First India-Ahmedabad Edition-24 July 2021 by firstindia

SENSEX UP OVER 100 PTS

CORONA CATASTROPHE

Benchmark indices swiftly rose in noon deals to end near the day’s high level on Friday as the S&P BSE Sensex quoted at 52,976 levels, up 138.5 points, while the broader Nifty50, settled at 15,856, up 32 points.

INDIA

37,299 new cases

AHMEDABAD l SATURDAY, JULY 24, 2021 l Pages 12 l 3.00 OUR EDITIONS: JAIPUR, AHMEDABAD & LUCKNOW

RNI NO. GUJENG/2019/16208 l Vol 2 l Issue No. 238

517

new fatalities

GUJARAT

new cases

new fatalities

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

STRIDING TOWARDS GOLD

Flag bearers Boxer Mary Kom and Hockey player Manpreet Singh with other Indian athletes at the Oympic Stadium during the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics 2020, in Tokyo on Friday. However, it was a super flop start by Indian Archers on Day 1 of Olympics as Atanu Das and company are out of top 25 in Ranking round. —PHOTO BY PTI

PEGASUS ROW New Delhi: TMC MP Santanu Sen was suspended from the Rajya Sabha for the remaining period of the monsoon session on Friday after a motion moved by the government was passed by the House. Soon after the obituary references and laying of papers, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs V Muraleedharan moved a motion for Sen’s suspension after the Trinamool Congress (TMC) member snatched papers from Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and tore those in the House on Thursday. The motion was passed by a voice vote and Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu asked Sen to leave the House. “The motion is approved...Dr Santanu Sen stands suspended for the remaining part of the session,” the chairman announced soon after the motion was passed. Turn to P6

‘RULING OUT’ THE UNRULY!

Santanu Sen

Ashwini Vaishnaw

RAHUL SEEKS SHAH’S RESIGNATION, MONSOON SESSION: HOUSES ADJOURNED SC PROBE AGAINST PM MODI TILL MONDAY SAYS PEGASUS USED FOR New Delhi: Amid uproar by SNOOPING, TERMS IT TREASON! the Opposition, the Rajya New Delhi: Demanding resignation of Union Home Minister Amit Shah along with a judicial inquiry on PM Modi, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi has commented on the ‘Pegasus Project’ row by alleging that his phone had been tapped. He added that this is not just a matter of his privacy but a compromise of the freedom of speech. Rahul Gandhi said, “The Israeli Government considers Turn to P6

AMIT SHAH TO BEGIN 2-DAY MEGHALAYA VISIT TODAY New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah will begin his two-day visit to Meghalaya on Saturday, accompanied by Dr Jitendra Singh, MoS Ministry of Devp of NE Region, and G Kishan Reddy, Min of Culture and Devp of NE Region. CM Conrad Sangma took a MDA meeting with Presidents of ruling parties and discussed Shah’s visit last week. —ANI

New Delhi: A Supreme Court bench headed by Justice L Nageswara Rao, on Friday dismissed the applications filed by telecom majors seeking rectification of alleged errors in calculation of AGR related dues payable by them.

RAIGAD LANDSLIDE

36 DEAD & 70 MISSING AS RESCUE OPERATIONS UNDERWAY

‘TMC bringing culture of violence to Parliament’

CRUCIAL READ

AGR-DUES: SC REJECTS PLEA

TMC MP Santanu Sen suspended for remaining period of Monsoon session

FORMER T’GANA MIN QUITS

Hyderabad: Former Telangana Min and BJP leader Mothkupally Narsimhulu on Friday resigned from the party stating that BJP had not taken his experience into consideration. He submitted a letter to Telangana BJP president Bandi Sanjay Kumar.

Sabha was adjourned for the third time on Friday. The House was adjourned till 2:30 pm soon after resumption at 12:30 pm. Earlier, Rajya Sabha was adjourned till 12 noon. But soon after starting the business, the Opposition leaders created a ruckus over the farmers’ agitation and the Pegasus spyware controversy. Amid the ruckus created by the Opposition, the Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day on Friday.

New Delhi: The Trinamool Congress (TMC) is trying to bring the “culture of violence” to Parliament,” Information Technology minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Friday while hitting out at the party over Thursday’s incident that triggered a ruckus in the Rajya Sabha. On Thursday, the proceedings in the Rajya Sabha descended into chaos as TMC MP Santanu Sen snatched away the papers from Union

minister Ashwini Vaishnaw’s hands during his statement on the Pegasus spyware controversy and tore them up in the House. Following Santanu Sen’s suspension, Ashwini Vaishnaw said, “The TMC has a culture of violence in Bengal. That same culture of violence they’re trying to bring to Parliament. What message do they want to give to the next generation of Parliamentarians?” Turn to P6

We have two agenda items: Citizen’s data privacy and security and cybersecurity. This ‘Pegasus Project’ issue comes under these agendas. The standing committee has the right to question government secretaries. We demand a sitting Supreme Court judge-led judicial probe. —Shashi Tharoor, Congress MP

Locals at the site after several people died in a landslide at Taliye village in Raigad district on Friday.

Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Friday informed that around 36 people have lost their lives due to incessant rain triggered landslides in Raigad district of the state and assured that rescue operations are underway. After taking stock of the situation, Uddhav

Thackeray told reporters, “Due to landslides in Talai village, Raigad around 36 people have lost their lives. Rescue operation is underway at many places. I have ordered the evacuation and relocation of people who are living in areas where there is a possibility of landslide.” Turn to P6

AMIT SHAH SPEAKS TO MAHA CM, ASSURES HELP FROM CENTRE New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday took stock of the situation in Maharashtra’s Raigad where around 35 people lost their lives due to landslides. Shah spoke to Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and Turn to P6

CAPTAIN & SIDHU BURY HATCHET Delta nCoV variant spreading 225 times faster than Alpha ‘Nav-Jot’ of Cong’s Unity from Punjab

as Sidhu touches Captain’s feet!

First India Bureau Ahmedabad: The Delta variant, also known by its scientific name B.1.617.2, is fast becoming the most common strain of the novel coronavirus. At such a time, the High Court of Gujarat has suggested that the state government bring reforms in medical education. Last week, the World Health Organization warned that a rise in the occurrence of Delta variant was being noticed Turn to P6

CAPT CONDOLES DEATH OF CONG WORKERS

‘I have no ego, we are united’: Navjot Singh Sidhu

MAKING THEIR PRESENCE FELT The Delta variant has now been found in at least 111 countries, WHO said. However, the Alpha variant, first discovered in the UK, has been reported in 178 countries and still has the largest footprint. The Beta variant, first found in South Africa, has a presence in 123 countries and the Gamma variant, the fourth variant of concern as identified by the WHO, is present in at least 75 countries.

Chandigarh: Extending support to the protesting farmers who have been staging protests at Delhi borders for over 250 days against the three contentious farm laws enacted by the central government, Punjab Congress President Navjot Singh Sidhu on Friday Turn to P6

CM Amarinder Singh with Cong Prez Navjot Singh Sidhu.

PUNJAB CRISIS RESOLVED: RAHUL New Delhi: Days after the Congress appointed Navjot Singh Sidhu as the party’s Punjab chief, Rahul Gandhi on Friday said that the crisis has been resolved. P5

New Delhi: Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh on Friday expressed condolences on the death of the three Congress workers who met with an accident in the Moga district. In his tweet he wrote, “Saddened to learn of the bus accident in Moga district in which 3 Congress workers have reportedly died & many persons are injured. Have directed DC Moga to immediately provide full medical treatment.”

NEWS AHMEDABAD | SATURDAY, JULY 24, 2021

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

Pegasus Row: Guj Cong calls for SC-led probe

ROYAL ADDITION

Chavda, Dhanani, other leaders hand over memo on the issue meant for President Ram Nath Kovind to Governor Acharya Devvrat at Raj Bhavan

The royal family of the erstwhile princely state of Bhuj recently imported Gujarat’s first Mercedes Benz EQC-400 electric car, worth a whopping Rs1 crore.

GPCC chief Amit Chavda, LoP Paresh Dhanani, MLA Shailesh Parmar, and leaders including Bharatsinh Solanki met with Gujarat Governor Devvrat Acharya at Raj Bhavan and submitted a memo meant for the President on Thursday.

First India Bureau Ahmedabad: The Gujarat Congress on Friday staged a demonstration in Gandhinagar over the alleged surveillance of its leaders and other dignitaries using Israeli spyware Pegasus, and demanded a Supreme Court-monitored inquiry into the matter. Congress leaders and workers, led by the party's state unit president, Amit Chavda, and Leader of Opposition in Gujarat Assembly Paresh Dhanani, first gathered outside the Gandhinagar circuit house with banners and raised slogans against the BJPled Union government over the issue. Later, Chavda, Dhanani and other senior leaders met Gujarat Governor Acharya Devvrat at Raj Bhavan and handed over a memorandum, which was meant for President Ram Nath Kovind. “The BJP is conspiring against political leaders, journalists and others by spying on them. This surveillance is akin to an undeclared emergency. This is a direct violation of people’s right to privacy. We have handed over a

SERIOUS ALLEGATIONS The Congress alleged that instead of using this expensive software to spy on Pakistan and China, the BJP government chose to spy on the people of their own country. While the French government has already ordered a probe over the issue after learning that some of their leaders and journalists were also spied on using the software, the BJP government is still denying the fact that phones of around 300 dignitaries were hacked in India, the Congress claimed, seeking an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the resignation of Union Home Minister Amit Shah on moral grounds. memorandum, meant for the President, to the Governor seeking an SC-monitored probe into the entire matter,” Dhanani told reporters. In the memorandum, the Gujarat Congress claimed that the Israeli spyware Pegasus might

have been used by the Centre to topple elected Congress governments of Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh. The opposition party also suspected that mobile phones of their leaders might have been put on illegal surveil-

lance by the BJP government during the 2017 and 2020 Rajya Sabha elections in Gujarat. The memorandum claimed that phones of over 300 persons, including Rahul Gandhi and two Central minis-

ters, were hacked using Pegasus. An international media consortium had recently reported that over 300 verified mobile phone numbers, including of two ministers, over 40 journalists, three opposition leaders, besides scores of business persons and activists in India could have been targeted for hacking using Pegasus software/spyware. The government has, however, dismissed allegations of any kind of surveillance on its part on specific people, saying it "has no concrete basis or truth associated with it whatsoever".

