BENGALURU  MONDAY  JANUARY 23, 2023  `9.00  PAGES 18  LATE CITY EDITION INSTITUTIONAL DELIVERIES SHOOT UP IN INDIA: REPORT Medical institutions handled 95.5% of all deliveries in India in 2021-22, up from 88.6% in 2019-2021 100% HOSPITAL DELIVERY IN TN, T’GANA HOME DELIVERIES COMMON IN MANY STATES Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Goa and two Union Territories — Puducherry and Lakshadweep — reported 100% institutional deliveries in 20212022, as per the data released by the Union health ministry’s Health Management Information System. Nine states, including Karnataka, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh, recorded 99% births in institutions | P9 ■ In rural areas of many states, especially in the Northeast, giving birth at home continues to be prevalent, as people lack easy access to institutional health care facilities ■ For instance, in Meghalaya, 42.8% of all births were at home while the figure for Nagaland was 21.7% and 19.4% for Manipur 4.5% NATIONAL AVERAGE FOR HOME DELIVERIES IN 2021-22 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 lauds CJI’s pitch for making SC judgments in regional languages WFI meet off, uncertain times for grapplers R A J E S H K U M A R T H A K U R @ New Delhi F I R OZ M I R Z A @ Chennai THERE is no end to wrestling drama. In less than 24 hours, the Wrestling Federation of India was forced to call off its senior ranking tournament in Gonda and it cancelled emergency meeting too. In reposnse to sports ministry’s directive to cancel all activities with immediate effect, the WFI had said it would take a decision on Sunday and it is understood that after deliberation, they decided to cancel its emergency executive committee and general body meeting. “The proposed meeting has been called off,” WFI tweeted. As reported by this newspaper, there is uncertainty over India’s participation in Zagreb Open Ranking Series from February 1 to 5. The WFI said all participation inlcuding national and international might get affected. A provisional entry list had already been sent by the WFI before its chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh got embroiled in the row. The list included Bajrang Punia, Ravi Dahiya, Vinesh Phogat, Anshu Malik and Sarita Mor — the wrestlers who led the protest against Singh at Jantar Mantar. Visa process too had started before the stir. It is understood that Bajrang and his wife withdrew their names. The WFI’s meeting was to discuss various allegations levelled against Singh. All members from various affiliated state units present in Gonda backed the WFI chief, who has been asked to step aside from day-to-day activities of WFI till a proposed oversight committee, which is yet to be named, submits its report in four weeks. For wrestlers, the ranking series is important to get points that help them in getting seedings for World Championships, which is also an Olympic qualifier. FBI agents walk near the crime scene in Monterey Park, California, on Sunday | AP 10 shot dead at Chinese New Year event in US city Suspect at large; police probing hate crime angle; fifth mass killing in the US this month E X P R E SS N E WS S E R V I C E AT least 10 people were killed and 10 others injured, some of them critically when a gunman , opened fire at a Chinese lunar new year celebration at a ballroom dance club in Southern California’s Monterey Park on Saturday around 10:20 pm local time. This is the fifth mass killing in the US this month. When local police first arrived, people were “pouring out of the location screaming,” Capt Andrew Meyer of the Los Angeles Sheriff ’s Department told reporters in a news briefing at the scene. He added that the police are on the lookout for the male suspect, who is on the run, and are probing whether it was a hate crime or not. While he gave no description of the wanted man, or the kind of gun he used, US media reports quoting witnesses said the gunman shot indiscriminately with a semiautomatic weapon. Footage posted on social media showed injured people on stretchers being taken to ambulances by emergency staff. Around the scene of the shoot- Hours after asking ‘who’s SRK?’, Assam CM says he spoke to actor DRAVID: CITY HAS CHANGED IMMENSELY FOR ATHLETES In a candid conversation with City Express, former India captain and the head coach of Indian cricket team, Rahul Dravid said he feels that the city is more progressive when it comes to incorporating athletic development. CE: P1 EXPRESS READ Cong stir against graft across Bengaluru today Bengaluru: Congress will launch a silent protest across 28 Assembly constituencies of Bengaluru on Monday against the alleged corruption in the state government. “We will be holding a silent protest at 51 Metro stations, 26 flyovers and 200 traffic signals. Participants will be holding only placards,” said Shantinagar MLA NA Harris during a press conference on Sunday | P2 PTI languages. Tagging a video clip of Chandrachud’s speech, delivered at an event organised by the Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa in Mumbai recently, the India has several languages, which add to our cultural vibrancy. The Central Government is undertaking numerous efforts