First India News Paper|Gujarat-English News Paper Today-13 January 2020 edition by First India-English News Paper

AHMEDABAD l THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2020 l Pages 14 l 3.00 RNI NO. GUJENG/2019/16208 l Vol 1 l Issue No. 52

Home Minister Amit Shah flies kite along with wife Sonalben Shah, Gujarat BJP President Jitu Vaghani and state BJP Youth Morcha President Rutvij Patel on the ocassion of Makar Sankranti in Ahmedabad on Tuesday. —PHOTO BY PTI

SHAHBAZ PULLING THE STRINGS Ahmedabad: Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday flew a kite from a rooftop on Anand Nagar Road in Ahmedabad on the occasion of Makar Sankranti. The area is part of his Lok Sabha constituency, Gandhinagar. The BJP president was seen flying a kite from the rooftop of an apartment in Kanak Kala Society along with wife Sonalben Shah, Gujarat BJP president Jitu Vaghani and state BJP youth morcha president Rutvij Patel. Home Minister Shah also released balloons in the sky. However, kites with both pro- and anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act slogans written on them were seen over the skies of Ahmedabad on Tuesday. —PTI

2nd IIS to be developed in state after Mumbai on PPP model First India News Gandhinagar: Graduates from the Indian Institute of Skills (IIS) should not only think of getting jobs, but should also think of using their skills for selfemployment and to give others jobs, advised Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The home minister laid the foundation stone for the IIS here on Wednesday. This is second such institute, after the one in Mumbai for which Union Skill Development Minister Mahendranath Pandey laid the foundation stone in September. These two institutes are been developed on a PPP model with financial sup-

port from Tata Sons Pvt Ltd, which will invest Rs 500 crore for the setting up of the IISes. For the Mumbai institute, it will invest Rs 300 crore and rest in the Gujarat project. The state government has allotted 20 acres of land in Nasmed village on the Gandhinagar-Ahmedabad highway at no charge. This institute is focused on 4.0 trends and demands of the industry, leaning heavily on inter connectivity, automation, machine learning, and real-time data. Home Minister said it is the dream of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to see that industries get skilled employees and youths get employment as soon as

Home Minister Amit Shah along with Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and Tata Sons Chairman Emeritus Ratan Tata laying the foundation stone of Indian Institute of Skills at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar on Wednesday. —PHOTO BY NANDAN DAVE

they finish their education. This is why he has launched the Skill Development Mission and has planned the IIS, along the same lines as IITs (Indian Institutes of Technology) and

IIMs (Indian Institutes of Management). Shah alleged that the Congress has no right to question the commitment of the BJP government’s intent to generate more

skilled youths as the Congress failed to create such institutes, resulting in a gap between industries demand and skill manpower supply. Praising Modi, Shah

said that PM has converted weakness into strength, and his vision of ‘Make in India’ and ease of doing business has attracted investors and industrialists from across the world.

He also alleged that during the Congress regime, the nation’s economy had touched just two trillion US dollars in 70 years. However, in just five years of the Modi regime, the nation’s economy has touched $3 trillion and by 2024 it will touch $5 trillion, he said. National Skill Development Corporation Chairman Anil Naik said even before the skill development was thought at the government end, Larsen & Toubro Ltd had initiated skill development some 12 years back. L&T’s concept was more pragmatic in the sense that it provided skills to drop out students.

Rupani dials Guj athletes, boosts confidence for Khelo India 7TH ECONOMIC CENSUS KICKS OFF IN STATE

Haresh Jhala Gandhinagar: Chief Minister Vijay Rupani took time from his busy schedule to speak to the state’s sportspersons at the Khelo India Youth Games underway at Guwahati in Assam through a video conference. Sportspersons from Gujarat have won 35 medals at the sporting event that began on January 09. With seven days still to go and many finals pending, the chief minister felt it was time to boost the mood among team

CM Vijay Rupani flying kite at Mayor Bijal Patel residence in Paldi Gam.

Gujarat. CM Rupani on Wednesday made a

video call to Guwahati, where the National Khelo India

Youth Games, where about 180 sportspersons from the state

—PHOTO BY NANDAN DAVE

are participating in national-level contests of judo, athlet-

ics, shooting, badminton, boxing, cycling,, gymnastics, archery, swimming, tennis, and weight lifting. So far Gujarat has won 11 gold, 10 silver and 14 bronze medals. Rupani made a video call from his residence and con-

gratulated all those winners and also encouraged who have succeeded and are going for final rounds. He also suggested that they to push hard and play well so that they return the state is among the top five with a minimum of

40 medals. He also conveyed to players that the state is proud of all players who played well but can’t win medals and also for those players who came out with flying colours by winning bronze, silver and gold medals. Turn on P5

TALKING POINT AHMEDABAD | THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2020

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AS LITERATURE LOVERS STARTED EXCHANGING THEIR KINDLES FOR EARBUDS, AUDIBLE STARTED EXPANDING INTO A PLETHORA OF NEW MODELS INCLUDING HYBRID AUDIOBOOKS THAT COMBINED NARRATION AND DRAMA

PODCAST

DIGITAL GENERATION

BOOM

he state of audio drama in 2020 is wildly different from ten years ago when audio, or rather radio drama, was in decline across much of the Englishspeaking world. Drama had been dropped from radio stations in the US, was being phased out from popular listening in Canada and faced budget cuts in the UK and Ireland. The roots of the reinvention go back to the early 1980s. Adaptations like the BBC’s Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Lord of the Rings and NPR/BBC’s Star Wars changed how radio drama was viewed. They gave rise to a later audio movie style and inspired a new generation of independents. These “indie” producers pioneered the revival of the medium. Digitisation of sound design during the 1990s and 2000s put the means of production back into the hands of hobbyist creatives. However, getting shows to audiences was costly and difficult. That was until podcasting delivered stories direct to iPods in 2003. When the drama showcase Radio Drama Revival was launched as a podcast in 2007, single-piece shows for CD, web or radio made up the majority of output. These were soon replaced by podcast serials that could reach a global audience.

MEDIA CROSSOVERS

y 2016, podcast drama was growing quickly, prompting thought about how shows could be commercialised. Studio productions The Message and The Discovery Adventure drew on corporate sponsorships. Other companies looked at crossover appeal. In the UK, Big Finish, had established a model of turning TV shows, like Doctor Who or The Avengers, into commercial audio dramas. In the US, podcasts like the thriller Homecoming and Lime Town achieved the opposite by making the transition to television. Meanwhile, sci-fi shows Steal the Stars and The Bright Sessions have been turned into novelisations. As a result, on-demand audiobook platforms, like Audible, took notice. By 2017, audiobooks were the fastest growing strand in publishing and today are recording yearly growth of 24%. As literature lovers started exchanging their Kindles for earbuds, Audible started expanding into a plethora of new models including hybrid audiobooks that combined narration and drama. For example, audio “shows” – podcasts for subscribers – including the Aliens series, and original fullcast drama Dark Water Bride.

BBC RADIO STRIKES BACKLISTENING

Forest 404 exemplified this approach, combining talk, drama and music to capture a younger demographic. The challenge will be for Sounds to represent the energy of the UK’s own thriving podcast scene. The passionate fan commitment to productions like the comedy Wooden Overcoats was recently demonstrated when it overshot its latest crowdfunding target by £10,000. Then there’s the ever popular My Dad Wrote a Porno, which has developed into live iterations, a TV special and a bestselling book. Reasons why podcasting has become an important storytelling medium

espite continued belttightening, BBC Radio remains the biggest investor in audio fiction in the world, producing 300 dramas a year. Since 2010, it sought to compete with TV by producing eye-catching productions like Neverwhere starring Benedict Cumberbatch, the epic fantasy Tumanbey, and the ambitious five-year reimagining of the first world war with Home Front. In 2018, the corporation launched a digital audio platform BBC Sounds in a bid to take on the audio-giants with its portfolio of current affairs, music and drama. Eco-thriller

VIRTUAL REALITY IS ON THE WAY

alking about town, when one can’t hold a book or ogle a screen, streaming audio is the only viable entertainment option. The podcast’s lithe ability to contort itself across myriad activities and settings, venturing where print and video cannot, is ultimately what cements its growth prospects. Not just in our cars, commutes, and meanderings, but center stage in our living rooms and at entertainment venues. Virtual reality, if not the computing platform of the future as held by Mark Zucker-

ust as radio was cutting back in 2009, a range of new sci-fi podcast epics in the US, like the Byron Chronicles, Edict Zero – FIS and We’re Alive took advantage of the new medium, enabling fans to binge listen on MP3 players. Zombie drama We’re Alive mirrored techniques from the earlier “audio-movie” movement, with an emphasis on action and multilayered sound mixed for speakers. The more colloquial dialogue and episodic delivery paralleled trends in television, foreshadowing the later release of the hit show The Walking Dead. In the first year, downloads of We’re Alive were in the hundreds. Ten years later, they were in the hundreds of millions. Up until 2012, new digital productions in the US often drew on audiences familiar with the earlier radio tradition. However, this was fast changing. The bundling of the iTunes app on iPhones and growth of social media brought new listeners, who were discovering audio drama for the first time. The surreal comedy Welcome to Night Vale took advantage of this. Characterising itself as a radio news show, it appealed to an audience who knew the talk show format and grew rapidly through a fan following on Tumblr. Equally, the global success of the investigative podcast Serial in 2014 created an appetite for true crime and fictional thrillers – such as Lime Town and Black Tapes. These latter intentionally blurred the boundaries of fiction and reality, making the listener a participant in the “investigation”.

DISTRIBUTION IS EXPANDING So we’ve got investment, content, and talent, all of which neatly lock in a virtuous cycle. What about distribution? An estimated 57 million Americans, or 21% of the U.S. population, listen to podcasts regularly. This might sound like a lot, but really, it’s peanuts compared with terrestrial radio, which captures nearly 300 million regular listeners, 93% of the population.

TALENT BASE IS GROWING

ith real dollars available and an increasing body of buzzy and ambitious works completed in the medium, premiere talent is more interested in podcasting than ever before. We now see names such as Lena Dunham dabbling in the space, among other celebrity participants. New York Times ’ Modern Love podcast features actors and actresses like Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Dakota Fanning on the show each week. The medium’s talent base is additionally boosted by an increasingly stable business model. These new entrants will contribute yet more great work to the ecosystem, generating yet greater listenership and growth investment.

CONTENT IS IMPROVING berg, is set to become a major format in entertainment, and podcasting stands to benefit. Why? In audio storytelling, listeners are moved through a narrative by sound – building music, character dialogue, and

narration. Given the difficulty of taking an audience through a controlled visual sequence in a spherically immersive VR environment, audio storytelling is the best option for traditional linear stories in the format.

With swelling investment, podcasting’s shows have and will continue to grow in ambition, sure. But it is not investment alone that is driving improvements in content. It is the instinct of the medium’s savvy creators to exploit the same luxury afforded in digital video: freedom. Freedom from a network programming clock, and freedom from broadcast.

FEW INDIAN PODCASTS WORTH LISTENING CULTURE CHAOS Stories of an Indian abroad — A podcast from a non-resident Indian woman about life abroad, trying to make sense out of different cultural norms and a whole new way of living. My confusions and the stories that arise from this chaos while I try to hold on to my culture, identity and life as I know it...

BAALGATHA This podcast brings you stories from India and around the world. These are stories from Panchatantra, Jataka stories, and other classic sources.

INDIAN NOIR A fast-paced, edge of your seat crime thriller set in India. It’s written, narrated and produced by Commonwealth Short Story Prize and DWL Story Prize winning writer Nikesh Murali. It includes plot-heavy audio stories with a focus on always delivering a rollercoaster ride of action and thrills.

ANUPAMA CHOPRA FILM REVIEW

THE MUSAFIR STORIES

This one is hosted by film critique, television anchor and author Anupama Chopra. A well-researched, quality podcast for all Bollywood and Hollywood movie lovers.

The Musafir Stories is about exploring this melting pot of diverse heritage, culture and religion. From picturesque snow covered mountain to barren deserts, from tropical rain forests to beautiful beaches.

PLAY TO POTENTIAL An amazing podcast by Deepak Jayaraman. The conversations cover topics around Leadership, Transitions and Careers. Given that time is scarce and that you might be interested in only some of the segments of the podcast, the conversations have been broken down into nuggets to facilitate easier consumption.

Source: The Conversation

AHMEDABAD l THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2020 l Pages 14 l 3.00 RNI NO. GUJENG/2019/16208 l Vol 1 l Issue No. 52

MINISTERS TO VISIT J&K, NEARLY SIX MONTHS AFTER

ABROGATION

BREAKING THE ICE Anurag Thakur, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Giriraj Singh, Prahlad Joshi, Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, Renuka Singh, Jitendra Singh and Piyush Goyal will visit different districts during the period of a week

OF ART 370 New Delhi: A group of Union ministers will visit Jammu and Kashmir later this month to spread awareness about the positive impact of abrogation of Article 370 provisions and the development measures taken by the government for the region, sources said on Wednesday. The schedule for the visit of the ministers to the union territories of Jammu and Kashmir is likely to be finalised at a meeting of the Union Council of Ministers on January 17. The visit is an initiative of Union Home Minister Amit Shah and the ministry is coordinating it, the sources said. Union minister Piyush Goyal is expected to visit the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir on January 19.

