First India-Ahmedabad Edition-07 May 2020

OUR EDITIONS: JAIPUR & AHMEDABAD

CORONA

28°C - 43°C

ALERT AHMEDABAD l THURSDAY, MAY 7, 2020 l Pages 12 l 3.00

COVID-19 UPDATE

COUNTRY TOTAL CASES

TOTAL NEW DEATHS DEATHS

1,245,857 SPAIN 253,682 ITALY 214,457 UK 201,101 GERMANY 167,372 RUSSIA 165,929 TURKEY 131,744 BRAZIL 116,299 IRAN 101,650 CHINA 82,883 CANADA 63,375 BELGIUM 50,781 N’LANDS 41,319

73,145 25,857 29,684 30,076 6,993 1,537 3,584 7,966 6,418 4,633 4,223 8,339 5,204

+874 +244 +369 +649 +13 +86 +64 +45 +78 +4 +180 +323 +36

WWW.WORLDOMETERS.INFO LAST UPDATED: MAY 6, 2020, 11:00 PM

IN GUJARAT DISTRICT

TOTAL CASES

TOTAL NEW DEATHS DEATHS

AHMEDABAD VADODARA SURAT RAJKOT BHAVNAGAR ANAND BHARUCH GANDHINAGAR PATAN PANCHMANHAL BANASKANTHA NARMADA CHOTA UDEPUR KUTCH MAHESANA BOTAD DAHOD PORBANDAR JAMNAGAR MORBI SABARKANTHA ARAVALLI MAHISAGAR KHEDA GIR SOMNATH VALSAD TAPI NAVSARI DANG SURENDRANAGAR

4716 421 754 62 82 76 31 83 24 51 64 12 14 7 42 48 15 3 5 1 10 22 42 16 3 6 2 8 2 1 3 2 6625

298 31 33 1 5 6 2 5 1 3 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 2 2 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 396

DWARKA JUNAGADH TOTAL

SAMPLES TESTED NEGATIVE CASES

INDIA

2,61,703 37,80,522 1,785 52,559

GLOBAL STATE OF AFFAIRS USA

RNI NO. GUJENG/2019/16208 l Vol 1 l Issue No. 161

WORLD

DEATHS

25 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 28

CONFIRMED CASES

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DEATHS

CONFIRMED CASES

396 DEATHS

GUJARAT

6,625

CONFIRMED CASES

ALL IN A DAY’S WORK

A tired labourer tries to catch a wink inside a large pipe during the nationwide lockdown in Surat on Wednesday. —ANI Photo

WHAT AFTER MAY 17?: SONIA TO MODI Aditi Nagar

New Delhi: Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday questioned the government over the criteria it adopted to judge how long the COVID-19-induced lockdown will continue. Addressing a meeting of chief ministers of states where the Congress is in power, she asked “what after May 17?”

India has been under lockdown since March 25 to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus. The first and second phase of the lockdown was from March 25 to April 14 and April 15 to May 3, respectively. The third phase began from May 4 and would end on May 17. Former prime minister Manmo-

95,191 88,566

UNDER EXAMINATION

0

Congress President Sonia Gandhi chaired a meeting with Congress party leaders via video conferencing, in New Delhi on Wednesday.

—ANI

han Singh and former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi were part of the meeting held through video-conferencing.

“After May 17th, What? and After May 17th, How?

AI EVACUATION PLAN DELAYED AS CREW TEST REPORTS AWAITED New Delhi: Air India’s maiden evacuation flights to the UK and the USA have been delayed for a day as the COVID-19 test reports of the national carrier’s crew members are still awaited. Now, Delhi to San Francisco flight, which was earlier scheduled to depart on May 7, will operate on May 8 at around 3:30 am.

Mumbai to London flight has also been delayed by a day. P7

What criteria is GoI (government of India) using to judge how long the lockdown is to continue...,” Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala quoted Turn on P6

Corona cases cross 50K mark in India

Public transport to roll out soon: Min

New Delhi: The death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 1,785 and the number of cases climbed to 52,559 in the country on Wednesday, registering an increase of 126 deaths and 2,958 cases in the last 24 hours, the Union Health Ministry said.

Meanwhile, to bring citizens with feature phones and landlines under the protection of Aarogya Setu, an ‘Aarogya Setu Interactive Voice Response System (IVRS)’ has been implemented, the Ministry said. This service is available across the country. It is a toll-free service, where citizens are asked to give a missed call to the number 1921 and they will get a call back requesting for inputs regarding their health, Turn on P6

New Delhi: Public transport, which has been shut since the first lockdown announcement on March 24, may soon be in operation, roadways minister Nitin Gadkari assured transporters on Wednesday.

Opening of transport and highways will go a long way in instilling confidence among the public, said the minister, adding that public transport may open soon with some guidelines.

He, however, cautioned towards maintaining social distance and adopting all safety measures like hand wash, sanitising, face masks, etc while operating buses and cars.

The minister was addressing the members of Bus and Car Operators Confederation of

HIZB’S DE FACTO CHIEF KILLED, PVT PHONES, MOBILE INTERNET IN VALLEY SUSPENDED Srinagar: Terror group Hizbul Mujahideen’s de facto chief Reyaz Naikoo, on the run for eight years, was killed on Wednesday by security forces in his village in Kashmir’s Pulwama district, police said.

Anticipating a law and order problem, authorities suspended mobile telephone services of private operators and mobile internet services across the Valley. The gunning down of the Hizbul commander, a major breakthrough in the fight against terror, comes three days after 8 security personnel, were martyred in Handwara. P6

Nitin Gadkari

India through video conferencing.

The nationwide lockdown, necessitated by the coronavirus outbreak, is in place till May 17. No railway, flight services are allowed in this period. However, the railways did run over 100 Shramik Special trains to ferry stranded migrants.

Gadkari expressed confidence that the country and its industry will Turn on P6

RSS TO CONDUCT ‘SOCIO-ECONOMIC SURVEY’ OF MIGRANT LABOURERS

New Delhi: The RSS is conducting a “socio-economic survey” of migrant labourers to know their condition better and also find out whether they would like to remain in their villages or come back to cities for work once the COVID-19 situation normalises, its joint general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale said on Wednesday.

Interacting with foreign media via video conferencing, he said the Sangh is helping local administration in crowd management and providing food to migrant labourers. “We are also conducting a survey to know whether migrant labourers would like to stay in their villages or come back to cities for livelihood,” he said. When contacted, Hosabale told PTI that this is a “socio-economic” survey and the Sangh keeps on doing such surveys for a better understanding of the society.

Gujarat ropes in critical care experts to help State medicos The State reported 380 new corona positive cases and 28 deaths during last 24 hours First India News Gandhinagar: Even as the corona positive number rose to a whopping 6,625 cases in Gujarat with 380 new patients during the last 24 hours, the State Government roped in critical care experts on Wednesday to pay a visit to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the

dedicated Covid-19 hospital in Ahmedabad.

They will render their expert services to the state in this crisis.

As many as 380 new cases were reported in the State during the past 24 hours, while 28 patients died and 119 others were discharged.

With this the total death toll has increased to 396 and 1,500 people have

IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENTS  Four post graduate medical students and two Sabarmati jail inmates have been infected with Sars-COV-2.  After Ahmedabad,

Surat Municipal Commissioner Banchhanidhi Pani has prohibited sale

(From left to right) Additional Chief Secretary Pankaj Kumar (Revenue but, overseeing Health too), Anil Mukim, Chief Secretary, Nitin Patel, Deputy Chief Minister and Jayanti Ravi, Principal Secretary (Health) in a meeting with senior doctors and private practitioners at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital on Wednesday.

recovered and been discharged so far.

Ahmedabad has reported the highest numbers with 4,716 of the total 6,625 cases so far,

of vegetables and groceries in the city from May 9 midnight till May 14 midnight.  The Kheda district administration has also put a ban on sale of vegetables in Nadiad town from Thursday morning.

298 deaths. As many as 778 have also been discharged in the city.

Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel and senior bureaucrats had

meetings with the critical care experts on the Ahmedabad civil hospital campus, along with senior doctors of the Covid-19 hospital, where they discussed the treatment path and conditions of some patients.

The experts then visited each patient and discussed their cases with the civil hospital doctors. They also deliberated on the future course of action. They have offered to give their services to Covid hospital, Turn on P6

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WARM CHEMISTRY BETWEEN MODI & CYRIL TO FOSTER SPECIAL INDO-AFRICAN BOND

T

he chemistry b e t w e e n South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Prime Minister Narendra Modi should be used to benefit both countries as they work towards recovering their economies post Covid-19, according to South African High Commissioner to India Sibusiso Ndebele.

The diplomat was participating in a webinar organised on Tuesday by CII and Exim Bank that linked up Indian and African business leaders and diplomats, who shared ideas for recovering the economies in both countries that have been severely impacted

by Covid-19.

The webinar, titled “Africa Economic Update - Covid & Beyond: Focus Southern Africa”, was part of a series that will cover the different regions of the continent.

“As far as our bilateral trade with India is concerned, the institution of a fairly restrictive lockdown on both sides has had an equally negative impact at a time when our countries are determined to increase trade links between them,” Ndebele said. “As an immediate impact, there will be congestion at the ports in shipments while the supply chain in different countries returns to normal, depending on the different stages of the virus in their respective countries.

“The cordial relationship between our two countries needs to fully deliver on its economic potential,” Ndebele said, adding that visits by heads of state to each other’s countries have resulted in a unique “chemistry” between Ramaphosa and Modi.

“As both countries move out of their respective lockdowns and new opportunities are explored, we will need to work together to ensure that we fully support the private sector to realise these opportunities and ensure that our bilateral trade and investment relations hit new heights,” the diplomat said. —Agencies

Prime Minister Narendra Modi with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.

—FILE PHOTO

MODI-MORRISON’S ‘VIRTUAL’ SUMMIT TO BOOST BOND New Delhi: India is planning to hold its first ever bilateral virtual summit where PM Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison plan to discuss a range of issues including joint fight against Covid and Indo-Pacific partnership. The two sides plan to conclude a range of pacts including Mutual Logistics Sharing Pact and in areas of science & technology and public administration on the occasion.

The Australian PM was earlier scheduled to visit Delhi in January but postponed it due to bush fires in Australia.

Later, a India visit was contemplated in May but that could not fructify due to the outbreak of Covid-19. The two leaders are planning to hold their summit virtually in the near future.

Exact dates and outcome of the summit are being worked out, sources said.

The virtual summit may also be held in both restricted and delegation formats like

From home quarantine, Nehra likely to be airlifted to Delhi on deputation Gargi Raval

PM Narendra Modi with Australian PM Scott Morrison.

—FILE PHOTO

in-person summits. So far, the Indian PM has been part of virtual summits in SAARC and G-20 formats. Morrison and Modi have been in touch to discuss measures to contain outbreak of Covid-19.

In a phone call in April, both leaders agreed to remain attentive to the wider significance of the India-Australia partnership, including in the Indo-Pacific region, while they focus on solving the present health crisis.

The two leaders had discussed the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and the domestic response strategies adopted by their respective govern-

ments. They agreed on the importance of bilateral experience-sharing in the context of this health crisis, including collaborative research efforts.

“Our Prime Ministers have agreed to schedule a virtual summit very soon given they will not be able to meet in person...On top of leading a quick, decisive and effective domestic COVID-19 response, Prime Minister Modi has been active engaging leaders and shaping the world’s response through calls and videoconferences,” Australian High Commissioner designate to India Barry O’ Farrell said.

