First India-Ahmedabad Edition-11 June 2020

OUR EDITIONS: JAIPUR & AHMEDABAD

CORONA

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ALERT AHMEDABAD l THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 2020 l Pages 12 l 3.00

COVID-19 UPDATE

WORLD

4,15,812 DEATHS

MAHARASHTRA 3,438 DEATHS 94,041 CASES

73,89,280 CONFIRMED CASES

TAMIL NADU 326 DEATHS 36,841 CASES

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RNI NO. GUJENG/2019/16208 l Vol 1 l Issue No. 196

8,106 DEATHS

INDIA

2,86,798

CONFIRMED CASES

DELHI 984 DEATHS 32,810 CASES

GUJARAT

1,347 DEATHS

RAJASTHAN 259 DEATHS 11,600 CASES

Hope Floats...

21,554

CONFIRMED CASES

UTTAR PRADESH 321 DEATHS 11,610 CASES

D

ealing with the unforeseen challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has taken a significant toll on people all across the world and we Indians, are no exception. After a contraction in the current financial year, India’s economy is forecast to bounce back with a sharp growth rate of 9.5 per cent next year provided it avoids further deterioration in financial sector health, Fitch Ratings says.As India still looks at a potential peak of coronavirus sometime in the near future, the number of recoveries in the country surpassed the number of active coronavirus cases on Wednesday, according to data released by Union Ministry of Health. So, as we bravely battle the challenges, which the COVID-19 has thrown upon us, these beautiful butterflies perched upon the flowers, deliver a message of hope and positivity amid this period of crisis, saying, ‘this too shall pass...’

Butterflies sit on flowers at Krishnanagar in Nadia district of West Bengal, Wednesday. —PHOTO BY PTI

INDIA’S COVID-19 RECOVERIES

SURPASS ACTIVE CASES

While 1,35,205 patients were cured since the outbreak, the number of active coronavirus patients in India stood at 1,33,632 on Wednesday New Delhi: Even as new coronavirus cases in India rise at a daily rate of almost 10,000 per day, Health Ministry figures released on Wednesday, showed that the country had more cured COVID-19 patients than active cases. While 1,35,205 patients were cured from coronavirus since the outbreak, the number of active coronavirus patients in India stood at 1,33,632. Overall recovery rate stood at about 49%.

India’s coronavirus count surged past 2.76 lakh on Wednesday, claiming over 7,500 lives.

According to medical research body, ICMR, over 50 lakh samples have been tested for far for coronavirus while 1.45 lakh samples were tested in the last 24 hours.

Maharashtra remained the worst affected state, reporting

NHRC ISSUES NOTICE TO DELHI GOVT OVER COVID-19 ‘MISMANAGEMENT’ “Met Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Discussed the situation on corona in Delhi in detail. He assured of all cooperation,” Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi CM

A youth walks past a mural honouring the Corona warriors of at Nizamuddin in New Delhi on Wednesday. —PHOTO BY PTI New Delhi: The National Human Rights Commission has issued notices to the Delhi government & the union government on a complaint by senior Congress leader Ajay Maken alleging 70% of beds in Delhi hospitals are lying unused while coronavirus patients are being turned away.

NHRC says that Ajay Maken has provided data along with his complaint to cite the ‘difficulties’ faced by Covid-19 patients in Delhi, which if true, highlights the ‘inappropriate’ behavior of the authorities. The national rights body has directed the central Delhi government officials to consult & file a comprehensive report within 10 days.

over 90,000 cases. The state added 2,259 COVID-19 cases in last 24 hours. On the brighter

side, nearly 47% of COVID-19 patients in the state were recovered from the infection.

Punjab registered one of the highest recovery rates in India.

Nearly 80% of coronavirus patients were recovered in the state. There was 497 active COVID-19 patients in Punjab while 2,167 were cured from the infection.

Timely detection of coronavirus cases and stringent lockdown measures were the two reasons behind this high number of recovered patients, the health ministry stated earlier.

Turn on P6

Indian economy to grow at 9.5% in next fiscal, say Fitch Ratings New Delhi: After a contraction in the current financial year, India’s economy is forecast to bounce back with a sharp growth rate of 9.5 % next year provided it avoids further deterioration in financial sector health, Fitch Ratings said on Wednesday.

The coronavirus pandemic will lead to

shrinking of the already slowing economy in 2020-21 that started in April. Fitch Ratings forecast a 5 % contrac-

tion in the GDP in the ongoing financial year.

“The pandemic has drastically weakened India’s growth outlook and laid bare the challenges caused by a high public-debt burden,” Fitch Ratings said in its APAC Sovereign Credit Overview released on Wednesday.

Turn on P6

ED retrieves jewels worth `1,350 cr owned by Nirav Modi, Choksi firms New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday said it had brought back 108 entities belonging to Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi including polished diamonds, silver jewellery and pearls worth Rs 1,350 crore of declared value from Hong Kong.

“Value of these goods have been declared to be Rs 1,350 crores (approx).

These valuables include

Nirav Modi

Mehul Choksi

polished diamonds, pearls, pearl and silver jewelry etc. and were kept in the godown of a

logistics company in Hong Kong,” an official statement from the agency said. Turn on P6

China, India trying to ‘ease’ border situation Beijing: China said on Wednesday that Indian and Chinese troops have started implementing the “positive consensus” reached by the senior military officials of the two countries on June 6 aimed at “easing” the situation along the borders.

The Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, Hua Chunying ‘s remarks came a day after officials in New Delhi suggested that armies of India and China have undertaken a “limited disengagement” in few areas in eastern Ladakh in a demonstration of their intent to end the border standoff peacefully ahead of another round of military talks on Wednesday.

Asked about the troops on both sides moving back to their previous positions, Chunying told that both sides are taking steps to ease the situation along the borders. Turn on P6

BJP using carrot and stick to get us to resign, say Cong MLAs RULING PARTY ALLEGEDLY OFFERED BRIBES, THREATENED OPPOSITION COUNTERPARTS WITH BUSINESS, POLITICAL RUIN Gargi Raval Ahmedabad: With eight Congress MLAs tendering their resignations from the party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) seems primed for a win in the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections

on June 19. However, allegations against BJP party members have surfaced, according to which, Congress MLAs have received ultimatums and threats of business and political ruin for not supporting them.

According to a law-

Congress South Gujarat MLAs at Valsad farm with local leader Gaurav Pandya.

maker from Vansda, Navsari district, the BJP has allegedly been pressuring Congress MLAs to resign from their posts. “On June 6, I had received a call from a BJP leader who offered me money to resign from the Congress party. He asked that I work with him on development projects in the tribal belt,” said Anant Patel, MLA Vansda.

He also stated that the caller had informed him that he

was speaking on behalf of the Navsari BJP president. “I am not the only one to receive such an offer.

There are many MLAs who have mining and hotel businesses. They have been warned to surrender to the BJP or face dire consequences,” he said.

Abdasa MLA Pradyumansinh Jadeja who defected from the party in March was reportedly a victim of harassment by the BJP. “Jade-

ja ran a logistics business and had a few trucks working at the port. The BJP stalled his business which adversely affected his livelihood. How can one hope to provide for his family without money?” one source in Kutch told First India.

“The BJP is trying to exploit the MLAs by offering them money, and then ruining their businesses if they do not comply. Bavaku Undhad, Turn on P6

NEWS AHMEDABAD | THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 2020

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GIVEN THE NUMBER OF CRIMINAL CASES AGAINST HIM, THE NCP MLA CANNOT AFFORD TO LOCK HORNS WITH THE BJP, EVEN IT MEANS GOING AGAINST HIS PARTY’S MANDATE

WHY WOULD KANDHAL VOTE FOR CONGRESS? First India Bureau

Gandinagar: Perhaps the Congress has never heard the saying, “Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”

The Nationalist Congress Party’s (NCP’s) Jayant Patel and Kandhal Jadeja both chose the BJP candidate over Congress stalwart Ahmed Patel in the 2017 Rajya Sabha elections. So, why is the Congress enthused by the NCP’s mandate to its sole MLA, Khandhal Jadeja, to vote for a Congress candidate in the Rajya Sabha polls slat-

ed for June 19?

Why is this time likely to be any different?

The Congress seems to think that Jadeja cannot vote against the mandate, since doing so will disqualify

his vote, rendering it useless to the BJP as well. However, the Congress has not considered that the NCP MLA cannot afford to lock horns with the ruling party. Given the number of criminal cases against him, it is likely that he would rather have his vote disqualified than be arrested, or exiled from the state for voting for a Congress candidate.

Jadeja had once told his close associate that he was able to make the deal with the ruling party after a lot of trouble. As long as he worked against the ruling party, he was kept behind bars or exiled from Gujarat by the courts--both of which affected his home life adversely. He eventually learned his lesson, the story goes, and sided the ruling party to buy peace for the family.

CHOOSING SIDES s recently as March this year, Jadeja was summoned for a Aclosed-door meeting with Minis-

ter of State for Home Pradipsinh Jadeja. When he emerged later, the NCP MLA told the media that he

Kandhal Jadeja

would vote for BJP candidates. So, unless NCP chief Sharad Pawar has personally ensured Kandhal Jadeja protection from harassment by the ruling party, the Congress might be counting its chickens way before they are hatched.

LoP Paresh Dhanani on a survey of constituencies First India Bureau Ahmedabad: Post the defection of eight MLAs from the Congress party since March, the leader of opposition Paresh Dhanani on Wednesday visited Gadhada in Botad district to conduct a survey of the people. As many as 18 MLAs of the Congress party held a protest at Gadhada.

Notably, Pravin Maru (Gadhada MLA) and JV Kakadia (Dhari MLA) had resigned in March. Dhanani met with party supporters and other citizens to get a sense of the ground-level reality of the defectors.

Meanwhile, posters were erected against the defectors banning their entry in a few villages of Saurashtra.

One of the posters in Jetpur village of Morbi constituency read,

As recently as March this year, Jadeja was summoned for a closeddoor meeting with Minister of State for Home Pradipsinh Jadeja.

When he emerged later, the NCP MLA told the media that he would vote for BJP candidates.

So, unless NCP chief Sharad Pawar has personally ensured Kandhal Jadeja protection from harassment by the ruling party, the Congress might be counting its chickens way before they are hatched.

Tushar Chaudhary

“The one who has insulted people’s mandate, defector and traitor of the society Brijesh Merja should not enter this village.”

“It was a symbolic protest as announced on June 4. The people of these constituencies do not have a leader. In wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, we just wanted to ask people about their grievances and provide solutions,” asserted Dhanani.

