First India-Ahmedabad Edition-05 September 2020

OUR EDITIONS: JAIPUR & AHMEDABAD

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ALERT AHMEDABAD l SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2020 l Pages 12 l 3.00

COVID-19 UPDATE

WORLD

8,76,070 2,66,50,338 DEATHS

MAHARASHTRA 25,964 DEATHS 8,63,062 CASES

CONFIRMED CASES

TAMIL NADU 7,687 DEATHS 4,51,827 CASES

RNI NO. GUJENG/2019/16208 l Vol 1 l Issue No. 280

INDIA

DEATHS

CONFIRMED CASES

KARNATAKA 6,170 DEATHS 3,79,486 CASES

Students leave an exam centre after appearing for JEE 2020 exams amid a coronavirus pandemic.

Gavai and Krishna Murari, which considered the pleas in-chamber,

said there was no merit in the review petitions.

The apex court also

GUJARAT

69,629 40,14,878 3,078 1,01,695

rejected the applications seeking listing of the review petition in

DEATHS

DELHI 4,513 DEATHS 1,85,220 CASES

6 non-BJP states’ JEE, NEET pleas hit the wall as SC rejects all New Delhi: The Supreme Court Friday dismissed the pleas, including the one filed by ministers of six opposition-ruled states, seeking review of its August 17 order which paved the way for holding NEET and JEE exams.

One of the review pleas was filed by ministers from West Bengal (Moloy Ghatak), Jharkhand (Rameshwar Oraon), Rajasthan (Raghu Sharma), Chhattisgarh (Amarjeet Bhagat), Punjab (B S Sidhu) and Maharashtra (Uday Ravindra Sawant).

A bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan, B R

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the open court.

Applications seeking permission to file review petitions are allowed. We have carefully gone through the review petitions and the connected papers. We find no merit in the review petitions and the same are accordingly dismissed, the bench said in its order.

National Testing Agency (NTA) which conducts both the exams is holding JEE Main Exams from September 1-6, while NEET exams will be held on September 13. The review matters in the apex court Turn to P6

CONFIRMED CASES

RAJASTHAN 1,108 DEATHS 87,797 CASES

Maharashtra is not someone’s father’s property: Kangana Govt & Actor spar over latter’s Mumbai-PoK remark Mumbai: The controversy triggered by actor Kangana Ranaut’s tweet on Mumbai, drawing a parallel between the city and PoK, escalated further on Friday taking a political turn. The BJP, the NCP, the Congress and the Shiv Sena slammed the actor for drawing such comparison, which they said was unbecoming and disrespectful of the Maratha people.

On the other hand, Kangana Ranaut claimed that “many people [are] threatening her” ahead of her visit to Mumbai on September 9. In response, the actor said, Turn to P6

Kangana Ranaut

FIRST MAJOR POLITICAL CONTACT BETWEEN TWO COUNTRIES SINCE MAY 2020 BORDER FLARE-UP; FENGHI IS BELIEVED TO HAVE ASKED FOR THE MEETING

INDIA, CHINA DEF MINS SIT ACROSS TABLE IN MOSCOW, AMID LAC ROW Moscow/New Delhi: Amid heightened border tension in eastern Ladakh, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday held talks in Moscow with his Chinese counterpart Wei Fenghe.

Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar and Indian Ambassador to Russia DB Venkatesh Varma are part of the Indian delegation at the talks that began at around 9:30 pm (IST) at a prominent hotel in the Russian capital.

It is the first highest level face-to-face meeting between the two sides after the border row escalated in eastern Ladakh in early May. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has previously held telephonic talks with his Chinese counterpart

Situation along LAC tense: Army Chief

TRUST, NON-AGGRESSION KEY FOR REGIONAL PEACE: RAJNATH

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh meets Chinese Defence Minister General Wei Fenghe in Moscow on Friday.

—PHOTO BY ANI

Wang Yi on the border standoff.

Singh and Wei are in Moscow to attend a meeting of the defence ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Or-

ganisation (SCO) which took place earlier in the day.

Indian government sources said the meeting has been requested by the Chinese defence

minister.

Indian and Chinese troops are engaged in a bitter standoff in multiple places along the Line of Actual Control(LAC) in east-

Moscow: Peace and security in the SCO region demands a climate of trust, non-aggression, respect for international rules and peaceful resolution of differences, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Friday, seen as an indirect message to China which is engaged in a festering border row with India in eastern Ladakh. Notably, Singh made the comments in the presence of Chinese Defence Minister Gen Wei Fenghe. In his address at a ministerial meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) here in the Russian capital, Singh also referred to the Second World War and said its memories teach the globe the “folies of aggression” of one state upon another that brings “destruction” to all. Both India and China are members of the SCO, an eight-nation regional grouping which primarily focuses on issues relating to security and defence. Turn to P6 ern Ladakh.

Tensions flared up in the region again after China unsuccessfully attempted to occupy Indian territory in the southern bank of Pan-

gong lake five days ago when the two sides were engaged in diplomatic and military talks to resolve the prolonged border row.

—PTI

Army Chief Gen Manoj Mukund Naravane.

Leh (Ladakh): Situation with China has been tensed and India is continuously engaging with them at the military and diplomatic level, said Army Chief General MM Naravane on Friday, who is visiting Ladakh to review the situation amid the ongoing border tension.

“Situation has been little tensed for the last two to three months. We have been continuously engaging with China both at the military and diplomatic level. These

engagements are ongoing and will continue in the future as well. We are very sure that through this medium of talks, whatever differences we have, will be resolved and we will ensure that status quo is not changed and we are able to safeguard our interests,” said Naravane.

He underlined that some precautionary deployment for the safety of Indian troops have been undertaken for safety and security.

Turn to P6

High Court orders inquiry against Sahjanand Hosp for medical negligence

Bihar elections, 65 by-polls to be held simultaneously: ECI

Directs health secretary and municipal commissioner to probe the matter and submit a report

New Delhi: Considering that the General Assembly Elections of Bihar is due and required to be completed before November 29, 2020, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has decided to conduct all the 65 by-elections in various states around the same time.

The decision was taken by the ECI on Friday in a meeting regarding holding of by-elections due in various states.

However, major issues

First India Bureau Ahmedabad: The Gujarat High Court has issued an order to set up an inquiry against Sahjanand Hospital for medical negligence. After hearing a petition filed by the wife of a COVID-19 patient, the court or-

dered the health secretary and the municipal commissioner to investigate and file a report.

Petitioner Parul Soni had filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) for an official inquiry into the medical negligence committed by the medical staff at

Gujarat High Court

Sahjanand Hospital.

Soni’s husband had been admitted to the

—FILE PHOTO

hospital for two weeks and died after he was discharged.

In the petition, the petitioner submitted, “After regaining some semblance of peace from the trauma of her husband’s untimely death, the petitioner through various media reports came to know that several people had been victims of such intentional and conscious negligence.

This revelation gave the petitioner the courage to approach the court.”

Turn to P6

Dr Anita

CEC Sunil Arora

in conducting both the elections processes together would be arranging sufficient Central

Armed Police Forces, other law and order forces, and related logistics issues. Turn to P6

NEWS AHMEDABAD | SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2020

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02

GROWING CITIES SEE

BOUNDARY ISSUES Newly merged areas not given wards in new delimitation announcement

Gargi Raval Gandhinagar: Merging villages and municipalities into the city just before a local-body election is not a new practice.

We have seen this in the run-up to the past three sets of localbody elections. So, when the government issued a notification of delimitation for Ahmedabad, Bhavanagar, Rajkot, Surat, and Vadodara on Thursday, it seemed like par for the course.

However, this time, the newly added areas have not been given their own wards, but

have been merged into existing wards. So, in Ahmedabad, for instance, areas such as Bopal-Ghuma will be counted as part of Thaltej, Jodhpur, Bodakdev and Sarkhej.

For the record, Bodakdev and Thaltej are about 8.5km away from the Bopal Gram Panchayat, Jodhpur is about 9.5km away and Sarkhej, 12km away.

This means that while the population and demography of these wards will change before the next election, the number of seats in the local bodies will remain the same.

Moreover, with the

local-body elections slated for November, it is likely that the Election Commissioner has issued a notification declaring reserved category seats per ward as part of the preparations, even if the official election notification is not expected until October.

In Ahmedabad, the 2015 election was held in 48 wards.

There is no change in the number of wards, but 17 existing wards will expand to incorporate the newly merged areas. The upcoming election will be held for 192 seats, of which 116 are reserved ones.

Before the local-body elections, the ruling party is changing the wards, in an effort to win the election easily. This is political management and manipulation. The delimitation has nothing to do with the citizens. There are areas in urban pockets that are still struggling to get basic amenities. The ruling party should focus on that, but, on the contrary, they are focusing on only political gain.

—Manish Doshi, Chief Spokesperson, GPCC

The 50% reservation for females accounts for 96 seats, 20 seats (10 female) for Scheduled Caste, and 19 seats (10 female) for Other Backward Caste. Two seats have been kept reserved

for Scheduled Tribe candidates in Sabarmati and Lambha wards.

With these changes and advancing age, many seniors are unlikely to get tickets.

BJP leader Amit Shah

is not likely to get a ticket this time but is expected to ask for one for his son.

Similarly, Bhushan Bhatt is also likely to seek a ticket for his son. Many senior leaders are also expected to seek tickets for their wives to avail the women’s reservation.

In the Congress, Imran Khedawala will not contest election as he is now a Member of the Legislative Assembly.

While Taufiqkhan Pathan and Surendra Bakshi are unlikely to contest, there will be many contenders for the seat left vacant by the death of

Badruddin Shaikh.

In Surat, like Ahmedabad, 27 villages and two municipalities have been merged into the city..They have all been absorbed into the 30 existing wards.

In Vadodara, there is now a possibility that 15 existing councillors will not get tickets, since nine of the 19 wards have introduced reserved seats.

In Bhavnagar, three of the 13 wards have been reserved for Schedule Caste candidates, while five wards have been reserved for Other Backward Castes.

Manish Doshi,

chief spokesperson of Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee called the development a political gimmick by the BJP. “Before the localbody elections, the ruling party is changing the wards, in an effort to win the election easily. This is political management and manipulation. The delimitation has nothing to do with the citizens.

There are areas in urban pockets that are still struggling to get basic amenities. The ruling party should focus on that, but, on the contrary, they are focusing on only political gain.

Patil warns party workers, STATE EXTENDS BAN ON GUTKA leaders against political sabotage & NICOTINE PRODUCTS BY A YEAR  The BJP state FOR A HEALTHY CAUSE

 Prohibition on sale, storage & distribution; CM Rupani invites US companies to invest in Guj First India Bureau

Gandhinagar: The state government extended the ban on sale of gutka, and nicotine-based products by one more year on Friday.

Addressing the third annual leadership summit of the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF), Chief Minister Vijay Rupani also invited American companies to partner with Indian especially Gujarat-based organizations and explore the Indian market.

Announcing the state’s decision, Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel said, “The sale, storage and distribution of gutka, tobacco and all

Chief Minister Vijay Rupani

nicotine-based products has been prohibited for the past three years. The term was coming to an end soon, so in public interest, the decision to extend the ban has been taken. The ban will be implemented as per the clauses and regulations code of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.”

According to regulations, the sale of these products is prohibited within a 100-metre radius of school compounds. In the last three years, both the Health and Food and Drugs Con-

—FILE PHOTO

trol department have initiated action against 10,000 shops and fined them a total of Rs11 lakh.

