First India-Ahmedabad Edition-12 May 2020

OUR EDITIONS: JAIPUR & AHMEDABAD

CORONA

28°C - 42°C

ALERT AHMEDABAD l TUESDAY, MAY 12, 2020 l Pages 12 l 3.00

COVID-19 UPDATE

RNI NO. GUJENG/2019/16208 l Vol 1 l Issue No. 166

INDIA

WORLD

2,85,363 42,28,896 2,294 70,766 DEATHS

CONFIRMED CASES

DEATHS

CONFIRMED CASES

513

 PM: Economic activities will gain momentum in coming days  Maha, Telangana, Bihar, West Bengal seek lockdown extension  During the VC Telangana CM asks PM not to operate passenger trains

Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacts with Chief Ministers of states on COVID-19 situation through video conferencing, in New Delhi on Monday.

—PHOTO BY ANI

FROM ZOJI LA TO KARGIL

The Indo-Tibetan Border Police has ensured the safe passage of over 900 trucks carrying essential supplies from the icy heights of Zoji La in Ladakh to the frozen slopes of Kargil in the past 21 days amid the ongoing lockdown. The land route through Zoji La pass serves as a lifeline for the nearly 1.5 lakh residents of Kargil. Due to efforts of ITBP, trucks carrying food and other items are reaching Kargil covering a distance of 100 km in about eight hours of time.

—PHOTO BY ANI

BADRINATH TEMPLE TO REOPEN ON MAY 15, DEVOTEES NOT ALLOWED Chamoli: Only 27 people, including the head priest, will be allowed when the portals of the Badrinath Temple reopen on May 15, officials said on Monday.

“Devotees will not be allowed entry into the temple during that time. The decision has been taken in view of the guidelines issued by the Centre amid Covid-19 pandemic,” Anil Chanyal, SDM, Joshimath, said. The ritual of extracting sesame oil for ‘Gaadu Ghada’ tradition was performed last week.

‘NO PLAN TO DEDUCT SALARY OF EMPLOYEES’ New Delhi: Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Monday clarified that there is no proposal by the government to carry out deduction in the salary of its employees. “Please ignore the fake news being circulated in a section of media. There is no proposal by the government to carry out deduction in the salary of its employees,” Singh tweeted. P6

cess will further gain steam in the coming days.

In the fifth video conference meeting with the Chief Ministers on Monday, the Prime Minister said that the country has a reasonably clear indication of the geographical spread including the worst affected areas. Interestingly, several Chief Ministers like West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, Telangana CM K Chandrashekar Rao and Tamil Nadu CM K Palaniswami requested PM not to start passenger trains.

“We must realize that the fight against COV-

ID-19 has to be more focused now,” he said.

Modi said that the road ahead should be focused on reducing the spread of coronavirus and ensuring that precautions are taken.

“Going forward, the road ahead should be focused on reducing the spread and ensuring that all precautions are taken by people including social distancing norms by observing ‘Do Gaj Doori’.

Follow-up is of paramount importance and we must do so to the hilt,” he said. Meanwhile sources Turn on P6

Domestic flights may resume by May 18

Carry your own food, linen, arrive 90 min early for train travel!

New Delhi: The government is likely to allow airline companies resume operation of local passenger flights by 18 May, said sources. On Monday, a joint team of Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Bureau of Civil Aviation Security Office, Airports Authority of India, Delhi International Airport Limited and CISF under the Ministry of Civil Aviation visited Delhi airport before the resumption of flights and took a detailed note of preparedness.

The airlines are likely to begins operations from major routes like Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru, Turn on P6

New Delhi: The Railways has issued new guidelines for travel on 15 special trains from May 12, asking passengers to carry their own food and linen and arrive at stations at least 90 minutes before departure for health screening. It also said all passengers must wear face masks during the journey. For now, Railways has issued time table for trains between May 12 and May 20. They will run as daily, weekly or bi-weekly trains, as per the time table issued by the Railways. There are no trains on May 16 and May 19.

The 15 trains to run from Tuesday will be airconditioned and will run on full-capacity Turn on P6

MODI TERMS POKHRAN-II ‘LANDMARK MOMENT IN INDIA’S HISTORY’ New Delhi: PM Narendra Modi on Monday remembered the nuclear tests held in 1998 at Pokhran, Rajasthan, terming it an “exceptional achievement” and a “landmark moment in India’s history” and applauded all those using technology to enhance the quality of life. “On National Technology Day, our nation salutes all those who are leveraging technology to bring a positive difference in the lives of others,” PM tweeted. He also saluted those involved in research to defeat Corona.

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GUJARAT

8,542

DEATHS

‘Ensure rural India remains free from Corona’ New Delhi: ‘Jan Se Jag Tak’ (From People To The World), was the motto given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday at the end of his marathon meeting with Chief Ministers of states, highlighting the Centre’s mood to motivate the people to adopt a new lifestyle to evade Corona and also keep the economy up and running. Noting that the fight against COVID-19 has to be more focused now, PM Modi said economic activities have begun to pick up momentum in several parts of the country and the pro-

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TICKETS SOLD: TRAINS CHUG FROM TODAY Bookings for 15 special trains began on Monday evening on IRCTC website two hours behind the scheduled time. However, despite delay, all AC-1 and AC-3 tickets for the Howrah-New Delhi and BhubaneswarNew Delhi special trains were sold within the first 10 minutes. Earlier, the IRCTC website went unresponsive as bookings began at 4 pm.

‘ENSURE MIGRANTS DON’T WALK HOME’ New Delhi: Centre has asked states to ensure migrant labourers do not walk on the road or railway tracks to reach home. It asked them to counsel such labourers and put them in shelters.

Development comes in the backdrop of 16 labourers being crushed to death by a train near Aurangabad last week, and many also meeting fatal accidents routinely on roads while attempting to walk back to their homes.

CONFIRMED CASES

GLOBAL STATE OF AFFAIRS COUNTRY TOTAL CASES

TOTAL NEW DEATHS DEATHS

1,375,129 SPAIN 268,143 UK 223,060 RUSSIA 221,344 ITALY 219,814 GERMANY 171,999 BRAZIL 163,510 IRAN 109,286 CHINA 82,918 CANADA 69,157 BELGIUM 53,449 N’LANDS 42,788

81,099 26,744 32,065 2,009 30,739 7,569 11,207 6,685 4,633 4,907 8,707 5,456

USA

+312 +123 +210 +94 +179 +13 +84 +45 +2 +37 +51 +16

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

IN GUJARAT DISTRICT

TOTAL CASES

TOTAL NEW DEATHS DEATHS

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

6086 547 914 66 95 80 31 139 27 65 81 12 14 8 52 53 20 3 29 2 26 74 44 29 12 6 2 8 2 3 4 3 1 8542

400 31 39 1 7 7 2 5 1 4 3 0 0 1 2 1 0 0 2 0 2 2 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 513

DWARKA JUNAGADH RAJASTHAN TOTAL

SAMPLES TESTED NEGATIVE CASES

19 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 20

1,16,471 1,07,929

UNDER EXAMINATION

0

TOLL TALE: At 20, Gujarat sees lowest death figure in May  Ahmedabad death toll touches 400, as positive cases cross 6K mark  State tally now at 8,542 with death toll of 513; 374 new cases, 235 discharged in 24 hrs First India News Gandhinagar: The good news, such as it is, is that just 20 people succumbed to the novel coronavirus in the state in the past 24

hours. This is the lowest overnight death toll since April 30, when Gujarat registered 17 deaths in a 24-hour period.

