First India-Ahmedabad Edition-02 July 2020

OUR EDITIONS: JAIPUR & AHMEDABAD

CORONA

28°C - 38°C

ALERT AHMEDABAD l THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2020 l Pages 12 l 3.00

COVID-19 UPDATE

WORLD

5,16,394 1,06,91,004 DEATHS

MAHARASHTRA 8,053 DEATHS 1,80,298 CASES

CONFIRMED CASES

TAMIL NADU 1,264 DEATHS 94,049 CASES

RNI NO. GUJENG/2019/16208 l Vol 1 l Issue No. 217

INDIA

17,848 6,04,808 DEATHS

CONFIRMED CASES

DELHI 2,803 DEATHS 89,802 CASES

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GUJARAT

1,869 DEATHS

UTTAR PRADESH 718 DEATHS 24,056 CASES

33,318

CONFIRMED CASES

RAJASTHAN 421 DEATHS 18,312 CASES

UGLY FACE OF TERRORISM J&K POLICE RESCUED A 3-YEAR-OLD BOY AFTER HIS GRAND FATHER WAS KILLED WHEN AN ENCOUNTER BROKE OUT BETWEEN MILITANTS & SECURITY FORCES IN J-K’S SOPORE

HEART-WRENCHING

The 3-yr-old child sits & cries on the blood-splattered body of his grand father who died due to bullet injuries in cross-firing during the encounter on Wednesday morning.

Sopore: A three-year-old boy survived as his grandfather was killed in a terror attack on the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in Jammu and Kashmir’s Sopore town on Wednesday morning. A CRPF jawan was also killed in the line of duty as terrorists opened fire on a patrol team.

In heart-wrenching images, the child is seen sitting on the blood-splattered body of his grandfather, a civilian caught in the crossfire. The boy was

numb with fear when he was picked up by policemen. A video shows him sobbing in a police van as biscuits and chocolates are offered to him.

“When we reached the site, what we saw was disturbing.

Our priority was to evacuate the child. It was very challenging as terrorists were firing upon us. The child was going to Handwara with his grandfather,” Azim Khan, SHO Sopore said while speaking to media.

HELP @ HAND

HEY, WE GOT YOU!

The clueless toddler, numb with fear, walks away from his grand father’s body towards a soldier crouching behind a structure after the man called him to run for shelter.

J&K police party reached the spot and rescued the child from the encounter site. Later J&K police retweeted a pic of a personnel carrying the baby on his arms to safety.

Ashok Gehlot @ashokgehlot51

for naka/patrolling duties.

As the troops were de-bussing from the vehicles to occupy their respective spots of deployment, terrorists hiding in the attic of a nearby mosque started firing indiscriminately on the troops, in which CRPF jawans constable Bhoya Rajesh, Head Constable Deep Chand Verma, Nilesh Chawde and Constable Deepak Patil got injured.

Later Deep Chand succumbed to his injuries.

Turn on P6

Condemn the terror attack on a #CRPF party in #Sopore, Kashmir in which a jawan was martyred, a civilian lost his life & 3 jawans have been injured. My heartfelt condolences to bereaved families, we stand with them & pray that they remain strong.

Wish speedy recovery to injured.

The Kashmir police also tweeted a photo of the child being carried to safety by a

policeman. “Jammu and Kashmir police rescued a three-year-old boy from getting hit by bullets during the terrorist attack in Sopore,” said the tweet.

Two of the injured CRPF jawans are known to be in critical condition. Three CRPF personnel were also injured in the attack, CRPF added. According to the CRPF, at around 7:30 am today, 179 Battalion of CRPF reached Model Town Chowk Sopore

STORY SO FAR  The child was travelling in a car with his grandfather from Srinagar to Handwara when it was hit by a spray of bullets in Sopore. The man came out from his vehicle and tried to hide, taking cover of his vehicle. But, the terrorists who were in front of him fired at security forces and the man was caught in the firing of terrorists.

INDIA CHINA STAND-OFF

@ashokgehlot51 First the govt withdrew SPG cover of #PriyankaGandhi ji & granted Z+ security to her and now they say, this security cover doesn’t have provision for allotment of Govt accommodation. It is clear, everything was pre planned with the sole purpose of harassing her.

My way or the highway! Gadkari says India to ban Chinese cos from projects New Delhi: India will not allow Chinese companies to participate in highway projects, including those through joint ventures, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Wednesday amid border standoff with China. Gadakri also said the government will ensure that Chinese investors are not entertained in various sectors like Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).

The senior minister’s assertions assume significance against the

SINGH TO VISIT LEH

India will not give permission to joint ventures that have Chinese partners for road construction.

backdrop of border standoff between India and China in Ladakh that also saw the death of 20 Indian Army personnel last month.

“We will not give permission to joint ventures that have Chinese partners for road construction. We have taken a firm

stand that if they (Chinese companies) come via joint venture in our country, we will not allow it,” Gadkari told PTI. The Road

Transport, Highways and MSME minister said a policy will be out soon banning Chinese firms and relaxing norms for Indian companies to expand their eligibility criteria for participation in highway projects.

Currently only a few projects which were undertaken much earlier involve some Chinese partners. When asked about this, the Minister said that the new decision will be implemented in current and future tenders.

Turn on P6

BUNGALOW ROW: PRIYANKA CLEARS DUES New Delhi: Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi cleared her pending dues hours after the government announced it has cancelled the accommodations at 35 Lodhi Estate stating that

she is no longer protected by the Special Protection Group (SPG) and hence not eligible anymore. “Ms Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has made online payment of balance amount due on her.

Turn on P6

PM hits delete, signs out by-elections loom, contenders lobby for tickets from Chinese site Weibo As It remains to be seen whether the VESTED INTERESTS

New Delhi: With the government deciding to disallow 59 Chinese apps in India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has decided to quit Chinese microblogging website Sina Weibo, which he had joined a few years ago.

On Wednesday the prime minister’s account went blank after his profile photo, posts and comments were re-

moved from the handle.

The Twitter-like account Weibo, the largest Chinese microblogging site, has a more com-

plex procedure to quit for VIP accounts, which is why the official process was initiated. For reasons best known to the Chinese, there was a great delay in granting this basic permission. Prime Minister Modi had 115 posts on Weibo. It was decided to manually delete them and after much effort 113 posts were removed.

Turn on P6

BJP will field party loyalists or defectors from other camps First India Bureau Gandhinagar: Even with the Election Commission of India (ECI) giving no indication of conducting byelections for the Gujarat Legislative Assembly yet, parties have

already commenced preparations in anticipation of impending polls. With eight seats up for grabs in the Assembly, potential contenders have also started lobbying for party tickets.

For instance, the

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) recently appointed two in-charges for each of the eight constituency seats in the fray. The five turncoats who have joined the BJP are also hopeful that the party will field them in the by-elections this year. But, when it comes to three seats namely Gadhada (Botad district), Morbi and Limbdi (Surendranagar district), it remains

unclear whether the party intends to give tickets to party workers or defectors.

When Gadhada Congress MLA Pravin Maru resigned from his post and also the opposition party in March, former MLA Atmaram Parmar from the same constituency had rushed to Gandhinagar to meet with Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, the very next day. Turn on P6

VAGHANI WELCOMES PM’S DECISION

BJP State Unit President Jitu Vaghani applauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s initiative to distribute free ration to 80 crore people. Vaghani said that this will be a big relief for the poor, Antyodaya and even migrant workers. He also added that people with minimum income too will be able to benefit from this scheme.

NEWS AHMEDABAD | THURSDAY, JULY 2, 2020

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Lesson to be learned from US-China trade war:

EXPLORE MORE MARKETS Gujarat’s cotton, castor and groundnut oil enjoy a good market in China, but depend on strong bilateral ties Haresh Jhala Gandhinagar: Trade sanctions are a doubleedge sword. While they do put the target country at a disadvantage, they might backfire and leave the target more self-reliant.

For instance, when the UK imposed sanctions on Russia, not only did the latter become selfreliant in wheat production but it also became a leading exporter of the foodgrain. At the same time, the USChina trade war has hit America’s soya bean farmers hard. In 2019, farmers switched from cultivating soya bean to corn and other crops across more than 60 lakh hectares of land.

Three of Gujarat’s commodities—cotton, castor and groundnut oil—currently enjoy a good market in China.

However, this relationship depends on trust, confidence and strong bilateral trade relations. Any hiccups could lead to a devastating situation, as happened with US farmers in 2018, when America’s agricultural exports to China fell to $5.9 billion from $15.8 billion the previous year.

The US had exported an average 29 million tonnes of soya to china annually in 2015, 2016 and 2017. However, this figure dropped to 5.9 million tonnes in 2018 due to the trade war.

While this fall hit American farmers hard, it was not catastrophic since the country has just 3.2 million farmers. Gujarat alone accounts for

CHINA’S INVESTMENT IN INDIA

2016 $ 381 million

2019 $ 4.6 billion

CROP PRODUCTION IN GUJARAT (2019-20 THIRD ESTIMATE) Crop

Area

Production

Yield

(Hectare)

(Metric Tonne)

(Kg/Hectare)

Cotton

2,654.64

8,626.31

555.42

Groundnut

1,663.20

4,587.76

2,758.40

736.59

1,654.13

2,245.65

Castor

(Source: Gujarat Agriculture Department)

Gujarat’s exporters have now taken a leaf out of China’s playbook and are beginning to reach out to China’s buyers directly, thus cutting out the middleman.

Cotton, ready to be harvested.

NO GOING BACK

As much as 2.5 lakh MT (metric tonnes) of the nation’s total export of castor oil goes to China.

53.19 lakh of India’s 118.7 million farmers.

So, a similar trade war could have a devastating impact on the Indian economy and agriculture sector.

While China is a good market for Gujarat’s cotton and cotton yarn, groundnut, and groundnut oil, but Chinese

firms have only recently resumed importing castor oil from India after a gap of five to seven years. As much as 2.5 lakh MT (metric tonnes) of the nation’s total export of 5.05 lakh MT goes to China. This is about 40% of our total export, and its market value is about

Rs2,500 crore.

Executive director of the Solvent Extractors’ Association of India (SEAI) Dr BV Mehta strongly believes Chinese firms can’t afford to ignore India, given that we meet 90% of the world’s castor-oil demand. He is of the opinion that the present cri-

India exported $722 million worth of cotton to China in the period from April 2019 to February 2020.

sis can help the nation and industry become more “atmanirbar” by increasing production capacity and maintaining quality.

Although export of groundnut and groundnut oil to China is still minuscule, Indian exporters have started learning the lesson of

exploring more markets, said Samir Shah, president of Saurashtra Oil Mills Association. According to SEAI data, India exported 697 MT of groundnut oil between April 2019 and February 2020. For the same period in the previous year, India had exported 8,693 MT to

China. Shah says India previously sold a major chunk of groundnut and groundnut oil to China, which then later sold it on to other players. Indian players have now begun to make inroads with China’s buyers, thus cutting out the middleman altogether.

Similarly, India ex-

ported $722 million worth of cotton to China in the period from April 2019 to February 2020, with as much as six lakh bales (1 bale = 226.8kg) being shipped out in February alone.

China is just one of more than 18 countries to which India exports cotton.

