Airpocalypse: Band-aid solutions won't fix Delhi's grave air problem

The government is aware of steps that it needs to take to fix this problem, but has not done what is needed to fix this public health emergency

Delhi is in the middle of a public health emergency as Air pollution in Delhi levels have crossed the danger mark. What can be done to solve this recurring problem? Can solutions like odd-even or cracker ban solve it? The author takes a look at what is needed in this Business Standard Special.

Belgium’s King Philippe and Queen Mathilde arrived in Delhi on Tuesday the 7th of November to what was supposed to be a grand welcome. President Kovind and Prime Minister Modi were among the dignitaries welcoming the royal guests on Raisina Hill. However, air pollution levels were so grave that it looked like a scene from a post-apocalyptic movie. In many parts of Delhi, the Air Quality Index had reached 999, which is the maximum possible it is designed to measure.

Even though air pollution kills lakhs of Indians every year, it has been relegated to a non-issue in a country with a million social, economic and political problems. Foreign missions in India have long recognised this problem – their diplomats consider Delhi a hazardous posting akin to war-torn countries. They receive monetary benefits to be posted here and often do not bring along their families.

We Indians on the other hand do not realise that the heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, respiratory infections, and trachea, bronchus and lung cancer that we suffer from and hear about are frequently triggered by air pollution. While there are several structural solutions to the crisis, our attention has focussed on public events such as odd-even traffic rules in Delhi or firecracker bans on Diwali.

It is not surprising that this band aid approach has only had a marginal impact. The source apportionment study by IIT Kanpur in 2015 revealed that 38% of Delhi’s particulate air pollution originated from road dust, 20% from vehicles, 12% from domestic sources such as cooking, and 15% from industries. An older source apportionment study by NEERI Nagpur for the Central Pollution Control Board revealed that 52% of Delhi’s air pollution is from road dust, 22% from industries, 7% from vehicles and 18% from biomass burning. (more)

Mumbai-Delhi Jet flight diverted to Ahmedabad over 'threat letter' found in plane's loo

The flight with 122 passengers, including seven crew, landed in a remote bay at the Ahmedabad airport and all passengers were disembarked and screened.

A Jet Airways Mumbai-New Delhi flight was diverted to Ahmedabad due to "security issues" after a letter warning about a hijack and bomb threat was discovered in the plane's toilet. The person who left the note has been identified.

The flight with 122 passengers, including seven crew, landed in a remote bay at the Ahmedabad airport and all passengers were disembarked and screened.

Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju in a tweet said: "I am informed that the person responsible for the Jet flight (9W-339) incident causing landing at Ahmedabad today morning has been identified."

"I am advising the airlines to put him on the 'No Fly List' immediately, in addition to other statutory criminal action," Raju said.

The Boeing 737-900 flight 9W-339 had departed from Mumbai around 2.55 a.m., and after diversion landed in Ahmedabad around 3.45 a.m.

The flight was finally cleared for take-off and left for New Delhi around 10.45 a.m., said an airlines spokesperson.

The pilot alerted Ahmedabad airport authorities about the threat letter after the plane took off. The letter was reported to be in Urdu and English.

The Jet Airways statement said the flight was diverted following "declaration of an emergency as per established security procedures, due to the detection of an onboard security threat".

Amid Doklam standoff, India-China trade war looms: Chinese media

The article said that China 'could easily retaliate' with restrictions on Indian products

A trade war seems to be looming between India and China after New Delhi imposed anti-dumping duties on 93 Chinese products amidst a military standoff in Doklam area, two state media reports here said on.

An article in The Global Times, part of the ruling Communist Party's publication group, urged Chinese firms to "reconsider the risks" of investing in India and warned New Delhi to be "prepared for the possible consequences for its ill-considered action."

The article said that China "could easily retaliate" with restrictions on Indian products, but added that it "doesn't make much economic sense" for the country.

Also Read :

• India@70: Are we really ahead of China & Pakistan? Find out
• In a war over Doklam, why China will likely be the eventual loser

It cited figures from the Indian embassy in China to show that Indian exports fell by 12.3 per cent year-on-year to $11.75 billion while India's imports from China rose by 2 per cent to $59 billion, resulting in a trade deficit of $47 billion.