Paresh Dhanani

The leaders will travel to Khambha, Dhari, and Bagasra in Amreli district on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Patidar leader Hardik Patel also held a meeting with Congress supporters and party members along with Dhanani. He said that the party is confident about winning both seats in the Rajya Sabha. “There are two BJP MLAs from Sabarkantha and Vadodara who

Hardik Patel

are in touch with Congress. We will garner their support in the Rajya Sabha election.

No other Congress MLA will defect now,” said Patel.

Tushar Chaudhary, a Congress leader from South Gujarat, said that BJP often used this trick from its handbook to lure opposition leaders.

“They are using names of other defectors and asking us to join their party,” he said.

RS mandate: For cocky NCP it’s lock kiya jay First India Bureau Ahmedabad: The state unit of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), or at its president Jayant Patel, seems to think that it now has leverage over the Congress party. After his party gave its sole MLA Kandhal Jadeja the mandate to vote for the Congress in the upcoming Rajya Sabha polls, Patel has begun to talk of an alliance with the grand old party in the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections.

This level of conceit and confidence is interesting given that the Congress has never agreed to share seats with NCP in the Lok Sabha elections. In the Assembly polls, too, the maximum it has given the NCP is two seats: Umreth for Patel and Kutiyana for Jade-

ja. Patel has been been involved in state politics for more than two decades and has headed the party’s state unit for a long time. So none of this is news to him.

Yet, on Wednesday, he stated that the NCP would contest Assembly and Lok Sabha elections with its “old ally”: the Congress. The Congress needs the NCP’s support in the Rajya Sabha election and, having promised this support, Patel is now looking to leverage it.

However, he must realise that his any success his party has seen in the state h a s been

due to the personal image and grassroots network of individual politicians, rather than the party itself.

Eventually, though, the ball will lie in the court of the Congress party and how much it is willing to compromise for the sake of one vote.

Jayant Patel

BJP cadre committed, not like fence-seaters Cong: Pandya First India Bureau Ahmedabad: Bharatiya Janata Party’s spokesman Bharat Pandya has rubbished claims from “deluded” Congress party leaders that they are in touch with BJP MLAs looking to defect.

“People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones,” he said, “Congress MLAs quit the party because their leaders didn’t hear their grievances. And now the same leaders claim to be in touch with BJP MLAs.” He also said, “It is hilarious that Congress leaders don’t know that BJP is a cadre-based party and that all members are committed to the party ideology. In the BJP, all are respected, so Congress should come out of its delusion that it can win over BJP MLAs.” Pandya further alleged that the Congress party does not

Bharatiya Janata Party’s spokesman Bharat Pandya.

trust its MLAs and is unable to keep them together and they are accusing of BJP trying to lure such MLAs. “Even after so many resignations, Congress leaders are not ready to understand that MLAs have got fed up of them and are resigning from the party because of their internal fight and groupism. The BJP doesn’t need to

lure anyone or offer anyone anything. If someone is keen to accept the party’s ideology, the BJP will always welcome workers and leaders with open arms,” he stated.

He also lashed out at the opposition party for “hiding its MLAs--instead of working in the interest of the state and people--when the state government is busy addressing the pandemic”.

—FILE PHOTO

Criticizing the Congress party’s “false allegations and defamatory propaganda”, Pandya said the party is “run by a foreigner” and has “no right to make baseless allegations”.

Further, he alleged: “The party has no base and no future.

So, for the sake of survival, its leaders are indulging in mudslinging.”

GUJARAT AHMEDABAD | THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 2020

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reports help state, Surat death toll nears 100, ‘Late’ AMC hide real numbers A’bad mortality rate at 7% Gargi Raval

24 hours: 510 cases, 34 dead Total: 21,554 cases, 1,347 dead across the state First India Bureau Gandhinagar: The death toll in Surat, the second worst-hit city in the state after Ahmedabad, is fast approaching 100.

With two more fatalities being reported in the past 24 hours, Surat has now witnessed 91 deaths. However, the mortality rate is 3.6%, far behind Ahmedabad city’s 7.2%. Even the rural parts of Ahmedabad district have a mortality rate of 7%.

According to the state health bulletin, Ahmedabad now has 15,305 cases. However, as on Wednesday, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation puts the total at 14,527 cases in the city while the District Panchayat’s statement says that are 460 cases. This leaves a mismatch of 318 cases the data from the state and the local bodies.

CM’S YOGA DAY

Another patient has fled from the Samras Hostel COVID-care centre in Ahmedabad. —FILE PHOTO

The AMC website says there are 3,049 active cases in the city, which has seen 1,047 patients dying while under treatment.

Ahmedabad’s rural areas saw 22 new cases, including five from Mandal and four each from Daskroi, Dholka and Sanand talukas.

With two more fatalities, the region’s death toll is now 30.

HC bans GHCAA prez meetings, resolutions First India Bureau Ahmedabad: The state high court on Tuesday ordered Gujarat High Court Advocates’ Association (GHCAA) president Yatin Oza to refrain from conducting any meetings or passing resolutions.

The court has initiated suo moto against Oza for the remarks he made against the sitting judge of the court and also its registry. The court also issued a notice to Oza asking him to file a response before June 16, when the matter has been kept for further hearing.

A high court division bench comprising Justice Sonia Gokani and Justice NV Anjaria initiated contempt of court proceedings against Oza for his scathing remarks against the court. In its order, the court has effectively prohibited

Oza from making “any scandalous remarks, circulating any material or communicating directly or indirectly either himself or through others in relation to the subject matter of the contempt.”

The HC also noted that the suo moto contempt proceeding had to be initiated in wake of “an extremely unfortunate and absolutely unpalatable event.” Oza had questioned the functioning of the high court, its administration, and the registry in his capacity as the office bearer of the GHCAA. It stated that daily approximately 7,0008,000 people are found on the high court campus, therefore its physical functioning needed to be halted.

As per the court, Oza levelled false and contemptuous allegations of corruption, malpractices against the administration of the high court.

University police have registered a case against a COVID-19 patient who ran away from the Samras Hostel in Ahmedabad. This is the second such case to come out of the COVID-care centre in recent times. Similarly, in Bhavnagar, two patients fled from an isolation ward. They had been

put there after being arrested for bootlegging, and escaped on Tuesday night.

Twelve persons with a travel history to Ahmedabad have tested positive; four in Rajkot and eight in Bhavnagar.

They have admitted in the isolation ward of the Rajkot and Bhavnagar civil hospital, respectively.

Surat has reported 66

new cases, 55 of which have been witnessed in the city.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has announced a week-long social media campaign aimed at better preparing the people in their fight against Sars-CoV-2. To this end, Corona Yoga Day will be celebrated on June 21.

Ahmedabad: The COVID-19 outbreak has brought its share of chaos and uncertainty that has affected both the government as well as citizens. The health crisis seems to have taken a toll on the state health department and local civic body Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC). So much so, that it takes at least a week’s time for a positive COVID-19 case to reflect in the health report issued by the state health department and local civic body.

On June 2, a senior media professional had tested positive for novel coronavirus but, his name appeared in the health report listed as a positive case exactly a week later on June 9.

Similarly, the case of a BJP councillor who was a positive patient at SVP Hospital was only reflected a few days later after his admission to the hospital.

As of June 10, the of-

Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation.

It takes at least a week for a COVID-19 case to reflect in official health reports ficial website of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation mentioned that the total number of positive cases in Ahmedabad stood at 14,527 while 10,431 patients had recovered from the virus. And, until Wednesday, there were around 3,049 active cases in the city.

Leader of the Opposition Paresh Dhanani said that the government failed to tackle the COVID-19 outbreak and handled the situation

—FILE PHOTO

ineffectively. “Not a single lockdown was helpful to the people or the administration.

The government failed to provide proper infrastructure and healthcare facilities. Now, the virus has spread everywhere,” he stated.

“There are many positive cases across the state which can be traced back to Ahmedabad. The situation here is scary and yet there is data manipulation. Moreover, not a single district or city has a quarantine facility to keep patients for 14 days. The government is discharging patients within two or three days,” added Dhanani.

die in mudslide at With steady rains, water level in 2Surat diamond bourse Narmada dam rises 1m in 24 hrs First India Bureau

First India Bureau Ahmedabad: The Sardar Sarovar Dam on the Narmada river saw an overnight increase of 1m in its water level, fed by an influx from the upper stream. The water level is now at 126.37m, just 11.31m shy of its full reservoir level of 138.68m.

The rise follows good rainfall in some places in the state over the past 24 hours.

The weatherman said heavy rainfall occurred at isolated places in Saurashtra, at Bhavnagar, Rajkot, Amreli, Dwarka, and Junagadh.

The Met department has forecast light to moderate rains in Ahmedabad on Wednesday night due to an upper air cyclonic circulation over South Gujarat and adjoining the South-east

—FILE PHOTO

The Sardar Sarovar Dam.

TALUKA-LEVEL RAIN IN 24 HOURS (MM)

Arabian sea between 2.1 and 5.8 km above mean sea level.

The next five days are likely to bring thunderstorms and

lightning in some pockets of the state, according to a weather warning issued by the Met department.

These are very likely

to be accompanied by gusty winds of 3040kmph in many places in all the districts of the state, including Saurashtra and at isolated places in Kutch. More heavy rains are very likely at isolated places in the districts of the South Gujarat region namely Navsari, Surat, Bharuch, and Vadodara and in the districts of Saurashtra.

Surat: Two workers died in a mudslide at the Khajod Diamond Bourse in Surat after being forced to level the sewers despite the inclement weather, and a lack of safety equipment. The Khatodara Police have registered a case against the engineer and the supervisor who ordered the work to be carried out.

The deceased, identified as Ashok Ravindrabhai Yadav (20) and Rahul Ramsoch Rajbhar (25), lived in Labour Colony and worked as labourers in Diamond Bourse at Khajod. They, alongside six others, were levelling the pit dug for the gutter line late on Monday evening, when the mudslide occurred. The other six labourers were rescued, but Ashok and Rahul were crushed to death.

The police have registered a case against

Eight labourers were trapped, of which six were rescued.

Varun Patel, an engineer of sub-contract company Ashir Engineer, and Kanu Rathore, a supervisor, for negligence.

A relative of Rahul’s, who works on the same project, said, “The company was working in the rain to get the work done early. Workers were lowered into a five-footdeep pit without any safety equipment. As a result, Rahul and Ashok have lost their lives. Rahul’s family was dependent on him. Who will take care of them now?”

There have been eight accidental deaths since the Diamond Bourse project began.

Earthly precautions herald divine arrival amid pandemic Even as the Rath at the Jagannath temple received a coat of colour, the bomb squad inspected the chariots, the temple and its surrounding areas on Wednesday in the start of a weeklong exercise ahead of the Rath Yatra on June 23.

