First India-Ahmedabad Edition-03 December 2020

RAJ BUDGET SESSION IN FEBRUARY 2021

OUR EDITIONS: JAIPUR, AHMEDABAD & LUCKNOW

16°C - 33°C www.firstindia.co.in www.firstindia.co.in/epaper/ twitter.com/thefirstindia facebook.com/thefirstindia instagram.com/thefirstindia

AHMEDABAD l THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2020 l Pages 12 l 3.00

RNI NO. GUJENG/2019/16208 l Vol 2 l Issue No. 9

Budget session of Rajasthan Legislative Assembly to commence in February 2021.

The Cabinet Secretariat has written to all departments and sought achievements from them for Governor’s address.

UK TAKES LEAD IN COVID VAX,

CITIZENS TO GET FIRST SHOTS NEXT WEEK! United Kingdom becomes first country in the world to approve Pfizer/ BioNTech coronavirus vaccine, paving the way for mass vaccination

Mohd Fahad London: United Kingdom approved Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine on Wednesday, jumping ahead of the United States and Europe to become the West’s first country to formally endorse a jab it said should reach the most vulnerable people early next week.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson touted the medicine authority’s approval as a global win and a ray of hope amid the gloom of the novel coronavirus which has killed nearly 1.5 million people globally, hammered the world economy and upended normal life.

Britain’s Medicines and Healthcare products

Regulatory Agency (MHRA) granted emergency use approval to the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which they say is 95% effective in preventing illness, in record time - just 23 days since Pfizer published the first data from its final stage clinical trial.

“It’s fantastic,” Johnson said. “The vaccine will begin to be made available across the UK from next week. It’s the protection of vaccines that will ultimately allow us to reclaim our lives and get the economy moving again.” Turn to P6

It’s the protection of vaccines that will ultimately allow us to reclaim our lives and get the economy moving again.

WHO WILL GET THE VACCINE FIRST?

The government plans to prioritize as it begins to deploy the vaccine, starting with residents and staff in care homes, then moving to people over 80 years old and health-care workers, documents show.

NOT IN INDIA New Delhi: The Pfizer vaccine is unlikely to be available in India at this time, sources have told NDTV. For a vaccine to be allowed in India it must clear clinical trials here, and sources said neither Pfizer nor its partner companies had asked to hold such trials. This means that even if Pfizer partners with an Indian company now it will take some time for the vaccine to be available in the country. The government did hold talks with Pfizer in August but there has been no development since.

40 MILLION -70 C O

COVID-19 VACCINE

Boris Johnson, UK Prime Minister

India invites UK PM to be R-Day chief guest New Delhi: UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to be the chief guest at 2021 Republic day with Prime Minister Narendra Modi formally inviting him during their November 27 telephonic conversation.

Johnson, on his part, has invited PM Modi to the G-7 summit in the United Kingdom next year, people familiar with the development said.

The last British prime minister at the Republic Day parade was John Major in 1993.

AMARINDER TO TAKE FIRST COVID VACCINE SHOT IN PUNJAB

DOSES ORDERED

TEMP NEEDED

The Pfizer/BioNTech jab is the fastest vaccine to go from concept to reality, taking only 10 months to follow the same steps that normally span 10 years. The UK has already ordered 40 million doses of the free jab - enough to vaccinate 20 million people.

The vaccine is made in Belgium and has to be stored at around -70oC As hospitals in UK already have the facilities to store the vaccine at the temperature required, the very first vaccinations are likely to take place there - for care home staff, NHS staff and patients - so none of the vaccine is wasted.

Chandigarh: With the COVID-19 vaccine in the final stages of operationalisation in India, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Wednesday announced that he will take the first shot of the vaccine in the state, once it is cleared by the IICMR.

BENGAL GUV, MIN OFFER TO VOLUNTEER FOR COVAXIN TRIAL

West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar, 69, and state minister Firhad Hakim, 61, have expressed willingness to volunteer for the phase 3 trial of Covaxin, the government-backed Covid-19 vaccine. The trial was launched in Kolkata on Wednesday.

Amit Shah, CM Amarinder to meet Apex Court: CCTVs with audio at ahead of talks with farmers today all interrogation rooms, lock-ups New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah will meet Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Thursday amid the escalating farmers protest around Delhi, spearheaded by farmers from Punjab and Haryana. The meeting will take place at 9.30 am, sources said, ahead of the crucial meeting with farmers’ representatives.

On Wednesday, Farmers’ organisations met at one of the Delhi-Haryana borders to decide their strategy, a day after they turned down the centre’s second pitch Turn to P6

Farmers prepare food for others during protest in New Delhi on Wednesday.

GUV MISHRA KEEPS RAJ FARM BILLS WAITING Jaipur: Governor Kalraj Mishra has ‘not approved’ the agricultural bills passed by the Rajasthan state assembly. The Ashok Gehlot government had on November 2 presented the bills to counter Centre’s Farm laws.

New Delhi: All police stations in the country and investigation agencies including the CBI, National Investigation Agency and Enforcement Directorate, must install CCTV cameras with night vision and audio recording, the Supreme Court said today in a landmark order meant to prevent excesses in custody.

States have to install cameras with audio at all police stations.

Security cameras should cover interrogation rooms, lock-ups, entries and exits, said the Supreme Court.

“Most of these agen-

cies carry out interrogation in their office(s), so CCTVs shall be compulsorily installed in all offices where such interrogation and holding of accused takes place in the same manner as it would in a police sta-

tion,” the judges said.

“These cameras must be installed at entry and exit points of the police station, lock ups, corridors, lobbies, reception area, rooms of the subInspector and Inspector, reception and outside washrooms.”

CCTV cameras with recording facilities are also to be installed at the offices of the Narcotics Control Bureau, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence and the Serious Fraud Investigation Office.

The audio recordings have to be retained for 18 months for evidence, if needed.

Guj HC pulls up state for inaction on community service penalty Taking the matter into its own hands, the court directed the government to frame norms for its implementation First India Bureau Ahmedabad: The Gujarat High Court came down heavily on the government for declining to act against those neglecting to wear face masks and not maintaining social distancing on Wednesday. It directed the state to formulate

rules and issue a notification for community service punishment for the violation of COVID-19 SOPs. (For more details, see Page 2) The first division bench comprising Chief Justice Vikram Nath and Justice JB Pardiwala while hearing COVID-19 related suo

HIGH-POWERED COMMITTEE TO DECIDE: MOS HOME The state government was under pressure after the Gujarat High Court reprimanded it on Wednesday, for failing to issue a notice on community service for COVID-19 protocol violators. In the evening, Minister of State for Home Pradipsinh Jadeja told mediapersons that a high-powered committee headed

by Chief Minister Vijay Rupani will take a decision on the court’s direction of community service punishment.

The order comes after a surge in cases and insensitivity shown by citizens towards the COVID-19 protocol —FILE PHOTO

motu, observed, “The state must come out with a policy or order directing that all those caught not wearing face covers/masks shall be listed for community service and it will be assigned to them depending upon the nature of

services such violators can extend. We accordingly direct the state to forthwith come up with the notification under the relevant statutes providing that, in addition to imposition of fine, any person found not wearing face cover/

mask to render community service.”

The court further noted, “Instead of taking a stand on the issue, the state has declined to address this issue. Such a stance is unfortunate considering that it is the state Turn to P6

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

AHMEDABAD | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 03, 2020

FIR LODGED AGAINST FORMER MLA FOR VIOLATION OF NCOV PROTOCOL

02

State informs HC that police officer on duty has been suspended; 18 people arrested

Tapi SP Sujata Majmudar

First India Bureau Ahmedabad: The state government has informed the Gujarat High Court that a criminal complaint has been lodged against the organizer of former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA from Songadh constituency Kanti Gamit’s granddaughter’s engagement ceremony, where hundreds of people gathered on Monday night. The police officer responsible for the negligence has also been suspended from duty and 18 people, including Gamit have been arrested.

After Minister of State for Home Pradipsinh Jadeja ordered an inquiry into the social event, a First Information Report (FIR) has been registered against Kanti’s son Jitu Gamit, who had organized the engagement ceremony and Tulsi Vivah, where people had participated with-

out face masks and violated social distancing norms.

Tapi district Superintendent of Police (SP) Sujata Majmudar told mediapersons that she was on leave when the incident occurred.

Upon resuming her duties, she leapt into action and 18 persons were arrested in connection with the case including former MLA Kanti Gamit. Moreover, IPC Section 308 has also been invoked in the FIR making the offence nonbailable.

Police sub-inspector CK Chaudhary and constable Aniruddhsinh Solanki, who were on duty have both been suspended with immediate effect.

Taking media reports about the event into consideration, the court’s first division bench questioned the state government on its inaction in punishing such violators. In response, Advocate Gen-

—FILE PHOTO

The gathering at the social event organized by the Gamit family.

eral Kamal Trivedi submitted before the court that the police officer responsible for the over-

Hundreds of guests had attended BJP MLA Kanti Gamit’s granddaughter’s engagement without masks or social distancing on Monday night.

look had been suspended and that a criminal complaint had been

lodged against the organizers.

