The Evening Wrap: Tatas back in Air India cockpit

Air India on Thursday saw a change of guard at the helm with the government transferring its shares in the airline to Tata Sons subsidiary, Talace. “All formalities have been completed. Air India disinvestment transaction is now closed. The consideration amount of ₹2,700 crore has been received by the government. The shares have been transferred to Talace. Consideration amount has been received and so the new owner is Talace. The debt of ₹15,300 crore has been accepted [by the new owners]. The new Board is currently conducting its meeting,” Secretary, DIPAM, Tuhin K Pandey, told reporters. “We are totally delighted that this process is complete. We are very happy to have Air India back in the Tata fold. We look forward to working with everyone,” Chairman, Tata Sons, N. Chandrasekaran said. Earlier this week, the airline finalised its closing balance sheet and sent it to the Tatas for a review. With the transfer on Thursday, the Tatas will be in control of three airlines in the country and nearly 27% market share in the aviation sector. The other airlines are Vistara, in which the Tatas have a 51% stake and Air Asia where they have a 84% stake. Last year in October, Tata Sons subsidiary, Talace Pvt. Ltd. emerged as the winning bidder for the debt-laden national carrier after quoting an enterprise value of ₹18,000 crore as part of a disinvestment process undertaken by the government. The Tatas will own 100% stake in Air India, 100% in its international low-cost arm Air India Express, and 50% in the ground-handling joint venture, Air India SATS. Fresh video of girl who died by suicide in Thanjavur indicates no religious conversion The Thanjavur Police, investigating the suicide of a Class XII girl student of a Christian missionary school, are checking the veracity of a fresh video in which the girl is purportedly saying that she had resorted to the extreme step as she was unable to concentrate on her studies due to the daily chores that she was being asked to carry out at the hostel. There is no mention of religious conversion by the girl in the fresh video which is being circulated in the social media. The latest video clip, running a few minutes, appears to have been shot while the girl was undergoing treatment in the hospital by an unidentified person. The video starts with the girl being asked to disclose her name and that of her parents. She says that she used to be a topper in her class but due to family circumstances she joined late at her institution this year. Due to this, the ‘Sister’ used to ask her to write the accounts even after the girl had said she could not understand anything. “Even if written correctly, the Sister would make me sit for an hour saying that what I had written is wrong,” the girl says. As a result, she was unable to concentrate on her studies and had been scoring less marks. She decided to resort to the extreme step as she felt that she could not study if the situation continued. To a question, the girl says that she was asked to do other chores by the warden, including opening and locking the gates, and switching on the motor and checking it. On whether the school had asked her not to sport a ‘bindi’, the girl replies in the negative. The girl says that she would have been asked to stay back and study if asked for permission to go to her village for the Pongal festival. However, this time she was sent home due to her poor health. When asked whether they (apparently referring to the school) knew that she had attempted to end her life, the girl replies in the negative. The girl identifies the name of the Sister as Sahayamary in the clip. Police sources said the veracity of the fresh video in circulation was being checked as part of the investigation. Enquiries were on to identity the person speaking with the girl in the video. The mobile phone used for recording the video of the girl leaked earlier has been sent for forensic examination to Chennai. The earlier video was shot by Muthuvel of Ariyalur district from where the girl hails. The forensic examination was being done to determine whether the video clip has been edited. The status report on the investigation made so far would be submitted to the High Court on Friday, the sources said. Meanwhile, the BJP on Thursday announced the setting up of a fact-finding committee into the alleged suicide. The party claims the girl took the step due to an alleged pressure to convert to Christianity from her school. BJP Mahila Morcha chief and Coimbatore MLA Vanathi Srinivasan said party president J. P. Nadda had authorised the setting up of a four-member committee for not just going into the “truth” of the case but also to “provide comfort to the bereaved family of Lavanya.” Early signs of COVID-19 case plateauing reported but need to be observed, says Govt Early indications of Covid infections plateauing have been reported in some places but the trend needs to be observed, the Union government said on Thursday whilst noting that 400 districts have logged weekly COVID positivity of over 10%. Stressing the need to continue with precautions to curb the surge in infections, it noted that Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan were recording a high number of COVID-19 cases. However, a decrease in COVID cases and positivity rate have been observed in Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Odisha, Haryana and West Bengal, the government stated. Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Lav Agarwal, the joint secretary in the Health Ministry said, “A clear trend in terms of fewer COVID cases requiring oxygen-supported beds or ICU beds has been observed. Also, active COVID-19 cases and corresponding deaths are much lower during the present wave compared to earlier surges,” he said. Warning against any lax in observing COVID-appropriate behaviour, Agarwal said 400 districts have reported over 10% weekly COVID positivity while in 141 districts it was between five to 10% in the week ending January 26. About the prevalence of the Omicron variant of coronavirus in India, he said, 1,292 cases of the latest variant of concern were found on genome sequencing in December, which rose to 9,672 in January. The top 10 states in terms of active Covid cases were contributing over 77% of total active infections in the country, Agarwal said, adding 11 states have over 50,000 active Covid cases while Karnataka, Maharashtra and Kerala have over 3 lakh active infections. In response to a question, he said, “Early indications of COVID cases plateauing have been reported in some places but the trend needs to be observed and precautions need to be continued.” About the vaccine coverage, the press conference was informed that 97.03 lakh healthcare, frontline workers and co-morbid people aged 60 and above have been given the precaution dose of COVID vaccine. Also, 59% of adolescents in the 15-18 year age group have so far received the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine. The health ministry stressed that vaccination is providing support in terms of fewer cases, fewer hospitalisations and less severity in COVID-19 cases. Padma award controversy continues in West Bengal The controversy over the Padma awards refuses to die down in West Bengal with two artists saying they have refused the awards. After former Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee issued a statement saying he will not accept Padma Bhushan, legendary singer Sandhya Mukherjee and tabla maestro Anindo Chatterjee have said they were approached by the Union Home Ministry for Padma Shri honour but they refused it. The list for 2022, however, did not contain their names. While the reason for Bhattacharjee’s refusal may be “political”, the two artists were of the opinion that the award was too late for them at this point of their career. The family members of nonagenarian singer Sandhya Mukherjee said Padma Shri for the artist was “humiliating”. She was informed over phone by the Central Ministry that she was going to be given the Padma Shri. She is 90 and recorded her first song at the age of 12… at her age, to be awarded a Padma Shri for someone of her stature, we feel is nothing short of an insult. She has already refused it,” her daughter Soumi Sengupta said. Chatterjee, too, told journalists that the award has come too late. “I did not like the manner in which it was being conferred; so I said no to it.” Among those from the State who were conferred the honour are classical singer Rashid Khan and well-known screen actor Victor Banerjee who were awarded the Padma Bhushan. The development has triggered a war of words between political parties. While the CPI(M) welcomed Bhattacharjee’s decision saying the party’s “policy has been consistent in declining such awards from the State”, the Trinamool Congress leadership said the BJP is trying to win over Left voters. “The recent rise of the BJP in the State is because of the support of the Left voters. The BJP leadership is trying to say that we have given Padma award to your leader so they should vote for BJP,” TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said. State BJP leaders said the Trinamool and the CPI(M) see politics in everything, including the Padma awards. “There is always an attempt to portray that West Bengal is some place outside the country. The Communists have done that and now the TMC is doing that,” BJP national vice–president Dilip Ghosh said. Covid Watch: Numbers and Developments The number of reported coronavirus cases from India stood at 4,03,86,406 at the time of publishing this newsletter, with the death toll at 4,91,763. Evening Wrap will return tomorrow. [logo] The Evening Wrap 27 JANUARY 2022 [The Hindu logo] Welcome to the Evening Wrap newsletter, your guide to the day’s biggest stories with concise analysis from The Hindu. [[Arrow]Open in