First India ahmedabad Edition-10 February 2022

DELHI UNIVERSITY TO REOPEN ON FEB 17

AHMEDABAD l THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2022 l Pages 12 l 3.00

ARMY RESCUES KERALA TREKKER, STUCK ON HILL

23-yr-old Kerala trekker Babu was trapped in a ‘faultline’ or crevice on a hill at Palakkad district of Kerala.

However, the trekker was finally rescued by Army. The specialised mountaineering unit of the Army rescued him from the deep forests of the Palakkad Gap.

RNI NO. GUJENG/2019/79050 l Vol 3 l Issue No. 76

CORONA CATASTROPHE GUJARAT

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NEW CASES

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A’Bad NEW DEATHS

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NEW CASES

OUR EDITIONS: JAIPUR, AHMEDABAD, LUCKNOW & NEW DELHI

SENSEX CROSSES 61K MARK AGAIN, NIFTY AT 18,212

The University of Delhi will reopen its gates for physical classes on February 17, said Prof Rajni Abbi, DU Proctor. The decision came after the academic council meeting.

As per the order, those coming to Delhi from outstations will have to quarantine for three days.

The Sensex closed 533 points higher at 61,150 on Wednesday. The Nifty too rose 156 points to close at 18,212. Mahindra and Mahindra, which gained 4.6%, Bharti Airtel (3.7%) and Reliance Industries (2.7%) were among the top gainers in the market.

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FOR THE PEOPLE

Guj govt to organize 12th Garib Kalyan Mela Feb 24-26 First India Bureau Ahmedabad: The Gujarat government on Wednesday announced that it will organise the 12th edition of the “Garib Kalyan Mela” from February 24 to 26.

The decision to organise the mela was taken during a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel during the day, an official said.

Patel will remain present at the statelevel events to be held on at Dahod, Morbi and

CM Patel to be present at the state-level events to be held on at Dahod, Morbi and Amreli Amreli town on February 24, 25 and 26 respectively, while other ministers, MPs and MLAs will attend the districtlevel events, he said.

The state government will distribute articles such as bicycles and sewing machines to the poor during these events, the official said.Self-em-

ployment kits, such as carpentry tools, along with other benefits under various government schemes, including PM Awas Yojna, MA Amrutam Yojana and Mission Mangalam, will also be distributed to the needy during these events, he said.In order to resolve land and reve-

CM Bhupendra Patel

nue-related issues on the spot, the state government has also de-

—FILE PHOTO

cided to organise revenue fairs across the state, a government

release stated.The initiative will be kickedoff from Navsari town and Valsad district on February 10.

People can approach district officials present at revenue fair to resolve the issues on the spot, it was stated.

For effective supervision of over 3.24 entities registered in Gujarat as trusts, the state government has decided to build new offices of charity commissioners in every district, the release said.

FIRST PHASE OF UP ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS BEGINS FROM WEST

JAT BELT VOTES TODAY ...to seal fate of nine BJP ministers, SP-RLD alliance Of the total 403 Vidhan Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh, the first phase of voting will take place on Thursday for 58 constituencies spread across 11 districts

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M Tariq Khan Lucknow: The first phase of polls in Uttar Pradesh on Thursday will decide the fate of nine ministers in the Yogi government.

The 58 seats in the Jat-dominated western region would also decide the future of Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) leader Jayant Chaudhary, who has joined hands with the SP. In the 2017 Assembly polls, the BJP had swept the region riding on the overwhelming support of the Jats, the upper castes and non-Yadav OBCs and division in the Muslim votes.

This phase of polling is extremely crucial since it includes districts in western UP where candidates in several constituencies are facing hostile voters, mainly due to the farmers’ agitation.

During last Assembly polls in 2017, BJP bagged 53 seats out of 58 while Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party got two seats each and one seat went to RLD

2

UTTAR PRADESH

58

Constituencies

11 2.27 623

Districts

cr voters

Candidates in the fray

BKU FACTOR Bhartiya Kisan ThadheUnion (BKU), which spearheaded

the farmer agitation in the region, has been working silently among the farmers and other communities to persuade the electorate to oppose the saffron party, which, it said, had termed the protesting farmers as ‘’Khalistanis, Pakistanis, and even terrorists’’.

KEY CONSTITUENCIES Kairana, Shamli, Muzaffar Nagar, Baghpat, Thana Bhawan This phase in western region would also decide future of RLD chief Jayant Chaudhary, who has joined hands with the SP.

 Prime Minister

Narendra Modi, breaking his silence on the Lakhimpur Kheri incident, said The state government gave its consent for whatever committee the Supreme Court wanted, for whichever judge the Supreme Court wanted for the

KEY CANDIDATES

Debt-hit UP trader attempts to kill self on Fb live, wife dies

(Home) Nityanand Rai in Rajya Sabha. Rai said that the government figures are based on data provided by the National Crime Records Bureau.

According to the data, suicides among the unemployed have been increasing and touched the

 Ahead of the first phase of voting in Uttar Pradesh on Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra on Wednesday, during an interview with ANI, said that the agri laws were brought in for the benefit of farmers, but were withdrawn in the interest of the people.

MInisters Suresh Rana, Atul Garg, Shrikant Sharma, Sandeep Singh, Kapil Dev Agarwal, Dinesh Khatik, Dr GS Dharmesh

Over 25K Indians ended lives due to unemployment, indebtedness in 2018-2020, Govt in Rajya Sabha New Delhi: The Union government on Wednesday informed the Rajya Sabha that more than 25,000 Indians died by suicide due to either unemployment or indebtedness between 2018 and 2020.

As many as 9,140 people died by suicide due to unemployment and 16,091 people due to bankruptcy or indebtedness during the time period, the government told the upper house.

The information was provided by MoS

PHASE-1

MODISPEAK BEFORE POLLS

Baghpat: A trader in UP went on Facebook live on Tuesday and took poison, blaming heavy losses, in a disturbing video that has gone viral ahead of polls in the state. Rajiv Tomar, a shoe trader in Baghpat survived but his wife died.

highest (3,548) in the pandemic year of 2020.

While 2,741 ended life due to unemployment in 2018, 2,851 did so in 2019.

probe. The state government is working transparently. Centre didn’t want to interfere.  Launching a scathing attack on “dynastic politics”, Modi said it is a “big threat” and the “greatest enemy of democracy”.  PM targeted the former Congress chief and dubbed him as a “person who does not listen and does not sit in the House.”  Attacking SP-RLD alliance, PM Modi said, “We saw the game of “two boys” earlier too... They had such arrogance that they used the words ‘Gujarat ke do gadhe’ (Two donkeys from Gujarat). Uttar Pradesh taught them a lesson”.

In another decision taken during the cabinet meeting, owners of nearly 20,000 houses in Kutch district will get ownership documents, as the houses were built by NGOs and other social and religious organisations to resettle people displaced in the devastating earthquake of 2001.

“Various NGOs and organisations had built these houses to help people who had lost their homes in the earthquake. But, in the

absence of any documents, residents cannot claim ownership, sell or transfer their houses. Hence, we have decided to prepare ownership deeds and hand them over to the residents,” state Revenue Minister Rajendra Trivedi said.

While ownership deeds for nearly 6,000 houses have already been prepared by the revenue department, remaining houses will be covered within the next one month, Trivedi said.

KARNATKA HIJAB CONUNDRUM

HC refers case to larger bench

Protests banned near schools, colleges in B’luru for 2 weeks Bengaluru: A singlejudge bench of the Karnataka High Court on Wednesday decided to refer a batch of petitions questioning a ban on the use of hijab or headscarf by Muslim girls in a few pre-university colleges in the state to a larger bench of the court on account of the issues raised in the petitions involving larger constitutional issues.

Meanwhile, the Bengaluru Police issued an order saying that gatherings and protests will be banned near educational institutions in the city for two weeks, i.e., till February 22.

MALALA CALLS ROW HORRIFYING

Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai took to twitter on February 9 saying that ‘refusing to let girls go to school in their hijabs is horrifying’.

OWAISI REMINDS PAK OF MALALA

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi while reminiding shooting incident on Malala Yousafzai said advised Pakistan to mind its own business as the country’s foreign minister commented on girl education in India over Karnataka hijab row.

AMIT SHAH VOWS TO MAKE GOA ‘AATMANIRBHAR’, SLAMS CONG Panaji: Ahead of Goa Assembly polls, Union Home Minister Amit Shah slammed the Congress for their governance of ‘instability and anarchy’ when they were in power in the state, assuring that the BJP make the state ‘golden’, ‘prosperous’ and

‘Aatma-nirbhar’.

“Today I want to remember the late Manohar Parrikar ji. He had dedicated his entire life for the development of Goa. In next five years, apart from stability and development, we will also make Goa ‘Aatma-nirbhar’.

RISKY FLIGHT

Plane flies without engine cover to Bhuj Pilots weren’t aware anything was wrong, officials say as probe begins First India Bureau Bhuj: An Alliance Air flight from Mumbai to Bhuj, carrying 66 passengers, flew without an engine cover that was later retrieved from the runway at the city airport on Wednesday, prompting aviation regulator DGCA to start a probe into the incident, according to an official.

The ATR aircraft landed safely at Bhuj.

The incident hap-

pened on Wednesday morning and was brought to the notice of airport authorities by a Mumbai Air Traffic Controller (ATC). Subsequently, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) started an investigation into the incident.

The Mumbai ATC had contacted the pilots of the Alliance Air flight, which flew from Mumbai to Bhuj without its engine cover on Wednes-

The aircraft landed safely despite flying without an engine cowl.

day, whether anything had fallen off the aircraft after its take-off, an official here said.

As per the preliminary reports, the pilots

did not realise that the cowl (a removable metal covering) of one of the engines had fallen on the runway in Mumbai as they told the ATC that

everything was fine, the official said.

“After spotting some object on the runway, the Mumbai ATC contacted the pilots of the Bhujbound flight and asked if something had fallen off the aircraft. However, the pilots said everything was all right. Later, the flight landed at Bhuj without any trouble.

When it underwent routine supervision before the next flight, the maintenance staff learnt about the missing engine cowl,” Bhuj airport director Navneet Kumar Gupta said.

Turn to P6

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In 5th such incident in 2 months, the vessels were redirected to the Karachi port by Pak authorities First India Bureau Porbandar: Ten fishing boats were apprehended by the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA) near the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) early on Tuesday morning.

This is the fifth incident of Indian boats being apprehended by the PMSA in the past two months.

