First India-Ahmedabad Edition-04 December 2020

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Security personnel stop Bharatiya Kisan Union members at the UP-Delhi border, in New Delhi on Thursday.

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VIGYAN BHAWAN Farmers’ representatives speaking with media after meeting with the Centre on the new farm laws, in New Delhi on Thursday —PHOTOS BY PTI

Eight-hr-long meet yields no result, talks again tomorrow New Delhi: Talks between three union ministers and a representative group of thousands of agitating farmers failed to yield any resolution on Thursday, as the union leaders stuck to their demand for the repeal of new farm laws during almost eighthour-long hectic parleys.

On its part, the government assured the group of nearly 40 farmer leaders that all their valid concerns would be addressed, but the other side flagged several loopholes and deficiencies in the laws, which they said were passed hastily in September.

The Agriculture Ministry tweeted that doubts of farmers were addressed by Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, who led the government side at the talks. Tomar later told reporters that the next meeting will take place on Saturday at 2 pm. Turn to P6

H’bad civic polls

results today

Hyderabad: The counting of votes for the Hyderabad municipal elections will take place on Friday. The polling for 150 wards spread into six zones had taken place on December 1.

The city had witnessed a highly charged-up campaign by the BJP including Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP National President JP Nadda and UP CM Yogi Adityanath in the run-up to polls against rival AIMIM led

by Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi but failed to impress in terms of a higher voter turnout.

The government has no ego. We will consider giving more legal rights to farmers. MSP will continue, we have assured farmers —Narendra Tomar, Agriculture Minister

“WE BROUGHT OUR OWN FOOD” New Delhi: Representatives of the farmers’ organisations refused to break bread with the three participating Union ministers. At the lunch break, farmers said “no” to the food offered by the government and stuck to the langar, which was brought in by a waiting van. Visuals from inside Vigyan Bhawan showed farmers’ representatives assembled at a long table for a hurried lunch.

Some sat on the ground in a quiet corner.

Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar along with MoS for Commerce Som Prakash addressing media after the meeting.

“NATION’S SECURITY”: AMARINDER URGES SHAH TO RESOLVE ROW New Delhi: The massive farmer protests on highways near Delhi will not only impact the economy of Punjab but also threaten “national security”, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said after a meeting with Home Minister Amit Shah, urging “both sides” to resolve the deadlock. “Discussions are on between the farmers and the centre, there’s nothing for me to resolve. I reiterated my opposition in my meeting with the Home Minister and requested him to resolve the issue as it affects the economy of my state and the security of the nation,” said Amarinder Singh. The Punjab Chief Minister called on Amit Shah in Delhi and held discussions on ways to resolve the current stand-off between the government and farmers protesting over new farm laws. Several leaders in the ruling BJP have accused Amarinder Singh of actively supporting the protesters.

Akali’s Parkash Badal returns Padma Vibhushan over ‘betrayal of farmers’

Chandigarh: Former Punjab Chief Minister and Shiromani Akali Dal patron Parkash Singh Badal has returned his Padma Vibhushan award in protest against what he termed as the “betrayal of farmers” and indifferent attitude adopted by the BJP-led Central government towards the ongoing farmers protest against agriculture laws.

In a letter addressed to the President, Badal wrote “I write this letter to return the Padma Vibhushan award in protest against the betrayal of the farmers by the government of India and against the shocking indifference and contempt with which the government is treating the ongoing peaceful and democratic agitation against farm acts.”

Farmers representatives, holding talks with the Centre, have their own food (langar) during the lunch break, at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi on Thursday.

Rajinikanth to launch party in Jan, to fight 2021 TN polls Chennai: Superstar Rajinikanth on Thursday asserted that he would launch his political party in January 2021, ending years of suspense and in a big morale booster to his supporters and fans.

The top star, promising his brand of spiritual politics, dramatically asserted that he was even ready to risk his life for the sake of people’s welfare by making a foray into politics.

The 70-year old actor categorically said that

First India Bureau Gandhinagar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be in Kutch on December 15, to lay the foundation stones of a mega renewable energy park and a desalination plant in Mandvi.

Sharing news of the

PM’s upcoming visit, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said that he will lay the foundation stone of a 30,000 megawatt capacity solar park. Set to be established by selected state and central government public sector companies, the park will be built on 60,000

Prime Minister Narendra Modi

his party would fight Assembly elections in 2021 and “emerge victorious.”

Assembly elections are due in Tamil Nadu during April-May 2021.

He expressed confidence that his to be floated outfit would be able to “win elections with the huge support of people.”

Turn to P6

Kerala, Tamil Nadu brace for Cyclone

Burevi with winds at 90 kmph

Chennai: The India Meteorological Department on Friday said that Cyclonic storm Burevi is expected to cross the south Tamil Nadu coast between Pamban and Kanniyakumari during late Thursday night or early Friday morning with a wind speed of 70-80

PM Modi to lay foundation of 30K MW solar energy park in Kutch on December 15 He will also dedicate a desalination plant, to ease water supply, in Mandvi of Bharuch district

Actor-turned-politician Rajinikanth gestures at his fans.

hectares of land at an investment of Rs1.25 lakh crore.

In December last year, State Energy Minister Nitin Patel had announced the solar park project at a Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry event in Ahmedabad.

He had also stated that the government planned to scale up its non-conventional energy production by 30,000 MW. Turn to P6

A NDRF team at a seashore of Valiyathura in Thiruvananthapuram.

gusting to 90 kmph. As per the latest data, Cyclone Burevi lay centered 40km east-southeast of Pamban.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi appealed to the people to remain alert and assured that the administration is well-equipped to deal with the situation.

MDH’s GRAND OLD MAN

OF SPICES NO MORE New Delhi: Dharampal Gulati, the owner of the MDH Masala brand often called the grand old man of spices, died on Thursday. He was 97.

“Mahashay” Dharampal Gulati, as he was known, had been in a hospital in Delhi for weeks. He died of a cardiac arrest early in the morning. A familiar face on MDH products in his signature red turban and pearl necklace, Dharampal Gulati was the face of the ads of MDH (Mahashian Di

Hatti). Many recalled on social media platforms his smiling face at the close of the ads with the tagline “Asli Masale Sach Sach, MDH, MDH”.

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AHMEDABAD | FRIDAY, DECEMBER 04, 2020

No protocol for declaration of micro-containment zones?

02

Will Ahmedabad have an IPL team soon?

First India speaks to AMC councillors to ascertain whether the civic body has uniform policies in place or not…

First India Bureau Ahmedabad: One of the necessary precautions undertaken by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) to curb the transmission of COVID-19 cases is the declaration of residential units as micro-containment zones. This is to ensure that people who have contracted the virus stay indoors and also warn other citizens about active nCoV cases in a particular housing society. However, there is no uniformity or any policy in place to adjudge an area as a microcontainment zone, known to the public or even the elected councilors of the civic body.

As per AMC records, a total of 300 micro-containment zones had been declared across the city till Thursday afternoon. But, lack of uniformity in ascertaining the need to cordon off housing societies/residences means that the procedure is being executed without proper evaluation. A few days ago, Chandkheda councillor Rajshri Kesari had levelled allegations against the AMC regarding the declaration of a micro-containment zone in her society after 20 people were found to be nCoV positive.

Meanwhile, last week, a four-floor apartment building in Thaltej area, had more than two COVID-19 cases on each floor.

But, the civic body took six days to declare the area as a micro-containment zone. During that period, people found to be nCoV positive were stepping out of their homes freely.

When contacted, elected councillors from

According to AMC records, a total of 300 micro-containment zones had been declared across the city till Thursday afternoon. —FILE PHOTOS

each zone had varying responses about the policies implemented for a building/society/area to be declared a microcontainment zone.

South Zone councillor Ramesh Desai, stated, “You should ask the state health department about this. As per my understanding, places

with 4 to 5 cases are declared micro-containment zones. But, the protocol is confusing when it comes to apartments and independent

houses. Now, such zones are being contained even floor-wise in apartment buildings.”

Echoing a similar sentiment, East Zone

councillor Atul Patel said, “Places with more than three cases are declared micro-containment zones by AMC”.

A COVID-19 survivor herself, West Zone councillor Sadhna Joshi, stated, “The government declares a containment zone after several cases are reported in one place. Patients are not allowed to venture out of their homes for fear of passing it on to other people. What the public does not seem to comprehend is that this virus is deadly and that in order to stay safe, they must cover their faces with masks. It should not matter which government is in power right now, it is imperative that everyone follows the rules.”

Talking about the reaction of citizens on staying in micro-containment zones, Central Zone councillor Hasankhan Pathan elaborated, “During the onset of the pandemic, our area (Dariyapur) had the maximum number of COVID-19 cases and whole pockets were contained by declaration of micro-containment zones. People resisted the restriction of movement but, elected representatives were successful in convincing locals to go along with it. The AMC does not have any policy in place for the protocol and they do not inform us about such zones. All we did was our duty of looking out for the public. Now, we have fewer cases in our area.”Vallabh Patel, councillor of North Zone asked First India to direct “such questions to the health department.”

BCCI prez Sourav Ganguly with the board’s secy Jay Shah.

First India Bureau Ahmedabad: Two new teams are likely to be added to the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the proposal in this regard will be taken up for discussion in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) annual general meeting scheduled for December 24.

Chances are that one of the additional teams will be from Gujarat’s Ahmedabad as a corporate conglomerate has expressed its interest in owning an IPL team.

The other team could be from cities such as Lucknow, Kanpur or Pune.

Notably, IPL currently has eight teams—Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai Indians, Kolkata Knight Riders, Delhi Capitals, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Kings XI Punjab, Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bangalore.

The board is also likely to discuss the issue of inclusion of cricket into the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. This apart, it will also deliberate on the election of the vice-president of the board. In all, there are 23 issues that will be placed on the discussion ta-

TRANSPARENT MOTIVES

ble at the AGM. Another important point will be the selection of BCCI’s representative to the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Asian Cricket Council. It is expected that secretary Jay Shah will be the BCCI representative for the global committees.

The appointment of three new selectors, along with a chairman of selectors, is also on cards given that cricket committees and standing committees are part of the agenda.

“Selection committee is a part of the cricket committee plus the technical committee also needs to be formed. They are all statutory subcommittees,” a senior BCCI source said.

Cricket featured at the 1900 Olympics and was also played in the 1998 Commonwealth Games, but has largely been absent from multisport events, which critics say has restricted the sport’s growth beyond its traditional pockets.

ICC, the governing body of the sport, backs the idea of the sport’s inclusion in the Olympics but the BCCI has been reluctant in this regard.

