First India-Ahmedabad Edition-03 June 2020

OUR EDITIONS: JAIPUR & AHMEDABAD

CORONA

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ALERT AHMEDABAD l WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3, 2020 l Pages 12 l 3.00

COVID-19 UPDATE

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RNI NO. GUJENG/2019/16208 l Vol 1 l Issue No. 188

INDIA

WORLD

GUJARAT

3,79,552 64,27,947 5,829 2,07,085 1,092 17,632 DEATHS

CONFIRMED CASES

#CYCLONENISARGA

DEATHS

CONFIRMED CASES

DEATHS

CONFIRMED CASES

Maharashtra and Gujarat are bracing for Cyclone Nisarga, which is expected to make landfall at the western coast by today afternoon, said IMD. As per MeT, Nisarga will hit the coastal districts in the two states as a ‘severe cyclonic storm’ with wind speed of 100-110 kmph gusting up to 120 kmph. PM Narendra Modi on Tuesday, took stock of the situation in the wake of cyclone condition in parts of country’s western coast. The Prime Minister urged people to take all possible precautions and safety measures. P2

Fishermen take precautions by anchoring their boats at Uttan beach ahead of the Cyclone Nisarga, in Mumbai on Tuesday. —PHOTO BY ANI

‘INDIA FAR FROM

CORONA PEAK’

Effective preventive measures put country in much better position globally; fatality rate of 2.82% lowest in world

Health worker wearing face masks looking at fever screening thermal camera monitor at Kempegowda International Airport, in Bengaluru on Tuesday.

—PHOTO BY ANI

New Delhi: India is far away from the peak of COVID-19 spread and its preventive measures have been “very effective”, putting it in a much better position in comparison with other countries, the Centre said on Tuesday, even as the case count and death toll continued to mount.

Addressing a press conference on the COVID-19 situation, Joint Secretary in the Health Ministry Lav Agarwal said it is wrong to just

CORONA SURGE IN NORTH EAST The northeastern states reported a big surge in Corona cases. Tripura added more than 100 cases in a single day, while the number of infections in Arunachal Pradesh increased from 4 to 20, and that in Manipur from 78 to 83. Assam and Tripura have been the most affected states in the region. Assam, in fact, is one of the fastest growing states in the country right now. In last one week, its total confirmed cases have increased by almost thrice.

look at the total number of cases and state that India has the seventh highest number of cases as the population of countries also should be taken into account.

About 14 countries with a cumulative population almost equal to that of India have reported 55.2 times more COVID-19 deaths, he said.

Turn on P6

Modi, Trump talk border tension New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump on Tuesday discussed various issues, including the situation on the India-China border, the COVID-19 pandemic and need for reforms in the WHO, an official statement said.

During the telephonic conversation, Trump invited Modi to attend the next G-7 summit to be held in the United States.

Modi expressed concern over the “ongoing civil disturbances in the US”, and conveyed his best wishes for an early resolution of the situation, the statement said .

“The two leaders also exchanged views on other topical issues, such as

We will get our growth back, assures Modi

TRUMP’S G-7 INVITE TO INDIA RILES CHINA

To bring India back on track, five ‘Is’ are must said PM: Intent, Inclusion, Investment, Infrastructure, Innovation

Beijing: China on Tuesday angrily reacted to US President Donald Trump’s plans to invite India, Russia, Australia and South Korea to G7 summit, saying that any attempts to draw a “small circle” against Beijing will be “doomed to fail” and become “unpopular”. the COVID-19 situation in the two countries, the situation on the IndiaChina border, and the need for reforms in the WHO,” the statement said.

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JESSICA LAL MURDER CONVICT MANU SHARMA RELEASED

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday that self-reliance will be India’s priority in the face of coronavirus crisis and assured India Inc that economic growth will return soon as the country leaves behind lockdown period and enters ‘Unlock Phase 1.’

“The world is looking for a trusted, reliable partner. India has the potential, strength and ability,” he said while addressing the 125th annual session of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). “India will

PM Narendra Modi addresses the CII Annual Session - 2020 via video conferencing, in New Delhi on Tuesday.

—PHOTO BY ANI

definitely get its growth back. I trust India’s capability and crisis management. I also trust India’s talent, technology, innovation and intellect. I have full faith

in farmers, SMEs, entrepreneurs and industry leaders. That’s why I am saying yes, we will get our growth back,” the Prime Minister said.

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‘LADAKH: INDIA NOT GOING TO BACK OFF FROM ITS POSITION’

New Delhi: Manu Sharma, a convict in the 1999 Jessica Lal murder case, was released from Tihar Jail on the grounds of good behaviour after serving more than 16 years in prison, jail officials said on Tuesday. Sharma had received the approval of LG for his release after a recommendation of the Sentence Review Board for the same. Sharma’s name was approved in a sentence review board meeting held on May 11. P6

New Delhi: A “sizeable number” of Chinese troops have moved into eastern Ladakh and India too has taken all necessary steps to deal with the situation, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Tuesday, referring to the nearly month-long high-altitude standoff between the two armies. Singh said a meeting between senior Indian and Chinese military leaders has been scheduled for June 6 even as he asserted that India is not going to back off from its position. He said Chinese have come up to what they claim is their territory while Indians believed it is theirs. “There has been a disagreement over it.

A sizeable number of Chinese people have come there. India has done what it needs to do.

Guj fares well: COVID-19 patient discharge rate all time high in 3 mths  24 HOURS: 415 CASES, 29

LOCUSTS COULD HIT STATE BY JUNE-END

DEAD, 1,114 DISCHARGED  TOTAL: 17,632 CASES, 1,092 DEAD, 11,894 DISCHARGED First India Bureau Gandhinagar: The state’s discharge rate has reached 53.19%— the highest it has been in three months—with as many as 1,114 patients discharged in a single day. This follows the trend of the past few

days, where state data shows discharge numbers as being considerably higher than, if not double, the number of fresh cases reported in a 24-hour cycle.

Yet, neither has the number of fresh cases fallen drastically, nor are fatalities under

Agriculture Minister RC Faldu said here that the state has received an alert that locusts could hit western Gujarat either at the end of June or in the first week of July. “The state’s agriculture department and the central locust control teams have prepared a plan to tackle the locust strike and we will handle it so that there is minimum damage to the crop,” he said.

Patients being discharged from the COVID-19 facility at Ahmedabad’s Civil Hospital. —FILE PHOTO

control. Whereas COVID-19 was previously limited to urban areas, an increasing number of cases is being reported from the rural parts. Now, only Dang and Tapi districts have

zero active cases.

Over the past 24 hours, Ahmedabad reported 24 patient deaths and 279 new cases including two medical officers from the Civil Hospital campus.

In the same time frame, Surat reported 60 cases—54 from the city and six from rural areas—and Vadodara reported 32.

This is the single highest case number in recent days from these two districts.

Rajkot district reported 117 new cases: 84 in the city and 33 from rural areas. As many as 76 patients were discharged on Tuesday; six patients are still under treatment.

Turn on P6

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AHMEDABAD | WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3, 2020

02

GLOBAL STATE OF AFFAIRS COUNTRY TOTAL CASES

TOTAL NEW DEATHS DEATHS

1,868,500 BRAZIL 531,768 RUSSIA 423,741 SPAIN 286,718 UK 277,985 ITALY 233,515 FRANCE 189,220 GERMANY 184,019 TURKEY 165,555 IRAN 157,562 CHILE 108,686 CANADA 92,390 MEXICO 93,435 S ARABIA 89,011 BELGIUM 58,615

107,530 30,152 5,037 27,127 39,369 33,530 28,833 8,639 4,585 7,942 1,188 7,395 10,167 549 9,505

USA

NISARGA Cyclone may not make landfall in Guj

+605 +106 +182 — +324 +55 — +21 +22 +64 +75 +69 +237 +24 +19

WWW.WORLDOMETERS.INFO

Concerned authorities to evacuate 78k people as state prepares for zero casualties

LAST UPDATED: JUNE 2, 2020, 11:30 PM

IN GUJARAT DISTRICT

High tide at Dwarka Gomti Ghat ahead of cyclone ‘Nisarga’ landfall, on Tuesday.

TOTAL CASES

TOTAL NEW DEATHS DEATHS

12773 888 1106 39 SURAT 1717 72 RAJKOT 115 3 BHAVNAGAR 126 8 ANAND 101 10 BHARUCH 42 3 GANDHINAGAR 300 14 PATAN 81 6 PANCHMAHAL 89 10 BANASKANTHA 115 5 NARMADA 19 0 CHOTA UDEPUR 33 0 KUTCH 82 2 MEHSANA 125 6 BOTAD 59 1 DAHOD 40 0 PORBANDAR 12 2 JAMNAGAR 54 3 MORBI 4 0 SABARKANTHA 106 3 ARAVALLI 111 7 MAHISAGAR 116 2 KHEDA 72 4 GIR SOMNATH 45 0 VALSAD 41 1 TAPI 6 0 NAVSARI 26 0 DANG 2 0 SURENDRANAGAR 39 1 DWARKA 13 0 JUNAGADH 29 1 AMRELI 10 1 OTHER STATES 16 0 TOTAL 17632 1092 AHMEDABAD

VADODARA

First India Bureau Gandhinagar: With the state bracing for the approaching cyclonic storm Nisarga, the district administrations in Valsad and Navsari have started evacuating nearly 20,000 people from 47 villages across the two districts close to the state coastli ne, officials said on Tuesday. A total of 78,971 people are expected to be evacuated to 140 safer places from the coastal areas across the state.

Meanwhile, in a telephonic conversation with Chief Minister

Vijay Rupani, Prime Minister Narendra Modi enquired about state’s preparedness and assured the state of any help that might be needed.

Relief Commissioner Harshad Patel told the media that the state is fully prepared and there will be zero casualties due to the cyclone. “As the cyclone is to hit a part of south Gujarat on June 3, people from four districts--Surat, Navsari, Bharuch, and Valsad-will be evacuated to 140 safer places. Keeping in mind the COVID-19 pandemic, the rescue team has been given proper

PPR kits,” said Patel.

Besides, in relief to people living near the shore, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Tuesday indicated the cyclone may not make landfall on the Gujarat coast.

However, it will have an impact in the form of gusty winds coupled with heavy rainfall in the coastal belt, state Met centre director Jayanta Sarkar said.

Pre-cyclonic activity has already begun to take its toll, with 13 sheep reportedly killed by lightning in Amreli on Tuesday.

As a precautionary

measure, the district administrations of Valsad and Navsari have started shifting people living near the coast to safer places.

“We have deployed our teams to shift nearly 10,000 people living in 35 coastal villages. We have already identified shelter homes and started the evacuation process,” Valsad Collector RR Raval said.

The district administration in adjoining Navsari has also initiated the process of shifting some 10,200 people from 12 villages, Collector Ardra Agarwal said.

As per an IMD release, the deep depression over east-central Arabian Sea is currently around 670km from Surat and may intensify into a cyclonic storm in the next six hours.