Gujarat Congress leaders during a protest rally against the use of Pegasus spyware in India.

TAUKTAE VICTIMS RUN PILLAR TO POST FOR A FRESH SURVEY Residents of Amreli district— which was worst hit—say govt’s aid package is insufficient First India Bureau Amreli: Nearly two months after cyclone Tauktae made landfall in Gujarat, its devastated victims are still waiting for a fair survey for financial compensation from the state government. On Friday, a group of villagers in Amreli district submitted an application to the local administration to put forth their demands. Residents of Amreli district--which was worst hit by Tauktae-say the financial aid package announced by the government is insufficient. A larger section of victims still complains of being de-

Several people in Amreli were rendered homeless when their houses were destroyed by cyclone Tauktae in May. —FILE PHOTO

prived of aid. There is more resentment against the government in the rural areas of Savarkundla, Khambha, Rajula and Jafrabad, where many people were rendered homeless after their houses collapsed during the cyclone. Most of these victims say they are yet to receive any financial aid from the government. Bhupendrabhai Dhakhada, who lives in Kadiyali village in Rajula, said, “We demand that our entire village be surveyed again. The villagers are constantly coming to the offices to

submit application forms. People really need help from the government.” He added: “For the past month, people from rural areas of Rajula, Jafrabad, Khambha, Savarkundla have been doing rounds under the leadership of their respective Sarpanches and former Sarpanches. Also, applications are being submitted before revenue officials (mamlatdars), chief officers, taluka development officers, but nothing is happening. We have not received any response so far.”

Surat weavers exploit boom VMC’s edu committee gears in demand for circular knits up for election in August Rise follows ban on import of the fabric from China; increase in sporting events First India Bureau Surat: The city’s textile producers have benefited from the ban on circular knit fabrics such as jersey, rib, cotton terry, and mesh from China, officials said on Thursday. “We used to import about 800 metric tons of circular knits from China each year, but since this was banned, local businesses have picked up the slack,” said Vishnu Agarwal, president of South Gujarat Circular Knitting Association, “The added production has also in-

Production of circular knit fabric in Surat has tripled in the recent past. —FILE PHOTO

creased job opportunities. As many as one lakh labourers are now engaged either directly or indirectly with this industry.” Circular knits are made with a machine that knits the fabric in a continuous circle (tube). These textiles are generally lightweight and thus popularly used to make bags, undergarments and

sportswear. Industry insiders say that the ban on imports coupled with the increase in sporting events has been beneficial for local manufacturers. Manufacturer Pawan Bansal is cautious in attributing the rise to any one event. The demand for circular knits has increased around the

world. We cannot say, the Olympics are directly related to the rise but, yes, the fabric is popular for sportswear and Surat’s daily production has more than tripled from the roughly 5,000 metres seen a couple of years ago. As many as 1,500 new machines have been set up in Surat this year alone,” he said. However, Agarwal adds: “A year ago, 15 factories in Surat were manufacturing circular knit fabrics. Now, that number has seen a manifold increase. There are now about 11,000 machines--including some set up in Silvassa by Surti businessmen--to produce fabrics that are used to make players’ jerseys, undergarments, training suits, bags, etc. Surti weavers have made clothes for IPL and other sports including the Olympic games.”

Cong, BJP candidates file nominations for election to be held Aug 06 First India Bureau

Vadodara: Candidates from the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday filed their nomination paperwork for the upcoming elections to the city-run Nagar Prathmik Shikshan Samiti (education committee) slated to be held early next month. Both major parties had waited until the last day of registrations to announce their list of candidates. The nomination papers were filed after the list of candidates was made public. The Congress has se-

Congress and BJP candidates filing their nominations.

lected Sai Dhekane, chairman of the city unit’s IT cell and former GS of MSU’s Science Faculty, as a candidate in the NPSS election. However, the BJP’s list of candidates is considerably longer, and includes Rita Manjarawala, Anjana Thakkar, Sharmishtha Solanki,

Dr Hemang Joshi, Aditya Patel, Vijay Patel, Kiran Salunke, Bharat Gajjar, Nilesh Kahar, Ranjit Rajput, Hitesh Patni and Jignesh Parikh. Observers say the Congress may benefit from the possibility of cross-voting by angry hopefuls whose names

were left off the BJP’s list. The Congress has seven votes and its candidate needs two more votes to win. The NPSS has a total of 15 members--three are appointed by the government, but 12 are elected by the 76 councillors wof the Vadodara Municipal Corporation. One of the 12 seats is reserved for Scheduled Caste/ Scheduled Tribe members, three for the matriculate category and eight for general-class members. Each voter can give three votes to three candidates, or three votes to one candidate of the matriculate section. Similarly, for the general category, members can give one vote to each of the eight candidates, or eight votes to one candidate. In the SC/ST category, only one is to be given since there is only one seat.

GUJARAT AHMEDABAD | SATURDAY, JULY 24, 2021

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

Surat trader sent pistol, ammo, pics of family as part of `3 cr extortion bid Would-be victim, long-time boss of one accused, had refused to give employee a raise First India Bureau Surat: After refusing to grant a pay hike to an employee in a Surat textile market, a shop owner was threatened with dire consequences for him and his family members. Two accused have been apprehended by city police for sending a parcel containing a countrymade pistol, four ammunition cartridges and photographs of the business owner’s family along with a threatening message demanding Rs3 crore, said officials. Surat police commissioner Ajay Tomar told media persons that a trader who owned shop number 17 in the Shivshakti market had received a parcel from un-

OF MEANS & ENDS

Sagar and Kiran Mahajan in Surat police custody for threatening and attempting to extort money.

known persons. After receiving it, the trader rushed to Salabatpura police station and lodged a complaint about the extortion bid. Police officials swung into action

No casualties seen in wall collapse at Pavagadh temple First India Bureau

Vadodara: Videos of a newly renovated wall at the popular pilgrim centre, the Pavagadh temple, crumbling into the valley emerged on Friday, and quickly gained traction on social media. However, no injuries were reported, nor was there much damage, due to the direction of the collapse. Local sources said one of the walls around the temple’s courtyard collapsed towards the valley created of Chasia Lake. No one was injured since the collapse occurred in a an area with

very few people. The incident has raised questions on the quality of materials being used in the renovations, which is currently underway at the temple complex, which only recently reopened to the public after being shut to prevent the spread of COVID-19. A part of the Mahakali Mata temple complex on Pavagadh Dungar collapsed 10 months ago, causing panic among the devotees. However, no casualties were reported in the incident and a major mishap was averted. Since then, safety measures have been increased.

Parts of the wall fell into the Chasia Lake below.

friend Kiran Mahajan. According to the police, Sagar had been working at a complainant’s shop for more than eight years and yet he earned Rs10,000 a month,

whereas a new employee had been hired at Rs9,500 a month. After several requests for a pay hike were ignored by his employer, Sagar took matters into his own hands and set out to extort money from the trader. He bought a pistol and four cartridges at a cost of Rs17,000, then took photographs of his employer’s family members at their farmhouse before sending the parcel to him. Sagar had done a lot of research before executing his plan, by downloading photos of a gang, and studying how they threatened and extorted money. He had also sought the assistance of an application that helped with English translations, officials said.

and provided protection to the trader and his family by dispatching personnel to his residence. An investigation was then started by the crime branch with the CCTV

footage and cellphone tracking of the person who sent the parcel. It was discovered that the extortionist was the trader’s own employee Sagar Mahajan and his

Surat schools to reopen on Monday after 500-day break

Custodial deaths: ‘ ‘My son did not take his own life’

First India Bureau Surat: With the state finally allowing offline education to resume on school campuses, schools in Surat will welcome back their students after being shut for about 500 days due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The move follows several representations by administrators of private schools, who have been keen to resume inperson classes and had threatened to open campuses with or without government approval. However, even now, attendance is not compulsory and parents need to sign off on letting their children attend classes at school. Those who do come in will have to wear masks and ensure nCoV guidelines are followed. Trustee of Presidency School, NM Kariya said, “Schools in Surat will implement all COVID-19 guidelines in view of keeping students safe and healthy. Online education will also continue for the foreseeable future.”

First India Bureau Navsari: Four police personnel have been suspended after two teens suspected of theft allegedly committed suicide while in lock-up at the Chikhli Police station on Wednesday. However, the families of the two 19-year-olds say that this is not enough. They refuse to believe that the youths would take such drastic measures. On July 21, when the incident occurred, Navsari Deputy Superintendent of Police SG Rana told the media that Chikhli police had arrested Sunil Pawar and Ravi Jadav, both aged 19, from Vaghai taluka in connection with a burglary on Tuesday and placed them in the Chikhli police station lock-up. Some time between 5 am and 8 am on Wednesday morning, the two allegedly committed suicide by hanging themselves using a wire. According to Jadav’s mother Niruben, her

Ravi Jadav’s mother Niruben is distraught.

‘Suspension not enough,’ says Niruben as she demands fair and impartial investigation into her son’s death son had not left home in more than six months due to illness. “My son was so ill, he didn’t even step out to work for the past six months, let alone leave town,” she told the press, adding that she had even sold her farm

land to pay for his medical expenses. “How could the police suspect him in any offence and pick up him like this?” she asked. The family also says that, Sunil and Ravi were actually picked up on Monday, and not Tuesday as mentioned in the public record. “We visited Ravi at the Chikhli station. He was ok and had no complaints,” Niruben added. Pawar, a daily-wage earner, has been living with his brother and uncle after the death of his parents six months ago.

Another day of no nCoV deaths, Guj sees 36 cases As many as 3.55 lakh people took their jab of the COVID-19 vaccine across the state on Friday

Gujarat has administered more than 3.10 crore doses of the COVID-19 vaccine so far. —PHOTO BY HANIF SINDHI

First India Bureau Gandhinagar: Gujarat witnessed another 36 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, taking the total caseload to 8,24,644, since March last year, the state Health Department said. With no death being registered during the day across the state, the toll remained unchanged at 10,076. The tally of recoveries rose to 8,14,223 after 61 patients were discharged from hospitals during the day. Gujarat’s recovery rate has now risen to 98.74%. Following the constant drop in the daily jump seen in recent days, the state now has only 345 active cases, with five patients on ventila-

tor support. Till now, 3.10 crore doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in the state to the eligible population. Of these, 3.55 lakh doses were given on Friday, the department said. Six new COVID-19 cases were reported in the adjoining Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu in the last 24 hours, said an official release. One patient also recovered and was discharged from hospital during the day, it said. Of the 10,602 people found positive for COVID-19 in the Union Territory since the outbreak, four have died, 10,558 recovered while 40 are undergoing treatment, said the release.