CM Rupani launches Online Development Permission System 2.0 First India Bureau Gandhinagar: While launching the ‘Online Development Permission System (ODPS) 2.0’ at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar on Thursday, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said that the state government was working towards governing with transparency and sensibility.

He also added that the government had wanted to develop an online system wherein technology was used to connect citizens directly with state departments such as housing, revenue and urban development.

Clearing the air, Rupani said with the new ODPS-2.0 operational, offline permissions for low-rise buildings will be completely discontinued. He also expressed his desire to implement the ODPS for high-rise buildings in the state in the near future.On people engag-

ing in malpractice to secure permission for their projects, Rupani asserted, “The state government is committed to take action against the 1% who are engaging in malpractice. We are also committed to ensure that people do not become victims or cheating or any wrongdoing.”

He added, “The General Development Control Regulations (GDCR) has been amended to make way for a common GDCR for developing new systems. Not only this, by focusing on 15 vital things such as Floor Space Index (FSI), height, margin, parking, fire safety, we have ensured that any given plan is approved within 24 hours based on its adequacy.”

The CM proudly stated that Gujarat had become the first state in the country to develop a faceless system that will give the nod to any

(L to R) Minister of State for Urban Housing Yogesh Patel, Revenue Minister Kaushik Patel, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, Education Minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama and Minister of State for Home Pradipsinh Jadeja at Mahatma Mandir on Thursday.

developmental plan.

“Our government is sincerely working towards more transparency, decisiveness, sensitivity and progressiveness. We have made a number of pioneering improvements with this approach and not a sin-

gle citizen will face any problems to receive any assistance. We have no personal agenda or interests. The government has made Gujarat a role model of progress by executing developmental as well as public projects,” he said.

“The people are sincere and the government trusts them.

They just need proper management. We aim to ease the lives of the public by introducing such online transparent systems,” added the CM.

Rupani addressing attendees of the event.

GUJARAT AHMEDABAD | FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2020

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asks govt not to shut Apex court stays Guj HC order Cong schools in rural areas of rules for community service First India Bureau

It termed the directive “disproportionate” and that it may lead to health problems First India Bureau Ahmedabad: In big relief for the state government, the Supreme Court on Thursday stayed the Gujarat High Court’s order to formulate a policy that would direct those caught without a face cover or mask to be compulsorily sent to COVID-19 care centres for community service.

A bench comprising justices Ashok Bhushan, R Subhash Reddy and MR Shah heard the special leave petition filed against Wednesday’s High Court order.

The HC directive was challenged by the state government before the apex court by moving an urgent motion by Solicitor-General (SG) Tushar Mehta.

The Supreme Court, while staying the order observed, “The Gujarat High

BACKFIRE

—FILE PHOTO

Supreme Court

Court direction was disproportionate and may lead to health problems. The top court however asserted that masks are compulsory and violators should be penalized as per law.”

The government was directed to ensure that the guidelines issued by the Union of India and the Gujarat government for wearing

masks are vigorously implemented in the state by police officials.

In the hearing on Thursday, the SG stated that though the problem of not wearing masks was serious, the solution did not lie in punishing them with service. “Harm of not wearing masks is much less than sending a person to a COVID-19 centre. The problem has to

State gets 1,540 new cases, loses 13 patients to nCoV

be addressed on a war footing”, he submitted.

Justice Shah was of view that it would be difficult to execute the high court order.

“There is a lack of will though, so far as implementation is concerned and the High Court has taken note of this. The Centre comes out with SOPs and guidelines, but what about their

implementation? People are gathering in marriage functions, roaming around in malls!” he remarked.

In response, SG Mehta submitted that perhaps it was in our culture, to be undisciplined, since masks hanging off the faces are the norm nowadays, despite the pandemic worsening every day.

Ahmedabad: The Congress party has asked the Gujarat government to rescind its order of shutting schools in the state, stating that the education of children from the lower and middle-income sections of society – especially girls – will be hit hard.

“The state government has taken the decision to initiate closure of schools in rural areas, due to low numbers.

It will affect children in the area, whose education will be hit hard, especially for girls. The situation in the tribal areas is extremely serious,” Manish Doshi, Congress Chief Spokesperson, said on Thursday.

Children in the rural parts of Kutch are being deprived of their right to education, Doshi said, adding that government schools in such areas in every district of the state are being shuttered on gov-

SPICY TREAT

ple were found COVID-19 positive in Ahmedabad district followed by Surat (246), Vadodara (184), Rajkot (141), Gandhinagar (72), Mehsana (69), Patan (42), Kheda (39) and Banaskantha (36).

The recovery rate of

No bidders for sports complex, SMC decides to run it on its own

Surat Municipal Corporation.

First India Bureau Surat: The Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) will now take over the management of its own sports complex in the city. Two years ago, the civic body had built the Rander Sports Club but the complex was not opened to the public as no one showed interest in bidding to manage it.

In a tender, the SMC had invited private

—FILE PHOTO

parties to manage the club on a private- public partnership for 10 years. After several attempts, the civic body has decided to take control of it.

A proposal was sent to SMC’s standing committee regarding fees and other charges of the club. As per the proposal, SMC will charge Rs1,200 for three months of swimming, Rs2,000 for six months and Rs2,400 for a year of subscription to the club.

Gujarat now stands at 91.16%. Over 69,735 tests were conducted in the past 24 hours across the state, taking the total to over 80 lakh. Currently, there are 14,913 active patients in the state, of which, 96 are on ventilator support.

ernment orders.

“The reckless decision to close over 2,000 government schools in Gujarat will deprive thousands of kids belonging to underprivileged and middle-class backgrounds of their right to education. We kindly request the state government to immediately rescind its orders,” Doshi said.

“By the direct order of the education department of the state government and the director of primary education, around 96 schools in the Aravalli district have been shut down with immediate effect.

With winter here, workers dry red chillies in the sun to make pickles in Sertha village, located on the outskirts of Ahmedabad on Thursday. Pickles made from Sertha chillies are famous in the state and also make their way abroad to countries such as the US and Canada.

—PHOTO BY HANIF SINDHI

Similarly, 176 schools in Kutch have been discontinued from November 2020,” he added.

Meanwhile, the state’s department of education has not been active in approving appointments in government and grant-in-aid education institutions.

“The department of education is promoting the commercialisation and privatisation of education by systematically introducing compulsory self-financed classes and gradually closing grant-in-aid classes,” said a source.

IMA Gujarat to protest ‘mixopathy’ on Dec 11 First India Bureau

First India Bureau Gandhinagar: The state recorded 1,540 fresh cases of novel coronavirus in the past 24 hours, the state health department mentioned in the COVID-19 bulletin on Thursday evening.

With the new cases, the tally of total cases in the state now stands at 2,12,309. Around 13 patients succumbed to the infection, taking the death toll of the pandemic to 4,031. Nine patients died in Ahmedabad city alone, followed by two in Surat and one each in Rajkot and Vadodara.

As many as 336 peo-

Kids from underprivileged families to be worst affected by the order.

Ahmedabad: The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has called for withdrawal of all nonessential and non-nCoV services on December 11, to protest the central government’s decision to allow post-graduate non-allopathic medicine practitioners to conduct surgeries.

Emergency services will function along with ICUs and CCUs, but no elective procedures will be performed from 6 am to 6 pm, the medical body announced.

Dr Chandresh Jardosh, President of the IMA (Gujarat Chapter), stated, “Association members will also join

the protest at public places across the state on December 08.”

The IMA has protested against the notification issued by the Central Council of Indian Medicine, which authorized post-graduate practitioners in specified streams of Ayurveda to be trained to perform general surgical procedures.

Stating that the Central Council of Indian Medicine’s latest notification and the formation of four committees

by NITI Aayog for the integration of all systems of medicine will only lead to “mixopathy”, the IMA demanded an immediate withdrawal of both orders.

PERSPECTIVE AHMEDABAD | FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2020

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SOVIET EFFECT IN POST-COLD WAR ERA

IN-DEPTH

NEW CHALLENGER IN DRAVIDIAN CITADEL

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or three years now Tamil superstar Rajinikanth kept everyone guessing about his foray in politics. Ending the suspense the 69-year-old Thalaiva, a non-Dravidian, announced on Thursday that he will launch his political party in January, 2021 and contest the Tamil Nadu assembly elections with the promise of an honest government. In his tweet Rajinikanth said, “In the upcoming assembly polls, with people’s massive support, in Tamil Nadu, an honest, transparent, corruption less, secular and spiritual politics is sure to happen. Miracle, wonder will happen.” Irrespective of the party in power in different states, politics in India is neither honest, nor transparent or corruption less.

The announcement concealed more than it revealed. Rajinikanth did not say whether his party will contest the elections in alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party or separately. His stress on secular and spiritual politics could be interpreted as leaning towards the BJP, which welcomed the announcement. The BJP had been trying hard to persuade Rajinikanth to join the party. Even in 2004 he said he’d vote for the BJP but did not join it.

A non-Dravidians entry into Tamil Nadu politics is happening at a time when the two main Dravidian parties---AIADMK and the DMK---are on the decline. The AIADMK does not have a leader as charismatic as Jayalalithaa and the DMK under MK Stalin is not a force like it was under M. Karunanidhi. If at the national level the Thalaiva has been pro-BJP, in Tamil Nadu he backed the DMK and opposed the AIADMK. His next move, therefore, would be keenly watched.

PURUSHENDRA SINGH MASTERS DEGREE IN POLITICAL SCIENCE & INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS CURRENTLY A L.L.B STUDENT

O

UNDER PRESSURE, GOVT SHOWS SOME FLEXIBILITY

T

he Centre and farmers held a prolonged fourth round of talks on Thursday to end the impasse over three farm Acts passed to reform the agriculture sector and improve the agriculturists’ fortunes. The firmness with which the farmers’ unions participated in the dialogue became clear when they refused to partake of the food offered by the government and chose to eat whatever they carried with them.

In their solidarity, representatives of 35 farmer groups saw an opportunity to make the government agree to their demand for the repeal of the new law. They were insistent on the convening of a special session of Parliament for the law’s repeal.

The demand for a special session also got support from the Congress. The government refused a roll back but softened its stand on some issues.

At the end of over seven hours of talks, there was convergence on some of the points. Showing flexibility, the government seemed ready to strengthen the APMC Act, allow trade outside the mandis by registered traders and move courts higher than that of an SDM for resolving a dispute. The government also assured to provide legislative protection to small farmers from their land being usurped. A final picture will emerge when the two sides meet again a day later. This progress could be possible after the government asked the farmers’ representatives to give their reservations in writing. The latter responded with a ten-page document which helped the government to arrive at a possible agreement. Until an agreement is finally reached the farmers will not lift their siege of Delhi.