Earlier in the day, addressing a special public session at the weeklong virtual summit, Rupani stated, “Gujarat presents great opportunities to US companies and is also developing a robust infrastructure for the pharmaceutical sector in the form of a Bulk Drug Park in Bharuch and a Medical Devices Park in Rajkot district.”

He also invited US

companies to partner with Gujarat and help improve market access to artisans in tribal areas by providing them with digital education.

Ratifying the significance of a dynamic India-US relationship, CM Rupani said, “India and the US have evolved as strategic partners. The partnership is people-driven and people-centric.

We share common values of democracy with strong cultural ties and objectives for human prosperity”.

Elaborating about investment opportunities in Gujarat, the chief minister mentioned that the state had recently unveiled the new Gujarat Industrial Policy 2020 with several provisions such as relocation benefits for companies moving out from other countries, besides investor-friendly measures such as delinking incentives from the GST regime and acquiring land on a long-term lease.

unit prez assured discretion if such acts are reported to him

First India Bureau Mehsana: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state unit president CR Patil, who kicked off his North Gujarat tour on Wednesday, has set the ball rolling on non-tolerance for party members indulging in endeavours harming the party’s political prospects. Meanwhile, according to latest reports, the BJP state unit may witness a major overhaul by the end of next week.

During his meeting with district leaders in Palanpur on Thursday evening, followed by Patan and Mehsana on Friday, Patil stated, “If anyone wishes to report workers or leaders trying to sabotage the

BJP state unit chief CR Patil.

party’s prospects, and want to keep their identity secret, please share any relevant information and present it to me in a sealed envelope. If I am not available at the state unit office, please feel free to hand it over to my personal secretary. We will initiate action against such workers or leaders as per the situation’s demand.”

Patil’s message has been received well by party workers and leaders, especially

—FILE PHOTO

those, who have been toiling hard for the party but, have never been noticed or received prominence in the party. Ashish Patel, a party worker from Unjha, appreciated Patil’s declaration and hopes that he walks the talk. “If the party takes action against people who have not been contributing at all, then the ones who are will be boosted to work harder,” he said.

As per the opinion of

senior journalist Suresh Vanol from Mehsana, “The state’s overwhelming response to Patil is a far cry from ground reality. All those people who have participated in rallies or meetings are the ones who either want to save their skins or positions. There are several who do not want to get on the bad side of Patil.”

“In reality, most of them are unhappy with Patil’s appointment as the state unit president. Even today, caste equations are deeply rooted in North Gujarat politics. If Patil fails to balance the ‘correct’ caste equations, all this revamping exercise will be washed out in the panchayat and civic polls itself,” assessed Vanol.

Party sources have hinted that the revamping of party organization may happen before the commencement of the state assembly’s monsoon session.

GUJARAT AHMEDABAD | SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2020

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03

Jamnagar, Rajkot see 111, 162 new cases 1,320 fresh cases, 14 deaths emerge as state conducts 74,453 tests in 24 hours; Gujarat total tally now 1,01,686 cases with 3,078 fatalities First India Bureau Gandhinagar: Jamnagar and Rajkot seem to be in competition when it comes to the number of new COVID-19 cases being reported on a daily basis In the past 24 hours, Jamnagar saw 111 cases: 99 from the city and 12 from rural areas. Rajkot reported 162 during the same time frame: 105 from the city and 57 from rural areas.

These were the highest single-day figures for both districts since the pandemic broke out.

Considering the spike in cases, Additional Chief Secretary (Health in-charge) Pankaj Kumar rushed to Jamnagar and, after taking stock of the situation on the ground,

decided to set up a dedicated 1,200-bed facility at the GG Hospital (Guru Gobind Singh Government Hospital) campus. Give that there are currently 160 venti-

Farmers demand compensation for cattle lost due to rain

Cattle shed.

First India Bureau Ahmedabad: Farmers across the state are facing heavy losses due to excess rains.

Gujarat Kisan Congress Cell chairman Pal Ambaliya has said that farmers must be compensated for their losses.

“Many people have lost their shelters, and cattle sheds have turned into swamps. There are provisions in the State Disaster Response Force under which government can disburse compensation during natural disasters against the loss of human life, cattle, or damage of properties,” Ambaliya said.

He added that his cell has circulated forms required to seek compen-

—PHOTO BY HANIF SINDHI

Medics conduct door-to-door testing in Ahmedabad.

—FILE PHOTO

sation among farmers, the pastoral community and others, so that they can claim their dues. “Mostly these communities are not literate and aware of their own rights. The pastoral community has lost thousands of heads of cattle, especially goats.

They must get their dues immediately,” asserted Ambaliya.

Meanwhile, leader of the opposition Paresh Dhanani visited floodaffected areas in Junagadh district. “The farmers are struggling to survive. They are not able to pay their loans which they took for seeds, fertilizers, machinery, water, etc. The government should realize their condition and compensate them immediately,” he said.

lators in the Civil Hospital, another 60 more will be made available to meet the requirements. About 150 to 190 beds will be made available for COVID-19 pa-

tients in the old building, immediately.

In the past 24 hours, the state has conducted 74, 453 tests, of which 1,320 came back positive for the novel coronavi-

rus. There are now 16,219 active cases in the state, with 92 patients on ventilator support. Of the fourteen patients who died on Friday, four were from Ahmedabad,

three, from Surat, two, from Rajkot, and one each were from Gandhinagar, Gir Somnath, Junagadh, Patan and Vadodara.

Surat continues to top the list new cases even after a month. It registered 271 cases in a day: 181 from the city and 90 from rural areas.

In the city as well as rural areas put together 2593 patients are under treatment. In addition, Ahmedabad had 171 cases, Vadodara had 161, Bhavnagar, 53, Gandhingar, 36, Patan, 30, Panchmahal, 29, Amreli and Mehsana, 26 each, and Kutch and Morbi, 25 each.

The health department has started conducting tests in the Secretariat. About 20 of the 1,400-1,500 samples tested so far have been positive.

Father-son duo held for selling fake nCov masks First India Bureau Surat: The city Police on Thursday seized counterfeit masks worth Rs3.46 lakh and arrested a father and son duo for violating the Copyright Act. The accused, Chandu Virjibhai Ramolia and Dhrutish Chandubhai Ramolia, had been selling the low-quality masks online under the name of Fashion Villa. They were marketed as products from a US-based

company with a manufacturing unit in Bangalore and even had the company’s logo on them.

The police seized about 3,460 counterfeit knock-offs of the branded masks.

One Gordhan Rajput discovered the scam. He placed an order for 3,500 masks with “Fashion Villa”, and informed the Puna police about his trap. The police nabbed the father and son when they attempted to deliver the order.

5 members of family commit suicide in Dahod First India Bureau Ahmedabad: Five members of a family committed suicide on Thursday night in Dahod town. The incident came to light only on Friday morning, when the family failed to open the door or respond to relatives’ calls. While the suicide note that the police recovered did not give any reason for the step, primary investigations indicate that the family

may have been in dire straits, financially.

According to Dahod town police, they had received a call alerting them that something might be wrong at Saifi Sabbirbhai Dudhiyawala’s house. When they arrived at the Dudhiyawala residence, the police found the bodies of Saifi (42), his wife Mehzabeen (35), twin daughters Arva and Zainal (16) and Husaina (7) in the apartment.

Dahod Deputy Superintendent of Police

The bodies of Saifi Dudhiyawala, his wife Mehzabeen, twin daughters Arva and Zainal, and Husaina were found in their apartment.

Patilji, know your MLAs, then dream of 182-seat win: Cong First India Bureau Ahmedabad: The Congress party has launched a fresh attack on CR Patil, who was recently named the Gujarat unit president for the Bharatiya Janata Party, after he failed to recognize a BJP MLA at a public meeting.

Congress party spokesperson Jayrajsinh Parmar taunted Patil, saying, “Patilji, know your MLAs first, then dream of winning all 182 seats in the state

CR Patil asked Banaskantha MLA Shashikant Pandya his name at a meeting (Assembly).”

Patil is on a political tour of north Gujarat, where he asked Banaskantha MLA Shashikant Pandya for his name and then wanted to confirm that he was an MLA. “Patil has said he will resign from the post of party president if the BJP fails to get 182 seats,

but he doesn’t know MLAs of his own party. The irony is that he had to ask Pandya’s name while in the latter’s constituency,” Parmar said, adding that it was “sad that the party president did not recognize his party’s leaders.”

He also said that Patil’s comment made it obvious that he had been appointed by “someone”.

“Even after decades in politics, Patil still behaves like the policeman he once was,” Parmar added.

Paresh Solanki told the media, “We have recovered a suicide note and a bottle of poison from the apartment. The suicide note does not contain any information other than stating that they are committing suicide.

We are investigating into all aspects including financial crises.”

Saifi’s father alleged that Saifi had borrowed some gold ornaments from his sister-in-law and was unable to return them, causing friction within the family.

Officer Solanki stated that, prima facie, the deaths appear to have been welll planned since Saifi had dropped his parents—who lived with him—to his maternal uncle’s house and also collected his youngest daughter from his sisterin-law’s home. The bodies have been sent for post-mortem.

The family had shifted to Dahod from Madhya Pradesh 10 years back to set up a factory that made disposable paper bowls and dishes.

MUTUAL ADORATION

Six-month-old foal Janki nurses from her mother Devki near CG Road in Ahmedabad.

Mother and daughter get several visitors each day to score a ride through the city or simply watch them in awe.

—PHOTO BY HANIF SINDHI

NEW TURN

Cong enters SUMUL Dairy fray, two members file nominations As BJP looked set to triumph, opposition party names Sunil Gamit & Bharat Patel as candidates l

First India Bureau Surat: After the state high court stayed the results of the chairman and vice-chairman of the Surat District Cooperative Milk Producers Union Ltd, popularly known as SUMUL Dairy, Congress has nominated two of its representatives on the board to contest the impending elec-

tions. On Friday afternoon, it had seemed like the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) might just sail through uncontested but that changed after Congress threw its hat into the ring.

BJP leader Mansinh Patel led a panel that won eight seats on the board of directors and Rajesh Kumar Pathak’s panel grabbed the re-

maining eight spots.

This gave out the impression that the ruling party had enough representatives on the SUMUL board. In order to ensure that the management of the dairy does not slip out of the party’s hands, two senior BJP leaders Bhargav Thakkar and Bharatsinh Parmar were sent in with the mandate to keep the warring groups united. Therefore, to

The 68th general body meeting of SUMUL Dairy.

—FILE PHOTO

keep both groups happy, the party decided to nominate former MP Mansinh Patel for the chairman’s position and Rajesh Kumar Pathak for the vice- chairman position.

Notably, Rajesh Kumar Pathak was the incumbent chairman of the board until August, when the board’s term ended.

Senior Congress leader and former Union Minister Tushar Chaudhary announced that Nizar MLA Sunil Gamit and Bharat Patel will be contesting the chair-

man and vice-chairman election of the SUMUL board respectively.

Another concern threatening to plague the Congress party was the lack of action on its part to ensure fair elections. If the party had not decided to contest the polls, filing a petition in the state high court would have been futile. It had challenged the state government’s decision to nominate two members on the SUMUL board, looking to tip the scales in its favour.