However, the state also registered 374 new

cases, bringing the total number of cases to 8,542 so far, with 513 total

deaths. About 235 patients were discharged on Monday, bringing the

total to 2,780 recoveries.

Ahmedabad now has 6,086 cases and 400

deaths, having accounted for 19 of the 20 fatalities reported in the past 24 hours, and 268 of the state’s 374 new cases. It also has 1,482 recoveries, with 109 recovered patients being discharged on Monday.

In Rajkot, a 31-dayold baby girl was among the 18 patients discharged on Monday. She had tested positive she was just 11 days old and she has undergone treatment for 20 days.

In Ahmedabad, the

new cases include a police staffer at the Sardarnagar police station, a worker in the municipal corporation’s water supply department, a resident doctor at the civil hospital and a fireman at the Shahpur station.

Meanwhile, the Centre—on the state government request—has dispatched seven metric tonnes of Ayurvedic medicine to the state. These medicines will be distributed to people of the state to boost their immunity.

The state has received

2,490kg Sansmani Vati, 1,440kg Dashmool Kwath and 10,000kg Aayush tablets. So far, Ukala has been distributed to 1.79 crore people and Sansmani Vati to 13.30 lakh.

The Central government has airlifted students stranded abroad.

They will begin arriving in the state shortly.

While it will be mandatory for all students to undergo quarantine, they will be allowed to choose between free or paid institutional quarantine.

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NEWS AHMEDABAD | TUESDAY, MAY 12, 2020

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PM salutes Atal decision

Pokhran-II,

terms it ‘exceptional achievement’, ‘landmark moment in nation’s history’ THE NATIONAL TECHNOLOGY DAY CELEBRATES MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS WHICH WERE CONSIDERED A GROUND BREAKING AND IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTION OF SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS IN THE FIELD OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

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rime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday remembered the nuclear tests held in 1998 at Pokhran, Rajasthan, terming it an "exceptional achievement" and a "landmark moment in India's history" and applauded all those using technology to enhance the quality of life.

"On National Technology Day, our nation salutes all those who are leveraging technology to bring a positive difference in the lives of others.

We remember the exceptional achievement of our scientists on this day in 1998. It was a landmark moment in India's history," Prime Minister Modi tweeted. In another tweet, the Prime Minister also saluted all those who are currently involved in research to defeat COVID-19.

"Today, technology is helping many in the efforts to make the world free from COVID-19. I salute all those at the forefront of research and innovation on ways to defeat Coronavirus. May we keep harnessing technology in order to create a healthier and better planet," he said.

In another tweet, the Prime Minister shared a video of his monthly address to the nation 'Mann Ki Baat', stating that the nuclear testing carried out under the then Prime Minister, late Atal Bihari Vajpayee, "showed the difference a strong political leadership can make".

India conducted Pokhran-II tests, a series of five nuclear explosions, in May 1998 at the Indian Army's Pokhran Test Range in Rajasthan. National Technology Day is observed every year on May 11 as a reminder of the anniversary of Pokhran-II tests. —ANI

with at the test site in Pokhran PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee and n ma air Ch lam (left), and AEC DRDO chief APJ Abdul Ka ILE PHOTO —F aram.

DAE Secretary R Chidamb

On National Technology Day, our nation salutes all those who are leveraging technology to bring a positive difference in the lives of others. We remember the exceptional achievement of our scientists on this day in 1998. It was a landmark moment in India’s history.

Today, technology is helping many in the efforts to make the world free from COVID-19. I salute all those at the forefront of research and innovation on ways to defeat Coronavirus.

May we keep harnessing technology in order to create a healthier and better planet

Prime Minister Narendra Modi. —FILE PHOTO

CM launches hot-air seam-sealing machine manufacturing unit in Rajkot 30 trains to take 36,000 migrant workers home, as regular rail services resume today First India News Gandhinagar: Chief Minister Vijay Rupani on Monday launched a Rajkot firm’s manufacturing unit for hot-air seam-sealing machines, which produce the special tape used to seal PPE (personal protective equipment) kits used by doctors and paramedical staff while treating patients with COVID-19.

At present, this machine costs Rs7-8 lakhs to import from China, from where delivery takes 15-20 days. With Rajkotbased Macpower CNC Machines Ltd becoming the country’s first firm to make these indigenously, production costs will now be lowered by 50%.

In just 20 days, the team has developed the

machine and manufactured 200 on a trial basis.

Commercial production is set to begin soon.

Meanwhile, Information and Broadcasting Secretary and Secretary to Chief Minister Ashwani Kumar said that 209 trains have taken 5.50 lakh migrant workers to their home states such as Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh in the last eight days.

Thirty more trains are set to leave from different parts of the

Chief Minister Vijay Rupani.

—FILE PHOTO

state on Monday, carrying 36,000 workers to their home states.

Kumar also said that chief minister Rupani participated in a video conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The CM briefed the PM about the COVID-19 situation in the state and the actions taken by the state government. He also discussed post-lockdown plans for the state, including how to kick start the economy.

The state government has launched Sujalam Sufalam Jal

Abhiyan and even works under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, with 3.28 lakh workers benefiting from these two programmes.

With the Indian Railways resuming services across the nation, the first passenger train will depart from Ahmedabad’s Sabarmati railway station to New Delhi on Tuesday.

Only passengers with confirmed e-tickets will be allowed to enter the railway station.

AMENDMENT IN APMC ACT TO BENEFIT FARMERS

GUJARAT AHMEDABAD | TUESDAY, MAY 12, 2020

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HC order on Chudasama 2017 election result likely today First India News Ahmedabad: The state high court is likely to pronounce its judgement on the petition challenging Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Dholka constituency candidate Bhupendrasinh Chudasama’s 2017 assembly election results on Tuesday. The hearing on the petition had con-

in

BRIEF Man kills infant daughter in Surat

Surat: A man killed his 8-month-old daughter for disturbing his sleep with her crying in Surat on Monday. Reportedly, the accused Urvesh Sheikh, who works as a laundryman, was sleeping at his residence in Salabatpura area, when his infant started crying loudly.

Her cries made Sheikh lose his temper and he killed her. Salabatpura police have arrested Sheikh.

PIL against call by in-charge AMC commissioner Ahmedabad: Another public interest litigation (PIL) has been moved in the state high court challenging the decision taken by Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation’s in-charge commissioner to shut down grocery and vegetable shops from midnight of May 7. The petition says that the lack of notice given to people caused them to violated social distancing norms, which could result in the spread of the virus.

Councillor wants action against ‘body’ robber

Ahmedabad: Congress councillor from Amraiwadi Jadgish Rathod has alleged that someone stole jewellery and mobile phone off a dead body. In a letter to the superintendent of the Civil Hospital, Rathod said the body of Bindu Rajput, who died on Monday, was missing a nosering and earrings.

Also missing from among her personal belongings were a mobile phone and charger.

Rathod has demanded action on the issue.

‘Be prepared’ advise Delhi health officials

Surat: A team from Delhi’s health department visited Surat’s New Civil Hospital on Monday. The Delhi team held discussions with officials of the hospital and officials of the Surat Municipal Corporation. The officials emphasized the modus operandi of the administration should the number of cases surge.

cluded on February 10 and the order has been reserved by the court.

Chudasama’s 2017 election result was challenged by Congress candidate Ashwin Rathod, over change in outcome of the election on re-verification of 429 postal ballot votes rejected by returning officer Dhaval Jani. The BJP candidate had won the 2017 assem-

bly elections by a margin of just 327 votes. Chudasama is currently serving as state education minister and is one of the senior ministers of Chief Minister Vijay Rupani’s cabinet.