to encourage Indian languages including giving the option of studying subjects like engineering and medicine in one’s Matru Bhasha Prime Minister Narendra Modi E X P R E SS N E WS S E R V I C E @ Mysuru AN 18-year-old youth from Balle tribal settlement in Nagarahole Tiger Reserve was killed by a tiger on Sunday morning, while the headless body of an 11-yearold boy who was sus, pected to have been killed by a leopard, was found near Horalahalli village in T Narasipura taluk on Sunday morning. As the same leopard is believed to have killed two people in two days in T Narasipura taluk, CM Basavaraj Bommai said on Sunday that the forest department has been told to form a special task force and to comb the nearby forests to catch the killer leopard. On Friday a 60-year-old wom, an, Siddamma, was killed by India’s World Cup title dream ended amid drama in sudden death against New Zealand on Sunday. A look... EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Bengaluru Poor from top of the D body has done something which violated law and order and a case has been filed, we will take action. If there was a problem, Shah Rukh Khan would have called me. If he calls, I will see to it. I often get calls from Bollywood actors.” The Opposition slammed Sarma, reminding him that he had stated only a day ago that he does not know the actor. “People who became Sanghis to form the government also have to become Congressmen to run the government on Raj Dhar ma,” senior Congress leader Pawan Khera tweeted. Speaking in Guwahati, Trinamool Congress leader Babul Supriyo said, “Shah Rukh Khan has a fan following across the world. By refusing to recognise him, Sarma and his BJP demonstrated their mindset towards minorities.” This is an old chestnut and coach Graham Reid admitted it could be this. Going forward, he hoped they will have a mental coach with the team Today’s matches Germany vs France 4.30 PM Argentina vs Korea 7.00 PM the big cat at Kannayakanahalli, which is next to Horalahalli, the village of the deceased boy , Jayant. Bommai said the forest department will carry out the combing operation in a 2-3 km radius to catch the leopard. The forest and police officials should carry out night patrolling to prevent any further attacks, and villagers should be told not to step out at night, he added. Bommai said the government has increased the compensation to families of those killed by wild animals. “The deputy commissioner has been asked to visit the spot and hand over the cheque to the boy’s family he added. ,” At Nagarahole, foresters suspected that the deceased, Man- ju, who is from a tribal settlement, was attacked by a tigress that is prowling near Kabini backwaters with its four cubs. The attack happened behind the DB Kuppe range forest office, which is 300 metres from the settlement, around 11 am. The skull of the youth had been ripped apart by the big cat. In the leopard attack case, foresters said the boy’s body was found in a bush in Naragyathanahalli village, which is 1.5 km from Horalahalli. The family members and villagers claimed that the leopard killed the boy near his house on Saturday night and later dragged the body to the neighbouring village in the dark. But forest officials also suspect human sacrifice as it was no moon day on Saturday and requested Mysuru SP Seema Latkar to conduct further probe. P5 When kids ask, eggs must be given, says department Heartbreak at sudden death Pressure factor A poster of movie Pathaan torn down by miscreants in Guwahati | EXPRESS during a virtual meeting with the heads of 107 centrally funded technical institutions on July 7 in 2022. In recent times also, the prime minister cautioned against controversies erupted over languages saying that every regional language is ‘worth worshiping’ as it keeps reflecting India’s culture and colloquial diversity . On the secuirty front, speaking at the 57th All India Conference of Director Generals and Inspector Generals of Police in Delhi, Modi called for more cooperation between state police forces and central agencies to leverage capabilities. While he said the police forces should be trained in emerging technologies, he also called for further strengthening of the traditional policing mechanisms such as foot patrols. Two killed by big cats near Mysuru, CM tells forest dept to form task force This was an Achilles Heel at WC. India earned a lot of penalty corners but failed to convert many. Out of the ones they scored, most were rebounds P R A S N ATA M A Z U M DA R @ Guwahati HOURS after he said, “Who is Shah Rukh Khan? I don’t know anything about him,” Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday tweeted saying the actor called him over phone at 2 am and expressed concerns over protests in Guwahati against his latest film Pathaan. “He expressed concern about an incident in Guwahati during screening of his film. I assured him that it’s the duty of state govt to maintain law & order. We’ll enquire and ensure no such untoward incidents,” Sarma tweeted. Members of a right-wing organisation allegedly tore up and torched posters of the film in Guwahati. The movie is facing a backlash for showing actor Deepika Padukone clad in a