First India-Ahmedabad Edition-11 August 2020

OUR EDITIONS: JAIPUR & AHMEDABAD

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ALERT AHMEDABAD l TUESDAY, AUGUST 11, 2020 l Pages 12 l 3.00

COVID-19 UPDATE

WORLD

7,36,092 2,01,45,818 DEATHS

MAHARASHTRA 18,050 DEATHS 5,24,513 CASES

CONFIRMED CASES

TAMIL NADU 5,041 DEATHS 3,02,815 CASES

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RNI NO. GUJENG/2019/16208 l Vol 1 l Issue No. 257

INDIA

45,352 22,67,153 DEATHS

CONFIRMED CASES

DELHI 4,131 DEATHS 1,46,134 CASES

GUJARAT

2,674 DEATHS

KARNATAKA 3,312 DEATHS 1,82,354 CASES

72,120

CONFIRMED CASES

RAJASTHAN 800 DEATHS 53,670 CASES

AN 11 HOUR GEHLOT-PILOT TRUCE COURTESY: SONIA, RAHUL & PRIYANKA TH

3 member committee to look into Pilot grievances ‘Gehlot govt will fall, if not

today, then in a few mths’

Kartikey Dev Singh

Jaipur/New Delhi: It was a day of reckoning for both Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his former deputy and former PCC Chief Sachin Pilot as finally after 32 days since the fight between Gehlot and Pilot resulted in the current political turmoil in the desert state and ahead of the crucial Rajasthan assembly session from August 14, rebel Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Monday met party leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in New Delhi.

Through the day, there were several speculations being made of what would be the result of the meet and by late night, Pilot himself cleared in a muted tone that he is happy with the response of the High Command.

“Since past some time some MLAs were in Delhi, there were some issues which we wanted to highlight. I did that. I’d been saying since beginning that all these things were based on principle. I always

First India Bureau

Priyanka Gandhi along with Ahmed Patel, KC Venugopal, Sachin Pilot, Vishvendra Singh, Murari Lal Meena Virendra Ola and other MLAs of Pilot Camp during a late night meet at 15 GRG in New Delhi on Monday.

PACT, A SIGN OF MATURITY: SURJEWALA

VISHVENDRA SINGH BHARATPUR @VISHVENDRABTP Too much is being said too quickly. Too many assumptions, too many rumours and too many factually incorrect stories. Hold your horses everyone! Watch this space for updates! thought these things are essential to be raised in party’s interest. Several things were said, I heard a lot of things. I was surprised

Shrey fire: Government to conduct a judicial inquiry First India Bureau Gandhinagar: The Gujarat government has decided to conduct a judicial inquiry into the fire at Ahmedabad’s Shrey Hospital last week, Chief Minister Rupani announced late Monday night. A retired High Court Judge will head the inquiry commission.

The announcement

came hours after Rupani said that the govt “would not spare any person found responsible or accountable” for the fire at Shrey Hospital, in which eight people died.

The late-night development came after a high-powered committee that had been investigating the incident submitted its report to the govt.

For more, see P3

Senior Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala reacted to the Gehlot-Pilot pact as the sign of maturity of CM Gehlot. Surjewala also praised the role played by state incharge Avinash Pande during the whole crisis. He gave all the credit for the pact between the two Congress camps to party leader Rahul Gandhi’s visionary politics.

Surjewala was in a jubilant mood after a long gap. Surjewala is supposed to return from Jaisalmer to Jaipur along with rest of the MLAs today.

by a few things that were said. I think we should always maintain restraint and humility.

There is no place for personal malice in poli-

tics. We had formed govt in Rajasthan after 5 years of hard work,” Pilot said late in the night to media persons, hinting that the jibes by

CM Ashok Gehlot did not go well with him.

Sources reveal that for the past four days meetings were ongoing between Rahul Gandhi and Pilot and for past two days meetings were held between Pilot and Priyanka too. Pilot’s demand were being considered as one sided view since he demanded his men to be taken back in the 3 more ministerial roles while also removing Avinash Pande and Priyanka Gandhi taking over the charge for Rajasthan.

Turn on P6

Jaipur: Amid signs of a rapprochement between the Congress and its Rajasthan rebel faction led by Sachin Pilot, the BJP is weighing its options and working to put up a united face against the Ashok Gehlot government ahead of the Assembly session from August 14.

Leader of Opposition Gulab Chand Kataria said that it is the infighting of the Congress and they should handle its internal issues.

However, he claimed

Modi: Submarine optical fibre cable will Rafales keep a transform lives in Andaman and Nicobar night vigil over New Delhi: PM Narendra Modi on Monday congratulated the people of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and all those who had worked on the submarine optical fibre cable (OFC) connecting Chennai and Port Blair and said the improved connectivity in the archipelago would transform lives in the near future.

“When I visited Andaman and Nicobar Is-

lands in 2018, people complained about poor internet. A 2,300 km long

submarine cable inaugurated today changes that! In quick time and

Under the new programme, farmers will be entitled to benefits without shelling out for a premium Gandhinagar: In a major relief to farmers across the state, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani on Monday announced that the Mukhya Mantri Kisan Sahay Yojana (Chief Minister Farmers’ Relief Programme) for the kharif crops this

Gulab Chand Kataria

Jaipur: Rebel Congress MLA Bhanwar Lal Sharma here on Monday met CM Ashok Gehlot, indicating a patch-up between rival party factions. After the meeting at CMR, Sharma said, “government was safe” and things will get clear by Tuesday. He said other rebel MLAs should also return to Jaipur. The meeting took place hours after Sachin Pilot met party leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in New Delhi. Sharma is one of the 18 MLAs, who is backing Pilot. After meeting the CM, he told reporters, “It was an internal matter, which has now been resolved.

There was no resentment against the party or the CM.”

challenging geographies, the cable is all set to transform lives. Kudos to those who worked on this,” the Prime Minister said in a tweet.

PM Modi earlier on Monday morning inaugurated the submarine optical fibre cable connecting Chennai and Port Blair, via video conferencing. He had laid the foundation stone for this project in December 2018 at Port Blair.

CM launches MMKSY, replaces crop insurance scheme season. This scheme will be replacing the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (Prime Minister Crop Insurance Programme). This means that under the state programme all farmers will be entitled to receive benefits without paying a premium amount.

He, however, expressed confidence that the Gehlot government will fall, if not today, then in a few months.

REBEL MLA BHANWARLAL MEETS GEHLOT, SAYS ‘RAJ GOVT SAFE’

CARING FOR FARMERS

Haresh Jhala

that even unity in the Congress ranks can only be temporary and the government is ‘bound to disintegrate sooner than later’.

Kataria said if the Gehlot government falls, it will be due to internal feud and if it survives, it will be because of some kind of rapprochement between the warring factions.

From left: Minister of State for Agriculture Jaydrathsinh Parmar, Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, Agriculture Minister RC Faldu and In-charge Agriculture Secretary Manish Bhardwaj, announcing the Mukhya Mantri Kisan Sahay Yojana.

Addressing the media, Rupani said that the state had decided to

come up with a plan of its own this year since insurance companies

were charging very high premiums which could have ended up costing

the state and central exchequer around Rs5,700 crore. Had the state stuck with the crop insurance scheme, it would have been liable to pay Rs4,000-4,500 crore in premiums.

The chief minister categorically said that the state had not opted out of the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana indefinitely--the new programme is in place for the current kharif crop season.

He added, Turn on P6

Ladakh region

New Delhi: India’s newly-acquired five Rafale fighters are practising night flying in the mountainous terrain of Himachal Pradesh so that the Golden Arrows squadron with its Meteor beyond visual range airto-air missile and SCALP air-to-ground stand-off weapon will be ready if the situation deteriorates on the 1,597 kmlong Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Ladakh sector, people familiar with the matter said.

The first batch of Rafale fighters, which landed at the Indian Air Force air base at Ambala on July 29, are “fully operational” with the first 18 platforms to be placed in Ambala and the next 18 fighters to be

based in Hasimara air base near the border with Bhutan. India has contracted to purchase 36 jets made by Dassault Aviation, South Block officials said.

A government official said the top-of-theline fighter jets are staying away from the LAC lest the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) radars in occupied Aksai Chin identify their frequency signatures and use it to jam in the worst case scenario.

Military aviation experts, however, say that Rafales can also be used for training in Ladakh sector as all these fighters are equipped with programmable signal processors (PSP).

NEWS AHMEDABAD | TUESDAY, AUGUST 11, 2020

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02 —PHOTOS BY HANIF SINDHI

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THE

NEW MMKSY

The state’s Mukhya Mantri Kishan Sahay Yojana (CM Farmers Relief Programme) for the kharif season promises farmers benefits without paying a premium. FIRST INDIA brings you a closer look at the programme that will replace the Prime Minister Fasal Bima Yojana in Gujarat CATEGORIES FOR RELIEF DROUGHT

 Farmers who suffer damage to 33-

60% of their crop in the monsoon season will get relief of Rs20,000 per hectare for a maximum of four hectares.

 Any taluka that receives less than 10mm

in the current monsoon season will be declared drought-affected.

 Farmers will be entitled to drought relief if

rains are delayed by four weeks, damaging the crop.

 Farmers who suffer damage to

more than 60% of their crop in the kharif season will be entitled to receive Rs25,000 relief per hectare for a maximum of four hectares.

HEAVY RAINS  If any district in south Gujarat (Surat, Tapi,

Navsari, Narmada, Bharuch, Valsad and Dang) receives more than 35 inches (890mm) of rain in 48 hours, farmers in the district will be entitled to financial relief

 In the rest of the state, farmers will be enti-

tled to compensation if more than 25 inches (635mm) of rain falls within 48 hours, damaging crops.

UNSEASONAL RAINS  If crops are damaged due to unseasonal

rains between October 15 and November 15, farmers will be entitled to relief, providing the minimum rainfall is 50mm within 48 hours.

VALIDITY AND ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA THE PROGRAMME WILL BENEFIT

 No relief for farmers who have

suffered less than 33% damage.

OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION  This programme is over and

above the State Disaster Response Fund benefits

 A special portal is slated to be

launched to help farmers apply for these benefits.

 The farmer has to visit an E-gram

centre and file application online, with the revenue documents.

 The person who successfully up-

loads farmers’ online applications at the E-gram centre will be paid Rs8 per application.

 All farmers who have revenue record 8-A  Tribal farmers who have revenue papers

under the Forest Rights Act

 If the application is approved,

relief amount will be transferred through direct benefit transfer.

VALIDITY  The programme will be effective from 2020

Monsoon season and effective for this year

Some states have set up their own insurance programmes

BREAK-DOWN OF THE BENEFITS

 The state is also planning a special

 To get the benefit of the programme farmers

should have sown seeds in the monsoon.

grievances cell and a toll-free number to help farmers apply for these benefits.

FARMER LEADERS REACT TO THE CM KISAN SAHAY YOJANA This scheme is not going to help farmers much. The relief is limited to fields of four hectares, which means that if a farmer is entitled to receive Rs8-10 lakh as crop insurance, he will hardly get Rs1 lakh. The way the state has defined benefits for heavy rainfall, drought and unseasonal rains, it will do more harm than good.