—PHOTOS BY NANDAN DAVE

First India Bureau Ahmedabad: With the 143rd edition of the Rath Yatra around the corner, temple trustees have been giving the chariots of Lord Jagan-

nath and his siblings a touch of TLC for the past week or so.

On Wednesday, the chariots received a new coat of colour.

The day also saw security personnel including the bomb

squad inspect the chariots, the temple and its surrounding areas. They are expected to continue this exercise on a daily basis for at least a week.

Earlier this month, temple authorities announced that this

year’s Rath Yatra, to be held on June 23, will be a simpler affair, with no tableaux, trucks, and crowds for the first time in the procession’s long history.

There will just be three chariots, pulled by 30 persons.

PERSPECTIVE AHMEDABAD | THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 2020

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04

INDIA MAY HAVE THE ANSWER IN THE GLOBAL FIGHT AGAINST COVID-19 DINESH SINGH Former Vice Chancellor, University of Delhi

I

Sepsivac was patented in the context of treating sepsis caused by Gram-negative bacterial infections. Such infections result in severe cytokine storms that overwhelm the human body resulting in death.

Sepsivac has proved itself in this context for quite some time both in terms of its efficacy and safety

n the past few days, I have watched with utter helplessness, the raging Covid-19 storm that is affecting nations across the world. Some of the world’s brightest minds and some of its most prestigious institutions are engaged in a bid to create effective treatments for this global scourge. India, as well, has begun to be badly affected by this virus. Fortunately, even as I pen this article, we have comparatively much lower mortality rates and yet there is some cause for concern since the numbers of infected are rising rapidly. I can see that hospitals and governments are beginning to feel the weight of the problem and the strain of tackling the crisis is beginning to affect morale.

And yet, I remain optimistic and also a bit mystified by a very perplexing irony. Let me explain. While the world anxiously awaits a magic bullet cure in the form of a vaccine or some therapeutic drug, India has been sitting on what seems akin to such therapy. I draw attention to the vaccine Sepsivac which is the registered trademark for what is commonly referred to as the Mw vaccine.

I shall attempt to address the matter in a fashion that may help clarify several issues all at once.

Sepsivac was patented in the context of treating sepsis caused by Gram-negative bacterial infections.

Such infections result in severe cytokine storms that overwhelm the human body resulting in death. Sepsivac has proved itself in this context for quite some time both in terms of its efficacy and safety. It has been on the market for treating sepsis through the curbing of cytokine storms. The important point to be noted is that the fatalities in Cov-

id-19 infections also result from cytokine storms. It is thus a matter of simple logic that it should work for the treatment of patients affected by the Coronavirus. This idea occurred to several physicians across India and they acted with wisdom and purpose. This resulted in the Sepsivac vaccine being tried with severely ill Covid-19 patients with their informed consent.

These patients were treated in different parts of India. For instance, four such patients were treated at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGMIER) at Chandigarh. All four of these patients have recovered. The All India Institute of Medical Sciences at Bhopal also had similar results.

As things stand the All Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) at Delhi, the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) at Chandigarh along with some other respectable institutions are in

WHILE THE WORLD ANXIOUSLY AWAITS A MAGIC BULLET CURE IN THE FORM OF A VACCINE OR SOME THERAPEUTIC DRUG, INDIA HAS BEEN SITTING ON WHAT SEEMS AKIN TO SUCH THERAPY. I DRAW ATTENTION TO THE VACCINE SEPSIVAC WHICH IS THE REGISTERED TRADEMARK FOR WHAT IS COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS THE MW VACCINE the process of conducting rigorous clinical trials with this vaccine. As far as I can tell the results are indeed encouraging. It has just been announced that Phase 3 trials are about to commence.

The safety of Sepsivac seems to have been acknowledged through the Phase 1 and 2 trails. My only concern is that if the FDA in the USA could shorten the procedure for approving Remdesivir why can the relevant agencies in India not speed up the approval process for this potentially useful therapy? The state government of Karnataka has been proactive in this regard and it has announced as early as on May 1

that it had put Remdesivir and Sepsivac on the recommended panel of treatments for Covid-19 patients.

Similarly, I have not seen much tangible and proactive movement in the context of the use of the BCG vaccine to fight the Coronavirus. I find that very eminent and senior medical and life scientists in India and many other countries are advocating the use of the BCG vaccine for protecting health workers. Dr. Annie Sparrow, Senior Adviser to the Director-General of the WHO has strongly advocated the use of the BCG vaccine.

She has gone on record to

say that since there is not much by way of fame and other things that shall come out of the use of the BCG vaccine given that it has been around for so much time, it is not much in fashion. The reason why Dr. Sparrow advocates the use of the BCG vaccine is that it is very effective in many kinds of situations in building immunity.

Another very strong reason for the use of the BCG vaccine stems from the fact that in March, four respected medical science researchers at the prestigious University of Texas Medical Centre in Houston conducted a very interesting data-based study.

They discovered that out of the 178 countries afflicted by the Covid-19 virus the death rates were really low in all those countries that had a vigorous BCG vaccination programme. The difference in the death rates was dramatic between those countries that had had a BCG vaccination programme and those that did not have one.

As is well known, India has had a very active BCG vacci-

How the powerful sounds of protest have changed over time

P

rotest has, by default, always been aligned with sound.

It is an action concerned with the amplification of a message – wanting to make sure it is heard.

Over the past 50 years, protesters’ voices have found power in unison.

But activists and onlookers have increasingly been exposed to new sounds – many of which accompany “nonlethal” or “less lethal” weapons that aim to shatter rather than gather the crowd.

RAISE YOUR VOICE Call and response chants, common to street activism, are thought to have their origins in work songs. The Occupy Movement makes use of a technique dubbed

the human microphone – to keep the crowd on-message. In urban environments, chants become further amplified as they bounce off buildings and hard surfaces.

Today, thousands upon thousands of protestors worldwide are saying Black Lives Matter very loudly.

These chanted rhythms - Black Lives Matter; I can’t breathe; Whose streets?

Our streets! No Justice! No Peace!; The People! United!

Will never be divided! – quickly gain momentum.

Some phrases mesh into popular culture through songs. Some songs – like Give Peace a Chance – become iconic chant anthems.

NOISE AS WEAPON Whizzing rubber bullets have been used since the 1970s, when they were deployed by the British in

Northern Ireland during The Troubles. The hiss of tear gas, used for almost 100 years, is familiar to protesters and onlookers.

But technologies intro-

duced in the mid 1990s and developed since have radically reshaped the soundscape of protest.

The weaponisation of sounds is understandable.

Our ears, unlike our eyes, have nothing stopping the entry of stimulus. As a sense, hearing is always available and thus vulnerable.

In the natural world, this is of little consequence, as there are few sounds loud enough to cause lasting damage to our hearing. But with industrialisation has come the capacity to produce sounds that exceed a volume we can hear without causing ourselves damage.

The first non-kinetic weapon widely used against protesters was introduced in North America in 1995. The M-84 stun grenade has also been used with increasing frequency by police agencies in North and South America, Europe, the UK and here in Australia.

Colloquially know as a flash-bang, these devices are used to stun and tempo-

rarily disorient people in their blast radius. This disorientation is effected primarily by an enormous momentary output of sound and intense light.

The Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD) and Medium Range Acoustic Device (MRAD) are even more intimidating. Described as “sound canons”, they are a hyperdirectional speaker, meaning they can direct a beam of sound between 30-60 degrees making it very focused and capable of targeting individuals or small groups of people with great accuracy.

Sound weapons have been widely used in the current wave of Black Lives Matter Protests in North America and during the Ferguson Black Lives Matters protests in 2014 over the shooting of Michael Brown..

FOR FULL REPORT LOG ON TO WWW.THECONVERSATION.COM

nation programme for about 50 years and it is generally agreed that the death rates in India are very, very, low possibly due to the BCG vaccine.

It is thus imperative that India’s regulatory agencies speed up the use of the BCG vaccine to protect health workers and the general citizenry. It must be noted that at no stage am I suggesting that we ignore all requirements of safety. Perhaps we could take a page from the FDA’s procedure for granting speedy approval to Remdesivir. Another thing that India could do is to take a look at the deaths and infections at Dharavi. We could easily check if the BCG vaccine has any significant correlation in these cases. For instance, the patients who had mild cases of the infection should be checked for having been inoculated with the BCG vaccine. This should be contrasted with the patients who succumbed to the virus and it should be checked if these had or not had been inoculated with the BCG vaccine.

THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL

Top

TWEET Dharmendra Pradhan @dpradhanbjp Modernisation of the armed forces has been a top-most priority for the #ModiGovt.

Keeping #IndiaFirstAlways, PM Shri @narendramodi is committed to fulfil every requirement of our forces for the security of our nation.

Piyush Goyal @PiyushGoyal Increasing loading limit to transport double the amount of goods, Railways successfully operates a double stack container train from Palanpur to Botad in Gujarat.

Spiritual SPEAK

Everything that has a beginning has an ending. Make your peace with that and all will be well. —Buddha

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

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05

PM Modi reviews Kedarnath Reconstruction Project

PM Narendra Modi said that the state government should design development projects for holy sites like Kedarnath and Badrinath in a manner that stands the test of time and is yet eco-friendly and in harmony with nature and its surroundings New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday reviewed the Kedarnath Math development and reconstruction project being undertaken by the Uttarakhand government.

In his discussion with Uttarakhand CM Trivendra Singh Rawat and other senior officials via videoconferencing, PM laid out his vision for the recon-

struction of the shrine.

PM Modi said that the state government should design development projects for holy sites like Kedarnath and Badrinath in a manner that stands the test of time and is yet eco-friendly and in harmony with nature and its surroundings.

“Reviewed various aspects relating to the Kedarnath Reconstruc-

Reviewed various aspects relating to the Kedarnath Reconstruction project. Emphasised on redevelopment that is eco-friendly and ensures convenience to pilgrims as well as tourists.

—Narendra Modi, PM

tion project. Emphasised on redevelopment that is eco-friendly and ensures convenience to pilgrims as well as tourists,” PM Modi said in a Twitter post.

“In addition to the redevelopment at Kedarnath, we discussed ways to develop other heritage centres from Ramban to Kedarnath.

The development of centres such as Brahma

Kamal Vatika were also discussed. These efforts will deepen our cultural connect,” the PM said.