saffron bikini in the song Besharam Rang. Sarma’s tweet comes a day after he said: “Who is Shah Rukh Khan? We have many Shah Rukh Khans here.” Sarma was responding to a question at a press conference on what action his government has taken against those involved in the torching of posters. When pressed further, the Assam CM had said, “If some- ing police guards cordoned-off streets, the video showed. Chinese Lunar New Year is an annual 15-day festival to celebrate in the new year on the traditional Chinese lunisolar calendar. Monterey Park is a city of about 60,000 people that sits at the eastern edge of Los Angeles. The majority of its residents are Asian immigrants or their descendants, most of them Chinese. Police said they are looking into an attempted shooting at a ballroom and dance studio in the neighboring city of Alhambra. Reports said an attack had been thwarted with the alleged gunman tackled and disarmed. “We have investigators on scene trying to determine if there’s a connection between these two incidents,” said Mayer. The Monterey Park violence also marked the deadliest since May 24, 2022 — when 21 people were killed in a school in Uvalde, according to The Associated Press/USA Today database on mass killings in the US. It comes two months after five people were killed at a Colorado Springs nightclub. PRIME Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday lauded Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud’s pitch for making Supreme Court judgments available in regional languages. “At a recent function, the Hon’ble CJI Justice DY Chandrachud spoke of the need to work towards making SC judgments available in regional languages. He also suggested the use of technology for it. This is a laudatory thought, which will help many people, particularly youngsters,” Modi tweeted on Sunday . The PM added that governemnt is all for encouraging regional languages and is in favour of making the option available for studying subjects such as engineering and medicine in Indian PM tweeted that the government at the Centre has been taking numerous efforts to encourage the Indian languages. Taking to twitter, the prime minister said that India has several languages adding to the country’s cultural vibrancy . It may be recalled that the prime minister has in the past often pitched for making judicial verdicts more accessible to the common man by making those available in regional languages. On July 7 in 2022, PM Modi had also emphasised the importance of providing engineering education in local languages New Zealand players celebrate with goalkeeper Leon Hayward after India’s Shamsher missed during sudden death on Sunday | DEBADATTA MALIK | P13 FOLLOWING feedback on the distribution of eggs to children under the midday meal scheme, the Department of Public Instruction has reiterated that government schools must provide eggs to students when they request it. According to R Vishal, commissioner, Public Instruction, they received feedback from various sources on the midday meals, and an internal office circular was issued. “We want to ensure that there is no problem in the scheme and tried to redress some issues that schools are facing as well as reiterate certain regulations,” he said. Despite children asking for eggs in their meals, they were not given as the price of eggs has gone up causing schools to overshoot their budget. There have been complaints regarding the distribution of eggs as schools are appealing to the department to increase the budget. Vishal said, “The price of eggs will change, but the number of students going to schools on a particular day varies. If there are fewer students, it must be adjusted accordingly so that surplus is spent on days when there are more kids.” SLUSHY SCENES Mangaluru Kambala amazes foreign spectators D I V YA C U T I N H O @ Mangaluru Foreigners watch Kambala in Mangaluru on Sunday | EXPRESS COASTAL Karnataka’s traditional buffalo race ‘Kambala’ is gaining popularity across the globe as enthusiasts from Afghanistan, Germany and Denmark have travelled to Mangaluru to watch the race that is run in slushy paddy fields accompanied by buffaloes. On Sunday they visited the famed , Mangaluru Kambala, which is being held at Goldfinch City . These spectators told The New Indian Express that they read about Kambala online and they were amazed to know about Srinivas Gowda, who is known to run faster than track star Usain Bolt. Srinivas Gowda, a construction worker from Mijar in Moodbidri, rose to fame in 2020 when he covered 142.5 metres in 13.62 seconds. For 100 metres, it translates to 9.55 seconds, which is 0.03 seconds faster than Usian Bolt’s world record time of 9.58 seconds. Henri from Denmark said, “We were on a business trip and we wanted to watch Kambala live. We read about the event and Srinivas Gowda online. We were amazed to witness the unique sport and we really enjoyed it.” He was accompanied by Thomas, Carsten, Pete and Susanna, also from Denmark. Sayyad Ahmed, an Afghan national and a student at Mangalore University also watched Kambala along with his family for the first time. “This is a unique sport and the culture of Dakshina Kannada is beautiful,” he said.