PERSPECTIVE AHMEDABAD | SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2020

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INDIA BEYOND RELIGION

IN-DEPTH

AFTER LADAKH SETBACK CHINA WANTS TO TALK

I

ndia has turned the tables on China in Ladakh by occupying nearly all the vantage heights in the Ladakh region. The strategic points from Thakung Post, Black Top to Rezang La in Chushul, and Pangong Tso area came under India’s control after the little known elite troops from the Special Frontier Force codenamed ‘Establishment 22’, foiled Chinese designs of gaining hold over these heights.

The bold move on August 29 riled China but proved to be a game-changer as India can now push China to pull back from the land it occupied through deceit in the finer area of Pangong Tso Lake. Both sides have an almost matching deployment in terms of ground and air force and tanks. At least India is ready for any eventuality.

The maneuver had its desired effect. China’s defence minister General Weng Fenghe sought a meeting with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation meeting in Moscow. Singh initially expressed his reluctance to meet Fenghe but with Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar saying that talks are the only option the door has been kept ajar. One report said that the “South Block has given the goahead for Singh’s meeting with his Chinese counterpart, hoping it leads to early and complete disengagement as well as de-escalation along the Line of Actual Control”.

The Chinese will have to come to the negotiating table with a weak hand and agree to retreat from the territory they grabbed in June after a bloody skirmish in which 20 Indian soldiers were killed.

Unless Beijing chooses to junk peace.

SADHGURU, ISHA FOUNDATION

Ranked amongst the fifty most influential people in India, Sadhguru is a yogi, mystic, visionary and a New York Times bestselling author Sadhguru has been conferred the Padma Vibhushan by the Government of India in 2017, the highest annual civilian award, accorded for exceptional and distinguished service

I

BATTLING COVID-19’S RISING NUMBERS

T

he Union Health Ministry tweeted, “#IndiaFightsCorona With a higher number of patients getting cured. India’s total recoveries surpass 30 lakh.

Less than 0.5 percent of patients on Ventilators, 2% in ICUs, and less than 3.5 percent on Oxygen Support. Irrespective of the tweet on Friday about the number of Covid-19 patients being cured, India’s load of positive cases daily is heading towards the fearsome one lakh mark.

Just to get an idea, the country recorded a new high of over 83 lakh positive cases on Friday. The bigger concern is that seven months after its outbreak the pandemic’s peak is nowhere in sight.

The rising cases are bound to negate the advantage of a high recovery rate given the shortage of beds and doctors.

The other area of worry is the resurgence of a novel coronavirus in places like Delhi. In June and July, one got the impression that the pandemic was on a downward slide after touching a peak in Delhi.

New cases had declined to 1000 a day and fatalities were being reported in single digits. In contrast, 2700 new cases were reported on Thursday. If there is an upsurge in Delhi, states like Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu account for 62 percent of total active COVID cases in the country. This when testing is yet to be stepped up in states like UP. The rise in cases has to be viewed in the context of increased economic and social activities which have now been allowed to ensure that the upcoming festival season is not a dull affair.

There are seven billion people, so we can have seven billion religions. Every individual is free to see what he can relate to best at a certain time in his life.

He can create a God of his own and give himself to that process – because it is not about God. It is about bringing a certain quality in you to make you worshipful and reverential towards life

ndia has always been a land of absolute freedom when it comes to matters beyond the material. It is from this context that the culture evolved.

This is a culture with a multiplicity of thought, belief and seeking. We call this Sanatana Dharma, which means an eternal religion that will always be relevant.

You can choose your own God – a man God, woman God, animal God, tree God – whatever you want. This is known as Ishta Devata, a God of your own choice.

This is the only culture that allows you this freedom.

There are seven billion people, so we can have seven billion religions. Every individual is free to see what he can relate to best at a certain time in his life. He can create a God of his own and give himself to that process – because it is not about God. It is about bringing a certain quality in you to make you worshipful and reverential towards life. The very reason religion was created was to bring this quality within you. So you worship a monkey, and I worship an elephant. What is the problem? It is fine. And tomorrow, if we want to exchange our Gods, we can do that too. You can choose God with form, without form or even no God is alright. It is not rigid, it can change – that is why it is referred to as an eternal religion.

There is sufficient intellect on the planet right now for us to reconsider the very fundamentals of religion on this planet. Religion is an inward step. It is something very intimate that a human being does within himself. It is not something that you organize and do it on the street.

It is a step towards your creator. If you just observe your own body, you can clearly see that the source of creation is within you. A step towards your creator is naturally an

inward step, which you can only take by yourself. You cannot take a crowd of people inward.

Because religion has become systematized and organized, what should have been a beautiful process has become fanaticism. The moment you identify yourself with a doctrine whose fundamental ambition is to conquer the whole world someday, or you assume that your way is the only way, then you are a fanatic. You may act in civilized ways, but as long as you nurture this thought, you are a fanatic.

In indigenous cultures, religion was never juxtaposed against the state. In the past, religion was far more important to people than it is now, but still, there were no theocratic states; the ruler had his religion and the subjects had the freedom to follow theirs. There was no conflict because people did not look at religion as an organized process. Unfortunately, today it has begun to get organized and reached a point where electoral politics and national interests are poised to oppose each other.

We have a situation where

WE MUST UNDERSTAND THAT NATIONHOOD IS JUST AN IDEA. IF WE WANT TO MAKE THIS INTO A LIVING REALITY, WE NEED TO WORK SUFFICIENTLY ON INCULCATING THE SENSE OF CITIZENSHIP AT ALL LEVELS OF THE POPULATION

politicians are openly and proudly calling themselves as ‘Hindu leaders’ or ‘Muslim leaders’ or ‘Christian leaders.’

Religion is becoming a matter of number games and another disguise for politics. If this is encouraged or even allowed, there will be organized and unnatural attempts to change the demographic complexion of the nation. Whenever there are such attempts to change the dynamics of the nation’s demographics – religious or otherwise – large-scale violence will erupt. It is threatening our very nationhood.

Digital finance for a fairer post-pandemic world

T

oday’s unprecedented COVID-19 crisis has prompted billions of people to work, socialize, and consume digitally. This shift creates a historic opportunity to unlock the potential of digitalization to finance more inclusive, sustainable development.

Digitalization is transforming every aspect of finance. More than one billion people worldwide now use mobile payment platforms, which have turned mobile phones into financial tools. Digital finance is leveraging big data and artificial intelligence to underpin advances in cryptocurrencies and crypto-assets, peer-to-peer lending, crowdfunding, and online marketplaces. Algorithms are silencing noisy stock-exchange floors, with

04

many equity trades in the United States now executed in the absence of any human input.

Investment in financial technology (fintech) is powering this transformation. In 2018, fintech attracted a record $120 billion in venturecapital funding, or onethird of the global total.

And financial investors are pouring tens of billions more dollars annually into enabling digital technology.

The pandemic has provided a major boost to these developments. Digital money transfers are enabling governments to provide immediate financial support to citizens. Crowdfunding platforms have mobilized resources for medical supplies and emergency relief. Algorithmic lending is accelerating lifesaving funding for small

businesses. Similarly, ecommerce platforms are enabling people to buy now and consume later in order to support local businesses and protect employment.

But such inspiring examples barely scratch the surface of what is both urgently needed and possible. The world is awash with literally trillions of dollars. This is ultimately the people’s money, earned and borrowed and then spent,

saved, invested, and handed to governments to use on their behalf.

Too often, however, these funds do not flow to what people need and want.

Inequality was already increasing before the crisis and is now accelerating. Moreover, the financial sector is not effectively channeling money and savings to address longer-term development challenges such as climate change and bio-

diversity destruction.

Digitally driven transformation can better align finance with people’s needs, as reflected in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In November 2018, United Nations SecretaryGeneral António Guterres established a task force comprising leaders from the financial, policy, and development communities to identify ways of harnessing digitalization to finance the SDGs. The panel (which we co-chaired) has now completed its deliberations and presented its final report to the secretary-general, having engaged with thousands of individuals and institutions across dozens of countries.

The task force’s core conclusion is that the power of digital transformation provides an extraordinary opportunity to reset private and public

finance in ways that can help to achieve the SDGs. Its call to action seeks to engage market participants and policymakers, including central banks and development-finance institutions, in implementing the task force’s agenda of practical recommendations.

For starters, digitalization can play a critical role in ensuring that global capital markets, which currently have a value of about $185 trillion, take greater account of social and environmental risks and outcomes. Second, big data and algorithmic analytics can accelerate the provision of the $5.2 trillion in annual financing required by developing countries’ small and medium-size businesses, which are the source of much of the world’s employment.

SOURCE: PROJECT SYNDICATE

We must understand that nationhood is just an idea. If we want to make this into a living reality, we need to work sufficiently on inculcating the sense of citizenship at all levels of the population.

We must realize that we are citizens of a nation first, and religion comes later. Only then will we have the agility to respond to any challenging situation. Otherwise, every time we are challenged as a nation, people will not know which way to go. If we fail to handle this without the needed balance, the polarisation of the nation on religious grounds will become a widespread and ugly reality, for which we as a nation will pay a heavy price. It is very important that the administration and the society at large, particularly the religious and spiritual movements, approach this with sensitivity and long-term vision.

May all of us have the necessary sense and wisdom to prevent our beautiful, vibrant, and inclusive culture from succumbing to mayhem caused by divisive forces.

THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL

Top

TWEET Ravi Shankar Prasad @rsprasad Aadhaar Enabled Payment System (AePS) of IPPB has brought banks to the doorsteps of the people. From 23rd March 2020 till 28th August 2020, Rs 4,812 crore were disbursed in 2.3 crore transactions through this.

Shashi Tharoor @ShashiTharoor A curtain-raiser to the Parliament session: investments, economic performance, unemployment, #Covid19 mismanagement all provide an unremitting picture of under-performance by our woeful Government. No wonder they don’t want to take questions!

Spiritual SPEAK

Do not speak in the hearing of a fool, for he will despise the good sense of your words.

—Proverbs 23:9

Vol 1 Issue No. 280 RNI NO. GUJENG/2019/16208. Printed and published by Anita Hada Sangwan on behalf of First Express Publishers. Printed at Bhaskar Printing Planet Survey No.148P, Changodar-Bavla Highway, Tal. Sanand, Dist. Ahmedabad.

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

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officers’ devotion MAKE POLICE STNS CENTRES ‘IPS will inspire youth: Shah OF SOCIAL TRUST, SAYS PM

He also spoke on how technology can be used positively by police to enhance work New Delhi/ Hyderabad: Prime Minister Narendra Modi while interacting with IPS officers during the ‘Dikshant Parade’ of IPS probationers at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy in Hyderabad on Friday emphasised on changing the “culture” of our police stations and making these centres of “social trust”.

“Have we ever emphasised on the culture of our police stations? How should our police stations become the centres for social trust? Make a list of all the police stations under your command to make changes.

Whether or not you can change the person but surely you can change the system and the envi-

Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacting with the IPS Probationers during Dikshant Parade at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy, through video conferencing, in New Delhi.

ronment. This should be your priority,” he said.

“Whichever party is in power a democracy, a public representative has great importance.

Respect for the public representative means

‘Road projects crucial for auto sector’ Vaishali

respect for the democratic process,” he added.

“It is very important that you should be proud of your uniform instead of flexing power of your uniform. Never lose the respect for your Khaki

uniform,” the Prime Minister said. He added that there is a “need to prevent youth from taking the wrong path at the early stage itself. Women police personnel can do that by involving fe-

males.”