According to the Indian Commerce Ministry, the trade deficit with China last year mounted to over $52 billion when the bilateral trade stood at $70 billion.

"A trade war between China and India seems to be looming after the latter moved last Wednesday to impose anti-dumping duties on 93 products from China," the report said.

"If India really starts a trade war with China, of course China's economic interests will be hurt, but there will also be consequences for India," it said.

The report on trade comes as India and China have been locked in a tense military standoff in Doklam in the Sikkim sector. Read more

Want Rs 2,500 tickets under UDAN? Please book in advance on popular routes

Shimla-Delhi flights are sold out but others are available much below the capped limit of Rs 2,000

Five days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the “Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik”, or UDAN, scheme from Shimla airport, Tushar Patel tried to book tickets from Delhi to the hill station. To his surprise, he couldn’t find the subsidised Rs 2,500 fare. Instead, the cheapest fare in May was Rs 8,049 and on some days, it was as high as Rs 15,090.

Travellers lapped up the cheaper tickets soon after the scheme was launched. “On Delhi-Shimla route, all tickets reserved under UDAN scheme are sold out until June end. What’s available now are few seats that have market-linked rates,” says CS Subbiah, chief executive officer of Alliance Air, an Air India subsidiary.

This is quite a contrast to the other three routes that are operational at present. If you were to take a round trip between Mumbai and Nanded, the fares are Rs 4,000 – below the cap of Rs 2,500 one way. But if you are flying between Hyderabad and Kadapa or Nanded and Hyderabad, you can get a return ticket even for around Rs 2,000.

Shimla stands out among all other operational routes because of the holiday season. “The city is one of the most popular holiday destinations in India, hitherto inaccessible to many tourists due to lack of convenient air connectivity. It is also a state capital. There is a huge unmet demand,” says Amber Dubey, partner and India head of aerospace and defence at global consultancy KPMG.

The number of seats available on the route are much lower, too, because the airport is at a high altitude. "From Delhi to Shimla, the 42-seater aircraft can only carry 35 passengers. Read more

Jewellers shut shops for 12th straight day after income-tax surveys

Gold and jewellery establishments in the national capital remained closed for the 12th day today after the Income Tax Department conducted surveys following reports of alleged profiteering and tax evasion by traders and other operators in reported conversion of demonetised notes.

The survey operations were carried out on November 10 in at least four locations in Delhi-NCR region, including Dariba Kalan, Chandni Chowk and Karol Bagh.

The government on November 8 announced the demonetisation of 500 and 1,000 rupee notes to flush out black money.

Most of the jewellery houses have been closed since November 11 in the national capital.(more)

Hero MotoCorp gains after launching Splendor iSmart

Hero MotoCorp gains after launching Splendor iSmart 110

Hero MotoCorp rose 0.94% to Rs 3,281.70 at 9:25 IST on BSE after the company launched its first in-house designed and developed motorcycle, Splendor iSmart 110.

Meanwhile, the BSE Sensex was up 48.29 points, or 0.17%, to 27,990.40.

On BSE, so far 2,347 shares were traded in the counter, compared with an average volume of 39,942 shares in the past one quarter. The stock hit a high of Rs 3,289 so far during the day, which is also a record high for the counter. The stock hit a low of Rs 3,261 so far during the day. The stock hit a 52-week low of Rs 2,259.10 on 7 September 2015. The stock had outperformed the market over the past one month till 14 July 2016, rising 7.96% compared with 5.86% rise in the Sensex. The scrip had, however, underperformed the market in past one quarter, rising 3.16% as against Sensex's 9.03% rise.

The large-cap company has an equity capital of Rs 39.94 crore. Face value per share is Rs 2.

Hero MotoCorp (HMCL) after market hours yesterday, 14 July 2016, announced the launch of the new Splendor iSmart 110, the first motorcyle to be developed completely in-house, with HMCL's own technology. Built on a completely new chassis and frame, the bike is powered by the new 110cc Torque on Demand engine that also features HMCL's patented i3S technology, the company said. The bike is now available at the Hero dealerships across India. The bike is priced at Rs 53,300 ex-showroom Delhi.(more)

Two years of Narendra Modi's foreign policy: more misses than hits

Two years of Narendra Modi's foreign policy: more misses than hits

In year one of his tenure, Prime Minister Narendra Modi surprised all who had doubted his ability to negotiate the esoteric world of international diplomacy. Modi came across as a conjurer with a bag of tricks, the likes of which were seldom seen from his predecessors, making even his worst critics reassess their opinion of the former Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) pracharak. But, foreign policy reverses in year two have given his political rivals an opportunity to point not at the conjurer’s magic trick but his sleight of hand.

