OUR EDITIONS: JAIPUR & AHMEDABAD
CORONA
20°C - 34°C
ALERT JAIPUR l SATURDAY, MARCH 21, 2020 l Pages 14 l 3.00
SENSEX HALTS 4-DAY CORONA CARNAGE
Snapping its four-day losing streak, equity benchmark Sensex rallied over 1,627 points on Friday in line with global stocks as governments across the world took drastic measures to combat the economic blowback of Covid-19.
SPAIN VIRUS DEATH TOLL SOARS PAST 1,000: MINISTRY
Coronavirus toll in Spain rose to 1,002 on Friday after another 235 people died in the past 24 hours. Number of cases soared to 19,980 after another 2,833 infections were confirmed over same period.
Ending a horrific chapter in the gang rape and murder of Delhi medic, Nirbhaya, 4 convicts were finally hanged on Friday
‘JUSTICE HAS PREVAILED’
New Delhi: ‘Justice has prevailed,’ Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday while calling for a united effort to build a nation where the focus is on women’s empowerment while ensuring dignity and safety for them. The Prime Minister’s message came soon after the execution of the four convicts in the 2012 Nirbhaya gang-rape and murder case. Taking to Twitter, the Prime Minister advocated for creating a nation which lays emphasis on equality and opportunity. “Justice has prevailed. It is of utmost importance to ensure dignity and safety of women. Our Nari Shakti has excelled in every field. Together, we have to build a nation where the focus is on women empowerment, where there is an emphasis on equality and opportunity,” Modi tweeted. Turn on P4
Nirbhaya’s mother Asha Devi and father Badrinath Singh after the convicts were hanged till death after a 7-year-long legal battle, at their residence, in New Delhi on Friday. —PHOTO BY PTI
Finally they have been hanged, it was a long struggle. Today we got justice. This day is dedicated to the daughters of the country. I thank the judiciary and government. —Asha Devi
TOTAL RECALL The case pertains to the brutal gangrape and killing of a 23-year-old paramedical student in a moving bus on the night of December 16, 2012, by six people including a juvenile in the national capital. The woman had died at a Singapore hospital a few days later.
KAMAL NATH RESIGNS: IT IS OVER TO BJP NOW IN MADHYA PRADESH Bhopal: Over 15 months after he took over as the chief minister of Madhya Pradesh, Kamal Nath resigned from the top post on Friday. His move comes a day after the Supreme Court directed that a floor test be conducted in Madhya Pradesh Assembly to prove that the Congress government led by him enjoys majority in the House following the rebellion by 22 MLAs of his party. Nath submitted his resignation to Gover-
MP CM Kamal Nath addresses media in Bhopal on Friday.
nor Lalji Tandon at the Raj Bhawan here this afternoon which Tandon accepted. Nath had submitted
his resignation to the governor at the Raj Bhawan here around 1 pm on Friday. “The governor accept-
RNI NO. RAJENG/2019/77764 l Vol 1 l Issue No. 283
ed the resignation of Kamal Nath and asked him to continue as the caretaker chief minister till the new CM takes charge,” a Raj Bhawan official told PTI. In his resignation letter, Nath said, “In my 40-year- long public life, I have always done politics of purity and valued democratic norms and given priority to it. But what transpired in the last two weeks is a new chapter of devaluation of democratic values.” Turn on P4
GLOBAL DEATH TOLL ROSE TO 10,080 ON FRIDAY
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Cases of coronavirus are increasing rapidly across the world with the count crossing 245,749 globally. India has so far reported 223 cases. Global death toll rose to 10,080 on Friday.
FIR registered against singer Kanika Kapoor for violating norms of self isolation under provisions of Epidemic Act
Raje, Dushyant go into self-quarantine First India News Jaipur/New Delhi: Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje said on Friday that she and her son BJP MP Dushyant Singh have gone into self-quarantine after attending singer Kanika Kapoor’s party. Kapoor has become the first Bollywood celebrity to test positive for coronavirus in the country and says she’s under complete quarantine & medical care. Raje tweeted that she and Dushyant were going into self-isolation. “While in Lucknow, I attended a dinner with my son Dushyant and his in-laws. Kanika, who has unfortunately tested positive for COVID-19 was also a guest,” Raje said. Turn on P4
Vasundhara Raje, Dushyant Singh had attended a dinner in Lucknow recently where Bollywood celebrity singer Kanika Kapoor was also a guest.
Vasundhara Raje @VasundharaBJP While in Lucknow, I attended a dinner with my son Dushyant & his in-laws. Kanika, who has unfortunately tested positive for #Covid19 was also a guest. As a matter of abundant caution, my son & I have immediately self-quarantined and we’re taking all necessary precautions.
Clampdown in Bhilwara as six positive cases reported First India News
The step has been taken after three doctors and three nursing staff of a private hospital here were found to be corona positive. Report of 11 personnel of this hospital has come negative while that of 8 is yet to come. All 25 patients are put on isolation. Full report P4
Bhilwara: After finding six coronavirus positive patients in Bhilwara, the district administration has imposed a curfew here, along with sealing all its borders connecting other districts of Rajasthan and Neemuch in Madhya Pradesh.
JHUNJHUNU SEALS BORDERS Jhunjhunu administraton has decided to seal borders with adjoining districts. Decision has come after 3 people tested positive for coronavirus on Thursday. P3
JAIPUR: ITALIAN TOURIST, DIES OF CARDIAC ARREST Markets were shut down post-noon to implement the prohibitory orders in Bhilwara.
#RAJASTHANALERT
CM Ashok Gehlot sanitises his hands before entering the CMO to hold a video conference with District Collectors and SPs.
Jaipur: A 69-yearold Italian, who was among the first batch of coronavirus positive patients in India, died of cardiac arrest in Jaipur on Friday. “The Italian tourist, who had recovered from COVID-19, dies of cardiac arrest in Jaipur private hospital,” PTI reported citing an official of the SMS Hospital in Jaipur. While according to the hospital authorities, the patient had recovered from the pandemic, it is yet not clear if he died due to COVID-19 related complications. —PTI
Gehlot to babus: Face Corona challenge with complete alertness Naresh Sharma Jaipur: CM Ashok Gehlot on Friday invoked all sections of the society including govt employees, religious leaders, public representatives and common people to take upon the responsibility to defeat the pandemic created by Covid -19. He called upon everybody to be alert as nobody can imagine the devastating effects the pandemic could cause. CM was interacting with all district collectors,
SPs and health officers of the state through VC while taking stock of the situation in the state. CM acknowledged that the situation was well within control two days ago but fresh cases reported on Friday have increased the worries as the state is passing through the transmission phase of the dreaded virus infection. CM reiterated that following the advisory with diligent alertness will definitely make the state victorious against the corona fight. CM au-
RAJASTHAN STATS
CM Ashok Gehlot addressing collectors via VC while taking stock of Coronavirus preparedness on Friday. Raghu Sharma, DB Gupta, Rohit Kumar Singh, Vaibhav Galariya, Shuchi Sharma, Manju Rajpal, Siddarth Mahajan, Neeraj K Pawan, Naresh Thakral, Mahendra Soni, Dr Raja Babu Panwar, Dr Sudhir Bhandari, Dr DS Meena and other top officials were present on the occasion.
thorised the collectors to take decisions at their level to contain the spread of infection. He asked collectors to use the govt machinery up to village level in the
fight against the virus. Gehlot gave special instructions for fresh cases of infection found in Bhilwara and Jhunjhunu by stressing on complete screening, ad-
hering to home isolation guidelines, strictly implementing section 144 and even imposing curfews, if need be. He asked all the collectors and SPs to personally ensure cancellation of all mass gathering events and fairs. He laid emphasis on extra alertness for tourist destinations like Jaipur, Jodhpur, Ajmer, Bikaner etc by keeping vigil on tourists. CM also desired action on black marketers of sanitisers and masks. Turn on P4
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JAIPUR | SATURDAY, MARCH 21, 2020
MPs who shared space with BJP MP Dushyant Singh go for self-quarantine Sensex zooms 1,627 pts; Nifty tops 8,700
Dushyant Singh
New Delhi: Several Members of Parliament including TMC’s Derek O’Brien and Apna Dal’s Anupriya Patel on Friday went into self-quarantine following the announcement by BJP MP Dushyant Singh and his mother former Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje that they were selfisolating themselves after attending a party with singer Kanika Kapoor who has tested positive for COVID-19. Singh was among the many MPs who attended a breakfast meeting hosted by President Ram Nath Kovind on March 18 as well as a Parliamentary panel
This Govt is putting us all at risk. The PM says self isolate yourself but the Parliament is on. I was sitting next to Dushyant the other day for 2.5 hours. There are two more MPs who are in self isolation. The session should be deferred. —O’BRIEN
meeting on transport, tourism and culture attended by around 20 MPs on Wednesday. Singh also attended an industrialist and former MP’s birthday party and one more party. He also attended BJP parliamentary party meeting on March 17.
FIR AGAINST SINGER KANIKA KAPOOR
CS says, don’t misinterpret order, work in Secretariat First India News Jaipur: Chief Secretary DB Gupta, who is considered to be calm, got extremely angry on Friday when he got to know that IAS officers have started asking for their files at home, misusing his ‘work from home’ order. Gupta called a meeting and gave instructed that his order should not be misinterpreted and work should be done in Secretariat. IAS officers were asked to provide complete details about their family, their travel history and whether they have come in contact with them. It was clearly stated in the order that the order will not be applicable on AS, SO, DS and above officers in the Secretariat. Despite this, ACS, Principal Secretaries, Secretaries and several IAS officers started working form home.
Spain virus toll tops 1,000, nearly 20,000 infected Madrid: Coronavirus death toll rose to 1,002 in Spain on Friday after 235 people died in 24 hours, and the number of cases approached 20,000. The spiralling number of infections has propelled Spain into the top four worst-hit countries in the world -- with the figures growing as the country steps up its capacity for testing. Over past seven days, the number of deaths has risen 10-fold. Since the last update, another 2,833 infections have been confirmed,
taking the overall number of cases to 19,980, the ministry’s emergencies coordinator Fernando Simon said. But he said it was “very likely that the figures underestimated the overall number” of people with the virus, saying the testing laboratories were “overwhelmed” which could skew the numbers. Of those diagnosed, 52 percent were in hospital and around six percent were being treated in intensive care. Madrid remains the worsthit area, accounting for
7,165 cases, or 36 per cent of the total infections in Spain, while the number of deaths in the capital rose to 628 -around 63 per cent of the national total. Government figures show that 1,585 cases have recovered, threequarters of whom are in the Madrid region. Meanwhile, Madrid and Barcelona announced on Friday they would set up field hospitals in their biggest exhibition halls to deal with the anticipated growth in the number of patients.
Suspend breath analyser tests: AI pilots Mumbai: A grouping of Air India pilots on Friday urged civil aviation regulator DGCA to temporarily suspend mandatory breath analyser tests before and after a flight amid the coronavirus outbreak. The Indian Commercial Pilots’ Association (ICPA), which represents pilots of narrowbody planes, has written a letter to the DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Avia-
tion) in this regard. “It is in light of this epidemic, and the ease with which the disease gets transmitted, that we seek temporary sus-
pension of the mandatory requirement for such pre-flight and postflight tests. “Blowing into the apparatus for the purpose
of the test inside small testing chambers leaves scope for contagion to spread. Multiple personnel also require queuing up, and complete sterilisation of such equipment used for the test is also not being done,” the letter said. Even if such sterilisation of equipment is conducted, it still leaves scope open due to the manner of conduct of the test itself, it added.
Mumbai: Snapping its four-day losing streak, equity benchmark Sensex rallied over 1,627 points on Friday in line with global stocks as governments across the world took drastic measures to combat the economic blowback of Covid-19. Domestic sentiment turned positive on hopes of a stimulus package after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a financial task force to help sectors battered by the pandemic, experts said.
After starting on a volatile note and swinging over 2,485 points, the BSE barometer ended 1,627.73 points or 5.75 per cent higher at 29,915.96. It hit a high of 30,418.20 and a low of 27,932.67. Similarly, the NSE Nifty zoomed 482 points, or 5.83 per cent, to close at 8,745.45. ONGC was the top gainer in the Sensex pack, rallying around 18 per cent, followed by HUL, UltraTech Cement, RIL, TCS, HDFC, ITC and Asian Paints. Only HDFC Bank and IndusInd Bank settled in the red. Modi on Thursday announced setting up of a task force under Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman which will take necessary actions “in the near future” after analysing the coronavirus pandemic situation.