COVID-19

UPDATE

8,24,644 TOTAL CASES

36 CASES IN A DAY

345

8,14,223 TOTAL RECOVERED

61 RECOVERED IN A DAY

10,076

ACTIVE CASES

TOTAL DEATHS

8 MAX CASES IN A’BAD

00 DEATHS IN A DAY

COVID-19 DEATHS

HC rejects plea seeking permission for traditional Parsi last rites ‘Safety and welfare of the state is the supreme law... Health of citizens and their right to life are paramount and all other sentiments are subservient to this fundamental right,’ Court said First India Bureau Ahmedabad: The Gujarat High Court on Friday dismissed a plea filed by a Parsi Panchayat body that sought permission to perform the last rites of community members who died of COVID-19 as per the Zoroastrian tradition of excarnation instead

of cremating them. The division bench of Justices Bela Trivedi and Bhargav D Karia disposed of the petition, saying it lacked merit and cited the recent remarks made by the Supreme Court with regard to Kanwar Yatra in Uttar Pradesh. In its plea, filed in May, the Surat Parsi Panchayat Board had

High Court of Gujarat.

—FILE PHOTO

sought to protect the fundamental right to perform the last rites of community members who died of COVID-19, as per the tradition of Dokhamanshini, and not cremation, as directed by the authorities in view of the pandemic. In the Dokhamanshini tradition, the body is kept at a height in a structure referred to as a well or tower of silence, to be eaten by vultures, and the remains are left to decompose under the sun, it was stated. “Safety and welfare of the state is the supreme

law. In the Kanwar Yatra issue, even the Supreme Court had observed that the health of citizens and their right to life are paramount and all other sentiments are subservient to this fundamental right,” Justice Trivedi said. Considering the prevailing pandemic situation, the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare regarding the disposal of corpses by cremation or burial are in the larger public interest and cannot be said to violate of fundamental rights of the Parsis, the bench said.

The court cited that the petition was devoid of merits and rejected the plea. The petition had stated that the Parsi community had been compelled by the authorities to opt for cremation or burial of the deceased members as against their religious practice and sentiments. Since the guidelines do not recognize other methods of disposing bodies of deceased COVID-19 patients, authorities do not allow the Parsi community to follow their religious and customary mandate for last rites, it had stated.

PERSPECTIVE AHMEDABAD | SATURDAY, JULY 24, 2021

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

PROS & CONS OF LOCATION-BASED ADVERTISING

IN-DEPTH

DELHI HIGH COURT’S WELCOME ORDER ON AK’S PROMISE

MAHIMA HADA

The writer is Associate Professor, Director of Marketing Analytics Programs, Baruch College, City University of New York

T The lure of location-based marketing is that it offers instant use and gratification to consumers. Consumers get relevant messages that they are more likely to find useful, and respond to, because they are already in that location. Location-based coupons have been shown to improve coupon redemption, even drawing consumers away from the competition

he global location-based advertising market was $38.3B billion in 2020 and is expected to reach $165.3 billion by 2026. This growth in the market is driven by the high effectiveness of this form of advertising; while reports and campaigns vary widely, locationbased advertising through push notifications is considered to be 20 times more effective than online display ads (e.g., banners or pop-up ads). And within location-based advertising, geofencing is one of the most prevalent systems, because of its relatively easy setup. Location-based advertising/messaging through geofencing, called geomessaging, works as follows:  STEP1: Identify a geographic radius around a real-world location (e.g., a mall or a specific store)  STEP2: Set up a virtual boundary around the location (e.g., a geofence around the mall’s perimeter)  STEP3: When a device enters or exits the geofence, a specific event is triggered (e.g., send a message to consumers to visit the mall, or a coupon for the specific store). Thus, as consumers enter a mall or even walk outside it, they cross the mall’s geofence and receive a message about the stores in the mall, the sales currently on in the stores, or coupons that must be used within the hour. This message can be delivered through an app for a specific retail store (e.g., Dunkin Donuts might

PUNJAB PCC GETS A MERCURIAL CHIEF

have a geofence around its store) or through an intermediary app, such as FourSquare. Almost every step can be customized – the shape of the virtual boundary, how close or how far it should extend from the central latitude and longitude, and whether the message should be sent as soon as the device enters the geofence (suitable for stand-alone coffee stores) or after the device stays in the geofence for a few minutes (suitable for malls). The lure of location-based marketing is that it offers instant use and gratification to consumers. Consumers get relevant messages that they are more likely to find useful, and respond to, because they are already in that location. Location-based coupons have been shown to improve coupon redemption, even drawing consumers away from the competition. One study showed that when a movie theater sent coupons to consumers who were physically located at a competing movie theater, consumers switched theaters1. However, location-based advertising can also lead to privacy concerns being triggered – another manifestation of the personalization paradox (wherein consumers want personalized content and respond to it, but are wary of the data used to achieve that level of personalization). Even in online ads, consumers reject highly personalized online ads (when the product you browsed on one website tends to follow you around to all websites!). Consider that mobile devices are almost an extension of users’ selves and geomessages, by design, remind users that they are being

he mercurial Navjot Singh Sidhu, who once walked out on his captain Mohammed Azharuddin in the middle of an innings in Australia, has taken over as Punjab Congress Committee president. With him will be four working presidents and they will together guide the party organization in the state. Sidhu can’t be called a party hopper but he can jump the ship at the slightest pretext. After being a Bharatiya Janata Party MP from 2004 to 2014 the BJP nominated him to Rajya Sabha in 2016 but he resigned and joined the Congress in 2017 and was elected MLA from Amritsar East. Before joining the Congress

As the technology matures, consumers’ perceptions of privacy violations will increase, and the location-based advertising industry will likely see regulation like GDPR tracked. Geomessaging thus increases consumers’ perceptions of privacy violations. Consumers are willing to exchange their privacy for certain benefits (such as receiving coupons). A survey by mBlox showed that 47% of respondents would provide their location to receive relevant offers or discounts, and 57% believe short message service (SMS) or push notifications convey the most persuasive offers. Consumers are also used to not having privacy in certain spaces – for example, when we enter a mall, we know that there are cameras and they are recording us. Most of us are fine with it, we do not sneak around! But what if there was a camera following us around everywhere, all the time? This continuous location-monitoring aspect of geomessages raises privacy concerns. Thus, as privacy concerns rise, the question of the balance firms need to make in using geomessages, and how to achieve that balance has gained importance. Not using location data is almost unthinkable given the effectiveness of geomessaging; at the same time using location data can trigger consumers’ privacy concerns leading to ineffective marketing, and even in-

With one president and four working presidents is it going to be a case of too many cooks or will the five sardars work in sync? As Sidhu has not been in a leadership role before, a lot will depend on his ability to take his team along he was hobnobbing with Aam Aadmi Party, or was probably doing it to mount pressure on the party leadership. The high command now has a tough cookie to handle. He may prove to be even more difficult for Chief Minister

creased regulation. In fact, the Attorney General of Massachusetts, US sued successfully against sharing of consumer’s location data related to their hospital visits, stating that geofencing can have positive benefits for consumers, but it is also technology that has the potential to digitally harass people. This successful lawsuit sent advertisers a cautionary message when considering a geofencing advertising campaign. Firms need to not only think about which settings are appropriate for using geofencing campaigns, but also how often they should be sending geomessages to consumers. Today, geomessaging is not an infallible technology. There are several technical problems that can impact whether consumers receive a geomessage or not: unreliable pull of device id, high customer density, signal problems etc. So much so that, in one of my working papers, around 30,000 consumers are supposed to receive a geomessage each time they cross a geofence and stay in it for 5 minutes, but we find that the actual rate of geomessage reception is only 30%. As the technology matures, consumers’ perceptions of privacy violations will increase, and the location-based advertising industry will likely see regulation like GDPR. To preempt such regulation, the industry needs to be proactive in setting standards for the use of location data – when it would be beneficial for firms and consumers, and when it would violate privacy norms (and not just regulations).

hose making promises to gain political mileage beware. The Delhi High Court held Kejriwal to account for assuring landlords that his government will pay two-three months’ rent if some tenants were unable to pay due to poverty. Kejriwal made the promise in March last year when the first Covid-19 wave hit India and the Central government announced sudden lockdown driving thousands out of businesses and jobs. Known for distributing freebies, Kejriwal got a rap from the high court which said that “in a democratic set-up heads of government and those holding responsible positions are expected to make responsible promises to their citizens in distress”. Inaction on the part of the government, the court said, is impermissible. The government tried to wriggle out but the court rejected its plea that the assurance did not have the lieutenant- governor’s sanction. The pro-people order will check politicians from making promises/assurances without giving them a proper thought. The Delhi government has quite a task at hand.

SPIRITUAL SPEAK The knowledge of even the most discerning gets covered by this perpetual enemy in the form of insatiable desire, Which is never satisfied and burns like fire. —Bhagavad Gita

TOP TWEET Rajnath Singh @rajnathsingh

Best wishes to the Indian contingent participating in the #TokyoOlympics2021. I’m confident that the Indian athletes will make the country proud with their performance in these Olympics. #Tokyo2020 #cheers4india Sitaram Yechury @SitaramYechury

THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL

Captain Amarinder Singh. With one president and four working presidents is it going to be a case of too many cooks or will the five sardars work in sync? As Sidhu has not been in a leadership role before, a lot will depend on his ability to take his team along. The biggest test of Congress high command’s decision will be at the time of ticket distribution. Will the new PCC chief and the four working presidents allot tickets to their favourites in consultation with the top leadership or will they also take the opinion of Amarinder Singh? Bickering at the time of ticket distribution could see a final showdown between Sidhu and Amarinder Singh.

This 10 times hike in National Security Council budget coincides with 2017 Modi’s visit to Israel walking barefoot with Netanyahu on Mediterranean shore. Deal to engage Pegasus spyware for surveillance of Indians? JPC enquiry essential.

