ON IRAN, DELHI WALKS A DIPLOMATIC TIGHTROPEIndia's Ministry of External Affairs had reacted cautiously to Iranian Maj.Gen Qassem Soleimani's assassination - noting that "a senior Iranian leaderhas been killed by the US", underlining that "peace, stability and securityin this region is of utmost importance to India" and it was "vital that thesituation does not escalate further", and urging "restraint".The MEA statement did not mention Gen Soleimani by name; and India is yet toreact to Trump's mention of his "terrorist plots" in New Delhi. India'soutgoing ambassador in Washington DC, Harsh Shringla, who will now takecharge as foreign secretary, "paid a farewell call" on Secretary of StateMike Pompeo on Friday, but there was no official statement on whether theydiscussed Gen Soleimani's killing.The Indian security establishment has never considered Iranian intelligenceor militia operations as a major threat. Barring an attack on an Israelidiplomat in New Delhi in 2012, there is no history of Iranians or Iranianagencies being involved in a terrorist attack or subversive activity inIndia.India has longstanding diplomatic relations with both the US and Iran. Iranhas been the largest exporter of oil to India, and India has developed theChabahar port in southeastern Iran. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankarvisited Iran last month and met President Hassan Rouhani. After a jointcommission meeting co-chaired by Jaishankar and his Iranian counterpartMohammad Javad Jarif, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statementthat the Ministers had "reviewed and positively assessed progress inbilateral cooperation, including connectivity, trade and commerce, culturaland people-to-people contacts", and "also exchanged views on regional andglobal issues of mutual interest".The statement also mentioned that the Ministers had "expressed satisfactionat the progress achieved in operationalization" of Chabahar port, and"recognized that it has a potential to act as a gateway between the Indiansubcontinent, Iran, Afghanistan, Central Asia and Europe".PM REVIEWS MINISTRIES' WORK, 3RD TIME IN 2 WEEKSThe Prime Minister-led Council of Ministers on Friday and Saturday held areview meeting of various ministries, the third one in two weeks, to listpriority areas for future and track progress of the ongoing projects. At themeeting, Union secretaries gave presentations on the five-year visionrelated to their respective ministries.Sources said the aim of the review was to determine gap areas and push forquick solutions for faster delivery of projects. The review would also aidthe country's movement towards the sustainable development goal set by theUN. A major new element in the review was the PM's direction to allministries to submit a five-year vision document, detailing policy and plan.The PM personally saw all presentations on the vision document.The government's focus sectors are economy, water conservation and healthdelivery.BIHAR ANNOUNCES DATES FOR NPR EXERCISEThe exercise to collect data for the National Population Register (NPR) inBihar will be carried out between May 15 and May 28, senior BJP leader andDeputy Chief Minister of the state Sushil Kumar Modi said on Saturday.The JD-U, the BJP's partner in Bihar's ruling coalition, said that sincePrime Minister Narendra Modi had clarified that there is no proposal toimplement the National Register of Citizens (NRC) across the country, therewas no problem in going ahead with the NPR exercise."Every state has to do it (the NPR exercise). It is the legal process. Nostate can oppose it," Sushil Kumar Modi said."If any official opposes the Census, he is liable to be punished with threeyears in prison with penalty. If an enumerator or a collector says he willnot do it, he can get punishment up to three years. There is a provision ofdisciplinary action and Rs 1,000 fine for opposing the NPR exercise," SushilModi said.Opposition-ruled West Bengal and Kerala have put the exercise to update theNPR on hold, citing apprehension that the data collected would be used forthe NRC. The 2018-19 Annual Report of the Home Ministry says that "TheNational Population Register (NPR) is the first step towards the creation ofthe National Register of Indian Citizens (NRIC) under the provisions of theaforementioned Statute (Citizenship Act)". And as early as in November 2014,then Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju had told Rajya Sabha the samething: "The NPR is the first step towards creation of National