Gujarat is not the only state to opt out of the Prime Minister Fasal Bima Yojana WHO OPTED OUT OF PMFBY?  Bihar and West Bengal opted out of PMFBY

from the kharif season of 2018

—Dahyabhai Patel, President of Kisan Sabha

 At the national level, claims

 Bihar and Jharkhand have launched their

own crop insurance schemes, under which farmers have to pay no insurance premiums.

Farmers are eligible for crop insurance for up to 2 hectares. They get paid if shortfall in yield is more than 20%.

—Pal Ambaliya, President of Kisan Congress

Crop insurance or relief cannot only be provided in the event of unseasonal or heavy rainfall.

The crop insurance scheme covers losses due to disease as well as the weather. On the other hand, the CM Kisan Sahay Yojana covers only losses due to rainfall.

We demand that the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) be scrapped and the central government set up a public sector National Agriculture Insurance Company.

MAJOR GRIEVANCES AGAINST PMFBY paid out are less than the gross premiums collected by insurance companies, giving companies undue benefit.

 It is compulsory for all farmers

availing crop loans on their Kisan Credit Cards.

 Having opted out of PMFBY in the 2019-

2020 rabi season, Andhra Pradesh is setting up its own insurance company. It has applied to IRDA for approval. Farmers don’t have to pay a premium.

 The state government con-

 Haryana is exploring setting up its own

insurance company, even as it stays with PMFBY for kharif 2020.

 Punjab has been part of PMFBY since 2016.

ducts crop-loss assessment on a large swathe of cropcutting experiments. This data is unreliable, resulting in the assessment being challenged by both farmers and insurance firms.

CENTRE’S CHANGES IN PMFBY  From kharif season 2020, PMFBY has

been voluntary for farmers who have made written requests for the same.

 The Centre’s premium liability was

capped at 30% for crops in unirrigated areas, and 25% for crops in irrigated

areas.  If the actual premium crossed the

limit, the state was expected to pay an additional premium subsidy, for districts where irrigation facilities are 50% or more.

DESIGN: SHYAM SHONKIYA

NOT TAKING IT LYING DOWN

NEW SCHEME A SLAP IN FARMERS’ FACE: MODHWADIA The Congress leader also alleged collusion of the govt & private insurance companies 

First India Bureau Ahmedabad: After Chief Minister Vijay Rupani announced the Mukhya Mantri Kisan Sahay Yojana on Monday, Congress leader Arjun Modhwadia slammed the state gov-

ernment for scrapping the current year’s crop insurance scheme. He termed the new scheme ‘a big slap in the face for farmers’.

The former Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) president called out

Arjun Modhwadia

CM Rupani for enforcing the new scheme.

“The Congress party has asked to implement the crop insurance policy several times in the past, to no avail. The optional scheme which has been announced by the chief minister is nothing but a lollipop,” said Modhwadia.

He also alleged that for the past six years, farmers have not been

receiving the insurance money owed to them due to collusion between the BJP government and private insurance companies. “The schemes introduced by the BJP government were always in favour of private companies, which provided little benefit to the farmers.

There are 10 private companies that have collected over Rs27,000 crore in insurance pre-

miums annually. These organizations have gobbled up 70% of the amount and left nothing for the farmers,” asserted the leader.

Modhwadia also stated that these insurance companies in Gujarat had been pocketing approximately Rs2,000 crore to Rs3,000 crore.

He said, “The farmers were hoping that the government will announce a scheme simi-

lar to the one which was in place before 2015-16 and also activate the Agricultural Insurance Company. But, it blamed high bids by insurance companies as the reason to discontinue the crop insurance scheme.” He added, “This new scheme will hardly prove to be helpful to farmers.

It is nothing but yet another gimmick by the ruling party.”

GUJARAT AHMEDABAD | TUESDAY, AUGUST 11, 2020

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From March to August,

With 1,056 new cases and 20 more dead, Gujarat’s tally is now 72,120 cases with a death toll of 2,674 Haresh Jhala Gandhinagar: The state has tested more than 10 lakh cases since the first cases of COVID-19 were reported in Surat and Rajkot on March 17.

Of these 10,17,234 samples, 72,120 tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

As many as 14,170 cases are still active in the state. Over the past five months, 2,674 patients have succumbed to the virus, not including those who died due to co-morbidities.

According to the state health bulletin issued on Monday, the highest single-day jump came from Surat, which witnessed 236 new cases in the past 24 hours. Ahmedabad had 144 new cases, Vadodara, 108, Rajkot, 96, Bhavnagar 48, Amreli 42, Kutch 32, Jamnagar, 31 and Gir-Somnath, 29.

TEMPLES SHUT

Of the 10,17,234 samples tested since March, 72,120 were positive for the novel coronavirus.

There are now 14,170 active cases in the state.

—FILE PHOTO

Eight patients died in Surat, four in Ahmedabad, two in Vadodara, and one each in Amreli, Bhavnagar, Mehsana, Porbandar, Rajkot and Tapi.

There are 1,196 active cases in Vadodara, which tested 1,039 samples in a single day.

With this, 161 patients in the city are on oxygen support and 61 on BiPAP machines, New

cases have come from areas Gotri, Navayard, Varasiya, Akota, Chhani, Vasna-Bhayli road, Alkapuri and Fatehganj as well as rural areas such as Karjan, Dabhasa, Padri and Koyli.

Of the 199 patients receiving treatment for COVID-19 at Surat’s Civil Hospital, five are on ventilator support, 27 are on BiPAP ma-

Guj Uni cancels offline exams under Unlock 3.0 First India Bureau Ahmedabad: The Gujarat University on Monday announced the cancellation of offline exams that had been slated to be held in 13 districts. A university circular addressed to its colleges states that all offline exams stand cancelled under Unlock 3.0.

The administration has taken this decision in keeping with the state government circular of August 07, the circular said, added that the university is now considering options for online exams.

“The university is examining the online exam aspect. Offline exam dates will be announced soon. Meanwhile, in favour of the students, the university will give online, offline, and more options for the main exams,” stated the circular.

Meanwhile, the GU has constituted a fivemember committee to

chines and 115 patients are on oxygen support.

Of the 122 being treat at SMIMER Hospital, six COVID-19 patients are on ventilator support, 30 are on BiPAP machines and 57 are on oxygen support.

On Monday, two employees of the Surat Municipal Corporation succumbed to the Sars-CoV-2 virus.

As many as 300 SMC

First India Bureau Gandhinagar: The state government will not spare any person found responsible or accountable for the fire incident at Shrey Hospital in Ahmedabad, assured Chief Minister Vijay Rupani on Monday.

A fire broke out in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) ward of the hospital on August 6 and resulted in the death of eight COVID-19 patients.

Rupani also stated that a high-powered committee had been investigating the incident and was likely to submit its report late on Monday evening.

After gathering all data from the forensic evidence being assessed by experts at the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), the committee will compile their report.

The committee is headed by Sangeeta Singh, Additional

Ruchi Thakar

69%. By August 05, this rose to 70%. It is 75.56% as on Monday, with more than 2,300 patients having returned home from the hospital in the past 10 days.

Sources at the Surat Municipal Corporation say this improvement is due to the higher number of people receiving treatment at home. In addition, authorities in

the local civic body have also been promoting psychological counselling, cultural-spiritual entertainment, meditation and yoga, music therapy and prone positioning therapy to boost immunity and aid patients, as soon as they start showing symptoms.

So far, 12,118 patients have been discharged.

—FILE PHOTO

The university is examining the online exam aspect. Offline exam dates will be announced soon. Meanwhile, in favour of the students, online, offline, and more options will be given for the main exams.

UN-HAPPY STREET

—Gujarat University

look into various issues faced by students and come up with solutions for them. This has however drawn sharp protests from a section of students who feel that the university authorities are shying away from their responsibilities and are passing the buck to the committee.

“Students are run-

ning from pillar to post.

The vice-chancellor (VC) and Pro V-C are not available to meet the students. As a result, students have to hand over their complaints to the registrar. All these issues are gathering dust at the registrar’s table,” said a member of the National Students’ Union of India.

A fire at Shrey Hospital cost eight people their lives last week.

Chief Secretary (Home) and Mukesh Puri, Additional Chief Secretary (Urban Development).

Singh even paid a visit to the hospital to decipher what exactly had happened at the hospital.

Both the officers will be assisted by reports by the FSL team and conclude the reason for the fire at the hospital and also unearth negligence on part of the medical institution, if any.

Four days on, no criminal complaint

has been filed yet with Navrangpura Police and officials of local civic body Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) have remained tight-lipped about the whole incident.

Meanwhile, an advocate named Amit Panchal has moved a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the state high court seeking justice and compensation for the families of the deceased. The court is set to conduct the hearing today.

Surat’s nCov recovery rate up Rajkot sleuths nab to 76%, beats nation’s 68% 19-year-old youth wanted for 63 crimes Surat: Having seen more recoveries than fresh cases of COVID-19 in the first 10 days of Unlock 3.0, Surat’s recovery rate has risen to its highest, 75.56%, leapfrogging the country’s recovery rate of 67.62%.

Ten days ago, Surat had a recovery rate of

Gujarat University.

employees have been infected so far.

Rajkot city has reported 61 new cases of novel-coronavirus infection, including three staffers at the registrar’s office. In the past 48 hours, 22 persons died while fighting the infection: 17 in the Civil Hospital and five in private hospitals, according to local media reports.

No one will be spared: CM on Shrey Hosp fire —FILE PHOTO

state tested 10L+ samples

03

Sunday night’s inclement weather took its toll on the sign at the ‘Happy Street’ food market near Law Garden. Workers were trying to put it back together on Monday. —PHOTO BY HANIF SINDHI

First India Bureau Rajkot: The local Crime Branch on Monday arrested a 19-year-old, identified as Imran alias Imlo alias Kaliyo Rajakmiya, who is wanted in connection with as many as 63 crimes, from near Gondal Chowkdi.

While 46 of these crimes were committed when Imran was a juvenile, 17 took place between July 20 and August 3.

Speaking to First India Sub-Inspector PN Dhakda of the Rajkot Crime Branch said, “Imran began to commit crime in 2016, after his mother died of cancer. Since then, he has been involved in vehicle loot cases, theft and looting truck drivers.

The police has seized goods and cash worth more than Rs12 lakh, including two fourwheelers, a two-wheel-

EARLY START

er, and a mobile phone.”

Dhakda said Imran’s modus operandi is looting people at knifepoint.

“In one case, he took a two-wheeler from an elderly person at knifepoint and, when he later crashed the vehicle into a four-wheeler, took the four-wheeler as well.

With truckers, he would lure them with the promise of finding them labourers and then loot the driver for cash. He’d also empty the truck and make off with the goods.”