Rupani govt postpones univ-level final exam Shah condoles kin of those lost in TN power plant blast 

Also, state govt to develop Bet Dwarka and Pirotan islands as tourist attractions

First India Bureau

Gandhinagar: In less than five hours after announcing that all university-level final exams will be conducted as per schedule, the state government changed its stance late on Wednesday evening and postponed the examinations. After the reversal of its decision, the state said that new dates for the examinations will be declared soon.

The reason for this quick turn of events was attributed to the guidelines issued by the Central government regarding postponement of all university-level examinations until further notice, amid the COV-

—Photo for representational purposes only

ID-19 outbreak.

Earlier in the day, State Education Minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama had stated that students would be provided with three options. They could appear for their exams online or offline and in case they miss appearing for them, they can even sit for them at a later date. The minister had further said that the Gujarat Technological University (GTU) had conducted online surveys of students and over 54,000 students were in favour of appearing for exams and only 900 students were against

them. The examinations at GTU which were set to commence from June 2 have now been postponed.

Although the state government had announced that students enrolled in all courses would be able to appear for their final exams, it had seemingly overlooked the fact that two petitions on examinations were pending before the state high court.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani on Wednesday chaired the third meeting of the Island Development Authority (IDA). The authority has been assigned

to develop islands along the state’s coast, and to that end, the government has allocated over Rs108 crore. During the meeting, it was discussed that the Pirotan Island in the Jamnagar district will be developed to accommodate activities related to nature.

The state has also decided to constitute a Bet Dwarka Island Development Authority for the development of the Bet Dwarka Island. A Dwarka-based Industrial Training Institute (ITI) will also be developed as a Marine Skill Training Centre, where special courses will be introduced to provide education on marine life and activities.

The state government also plans to hire international talent for the development and design of these islands.

Once fully developed, they will be promoted as tourist attraction spots and help boost tourism in the state.

First India Bureau New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah through a tweet expressed his grief over the loss of lives after a blast in the boiler of a power plant in Tamil Nadu’s Neyveli. At least six people were killed and 17 injured in the incident at the Neyveli Thermal Power Station on Wednesday. The blast occurred in the fifth unit of the second station as workers were resuming work in the morning.

In the tweet, Shah said he has also spoken to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and assured him of all possible help.

The Union Home Minister added that the Central Industrial Security Forces are already on the spot to assist in the relief work.

Expressing deep grief,

Anguished to learn about the loss of lives due to a blast at Neyveli power plant boiler in Tamil Nadu. Have spoken to @CMOTamilNadu and assured all possible help. @CISFHQrs is already on the spot to assist the relief work. Praying for the earliest recovery of those injured. —Amit Shah

he condoled the kin of the deceased and said he was praying for the speedy recovery of those injured.

All those injured were rushed to hospital, officials said.

“The boiler was not in operation. We are investigating the incident,” R Vikraman, one

of the directors of the power plant, said.

Neyveli, a township in Cuddalore district, is about 200 kilometres south of Chennai.

Wednesday’s blast is the second in two months.

On May 7, two workers were killed and eight injured in a similar incident. —Agencies

GUJARAT AHMEDABAD | THURSDAY, JULY 2, 2020

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03

Day 2: Surat tops list of new cases again Diamond city accounts for 30% of overnight cases as state tally rises to 33,318; 21 fresh fatalities bring Gujarat’s death toll to 1,869 Gandhinagar: The state’s novel coronavirus outbreak seems to be shifting its epicentre from Ahmedabad to Surat, with the diamond city topping the list of fresh cases for the second consecutive day. Wednesday saw 201 cases emerge from Surat: 180 from the city and 21 from rural areas.

The government claims to have the situation under control, but the state witnessed 675 new cases, bringing the tally up to 33,318.

Of these, 7,411 are active cases with 63 patients on ventilators.

With 21 new fatalities, the death toll has risen to 1,869.

On Wednesday, the government tested 6,980 samples, the highest in three months.

With an office assistant at the social justice department in Gandhinagar testing positive, the department has instructed six other officers of ‘Chh’ branch to remain under quarantine for a week.

Ahmedabad has 3,052

First India Bureau

COVID-19 under control in A’bad: Top AMC officer

Ahmedabad: Due to a decrease in the number of fresh COVID-19 cases, the Institute of Kidney Diseases and Research Centre (IKDRC) and the Gujarat Cancer Research Institute (GCRI) on the Civil Hospital premises will not be admitting COVID-19 patients henceforth, said Civil Hospital in-charge superintendent Dr MM Prabhakar on Wednesday.

“The number of cases has seen a fall recently. We received only 100 new cases yesterday and with a high recovery rate, it has been decided that no new cases will be referred to the kidney and cancer hospitals,” asserted Dr Prabhakar.

This means that the IKDRC and GCRI will now function as they did prior to the COVID-19 outbreak in the city.

Ahmedabad: With the world still struggling to control the spread of COVID-19 cases, a senior official at the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) claimed that Ahmedabad will be free of the virus by mid-July, in a meeting with key officials on Tuesday.

According to state health officials, the COVID-19 situation in the city has improved after private clinics and hospitals have been allowed to treat Sars-CoV-2 patients.

“This move has provided timely treatment to many patients.

Moreover, people are now taking precautions, which is a crucial step to prevent infection. Having said that, the announcement by the senior officer about eradicating novel coronavirus

IKDRC, GCRI will not admit nCov patients

Haresh Jhala

The health team of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation has started to use Rapid Antigen Testing so patients do not have to wait long for their reports.

—PHOTO BY NANDAN DAVE

NO END IN SIGHT

active cases as of Wednesday, and has seen 1,405 deaths due to the Sars-CoV-2 virus. Of the active cases, 642 are from the West zone, 476 from the North, 466 from the Northwest zone and the rest from the other four zones.

Eleven monks of the Swaminarayan Sect’s

Maninagar Gadi Sansthan have tested positive and are being treated at hospital. A number of monks have selfquarantined, and the temple is being closed to devotees for a week.

Meraman Goriya, the Congress Party’s former MLA from Dwarka, has also test-

ed positive and is under treatment.

Talking to the media in Surat, principal secretary for health Dr Jayanti Ravi said, “So far the containment areas are following bandh. The diamond markets have been close due to a rise in COVID-19 cases and a lack of ventilation in units. We will add more resources including more beds in the Civil Hospital.”

Meanwhile in Vadodara there are 577 active cases, with 117 patients on oxygen and 39 on ventilators.

First India Bureau

The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation.

NEW HOPE

from the city in two weeks’ time was an exaggeration,” stated one of the deputy municipal commissioners.

The deputy commissioner added, “As the disputed anti-

—FILE PHOTO

body rapid tests have been approved by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) again, it has enabled the civic body to conduct more tests. But looking at the virus’ spread on an international level, it is nearly impossible to eradicate it.

We are still in the first phase with the second phase yet to come. Moreover, the Central Zone, which had reported just one case on Sunday, recorded eight cases the very next day.”

Monsoon claims 13 in lightning, drowning Woman lodges rape case against city policeman First India Bureau

Gandhinagar: With the weather forecast indicating a good monsoon this year, Gujarat has received almost 16% of its annual average rainfall in the last few days.

On Tuesday, 13 people lost their lives due to lightning, heavy rainfall, and drowning, across the state.

In Jamnagar, three people drowned and one was struck by lightning. Other incidents of lightning killed three in Botad, two in Devbhumi Dwarka and one each in Amreli, Tapi,

Image for representational purposes only.

Gandhinagar, Bhavnagar districts.

In a good turn of events, the Saurashtra

region has already received over 25% of its average. With an average of 677mm rainfall,

the region has so far received 172mm, which accounts for 25.35%. Farmers in Saurashtra are

hopeful of a promising yield due to timely and adequate rainfall. Porbandar district has recieved the most rainfall at 236mm, which is 33.85% of its annual average of 698mm.

The Indian Meteorological Department has predicted moderate to heavy showers over the next two to three days in many parts of the state.

After the state received 15.80% of its average annual rainfall (831mm), the State Emergency Operation Centre said that almost all parts of Gujarat had received 131.33 mm rainfall in the season so far.

First India Bureau Ahmedabad: A woman has alleged that Sardarnagar police constable raped her multiple times over 18 months. The police have begun investigating the case, which was lodged at the Airport police station.

In her statement, the woman says she had initially met Constable Mahesh Vaghela a year and half back through a common friend. Thereafter, the two met frequently and became

close. In her statement, the woman has accused the constable of luring her with the promise of marriage to different hotels and guesthouses, where he forced her to have sexual relations with him.

She also said that last met Vaghela on June 16, when he refused to marry her. She then approached the police station to lodge a criminal complaint of rape. The complaint also alleges that Vaghela threatened to kill her if she insisted on marriage.

Rajkot gets 15 Dhanvantri Grateful nCov survivor donates Raths, hot Ayurvedic potion 100 PPE kits to Rajkot hospital Masuma Bharmal Jariwala

Rajkot: Taking the Ayurvedic path of treatment, the Rajkot Municipal Corporation (RMC) has enlisted the help of Dhanvantri Raths to dispense natural medications to boost the immune system of its citizens. After a rise in the number of COVID-19 cases was seen in Rajkot—the hometown of Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani—around 15 vans have been deployed to conduct the medicinal administration in the city.

On Wednesday, the inauguration of the Dhanvantri Raths took place at the Central Zone office of the RMC. The Raths will distribute hot Ayurvedic ukala (potion) in 18 wards.

Initially, the main focus will be on the containment and densely

Masuma Bharmal Jariwala

The initial focus will be on densely populated areas.

Since ukala is said to help boost immunity, the raths will distribute it in 18 wards populated areas.

Equipped with thermal guns and pulse oximeters, the personnel on these vans will conduct body temperature checks and if required, send potential patients to Civil Hospital for treatment.

Claimed as the first

such concept to be launched in Gujarat, RMC Health Committee Chairman Jaymin Thaker said, “The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has affected human lives to a vast extent.

Currently, the only solution we have at hand is to boost our immune systems. To that end, the consumption of the Ayurvedic ukala is one of the best solutions.

On Wednesday, hundreds of people in Rajkot were distributed the hot potion.”

Rajkot: After testing positive for COVID-19 and being admitted to government-run PDU Hospital for treatment, 55-year-old Arvind Sarvaiya from Junagadh did not know if he would survive this health crisis.

However, due to the moral support and health care Sarvaiya received from the staff at the hospital, his fear slowly faded. Admitted with serious health issues, he was kept on oxygen support for three days and on ventilator support for four days, until his recovery and discharge on June 26.

What Sarvaiya remembered from his time on the brink of death in the hospital was the humanitarian

FOUR ARRESTED

READERS ENGAGEMENT INITIATIVE

Technopreneur speaks

Young technopreneur Abhimanyu Goswami of NetAnalytics shared his thoughts and success mantras from his years of global experiences for developing an Atmanirbhar eco system and understand what would give us the winning edge. He suggests starting with conceptualization of great products that would be a path breaker in future and help create milestones in Artificial Intelligence industry. Also, start developing an employee first approach. It is important for Indian businesses to develop and exhibit leadership qualities by allowing freedom of ideas, innovations and skill sets.

