First India-Ahmedabad Edition-07 October 2020

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RSPECTIVE GREEN EN OIL - RAJASERGY AND THE END O THAN’S OPP ORTUNITF Y www.firstindia

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JAIPUR | WEDNESD AY, OCTOBER

7, 2020

04

SHUBHRANSH U SINGH

T

AHMEDABAD l WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2020 l Pages 12 l 3.00

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RNI NO. GUJENG/2019/16208 l Vol 1 l Issue No. 312

GREEN ENERGY AND THE END OF OIL - RAJASTHAN’S OPPORTUNITY

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The writer is a corporate professiona marketing leader, l, columnist and and political commentat a social or. He writes on brand building, politics, technologymarketing, history, and business

he history of the modern world is the story of oil gas. That era and is ending.

Its end overlaps of ‘green energy’. with the rise is on for ‘Decarbo A global race The oil giant nisation’. consumption BP has said following pandemic might never the again reach the heights of 2019.

OPEC and the Energy AgencyInternational cut their consumption forecasts The US presiden. tial elections are often seen as an vs. Green’ contest. This ‘Oil summer, Joe Biden for US carbon issued his plan neutrality 2050. It is possible that by will be the 2021 year in which world’s three the biggest polluters –US, China, and to reach net-zerothe EU pledge by 2050 A.D. From a global energy security . It has a leadtrol the sources rush to con- ing position in and supply lines of fossil ing, innovati manufacturIndia and on, and tics may soon fuels, geopoli- ment of renewab deploybecome a stamRajasthan need pede in the le energy sufficiency technologies. reverse direction .

A GLOBAL In the pre-covid to prepare The stakes . world, The followin ventional generatio it got almost IS UNDERWAY.ENERGY TRANSFORMA Solar panels are changing. the proactively for mary aspects g are pri- ogies half of n technolworld’s will contribu on cost in impacting ENERGY—ESP RENEWABLE SOURC TION one-fourth many of the te investme renewable energy the transitio the new energy world’s top of the total nt.

ES OF n: ECIALL renewmarkets, able energy producti GROWTH Europe age and its even without subsidies HAVE GROWN Y WIND AND SOLAR OF RENEW on in a dependen and Japan are very net-zero carbon — BLES: Since .

AAT AN UNPRE The cost economic and t on imported 2012, renewaCEDENTED of lithiumrequire aluminu world. They fuel. bles have fossil RATE IN THE batteries ion They also added m, geopolitical copper, hold strong LAST DECAD dium, and in- position power generati more new electric , which are used in selenium. s in renewab E There is consequences. a new wonder than conventi on capacity by 80% vehicles, has fallen le techmineral – Lith- nologies. In Europe, onal sources since 2010. ium - the basis There is a energy. Solar GermaAs a of ny leads buildings. of the battery the way with power added of these cost declines, result technology Innovations more new crucial need to world’s investthe ergy ments in renewab that in en- has capacity in storage are oil as an energy will replace newable most patents in re2017-20 an ambitiou le technolo than did coal, expanding encourage s target of the potential energy. gas, and nu- gies are up. Rajastha 175 GW of has the largest store. Bolivia for clear n renewab should plants combine renewab march ahead innovation and lithium deposles. 2022.

A global energy its in the Andean d. Wind This represen les by and solar WHY IS RAJAST transforfrom concentr by benefiting now provide mation is investment. ts a massalt flats. sive ated underway.

6% of er HAN Given the A GAINER Renew- total increase since India’s electricity generati complex and (CSP) technolosolar powable sources ?

Amongst the on namic nature dy- This worldinstalled capacity of wide, up from gies and solar photovol is because pecially wind energy—es- tober of the transi0.2% in 2000. in Ocmajor players, renewables tion, it is difficult taics (PV).

2018 was 346 Overall, and solar— have moved POLLUTION have grown renewables GW. Rato predict to the centre jasthan can precisely the United at an unprece AND CLIac- MATE the global of dented how events have a large count for approxim - share of CHANGE: rate in the ately oneunfold. India may Technolo energy landscape. fourth of this surge.

States is close Climate change forced and Their deploym last decade. global electrici to The exploitat need to prepare Rajasthan falling gical advances and governments, ty business ent in the energy selfion of hydro- generation. Countrie power sector costs have proactively carbon fuels for the new s such public es, investors and made rehas already as Denmark newables grew the energy age sufficiency. It paced other outglobal en, Costa Rica, to recogniz grow faster its economi and any energy sources, ergy use 50x over land, Netherla is Ice- for e the than includin c and other energy the last two decarbonisation. need well-positioned centurie g fossil fuels consequences. geopolitical Many ate more than nds etc. gener- achieve source. coal, renewable -oil, politics s, shaping the geoThere is a cruhalf their the 90% reductio To and natural in the clean cial need to technolo electricity from of the modern gies are now gas. encourage variable renew- energy-related emission n in world. cost-competitive- transition to renewab The There was innovation and energy race. s targeted in the les is centratio a geographic con- able energy sources. not just a investment. with fossil fuels in the Paris Agreeme Amongst the shift from American power of ELEC n in the sourcing renewables one set an nt, major players, sector. While the fuels to another. are prioritie . In Electrici T R I F I C AT I O N : the United energy transfor surge in wind, solar, It involves companies hold s.

States ty accounts TECHNOLOGIC a much deeper mation of and other renewenergy self-suffi is close to ables for 19% AL INtransfor ma- driven by renewables, total strong position has taken a ma- sumption final energy con- NOVATION: New jority of countrie place mostly tion of the world’s well-positioned ciency. It is in the energy technolo energy to , but its share electrici systems in new energy s in the clean increase their s can hope pected energy race. is ex- develope gies are also being technologies ty sector, new social, that will have major to grow energy indeAmerican d for energy technologies pendence economic, are companies hold electrification as increased vital storage, significantly. and politistrong positions this transfor mationenabling cal implicat for variable of end-use newables will Re- tors and electric in new energy ions that go renewables in other secsectors. takes such aid beyond the place. It has well zation democratiElectric vehicles as wind and technolo gies and electric energy sector. vehicles been the fastest-g because they solar. heat pumps and dia is vehicles.

A new era rowing segment make it are extendin poised to overtake In- possible has dawned.

China will of final energy g the na deployment global energy A gain in terms Chi- energy to decentralize the as the world’s demand, of renewab of transpor transfor supply DECLIN les largest in ergy tion is gatherin . maING COST: ent, industry Rajasthan g momentu The and , and end growth market by is prime space steep decline in m accelerating. the of the 2020s the costs of renewable Rajasthan decade. India for solar and wind can be the energy and renewables besides leader energy Let storage has biogas for the sunshin in India. surprised one micro all. e. and They can now beat THE VIEWS EXPRESSED conBY

The United Na tions’s existen tial crisis O

THE AUTHOR

ARE PERSONAL

n October 24, called the United COVID-19 Na- horsema a “fifth tions will cele- global n” of a potential brate the apocalypse.

75th onavirus The coranniversary ’s early casualtie emergen its founding of s. in 1945, when rapid spread worldwi ce, In fact, Europea andi, evident the historic Jagat Prakash UN Charter and rising death toll de, from Presimember states n Union dent Xi entered into Nadda (now Jinping’s threw up A great accomplishm @JPNadda force. Sadly, exceeding one million), national barriers transnational signature the organiza ent as Lahaul together with and Spiti district tion at the ture infrastructhe pervasiv first sign of at a time when will do so fear investment Pradesh became of Himachal e the it has stoked, multilaterprogram, one of the top the first center virus. Italy, the Belt alism has ‘Har Ghar Jal’ and Road districts. On behalfnine never seemed been accompanied have ID-19 outbreak of the COV- tive, is Initiaof each Himachali, more in peril. by dramatic to pursue outside of I thank Hon PM contraction a unequal @narendram China, was bilateral The COVID-1 odi world trade in initially improving the ji for his vision of and the most medical equipme denied without arrangements – has inaugura 9 pandemic calamito lives & enhancing multilateral ‘ease-of-living’ nt by its ted a new us recession EU neighbor in rural areas. suera the pervision of deglobali since s, Great Depressi zation. Evidence duced export who intro- ent UN by an independof isolation on of body – that controls inism and protec- the 1930s. Achievin Dr. Ramesh stead of showing leave partner countrie tionism is g the Pokhriyal Nishank Sustainable mounting, solidarity @DrRPNishank s Developm dependtoward with ent and indebted many governm fellow Europea ent ing away Goals is now #NationalStartupAward . ns in distress. from multilat emphasizing ents loudly in a world beyond reach alism, To be sure, s2020 will The credibili recognize & er- system the UN prompting reward outstanding nationalism, sovereignty, economi suffering from Presiden French structedpainstakingly con- of EU multilateralism ty doing vital work is still Startups and c collapse and ecosystem enablers will t Emmanu around take a long after World and so- cron ance, and question self-reli- cial dysfunct that are building el Matime to recover. the world. About War II. innovative recently But Europe ion. ing trea95,000 products or solutions The threat troops, police, ties and trade to decry The UN faces also has to America’s and scalable and civilian agreements. enterprises in lateral world the multi- personn an existenunwillingness been buffeted by pandemi The UN therefore India. They will tial crisis, el serve order is acto remain further boost related strains. c- centuate in which its has every UN peacekee in over 40 the entrepreneu reason to big- al system’sthe internationd by gest former The contienvironment worry about rship ping operanent was advocates Sino-American increasing tions in India. “guarantor its challeng continuing once seen are last and political of poster salience. tensions, as a even ing the very resort.” Trump’s child mispremIn his address ises of the re- of regionalfor the virtues als as well-meaning liber- sions. But unpaid contribu multilateralism cent announcement warn that tions to the General Assemblto the UN upon integration, that he but intends to which the y on Septake advantagChina will ing budget, UN peacekeepEuropean withdraw the organizatember 22, tion was solidarity US quickly from the World e of the which is a UN Secretar founded West’s little . Under crumbled over $8 billion, General António y- Presiden Health Orabandonment under t Donald Trump, ganization may the onslaugh totaled $1.7 of Guterres be a t of the pan- UN by seizing leadershthe billion in the the United last fiscal States is back- binger of a broader har- demic, with of the multilate ip year. the Schenge Likewise, un- area’s raveling of ral system.

n But China’s $711 milAs the heat of a Vol 2 Issue the multilate guarantee fire reduces of borderNo. 122 multilateral- lion in assessed contribu ral free travel Published at ism is largely wood to ashes, tions are owed being among 304, 3rd Floor, RNI NO. RAJENG/2019/77764 the fire of rhetorical.