Condemning the incident, National Fisheries Forum’s executive committee member Manish Lodhari said, “I had received information on Tuesday that 10 fishing boats with 60 crew members were taken away by the Pakistan Marines to Karachi port.”

In just one-and-ahalf months, the PMSA has seized more than 80 Indian fishermen, who were fishing near the IMBL. It is harassment by the Pakistani agency. Around 800 Indian fishermen are

PMSA SEIZES 10 INDIAN

BOATS, 60 FISHERMEN HARASSMENT? In just one-and-ahalf months, the PMSA has seized more than 80 Indian fishermen, who were fishing near the IMBL. It is harassment by the Pakistani agency.

Around 800 Indian fishermen are in Pakistani jails and more than 1,200 fishing boats are lying at their ports. The government should confer about early release of the fishermen with the Pakistani authorities.

Boats found fishing close to the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) often become victims of seizure.

—FILE PHOTO

Sakihya bros, 2 others SURAT AIRPORT FINALLY record statements on GETS CISF SECURITY corruption scandal First India Bureau

Rajkot: The Sakihya brothers and two other witnesses in the corruption scandal involving Rajkot Police Commissioner Manoj Agarwal underwent questioning for eight hours in Gandhinagar on Tuesday.

They were interrogated about the allegations levelled against the senior officer by Director General of Police (Training) Vikas Sahay, a superintendent of police (SP) officer, a police inspector in the presence of a typist. The allegations were first revealed by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA from Rajkot Govind Patel against Agarwal and the local crime branch.

The complainants of the case, Mahesh Sakhiya and his brother Jagjivan Sakhiya, accused Rajkot crime

branch and Agrawal of seeking ‘commission’ for recovering Rs12 crore taken from them in a fraud. They alleged that Rs75 lakh was paid to the police to recover their money.

Addressing media persons on Wednesday, Jagjivan said, “My brother and I were called in to record our statements, along with two other people on February 08. It took us almost two hours to record each statement. We were

made to read every single word spoken by us and the written records were signed by us.”

He added, “We have the required technical evidence to support our claims, which we have submitted to DGP Sahay. We are satisfied with the investigation so far. What we seek is justice, even if it comes in late. More importantly, we want to recover the Rs75 lakh we paid to the police. The rest of the fraud amount will surely come in time.”

Jagjivan also called for the suspension of officers responsible for corruption. “We trust the law and demand that concerned officers (of the police department) be immediately suspended. If no action is taken, we will lodge a complaint before the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), CBI and CID.”

Rajkot Police Commissioner Manoj Agarwal

The security team will also include canine units.

First India Bureau Surat: After a longpending wait, the Ministry of Aviation has finally deployed Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) at the Surat Airport. A total of 360 trained personnel have taken charge of the airport security from Wednesday, which

was till now handled by the state police.

Looking at the increase in passenger traffic and the number of flights from Surat International Airport, the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) had agreed to deploy CISF in 2019. Several representations were made in the past by the

local MPs and the Surat Airport Authority to provide a permanent security team at the airport.

The delay in deployment at the airport was due to a lack of facilities like accommodation, cabins et al at the airport for the CISF team. The airport authorities, after the ap-

proval in 2019 had begun work, but things took time due to the pandemic.

The CISF has many wings, and one wing is the Airport Security Group (ASG) which has been fully trained to provide security to the people as well as the entire airport infrastructure.

DOING IT RIGHT

IPS officer to take care of orphaned kids Superintendent of police Usha Rada will raise four children of murdered woman First India Bureau Surat: The Superintendent of police Usha Rada from Surat, has decided to raise four kids who lost their widowed mother last month. Widow Sangeeta Lokhande (41) was killed at Worli in Pal-

sana, Surat by her nephew, leaving behind four children, including two daughters.

When SP Rada got to know them, she took a personal interest and has now taken the responsibility of educating and raising them. At the moment, all four

Rada (centre) with the children.

children are kept at ‘Vatsalya Dham’ at Kamaraj.

SP Rada had made a surprise visit to the victim’s family after the murder. The children’s grandmother had then raised the issue of bringing up the kids owing to her dwindling age. So, the district police chief took care of the destitute children and informed NGO Vatsalya Dham at Kamaraj about the matter. The

NGO, till now, has provided shelter and education to over 700 destitute children.

However, SP Rada sure had her eyes on the children’s condition, so, on Wednesday, she announced that she would take full responsibility for all four children. SP Rada has changed the course of life of several women who were pushed into prostitution or were affected by other atrocities.

in Pakistani jails and more than 1,200 fishing boats are lying at their ports. The government should confer about early release of the fishermen with the Pakistani authorities, he added.

Sources from the fishing sector said that when the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) patrolling vessels are not in range of the IMBL, the PMSA takes advantage of the situation and apprehends Indian fishing boats.

In order to cut down on such incidents, the Centre and state government have made it mandatory for fishing boats to install the Global Positioning System (GPS) on all fishing boats. This is to help captains of fishing boats to avoid crossing the IMBL by mistake. And yet, a few fishing boats cross over either due to heavy current in the sea or to catch higher quantities of fish.

Sports centre worth Rs100 cr to be built in Surat First India Bureau Surat: A national-level high-performance sports centre has been planned at Bhimrad, Surat. The complex will aide sportspersons of Surat by providing them coaching on international standards.

In a video conference held on Tuesday between the Mayor, Collector and the Sports Authority of Surat Municipality, a presentation was made proposing to build the centre as the High-Performance Sports Center built in Karnataka. The centre will house a learning centre, football field, synthetic athletic track, tennis court, nationallevel swimming pool, multi-sport indoor hall, basketball court, clubhouse, cafeteria and spacious parking, along with an admin wing.

City Mayor Hemali Boghawala said, “The state government and the municipality would contribute 50-50 towards the construction cost of the centre. Efforts are being made to provide a sports culture to the emerging athletes of the city competing at state, national and international levels. The construction of the sports centre has is estimated at Rs90-100 crore.”

GUJARAT AHMEDABAD | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2022

Two men took turns raping 15-year-old girl at the city’s Navlakhi ground on Nov 28, 2019

2 SENTENCED TO LIFE IN PRISON FOR GANG RAPE OF V’DARA MINOR First India Bureau

Vadodara: Kishan Mathasuriya (28) and Jasho Solanki (21) were on Wednesday sentenced to life imprisonment for the gang-rape of a 15-year-old girl in Vadodara’s Navlakhi ground on November 28, 2019.

While convicting the men who participated in their trial—which began on February 7, 2020, via video conferencing on Wednesday, Additional District and Sessions Judge and Special Judge (POCSO Court) RT Panchal noted that they would remain in prison “until their last breath”.

Both convicts will appeal the decision, their lawyer, Alpesh Chauhan, said.

Mathasuriya and Solanki were arrested in December 2019, after a manhunt involving as many as 20 teams of police. They were booked under IPC sections 325 (grievous hurt), 363 (kidnapping), 376 (2) (I) (N) (rape), 376 (D) (gang rape), 377 (Unnatural offences), and under relevant sections of the Gujarat Police Act and

the Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. According to the FIR, the police had said that the two men had accosted the 15-year-old girl and her male friend (19) in Navlakhi ground in Vadodara city. They assaulted the youth and dragged the girl to a secluded place in the ground where they took turns to rape her.

The two natives of Vadodara’s Tarsali area in Vadodara and, according to police records, had previously been involved in incidents of theft, assault and break-in.

“My daughter was forced to walk through thorny bushes, injuring her legs, and then she was gang-raped,” the mother of the survivor had told the press at the time, adding, “We want the government to ensure that the accused are hanged to death, so that it sets an example for others.”

In keeping with this, special public prosecutor Praveen Thakkar had demanded the death penalty, but Judge Panchal sentenced them to life instead.

First India Bureau

—FILE PHOTO

The accused in police custody.

MAN IN BHAVNAGAR POUNDS DAUGHTER TO DEATH USING MORTAR DURING ARGUMENT First India Bureau Bhavnagar: A man was booked for murdering his daughter with a kitchen tool over a domestic issue in Sihor town of Bhavnagar district on Wednesday morning. According to police, Harsadrai Shah continued hitting his daughter Belaben Shah with a mortar till she fell

First India Bureau

Witnesses recorded the rescue operation.

gers were injured, including one man who was trapped inside until he was rescued by a team from the fire brigade.

unconscious in a pool of blood.

On Wednesday morning, a heated argument erupted between the father-daughter duo over a domestic issue, which led to the murder. As per neighbours, arguments between the two had become a routine affair since Belaben had divorced her second husband and returned to her paternal home.

The trapped passenger was inside the bus, and the rescue team had to use a spider cutter to cut the bus open to pull

him out of the bus.

But it took about anhour-and-a-half for the rescue team.

Along with the other two injured passengers, the trapped person was also shifted to the Civil Hospital for treatment, said Nadiad Fire Brigade in-charge and Fire Superintendent Ashok Sharma.

In addition to the Nadiad fire brigade, the rescue operation included four ambulances, and the Mahudha police.

Intercaste love match leads to social boycott for 2 families in Mehsana First India Bureau Mehsana: Two families have been boycotted by residents of Mehsana’s Ganeshpura village over a love match between a couple belonging to different communities. After being apprised of the issue, the district administration has assured its support and police protection to the families.

Devang (name changed) of the Suthar community fell in love with Devangi (name changed) of the Patel community a few years ago. They got married against the wishes of their families. Unfortunately, both parties

broke all ties with the couple. The reason for this ‘split’ may be the social and economic disparity between both the communities.

The couple rented a home in the village and began their life together, which did not go down well with village elders. They banned the

Guj logs 2,560 new cases, 24 fatalities

Civil Hosp officials celebrate 10 crore vaccines being administered.

Three injured as private bus on the way to Surat falls into 15-foot ditch Surat: A private luxury bus met with an accident near Veena Patiya on Nadiad Kapadvanj Road late Tuesday night.

The bus was travelling from Rajasthan to Surat, with 50 passengers on board, when suddenly it plunged into a 15-foot ditch while taking a turn; fortunately, no casualties were reported. However, three passen-

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—PHOTO BY HANIF SINDHI

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couple from drawing water from the common well, and grocers stopped serving them.

Residents have also declared a boycott of the couple’s families . After bearing difficulties, the couple and their families left the village and camped out at the district collector’s office on

February 08, seeking justice for the village ostracizing them.

The families met with Collector Udit Agrawal on Tuesday and he assured them of his support. He asked the families to submit written applications to the district police superintendent for protection.

After her marriage with her first husband did not last long, she divorced him and returned home with her son. She remarried another man who lived in Mahuva town after an intervention by her parents and relatives. However, her second marriage also did not survive and Belaben divorced her husband.