Register ofIndian Citizens (NRIC) by verifying the citizenship status of every usualresidents."After Amit Shah's assertions that a countrywide NRC exercise would becarried out, the PM said the NRC had never been discussed by the government.Shah later said NPR data would not be used for the NRC, but Law MinisterRavi Shankar Prasad said that "some" NPR data "may or may not be used" forthe NRC.The NPR is a register of the usual residents of the country, and includesboth Indian and foreign citizens. It is mandatory for every usual residentof India to register in the NPR. The first NPR, prepared in 2010 underprovisions of The Citizenship Act, 1955 and Citizenship Rules, 2003, wasupdated in 2015. The new NPR will include questions on the date and place ofbirth of parents, and last place of residence.NO DESECRATION AT NANKANA SAHIB, ASSERTS PAKPakistan on Friday rejected media reports that Gurdwara Nankana Sahib inLahore was desecrated in a mob attack, saying the birthplace of Guru Nanakwas "untouched and undamaged".The Pakistan Foreign Office said it had been informed by authorities inPunjab province that there was a scuffle at Nankana Sahib between two Muslimgroups.The altercation happened on a minor incident at a tea stall and the districtadministration immediately intervened and arrested the accused, it said."Attempts to paint the incident as a communal issue are patently motivated.Most importantly, the gurdwara remains untouched and undamaged. Allinsinuations to the contrary, particularly the claims of acts of'desecration and destruction', are not only false but also mischievous," theForeign Office said.IRAQ BASE HOUSING US TROOPS HIT, NO CASUALTIESTens of thousands of Iraqis mourned Iran's Major General Qassem Soleimaniand others killed in a US drone attack, before near-simultaneous mortar androcket attacks targeted American troops late Saturday.Two mortar rounds hit the Iraqi capital's Green Zone, a high-securityenclave where the US Embassy is based. Also, two rockets slammed into a basehousing US troops. There were no casualties, it said.The US Embassy in Baghdad as well as the 5,200 American troops stationedacross the country have faced a spate of rocket attacks in recent monthsthat Washington has blamed on Iran and its allies in Iraq.DONALD TRUMP: US TARGETING 52 IRANIAN SITES IF TEHRAN ATTACKS AMERICANSDonald Trump warned Saturday that the U.S. is targeting 52 sites in Iran andwill hit them "very fast and very hard" if the Islamic republic attacksAmerican personnel or assets.In a tweet defending Friday's drone strike assassination of a top Iraniangeneral in Iraq, Trump said 52 represents the number of Americans heldhostage at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran for more than a year starting in late1979.Mr. Trump said some of these sites are "at a very high level & important toIran & the Iranian culture, and those targets, and Iran itself, WILL BE HITVERY FAST AND VERY HARD. The USA wants no more threats!"Mr. Trump took to Twitter after pro-Iran factions ramped up pressure on U.S.installations across Iraq with missiles and warnings to Iraqi troops - partof an outburst of fury over the killing of Soleimani, described as thesecond most-powerful man in Iran.The attack has prompted fears of a major conflagration in the Middle East.'WE COULD HAVE BEEN MORE SENSITIVE': SACHIN PILOT ON KOTA DEATHSCriticising his own government over the deaths of children at the state-runJ K Lon Hospital in Kota, Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot saidon Saturday that the state government's response could have been "moresensitive and compassionate".While 100 children died at the hospital in December, seven more have diedsince the beginning of the new year.Speaking to reporters after visiting the hospital on Saturday, Pilot said:"Our response to the entire episode could have been more sensitive, I thinkwe should have been more compassionate. I feel that after 13 months of beingin government, it may not serve any purpose to keep pointing to the previousgovernment's misdeeds or wrongdoings. Because, if they had done their job,they would not have been voted out. We have been voted in, we have to facethe responsibility and consequences."On Friday, State Health Minister Raghu Sharma had blamed the previous BJPgovernment for the lack of infrastructure at the hospital. He had claimedthat the previous government had turned down the hospital's request forfunds."People expected us to deliver. I believe we have to fix accountability. Ifwe