First India-Ahmedabad Edition-04 July 2020

OUR EDITIONS: JAIPUR & AHMEDABAD

CORONA

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ALERT AHMEDABAD l SATURDAY, JULY 4, 2020 l Pages 12 l 3.00

WORLD

COVID-19 UPDATE

INDIA

5,26,407 1,10,85,289

MAHARASHTRA 8,376 DEATHS 1,92,990 CASES

18,661 6,47,507

CONFIRMED CASES

DEATHS

TAMIL NADU 1,385 DEATHS 1,02,721 CASES

RNI NO. GUJENG/2019/16208 l Vol 1 l Issue No. 219

DEATHS

CONFIRMED CASES

DELHI 2,923 DEATHS 94,695 CASES

—PHOTO BY ANI

‘AGE OF EXPANSIONISM IS OVER’ Leh: Taking an apparent dig at China, PM Narendra Modi on Friday, said the age of expansionism is over and added that the new age of development is here.

“Age of expansionism is over, this is the age of development. History is witness that expansionist forces have either lost or were forced to turn back,” Modi said addressing soldiers in Ladakh’s Nimmoo.

“Bharat Mata’s enemies have seen your fire and fury,” Modi said in an apparent reference to the military clashes between the Indian and Chinese troops.

The PM’s visit to Ladakh is seen as a strong message against China’s aggressive posturing along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the region.He said: “We are the same people who pray to the flute playing Lord Krishna, but we are also the same people who idealise and following the same Lord Krishna who carries the Sudarshan Chakra.”

The two countries -have been involved in talks to ease the ongoing border tensions.

Turn on P6

The bravery and dedication you show is not lesser than anyone else in the world. At the position where you are, no one in the world can compete with that. Your courage is higher than the heights where you are posted today. It is not only me but the whole country has that trusts you.

The bravery of the 14 Corps will be talked about everywhere and the tales of your bravery will echo in each house. The world has seen your bravery.

PM Narendra Modi along with Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat & Army Chief Gen MM Naravane arrives in Leh on Friday.

—Narendra Modi, PM

JAPAN EXTENDS SUPPORT TO INDIA

NO NEED TO ESCALATE SITUATION: CHINA

‘WE’LL NEVER BOW DOWN TO ANY WORLD POWER’

In a show of support for India, Tokyo’s envoyi Satoshi Suzuki tweeted: “Had a good talk with FS Shringla.

Appreciated his briefing on situation along LAC, including GOI’s policy to pursue peaceful resolution. Japan also hopes for peaceful resolution.

“India & China are in communication & negotiations on lowering the temperatures through military & diplomatic channels.

No party should engage in any action that may escalate the situation at this point,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said.

”I have come here to thank all of you.

India becomes self-reliant. Our country has never bowed down & will never bow down to any world power. I pay my respects to you as well as the mothers who gave birth to braves like you. Hope everyone gets well soon,” PM said.

TRAGEDY STRIKES

Lahore: About 19 Sikh pilgrims were killed & at least 8 were hurt after a passenger bus collided with Shah Hussain Express train near Sheikhpura in Pakistan. The coaster was carrying pilgrims, who were returning from Nankana Sahib in Punjab.

ICMR-Bharat Biotech aim to release COVID-19 vaccine by August 15 New Delhi: ICMR DG Balram Bhargava wrote to Bharat Biotech and principal investigators of medical colleges to complete the trial procedure of COVID-19 vaccine in a fast track method, so that results of a clinical trial can be launched by August 15.

Bharat Biotech had received a nod for a clinical trial of its vaccine - Covaxin. “This is the first indigenous vaccine being developed by India and is one of the top priority projects which is being monitored by Government. Turn on P6

GUJARAT

1,906 DEATHS

UTTAR PRADESH 749 DEATHS 25,797 CASES

PM visits ladakh as India-China simmer continues

EXPERTS SPEAK “We don’t think anywhere in the world has anyone ever given a date in advance for release of a new vaccine before a clinical trial has even begun,” experts said.

“By general experience, a month to decide whether to release a vaccine is a very short time. Even if you fast-track it, it will take a minimum of one year.”

BJP MP LOCKET CHATTERJEE TESTS +VE Kolkata: BJP MP Locket Chatterjee on Friday said she has tested positive for COVID-19. In a tweet, the general secretary of the BJP’s West Bengal unit said she has a mild fever. “I have tested positive for Covid19 this morning, having mild fever and was in self-isolation for the past one week. I will keep everyone posted. All is well,” she said.

Chatterjee, who left her acting career to join politics, is the Lok Sabha MP from Hooghly in West Bengal.

—PTI

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34,686

CONFIRMED CASES

RAJASTHAN 440 DEATHS 19,052 CASES

Kanpur: 8 cops killed in encounter with criminals Lucknow: Eight Uttar Pradesh cops, including a Dy SP and three subinspectors, were killed after a group of assailants opened fire on a police team which was trying to arrest a criminal in Kanpur late on Thursday night, police said on Friday. Two criminals were killed during combing operations by the cops later.

Four policemen, who suffered bullet injuries, are undergoing treatment at a hospital in the city. One of them is said to be critical.

Expressing his condolences to the families of the deceased, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath sought a report from the cops and directed DGP HC Awasthi to initiate strict action against the culprits.

The incident took place when the police team visited Bikaru village in Chaubeypur police station area to arrest Vikas Dubey after lodging an attempt to murder case against him.

Dubey, a history-sheeter, already has 60 cases registered against him.

At his residence, the assailants gheraoed them and started firing, Turn on P6, More on P5

—PHOTO BY PTI

ADG Law and Order, Prashant Kumar being shown the incident site during the visit to Bikhru village after the encounter.

MAIN ACCUSED VIKAS DUBEY A HISTORY-SHEETER WITH 60 CASES Vikas Dubey, the prime accused in the killing of eight policemen in Kanpur on Friday, is a historysheeter and has at least 60 criminal cases against him, including six cases of murder and 11 cases of attempt to murder, at the Chaubeypur police station. A native of Bikaru village in Kanpur, Dubey had also been booked six times under Goonda Act, seven times under UP Gangsters’ Act, and once under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act. He is the head of his village.

In Kanpur encounter, our 8 policemen lost their lives and 2 criminals died. The sacrifice of our policemen will not go in vain. People responsible for this, will not be spared.The government will provide an ex-gratia of Rs 1 crore each to kin of deceased, pension and government job.

—Yogi Adityanath, CM, UP

SAROJ KHAN- 1948-2020

BOLLYWOOD’S DANCING QUEEN NO MORE Mumbai: Choreographer Saroj Khan, the feisty ‘Masterji’ of Bollywood who stormed into a largely male bastion with her dance moves in numbers like Dhak Dhak , Hawa Hawaii and Ek Do Teen , died following a cardiac arrest at a hospital on Friday. She was 71. The three-time National Award winner, Khan choreographed more than 2,000 songs.

—PTI

WHY ED MUM ON SOPS TO SANDESARAS, ASKS PATEL Priyanka Gandhi steps in to strongly support Patel New Delhi (PTI): Facing an ED probe in a m o n ey - l a u n d e r i n g case, Rajya Sabha MP and AICC Treasurer Ahmed Patel on Friday said the investigation agency had failed to answer his question on who in the Gujarat government bestowed benefits, privileges and honours to the Sandesara group,

for which he was being quizzed. Patel said he had answered 128 questions posed to him by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and thanked the agency for visiting him thrice in connection with the Sandesara money-

AHMED PATEL @ahmedpatel When the responsible people are lying, the responsibility of telling the truth of the fourth pillar of democracy increases but unfortunately it is not happening.

laundering case.

“Thank you officials of ED for coming to my house thrice,” Patel tweeted. “I answered each of their 128 questions but they failed to answer my one fundamental question - Who in the Gujarat state government was responsible for bestowing multiple benefits, privileges and honours on the Sandesara group,” Patel added.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra came out strongly in Patel’s sup-

port and alleged that sending the ED to harass the senior party leader in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic shows the “perversion” of this government’s priorities.

“Thousands are dying, our health workers are desperate for supportive measures, economy is facing an unprecedented crisis, Chinese are entering our territory, our soldiers are being killed, and this is what Government is busy

spending time on,” she pointed out in a tweet, Turn on P6

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02

Camped at Morbi, Hardik Patel gears up for by-elections The Congress leader calls out BJP for dropping the ball in the district Gargi Raval Ahmedabad: Ahead of the impending byelections of the State Legislative Assembly, Congress leader Hardik Patel has been spotted in Morbi, the place where the Patidar reservation movement was conceptualized and launched by him. Patel is said to be meeting with local activists and leaders to get a sense of the onground situation.

The leader alleged that the ruling party

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had not focused on providing people with basic amenities.

He held a meeting in the circuit house to help decide on a suitable candidate for the byelections that are likely to be scheduled for September this year. It had been former MLA Brijesh Merja , who was elected from the Morbi constituency on a Congress ticket in 2017. Merja defected to the BJP last month.

“Merja won the 2017 election due to the Patidar agitation

CONG APPOINTS EIGHT INCHARGES FOR BY-ELECTIONS Constituency

In-charge

Abdasa

CJ Chavda

Limbdi

Jagdishbhai Thakor

Morbi

Arjunbhai Modhwadia

Dhari

Punjabhai Vansh

Gadhada

Shaileshbhai Parmar

Karjan

Siddharth Patel

Dangs

Gautam Pandya

Kaprada

Tushar Chaudhary

Hardik Patel meeting with local leaders & activists at Morbi.

wave. Hardik Patel has the upper hand when it comes to this part of the state. He is meeting with leaders and looking for

the right candidate.

Earlier, there had been rumours that he may contest the byelection from the Morbi seat himself

but, whether that is true or not remains to be seen,” said a source.

According to Patel, the BJP government

which has been ruling the local panchayat for years has not worked on any developmental projects. “For the last three terms, BJP has

GOI SHOULD BLOCK CHEAP CHINESE PRODUCTS: REA

been ruling the local panchayat but, even then the city and township lack basic amenities. The citizens have issues with the water

supply, road network and street lights. In fact, in the Malia taluka, there is no irrigation water available to the farmers,” said Patel, when addressing the media in Morbi.

Similarly, other Congress leaders had also visited the Saurashtra and Kutch region; mainly constituencies from where Congress MLAs have resigned.

Paresh Dhanani, leader of opposition and former GPCC president Arjun Modhwadia had visited Morbi, Gadhada (Botad district), Dhari (Amreli district) and Abdasa (Kutch district).

ECI may increase booth numbers ahead of polls

Industry bodies come together to chalk out plan to counter ‘dumped’ Chinese products Haresh Jhala Rajkot: With antiChina sentiment sweeping the nation, the MSME (micro, small and medium enterprises) sector in this region has banded together to demand that the Centre block cheap Chinese products that create unhealthy competition in the domestic market.

The Rajkot Engineering Association (REA) on Friday met with 11 other industry associations to chalk out a plan and strategy to counter Chinese products that they say are being “dumped” in the Indian market at throwaway prices, thus adversely affecting domestic industries.

Narendra Pachani, honorary treasurer of REA told First India, “Along with the engineering sector, members of the 11 other industry associations will collect data about cheap Chinese products that are creating unhealthy competition for the domestic industry and submit the list to the state and Centre, with a request to

Election Commsion of India.

First India Bureau

Inexpensive Chinese goods are not as welcome as before, even among customers.