Keeping in mind the present situation, PM Modi also suggested that the present construction season could be utilised for completing pending works by proper distribution of labour pools, keeping in mind the norms of social distancing. —ANI

PM Narendra Modi conducted a review of the Kedarnath Math development and reconstruction project with the Uttarakhand state government via VC, in New Delhi on Wednesday.

files money-laundering case NHRC NOTICE TO CENTRE; KEJRI ED against Medanta, Naresh Trehan DISCUSSES CORONA WITH HM COVID-19

Kejriwal, Shah meet, mull over future course of action in Delhi New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday met Union Minister Amit Shah and discussed the coronavirus situation in Delhi which has seen a spurt in new cases in recent days. “He assured of all cooperation,” Kejriwal tweeted.

The meeting, at Shah’s residence, came a day after Kejriwal tested negative for coronavirus after he went into selfisolation at his home following a bout of fever and throat pain. Sources close to CM said he is doing better now and does

Gandhi Hosp docs protest after kin of patient attacks colleague Hyderabad: Junior doctors at Hyderabad’s state-run Covid-19 facility at Gandhi Hospital have been sitting on protest since Tuesday after a colleague was attacked by kin of a patient.

A junior doctor was assaulted by relatives of a 55-year-old coronavirus patient who died at the hospital on Tuesday.

The incident triggered protest by doctors who demanded additional security to prevent such incidents. The doctors have been sitting on the road, holding placards and shouting slogans.

Nearly 100 junior doctors staged a protest since Tuesday midnight with flashlights of their mobile phones. —Agencies

22 TERRORISTS, INCLUDING 8 TOP COMMANDERS, KILLED IN 15 DAYS New Delhi: Twenty-two terrorists, including 8 top commanders, have been killed in the last 15 days in Jammu and Kashmir by security forces, sources said. According to sources, soon after Eid festival operations were stepped up with more vigour focussing on top terror leadership. “This has lead to terrorists being

—FILE PHOTO

New Delhi: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued notices to the Government of NCT of Delhi and Union Health & Family Welfare Ministry on a complaint making serious allegations about the difficulties being faced by the general public in Delhi, due to non-availability of beds in the hospitals for COVID-19 patients and inadequate number of tests,leading to a grim state of affairs and mismanagement and resulting in death of a large number of people, legal news website LiveLaw.in has reported.

The Commission has observed that the complainant, Ajay Maken, Ex-President, Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee, has not come up with mere allegations; rather he has made apparent sincere efforts to provide data in support of his complaint, which if true, raise serious issue of inappropriate approach of the government agencies towards the plight of the general public amounting to a serious issue of violation of human rights. —Agencies

neutralised without any collateral damage,” sources added. ISJK commander Adil Ahmad Wani and LeT cadre Shaheen Ahmad Thoker were killed on May 25 at Khud Hanjipora Kulgam while HM commander Parvaiz Ahmad Pandith and JeM commander Shakir Ahmed Itoo were neutralised on May 30 at Wanpora Kulgam.

A medic collects swab sample of a suspected COVID-19 patient for a test at a government hospital, during the ongoing nationwide lockdown, in New Delhi on Wednesday.

not have fever. The meeting also follows a clash between Aam Aadmi Party government and LG Anil Baijal who represents the centre.

Baijal on Monday

struck down an order by the Delhi government to reserve hospital beds for residents and allow tests for only people with coronavirus symptoms.—Agencies

‘Delhi L-G Baijal’s orders to be implemented’

New Delhi: Underscoring that it is not the time for disagreements, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday said Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal’s decision to not reserve hospitals exclusively for Delhi residents for Covid-19 treatment will be followed in ‘letter and spirit’. “L-G’s directives will be implemented in letter and spirit, this is not the time for disagreements or arguments,” said CM Kejriwal, who tested negative for coronavirus yesterday.

On Monday, L-G Baijal overruled AAP government’s decision to reserve hospitals, except those run by centre, for Delhi residents.

The state government’s decision to test only those showing symptoms of Covid-19 was also overturned, allowing asymptomatic cases and high-risk contacts of a virus patient to be tested. —Agencies

New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a moneylaundering case against Medanta Hospital, its chairman Dr. Naresh Trehan and unknown Haryana government officers for alleged irregularities in the allotment of land to the hospital in 2004, people familiar with the development said on Wednesday.

ED’s PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act) case is based on a Gurugram Police’s first information report (FIR) filed in the matter on June 6 that named Dr. Trehan; his organisation Global Health Pvt Ltd; Atul Punj of Punj Llyod; and Sunil Sachdeva and Anant Jain, two officers of Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP), among others on the orders of a Gurugram civil court.

An RTI (right to information) activist, Raman Sharma, had filed a public interest litigation (PIL) in the matter in the Gurugram civil court of additional district and sessions Judge Ashwani Kumar, citing irregularities and corruption for laundering money.

The Medanta hospital authorities have de-

Dr Naresh Trehan

nied the allegations as “false, baseless and motivated”.

The case pertains to the allotment of a plot of land to the hospital in 2004. The Haryana government, through HSVP, allotted 53 acres of land in Gurugram’s Sector 38 along the Delhi-Jaipur road (NH-48) for the development of The Medicity.

An official statement

by Medanta Hospital authorities on Gurugram Police’s FIR said: “This complaint has been filed by a person, who claims to be an RTI activist. However, it has been reported in the press that he has had an FIR for extortion registered against him. All the allegations in this

complaint are completely false, baseless, and motivated.”

Sharma had alleged that Medanta, in connivance with government officials, obtained pecuniary advantage as “land meant for institutional purposes was used for pure commercial, speculative and self-service purposes”, and several acres of land were allotted at undervalued rates.

Sharma also alleged that the accused obtained occupational certificates based on misrepresentation, as there was no area on the premises that was allocated for medical and paramedical education, as advertised. —Agencies

Assam fire: Two firefighters found dead near oil well Guwahati: Two firefighters of Oil India Ltd who had been missing were found dead at a wetland near the site of a massive oil well fire in Assam, officials said today. The oil well in upper Assam's Tinsukia district that has been leaking gas for 14 days caught fire on Tuesday. The fire was so intense that it could

be seen from as far as 10 km away.

“Their bodies were recovered from a wetland near the site. Prima facie it looks that they jumped in the water and got drowned as there is no mark of burn injury. The exact cause will be ascertained only after a post mortem,” Oil India spokesperson Tridiv

NEVER SAID CORONA EXPRESS: MAMATA PARRIES SHAH ATTACK Kolkata: Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has finally ended her silence on the ‘Corona Express’ remark which BJP’s Amit Shah attributed to her during his virtual rally two days ago. The coinage, which targeted the special trains for migrant labourers, would bring about her political downfall, he had said. On Wednesday, CM issued a rejoinder.

“I never said Corona Express. I said the public is saying it. You can see my original statement. I said the public said,” said Banerjee, who has been at loggerheads with the Centre over the migrant trains.

Smoke billows from a fire at Baghjan oil field.

Hazarika said.

Officials said the fire has been contained in a

50-metre radius around the site of the incident, but it is still burning as

5 TERRORISTS KILLED IN ENCOUNTER IN JAMMU AND KASHMIR’S SHOPIAN New Delhi: Five terrorists were killed in a gunbattle between the security forces and terrorists at a village in Jammu and Kashmir’s Shopian district on Wednesday. The encounter began around 1.30 am when Army Police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) began an operation on specific input about

presence of militants in the village. These terrorists were believed to be trapped inside a house in Sugoo village, according to police. This is the third encounter in Shopian district since Sunday.

Fourteen militants have already been killed in these encounters. More details are awaited.

the oil well continues to feed gas.

Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal has briefed PM Narendra Modi on the situation and the action taken by the state government. “The fire has now been confined to an area of 50 metres.

Experts believe that they need around 25-28 days to control the situation. We have success-

fully evacuated people from that area. PM Modi has assured full assistance to the state,” Sonowal said.

The Indian Air Force is involved in firefighting operations, while the Army is helping the NDRF and the local authorities in rescue and relief work after the state government requested for help. —Agencies

JAMA MASJID MAY CLOSE AGAIN IN VIEW OF SPIKE IN CASES New Delhi: The authorities at the historical Jama Masjid mosque in central Delhi, which opened on June 8, are mulling closing the mosque for some more time looking at the spike in the number of COVID-19 cases. The development comes a day after Jama Masjid Shahi Imam Syed Ahmed Bukhari’s secretary Amantullah passed away at Safdarjung hospital on Tuesday due to COVID-19. “I have asked the people to share their views to close the mosque in view of the number of COVID-19 cases and fatalities,” Bukhari said on Wednesday.

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Rahul questions Modi’s silence New Delhi: Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday once again attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his silence over the India-China standoff. Gandhi has been demanding a statement on the current situation at the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh.

“The Chinese have walked in and taken our territory in Ladakh.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister is absolutely silent and has vanished from the scene,” Rahul Gandhi tweeted.

His remarks came a day after he traded barbs with the Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. On Monday, Rajnath Singh responded to former Congress chief jibe at Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The Wayanad MP on Tuesday questioned the government on Chinese intrusion in India.

“Once RM (Defence Minister) is done commenting on the hand symbol, can he answer: Have the Chinese occupied Indian territory in Ladakh?” Rahul Gandhi questioned in a tweet.

His remarks were in

DIGVIJAYA SINGH COMPLAINS OF FAKE TWITTER ACCOUNT

Rahul acting in immature manner on India-China issue: Retd Lt Gen RN Singh New Delhi: Retired Lieutenant General RN Singh on Wednesday slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his “immature statement” on the India-China border issue.

“Rahul Gandhi's statement is totally out of tune from reality.

Rahul Gandhi should know that these are very secretive things and cannot be divulged to the public. He should have supported the

Rahul Gandhi’s statement is totally out of tune from reality.

Rahul Gandhi should know that these are very secretive things and cannot be divulged to the public.

—RN Singh, Retired Lieutenant General

government. The public will know about the end results. Rahul Gandhi should support the government. He seems to be an immature and insensible person. Eve-

rything was resolved peacefully and both governments will find a long term solution,” Retd Lt Gen Singh told ANI. RN Singh further said that China esca-

ANAMIKA SHUKLA CASE

AMRAPALI CASE

Brahmins being targeted: Cong New Delhi: After it came to light that the real Anamika Shukla was still unemployed and her documents had been misused by the culprits who were being identified, the Congress on Wednesday attacked UP CM Yogi Adityanath, saying that the Brahmins in the state were being tagetted.

CWC member Jitin Prasada in a statement said, “Why Brahmins are subjected to injustice in the Yogi government, first Anamika Shukla

ALLEGATIONS

Jitin Prasada

was deprived of job despite being eligible and then targeted and ma-

ligned. She should be immediately given a job.”