City Mall, Bhagwan the Its preferre to the UN’s . Printed knowledge burns Das Road, C-Scheme, and published by Anita d modus oper- general budget. to ashes Hada Sangwan Jaipur-302001, karma. —Bhagavad all SOURCE: PROJECT on behalf of Rajasthan. Phone SYNDICATE 0141-4920504. First Express Publishers Gita . Printed Editor-In-Chief: Jagdeesh Chandra.at Bhaskar Printing Press, D.B. Corp Limited, Editor: Anita Hada Sangwan Shivdaspura, Tonk Road, Jaipur. responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act

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NDA snubs LJP, backs Nitish’s leadership in Bihar Spiritual

SPEAK

BIHAR ASSEMBLY POLLS: WITH LJP OUT OF THE EQUATION, NITISH IS BIHAR BOSS BY 1 SEAT AS BJP GETS 121 SEATS WHILE JDU 122 —PHOTO BY ANI

Patna: Backing Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s leadership to the hilt and rebuffing LJP chief Chirag Paswan, who raised a banner of revolt, the ruling NDA in Bihar on Tuesday announced its seatsharing formula for the assembly elections under which JD(U) will contest on 122 seats and BJP 121 out of a total of 243 seats. Nitish announced that his party, the Janata Dal (United) will be from 115 seats and the BJP will contest on 121 seats in 243-member Assembly.

At a joint press conference of top leader-

JDU National President and Bihar CM Nitish Kumar with BJP senior leader and Dy CM Susheel Kumar Modi during NDA’s Press conference ahead of the Bihar assembly polls, in Patna on Tuesday.

ship of the JD (U) and the BJP, where Nitish Kumar who heads the

former was also present, the Bihar CM said, “As part of the seat-sharing

formula reached by the NDA partners, the JD(U) has been given 122 seats,

out of which it will give 7 seats to Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustani Awam Morcha. Talks are underway, BJP will allot seats to Vikassheel Insaan Party under their quota.”

Nitish also said that the BJP has been given 122 seats out of which, the party will allot a few seats to Vikassheel Insaan Party. He added that there was no confusion between the NDA partners JD(U) and the BJP over seat allocation in the upcoming state polls. “A decision has been made over who will contest from where.

Turn to P6

Always supported PM Modi’s leadership unlike Nitish: Chirag New Delhi: Out of the NDA in Bihar, LJP president Chirag Paswan asserted on Tuesday that he enjoys “very cordial” relations with the BJP and noted that he has firmly stood by the PM since 2014 when CM Nitish Kumar had left the alliance to protest against Modi’s leadership.

Paswan also asserted that he has been working on his “Bihar first, Bihari first” agenda for a long time

Chirag Paswan

and had informed the BJP leadership about his differences with the Kumar-led government well in advance.

He, however, refused

Hathras incident extraordinary, PM Modi’s ‘kaala kanoon’ shocking, says Supreme Court will destroy existing farming structure in India: RaGa Will work for all but New Delhi/Lucknow: Facing a battering to its image, the Uttar Pradesh government on Tuesday told the Supreme Court that it wanted an apex courtmonitored CBI inquiry into the Hathras episode, which the SC described as horrible .

Terming as “horrible” the Hathras incident, the Supreme Court directed the UP government to inform it

by October 8 about the steps taken to protect witnesses in the case in which a Dalit girl was allegedly brutally raped and died due to injuries.

The day also marked the first visit by a Union

appease none: Yogi

minister to the Hathras village of the 19-yearold Dalit woman who was allegedly gangraped by four uppercaste men. “I & RPI workers across the country will make all possible efforts to bring justice to the family of the victim,” tweeted Ramdas Athawale, Turn to P6, More on P6

Lucknow: Claiming his government would “work for all but appease none”, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath Tuesday warned “those trying to create anarchy” by reminding them of how the state had dealt with people trying to provoke violence during the antiCAA protests or those “shielding Tablighi Jamaat members to

spread coronavirus”.

“Opposition has no issues to raise other than indulging in negative talks.” said Adityaanth while speaking to media.

3 SHARE NOBEL PHYSICS PRIZE FOR BLACK HOLE RESEARCH

Roger Penrose, Reinhard Genzel, Andrea Ghez

Stockholm: The Nobel Prize in Physics 2020 was jointly awarded to three scientists for their discoveries about one of the most exotic phenomena in the universe, the black hole. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awarded the 2020 Nobel Prize in Physics with one half to Roger Penrose and the other half jointly to Reinhard Genzel and Andrea Ghez. Genzel and Ghez have been jointly awarded Nobel Prize in Physics “for the discovery of a supermassive compact object at the center of our galaxy”, whereas Penrose has been awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics “for the discovery that black hole formation is a robust prediction of the general theory of relativity.” —ANI

Aditi Nagar

Patiala: Congress’ ‘Kheti Bachao Yatra’ is against the ‘kaala kanoon’ (dark laws), which will destroy the existing structure of agriculture in the country, affecting Punjab and Haryana most severely, said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi here on Tuesday.

“Our yatra is against the three ‘kaala kanoon’ (laws which bring darkness) by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. These laws will destroy the existing structure of farming and food security in the country. Punjab and Haryana will be the most affected by it. If this structure breaks then in future Punjab will not be able find a way out,” Gandhi said at a press conference here.

The conference was also attended by other leaders including, Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh and party leaders Randeep Singh Surjewala, Harish Rawat and Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar.

Later, amid high-drama at Haryana’s border with Punjab, state au-

Rahul Gandhi drives a tractor during the party’s Kheti Bachao tractor rally, at Haryan-Punjab border on Tuesday.

—PHOTO BY PTI

RAHUL’S HARYANA VISIT CUT SHORT BY A DAY Chandigarh: There has been a change in the schedule of Rahul Gandhi’s visit to Haryana as part of party’s protest against the agriculture laws and it will now take place for one day instead of earlier two. Haryana Congress chief Kumari Selja said in a tweet that the visit of Rahul Gandhi to the state “will be for one day instead of two”. thorities allowed Rahul and a few party leaders to enter the BJP-ruled state as part of his rally against farm laws.

After winding up his last rally at Sanaur in Patiala, Gandhi drove a tractor to reach Haryana border on the concluding day of his “Kheti Bachao Yatra”. He was accompanied on the trac-

tor by Jakhar and Rawat.

Before Gandhi arrived at the Punjab-Haryana border, senior Haryana police officials at the spot told reporters that they would not allow more than 100 people to gather at one place as per the guidelines in place due to the COVID-19 restrictions.

Turn to P6

to comment on claims about his tacit understanding with the BJP in targeting the JD(U), saying it is for the saffron party to answer.

Asked how he sees the Lok Janshakti Party’s and his relations with the BJP after quitting the National Democratic Alliance in the state, Paswan said, “I have very cordial relations with the BJP. I have said that we have no bitterness with the BJP.” Turn to P6

To counter China, Quad calls for open Indo-Pacific Tokyo: India, the US, Japan and Australia on Tuesday agreed to step up coordination in creating a free and open Indo-Pacific, amidst China’s growing assertiveness in the strategically vital region.

Japanese PM Yoshihide Suga, EAM S Jaishankar, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne affirmed strengthening of a free, open and rulesbased international order, Japanese government said in a statement issued after a meeting in Tokyo.

The four major IndoPacific democracies, collectively known as the Quad, vowed to coordinate in ensuring peace and stability of the region, Kyodo news agency quoted the statement as saying.

The in-person meeting of the foreign ministers of the ‘Quad’ hosted by Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi took place in the backdrop of China’s aggressive military behaviour in the IndoPacific, South China Sea and Turn to P6

SILENCE SPEAKS VOLUMES

CM sidesteps queries on action on protocol violations by political leaders Normally quick to follow HC directives, state govt is now unusually reticent on the issue First India Bureau Gandhinagar: Anyone who had been expecting Chief Minister Vijay Rupani to come down heavily on elected representatives for violating COVID-19 protocols was left disappointed

on Tuesday. Not only did Rupani fail to direct bureaucrats to fine councillors, MLAs and MPs, he did not even talk tough on the subject.

On Monday, the High Court of Gujarat directed the state to collect fines from people’s

representatives if they don’t wear face masks in public places or don’t maintain social distance.

Rupani’s inaction is unusual, especially since the state government has hitherto been very prompt in implementing the High Court’s directives. For instance, on August 10, Rupani announced that the penalty for not wearing a mask in public would be hiked to Rs1,000-

Chief Minister Vijay Rupani

-barely two weeks after the High Court suggested the hike on July 24.

The chief minister had been addressing the media on the state’s new Digital Seva Setu programme when he was asked point-blank about his government’s response to violations of COVID-19 protocols by political leaders, and about the High Court’s directive. He chose to sidestep the question, saying, “Your question

will divert the focus from the subject of today’s press conference.

We will address the question you have raised when we meet again.”

Rupani later softpedalled the issue by saying that “everyone” should follow all the guidelines. “A new system is being evolved and everyone is trying to adjust accordingly,” he also said, in what is being seen as an apology for the leaders’ behav-

iour and his government’s refusal or inability to take action against the erring leaders.

Political leaders have continued to violate COVID-19 guidelines.

As recently as Monday, Porbandar MP Ramesh Dhaduk was seen visiting hospitals and meeting people and religious gurus without wearing a mask. When the media questioned him on it, he chose to remain silent.

NEWS AHMEDABAD | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2020

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They were protesting the Hathras rape case and sought justice for the victim’s family First India Bureau Ahmedabad: More than 20,000 sanitation workers stayed away from work on Tuesday as the Municipal Nokar Mandal declared a symbolic one-day strike in solidarity with the victim of the Hathras rape case.

While the sanitation workers’ strike went off peacefully without rallies or sloganeering, some members of the Nyay Committee were detained during a protest against the Uttar Pradesh government, near the statue of BR Ambedkar in the city’s Sarangpur area.

These are part of nationwide protests against the Uttar Pradesh government with regards to the case where a Dalit girl was allegedly raped and then her body cremated without her family’s permission.

The city’s sanitation workers have called for strict action. “We are aware that this protest comes during the COVID-19 pandemic, but we want justice for our Dalit daughter. Our entire community is protesting against the culprits. We will resume our jobs from Wednesday,” said one of the members.

While the workers did not go door-to-door to collect garbage, the cleaning of roads using machines continued.

The association of

20K SAFAI WORKERS

GO ON STRIKE

While the sanitation workers’ strike went off peacefully without rallies or sloganeering, some members of the Nyay Committee were detained by the police near the statue of BR Ambedkar in the city’s Sarangpur area.

sanitation workers said that a few leaders had submitted a memorandum to the district collector request-

ing justice in the matter. Many of the workers singed in to work, but told their superiors that they would

not perform their jobs as a form of protest.