In the past two years, Modi’s visits across the world, including the surprise one to Pakistan, have garnered much social and mainstream media coverage. He has also successfully reached out to the substantial Indian diaspora, particularly the wealthier sections living in Europe and North America. There is, however, little to show in terms of brass-tacks — whether geopolitically or investment-wise. But, the PM has continued undeterred to beguile with his foreign policy initiatives, the element of surprise being the leitmotif of his foreign policy.

His inviting South Asian leaders to his swearing-in ceremony, his subsequent visits to the neighbouring countries, the rapturous reception he received from the Indian diaspora in the US and other countries, the surprise invite to US President Barack Obama to be the chief guest at the Republic Day and the audacious visit to Pakistan in end-December — all were delivered with the finesse of a master at work. Modi, as he completed two years, has continued to surprise — this time with his West Asia outreach. His visits to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in August, Saudi Arabia in April and to Iran in May, and his forthcoming visit to Qatar have again left foreign policy wonks intrigued. Year three of Modi’s tenure is likely to see some more surprises — a historic first visit by an Indian PM to Israel is in the works as is a multi-nation visit to the African continent, including to such countries with significant presence of the Indian diaspora such as South Africa and Kenya.Read more.

We are afraid to invest more in India: Toyota Kirloskar Motor

Toyota has been one of the worst impacted among automobile companies in the country after the recent ban on sale of Diesel cars with engines larger than 2,000cc in the National Capital Region (NCR). Such sudden changes in legislation are bad not only for it but for the overall sector, Akito Tachibana, the new managing director at Toyota Kirloskar Motor, tells Alnoor Peermohamed. Edited excerpts:

The recent ban on diesel cars with engines larger than 2,000 cc in Delhi/NCR has taken a toll on Toyota. How is the company looking at mitigating the impact?

The current impact is almost eight per cent of the total sales for Toyota in India. Not only have we and our suppliers been impacted but also the dealers in Delhi. They've lost 60 per cent of their sales because they can't sell the Innova or Fortuner; both models have only diesel engines. We hope that in the next Supreme Court hearing, this ban is removed. Automobile companies need long-term strategies, as it takes four years or more to develop a vehicle.Read more.

Virat Kohli shouldn't be compared to Sachin Tendulkar: Virender Sehwag

Former India batsman Virender Sehwag said on Wednesday it is unfair to compare batting legend Sachin Tendulkar with current run-machine Virat Kohli.

India Test skipper Kohli has been in sublime form over the past couple of months for his national side as well as his Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise, Royal Challengers Bangalore.

The Delhi-born batsman after winning the Man of the Tournament award in the recent World Twenty20, has smashed two centuries in the ongoing ninth edition of the cash-rich IPL tournament and is the leading run-getter with 561 runs.

"No one should compare two individuals. People used to compare me with Tendulkar, me with Viv Richards, that's not fair. The era is not same. I don't think we should compare Virat Kohli with Tendulkar," Sehwag said here at the announcement of the final winner of the 92.7 Big FM Big Catch contest.

Sehwag, who is currently the mentor for IPL team Kings XI Punjab, also hailed Kohli as the most dangerous batsman at present.Read More.

Does Dawood have gangrene, and will he escape being brought to justice?

Is India's most wanted criminal Dawood Ibrahim suffering from gangrene?

CNN-News18 reported on Monday that the dreaded Mumbai mafia boss-turned-terrorist has advancedgangrene at a stage where it is life-threatening, and that he might have to undergo an amputation.

Additionally, the report cites doctors, who are treating Dawood, as saying that the gangrene is at such an advanced stage that Dawood is immobile and an amputation might be required.

It adds that 

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Dawood Ibrahim is being treated at his residence in the "upscale Clifton neighbourhood of Karachi". According to the report, the doctors attending to him are from the Liaquat National Hospital, Karachi, and the Combined Military Hospital, Karachi.