Vol 2 Issue No. 238 RNI NO. GUJENG/2019/16208. Printed and published by Anita Hada Sangwan on behalf of First Express Publishers. Printed at Bhaskar Printing Planet Survey No.148P, Changodar-Bavla Highway, Tal. Sanand, Dist. Ahmedabad. Published at D/302 3rd Floor Plot No. 35 Titanium Square, Scheme No. 2, Thaltej Taluka, Ghatlodiya, Ahmedabad. Editor-In-Chief: Jagdeesh Chandra. Editor: Anita Hada Sangwan responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act

To Receive Free Newspaper PDF Daily Whatsapp: http://bit.ly/whatsappahm

Telegram: https://t.me/firstindiaahmedabad Click the above link☝ & subscribe us on your preferred platform.

INDIA AHMEDABAD | SATURDAY, JULY 24, 2021

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

PUNJAB CRISIS HAS BEEN RESOLVED, ANNOUNCES RAHUL GANDHI

IN PARLIAMENT

In India, 18 cyber forensic labs commissioned: Ministry PEGASUS: OPPN PROTEST TO CONTINUE

‘I HAVE NO EGO, WE ARE UNITED’: SIDHU AFTER TAKING CHARGE AS PUNJAB CONGRESS CHIEF

Congress leader made the announcement outside Parliament in New Delhi on Friday.

His remarks come day after Amarinder said he will attend event of Sidhu’s appointment as PCC chief New Delhi: Days after the Congress appointed Navjot Singh Sidhu as the party’s Punjab chief, Rahul Gandhi on Friday said that the crisis has been resolved. Speaking to the media outside Parliament, Rahul Gandhi said, “Punjab crisis has been resolved.” His remarks came a day after Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh said that he shall attend the ceremony of the new state Congress team taking

charge led by Sidhu. Earlier, the camp of the Chief Minister was adamant on its demand that Sidhu should first apologise publicly over his purported remarks against the government over the power crisis and the sacrilege issue and then only Amarinder Singh would meet him. In a first show of solidarity and strength, Sidhu, accompanying 62 legislators, comprising four Cabinet ministers, on

Wednesday paid obeisance at the Golden Temple in Amritsar. However, the Chief Minister and his close confidants were absent from Sidhu’s maiden visit to his constituency Amritsar (East) and religious places there. That was Sidhu’s first visit to Amritsar after being appointed to the post by Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi on July 18, ending days of hectic lobbying within the Congress in Punjab. —Agencies

Chandigarh: After taking over the reins of Congress’s Punjab unit as the party president ahead of Assembly polls next year, Navjot Singh Sidhu on Friday said that the party is united contrary to speculations floated by the Opposition parties and asserted that he will work with all Congress workers shoulder to shoulder to ensure the progress and development of Punjab. Sidhu mimicked a batting style as he proceeded to address the gathering at Punjab Congress Bhawan here after

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Friday issued notice to the Centre and Amazon on a petition seeking a ban on the sale of Shein’s products by Amazon in India. Shein, a Chinese online retail brand for women’s clothing and accessories, was banned by the Centre last year. However, the petition states that Amazon has announced a sale of Shein’s products on its website during the ‘prime day’ sale scheduled between July 26-27.

The division bench, while granting time to the Centre and Amazon for filing their responses, listed the matter for next hearing on August 20. However, the court declined to pass any order to suspend the sale scheduled next week. The

petitioner said she had specifically made a representation to Amazon as, due to the sale of Shein products on its platform, the Chinese brand would have “access to personal and sensitive data of several millions of Indian citizens”. —ANI

SC dismisses plea challenging ban on sale of firecrackers in cities during pandemic New Delhi: The Supreme Court while dismissing a plea challenging the National Green Tribunal’s order for imposition of a complete ban on the sale and use of all firecrackers during the COVID-19 pandemic in cities, said that no further clarification or deliberation was re-

quired. A Bench of Justice AM Khanwilkar and Justice Sanjiv Khanna said that the NGT in its order has already decided the issue and no further clarification or deliberation was required. It further said that authorities may permit the sale and use of

firecrackers as per the category of Air Quality Index (AQI) in the cities. The Bench said that manufacturing of firecrackers was allowed and those who wanted to use firecrackers could do so with permission depending upon the category of AQI. —ANI

Newly-appointed Punjab PCC chief Navjot Singh Sidhu

Porn films case: Court extends Raj Kundra’s police remand till July 27 Mumbai: A court in Mumbai on Friday extended till July 27 the police custody of businessman Raj Kundra in a case related to alleged creation of pornographic films and publishing them through some apps. Kundra, husband of actor Shilpa Shetty, was arrested on the night of July 19 by the city police’s crime branch after being booked under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Information Technology Act. He was produced before the magistrate court at the end of his earlier remand on Friday. Police sought extension of his custody to probe the matter further. The police had earlier told the court that the 45-year-old businessman was gaining financially from the illegal activity. The police had claimed they have seized Kundra’s mobile phone. —ANI

5-YEAR-OLD GIRL’S RAPE, MURDER

Law in proposition: CBI lawyer tells apex court New Delhi: Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, a senior lawyer for the Central Bureau of Investigation, on Friday told the Supreme Court that there is a proposition of law and that is in connection with the petition filed by the

mother of a five-yearold girl, who was allegedly kidnapped, raped and killed in July last year. “There is a proposition of law, this is not a political matter. A child is dead,” Mehta for the CBI submitted it to the apex

court bench, headed by Justice A M Khanwilkar and also comprising Justice Sanjiv Khanna. The Supreme Court was hearing the petition filed by the petitioner, Saudamini Sahoo seeking a CBI inquiry into her daugh-

New Delhi: To combat cybercrimes, including financial frauds and crimes relating to women with enhanced use of cyberspace, 18 cyber forensic-cum-training laboratories have been commissioned across the country and more are under progress covering all states and Union Territories (UTs), informed the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) on Friday. Among the states where these cyber forensic cum training laboratories have been commissioned are Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Telangana,

Uttar Pradesh and Arunachal Pradesh, said sources, adding the facilities are set up or in its final stage in Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Maharashtra,

Punjab, Rajasthan, Mizoram, Manipur, Tripura and Delhi.Besides, the ministry has set up cyber forensic training labs in Ghaziabad (CBI Academy), Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore, Kolkata and Kerala among other states. —ANI

‘Nod to 792 food processing units’

IN THE COURTYARD

HC notice to govt on plea seeking ban on sale of Shein’s items on Amazon

taking over as party’s state unit chief. The former Cabinet minister said: “With my appointment as the chief today, I announce that all workers of Congress in Punjab are now the chiefs too. From here on, there is no difference between a worker and a leader of the party. I have no ego, I will work with all the party workers shoulder to shoulder.” “Those oppositions, who speculated a rift in our party, look at us today, we are together and united,” he added. —ANI

ter’s death that took place in Odisha’s Nayagarh in July last year. The Supreme Court had today also asked Mahesh Jethmalani, the senior lawyer appearing for the petitioner Saudamini Sahoo to file his Special Leave Petition. —ANI

New Delhi: As many as 792 projects out of a total of 818 projects have been approved so far for setting up food processing industries by the private sector with approved Grants in Aid of Rs 5,792 crores, informed Union Minister of State for Food Processing Industries

Prahlad Singh Patel on Friday. Patel said the government has been consistently encouraging and incentivising increased private sector investment for the overall development of the food processing sector to promote value addition in the agriculture and

allied sectors and reduce wastage. In reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha, the minister said 792 out of total 818 projects have been approved for setting up food processing industries so far by the private sector with approved Grants in Aid of Rs 5,792 crores. —ANI

INDIA AHMEDABAD | SATURDAY, JULY 24, 2021

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

LS adjourned till Monday amid protests by Oppn over Pegasus New Delhi: Lok Sabha proceedings were adjourned for the day following disruptions by Opposition parties which raised slogans on the Pegasus snooping row and the farmers’’ issue by gathering in the Well of the House on Friday. As soon as the House met for the day at 11 am, some Opposition

members rushed to the Well but they were prevented from doing so by floor leaders of their respective parties as Speaker Om Birla wanted to make observations on the Indian squad participating in the Tokyo Olympics. Birla extended best wishes to the Indian contingent on behalf of the House. The mega

CRUCIAL READ PROTESTING FARMERS’ “KISAN SANSAD” NEAR PARL ENTERS 2ND DAY New Delhi: The “Kisan sansad”, being held at Jantar Mantar near Parliament where the Monsoon Session is underway, entered its second day. Paramilitary forces and police personnel have been deployed at the site with heavy barricading at the entrance to avoid any kind of untoward incident. The protest by the farmers was peaceful.

BHARAT BIOTECH COMMITS 500 MN DOSES OF COVAXIN TO THE CENTRE Hyderabad: Bharat Biotech today said it has committed to supply over 500 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine Covaxin to the Centre under the countrywide immunisation programme. Speaking at a virtual conference organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry, Suchitra Ella, joint Managing Director of the city-based vaccine maker, said the companys facilities in four cities - Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Pune and Ankaleshwar - are currently producing Covaxin.

ANOTHER EXTORTION CASE FILED AGAINST EX MUM COP PARAM SINGH Mumbai: Another case has been registered against former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh for allegedly extorting money from the relative of a builder and kidnapping him for ransom, police said on Friday. A top official and three others have also been named in the First Information Report (FIR) that was registered in Thane on Friday, they said. The complainant in the case, Sharad Agrawal, approached the police in Thane on Friday and filed the complaint against Param Bir Singh, who had served as the Thane police chief earlier.

RAGA SHOULD SUBMIT PHONE FOR INVESTIGATION: RAJYAVARDHAN New Delhi: The BJP on Friday dared Rahul Gandhi to submit his phone for investigation if he believes it was tapped, and asserted that no one’’s phone has been tapped illegally by the Modi government. BJP spokesperson Rajyavardhan Rathore told reporters that the Congress is determined to stall Parliament for one reason or another after being rejected twice by people in Lok Sabha polls of 2014 and 2019.

The members of Congress party, DMK and Shiv Sena were seen protesting in front of the Mahatma Gandhi’s statue inside the Parliament premises on Friday. —PHOTO BY PTI

carnival of sports is from Friday. Members thumped benches in support of the Indian squad. Soon after Birla had made his observations, several members from Congress, Trinamool Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal gathered in the Well of the House raising slogans and holding placards.

