CHENNAI  WEDNESDAY  JUNE 15, 2022  `9.00  PAGES 16  LATE CITY EDITION IPL: STAR RETAINS TELEVISION RIGHTS, VIACOM BAGS DIGITAL The IPL media rights for the 2023-27 cycle, which was sold via e-auction, went for a cumulative record price of `48,390 crore STEEP RISE IN THE DIGITAL SPACE WHOS AND WHATS OF THE AUCTION From a combined price of `16,347.50 crore in the 2018-22 cycle, the IPL media rights price has grown in multitudes, 2.96 times to be precise, with the digital space dominating this auction. With the base price set at `33 crore/game, Viacom18 bought the rights for `50 crore/game. It paid an additional `2,991 crore to bag package C (non-exclusive rights for 18-22 games/season) as well | P11 ■ ■ Disney Star bought the subcontinent television rights for `23,575 crore while Viacom18 won the digital rights (Packages B and C) for a combined `23,491 crore Package D, the overseas rights, went to Viacom18 and Times Internet, with the parties broadcasting in different territories US $6.46 bn REVENUE THE BCCI STANDS TO MAKE IN 2023-27 VIA BROADCAST RIGHTS 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 Modi sets a new target of 10 lakh jobs in 18 months EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ New Delhi EXPRESS READ TN to finalise site for `40K-cr city airport Chennai: The TN government will submit its shortlisted site — either Pannur in Tiruvallur district or Parandur in Kancheepuram district — for Chennai’s second International Airport, in a meeting with Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on June 17. The airport is likely to have an investment of `40,000 crore | P4 China lifts Covid visa ban on Indians New Delhi: China on Tuesday partially lift its visa ban on Indians—imposed more than two years ago in the wake of Covid-19. Professionals from India can now return to China with their dependents to resume work. Sources said the authorities have also begun processing student visas | P7 WANT TO BE AN AGNIVEER? WITH Prime Minister Narendra Modi issuing instructions to hire 10 lakh government employees in mission mode within 18 months, filling up of existing vacancies and creating new job opportunities climbed right on the top of the priority ladder of the government on Tuesday . Modi issued the instructions after reviewing the status of human resources in all departments and ministries. As if on cue, the Cabinet Committee on Security approved a scheme to recruit soldiers for just four years. The scheme is expected to provide jobs to over 46,000 youth in a year (see box). Political circles saw in Modi’s announcement, an attempt to snatch the unemployment card away from the Opposition ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. His 18-month deadline for jobs will end just four months before the general elections. It is also an acknowledgement that unemployment is a top-of-the-mind issue particularly among the youth. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi panned the Centre’s drive as maha jumla (peddling rhetoric), saying it’s similar to “the The Centre on Tuesday unveiled an Agnipath job scheme for armed forces Age group: 17.5-21 yrs. Salary: 30K a month. 4-yr service. `48L insurance They will be inducted into the force as Agniveers, a new rank, distinct from sepoys They will be recruited under an “all India, all-class” basis as opposed regiment model that recruits youth from specific regions and castes failed BJP promise made eight years ago to provide 2 crore jobs each year”. But home minister Amit Shah lauded the recruitment drive, saying the youth are the foundation of “new India”, adding Modi has been constantly working to empower them. As on March 1, 2020 the number of regular Central government civilian employees was 31.91 lakh as against the sanctioned strength of 40.78 lakh. In other words, about 21.75% posts were vacant. About 92% of the total Central jobs are provided by five major ministries or departments — railways, defence (civil), home At the end of the four-year period, 25% will be absorbed into the service and the rest will be relieved Those retained will serve for 15 years more and retire with pension Those relieved will get severance package of `10-12 lakh; no pension | P7 affairs, posts and revenue. Railways alone has 2,98,428 vacancies. Of them, 2,177 are gazetted posts, according to a recent reply to a query in the Lok Sabha by railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. Railways has re-started the process to fill up about 50% of the vacancies — 1,40,713 posts, including 20,944 SCs and 10,930 for STs, sources said. Hiring was on hold for a while after violence following irregularities in exams under the NonTechnical Popular Categories a few months ago. The ministry has set the recruitment ball in motion again under this category across the country . Names of Farooq, others in play for Oppn Prez pick S A N T W A N A B H AT TA C H A R YA @ New Delhi IT’S that season when names swirl around like summer dust for the next incumbent of the mansion atop Raisina Hill. Who the Prime Minister smiles at or does namaste to is being watched with a hawk eye. The Opposition too is donning its armour—a contest is more or less certain, even if its numbers mean it will be symbolic. Chief ministers—and a mentor of CMs—are trying to settle on a common Opposition candidate. Sharad Pawar is in the thick of the action, even as he slinks away from a contest himself. With Sonia Gandhi away in hospital and Rahul Gandhi busy fending off the ED’s queries, it was left to Pawar to give some shape to the disaggregated Opposition army . Pawar had powwows with both West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee and her arch-foes, Left leaders Sitaram Yechury and D Raja, in Delhi. Other heavyweights will arrive on Wednesday . Pawar is plumping for long-time friend Farooq Abdullah. The Left is once again keen on former Bengal governor Gopal Gandhi—he had dropped out last time after the Congress fielded Meira Kumar, and may or may not agree. Farooq is not unwilling. But the last word won’t be said till Didi speaks her mind. Yashwant Sinha’s name too was doP7 ing the rounds in that context! AIADMK meet revives ‘single-leadership’ crisis T M U R U GA N A N D H A M @ Chennai NEARLY five years after accepting dual leadership to keep VK Sasikala and her clan out, a crisis seems to be brewing in Tamil Nadu’s principal opposition party AI, ADMK. At a party meeting here on Tuesday, a majority of senior office-bearers, who support joint coordinator Edappadi K Palaniswami, proposed single leadership. Political analysts are of the view that the party may face yet another split as coordinator O Panneerselvam will not agree to part with the leadership. Senior functionaries, however, stoutly denied the possibility saying the party would remain united. Though the demand for single leadership has been raised many times in recent years, it was resolved and both leaders had said the dual leaderCONTINUED ON: P4 ship arrangement would continue.