browser]( [[Mail icon]More newsletters]( Tatas back in Air India cockpit Air India on Thursday saw a change of guard at the helm with [the government transferring its shares in the airline to Tata Sons subsidiary, Talace](. “All formalities have been completed. Air India disinvestment transaction is now closed. The consideration amount of ₹2,700 crore has been received by the government. The shares have been transferred to Talace. Consideration amount has been received and so the new owner is Talace. The debt of ₹15,300 crore has been accepted [by the new owners]. The new Board is currently conducting its meeting,” Secretary, DIPAM, Tuhin K Pandey, told reporters. “We are totally delighted that this process is complete. We are very happy to have Air India back in the Tata fold. We look forward to working with everyone,” Chairman, Tata Sons, N. Chandrasekaran said. [File photo used for representation.]  Earlier this week, the airline finalised its closing balance sheet and sent it to the Tatas for a review. With the transfer on Thursday, the Tatas will be in control of three airlines in the country and nearly 27% market share in the aviation sector. The other airlines are Vistara, in which the Tatas have a 51% stake and Air Asia where they have a 84% stake. Last year in October, Tata Sons subsidiary, Talace Pvt. Ltd. emerged as the winning bidder for the debt-laden national carrier after quoting an enterprise value of ₹18,000 crore as part of a disinvestment process undertaken by the government. The Tatas will own 100% stake in Air India, 100% in its international low-cost arm Air India Express, and 50% in the ground-handling joint venture, Air India SATS. [underlineimg] Fresh video of girl who died by suicide in Thanjavur indicates no religious conversion The Thanjavur Police, investigating the suicide of a Class XII girl student of a Christian missionary school, [are checking the veracity of a fresh video]( in which the girl is purportedly saying that she had resorted to the extreme step as she was unable to concentrate on her studies due to the daily chores that she was being asked to carry out at the hostel. There is no mention of religious conversion by the girl in the fresh video which is being circulated in the social media. The latest video clip, running a few minutes, appears to have been shot while the girl was undergoing treatment in the hospital by an unidentified person. The video starts with the girl being asked to disclose her name and that of her parents. She says that she used to be a topper in her class but due to family circumstances she joined late at her institution this year. Due to this, the ‘Sister’ used to ask her to write the accounts even after the girl had said she could not understand anything. “Even if written correctly, the Sister would make me sit for an hour saying that what I had written is wrong,” the girl says. As a result, she was unable to concentrate on her studies and had been scoring less marks. She decided to resort to the extreme step as she felt that she could not study if the situation continued. To a question, the girl says that she was asked to do other chores by the warden, including opening and locking the gates, and switching on the motor and checking it. On whether the school had asked her not to sport a ‘bindi’, the girl replies in the negative. The girl says that she would have been asked to stay back and study if asked for permission to go to her village for the Pongal festival. However, this time she was sent home due to her poor health. When asked whether they (apparently referring to the school) knew that she had attempted to end her life, the girl replies in the negative. The girl identifies the name of the Sister as Sahayamary in the clip. Police sources said the veracity of the fresh video in circulation was being checked as part of the investigation. Enquiries were on to identity the person speaking with the girl in the video. The mobile phone used for recording the video of the girl leaked earlier has been sent for forensic examination to Chennai. The earlier video was shot by Muthuvel of Ariyalur district from where the girl hails. The forensic examination was being done to determine whether the video clip has been edited. The status report on the investigation made so far would be submitted to the High Court on Friday, the sources said. Meanwhile, the BJP on Thursday announced the setting up of a fact-finding committee into the alleged suicide. The party claims the girl took the step due to an alleged pressure to convert to Christianity from her school. BJP Mahila Morcha chief and Coimbatore MLA Vanathi Srinivasan said party president J. P. Nadda had authorised the setting up of a four-member committee for not just going into the “truth” of the case but also to “provide comfort to the bereaved family of Lavanya.” [underlineimg] Early signs of COVID-19 case plateauing reported but need to be observed, says Govt [Early indications of Covid infections plateauing have been reported in some places]( but the trend needs to be observed, the Union government said on Thursday whilst noting that 400 districts have logged weekly COVID positivity of over 10%. Stressing the need to continue with precautions to curb the surge in infections, it noted that Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan were recording a high number of COVID-19 cases. However, a decrease in COVID cases and positivity rate have been observed in Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Odisha, Haryana and West Bengal, the government stated. Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Lav Agarwal, the joint secretary in the Health Ministry said, “A clear trend in terms of fewer COVID cases requiring oxygen-supported beds or ICU beds has been observed. Also, active COVID-19 cases and corresponding deaths are much lower during the present wave compared to earlier surges,” he said. Warning against any lax in observing COVID-appropriate behaviour, Agarwal said 400 districts have reported over 10% weekly COVID positivity while in 141 districts it was between five to 10% in the week ending January 26. About the prevalence of the Omicron variant of coronavirus in India, he said, 1,292 cases of the latest variant of concern were found on genome sequencing in December, which rose to 9,672 in January. The top 10 states in terms of active Covid cases were contributing over 77% of total active infections in the country, Agarwal said, adding 11 states have over 50,000 active Covid cases while Karnataka, Maharashtra and Kerala have over 3 lakh active infections. In response to a question, he said, “Early indications of COVID cases plateauing have been reported in some places but the trend needs to be observed and precautions need to be continued.” About the vaccine coverage, the press conference was informed that 97.03 lakh healthcare, frontline workers and co-morbid people aged 60 and above have been given the precaution dose of COVID vaccine. Also, 59% of adolescents in the 15-18 year age group have so far received the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine. The health ministry stressed that vaccination is providing support in terms of fewer cases, fewer hospitalisations and less severity in COVID-19 cases. [underlineimg] Padma award controversy continues in West Bengal The [controversy over the Padma awards refuses to die down in West Bengal]( with two artists saying they have refused the awards. After former Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee issued a statement saying he will not accept Padma Bhushan, legendary singer Sandhya Mukherjee and tabla maestro Anindo Chatterjee have said they were approached by the Union Home Ministry for Padma Shri honour but they refused it. The list for 2022, however, did not contain their names. While the reason for Bhattacharjee’s refusal may be “political”, the two artists were of the opinion that the award was too late for them at this point of their career. The family members of nonagenarian singer Sandhya Mukherjee said Padma Shri for the artist was “humiliating”. She was informed over phone by the Central Ministry that she was going to be given the Padma Shri. She is 90 and recorded her first song at the age of 12… at her age, to be awarded a Padma Shri for someone of her stature, we feel is nothing short of an insult. She has already refused it,” her daughter Soumi Sengupta said. [Photo used for representation purpose only.]  Chatterjee, too, told journalists that the award has come too late. “I did not like the manner in which it was being conferred; so I said no to it.” Among those from the State who were conferred the honour are classical singer Rashid Khan and well-known screen actor Victor Banerjee who were awarded the Padma Bhushan. The development has triggered a war of words between political parties. While the CPI(M) welcomed Bhattacharjee’s decision saying the party’s “policy has been consistent in declining such awards from the State”, the Trinamool Congress leadership said the BJP is trying to win over Left voters. “The recent rise of the BJP in the State is because of the support of the Left voters. The BJP leadership is trying to say that we have given Padma award to your leader so they should vote for BJP,” TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said. State BJP leaders said the Trinamool and the CPI(M) see politics in everything, including the Padma awards. “There is always an attempt to portray that West Bengal is some place outside the country. The Communists have done that and now the TMC is doing that,” BJP national vice–president Dilip Ghosh said. [underlineimg] Covid Watch: Numbers and Developments The [number of reported coronavirus cases from India]( stood at 4,03,86,406 at the time of publishing this newsletter, with the death toll at 4,91,763. 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