‘India important asset in fight against Corona’ New Delhi: India is an important asset for the international and regional fight against coronavirus and in minimising its impact on the health of global community, Saudi Arabia, the chair of the G20 grouping, said on Friday. In an interview to PTI, Saudi Arabia’s envoy to India Saud bin Mohammed Al Sati also assured that the Gulf
nation is taking care of the safety of expatriates in the kingdom on priority. His remarks come days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a telephonic conversation with the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman, and emphasised the need for coordinated efforts to address the global challenge arising out of the coronavi-
LAND OWNER’S STRATEGY BACKFIRES
Realty
Check
FIRST INDIA spreads its vistas... we shall now recount bytes and buzz in the real estate sector
au sunar ki, ek luhar ki”. The Hindi saying appears to be the apt way of “S describing how four builders got together
to fail a land owner’s strategy. Well, the owner had entered in an agreement with four different builders and as a result a dispute arose on the land. While the owner was eyeing to keep the builders ‘busy’ in their feud and sell off the land to another person, he received a shock when the four builders, instead of fighting, decided to work with each other! And as a result the project was started owing to the foiling of the owner’s designs!
Saud bin Mohammed Al Sati
rus outbreak. “Saudi Arabia views India as an important strategic partner. India
is an important asset to international and regional integrated efforts to deal with the current situation and minimize its impact on the health of global community. We are working closely with the Indian government in this regard,” the envoy said. Al Sati said that during the call, Crown Prince Salman affirmed that the Kingdom is
working to coordinate international cooperation in combating this pandemic and adopting appropriate policies to reduce its economic burdens within the framework of the G-20. Saudi Arabia, that now has G20 presidency, is communicating with member countries to convene an extraordinary virtual G20 Leaders’ Summit next week, he said.
OFF THE RECORD WHY IS IAS ALOK GUPTA KEPT ON THE SIDELINES?
is an irony in the present bureaucratic Toffihere set up. On one hand there are many senior cers who have responsibilities of more than
one department or additional charges while on other, there is one senior IAS languishing with almost no work. This senior bureaucrat is IAS Alok Gupta posted as Principal Secretary (PS) of a small department like Devsthan. Ever since this govt came to power it has released many IAS transfer lists in which it has changed the whole bureaucratic set up but Alok Gupta was kept confined to this sacred& spiritual department. Alok is a 1996 batch IAS with batch mates like Ajitabh Sharma, Dinesh Kumar and Rajesh Yadav. All of his batch mates are occupying important & influential posts. Gupta was hopeful of a Nirvana in January 2020 when he was promoted as PS but status quo was maintained. It is no secret that Devsthan department is really a small department with minuscule yearly budget of Rs 2 crore. This department is responsible for the maintenance of temples under it and the pilgrimage of senior citizens. The pilgrimage scheme is on hold currently so it leaves Gupta only with the maintenance. Before you assume that this is a cumbersome task, just know that the department also has a Commissioner rank officer sitting in Udaipur to carry out routine functions. So practically speaking, Alok Gupta has nothing at all to do. There are hardly one or two files that come to his table and this has been scenario for last 15 months. But there is one important aspect worth mentioning that despite no work load, Alok Gupta comes to his office daily and is present throughout the office hours. During preceding Raje govt, Gupta was handling important posts in DOP for first two and half years and was Commissioner, Commercial Tax, for the second two and half years. What keeps Alok Gupta sidelined in the present dispensation? Why does the present govt have an annoying attitude towards him? These are some questions which even the most senior bureaucrats fail to answer.
—RAJENDRA CHHABRA
GUP
SHUP
INTERFERING GAMA WHO SITS AT BUS STAND POLICE STATION
ama posted at the small Police Station (PS) G building housed in the biggest bus depot of the state is making news but again for wrong reasons.
Actually he is interfering in a fraud case registered in the eastern district of the commissionerate. The Gama posted at eastern PS is good friend of the bus depot Gama. The friendship bond between the two has virtually put a full stop on the investigation of the fraud case thus favouring the accused. Gama was earlier in news for making good profits in a rape case.
CORRUPT BRAVO ON THE OFFICIALS’ RADAR
posted at the MI road office of the Khaki is Bspree.revo turning every head around with his profit making Brevo doesn’t believe in venturing out in field
every second day so he has monthlies fixed from Betting mafia, Land Mafia and almost everybody doing the illicit in organized manner. His profit spree is such that it has reached the officers sitting in the Jhalana area. Now everybody is waiting with baited breath for Jhalana cops to nab the Brevo.
VIKAS ESTATE GROUP READY WITH NEW PROJECT
ikas Estate Group signed a land deal for 5 bigha land, for the construction of RERA V registered Uma Angan Project, in Jaipur.
Group directors are Vinay Joshi and Vikas Joshi. The project has been pitched for Rs 66 crore. There is an atmosphere of excitement in the property market regarding this project.
PEARL WINDSOR HOMES PROJECT TO COME IN CITY
pytech Buildcon Group finalised a land deal in Jaipur, for the construction Pearl Windsor Homes Project, which is a RERA registered project, on 1282 square yards. The project Sis RERA registered and has been pitched for Rs 9 crore. Sudhir Paliwal, Vivek Jain are the directors of the group. The market is excited about this development.
02
BUILDER SAVES DELHI COLLEAGUE’S MONEY
ecently, a major dispute arose in a land deal worth crores of R rupees. The deal, wherein a piece
of land at Jagatpura was sold off, saw involvement of Delhi based builder-developer. The dispute arose after the exchange of money when one party denied giving land for the path to the sold land. However it was after a renowned builder from Jaipur intervened that the matter was resolved, else the Delhi based builder would have had to wash his hands off crores of rupees!
RAJASTHAN JAIPUR | SATURDAY, MARCH 21, 2020
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03
CORONA SCARE LOOMS LARGE
The otherwise busy Badi Chaupar wears a deserted look due to Coronavirus scare on Friday. —PHOTO BY SUMAN SARKAR
Jaipur: Health advisories, guidelines and partial shutdown are taking their toll on the reduced means of transport both air and surface globally and so Jaipur is no exception to it. The impact of Coronavirus threat is more than evident on both airlines and railways. Friday witnessed cancellation of as many as 10 flights from Jaipur. It was four more than Thursday. Nine domestic and one international flight were bitten by the Covid-19 scare. Go Air again topped the chart, consecutively on second day, for cancelling its scheduled flights. It cancelled three out of its six scheduled flights. Air India flights to Udaipur and Bhopal have been put off the schedule till 31 March. Passengers flying to Delhi by 6.05 am flight, Dubai by 6.35 am, Dehradun by 6.45 am, Mumbai by 8.05 am, 8.45 am & 10 pm, Bengluru by 9.10 & 9.20 am and to Hyderabad by 5.05 pm were disappointed with cancelled flights. In all out of total fifty nine flights only forty nine operated. Corona has clearly reduced the air travelers as some flights are flying only with 25-30% of their capacity. Railway, considered to be common man’s mode of travel, too has taken a beating. Railway cancelled as many nine trains on Friday. The problem is expected to be more acute in coming days.
12 confirmed cases of corona in Raj so far: Health minister
A traffic cop stands at Government Hostel Crossing, with a placard requesting people to stay away from crowded places. —PHOTO BY SANTOSH SHARMA
Jhunjhunu admn decides to seal borders First India News Jhunjhunu: The district administration of Jhunjhunu has decided to seal borders with adjoining districts. The decision has come after three people tested positive for coronavirus on Thursday. The district administration has decided to block the entry of the Zayreen coming to Narhar. The border along Haryana has also been sealed. Taking strict measures in wake of corona infection found in Jhunjhunu, district collector UD Khan said that Jhunjhunu city will
Government offices wear deserted look First India News Jaipur: Government offices have been wearing deserted look following the state government’s decision of partial shutdown in wake of coronavirus outbreak. The order to call only 50% percent of employees to work could not be implemented effectively. It was the last working day of the week but footfalls and activities were low. Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot had
issued orders to reduce staff strength in offices except for essential services related to 24 departments and electricity companies. Those who came to the office were seen wearing a mask. It can be presumed that the Chief Minister’s order would be effectively implemented only from Monday. HoD and section officers would decide which employee will come to the office and which one will work from home.
be sealed and public transport will be banned. He said that the Haryana border has been sealed to prevent the entry of Zayreens. And, the annual Urs in Narhar has been postponed. The district collector informed that three new quarantine wards and an isolation ward will be set up. Besides, a new local helpline number will be issued. According to him, the isolation ward for corona suspects is getting ready at RR hospital. People who have returned from abroad are being identified and the list is pre-
pared. All of them have been asked to remain in isolation at home. “If they don’t stay at home legal action will be taken against them. Guards can be deployed outside their home to stop their movement outside the home,” he said. The collector and SP JC Sharma said that people have not been cooperating in surveys and screening work because they suspect it to be part of the census or NRC. They have appealed to people for cooperation claiming that the survey was related to corona disease only.
They said that strict action will be taken against those spreading rumours. The administration has identified some of them. Meanwhile, director family welfare Dr. RS Chinpi said that no information related to corona should be missed. Apart from the national and statelevel helpline, the district administration and health department have set up control rooms at the local level. Additional five lines would begin from Saturday. From tomorrow, a camp will be set up at a railway station to test the passengers.
Jaipur: Health Minister Raghu Sharma on Friday said there were 12 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the state so far, excluding the Italian couple who recovered from the virus. “Excluding the Italian couple that recovered, 12 people in the state are afflicted with coronavirus. Two-three are yet not confirmed,” Sharma told reporters here.However, the 69-year-old Italian man died of a heart attack at a private hospital in Jaipur on Thursday night.
The sexagenarian was a heart and lungs patient, and recovered from COVID-19 at the SMS Hospital. Reacting to a doctor at a private hospital in Bhilwara testing positive for coronavirus, Sharma said it was a “serious issue”.
Prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC have been imposed in the district from Friday onwards. “When a doctor is found positive, the situation of community spreading of virus is dangerous,” he said. The curfew in Bhilwara is necessary as the infected doctor would have come in contact with several people, Sharma said, adding that there are 253 people in the private hospital and it needs to be checked who all might be infected.
Follow motive of ‘Hum Spain-returned Swasth, Jag Swasth’ couple tests Jaipur: Governor Kalraj Mishra has supported the resolutions and Janata curfew called by PM Modi for the prevention from coronavirus. Mishra has also appealed to the public not to come out of their homes during the Janata curfew on March 22 and play an active role in bringing the country out of this crisis. The Governor said that I appreciate the incomparable work being done by the health workers. In the message issued to the people of the state, Mishra said that it
positive
is very important for every state to be aware and alert. The Raj Bhavan and the state govt are closely monitoring the track record of the spread of coronavirus. In such a global pandemic, only one mantra works - ‘Hum Swasth to Jag Swasth’.
Jaipur: A couple in Rajasthan, with travel history of Spain, has tested positive for coronavirus here. Both 30-years-old returned to Delhi from Spain via Dubai on Tuesday and reached Jaipur by taxi early on Wednesday. After one hour stay at a hotel, they were moved to Sawai Man Singh hospital at 4 a.m. and kept in isolation there. The hotel floor and rooms have been sealed, contacts have been identified. Two drivers and four hotel staff have been kept in home isolation.
CORONA THREAT
Dargah spiritual head urges people to lift sit-ins, demos Jaipur: The spiritual head of Ajmer Sharif Dargah has appealed to people to be united and postpone sit-in demonstrations going on in the country to defeat the coronavirus pandemic. “Wherever sit-in demonstrations are going on in the country, postpone it for some time because at this time the country has to unite and fight a pandemic,” the dargah’s head Syed Zainul Abed-
in Ali Khan said in a statement on Friday. He said the Centre and the state government have shown sensitivity on the issue by taking several big decisions and issued guidelines to prevent and protect our citizens from the virus. These guidelines should be strictly followed so that everyone in our country can survive this pandemic, he said. He said that every
citizen of the country has to be protected from the virus. People should rise above disputes and stop all forms of protests for some time to defeat the coronavirus and strengthen the country to save it from the pandemic. Dargah’s head Syed Zainul Abedin Ali Khan has urged the public to follow 10 points such as travelling less, cleaning, staying at home and not visiting public places.