He also talked about how technology can be used in a positive way by the police in improving their work. “Technology has helped us a lot. It is also helping us in solving cases. You must focus on how to use technology more positively,” he added.

A total of 131 IPS probationers including 28 lady Probationers have completed 42 weeks of Basic Course Phase-I training at the Academy.

They joined the Academy on December 17, 2018, after completing their Foundation Course at Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration in Mussoorie & at Dr Marri Channa Reddy HRD Institute of Hyderabad..—ANI

The HM had underlined that there is a need for bringing a positive change in public perception about the police New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday conveyed his best wishes to IPS probationers on their Dikshant Parade at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy (SVP NPA) and expressed confidence that their commitment will inspire youth to join the service.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with the Indian Police Service (IPS) probationers on their Dikshant Parade via video conferencing. Home Minister also virtually participated in the parade through video conferencing.

In a tweet, Shah said that Prime Minister’s inspiring speech will surely boost the morale

PM’s inspiring speech will boost the morale of officers, Shah said.

of our young officers and guide them on how to strengthen the policepublic relations.

“May they serve the nation with utmost dedication while ensuring its security and integrity. I am confident that their commitment towards service will inspire our youngsters to join the Indian Police Service,” he said.—ANI

IN THE COURTYARD

SC notice to secy-gen on adv’s PIL

1984 ANTI-SIKH RIOTS CASE

SC REFUSES TO GRANT BAIL TO SAJJAN KUMAR

Don’t defer reappear exams: CBSE

New Delhi: The rapid pace of road infrastructure development will be a crucial boost for the India auto industry which is reeling under stress from multiple headwinds, said Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways and MSME. Gadkari was speaking at the 60th SIAM Annual Convention 2020 where he said the government is keenly interested to support the auto industry keeping in line with their vision to position India as number one manufacturing hub in the world.

There has been a special focus on road infrastructure with 22 Green Express Highways in the pipeline which will increase the productivity and open up newer prospects of employment.

We are making 7 Express Highways. In January we are opening Meerut - Delhi Express Highway, Delhi to Amritsar to Mathura, Banglore to Chennai. It is going to benefit the auto industry.

MONSOON SESSION OF PARLIAMENT

No Question Hour, only Zero Hour this time

New Delhi: There will be no question hour in the monsoon session of Parliament, which is scheduled to begin from September 14 and only zero hour will be allowed, sources have confirmed.

During zero hour, parliamentarians can raise matters of great importance without the

mandatory ten days advance notice. While the question hour is the first hour of a sitting session in which Members of Parliament ask questions from ministers. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi had earlier said that he has requested Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Rajya Sabha

—Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister

India currently has the second largest road network in the world. The road infrastructure development are also aligned to meet the demand of future mobility.

CAS BHADAURIA VISITS CAW, TALKS ABOUT NATIONAL SECURITY Secunderabad: Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria, Chief of Air Staff on Friday visited the College of Air Warfare (CAW) in Secunderabad and talked about the emerging contours of national security.

He also emphasised upon the unique attributes of airpower and apprised the course officers about the progress being made

in deliberations that are ongoing for creating integrated structures towards enhancing synergy in future warfighting. During his visit to CAW, the CAS addressed officers from all the three Services undergoing the 44th (HACC). He sensitized them about the emerging contours of National Security.

New Delhi: SC issued a notice to its Secretary-General on a PIL filed by senior lawyer Indira Jaising seeking appropriate directions with regard to non-implementation of its earlier 2017 judgement on designating senior advocates. A bench headed

by Justice Rohinton Fali Nariman, issued notice and posted matter hearing after four weeks. —ANI

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has refused to grant bail to former Congress leader Sajjan Kumar, a convict in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case.

The apex court bench, headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sharad Arvind Bobde, refused to grant bail to Sajjan Kumar. The top court said, his appeal against his conviction in the 1984 anti-Sikh

riot matter, may be taken up for hearing after the SC starts its physical hearing.

While refusing to grant Sajjan Kumar’s

bail, the apex court noted that the medical report of the convict (Sajjan Kumar) stated that his hospitalisation is not needed at this present time, and thereby he should not remain in hospital.

Advocate Vikas Singh, appearing for Sajjan Kumar, had sought immediate interim bail claiming that Kumar is ill, adding that his health is not improving. —ANI

SC STAYS SEXUAL HARASSMENT INQUIRY AGAINST DJ New Delhi: SC issued notice on a plea by a senior district judge in MP, who is scheduled to retire at the year-end, for quashing of sexual harassment charges

levelled against him by a woman judicial officer in 2018. The apex court has also stayed disciplinary proceedings against the district judge. A bench comprising Chief Justice

S A Bobde and Justices AS Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian issued notice to the Madhya Pradesh High Court on the plea. Citing this case where the judge is close

Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu to keep the duration of the zero hour at 30 minutes.

However, he said that the Lok Sabha Speaker and Rajya Sabha Chairman will take the final decision regarding the zero hour.

“Opposition parties are raising questions regarding question

RBI’S REVISED PSL GUIDELINES TO INCREASE CREDIT PENETRATION Mumbai: RBI issued revised guidelines for priority sector lending to enable better credit penetration to credit deficient areas and increase lending to small farmers besides weaker sections.In addition, the initiative will boost credit to renewable energy and health infrastructure. RBI said bank finance to start-ups up to Rs 50 crore, loans to farmers for installation of solar power plants for solarisation of grid-connected agriculture pumps, loans for setting up compressed bio-gas plants have been included as fresh categories.

to elevation and then something happens, the bench said it is a regular phenomenon in the system, all kinds of things start happening.

—Agencies

hour and zero hour. Arjun Ram Meghwal, V Muraleedharan & I had spoken to every party regarding this and except for TMC’s Derek O’Brien, everyone agreed (to scrap question hour),” Joshi told.

“I have suggested LS Speaker & RS Chairman to keep the duration of the zero hour at

BJP CANDIDATE ZAFAR ISLAM SET TO WIN RAJYA SABHA BYPOLL Lucknow: BJP UP unit general secretary Govind Narayan Shukla withdrew his candidature for by-elections to the lone RS seat from the state, thereby clearing the way for the party’s original nominee Syed Zafar Islam to be elected to contest unopposed on Friday.

Friday is the last date for the withdrawal of nomi-

nations and now with just Zafar left in the fray, the RS election process will not be stretched till Sept 11,the bypoll date, as the RS bypoll has now been reduced to a no-contest.

Zafar Islam would add to BJP’s numbers in the RS at the cost of Samajwadi Party whose MP Amar Singh’s demise in Singapore on August 1.

New Delhi: The CBSE opposed in SC a plea for postponement of reappear exams for Class 10 and 12, telling the court that all health safety measures are in place for holding the exams this month amid the coronavirus pandemic.

CBSE’s counsel said that the number of examination centres has been increased from 575 to 1,278, and that only 12 students will sit in a classroom for reappear exams in view of the social distance norm. Justices AM Khanwilkar, Dinesh Maheshwari, Sanjiv Khanna queried petitioner if the postponement of the examinations will help students.

30 minutes. They will take the final decision.

Govt is ready to have discussions on every issue. We have also requested the Speaker to take unstarred questions,” he said. The session will begin from September 14 & is slated to conclude on October 1, without any day off.

—ANI

AMIT SHAH @AMITSHAH May they serve the nation with utmost dedication while ensuring its security and integrity. I am confident that their commitment towards service will inspire our youngsters to join the Indian Police Service.

Pradhan’s meet with CHT staff

New Delhi: Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan held a meeting with officials of the Centre for High Technology (CHT) to discuss the adoption of best practices and promotion of Research Development and innovation in oil and gas operations.

“Held a meeting with officials of Centre for High Technology to discuss the adoption of best practices and promotion of R&D and innovation in our oil and gas operations to achieve continuous improvement in performance, processes and energy efficiency,” Pradhan tweeted attaching the pictures of his VC. Centre for High Technology (CHT) was established as a dedicated technology cell of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas in 1987 to assess futuristic requirements, acquire, develop and adopt technologies in the fields of refinery processes, petroleum products, work relating to the modernisation of technologies.

VAISHNO DEVI SHRINE TO DELIVER ‘PRASAD’ AT HOME Jammu: The management of Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine said that it has arranged home delivery of ‘Prasad’ to devotees throughout the country.

Ramesh Kumar Jangid, CEO of Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine said on his Twitter handle, “Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board has introduced the home delivery of Prasad to the devotees in India. “For further details and placing orders, please visit our website maavaishnodevi.org.

You can also get your queries redressed through 0-9906019475 from 8AM to 8PM JMD”.

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Very small proportion of the active cases are on ventilator support, said Health Ministry

INDIA’S TOTAL RECOVERIES SURPASS 30L New Delhi: India’s total COVID-19 recoveries have crossed 30 lakh and stand at 30,37,151 and a very small proportion of the active cases, amounting to less than 0.5 per cent, are on ventilator support, said Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Friday.

As per the Ministry, a total of 2 per cent cases are in ICUs and less than 3.5 per cent of the active cases occupy oxygen-supported beds.

India’s Case Fatality Rate (CFR) of COVID-19 is lower than the global average and progressively declining and currently stands at 1.74 per cent, “With the recovery of 66,659 in the last 24 hours, India has continued its trajectory of posting more than 60,000 recoveries for the eighth consecutive day. The recovery rate amongst the COVID-19 patients is 77.15 per cent demonstrating that the number of patients recovering is on a steady rise over the past several months,” Ministry said. The higher number of recoveries has also led to

Doctors take a COVID-19 test, at Banjar sub-division of Kullu.

a steady enhancement in the difference between the recovered and active ones.

“This difference has crossed 22 lakh, as on date. This ensured that the actual caseload of the country stands at 8,31,124, which are under active medical care.

The active cases cur-

rently comprises only 21.11 per cent of the total positive cases,” the Ministry said.

As many as 83,341 new coronavirus cases were recorded in the last 24 hours, India’s COVID-19 tally crossed 39-lakh mark on Friday, according to the Health Ministry.

COVID test report mandatory to enter Parliament

IGI to get India’s first on-site Covid test lab

New Delhi: As Parliament is geared up for the upcoming Monsoon Session, the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha Secretariats have issued detailed guidelines for MPs, their personal staff and parliamentary employees to follow during the period.

The members have been requested to get their RT-PCR tests conducted 72 hours prior to arrival at Parliament after September 11 onwards. If the tests are not done, then it will be done at the reception and the members will have to wait till the re

New Delhi: To test incoming international passengers, the country’s first on-site Covid testing facility is coming up at the capital’s Indira Gandhi International Airport and will provide RT-PCR test results within six hours.

The facility, to be set up by a private laboratory empanelled by the Delhi government for Covid testing, is expected to be operational by mid-September.

Genestrings Diagnostic Centre Director, Rajat Arora, said that the facility would ensure incoming passen-

and safety.

None of the candidate vaccines in advanced clinical trials so far has demonstrated a “clear signal” of efficacy at the level of at least 50% sought by the WHO, spokeswoman Margaret Harris

said. Russia granted regulatory approval to a Covid-19 vaccine in August after less than two months of human testing, prompting some Western experts to question its safety and efficacy.

U.S. public health of-

ficials and Pfizer Inc said on Thursday a vaccine could be ready for distribution as soon as late October.