PM must clarify on Naik ‘offer’ claim: Digvijay Bhopal/Indore: Senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh on Wednesday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to clarify on controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik’s claim that the Centre had offered him safe passage to India in exchange for his support on the abrogation of Article 370. Naik, a 53-year-old radical television preacher, has been wanted in India for money laundering and inciting extremism through hate speeches. He had left India in 2016 and subsequently moved to Malaysia, where he was granted

permanent residency. The controversial preacher had recently made a claim that a representative of the Narendra Modi government had approached him in Malaysia in September last year, and offered him safe passage to India in return for his support for the Centre’s decision to revoke Jammu and Kashmir’s special constitutional status. Turn on P5

Communication channels to be opened: L-G Jammu: Lieutenant Governor GC Murmu on Wednesday said that normal communication channels will be opened in the region after a review. “We are reviewing continuously, and accordingly we are relaxing everything. In the coming days, normal communication

BEIJING’S FRESH ATTEMPT TO RAISE KASHMIR IN UNITED NATIONS MEET New Delhi: China has made a fresh pitch to raise the Kashmir issue in a closed-door meeting of the UN Security Council in New York on Wednesday, but the attempt is likely to fail as all other member countries of the body are set to oppose it. French diplomatic sources said France has noted the request of a UNSC member to raise the Kashmir issue once again in the powerful body and it is going to oppose it like it did on a previous occasion. The closed door meeting of the UNSC Turn on P5

Amazon to invest $1 bn in India New Delhi: Amazon. com Inc chief Jeff Bezos on Wednesday announced USD 1 billion (over Rs 7,000 crore) investment in India to help bring small and medium businesses online and committed to exporting USD 10 billion worth of India-made goods by 2025. Before this, the online retail giant had committed USD 5.5 billion investments in India - Amazon’s most important market out-

side of the US and a key growth driver. We are committed to being a long-term partner of India asnd actions speak louder than words, he said. “Over the next five years, Amazon will invest an incremental USD 1 billion to digitise micro and small businesses... across India, helping them reach more customers than ever before. This initiative will use Amazon’s global footprint to create Turn on P5

NAMASTE INDIA

JEFF BEZOS AMAZON.COM INC CHIEF

technology and communications channels will be opened,” Murmu told reporters after the administration issued orders for partial restoration of internet services in the Union Territory from Wednesday. When asked whether he is satisfied with normalcy returning to Jammu

EXPORTS DIP

Three Malaysian tourists get emotional while accessing the internet for the first time after reaching the Valley.

and Kashmir, the Lieutenant Governor said: “Definitely, the situation is normal in Jammu and other parts. People are now participating in development.” Earlier on Tuesday, the Jammu and Kashmir administration issued orders to partially allow 2G mobile connectivity Turn on P5

Top Hizb terrorist killed in encounter Jammu: A top Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist was killed by security forces while one of his accomplices escaped during an encounter in Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda district on Wednesday, officials said. The encounter between the ultras and a joint team of Army

and police personnel took place in the district’s Gondana belt, Public Relations Officer, Defence, Jammu, Lt Col Devender Anand, said. Security forces had received information about the presence of terrorists in the area, the officials said. In the gun battle,

Hizbul Mujahideen’s Haroon Wani, an A++ category terrorist, was killed. He belonged to the Gattah belt of the district, Deputy Inspector General of Police, Doda-KishtwarRamban Range, Sujit Kumar, said. He said another terrorist fled towards higher Turn on P5

New RBI Dy Guv to look after policy division

Execution of convicts on Jan 22 not possible: Delhi govt to HC

New Delhi: Newly-appointed RBI Deputy Governor Michael Debabrata Patra will look after the key monetary policy department along with seven other units, the central bank said after reshuffling portfolios of deputy governors. Besides the governor, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has four deputy governors looking after different departments. Turn on P5

New Delhi: The Delhi government on Wednesday informed the High Court that execution of the death row convicts in the Nirbhaya gang rape and murder case will not take place on January 22 as a mercy plea has been filed by one of them. The four convicts -Vinay Sharma (26), Mukesh Kumar (32), Akshay Kumar Singh (31) and Pawan Gupta

Nirbhaya’s mother Asha Devi

(25) -- were to be hanged on January 22 at 7 am in Tihar jail. A Delhi court had issued their death warrants on January 7. Justices Manmo-

han and Sangita Dhingra Sehgal were informed by the Delhi government and the Centre that the petition filed by convict Mukesh, challenging his death warrant, was premature. The Delhi government and the prison authorities said that under the rules, they will have to wait for the mercy plea to be decided before executing the death warrant. Turn on P5

BJP senior leaders not ready to quit cabinet for organization Haresh Jhala Gandhinagar: The reorganization of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s district- to national-level structure has been delayed by almost a month. Those in the know saw that party president Amit Shah, who is on a twoday visit to Gujarat, will meet state leaders to finalize the names of city and district committee presidents. At the same time, senior party leaders are consulting a few senior lead-

ers holding cabinet positions about returning to the organization as the party is looking for effective leadership here ahead of the District Panchayat and Municipal Corporation’s general elections. The upcoming polls are likely to be a tough challenge for the party due to farmers unrest on many counts, unemployment and reservations in government jobs. Sources from the party said that senior leaders from New Delhi, during their recent

visits to Gujarat, had met two senior cabinet ministers, both of whom--surprisingly-have declined proposals put forth by senior party leaders. It is been said that a senior cabinet minister from North Gujarat has conveyed to the party high command that he is happy with his present assignment by the party. High command had offered him two options: either to take charge as state unit president or be ready to move to Delhi. However, the senior

cabinet minister has shown no interest in taking up the new task. Sources also said that this senior cabinet minister has also conveyed his gratitude to the Prime Minister, saying that the party has given him a lot more than he had expected, and also requested Prime Minister Modi to allow him to continue in the cabinet. The other senior cabinet minister is said to have told the high command that this is his last term and now is plan-

ning to retire from the active politics once this assembly term ends in 2022. Hence, he should be allowed to retire from politics as a minister. He has also cited medical reasons for not taking up assignment of organization, saying it would mean a lot of travelling. At the same, sources also added should the Prime Minister order either of the two leaders to take charge as party state unit president, neither can refuse it. Turn on P5

GUJARAT AHMEDABAD | THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2020

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BRIEF

Govt to launch snakebite research institute at Valsad

19 Surat firms try to claim Rs 55 crore of IGST Surat: A fraud of Rs 55 crore was busted in Surat as it was learnt that 19 firms fraudulently tried to claim Integrated Goods and Services Tax (IGST) against fake invoices valued at Rs 679 crore. Data analysis showed that these 19 firms had issued invoices valued at Rs461 crore involving IGST worth Rs39 crore for exports and invoices valued at Rs196 crore involving GST to the tune of Rs12 crore for domestic supply.

Establishments fined Rs 50,000 for littering

Vipul Rajput

Pic of a snakebite research institute functional in Tamil Nadu.

Gandhinagar: Thousands of snakebite incidents are reported in the country every year while the incidence is especially high in south Gujarat. In order to increase public awareness about snakebites, the Gujarat government has decided to launch an internationally-owned snakebite research institute at tribal-dominated Dharampur in Valsad. At the cost of crores

of rupees, the institute will also serve as a research facility and a venom collection centre for pharmaceutical companies. The institute will also produce anti-venom for those suffering from snakebites, in addition to creating awareness about snakebite treatment and remedies. Every year, as many as 50 lakh people die due to snakebite worldwide. According to data from the Union Ministry of Health and Fam-

In first case under GCTOC, Crime Branch arrests 4 Aides of gangster Goswami held after inspection at Sabarmati jail First India News

Ahmedabad: With Swachh Survekhan underway, the solid waste department on Wednesday slapped fines on several commercial units, including some famous eateries. Iskon Gathiya of Ghodasar was fined Rs50,000 for littering, while Honest in Maninagar was fined with Rs5000 for the same violation. Meanwhile, nine units in the south zone were sealed because they were found selling banned plastic items.

Woman allegedly kidnapped and raped in B’kantha

Ahmedabad: A woman was allegedly abducted and raped by three persons in the Shihori village in Banaskantha, police said. The incident comes days after a 19-year-old girl’s body was found hanging from a tree in Modasa. According to sources, the girl was standing on a road in Shihori when three people in a car forcibly dragged her and took her away. The girl alleged that they took her to the Dugawada area and raped her. The trio then dropped her at the home. She narrated the incident to her parents who then filed a police complaint. The girl alleged that the three accused are Rahulsinh Dabhi, Mithunsinh Dabhi and Manojbhai. Shihori police filed a complaint against them and have started investigating the case.

Ahmedabad: The crime branch of the city police on Wednesday filed its first case under the Gujarat Control of Terrorism and Organised Crime (GCTOC) Act, registering offences against seven persons and arresting four. The police conducted search operations at Sabarmati Central Jail during primary investigation and busted four aides of the notorious gangster Vishal Goswami for their alleged involvement in extortion, murder, and attempt to murder. Since Goswami and two of his accomplices, Ajay, alias Ashutosh Goswami and Rinku, alias Rajveer Goswami, were already locked up at Sabarmati Central Jail, four other gang members were arrested by the police on Wednesday under the GCTOC Act that came into effect from December 1. Police arrested Briijendra Goswami, Anurag, alias Tiger Goswa-

Four Accused in Crime Branch custody on Wednesday.

We received information that gangsters connected to Vishal Goswami had threatened businessman and demanded extortion money from them. —Ajay Tomar, Crime branch special commissioner

mi, Jaypuri, alias Jay Goswami, and Suraj Goswami. The four are currently out of bail after the police recovered Rs50,000 in cash, one pistol, 40 cartridges, a motorcycle and a car from them, sources say. Crime branch special commissioner of police, Ajay Tomar, “We received information

that gangsters connected to Vishal Goswami had threatened businessman and demanded extortion money from them. Since Goswami is already locked up in Sabarmati Central Jail, our team filed its first offence under GCTOC against seven persons and arrested four gang members.”

—PHOTO BY HANIF SINDHI

He added, “We received an application from a businessman, who was threatened by the Goswami gang and they were demanding money from him for around a month. Later, crime branch officials started investigating this case. The police started technical surveillance of the complainant’s mobile phone and were shocked to learn that the mobile phone had been used from inside the jail and it belonged to notorious gangster Vishal Goswami.”

THE DATA

southern Gujarat. There are about 270 different snake species in the country, out of which, four common venomous snake species found in Gujarat are the cobra, krait, Russell’s viper and Sawscale viper. Sharma adds, “As per Section 12D of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972, we will prepare life-saving drugs from snake poison so that 2,550 snake poisons will be extracted from four different species.

ily Welfare, 885 deaths and 1.64 lakh snakebite cases were reported across India in 2018. Reports also state that 70% of all snakebite incidents occur in south Asia. Dr DK Sharma,

Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Head of the Forest Force, told First India that that many people suffer from snakebites in Dang, Valsad, Surat and other parts of

GLS student files ragging case against three

Searching mins, LRD candidates reach River Front

First India News Ahmedabad: An 18-year-old law student at GLS University has alleged that he was ragged and harassed by three persons from his college, police say. The complainant, a resident of Bodakdev, filed a police complaint at Navrangpura police against Harshadityasinh Parmar, Umang Rabari and Digvijay Rabari. The complainant alleged that during the college’s admission process in June last year, the three accused had ragged him, telling him to obey their orders. They also used abusive language. In November, he further alleged that the trio also broke the rear glass of his car. The complainant also claimed that the three accused had threatened to kill him last week and also beat up some of his friends. The student informed his brother about the incidents and filed a complaint with the police, who have launched an investigation.

LRD aspirants agitating in Ahmedabad.

First India News Ahmedabad: After more than a month of protests, candidates of the Lok Rakshak Dal (LRD) examination reached Sabarmati River Front in the city with the hopes of meeting Home Minister Amit Shah and Minister of State for Home Pradipsinh Jadeja. The women candidates, who missed out on LRD exams because they belong to backward classes, had heard that the ministers were in the city to celebrate Uttarayan. However, they left empty-handed and were taken back to Satyagrah Chhavni, Gandhinagar, where they have continued their protests. “We heard that the home

—FILE PHOTO

minister is in the city for the kite-flying festival. River Front hosts it, so we came here. This city is new for us and we do not know where else to go and find them. The police helped us to get back to Gandhinagar,” said Mina Ahir. The candidates arrived with police protection. Hasmukh Saxena, one of the supporters of the candidates, was detained by the police on Wednesday. “Since morning, I was in police detention in a vehicle. As Amit Shah is in town, the police are keeping a close watch on our movements. It is unfortunate that they are not allowing us to raise our problems. The leaders should know why we are protesting,” said Saxena.

IAS Anju Sharma wins Crossword award for ‘Corporate Monk’ book

Cops catch 2 for breaking open ATM

First India News

Ahmedabad: Ellisbridge police on Wednesday caught two persons attempting to break open and vandalize a State Bank of India (SBI) ATM at Polytechnic. The bank’s security system informed SBI headquarters in Mumbai and alerted the branch about the incident. According to sources, the thieves allegedly

Ahmedabad: Corporate Monk, a book by IAS Anju Sharma, Principal Secretary (Higher & Technical Education), published in 2019 has been selected as the best book in the popular choice category of the Crossword Award. She was presented with this award on January 14 at

GUP SHUP BUGGED? Or is it the grapevine... . First India begins a column that brings to you gossips or tete-e-tete from the corridors of power

a function in Mumbai. Her book was nominated for the Business and Management category. As she has talked about how to be stress-free

while sparing just two minutes during working hours. Other authors nominated in the same category include former RBI governor Raghuram Rajan for his The Third Pillar, financial expert Anil Lamba’s Flirting with Stocks and Get Better at Getting Better by Chandramauli Venkatesh of Pidilite Industries Ltd.