—FILE PHOTO

take necessary action against such products. This action could be either tariff-based or nontariff-based, as suits the government.”

He added that the state and Centre will also have to see that the domestic industry gets enough financial support to increase its installed capacity to meet market demands.

Alongside REA, the meeting was attended by members of associations involved in

We will try to convince the government to impose import or anti-dumping duties on Chinese products. We can give a befitting reply to China on the economic front only if these steps are taken. —-Paresh Vasani, President, REA We will collect data about cheap Chinese products that are creating unhealthy competition and submit the list to the state and Centre, with a request to take necessary action.”

—-Narendra Pachani, Honorary treasurer, REA

making machine tools, submersible pumps, diesel engines, ceramics, ball bearings, kitchenware, forging, food processing machines, electric motors and spare parts.

There are at least 5,000 industrial units in and around Rajkot city. Most of these face direct or indirect competition from inexpensive Chinese products either in terms of finished goods or ingredients or spare parts.

That is de-stabilizing the domestic industry and market.

REA president Paresh Vasani said that the brainstorming exercise in the meeting was just the first step towards an ‘Atmanirbhar’ nation. “We will try to convince the government to impose import or anti-dumping duties on Chinese products. We can give a befitting reply to China on the economic front only if these steps are taken,” he said.

Gandhinagar: With the political parties in the state gearing up for the State Legislative Assembly by-elections, the Election Commission of India (ECI) may declare the dates soon. There have been reports of polls set to be held in September doing the rounds, and now the state election office plans to increase the number of polling booths for all assembly seats in the fray. This information comes in the wake of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic which may be the reason for the state election office’s decision.

According to sources, normally each assembly seat commission arranges for 230 to 250 polling booths for the polls, but things might be a little different this year. In order to strictly enforce social distancing, the number of

—FILE PHOTO

booths planned may be more than the usual number installed during elections. It is possible that the number of booths arranged for the by-elections will be 40% more this year.

The electoral office may also take into consideration the voters living in containment or micro-containment zones and make special arrangements for ballot voting for them. As a result, the staff requirements to pull off the byelection will, in all likelihood, increase since voters will have to be sanitized before entering a polling booth. The staff will also be provided with gloves for protection since they will come in direct contact with voters, administer the ink mark on them and to also get their signatures on the voters list.

Due to the resignation of eight MLAs, the same number of assembly seats now lay vacant and are up for re-election.

Rupani govt to allot plots at Unjha GIDC estate online 1,135 applicants set to get plots in the MSME zone, for which the lucky draw will be held on Tuesday Haresh Jhala Gandhinagar: Chief Minister Vijay Rupani government has decided to conduct the allotment of industrial plots to MSME (micro, small and medium enterprises) units online. For this, a lucky draw will be held next Tuesday, at the hand of the Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel.

Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) has set up an industrial estate across 47 hectares of land near Aithor village of Unjha taluka in Mehsana district. There are two zones in the estate--an MSME zone and a general zone--in which 279 industrial plots will be allotted on Tuesday.

The site’s proximity

to district headquarters Mehsana has made it attractive to entrepreneurs, with 1,220 already expressing interest in these plots.

Of the 1,220 applicants, 1,135 are entitled to get plots in the MSME zone for which the lucky draw will be held at 3 pm on July 7.

GIDC has planned to allot plots ranging in area from 500 square metres (sq.m) to 3,000 sq.m to 254 MSME entrepreneurs and those ranging in area from 3,000 sq.m to 10,000 sq.m to 25 investors. The prices

Chief Minister Vijay Rupani flanked by Principal Secretary (Industries Department) and Principal Secretary to CM MK Das on his right and Industries Secretary Rahul Gupta on his left. —FILE PHOTO

have been fixed at Rs2,320 per square metre for the MSME zone and Rs3,360 per square metre in the general zone.

So far, GIDC has set up 212 industrial estates across the state, in which 17 lakh workers are employed at the 63,000 operational units.

GIDC provides basic amenities like roads, drainage, water, power supply network, and an effluent treatment plant.

Gujarat accounts for 735 of the 2,574 big industries set up in India over the past three years. With Rupani’s en-

couragement, Gujarat has seen 4,41,585 MSMEs being set up in the past three years as well.

There are currently more than 34 lakh MSMEs are operational in Gujarat, generating massive employment opportunities.

Meanwhile, the state government has also handed over the Vejalpur lake, spread across 32,072 sq.m, to the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation for beautification. So far, the state government has handed over five lakes for beautification.

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CM to visit Surat to take stock of nCov situation

Visit comes amid allegations that doctors’ negligence caused patient deaths at SMIMER First India Bureau Gandhinagar: With Surat’s case numbers still spiking, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani will visit the city on Saturday to take stock of the situation there. As many as 248 cases have emerged from Surat in the past 24 hours, of which 190 came from the city, while 58 were reported in rural areas.

The chief minister’s visit comes a day after doctors at SMIMER Hospital were accused of causing the death of two elderly COVID-19 patients by being negligent when their oxygen supply faltered.

Senior RMO of SMIMER Hospital Jayesh Patel has refuted the claim, but the patients’ families insist that the deceased could have been saved if the doctors had responded in a timely manner.

Chief Minister Ru-

GOOD & BAD

A medic prepares to take another set of samples in Ahmedabad.

pani will meet with city and district officers on Saturday morning. With Principal Secretary for Health Jayanti Ravi already camping in Surat for the past few days, the local administration has already started taking action like declaring new containment zones and shutting down

pan-masala shops in zones showing a high number of cases.

It is to be noted that the sudden spike in Surat’s numbers coincides with the implementation of Unlock 1.0.

After Surat, Vadodara too is witnessing a rise in cases, with 55-60 new cases emerging every day for the past two days. There

—PHOTO BY NANDAN DAVE

were 1,074 cases in Vadodara on June 01. Now, there are 2,443--more than twice as many as before. Friday alone brought 62 new cases to the city.

The situation in Ahmedabad, on the other hand, seems to be coming under control according to data from the local civic body.

Over the past few days,

new cases have dropped to fewer than 200. Friday saw 204 cases, of which 195 were from the city and nine from rural areas. Deaths have also decreased.

According to the state press release, 7,808 samples were tested in the past 24 hours. As on Friday, there are 7,839 active cases, of which 61 are on ventilators.

Red zone diamond IKDRC is on standby firm in trouble for for COVID-19 care ignoring shutdown First India Bureau

Diamond workers.

First India Bureau Surat: The city police and a team from the Surat Municipal Corporation on Friday raided a diamond unit CV Impex located in the red zone area of Katargam for operating with more than 130 artisans in violation of the seven-day shutdown imposed in the area.

This comes at amid the visit of Principal Secretary of Health DrJayanti Ravi, who has been holding regular meetings in Surat for

—FILE PHOTO

the last four days to chalk out a plan to tackle the COVID-19 outbreak which has taken hold of the city.

Katargam has so far reported more than 1,300 cases of the total cases of the city. Recently, Ravi and civic body officials had visited and inspected the red zone of Katargam as well as the diamond market.

A complaint has been filed against the owner of the factory, Chandubhai Vallabhbhai Dungrani, at the Katargam police station under the Epidemic Diseases Act.

Ahmedabad: The Institute of Kidney Diseases & Research Centre (IKDRC), which recently closed the additional COVID-care facility in its premises after 51 days, can be used again if the necessity arises. The hospital would only need a few hours to be ready to treat SarsCov-2 patients again.

“We have moved back to our core functions and henceforth all transplanted patients and those on medication shall visit for check-ups and get their modified medicines,” Dr Vineet Mishra, Director, IKDRC-ITS announced on Friday. However, if there is a spike in corona cases, the same wards would quickly

IKDRC, Ahmedabad.

be converted into COVID facility within a short span of 3 to 4 hours. Closure of COVID wards at IKDRC will ensure prioritizing kidney-related operations and procedures, he said.

During its stint as a COVID care facility, the institute commonly called the Kidney Hospital, provided world-class medical care to its patients ranging from 14-yearold to 90-year-old.

—FILE PHOTO

And, in some cases, even hearse services to coronavirus victims albeit at the request of relatives.

“It was a fulfilling experience for everyone at IKDRC. Medical as well as support staff remained motivated to serve patients and everyone worked in tandem to give the best care to patients,” Dr Mishra said, while thanking the state government for its wholehearted support.

03

Kodinar gets 5.5 inches of rain in four hours First India Bureau Gandhinagar: The state has been receiving a good amount of rainfall, especially in the Saurashtra region. Kodinar in GirSomnath district received 141mm of rainfall just in four hours on Friday, while Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar also received a heavy spell of rains in the evening.

At present, there is a persistent cyclonic circulation over South Gujarat and the neighbourhood at 3.1km and 7.6km above mean sea level. Due to this system, the state is likely to receive heavy rains for the next five days. The state government on Friday issued a warning for the coastal belt, asking fisherman not to venture in the sea.

According to the press bulletin issued by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, the city’s North zone received 31mm of rainfall between 4 pm and 6 pm.

On average, the city re-

ceived 6mm of rainfall.

Gusty winds uprooted two trees in the city.

The MeT department has forecast that light thunderstorms accompanied with lightning, moderate rain with maximum surface wind speed less than 40 kmph (in gusts) are very like-

Woman PSI under scanner for extortion

Surat school wants classes for X, XII

A woman protects her sari from puddles following Friday’s showers in Ahmedabad.

—PHOTO BY NANDAN DAVE

WET DAYS AHEAD

ly to occur at isolated places in the districts of Gujarat region namely, Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Dahod, Panchmahal, Chhota Udepur, Aravalli and Mahisagar, as well as Gir-Somnath, Junagadh, Amreli and Rajkot in the coming days.

First India Bureau Ahmedabad: The Special Operations Group (SOG) of the city Crime Branch has detained a woman police sub-inspector in an extortion case.

As per reports, the police officer had demanded a bribe of Rs35 lakh from a rape accused and had already extorted Rs20 lakh to not lodge a case under Prevention of AntiSocial Activities Act (PASA) against him.

After not receiving any reciprocation from the officer toward the bargain struck, he lodged a criminal complaint with the crime branch.

Special Police Commissioner (Crime Branch) Ajay Tomar said that a complaint has been lodged against police sub-inspector Sweta Jadeja, head of the Women Police Station (West).

High school students.

First India Bureau Surat: Despite a rise in COVID-19 cases in the city, the administrators of a government-run school have put forth a demand that the State Education Minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama allow resumption of classes for Grades 10 and 12 on school campuses with 50% attendance.

The administrators have also reached out for a clarification on the status of issues such as pending student fees as well as the charges of those leaving school.

—FILE PHOTO

A written complaint in this regard has been made by Vidyakunj School’s Mahesh Patel, Jagdish Chavda and Praveen Mali associated with the administrators group.

It stated: “The first two months of school education have almost come to an end amid the COVID-19 epidemic. And it is difficult to say when schools will resume regular classes in the near future.

Therefore, keeping in view the best interest of the students, schools should be allowed to start classes for students of Class 10-12 with 50% attendance.”

PANDEMIC WOES

Activists call for delayed environmental clearance hearing Write to Collector to postpone public gathering for 1-2 months

BAD IDEA



Haresh Jhala Ahmedabad: Environmental activists have demanded that the Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) postpone the public hearing of Nayara Energy Limited, scheduled for July 29 and 29. The activists cited the violation of COVID-19 protocol as an argument for the deferring of the said gathering.

