First India-Ahmedabad Edition-10 May 2020

OUR EDITIONS: JAIPUR & AHMEDABAD

CORONA

28°C - 43°C

ALERT AHMEDABAD l SUNDAY, MAY 10, 2020 l Pages 12 l 3.00

COVID-19 UPDATE

RNI NO. GUJENG/2019/16208 l Vol 1 l Issue No. 164

INDIA

WORLD

2,78,503 40,69,457 2,101 62,808 DEATHS

CONFIRMED CASES

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DEATHS

CONFIRMED CASES

472

GUJARAT

7,797

DEATHS

MOTHER’S

CONFIRMED CASES

GLOBAL STATE OF AFFAIRS

LOVE

COUNTRY TOTAL CASES

TOTAL NEW DEATHS DEATHS

1,333,374 SPAIN 262,783 ITALY 218,268 UK 215,260 RUSSIA 198,676 GERMANY 171,021 BRAZIL 148,670 TURKEY 137,115 IRAN 106,220 CHINA 82,887 CANADA 66,783 BELGIUM 52,596

79,244 26,478 30,395 31,587 1,827 7,525 10,100 3,739 6,589 4,633 4,628 8,581

USA

+629 +179 +194 +346 +104 +15 +108 +50 +48 +3 +59 +60

WWW.WORLDOMETERS.INFO LAST UPDATED: MAY 9, 2020, 11:30 PM

IN GUJARAT The Mother Earth has been healing itself while we humans stay locked down in our houses due to the Coronavirus pandemic. As we celebrated Mother’s Day today in lockdown, a mother swan seems to have found some #MeTime with her cygnets as they happily swim on a pond in Vacaresti Nature Park, in Romania. —AP

‘AAROGYA SETU A TOOL TO HELP CURB COVID-19’ New Delhi: Aarogya Setu, the government’s mobile application developed to track COVID-19 patients, has emerged as a powerful tool to curb the spread of coronavirus COVID-19 as it helped alert authorities about more than 650 hotspots across the country and over 300 “emerging hotspots” which could have been missed otherwise.

Since its launch on April 2 this year, over 96 million people have registered with the Aarogya Setu health care applica-

A MAJOR BOON!

At least 12,500 users, who downloaded the Aarogya Setu, have detected positive for COVID-19 so far. The Bluetooth based interaction data has led to around 60,000 people being assessed and alerted at various degrees of risk which include self-isolation, quarantine and testing. tion, which has become the fastest mobile app to reach 50 million users globally and will be one of the fastest entrant to the 100 million club.

The Aarogya Setu has helped the govern-

I AM PERFECTLY HEALTHY, DO NOT HAVE ANY DISEASE: AMIT SHAH New Delhi: Nixing all rumours circulating around his health, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday, took to Twitter, while assuring all that he is healthy and has been working as the country fights coronavirus crisis. “I am completely healthy and am not suffering from any disease,” Shah tweeted in Hindi.P2

ment with its twin objective -- “whom to test” and “where to test more” in its battle against COVID-19.

Speaking to ANI, Niti Ayog CEO Amitabh Kant said: “For instance, in

Maharashtra, the engine identified over 60 hotspots across 18 districts.

Across the nation, the engine predicted about 130 hotspots at the subpost office level between April 13 to April 20. Later, these forecasted hotspots were declared as ‘real hotspots’ by the Union Health Ministry some 3 to 17 days after being alerted by Aarogya Setu. This way, the engine helped the government with “whom to test” and “where to test more” against the coronavirus.”

Turn on P6

ICMR TEAMS UP TO DEVELOP INDIGENOUS COVID-19 VACCINE New Delhi: ICMR on Saturday said it had partnered with Bharat Biotech International Limited to develop an indigenous vaccine for Covid-19 using the virus strain isolated at National Institute of Virology, in Pune. “Work on vaccine development has been initiated. We will seek fast-track approvals to expedite vaccine development, subsequent animal studies and clinical evaluation,” said ICMR.

Two Indians arriving from Gulf test positive New Delhi: Two Indians repatriated from the Gulf as part of an evacuation exercise to bring home Indians stranded abroad have tested positive for the novel coronavirus. The two new patients, flown from Dubai and Abu Dhabi to Kozhikode and Kochi respectively, are among the 363 who landed in Kerala on special flights Thursday. With this, the state has reported two new cases, besides one recovery, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said Saturday.

On day three of the ‘Vande Bharat Mission’, flights carrying Indians from the Gulf countries, United Kingdom, Bangladesh and Malaysia will arrive here on Saturday.

Indian nationals arrive at Cochin International Airport on a special flight under Vande Bharat Mission.

—PHOTO BY ANI

Flights carrying Indian nationals arriving today are bound from Dhaka to Delhi (arrival at 1500 hours), Kuwait to Hyderabad Turn on P6

‘TRUMP MAY TEMPORARILY BAN WORK-BASED VISAS’ Washington: The US is working to temporarily ban the issuance of some work-based visas like H-1B, popular among highly-skilled Indian IT professionals, as well as students visas and work authorisation that accompanies them, amidst the high level of unemployment due to the coronavirus, according to a media report. The H-1B is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers from countries like India and China in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise.

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DISTRICT

TOTAL CASES

TOTAL NEW DEATHS DEATHS

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

5540 493 854 66 94 77 28 119 24 59 77 12 14 7 42 53 20 3 23 1 17 71 44 29 4 6 2 8 2 1 4 2 1 7797

363 31 38 1 6 6 2 5 1 4 3 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 2 0 2 2 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 472

DWARKA JUNAGADH RAJASTHAN TOTAL

SAMPLES TESTED NEGATIVE CASES

20 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 23

1,09,650 1,01,853

UNDER EXAMINATION

0

With 23 dead in 24 hours, Gujarat’s toll climbs closer to 500  A’bad accounts for 280 of state’s 394 new cases, Vijay Nehra tests negative

RELIEF FROM THE GOVERNMENT

 With this, the state now has 7,797 cases and a death toll of 472 First India News Gandhinagar: Ahmedabad’s municipal commissioner Vijay Nehra has tested negative for COVID-19, even as the Jamnagar administration revoked lockdown relaxations offered to industries in the wake of the sudden spike in case numbers.

In the past 24 hours, the state has seen 394 new cases and 23 deaths, of which Ahmedabad accounted for 280 new cases and 20 deaths.

With this, the state now has 7,797 cases and a death toll of 472. Across the state, 2,091 patients have recovered and been discharged, with 1,107

A boom sprayer disinfects a street outside Dhal ni Pol in Ahmedabad on Saturday as part of the local civic body’s efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19.

—PHOTO BY NANDAN DAVE

being discharged in Ahmedabad; the city’s tally is now 5,540 with a death toll of 363.

Jamnagar, which was in the green zone lat week, has seen a jump from five to 23 cases in

just three days, prompting the district administration to review its strategy. It has restricted entry into the district and withdrawn relaxations given to industries, which had been

allowed to resume operation within city limits.

Principal Secretary (Health) Jayanti Ravi on Saturday said that the recovery rate has improved by 457% over the past few days.

With the change in the ICMR guidelines more people can be discharged, she said.

Two videos have begun to gain traction on social media in Ahmedabad, in which private doctors are seen criticizing the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation’s decision to issue notices Turn on P6

NEWS AHMEDABAD | SUNDAY, MAY 10, 2020

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AMIT SHAH CLARIFIES ON RUMOURS

02

Smriti Z Irani @smritiirani We wish you longevity.

Dr Jitendra Singh @DrJitendraSingh Wish you to be healthy and keep guiding us.

Piyush Goyal @PiyushGoyal Some people spread rumours out of jealousy arising out of Home Minister Amit Shah ji’s popularity.

Jagat Prakash Nadda @JPNadda Making ‘inhuman’ comments about Shah’s health is extremely condemnable.

Spreading such misleading remarks about anyone’s health shows the mindset of people doing so.

I strongly condemn it and pray to God to grant them good sense.

I AM PERFECTLY HEALTHY, DO NOT HAVE ANY DISEASE

Gautam Gambhir @GautamGambhir These baseless rumors against the Hon’ble Home Minister spread with malicious intent show the moral bankruptcy of his adversaries. Same people claim to be flag bearers of liberalism & progressive mindset.

Sick!

Home Minister Amit Shah. —FILE PHOTO

HOME MINISTER AMIT SHAH SAID FOR THE PAST FEW DAYS THERE HAVE BEEN RUMOURS ABOUT HIS HEALTH ON SOCIAL MEDIA. “SOME EVEN TWEETED PRAYING FOR MY DEATH,” HE SAID Aditi Nagar New Delhi: Nixing all rumours circulating around his health, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday, took to Twitter, while assuring all that he is healthy and has been working as the country fights coronavirus crisis.

“I am completely healthy and am not suffering from any disease,” Shah tweeted in Hindi. In his post, the Home Minister said that he had noticed that over the past few days some people on social media had spread rumours about his health.

So much so, he said, that some had even tweeted praying for his death.

“The country is right now fighting a global epidemic like corona and as the home minister of the

country I keep busy and did not pay attention to all of this.

When this came to my notice, I thought let all these people enjoy their imaginary thoughts and this is why I did not give any clarification,” Shah elaborated. On Saturday, the Ahmedabad police nabbed four men for making the fake post about Shah’s illness, viral.

If anything, Shah has been maintaining a strict workout and diet regimen and sources reveal that the BJP stalwart has lost a few pounds due to a step he has consciously taken for a more healthy lifestyle. Fruits and vegetables form the basic of his diet, giving enough time to the physical well being as well through yoga and other practices.

Over the last few

4 DETAINED OVER FAKE TWEET ON HM’S HEALTH First India News

New Delhi/Ahmedabad: Ahmedabad Crime Branch on Saturday detained four persons in connection with a fake tweet that claimed Union Home Minister Amit Shah was in ill health. A screenshot of the supposed tweet, which was widely shared on social media platforms such as WhatsApp on Friday night, shocked many, especially those close to the minister. Hours later, it was confirmed that the image was fake and that Shah had not, in fact, tweeted about his health days, rumours had started doing rounds on social media that the Union Home Minister had not been keeping well, even as the 55-year-old leader had been updating his Twitter handle with various pictures

on his personal twitter handle.

Special Commissioner Ajay Tomar on Saturday said that the cyber cell of the Ahmedabad Crime Branch—which has been keeping a close watch on social media platforms for rumor mongers—discovered that someone with the mobile number 9824257461 had created the fake image and shared it on WhatsApp. The Crime Branch has detained four persons for questioning—two each from Ahmedabad and Bhavnagar. A case has been registered under the Information Technology Act for fraudulently or

showing him attending meetings wearing face masks and maintaining social distance amid coronavirus pandemic.

Meanwhile, condemning rumours about the ill-health of Shah, several BJP work-

dishonestly making use of an electronic signature, password, or any other unique identification feature of any other person. Violators of these sections face imprisonment of up to three years are liable to be fined up to Rs 1 lakh. Another section, under which the complaint has been filed, deals with “cheating by personation by using computer resource”. Violation invites imprisonment of up to three years.

Tomar added that the team is working to capture the kingpin of the operation. “The investigation is underway and we are confident that we will crack the case,” he said.

ers, including party president JP Nadda, on Saturday, took to Twitter to express their displeasure over people who spread such rumours about Shah.

Meanwhile, they also supported their Twitter posts with ‘#HumareP-

yareAmitBhai’ to express their love for the Home Minister.

Shah while taking to Twitter said, “Lakhs of workers from my party and my well-wishers have expressed their deep concerns regarding

my health over the last two days. I cannot ignore their concern for me. This is why I want to clarify today that I am perfectly healthy and I do not have any disease.”

Shah even said according to the Hindu belief, rumours about one’s health could strengthen the person further. “So, I would request every such person to give up this meaningless talks and let me do my job and they may go ahead doing theirs,” Shah wrote.

Thanking his wellwishers and BJP workers for enquiring about his health, he said that he has “no hatred towards those who spread the rumours”.

He also urged people to not spread or believe in such rumours.

Kailash Vijayvargiya @KailashOnline Spreading such rumours could be a ‘political ploy’ of those who are rattled by Shah’s working style and decisions.