That would be just ahead of the U.S. election on Nov. 3 in which the pandemic is likely to be a major factor

gers from abroad who could not arrange for a report on their Covid status can get it at the first airport upon reaching India.

Besides, residents of Delhi may choose to get tested at the airport laboratory and wait for the results before entering the city, he added.

among voters deciding whether President Donald Trump wins a second term.

“We are really not expecting to see widespread vaccination until the middle of next year,” Harris told a UN briefing in Geneva.

Compartment exams for classes 10 and Sushant’s case 12 to be held under medical from Sep 22-29

board perusal, report to be CBI

NCB officials nabbed Rhea’s brother Shovik Chakraborty after a raid at their house.

CBI denies sharing any details with media in Sushant Singh Rajput case New Delhi: The CBI is conducting investigations in the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput in a professional manner and media reports attributed to it are “speculative and not based on facts”, the investigation agency said.

The CBI said that as a matter of policy, “It does not share de-

tails of an ongoing investigation” and further refuted that any team member or spokesperson has

shared the details of its probe to the media. “The details being reported and attributed to CBI are not credible. It is requested that media may please confirm details from CBI spokesperson before quoting CBI,” the investigation agency said in a statement on Thursday.

New Delhi: Actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death case is under perusal by the medical board and the report will only be submitted to CBI in due course of time, (Prof) Dr Sudhir Gupta, Head of Forensic Department at AIIMS and Chairman of Medical board told on Friday.

Meanwhile, the NCB has issued notices to actor Rhea ’s brother Showik Chakraborty and her associate Samuel Miranda under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and asked them to join the investigation. This came after NCB conducted searches at residences of Showik and Miranda under the NDPS Act in a case related to Sushant Singh Rajput’s death.

WILL GANAPATHY BE NEW DG, NSG ?

Latest information says that M A Ganapathy is likely to succeed A K Singh as DG of NSG this month end. He is 1986 batch IPS officer of Uttarakhand cadre.

PUBLIC ENTERPRISES SELECTION BOARD GOES HEADLESS

HAS CEO OF PRASAR BHARTI RESIGNED ?

Showik, Miranda arrested by NCB Mumbai: Rhea Chakraborty’s brother Showik and Sushant Singh Rajput’s house manager Samuel Miranda were arrested on Friday after being questioned by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) which is probing allegations of drug abuse surrounding Rajput’s death in June. The two have been charged under multiple sections of the anti-narcotics law and will be produced in a court on Saturday, sources said.

NCB sleuths, accompanied by police officials, raided the residence of Showik Chakraborty in Santa Cruz (West) and Miranda’s house in suburban Andheri (West) from 6:30 am. Showik lives with sister Rhea.

Both Showik Chakraborty and Miranda, who is Rajput’s house manager, were handed over the summons to join the investig ation during the search, the of ficials said.

POWER Gallery The Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) has gone headless after its Chairman, Rajiv Kumar joined the Election Commission of India.

The Government of India has neither appointed a new incumbent nor assigned an additional charge to other Members.

‘Widespread Covid-19 vaccines not expected until mid-2021’ Geneva: The WHO does not expect widespread vaccinations against Covid-19 until the middle of next year, a spokeswoman said on Friday, stressing the importance of rigorous checks on their effectiveness

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There are strong rumours that CEO Prasar Bharti Shekhar Vempati has submitted resignation some time back. But there is no official confirmation.

His scheduled term expires next year.

DR. Y L P RAO LIKELY TO RETURN TO PARENT CADRE IN SEPT

Dr. Y L P Rao, Deputy Director General, UIDAI, HQ, New Delhi, presently on central deputation, is expected to return to parent cadre in September.

He is a 1986 batch IFS officer of Maharashtra cadre.

MALAY SRIVASTAVA OF MADHYA PRADESH TO GET ACS RANK

Madhya Pradesh cadre 1990 batch IAS officer Malay Srivastava will get ACS rank on October 1.

RAJ KUMAR SRIVASTAVA APPOINTED AMBASSADOR TO CROATIA

Raj Kumar Srivastava (IFS: 1997), presently Deputy Chief of Mission in the Embassy of India, Tokyo, has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Republic of Croatia.

DR. NEENA MALHOTRA IS NEW AMBASSADOR TO ITALY

Dr. Neena Malhotra (IFS: 1992), presently Additional Secretary in the Ministry, has been appointed next Ambassador of India to the Republic of Italy.

SHAILESH SINGH PROMOTED TO DGP GRADE IN MP

Shailesh Singh presently ADG, Fire Services, has been promoted to the grade of Director General of Police (DGP) in Madhya Pradesh. He is a 1987 batch IPS officer of MP cadre.

AJAY GUPTA PROMOTED TO ADG, CPWD GRADE

Ajay Gupta has been promoted to the grade of Additional Director General (Civil) in the Central Public Works Department (CPWD).

FOUR IPS OFFICERS GET NEW JOBS IN KARNATAKA New Delhi: The compartment examinations for classes 10 and 12 will be conducted from September 22 to 29, the CBSE announced on Friday.

“The compartment examination for the two classes will begin from September 22 and will conclude on September 29. All candidates will carry their own hand sanitiser in transparent bottles and (their own) water bottles, and will be required to cover their mouth and nose with mask or cloth,” CBSE Exam Controller Sanyam Bhardwaj said in an official notification detailing the exam schedule.

Dr Bheemashankar S Guled has been appointed as Superintendent of Police, Criminal Investigation Department, while C K Baba was made Deputy Commissioner of Police, North East Division, Bengaluru city and S Girish is Superintendent of Police, Ramanagar district. Similarly, Dr Anoop A Shetty has been appointed as Commandant, 9th Battalion, Karnataka State Reserve Police in Karnataka.

IFS OFFICERS GET NEW JOBS IN MP

Mrs Bindu Sharma has been appointed as APCCF, Human Resources Development in PCCF office, while Mrs Padmapriya Balakrishnan was made OSD, Public Relations and Sale Depot, New Delhi, while Surendra Singh Rajput was made PCCF/MD, State Forest Minor Produce.

Similarly, Chitranjan Tyagi has been appointed as APCCF, Development in PCCF office; H Y Khan as APCCF Work Plan Region, Bhopal and Ashish Kumar Verma will remain with NVDA in Madhya Pradesh By arrangement with: http:// whispersinthecorridors.com

FROM PG 1 HC orders...

Stating in the petition, Soni said that her husband had consulted Dr Ashit Patel of Sahjanand Hospital on June 4. He underwent several medical tests and was suspected to be suffering from pneumonia. Later, the doctor confirmed that Soni’s husband had a kidney infection and congested chest. But, Dr Patel did not deem it necessary for the patient to undergo the COVID-19 test. He also confirmed that there were 70 patients in the hospital with ‘similar’ symptoms and that they were being

treated without having to undergo a COVID-19 test.

Two days after his admission to the hospital, Soni’s husband was told that he was being treated for novel coronavirus and being administered medications for other ‘unknown’ comorbid diseases to avoid complications in the future. He was also informed that he may remain hospitalized for five to 12 days.

On June 8, the health of the petitioner’s husband deteriorated and he needed to be put on ventilator support. He was advised to seek a

hospital where a ventilator was available by staffers at Sahjanand Hospital. The hospital also did not allow him to use the hospital elevator, since he was COVID-19 positive.

Thereafter, he was taken to ESIC Hospital, Bapunagar, where he was refused admission since the hospital did not have a ventilator. He was then finally taken to Civil Hospital, where he breathed his last on June 9.

6 non-BJP... are usually considered ‘in-chambers’ through circulation of petition

among the judges of the bench. The judges then decide ‘in-chambers’ whether there is any merit in the review petition to re-examine the case in open court hearing.

While refusing to interfere with the conduct of medical and engineering entrance exams, the top court had said that though there is pandemic situation, ultimately life has to go and the career of the students cannot be put on peril for long and full academic year cannot be wasted .

Maharashtra is...

“Kisi ke baap mein himmat hai to rok le (if anyone’s father has the guts to stop me, then try it).”

She said Maharashtra is not someone’s father’s property.w In a series of tweets, Kangana Ranaut targeted those criticising her for recent posts on Twitter, saying, “Maharashtra belongs to only those who have strengthened the Maratha pride and I can say with confidence that I am a Maratha.”

Meanwhile, Home Minister Anil Deshmukh Those who think Maharashtra or Mumbai is not safe for them

have no right to live in the state, said on Friday after Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut likened the megapolis to Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) and criticised its police.

Trust, non-aggression...

“Peaceful stable and secure region of SCO member states which is home to over 40 per cent of the global population, demands a climate of trust and cooperation, non-aggression, respect for international rules and norms, sensitivity to each other’s interest and peaceful

resolution of differences,” Singh said.

Situation along...

“Keeping in view of the situation, we had undertaken some precautionary deployment for our own safety and security. These deployments we undertook along the LAC (Line of Actual Control)so that our security n integrity remains safeguarded,” Naravane stated.

ECI to...

At present, there are 65 clear vacancies due for by-elections in the Assembly/Parliamentary Constituency, out of

which there are 64 vacancies in the state Legislative Assemblies of various states and one vacancy for the Parliamentary Constituency, the Commission stated in a press release.

The Commission reviewed the reports and inputs from Chief Secretaries/ Chief Electoral Officers of many of the states concerned seeking deferment of the by-elections in their states in view of several factors including the extra-ordinary heavy rains in some places and other constraints like pandemic.

With Agency inputs

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T

eaching helps to ensure essential learning. The closure of schools since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis deprives children and youth of opportunities for development and improvement.

The impacts of this decision are likely to be major, particularly for vulnerable students, especially disadvantaged students, who generally have access to fewer educational opportunities outside the school setting.

Students with learning difficulties may also be particularly affected when there is a prolonged interruption in school. The burden of catching up after a period of prolonged inactivity may precipitate dropping out of school for some.

The current situation in Québec and else-

where in the world makes it necessary to implement an action plan to maintain learning and minimize the inequalities and negative effects that could result from this prolonged interruption in schooling.

Our group of researchers is examining educational systems in contexts of emergency, reconstruction, and development at the University of Québec at Montréal. Our fields of expertise are education in emergency situations, and in learning and teaching.

Research in the field of education in crisis situations allows us to identify three main orientations for educational planning during the pandemic: supporting parents, identifying student needs, and managing educational resources in collaboration with teachers.

PARENTS NEED HELP

AHMEDABAD | SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2020

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Being a teacher is incredibly challenging in the best of times and in the pandemic, it’s even more complex.

Whether it’s about managing the technology, selflearning a new way of teaching, making emotional connections with students, and having to steer different capabilities among children through a screen. Teachers’ Day in India is celebrated on September 5 to commemorate the birth anniversary of Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan

A SHOUT-OUT TO

TEACHERS

hile schools are closed, parents are W asked to teach and facilitate learning at home. Many may have difficulty doing

this, which can become a major source of stress.

Parents are already putting a lot of pressure on themselves regarding their children’s education. In a crisis situation, schools must therefore be especially attentive to parents and respond to their concerns. The priority is to ensure that every family has access to resources to maintain and consolidate learning.

Provinces have a responsibility to mobilize and consult with teachers. The idea is to put measures in place that ideally will ensure the consolidation, or at least the maintenance, of learning.

This can reduce the negative effects of prolonged interruption when classes are resumed.

REDUCING SOCIAL INEQUALITIES

among Ifiednequalities students must be identiand addressed, both

in terms of basic needs, such as food and security, and educational needs.