Be watchful, next 3 months important: NITI Aayog member’s advice to Delhi New Delhi: Niti Aayog member V K Paul has told the Delhi government to remain watchful as the next three months are important and unlocking activities can lead to an increase in coronavirus cases. At a meeting of the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) on July 9, he also suggested that the city government consult the Centre before imposing any travel re-

‘Expert group in talks with Pfizer over vax’ Beneficiaries wait in a queue to receive COVID-19 vaccine dose, at a district hospital in Noida, on Friday, July 23. —PHOTO BY PTI

strictions in the capital. Dr Paul said that ‘unlock activity could lead to an increase in cases, though at present the positivity rate of cases is

at its lowest point’, as per the minutes of the meeting made public on July 20. ‘The next three months are important’ Niti Aayog member said.

How long will Sonia and Rahul

keep matter of the states hanging? Anita Hada New Delhi: The Congress party has to decide on the rehashing of organization in many states. New presidents are to be appointed and although the party high command took all the decisions in a hurry in Kerala, but in other states the progress has been abysmally slow. In Kerala, the Congress hastily elected the state president and the leader of the legislature party, but on the other hand, the matter of Gujarat has been stuck for several months. State President Amit Chavda and Legislature Party leader Paresh Dhanani have both offered to resign but a decision has not been taken yet. There is a discussion for many months that the party can give the responsibility to Arjun Modvadia, but no auspicious time has been decided for it yet. Similarly, in Jharkhand, for the last two years, only senior minister of the government, Rameshwar Oraon, is holding

New Delhi: An expert group of the Indian government is in talks with global pharma major Pfizer over COVID vaccine supply, said Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Friday.

The TMC shouted slogans demanding details of the money allegedly spent by the government on Pegasus spyware. Congress members had placards demanding a Supreme Court monitored judicial probe into the Pegasus allegations. They also showed their cell phons to the Speaker.

No COVID-19 deaths in Maha due to oxygen shortage: Tope Pune:Maharashtra faced a shortage of medical oxygen but it did not report any COVID-19 death due to it, state health minister Rajesh Tope said on Friday. He was speaking to reporters at the inauguration of a hostel of the National Cold Chain Research Centre. The Union government had, on Tuesday, told Parliament that no state or Union territory had reported any death due to oxygen shortage during

the responsibility of the state president, and no leader can be found to take the place. In Madhya Pradesh too, Kamal Nath is the leader of the legislature party and also the state president. Apart from being the Chief Minister for about one and a half years, he was also the State President. In West Bengal, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury is the state president and also the leader of Congress in the Lok Sabha. In Odisha, Congress has to make a new president in place of Niranjan Patnaik and there is talk that Sharat Patnaik or Mohammad Mukim could be appointed but no one

Rahul Gandhi

knows when the decision will be taken. Congress had made changes in Maharashtra and Telangana with great difficulty and now Navjot Singh Sidhu has been made the state president in Punjab. But in most of the states the all important decision is pending for one reason or the other. It is being said that a Punjab-like confrontation can happen in Haryana, where former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda himself is pressurizing to become the president or get the state president of his choice, while the party high command is currently not in favor of replacing Kumari Selja.

A BMC health worker collects details for the Vaccine Campaign.

the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, a statement that had come in for heavy criticism from the opposition as well as health activists.

Oxygen related deaths in Covid’s second wave

Why are the states not telling the truth! Vishal Srivastav

Sonia Gandhi

Harsimrat Kaur Badal (SAD) was holding a placard demanding rollback of the three farm laws. Slogans included “jasoosi karna band karo” (Stop indulging in spying). Birla said the health minister is replying on the coronavirus vaccination drive and members should listen to him.

New Delhi: The opposition is attacking the central government’s reply given in the Rajya Sabha regarding the death of oxygen due to lack of oxygen in the second wave of corona virus. But the states ruled by the opposition themselves are not telling the truth about this. The state governments themselves are saying that no one died due to lack of oxygen here. Officially, except the Delhi government, no state government has said that anyone has died due to lack of oxygen here. It is true that despite the outcry for oxygen in many states, no one died due to lack of oxygen. Many states of the south including Kerala are included in this. But even in those states where there were deaths due to lack of oxygen and media reported extensively on it, it is being said that no one died of lack of oxygen. The most shocking statement came from Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope,

who said that no one died due to lack of oxygen in the state. On the one hand, the Shiv Sena, which is leading the government, has opened a front against the Center on this issue and has appealed to the families of those who died due to lack of oxygen to go to court against this insensitive statement of the Center, on the other hand, the government’ own minister is saying that there is no death. It is a fact that there were reports of such deaths in many places in Maharashtra. Within two days, 12 people died due to lack of oxygen in two hospitals of Vasai-Virar. But the health minister denies to accept this. There were reports of people dying due to lack of oxygen in many hospitals of Bihar, but state

Health Minister Mangal Pandey has denied this outrightly. On the other hand, Tamil Nadu Health Secretary J Radhakrishna said in an interview that no one has died due to lack of oxygen in his state. Similarly, Madhya Pradesh Education Minister Vishwas Sarang, while defending the central government, said about his state that no one has died due to lack of oxygen there. While the Delhi government has definitely said that people have died due to lack of oxygen here, but the reason for that is that Delhi is a semi-state and the state government has to blame it on the Centre. That’s when it seems that all the states are denying the deaths to escape their responsibility. After all, health is their subject and it is fundamentally their responsibility to provide oxygen. That is why the opposition parties of every state are definitely raising the issue of death due to lack of oxygen, but the governments are lying.

FROM PG 1 Delta nCoV... across all the regions. “The increased transmissibility associated with the Delta variant is likely to result in substantial increases in case incidence and greater pressure on healthcare systems, particularly in contexts of low vaccine coverage,” the WHO said. The High Court division bench comprising Justices Bela Trivedi and Bhargav Karia on Friday observed: “The state must address the vital issue of reforms in medical education so as

to make it a multi-disciplinary and socially responsive model,” adding, “A time-bound and effective programme must be chalked out to strengthen the subcentres, primary health centres and community health centres which constitute the backbone of rural health infrastructure.” Addressing worries that the third wave of infections would affect the children the most, the court said “paediatric care must be pursued vigorously” and that the vaccination

drive for children under 18 years must also be accelerated. The Delta variant, which was first reported in Maharashtra last year, is believed to spread 225 times as fast as the original, Alpha, variant. Senior physician Dr Pravin Garg explained that the R-value (reproductive value) of this variant is much greater. “The virus is mutating very fast and the Delta variant has more infectivity. It is getting transmitted very fast. Studies and

research are needed to know how it is affects vaccinated persons. But, so far, it has less mortality compared to earlier variants,” he said, adding that the virus could rear its head again next month. “People need to take extra care,” he said. Meanwhile, the HC bench also rejected a plea from the Parsi community asking that excarnation be allowed for deceased COVID-19 patients, as per traditional Parsi funerary rituals.

‘Ruling out’ “Santanu Sen, you have to withdraw from the house,” he said. But, Sen continued to remain inside the House despite his suspension. Rahul seeks... Pegasus spyware as a weapon to be used against terrorists and criminals. Prime Minister and Home Minister have used this weapon against Indian institutions and democracy, by tapping my phone. It is not just a matter of my privacy, but it is an at-

tack on the freedom of speech.

‘TMC bringing... While the Opposition has been attacking the government over the Pegasus issue, the Centre has denied any involvement in the entire matter. 36 dead... “NDRF and other rescue teams are facing problems reaching to the flood-affected areas in Chiplun as the roads and bridges are damaged. The situation remains tense”, said Maharash-

tra Chief Minister.

Amit Shah... NDRF Director General SN Pradhan about the tragedy. Expressing grief over the incident, Shah in a tweet said that NDRF teams are engaged in relief and rescue operations. “Sad over the casualties due to heavy rain and landslide in Raigad. I spoke to Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and NDRF Director-General about this. NDRF teams are engaged in relief and rescue operations. The central gov-

ernment is providing all possible help to save the lives of people,” Shah tweeted in Hindi.

‘Nav-Jot’ of... said the real issue was theirs. In his maiden speech after assuming charge here, Sidhu, who shared the stage with CM Amarinder Singh after a long break, said, “My fights are not the issue, the farmers sitting in Delhi, the protesting TET qualified teachers, the problems of doctors and nurses and bus conductors are the real issues,”

TALKING POINT AHMEDABAD | SATURDAY, JULY 24, 2021

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

Calling people out for problematic acts — like sexual harassment or racist comments — can lead to them being cancelled. —SHUTTERSTOCK

DINO SOSSI Instructional Assistant, Technology and Media, University of Toronto

lexi McCammond’s journalism career was rapidly ascending. She was a political reporter for Axios and a fixture on cable news. Jeffrey Toobin was an awardwinning lawyer-turned-journalist. He wrote for The New Yorker, provided legal analysis on CNN and authored a New York Times best-selling book on OJ Simpson. And Mimi Groves was accepted to the renowned University of Tennessee’s cheer team, who were reigning national champions. Each life was charmed. But social media’s penetrating gaze and uncontrollable virality unearthed troubling personal moments for each of them. Their lives became disrupted in ways once unimaginable.

DIGITAL FALL FROM GRACE In March 2021, McCammond was primed to assume the editor-inchief position at Teen Vogue. However, offensive tweets from her teenage years resurfaced. Staff members were outraged and McCammond resigned before she even started. Toobin was caught exposed during a staff Zoom call, costing him multiple jobs. And a seconds-long Snapchat video showed Groves stating a racial epithet. Public pressure forced Groves off her beloved Tennessee cheer team, and she later withdrew from the university. Different circumstances, similar results and each was embroiled in cancel culture. Cancel culture is “promoting the ‘cancelling’ of people, brands and even shows and movies due to what some consider to be offensive or problematic remarks or ideologies.” This phenomenon has exploded due to social media’s amplifying powers, society’s deep divisions and difficulties redressing longstanding inequities. Violating standards of public morality can exact severe consequences, both online and off. This includes penalizing both the transgressors and those harmed by their offensive words or deeds.

CAN WE CANCEL

‘CANCEL CULTURE’? THE ROOTS OF CANCEL CULTURE

Cancel culture arose in the popular consciousness decades ago. It is paradoxical that a term now used to counter problems like sexism emerged from a song about a bad romance that was later incorporated into a misogynistic movie scene. Legendary Chic guitarist Nile Rodgers wrote the song Your Love Is Cancelled in response to a date gone awry. And in dialogue based on that song, Wesley Snipes’ character Nino Brown dumps his girlfriend in 1991’s iconic movie New Jack City: “Cancel that b—h. I’ll buy another one.” Nino’s fiery command is harsh and unforgivable. At its best, cancel culture minimizes regressive attitudes like Nino’s sexism. It brings them public attention and earns disapproval. Ideally, the targets re-

ENDLESS PURGATORY

Model and author Chrissy Teigen is the latest celebrity to be cancelled after being called out for online bullying. —SHUTTERSTOCK

think their position. And even better? They make amends.