She returned to her

parents’ home for the second time and began living with her father and son. After the constant arguments became too much to bear for Harsadrai, he lost his temper on Wednesday morning and killed his daughter, said an official.

Her body has been sent for a post-mortem. Harsadrai has been detained.

Gandhinagar: Gujarat on Wednesday reported 2,560 fresh COVID-19 cases and 24 fatalities due to the infection, raising the tally of infections to 12,08,212 and the death toll to 10,740, the state health department said in a statement.

A total of 8,812 COVID-19 patients were discharged, taking the total number of recoveries so far to 11,70,117, leaving Gujarat with 27,355 active cases.

Ahmedabad district reported the highest 986 new cases followed by 406 cases in Vadodara, 161 in Surat, 135 in Gandhinagar, 106 in Mehsana among others.

Ahmedabad also reported the highest seven COVID-19 fatalities, while Vadodara, Surat and Rajkot recorded three fatalities each.

Bhavnagar and Devbhumi Dwarka each saw two deaths due to COVID-19. One patient died each in Mehsana, Bharuch, Morbi and

COVID-19 UPDATE

12,08,212 TOTAL CASES

2,560 CASES IN A DAY

10,740 TOTAL DEATHS

24 DEATHS IN A DAY

11,70,117 TOTAL RECOVERED

8,812 RECOVERED IN A DAY

27,355 ACTIVE CASES

986 MAX CASES IN A’BAD

Mahisagar, as per the department.

The total number of vaccination doses administered so far in Gujarat rose to 10.03 crore on Wednesday with 1.37 lakh more people getting jabbed, it said.

PERSPECTIVE AHMEDABAD | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2022

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IMRAN GETS LOW-KEY WELCOME IN CHINA

THE OPPOSITION FINALLY JOIN HANDS TO OUST

THE GOVERNMENT IN NATIONAL ASSEMBLY GOPAL MISRA

The writer is accredited as a journalist of long and distinguished service with the Press Information Bureau of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry

T

It is quite known in Pakistan that during the tenure of Raheel Sharif as the army chief, Nawaz Sharif, was advised to resign, but he dared the army to topple him. In angered Raheel so much that instead of imposing martial law, he decided to control the civilian government by using the judiciary and media.

The media was used to malign the established political leaders in cooked-up corruption cases and the judiciary ensured their conviction

he count-down has begun for the hybrid regime of Imran Khan in Pakistan and his recent China visit could be his last foreign trip as the prime minister.

Amidst, the two foreign trips of the country’s most powerful persons i.e. the army chief, General Qamar Jawed Bajwa to the USA and the civilian prime minister, Khan, with his ministers to China, the opposition parties have decided to topple the government.

The opposition has decided to oust the Khan and his party, Pakistan Tahreek-i-Insaf (PTI) by a nonconfidence motion in the Pakistan National Assembly (PNA). Of the 342-strong PNA, the PTI has only 149 members. It means with the support of the smaller parties, the Khan government can be toppled.

The historical decision was taken at a luncheon meeting held in Lahore attended by the top leaders of the opposition parties such as the co-chairpersons of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Asif Zardari, and his son, Bilawal Bhutto.

The venue of the high-profile meeting was the Lahore residence of Shehbaz Sharif, the president of the country’s main opposition party, Pakistan Muslim League-Noon (PML-N). The strength of the PML-N and PPP is 82 and 54 respectively. The presence of Maryam Nawaz, daughter of Nawaz Sharif, has reaffirmed that

it could take place following her father’s consent.

Nawaz Sharif, three-time prime minister, is presently in London for treatment.

It is also believed in the political circles that he is in constant touch with the top PPP leadership.

The low-key welcome of Imran Khan in Beijing also indicates that his hosts were aware of his ‘bleak political future’. He was received by a deputy minister in the foreign office, Wu Jianghao, and could not meet the president, Xi Jinping. Khan, who was officially invited to the inaugural ceremony was accompanied by his cabinet colleagues, Foreign Minister, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Finance Minister, Shaukat Tareen, Planning Minister, Asad Umar, Information Minister, Fawad Choudhary and National security advisor, Moeed Yusuf. His visit is considered partially successful because he could have a virtual meeting with the Chinese premier

It may be noted that in spite of US exit from Afghanistan on August 15, 2021, Bajwa has been in constant touch with American and British security establishment. Earlier, on September 9, 2021, he had met, the CIA chief William Burns, who was assured of Pakistan’s cooperation with the USA in the region Li Keqiang. Khan’s request for a personal audience was ‘politely’ rejected. He, however, appreciated the Khan government’s decision to offer an $11.6 million compensation for the families of Chinese engineers who were killed and wounded in a terrorist attack at the Dasu Dam hydropower project last year in Pakistan. The Pakistani media is describing Khan’s mission to lure more Chinese funds and financial help as a great success, but he could not obtain a firm date regarding Xi Jinping’s visit to his country. Khan’s request for an additional USD three billion of loan was promised, but the Chinese charge exorbi-

tant interests, almost eight times than the IMF, on the recipient countries.

The agenda of Bajwa’s visit to the USA has not been disclosed, but it is believed that he has reassured his American hosts that the army and its secret police, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) would maintain neutrality in the polls.

President Joe Biden is an ardent supporter of democracy and human rights. Bajwa, perhaps, might have cited the local bodies’ elections in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where the ruling party, PTI was trounced. He might have also assured Pentagon, the defense headquarters of America, unhin-

J

Africa did not cause the climate crisis, but African leaders are taking the initiative in developing strategies for coping with it, including its impact on the continent’s water security and sanitation climate change and climate variability. Already, climate disruptions and crises are severely undermining human well-being and economic development, and water-related disruptions pose some of

the most serious risks.

The so-called WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) initiative, being pursued by the Southern African Development Community with GWP support, is also advancing vital water-related objectives. By installing handwashing facilities at border posts across the region, the initiative will help to stem the transmission of infectious diseases, thereby facilitating intra-regional trade and economic activity and, ultimately, contributing to the realization of the African Continental Free Trade Area.

THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL

TOP TWEETS

RIGHTING THE INJUSTICE OF AFRICA’S WATER CRISIS ohannesburg – Imagine that a crisis emerges in your home, workplace, or community. You neither created it nor benefited from it. And yet, you are bearing the brunt of the consequences, while those who did create and benefit from it continue to make the problem worse. For Africa, such an egregious injustice has become all too real.

Though Africa contributes only 4% of global greenhouse-gas emissions annually, it is among the regions most vulnerable to

dered access to the country’s military establishments to the USA despite the anti-American rhetoric of Khan and his ministers.

It may be noted that in spite of US exit from Afghanistan on August 15, 2021, Bajwa has been in constant touch with American and British security establishment. Earlier, on September 9, 2021, he had met, the CIA chief William Burns, who was assured of Pakistan’s cooperation with the USA in the region.

The US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin had been instructing Bajwa about the exit of the American forces from Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, the judiciary has also become asser-

tive. The Islamabad High Court has already asked the army to dismantle the business centres established in the cantonments.

The case of the audiotape of former Chief Justice of Pakistan, Saqib Nissar, in which he reportedly asking is brother judges to implicate Maryam Nawaz in corruption cases and ensure that Nawaz and his daughter do not get bail before the elections. It is quite known in Pakistan that during the tenure of Raheel Sharif as the army chief, Nawaz Sharif, was advised to resign, but he dared the army to topple him. In angered Raheel so much that instead of imposing martial law, he decided to control the civilian government by using the judiciary and media.

The media was used to malign the established political leaders in cooked-up corruption cases and the judiciary ensured their conviction. However, this strategy has finally boomeranged, the army has become neutral and judges impartial. The opposition parties are expected to be more aggressive in the coming weeks under the banner of the Pakistan Democratic Movement.

Nitin Gadkari @nitin_gadkari Stable and development-oriented government in Uttarakhand is our endeavor. Prime Minister Mr. @ narendramodi Ji and Chief Minister Mr. @pushkardhami. The BJP government under the leadership of Ji is committed for the overall development of Uttarakhand. #UttarakhandWithBJP #Vote4BJP

But, as with all these initiatives, success depends significantly on funding. That is why African countries and their international partners have developed the Water Investment Scorecard, a data-driven approach that, by tracking progress, will help to sustain pressure on decision-makers.

Africa did not cause the

climate crisis, but African leaders are taking the initiative in developing strategies for coping with it, including its impact on the continent’s water security and sanitation. The question is whether those who are most responsible for climate change will put their money where their mouth is before it is too late.

SOURCE: PROJECT SYNDICATE

Narendra Singh Tomar @nstomar Pineapple reached the foreign markets through the fields of India. There was a 100% increase in the export of pineapple in AprilDecember 2021 as compared to April-December 2013.

SPIRITUAL SPEAK Warn divisive people once, and then warn them a second time. After that, have nothing to do with them.

—Bible

Vol 3 l Issue No. 76 l RNI NO. GUJENG/2019/79050. Printed and published by Anita Hada Sangwan on behalf of First Express Publishers. Printed at Bhaskar Printing Planet Survey No.148P, Changodar-Bavla Highway, Tal. Sanand, Dist.

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05

‘Love Jihad’ crackdown in BJP manifesto THE PARTY PROMISES TO HALVE ELECTRICITY BILLS AND FAMILIES FINANCIALLY AFFECTED BY COVID-19 WILL BE GIVEN RS 25,000. SCOOTIES TO COLLEGE-GOING FEMALES ALSO IN MANIFESTO U’khand POLLS Dehradun: Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday released BJP’s manifesto in Dehradun ahead of the Assembly polls in Uttarakhand laying a roadmap for its development over the next five years as a model state.

BJP’s manifesto for Uttarakhand named, “Vision Document 2022”, has promised amendment of the law of ‘love jihad’ to make it stricter, including a provision of 10 years of rigorous imprisonment, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami told media on Wednesday.

Yogi Adityanath is a successful CM. He has done unprecedented work in law & order.

He finished 'gunda raj' in UP. State is seeing development. He has done good work in health services, education sector & provided jobs in MSME sector.

—Nitin Gadkari, Union Min

The party’s poll manifesto also puts renewed emphasis on infrastructure development, tourism, stopping migration, employment generation, empowerment of women, farmers, horticulture and dairy development.

Releasing the Congress party’s Unnati Vidhan manifesto, Priyanka Gandhi announced that the party will waive off farmers’ debt within 10 days of coming to power in Uttar Pradesh.