The petition was heard by single bench judge Paresh Upadhyay.

The petitioner had allegation that returning officer Dhaval Jani’s

Bhupendrasinh Chudasama.

—FILE PHOTO

decision to reject 429 ballot votes was illegal.

The petitioner had also submitted CCTV footage of a polling booth in which Chudasama’s personal secretary could be seen talking on a mobile phone.

Rathod’s advocate had also submitted before the court that returning officer Dhaval Jani had admitted be-

City to go cashless when deliveries resume May 15

fore the court, that he did not follow certain instructions outlined by the Election Commission during the counting of votes. Jani had also stated that he would have carried out the reverification as the number of postal ballots rejected was more than the victory margin.

Against that, Chudasama’s advocate had

Mutations might explain Guj crisis

AMC permits home delivery of groceries, vegetables but only if payment is done online First India News Ahmedabad: After a week-long blanket ban on the sale of vegetables, fruits, and grocery items, local civic body Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) will permit essential services operations from May 15.

However, the provision comes with certain conditions, which especially apply to groceries, fruit and vegetable shopkeepers.

In a meeting held on Monday, officer on special duty (OSD) Rajiv Gupta and in-charge municipal commissioner Mukesh Kumar took the decision to resume home delivery services in the city.

All major retail and home delivery agencies have been contacted and asked to conduct screenings of all deliv-

NEW ORDER The mutations in the virus, as compared to the Wuhan strain.

Gargi Raval

This picture, taken in Ahmedabad during the curfew last month, illustrates why home delivery of groceries and produce might be a good idea.

—PHOTO BY NANDAN DAVE

ery personnel. In order to prevent the spread of COVID-19 infection through currency notes, digital and cashless payment has been made mandatory for home deliveries. The cash on delivery will not be permitted from May 15.

Additionally, all home delivery personnel will need to follow the heath protocol and carry AMC health cards. None of the delivery personnel can be recruited from containment areas. Health protocol regulations such as wearing hand gloves,

Back on his feet, Khedawala returns to the street again First India News Ahmedabad: Jamalpur MLA Imran Khedawala, who had been declared COVID-19 positive on April 14, has hit the ground running after recovering from the virus. After completing the mandatory 14-day quarantine, Khedawala visited families in his constituency and resumed his novel coronavirus awareness campaign on Monday.

The leader had received a discharge from the hospital on April 27 and had pledged to donate blood plasma but couldn’t, since he is a

Imran Khedawala

diabetic. However, he has continued awareness campaigns about the virus and the importance of social distancing.

Khedawala was roped in for this mission by local police, who failed to

control miffed locals for the complete enforcement of the lockdown.

Meanwhile, a congress leader of Bhaipura ward provided a BJP worker with a food kit and some money on Monday. BJP worker Kalabhai Vadhiyari had recorded a video of his struggles and posted it online.

“Despite being a leader of BJP, I have no money and ration to feed my family. But I will not beg for charity from anyone. If my condition is this, I don’t know how other people are living,” Vadhiyari stated.

sanitation caps, carrying sanitizer, and practising social distancing norms will have to be followed. They will also have to download the Arogya Setu app on their smartphones.

It is been discovered that the novel coronavirus can survive on pa-

per for days and that is why only online transactions have been allowed. Around 100 AMC health teams will provide technical support to 17,000 shops and ensure that online payment apps are installed in smartphones of shopkeepers.

Ahmedabad: Two novel mutations in the SarsCoV-2 virus found in Gujarat may hold the answer to why the state is having trouble controlling the outbreak, according to a recent study.

These mutations occur in the virus’s spike protein sequence, the mechanism that helps it attach itself to the host, or patient. Each spike protein consists of three components with two parts or ‘subunits’, S1 and S2. The researchers found the mutations in the S1 domain in Gujarat. This subunit is what allows the virus to bind to the surface of a host cell. In short, it enables infection.

First India News

A kid wearing a mask makes his own entertainment as he swings under a neem tree at the Calico Mills compound on a hot Monday in Ahmedabad. —PHOTO BY HANIF SINDHI

First India News

Staff at the Aryan Paper Mill in Vapi Industrial Estate demonstrate how the cardboard bed can be assembled in under five minutes.

cardboard.

The firm’s director Sunil Shah says he wanted to help the administration in some way during the ongo-

ing crisis. Once he decided on how he could help, Shah roped in his daughter Riya, who is currently studying architecture.

After much discussion and deliberation, Riya then designed a bed which could be made from cardboard, to the specifications of

The mutations in the Gujarat virus are located upstream and downstream of the receptorbinding domain (RBD).

“Of these two, one has been found to affect the secondary structure of the S1 domain. Since both these mutations lie near the RBD, they might influence the spike receptor interactions by changing the conformation of the spike protein S1 domain,” states the paper, whose authors include researchers from the Infectious Biology and Immunology Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, West Bengal, and the Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research, among others.

Police to limit movement from city to rural areas

A SWINGING TIME!

Vapi firm’s wonder beds to fight COVID-19 menace Valsad: They say necessity is the mother of invention. And with the number of COVID-19 cases on the rise, the biggest challenge for hospitals—especially those dedicated to Sars-CoV-2 infections— has been keeping beds and wards disinfected.

With this in mind, Aryan Paper Mill, situated in Vapi Industrial Estate, has come up with a unique solution: disposable beds made entirely out of

argued that CCTV footage should not be considered as evidence since it has not been authenticated or verified by any relevant authority. He had also submitted that vote counting was in accordance with proper guidelines.

Chudasma had appeared in the high court for a deposition in September last year.

the World Health Organization.

Easy to transport, install and uninstall, the cardboard bed is also waterproof and sturdy.

The science used in the cardboard bed is similar to that of the old bed of nails used by ancient Indian ascetics. Because the force of the body is distributed evenly across the many vertical columns, Riya’s disposable bed can easily bear the weight of a 200kg patient without it bending or collapsing.

It is easy to assemble and disassemble and also easy to transport, since the components can be flattened and stacked.

The light-

weight bed can be installed in under five minutes.

Sunil Shah said that since the bed is designed considering the needs of the isolation ward, it is water-resistant and can be sanitized with no ill effects on its strength.

Aryan Paper Mill has already donated about 1,500 such beds to the Navy, to the Union Territories of Daman and Dadra and Nagar Haveli and even to Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.

Gandhinagar: A large number of police personnel will be deployed on district roads connecting big cities with Shivanand Jha villages to check unnecessary movement of people from hotspots to less-affected areas, DirectorGeneral of Police Shivanand Jha said.

The state police will stop people found to be moving about needlessly in rural areas, especially between 7 pm and 7 am, he said on Monday.

Paramilitary forces are aiding the state police in securing borders of containment areas so that infection does not spread to other areas. Red zone areas have been cordoned off and there is strict implementation of the lockdown in the area.

The police will also ensure that social distancing is maintained in state transport buses, which are allowed to travel to many parts of the state, the DGP added.

Twenty new cases were lodged in the past 24 hours for spreading rumours, hatred and false messages.

PERSPECTIVE AHMEDABAD | TUESDAY, MAY 12, 2020

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IN-DEPTH

PICKING UP THE THREADS SLOWLY BUT SURELY

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ith the 54-day nationwide lockdown ending on May 17, PM Narendra Modi held a video conference with chief ministers to get their views on the way forward. “We will be able to determine the direction our country is headed based on suggestions you provide today,” the PM told the chief ministers.

Should the lockdown be lifted completely or gradually? Or, should it be extended until the COVID 19 cases in the country reach a plateau?