'Dream Away' offer

To offer his thanks to the staffers, Arvind Sarvaiya donated 100 PPE kits to the hospital for the work being done by them and for saving his life.

approach of the hospital staff including the anaesthesia and medical departments, the nursing staff and others. Their continuous monitoring and supportive care had helped him overcome his fear and instil positivity about getting better.

Therefore, in order

to offer his thanks to the staffers, he donated 100 PPE kits to the hospital for the work being done by them and saving his life. He also applauded their relentless efforts in the treatment and mental health of COVID-19 patients fearing for their lives in the

hospital.

There are many patients like Sarvaiya who have left PDU Hospital after receiving treatment for Sars-CoV-2. Rajkot has so far reported 169 positive cases, of which 117 people have successfully recovered from the virus.

Hilton announced the launch of its limited time 'Dream Away' offer, which is now available for travelers across all Hilton hotels in India. Manish Tolani, Vice President and Commercial Director Hilton India said “Hilton has been at the forefront of understanding and offering what is best suited for its guests. In lieu of current Covid pandemic, our commitment is to offer guests, memorable experiences delivered with impeccable services backed on our promise and assurance on enhanced cleanliness and hygiene.”

IIT Madras launches online program

Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras), ranked No.1 in India Rankings 2020 by NIRF, announced the launch of India's first online B.Sc. degree in Programming and Data Science. The programme is open to anyone who has passed Class XII, with English and Maths at the Class X level, and enrolled in any on-campus UG course. Even the current batch of students who are completing their Class XII in 2020 are eligible to apply.

Graduates and working professionals can also take up this programme.

PERSPECTIVE AHMEDABAD | THURSDAY, JULY 2, 2020

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IN-DEPTH

INDIA-CHINA TRADE WAR

W

ith China continuing to be intransigent on pulling back from the Indian side of Pangong Tso Lake in Ladakh, India has started hurting the untrustworthy neighbour’s economic interests. The tough stand was adopted after violent clashes in the region resulted in the martyrdom of 20 soldiers.

On Wednesday, Union minister Nitin Gadkari announced that Chinese companies won’t be allowed to take part in infrastructure projects. The road transport, highways, and MSME minister also said the government will ensure that Chinese companies are not allowed to venture into the MSME sector. Any joint venture in which Chinese companies are partners will go in for rebidding, he said.

At the same time, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) informed the Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of Home Affairs that Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) won’t be buying equipment from Chinese firms. The tender for the fourth generation (4G) network up-gradation has been cancelled, DoT said. The bid for network expansion was invited in March this year.

The move followed a ban on 59 Chinese applications like TikTok and UC Browser.

Last month DoT decided to direct BSNL and MTNL from sourcing equipment from Huawei and ZTE of China. The tender worth around 7,000-8000 crore will now be reissued.

These are sure-footed moves to hit China economically. With the prevailing anti-China sentiment, India’s economic offensive against China has begun.

FOR OUR MIGRANT WORKERS PLACE OF WORK AND A ‘HOME’ MEENAKSHI HOOJA The writer is a Retd IAS officer and former Member, Central Administrative Tribunal

T

LALBAUGCHA RAJA CALLED OFF

I

n a way, Ganesh Chaturthi is to Mumbai and Maharashtra what Lord Jagannath’s Rath Yatra is to Puri and Odisha.

In the case of Puri Rath Yatra, the Supreme Court reversed its ban order to allow pulling of chariots with no public participation in view of Covid-19.

About 1,700 kms away from Puri, the 14-foot high idol of Lord Ganesh will be missing from Mumbai’s Lalbaugh for the first time in the puja’s 93year history. Famous as Lalbaugcha Raja, he will now make an appearance in September 2021.

The decision to cancel the festivities was taken

by Lalbaugcha Raja Ganeshotsav Mandal due to the pandemic. Other puja mandals also decided not to hold Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations this year. Unlike the Lalbaugh Mandal which cancelled idol installation, other puja organising bodies said they were postponing it till February next year. Ganesh Chaturthi is an iconic festival of Mumbai which witnesses the participation of lakhs of people with almost every household installing an idol of Lord Ganesh before taking them for submersion.

The laudable part of the decision is that it has been taken by the people and has not faced any litigation. Lalbaugcha Raja Ganeshotsav Mandal’s secretary Sudhir Sitaram Salvi said that they will organise an 11-day blood donation and plasma donation camp instead. With novel corona virus on the rampage, the decision must be welcomed by one and all.

India is territorially divided into States and Union Territories. It is further divided into Divisions, Districts, cities, Tehsils, and villages. These administrative divisions have evolved

he COVID 19 pandemic has hit us in more ways than one and has forced us all to think. For ourselves and others, there is a strong linkage. Already there is debate about the post-corona world - social, economic, political, and individual.

One issue that came up like an unexpected and challenging problem was what we call the migrant problem. Many don’t like this phrase. India has single citizenship, so can you be a migrant in your own home? But migrant is the commonly understood term for people who have moved from their family home.

People often leave their homes for education, jobs, employment, and livelihoods. The reasons can be a lack of opportunities and a quest for a better life. Generally, it’s a mix.

India is territorially divided into States and Union Territories. It is further divided into Divisions, Districts, cities, Tehsils, and villages. These administrative divisions have evolved. Many have common socio-cultural, linguistic groupings amongst the populace, apart from shared geographical and natural resources. They too have become a source of identity.

This gets recognised in official ways too. Qualification of residency is important for Government jobs. Where you vote depends on where you are ordinarily resident.

In admissions for education, the requirements of residency also apply. Add to this the feelings of claiming preference for the son of the soil; and a complex situation arises for the individual.

India was a land of villages but after Independence, it moved towards modernisation, which meant industrialisation, growth of educational institutions, medical facilities, aviation, and travel, etc. All this resulted in urbanisation and people shifting to towns. The pattern continues until today.

With opportunities for income and employment getting limited in rural areas, especially agriculture, the way out for the youngsters was to move to cities.

Seek a job in the organised sector, else in an unorganised sector, be it building and construction, tourism and hospitality, restaurants and food shops, transport, marketing and vending, opening businesses, or working as domestic help, etc.

The working conditions and payments were a mixed picture. Even for those on daily wages, generally, there were enough savings to send money home - to the village.

If the co-workers were from his/her home area, a reasonably good social life, and the circle was possible. This somewhat made up for the lack of amenities like proper shelter, bathrooms, etc.

The city life had its glamour and entertainment quotient.

It also freed one from the stranglehold of caste prevalent back home. The usefulness of the skills and work ethos of the person made up for being an outsider and, some would say, promoted national integration.

Yet things never became fully rosy. Cities began to bulge.

Housing, traffic, commuting, air, and water pollution all began to tell. The glamour quo-

WITH OPPORTUNITIES FOR INCOME AND EMPLOYMENT GETTING LIMITED IN RURAL AREAS, ESPECIALLY AGRICULTURE, THE WAY OUT FOR THE YOUNGSTERS WAS TO MOVE TO CITIES

tient began to lose its glamour.

Yet even then few were willing to go back. Lack of income opportunities in villages kept people in the cities.

The COVID Pandemic caught everyone unawares.

There was no proactive reference in the planning about the plight of these workers after the lockdown. Without work or pay, or even with them, they did not feel safe in their existing shelters.

‘Stay safe stay home’ was the slogan. So they chose to go ‘home’ by whatever means, including walking or cycling

How social media amplifies political activism

T

he lower-thanexpected attendance at President Trump’s rally in Tulsa on June 20 was attributed, at least in part, to an online army of K-pop fans who used the social network TikTok to organize and reserve tickets for the rally as a means of pranking the campaign.

Similarly, the historically unprecedented scale of the George Floyd protests can be attributed in part to social media. By some estimates 25 million Americans participated at protests.

Social media has proven itself as a tool for political activism, from online boycotts to offline gatherings. It also has implications for how political campaigns operate. Social media can aid campaigns with voter targeting efforts, but it can also

04

make the electoral process vulnerable to misinformation and manipulation, including from foreign actors.

HIJACKING HASHTAGS Social media has enabled protests and meaningful political action by capturing public attention, and by its decentralized nature, which makes it easier for activists to evade censorship and coordinate actions. K-pop fans’ action through TikTok spanned more than a week and stayed off the radar of mainstream media.

TikTok teens and K-pop fans took over anti-Black Lives Matter hashtags such as #WhiteLivesMatter and drowned out the anti-Black Lives Matter messages with GIFs and memes. When people on social media platforms look for these

hashtags, they’re met with seemingly unending images and fan videos of popular K-pop groups such as Twice and EXO. This, in turn, leads algorithms on social media platforms to classify such trending hashtags as K-pop trends rather than political trends,

thwarting the anti-Black Lives Matter activists who tried to use the hashtags to promote their messages.

K-pop fans likewise responded to a call from the Dallas Police Department, who were trying to collect information about Black Lives Matter protesters

from social media, and bombarded them with images and videos of their favorite K-pop stars.

INFLUENCERS AND LIKE-MINDED CONNECTIONS My own research shows that there are two mechanisms

that make social media influential in digital activism.

First, social media gives an opinion-making role to a few influencers – people who have extensive social media networks. The furor companies such as Uber and United Airlines aroused on social media for misbehaving was initiated by a handful of individuals.

Second, on social media people engage with likeminded people, a phenomenon called homophily.

Together, these mechanisms provide a wide audience to both influencers and their followers who are enmeshed in densely connected online networks. As my research shows, once a meme, hashtag or video goes viral, passive sharing can turn into active broadcasting of the trending idea.

FOR FULL REPORT LOG ON TO WWW.THECONVERSATION.COM

across the country. Many suffered, some did not make it. Only later did the system come into action.

It has been the most debated shortcomings of the lockdown.

But what will happen as the unlock starts? Employers need trained workers. Though he/ she may design less labour oriented procedures. This will add to job losses. The workers may think twice before going back.

But what are their alternatives?

Villages have few jobs of choice.

The push of the COVID pandemic to ‘home’ may not last, notwithstanding schemes like NREGA. What seems likely is that there may be better bargaining between both sides. Better living conditions rather than take or leave offers may enhance productivity. The analysis shows that workers are keen to return to their jobs. This may reduce the negativity towards the migrant outsider. But what about the restrictions on admissions and employment. They may take time but there may be beginnings of change. We are a Union of States and flexibility is required at this time.

A person may migrate and yet feel safe and at ‘home’ in both worlds. This is another challenge that the virus has given us.

THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL

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TWEET Piyush Goyal @PiyushGoyal Railways invites Request for Qualifications for private participation for passenger train operations on 109 pairs of routes through 151 modern trains. This initiative will boost job creation, reduce transit time, provide enhanced safety & world-class facilities to passengers.

Adhir Chowdhury @adhirrcinc Modi Ji, there is a place in India, called #Ladakh, it is not a Terra Incognita. You may likely forget it, we are confronting twin peril #Corona & #China, one is Pandemic and the other is Endemic, it seems that you are still under influence of the infectious smile of Xi Zinping

Spiritual SPEAK

Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Do everything in love.