In the subsequent 12 hours, it will turn into a severe cyclonic storm and “cross north Maharashtra and adjoining south Gujarat coast between Harihareshwar and Daman, close to Alibaug of Maharashtra during the afternoon of June 3, with a maximum sustained wind speed of 100-110kmph,” it said.

“As per the present predictions, the cyclone will make landfall near Alibaug, that is in between north Maharashtra and south Gujarat. Though the cyclone will not cross south Gujarat, it will leave its impact in the form of gusty winds and heavy rainfall in south Gujarat,” said Sarkar.

As many as 14 teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed in the coastal region. Five more teams will be airlifted from other states and reach here soon, a statement by NDRF said.

Pawarfull? Why NCP didn’t make inroads Haresh Jhala Ahmedabad: Typically, a political party needs at least one of two things to succeed: a charismatic leader who can influence a section of society, and support from a particular social class. When it lacks both of these despite decades of effort, it fails to make inroads in the political spectrum.

This is precisely why the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has failed to make a mark in Gujarat even after being present here for almost 25 years.

However, in addition to the two mentioned above, there is also a third ma-

jor obstacle for any regional party in the state: the Gujarati mindset.

According to political analyst Amit Dholakia, who looked at political trends over the past 60 years, Gujaratis tend to vote only for national parties. Citing examples, Dholakia lists the Kisan Mazdoor Lok Paksh launched by the late Chimanbhai Patel, Shankersinh Vaghela’s Rashtriya Janata Party and former Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel’s Gujarat Parivartan Party, all of which failed after short stints.

However, the NCP is a

national party, which has been successful in Maharashtra. Dholakia says the party’s success in Gujarat’s neighbouring state comes down to the fact that Sharad Pawar has a strong base among the Marathas. He is seen as a cooperative leader and many of his associates have influence in one or the other pocket.

This means they are able to play important roles in Maharashtra politics, Dholakia explains.

According to a veteran politician, NCP’s failure in the state can be attributed to its leaders. Pawar’s first choice was tribal lead-

Sharad Pawar

er Shadev Chaudhary, a long-serving president of the Surat District Panchayat. However, people across the state barely knew him.

Then, Pawar chose the cooperative and intelligent leader Sanat Mehta, who also failed to get the party anywhere. Now, it is the turn of Shankersinh Vaghela to follow suit.

As veteran journalist and political analyst Hari Desai observes, the NCP has been failing in Gujarat since it has been attempting to build a base by adopting disgruntled leaders of other parties.

SAMPLE RECEIVED SAMPLE NEGATIVE

24 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 29

2,21,610 2,03,978

UNDER EXAMINATION

0

CM Vijay Rupani announces free rations for the poor for June!

State distributed 36.18 lakh quintal of rations worth Rs 802 crore per month in April, May First India Bureau

CM Vijay Rupani

—FILE PHOTO

Gandhinagar: The state government, led

by Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, will give free rations to poor, Antyodaya families for the third consecutive month. By the end of May, the state’s free ration programme had covered cardholders of the NFSA (National Food Safety Act), BPL (Below Poverty level) and APL-1 (Above Poverty Level -1) categories, to the benefit of

about 6.25 crore people.

This month, the government announced on Monday, free rations will be distributed beginning June 15.

With this, the state aims to benefit 3.16 crore people of Gujarat. There are 68.71 lakh NFSA cardholders who will also get the benefit of free rations.

This month, under the Prime Minister Garib Kalyan Ann Yojna, cardholders will

CM SETS UP PANEL OF EXPERT DOCTORS

receive 3.5kg wheat and 1.5kg rice per head, and 1kg dal per family.

In April, 68 lakh families benefited as the state distributed 36.18 lakh quintal of food worth Rs 802 crore. It distributed an equal amount of rations in May as well.

Since several private bus operators lost out on business as a result of the lockdown, the state government has allowed them relaxa-

tion in re-registering their vehicles as “contract carriages”.

They can show their buses as “unused” until the end of June.

The date for the payment of advance tax has also been extended until June 25.

The government had initially relaxed “unused” norms and permitted private bus owners to pay advance tax by May 31 since the lockdown has been imposed from March 24.

GUJARAT AHMEDABAD | WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3, 2020

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03

challenged MICRO MATTERS: AMC, health Lockdown in HC, state to file reply dept not in sync over zones First India Bureau

City lists micro-containment zones, while state has 46 containment zones in A’bad Ahmedabad: After no announcements regarding containment zones in the city since last month, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) listed more than 40 micro-containment zones on Sunday. On the contrary, according to the state health and family department’s release on May 31, a list of 46 containment zones in Ahmedabad was made public.

Earlier, the city had 11 containment zones, which included larger pockets of wards. But, as part of the ‘normalizing’ process amid the COVID-19 outbreak, the local civic body has underlined micro-containment zones, which would comprise of small pockets and not whole wards.

The list of microcontainment zones

—FILE PHOTO

Gargi Raval

A man walks past a fence in Ahmedabad’s Manek Chowk area, which is still under containment.

released by AMC on May 31 mentioned that a few areas in particular wards would be micro-containment zones. “After a detailed discussion with AMC officers, a decision has been made to declare some pockets as micro-containment areas. Therefore, from now onwards, few ar-

Shaktisinh Gohil’s mother passes away

Gohil (L); a picture with his mother that he shared on social media.

First India Bureau Ahmedabad: Congress leader Shaktisinh Gohil’s mother Rajendr akuvarba passed away on Tuesday. Gohil took to social media platform Twitter to inform his followers about the demise of his mother and express his sorrow over it.

“Today a void has been created in my life that will never ever be filled. My mother has

NO INITIATIVE

passed away and I know that I have the condolences of my well-wishers. But, given the COVID-19 pandemic, I request mourners to avoid travelling to offer their condolences,” he tweeted in Hindi and Gujarati.

Gohil is contesting the Rajya Sabha election to be held in the state on June 19. He is also state in-charge of Bihar and Delhi for the All-India Congress Committee.

eas of any ward would be contained instead of the entire ward,” stated the press release.

While a circular issued by the state health and family welfare department issued on May 31 listed 46 areas under AMC as containment areas. The list included names of 14, 160 housing societies and

apartment buildings and 69,624 people.

Meanwhile, complaints from several residents living in these containment pockets have been pouring in to the deputy municipal commissioner’s office.

“Two groups from Vejalpur and Ghatlodia had visited AMC officers requesting removal of the con-

tainment zone from their area. Being the administrative officers, we cannot take a decision on such a thing. Since, it is a technical issue, the decision has to come from the medical department,” said Mukesh Gadhvi, Northwest Zone, Deputy Municipal Commissioner.

Ahmedabad: The Gujarat High Court on Tuesday asked the state government to file its response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) moved by petitioner Vishwas Bhambukar through advocate KR Koshti, before June 19, when the matter will be heard. The petition has challenged the lockdown on the grounds that it was in violation of the fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution of India.

The petition came up for hearing before the court’s division bench comprising Justice RM Chhaya and Justice Ilesh Vora. After hearing Koshti and government pleader Manisha Shah, the court asked Shah to submit a report before the court by June 19.

The petitioner submitted that the Centre and state illegally restrained people inside their homes without the backing of any law, since the Constitution prevents

GHCAA PRESIDENT RESIGNS

suspension of Articles 20 and 21, even during a declared emergency.

It was submitted in the petition that, “Sections 12 and 13 of the Disaster Management Act, which ensures the welfare of the citizens and protects their livelihoods and other reasonable interests, were not invoked. Therefore, the lockdown was neither

Cong MLAs to meet on June 4 ahead of RS polls

BJP cheers PM move for farmers, MSMEs

First India Bureau

Gandhinagar: “The state has welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement to provide loans to street vendors, MSMEs and the minimum support price (MSP) for 14 crops of the summer season. These provisions will percolate down to the bottom and help revive the economy,” feels state BJP president Jitubhai Vaghani.

Vaghani added, “The two-month lockdown had adversely affected street vendors and daily earners. And the PM’s decision to lend Rs10,000 to this section of the society will boost their working capital and facilitate running a business. It will give them room to reestablish themselves in the

Ahmedabad: Ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections, Congress party MLAs will be conducting a meeting on June 4. The election, which was deferred in March after the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, has now been scheduled for June 19.

The party is likely to decide on its strategy for winning both vacant seats for which they have fielded leaders Shaktisinh Gohil and Bharatsinh Solanki.

Currently, the party strength stands at 68 MLAs with one vote from an independent MLA. “We will be receiving two votes from the Bharatiya Tribal Party (BTP) and surely

—FILE PHOTO

Five candidates are in the running for four Rajya Sabha seats.

win both seats. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), on the other hand, may have difficulty in winning the third seat. Also, they may throw their weight around and try to pull more Congress MLAs to their camp,” said a senior Congress leader, adding, “In this meeting, we will strategize our next move. It is unlikely that MLAs will be taken out-

side the state for safekeeping. However, everything will be decided at the meet, depending upon how many MLAs remain present.”

Interestingly, in the days before the election, five Congress MLAs have tendered their resignations, while two seats are already vacant in Devbhumi Dwarka and Morva Hadaf.

First India Bureau

—FILE PHOTO

Gujarat High Court.

market, which would not have been possible, without the government’s provisions. The lack of income due to the lockdown would have forced them to borrow money from lenders to restart their businesses.”

The senior BJP leader also appreciated the central government’s decision to increase the MSP by 50 to 83% thereby providing not just financial but also morale boost to farmers.

Vaghani opined that if farmers get an income hike, they will be better positioned to reinvest more money for the upcoming monsoon season. Since the sowing will begin by end of this month or in mid-June, farmers will need cash to buy seeds, fertilizers, insecticides and address social needs.

BOWING TO THE LORD

On the occasion of Nirjala Ekadashi, a waterless fast (nir-jala) was observed by devotees in Ahmedabad on Tuesday. They offered prayers and earthen pots filled with food items to Lord Jagannath at the Jagannath temple in the city. Considered the rewarding and the most auspicious of all 24 ‘ekadashi’ fasts in a year, the Nirjala Ekadashi fast is kept by people on the waxing fortnight of the month of Jyestha as per the Hindu calendar.

—PHOTOS BY NANDAN DAVE

imposed constitutionally nor has it been implemented legally, logically and scientifically.”

Therefore, Bhambukar has pleaded to declare the lockdown unconstitutional and ultra vires on account of being illegal, arbitrary and unjust in law and that it should be struck down in the interest of justice.

Cop blames seniors for attempted suicide First India Bureau Ahmedabad: A Gram Rakshak Dal Jawan (GRD) posted at the Vivekanandnagar police station in Ahmedabad Rural was rushed to the intensive care unit at LG Hospital after he tried to kill himself.

Before his suicide attempt, GRD Jawan Sandeep More recorded a video clip, in which he accuses his seniors and colleagues of mentally torturing him with casteist remarks.

“I have been posted at the Vivekanandnagar police station for the last 12 years but, for the past four to five years, RB Rana, Manoj Khatik and Shashiben have been mentally torturing me and making casteist remarks against me. This is why I am taking this extreme step, which I never thought I would. If I die, they are responsible for my death,” More said in the clip.