KEEPING IT GREEN

Surti’s ‘Tree Ganesha’ movement receives global support Indians living in Australia, US and Europe have pledged to join this initiative in large numbers 

Surat: Popularly known as the Greenman, Viral Desai, an e nv i r o n m e n t a l i s t and a successful businessman from Surat has started the ‘Tree Ganesha, Each One Plant One’ movement a few days ago.

Through his Hearts at Work Foundation, Viral Desai has started the ‘Tree Ganesha, Each One Plant One’

movement.

He says, “Even if we plant one tree per family, imagine the powerful impact it will have on the environment.

This way we Indians can prove to the world how we care for Mother Nature.

Desai has been celebrating Ganesh Utsav with a special theme of ‘Tree Ganesha’ for the last several years, dur-

A cut out of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is placed next to Viral Desai’s ‘Tree Ganesha’. —ANI

ing which he establishes and worships Lord Ganesha in a tree. Further, he conducts several environmental awareness activities during the 10 days of Ganeshotsav.

Through this movement. Desai has appealed to Indians in the country and all over the world to plant trees during the Ganesh Utsav celebrations.

Indians living in Australia, America and Europe have shown immense inter-

est and have pledged to join this movement in large numbers.

Some youngsters from the Bohra community have also shown a positive response to the appeal made by Viral Desai and enthusiastically participated in this movement.

This year, as part of the precautionary measures against the Corona epidemic, Desai and his cohorts are celebrating ‘Tree Ganesha’ a bit differently to avoid large gathering of people

at one place. They have appealed to Indians in India and those living outside the country to plant only one tree near their home or other place during the Indian Ganesha festival.

Desai further says, “We welcome everyone with open arms to join this global movement of tree plantation during Ganesh Utsav.

Come and join us to plant a tree and build a better future. Let’s all contribute to Mother Nature.” —ANI

PERSPECTIVE AHMEDABAD | TUESDAY, AUGUST 11, 2020

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IN-DEPTH

NEED FOR SELF-RELIANCE IN DEFENCE SECTOR

T

o boost indigenisation in defence production, in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh recently announced a ban on import of 101 military equipment. ‘Aatmanirbhar’ India comes six years after the PM launched his Make in India scheme on August 15, 2014.

Starting with the main battle tank Arjun and Light Combat Aircraft India’s defence production story is one of red tape, delays, corruption, and cost escalation. The procurement of crucial weapons gets stuck in bureaucratic wrangles. Bofors guns and Westland helicopters are classic examples of corruption. With the Comptroller and Auditor-General not revealing the audit report of the defence sector this year, one doesn’t know the nature of its problems and the performance of defence manufacturing units.

The list of equipment banned from import includes assault rifles, sniper rifles, mini UAVs, missile destroyers, light combat aircraft, communication satellites, etc. The decision comes about a month after the army mulled placing its second order for US assault rifle Sig 716.

“From satellites to submarines,” Modi had said, “come make in India, we have steel…we have discipline, we have resolve…sell anywhere, (but) make in India.” Ironically, between 2013-2017 India’s arms imports rose by 24 percent. At present, imports account for 60-65 percent of defence requirements. Hopefully, the story won’t be repeated with the second attempt at indigenization. It has to be seen if the private and public sectors can join hands to fulfill PM’s dream. Issues like pricing won’t be allowed to delay domestic production as has been the case with a Russian assault rifle.

CONGRESS- CAN CONQUER BUT CAN’T CONCUR!!

SHUBHRANSHU SINGH The writer is a corporate professional, marketing leader, columnist and a social and political commentator. He writes on brand building, marketing, history, politics, technology and business

T

SHAH FAESAL READY TO TURN A NEW LEAF

I

n a surprise development, IAS topper Shah Faesal of Kashmir announced his decision to quit politics a year after floating Jammu and Kashmir People’s Movement in March last year. Topper of the 2010 batch, He had quit civil services in January 2019 against “unabated killings” in Kashmir and “marginalization of Indian Muslims” but his resignation was not accepted as he was facing disciplinary action over some of his tweets. In February, Public Safety Act was slapped on him but was released last month. He is likely to rejoin the civil services as he continues to be an IAS officer on the Central government’s website.

Faesal told a TV channel that he did not want to “take Kashmiris down the garden path”. Significantly, he said, “There is a new reality in Kashmir and we have to terms with it. As a member of IAS, I have been a stakeholder in the future of this nation. I can’t imagine why some people would be anti-India.” The change of heart shows Faesal in a different light. A mellowed Faesal indicates a positive development for the Central government.

Faesal is ready to “start afresh in whatsoever position that is”. Could it mean that he is ready for a role in his home state even if it is as a bureaucrat?

With Manoj Sinha as the new Lieutenant-Governor of the Union territory, change seems to be in the offing.

The Congressled the freedom struggle and the people’s movements in various princely states and won us independence.

It laid the foundations for legislative democracy

he political history Rajasthan, in its present form, is closely interwoven with that of the Indian National Congress.

Though in the years since independence, Rajasthan has also been a proving ground for the Swatantra party and its people have embraced the BJP, as an alternative, and voted it into power on four occasions nevertheless, the Congress remained in a pole position. Rajasthan is a two-party political fray. There have been multiple attempts at forming a third front but none could prove successful. No other political formation has nearly been as central to Rajasthan’s past and present as the Congress.

BUT, WILL IT BE SO IN THE FUTURE? The Congress-led the freedom struggle and the people’s movements in various princely states and won us independence. It laid the foundations for legislative democracy. As the original party in power, it encompassed every shade of public opinion and gave representation to the full spectrum of communities in the state. Its electoral dominance was based on a concrete set of achievements in the social as well as the political sphere. It could claim credit for industrial growth, land reforms, growth of basic infrastructure, the extension of educational facilities, and provision of public services. There was full stress on pro-poor programs and redistributive justice. The political system was managed well and Mohan Lal Sukhadia remained Chief Minister for an unbroken 17 years.

The Congress split in 1969.

Indira Gandhi began to act against the old guard labelling them as conservative reactionaries. It amounted to a radicalisation of the Congress and led to the centralisation of power.

A true ‘high command’ emerged. In Rajasthan, the new Congress leadership took place of the old but the caste equa-

tions were generally kept in place. Like elsewhere, the Congress party atrophied due to a command and control type authoritarian set up. This cost the party dearly when its uninterrupted rule of three decades ended in 1977 and the Janata Party an amalgam of the Jana Sangh, Bharatiya Lok Dal, Congress O and the Socialist party rose to power. It won 151 of the 200 seats in the Rajasthan assembly.

On the national stage, it was a blow from which the Congress never truly recovered.

The anti-Congress coalition politics eventually paved the road to Delhi for the BJP led NDA and then the BJP’s single party majority victories in 2014 and 2019 In Rajasthan, despite the definitive changes in politics, economics, and social realities the Congress adapted and carried on. It remained one of the two alternatives that could be voted into power. Unlike in most states of the Hindi heartland where the Congress party was nominally alive, in Rajasthan, its presence on the ground was disarrayed but never destroyed.

When we look back in history, the most significant moment for the post Indira Congress was December 6, 1992, at the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya. It

IN RAJASTHAN, DESPITE THE DEFINITIVE CHANGES IN POLITICS, ECONOMICS, AND SOCIAL REALITIES THE CONGRESS ADAPTED AND CARRIED ON

marked the shift in the centre of gravity in Indian politics. It was a movement that led the BJP to become the party with energy and elevated it to power at the centre in 1998. The Ayodhya Ram temple movement redefined politics, especially in North India. It spiraled out of the control of the Congress party. It made religious identity key to politics. In Rajasthan, Congress never recovered its ideological credentials. It was here onwards solely an ‘Anti BJP’ alternative.

This mix of over-centralisa-

Does money buy happiness and meaning?

W

hen you see multimillionaires, with their yachts and luxury houses, you probably assume that they are supremely happy. However, you might be surprised to hear that this is not necessarily the case. In 2006, Princeton University psychologist, economist and author Daniel Kahneman and a team of researchers conducted a study entitled “Would You Be Happier If You Were Richer? A Focusing Illusion.” Kahneman and his co-authors found that although people with high incomes are more likely than others to say they’re generally happy with their lives, this difference virtually disappears when they make a moment-to-moment assessment of how happy they really are.

04

The study was published in Science magazine. Their findings described a phenomenon known as the “focusing illusion,” which misleads people into believing that more money can — or does — make them happier. The more narrowly individuals focus on a particular aspect of their lives, the greater its apparent influence.

“When people consider the impact of any single factor on their wellbeing — not only income — they are prone to exaggerate its importance,” the researchers explain. So, when survey respondents are asked, for example, whether wealthier people are happier than those less well off, they tend to focus on financial status as the root of happiness.

In reality, according to the study, higher income

We are conned into the illusion that material purchases will make you happy, while all the evidence shows they do not

does little to improve life satisfaction and may even cause more anxiety and stress. When you compare things like cars, careers, holiday destinations, you tend to focus on one aspect particular closely, neglecting the hundred other factors in your life. You assign this one inordinate significance because of the focusing illusion.

In his book, “The Art of the Good Life: Clear Thinking for Business and a Better Life,” Rolf Dobelli shares details about another study that Kahneman carried out with psychologists Norbert Schwartz and Jing Xu. They asked motorists how much pleasure they got from their car?

Their conclusion: When somebody sinks a load of money into a car, at least they get a good return on their investment in the form of joy. But here is the really interesting point.

They then asked this question: How happy were you during your last car trip?

They then compared the motorists’ answers with the values of their cars. The outcome — absolutely no correlation. Whether respondents were driving a top-end luxury car or a second-hand banger, there was

no correlation between the car they were driving to how happy they were feeling. Question one showed a definite correlation between the perceived pleasure it gave its owner and the monetary value of the car. But the second question saw no correlation at all. A luxury car didn’t make the drivers any happier.

That is the effect of the focusing illusion: A car makes you happy when you are thinking about it but not when you are driving it. Thinking about your purchase of the car in a forced way makes you happy, but the more you use it, this fades to the back of your mind, and that minimizes the effect on your happiness. You can apply this to any other material purchases.

FOR FULL REPORT LOG ON TO WWW.FAIROBSERVER.COM

tion, weakening on-ground presence, rabid factionalism, smaller residual fiefdoms, erosion of the politics of policies and ideologies was generically true for the Congress and specifically true of the party in Rajasthan. The importance given to personal loyalty disabled the formation of a critical mass of effective leaders on the ground. Lack of localisation of talent weakened the organisational fiber. Large chunks of its base were cannibalised by the BJP. Anticipations of revival were high, whatever may have been the probability when the Gehlot government was sworn in with Pilot as deputy. But the advantage was totally frittered away with no delivery to show.

The role of the organization was minimised or de-clutched from government.

To my mind, it is a remarkable feature of Congress tactics that it has learned to be flexible to emerging situations only by moving away from ideology!

What does it stand for? They cannot give a convincing answer excepting mouthing clichés on secularism and social justice. The BJP, in contrast, has both ideology and strategy.

The Congress should think hard and rightly blame itself.

It shouldn’t have come to this.

THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL

Top

TWEET Dharmendra Pradhan @dpradhanbjp The inauguration of submarine Optical Fibre Cable (OFC) connecting Chennai and Port Blair by PM Shri @narendramodi ji will usher in an era of countless possibilities for the people of Andaman & Nicobar and will contribute towards making of an #AatmanirbharBharat K C Venugopal @kcvenugopalmp BJP has brought with itself extreme environmental damage with little care for current or future generations. EIA 2020 is another blow to years of work to safeguard our environment & giving voice to the people. We will not let BJP play with India & its future. #LootOfTheNation

Spiritual SPEAK

Happiness will never come to those who fail to appreciate what they already have.

—Buddha

Vol 1 Issue No. 257 RNI NO. GUJENG/2019/16208. Printed and published by Anita Hada Sangwan on behalf of First Express Publishers. Printed at Bhaskar Printing Planet Survey No.148P, Changodar-Bavla Highway, Tal. Sanand, Dist. Ahmedabad.

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‘EFFORTS TO ESTABLISH ANDAMAN & NICOBAR ON WORLD TOURIST MAP’ New infrastructure in the Islands will generate employment opportunities, said Modi

PM Narendra Modi inaugurates the submarine OFC connecting Chennai & Port Blair via video conferencing in New Delhi.

New Delhi: PM Narendra Modi said that the efforts of the government will establish Andaman & Nicobar Islands as a prominent place on world tourist map within this decade.

Speaking after inaugurating submarine optical fibre cable (OFC) connecting Chennai and Port Blair through video conferencing, he said, “I hope that our efforts today, in this decade, will give Andaman

and Nicobar, not only new facilities to the people there, but also as a prominent place in the World Tourist Map”.

The Prime Minister said that the optical fibre cable project, connecting Andaman and Nicobar with rest of the country is a symbol of our commitment towards ease of living.

“Be it online classes, tourism, banking, shopping or telemedicine, thousands of families

in Andaman-Nicobar will now get its access.

Today, the tourists going to the Andaman will get the huge benefit of the facility. Better net connectivity has become the first priority of any tourist destination today,” he said.

He added that new infrastructure in Andaman and Nicobar Islands will create employment opportunities. “After a period of three decades, India’s

first deep-draft greenfield seaport at West Coast has received inprinciple approval.

Construction work of deep-draft inner harbour is also underway at the east coast. Now it is proposed to construct a trans-shipment port in Great Nicobar at an estimated cost of about Rs 10,000 crores,” he said. “Once this port is ready, big ships will also be able to dock there.

This will increase In-

—PHOTO BY ANI

dia’s share in maritime trade, our youth will get new opportunities. Today, modern infrastructure is being developed in Andaman & Nicobar is important for the blue economy. Fisheries, aquaculture and seaweed farming are an important part of the blue economy,” he said.

He highlighted that an Island Development Agency was formed 3 years ago to strengthen the role of Islands. —ANI

Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank addressing the Atma Nirbhar Madhya Pradesh-Health and Education through video conferencing.

New Delhi: The central government is not against English language but it wants to strengthen Indian languages as well, said Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, Union Minister of Education on Monday.

Though he added that some of the top developed countries accomplished great achievements using mother tongue as a medium of education. While participating in Atma Nirbhar Madhya Pradesh webinar, the minister said, “To those who doubt the benefit of using mother tongue as a medium of education, I would say some top developed countries accomplished great achievements with it.

We are not against the English language but we want to strengthen Indian languages.”

MINISTER SPEAK

after an event to celebrate World Elephant Day, Javadekar said, “Saw reaction of some leaders demanding protest against the EIA

SC refuses to accept Bhushan’s regret

In the webinar, Nishank highlighted some of the features of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan said, “Through these webinars, MP has taken a lead and we have started working on a roadmap to Atma Nirbhar MP in 3 years.” —ANI

12 NCP MLAs NOT JOINING BJP, SAYS NCP’s NAWAB MALIK New Delhi: Maharashtra Cabinet Minister and Nationalist Congress Party leader Nawab Malik alleged that some people are spreading “baseless” rumours about 12 MLAs of his party joining BJP. He also claimed that those legislators who went to BJP before 2019 Assembly polls are eager to return back to

Prakash Javadekar & Babul Supriyo release a document on the eve of World Elephant Day 2020.

—PHOTO BY PTI

his party. “Some people are spreading rumours of 12 NCP MLAs joining BJP, this is baseless and fabricated news. The legislators who went to the BJP before the election, they are eager to return to NCP, but no decision has been made yet, the information will be made public by making a decision soon,” he tweeted.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday said it will go ahead with the contempt of court proceedings against senior lawyer Prashant Bhushan in the 2009 case over his interview to Tehelka magazine alleging that half of past 16 chief justices of India were corrupt.

Refusing to accept the ‘regret’ offered by Bhushan in a written statement to the top court, a three-judge bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra posted the matter for hearing on August 17. “Whether calling judges corrupt

per se amounts to contempt needs to be heard,” the bench said.

On August 4, the SC had held an in-camera proceeding in the case and reserved it’s order.

A statement was given

by Bhushan as well as Tarun Tejpal, the former editor of Tehelka magazine.

The bench said that there is a thin line between free speech and contempt. The judges said they seek to balance the right to free speech on one hand and the need to protect the dignity of the judiciary as an institution.

RAJ: CS, OTHERS TO APPEAR BEFORE PARLIAMENTARY PANEL Jaipur: CS Rajeeva Swarup has left for Delhi to appear before the Parliamentary Privilege Committee on Tuesday. CS along with the DGP and some other officers have to submit their reports to the committee in person. They are to appear before the Parliamentary Committee in a case related to the attack on the cavalcade of MP Hanuman Beniwal. The Privilege Committee had received complaints including that of the state administration delaying the registration of an FIR in the case along with other issues.

draft. How can they protest against the draft? It is not a final notification.

It was kept for public consultation for 150 days because of COVID-19.

Guv Dhankhar to preside over events in WB

Kolkata: Bengal Governor, Jagdeep Dhankhar accompanied by Sudesh Dhankhar, will inaugurate Hala Karshan Utsava, 2020 at Sriniketan Mela Ground, Viswa Bharati University on August 12, 2020.

He will also inaugurate a Photo Gallery at Rabindra Bhavan, Shantiniketan at 10.30 am on the same day.

New Delhi: PM Narendra Modi held a virtual meeting with chief ministers of six states to review flood situation in which he emphasised extensive use of innovative technologies for improving forecast and warning system, the Prime Minister’s Office said. The states that attended the meeting to review their preparedness to deal with the south-west monsoon and current flood situation in the country are Assam, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Kerala. A statement from the PMO said during the meet.

Otherwise it is only 60 days as per rules.”

“We have received thousands of suggestions which we welcome. We will consider those suggestions. Then take a call and come out with final draft. So people jumping just on the draft is not fair practice. Those who want to now protest, during their regime took many of the big decisions without consultations.

It is unnecessary and premature. I have mentioned it in my letter to Jairam Ramesh.” —PTI

New Delhi: It is time for India to make more indigenous weapons, to make the country selfreliant, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said here on Monday.

Addressing an event to mark the ‘Atma Nirbhar Saptah’, the minister pointed out that necessary steps would be taken to make the country self-reliant in defence structure, investment infrastructure, manufacturing of weapons in the future. “Today’s event is focussed on facilities for modernisation, up-gradation and new infrastructure that will help in our indigenous capability building,” Singh said.

Pointing out at Sunday’s announcement that the government has come out with 101 items that will not be purchased from outside, he said, “Am happy to announce that for the first time we have come out with the list of 101 items, which we will not import, we call this list as a negative list.”

“In the coming days, we will include more items so that we can save imports worth crores of rupees. Our defence PSUs and ordnance factories are

Today’s event is focussed on facilities for modernisation, up-gradation and new infrastructure that will help in our indigenous capability building, —Rajnath Singh, Defence Minister

working in this direction. These industries are the backbone of our forces,” the minister further said.

“If we become capable of manufacturing things within India itself, then we will be able to save a large section of capital of the country.

With the help of that capital, around 7,000 MSMEs associated with defence industry, can be encouraged,” he added.

The minister observed that while self-reliance does not mean that it would cut off from the rest of the world. “While our country is walking hand-in-hand with rest of the globe, it has the capability to carve a niche for itself,” added Rajnath. —ANI

COURTESY MEET

President Ram Nath Kovind with J&K Lt Governor Manoj Sinha during a meeting at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on Monday.

—PHOTO BY PTI

SHAH FAESAL STEPS DOWN AS JKPM PREZ, MAY REJOIN SERVICE Srinagar: IAS officer-turned-politician Shah Faesal has stepped down as the president of Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Movement (JKPM).

Reports of his resignation from the JKPM comes after he was recently released from detention.

“It is confirmed that he has decided to step down and the leaders of the par-

Time for us to be Atma Nirbhar in defence: Singh

PM’s VC WITH CMs OF 6 STATES

‘Not against English, Rahul’s objections to draft EIA govt wants to boost unnecessary, premature: Javadekar Indian languages’ New Delhi: Those raising objections to the draft environment impact assessment (EIA) notification are the same people who took “big decisions without consultations” when they were in power, Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said on Monday, hitting out at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

Gandhi had on Sunday tweeted that the draft EIA was a “disaster” and urged people to protest against it.

Speaking to the media

05

ty have hence given the responsibility to run the affair to me,” said Feroz Peerzada, JKPM senior leader.Faesal is likely to join back administration.

This after he was conveyed by authorities that his resignation has not still been accepted. Faesal deleted his description as the president of JKPM from his twitter bio.

DELHI: SC HEARS MATTER OF STUBBLE BURNING VIA VC Jaipur: The SC heard the matter of stubble burning in Delhi NCR and adjoining areas through a VC. A feedback on measures taken to reduce air pollution was sought from the Chief Secretaries of 5 states, including that of Haryana, Punjab, Delhi, Rajasthan & UP.The number of Rajasthan did not come in the talks held with the Chief Secretaries of 5 states, but the factual report has already been submitted to the Supreme Court about the measures taken by the state. The next hearing of the case will be held on August 21.

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COVID-19 UPDATE : The famous Lord Venkateswara temple was re-opened on June 11 for the public

743 TIRUPATI STAFFERS TEST+VE, 3 DEAD Tirupati: As many as 743 staff of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) including including some priests of the Lord Venkateswara shrine at Tirumala have tested positive for COVID-19 and three have succumbed to the virus since 11 June, a top TTD official said on Sunday.

Of the 743 infected, three employees succumbed, 402 personnel have recovered from infection while 338 people were undergoing treatment at different COVID care facilities here, TTD executive officer Anil Kumar Singhal told reporters.

The famous Lord Venkateswara temple in nearby Tirumala governed by the TTD had re-opened on 11 June for public after being close for two and a half months owing to the coronavirus-induced lockdown, he said. Singhal denied reports in sections of the media that TTD had reopened the hill shrine after the coronavirus lockdown for the pub-

62,064 new COVID cases take tally past 22 lakh: Ministry

Pranab Mukherjee, @CitiznMukherjee

The ancient temple was re-opened on requests from devotees and entry was allowed by following strict COVID-19 measures.