—Agencies

Ahmedabad: Put into quarantine even as the city appears to be fighting an unequal battle against the dreaded coronavirus despite being in an extended lockdown, Ahmedabad Municipal Commissioner Vijay Nehra is likely to get a deputation in New Delhi even before his self-announced incarceration ends in two weeks.

Coming as it has when Gujarat’s prized commercial capital Ahmedabad has become the next biggest target of Covid-19 and questions are being raised over its handling by the State Government, Nehra’s exit to the national capital may hardly be an elevation.

Highly placed sources in the State Secretariat told First India that Tuesday’s developments of putting him under quarantine and getting two experienced hands -- former mu-

to the fire were Nehra’s inconsistent public statements and actions.

According to authentic bureaucratic sources, even the top brass was unhappy with Nehra’s “abrasive” and “unilateral” style, often bypassing the hierarchy, and this was being attributed to his perceived proximity to Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and at one-time to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The top authorities also have had to face embarrassment.

For instance, he decided to defy the State Government’s decision to allow all neighbourhood and standalone stores to open for business or his public statements that the city would see eight lakh cases by May-end or the latest on Tuesday that, “We have limited resources for sample testing and so everyone can’t be tested.”

On many occasions, the city’s BJP leaders have also complained Vijay Nehra

nicipal commissioner Mukesh Kumar as the new city chief and senior bureaucrat Rajiv Gupta in an overall supervisory capacity -were not sudden.

The seeds were sown in the middle of April, when the corona positive cases started seeing a sudden spurt in the State, with Ahmedabad reporting the maximum -- lockdown or no lockdown.

Even the inter-ministerial Central team, which visited the city as the situation was worsening, had expressed its dissatisfaction over the handling of the crisis in the city. What added fuel

against him but these were glossed over by the State leadership because it was believed to be closed to the Prime Minister.

Nehra’s announcement of going into selfquarantine and the State Government’s decision to hand over his baton to Mukesh Kumar is being interpreted as a respectful exit for Nehra -- as well as a face-saver for the Gujarat Government which would not wish to be seen as looking for a scapegoat for its inept handling of the unprecedented crisis.

Already it is being discussed in the top echelons that the State Government could have acted swiftly enough when the cases were rising around mid-April itself.

On April 20, there were 1,248 positive cases and 38 deaths. In a space of a fortnight, the number grew three fold to 4,424 and the deaths by 7.8 times to 273. From the concentration of central and south zones, the virus has spread its tentacles across the city.

Rupani requests Amit Shah to send AIIMS experts to Gujarat First India News Gandhinagar: From effecting a change of guard in the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation and shuffling bureaucrats towards healthcare duty, to requisitioning central medical teams, transporting workers to foodgrains supply -- the Vijay Rupani Government is pulling out all stops in its battle against Covid-19.

Continuing his efforts, Chief Minister

Vijay Rupani on Wednesday spoke to Union Home Minister Amit Shah with a request to depute experts to guide the medical teams at the dedicated Covid-19 hospitals. He has requested to send AIIMS Director Dr. Randeep Guleria.

He has also urged Shah to depute Apollo Hospital’s (New Delhi) Dr. Rajesh Pandit and Mumbai-based pulmonologist Dr. Rohit Pandit for a day, to visit the dedicated

hospitals and guide the medical teams on treatment path for the critical patients and others. This will give a moral boost to the entire team.

Before this conversation, CM had detailed discussions especially about the Ahmedabad situation with Deputy CM Nitin Patel, K Kailashnathan, Chief Principal Secretary to CM and Chief Secretary Anil Mukim. They even had a video conference with doctors serving at

Chief Minister Vijay Rupani.

—FILE PHOTO

the Covid-19 hospital.

The State Government has decided to deploy State Transport Corporation buses to send diamond workers from Surat to their native districts in Gujarat, besides continuing to dispatch migrants to their respective States.

Ashwani Kumar, Information and Broadcasting Secretary and Secretary to CM, said in the last four days 39 trains were arranged to take 46,000 migrant

workers safely to Orissa, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand. He added that all district collectors have been instructed to ensure that the required arrangements are made and no migrant worker is left out. On Wednesday, 30 more trains were pressed into service to transport 82,800 passengers to these states. On Thursday more trains will be deployed.

For diamond workers, the state has de-

cided to deploy State Transport buses so that they can return to their native districts like Bhavnagar, Botad, Amreli and other places in Gujarat.

From Thursday, free rations for the above poverty line (APL) families for the month of May will begin, in which every family will get 10 kg wheat, 3.5 kg rice and one kg each dal, sugar and salt free of cost. This benefit will reach to some 61 lakh ration card holders.

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BARRING MILK & MEDICINES, ALL SHOPS SHUT FOR A WEEK

Experts panel to assess Ahmedabad situation Haresh Jhala

AMC also designates nine private hospitals as dedicated COVID-19 hospitals Ahmedabad: The newly appointed team of Additional Chief Secretary Rajiv Gupta and Municipal Commissioner Mukesh Kumar to fight the coronavirus in Ahmedabad has decided to enforce a stricter lockdown by ordering all shops to close down for a week from Thursday. The only exceptions are pharmacies and those selling milk.

This, however, created a panic among the people and all the streets of the city were looking like a lockdown-free period with a scramble to buy essential items.

Issuing the order on Wednesday under the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, Mukesh Kumar stated that even shops selling fruits, vegetables and groceries shall be closed for a week.

Also, all the banks in

—PHOTO BY NANDAN DAVE

First India News

STAYING SAFE

People took to the streets to stock up on vegetables and other groceries, after state government announced the shutdown of all shops except milk and medicines, in Paldi area on Wednesday.

the Red zones have been asked to suspend all work.

The officials also decided to add nine more private hospitals as designated COVID-19 hospitals with a capacity of 1,000 beds. A meeting with the hospital administration was conducted by the deputy municipal commissioners of the respective

zones on Wednesday evening. In addition to this, there would be 500bed Covid care centres in each zone in a private hotel of a 3-star category.

The civic body has decided to screen all the super spreaders. According to their estimate, there are 2,000 such individuals who will be screened in four

days covering 500 persons daily in each ward.

They will be tested, if needed.

Since the hospitals are overflowing with patients, asymptomatic and mild-symptomatic patients have been allowed to stay at their homes provided they have separate rooms and toilet facilities as per the Govern-

03

ment guidelines.

Private clinics, nursing homes and hospitals have been asked to open their clinics within 48 hours, else they will lose their licenses.

Doctors have been requested to operate their clinics and treat patients at Covid care centers or those who are at home (asymptomatic).

Gandhinagar: Worried over the leapfrogging corona positive cases, the State Government has constituted a three-member experts committee to make a grassroots assessment of the situation in Ahmedabad city and suggest remedies to check the spread.

This is the first time that the government has appointed a committee to study the corona spread in any part of the state. The committee has been asked to submit its findings within two to three days of the commencement of field study.

Additional Director (Health) Dr. Dinkar Rawal will be chairman of the committee. He has earlier headed the epidemic department in the Health Commissionerate. Other members are Prof A M Kadri, who is head of Department of Community Medicine at the P.D.U Government Medical College, Rajkot, and Dr. Pradeep

A medical team collects nasal swab samples of residents in Jodhpur Gam and Malav Talav areas for COVID-19 testing in Ahmedabad on Wednesday.

—PHOTO BY HANIF SINDHI

Kumar, a retired professor from B J Medical College. Both professors are experts in preventive and social medicine.

The State Health Department has issued a notification in this regard three days ago announcing that the committee will visit all hotspot areas in the red zones in the city, meet field staff and gather ground information about their functioning, the shortfalls in their work, manpower availability and shortage of equipment.

Based on this information, the committee will prepare a report and submit it to the State Government.

These experts have also been asked to recommend actions that need to be taken to control the spread of the virus.

The committee will also be visiting hospitals where corona patients are being treated and will inquire if patients are facing any problems in treatment.

It will recommend steps to be taken to address issues.

Migrant workers Additional paramilitary forces to be deployed: DGP stranded for hours prior to departure First India News

—PHOTO BY HANIF SINDHI Migrant workers quench their thirst as they wait for buses to take them to the railway station on Wednesday.

First India News

BSF jawans patrol a street in Ahmedabad during lockdown.

pany of the Rapid Action Force (RAF) is also

at the disposal of the state police,” said Shi-

vanand Jha, director general of police (DGP).

The DGP added that the state government plans to seal containment areas in Ahmedabad, Surat and Vadodara. They will be under the authority of the paramilitary forces, to ensure that public movement is completely stopped.

Six paramilitary companies will be sta-

tioned in containment areas in Surat while, two companies will guard containment areas in Vadodara.

Additionally, DGP Jha appealed to citizens to avoid social and religious gatherings, to help prevent spread of Sars-Cov-2 infection. He also asked private doctors to open their practices and attend to patients and assured them of police cooperation.

Locusts likely to plague 466 patients shifted to Banaskantha farmers again COVID Care Centres in city First India News Palanpur: The Banaskantha district has received an alert from neighbouring states about the possibility of a locust attack in border villages of the district. District authorities had conducted a meeting with the agriculture department on Tuesday to prepare for the locust attack.

District collector Sandip Sagale along with the Agriculture and Locust Control Organization officers de-

—FILE PHOTO

Ahmedabad: After a month-long wait to head back to their native state of Uttar Pradesh, migrant workers and their families were left stranded for several for hours prior to their departure from the city on Wednesday.

Also, most of the workers who boarded the train bound for Uttar Pradesh from the Sabarmati railway station were unaware of the exact destination.

Narrating his plight, Sunil Batham told First India, “I received a call

from the mamlatdaar office on Wednesday morning and was asked to reach the Riverfront.

I did as they asked and reached there by 10.30 am along with my family of four, where we were stranded for hours.”

He added, “At around 12.30 pm, we boarded a bus and reached the railway station at 1 pm.

We waited to board the train for hours without any food or water. No arrangements were made for us by the authorities. I paid Rs2,400 to the mamlatdaar for four tickets.”

Gandhinagar: In a bid to implement strict lockdown, the state government has decided to increase the manpower of the paramilitary forces deployed in red zone and containment areas of Ahmedabad, Vadodara and Surat.

In Ahmedabad alone, 38 companies of the State Reserve Police (SRP)

and paramilitary have already been deployed.

“A total of seven paramilitary force companies have been ordered by the central government to help Gujarat state police with the implementation of the lockdown. Of these, six companies belong to the Border Security Force (BSF) and one company is of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). One com-

A farmer using traditional methods to combat a locust attack.

cided to keep spraying equipment and insecticide on-hand to combat the locust attack.

All prant officers and village heads in the district have also been asked to remain vigi-

lant and inform the authorities in the event of a locust attack.

Interestingly, just four months ago, locusts had attacked crops in several villages in North Gujarat.

First India News Ahmedabad: The state government set up two dedicated COVID-19 hospitals in the Civil Hospital campus with a combined capacity of 1,700 beds. Now, around 466 patients with mild symptoms and asymptomatic patients admitted at the dedicated hospital have been shifted to various COVID Care Centres around the city.

These patients will be kept under observation and undergo treatment as per their condition.

Samras Hostel on GMDC Road.

—PHOTO BY HANIF SINDHI

It will also prevent them from getting infected by critical patients at the dedicated hospital.

In the last three days, 127 patients have been transferred to Samras Hostel, 247 patients

have been asked to remain under home quarantine. Around 74 patients have been shifted to various hospitals, and 18 patients have been transferred to Tapi Hospital in Nikol.