Deputy Superintendent of Police, Ahmedabad Rural, KT Kamariya has refuted all allegations. He said More had refused to take up the correspondence delivery work he had been assigned by the police station officer and, as a result, had been put on the night shift. “The GRD jawan’s action is based on a grudge,” he said.

PERSPECTIVE AHMEDABAD | WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3, 2020

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WHAT DOES ANXIETY LOOK LIKE?

IN-DEPTH

AMERICA’S TWIN CRISES: VIOLENCE AND PANDEMIC

G

eorge Floyd, an African American, who died in Minneapolis crying “I can’t breathe”, words which presumptive presidential nominee Joe Biden said did not die with him, as a rogue white policeman pinned him to the ground pressing his knee on the victim’s neck has enflamed America in a manner not seen in decades.

American cities are burning and 40 of them are under curfew, the harshest being Los Angeles. Policemen are being shot, shops and pharmacies looted, houses and other properties are being gutted. Black Lives Matter protests over the brutal killing of Floyd have been overtaken by arsonists, suspected to be white supremacists.

The real issue of racism and bias against African-Americans has been overshadowed with white nationalists using false IDs to discredit Black Lives Matter. A white man from among the peaceful protesters in Minneapolis smashed the windows of a building. The unidentified man has been described as “agent provocateur”.

Any similarity with our homegrown right nationalists circulating provocative untruths and hate using fake and even genuine IDs or Muslim-baiting in our country may be coincidental.

President Donald Trump is not helping the situation during this massive outpouring of anger with his provocative tweets like “when the looting starts, shooting starts”. For the first time, Twitter flagged a tweet by US president for violating the platform’s code of conduct.

Trump said, “These are not peaceful protests, these are domestic acts of terror - the destruction of innocent life and the spilling of innocent blood is an offence to humanity...”

Such is the anger against Donald Trump that the Bishop of Episcopal Church slammed his visit to the church for a photo op “as a charade” and the Houston police chief asked the president “to keep his mouth shut”. The president had to be rushed inside his bunker as protesters assembled outside the White House. The president has now threatened to call the army if violence continues.

For Trump, it is populist nationalism he is banking on as national elections draw near. Republican Senate members have so far refrained from criticizing the president. A CNN poll showed “95% of Democrats behind Biden and the same share of Republicans behind Trump”.

The report said that “Trump’s biggest advantage over Biden in the poll comes on his handling of the economy. Most voters, 54%, say they trust the President to better handle the nation’s economy, while 42% say they prefer Biden. A May 21, 2020 report showed Biden leading in six key states of Florida, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Arizona, Pennsylvania, and Michigan.

In the aftermath of violence, Trump finds himself handling two crises - the Covid-19 pandemic and the racial unrest.

As he struggles to deal with protesters and some state governors, the over 100,000 Covid-19 deaths have been forgotten. The Land of Opportunities is split and ailing, presenting a dark picture.

PALLAVI SINGH The writer is life coach, interpersonal skills trainer & storyteller, and has 18 years of work experience in the services and hospitality industry

A

Anxiety is normal and healthy when we encounter change or start something new.

However, if we stay anxious for a long period of time, it is bad for the mind and body, as it can create mental fatigue, confusion, distress and is likely to affect our physical health over time

mongst the myriad of colours that paint our lives, there are all sorts of shades. Happy, joyous shades, shades of confidence, vibrance, and then there are some dark shades, such as that of sadness, grimness, and some of the self-doubt, lack of confidence, and anxiety.

I always look at these dark shades with an eye of optimism and wonder as to how can one lighten them up or basically “Add a bit of Sparkle.”

Anxiety is a daily gripping Issue for people who suffer from it. Unfortunately, more and more people are affected by anxiety due to several stimulants; including the current state of affairs in India and the entire world- the COVID 19 pandemic.

AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT COULD TRIGGER ANXIETY Imagine yourself seated on the beach, in an isolated space. You are in a tranquil mood, enjoying your time with yourself when suddenly you overhear an unknown passerby, making the following statement (maybe to someone walking with him ): This is no time to be on the beach, dangerous weather is on its way, let’s leave now.

Listening to the above statement, different people would react in different ways. Some might shake off the above statement, much like leftover water from freshly shampooed hair. Many others would check with the beach authorities or someone who would know and decide their course of action.

Yet some people, who suffer from any residual fear of water or are a little or more anxious by habit, will stay alert, despite having checked and taken the necessary precaution. Staying alert is a good thing on the beach but staying continuously anxious, in life is never good.

Anxiety is normal and healthy when we encounter change or start something new. However, if we stay anxious for a long period of time, it is bad for the mind and body, as it can create mental

can be very beneficial.

fatigue, confusion, distress and is likely to affect our physical health over time.

CAUSES OF ANXIETY Anxiety is often caused due to one or a combination of several factors. These could be genetic, a stressful relationship, work issues, and also as a result of drugs or getting off drugs.

For most people, the quality of their relationships could affect their anxiety meter; unaddressed issues tend to affect the level of anxiety as well. Unhealthy habits - smoking, an increase in consumption of alcohol, lack of sleep, and no exercise could be triggering.

Further, our busy environment, access to the entire world through our phones, loads of multitasking, and too much happening all around us.

Anxiety has largely been discussed in whispers in most of north India. For some reason, people hesitate to talk about personal feelings such as depression, anxiety, etc.

STEPS TOWARDS BEING LESS ANXIOUS

z Communication with friends

and family: As a number 1 step towards trying to resolve anxiety, if you are continuously stressed about something, it’s

z Reframe your perspective:

Anxiety is a daily gripping Issue for people who suffer from it. Unfortunately, more and more people are affected by anxiety due to several stimulants; including the current state of affairs in India and the entire world- the COVID 19 pandemic

bothering you to the point of making you nervous, distracted, and more, its time you speak with a few trusted confidants. z Lifestyle changes: Our body is the most precious diamond we could ever own. Spend some time daily to polish it and bring the shine back. Take to some form of daily exercise: a) walking, running, and b) don’t forget to top it up with a capsule of a vitamin called meditation/deep breathing – this is extremely important and

Women are drinking more during the pandemic

C

OVID-19 has significantly affected our collective mental health.

For many people, social disconnection, financial strain, increased obligations in the home and ongoing uncertainty have created distress – and with it, a need for new ways of coping.

One way people may choose to cope with stress is through the use of alcohol.

ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION AND COVID-19 Early reports of increased alcohol purchasing raised the alarm that we might see an increase in alcohol use across the population during lockdown.

However, recent data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics suggests overall, alcohol consump

04

tion remained relatively stable during April. Only 14% of Australians reported increased use of alcohol in the previous month.

But women are over-represented in this group.

Some 18% of women reported increased alcohol use in the previous month, compared with only 10.8% of men.

WOMEN TEND TO DRINK FOR DIFFERENT REASONS TO MEN In Australia in 2016, 14% of men and 7% of women drank alcohol to risky levels.

Although fewer women than men drink alcohol regularly, alcohol consumption among women has increased in the past decade, particularly in middle-aged and older women. This mirrors international trends that suggest women may be

catching up to men in terms of their alcohol consumption.

Overall, Australia has observed a reduction in risky drinking across the population, with increasing numbers of young people choosing not to drink.

WOMEN SEEM TO BE STRUGGLING MORE DURING THE PANDEMIC With this in mind, it’s unsurprising we’re seeing increased alcohol consumption among women during COVID-19. International data show women

have been more likely to experience symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression during the pandemic.

Caregiver load has also been a source of stress, with women almost three times more likely than men to be looking after

children full-time on their own during COVID-19.

While we don’t have enough evidence yet to tell us conclusively whether family violence incidents have increased during the pandemic, this may add to the mental health burden for some women during COVID-19.

Further, younger female workers are disproportionately affected by the economic crisis in the wake of COVID-19. The fact women make up a majority of the casual workforce makes them highly vulnerable at this time.

Together, it seems COVID-19 is having a different mental health impact on women compared to men.

And this is likely to be intertwined with their increased drinking during the coronavirus pandemic.

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Look at the issue or issues that bother you, think to yourself is there a different frame that I can see these from? Is there a positive way to address my concern, as anxiety is not addressing it and will surely affect negatively only. z Self Discipline: Having a routine for your daily works will help you immensely; force yourself to go to work, or to do tasks you have planned even if you don’t feel like. You will find this will help you feel a whole lot better over time! z If you wish third party intervention, connect with a certified therapist/life coach/expert who could guide you in your journey, towards getting on top of your anxiety. z If despite trying the above, you suffer from chronic anxiety that refuses to budge and is causing you health issues, you must explore treatment options with a qualified doctor without hesitation.

Lastly, I would like to wrap up this article with the following quote” life is ten percent what you experience and ninety percent how you respond to it”. Stay Safe and Stay Happy.

THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL

Top

TWEET Dharmendra Pradhan @dpradhanbjp The meaning of #AatmaNirbharBharat is not a narrow one but a very broad one in which India becomes stronger and a valued partner for the world. It means putting India first while integrating with the world economy and not isolation.

Piyush Goyal @PiyushGoyal In line with PM @NarendraModi ji’s vision of empowering Startups, Railways has delegated powers to relax eligibility criteria for works tenders for Startups recognised by @DIPPGOI. This will allow more Startups to participate in the bidding process and provide service to people.

Spiritual SPEAK

One should strive to understand what underlies sufferings and diseases – and aim for health and well-being while gaining in the path.

—Buddha

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IN THE COURTYARD

MODI HAS HIGH RATINGS COMPARED TO RAHUL Barring three states in the country, the popularity of the PM is soaring high despite the coronovirus pandemic and nationwide lockdown New Delhi: Excluding three states in the country, the popularity of the Prime Minister is soaring high despite the coronovirus pandemic and nationwide lockdown. The highest endorsement rate of the Prime Minister is in Himachal Pradesh with 95.1 per cent people endorsing Modi as Prime Minister.

According to survey conducted by IANS-C voter, the last week of May has different story to tell. The Prime Minister was facing flak from the opposition over migrant crisis but this has not dented his image in the states where there is high number of mi-

THE RATING GRAPH

grant population.

The Prime Minister had more than 54 per cent rating excluding three states while Rahul Gandhi has highest popularity rating in Haryana with 31.11 per cent endorsement.

However, the Prime Minister has 64.3 per cent endorsement in that state too.

Narendra Modi is

least popular in Tamil Nadu where Rahul Gandhi is ahead by 5 per cent. In Kerala, the Former Congress President is ahead by about 1 per cent. Incidentally, Rahul Gandhi represents Wayanad Loksabha constituency from the state. While the Gandhi scion surpasses 50 per cent mark in Goa where BJP is running the gov-

ernment, Rahul Gandhi is ahead of the Prime Minister with more than 11 per cent.

In the states like Chhatisgarh ruled by the Congress which has initiated NYAY scheme, the Prime Minister has 89.09 per cent endorsement and Rahul Gandhi has only 4.55 per cent ratings, as per the survey.