Armenian Govt had other vision which was to include NagornoKarabakh region as one of their autonomous provinces like Azerbaijan’s Nakchivan province but over the past 3 decades there has been economic, political and sovereignty malfunction in administration.

n 9th November 2020 the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, the Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyam and the President of Russia Vladimir Putin signed the Nagorno- Karabakh ceasefire agreement that ends the 6 weeks war which led to annexation of the city of Susha. The armistice agreement is pledged to end all hostilities in the disputed region of Nakorno-Karabakh coming into effect from 10th November 2020 and unlike earlier mediation attempts by counties like Turkey, Iran, France, Russia & Kazakhsthan, the new agreement promises for a long lasting resolution and acts as an harbinger of peace in the ethno-geo conflict region.

REALISM METHODOLOGY Although the contentious issue first emerged in the aftermath of world war 1 where Stalin’s “Divide and Rule” policy divided trans-caucasian region into modern day nations of Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Nagorno-Karabakh region is a small area which is home to about 150thousand people and almost all of which are ethnically Armenians, the region has been an area of contention as it lies within the territory of Azerbaijan but remains under the control of Armenian separatist control and the world community did not recognize its independence. Armenian Government had other vision which was to include NagornoKarabakh region as one of their autonomous provinces like Azerbaijan’s Nakchivan province but over the past 3 decades there has been economic, political and sovereignty malfunction in the administration.

Till now over 100thousand people have already fled the disputed region and approximately 30 thousand have lost their lives from both the nations NAGORNO-KARABAKH WAR AKA 6 YEAR’S WAR It was fought between the two ideologically and culturally op-

posite nations between 19881994 which led to the N-K resolution to separate from Azerbaijan and also Independence referendum of 1991 leaving the region to be governed by the Armenian separatist control and saw a peaceful stage till 2016 when fresh exchange of arms resurged making old wounds haunt again.

GEO-ETHNIC-CONFLICT Armenia which lies to the west of Azerbaijan and to the east of Turkey has a population of 3.3 million with about 97% of them as catholic Christians and believed to be the first Christian state to have emerged after the end of the Roman empire (300A.D.) is surrounded by Muslim dominated Nationstates like Turkey, Iran and Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan is not only 4 times larger in size than Armenia but have many more allies in the region and also distinguished as one of the few nations which is Shia-dominated Islam majority country.

Azerbaijan is also the 1st Muslim majority democratic nation in the world which makes them natural allies with the ideologies of Turkey and Iran who have their interest in the region and have played a shadow role in the recent peace armistice agreement giving turkey a backdoor entry and gaining weight in this region where once loomed large the soviet empire.

PROTESTS HAVE RAVAGED THE MAJOR CITIES OF ARMENIA AGAINST THE RECENT DEAL AND PEOPLE ARE MARCHING ON STREET WITH BANNERS.

MODUS VIVENDI Vladimir Putin having a bilateral security agreement with Armenia and safeguarding Armenia for decades and keeping aloof from the disputed region had to finally step up and come to a compromising agreement after an era of modus operandi by uniting the region with the republic of Azerbaijan, setting up of peacekeeping troop of about 2000 men and de-militarizing the conflict driven region shows a change in its foreign policy in its own backyard which some western school of political thinkers feel is diminishing role of Russia and an ideological victory for the expansionist policy of Turkey and its allies who were watching the agreement from a hawk eye’s perspective and with staunch support to

A better way for billionaires to make donations!

J

eff Bezos, the world’s wealthiest person, announced on Instagram in November 2020 that he was giving 16 organizations a total of about US$800 million for a wide array of climate-protecting work.

This money will help pay to restore and protect ecosystems in Colombia, Fiji, Madagascar and Mexico, launch a satellite to detect methane pollution, build carbon-trading markets, speed up the replacement of the nation’s fossil-fueled commercial trucks with electric vehicles and update the U.S. electrical grid so it can rely more heavily on renewable energy.

It was just the first installment of the $10 billion the Amazon founder and CEO pledged in February 2020 that he would give to fight climate change.

04

For now, that sum would constitute about 5% of his net worth of $203 billion. I teach a course called Business in Democracy: Advocacy, Lobbying and the Public Interest, which examines the ways that businesses and their leaders influence public policy for both good and ill. This kind of a gift is emblematic of the broader issue of money and the ways it clouds our society’s ability to address the fundamental challenges we face.

THE BIGGER ISSUE Rather than gush over Bezos for his generosity in addressing what he and many scientists consider an existential threat, I think it’s more appropriate to ask what kind of a political model his actions support and perpetuate – and how that model allows him to make such a large donation.

As I argue in my latest

thing that Bezos, like many other billionaires, wants to use his surplus wealth to address climate change and other great challenges our society faces.

But what these major donors should do if they truly believe in those goals, ironically, is use their economic and political power to insulate politics and policymaking from the influence of folks like themselves. book, “Management as a Calling,” corporate clout and money from extremely wealthy people have overwhelmed the nation’s political process and we need a corrective. That is, future business leaders need to learn how to approach political influence as a public service and not individual gamesmanship.

The largest oil and gas companies alone spend nearly $200 million on lobbying yearly to delay, con-

trol or block policies aimed at tackling climate change.

This kind of spending puts sand in the gears of our political process, rendering it so weak and fractious that it can no longer function as a serious arbiter of public interest. Because Bezos is pumping some of his fortune into a system that is broken, his donations – while admirable – will not solve this overarching problem.

It’s of course a good

THE ROLE OF BUSINESS IN A DEMOCRACY The business world has been encroaching into U.S. political institutions and public debates for years.

Salesforce, a $17 billion software company, entered the debate over gay marriage debate legislation by pressuring the Indiana legislature to change proposed LGBTQ policies.

Delta Airlines entered

the gun control debate by curtailing flight discounts to National Rifle Association members in the wake of mass shootings.

The financial firms Blackrock and JPMorgan Chase took a stand on the murder of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi by canceling their participation in important meetings in Saudi Arabia, at least for a while.

Hobby Lobby, a craft and decor store chain, entered the reproductive rights debate by challenging the Affordable Care Act on grounds that having to contribute to health insurance for its employees that covered birth control violated the religious beliefs of the company’s leaders.

This corporate presence can turn public debates into battles between dueling piles of money.

HTTPS://THECONVERSATION.COM

Azerbaijan’s claim but the Moscow school of thought feel that Russia as a chief arbitrator came out and brokered a reasonable deal which showcases the mighty Soviet Union is just not yet done and dusted holds supreme power in the region.

Protests have ravaged the major cities of Armenia against the recent deal and people are marching on street with banners “Traitor” used for the current Prime Minister Nikol Pashimyan and The parliament has become unparliament in their conduct where the opposition legislators creating a menace and violating the code of conduct, throwing stones at the speaker of the assembly. But the picture is rosy in the heart of the city of Bakucapital of Azerbaijan, all are praising the Government with dance and festivities in major cities of Azerbaijan.

Meanwhile the Armenians living in Nagorno-Karabakh are in disbelief and tired of fighting further have decided to slowly vacate the region and have started to move to Armenia after burning down their properties and some even carrying the dead bodies of their relatives to be cremated on their nations soil. A memorandum on establishing a joint RussianTurkish monitoring scheme is being signed by the defence ministers of both the countries.

THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL

Top

TWEET Prakash Javadekar @PrakashJavdekar #MadeInIndia for the World !!

Bamboo products which many of us use in our home and office spaces will now make a mark across the globe under the #NationalBambooMission. This will help our farmers become selfreliant. #AatmaNirbharBharat Dharmendra Pradhan @dpradhanbjp Happy to note that the Gujarat model is being used as a case study. We are adapting the Gujarat model across the country to transform India into a gasbased economy. Gujarat has set an example with 25% share of natural gas in primary energy mix vis-à-vis 6.3% at national level.

Spiritual SPEAK

Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the LORD! —Psalm 31:24

Vol 2 Issue No. 10 RNI NO. GUJENG/2019/16208. Printed and published by Anita Hada Sangwan on behalf of First Express Publishers. Printed at Bhaskar Printing Planet Survey No.148P, Changodar-Bavla Highway, Tal. Sanand, Dist. Ahmedabad.

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

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FARMERS’ PROTEST

WORLD DISABILITY DAY 2020

HOPING FOR POSITIVE

OUTCOME: NARENDRA TOMAR

—ANI

—PHOTO BY ANI

Meanwhile, two farmers, who were participating in agitation have died

New Delhi: The fourth round of talks commenced between the Centre and representatives of farmers’ on Thursday afternoon at Vigyan Bhawan in Delhi, with Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and Union Minister Piyush Goyal representing the Central government.

Before the meeting, the Union Agriculture Minister while talking to the media hoped that the fourth round of dialogue will bring some positive outcome to the farmers’ issues.

“Government is constantly discussing issues with farmers. Today is the fourth round of talks and I’m hoping for a positive outcome,” said Tomar while talking to media on Thursday.

Meanwhile, two farmers, who were participating in the agitation died on Wednesday.

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh announced financial assistance of Rs. 5 lakh each to the families of the farmers, hailing from districts Mansa and Moga respectively.

RAHUL: NOT SCRAPPING FARM LAWS WILL BE DECEIT

Farmers sitting at Singhu Border during their protest against Farm law, in New Delhi on Thursday.

LEFT ORGS PROTEST IN BENGALURU IN SUPPORT

RS 5L EACH FOR FARMERS WHO DIED DURING STIR: PB CM

Bengaluru: Multiple left-leaning organisations including Students’ Federation of India and All India Democratic Women’s Association, staged a protest in Mysore Bank Circle of Bengaluru to support the protesting farmers. “We are here to ask the government to listen to farmers. We are protesting in solidarity with them,” said a protester. IThey have also planned a prolonged protest when the state legislature meets for the winter session from December 7. Karnataka farmers are opposing the Centre’s farm bills and also the State’s move to amend the Karnataka Land Reforms Act and APMC Act. —Agencies

Chandigarh: Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Thursday expressed grief over the death of two farmers, Gurjant Singh and Gurbachan Singh, while participating in the ongoing protests against the new agricultural laws. The Chief Minister also announced financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh each to the families of the farmers. Notably, farmer Gurjant Singh, from Bachhoana village in Mansa district, died in Delhi during agitation against farm laws, while Gurbachan Singh (80), from Bhinder Khurd village in Moga district, died due to massive heart attack during a protest at Moga on Wednesday. —Agencies

New Delhi: The Congress has stepped up the demand of immediately scrapping the farm laws in the wake of the farmers’ protest in the national capital.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said in a tweet,”Accepting less than scrapping of three black farm laws will be deceit to farmers and the country.”