Chief Justice of India, SA Bobde and a bench comprising Jus-

tices AS Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian, have sought suggestions from all parties on the scope of proceedings be-

NO CONNECTION

NET WOES CONTINUE AS DIGITAL SEVA SETU LAUNCHED BY CM RUPANI  Phase I of the programme to cover 3,500 villages in rural Gujarat; residents cry foul over lack of connectivity First India Bureau Gandhinagar/ Bhavnagar: Chief Minister Vijay Rupani on Tuesday announced that the state will be launching the Digital Seva Setu programme in rural areas to ensure optimum utilization of technology for public welfare on October 08. As the state head was making the announcement about the new programme, villagers of Khambha in Bhavnagar district were climbing hilltops to gain access to network in order to

—PHOTOS BY HANIF SINDHI

—FILE PHOTO

Chief Minister Vijay Rupani

file online forms for the government’s groundnut procurement drive at the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of Rs1,055 per 20kg.

The village of Khambha is one of the many villages which do not have proper network connectivity, yet the state expects all farmers to file their groundnut procurement forms, relief forms online. “For us to

claim our rights, we have to climb hilltops to fill forms,” said Ghanshyam Mori, a farmer from the village.

He added, “There are only 35 registered farmers in the village and that could be one of the reasons why the state decided that this village did not need network connectivity.”

Under the Digital Seva Setu programme, citizens will be able to

reap benefits of various public welfare services in rural areas at the panchayat level itself.

People will be able to get various documents such as duplicate ration cards, income certificate, senior citizen certificate, caste certificate, etc, right at their doorstep.

In the first phase, the state plans to cover over 3,500 villages, but due to upcoming state assembly by-

elections, 2,700 villages will receive broadband connectivity from October 08.

By December, over 8,000 villages will be covered under the scheme. Citizens will be able to reap benefits of the programme by paying a nominal fee of Rs20.

The Digital Seva Setu programme has been initiated under the BharatNet Projectan initiative to connect state village panchayats through a fibre optic network. Speaking about the new scheme, State Information and Technology Secretary Harit Shukla said, “The E-gram Centre will get a bandwidth of 100 Mbps. Under the provision of Article-3 of The Oaths Act-1969, the government will provide powers of affidavit to the talati-cumminister at the village panchayat level, so that, people in rural areas do not have to visit the notary offices in towns and cities.”

fore the Allahabad High Court, and what could be done to expand it.

They have also asked the Uttar

Pradesh government to file a response by Wednesday on its witness protection plan and on whether the

victim’s family had access to a lawyer.

The matter will be taken up for hearing next week.

Guj HC set to render punishment to former GHCAA prez Yatin Oza First India Bureau Gandhinagar: Gujarat High Court Advocates’ Association (GHCAA) president Yatin Oza was found to be guilty of contempt of court during proceedings at the state high court on Tuesday.

The court will announce the punishment to be meted out to Oza on Wednesday. The HC had initiated contempt of court proceedings against Oza after he had made allegations against the court and also the registry, which the court found to be offending.

Meanwhile, an advocate named Jay Ajmera deposited a fine of Rs10,000 with the high court registry for smoking while participating in court proceedings virtually. Ajmera also issued an unconditional apology through video conferencing and assured that he will not repeat the mistake again. The court also asked the Gujarat High Court Advocates’ Asso-

Gujarat High Court

—FILE PHOTO

POCSO PREVAILS OVER PREVENTION OF ATROCITIES ACT IN MINOR RAPE CASE

ciation and the Bar Council of Gujarat office- bearers to ensure that all its members

abide by the guidelines issued by the Supreme Court for participation in virtual hearings.

GUJARAT AHMEDABAD | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2020

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State puts co-operative society elections on hold in eight districts due to bypolls First India Bureau Gandhinagar: The Registrar of Co-operative Societies has halted polls in co-operative societies located in districts where by-elections are slated to be held next month.

Talking about the announcement, which was made via a notification, Co-operative Department Deputy Secretary Atul Patel, said, “The byelections will soon be

conducted in eight districts for seats in the legislative assembly. If any co-operative society elections have been scheduled, they will be put on hold until the Assembly bypolls are completed.”

Poll results are expected on November 10.

At the same time, elections of co-operative societies that have been planned under direction of a court order will take place as per schedule.

—FILE PHOTO

Groundnuts being sold through a co-operative society in Gondal.

Now, CT scan centres under scanner over nCoV spread

1,335 new, 10 fatalities in 24 hours take state’s total tally to 1,45,362 cases and death toll to 3,522 DATA OVERVIEW

First India Bureau Gandhinagar: With CT scans being used to diagnose COVID-19, the Food and Drug Control Administration (FDCA) has decided to increase physical inspections of each such centre to ensure that they do not become hotspots with the increasing spread of the disease.

FDCA commissioner Dr HG Koshiya in a statement has said that his team would personally visit each CT scan centres to check that the proper procedures are being followed while diagnosing patients.

These centres are expected to use disposable foil and frequently disinfect all surfaces.

In the past 24 hours, the state has tested 51,879 samples, of which 1,335 came back positive.

The FDCA will check if these centres are following proper COVID-19 protocols.

There are now 16,597 active cases in the state with 91 patients on ventilators. Of the 10 deaths, four were in Surat, three in Ahmedabad, and one each in Gandhinagar, Rajkot and Vadodara.

With 281 new cases, Surat district again had the highest single-day jump in the state. Of these, 174 cases were from the city and 107

were from rural areas.

There are 2,438 active cases in the district, of which 164 are being treated at the New Civil Hospital and SMIMER Hospital. Thirteen patients are on ventilator support, while 76 are on oxygen support.

Ahmedabad has reported 187 cases—170 from the city and 17 from the rural areas.

—FILE PHOTO

The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation has identified 10 new blocks from where a high number of cases emerged and has declared them as micro-containment zones. With this, the city has 168 such zones.

Other cases emerged in Rajkot (147), Vadodara (126) Jamnagar (94), Mehsana (49), Gandhinagar (49), Patan

(37), Junagadh (35), Bhavnagar (34), Amreli (33), and Bharuch (32).

So far, Ahmedabad has seen 37,998 cases, Surat, 30,852, Vadodara, 12,860, Rajkot, 10,174 and Jamnagar, 6,633.

Nine districts have seen between 2000 and 4500 confirmed cases of COVID-19, and 11 districts have seen between 1000 and 2000.

The notification said, “Since the district administration will be busy with handling the by-elections, it will not be administratively possible for them to spare the time and hold elections for co-operative societies. Thus, such elections are put on hold,” it mentioned.

The districts affected by this notification have a number of co-operative societies. Valsad has 2,298, Kutch, 1,175,

Villagers clash with sand mafia over illegal mining First India Bureau

Rajkot: Local villagers had an altercation with the sand mafia over illegal mining of the Venu River near Nilakha village of Upleta taluka in Rajkot district on Monday evening. Fortunately, before things could go out of hand, Upleta police and Rajkot rural police rushed to the scene to rein in the situation.

In a phone conversation with First India, a police officer of the Upleta station said that till Tuesday evening, no criminal complaint had been filed from either of the clashing parties.

According to Nilakha residents, an illegal sand mining operation had been underway in the Venu River. Despite taking up the matter with district authorities, no action had been taken to stop the mining. Therefore, on Monday evening, villagers took the matter into their own hands and

Surat: The remodelling work at the Udhna railway station yard is likely to 18 hours of train travel once completed. Work on the foot-over bridge extension, parking and civil work of platform 4 and 5 is expected to get over by January.

With the pit line for repairing rail coaches and engines also being fixed, the maintenance depot on the pit line will minimize the train time by 30 minutes each.

This will save an esti-

Workers arrange buoys in the Sabarmati River prior to setting up a river runway for sea planes to takeoff and land, on the River Front near NID in Ahmedabad on Tuesday.

—PHOTO BY HANIF SINDHI

mated 18 hours of train travel on a daily basis.

The yard line will be extended till Koili creek, thus allowing trains from Surat and heading towards Tapi line to enter platform number 4 and 5 through the yard. Also, the main Delhi-Mumbai line will remain clear.

BITTER-SWEET

Mixed response for order on expiry dates for mithai —PHOTO BY HANIF SINDHI

Surti business owners are unhappy with the recent directive but are following it anyway

Surat: Sweet shops in the city are far from happy with the government’s order put in place on October 01, to display the “Best Before” date on their wares. Nevertheless, they are following the FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Author-

Upleta police station.

tried to stop the sand mining operation themselves, which led to a clash. While no one was hurt in the altercation, angry villagers burnt a vehicle owned by a sand miner and even ransacked the furniture in his office.

A few villagers alleged that a gun was fired by the men responsible for the illegal operation but police officials denied claims of any firing in the incident.

Addressing the me-

—FILE PHOTO

dia, Assistant Superintendent of Police (Rajkot-rural) Sagar Bagmar said, “The situation was tense in the Nilakha village on Monday evening but, the police have brought it under control. No untoward incident was reported in the village following the incident.”

“Sand mafia has taken to exploiting natural resources and flourishing under the BJP rule,” alleged Dhoraji MLA Lalit Vasoya.

victim in Jamnagar

First India Bureau

ity of India) directive to avoid being shut down by the local civic body which has intiated surprise checks.

Some business owners have called this order immoral and demanded its withdrawal, stating that only shops are being targeted while roadside sellers are going scot-free.

cember. The new notification regarding co-operative society elections is being seen as an attempt by the ruling party to make political gains.

Sources said that the notice follows the elections in Banas Dairy, Rajkot Dairy and Vadodara Dairy. Despite the fact that the tenure of the Banas Dairy management committee is ending in December, elections were set to be held this month.

Time-saver: Remodel Women’s Commission of Udhna rly station meets gang-rape

ALL LINED UP

First India Bureau

Morbi, 791, Surendranagar, 1,857, Amreli, 1,130, Botad, 547, Dang, 816, and Vadodara has 4,712.

But, with hardly any elections slated for October, it is unlikely that any polls will be delayed.

A few politicians and co-operative leaders were surprised by the notification because, on August 28, the state cooperative department had cited the COVID-19 pandemic as the reason to delay elections until De-

Sweets at a shop in Ahmedabad display the ‘Best Before’ date.

Alleging that such an order will make the officials more corrupt, they argued that adding

a best before date on sweet boxes will add an additional burden on them when their market

is already low amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dharti Sweets said, “We are following the order but to declare an expiry date for all sweets is difficult as some sweets last only one day. The order only focuses on shops and not those who sell sweets like chikki, without any details in trains, lorries and streets.

Such an order will increase corruption and therefore the government should withdraw the order.”

