193_CH_15_July_2016

CITY
HILIGHTS
Vol 1, Issue 193 `.1.00/-
Friday, July 15, 2016
www.ibcworldnews.com www.cityhilights.news
English Daily 6
BUSINESS SPORTS
NADA CONFIRMS NO DOPING VIOLATION
FROM INDIAN ATHLETES IN RIO OLYMPICS
National Anti-Doping
Agency (Nada) Director
General Navin Agarwal on
Wednesday said that all
the Rio Olympics bound
sportspersons have undergone
testing for banned
substances and they are
dope-free.
Agarwal, however, conceded
that there were issues
regarding testing of a
few Rio-bound sportspersons
as they were not available
at their “whereabouts”
provided by them as mandated
under the Anti-Doping
Administration Management
System (ADAMS)
of the World Anti-Doping
Agency but Nada was able
to get their testing done later
on.
“All Rio-bound athletes
have been tested. Some of
the athletes have been tested
at least once, some have
been tested twice and some
thrice. Some athletes could
not be tested on the second
occasion because they were
training abroad and in their
case they have been tested
at least once,” Agarwal, who
joined last month, told the
media.
“For those training
abroad, we have hired some
agencies to collect samples
there (abroad) and we have
tested the samples of all
these athletes,” he said.
“I am quite confident
that the Indian contingent
at the Rio Olympics will
have no doping violation
by any of them this time.
We also hope there will be
no doping violation from
other countries. Since we
are very strict as far as our
athletes are concerned, we
also expect same strictness
from other countries so that
there is fair play,” said the
1986 batch senior IPS officer
of Jammu and Kashmir
cadre.
The Indian contingent
at the 2004 Olympics was
rocked by doping as two
weightlifters -- Sanamacha
Chanu and Pratima Kumari
-- tested positive for
banned substances while
another lifter Monika Devi
was barred from leaving
for 2008 Olympics just a
day before she was to board
the Beijing flight. There was,
however, no such incident
prior and during the 2012
London Olympics.
Asked specifically if some
sportspersons have resisted
from undergoing tests
by not being present at their
“whereabouts”, Agarwal answered
in the affirmative.
“There have been a few
cases, though I cannot disclose
them. In such cases
we issue notices and three
such whereabouts failure
is treated as a doping violation.
“There have been instances
of one or two
whereabouts failures regarding
a few Rio-bound
sportspersons but till now
there is no instance of three
whereabouts failures and
so there is no doping violation
so far,” he said.
Sportspersons included
in the reserve testing
pool need to provide their
‘whereabouts’ and they
will have to be available for
dope testing at specified
times.
Agarwal also confirmed
that discus thrower Seema
Punia had undergone dope
test recently at her “hometown”.
Seema had recently
cancelled a press conference
citing an impending
BUSINESS
dope test.
“She (Seema) had given
her consent for a dope
test and it was organized
in one of those days in her
hometown. I don’t want
to say further on this but a
dope test was conducted
on her. A dope test does not
take much time and there
was nothing extraordinary
in conducting a dope test,”
said the Nada chief who
had been Director General
Youth Services and Sports
in Jammu and Kashmir.
India was recently
named as the third most
doped country in the world
in a report published by
Wada for cases related to
2014 and Agarwal said it
was not a happy situation
and he would work to get
the country rid of that tag.
“Nada is still in its infancy
and some of our procedures
have been copied
from WADA. As a national
agency, there is still a lot
to do. We also want to get
rid of this tag of third most
doped country in the world.
We are not happy with this
situation. As a national policy,
we are committed to
dope-free sports,” he said.
“First, we have to spread
awareness that athletes
should not use doping as
shortcut to success. It is
harmful to their health as
well to their career. We
want to educate the athletes
regarding this on a massive
scale and bring awareness
so that we can prevent doping,”
he said.
“Secondly, we want to
establish regional offices of
the Nada so that it covers
the length and breadth of
the country to have meaningful
impact of anti-doping
programs.
PREZ ASKS DARJEELING TEA INDUSTRY
TO MAINTAIN QUALITY
President Pranab
Mukherjee on Thursday
asked the exporters of
Darjeeling tea to maintain
quality and its brand name
while complying with global
norms.
Addressing the annual
general meeting of Darjeeling
Tea Association, he
said tea production is an
important element of the
country’s planned economic
development.