A view of Shrine of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti after administration restricted public entry to curb the spread of coronavirus in Ajmer on Friday evening. —PHOTO BY NADEEM KHAN
RAJASTHAN JAIPUR | SATURDAY, MARCH 21, 2020
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04
Bhilwara ‘lockdown’ Light rain dips temp in Jaipur
BORDERS SEALED
Bhilwara: Prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC were imposed in Bhilwara district from Friday onwards after six coronavirus positive patients in Bhilwara were tested positive for COVID-19. Markets were shut down post-noon to implement the orders. “It has come into my notice that there is a danger to life of common people and their health due to the possible spread of Coronavirus
infection in the district so prohibitory orders are necessitated,” Bhilwara Collector Rajendra Bhatt said. He further added that medical stores, petrol pumps and banks would remain open during the curfew in the city. Also, necessary items will be transported through 25 mobile vans of the Cooperative Consumer Stores and milk would be provided through Bhilwara Dairy. All the patients who came in contact with medical staff and doctors are be-
‘No politics behind Lakhawat candidature’
Jaipur: Back from his Delhi tour, BJP Chief Satish Poonia denied that he was there only to discuss the upcoming strategy for RS polls. Poonia on Friday met LoP Gulab Chand Kataraia at his residence with deputy LoP Rajendra Rathore and state in-charge Chandrashekhar. Rathore had accompanied Poonia on his Delhi tour. Answering the questions regarding Rameshwar Dudi, Poonia said that the smaller party MLAs and the independents will de-
—With Inputs from PTI
—PHOTOS BY SANTOSH SHARMA
The weather suddenly took a turn from the increasing heat, as Friday evening witnessing dust-storm, lightning and light showers.
have advised elderly and children to be extra careful of the
change in temperature and weather as it could potentially lead
to health scare. Meanwhile, on Friday, Barmer recorded
CM sanctions `100 cr for Jawai Dam First India News
Jaipur: Jawai Punarbharan Sangharsh Samiti and Balshram Board’s Vice- President Shishupalsingh Nimbara organised a press conference regarding the ground recharge of Western Rajasthan’s Jawai Dam at a city hotel. Nimbara thanked CM Ashok Gehlot for allot-
Satish Poonia
First India News
ing screened, along with 253 personnel working in the private hospital. As per the order, people are not allowed to come out of their homes. Business outlets and markets will remain closed. However, essential services outlets for daily use items will remain open from 7 am to 10 am and 5 pm to 7 pm. Those flouting the orders may be booked under the Rajasthan State Epidemic Disease Act, 1957, the order reads.
Jaipur: Amid the tensions of Corona spread, the weather gods brought a little smile to Jaipurites late on Friday afternoon when the rise in temperature was brought down by a thunderous showers. Cool wind started blowing across the city followed by a light rain. The Meteorological department has forecasted that the weather will hold for the next forty eight hours and light rains could be witnessed in various districts of Rajasthan as a result of the western disturbances currently active in the terai region of Himalayas. As a result of the high pressure area forming in Rajasthan, rainfall might occur with heavy duststorms in Bikaner, Churu, Hanumangarh, Alwar, Jhunjhunu, Bharatpur, Sikar and nearby areas. With rainfall, the temperature will also take a dip in the state, however, this will also bring forth various infections and doctors
—PHOTO BY SUMAN SARKAR
First India News
First India News
CM Ashok Gehlot
Shishupal Singh Nimbara
ting a budget of Rs 100 crore for the recharge of Jawai Dam. He further informed that the CM has taken the decision for the ben-
efit of the people of Pali, Jalore and Sirohi along with the efforts undertaken by Pali’s former MP Badriram Jakhar. As the first in-
stallment of the project, Rs 15 crore will be issued next month. Nimbara also spoke about a Congress leader, who is now taking credit for the Jawai Dam project, and said that people had raised the matter before that Congress leader in the past. However, the leader had denied help straight away by saying that the matter belongs
to the Central Government and the State Government could not do anything about it. Nimbara added that with our combined efforts, the CM has issued the amount for the project. The previous government had done fraud with the people and farmers by making a false announcement of issuing Rs 6,000 crore for Jawai Dam.
domestic tourist as well. Chief Secretary DB Gupta reminded the collectors that they were the nodal officers for the corona fight. He asked them to ensure a quarantine facility for 500 people in every district. Gupta asked the private hospitals not to refuse treatment to any patient coming to them. ACS (Home) Rajiv Swaroop stressed on strictly executing section 144 and active surveillance of home isolation cases. He said defaulters should be dealt lawfully to ensure compliance. The high level
meeting was attended by ACS (Health) Rohit Kumar Singh, PS (Medical Education) Vaibhav Galariya, PS (Higher Education) Shuchi Sharma, PS (School Education) Manju Rajpal, PS (Disaster Management) Siddarth Mahajan, PS (Labour) Neeraj K Pawan, Director NHM Naresh Thakral, Commissioner (DIPR) Mahendra Soni, Vice chancellor RUHS Dr Raja Babu Panwar, Principal SMS Dr Sudhir Bhandari, Superintendent SMS Dr DS Meena and other top officials.
hurriedly-filed appeal. Akshay Thakur, 31, Pawan Gupta, 25, Vinay Sharma, 26, and Mukesh Singh, 32, were hanged at Delhi’s Tihar Jail, where they spent the last few hours in isolation in separate cells, barely eating. The convicts were woken at 3.30 am, around the time they learnt they had reached the end of the road in courts. Minutes before they were hanged in the Nirbhaya case, Mukesh Singh said he would like to donate his organs while Vinay Sharma wanted his paint-
ings to be given to the jail superintendent and his ‘Hanuman Chalisa’ to his family, an official said on Friday.
Dudu: Dudu police on Friday, arrested a man identified as Deepesh Sharma for embezzling a hefty sum of Rs19.05 lakh of MNREGA workers. The accused was a data entry operator. The complaint was filed by a Block Development officer, Narayan Singh, against the then data entry operator, complaining that the ac-
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a resident of Jaipur, The accused time and again used to transfer the hard earned money into 10 different accounts, the incident came to light and was disclosed when wages were not being paid to the poor labourers. Police has freezed the bank accounts of the accused and other accused. The accused is being intensively interrogated by the cops.
was admitted in a city hospital after she showed signs of flu. In a statement released on Instagram, the 41-year-old ‘Baby Doll’ singer said she developed signs of flu in the last four days.
tion. During the press conference, he also accused the BJP of killing the democratic values by conspiring against his government and blamed former Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia for the current political crisis in the state. “I have decided to submit my resignation to the governor. But I will continue to work for the welfare of the people...I did the politics of value,” he said. Similarly, the strength of the House also reduced to 222, trimming down the ma-
Jaipur: Jaipur Development Authority has advised people to use online facility for ease deed, patta, name change, lease free certificate, 90A and layout plan approval JDA has also banned entry of visitors as preventive measures for coronavirus. They also stopped sound show at Amar Jawan Jyoti, Masala Chowk and or-
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dered closure of parks on day of ‘Janata Curfew’ and asked people not to gather at any of these places. It has also asked half of its staff to work from home. Public hearings have been cancelled and 50 percent employees, especially, more than 60 years old have been asked to work from home. Those coming to office have been asked to maintain four feet distance.
1 held for embezzling `19L Corona: JDA takes MNREGA funds in Dudu preventive measures cused instead of transacting the hard earned money of the poor laborers employed under the MNERGA scheme, transferred the entire amount into his account and to 10 other accounts of his family members. After confirming about the same, the Police under the supervision of ASP Dudu, Laxmandas Swami have arrested the accused Deepesh Sharma,
Gang busted: 3 arrested for looting houses Jaipur: The gang which looted the lorn houses situated in Kaldera, Samod, Renwal, Chomu and Dataramgarh police station areas in daylight was busted on Friday. Police has arrested Rahul Nuwal(23), Jatin Nuwal(21), and Rahul Nuwal(19). SP Jaipur Rural (IPS) Srikant Sharma, informed that orders were issued in light to stop increasing theft and property related crimes and detain the culprits. A special team was formed from cyber cell of Kaldera Police station. The accused have confessed to their crimes. The accused are being interrogated and a thorough research handled by the special team in relation to the stolen goods and also to find out if there are other accused associated with the gang.
cide the election outcome and some independents & smaller parties dissatisfied with the govt are in touch with him. He said that BJP’s second candidate was constitutional and there was no politics behind Omkar Lakhawat’s candidature. Commenting on former CM Vasundhara Raje and Dushyant’s self isolation, he said that Raje had given a strong message for corona awareness by self- imposed isolation which was a first step towards cure. BJP workers will initiate Covid-19 awareness campaign at booth level.
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the highest temperature with 38.1 degree celcius in Rajasthan.
FROM PG 1 ‘Justice has... Seven years after a young medical student was gang-raped and tortured on a moving bus in Delhi, a crime that shocked India, four of her killers were hanged at 5.30 am on Friday. The pre-dawn execution took place less than two hours after the Supreme Court dismissed the final petition of the convicts. In the hours before that, the convicts had also petitioned the Delhi High Court, where their lawyer cited coronavirus for the lack of proper documents for a
Raje, Dushyant... As a matter of abundant caution, my son and I have immediately self-quarantined and we’re taking all necessary precautions, she said in a tweet. Dushyant was present at the party. After that, he also went to Parliament. There were reports that the singer landed in Lucknow from the United Kingdom and
Kamal Nath... In the letter, he also congratulated new chief minister of the state and said he will also extend help in the development of the state. Before submitting his resignation, Nath addressed a press conference, where he announced his resigna-
jority mark to 104. In this situation, the BJP has the majority mark with 107. While the BSP has two members in the House, the SP has one. Besides, them there are four Independents. —PTI
Gehlot to... He instructed for compulsory isolation wards in every jail. Health minister Dr Raghu Sharma warned the district officials of fake news on social media and stressed on strict action against the perpetrators. MoS health Dr Subhash Garg suggested vigil on
INDIA JAIPUR | SATURDAY, MARCH 21, 2020
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‘THE NATION GOT JUSTICE TODAY’ A girl stands outside Tihar jail with a poster in her hands.
New Delhi: After the SC dismissed the petition of Nirbhaya gangrape case convict Pawan Gupta against the rejection of his mercy plea by the President and seeking stay on execution, the victim’s mother Asha Devi on Friday said that “the nation has got justice.” “I am feeling satisfied today because finally our daughter has got justice. The whole country was ashamed of this crime. Today the nation has got justice,” Asha Devi, Nirbhaya’s mother said while speaking to reporters. She thanked the court for rejecting the “delaying tactics.” “The country’s daughters have got justice. Those people who have been with us for the past seven years...I want to thank the people of our country who supported us. The sun that rises tomorrow will be written in history. I want to thank the judiciary that Nirbhaya got justice today. I want to thank the President. I want to thank the court for rejecting the delay
Nirbhaya’s ancestral village in UP celebrates execution Ballia: The residents of the Nirbhaya’s ancestral village here in Ballia celebrated the execution of the capital punishment to the four death row convicts who were hanged till their death at Tihar jail early morning on Friday. All four death row convicts - Akshay Singh Thakur, Pawan Gupta, Vinay Sharma, and Mukesh Singh - were hanged till death at Tihar Jail around 5:30 am this morning. The villagers including the family members of Nirbhaya took to the streets playing drums and trumpets and dancing to the beats. “We have been waiting for this day for more than seven years. The dark night is over and a new day has begun. Not just Nirbhaya but women of the country have got justice today,” the grandfather of Nirbhaya said. —ANI
I am feeling satisfied today because finally our daughter has got justice. The whole country was ashamed of this crime, said Nirbhaya’s mother Asha Devi
It’s a day for all women of country: Nirbhaya’s father
DAY FOR DAUGHTERS
tactics. Finally, I want to thank two of our lawyers,” she said. “There is a hearing on March 23. We will appeal to SC to lay down guidelines so that delay tactics used in Nirbhaya’s case are not repeated in other cases. The process of availing legal remedies by death row convicts should be time bound,” Asha Devi said. —ANI
‘IT WILL CREATE FEAR AMONG CRIMINALS’
People gather outside Tihar jail during the execution of convicts.
Nirbhaya rape & murder case victim’s parents along with advocate Seema Kushwaha & others react after convicts’ execution.
‘HANGING SENDS STRONG MESSAGE’
New Delhi: The father of the 25-year-old woman who was raped by a cab driver in 2014, said, “Their hanging sends a strong message to society & will create fear among the criminals. It will help in reducing such crimes, however, much more is needed to be done to curb the sexual offences against women.” —ANI
SWIFT JUSTICE REQUIRED, SAY LAWYERS
New Delhi: As the four death row convicts in the Nirbhaya case were hanged in Tihar Jail here, Nirbhaya’s father Badrinath Singh said that this day is for all the women of the country. “Not just Nirbhaya, it is a day for all women of the country... Today, all people will say that they are happy as Nirbhaya has got justice. Our lawyers stood with us all the time. In the end, we won because we were just,” Badrinath Singh told media here. Nirbhaya’s mother Asha Devi said. “We will appeal to the SCourt to lay down guidelines so that the delay tactics used in Nirbhaya’s case are not repeated in other cases. Nirbhaya’s mother Asha Devi further said, “Today, I can say that I am proud of my daugh-
‘MUKESH WISHED TO DONATE ORGANS’
New Delhi: According to several lawyers, the law is both corrective & retributive but swift justice is also required in rarest of rare cases, where there is no scope for reformation. “We have become accustomed to having this sense of righteousness without looking at it from a social justice viewpoint. sr adv Geeta Luthra said.