Mayur Sweets said, “We already display the date of manufacturing and ‘Best Before’ date on the packaging. Now, we have also begun to date the trays in which the sweets are displayed within our showcase.”

Bhavnagri Farsan and Sweets said, “Customers anyway taste the sweets before buying, so what is the need to burden us further?

The pandemic has hit us badly, and now we have to hire people to handle labelling.

First India Bureau Jamnagar: Representatives from the State Women’s Commission on Tuesday met the 17-year-old victim in the Jamnagar gangrape case and inquired about her health and whether she is satisfied with the police investigation. These representatives had even met the District Superintendent of Police and sought a report on behalf of the commission.

Sources said the police have seized the mobile instrument of accused Mohit Bhatia and sent it to the Directorate of Forensic Sciences in Gandhinagar, after discovering photos of the victim and the other accused, at

ANOTHER ONE

his house. The cops have also sought call data records from telecom service providers. DNA tests were conducted on all four men. Three have been sent to judicial custody, while one is on police remand.

PERSPECTIVE AHMEDABAD | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2020

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GREEN ENERGY AND THE END OF OIL - RAJASTHAN’S OPPORTUNITY SHUBHRANSHU SINGH The writer is a corporate professional, marketing leader, columnist and a social and political commentator. He writes on brand building, marketing, history, politics, technology and business

T India and Rajasthan need to prepare proactively for the new energy age and its economic and geopolitical consequences.

There is a crucial need to encourage innovation and investment.

Amongst the major players, the United States is close to energy selfsufficiency. It is well-positioned in the clean energy race.

American companies hold strong positions in new energy technologies and electric vehicles

he history of the modern world is the story of oil and gas. That era is ending.

Its end overlaps with the rise of ‘green energy’. A global race is on for ‘Decarbonisation’.

The oil giant BP has said consumption following the pandemic might never again reach the heights of 2019.

OPEC and the International Energy Agency cut their consumption forecasts.

The US presidential elections are often seen as an ‘Oil vs. Green’ contest. This summer, Joe Biden issued his plan for US carbon neutrality by 2050. It is possible that 2021 will be the year in which the world’s three biggest polluters –US, China, and the EU pledge to reach net-zero by 2050 A.D. From a global rush to control the sources and supply lines of fossil fuels, geopolitics may soon become a stampede in the reverse direction.

The stakes are changing.

Solar panels will contribute one-fourth of the total renewable energy production in a net-zero carbon world. They require aluminum, copper, indium, and selenium. There is a new wonder mineral – Lithium - the basis of the battery technology that will replace oil as an energy store. Bolivia has the largest lithium deposits in the Andean salt flats.

Given the complex and dynamic nature of the transition, it is difficult to predict precisely how events may unfold. India and Rajasthan need to prepare proactively for the new energy age and its economic and geopolitical consequences. There is a crucial need to encourage innovation and investment.

Amongst the major players, the United States is close to energy self-sufficiency. It is well-positioned in the clean energy race. American companies hold strong positions in new energy technologies and electric vehicles.

China will gain in terms of

energy security. It has a leading position in manufacturing, innovation, and deployment of renewable energy technologies. In the pre-covid world, it got almost half of the world’s renewable energy investment.

Europe and Japan are very dependent on imported fossil fuel. They also hold strong positions in renewable technologies. In Europe, Germany leads the way with the world’s most patents in renewable energy.

WHY IS RAJASTHAN A GAINER? This is because renewables have moved to the centre of the global energy landscape.

Technological advances and falling costs have made renewables grow faster than any other energy source.

Many renewable technologies are now cost-competitive with fossil fuels in the power sector. While the surge in wind, solar, and other renewables has taken place mostly in the electricity sector, new technologies are enabling this transformation in other sectors. Electric vehicles and heat pumps are extending the deployment of renewables in transport, industry, and

A GLOBAL ENERGY TRANSFORMATION IS UNDERWAY. RENEWABLE SOURCES OF ENERGY—ESPECIALLY WIND AND SOLAR— HAVE GROWN AT AN UNPRECEDENTED RATE IN THE LAST DECADE

buildings. Innovations in energy storage are expanding the potential for renewables.

A global energy transformation is underway. Renewable sources of energy—especially wind and solar— have grown at an unprecedented rate in the last decade.

Their deployment in the power sector has already outpaced other energy sources, including fossil fuels -oil, coal, and natural gas. The transition to renewables is not just a shift from one set of fuels to another. It involves a much deeper transformation of the world’s energy systems that will have major social, economic, and political implications that go well beyond the energy sector. India is poised to overtake China as the world’s largest energy growth market by the end of the 2020s decade. India

has an ambitious target of 175 GW of renewables by 2022. This represents a massive increase since India’s total installed capacity in October 2018 was 346 GW. Rajasthan can have a large share of this surge.

The exploitation of hydrocarbon fuels grew global energy use 50x over the last two centuries, shaping the geopolitics of the modern world.

There was a geographic concentration in the sourcing. In an energy transformation driven by renewables, a majority of countries can hope to increase their energy independence significantly. Renewables will aid democratization because they make it possible to decentralize the energy supply.

Rajasthan is prime space for solar and wind renewables besides biogas for micro

sufficiency.

The following are primary aspects impacting the transition: GROWTH OF RENEWABLES: Since 2012, renewables have added more new power generation capacity than conventional sources of energy. Solar power added more new capacity in 2017-20 than did coal, gas, and nuclear plants combined. Wind and solar now provide 6% of electricity generation worldwide, up from 0.2% in 2000.

Overall, renewables account for approximately onefourth of global electricity generation. Countries such as Denmark, Costa Rica, Iceland, Netherlands etc. generate more than half their electricity from variable renewable energy sources.

E L E C T R I F I C AT I O N : Electricity accounts for 19% of total final energy consumption, but its share is expected to grow as increased electrification of end-use sectors takes place. It has been the fastest-growing segment of final energy demand, DECLINING COST: The steep decline in the costs of renewable energy and energy storage has surprised one and all. They can now beat con-

The United Nations’s existential crisis O

n October 24, the United Nations will celebrate the 75th anniversary of its founding in 1945, when the historic UN Charter entered into force. Sadly, the organization will do so at a time when multilateralism has never seemed more in peril.

The COVID-19 pandemic has inaugurated a new era of deglobalization. Evidence of isolationism and protectionism is mounting, with many governments loudly emphasizing sovereignty, nationalism, and self-reliance, and questioning treaties and trade agreements.

The UN therefore has every reason to worry about its continuing salience.

In his address to the UN General Assembly on September 22, UN SecretaryGeneral António Guterres

called COVID-19 a “fifth horseman” of a potential global apocalypse. The coronavirus’s emergence, rapid spread worldwide, and rising death toll (now exceeding one million), together with the pervasive fear it has stoked, have been accompanied by a dramatic contraction in world trade and the most calamitous recession since the Great Depression of the 1930s. Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals is now beyond reach in a world suffering from economic collapse and social dysfunction.

The UN faces an existential crisis, in which its biggest former advocates are challenging the very premises of the multilateralism upon which the organization was founded. Under President Donald Trump, the United States is back-

ing away from multilateralism, prompting French President Emmanuel Macron recently to decry America’s unwillingness to remain the international system’s “guarantor of last resort.” Trump’s recent announcement that he intends to withdraw the US from the World Health Organization may be a harbinger of a broader unraveling of the multilateral

system painstakingly constructed after World War II. But Europe also has been buffeted by pandemicrelated strains. The continent was once seen as a poster child for the virtues of regional integration, but European solidarity quickly crumbled under the onslaught of the pandemic, with the Schengen area’s guarantee of borderfree travel being among the

early casualties.

In fact, European Union member states threw up national barriers at the first sign of the virus. Italy, the first center of the COVID-19 outbreak outside of China, was initially denied medical equipment by its EU neighbors, who introduced export controls instead of showing solidarity toward fellow Europeans in distress. The credibility of EU multilateralism will take a long time to recover.

The threat to the multilateral world order is accentuated by increasing Sino-American tensions, even as well-meaning liberals warn that China will take advantage of the West’s abandonment of the UN by seizing leadership of the multilateral system.

But China’s multilateralism is largely rhetorical.

Its preferred modus oper-

andi, evident from President Xi Jinping’s signature transnational infrastructure investment program, the Belt and Road Initiative, is to pursue unequal bilateral arrangements – without multilateral supervision by an independent UN body – that leave partner countries dependent and indebted.

To be sure, the UN is still doing vital work around the world. About 95,000 troops, police, and civilian personnel serve in over 40 UN peacekeeping operations and political missions. But unpaid contributions to the UN peacekeeping budget, which is a little over $8 billion, totaled $1.7 billion in the last fiscal year. Likewise, $711 million in assessed contributions are owed to the UN’s general budget.

ventional generation technologies on cost in many of the world’s top markets, even without subsidies.

The cost of lithium-ion batteries, which are used in electric vehicles, has fallen by 80% since 2010. As a result of these cost declines, investments in renewable technologies are up. Rajasthan should march ahead by benefiting from concentrated solar power (CSP) technologies and solar photovoltaics (PV).

POLLUTION AND CLIMATE CHANGE: Climate change forced governments, businesses, investors and the public to recognize the need for decarbonisation. To achieve the 90% reduction in energy-related emissions targeted in the Paris Agreement, renewables are priorities.

TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION: New energy technologies are also being developed for energy storage, vital for variable renewables such as wind and solar.

A new era has dawned. A global energy transformation is gathering momentum and accelerating. Rajasthan can be the leader in India.

Let the sunshine.

THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL

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TWEET Jagat Prakash Nadda @JPNadda A great accomplishment as Lahaul and Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh became one of the top nine ‘Har Ghar Jal’ districts. On behalf of each Himachali, I thank Hon PM @narendramodi ji for his vision of improving the lives & enhancing ‘ease-of-living’ in rural areas.

Dr. Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank @DrRPNishank #NationalStartupAwards2020 will recognize & reward outstanding Startups and ecosystem enablers that are building innovative products or solutions and scalable enterprises in India. They will further boost the entrepreneurship environment in India.

Spiritual SPEAK

As the heat of a fire reduces wood to ashes, the fire of knowledge burns to ashes all karma. —Bhagavad Gita

SOURCE: PROJECT SYNDICATE

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A bench led by Chief Justice of India SA Bobde also asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta if the victim’s family has chosen a lawyer or not

SC asks UP govt about witness protection plan New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Uttar Pradesh government how the family members and the witnesses in the alleged gangrape and murder case of a 19-year-old Dalit girl from Hathras are being protected.

A bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice of India SA Bobde, also asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta appearing for Uttar Pradesh government to ascertain whether the victim’s family has chosen any lawyer.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said that protection has already been provided to the family members of the victim. “We are not taking any adversarial view on the plea. Witnesses are already under protection. Various narratives going about outside though everyone here in bona fide capacity,” Mehta submitted. Mehta said that the supervision of this court is important for ruling the narratives out. “For lawyer for the victim’s family, let’s not impose the lawyer on them,” he said. Following that, CJI Bobde asked Mehta whether the Witness Protection Act is in force.

6-year-old girl raped by cousin dies in Delhi

Activists hold placards and shout slogans during a protest outside Chaitya Bhoomi in Mumbai on Tuesday.

—PHOTO BY PTI

NCW notice to BJP, Congress leaders, Bhaskar New Delhi: Taking suo motu cognisance of social media posts about protests against the Hathras incident with the victim’s pictures, the NCW on Tuesday issued notices to BJP leader Amit Malviya, Congress leader Digvijaya Singh and actor Swara Bhaskar.

The NCW has come

Swara Bhaskar

“We want an affidavit on how the witnesses are being protected and we want you to as-

certain whether the victim’s family has chosen any lawyer.

We want a suggestion

across Twitter posts of the three on protests with the picture of the “rape” victim of Hathras, the notices said. The NCW, in separate notices, has asked the three to provide satisfactory explanations, besides removing and refraining from the transmission of such pictures and videos on social media. what’s the scope of Allahabad High Court proceedings and how can we widen that,”

It said that the Supreme Court held that the bar on disclosure under Section 228 A (2) of the Indian Penal Code was not confined to just the name of the victim, but actually meant that the “identity of the victim should not be discernible from any matter published in the media.” the bench said adjour ning the hearing in the matter for next week.

IN THE COURTYARD

Chadha files defamation suit against Ghosh

CJI: Will smoke from stubble burning kill Coronavirus?

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court has deferred the defamation suit filed by actor Richa Chadha against Payal Ghosh and others till October 7. The court deferred the proceedings as the defendants had not been served notices.

Chadha has filed the suit over recording, displaying and sharing an interview by Ghosh in connection with her charges against the well-known filmmaker.

New Delhi: The SC on Tuesday wanted to know whether the smoke produced from stubble burning could kill the novel Coronavirus as cases in India inched closer to 67 lakh while 1,03,569 lost the battle against the pandemic.

Chief Justice SA Bobde asked the question during a hearing of a PIL against the seasonal stubble burning exercise in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.

“Will the smoke kill the Coronavirus?” Chief Justice Bobde said.

The smoke would not kill the coronavirus, but it would certainly worsen the situation and contribute towards its spread, said senior advocate Vikas Singh, repre-

Chief Justice SA Bobde

STUBBLE BURNING

senting the petitioners citing scientific study.

The PIL has been moved in the SC seeking

directions to the Punjab and Haryana govts to ban stubble burning, which usually takes place between September and December every year, in the backdrop of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Singh, represented a law student Aman Banka and a Class 12 student Aditya Dubey.

Amicus Curiae senior advocate Aparajita Singh submitted before the court that states have failed to act as per their assurances to take measures to contain stubble burning.

The Chief Justice asked Singh to give the court the name of the experts on the stubble burning matter. “Need some impartial people,” noted the bench.

Over 300 stocks hit upper circuit Mumbai: Domestic equities rallied for the fourth successive session on Tuesday on account of broad-based buying by participants amid positive global cues. The BSE gauge Sensex zoomed 600.87 points or 1.54 per cent to close at 39,574.57. Intraday, the index surged over 650 points to touch the session’’s high of 39,623.76, before paring some gains.

Similarly, the NSE barometer Nifty climbed 159.05 points or 1.38 per cent to end at 11,662.40.

On the Sensex chart, index heavyweight HDFC rallied over 8 per cent.

Hathras: The Hathras district, which is in national focus following the death of a teen because of a brutal assault last month, witnessed yet another protest on Tuesday after a six-year-old alleged rape victim died.

As per SP Vineet Jaiswal, the sixyear-old girl died at Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi on Monday, 15 days after being allegedly raped by her maternal cousin in Aligarh. She used to stay with her maternal aunt in Aligarh, while the family belonged to Hathras. Following her death, the family members and villagers blocked a road in the district, alleging inaction by a SHO of Aligarh.

Taking prompt action, the Aligarh administration was informed about the grievances, which were addressed with “appropriate actions” against the SHO.

HATHRAS CREMATION

There was threat to law and order, UP tells Supreme Court New Delhi: The Uttar Pradesh government has told the Supreme Court that the Hathras gang rape-murder victim was cremated in the night due to intelligence inputs that lakhs of people from the communities of both the woman and the accused along with political workers would assemble at her village, which could lead to a major law and order problem.

The state govt also urged the apex court to direct for a CBI probe into case, claiming that “vested interests” were attempting to ascribe motives to vitiate a fair probe. The state emphasised that “there cannot be any bad intention on part of anyone to expedite the cremation, except to obviate the potential violent situation resulting from a caste divide planned by certain vested interests”.

A bench headed by Chief Justice SA Bobde was scheduled to hear a PIL on Tuesday for a CBI or SIT probe into

Centre’s SOPs for cinema halls allow 50 pc seating New Delhi: As a part of Unlock-5, Union Information and Broadcasting Ministry on Tuesday released the standard operating procedures (SOPs) for cinema halls and theatres, which are reopening from October 15.

According to the SoPs, only 50 per cent seating will be allowed of the total capacity and alternate seats will be left vacant for social distancing. “All COVID-19 guidelines and standard operating protocols (SOPs) issued by Information and Broadcasting Ministry must be followed at all cinema

Prakash Javadekar

halls and theatres,” said Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar. “As per orders of the Central Government, cinemas, theatres and multiplexes will be reopening from October 15. Halls have been directed to operate with up to 50 per cent of their seating capacity,” he added.

the Hathras case. The matter was likely to be taken up after 12 pm.

The state’s affidavit was filed in the court even before it could take up the matter and seek a response from it.

In its affidavit, the state justified the cremation of the victim — who had died on September 29 at a Delhi hospital — at 2.30 am on September 30 as there was the “likelihood that the protesters could have turned violent”.

“There was a high alert in the district due to the pronouncement of the Babri Masjid demolition case verdict too,” said the government affidavit.

It said the Hathras district administration had received several intelligence inputs since September 29 morning on the manner in which a dharna was held at the Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi and that “the whole issue was being exploited and a caste and communal colour was being given to it”.

‘VP Naidu doing well, thanks wellwishers’ New Delhi: Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu “is doing well” and following all necessary protocols for home quarantine since he tested positive for COVID-19, informed the Vice President’s Secretariat on Tuesday.

“The Vice President thanks all the well-wishers who have sent him letters and get-well messages. He is doing well and is taking all necessary steps as per laid down medical protocol during the home quarantine ever since he tested positive,” read a tweet from the Vice President’s Secretariat.

Vice President Naidu has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, the Vice President Secretariat informed last week.

FROM PG 1 NDA snubs...

No one in BJP or JD(U) has any confusion about anything,” Kumar added.

On Lok Janshakti Party, Nitish Kumar said, “Ram Vilas Paswan is unwell. We want him to recover. Did he reach Rajya Sabha without JDU’s help?

How many seats do they have in Bihar Vidhan Sabha? Two. So, BJPJD(U) gave him ticket to RS. What do we have to do with what someone says?”

Taking a swipe at Congress and the RJD, Nitish said, “There was no development. The

university teachers were not even getting their salaries... but, now, we are asking for votes based on the work we have done.”

Meanwhile, in an apparent message to ally LJP’s Chirag Paswan, who recently said his party would contest the Bihar polls on its own and fight Nitish, the BJP said that its alliance with Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) in Bihar is ‘unbreakable’.

Deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi, asserted “we have said unequivocally that Nitish Kumar will be our Chief Minister. It does not matter

which party gets how many seats in the elections”.

Always supported...

The LJP president also profusely thanked Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for “taking care” of him at a time when his father and Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan is in hospital for weeks.

There has not been a single day when Modi has missed calling him to take feedback about his father’s health, Paswan said and also praised BJP president J P Nadda and Defence

Minister Rajnath Singh for their concerns.

The LJP president said his party will continue to be part of the BJP-led NDA at the Centre. —ANI

Hathras incident... who heads the Republican Party of India (A) and is a Dalit leader.

Meanwhile, SC also asked all parties appearing before it to give suggestions on the scope of proceedings before the Allahabad high court and how the apex court can make it more relevant.

State government told SC that probe in Hath-

ras case may be conducted by the CBI under the apex court’s supervision.

—Agencies

PM Modi’s...

Gandhi and a few Congress leaders were later allowed to enter Haryana where the former Congress chief has a couple of programmes scheduled.

On Haryana side, state Congress chief Kumari Selja, senior leaders Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Randeep Singh Surjewala, Kiran Choudhary, Ajay Singh Yadav and party’s Haryana affairs in-charge Vivek Bansal were pre-

sent. Rahul said, “When the whole country is being pushed, thrashed, what if I got pushed a little, it’s not a big deal.

It doesn’t matter. It is our job to protect the public and farmers. It is such type of government that if you stand up to it you will get pushed, you will be beaten with lathis. We are ready for it.”

“The real push, the unimaginable one, was given to the family (of the Hathras victim).

That is why I wanted to meet them. I wanted that family to know that they are not alone. I told them I was there for the

lakhs of females who are misbehaved with daily, who are raped,” he added further slamming PM’s silence over the issue and the attitude of the administration in UP. He also refuted the Shiromani Akali Dal’s accussations over him not being present in the Parliament when the three bills were passed by saying that he was fulfilling his duty of a son.

“My mother had gone for medical check-up and my sister couldn’t go with her as few members of her staff had COVID-19. I was there

with my mother, I’m her son also after all and have to look after her,” he said. —ANI

To counter... along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.

Addressing the 2nd Quad ministerial meeting, Suga said a free and open Indo-Pacific is “widely recognised by the international community as a vision of peace and prosperity of this region,” and that his government’s basic policy is to “further continue advancing our members to this end.”—ANI

TALKING POINT AHMEDABAD | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2020

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COVID-19 has done something two world wars were not able to achieve. It closed cinemas.

But to borrow from Mark Twain, reports of the death of cinema have always been greatly exaggerated.

First it was television, then home video, then computer games, interactive movies, downloading and virtual reality that spelled the end of the big screen

3 POSSIBLE

ENDINGS FOR

CINEMA

SCENARIO 1: MORE ‘DAY-AND-DATE’ NEW RELEASES TO STREAM AT HOME T he previous “cinema-killers” didn’t finish off the industry, in part because it has a history of reacting well to threats. When television arrived it was small and blackand-white, so feature films became all-colour and cinemascope. When torrenting (largely illegal downloading) emerged, cinema responded with the return of 3D — and now 4DX. That said, the film industry has had tense relations with Netflix. The streaming giant has had a huge impact on how films are made, distributed and screened, thanks to its completely different financial model.