In a letter addressed

to Devbhumi Dwarka Collector Dr Narander Kumar Meena, environmental activist Mahesh Pandya of Paryavaran Mitra requested that the public hearing be postponed for at least one or two months.

Pandya also asserted that the GPCB’s decision to hold a public hearing in the last week of this month was a premature move in times of the COVID-19 pandemic. He also added that with fresh cases

—FILE PHOTO

Nayara Energy refinery.

emerging in that state at a rapid rate daily, it was not the right time

to call for any such gathering.

He also drew the col-

lector’s attention towards the fact that many other units were

awaiting environmental clearance, but the public hearings of all such companies had

been deferred to a later date. He questioned why Nayara Energy Limited had been granted dates for a hearing this month. Pandya also cited examples of other companies from Devbhumi Dwarka; public hearing for HP Thanki has been postponed along with at least half a dozen companies, including the Bhavnagar unit of Nirma Ltd. Nayara Energy Ltd is a Mumbai-based privately held downstream oil company. It is a subsidiary of a Russian company.

Notably, a public hear-

ing had been held by GPCB for a 20 million ton per year refining capacity plant in the middle of a nationwide lockdown back in April. It was opposed by a local farmer turned lawyer Dilipsinh Jadeja, who had then issued a legal notice to the GPCB chairman and member secretary.

Jadeja had even written a letter to the collector requesting him to provide relaxation from the lockdown so farmers could visit nearby government offices and study the Environment Impact Assessment Report.

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IN-DEPTH

REVIVING STATE

FROM LEH NAMO SENDS A STRONG MESSAGE TO CHINA

ECONOMY

S

ending a strong message to a recalcitrant foe, Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid a surprise visit to Leh’s Nimo to get first-hand idea of security situation on the ground and to boost the morale of the armed forces. He is the second prime minister after Indira Gandhi to have visited a conflict-hit forward post and the first to visit a high-altitude area.

The prime minister delivered a muscular message to an “expansionist” China when he said that the era of expansionism is over.

This is an era of co-operation and progress.

“History tells us that expansionists either perished or were forced to turn back,” Modi said in a veiled warning to Beijing. The world today is united against expansionism, he said, without mentioning China and its manoeuvres to gain control of South China Sea where it is at loggerheads with Japan, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore Philippines and Taiwan among others.

A stronger message followed when Modi told the security forces that the “enemy” has got a taste of your “fire and fury,” he said in a tribute to the deadly June 15 clash in the Galwan valley. “The world is familiar with your valour,” he said. Speaking in almost hearing range of the People’s Liberation Army, Modi said that the entire Ladakh and the Galwan valley belong to India.

Prime minister’s tough response to an aggressive China, which is refusing to vacate the area it has occupied from finger eight to four in the Galwan Valley despite several rounds of general-level talks and diplomatic efforts, would also work as a deterrent to Pakistan.

Talking of peace, Modi said that everyone wants peace in the world but “Veerta hee shanti kee poorv shart hoti hai, kamzor shanti kee pahal nahee kar sakta (bravery is the precondition for peace, weak cannot initiate peace).” It has to be seen if China, which has so far refused to de-escalate tension in the region, will understand that India is not a pushover like it was in 1962. New Delhi has matched Beijing troop for troop, gun for gun in deployment in Ladakh. The prime minister’s speech was unambiguous and direct and it is for China to start the process of disengagement. In its first reaction China said India should not take any action that may escalate situation.

With this early morning visit to Nimo and then to the hospital where soldiers injured in the Galwan clash are recuperating the prime minister silenced all his critics who asked him not to hide but come forward and talk about the Chinese transgression without fear.

Even if China pulls back from Galwan area and scales down its deployment in the region the strong anti-China sentiment will boost (aatmnirbharata) indigenisation and tapping of other markets to procure goods to keep China out.

Rajasthan has been very proactive right from the beginning –it has declared relief measures for the poor and needy and support for the industry despite its financial constraints. And the heartening feature in this unprecedented battle is that the top leadership is leading from the front with a focused mindset DR GS SANDHU The author is a retired IAS, Rajasthan Need to n Simplify Procedures; fast track

approvals; restructure loans; reschedule large dues; extend relief, incentives and support n Virus loves density- avoid overcrowding in offices and at workplaces

W

hile the overall Covid-19 cases are increasing in the country the positive side is the marked improvement in the recovery rate which is presently about 60 percent for the country.

Some states have done much better with Rajasthan at the top with about 80 percent recovery rate.

The priority now is the revival of the battered economy, while at the same time continuing to fight the health crisis. Each state is struggling with this. Rajasthan has been very proactive right from the beginning – it has declared relief measures for the poor and needy and support for the industry despite its financial constraints. And the heartening feature in this unprecedented battle is that the top leadership is leading from the front with a focused mindset.

Looking at the past the State has a history of fighting one crisis after another and building resilience in the process – be it the recurring droughts, floods, or other disasters. It has adopted forward-

looking policies for industry, mining, and other sectors and developed a good road infrastructurestate highways and rural roads.

The state can today claim many firsts to its credit-simplified urban land conversion rules in 1999; a new Rent Control Act, 2001; Township Policy, 2001(subsequently another Policy in 2009); Affordable Housing Policy with PPP in 2010 (widely lauded), Master Development Plans for all towns to name a few. All these initiatives and sustained efforts vastly helped in the development process.

Indeed, under the present challenging times rebooting of the economy cannot be done in one go, some things with little or no financial implication can be taken up immediately while others can wait. The measures which can be implemented immediately are the low hanging fruits. A time frame of say 30-60 days can be considered to put them in place-sooner the better to avoid the further downside.

URBAN SECTOR Review of Regulations/Policies/ Laws to simplify procedures- Building Regulations, Township/Affordable/Slum Housing Policies all need a relook. The underlying idea should be to make procedures easier and hassle-free for the public while enabling a healthy lifestyle.

There is an urgent need to boost up the construction sector in urban areas through fast track approvals-online or self-certifying methods. Another pain point is the levy of heavy fees/charges/rates- these can be reduced or recovered in easy installments over time. A good beginning has been made by Rajasthan Housing Board where houses are being sold

LOOKING AT THE PAST THE STATE HAS A HISTORY OF FIGHTING ONE CRISIS AFTER ANOTHER AND BUILDING RESILIENCE IN THE PROCESS – BE IT THE RECURRING DROUGHTS, FLOODS, OR OTHER DISASTERS

through hire-purchase with deferred payments over 13-14 years –there is a very encouraging response to this from the public.

A review of the Reserve Price/DLC rates hiked year after year, is also needed to make these realistic in today’s situation.

The urban local bodies should now adopt digital technology for service delivery. This will bring transparency, faster disposal, and also prevent overcrowding in offices. With more and more people using smartphones this is easier now.

INDUSTRY The State Government has recently announced some incentives and support measures for the industry as per the recommendations of the Interim Report of the Taskforce. Also, incentives have been announced for the Agro-Industries. All these are welcome but the real test is how soon and

how well these can be implemented.

Needless to say, the biggest sufferers in this crisis have been the MSMEsthe role of District Industries Centres becomes very crucial here. They should address the genuine needs of MSMEs including assisting in getting the much-needed credit from the banks without much loss of time.

LABOUR AND SKILL DEVELOPMENT Skilling/ reskilling of the vast labour force which has been rendered jobless is very vital for the economy. Apart from the efforts made by state agencies, it is important to involve the big corporates in this task-this will make the skills meaningful and provide employability. Special efforts are needed to woo private corporates into this area.

OTHER SECTORS Every other department dealing with economic matters should review its policies/programmes to simplify them and make them people-friendly.

There should be a sense of urgency - early steps will help in mitigation and restart of the economy SHELTER NEEDS There is a need to provide shelter to the homeless and poor by encouraging and promoting affordable rental housing schemes. State agencies as well as the private sector should come forward in this regard. An enabling environment needs to be created by the State.

The above are just a few instances of low hanging fruits- there could be many more. All these are needed to minimize the impact of this crisis and avert losses of unimaginable proportions.

THE ROAD TO COVID-19 ENLIGHTENMENT

C

ertainty is like a rainbow: wonderful but relatively rare.

More often than not, we know that we don’t know. We may seek to remedy this by talking to people who may know what we want to know.

But how do we know that they know? If we cannot ascertain whether they actually do know, we must trust them.

Historically, we have bestowed our trust on the basis of science, experience, or divine inspiration. But what if the knowledge we seek does not yet exist, and even science knows that it does not know what is being asked of it?

That is the situation we currently find ourselves in with COVID-19 and the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes it. Our knowledge of the new

04

coronavirus is rapidly increasing, but utterly inadequate. We have not yet learned much about how to treat the infected, much less figured out how to make an effective vaccine. We do not even know how to control the pandemic reliably through social-distancing measures.

True, some countries have been remarkably successful in reducing COVID-19 cases and deaths from terrible peaks. The four countries that have so far recorded the highest number of deaths per million inhabitants in a single week are Belgium, Spain, France, and Ireland. New cases in these countries have now declined by over 95.5% from their respective peaks (and by 99.1% in Ireland’s case), suggesting that their lockdowns actually worked.

And yet, while other countries that introduced legally stricter lockdowns (as measured by the University of Oxford’s Blavatnik School) and reduced mobility more (as measured by Google) avoided early deadly peaks, cases have continued to grow exponentially. Countries in

this category include India, Chile, Peru, Colombia, El Salvador, Kuwait, South Africa, and Saudi Arabia. And another group, including Israel and Albania, have experienced a resumption of exponential growth after they lifted successful lockdowns.

It doesn’t take long to de-

vise many hypotheses – from the mundane to the speculative – to account for these differences. And, obviously, identifying the best explanations for countries’ varying success in controlling the pandemic is enormously valuable when designing public-health strategies with potentially huge consequences.

Many governments believe that this kind of data-driven strategy for tackling the pandemic is beyond their capacity, and decide to piggyback on what other countries have learned by adopting best practices. This is the wrong approach. The pandemic’s effect on countries differs in ways that we currently do not understand and need to discover. Are people living in Peru in households without refrigerators actually more likely to be

infected, for example?

Moreover, each lockdown and social-distancing regime is different, reflecting the many degrees of freedom in their design.

Finding out what works and what doesn’t on a daily basis is now critical, especially as we try to find ways to open up economies while holding down infection rates.

The fight against COVID-19 is still in its early stages, and it is not too late to start this effort.

After all, Socrates said that knowing you know nothing is a contradiction in terms. Let us therefore make our knowledge of our ignorance about the virus, and of our ability to overcome it, a source of strength. Let’s set ourselves up to learn.

FOR FULL REPORT LOG ON TO WWW.PROJECTSYNDICATE.COM

THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL

Top

TWEET Dharmendra Pradhan @dpradhanbjp Strengthening India’s march towards self-reliance, loans worth 1.01 lakh crore were sanctioned to 30.11 lakh beneficiaries under 100% emergency credit line guarantee scheme to help restart operations stalled during lockdown.

Adhir Chowdhury @adhirrcinc Sh @narendramodi Ji your surprise visit to Leh will certainly invigorate our army-men in Ladakh, now you will also appreciate the largescale Chinese intrusions in our side of LOAC unlike all party meeting’s statement.

Spiritual SPEAK

In the sky, there is no distinction of east and west; people create distinctions out of their own minds and then believe them to be true.

—Buddha

Vol 1 Issue No. 219 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.