CLASH OF THE TITANS

As Nehra goes on leave, mayor debuts ‘Healthy Amdavad’ hashtag First India News Ahmedabad: With Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) commissioner Vijay Nehra under self-quarantine, the ruling party has resumed activity at least on social media.

City mayor Bijal Patel on Wednesday launched the ‘healthyamdavad’ hashtag and activated all her social media accounts. Interestingly, municipal commissioner Nehra was using the

hashtag ‘Amdavadfightscorona’, which was not promoted by the mayor.

The rumour mill is churning out several stories about Nehra’s abrupt leave but, the actual reason behind it remains unclear.

“It was a clash of egos over power and position,” say sources.

“Ever since Nehra assumed charge as Ahmedabad municipal commissioner, he has never followed protocol.

Several meetings were

AMC commissioner Vijay Nehra and Ahmedabad mayor Bijal Patel

—FILE PHOTO

held in the AMC commissioner’s office which the mayor used to attend, which is against protocol. But, the mayor never questioned it too, which was suspicious,” said a source.

However, as the charge of the local civic body has been handed over to Mukesh Kumar under the guidance of Rajiv Gupta, the mayor has come out of the shadows and started conducting video meetings. She has also be-

come very active on social media and expressed her solidarity in the fight against novel coronavirus under the newly roped in senior IAS officers.

“She was not tweeting and her social media teams did not seem active. But after Nehra took a short break, social media is buzzing with her tweets along with a newly-launched hashtag for COVID-19 ‘healthyamdavad’. She has categorically ig-

nored the hashtag used

by Nehra,” said a source.

On the other hand, supporters of Nehra have expressed their concern regarding the municipal commissioner’s health. There are many rumours doing the rounds about the reason behind the AMC commissioner’s 14-day self-quarantine, with one being novel coronavirus, others blaming a political party, it is uncertain what led to Nehra’s leave.

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WHY COMPLICATE INVESTMENTS?

IN-DEPTH

CONG KEEPS UP PRESSURE, FIRES QUERIES AT BJP

T

he Congress Party kept up the pressure on the ruling party at the Centre raising questions answers to which a large number of people are eager to know.

After raising the issue of “migrants being made to pay railway fares for their return journey”, Sonia Gandhi, the Working president of the party, took on the BJP in a video conference with chief ministers of Congress-ruled states on Wednesday.

The first phase of the lockdown started on March 24 and ended on April 4. It was extended till May 3 after which the government thought it prudent to extend it by another two weeks but allowed the phased opening of the economy with a slew of curbs in place. The corporate world and medium and small industries were not buoyed as they expected more.

As the third phase of lockdown ends on May 17, Sonia asked, “What after May 17?” and “After May 17th how wanting to know the criteria the Government of India is using to judge how long the lockdown is to continue. Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who was also present, backed Sonia and said, “CMs need to deliberate and ask as to what is the strategy of Government of India to get the country out of lockdown.”

Former finance minister P. Chidambaram accused the Centre of not allocation any money, leaving the states “bleeding”.

Chief ministers who shared their national leaders’ concerns included Ashok Gehlot of Rajasthan and Amarinder Singh of Punjab. Gehlot reiterated his demand for a central package to meet the economic crisis.

“Until extensive stimulus package is given, how will the states and the country run?” he asked. Saying that the states have repeatedly requested the prime minister for a package, Gehlot pointed out that they were yet to hear from the Union government.

Amarinder Singh raised the issue of classification of red, orange, and green zones which has become a contentious issue between the Centre and the governments of Delhi and West Bengal. The Punjab CM said, “The concern is that those sitting in Delhi are deciding on the classification of Covid-19 zones without knowing what is happening on the ground.”

Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel also said that the states were facing a “dire economic crisis” and needed “immediate economic assistance.

By raising these questions the Congress is only repeating what it said after the extension of the lockdown beyond May 3. It then wanted to know the purpose and the strategy and whether the government of India will persist with the lockdown until whatever goals it has in mind are achieved.

Nobody can read the Union government’s mind or intentions. So far it has not given any hint of any financial package to states even as their revenue taps have run dry putting millions of lives and livelihoods at stake.

I

nvesting can be a simple exercise, yet simplicity often eludes us. Such is the noise in the financial markets, created by product-peddlers, that we are often befuddled about the nature of investing.

Studies have been showing that a set of well-diversified exchange-traded funds (ETFs) or index funds, firmly entrenched in the passive investment space, can outperform the broad market indices by a sizable margin.

The din around what makes for a savvy investment often leads us to believe that a complex route is often better for investment. Of course, the view is backed by financial institutions that profit even as we transact.

When we benchmark a majority of retail investor portfolios against the broad market indices such as the Nifty50 or the Sensex over time, we find the portfolios lacking the performance of the indices — a cost we, investors, pay for complicating our investments.

THE FORCES WHICH PREVENT SIMPLICITY

Studies have been showing that a set of well-diversified exchangetraded funds (ETFs) or index funds, firmly entrenched in the passive investment space, can outperform the broad market indices by a sizable margin

THE BELIEF OF US KNOWING THE FUTURE Most of us think that we know or will get to know what will happen in the markets in the future. We constantly try to predict events that are often random.

What we cannot predict, we expect some expert to tell us about and end up taking random bets on stocks and investment funds that we regret later.

THE WAY WE SEE PROFIT AND LOSS There is also the matter of how we view profit and loss.

In 1979, psychologists Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky published a paper titled, “Prospect Theory: An Analysis Of Decision Under Risk” where they revealed that we, humans, tend to make decisions based on our perceived loss or gain from an event, rather than the actual outcome. The prospect of a loss

weighs down on us far more than the prospect of a gain, even if they share the same probability in an event or investment route.

What it does is make us less willing to take risks with our profits than with our losses. So, we would be more likely to sell a stock when we are making a profit, avoiding the risk of a possible decline in prices but also forgoing the prospect of further increase in prices.

We become risk-averse when it comes to gaining and even settle for meager profit, but take on greater risk in trying to limit our losses rather than take a lesser loss on the chin.

THE FINANCIAL MARKETPLACE The financial product marketers keep coming up with complex products peppered with jargon like smart beta, derivative instruments etc. that sound intimidating and prevent further questions. Simple products such as those in passive investing strip away excess service charges which complex-sounding financial products inevitably entail.

STABLE PASSIVE ETF/INDEX PORTFOLIOS GO A LONG WAY Passive investing involves a simple investment strategy that takes little time, effort and investment knowledge to out-

PASSIVE INVESTING INVOLVES A SIMPLE INVESTMENT STRATEGY THAT TAKES LITTLE TIME, EFFORT AND INVESTMENT KNOWLEDGE TO OUTPERFORM THE MARKETS

perform the markets.

The crux of such an investing route is to follow a benchmark market index and replicate its performance. It banks on the larger wisdom that governs macroeconomics and eventually, regulates markets.

Hence, chances of unique disasters get reduced.

With passive investments, an investor can just invest and forget.

Key products in passive investing include ETFs and index funds.

A Tavaga investor’s portfolio is made up of six well-diversified ETFs. We compared the fiveyear performance of the portfo-

Seeing sex in Portrait of a Lady on Fire L

GBTQ films tend to provoke debates about authenticity, especially when it comes to sex: should it be represented explicitly or not? Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019), the latest award-winning film from French director-screenwriter Céline Sciamma, refuses to choose, offering instead a funny and sophisticated response to the politics of lesbian representation.

Sciamma has a reputation for making films that encourage audiences to think differently about desire. Her first three films, Water Lilies (2007), Tomboy (2011) and Girlhood (2014), avoid triumphant coming out narratives. Instead, each follows the tentative and ambivalent experiences of their young

queer protagonists as they negotiate hostile heteronormative worlds.

Sciamma’s latest film turns from adolescent coming-of-age drama to adult lesbian romance. Set in 18th-century France, Portrait of a Lady on Fire centres on the painter Marianne (Noémie Merlant) and the reluctant portrait subject with whom she falls in love. Resisting an arranged marriage, Héloïse (Adèle Haenel) refuses to pose for a painting for her future husband. Marianne is hired ostensibly to be a walking companion, but really to observe Héloïse and paint her in secret.

Across scenes of Marianne glancing surreptitiously at her subject, the film establishes a story of desire. Héloïse’s reciprocal gazes are freighted with homoerotic meaning.

LGBTQ films tend to provoke debates about authenticity, especially when it comes to sex: should it be represented explicitly or not?

THE CODE When the industry banned explicit representations of sex and so-called sex perversion under the auspices of the Production Code, filmmakers responded by developing a sophisticated system for representing desire and sex. A glance, gesture, line of dialogue or object could be coded with sexual meaning. Because it was “only” implicit or indirect, that meaning could be

readily denied by Hollywood studios under pressure to offer wholesome entertainment.

Abdellatif Kechiche’s Blue Is the Warmest Colour (2013) outraged some lesbian critics for scenes regarded as too explicit and objectifying. On the other hand, Luca Guadagnino’s decision in Call Me

By Your Name (2017) to coyly pan to an open window rather than show sex was castigated by influential critic D. A. Miller.

NOW YOU SEE IT, NOW YOU DON’T Sciamma has been criticised for not being brave enough to include an explicit sex scene in her film.

But the filmmaker insists “there is a sex scene … maybe you haven’t seen it”.

As the lovers lie in bed together, Hélöise proposes

to Marianne they try a tincture of psychedelic herbs that promises to stop time.

With an arm stretched upward, Hélöise takes some ointment and smears it along her armpit.

The film then cuts abruptly to a close-up image of penetration. It’s puzzling at first, but as the camera drifts, we realise its source: Hélöise’s finger held close under Marianne’s armpit.

This visual joke plays on our desires to see sex, desires shaped in part by film style and genre.

Sciamma’s film draws attention to cinematic conventions to upend what counts as sex. In a brief, startling, and exquisitely erotic moment, Portrait of a Lady on Fire plays with how we see (and think we see) sex between women.

FOR FULL REPORT LOG ON TO WWW.THECONVERSATION.COM

lios of Tavaga’s user profiles with that of Nifty. The chart below shows actual returns on those portfolios and proves that pays to be a stable investor.

The portfolios’ performances in the Covid-19 crisis have been highlighted in green — they hold their ground despite the broader market crashes.

We further looked up the portfolio returns of our users across different investment periods, and it only reinforced the benefits of passive investing.

THE IMPORTANCE OF ASSET ALLOCATION IN A PORTFOLIO Our portfolio is as good as our asset allocation. Asset allocation is the process of dividing our investment money between asset classes to minimise the risk and maximize the return on the portfolio.

It works on the principle of negative correlations. For example, if our portfolio consists of two investment products, and one of whose value goes up when the other’s value suffers, then it is beneficial. Because the returns on such a portfolio will be the weighted average returns on both the assets, while the risk in the portfolio will be less than the weighted average risk on both the assets.

This would mean we would get higher returns with lower risk.

SOURCE: TAVAGA RESEARCH

Top

TWEET Ahmed Patel @ahmedpatel When Congress party has committed to bear the cost of migrants to take the train back to their villages, why are certain BJP ruled states trying to disallow these very trains? Why should the poor pay the price for BJP’s political opposition to the INC? Dharmendra Pradhan @dpradhanbjp Had a video conversation with Russian Energy Minister H.E. Mr. Alexander Novak. Wished speedy recovery for Russia and its people in their efforts to address the #Covid19 pandemic. Discussed about global energy stability due to #Covid19, especially in the oil and gas sector.