The Will Smith movie Bright (2017), for example, had a Netflix budget of US$90 million (A$125 million). Usually, cinemas take two-thirds of the ticket price, so the studio has to make three times the budget just to break even. But because Netflix sells subscriptions, not movie tickets, that imperative is removed. We may never know how successful Bright was for Netflix but it makes content purely to convince us that a subscription is a necessity.

Newer players (Disney, Apple,

H

ollywood’s heavyweights joined forces last week to ask the US government to help save cinemas. Directors James Cameron, Patty Jenkins and Martin Scorsese warned that cinemas “may not survive the impact of the pandemic,” with more than two thirds likely to fold without a bailout.

Meanwhile, the release of the next James Bond film has been delayed yet again following disappointing ticket sales for Christopher Nolan’s Tenet.

COVID-19 has done something two world wars were not able to achieve. It closed cinemas. But to borrow from Mark Twain, reports of the death of cinema have always been greatly exaggerated. First it was television, then home video, then computer games, interactive movies, downloading and virtual reality that spelled the end of the big screen.

There will always be people who want to get out of the house (a desire made more keen by COVID lockdown), buy popcorn and experience the communal magic of the picture palace.

Still, that doesn’t mean the new normal will look like the old one. There are three probable scenarios.

07

SCENARIO 2: A STUDIO SYSTEM WITH SOME NEW (FAMILIAR) OWNERS

I

n this take, cinema chains can’t make it work financially, and begin to close venues. Regional areas will certainly be affected, potentially less so in cities. But even if

the big chains fail, it is highly possible they will be bought out by those disruptive streamers. Indeed Netflix bought its first cinema in 2019.

This could see a return to the old studio system of vertical integration, where production, distribution and exhibition is owned by one company. Theatres then run at cost or as “loss leaders” where new material can be showcased with the profits coming largely from home sales and merchandising.

In fact, in August, a New York judge granted the US Justice Department permission to end a set of rules called the Paramount Consent Decrees. This 1948 legislation outlawed vertical integration with the aim of promoting competition and stopping Hollywood studios from owning cinemas.

Those restrictions have now been cleared meaning the likes of Disney+ and Amazon as well as the major film studios could now become cinema owners.

Amazon) have financial models that are even further removed, as their core businesses aren’t in production or screening. If a movie tanks, it won’t make them shut up shop. They have almost bottomless pits of money to support their platforms.

Cinemas do not. Most of their battles pre-COVID were concerned with “windows”: the period of time between a cinema and home release. Currently in the US, it’s 70 days.

COVID has changed all that, as the recent deal between Universal and American MultiCinema demonstrates. In July, a historic deal saw the 70-day window cut to just 17 days with the companies agreeing an undisclosed profit-sharing deal.

So, we’ll see short windows

or “day-and-date” releases (meaning audiences can see a film at home the same day as in the cinemas) for most new films. You’ll likely be able to see a new release online or on a streaming service on opening day, just with a large premium compared to the cinema ticket price. That premium may take a while to settle. Disney+ released Mulan online only in Australia for A$34.99. Although it made US$33.5 million (A$48 million) on its opening weekend, the film didn’t increase subscriptions as much as the recent release of the musical Hamilton on Disney+.

Still, Mulan has done reasonably well compared to Tenet, which didn’t give big-budget filmmakers much solace.

SCENARIO 3: JUST LIKE OLD TIMES

I

n this scenario, film exhibitors survive the massive financial hit from the loss of attendance and production and, once pandemic restrictions are lifted, it’s business as usual.

Business is even better than before, due to a glut of

SOURCE: THE CONVERSATION

high-end product hitting the screen and a highly motivated audience. Unfortunately, this third scenario is highly unlikely. Although some filming — including Tom Cruise’s Mission: Impossible 7 has resumed — COVID is not going away any time soon.

CONCEPT: DIVYA HEMNANI

DESIGN: CP SHARMA

Letting go of people and things which hurt you is an important part of growing up and maturing. Let it be a part of your past but not your future.

2ND FRONT

—Jagdeesh Chandra, CEO & Editor, First India

AHMEDABAD | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2020

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COVID-19 UPDATE

WORLD

INDIA

08

GUJARAT

10,51,440 3,59,08,798 1,04,220 67,41,616 3,522 1,45,361 CONFIRMED CASES

DEATHS

MAHARASHTRA 38,347 DEATHS 14,53,653 CASES

TAMIL NADU 9,917 DEATHS 6,30,408 CASES

DEATHS

KARNATAKA 9,461 DEATHS 6,57,705 CASES

CONFIRMED CASES

DEATHS

DELHI 5,581 DEATHS 2,95,236 CASES

Family takes nCoV patient’s body to Rajasthan, police case lodged

CONFIRMED CASES

RAJASTHAN 1,574 DEATHS 1,48,316 CASES

Woman held for murdering youth who attempted to rape her

Ellisbridge police commences probe; son of deceased, two others charged under IPC sections 269 & 114 NO LAWS

First India Bureau Ahmedabad: In a shocking incident, the body of a deceased COVID-19 patient was transported all the way to Rajasthan’s Banswara district from the city by members of his family on Monday. After a complaint was registered by a doctor employed at a citybased hospital, an investigation was initiated by the police to ascertain as to how the body reached the neighbouring state, violating nCoV guidelines and the individuals responsible.

Dr Purvan Patel of Sushrusha Navneet Memorial Hospital lodged a complaint with Ellisbridge police station against Mahendra Chauhan, son of the deceased nCoV patient Ranch-

10K Surtis ask govt to regularize properties

A health worker sanitizes a hearse in Ahmedabad.

hod Chauhan and two others. The complaint has been registered under IPC Section 269 (whoever unlawfully or negligently does any act which is, and which he knows or has reason to believe to be, likely to spread the infection of any disease dangerous to life, shall be punished

with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to six months, or with fine, or with both) and Section 114 (abettor present when the offence is committed).

According to the complainant, the patient Ranchhod Chauhan was admit-

—FILE PHOTO

ted to the hospital with COVID-19 symptoms on September 26.

He passed away on Monday morning, while undergoing treatment for the virus. After completing all required formalities, Dr Patel called the Ahmedabad Munici-

MAGNIFICIENT!

The woman, who has been identified as Geeta.

First India Bureau Surat: A woman in Surat has been arrested for alleging bashing a youth’s head against a pillar of a bridge three days ago, after he attempted to rape her. The body of the youth, identified as one Ganesh alias Rupesh, was found lying near the Parvat Patiya bridge.

Police sources say Ganesh was a native of Uttar Pradesh who worked as a labourer in the city.

They say local residents reported that Ganesh—whose body was identified by the name Neha which was

A black buck pair was spotted in Kanjari village near the Deer Park sanctuary on the outskirts of Ahmedabad city.

—PHOTO BY HANIF SINDHI

tattooed on his arm— was in love with a married woman identified as Geeta.

The police also say that Geeta admitted to killing Ganesh after he tried to force himself on her.

In her statement to the police, Geeta reportedly said that Ganesh persistently called her to meet him. On October 2, she finally relented and went to meet him after putting her children to bed. This was when an inebriated Ganesh tried to rape her. She said she hit his head against the pillar in an attempt to save herself. Terrified, she then fled the scene.

Pre-poll drama continues as 250 BJP workers join Cong in A’bad First India Bureau

First India Bureau Surat: Around 10,000 people living in as many as 115 societies in the city have demanded that the state government regularize their property.

The residents have been living in these properties for more than 20 years and the properties are registered under the name of the possessor. Earlier, the state government had regularised such societies in 2011 through the GRUDA Act. In 2017, the government had initiated a survey but did not move further on it.

Suresh Sohagia, a resident from the city, said, “If the properties are legalized, then the residents can be assured of their properties.

It will also help them get loans from banks. At the moment they only have possessor agreements which cannot be said to be pukka documents.

They also fear that local civic body may demolish their properties and they won’t even be able to claim compensation.”

pal Corporation (AMC) nodal officer to inform him about the death and requested a disinfection team at the VS crematorium.

The AMC permitted the body to be sent to VS crematorium in an ambulance. But when the doctor crosschecked with the cre-

matorium about the body, she was taken aback to hear that it had not arrived there.

She then immediately reached out to the ambulance driver Amit Gohel and inquired about the body. To her surprise, the driver said that Mahendra and his relatives had been waiting with another ambulance, so he handed over the body to them and left to attend a second call.

Ellisbridge police inspector Apurva Patel told the media that Chauhan’s family members had taken the body to Rajasthan and when nodal officers tried to contact them, their phones were switched off. “Police will investigate whether there was any negligence on part of the hospital management or not,” stated Patel.

Ahmedabad: With byelections just around the corner in Gujarat, 250 BJP workers from the city’s from Chharanagar joined the Congress party on Tuesday—a day after 500 Congress workers in Valsad jumped ship to the Bharatiya Janata Party.

The BJP workers joined the Grand Old Party in the presence of Shashikant Patel and Dinesh Sharma.

The workers said they

The Congress party’s headquarters in Ahmedabad. —FILE PHOTO

had been with, and voted for, the Saffron party for more than two decades but have not seen much return on their

investment of time and energy in terms of development. Hence, they decided to make the move to the Opposition.

The move, coming at a time when the BJP is in power both in the state and Centre, has raised eyebrows. However, these are not the first party workers to switch allegiance.

Just this year, Rajkot councillor Dakshanben Bhesania, Saurashtra Marketing Yard traders association president Atul Kamani and several other leaders joined the Congress in the presence of the party’s working president and Patidar leader Hardik Patel.

OVERCOMING ADVERSITY

Gram Sabhas help forest dwellers stay afloat financially New report says tribal rights laws have empowered forest dwellers to overcome hardships First India Bureau Gandhinagar: India’s tribal rights laws have empowered forest dwelling communities to the point where they have been able to “overcome” hardships even during the COVID-19 pandemic through gram sabhas, says a new report which cites instances from Guja-

rat, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Odisha.

Titled “Community Forest Rights and the Pandemic: Gram Sabhas Lead the Way”, the report highlights two case stud- Once pastoralists, the Maldhari community has now adapted to a more ‘settled’ lifestyle. —FILE PHOTO ies from Gujarat, which, it believes, has helped cre- ties resilient to cope with 24—exclusively Adiva- Narmada district, which ate “sustainable econo- the ongoing health crisis. si—villages situated in area part of the Shoolmies”, making communiThe first is a cluster of the Dediapada block in paneshwar Sanctuary.