In Odisha, PM has 81.69% approval rating with Rahul Gandhi having only 9.66 % popularity. In Andhra, PM has 71.22, in Jharkhand he has 70.43 per cent rating and in his home state of Gujarat, Modi has 74.2 per cent rating where Rahul Gandhi is only 16.81 per cent. —Agencies

05

SC adjourns hearing on ‘rename India to ‘Bharat’ PIL

Irani slams Cong over ‘absence’ remark

Amethi: Smriti Irani, has slammed Congress for questioning her ‘’absence’’ from her constituency Amethi. “Till now 22,150 migrants have returned to Amethi by bus & 8,322 by train.

I can give the name of each person, each family. Can Sonia ji give similar details for Rae Bareli?” Union Min tweeted.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday adjourned to another day, without giving any date, a petition seeking directions to the Centre to amend the Constitution and replace the word India with ‘Bharat’ claiming it will “instill a sense of pride in our nationality.”

The petition filed by one Namah was earlier listed to be heard today, however, it got adjourned as the bench slated to hear the mat-

ter was unavailable.

The plea sought directions to change the name of the country from “India” to “Bharat”.

“Stop using INDIA,

this will ensure citizens of this country get over the colonial past and instill a sense of pride in our nationality. It will also justify the hard-fought freedom by our freedom fighters,” the petition said.The petitioner, while speaking to ANI, had said that the country has several names like India, Republic of India, Bharat, Bharat Ganarajya, etc, and advocated that there should only be one name for a country.

—ANI

Matters listed in SC’s Resume physical virtual court number 1 hearing from Jul: Lawyers’ body to CJI postponed till today New Delhi: Due to the unavailability of the bench in virtual court one, the matters shown before Supreme Court on Tuesday will not be taken up for hearing and the same will be listed on Wednesday.

Supreme Court of India in a notice stated, “Take notice that due too non-availability of the bench in virtual court number 1 comprising honourable the Chief Justice, honourable Mr. Justice A.S. Bopanna and honourable Mr. Justice Hrishikesh Roy on June 2,2020, the matters shown before this court will not be taken up for hearing and the same will now be listed on June 3. Dated this the 1st day of June, 2020.”

However, the rest of the Supreme Court functioning and hearing will continue.

—ANI

New Delhi: The SC said that it will consider requests for a physical appearance and hearing on a case only after receiving joint consent from advocates and parties in the matter.

This comes as the functioning of SC has been affected due to the ongoing coronavirus-induced lockdown and matters are being heard through video conferencing. “In view of the request received from various quarters and in order to explore the feasibility of physical appearance of the advocates in the court, while adhering to social distancing norms, it is hereby notified to all the advocates and party-in-person to give their joint consent with regard to a willingness for physically appearing and arguing in the court,” the court said in a circular.

—ANI

CORONA UPDATE Adesh Kumar Gupta ‘We must work collectively replaces Tiwari as ‘We are four steps ahead of to bridge this digital divide’ Delhi BJP chief coronavirus,’ says Kejriwal RAGA WRITES TO KERALA CM ON PLIGHT OF TRIBAL STUDENTS

New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has written to Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan drawing his attention to plight of a large number of tribal students in Wayanad unable to benefit from “First Bell” initiative due to lack of internet. “I would like to draw your attention to plight of a large number of tribal students in Wayanad, unable to benefit from this initiative because they have no access to electronic devices or internet and will thus be disadvantaged at the academic year,” he added.

“We must work collectively to bridge this digital divide. I would be happy to extend my fullest support towards augmenting digital infrastructure in my constituency, Gandhi added. —ANI

Students will not benefit from ‘First Bell’ initiative, Cong leader said.

CONG FLAYS GOVT ON MSP HIKE, ASKS FOR INCREASE

STEP ABOVE JUNK: RAHUL ATTACKS PM MODI

New Delhi: Punjab Cong President Sunil Jakhar, said: “Farmer is also a corona warrior but nobody cheered him for his contribution. Even PM has left him at God’s mercy.”

Congress said that due to reverse migration of farm labourers, agricultural cost had increased in states government has neglected this factor.”

Rahul Gandhi voiced concern over India’s economy, saying global rating agency Moody’s has termed its handling

by PM Modi “a step above junk”. “Moody’s has rated Modi’s handling of India’s economy a step above JUNK. Lack of support to poor & MSME sector means the worst is yet to come.”

PREZ, PM MODI EXTEND WISHES ON TELANGANA STATEHOOD DAY Hyderabad: President Ramnath Kovind, PM Narendra Modi & Home Minister Amit Shah conveyed their greetings on the occasion of Telangana Formation Day. President Kovind telephoned Telangana CM K Chandrashekar Rao this morning and conveyed his greetings.

The President expressed

hope that Telangana State will march forward in all fields. President Kovind, PM Modi & Home Minister Amit Shah took to Twitter to extend their wishes in both regional and English language.

Taking to Twitter PM Modi stated that Telangana is making valuable contributions to the growth trajectory of India.

New Delhi: The Delhi BJP got its new president in Adesh Kumar Gupta on Tuesday. He will take over from actor-tur ned-politician Manoj Tiwari.

Other than Delhi, the BJP effected change in leadership in Chhattisgarh and Manipur party units too. Vishnu Deo Sai and S Tikendra Singh were named as state party presidents of Chhattisgarh and Manipur, respectively.

Gupta is a former mayor of north Delhi municipal corporation.

Manoj Tiwari, an MP, had offered to quit after the BJP lost to AAP in Delhi assembly polls.

Incidentally, Tiwari’s term was also over.

Sai was a Union minister in the first Modi government but could not contest the 2019 LS

HAPPY TO HELP BRING STRANDED INDIANS BACK HOME: CAPT CHAUHAN Tuticorin: As Indian Navy’s ‘Jalashwa’ safely docked at the harbour in Tuticorin on Tuesday after sailing from Colombo a day before carrying nearly 700 Indian nationals stranded in the neighbouring country due to Covid-induced travel restrictions, the warship’s commanding officer is a satisfied man.”Our people are back, there is a sense of pride and satisfaction to see our brothers and sisters happy once they are back home,” Captain Pankaj Chauhan, Commanding Officer of INS Jalashwa told ANI.

Adesh Kumar

polls after BJP decided to not repeat any of its sitting MPs in Chhattisgarh after losing to Congress in assembly polls.

He replaces Vikram Usendi.The country is presently in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, with all political action limited to virtual announcements, meetings. The development signals, to some extent, a return of regular political activities.

—Agencies

New Delhi: A mobile application has been launched in Delhi to provide information about hospital beds and ventilators for COVID-19 patients, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Tuesday.

CM said: “We are four steps ahead of coronavirus. Coronavirus cases in Delhi are increasing, but there is nothing to worry as we have made enough arrangements like beds, ICUs and ventilators in hospitals. There have been instances where people are complaining of a shortage of beds and medical facilities, so clearly there is a gap in information.”

Some states faced a shortage of beds, ventilators and healthcare infrastructure, which led to many deaths. —ANI

MUM AIRPORT CATERS TO MORE THAN 42,000 PASSENGERS IN 1ST-WEEK Mumbai: Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) catered to 391 domestic flights, with 196 departures and 195 arrivals, and 42,503 passengers in last one week, officials said. A total of 42,503 passengers, comprising 31,665 at departure and 10,838 at arrival, travelled through Mumbai’s international

airport. The domestic air travel resumed on May 25, following the directives issued by the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation.

The Mumbai airport operates 25 commercial passenger flight movements, said the officials, with the highest passenger load capacity on Mumbai-Delhi route with 8,130 passengers in the last one week.

CM Arvind Kejriwal addresses a press conference in New Delhi.

Govt approves Remdesivir under ‘Emergency use’ for patients New Delhi: In a significant development, the country’s top drug controller the Central Drug Control Standard Organisation (CDCSO) has given permission to Gilead Sciences for marketing authorization of its anti-viral drug Remdesivir “only for restricted emergen-

cy use” on hospitalized COVID19 patients, according to a senior government official. “The decision was pushed due to coronavirus.

Remdesivir would be available in form of an injection and will only be sold on retail by the prescription of a doctor for hospital use.” —ANI

AAI SHUTS OFFICE TILL JUNE 4 AS STAFF TESTS POSITIVE New Delhi: The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has sealed its office in the national capital New Delhi till June 4 after four of its officials tested positive for coronavirus, informed the sources.

The sanitisation drive is underway.The offices is situated in the Rajiv Gandhi Bhawan, which also houses civil aviation ministry office, in the Jor Bagh area. “Four AAI employees have tested positive. Rajiv Gandhi Bhawan has been sealed till June 4 for a thorough sanitisation,” officials were quoted as saying by PTI.

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JESSICA LAL MURDER CASE

Manu released from prison after 16 yrs New Delhi: Delhi Lt Governor Anil Baijal has approved the premature release of Jessica Lal Murder case convict Manu Sharma, who is serving life sentence, according to an official order.

The Delhi Sentence Review Board (SRB) which comes under the Delhi government had recommended Sharmaâ ™s premature release last month.

The sources said the recommendation was made at a meeting of the SRB chaired by Delhi Home Minister Satyendar Jain on May 11.

Sharma, son of former Union minister Venod Sharma, was

Chargesheet filed against Tahir Hussain, 14 others

Violence occurred at Chand Bagh area of Delhi in February.

New Delhi: Delhi Police on Tuesday filed a charge sheet against suspended AAP councillor Tahir Hussain and 14 others in a Karkardooma court in connection with the violence that took place in Chand Bagh area of northeast Delhi in February this year.

THE CASE

Manu Sharma

convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment by the Delhi High Court in December 2006 for killing Jessica Lal in 1999.

A trial court had acquitted him, but the high court reversed the order and the Supreme Court later upheld his life sen-

tence in April 2010.

Lal was shot dead by Sharma after she had refused to serve him liquor at the Tamarind Court restaurant owned by socialite Bina Ramani at Qutub Colonnade in south Delhi’’s Mehrauli area on the night of April 30, 1999. —PTI

20 dead in landslides in South Assam Guwahati: At least 20 people have died in a series of landslides that took place in Assam today. The dead are largely from three different districts of Barak valley region. Several others are injured. Rescue teams have been rushed to the sites. The region has been experiencing heavy rains for the last couple of days.

Among those dead are seven people in Cachar district, seven in Hailakandi district and six in Karimganj district. Half of the dead are children.

CM Sarbananda Sonowal has issued orders to district administration to step up rescue operations and provide one-time compensation to the families of the people who died. —ANI

Pradhan chairs meet with steel ministry officers Vaishali

New Delhi: With the Central government making all efforts to give a much needed impetus to economy, Minister of Steel, Petroleum & Natural Gas- Dharmndra Pradhan, discussed a plan for developing a steel fabrication cluster around SAIL’s Bhilai Steel Plant. The proposed steel fabrication cluster will provide a boost to MSME sector in the region, facilitate employment generation & give impetus to local economy, he said. The minister chaired a video conference with officials from Ministry of Steel, Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, Ministry of

Dharmendra Pradhan

Railways, INSDAG, SAIL and steel fabricators from Bhilai to work out the details of the plan.