Again, the involvement of teachers is essential to ensure that social inequalities are reduced.

Research in the field of education in emergencies suggests that almost all students, and even more so vulnerable students, experience a drop in school performance or a delay in learning when they are out of school for long periods of time. Therefore, it is crucial that teachers follow up with their students and identify the specific needs of more vulnerable students to maintain appropriate learning.

Since students may suffer from the lack of social interaction provided by the school, it is desirable to provide opportunities for them to connect with their colleagues and their teacher by forming virtual discussion groups or offering interactive learning platforms.

School is also an important means of protection for many young people. Many need free or low-cost meals provided in school to ensure adequate or healthy nutrition. School closures can therefore have a direct impact on the food security of students.

Some youth may also be at greater risk of family violence, as the normal school safety net no longer holds during confinement.

That may result in a significant decrease in the number of reports to youth protection services.

Teachers need to maintain the special relationship they have with their students to ensure their safety.

TRANSLATING LEARNING EXPECTATIONS n addition, teachers should set Ishould clear and realistic goals, which come from education

ministries, and tailor these for each child. This action by teachers is particularly important for the most vulnerable students and their parents, with whom it is important to communicate regularly and make frequent assessments of their situation.

Let’s also recognize the emotional burden teachers carry if they make these efforts and can’t succeed in making contact with parents of vulnerable children.

Teachers also need to strategically reduce their expectations for all students and identify a few

specific areas they want students to focus on while ensuring that expectations are clear on both sides. It’s also possible to plan tasks to allow students to work at their own pace, on their own initiative, or according to their areas of interest, for example by offering several choices of activities.

By their nature, crises are unpredictable. Moreover, there is no master plan for teaching at a certain grade level.

Teachers organize their year in their own way. Only teachers can translate government guidelines into concrete learning measures.

PROVIDING VARIED RESOURCES igital resources can be an aid D to learning, but also a barrier.

Not all families necessarily have access to the same technological tools (internet, computer, television, telephone). They also don’t have the same level of knowledge and skills in the use of technology. This can lead to further inequalities among students.

It’s, therefore, necessary to ensure that all students have access to sufficient resources to maintain their learning. The

idea isn’t to set aside all digital learning platforms, but there is a need for various solutions that are stable and less vulnerable to breakdowns and technical difficulties. These might include mailings, talking on the phone, and educational radio or TV. Teacher support is absolutely necessary to make these aims a reality. Government initiatives to maintain student learning cannot be effective without the use of an invaluable educational resource: the expertise of teachers.

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

A mother’s love, hugs and prayers always remain with her children like their breath.

2ND FRONT

—Jagdeesh Chandra, CEO & Editor, First India

AHMEDABAD | SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2020

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Spike in cremation numbers creates a scare in Rajkot

RMC Commissioner Udit Agarwal says all cremations are not of Covid-19 patients Shishir Awasthi Rajkot: With the recent spike in Covid-19 cases in Saurashtra, there is a veritable rush at the crematoriums in the region’s nerve centre Rajkot even as the administration stated that all deaths could not be attributed to coronavirus.

Rajkot Municipal Commissioner Udit Agarwal told First India that Rajkot being “the nerve centre of the entire Saurashtra region, many patients from several other districts are brought here.”

Asked about the rush at the crematoriums indicating a larger death toll, Agarwal said, “It must be understood that the burial/cremation protocol even for suspected (corona) cases is the same as that for the

Guj consumer disputes body gets new chief First India Bureau Gandhinagar: Former judge of the Gujarat High Court, Justice (retd) VP Patel, has been appointed the new chairperson of the Gujarat State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission.

He was appointed

by Chief Minister Vijay Rupani in consultation with the High Court and has already assumed the charge, an official State Government release said.

Rupani also took into consideration the representations of NGOs and lawyers working in the consumer rights domain before finalising the new chairperson, said the release.

The appointment would reduce pending cases and speed up the legal process for ensuring justice to consumers, the release added.

SCARY TALE

There has been a heavy rush at crematoriums in Rajkot for the last few days.

Covid-19 cases, as a precautionary measure.”

Going by the latest official numbers as on Friday, Rajkot has reported 74 Covid-19 deaths, while total positive cases so far are 3,573 and 1,625 people are under treatment. Gujarat’s total tally has already crossed 1 lakh cases.

According to information culled from the

crematoriums in the city, more than 500 people were cremated in Rajkot till the end of August, while as many as 78 bodies were cremated in the first three days of September.

Shyambhai, who works at the Ramnathpara crematorium in Rajkot, said funeral of 26 patients took place there during the last four days.

A separate list of Covid-19 deaths was being maintained there, he said. Eight bodies were cremated in April at Ramnathpara and Muktidham and 7 in May. There were 202 funerals in June and 102 in July. So 319 bodies have been cremated in August and 39 within 3 days in September. Raghavbhai of Motamau-

wa crematorium in Rajkot says that 94 cremations had taken there, while Nirmalbhai at Bapunagar has a record of 104 funerals till August. With this, the total stands at 517 at 4 crematoriums till August.

According to government figures, the death toll in Rajkot city and district is below 125, but the crematoriums tell a different story.

08

Via retired babus, SSP says big disaster averted First India Bureau Ahmedabad: A day after First India reported that the Narmada dam authorities suddenly released huge quantities of water for 4 days since August 29 leading to heavy floods in Bharuch, 4 retired Gujarat Government officials have opined that the dam had in fact become a major source to prevent major flood calamities.

While the Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Ltd has not yet sent an official statement denying the story, which quoted experts who in turn had relied on official data in their study, it has only tweeted the opinion of the retired officials.

Asked about this, Himanshu Thakkar of South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People (SANDARP),

YOU READ IT FIRST IN FIRST INDIA SEPTEMBER 04, 2020

IMPACT who brought out the study of the water releases, told First India that his source was official data, which had been profusely quoted in his report that is in public domain.

He wondered, “Why is there no official reply or statement or clarification by the SSNNL? It is relying on the opinion of retired officials. There can’t be any end to it, I won’t counter opinions and so am hold-

ing on to my opinion too. Let there be an official statement. So far, they have not denied it.”

First India had reported on Thursday that there were ample warnings of heavy rainfall in the upstream of Narmada for at least four days and the dam authorities could have staggered the release of water instead of discharging more than 10 lakh cusecs of water. The sudden huge releases of water led to flooding in Bharuch.

HC asks schools’ reply as govt says it’s helpless on fees First India Bureau Ahmedabad: Days after the State Government threw its hands up over the vexed lockdown fees issue with private schools, the Gujarat High Court on Friday asked the Self-Financed (private) Schools Management Federa-

tion to file a reply before September 11.

This was after the government submitted in the high court that it had not been able to bring around the school managements to an amicable solution, including a 25% discount in the fees for the lockdown period and till the schools remained

this was why it was unable to implement the High Court’s order to issue a necessary circular over the issue.

The matter came up for hearing on Friday and the High Court, in response to the State’s submission for fresh directives, asked the schools’ management federation to file a fresh

closed.

Seeking fresh directions from the court, the government had on August 24 claimed that it had convened two meetings with the private school managements on August 17 and August 20 “with an open mind” to resolve the issue but they refused to budge. The State said

reply before the next hearing on September 11. On an earlier occasion, the court had taken a pragmatic position to quash a government resolution (GR) that ordered a complete waiver of school fees and asked the government and school managements to sit together and find an amicable solution.

MAN GETS JAIL UNTO DEATH FOR RAPING 2-YR-OLD GIRL

NEW LEASE OF LIFE

First India Bureau

The State Forest Department on Thursday night rescued an 8-foot-long crocodile from Manjalpur area in Vadodara.

Surat: A special POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) court on Friday convicted a 27-year-old man for rape of a 2-year-old girl and sentenced him to imprisonment till death.

In the brutal crime, the convict had seriously injured the girl and doctors who examined her informed the court that the child could have died. The minor remained abandoned, partially without clothes, in a sugarcane farm for over 18

hours after the crime.

Within 18 months of the crime the accused was convicted despite the courts not working to its full strength. The survivor was raped on March 11, 2019 in the Amroli area.

Additional Sessions Judge PS Kala con-

victed Shatrughna alias Bijli Mahendra Yadav, a labourer, who was a neighbour of the victim. “The court announced maximum punishment considering the brutality of the crime,” public prosecutor Kishore Revaliya said.

HUMOUR IN UNIFORM!

A son of the soil, Modi spots commonality between Surat & Assam In a video conference with young IPS officers, the PM said people at both places pronounce ‘S’ as ‘H’ 

First India Bureau New Delhi: Putting his son-of-the-soil knowledge of Gujarat to effective use, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday drew a parallel of sorts between Surat and Assam during his video interaction with IPS probationers at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy, Hyderabad.

Modi said while Su-

rat is the second largest city of Gujarat, Assam is India’s key Northeastern state. The Prime Minister pointed out that it was interesting that people at both the places pronounce ‘S’ as ‘H’ while conversing in the local language.

He stated this when during the video conference he noticed a young officer introduced himself from Assam but had stud-

PM Modi interacted with IPS probationers through video conference at the IPS Academy in Hyderabad.

ied engineering in Surat. The former Gujarat chief minister asked the officer if he had noticed a commonality between Assam and Surat.

After the officer replied in the negative, Modi evoked laughter when he said, “People in Assam pronounce ‘H’ instead of ‘S’, and the people of Surat also speak ‘H’ instead of ‘S’.

The people of Surat would speak ‘paiha’ in-

stead of ‘paisa’, same as the people in Assam who refer to Assam as ‘Aham’.”

Since Surat is known for its food, the Prime Minister asked him if he was missing Surti food and would take some Surti food to Assam.

The officer said he did miss it and would take some items like ‘khakhra’ when traveling to Assam from Surat.

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09

AHMEDABAD, SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 5, 2020

MASTI ki Paathshala!

On Teachers’ Day, City First walks the corridors of teaching with a few teacherstudent centric movies which have touched us like our beloved teachers in real life

ANITA HADA

anita.hada@firstindianews.com

M

y favourite movie, as of so many others, from the Teacher-Student genre, is ‘Taare Zameen Par’. For me, Aamir Khan is what a teacher should be, someone who guides children to reach their potential and be happy! It looks beyond the errors to the unhappy heart of a child, Ishaan and guides him beyond this to joy and confidence. The movie beautifully draws out that how parents, who have the best interests of the child at heart, may lose their way in the ‘social climbing’ game and actually do irreparable damage.

‘Black’ is amazingly beautiful on two platforms, one is the introduction of the viewer into the life for the deaf and blind and of course other is the heartrendingly beautiful relationship between the student Rani Mukherjee and the teacher Amitabh Bachchan.

Their dependency and later role reversal brings forth the cycle of life, the movie also depicts the reality of the role of a teacher who has to give wings, teach to fly and then watch the student touch the skies.

‘Chalk N Duster’ highlighted the problems facing the education system with a rather dramatic ending but was worth a watch. ‘Hitchki’ is one of the best portrayals of a teacher by Rani Mukherjee as she fights a battle with herself suffering from Tourette syndrome and in the school for acceptance from her class and later for her class. It’s about giving a chance, a chance which each one of us deserves.