The complaint lodged under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) includes sections on disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant, whoever unlawfully or negligently does any act which is, and which he knows or has reason to believe to be, likely to spread the infection of any disease dangerous to life, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to six months, or with fine, or

with both, malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life.

Under the Disaster Management Act, the section that pertains to refusal to comply with any direction given by or on behalf of the central government or the state government or the National Executive Committee or the State Executive Committee or the District Authority shall on conviction be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year, has also been invoked.

Complaint lodged for inauguration of church

S

ongadh police have also registered a case against two people namely Arvind Gamit and Ramesh Gamit for inaugurating a church in Songadh.

Both accused had also organized prayers, which had been attended by a number of followers, violating

the COVID-19 Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). The case has been registered under the sections of the IPC including disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant, whoever unlawfully or negligently does any act which is, and which he

knows or has reason to believe ato be, likely to spread the infection of any disease dangerous to life, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to six months, and also sections of the Disaster Management Act.

If polls for both vacant seats are held on the same day, both political powers may gain one more member in the upper house

HC ASKS GOVT TO ISSUE BJP & Cong may induct COMMUNITY SERVICE NOTICE

one candidate each to RS

Citizens who do not wear face masks or maintain social distancing in public will be liable for community service. —FILE PHOTO

First India Bureau Ahmedabad: The Gujarat High Court has directed the government to issue a notification underlining terms of the community service punishment to be meted out to violators of the COVID-19 protocol. It also asked the state to ensure that the names of people penalized for neglecting to wear face masks when stepping out of their homes, must be made public record and widely reported in the media as well as social media platforms. This is to ensure that they are warned of their

The court advised a service period of 5 to 15 days for violators.

fate if they do not wear masks or maintain social distancing.

As per the order, any person found without a face mask/ covering in a public place and/or violating the COVID protocol of social distancing, shall be mandated to do community service

at any COVID care centre run by local authorities. The mandate of community service is to be implemented for all violators without any discrimination, favourable or otherwise.

“The duties entrusted to the violator should be non-

medical in nature and may include activities such as cleaning, housekeeping, assistance with cooking and serving food, preparation of record, data feeding, among others. The nature of the duties shall be appropriately decided by the authorities, considering the age, qualifications, gender and health status of the violator,” remarked the court.

The duration of the community service shall range from 5 to 15 days for at least 4-6 hours daily, as deemed fit by concerned authorities, it added.

First India Bureau Ahmedabad: After the demise of two Rajya Sabha MPs from the state- Ahmed Patel and Abhay Bhardwaj - within a week’s time, an election will be conducted in the state.

After Patel’s demise, the Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) was all poised to call for an election without any delay on December 16, to gain one more seat in the upper house of the parliament. Currently, around 11 seats are occupied by Gujarat MLAs, of which, six are from the BJP, and three

from the Congress, leaving two seats vacant.

“Earlier, the BJP wanted the election to be scheduled on December 16. But after Bhardwaj’s death, there is a possibility that the election will take some more time. Taking the current scenario into consideration, it looks like both the parties can send one member to the Rajya Sabha,” said a source privy to the development.

Currently, there are 180 MLAs whose votes will be counted. The counting of votes will be conducted as per the total number of MLAs

plus one, which will then be divided by two and one number will be added to the result.

If election for the two seats is held on different dates then BJP may strengthen its position and win both the seats.

The party will need seven more MLAs on their side to gain both vacancies.

But, as the terms of both the deceased candidates had not been near completion--Patel was to complete his term in 2023 and Bhardwaj’s term was due to end in 2026-- there are chances that the BJP may issue notification

on a different date as they did for the empty seats of Amit Shah and Smriti Irani during the election in 2017.

“I believe that both the party candidates can get to the RS, if election is held on one day. All eyes will be on the verdict of December 8, when hearing on the case of S Jaishankar will be held,” added the source. The pleas have also raised the issue of Election Commission’s (EC) power on the issuance of separate notifications for holding bypolls for casual and regular vacancies in the Rajya Sabha.

GUJARAT AHMEDABAD | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2020

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

AMC leadership team unlikely to get extension when term ends Current stint draws to a close mid-December, but elections will only take place next year First India Bureau Ahmedabad: With the term of the current leadership team at the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation drawing to a close in less than two weeks, there is some confusion over who will run the city until the next body is elected.

Elections in six municipal corporations, 56 municipalities, 31 district panchayats, and 230 taluka panchayats of Gujarat were to be held in November.

However, when it announced their postponement, the state election commission said it would review the pandemic situation in March before making any decisions on when the elections would be held.

Ahmedabad is among the six municipal corporations that will witness a battle for the top spots.

The anticipated vacuum at the top has

UNCERTAIN TIMES

—FILE PHOTO

Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation.

the current leadership chaffing at the bit for an extension, at least until the election results come in.

“They are making serious efforts to convince top leaders for an extension since they do not want an administrator to be appointed to manage the AMC,” a person familiar with the situation within the AMC

told First India.

However, their efforts might have been in vain.

Given that the term of other municipal corporation and panchayats are also ending on December 14, the government is in a dilemma in appointing administrators all around.

“The government does not want to

give the Congress— which rules many Panchayats—an equal opportunity or extra time. At the same time, the state government does not have enough senior officials to appoint someone to each body. Generally, civic bodies like AMC have a chief secretary as an administrator,”

the person added.

The next week is expected to bring some clarity on the issue.

“The picture regarding the appointment of an administrator or an extension for the current team will be more clear in the next week. However, at this point in time, an extension looks increasingly unlikely.”

V’dara man arrested for raping minor daughter First India Bureau Vadodara: Personnel from the Vadodara rural police arrested a man late on Tuesday evening for raping his minor daughter over the course of nine months. The child’s mother, who filed the complaint against her husband, said he had also threatened to kill her, and their son and daughter.

Bhadarwa police arrested Farooqsha Diwan on Tuesday evening after registering his wife’s complaint against him.

The child’s mother only learned about the repeated crime after the girl missed her period, worrying her mother.

The complainant told the police that, when she questioned

her daughter, she learnt that the child had been raped by her father for the past nine months. She also found out that he had threatened her against revealing his crime.

In her complaint, the man’s wife also told the police that he had tried to keep her from approaching the police. “He threatened

First India Bureau Surat: As many as 60 diamond artisans of Shree Shakti James Diamond Company of Varachha area held a protest at the Surat Police Commissioner’s office on

Wednesday, where they submitted a complaint that their employers had not paid them for the past six months.

The workers are due about Rs30 lakh. However, instead of paying their employees, Vipul

Visually-impaired members of the Blind People’s Association in Ahmedabad’s Vastrapur area, perform the intricate task of weaving corded seats for chairs on Wednesday, the eve of the International Day of Disabled Persons 2020.

—PHOTO BY HANIF SINDHI

AMC’s elected wing has had issues with both Nehra (left) and Kumar.

ing trommel machine tenders. The recruitment of addition engineer is also on hold for the same reason.

Nehra did not have an easy time of it either.

During his tenure when the mayor Bijal Patel asked to accept a memorandum regarding a missing cow, Nehra went to Happy Street and asked his subordinate not to accept the same. In another incident, Nehra allegedly failed to follow due process when buying subsidized electric buses, de-

spite protestations from the transport manager.

Nehra managed to hold on to its position for a while, despite repeated complaints from the AMC’s BJP team, since their whining had already caused one commissioner—Nehra’s predecessor and now successor, Kumar—to be shunted out. The BJP members had alleged that Kumar never listened to them and did as he pleased. These were the same allegations levelled against Nehra, when he was in office.

Kakadia and Alpesh Kadathia—the owners of the diamond unit located in the Matawadi area of Varachha—decided to down shutters and go on the run. As a result, the artisans to their issue to the police commissioner.

ABLE AND WILLING

—FILE PHOTO

Ahmedabad: The office-bearers of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation seem to have a problem with authority—specifically, whoever is in the position of municipal commissioner. Since the mayor, deputy mayor, and standing committee chairman took office in mid2017, the city has seen multiple changes in the commissioner’s seat: Mukesh Kumar is now in his second innings, and former commissioner Vijay Nehra.

What stands out is the lack of proper coordination between the elected wing and administrative wing of the civic body. The elected wing has a lot of problems with the Commissioner Kumar, due to which, sources say, the team has been dragging its collective feet in approv-

to kill me and our son and daughter if I went to the police,” she said, adding, “He must pay for what he has done.

He cannot be allowed to go scot-free.”

A Bhadarwa Police Sub-Inspector arrested the accused, Farooqsha Diwan, and has sent both him and the victim to a hospital for medical examinations.

Diamond workers protest over dues

On loop: AMC office-bearers vs municipal commissioner Gargi Raval

03

State sees another 1,512 fresh cases of nCoV First India Bureau Gandhinagar: After a slight dip on Tuesday, Gujarat again recorded more than 1,500 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday.

With as many as 1,512 fresh cases emerging across the state in a 24-hour span, the

1,512 cases, 14 fatalities take state tally to 2,12,769 cases, toll to 4,018 state’s tally of COVID-19 is firmly beyond the two-lakh mark.

The state also saw 14

more deaths, eight in Ahmedabad, three in Surat and one each in Gandhinagar, Rajkot, and Sabarkantha, taking the death toll to 4,018.