Filming a video is expensive

e love gossip, but very few people like being witnesses at a crime scene. However, when two passers-by saw the cops arresting two people for breaking into an ATM kiosk, they decided to stop and film the proceedings. Sadly, police personnel did not like that. They grabbed the two amateur film-makers and shoved them in a police vehicle. The cops also grabbed the mobile phone on which they were filming. The funny thing is, that the same video was then released to the media. Thankfully the two passersby were later let go.

First India News

Failure to launch at AMC

n Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC)’s power corridor there are whispers about a senior officer’s enthusiasm. The officer is famous for launching new programmes and projects but very few of them actually take off. The moment he launches the programme, he loses interest and picks up something new. Meanwhile, publicity from the launched programme gets him so much mileage that he does not feel the need to deliver them to the public. These days, the situation has gotten worse, and his staff have had to fill their days making presentations.

Accused in police custody.

tried to cut open the ATM with a cutter and other tools. After being

Modern bor taster?

f one ever needed a great example of bootlicking in politics, one just needs to look to the Terrace of Kanak Tower on Uttarayan. Legends say that during Ram’s Exile, Shabri had selected “bor” for Ram. On Tuesday, BJP state unit president Jitubhai Vaghani “selecting bor” for national party president and Union Home Minister Amit Shah by holding Shah’s firki. However, press photographers seem to have missed it! As one BJP insider said, “Can there be better apple polishing to save the presidentship?”

alerted by the branch officials, police reached the ATM and caught the

two persons red-handed as they tried to break the ATM. The two have been arrested and taken to Ellisbridge police station. Ellisbridge police sub-inspector RB Vihol says, “We reached the spot and arrested the two accused for breaking the SBI ATM at Polytechnic branch. The accused identify as Uttam Savalia of Rajkot and Alok Singh, a resident of Ambawadi.”

Sub-Inspector, constable implicated in ACB’s trap First India News Ahmedabad: In another trap set up by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), a Kalol PSI and a police constable are the latest to be implicated by the ACB. According to sources, ACB received a complaint on January 4 about a person carrying IMFL in his two-wheeler in Kalol. That time, police subinspector Chetak Barot allegedly demanded a bribe of Rs2 lakh to not file a case. ACB laid

their trap at a hotel on Monday and caught Lok Rakshak Dal constable Nitesh Thakor taking a bribe on Barot’s behalf. Anti-Corruption Bureau’s anti-corruption campaigns in recent times has trapped a number of police and government officials, including GLDC Managing Director KS Deetroja and Assistant Director Praveen Premal, and also arrested DYSP JM Bharwad and Anti-Corruption Bureau Police Inspector DD Chawda.

GUJARAT AHMEDABAD | THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2020

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OF PATANG AND KATI PATANG

—PHOTO BY HANIF SINDHI

The Ahmedabad sky was dotted with colourful kites and lanterns as the city continues with its spirit on the festival of Makar Sankranti. People shouting ‘vo kaata’, blue skies changing colour and streets were busy from dawn to dusk

Cops enter Gujarat Vidyapith to prevent students from flying Anti-CAA kites First India News

Girls enjoying kite flying.

—PHOTO BY NANDAN DAVE

Ahmedabad: Police entered the Gujarat Vidyapith (GV) campus on Tuesday where students had organized an event to fly kites bearing anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) messages. While students claimed that police disrupted the event, a senior officer said they entered the campus as part of routine patrolling and a normal process after they received inputs that some mem-

FROM JACKET AND PG 1 Rupani dials... Rupani in conversation with the players said, “We in Gujarat are aware of your strength and capabilities, we have great hope from you all that you will honour the state’s name at the national level.” He also informed players that the state is planning to organize Khelo India Youth Games next year. In last two years, the state’s players have performed very well in Khelo India Youth Games and have won 52 medals including 18 gold medals. It is to be noted that the then chief minister of Gujarat Narendra Modi had launched Khel Mahakumbh in 2010 to promote sports in the state. Khelo India Youth Games is based on this concept. Some 20 lakh players from the state participate in the Khel Mahakumbh event every year. Communication channels... on postpaid mobiles for accessing white-listed sites in five districts of Jammu region — Jammu, Samba, Kathua, Udhampur and Reasi from 15 January. beijing’s fresh...

has been called to discuss an issue relating to an African country. China has made a request to deliberate on

the Kashmir issue under the agenda of “Any Other Business Points”. Top Hizb... snowbound areas and operations are on to track him. Kumar said an AK-47 rifle, three magazines, 73 rounds, a Chinese grenade and a radio set have been recovered from Haroon. PM should... Tweeting a video of Naik’s claim, Digvijay Singh on Wednesday said, “The Prime Minister and the Home Minister should officially deny Dr Zakir Naik’s allegations or else it will mean that “anti-national” Dr Zakir Naik’s accusation was right.” Amazon to... USD 10 billion in India exports by 2025,” he said. He added that part of this goal is to ensure that more people can participate in the prosperity of India. New RBI... Patra, who was the executive director, took over the post that was lying vacant since June last year when Viral Acharya resigned. BJP senior... The party is looking for a candidate either from the Patidar community or from OBC to lead the state unit. If they don’t find a suit-

able candidate for the post from these communities, and if the high command is not keen to continue with sitting president Jitubhai Vaghani, then the party may select either a Rajput or a Brahmin leader to lead the state organization. Sources also said that the reorganisation will be influenced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with Party President Amit Shah, meaning there will room for all groups and a balanced organization. The sources also said the reorganization will be influenced by the cabinet reshuffle that has been pending for a while. The cabinet reshuffle cannot be not ruled out ahead of the state unit reorganization.

Execution of... They also said that none of the four convicts can be executed on January 22 unless the present mercy plea is decided. In response to the submission by prison authorities, the court said “put your house in order”. In defence of prison authorities, Mehra said the convicts were “frustrating” the legal process and system as they were filing curative and mercy pleas in stages to further delay their execution.

14% MORE MANJA-RELATED INJURIES

bers of rival student outfits, NSUI and ABVP, might confront each other over the flying of anti-CAA kites.

Some students of the university said a group of police personnel entered the campus, located on Ashram Road

in the city, while they were preparing to celebrate the Uttarayan Festival by flying kites with messages like “India Against CAA”, “No NPR, No NCR”. They claimed that police personnel also demanded their identity cards. “When we confronted them, police personnel told us they had the right to enter the campus without taking anyone’s permission,” claimed some students in video clips shared with mediapersons.

TWO TALES OF ONE CITY: While People celebrated kite flying from rooftops, medical staff was busy treating birds injured by the manjha in Ahmedabad. —PHOTOS BY HANIF SINDHI

PERSPECTIVE AHMEDABAD | THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2020

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PROTECTING TRADE

IN-DEPTH

IS US-IRAN CRISIS OVER?

Not everyone in developed countries has been able to move to good service jobs

COL DEVANAND LOHAMAROD

he missile attack on US - Allies bases 400 km deep in Iraq on January 8 in response to elimination of General Suleimani and eight others in a drone strike last week, is the most aggressive assault on US interests by Iran ever since 1979 when it seized the US Embassy in Tehran and took 52 American diplomat hostages for 444 days. Suleimani’s “funeral march” was a clear display of anger of Iranian people against the US forced Iran to draw a new strategy of “forceful revenge” a departure from past proxy attack strategy. Iranian parliament passed a bill on Tuesday declaring the top American Leadership as “terrorist”, subject to Iranian sanctions, a mirror order to US economic and travel sanctions on Islamic Revolutionary Guards in April 2019 and executed their intentions very next day on January 8 when two Iraqi bases hosting US troops were targeted. Trump announcing for harsh economic sanctions should not be mistaken that the US has conceded to Iran’s superiority in the region but is most likely part of regrouping tactics to get NATO and allies on board before striking for effect on Iran at “time and target” of their choosing. It will take some time before the final battle regrouping takes shape but the battle lines have been drawn this time by Khamenei in West Asia. Even though Iran’s newly announced direct retaliation strategy, first-time overt strike on US- allies and large missile arsenal with apparently improved air defence capability and military clout through an extensive network of proxies across the region, mostly Shiite militias that are hostile to the US, Israel, and Saudi Arabia - Iran remains highly vulnerable to the vastly superior firepower of the USallies. US has important regional allies like Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Turkey, Egypt, and Israel, all of which have the latest aircraft and who have a significant technological edge over the Islamic Republic. Whereas Iran’s regional allies are confined to Lebanon, Syria, and Kuwait. Conflicts in West Asia have an adverse impact on world economy who are heavily dependent on fossil fuel. As also the security of millions will be a risk who are working in the region. 20% of oil and 26% of LNG of world consumption pass through Hormuz Strait. Bharat has categorically told US & Japan it has lot at stake in West Asia ranging from energy/oil as it’s 80%of oil requirements is met through imports and security of over seven million diasporas. Modi has a compulsion and chance to display diplomatic acumen to prevent recurring such crisis in future using his intimacy with both Tehran & Washington.

RAGHURAM RAJAN The author is a former Governor of the Reserve Bank of India

T Trade negotiations have become exercises in power politics, not persuasion: threats of skyhigh tariffs to close off markets, for example, and battering-ram tactics to force “fairer” rules on the weaker party

oward the end of the last decade, globalization – the lowering of barriers to cross-border flows of goods, services, investment, and information – came under severe pressure. Populist politicians in many countries accused others of various economic wrongs, and pushed to rewrite trade agreements. Developing countries have argued for decades that the rules governing international trade are profoundly unfair. But why are similar complaints now emanating from the developed countries that established most of those rules? A simple but inadequate explanation is “competition.” In the 1960s and 1970s, industrialized countries focused on opening foreign markets for their goods and set the rules accordingly. Since then, the tide has turned. Emerging economies, especially China, got a lot better at producing goods; and the old rules dictate that developed countries must keep their markets open to the now-more-productive producers from elsewhere. To a cynical observer, developed countries’ current efforts to rewrite the rules look like an attempt not to

level the playing field, but to thwart competition. One reason why emerging-market producers are competitive is because they pay workers less (typically because those workers are less productive). Hence, the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA, the renegotiated NAFTA) would limit Mexico’s advantage by requiring that 40-45% of automobile components be made by workers earning at least $16 per hour (by 2023). It also mandates a variety of labor protections, including stronger union representation for Mexican workers, which will be monitored by US inspectors. What looks like a good deal for Mexican workers imposed by sympathetic US negotiators could also be seen as a US effort to limit the number of manufacturing jobs in Mexico. But manufacturing jobs have been moving to emerging markets for decades, so why the heightened concern now? To replace lost manufacturing jobs, developed economies have been creating jobs in services, ranging from low-tech delivery to hi-tech research and development. The implicit bargain that had governed trade was that developed countries would keep their markets open to manufacturing exports from the developing countries, which in turn would be open to service exports from the industrialized countries. Unfortunately, not everyone in developed countries

To replace lost manufacturing jobs, developed economies have been creating jobs in services, ranging from low-tech delivery to hi-tech research

has been able to move to good service jobs. The best are largely in big cities, where well-educated professionals have been able to cater to global markets, while small towns in, say, the American Midwest and northern England have not recovered economically from the departure of large manufacturing employers. The devastation of such places, and the frustration of those who live in them, ultimately fueled the political movements that put US President Donald Trump in office and will take the United Kingdom out of the European Union. The left-behind former manufacturing communities have a voice in the capital city

now, and it wants to bring back manufacturing. Yet this explanation, too, is incomplete. Much of the US dispute with China, for example, is not about manufacturing (China itself is losing manufacturing jobs to countries like Vietnam). It is about services. Although eight of the top ten service exporters are developed countries, emerging-market competition is increasing – and prompting a major push by advanced-economy firms to enact new service-related trade rules. Ostensibly, this will ensure continued open borders for services. But it will also be an opportunity to protect the advantages of dominant developed-country producers. For example, the USMCA mandates no duties on products purchased electronically, such as music or e-books, and ensures that Internet companies are not liable for content their users produce. It also attempted to extend the duration of patent protection for some drugs, a clause that was removed when congressional Democrats objected. Elites in emerging markets are responding in their own way. India introduced new rules to limit what foreign-owned platforms like Amazon and Walmart could sell online there, just before Reliance, a massive Indian conglomerate, launched its own e-commerce platform. FOR FULL REPORT LOG ON TO WWW. PROJECTSYNDICATE.COM

Are the Windsors the new Kardashians?

ill it result in the final victory over poverty as claimed? You can understand Meghan Markle’s frustration. There she is, half of one of the most illustrious, acclaimed and renowned couples on the planet. Practically every time she switches on the TV, she’s reminded of what could be. “All that money, publicity and influence — and what do they actually do?” Meghan might ask herself. “Sit around eating salads and talking about fad diets. And do you know how it all got started? A sex tape. We’re royals! Not just any old royals either. We’re the Windsors, for fuck’s sake!” Then, as if some celestial life force was listening, Uncle Andrew surged into the world’s headlines at the center of a sex scandal like no other. When Virginia

Roberts Giuffre accused the duke of York of having sex with her years ago, when she was underage, she detonated a charge with explosive power far greater than Kim Kardashian’s sex tape. That fateful tape propelled Kim and, later, her extended family, straight into our collective consciousness and ultimately turned them into the most influential family since the Borgias. Worlds are made and destroyed as a result of a remark from the family. I mean consumer worlds, of course. Their whims determine which products stay on the shelves and which ones move off at the speed of light.