—PTI

BADAL: WILL COMPLETE RAVIDAS MEMORIAL

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari along with Union Minister & BJP’s Uttarakhand election in-charge Pralhad Joshi, MP Tirath Singh Rawat, State BJP chief Madan Kaushik, and ex-CM Trivendra, releases BJP’s manifesto for Assembly elections, in Dehradun on Wednesday.

—PHOTO BY PTI

Cong engages in divisive politics, BJP focuses on devp: Nadda in U’khand Kedarnath: BJP national president JP Nadda on Wednesday alleged that the Congress party always engages in divisive politics, unlike BJP which never asks the identity of people while implementing development schemes.

“Congress leaders always incite fights between villages, castes and brothers. Getting votes after dividing society has always been their way of working.

But BJP never asks your caste or village. If someone is a resident of Uttarakhand then it is our job to ensure their devel-

JP Nadda

opment,” Mr Nadda said while addressing a rally in Kedarnath.

He further asserted that BJP leaders share their report cards while seeking votes, unlike Congress candidates.

“You must have seen that any BJP leader who contests elections talks about themselves and

SANKALP PATRA IS JHOOTA PATRA: AKHILESH YADAV ON BJP’S UP MANIFESTO ‘They said they would double farmers’ incomes but this did not happen’

COURTESY MEET

CEO and Editor-in-Chief of the Sahara News Network Upendra Rai presented his two recently published books Hastkshep and Nazariya to President Ram Nath Kovind during a courtesy visit, in New Delhi.

the party’s report card.

But have you ever seen Congress leaders putting forward their report card?” he asked.

Accusing Congress leaders of benefiting from the relief that came in for the 2011 Kedarnath tragedy, the BJP leader said “When the tragedy hit the state, Congress leaders ‘ne malai khai the’ (took away the benefits from the relief that came in) and left everything in ruins. PM Modi worked on establishing this place. A new story of development has been written here.”

—PTI

Chandigarh: SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal said their previous government had started work on Guru Ravidas memorial at Khuralgarh on which work was not completed by the Congress government. “After coming to power, SAD-BSP would complete the work at the earliest,” he said, while also reiterating pro-poor announcements made by the alliance earlier. Apart from attacking the Congress, he also attacked AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal stating that on every crucial issue his stand was anti-Punjab.

UP: Cong promises farm loan waiver in manifesto

AICC General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra with others, releases party manifesto Unnati Vidhan Jan Ghoshna Patra at UPCC headquarter, in Lucknow on Wednesday.

—PHOTO BY PTI

Lucknow: Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday announced the party’s election manifesto in which the party announced sops for farmers, covid warriors, teachers and medium scale enterprises. ‘False’ cases against journalists will also be withdrawn if the Congress comes to power, Priyanka Gandhi said.

The manifesto is what the general public said and wanted, Priyanka Gandhi said.

“Like Chhattisgarh,

of lies of false promises... the BJP’s Sankalp Patra is actually a Jhoota Patra,” Akhilesh Yadav told media.

“Lots of promises made... first was for farmers. They said they would double farmers’ incomes but this did not happen.

The BJP should observe two minutes’ si-

SCANTY RAINFALL

Less than normal rainfall that has been observed from March to Nov 2021, the declaration of drought would come into effect from September 15, 2021, and would continue to be in effect for six months, till further order.

It also considered the distress situation that had developed in almost the entire farming area affected by these conditions through field verification, the statement said.

The NSDMA had also

lence before saying anything,” he said. As part of its major promises, the SP has said it will make more than one crore jobs available, make electricity (for irrigation) free for farmers, and make education for girls free. On the ‘mafia’ charge Yadav said: “It is the BJP which has given most election tickets to criminals and the mafia,” he said. —Agencies

Union Home Minister had said criminals in UP were either in jail or on a list of Samajwadi candidates.

“Announcements made by the Samajwadi Party in our manifesto were made after talking to experts... this is for the people of Uttar Pradesh. But if you see the BJP’s manifesto, it is full

UPites will teach BJP a lesson, says Mayawati

Why tax exemption to corporates?

Lucknow: Asking people not to be swayed by tall promises of political parties, BSP supremo Mayawati on Wednesday claimed people of Uttar Pradesh will teach the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) a lesson in the assembly polls because of its “faulty policies”.

“People are suffering due to the wrong policies of the BJP and are eager to teach them a lesson,” she said.

—PTI

Sharat K Verma New Delhi: In many countries of the world, big corporate houses have written letters to the governments asking them to impose additional tax on them. In the midst of the corona virus epidemic, every civilised and democratic country in the world has helped its citizens financially, but in India, there is an exception to this idea as no financial help was given to the citizens in India. In India, the income of 84 percent of the population has decreased

in the last year and on the other hand the number of billionaires has increased. There is a recovery in the economy of India, that is, the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer.

Nevertheless, the government has given tax

‘Drought of a moderate nature’ declared in Nagaland taken into consideration the reports available from the Deputy Commissioners and Chairmen of the concerned District Disaster Management Authorities (DDMAs).

Based on the scanty, deficit and less than normal rainfall that has been observed from March to November 2021, the declaration of drought would come into effect from September 15, 2021, and would continue to be in effect for six months, till further order, the NSDMA notification stated. —Agencies

ries and form a commission to look into their needs and draw a plan for the upliftment of ‘pasmanda’ (poor) Muslims.

The party has also promised to depute an SC leader as the home minister of UP to be able to curb the rising crimes against Dalit community.

The party promised to provide tribal status to Kol community which is listed as a scheduled caste in UP. In other states including Madhya Pradesh, Chhatishgarh and Jharkhand, they are a tribe. —PTI

Lucknow: Akhilesh Yadav took on the BJP on Wednesday saying the ruling outfit “should observe two minutes’ silence (for failing to deliver on its promises) before commenting on those offered by his Samajwadi Party. Yadav said the BJP “lies in the name of law and order” and countered Amit Shah’s ‘mafia’ charge; the

STATE STRUGGLES!

Kohima: The Nagaland State Disaster Management Authority (NSDMA) has declared a ‘drought of a moderate nature’ in the entire state for six months from September 2021 to March this year.

The NSDMA declared the ‘drought of moderate nature’ after taking into account the conditions arising from rainfall deficiency and poor crop conditions, an official statement issued by the Department of Information and Public Relations said in Kohima on Wednesday.

farmers’ loans will be waived as soon as our government is formed.

Paddy and wheat will be purchased at ₹2500 per quintal and sugarcane at ₹400 per quintal. Electricity bill will be halved and dues of the pandemic period will be waived,” Priyanka said.

The manifesto also promises to provide reservation in promotion to members of the two communities.

The party also promised to provide the benefit of reservation to people from Dalit sub catego-

exemption to corporates in the budget.

Even before this, in the last Lok Sabha elections i.e. 2019, the Central Government had given a rebate of one lakh 45 thousand crore rupees in corporate tax.

In the next year’s budg-

et, the Government of India has reduced the surcharge on corporate tax from 12 per cent to seven percent. Think, on the one hand, economic inequality is increasing in the country, the government is continuously increasing indirect taxes, which is burdening the common people and there is no exemption for the middle class in income tax but the surcharge on corporate tax has been reduced. The government should have increased the corporate tax but the government has done the opposite.

Mann reaches Parl to raise issues of farmers Mahesh Kumar Chandigarh/New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab’s state president and chief ministerial candidate Bhagwant Mann, fulfilling his responsibility as an MP in Parliament, raised various issues pertaining Punjab’s farmers in Lok Sabha. Mann, on Wednesday, left behind his campaigning for the Punjab assembly election to raise the issue of sugarcane farmers in the Parliament.

Mann said that about Rs. 1.25 crore of sugarcane farmers for 2020-21

AAP MP Bhagwant Mann

and about Rs. 20 crore for 2021-22 have not been paid, due to which farmers are very upset.

Since, it takes one year for the sugarcane crop to grow fully, so the family of sugarcane farmers is supported by this money throughout the year. They have to face a lot of problems because of delayed payments and bonuses.

INDIA AHMEDABAD | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2022

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1st nasal spray to treat Covid patients Glenmark launches FabiSpray for adult patients in India New Delhi: Mumbai based innovation-driven global pharma company Glenmark has launched Nitric Oxide Nasal Spray (FabiSpray) in India, in partnership with SaNOtize, for treatment of adult Covid-19 patients.

Glenmark received approval from India’s drug regulator, Drugs Con-

NEXT VARIANTS WILL BE MORE VIRULENT: WHO

troller General of India, for spray as part of the accelerated process.

“Phase 3 trial in India met the key endpoints and demonstrated reduction of viral load of 94 per cent in 24 hours and

99 per cent in 48 hours.

Nitric Oxide Nasal Spray (NONS) was safe and well-tolerated in Covid-19 patients. Glenmark to market NONS under the brand name FabiSpray,” reads the official statement.

New Delhi: Experts have warned that the next Covid-19 variant will be more transmissible, and perhaps, more deadly. WHO epidemiologist Dr Maria Van Kerkhove stressed that the future variants will be in some way more virulent than Omicron is now.

INDIA RECORDS 71,365 NEW COVID CASES

New Delhi: India logged 71,365 new coronavirus infections taking the country's total tally of Covid-19 cases to 4,24,10,976, while the active cases declined to 8,92,828, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Wednesday. The death count climbed to 5,05,279 with 1,217 fresh fatalities, the data updated at 8 am stated.

Kashmir tweet row entangles more cos New Delhi: Global automaker Toyota Motor and fast food chain Domino’s Pizza are among half a dozen companies that have apologised to India for social media posts from their Pakistani partners expressing support for separatists in Kashmir, as more companies got caught up in the diplomatic fracas.

The apology comes after a rare diplomatic escalation between South Korea and India on Tuesday over social media posts by Hyundai Motors’ Pakistani partner, which caused an uproar and calls to boycott the carmaker.

Japan’s Suzuki Motor, majority owner of India’s biggest carmaker Maruti Suzuki, Honda Motor and Isuzu Motor, South Korea’s Kia Motors and Yum! Brands’ KFC also issued apologies as criticism grew on Twitter over social media posts.

FROM PG 1 Plane flies...

“Luckily, all the passengers and crew members are safe as the aircraft, which runs on propeller engines, landed without any trouble at the Bhuj airport,” said Gupta.Although the propellerpowered aircraft flew all the way to Bhuj safely, Alliance Air cancelled its return trip to Mumbai, he added.“While 66 passengers arrived in the flight in the morning, 61 passengers were supposed to take the same flight to Mumbai a few hours later. However, upon learning about the missing engine cover, the airline cancelled the return flight and began the maintenance work,” Gupta said.