Pradhan directed the CEO, Bhilai Steel Plant to ensure that the steel plate requirement of the steel fabricators in the Durg district is fully met and urged him to remove any restrictive conditions coming the way of such procurement.

‘Southwest monsoon to hit Goa on June 6’ Panaji: The southwest monsoon is expected to arrive in Goa on June 6, a senior official from the India Meteorological Department said today.

However, the state will witness heavy to very heavy rainfall till June 3 because of the formation of a low-pressure area in the Arabian Sea, IMD’s senior scientist Rahul Mohan said.

“Due to the formation of a low-pressure area over South East and adjoining East Central Arabian Sea and Lakshadweep area, the IMD has put Goa on ‘orange alert’,” he said.

Goa will witness heavy to very heavy rainfall till

IMD ISSUES ORANGE ALERT

Due to the formation of a low-pressure area over South East and adjoining East Central Arabian Sea and Lakshadweep area, the IMD has put Goa on ‘orange alert’.

—Rahul Mohan,

IMD’s senior scientist

Goa will witness heavy rainfall till June 3, the experts at IMD informed.

June 3, he added.

The low-pressure area is likely to intensify into cyclonic storm

‘Nisarga’ and cross North Maharashtra and South Gujarat on June 3, he said.

The southwest monsoon, which already hit Kerala on Monday, will reach Goa by June 6,

Mohan said.

“Monsoon will advance further only after the low-pressure system in Arabian Sea dissipates and that may occur by June 5,” he said.

—PTI

DELHI

‘India 2nd largest India testing 1.2L COVID-19 mobile manufacturer’ samples daily: ICMR expert

According to the 1,030-page charge sheet, Hussain was the alleged mastermind who organised the violence in the region for which he spent around Rs 1.30 crore. The brother of Tahir Hussain have also been named as accused in the matter.

The charge sheet will be taken up for consideration by the court on June 16. Hussain admitted to his involvement in the violence and also admitted that he was present at the terrace of his house at the time of the incident. —Agencies

Violence

New Delhi: At the launch of the ‘Electronics Manufacturing Schemes’ in New Delhi, Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the country has emerged as the “secondlargest manufacturer of mobile phones” in the world and added that “the production of mobile phones has gone up to approximately 33 crore in 2019-20.”

“From just 2 factories, we now have 200 manufacturing units.

India’s electronic manufacturing was worth Rs 1,90,366 crore in 2014, today it’s Rs 4,58,000 crore. India’s global

share in electronics has risen from 1.3% in 2012 to 3 per cent in 2018.

Electronic production has surpassed exports,” he said. He also said that the Centre is working towards constructing a “robust” manufacturing ecosystem in the country.

—ANI

New Delhi: Over one lakh samples are being tested every day to detect coronavirus infection, said the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Tuesday, adding that India is far from the peak of COVID-19.

“ICMR is focusing on to increase COVID-19 testing capacity. As of June 1, we have 681 laboratories that are approved for conducting COVID-19 tests - 476 government and 205 private labs. Today, we are conducting 1.20 lakh tests every day,” said Nivedita Gupta, ICMR

citizens who constitute 10 per cent of the total population, while 73 per cent of COVID-19 deaths in the country are of people with comorbidities, he said.

It is imperative that high-risk people take required preventive action and also take timely action based on medical advice in case they experience COVID-19 symptoms, Agarwal said.

“We request our high risk population to stay home. They may adopt various activities to utilize their time productively at home and stay fit,” he said.

Modi, Trump...

Trump spoke about the US Presidency of the Group of Seven, and conveyed his desire to expand the ambit of the grouping beyond the existing membership, to include other important countries including India.

“In this context, he extended an invitation to Prime Minister Modi to attend the next G-7 Summit to be held in USA,” the statement said.

Modi commended Trump for his “creative and far-sighted approach”, acknowledging the fact that such an expanded forum would

be in keeping with the emerging realities of the post-COVID world.

Modi said that India would be happy to work with the US and other countries to ensure the success of the proposed summit.

Trump warmly recalled his visit to India in February.

Modi said that the visit had been memorable and historic on many accounts, and had also added new dynamism to the bilateral relationship.

The exceptional warmth and candour of the conversation reflected the special nature of the Indo-US ties, as well

Ravi Shankar Prasad

scientist, at a press conference here. Talking about the transmission of the virus, she said: “Instead of the use of ‘community transmission’, we need to understand the extent of the spread of the disease.

We are far from the peak. Our measures to

curtail the disease are effective. India has been very good in the reduction in mortality.”

Gupta said: “We are also using indigenous platforms for ramping up COVID-19 testing capacity. Truenat screening and confirmatory tests have now been validated. The outreach of testing has hence been increased since this is available at primary health centres and districts too.”

Gupta informed that ICMR is conducting a serological survey to assess the extent of spread of COVID-19.

—ANI

06

POWER Gallery SECRETARY FOR THREE YEARS IN THE SAME MINISTRY & CONTINUING Its a rare achievement that Durga Shankar Mishra is going to complete three years as Secretary in the Ministry of Urban Development and Housing. He took over the charge on June 28, 2017 and since then, he is serving in the same ministry. Before that, he was Addl Secretary in the same ministry for three years from July 28, 2014 to June 27, 2017. He is a 1984 batch UP cadre IAS officer and scheduled to retire in December 2021.

GOVT MAY RETAIN DR RAJ KIRAN RAI AS UBI MD & CEO AFTER JUNE 30 Whispers are in that Dr Raj Kiran Rai, MD & CEO of Union Bank of India, is likely to continue in the post till 2022. His file has been sent to PMO. His tenure is ending on June 30, 2020. The current process of amalgamation in Union Bank of India with Corporation Bank and Andhra Bank, banking sources say, may be prompting the Finance Ministry to prolong stay of Dr Raj Kiran Rai after his tenure ends on June 30, 2020.

MADE IN INDIA SALE ORDER WITHDRAWN WITHIN A WEEK Within a week, CPOs have withdrawn the order related to ban on the sale of imported items in Central Police Canteen, A tweet from CRPF says-”This is clarified that the list issued by Kendriya Police Kalyan Bhandar on May 29, 2020 regarding delisting of certain products has been erroneously issued at the level of CEO. The list has been withdrawn and action is being initiated for the lapse.”

MEMBER STAFF (RAILWAY BOARD) POST VACANT The post of Member, Staff in Rail Bhawan is vacant for the last few months. Rajesh Tiwari, Member, Traction is holding the additional charge of the vacant post.

S SUNDAR TO CONTINUE AS INTERIM MD & CEO OF LAKSHMI VILAS BANK TILL NOV 30 Lakshmi Vilas Bank Board of Directors have extended the service tenure of Subramanian Sundar as Managing Director & CEO (Interim) of the Bank till November 30, 2020 or till regular MD & CEO takes charge, whichever is earlier.

DR ALOK SHUKLA - FIRST IAS TO GET PS RANK POST RETIREMENT IN C’GARH ON RE-EMPLOYMENT The appointment of 1986 batch Chhattisgarh cadre IAS officer, Dr Alok Shukla as Principal Secretary, School Education Department on a contractual basis on his retirement, could be the first instance of its kind in Chhattisgarh for an IAS officer to be re-appointed as PS after his retirement. However, there have been instances in the past where the rank of Principal Secretary which is considered a IAS domain had been held by non-IAS officers in the State.

R K CHATURVEDI JOINS AS SECRETARY, CHEMICALS AND PETROCHEMICALS R K Chaturvedi has assumed the charge as Secretary in the Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers. He is a 1987 batch IAS officer of MP cadre.

PRADIP KUMAR TRIPATHI TAKES OVER AS SECRETARY, STEEL Pradip Kumar Tripathi has taken over the charge as Secretary, Ministry of Steel. He is a 1987 batch IAS officer of J&K cadre.

TWO IIS OFFICERS SWAP POSTINGS Two Dy Directors of IIS, have been transferred. Suresh Kumar Gedela is going to Hyderabad PIB and Rarnakar Pamula joins DDK Vijaywada as Dy Director, News.

ABHAY KUMAR TRANSFERRED TO PMO Abhay Kumar has been transferred from Deptt of Food and Pubic Distribution to PMO as Under Secretary. He is a CSS officer.

VINEETA BARWA APPOINTED PRINCIPAL CHIEF CONTROLLER OF ACCOUNTS, SHIPPING Vineeta Barwa has been appointed Principal Chief Controller of Accounts, Ministry of Shipping, Road Transport and Highways. She is a 1987 batch ICAS officer. Top Prev Next Click here for Your GOA LIKELY TO GET DGP IN JUNE Much awaited JCA meeting, which is proposed for June 7 is likely to decide the name of new and regular DGP of Goa, which is lying vacant since October last year.

KUSHAGRA MITTAL APPOINTED DEPUTY SECRETARY, PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS Kushagra Mittal has been appointed Deputy Secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. He is a 2010 batch IRTS officer.

FROM PG 1 ‘India far...

“Our COVID-19 fatality rate of 2.82 per cent and amongst the lowest in the world, compared to a global fatality rate of 6.13 per cent. We have been able to achieve this due to timely identification of cases and proper clinical management,” Agarwal said.

He also said that India’s COVID-19 case fatality rate per lakh population is 0.41 per cent as against 4.9 per cent globally which is also amongst the lowest in the world.

One in every two COVID-19 deaths in India has been of senior

as the friendship and mutual esteem between both leaders, the statement said.

We will...

While addressing the event through video conference, the Prime Minister said the country needs to invest in the creation of a robust local supply chain that strengthens India’s stake in the global supply chain.

“We will take structural reforms that will change the course of the country. We will together build self-reliant India,” he said. The Prime Minister said

five I’s are essential to make India self-reliant: intent, inclusion, investment, infrastructure and innovation.

He said the government has made decisions to make the economy and sectors future-ready. The reforms are not scattered but planned and futuristic.

“We have reformed India’s coal, mining, mineral, energy sectors to open new opportunities for the country’s youth.

MSMEs will be able to grow without any concerns or fears,” he said.

The PM said the world is now more inter-connected. And the

world’s expectations from India have risen.

‘Made in India’ products should be ‘Made for the World.’

Twice as...

Four State Reserve Police staffers have tested positive in Bharuch.

They are likely to have been infected in Ahmedabad, where they had been deputed.

Rural Ahmedabad is also witnessing rising numbers with 12 new cases emerging in 24 hours. Six of these were in Dholka taluka, two each in Sanand and Suvali, and one each from Daskroi

and Bavla. Till date, 239 cases have come in from rural areas of nine districts.

All three members of a family from Ahmedabad are being treated in the isolation ward of the Bhavnagar Sir T Civil hospital after testing positive on a visit to their native village of Amargadh in Sihor taluka.

The Vadodara Municipal Corporation has now decided to protect the identity of those infected by Sars-CoV-2.

BJP councillor Dipika Patani has tested positive and is admitted at a private hospital in Waghodia area.

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07

HOW TO NAVIGATE PUBLIC TRANSPORT

Auto-rickshaws ply on a road as its services resumed after a gap of over two months following ease of restrictions in the fifth phase of the COVID-19 lockdown, in Chennai. —PHOTO BY PTI

WORKPLACES CAN HELP ictorian premier V Daniel Andrews has emphasised working

from home will be one of the last measures the state will ease.

