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Market Watch
- Indian benchmark indices ended the day in the green, with the Sensex up 1,292.92 points at 81,332.72, and the Nifty up 428.75 points at 24,834.85.
- All sectoral indices ended the day in the green, with Nifty Healthcare, Nifty Pharma, Nifty Auto and Nifty IT leading the pack.
The security nightmare that is the Paris Olympics
The Olympics are upon us once again, and this year (the 33rd Olympic Games) will be held in Paris, the city of light. The opening ceremony is scheduled for 11:00 PM IST. About 10,000 athletes will compete in the first Olympic Games in Paris since 1924.
The intrigue: After years of their bids being turned down (1992, 2008, 2012), Paris finally got to host the games - something Pierre de Coubertin, considered the father of the modern Olympic games (co-founder of the International Olympic Committee, and its second president) would be proud of.
- No new stadiums have been constructed and most of the events will be held in France’s largest stadium, the Stade de France. The opening ceremony will be held on the river Seine - the first time that it will be held outside a stadium - and a security nightmare for agencies.
- Swimming events will be held at the La Defence Arena, gymnastics at the Berov Arena, and cycling at the Pont d’Iena.
- The Parc Urbain at the Place de La Concorde will host 3×3 basketball, street and park skateboarding, BMX freestyle, and the newest sport at the Games, break dancing.
A security nightmare: The games are spread across venues in the city, and the expected footfall is over 10 million. While this is great for business, it is a logistical nightmare for security agencies.
So what are they doing about it? France will deploy around 35,000 police officers daily, peaking at 45,000 for the Opening Ceremony, and 10,000 soldiers will also be stationed in the Paris region. Foreign police forces are also helping out, including a contingent of sniffer dogs from India.
- To protect the opening ceremony, the banks of the Seine have been turned into a high-security zone, where only those vetted by security and who have QR-coded passes and enter.
- Over 40,000 barriers and extensive security perimeters, including QR code checks, will be enforced, creating an unprecedented security environment.
- 1 million background checks have been conducted on Olympic volunteers, workers as well as those applying for passes to enter along the banks of the Seine, and 5,000 people have been blocked from attending as a result, including 1000 suspected of spying for foreign nations.
As for India: All eyes are on Neeraj Chopra whose total domination of all international javelin-throwing events has made him a favourite for the Olympic gold this year.
- India’s star men’s doubles badminton duo - Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty - are favourites for a medal at Paris 2024, having already won gold at the Commonwealth Games, Asiad, Asian Championships, and India’s historic Thomas Cup win.
- Nikhat Zareen - the two-time boxing world champion is one of the favorites in the women’s 50 kg category, although she has a tough draw.
The bottom line: While the games promise to bring the same excitement and adrenaline rush as all previous instances, no one envies France’s security agencies at the moment.
Clip du jour
Nirmala Sitharaman’s evasive answers to a basic question - why does the middle class always bear the brunt of the government’s taxation plans?
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