Nirmala Sitharaman @nsitharaman Hopefully, all the rumour-mongering will end now.

Syed Shahnawaz Hussain @ShahnawazBJP It’s really shameful how a handful of people are spreading rumours about the health of India’s Home Minister Amit Shah. These people are enemies of the nation who dislike leaders devoted to the motherland.

Prakash Javadekar @PrakashJavdekar The comments about Shah’s health shows the ‘distorted mindset’ of people making them.

Ravi Shankar Prasad @rsprasad Amit Shah Ji you are safe and sound and will remain so because you have to serve Maa Bharati with courage and conviction for a long time.

‘Hesitancy in reporting symptoms primary reason for high mortality’ AIIMS CHIEF SAYS EARLY TESTING AND ISOLATION KEY TO CONTROLLING VIRUS SPREAD First India News Ahmedabad: People are hesitant about reporting COVID-19 symptoms. So, by the time they are tested, the infection has reached an advanced stage. This, in turn, causes more fatalities, said AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Sciences) Director Dr Randeep

Guleria.

He and Dr Manish Suneja were in the city on a day’s visit to meet patients and doctors at the dedicated COVID-19 facilities at the Civil Hospital and the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (SVP) Hospital.

Later in the day, they met with state health officers led by Additional Chief Secretary (Revenue and

Additional Chief Secretary (Revenue and Overseeing Health) Pankaj Kumar in conversation with AIIMS director Dr Randeep Guleria and Dr Manish Suneja, during the two-member team’s daylong visit to Ahmedabad.

overseeing Health department) Pankaj Kumar and Principal Secretary (Health) Jayanti Ravi.

Dr Guleria observed that people do not come forward at the first signs of breathing issues, fever or cold and cough. He said the hesitance in reporting early symptoms has resulted in more fatalities. He appealed people to come forward to get tested at the primary stage.

He also stated that Sars-CoV-2 affects

symptomatic and asymptomatic patients alike--by reducing oxygen levels in the blood--and added that people should get tested and isolate themselves at the earliest as even one positive person can infect family members, close relatives and neighbours very quickly.

He appreciated the treatment given to COVID-19 patients and said that the same protocols were being practised in AIIMS too.

STATE GIVES RELIEF TO GASBASED UNITS

GUJARAT AHMEDABAD | SUNDAY, MAY 10, 2020

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Five killed in clash between communal groups in Kutch Incident allegedly followed suspicion of information about illegal liquor trade being leaked First India News

GRUESOME END

Gandhidham: On Saturday afternoon, two groups from the Koli and Rajput communities clashed at the Hamirsar village of Kutch district, in which five people, belonging to one of the communities, were killed.

When the Adesar police station informed Kutch East control room about the incident, the entire region’s police including top brass officials rushed to the village located in Rapar taluka.

“As per the information I have received, there was a group clash between the Koli and Rajput communities and five people have been killed. I am on my way to the village and will only be able to share more information after I reach ground zero,” said Subhash Trivedi, inspector general (IG),

Kutch range.

Kutch (East) superintendent of police (SP) Parikshita Rathod told the media, “There was enmity between the two groups and they belonged to different communities. The accused Dhama Koli is into the liquor trade and he suspected that the victim Akhabhai Umat (Ra-

64 jailed for attacking police: DGP

With cases doubling every 5 days, G’nagar shuts down

First India News

First India News

Gandhinagar: A total of 64 persons have been j a i l e d across the state for 28 d i f f e re n t offences of attack Shivanand Jha on police personnel, Director-General of Police Shivanand Jha on Saturday announced.

“Those who are spreading rumours on social media will not be spared. We are taking strict action against those who spread fake and communal messages on social media. The police has so far arrested 64 people in this regard,” said Jha. The DGP also said the chaos in Ahmedabad and Surat has been taken care of. However, he appealed to migrants in the state to be patient.

“The migrants who want to return to their native needs to have some patience and support the administration and don’t get mislead by any rumours,” he added.

Gandhinagar: City mayor Ritaben Patel on Saturday announced a complete shutdown in the state capital due to a surge in COVID-19 cases. The shutdown will be in effect from 6am on May 10 to 6 pm on May 17. Only stores selling milk and medicines will be allowed to operate during the shutdown.

The move comes after the case doubling rate went from 16 days to five days. The district crossed the 100-case

Police investigate the scene of the clash in Hamirsar village of Kutch’s Rapar taluka.

jput) and his sons were leaking information about his liquor trade.

Koli then formed a group and attacked Akhabhai and his four sons with sharp weapons and killed them. He then fled from the village,” she said.

She added that four people died on the spot after sustaining fatal

State capital has crossed the 100-case mark with six new cases being reported mark on Saturday, when six more cases were reported. Gandhinagar seems to be now competing with cities such as Ahmedabad, Vadodara and Surat in terms of high COVID-19 numbers.

The worrying case doubling rate has stupefied the district administration as well as

injuries. But, one of the victims seriously injured, was rushed to a hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. The deceased have been identified as Jesang Umat, Amra Umat, Petha Bhavan Umat, Vela Umat and Akhabhai Umat.

According to SP Rathod, at least five

the state government.

On April 11, there were 14 positive cases reported with one death. Five more positive cases were added to the total tally of 30 cases on April 27. That means that it took a period of 16 days for the number of cases to double.

On the other hand, On May 2; five days after that; 18 positive cases were reported in a single day, taking the total tally to 67. Around 30 cases have been registered in the next six days post that.

teams have been formed to catch the absconding accused. The teams include personnel from the local crime branch and special operations group and local police.

After reaching the village, Rathod also met with the village and Rajput community leaders and appealed to them to maintain peace.

Why aren’t more AMC hospitals ‘dedicated’?

Gargi Raval Ahmedabad: The COVID-19 outbreak has wreaked havoc on the city, and the administration is trying to add to the existing infrastructure by setting up more isolation centres.

The newly appointed team at the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has upped the number of hospital beds for Sars-CoV-2 patients by adding over 4,000 beds to its arsenal.

It also asked 12 more private hospitals including Global Hospital, Nidhi Hospital and Saraswati Hospital to stay available for COVID-19 patients.

However, a number of AMC-run hospitals such as VS Hospital, LG Hospital and Shardaben Hospital have been left out of the list of dedicated COVID-19 hospitals and care centres.

The 1,500-bed LG Hospital is not on the COVID-19 hospital list. “In this hospital, at least 500 beds should be reserved and isolated for

COVID-19 cases. We do not know why the hospital has not been asked to pitch in. There were a few doctors and nurses who had been infected by Sars-CoV-2 in the hospital. But now, all of them have been cured,” said one of the doctors

Ahmedabad: On Friday, the state government announced several lucrative schemes to lure foreign investments, especially those organizations with units in China. The Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee leaders have criticized this move and accused the govern-

Shaktisinh Gohil

also ease the local government’s burden. A fine of Rs5,000 has been determined as the amount that will be levied on people who fail to adhere to the rules of the lockdown.

Talking about the unique initiative, Jepur’s sarpanch Chandubhai Makwana told First India, “We have formed a 10-member ‘Corona Samiti’ mostly comprising the village youth. The samiti members have

A sign banning the entry of outsiders to Jepur village.

been issued cards by the panchayat and their role is to monitor movement at various entry points to ensure

that there is no gathering of four persons or more in the village.

They are also responsible for denying entry

at the hospital.

This person added, “Everyone knows that most VS staff have been transferred to SVP but the infrastructure at VS can be utilized. A chunk of beds at Shardaben Hospital can also be declared part of an isolation ward for COVID-19 patients.”

“VS has already kept 500 beds ready with paramedical staff to tend to patients. I had written to the municipal commissioner regarding the same a month ago. They should put all political pressure aside in a time of crisis such as this,” said Dinesh Sharma, leader of the opposition, AMC.

Diamonds worth Rs1K crore sent to Hong Kong First India News

Police and RAF personnel patrol a street in Ahmedabad’s Shahpur area a day after cops lobbed tear gas at a mob of stone-pelters.

—PHOTO BY HANIF SINDHI

ment of ignoring local businessmen, whose businesses have been adversely affected by the lockdown.

“The state government has insulted small and medium-scale businessmen by granting free-rein to the upcoming businessmen in the state. Many schemes have also been announced to welcome the

foreign investors,” said Shaktisinh Gohil.

“Our local businesses have been affected a lot due to demonetization, GST, and novel coronavirus. But, rather than providing stimulating packages to the local businesses, the state government is laying out the red carpet for outsiders,” he asserted, adding, “All the rules for

Village ‘Corona Samiti’ keeps outsiders, virus at bay Jepur: In a stroke of ingenuity, a village in Rajkot district has formed its own ‘Corona Samiti’. Situated at 60 kilometres from Rajkot, Jepur village is setting its own example of how a place can remain corona-free by setting its own parameters and guidelines.

This initiative taken by the villagers will not only keep the village safe from a COVID-19 outbreak, it will

ODD LIST

KEEPING THE PEACE

GRASSROOTS INITIATIVE

Masuma Bharmal Jariwala

The dedicated COVID-19 facility at Ahmedabad’s Civil Hospital.

Incentivize local businesses not foreigners: Gohil First India News

03

to outsiders and taking care of problems faced by the villagers during the lockdown period. A fine of Rs5,000 will be slapped on outsiders including vendors who forcefully try to enter the village. The fine will also be collected from people who gather in a group of four or more people in one place,” he stated.

“One of the first things we did was to close all the entry and exit points of the village by blocking them

with huge tree trunks.

The only entry point near the bus stop has been kept open. Two members of the Samiti keep guard at the main entry 24 hours to ensure not a single outsider enters the village. Four other members keep guard at the other entry points which have been closed. The village has also made its own disinfectant using neem, tulsi leaves, kapur and other ingredients,” he added.

labour and business operations will not liable on the foreign investors for 1,200 days, which is like adding insult to injury on the local businesses. The foreign investors will be automated and won’t generate employment. Therefore, I request the local government to provide incentives and relief to local businessmen.”

Surat: Already touted as a diamond-hub, the city of Surat manufactures 8 out of 10 diamonds sold in the world.

But, the export of Surti diamonds could only be conducted from Mumbai and not the Surat Diamond Bourse until January this year. Following the recommendations of the Gems and Jewellery Export Promotion Council, jewellers were allowed to export diamonds from the Surat Diamond Bourse without a bank guarantee. As a result, 85 parcels worth Rs1,000 crore have been exported to Hong Kong during the lockdown so far.

The permission granted in January has been a major relief for diamond industrialists in Surat and Mumbai during the lockdown. As per guidelines, diamond parcels from Mumbai arrive at the Surat Diamond Bourse and are exported to Hong Kong after customs clearance.

PERSPECTIVE AHMEDABAD | SUNDAY, MAY 10, 2020

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THE ONLY THING WE HAVE TO FEAR IS FEAR ITSELF

IN-DEPTH

BENGAL-CENTRE IN FACE-OFF OVER MIGRANTS

K NATWAR SINGH

A

political adversary should be given no breather. Between Union Home Minister Amit Shah and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who believes in this more than the other is difficult to say but New Delhi and Kolkata both throwing love punches at one another even in these times of pandemic. Clearly, there’s more to their bout than the spread of novel coronavirus. Relations between Bengal and the Centre have never been cordial but at present they are under severe strain.

The latest round has been triggered by a letter from Amit Shah saying that by not allowing Shramik specials Mamata Banerjee was doing an “injustice” to workers wanting to return to the state. The BJP government in Gujarat has not yet solved the issue of stranded migrants wanting to leave Surat, however, the Centre has said that more than two lakh workers have been facilitated to reach their homes. “But we are not getting expected support from West Bengal. The state government of West Bengal is not allowing trains reaching to West Bengal. This is injustice with West Bengal migrant labourers. This will create further hardships for them,” Shah said in the letter.

West Bengal hit back by accusing the Home Minister of untruths and holding the Centre directly responsible for the tragedy in which 16 migrant labourers were run over by a goods train. Trinamool Congress MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar was quoted as asking, “The Centre is lying. Eight trains are ready to ferry passengers from Bengal from different states. It is not right to say CM Mamata Banerjee is not allowing migrants to come back. Sixteen migrants died on your watch, will rail minister take responsibility.”