Explosives, gun smuggled by Pak drone, recovered: BSF New Delhi/Amritsar: The Border Security Force (BSF) on Wednesday recovered over 4 kg of RDX, a pistol and bomb-making items dropped in two packets by a drone that flew from Pakistan into an Indian farm along the Punjab border.

A spokesperson of the paramilitary force said troops fired after they heard a "buzzing sound of a suspected flying object coming from the Pakistani side to the Indian side" around 1 am in the Panjgrain area of Gurdaspur sector.

A search was later conducted in the wheat farms of Ghaggar and Singhoke villages along the border and the BSF party recovered two yellow-coloured packets, lying about 20 m apart embedded in the wet soil, he said.

Modi has misused Parl for political gains, says Kharge New Delhi: Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha and senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday said that PM Narendra Modi misused the Parliament for political gains.

Speaking to ANI, Kharge said, “The Prime Minister was only attacking Congress and was not answering questions raised by the party. Congress party raised issues like China's extreme aggression, rising inflation in the country, unemployment, crisis arising out of Pegasus and Covid in front of the government, but the PM did not say anything on these issues.”

He further slammed the Prime Minister stating that he should have kept in mind the dignity of the post he is occupying.

600 Kashmiri Pandit families’ land restored New Delhi: Over 600 Kashmiri Pandit migrant families’ land has been restored in the last five years, the Centre told Parliament Wednesday, adding that the government is taking various steps to ensure that such families can safely return to valley and also can earn their livelihood without any fear.

“As per the information provided by the Government of Jammu and Kashmir, the land

of 610 applicants (migrants) has been restored in the last five years,” Minister of State

for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai informed the Rajya Sabha.

“Under the J&K Migrant Immovable Property (Preservation, Protection & Restraint on Distress Sales) Act, 1997, District Magistrates (DMs) of concerned Districts in Jammu & Kashmir are the legal custodians of the immovable properties

of Migrants. The DMs are further empowered to take all steps for the preservation and protection of such properties,” the Minister said.

To ensure that migrant Kashmiri pandit families do not have problems to gain custody of their property, a portal was also launched by J&K administration, it said.

Will expose criminal WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO syndicate: Sena MP GARIB KALYAN YOJANA? warns probe agencies Mahesh Sharma

New Delhi: Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Wednesday said that he has all the evidence to back up his claims and would reveal them at the right time. Raut had earlier alleged that the ED has been harassing him and his family after he refused to help in toppling the Maharashtra govt. He alleged that there was a "criminal syndicate" involving the ED and some blackmailers like BJP’s Kirti Soumya that he was going to "expose".

The ED officials “are now reduced to puppets of their masters”, he had said and added that the officials have even admitted that they have been "asked by their 'bosses' to 'fix' me."

BJP’S ILLUSION THAT WE’LL GET SCARED: MALIK

Mumbai: Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik on wednesday said the NCP, Congress and Shiv Sena will not only continue to govern Maharashtra, but will also come to power at the Centre by dislodging the BJP at the Centre.

CRUCIAL READ ‘DROUGHT OF A MODERATE NATURE’ DECLARED IN NAGALAND

Kohima: The Nagaland State Disaster Management Authority (NSDMA) has declared a ‘drought of a moderate nature’ in the entire state for six months from September 2021 to March this year. The NSDMA declared the ‘drought of moderate nature’ after taking into account the conditions arising from rainfall deficiency and poor crop conditions, an official statement issued in Kohima.

JAISHANKAR TO VISIT AUSTRALIA, PHILIPPINES FROM FEB 10-15: MEA New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will begin a six-day visit to Australia and the Philippines beginning on Thursday. His visit to Australia from February 10 to 13 will be his first trip to that country as EAM. The visit to the Philippines comes over two weeks after the Southeast Asian country signed a $375m deal with India to buy 3 batteries of the BrahMos cruise missile.

New Delhi: Different groups have their own concerns regarding the next year’s Budget of the central government.

One of these big concerns is whether the Central Government will continue the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana or will it be closed? This question is because the Finance Minister did not say anything about it in the general budget. Keep in mind that at the end of last year, the central government had decided to end this scheme. Then many states including Delhi and Uttar Pradesh announced to implement this scheme on their own. Since assembly elections are going on in five states, the

Center also extended this scheme by four months, the limit for which will end on March 31. That is, the election will end in the first week of March and the scheme will end on the last day of the current financial year. What will happen after that?

Many experts are speculating that the government has kept the budget for procurement of paddy and wheat from farmers at the minimum support price (MSP) same as last year,

06

so it is possible that it should be carried forward. Keep in mind that this year the Finance Minister has made a provision of two lakh 37 thousand crore rupees for the purchase of food grains. Last year it was Rs 2 crore 42 lakh crore.

However, another figure in Nirmala Sitharaman’s budget indicates that it may be scrapped.

She has reduced the budget for distribution of food grains through Public Distribution System (PDS) from Rs 2 lakh 10 thousand 929 crore to one lakh 45 920 crore. That is, there has been a reduction of Rs 65 thousand crores.

That is why it seems that the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana may not go beyond March 31.

STATUE OF EQUALITY MADE IN CHINA: RaGa

Mallikarjun Kharge

The Prime Minister should have kept in mind the dignity of the post but he talked only on those issues which can be used for elections in five states, if there is any hate and anger against Congress, Mahatma Gandhi, Pandit Nehru and Rahul Gandhi, he can speak these things outside the House and should have responded to the issues raised by the Congress in the House. But the Prime Minister has misused the House for electoral gains.

New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi today took a jibe at the government’s aatmanirbhar policy pointing out that the Statue of Equality was made in China. He asked if ‘New India is Chinanirbhar’. “Statue of Equality is Made in China. ‘New India’ is China-nirbhar,” he posted on Twitter today. According to the project website, the 216-feet statue of Ramanujacharya was made by a Chinese corporation. The contract for the ₹ 135 crore statue was awarded to China’s Aerosun Corporation in 2015.

IN THE COURTYARD SC GIVES ANTICIPATORY BAIL TO TRINAMOOL LEADER IN MURDER CASE

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has granted anticipatory bail to Trinamool Congress leader SK Supiyan, who was the election agent of Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Nandigram during last year’s assembly elections, in a murder case. A bench of Justices L Nageswara Rao and Abhay S Oka, however, imposed several conditions while granting the relief to Supiyan. The top court on February 4 had reserved its order when the CBI had said that Supiyan has been running away from the investigation in the murder case of a BJP worker being probed by it.

DELHI HIGH COURT DISMISSES BAIL PLEA OF ACCUSED IN A TERROR CASE

New Delhi: A Delhi Court has dismissed the bail plea of a man arrested by Delhi Police in a case of alleged conspiracy to execute a series of terror attacks, including in Delhi, to create instability in the country. Additional Sessions Judge Dharmender Rana denied bail to Abu Bakar, who was arrested along with some others last year. The court noted in the order passed on February 8 that investigation in the case was still on and the period for concluding the probe was already extended by the judge earlier.

—PTI

DUE PROCESS OF LAW BEING FOLLOWED IN POLICE ENCOUNTERS: ASSAM GOVT TO HC Guwahati: Due process of law and all guidelines issued by the NHRC are being followed in all cases of police encounters that have taken place in Assam since May last year, the state government claimed in an affidavit filed before the Gauhati High Court. In the affidavit filed in connection with a PIL, the Assam government informed the court that 28 people have been killed and 73 others injured in police action from May 10 last year, when Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma assumed charge, till January 28 this year. The Assam government on February 7 filed the “detailed affidavit”, a copy of which is available with PTI, as sought by the Gauhati HCt, which on Tuesday deferred the hearing of the PIL related to the encounters till February 10.

Ambani is back as Asia’s richest man New Delhi: Billonaire businessman Mukesh Ambani has regained the status of Asia’s richest person, a day after Gautam Adani had surpassed the Reliance Industries Ltd chairman on net worth, according to Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

As of February 9, 2022, Mukesh Ambani is in the 10th spot on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index global list with a net worth of $89.2 billion. Ambani’s net worth has eclipsed Gautam Adani’s $86.3 billion.

As of Feb 9, 2022, Ambani is at 10th spot on Bloomberg Billionaires Index global list with a net worth of $89.2 bn Mukesh Ambani

Gautam Adani

The founder of Adani Group was at the 11th spot on the list and holds the status of the second richest man in Asia. The development comes after Gautam Adani on February 8 be-

came the richest person in Asia, overtaking fellow countryman Mukesh Ambani, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Last week, Gautam Adani became the richest In-

dian, leaving behind Mukesh Ambani, according to Forbes’ RealTime Billionaire’s list.

Last week, both Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani surpassed Mark Zucker-

berg on Forbes’ list of real-time billionaires after he lost $29 billion in net worth as Facebook owner Meta Platforms Inc’s stock marked a record oneday plunge following a disappointing earnings forecast that shook the global tech landscape.

Meanwhile, the Bloomberg Billionaires Index has been topped

by Elon Musk with a net worth of $238 billion.

Musk is followed by Jeff Bezos, Bernard Arnault, Bill Gates, and Larry Page.

BIZ BUZZ AHMEDABAD | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2022

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Govt may tweak

NPA provisioning by banks sees jump in Q3

CAPITAL GAINS

TAX REGIME

New Delhi: The government is open to ‘some tinkering’ in the varied rates and holding period for computation of capital gains tax on shares, debt and immovable property, in a bid to make it simple, Revenue Secretary Tarun Bajaj said on Wednesday.

Under the I-T Act, gains from sale of capital assets, both movable and immovable, are subject to ‘capital gains tax’. The Act, however, excludes movable personal assets such as cars, apparels, furniture from this tax.

Bajaj said the current capital gains tax structure is “too complicated” in terms of varied rates and period of holding across the assets and hence needs a relook.

“We need to rework

the capital gains structure for rates, holding period…

We would be open to some tinkering in it the next time we get an opportunity,” Bajaj said at a CII event.

Asking the industry chamber to also conduct a study on what are the prevailing rates of capital gains tax across the world, Bajaj said, the department has already studied the rates in other nations like India and the developed world.

“Number one is rate and number two is the period for which it is. I think it is too complicated... that we have

Sensex gains 657 pts, Nifty tops 17,450 Mumbai: Equity benchmark Sensex surged 657 points on Wednesday to reclaim the 58,000-mark following robust buying in auto, metal and banking stocks. Strong global cues also supported the domestic indices, traders said. The 30-share BSE Sensex closed 657.39 points or 1.14% higher at 58,465.97.