But even when restrictions are relaxed, do we all need to go into the office as much as we used to?

Working from home has become the “new

normal” for many of us, and we’ve learnt a lot about how to do this successfully. Employers have adjusted too, with some indicating they will encourage increased remote working moving forward.

So one of the obvious things we can do to reduce the numbers of people using public

transport is to continue to work from home where possible.

Another option is for workplaces to implement flexible start times. If we can reduce the numbers of people using public transport during peak times, this will make a significant difference in reducing crowding.

As more of us start to head back to school and the office in the coming weeks and months, more of us will be getting on buses, trains and trams. So what is public transport going to look like as we relax restrictions, and how can we navigate this safely?

A

s coronavirus restrictions continue to ease, one of the key challenges we face is how to deal with people moving around a lot more.

In particular, as more of us start to head back to school

and the office in the coming weeks and months, more of us will be getting on buses, trains and trams.

So what is public transport going to look like as we relax restrictions, and how can we navigate this safely?

WHAT CAN YOU DO? he main responsibility Ttransmission around keeping virus suppressed

as we relax restrictions rests with us as individuals to behave sensibly and responsibly.

The same principles apply when we use public transport as when we navigate all public spaces.

Maintaining physical distance from others and washing our hands regularly are possibly even more important when we’re using public transport, given we potentially come into contact with a lot of people in an

enclosed space.

We know SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is more likely to spread indoors than outdoors. We also know prolonged contact with someone infected with the virus increases the risk of transmission, as compared to a passing encounter.

So public transport commutes have the potential to pose a significant risk of virus transmission, especially if you’re sitting next to an infected person on a long journey.

Taking hand sanitiser when you use public transport is a good idea so you can clean your hands while travelling.

You may be touching contaminated surfaces, for example the bars and handles for balance.

In addition, washing your hands thoroughly with soap as soon as you arrive at your destination should become a part of your routine.

Importantly, if you’re sick you should not be leaving the house, let alone taking public transport or going to work.

In a similar move, the South Australian government revealed they will remove seats from Adelaide trains.

In contrast, Queensland is not imposing any passenger limits, instead asking commuters to use their common sense. The government says there is plenty of room on public transport in Queensland at present, and the risk of virus transmission is low given the small number of active cases.

Similarly, Victoria has not imposed pas-

senger limits. But the government has indicated commuters will be able to access information about which public transport services are the least crowded to assist travel planning.

Some states have flagged extra services may be needed to avoid overcrowding, though the extent to which this will be possible is dependent on resources.

In addition to extra services, NSW has indicated it will boost car parking and enhance access for cyclists and pedestrians.

WHAT ABOUT MASKS?

earing a mask on W public transport is an issue of personal preference.

But if you choose to wear a mask, it’s important to understand a couple of things.

First, masks need to be put on and taken off

tate governments S have introduced additional cleaning prac-

tices on public transport networks. These will continue, and may even be increased, as more people return to public transport.

Although increased cleaning is important, physical distancing remains the key to safely moving large numbers of people again. Governments will need to consider some changes to ensure people can keep a safe distance from others on their commute.

As we’ve seen with the easing of restrictions, different states will take

correctly so you don’t inadvertently infect yourself in the process.

And while masks potentially offer some additional protection to you and others, it’s still critical to follow physical distancing and other hygiene measures.

PUBLIC TRANSPORT PROVIDERS AND GOVERNMENTS different approaches.

For example, New South Wales has imposed limits on how many people can board a bus or train. A maximum of 32 people are allowed in a train carriage (normally one carriage holds 123 passengers), while buses are limited to 12 passengers (capacity is normally 63).

Further, markings on the seats and floors of buses and trains indicate where people can sit and stand.

Marshals are also being stationed around the public transport network to ensure commuters are following the rules.

SOURCE: THE CONVERSATION CONCEPT: DIVYA HEMNANI DESIGN: ABHISHEK GUPTA

A major part of positive thinking is the ability to harness the wayward thoughts which run through the mind and focus them on logic and reason.

—Jagdeesh Chandra, CEO & Editor, First India www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epaper/ I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia

2ND FRONT AHMEDABAD | WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3, 2020

REVIVAL PACKAGE? A third of Guj’s MSMEs stare at closure

08

Athlete Sarita treks a km daily for water

An AIMO survey has found that 35% of India’s smallscale units may shut down First India Bureau New Delhi/ Ahmedabad: The Narendra Modi Government has announced a spate of revival packages and the Gujarat Government has followed suit with special scheme for the smallscale industrial sector, but the extended post-Covid lockdown has already wrought an irreparable damage to the MSME sector.

And the numbers are alarming. According to an extensive survey by the All India Manufacturers’ Organisation (AIMO), around 35 per cent of the country’s Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and about 37 per cent of self-employed persons are are on the verge of shutting down operations.

This means a huge impact on Gujarat’s economy that largely

BETTER OFF

Indian gold medalist athlete Sarita Gaekwad has to talk one km everyday to fetch water.

Ketan Joshi

Many MSMEs in Gujarat and country face closure.

depends on the MSME sector, which accounts for over 4 lakh units. Gujarat, along with Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Delhi account for a huge majority of the MSMEs in the country and these states are the Covid hotspots where cases are still rising.

The AIMO study reveals that the financial stimulus announced by

Woman abandons baby because of her large head

A woman in abandoned her baby because of large head.

First India Bureau Chhotaudepur: An emotional case has come to light in central Gujarat’s Chhotaudepur district in which a woman abandoned her month-old girl, because her head was bigger than her body. She has left her child to go to her maternal home.

Sources said Kiran Tadvi, who lived in Vasana Vashat near Kosindra in Chhotaudepur, abandoned her month-old girl, because she was born with a big

head. She left her home and went to her parents’ house. The child’s father is taking her care. As the baby is getting older, the baby’s head is getting bigger, which is of concern.

Subhash Vankar from neighboring Vaddala village said he took the child to a nearby hospital from where she was referred to Ahmedabad Civil Hospital. Since the family’s financial condition is not good, Vankar has requested the government to help them.

the Centre doesn’t qualify start-ups, which account for over 11 per cent of the MSMEs in the country. The survey results have been compiled from 46,525 responses that AIMO collected from all around the country across multiple industry segments including self-employed, corporate CEOs, MSME owners, employees and experts.

“The most striking

aspect was that 35 per cent of MSMEs and 37 per cent of selfemployed respondents said that they see no chance of recovery in their businesses and have begun shutting down operations. To put this in perspective, India has over 130 million self employed and about 65 million MSMEs employing over 150 million peo-

ple. This kind of mass destruction of business has not been witnessed since our Independence,” said K E Raghunathan, Immediate Past President, AIMO. As per the reports published by AIMO survey, uncertainty of running a business is about 11 per cent in MSMEs and around 17 per cent in the self employed category.

Ahmedabad: Sarita Gaekwad, who won the first gold medal for India in the 4 by 500 m relay at the 2018 Asian Games and is also the brand ambassador of the Gujarat Government’s “Save daughter Campaign”, has to race against time every morning for a kilometre to fetch drinking water.

An Adivasi girl from the backward tribal district of Dangs in South Gujarat, Sarita left everyone in awe with her

First India Bureau Junagadh: A team of Union Environment and Forest Ministry, which visited the only abode of the Asiatic lion in Gujarat’s Gir forests to investigate the death of as many as 30 lions in three months, has concluded that

Guj University exams postponed to July 10 First India Bureau Ahmedabad: Gujarat University’s examination scheduled for June 25 has been postponed to July 10. The decision was taken at a meeting of the Academic Council held at Gujarat University on Tuesday.

After the instruction of the secretary of the education department, an examination system and management committee was formed for

that canine distemper virus is not responsible for the deaths.

The central forest team included the Joint Director of the Forest Department, a member of the India Veterinary Institute and a member of the Wildlife Institute of India. The team visited all the wildlife ar-

most of them succumbed to a disease called Babesia.

Gujarat Forest Department officials said the central team found that some of the lions died a natural death while most had Babesia disease along with a deficiency of hemoglobin.

The officials claimed

Gandhinagar: Alarmed over the rise in crime after the Covid-19 lockdown, especially in sexual offence and rape cases, an experts panel of Gujarat Forensic Sciences University (GFSU) have come together to emphasise the need to build forensic DNA infrastructure in India.

The initiative aims

gold medalist athlete

feat though scaling hilly terrains in her region was almost second nature to her.

Today, when she was to be the country’s hope in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Sarita’s daily schedule is to trek over one km of hilly terrain to fetch water from a well for her village that still

the smooth management and necessary arrangements of the University examinations.

A meeting in this context decided that the final university exams would now be held on July 10 instead of June 25. Only final year students and PG students will be examined on July 10. While 2nd and 4th semester students will be given admission to the next year on the basis of assessment.

Forensic experts advocate increased use of DNA technology to track serious crimes

1,000 domestic violence complaints between March 25 and

April 22, 2020.

There has also been a significant increase

eas.

The team members also held meetings with forest department officials and veterinary doctors.

They prepared a complete report before leaving for Delhi and would submit their post mortem report to the Central Government.

COMBATING NISARGA

Five NDRF teams landed at Surat Airport from Bhatinda, Punjab, on Tuesday. They are being deployed in Valsad - two teams, Navsari - one team and Surat - two teams.

FORENSIC TO TAP DNA TECH TO FIGHT RAPE at equipping first-line responders in criminal investigation with a clear understanding of DNA forensic evidence ‘collect & test’ protocols.

Reports during the last two months indicate that after an initial dip, violence against women has steadily been on the rise during the lockdown period. The National Commission for Women (NCW) received more than

—Sarita Gaekwad,

Gir lions fell to Babesia, hemoglobin defect

TRACKING CRIME

First India Bureau

This is my daily routine to get water from a well one km away.

in cyber crime against women, especially “sextortion”, where the “caged criminals” have been targeting them online. Authorities fear that the relaxation of restrictions on public movement will lead to a spike in sexual violence in the coming days and there is a need to arm the system with a robust forensic DNA infrastructure along with strict adherence to

standard operating procedures.

Addressing the apprehension that sexual predators may murder the victim and destroy the body, it was pointed out that killing and burning a victim’s body does not prevent DNA extraction. There are a good number of chances of getting biological evidence like skin cells, hair, and blood of the accused from the nail crevices of the victim.

does not have potable water facility.

Laxman Gaekwad, father of Sarita Gaekwad, said the dam is too far away, and that too is just a namesake while work is still underway at a check dam nearby.

The young Sarita was selected for the Indian women’s team in the 500m relay at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia. She also became the first track and field player from Gujarat to be selected for the Commonwealth Games.

40k students partake in IT skills program First India Bureau Ahmedabad: Over 40,000 students from nearly 220 colleges participated in the ‘Robotic Process Automation (RPA) Skill-A-Thon organized by the IIT Madras’ start-up, GUVI, and IIM Ahmedabad’s startup CIIE.CO. The organizers joined hands with UiPah, a global software company that developed a platform for RPA, to host RPA SkillA-Thon 2020. The organizers expect the number of participants to reach 60,000 by June 4. RPA Skill-A-Thon 2020 is a “national-level intelligence contest in emerging technology”.