‘Mohabbatein’ and ‘Main Hoon Na’ are blockbusters

‘Paathshaala’

‘Black’

‘Main Hoon Na’

that mixed romance and drama with the backdrop of college life making us all secretly hope for such teachers and such a school life. Regardless of the melodrama, the romance between Shahrukh and Sushmita was the cutest.

‘Do Dooni Chaar’ was adorable, it sets up the middle-class expectations so truly, the life of a common teacher, family life and needs, social obligations all tied together in the Indian diaspora of day to day meandering issues.

‘Rockford’ is about growing up, and exploration of self all under the guidance of teachers. It is a movie that flows like a softly bubbling brook sparking memories at the turns and twists.

‘Paathshala’ was a little too stereotypical for my taste in every aspect.

‘Sir’ with Naseeruddin Shah in the title role is worth a watch as it grapples more than just the role of a teacher taking on the Mumbai gang wars and a romantic relationship against all odds along with mentoring Pooja Bhatt to overcome her shyness induced by stammering.

‘Chalk N Duster’ ‘Rockford’

‘Hitchki’

‘Taare Zameen Par’ ‘Black’

‘Sir’

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10

Dr. S. Radhakrishnan : A TRUE TEACHER Both teachers and students must move ahead together for the nation to progress.

GURMAN SINGH cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

S

FA CE OF TH ED AY

arvepalli Radhakrishnan was an Indian philosopher, academic, and statesman who was the second President of India from 1962 to 1967. He was the first Vice President of India (1952– 1962).

“It is an honor to philosophy” observed Lord Russell in 1962, “that Dr. Radhakrishnan should be President of India.” Lord Russell regarded it as a fulfillment of the Platonic dream that philosophers must be kings. Dr. Radhakrishnan began his distinguished career as an interpreter of the poetry of Rabindranath Tagore. In his interpretative work, ‘The Philosophy of Rabindranath Tagore’, Dr. Radhakrishnan not only viewed this famous poet as a historic link in the long chain of India’s cultural evolution but also as the prophet of modern India’s cultural renaissance.

One of India’s most influential scholars of comparative religion and philosophy, Radhakrishnan built a bridge between the East and the West by showing how the philosophical systems of each tradition is comprehensible within the terms of the other. He wrote authoritative exegeses of India’s religious and philosophical literature for the English speaking world. His academic appointments included the King George V Chair of Mental and Moral Science at the University of Calcutta (1921– 1931) and Spalding Professor of Eastern Religion and Ethics at Oxford University (1936–1952) by which he became the first Indian to hold a professorial chair at the University of Oxford.

Although Dr. Radhakrishnan is justly renowned as a philosopher, he is essentially a creative artist. It is perhaps significant that the Goethe Plaquette was awarded to him since he symbolized Goethe’s ideal of the creative artist who becomes a different being in the successive stages of his career. For he has achieved distinction in four different fields of intellectual and political endeavor–Indian philosophy in its wider perspectives, diplomacy, social thought, and comparative religion.

R a d hakrishnan was knighted in 1931 but ceased to use the title “Sir” after India attained independence. Among the many other honors he received were the Bharat Ratna the highest civilian award in India, in 1954, and the honorary membership of the British Roya Order of Merit (1963). Sarvepalli believed that “teachers should be the best minds in the country”.

When Sarvepalli became the President of India, some of his students and friends requested him to allow them to celebrate his birthday, on 5 September. He replied, instead of celebrating my birthday, it would be my proud privilege if September 5th is observed as Teachers’ Day. His birthday has since been celebrated as Teacher’s Day in India.

YOUR DAY Horoscope by Saurabbh Sachdeva

By education, I mean an all-round drawing of the best in child and man in body, mind and spirit.

—M.K. GANDHI

Parents are teachers, and home is a child’s first and most important classroom.

—HILARY CLINTON, former US states secretary

If the people remember me as a good teacher, that will be the biggest honour for me.

—Dr. A.P.J ABDUL KALAM, Missile man of India

You have to grow from the inside out. None can teach you; none can make you spiritual. There is no other teacher but your own soul.

—SWAMI VIVEKANANDA

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

CANCER

To have a smooth running life, you must plan things systematically. Buying and selling a property will be on your mind. On academic front, your destiny will take a turn and things will change for good. Criticism against evil practices will be the best thing to do.

You may get a bit confused in terms of prioritising the work. Timely initiative has to be taken to build the castle of your dreams. You may sit with your child to give him/her some lessons of the life. You will do well in studies. Tolerating financial pressures has made you strong.

You are following the correct path as far as your career is concerned but a little hard work is needed to reach heights.You have your parents hand on your head and nothing can harm you. You are involved in charity work and you gain blessings on everyday basis.

You will grow sensitive towards a family member.

Your love life is promising and your partner always understands you in every situation.

Bold personality and straight forwardness is your personality trademark. Someone will share you workload today.

MAR 21 - APR 20

APR 21 - MAY 20

MAY 21 - JUNE 21

JUNE 22 - JULY 23

LEO

VIRGO

LIBRA

SCORPIO

You are get a surprise call from someone dear. Your plans for foreign settlement will work but its will just take a little more time considering the present pandemic. A new love life is on the cards and it will be a beautiful one. Shower your blessings and good wishes on someone who need them.

You are somebody who can sacrifice anything for your kids and you a nothing less than a God for your kids, such is your respect. An excellent opportunity waits for you.

You must sit and pray for your problems rather than crying about them.

Implementing on your plans will benefit you so without further delays just get going. Be nice to your parents today and express your gratitude for all that they have done for you. You are a very intelligent person in general. Glow on face is the indication of a good news.

You love to interact with people in ongoing basis.

You are someone who is so full of life that people want to be like you. You are always positive and cheerful.

Don’t let anything hold you back from express your true feeling to your lover.

JULY 24 - AUGUST 23

AUG 24 - SEP 23

SEPT 24 - OCTOBER 22

OCT 23 - NOVEMBER 22

SAGITTARIUS

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

You have a rich lifestyle and you don’t hesitate in spending on expensive rare things. You respect and admire people who wants to grow in life and you always show your support for such personalities. Impressed by your hard work in projects, you seniors are going to reward you big time.

Catch up with your friends even if its on phone, it will feel refreshing. If you decide to do something than nothing can stop you from achieving what you want, it’s your will thats plays an important role.

You may get nominated for some prestigious award.

You are energetic and people are often surprised with your managerial skills.

You will remain awestruck with your spouse. You know how to control a situation. Putting someone’s safety at risk for self gain should be avoided, you are a good person and don’t let anyone else influence you.

You have many options in life and to choose the right one also depends totally on you. You will connect with someone who will change your life for good. You are interested in something creative and you won’t sit quietly until you find out where you passion lies.

NOV 23 - DEC 22

NANDNI SHARMA, Model

NARENDRA MODI, PM of India

DEC 23 - JAN 20

JAN 21 - FEB 19

FEB20 - MARCH 20

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Remembering Rishi Kapoor

F

ilmmaker Anubhav Sinha remembered working with late legendary actor Rishi Kapoor in his critically acclaimed film ‘Mulk,’ on the occasion of his 68th birth anniversary. Sinha who directed Kapoor and actor Taapsee Pannu in ‘Mulk,’ took to Instagram to remember the senior actor on his birth anniversary. He posted a still from the film featuring Rishi Kapoor and wrote, “It was such an honor working with you Chintu Ji. Thanks for meeting me that day. Miss you. Happy Anubhav Sinha’s post Birthday Sir.” Rishi Kapoor passed away at the age of 67 on June 30, 2020, after a two-year-long battle with leukaemia. He was last seen in the 2019 film ‘The Body’ alongside Emraan Hashmi and Sobhita Dhulipala. Often branded as Bollywood’s first chocolate boy, he touched heights of stardom in the film industry with iconic roles in blockbuster hits like ‘Bobby’, ‘Chandni’, ‘Karz’, and many others.

—ANI

SCROLL THROUGH!

T

he makers of 'Dolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitare' on Friday dropped the quirky trailer that sees Konkona Sen Sharma and Bhumi Pednekar as two cousins "who will do whatever it takes to break the invisible shackles that are keeping them from the ideal lives they envision".

Pednekar posted the quirky trailer of the Poster of the film upcoming film on Instagram and noted,"#DollyKittyAu rWohChamakteSitare. We are good girls.

Meow-ing my way into your life on the 18th of September #Kitty #DollyKittyAurWohChamakteSitare."

—ANI

A

ctor Ishaan Khatter who will next be seen essaying the role of a taxi driver in the upcoming film 'Khaali Peeli', on Friday dropped glimpses of his look test from the film. He posted his pictures in the dress-up of a typical taxi driver on Instagram and penned his experience of essaying the character. Along with the pictures, he noted, "First look test... BLACKIE. Man, what a blast this one has been. Thank you @ macriaan for giving me one of my favourite characters so far."

—ANI

AHMEDABAD | SATURDAY,

SEPTEMBER 5, 2020

11

EXPRESSING

GRATITUDE E

xpressing gratitude to the relentless COVID warriors, megastar Kareena Kapoor Khan has donated anti-microbial T-shirts to doctors and healthcare workers at three hospitals.

The ‘Heroine’ actor has donated these anti-microbial T-shirts to healthcare professionals at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) New Delhi; Lokmanya Tilak Municipal General Hospital, Mumbai and Sakra World Hospital, Bengaluru.

While wearing PPEs are critical in protecting frontline workers, putting on heavy and layered protective equipment for hours on the stretch is not an easy task. It can be exhausting and extremely uncomfortable. These antimicrobial T-shirts can be a simple, yet effective solution to make wearing PPE kits more comfortable. These Tshirts help control, destroy and suppress the growth of micro-organisms and the effects of odour.

The ‘Jab We Met’ star also shared a special message to the frontline warriors and posted it to Instagram. In the message, Kareena said, “In times when we all are social distancing and doing whatever we can to protect one another, I comment your undaunting spirit and your relentless efforts...”

The actor thanked the frontline

warriors who have been working round the clock and said, “When the world turned upside down and all of us were at home, you were out there protecting us on the fields...I totally understand that wearing the PPE suits is so important to protect yourselves, however, it must be pretty difficult to wear that heavy protective gear... So as my small gesture of gratitude... please accept from my PUMA family the protective masks and anti-microbial Tshirts... I do hope that these things will send you lots of positivity, and lots of strength and love from me and the PUMA family.”

Appreciating frontline heroes for putting others ahead of themselves, Kareena sent a heartfelt personalised note thanking them for their heroic efforts. The ‘Good Newwz’ actor’s note said, “Your selflessness is unmatched.

Words can’t express our heartfelt gratitude for your tireless efforts. This is a small gesture to thank you from the bottom of my heart. We are and will always be #StrongerTogether”.

—ANI

TESTED POSITIVE

H

ollywood actor Robert Pattinson is said to have tested positive for COVID-19, causing filming of the much-anticipated movie 'The Batman' to halt.

According to Vanity Fair, Pattinson tested positive only a few days after the shooting of the movie had resumed near London following lockdown. "A member of The Batman production has tested positive for Covid-19 and is isolating in accordance with established protocols. Filming is temporarily paused," Warner Bros said in a state-

Robert Pattinson

ment adding that they would not comment on any individual worker's health.

The US publication has confirmed through a reliable source that Pattinson was the individual who got infected. Soon after the production halt, the theatrical release date of the film has been pushed back by the Warner Bros. Studios from June 2021 to October 1, 2021.