“Currently India is the
second largest producer of
tea next to China. There are
many other countries like
Kenya and Sri Lanka which
produce tea.
“Among all teas, Darjeeling
tea requires a special
mention as it occupies a
very unique place particularly
for the connoisseurs,”
Mukherjee said as he asked
the producers to uphold
the quality and brand name
of Darjeeling tea.
The total tea production
in India is nine lakh tons
annually in comparison
with China that produces a
million tons of tea.
The President said, Darjeeling
Tea has the Geographical
Indication (GI)
tag, which is to protect the
rights of special products in
specified countries, and it
was essential that producers
comply with the formalities
as it would be advantageous
for them.
The tea estates in Darjeeling
have reportedly
been ailing for long and
incurring losses due to various
accounts. The Darjeeling
tea industry provides
employment to one lakh
workers, including 40,000
seasonal workers.
He complemented the
Darjeeling Tea Association
for having upheld the
unique brand name of ‘Darjeeling
Tea’ which is a welcome
item on the breakfast
tables of many people.
Mukherjee, who is on a
three-day visit to Darjeeling,
also appreciated that
PREZ ASKS DARJEELING TEA
INDUSTRY TO MAINTAIN QUALITY
A digital student incubator,
claimed to be the world’s first,
has gone online with Chief Minister
Pinarayi Vijayan unveiling
SV.CO, the digital makeover of
Startup Village, designed to help
college-goers take their first step
in entrepreneurship.
“The government’s allocation
for startups at Rs 300 crore is
the highest to date in Kerala and
higher than that of the Centre’s
Department of Science and Technology,”
the Chief Minister said at
a function on Wednesday.
Vijayan also announced a fivestep
strategy for students, world
class infrastructure on par with
Silicon Valley, world class communication
infrastructure, world
class talent pipeline, world class
funding infrastructure and world
class incubators in PPP model
like Startup Village.
“The state will fund 1,000
startups every year with Rs two
lakh for converting ideas to prototypes.
The best prototypes will
be given Rs one crore interest
free loan to convert the prototype
into a successful startup,” he said.
SV.CO, the world’s first digital
business incubation platform
that constitutes the second phase
of Startup Village, is India’s first
PPP model technology incubator
set up in Kochi in 2012.
During its first phase 2012-
15, it supported more than 500
startups and helped create 3,000
jobs.
With SV.CO, the Startup Village
will scale up its activities
massively by reaching out to
five million students in 3,500
engineering colleges across the
country by providing them a
completely digital incubation
framework, ranging from application
for admission to teaching,
mentoring and graduation, said
Currently, sportspersons
from the eastern and southern
region of the country
faced inconvenience while
coming to appear before
the disciplinary and appeal
panels of the Nada in New
Delhi.
“Thirdly, we want to
make Nada the hub of dope
testing and anti-doping
activities in South Asian
region. Currently also samples
come to Nada from
neighboring countries for
testing. We want to be leader
in South Asia in eliminating
doping.”
Agarwal was candid in
admitting that to realize
these aims a drastic increase
in budgetary allocation
will be required.
“The organization needs
a lot of expansion and budgetary
allocation is very
meager. Earlier, the NADA
was testing 2000 samples
a year and now the target
is 5000 samples a year. But
the budget is still the same
and how will it be possible.
This needs to be changed.
“Nutrition supplement
per se is not harmful if it
contains proteins, minerals
and vitamins. Certainly, an
athlete needs nutritional
supplement. But it should
not contain the doping substances
and willy-nilly an
athlete may take it thinking
that it may strengthen
his muscles but actually he
is getting these dope substances
artificially.
“If he gets tested he will
test positive but he will say
he has never used banned
substances and that the test
may be wrong. He is not
even aware that these products
may contain banned
substances. The culprit is
the contaminated supplement
which has not been
declared in the label which
substance it contains.”
(PTI)
various cultural, minority
and linguistic groups are
living together in Darjeeling.
“The essence of Indian
culture and civilisation is
synthesis. Acceptance of
diversity and celebrating
plurality, underlining the
unity amidst rich diversity
are the true of characteristics
of India.
“I find that Darjeeling is
being melted in a pot and
emerging as a symbol of
this process of synthesis
action,” he said.