A stronger riposte to Shah’s letter came from Mamata’s nephew and senior party leader Abhishek Banerjee who tweeted, “A HM failing to discharge his duties during this crisis speaks after weeks of silence, only to mislead people with bundle of lies! Ironically he’s talking of the very ppl who’ve been literally left to fate by his own Govt. Mr @AmitShah prove your fake allegations or apologise.”

The Centre can still claim to be driven by the desire to protect the minorities from hardships, though the migrants homecoming issue has been such that it has backfired on the BJP after Sonia firing her salvo of Congress bearing the expense of the migrants travel. One, however, cannot deny the fact that there is also a strong political angle to the face-off because Shah is not alone in attacking Mamata government.

Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Congress Party’s Leader in the LS, also accused the TMC government of not being keen on bringing back its labourers stranded in other states.

A row was earlier triggered over the sending of inter-ministerial teams to some West Bengal districts allegedly without the state being taken into confidence. On both the occasions Mamata’s retreat averted a political crisis.

The author is Former Minister of External Affairs of India

P

Humankind is groping in the dark in fear.

Parents fear for their children, immigrants for the livelihood, the fear of galloping unemployment is all too visible in America, Europe, and other parts of the globe. Where a man can find no answer, he will find fear

resident Franklin D. Roosevelt, in his inaugural address in 1933, said the only thing to fear was fear itself. The coronavirus has health, economic, social, administrative, etc. aspects.

There is also the fear aspect.

That is not confined to the present only. Fear is very much in the minds of people, including doctors, fear of the pandemic making a re-appearance after six months or more. Neither World War 1 or World War II had the reach, the coronavirus has.

These wars deadly and horrific did not involve South America and large parts of Africa. The coronavirus respects no national boundaries is invisible and so unbearable so far. No fear is worse than the fear of the unknown, the fear of nature’s forces which man can neither channel nor comprehend. Overnight it has become intensified and magnified. It is filling our minds with primordial apprehensions.

Humankind is groping in the dark in fear. Parents fear for their children, immigrants for the livelihood, the fear of galloping unemployment is all too visible in America, Europe, and other parts of the globe. Where a man can find no answer, he will find fear.

I am 91 years of age, so I do not fear. But I do for my wife, my son, my grandsons and my friends. Will fear be the new normal. Has a new age being born. Has medicine failed?

The newspapers devote most of their pages to the damage the coronavirus is inflicting on men, women, and children. TV is a mixed blessing. It informs, it also produces fear in our minds.

What will tomorrow bring?

More fear or hope. Hope for whom? To those who are living in a controlled panic. Don’t panic is the mantra of the medicos. But doctors and nurses are dying of the virus. Is hope the hope. Does any of us have

an answer?

The lockdown will end after eight days. Gone will be social distancing. How will educational institutions accommodate students when each has to sit six feet from the other. Where will space come for those in the same class? The same applies to travel. The air industry the world over has gone bust. If it revives, then will passengers sit six feet apart. Take liquor shops. We saw the bedlam in Delhi the other day. When these booze shops re-open, no one will follow the six feet rule. Hence, we are living in a coronavirus pressure cooker. Damned if you uncover it, damned if you don’t.

What about political public meetings. I have no answer, except posing questions. Like everyone else I eagerly and impatiently await the invention of the magic vaccine, which will be available by early next year.

One hundred laboratories are working night and day to produce one. I am not a religious person, but I do believe in Auto de fe: Belief in fate. Neither pessimism nor optimism is the

WHAT WILL TOMORROW BRING? MORE FEAR OR HOPE. HOPE FOR WHOM? TO THOSE WHO ARE LIVING IN A CONTROLLED PANIC. DON’T PANIC IS THE MANTRA OF THE MEDICOS

need of the hour. Both are matters of temperament.

Satish Gujral’s death last month did not attract the notice it should have. I knew him for almost forty-five years. He was among the great painters of the 20th century. He was also a gifted architect. The Belgian Embassy in Chankyapuri is his creation. He was stone deaf

Bioethics for the coronavirus pandemic S

ince the SARSCoV-2 virus spread from China to most of the world in February and March, we have all gradually become participants in textbook ethical dilemmas. Above all, the COVID-19 pandemic has presented overloaded health systems with the huge question of how to continue caring for patients in a secure, fair, and effective way. And, worryingly, the crisis has highlighted not only the unpreparedness of politicians and health-care systems, but also our failure to develop relevant ethical norms.

As the pandemic spread, many governments hastily implemented medical and social-distancing protocols that mirrored the Chinese authorities’ draconian re

04

sponse. Until early this year, richer countries had been discussing access to new health-care tools such as robotics and artificial intelligence, or how the state might finance artificial reproductive technologies. But in the blink of an eye, their health systems surprisingly and unhesitatingly accepted utilitarian ethics – not only by performing drastic triage in intensive-care units (ICUs), but also by refusing to offer a range of other muchneeded medical services.

Ethics textbooks contain numerous philosophical dilemmas that call into question the morality of always applying a utilitarian calculus to human lives. One of the most widely known was devised by the British philosopher Philippa Foot, and involves a runaway trolley rushing

As the pandemic spread, many governments hastily implemented medical and socialdistancing protocols that mirrored the Chinese authorities’ draconian response

toward five people tied to a train track. By pulling a switch, you can divert the trolley to another track and save those five lives, but the trolley will then kill one person on that track. What should you do?

Based solely on the mathematical outcome of the choice, many will likely consider it right to intervene and sacrifice one human life in order to save

five others. But in both this dilemma and in real life, should we not take other values into account, too?

After all, the COVID-19 pandemic is presenting health workers with tragic situations they have never experienced before. And if there are not enough health workers, ventilators, or hospital beds, then patients often will need to be categorized and prioritized to determine who receives (or does not receive) which care, and where.

In mid-March, the Italian Society of Anesthesia, Analgesia, Resuscitation, and Intensive Care (SIAARTI) issued recommendations for allocating intensive-care treatment of COVID-19 patients. These include adhering to the “first come, first served” principle in the worst-case scenario that no more ICU

resources are available.

And in April, the Hungarian Medical Chamber released a series of mostly utilitarian triage guidelines that focus on saving more lives and giving priority to patients with a higher chance of survival.

Our existing ethical frameworks were not devised for a pandemic – and it shows. Over the last few decades, bioethics has focused on new technologies, such as genetic intervention, biobanks, gene-editing, and artificial reproduction. Indeed, Europe’s most comprehensive and legally binding set of bioethical norms, the 1997 Oviedo Convention, prescribes that “The interests and welfare of the human being shall prevail over the sole interest of society or science.”

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for the better part of his life.

Then a miraculous operation restored his hearing. He was great fun to be with. The art world has lost a genius.

His wife Kiran is a most remarkable lady.

I never met Irfan Khan or Rishi Kapoor. The latter’s father I met several times. He was not only a superb actor, but he was also an artist, creative, original, who stirred both heart and mind.

Irfan Khan and Rishi Kapoor were both beloved of cinema audiences. If I remember correctly I saw him in Slumdog Millionaire. He stole the shows. To my regret, I did not see any of Rishi Kapoor’s films. Both he and Irfan were men of courage and died like heroes.

In the 1960s Dev Anand produced and acted in Prem Pujari. I was then working in the Indira Gandhi office. Dev Anand came to see me. I had met him earlier in New York.

He said he wanted the P.M to see the film. I took him to P.M. She said to Dev, “Let Natwar see it first”. I did. She did not..

THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL

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TWEET Prakash Javadekar @PrakashJavdekar We fought & offered Satyagrah for media freedom.I was in jail for 13 mnths for removal of press censorship. We are ensuring complete media freedom. India has robust media with 1Lac journals&400 million readership, 800 TVchannels out of which 200 are News channels. This is freedom Dharmendra Pradhan @dpradhanbjp Interacted with Pravasi Odia friends residing in the southeast asian countries through video conferencing. Discussed the #Covid19 situation in their respective countries and efforts they are taking to slow down the transmission and prevent further spread of the virus.

Spiritual SPEAK

Perform your obligatory duty, because action is indeed better than inaction.

—Bhagavad Gita

Vol 1 Issue No. 164 RNI NO. GUJENG/2019/16208. Printed and published by Anita Hada Sangwan on behalf of First Express Publishers. Printed at Bhaskar Printing Planet Survey No.148P, Changodar-Bavla Highway, Tal. Sanand, Dist. Ahmedabad.

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

INDIA AHMEDABAD | SUNDAY, MAY 10, 2020

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COVID-19 UPDATE

05

INDIA’S FATALITY RATE CONTINUED TO BE AROUND 3.3%, UNION HEALTH MINISTER DR HARSH VARDHAN SAID

PREPARED FOR WORST, SAYS HEALTH MINISTER New Delhi: Amid the coronavirus outbreak in the country, the Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan said India does not anticipate a very worst type of situations like the developed nations. However, he assured that the Central government is prepared for the worst scenario.

The coronavirus cases in India inched towards 60,000- mark today. The states added over 3,000 fresh coronavirus cases for the third straight day. As India witnessed a huge spike in COVID-19 count this week, the doubling rate worsens. On Tuesday, the health ministry reported a doubling rate of 12 days. The doubling rate of the novel coronavirus infections in India has reduced to 9.9 days in last one week, health minister said.

India’s fatality rate continued to be around 3.3%, he added. As many as 1,981 people died due to coronavirus infection in India since outbreak. West Bengal recorded the worst fatality rate in the country. Out of 1,678 coronavirus pa-

‘Mismatch in reports of pvt lab will be checked’

Dr Harsh Vardhan

ITBP STAFF +VE

tients, 160 succumbed to death in the state.

On a brighter side, India improved its recovery rate. Around 29.9% of total cases, 17,847 people, were cured from infection. —ANI

SHAH WRITES TO MAMATA

‘WB govt not allowing trains reach state’ New Delhi: In yet another escalation of the war of words between the Centre and the West Bengal government, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has written to CM Mamata Banerjee alleging that her regime was not cooperating over migrant workers’ issue.

In his letter to Mamata, Home Minister stated that Bengal govt is not allowing trains carrying migrant workers to reach the state, which may further create hardship for the labourers. In his letter, Shah said not allowing trains to reach West Bengal is “injustice” to the migrant workers from the state.

Home Minister said, “But we are not getting expected support from the West Bengal. The state government of West Bengal is not allowing the trains reaching to West Bengal. This is injustice

VIEWPOINT

with West Bengal migrant labourers. This will create further hardship for them,” Shah wrote in his letter to TMC chief. —Agencies

TS POLICE TO ROLL OUT AI-BASED SYSTEM TO TRACK VIOLATERS Hyderabad: After the govt of Telangana decided to slap a fine of Rs 1,000 for not wearing masks at public places, the police of Hyderabad City, Cyberabad, are all set to track the violators with the help of artificial intelligence (AI). “The enforcement of the norm through AI-driven system will initially be implemented in

Hyderabad City, Cyberabad, and Rachakonda area within the next two to three days. It will later be extended to entire Telangana,” Anil Kumar, ACP said. He said that leveraging computer vision & deep learning techniques being implemented on surveillance CCTVs across the cities is the first of its kind in India.

New Delhi: Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain on Saturday said that some data mismatch was found in few COVID-19 reports of a private lab and government is looking into it.

“Some data mismatch was found in 2-3 reports of the lab so we are getting it checked,” said Satyandra Jain, Delhi Health Minister on being asked about discrepancies in test reports of a private lab.

He also said that the government has ordered to deliver COVID-19 reports of each and every case on time.

“The government has made it mandatory to deliver the reports within 24 hours. So, that immediate action is taken,” he said.

The ICMR has expanded the list of private labs performing real-time RT-PCR COVID-19 test in the national capital from eight to thirteen labs. —ANI

Fresh guidelines for patients: Ministry New Delhi: The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) on Friday released fresh guidelines and policy for discharging the COVID-19 patients.

The new guidelines had cut short the number of days patients need to stay in a COVID facility or hospital for mild and moderate cases.