Spiritual SPEAK

Death is as sure for that which is born, as birth is for that which is dead. Therefore grieve not for what is inevitable. —Bhagavad Gita

Vol 1 Issue No. 161 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

INDIA AHMEDABAD | THURSDAY, MAY 7, 2020

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05

‘MAHA, GUJ, A MATTER OF WORRY FOR US’

Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said that the situation in the states was a matter of concern as 36 districts were affected by COVID-19

New Delhi: Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Wednesday held a meeting with the officials of the states of Gujarat and Maharashtra through video conferencing to take stock of the situation of COVID-19 pandemic.

Speaking to the representatives, the minister said that the situation in the states was a matter of concern as at least 36 districts were affected by the COVID-19 disease.

“Maharashtra and Gujarat are states in the country which is a matter of worry for us also as 34 out of 36 districts are affected from coronavirus. There are at least 14,541 cases and 583 deaths that have been reported from

RECOVERED

here,” said the Minister.

“I will hold a meeting with the Chief Ministers also to discuss further course of action to control spread of the virus in the state,” said the Minister.

He also said that the situation in Mumbai, Pune, Thane, Nashik, Aurangabad, Nagpur and Solapur was more worrying.

“We have to move towards the direction of

making all districts as green zones where no case would be reported in 21 days. This will be possible for us through proactive approach and strong will power,” the Minister said. —ANI

Hizb Chief Riyaz Naikoo, killed in J&K encounter

Hizb Chief Riyaz Naikoo

THE ACCUSED

rity agencies received inputs about the presence of militants in the area. The operation was monitored by senior po-

lice officers.

Naikoo’s killing comes days after militants killed eight security personnel including an Army Colonel, Major and an SHO in two separate encounters in north Kashmir.

Naikoo took over the reins of Hizbul Mujahideen in 2017 after its commander Yasin Itoo was killed in an encounter in Shopian. Naikoo’s sudden ascendance in 2017 took observers by surprise as he had maintained a low profile since he had joined militancy in 2012.

Naikoo took over the command of Hizb when its another commander, Zakir Musa, parted ways with the outfit and and swore allegiance to Al-Qaeda. —Agencies

New Delhi: With the West Bengal government not adhering to the Centre’’s guideline on goods transport through the India-Bangladesh border, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs has issued strict direction to the state to implement it “without any delay”.

The state government was also asked to submit a compliance report immediately.

“You (West Bengal government) are directed to allow cross land border transportation through all Indo-Bangladesh borders without any delay and send the compliance report on opening of cross land borders, by today itself,”

New Delhi: The ministry has forwarded a list of 55 drugs for ICU management of novel coronavirus patients and a list of another 96 drugs for general availability and treatment of various co-morbid conditions The Union Ministry for Health and Family Welfare (MoHF&W) has written to the All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD), saying its member should ensure availability of critical drugs for management of COVID-19 and other essential

drugs during these ‘challenging times.’

The ministry has forwarded a list of 55 drugs for ICU management of novel coronavirus patients and a list of another 96 drugs for general availability and treatment of various co-morbid conditions. The list was prepared following a detailed exercise undertaken by the Director General Health Services.

The ministry also acknowledged the contribution of the Indian Pharma Trade channels during these difficult times. —Agencies

Aarogya Setu teams claims ‘Indian users’ data safe’ New Delhi: The team at Aarogya Setu app stressed that no personal information of any user has been proven to be at risk and no data or security breach has been identified in the COVID-19 contact tracing app.

Reacting to an ethical hacker’s claim that a security issue has been found in the app, the team said the app is completely safe.The Aarogya Setu team said the app fetches a user’s location by design and store the location data

on the server in a secure, encrypted and anonymised manner, “when users submit their contact tracing data voluntary through the app of when we fetch tracing data of a user after they have turned COVID-19 positive.” It said that the radius parameters to spot COVID-19 positive patients are fixed and can take one of the five values: 500 metres, 1 km, 2 km, 5 kn and 10 km.

All this information is already public, the team said. —Agencies

LENDING HELP

`34,800 cr aid to 39 cr people under PMGKP New Delhi: Around 39 crore people have received financial assistance of Rs 34,800 crore amid the COVID-19 lockdown under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package (PMGKP) as on May 5, the government said.

These people received the assistance, which was announced

by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on March 26 to protect them from the impact of the lockdown

due to COVID 19, via digital payment infrastructure.

The swift implementation of the free food

VALIDITY OF E-WAY BILL EXTENDED TILL MAY 31

ECONOMIC AFFAIRS SECY BAJAJ IS RBI’S DIRECTOR

In a tweet, CBIC said, “Notification No. 40/2020-Central Tax issued to extend the validity of e-way bills till 31.05.2020 for all those e-way bills which were generated on or before 24.03.2020 and had expiry between the period from 20.03.2020 to 15.04.2020.”

Mumbai: “The Central Government has nominated Tarun Bajaj, Secy, Dept of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, as a Director on the Central Board of Reserve Bank of India vice Atanu Chakraborty,” RBI said.

grain and cash payment package under PMGKP is being continuously monitored by Central and state governments.

A large number of trucks carrying essential supplies were stranded at border crossing points.

the India-Bangladesh land border, falling in West Bengal, had not resumed. A large number of trucks, carrying essential supplies to Bangladesh, were stranded at

Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla said in the instruction circulated on Tuesday.

The instructions were issued following reports that goods traffic through

different border crossing points. The Home Secretary, in the letter, said: “I am constrained to say we have not received the compliance report from West Bengal.” —Agencies

152 +ve cases KARNATAKA GOVT’S ‘Ensure availability of in BSF, CRPF `1,610 CR PACKAGE critical drugs for Corona’ tally surpassed

Army soldiers during an encounter with militants at Beighpora area in Pulwama dist of South Kashmir.

Srinagar: In a major operation, the Jammu and Kashmir Police on Wednesday killed Hizbul Mujahideen’s operational commander, Riyaz Naikoo, along with his two other associates, in an encounter in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district.

The police termed the killing of Naikoo a major success. Naikoo, a former math teacher, was the longest surviving militant active since 2012. He was categorized A+++ rank militant and carried a cash reward of Rs 12 lakh on his head.

The police said the operation to nab Naikoo was launched Tuesday night in Beighpora area of Pulwama -- his home village -- after the secu-

‘Allow transport via Indo-Bangla border’

Also, Fintech and digital technology have been employed for swift and efficient transfer to the beneficiary. Rs

16,394 crore towards payment of first installment of PM-KISAN was provided to 8.19 crore beneficiaries. —ANI

New Delhi: Eighty-five more personnel of BSF tested positive for coronavirus, taking the total to 152. With this, total cases of COVID-19 infection in BSF have surpassed those in CRPF, which has recorded 137 cases so far.

Majority of infected BSF personnel are from Delhi with over 110 cases. Rest of the infected personnel are from the Tripura frontier of the force. The forceHQs, whose two floors were sealed two days back, is “functional” from Wednesday. On Tuesday, at least 24 people including military personnel were tested positive for Covid-19 at a hospital in Delhi. —PTI

K’taka CM BS Yediyurappa addresses a press meet in Bengaluru.

Bengaluru: The Karnataka government announced an economic relief package of Rs 1,610 crore for farmers, MSMEs, handloom weavers, autorickshaw drivers and others amid COVID-19 lockdown. Addressing a press conference, Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa said,

“For more than one and a half months, workers in the unorganised sector in the state are facing tough times due to the lockdown. To address financial difficulties faced by them, a package of Rs. 1610 crore will be released for them as Covid-19 financial package.” —Agencies

IN THE COURTYARD

3 sentenced for allegations against judges New Delhi: The SC has sentenced three people, held guilty of contempt of court for making “scurrilous and scandalous allegations” against two sitting judges of the apex court, to 3-month jail observing that it was a “concerted effort to virtually hold the judiciary to ransom”.

The top court had on April 27 held advocate

Vijay Kurle, state president of Maharashtra and Goa of the Indian Bar Association, advo-

cate Nilesh Ojha, President of the Indian Bar Association and Rashid Khan Pathan, national secretary of NGO Human Rights Security Council, guilty of contempt of court for making scandalous allegations against the judges.

A bench of Justices Deepak Gupta and Aniruddha Bose heard on May 4, via vc. —ANI

BOIS LOCKER ROOM: INSTA GROUP ADMIN HELD

YES BANK: CHARGESHEET AGAINST RANA KAPOOR

New Delhi: Two days after filing an FIR in the case, Delhi Police’s Cyber Crime Cell arrested the admin of the Instagram group ‘Bois Locker Room’. The police have already apprehended a 15-year-old boy in the case and questioned five students in front of their parents on Tuesday.

The CCC had lodged an FIR after they knew of agroup, where teenage boys from schools allegedly shared photos of girls. —PTI

New Delhi: The ED filed a chargesheet against Yes Bank co-founder Rana Kapoor, arrested on money laundering charges, in a special court in Mumbai. The former MD and CEO of Yes Bank was arrested by ED on March 8 under the PMLA. —PTI

People booked for rumours on U’khand CM’s death Dehradun: The Uttarakhand police registered a case against some people who spread a rumour about the death of CM Trivendra Singh Rawat on social media. “An unfortunate rumour has been spread about the

CM on social media.

Dehradun SSP has been asked to register a case against the culprits and arrest them,” DG Ashok Kumar said.

Those spreading rumours on social media will not be spared under any circumstances

and stringent action will be taken against them, he said.

“They have crossed all limits. Stern action will be taken against those who spread the rumour and those involved in conspiracy,” Kumar said. —PTI

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Cong slams ‘draconian’ govt over taxes Raising ‘insurmountable’ taxes on petrol&diesel is an ‘economically anti-national’ move, said Surjewala New Delhi: Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala on Wednesday slammed the central government for raising “insurmountable” taxes on petrol and diesel, and termed it “economically anti-national”.

“The entire nation and its 130 crore people are fighting the COVID-19 pandemic today. The poor migrant workers and labourers, shopkeepers, farmers, MSMEs are virtually penniless, they are strug-

ADHIR RANJAN IS NEW PAC CHAIRMAN New Delhi: Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Wednesday took charge as Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament in Delhi amid countrywide COVID-19 lockdown. He was appointed as the Chairperson of the Committee for the term beginning on May 1, 2020, and ending on April 30, 2021. Chowdhury is the only member from Congress in the PAC from the House. Acc to LS Secretariat, the appointment was made

by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. gling for every single rupee. Yet, this draconian government is fleecing 130 crore Indians by raising insur-

The fight against coronavirus is becoming a cause for serious economic problem for crores of our brothers and sisters.

Instead of decreasing the prices, at this time, the decision of the government to increase the tax on petrol and diesel by Rs 10 and Rs 13 per litre is improper and it should be taken back.

People should get the benefits of the massive reduction in the prices of crude oil.

But the BJP government by increasing the excise duty, again and again, is putting the benefits that should have gone to people in its own suitcase.People are not benefiting and the money which is collected is not being used for workers, farmers, middle class and industries. For whom is the government accumulating money?

—Rahul Gandhi,

—Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Cong Gen Secy

Congress Leader

mountable taxes on petrol and diesel,” Surjewala said.

“In times of this COVID-19 pandemic as

also the economic crisis that prevails across India, to fleece people of India in this fashion is economically anti-na-

tional. The manner and fashion in which the illegal and forcible recovery is being made from people of India is an

example in itself which has shocked the conscience of each one of us,” he added. Surjewala said that on March 14, Centre increased tax on petrol and diesel by Rs 3 per litre.