The new Batman film stars Paul Dano, John Turturro, Andy Serkis, Colin Farrell, and Zoe Kravitz.

The movie is planned for release in 2021.

—ANI

STARRING IN 'A THURSDAY'

A

ctor Yami Gautam is all set to step into the shoes of a playschool teacher in her upcoming film 'A Thursday', which would be released on a digital platform. Yami took to Instagram to announce the film as she shared a collage of her picture along with the pictures of the filmmak-

ers. Film critic and trade analyst Taran Adarsh also shared the upate on Twitter and said, "ANNOUNCEMENT... #YamiGautam in #AThursday... A direct to digital release... Directed

by Behzad Khambata... Produced by Ronnie Screwvala and Premnath Rajagopalan." "#Yami essays the role of a playschool teacher in the film," he further shared.

Helmed by Behzad Khambata and produced by Ronnie Screwvala and Premnath Rajagopalan, the film will release digitally in 2021.

—ANI

Kareena Kapoor Khan (inset) Still from her post

Sexist comment

F

our days after she won two awards at the MTV’s Video Music Awards, musician and actor Miley Cyrus during a recent interview said that the director of the VMAs made a sexist comments toward her. The statement came during her recent appearance on ‘The Joe Rogan Experience,’ reported Fox News. The ‘Wrecking Ball’ singer said that one of her bracelets got entangled with something backstage before she appeared on the stage to perform her new single ‘Midnight Sky.’ “They said, ‘You know, you want to be treated like a guy and look like a guy, we wouldn’t be dealing with this if a guy was doing it,’” Fox News quoted Miley as saying and referring to the show directors. The former ‘Hannah Montana’ actor said that the comment from the show director followed after she had put forward some questions regarding her performance at the show. “I was just asking some questions.

I wanted the lights to be turned off, and then the lighting of the room to just be lighting me. So no key light, no beauty light.

The beauty light is always used on women and I said, ‘Turn the lights off. You would never tell Travis Scott or Adam Levine that he couldn’t turn the beauty light off ’” she said.

—ANI

Ishaan Khatter Yami Gautam

Miley Cyrus

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AHMEDABAD | SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2020

HAPPY TEACHERS’ DAY NEHAL NAYAR

City First got in touch with its readers from Rajasthan & Gujarat to recall their favourite memory of their favourite teacher on Teachers’ Day

nehal.nayar@firstindia.co.in

QUE...

QUEen Q1. I am a 26-yearold boy. I had a crush on a girl while I was in college. We talked daily as a friend while college time. She used to say that she liked me as a friend (Friendzone). Then she has married the guy who qualified by her parents and she said that she would be a friend with me a lifetime. That’s why I couldn’t forget her. I have tried but I couldn’t. We talk on the phone as a friend once in a week or a month. If I don’t call her a long time, she will call me. How can I be a friend in front of her?

Ans. Well, it will sound cruel but frankly, I think it is high time you blocked her from your phone and life. It is quite clear that you are unable to accept her just as a friendthe role she has designated to you in her life. Move on, I am sure you are a wonderful person as she is unable to let go of you as a friend too, but you need more and deserve more in your life. So, call her one final time, tell her goodbye and block her! It will be painful but you need a final break so you can pursue other romantic interests. Let her be a beautiful memory.

Q2. Why has my partner gone off sex? It’s been three months but he shows barely an interest.

Ans. Well, the past three months have been very difficult worldwide. With the world crashing around our ears due to the corona pandemic a lot of relationships are undergoing huge strain. The confidence level is way down as is financial stability. You should not take it personally, has he gone through a major career change also? If you have been frank with each other as far as sex is concerned in the past then set up a nice comfortable setting (not romantic) and ask him if you can help and what you are feeling. Keep it open and relaxed. Allow room for discussion and keep your communication non-accusatory.

Have any questions?

Mail them to quequeenfirstindia@ gmail.com; don’t worry, your name will not be disclosed!

T

o mark the birth anniversary of India’s former President, scholar, philosopher and Bharat Ratna awardee, Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, the country celebrates Teachers’ Day every year on 5 September. It is celebrated to honour teachers and celebrate their contribution to the literary world.

For a fact, the first-ever Teachers’ Day celebration was on 5 September, 1962, which was about 58 years ago. Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan once quoted, “True teachers are those who help us think for ourselves,” and

jarat to recall their favourite memory with their favourite teacher.

RAJASTHAN: On Friday, an Interactive Session on the various functionalities of Government e-Marketplace (GeM) was organized on a Virtual Platform. Senjeet Kumar, Deputy CEO- GeM and State Nodal Officer said to remove entry barriers for bonafide sellers we have created a vibrant marketplace with a wide range of goods and services.

RAJASTHAN: Chairperson Rituraj Sharma along with the High Court employees association bid a floral farewell to Justice Abhay Chaturvedi in Jaipur on Friday.

RAJASTHAN: St Xavier’s College is organising a special online event ‘SPREADING FACTS, NOT FEAR’ today, to combat Corona where dignitaries from various fields will address the students who will join in online. The event will be held at the St. Xavier’s College Auditorium, Hathroi Fort and will be attended in person by the teachers. All COVID-19 protocol will be maintained.

My favourite mentor and biggest motivator was my school principal. I am a black belt in Taekwondo and went to play nationals and it was all possible because of her. I met with a grave accident after my trials and had lost all hope and my confidence hit rock bottom and that’s when she motivated me to give my best. That moment in my life was the turning point after which I haven’t ever given up on anything

—AKSHAY PARASHAR, Rajasthan

As a bird would take her young one under her wings, as a mother would take her child under protection, the same way Ucchil teacher always showed love and cared for us as we were her own kids. A teacher doesn’t teach only in school but she also teaches us how we can be a better person by showering love.

My favourite teacher was my class teacher when I was in Junior KG. What I admired the most about her was her beauty. For me, she was the princess of some fairy tale.

Now looking back, I understand that I admired her for the way she carried herself and the elegance that she showcased by her charisma.

—POONAM JAISWAL, Gujarat

—KANIKA RANA, Gujarat

CHAMPIONS OF SOCIAL MEDIA

DURING THE DAY!

Kashvini Gehlot, daughter of RCA President Vaibhav Gehlot celebrated her 10th birthday on Friday. We wish her all the best!

My favourite memory was when we went on a school trip to Alwar with our computer teacher and got to know a completely different side of his. Sir was enjoying the trip more than the students he was relaxed, cool and super intellectual to us. No doubt he made our trip one of the most memorable trips during schools. We are still connected even after 6 years of school.

—SONALI CHOUDHARY, Rajasthan

this is true to so many levels.

City First got in touch with its readers from Rajasthan and Gu-

KARNATAKA: Bengaluru based Nayana Jyothi Trust in collaboration with Rotary is playing a significant role in the eye donation movement. Rtn. S.Jayaraman is the founder trustee of the foundation. The foundation is working on a wonderful concept of ‘Live 100 years…Get as many eyes.’

Working on this concept, the foundation not only motivates people to pledge their own eyes but also designates the title of ‘Sight Ambassadors’ to those eye donors.

—Anubha Jain

HAPPY B’DAY!

GUJARAT: On Friday, a man was seen feeding monkeys and stray dogs together, creating a Jugal Bandhi at Shahibhagh in Ahmedabad. It is a rare view of both the animals sitting together calmly and eating their food.

—PHOTO BY HANIF SINDHI

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IAS Dr Bharti Dixit celebrated her birthday on 4 September, Friday. We wish her all the best!

Some of the jury of ‘Social Symphony Awards’ CITY FIRST

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n Friday, Pink City’s first-ever virtual Social Media award ceremony left everyone mesmerized in the digital circuit. Social media experts and enthusiasts from different cities like Mumbai, Bangalore, Pune and Delhi connected together for Social Symphony Awards that was held live on Facebook and Youtube. The event was hosted virtually from Bangalore by renowned TV anchor Akanksha Saxena who kept the audience gripped with her witty humour. The judges included the crème de la crème of Jaipur and other parts of the country who notably appreciated the concept and the process of Social Symphony Awards.

With the resolve to promote domestic businesses through #VocalforLocal, Jaipur Beat has introduced this pioneering platform by recognizing Jaipur’s social media champions. Nearly 82 profiles were scanned, covering a range of sectors and industries in the city, in itself reiterating the

fact that social media became an integral part of people’s life during testing times. The first of its kind Social Symphony Awards recognized 12 exceptional brands and individuals for their creativity and dynamism on their social media platforms during the complete lockdown.

HONORARY AWARDS

WINNERS 1. SHUTTERBUG ON BACKPACK n

2. PALATIAL ABODE n n

Winner: Samode Hotels Special Mention: Shahpura Hotels

3. THE SWEET TOOTH’S CLUB n

Winner: Nibs Café

4. NURTURING HUBS n

Winner: Indian Institute of Gems and Jewellery, Jaipur (IIGJ Jaipur)

5. SMART FORKS

1. Rays Aasha Ki Ek Kiran- For their treatment, care, and support to HIV+ children in Jaipur 2. Viren Sharma- For leading as a canine counselor and pet-nutritionist in Jaipur 3. Praveen Lata Sansthan- For empowering women and girls from poor and marginalized communities in Jaipur

n

SPECIAL MENTION

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1. Niros Jaipur- For being the choice of domestic and international travelers for continental food in Jaipur 2. Handi- For being the choice of authentic non-vegetarian delights in Jaipur 3. Laxmi Misthan Bhandar- For being the choice of authentic sweets in Jaipur 4. Tapri: The Tea House- For being the pioneer of cafe culture in Jaipur

Winner: Shubham Mansingka

Winner: The Foodie Devi

6. AESTHETIC CAFES n n

Winner: Café White Saga Special Mention: Half Light Coffee Roasters

7. HAUTE COUTURE n n

Winners: Ambraee by Palak Agarwal & Vasansi Special Mention: Mayori

8. HOME KITCHEN PALETTE

Winner: Cauldron Sisters Special Mention: Soul Food Jaipur

9. JEWELLER’S GALLERY n

Winner: The Gem Palace

10. EXOTIC EATERIES n n

Winner: La Palma Special Mention: Jaipur Adda

11. NEWS FEEDS n n

Winner: First India News Special Mention: Himanshu Vyas (Digital Photo Journalist)

12. WRAP-A-LOVE n

Winner: Smita Jaipuria

Broad Canvas of Indian Diplomacy CITY FIRST

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oreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla on Friday delivered a major foreign policy lecture on ‘The Broad Canvas of Indian Diplomacy during the Pandemic’, during a virtual event organized by Indian Council of World Affairs, one of India’s premier and oldest foreign policy think tanks.

The scale and spread of the event covered the length and the breadth of India, with participants from 28 states and 4 union territories. With 2000 registered participants, the lecture was attended by a diverse array of distinguished think-tankers and eminent academics, including

Harsh Vardhan Shringla during the lecture

deans and vice chancellors of prestigious universities and research centers.

The Foreign Secretary point-

ed out that the current pandemic has affected every facet of India’s national life and its external policies. It has been an enormous economic shock. It is also likely to have serious geopolitical repercussions.

The pandemic has exposed the deficiencies of globalization.

India is an advocate of globalization that is human-centric. He also spoke about the PM’s vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat. India is committed to multilateralism.

He referred to India’s forthcoming tenure as a non- permanent member of the UN Security Council. He also referred to India’s forthcoming presidencies of G-20, BRICS and SCO. cityfirst@firstindia.co.in