The Congress leader’s reaction comes even as the meeting between the farmers and the government is going on to resolve the issue. Talks between Centre and over 34 farmer union representatives has started here, even as farmers protest entered eighth day.

Resilience of persons with disabilities inspire us: PM We must keep working towards ensuring better future for persons with disabilities, PM Modi said New Delhi: On World Disability Day Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter and wrote: “The resilience and fortitude of persons with disabilities inspire us. Under the Accessible India initiative, numerous measures have been taken that ensure there is a positive change in the lives of our Divyang sisters and brothers.”

PM Modi also said we must keep working towards ensuring better future for persons with disabilities by taking steps “in line with the year’s UN theme of “Building Back Better: toward a disability-inclusive, accessible and sustainable post COVID-19 World”.

A day dedicated to persons with disabilities is marked every year on December 3, to promote and spread awareness about the rights and well-being of these special people among us. In a pandemic situation, persons with disabilities are the worst hit as they get even more left out in the “new normal”.

“As the world recovers from the pandemic,

‘We must ensure better future for persons with disabilities.’

NARENDRA MODI@NARENDRAMODI In line with the year’s @UN theme of “Building Back Better: toward a disability-inclusive, accessible and sustainable post COVID-19 World”, let us collectively keep working towards ensuring opportunity and improving accessibility for our Divyang sisters and brothers. we must ensure that the aspirations and rights of persons with disabilities are included and accounted for in an inclusive, accessible and sustainable post COVID-19 world. This vision

will only be achieved through active consultation with persons with disabilities and their representative organizations,” UN chief, Antonio Guterres said on World Disability Day.

IN THE COURTYARD

Malegaon Blast: Spl Court directs all accused to appear on Dec 19 Mumbai: A special NIA court in Mumbai on Thursday directed all accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case to be present before the court on December 19 when the case will be taken up for hearing next.

Out of the seven accused in the matter, three accused including LT Col Purohit, Sameer Kulkarni and Ajay Rahirkar were present before the court today. The court took note of their presence and directed all accused to be present in-person before

the court.

Besides these three, BJP MP Pragya Thakur, retired Major Ramesh Upadhyay, Sudhakar Dwivedi and Sudhakar Chaturvedi are also accused in the case.

They have been charged

under various sections of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), the Explosive Substances Act and the Indian Penal Code.

The charges include Sections 16 (committing terrorist act) and 18 (conspiring to commit terrorist act) of the UAPA and Sections 120(b) (criminal conspiracy), 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 153(a) (promoting enmity between two religious groups) of the IPC. —ANI

SC grants SC asks Delhi mechanism to anticipatory bail cross-check COVID-19 data Delhi: Supreme latest figures. to ex-DGP Pb New Delhi govt said it has Court Thursday asked Delhi government taken “earnest steps” to in murder case the as to whether there is deal with COVID-19 sitNew Delhi: The SC granted anticipatory bail to former Punjab police chief Sumedh Singh Saini in a 1991 case related to the disappearance of a junior engineer of Chandigarh Industrial & Tourism Corporation. A bench headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan said Saini must cooperate with probe and surrender his passport to authorities. It set aside a trial court & HC order, and said if he is arrested, he must be released on a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh. The bench also asked him to stay away from witnesses in case. —PTI

any mechanism to cross-check the veracity of COVID-19 data, after it said that positivity rate of the virus in the national capital has come down as per the

uation and issues such as availability of ICU beds, testing, cremation of those who died of the virus and fire safety measures in hospitals are being monitored.

No night curfew in Delhi for now: Govt New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Partyled government in Delhi has informed the High Court that, for now, no night curfew would be imposed in the national capital, or parts of it, in view of the COVID-19 situation.

The Delhi government has taken a considered view, after assessing the situation, to not introduce restrictions on movement at night, read the status report submitted before the court.

“The Delhi Government has been taking all necessary measures, as required and demanded, by the ever-changing circumstances and (remains) committed to making every effort to arrest the spread of COVID-19 in the national capital,” the High Court was informed.

vius ?kj dks ekSle dh ut+j u yxus nsa gj ekSle lqj{kk ds fy, flQZ lqij LVªkWx osnj ‘khYM

—Agencies

SC notice to Delhi panel on FB India MD’s plea New Delhi: The SC issued notice to Delhi Assembly’s Peace and Harmony Committee as it wanted to become a party to the petition filed by Facebook India Vice President and Managing Director Ajit Mohan challenging the panel’s summons against him. A bench of the apex

court, headed by Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul, issued notice to the intervener committee and sought its reply returnable in four weeks.

The bench also said that the rejoinder has to be filed within two weeks and fixed the matter for further hearing in the third

week of January 2021.

Ajit Mohan had moved top court challenging two summons issued

by Delhi Legislative Assembly Committee against him -- on Sept 10 & 18 -- on the grounds that the panel violated the fundamental rights of the petitioner under Article 19(1)(a) , Article 21.

05

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Recoveries outnumberChennai newtrialcases finding is ‘Nat’l recovery rate has improved as well to 94.11%’

New Delhi: India has reported more daily COVID-19 recoveries than the daily new infections in the last 24 hours leading to a net decline of 5,701 cases from the total active caseload which fell below the 4.5 per cent mark on Thursday, the Union health ministry said.

There are 4,22,943 active coronavirus infections in the country which comprises 4.44 per cent of the total caseload, the data showed.

While 35,551 people were found to be infected with COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, during the same period, 40,726 new recoveries were reported, the ministry said.

incidental: AIIMS head

COVID-19 vaccine development underway.

—FILE PHOTO

Pfizer’s commitment to India American multinational pharmaceutical company Pfizer has said that it remains "committed to engaging with the Government of India to explore opportunities" to make the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine against the novel coronavirus available in country.

Pfizer spokesperson said, "Right now we are in discussions with many governments around the world and

‘INDIA MAY GET VACCINE BY DEC-JAN’

remain committed to engaging with the Government of India and ex-

plore opportunities to make vaccine available for use in the country."

New Delhi: Responding to vaccine impact during Chennai trial, Director of AIIMS Dr Randeep Guleria said the case, is an incidental finding rather than related to vaccine.

"As per the information available in the public domain, the Chennai trial case is an incidental finding rather than related to the vaccine. When we vaccinate a large number of people, some of them may have some other disease, which may not be related to the vaccine," Dr Guleria said.

Talking about the safetyDr Guleria said There is good data available that the vaccines are very safe. Safety and efficacy of vaccine not compromised at all.

About 70,000-80,000 vol-

Sensex ends Bollywood drugs probe: 2 States choose option-1 to Nifty hits meet GST revenue shortfall higher, NCB officials suspended record peak New Delhi: The central government on Thursday said that all states except Jharkhand and three union territories with legislative assemblies have chosen option-1 to meet the revenue shortfall arising out of GST implementation.

The Ministry of Finance said in a release that Chhattisgarh government has communicated its acceptance of Option-1 to meet the revenue shortfall.

"The states and Union Territories which choose Option-1 are

getting the amount of shortfall arising out of GST implementation through a special borrowing window put in place by the Government of India.

The window has been operationalised since October 23, 2020, and the Government of India has already borrowed an amount of Rs 30,000 crore on behalf of the states in five instalments and passed it on to the States and Union Territories, which chose Option-1," said the release.

Mumbai: After scaling an all-time intra-day peak of 44,953.01, the 30-share BSE Sensex pared some gains to end 14.61 points or 0.03 per cent higher at 44,632.65.

Similarly, the broader NSE Nifty touched a fresh intra-day high of 13,216.60, before settling 20.15 points or 0.15 per cent up at 13,133.90 -- its lifetime closing high.

Maruti was the top gainer in the Sensex pack, rallying around 7 per cent, followed by ONGC, NTPC, SBI, Bajaj Finserv & Tata Steel.

New Delhi: In a big embarrassment, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has suspended two officials of its Mumbai Zonal Unit for their alleged suspicious role which enabled two persons in the ongoing Bollywood-drugs mafia investigation get relief, official sources said.

The role of the two investigating officials whose identities were not disclosed - came under a cloud after accused Harsh Limbachiya and suspect Karishma Prakash got bail and interim bail, respective-

ly, in November, an official requesting anonymity told IANS. Limbachiya is the husband of high-profile television comedian Bharti Singh while Karishma Prakash is the manager of leading Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone.

Some other officials are likely to be under the NCB scanner for their questionable lapses in the matter that has shaken up the organisation which is probing the high-profile cases since the past nearly four months.

tion. “The most important issue was whether the Parliament has the power to amend the fundamental rights enshrined under Part III of the Constitution,” said the plea.

The petitioners contended that the Parliament has no power to amend the fundamental rights, and if this ordinance is implemented, it will harm public at a large and will create a chaotic situation in the society.

Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Thursday paid tribute to victims of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy on the 36th anniversary of the incident.

A two-minute silence was observed to remember the victims.

Speaking at the event, he said that a memorial should be built soon so that the world could learn a lesson from the tragedy.

“We should soon build a memorial for the Bhopal Gas tragedy so the world can learn

solution is not given today by the government,” said Pratibha Shinde, AIKSCC (All India Kishan Sangharsh Coordination Committee) working group member and president of Lok Sangharsh Morcha, which represents farmers of Maharashtra and Gujarat.

Another farmer leader Kulwant Singh Sandhu said the government made many proposals including on MSP and procurement system, which would be discussed among the farmer organisations on Friday, before the next

meeting with the government on Saturday.

Sources said the government gave a detailed presentation on the three new laws and asserted its intent towards the welfare of the farmers.

The 40 farmer leaders present at the meeting refused the lunch offered by the government and preferred to eat the food ferried in a van from the Singhu border, where thousands of their colleagues are sitting in protest against the new agri laws.

They also did not accept tea and water of-

MAJOR GEN AUJLA TO BE MGGS NORTHERN COMMAND?

Major General ADS Aujla, General Officer Commanding 28 Infantry Division is likely to be appointed as Major General General Staff (MGGS) Operations of Northern Command.

Outgoing Maharashtra Chief Secretary, Ajoy Mehta is likely to move to Delhi as Chairman of the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC). He is 1984 batch IAS officer.

MAHARASHTRA DGP TO JOIN GOI EARLY NEXT YEAR?

Maharashtra DGP Subodh Jaiswal is likely to join the GoI either in January or February. He is 1985 batch IPS officer.