—1 Corinthians 16:13-14

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WITH 17,400 FATALITIES, 59.43 PC RECOVERY RATE

Doctor’s Day: Focus on less COVID-19 mortality New Delhi: This year’s doctor’s day theme focuses on lessening mortality of COVID-19 following worldwide coronavirus pandemic. As per the Union Health Ministry, there have been 17,400 deaths reported till date while recovery rate shoots to 59.43 per cent countrywide.

Doctors, who are working on the frontline during the ongoing pandemic spoke to ANI and shared how they are striving to keep the mortality rate at the minimal with much higher recovery percentage. Dr Rajeev Ranjan, MD in Lab Medicine, All Indian Institute of Medical Sciences said, “Definitely our aim is to lessen the mortality by every means that has affected people’s livelihood massively. But in order to do this, the goals are the same such as maintaining social distancing, using masks, proper personal hygiene has to be maintained. This is primarily because this virus is behaving erratically.”

“Doctors and healthcare workers are also getting infected as we come close to patients suffering from the virus. Since Unlock 1, many have flouted the rules. We need to maintain social distancing and adhere to other health measures in order to flatten the curve,” said Dr Ranjan.

Dr Ashiya Malek, Sr Resident Doctor, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Spring Meadows Hospital said, “it has been months since I met my parents. Our personal ordeal is defi-

Assam to set up plasma bank in Guwahati

Health workers wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) conduct a door-to-door check-up of residents of Shivaji Nagar Slum for the detection of COVID-19 cases in Mumbai on Wednesday.

Made in India ventilators have BiPAP mode: Health Ministry New Delhi: The Union Health Ministry on Wednesday said that ‘Made in India’ ventilators supplied to the states and UTs comply with specified requirements and have Bilevel Positive Airway Pressure (BiPAP) mode.

“Cost effective, Made in India ventilator models BEL and AgVa supplied to the States and UTs have BiPAP mode and other such modes as have been prescribed in the technical specifications,” the ministry said in a statement. nitely there but right now all are looking up to us and we cannot let down people and their faith on us.”

“Wearing PPE kit becomes a challenge, especially when you are a woman but presently we do overlook things.

Guwahati: Assam government has decided to set up a plasma bank in Guwahati in the next four-five days, said state Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday.

“We have decided to set up a plasma bank in Guwahati in the next four-five days. We have already installed a plasma separator at Guwahati Medical College. I think by next week we will be able to start plasma treatment,” he said at a press conference here.

The minister said that the government will launch the new testing model named COVID-19 AG test in the next two-three days.

—ANI

Delhi HC seeks govt’s reply on pleas against conversion of banquet halls NO RESTRICTION ON CORONIL, WILL BE AVAILABLE ACROSS COUNTRY: RAMDEV

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday asked the Delhi government to file its reply on three pleas challenging its decision to convert petitioners’ banquet halls into temporary COVID-19 treatment hospitals.

A bench of Justice Jayant Nath asked Delhi government to file its response on the matter and listed it for further hearing on July 8.

Meanwhile, advocate Satyakam appearing for the Delhi govern-

Haridwar: Yog guru Ramdev on Wednesday claimed that there is no restriction on Patanjali Ayurved’s Swasari Coronil kit for “COVID management” and now it will be available across the country. Addressing a press conference here, he said: “AYUSH Ministry said that Patanjali has done appropriate work for COVID management. It said that Patanjali has started working in the right direction. We have procured a license for these medicines from the state department which is connected with AYUSH Ministry,” he said. ment said that the decision was taken in view of the rise in COVID-19 cases in the capital.

The court was hearing three petitions filed

by Chintpurni Overseas Private Limited, Ready

Number of COVID-19 cases reducing in Delhi: CM Kejriwal BiPAP is a device that helps in breathing without intubation.

The ministry’s statement comes in the wake of media reports that BiPAP mode is not available in the ‘Made in India’ ventilators.

We are happy that along with all these hardships, India’s recovery rate is soaring,” Dr Malek added.

Dr (Col) R Ranga Rao, Chairman, Paras Cancer Centre, Paras Hospitals, Gurugram said it is a tough time for the

“It has come to the notice of Ministry of Health through some media reports that the issue of BiPAP mode not being available in the ventilators supplied by GoI has been raised,” the ministry said in a statement. frontline healthcare professionals.

“Long working hours, excessive mental and physical stress and the need to stay updated all the time are the few consequences of the coronavirus pandemic,” he said.

—ANI

New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday said that the number of COVID-19 patients is reducing in the national capital.

“We have arranged for 15,000 beds for the treatment of COVID-19 which is inclusive of ICU beds, ventilator beds, and normal beds but there only 5,800 patients,” said Kejriwal. “Instead of the number of patients constantly increasing in Delhi, the number is reducing. The number of patients recovering -- on a daily basis -- is constantly increasing. One month from now, 38 per

RECOVERED PATIENTS CAN DONATE PLASMA: SISODIA Arvind Kejriwal

cent patients were recovering, but now 64 percent of patients have recovered,” CM said.

“There are a total of 87,000 cases in Delhi, out of which 58,000 patients have already recovered.

In the last one week, the number of daily cases is also being halved as well,” he added.

—ANI

New Delhi: Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia on Wednesday said that recovered COVID-19 patients can donate plasma, irrespective of residence and subject to doctors clearance. He said that the Delhi government will launch a number and SOPs regarding the issue by tomorrow. The Deputy CM said, “Anybody who is recovered from COVID-19 and subject to doctors clearance can donate plasma, irrespective of residence.”

—Agencies

Mint Private Limited, and a Community Welfare Banquet challenging the decision to convert the banquet halls owned by them into temporary treatment hospitals.

—ANI

‘Height of cruelty, insult to humanity’ Lucknow: After a video showing health workers allegedly tossing bodies of coronav i r u s victims in a large pit in Karnataka, BSP Mayawati President Mayawati on Wednesday stated that the incident is the “height of cruelty and insult to humanity”.

The former UP Chief Minister demanded that the guilty must be punished.

—Agencies

UPSC Prelims: Aspirants Petroleum products demand MP: CM Shivraj Singh to expand cabinet on Thursday allowed to change centre returning to near normal Bhopal: The Madhya Pradesh cabinet expansion will take place on Thursday, CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan said.

Chouhan flew to New Delhi on Sunday to hold consultations with the central BJP leadership over the much- talked about cabinet expansion. Asked about the delay in cabinet expansion, Chouhan said, “Only amrit (elixir) comes out of manthan (churning), vish (poison) is consumed by (Lord) Shiva.”

ANANDIBEN TAKES OATH AS MP GUV

Around 20 to 25 new members, including some former Congress MLAs who had joined the BJP in March, are likely to be inducted into the cabinet, sources in the BJP earlier said.

—Agencies

FUEL PRICES REMAIN UNCHANGED FOR SECOND CONSECUTIVE DAY New Delhi: Fuel prices remain unchanged for the second consecutive day in Delhi on Wednesday, with diesel remaining costlier than petrol. The price of petrol stood at Rs 80.43 per litre in the national capital and that of diesel at Rs 80.53.

Notably, domestic fuel prices are determined broadly by crude oil and

forex rates and vary from state to state due to value-added tax.

New Delhi: The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has allowed candidates to change their centres for the civil services preliminary examination, scheduled on October 4.

Keeping in view the large number of candidates of civil services (preliminary) exam, 2020 (including the Indian Forest Service (preliminary) exam, 2020) and requests received from candidates for changing their centers, the Commission has decided to give an

INDIAN NAVY REPATRIATES OVER 600 INDIANS FROM IRAN Tuticorin: The Indian Navy on Wednesday repatriated over 600 Indians from Iran as part of the Centre’s “Samudra Setu” mission to evacuate stranded Indian citizens from abroad.

Indian Navy Ship Jalashwa repatriated 687 Indian nationals, most of them fishermen, from Iran and arrived at the VOC Port here today.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said of the 687 persons who arrived here today, 651 were fishermen from Tamil Nadu, while 36 others hailed from Kerala.

opportunity to them to submit their revised choice of centre, the UPSC said in a statement on Wednesday. Besides this, the option to change the centers for the civil services (main) exam, 2020, and the Indian Forest Service (main) examination, 2020, is also being made available, it said. —PTI

New Delhi: India’s overall petroleum products consumption, which had nosedived in last week of March and April, is now steadily getting to its pre-lockdown levels in June as emanating from the PSUs’ (IOC, BPC and HPC) sales figures. The sales of petroleum products in India had fallen to the lowest since 2007 due to the nationwide lockdowns necessitated to prevent the spread of COVID-19 pandemic.

With the gradual lift-

1 TERRORIST KILLED, INFILTRATION BID FOILED BY FORCES IN RAJOURI Rajouri (J &K): An infiltration bid by terrorists has been foiled in the Keri area of Rajouri district in Jammu and Kashmir on early Wednesday morning. One terrorist has been killed, sources said.

Terrorists opened fire after coming 400 metres inside the Indian side of Line of Control (LoC). The infiltration bid was foiled

at 5:55 am, the sources added. One AK-47 and magazines have been recovered.

Dharmendra Pradhan

ing of lockdown and beginning of unlocking of the economy in a phased manner allowing resumption of Industrial activity and movement of people, total petroleum products consump-

tion has reached to 88% in June (11.8 MMT) compared to last year (13.4 MMT), indicating the increase in production activity across all segment of economic spectrum, informed Petroleum & Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Improving the availability of Natural gas at an affordable cost across the country, providing level playing field to gas consumers and industries and ushering a gas based economy.

RUPEE DROPS 9 PAISE TO 75.60 ON WEAK ECONOMIC DATA Mumbai: The rupee on Wednesday settled 9 paise lower at 75.60 against the US currency due to dollar buying by oil importers and concerns over rising COVID-19 cases. Foreign fund outflows and firming crude oil prices weighed on the local unit, forex traders said. At the interbank forex market, the rupee opened higher at 75.49 against the US dollar. The unit later lost ground to end at the day’s low level of 75.60 against the US dollar, down 9 paise over its last close. It had settled at 75.51 against the US dollar on Tuesday.

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Make trade policies with China public: ‘Govt’s TikTok ban impulsive, Plea in SC seeks direction to Centre people will suffer’ New Delhi: A plea has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking a direction to the Centre to make public its trade policies with China amid the bitter standoff between the two armies at multiple locations in eastern Ladakh for the last seven weeks.

The Indian and the Chinese armies are engaged in a standoff in various areas in eastern Ladakh and the tension escalated after 20 Indian soldiers were killed in a violent clash in Galwan Valley on June 15. The Chinese side also suffered casualties but it is yet to give out the details.

The border standoff at LAC triggered wave of protest around the nation against Chinese goods.

Following the Galwan Valley incident, the government has given the armed forces “full freedom” to give a “befitting” response to any Chinese misadventure

along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the 3,500km de-facto border.

The petition filed in the apex court has referred to media reports and alleged that a state

and a private firm had signed memorandum of understanding (MoU) for business with China-based firms.

The plea filed by Jammu-based lawyer Supri-

ya Pandita has said that after the June 15 incident at the LAC, the citizens and trade associations in India are calling for boycott of Chinese goods in the country.