West Bengal, Governor
Keshari Nath Tripathi and
other dignitaries were
present during the function.
(PTI)
to the media.
It will thus provide opportunities
to brilliant students in
far-flung cities and towns who
may not have access to physical
infrastructure or the mentoring
they need in the early stages of
entrepreneurship, it said.
In tune with the Prime Minister’s
Startup India initiative and
with a go ahead from the Department
of Science and Technology,
SV.CO provides one month free
training to students in entrepreneurship
on its online platform,
it said.(PTI)
DAVIS CUP HIT BY STAR PULLOUT
The Davis Cup quarter-finals
take place this weekend
but are missing the
superstar pulling power of
Novak Djokovic and Andy
Murray and potentially
overshadowed by Rafael
Nadal’s last-ditch attempt
to get to the Rio Olympics.
World number one
Djokovic and newly
crowned Wimbledon winner
Murray had been expected
to play in the quarter-final
between Serbia
and defending champions
Great Britain.
But Djokovic pulled out
of the tie after his shock
Wimbledon third-round
exit to America’s Sam Querrey,
the Serb’s earliest loss at
a Grand Slam event in nine
years.
Murray, the world number
two, is still officially
listed in the British team
for the Friday-Sunday tie on
outdoor clay in Belgrade.
However, the 29-yearold
is expected to watch
from the sidelines as he
rests after his Wimbledon
triumph and ahead of a
packed summer schedule
which includes the Olympics
next month as well as
the US Open.
“Andy has to look after
his body and his mind. He’s
got his eyes set on getting
some rest and really making
a big push
for the Olympics,
US Open and
beyond,” Britain
team captain
Leon Smith told
the media.
The British
challenge will be led instead
by world number 67 Kyle
Edmund and the 240thranked
James Ward.
In the absence of Djokovic
and Serb number two
Viktor Troicki, world number
81 Dusan Lajovic will
lead 2010 champions Serbia.
Fourteen-time major
winner Nadal and his Spanish
team do not feature in
the World Group quarter-finals,
but the 30-year-old
still faces a key weekend as
he hears whether or not the
International Tennis Federation
(ITF) will give him the
go-ahead to take part in Rio.
Nadal hasn’t travelled
to Romania for the Euro/
Africa zone play-off as he
continues to recover from
a wrist injury which forced
a withdrawal from the
French Open and caused
him to Miss Wimbledon.
TENNIS ON GRASS MORE TECHNICAL, TEAM THAT
ADAPTS QUICKER WILL HAVE EDGE: LEANDER PAES
With wet conditions
caused by incessant rain
adding to the challenge,
veteran Indian tennis star
Leander Paes today said the
team which adapts quicker
will have the edge in the
Davis Cup Asia-Oceania
Group-I tie between India
and South Korea starting
here tomorrow.
“I think that tennis on
grass is more technical, so
TRIPURA ASKS IOC TO DISPATCH FUEL
BY FREIGHT TRAIN
Facing acute crisis of
petrol and diesel due to the
damaged Assam-Agartala
National Highway (NH8)
following heavy rains and
water logging, the Tripura
government has proposed
IOC to dispatch fuel by
freight train.
“NH8 is damaged in a
long stretch at Karimganj
in the neighbouring Assam
due to rain and water
logging. It is closed since
almost two months as a
result of which oil tankers
cannot enter the state. So,
we have sent a proposal
to IOCL to dispatch fuel by
freight trains,” state Food
and Civil supply minister
the one who adjusts to these
conditions faster, is going to
have a big advantage,” Paes
said after the draw ceremony
on Thursday.
The weather was inclement
in Chandigarh on
Thursday and according to
the local MeT Department’s
Director, Surinder Paul;
more rains are likely to occur
in the city over the next
2-3 days. Ram Kumar Ramnathan
will take on Seong-
Chan Hong, ranked more
than 200 places below him,
in the first singles match on
Friday.
“We were hoping that
JEWELLERY STOCKS GET SHINE BACK,
GAIN UPTO 10%
Jewellery stocks on
Thursday jumped by up to
10 per cent after the government
increased excise
duty exemption limit for
the small scale industry to
Rs 10 crore from Rs 6 crore
that could bring relief to
gold jewelers.