SAKET KUMAR SINGH TO JOIN GOI

Saket Kumar Singh is likely to join the Government of India soon. He is 2002 batch IPS officer of Jharkhand cadre. unteers were given the vaccine and no significant serious adverse effects seen. Data shows that in the short term vaccine is safe," the AIIMS Director added.

GOVT OPPOSES LIFE BAN ON CONVICTED POLITICIANS

a lesson from it,” Chauhan said.

Earlier in the day, the Chief Minister had tweeted, “We still remember the pain aris-

ing from the Bhopal gas tragedy. May God always protect every corner of the country and the world from such tragedy.

fered to them during the meeting, which began around mid-day.

The previous round of talks had taken place on December 1, but had ended in a stalemate even after three hours of discussion as farmers’ groups rejected the government’s suggestion of a new committee to look into issues raised by farmers protesting against the new laws.

happen,” he said on his twitter handle.

An announcement on matters connected to the party launch would be made on December 31, he tweeted.

Later speaking to reportes at his Poes Garden residence, he recalled that he had announced on December 31, 2017 that he would launch a political party ahead of Assembly elections 2021 and contest from all the 234 constituencies in the state.

Referring to his ‘resurgence’ remark earlier this year, when he had said that an upsurge among people

was necessary to kickstart his political journey, he said to create an ambience for such a change, he had planned to tour the state.

However, it could not be done in view of the coronavirus pandemic, he said.

“No one will be more happy than me even if I happen to lose my life for people’s sake. I will never fail to keep my word. A political change is compulsory and very important.

It is the need of the hour. If such a change does not happen now, it will never materialise.

We have to change eve-

Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan paid tribute to the victims of the Bhopal gas tragedy on December 3.

POWER Gallery WILL AJOY MEHTA MOVE TO DELHI AS CHAIRMAN CERC?

New Delhi: The Centre has opposed the life ban on convicted politicians from contesting MP/ MLA elections, forming a political party or becoming an office bearer of a party, telling the Supreme Court that the life ban on bureaucrats cannot be equated with similar ban on lawmakers, if convicted in a crime, as the latter are not bound by service conditions, but an oath of office instead.

An affidavit filed by the Ministry of Law and Justice said: “It is stated that there are no specific service conditions laid down in respect of elected representative albeit, the fact that the people’s representatives are public servants. The elected representatives are ordinarily bound by the oath that they have taken, to serve the citizens of their constituency in particular & the country in general.” The Centre said the public servants are debarred from their service for lifetime if convicted of offence punishable under provisions of various laws, but a legislator, who is disqualified for an offence, only for a period specified in the Representation of Peoples Act.

CM Chouhan pays tribute to Plea in SC over UP govt’s ‘love jihad’ law victims of Bhopal Gas Tragedy New Delhi: A plea has been moved in the Supreme Court challenging the The Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion Of Religion Ordinance, 2020 and the Uttarakhand Freedom Of Religion Act, 2018.

The plea moved by advocates Vishal Thakre and Abhay Singh Yadav and law researcher Pranvesh, states that the UP ordinance disturbs the basic structure of the Constitu-

‘SC ON POSTERS’

06

MRS. RUBY SRIVASTAVA RETURNS TO PARENT CADRE

Mrs. Ruby Srivastava, Director (Finance) at Joint Secretary level in Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL), has been given premature repatriation to her parent cadre in order to enable her to avail of the benefits of promotion. She is a 1986 batch IRS-IT officer.

WILL JUSTICE AGRAWAL MOVE TO MADHYA PRADESH?

Justice Vivek Agrawal is likely to be transferred from Allahabad High Court to the Madhya Pradesh High Court.

RAHUL PACHORI APPOINTED DEPUTY SECRETARY, SCHOOL EDUCATION

Rahul Pachori has been appointed Deputy Secretary in the Department of School Education and Literacy. He is a 2010 batch IRSEE officer.

JUSTICE BINDAL TO BE ACTING CJ OF J &K HIGH COURT ?

After the retirement of Justice Geeta Mittal on December 8, Justice Rajesh Bindal is likely to be appointed Acting Chief Justice of Jammu and Kashmir High Court.

R GOPINATH RELIEVED TO TAKE UP HIS NEW ASSIGNMENT

Consequent upon his appointment as Deputy Secretary in the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, under the Department of Health and Family Welfare, R Gopinath is relieved of his existing duties to take up his new assignment. He is a 2009 batch IFS officer of AGMUT cadre.

7 OFFICERS OF NAGALAND AWARDED IAS CADRE

As many as seven members of the Nagaland State Civil Service have been awarded Indian Administrative Service (IAS) cadre for the Select List of 2019.

The officers are: Neposo Theluo, K Libangthung Lotha, Lhouchalie Viya, K S Anden Konyak, Khrupi Sothu, Athel O Lotha and Wezope Kenye.

By arrangement with: http:// whispersinthecorridors.com

CENTRE INCREASES DOMESTIC FLIGHTS’ CAP New Delhi: The cap on the number of domestic flights that Indian airlines are permitted to operate was increased from 70 per cent to 80 per cent of their pre-COVID levels on Thursday, said Civil

Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri. The ministry had resumed scheduled domestic passenger services from May 25, after a gap of two months due to the coronavirus lockdown.

rything,” he said dramatically in his inimitable style with a smile.

Asserting that he was only a tool, a catalyst for change, he said if he won in his political innings it would be people’s victory and even if he lost, it belonged to the people.

farming and also meet the water supply demand of local industries.”

One such desalination plant has already been established at Dahej in Bharuch district that provides water to industries operating there.

The Kutch desalination plant is the second of four plants planned by the state government. It is being set up in joint venture by the Gujarat Water Infrastructure Ltd and the Shapoorji Pallonji Group. It will have a capacity of 10 crore litres per day.

FROM PG 1 Eight-hr-long...

A government source said the meeting would resume on Saturday as no final outcome could be reached due to paucity of time.

Union leaders, who came out of the meeting venue shouting slogans, said the talks remained deadlocked and some of them threatened to boycott any further meetings if no solution was found at Thursday’s meeting.

“Discussions are over from our side.

Our leaders have said they will not attend further meetings if a

Rajinikanth to...

“In the upcoming Assembly elections, the emergence of spiritual politics will happen for sure. A wonder will

PM Modi...

PM Modi will also dedicate a desalination plant to be set up at Mandvi in Kutch district, that same day.

Talking about the project, CM Rupani said, “The desalination plant will provide fresh water to local villagers, for

TALKING POINT AHMEDABAD | FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2020

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07

Rewriting the story of one of Earth’s

BIGGEST MASS EXTINCTIONS

Chemical clues from prehistoric microbes post date the cataclysmic events thought to have occurred 200 million years ago

Kliti Grice John Curtin Distinguished Professor of Organic and Isotope Geochemistry, Curtin University Calum Peter Fox Researcher, Curtin University

C

hemical clues left behind by humble microbes have rewritten the timeline of one of the biggest mass extinction events in Earth’s history.

The so-called “end-Triassic mass extinction”, thought to have occurred just over 200 million years ago, wiped out swathes of prehistoric creatures both on land and in the oceans. It was prompted by the breakup of the supercontinent Pangea, which triggered massive volcanic activity that flooded the atmosphere with carbon dioxide and acidified the oceans.

But our new research, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, suggests these cataclysmic events actually happened later than previously thought.

We made this discovery by examining molecular fossils — trace chemicals derived from microbial “mats” that bathed in prehistoric waters.

Microbial mats in Shark Bay, Western Australia, similar to those that lived around 200 million years ago.

STILL GOING T STRONG

R

emarkably, the microbial mats recorded in UK samples are similar to living microbial mats in Australia, such as in Western Australia’s Shark Bay. It’s amazing to think similar microbial communities are still living on Australia’s shorelines to this day.

Microbes have also been useful resources in research to learn about several other mass extinction events too, such as the “Great Dying” that marked the end of the Permian period roughly 252 million years ago, and the dramatic demise of the di-

nosaurs in a mass extinction some 66 million years ago.

For example, pigments and lipid remains from microbial mats found in the Chicxulub crater in the Gulf of Mexico — formed by the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs — show that photosynthetic processes had bounced back within 200,000 years of the impact.

Microbial mats also have helped to preserve an amazing range of fossil evidence from prehistoric animals, including soft tissues, red blood cells and chemical clues to ancient animals’ diets.

A LIKELY STORY

r a d i t i o n a l ly, scientists have placed the mass extinction event, and the volcanic upheaval that presaged it, at about 201 million years ago.

They came to this conclusion after studying rocks of that age from the Bristol Channel, UK, which show a distinctive chemical signature. The ratios of different isotopes of carbon within these rocks suggest this was the moment

when the global atmosphere changed, as huge amounts of methane were pumped into the skies due to massive volcanic activity covering the central Atlantic, in turn altering the chemical composition of rocks that formed during this time.

But we made a discovery that challenged this assumption. We found evidence of ancient microbial mats in the same region, at the

same time. It was these flourishing communities of microbes that actually created the change in the chemical signature of the rocks, rather than a global volcanic event.

These microbial mats formed as the region’s waters changed from salty seawater to brackish or fresh water, and water levels dropped to puddlelike centimetre depths. This is another reason why scien-

—PHOTO CREDIT: Yalimay Jimenez Duarte WA-OIGC, Curtin University

tists mistook this event for a mass extinction — marine creatures disappeared from the local fossil record at this time not because they had all died out, but because it was no longer marine.

Of course, the world’s marine creatures had only earned a relatively brief reprieve. We know the volcanic cataclysm did occur, but just not as long ago as previously assumed.

Schematic diagram showing the factors driving global ecological change in the modern day and at the end of the Triassic period.

A WARNING FROM PREHISTORY

W

hile we don’t know exactly how much later the global end-Triassic mass extinction event actually occurred, what we can say is that our research sounds a stark warning for potential future mass extinctions on Earth.

The end of the Triassic Period featured huge environmental shifts, including de-

clines in biodiversity, ocean acidification, reduced oxygen levels, habitat destruction, nutrient shifts and changing sea levels.

Knowing more about these changes will provide crucial information that could help understand the threats our own ecosystems face today, and potentially help safeguard them for the future.

—PHOTO CREDIT: VICTOR LESH

SOURCE: THECONVERSATION.COM

It is a good exercise to search for who you are but it is better to search for who you aspire to be.