“While the ban on these mobile apps may be a welcome step but on the other hand allowing few select business house or few select state government to enter in to MOU with Chinese business house or stakeholders from China sends a wrong message to the people of India,” said the plea, filed through advocates Om Prakash Parihar and Dushyant Tiwari. —PTI

SC denies bail plea of corona Will not represent Chinese apps: Rohatgi +ve convict in 1984 riots New Delhi: The Supreme Court Wednesday refused to entertain a plea for interim bail of convict and former MLA Mahender Yadav, serving 10 years jail term in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case, on the ground that he has been admitted to the ICU after being tested positive for COVID-19.

A vacation bench of Justices Indira Banerjee and B R Gavai, in the hearing conducted through video-conferencing, said the interim

bail application cannot be entertained as the family has no grievance related to Yadav’s treatment and moreover, no relatives can visit him in the ICU where he has been treated for the novel coronavirus or COV-

6 dead in NLC India’s boiler blast in Neyveli Neyveli: A boiler exploded at NLC India’s thermal plant here killing six people and leaving 17 others injured on Wednesday and it has been shut for safety audit, the company said.

An official has been suspended and a high level inquiry and an internal probe has been ordered, the company, a ‘navratna’ public enterprise, said.

Home Minister Amit Shah, expressing anguish over the loss of lives, spoke to Chief Minister K Palaniswami and assured him of all possible help.

Governor Banwarilal Purhoit and Chief Minister K Palaniswami condoled the deaths and wished the injured a speedy recovery.

The six deceased men were aged between 25 and 42, and at least seven

injured men have sustained over 50 per cent burns according to an initial assessment, an official said. Palaniswami announced a solatium of Rs 3 lakh to the families of each of the six workers who were killed and an assistance of Rs one lakh and Rs 50,000 to those who suffered serious and mild injuries respectively.

The mishap occurred at the fifth unit of the thermal power station-II when workers were in the process of resuming operations which includes maintenance work following a shutdown, the official said.

A fire broke out in the boiler area subsequent to the explosion resulting in injuries to a maintenance team, NLC India, formerly Neyveli Lignite Corporation Limited, said in a statement. —PTI

ID-19. Besides Yadav, former Congress leader Sajjan Kumar and former Congress councillor Balwan Khokhar are serving life imprisonment in the case after the Delhi HC had convicted them on December 17, 2018.

The counsel for Yadav said the convict was above 70 years of age and has tested positive for COVID-19 on June 26 in Mandoli jail where another convict, sharing the barrack with him, has recently died of the deadly disease.

—PTI

New Delhi: Two days after 59 Chinese apps were banned in India, former Attorney General of India Mukul Rohatgi on Wednesday expressed his unwillingness to represent TikTok or any Chinese app in court against the Central government.

Rohatgi said that he will not appear for TikTok, a popular short video-sharing app, or other Chinese apps in cases against the Government of India. TikTok, one of the 59 apps banned by the Central

Mukul Rohatgi

government, had on Tuesday said that it complies with all data privacy and security requirements under the Indian law and has not shared any information of its users in India with any foreign government, including China. —ANI

Coronil ban: U’khand HC notice to Centre, state

Nainital: The Uttarakhand High Court on Wednesday issued notice to the Centre, state government and yoga guru Ramdev’s Patanjali Ayurveda on a PIL seeking a ban on Ayurvedic medicine Coronil, which was claimed to be a cure for COVID-19. A division bench of Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganathan and Justice Ramesh Chandra Khulbe also issued notices to Divya Pharmacy and NIMS University on the plea. The High Court had on Tuesday asked the counsel for the Central government to appear before it during the hearing on the public interest litigation (PIL) against Patanjali Ayurveda for claiming their medicine Coronil is a cure for COVID-19 without seeking permission from authorities concerned for manufacturing the same. The PIL, filed by advocate Mani Kumar, alleged that Patanjali Ayurveda did not follow the guidelines issued by the ICMR in the —ANI matter.

Kolkata: Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha MP Nusrat Jahan termed the ban on TikTok by the Centre as “impulsive” decision and said that people will suffer like demonetisation as many will lose their jobs.

“TikTok is an entertainment app. It’s an impulsive decision. What’s the strategic plan? What about the people who will be unemployed?

People will suffer like demonetisation. I don’t have any problem with the ban as it is for national security but who will answer these questions,” Jahan told reporters here after taking part in Ulta Rath Yatra celebration by ISKCON in Kolkata today. Amid border tensions with China in

Nusrat Jahan

‘GOA CALLING! DOMESTIC TOURISTS ALLOWED FROM JULY 2’ Panaji: Goa Tourism Minister Manohar Ajgaonkar on Wednesday announced that the coastal state will be open to tourists starting July 2, as 250 hotels have been granted permission to resume operations. The decision to restart tourism activities was taken during a state cabinet meeting, the minister said.

The tourism department has so far granted permission to 250 hotels, which can operate in keeping with the standard operating procedures (SOPs) put

Eastern Ladakh, the government on Monday banned 59 mobile apps including Tik Tok, UC Browser and other Chinese apps “prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity and defence” of the country.

The Ministry of Information Technology said in a release that it has decided to block 59 apps in view of the information available that “they are engaged in activities which are prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, the security of the state and public order”.

Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the government has banned apps for “safety, security, defence, sovereignty and integrity of India”.

—ANI

in place by the state government.

“We have decided to allow domestic travellers to enter Goa from July 2 onwards provided they comply with certain norms,” the minister said.

It will be mandatory for tourists to pre-book their stay at hotels, he said.

Moreover, tourists will either have to carry COVID-19 negative certificates to enter the state, or will have to get tested at the border and undergo quarantine at a state-run facility till their results arrive, he said. —PTI

Modi, Shah greet Naidu on his b’day New Delhi: PM Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah greeted Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu on his 71st birthday.

“Birthday wishes to our energetic Vice President, @ MVenkaiahNaidu Garu.

May he lead a long and healthy life. Venkaiah Ji is admired across the political spectrum for his warm nature, intelligence and wit,” Modi tweeted. “Warm greetings to Vice President, Shri @MVenkaiahNaidu Ji on his birthday. A vastly experienced leader who is respected across political line for his simplicity and deep knowledge of Parliamentary affairs,” Shah tweeted.

FROM PG 1 As by-elections...

His actions betray the worry about having to defend his right to a ticket in the by-elections this year.

In 1995, when the party was looking for a candidate, Parmar, who belongs to Surat, had moved to Gadhada on the party’s order. So, if he is overlooked by the party for Maru, he is well within his rights to confront concerned leaders on the party platform.

Similarly, in the case of BJP’s Kantilal Amrutiya, who is a five-term MLA from the Morbi seat (1995 to 2012), repre-

sented the constituency until 2017. That was when he lost the by-election to Congress candidate Brijesh Merja, who recently joined the ruling party after resigning as an MLA and from Congress.

Another dilemma presented to the BJP will be the Limbdi constituency. The ruling party will have to make a decision whether to give the ticket to former Congress MLA Soma Patel or senior party worker, five-term MLA and former minister Kiritsinh Rana. Interestingly, this seat has

been dominated by Koli Patel and the Rajput communities.

And Soma Patel belongs to the Koli community while Rana is a Rajput.

According to sources, since Patel was doubtful about receiving a ticket himself this year, he has been lobbying for his son Jagdish. In fact, Patel and Minister of Water Supply, Animal Husbandry and Rural Housing Kunvarji Bavalia even had a meeting with the chief minister two days ago.

PM hits...

The two posts left were

posts where the Prime Minister has photos with President Xi Jinping. On Weibo, it is difficult to remove posts with the photo of their President which is why two posts still remained. Now, all the posts have gone.

Presently, the Prime Minister’s follower count stands at 244,000which was roughly the same when the deletion of posts began. —ANI

Bungalow row...

Hence, now dues as on 30.06.2020 is nil against her,” a spokesperson for the ministry of housing

and urban affairs said.

The ministry has also said that she had accumulated dues of RS 3,46,677 till 30th June.

Directorate of estate department of the ministry had issued a notice to her to vacate her house within a month.

A government notice said that her allotment stands cancelled from today and she owes Rs 3.46 lakh in dues. In the notice, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs said Priyanka must exit bungalow 35 on Lodi Estate allotted to her in 1997 as she no longer has SPG securi-

ty. She is not entitled to a bungalow, said officials, unless the home ministry makes an exception on grounds of security. —Agencies

Ugly face...

Explaining the circumstances, a senior CRPF official told ANI that when terrorists fired at the CRPF party, two vehicles immediately moved in and took positions facing the terrorists who were firing from a height using floors of the mosque.

“CRPF troops after taking positions saw a civilian vehicle coming

in the range of terrorists firing. The deceased came out from his vehicle and tried to hide, taking cover of his vehicle,” the official said. —ANI

My way...

With respect to existing tenders and future bids, Gadkari said rebidding would be done if there are any Chinese joint ventures. “We have taken a decision to relax norms for our companies to ensure that they qualify in bidding in large projects. I have directed the Highways Secretary (Giridhar Ar-

amane) and NHAI Chairman (SS Sandhu) to hold a meeting for relaxing technical and financial norms so that our companies can qualify to work,” he said.

“Construction norms are not good so I have asked to change it. We are changing it so that we can encourage Indian companies,” he added. “Even if we have to go for foreign joint venture in the areas of technology, consultancy or design, we will not allow Chinese,” the Minister said. —PTI

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07

CORONAVIRUS A SANITARY

pad crisis

THE ‘SANITARY PAD CRISIS’ HIGHLIGHTS THE NEED FOR A SHIFT TO SUSTAINABLE MENSTRUAL PRODUCTS

T

not resumed to normal levels in many places.

Safa India, an NGO I work with, is busy teaching women how to make cloth pads at home. And several large charities, like KGNMT, have started distributing reusable pad kits to vulnerable women.

Women in India mainly use disposable pads or traditional cloth to manage their periods. The past decade has seen the government campaigning hard for women to use disposable pads, putting across the message that disposable pads are the only hygienic way to manage menstruation. They did so to encourage women to transition away from the use of traditional cloth, which was seen as difficult to maintain hygienically. But little has been done to create awareness of other, cheaper, more sustainable alternatives, such as menstrual cups and reusable pads.

Their knowledge about other available options to manage periods is severely lacking, and that giving women more information created more demand for sustainable products like menstrual cups and reusable pads – products that would have been impervious to the shortages many women experienced under lockdown.

Good menstrual hygiene is so much more than just access to sanitary products – water, toilets and equitable gender norms also matter – but they are essential in the management of periods and current practises are far from sustainable.

MENSTRUAL HISTORY But first, how did disposable pads come to dominate the Indian market?

Disposable sanitary pads and tampons may seem indispensable today but they have been around for fewer than 100 years. Until the turn of the 20th century, women simply bled into their clothes or, where they could afford it, shaped scraps of cloth or other adsorbents like bark or hay into a pad or tamponlike object.

Commercial disposable

pads first made an appearance in 1921, when Kotex invented cellucotton, a super-absorbent material used as medical bandaging during the first world war.

Marketing campaigns helped further this demand by leaning heavily into the idea that using disposables freed women from the “oppressive old ways”, making them “modern and efficient”. Of course, the profit incentives were considerable.

The technological advances in flexible plastics over the 1960s and ’70s soon saw disposable sanitary pads and tampons become more leakproof and user friendly as plastic backsheets and plastic applicators were introduced into their designs.