Some media and social media are propagating that TTD is allowing darshanam of Lord Balaji for the sake of income. There is no truth at all in it. We have made arrangements for darshanam for 12,000 devotees per day, according to the guidelines of the central and state governments.

—Anil Kumar Singhal, TTD Executive Officer (EO)

lic with an intention to fill its coffers. He said the ancient temple was reopened on requests

from devotees and entry was allowed by following strict COVID-19 measures. —PTI

Ex-prez Pranab Mukherjee undergoes brain surgery New Delhi: Former President Pranab Mukherjee on Monday underwent a brain surgery at the Army’s Research and Referral (R&R) hospital for removal of a clot, sources said.

Mukherjee, who was unwell, was hospitalised on the advice of the doctors and had tested positive for COV-

ID-19 prior to the surgery. “He is critical and is on ventilator support,” sources also said.

Mukherjee, 84, said in a tweet in the morning, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh visited the R&R Hospital and enquired about the former president’s health. Singh was at the hospital for around 20 minutes. —PTI

SSR death case: Rhea Chakraborty moves SC over ‘unfair media trial’

On a visit to the hospital for a separate procedure, I have tested positive for COVID19 today. I request the people who came in contact with me in the last week, to please self isolate and get tested for COVID-19.

B.S. Yediyurappa, @BSYBJP Thank you everyone for your wishes and prayers. I have been discharged from the hospital and will be in self-quarantine. Deeply grateful for your affection and support.

I look forward to getting back to the routine very soon.

Medics conduct COVID-19 rapid antigen testing in Kolkata.

New Delhi: India’s novel coronavirus tally crossed the 22-lakh mark on Monday with 62,064 new cases, while the recoveries surged to over 15.35 lakh, the Health Ministry said.

The death toll from the pathogen climbed to 44,386 with 1,007 more fatalities. There are 6,34,945 active cases of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

The total coronavirus cases now stands at 22,15,074, it said. India’s COVID-19 recoveries have crossed the ‘historic peak’ of 1.5 million with recovery of 15,35,743 patients that was possible because of the policy of ‘testing aggressively, tracking comprehensively and treating efficiently,’ the HealthMinistry said. —PTI

Kerala: Idukki landslide death toll rises to 48

Earlier, she has sought transfer of police case filed against her from Patna to Mumbai New Delhi: Bollywood actor Rhea Chakraborty moved the Supreme Court on Monday with a fresh plea, alleging media trial and attempts to pronounce her guilty for the death of Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput.

Chakraborty has filed a fresh affidavit in the top court, maintaining that Bihar government does not have the jurisdiction to probe and try the matter. The actor has also submitted that the transfer of the case to the CBI by Bihar police is without jurisdiction.

Rhea is seeking a transfer of the case from Bihar to Maharashtra. In her plea, she alleged that the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput is being sensationalised by the media since it occurred at a time when Bihar elections are due.

“This has led to the suicide being blown out

of proportion. Actors Ashutosh Bhakre and Sameer Sharma were also reported to have died by suicide in last 30 days and yet no whisper about the same in power corridors. In

case of death of Sushant Singh Rajput, Chief Minister of Bihar is reported to be responsible for the registration of FIR in Patna,” the affidavit said.

The plea further al-

leged that media channels are examining and cross-examining all the witnesses in the case and that Chakraborty has been convicted by media even before a foul-play in the case is

established.

“Extreme trauma and infringement of privacy of the rights of the petitioner is caused due to constant sensationalisation of this case. Media had convicted accused in 2G and Talwar case in a similar fashion where each and every accused was later on found innocent by the Courts,” the affidavit stated.

The Supreme Court is slated to take up the matter tomorrow.

In a fresh round of questioning, the ED probed Chakraborty and her family members on Monday. Later, Shruti Modi, the business manager of Rhea and Rajput, also reported at the ED office. All four were previously questioned by the agency on August 7. Rajput’s friend and roommate Siddharth Pithani also arrived at the ED office later in the day. —ANI

started in this direction since Monday afternoon when Rahul Gandhi finally gave time to Sachin Pilot to meet, after Priyanka’s initiation. The meeting took place a little after noon at Rahul Gandhi’s residence and a “positive outcome” was expected.

Incidentally, Pilot had been in touch with high command and had a telephonic conversation with Rahul Gandhi who invited him to his home on Monday afternoon with MLAs to meet and speak with him wholeheartedly.

Priyanka Gandhi and Rahul’s

close aide KC Venugopal was also present in the meeting and the leaders deliberated for nearly two hours.

Thereafter, Rahul and Priyanka left for 10 Janpath where they met and apprised Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi of Pilot’s grievances in detail.

Following this meeting, Congress President Sonia Gandhi decided that the AICC will constitute a three-member committee to address the issues raised by Sachin Pilot and the aggrieved MLA and arrive at an appropriate resolution thereof. No-

tably, Sonia even spoke to Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot asking him to meet Pilot camp MLA Bhanwarlal Sharma, who promptly met Gehlot on Monday after this development.

Interestingly, later Sonia and Rahul briefed party stalwart Ahmed Patel on the entire issue who had already taken a complete feedback from Ashok Gehlot and Avinash Pande on the current situation and the recent past. Late in the night, Ahmed Patel also aided Priyanka in the discussions with Pilot and his camp men. Interesting-

ly, ‘Young’ Congress leaders were abuzz with the word that the new breed of leaders like Bhanwar Jitendra Singh and Milind Deora had a sizeable role to play in Monday’s development.

After his late night meeting, Pilot spoke on the committee and said, “Sonia Gandhi Ji heard all our concerns and the governance issues that we raised. Formation of the 3-member committee by the Congress President is a welcome step. I think all the issues will be resolved. Party gives us post and can also take it

THE PETITION Rhea Chakraborty & her brother Showik at the ED office.

If the CBI registered an FIR, then it’s their compulsion. It comes under the centre and the government has its own compulsions.

Bihar government made a recommendation when they’ve nothing to do with the matter.

—SANJAY RAUT, Shiv Sena MP

NDRF conducts rescue ops in Rajamala.

Idukki: The death toll in the Rajamala landslide in Idukki rose to 48 on Monday after five more bodies were recovered, the Kerala government said.

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) resumed rescue operations in Idukki’s Rajamala on Monday.

In a tweet, SN Pradhan, the Director-General of NDRF said that teams are battling odds of rain, slush and terrain. “#KeralaRains2020 UPDATE 10/08/2020 #Landslide,Munnar @ NDRFHQ work on site

back. I’ve no desire for any post but I wanted our self-respect to remain intact. I’ve contributed to the party for 18-20 years now. We’ve always attempted to ensure the participation of people who worked hard to form the government.”

Sources also said that Pilot is pressing for two ministers of his camp to be inducted again in the cabinet.

Furthermore, word is that Pilot, who was last month removed as Deputy Chief Minister, is likely to be a given a position at AICC though he has not

PM MODI LENDS A HELPING HAND

P

w/State/local agencies.

Battling odds of rain/ slush/terrain etc. OPS RESUMED SINCE MORNING TODAY,” Pradhan tweeted.

Two NDRF teams, a full unit of Idukki fire and rescue team, a team each from Kottayam, Thiruvananthapuram,

and a team which received special training are leading the rescue operations in Idukki’s Rajamala. 105 members of Kerala Armed Police, 21 members of local police, and 10 members of Rapid Action Force were also present on the spot. —ANI

placed any condition with Rahul Gandhi on this aspect.

Congress General Secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal said in a statement that Pilot, whose differences with Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot led to the crisis, had “frank, open and conclusive” discussion with Rahul Gandhi over his grievances.

the scheme, as the financial burden of premiums could have potentially eaten up a huge part of the budget allocations.”

Rupani also emphasized on the fact that the state programme would be limited for this year only. Defending state’s decision, he said, “Annual average amount paid by the state towards crop insurance premiums was Rs1,700 to Rs1,800 crore. These funds will now be diverted to the CM Kisan Sahay Yojana this year.

Therefore, fund allocation for the state scheme will not be an issue.”

FROM PG 1 An 11th hour...

The trio had been brainstorming on a way for Pilot’s return since he did not want to return on any position of power although the door for deputy CM is still open to him while Dotasara will remain PCC Chief.

Gehlot has been given the freedom to appoint not one but two deputy CMs and Pilot camp’s members will again get ministry.

However the new formula says that Pilot will be ‘heard’ by the party while Gehlot’ power will not be lowered.

The ‘developments’

CM launches...

“It is not Gujarat that has decided to opt out (of the crop insurance scheme). Telangana and Jharkhand were the first states to choose not to avail of

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he coronavirus pandemic and the pandemic-induced lockdowns world-over have forced people to stay indoors - prompting a global socioeconomic imbalance.

This has led to adverse implications including unprecedented exodus, massive loss of lives and jobs, among others things.

The implications act as fodder for negative thoughts to keep clouding the mind. Feelings of guilt, self-blame, labelling oneself with negative tags, feelings of remorse and plummeting interest in recreational activities or involvement with peers and family members, etc., are some of the behavioural changes that many are going through amid this pandemic.

You might feel guilty because there are many people out there who are unemployed or struggling for daily meals, yet you still have a job to take care of yourself.

This guilt can be because someone dear to you has been ill with Covid-19 whereas you are healthy.

People also feel guilty if they cannot comfort their loved ones who have died battling the virus or any other ailment. The feeling of remorse can pop up at any time of the day and even amplify feelings of shamefulness about our basic actions.

These emotions might come all of a sudden while you are watching TV or scrolling through social media in the comfort of your home or lounging on your cosy sofa.

The drawback with guilt is that it can make you feel overwhelmed but unable to act on it at that very moment.

While undergoing this state, we find it difficult to help ourselves, let alone others. We feel we are not able to provide others help to cope with their suffering.

We ourselves to suffer from an emotion and take its toll on us.

UNLOCK FEELINGS OF FEAR OR REMORSE DURING UNLOCK 3.0 People also feel guilty if they cannot comfort their loved ones who have died battling the virus or any other ailment. The feeling of remorse can pop up at any time of the day and even amplify feelings of shamefulness about our basic actions. The drawback with guilt is that it can make you feel overwhelmed but unable to act on it at that very moment 9 WAYS TO OVERCOME A FEELING OF REMORSE DURING UNLOCK 3.0?

As countries undergo unlocking procedures, one needs to be physically and mentally prepared to put the traumatic and psychological effects of the pandemic behind them by addressing their survival guilt with due diligence.  First, be very conscious about the fact that what we are experiencing is extremely different and the current generations of the human race have never dealt with such a situation. We need to be aware of our feelings and guilt feelings which are natural and normal to have.  Secondly, one must accept the feeling. They need to know that they have a guilt feeling and need to acknowledge that feeling.  We need to change this guilt into a positive feeling like gratitude. We need to be more thankful for the things that we have. We must be thankful that as a professional, I can work, be productive; be able to

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO HAVE THE FEELING OF REMORSE?