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HOW WILL THE PUBLIC REMAIN SAFE, WHEN POLICE ARE NOT, THE LEADER ASKED

KANPUR INCIDENT ANOTHER PROOF OF ‘GUNDARAJ’ IN UP, SAYS RAHUL GANDHI —PHOTO BY ANI

New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday said that Kanpur encounter that resulted in the killing of eight police personnel is another proof of ‘gundaraj’ in the state and added that how will public remain safe when the police themselves are not safe.

“This is another proof of gundaraj in UP. When the police are not safe, how will the public be? My heartfelt condolences are with the families of the slain martyrs and I wish the injured a speedy recovery,” he tweeted (translated from Hindi). He also posted a report from a news website on the Kanpur encounter.

Earlier, Congress General Secretary in-charge of Uttar Pradesh Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also paid condolences to the families of the police personnel and stated that the law and order situation in the State has deteriorated and demanded strict action from Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

The eight policemen who lost their lives in the encounter are - CO Devendra Kumar Mishra, SO Mahesh Yadav, Chowki Incharge Anup Kumar, Sub-Inspector Nebulal, Constables Sultan Singh, Rahul, Jitendra and Bablu.

—ANI

Police team investigates the site of encounter, where 8 police personnel lost their lives after being fired upon by criminals, in Kanpur.

Yogi pays tributes to policemen Kanpur: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday paid tributes to the eight policemen who were allegedly killed by criminals during an encounter in Kanpur. “Uttar Pradesh will never forget the martyred policemen who had discharged their duties with unmatched courage. Their sacrifice will not go in vain,” he tweeted.

Any lapse on part of police will be investigated: ADG Kanpur: Additional Director General (ADG) Law and Order Prashant Kumar on Friday visited the encounter spot in Bikaru village where eight police personnel lost their lives after being fired upon by criminals and stated that if there has been any lapse on the part of the police, it will be investigated.

“Seven other persons including a civilian were also injured in the incident. Few police weapons are also miss-

ADG Prashant Kumar

ing. Those responsible for the act will be caught and produced before the law. If there has been any lapse on the part of the police, it will be investigated,” said ADG Law and Order

Prashant Kumar.

Meanwhile, UP DGP, HC Awasthi said “A case under Section 307 was lodged against history-sheeter Vikas Dubey by a man named Rahul Tiwari and the police had gone to arrest him in a village called Bikaru. JCBs were put up there which obstructed our vehicles.

When the force got down, criminals opened fire. We retaliated but since the criminals were at a height, eight of our men died.” —ANI

Drug discovery hackathon can yield COVID-19 solution, says chief of CSIR New Delhi: The drug discovery hackathon, a joint initiative of All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), can yield to some novel solution for COVID-19, said Shekhar Mande, DirectorGeneral, CSIR. The hackathon program was launched on Thursday

by Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan, MHRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’, MoS MHRD Dhotre in presence of PSA Vijay Raghavan.

“The combination of two can actually yield some novel solution to COVID-19. So the idea is to pose problems to a

Quake tremors felt in Delhi, nearby areas New Delhi: The national capital on Friday was jolted by tremors of an earthquake.

According to the National Centre for Seismology, the earthquake of magnitude 4.5 had an epicentre 63 km southwest of Gurugram, Haryana. The earthquake struck at 7:00:48 PM IST at a depth of 5 km from the surface. The shocks lasted for a few seconds.Tremors were felt across Delhi and in the nearby regions of Noida and Ghaziabad. —ANI

28 ITBP personnel test corona positive

INDIGO UNVEILS ‘TOUGH COOKIE’ CAMPAIGN New Delhi: IndiGo on Thursday launched the ‘Tough Cookie’ campaign as a tribute to the medical fraternity by providing them with a discount of up to 25% for doctors and nurses serving during COVID-19. The discount will be offered while booking through the airline website, valid from July 1 till December 31. William Boulter, Chief Commercial Officer, IndiGo said, “This campaign is our way of expressing profound gratitude for the services of the medical community”

large body of students, train them how the drugs are discovered

BAN ON INT’L FLIGHTS TILL JULY 31

New Delhi: Ban on international commercial passenger flights to and from India has been extended till July 31.

“In partial modification of circular dated 26-06-2020, the competent authority has extended the validity of circular issued on the subject cited above regarding Scheduled international commercial passenger services to/from India till 2359 hrs IST of 31st July, 2020,” read DGCA circular.

and all using in silicon method allow the student to actually work on

finding the novel solution which is the idea,” said Mande.

—ANI

Shimla: 28 personnel of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) were tested positive for COVID-19, an official said on Thursday.

Six of these were reported in Shimla. Narendra Chouhan, Sub Divisional Magistrate Rampur (Shimla) said, “6 ITBP jawans have tested positive here, samples were collected yesterday. They’ve been sent to COVID care center in Mashobra.”

India’s COVID-19 count crossed 6 lakh cases on Thursday. —ANI

CM SHOULD TAKE STRICT ACTION, SAYS PRIYANKA New Delhi: Congress General Secretary incharge of UP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra tweeted in Hindi “The miscreants fired indiscriminately on the police who went to apprehend the miscreants, in which eight jawans including CO, SO of UP police were killed.

My condolences to the families of these martyrs of UP Police. Law and order in UP have deteriorated, criminals are fearless.”

‘EXTREMELY SAD, SHAMEFUL, UNFORTUNATE’ Kanpur: BSP chief and former UP CM Mayawati, on Kanpur encounter, took to twitter on Friday and said “The incident where 8 policemen including deputy SP were killed and seven others who were injured in an encounter by vicious criminals in Kanpur today is extremely sad, shameful and unfortunate. It is clear that the UP government needs to be more robust, especially in the matter of law and order.”

Sonia writes to PM over denial of OBC quota in NEET New Delhi: Congress President Sonia Gandhi has written a letter to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding “denial of reservation” to OBC candidates under all-India quota being filled through National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) in the state and union territory medical education institutions.

Urging the Central government to extend the reservation for OBC candidates in the interest of equity and social justice, Gandhi said that denial of reservations to OBCs in state medical institutions in All India Quota, being administered by GOI, “violates the very objective of the 93rd constitutional amendment” and is a barrier to access medical education for deserving OBC candidates.

Under the All India quota, 15 per cent, 7.5 per cent and 10 per cent seats are reserved for Scheduled Castes (SCs) or the Scheduled Tribes (STs) and Economically Weaker Section (EWS) candidates respectively, in both the central and state/UT medical education institutions. However, reservation for OBC candidates under all India quota is restricted to central institutions, the Congress chief said in the letter.

She said according to

‘Which tiger is alive, paper or circus one?’

Sailana: Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Kamal Nath on Friday took a veiled swipe at Jyotiraditya Scindia, his one-time rival in the party and now a BJP MP, over his statement that `Tiger is still alive’.

Speaking after the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government’s expansion on Thursday, Scindia, said he wanted to tell Congress leaders that “Tiger abhi zinda hai.”

Speaking at a function in Ratlam, Nath referred to the remark, and asked, “Which tiger is alive, paper tiger or a circus one?

Nath also took digs at Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and

Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“I am neither a maharaja nor a ‘Mama’,” he said. Scindia, who belongs to a former royal family, is sometimes called ‘Maharaja’ in state politics, while Chouhan’s popular nickname is ‘Mama’ (uncle).

“I have not even sold tea, I am just Kamal Nath,” he said, in a jibe at the PM. —PTI

OPENING SHUT DOORS

Goa reopens for domestic tourists amid corona Panaji: Goa has reopened its doors for domestic tourists amidst the coronavirus pandemic. People from across the country can now visit the coastal state though there are several restrictions still in place.

Over 250 hotels in Goa have been granted permission to resume operations. “Central government has allowed hotels to open, we saw that there are certain SOPs that hotel has to comply with. We have asked hotels to follow it.

TOURISM DIR SAYS

If we feel they have complied with the norms, we will permit them. From today, government has permitted

to reopen hotels,” said Menino D’Souza, Tourism Director, Goa. “Till date, 260 hotels have registered with us, we will look into it and will permit them to start the services. Whatever guidelines are adopted by state will be applicable to tourists also,” he said.

“Booking of hotel will be checked at entry points, we will then see COVID-19 negative certificate issued by ICMR. If the tourist does not have the test report he

will be asked to go for a test and will be kept in isolation centre till then,” he added.

As per the guidelines, upon arrival travellers have been asked to go to the tourism kiosk at the respective entry point.

“All tourists will undergo a basic screening through a thermal gun.”

“Get your mandatory documents checked at the tourism kiosk. Your swab sample will be collected at the state entry point,” the guidelines read.

—ANI

05

‘VIOLATION’

data compiled by All India Federation of Other Backward Classes since 2017, OBC candidates lost over 11,000 seats in all India quota due to non-implementation of OBC reservations in the state/UT medical education institutions.

Gandhi also said that the 93rd constitutional amendment envisages special provisions for the advancement of any socially and educationally backward classes of citizens or for the SCs or the STs in admission to educational institutions including private educational institutions whether aided or unaided by the state other than the minority educational institutions.

—ANI

CBDT: I-T dept refunds over `62cr during lockdown New Delhi: The Central Board of Direct Taxes on Friday announced that the Income Tax Department has issued refunds for over 20.44 lakh cases amounting to more than Rs 62,361 crore.

“The Income Tax department has issued tax refunds at a speed of 76 cases per minute from April 8 to June 30, 2020.

During this period of just 56 weekdays, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) today said that it has issued refunds in more than 20.44 lakh cases amounting to more than Rs 62,361 crore,” an official statement from CBDT stated. “Income tax refunds amounting to Rs 23,453.57 crore have been issued in 1,907,853 cases to taxpayers and corporate tax refunds amounting to Rs 38,908.37 crore have been issued in 136,744 cases to taxpayers during this period. Refunds of this magnitude and numbers have been issued completely electronically and have been directly deposited into the bank accounts of the taxpayers,” the CBDT further said.

The CBDT said in these refund cases, “no taxpayer had to approach an officer of the department to request for release of refund.

They now got refund directly into their bank accounts”.

—ANI

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Rajnath praises PM’s Leh visit, says it boosted army’s morale New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for making a surprise visit to Ladakh amid border tensions with China and meeting the soldiers, saying that it has boosted the morale of the Indian Army.

Modi made a surprise visit to Ladakh and was briefed by senior officers in Nimmoo. Talking to Twitter, Singh said that the borders of the country have always been secure under the Indian Army.

“The borders of the country have always been secure under the Indian Army. Prime Minister Narendra Modi visiting Ladakh to meet and encourage the soldiers has certainly boosted the morale of the Army. I commend the Prime Minister's move and thank him for it,” Singh tweeted.

The Defence Minister was scheduled to visit Ladakh today to review the preparedness of the

Leading from the front: Shah hails Modi’s move

Rajnath Singh

‘PM'S VISIT SENDS GOOD MESSAGE’

Army amid the ongoing standoff with China.

The situation at the India-China border in Ladakh remains tense after 20 Indian soldiers lost their lives in a violent face-off in the Galwan Valley on June 15-

16 when Chinese troops attempted to unilaterally change the status quo during the de-escalation. The two countries have been involved in talks to ease the ongoing border tensions since last month. —ANI

New Delhi: BJP leaders hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Ladakh on Friday amid a military standoff between India and China. Lauding the prime minister’s visit, Home Minister Amit Shah said it will boost the morale of our valorous soldiers.