As these products became more efficient in “hiding” menstrual blood and women’s “shame”, their appeal and ubiquity increased.

As demand for disposable products has risen, so have the concerns over the sustainability of these products. With around two billion girls and women of menstruating age, the potential global menstrual waste burden can be significant indeed. The United Kingdom alone generates 200,000 tonnes of menstrual waste every year. Much of this waste ends up in landfills or in the oceans where the plastic and other non-compostable material in these products takes hundreds of years to decompose.

And that’s not to mention the supply chain issues that disposable products heighten.

SUSTAINABLE ALTERNATIVES Even before Covid-19 imposed urgency around this issue, emerging environmental consciousness of menstrual waste resulted in an increase in a range of reliable and sustainable sanitary products available to women.

The two main sustainable product lines on offer are reusable cloth pads and the menstrual cup. The low lifecycle cost of these products also make them a much cheaper alternative to disposables.

Cloth pads mimic what women used historically and so are easy to adopt.

ORY MENSTRUAL HIST

INDI A’S M ENS TRU AL H EALT H

VES SUSTAINABLE ALTERNATI

Some have a foldable shape that does not resemble a pad when drying, like Lilypads. Ranges of “period pants” are also now on the market: underwear that absorbs menstrual blood and can then be washed normally and reused.

Menstrual cups, meanwhile, are flexible bellshaped receptacles that collect, rather than absorb, blood and need insertion like tampons. A single silicone cup can reportedly last for up to 10 years and is very popular among users. This clearly has huge implications for waste management.

INDIA’S MENSTRUAL HEALTH

I wanted to find out how much awareness there is of such products beyond the West, and how popular they would likely be if they were available. India is home to 20% of the world’s menstruating girls and women and was a good place to look for answers. Despite the prevalent cultural norms that prevent women from openly talking about periods, around 300 women from 10 slum dwellings in Hyderabad agreed to talk to my team and participate in our experiment.

Around 80% of the

women we talked to during our fieldwork used disposable pads, and none of them were aware of the more sustainable options.

Since 2011, Indian government has campaigned for women to use them.

This policy goal can be traced back to the NGO Plan India reported that just 12% of Indian women could access sanitary pads. Traditional cloth is seen as unhygienic. While cloth is a hygienic menstrual solution, it requires adequate washing and drying, which is difficult to achieve in a country where taboos about menstrual blood are prevalent.

These concerns led the government of India to design national guidelines and strategies for the adoption of good hygiene. Above all, it favoured free or discounted distribution of disposable sanitary pads.

Cheap commercial variants, government efforts and private philanthropy combined to cause a rapid surge in demand for sanitary pads. In less than five years, the 2015-’16 National Family Health Survey reported pad users to have quintupled to 58%, with rural users at 48% and urban users at 78%. Meanwhile, public menstrual health campaigns remain

totally silent on other reusable options.

The other 20% of the women we spoke to used traditional cloth, but the aspiration to switch to pad for the promised comfort and convenience was high. Affordability of pads was the main barrier to switching.

Many women, both cloth and pad users, consider cloth to be unhygienic. At the root of this belief are the myths and taboos that limit women’s ability to wash and dry cloth in a hygienic way.

Many do not have access to private washing facilities and choose not to dry cloth under open sunlight for the humiliation of being seen by male members of the family and outsiders.

Women tend to dry their menstrual cloth indoors, concealed in closets and hidden under mattresses.

Such practices render the cloth unhygienic and contribute to the belief that cloth is inferior to pad.

The general culture of silence around periods meant that women did not feel comfortable seeking information from better informed people like health workers or teachers and ended up believing what they are told by women in the family and friends.

n SOURCE: THE CONVERSATION n CONCEPT: DIVYA HEMNANI n DESIGN: VINOD KUMAR SHARMA

he coronavirus pandemic has triggered what has been described as a “sanitary pad crisis” in India.

Priya, a 14-year-old schoolgirl, considers herself lucky: her parents can still afford pads. But several of her friends will have to go without. In some parts of India, schools are a critical part of the supply chain, providing a pack of pads to girls each month. With them closed, along with other supply chain issues, as few as 15% of girls had access to sanitary pads during the lockdown.

This is not only the case in India. Women in Fiji, the US, UK and other parts of the world have also reported severe supply shortages and hiked up prices for disposable menstrual products.

But in India, shortages are particularly severe.

The situation escalated quickly as India went into a sudden and complete lockdown on March 24.

This put an immediate stop to the monthly supply of pads that millions of adolescent girls received via their schools.

The production of sanitary pads also came to a screeching halt for seven days, which led to stockouts in several locations.

Pads were reclassified as essential items eligible for supply chain operations on March 30 but even now supplies have

Every day can be a beginning, the start of something new and exciting, provided we are willing to feel that way.

—Jagdeesh Chandra, CEO & Editor, First India

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2ND FRONT AHMEDABAD | THURSDAY, JULY 2, 2020

08

HOBSON’S CHOICE As unemployment & hunger strike at village home, migrants are returning to their dream cities

From pillar to post, migrants coming back Darshan Desai Ahmedabad: The corona crisis has thrown up unprecedented ironies, especially for the poor and the hapless.

If hunger and hopelessness drove lakhs of migrant workers away from the cities of their dreams to their non-descript native villages, be it in Odisha, Bihar or Uttar Pradesh, back home it is the same sinking feeling of deja vu.

Yes, it’s hunger and hopelessness yet again that is bringing them back to Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Telangana, and even the sprawling farms of Punjab -- corona or no corona.

Their employers, many of whom had virtually abandoned them, are now falling over each other to get them back, and are sending train and even flight tickets as industrial units and construction activity come into action, and sowing also begins.

They said they are being offered Rs 5,000 for planting paddy saplings on an acre of farmland instead of Rs 3,500 that was the going rate before the outbreak. Their families are also getting paid Rs 15,000-20,000 advance.

Several companies in the manufacturing,

GOLD RUSH!

Trains are choc-a-bloc with migrants wishing to return to work.

industrial goods and real estate sector have even chartered aircraft to bring back their skilled and semi-

PM takes pride in Gir lions, but here they fall in wells & die First India Bureau Junagadh: Notwithstanding Prime Minister Narendra Modi taking pride in the increase in lion population in Gir during the latest census last month as well as the Gujarat Government’s avowed commitment to conserve the beasts, two lion cubs on Tuesday fell to their death in an open well.

This is the first report of unnatural deaths of lions in the state after the Gujarat forest department announced on June 10 that lions’ population in Gir had risen 29 per cent to 674 as per a population estimation exercise carried out on June 5-6.

skilled employees.

Mail and express trains to places like Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Secunderabad and Ben-

—PHOTO BY NANDAN DAVE

galuru, from where these workers hurried back home, walking, cycling and travelling on trucks and even the hol-

low of container trucks and concrete mixing plants, are running to capacity.

According to sources

PIL in SC seeks termination of China MoUs by Guj, M’rashtra First India Bureau

Lion cubs fall yet again in well.

While falling into open wells is a common cause of unnatural deaths of Asiatic lions, this incident flies in the face of the State Government’s past assurances to the Gujarat High Court that all open wells in the Gir forests would be covered.

In this case, two lion cubs aged about six months old died after falling into a well at Jujarpur village in the Gir West Forest Division. Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife), Junagadh, Dushyant Vasavada stated an inquiry has been ordered.

in the East Central Zone of the railways, the average occupancy in Muzaffarpur-Ahmedabad Special is 133 per cent, Danapur-Secunderabad special (126 per cent), Jaynagar-Amritsar special (123 per cent), Danapur- Bengaluru city special (120 per cent), Patna-Ahmedabad special (117 per cent), Saharsa-New Delhi special (113 per cent) and Danapur-Pune special (102 per cent).

And, in Odisha too the migrants are packing their bags again.

Since May 3, the Ganjam district has seen over 2 lakh workers return. A large number of them are skilled

New Delhi: A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking termination of Memorandum of Association entered between Maharashtra and Gujarat with China for trade and business amid escalated tensions at the Sino-Indian border.

Moved by advocate Supriya Pandita, the petition points out that while the Centre banning 59 Chinese mobile application is a welcome step, but simultaneously “allowing a few select business houses or State Governments to enter into MoU (memorandum of under-

Allowing select State Govts to sign MoUs with Chinese business houses sends wrong message to the people of India.

—Supriya Pandita, SC Advocate

standing) with Chinese business houses or stakeholders sends a wrong message to the people of India.”

This “selective and preferential approach” to allow these few select businesses or States to enter into MoUs with business houses of China is “not only dis-

criminatory but also against the will and sentiments of the people of India”, according to the petitioner.

Supriya Pandita has sought the Supreme Court’s directions to the Union Government to make public its trade policies with the Government of China in

view of the escalated war-like situation between the two countries.

The petitioner has further submitted that these MoU with China are also against the very grain of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s own policy of setting up an Atmanirbhar Bharat.

CORRUPT NAILED: CBI books Samsung and arms dealer First India Bureau New Delhi: The CBI has booked purported arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari on charges of receiving about USD 50 lakh from Korean company Samsung Engineering to influence officials in granting a contract for a DFCU project of OPAL at Dahej in Gujarat.

Official sources said the CBI has also named the then Senior Manager Hong Namkoong of Samsung Engineering, UK-based Foster Wheeler Energy and Bhandari’s UAE-based company Santech International FZC besides unidentified officials of ONGC and its special vehicle ONGC Petro Additions Ltd

CBI has alleged bribes were paid to officials to swing OPAL's DFCU, Dahej, for SECL. —CBI officer

(OPAL) for alleged corruption.

Bhandari, who is be-

ing probed in several defence deals is believed to be in London,

they said.

The CBI has alleged that Bhandari as Director of Santech International entered into a criminal conspiracy with SECL by charging a consultancy fee of

USD 49.99 lakh from it, in violation of the integrity clause in the contract agreement between the Korean major and OPAL. The CBI alleged that the consultancy

BEARDING THE STARTUP, A FAIRYTALE First India Bureau Ahmedabad: FMCG major Marico has acquired Ahmedabadbased men’s grooming startup Beardo by picking an additional 55 per cent equity share in its parent company Zed Lifestyle, three years after it acquired a 45 per cent stake in it.

Founded in 2015 by Ashutosh Valani and Priyank Shah, Beardo is a men’s personal care and grooming brand. It offers a range of products, in-

RAGS TO RICHES!

Ashutosh Valani and Priyank Shah, the men behind Beardo.

cluding beard washes, beard balm, beard and hair growth oil, serum, face washes,

soaps, and beard combs.

The startup also counts actor Suniel

Shetty as one of its investors, and had recently roped in Bollywood actor Hrithik

Roshan as its brand ambassador.

Beardo was a portfolio company of Venture Catalysts. In 2016, Venture Catalysts and other investors put around $5,00,000 in Beardo.

According to a company statement, with this investment, Venture Catalyst takes a complete exit from the startup.

It claims to have helped Beardo grow its revenue by 40x since 2016. The firm says, “We are extremely proud of

Ashutosh Valani and Priyank Shah on their successful entrepreneurial journey from a small town to becoming a leader in the men’s grooming category. We were one of the first to have believed in Beardo’s true potential and the idea.”