“Yesterday again, taxes on petrol was raised by Rs 10/litre & on diesel by Rs 13/litre,” he said adding, “in 48 days, the Centre has increased tax on diesel

by Rs 16 per litre and on petrol by Rs 13 per litre.” The Congress leader stated that this increase by itself will lead to a recovery of Rs 1 lakh 40 thousand crore annually from people of India. —Agencies

PM to address Mandatory quarantine for Air India Vesak event today evacuation crew till test is negative New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate in a virtual Vesak global celebrations on Buddha Purnima on Thursday.

He will deliver the keynote address in the morning, an official statement said. Buddha Purnima celebrations are being held virtually due to COVID-19 pandemic. The event is being organised in the honour of the victims and the frontline warriors of COVID-19.

The Ministry of Culture, in collaboration with the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC), a global Buddhist umbrella organization, is holding a virtual prayer event with the participation of all the supreme heads of the Buddhist Sanghas from around the world.

Delhi HC upholds bail to Sanjeev Chawla New Delhi: Delhi HC upheld the bail granted to Sanjeev Chawla, who was extradited to India for his alleged involvement in a match-fixing racket, and dismissed a plea filed by Delhi Police challenging the trial court order in the matter.

Justice Asha Menon had, earlier this month, reserved its order on the plea seeking cancellation of regular bail granted to Chawla by a sessions court on April 30. Senior advocate Vikas Pahwa appeared for Chawla in the hearing held through vc. —ANI

Prayer ceremonies on the occasion will be streamed live from the Sacred Garden Lumbini (Nepal), Mahabodhi Temple (Bodhgaya); Mulgandha Kuti Vihara, Sarnath; Parinirvana Stupa, Kushinagar; Pirith Chanting from Ruwanweli Maha Seya in the historic Anuradhapura stupa premises, Sri Lanka; Boudhanath, Swayambhu, Namo Stupa, Nepal, apart from other popular Buddhist sites. —PTI

New Delhi: National air carrier Air India, which is all set to bring back Indian nationals from the Gulf, Europe and the United States as part of a mammoth exercise beginning Thursday to repatriate lakhs of people, has advised all operating cockpit and cabin crew to stay in a hotel until their COVID-19 test turns out to be negative.

“On the advice of Govt of India, Air India shall be operating special flights to various foreign stations for Indian nationals stranded abroad as per the schedule attached. The crew which are part of evacuation flights have been ordered to stay in a hotel till his/her COVID-19 test come out negative. —ANI

India stands by its Army: Jitendra Singh New Delhi: Union Minister Jitendra Singh said that elimination of top Hizbul Mujahideen commander Riyaz Naikoo was a signal loud and clear that those who stand by gun, are consumed by it. “India stands by its Army! The killing of RiyazNaikoo is a signal, loud and clear.

Those who stand by gun, are consumed by gun,” Singh said in a tweet.

In a major success, security forces killed Naikoo who was active in the valley for almost eight years. He was killed in an operation carried out by Indian

Army, CRPF and Jammu and Kashmir Police in Beighpora area in Pulwama. Naikoo had Rs 12 lakh bounty on his head and was in the hit list of security forces. —ANI

tients have recovered and a total 1,500 have been discharged so far.

Jayanti Ravi also explained that mortality rate is high in the age range of 60-plus and those having other critical health issues. Till now, 95,191 samples have been tested and 5,559 samples were tested during the last 24 hours. This is because of pool sampling, she added.

On Wednesday, 28 patients died and 13 of them died because of

co-morbid conditions, whereas 15 others succumbed exclusively to Sars-CoV-2 infection.

This figure could be a concern for the State Government, given that till now the death rate of co-morbid patients was higher.

In the past 24 hours, 291 positive cases and 25 of the 28 deaths were from Ahmedabad.

Though the incharge Municipal Commissioner Mukesh Kumar and Officer on Special Duty Rajiv Gupta have launched a series of

Jitendra Singh

BAN ON EXPORT OF SANITIZERS

Workers prepare a quarantine center for non-critical COVID-19 patients at the Bombay Exhibition Centre in Goregaon in Mumbai.

KOLKATA MEDICAL COLLEGE CONVERTED INTO COVID-19 HOSP

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said that Kolkata Medical College would be converted into a full- fledged Covid hospital in the wake of the rising number of coronavirus cases. The hospital will be operational from Thursday, (May 7,2020). “Keeping in view the increasing need of ramping up specialised Covid treatment in the State, we have decided to notify Medical College, Kolkata as a full-fledged tertiary level Covid Hospital, which will start functioning from 7th May 2020 onwards,” the CM tweeted.

115 Shramik trains run so far to ferry migrants New Delhi: The Indian Railways said that it would have run a total of 115 Shramik trains to ferry migrants to their home states by Wednesday, including 42 planned during the day.

Of these, 22 trains were already en route to their destinations by 1 pm.

“As per information received on Tuesday, we had run 38 special trains. Today, we plan to run 42 more trains.

Till 1300 hours, we had run 22 of them. The total till now is 115 trains,” said a railway official. —Agencies

New Delhi: The Union government banned the export of alcohol-based hand sanitizers to other nations also grappling with the coronavirus pandemic. “Alcoholbased hand sanitizers are prohibited for exports,” the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT).

LIQUOR CAN WEAKEN IMMUNITY

New Delhi: Dr Manish Jain, a Senior Consultant Psychiatrist at BLK Hospital, said. “When we consume alcohol directly or indirectly it increases our stress.

Alcohol use, especially heavy use, weakens the immune system and reduces the body’s ability to cope with infectious diseases.

Centre raps W Bengal over COVID response New Delhi: The Centre rapped the West Bengal government over its COVID-19 management which it said is characterised by a very low rate of testing and high mortality, coupled with lockdown violations like overcrowding in markets, people playing cricket and bathing in rivers.

In a stern two-page letter to West Bengal CS Rajiva Sinha, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla said stricter enforcement of lockdown norms was necessary to contain the spread of coronavirus in the state.

The home secretary said a strong surveillance, testing regime coupled with effective use of ‘Aarogya Setu’ app could help curb the spread of the virus. —PTI

The input provided by the citizen will be made part of Aarogya Setu database and information is processed to send alerts to the citizen on the action to be taken to ensure their safety.

terest payment exemptions, restarting public transport, extending age life limit, deferring state taxes, extending MSME benefits, extending insurance policy validity, etc. —Agencies

Public transport... together win both the battles – the one with coronavirus, and the one with economic slowdown. Members of the confederation made suggestions for improving the condition of public transport which include extending in-

What after...

Sonia Gandhi as saying in the meeting to discuss the COVID-19 situation and the post-lockdown work.

She thanked farmers, particularly of Punjab and Haryana, for ensuring food security by giving bumper wheat pro-

06

POWER Gallery EMPANELMENT OF 1993 AND 1994 BATCH IAS DELAYED

Covid-19 has reportedly delayed the empanelment of 1993 and 1994 batch IAS officers to the rank of Additional Secretary by a month or two.

2.1988 BATCH IFS OFFICER TO BE SECRETARY EMPANELMENT OF 1988 BATCH

Indian Foreign Service officers to the rank of Secretary has been made. About half a dozen officers of this batch are believed to have been empanelled.

DMA WANTS INCREASE IN RETIREMENT AGE OF SERVICE PERSONNEL

The Department of Military Affairs (DMA) has reportedly made a proposal to the Parliament Committee to increase retirement age of service personnel.

DEPUTATION TENURE OF HUKUM SINGH MEENA EXTENDED

The deputation tenure of Hukum Singh Meena, working as Joint Secretary in Department of Land Resources, has been extended for a period of three months beyond May 18, 2020. He is a 1992 batch IAS officer of Bihar cadre.

DR ROUSHAN TO RETURN TO GUJARAT IG SSB

Dr Prafulla Kumar Roushan is returning to the parent Gujarat cadre after completion of central deputation tenure. He is 1996 batch IPS officer.

RAJESH VERMA TO JOIN AS SECRETARY, CORPORATE AFFAIRS ON JUNE 1

Rajesh Verma will be taking over the charge as Secretary, Ministry of Corporate Affairs, on June 1, 2020.

He is a 1987 batch IAS officer of Odisha cadre.

RAJESH CHATURVEDI TO JOIN AS SECRETARY, CHEMICALS & PETROCHEMICALS ON JUNE 1

Rajaesh Kumar Chaturvedi will be taking over charge as Secretary, Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals on June 1, 2020. He is a 1987 batch IAS officer of MP cadre.

RAMESHWAR PRASAD GUPTA TO JOIN AS SECRETARY, EF&CC ON JUNE 1

Rameshwar Prasad Gupta will be taking over charge as Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on June 1, 2020. He is a 1987 batch IAS officer of Gujarat cadre.

PRADIP KUMAR TRIPATHI TO JOIN AS SECRETARY, STEEL ON JUNE 1

Pradip Kumar Tripathi will be taking over charge as Secretary, Ministry of Steel, on June 1, 2020.

He is a 1987 batch IAS officer of J&K cadre.

WHY WERE ORDERS OF B R SHARMA WITHDRAWN ?

The orders for appointment of former CS of J&K, BR Sharma, as J&K Public Service Commission (PSC) Chairman were issued only to be withdraw within hours. He is former 1984 batch IAS officer.

TWO IAS OFFICERS GET NEW ASSIGNMENTS IN ASSAM

Avinash Purushottam Das Joshi has been appointed as Principal Secretary, Environment & Forests and Excise with additional charge of Mines & Minerals and Dr M Angamuthu was given an additional charge of Commissioner & Secretary, Sports & Youth Welfare in Assam.

MOHIT JAIN APPOINTED AS CIT IN PCCIT OFFICE, MUMBAI

Ajay Bhalla

Mohit Jain has been appointed as CIT (OSD) in the office of PCCIT, Mumbai Region. He is an IRS-IT officer.

VIRENDER SINGH IS NEW DG, HOME GUARDS IN DELHI GOVT

Virender Singh, Special CP, Security, has been appointed as new Director General, Home Guards in Delhi Govt. He is a 1991 batch IPS officer of AGMUT cadre.

FROM PG 1 Gujarat ropes...

Jayanti Ravi, Principal Secretary (Health), said.

She said the death rate is 5.8 per cent in the state and that the recovery rate has jumped to 300 per cent “and so people should not worry much.” Within a week, the rate of recovery has improved.

On April 29, 93 patients had recovered and total 527 were discharged, while on May 6 (Wednesday), on a single day 119 pa-

measures from Wednesday, it will take a while to pay results.

Corona cases... as per an official statement. The questions asked are aligned with Aarogya Setu app, and based on the responses given, citizens will also get an SMS indicating their health status and further alerts for their health moving forward, the statement added.

The service is implemented in 11 regional languages similar to the mobile application.

duce despite all odds.

Former PM Manmohan Singh said, “We need to know, as Soniaji said, what will happen after lockdown 3.0?”.

“Soniaji has already pointed out. CMs need to deliberate and ask as to what is the strategy of the government of India to get the country out of the lockdown,” Singh asked.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said the central piece of the strategy to fight COVID-19 is to protect the elderly as well as

those who are diabetic and with heart conditions.

Speaking at the meeting, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said he has set up two committees, one to strategise on how to come out of the lockdown and the other on economic revival. Sonia is also likely to discuss the issue of migrant labourers and workers stranded at various places and steps taken by the states in bringing them back to their home states. —Agencies

TALKING POINT AHMEDABAD | THURSDAY, MAY 7, 2020

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07

Ayse Mehmet, whose daughter Sonya Kaygan died from coronavirus, has tears wiped by her threeyear-old granddaughter, also named Ayse, at her home in Enfield, Britain.

—PHOTO BY REUTERS

A child wearing a face mask sits on the shoulder of an elderly man during the nationwide lockdown, imposed in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, at Sion in Mumbai.