OWN BRAND We have no way of knowing whether Meghan Markle aspires to lead the Windsors to the same cultural

Worlds are made and destroyed as a result of a remark from the family. I mean consumer worlds, of course

plateau as the Kardashians. But, if she does, her timing is almost too perfect. Within four months of the apparent suicide in prison of Andrew’s friend Jeffrey Epstein — a wealthy financier and convicted sex offender — Giuffre’s damning allegations and Andrew’s maladroit denial, Meghan and her husband Harry announced they

were scaling back their royal duties and relocating (probably) to Toronto, though, I imagine, with plenty of time in southern California during the freezing Ontario winters. That doesn’t mean they intend to transform into not-so-hidden persuaders à la Kardashians. All the same, the revelation that, over the past several months, the duke and duchess of Sussex have registered commercial trademarks for more than 100 commodities, including clothes and magazines, does suggest they have a marketing project in mind. They’ve also registered the domain name sussexroyal.com and have been in talks with the likes of Givenchy. It appears that a brand — probably something like SussexRoyal™— is going to be the platform of the couple’s

attempt to extricate themselves from the British royal family and become “financially independent,” as they put it. Harry and Meghan’s income currently comes from the prince of Wales and was, last year, thought to be about £5 million, or just over $6.5 million — a decent wedge for most people, but small change compared to what it might be in a few years if the project proceeds. Celebrity couples, in particular, seem to mesmerize markets. Victoria and David Beckham, for example, have built a merchandising and marketing empire worth a billion US dollars. Kim and her husband Kanye West — often abbreviated as Kimye — are collectively worth $295 million. FOR FULL REPORT LOG ON TO WWW.FAIROBSERVER.COM

TOP TWEET Dharmendra Pradhan @dpradhanbjp Russia is an important energy partner for India. There is tremendous potential to expand our scope of cooperation in the sourcing of coking coal and crude from Russia. We discussed ways to work on mutually aligned priorities for the benefit of both countries.

Vol 1 Issue No. 52 RNI NO. GUJENG/2019/16208. Printed and published by Anita Hada Sangwan on behalf of First Express Publishers. Printed at Bhaskar Printing Planet Survey No.148P, Changodar-Bavla Highway, Tal. Sanand, Dist. Ahmedabad. Published at D/302 3rd Floor Plot No. 35 Titanium Square, Scheme No. 2, Thaltej Taluka, Ghatlodiya, Ahmedabad. Editor: Jagdeesh Chandra, Resident Editor : Darshan Desai, Managing Editor: Robin Roy, responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act

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SCRAPPING OF ART 370 HISTORIC STEP: ARMY CHIEF Army chief Gen MM Naravane hails the abrogation of provisions of Art 370 and says the move has disrupted plans of western neighbour and its proxies New Delhi: Repealing of special powers for Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 is a “landmark” step and has disrupted the proxy war by our western neighbour, Army Chief Gen Manoj Naravane said on Wednesday. “Repealing of special powers under Article 370 is a landmark step. This is a major step in integrating Jammu and Kashmir into the rest of the country,” Gen Naravane said addressing the force on the 72nd Army Day parade at Cariappa parade ground. Stating that the situation on LoC is linked to the situation in Kashmir, he said the move has disrupted the proxy war by our neighbour. “We have many option to counter those who promote terrorism and we will not hesitate to use them,” Gen Naravane said. Captain Tania Sher

The Indian Army is the pride of Mother India. On the occasion of Army Day, I salute the indomitable courage, valour of all the soldiers of the country. —Narendra Modi

CDS General Bipin Rawat, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Karambir Singh, Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria and Chief of the Army Staff General MM Naravane laying wreath at the National War Memorial on the occasion of Army Day in New Delhi on Wednesday.

Gill a fourth generation army officer and from the Corps of Signals lead an all men contingent at the Army Day parade 2020. “She is the first woman officer to lead all men contingent as Parade Adjutant at Army Day Parade,” Army officials said. Last Year, Capt Bhav-

na Kasturi from the ASC became the first woman officer to lead an all- men contingent at a Republic Day parade. She was commissioned into the Army on March 2017 from Officers Training Academy (OTA), Chennai. Her father was in the 101 medium artillery regiment. —Agencies

General Bipin Rawat takes salute as CDS New Delhi: General Bipin Rawat took salute as CDS during the Army Day celebrations here at Army Parade ground, Delhi Cantonment. During the ceremony, Army chief Gen Manoj Mukund Naravane conferred medals upon the jawans. He also remembered and paid tributes to jawans who lost their lives in Avalanche recently.

Punjab protesters join sit-in at Shaheen Bagh EAM Jaishankar explains what he tells world on Kashmir, CAA New Delhi: In a conversation at Raisina Dialogue, S Jaishankar on Wednesday explained what he tells the world on matters like the Kashmir and Citizenship Act as India’s External Affairs Minister. During a session at the Raisina dialogue 2020, ORF president Samir Saran asked Jaishankar” ‘Since you took charge as Foreign Minister we had an interesting time in India, be it Kashmir, CAA, shutdown etc. What do you tell the world when you go out? You must be asked about these issues.” Responding to this Jaishankar said: “...the world has common challenge. Terrorism, separatism, and migration are a common challenge. Don’t think these problems are unique to India. This is a national variant of what are challenges in many parts of world.” —ANI

Greetings to Indian Army personnel and their families on Army Day. Dedication, commitment, discipline and values of the Army is an inspiration to all countrymen. —Amit Shah

Demonstrators during a protest against CAA and NRC at Shaheen Bagh in New Delhi on Wednesday.

New Delhi: Protesters from Punjab, including members of Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) on Wednesday joined the ongoing sit-in at Shaheen Bagh where people, largely women from the minority community, are demonstrating against the Citizenship Amendment Act and National Register of Citizens. Protesters including senior citizens, men, women and children joined the protest here and raised slogans against CAA and NRC. Earlier on Tuesday, Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar joined the protest in Shaheen Bagh here and attacked

NO DOCUMENTS OR BIOMETRICS NEEDED

the BJP-led central government saying that they fought elections on the promise of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’, but they did ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vinash’. “They got majority in election because they said we will do ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ (Together for every-

one’s progress). But what they did? They did ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vinash (destruction)’,” Aiyar said. Meanwhile, due to the protesters occupying a major portion of the road, traffic movement in the area has been affected for about a month now. —Agencies

Priyanka’s Rae Bareli workshop postponed Lucknow: Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s four-day workshop in UP’s Rae Bareli, scheduled to begin from Jan 16, has been postponed due to some reasons. Congress sources said that Priyanka’’s preoccupation with some other issues had led to the postponement. Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee president Ajay Kumar Lallu said that the workshop may now be held next week.—Agencies

People have sent back Cong to its home: K’taka HM Bommai Hubli (Karnataka): State Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Wednesday said that the people of the country have sent Congress to its home and there is no question of Amit Shah going back. “The people of the country have sent Congress to their homes, so where is the question of Amit Shah going back?” Bommai told ANI when asked about Congress’ plans to hold a protest against Union Home Minister Amit Shah on his Hubli visit on Janu-

Home Min Basavaraj Bommai

ary 18. “The Union Home Minister is coming to

Hubli. Our party is doing a big rally in favour of CAA to create awareness amongst the people about the new law. The opposition is misleading the people. Hence, our National President himself has taken over the responsibility of providing leadership in this rally,” he added. The Hubli-Dharwad Congress unit will hold a black flag protest against Union Home Minister Amit Shah during his visit to Hubli on January 18. —ANI

Aaditya meets Rahul & Ahmed Patel New Delhi: After skipping the opposition meet, the Shiv Sena in a bid to pacify the Congress leadership has sent Aaditya Thackeray, a minister in Uddhav Thackeray government in Maharashtra, to New Delhi to meet Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday. Before meeting Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday, Aaditya had met Ahmed Patel on Tuesday evening at his residence and discussed the issues related to coalition politics in the state. This is the first meeting between the two scions after the formation of the government in Maharashtra where

Rahul Gandhi

Ahmed Patel

Aaditya Thackeray

Congress is a junior partner in the government. It is learnt that both the leaders discussed the current political situation and Aaditya Thackeray told Rahul Gandhi about the welfare work initiated by the government. The former Congress

president discussed the issue of CAA and NPR and its ramifications with Aaditya Thackeray, said a source. The Shiv Sena did not turn up for the opposition meet which made Congress and the NCP uncomfortable, however, the sources say that the message could not

be communicated to the Sena on time, downplaying the absence of Sena leaders. Sources also said that there was no Sena leader in the national capital to attend the meet and Priyanka Chaturvedi, who was in Delhi then, was turned back by Congress. —Agencies

BJP-RSS WANT TO SHUT DOWN JNU, SAYS CPI LEADER D RAJA

New Delhi: Ahead of the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections, AAP leader Narayan Dutt Sharma on Wednesday accused Deputy CM Manish Sisodia of asking him to shell out Rs 10 crores for the party ticket from Badarpur constituency. “Manish Sisodia called me to his house and said that 20-21 crore were being offered

New Delhi: BJP and RSS want to shut down JNU and are hence targeting it, said CPI leader D Raja here on Wednesday. “BJP-RSS together are targeting JNU and want that it should be shut down. The BJP leaders including Subramanian Swamy have termed JNU anti-national. These leaders pose a threat to rea-

A Member of Parliament from Pali district in Rajasthan and Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Parliamentary Committee, PP Chaudhary met the Foreign Minister of Latvia, Edgar Rinkvics, one of the three Baltic republics of northeastern Europe and the parliamentary delegation of Morocco led by Mehdi Abdelkirim and Dr Abdelatif Asraj, Chairman of the Indo-Morocco Parliamentary Freedom Group in New Delhi on Wednesday.

I salute all valiant Indian Army personnel and recall with pride their indomitable spirit, valour and sacrifices in making India a safer place. —Rajnath Singh

We are proud of you Indian Army! Salute to the gallant soldiers of the Indian Army, a symbol of indomitable courage, valor and bravery. #ArmyDay2020#Army Day —Prakash Javadekar

ND SHARMA ACCUSES SISODIA OF ASKING HIM FOR `10 CR FOR TICKET by Ram Singh for the ticket from my constituency, and then proceeded to ask me how much I was ready to cough up. Sisodia asked me for Rs 10 crore, I said that I did not have the money as I am an honest man,” Sharma said. He further accused the party of giving tickets in exchange for money in several constituencies.

Wishing all the brave soldiers of Indian Army, exservicemen who sacrifice their lives in protecting the country’s borders and their families a very happy Army Day. Jai Hind —Rahul Gandhi

son and rationality. The people must understand their design,” said D Raja. Violence broke out at the JNU campus on January 5, where a masked mob attacked the teachers and students of the university. Several students and teachers, including JNU Students’ Union president Aishe Ghosh, were injured in the attack.

YOGI LEADS CELEBRATIONS AT GORAKHNATH TEMPLE Gorakhpur: On the occasion of ‘Makar Sankranti’ on Wednesday, UP CM Yogi Adityanath slipped back into the role of Peethadeeshwar of the Goraksh temple in Gorakhpur and led the celebrations there. Yogi Adityanth held a puja at 4 AM in temple and offered “khichdi”. An offering of khichdi from the King of Nepal was also made at the temple as part of the tradition. Lakhs of devotees thronged the Gorakhnath temple on Wednesday and offered khichdi. A big “langar” of making the khichdi was also held on the occasion.

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IN THE COURTYARD

Chandrashekhar Azad gets bail, to stay away from Delhi till elections

Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar got bail after over four weeks —FILE PHOTO in jail for leading a protest in Jama Masjid area.

New Delhi: Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar, arrested for leading a massive protest in Delhi’s Jama Masjid area, has got bail after over four weeks in jail. The firebrand leader, however, can’t hold or attend a protest or address any public gathering in the city till Delhi assembly elections, court said. Azad was charged with Sections 147 (punishment for rioting), 148 (rioting, armed with a deadly weapon), 149 (unlawful assembly), 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public), 120B (criminal conspiracy)

Unnao rape case: Kuldeep Sengar moves HC challenging conviction New Delhi: Expelled BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar on Wednesday moved the Delhi High Court challenging his conviction and life term for raping a minor girl in Unnao in 2017. Sengar challenged the December 20 verdict of a trial court here which had sentenced him to life imprisonment and had imposed an exemplary fine of 25 lakh in the case. The court had convicted Sengar for rape under the Indian Penal

Code and the POCSO Act for offence by a public servant committing penetrative sexual assault against a child after holding the victim to be a minor.