He has alleged that

there is bias against the community and said, “In the Yogi government many Brahmins have been killed with no action taken by the government and during lockdown too the Brahmins were murdered.”

Prasada alleged, “While it has become a fashion to degrade community and Brahmins are being targetted for all the wrong reasons in the state, even in those incidents where Brahmins are not responsible.”

An AN-32 transport aircraft of the Indian Air Force has carried out a successful landing at Chinyalisaur airstrip on Wednesday.

Allow banks to disburse loans to home buyers: SC

Mumbai: The BSE Sensex surged 290 points on Wednesday following gains in index heavyweights Reliance Industries, HDFC and ICICI Bank amid persistent foreign fund inflows. After hitting an intra-day peak of 34,350.17, the 30-share benchmark settled 290.36 points, or 0.86 per cent, higher at 34,247.05. —PTI

New Delhi: In a relief to Amrapali homebuyers, the Supreme Court on Wednesday directed Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to allow banks to release sanctioned loans to home buyers notwithstanding their account being non-performing assets (NPAs).

A bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra issued the directions after observing that the construction of the housing projects had come to a standstill due to lack of funds. Advocate ML Lahoty, the lawyer of the homebuyers, said that this direction will also generate substantial funds and expedite completion of projects by the National Buildings Construction Corporation (NBCC).

Construction of Amrapali's stalled projects is being handled by the NBCC. The apex court also allowed the sale of balance floor area ratio (FAR) through the court

receiver. Permission to deal with the sale of FAR and other properties of Amrapali was sought by the court.

The court said that the unused floor area ratio shall be 2.75 and not 3.5 and added that if there is an increase in FAR, it shall be decided by the authorities, namely Noida and Greater Noida.

The apex court passed the verdict after hearing a plea filed by several homebuyers claiming that they did not get their flats in due time as promised by the real estate company – Amrapali. —ANI

the borders, the spokesperson said.

Military sources in New Delhi said the two armies have begun “disengagement” around patrolling points 14 and 15 in Galwan Valley and another in the Hot Spring area, adding the Chinese side has even moved back up to 1.5 km in two areas.

Indian and Chinese troops have been engaged since May 5 following a violent clash in Pangong Tso. The trigger for the face-off was China’s stiff opposition to India laying a key road in the Finger area around the

Pangong Tso Lake besides construction of another road connecting the Darbuk-Shayok-Daulat Beg Oldie road in Galwan Valley.

During their military-level talks on June 6, India and China agreed to follow the broad decisions taken by their leaders in the Wuhan summit in 2018 to ensure peace and tranquillity along the Line of Actual Control..

The India-China border dispute covers the 3,488-km-long LAC. China claims Arunachal Pradesh as part of southern Tibet while India contests it. —PTI

india’s COVID-19...

India imposed a nationwide lockdown in the last week of March to contain the coronavirus spread in the country.

Soumya Swaminathan, WHO’s chief scientist, noting India has a population of 1.3 billion, said that the 200,000 reported cases, “look big but for a country of this size it’s still modest”.

Globally, total number of COVID-19 cases has surpassed 72 lakh while death toll has crossed 4 lakh. India has the fifth highest number of coronavirus cases after the US, Brazil, Russia, and the UK. —ANI

SENSEX SURGES 290 PTS; NIFTY RECLAIMS 10,100 LEVEL

SUCCESSFUL LANDING

lated the issue on the Ladakh border to divert the world's attention from the defamation it has been subject to due to the corona crisis. —ANI

response to Singh's jibe at the Congress after Rahul Gandhi raised questions over the issue of border dispute with China. “Haath me dard ho to dawa kije, haath hi jab dard ho to kya kije (You apply medicine to the hand when it pains, but what to do when the hand itself is the cause of pain),” Rajnath Singh said in tweet in reply to the Congress leader.

The back and forth between the two parties started on June 3, when Rahul Gandhi questioned the central government over a military stand-off with China in Ladakh. He had tweeted: “Can the government of India please confirm that no Chinese soldiers have entered India?”

India and China have started the process of deescalation at the Line of Actual Control with withdrawal of troops, guns and combat vehicles from three standoff positions in eastern Ladakh, sources said.

India's bone of contention of Chinese troops built up at Finger Four would be resolved eventually, they said. —IANS

06

POWER Gallery WILL V K SINGH BE DG CIVIL DEFENCE & HOME GUARDS IN GOI?

Outgoing DGP of Madhya Pradesh V K Singh is set to move to the Government of India in a month or two. 1984 batch IPS officer of MP cadre Singh is likely to be posted as DG Fire Services, Civil Defence and Home Guards.

RAJ KUMAR ARORA APPOINTED MEMBER (FIN), ORDNANCE FACTORY BOARD

Raj Kumar Arora has been appointed Member (Finance), Ordnance Factory Board (OFB), Kolkata. He is a 1990 batch IDAS officer.

DR. JORAM BEDA GOES ON INTER CADRE DEPUTATION TO ASSAM-MEGHALAYA

The inter cadre transfer of Dr. Joram Beda from Punjab to Assam-Meghalaya cadre has been approved. He is a 2008 batch IAS officer of Punjab cadre.

MS INDHU VIJAYAN GOES ON INTER CADRE DEPUTATION TO KERALA

The inter cadre deputation of Ms lndhu Vijayan from AGMUT to Kerala cadre has been approved for a period of three years on personal grounds.

She is a 2010 batch IFS officer of AGMUT cadre.

ICD PERIOD OF MS MAYA N TO KERALA EXTENDED

The inter cadre deputation tenure of Ms Maya N to Kerala cadre has been extended for a period of two years beyond August 19, 2020. She is a 2010 batch IFS officer of Manipur cadre.

RAMTEKE APPOINTED ED, TRIFED

Anil Ramteke has been appointed ED, TRIFED in the Ministry of Tribal Affairs. He is an IRS (C&CE) officer of 2001 batch who has been selected for five years on deputation basis. He is presently posted in Custom Zone, Guwahati.

JAIDEEP BHATNAGAR TO OFFICIATE AS PR DG, PIB

During the absence of K S Dhatwalia, Principal DG, Jaideep Bhatnagar shall officiate as Principal DG, Press Information Bureau (PIB).

He is presently posted as OSD, Air News. He is an IIS officer.

RAJENDRA CHAUDHARI IN RACE FOR CMD, HUDCO

Rajendra Chaudhari, Director Commercial, NBCC, appears to be strong contender for the post of Chairman-cum-Managing Director, Housing & Urban Development Corporation Limited (HUDCO).

ADG, NIGAM COMPLETES TENURE IN PRASAR BHARTI

Group Captain Ashok Nigam, ADG in Prasar Bharati, has completed his deputation tenure.

He is on tenure leave till August 8, 2020. After that he will report to his parent department Vayu Bhawan.

ANSHUMAN SHARMA IS GOVT NOMINEE ON IDBI BANK BOARD

The Central Government has nominated Anshuman Sharma, Director, Ministry of Finance on the Board of IDBI Bank.

ABHISHEK SWAMI POSTED AS GM, NHSRCL, NEW DELHI

Abhishek Swami, presently posted as CPM/ AR, Northern Railway has been selected for deputation to NHSRCL as General Manager (Resource Mobilisation), New Delhi. He is an IRAS officer.

RADM ATUL ANAND JOINS AS DY COMMANDANT, NDA

Rear Admiral Atul Anand VSM has assumed charge as Deputy Commandant and Chief Instructor of National Defence Academy, Pune.

MAJ GEN V K TRIPATHI ASSUMES CHARGE AS GOC WEST MP SUB AREA

Major General V K Tripathi has assumed charge as GoC of Bhopal-based West MP Sub Area.

FROM PG 1 BJP using... who was once a bigwig leader from Saurashtra, was forced to join BJP after his real estate business suffered post several raids at his home by state VAT teams,” added the source.

Anant Patel asserted that he does not plan on quitting. “I will not be leaving my party at any cost. There are a few meetings to be held at the Kaprada constituency on Thursday. We are five members who have been staying in one place but, are also active in our own constituencies,” he said.

ED retrieves...

The consignments weighing approx 2,340 kg were brought back to Mumbai on Wednesday, it added.

Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi are Indian businessman who are wanted by the authorities in connection with cheating Indian banks of thousands of crores.

Nirav Modi, the main accused, in the Rs 23,780 crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud, is currently languishing in a UK prison since March last year. India is attempting to get him extradited. His uncle Mehul Choksi, also ac-

cused of cheating Punjab National Bank (PNB), is currently in Antigua. The development comes a few days after a special Mumbai court allowed ED to confiscate Nirav Modi’s properties.

‘China, India...

“Recently the diplomatic and military channels of China and India held effective communication on the situation along the border and reached positive consensus,” she said.

“The two sides are following this consensus to take actions to ease the situation along

Indian economy...

“After the global crisis, India’s GDP growth is likely to return to higher levels than ‘BBB’ category peers, provided it avoids further deterioration in financial sector health as a result of the pandemic,” it said forecasting a 9.5 per cent real GDP growth next year.

India on March 25 instituted the world’s largest lockdown to combat the novel coronavirus, halting almost all economic activities.

The lockdown has been repeatedly extended, although some restrictions have been

eased from May 4 in zones with fewer infections.

“However, new cases have continued to rise,” it said. Listing positives for India, Fitch Ratings said there was greater confidence in a sustained reduction in general government debt over the medium term to a level closer to the ‘BBB’ peer median.

Also, there is a possibility of higher sustained investment and growth rates without the creation of macroeconomic imbalances, such as from successful structural reform implementation. —PTI

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07

CHINA’S

‘PEACEFUL RISE’

VANISHES IN THIN AIR SHASHI THAROOR The author is a former UN under-secretary-general and former Indian Minister of State for External Affairs and Minister of State for Human Resource Development, is an MP for the Indian National Congress

C

OVID-19 isn’t the only threat that has crossed India’s borders this year. According to alarming reports from India’s defense ministry, China has deployed a “significant number” of troops across the disputed Line of Actual Control (LAC) along the countries’ Himalayan frontier. So far, these transgressions have occurred at four points on the world’s longest and most highly disputed border, with thousands of Chinese troops showing up in Sikkim and in parts of the Ladakh region, northeast of the Kashmir Valley.

Neither government disputes the fact that Chinese soldiers have occupied territory that India considers its own. Notwithstanding a brief but bloody war in 1962 that ended with the humiliation of India’s underprepared army, China and India have managed an uneasy but viable modus vivendi on their common border for nearly half a century. No shots have been fired in anger since 1976, and both countries tend to downplay each other’s troop movements, citing “differing perceptions” as to where the LAC – which has never been officially demarcated – actually lies.