2ND FRONT

—Jagdeesh Chandra, CEO & Editor, First India

AHMEDABAD | FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2020

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COVID-19 UPDATE

WORLD

INDIA

08

GUJARAT

15,05,594 6,51,71,793 1,39,102 95,64,565 4,031 2,14,309 CONFIRMED CASES

DEATHS

MAHARASHTRA 47,472 DEATHS 18,37,358 CASES

UTTAR PRADESH 7,848 DEATHS 5,49,228 CASES

DEATHS

KARNATAKA 11,821 DEATHS 8,89,113 CASES

CONFIRMED CASES

DEATHS

DELHI 9,424 DEATHS 5,82,058 CASES

GPCB slaps `1 cr fine on Navratna firm ONGC for causing pollution

CONFIRMED CASES

RAJASTHAN 2,370 DEATHS 2,74,486 CASES

Guj bars private firm for three years for shoddy bridge work

—FILE PHOTO

Pollution of air, water and noise was caused by a massive fire at ONGC’s Hazira plant on Sept 24 First India Bureau

MASSIVE IMPACT

Surat: The Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) has slapped a fine of Rs 1 crore on the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) for causing pollution of air, water and noise during a huge fire preceded by three blasts in its Hazira gas processing plant in Surat district on September 24.

This follows a complaint by the Kantha Vibhaag Yuva Koli Sa- Fire at ONGC’s Hazira plant had caused pollution in September, 2020. maj Parivartan Trust to the Union Environment ages. The GPCB asked massive and could be Ministry, the Central the Navratna company seen from a distance of Pollution Control Board to deposit a sum of Rs 1 some 10 km and the crore in its SBI account noise it generated was and the GPCB. deafening, eyewitnessIn response, the cen- in Gandhinagar.

Though there were es had said. Some of tral pollution board had asked the Gujarat board no casualties, the blaze, them had also posted to initiate an inquiry which was preceded by videos of the explosions and estimate the dam- three huge blasts, was and the fire on social

—FILE PHOTO

media.

The impact of the blasts was such that even window-panes of many houses in the vicinity were shattered, according to the Parivartan Trust. This was also examined by the

GPCB officials.

Not only this, the GPCB in its report to the central pollution board also stated that, “Contaminated water generated from the controlling of fire was discharged into storm wa-

Teacher nabbed for attack on doc after wife didn’t lose weight

BLAMING IT ON CORONA!

First India Bureau

Nizam bhai, a caretaker of horses in the Jamalpur area in Ahmedabad says his 7 horses had died during the lockdown period. He thinks Covid-19 was responsible.

—PHOTO BY HANIF SINDHI

Surat: The Katargam police have arrested an absconding teacher who had attacked a doctor in Katargam area of Surat.

Giving his statement to the police, the teacher stated that the doctor had cheated him and held him responsible for his wife’s deteriorating health.

Manoj Dudhat, a resident of Kailashnagar in the Gajera area is a teacher. His wife was under treatment at the Sayona Clinic under doctor Ajay Moradiya.

After a considerable time, when he found that there was no reduction in his wife’s weight Dudhat was furious.

On Tuesday, Dud-

hat went to Dr Moradiya demanding why his wife’s weight had not come down.

They had a verbal spat after Dudhat asked the doctor to return his money.

When the doctor refused, Dudhat allegedly attacked Moradiya with a sharp object and escaped from the clinic with his wallet, cash of Rs 1,500 and a mobile phone.

After a police complaint, the cops came and took Dr Moradiya to the nearest hospital for treatment.

Subsequently, Dudhat was arrested. Police said Dr Ajay Mordiya was an MBBS doctor and also a trader of herbal health products in Surat.

ter drains leading to river Tapi in Surat. (sic)” “The fire broke out in the inlet gas terminal after three massive blasts at 3.05 am. The compressed gas was depressurised to bring the fire under control,” Surat District Collector Dhaval Patel had said after the incident.

There were also reports that the fire was caused by a rupture in the 36-inch Uran-Mumbai gas pipeline leading to Hazira in Surat. However, no officials stated this on record.

The GPCB, in its directive to the ONGC, has also advised it to take adequate precautions to ensure such incidents do not recur in the future.

First India Bureau Gandhinagar: The Gujarat Government’s Road & Building Department (R&B) has blacklisted a civil and structural engineering services firm, DELF Consulting Engineers, whose alleged negligence led to three bridge projects in Kheda, worth over Rs 80 lakh, coming to a halt.

DELF had failed to pay a fine of Rs. 33.5 lakh imposed 11 months ago by the R&B Department for its lapses. So, the company has been barred for three years and the other projects

with the company will also be halted.

The company was entrusted to prepare the drawings and estimate plans for one bridge each on river Khari, Sabarmati and Vatrak.

While two of the three projects are unfinished, the project of Vatrak River Bridge has been stopped for now.

The company was allotted the work on June 15, 2018, and was supposed to be finished by September 2018. After the negligence and errors were brought to the notice, the government penalized the company on January 27, 2020.

Mandatory patrolling hours have cops worried —FILE PHOTO

First India Bureau Ahmedabad: Zone 1 DCP Ravindra Patel’s directive for mandatory patrolling of 8 hours has left the police inspectors of at least eight police stations in a piquant situation.

The inspectors are worried that if they clock 8 hours of patrolling duty they won’t be able to manage administrative, investigative and other work at their respective police stations.

M e a n w h i l e , Ahmedabad Police Commissioner Sanjay Srivastav has made it mandatory for all police inspectors across all police stations to meet applicants and address their complaints from morning 9 am to 12 pm.

The cops say it is not possible to follow both the DCP and the police commissioner’s orders without violating at least one of them.

Zone 1 DCP had recently asked police inspectors in the police station falling under the zone to be mandatorily present for patrolling from 8 am to 12 pm and 4 pm to 8 pm.

They are also required to send their live location to the Zone 1 Whatsapp group. The ACPs have been tasked with policing the police inspectors about their patrolling duties.

The diktat came after it was brought to the DCP’s notice that police inspectors were slacking in patrolling and fieldwork duties.

POLITICS OF COMPASSION

Ahmed followed Gibran’s words, his children walk dad’s path to tribals Faisal and Mumtaz meet tribals for whom Ahmedbhai was like an angel Gargi Raval “Your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself.”

—Kahlil Gibran Ahmedabad: If anyone who has not only read but also implemented for sure this moving counsel to parents by the inimitable

Kahlil Gibran, it is the affable, the late Ahmed Patel, who seldom even thought of enforcing his political inheritance on his son Faisal and daughter Mumtaz.

This is why it is with clarity that both have been telling the ever inquisitive media ever since the veteran leader’s untimely demise that they

aren’t keen on joining politics, leave alone succeeding Ahmed Patel.

But Faisal and Mumtaz seem to know that politics is not just about the musical chairs that politicians play but also about supportive policies and action for the social and economic development of the downtrodden, deprived and marginalised.

So, the first thing the two did after the last

Late Ahmed Patel's son Faisal and daughter Mumtaz interacted with tribals in the region for whom the departed leader had carried out development works.

rites of their father was to reach out to the tribal population in the Bharuch region for whom Ahmedbhai was nothing less than an angel, given his contribution for them. Among several initiatives was a hospital that he helped set up in the area.

Faisal and Mumtaz went and met the tribals in the area and reassured them that though their father was no longer there, they weren’t alone. “We are

with you,” Mumtaz told the tribals. And Faisal appealed to them to “Pray for my father.

And yes, if you have any work, tell me we are with you.”

An apparently moved Mumtaz went into nostalgia as she recalled, talking to them: “We used to come here to see Garba when we were small,” Mumtaz said.

And Faisal chipped in, “We will keep coming to see you”.

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AHMEDABAD, FRIDAY DECEMBER 4, 2020

Jagdeesh Chandra with (from left) Daisy, Yashika, Aditi, Divya, Deepali, Tripti, Charvi, Medhavi, Dr Sandeep Sharma, Akansha, Gaurav Gaur, Yasheel Pandel, Simran, Ankur, Nupur, Varsha and Vishal —PHOTOS BY SANTOSH SHARMA

THE FINAL RACE Auditions for Elite Miss Rajasthan 2020 finally came to an end with the last and final auditions being held in Jaipur on Thursday evening. The finals will now take place later this month!

Radhika Chaudhary, Arpita Singhania, Sudeepta Das, Varsha Jeswani, Nupur Jhankal, Charvi Tanya Dutta, Gaurav Gaur, Akansksha Bhalla, Riya Suldia, Shashi Bhatti, Shristhi Keswani, Ruby Chaudhary

NEHAL NAYAR

nehal.nayar@firstindia.co.in

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During the auditions of ‘Elite Miss Rajasthan 2020

Panel during the auditions (Clockwise) Shabnam Istan Zabeen, Shashi Bhatti and Arpita Singhania

fter going from city-to-city in the past few months to search for the best participants, the team of Elite Miss Rajasthan 2020 is finally done and dusted with its auditions. Organised in Hotel Hilton Jaipur, around 150 girls participated in the final audition round held on Thursday.

All the participants strived hard to make a place in the Top 31 finalists of Elite Miss Rajasthan 2020.

Jagdeesh Chandra was the chief guest of the event and judged a few participants based on various parameters like their talent and personality. Various eminent celebrities served as judges like actress Charvi Tanya Dutta who is also the founding member of Elite

Miss Rajasthan, and supermodels Akanksha Bhalla and Divya Kasliwal.

During the event, Director of Elite Miss Rajasthan, Gaurav Gaur said, “Keeping the growing coronavirus infections in mind, we have followed all the guidelines issued by the government strictly. The entire location for the audition was automatically sanitized by robots at small intervals. The bio-secure bubble was also installed to provide complete protection from the virus. Rules like social distancing and ‘No Mask, No Entry’ were also followed.”

Gaurav also further elaborated that auditions were organised in several cities of Rajasthan like Kota, Jodhpur, Udaipur and Jaipur where many girls participated with huge enthusiasm. All the selected finalists will be revealed on 14 December, and the finale will be held on 20 December. The finalists will be groomed with well-known celebrities right before the finals.

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AHMEDABAD | FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2020

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REMEMBERING 1971

LIBERATION OF BANGLADESH The war of liberation of Bangladesh was fought from 4 to 16 December. It was a story of India’s victory, Pakistan’s surrender and Bangladesh’s freedom. The Indian Armed Forces brought Pakistani army to its knees, took 93,000 Pakistani prisoners and gave 75 million people of Bangladesh their independence. The war started when Pakistan launched air strikes on 11 Indian airbases. It was perhaps the first time in which India’s all three forces fought in unison.

Wg. Cdr. Sukhveer Dhankhar, who fought the 1971 war shares his memories today!

SUKHVEER DHANKHAR

cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

“Toto 8000 ft. Target in sight, Bomb doors open, Turn left left right , right, steady steady… steady bombs gone.

Hit the target dead on.

Close Bomb Doors, Dive to 1500 ft and a sharp right turn to 090 degrees to escape.”