SC dismisses plea seeking stay on Madras HC’s order on Jallikattu New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to entertain a plea challenging the Madras High Court order for conducting Jallikattu in various districts of Tamil Nadu, under supervision of monitoring committees headed by a retired district judge. A Bench of Chief Justice L Nageswara Rao asked the petitioner to approach the Chennai Bench of Madras High Court and dismissed the petition after which the petitioner withdrew the plea. The plea was filed by a farmer AK Kannan. The petitioner demanded that Jallikattu must be conducted under the supervision of the district collector. The Madurai Bench of

tion in UP’s Saharanpur, his hometown, every Saturday for the next four weeks, and after that, every last Saturday of every month till the chargesheet is filed. Judge Kamini Lau also said that Azad has to inform the police before visiting Delhi for his medical treatment. On Azad’s counsel request, the Judge allowed Azad to go to Jama Masjid to offer prayers. “He can do so wherever in the next 24 hours before he is escorted to Sharanpur, where he is required to stay for the next one month,” the judge said.

and other relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code for taking out a procession against the widely

criticised Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). Azad will have to show up at a police sta-

1984 anti-Sikh riots: Centre accepts report

DySP Davinder Singh case handed over to NIA

New Delhi: Central government on Wednesday told the Supreme Court that it has accepted Justice Dhingra committee report into the role of Delhi Police in 1984 anti-Sikh riots and that it will take action accordingly. A Bench of Chief Justice SA Bobde has allowed the petitioner S Gurlad Singh Kahlon, a member of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee, to file suggestions on the report submitted by SIT.

New Delhi: National Investigation Agency (NIA) Director-General on Wednesday met Union Home secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla pertaining to an investigation of a case related to Deputy SP Davinder Singh, who was arrested by Jammu and Kashmir police while he was travelling with two Hizbul terrorists. The investigation of the case has been handed over to NIA, sources claimed. A team headed by IG level officer will go to Jammu and Kashmir for the investigation soon. The probe team will investigate Davinder’s link with the terrorists. The NIA will also register a case after seeking details from the Jammu and Kashmir Police, the source further added. Police arrested DySP Davinder Singh along with two top Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists. —ANI

Verdict adjourned for Jan 18 in kidnapping, rape case of 5-yr-old New Delhi: A Delhi court on Wednesday adjourned its verdict for January 18 in the 2013 kidnapping and rape case of a five-year-old girl. Additional Sessions Judge Naresh Kumar Malhotra said that the copy of the order is not yet ready. Two accused, Manoj Kumar and Pradeep, are facing the trial for allegedly raping the minor at in rented accommodation in east Delhi’s Gandhi Nagar in April 2013.

the High Court had ordered the constitution of a committee headed by a retired district judge and comprising district collector, commissioner of police and Madurai Corporation commissioner to conduct Avaniyapuram Jallikattu on January 15. Jallikattu is organised in rural areas of Tamil Nadu as a part of Pongal. —ANI

development told IANS. He said that the agency has prepared a list of the officers of the Joint Director and the Deputy Inspector General of Police levels, who have been at the same post in the agency for years. Another CBI source said that the transfers are part of a “routine” exercise as laid down by the government.

Lucknow: On her 64th birthday on Wednesday, BSP chief Mayawati slammed both BJP and Congress and said that both have ignored people’s welfare during their governments. “The BJP-led Central government is also following the path of Congress party. BJP like Congress has kept aside issues of people welfare and national

BJP like Congress has kept aside issues of people welfare and national interest. It is misusing its powers. Wrong policies have led to disturbance of law —Mayawati, BSP Chief

interest,” Mayawati said at a press conference here. “It is misusing its powers for po-

NEW DIRECTOR GENERAL OF CRPF ASSUMES OFFICE New Delhi : New Director General (DG) of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF)Anand Prakash Maheshwari on Wednesday assumed the office. Surjeet Singh Deswal, Director General, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), who had the additional charge of Central Reserve Police Force, passed on the baton to Maheshwari. AP Maheshwari, a 1984 batch IPS officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre, has been appointed to the post up to February 28, 2021, which is the date of his superannuation.

litical gains. Wrong policies of government have led to disturbance of law and order situa-

22 IPS OFFICERS OF 1990 BATCH EMPANELLED AS ADG IN GOI As many as 22 IPS officers of 1990 batch have been empanelled for holding Additional Directo General and equivalent posts in Government of India. The officers include: Anjani Kumar of AP; Rajwinder singh Bhatti of Bihar; Shyam Bhagat Negi of HP; Shatrujeet Singh Kapoor of Haryana; B Srinivasan of Jammu & Kashmir; Harinath Mishra of Kerala; Kamal Pant of Karnataka; Sadanand Vasant Date and A M Kulkarni of Maharashtra; Rajeev Kumar Sharma and Ravi Prakash Mehrada of Rajasthan; Amrendra Kumr Singh of Sikkim; T V Ravichandran of Tamil Nadu; S S Chaturvedi of Tripura; V Vinay Kumar of UK; Renuka Mishra, Tilotma Verma, Rajiv Ranjan Verma, Daljit Singh Chaudhary, Satya Narain Sabat, Tanuja Srivastava of Uttar Pradesh and Y K Gautam of Assam-Meghalaya cadre.

THREE IPS OFFICERS OF 1989 BATCH EMPANELLED AS ADG IN GOI Three IPS officers of 1989 batch: Ajay Bhatnagar of Jharkhand, Rajender Singh of Maharashtra and Umesh Mishra of Rajasthan cadre have been empanelled for holding Additional Director General and equivalent posts in Government of India.

NOTIFICATION FOR RETIREMENT OF DELHI POLICE COMMISSIONER ISSUED MHA has issued notification for the retirement of Delhi Police Commissioner, Amulya Patnaik on January 31, 2020.

JUSTICE SAPRE COULD BE NEXT CHAIRPERSON OF ROAD SAFETY COMMITTEE

SANJEEV SHARMA PROMOTED AS IG

‘SACK HIM’

Sanjeev Sharma has been promoted to the grade of Inspector General in Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB).

UPENDERA BALODI PROMOTED AS IG Upendra Prakash Balodi has been promoted to the grade of Inspector General in Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB).

ANJANI KUMAR SINGH PROMOTED AS IG Anjani Kumar Singh has been promoted to the grade of Inspector General (IG) in the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF).

TENURE OF SATYANARAYANA NAGULA EXTENDED The deputation tenure of Satyanarayana Nagula working as Assistant Director General, UIDAI, Hyderabad has been extended for a period of two years. He is a 1994 batch ITS officer.

MRS RENU PILLAY PROMOTED TO ADDL CS RANK

tion across the country, which is a matter of national concern. Poverty, unemployment, anarchy, violence have gone beyond what was there during Congress rule,” she said. She added that the nation’s economy has taken a hit due to Centre’s policies. She also released a book about her struggle and BSP’s journey in the last year. —ANI

JNU VIOLENCE SUSPECT FILES A COMPLAINT WITH NCW New Delhi: Komal Sharma, student ofJNU, who is one of the suspects in the JNU violence case, has approached the National Commission for Women (NCW) complaining that her name has been maligned. Pursuant to her complaint, NCW has written to media houses as well as the Delhi Police to look into

POWER Gallery

Former Supreme Court Judge Justice A M Sapre could be the next Chairperson of Central Govt’s Road Safety Committee.

BJP following path of Cong: Mayawati

CBI OFFICERS LONG AT SAME POSTS TO BE SHIFTED New Delhi: Over a year after the scuffle between the top brass of CBI, the probe agency is all set for a major reshuffle with a number of senior officers to be transferred, sources said on Wednesday. “The reshuffle of senior officials will be visible in the agency in the next couple of weeks,” a senior CBI source related to the

The woman was kidnapped and raped by Sengar in 2017 when she was a minor. The trial which started on August 5 last year after it was transferred from Unnao in Uttar Pradesh to Delhi on the Supreme Court’s directions, was carried on a day-to-day basis. The court,had on August 1 transferred all five cases registered in connection with the rape incident from a Lucknow court to the court in Delhi. —ANI

12 GRANTED BAIL SO FAR

the matter. Delhi Police said that three suspects in the JNU violence case - Komal Sharma, Rohit Shah, and Akshat Awasthi - are absconding. FSL team spent the entire day retrieving CCTV footage from the server. Delhi High Court had asked the police to seize mobile phones of the members of two WhatsApp groups.

Mrs Renu Pillay has been promoted as Additional Chief Secretary, Technical Education, Govt of Chhattisgarh and handed over additional charge as DG, Chhattisgarh Administration Academy.She is an IAS officer of Chhattisgarh cadre of 1991 batch.

JAWED ASHRAF AS AMBASSADOR TO FRANCE? COULD BE PM’S CHOICE? Jawed Ashraf, India’s High Commissioner to Singapore could be moved as Ambassador to France.Whispers are that Ashraf is the choice of PM Narendra Modi as he has served in the PMO as Joint Secretary and his work is well known to the Prime Minister.

FOREIGN SECY DESIGNATE H V SHRINGLA REPORTED TO HAVE RECOMMENDED T S SANDU AS INDIA’S US ENVOY? Taranjit Singh Sandhu’s reasonably good stint as Deputy Chief of Mission in Washington DC from 2013-17 and another earlier stint from 1997 to 2000 makes him a probable candidate for being made India’s Ambassador to United States. Sandhu’s recommendation has reportedly come from Harsh Vardhan Sh ringla, who would be joining as India’s Foreign Secretary soon.

TWO IPS OFFICERS GET NEW ASSIGNMENTS IN BIHAR Mrs Garima Mallik has been assigned an additional charge of DIG, Bihar Armed Police Force, Patna and Mrs S Premlatha was made DIG, Administration in Bihar.

GOPAL BAGLAY LIKELY TO BE NEXT HIGH COMMISSIONER TO COLOMBO The Central government is likely to send Gopal Baglay, currently posted as Joint Secretary in PMO as High Commissioner to Colombo replacing Taranjit Singh Sandhu who is likely to be appointed as India’s Ambassador to US.

SPORTS AHMEDABAD | THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2020

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ICC HONOURS TOP CRICKETERS

AWARD SPIRIT OF THE CRICKET BY ICC

Virat, Rohit, Shami & Kuldeep made it to the ODI Team of 2019 New Delhi: Indian cricketers Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have headlined the ICC Awards for the year 2019 which were announced on Wednesday. While Rohit has been adjudged the 2019 ODI Cricketer of the Year, Kohli was awarded the 2019 Spirit of Cricket award for his heartwarming gesture asking fans not to boo Steve Smith during the World Cup 2019. Still the biggest ICC prize was reserved for England all-rounder Ben Stokes with the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for the world player of the year. Australia fast bowler Pat Cummins won the 2019 Test Cricketer of the Year award. Indian opener Mayank Agarwal, who also had a stupendous maiden year in Test cricket was awarded with the opening role in ICC’s Test team of the year. Agarwal is the only Indian besides Kohli in the se-

Kohli was awarded ICC Spirit of Cricket Award for 2019. Kohli was “surprised” as he said: “I’m surprised that I have got it, after many years of being under the scanner for the wrong things.”

lect team which is dominated by 5 Australians (Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon). The ODI team of the year was dominated by Indians with Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Mohammed Shami and Kuldeep Yadav finding a place each. India’s clash vs Australia in the World Cup 2019 won many hearts when Virat Kohli asked fans to clap Steve Smith instead of booing him for serving a ban for balltampering.

ODI CRICKETER OF THE YEAR Rohit got ODI player of the Year award as he was in sensational form in 2019. He became 1st to hit 5 hundreds in a single edition of the WC, & finished tour as the highest run-scorer. He finished the year with 7 ODI hundreds.

WOMEN’S ODI TEAM OF THE YEAR Alyssa Healy (Australia, wk), Smriti Mandhana (India), Tamsin Beaumont (England), Meg Lanning (Australia, captain), Stafanie Taylor (West Indies), Ellyse Perry (Australia), Jess Jonassen (Australia), Shikha Pandey (India), Jhulan Goswami (India), Megan Schutt (Australia), Poonam Yadav (India)

FULL LIST OF ICC AWARD WINNERS Men’s Cricketer of the Year: Ben Stokes (England) Men’s Test Cricketer of the Year: Pat Cummins (Australia) Men’s ODI Player of the Year: Rohit Sharma (India) Men’s Emerging Player of the Year: Marnus Labuschagne (Australia) Associate Player of the Year: Kyle Coetzer (Scotland) Umpire of the Year: Richard Illingworth

BRIEF Nominees for Laureus Awards Berlin: Three-time Laureus award winner and world number one tennis star Rafael Nadal is in contention for the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award alongside six-time Formula 1 World champion Lewis Hamilton, sixtime World MotoGP champion Marc Marquez and six-time FIFA World Footballer of the Year Lionel Messi.

WFI suspends 8 women grapplers New Delhi: The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) has suspended eight women grapplers for one year for missing the national camp in Lucknow. .

Abhijeet wins in Delhi Open New Delhi: Indian Grand Master Abhijeet Gupta scored a splendid win over compatriot Diptayan Ghosh in the ninth round of the Delhi Open International Grand Masters chess tournament.

Pant out of 2nd ODI against Aus Mumbai: Rishabh Pant was ruled out of India’s second ODI against Australia on Friday as the young wicket-keeper batsman has not yet recovered from the concussion he suffered during the series-opener.

Melbourne Stars beat Scorchers New Delhi: Melbourne Stars thrashed Perth Scorchers in the ongoing Big Bash League. Chasing a small target of 87 runs. Hilton Cartwright & Marcus Stoinis put on 47 runs stand for the first wicket.