Owing to these fraught conditions, an estimated 400 faceoffs occur each year along the LAC, all of which are quickly defused.

But this time is different. Chinese troops have reportedly advanced into territories that China itself traditionally considers to be on the Indian side of the divide. And rather than merely patrolling, they have established a fixed presence (with pitched tents, concrete structures, and several miles of road) well beyond China’s own “Claim Line,” occupying the “Finger Heights” near Pangong Tso Lake.

as direct aggression.

True, the Doklam standoff ended with a Chinese climbdown, as did a similar episode in the same part of Ladakh during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s first visit to India in 2014. But the China of 2020 is stronger, more assertive, and eager to throw its

WITH THE WORLD'S ATTENTION FOCUSED ON THE PANDEMIC, CHINESE TROOPS HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHING FIXED POSITIONS IN AREAS THAT EVEN IT CONSIDERS TO BE ON THE INDIAN SIDE OF THE DISPUTED LINE OF ACTUAL CONTROL. THE MESSAGE IS CLEAR: CHINA IS NOW THE REGION'S PREPONDERANT POWER, AND EVERYONE ELSE SHOULD FALL IN LINE

CLASHES BETWEEN INDIAN AND CHINESE SOLDIERS Obviously, these encroachments have met with resistance. Last month alone, there were two physical clashes between Indian and Chinese soldiers, with brawls resulting in dozens of injuries on both sides. Though the two armies had a similar standoff on Bhutan’s Doklam Plateau in 2017, that was in a third country. This time, India has every reason to interpret China’s incursion

weight around in a new era of Sino-American “decoupling.” It will be less inclined to withdraw unilaterally this time.

Still, the world is taking notice. Recent statements by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Russia both expressed growing concern, despite Chinese officials’ statement that the situation is “overall stable and controllable.”

USING ‘SALAMI TACTICS’ But the problem is not that China is planning an all-out war or a major military campaign.

Rather, it is using “salami tactics”: minor military incursions that inflict small-scale military setbacks on India. Most likely, the Chinese will occupy a few square kilometers of territory for “defensive” purposes, and then declare peace. This approach is nothing new, and it poses a test of India’s resolve.

Because India’s government cannot afford to take China’s latest aggression lying down, it is reportedly already preparing for a long standoff. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s nationalist “strongman” regime, especially, cannot risk losing face before India’s easily inflamed public. But even under a different government, India would have a

strong interest in proving to would-be aggressors – not least Pakistan – that it is no pushover.

PROVOKING INDIA’S INFRASTRUCTURE CONSTRUCTION To be sure, China may argue that it was provoked by India’s infrastructure construction along the LAC. But these projects are long overdue. Two summers ago, the Indian parliament’s External Affairs Committee (which I chaired at the time) visited the border areas and found the infrastructure there to be woefully inadequate.

China, meanwhile, has been building all-weather roads, railway lines, and even airports on its side of the LAC. It also boasts conventional military superiority over India, both in the LAC area and overall; but India has shorter supply lines to maintain in the mountainous terrain.

WOUNDS OF THE 1962 WAR NEVER HEALED The India-China relationship is nothing if not complicated. The wounds of the 1962 war never healed, yet annual bilateral trade has grown to almost $100 billion, albeit overwhelmingly in China’s favor. Moreover, China uses its alliance with Pakistan to needle, distract, and confine India within its own subregion.

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, one of the crown jewels of Xi’s Belt and Road Initiative, runs through portions of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir that even China acknowledges as disputed territory.

HIGH-LEVEL MILITARY TALKS WITH CHINA China also continues to reiterate its claims to Indian territory directly, particularly the northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh, which it describes as “South Tibet.” Against this backdrop, episodes like the current standoff should be understood as part of a larger strategy of keeping India in check.

Indian foreign-policy analysts understand this, warning that, because the latest act of Chinese belligerence clearly marks a shift in the longstanding status quo at the border, it augurs the end of China’s self-proclaimed “peaceful rise.”

Under Xi, China seems much more willing to demonstrate openly that it is the region’s preponderant power. By taking a tough stand on the Indian border, China hopes to show the world, especially the United States, that it is not intimidated by Donald Trump’s bluster, and that other Asian countries should fall into line.

For now, Indian officials have announced that high-level military talks with China have produced an agreement that the two sides will “peacefully resolve the situation in the border areas in accordance with various bilateral agreements.” But, as the standoff has made clear, each side has a very different understanding of what those bilateral agreements mean. It remains to be seen whether China will actually withdraw its troops from the disputed areas. The devil, as always, is in the details.

Clearly, India and China need to finalize a permanent border agreement. China has long argued that a formal border settlement is best left to future generations, but that is because its geopolitical power – and therefore its negotiating position – grows stronger with each passing year. China is betting that the longer a settlement is deferred, the more likely it is to get the border it wants. In the meantime, it will use limited acts of aggression along the LAC to keep India off balance.

SOURCE: PROJECT SYNDICATE DESIGN: ABHISHEK GUPTA

I have increasingly realised that there is a close connection between good health and happiness. True deep rooted happiness is not possible without good health.

2ND FRONT

—Jagdeesh Chandra, CEO & Editor, First India

AHMEDABAD | THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 2020

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GUJARAT ROARS: PM MODI HAILS STATE FOR LION COUNT

G

ujarat Chief Wildlife Warden said in a press note that population estimation of Asiatic Lions is conducted at an interval of five years.

“The last population estimation exercise was conducted in May 2015 which pegged the lion numbers at 523, a 27 per cent increase from the estimation of 2010.

The population of Asiatic Lions has thus shown a steady increase with a population of 674 individuals with an increase rate of 28.87 per cent (one of the highest growth rate so far)

from the previous growth of 27 per cent during 2015 (523 lions),” he said. The press note said multiple strategies have been implemented in the Asiatic lion landscape that has contributed to the current conservation success.

It said multiple strategies

Two very good news: Over the last several years, the Lion population in Gujarat has been steadily rising.

This is powered by community participation, emphasis on technology, wildlife healthcare, proper habitat management and steps to minimise human-lion conflict. Hope this positive trend continues!

‘SILVER’ LINING: Intellofabrix to blow away viral flow A Gujarat based Company comes up with a new product which protects against Covid-19 Gandhinagar: Coronavirus may have spelled doom for the economy worldwide as business houses struggle to stay afloat amid and after the lockdown but the entrepreneurial spirit of a quite a few has turned the critical situation into an opportunity.

A textile company in Gujarat has decided to fight the Corona pandemic and also make a profit with the launch of ‘Viroblock technology’ which is said to be scientifically proven and a one-of-its kind technology to fight against the coronavirus.

The plan is to make the fabric available within a few months across 8,000 retail stores in India under Intellifabrix, Arvind

—FILE PHOTO

First India Bureau

Ahmedabad: After the students pressed for the cancellation of the annual examinations that were deferred for a long time due to COVID 19 lockdown, Gujarat University has concluded to hold exams for only 50 marks instead of 100 for terminal semester undergraduate and sec-

LAUNDRY!

Raj partially withdraws order to seal borders First India Bureau

Jaipur/Ahmedabad: A long queue of vehicles was seen at the Rajasthan-Gujarat border area in Sirohi district on Wednesday.

Soon after the Rajasthan government passed an order to seal its borders with other states, a sudden panic triggered in the citizens.

As a result, The Congress-led government partially withdrew its orders and allowed drift with relevant permissions.

Cars in queue at the border as the Raj govt restricts inter-state movement.

All movement to and from the state will be regulated. No person can enter Rajasthan

without a ‘No Objection Certificate’ (NOC) from the state or leave without a pass.

NO ENTRY FOR GUJARAT MLA!

Limited’s existing fabric brand.

A special combination of advanced silver and vesicle technology removes the virus from the surface of the cloth within half hour. With the fear of infection at

peak levels, the product is sure to be popular. An official from the company called it a landmark innovation and said they will be manufacturing masks and shirts from the fabric in the first phase. As per the

50 marks, 2-hr exam for one lakh Guj Univ affiliated college students First India Bureau

and interventions include people’s participation, use of modern technology, wildlife health care, habitat management, increase in prey base and human-lion conflict mitigation. The department said it remains committed to the long-term conservation of Asiatic lions.

ond- and fourth-year postgraduate students, in July. This decision will affect 1 lakh students of GU affiliated colleges. As per the law exam concerned the maximum marks will be 60 and the duration of the exam will be two hours. More than 350 colleges are affiliated to Gujarat University.

According to GU

sources said that “The exam paper will be set in a way that students can avail of 100% options in the selection of the questions. The options like giving answers to any three of six questions or five out of ten questions will be given to the students.

These steps will improve the overall performance of the students.

manufacturer, HeiQ’s viroblock technology is scientifically proven and has been clinically tried and tested.

Ever since the outbreak there have been numerous studies testing the virus’ lifespan on cloth,

cardboard, paper and plastic etc. Cloth with its porous surface may not transmit easily as it traps the virus but it is a carriwer and clothes need to washed in warm water with soap immediately.

Following the Rajasthan government’s new order, a Congress MLA was stopped by the Rajasthan Police at Koteshwar post, ahead of Jambudi. The policemen did not allow the MLA to enter Rajasthan without NOC. The MLA explained that “In morning I went to visit Ambaji Mata, now I want to go back to Wild Wind Resort which lies on Rajasthan Border. But the policemen refused to listen to his plea and sent him back to Gujarat border.

Leopard back to habitat after 3 hr rescue op First India Bureau

A leopard fell into a well in Runvad village of Chhota Udepur district on Wednsday.

Chhota Udepur: The forest officials rescued a leopard which fell into a well in Gujarat’s Chhota Udepur district on Wednesday. An adult female leopard had accidentally fallen into a nearly 50-feet deep well after a rescue operation of around 3 hours.

In the morning, the forest department had received a call from the

owner of the farm where the well is located. The leopard was seated on a narrow iron rod concretised in the wall of the well.

The officials lowered a makeshift stairway platform tied to a rope for the leopard to climb onto for temporary support. The wild cat slipped twice and climbed out in the third attempt and ran

towards the jungle area. As per forest official quoted “The primary task was to manage the vast villager’s crowd gathered to take a glimpse of the wild cat.

He added that “There is a possibility that it had fallen in the well on Tuesday night and suffered at the spot as it could not climb out of the well on its own.

SMART BUSINESS

AMUL’S IMMUNITY BOOSTERS TULSI & GINGER MILK 

In a smart move, Amul already has turmeric and jaggery milk in the market and is now bringing in Ashwagandha and honey ‘doodh’

Darshan Desai Anand: Being politically correct, tradition savvy and business smart, the Amul model, furthered by the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation, has weathered the Cadbury’s and the Britannia storm by its thousands of Gandhian cooperatives driven from the villages. So, when it launched its ginger and tulsi milk cans on Wednesday, it was only a logical corollary.