EXAMPLE SET
ter that because of her people know me as Nirbhaya’s mother. If she would have been present today, then I would have been known as a doctor’s mother, but now I am known as Nirbhaya’s mother... My dharma as a mother has been fulfilled today.” —ANI
Convicts didn’t bathe, skipped breakfast before hanging New Delhi: The four death row convicts in the 2012 Nirbhaya gangrape and murder case, who were hanged in Tihar jail early morning on Friday, did not take a bath and also skipped their breakfast, the last meal, before the execution of sentence. According to officials, two of the convicts- Mukesh Singh and Vinay Sharma, had their dinner on time. On the other hand, Akshay Singh Thakur and Pawan Gupta did not have their dinner. The convicts were given regular updates on the midnight hearing in the court. The convicts were wearing the same clothes they were wearing last night when they were hanged, sources told. After the hanging, the bodies were taken from Tihar Jail to Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital for post mortem at around 8:20 am. —ANI
Police personnel outside Tihar jail during the execution of four men convicted of Nirbhaya rape and murder case in New Delhi on Friday morning.
Ravi Shankar Prasad @rsprasad
Ajit Pawar@AjitPawarSpeaks
Diya Kumari@KumariDiya
Smriti Irani Union Minister
Justice has prevailed. It is of utmost importance to ensure dignity and safety of women. Our Nari Shakti has excelled in every field. Together, we have to build a nation where the focus is on women empowerment, where there is emphasis on equality and opportunity.
Though delayed, justice is finally served to Nirbhaya. Let this be a lesson to all, signifying crimes against women would never be tolerated in this country. May her soul rest in peace! #NirbhayaVerdict #NirbhayaGetsJustice
After seven long years, the dawn of justice for India’s daughter #Nirbhaya! This is a victory for Nirbhaya’s parents & every Indian who fought in their own way to bring justice for Nirbhaya. NirbhayaNyayDivas #NirbhayaGetsJustice
“This is a message to all those who think they can commit crimes against women and escape the law,” Irani told media persons. “I have seen the struggle of a mother for years. Today, I greet this day with aplomb for Nirbhaya as she finally received justice.”
Nitin Gadkari @nitin_gadkari Nirbhaya has got Justice. Let us always remember that anyone who outrages the dignity of women will not be forgiven. Let us create #NewIndia where every woman is respected and given equal opportunity.
Gautam Gambhir @GautamGambhir Hanged till death! Finally! I know we are late Nirbhaya. #NirbhayaJustice
PERSPECTIVE JAIPUR | SATURDAY, MARCH 21, 2020
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Why only population control can ensure our survival
IN-DEPTH
A tale of two resignations
You cannot cap human activity because that will amount to capping human aspirations SADHGURU, ISHA FOUNDATION
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o one expected a change in Madhya Pradesh so soon. But a change of guard is taking place in the state barely 15 months after Congress had dislodged Shivraj Chouhan-led Bharatiya Janata Party government from power through electoral victory. By successfully exploiting fissures in the Congress, the BJP has now paved the way for Shivraj to make a comeback albeit through the back door. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath made futile attempts to retain power but could not delay the inevitable. Certain of defeat, he tweeted his resignation on Friday, ahead of the floor test ordered by the Supreme Court, with a barb against the “powerhungry, ambitious Maharaj” who was rejected by the voters and 22 “greedy MLAs influenced by him”. The countdown began on March 11 when Jyotiraditya Scindia met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, resigned from Congress and was immediately inducted into the BJP. What followed was windfall for the BJP as 22 Congress legislators, including six ministers, loyal to Scindia also put in their papers, making it easy to oust Kamal Nath-led government from power. The BJP did not woo Scindia in a day. It must have been watching the developments in the Congress ever since Kamal Nath was sworn-in as chief minister and the scion of Gwalior royalty was bypassed for the state party president’s post he so keenly coveted but which Kamal Nath did not agree to part with. Scindia waited for 14 months before snapping his ties with the Congress. So for Kamal Nath to call Scindia power-hungry and ambitious is grossly unfair. The truth is that it was a power tussle between Scindia and Kamal Nath in which the former is having the last laugh. By refusing to accommodate Scindia, Kamal Nath has only eroded the Congress’s future prospects in the state. As the factional feud intensified over the year leading to Scindia’s resignation, the party’s central leadership remained a mute spectator as it avoided taking sides. A weak, indecisive central leadership is leading Congress to its decimation. The old versus new guards has been the Congress’ sore point for a long time now. Should Sonia Gandhi lead the party or should it be either Rahul Gandhi or Priyanka is still being debated? Last year when Rahul tried to rid the party of dynastic tag it was the old guard which thwarted his move and convinced Sonia Gandhi to be the interim president. This was a setback for the new guard --- Scindia, Mukul Wasnik and Mallikarjun Kharge and others. Sadly, dissension is threatening the grand old party’s existence but even after the jolt suffered in Madhya Pradesh the Congress is unwilling to reinvent itself. Ironically, the Congress has opted for status quo, unlike the BJP whose leadership is ready to chop and churn.
Ranked amongst the fifty most influential people in India, Sadhguru is a yogi, mystic, visionary and a New York Times bestselling author Sadhguru has been conferred the Padma Vibhushan by the Government of India in 2017, the highest annual civilian award, accorded for exceptional and distinguished service
I
Humanity devoid of humanity, that’s what humanity is today. Unless humanness is brought forth, I don’t think things like controlling human population consciously will happen
have been at any number of conferences where people talk of various dangers that we are facing, such as water and environmental conservation, but what pains me is, no government wants to address the most fundamental problem – population. In the early 20th century, the world’s population was 1.6 billion people. Today, a century later, we are 7.2 billion people. We are projecting that by 2050, we will be 9.6 billion people. I think this is just irresponsible reproduction of humanity. In India, in 1947, we were 330 million. Today, we are 1.2 billion. It doesn’t matter how many trees you plant, how many policies you change, what kind of technologies you bring, there is simply no solution unless we put a cap on human population. Either we control our population consciously, or nature will do it in a very cruel manner. This is all the choice there is. In India particularly, right now, 60% of our land is ploughed, just to feed these 1.2 billion people. Our farmers, with rudimentary, totally ramshackle infrastructure, are producing food for over one billion people. This is an absolutely commendable fact, but still the man who produces food is not eating properly. That is not a commendable fact; that is not something to be proud of. The people who produce food for all of us, the rice or wheat that we are eating today, their own children don’t eat a full stomach. This is essentially because we have not taken the responsibility of deciding, “Okay, this much land – how much population can we support?” It definitely cannot support an endless growth of human population.
PLANET IS NOT MADE ONLY FOR HUMANS This idea that the planet is made only for human beings is a very gross idea. It has been put into people’s minds, saying that “you are created in God’s image”. I am sure even a worm is thinking God looks like a large worm! Not for ecological reasons, just for the sake of your humanity, you need to understand, every creature on this planet has a complete life of its own. Even an insect has a total life of its own – a whole lot of things are happening in his life. Just because someone is smaller or looks different from you, thinking he has no right to live and only you have a right to live here, is a very gross way to exist for humanity. Humanity devoid of humanity, that’s what humanity is today. Unless humanness is brought forth, I don’t think things like controlling human population consciously will happen. Of course governments have to make policies, but they cannot enforce these kinds of things in a democracy. It can only be done by a campaign and by bringing the necessary awareness, but definite-
human aspirations. You can only cap human population.
The planet is not in peril, it is human life which is in peril. This is something human beings need to understand
ly people in the government have to put that idea forth. Private agencies and NGOs can do something, but still, governmental action is needed. Talking about ecology, land conservation or water conservation without controlling human populationis just not going to make a difference because the kind of impetus that is there in the form of science and technology is making every human being hyperactive. You cannot cap human activity because that will amount to capping
Parents, cut screen time while stuck at home BREAK: PREVIOUS DAILY SCREEN TIME LIMITS The American Academy of Pediatrics warns parents that letting children spend too much time watching TV shows or playing video games on any device can make them more anxious, reduce their ability to control impulses and disturb their sleep. How much screen time varies by age. The doctors’ group advises avoiding all screen time, aside from video chats, for babies and toddlers up to 18 months old, and sets gradually increasing limits after that. Between the ages of 2 and 5, for instance, the academy estimates that kids can safely get up to an hour of daily screen time, as long as their parents or caregivers join in. It advises parents of kids 6 and up to consistently lim
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it time spent using digital media and to make sure that screen time doesn’t displace sleep or physical activity. As of now, there’s little compelling evidence backing up concerns over the dangers of screen time for preschoolers, in particular. So when the parents of little kids let their child watch a video to make it possible for the grownups to make dinner or take a phone call, there’s no reason to beat themselves up.
BEND: MOST RESTRICTIONS ON WHERE AND WHEN TO USE DEVICES The American Academy of Pediatrics also advises parents to create tech-free zones and common situations at home. For example, the doctors’ group says that kids, especially little ones, should never use dig-
Studies suggest that even babies get less of the sleep they need if they interact with or watch screens at night.
ital media while eating or during any kind of family gathering. But I think it might sometimes be worth bending this rule. Whether they’re coming home from work outside the home, teleworking or simply spending the day taking care of their children, all parents need some time to decompress or tackle household chores.
Because American Academy of Pediatrics doesn’t include video chatting as part of a child’s total screen time, it’s a good option to ramp up now, even for the very youngest. Some research suggests that babies can learn new words when they engage in a video chat but not from prerecorded videos. Video chatting can help kids stay connected with their friends or members of their extended families whom they no longer can see in person. Consider using it to read stories, play the Go Fish card game or just talk about day’s events.
KEEP: UNPLUGGED BEDTIME However, one rule I consider worth keeping even when schools, day care centers and workplaces are shuttered is unplugging from tech at bedtime. Sticking to
bedtime routines is really important for young children – those 5 years old and younger. Research indicates that kids with consistent bedtime routines do better in school and tend to behave better than their peers. Studies suggest that even babies get less of the sleep they need if they interact with or watch screens at night. The same goes for preschool-aged kids – those between 3 and 5 years old. Using any digital device at bedtime is correlated with losing about half an hour of sleep for children between 8 and 17 years old. Remember, if your kids sleep better, they’re likely to behave better too. That will make it easier for your entire family to handle whatever happens next. FOR FULL REPORT LOG ON TO WWW.PROJECTSYNDICATE.ORG
TAKING CHARGE OF BIRTH In 1947, the life expectancy of an average Indian was 32 years. Today, it has crossed 65. So we took charge of death, but we should have also taken charge of birth. Today, you neither have enough buses, land, toilets, temples or even a sufficient piece of sky for 1.2 billion people. The only thing we can do is – are we going to adjust our population to the resource that we have? That is something that every human being can do if the necessary education and awareness is brought into their lives. If that investment is made, we don’t have to plant trees. The planet is not in peril, it is human life which is in peril. This is something human beings need to understand. I hope we wake up to this fact and do what is needed. Ecological conservation, green technologies, all these things are definitely needed, but addressing the most fundamental thing, that we have multiplied four times over and we have done nothing about it, and are still continuing to multiply, is the biggest problem.
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TWEET Dharmendra Pradhan @dpradhanbjp Prepare, don’t panic! Government has launched a WhatsApp-based MyGov Corona Helpdesk for alerting and educating the citizens about the #NovelCoronavirus.Just text ‘Hi’ on WhatsApp at 9013151515 & get automated response to your queries related to #Covid19. Prakash Javadekar @PrakashJavdekar Happy to announce the grant of Environmental approval to Nardave Irrigation Project in Sindhudurg District, which shall irrigate around 10,000 hectares of land, thus benefiting a huge number of farmers. @moefcc @ PIB_India @PIBMumbai
Spiritual SPEAK
No purifier equals knowledge, and in time the man of perfect discipline discovers this in his own spirit. —Bhagavad Gita
Vol 1 Issue No. 283 RNI NO. RAJENG/2019/77764. Printed and published by Anita Hada Sangwan on behalf of First Express Publishers. Printed at Bhaskar Printing Press, D.B. Corp Limited, Shivdaspura, Tonk Road, Jaipur. Published at 304, 3rd Floor, City Mall, Bhagwan Das Road, C-Scheme, Jaipur-302001, Rajasthan. Phone 0141-4920504. Editor: Jagdeesh Chandra, responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act
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MP POLITICAL CRISIS BJP leader Shivraj Chouhan and Narendra Tomar are the front-runners
‘Kamal’ set to bloom after Nath New Delhi: With the Congress government in Madhya Pradesh collapsing, speculation is rife on who would be the BJP’s choice for the chief minister’s post: Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Narendra Singh Tomar or some dark horse. The state is set to get a BJP-led government now as the 18-day-long political drama ended on Friday with chief minister Kamal Nath’s resignation. Chouhan has been chief minister thrice. He had the longest tenure as the state CM during 2003-2018, before Nath wrested the chair from him. He is percecived as the front-runner for the post, but the million-dollar question is whether the top BJP leadership would favour him. “Looking at the way the BJP leadership takes a decision these days, no one can say confidently that a particular individual stands a good chance. Because such decisions are now taken in the Congress-like ‘highcommand style’, a BJP source told PTI.