—PHOTO BY PTI

What Real Pandemic Aid Would Look Like VOLUNTEERING RESOURCES TO PROTECT POORER NEIGHBORS any of these children M and their families live in informal settlements, in conditions that make social distancing and self-isolation impossible.

Many also have underlying health conditions that put them at increased risk from COVID-19. And many lack regular access to basic services like drinking water and electricity, while lockdowns have ended vital schoolbased meal programs.

Worst of all, many of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people do not have reliable access to sanitation, let alone health care.

Through our 100 million for 100 million campaign’s work, I know that children in Nairobi’s informal “slum” settlement of Mathare now fear more than ever that they will go hungry. In India, we have opened the doors of Mukti Ashram, a rehabilitation facility for rescued child laborers, to take in street children and to feed the local community. All over the

world, communities and civil-society groups are showing compassion by volunteering their time and resources to protect their poorer neighbors.

Nonetheless, the situation calls for significantly more action, and on a much wider scale. Nearly one in five children worldwide lives on less than $2 per day.

The International Labor Organization reports that tens of millions of informal workers have already become unemployed as a result of the pandemic. And the World Food Program warns that an additional 130 million

people could be pushed to the brink of starvation by the end of this year. All of these trends indicate that marginalized children who were already at risk of hunger could starve.

Government and civil-society efforts to eradicate child poverty and end child labor must be stepped up substantially, both now and in the months and years following the immediate crisis. Evidence from past economic shocks shows that in countries with inadequate or non-existent social protections, many more children will be forced to work.

LONG-TERM IMPACT ON CHILDREN WILL BE CATASTROPHIC oreover, a panM demic makes this especially likely.

If adults in vulnerable households die or are incapacitated from COVID-19, the task of earning money to survive will fall to their children. So, unless we act now, the crisis could leave millions more children vulnerable to forced labor, slavery, and trafficking, followed by a lifetime of illiteracy and poverty for those who survive.

The long-term impact on an entire genera-

tion of children will be catastrophic.

Around the world, civilsociety groups and ordinary people are doing what they can to prevent the world’s poorest and most vulnerable populations – particularly children – from suffering the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic

I

n the space of just a few months, COVID-19 has changed our world beyond recognition.

Wherever one lives, one feels a palpable sense of fear. Yet we do not all respond to fear in the same way.

Though we all instinctively want to protect our loved ones, in a deeply unequal world, not all of us have the means to do so.

Among the most

o, I am urging all S G20 leaders to look beyond their own bor-

ders, and to recognize the urgent need for coordinated international aid.

I am also calling on US President Donald Trump to reconsider his decision to freeze American funding for the World Health Organization. The WHO is absolutely critical at the moment, and it will continue to play a vital role in supporting basic health care, including vaccinations for children in less-developed regions.

In every country hit by COVID-19, one can find

painful consequences of the pandemic is that it has or will hit the world’s most vulnerable children and their families the hardest, driving many households that had escaped poverty over the past two decades back into destitution. Child laborers, out-ofschool children, and young people fleeing conflict or disaster are particularly at risk.

ECONOMIC IMPACT OF COVID-19

s matters stand, A G20 countries have committed more than

$5 trillion in spending to mitigate the economic impact of COVID-19. Some of the world’s richest corporations are benefiting the most, and many haven’t paid their fair share of taxes for years.

Meanwhile, hard commitments and support for the world’s most marginalized and vulnerable populations so far account for only a tiny fraction of the global financial response.

Vulnerable children and families must receive a proportional share. The poorest 20% of humanity should be accorded 20% of the funds, which would amount to a transformational $1 trillion. That sum would cover the United Nations’ appeal for charitable giving to tackle COVID-19, two years of low-income countries’ debt repayments, and two years of the annual funding gap for the Sustainable Development Goals. The SDGs include

URGENT NEED FOR COORDINATED INTERNATIONAL AID

stories of hope. Millions of health workers are

providing front-line care for the infected. Teachers

are continuing children’s education online. Huge

SOURCE: PROJECT SYNDICATE

concrete programs to improve access to health, water, sanitation, and education, which is crucial for providing a better future for marginalized children.

Even after covering these outstanding costs, there would still be enough left to fund the social safety nets needed to prevent child labor. It is safe to assume that more than ten million lives would be saved. That is a response to the COVID-19 crisis that humanity could be proud of. new volunteer networks are taking shape and extending a helping hand to those who lack access to basic supplies, food, and drinking water.

When so many ordinary people are going out of their way to show compassion and assist the poorest and most vulnerable, it would be utterly shameful if national leaders did not do the same.Governments must join us in creating a safer world for all our children. Let this pandemic be the moment when we commit to genuine, enduring change.

CONCEPT: DIVYA HEMNANI

DESIGN: ABHISHEK GUPTA

The perfect balance is contentment in what you have and striving for more. If you are not grateful for what you have then ‘more’ will also not be enough.

2ND FRONT Diamond firms see ray of hope, finally —Jagdeesh Chandra, CEO & Editor, First India

AHMEDABAD | THURSDAY, MAY 7, 2020

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As many as 16 industry associations have represented to Gujarat CM to allow them to enforce salary cuts

First India News Surat/Ahmedabad: With the government easing the lockdown in parts of the country early this week, the diamond industry sees some light at the end of the tunnel.

According to a report by the Gems and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC), a handful of manufacturing units have started their operations in Surat and ten shipments have already been exported to Hong Kong from Surat Hira Bourse.

One of the shipments worth Rs 2 billion belongs to one of the biggest diamond manufacturers in India. Later, another consignment

Frustrated with lockdown, man kills himself

First India News Ahwa: A 22-year-old man from Maharashtra, who was at a relative’s house in Dangs district of Gujarat, allegedly hanged himself after the lockdown was extended till May 17, police said.

Police said the deceased Siddharth Bhalerao, from Dharan village in Jalgaon district of Maharashtra, came to visit his uncle Hitesh Birade in Ahwa town in Dang in March.

Birade, who works with the public works department in Ahwa, invited Bhalerao to attend the Dangs Darbar Festival in the second week of March. Later, the lockdown was announced and he could not return home.

On Monday evening, Birade and his family had gone to the neighbouring village and saw Bhalerao hanging when they returned.

worth Rs 3 billion was shipped to Hong Kong via Mumbai.

However, as the lockdown restrictions continue in Mumbai, the GJEPC has been having discussions with the authorities concerned to start resuming work in SEEPZ SEZ and GJEPC estimates that around 30 per cent of India’s annual exports are waiting to be executed.

Meanwhile, around 16 industry associations in Gujarat have asked the State Government to allow them to cut salaries of their employees in the range of 30-50 percent. These industries have also asked the government not to allow migrant workers

EXISTENTIAL CRISIS!

A diamond cutting and polishing unit in its heyday.

whose salaries have already been paid during the Covid-19 lockdown to return home.

The Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and

Two cops attacked in Anand district First India News Anand: Two policemen and an ambulance driver were injured when a mob allegedly attacked them to prevent a civic team from performing the last rites of a Covid-19 victim at a crematorium in Gujarat’s Anand district, officials said on Wednesday.

The incident took place in Vallabh Vidyanagar town on Tuesday night, following which 56 people residing near the electric crematorium were arrested, Deputy Superintendent of Police B D Jadeja said.

“Nearly 100 locals residing near the crematorium in Hariom

Nagar area gheraoed a Khambhat civic team that reached there with the body of a person who died of coronavirus at a hospital in Karamsad,” he said.

They asked the civic personnel to take the body somewhere else, claiming its cremation will spread coronavirus in the area, Jadeja said.

Earlier, the mob, armed with sticks and stones, allegedly attacked the driver of the ambulance in which the body was kept. The locals also broke window panes of a car belonging to the Khambhat municipality, police sub-inspector T R Gadhvi said.

Industry’s (GCCI) Regional Council has written a letter to Chief Minister Vijay Rupani requesting the government to al-

low the industries to cut salaries of their workers including daily wagers. This letter was written on behalf of all the 16 in-

Cong blames ‘Namaste Trump’ event for corona spread in Guj First India News Ahmedabad: The Gujarat Congress on Wednesday alleged that the ‘Namaste Trump’ event organised by the Gujarat Government on February 24 here was primarily responsible for the spread of coronavirus in the State.

State Congress President Amit Chavda demanded an independent probe through a Special Investigation Team (SIT) into this and stated that his party will approach the Gujarat High Court soon against the government’s “criminal negligence”. However, the

Amit Chawda, Gujarat Congress President.

state BJP unit dismissed the allegation as baseless, saying the event was organised well before the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared COVID-19 as a pandemic, and the first coronavirus case in the state was reported nearly a month

Ayurveda ‘elixir cures’ 2 Covid-hit men First India News Surat: Two survivors of novel coronavirus namely Dr Dharti Thummar of Punagam area and Mitesh Mistry, resident of Katargam area, defeated the virus by choosing to follow a course of ayurvedic medication.

Both patients were kept in isolation at the Civil Hospital after they corona tested positive and were started on a course of allopathic medicines.

However, both of

Corona survivors Dr Dharti Thummar and Mitesh Mistry.

them opted for ayurvedic medicines on advice of a private physician.

Elaborating on her

dustry associations.

Claiming that the industries are in a huge financial crisis due to the lockdown, GCCI president Durgesh Buch, in the letter, sug-

gested that the daily wagers be given salaries at par with MNREGA workers or with minimum wages which is around Rs 200-350 per day. Those earning up to Rs 20,000 should be given only 70 per cent of their existing salaries and those earning more than Rs 20,000 should be given only 50 per cent of the salaries, the letter said.

“While on one hand, the production is almost at a standstill, the units have to bear some fixed expenditure like bank EMIs, rents and salaries,” the letter stated adding that the industries are finding it difficult to continue paying full salaries.

decision to choose ayurvedic medicines, Thummar said, “After my report came back positive, I just took

ayurvedic vati and churna on advice of an ayurvedic doctor.

Then both my test reports came back negative and I was sent home.”

“I had a sore throat, head and back ache, and I went to the doctor for a check-up. Later, I was asked to get tested and my report came back positive. However, I chose to follow ayurvedic course of medication and eventually both my reports came back negative,” said Mistry.

after the event.

On February 24, US President Donald Trump along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi took part in road show in Ahmedabad, which was attended by thousands of people. After

the road show, the two leaders addressed a gathering of over one lakh people at Motera cricket stadium, run

by Gujarat Cricket Association (GCA). The State reported its first coronavirus cases on March 19, when samples of a man from Rajkot and a woman from Surat tested positive for the disease.

In a video message, Chavda said, “In January itself, WHO clearly had asked all the countries to refrain from organising large gatherings. Despite such warnings, ‘Namaste Trump’ was planned for political gains.”

08

3 cops, 11 prisoners test corona positive

First India News Ahmedabad: Three policemen and 11 prisoners have been tested positive for coronavirus at the central jail Ahmedabad.

Deputy Superintendent of Police (Jails) DV Rana said earlier six had tested positive after they were brought from different police stations of the city to the jail while six other new entrants tested positive on Tuesday.

Rana said all of them have been shifted to hospital for treatment. Jail officials said three policemen who were involved in checking prisoners while they are being taken inside also tested positive for Covid-19.

Rana added that the three policemen are among those who were quarantined when five prisoners were brought to jail on April 30.

SUPER SPREADERS

Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation’s medical team and police in process to shift nearly two dozen Covid-19 positive vegetable vendors to hospital in Bhaipura area of the city.