According to the new guidelines, COVID-19 patients with mild and

C’GARH CM SEEKS RS 30,000 CR PACKAGE Raipur: Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Friday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding Rs 30,000 crore package for the state for the upcoming three months to mitigate economic crisis induced by COVID-19 outbreak. Further, he has urged the Prime Minister to release Rs 10, 000 crores immediately, out of the total amount,” read the letter by Baghel.

Medics check a patient who has completed mandatory 14-days of quarantine before discharge at a hospital in New Delhi.

CM Yogi holds review meet

CM Yogi holds COVID19 review meet with chairpersons of 11 panels.

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday held a COVID-19 review meeting with chairpersons of 11 committees.

Earlier on May 7, Yogi had directed officials to prepare an extensive action plan for

the employment of migrants. Addressing a high-level lockdown review meeting at his official residence, Adityanath said that details of industrial units being run and employment provided to people through them should be documented.—ANI

moderate cases are to be discharged after 10 days of symptoms, if they either show no fever or the symptoms subside within three days. Further, there will be no need for testing prior to discharge.

As regards the patients who are discharged, the health authorities will follow up their cases on 14th day through teleconference, the Ministry said. —ANI

KOLKATA MAN, 1ST INDIAN TO BEAT COVID-19 Kolkata: Nitaidas Mukherjee, a 52-yearold resident of south Kolkata who trumped Covid-19 after being on a ventilator for 38 days, returned home to a hero’s welcome by his neighbours.Doctors said that it was a remarkable feat by the hospital authorities and nothing less than a miracle, because a Corona patient remaining on a ventilator for so long has little chance of survival.

‘New antiviral drug combo promising to treat Corona’ Beijing: A two-week course of an antiviral therapy, started within seven days of experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, may improve clinical recovery of patients and reduce their hospital stay duration, according to the first randomised trial of this triple drug combination.

The study, published in the journal The Lancet, involved 127 adults from six public hospitals in Hong Kong, and tested the effectiveness of an antiviral drug combination in reducing the load of the novel coronavirus in their bodies.

According to researchers from University of Hong Kong, treatment involving combination of drugs interferon beta-1b, plus the antiviral therapy lopinavir-ritonavir and ribavirin, is better at reducing the viral load than lopinavir-ritonavir alone. —ANI

VIZAG GAS LEAK INCIDENT

IN THE COURTYARD

Naidu writes to ‘Giving ration to Rohingya refugees’ PM, requests scientific probe New Delhi: The AAP government has told Delhi HC that adequate ration was being provided to Rohingya families at three camps in south and north east parts of the city during the coronavirus-induced lockdown.

The submission was made by the Delhi government before a bench of Justices Manmohan and San-

jeev Narula, which was hearing a plea seeking immediate relief for the Rohingya families at settlements in Khajuri Khas in

north east Delhi and in south Delhi.

Delhi government additional standing counsel Sanjoy Ghose and advocate Urvi Mo-

han also told the court that four hunger centres were being run near the settlements mentioned in the plea.

The bench, however, noted that the petitioner had not given any specific particulars of the neglect faced by these families and had only made general allegations in the representations sent to authorities. —PTI

NATIONAL HERALD CASE

DELHI VIOLENCE

ED ATTACHES PROPERTY OF AJL WORTH `16 CR

BRINDA KARAT MOVES HC OVER EARLY HEARING

New Delhi: Tightening the noose around the Congress-promoted Associated Journals Limited (AJL), the ED y said that it has attached a part of its assets in Maharashtra’’s Mumbai amounting to Rs 16 crore in its probe into the money laundering case.

The ED said that it attached assets worth Rs 16.38 crore of a nine storey building

New Delhi: CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat has approached the Delhi HC seeking an early hearing in her plea for directions to police to make public the list of people arrested in connection with communal violence in northeast Delhi in February this year.

The application for preponing the date of hearing PIL is likely to be listed on May 12.

with two basements in Mumbai’s Bandra East belonging to AJL. It said the attachment order was issued against AJL & its chairman Motial Lal Vora, who is a R S member of Congress. —ANI

EX-C’GARH JOGI SUFFERS CARDIAC ARREST, ON VENTILATOR Raipur: Former Chhattisgarh CM Ajit Jogi was rushed to Naraina hospital in Raipur after he collapsed in his home garden on Saturday. Soon after, doctors were called and efforts were made to resuscitate him. Thereafter, he was moved to the hospital at 12:30 pm. He is said to have suffered a cardiac arrest. According to medical bulletin, the 74-year-old leader is on ventilator support as his breathing is still irregular. Doctors say his condition is “serious”. His son, Amit Jogi, also described Jogi’s condition as serious.

The main petition, which has sought that a list of those arrested be put up outside police stations in the district, should be updated on a case-by-case basis. It is listed for hearing on June 16. —ANI

UP CONG STARTS CHAT PORTAL TO REACH OUT TO PEOPLE, MIGRANTS Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Congress has launched a chat portal ‘UP Mitra’ to help migrant workers and common man in the coronavirus crisis. UP Congress chief Ajay Kumar Lallu said people can go to the chat portal and mention their problems.

“Through this chat portal problems of common people will be listed and

the UPCC will help them as much as possible,” Lallu said. He said a list of the problems will be sent to CM so that the government also provides help. People stranded in various states in the crisis need help. state unit will publicize the chat portal link - https://tinyurl.com/ UPmitra - through social media, etc.

Amaravati: Former Andhra CM & TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu wrote a letter to PM Modi, requesting a scientific probe into Vizag gas leak incident.

Naidu has asked for the constitution of a Scientific Experts’ Committee to enquire into the gas leakage and the circumstances that led to the release of toxic vapours/gases. “The company claims that the gas leaked out was Styrene, however, there were conflicting reports of other toxic gases being present there, it needs to be investigated to understand the enduring health impacts,” read his letter.

He has requested that close monitoring of the ambient air quality in and around Visakhapatnam city must also be done.

“Roping in National and International health-experts for health assessment &

THE INCIDENT

thus taking immediate and long-term health measures. This assessment would be helpful in giving compensation,” it reads further.

DELHI COP RECOVERS FROM COVID-19, REJOINS DUTY New Delhi: A Delhi police constable who had contracted the coronavirus last month, has recovered from the infection. As per an official release, the constable was discharged from Apollo Hospital after he tested negative for the infection twice in a row. The cop posted at PP Sriniwaspuri was deployed at Okhla mandi for crowd control and for maintaining social distancing during the lockdown. On April 25, he himself was found COVID-19 positive. After getting discharged, the constable rejoined duty on Saturday.

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may field Minorities contributing in NCP Shinde, Mitkari fighting Corona: Naqvi As many as 16 Haj Houses across the country have been given to state govts for quarantine facilities, the Union Minister said New Delhi: Union Minister for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said here that more than 1,500 Health Care Assistants, who have been trained under skill development programme of Minority Affairs Ministry, are assisting in treatment and well-being of patients affected by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Naqvi said here that 50% of these Health Care Assistants include girls who are helping in the treatment of the virus-affected patients in various hospitals and health care centres across the country. This year, more than 2,000 other Health Care As-

Women power to the fore in evacuation Kochi: Woman power came to the fore as the massive exercise to evacuate Indian citizens stranded abroad in various countries continued on Saturday with two flights to Malaysia and Oman being helmed by women. Two women-Captain Kavitha Rajkumar and Captain Bindhu Sebastiancommanded the Air India Express flights operated from Tiruchirapalli and Kochi to Kuala Lumpur and Muscat respectively to bring back Indians stuck there due to the lockdown in place to contain the corona spread. —ANI

THE MOVE

sistants will be trained by the Minority Affairs Ministry as it is providing one-year training to Health Care Assistants through various health organisations and reputed hospitals of the country.

Naqvi said that different waqf boards

across the country have contributed Rs 51 crore in the Prime Minister and Chief Minister’s relief funds for the COVID-19 pandemic with the support of various religious, social and educational organisations. Besides, these waqf boards are

also distributing food and other essential commodities among the needy.

The minister further said that as many as 16 Haj Houses across the country have been given to state governments for quarantine and isolation facilities for COVID-19 affected people. Various state governments are utilising the facilities at these Haj Houses according to their needs.

Naqvi informed that Aligarh Muslim University has contributed Rs 1.40 crore in “PMCARES” fund. AMU Medical College has also arranged around 100 beds for treatment of the coronavirus-affected patients. —ANI

I humbly request our @PMOIndia Shri.

Narendra Modi ji to intervene in this matter by talking to the CMs of the respective states who are not allowing these people to come back home.

—Sharad Pawar, Nationalist Congress Party leader ters for different states sent between May 3 and May 7. Shah has

made accusations against the state government. Everything

Maha CM Uddhav Thackeray (C) with NCP leader Ramraje Naik Nimbalkar (R) and Legislative Assembly speaker Nana Patole.

Mumbai: The NCP is likely to field its Maharashtra unit vice president Shashikant Shinde and another leader Amol Mitkari as its candidates for the upcoming state Legislative Council election, party sources said on Saturday.

The election for the nine legislative council seats is due on May 21 and the last date for filing of nominations is May 11.

The electoral college (for the election) is 288-member Maharashtra Assembly.

The sources said that the NCP and ally Shiv

that he said is a lie.

Stop doing your divisive politics. You either retract your letter, or apologise for what you have done,” he told the media through videoconference.

O’Brien said that he had got letters from other states that were sent by the Union Home Minister.

“These states are Telegana, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu to whom the Ministry of Home Affairs had sent official communications so that they can bring back their migrant workers stranded in other states,” senior TMC leader O’Brien said. —Agencies

Sena, which have 54 and 56 seats respectively, will contest two seats each in the election, where securing 29 votes (of MLAs) can see a candidate sail through.

The Congress (44 MLAs) is in a position to bag one seat, but is insisting on consisting one more seat with the help of the NCP and Shiv Sena.

“The NCP has finalised the names of former state minister Shinde and Mitkari, who had campaigned hard for the party in the Assembly election held last year,” the sources said. —Agencies

CBSE schools are evaluation centres: Min New Delhi: HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal said that 3,000 CBSE schools in the country have been selected as evaluation centres from where more than 1.5 crore answer sheets will be sent for evaluation to teachers. “3,000 CBSE schools have been selected as evaluation centres. From these centres, more than 1.5 cr answer sheets will be sent for evaluation to the homes of teachers,” Pokhriyal said. —ANI

Hizbul’s Punjab terror-funding module busted Chandigarh: Notching another major success against Pakistan-sponsored narco-terrorism networks in the country, the Punjab Police on Saturday morning, arrested Ranjeet Singh @ Rana @ Cheeta, a big fish in the ISI-controlled network, with links to Hizbul Mujahideen commander Naikoo who was killed by security forces in Kashmir recently.

With more than 10 criminal cases against him, Ranjeet was one of the a key links in the

POWER Gallery TWO SUPREME COURT JUDGES TO RETIRE THIS YEAR

Three Supreme Court vacancies for judges will emerge this year with retirement of Justice Arun Kumar Mishra on September 2, 2020 and Justice R Bhanumathi on July 19, 2020.

WHAT IS THE CADRE STRENGTH OF IFS?

Shah lying on migrants’ issue: TMC Kolkata: Accusing Union Home Minister Amit Shah of “lying” in his letter to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on the issue of return of migrants, the ruling Trinamool Congress on Saturday said that he should retract or apologise.

Senior Trinamool Congress leader Derek O’’Brien said Shah never sent any communication on facilitating the state administration to bring back Bengal’’s migrants from other states.

O’’Brien, Trinamool chief national spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP, said: “I have let-

06

network engaged in smuggling of large number of composite consignments of drugs

and illegal weapons through the Indo-Pak border through the legal land route of ICP

Attari and also across the border fencing on Indo-Pak border in Punjab and J&K. He

was also wanted for bringing in 532 kg of heroin and 52 kg of mixed narcotics, worth

over Rs 2700 crores, from Pakistan in a consignment of 600 bags of rock salt, through Integrated Check Post, Attari (Amritsar) on 29th June, 2019.