MP ADVOCATE GENERAL RESIGNS
WHO WILL BE NEW DG OF BSF?
Who will be new DG BSF ? Names of RPF DG Arun Kumar, SSB DG Kumar Rajesh Chandra and 1986 batch IPS officer of Jharkhand cadre K N Chaubey are said to be in the panel.
Dr Sumeet Jerath, Special Secretary, Cabinet Secretariat, has been appointed as Secretary, Department of Official Language. He is a 1985 batch IAS officer of Assam-Meghalaya cadre. NARAYAN RAJU CONTINUES AS SECRETARY, LEGISLATIVE DEPARTMENT TILL MAR 2021
Re-employment period of G Narayan Raju as Secretary, Legislative Department on contract basis, has been extended for a period of one year beyond upto March 31, 2021. MS ARUNDHATY GHOSH APPOINTED DIRECTOR GENERAL, POSTAL SERVICES
BJP leaders Shivraj Singh Chouhan, VD Sharma, Gopal Bhargava and others celebrate after Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath resigned from his post, at state party headquarters in Bhopal on Friday. —PHOTO BY PTI
MLA PRADEEP JAISWAL SET TO JOIN BJP
P
Rana Kapoor
Laundering Act (PMLA) and was since in the probe agency’s custody. Kapoor told the court on Friday that he is suffering from asthma, and because of his age, he is vulnerable to coronavirus. The court has asked the jail authorities to take appropriate precautions on this count.
JUSTICE DONE, BUT WHAT ABOUT NIRBHAYA FUNDS: CONGRESS New Delhi: After the hanging of four convicts in the Nirbhaya rape and murder case, the Congress on Friday said that justice has been done but delay in the whole process showed the weakness of the system. The opposition party also claimed rise of crimes against women in last five years even as the
POWER Gallery DR SUMEET JERATH APPOINTED SECRETARY, OFFICIAL LANGUAGE
Court sends Rana Kapoor to judicial custody till April 2 Mumbai: The session’s court in Mumbai on Friday sent Rana Kapoor, former managing director (MD) and chief executive officer (CEO) of YES Bank, to judicial custody till April 2. This came after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) submitted before the court that it does not need Kapoor’s custody any further. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has also moved a production warrant to take Kapoor into custody. The CBI had filed a case against Kapoor for allegedly obtaining illegal gratification by acquiring a property in New Delhi from Gautam Thapar’s Avantha group. In exchange, YES Bank waived the industrial house’s dues and advanced new loans. The former banker was arrested on March 8 by the ED under the provisions of Prevention of Money
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Nirbhaya funds to be spent on women’’s safety remains unused. “We need reforms in laws as justice was delayed and the family had to fight a lonely battle,” said Congress spokesperson Ami Yagnik. Congress MP Chhaya Verma demanded a check on cybercrime since women many a times fall victim.
BJP preparing to form govt as Nath resigns New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party has intensified the exercise to form the government soon after the Kamal Nath government collapsed in Madhya Pradesh. A round of meetings has started from Delhi to Bhopal. A similar meeting took place at the residence of Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar in
Delhi, after which there is speculation about the next CM of the state. Sources say that a strategy was chalked out in this meeting about the formation of the government in Madhya Pradesh. The cabinet formation was also discussed at this meeting. Meanwhile, Scindia interacted with the me-
dia in Delhi and said all those legislators who have resigned will win in the upcoming elections. Earlier, reacting to Kamal Nath’s resignation, Scindia said: “Today the people have won in Madhya Pradesh. We will regain public confidence and go on the path of public service again.”
PM Modi urged caution to deal with coronavirus: LS Speaker New Delhi: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Friday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had in his address to the nation urged people to exercise caution to prevent spread of coronavirus and not feel scared. He asserted that parliament was with PM’s address to the nation. The Speaker said the entire world is dealing with the crisis posed by coronavirus and India is also making all its possible efforts. “Prime Minister in his address to the nation appealed to people to exercise caution and not feel scared so that their faith is maintained,” he said. The Speaker said that PM in his address on Thursday told about ways to prevent the spread of corona and announced programme of Janta Curfew on Sunday. “The Parliament is with the Prime Minister’s address to the nation. All parties are in agreement,” he said. The Speaker said it
Ms Arundhaty Ghosh, Member (Operations), Postal Services Board, has been appointed Director General Postal Services after promotion to this grade. She is a 1986 batch officer of Indian Postal Service. WILL APPOINTMENT OF LT GEN RANK OFFICER AS DG,
Territorial Army set a precedent? Will it be a precedent now that the DG of Territorial Army will be only of Lt Gen rank. It seems so. WHO WILL BE NEW MD OF SBI?
Who will succeed P K Gupta as MD of the State Bank of India. Three officials said to be top contenders are -Ashwini Bhatia, Partha Sengupta and Alok Chaudhury. TENURE OF ALOK RANJAN AS CVO, BHEL EXTENDED
The tenure of Alok Ranjan as Chief Vigilance Officer, Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL), has been extended for a period of two years upto April 2, 2022. He is a 1991 batch IPS officer of MP cadre. VINAYAK GARG IS ALSO CVO, IREDA
Vinayak Garg, CVO, ITDC, has been entrusted an additional charge of CVO, Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Limited (IREDA) for a period of nine months. He is a 1994 batch IRSEE Officer. MADHYA PRADESH GOVT EXTENDS TENURE OF RTD DISTT & SESSIONS JUDGE ABDUL JABBAR KHAN IN NPP
The Madhya Pradesh Govt has extended contractual period of Retired District and Sessions Judge Abdul Jabbar Khan for the post of Member (Judicial) till the disposal of cases in the Grievance Redressal Authority for Narmada Package Projects from April 1, 2020 to March 31, 2021.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla speaks to the officals as he reviews preparedness in wake of the coronavirus pandemic, at Parliament House Complex, in New Delhi on Friday. —PHOTO BY PTI
was a feature of country’s democracy that in the times of difficulty, everyone works together. Members in the House expressed concern over the economic impact of the threat of coronavirus especially on the vulnerable and poor sections. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said that the Economic Response Task Force set up the government will look at various issues.
HC REFUSES TO ENTERTAIN KUNAL KAMRA’S PLEA New Delhi: Delhi HC on Friday refused to entertain a petition filed by stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra challenging the ban on flying imposed on him by the Indigo, Vistara and other airlines. Kamra today approached the Delhi HC on an urgent basis claiming he has now been banned by all the five major airlines of the country from flying. A bench of Justice Naveen Chawla, while refusing to pass any interim direction on the plea, raised objection on Kamra’s actions observing that such kind of behaviour cannot be accepted on a flight.
LS passes bill relating to 5 IIITs in PPP mode New Delhi: The Lok Sabha on Friday passed a bill that seeks to declare five Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs) in Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode at Surat, Bhopal, Bhagalpur, Agartala and Raichur as institutions of national importance along with existing 15 IIITs. Reply-
ing to the debate on the Indian Institutes of Information Technology Laws (Amendment) Bill, HR Development Minister Pokhriyal said that a “beautiful” model had been created for the first time with the participation of the Centre, states and the industry to impart training to students.
COURT SENDS ACCUSED IN J-K DSP TERRORIST LINKS CASE TO CUSTODY New Delhi: A Delhi court has remanded a man to ten-day police custody in connection with a case against the suspended J&K DSP Davinder Singh, who is accused of trying to assist terrorists to travel outside the Union Territory. Additional Sessions Judge Dharmendra Rana on Thursday granted the remand, allowing Delhi
Police to question the accused Imran Shafi Mir. According to Delhi Police, some inputs were received through a reliable source that a group of individuals, likely linked to a terror outfit operating in Jammu and Kashmir, was planning a terrorist attack on protected persons in Delhi and other parts of the country.
SUSPENSION OF TARUN JOHRI REVOKED, GETS POSTING
The suspension of Tarun Johri has been revoked and he has been posted as Chief Conservator of Forests in Arunachal Pradesh. He is a 2000 batch IFS officer of AGMUT cadre. FOUR IAS OFFICERS GET NEW ASSIGNMENTS IN HARYANA
Bhupinder Singh has been appointed as Director, Welfare of Scheduled Caste & OBC and Dusmanta Kumar Behera was made Director, Medical Education & Research and Rajnarayan Kaushik is Secretary, Haryan Public Service Commission. Besides, Mahavir Singh was posted as Additional Deputy Commissioner, Kaithal and Secretary, RTA, Kaithal. VINAY SRIVASTAVA APPOINTED PART-TIME GOV DIR ON IRCTC BOARD
Ministry of Railways has appointed Vinay Srivastava as a Part-time Government Director of Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Limited with immediate effect till he holds the post of Executive Director (PSU), Railway Board or until further orders, whichever is earlier. UPSC DEFERS INTERVIEWS OF CIVIL SERVICES (MAIN) EXAMINATION, 2019
Due to the prevailing conditions caused by the Novel Corona Virus (COVID–19), as a precautionary measure, the Union Public Service Commission has deferred the Personality Tests (Interviews) of the candidates of the Civil Services (Main) Examination, 2019 scheduled from March 23, 2020 to April 3, 2020 until further orders. New dates for the Personality Tests (Interviews) will be informed to the candidates in due course.
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VHP cancels shobha yatras on Ram Navmi in wake of corona VHP international working president Alok Kumar said that all big processions planned to celebrate Ramjanmbhoomi verdict, mandating construction of Ram temple, have been postponed and cancelled as of now
temples and pray. No big gatherings have been planned, “ added Kumar. DIVYA Milind Parande, HEMNANI secretary-general, said that New Delhi: The VHP Vishwa Hindu Pari- norms set by states shad has cancelled as guidelines to the Shobha Yatras combat COVID-19 and rath yatras it will be followed in had planned to cel- letter and spirit. ebrate on the first The duration of the Ram Navami post- celebration process Ramjanmbhoomi is between March verdict. The deci- 25, the first day of sion has been neces- the new year by the sitated by the health Hindu calendar till hazards social gath- April 8. “We have asked erings pose in the wake of the corona- our ‘kaaryakartas’ not to take out shobvirus outbreak. In addition to ha yatras and rath this, the RSS-affili- yatras. This is what ate will have a quiet we had planned beceremony of shift- fore the coronaviing Ram Lalla to the rus outbreak. It was new fibreglass supposed to take structure so that place in two lakh construction of the villages. We have temple could be ex- downsised the number of people but pedited. Speaking to ANI, the maximum numVHP international ber of villages will working president be covered. We will Alok Kumar said follow the norms that all big proces- and rules set by sions planned to each state and we celebrate Ram- will take care of lejanmbhoomi ver- gal aspect as well dict, mandating for these small gathadded construction of erings,” Ram temple, have Parande. As for the been postponed and ceremony of shiftcancelled as of now. ing Ramlalla to a This would take temporary structure is concerned, it place on March 25. “We have asked is looked after by people in small Ramjanmbhoomi Kshetra groups to congre- Teerth gate in their local Trust.
PM MODI WILL AGAIN ADDRESS NATION: PC New Delhi: Congress MP and former Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram said that that Prime Minister would have ‘no option but to again address the nation and announce tougher social and economic measures’ to contain the spread of COVID-19. While supporting PM Modi’s initiative to observe a ‘Janta curfew’, Chidambaram told reporters, “I think the Prime Minister was testing the waters. He would be compelled to come back in a few days to announce tougher social and economic measures which I also tweeted on Thursday.” “I have the feeling that the PM will come back in the next few days to announce tougher social and economic measures,” he tweeted.
A woman wearing a protective mask sits near an near deserted bank of River Ganga in the wake of coronavirus pandemic, in Varanasi on Friday. —PHOTO BY PTI
Capacity to manufacture 1.5 cr masks a day,production on: Govt
Dassault stops production of Rafale jets amid COVID-19 New Delhi: The production of Rafale fighter jets for India at the Dassault Aviation facility has been stopped till March 31 in view of the French government’s precautionary measures to contain coronavirus spread, IAF sources told ANI, adding that this will have “no effect” on the arrival of
New Delhi: India has a capacity to manufacture 1.5 crore masks a day and the production has already started to ensure there is no crisis-like situation amid coronavirus outbreak, the government said in RS on Friday. Besides, there is no dearth of gloves or medicines and adequate quantity of sanitisers
to meet the demand is available, Chemical and Fertiliser and Shipping Minister Mansukh Lal Mandaviya told the Upper House. “We have more than 100 units in the country for manufacturing of masks. We have done a survey ... per day 1.5 crore mask manufacturing capacity is in the country.Production has
‘PM SHOULD HAVE ADDRESSED NATION EARLIER’ New Delhi: Congress MP and former Union Minister Kapil Sibal on Friday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision to call a ‘Janta curfew’ on Sunday, March 22 from 7 am to 9 pm in an attempt to combat the spread of Coronavirus is a right decision but he should have addressed the nation earlier. “As far as the PM’s speech was concerned, it was fine as a Prime minister should address the nation. Maybe he could have addressed the nation earlier. What he said in the speech was very little. He asked the people to come out at their balconies on March 22 at 5 pm and clap (for the medical staff), of course, we should clap our hands but also join hands as well,” Sibal told ANI. With regard to the Coronavirus outbreak in the country, he said that information is still awaited as to how many people are affected by it as the testing facilities are not completely on the ground.
already started. There is no shortage of masks. There is no dearth of gloves. Sanitiser is available in the country as per its requirement,” Mandaviya said during the Question Hour. Replying to a query, he said, “We are taking initiatives that there should not be a crisislike situation in the country.”