There are currently 14,813 active patients across Gujarat, with 93 patients on ventilators, the health department said. It added that the

state has achieved a recovery rate of 91.15%, based on the number of patients discharged so far.

Among the districts, Ahmedabad topped the chart with the highest number (325) of fresh cases.

Cases also emerged in Surat (252), Vadodara (176),

Rajkot (153), Mehsana (74), Kheda (42), Gandhinagar (42), Jamnagar (45), Banaskantha (44), Kutch (28), Morbi (27), Panchmahal (22) Amreli (20), and Mahisagar (11), among others.

In the last 24 hours, the state has tested 79,63,653 samples.

SLOW CRAWL BACK

Guj economy, revenue collection recovering, but numbers still low 

State saw 11% year-on-year growth in November, but total of the first eight months of the current fiscal is 27% less than last year

First India Bureau Gandhinagar: The state’s economic recovery is clearly visible in the gradual increase in revenue collection. However, so far, it is still 27% lower than that of the first eight months of the last fiscal.

Sources from the Finance Department said that the state has collected Rs7,566 crore this November—a 11% increase from the

Rs6,805 crore collected in November 2019.

However, if we look at revenue collection, the state has collected just Rs31,000 crore in the first eight months of the current financial year, against the Rs43,000 crore, for the same period last year.

Similarly, GST income for the April-November period this fiscal was Rs17,500 crore—a 27% year-on-year decrease the Rs22,500 crore collected in the first eight

Shopping malls are still largely empty.

—FILE PHOTO

months of 20219-20.

Trade and industry in Gujarat had come to a standstill following the lockdown, which was imposed by the Centre in March to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Its cascading effects were seen as recently as August, after which the state’s trade and industry began to recover.

The state suffered a loss of Rs14,000 crore in the first two months of

fiscal 2021, but slowly began to crawl towards normalcy in July.

Customarily, Rs600 crore of the state’s monthly revenue collection comes from stamp duty, while VAT from petrol, diesel and gas contributes Rs2,400 crore. Similarly, Motor Vehicle Tax accounts for Rs450 crore in revenue, while electricity duties account for Rs600 crore. All of these bring the total to Rs4,050 crore. Other in-

come was from GST and compensation from CGST. The state had presented a revenue receipt of Rs1,49,827.45 crore in its revised budget estimate for 2019-20. This year, it expects that the revenue receipt will be Rs1,62,447.46 crore in the current financial year. From these revenue receipts, the state had planned expenditure to the tune of Rs1,61,658.07 crore.

PERSPECTIVE AHMEDABAD | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2020

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

IN-DEPTH

PFIZER FIRST OFF THE BLOCK AS BRITAIN DEPLOYS VACCINE

B

ritain has become the first country in the world to allow American and German pharmaceutical company PfizerBioNTech’s Covid-19 vaccine to be administered to high priority groups like hospital staff and the elderly across England. Britain’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) granted emergency use approval for the vaccine which is said to have a proven efficacy of 95 per cent. The approval in record time has made Pfizer and its German biotechnology partner win the global race for a vaccine. The vaccine will be available in the UK in a week’s time during which the government will have to develop logistical support like extremely low temperature and the vaccine’s high price to make it affordable. The other disadvantage with this vaccine is that it is effective for six months only.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson hailed his government’s decision. “It’s fantastic. The vaccine will begin to be made available across the UK from next week. It’s the protection of vaccines that will ultimately allow us to reclaim our lives and get the economy moving again,” Johnson said. Britain gave the regulatory clearance in 23 days of the Pfizer publishing its final clinical trial data.

Britain won the race over the US where the outgoing President Donald Trump has refused to acknowledge the gravity of the Covid crisis despite the virus having killed 277,071 persons. With positive cases standing at a humongous 14, 113, 667 the United States is the worst- affected country by coronavirus. With a recalcitrant Trump refusing to facilitate transfer of power to the President-elect Joe Biden there is no authority in Washington to deploy any vaccine candidate, whether it is by Pfizer or Moderna.

Yet Americans won’t be the first to get the vaccine developed by the US-based company.

President could have also ordered emergency use of the Pfizer vaccine but for a grudge he holds against the pharma giant. Last month Trump had accused Pfizer and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of denying him a “vaccine win” by withholding the announcement on the Covid vaccine.

Trump claimed that he removed a large number of obstacles to hasten the vaccine’s development.

In India a race is on between the Serum Institute of India’s Covishield and Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin. Both the candidates are in the final stages of clinical trial and should be available for a roll-out early next year. As of now Covishield appears to have an edge over Covaxin despite the setback due to a reported adverse medical reaction on a volunteer. As the quantum of vaccines required in the country is not known, both Covishield and Covaxin could get regulatory approval depending on their data at the end of third phase trials.

LIVING IN THE SHADOW OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE DR GS SANDHU

THE AUTHOR IS A RETIRED IAS, RAJASTHAN

R

Stanford University is at the forefront of AI research with annual budget of $ 6.5 billion. Not to be left behind China has decided to chase the AI future.

Starting as copycats for over 15 years they have developed their own form of entrepreneurship and technology.

ecently I came across a fascinating news item about how scientists are using artificial intelligence (AI) to research past and present smells of Europe to identify and trace their link to language, places, cultural practices and emotions. This made me curious to know more about AI. My limited research on this subject was an eye-opener.

Whether it is Google search engine or Facebook feed or Instagram AI is impacting us everywhere. Tesla cars are so much in the news, they drive by themselves using AI. Cameras and ultrasonic sensors fitted on them act like human eyes and ears through which they get data, spot other cars, read road signs, know about faraway objects and are able to park safely.

Data from hundreds and thousands of Tesla cars is fed into a central system and used for improving software to make the cars safer and better.

A glimpse of how AI is going to change the world radically is the development of GPT (Generative Pre-training), a language model which is considered the biggest leap in AI- it is being developed by a company called OpenAI based out of San Francisco. Trained on massive data on the net, GPT produces text, poetry, translation, design, technical manuals, code and much more whenever a topic is fed into it. The third version, GPT-3, with 175 billion parameters, has been released recently and is in beta testing. It is able to comment and predict replies and responses like humans- imagine humans being replaced by a software for writing on any subject. The University of Nottingham is doing a project wherein AI is being trained to predict death due to chronic disease. And then AI being used for digital news anchors, visual effects in movies, creating most-photo realistic digital characters with feature film qualities, actors playing younger role et al. Berkley University is using professional

dancers to animate a regular person who cannot dance like that.

CAN AI SURPASS HUMAN BEINGS? Two examples where AI has excelled human beings:

AI CAN MARSHALL A VAST AMOUNT OF DATA BEYOND ANYTHING ANY HUMAN COULD HANDLE AND USE IT TO TEACH ITSELF ABOUT THE OUTCOME

z IBM machine Watson defeated

Kane and Brat, two champions on US live TV quiz show called Jeopardy. Watson made use of massive information from the Internet including Wikipedia. z Google’s AlphaGO, a computer programme, beat one of the worlds leading Go players, Lee Sedol of Korea. The machine, fed with all kinds of go-games designed to teach itself, came up with creative moves. It was a form of AI called deep learning that mimics the neural networks of the human brain.

The great potential of AI has triggered varying reactions from total optimism to dystopia.

Stephen Hawking- ‘Development of full AI could spell the end of the human race’ Elon Musk- ‘Rampant AI is the biggest existential threat facing mankind’ Humans cannot be dispensed with but certainly we need to adapt to the changing situation.

As Elon Musk further says - AI can be the best or worst thing for the humans. It creates powerful computing that can solve problems, spot patterns to help find health cures, robots can do things better than human beings. What happens when machines surpass human intelligence? The point is if weapons

are regulated so should be AI. Ultimately AI will follow the will of people that programmed it and people need to fully understand this and realize the impact of AI on humans.

TWO AI SUPERPOWERS So far Silicon Valley has been the epicentre of the digital revolution with AI as the buzzword.

Stanford University is at the forefront of AI research with annual budget of $ 6.5 billion . Not to be left behind China has decided to chase the AI future.

Starting as copycats for over 15 years they have developed their own form of entrepreneurship and technology. The US is ahead in technology and may be the first to deploy autonomous vehicles but it will be China popularizing them. Seeing the importance of AI, Mr Xi has declared that China would catch up with the US in AI by 2025 and lead the world by 2030. Today China leads in e-commerce with drones to

Designing vaccines for people, not profits R

ecent announcements of demonstrated efficacy in COVID-19 vaccine trials have brought hope that a return to normality is in sight.

The preliminary data for Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna’s novel mRNA vaccines are highly encouraging, suggesting that their approval for emergency use is forthcoming. And more recent news of effectiveness (albeit at a slightly lower rate) in a vaccine from AstraZeneca and University of Oxford has fueled optimism that even more breakthroughs are on their way.

In theory, the arrival of a safe and effective vaccine would represent the beginning of the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. In reality, we are not even at the end

04

of the beginning of delivering what is needed: a “people’s vaccine” that is equitably distributed and made freely available to all who need it.

To be sure, the work to create vaccines in a matter of months deserves praise.

Humanity has made a monumental technological leap forward. But the springboard was decades of massive public investment in research and development.