Announcing Ranjeet’s arrest, along with that of his brother Gagandeep @ Bhola, from Sirsa, Haryana, CM Captain Amarinder Singh lauded the Punjab Police for their aggressive operations against terrorists and drug smugglers despite of curfew to contain the spread of Covid. —Agencies

come more strict: 10 Jamatis, who entered the district from Surat with permission, were given health check-ups and put under quarantine.

A 3.5-year-old toddler defeated COVID-19 in Surat’s Olpad area.

She was discharged from the hospital, and received a warm welcome home. Two nursing staff working at the Surat Municipal Corporation-run hospital have been infected and are under treatment.

al at 2050 hours) and Sharjah to Lucknow (arrival at 2050 hours), Kuwait to Cochin (arrival at 2115 hrs), Kuala Lumpur to Trichy (arrival at 2140 hours), London to Mumbai (arrival at 0130 hours on May 10) and Doha to Cochin (arrival at 0140 hours on May 10). The flight from Dubai to Chennai arrived earlier today in the night.

which could have been missed otherwise. It gives accurate forecast of hotspots and it is also preventing the origin of newer hotspots. The engine has generated incredible insights and impact with precise projections of locality, direction and velocity of the spread of infection,” he said.

The Niti Ayog chief informed that so far around 69 million people have taken the self-assessment test, an adoption rate of more than 71 per cent, out of which, over 3.4 million people have self-de-

clared themselves as unwell since they were showing one or more than three symptoms.

With this, a dedicated team of over 70 healthcare workers have reached to people who displayed two or more than two symptoms of COVID-19.

“This is how a dedicated team of more than 70 healthcare workers have reached out to about 650,000 people who showed two or more symptoms. More than 16,000 people have been administered follow-up tele-consultation by doctors,” he said.

About 8,500 people have tested from the set of people assessed as high-risk and of which more than 23 per cent have tested COVID-19 positive so far giving an extraordinary testing accuracy.

The efficacy of testing recommended by Aarogya Setu is much higher than any testing protocol anywhere in the world and it manifolds higher than the current overall efficacy of testing in India, Kant said.

The Aarogya Setu app is available in 12 different languages and soon it is set to expand

TACKLING TERROR

Ranjeet was one of the a key links in the network engaged in smuggling drugs & illegal weapons.

The present Indian Foreign Service cadre strength stands at approx 850 officers manning around 193 Indian missions and posts abroad and various posts in the Home Ministry.

CK MISHRA DUE TO RETIRE IN MAY

Chandra Kishore Mishra, Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, is retiring on May 31, 2020. He is a 1983 batch IAS officer of Bihar cadre.

TENURE OF TDSAT’ CHAIRPERSON SK SINGH ENDS ON JUNE 30

The tenure of Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal Chairperson, Justice Shiva Kirti Singh is ending on June 30, 2020.

SINGHAL TO RETIRE IN JUNE

LB Singhal is schedule to retire in June this year.

He is a 1986 batch India Trade Service (ITS) officer and posted as Development Commissioner, SEZ , Noida.

CALCUTTA HC STILL SHORT OF 23 PERMANENT JUDGES

The Calcutta High Court still has vacancy for 23 permanent Judges as on May 1, 2020.

10 ITS OFFICERS TRANSFERRED DOT HAS TRANSFERRED

10 JAG Indian Telecom Service(ITS) officers.

Accordingly, Neelesh Srivastava is going to Bhopal,MP LSA , Neeraj Singhal SA Wing , DoT hq, udhdhi Prakash Meena to join Skill Development unit at DoT hq, Arvind Kumar Mishra, UP(East) LSA, Brij Mohan Setia, HP LSA, Ravindra Prasad, Dierctor(PSU-I), DoT hq,Vikas Agrawal, SPPI,DoT Hq, G Sresh Reddy, Hyderabad, AP LSA, Shaik Mujib Pasha, Hyderabad AP LSA and Robin Adawal joins at AS Wing DoT hq.

ECI IN SEARCH OF OFFICER FOR DIRECTOR (DE)

The Election Commission of India (ECI) is in search of officer for the post of Director (Election Expenditure) on deputation basis.

IQBAL SINGH CHAHAL IS NEW BMC COMMISSIONER, MUMBAI

Iqbal Singh Chahal has been appointed as Commissioner, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). He is a 1989 batch Maharashtra cadre IAS officer.

NIMBALKAR IS NEW PWD SECRETARY IN MAHARASHTRA

Maharashtra Relief and Rehabilitation Secretary Kishorraje Nimbalkar has been transferred as Public Works Department Secretary.

MANOJ SAUNIK IS NEW ADDITIONAL CS, FINANCE IN MAHARASHTRA

Manoj Saunik has been made Additional CS, Finance Department, Maharashtra. He was looking after Public Works and Finance Departments. He is a1987 batch IAS officer of Maharashtra cadre.

BMC COMMISSIONER. PRAVEEN PARDESHI MADE ADDL CS UDD

Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Commissioner Praveen Pardeshi has been, amidst fighting a pandemic, transferred as additional CS in Urban Development department (UDD).He is a 1985 batch IAS officer of Maharashtra cadre.

ARVIND KUMAR IS BACK TO MADHYA PRADESH

After completion of central deputation period Arvind Kumar is back to the parent Madhya Pradesh cadre. He is a 1988 batch IPS officer.

FROM PG 1 With 23... to private practitioners for not keeping out-patient departments open.

In rural Ahmedabad’s Dholka taluka, the number of cases has increased to 39.

So, the district administration has declared Dholka town as a buffer zone and restricted movement of people.

A couple from Junagadh who illegally reached Morbi, which has no active cases, have been quaratined by the administration. Similarly, the Junagadh administration has also be-

Two Indians... (arrival at 1830 hours), Muscat to Cochin (arriv-

‘Aarogya Setu...

“The Aarogya Setu App alerted the government about more than 650 hotspots across the country and over 300 emerging hotspots

to all 22 scheduled Indian languages, the Niti Aayog CEO added. —ANI

‘Trump may...

Nearly 500,000 migrant workers are employed in the US in the H-1B status. “The president’s immigration advisers are drawing up plans for a coming executive order, expected this month, that would ban the issuance of some new temporary, work-based visas,” The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.

“The order is expected to focus on visa categories including H-1B, designed for highly skilled

workers, and H-2B, for seasonal migrant workers, as well as student visas and the work authorization that accompanies them, it said.

More than 33 million Americans have lost their jobs in the last two months due to the coronavirus pandemic that has brought the US economy to a standstill.

IMF and World Bank have projected a negative growth rate for the country. White House officials say that the US economy is likely to grow at negative 15 to 20 per cent in the second quarter. —ANI

TALKING POINT AHMEDABAD | SUNDAY, MAY 10, 2020

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07

INDIA’S ECONOMY IS ON A DOWNSLIDE BECAUSE OF THE LOCKDOWN AMOUNTING TO HUGE ECONOMIC LOSSES, IS THERE ANY WAY THROUGH WHICH IT CAN BE SAID THAT THE LOCKDOWN HAS ALSO RESULTED IN SOME BENEFITS?

DR PRABHAT PANKAJ

DR VARUN CHOTIA

Director, Jaipuria Institute of Management, Jaipur

Faculty, Jaipuria Institute of Management, Jaipur

midst all sorts of speculations going around that India’s economy is on a downslide because of the COVID-19 lockdown amounting to huge economic losses, is there any way through which it can be said that the lockdown has also resulted in some benefits? The answer is yes, and ‘Shadow Benefits’ are one among them. Economists have this strange but yet very powerful way of looking at things from the lens of opportunity cost and Shadow benefits. Opportunity cost is based on the concept of benefits foregone while looking at the cost of undertaking an activity. For example, while the benefits of lockdown lie in the number of COVID-19 cases being averted which could have been there otherwise, and consequently resulting into the proportionate cost on health care, including extremity from the number of deaths, the cost of lockdown is estimated in terms of economic activities lost and hardships caused to the poor.

The Shadow benefits arise from those activities which are not directly transacted in the market and hence their valuation is not easy to ascertain. However, Shadow benefits are generally of tremendous value and they form the core of what we do and expect to achieve. For example, in

the absence of our perception of large ecological benefits (which are not so easily measurable), very few trees will be planted. Most often such goods generate ‘shared value’ and tend to define the quality of living in present and how we are likely to live in the future. The failure of GDP (gross domestic product) to capture all such Shadow benefits makes it an insufficient and inappropriate measure of growth, rather measures that did not include Shadow benefits tended to create more problems for humanity. A lot has been written about GDP as an insufficient measure of growth, so much so that a country like Bhutan has replaced GDP with a more holistic measure of growth called Gross National Happiness (GNH). Indeed, happiness is one such ‘Shadow Benefit’ which growth must produce.

Obviously, amidst this lockdown, the Indian economy has come to a halt. The industries have stopped production, the movement of goods and services has hampered which eventually has put a detrimental impact on India’s economic growth. While the whole world is talking about the negative side of lockdown, there is also a positive side to it. These non-quantifiable positive benefits have been classified as ‘Shadow Benefits of Lockdown’, as explained below:

A

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT uring normal times, all D the industrial hubs operating in India were contributing to a hazardous air-pollution level which was impacting every citizen’s health. Added to this, was the high movement of vehicles that people would use daily to go to their workplaces. Now, because of this lockdown, the pollution levels have come down drastically as production in local industries has gone down.

Further, almost the whole of the service industry in India is working from

home which means no movement of vehicles on the streets. This has also lead to reducing the pollution levels across all major cities of India.

As per certain reports, the Real-Time Air Quality Index is now classified as ‘good’ in many metropolitan cities of India, meaning that air quality is satisfactory and poses little or no risk. Reduced pollution and better air quality augur well for the physical as well as mental health and well-being of India’s population.

BENEFITS OF LOCKDOWN

uring these times of D lockdown, ‘Social distancing’ is being promoted in order to stop the chain of virus spread. Social distancing, or physical distancing, is a set of non-pharmaceutical interventions or measures taken to prevent the spread of this

SOCIAL DISTANCING LEADING TO EMOTIONAL BONDING contagious disease by maintaining a physical distance between people and reducing the number of times people come into close contact with each other. By reducing the probability

Because of social distancing, people are spending more time at home with their respective families. This is leading to more affinity among families, hence moving towards stronger ‘emotional bonding’, and the creation of stronger ‘social capital’. The emotional affinity helps to improve the mental wellbeing of citizens and they tend to be happier. Social capital as reflected in a combination of cognitive and structural factors such as interpersonal trust of citizens, good

is working from home (WFH). During WFH, video calling becomes

Better air quality has considerable economic impacts in terms of reduced medical costs, increasing workers’ productivity, and fewer chances of damage to soil, crops, forests, lakes, and rivers. Overall, the ecological balance improves, and most importantly the reduced carbon emissions help to tackle the bigger issue of climate change. One of the recent studies showed that the earth’s ozone

WORK FROM HOME AND EFFECTS OF VIDEO CALLING ON HAPPINESS one important element that can’t be ignored.

BENEFITS layer is healing because of the overall fall in the global pollution levels. As per OECD’s estimation of outdoor pollution cost, it may range up to 1% of global GDP. It looks like that a 10% reduction in concentrations of particulate matter (PM 2.5) and ground-level ozone will result in tremendous welfare gain, which otherwise could have cost several millions of dollars to achieve.

LESS CORRUPTION AND CRIME uring this lockdown D period, another positive impact is the reduction in corruption and crime in India. Because

of restricted movement, there is hardly any scope that exists for any sort of corruption and crime.

BENEFITS

ue to the lockdown, D almost everyone in the service industry

BENEFITS

that a given uninfected person will come into physical contact with an infected person, the disease transmission can be suppressed, resulting in fewer deaths.

For this coronavirus

pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) suggested the reference to “physical” as an alternative to “social”, in keeping with the notion that it is a physical distance which prevents transmission; people can remain socially connected via technology.

Explaining the effect of video calling on participants, some researchers found out that people tend to experience higher happiness levels after they see each other. These studies have been found quoting that “As soon as it goes down to just voice, people aren’t unhappy, but they talk for slightly less time, they laugh less, they are slightly less happy afterward”. This shows that happiness levels increase immensely when people are working from home through video calling.

Each and every one of us has to communicate

governance, etc, tends to affect GDP positively and reduce inequality.