After decades of clashes between the Forest Department and a local paper mill, the village gram sabhas managed to get Adhikar Patras (titles) for the entire 19,220 hectares of forest that falls under their villages in 2013-14, after the enactment of the Forest Rights Act, 2006. With this, residents in the area could finally claim community forest rights (CFR)—guaranteeing them benefits under various government schemes.

Similarly, in the Banni Protected Forest, the pastoralist Maldhari community has—with the aid of CFR claims— managed to curb the spread of the invasive babul, to revive their once dry grasslands, and to successfully implement a communitybased well-digging programme.

As a result of these efforts, local residents, both human and animal, are faring well, despite the pandemic and the ensuing lockdown.

www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epaper/ I twitter.com/thefirstindia facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia AHMEDABAD, WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 7, 2020

KAUN LEGA

The wait is over for fans of the much-loved Amazon Original Series Mirzapur, which returns with a 10-part action-packed new season on 23 October

NEHAL NAYAR

nehal.nayar@firstindia.co.in

A

fter a wait for two long years, the makers of one of the most popular web series, ‘Mirzapur’ dropped the trailer of its most-awaited second season. Looks like people have been eagerly waiting to find their answer on how the revenge would be taken.

The trailer of Mirzapur Season 2 received a lot of love with about 1M likes in less than 12 hours. Exciting, isn’t it? The season will launch on 23 October.

Produced and created by Excel Media and Entertainment, the 10-part new season of the hinterland crime drama where power and revenge provide a way to keep order will reveal what happened to the infamous residents of Mirzapur, following the aftermath of a shocking season 1 finale. The new storyline dives deeper into the murky and rustic world of guns, drugs and lawlessness and traverses

through myriad layers of vengeance, conspiracies, romance, drama and the formidable women power in the terrains of Mirzapur.

The narrative of Mirzapur Season 2 will unfold through the lens of popular characters from the first season played by Pankaj Tripathi, Ali Fazal, Divyenndu, Shweta Tripathi Sharma, Rasika Dugal, Harshita Shekhar Gaur, Amit Sial, Anjum Sharma, Sheeba Chaddha, Manu Rishi Chadha and Rajesh Tailang. Fans can also look forward to some interesting twists in the plot essayed by the new talent Vijay Varma, Priyanshu Painyuli, and Isha Talwar among others. Prime members in India and in more than 200 countries and territories can finally know the answer to ‘Kaun Lega Mirzapur?’

“At Amazon, we do everything keeping our customers in mind. Their incessant demand for Season 2 of Mirzapur is a testament to the fact that we have spearheaded our efforts in the right direction,” said Aparna Purohit, Head of India Origi-

nals, Amazon Prime Video. She added, “The fandom that has built for the world of Mirzapur over the last two years has been phenomenal; viewers have expressed their love and appreciation for the show and are highly engaged and immersed in the lives of the characters. Its characters have become a part of the popular culture. We have had a wonderful collaboration with Excel Media and Entertainment over many years and we are thrilled to join forces again for yet another gripping season. We are delighted to bring the highly-anticipated new season of the captivating and gritty crime drama, Mirzapur.”

“For the last two years, our phones have been constantly ringing with fans waiting eagerly to watch Mirzapur Season 2. We are happy to put an end to the wait and present an all-new season to them,” said Ritesh Sadhwani, Producer, Excel Entertainment.

—Inputs from Agency

09

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AHMEDABAD | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2020

10

Fight the Fear with

FORTITUDE Dr Akhilesh Jain CITY FIRST

D

FA CE OF TH ED AY

r Akhilesh Jain, HOD Psychiatry of ESI Model Hospital, Jaipur believes that isolation for COVID-19 positive cases is a period that provides us boundless opportunities to introspect ourselves and restore our unexplored aptitude. However, at the same time, it compels us to make predictions based on our countless fears, worries, uncertainties and desperation sometimes associated with guilt. It is not an unusual, but unexpected experience in most such cases.

With time the anguish and uncertainties may gradually subside if we learn many adaptive ways to handle the situation with an understanding that recovery takes place in most of the cases.

However, sometimes the distinct fear of mishappening and uncertainties despite all logical contralateral thoughts remains intriguing for the following reasons.

Undue and exhaustive exploration of literature and information excavating the deadliest possible outcome. 



Multiple consultations from friends and health professionals leaving ourselves bewildered in complete obfuscation.

of no work, financial issues and face to face interactions.

By applying these methods one can easily endure the psychological issues efficaciously. 



Keep yourself calm and composed as it is only a matter of time and complete recovery soon follows. 





Stress

YOUR DAY Horoscope by Saurabbh Sachdeva

Don’t feel rejected as isolation is not a punishment

Too many cooks spoil the broth, so follow the instructions of the designated doctor and have faith in him. Seek another consultation only when necessary.







Use your wisdom in using propagated home remedies in social media.

Improvise your daily routine and schedule your day with morning meditation and breathing exercises.

Ensure adequate nutrition and fluid intake. Nutrition enhances your immunity to fight this infection.

Explore yourself and recreate your passion for your likings such as singing, dancing, crafting, writing, and reading, thus



make your world full of innovations.

Have adequate rest in intervals as it would rejuvenate you physically and refresh your mind too to think positively.

Remember, once you conquer, you will again be an asset to society as Corona Warrior.

So, burry your worries deep in-ground and make your stride with great pride and mind so sound.

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

CANCER

Today you will find yourself busy in doing applications for admission or applying for jobs. If you act wise I’m doing investments then unexpected big returns are confirmed. Meditation is the answer to all your anxiety issues. On domestic front, after long time you will be able to enjoy.

Don’t let someone else do your personal job as it may effect your reputation to an extent. You are considering several options to earn more money.

If you have a goal to achieve some level of fitness than nothing can really stop you. You can often feel people not accepting your talents.

Your boss will start valuing your skills all of a sudden due to some kind of realisation. Investment is the one thing that you have been always very wise about. You may not be able to choose sides at home if there will be any quarrels but surely you can help everyone.

You may not feel like working today and you may just relax whole day. It will not be a difficult task for you to raise capital for your new business plans, you are very persuasive when you want to be.

Everyone wants peace but others’ behaviour is not in one’s hand.

MAR 21 - APR 20

APR 21 - MAY 20

MAY 21 - JUNE 21

JUNE 22 - JULY 23

LEO

VIRGO

LIBRA

SCORPIO

Who doesn’t want happiness and wealth in life but you are ready to pay the price for getting it all unlike others who can just dream. Those in commission fetching job will earn good today. Positivity is very important if you wish to really have a good comfortable and fulfilling life.

No one stops for anyone and you should not expect something like that from anyone, let people walk their journey and you walk your own.

You better be very careful about your dietary habits, remember health is most precious wealth. Home makers have to be very strict with kids.

Some of you are not interested in working under someone else and want to do business to be the master of your own choice. You are desperate for something that you have eye on for a long time but your mind tells you otherwise. You will spend an exciting day.

Try to separate personal and professional life, avoid doing your personal work specially during office hours. Today may be just the day you have been waiting for in terms of luck. You believe in the importance of family bonding and you do everything in your capacity to devote time.

JULY 24 - AUGUST 23

AUG 24 - SEP 23

SEPT 24 - OCTOBER 22

OCT 23 - NOVEMBER 22

SAGITTARIUS

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

You will realise the importance of your job today and will surely do everything in capacity to correct your mistake that you have made in the past. You may feel confused about your future plans of going abroad, you should concentrate and plan your career.

You are good in speculating job, at-least once try your hand at it. Overspending at the present time is not at all wise, nobody is sure about how things will turn out in future as far as the virus is concerned. Think before you say something stupid to your parents.

Your contacts will help you the most right now and you will be proud of yourself of your networking skills. You are really inspired by someone and you want to follow his/her footsteps. Your love your friend secretly, now is the right time to reveal your feelings. Your dreams may become a reality soon.

Churn your creative juices if you want to make your name in the market. Profits will start to pile up if you start working twice as hard. You want to become very rich and powerful but at the same time reflect on how you wish to spend this money and power.

NOV 23 - DEC 22

ALIA SHARMA, Model

but an opportunity to heal yourself. Grab the feeling of altruism that you are saving so many others.

DEC 23 - JAN 20

JAN 21 - FEB 19

FEB20 - MARCH 20

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AHMEDABAD | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2020

Gangubai in action

11

GETTING

HITCHED!

K

ajal Aggarwal has finally confirmed her relationship with businessman Gautam Kitchlu.

The stunner took to social media and confirmed she is getting married to the love of her life on 30 October in Mumbai. Sharing a beautiful note about the same, Kajal wrote, “It gives me immense joy to share that I am getting married to Gautam Kitchlu, on October 30, 2020, in Mumbai, in a small private ceremony surrounded by our immediate families. This pandemic has certainly shed a sobering light on our joy, but we are thrilled

... poster of the film

A

lia Bhatt is back to work and is burning the midnight oil. The actress has resumed filming for Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Gangubai Kathiawadi in Mumbai and the cast and crew has been pulling an allnighter. According to sources, SLB, who was shooting just before the lockdown came into effect, has picked up right where he left off. It was earlier reported that a large part of the film’s set in Mumbai’s Film City was taken down due to the monsoons.

However, a portion of the set which resembles Mumbai’s Kamathipura was left untouched. Gangubai Kathiawadi’s cast and crew now shoot in the evening and the filming goes on till early morning.

—Agency

Kajal Aggarwal

to start our lives together and know that all of you will be cheering un on in spirit. I thank you all the love you have showered upon me over the years and we seek your blessings as we embark upon this incredible new journey.”

Kajal also clarified that she is not quitting acting and that she will continue entertaining her audience. “I will still continue doing what I cherish the most- entertaining my audience- now, with a whole new purpose and meaning. Thank you for your unending support,” she wrote on Instagram as she thanked her fans for all the support and love.

—Agency

TIGER’S

‘CHEAT DAY’

S Tiger Shroff

Alia Bhatt

GOT THE KING!

No Baby Plans

F

A

few months ago, Hailey and Justin’s photo with their niece left Dwayne Johnson predicting that the duo will embrace parenthood in 2021. If you were on The Rock’s side we’ve got some disappointing update for you. The Bieber spoke with a magazine about their love, family and baby plans.

The model indicated that she and the Intentions hitmaker isn’t in a hurry to start a family. Hailey confessed that there was a time when she had the urge to have children early in life. However, since her wedding with the singer, the urge has reduced. “I am an ambitious girl with many projects. It will happen, but not now,” she said.

—Agency

haring a glimpse from his morning workout schedule, actor Tiger Shroff on Tuesday treated fans with a clip featuring his shoulder pump workout.