Most of the leading vaccine candidates prime the immune system’s defenses against the viral “spike protein,” an approach made possible through years of research at the US National Institutes of Health. More immediately, BioNTech has received $445 million from the German government, and Moderna has received $1

million from the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations and more than $1 billion from the US Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority and the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. The AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine has received more than £1 billion ($1.3 billion) of public funding.

But for technological ad-

vances to translate into Health for All, innovations that are created collectively should be governed in the public interest, not for private profit. This is especially true when it comes to developing, manufacturing, and distributing a vaccine in the context of a pandemic.

No country acting alone can resolve this crisis.

That is why we need vac-

cines that are universally and freely available. And yet, the current innovation system prioritizes the interests of high-income countries over those of everyone else, and profits over public health.

The first step toward a people’s vaccine is to ensure full transparency of the clinical-trial results, which would enable independent and timely assessments of safety and efficacy. The publication of scanty, preliminary data through corporate press releases is meant for financial markets, not the public-health community. This practice sets a bad precedent.

While pharmaceutical share prices surge, health professionals and the public are left second-guessing the reported results. As more details about the

flaws in clinical trial design and implementation for the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine emerge, so do the calls for open science and immediate sharing of protocols and results.

In addition, critical questions about the leading vaccine candidates remain unanswered. Responding to political and economic pressure in highincome countries, pharmaceutical companies are rushing their vaccine candidates across the finish line.

Accordingly, they have designed their phase-three clinical trials to deliver the quickest possible positive read-out, rather than addressing more relevant questions such as whether the vaccine prevents infection or just protects against the disease.

WWW.PROJECT-SYNDICATE.ORG

deliver goods in villages, its society has bypassed credit cards with currency being facial recognition. There are already 17-18 unicorns in AI in China, the new generation of tech startups financed by China’s venture capitalists. No other country has moved that fast. China is now building a new city, the size of Chicago, enabled with autonomous driving and a new highway with sensors for safer autonomous vehicles. China has lot more users than any other country, 10 times more data than the USA- more data helps AI working. In the age of AI where data is the new oil, China is considered the new Saudi Arabia.

They use AI to predict creditworthiness of a person wanting a short term loan. Loan approvals takes just 8 seconds with 5000 features relating to the person as AI digs up features which are never visible to human beings.

AI can marshall a vast amount of data beyond anything any human could handle and use it to teach itself about the outcome.

There are endless possibilities with AI revolution sweeping the world-also called the 4th industrial revolution. India too need to catch up fast in developing AI despite many challenges. Hopefully with greater digital inclusion and push from Government and industry AI can play a significant role in finding solutions to complex problems and in augmenting growth of the economy.

THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL

Top

TWEET Prakash Javadekar @PrakashJavdekar Our government led by PM Shri @narendramodi has ensured that farmers are paid remunerative prices & that hike in MSP increases substantially with every passing year.The welfare of our farmers is our top priority.#MSPhaiAurRahega Dharmendra Pradhan @dpradhanbjp Climate change & the energy sector are closely intertwined and navigating energy transitions while meeting emission goals is a challenging task.Through infusion of technology & investments we can drive sustainability in the Indian energy sector & propel towards a net zero future.

Spiritual SPEAK

Strive to still your thoughts.

Make your mind one-pointed in meditation.

—The Bhagavad Gita

Vol 2 Issue No. 9 RNI NO. GUJENG/2019/16208. Printed and published by Anita Hada Sangwan on behalf of First Express Publishers. Printed at Bhaskar Printing Planet Survey No.148P, Changodar-Bavla Highway, Tal. Sanand, Dist. Ahmedabad.

Published at D/302 3rd Floor Plot No. 35 Titanium Square, Scheme No. 2, Thaltej Taluka, Ghatlodiya, Ahmedabad. Editor-In-Chief: Jagdeesh Chandra. Editor: Anita Hada Sangwan responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act

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

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

INDIA AHMEDABAD | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2020

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

‘GDP growth to enter positive territory in Q4’

Economy is coming out of pandemic-hit degrowth phase, says Rajiv New Delhi: The Indian economy is coming out of the pandemicinduced degrowth and GDP growth will enter the positive territory in the fourth quarter of this fiscal, Niti Aayog Vice-Chairman Rajiv Kumar said on Wednesday.

In an interview to PTI, Kumar also said the Centre's new agriculture reform laws are aimed at increasing the income of farmers and the present agitation was a result of misunderstanding and miscommunication which need to be removed.

"The second quarter GDP figure (contraction of 7.5 per cent) reflects that the economy is coming out of this

And the fourth quarter will show a small but positive growth over the previous year because the government has used this period for ushering in many structural reforms and some more are in the pipeline.

—Rajiv Kumar, Niti Aayog Vice-Chairman

India will drive growth in global energy demand: Pradhan New Delhi: India will drive the growth in global energy demand and an indigenous pathway has been laid to meet growing energy needs, said Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas on Wednesday.

While addressing the 'Vision 2030 for oil and gas sector for an Aatmanirbhar Bharat' webinar, Pradhan also spoke about the transformative shift in India's oil and gas sector and its stride towards greater self-reliance.

"India will drive the growth in global energy demand. We have laid

Dharmendra Pradhan

out an indigenous pathway to meet the growing energy needs while ensuring energy sustainability and self-reliance. Also, spoke about India's stride towards a gas-based economy, policy reforms in the hydrocarbon sector, leveraging technology to develop new & renewable

NEW APPOINTMENT

BV Srinivas appointed as President of Indian Youth Congress. Srinivas (left) along with youth Congress national incharge Krishna Allavaru attended Social Media State Coordinators meeting earlier in nov 24.

forms of energy. Ensuring clean fuel for our citizens will not only create a greener society but also drive greater self-reliance," the Union Minister tweeted.

He said that the days of monopoly were gone and with new policy reforms, a new wave of growth was expected in the country. "The days of monopoly is gone.

With policy reforms, new business models, level-playing field, greater involvement of startups, diversification of energy sources, India is set to ride the next wave of growth," Pradhan said.—ANI

pandemic-induced degrowth phase and my expectation is that in the third quarter, we will achieve the same level of economic activity as the year ago period.

"And the fourth quarter will show a small but positive growth over the previous year because the government has used this period for ushering in many structural reforms and some more are in the pipeline," he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah wished the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Jagat Prakash Nadda on his birthday on Wednesday.

Demolition row: Kangana moves Supreme Court, files caveat

Kangana Ranaut

New Delhi: After the Bombay high court set aside Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation notice to actor Kangana Ranaut regarding “illegal construction” at her office premises and called it “nothing but malice in law”, the actor moved the Supreme Court and filed a caveat in the case. —ANI

RSS chief to visit Bihar for 2 days from Dec 4 Patna: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat will visit Patna for 2 days to participate in its meeting on December 4.

Vinesh Prasad, chief of RSS Bihar unit, told that Bhagwat will stay in Patna. "It is an internal 'Mandal Karyakarini' meeting of the RSS on December 4. Such a meeting is held in Nagpur. Due to coronavirus pandemic, separate meetings are being organised in various states. RSS members of Bihar will take part in

Mohan Bhagwat

the December 4 meeting," Prasad said. RSS members from West Bengal and other eastern states will also participate in this meeting.

Bhagwat's Bihar visit comes in the wake of political buzz about the RSS trying to spread its wings in Bihar and WB.

‘Convene winter session of Parliament’ New Delhi: Former Union Minister and Congress MP Manish Tewari on Wednesday urged the Central Government to convene the winter session of Parliament as soon as possible to resolve the issues of farmers and to deliberate on matters of Chinese incursion, and rising COVID-19 cases in the country.

Taking to Twitter, the Former Union Minister and Congress MP Manish Tewari said, "Farmers have besieged Delhi, Economy is officially in recession, Chinese continues to encroach upon over 1000 square kilometres of our land, COVID cases are at 95 lakhs with 1.38 lakhs dead in 8 months. GOVT NEEDS TO CONVENE THE WINTER SESSION OF PARLIAMENT ASAP WITHOUT DELAY."

PM Modi wishes BJP president JP Nadda on b’day New Delhi: "Many congratulations to BJP National President JP Nadda ji on his birthday.

Under his skilled and inspiring leadership, the party is constantly touching new heights. I wish they always be healthy and longevity," the Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted in Hindi.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah also wished the BJP chief healthy and long life.

"Happy Birthday to Shri JP Nadda ji, Honorable National President of Bharatiya Janata Party. Under your leadership, the party is constantly moving ahead with strength. I pray to God for your healthy life and longevity," tweeted Shah (roughly translated

JP Nadda

from Hindi).

As per the official website of the BJP, Nadda, who originally hails from Himachal Pradesh, was born on 2 December 1960 in Patna, Bihar. After completing his BA from Patna University, he studied LL.B from Himachal Pradesh University. He actively participated in various movements run by Jai Prakash Narayan during his young age. —ANI

06

Sushil files nomination for RS by-election Patna: Veteran BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi on Wednesday filed his nomination papers for by-election to a Rajya Sabha seat in Bihar which has been necessitated by the death of Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan.

Modi filed his nomination papers at the Patna Commissioner office in presence of a host of leaders of the ruling NDA, most notable being Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, whose deputy he had been for more than a decade, sharing an excellent rapport that has been a stuff of legend in the states political circles. 'I have come here to congratulate my former colleague.