Business lobby not allowing migrants to go home: Patel First India News New Delhi: Veteran Congress leader and AICC treasurer Ahmed Patel has alleged that business lobbies are ensuring that state governments don’t permit migrants to go home after the Karnataka government cancelled the special trains for them. The Congress leader said that it is “feudal” and a violation of the fundamental rights.

Ahmed Patel tweeted, “First Karnataka and now Gujarat, some business lobbies are ensuring state govt doesn’t permit migrants to return to their families.” The Congress leader said that this is a violation of their fundamental rights. “To hold them against their will is a violation of human and fundamental rights. Its a feudal mindset. Do migrants not get a choice be-

First Karnataka and now Gujarat, some business lobbies are ensuring state government doesn't permit migrants to return to their families.

—Ahmed Patel

cause they are poor?” said Patel.

The Karnataka government has cancelled the trains for the migrants and has written to the Railways not to operationalise these trains. The state wants to revive the economy and lift the lockdown partially and the workforce is needed for this.

According to guidelines under the extended lockdown since Monday till May 17, the State

Government allowed manufacturing and services to function, keeping social distancing, wearing of masks and sanitization mandatory.

The decision reportedly came after the builders association told the Chief Minister that they had paid the migrant workers and given them facilities to resume construction activities. The Chief Minister asked R.

Ashok and Suresh Kumar -- both Ministers -- to convince the migrant workers to stay back as construction and other economic activities had resumed.

Around 10,000 migrant workers left Bengaluru in eight special trains since Sunday for their states, while hundreds of local migrants were ferried in the state-run buses to their native places since Saturday.

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LAND OF LOVE REALITY SHOWS ACROSS THE TELEVISION WORLD HAVE BEEN HIT BY CORONA LOCKDOWN. CITY FIRST TAKES A PEEK AT ANOTHER REALITY SHOW AND THE LOCKDOWN IMPACT!

NEHAL NAYAR

nehal.nayar@firstindia.co.in

L

ove Island has reportedly been hit by yet another crisis amid concerns coronavirus may stop the series from going ahead. After ITV bosses hinted the series may be axed this year as it would send the wrong signal to viewers, sources are now claiming the ITV2 is struggling to get insurance to be filmed in Mallorca. It’s reported that bosses are considering asking its stars to isolate for two weeks before filming starts this summer, but without insurance, production could be shut down completely. ‘The current plan is to fly crew and contestants out to Majorca two weeks before filming starts and then isolate everyone. But even with these measures, insurance companies won’t offer cover. ‘ITV can’t do the series without insurance. If the series is airing and even just one person tests positive for the virus, the whole thing would have to be shut down immediately.’

Love Island is a British

dating reality series. It is a revival of the earlier celebrity series of the same name, which aired for two series in 2005 and 2006 on ITV. The series is narrated by Iain Stirling, and was hosted by Caroline Flack until 2019; Laura Whitmore began presenting the series in 2020. In 2018, it won a BAFTA Award for Best Reality and Constructed Factual show.

Love Island involves a group of contestants, referred to as Islanders, living in isolation from the outside world in a villa in Mallorca, constantly under video surveillance.[38] To survive in the villa the Islanders must be coupled up with another

Islander, whether it be for love, friendship or money, as the overall winning couple receives £50,000. On the first day, the Islanders couple up for the first time based on first impressions, but over the duration of the series, they are forced to “re-couple” where they can choose to remain in their current couple or swap and change.

Any Islander who remains single after the coupling is eliminated and dumped from the island. Islanders can also be eliminated via a public vote, as during the series the public vote through the Love Island app available on smartphones for their favourite couple, or who they think is the most compatible. Couples who receive the fewest votes risk being eliminated. Often a twist has occurred where it has been up to the Islanders to eliminate couples. During the final week, the public vote for which couple they want to win the series and therefore take home £50,000.

09

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AHMEDABAD | THURSDAY, MAY 7, 2020

10

Can Isolation Change

N O I H S A F

?

D O O G R FO

design er and its creator of a the cts ne aesthetics that con AJAI V SINGH gh ou thr e ibl two. It is made vis ll as it time to finally be rel is Th . ng thi a piece of clo to got the cat. It’s been close at wh is n hio fas of tionship r20 years, of global mu ional compromised when rat hfas on to mur of cor rupti ion lat discount driven stimu t. s the ion has brought abou clo of drive big numbers e And that there is an ur cam be e ob rdr into your wa hgent need of an overfas big of e tiv jec the main ob levels to Hyhaul. Though the noise ion houses, giving birth ve ha e sir de s thi e iev the ach ere to per consumption. Wh s been k oo ert ov grown, yet no action ha value of discount cess. btur taken to cor rect the pro dis , ign the value of des on or t Yes it’s not an easy soluti ing the very equation tha ng eri on a step to correct, consid up sed ba s wa fashion with, the size we are dealing since last few hunere wh ow kn we wouldn’t even gh dred years.

Ajai V Sin g about to start. We are talkin The shutdown on dolay aw k too s wn a global size of a Trilli do k loc the maybe the catat not and . And up ss dre lar. A global industry tha to e sir de lyst to shut the s, but the only supports livelihood that originally pre- engine off, re’ ion sh ‘Fa like economies of countries be presented in the boot and start t- pared us to Vie a, nk La i Bangladesh, Sr in a cer tain manner, ag ain. With factories Cen- society nam, parts of America, important aspect of an and retail closed down on. being s goe t lis d an ca w shut eri no s wa n, tral Am sio res exp f completely, fashion on the sel Others that activist houses. It certainly which is part of r ou ide ins hardly street there has been beating. the basic societal ange took a ch to pt any serious attem only way you could need of food, the w, No u even sked the system. How do yo appear outside was ma ng and shelits s les Un . tem r- clothi sys (Pe s E PP a in disturb thi bly ba pro d an ter, rise once ain. shut down and starts ag otection Equipment), again with the baPr al son ion So, can the forced isolat ers in layers what sic principals of bal which cov glo s thi t a be the very reboo are wearing. To me it is the solution this be you e first on no t tha n industry needs? Can sig c eti ph pro ed by depir ins al in its curn hio fas the start of a new norm see to nts wa sign. Designfashion.

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FA CE OF TH ED AY

I

YOUR DAY Horoscope by Saurabbh Sachdeva

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

CANCER

You are an outstanding home maker and you take care of your kids like no one can. You are very close to your parents and may visit them frequently going forward. On professional front, you will get the break that you have been expecting.

You may get a job offer.

You may feel financially secure but your ambitions have take away your sleep of the night, try and relax and sometime take it easy. You will soon meet a friend who can understand you and whose company will make you happy. Remember somethings take time.

You may feel challenged on work front but its an healthy competition which will help you realise your true potential. On domestic front, do not indulge in any kind of argument with your parents just for the sake of it, sometime you need to understand their concern.

Your new business is doing good but you need to have some patience when it comes to profit.

Your child may need your serious counselling so show them you are there. You make take your family along on a work trip. Its time to take your love life to next level.

MAR 21 - APR 20

MAY 21 - JUNE 21

JUNE 22 - JULY 23

LEO

VIRGO

LIBRA

SCORPIO

You are on with your fitness regime and you will surely get the results you desperately desire. Going abroad for settlement is on cards and you must start with your preparations.

On domestic front, you will be quite in demand and lots of things will keep you busy.

You are very jovial and kind hearted person. You are a very nice parent and always understand your kids but you must know when to stop pampering. You may bring a pet to your house and it will be the best decision in the recent times. You may feel a lot of pressure from family.

Money is flowing into your life from all directions and your spouse is your lucky charm. You must not be a part of any controversies and you know someone close to you involved then guide them and show them a way out. A new vehicles is on cards, may also come as a gift.

You will feel very refresh and energetic today. You worry without any reason so relax and enjoy what you have. You may get an unexpected career call that will change your life forever. Your spouse will pamper you in many ways today. You are very satisfied with everything.

JULY 24 - AUGUST 23

AUG 24 - SEP 23

SEPT 24 - OCTOBER 22

OCT 23 - NOVEMBER 22

SAGITTARIUS

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

Those involved in export and import business will see a hike. You will complete all your pending task today. On personal front, you will manage to sustain a peaceful environment at home. You will be very busy today on social front, as you can expect some calls from friends today.

You are great when it come to money management and you have a big heart for others. You will successfully complete the project, which kept you occupying for long. Today is a very auspicious day for any kind of inauguration. You will be involved in lot of charity.

On professional front, you have already proved your metal and your career is going great. Your friends may be helping but can also manipulate you sometimes so be careful. Those who matters will always understand you and those you don’t, you should not care about them.

You may find yourself in a very perplexed position when it comes to money, unable to decide whether to spend money on fun to have an image in your circle or to be an odd one out. Your teachers will be extremely impressed with you. You will enjoy your parents company.

NOV 23 - DEC 22

NAGMA MIRAJKAR, Influencer

APR 21 - MAY 20

DEC 23 - JAN 20

JAN 21 - FEB 19

FEB20 - MARCH 20

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AHMEDABAD | THURSDAY, MAY 7, 2020

11

AMBANIS, THE GUARDIAN ANGELS!

D

ays after the demise of her superstar husband Rishi Kapoor, veteran actor Neetu Kapoor on Tuesday penned down a long heart-touching gratitude note for the family of Mukesh Ambani with a throwback picture of Rishi Kapoor, herself, Mukesh Ambani and his wife Neeta Ambani.

She took to Instagram and said,

Nita and Mukesh Ambani with Rishi and Neetu Kapoor

“For us, as a family, the last two years have been a long journey. There were good days, there were a couple of bad days too.. needless to say, it was full of high emotion,” reads the caption.

She then indicated the tough journey of Rishi Kapoor’s battle with cancer and said that the journey would have been difficult to complete without the support of the Ambani family.

CONSTANT

FOR FUTURE!

S

inger Katy Perry, who is expecting a baby with fiance Orlando Bloom, says she misses drinking alcoholic beverages during pregnancy.

The 35-year-old star made the comment while filming a Facebook Live video. She told

A

FIGHT BULLYING!

I

n a first of its kind International venture, youth icons Ananya Panday and international vocalist and guitarist from ‘The Vamps’ James McVey are all set to come together on the former’s ‘So Positive’ platform to raise awareness about social media bullying.

The live session will be hosted on 8 May, 2020 at 7 pm.

James McVey, lead guitarist of the internationally renowned British band ‘The Vamps’, is known globally for spreading social media positivity. The coming together of the two, Panday and McVey, marks a collaboration that goes beyond the confines of language and geography.

—Agency

s she is spending time at home during the lockdown imposed to prevent the spread of coronavirus, Deepika Padukone on Wednesday took out a moment to thank ‘music’ which has been a constant companion for many during the period.

The ‘Piku’ actor took to Instagram to share a picture of her piano and penned a caption dedicated to music and describing how life would have been incomplete without it.

“Thank you for the music, the songs I’m(NOT)singing... Thanks for all the joy they’re bringing. Who can live without it?

I ask in all honesty,” she wrote in her caption. “What would life be? Without a song or a dance, what are we? So I say thank you for the music, For giving it to me... music,” her caption further read.

The picture of Padukone’s piano also featured her photographs kept on the top of the piano. The 34-year-old actor has been sharing such insights from her daily life ever since the beginning of the lockdown. —ANI

Deepika Padukone; (inset) Her Instagrampost

Out of the World!

W

Tom Cruise

ith his next movie, Tom Cruise is going out of the world, literally! The Hollywood star is reportedly in talks with NASA and Elon Musk’s space company SpaceX for an action adventure movie, which will be shot in space.