RPA is the use of “software with Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning capabilities” that can perform “high-volume, repeatable tasks”.

@ahmedpatel As there is a possibility that cyclone 'Nisarg' may hit the South Gujarat coast , people living in coastal belt are appealed to follow instruction given by authorities and stay home stay safe, even fishermen are alerted not to venture in sea.

Chinese intrusion into India’s territory is a matter of grave concern for national security. We are with the govt for any decisive response but BJP’s “brave” response has oscillated between uninstallling Chinese apps to “boycotting” Chinese collaboration So what about this?

www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epaper/ I twitter.com/thefirstindia facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia AHMEDABAD, WEDNESDAY JUNE 3, 2020

POWER

DRESSING! Be at a presentation, networking event, board meeting, or international event, women are still frequently in suits.

The blazer and matching trouser set are like a suit of Armour to the modern-day Super-Women!

KARISHMA GWALANI

karishma.gwalani@firstindia.co.in

E

ven when there is no pressure on women to fit in, a large number of high powered women still choose to wear suits. What is it about the suit that continues to have enduring appeal to women, even as their male counterparts have decided they’re too stuffy? Women first wore suits to mirror the men in their male-dominated workplaces. These power suits tend to live in a surprisingly controversial space. Early feminists said it was the ultimate challenge to the patriarchy, because who needs feminin-

ity? Then came the argument that feminine can be just as strong and gamechanging, and we don’t need to dress like men, so let’s reclaim it, shall we? So in the now-casual office, women are redefining the suit in their own image.

Although women’s suits may not date back the way men’s do, they nevertheless have a colourful, boundarypushing history. The first notable appearance of a woman making a man’s suit her own was in 1870 when actress Sarah Bernhardt began wearing her “boy’s clothes” in public. At the time, a woman sporting a man’s suit was scandalous, but this controversy didn’t keep her from further challenging gender roles. Ahead of her time in many ways, Bernhardt was the original champion for what has become the sartorial calling card of modern women.

Some of the most powerful

women of our time Emma Stone, Hailey Bieber, Priyanka Chopra, Gigi Hadid, Deepika Padukone, Kareena Kapoor, to name a few wear suits almost all the time.

Hillary Clinton has spent her entire political life in a pantsuit, spurring her most ardent supporters to go to the polls wearing suits in solidarity, and affectionately referring to their community as ‘Pantsuit Nation’. As gender fluidity becomes more visible and more normalized, power dressing continues to be a vehicle for affirming newer gender roles in the mainstream. Many brands are redesigning women suits to make them more feminine, fashion-forward, and sexy.

For many women, the suit is no longer about making a statement, it’s just the most practical outfit. From day to night, work to weekend brunch, a matching blazerand-trouser outfit always looks sharp.

09

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AHMEDABAD | WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3, 2020

10

BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL THE WORLD’S MAJOR BEAUTY QUEENS ARE ALL BLACK AND IT’S ABOUT TIME

T

hey say beauty is in the eye of the beholder. But the truth is that when beauty is constantly viewed from the lens of a predominantly white and Western gaze, and for so long shaped by and held to Eurocentric standards, the concept of beauty becomes dangerously distorted.

They also say that beauty is more than skin deep but history would have us believe that the ideal is not any deeper than mediumbeige.

But for the first time in the history of beauty pageants, all the five major title holders (Miss Universe, Miss World, Miss America, Miss USA and Miss Teen USA) are Black women.

It’s a feat that may have gone unnoticed. But to many Black women, and perhaps even more imp o r t a n t l y, young Black girls, who for so long have been told that beauty was not an arena wherein

they could feel included, let alone lauded, the current reign of Black beauty queens signals what might be considered the shattering of a glass ceiling. And this

recognition of Black beauty on such a large and influential scale is as meaningful as it is momentous.

On December 8, 2019, history was made as Miss South Africa, Zozibini Tunzi won the 68th Miss Universe competi-

FA CE OF TH ED AY

YOUR DAY Horoscope by Saurabbh Sachdeva

tion—the first Black woman to win the renowned pageant since Leila Lopes in 2011. More noticeably however, she was the first dark-skinned Black woman to wear the crown with short, natural and unprocessed hair. Then came another first: taking a stand against prejudiced beauty standards for Black women. and she says “I grew up in a world where a woman who looks like me—with my kind of skin and my kind of hair—was never considered to be beautiful,” Tunzi said in her closing speech. “I think it is time that stops today. I want children to look at me and see my face, and I want them to see their faces reflected in mine.”

With her skin as dark and smooth as the world’s finest chocolate and her cropped, natural hair unrivaled by the crown, she was incredibly, undeniably beautiful.

One week later, Miss Jamaica, ToniAnn Singh, couldn’t have lost the Miss World competition if she tried. She simply stood out

The perception of beauty has been distorted by Eurocentrism

It is important to examine the disturbing history of what is celebrated as beauty in many parts of the world, and how this standard of beauty continues to perpetuate a false ideal at the expense, and to the detriment, of Black women.

In a post-colonial Africa and Caribbean, the ramifications of slavery and colonization have reverberated through the halls of time. Likenesses of both colonizer and colonized have been preserved in genes and passed on through generations, resulting in gradients of skin tones from deep dark to in discernibly white, and hair textures from pin straight to tightly coiled curls. This spectrum of phenotypes has yielded what might be described as a “melting pot.” But one where opportunity and access to resources are unevenly dis-

tributed. And where proximity to whiteness remains the yardstick for respectability, desirability and, of course, beauty.

Beauty in predominantly Black countries remains notoriously political, and perhaps the climax of beauty politics in these countries is the selection of who is selected to represent the country on the world stage at an international pageant like Miss World or Miss

Universe. Criticism is usually rife when the winner is another “light-skinned or mixed race” girl. Many Jamaicans proudly quote the national motto, “Out of many, one people” at assertions that a winner does not look “Jamaican enough.”

Others contend that with over 90% of the population identifying as Black, they don’t see themselves represented in the fair-skinned, wavy haired beauty queens.

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

CANCER

You must guard yourself and others from over spending your money today. Professionals will be very happy today as their hard work will be rewarded by their seniors.

You may start changing your house interior to give it a rich look. Its advisable to take a long ride.

You may take a short break from your busy work schedule to find your inner peace. Your parents feel suspicious of you because you don’t communicate things to them clearly so try and build that equation with them. Your past problems will be resolved and you will be relieved.

You must give personal attention to your investment rather then blindly leaving it on someone else to manage. On academic front, you require more hard work to make it to you destination. Some of you my go to a boarding school for better education.

You must devote your time today in building spiritual connection with your higher self. On professional front, your hard work may pay you today and give you an unexpected career related surprise. You may go on a vacation to a distant place with your family.

MAR 21 - APR 20

APR 21 - MAY 20

MAY 21 - JUNE 21

JUNE 22 - JULY 23

LEO

VIRGO

LIBRA

SCORPIO

You must take measure to curb your expenses so that you can save to invest in your big dream. On professional front, you must try an trust people to build strong relationship. On domestic front, your sibling may find a suitable match which can lead to marriage.

As far as finances are concerned , you may decide to step into a new venture to grow your business. On career front, you can expect your promotion soon or there may be a change of job with a huge salary. Your family youngster may need your guidance.

If there is a loss in investment, don’t worry because you will gain much more in coming time. On professional front, you may feel lethargic and you may loose interest in what you are doing but its just a phase. You will get special treatment from your spouse.

You will spend some money today on luxury.

Your investments will give you fruitful results. You may plan to buy a pet for your house. You must involve yourself in some social work. Your cards show a new property addition to the one existing.

JULY 24 - AUGUST 23

AUG 24 - SEP 23

SEPT 24 - OCTOBER 22

OCT 23 - NOVEMBER 22

SAGITTARIUS

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

Keep distant from dubious schemes to save money from going into any kind of loss. On professional front, things will go as you wish so nothing to worry. Your pet may need your attention today. Some of you may plan to go for higher studies abroad. You may attend a social event.

Refrain from blaming someone for your own mistake on professional front. Those staying away from home for along time can soon expect an emotional reunion. Your friends are very supportive and they may help your wound heal. You must start practicing yoga.

You must sit with a pen and paper and do your financial planning based on calculations before putting money int you dream project. Career wise, some of you may soon become the part of a prestigious organisation.

You may feel a bit burdened by domestic responsibilities today.

You will make some profit today from unexpected source. You can expect to get your long due receivables today. On professional front, a little mistake can get you on the wrong side so be very careful and attentive today. Today is a good day if you plan to take a business trip.

NOV 23 - DEC 22

NAINA SINGH, Actor

from start to finish. She exuded poise, grace, and charisma.

This is why everyone should be celebrating the dominance of Black beauty queens:

DEC 23 - JAN 20

JAN 21 - FEB 19

FEB20 - MARCH 20

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CURBING

AHMEDABAD | WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3, 2020

A

ctor Anushka Sharma on Tuesday exhorted people to maintain hygiene and advised to stop open defecation in a bid to avoid coronavirus spread. As the country is grappling with the coronavirus crisis, the ‘PK’ actor has joined the initiative with the Swachh Bharat Mission, which aims to tell the people that the contagion can be curbed through strict sanitation process.

“When women all over the country had decided that they would educate everyone on the lesson of close the door, shun the disease, no one had thought that their initiative would turn into such a huge wave!,” the actor was seen saying in a video posted in the official Twitter handle of Swachh Bharat I #IndiaFightsCorona.

“Today, in the time of coronavirus pandemic, we all have to again remember and remind others about the lesson of cleanliness,” she added.

“If we take care of cleanliness around us, by not defecating in the open, we will keep ourselves healthy and India clean. We will become strong to fight against any kind of disease,” the 32-year-old star said.

The ‘Sultan’ actor noted that by stopping defecating in open and closing the toilet door at all times can be a solid measure to drive the disease out of the country.

—ANI

CORONAVIRUS

SPREAD

Anushka Sharma

SONA@33!

S Raj Kapoor

1st SUPERSTAR OF

INDIAN CINEMA

T

he first showman of India Cinema Raj Kapoor, who was extremely talented in all aspects of movie-making, passed away on June 2, 1988, that is 32 years ago. Also known as the ‘Charlie Chaplin of Hindi Cinema’, his roles were mostly about a common man’s hardships, and always portrayed positivity in his roles.

There are a few facts that people are unaware about, like- his first job in this industry was as a Clapper Boy; he is known to be the youngest Director of his time; his real name was Ranbir and not Raj; there were real-life scenes in his movies; he suffered from breathing problems; not all his films were commercially successful; he passed away before his final film was complete; he was supposed to receive the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in New Delhi, and right before that he was rushed to AIIMS Delhi as he had acute chest pain. —Agency

onakshi Sinha was showered with greetings as she turned 33 on Tuesday. Sonakshi’s father and veteran actor Shatrughan Sinha took to social media to express gratitude that the family is spending time together during the lockdown period. “This week is very special for my family, as we have a lot to thank for during this lockdown period. The family got to really spend some good quality time together,” the veteran actor tweeted.