THE RIGHT TO FREE EXPRESSION Democracies celebrate free expression — it is essential to their functioning. In liberal democracies, like Canada and the United States, constitutional protections

Cancel culture could combat racist expression, ultimately promoting social justice.

Chic’s ‘Your Love Is Cancelled,’ the source of cancel culture.

safeguard a wide range of speech. But at its worst, cancel culture curtails speech. It threatens this long standing fundamental freedom. If we limit speech by cancelling those we disagree with, other societal pillars also face peril. When expression is compromised, which freedom is next? Freedom of assembly? Freedom from fear?

Cancel culture can grievously impact the cancellee’s professional status. Their livelihoods could end. Think of comedians Louis CK or Aziz Ansari — their once-flourishing careers have withered indefinitely. The debate regarding what to do with those who have been cancelled persists: Should their careers be terminated entirely, forever and without review? Should they be penalized in proportion to their offence? Should their punishment have an end date? Cancellation is a widespread viral online phenomenon. Due to its essence, it must exist within public discourse to produce its full effects. Given that it occurs among members of wide-ranging internet communities, trying to tailor cancellations on a case-by-case basis seems improbable. Once guilty

in the court of public opinion, there is no appeal.

IDEOLOGICAL DIVIDE We live during a particularly fraught political moment. The ideological division between right and left in today’s politics seems like an impassable chasm. This perilous gap has never felt wider. One month before the last presidential election in the United States, nine out of 10 voters believed the other side’s victory would lead to “lasting harm.” And both sides claim their speech has been unjustifiably chilled. During this era of cancellation, opponents’ transgressions are demonized. Slamming someone as irredeemably wicked on Twitter becomes common. Lives are irrevocably upended. We no longer reconcile differences with respectful conversations. The long-term outlook for public spaces as marketplaces of ideas becomes worrisome.

NUANCED CONSIDERATIONS But there is hope. A Politico survey conducted in July 2020 found that 27 per cent of American voters believed that cancellation could positively impact society. From this, the negative valence of cancel culture has the potential to be marshalled for more positive ends. For example, cancel culture could champion pro-social movements that are broadly accepted, like the fight against racism. Following the unspeakable death of George Floyd, support for intractable social problems is strong. A 2020 poll showed that twothirds of Americans supported racial justice protests. This work is of fundamental social importance and requires constant vigilance. Cancel culture could combat racist expression, ultimately promoting social justice. Coping with COVID-19 has brought longstanding inequalities into sharp relief. These include racial and class differences driving unacceptably poor health outcomes. Cancel culture’s dependence on the whim and will of the masses means that we cannot move forward together if we speak separately and alone. SOURCE: THECONVERSATION.COM

There is something intrinsically beautiful in a woman who has a hint of mystery about her.

2ND FRONT

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

AHMEDABAD | SATURDAY, JULY 24, 2021

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

Government run primary schools in Gujarat have been found to be laggards vis-a-vis private schools Corona caretaker training program for teachers launched in Rajkot

GUNOTSAV 2.0: Guj govt schools score a Big B despite qualified teachers Despite increasing budget & better teachers, State-run primary schools score a poor grade First India Bureau Gandhinagar: The Gujarat Government allocated Rs 31,955 crore in its 2020-21 budget for the education sector. Every year, there is a 12% to 15% jump in fund allocation, the government claims to have qualified teachers for primary schools that even private schools lack, yet State-run primary schools have scored a poor B grade in Gunotsav 2.0, with just 57.84%. A recent report of Gunotsav 2.0 has reiterated this fact Why? Educationist Sanjay Raval says a school’s performance is just not dependent on teachers or teaching in schools, but equally on parents. Most government schools have qualified and trained teachers but still private schools do better. The reason, according to Raval, is because majority students in government schools are from socio-economically poor backgrounds and their parents are more busy with meet-

ECONOMIC GULF! The training session in progress.

First India Bureau

—FILE PHOTO

A government school sans teachers.

ing two ends and have little time to focus on children's education. Against that, parents of private school children dedicate time on their children's studies and if required they put them in coaching classes. This makes a whole lot of difference. Raval analyses the issue according to demography also. He says the coastal belt is dominated by fishing community and salt pan workers, in Kutch a majority

are either in animal husbandry or transport, tribals in Panchmahal, Dahod, Chhotaudepur and Dangs are socially weaker. “Against that, we have semi-urban and urban areas. If you go into details, in semi-urban and urban areas, schools located in lowincome group areas are doing worse than schools in middle and upper middle class, for the same reasons,” believes Raval.

There are some exceptional schools that are performing far better than private schools. For instance, Jaspur School on AhmedabadGandhinagar highway, Gojariya School in Mehsana and Tidana school in Surendranagar district. If 80% middle and upper middle class parents commit time for their childrens' education, in socially and economically poor spectra, one will find hardly five

to ten percent investing time for their children’s education, because rest parents are either illiterate or have an apprehension that because they are labourers, their children too will turn labourers and have little hope from them, Raval thinks. Among other things, he says the grading system has many flaws. For example, in the last academic year, it was more online teaching and many students don't

have smart phones for this purpose. Then, teachers were given numerous non-teaching assignments due to the pandemic. The most surprising is that teachers of even those schools who haven’t fared well in Gunotsav have been awarded by the Governor. “So the entire Gunotsav process is doubtful”, says Digvijaysinh Jadeja, president of Gujarat State Primary Teachers' Federation.

4 fake cops held trying to conduct liquor raid in Vadodara First India Bureau Vadodara: Locals of Avakhal village in Shinor taluka of Vadodara district on Friday caught four fake policemen who went for a liquor raid in the name of police at the house of a panchayat member. They were beaten and later handed over to the Shinor police who arrested them. Lalitchandra Kanjibhai Vasava, a member of Avakhal Panchayat, had lodged a complaint that around 7.30 pm, he got a call from Anil Vasava, a panchayat member, that four men had come to Ranchod Kantibhai Vasava's house in a Swift car and

accused him of running illicit liquor business. After this, he went to Anil's house and asked the names of the four. They said their names were Ashish Harshadbhai Barot, Jayesh Natvarbhai Solanki, Vikram Shanabhai Rathwa and Rahul Dineshbhai Parmar. They asked for their identity cards which they failed to show. A police board was stuck in the front of the car. But the villagers could make out that they were not policemen and beat them before handing them over to the police. Police have arrested all and launched further investigation.

JUSTICE FOR FATHER!

—PHOTO BY HANIF SINDHI

GEM OF GUJARAT!

How unknown Gujarat ports made India’s beads famous for 4,500 years Locally known as akik, carnelian got its reddish-brown colour by heating chalcedony in the absence of oxygen in a kiln First India Bureau

The four fake cops.

Aware citizens and human rights activists demand justice and repeal of UAPA as they paid tributes to late Father Stan Swami in a demonstration outside Kanoria Art Centre near Gujarat University in Ahmedabad on Friday evening.

Ahmedabad: Rare carnelian was a rather magnificent, chic and swanky stone — a style the uptown Harappans emanated. Mined from Ratanpur in Gujarat, they were made into beads and were primarily traded as jewels by elites across civilisations over 4,500 years ago. Red or reddishbrown, the carnelian

Beads of Gujarat.

beads became a favourite in the Islamic world. Locally known as akik, carnelian got its reddish-brown colour by heating chalcedony in the absence of oxygen in a kiln. Almost 60 million years ago, a mass volcanic action, following the separation of India

—FILE PHOTO

from the southern supercontinent of Gondwana, resulted in deep lava flows that are now known to us as the Deccan trap, which lies in West India. Superheated water containing dissolved chemical substances that dripped into the cavities got trapped in the lava. The

water and gases cooled and the minerals in these cavities precipitated into solid, forming chalcedony – a pale grey stone. Over millions of years, the softer rocks wore away leaving behind the comparatively harder chalcedony. Later, lumps of chalcedony were washed down the mountains and collected in hollow areas in wide valleys. This formation attains a considerable thickness around Ratanpura in Gujarat where they are concentrated in the form of conglomerates and gravels. The area boasts of about a hundred mining pits of such deposits.

Rajkot: With an aim to make a society healthy —mentally, physically, psychologically, socially and educationally, a unique Corona Caretaker Training Program was launched by Gujarat Education Minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama on Friday. An endeavour initiated by Self Finance School Management Association, Rajkot, and supported by the Psychology department of Saurashtra University, Giriraj Hospital, Indian Medical Association-Rajkot chapter and mentored by USA-based life coach Dr Kamal Parikh, the program aims to act as a self- defence in time of need. “The first and second wave of the Corona pandemic has shaken and disturbed every society, country and world

mentally, psychologically, socially, physically and even educationally. Clever people find solutions, wise people avoid problems. To ensure future stability in case of a third wave or any pandemic or even otherwise, we have launched a unique program that will strengthen the society." DV Mehta, President of Rajkot Self Finance School Management Association told First India. Claimed to be a unique program and first of its kind consolidated program launched in entire India after Covid 19 pandemic hit India, the course can be joined by teaching and non teaching staff, college students, house wives, Professionals and Senior Citizens. Free for all, the customized training program will commence from August 30 and end on October 30.

SMC to include vacant EWS houses under rental policy First India Bureau Surat: The Surat Municipal Corporation has decided to implement the rental policy of the government in upcoming days. The SMC has decided to implement this policy on newly made women hostels and 270 affordable housing units which have been vacant for the past several years. Standing Committee chairman Paresh Patel said the women's hostel has 97 seats and they were planning to give it on contract. The contractor will have to implement the rent policy. On the other hand, affordable houses near Bhestan and sev-

Surat Municipal Corporation.

Standing Committee chairman Paresh Patel said the women's hostel has 97 seats and they were planning to give it on contract eral places in the city are being encroached by local people and they damage the property and even SMC is unable to gain anything from it. “Under the rental policy the affordable houses will be allotted to the financially weak people. We will also keep some separate houses which will be alloted for migrants for a small period of time so that they don't have to sleep on the streets,” Patel added.