Given that everybody is facing the brunt of the pandemic and its effects like job losses, financial distress, more and more people are exhibiting mixed emotions driven by frustration, sadness, anxiety and stress to name a few. For some, fear of remorse may also be experienced.

Although the world is slowly trying to

07

adapt to the current challenges with various countries unlocking from the stringent lockdowns in a bid to restore economic activities in a phased manner, the notion of fear and feeling of remorse persists among scores of people globally given the traumatic events that they have faced in the recent months.

provide to my kids as a good parent even if I am working 24/7; as a child, one must think that they are taking safety precautions by keeping at bay from meeting their parents who otherwise might be highly prone to being exposed to the virus if they go to meet them constantly. One should be thankful that they have all the facilities and they should look into the ways they can help others and not putting themselves into the risk, but to be able to financially or emotionally help others while taking all the precautions.  We need to stop criticising and need to address that we are being critical

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT KINDS OF REMORSE THAT MAY BE OVERLAPPING? Guilt is an emotion that can be felt from a lot of things that we do normally daily.

It is a very powerful and a normal human response. We feel guilty about something when we don't do something right, sometimes when our actions are out of moral and ethical values. Sometimes we feel guilty about current situations wherein we feel we are being unprod u c tive.

healthy food or exercising daily, or it is doing some meditation, is very important to overcome survival guilt. Keeping a journal, documenting our feelings is much needed. We also need to talk to ourselves as a friend rather than being a critical evaluator of our behaviour. Be a more understanding friend to yourself.

Be more positive. about ourselves and hence must stop labelling ourselves as a bad family member, or a bad employee, but must rather give ourselves more positive regards and tell ourselves that no matter what, I have tried my level best and that

it is a new experience for every one and that it is not something we had planned to do, but it is something which has come up unfortunately to everyone.  Maintaining a healthy lifestyle, whether it is eating

 Turning to our family will help for it is these people who understand and care for us the most. This can kickstart the healing process.

It is crucial to share our current state of mind and guilt feelings with our loved ones and family members because they are instrumen-

THERE ARE DIFFERENT KINDS OF GUILT Rational Guilt: sometimes if we behaved inappropriately or said an inappropriate thing we undergo Rational Guilt. We feel and in this case there is a need for change of behaviour.

Irrational Guilt: here the situation is out of our hands, as a human we cannot control the situation so we have guilty feelings about it and it saddens us.

Survival Guilt: which is evident in the current situation.

It is basically, an emotional response exhibited by people who have survived during the times of traumatic events whereas others have suffered or died. This was the type of guilt seen in

people during a war and Holocaust where there was a traumatic event and others have died.

Also, in the current situation of Covid-19, we have seen a lot of survival guilt, feeling bad about having their jobs and working comfortably from home, whereas many are poor and jobless; out of 10 only 3 are working. There are a few mothers and parents feel guilt for working from home and working round the clock and hence have not been able to take care of their kids. Another form of guilt can be seen in healthcare professionals who have to go to work during this pandemic; thereby

putting the lives of their loved ones at risk. There is a guilt in healthcare workers that they are not able to save their patients.

Caregivers too are experiencing guilt wherein their parents, or dear ones have been suffering from Covid-19 and they are not able to take care of them due to isolation.

There are also cases where the patients have died of Covid-19 and the last rites and rituals could not be attended by their loved ones are done by the hospitals. The guilt of not being available for the family when it is required; not being able to perform the duties is evidently seen during the times of this pandemic.

tal in guiding us to reaffirm our potential to live a happy and pleasant life.  Investing time in learning new skills, and pre-occupying our mind by engaging in activities triggers cognitive development.  To overcome feelings of remorse, we must accept the fact that certain people, times, events and places trigger negative emotions and hence maintaining a safe distance from them will help.  Lastly, we need to speak about our feelings with others so that we vent out our emotions; in some cases you may need the professional intervention by a mental health expert.

SYMPTOMS TO TRACK PANDEMIC REMORSE?

There are different emotions that this pandemic has made very clear. There are few symptoms which can be seen in cases of survival guilt. There has been an increase in negative feelings among people and patients seen on a regular and daily basis.

To address, survival guilt one can track these symptoms:

or decreased tremendously

Difficulty to sleep

Panic attacks

Changes in appetite wherein it has increased

The interest in recreational activities has gone down Difficulty in focus and lack of energy Feeling of being disconnected from people Feeling low Crying continuously Negativity all around

SOURCE: AGENCIES CONCEPT: DIVYA HEMNANI DESIGN: CP SHARMA

The first requirement in taking a step in the right direction is to take a step in some direction.

2ND FRONT

—Jagdeesh Chandra, CEO & Editor, First India

AHMEDABAD | TUESDAY, AUGUST 11, 2020

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After 85 deaths, Guj swears by safety of lions 331 LIONS DIED IN GUJARAT 2018-19, EVEN AS GOVT COFFERS HELD `26 CR MEANT FOR THE BIG CATS Ahmedabad: Chief Minister Vijay Rupani on Monday said his government was committed to the conservation of lions in the state. On the occasion of the World Lion Day, Rupani held a meeting of key officials working in the Gir forest, the only abode of the endangered Asiatic lion, via video conferencing from Gandhinagar, an official release said.

The CM said the increasing population of lions reflected the state government’s resolve to protect them. The lion

Coast Guard rescues 2 fishing boats First India Bureau Jakhau (Kutch): The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) on Monday rescued 15 fishermen on two fishing boats stuck in heavy sea state and strong winds off the Gujarat coast.

Commandant M Aggarwal of Gandhinagarbased headquarters of Coast Guard region (NW) said a Coast Guard Ship Samudra Pavak during routine patrol “received a VHF call at about 1215 hrs from IFB Harshad” with 8 crew members reporting engine breakdown 36 nautical miles south-west off Jakhau. “In heavy sea state and strong winds, the ship proceeded to the position with best speed for accessing the situation” and reached fishing boat ‘Harshad Sagar’. The boat was taken under tow and in the meanwhile another fishing boat IFB Al Labbek with a 7-member crew contacted the ship on VHF for trouble. Accordingly, IFB AI Labbek was also taken under tow and both were taken to safety.

Subsequently, both were handed over to IFB Al Badri that had been arranged by the owner for further towing assistance till Jakhau harbour.

—PHOTO BY HANIF SINDHI

Shishir Awasthi

Lion Ambar is seen inside the Kamla Nehru Zoological Garden in Ahmedabad on World Lion Day on Monday. The zoo is currently closed to visitors due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

population in the Gir Wildlife Sanctuary and surrounding forest went up from 523 in 2015 to 674 in 2020, the forest department had said in June.

Rupani also asked forest officials to ensure that lions do not contract any disease during the monsoon.

However, detractors allege that this is just lip service.

As many as 85 lions have died in the state’s Asiatic Lion Landscape (ALL), between January and May this year--of which about half were reportedly killed by various diseases including rabies, pneumonia, urinary tract infection,

THE FATALITIES DUE TO DISEASES

anaemia, hepatitis and multiple organ failure, according to a report and submitted by the committee appointed by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to the ministry and the Prime Minister’s Office in the first week of June.

Pay ` 1,000 now for not wearing masks: CM First India Bureau Gandhinagar: The State Government on Monday hiked the fine for not wearing masks in public places from Rs 500 to Rs 1,000, implementing a Gujarat High Court order of last month in response to a public interest litigation.

With the increasing number of coronavirus cases, the high court had observed that “Masks are logically the best defense individuals have against Covid-19.” The number

Following a directive by the Gujarat High Court, the penalty for not wearing a mask in public now will be Rs 1,000 from August 11 onwards.

—Vijay Rupani, Gujarat Chief Minister

Masks are logically the best defense individuals have against Covid-19.

—Gujarat High Court

—FILE PHOTO

Heavy penalty for not wearing masks.

3 members of a family killed in house collapse First India Bureau Godhra: A 4-year-old boy and two others of a family were killed and one member was injured after their house collapsed due to heavy rains in central Gujarat’s Panchmahal district on Monday morning, police said.

Panchmahal SP Leena Patil said the incident took place around 6 am when the four family members were sleeping in their one-room house located at their farm at Kanjipani village in Jambughoda taluka.

“The house collapsed due to heavy rains when the four family members were sleeping. Three of them died while one member escaped with minor injuries,” she said.

The bodies were pulled out of the debris by a rescue team in an operation that lasted for about an hour, she said.

The deceased included a 70-year-old woman, her son and grandson, aged 40 and 4 years, respectively. Patil said that the woman’s other son, aged 35, received minor injuries.

of cases has seen a big surge from July till the first week of August.

Announcing the hike in the fine, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani stated, “Following the high

court directive, the penalty for not wearing a mask in public will be Rs 1,000 from August 11 onwards.” The State had recently increased the fine from Rs 200 to

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) workers were detained in Ahmedabad on Monday when they were protesting against the Gujarat Government’s decision to charge fine of ` 1,000 for not wearing masks.

—PHOTO BY HANIF SINDHI

MK Das promoted as ACS to Chief Minister The Gujarat Government promoted 5 Principal Secretaries of 1990 batch to the rank of Additional Chief Secretaries 

Gandhinagar: Dynamic Gujarat bureaucrat and Chief Minister Vijay Rupani’s Principal Secretary MK Das is among five senior officials who were on Monday promoted as Additional Chief Secretaries and would continue to discharge their duties on the same post.

MK Das, who was also the Principal Secretary (Industries) and would continue to hold both the assignments as ACS, began his career from Saurashtra region as the District Development Officer, Junagadh, and went on to serve as the District Collector for Porbandar, Palanpur and Surat.

While on central deputation to New Delhi,

Rs 500.

To stop human-tohuman transmission of the virus, Rupani urged people not to come out of their homes to celebrate festivals, including Janmashtami which falls on Tuesday.

Hearing a PIL last month, the high court had rejected the government’s contention that the recent hike of Rs 300 had already led to a significant fall in the number of violators and asserted that many people were still seen without masks.

‘MASKING’ PROTEST?

GOOD NEWS

First India Bureau

Just 17 died due to natural causes.

In 2018-2019, the state lost 331 of its endangered big cats-87 of which died due to a combination of viral and protozoal infections.

Detractors say these deaths could have been

M K Das

Kamal Dayani

Manoj Agarwal

Das has served in the Home Ministry and was looking after J & K Affairs. He is an IITKharagpur passout as a Bachelor of Technology in Computer Sciences.

IAS Kamal Dayani,

Principal Secretary (General Administration) has been promoted as Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) and would continue to serve the same department.

Dayani also holds the

additional charge of transport and ports.

He has served as Secretary for Food and Civil Supplies Corporation and even as Secretary, Social Justice and Empowerment. Dayani

is an electrical engineer and has done his PG Diploma in Business Management from IIM-A. Principal Secretary (Social Justice and Empowerment) Manoj Agarwal will discharge the same duties as the ACS, while CV Som will continue as Additional Chief Secretary (Sports, Youth & Cultural Services) and Gujarat Mineral Development Corporation’s Managing Director Arunkumar Solanki remains as the MD after his promotion as an ACS.

avoided.