The ‘Baaghi 3’ actor posted a clip on social media in which he is seen engaged in the workout as the lyrics of his debut song ‘Unbelievable’ play in the backdrop. In the video posted on Instagram, the actor is seen sporting black track pants and a matching gym vest that had put Tiger’s wellshaped biceps and triceps on display.

Along with the short-video, the ‘Student Of The Year 2’ actor noted in the caption, “Cheat day pumps are an unbelievable feeling.”

—ANI

orget the winter, the dragons are coming and they have found their king! Almost a year after HBO announced House of the Dragon, the prequel to ‘Game of Thrones’, the network has now revealed one of the leading men of the show. The Outsider star Paddy Considine has been roped in to play one of the key roles on the show. Considine has been brought on board to es-

say the role of King Viserys Targaryen.

As per the publication, he is chosen by “the lords of Westeros to succeed the Old King, Jaehaerys Targaryen, at the Great Council at Harrenhal.” The character is described as a “warm, kind and decent man” who wishes to carry forward his grandfather’s legacy. But we all know, good men do not mean great kings now!

—Agency

Tamannaah Bhatia

BACK HOME

A

ctor Tamannaah Bhatia, who contracted COVID-19, has been discharged from a private hospital in Hyderabad, Telangana on Monday.

In a statement that Bhatia posted on social media, the actor said that she was quarantined at a private medical facility in Hyderabad. After seeking expert treatment for a couple of days, Bhatia has been discharged.

“Although my team and I have been very disciplined on set, I had mild fever last week. After undertaking the mandatory tests, I was diagnosed as COVID-19 positive,” she wrote. —ANI

Clark Middleton

With Heavy Hearts...

I

t’s truly been a rough few months in Hollywood as we’ve had to bid farewell to many talented individuals who had spread cheer and joy with their memorable performances. Clark Middleton, actor, director and producer,

has sadly passed away at the age of 63 on Sunday, i.e. 4 October, 2020, as a result of West Nile Virus. Confirming the news in a heartbreaking statement was his wife Elissa Middleton who celebrated the life of the beloved actor.

—Agency

Paddy Considline

HALLOWEEN COOKIES

T Justin Bieber & Hailey Baldwin

...her post

here is absolutely no denying the tight-knit bond Kylie Jenner shares with her daughter Stormi Webster, 2, who she shares with ex-boyfriend Travis Scott. The 23-year-old’s Instagram page, which boasts of 197 million followers, is filled with images and videos of the adorable mother-daughter duo. Taking to her YouTube page this time, we see

Kylie and Stormi ringing in Halloween early with some customised cookies.

Just like they’d baked Christmas cookies last year, we see her baby girl donning matching Charlie Brown fall-themed orange pyjamas ready to cook some delicious Halloween themed cookies for themselves. Stormi exclaimed, “Peace out camera!”

—Agency

Kylie Jenner

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

AHMEDABAD | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2020

12

PRIDE OF RAJASTHAN & INDIA

Taj Rambagh Palace has been ranked #1 in the country and #15 in the world at the Readers’ Choice Awards 2020 KARISHMA GWALANI

T

he Taj Rambagh Palace in Jaipur has been winning not just the hearts of everyone, but a lot of awards recently. Once the residence of Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II and Maharani Gayatri Devi, the palace retains its elaborate splendour, extravagantly decorated with hand-carved marble ‘jalis’ or latticework, sandstone balustrades, cupolas and ‘chattris’ or ceno-

Taj Rambagh Palace, Jaipur

taphs, and elaborate Mughal Gardens.

Taj Rambagh Palace Jaipur was

ranked #1 among ‘The Top 15 Hotels in India, by the Readers’ Choice

DURING THE DAY! RAJASTHAN: During the Panchayat Elections 2020, Sagar Sharma, as a responsible citizen cast his vote in Sawar, Kekri on Tuesday.

Sawar is the ancestral village of Health Minister, Rajasthan, Dr Raghu Sharma.

—M Imran Tak

Awards 2020’ with a score of 99.6. The ‘Condé Nast Traveler’ readers rated their top hotels on the In-

dian Subcontinent for the same.

Not just this- it has also been ranked #15 as ‘The

Best Hotels in the World: 2020 Readers’ Choice Awards’. It’s definitely a proud moment for the

Pink City, as this heritage property is definitely reaching heights! karishma.gwalani@firstindia.co.in

CONNECT TO RAJASTHAN

CITY FIRST

C RAJASTHAN: Rajasthan’s well-known lyricist, poet, litterateur, and former Indian Administrative Service officer Dr Tara Prakash Joshi took his last breath on 6 October in Jaipur after a long illness. Dr Joshi has left behind the entire family including daughterin-law Anupama Joshi, two daughters Pappi & Pinky along with grandson and granddaughter. He was cremated at the crematorium in Lal Kothi and his last rites were conducted by his daughters.

Dadhich society, poet, lyricists, and litterateurs have expressed deep condolences on his death.

onsulate General of India, New York, and Rajasthan Foundation of North America are jointly organising an event called ‘Connect to Rajasthan’, to promote trade investment, tourism, and Rajasthani culture. The event will be organised on 11 October at Staybridge Suites, Times Square, New York. A meeting was held for the same at the consulate with Ranbir Jaiswal of Consulate General of India, K.K. Mehta of New York and Rajasthan Foundation of North America and Hotelier, Prem Bhandari Chairman of Jaipur Foot USA and Shatrughan Sinha of Jaipur Tea Council General of India.

Prem Bhandari, KK Mehta, Ranbir Jaiswal and Shatrughan Sinha

Video messages of Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot, UDH minister Shanti Dhariwal, Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan, Chairman Parliamentary Standing Committee for External Affairs P.P. Chaudhary will also be played.

Rana New York President will attend the event. K.K. Me-

hta stated, he is getting full support and cooperation from Rajasthan Foundation Commissioner Dhiraj Srivastav and is making sure to make this event a massive success.

He also added Mahesh Kumar Khichar, Indian Foreign Service officer of the Rajasthan route will be the Nodal Officer. All those from Ra-

jasthan Dr Chitranjan Ranawat, Dr Shamin Sharma, Dr Ajay Jain, Kanak Golia, Deepika Soni, Dashrath Dugar and Diamond Merchants Ashok Sancheti, Manish Dadha, Rajendra Bafna, Haridas Kotevala will also be present. cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

New Director Appointed

TWEETED!

CITY FIRST, GUJARAT

D Vaibhav Gehlot

RAJASTHAN: Congress officials along with Congress leader Amit Dhariwal demonstrated at the Kota station area, over the incident of Hathras on 6 October. Congress leader Amit Dhariwal shared that the incident in Hathras is highly condemnable. The way the daughter’s body was forcibly burnt by the police is not only condemnable but also suspicious. By imprisoning relatives, this act of the UP government is not only an attack on the family members of the victim but also on human values. He added, “this is a fight for justice, a fight against atrocities against the daughter of the country. The Congress will fight till the last breath to get justice for the Hathras daughter and this demonstration will also, continue until Manisha gets justice.”

GUJARAT: The Sports Club of Gujarat, which has the distinction of being one of the oldest clubs in the state, elected new office-bearers at their 57th Annual General Meeting recently. The officials will take charge of the club for the next three years. Polls were conducted via video conferencing where 381 members voted for six board of director positions and other office-bearers. The newly elected representatives include club president Narendra Patel, two vice-presidents Chiranjiv Patel and Naimish Marfatia and club secretary, Chintan Chokshi.

HARYANA: Popular dancer Sapna Choudhary gave birth to a son on Monday; both mother and son are fine and presently at Hisar.

PERSONALISED CAREER COUNSELLING CITY FIRST

T

he Lucknow-headquartered Institute for Career Studies (ICS) is providing a wide range of career guidance services free of cost through its mobile app, ICS Career GPS, to students and professionals from across India and other countries.

Dr Amrita Dass, Founder-Director ICS, who was recently appointed to the UP Government’s Steering Committee for the implementation of the national education Policy (NEP) 2020, said, “Keeping in view the COVID-induced uncertainty, ICS Career GPS is offering comprehensive facilities such as career interest & personality exercises, deep-dive tests, information about courses, campuses and career pathways, basic career report and chat with ICS expert advisors free of charge.”

“The app content is designed

to throw light on important aspects impacting both students and professionals, today – e.g. the new subject combinations and careers that will emerge with the implementation of the NEPmultidisciplinary approach, as well as the COVID-triggered rapid changes in the employment scenario. We especially want to reach out to students in tier-2 cities such as Ranchi, Jaipur, Kanpur, Prayagraj, Varanasi, etc, which are expected to become the hubs of new-age careers,” said Dr Dass, adding that the app also facilitated easy access to experts for personalised one-on-one counselling. In August, the School Education Department of J&K placed ICS Career GPS on the JK Career Portal to benefit students from the region. Additionally, as part of its CSR initiative, ICS has also provided over 1,000 free personalised career counsellings through the app since its launch on 15 August.

AO of Vadodara, Dr Sudhir Joshi appointed as the Director of India by the United Nations Inspired (WYIMUN - London, UK).

United Nations inspired UK organization WYIMUN (World Youth International Model United Nation) is to achieve the United Nations Sustainable development goal (SDG - 2030 - Sustainable Development Goals 2030) as well as the youth of every country in the world and the United Nations Committee - Protocols Training of specific implementation methods of policy etc, in which the country’s experienced - skilled as well as those who have done special work on MUN of the United Nations are appointed as

directors of each country.

Dr Sudhir Joshi has won the Model United Nations and WYIMUN as India’s Ambassador for the last 3 years as well as the Best Delegate and Best Position Paper awards. In recognition of his various achievements, he has been appointed by the WYIMUN Institute in London as the Country Director for India. cityfirstgujarat@gmail.com

SUCCESSFUL SURGERY CITY FIRST

T

he Pediatric Surgery Department of Geetanjali Medical College & Hospital, Udaipur successfully performed the complex surgery of the newborn on 6 October.

Pediatric surgeon Dr Atul Mishra said that the newborn baby of Jamuna Devi from Udaipur was admitted to Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of Geetanjali Hospital with shortness of breath. Abdominal ultrasound examination revealed a congenital diaphragmatic hernia on the left side.

After the operation of this child weighing about 2.4 kg, the

baby was successfully taken off the ventilator in just 1 day.

Newborn Specialist Dr Brijesh Jha, Head of Department of Pediatrics Dr Devendra Sarin, Dr Dilip Goyal, Dr Lalita Ginger, and Feroz from the Department of Anesthesia was instrumental in this complex operation with Atul Mishra. cityfirstgujarat@gmail.com