He is currently an MLC and formerly been a member of the Lok Sabha and an MLA before that.

IN THE COURTYARD

SC refuses to entertain plea for reforms in law on rape and injuries New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to pass any direction on a plea, filed in the backdrop of the Hathras incident, seeking reforms in the laws concerning rape and grievous injuries, but asked the petitioner to file a representation before the Central government for the same.

A bench headed by Justice NV Ramana said the court can not

make legislation and asked the petitioner, advocate Kirti Ahuja, to file representation before the Central govermment.

The petiitoner's counsel told the court that after the Hathras incident a lot of peo-

ple searched for the victim online and added that even her (victim's) photograph was uploaded on internet.

During the hearing, Justice Ramana observed that these issues have nothing to do with law.

"People want to do such things. There is a right to freedom of speech and expression. Already there are enough laws for this. —ANI

New Delhi: A Supreme Court bench led by CJI AS Bobde questioned the need for straight roads if their construction involved felling trees, and argued why roads could not be zig zag as that would also reduce speed and thus prevent accidents and save lives. The SC bench was listening to a plea

by UP government to fell 2,940 trees for the Krishna Govardhan Road project in Mathura. As per a veteran journalist, the UP PWD had filed an application in 2017 for cutting down the trees & Central Empowered Committee has already given clearance.

Showik & Rhea Chakraborty

agencies plea seeking more time to obtain report on Letters Rogatory from the UK and Singapore in relation to their ongoing probe in the matter and said “it is lingering on unnecessarily”.

The court expressed displeasure over delay in completion of probe in the Aircel-Maxis case and adjourned the matter.

tion further rather than checking it. At this juncture, our interference is necessary considering the spread of the virus.

Every minute, every hour, every day matters. Any lethargy or inaction today may result in putting the lives of millions at risk.”

It also added, “We do not find any good reason why the state cannot draw out a mechanism/modalities or a guiding procedure for such measures. We had observed in one of our previous orders that if we are

alive today it is only on account of the efforts of the state and its instrumentalities.

One must not forget that the state is after all a welfare state. The foundation of the existence of the state lies in protecting its people and making the best possible efforts for their well being.

We can understand that the government may require some reasonable time to develop the modalities or mechanism to ensure implementation of such community services by the violators.”

Karti and P Chidambaram

New Delhi: A special court in Delhi granted Enforcement Directorate and Central Bureau of Investigation time till February 1, to complete the probe in the Aircel-Maxis case involving former Union minister P Chidambaram, his son Karti Chidambaram and others. Special Judge Ajay Kumar Kuhar allowed both the

Rhea’s brother Showik gets bail 3 months after arrest

Mumbai: A Mumbai court on Wednesday granted bail to actress Rhea Chakraborty's brother Showik Chakraborty, who was arrested in a drugs case linked to actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death.

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) had arrested Showik Chakraborty in September this year under provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. Special NDPS court judge G B Gurao granted bail to him on Wednesday on a personal bond of Rs 50,000.

In his bail plea, Showik Chakraborty had relied on a recent Supreme Court judgment which said that "confessional statements" made to NCB officials cannot be considered as evidence. —PTI

Delhi court grants ED, CBI time till February 1

‘No need to cut trees; roads can be zigzag’

DRUGS CASE

FROM PG 1 UK takes...

The world’s big powers have been racing for a vaccine for months in an attempt to be first to begin the long road to recovery.

The approval of a vaccine for use almost exactly a year since the novel coronavirus emerged in Wuhan, China, is a triumph for science, Pfizer boss Albert Bourla and his German biotechnology partner BioNTech.

China has already given emergency approval for three experimental vaccines and has inoculated around

1 million people since July. Russia has been vaccinating frontline workers after approving its Sputnik V shot in August before it had completed latestage testing on safety and efficacy.

But the European Union’s drug regulator said on Wednesday that its longer approval process for COVID-19 vaccines was safer, as it was based on more evidence and checks that the emergency procedure chosen by Britain.

British leaders said that, while they would love to get a jab them-

selves, priority had to be given to those most in need - the elderly, those in care homes and health workers.

Amit Shah... for a committee to discuss the contentious farm laws against which they have been holding massive protests near Delhi.

The protest - the biggest by farmers in years - has entered the seventh day, with thousands of people from several states camped out on the outskirts of Delhi. “The farmers had given clause-wise

objection (to the farm laws) in writing to the government in October itself. But on Thursday, it will be given in writing again. Going by Tuesday’s meeting, we don’t think the government is in a mood to withdraw the laws.

The government wants farmers to fight among themselves,” a farmer leader said after the first round of meeting today. Farmers’ groups will meet again shortly, with more groups joining in.

A key route in east Delhi, connecting the

capital to Noida in Uttar Pradesh has been closed as around 300 farmers from different parts of Uttar Pradesh continued their sit-in at the Noida-Delhi border for the second day. The protesting farmers said big groups are on their way to Delhi from UP’s Agra and Etawah. The crowd at the Delhi-Noida border is much smaller as compared other other border points.

The Delhi traffic police has asked people to use alternate routes to travel to Noida.

Guj HC... which is required to act in the most proactive manner in such times. The state has left us with no option but to issue certain directions, considering the gravity and enormity of the situation.”

Disappointed with the government’s submission, the court remarked, “The gradual decline in figures both in number of positive cases and of phone calls to the helpline numbers is just marginal and not significant. If we grant a week’s time, it may only worsen the situa-

TALKING POINT AHMEDABAD | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 03, 2020

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

07

Australian law report misses chance to go beyond ‘no means no’ in sexual consent cases

YES s n a e m YES Jonathan Crowe Professor of Law, Bond University Rachael Burgin Lecturer in Law, Swinburne University of Technology

T

he New South Wales Law Reform Commission in Australia has released its recommendations for reform of the state’s sexual con-

sent laws.

After a process lasting more than twoand-a-half years, the report is a disappointment to survivors and advocates seeking comprehensive reforms.The review was sparked by the advocacy of Saxon Mullins, the complainant in the high-profile rape case of Luke Lazarus.

A jury found Lazarus guilty of rape in 2015, but his conviction was overturned on appeal. He was then acquitted in a judgeonly trial. An appeal court found a legal error in the judge’s reasoning, but ruled it would be “oppressive” for Lazarus to face a third trial.

Become a monthly donor and support independent media in Australia. The Lazarus case highlighted the complexity of consent law in NSW after two trial judges applied the law incorrectly. However, the Law Reform Commission report fails to address the main concerns raised by the case.

Importantly, the reforms would not require defendants to try to find out whether a person wants to have sex before claiming they believed the person consented. This undermines attempts to enshrine affirmative consent in NSW law.

T

Mistaken belief in consent

T

he central issue in the Lazarus case was whether he believed on “reasonable grounds” that Mullins was consenting.

Judge Robyn Tupman ruled he did, because Mullins supposedly “did not say ‘stop’ or ‘no’” and “did not take any physical action” to resist him .

This approach is concer ning, since sexual assault victims often “freeze”, meaning they do not physically resist

Affirmative consent

he review aimed to promote an affir mative consent standard. This means consent must be active and ongoing throughout a sexual encounter. It is based on “yes means yes”, rather than simply “no means no”.

To this end, the report proposes new jury directions to address widespread misconceptions about sexual violence. It acknowledges the substantial body of peer-reviewed evidence showing the impact of “rape myths” on criminal trials.

The report recommends the law should expressly state a per-

son does not consent to sex if they do not say or do anything to indicate consent, as well as that a person does not consent simply because they don’t physically or verbally resist.

These changes could

help address cases where the victim freezes during an assault.

However, the lack of any positive steps requirement for mistaken belief in consent undermines the recommendations.

A defendant would be unable to argue the victim consented just because she didn’t say no. But the defendant could still use the victim’s lack of resistance to support an alleged mistaken belief in consent—as in the Lazarus case.

Peer-reviewed research has found defendants use mistaken belief arguments to introduce factors that can’t be relied on to establish consent—such as the victim’s lack of resistance, sexual history and social conduct.

A positive steps requirement is therefore fundamental to affirmative consent.

their attackers. Recent research shows defendants are more likely to allege a mistaken belief in consent where a victim freezes during the attack.

The NSW Court of Criminal Appeal decided the judge made a mistake in failing to discuss what (if any) steps Lazarus took to ascertain consent. However, even if she had addressed this issue, the result might not have changed.

NSW law does not require a defendant

to check whether the other person wants to have sex before alleging a mistaken belief. It merely says the court must consider any steps they took to do so.

This means anything the defendant did to ascertain consent, no matter how inadequate, can be used to support their alleged mistake.

However, a defend ant who did nothing to obtain consent can still be acquitted on this basis.

A survey by the NSW Law Reform

Commission found 77.5% of respondents agreed that: a person who does not take steps to check if their sexual partner consents should not be allowed to argue that they believe there was consent.

However, the review did not embrace this change. It cited concern for “the rights of accused persons”—even though a positive steps requirement has existed in Tasmania and Canada for more than 15 years without apparent problems.

Withdrawal of consent

T

he NSW Law R e f o r m Commission’s reforms would clarify that a person who consents to a particular sexual act doesn’t consent to a different act.