are expecting others to be accountable, we have to be accountableourselves. I think this is not a small incident, it's heart-wrenching. Thewhole state, the entire country is shaken, and I think a much more positiveand a sensitive response from all of us would have been appreciated," saidPilot.KEJRIWAL'S TRANSITION: FROM PERPETUAL PROTESTER TO THE AFFABLE FAMILY MANBeaming from billboards, steering clear of personal attacks, focused ondevelopment, and refusing to be drawn into national debates, it's a newArvind Kejriwal to the forefront.Arvind Kejriwal and party are concentrating on strengthening their hold overthe Capital, and banking on their government's works, to win them a returnto power. For one, it has refused to be baited into getting too involved inthe anti-CAA protests, despite the BJP's attacks.The change in Kejriwal has been a while coming - some of it staring Delhi,literally, in the face.For some months now, the AAP government has flooded newspapers withfull-page advertisements and Delhi streets with billboards projecting itsnumerous schemes, and featuring a beaming Kejriwal. "The idea is to makeKejriwal likeable. So you can see him worshipping Laxmi on Diwali with hiswife, daughter, son, father and mother. At other times, wife Sunita Kejriwaluploads pictures. The attempt is to project Kejriwal the family man. Andit's not a celebrity family, but one that eats together, prays together,just like any other family," an AAP leader says.In the process, the perpetually angry Kejriwal, who built his politicalcareer as a protester, has given way to a mild-mannered CM, "elder son" tomany, "elder brother" to some, a connection he makes repeatedly in hisspeeches. The leader who constantly attacked Modi, badmouthed corporates andtook on bureaucrats, who burnt a copy of the UPA's Lokpal Bill in public, isgone.HYDERABAD: ANTI-CAA MARCH QUESTIONS KCR SILENCECarrying the Tricolour and placards, over 20,000 people took part in the"Million March" in Hyderabad on Saturday to protest against the Citizenship(Amendment) Act (CAA), NRC and NPR, organised by the Telangana and AndhraPradesh Joint Action Committee, which comprises 40 social and politicalorganisations.Thousands of people from across Hyderabad and surrounding districts joinedthe march.As the protesters converged at Dharna Chowk, it became a sea of Indianflags. Although Hyderabad Police had stated that not more than 1,000 peoplewould be allowed at the protest site, the crowd swelled to an estimated20,000; the police allowed many people into the NTR Stadium nearby.Raising slogans such as "Inquilab zindabad'', "Hindu-Muslim bhai bhai'',"KCR chup kyon hai (why are you silent, KCR?)'' and "Modi down down'',people marched peacefully.Amjad Ullah Khan of Majlis Bachao Tehreek, one of the 30 outfits whichorganised the march, said, "This is a victory of the people. People areangry at CAA and NRC. This rally has proved how many people - and not justMuslims - are against these laws."HIMANTA BISWA STRESSES NEED TO SAVE ASSAM FROM 'MIYA POETRY, AJMALS'Even as Assam witnesses massive protests against the CAA, in a show ofstrength on Saturday, thousands of BJP workers participated in a publicmeeting in Guwahati where the party's top leaders spoke on the newcitizenship law, the Centre's development work in the region, and the stategovernment's commitment towards development and protection of interests ofindigenous communities of Assam.Maintaining that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has promised citizenship toonly those "who are already in India", BJP working president J P Nadda said,"Lakhs of people had to run to India overnight to save their land, dignityof their brothers, their family. People who have come to India, where wouldthey go? India is their home. We will allow them to live with dignity. Wewill give them citizenship. This is what CAA has done."