Opinions differ. What binds all the stakeholders is the concern for the economy which is tottering and a future which is bleak. The PM gave a broad hint of how the future might unfold after May 17. “Slowly, economic activities have started to pick up in the country. In the coming days, this process will further increase.

We must realise that fight against Covid-19 has to be more focused now,” the PM was quoted as saying. What it may mean is that life versus livelihood dilemma could end soon as we learn to co-exist with the novel coronavirus.

In this context, the Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel sought the Centre’s permission for states to define red, orange, and green zones. His Gujarat counterpart was for lockdown only in containment zones as “economic activities can’t be suspended for long”.

The centre is aware of the consequences of an airtight shutdown and seems to have come to terms with the novel coronavirus. Train services have therefore been resumed in a limited way. Importantly, asymptomatic persons will be allowed to travel on these trains.

It involves a risk which the government feels is worth taking to restore some sanity and normality. Air travel with all the necessary restrictions could well be the next to be allowed, although Tamil Nadu chief minister N. Palaniswami urged the prime minister not to allow air travel till May 31. In view of the growing number of Covid-19 cases in the state, he was against the resumption of train services too. Fearing the spread of the virus, Telangana CM K. Chandrashekhar Rao also opposed the movement of trains. Their views were shared by chief ministers of Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh.

Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot requested the Centre for an economic package and increasing the number of trains for migrants. He also sought curbs on movement from Red Zone to Green Zone. Chief ministers of Punjab, Gujarat, and Telangana rooted for extension of lockdown.

Once again it was Mamata Banerjee who used the opportunity to attack the PM for “playing politics” over the pandemic and discriminating between the states. “Don’t bulldoze the federal structure when we are doing our best,” she was quoted as saying.

On his part, the PM said, “There is global recognition of India’s success in handling the Covid-19 pandemic and govt of India appreciates the efforts made by all state governments in this regard.”

DISEASE-FREE ISN’T THE SAME AS HAPPY DR ASHOK PANAGARIYA The writer is a Padamshri awardee, a former vice-chancellor and Director SMS university hospital

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The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines health as ‘A state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing and not merely an absence of disease or infirmity.’ Herein lies, the role of understanding the mind and using its positive attributes to achieve happiness

hat the current generation is living through is unprecedented in world history. A major part of the population around the world is under lockdown, courtesy the pandemic set in motion by the coronavirus (COVID-19). Irrespective of whether an individual is infected or not, most of us have been forced to stay and work from home, unable to step out even for our daily supplies. It isn’t surprising that a number of individuals are feeling low and wondering if they are headed toward depression.

Does being healthy in the body ensure a healthy mind and a happy spirit? Not necessarily. The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines health as ‘A state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely an absence of disease or infirmity.’ Herein lies, the role of understanding the mind and using its positive attributes to achieve happiness.

Human health has always been the epicentre of debate, not only for medical scientists but also for philosophers and religious leaders.

The scientific and esoteric or spiritual traditions have remained clearly at odds with one another since the time of Galileo. The rift peaked in the late 19th century when mankind was asked to choose between science and the supernatural.

Ever since newer discoveries began in the 20th century, the divide between science and philosophy has gradually been getting blurred.

For once, each is coming closer to the other and the fact has been aptly summed up in the WHO definition.

The human mind is a product of billions of years of cosmic and biological evolution.

Followers of the Philosophical Science of Mind (PSM) believe it includes the best in science,

ACCORDING TO PSM, EVERY INDIVIDUAL OWES THE COURSE OF HIS OR HER LIFE, SUCCESS OR FAILURE, HEALTH OR SICKNESS, HAPPINESS OR DISAPPOINTMENT TO A MENTAL PROCESS. THE MENTAL PROCESS, IT BELIEVES, FUNCTIONS ACCORDING TO A UNIVERSAL LAW BASED ON SPIRITUALITY

religion, and philosophy. According to PSM, every individual owes the course of his or her life, success or failure, health or sickness, happiness or disappointment to a mental process. The mental process, it believes, functions according to a universal law based on spirituality.

This lays down the grounds for the recommendation of spiritual healing for the mind through affirmative prayer and meditation.

PSM believes that through prayers and meditation, an individual becomes more attuned to God’s nature. The proponents of PSM do not accept the affiliation with Scientology but often talk of

Spirituality.

When we talk of Science of Mind in neurological terms, the role of electrical and chemical events can be proven scientifically. The neural network brings about changes in the thought process, consciousness, and pleasure system. Chemical substances like serotonin, dopamine, acetylcholine, and endorphins produce a sense of wellbeing, pleasurable experiences, and effective memory and painfree positive emotions.

The Philosophical Science of Mind also believes that healing of the ailing can occur through the religious power of the mind. A scientist talking about the mind feels it contributes to heal-

Is coronavirus pandemic killing democracy?

T

he economic consequences of the COVID-19 crisis occupy almost everyone’s thoughts and conversations.

And for good reason: the European Union, for one, is headed toward the worst recession in its history, with the economy expected to shrink by 7-12% this year.

But far less is being said about the danger the pandemic poses to democracy, even though the signals are similarly ominous.

The EU acted fast to mitigate the economic impact of the pandemic. The European Central Bank launched exceptional monetary measures, and the EU introduced a recovery and reconstruction package amounting to 1-1.5 trillion ($1.1-1.6 trillion). Differences over how to finance an EU rescue package re

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main, but the primary objective is straightforward: to achieve a rapid V-shaped recovery, though a slower U-shaped recovery remains a distinct possibility.

Beyond a straightforward economic recovery, however, is the widely shared ambition of building a greener, more digitized European economy.

Virtually everyone agrees that the COVID-19 crisis represents an important opportunity to accelerate such a transformation, though the jury is still out on whether the EU will seize it.

The outcome will depend partly on the pandemic’s impact on Europe’s political institutions. And, so far, there are serious reasons to worry.

From an institutional perspective, the biggest threat comes from Germany’s Federal Constitution-

The global media are so consumed by the public-health and economic consequences of COVID-19 that they apparently have little space for the political implications

al Court, which recently ruled that the German government had violated the country’s Basic Law by failing to monitor adequately the ECB’s publicsector asset purchases.

This ruling is not only remarkably detached from reality – saving the European economy must be the top priority today – but also reflects open contempt

for the EU Treaties.

Juridical responsibility for the ECB – including oversight over whether it is overstepping its mandate – belongs to the Court of Justice of the EU, which deemed the ECB’s asset purchases legal in 2018. Yet the German court, using utterly torturous logic, claims that it is not bound by that ruling – all in an effort to impose German economic prejudices on the rest of the EU. Far more worrying, however, are populist efforts to use the crisis to undermine democracy.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is a case in point. Having spent the last decade attacking the free press, NGOs, and political opponents, Orbán has used the COVID-19 crisis as pretext to push through legislation that enables him to rule by decree

indefinitely. This is Europe’s first such dictatorial démarche since Adolf Hitler’s Enabling Act of 1933.

In Russia, the assaults on democratic institutions are even cruder. Three doctors treating COVID-19 patients have mysteriously fallen out of windows in recent weeks, after questioning or criticizing the country’s handling of the crisis. One cannot help but recall the fate of Jan Masaryk, the Czechoslovak foreign minister who was found dead below his apartment window in March 1948, two weeks after the Communist takeover.

This trend is hardly limited to Europe. The world’s largest democracies – the United States, Brazil, and India – are also in growing peril.

FOR FULL REPORT LOG ON TO WWW.PROJECTSYNDICATE.COM

ing by activation of the neural network, while a cure is likely to occur after correct diagnosis and wholesome treatment that helps a person find his peace along with his health.

