme down. Around 59% of ICU beds and 86% of ventilators are remaining unoccupied. In private sector, ICU occupancy is only 8.3% and ventilator occupancy only 9%. The minister also warned of strict action against hospitals denying Covid or non-Covid ● More on P2 treatment to patients.  Stringent curbs enforced in four more districts The government has decided to enforce more curbs in Idukki, Kottayam, Pathanamthitta and Kollam districts. These districts are classified under Category C, where utmost focus is given. P2 LOK AYUKTA amendment Guv yet to sign ordinance, Oppn calls for Prez assent E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ T’Puram ONGOING debates on the legal and ethical validity of the proposed ordinance to amend Kerala Lok Ayukta Act approved by the state cabinet last week seem to have prompted Governor Arif Mohammed Khan to take a cautious approach towards signing it. Even five days after receiving the draft, the governor has not signed the ordinance and it is learnt that a decision will be taken only next week. On Thursday evening, Khan left for Lakshadweep on a private visit and he will be back in the state capital only on February 1. On Thursday, a delegation of senior Opposition leaders led by V D Satheesan met the governor and requested him not to sign the ordinance that is “frivolous, politically driven and in stark contravention to the established laws of the country”. After meeting the governor, Satheesan told reporters that Khan assured him of looking into all aspects before taking a decision. Sources in the Raj Bhavan told TNIE that the governor is contemplating to seek a fresh legal advice from an expert, other than the advocate general, to have clarification on the points raised in several complaints he has received. UDF delegation including former chief minister Oommen Chandy and former leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala also asked the gover nor to refer the ordinance for Presidential assent as the original act of 1999 was approved by the Pres● More on P4 ident. EDIT: LET LOK AYUKTA IN KERALA REMAIN A WATCHDOG WITH TEETH | P6 Rahul bites CM face bullet, says Channi & Sidhu on same page Rahul Gandhi at the Golden Temple in Amritsar on Thursday Dedicated manifesto on women “I told Channi and Sidhu to come up with a dedicated manifesto for women. Two-three promises, not 15-20, so as to change their lives,” Rahul informed H a r p r ee t B a j w a @ Chandigarh Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday decided to bite the bullet on announcing the chief ministerial candidate of the party in Punjab, saying both incumbent Charanjit Singh Channi and Punjab Congress unit president Navjot Singh Sidhu were on the same page on taking the call. Channi and Sidhu brought up the matter while travelling together in his car, Rahul revealed while addressing a Pun- jab Fateh virtual rally at Mithapur in Jalandhar. They also flagged it in their speeches at the rally, setting the platform for Rahul to respond. Rahul said both agreed it was the top-of-the-mind question within the party in the state at the moment, adding there cannot be two leaders in the same pole position. “Both assured support to whoever is chosen. I agree. We will discuss the matter with party workers and announce the CM face,” he said.