`Addressing the meet, state Finance Minister Himanta Biswa said that threeyears ago there was only "one Ajmal", referring to Lok Sabha MP and AIUDFchief Badruddin Ajmal, but today there are "lakhs and lakhs of Ajmals".He said BJP karyakartas have to fight to "save Assam from those who writeMiya poetry, from the likes of Ajmals, such ultra communal forces"."Miya poetry" was a reference to works of poets and activists ofBengali-speaking Muslim community of Assam who write in a dialectcolloquially called the 'Miya' dialect. Ajmal's AIUDF draws much of itssupport from among Bengali-speaking Muslims in the state.Nadda targeted the Opposition and said, "They are claiming that so manycrores (or people) will come. No one will come. They are already here fromthe days you (Congress) were in power."He also said that Clause 6 of Assam Accord would be implemented: "To protectAssam's culture is our responsibility, it is Bharat Mata's responsibilitywhich we will fulfill."SWEET SHAKE-UP: PRICE RELIEF FOR DIABETES PATIENTS AS DRUGS GO OFF PATENTThe Rs 14,000-crore diabetes drug market in the country is witnessing achurn with many patents reaching their expiry. For patients, that's goodnews as far as medicine price is concerned. The diabetes segment has beengrowing faster than the country's overall drug market.At least two key drugs in the gliptin category have already gone off patentand cheaper variants are crowding the market. Also, several patent expiriesare round the corner for the newest category of drugs -SGLT-2 inhibitors orgliflozins. Last month, Novartis' novel drug vildagliptin lost its patent,following which over 20 generics have entered the market, resulting in morethan 70 per cent price drop.APEX BROADCASTERS' BODY DECRIES TRAI'S NEW CAP ON CHANNEL PRICINGThe Indian Broadcasting Federation (IBF), the apex body of broadcasters, onFriday expressed its displeasure at the telecom regulator's latestnotification, saying the move would hamper industry growth and lead toshutting down of channels and unemployment.IBF will now strategise its future course of action, including evaluatinglegal options, based on feedback from its member channels and networks.The TRAI had issued amendments to its February, 2019, tariff order earlierthis week. Among other things, Trai reduced the cap on the maximum retailprice (MRP) of individual channels that can form part of a bouquet to Rs 12per month from an earlier cap of Rs 19. The regulator has also sought toimpose twin conditions for bouquet formation, effectively introducing a capon bouquet pricing, which was left untouched in the new tariff order (NTO).The IBF said this was done without giving any "logical reason" and termed itarbitrary. It noted that coming barely a few months after Trai notified theNTO, effecting a disruptive change of the distribution ecosystem, theseamendments would severely impair broadcasters' ability to compete with otherunregulated platforms and adversely affect the viability of the sector.The broadcasters claimed that Trai was trying to micro-manage what wasarguably the cheapest rates for news and entertainment in the world. In thepast 15 years of regulating the broadcast sector, Trai has issued 36 tarifforders and ancillary regulations."This goes contrary to the government's stated position of ensuring the easeof doing business," IBF said.CAT 2019 RESULTS: 10 CANDIDATES SCORE 100 PERCENTILE, 21 SCORE 99.99Ten candidates scored 100 percentile in the Common Admission Test (CAT),results of which were announced on Saturday. This was the lowest since CAT2013, when eight candidates managed to get a perfect score.This came despite a tweak in the test, which was supposed to make it easierfor candidates from across all disciplines and level the playing field, hadlittle effect. Once again, though, all 10 toppers who scored 100 percentilewere from engineering or technology backgrounds.In fact, 19 of the 21 candidates who fell just short of the 100 percentilemark and scored 99.99 percentile, too, were from engineering and technologybackgrounds.3-MATCH T20I SERIES AGAINST SRI LANKA STARTS TODAYLasith Malinga has a problem. He has captained Sri Lanka to a World T20title, but that was way back in 2014. Now, almost six years later, there areserious doubts over his leadership.Malinga has another problem. Lately, India haven't lost many series to SriLanka. In fact, India have not lost a bilateral series to Sri Lanka - in anyformat - in more than ten years. In T20Is, Sri Lanka at least have thebragging rights of having defeated India in a World T20 final in 2014. Butwhere Sri Lanka were serious rivals in the 90s and the aughts, India havemore recently begun considering Sri Lanka matches a low-profile fixture.Often, they rest their regular captain. This time, they have rested theirbatsman of 2019, Rohit Sharma.India have not been quite as dominant in T20s as they would like to beeither, They lost T20I series in New Zealand and Australia in 2019, and alsolost matches at home to West Indies, Bangladesh and South Africa (thoughIndia didn't lose any of those series).In this series, India play just 3 T20Is - Today in Guwahati, in Indore on7th and in Pune on 10th.