Lt. Gen. Niazi signing the Instrument of Surrender under the gaze of Lt. Gen.

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his was the commentary over 30-35 navigators gave on 4th December, as they lay prone in their Canberra B (I) 58 nose to guide and drop 8 x1000 lbs bomb load each on pre -determined targets in Pakistan.

The Indian Air Force relentlessly bombed Pakistani targets of military value till 15th December. Be it Airbases, Radar stations, Railway yards, bridges etc. This was in retaliation to Pakistan’s pre-emptive strike on 11 Indian Air Force Bases on 3rd December, 1971.

In the first ever free elections on 7 December 1970 in

Canberra in action

Human Remains and War Material from 1971 Genocidel- Liberation War

otherwise military ruled Pakistan the Awami League Party led by Sheikh Mujib Ur Rahman won a land slide victory securing 160 seats in a house of 300 against 81 by the PPP led by

FA CE OF TH ED AY

Mukti Vahini

Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. This was hard to digest by not only Bhutto but also the then military dictator Gen Yahya Khan. West Pakistan could not ruled by a Bengali. Bengalis were over joyed with the prospect of ruling the west Pakistan.

This was not to be and the Yahya- Bhutto combine arrested Sheikh Mujib for treason and put him in solitary confinement.

East Pakistan loved their charismatic Sheikh. They declared their independence on 25th March, 1971.In response west Pakistan launched Operation “Searchlight” against their own mostly Muslim brethren, leading to the deaths of an estimated 1.3 million citizens, making around 30 million homeless of which 10 million fled to India as refugees.

To fight back, the East

YOUR DAY Horoscope by

Saurabbh Sachdeva

Pakistanis formed the Mukti Bahini, a brave guerilla resistance force formed to fight for freedom and life.

India’s PM at that time was the Iron lady Indira Gandhi and she pledged complete moral and material support to the future Bangladeshis on behalf of their brothers and sisters in India. India also provided them some basic armaments and military training.

Giving them hope that they might survive and one day be free from the crazy despotic rule of Yahya Khan and Bhutto. That was the match stick that lit the sub-continent afire in 1971.

As war clouds loomed again, the Indian Defence Forces started preparing for a third war. The Air Force particularly the Canberras went in right earnest to select and nominate targets and prepare flight

ARIES

TAURUS

You will get help and resources for undertaking an important event on the social front. A shopping spree is on the cards, as you are in mood to splurge today. Enjoying the company of like-minded people is foretold. You may prove yourself to be a bright spark academically.

Some of you will be able to overcome weaknesses and improve your performance on the academic front. Real estate dealers are likely to have a field day. You will remain most understanding on the family front and will successfully cater to the moods of spouse.

Indira Gandhi

carried out by the Flt Cdr. The squadron launched about 94 bombing and interdiction sorties on both east and west Pakistan sectors during the 13 day conflict dropping over 7 lakh pounds of bombs on our adversary.

The damage caused can be imagined by the fact that complete Air Superiority was achieved in the East Pakistan within four days and our Army with full support of the Airforce started moving swiftly towards Dhaka, the full complement of the 16 Sqn Cobras now bombing west Pakistan targets. I personally flew 11 sorties, including five bombing missions across the border dur-

GEMINI

APR 21 - MAY 20

MAY 21 - JUNE 21

LEO

VIRGO

LIBRA

Much enjoyment is foreseen on the social front.

Your reputation on the academic front is set to rise amongst peers. A new property acquired by you will start giving good monetary returns. A family member may try to stand on his or her own two feet.

Owning a house can become your aim. Your strength in your field of expertise is likely to be recognised by those who matter.

Some of you are likely to ace a competition or exam on the academic front. You will need to do some quick thinking today at work.

For once you may attempt to take your own stand on the social front and call a spade a spade. An assignment given to you on the academic front will be completed most satisfactorily.Those trying to extend their leave will succeed. You will manage to save enough.

SAGITTARIUS Profitable deals will come your way and can get the cash register ringing.

Keeping fit can become your focus, for which you may join a gym or start an exercise regimen. You are likely to realise the importance of someone in your social circle, whom you used to dismiss out of hand.

MAR 21 - APR 20

JULY 24 - AUGUST 23

NOV 23 - DEC 22

SANTOSHI SHETTY, Influencer

plans. No. 16 Sqn, the “Cobras”, intensified High, Medium and low-level flying training carried out practice and live bombing training for all the crews.

Though a late comer to the bombing fraternity, I was lucky to be declared fully ops in the nick of time to be qualified to be detailed for ops sorties. The Squadron led by the legendary ace Wg Cdr P (Pete) Gautam MVC, VM and cool as a cucumber, Flt Cdr Sqn Ldr MM Takle and Nav Ldr Sqn Datta was full of experienced crew.

On the evening of 3rd December, officers received a message to report to the underground Ops room immediately. The OC Wg Cdr Gautam addressed the officers that the much-awaited moment had arrived and announced the crews for the sorties and targets.

Individual briefing was

AUG 24 - SEP 23

Someone may go out of his or her way to help you at work. Tying loose ends both at work and home may be your priority today.

Remaining involved on the academic front may make you cover up whatever had been missed. You will manage to plan your expenses.

ing the 13 day war.

America realising Pakistan’s hapless position started putting pressure on India to stop the war and in the process moved its 7th Fleet to the Bay of Bengal .

But the Indian Prime Minister, instead of bowing down, put pressure on the Armed Forces to finish the job, which they did and on 15thDecember, Gen Niazi with over 93000 troops surrendered to Gen Arora.

Thus came the curtain down on one of the great achievements of the Indian Armed on one hand and the will and grit of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on the other.

CANCER

JUNE 22 - JULY 23

You can expect to spend the day in exciting company on the social front. Those expecting possession of a property paid for may face delay. Those planning a relaxing time at home can end up doing household chores. Keep all your options open academiaclly.

SCORPIO

SEPT 24 - OCTOBER 22

OCT 23 - NOVEMBER 22

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

Your well-wishers are likely to go out of their way to raise your image on the social front. Those studying are likely to come into the good books of their teachers. Your travel stars seem strong and may take you out of town on a vacation.

The day seems profitable.

Someone with his or her self-interest in mind is likely to appease you. Things are slated to turn for the better for you on the social front. Keeping up with others on the academic front may prove an uphill task for some. Meeting lover secretly is strictly not recommended today.

Encouraging news awaits some on the academic front. Those looking for accommodation can expect to find one that meets their requirement. You can count on the total support of family members in domestic matters. You are likely to give your career a boost.

DEC 23 - JAN 20

JAN 21 - FEB 19

Accolades and congratulations may pour in from all sides for something that you have achieved. Honour and prestige is in store for those in the field of education. Luck favours those buying or selling property. The day promises a lot of excitement on the domestic front.

FEB20 - MARCH 20

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DURGAMATI’S TRAILER GOES VIRAL

AHMEDABAD | FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2020

CRAZZZY KIA RE cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

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Poster of ‘Durgamati’

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mazon prime video’s Durgamati has truly taken over the internet post the impressive trailer and the how the story has all the elements of love, fear and defeating the evil. Arshad Warsi who’s playing a pivotal role in the film talks about why the actor signed up for the film. “The reason I took up this role was that its a nice script. It is one of those scripts which is very Indian and will appeal to our audience and their sensibilities.”, says Arshad Warsi. He adds, “I loved the twists and turns in the story.” Arshad Warsi has never failed to entertain the audience with his talent.

—Agency

Overwhelming gratitude

ollywood singer Aastha Gill was in Jaipur on Monday to perform at a private event. Aastha is an Indian singer and songwriter who debuted with the party song ‘Dhup Chik’ from the film ‘Fugly’. She uped the quotient with the dance number ‘Abhi Toh Party Shuru Hui Hai’ from ‘Khoobsoorat’ and is also known for her singles ‘DJ Wale Babu’, ‘Buzz’ and ‘Naagin’. In an exclusive interview with City First, she spoke about her journey in the industry.

Q. You have done your bachelor’s in Journalism.

How did you get into the singing profession?

A. Yes, I have done my bachelor’s in journalism and singing was completely an act of God. Singing was always a part of my life, but I never thought I would pursue singing as a career. It was just a random call I got from Raftaar bhai when I was working in advertising and he said, “I have got a Bollywood song

Singer Aastha Gill in an exclusive interview with City First, while she visited the Pink City for a private event

among these three?

A. Yes, I have sung with Badshah bhaiyya, Raftaar bhaiyya and Diljit and I can’t compare them because they are completely different people. Honestly, I haven’t met Diljit Dos-

KAVITA CHAUHAN

Poster of the song ‘Crazy Lady’

and your vocals will really sound good on it so quickly come and dub.” I said to him, “I can’t leave my work.” There was a moment of truth - I had to face the reality. I chose music over my corporate job. I left without completing my work and I got fired that day. It was just a leap of faith that I took and it worked for me.

Then he introduced me to Badshah bhai and things started working in the right direction and that’s how I’m here.

ing the latter completely. Life has otherwise changed because of my career but the Delhi and Mumbai factor hasn’t changed anything as much. Career-wise and music-wise, I think things have changed, people now know my name and it’s a beautiful feeling when you go out and people recognise you. That way I think God has been kind and I think I have achieved something in life.

Q. From Delhi to Mumbai, how has life changed for you?

A. I still live in Delhi and I travel to Mumbai only for work. I love Mumbai but Delhi is like family and I can’t think of leav-

Q. You have sung songs with Badshah, Raftaar and Diljit Dosanjh. Who is your personal favourite

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anjh ever, but I would love to because I love his work and I love his wife. I am not being diplomatic here but l can’t pick one; it’s the most difficult question for anyone.

Q. You have given so many hit songs. Which one is your personal favourite and why?

A. ‘Buzz’ obviously because that’s like the closest baby to my heart because it was my debut.

It introduced me as a singer, as a pop artist so that will always be the closest to my heart. I love all my songs but “Buzz” is the closest to my heart.

Q. our latest song ‘Crazy “Lady’, has been winning hearts. How much do you relate to this song?

A. ‘Crazy Lady’ is a song that I have co-written with Charan and Kanika; it’s totally based on my life experiences. In life, it’s important to be a little crazy to make it big, and I am a crazy person. It runs in my family and I think my mother is the craziest among us all. I think I get that from her.

Aastha Gill

RIRI DATING? Elliot Page

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uno and The Umbrella Academy star Elliot Page recently came out as trans and explaining their pronouns are he/they. The 33-year-old star posted a message on their Twitter account, writing, “Hi friends, I want to share with you that I am trans, my pronouns are he/they and my name is Elliot.