—FILE PHOTO

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

AHMEDABAD, SATURDAY JULY 24, 2021

RADIANT RIYA! IN AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH CITY FIRST, RIYA SAIN, THE SECOND RUNNER UP OF ELITE MISS RAJASTHAN 2020 SHARED THE STORY OF HER HARD WORK AND DEDICATION!

MANSI BACHANI cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

iya Sain, a talented model from Jaipur took her first step into the modelling industry in the year 2019 by participating in Elite Miss Rajasthan but unfortunately, she could not win that time. This failure motivated her to strive harder for her dreams. She participated again in Elite Miss Rajasthan in 2020 and was crowned as the second runner up. This success story is not so easy. In this period of one year, Riya did everything to groom herself so that she can compete for the title again with greater potential. She continued her passion for modelling with her 9 hours regular job by doing night shifts. She said, “I started doing shoots in the lockdown last year, in which Mona Gautam helped me a lot, she made me learn each and everything for which I am thankful to her.” Not only this,

but she also worked on her figure as she was very skinny to be successful in this industry. She also took treatment for her skin issues so that she can build her confidence level. Riya said that now she wants to make her family and her mentor Gaurav Gaur of Elite Miss Rajasthan proud of her by representing India on an international platform. According to Riya, it is just because of her family that today she has achieved this position. She considers her mother as her backbone, who always motivated her to work hard and achieve all her dreams. She said, “Since my childhood, my family used to tell me to listen to my inner voice and follow it, which led me to pursue modelling as my career. Last year, when everything was disturbed due to lockdown, I handled everything strongly just because of the support of my friends and family.” Riya shared that even when the gyms were closed, her friends helped her in workouts and maintaining a proper diet. When asked about her future goals, Riya shared that she will continue to look for as many opportunities as she gets and polish her skills with each venture, not losing faith in herself the model continues to shine in the glamour world.

ETC AHMEDABAD | SATURDAY, JULY 24, 2021

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

DEEPAK’S CORNER

The Patience

STONE

DEEPAK

deepaklifemusings @gmail.com

time is measured out by the sound of his breathing, the slow drip that keeps him alive and the calls to prayer in the street outside. She resents him for having sacrificed her to the war, for never being able to resist the call to arms, for wanting to be a hero, and above all, to be foolishly incapacitated in a small skirmish. Yet, she cares. As warring factions plunder & pillage on the street outside, the woman feeds her husband through a tube. She lubricates his eyes, cleans his body, changes his clothes. ....And she speaks to him!! Now is her chance- her first ever-

FA CE OF TH ED AY

or far too long, Afghan women have been faceless and voiceless. Until now. With ‘The Patience Stone’, Atiq Rahimi gives both- face and voice- to an unforgettable woman. A slender- devastating exploration of a woman’s tormented inner life, this novel finally gives a complex nuanced and savage voice to the grievances of millions. This unique story is both enthralling and disturbing. Born in Afghanistan in 1962, Ariq Rahimi fled to France in 1984. There he has made a name as a writer, film and documentarymaker of exceptional note. He is the winner of the Goncourt Prize 2008 for ‘Syngue Sabour’ (The Patience Stone), written in French. Rahimi’s lyric prose is simple & poetic, and McLean’s translation is superb. With an introduction by Khalid Hosseini, this explosive and moving short novel takes a compelling literary look behind the veil, daring to confront taboos of female oppression and sexuality. In Persian folklore, Syngue Sabour is the name of a magical black stone, which absorbs the plight of those who confide in it. It is believed that the day it explodes from having received pain and hardship beyond its endurance- will be the day of the Apocalypse. In this book- for the woman -the Syngue Sabour is not a stone, but her husband, lying brain dead with a bullet lodged in his neck. He’s in a coma. She sits at his bedside, twisting her worry beads, reciting prayers. The passage of

to talk to him without being censored. Empowered by her husband’s silence, she steps out of the shadows and begins her confessions. She pours forth her deepest desires, pains, secrets. Unrestrained, she gushes out her frustration about sex, love and anger, against the man who never understood her, who mistreated her brutally, who never showed any respect or kindness. Her admission releases the weight of oppression of marital, social and religious norms that continually assault Afghan women, leaving them with no recourse but to absorb without com-

YOUR DAY Horoscope by

Saurabbh Sachdeva

Atiq Rahimi

plaint, like the Stone of Patience’. It is to Atiq Rahimi’s credit that ‘the woman’ behind her veil has an indomitable spirit that moves on. Her husband is

mous heroine is a conduit, a living vessel for the grievances of endless entities like her, women who have been objectified, marginalized, scorned, beaten, ridiculed, silenced. In ‘The Patience Stone’ they finally have their say!!

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

CANCER

You may need to put your ideas into action to prove yourself. You may get busy organising something on the social front. A party may be thrown in your honour at work. Your good performance may be noticed by higher ups. You will have to be more focussed on the academic front.

You will be a pillar of strength to a friend. A celebration can find you in your element today. Praise and honour are likely to greet you in something that you have managed to achieve. A good day at work is foreseen as you make your mark in front of those who matter.

Those in business may get a chance to make profits. A change of job is likely to give you better salary and perks. A new deal may come through and give you a taste of success. Spending time with lover proves most fulfilling. This is the time when you enjoy yourself with friends.

You are likely to enjoy good health. Appreciation is in store for some homemakers. A professional victory is yours if you play your cards well today. Those in business will be able to maintain good earning. Young lovers are likely to enjoy total bliss.

MAR 21 - APR 20

APR 21 - MAY 20

MAY 21 - JUNE 21

JUNE 22 - JULY 23

LEO

VIRGO

LIBRA

SCORPIO

Your strategy to promote yourself on the professional front will bear fruits. You may need to speed up things on the academic front to remain ahead. On the social front, the day finds you in your element. Something special awaits you on the romantic front today.

Don’t take chances with your health. Professionals may give their best in a new situation. Financially, this day may prove lucky for you, so go ask for the raise. You will succeed in putting your stagnant love life back on track.Excellent opportunities may come to you.

It’s a favourable day for completing pending jobs. Your happiness is in your hands today. Financially, no problems are foreseen. It is best to avoid outside food. Much fun is in store on the social front. Those in love with the adventures are likely to chase the excitement very soon.

This seems a good day for job seekers. Some positive changes can be expected on the home front. Good luck promises to brighten your day. New avenues for earning open up as you get more determined. Getting into a favourable situation on the academic front is possible.

JULY 24 - AUGUST 23

AUG 24 - SEP 23

SEPT 24 - OCTOBER 22

OCT 23 - NOVEMBER 22

SAGITTARIUS

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

You will find family life more than fulfilling. Your professionalism in handling problem areas will be appreciated. Tenant troubles are foreseen for some house owners. A senior is likely to put in a good word for you. Financially, you will be able to consolidate your position.

Those trying to get back their money will succeed. Some favourable developments on the social front are foreseen. Good performance on the academic front will help enhance your reputation at work. Buying new furniture or a major appliance is possible.

You are likely to take up someone’s cause and earn appreciation from all quarters on the social front. Good tidings of your well wishers will keep you going on the professional front. Remaining on the good side of those who matter on the academic front will help you achieve much.

Your reputation is likely to boost your image on the social front. It’s an excellent day to spend time with family. On work front, you may keep your superiors in good humour. Good planning will see you complete a task at work. Monetary front grows strong for some.

NOV 23 - DEC 22

KAREEMA BARRY, Model

barren- she finds a Mullah to impregnate her. Her two little girls need protectionshe drops them at her aunt’s place. When the impending fear of rape looms large- she pretends to be a whore. The assaulter’s manhood demands to ravage a helpless, crying, pleading victim, rather than a street woman who would give herself without a whimper. The book makes you squirm. It speaks of the many things that depressed women are forced to do secretly, in or-

der to preserve their sanity and the little dignity that they do have. The simplicity of the book is hauntingly hardhitting. It’s a monologue. The namelessness of the woman adds to the universal appeal and yet we can relate to her individuality and predicament. The entire story takes place in a single, barren room. The spectre of the unnamed conflict, fought between never named factions, is the third character in the room. We ‘see’ nothing, yet we experience the war as most helpless civilians do. We are part of the chaos, the helplessness, the senseless brutality, committed with impunity. ‘The Patience Stone’ is, without doubt, an important and courageous book, giving voice to those who suffer the most and cry out the least. Rahimi’s anony-

DEC 23 - JAN 20

JAN 21 - FEB 19

FEB20 - MARCH 20

ETC AHMEDABAD | SATURDAY, JULY 24, 2021

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

Deepika on a roll!

eepika Padukone is busy juggling her time between two projects at present, now that the lockdown has eased and shoots are back on track, with restrictions though. Talking about her schedules, a source close to the reigning queen shares, “Once the lockdown eased and film shoots were permitted, Deepika was back on the sets immediately. She has already wrapped one schedule of the ‘Pathan’ shoot in Mumbai and one schedule of her film with Shakun Batra since then. She is now going to start another schedule of the ‘Pathan’. The initial discussions for ‘Fighter’ have begun too.” Deepika is also working on helping the frontline workers of the pandemic with her latest program, ‘Frontline Assisst’ via her foundation. —Agency

Words of Wisdom A

...her post

ctress Jacqueline Fernandez had begun her Friday on a positive note as she sent out an empowering message to her fans with her latest photoshoot. Taking to her Instagram handle, Jacqueline shared photos in a bold look where she is seen holding a red blanket around her. In one of the photos, she is seen dropping the blanket and going backless for the camera. Her hair is styled in a vintage look and make up is kept quite glamorous in line with her shoot theme. Sharing the photos, Jacqueline urged everyone to live their lives and not think about what society says. She wrote, “You.. you’re not ugly.. society is #liveyourlifenow.” —Agency

Sisterlove on Screen

t seems like popular sibling duo, Karisma Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor Khan are teaming up once again for a new project. The Kapoor sisters are yet to reveal what ‘something exciting’ really is, but their social media followers can’t wait to see them once again after a few advertisements together. On Thursday, Karisma took to Instagram and shared a glimpse of ...her post her latest shoot with her sister Kareena. “Always special shooting with Bebo. Something exciting coming soon,” she captioned the post. Kareena also took to her Instagram Story and shared a picture with Karisma and director Punit Malhotra. —Agency