Thus the best for mankind would be a holistic approach merging science with philosophy by learning newer developments in science and understanding spirituality.

However, a word of caution: Spirituality could help prevent lifestyle disease and may facilitate recovery but only scientific treatments, that too after proper diagnoses, can control or cure diseases.

If the raging pandemic has taught us anything, it is the importance of mental well-being and finding that which brings us peace as the crux of overall well-being. Not all of us have a bee or will be infected by the virus. But hiding in our houses trying to dodge an invisible enemy is nibbling away at our sanity and hope. We might not be diseased, but we could be far from being happy. This is where science and philosophy can heal us and make us whole.

THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL

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TWEET Dharmendra Pradhan @dpradhanbjp On #NationalTechnologyDay, I salute the hard work of our scientists, which has ensured a stronger and safer India. Their achievements have brought immense glory to the nation.

May we continue leveraging the power of technology for the progress and prosperity of our country.

Piyush Goyal @PiyushGoyal Thanks to the determination & perseverance of our scientists under Minister @DrHarshVardhan ji’s leadership, India has developed 1st indigenous anti-SARS-CoV-2 human IgG ELISA test kit for COVID-19.

PM @NarendraModi ji’s resolve to enhance detection of COVID-19 is bearing results

Spiritual SPEAK

In separateness lies the world’s greatest misery; in compassion lies the world’s true strength. —Buddha

Vol 1 Issue No. 166 RNI NO. GUJENG/2019/16208. Printed and published by Anita Hada Sangwan on behalf of First Express Publishers. Printed at Bhaskar Printing Planet Survey No.148P, Changodar-Bavla Highway, Tal. Sanand, Dist. Ahmedabad.

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

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COVID-19 UPDATE

With 60 patients recovered in last 24 hrs, the cumulative recovered patients stand at 2,129 & 5,031 active cases reported

‘No death in Delhi in 24 hrs’ New Delhi: No death due to COVID-19 was reported in the last 24 hours, read the Delhi government health bulletin on Monday.

“No death due to COVID-19 reported in Delhi in the last 24 hours. The death toll currently stands at 73,” read the bulletin. “310 persons tested positive in the national capital today; taking the total number of positive cases to 7233,” it read.

With 60 patients recovered in the last 24 hours, the cumulative recovered patients stand at 2,129 and the total number of active coronavirus cases in the national capital is 5,031 cases.

India’s COVID-19 count reached 67,152 on Monday, according to MoHFW. —ANI

PREZ KOVIND HAILS SCIENTISTS A doctor wears protective shield as he checks patients at the OPD of Ganga Ram Hospital in New Delhi.

India’s hidden ability has been highlighted as we are developing ventilators, PPEs, masks, sanitizers via new technologies. The theme of Technology Day this time is to re-boost our economy using Science and Technology. Today it has become very important to work on science that can find solutions to people’s problems, we call it ‘purpose science’ or ‘purpose economy.

—Dr Harsh Vardhan, Union Health Minister

IN THE COURTYARD

Sharjeel Imam moves HC against trial court’s order

New Delhi: Former JNU student Sharjeel Imam moved Delhi HC, challenging the order of a trial court that gave 3 months additional time to the Delhi Police to file chargesheet against him in the case related to alleged inflammatory speeches during the protests against CAA and NRC. The plea was mentioned before the court and is likely to be listed on May 14.

Sharjeel has challenged Delhi’s Patiala House Court’s April 25 order by which the Delhi Police was granted further time, beyond the statutory 90 days, to conclude its investigation filed against him under the stringent Unlawful Activities Act. He has also sought default bail in the matter which was dismissed by Additional Session Judge Dharmender Rana. He was arrested on Jan 28 in case related to violent protests against CAA near the Jamia University in December last year. —ANI

SC extends protection to Arnab New Delhi:The Supreme Court on Monday extended till further hearing the interim protection granted to Republic TV editor Arnab Goswami in connection with several FIRs registered against him for allegedly defaming Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi. A bench headed by Justice Dr DY Chandrachud and also comprising Justice MR Shah reserved its order on a plea seeking investigation in the matter by a probe agency other than Mumbai Police.

SC SAYS NO TO 4G IN JAMMUKASHMIR FOR NOW New Delhi: SC declined to restore 4G Internet services in Jammu & Kashmir for now, emphasizing the necessity to strike a balance between national security and public need.

A bench comprising Justices NV Ramana, R Subhash Reddy and BR Gavai said it is appropriate to constitute a special committee comprising secretaries at national and state level -- to look into the entire matter. —ANI

SHRAM SHAKTI BHAWAN SEALED AFTER EMPLOYEE TESTS POSITIVE New Delhi: Delhi’s Shram Shakti Bhawan was sealed on Sunday after an employee working in the Ministry of Power tested positive for COVID-19.

The Ministry of Power has an office in the Shram Shakti Bhawan building that has now been sealed as per protocols.The entire office premises are being sanitized thorough-

05

ly. All the employees have been advised to work from home till further orders.Moreover, the people who had come in contact with the employee, who had been tested positive for coronavirus, had been asked to quarantine themselves at home.Some of the government offices had to be sealed after staff tested positive.

There are already a slew of FIRs against the petitioner for his show. The nature of the investigation in the matter has clearly shown that this is a tactic against the petitioner,” advocate Harish Salve told the apex court adding that the police is interrogating Goswami for over 12 hours.

The apex court, had on April 24, said that no coercive action should be taken against Goswami for three weeks during which he can seek anticipatory bail and other reliefs.

During the hearing

held on Monday, advocate Harish Salve appearing for Goswami told the top court that the investigation in connection with the FIRs against his client was not being conducted in a proper manner.

—Agencies

SC single judge bench to hear transfer cases New Delhi: Come May 13, the SC will have a single judge bench to hear special leave petitions arising out of bail order and all kinds of transfer cases.

In the backdrop of growing pendency of cases, the decision of the apex court assumes significance, as for the first time since its inception a single judge bench will hear transfer petitions and special leave petitions arising out of bail orders with respect to offences punishable up to seven years imprisonment. Till now, the Supreme Court had a

minimum of two judges hearing any case.

Court number 1, which is presided over

by CJI, also sits in the combination of three judges. A notice from the apex court said that the competent authority in exercise of the powers conferred

by Article 145 of the Constitution. —PTI

VANDE BHARAT EVACUATION FLIGHT FROM US ARRIVES Hyderabad: The GMR Hyderabad International Airport on Monday handled the arrival of the second evacuation flight under Vande Bharat Mission from the United States of America on May 11. The national carrier - Air India flight - AI 1617 - from San Francisco (USA) arrived via Mumbai at the Hyderabad International Airport today at 09.22 am with 118 Indian citizens stranded in the USA.Later in the day, GMR Hyderabad International Airport is all set to receive another batch of Indian citizens from Abu Dhabi (UAE).

“We recognise science and technology as the key instruments for inclusive progress. Our scientists and technologists are also on the frontlines of the global battle against COVID-19, making the nation proud.”

‘COVID-19 cases likely to peak in May’

WHO lauds India’s Corona fight

Mumbai: Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray said that the COVID-19 cases are expected to peak in May and suggested that any action on lockdown must be taken cautiously.

“Cases are expected to peak in May, it may peak in June or July also. I have read Wuhan is witnessing a second wave of cases, even WHO has warned about this. So, I suggest that any action on lockdown must be taken cautiously,” Thackeray said during PM Modi’s fifth vc meeting with Chief Ministers. “I request that if the need arises the state should be given central forces as police are under heavy pressure and their personnel are also getting infected,” he said. —ANI

New Delhi: World Health Organisation’s Chief Scientist Soumya Swaminathan on Monday, commended India for keeping the coronavirus cases and deaths very low compared to other countries and said it will play an important role in the development of a vaccine for COVID-19. She said the whole world has to be prepared for the ongoing transmission of infection for “many many months and for perhaps years to come”.