The feeling of national solidarity and brotherhood has been revamped and this augurs well for the future of our nation.

Once the lockdown will be over and the situation will be back to normal, then every one of us would go back fully charged into our jobs and add value to the maximum of our abilities. The economic productivity of India is surely going to get a major boost at that time. with peers and that is where video calling and face to face interaction through various applications come into the picture.

BENEFITS Fall in corruption and crime is yet another very strong Shadow benefit of lockdown. Studies have confirmed that the causality between corruption, crime, and GDP is highly negative. Tentatively speaking, the gain in GDP due to steep fall in corruption and crime could be in several million dollars. The cost saved which may have been required to reduce corruption and crime to such a low level would have really been very large.

Overall, from a holistic view, all these factors point to the fact that yes there is a positive side too to this lockdown and all the above discussed Shadow benefits need to be considered while the economic trajectory of

the Indian economy is being forecasted. Obviously, being optimistic and taking into account the economic value of the above mentioned Shadow benefits of this lockdown, the concerns about a possible recession should be discarded. Once the lockdown period ends, there is absolutely surety that each and every citizen of India shall resume services with full zeal and compassion, which shall ultimately lead to the rebound of the Indian economy and resulting economic growth. Any shortfall in GDP percent growth due to lockdown will have to be looked at from GDP + Shadow Benefits which has the potentiality of making our nation much more livable and lovable.

A Mother is the brick and the mortar of life. She is the foundation and also the roof. She gives us roots of strength and wings to fly.

2ND FRONT

—Jagdeesh Chandra, CEO & Editor, First India

AHMEDABAD | SUNDAY, MAY 10, 2020

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CABINET EXPANSION BEFORE MONSOON umors are rife by sources close to PMO that before the next monsoon session of the Parliament, PM Modi could provide a few new faces to his cabinet. A major change in bureaucracy in the last week of April is point in this direction. If sources are to be believed, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar is continuously pressurising Centre to include JDU in cabinet. Assembly elections are scheduled to occur at the end of the current year and Nitish is thus hoping to get his men in the central government. On the other hand, the recent bureaucratic shuffle has also given an indication to the ministers that were flying high. PM Modi has further increased the height of the political sky. For example, more than Health Minister Dr Harshvardhan its ministry spokesperson Luv Agarwal and Secretary Priti Sudan who are seen as compared to the minister. Sudan has been given a three month extension as well so that when the new Secretary

R

takes over, they are provided a clean slate and any ‘wrong doing’ regarding Corona can be attributed to former official. It is being said that Rajesh Bhushan, serving as OSD in Health and Family Welfare Ministry, could take Sudan’s spot.

The transfer of Arvind Kumar Sharma, from PMO to Secretary MSME, is touted to be a move to balance Gadkari’s popularity. Similarly, another IAS - Giridhar Aramane - for whom it is said that he does only what he feels right and does not listen to anyone, has been posted in another ministry handled

by Gadkari. Those who are hoping to become a minister have been engaged in ‘Shirshasana’ before the saffron high command. Jyotiraditya Scindia, who has been brought into BJP’s fold and has been sent to RS, has good chances of becoming a minister. Young Congress leaders like Sachin Pilot and Milind Deora are being lured in.

Rajya Sabha MP from Madhya Pradesh and lawyer Vivek Tankha is also known to have good relations with BJP. Even Abhishek Manu Singhvi

FIRST INDIA SUNDAY SPECIAL

BY TRIDIB RAMAN

T

Naredndra Modi

Amit Shah

Jyotiraditya Scindia

Sachin Pilot

has tried to open a route for himself in BJP by claiming Madhav Rao Scindia to be his mentor.

All in all, Modi cabinet’s next expansion could see faces whose names are nowhere to be heard.

seeds’. During the past few days, social media went viral with news related to Amit Shah’s health, however putting an end to all these rumours, Shah was seen chairing an important meeting on disaster management related to Vizag Gas leak. If sources are to be believed, Shah has full knowledge of his political weight, so these days he has been involved in bringing his body weight down.

Sources reveal that he is exercising for three hours in this time of

lockdown and has only fruits and vegetables to eat. Hence he has lost weight too. Along with keeping an eye on Corona, he has focused his gaze on Rajasthan and Maharashtra too. Rumor mills are rife about Sachin Pilot in Rajasthan and Shah has already played a hand with Raj Thackeray who is busy devising a plan to bifurcate Shiv Sena. It is believed that Vivek Tankha from Madhya Pradesh is also in contact with him as is Milind Deora from Maharashtra. Since due

to lockdown, Shah has not been able to get to his home in Ahmedabad for a long time, so he welcomed a new member to his family in the form of recently born granddaughter through video calling. Interestingly on Saturday, four muslim men were arrested by Ahmedabad police for spreading a photoshopped tweet of Shah claiming that he was suffering from bone cancer.

Shah took to Twitter to remove any doubts about his health and said that he was hale and hearty.

Gujarat sends over 2 lakh people home in nine days

Patient booked for rejoicing recovery

WHERE IS BJP’S ‘CHANAKYA’? e has a special talent for riding the waves of news. He is the only minister of Modi government who stays in the news on his own will, mends the news and when needed also gives ‘sustenance’ to ‘new

H

HUNGRY TIDE: RESTLESS MIGRANTS ATTACK COPS After Vareli, angry workers clash with police in Hazira too First India News Surat: Desperate to go back to their native places, hundreds of restless migrant workers here on Saturday clashed with the Gujarat police and even pelted stones while the latter tried to enforce the lockdown.

This is for the second consecutive day that such an incident occurred after a similar violent clash with paramilitary forces in Ahmedabad on Friday.

More than 500 workers employed in industrial units in the Hazira belt in Surat staged a protest demanding that the authorities send them back to their hometowns. The protesters were largely from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.

Police lobbed teargas shells to disperse the crowds. Nearly 60

Migrants once again clash with police in Surat on Saturday.

At around 8 am today, around 500-1000 people gathered here demanding they be sent back to their respective states. Reasonable force was used, around 55-60 were arrested, and around 50-60 have also been detained.

—DN Patel, Surat Joint Commissioner of Police

migrant workers were arrested on the charges of unlawful assembly and rioting. The police are working on

WILL INDIA BE A HUB FOR MANUFACTURING? here is no one like Modi to hit the ball at the opportune moment.

On US Prez’s request, the manner in which India supplied Paracetamol and HCQ tablets with open arms, has changed America’s approach.

Sources claim more than 1,000 companies involved in textiles, medical, food processing, IT, Agroproducts and mobiles are seen leaning towards India. Several big European and Japanese companies, who have been distraught with China, are looking towards India.

The Indian Missions situated in several nations is also working to make this into a positive development by contacting major corporate heads.

India has contested that after China, it is biggest market in South-East Asia hence those companies who manufacture goods in India, can get them consumed here.

Govt has also asked CMs to work on the lines to lure in foreign companies. States likes Maharashtra and Gujarat have also been given signals in this regard and Gujarat

identifying the rest of the people who were involved in organising the protest.

“We told them that a

large number of workers have (already) been sent to their home states by the government, and similar arrangements would be made for them too,” Inspector HR Brahmbhatt, based at Ichhapore police station, told reporters.

However, the angry protesters allegedly did not listen to the police and pelted stones at them.

“At around 8 am today, around 500-1000 people gathered here demanding they be sent back to their respective states.

Reasonable force was used, around 55-60 were arrested, and around 5060 have also been detained,” Surat Joint Commissioner of Police DN Patel said.

Earlier in the week, almost 1,000 migrant workers staged a protest in Vareli village on the outskirts of Surat.

CM Vijay Rupani have also signaled that he has reserved 1,000 hectare land for those companies that want to shift their manufacturing from China to India. But the rampant red tapeism, tax policy, power tarrif and labour policy is what is keeping the companies suspicious and hence India’s ambition is being challenged by smaller countries like Vietnam, Taiwan and Thailand.

Few days back companies like Google and Microsoft shifted their mobile manufacturing units from China to Vietnam since there is no red tapeism. The companies investing in Vietnam are asked just two questions, first how much are they investing and secondly how many jobs will they be creating? On the other hand the Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh has said in a statement that it will not let India become a hub for cheap labour. The decision has to be taken by the India, collectively, which roadmap we are going to accept.

The author is a journalist and political commentator and views expressed are his personal

4.3 intensity quake jolts Saurashtra First India News

First India News Gandhinagar: The Gujarat Government has facilitated the movement of more than two lakh migrant workers since May 1 through more than 180 Special Shramik trains in the country, which is the highest in the country.

“We started with just two trains in a day, and have scaled up the number to 50 now. We are working closely with the Railways and the receiving states to arrange for at least 50 special trains every day for the next few days,” Additional Chief Secretary (Labour & Employment) Vipul Mittra said. This unprecedented train movement in a short time in such a systematic manner “when our offices are working at one-third capacity is an exceptional effort,” he added.

08

Paramilitary women patrol streets in PPE kits under scorching sun in Ahmedabad.

First India News Godhra: The Godhra police on Saturday booked a Covid-19 recovered man and 10 others as also another group of 50 people for allegedly gathering to celebrate his return from the hospital.

Godhra ‘B’ division police are investigating the incident.

The recovered patient, who is in his mid-40s, had arrived back home on May 7 from GMERS hospital in Gotri of Vadodara where he had been undergoing treatment for

14 days. The police said that a group of men, mostly neighbours and friends of the patient, gathered near the Masjid-eAbrar in Voharvad area of the city to welcome him. Police initiated a probe when it learnt about the gathering and booked 11 persons who have been identified. Fifty others were also booked for assembling despite prohibitory orders being in place, in view of the lockdown, but they are yet to be identified.

Junagadh: An earthquake measuring 4.3 on the Richter Scale hit Gujarat Saturday afternoon with tremors being felt at 3.36 pm, according to the National Center for Seismology.

NCS, the central nodal agency to monitor seismic activity, said the depth was measured up to 20 km. Mild jolts were experienced in Junagadh, Porbandar and Gir Somnath districts. There was no news of any damage till evening.

According to NCS, normally tremors up to 4 to 4.9 on the Richter scale could lead to smashing of windows and hanging frames could fall off the walls.

Only last month, national capital New Delhi saw two mild earthquakes on two consecutive days measuring 2.7 and 3.5 on the Richter Scale. On both days, the epicentre was the capital city itself.

Cats for companions in corona wards in Surat @ahmedpatel I request the govt to constitute a multimodal agency under a senior Cabinet Minister to oversee relief & rescue of migrants.

If need be even support of Armed Forces must be sought to solve this humanitarian crisis. Clearly the Railway Ministry is unable to handle the problem.

First India News Surat: Dirty smelly bathrooms and toilets, food served in hands, no place to dry washed clothes -- welcome to the corona wards at the Surat Civil Hospital. Small wonder patients have started seeking admission to private hospitals.

Ask Covid-19 patient Ketan Dalal, who has been shifted to a private hospital after he complained of the pathetic states of affairs of the corona ward.

Dalal’s words are chilling: “The bathroom and toilet were so dirty that I didn’t even feel like going inside.

There were no hooks to hang clothes inside the bathroom and I hung them on the door stopper. The clothes were to be washed manually but there was no arrangement to dry them and so we had to dry them on our bed.”

“In breakfast, we were served bread or eggs directly in hands without a paper dish.

Civil Hospital Surat.

Then a bag of milk was given without glass. The patient had to swallow the milk directly from

the bag. In our ward, cats were running on the floor”.

He said this was the

reason he opted to shift to a private hospital. “Even a normal person won’t stay there,” Dalal rued.

Dalal’s is not an isolated case. Nilesh Mistry, who recently recovered from Covid-19 and discharged had a similar experience. “The first five days, I was kept in Civil (Hospital), which felt like 50 days. I was then shifted to Samras Hostel for 15 days. I must say the Civil’s bathroom and the breakfast were very bad.”

We have 12 wards here. I do not know in which ward such an inconvenience has occurred. Tell me in which ward the problem has arisen so that I can investigate and take suitable action.