Likewise, the NSE Nifty jumped 197.05 points or 1.14% to end at 17,463.80.

—PTI

Adani Wilmar stock surges 38% over issue price

New Delhi: Shares of newly listed Adani group firm Adani Wilmar Ltd extended gains for the second session surging over 19% on Wednesday on the back of higher volumes. The stock spiked nearly 38% in the last two sessions. During the day, the stock surged as much as 18.7% to hit a fresh high of `314.85 a share on the BSE. At 10.22am, it was trading at `314, up 18.4% percent from its previous close. Adani Wilmar price earnings stands at 37.56x, whereas its peers like Nestle and Britannia Industries are trading at PE of 81.6x and 54.7x. —PTI

created. For real estate, we have made it 24 months, for shares 12 months, for debt it is 36 months. We need to work on that,” Bajaj said.

Observing that when any such tinkering is

HOUSING FINANCE PLAYERS’ LOAN PORTFOLIO TO GROW AT 8-10% IN FY2 New Delhi: Housing finance companies are likely to witness a portfolio growth at 8-10% in the current fiscal and 9-11% in FY 2022-23, according to a report. After an impact on their disbursements in Q1 FY2022, non-banking financial companieshousing finance companies (NBFCHFC) saw a sharp recovery in the second quarter.

Their on-book portfolio is estimated at Rs 11.6 lakh crore, up 9% YoY, in the first half of FY2022.

Going forward, the g rowth trend is ex-

New Delhi: The aggregate bad loan provisioning by banks increased in the December quarter after falling for the previous two quarters.

The trend reversal was mainly on account of higher provisioning by public sector (PSU) b a n k s which focused on sequentially improving the provisioning coverage ratio (PCR).

For a sample of 29 banks, the nonbrought about, there would be a segment of taxpayers who would stand as gainers, while there would be a segment who would lose out compared to their present tax provision, the Secretary

pected to continue, driven by healthy demand in the industry, increasing level of economic activity and increasing vaccination in the country.

“We retain our growth estimate of 8-10% for the on-book portfolio of HFCs in FY2022. Further, HFCs on-book portfolio is estimated to grow by 9-11% in FY2023,” Icra Ratings agency said.

—PTI

for capex included in the headline figure of `7.50 lakh crore or

2.91%, the actual spend in FY23, will go down to 2.58% of GDP, which is barely at par with the revised es-

environment friendly, self-manufactured and sustainable solutions post pandemic, as per the findings of the annual report.

According to the study, 59% of the Indian consumers were concerned about climate change, pollution levels and gasoline/

diesel vehicles emissions, indicating that consumers interest in the EVs is due to the perception of lower

timate of FY22.

The report also pointed out that the overall number showing a rise has been ‘offset’ through a reduction in internal and extra budgetary resources (IEBR), which funds capex of central public sector enterprises (CPSEs).

IEBR has been budgeted at 1.82% of GDP for the next fiscal, much lower than the pre-pandemic average (fiscals 2018-20) of 3.33%, it said, attributing the same to poor capex execution by CPSEs lately.

—PTI

performing assets (NPA) provisioning increased by 4.9% sequentially and by 9.7% YoY to Rs 31,891.6 crore in the third quarter. The reading had peaked in the March 2022 quarter at Rs 65,986.9 crore and had fallen in the two subsequent quarters to September.

The NPA provisioning by PSU banks increased by 5.4% and 19.4% sequential and YoY respectively at the aggregate level to Rs 21,939.5 crore.

It fo r m e d 68.8% of the total sample’s bad loan provisioning

GAIL eyes deals to meet India’s energy needs New Delhi: GAIL (India) Ltd has pre-poned the supply of gas from the US and is looking to contract more LNG next year as it doubles down efforts to secure affordable energy supplies to meet the needs of Asia’s third-largest economy, chairman Manoj Jain said.

India’s No 1 gas transporting and marketing firm has long-term liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply contracts from the US to Australia and with Russia, sup-

plementing domestic gas supplies.

“In 3Q (October-December 2021) we preponed a couple of cargoes (LNG shiploads) from supplies that we were to receive next year and we did it again in the current quarter,” Jain said.

This because US LNG costs one-third of the price of gas available in the spot or current market. GAIL has a 5.8 million tonnes per annum LNG contract with US suppliers.

—PTI

Equity MFs log `14,888-cr net inflow in January New Delhi: Equity mutual funds attracted a net sum of `14,888 crore in Jan, making it the 11th consecutive monthly net inflow.

However, this was much lower than the net inflow of `25,077 crore witnessed in December.

Equity schemes have been witnessing net inflow since March 2021 and the segment has received a net inflow of over `1

Shift in mobility trends with focus on electric, hybrid vehicles New Delhi: India is witnessing a shift in mobility trends with more and more consumers expressing interest in electrified and hybrid vehicles, as per Deloitte’s Global Automotive Consumer Study 2022. More than a third of Indian consumers have expressed interest in electrified and hybrid vehicles, as the segment sets steam with India’s focus on

said, adding “that becomes the most difficult part”.

Depending upon the period of holding an asset, the long-term or short-term capital gains tax is levied.

—PTI

BUDGET CAPEX NOT AS HIGH AS IT SOUNDS: CRISIL New Delhi: Amid FY23 Union Budget’s focus on investments, leading domestic credit rating agency Crisil on Wednesday said that the capital expenditure is “not as high as it sounds”.

It, however, was quick to add that considering that governments usually tend to cut capex during a crisis, the government has maintained its focus on growth-spurring initiatives amid pandemic.

The research wing of the agency said, if one excludes the `1 lakh crore of loans to states

07

fuel costs, environmental consciousness, and a better driving experience, it noted.

—PTI

lakh crore during this period highlighting the positive sentiments among investors. Prior to this, such schemes had consistently witnessed outflows for eight months from July 2020

to February 2021 losing `46,791 crore.

Overall, the mutual fund industry registered a net inflow of `35,252 crore during the period under review compared to a net outflow of `4,350

crore in December.

The average under management (AUM) of the industry rose to `38.88 lakh crore at January-end from `37.72 lakh crore at December-end.

Within the equity segment, all categories saw net inflows barring value funds. While the flexi-cap fund category saw the highest net inflow to the tune of `2,527 crore.

—PTI

compared with 68.5% in the previous quarter and 63.2% in the year-ago quarter. Top PSU banks including State Bank of India, Punjab National Bank, Canara Bank, and Bank of Baroda increased PCR during the quarter by 60-250 basis points sequentially.

—Agencies

States told to implement stock limit order on oilseeds, oil New Delhi: To contain the price rise in edible oils and oilseeds, the states have been asked to implement the Centre’s stock limit order on the commodities without causing any disruption in the supply chain and impacting the trade, an official release said on Wednesday.

The Union Consumer Affairs Ministry on February 3 notified an order extending the stock limits on edible oils and oilseeds for another three months till June 30 this year and also specified the stock limits.

The ministry reviewed the implementation plan of this order in a meeting with all states and UTs on Tuesday.

The states were also briefed about the current international price scenario and how the Indian market is affected by it, the ministry added.

—PTI

SC notice to Future group on plea of Amazon New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday sought a response from the Future group on Amazon’s plea against the Jan 5 order of the Delhi HC staying the ongoing arbitration proceedings before an arbitral tribunal over Future Retail’s ` 24,500-crore merger deal with Reliance.

A bench comprising Chief Justice N V Ramana and Justices A S Bopanna and

Hima Kohli issued notices to the Future group firms, FCPL and FRL and said that it will hear the matter on

February 23 “without any adjournment”.

The Delhi HC on Jan 5 had stayed the Amazon-Future arbitration

which is going on before a three-member arbitral tribunal over the latter’s `24,500-cr deal with Reliance.

During the brief hearing, the CJI expressed displeasure over some media reports on his remarks made on Tuesday while declining Amazon’s request to file written submission in another case field by FRL seeking a nod to proceed with the NCLT permission of going ahead with the merger.

—PTI

Of all the things we need to make peace with - our past and people who have hurt us - are the most important for self-growth.

2ND FRONT

—Jagdeesh Chandra, CEO & Editor-in-Chief, First India

AHMEDABAD | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2022

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WORLD

COVID-19

UPDATE

INDIA

57,85,073 32,15,70,474 7,44,63,662

40,18,19,209 TOTAL CASES

TOTAL DEATHS

08

TOTAL RECOVERED

ACTIVE CASES

4,24,10,976

5,05,308

4,10,12,869

8,92,799

TOTAL CASES

TOTAL DEATHS

TOTAL RECOVERED

ACTIVE CASES

SURAT EXPORTS UP 2.3 FOLD DESPITE NCOV

Goods, including diamonds and textiles, worth `7.6K crore were sent overseas in 2018-19, which increased to `18K crore in 2021-22 First India Bureau Surat: After the COVID-19 pandemic, the export and business industries across the country slowed down.

However, official figures of the state government show that in the past four years, exports from Surat to other countries have increased by 2.3 times. In the financial year 2018-19, goods worth Rs7,655 crore were exported from the Surat Special Economic Zone (SEZ) and which increased to Rs18, 021 crore in 2021-22.

Surat exports a wide variety of items including textiles, diamonds, tobacco, plastic, machines, solar power equipment. Of these, the highest export demand was received by the diamond and textile industries. The demand for Surti items has increased in America, Europe as well as in the Gulf countries.

Virendra Singh, Director of General of Foreign Trade, informed First India, “In the last four years, the exports of many units operating in Surat SEZ have increased, especially those selling nat-

SURTI SWAG Known as the hub of textiles and diamonds in the country and abroad, Surat is one of the highest exporters. The demand for items made in Surat is high in America, Europe and Gulf countries. Recent rise in exports has helped the Surat industrial sector get back on its feet post the COVID-19 lull. ural and lab-grown diamonds. Demand for other items such as textiles, plastic has also grown in America and Europe. After COVID-19 hit, trade industries closed down but units in Surat SEZ continued production after securing special approval from the local administration. As a result, the

2008 SERIAL BLASTS CASE

Justice is delayed, says kin of man acquitted First India Bureau Ranchi: Jahida Khatun, a 75-year-old woman of Jharkhand, was in tears after hearing that her son was acquitted in the case related to the 2008 Ahmedabad serial blasts that had claimed 56 lives and left over 200 injured.

Her son, Manjar Imam, is one of the 28 people who have been acquitted in the case. A special court in Ahmedabad on Tuesday convicted 49 people.