Deepika Padukone

FAMILIA BY CAMILA

he title of Camila Cabello’s upcoming third album revealed! The 24-year-old singer announced the title of her third album, Familia, while promoting her new song ‘Don’t Go Yet’. She spent more time with her family and reconnected Camila Cabello to her Latin roots, which inspired her new album. “ I believe this was an opportunity for me to deliberately focus on and invest in what I believe makes me and human beings happy, which is your connection to the people around you.”, said the pop diva. —Agency

POOJA IN RADHE SHYAM

ctress Pooja Hegde, who will soon be seen in multilingual love story “Radhe Shyam”, alongside actor Prabhas, says that the film has almost finished shooting. The film, which is directed by Radha Krishna Kumar has treated fans with only a teaser so far.“I don’t know if I can talk about the role right now. Maybe closer to the release. The film is a very mature love story I would say. It’s quite interesting to see Prabhas do a romantic film after so much action.” she says. —Agency

Save Your

TEARS F

Jacqueline Farnandez

ollowing the success of the “Save Your Tears” remix, The Weeknd and Ariana Grande have collaborated yet again! The singers have dropped a new music video. It was a live performance of Off the Table by Grande featuring The Weeknd. Both of them did not keep the surprise for too long and revealed their excitement about the new video. Looks like Ariana Grande and The Weeknd fans have not been starving lately. The duo had also performed at the iHeartRadio Music Awards in May. —Agency Ariana Grande

Pooja Hegde

CHARLOTTE

B Kareena Kapoor Khan

Keira Knightley

ritish star Keira Knightley to lead the voice cast for the upcoming animated drama movie ‘Charlotte’, directed by Eric Warin and Tahir Rana. The film will have its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival this year. The animated drama is inspired by the autobiographical painting series “Life? Or Theatre?” by Charlotte Salomon. —Agency

CITY

STAY MASKED

GET VACCINATED

AHMEDABAD | SATURDAY, JULY 24, 2021

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

GURU PURNIMA: EXPRESSING GRATITUDE! MANSI BACHANI cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

uru Purnima is celebrated on the full moon day in the Hindu month of Ashadha. It is a festival dedicated to all academic and spiritual gurus. Students pay respect to their teachers for sharing their lessons and knowledge.

SEEKING BLESSINGS!

—PHOTO BY MUKESH KIRADOO

The Sanskrit word ‘guru’ translates to ‘dispeller of darkness.’ As the meaning suggests, a guru or a teacher removes darkness from our minds and soul. He/ she not only gives us knowledge but also shows us the right path. The day is also celebrated as Vyasa Purnima, commemorating the birthday of sage Ved Vyasa who wrote Hindu epics Mahabharata and Puranas and also Buddha Purnima,

BUZZ

since on this day Buddha gave his first sermon at Sarnath. In modern times, and especially in this pandemic, when the environment is negative and depressing, only correct guidance can solve all our problems. Anyone with a piece of good knowledge can become our guru or teacher irrespective of their age. They can be our parents, family members, teachers, friends or even a stranger.

IN LUCKNOW!

Jagdeesh Chandra with the Lucknow Bureau of First India during his visit to Lucknow on Wednesday, (from left) Ahtesham Siddiqui, Janardan Misra, Asheesh Kumar Shukla, Vishal Srivastav, Tajdar Zaidi, Monica Prabhakar, M Tariq Khan, Amit Raj, Ashok Dutta & Kamal Kumar Omar. The Lucknow edition was launched in November 2020 and has gained a lot of popularity in Uttar Pradesh.

FOLLOW YOUR PASSION Dreamers of the day are dangerous, for they may act their dreams with open eyes, to make it possible. Ashmita Bartaria, a young talented artist from Pinkcity is a huge inspiration!

SCHOOLS TO REOPEN AMID PRECAUTIONS

MITALI DUSAD Padma Bhushan Pt Vishwa Mohan Bhatt blesses his son and disciple, Salil Bhatt on the pious occasion of Guru Purnima. Let’s be grateful to our teachers who ignite our minds and dispel the darkness within us.

VISIT!

Gaurav Gaur, director of Elite Miss Rajasthan visited the renown Kamakhya Mata Temple In Guhawati on Friday.

HAPPY B’DAY!

shmita Bartaria, a 26-yearold, young talented artist, an architect by profession, director of World Trade Park and a budding singer is ready to add one more feather to her cap by becoming a music producer. In an exclusive interview with City First, Ashmita talked about her journey and upcoming projects. When asked about her passion for singing, she said, “I have been singing since I was 3, no official training but now I’m classically trained in Hindustani classical music. I am working for youtube, social media, showing my talent dur-

YOUR NEW WINGMAN

POORVI SINGHAL

The birthday of IAS Peeyush Samariya was on Friday, July 23. We wish him all the best!

mitalidusad01@gmail.com

ello, hopeless romantics! It’s monsoon, the season of love and guess what, Netf-

lix and Tinder have coupled up to help you find your ultimate match. It’s your chance to flaunt yourself on a reality show and try your luck at

Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav

Kamaljeet Yadav addressing the participants at DBM CITY FIRST

Ashmita Bartaria

ing live shows. Born and brought up in a creative background, I followed my passion for

love. Yes, it’s true, just not how Sima Taparia would have anticipated! India’s first ever one-of-itskind Indian dating reality show, IRL: In Real Love is here to make your dating dreams come true. All you have to do is spot

architecture too, took a break in between but couldn’t stay away from music.” She further added, “ I am working for an original, ‘Rihai’, with a friend of mine, a lot of covers are lined up too.” When asked about her achievements, the trailblazer said, “I bagged the first position in an all India com-

petition, Hindustani Vocal Music in 2020, in this year I performed at Rajasthan International Film Festival and I keep performing at various platforms.” On being asked what message she’d like to give to the aspiring artists, she said, Follow your passion, be consistent with all what you do.”

the ‘IRL Swipe Cards’ from your stack of potential matches on

Tinder, swipe right on the in-app casting callout and bam! you’ll reach the IRL registration page. So, are you all set to make some raunchy new connections and finally, find love IRL? We just hope it’s not Too Hot to Handle for you! cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

NO ANONYMITY

ARUNDHATI ROY’S THE GOD OF SMALL THINGS: S k e t c h e d with realistic characters, Estha, Aleyooty, Rahel among others, she has brought out the essence of the land, Kerala, through sensory receptors such as taste and smell, while she represents the devastations of family life.

SUSHMITA AIND

During the program CITY FIRST

n the birth anniversary of the immortal freedom fighter, Chandra Shekhar Azad, an online discussion ‘Swatantra Yagya ka Agnipunj’ was held on Friday. The programme was organised by the Department of Art and Culture, Government of Rajasthan and Jawahar Kala Kendra (JKK), Jaipur as part of the ongoing ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’. It was held on the JKK’s Facebook page. The discussion focused on the early life, revolutionary activities, death and legacy of the legendary freedom fighter. The introductory remarks

were delivered by Additional Director General (Admin.), JKK, Dr Anuradha Gogiya. Well-known archaeologist, historian and writer, Dr Rima Hooja said there is a need to remember that men like Chandra Shekhar Azad, Bhagat Singh, Rajguru were the youth of the nation with a burning passion for India’s independence. Talking about Chandra Shekhar Azad’s revolutionary life, historian, academician, poet and writer, Dr Abhimanyu Singh Arha said that in 1925, the Kakori train travelling from Shahjahanpur to Lucknow was robbed by chosen revolutionary leaders. cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

f you’ve ever come across women writers in the world, you probably know who Virginia Woolf is. She wasn’t just a mere sensation in the world of writing, she was insane. She couldn’t get rid of the voices that echoed in her mind again and again. And yet, the world of women writers would become empty if the essence of that insane-ness is taken away. One of her quotes that always sparks a fire in me is, “For most of history anonymous was a woman!” In a world that we live in right now isn’t governed by anonymous women or men for that matter. City First brings to you some of the groundbreaking writers whose works speak for themselves rather than their mere identities.

VIRGINIA WOOLF’S MRS DALLOWAY: The book focuses on the protagonist, Clarissa Dalloway. while describing a day in her life, she also describes all the other days of her life that mirrors each and every single day. She presents the mediocrity of her lush life with the help of a stream of consciousness.

ALEXIS WRIGHT’S THE SWAN BOOK: Focusing on the indigenous lives, Alexis sheds light on Oblivion Ethyl, whose metaphor Alexis uses as the Swan, she presents her life, her past and her future self. The decisions she takes after being abused at a tender age, the further journey that almost gives her the astonishing title of the dying swan. sushmita.aind@firstindia.co.in

ecently, the Rajasthan government has decided to open schools on August 2 like other states. After which there is confusion in the minds of the children of the Digital Baal Mela and their parents about the situation worsened by the ongoing pandemic. Has the government made arrangements to open schools? Is this decision of the government justified for the children? Such questions are in the mind of every child. Kamaljeet Yadav, the

Principal of Subodh School, expressed her opinion in favour of the government. She appreciated the decision and said that it is for the betterment of the children only. Eklavya Sharma, a class 10 student studying at Tagore School, Jaipur was curious to rejoin school and meet his friends but his parents were concerned. This is a platform sponsored by Future Society and LIC and cosponsored by IDBI Bank. The principal was very happy to meet the children on Friday in Digital Baal Mela season 2. cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

WHAT’S HAPPENING!

Nadbai- MLA Joginder Singh Awana donated a check of one lakh rupees to the relatives of the deceased. Three residents of Alipur village were found dead while dozens of people were injured in a road accident near Army Canteen on Friday. A tractor-trolley overturned 200 meters before the army camp at Sever on the highway. So far 3 people have died in this accident and about 25 people are injured, all the injured have been admitted to RBM Hospital where all are being treated. The deceased and the injured are residents of Alipur village under the Lakhanpur police station area. As soon as the information of the accident was received, the Sever Police Station also reached the spot and several ambulances were called on the spot. With the help of police vehicles and ambulances, all the injured were taken to RBM Hospital.

Child artist and model Pratishtha Choudhary became the brand ambassador of Eklavya Acting Academy. Pratishtha has been selected as a guest from Rajasthan in the FTV beauty pageant. She has appeared in several TVC ads, runway shows, product, print and kids-wear brand shoots. Soon, she will be seen walking the ramp with TV serial Choti Sarrdaarni fame Kevin Tak at Style Kids Fashion Show.