—Preeti Kapadia, Surat Civil Hospital Superintendent

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09

AHMEDABAD, SUNDAY MAY 10, 2020

CINE-MAA

Kareena Kapoor Khan

ON THIS MOTHER’S DAY, LET’S WALK DOWN THE MEMORY LANE WITH CITY FIRST, TO WITNESS AND CELEBRATE THE SIGNIFICANT TRANSFORMATION IN THE ROLE OF MOTHERS IN INDIAN CINEMA

KARISHMA GWALANI

Karishma.gwalani @firstindia.co.in

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emember the famous dialogue of Shashi Kapoor from ‘Deewar’ movie? Yes, the one where he said “Mere paas maa hai”, which ultimately embodies the significant meaning of a mother’s existence in one’s life. The portrayal of mothers has always been prominent in Bollywood films and despite an extra pinch of drama, Bollywood has more or less been a part of our lives and has shaped the way we express our emotions in reality. Mothers are portrayed in many roles by Bollywood, from the emotionally concerned and stressed mother to the housewife who aptly looks after the children and home as her main priorities; however, over the past decade, Bollywood’s depiction of a ‘mother’ has seen tremendous change in terms of the portrayal of characters, behav-

ioural perception and the ultimate notion of what mothers really are. This, of course, is a welcoming change because a mom, in films, is no longer the person standing at the doorstep with a ‘puja ki thali’, waiting endlessly for her child. They have gone from long-suffering martyrs to flawed yet sassy women who know what they want.

While the essence of love and affection remain the same, the tears have lessened and friendliness has increased in the characters of Bollywood mothers. This Mother’s Day, let’s rewind a little bit from where it started and how far we’ve come with the different shades of mothers!

The crying and majboor mother: The image of a sobbing Nirupa Roy, clad in white sari, was a trademark for decades. The impression is so deep that her look is remembered even today by all generations.

The Courageous Mother: Nargis Dutt’s character in Mother India, where she becomes an epitome of strength when her husband leaves the house and she is left alone to take care of her children. Another was that of Kirron Kher

in Dostana, who although with a heavy heart, was ready to accept her son’s boyfriend.

The Friendly Mother: Then came Reema Lagoo, with all the bindi and sindoor, as a mother in Maine Pyar Kiya, Hum Aapke Hain Kaun, Hum Saath Saath Hain. She played the character of mothercum-friend to her children.

The Ultimate Mom: Gauri Shinde’s ‘English Vinglish’, where Shashi’s character strives to learn English to ‘fit in’ in her teenage daughter’s world. She triumphs in the end, subtly underlining important life lessons.

With films like Mom, Secret Superstar, Ra. one, Jazbaa, Helicopter Eela, Paa, and Dostana, the evolution of mothers in Bollywood has certainly been an interesting one and now a mother is no longer blindly worshipped, but loved and respected.

(Clockwise) Kajol, Kirron Kher, Vidya Balan and Sridevi

Mother India

Deewar

Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!

Dostana

English Vinglish

The Sky Is Pink

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AHMEDABAD | SUNDAY, MAY 10, 2020

10

MOTHER’S DAY D

o you like films that are so wildly overstuffed with characters and subplots that the finale requires a child’s life-threatening asthma attack, a karaoke-related injury and a recalcitrant vending machine to bring two characters together at last? Are you okay with movies that feature characters who are unabashedly racist, so long

as they are wacky racists?

Have you lain awake late at night wondering what Julia Roberts might look like if she happened to be sporting Moe Howard’s hairdo?

If so, then “Mother’s Day” may just be the movie for you. If not, you should give the widest berth possible to this staggeringly incompetent blend of silliness and schmaltz—a film so awful that if one were to put up a list of the great films celebrating motherhood, it would rank considerably lower than the Gus van Sant version of “Psycho.”

The characters include Sandy (Jennifer Aniston), whose pic-

ture-perfect divorce is threatened when her former husband (Timothy Olyphant) unexpectedly marries his much-younger girlfriend Tina (Shay Mitchell) and tries to include her in the lives of their two young sons.

She is friends with Jessie (Kate Hudson) and Gabi (Sarah Chalke), who

have both moved far away from their trailer trash parents (Margo Martindale and Robert Pine) and are both keeping secrets from them—Jessie is married to an Indian man named Russell (Aasif Mandvi) and has a son with him (named Tanner, yuk yuk yuk) and Gabi is married to a woman (Cameron Es-

posito) and has a son with her as well. Bradley (Jason Sudeikis) is the hapless father to two daughters who is still reeling from the death of his wife nearly a year earlier. Meanwhile, Kristin (Britt Robertson) is a young mother who doesn’t want to marry her long-time boyfriend (Jack Whitehall), not because he

is a bad stand-up comedian but because she has abandonment issues stemming from having been adopted.

Finally, Miranda (Julia Roberts) is a host of a home shopping show who has no family to speak of because of her career goals, so there is obviously no way that she could be connected with any of the previously mentioned characters, so put that thought out of your mind right now.

In the past, it has been suggested that Garry Marshall does not make film for the supposedly refined palates of critics—he specializes in broad entertainment for mass audiences who are not necessarily in the mood for subtlety and introspection. This is not necessarily true—besides “Valentine’s Day,” He and the four screenwriters (three of them newcomers and the other the scribe of the deathless “Monster-inLaw”) have put their heads together to concoct a script that juggles far too many characters and plot lines.

They neglect to include any moments of genuine insight about motherhood, or much of anything else for that matter.

Instead, we get the usual

hacky jokes (ranging from the Sudeikis character being embarrassed when the tampons he is buying for his daughter require a price check, to a fat guy nicknamed Tiny) and equally contrived heart-toheart moments so sitcom-y that you’ll be unconsciously reaching for the remote.

These jokes are occasionally interrupted by bits so insane that you cannot imagine what the writers were thinking when they were added to the script.

Why would so many good actors sign up for a script this dopey? My guess is that they look upon these things as the equivalent of parties where they can make an appearance, have some fun without doing much in the way of heavy lifting and get paid a lot of money in the process. Trust me, they would have been better served if Marshall had just forgone the film entirely and filmed the cast party. None of the actors are able to find a way to rise above the material, instead just plowing through in the broadest manner possible while trying not to look too obviously embarrassed.

FA CE OF TH ED AY

Source: https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/mothers-day-2016

YOUR DAY Horoscope by Saurabbh Sachdeva

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

CANCER

You must stand by the right and condemn any inappropriate behaviour.

You will be able to strengthen family ties by your consistent efforts. Encourage your kid to choose any stream that they want to as their future lies in your hands right now.

You will feel very enthusiastic and happy today. Those is armed force can expect some promotion. Newlyweds must try hard to comfort their partner in the new home environment. You may take a very big career decision which will put you into dilemma.

You can expect great returns from your fixed assets. Be aware of aggressive pets and avoid going close to them. On academic front, you must keep all your emotions aside and single minded just focus on studies. You may play sports on a successful level.

Your transfer and promotion can be delayed for a little time but only for good. You are becoming more loving and caring which is resulting into a very happy atmosphere at home. On academic front, a good news wait for some which will change your life forever.

MAR 21 - APR 20

MAY 21 - JUNE 21

JUNE 22 - JULY 23

LEO

VIRGO

LIBRA

SCORPIO

You always assume things without knowing the whole truth so be all ears. On professional front, you will make strong bonds and will break few. Your spouse is your pillar of strength and stands by your side no matter what. Don’t force anyone to go on a journey with you.

You will successfully manage an ugly situation at work as you are a pro who has a even handed approach. You will be the mediator responsible for building a strong relationship between your kids. Get ready for a competition and head on without any fear.

You will soon find some lucrative opportunities as a result of a successful business meeting. You are a person of strong will and thats whats keeps you fit and energetic.

You may feel desperate to spend time with your spouse. You may take your elders on a pilgrimage.

You will recover all the money that you once lost.

On work front, your seniors will approve of any change that you want to bring about.

You will share your knowledge and ideologies with your kids to make them something. You can expect some addition to your wealth.

JULY 24 - AUGUST 23

AUG 24 - SEP 23

SEPT 24 - OCTOBER 22

OCT 23 - NOVEMBER 22

SAGITTARIUS

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

Avoid spending your money on things that are just fancy and are of no use at present.

You may disapprove of any changes made at home without your approval. An inherited property could become your biggest blessing at the moment. You may come across your ex lover.

If you try and adapt good financial management skills than you would be able to save money for other important needs. Your side business will start giving your profits. You must try and control a family member who unknowingly could spoil family’s atmosphere.

A long term ailment will be healed and you will feel relieved. On work front, stop making excuses and tighten up your belt to cope up with your lagging attitude. An elderly member of the house may give you a once in million advice which you will never forget. You may go on a learning trip.

As a form of investment you must buy gold coins or biscuits for the future.

You helped someone in the past and he/she will return the favour. Your kid will make you proud by following your foot steps and shaping into a capable individual.

You can acquire properties.

NOV 23 - DEC 22

DIVYA GUPTA, Student

APR 21 - MAY 20

DEC 23 - JAN 20

JAN 21 - FEB 19

FEB20 - MARCH 20

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

T

aking a trip down memory lane, superstar Kareena Kapoor Khan on Saturday posted a throwback picture from her Morocco trip and described it as her ‘Saturday mood.’ The 39-year-old actor hopped on to Instagram to post the picture from the trip that she went on with her star husband Saif Ali Khan back in 2009.

While Kareena is seen exuding elegance in a bodycon dress in the nude shade in the picture, Saif is wearing a light purple coloured shirt paired with white trousers. Accentuating the look further, Kareena paired up the dress with a waist belt and rectangular wayfarers.

“Saturday Mood: Morocco ‘09,” she wrote in the caption keeping it simple. The ‘Jab We Met’ actor has been reminiscing her previous trips by posting throwback pictures ever since coronavirus induced lockdown was imposed.

—ANI

AHMEDABAD | SUNDAY, MAY 10, 2020

11

Wanderlust! ... her Instagram post

HOLLYWOOD

Deepika Padukone; (inset) Her Instagram post

IN THE

MEMORY OF… Miley Cyrus

UNIQUE LOCKDOWN!

S

inger Miley Cyrus says her experience of the global COVID-19 crisis is not like most everyone else’s in the US. The ‘Wrecking ball hit maker said that her unique status is the reason she doesn’t have to face the dayto-day hurdles most have to go through.

“I know I’m in a unique position, and my experience with this pandemic is not like most everyone else’s in my country and around the world,” Cyrus, who is currently self-isolating with boyfriend Cody Simpson, said.

—IANS

Kareena Kapoor Khan

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SIBLING GOALS!

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anhvi Kapoor’s life in lockdown is only about bugging Khushi. She clearly knows how to annoy her younger sister Khushi Kapoor. Janhvi, who is spending her time with Khushi at their home these days, posted a series of moments spent with her sister on the platform.

The series starts with Janhvi and Khushi posing for a selfie, and the Kapoor sisters are all dolled up for this one. A bunch of videos follow where Janhvi is seen bugging Khushi.

We then see a clip of the actress practising some dance moves while the younger sister records her surrepti-

eepika Padukone on Saturday shared a throwback video that shows her playing a game of tennis with her ‘Piku’ co-star, the late actor, Irrfan Khan.

“Please come back,” Deepika captioned the video, using a broken heart emoji. The video is surely a treat for Irrfan’s fans. Reacting to it, a user commented: “Thank you for sharing his candid moments.” Another user wrote: “loved how he was smiling while playing the game with you. RIP.” On Friday, Deepika had marked the fifth anniversary of her film ‘Piku’ by penning an emotional post for Irrfan.

She shared the lyrics of the song ‘Lamhe guzar gaye’ from the film, writing “Rest in Peace my Dear Friend...”

—IANS

tiously. The series ends with another selfie of the Kapoor sisters, which was probably clicked before they went to sleep.

“How to annoy your sister 101 #quarantineedition (sic),” the ‘Dhadak’ actress wrote in her caption. Recently, Janhvi had cooked a special banana and toffee-sauce dessert for Khushi. Janhvi had recorded a video to show Khushi’s reaction and how she rejected it.

The 23-year-old actress posted it on her Insta story and wrote, “Subtle rejection of my banana with toffee sauce.”