Of the total of Rs38 crore (Rs17 crore in 2018-19 and Rs21 crore in 2019-20) received as the Centre’s contribution for the Asiatic Lion Conservation Project under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme for Development of Wildlife Habitat, the Gujarat government has only spent Rs7 crore.

In addition, barely half the sanctioned positions of forest guards in the Junagadh Wildlife Circle and Gir (East) Division have been filled and similar vacancies also exist in the two forest administrative units and the veterinary doctors’ division.

Guj comedy YouTuber Dhaval among 5 persons held for gambling

First India Bureau Junagadh: Junagadh’s Local Crime Branch (LCB) police have arrested 5 persons, including famous 24-year-old Youtuber Dhaval Domadiya, for gambling.

They were found gambling at the Krishna Park society in Madhuram area.

The police raided the place after a tip-off.

The police seized cash of Rs. 1.15 lakh, 8 mobile phones and 2 motorcycles. Domadiya has over 1.1 million subscribers of his Gujarati comedy video channel on Youtube.

He had been popular for playing the role of Jigli in the Jigli-Khajur video series on Youtube.

Dhaval has also worked in Gujarati movie ‘Aavu j Rehse’ Others arrested by the Junagadh LCB for this were Kamlesh Harsukhbhai Tank, Nandan Bakulbhai Pandya, Dhawal Devashibhai Bheda and Jigar Himanshubhai Kelaiya.

@ahmedpatel

Wishing Pranab da @CitiznMukherjee a very speedy recovery.

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AHMEDABAD, TUESDAY AUGUST 11, 2020

I usually prefer a tote bag, which is big in size and spacious too. As I keep my necessary things like lip balm, moisturiser, cards, nowadays sanitizer, disinfectant spray and all, so carrying this bag brings me so much comfort. Furthermore, it adds to my style and fashion statement.

—ANKITA VALAND, Gujarat I prefer shoulder bags because those beauties are really helpful when you have to look stylish and accommodate a lot of things in your purse as well. When I go out shopping, I generally prefer big shoulder bag; while for office purpose, I use a small shoulder bag. I think bags are the most important accessories for women and men in today’s busy times.

—RAKHI SINGH, Rajasthan As a Personality Groomer & Working Female, I prefer to carry the middle size bag which can accommodate necessary things required when we step out of our house. I personally feel if the bag has multi partitions or zips, then it can be a real blessing to the user. If we carry a small bag then, we miss out important things. On the other hand, oversized give shoulder pain to females. Also, big size bag promotes cluster accessories as well. So middle size bags are of top priority for me.

—POOJA VYAS, Gujarat

BAG O’CLOCK FROM THE HANDS-FREE CROSSBODY BAG TO ERRAND-RUNNING TOTES, CITY FIRST BRINGS YOU THE CLASSIC BAG STYLES THAT EVERY WOMAN SHOULD HAVE IN HER CLOSET!

KARISHMA GWALANI karishma.gwalani@firstindia.co.in

F

or most of us, bags are one accessory we cannot do without, and which is why there are so many kinds of bags. For every occasion, you can have a different one. With each passing season, a new collection of bags pops up on the scene and the options can be quite overwhelming. From crossbody bags that make travelling easy, to croc-embossed bucket bags and itty bitty microminis, the dominating trends and shapes to choose from are endless.

Whatever is your reason for buying a bag, its

beauty combined with its functionality makes it a must-have accessory. City First curates a list of some must-have bags to get you activated through remaining of 2020!

HOBO BAG: This is a large bag made of soft materials with a slouchy shape. It is characterized by a crescent shape under the handle because of the way it slumps down when putting

down or carried. This bag has a distinct silhouette which marks it as a casual carry-all.

SHOULDER BAG: Also called sling bags in its small avatar, this is a bag that you hang on your shoulder. These bags are no longer just for travel and comfort; these are some seriously pretty styles you can wear every day.

TOTE BAG: This

is a rectangular shaped bags made of stronger materials like canvas or leather. It is ‘the-shopping-musthave’ for most girls. This bag has somewhat shortmedium handles and is roomy enough for most all shopping that women do.

SADDLEBAG: These are bags with a flap and long cross-body straps.

They look like the bags which used to be hung on the saddle of a horse, hence the name. Some saddlebags can be seen attached to bicycles/bikes HANDBAG: This is the quintessential mediumsized ladies bag every girl must own. This is a bag which can carry the essentials and still maintain the style quotient.

CROSSBODY CLUTCH: Try pairing this vintage-inspired handbag with an oversized white button-down, highwaisted shorts, and strappy sandals.

Life isn’t perfect, but your bags can be!

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10

BOOK REVIEW

VICHAAR VITHIKA BY

PROF. DR. I.M. KHICHA

P

FA CE OF TH ED AY

rof. Dr. I.M. Khicha is an individual with a pleasing personality appreciated and respected by the readers of all sorts. In the book, he has thrown light on the personal as well as social life issues and problems faced by the general public and the solutions to them.

The book is an incarnation of the important and valuable aspects of our life which are derived from the author’s priceless & empirical thoughts and experiences. The significance of the book is so precise that it puts the readers into vivid thinking and motivates them to work and understand the teachings of the book from the origin. His egalitarian approach is reflected in all of his oeuvres. His fascination with literature is so immense that it has got him recognition in ‘’Jagmag Deep Jyoti Patrika’’. In 2017 he has also honoured with “Shaastree Smrti Sammaan” at saahityakaar sammaan samaaroh by the Patrika family.

Arvind Khicha, Sr. VP (Commercial) at SHREE CEMENT LTD. Beauvar the son of Dr. I M Khicha, says that his father is an inspiration and even today people flock to him for advice.

Jagdeesh Chandra appreciated the book and in his foreword has written that the collection of articles showcase the diverse and deep experience of Dr. Khicha and give valuable lessons.

Arvind Khicha

ABOUT THE BOOK  One of the gems of the books written by Prof.

Dr. I.M. Khicha. The book is written in the sweet memory of his beloved wife “ Late Shrimati Rajnidevi Khicha”. Book has 50 chapters in-total from which 38 are in Hindi and 12 are in English.  It is all about to reshape the way you think about progress and success. Careful selection of words has a tremendous impact on the learners. This book

YOUR DAY Horoscope by Saurabbh Sachdeva

is a bible for the young generation and it helps them to rejuvenate their lost tracks.  It doesn’t represent mere vision but makes an attempt of reorienting human mind to reconstruct human society. It is a must book which envisages a society as the opening draws inspiration by spark on the importance of moral values. The beauty of all the aspects of life is captured exquisitely.

Each page has a wide

 This book will both impress the people and leave them wanting to learn more because of the treasure that shows nothing could be

further from the truth. Dr. Sahab has always devoted to the affection of the country and its people by the invaluable treasure. He has also mentioned modern economics in one of his English chapters “Modern Economics v/s Economics of Life”. His interest in Rajasthan is also reflected in “Sheep-Rearing in Rajasthan”.  The writer leaves everyone with the guidance of awareness and of personal discovery.

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

CANCER

Today is your day and you will have lots of achievements today. You have good social networking that will help you a lot in coming time as far as your business endeavour are concerned. You will relive your childhood days by getting in touch with all your relatives.

A little shift in diet and you shall see the miracles happening, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

Don’t invest money with the intention of getting the results immediately.

You will have your good speed and efficient working skills by your side while dealing with a tough project.

You are sometimes quite straightforward on people’s faces, that could be ignored occasionally. So fare you have managed to sustain the same enthusiasm with which you started your official project and this will help you a big time. You can expect a visible raise in salary.

Because of some restrictions on travel it could effect your business if travelling is a major part of it but for a very limited time. Be a good friend and listen carefully sometimes thats all someone needs, someone who can listen without judging and you be that one today.

MAR 21 - APR 20

APR 21 - MAY 20

MAY 21 - JUNE 21

JUNE 22 - JULY 23

LEO

VIRGO

LIBRA

SCORPIO

You should know that nothing is more important than an uncorrupted mind so don’t mess with it. Good news for Industrialists and entrepreneurs as you will make a huge profit today. Homemakers will be in mood to save and won’t spend on anything unnecessarily.

For some earning money is not a big deal, someone like you but invest money in the right direction could be a challenge so be very vigilant.

Your better half will be hundred percent supportive for your business but could be helpless in something which are beyond their capacity.

Someone’s guidance can change you and your ideologies and others can ruin so watch out your own back and be sensible with whom you choose. Those playing in stock market must not loose hope and continue to be optimistic as it doesn’t take long for the time to change.

An idea can change your life overnight and you knows it very well so get going. You will have to do a lot of multitasking today as you may have some domestic responsibilities. Often your are the first choice for your boss when it comes to problem solving employee.

JULY 24 - AUGUST 23

AUG 24 - SEP 23

SEPT 24 - OCTOBER 22

OCT 23 - NOVEMBER 22

SAGITTARIUS

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

You may somehow win something solely because of your luck today. You remain to stay secure in terms of finances and your earnings but make sure to even help those in need at least once in a while. You will exchange warm wishes with your friends. Its the time to focus on improving yourself.

You should smile as your financial graph seems to be rising as money continues to make its way into your life from various sources inspite of the pandemic situation. The newly weds are really happy together but may feel a bit disappointed with the situations in the outer world.

You area a magnet, people get attached to you very easily. If you are in retails job or business then today is your super lucky day as you will make many profits. You will try your hand in new business venture and you will attract a good investor as well but be aware of your own devilish thoughts.

Your stars will take you abroad and it will change your life forever for good but only after sometime.

You can rely on your parents for career advice but in the end you must decide what is right for you.

You may also decide to keep a distance from anyone.

NOV 23 - DEC 22

DIVYUN NANDA, Influencer

range of knowledge and a shining light to create awareness. Some his chapters which I prefer are “Jeevan Ke Do Satya: Sangarsh and Samaparn”, “Yuva Vyaktitv Vikaas Ke Sandarbh Me - Avasar Banaam Chunautee”, “Samaaj And Raajaneetee Ke Beech Setu - Bhartiya Media”

DEC 23 - JAN 20

JAN 21 - FEB 19

FEB20 - MARCH 20

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AHMEDABAD | TUESDAY, AUGUST 11, 2020

11

‘JOGIRA SARA RA RA’ Taran Adars

h’s post

Neha Sharma

A

ctor Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Neha Sharma to collaborate with each other for the first time in filmmaker Kushan Nandy’s upcoming film titled ‘Jogira Sara Ra Ra’.

“#NawazuddinSiddiqui and #NehaSharma to star in a rom-com...” wrote film critic and movie trade analyst Taran Adarsh on Twitter, as he announced the

ing project. Nawazuddin was last seen in Netflix film ‘Raat Akeli Hai’ along with Radhika Apte, Tigmanshu Dhulia and Shweta Tripathi.