Spirit of Cricket Award: Virat Kohli stopping the fans booing Steve Smith at the Oval Women’s Cricketer of the Year: Ellyse Perry (Australia)

WOMEN’S T20I TEAM OF THE YEAR

Women’s ODI Player of the Year: Ellyse Perry (Australia)

Alyssa Healy (Australia, wk), Danielle Wyatt (England), Meg Lanning (Australia, captain), Smriti Mandhana (India), Lizelle Lee (South Africa), Ellyse Perry (Australia), Deepti Sharma (India), Nida Dar (Pakistan), Megan Schutt (Australia), Shabnim Ismail (South Africa), Radha Yadav (India)

Women’s T20I Player of the Year: Alyssa Healy (Australia) Women’s Emerging Player of the Year: Chanida Sutthiruang (Thailand)

Kerber suffers Australian Open injury setback

Alonso suffers rollover crash in Dakar Rally

Adelaide: Angelique Kerber’s preparations for the opening Grand Slam of the year were dealt a blow when she was forced to retire from the Adelaide International with back pain. The German former world number one, who won the Australian Open in 2016, pulled out when behind in her second-round clash with Dayana Yastremska. The ninth seed began showing serious signs of the back problem early in the second set then stopped after two points in the third game on her own serve, calling for the trainer. A medical evaluation on court ended with the 31-year-old world number 18 calling it quits

Jeddah: Double Formula 1 world champion Fernando Alonso suffered a big crash on the 10th stage of the Dakar Rally as he rolled his Toyota twice. The Spaniard lost control of his Toyota Hilux while driving over a sand dune and subsequently flipped into a double barrel roll before landing back on its wheels. Both Alonso and his codriver Marc Coma were unhurt in the incident, and Alonso even proceeded to immediately drive away from the scene despite losing his windscreen. The flip occurred just 2km into the 534km route from Haradh to Shubaytah that makes up the 10th stage of the big event.

against her teenaged opponent. Yastremska kept calm during the delay, reading what she called “secret” notes. “I

didn’t want to lose focus,” said the world number 24, who has won three titles over the past two seasons.

Indonesia Masters: Nehwal out, Sindhu in Round 2 Defending champion Saina Nehwal lost in opening round of Indonesia Masters 2020 Nehwal suffered 21-19, 13-21, 5-21 defeat to Sayaka Takahashi of Japan Earlier, Kidambi Srikanth was also knocked out in the first round of the tournament

Jakarta: India ace shuttler Saina Nehwal failed to defend her Indonesia Masters title as the World No. 11 was shown the door in the opening round of the tournament by Japanese Sayaka Takahashi. However, top-ranked India player PV Sindhu registered a win against her Japanese opponent. Saina gave up her onegame advantage to suffer defeat to her opponent in a match that lasted for over 50 minutes. This was Saina's second consecutive early exit in the season as the London Olympic bronze medallist had earlier crashed out in the quarter-finals of the Malaysia Masters Carolina Marin.

RALLY FOR RELIEF

Magical night of tennis action in Melbourne to raise funds 

Several of the biggest names in tennis came together for a magical night in Melbourne to help raise funds for the Australian bushfire appeal

Melbourne: Some of the biggest names in tennis have come together in Melbourne to help put on a brilliant night of action and raise funds for the Australian bushfire appeal. From Serena Williams to Rafael Nadal, legends of the game showed out in front of a packed Rod Laver Arena with all money raised on the night going towards the bushfires which have ravaged Australia in re-

cent months. The brilliant night was the brainchild of Aussie star Nick Kyrgios who tweeted out to the Australian Open to put the night on and in the end saw a staggering sum of $4,826,014 being raised for the Australian Bushfire relief. The crowds rolled in and the big names came out with tickets to attend the event selling for $59. When the evening got underway the

crowd rose to their feet in appreciation of several firefighters in attendance. The festivities kicked off with two

separate teams being announced and competing in the Fast4 format with captains Caroline Wozniacki and Serena

Williams naming two all-star squads. Wozniacki had female superstars Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka on board along with Alexander Zverev and Stefanos Tsitsipas. But it was Williams’ team which brought serious star power as Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Dominic Thiem and Petra Kvitova were named alongside the icon Williams. The opening format was a bit of fun as the

players continued to rotate their time on the court, but it was Nadal who won hearts when he brought CFA volunteer Deb Borg out to be his doubles partner. As all the players stood together on court together, Channel 9’s Tony Jones handed the mic over to World No.1 Nadal who announced a special donation. The announcement was met with rapturous applause from those in attendance.

2ND FRONT

Don’t worry when people oppose you, they have their agenda; you focus on your agenda. —Jagdeesh Chandra, CEO & Editor, First India

AHMEDABAD | THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2020

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BJP’s `2,410 cr income is 2/3rd of 6 national parties BJP declared total income of `2,410.08 cr but spent only 41.71% (`1,005.33 cr) of total income New Delhi: The ruling BJP has shown the highest income amongst the political parties at Rs 2,410.08 crore during financial year 2018-19, which forms 65.16 per cent of the total income of six national parties put together. According to analysis of income and expenditure of national political parties for FY 2018-19 by Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), BJP declared a total income of Rs 2,410.08 crore but spent only 41.71 per cent (Rs 1,005.33 crore) of the total income. While the Congress total income was Rs 918.03 crore of which the party spent 51.19 per cent (Rs 469.92 crore). Six national parties (BJP, Congress, CPM, BSP, Trina-

CONG’S INCOME

mool and CPI) have declared a total income of Rs 3,698.66 cr, collected from all over India. Congress declared the second highest income of Rs 918.03 crore which forms 24.82 per cent of the total income of the six national parties. As per the ADR analysis, between FY 2017-18 and 2018-19, the income of BJP increased by 134.59 per cent (Rs 1,382.74 crore) from Rs 1,027.34 crore during FY

2017-18 to Rs 2,410.08 crore during FY 2018-19. Voluntary contributions of Rs 2,354.02 crore declared by the BJP form 97.67 per cent of its total income during FY 2018-19. Declaration of Rs 551.55 crore under grant/ donations/ contributions by Congress forms the top most income of the party, contributing 60.08 per cent of its total income during FY 2018-19.

Anand to set aside `1 cr to help micro entrepreneurs Mumbai: Anand Mahindra has said that the story of Gujaratbased specially-abled entrepreneur Vishnu Patel has inspired him to fund micro innovators in India. Business tycoon and philanthrope Anand Mahindra, who is known for helping out underprivileged people, has made headlines for the same reason again. This time, the life of a Gujarat-based specially-abled man in his early 60s is set to change, thanks to a Twitter user named Nilesh Patel who drew Anand Mahindra’s attention to Vishnu Patel’s incredible life story. Patel came to limelight last year after speaking to news agencies about making pollution-free vehicles from scrap for fellow divyangs (specially-abled persons). The hardworking man from Surat has made seven two-wheelers and three-wheelers

so far, all of which are battery-operated and hence environmentfriendly. Moreover, since they are made out of waste material, his efforts have also helped reduce waste generation. Patel said: “People throw away these, but I’m making bikes out of them. I want to make three-wheelers for divyangs so that can also carry their families simultaneously.” However, Patel’s talent was not known to the Mahindra Group chairman until he was tagged in the tweet on January

11. “Inspired” by Patel’s innovation and thinking, the industrialist has now vowed to set aside an amount of Rs 1 crore to fund micro-entrepreneurs in India to further their efforts. Not just that, he has even promised to try and reach out to the specially-abled entrepreneur and see if he can invest to upgrade Patel’s workshop. Notably, Patel earlier said that he can win India accolades with his innovations if he gets the aid of Rs 20 lakh to make such pollutionfree vehicles.

The maximum expenditure for BJP has been towards election/ general propaganda which amounted to Rs 792.39 crore followed by expenses towards administrative costs at Rs 178.35 crore. Trinamool Congress, Communist Party of India (Marxist) and Bahujan Samaj Party submitted their audit reports on time while BJP submitted after 24 days, Congress and CPI submitted after 42 days,

while the audit report of Nationalist Congress Party is still not available in public domain -- 76 days since the due date for submission. Trinamool's total income was Rs 192.65 crore of which the party spent only 5.97 per cent (Rs 11.50 crore) while CPI-M declared a total income of Rs 100.96 crore during FY 201819, and spent Rs 76.15 crore (75.43 per cent). The income of Congress increased by 360.97 per cent (Rs 718.88 crore) from Rs 199.15 crore during FY 2017-18 to Rs 918.03 crore during FY 2018-19. Between FY 2017-18 and 2018-19, the highest increase in income was declared by Trinamool of 3,628.47 per cent (Rs 187.48 crore) from Rs 5.167 crore during FY 2017-18.

Envoy rejig: Sandhu to US, Raveesh Australia New Delhi: In a major reshuffle of envoys, the Ministry of External Affairs is sending Taranjit Singh Sandhu to Washington DC, Jawed Ashraf to France and Raveesh Kumar to Austria. Sandhu is currently High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Ashraf is High Commissioner of Singapore and Kumar is spokesperson of the Ministry in New Delhi. The transfers, which were due, came at a time when India has been in international news for a slew of major decisions the Modi government took since its reelection for a second term. The government has drawn flak from the Western media over reorganization of Jammu and Kashmir state, suspension of mobile internet and detention of politicians in Kashmir. Lately, the BJP government has been fac-

plaza in the Jaipur region has outperformed other toll plazas in the implementation of FASTags with approximately 91 per cent of the toll

ing stiff opposition and widespread protests over its Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) that grants citizenship to the persecuted religious minorities of three Islamic nations in the neighbourhood -Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Pakistan. India's economic slowdown has also been a major concern among its major trading partners in the West. Official sources said Sandhu will take over as the US Ambassador from Harsh Vardhan Shringla,

Congress leader Randeep Dhankhar, PCC General Secretary Pukhraj Parashar, AICC General Secretary and Rajasthan Incharge Avinash Pande, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Rajasthan Energy Minister BD Kalla, Congress leader Dharmendra Rathore, Jagdeesh Chandra and Rajasthan MLA Jogendra Avana blessing the newly wed couple, Dewang (son of Avinash Pande) and Aditi on Wednesday at Suraburdi Meadows, Amravati Road, Nagpur.

Rajasthan Health Minister Raghu Sharma with wife Veera, son Sagar and AICC General Secretary Mukul Wasnik at the wedding.

Rajasthan Health Minister Raghu Sharma, AICC Secretary and Rajasthan Co-Incharge Vivek Bansal, Congress leader Ashk Ali Tak and Kerala Leader of opposition Ramesh Chennithala.

NHAI’s daily toll collection highest at ` 86.2 cr system of FASTags has been registered at a number of Rs 50 crore (single day collection) in January 2020 as compared to Rs 23 crore in the month of November 2019. Moreover, the daily transactions via FASTags have also increased to nearly 30 lakh per day in January 2020 from 8 lakh per day in July 2019, according to a PTI report According to Sandhu, the Jodhpur toll

Taranjit Singh Sandhu

who just returned to New Delhi. Shringla will take over as Foreign Secretary from Vijay Gokhale, who is retiring later this month. Sandhu has previously served as deputy chief at the Indian embassy in Washington DC. The government is sending Gopal Baglay, currently in PMO in New Delhi, to Colombo, as a replacement of Sandhu. Sources said Ashraf will replace ambassador Vinay Kwatra, who is being transferred to Nepal. Kwatra is taking over from Manjeev Singh Puri who has just retired. A career diplomat, Ashraf has been instrumental in India's strong partnership with Singapore for key development projects at home like smart cities and skill development. He has earlier served in US, Germany and Nepal.

STAR-STUDDED WEDDING

BIG ACHIEVEMENT!

New Delhi: Big achievement for the National Highways Authority of India! NHAI has registered the highest daily toll collection on Sunday. Recently, NHAI Chairman Sukhbir Singh Sandhu said at National Highways Excellence Award 2019 that the authority has recorded the highest daily toll collection at Rs 86.2 crore. Also, the highest daily toll collection via electronic

collection taking place via FASTags. The NHAI Chairman further stated that the toll plazas in Gandhinagar and Bhopal have also performed well in

the implementation of FASTags. As of December 2019, more than 1 crore FASTags have been issued. Out of this, over 30 lakh FASTags have been issued in the months of November and December, following daily sales of 1.5-2 lakh FASTags, the report stated. From December 15, the Modi government has rolled out a FASTag-based electronic toll collection mechanism across

all toll plazas of the NHAI. According to the report, the use of FASTags across at least 75 per cent lanes of toll plazas have been mandated by the government. Also, the use of cash mode of payment to a maximum of 25 per cent lanes of toll plazas has been restricted. The toll collection system based on FASTags has been rolled out across over 527 national highways, the report added.

Jagannath Temple trustees meet HM First India News Ahmedabad: The Jagannath Temple trustee and head priest paid a visit to Home Minister at his residence. Home Minister Amit Shah had kept day reserved for his family, but he could not deny an audience to the trustees of the temple. Although there has been no official word about the meeting, reports say Jagannath Temple Trustee Mahendra Jha and head priest Mahant Dilip Dasji had

discussed land issues with Shah. AMC had leased out land for fodder cultivation in Behrampura area. There is an allegation that temple had sold out the land parcel to a private party, compelling Municipal Corporation to cancel NOC and lease rights. Even matter has been referred to charity commissioner and is asked to look into it. Sources said temple trustees requested Shah to see if the land can be handed over to temple trust.