“Leading from the front. Prime Minister Narendra Modi Ji with our brave and courageous personnel of Army, Air Force & ITBP at a forward location in Ladakh. “This visit of honourable PM will surely boost the morale of our valorous soldiers,” Shah tweeted along with multiple pictures of Modi with the soldiers.

Party president JP Nadda saying his “words give words to the emotion of 130 crore Indians and act as a

Amit Shah

great morale booster for our armed forces”.

“Veer bhogya vasundhara. PM Narendra Modi's words give words to the emotion of 130 crore Indians and act as a great morale booster for our armed forces! True leadership in action!” Nadda said in a tweet after Modi addressed soldiers in Ladakh's Nimu.

“Veer bhogya vasundhara” is a Hindi idiom that means that the brave will inherit the earth. —ANI

NE Delhi riots: Chargesheets against rioters New Delhi: A WhatsApp group with at least 125 members was used to mobilise and coordinate between rioters, with members bragging about killing Muslims and dumping their bodies in the sewer, and offering manpower and guns when necessary, three chargesheets filed in connection with murders of three men during the Northeast Delhi riots show. —Agencies

Permit changed to let tourists move freely New Delhi: Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has issued a notification for amendment to National Permit regime under the Central Motor Vehicles Rules 1989 for promoting tourism. Scheme will render consolidation of a central database and fees of all such permits, which might give sense of tourist movements, promotion of tourism and help increase revenues generated through such registrations. —ANI

MP min seeks CBI Advani-Joshi allotted bungalows probe against Sonia, on security grounds, clarifies Govt Rahul, Kamal Nath Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh Minister Kamal Patel wrote a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah demanding a CBI probe against Congress president Sonia Gandhi, party leader Rahul Gandhi and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath for their relationship with China and about the financial transactions as well.

In his letter, Patel has demanded CBI inquiry against Congress leader Kamal Nath alleging that Rajiv Gandhi Foundation received donations from Chinese Embassy, due to which he gave rebate on Chinese imports.

“Not only the relationship of Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Kamal Nath with China but also CBI investigation should be conducted regarding the economic transactions and their assets so that the truth of Congress Party can be revealed to the public.”

Patel further added that for the past several

Kamal Patel

days, regarding our border dispute with China, the Congress party has been giving unrestrained statement.

“Keeping in mind information received from media, deep relations between China and then UPA government cannot be denied,” Patel wrote.

“And Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, headed by Sonia Gandhi, received financial support of crores of rupees from the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the name of donation and is the soft attitude of the Congress at the time of border dispute with China due to this financial support?” he added. —ANI

New Delhi: The ruling party and the opposition have been at loggerheads ever since the central government ordered Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to vacate the government bungalow allotted to her in New Delhi. The Congress is accusing the government of adopting double standards with regard to the Gandhi family. In such a situation, the government has issued a clarification.

The government said

MM Joshi and LK Advani

that on the basis of the Public Premises Amendment Bill 2019, Priyanka has been ordered to vacate the government bungalow. This amended law came into force in

September 2019.

On giving government accommodation to senior BJP leaders Lal Krishna Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi, Centre has said that Cab-

inet Committee on Accommodation has decided to give Advani and Joshi government accommodation as an exception based on security threat perception. As per this rule, Advani can live in a bungalow for his lifetime, while Joshi is entitled to a government bungalow till June 25, 2022. Advani and Joshi have got government accommodation on the instructions of the Ministry of Home Affairs on the basis of threat perception. —Agencies

Monsoon session of Parl will be hybrid!

New Delhi: The monsoon session of Parliament may be convened in the last week of August or by early September after a consensus emerged on Friday over conducting a hybrid session.

As part of the arrangements, while some members will sit inside the Parliament

chambers and galleries, others will join the proceedings virtually, albeit from within the Parliament premises, either from the Central Hall or the Balayogi auditorium.

Amid the growing clamour for convening Parliament both in light of the coronavirus pandemic and the

Chinese ingression in Ladakh, Rajya Sabha chairman M Venkaiah Naidu held a meeting to discuss the fine print of how the upcoming session will be held.

The broad consensus that emerged following the hour-long discussion was to enable seating of 127 mem-

amine the area.

Hours later, Kanpur police claimed to have gunned down two criminals after a team reached Bikaru village for combing operation.

A gun battle broke out between the assailants and the cops during which two criminals were injured. They were taken to the hospital where they were declared brought dead by the doctors.

Dubey’s maternal uncle Prem Prakash Pandey and his associate Atul Dubey were arrested, Jai Narain Singh, Additional Director General, Kanpur zone,

said. Mishra was murdered inside Pandey’s residence inside the village, he added.

bers of Rajya Sabha in the chamber and galleries of the House, and to simultaneously create systems to enable virtual participation of the remaining members from either the Central Hall or Balayogi Auditorium inside the Parliament House premises.

—Agencies

06

POWER Gallery TWO KEY BANK ORDERS STILL AWAITED

Two Key Bank appointment orders of PP Sengupta and Ashwini Bhatia are stilll awaited. May be in a week or two.

WHO WILL BE NEW MEMBER (TECHNICAL) APPELLATE TRIBUNAL OF ELECTRICITY?

Search cum Selection Committee is believed to have short-listed 3 persons for the post of Member (Technical) Appellate Tribunal of Electricity .They are Rajiv Sharma - former Chairman PFC, P S Mhaske - Chairman of CEA and Sandesh Kumar Sharma - Member (Planning) CEA. Incidentally two are from CEA. UDDHAV THACKERAY DID NOT RECOMMEND MEHTA’S EXTENSION?

It is said that Maha CM Uddhav didn’t recommend Ajoy Mehta’s extension as CS. Any specific reason?

S S SANDHU CONTINUES AS CHAIRMAN, NHAI TILL JANUARY 2021

Central deputation tenure of Sukhbir Singh Sandhu working as Chairman, NHAI, has been extended for six months upto January 21, 2021.

CENTRAL DEPUTATION TENURE OF SHAILENDRA SINGH EXTENDED

The Central deputation tenure of Shailendra Singh, working as Additional Secretary, Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, has been extended for a period of six months beyond July 21.

RAKESH CHANDRA TIWARI SELECTED FOR DIRECTOR (MKTG), ITI LTD.

Rakesh Chandra Tiwari, Principal GM in Indian Telecommunications Service, has been selected for post of Director (Marketing), ITI Limited at a Public Enterprises Selection Board meeting held on July 2.

AKASH SHARMA DECLINES OFFER FOR FINANCE DIRECTOR, BVFCL

Akash Sharma, VP Finance, Bajaj Hindustan Sugar Ltd, is whispered to have declined offer for Director (Finance), Brahmaputra Valley Fertilizer Corp Ltd. As per sources, he isn’t interested in joining PSU. VERMA’S TERM ENDED IN MHA

Short term loan arrangement of VK Verma ended in June and he has been sent back to his parent Dept of Commerce. He is an officer of Indian Supply Service.

SEARCH FOR SUCCESSOR TO SREENIVASULU, CMD, SIL BEGINS

GOI has started searching for successor to R Sreenivasulu, Chairman-cum-MD, Scooters India Limited (SIL), post falling vacant on May 1, 2021.

SIX IPS OFFICERS OF 2009 & 2010 BATCH TO BE DIGS IN J&K

As many as 6 IPS officers are proposed to be promoted to grade of Dy IG in J&K. They include: Raees Bhat, Sridhar Patil and Rajiv Pandey of 2010 batch while Rahul Malik, Shailendra Mishra and Imtiyaz Ismayil Parray of 2009 batch.

PRASAR BHARTI RECRUITMENT BOARD GETS ITS FIRST CHAIRPERSON IN JAGDISH UPASANE

Jagdish Upasane has been appointed as first Chairperson of Prasar Bharati Recruitment Board.

He is former V-C of Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University of Journalism. Deepa Chandra, ADG, retd; P N Bhakla, ADG, Eng retd; Ms Kimbyong Kipgain, Secretary, PESB and CP Jain, GM, HR, RVNL, would be Members. The Board will recruit the officers and employees below the Joint Secretary level.

P RAMESH KUMAR IS NEW CIC ANDHRA PRADESH

P Ramesh Kumar former 1986 batch IAS officer of WB cadre has been chosen as Andhra Pradesh CIC. ALLAHABAD HC STILL SHORT OF 12 PERMANENT JUDGES

The Allahabad High Court was still short of 12 permanent Judges as on July 1, 2020.

FROM PG 1 Age of...

Lauding the bravery displayed by the soldiers, the Prime Minister said: “The bravery that you and your compatriots showed, a message has gone to the world about India’s strength.”

“Your courage is higher than the heights where you are posted today,” he added.

“Atmanirbhar Bharat ka sankalp aapke tyag, balidan, pursharth ke karan aur bhi mazbut hai,”(The determination of self-reliant India gets strengthened from your sacrifice and courage),” the Prime Minister said.

The soldiers were observed maintaining social distancing while PM Modi’s address here.

PM Modi on Friday made a surprise visit to Ladakh and was briefed by senior officers at Nimmoo amid ongoing tension with China.

The Prime Minister was accompanied by Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat and Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane. He reached Nimmoo, early morning on Friday and interacted with Army, Air Force and ITBP personnel. —ANI

Kanpur: 8 cops...

Additional Superintendent of Police, Rural, Brijesh Srivastava, said.

On getting information, an additional police team was rushed to the spot to rescue the cops. The injured policemen were taken to the hospital where doctors declared eight of them dead. The assailants managed to escape from the spot.

Senior police officials, including ADG Kanpur Zone Jai Narayan Singh and IG Kanpur Range Mohit Agarwal, also rushed to the spot. A forensic team also arrived to ex-

ICMR-Bharat...

The vaccine is derived from a strain of SARSCoV-2 isolated by ICMR-National Institute of virology. Pune- ICMR and BBIL are jointly working for the preclinical as well as clinical development of this vaccine,” the letter read.

A total of 12 institutes have been asked by the ICMR to fast track clinical trials of the vaccine as it is being considered the topmost priority projects which are be-

ing monitored by the government. “You have been chosen as a clinical trial site of the BBV152 COVID Vaccine. In view of the public health emergency due to COVID-19 pandemic and urgency, to launch the vaccine, you are strictly advised to fast track all approvals related to the initiation of the clinical trial and ensure that the subject enrollment is initiated no later than 7, July 2020,” stated Dr Bharagava. —ANI

Why ED... adding “They say crisis unveils the true nature of people, it appears the say-

ing applies to governments as well.”

ED investigators questioned Patel at his residence for about 10 hours on Thursday during third round of his grilling in connection with probe into Sandesara brothers’ bank fraud and money-laundering case.

“This is political vendetta and harassment against me and my family and I do not know under whose pressure they (investigators) are working,” Patel asserted.

The agency had earlier questioned the 70-year-old Congress leader in two separate sessions, clocking

about 17 hours in total, on June 27 and 30. He was allowed to be quizzed at home after the Congress’ Rajya Sabha MP from Gujarat refused to visit ED office, citing prevailing COVID-19 guidelines that discourage senior citizens from going out. Officials said Patel’s statement was being recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. He is being questioned on his alleged links with Sandesara brothers, promoters of Vadodara-based Sterling Biotech pharmaceutical company, and dealings of his family members with them.

NEWS AHMEDABAD | SATURDAY, JULY 4, 2020

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WHY REGIONAL TRAVEL

BUBBLES ARE THE FUTURE

U

nprecedented border closures and the domestic lockdown have paralysed New Zealand’s $40.9 billion a year tourism industry. In the process, the vulnerability of the sector to external shocks and the tenuous nature of tourism employment have been exposed.