He next will be seen in

‘Bole Chudiyan’ along with Tamannaah Bhatia.

Whereas, Neha Sharma was last seen onscreen in ‘Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior’.

—ANI

BUZZZ

Release Date Postponed

R

iverdale alum Lili Reinhart was speaking out about coming out as bisexual amidst the Black Lives Matter protests. “I knew full well that I was attracted to women from a young age,” the 23-year-old Riverdale actress revealed. “I felt that since I’ve exclusively been in hetero-normative relationships, it would be too easy for any outsider, especially the media, to vilify me and accuse me of faking it to get attention. That’s not something I wanted to deal with.

But to my close friends, and

those in my life, my bisexuality has been no secret.”

“Although I’ve never announced it publicly before, I am a proud bisexual woman,” Lili posted back in June on Instagram.

Last month, the actress was criticized for sharing a nude photo on Instagram to demand justice for Breonna Taylor amidst the BLM movement. The Riverdale star shared a barefaced and seemingly bare-naked picture on her Instagram, alongside the caption: “Now that my sideboob has gotten your attention, Breonna Taylor’s murderers have not been arrested. Demand justice.”

—Agency

he release date of Aamir Khan and Kareena Kapoor starrer flick ‘Laal Singh Chadha’ has been postponed to Christmas 2021 due to coronavirus pandemic.

Earlier, the movie was slated for a release on Christmas this year, however, due to pandemic, the movie will hit the theatres next year.

Film critic and movie trade analyst Taran Adarsh shared the news on Twitter. He wrote,”#LaalSinghChaddha - starring #AamirKhan and #KareenaKapoorKhan - will now release on #Christmas2021... Costars #MonaSingh... Directed by Advait Chandan... Produced by #AamirKhan, #KiranRao and #Viacom18Studios.”

‘Laal Singh Chaddha’ is the remake of 1994 American film ‘Forrest Gump,’ The comedy-drama film directed by Advait Chandan and bankrolled

by Aamir Khan Productions along with Viacom18 Motion Pictures would mark the team-up of Aamir and Kareena for the third time.

—ANI

Pre-wedding celebration!

A

merican actor Sarah Hyland and Wells Adams did not let their intended wedding day pass without a minor celebration. The love birds celebrated what would have been their wedding day wearing white ensembles.

The engaged stars dressed in white and pretended to exchange wedding vows at a vineyard to mark what was supposed to be their wedding date, before it was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Hyland began the caption of her post, “A couple, a pandemic, & a postponed wedding: A series.

We were supposed to get married today. Instead... we took pictures and drank wine. I love you to Pluto & back @wellsadams.”

Lili Reinhart

The 29-year-old ‘Modern Family’ actor also shared a photo on her Instagram story of the couple wearing matching Mr. and Mrs. face masks.

“On our wedding day... we didn’t get married.

Also...# wearadamnmask,” she wrote.

The 36-year-old TV star Adams also shared a photo from the vineyard that showed him grabbing his fiance’s back as Hyland jokingly stuck her tongue out while wearing a straw hat decorated with a veil with the words “Bride To Be.” —Agency Wells Adams and Sarah Hyland

QUIRKY ARTWORK

L

new poster featuring Alia, Aditya and Sanjay walking on a road to Mount Kailash was shared, Pooja shared a message from her father where the filmmaker explained why the film is special for him. The film is a sequel to 1991 Pooja and Sanjay starrer. It is slated to release on August 28 on Disney Plus Hotstar. —Agency

‘Jogira Sara RaRa’ will be directed by Kushan Nandy and produced by Naeem A Siddiqui, with Kiran Shyam Shroff who will be the creative producer of the upcom-

SEXUALITY STRUGGLES T

CHARACTER POSTERS

ast week, Alia Bhatt had shared a poster of Sadak 2 featuring her, Aditya Roy Kapur and Sanjay Dutt. On Monday, Alia announced that the trailer of the film will drop today and also shared new character posters along with it. The film is helmed by director Mahesh Bhatt and it marks his return to direction after a long time. Sadak 2 was announced for theatrical release initially. However, owing to the COVID 19 situation and theatre shutdown, it went for a direct OTT release and it was announced last month.

All three posters surely gave off intense vibes and left netizens excited about the film. The film also stars Pooja Bhatt and Jisshu Sengupta. It has been shot in several locations in India, including Ooty.

When the direct OTT release was announced, a poster featuring Mount Kailash was released along with a message from director Mahesh Bhatt. Recently, when the

new project on Monday.

The shooting for the romantic-comedy will start in February next year at different locations including Lucknow, Benaras and Mumbai.

Alia Bhatt

Abhishek Bachchan

A

bhishek Bachchan on Monday shared a quirky artwork that embraced the actor who recovered from coronavirus. It showcased the actor challenging and defeating coronavirus, in Kabaddi style.

The ‘Guru’ actor shared the intriguing meme on Twitter that chronicled the actor beating COVID-19. In the artwork, Abhishek Bachchan is seen shouting out loud at coronavirus as he says, “Aur Le Panga.” The poster shows the virus lying down defeated on the ground, as the ‘Dhoom’ star pats on his thigs and challenges the deadly virus, just like the kabaddi players challenge each other.

—ANI

... his post

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CITY FIRST

A

five-day Faculty Development Programme (FDP) on ‘Student-Centred Teaching Methods and Strategies in Higher Education’ witnessed its inaugural ceremony on Monday, at Swami Keshvanand Institute of Technology, Management and Gramothan (SKIT), jointly organised

by Department of English, SKIT, and Rajasthan Technical University, Kota under RTU TEQUIP III. The

A SESSION TO EMPOWER

ceremony was inaugurated by the Director, SKIT, Jaipal Meel while the ViceChancellor of RTU, Profes-

sor RA Gupta graced the event as the chief guest of the session. During the ceremony, Prof. Sanil Viswa-

nathan from IIT Delhi was the first speaker and he gave his expert talk to empower the faculty

AHMEDABAD | TUESDAY, AUGUST 11, 2020

members, with innovative teaching, competencies, skills, and attitudes to provide the participants with experiential learning. The second speaker Department of Psychology, University of Rajasthan, Associate Professor, Prof. Prerna, spoke on the psychological needs of the students mentioning pandemic issues and challenges in higher education with specific reference to youth. cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

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ROBERT VADRA

extends support

MENTAL HEALTH V/S THE LOCKDOWN RASHI CHAUDHARY

Robert Vadra at AIIMS

cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

R

T

he lockdown hasn’t been easy on anyone, and while everyone is talking about the financial losses incurred, the toll it has taken on mental health has been considerably worse. Despite living with our family or roommates, everyone’s social life feels void and we more often than not, find ourselves subject to loneliness.

Nobody is immune to sadness or depression. No matter how much money you have, how successful, how good-looking you are, or what to an outsider might be perceived as the “perfect life.” This is evident in the case of Sushant Singh Rajput’s demise which came as a shock to the whole country.

Nobody seemed to want to believe that somebody who

seemingly has everything people strive for in life could take such an extreme step.

His passing got everyone talking about mental health, a topic that was previously shushed in our society.

Nevertheless, while it’s crucial to normalize talking about our inner thoughts,

it’s not enough to make you feel like you’re walking on sunshine. On that account, things that will instantly lift your spirits are: video calling your friends and family, even when you have nothing exciting going on (because let’s be real, who does), work-

ing out and getting some fresh air- even if it’s just going for a walk to clear your head (just got to release those endorphins!- it all counts), drinking chamomile tea and playing soft Jazz music, taking time away daily from screens (especially the news), baking,

finishing a puzzle, and finally if none of this feels enough, it’s never a bad idea to seek help or visit a therapist. In conclusion, while it’s important to make time for yourself, you’ll find that not being alone with your thoughts is exactly what you need from time to time.

obert Vadra on Sunday took to Facebook to share how he has extended his support to the minor rape victim in New Delhi. He wrote, “When you have a thought of helping someone, who has been helpless and been taken complete advantage of, because of their vulnerable circumstances, you cannot just let it be a thought. I read of the rape of a 12-year-old girl and the brutality of the incident. I made my way to the AIIMS hospital, to do all I can to save this child and to meet her family, and to help ease their trauma from this horrific incident, oc-

curred in the National capital of our country.”

“It’s a shame, that these recurring incidents happen in our city Delhi, and in the country so often.

I went and met the parents and doctors, and with folded hands, I requested the doctor to give full attention to the victim, a child of 12 years battling for her life in the ICU. I was able to get the family a room for 10 days, a huge achievement. Arrangements of food and a person of assistance I organised too and will return to help further in every way.

Hoping the child survives,” he added.

—Vaishali

WHAT’S HAPPENING!

RAJASTHAN: The year 2020 post-COVID-19 is declared as the ‘Year of awareness for Science and Health Communication’ (YASH), under which the Department of Science and Technology, Government of Rajasthan and IAS Literary Society are jointly organising a ‘Health Awareness Series’. It’s second edition, ‘Know Your Vitamins, Know Your Vitality’ went live on Facebook on Monday, where the Secretary of IAS Literary Society, Mugdha Sinha shared that there is a great need to increase metabolism and immunity. Dr Puneet gave the information and importance of macronutrients and macro nutrients through a presentation.

RAJASTHAN: Rashtradoot made a hat-trick victory by winning the ‘Special Mention’ in the category ‘Non-Fiction Content of the Decade’ at the Decade Awards 2020, which awards excellence in media, advertising, and technology through 2010-19. The entries were evaluated on their creativity, innovation, strategy and execution in the market.

RAJASTHAN: The live session of the virtual program ‘Third Innings’ was telecasted on the Facebook page of Goyal Hospital on Sunday as an annual social responsibility to answer the question related to health issues, growing need of money and many more. Many prominent personalities of Rajasthan interacted with people from within the country and abroad. The session was moderated by Dr Vivek Agrawal.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

GUJARAT: Women perform puja inside the Badiya Bapa Temple marking ‘Shitla Satam’, in veneration of Goddess Shitla, in Ahmedabad on Monday. Also known as the Basoda festival in Rajasthan and the northern states, devotees do not cook fresh grub but consume cold and stale food prepared a day earlier. —PHOTO BY HANIF SINDHI

IAS Nathmal Didel and IPS Satyendra Singh celebrated their birthdays on 10 August, Monday. We wish them all the best!

GUJARAT: Kids get in some exercise as they cycle around wearing masks near Law Garden in Ahmedabad on Monday. —PHOTO BY HANIF SINDHI

RAJASTHAN: JECRC University, Jaipur becomes the first centre of the Excellence of Salesforce in Rajsthan to help the students to gain real-world insight to tackle all the complex challenges in the CRM domain. The Deputy Director, Industry Interference, Manish Jain shared that the enterprise is a cloud computing leader with over 1.5 lakh customers. Salesforce will strengthen the thriving local tech ecosystem by providing 6 months of training to 120 children of B-Tech and MBA.

GUJARAT: A girl enjoys the rain in Ahmedabad as she takes a walk covered with a layer of plastic to provide protection against —PHOTO BY HANIF SINDHI the weather.