Swaminathan said it is not just enough to develop and test the vaccine, but it is also crucial to manufacturing it, scale-up procurement, and get health systems to vaccinate populations. Speaking on the National Tech-

Uddhav files papers for MLC polls Mumbai: Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray, accompanied by wife Rashmi and sons Aaditya and Tejas, filed his nomination papers for the Maharashtra Legislative Council election on Monday. He becomes the second member from the Thackeray family to contest an election after his son and minister Aaditya, who contested assembly polls in October 2019.

With Congress deciding to withdraw one of its candidates from the upcoming Legislative Council polls on Sunday evening, the elections to

Ex- PM Dr Manmohan Singh stable at AIIMS New Delhi: Former PM and senior Congress leader Manmohan Singh, who was admitted to the AIIMS in Delhi on Sunday evening, is stable and currently under observation with specialists examining him, news agency ANI reported on Monday morning quoting sources. The Congress leader was rushed to hospital after he complained of chest pain. He was admitted to a ward at the cardio-neurosciences tower at about 8.45 pm under Dr Nitish Naik, a professor of cardiology at the AIIMS. Singh, 87, is still under observation at the cardio ward of the hospital. —ANI

Uddhav Thackeray files nomination for MLC polls in Mumbai.

the nine seats will be unopposed. Thackeray will be elected to the Upper House of the state legislature without an election being held.

Senior leaders from the Shiv Sena, Sanjay Raut, Subhash Desai,

Aarogya Setu ‘privacy-first’ by design: Kant New Delhi: The government’s Aarogya Setu mobile application is based on “privacy-first by design” principle keeping in mind the safety and privacy of users’ data, said Amitabh Kant, CEO of Niti Aayog.

He further added that the user data from the app would only be provided to those government officials who were directly in charge of containing the spread of the coronavirus in India.” —ANI

Ensure smooth movement of health workers, says MHA New Delhi: The Ministry of Home Affairs directed the states & UTs to facilitate unhindered movement of all h e a l t h workers and sanitation pers o n n e l amid the nationwide lockdown to control the coronavirus pandemic.

In a letter to the chief secretaries of states, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla said that restrictions on movement of healthcare workers at some places had been flagged during a vc chaired by Cabinet Secretary Rajeev Gauba.” The services of medical and para-

ONLY 27 PEOPLE ALLOWED FOR BADRINATH TEMPLE REOPENING Chamoli: Only 27 people, including the head priest, will be allowed when the portals of the Badrinath Temple reopen on May 15. “Devotees will not be allowed entry into the temple during that time.

The decision has been taken in view of the guidelines issued by the Centre amid Covid-19 pandemic,” Anil Chanyal, SDM,

Eknath Shinde, among others, were also present with the CM at the Vidhan Bhawan. Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, NCP’s Jayant Patil. Cong leaders Ashok Chavan & Balasaheb Thorat were also present. —ANI

nology Day, Swaminathan said, “I would like to commend and congratulate the minister and colleagues for having contained so far the COVID pandemic in India and having kept both the number of cases and the number of deaths very low compared to other countries.”

All participants, including Science and Technology Minister Harsh Vardhan, addressed the conference online. —PTI

Joshimath, said. On April 29, the portals of Kedarnath Temple were thrown open after a six-monthlong winter break. There also pilgrims were prohibited from visiting the shrine because of coronavirus lockdown. U’khand CM Trivendra Singh Rawat had said that Badrinath shrine will be opened on May 15 at 4:30 am.

‘END HOME ISOLATION AFTER 17 DAYS’

medical staff are urgently required to meet the challenge of Covid-19 pandemic,” he wrote. “Furthermore, the existing staff, apart from this duty, also has to render normal responsibilities, such as conducting immunisa-

tion programmes, handling the onset of vector and other seasonal diseases, & meeting emergencies.” Bhalla said restrictions on the movement of health workers could severely affect emergency medical services. —ANI

ICICI BANK SHARES SLUMP 5% DESPITE Q4 PROFIT RISE Mumbai: Share price of ICICI Bank plunged over 5%, despite an improved quarterly result. The analysts attributed the slump to lower-than-expected rise in profits. At 2.26 p.m, the bank’s share was trading on BSE at Rs 321.70, lower by Rs 16.05 or 4.75% from the previous close.On Saturday, the bank reported a 26% year-on-year rise in standalone net profit for fourth quarter of 2019-20 at Rs 1,221 crore. The bank made provisions, excluding those linked to Covid-19 and tax, worth Rs 3,242 crore in Q4.

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‘Labourers can’t be exploited’ The issue could lead to another face-off between the government and the opposition New Delhi: After many states amended labour laws to restart economic activity in view of the COVID-19 lockdown, the Congress lashed out at the state governments and said that labourers could not be subjected to exploitation.

Congress former President Rahul Gandhi tweeted on Monday, “Many states are amending their labour laws to help businesses restart. While we are all working together to battle the Coronavirus, this battle can’t be an excuse to trample on human rights, allow un-

Sero-survey to be held in select dists New Delhi: MoHFW decided to conduct a population-based serosurvey in select districts across the country, saying there is a need to establish systematic surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 infections across the country. The Ministry said this surveillance will be in addition to routine testing “Besides facility-based surveillance, ICMR/ NCDC is initiating a population-based sero-survey in selected districts,” it added. —ANI

Many states are amending their labour laws to help businesses restart.While we are all working together to battle the Coronavirus, this battle can’t be an excuse to trample on human rights, allow unsafe work places and silence their voice.

—Rahul Gandhi, Congress Leader

safe work spaces, exploit workers & silence their voice. There can be no compromise on these fundamental principles.”

The issue could lead to another face-off be-

tween the government and the opposition after the migrant labourers issue.

The Uttar Pradesh government on May 8 had finalised an ordinance suspending a majority of the labour

laws in the state for three years.

The state cabinet had cleared the Uttar Pradesh Temporary Exemption from Labour Laws Ordinance, thereby suspending more than 30 labour

laws in the state.

CM Yogi Adityanath had said recently that Uttar Pradesh would amend the labour laws to attract new investments, especially from China. According to sources, there are more than 40 kinds of labour laws in the labour department, some of which are now redundant. About eight of them are being retained under the ordinance.

MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan had announced wide-ranging changes in labour laws to stimulate economic activity in the state. —ANI

Labour law amendment not without Centre’s approval: Cong New Delhi: After labour Laws were suspended by the BJP Governments in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, the Congress said it is shocking and heartbreaking that at a time when the entire nation is dealing with an unprecedented pandemic which has disproportionately ravaged and devastated the lives of the poor, the Modi Government has taken this as an opportunity to deprive the labourers of their rights.

The Congress spokesperson Shakti Singh Gohil alleged, “These laws are in the Concurrent

DIFFERENCES OVER TRAIN SERVICES

List, no such suspension can take place without the explicit approval of the Central Government.”

The party has demanded that the Modi Government should deny any permissions that strip workers of their basic rights and

have the potential of diminishing their livelihoods. The Congress asked that the trade unions be consulted before such an adverse step is taken.