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AHMEDABAD, THURSDAY JANUARY 16, 2020

... first look

lia Bhatt on Wednesday shared her intriguing first look from the much-anticipated biographical ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’. The 26-year-old actor hopped on to Instagram and captioned the post as, “Here she is, Gangubai Kathiawadi#SanjayLeelaBhansali @prerna_singh6 @jayantilalgadaofficial @bhansaliproductions @penmovies.” The ‘Kalank’ actor shared two pictures of herself as the mafia queen. The first picture captures a younger Gangubai, dressed up in a blue blouse and a red skirt with hair plaited in two, sporting intense look on her face with a revolver kept on the table near her. In the next black and white picture, Alia dons kohl-rimmed eyes and a thick choker necklace, along with nose pin and earrings. Her red bindi is the only thing that adds colour to the dark photo. Helmed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’ marks the first collaboration between him and Alia. The film is based on Hussain Zaidi’s book ‘Mafia Queens of Mumbai’ and revolves around Gangubai Kothewali, a brothel owner and matriarch. —ANI

of the film

ALIA AS

GANGUBAI Alia Bhatt

Miss Grand India 2019, Shivani Jadhav in an exclusive interview with City First about her journey

NEHAL NAYAR

nehal.nayar@firstindia.co.in

fter bagging the title of ‘Femina Miss Grand India 2019’ back in June, Shivani Jadhav has been winning a lot of hearts with her smile. In an exclusive interview with City First during her first visit to the Pink City, Shivani opened up about her journey, experience, and what she plans to do in the future. Talking about her journey as a model and achieving the title in the beauty pageant, Shivani said, “I never really modeled earlier, and was always a studious girl. It’s true that I always had it in my mind that I wanted to get into modeling, but didn’t really have the right direction for it. I graduated as a Computer Engineer, and randomly auditioned for Miss India, in which to my surprise, I was selected.” She continued, “My parents have been my biggest support, and more than mine, it is their dream that I am living.” Every individual has to make a few sacrifices in this field, and about this, Shivani stated, “I have always learned to adjust, and I don’t really believe that I have made any sacrifices; it sounds really negative to me. But yes, I have experienced a lot, and I am grateful for every bit of it.” Shivani is associated with an NGO named ‘Chaitanya Mahila Mandal’,

Deepika Padukone

SHIVANI

KAHAANI

Shivani Jadhav being crowned as ‘Femina Miss Grand India 2019’ by Meenakshi Chaudhary

that fetched a lot of praise during ‘Beauty with a Purpose’ project by Femina Miss India 2019. Being associated with this NGO since her college days has been a really important part of her life, as she has always wanted to be a part of a social cause. It was Shivani’s first visit to the

ollywood actor Deepika Padukone, who is basking on the success of her widelytalked about movie ‘Chhappak’, shared the video of a social experiment on Wednesday, which was undertaken by her team to see how

acid is easily available at stores despite its sale being outlawed . The 34-year-old actor shared the video along with a caption that read, “Won’t Buy Won’t Sell A Chhapaak Social Experiment. Acid has corroded many lives, crushed many dreams,

dashed many hopes and scarred many futures.” Clocking in at fiveminutes and twentyseven seconds, the video shared saw a bunch of actors hired by Deepika’s team to go undercover and buy acid from shops around the city. Deepika herself

monitored the whole sequence from a car and looked shocked to see how easily people are manipulating the shopkeepers to get acid and how retailers are ready to sell it. Although shop owners briefly doubted the customers, there was only one who demanded a valid ID proof and refused to sell acid when the ID was not provided. The results

of the experiment brought a frown on the actor’s face as she explained how unbelievable it was to easily get 24 bottles of acid in one single day. The pitch towards such an unpleasant situation remains the same from the actor and the team as that of Laxmi Agarwal who went all the way to ban its sale. — ANI

—PHOTO BY MUKESH KIRADOO

Won’t Buy, Won’t Sell

Pink City, and to this, she said, “I have been to Udaipur and Jaisalmer in Rajasthan, but I always wanted to visit the Pink City, and I finally did this time. I absolutely loved the people I met, and they really treated me like a Queen, which was extremely overwhelming.” Since Shivani was in the city for a royal event, she met the Prince of Jaipur, Padmanabh Singh. “I met a prince for the very first time in my life, and I felt really royal. Rajasthan is known for its royalty, and no one is going to find such royalty anywhere else.” There are a lot of opportunities that are coming towards Shivani after she bagged the title at the beauty pageant. She said, “I don’t think I am ready to take up anything as of now; I need to work a lot on myself and focus on my skill-set for now. I’m going to take up a lot of acting workshops, and eventually, would audition and be a part of Bollywood someday.”

Shivani Jadhav

LISTING AHMEDABAD | THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2020

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FA CE OF TH ED AY

STEPPING OUTSIDE

THE STATES S

inger-actress Jennifer Lopez has admitted that she wants a more ‘simple and organic’ kind of life and that she would love to live in a small town in Italy, or on the other side of the world. In an interview, the 50-year-old star said she would love to leave the US and move to Italy or Bali, where she can be at peace and enjoy the simple things. “I would love to live somewhere other

than the United States, in a small town in Italy, or on the other side of the world, in Bali,” she said. “Find another life where it’s a little bit more simple and organic and where I get to ride a bike, and buy bread, and put it in my basket, and then go home and put jelly on it, and just eat and paint, or sit in a rocking chair where there was a beautiful view of an olive tree or an oak tree and I could just smell. I have fantasies like that.”

RESHMI CHAUHAN, Model

YOUR DAY

—IANS

Horoscope by Saurabbh Sachdeva

IF IT’S YOUR BIRTHDAY TODAY

TAURUS

On professional front, there is no looking back and life will only get better from here on. You are very good in saving and your sincere habit will help you big time in future. Your initiatives will be appreciated by your teachers on academic front.

Your life is going very smoothly and you are happy about how things are moving in general. Some of you are really working hard when it comes to fitness. Your spouse may understand things even before you say anything, so avoid being manipulative.

CANCER

You will be working on some independent assignment that will boost your resume and will also pay you well. Someone you used to like in the past may enter your life once again so it depends on you now how to go about it. You are all set to move to your new house.

Your financial worries that you have been experiencing recently will all vanish in the thin air. You will get a good news from your kid. You may invest your money in some business related to travelling. You will face a tough competition on academic front.

CHHAPAAK CAST : DEEPIKA PADUKONE AND VIKRANT MASSEY DIRECTOR: MEGHNA GULZAR 19 Cinema (South Bopal): 8:40, 9:45, 11:10, 12:20, 1:40, 2:45, 5:15, 6:55, 7:45, 10:15 AB Miniplex: 8:40, 9:30, 12:20, 2:50, 4:35, 5:20, 7:50, 10:20 PM Carnival (Himalaya Mall): 8:00, 9:15, 11:45, 2:30, 5:15, 8:00, 10:45 Cinemax (Dev Arc): 10:45, 1:30, 4:15, 7:00, 8:00, 9:45 Cinemax (Shiv): 11:15, 2:00, 4:45, 7:30, 10:15 Cinepolis: 9:00, 10:05, 11:30, 12:35, 2:15, 5:00, 7:45, 10:30 City Gold Satellite: 9:30, 12:00, 1:00, 2:45, 5:00, 8:00, 10:00 City Gold (Ashram Road): 10:00, 12:30, 3:00, 5:30, 8:00, 10:30 City Gold (Bopal): 9:15, 11:45, 2:15, 5:45, 7:00, 10:00 K Sera Sera: - 10:15, 3:15, 8:30, 11:00 Miraj Cinemas Cine Pride: 10:00, 12:30, 3:00, 5:30, 7:00, 8:00, 10:30 Miraj City Pulse: 9:45, 11:15, 12:15, 2:45, 4:15, 5:15, 6:45, 7:45, 9:15, 10:15 Mukta A2 Cinemas (Gulmohar Park Mall): - 9:00, 12:45, 2:10, 3:15, 5:45, 7:15, 8:15, 10:45 PVR (Acropolis): 9:00, 11:45, 2:30, 5:15, 8:00, 10:45 PVR (Arved Transcube): 9:00, 10:45, 11:45, 1:30, 2:30, 4:15, 5:15, 7:00,

8:00, 9:45, 10:45 PVR (Motera): 11:45, 2:30, 5:15, 7:00, 8:00, 10:45 Rajhans Cinemas (Nikol): 10:00, 3:00, 8:00, 10:30 Rajhans Cinemas (Satadhar): 10:00, 12:30, 3:00, 5:30, 10:40 SB Multiplex (Agora Mall): 9:00, 11:45, 2:30, 5:15, 8:00, 10:45 Wide Angle: 9:30, 12:00, 2:30, 5:00, 7:45, 10:15 19 Cinema (Godrej Garden City): 9:45, 11:45, 2:30, 5:15, 7:45, 10:30 Anupam Cinema: 7:00 Carnival (Himalaya Ebony Lounge): 10:00 Cineworld (Naroda): 10:00, 12:15, 3:15, 5:20, 8:25, 10:40 City Gold (Bapunagar): 9:15, 11:30, 2:00, 3:10, 4:30, 5:30, 8:00, 10:00 CITY GOLD (Motera): 9:00, 2:30, 10:30 City Pulse Multiplex (Sarkhej): 10:00, 3:00, 8:00, 10:00 Connplex Smart Miniplex: 12:45, 8:00 Devi Multiplex: 10:00, 2:30, 7:30, 9:45 Miraj Cinemas (Vitthal Plaza): 10:00, 1:00, 4:00, 7:00, 10:00 Newfangled Miniplex (Mondeal Retail Park): 8:01, 9:01, 11:31, 2:01, 4:31, 7:01, 9:31 SB Multiplex (Elite Class, Agora Mall): 6:15 Time Cinema (CG Road):10:00, 10:30, 12:30, 1:30, 3:00, 4:30, 5:30, 7:15, 8:00, 10:00, 10:30

TANHAJI: THE UNSUNG WARRIOR CAST: AJAY DEVGN, KAJOL AND SAIF ALI KHAN DIRECTOR : OM RAUT AB Miniplex: 8:50, 9:30, 11:10, 12:05, 4:55, 7:45, 8:15, 10:20, 10:50 Cinemax: 9:00, 3:00, 9:00 Cinepolis: 10:10 City Gold Satellite: 9:45, 12:45, 2:15, 5:15, 7:45, 9:30 City Gold (Ashram Road): 9:00, 10:30, 11:30, 1:15, 2:15, 4:00, 5:00, 7:45, 9:30, 10:30 City Gold (Bopal): 9:00, 9:45, 2:00, 5:00, 7:15, 9:30, 10:35 K Sera Sera: 9:30, 12:00, 2:45, 5:30

CHILD HELPLINE HELP IN SUFFERING

1098

26305080

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Dangee Dums (Narangpura) ............... ................................... 079 6615 3044 Dangee Dums (Ambavadi) .................. .................................... 098980 88885 Cakes N Bakes (University Road) .................................... 094265 18499 Kabhi B Bake Studio (Ambavadi) ........ .................................... 099988 14719 PAMPER THYSELF O2 Spa (Raddisson Blu Hotel) ............ .................................... 099980 61211 The Thai Spa (Ahmedabad One Mall) .................................... 075672 25441 Hummingbirds Spa (CG Road) ........... ................................... 079 4037 3377 Enrich Salon (University Area) ........... .................................... 090995 73000 B&B Salon & Nails (Navrangpura) .................................... 099794 24891 Shades of Blackk Spalon (Vastrapur) .................................... 076000 98000 Lakme Salon (Navrangpura) ............... ................................... 079 4007 6019 FLORISTS Aristo Florist (Ambavadi) ................... .................................... 099093 33322 Rami Brothers (Navrangpura) ............ ................................... 079 2656 5080 Orchid Florist (Navrangpura) .............. .................................... 098797 78891 Ferns N Petals (Satellite) .................... .................................... 093761 15848 UTILITIES AMC (Danapith Rd.) - 079 2539 1811 WHEELCHAIR/OXYGEN/WALKERS Torchit Pvt. Ltd. ........... 073836 35420 Silverline Meditech Ltd... 91521 68755

JUNE 22 - JULY 23

LEO

VIRGO

You may be too much interested in media so youngster can choose this as a career option. You must get over your laziness and get on to completing all the pending work. Don’t make opinions about the people without knowing and listening their side of story.

On professional front, try to stay miles away from any controversial matters and try to be fair all times. Avoid excess of dieting or excess of exercises because when it comes to health nothing changed overnight. Your relationship with your lover is getting strong day by day.

JULY 24 - AUGUST 23

CITY POLICE FIRE AMBULANCE DIAL 100 101 102/108

APR 21 - MAY 20

GEMINI

MAY 21 - JUNE 21

Jennifer Lopez

You are passionate and you have that zeal to achieve your dreams. The coming months assures bliss and success. You will get all the moral and financial support from your loved ones.

ARIES

MAR 21 - APR 20

THEATRE

AUG 24 - SEP 23

LIBRA

SCORPIO

You will nail any job interview that you will give today or in coming times. Your current investments will pay you in double. On home front, your spouse will expect you to lend a helping hand in domestic chores. Your parents will surprise you with something big.

You will put your fantastic ideas into action and you will get all the support from unexpected sources. On professional front, your boss may expect more and more no matter how hard you are trying, talk to them and explain how you feel in a very decent tone.

SEPT 24 - OCTOBER 22

OCT 23 - NOVEMBER 22

SAGITTARIUS

CAPRICORN

Your spouse is your lucky charm so take their advices when it comes to taking big decisions in life. You misunderstand people rather quickly, so hear people out patiently. You have to control your temperament otherwise you will break close relationships.

You may spend a huge amount of money to buy something valuable for a dear one. Your boss will show complete support to you when you need it. You may just move to a bigger house. On academic front, kindly devote extra time to studies.