SHAHEEN BAGH PROTESTERS TO CONTINUE PROTEST
New Delhi: The women protesters in Shaheen Bagh will continue with their protest on Sunday, the day when Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged people to remain inside their houses under a selfimposed curfew. The women have been blocking a side of a road connecting southeast Delhi to Noida since mid-December to protest against the amended citizenship law. On Monday, the Delhi government said gatherings with more than 50 people were not allowed in the wake of the novel coronavirus pandemic. The size of gatherings has since been reduce to 20 people. “It also applies to Shaheen Bagh,” Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had said.
the first batch of jets in May this year. The deliveries can get affected only if the COVID-19 lockdown in France is prolonged. “The work in Dassault Aviation facility producing Rafale fighter jets for India has been stopped till March 31 in view of the measures taken by the French govt to tackle COVID-19. Indian Air Force personnel are training at
METRO SERVICES WILL BE CLOSED ON SUNDAY: DMRC New Delhi: The Delhi Metro services will be closed on Sunday in view of the ‘Janata curfew’, officials said. The total number of coronavirus cases in the national capital on Thursday rose to 14, according to the Delhi Health Department. In view of the ‘Janata curfew’ to be observed on March 22, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation has decided to keep its services closed, the DMRC said in a statement on Friday. “The move is aimed at encouraging public to stay indoors and maintain social distancing, which is essential in the fight against COVID-19,” it said. Calling for “resolve and restraint” to fight coronavirus, PM Modi on Thursday asked the entire country to observe ‘Janta curfew’ on Sunday. In a nearly 30-minute national broadcast, he asked people to stay indoors and work from home as much as possible while underscoring the dangers of coronavirus.
six different places in France,” said sources. “There will be no effect on the arrival of the first batch of these fighters in India in May this year. The future deliveries can get affected only if the COVID-19 issue gets prolonged for a longer period. India has already received the five India-specific Rafale combat jets on which our pilots are training,” they added.
CENTRE EXTENDS VISAS OF FOREIGNERS IN INDIA New Delhi: The Centre has decided to extend till April 15 the regular visa and e-visa of those foreigners who are currently in India and unable to leave the country due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. According to a Union Home Ministry notification, a number of foreign nationals are in the country since imposition of travel restrictions and are unable to exit the country during the validity of their visa. “Regular visa, e-visa or stay stipulation of all foreign nationals which have expired or would be expiring during the period from March 13 (midnight) to April 15 (midnight) would be extended till midnight of April 14 on ‘Gratis’ basis after making online application by the foreigner.
Design: Abhishek Gupta
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Japan welcomes Olympic flame as doubts swirl over Games Higashimatsushima: The Olympic flame arrived in Japan Friday to a muted reception, what should have been a joyous celebration dramatically scaled down due to the coronavirus pandemic that has cast doubt over whether the Tokyo Games can even go ahead. The flame landed on a special charter flight into Matsushima Air Base in Miyagi province, chosen as part of the “Recovery Olympics” to showcase the region’s revival after the 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear meltdown. Former Japanese Olympians Saori Yoshi-
da and Tadahiro Nomura collected the flame from the aircraft and took it to a cauldron in the shape of a cherry blossom on a stage in front of selected guests. But some 200 local children that were due to welcome the flame were kept away as part of what organisers called the “heartbreaking” decision to pare back events as the world battles the virus that has killed nearly 10,000 people. After a speech by chief organiser Yoshiro Mori, the former Olympians lit the cauldron with the torch, also designed to represent Japan’s cher-
Tokyo 2020 Olympics chief Yoshiro Mori, center, followed by three-time Olympic gold medalists Tadahiro Nomura and Saori Yoshida, right, carries the Olympic flame during the Flame Arrival Ceremony at Japan Air Self-Defense Force Matsushima Base.
ished cherry blossom. “Children had planned to welcome the Olympic flame, but we decided to scale it down, giving priority to their safety,” Mori said. The actual torch relay begins on March 26, starting from the J-Village sports complex in Fukushima that was commandeered as a base by workers scrambling to contain the fallout from the nuclear meltdown. “The Olympic flame relay is the biggest event ahead of the Olympics. It is very important for us to carry it out at any cost,” said Tokyo 2020 CEO Toshiro Muto
ahead of the ceremony. But organisers have been forced to scale back what should have been a key event to raise awareness and excitement ahead of the July 24 opening ceremony. While spectators are allowed to watch from the roadside, fans have been urged to “avoid forming crowds”, with organisers warning there could be a change of programme in the event of “excessive congestion”. Daily arrival and departure ceremonies are closed to the public and all torch-bearers will have their temperatures taken before participating in the relay. —Agencies
In self-isolation, I have found Sindhu continued to play on at some freedom: Mary Kom All Eng despite Covid-19 scare Mary has self-isolated at her New Delhi: The COVID-19 pandemic has isolated her from the world outside but iconic Indian boxer MC Mary Kom says the forced slowdown of life as usual has also redefined the meaning of freedom for her. Mary Kom has selfisolated at her Delhi residence since returning from the this month’s Asian Olympic Qualifiers in Jordan where she booked herself a second Olympic berth. The precautionary measure was necessitated by a training trip to Italy before landing in Jordan even though the entire Indian team got COVID-19 negative certificates from the IOC.
England is among the mostaffected by virus outbreak, which has caused more than 9,000 deaths across the world
New Delhi: PV Sindhu was given the choice of pulling out of All England Championships after the Indian government’s travel restrictions came into force but the Olympic silvermedallist decided to play on despite the chaos triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic. On March 11, the government issued a revised travel advisory, cancelling all visas till April 15 and making it clear that Indian nationals returning to the country from affected countries would be quarantined for 14 days. England is among the most-affected by coronavirus outbreak, which has caused more than 9,000 deaths across the world. “When the travel advisory came on March 11 night, the next morning Gopi (national coach Pullela Gopichand) had told us that ‘this has come so let’s
not play this match and go back, what do you say?’” Sindhu’s father PV Ramana said. “Only Sindhu, Lakshya (Sen) and Sikki (Reddy) and Ashwini were there in second round. We decided to stay back and play, Vimal also said let’s play. The reason was when we are already here so one more day won’t make any difference,” he added. The advisory caused significant confusion and concern among the top Indian shuttlers, who were in Birmingham for the tournament with Parupalli Kashyap sending an SOS to the government asking for clarity on the situation. —PTI
Delhi residence since returning from Jordan
BAI instructs employees to work from home
Diving, artistic swimming Oly qualifying events postponed
New Delhi: The Badminton Association of India (BAI) on Friday announced its office will shut down from March 23 owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. BAI is the latest National Sports Federation (NSF) to shut down its premises in the wake of novel coronavirus outbreak. “In the wake of the Corona Virus outbreak and the advisories issued by the Sports Ministry and Government of India guidelines for safety measures, BAI has decided to shut down their office from March 23,” a release said. —Agencies
Beijing: World swimming governing body FINA has announced that the diving and artistic swimming Olympic qualification events will be postponed to June. FINA -- after consulting with the International Olympic Committee and the organizers of the Tokyo 2020 O l y m p i c Games - de-
COMBAT CORONA
Virat Kohli, Anushka Sharma bat for self isolation lll
Kohli, Anushka posted a video message on Twitter, appealing everyone to stay at home, a day after PM Modi addressed the nation to advocate self-isolation
New Delhi: India’s cricket captain Virat Kohli and his actor wife Anushka Sharma on Friday issued a joint appeal for self-isolation to combat the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic, which has left the world in disarray. Kohli and Anushka posted a video message on Twitter, appealing everyone to stay at home, a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation to advocate self-
“I am chilling, doing my exercises, taking care of my fitness and playing with my children after being away from them for almost one month,” Mary said. “That’s the best part of this isolation, I am with my family through the day without having to think of anything. My appeal to everyone is don’t panic, try and stay at home if you can and spend time with your family,” she said. “In my case, I have felt a sense of freedom with this isolation. I have realised that I am not feeling the stress of a daily schedule right now.” The six-time world champion is also a sitting Rajya Sabha MP. —PTI
isolation. “We all know we are going through a very difficult time,” Kohli said. “And the only way to stop the spread of Coronavirus is by acting together,” urged Anushka. As they took turns to speak, Kohli said, “We are staying at home for our safety and for everyone else’s one.” Anushka followed, by suggesting that, “...you should do it too to pre-
vent the further spread of the virus.” “Let’s make it safe for us and everyone else by self isolation,” said Kohli while Anushka concluded with,” stay at home and stay healthy.” A number of sports personalities have come forward in spreading the message to combat the coronavirus pandemic, which has infected more than 2,00,000 people worldwide and killed over 9,000. —PTI
cided to postpone the FINA Diving WC, which is scheduled to take place in Tokyo from
April 21 to 26, and FINA Artistic Swimming Olympic Games Qualification Tournament scheduled to be held from April 30 to May 3. FINA also announced that it would push off the FINA Diving World Series from March 27-29 in London, and the FINA Diving Grand Prix in Kuala Lumpur originally set for June 5-7.
Cricket boards brace for losses in the time of corona New Delhi: When the mighty Indian cricket board decided this week that only the chief among its national selectors would travel business class, it merely confirmed straitened times for the game amid the coronavirus outbreak. The uncharacteristic austerity by the world’s richest cricket board follows its decision earlier this month to halve the winner’s purse at this year’s IPL, a cash cow with a brand value of $6.8 billion. The franchise-based Twenty20
league was scheduled to begin on March 29 but has now been postponed until April 15. To many, a condensed tournament, possibly without foreign players, later this year looks like a more realistic prospect. —Agencies
Books are the doorway to knowledge, we get a chance to peep into the thoughts of people who lived centuries ago.
2ND FRONT JOINTLY WE NEED TO COMBAT CORONA: CM —Jagdeesh Chandra, CEO & Editor, First India
POSTAL REG NO. JPC/010/2019-21
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‘The state govt is constantly taking strict steps to prevent the spread of virus and NGOs can play an effective role in creating awareness’ CM okays amnesty scheme for agri traders
BRUTAL MURDER OF DEMOCRACY IN MP: CM ASHOK GEHLOT
First India News Jaipur: CM Ashok Gehlot, in a major relief, has approved the amnesty scheme to waive off the pending Mandi charges for sugar & agricultural commodities imported from outside the state, for food processing purpose, from April 27 2005 to December 31 2019. The amnesty scheme will waive off 50% of principal mandi charges and 100% of penalties and interest applicable on it. The scheme will be effective till March 31 2020 for food processing units licensed by the mandi committee. Units taking benefit from the scheme will have furnish an affidavit stating regular payments in future and also withdraw, if any, cases pending in the court.
Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot with Dr Raghu Sharma, DB Gupta, Subhash Garg, other officials and NGO representatives during the meeting at CMO on Friday.
First India News Jaipur: Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has said that it is necessary for every section of the society to participate in the prevention of corona infection and voluntary organizations should cooperate in the efforts of the government. He said that the state government is constantly taking strict steps to prevent the spread of the virus and NGOs can play an effective role in creating awareness among the general public. Gehlot was holding a
There is no need to send the sample to Pune or other places. Adequate arrangements have been made for isolation in every district. There is no dearth of masks and medical devices. — Dr Raghu Sharma,
Medical and Health Minister
discussion with the representatives of these organizations in the conference hall of the Chief Minister's Office on Friday evening.
“NGOs work with different sections of society along with poor and backward masses as well, and in such disasters, they can use their
experiences to provide help to the government. NGOs through social media, etc., can provide invaluable contribution like removing the misconceptions spread among the people, preventing black marketing, providing other resources including medicines, food, motivating them for the census of government-issued advisory,” Gehlot said. Medical and Health Minister Dr Raghu Sharma, giving information about the steps taken by the state government to prevent the virus from spreading, said that investigation
facilities are being developed at many places in the state. “There is no need to send the sample to Pune or other places. Adequate arrangements have been made for isolation in every district. There is no dearth of masks and medical devices,” he said. CS DB Gupta added that information related to corona can be given on state level control room and helpline numbers 104 and 108 on 01412225624 telephone number. Also, complaints related to black marketing can also be given on these numbers.