This would cover cases where a person covertly removes a condom during sex or switches to another type of sexual act without consent.

The report also recommends the law expressly state that a person may withdraw consent to sex by words or conduct at any time. This proposal might at first seem consistent with an af-

firmative consent standard.

However, the change would require a person to actively revoke consent once it is given. This is unrealistic where, for example, a person becomes un-

conscious during a sexual act or a consensual sexual interaction turns violent.

The proposal on withdrawal of consent has therefore been described as “a wolf in sheep’s clothing”. It

would undermine affirmative consent by placing the onus on victims to resist aggressive or non-consensual sexual behaviour.

The NSW Law Reform Commission’s recommendations are a missed opportunity for the state to lead the way in making affirmative consent the law.

Instead, after twoand-a-half years— and thousands of submissions and survey responses—the proposals still fall short of shifting responsibility for sexual violence onto the perpetrators.

SOURCE: THECONVERSATION.COM

Good health is a combination of a healthy mind and a healthy body and the only with both can one achieve the other.

2ND FRONT

—Jagdeesh Chandra, CEO & Editor, First India

AHMEDABAD | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2020

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

COVID-19 UPDATE

WORLD

INDIA

GUJARAT

14,93,596 6,45,32,619 1,38,627 95,31,109 4,018 2,12,769 DEATHS

MAHARASHTRA 47,357 DEATHS 18,32,176 CASES

CONFIRMED CASES

UTTAR PRADESH 7,788 DEATHS 5,45,545 CASES

DEATHS

CONFIRMED CASES

KARNATAKA 11,792 DEATHS 8,86,227 CASES

govt export, MSP policy in limbo

Indian Sugar Mills Association has stated that production likely fall to 20L tonnes this season NEW PRESSURES

Shishir Awasthi

DEATHS

DELHI 9,342 DEATHS 5,78,324 CASES

Sugar mills to gulp bitter pill, New Delhi: Even as sugar mills in the country, including as many as 15 in Gujarat, produced 42.9 lakh tonnes (lt) of sugar till November 30 that is up 52 per cent over last year, the millers apprehend the production is likely to fall by 20 lakh tonnes this season.

This is because there is a higher diversion of cane juice and B heavy molasses for producing ethanol this year. Besides this, according to the Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA), the average ex-mill sugar prices are falling in many western and southern States.

The association also pointed out holes in the government’s policies.

The millers added that, “The delayed export

CONFIRMED CASES

RAJASTHAN 2,350 DEATHS 2,72,400 CASES

ROOM MATE KILLED, ALL FOR TWO CHAPATIS & 5 KG FLOUR First India Bureau Vadodara: Vadodara police on Wednesday arrested one Dharmendrasinh Brindavan from Godhra for murdering his room partner, Setan Singh, over an argument over 2 chapatis quarrel on November 29. Singh succumbed to his injuries on Tuesday.

Complainant Om-

prakash Lodhi, a room partner, said 4 of them lived in a room Chetanbhai ni Chaul.

On November 27, when Setan Singh went for his dinner there were only 2 chapatis left for him and so he borrowed two more from the neighbours. On Sunday evening, Dharmendra told Singh that after he borrowed chapatis

caption caption caption caption caption caption caption

programme announcement by the government and no decision yet on increase of MSP (minimum selling price) of sugar had also put the domestic market under severe pressure.”

“This indicates pressure in the domestic market due to high opening balance and ex-

pected increase in production in the current season,” the ISMA said on Wednesday.

According to production figures released by the ISMA, Uttar Pradesh, where 111 sugar mills are in operation, produced 12.65 lt as compared to 11.46 lt in the same period in 2019-20 season, while

158 Maharashtra mills, currently crushing sugarcane, produced 15.72 lt (1.38 lt) Sugar production in Karnataka, where 63 sugar mills are operating at present, was 11.11 lt – almost double of last year’s same period production of 5.62 lt.

Both in Karnataka and Maharashtra fewer

First India Bureau

First India Bureau

Faisal Patel

from neighbours they had asked for 5 kg flour in return.

They had an argument over this and Dharmendra stabbed Singh, who died at the Sayaji hospital on Tuesday, after being referred from Bajwa health centre. Dharmendra was nabbed before he could flee to his native Madhya Pradesh.

BANK ON FIRE!

mills were in operation in the corresponding period last year because of a bad season.

Similarly, sugar production in Gujarat, which has 15 mills that are operating, till date was 1.65 lt, while 61 sugar mills in other States reported a cumulative production sugar production of 1.77 lt.

Fire broke out in Bank of India’s Ankur Crossroads Branch in Ahmedabad on Wednesday morning. The cause of the fire is stated to be a short circuit.

—PHOTO BY HANIF SINDHI

CM, his wife & many others Pal-Umra land losers demand compensation pay tributes to Bhardwaj Rajkot: A pall of gloom descended in Rajkot on Wednesday with several BJP and Congress leaders as well as scores of partymen converging here to pay their obeisance to BJP’s Rajya Sabha member Abhay Bhardwaj, 66, who lost his battle with Covid-19 and passed away on Tuesday. His last rites were performed at his native place Rajkot.

Bharadwaj, also a leading criminal lawyer, was tested Covid-19 positive on August 13 at the government run Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay civil hospital in Rajkot. His health kept deteriorating and was later airlifted to MGH Chennai hospital.

His body was flown to Ahmedabad and was later brought to Rajkot by road. The body was kept at his residence for

08

—FILE PHOTO Last rites of late RS member Abhay Bhardwaj performed in Rajkot.

people to pay tribute.

Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and his wife Anjali along with other MPs, MLAs and a large number of BJP workers from across Saurashtra were present to pay respect to the departed soul. Many senior Congress leaders and a large number of lawyers also reached there to pay their tribute. Bhardwaj was a close associate of Ru-

@mfaisalpatel Salaams. Thank you all for wanting to come pass on your condolences for Ahmed Patel ji. We will be in Delhi & can meet everyone 3rd December(Thursday) onwards everyday between 12-5 pm.

Regards, Mrs. A.Patel & Family.

pani.

Among the ministers who reached his home included Bhupendrasinh Chudasama, Jayesh Radadiya and R.C. Faldu, Member of Parliament Mohan Kundariya, MLAs Govind Patel, Arvind Ratani, Lakhabhai Sagathiya and State Assembly Speaker Rajendra Trivedi. Many Congress leaders were also present.

Surat: After two years of wait, 12 landowners whose houses were demolished by the Surat Municipal Corporation to complete the ambitious Pal to Umra bridge in the city have decided to approach the corporation with demands for compensation.

SMC officials said 95% work on the bridge, which is also part of a BRTS corridor, had already been completed two years ago but the later part was stalled after the land-losers moved the Gujarat High

Controversy over land for bridge.

Court.

The SMC had offered these families alternative land and suitable compensation, but they had preferred to approach the high court.

The high court ruled in favour of the SMC, stating the bridge was necessary for the city and gave time till November 29 to the owners to hand over their land.

But they did not do so.

With the deadline over on Monday, the SMC started demolishing the properties. Now, the land owners plan to move the SMC to pay them compensation.

—FILE PHOTO

Two more owners of Rajkot hospital held for negligence First India Bureau Rajkot: The Rajkot police on Wednesday arrested 2 more directors of the Gokul Life Care Private Limited (GLCPL), which runs the Uday Shivanand Covid Hospital where a fire on November 27 had left 5 Covid-19 patients dead allegedly due to negligence of the hospital administration.

Three other directors, also leading doctors, were arrested earlier.

The police said Dr Tejas Motivara (42) and Dr Digvijaysinh Jadeja (20) were formally arrested after their Covidtest reports came negative.

Investigating Officer J V Dhola said, “The doctors serving under Dr Motivaras and Dr Jadeja were treating Covid-19 patients in the hospital.

They have been arrested as there is a prima facie case of negligence by the hospital administration.”

The police investigation revealed that the emergency exit of the ICU was blocked by the hospital administration and that the hospital staff attempted to douse the fire but failed.

The investigation has also revealed that the ICU did not have proper air ventilation system as required by the National Building Code of India, 2016, and that its door was only a metre wide against the requirement of two-metre width.

Govt fast-tracks green clearance to bullet train The Railways have received key wildlife, forestry and coastal regulation zone clearances for the 508-km rail corridor First India Bureau New Delhi: The ambitious 508-km Ahmedabad-Mumbai High Speed Rail Corridor has received yet another key approval with the Indian Railways getting all the requisite wildlife, forestry and

coastal regulation zone clearances in Gujarat and Maharashtra.

Railway Board Chairman and CEO V.K. Yadav told a virtual press conference in Delhi that, “Requisite Wildlife, Forestry and Coastal Regulation Zone clearances in the state

A model of proposed bullet train.

of Gujarat and Maharashtra have been obtained.”

He said that out of 1,651 utilities, 1,070 have been shifted for the

High Speed Train Corridor.

Yadav said the railways had got 67 per cent of the land required for the Bullet train project.

Giving the break up of land acquired in Gujarat, he said, 825 hectare out of 956 hectare had been acquired, which is 86 per cent.

While in Maharashtra, the 97 hectare out of the 432 hectare of land has been acquired,

which is only 22 per cent of the total land required and 7 hectare out of 8 hectare land has been acquired in Dadra and Nagar Haveli.