NOV 23 - DEC 22

DEC 23 - JAN 20

AQUARIUS

PISCES

You are currently enjoying the consistent flow of money. You must take it easy when it comes to things that you cannot help, overthinking about anything will only play with your mind. Your family is your priority and you may plan something special for them.

You will put your savings to some noble use today. You may feel bored of your every day routine so try new things. On work front, you may find yourself too occupied to attend any social gathering. You may buy something for your house today as a surprise for family.

JAN 21 - FEB 19

FEB20 - MARCH 20

ETC AHMEDABAD | THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2020

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Ritu Nanda was the ‘ideal in-law’ A

mitabh Bachchan has described the late Ritu Nanda as the ‘ideal inlaw’ in an emotional blog post mourning her de-

mise. Ritu Nanda was the mother-in-law of the veteran actor’s daughter of his daughter Shweta Bachchan Nanda. Ritu Nanda, daughter of legendary filmmaker

Raj Kapoor, passed away in Delhi early on Tuesday at the age of 71. She was battling cancer for the last few years. “An ideal daughter, an ideal sister, an ideal wife, an ideal Mother, an ideal in-law, an ideal Mother-inLaw, and an ideal friend.. has left us for good in a distance we cannot cover.. for now..!!” wrote Big B in his blog. He further expressed:

“The rites are over.. to ashes they have been reduced.. a crowded hall in the home filled with the close-knitted relatives and dear friends, embrace break down, hold hands, hold..” “..and the silence of condolence gradually creeps in..” “..polite conversation, of reminisce, of association, of happy times spent together, of the fight and

struggle for the ailment for years.. and most of all the loneliness of them that are left behind.. the vacuum.. the emptiness.. the presence that filled up the entire home.. lost and gone..” “..that empty favourite chair .. that corner of preference .. the unstinted care and concern for all when present , now suddenly not in existence.” —IANS

Amitabh Bachchan

‘OLE OLE’ I am on the

Michael Jackson, is it?

on the charts right path J A awaani Jaaneman costars Saif Ali Khan along with Alaya F attended the launch event of their song ‘Ole Ole’ at a pub in Andheri, Mumbai. Saif ’s chartbuster ‘Ole ole’ holds as much charm today as it did upon its release in 1994. Not surprising then that the actor-producer has revisited the ‘Yeh Dillagi’ track in his next. In the film, Saif Ali Khan plays an unabashed and unassuming playboy who wears his heart on his sleeve. Alaya F plays his daughter, while Tabu plays her mother. ‘Jawaani Jaaneman’ is going to be all the more exciting as it is a unique love story of a man who has two women in his life, completely different

Alaya F and Saif Ali Khan at the launch of ‘Ole Ole’

from one another. The flick is about a father-daughter duo having a roller-coaster ride full of fun, emotions and lots of heart-warming moments thrown in. —Agency

Surprise from JAI MUMMY DI

ctress Hina Khan has just made her digital debut on the web series ‘Damaged 2’ and is all set for her Bollywood debut with Vikram Bhatt’s ‘Hacked’ next month. Having carved her space as a star on television in the past, she feels her career is on the right path. “I think I am on the right path because I always say that there has to be a bouquet or variety that I would like to present to my viewers. That is why I make sure I don’t stick to just television or films,” said Hina at a promotional event for ‘Damaged 2’ in Mumbai. “Although I am going to make my Hindi film debut on February 7, it is important to also be in the digital space because that is what people love nowadays. People want to watch you everywhere on their cellphone, downloading the app,” said Hina. ‘Damaged’ is a psychological crime drama. Season 1 featured Amruta Khanvilkar as the lead actress, who won a lot of appreciation for her role of a serial killer. —IANS

Hina Khan talks about the path that she chose

RAJEEV GAUR

ance videos of a TikTok user from Jodhpur, Yuvraj Singh, are going viral on Twitter right now and his moves will remind you of Michael Jackson. Twitter is falling in love with this person’s talent. A collection of his TikTok videos was shared on Twitter by @pokershash with the caption, “Watch till end. Last video made me compile his videos. Please make him famous.”

He even tagged Hrithik Roshan and Prabhudheva in his tweets. In the video, Yuvraj can be seen imitating Michael Jackson’s steps on popular songs like Prabhudheva’s ‘Muqabla’, ‘Tumse Milke Dil Ka’ from ‘Main Hoon Na’, Raveena Tandon’s ‘Tip Tip Barsa Pani’, ‘Pehli Baar’ from ‘Dhadak’ and even Asha Parekh’s ‘Kaanta Laga’. After the video was shared online, it got over 957.6k views and people praised his extravagant talent. One Twitter user

wrote, “Michael Jackson would be delighted.” After the video went viral, celebs also started retweeting the video. Hrithik Roshan and Raveena Tandon shared the video on their Twitter accounts. Hrithik tweeted the video saying, “Smoothest airwalker I have seen. Who is this man?” As for Raveena, she tweeted, “Fantastic! Love all of it , especially the ‘tip tip remix’ talent waiting to be discovered.” cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

RULING the comic WORLD

uv Film’s ‘Jai Mummy Di’, which is all set to release this Friday has given us yet another surprise right before it hits the screens. While there is a plethora that the makers have slowly unveiled as treat to us all, the most recent is that ‘Pyaar Ka Punchnama’ leading ladies N u s h r a t Bharucha and Ishita Raj are all set to have a cameo in Sunny Singh and Sonnalli Seygall starrer. Both, Nushrat Bharucha and Ishita Raj Sharma belong to the pool of LUV Films’ talents. And so does Sunny Singh and Sonnalli Nushrat Barucha and Ishita Raj Seygall. With the leading ladies coming together for LUV Film’s upcoming film, they are surely going to create ‘Punchnama’ magic that won over everyone earlier. With ‘Jai Mummy Di’, this power pack is sure to bring a roller coaster to the audience once again. ‘Jai Mummy Di’ is a light-hearted family comedy that will show how conflicting dynamics between the mothers lead to muddled chemistry between their own children and other members of both the families. It is not just Sunny and Sonnalli but along with this, the sour-sweet chemistry between Poonam Dhillon and Supriya Pathak is also highly promising. ‘Jai Mummy Di’ directed by Navjot Gulati and is all set to hit the theatres on January 17. —Agency

Yuvraj Singh

VANSHIKHA GOUR Vanshikha.gour@firstindia.co.in

Hina Khan

nubhav Singh Bassi, who is one of the finest standup comics of the era, is currently travelling across the country for his series of show ‘Bass Kar Bassi’, shared about his life’s journey as a comic artist to an exclusive interview with City First. “I was a huge fan of stand-up comedy and in 2017, one random day, I was just scrolling down on Facebook where I asked a guy how I could participate in Canvas Laugh Club. I was then informed that a 4-minute open mic spot is provided to the artists. The same day I had a job interview in Gurgaon which did not go very well. Call it frustration or whatever, I went to perform in the evening and even though I had never performed that particular set, I got a really good response. They asked me to come again as according to them, I was fresh and natural. After that, I never really looked back.” Bassi is one of those artists who did not have the easiest beginnings. On being asked if it is true, Bassi said, “It is not like I was just killing it (it is a very comedy circuit term, you kill it or you bomb it) every single day but yes, before I got my own audience, there were a couple of times when it was the main artist’s trial show and even he was nervous about how would perform. At that time I

Anubhav Singh Bassi

opened the show and was told later ‘Who kills like that!’” On being asked about his struggles, this immensely talented artist said, “The spot is just for four minutes and that’s the only time an artist gets to give his best. But even for that, at least 3 to 4 days of preparation is needed. It is definitely a tough job and is not a joke to make a joke. I have seen my part of hardships when I got boo-ed off the stage and whatnot. But I was satisfied because artists out there do not even get a spot sometimes and I was lucky enough to get one. It did not take a lot of time to find my voice but writing down the content was initially a struggle but I thoroughly enjoyed doing it.”

CITY BUZZ AHMEDABAD | THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2020

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SALONEE PAREEK

cityfirstgujarat@gmail.com

ook out the window today, and you’ll likely see more kites trapped on wires and in trees than in the sky. However, that does not mean you have to wait a whole year before getting your fill of the paper diamonds. Tucked in the Sanskar Kendra building in Ahmedabad, the kite museum is a quietly hidden portal in the bustling metropolis. The building itself is an iconic structure. Designed by the prominent architect Le Corbusier, Sanskar Kendra is a museum dedicated to the history, art, and architecture of Ahmedabad. Patang, the kite museum, is a later addition to it, established in

1984 by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, after Bhanubhai Shah, a kite enthusiast and collector, donated his entire collection to the corporation. Bhanubhai’s kite collection ties in with Ahmedabad’s love for flying kites and the festival that has grown into an international tourist attraction. While the festival marks the transition of the sun to the northern hemisphere and cities and towns across Gujarat celebrate the event with a two-day holiday flying kites all day long, the history of kites and interest in kite designing doesn’t garner half as much interest. The museum offers inspiration and history for the kite enthusiast, in its collection of over a hundred kites from all across South East Asia. The panels do not offer an explanation about the origin story for each of the kites on display, but you can learn about the

—PHOTOS BY NANDAN DAVE

MISSING UTTARAYAN ALREADY?

history of kite flying and the evolution of kites: materials used, designs used, in the region. The museum houses kites made from bamboo, nylon, and even cotton, other than paper; these kites range from miniatures to over 20-feet long giants, and the huge Rokkakus from Japan.

The most lingering thought, however, while wandering about the kite museum, is about the art that makes the entire collection: from Nehru and Gandhi handprinted on some of the miniature kites to elaborate Radha-Krishna depictions, to the geometrical patterns. Those kinds of

kites are truly rare in the plethora of plain coloured ones that rule the market. Whether you’re a kite enthusiast or like collecting history and factoids about hobbyist activities, you can pop in at the Kite Museum and dip your toes in the history and

fascinating forms of kites.

Gujarat’s Real-Life Rapunzel Breaks GUINNESS WORLD RECORD

DRAWS TO AN END —PHOTOS BY NANDAN DAVE

The first session of the final day at Saptak kicked off with a vocal performance by Indrani Mukherjee, with Nakul Mishra on tabla and Paromita Mukherjee on harmonium. The second session saw Fazal Qureshi on tabla alongside a sitar-sarangi duet by Josh Feinberg and Sabir Khan. The final session of this year’s edition of Ahmedabad’s longest music festival saw a Kathak performance by Pandit Birju Maharaj, assisted by Saswati Sen, Krishna Mohan Mishra , Rammohan Maharaj, and Ipshita Mishra. Mukundraj Deo played tabla, Ikram Khan, sarangi and Mehmood Khan played sitar while Jaywardhan Dadheech gave a vocal performance. —City First

THE GOOD DEED

CITY FIRST

hat would you do if you won Rs 4.5 lakh? The footballers of St Xavier’s College Ahmedabad decided to give it all away. The team recently received Rs 3.5 lakh for coming in as runners-up in the Khel Mahakumbh competition in 18, and another Rs 1 lakh in prize money after defeating Gujarat Arts and Science college in the finals of the Intercollege football tournament. The boys promptly donated the money. They gave a por-

tion of it to a deserving team-mate who was in financial distress and donated the rest along to the college, so it could be used to further develop the football field there. The team, which included captain Royal Wasker, vice-captain Andrerahul Bhatia, Abhi Christian, Asif Khan, Akshit Jain, Chris Dais, Abhishek Solanki, Musamiyan Syed, Joel Cordeiro, Mohit Narmet, Rahul Rathore, Richie Johnson, Roshan Gupta and Vinod Vasava was coached by Johnny Fernandes.

“We had decided to donate any prize money to the college even before the tournament so that the ground can be developed so as to reduce the chances of injury,” says Rahul Bhatia of the team’s decision to donate the winning amount. Vijay Padheria, sports director, St Xavier’s College, added, ‘The idea that they could improve their playing conditions at home on the college football ground further spurred them on during their matches.’ cityfirstgujarat@gmail.com

bad hair cut at the age of six prompted Gujarat-based Nilanshi Patel to decide to never cut her hair again. Now, she’s beaten her own record in the Guinness World Records for the longest hair on a teenager with her locks measuring 190cm. Asked about the secret behind her long hair, the 17-yearold girl said that she applies a home-made hair oil that her mother prepares with some secret ingredients. Often dubbed as real-life Rapunzel, Nilanshi on September 22 last year, broke her own record of longest hair with a hair length of 190 cm. She had earlier set the record on November 21, 2018, with 170.5-centimeter long hair. “I love my hair, I never want to get my hair chopped. It was my

mom’s dream to get my name in the Guinness Book of World Records,” Patel said. She added that she washes her hair once a week. It takes about half an hour for her hair to dry and about an hour to comb. Speaking about her career goals, Nilanshi, who is a student of Class 12 said that she wants to become a software engineer and is currently preparing for the Joint Entrance Exam (JEE) mains. She says the length of her hair has never been a distraction while studying. Nilanshi said, “I never felt distraction because whenever mummy takes care of my hair I have books in my hand. This is happening since my childhood so I am habituated to it.” Patel further dreams of setting many more world records including the one for longest hair on an adult in the future. —ANI

Insights from INSTAGRAM!

Bhakti Kubavat goes desi all the way! Deeksha Joshi shares a picture in what she describes as ‘heroin-ish sequence look’ from ‘Luv Ni Love Stories’.