Kamal Nath
First India News Jaipur: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Friday said democracy was blatantly killed in Madhya Pradesh with the fall of the Kamal Nath-led state government there. He said dismantling a democratically elected government for lust of power has become a habit of the BJP. "What we have witnessed today in Madhya Pradesh is a blatant killing of democ-
racy in broad daylight," he said in a statement. His remarks came after Madhya Pradesh CM Kamal Nath submitted his resignation to the Governor. Mr Nath's move came a day after the Supreme Court directed a floor test be conducted in Madhya Pradesh Assembly on Friday to prove that the Congress government led by him enjoys a majority in the House following the resignation of 22 MLAs of his party.
MP rebel Congress MLA’s HC issues notices to Housing Board’s payment daughter hangs self in Kota state govt and JVVNL bonanza for house owners Kota: A-24-year-old daughter of rebel Congress MLA from MP Suresh Dhakad allegedly committed suicide by hanging herself from the ceiling at her matrimonial house in Baran dist, police said on Friday. Police found the body of the woman, identified as Jyoti, lying on the floor of house in Bhaskheda village with ligature marks around her neck, SHO of Kelwada police station in the dist Nand Singh said, adding that the incident occurred on intervening night of Thursday and Friday. He said prima facie it is a case of suicide
though investigation into the matter is yet to be initiated as none among the woman''s in-laws is willing to speak to the police and the post-mortem examination is yet to be conducted. The woman's father Suresh Dhakad is MLA from Pohhari constituency in Madhya Pradesh and is among the 'rebel'
MLAs from that state who recently resigned from the Congress to join the BJP resulting in the resignation of MP CM Kamal Nath. Jyoti was married to Dr Jai Singh Mehata who is posted as medical officer at the government health centre in Shahabad area and lives in Baskheda village of Baran district, the official said.
First India News
First India News
Jaipur: The Rajasthan High Court passed an order on a Writ Petition filed by advocate Sunil Kumar Singh in Jaipur on Thursday. The case concerned Dharamveer Singh, Director of Bonafide Arts at Bagru, who got the power under the open access through IEX for demand of 4200 KVA at 33 KV and got a bill for Feb 2017, which bore a whopping penalty of over Rs 1.5 cr. In shock the petitioner approached the commercial wing
Jaipur: Rajasthan Housing Board (RHB) has announced an amnesty scheme from fifty to hundred percent on interest and penalties on balance instalments of EWS, LIG, MIG and HIG houses. RHB Commissioner Pawan Arora said that the scheme has been brought to provide relief to common people in accordance with CM Ashok Gehlot’s budget speech. Arora informed that the scheme covers all types of houses allotted by RHB. Giving details of
Sunil Kumar Singh
of Jaipur Discom but got no satisfactory answer. They maintained that penalty was on account of over capacity. After digging deep it came to light that highest percentage of over-drawl was 218.07% in one of the blocks on date and as such 218.07% of entire month was fixed and energy charges have been levied as penalty.
WHAT CORONA? POPULARITY KE LIYE KUCH BHI Aishwary Pradhan
T
he whole world is aware of the Coronavirus threat but a BJP MLA prefers his local politics over the lives of the people of his constituency and For What? Stealing away rightful credit from guess who? CM Ashok Gehlot. Actually CM Gehlot had announced a Rs 100 crore plan for the Jawai dam. Local Congress candidate in last elections Ranju Ramawat had posters all over her constituency informing people that their problem was being solved as per promises made. Now BJP MLA Joraram Kumawat wasn’t in mood to let Congress and its popular CM to take credit of this so he, without bothering for advisories issued by PM
MLA Joraram Kumawat
TETE
TETE
-A-
Modi himself, called for a meeting of locals. He proudly addressed a meeting of almost 200 people when there is a restriction on gathering of more than 50 people. Without any doubt the MLA risked the lives of his supporters for a false credit. This example stands out because the CM during his budget reply had made many announcements but none of the opposition MLAs rushed to take the credit of fulfilment of a demand or promise as Kumawat did. The word around in Pali district is that Joraram Kumawat isn’t fighting with Gehlot but is fighting with the ghosts of former high profile MLAs from Sumerpur like Beena Kak (Congress-Thrice) and Madan Rathore (BJP-Twice).
the scheme Commissioner Arora informed that the board will waive of 100% of interest and penalty on payment of all balance instalments of EWS, LIG and MIG A houses allotted from 1 January 2001. The waiver we will
be of 50% for MIG B and HIG allotments. The scheme will provide the relief till 30 June 2020. The new scheme by RHB will provide relief to a large number of people who had turned defaulters earlier due to different circumstances.
MOTOR MOUTH BLABBER AIDE
Shivendra Parmar
A
s a golden rule everybody in public life should be cautious of the company they keep and it becomes all the more important if somebody is a minister. There are so many people who try to be close to a sitting minister but there are some who are called the ‘Right Hand Man’ (RH man) of the minister. So this RH man of a sitting minister proved himself to be such a motor mouth that he could spell trouble for the minister himself. An officer from the enforcement wing of JDA
issued a notice to a builder. This RH man called the Enforcement officer (EO) and warned him to not to go to
the concerned building for which he had issued a notice. When the EO asked for the reason as it was part of his duty the RH man bluffed by telling the EO that the minister had partnership in the building despite the fact that the minister has no links, whatsoever, with the building. So the obvious question is that has the minister authorized his RH man to blabber anything on his behalf ? If yes then he should be prepared for a big trouble for himself someday. As it is the minister has just had a narrow escape from a state rocking scandal.
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Anushka Sharma asked people to follow social distancing in her Tweet. She wrote: “To all of us citizens of India, this is the time to adhere to and abide by the preventive and precautionary directives stated by the Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modiji for us to fight against Corona virus (Covid 19). Do follow the JANTA CURFEW on March 22: a self-curfew from the people, for the people, from 7am to 9pm.”
TOP TWEETS!
DOORIYAAN Anushka Sharma
ACHHI HAIN...
Alia Bhatt
In the wake of a spurt in COVID-19 cases across the country, several B-wood celebs joined hands with the Maharashtra govt and released a public service announcement to share precautionary measures to defeat the virus
Preity Zinta
Preity Zinta tweeted: “Good morning folks ! I hope & pray that everyone supports & follows the #JanataCurfew on 22 March from 7am- 9pm as suggested by our PM @narendramodi This is the only way we can fight the #covid19 virus & safeguard ourselves & our country #jaihind #stayhome #besafe #ting.” Dia Mirza wrote: “Wholeheartedly welcome the Prime Minister’s idea of a #JanataCurfew. These are extraordinary times and it requires our united response to this pandemic. And yes, a BIG salute to the frontline health workers who are relentlessly fighting this virus for us #Covid19.”
Dia Mirza
T
he video starts with legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan’s introductory speech about the virus followed by other actors sharing one precautionary measure each. While senior actor Anil Kapoor is seen spreading awareness about handwashing, Madhuri Dixit Nene is seen speaking on the precautionary measures to be taken while coughing or sneezing. ‘Gully Boy’ actor Ranveer Singh, on the other hand, is seen asking people to use alcohol based hand sanitizers at places that lack the facility to wash hands with water. Fitness expert and actor Shilpa Shetty threw light on the necessity to consume a nutrient-rich meal and cutting down on fatty food items. Varun Dhawan asked people to avoid unnecessary travelling and to maintain a minimum distance of 1 metre from sick people. “Bacho aur buzurgo ka khaas khayal rakhe kyuki inki sankramit hone ki
sambhavna sabse zyaada hai,” said Arjun Kapoor. Actor Ayushmann Khurrana, is seen urging people to not crowd at public places and stay at home as much as possible. “Bina hath dhoye apne aakho ya chehre ko na chhuye, agar aapko khaasi bukhar ya saans lene me dikkat ho to kisi k sampark me naa aye aur doctor se mile,” said Alia Bhatt in the video. “Suraksha k prati humara ek kadam kayi zindigiya ba-
Madhuri Dixit Nene
cha skta hai,” said Ajay Devgn towards the end of the video and it ends with Akshay Kumar saying, “agar har ek naagrik in niyamo ka paalan karke apna yogdaan de, to saath milkar yakeenan hum is khatre ko taal sakte hain.” The public service announcement is an initiative by director Rohit Shetty’s film company Rohit Shetty Picturez in collaboration with Maharashtra Government. On the other hand, right after Prime Minister Modi urged citizens to observe a social curfew on March 22, many stars took to social media to express support to his initiative. —Agency
Amitabh Bachchan
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HOLLYWOOD
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JAIPUR | SATURDAY, MARCH 21, 2020
CUSTODY
In a war-zone
A
ctress Dakota Johnson is openly battling her Los Angeles neighbours over the towering bamboo plants in her driveway. The ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ star shared the information in a new video for Architectural Digest, in which she gives viewers a tour of her cosy Hollywood home. At one point, Johnson took the cameras into her
BATTLE A
fter reports claimed Jennifer Aniston has helped Brad Pitt’s daughter Shiloh Jolie-Pitt land an acting gig, sources claim Angelina Jolie has banned the Friends alum from meeting her children. Just recently, a report claimed that Jennifer Aniston was growing close to Shiloh JoliePitt. The Friends alum apparently helped Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s daughter bag an acting gig in her upcoming Hollywood project produced by Jennifer. Now, a new claim suggests the claims in the unconfirmed report hasn’t gone down well with Angelina. The Eternal star is rumoured to be seeking sole custody of her children. Angelina and Brad are parents to six children - 18-year-old Maddox, 16-year-old Pax, 15-year-old Zahara, 13-year-old Shiloh, and 11-year-old twins Vivienne and Knox. Angelina wants to ban Jen from meeting her children. Not only does she want “Jen be banned from seeing her kids”, but Ange is also reportedly filed a new evaluation against Brad. A source quote reads, Angelina has “filed for a new child custody evaluation against Brad.” The apparent move has come as a huge blow to everyone, including Jolie-Pitt kids. The outlet also insists Brad was hoping the divorce comes through by May. But the new development has got him questioning what else he could possibly do to prove the kids are his number one priority. The new report makes its way online after Brad was spotted bonding with friend Alia Shawkat over burgers. The two were spotted at a burger joint in LA sharing a laugh over a meal. —Agency
yard, where she points to the tall bamboo plants lining her outdoor space, said they have become a point of contention with her next door neighbours. She said: “Bamboo grows so crazy fast. My neighbours are in a war with me about how high the bamboo in the driveway is growing, because why would I want people to see in my house? So they can just shove it.” —IANS
Dakota Johnson
Angelina Jolie
DON’T PANIC S
Quarantine ANXIETY
inger Billie Eilish has scrapped all remaining dates of her current tour while urging fans not to be stupid amid the coronavirus pandemic. The 18-year-old singer took to Twitter to follow up her decision to postpone some shows last week, sharing that all her remaining ‘Where Do We Go?’ North American tour dates would be rescheduled. Eilish announced that her upcoming tour was rescheduled due to Coronavirus. She made a more personal announcement on her Instagram Story timeline, telling followers
A
Camila Cabello
mid Coronavirus outbreak, Camila Cabello confesses ‘experiencing severe anxiety’ Camila Cabello has opened up about “experiencing severe anxiety”. The singer took to Instagram and explained how meditation has helped her keep anxiety in check. A few days ago, Camila Cabello took to her Instagram stories and urged fans to take care of their mental health during self-quarantine. Now, the Havana hitmaker has confessed she has been battling severe anxiety lately. Shawn Mendes’ lady love revealed she has been meditating to keep her anxiety under control. Sharing a picture from one of her meditation sessions, Camila explained she kept her troubles with anxiety because she was trying to be okay. —IANS
FA CE OF TH ED AY
YOUR DAY Horoscope by Saurabbh Sachdeva
Billie Eillish
ARIES
TAURUS
GEMINI
CANCER
Your family will appear most responsive to your needs today. Your understanding nature towards someone’s suffering will be highly appreciated. You must consider taking your friend’s advice in the matter of love. Please take very good care of your health.
Carefully read your work documents and specially those which involve your signatures. At workplace not everyone like us no matter how good we are so that should never bother you. Academically, help others to an extent you don’t anduo creating trouble for yourself and anyone else.
Today no matter how much you spend on what, luckily all the money will flow back to your life as today you are blessed with money. Never let someone’s words define who you are, people often get jealous from someone having true potential. Take care of your family along with you.
Do not leave any stone unturned when it comes to excelling in studies. Focus on improving your concentration power if you are feeling distracted lately. You will feel like finishing all the pending work at home. There will be positive changes in your environment.
MAR 21 - APR 20
APR 21 - MAY 20
MAY 21 - JUNE 21
JUNE 22 - JULY 23
LEO
VIRGO
LIBRA
SCORPIO
You seem to always solve problems for others and help them out. You have started working in the direction of achieving your targets. Your planning for building a house will turn out to be good. It may get difficult for you to deal with the firm opinion, folling them will be harder.