Men’s grooming market has grown from a mere Rs 3,200 crore in 2016 to a whopping Rs 10,000 crore today, and this speaks volumes about VCats’s ability to spot potential startups.

fee was received in overseas accounts of Santech International. The agency has also alleged that the fees were understood to be bribes for public officials to swing the contract for OPAL’s Dual Fuel Cracker unit to be set at Dahej Petrochemical complex in Gujarat in favour of SECL.

workers who were working in the textile industries of Gujarat and Maharashtra.

“In Surat, we get between Rs 600-Rs 700 per day in the textile industry while in Odisha earning Rs 250-300 per day is really tough. From my village around 500 people go to Surat every year to work in the textile sector and other areas,” said Debraj Jena, a skilled textile industry worker from Beljhari village in Beguniapada panchayat of Ganjam district. Debraj is just one among thousands who are raring to go back to Gujarat.

Video of man kicking ‘nandi’ in temple sparks outrage First India Bureau Rajkot: Sparking off outrage among the locals, a social media video went viral in the Shapar-Veraval belt showing a person kicking the “Nandi” at a Shiva Temple.

As though trying to play-act like a Bollywood actor, the man with a cigarette dangling between his lips kicks the nandi and knocks it out even as a popular Hindi movie song “Ishk Hai” played in the background.

He later kicked the closed door of the temple, leaving the locals fuming. The Shapar-Veraval police have registered a complaint against the two persons who made the video and kicked the nandi statue in the temple.

An offence has been lodged against Jayesh Chudasama and Dinesh Mahida, both residents of Shaparna, for hurting religious sentiments of the people.

Rajkot Shiv Sena’s Jimmy Advani said the Sena condemned this act, since it is like “someone insulting me.

It has hurt the sentiments of the Hindus.”

@ahmedpatel

Wishing the Vice President of India Shri Venkaiah Naidu ji a long, healthy and prosperous life on the occasion of his birthday.

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09

City First delves into the world of wackiest, most bizarre, and downright weird makeup that rocked and shocked us in this decade including hair art, nose art, and all the spaces in between!

UNLEASHED KARISHMA GWALANI

karishma.gwalani@firstindia.co.in

A

s times change, so do our beauty habits.

Take a walk down makeup memory lane with me for a few minutes and think about it: The way you did your makeup in 2010 versus 2020 is very different.

These are the makeup moves that are turning heads and shaking up the scene. Thank goodness for growth, and cringe-worthy pictures to prove how far you’ve come.

Makeup has never been about following the rules, more so than ever before, it’s about embracing experimentation, and simply doing you.

Thanks to the ever-growing amount of makeup artists on Instagram, we’ve seen a lot of evolution, right from the eyebrows chopped and screwed into museum-worthy works of art, to people putting ‘flower vases’ in their hair. While some of these makeup trends all quite wearable, with many of them being classic looks; others are too unconventional to wear regularly. But

that doesn’t mean we can not experiment with different style right? You can always flaunt your individuality and creativity with your experimental skills because nothing is more beautiful than when you do...YOU! This creative makeup trend is like an envelope with exciting colour and creativity. Let your makeup be as dramatic as the year 2020!

Be it Valentine’s, Galentine’s, or alone time, give a nod to all the pop neons of greens, yellows and oranges into your makeup routine. Why? Because you can.

Bright and Playful Eyes: With primary colours and neon brights adorning eyelids

top and bottom across countless catwalks, the bright-eye trend is making a stand-out statement.

A Dramatic Floating Crease: It’s basically when you use makeup to draw attention to your eyelid crease. It usually involves a base of eyeshadow, after which you would use a darker shadow, or an eyeliner, to draw an arch just above your natural crease.

Metallic smoky eyes: The smoky eye has been given a glamorous update. Whether in pewter, bronze or black, a metallic satin finish feels modern and when paired with a neutral lip and bronzer, it can entirely change your look.

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AHMEDABAD | THURSDAY, JULY 2, 2020

Mindy Kaling’s new high school comedy takes its time but eventually finds its emotional footing in telling the story of a nerdy Indian American girl

Netflix teen series slowly finds its voice I

ing for arranged marriage; insult-throwing academic rival and rich kid Ben (Jaren Lewison). Checklist in hand, she directs her two best friends, Eleanor (Ramona Young) and Fabiola (Lee Rodriguez), into cool-adjacent boyfriends and a 10-

three months (teenagers: not forgiving of the concept “psychosomatic”), forcing her to use a wheelchair.

Only the sight of her crush, swim-team boy and said stone-cold hottie Paxton H a l l - Yo s h i d a (Darren Barnet) – a layered mystery or stock jock

character, depending on the scene – and the promise of a “rebrand” in sophomore year, zaps Devi back on her feet.

The first few episodes are clunky, as Devi, in denial-steeled striver mode, directs or antagonizes characters seemingly identified by one joke: her cousin Kamala (Richa Moorjani), the beautiful “good Indian” doctorate student at CalTech, wideeyed with America and prepar-

FA CE OF TH ED AY

t’s the first day of sophomore year, and 15-yearold Devi (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) kneels in front of the Hindu shrine (and her blessed geometry textbook) in her home in Sherman Oaks, California. She has some requests, the profound goals of many high school girls: be cool, get hot, snag a boy. Or, as Devi spins at the start of this uneven but endearing 10-part teen entry from executive producer Mindy Kaling, she wishes her arms no longer “looked like the floor of a frickin’ barber shop”. Most importantly, she craves a boyfriend, but “not some nerd from one of my AP classes,” she says with Booksmart-style conviction. Said boy “can be dumb – I don’t care. I just want him to be a stone-cold hottie who could rock me all night long.”

Devi is, needless to say, a virgin, and also an intelligent firebrand with a seemingly effortless command of power-points, witty barbs and topical-enough pop culture references (“Yeah, but he has a hot face. You’ll be like Zayn and Gigi,” she tells her friend as a boyfriend sales pitch). She’s also a master deflector, reeling, with a John McEnroe-style short fuse, from a massive loss.

(McEnroe, for no reason seemingly beyond the fact they could get him, narrates the series.)

“As you know,” she half-prays, “last year sucked for a number of reasons.” As abruptly revealed in what seems like a first-episode bit but is not, her beloved father – a sunny, unbridled presence in sepia flashbacks and dream sequences, and Devi’s only true best friend – died of a heart attack at her orchestra concert the year prior. The shock paralyzed her for

YOUR DAY Horoscope by Saurabbh Sachdeva

Source;https://www.theguardian.com/

freshingly and conspicuously not just white, cis, able-bodied.

But for most other than Devi, this goes unmentioned; the philosophy for the characters and, it appears, the show, is to attain the long-sought ideal of being “just a normal teenager” and expanding who gets to claim such a distinction.

The main force for this is Devi, who recoils at the stereotypically strict immigrant parenting of her mother (an excellent Poorna Jagannathan), dismisses Indian culture and dreams of running away. In the season’s first half, she seesaws from deeply insecure to fearless – the plot launches as she writes a checklist for her best friends’ “rebrand” and, in a viscerally cringe-y scene, directly approaches Paxton, introduces herself, and asks if he would have sex with her (and, when this works, gushes “We’ll circle back about it!”).

It is refreshing, and exciting, to see someone like Devi given the Fleabag treatment: space to avoid grief by misbehaving, an exploration of the bitter pills of growing up with a darkly comic touch. But in its early episodes Never Have I Ever applies the evidence of Devi’s assholery – soliciting of Paxton, lying repeatedly to her friends, never listening – too thick. It’s welcome to see an insolent Indian American star, which Never Have I Ever shares with Kaling predecessor The Mindy Project, self-sabotage with candor. But like the former show, it can also be grating. It’s not until the show’s later episodes, when it raises the emotional stakes for everyone – depicting Ben’s lonely home life, contextualizing Fabiola and Eleanor’s one-notes as “robot nerd” and “drama geek”, playing with the eternally gutting story that is getting stood up – that the jokes start to pack a punch.

Ramakrishnan, a newcomer discovered through a global casting search, shows her inexperience here and there, but shines in the series’ more emotionally demanding scenes; her rawness in the final episode moved me to tears. Which is evidence that, though not a perfect ride and likely to be overhyped out of starvation mode for any teen comedy resembling the actual diversity, horniness, and profanity of being a teenage girl, Never Have I Ever gets there, eventually. The series’ back half settles into a storyline balancing emotional depth with outbursts, and what emerges is a moving and original portrait of a teenage girl grappling with grief. It’s a bummer that it couldn’t have arrived at this version faster but, as Devi and the show learn, there’s ultimately satisfaction in ditching the attention grabs and finding your stride.

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

CANCER

Anomaly at work is never appreciated, prevent and help anyone from going astray. Bonding with siblings is on the cards, they may open upto you like never before. Your spouse will bring stars to the ground for you, thats the kind of value you hold in his/her life.

Votary mentality is good but remember charity begins at home. Job seekers will get the success in seizing the job opportunity. You may fall in love with your best friend and get married in future. Luck will for sure favour, but you will have to work hard.

Dough is what you need to survive this pandemic so concentrate on searching for ways to earn it. You currently hold a very powerful and important position in your organisation so do not worry about loosing your source of income by bringing profits to the firm.

Steadfast support is required by lots of people around who are suffering because of pandemic and you will play your part in doing what you can. You will be entrusted with an important task at work, it may require a lot of efforts but it will pay you.

MAR 21 - APR 20

APR 21 - MAY 20

MAY 21 - JUNE 21

JUNE 22 - JULY 23

LEO

VIRGO

LIBRA

SCORPIO

Temporising may seem the right thing to do but the other party may not feel the same when it comes to your business. You child will give you immense happiness today by making you feel special. Health is very important at the current times, so change your routine.

Retrenching is a must need for your business seeing the current times but that shouldn’t depress you as the future is very bright. You are using your time judiciously as far as your studies are concerned. You partner may demand your attention, make sure to not neglect their needs.

Elucidate things if your parents are not able to understand , don’t forget they are your best hope.

There may be delay in professional gains but at the same time there is a lot that you should be grateful. A friends will help on academic front so keep improving and don’t get stuck.

Complacency on work front shall be avoided and rest you are good to go.

You will come across people who will give you reasons to smile. Tough times do not last forever therefore prepare yourself and good time will be here soon. You try to be very active.

JULY 24 - AUGUST 23

AUG 24 - SEP 23

SEPT 24 - OCTOBER 22

OCT 23 - NOVEMBER 22

SAGITTARIUS

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

Citing someone’s word at wrong place should be avoided. Home environment will make you feel calm and composed. Your kid really respects you and believes in you so never let them down. You may find your dream partner but take it slow in the beginning and give yourself time.

Alienating from the family is not a solution to your problems rather sit with them and discuss, in the end they are the only ones who can help you and who will stick with you no matter what. You will finally make up your mind about your field of career and get complete support.

Cognitive approach in life makes you out stand and it will play an important role in your rising career graph.

Physical exertion income form or the other is really important. Be the ray of hope in someone life. Apply for jobs keeping in mind your eligibility as it’s very important to have expectations.

Elaborate things if you need to, professionally.

Money is in the air even at these trials time but you need to know ways to catch it. You will financially support your sibling in their endeavours without any expectations. You are a great friend and people like to stay connected.