He added the railways had floated the tenders worth Rs 32,000 crore in Gujarat for the ambitious project covering 325 km length of viaduct and five stations.

The project’s foundation stone was laid on September 14, 2017.

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

09

AHMEDABAD, THURSDAY DECEMBER 3, 2020

MADE IT TO THE TOP Aruna Beniwal, the First Runner-up of Miss Rajasthan 2019 from Jaipur, has made it to the top finalists of Femina Miss India 2020 and will be representing Rajasthan

Simran Sharma, Aruna Beniwal and Aanchal Bohra

NEHAL NAYAR

nehal.nayar@firstindia.co.in

T

he Pink City has been made proud once again, as Aruna Beniwal, Runner-up of Rajasthan’s oldest beauty pageant ‘Miss Rajasthan 2019’, has made it to the top finalists’ list of Femina Miss India 2020. After Suman Rao from Rajsamand, Rajasthan, Aruna will be representing Rajasthan in this national beauty pageant.

Yogesh and Nimisha Mishra from Fusion Group and mentors of Aruna stated, “Miss Rajasthan provides a big platform to the participants in the regional level and prepares them in such a way that they are able to make their place at the national and international levels. As a result of this, we are proud to say that Aruna will be representing ‘Miss Rajasthan’ in India, and will definitely be a strong contender for the crown this time.”

The Femina Miss India is a national beauty pageant in India that annually selects representatives to compete in Miss World, one of the biggest international beauty pageants. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, for the first time in history, the entire process of the contest will be held digitally.

Jagdeesh Chandra congratulating Aruna Beniwal

Aruna Beniwal, Nimisha and Yogesh Mishra, Kanchan Khatana

Aruna Beniwal

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

AHMEDABAD | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2020

10

RAVI KAMRA

cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

W

hen the first words uttered in a movie are lyrics of a song, it is clear that this is a movie in which music is the very soul of the film. The lyrics of Sahir Ludhianvi are composed by Jaidev and the magic of this soundtrack has lasted for decades till today. Starring Dev Anand in a double role, along with Sadhana and Nanda, Hum Don is film takes on the classic lookalike trope, set against the backdrop of World War 2.

Although the story does not convince at places, but the script is so camouflaged in high drama that somehow it works. Thanks to Dev Anand’s charisma, and his ability to portray two markedly different personalities in his first-ever double role. The film tells the story of Anand (Dev Anand), a jobless and not well-off young man who wants to marry Meeta (Sadhana), but her father is against the match and insults Anand for not having a job. Anand leaves angrily, and on his way home, sees a poster advertising a call to join the Indian Army. He joins, and gets posted in Burma. Anand meets his senior officer, Major Manohar Lal Verma (also played by Dev Anand), who looks exactly like him, save for his hairstyle and moustaches. The two become friends and confide in each other about their lives and fears for their loved ones in case something happens to them. Major Ver-

“Ki dil abhi bharaa nahin”

ON THE NINTH DEATH ANNIVERSARY OF DEV ANAND, RAVI KAMRA SHARES HIS THOUGHTS ON ONE OF HIS FAVOURITE FILMS OF DEV, ‘HUM DONO’

FA CE OF TH ED AY

ma gets badly injured in the war, and tells Captain Anand that instead of wasting time and endangering his own life trying to help him, Anand should leave him for dead and save himself. Anand reluctantly does so, but can never rid himself of the guilt.

As he had promised he would take the responsibility of informing his wife, Ruma (Nanda), and mother (Lalita Pawar), ostensibly to tell them that their beloved son and husband is presumed dead..They mistake him for Major Verma himself, and are so emotionally overwhelmed by his return that he cannot bring himself to tell them the truth. Ruma is a heart patient, and the family doctor, advises Anand to keep his identity to himself for some time, causing emotional distress to both Ruma and Meeta, who are dealing with what they each perceive as a lack of love.

The story again takes a turn as Major Verma who has survived comes back but has lost one leg and is unsure of how Ruma will feel about him now. Misunderstanding and high drama goes on but the film comes to an end with a happy note and both join their life companions.

With the songs In the film, lyricist Sahir Ludhianvi turns melodrama into a meditation on love, war and life. Directed by Amar Jeet (although it is widely believed lead actor and producer Dev Anand’s brother Vijay was the real brains behind it), Hum Dono (1961).

In an interview, noted lyricist and poet Javed Akhtar said that Hum Dono‘s opening song, Abhi Na Jaao Chhodkar continues to inspire him. Calling it “one of the finest romantic duets ever made in Indian cinema”, he spoke of how everything came together — the composition, the vocals of Mohammed Rafi and Asha Bhosle and Sahir’s words.

YOUR DAY Horoscope by

Saurabbh Sachdeva

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

CANCER

Dancing and doing fun things will keep some in perfect health. Timely help from someone close will be a boon for those financially tight at the moment. However, the same cannot be said about business owners, especially where profits are concerned.

Some of you will have to adopt measures to blunt the impact of a lifestyle disease. Consider betting and speculation a big no-no, if you don’t want to ruin yourself financially.

Your performance is likely to improve manifold on the professional front and get noticed.

A family reunion is indicated and promises much enjoyment. Religious minded can go on a spiritually elevating journey. Some of you may get embroiled in a legal battle over property. You will be able to keep up the pace on the academic front.

Adequate health measures will keep you in a fine fettle. You are likely to remain in the saving mode for some more time. Positive developments at work can keep you in an upbeat mood. Differences with your spouse should be best avoided or they may take an ugly turn.

MAR 21 - APR 20

MAY 21 - JUNE 21

JUNE 22 - JULY 23

LEO

VIRGO

LIBRA

SCORPIO

Those ailing for long can expect a miraculous recovery. Keeping a check on expenses is your only hope to save for purchasing a major item. Those in a creative field will achieve much in terms of clientele.

Spouse may differ with your opinion about a social situation.

An exercise buddy can be a blessing in disguise for some. Purchasing expensive items may need to be put on hold. This is the day when you will achieve unprecedented success in your current occupation.

Some of you may not be able to devote much time to family.

Timely treatment of a minor ailment will prevent it getting aggravated.

Returns from previous investments will manage to finance something you desire. Things may not be completely hunky dory on the professional front. Resetting the house may be on the minds.

Choosing a healthy lifestyle at this juncture becomes most essential for some.

Judicious spending and not succumbing to temptations promise to keep your financial situation intact. Market trends can tempt you into playing the stocks, which may prove to be profitable.

JULY 24 - AUGUST 23

AUG 24 - SEP 23

SEPT 24 - OCTOBER 22

OCT 23 - NOVEMBER 22

SAGITTARIUS

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

Health remains satisfactory, but aim for total fitness.

Make any excuse, but don’t lend money to anyone today.

Maintaining a working relationship with those you don’t like will be a better option. Home remedy may come in handy in countering a malady. Shifting into a bigger house is possible.

Those doing their bit to shed weight will succeed beyond their expectations!

You will be able to remain strong on the financial front.

Thinking out of the box is likely to get the spotlight on you on the professional front. A pending property issue gets completed.

Health of a family member may cause a bit of a concern, but will be nothing serious. Money comes to you from various sources to fill your coffers. Your strategy for promoting business is likely to be on the right lines and lead to good profits.

Distractions need to be avoided.

Rest and relaxation are yours as you manage to find the perfect getaway.

You may be compelled to spend more on something, but it will be worth it. Keeping a low profile on the professional front may keep you from coming into the notice of those who matter.

NOV 23 - DEC 22

JUHI SESHANI, Model

APR 21 - MAY 20

DEC 23 - JAN 20

JAN 21 - FEB 19

FEB20 - MARCH 20

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

Sunny Deol tests positive

Sunny Deol

B

chief medical officer, the MP and his friends were planning to leave for Mumbai, but his Covid test result came out positive on Tuesday. The 64-yearold Bollywood actor had undergone shoulder surgery in Mumbai and was recuperating at a farmhouse near Manali.

—Agency

ritish singer Rita Ora apologized on Monday for breaking COVID-19 lockdown rules by holding a birthday party, saying it was “a serious and inexcusable error of judgment.” Under lockdown rules that end Wednesday, all pubs and restaurants in England must close except for takeout and delivery, and people are barred from meeting indoors with members of other households.

“It was a spur of the moment decision made with the misguided view that we were coming out of lockdown and this would be OK,” she wrote. Ora said she now realized “how irresponsible these actions were and I take full responsibility.”

—Agency

he ‘Stranger Things’ star Millie Bobby Brown shared a tearful video on Instagram Story, recounting the uncomfortable incident when a fan filmed her without her permission. She has deleted the video from her social media now. She said a young fan asked her to take a video, but when Brown declined, the girl filmed her. In her black and white clip, Brown recalled: “She said, ‘Can I take a video of you?’ I said, ‘Um, no’. But why would anyone want to be taken a video of ? Of me? It’s not like the both of us.” She added: “I don’t need to justify it to anyone. If I don’t want to be taken a video of, I don’t have to be.” —Agency

A

O

No graffiti

groom’s attire, we seem to have run out of words to describe the beautiful bride. She colour coordinated with Aditya and wore an ivory lehenga teamed up with a pink dupatta.