You can expect a financial boost in form of salary increment or getting money back from the borrower. Keep following the path you have chosen to have a good health. Your ability to handle issues at hand will get you recognised professionally Avoid blaming.
Avoid taking any loan rather believe in yourself and you will find a way to deal with things. Your spouse may be a bit stubborn about some idea and sometimes you should give in. You will change your accommodation to gain more security. You feel the need to clarify.
If you looking for monetary help then the help shall be provided. Today you will work really hard in whatever you will do with hundred percent dedication. Sometimes you agree with family and sometimes you don’t but remember that doesn’t make anyone bad, take things easy.
JULY 24 - AUGUST 23
AUG 24 - SEP 23
SEPT 24 - OCTOBER 22
OCT 23 - NOVEMBER 22
SAGITTARIUS
CAPRICORN
AQUARIUS
PISCES
Social gathering will lighten up your mood today. Sometime you becomes a shopaholic and once you start you don’t pay attention to what is important and what not, luckily for you today you are blessed with money as well as sensibility to judiciously use your dough.
You may spend all your time running behind money but it will come to you only when you stop running after it and invest more time in doing what you like. If you have a spoilt kid then its time to mend there ways by doing counselling. You may take a loan to buy your dream house.
You recently have controlled your hunger to shop and these days you have limited yourself to only buying the bare essentials. You will help your spouse on the home front to take some burden off his/her shoulders. Your love may not give the kind of attention you have been waiting for.
You must take responsibility of things rather than relying on others as sometimes others can take advantage of it. You may have opinion difference with your parents but take it lightly. In social life, avoid venting your anger on some who is younger or elder.
NOV 23 - DEC 22
ASHI SINGH, Actress
to pay attention to guidelines from officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Don’t panic, but don’t be stupid. It (coronavirus) is a really big deal right now and it is not a joke. I know because a lot of us haven’t seen it with our eyes - what it’s been doing and who it’s been affecting - it’s hard to understand that it’s real. But it really is real, and I’ve seen a lot of young people out in the world, all over the place, going to the club or going to the beach, just going out and hanging out. It’s really irresponsible,” she said. Eilish went on to note that the trend for ‘social distancing’ is everyone’s responsibility because people should consider the older, weaker people around them. She also suggested fans stay inside as much possible. —IANS
DEC 23 - JAN 20
JAN 21 - FEB 19
FEB20 - MARCH 20
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DEATH PENALTY
cityfirst@firstindia.co.in
T
he execution of death penalty against the convicts of the controversial 2012 Nirbhaya gang rape and murder case has opened up the debate on capital punishment in the country. The question that arises is whether death penalty is a morally and legally acceptable punishment in a contemporary world which highly advocates for protection of basic human rights such as the right to life. Whether is it actually solving the objective with which it was introduced. The purpose behind legislating such a harsh punishment which eventually leads to taking away of one’s right to life is that of deterrence. Death penalty is often criticized to be not as deterrent a measure as it should be, the reason being that it does not take place immediately and involves a long appealable process. It is well noted that previously there have been death penalties for such grave crimes, however the growth rate of such heinous crimes hasn’t gone down. The problem here is that we are viewing the situation from a single angled lens. We tend to ignore the fact that these crimes might actually be taking place on a much higher and larger scale if such deterrent effective punishments were to be completely abol-
ished. It is this deterrent effect that makes awarding of capital punishment preferable over life imprisonment in cases involving extreme brutality and inhumane offenses. It is believed that such punishments also weave a general thought in the public that bad things happen to those who do bad and reversely good things happen to those who do good. Another point of opposition against death penalty is that it is said to be violative of Article 21 of the Indian Constitution along with India’s international treaty obligations which together advocate for right to life for all human beings. It is important to understand the fact that the fundamental rights en-
Inputs by Nehal Nayar, Kirti Chauhan & Karishma Gwalani Designed by Shailesh Tinker
shrined in the constitution are not absolute. This essentially means that such rights can be reasonably restricted by the procedure established by law. Capital punishment is one such procedure established by law which restricts the right to life. The Indian judiciary has already adjudicated that it is reasonable to restrict Article 21 in the ‘rarest of the rare’ cases. The Constitution of India under Article 51 puts an obligation to respect international treaties however it has been upheld by the courts that domestic law will prevail over international treaty obligations. Moreover, India would have said to be violative of such obligations if it were to completely do away with the
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SPEAKUP
AS JUSTICE UNFOLDS ITSELF WITH THE HANGING OF THE NIRBHAYA CONVICTS, IT RAISES A QUESTION WHETHER THIS DEATH PENALTY WILL BE A DECENT DETERRENT TO ENSURE SUCH CASES ARE NOT REPEATED
GARIMA ARORA
JAIPUR | SATURDAY, MARCH 21, 2020
right to life without any reasonable explanation. Hence, in no way is India dishonoring or is in breach of its international or domestic obligations by continuing death penalty as a punishment. A genuine problem with the cases of death penalty is the elaborate and extensive framework of law which leads to a major slowdown in the process of reaching a final verdict. It is respected that death penalty is an irrevocable punishment and hence adequate time needs to be taken to reach such conclusions. However, what is suggested is the establishment of fast track courts for offences which lay down capital punishment as a possibility. This will come with its own cost with respect to the logistics of the judiciary, nonetheless it is an extremely important measure to fulfil the basic purpose of the punishment, which is increased deterrence. As convicts of the Nirbhaya case were hung at dawn on 20th March 2020, the day to follow brings a ray of hope with this landmark execution. It puts out an extremely bold message that such crimes deserve punishment as stringent as death penalty and that there is no escape from law irrespective of the various appellate possibilities. It reinstalls our faith in the judiciary and serves as a warning to those who think that such pitiless crimes can be committed or will be tolerated in the society.
This decision will act as a deterrent and it is for the people to know that they can’t disregard women to the extent of raping and murdering her. The historic judgement is evident enough for the people of this Nation to have trust in law but this delayed justice need to be looked into waiting for 8 long years. It’s just too much, however, I still support and stand along with the fact that the decision given bye our temples of law and Justice is really in the very right perspective. —DR PRAMILA SANJAYA
The well deserved and simultaneous hangings of the four convicts will definitely be a deterrent against such crimes in the future. Unfortunately the process took more than seven years. Had this case been decided in seven months, the deterrence factor would have been far more. But I feel that it’s better late than never, so, hat’s off to Judiciary. —ROOPA MEHTA
The hanging of the Nirbhaya rapists is a deterrent to potential rapists, that no matter how hard they try, they will sooner or later be hanged and not even God can help them. However, only deterring the men is not sufficient as many of them are ignorant because of movies so we should teach them what is right and what is wrong, so that they know that one should not harass women not only because they will be hanged but because it is NOT GOOD. —DR MAMTA SHARMA
The hanging of Nirbhaya rapists brought to a close a horror story whose dark echoes have lasted for over seven years. It will certainly have a deterrent value because this case exemplifies the degree of torture which is unparalleled. First and foremost a case of rape- a heinous gang rape that caused death with brutality. It shows that those people were a menace. It is a historical day and it will send a strong message across specially to potential criminals. —APRA KUCHHAL
I believe that the hanging of Nirbhaya’s rapists is justified and it was the most appropriate punishment for the gruesome act of brutality they committed. It will deter such acts in the future because people will think a thousand times before raping someone. They will shudder thinking of the repercussions. To create a better world, we need to stop this from the grass root. —VIJAY LAXMI BISHNOI
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—PHOTO BY SUMAN SARKAR
JAIPUR | SATURDAY, MARCH 21, 2020
City First in words with a few restaurateurs in the Pink City about putting the restaurants and café’s on hold for a while
IN SOLIDARITY Amer Fort, Jaipur
NEHAL NAYAR
nehal.nayar@firstindia.co.in
W
ith the sudden outbreak of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Jaipur, everyone in and around the city is taking precautionary measures and doing the best they can. Most of the offices have provided work-fromhome, the schools and colleges have been shut down, the board exams have been postponed, and whatnot. Even though quarantining oneself is the best thing that one can do for starters, this is having a major impact on the business across the city. May it be a hotel, a restaurant, or a café, everyone’s business’ are taking a turn, and have put them under the question- ‘What is going to happen next?’ City First got in touch with a few restaurateurs in the Pink City to know about their opinion for the Coronavirus scare.
The decision of the Government to close down the restaurants though has a very major impact on the business and the economy, but it is a necessary and a welcome step towards the health and the well-being of the citizens of the country. We on our part, are taking all necessary steps for the safety of our staff and advising them on the do’s and don’ts. Our packing and home deliveries will continue during the closure period.
Although its a huge loss if you see through a business perspective, but the situation we all are in, is inevitable and certain measures are more than necessary in the times like these. We always intend to serve our guests with the best amenities; however, we don’t want anyone to get affected because of any carelessness. Following the guidelines of the local and national authorities, we’ve temporarily paused all our operations until March 31st after sanitizing the outlets for the greater good. We Looking forward to serve you all again but until then, mark yourself safe from the Coronavirus.
CAPTAIN GURINDER VIRK, Owner, Handi Restaurant Taking into consideration the prevalent situation of COVID19, Oklava has chosen to cease serving until the situation is stabilized. Although we have taken all of the precautionary measures- our restaurant premises are being sterilized effectively and staff has been encouraged to wear gloves and masks. BHARAT SANGTANI, Owner, Oklava
Tough times call for tough measures. It not easy for us to shut down our businesses, but no interest is bigger than the well being of our country and country men. I request all the Indian to act responsible in dealing with the situation. The biggest key to survival is social distancing and isolation. DUSHYANT SINGH, Owner, OTH / Rustic / LAMA
SOLDIERS IN WHITE!
Being concern citizens, we understand this grave situation and believe social distancing is the best way to control this pandemic. Hence, I have closed all outlets across Rajasthan. As of now, it’s utmost important be a responsible citizen rather than being a business man. AKSHAY SINGHI, Founder, Masala Ministry
YOGESH CHOUDHARY, Owner, Trove Club-cafe-lounge We are currently practicing social distancing and are closed till 31 March. We are striving to honour commitments while ensuring the safety, health and economic security of every single one of our employee and customer. VATSAL SONI, Owner, Ranglaar
Though the lockdown is a huge loss for hospitality industry, the decision is in favor of public interest and I am totally in support of it as a responsible citizen. The tourism has come down but still we are taking all possible precautionary measures to fight against Corona. Hotel is getting sanitized and regular cleaning is taking place more frequently. NIKHIL MOHINDROO, Co-Owner, Hotel Traditional Haveli —Inputs by Kirti Chauhan & Karishma Gwalani
RECORDING
BLUE! CITY FIRST
T RAINU SINGH
cityfirst@firstindia.co.in
N
ot to appreciate the sterling service being rendered by these brave ‘Soldiers in White’ (Doctors, Nurses, Medical Pros) will be akin to ignoring soldiers fighting on the war front. These heroes and heroines are fighting an invisible enemy that has caused more economic ruin in a few days than the entire WWII. Trillions of dollars have evaporated in plunging values of
stocks, gold, oil, and commodities, while various jobs and businesses have been lost forever. Governments are pumping money in unprecedented sums to keep their economies afloat. Amidst this chaos, these ‘Soldiers in White’ are spending sleepless nights in hospitals taking care of panicstricken patients, carrying out millions of urgent tests, administering drugs, and above all, exposing themselves to this deadly virus. Isn’t this akin to soldiers taking the bullets on their chest for the nation? The society at large must lend support to these brave men and women, by not overwhelming them. Please go into self-isola-
tion if the symptoms are mild and curable at home. The testing kits, ICU facilities, ventilators, etc are miniscule in proportion to the populations. A life saved, means breaking the link in this chain of contagious Coronavirus. By unnecessarily rushing to hospitals, you are depriving the virus-affected from an emergency treatment. These rough times are not about self preservation alone; it’s a time when we all have to stand united behind these ‘fighters’ , conquer this enemy, and make this period more tolerable for all. As the world stands on an edge, let us salute these ‘Soldiers in White’!
he renowned custodian of the Jaipur Blue Pottery and proprietor of Neerja International Inc, Leela Bordia has made it to the Limca Book of Records for the biggest Jaipur blue pottery plate. She involved as many as 15 craftsmen to make a Jaipur Blue Pottery plate that measures a whopping 30 inches in diameter. The plate weighs 12 kg and was laboriously made in 50 days. It is inspired by Buddha and depicts the aura that meditation creates when nature comes in unison to celebrate. Talking about the inspiration behind making such a huge plate, Leela Bordia said: “On my travels abroad, I saw beautifully designed big sized plates. Such humungous plates were not being made in blue pottery in India then. The biggest plate in blue pottery at that time measured around 12 to 15 inches. Looking at those plates I thought if they can make such huge plates, even we can and this instilled in me a new vigour and zeal.” cityfirst@firstindia.co.in