Cruise and Musk’s aviation company Space X are working on a project with NASA that would be the first narrative feature film to be shot in outer space.

Being described as an action adventure, the film will be shot aboard a real SpaceX vessel. The report states that the project is in its early stage, and no studio is attached yet.

The Hollywood star, 57, has carved a reputation for taking extreme risks to pull off jaw dropping stunt sequences, mostly in the ‘Mission: Impossible’ franchise.

—IANS

WANNA DATE PARI?

P

arineeti Chopra has stepped forward to do more amid the COVID-19 crisis. She has decided to go on a virtual coffee date with people to raise funds that will feed 4000 family members of 1000 daily wage earners of our country. Chopra has come on board to help raise funds for GiveIndia’s Mission: Ration

Parineeti Chopra

Kit that aims at delivering food to those most affected by the crisis.

The ‘Ishaqzaade’ star’s campaign will see ration kits containing dal, rice, atta, salt, masala, tea, sugar, oil, etc, to sustain a family of 4 people, be distributed to families in Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Bihar and Tamil Nadu. The ‘Namaste England’ star, who is doing this in association with Arjun Kapoor’s sister Anshula’s breakthrough charity initiative Fankind, said,

as their well-wishers.

“To Mukesh Bhai, Nita Bhabhi, Akash, Shloka, Anant, and Isha - you have been our guardian angels on this long and trying experience - what we feel for you cannot be measured,” Kapoor said.

The Kapoor and Ambani families have been close friends for a long time and the friendship grew even closer during Rishi Kapoor’s battle with cancer.

—ANI

EXCITED

COMPANION! Ananya Panday

Thanking the family, Kapoor wrote, “Over the last seven months every member of the family has gone above and beyond in every way possible to care for our beloved Rishi and ensure he experienced as little discomfort as possible.”

Terming each member of the Ambani family as their guardian angels, the 61-year-old the actor said that the Kapoor family is blessed to have them

“There are millions of unemployed daily wage earners who are struggling to make two ends meet today due to the coronavirus crisis in our country. During the COVID-19 national lockdown, they are unable to earn and that is putting them at high risk! Fankind, GiveIndia and I have come together to try and help them and their families by providing them with ration kits.”

—ANI Miley Cyrus

fans: “I’m not complaining, but I can’t drink because I’m pregnant. Some of you already have a cocktail getting ready or you have your favourite IPA. I mean, honestly, just Bud Light with a little lime, I’m very excited for the future when that can happen. Which will be years, probably.”

During the chat, she also admitted she probably wasn’t going to be able to have a baby shower due to the coronavirus pandemic. “I know not everyone does a babymoon or a baby shower. But I’m not sure I’m gonna be able to do any of that,” s h e said.

—IANS

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

Peaceful

MIND

T

o experience the most powerful full moon meditation of the year, GMCKS Pranic Healing Foundation of Rajasthan is organising the meditation event ‘Wesak 2020’ on Thursday between 7pm to 7:45pm.

The event is open for all above 16 and can be joined through the Zoom app and Facebook Live. The Pranic Healing Masters all across the world are running daily meditations through different virtual platforms and helping millions to remain positive and peaceful during the coronavirus pandemic.

—City First

SAFETY above all S

BI Life Insurance, under the Corporate Social Responsibility initiative, supported Jagriti to fight the battle against coronavirus.

SBI Life Insurance Regional Director Aseem Mishra; Regional Manager (Agency) Shivaji V; Regional Manager Banka Satya Praturi and Regional HR Head Yajuvendra Singh along with the JK Jajoo, President, Jagriti, donated 570 PPE kits and N95 mask to SMS Hospital’s superintendent Dr Meena and Deputy Superintendent Dr Rao on Wednesday Doctors and the staff of the Hospital in the premises of the hospital, while totally maintaining social distancing.

Aseem Mishra and JK Jajoo told that doctor and paramedical staff are like gods and they are putting their best in beating this deadly virus. To save all of us they are staying away from their families. Mishra added that under the SBI Life Insurance’s Corporate Social Responsibility these PPE kits are dedicated to the Doctors and the Paramedics.

—City First

City First asks its readers in Rajasthan & Gujarat about what changes they have made in their balconies, to make them more livable during the lockdown!

CITY FIRST JAIPUR & AHMEDABAD

J

uliet stood in the balcony to woo and be wooed by Romeo and many a Bollywood heroine has caught a love letter thrown by the Hero as she stood in the balcony drying clothes or watering plants.

But nothing has brought the Balcony to life as much as the Corona lockdown where balconies have become hubs of life to catch the sun, say Hi to the neighbour and exchange news. All this daily stuff progressed to more be it candles lit, bells/ thalis rung on call and then the voluntary music symphonies, dances and marathons as the world readjusted.

The balcony is a touch of public life cocooned in the safety of private life. It is a reminder that there is a World outside waiting for us.

City First talks to a few readers about what all did they change about their balcony as the Lockdown progressed and it became the ‘centre’ of their world.

AAJA MERI

AHMEDABAD | THURSDAY, MAY 7, 2020

WHAT’S HAPPENING! Uttar Pradesh: Former MLA and National Secretary, All India Congress Committee, Vivek Bansal, took an initiative to fight the battle against COVID-19 amid the lockdown.

Bansal along with his team members initiated the process of sanitization in Aligarh on Wednesday and covered various localities including colonies in Janakpuri, areas nearby Begum Bagh and ITI Road among others. The team also distributed masks to the people during the process. Food items were also distributed to the needy people residing in Zakir Nagar in Jeevangarh area and Thakur Wali in Bhujpura.

BALCONY

MEIN AAJA!

Rajasthan: A webinar series ‘Hum Tum 4’ was organised by Jaipur Citizen Forum, where Chairman of JCF, Rajiv Arora was seen in the conversation with famous Indian Director of Advertising Films Prasoon Pandey, on Monday.

The yearning to travel again made me redo my balcony using collectibles from past travels to Greece and Turkey.

Adding wall art, Mandala-painted bottles (made by my mother) and a round table with a stool gave it the feel of a rooftop cafe. This is my new cozy spot to read, work and sip masala chai while day dreaming about future travels.

Rajasthan: Amidst our fight against novel Coronavirus, two Rajasthan-based companies of Vedanta Group, Cairn Oil and Hindustan Zinc came forward to contribute Rs 10 crore to the Rajasthan Chief Minister’s Assistance Fund. This contribution was in addition to the amount of approximately Rs 8 crores that the two companies are spending during community efforts in their areas of operation. Chairman of Vedanta Limited, Anil Aggarwal shared that Vedanta has a long and fruitful relationship with Rajasthan and we look forward to supporting the state and district administration in fighting this epidemic and restoring normalcy at the earliest.

—DEVIKA GERA

This lockdown is the best time I was waiting for. I am a social butterfly who is always scrolling phone to find out how friends and family are doing. Spreading the warmth, I am trying painting, sketching, madhubani pen art on paper and Making the wall of my balcony more lively. I am also planting small kitchen plants and herbs in my balcony to keep it more fresh and green. It grants me peace of mind as well as to do complete justice to free time. The balcony is my favourite place nowadays. Painting and decorating is just exactly reviving my childhood.

—NITI PANWAR

My family lives on the 11th floor in a high-rise building and our house has an attached terrace balcony. We have started to put wet waste in our dry soil flower pots to make the soil fertile and are planning to sow seeds in them before monsoon commences. In the evenings, we use the terrace to play badminton and jog around to stay fit. And at night, we put out mattresses to sleep under the open sky and stars.

—GAURA SINGH

Reviving heritage! SAVING LIVES CITY FIRST

I A

webinar was organised by Indian Heritage Hotels Associations (IHHA) on the theme ‘Indian Heritage Hotels and the Impact of COVID-19’, where Additional Director General, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, Dr Rupinder Brar said that the Union Ministry of Tourism is actively working to create a set of guidelines for travellers, monuments, guides, hotels and restaurants, tour operator and other stakeholders. The official document should be ready by the middle of this month and will be supported, endorsed and vetted by the Ministry. It will be in line with the Ministry of Health Guidelines and various ideas that are com-

12

ing from the industry. The session was moderated by MD, Sita, TCI, Distant Frontiers and Go Vacations, Dipak Deva.

Principal Secretary Tourism, Art & Culture, Government of Rajasthan, Sreya Guha said that the Department of Tourism, Government of Rajasthan has been working closely with the heritage hotel industry to negotiate a revival package.

President of IHHA, the erstwhile ruler of Jodhpur, Gaj Singh said that the future of foreign tourism looks bleak, therefore there is a need to concentrate on domestic tourism and focus on State-wise marketing with an emphasis on each State’s specialties and peculiarities —City First

n the war against Corona, Mahatma Gandhi Hospital in Sitapura, Jaipur has taken another step.

Recently, the hospital has been approved by the ICMR for the Phase II clinical trial of Convalescent Plasma Therapy named as a PLACID trial to assess the safety and efficacy of it in COVID patients with moderate disease.

It is noteworthy that the ICMR has already approved the investigation of COVID-19 by RT-PCR. Hundreds of RT PCR tests are being done daily in the hospital, Dr Vikas Chandra Swaranakar, Chairman of Mahatma Gandhi Medical University informed.

Dr Swaranakar said that ICMR has allowed clinical trials of plasma therapy to selected institutions in the country. Mahatma Gandhi Hospital is the only hospital in the state has got this permission in the private sector.

At the moment there is no successful treatment or the drug available for COVID disease. Through the plasma therapy trials, physicians are exploring treatment op-

Punjab: National General Secretary of Vipra Foundation, Dr Pawan Kumar Pareek honoured Superintendent of Police IPS Deepak Pareek, for his excellent contribution in social work in addition to duties. The award ceremony was organised at Ludhiana Commissionerate, where Gopal Sharma from Help India Institution presented a copy of their world record.

Rajasthan: An international song ‘Jewels and Fame’, sung by Rajasthan’s first opera singer Hritisha Rewadia and with music by Shaiphali Saxena has won many hearts across the globe. This song has already won Rajasthan International Film Festival Award for ‘Best Music Video’ and is the first song of Jaipur to win the prestigious 10th Dadasaheb Phalke Film Festival Award 2020.

Dr Vikas C Swaranakar

tions in COVID disease. He informed that the principal investigator of the clinical trial is Dr Ram Mohan Jaiswal, also the Head of Department of Medicine Dr Puneet Rijhwani, Hematologist Dr Naveen Gupta, Critical Care Head Dr Ashish Jain and Dr Shweta Sharma are the key members of this trial.

Clinical trial PI Dr Ram Mohan Jaiswal said that people over the age of 18 who have become corona-free can donate their plasma voluntarily. Convalescent Plasma of the donor rich in antibody can be transfused to corona affected patients after consent. He reported that this develops the ability to fight against the Coronavirus in corona patients. The results of the trial will be shared with ICMR.

Rajasthan: During the ongoing online musical series ‘Sumiran’, initiated by Rajasthan Forum, in association with Shree Cement and Raghu Sinha Mala Mathur Charity Trust amid the nationwide lockdown, Singer Manjur Khan Manganihar and his fellow artists mesmerized the online audience with their majestic performance of Rajasthani devotional songs on Wednesday.

Rajasthan: FICCI Ladies Organisation, Jaipur Chapter, under the leadership of its Chairperson, Shweta Chopra, organised a virtual session on ‘Combatting Challenges’ with Actress, Writer, Producer and Social contributor, Nandita Das, and Co-Founder and Director of Wizcraft Sabbas Joseph on Wednesday. The event was streamed online for the members to view and the subjects of the discussion were very apt with the current times.