The labourers are already getting inhuman treatment in the wake of the hastily an-

nounced lockdown which gave a barely four-hour notice to migrants. “This is shameful & highlights the true nature of this ‘’SuitBoot ki Sarkar.’’ Factories will end up becoming ‘’sweat shops’’ and forced labour camps,” Gohil added. —ANI

‘Centre should start road, air transport too’ New Delhi: Congress welcomes Centre’s decision to restart operations of inter-state passenger trains, same “modest opening” should be started with road transport and air transport, said Congress leader and former Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram.

Taking to Twitter, PC wrote, “We welcome the decision of the government to cautiously start operations of interstate passenger trains.

The same modest opening should be started with road transport and air transport.” —ANI

‘No pay cuts for Central govt staff’ New Delhi: Union Minister Jitendra Singh clarified that there is no proposal by the g ove r n ment to carry out deduction in the salary of its employees.

“Please ignore the fake news being circulated in a section of media.

There is no proposal by the government to carry out deduction in the salary of its employees,” Singh tweeted.

Earlier, the Ministry of Finance announced to freeze the hike in DA for the central government employees. —ANI

‘No e-pass for those with tickets’ New discharge New Delhi: As Indian Railways will run15 pairs of passenger trains with AC coaches and limited stops from May 12 amid the COVID-19 lockdown, Union Home Ministry Joint Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava on Monday said that passengers with confirmed e-tickets don not need e-pass and they will be allowed to reach Railway Stations without any hassle.

Ministry of Railways has made it mandatory for all passengers to download and use the Aarogya Setu application. No Linen, blankets and curtains shall be provided inside the train. Passengers will have to carry their own linen for the travel.

TRAIN BOOKING

Railway personnel giving biscuits to the migrants in Mathura.

Addressing a press conference here, Srivastava said Railways will operate passenger trains from May 12 from New Delhi to 15 stations and MHA issued SOPs under the Disaster Management Act for trains’ schedule and booking confirmation or cancellation.

“Passengers with a confirmed e-ticket can come to the Railway Station.

They do not need any epass. They have to maintain social distancing and face masks are a must to board a train. Only asymptomatic patients will be allowed to board trains.

After reaching their destinations, they have to fol-

low all health protocols issued by the Health Ministry in view of COVID-19 situation,” she said. Cabinet Secy Rajiv Gauba has requested states & UTs to allow movement of doctors, paramedical staff, health workers staff, as well as provide them security, Srivastava said. —ANI

made by all state governments in this regard.

“Let us stay the course as we move forward together,” the Prime Minister said. “Moreover, over the past few weeks, officials have understood operating procedures in a time such as this, right up to the district level. Yesterday again, Cabinet Secretary briefed the Chief Secretaries and Health Secretaries on the current situation and the steps being taken by us,” he added.

Before taking a considered view, Prime Minister Modi said “this time we decided to invite all Chief Minis-

ters to speak.”

Maharashtra, Telangana and West Bengal governments also sought an extension of the coronavirus lockdown. Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh suggested that the coronavirus lockdown be extended, “but with a carefully crafted strategy, backed by fiscal and economic empowerment of the states, to save lives and secure livehood.”

Tamil Nadu CM K Palaniswami asked PM not to resume passenger train services in the state till May 31. He also urged him not to allow regular air services. Chhattis-

garh CM Bhupesh Baghel, said state governments should get the right to take decisions on handling of economic activities. While Telangana CM K Chandrashekar Rao too urged PM not to resume the passenger train services. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee lashed out at the Centre for “playing politics” over the issue and opposed the resumption of passenger train services.

policy for patients New Delhi: As India’s COVID-19 count surges to 67,152, Union Health Ministry on Monday issued a revised discharge policy for COIVD-19 patients under which a person having mild infection can be discharged after 10 days of symptom onset and if there is no fever for three days. “As per the revised policy, mild, very mild, pre-symptomatic cases admitted to COVID care facility can be discharged after 10 days of symptom onset and if there is no fever for three days,” said Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, during a press briefing

06

POWER Gallery WILL AJOY MEHTA BE SPECIAL ADVISOR IN MAHARASHTRA?

Maharashtra CS Ajoy Mehta who is all set to retire on June 30, in view of the Carona crisis, may be made Special Advisor. He is 1984 batch IAS officer.

DEPUTATION OF THREE IPS OFFICERS EXTENDED

The ACC has approved the proposal to extend the tenure of three IPS officers, who are presently working in different CAPFs/CPOs upto June 30 this year. They are Alok Kumar Mittal, Haryana cadre, IG, NIA, Raju Bhatnagar, IG, CRPF and Ritu Arora, Odisha cadre, IG, CISF. Their deputation tenure was already over between March 25 to May 3, 2020.

IPS OFFICER IN UTTARAKHAND SEEKS VOLUNTARY RETIREMENT

IPS officer from Uttarakhand, Dr Asim Srivastava is reported to have applied for Voluntary Retirement. He is presently ADC to the Governor.

UBI NON EXEC CHAIRMAN KEWAL HANDA MAY GET EXTENSION

There are fresh whispers that Union Bank of India ‘s Part-time Non Executive Chairman Kewal Handa may be granted an extension. The Govt may also go for a consultation with the Bank’s Board early next month to decide on the issue.

SBI SHAREHOLDER DIRECTORS’ ELECTION ON JUNE 17

SBI shareholders are reportedly out to elect four shareholder Directors of the Bank on June 17, 2020 in a general meeting to be organised in Mumbai.

TRIBUNAL APPOINTMENTS STUCK IN PMO ?

Tribunal appointments are reported to have been stuck in PMO. Rules for Tribunal appointments have been revised recently, but the whole process has been completed with old rules & there are very few candidates, who fulfill the condition of 25 years’ of practice.

VR HEGDE TO RETURN TO PARENT CADRE AFTER SEVEN-YEARS

A seven-year deputation of VR Hegde, is coming to an end in the first week of July this year. He is a 2000 batch ISS officer.

ARVIND KUMAR IS BACK TO MADHYA PRADESH

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

RITU DHILLON RETURNS TO PARENT CADRE

Ritu Dhillon, Member Secretary, National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA), has been repatriated on the grounds of availing promotion in the cadre. She is a 1996 batch IA&AS officer.

GOI YET TO FILL POST OF CHAIRMAN, CBSE

The Government is yet to fill the post of Chairman, Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). A vacancy of this post has arisen after incumbent Anita Karwal’s appointment as Secretary, School Education. here on Monday.

“Discharge policy has been changed because several countries have changed their policy from test-based strategy to symptom and time-based strategy. We have also changed it based on this,” said Agarwal. It was not meant for home or facility quarantine patients, he said. —ANI

PANKAJ KUMAR GOSWAMI TO JOIN AS DIRECTOR (OPE), OIL INDIA ON JUNE 1

Pankaj Kumar Goswami, CGM, OIL, will be taking over the charge as Director (Operations), Oil India Limited (OIL) on June 1, 2020. He will succeed PK Sharma retiring this month.

33 BIHAR CADRE IAS OFFICERS ON CENTRAL DEPUTATION

According to latest information, 33 IAS officers of Bihar cadre are presently on central deputation.

Among them, five are Secretaries of different ministry/department in GoI.

FROM PG 1 ‘Ensure rural... maintain that the decision to remove lockdown will be left on the state governments, but at a later stage.

Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman were also present in the meeting.

The Prime Minister said, “we have to ensure that rural India remains free from this crisis”.

Modi said that there is “global recognition for India’s success in handling the COVID-19 pandemic.” He stated that the Government of India appreciates the efforts

TOLL TALE...

Across the state, institutional quarantine facilities have been set up in 31 districts.

In more bad news, a 95-year-old man in Rajkot district hanged himself. He was reportedly depressed since he has not been able to access bidis since lockdown began.