While New Zealand’s handling of the pandemic has been hailed as a global masterclass, and the prospect of travel bubbles promoted as a way to restart the tourism economy and save jobs, it is clear there is no quick fix.

The inherent dangers of reinfection from travel to and from countries with uncontrolled community transition, and the challenge of protecting New Zealand’s borders, mean international tourism is grounded for the time being.

Nevertheless, planning for recovery is underway.

The United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) wants to restore confidence and restart tourism without delay. The European Union recently opened its borders to travellers from certain countries, including New Zealand.

But the proposed transTasman and Pacific bubbles will likely be among the first safe international travel zones in the world.

The UNWTO wants to restore confidence and restart tourism without delay. The European Union recently opened its borders to travellers from certain countries, including New Zealand.

But the proposed trans-Tasman and Pacific bubbles will likely be among the first safe international travel zones in the world A TASMAN-PACIFIC BUBBLE IS GOOD FOR THE PLANET economic benefits are Tusingheobvious.

A recent study UNWTO data identi-

fied Australian tourists, who spend on average $7,490 on holidays, as the top spending tourists in the world. Of the 3.8 million international tourists who visited New Zealand in 2018, nearly 40% were from Australia.

By the end of 2019, Australian tourists had spent $NZ 2.5 billion in the New Zealand economy. Of course, that figure is offset by the $NZ 1.6 billion spent by Kiwis visiting Australia in 2019.

Simply wishing for a return to normal, however, is not enough. The tourism rebuild must negotiate a delicate balance between immediate recovery and long term sustainability. A new steady-state equilibrium that generates employment and income while driving down tourism carbon emissions is required.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic it was widely recog-

nised that the global tourism system is economically and environmentally flawed. Our research has highlighted three main structural failures:  low value (caused by

growth in arrivals combined with declining spending)  economic “leakage” (due to outbound tourism and the concentration of profit flowing to a few global players)

07

REDUCING TRAVEL DISTANCES IS KEY n the case of a geoItination graphically distant deslike New Zealand,

there is no ignoring the last of those problems, as a report by the New Zealand Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment highlighted in late 2019.

The fact is, high carbon emissions are embedded in New Zealand’s tourism GDP. In the rebuild we must commit to measuring the carbon footprint of tourism, and actively manage forms of tourism that come with a disproportionately high carbon cost.

In practice, this will mean more tourism from the regional medium-haul markets that fall within the proposed AustraliaNew Zealand-Pacific travel bubble. Increasing reliance on Australian states rather than longhaul markets will result in a dramatic reduction in carbon emissions per dollar of tourism GDP. Research published in 2010 showed that while Australian tourists made

up 37% of international visitors to New Zealand they were responsible for 13% of air travel emissions. By contrast, visitors from Europe made up 18% of total visitors but 43% of emissions.

Fewer long haul arrivals, more Australian tourists, more domestic tourism and less outbound travel will dramatically reduce tourism carbon emissions.

COVID-19 has already kickstarted the domestic part of this equation.

New Zealand hasn’t targeted local tourists since 1984’s iconic “Don’t leave town till you’ve seen the country” campaign. But the regions are now competing for the roughly 60% of all tourist dollars that New Zealanders spend in their own country each year.

The closure of international borders has also, for now, stopped the significant economic drain caused by outbound travel. In 2019 Kiwis spent nearly $5 billion travelling overseas.

 high carbon emissions (from high-carbon transport dependence, increasing distance of travel and falling average length of stay).

TIME TO STOP MARKETING LONG-HAUL TOURISM ost trade (including M tourism exports) comes from markets closest to us. It

is much cheaper to trade with neighbours, and it is far more sustainable to have tourists arrive from closer rather than distant countries.

New tourism models have to be found that can reduce the sector’s emissions while maintaining as much as possible its income and employment benefits.

Tourism carbon analysis is likely to point towards the growing importance of long-stay visitors, such as international students, who already provide 23% of total

international tourist spending in New Zealand.

Equally it will be necessary to “de-market” and reduce long-haul, high-carbon, shortduration, and low economic yield tourist arrivals. Passengers who arrive on enormous carbon intensive cruise ships – 9% of visitors but only 3% of tourism earnings – fall firmly into the least desirable category.

An Australia-New ZealandPacific travel bubble clearly fits the new model. The tourism rebuild must involve all measures being taken to create a high-value, low-leakage and low-emissions tourism future.

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

Remember, not everything is visible to ‘eyesight’, many an important thing is only ‘seen’ by insight.

—Jagdeesh Chandra, CEO & Editor, First India

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08

TAMING THE DRAGON? Solar ind feels the heat India is trying to arm-twist China economically, but the tensions have begun to hit domestic solar projects more than the neighbour

Darshan Desai Ahmedabad: Notwithstanding all the machismo associated with the rhetoric of an economic onslaught on China, it is the Indian industry that seems to be facing more heat than the hostile neighbour.

Indian solar industry, obviously, is no exception.

In its attempt to armtwist the Chinese and teach them “a lesson”, the Central Government has been blocking consignments from the neighbouring country at various ports, including the private ones in Gujarat.

The disruption in releasing the consignments at the ports has started to hurt solar developers, which in turn is delaying the development of several solar projects in the country, claim industry experts.

Gujarat will be among the major sufferers since it has a huge investment in the solar sector with Narendra Modi, as the chief minister and then as the Prime Minister, strongly pitching for it. Industry experts point out that the deadlock at the ports will affect the central government’s ambitious tar-

CHINESE CLUTCH

Huge consignments meant for the solar industry are stuck at various ports because of the SinoIndian border tensions.

get of achieving 100 GW of solar projects

by December 2022.

They said the Indian companies, includ-

ing in Gujarat and neighbouring Rajasthan, have already paid for the consignments which are pres-

ently stuck at various ports of the country.

Among the ports where the cargo is held up are Jawahar-

lal Nehru Port, also known as Nhava Sewa Port in Mumbai, Krishnapatnam Port in Andhra Pradesh,

and private ports in Gujarat.

Among others, the President of Rajasthan Solar Association said it is the Indian companies, “which have been adversely affected due to the deadlock at the ports.” Further, he said that the Indian solar developers have also issued advance payments and letters of credit (LoC) for the consignments.

He said that a lot of developers have complained about their consignments being stuck at these ports. He asserted that the government is “arm-twisting China, but it should understand that it is not

China but it’s the Indian developers who are at a loss.”

The Indian solar industry depends heavily on imports. In the calendar year 2019, India imported solar cells and modules worth $2.17 billion. China was the largest exporter of solar modules and cells to India in CY 2019, with a market share of nearly 78%, followed by Vietnam, Singapore, Thailand, and Hong Kong.

Solar projects under implementation in the country are already struggling to be completed on time, given the ongoing coronavirus crisis and the subsequent lockdown.

MAJOR FEAT: Zydus gets DCGI nod BJP MLA lodges FIR against ex-Amnesty chief for human trials of Covid vaccine First India Bureau

First India Bureau Ahmedabad: In what is an achievement of sorts for Ahmedabadbased pharma major, Zydus Cadila, the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) on Friday granted approval to the for its phase1/11 human clinical trials for its plasmid DNA vaccine candidate for COVID-19.

Official Zydus Cadila sources said the plasmid DNA vaccine candidate (ZyCoV-D) developed indigenously at the company’s Vaccine Technology Centre in Ahmedabad,

After months of effort, Zydus is going to try its Covid vaccine on humans.

“has successfully completed the preclinical phase.”

“In animal studies,

the vaccine was found to elicit a strong immune response in multiple animal species

like mice, rats, guinea pigs and rabbits. The antibodies produced by the vaccine were able to completely neutralize the wild type virus in virus neutralization assay indicating the protective potential of the vaccine candidate,” the company stated.

No safety concerns were observed for the vaccine candidate in repeat dose toxicology studies by both intramuscular and intradermal routes of administration. In rabbits, up to three times the intended human

dose was found to be safe, well tolerated and immunogenic.

For human trials, Zydus has already manufactured clinical GMP batches of the vaccine candidate and plans to initiate the clinical trials in July 2020 across multiple sites in India in over 1000 subjects.

With ZyCoV-D, the company “has successfully established the DNA vaccine platform in the country using non-replicating and non-integrating plasmid carrying the gene of interest making it very safe.”

Rajkot Municipal Corporation warns against crowding at tea and paan stalls First India Bureau Rajkot: In the wake of rising Covid-19 positive cases in the city, Rajkot Municipal Commissioner Udit Agarwal on Friday warned people against gathering at tea and paan stalls, failing which the shops would be ordered closed.

So far, the city has reported 189 cases and 10 of them were reported on Thursday alone. To help

bring situation under control, Agarwal has advised people to adopt the ‘take away’ parcel system.

According to Agar-

wal, citizens are taking this pandemic lightly, “which is indeed a serious matter of concern.” This is why strict orders have been

issued that the tea and paan stalls would be shut down in public interest if crowds are found around there.

This comes into immediate effect.

He has also asked the shopkeepers to be cautious and ensure that customers do not gather near their shops. Meanwhile, he has reiterated his request to the people to maintain social distance and adopt hygienic ways to protect themselves.

Surat: An FIR has been lodged at the Surat Crime Branch against former chief of Amnesty International India and journalist Aakar Patel for his “objectionable” tweets on the Ghanchi community.

The case was registered on Friday after a complaint by BJP MLA from Surat West and president of Samast Gujarati Modhvanik Samaj Purnesh Modi. The police have lodged an offence against Patel, for allegedly “promoting enmity between different groups on grounds

Aakar Patel

of religion, race etc.”

The tweets were posted on June 25. Modi’s complaint says he came to know about the objectionable tweets by Patel on June 30. He has accused Patel of “intentionally damaging peace and harmony”.

This is the second FIR

NEGLIGENCE OR BOREDOM?

A video of an on-duty doctor at the Trauma Centre of Surat Civil Hospital playing a game on his mobile phone with his legs up on the table went viral on social media. This happened when Principal Secretary (Health) Jayanti Ravi was on a visit to Surat.

Contact-less pani-puri: The great Gujju ‘jugaad’ A Banaskantha man has developed an ATM-like pani-puri (golgappe) vending machine with zero human contact

First India Bureau Ahmedabad: If the Ambanis are Gujaratis, so are the Adanis and the Patels of Nirma -- all rags to riches stories, all bred in adversity. So, if a Gujarati misses his favourite street-food -- that too the pani-puri -- in the tough times of Corona, rest assured he has a solution up his sleeve.

If you thought in this age, when social-distancing, wearing masks and gloves, and sanitizing have be-

A man in Banaskantha has innovated pani-puri dispenser.

Teenage boy held for rape of minor Bengal girl First India Bureau

INGENUITY OF SORTS



against Patel in less than a month. On June 11, a case was filed against him for allegedly suggesting that marginalised groups of Indians should emulate the protests in the United States against the killing of an African American man George Floyd in police custody. A week later, Twitter had blocked Patel’s account in India.

Last month, Patel had posted some video clips of the protests against the death of Floyd. In his tweets, he had asked Muslims, Dalit, Advasis and women in India to stage similar protests against their conditions.

come the new normal, pani-puri would be a strict no-no, think again.

Take this person from North Gujarat’s Banaskantha district who has developed a “Contact-less Panipuri vending machine”!