On Wednesday, it also
decided to waive the levy
on sale of traded goods and
relaxed other procedural
norms.
Bhanulal Saha told the media.
He requested IOCL to
take up the matter with the
NF Railway and arrange to
send fuel without delay as
the state was facing acute
crisis.
Earlier last month, Tripura
PWD minister Badal
Chowdhury requested the
Centre and the Assam government
expedite the repair
work of a portion of
the highway as thousands
of trucks carrying essential
commodities for Tripura
were stranded there.
Shares of Tara Jewels
soared 10.21 per cent,
Shree Ganesh Jewellery
House 9.5 per cent and Gitanjali
Gems 4.53 per cent
on BSE.
Tribhovandas Bhimji Zaveri
rose 4.3 per cent, PC
Jeweller 3.53 per cent and
Titan Company 2.77 per
cent.
Accepting the recommendations
of a panel, the
Finance Ministry yesterday
said no excise audit will be
carried out for the first two
years for units whose duty
payment is less than Rs 1
crore (that is turnover of
manufactured goods less
than Rs 100 crore).
Nadal is keen
to play in Rio after
being unable
to defend his gold
medal at London
in 2012 due to a
knee injury but
he hasn’t fulfilled
the qualifying criteria.
In other quarter-finals
this weekend, Italy host Argentina
in Pesaro.
Juan Martin Del Potro,
the 2009 US Open winner, is
back in the Argentina squad
after a four-year absence.
Federico Delbonis, the
world number 40, is the
South Americans’ top
player while Fabio Fognini,
ranked 36, leads Italy’s
challenge.
Only once since returning
to the World Group in
2002 have Argentina failed
to have at least made the
it would turn out like this
where Ram gets to play the
first match. Also, we were
thinking about whether
Lim would play doubles or
not. It will be interesting to
see how the weather holds
out and how the matches
eventually get played. But
as a team, we are ready for
any situation that arises,”
Paes said.
In view
of largescale
protests
by
jewellers
following
Budget
proposal
of 1 per
cent excise duty on non-silver
Jewellery, the government
had set up a sub-committee
to interact with the
industry on issues relating
to compliance, maintenance
of records and other
administrative matters.
The government has also
quarter-finals and that was
in 2014 when Italy beat
them in the first round.
In Trinec, the 2012 and
2013 champions Czech Republic
face nine-time winners
France, whose last title
came in 2001.
The Czechs will miss
their number one, eighthranked
Wimbledon semi-finalist
Tomas Berdych, while
France will be led by 10thranked
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
France can also call upon
Wimbledon doubles champions
Nicolas Mahut and
Pierre-Hugues Herbert.
The weekend’s remaining
quarter-final sees 32-
time champions United
States host Croatia in Portland.
Both sides boast two top-
20 players — John Isner for
the home side and former
US Open champion Marin
Cilic for 2005 champions
Croatia.
Croatia has won all three
of the nations’ previous ties,
with Cilic also starring in
the most recent encounter,
a quarter-final in 2009.
About wet conditions
here, Paes said, “We have
played in wet conditions
before, especially when we
played against Switzerland
in Kolkata. We had rain literally
all through Thursday
night and on Friday morning
when we got out there
the court was really soft and
damp. Being grass, we need
to take care of that court really
well”.
The tie will be played
out at the grass-courts of
Chandigarh Club here and
Paes said the Indians are
ready for the challenge. “As
a team, we are all ready for
the tie and hopefully we
can start on time tomorrow,
but if that doesn’t happen, I
believe we might be able to
play three matches on Saturday
-- two singles and a
doubles -- which means we
might have an earlier start
on Saturday.
He said about two
months ago, Tripura Governor
Tathagata Roy himself
visited the area and
informed the Union Road
Transport and Highways
Minister Nitin Gadkari
about the situation, and
Chief Minister Manik Sarkar
had also spoken to him
but things have not improved.
Government officials
said a few trucks carrying
essential commodities
were entering the state
through an alternative road
which could not meet the
demands of the state. (PTI)
decided independent of the
committee’s recommendations
to increase for Jewellery
manufacturers “the SSI
eligibility limit from Rs 12
crore to Rs 15 crore and the
SSI exemption limit from
Rs 6 crore to Rs 10 crore in
a financial year and Rs 85
lakh for March 2016”.(PTI)