The report is specific on Dawood’s medical condition, quoting the doctors treating the don as saying that high blood pressure and blood sugar are the causes behind the gangrene.

The Times of India, on the other hand, on Tuesday reported that senior intelligence officials and the gangster's deputy Chhota Shakeel have confirmed that Dawood is "fit".

The ToI report quotes Shakeel saying that the reports of a gangrene infection are results of rumours being floated to hinder Dawood's business.

If Dawood is indeed suffering from gangrene, and if the condition is indeed life-threatening, then it will have serious consequences for India's pursuit of justice for the Mumbai bomb blasts of 1993 that were exacted by Dawood and his gang in return for the communal riots in the city that followed the December 1992 demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya.

Bringing Dawood back to India to stand trial for his role in the blasts has been a longstanding objective of Indian politicians and intelligence agencies, but one that has been met with little success, thanks to stonewalling by the Pakistani establishment.

In fact, the Pakistani government has consistently denied Dawood’s presence in that country, despite the fact that India claims it even knows the exact address of his residence in Karachi.

However, there have been reports of Indian intelligence having had at least four opportunities to nab Dawood in Pakistan, none of which worked out.

1) Dawood allegedly wanted to surrender in 1994:

According to a Hindustan Times report, a little over a year after the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts, Dawood was willing to surrender and "even spoke thrice to the then CBI DIG Neeraj Kumar".

According to the report, the agency, for unknown reasons, "didn’t take him (Dawood) up on his offer".

Speaking to HT, Kumar said: “I spoke to a jittery Dawood three times in June 1994… He seemed to be toying with the idea of surrendering but had one worry — his rival gangs could finish him off if he returned to India. I told him his safety would be the responsibility of the CBI.”

However, according to the report, Kumar's seniors abruptly ordered him to avoid any further contact with the gangster.Read More.

Now, an app for celebrities to connect with fans

If you are a fan of Virat Kohli, India's hottest cricketing star, you may soon be able to meet and greet him, chat with him online, receive exclusive pictures, videos or content from him or get discounts on select brands, like Wrogn and Chissel, which he endorses or part-owns.

This is provided you buy the Virat FanBox — a special edition MotoG Turbophone that comes with an in-built app for Rs 16,999, which includes the membership fees to the Virat fan club for 365 days.

Of course, the FanBox also comes with a mini-bat signed by Virat, a hand-written (printed) letter from Virat, and a unique membership number which is linked to the IMEI no of the phone — all in a well decorated box. The phone will also serve as a key to a lot of entry points, like the post-match fan booth the club would organise.

The FanBox has been developed by Privyplex, a start-up founded by two alumni of Insead Business School — Ahmed Arab, the CEO, and Upmanyu Misra (chairman of its board), who also heads Elyseum, a Dubai-based private equity firm which has invested $1.5 million in the firm.

“As a cricketer, I feel blessed with all the love and support I get from my fans. TheVirat FanBox is my personal endeavour to get closer to my fans than ever before; to connect and chat with them online and meet them in real life. I am excited and looking forward to engaging and interacting with the club members via the app,” Virat said in a statement.

"In India, celebrities enjoy a lot of following. FanBox is a high-degree engagement platform, which is unique. We are happy to partner with them," says Amit Boni, country head, Motorola. The potential is huge as Virat has 10.5 million followers on Twitter. While the start-up is shy of discussing targets, Boni will be disappointed if it doesn't do 1 million.

Typically, fans-celebrity interactions are one-way. Fans want to have access to celebrities, and celebrities want a better understanding of their fans. "We have created a platform which enables that between the celebrity and the fans," says Ahmed, CEO of Privyplex and a telecom engineer, who has worked with Microsoft, Nokia, Alcatel; co-founded a start-up in Singapore, which was sold to Rocket Internet.

Virat is the first celebrity the firm has signed up, but it’s also in talks with five others globally. These include a football player from South America, a basketball star from USA, a Formula 1 star from Europe, and entertainment and Bollywood stars from South Korea and India, respectively. What’s common is that they are among the most popular in their respective arenas. They all liked the idea and talks with them are currently at various stages; the FanBox will be customised for each.Read more about this article.