“Today we all celebrate our darling @ sonakshisinha Sona’s birthday. May she always be positive & abundantly blessed,” his tweet further reads.

Actor Preity Zinta also made sure that she wishes the ‘Kalank’ actor as she posted a picture with her on Instagram.

“Happy Birthday my darling Sona. Wish you all the wonderful things, today and always.

Keep Smiling and shining always. Love you loads @aslisona,” the ‘Kya Kehna’ actor wrote in the caption.

Fashion designer Manish Malhotra also posted a picture of himself with Sonakshi on his Instagram stories and wrote, “@aslisona Happy Birthday Beautiful.”

Actor Huma Qureshi too extended birthday greetings to Sonakshi by posting a picture with her on her Instagram stories.

Huma wished her friend in what seems like a code language as she wrote, “You are...this friendship..how to...Love...Dosti..” along with the picture.

—ANI

Together We

Lady Gaga

Calling out Trump

A

fter Taylor Swift recently called out Donald Trump, Lady Gaga is also questioning the US President in the matter of Geoge Floyd’s death. A few days ago, US President Donald Trump took to his social media handle and posted an insensitive tweet regarding the protests for George Floyd’s death at the hands of four policemen.

As the Black Lives Matter movement gained momentum across the US, Donald Trump wrote a tweet that read “when the looting starts, the shooting starts,” which not only angered Taylor Swift but many others.

Recently, Lady Gaga too has hit back at the US President and called him racist. “We have known for a long time that President Trump has failed. He holds the most powerful office in the world, yet offers nothing but ignorance and prejudice while black lives continue to be taken,” Lady Gaga lashed out. “He is fuelling a system that is already rooted in racism, and racist activity, and we can all see what is happening. It’s time for a change,” she added. She also expressed her anger over the police violence that resulted in the untimely death of former football player George Floyd.

—Agency

Sonakshi Sinha

ROLLING ON Accusations

STAND

K

S

everal international stars have come forward to show their support to the ongoing Black Lives Matter movement. The powerful movement was a result of the death of an unarmed black citizen in the US. George Floyd died in custody after a police officer knelt on his neck. The video of the horrific incident went viral and numerous powerful and influential stars are stepping up to raise their voices against the incident and stand up for the movement. Zayn Malik is one of the stars who have condemned the incident.

The former One Direction singer isn’t as active as many other stars on Instagram. The last time the singer shared a post on Instagram was February this year. But he broke his Instagram hiatus and decided to join the movement by sharing a post on the social media platform. The ‘Pillow Talk’ hitmaker shared a black post with the caption, “#blacklivesmatter.” He also asked his fans to sign the petition about #DefundThePolice by sharing a swipe up link on his Instagram Stories.

—Agency

11

Zayn Malik

ylie Jenner wants people to stop keeping a track of her bank.

Kylie Jenner was announced as the youngest self-established billionaire by Forbes for the second time in 2020. Being the owner and founder of her beauty brand ‘Kylie Cosmetics’, Kylie Jenner’s net worth stood at USD 1 billion at the beginning of 2020. However, a few days ago, Forbes magazine accused her of faking her finances in order to appear more wealthy than she actually is and to get the youngest billionaire title.

They further alleged her to have lied about her earnings by showing false tax returns. After the feud with Forbes Magazine, Kylie Jenner gave out a statement saying that she never asked for any title from them. According to rumours, she also had a fallout with her mom and manager Kris Jenner for the same reason.

—Agency

Kylie Jenner

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

NEHAL NAYAR

I

t was the birthday of RCA President and PCC General Secretary Vaibhav Gehlot on Tuesday, which he did not celebrate owing to the ongoing corona pandemic condition in the country.

But he did drive down to Jaipur from Sawai Madhopur for a couple of hours to seek the blessings of his parents CM Ashok Gehlot and Sunita Gehlot. He also went across to the residence of Speaker C P Joshi to seek his blessings. Vaibhav was accompanied by his wife Himanshi and daughter Kashwini. After meeting his parents and attending the special puja that his mother did for him, Vaibhav went back to Sawai Madhopur. Governor Kalraj Mishra also gave his blessings telephonically to Vaibhav Gehlot. Gajendra Singh Shekhawat called up from Delhi to wish him too.

Best wishes and greetings poured in from Congress leaders, activists, sports associations, officials and sports persons on the phone and social media throughout the day. Well-wishers of Vaibhav Gehlot and Congress party workers organized various chari-

AHMEDABAD | WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3, 2020

12

A Day of Blessings for Vaibhav CP Joshi offers sweets to Vaibhav while Pramod Jain Bhaya looks on

CM Ashok Gehlot and Sunita Gehlot with Vaibhav, Himanshi and Kashwini

ty programmes, fed fodder to cows as ‘Gou-Seva’and provided ration to the needy people. The Congress cadre in Jodhpur also organised many activities in the city to celebrate the birthday of Vaibhav.

Dr Raghu Sharma, Mahesh Joshi, Lalchand Kataria, Saleh Mohammad, Dharmendra Rathore, Bhanwar Singh Bhati, Mamta Bhupesh, Subhash Garg, Pramod Jain Bhaya, Bhajan Lal

Sunita Gehlot with Vaibhav, Himanshi and Kashwini after the special puja

Jatav, Uday Lala Anjana, Ashok Chandana, Rajeev Arora and Mahendra Choudhary greeted Vaibhav on his birthday. Wishes also came in from Amin Pathan, Rukshmani Kumari, Mahadev Khandela, Ashq Ali Tak, Sunil Parvani, Mahendra Sharma, Manisha Pawar, Ramkesh Meena, Suresh Tank and all RCA officials wished him all the best. cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

Dharmendra Rathore celebrated Vaibhav’s birthday by distributing Parindas and ensuring their proper installation to ensure water to birds in this heat.

Jodhpur: Congress leaders Lalit Surana and Daulat Singh Sankhla planted a tree and Congress leader Raju Ram Chaudhary organised a cake cutting ceremony to mark the occasion.

MAINTAINING

WHAT’S HAPPENING!

UTMOST HYGIENE Gujarat: A few officials, including the municipal commissioner of the Surat Municipal Corporation, Banchhanidhi Pani, visited Dumas to inspect the Nisarga cyclone situation and evacuate people from the low-lying areas.

The area being sanitized

NEHAL NAYAR

nehal.nayar@firstindia.co.in

B

eing careful and precautious is the only thing that one can do in this global pandemic since the situation can be controlled only if everyone follows the norms. Since ‘Unlock 1.0’ has come into action, everything is opening up, maintaining the hygiene factors and taking all the precautions, of course.

One such place happens to be Brown Sugar in Jaipur, which is following the best practices advised by the World

Temperature of a staff member being checked at Brown Sugar

Health Organization (WHO) with respect to food production and employee hygiene.

They are ensuring that their staff wears masks and gloves.

Their staff ’s temperature is being checked daily, and the much-needed ‘Aarogya Setu Application’ has also been in-

stalled in everyone’s mobile phones to ensure safe tracking.

Talking about the deliveries that are sent to the customer’s residence through various mediums like Swiggy and Zomato, the team at Brown Sugar makes sure that the delivery boy’s temperature is checked

New World

Rajasthan: The Secretary, Department of Science Technology, Government of Rajasthan, Mugdha Sinha appealed for an R&D collaboration between the Department, the industry and the academia to deliver fruitful results in the fight against the pandemic during the opening remarks at the one-day webinar at Manipal University Jaipur (MUJ) on Tuesday. She emphasised on the need for development to make India self-reliant.

RECORD!

I

n a feat displaying the resilience and strength of India’s economy, nearly 400,000 entrepreneurs from the MSME sector engaged for an astonishing 98 lakh minutes to train themselves for rebuilding their businesses post COVID0-19, under the seminal leadership of Asia’s top Business Coach Dr Vivek Bindra, the Founder and CEO of Bada Business. The event organized by Bada Business achieved a Guinness World Records success, for the largest online business lesson attended by 18,693 unique participants for 30 minutes.

Dr Vivek Bindra The business training webinar saw the participation of MSME owners from across the country, including 15,000 entrepreneurs from different cities of Rajasthan. cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

HAPPY B’DAY! IAS Smita Srivastava (left) and IAS Rajeev Dasot (right) celebrated their birthdays on 2 June, Tuesday. We wish them all the best!

as well, and that they deliver the items with full and utmost precautions.

Brown Sugar is one of the partners of ‘The Fashion Connect Season 7’, which is going to be held with a full swing, once the Corona Lockdown is over and it’s safe.

Rajasthan: A writer-educator and mentor to students, Kartik Bajoria along with the Chairman of the IN-DEED Foundation, Vikram Rajola decided to initiate ‘The Inclusive Education Dialogue’ (TIED). The purpose of the Dialogue is to bring together experts from the education and technology sectors to find solutions so that all the students are provided with an equal opportunity to learn and grow. The inaugural panel discussion of this series was conducted on Sunday, through a webinar on zoom.

Rajasthan: On the 15th day of the ongoing ‘Online Learning – Children’s Summer Festival’, organised by Jawahar Kala Kendra (JKK), there was a visual arts online learning session on ‘Charcoal Painting’ by artist, Vijay Kumawat. The session featured a step by step technique to create charcoal art.

The viewers also learned how to recreate different types of strokes, blending, shadows and textured shading.

Rajasthan: Amidst the present lockdown, schools are taking online classes for the students to stay fit and healthy from the comfort of their home. Avika Chhabra, granddaughter of Senior Journalist Rajendra Chhabra, practicing the same at home. Avika is a class 3rd student of Maharaja Sawai Mansingh Vidyalaya, Jaipur.

Rajasthan: A virtual exhibition ‘Arts of Indian Tribes’ was organised by Jawahar Kala Kendra (JKK), on Tuesday till 15 June, through Facebook live, in collaboration with Craft and Community Development Foundation (CCDF) in New Delhi. On the occasion, Minister of Art and Culture, Government of Rajasthan, Dr BD Kalla informed that the exhibition is presenting 35 artworks from 10 artists. These paintings will be available for public viewing on the virtual galleries of the official JKK website.

Rajasthan: Amidst our fight against the pandemic, Lions Club Rising Star, Jaipur distributed 400 sanitary napkins, footwear slippers, packets of vegetables and clothes to more than 30 families with the support of Additional DGP of Nirbhaya Squad, Sunita Meena.

Gujarat: Surat resident Ajitbhai, who transported over 160 COVID-19 patients in the 108 ambulances to Civil Hospital, tested positive for novel coronavirus. After a successful recovery, he was discharged from the hospital on Tuesday. His selfless service was saluted by local MLA Harsh Sanghvi and medical staff.

Gujarat: The Ahmedabad Railway Station was bustling with travellers on Tuesday after Unlock 1.0 was announced by the government. All passengers were screened and sanitized by railway personnel and urged to practice social distancing at all times.