NOV 23 - DEC 22

RADHIKA BHATI, Model

s t e p popularity plan.

The show, which shares an aesthetic (and glittery, Spotify-ready pop soundtrack) with Netflix’s teen staple To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before, takes a swift and mostly tacit approach to diversity in its young cast; classmates have designated the trio of Devi, south-east Asian Eleanor and Afro-Latina Fabiola as “the UN”, and the makeup of Sherman Oaks High is re-

10

DEC 23 - JAN 20

JAN 21 - FEB 19

FEB20 - MARCH 20

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AHMEDABAD | THURSDAY, JULY 2, 2020

11

Thanking the

WARRIORS A

s Bollywood actors extend thanks to the doctors on National Doctor’s Day, actor Preity Zinta suggested that the best way to thank the doctors is wearing a face mask and keeping safe amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The ‘Kya Kehna’ star put out a post on Instagram sporting a mask. Along with the post Zinta shared the message that one’s actions speak louder than their words, and suggested to keep the face masks on for maintaining own safety. She noted, “Actions always speak louder than words. The best way to THANK and appreciate all the doctors and healthcare workers out there is by wearing Masks and keeping ... her post yourself and everyone around you safe. Spread love and not the virus #nationaldoctorsday #thankyou #Ting.” (along with a folded hands emoji).

With the post hitting Instagram, more than 20k likes were received in just 30 minutes of being posted. Earlier in the day, actors including Salman Khan and Madhuri Dixit extended their thanks to the healthcare professionals who are working relentlessly amid the coronavirus pandemic. Like every year, the country is observing the National Doctors Day on July 1 to honour the contributions of the doctors. The first National Doctor’s day was celebrated in July 1991.

—ANI

Black is

KING

M

ark your calendars, beyhives as next month Beyoncé is blessing us with a new visual album.

Queen B announced a new album titled ‘Black Is King’. This will be her first proper solo album since Lemonade in 2016. She has written, directed and produced this album executively, and is gearing up to release it through Disney+ on July 31. Black Is King will also feature the song ‘Black Parade’ that she released on Juneteenth. Last year, Beyoncé curated the soundtrack ‘The Lion King: The Gift’, which was released in conjunction with the CGI version of The Lion King that she starred in.

The album reimagines the lessons of The Lion King for today’s young kings and queens in search of their own crowns. It also is a celebratory memoir for the world on the Black experience. The film is a story for the ages that informs and rebuilds the present. A reunion of cultures and shared generational beliefs.

—Agency

Beyonce

STUNNING!

Lovey-dovey

A

D

emi Lovato and boyfriend Max Ehrich have been spending lots of quality time during the lockdown. The couple came out in the open about their relationship only a few months ago when Demi was accidentally seen behind Max Ehrich in his Instagram Live video, thus, implying that the two had been quarantining together.

Demi and Max initially kept their romance under the wraps but now the two are giving couple goals to fans with their social media PDA. A couple of days ago, Demi Lovato headed for a weekend getaway with boyfriend Max Ehrich and posted pictures from their vacay on her Instagram handle. Demi and Max’s romantic moments made their fans gush over them and now once again the couple is winning the internet with their new loved up pictures. —Agency

... her post

Demi Lovato

Preity Zinta

Sonam’s post

SONAM IN

ACTION S

onam Kapoor Ahuja once again stand for her sister, Rhea Kapoor after Instagram failed to block the comment that threatens her life.

Sonam Kapoor and Rhea Kapoor are among the popular Bollywood siblings who always stands for each other. Recently, rhea shared a screenshot of a death threatening comment that she received on Instagram. She reported the comment to Instagram and then she shared a screenshot of what Instagram responded to her report request. Rhea called out Instagram for the same.

Seeing this, Sonam took a stand against it and slammed Instagram for failing to block the comment. Sonam shared the screenshot of the comment as well on Instagram and called out the photo sharing app’s India team for not blocking such threatful comments against Rhea Kapoor.

Sonam shared Instagram’s response to Rhea on her Instagram story along with the threatful comment by a user.

Sonam wrote, ‘Instagram doesn’t think death threats is a violation or their India team can’t read Hindi’. Rhea got the suggestion of blocking the person on Instagram as the response of the report. The comment by the user was, ‘Tu toh kutte ki maut maregi din (You’ll die a dog’s death someday)’. —Agency

nushka Sharma is the celebrity who made headlines for all the right reasons. the actor-producer has given us the bingeworthy content in the last few months when all of us were in lockdown. Her production house, Clean Slate Films, released Paatal Lok and Bulbbul on streaming platforms like Amazon Prime and Netflix respectively. While Anushka herself did not star in it and only produced it but she took it to all the social media platforms to promote it.

Anushka was last seen on screen in her film Zero in 2018 which was a hit at box office. Since then, she hasn’t announced her next project.

However. the actress says that her priorities have changed over the last few years. Anushka, who appears on the latest cover of Vogue India, revealed that she has become more introspective.

She said, ‘I’ve been very introspective over the last three years. I don’t want to think that my only value is what I’ve achieved in life. Peace of mind is my priority and I’m happy that I have become more compassionate and less judgmental.’

—Agency

... her post

Anushka Sharma

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

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AHMEDABAD | THURSDAY, JULY 2, 2020

A SECOND LIFE THROUGH DONATION

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SURPRISE!

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he miracle of love and life came together at Mahatama Gandhi Hospital when Rajesh Sihag got a second life after his wife Varsha donated her kidney to him.

The team of doctors of the nephrology department of Mahatma Gandhi Hospital has been successful in saving the life of the young advocate suffering from kidney disease for 18 years by kidney transplant. A resident of Sadulshahar Advocate Rajesh Sihag was troubled by respiratory problems, swelling and infections due to the high amount of protein in his urine and increased creatinine. Till now, the basis of Rajesh’s life had been only dialysis and medicine, but the creatinine was not decreasing.

Seeing his condition, Sihag’s family brought him to Mahatma Gandhi Hospital, where he consulted Nephrologist

TFC7 Hampers by Brown Sugar

KTP Patient, Rajesh Sihag

Dr Suraj Godara, who planned the kidney transplant after seeing the severity of the disease. Dr Godara told

that more than 950 kidney transplants have taken place in the hospital and the success rate is also world-class.

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WE CARE! City First reminds you to wear a mask whenever you step out, sanitize regularly, maintain physical distance and stay strong during the Corona time!

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(1-14) MP Ramcharan Bohra, MLA Brajendra Ola, MLA Ashok Bairwa, Rameshwar Dudi, IAS Shweta Chauhan, IAS Dr Rajesh Sharma, IAS UD Khan, IAS Kana Ram, IPS Janga Srinivas Rao, IPS Rajendra Singh, IPS Jai Narayan, IPS Rameshwar Singh, IPS Yogesh Dadhich and Vikram Singh Shekhawat celebrated their birthdays on 1 July, Wednesday.

We wish them all the best!

The kidney transplant of a patient was very challenging during the corona period. But the team of doctors accepted this challenge and successfully completed it. Rajesh’s wife Varsha donated her kidney to him. She said that when there was a need to give a kidney for the survival of my husband, I volunteered for it. At the same time, patient Rajesh said that the doctors of Mahatma Gandhi Hospital have given me a new life. He owed his life to his wife too, he added. cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

People in and around Jaipur have been eagerly waiting for the most spectacular fashion event of the season, ‘The Fashion Connect Season 7’ presented by First India. TFC recently sent its guests a lovely hamper made

by Brown Sugar Jaipur, keeping all the precautionary measures in mind.

It was a surprise for the ones who had received the hamper! The hamper consisted of freshly baked loaves of bread, crosswinds and biscuits. Rishee Miglani, the brand ambassador of the show said, “It was just a small way of saying, we love you Jaipur, and we will be back very soon.” Vishal Jhalani from Brown Sugar said, “I have been a part of TFC before and it’s always a pleasure to be a part of such an amazing event of the state. I hope people will cherish the goodies.”

s lockdown eases around the world, some of the most renowned restaurants of the city are reopening but with a very different approach from before the COVID pandemic. One such place is Jaipur’s most beloved and legendary restaurant, ‘Niros’.

As the restaurant reopens in the corona-post economy, masked staff, sanitization throughout the restaurant, thermal checks for all staff mem-

bers and customers, disinfecting tables and deep cleaning washrooms has become the norm. This was informed by the co-owner of Niros, Hamit Pardal.

Talking about the sanitization protocols being following by the restaurant, Pardal further said that, ‘Niros’ is following all safety and sanitization protocols as laid down by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI), WHO, and the Government. This includes

Precautionary measures being taken at NIROS, Jaipur

thermal temperature scanning of all staff, sanitization and disinfection of kitchen and supplies as well as placement of sanitizers in spray bottles

throughout the restaurant.

Apart from this, bathrooms are also being deep cleaned using sanitizers carried by the sweepers. cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

WHAT’S HAPPENING!

RAJASTHAN: Dr Sunil and Dr Sunita reiterated their commitment to the needy on Doctors Day. They said that we have to put the needs of the patient above everything else and the medical profession has to be undertaken with a ‘seva bhaav’.

RAJASTHAN: Actress, Big boss fame and ‘Kaanta Laga’ song fame, Shefali Jariwala and actress, Deepshikha Nagpal will be the judges for the forthcoming ‘Queen of India’. The pageant is scheduled to be held in November, in Jaipur and the official poster of the event was launched by Shefali Jariwala on Wednesday.

Founder, Monu Verma shared that the auditions are to be held in four major cities, Jaipur, Indore, Chandigarh and Mumbai.

RAJASTHAN: Nirbhaya Squad Team was honoured by the Mahila Mitra Sansthan at the residence of the President, Sunita Vaishnav, for their commendable work done during the lockdown. During the occasion, Additional Police Supdt. Sunita Meena; and her team of approximately 40 women constables along with the Chairperson of the Shilp Srajan Institution, Shilpi Shah were awarded the citation.

RAJASTHAN: The Universe Writes in partnership with Siyahi, Shree Cement and Prabha Khaitan Foundation organised a virtual session with Diana Chambers in conversation with Mandira Nayar on Tuesday, where they talked about ‘The Star of India’, written by Diana Chambers.

TIMELY SUPPORT: During the ‘CII Session on Strengthening

MSMEs in Rajasthan Post COVID-19’ on Wednesday, Amitava Chatterjee, Chief General Manager, State Bank of India said, “The timely support to the MSME sector will go long way in overcoming challenges posed by the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic.” He also shared that SBI has a dedicated MSME Vertical with AsstGMs, they are catering MSMEs across Rajasthan with their respective teams. SBI has a total portfolio of registered over 50,000 MSMEs in Rajasthan which are served by a dedicated team of SBI.

RAJASTHAN: The new executive of the Public Relations and Allied Services Association of Rajasthan (PRASAR), an organisation of officers of the Information and Public Relations Department, was formed on Tuesday.

Motilal Verma was elected the new president of the organisation. At the same time, Kumar Ajay has been selected as Senior Vice President, Suman Manatuwal as Vice President, Harishankar Acharya as Vice President (Regional), Veersen as General Secretary, Harishankar Sharma as Secretary, Devendra Singh as Joint Secretary and Sohan Lal as Treasurer.