After Amul Haldi Doodh and Amul Gur Doodh, Amul is now being politically correct, healthytradition savvy and business smart and has launched Amul Ginger and Amul Tulsi milk.

This is quite in sync with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s idea of Ayurveda and the consequent AYUSH Ministry, while using the ingredients of ginger and basil believed to be immunity boosters in the Indian tradition.

GCMMF Managing

Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation MD RS Sodhi with Amul’s new products.

Director RS Sodhi says, “Under the Covid-19 impact, the world has begun to realise the importance of good health, eating right and building immunity.” And, he adds, ginger and Tulsi (basil) have these inherent qualities. Sodhi also says the previous two offerings from the Amul stable, Haldi Doodh -- or turmeric latte -- and Gur Doodh, are in sync with this health ideology.

According to the GCMMF MD, “This is first

of its kind ready to drink beverage replete with Ayurvedic properties available now.” It has been strategically priced at Rs 25 for a 125 ml can and has a shelf life of six months at room temperature. These new products are being packed at state-of-the-art manufacturing plants in West and North India with capacity of 2 lakh packs a day. This is besides Ashwagandha doodh and honey doodh, which are on the way.

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HAYWIRE HAIR! There is hardly a type of hair which does not react adversely to humidity and the best of hair go haywire in this rainy season. City first brings you a few hairstyles perfect for the season which will keep your style quotient high!

KARISHMA GWALANI

karishma.gwalani@firstindia.co.in

T

he rainy season has stepped in, and as beautiful as it may seem with the proverbial chai and pakoras, it can really cause the havoc for your hair if you are not careful. One of the most common problems faced during the monsoon is hair fall, frizzy hair and hair breakage. This happens mainly because your scalp isn’t clean and dry, and with the excess of moisture, it leads to all sorts of troubles.

While anti-frizz products and the desi coconut oil are the best way

to give humidity a tough fight, we also recommend changing your usual hairstyle.

If you have barely 5 minutes to step out and it’s pouring outside. How do you look glamorous despite that? Just flaunt a top knot! It’s stylish and oh so simple. While girls with medium to long hair can try various hairstyles like the mermaid fishtail braid, high ponytail, among others, those with shorter length can opt for loose chignons and low buns. And oh, open hair, of course, is a big yes-yes!

PONYTAIL: A quick and fast pony is the eternal hairstyle for M o n s o o n .

Keeps the frizz away and discipline hair on a rainy day.

WAVE PATTERN: Invariably, your hair is going to turn frizzy in this humid weather of the Monsoon, then why not play along with them by creating a messy wave pattern with your flat iron and let your hair enjoy the monsoon season.

TOPKNOT BUN: If you still want a no-one-messeswith-me look for the rainy day then opt for top knot bun to save the grace.

Although changing hairstyle isn’t enough, a quick and convenient solution to overcome these problems is to get the right hair-care regime. All you need to do is to put in a little effort to take care of your hair and follow these important hair care tips that we’ve listed out for you. 1. Wash your hair at least twice a week to maintain a clean and healthy scalp. 2. Make sure you use products that provide the right level of moisture and conditioning for your hair.

3. Oh and also, try to spend a little time on your hair in the morning, so you can keep those locks flawless all day.

While the solution surely lies in adopting an effective hair care routine, you can also ensure that your hair doesn’t get wet or is tied up when you step out in the rains.

09

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SEVEN MUST HAVE BRAS FOR EVERYDAY WEAR COTTON BRA

A cotton bra is a staple bra to have in your drawer for plenty of reasons. It lets your skin breathe through it. Cotton blended fabrics are also commonly being used for regular wear as the fabric allows more flexibility and is stretch resistant. Moreover, if you have sensitive breasts or just need a bra that does not feel tight against your skin, then cotton bras are the way to go.

PADDED BRA

Padded bra emphasises padding inside its lining, thereby enabling a fuller shape to ladies. It is mostly used or worn to enhance the figure and also to hide any nipple shape.

This everlasting bra style can be worn anytime, anywhere, with any outfit. The padding is intended to add fullness to the bust line and enhance the appearance of your bust.

T-SHIRT BRA

TOSHI VIJAY

cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

I

THE BRALETTES

The bralette is the impeccable way to add fun detail under a cut-out top and get the comfortable feel of an athletic bra with design upgrades. They are an ideal choice when you want to make a fashion statement. They’re comfortable enough to wear on weekends. Plus fashionable enough to be worn as sexy lingerie or as a layering insert inside of a professional jacket. Bralettes are here to stay for long.

FA CE OF TH ED AY

f you’re in love with the shape of you, a big part of that reason has to be - Bras. A woman knows very well that nothing can ruin their day faster than an uncomfortable bra, which is why filling your lingerie drawer with everyday options that are as comfy as they are flattering is very important. Girls, we are highly dependent on such bras to give shape to our body, but do we know the right bras which should be used on a daily basis.

Read on, and get ready for a serious bra drawer overhaul — in a land where a supportive bra doesn’t have to skimp on style. Whether you’re looking for a classic T-shirt softie or a liberating wireless bralette- Ahead, 7 gamechanging bras you’ll never want to take off.

PUSHUP BRA

It’s more than likely the style you wear most often — because of its minimalist design and focus on comfort. The best for daily use, a T-shirt bra is any style of bra that has a seamless, smooth look under a fitted shirt. It offers full coverage which not only keeps you comfortable but also gives plenty of support even when you’re wearing the thinnest tees.

These come with moulded protection, sometimes with an underwire, but not necessarily padded.

They add rigidity and give a minimised look depending on your bust size.

THE STRAPLESS BRA

Horoscope by Saurabbh Sachdeva

Whether or not working out is part of your day-to-day life, you should have a sports bra in your arsenal.

They are designed for your workout sessions, and that’s one less thing for you to worry about, whether you’re sweating it out or not. It also minimizes breast movements during physical activity, offering different levels of support and compression (light, medium, and high impact) depending on the intensity of physical activity. There are basically two types of sports bras: compression and encapsulation. The first one holds your breasts by compressing and are meant for low-medium impact of workouts, while the latter is more like a regular bra, in which each breast has its own cup and is worn during high intensity workouts. It is always advisable to wear a bra that does double duty with both compression and encapsulation qualities, especially for a moderate-tohigh-impact activity like running.

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

CANCER

You seem to always solve problems for others and help them out. Your childhood memories will come live as you are likely to spend quality time with your relatives whom you have not met in a long time. You have started working in the direction of achieving your targets.

You can expect a financial boost in form of salary increment or getting money back from the borrower. Being a supporting hand for your spouse will bring lot of happiness to them and they will feel grateful. Keep following the path you have chosen to have a good health.

Taking initiative will help you in seizing good opportunities on the business front. Don’t mind those who are insensitive to you, they don’t deserve your attention. On the family front, your family will appear most responsive to your needs today.

Carefully read your work documents and specially those which involve your signatures. You must set a goal and then work hard in achieving it. At workplace not everyone like us no matter how good we are so that should never bother you. Academically, help others.

MAR 21 - APR 20

APR 21 - MAY 20

MAY 21 - JUNE 21

JUNE 22 - JULY 23

LEO

VIRGO

LIBRA

SCORPIO

Today no matter how much you spend on what, luckily all the money will flow back to your life as today you are blessed with money. To move mountains in your career all you need is dedication and lots of hard work.

Never let someone’s words define who you are.

Do not leave any stone unturned when it comes to excelling in studies. Adjust yourself if you need to, specially when accomplishing your target is your priority. Focus on improving your concentration power if you are feeling distracted lately.

There will be positive changes.

Home makers Too much of everything is bad so don’t stress yourself beyond your limit. Keep smiling as everything will just turn fine. Keep a good distance from any money bet or something like that. A trip to abroad will materialise soon.

Mend your relationship.

You can expect a big break in your career. You will attract money in bulk. All your stress will disappear if you indulge yourself in yoga and meditation. You are quite satisfied with your life and you must not care about those who are not happy seeing you happy.

JULY 24 - AUGUST 23

AUG 24 - SEP 23

SEPT 24 - OCTOBER 22

OCT 23 - NOVEMBER 22

SAGITTARIUS

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

You may find yourself being tempted to buy a lot stuff but resist the fancy desires for a while. Dedication is what you need to take your career on the next level .Your contribution on work front, will be appreciated by everyone. You may just win a property in a lucky draw.

Watch your expenditure carefully as you may not realise while spending money. You need to personally supervise your business to make sure there is no loophole.

You will be very busy today but make sure to take care of things on home front. You may need some space.

You will be in the saving mode and therefore you will spend each penny judiciously. Shun all the negative thoughts today and embrace life open heartedly. You will realise your true potential and bring it to the full use. Many positive changes will come in your life.

You must have faith in some people in life because not everyone can deceive. You are very active these days and not can slow down your spirit. Your right actions of the past will give you great results in the present. Keep upgrading yourself to a better version.

NOV 23 - DEC 22

DIVYA KASLIWAL, Model

THE SPORTS BRA

The queen bee of bra woes for women everywhere! Strapless bras are great for special occasions, including weddings - or for your everyday wardrobe if you love shirts with strapless designs or unusual necklines. The support of a strapless bra comes from the band. It keeps your bust up, while the straps simply help the bra lie flat against your bust.

This means that, with a little extra support from the band, the straps aren’t really essential.

While going for strapless, most options feature underwire, boning, and padding for the additional support since there are no straps to lift.

YOUR DAY

Pushup bra works on a simple mechanism of adding lift and volume to the breasts so that they are symmetric, closer, and fuller.

For starters, a push-up bra helps women with a smaller bust line or those whose breasts do not stick high up at the chest.

Give a major upgrade to your regular lingerie wardrobe with these options.

Cherish your bra collection and stay indoors amidst the comfort and support of the perfect bra.

DEC 23 - JAN 20

JAN 21 - FEB 19

FEB20 - MARCH 20

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AHMEDABAD | THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 2020

MADE WITH

Against Police

LOVE

BRUTALITY T

aylor Swift finally broke her silence and publically extended her support of the ongoing Black lives Matter movement.

Swift took to twitter and spoke about racial injustice and police brutality and urged people to use their vote as a tool to fight racism.

However, amid the civil unrest that has flared in the US cities, Swift stayed away from making any statements until now. The 30-year-old songstress addressed her 86 million followers on Twitter and asked them to vote for the correct representatives who would fight for justice and

initiate concrete policy changes in the government. “Racial injustice has been ingrained deeply into local and state governments, and changes MUST be made there,’ Swift tweeted on Tuesday. ‘In order for policies to change, we need to elect people who will fight against police brutality and racism of any kind. #BlackLivesMatter,” she wrote.