Shweta also wore matching jewellery that further completed her bridal look.

—Agency

ver two months after Gigi Hadid and Zayn Malik welcomed their daughter, the supermodel took to Instagram and shared a few never-before-seen photos from her pregnancy days. Through the period, Gigi opted to keep her pregnancy away from the spotlight. Although she gave us a look at her growing baby bump via an Instagram Live in the summer, she shared minimal photos from the phase. However, Gigi has now shared three new photos from the late summer and it features Zayn Malik.

—Agency

SCENES

P

Selena Gomez

eacock is owning up to its mistake in their new series, Saved By The Bell and has decided to take down the graffiti scenes mocking Selena Gomez’s kidney transplant. If you missed it, over the weekend, the streaming network and the show came under fire after featuring a few scenes, as well as some graffiti on the wall of the school that mocked Selena Gomez‘s kidney transplant. There are two separate scenes in episode six of the Peacock series, in one scene from the show, two students (not of the main cast) are overheard arguing about just who was Selena‘s transplant donor – ex-boyfriend Justin Bieber‘s mom or singer Demi Lovato.

—Agency

ADITYA NARAYAN TIED KNOT wani and matching turban as he headed to take his ‘dulhania’ home.

One could also see his father Udit Narayan dancing with joy.

There is no denying the fact that the two of them look regal in the picture.

While we have already described the

NEVERBEFORE-SEEN

Rita Ora

T

ditya Narayan has tied the knot with his ladylove Shweta Agarwal on Tuesday. The couple’s marriage has been the talk of the town ever since it was announced.

The groom was seen in an ivory white sher-

Gigi Hadid’s post

Cardi B

TEARFUL VIDEO

Millie Bobby Brown

Still from Shawn Mendes’ video

SENDING LOVE

S

hawn Mendes and Niall Horan go a long way! Over the years, we’ve seen the Stitches singer and the One Direction member shower each other with love and support. Recently, we caught a glimpse of their friendship in a video posted by Shawn. The singer took to Instagram and shared a post with photos and videos to talk about all “good things.” Speaking of the video featuring the two singers, Shawn and Niall were seen sending Shawn’s girlfriend Camila Cabello love.

—Agency

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Shweta Agarwal and Aditya Narayan

A

n actor making Btown and more importantly women in general proud with her content-driven movies, Konkona Sen Sharma, as an actor has given us movies that we can look back and deeply contemplate. With two National Film Awards and four Filmfare Awards in her resume, Sen who turns 41 is more than just a powerful actor with her acting jobs but in other corners such as education and art. Fans are eagerly waiting to see this stunning actor on the big screen soon. —City First

PANKAJ TRIPATHI REVEALED A SECRET

R

Pankaj Tripathi

11

Apologies AFTER CRITICISM B

ollywood actor and BJP MP from Gurdaspur Sunny Deol has tested positive for Covid, the Himachal Pradesh health secretary said on Tuesday.

Deol has been staying in Kullu district for the past few days, Health Secretary Amitabh Awasthi said. According to information received from the district

AHMEDABAD | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2020

anveer Singh sent his fans in a flurry of excitement last year when he announced that he will be playing Indian cricketer Kapil Dev and chronicling India’s first World Cup victory. However, the pandemic played spoilsport and the film’s April 2020 re-

Pankaj’s post

lease had to be pushed.

The makers are keen on releasing the film on the big screen and Pankaj Tripathi will be essaying the role of India’s coach PR

Man Singh.

Pankaj often goofed around with Ranveer Singh and the teammates.

“I’d take advantage of my seniority and my role to admonish them sometimes, and if we packed up early, I’d regale them with stories and my extensive knowledge,” Pankaj revealed. —Agency

Konkona Sen 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

AHMEDABAD | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2020

12

CONGRATULATIONS AND CELEBRATIONS!

Groom Rishi with bride Akshima

A candid moment caught between mother and daughter

Jyoti, Akshima, Sharad and Apoorva Khandelwal

Congress Leader Jyoti and Sharad Khandelwal’s daughter Akshima tied the knot to Rishi, son of Anita and Dr Rakesh Sachdeva at Woods Villa Resort, Jaipur on 30 November. Given the corona pandemic, marriage program was concluded with only 50 members and all the corona protocols were followed on the occasion.

THE ART OF DANCING

AESTHETICALLY BEAUTIFUL City First showcases a few designs of Sakh Jaipur, a participating designer of The Fashion Connect Season 8 by First India!

HAPPY B’DAY!

RPSC Chairman Bhupendra Yadav celebrated his birthday on 2 December, Wednesday. We wish him all the best!

BUZZZ Sanjay Dhaka during Digital Baal Mela

CII Conference

NEHAL NAYAR CITY FIRST

S

anjay Dhaka who has shown his flair in India’s Got Talent Season 3, told the kids in Digital Baal Mela

by LIC, that it is important to be stubborn to be a good dancer.

When Sanjay Dhaka joined the children online on Wednesday evening in the Mahakumbh of children, the children fond of dancing raised many questions one after the other.

The children of Digital Baal Mela requested Sanjay Dhaka to

join the Virtual Meet once again. Sanjay Dhaka said that the lack of school for the children cannot be met but the Baal Mela has done a lot to fill their lives.

Shweta Goyal, an artist and an assistant professor at IIS University will join the series today.

Children who are interested in drawing can join a zoom meeting in Digital Baal Mela’s online session today at 4 pm. This is a free session organised by the Future Society, sponsored by LIC. cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

Common man’s

PROBLEMS!

nehal.nayar@firstindia.co.in

A

fter a successful virtual season of ‘The Fashion Connect’ by First India, the eighth season of the same is all set to be held on 16 December at Rambagh Palace Jaipur. There are various stunning fashion designers on board, with ‘Sakh Jaipur’ being one of them.

Sakh Jaipur, started by a brother-sister duo is inspired by vintage style and focuses majorly on craftsmanship.

From hand-drawn prints to perfectly handcrafted outfits, they focus on real techniques of fashion.

Neha Khatri

Neha Khatri

from Sakh Jaipur stated, “We have tried our level best to soak the aesthetic beauty of Jaipur and reflect them in the designs. During

the period of lockdown and after it the craftsman suffered a lot, as well the businesses which make timeless pieces.

But we believe the charm of real craftsmanship on the outfits will never fade.

We will keep impressing e ve r yo n e with the outfits we design.”

RAJ: The 2nd edition of International Conference on Disability & Rehabilitation is going to be organised

by CII Webex platform today and on Friday at 11:20 am. Chief Minister of Rajasthan Ashok Gehlot has confirmed to be the Chief Guest at the special session of the conference today.

—City First

M.L Memorial Oration RAJ: M.L Mehta Memorial Foundation and HCM Ripa, Jaipur are going to organise 6th M.L Mehta Memorial Oration on Good Governance Practices by Add. Secretary Govt. of India & Director-General, National Centre of Good Governance along with Chief Secretary, Govt. of Rajasthan Niranjan Arya on 7 December.

—City First

AUDITIONS IN THE PINK CITY CITY FIRST

T

CITY FIRST

G

iven the transition of Corona, strict steps like night curfew have been taken by the state government at the district headquarters, which is quite commendable.

But through a memorandum, the Congress collector Amit Dhariwal informed the district collector about the problems being faced by the common man.

Amit Dhariwal shared that the nocturnal curfews in the MBS Hospital and J.K. lawn hospital cause a lot of trouble for the

patients. For the convenience of the patients, some business establishments in the vicinity of the hospital were identified and apprised to the District Collector for permission to open during the night curfew or to provide this facility in Indira Rasoi run by the State Government.

Not only this, but people are also facing parking issues.

Encroachments around parking areas should be removed with immediate effect so that the public can avail the facility of parking. cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

Charvi Tanya Dutta

he journey of Elite Miss Rajasthan audition has seen a plethora of talented contestants fighting it out to make their mark in the journey ahead.

WHAT’S HAPPENING!

RAJ: Dr Gaurav Jain interacted with the audience in the online weekly series ‘Our Rajasthan Saksham Rajasthan’ organised by Diya Kumari Foundation.

Gaurav shared interesting experiences of his musical journey at the event anchored by Esma Aggarwal.

Rajasthan’s most prominent beauty pageant Elite Miss Rajasthan 2020 season- 7 has successfully headed towards its finale and after 2 months of the remarkable auditions in Kota, Udaipur and Jodhpur it now

calls for the final audition of this year. Elite Miss Rajasthan 2020 is going to organise its last set of auditions in Jaipur for the city aspirants at Hotel Hilton on 3 December, today at 3 pm. cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

HAPPY B’DAY! —PHOTO BY HANIF SINDHI

GUJ: King Star Sports Academy is organising a Football Tournament in Ahmedabad to honour the Football legend Diego Maradona whom the world has lost recently. Due to the ongoing pandemic, Football players in the state have been craving for a long time while sitting in their homes. King star Sports Academy has organised the Football Tournament1st 7 A-Side Youth League with around 300 players between 15 and 17 age. This is the first Tournament of its kind that will be played to honour India’s football legend.

(GUJ) IAS SJ Haider celebrated his birthday on 2 December, Wednesday. We wish him all the best!