“We had full faith in the judiciary. But my son

The sentencing hearing for the 49 convicts slated for Wednesday is now expected to begin on Thursday

Police personnel outside the trial court on Tuesday. —FILE PHOTO

has lost 13 precious years. He got justice but it is delayed,” Khatun, a resident of Ranchi, said.

The elderly woman said her husband was so traumatized that he died a year after the incident.

Manjar’s brother Mohammad Safdar Imam rued that after he was branded “terrorist”, they were socially boycotted and even the children of the family could not get admission to

any good school.

“We request the government to expedite court trials so that innocent are not punished,” he said.

Imam claimed that Manjar had not even gone to Gujarat even once but attended a religious meeting in Kerala.

“He had been framed in the case,” he alleged.

Imam said now the family is eagerly waiting for Manjar’s release.

In his verdict, which came 13 years after the blasts, special judge AR Patel acquitted 28 accused, giving them the benefit of doubt.

business boomed in Surat. Exports will increase further in the coming days.”

Known as the hub of textiles and diamonds in the country and abroad, Surat is one of the highest exporters.

The demand for items made in Surat is high in America, Europe and Gulf countries. Recent

rise in exports has helped the Surat industrial sector get back on its feet post the COVID-19 lull.

The state government’s impending Rs12,000 crore subsidy for upgradation of textile technology in the next five years will also boost business for the sector. Approved after representations from the South Gujarat Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SGCCI), the Ministry of Commerce will also provide 25 to 30% subsidy on capital investment for small and medium-scale industries.

LONG ROAD SHORTENED

About 70% construction of work has been completed on the Narmada bridge, officials said.

Once completed, the bridge will shorten the distance from Vadodara to Dediapada by 20km.

CREASE READY

Ahmedabad franchise named ‘Gujarat Titans’ Debuting in 15th season, Titans will pay tribute to the state’s rich cricketing legacy

U-19 heroes feted on sidelines of 2nd ODI First India Bureau

First India Bureau Ahmedabad: The Ahmedabad franchise of the Indian Premier League on Wednesday revealed the name of its cricket team: the Gujarat Titans. With the world’s largest stadium as the team’s home, the team’s name echoes the ambitious spirit of Gujarat.

Ahmedabad had earlier revealed its three picks before the mega auction, to be held on February 12 and 13 in Bengaluru: Hardik Pandya (Rs15 crore), Rashid Khan (Rs15 crore), and Shubman Gill (Rs 8 crore).

Vikram Solanki has been appointed as Ahmedabad’s Director of Cricket while Hardik Pandya will be leading the franchise. Gary Kirsten will serve as the batting coach and men-

Hardik Pandya (seen here) is one of the franchise’s three draft picks, along with Rashid Khan and Shubman Gill.

—FILE PHOTO

tor of the Ahmedabad franchise while Ashish Nehra has been appointed as the head coach.

Siddharth Patel, Gujarat Titans said: “Our core philosophy of being both a courageous and open-hearted team has inspired every decision as we built this franchise from the ground up. We want this group to achieve great things for Gujarat and its many passionate fans, which is why

we have chosen the name ‘Titans’. Our aim for this cricketing franchise is to be one of the most inspiring and inclusive anywhere in the world, which will help to underpin its longterm success and reputation.”

“As we approach the league’s mega auction, we are confident that we will be able to put together the right combination of players going into the new season.

We want individuals

that are not only highly skilled but who are inspired to be Titans of the game. We look forward to starting on our journey with the passion and support of the people of Gujarat, and hope to inspire and win over new fans from all over India and the world,” he added.

IPL 2022 will begin in March-end this year and the final would be played in May, BCCI secretary Jay Shah had earlier confirmed.

Ahmedabad: India’s U-19 World Cup wining squad was on Wednesday felicitated by the BCCI on the sidelines of the second ODI here on Wednesday.

The U-19 heroes, wearing blazers, first watched the second ODI at the Narendra Modi stadium from the stands, as they had a joyous time seeing their stars in presence of head coach Hrishikesh Kanitkar and other members of the support staff.

The victorious squad members could not get to meet the senior India cricketers as they were part of the bio-bubble created for the three-match series. Former India batter and National Cricket Academy head VVS Laxman, who was with the team in

The U-19 squad looked dapper but were disappointed they couldn’t meet the senior team.

the Caribbean, was also present on occasion. And so was BCCI secretary Jay Shah, treasurer Arun Dhumal and a few other senior officials of the state cricket bodies.

The Board has already announced a cash reward of Rs40 lakh for the players and Rs25 lakh each for the support staff.

The India U-19

squad had returned home on Tuesday. The squad took the long flight back from the Caribbean with connections in Amsterdam and Dubai before reaching Bengaluru on Tuesday morning and the team then reached Ahmedabad.

More functions await the boys when they reach their respective hometowns

by Thursday.

An utterly dominant India on February 5 won a record-extending fifth U-19 World Cup title in North Sound in Antigua, beating heavyweights England by four wickets in the summit clash of an extraordinary campaign that was almost derailed by a COVID-19 outbreak.

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The Joyful

WARRIOR

NEELANJANA JANGID IS A BEACON OF EASE, SOPHISTICATION, STYLE AND A WOMAN WHO LIVES AS MUCH FOR HER OWN INTERESTS AND DESIRES AS SHE DOES FOR CREATING A SENSE OF FAMILY WITH THOSE SHE CHOOSES. IN AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH CITY FIRST, THE STUNNING BEAUTY TALKS ABOUT FAME, FAMILY AND HER JOURNEY SO FAR!

MITALI DUSAD

mitalidusad01@gmail.com

N

eelanjana Jangid seems to be at ease everywhere. Whether it’s walking on the ramp, acing the hoardings, fashion shows, or social media feeds, this 20-year-old young star, hailing from Jaipur is surely an inspiration for the emerging stars. Self-acceptance, however, was hard-won.

Now, she’s basking in it.

Being a supermodel often means having to deal with photoshoots, scheduling and travel that are subject to change at the 11th hour.

This year, Neelanjana Jangid is determined to maintain more consistent routines. Talking about her modelling journey, the diva said, “My modelling journey started from Elite Miss Rajasthan. I still remember giving auditions and since then there has been no looking back. I have evolved so much as a person and as a model. I’d also like to thank Gaurav Gaur, my mentor and director Elite Miss Rajasthan for helping me tap my potential. He has always been so kind and sup-

portive to the entire team.”

She further added, “I enjoy modelling because it gives me a platform to showcase not just my outer beauty but inner beauty and strength both.

When asked who has been her source of inspiration and lifted her spirits on bad days, Neelanjana said, “There are no second thoughts, my mother has always been my true source of inspiration. Someone who has always been through my ups and downs. She is a wonderful human being and has taught me so much, truly made me who I am.

On asking what advice she’d like to give to the teens who are now

showing huge interest in the field of fashion and modelling, the shining star, Neelanjana said, “I am a strong believer of self-love and confidence. I’d like all the ravishing girls out there to go and slay! Don’t let the world rule you, just believe in yourself & keep going. Face your fears & never be scared to own your flaws!

09

ETC

LOVE

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AHMEDABAD | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2022

10

is in the air ESHITA SINGH

eshitasingh07396@gmail.com

F

ebruary month is very special. Everyone is busy finding the perfect partner. Love and relationship occupy the most important part of one’s life. Everyone desires true love. To love and to be loved is one of the most basic emotional needs which is present in every living creature.

The problem arises after the honeymoon period of a relationship gets over. ‘Happily ever after’ suddenly crashes and doesn’t seem to exist anymore.

Then we get heartbroken and nothing in life seems to work.

The good news is, there is a secret to successful love life. If we understand the secret formula then we will be able to attract and sustain love in our life forever. The secret to sustaining love forever in our life is SELFLOVE.

HOW TO LOVE YOURSELF IS HOW YOU TEACH OTHERS TO LOVE YOU

FA CE OF TH ED AY

Self-love is the unconditional acceptance of ourselves. It is taking care of us, on our own, without expecting anything from anyone. It is the wholehearted acceptance of our merits and demerits. When we love ourselves, we constantly strive for our growth and development, instead of expecting anything from anyone else. Selflove induces self-confidence. It is acceptance and forgiveness.

Our heart is free from all negative feelings towards anyone. It is rightly said that one cannot pour from an empty vessel.

When we start enjoying our own company and feel peace within, we find clarity in our

thoughts, and we don’t need any external validation.

We can't love a person fully without loving ourselves. Selflove is the basis to attract unconditional love and a prerequisite to loving others. We attract as per our thoughts and vibrations. If we are full of depression, negativity, and overthinking, we will attract the same kind of situations in our life. If we are filled with exuberance and joy, then we will again attract the same kind of situation. Self-love heals heartache and uplifts emotionally and spiritually. Self-love is fulfilling ourselves with all the love we deserve. When we are filled with self-love, we attract people who love us in the same way. We attract what we are. No one can love us more than we love ourselves. After all, we can never attract more than what we are capable of holding.

BE YOUR REASON TO SMILE Self-love saves us from toxic relations. Many of us get into depression when our love life fails to give us the happiness we deserve. Self-love heals our hearts and soul. It helps to move on and let go of all the toxicity which does not serve us anymore. Self-love heals a broken and wailing heart quickly. When we are submerged in the soothing and divine energy of self-love, we don't mourn over someone who doesn’t understand our worth.

We are so self-contented and our self-respect is so high that we don't let anyone else tarnish or damage our self-respect.

Self-love helps us to let go and move on quickly from adverse situations that no longer serve our highest purpose.

Self-love is taking care of our own body, mind, and soul.

It also involves making difficult decisions for the betterment of ourselves, even if they appear to be very difficult at the present.

Self-love is nurturing the soul and spreading the divine benediction through our mind and body. It is accepting the challenges of life and mastering the art to overcome them with dignity and grace.

If we want to attract unconditional love, then we must have unconditional love within us. There is a huge difference between selflove and being selfish. Strive to understand the difference, so that we can offer ourselves the true divine love which we deserve. Blessings or abundance are bestowed by the universe when we are filled with selflove.

In February, when love is in the air, before expecting anything from anyone else, start loving yourself. Be your valentine. Be your sunshine and your reason to smile. Your heart is full of love and believes me, you deserve it more than anyone else. …..MAKE YOUR PRECIOUS LITTLE HEART HAPPY

YOUR DAY Horoscope by

Saurabbh Sachdeva

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

CANCER

You are opportunist and this will make you successful one day. Your spouse is someone who can do anything for your happiness.

There may be delays in property possession and it won’t effect you.

You are happy spending whole day at home. Help your mothers at home.