—Agency

O

n singer Mika Singh’s birthday, comedian Kapil Sharma’s wife Ginni Chatrath baked a cake for him, and surprised him at Mika Singh midnight. Mika Singh celebrated his 43rd birthday on Wednesday, and spent it at home, considering the situations outside.

Kapil Sharma posted a video of the singer cutting the cake, where Mika can be heard saying, “Lo ji, yeh pyaara cake saadi Ginni bhabhi ne banaya (Ginni bhabhi made this lovely cake), so thank you so much, bhabhiji, for such a beautiful cake.”

Kapil and Mika are not just good friends, but also neighbours.

Taylor Swift

BULBBUL

All-female Avengers!

E

FIRST LOOK

ver since the rumours about the Marvel’s possible A-Force project, featuring an all-female team of Avengers, started doing the rounds, people expected that Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel would be the clear choice to lead the team in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, the studio has decided to make some major changes to the project and this might also involve replacing the lead of the team. The fans got a glimpse of the team for the first time in Avengers: Endgame, and since then, the Marvelites have been eagerly waiting for MCU to share more news about the rumoured project. While the studio has not opened up about the project, the studio teased the all-female team in Endgame and the fans took the social media by storm. In the climactic battle sequence of the film, the movie briefly featured all the female superheroes standing together.

—Agency

A

Brie Larson Anushka Sharma

fter the over- Poster of the film whelming response for her web series ‘Paatal Lok’, actor Anushka Sharma on Wednesday shared an intriguing first look of her next venture - ‘Bulbbul.’

Bankrolled by the actor’s production house, Clean Slate Films, the forthcoming movie will release on Netflix on June 24. The 32-year-old star shared a brief clip of the film that has a girl with long hair prancing over trees on Twitter.

“Here’s your first look at #Bulbbul, a fantastic tale about self-discovery, and justice, wrapped in lore, mystery, and intrigue, coming soon on@NetflixIndia. Can’t wait to share more!” the ‘Sultan’ actor tweeted.

The ‘Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi’ actor made her production debut with Amazon Prime Video’s ‘Paatal Lok,’ the thriller show that started streaming on May 15. The gripping show has been inspired by the Indian realms of ‘Paatal Lok’, ‘Swarga Lok’, and ‘Dharti Lok’ and shows an interplay between them. The show has received a positive response from many Bollywood stars as well as netizens.

—ANI

‘Miss You, Dad’

Reminiscing

A

MEMORIES!

ctor Priyanka Chopra on Wednesday paid an emotional tribute to her father, Ashok Chopra, on his death anni-

versary.

“We’re connected by heartstrings to infinity. Miss you dad, every single day! the ‘Don’ actor wrote on Instagram.

Not only did she share a heartfelt post, but ‘The Sky is Pink’ actor also went back in time by posting an old ... her post picture, which featured her father in his youth.

It is no secret that Priyanka was remarkably close to her dad. So much so that she has got a tattoo ‘Daddy’s lil girl’ inked on her wrist in her father’s handwriting.

In 2013, the ‘Fashion’ actor lost her father, to cancer. PeeCee has been very expressive and vocal about missing her father, and how his death has been a blow for her.

—ANI

A

rdent fans of ‘One Direction’’ surely remember how the boy band was formed back in 2010 at the reality show The X Factor. Roar singer Katy Perry was one of the guest judges in the show back then who witnessed the formation of the band. Recently, during one of her conversations for a popular radio show, the American Idol judge has recalled one of her fond memories with Harry Styles who is also a former member of One Direction.

It so happened that Katy Perry bumped into Styles en route a plane post which she spilled the beans about her pregnancy in front of the Lights Up singer. And for the unversed, she informed him about the same before announcing it publicly in front of the whole world.

—Agency

11

Katy Perry Priyanka Chopra Jonas

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AHMEDABAD | THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 2020

WORLD EYE

DONATION DAY

WHAT’S HAPPENING! Rajasthan: Vaibhav Gehlot joined the #SafaWithTwitter campaign on the microblogging site, many State Ministers and Congress MLAs have responded to the trend and posted their photos and videos wearing a Safa. Vaibhav posted a picture of himself on Instagram wearing a ‘Safa’, and feels that it is the best way to promote the culture of Rajasthan. “Safa makes me feel proud... #SafaWithTwitter is a great initiative to promote the culture of #Rajasthan,” he captioned the image.

Rajasthan: A webinar was organised by Muskaan NGO on ‘Safety from Covid-19’, featuring Dr Virendra Singh, the renowned Asthma and Allergy specialist, President Rajasthan Hospital and former Superintendant of SMS medical college, on Tuesday. During the session, he clarified myths and confusion about food, immunity and gave practical directions on safe distancing in office spaces and many more.

KISI KI ZINDAGI MEH RANG BHARKE DEKHO... KITNI KHUSHI BHARTI HAI AAP KE ZEHEN MEIN...

I believe this with all my heart and feel that my life has been enriched in the past many years due to my work for the cause of Eye and Organ Donation. I am blessed God has chosen me for this work. Let us make eye donation a family tradition.

—BHAVNA JAGWANI

CITY FIRST

B

lindness is one of the major public health problems in developing countries. According to the World Health Organization, corneal diseases (Damage to the tissue covering the front of the eye called the cornea) are among the major causes of vision loss and blindness, after cataract

and glaucoma.

In most cases, loss of sight can be corrected through ‘Eye Donation’. After the death of a person, various organs can be donated and can be surgically transplanted to the patients who need them. One such organ is the eye. By donating eyes after death, a corneal blind person can see again through a surgical procedure known as corneal transplantation, whereby the damaged

#GulaboSitabo

cornea is replaced by a healthy cornea from the eye donor.

Bhavna Jagwani, Convener, MOHAN Foundation - Jaipur Citizen Forum) MCJCF Navjeevan, and Ravi Kamra, Member, MFJCF, who have been working for the cause of Organ and Tissue Donation in Rajasthan for more than a decade, shared their views with City First on ‘World Eye Donation Day’ on Wednesday. cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

12

New Delhi: India’s Indipop sensation Palash Sen recently launched his new single ‘I Like It’ on Likee, a pioneering short video platform by Singaporebased BIGO Technology Pte Ltd. This was the first time when an original song was released and not just promoted on a short-video app.

Eyes may be black in colour but we see Colours of life through this beautiful gift of God. But everyone is not as blessed. Think of the people who have only one colour in life and that is ‘Black’. We can help them see the light by just our pledge to Donate our Eyes when we shall no longer need these. Pass on Light— be an Eye Donor.

—RAVI KAMRA

THE NEW NORMAL Rajasthan: As a part of a series of art talks being organised every Wednesday by Jawahar Kala Kendra (JKK), an art talk – ‘Contemporary Printmakers of India’ was presented. The talk was attended by eminent artists– Uttam Kumar Basak from Shantiniketan, Gajraj Chavan from Pune and Niaz Majumdar from Dhaka. They were in conversation with Sanjay Roy from New Delhi. The talk was moderated by Director General, JKK, Kiran Soni Gupta.

Rajasthan: During the ongoing fight against the pandemic, three youngsters of Jaipur, Raunak Singh Collision, Pranab Gupta and Vatsal Jain have formed a voluntary organisation named ‘Udaan’, under which they are providing the necessary items to the Corona warriors in various hospitals of the city.

Precautions being taken at World Trade Park CITY FIRST

W Showcasing the Gulabo and Sitabo of Surat at Mr Cafe

S

unil Shah one of the biggest fan of BigB from Surat ensures that Gulabo Sitabo is promoted in city of Surat with a bang. He got the Tee and Mask Printed and all has given it to his friends and family to show their love.

—City First Ahmedabad

HAPPY B’DAY!

orld Trade Park, Jaipur, is prepared to welcome everyone with the assurance of stringent health, safety, and hygiene measures. A general guideline was issued by the Government of Rajasthan, stating the strict measures to be followed after the reopening of the mall. A Staff to make sure, all customers follow social distancing in their stores. Everybody must maintain a distance of 2m in all circumstances. The entrance doors shall always be kept open to avoid touching of door handles. Every store must keep a sanitizer at their entrance. Each customer must sani-

tize their hands before entering the store. Vendors must promote digital transactions for safety purpose. The card used shall also be sanitized before use. Digital/ contactless payment methods should be used. cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

Save the Environment Rajasthan: A 10-year-old Rushil Joshi from Kota, Rajasthan, is spreading incredible Indian culture in Europe. Rushil is learning classical Indian Bharatanatyam dance from the London School of Oriental Arts, UK, and her dance performance was selected by the department of Lanhuaptstatt Munchen, Germany. Her video is being placed on the website of Kreisjugendring, to motivate other children.

CITY FIRST AHMEDABAD

T

Padma Shri Devendra Jhajharia, Indian Paralympian celebrated his birthdays on 10 June, Wednesday. We wish him all the best!

he chairperson FICCI FLO Ahmedabad Taruna Patel recently took a pledge, jointly with Elecon Group of Companies & FICCI FLO pan-India under the leadership of organization president Jahnabi Phookanto to help save the environment by dispersing 5 crore seed balls across pan-India before June 2021.

A webinar was held to discuss climate change and importance of forest cover which was attended by dignitaries such as Ganpatbhai Vasava, Tribal Development, Forest, Women and Child Welfare, Nityanand Srivastava, IFS, APCCF, Kamala Chhaiya, MD, Gujarat State Seeds Corporation Ltd, Gandhinagar, Dr Jagdish Prasad, IFS (Retd.), CEO, Gujarat Medicinal Plant Board, Gandhinagar, RG Gohil, IAS, District Collector – Anand, Milankumar Manibhai Rajyaguru, Assistant Conservator of Forest – Anand.

Speaking on this unique initiative,

Taruna Patel

Taruna said, “As the world is struggling to save the environment and trees have become the silent victims of modernization, we should vow to establish positive environmental changes all over the world and lead by example.” cityfirstgujarat@gmail.com

Gujarat: Vadodara’s historic Khanderao Market will reopen for business on Thursday after staying shut for 76 days due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Traders have given an assurance of complying with all governmental guidelines.

Rajasthan: With stringent health, safety, and hygiene measures, ITC Rajputana prepares to welcome guests with Hotel’s path-breaking ‘WeAssure’ initiative, along with the reassurance by accreditation from National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers (NABH)- the leading standards organisation for sanitation, hygiene, safety and infection control practices.