And the video of his “innovation” has gone as far as Assam and inspired a reaction from none other than Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Assam Police, Hardi Singh.

He shared it on twitter with the caption “Now this is real Indian ingenuity!”

The video shows the man using an ATMlike vending machine.

He selects the price and then inserts a 20-rupee note into the slot. Soon, the machine opens a flap below the keyboard and the pani-puris are displayed one by one and picked. The maker of this machine said it took him six months to design.

Bhuj: A team of Local Crime Branch (LCB) has detained a 19-yearold boy for allegedly raping a four-year-old girl from a migrant worker’s family from West Bengal in Kutch district around 45 days ago.

The accused’s samples have been sent for Covid-19 testing, police said.

“The accused is a neighbour of the girl and is also from West Bengal. The girl’s family has been living there for the last two years. The child used to play near the man’s room in the colony. The accused lives alone and has a habit of watching pornography,” an officer of Kutch (east) police said on Friday.

“The man abducted the girl that day while she was playing outside her room, took her to a nearby bush and raped her,” he added.

The officer said the boy works in a factory near his residence and he was a suspect since the very beginning.

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09

AHMEDABAD, SATURDAY JULY 4, 2020

THROWBACK

Ek Do Teen from Tezaab

Kaate Nahi Kat Te from Mr India

Radha Kaise Na Jale from Lagaan

Tabaah Ho Gaye from Kalank

Goodbye, Masterji!

FROM BEING A BACKGROUND DANCER TO AN ACE DANCE CHOREOGRAPHER IN BOLLYWOOD, LATE SAROJ KHAN CHOREOGRAPHED VARIOUS HITNUMBERS ALL THESE YEARS!

Maar Dala from Devdas

NEHAL NAYAR

nehal.nayar@firstindia.co.in

L

Dola Re Dola from Devdas

Choli Ke Peeche from Khalnayak

Yeh Ishq Haaye from Jab We Met

ate Saroj Khan, who was one of the most prominent dance choreographers in the Hindi cinema industry passed away at the age of 71 in Mumbai on Friday. Fondly called ‘Masterji’ by her bevy of admirers, she enthralled vast audiences by giving signature steps to a slew of iconic songs. Saroj Khan choreographed over 2000 songs, with most of them being remembered as ‘iconic songs with signature steps’.

The craze for dancing blossomed her at a very young age.

She started her career as a child artist at the age of three for the film ‘Nazarana,’ and then, graced many stages as a background dancer. She then moved up from a background dancer to an assistant choreographer to an independent choreographer. She got her first break in 1974 with the movie ‘Geeta Mera Naam’. And after that, there was no looking back as she choreographed some legendary actors, including Madhuri Dixit Nene, Aishwarya Rai and Sridevi.

She received wide recognition and acclaim for her work with Sridevi. She choreographed the late actor for songs like Hawa Hawai in ‘Mr India’ (1987), and also in ‘Nagina’ (1986) and Chandni (1989). Recognition as a choreographer further came with Madhuri Dixit’s hits like Ek Do Teen in ‘Tezaab’ (1988), Tamma Tamma Loge in ‘Thanedaar’ (1990) and Dhak Dhak Karne Laga in ‘Beta’ (1992).

Saroj Khan also appeared in many television dance reality shows as a judge and inspired many young kids through the show. She was the recipient of three National Film Awards for her stellar choreography in 2003 released ‘Dola Re Dola song (Devdas), in 2006,

for all songs from Tamil period movie ‘Sringaram,’ and in 2008, for the song ‘Yeh Ishq Haaye’ (Jab We Met). She also went on to have a hat-trick at the Filmfare awards winning consistently for three years from 1989 to 1991.

She passed away due to a cardiac arrest in the ICU of Guru Nanak Hospital, where she was admitted on June 20. The last rites of Saroj Khan were performed at Malvani in Malad, Mumbai on Friday.

Many B-town celebrities took to their social media handles to pay tribute to the dance maestro.

—More on pg11

SAROJ KHAN: 1948-2020

Ek Do Teen from Baaghi 2

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AHMEDABAD | SATURDAY, JULY 4, 2020

MASKS, RESPIRATORY AILMENTS, DEATHS. CHARACTERS GOING STIR-CRAZY IN ISOLATED ROOMS. IT’S LIKE ALL YOUR CORONAVIRUS FEARS HAVE BEEN BUNDLED IN AN 8-EPISODE SHOW ABOUT THE CIRCULARITY OF GOOD AND EVIL. THE PARANOIA IS BASELESS BUT TELLING. EARLIER THIS MONTH, A FANGED EFFIGY OF THE LETHAL VIRUS WAS BURNED IN MUMBAI. IN ASUR — A NEW VOOT SELECT ORIGINAL STREAMING SINCE MARCH 3 — PANIC SPREADS AS A SELF-APPOINTED ‘DEMON’ GOES AROUND STATES KILLING PEOPLE. FEAR AND IRRATIONALITY HAVE A BLOOD BOND.

T

FA CE OF TH ED AY

he show starts with Nikhil (Barun Sobti) quitting a teaching position at the FBI and returning to India. A former forensics expert, he isn’t hunting for minds, just bodies. Dead ones, yes — and those that ‘tell a story’.

Lucky for him, there’s a serial killer at large, a shad-

owy monster piling corpses and texting their coordinates to the cops.

Nikhil settles in but is suspicious of Dhananjay (Arshad Warsi), his past instructor from institute days. Sporting a suit-and-stubble combo, Dhananjay is older, sharper, and a more functional wreck: he’s unfazed about his impending divorce while Nikhil navigates a difficult marriage. One has quit smoking (for a

YOUR DAY Horoscope by Saurabbh Sachdeva

stretch at least), while the other can’t.

The buddy cop setup had me hooked.

Arshad’s blandness — untapped since Seher (2005) — creates fascinating friction with Barun’s showy brood. But then the show, riding the wave of mythology-inspired Indian thrillers, goes all out with its twisty excess. Between frequent bong hits of religion, philosophy, and forensic jargon, a chase ensues. The makers try

ised and disorganised.” “You want cigarettes, or do you want proof ?” “The answer was as simple as…. an ulcer.”

The genre enthusiasm is enjoyable: the killer, while filming a battered head, shoots the blood in trickling slow-mo. The presentday chase is intercut with a pulpy origin story. Child actor Vishesh Bansal aces these bits; his cold glare in one scene is reminiscent of the kid in Incen-

dies (2010). Perhaps these heavy influences wear the show down. Every time narrative action halts in favour of character psychology, things become a drag.

The Sacred Games hangover is unsubtle.

Anupriya Goenka, who played a sulky wife in that show, plays a sulky wife here. She even gets an identical dream sequence near the end. Each episode brings a truckload of mythological references. They range from obscure to faintly amusing and are often delivered without any thematic context.

The politics, likewise, is childish: a leftist, a journalist, and a cleric are pitted in a highrisk game of Bigg Boss. (Guess who comes out on top?)

Late into Asur, something meaningful is said. “Conflict, not cooperation, is the nature of man,” a character asserts. It has taken a virulent pandemic for the modern world to be united anew. To set aside differences and facilitate relief. To value science over superstition, survival over selfishness and greed. This darkness, however dense, has its lessons to teach.

Source: https://www.cinemaexpress.com/reviews/hindi/2020/mar/20/asur-web-series-review-arshad-warsileads-an-enthusiastic-thriller-17662.html

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

CANCER

Scintillating personality is loved by everyone and thats how you are loved everywhere you go. Your senior at work admires and look upto you secretly. Life may seem tough to you right now but these tough times are making you strong. Its easy to drift apart in relationships.

Frolicsome friend is needed by everyone and this quality of yours make people crave for your company. Stocks will give you profits and its good for you to invest in long term stocks as well. Take correct decisions on career front as your every move will impact your future.

Reclusive tendency if becomes permanent than its a problem, seek help if you continue to feel that same way. You are a bright minded person and often people come to you for guidance. You may face challenged from in laws but with persistent efforts you will change.

Fallacious practices on business front shall be avoided. Success is guaranteed but you have to be very patient and keep yourself positive at all times. If someone trust you than make sure to respect that and never take it for granted. Your spouse will give you surprise.

MAR 21 - APR 20

APR 21 - MAY 20

MAY 21 - JUNE 21

JUNE 22 - JULY 23

LEO

VIRGO

LIBRA

SCORPIO

Multifaceted business will give you the opportunity to make big money no matter what the circumstances are. Meeting friends outside is not feasible but getting in touch on phone shouldn’t be a problem. You will be whole day entertained with some or the other thing at home.

Swagger is good if its in a confident manner and negative if there is arrogance involved. Trust your spouse in money related matters and let them take the charge also you derive luck from your spouse. Have faith in something or someone, its very important.

Altercations on professional front must be avoided and try to ease things out. You need to keep a check on your health and make sure to devote some time to exercises. You are in search of your path and the only way you can find is by truly self introspecting.

Bolster someone today and they will be thankful to you in the future. Create a peaceful environment at home. You have financial stability.

Take timely actions in business.

Someone of you get enthusiastic about things at first and loose it later therefore work on being consistent.

JULY 24 - AUGUST 23

AUG 24 - SEP 23

SEPT 24 - OCTOBER 22

OCT 23 - NOVEMBER 22

SAGITTARIUS

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

Diligence and confidence will take you far in life. The art of making life beautiful can be learnt from you. You have a big heart for friends and they can anytime reply on you. You love your freedom and you don’t let anyone or anything mess with it. You love your parents but don’t agree with them.

Exacerbating any matter on business front should be avoided. Professional life is really good inspite of the current changes due to pandemic.

You have a lovely life partner and you should thank god for him/her everyday. You love your family and can do anything for them.

Invoking a demon in someone is not a right thing to do and let people be as they want to be. You are a lovely human being. Money is flowing into your life by your kid’s fortune.

Your life is beautiful not because you have everything but because of the way you live it.

Viability in business is very important. Life teaches you many lesson but it makes sense only if we learn those lessons. Your spouse will help you in your business or may open her new business of her own. All travelling plans are cancelled so work things around as per situation.

NOV 23 - DEC 22

KRITIKA KHURANA, Blogger

for Sacred Games by way of Dexter, Se7en, and Oldboy.

They land at Crime Patrol for Ashwin Sanghi fans.

Not all is lost, though. The screenplay (by Gaurav Shukla, Niren Bhatt, and Vijay Chhawal) has its moments. The opening cliffhanger is ambitious but fits snugly into the plot.

The dialogues are deliciously stiff. Some gems: “There are two kinds of serial killers in the world — organ-

10

DEC 23 - JAN 20

JAN 21 - FEB 19

FEB20 - MARCH 20

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AHMEDABAD | SATURDAY, JULY 4, 2020

11

HAPPY B’DAY TOM

Shakuntala Devi

H

ollywood heartthrob Tom Cruise is celebrated his 58th birthday yesterday and his fans made sure to make it memorable for the icon by pouring in tons of lovely birthday wishes on Twitter.

From recalling his stellar action performance in ‘Top Gun’ to crediting him as a person with a ‘golden heart,’ Cruise’s fans left no stone unturned to make his birthday special. ‘Happy Birthday to the legendary actor @ TomCruise “The Man Of Stunts,”’ wrote a Twitter user.