You will continue to enjoy your good health if you stick to a proper diet and exercise regime. You may finally meet your financial savior who will help you put the pieces at the right place. Some of you may assist your family by organizing a function or an event.

This is the best time try something new with life give yourself a new purpose. You will feel amorous towards your wife. Work on your limitations, there can be no better time than this. You have more opposite sex friends than the same and you may be judged sometimes.

You make sure to make things work your way. You are most wanted by your friends. Never demotivate someone even if someone is not capable of doing something. You can have romantic affair in office and a serious one. You will invest money in clothes and accessories today.

MAR 21 - APR 20

MAY 21 - JUNE 21

JUNE 22 - JULY 23

LEO

VIRGO

LIBRA

SCORPIO

Just do whatever you can do to cheer everyone up.

You will feel financially comfortable and infant you are in position to invest money in some new venture. Your personality will attract many eligible bachelors.

Spend time talking with likeminded people as it will make you feel good.

You are satisfied with your health and you enjoy that feeling. Money will flow into your life to make you financially stable. Some of you may earn good name for being consistent at work. In social life, it’s a good practice to avoid blaming others for our own shortcomings.

You are very fortunate to have a great friend circle.

You are very generous by nature and also you are the backbone of your family. Today is a favourable day for business. You may postpone your study plans. Be careful of the words that come out of your mouth.

You may go for a cheat meal all as a reward for maintaining good health. If you have been struggling with money then that’s a thing of a past now as money will flow in from all the directions. In office, you will support your colleague by sharing his/her work pressure.

JULY 24 - AUGUST 23

AUG 24 - SEP 23

SEPT 24 - OCTOBER 22

OCT 23 - NOVEMBER 22

SAGITTARIUS

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

You need help on academic front and you should not shy away from asking. Your spouse may make you spend more than you expected.

Fantastic day for investing money in stock market as you can make fortune.

You miss your parents a lot and somewhere fear to loose them.

You continue to stay fit and healthy and there is nothing to worry as far as health is concerned.

Because of limit flow of money, your financial condition is not stable yet.

Your hard in office will bring your recognition and appreciation from your senior.

Best day to buy gold and silver or any precious metal for investment sake. You love to live close to your family. You are a child at heart and never let this child die. You have a big heart and you always help someone if you can. Video gathering is possible as you miss your social circle.

Take stand where you need to, don’t run in the same direction where everybody else is going. Visit a doctor if you have any doubts about your health. Don’t attack stress even if you don’t have any. Let go of things that are not in your control. You want to have your own house.

NOV 23 - DEC 22

MANJIRI JAIN, Designer

APR 21 - MAY 20

DEC 23 - JAN 20

JAN 21 - FEB 19

FEB20 - MARCH 20

ETC www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epaper/ I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia

The Mushy

MITALI DUSAD

mitalidusad01@gmail.com

F

alling in love happens as quickly as falling asleep.

In a jiffy, your world goes from aware and alert to dreamy and wandering. Being in a relationship with someone you love is easy. It’s keeping the romance alive that gets tougher and tougher. And as they say, actions speak louder than words.

Now that leaves a lot of us befuddled, doesn’t it? Finding the right gift to convey exactly what you want to, in a manner that makes your sweetheart fall in love with you all over again may not be everyone’s forte.

But as valentine’s week is going in full swing across the world, it has become easier for couples to celebrate the days of love by doing unique and loving gestures for each other. After celebrating Chocolate Day on February 9, lovebirds are all set to ring in Teddy Day with their partners on Thursday, February 10.

Teddy Day falls on the fourth day of Valentine’s Week.

People in love gift their partners a cuddly teddy bear on this day. The idea is to give your beloved a plush toy to express your love for the person and make them happy. After all, a cute teddy bear can easily liven up their distressed mood and bring a smile to their faces.

Additionally, some people consider teddy bears one of the most loved soft toys, and perhaps that is why there is a special day dedicated to them during Valentine’s week.

Most of us are too busy chasing success in our careers and chasing our dreams that we forget to pause for a second and tell loved ones how much they mean to us. There is always this one person who makes life so much easier and smooth. Loving relationships also strengthen your mental health. Give all the teddy bears, roses you can, this is the week to show love.

— SUKANSHA KULSHRESHTHA, UP

I honestly feel this week should be celebrated with your loved ones. It’s not that whole year people keep on loving each other, they fight and have problems amongst them. So this week might add on some love to the bond by showing affection through gifts, chocolates, teddy bears and all things love. —AKASH PANDEY, UP

AHMEDABAD | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2022

11

Teddies are just another reason, just another way to say I care for you and will be there forever by your side. Happy Teddy Day! As the love birds all across celebrate teddy day today, City First spoke to a few readers from Rajasthan, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat to know their plans for the much-awaited day for girls!

I am a die hard romantic person. For me cute gestures hold a huge part in any relationship. And so these days of Valentines week are also very special. I am really looking forward to my partner gifting me a cute teddy or may be a keychain or anything special.

—ARUSHI JAIN, RAJ

People in love gift their partners a cuddly teddy bear on this day. And though teddy’s aren’t a usual gift for a man, I make sure to make my partner super happy and like every year, this teddy’s day too I have a surprise for my loved one. A huge teddy similar to her height.

—MANAV ARORA, GUJ

Teddy bears can be the sweetest and most adorable things one can gift their partner. These soft toys carry a charm that can make one feel loved. It symbolises love and innocence we had in our childhood, and so, teddy bears are gifted to remind us of the innocent and pure love.

—AKANKSHA ROY, DELHI

CITY

STAY MASKED

GET VACCINATED

BUZZ

AHMEDABAD | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2022

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A NEW RECORD!! T

CITY FIRST

he new tunnel underneath Pragati Maidan may set a new record for the world’s largest outdoor art mural, which would be a huge accomplishment. Him Chatterjee, the art consultant to the Pragati Maidan project, said, “In the Guinness World Records, the biggest recorded outdoor public artwork till date is in Incheon, South Korea, a 23,688 sq metre painting on a grain silo. In the Pragati Maidan tunnel, we will, on completion, have covered 98,000 sq metres with art.”

Art mural in the tunnel

During the art installation

The tunnel art is particularly remarkable because of how it is built on a threemillimetrethick foundation of powder-coated mild steel concealed in the

main tunnel’s walls.

The tunnel is divided into six pieces, each of which explores the meaning of the moon and sun in connection to the seasons, according to

12

Chatterjee. The artwork’s theme is living in India over the six seasons, and all of the festivities, from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, will be mirrored in the tunnel.

According to project organisers, the complete artwork, which will run the length of 3 kilometres, will cover the main tunnel, ramp sections, branch tunnels, and underpasses of the integrated transport corridor beneath Pragati Maidan.PWD has roped in a private construction firm for the work, which will apply to Guinness World Records for its validation as the world’s largest public mural.

REVIVAL OF A LOST ART! Representational Image

A Wild Look!

DEVANSHI MUDGAL cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

E

mbroidery is the art of applying thread or yarn to cloth or other materials with a a\needle.

Other materials used in embroidery include pearls, beads, quills, and sequins. Embroidery can be found on caps, hats, jackets, overlays, blankets, dress shirts, jeans, skirts, stockings, and golf shirts in current times. Embroidery may be done in a multitude of thread or yarn colours. It’s an art form that allows you to express yourself via your products.

While the craft itself has a long history, today’s social media boards and sites show a very current trend.

Even in today’s fashion, it’s apparent that embroidery has a significant stake and a strong presence. It’s more creative, expressive, and attractive as a result. For years, several artists have embraced it.

CITY FIRST

T Everything fascinates me, whether it’s what I read or what I consume.

My mother and Grandmother are the ones who introduced me to needlework and I am thankful that they have passed on this expertise to me.

Shweta Singh

City First had a c o nve r s at i o n with one such artist, Shweta Singh, who hails from Delhi, on how she has embraced the art of needles all these years and what she is doing now with it.

searcher. I also work as a modern embroiderer.

Tell us something about yourself and your art?

I’m Shweta, and I’m currently employed as a re-

When did you decide that you shall take up embroidery/ needle art as your career?

In 2019, I began my em-

broidery career by opening an online store with my mother.

What role does the artist have in society?

I feel that an artist’s responsibility is a constant battle between generating something beautiful to look at and presenting a critical alternative perspective that leads others to think.

What Does Your Artwork Represent? Does your art represent something about you?

My artwork is a reflection of myself. Everything I create reflects my personality and the stuff I appreciate or care about, whether it’s philosophy, humour, or politics.

What Inspires You? What connection do you have to your art?

he North Delhi Municipal Corp o r a t i o n (NDMC) has proposed to build 33 more sites, spanning 62 acres, in phase II of the project, after successfully creating a miniforest amid congested urban areas in 17 locations, including Karol Bagh and Keshavpuram. To improve green cover, the concept

of an urban forest has been introduced. Saplings of several tree varieties are planted close together in these forests, and walkways are provided for visitors. There are no fake grasses or other embellishments.

According to horticulture director Ashish Priyadarshi, the goal is to create a wild look, attract different species, and promote natural flora and fauna.

Where are you from and how does that affect your work?

My parents were born in Uttar Pradesh, but I’ve always been a Dehalvi at heart because I’ve lived here for almost all of my life. I’m considering starting an embroidered series on sites in Delhi that I adore.

Who are your biggest artistic influences?

Mothers and grandmothers have had the greatest artistic effect on me. They are under appreciated for their work.

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DURING THE DAY!

BACK TO ACTION!: In Ali Abbas THE TURBAN!: The short film ‘The Turban’,

based on the East Delhi riots of 2020, when antiCAA and anti-NRC protests became violent will be screened on OTT platforms and in film festivals across the world under the banner of Promodome Motion Pictures. The film, directed by Ravindra Siwach and produced by Sandeep Kapoor, examines the mindless brutality of a frenzied crowd. Kartikya Goel plays the lead in the film.

Zafar’s next film Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff will reunite for the first time, the stars announced via social media in the form of an action-packed teaser. Tiger is seen rappelling into an underground facility and batting some armed guards with his firearms and martial arts skills in a two-minute video shared by both Akshay and Tiger on Instagram. At the same moment, we can see Akshay confronting the guards in a different part of the facility.

Anu Asthana with guests embracing the flag

RUN FOR UNITY!: The flag of the Police Family Welfare

Anu Asthana embracing the flag

Committee’s #MissionOlympic #RunforUnity reached 17 MTC on Tuesday from Ahata Kidara Welfare Center, where the committee’s chairman, Anu Asthana, and other top employees embraced the flag.