—Agency

Janhvi Kapoor

LOCKDOWN COOKING CRAVINGS

W

Cara Delevingne and Ashley Benson

Parting ways!

M

odel Cara Delevingne and actress Ashley Benson have split after dating for almost two years. The two broke up in early April. One source said that Delevingne and Benson ended their relationship in April, and that Delevingne has been spending time with friends including Margaret Qualley and her sister Rainey Qualley, as well as Kaia Gerber, while self-quarantining. “Cara and Ashley always had their ups and down before but it’s over now,” the source said.

—IANS

ABOUT ISHA SWARUP

Isha’s Kitchen by Isha Swarup is where creativity in cooking, innovation in recipes and passion for food flows.

Isha loves to design food in most artistic fashion, fusing cuisines in a manner which suits Indian palette.

ith population being asked to stay at home, everyone has been forced to cook their meals. Some are doing it willingly and some grudgingly. Housewives are having a tough time,with no maids,coping with household chores, working from home, taking care of children and elderly. Still, we see deluge of pics and post about food on social media.

Right from trending Dalgona coffee to jalebis to homemade breads to cakes in pressure cookerthere is no end. So to fulfill your cooking cravings, we bring some interesting recipes, which are different from usual.

INGREDIENT

 Pumpkin 1/2 kg.  Chana dal - 1/2 cup  Onion - 1 big  Green chillies - 2 no  Hara dhania  Chat masala - 2 tsp  Lal mirch powder-2 tsp  Jeera powder -1 tsp  Saunf powder -1 tsp  Garam masala powder -1 tsp  Roasted moongphali dana - 3 tbsp  Mixed white and black til - 3 tsp  Ghee/oil- 1/2 cup  Lemon juice -1 tsp

METHOD

Preparation  Peel pumpkin and grate it  Soak chana Dal for 1 hour and then grind to smooth thick paste  Finely chop onion and sauté them with 1 tsp oil in a pan, till translucent.  Finely chop hara dhania and hari mirch.  Break roasted moongaphali into 3-4 pieces  Dry roast both til on tawa for 1 minute Cooking  Heat 2 tbsp ghee in a fry pan.  Add chana dal and Bhunno for 2-3 minutes  Add grated pumpkin to the pan and keep bhunnoing and flipping till the mixture leaves side of a pan and forms a ball.  Take off flame and add onion, hari mirch, hara dhania, all spices,lemon juice and moongphali.

Mix properly in the dough  Taste a little and ensure it is spicy and tangy.  Shape into small tikkis( like Kebabs) and press little til seeds on top.  Heat 5 tbsp ghee and Pan fry .  Serve hot with pudina chutney.

Notes : 1. Bhunnoing- There is no equivalent term for this Indian cooking technique in English. Its form of continuous stir frying. 2-Ensure that the tikki dough is ‘Chatpata’ ,otherwise the tikkis will be bland.

YELLOW PUMPKIN TIKKI

Pumpkin is a humble vegetable, easily available during lockdown.There are very few available recipes with ‘Kaddu’, which apart from being packed with nutrients, is very low in calories.

In this recipe we pair ‘Kaddu’ with easily available, simple and nutritious ingredients.

Yellow Pumpkin Tikki

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

CITY FIRST JAIPUR & AHMEDABAD

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ll the mothers are Supermoms without any doubt, not only because they are extremely compromising, but because they never complain about anything, and doesn’t give a single chance to let anyone else complain too.

Mother’s Day this year is way different than the years gone by, as the children cannot do put in the kind of efforts they put in every other year, like decorating the house or her room, getting a beautiful bouquet, going out to buy her something special and what not.

Well, the national lockdown has sure put a lot of restrictions on a lot many things and has taught the people to celebrate occasions in the most minimal manner.

City First got in touch with a few of its readers from Rajasthan and Gujarat, to ask them about what different are they doing this Mother’s Day, to make it a lot more special during the quarantine period! cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

AHMEDABAD | SUNDAY, MAY 10, 2020

It’s Your Day

This lockdown has made families connect deeply, we have our own space, but we also sit down together to have lunch.

It is also a good time to give our mothers a much-needed break and take over chores at home. We are going to keep it simple on Mother’s Day, and watch mum’s favourite movies back-to-back and make her pulav recipe. In the evening, we plan to fry some pakodas and enjoy it with chai!

MAA! City First wishes all the Supermoms a very Happy Mother’s Day, and asks their readers in Rajasthan & Gujarat as to how they’re making it special!

—PRIYANKA BELTANGADI Whenever this day comes each year, I feel like visiting my mom and making her feel special. Since I live in a different city, my trips home are seldom. But, this year it will be different. I never fall short of ideas, so I am going to recite a poem and send her a video which she can cherish forever.

—BHOOSHA THARYANI

As the current restrictions on venturing out persist, I plan on baking a cake at home and make my mom rest the whole day. I plan to indulge her by cooking her favourite foods, giving her a head massage, and playing ludo with her, followed by some quality Netflix and chill time together.

Social distancing and lockdown is not going to keep me away from celebrating Mother’s Day. I may not be able to meet her. But that doesn’t mean I can’t make her feel special on this day. I am going to make a very special video where I will pour my heart out to her which I have never done before. She has always been by my side, and I just want her to know that I am never going to leave her side ever.

—KHUSHI JAIN

—KIRTI GUPTA

WHAT’S HAPPENING!

Rajasthan: A video about how the environment, based on Adrij Choudhury’s poetry has benefited during the lockdowns following the COVID-19 scenario has been released and will soon be telecast. The core message of the video is that - This is the time to beg for our lives from our Mother Nature. We will again start obeying the rules of nature. We again want to start a new safe world. Produced by La Pelicula Motion Pictures, this video has poetic inputs from actors Subrat Dutt and Hitanshu Jinsi, film director Shomu Mitra and singer Keshav Kumar from Mumbai, film director Arindam Bhattacharya from Gurgaon, singer Sayani Palit, actors Sohini Guha Roy, Chaitali Dutta and Joey Debroy from Kolkata among others. The poem has been written by Adrij Choudhury, who has also directed this poem-song video.

Rajasthan: During the ongoing online musical series ‘Sumiran’, initiated

by Rajasthan Forum, in association with Shree Cement and Raghu Sinha Mala Mathur Charity Trust amid the lockdown, Simrat Kaur Khosla from Sikar, who is a budding Kathak dancer from Jaipur Gharana, presented Kathak dance forms on Friday, during the fourteenth session.

EK SHAAM MAA KE NAAM! Rajasthan: On the occasion of International Mother’s Day, the third season of the event ‘Ek Sham Maa Ke Naam’ is going to be organised on today, under the aegis of Lions Club Jaipur Hawamahal and Forti Youth Wing. The event will be live on Facebook page ‘Ek Sham Maa Naam’ at 5 pm. In order to set the Golden Book of World Record, this program will be broadcast live on more than 30 Facebook pages. This was informed by the FORTI Youth Wing Executive President Ankit Khandelwal. During the event, various celebrities including Hema Malini, Jayaprada, Singhu Tai, Veena Modani, RJ Kartik and poet Harish Hindustani among others will come live on the platform.

Rajasthan: Help India online Institute is working in 14 wings with a working committee across the country. The chairmen and in charge of all the wings have been appointed on Saturday, where working committee member MFA Dr Pawan Pareek has been appointed as the National Chairman of institutional, legal and social media wing. The institute is imparting online training to 4,000 people every day, for education, health, employment and more than 86,000 people have been trained so far.

Rajasthan: The virtual session on the theme ‘The Beatles Are Forever’ was held on Saturday, featuring Siddhartha Chaturvedi (Music Festival Producer and Event Manager), Melven Castelino (Teacher, musician and music producer) and Vijay Andrews (Publisher, lead singer and bass guitarist), which was moderated by Jagdeep Singh (PR professional and Beatles Researcher).

HELPING

Into the Future!

CITY FIRST

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ederation of Indian Associations (NY, NJ and CT) in a partnership with Bihar Jharkhand Association of North America is holding a Webinar on 17 May at 11:30 AM EST (USA time) and 9 PM Indian Standard Time. The esteemed panelist of the webinar will be India’s Minister of State for External Affairs, V Muralitharan, Former Union Minister and Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs, PP Chaudhary, Rastriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s Sahsarakaryavah, Dr Gopal Krishna, Founder Super30, Anand Kumar, Jaipur Foot USA chairman and social activist, Prem Bhandari, FIA President, Anil Bansal and BJANA President, Dr Avinash Gupta.

Federation of Indian Association (NY, NJ & CT) Trus-

CITY FIRST

Dr Pawan Pareek

12

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few years ago, Sunita gave birth to twins and her worries began when she was unable to feed them. The infants became weak and deprived of mother’s milk. Nitisha Sharma, being a mother, has been always worried about infants, who were not able to get sufficient mother’s milk. The next best option is to use pasteurized donors’ human milk. Nitisha Sharma can be often found, sitting with the mothers, who donate voluntarily, connecting stories from myths and legends with the need to donate milk. The thought of taking an initiative of establishing a human milk bank for the needy infants took years of effort and tenacity. We all are aware of how important it is for an infant to have mother’s milk. On the eve of Mother’s day, we share and thank all the 1465 mothers, who have donated their milk for the 1400 registered needy infants. These are those mothers whose babies were either in neonatal ICU (NICU) unable to take their feed.

tee and Spokesperson, Ankur Vaidya shared that it is enlightening to witness such unprecedented community participation in various subject matter specific webinars that provide a feeling of togetherness while spreading factual knowledge and remedy. Former FIA President and BJANA Spokesperson, Alok Kumar mentioned that they have been continuously engaging community with webinars for almost 2 months now. These webinars have also engaged Ministers and MPs who have expressed concern about the well-being of the Indian diaspora in general as well as their constituencies respectively and wanted to connect and inquire to provide any assistance they can render. The Federation of Indian Associations (FIA) of the tri-state area of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut is one of the oldest

HAND

Prem Bhandari

and largest premier umbrella organizations in the Indian community. It represents over 5,00,000 strong and vibrant Asian-Indians who provide significant grass root support. Established in the year 1970, the FIA has blossomed into a commendable organization that has become an effective mouthpiece for and a pillar of support to the Indian community here in the USA. From the onset FIA has represented various issues that concern a growing Asian-Indian community at the local, state, and national levels. Every year, FIA organizes the world Largest India Independence Day Parade outside India in Manhattan, New York.

CITY FIRST AHMEDABAD

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ith an aim to provide relief to people affected by COVID-19, Indian bank presented a draft for Rs 25 lakh to Gujarat deputy chief minister Nitin Patel at his office in Gandhinagar on Friday. The amount is a contribution to the Chief Minister Relief Fund by zonal heads Shyam Shankar and Sudhir Gupta of Indian Bank, Ahmedabad. cityfirstgujarat@gmail.com

A GIFT FROM MOTHERS

Nitisha Sharma with the donors

This journey started in the year 2016, when Inaya Foundation a non-profit organisation in association with Mahatma Gandhi Hospital, Sitapura established north India’s private hospital’s first mother’s milk bank ‘Amrit Milk Bank’. Dr M L Swarankar, Chairperson of Mahatma Gandhi University

and Science and Technology (MGUST) took this initiative without any second thought as he found the relevance of it in Rajasthan.

Nitisha Sharma, Secretary Inaya Foundation and founder member of Amrit Milk bank said, “To date, 1,465 donors registration have been benefitted

and 11,610 beneficiary mothers who have been helped to feed their infants due to admitted in NICU or unable to feed them directly. Mamta Chaudhry, Counselor of Amrit Milk Bank, has been associated ever since the beginning and she is wholeheartedly dedicated. At the Amrit Milk Bank, we can see her responding to the queries of eight to ten donors’ mothers daily. The milk bank has been successfully running, not only for the hospital infants but also we get requisitions from outside hospitals like Narayana hospital, Fortis, Cocoon, Surya hospital, Manipal hospital, and Neo clinic just to name a few.

The demand even comes from New Delhi and other parts of Rajasthan. The biggest achievement for the bank is that the use of formula feed, which has been stopped completely in the wards of MGH. The next step is to help babies in the orphanage.

Even during the COVID-19 crisis, the milk bank is providing mother’s milk to needy infants.