Addressing him as the ‘superstar, legend, icon, and achiever’, another fan of the actor wrote: ‘We idolized you since adolescence & your worldwide fan following is unparalleled. Wish you a long, happier, healthier & more joyful life........ #HappyBirth-

releases on July 31

O

nline video streaming service Amazon Prime Video on Thursday announced that Vidya Balan’s much-awaited film ‘Shakuntala Devi’ - will get its global premiere on July 31.

The announcement of the global premiere of the film was made through a video of Balan where she is seen asking viewers to solve several challenging mathematics problems. The video ended with Balan giving the answer of the questions as “31072020” and announcing that film will release on July 31 (31/07/2020) on Amazon Prime Video.

Directed by Anu Menon and produced by Sony Pictures Networks Productions and Vikram Malhotra, the biographical drama stars Balan in the lead, essaying the role of the globally renowned Indian mathematics genius, who was popularly known as the ‘huVidya Balan man computer’.

— ANI

Tom Cruise

dayTomCruise’. ‘#HappyBirthdayTomCruise The Greatest Action Hero of all time and The Greatest Movie star of all time and One More thing The Dude Still Doesn’t Age......,’ tweeted a fan while posting a video of Cruise doing a stunt scene. Many of his fans called them their favourite ‘stuntman’ while extending their birthday wishes.

—ANI

Success of Bulbbul

A

ctor turned producer Anushka Sharma who co-owns production house - Clean Slate Filmz - with her brother Karnesh Sharma on Tuesday said that she always believed in creating a “visual trigger” for the audiences. “I have always felt that a visual trigger to storytelling is key to hold the attention of audiences today and it also allows us an unexpectedly new route to present an idea that has never been seen before by audiences,” the ‘Paatal Lok’ producer said. “Karnesh and I have always wanted to break-away from traditional ways of telling a story because we feel people have seen enough of the formula and are done with them. They are always looking to immerse themselves into something new. That’s been our biggest strength,” she added.

The sister-brother duo is delighted that Bulbbul’s VFX has been hailed unanimously. The use of symbolism like the red moon to evoke elements of rebellion and passion.

—ANI

THROWBACK S onali goes on a throwback spree as she shares a few throwback pictures on her Instagram handle. She looks absolutely stunning in these pictures while being clad in a bikini. While in the first picture, the actress is seen striking a candid pose, in the second picture, she can be seen running by the side of the beach. Sonali gets talking about these priceless memories as she writes, ‘If only this wasn’t a throwback... miss the sun, sea, sand.... and of course those abs and the flowing hair!’

As soon as she posted these pictures on social media, comments started pouring in from all her fans and wellwishers. Sonali often keeps on sharing throwback pictures on her Instagram handle thereby recalling the good old times. The actress was diagnosed with cancer and had undergone treatment in New York back in 2018. She recovered soon and was able to return back to India all hale and hearty much to the rejoice of her fans and loved ones.

—Agency

Sonali Bendre

Anushka Sharma

FROM PG 1

Goodbye, Masterji!

I’m devastated by the loss of my friend and guru, Saroj Khan. Will always be grateful for her work in helping me reach my full potential in dance.

The world has lost an amazingly talented person. I will miss youMy sincere condolences to the family. #RIPSarojji —MADHURI DIXIT NENE

Master ji always told me... perrr nahin chala saktiii toh kam se kam face toh chalaaaaa.

That’s what she taught me... to enjoy dancing, smile and smile through the eyes.

There can never be another... Dance and expression can never be the same for us actors and for everyone who loved her... Love you master ji. Till we dance again... RIP. —KAREENA KAPOOR KHAN

She was a sprightly young enthusiastic dance assistant to one of the major dance directors of the time .. of the time when I was just beginning .. of the film ‘Bandhe Haath’ with the heart throb of millions Mumtaz .. with the director OP Ralhan .. Mumtaz’s grace and acceptance to agree to work with this newbe .. she a stratospheric Star , me a nobody ... and Saroj ji in the crowd of dancers in a song .. her subtle grace when she moved .. the expressions , the delicate little intricacies of each word and movement ... on a chance meeting many many years ago she paid me my best compliment ..she was living in Dubai then from marriage and when DON was released she said..coming from her was the ultimate .... a legacy has passed away ..

—AMITABH BACHCHAN

This news has left me heartbroken.

Saroj ji was not just a legend but also a humble person.. We shared a beautiful relationship & worked in many films together. Her contribution to the industry is irreplaceable as there was no one who could dance like her. Om Shanti.

—SANJAY DUTT

A LEGEND has left us. Can’t forget the moment I first met you when you came to choreograph ‘Kitaabe’ ( Baazigar) and I burst out crying (I was a huge fan of your work) I couldn’t believe you were actually standing in front of me. Then came ‘Churake dil’, which was a milestone in my career... and many more. You set the benchmark so high, taught me ‘how’ to express... a technician par excellence... No one shot women like you, you were the best! Will miss you. Churake dil mera #Saroj ji chale. May you rest in peace, Masterji.

Strength and love to the family to cope with this irreparable loss.

—SHILPA SHETTY KUNDRA My first genuine teacher in the film industry. She taught me for hours how to do the ‘dip’ for film dancing. One of the most caring, loving & inspiring persona i have ever met. Will miss you Sarojji. May Allah bless her soul.

Thank u for looking after me.

—SHAH RUKH KHAN —Inputs from ANI

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

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

AHMEDABAD | SATURDAY, JULY 4, 2020

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WHAT’S HAPPENING!

RAJASTHAN: A blood donation camp was organised

by Help India Online Institute and Radhavishan Gaushala at Anand Mahal in Mansarovar on Friday.

116 people donated blood.

RAJASTHAN: Jagdeesh Chandra greeted Mona Gautam on her birthday, on Friday. Also seen here with them are Gaurav Gaur and Akanksha Bhalla.

The Robin Hood Army (RHA) is a volunteer-based organisation with thousands of professionals and citizens who have taken to the streets in their free time to fight global hunger. In 5 years, RHA has served food to 33.1 million people across 181 cities globally. Taking this further, RHA is all set to serve 30 Million people across 10 countries to fight the battle against hunger.

RAJASTHAN: Rotary Club Jaipur Bapu Nagar of Rotary District 3054 in the year 2019-20 was conferred with 12 prestigious awards in various dimensions. Club Secretary Rtn. RS Gupta stated that under the able guidance and leadership of Club President Rtn. Vipan Bahl, the club members made a donation of more than Rs 10 Lakh for best-quality classroom furniture for 10 Rural Government Schools. District Governor Rtn. Bina Desai declared it the Best Literacy Project. The awards were announced in a virtual meeting conducted on Thursday.

Featured in Forbes India’s web-series

CITY FIRST

S

hashikant Singhi, Chairperson, Poornima University (PU) & Chairman, Poornima Group of Colleges (PGC), has been featured

by Forbes India in the third web series ‘Education Evangelist of India’ by SkillTree. He is exclusively interviewed by the popular Indian author Chetan Bhagat.

In an interactive and engaging discussion, Singhi told that what makes him a breakthrough achiever in education. Architect turned educator Shashikant Singhi said that he aims to nurture knowledge and skills among students and prepare them for a global, competitive future. One of his inspiring quotes from the interview says, “Whatever we reflect the society has to be true from inside. And if you

THODA HATKE! Shashikant Singhi

... with Chetan Bhagat

are true, then nobody can stop you.” This inspiring webisode of Skilltree’s Education Evangelist of India, powered by Great Place to Stud.

It is noted that the Education Evangelist of India Sea-

son 3 is an initiative by Great Place to Study that acknowledges and features some of the stalwarts of education in India. The show highlights the achievements and contributions of the exemplary leaders and showcases them

on a platform they deserve.

Few leading educators of the country share with the world their contributions, their inspiring stories and what makes them an education evangelist. cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

Baato Baato Mein

Avanika Milan Rajarani from Surat, Gujarat planned a unique concept shoot to promote traditional male garments.

Installation Ceremony

KAVITA CHAUHAN cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

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n the 72nd edition of ‘Baato Baato Mein’, film Critic, Sunil Mishra was in a conversation with the well-known artist and painter, Mitul Pradeep.

She is an experienced painter and has been training budding artists in painting for nearly three decades at Tulika Arts in Mumbai.

Mitul Pradeep is the daughter of the great lyricist and singer Late Pradeep and has seen the atmosphere of contemporary cinema under the guidance of her father. She has been a constant witness to her father’s efforts, struggles, achievements and fame.

Many important references to her father are preserved in her memoirs.

While talking to her, Sunil Mishra paid reverently to her artistic journey and her father’s personality. During this conversation, Mitul Pradeep stated that the song ‘Chal Chal Re Naujawan’

Members of Rotary Club Bangalore Southwest Rajiv Khanna and Amitabh Chatterjee

Mitul Pradeep

was her father’s first song which was played in a film.

She told in this discussion that at the Kavi Sammelan during her father’s time, poet Pradeep used to read poems with poets like Harivanshrai Bachchan and Nirala among others.

Mitul Pradeep said that she has kept the harmonium of poet Pradeep well preserved on which various big musicians have played their tunes. Mitul Pradeep remembered the times when she along with her father went to

the recording studios where she used to listen to the live recordings of singers like Mohammad Rafi, Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle.

During this discussion, Mitul Pradeep referred her mother as the backbone of the family and stated that her mother was the ‘Women of Substance’, in the real aspects. During this Live chat, many people joined the digital platform so that they could listen to the conversation of Mitul Pradeep and her journey.

SPORTY GESTURE

CITY FIRST

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ith the aim of how cricket and other sports could be started in Rajasthan after the unlock down, Rajiv Khanna, vicepresident of Rajasthan Royals and working for the development of state cricket, paid a courtesy call to Amitabh Chatterjee, Chief General Manager, Jaipur, State Bank of India.

On this occasion, Khanna discussed with Amitabh Chatterjee for the development of other sports including cricket in the state. Chief General Manager Amitabh Chatterjee assured Rajiv Khanna that State Bank of India will always be at the forefront in the development of the state’s sports. cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

CITY FIRST, KARNATAKA

S

eeing the current pandemic situation and also following the social distancing norms, very uniquely, the Rotary Club Bangalore Southwest (RBSW) organized their Installation function of office bearers for the year 2020-21 through the virtual platform and at District Governor’s office concurrently in Bangalore. The District Governor (2019-20) Dr Sameer Hariani was the Guest of Honor for the occasion. It is pertinent to mention that RBSW is the home club of Dr Hariani. He addressed fellow Rotarians with best wishes and inspiring words.

Rtn. Paresh Master has been elected as the President of the Club for the year 2020-21. Installation of the President Rtn. Paresh Master was conducted by the District Governor (2020-21) Nagendra Prasad and the Assistant Governor Lakshmi Shastry. In this

vein, 22 executive members as the Board of Directors with Chairmen for various committees have been announced by the President Rtn. Paresh Master for the year 2020-21. Two new members have also been inducted in the club namely, PHF Rtn. Anubha Jain and Rtn. Hitesh Jain. Rtn. Anubha Jain, a journalist by profession recently shifted from Rajasthan to Bangalore. Bestowing with additional duties Rtn. Anubha Jain has also been appointed to Chair Women Empowerment and Public Image initiatives in the club. The installation ceremony was attended by senior Rotarians including District Secretary General Rtn. B.R.Sridhar. Rtn. Sridhar warmly welcomed new members into the Rotary family.

The Director Club Services Rtn. Srinivasulu and the Director of Vocational Services Rtn. Raghunanda were also pinned on this momentous occasion. cityfirst@firstindia.co.in