I feel lucky to be writing this. To be here. To have arrived at this place in my life.” Elliot continued, “I feel overwhelming gratitude for the incredible people who have supported me along this journey. I can’t begin to express how remarkable it feels to finally love who I am enough to pursue my authentic self.” — Agency

Next generation

Sonam’s Post

Major missing!

I

Rihanna

R

ihanna and ASAP Rocky are reportedly dating! The 32-yearold Diamonds singer and the 32-year-old rapper were spotted having dinner over the weekend at the Beatrice Inn in New York City.

However, just a couple of days after the initial rumours surfaced a friend

close to Rihanna told that the pair were just friends, saying, “She’s hanging out with ASAP Rocky, but she is not dating him. They have a long history and she’s just having fun.” Now it looks like the rumour-mill has come full circle, with fresh speculation emerging about Rihanna and

ASAP. The latest update has to do with a dinner date in New York and another bit of source info. Now, a source has confirmed that the two music stars are indeed a couple.

—Agency

Teri Bhabhi Song Reaction

V

Prince Harry

P

rince Harry is thinking about what the next generation which includes his 1-year-old son, Archie is going to inherit. The Duke of Sussex helped launch WaterBear Network, a new Netflix-style streaming platform focused on conservation, by taking part in a conversation about the important topic. Shot from his California home, Harry shares how welcoming a son last year encouraged him to work against climate change and environmental issues. “The moment you become a father everything really does change because then you start to realize, well, what is the point in bringing a new person into this world when they get to your age and it’s on fire?” — Agency Sara Ali Khan; (Inset) still from ‘Coolie No. 1’

Varun Dhawan

arun Dhawan and Sara Ali Khan have been making a whole lot of noise on social media ever since the trailer of their film Coolie No 1 dropped. The onscreen couple were a hit and fans of masala entertainers truly loved to see them together.

The makers dropped new song titled ‘Teri Bhabhi’.

Varun had teased his fans saying that he will be introducing them to their ‘bhabhi’. While many wondered if it was his girlfriend Natasha Dalal, movie buffs were quick to recognise it was related to the song.

—Agency

t is no secret that the fashionista Sonam Kapoor Ahuja is very close to her family and always makes it a point to spend her time with them. For the unversed, the stunning actress is currently in Dubai with her husband Anand Ahuja. She was in London since midJuly this year and owing to this she could not even celebrate Diwali with her family in Mumbai.

As we speak of this, the actress has shared a picture with her father Anil Kapoor and s i s t e r Rhea saying that she is missing her family back in Mumbai. Taking to her Instagram handle, Sonam dropped a stunning photo and wrote, “Majorly missing them.”

—Agency

Sonam Kapoor Ahuja

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NO MASK NO ENTRY

During the ‘No Mask, No Entry‘ campaign

CITY FIRST

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n the ocassion of International Day for Persons with Disabilities, 3 physically challenged individuals from NSS promoted ‘No Mask, No Entry’ campaign on Thursday. Bansi Lal Meghwal, Rajendra Kurmi and Vikram Balai from Narayan Seva Sansthan, an NGO in Udaipur working towards the upliftment, skilling, empowerment and enabling of the differently abled stepped forward where differently abled stitched and distributed 8500 masks and 500 PPE kit free of cost to spread

AHMEDABAD | FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2020

an awareness on the Pandemic at the Patrika Gate in Jaipur. Speaking on the occasion, Prashant Agarwal shared, “People with disabilities have pre-existing health conditions that make them more susceptible to contracting the virus. In order to create an awareness on how dreadful and deadly this virus can get, three individuals from Narayan Seva Sansthan decided to take a step forward and create an awareness and even promote the ‘No Mask, No Entry’ campaign that is solicited by the Government of Rajasthan.” cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

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EVENTS!

RAJ: A seminar on Shakti – the power was held on Wednesday at Argus homes to support women empowerment. The coordinator of the event shared that 35 women from different background attended the seminar. The speakers of the seminar were Usha Sharma, Deepti Saini, Chitra Sharma and Madhu Kumawat who beautifully shared their thoughts on the issue of women safety with CEO of Argus homes, Alok Shrivastava.

—PHOTO BY HANIF SINDHI

Colours of Life Rambagh Palace, Jaipur

Shwet Goyal during the session

D

ally explains the importance of colours to the university students but he was excited to share his knowledge with the little children of Digital Bal Mela.

“Children like to play with colours. From their notebooks to the walls of the house their favourite pastime is to do colouring,” he said. cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

ITC LAUNCHES JOYOUS OFFER

ITC Rajputana CITY FIRST

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o provide guests with the flexibility of enjoying their stay and indulging in services as per their individual preferences, the largest chain of hotels in the world, with the maximum number of LEED Platinum Certified Properties (as per USGBC), ITC Hotels has launched the versatile ‘100% Back’ offer which will provide consumers with the required flexibility by giving them hotel credits that can be utilised against services as per their choice, during their stay on this package.

The ‘100% Back’ of-

ANITA HADA

—PHOTO BY SANTOSH SHARMA

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CITY FIRST

uring the ‘Digital Baal Mela’ organised by LIC on Thursday, Senior assistant professor of IIS University, Shwet Goyal taught painting to the team of Bal Mela. Shwet Goyal has won awards in many national competitions. From the City Palace in Jaipur to metros like Delhi, Mumbai, their artefacts have been installed in galleries.

Goyal’s artefacts have been appreciated not only in India but also in Australia and New York.

Shwet Goel, gener-

Rambagh loses its Mentor, ‘Pat Baapji’!

fer allows guests to book at any of the participating ITC Hotels and Welcomhotel, and receive the full amount as hotel credits that can be instantly redeemed towards exquisite experiences including delectable Food & Beverage, relaxing spa treatments and more.

Anil Chadha, COO, ITC Hotels said, “At ITC Hotels, we are committed to delivering world-class experiences guided by our ‘Responsible Luxury’ ethos. Catering to the growing sentiment around ‘getting away’ many people are looking for safe ways to restore some semblance of normal life.” cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

he Director of Rambagh Palace and former MP from Dausa, Maharaj Prithviraj fondly called ‘Pat Baapji’ passed away at the age of 84 years on Wednesday evening owing to Covid-19 complications. He was the son of late Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II of Jaipur and Maharani Kishore Kanwar.

Maharaj Prithviraj played an iconic role in launching Rajasthan as a tourism destination. It was due to his efforts that the Rambagh Palace became what it is today and is a source of pride for Rajasthan and India as one of the best heritage hotels. He made a mark as a sharp entrepreneur and a dedicated professional.

‘Pat Baapji’ was cremated on Thursday afternoon at Gaitore, Jaipur as per the royal tradition. The family was in attendance wearing PPE kits and all was done as per Corona protocol.

Vishvendra Singh and Divya Kumari of Bharatpur shared, “Maharaj Prithviraj was indeed a wonderful person.

His indomitable spirit and hardworking nature played a significant role in defining the scope and concept of tourism in Rajasthan. Maharaj Prith-

GUJ: On the occasion of International Day of Disabilities, members of Blind People Association distributed mobile phones, food, clothes, blind sticks, for specially-abled children and needy people and celebrated the day with them at Blind people association Vastrapur in Ahmedabad on Thursday.

—PHOTO BY HANIF SINDHI

GUJ: Tirupati Edible Oils, a part of N.K. Proteins Group announced the signing of celebrated Bollywood actress, Kareena Kapoor Khan as its new Brand Ambassador. Priyam Patel, the CEO of N. K. Proteins said, “We are glad to partner with Kareena Kapoor Khan for our brand. Our team is excited to launch the brand’s first campaign on Tirupati Cottonseed Oil with our new ambassador.”

The relatives at the funeral at the Gaitore wearing the PPE kits

RAJ: On the 11th annual meeting of Rajasthan Forum, conducted virtually on zoom on Thursday, five Padma Shri Awardee artists of the state, Bagru print specialist Ram Kishore Cheepa, Painter Tilak Gitai, Blue Pottery artist Swapn Guha, Kalbeliya popular dancer Gulabo Sapera and Saarangi player Ustaad Moinudeen Khan were elected as members of the Rajasthan Forum Committee.

Late Maharaj Prithviraj

Late Maharaj Prithvraj with his grandsons Vedant Singh and Siddhant Singh. The occasion was the wedding of his grandson Vedant in 2017

Maharaj Prithvi Singh Ji was not just a royal by birth but royal in character and personality. He was one of the most cultured and polite human beings. I think after his departure Rambagh has lost a mentor.

—JAGDEESH CHANDRA viraj ensured that the Rambagh Palace reached the pinnacle of success, setting a benchmark for the hospitality industry to follow. His contribution to the field of educa-

tion by managing the prestigious SMS Vidyalaya is well known.”

“Maharaj Prithviraj Singh Ji was a human being par excellence. He was admired by one and

all for his simple living, helping nature and down-to-earth demeanour. The dedication towards his work and his pragmatic approach to life led to the immense development of education and tourism in the state. Even though he is no longer with us, he will always be alive through his fond memories,” said Rajnish Pardal. Humble, he was a well-rounded individual. He leaves behind his son, Rajkumar Vijit Singh. anita.hada@firstindianews.com

RAJ: The Investiture Ceremony of AICUF and the feast of the patron saint, St Francis Xavier was celebrated with the theme of expressing Solidarity with Stan on Thursday. The Chief Guest, for the day, was Most Rev Oswald Lewis, Bishop of Diocese of Jaipur.

—PHOTO BY SUMIT KUMAR

GOING DIGITAL

CITY FIRST

H

yderabad Duty-Free (HDF), a division of GMR Hospitality and Retail Limited, runs duty-free shops at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA), Hyderabad. Recently, HDF has launched a unique service, ‘WhatsApp Virtual Assistant Chat-bot’. This service allows international passengers (both departure and arrival) to reach out to HDF using WhatsApp and get their queries answered with ease,

Bollywood actor John Abraham was spotted shooting at Lucknow University in Lucknow on Thursday. He is currently shooing in the city for his upcoming film ‘Satyamev Jayate 2’.

also they can ask for a call back from HDF customer executive if further assistance is needed.

Leveraging the massive global WhatsApp user base of over 2.7

Billion users, the new Chatbot service is a very convenient medium for customer engagement, helping build stronger relationships with customers. cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

RAJ: S.K. Singh, an advocate, after suffering from Corona, opened a hospital, the Dr S P Singh Memorial Hospital in Bagru, Jaipur, with all facilities for COVID treatment along with ICU in the memory of his father on Thursday. S.K. Singh said he felt deeply that this was what his dear departed father would have wanted as he himself and his mother fought corona.