Domestic flights... which are commercially more viable as compared to only shorter distance flights that would be restricted to green zones, which are mostly tier II and tier III cities.

The DGCA, on May 2, had issued a circular to extend the suspension of domestic and international commercial

flight operations till May 17. However, the restriction has not been applicable to international all-cargo operations and flights specifically approved by the DGCA. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on May 1, had issued an order to extend the ongoing lockdown by two more weeks from May 4 up to May 17. —ANI

Carry your... on the Rajdhani routes, from Delhi to all major cities of the country.

Since the trains will be operated amidst the ongoing nationwide lockdown, only passen-

gers with confirmed e-tickets shall be allowed to enter the station.

The movement of passengers as well as that of the driver of the vehicle transporting them to and from the railway station shall be allowed on the basis of the confirmed e-ticket, it said Online cancellation shall be permitted up to 24 hours before the scheduled departure of the train, but the cancellation charge shall be 50 per cent of the fare.

The Railways said there will be special norms for air-conditioning inside the coaches and temperatures will

be kept slightly higher than the usual. Maximum supply of fresh air will be ensured.

Bookings for reservation in these trains was to start at 4 pm on Monday, but the Railways pushed it to 6pm as the IRCTC website did not open. These tickets, officials said, would have details of the ‘dos and don’ts’ passengers need to follow -- such as arriving at the station at least 90 minutes in advance for screening and other coronavirus protocols, mandatory use of masks and the Aarogya Setu mobile app. —ANI

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07

FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE, KNOWN AS THE FOUNDER OF MODERN NURSING WAS BORN ON MAY 12, 1820 - MAKING 2020 THE 200TH ANNIVERSARY OF HER BIRTH. NURSES PLAY AN EVER-DIVERSIFIED ROLE, ENTERING SPECIALTIES SUCH AS NURSE PRACTITIONERS AND CASE MANAGERS, AND IN SETTINGS SUCH AS THE OPERATING ROOM, THE INTENSIVE-CARE UNIT AND THE HOME

A

s global health systems creak under the strain of the coronavirus, a new report shows there are not enough nurses to meet global development goals on health – even without a global pandemic.

The World Health Organization (WHO) report, State of the World’s Nursing, estimates there was a global shortage of 5.9 million nurses in 2018, a slight improvement from the 6.6 million shortage in 2016.

The report has been published on World Health Day, an annual event organized by WHO, which this year is focused on supporting nurses and midwives, many of whom are serving on the frontlines of the COVID-19 response.

“Nurses and health workers are at the forefront of COVID-19 response, working tirelessly to care for everyone’s loved ones, even when their own lives are at risk,” said Dessislava Dimitrova, Head of Healthcare Transformation at the World Economic Forum.

“As we clap daily to express our appreciation for the health workers around the globe, let us not lose sight of the investments that they need to be strong enough to ensure that everyone, everywhere gets the healthcare they need.”

“The nursing workforce is expanding in size and professional scope. However, the expansion is not equitable, is insufficient to meet rising demand, and is leaving some populations behind,” the authors write.

They call for the creation of at least 6 million new nursing jobs by 2030, primarily in lowand middle-income countries, to achieve the global development goals on health. Sustainable Development Goal 3 aims to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being at all ages, which includes the provision of universal health coverage.

There are 27.9 million nurses around the world, an increase of 4.7 million between 2013 and 2018. Over 80% of those nurses are found in countries that account for half of the world’s population.

Low and lower middle-income countries, where the

A graffiti representing a nurse by artist David. —PHOTO BY DENIS BALIBOUSE

COVID-19 REMINDS US OF THE CRUCIAL ROLE NURSES PLAY

A medic checks the medical documents of a COVID-19 positive patient at a government hospital during the ongoing nationwide lockdown, in New Delhi on Monday.

Health-care workers enter a residential area of Mumbai to check on people living there during lockdown to slow the spread of the coronavirus. —PHOTO BY FRANCIS MASCARENHAS

RECOGNIZE THE VARIED AND VITAL WORK NURSES DO urses today are wagN ing war worldwide against COVID-19, a foe

as formidable as any in recorded human history.

Under levels of duress more likely to be felt in a battle setting, nurses are staffing hospitals and clinics, pulling long shifts, wrestling with trauma and exhaustion, and putting themselves at risk of infection to care for people in need.

The fact that nurses are the most trusted profession is generally recognized. However, what is often less recognized, and what COVID-19 has

brought into sharp view, is the ever-evolving, ever-expanding role of the nurse in the healthcare system—a trend that is accelerating with this pandemic.

“Patients feel that they are listened to when they talk to a nurse, and that they are really cared for — that’s one thing we are able to do at the bedside that physicians often don’t have time to do,” said Emma Mason, a registered nurse who works for MSD (known as Merck & Co in the US and Canada) who is now volunteering in her local

hospital, specifically as part of its COVID-19 response. “Right now, visitation is so restricted in hospitals, we’re having to be the bridge that connects the patient to their family.”

It is fitting that in a year in which the important role nurses play has come into sharp focus, the World Health Organization (WHO) has designated 2020 the Year of the Nurse and the Midwife. Nursing is the largest occupational group in the healthcare sector, accounting for roughly 59% of health

professionals, according to WHO. But that’s not enough. There are just under 28 million nurses globally, about 5.9 million short of what the world needs to adequately care for the growing population, according to a recent report.

The WHO will join its partners in a year-long celebration that advocates further investment in this workforce, while educating the public about the value nurses bring and the challenging conditions they often face.

An IAF helicopter showers flower petals on medics to applaud them for their services, during the nationwide lockdown in the wake of coronavirus in Bengaluru.

growth in the number of nurses is barely keeping pace with population growth, are suffering the most acute shortages. The report estimates that these countries need a further 5.3 million nurses to meet their requirements.

The report states that the total number of nurse graduates would need to increase by 8% per year on average, alongside an improved capacity to employ and retain these graduates, to address the shortage by 2030 in all countries.

As well as creating new nursing jobs, the report urges governments to: z invest in the massive acceleration of nursing education to address global needs, meet domestic demand, and respond to changing technologies and new models of integrated health and social care; z strengthen nurse leadership to ensure that nurses have an influential role in forming health policy and decision-making, and contribute to the effectiveness of health and social care systems.

Countries should develop workforce policies that take account of the fact that the nursing workforce is still predominantly female, the authors write. Laws addressing the gender pay gap must apply to both the public sector and the private sector, and encourage flexible and manageable working hours. “[This report] comes as the world witnesses unprecedented political commitment to universal health coverage. At the same time, our emergency preparedness and response capacity is being tested by the current COVID-19 outbreak and mass population displacement caused by conflict. Nurses provide vital care in each of these circumstances. Now, more than ever, the world needs them working to the full extent of their education and training,” says the report.

191 countries provided data for the report, which was developed in partnership with the International Council of Nurses and the global Nursing Now campaign.

HISTORICAL CONTRIBUTIONS ver the years, nurses O have contributed to some of the world’s

most important public health achievements.

They have enlisted and pitched in during any and all major crises, including natural disasters such as hurricanes and floods – and, for that matter, epidemics and pandemics.

Globally, nurses are widely credited with the sustained mass immunization campaign which led to the eradication of smallpox, the only human disease ever to achieve that distinction.

However, throughout history, there have been many other wars against disease in which nurses have supported similar immunization campaigns: against cholera, diphtheria, measles, mumps and rubella, hepatitis A and B, and H1N1, among many others.

As with today, what is so notable about nurses is their historical selflessness in their contributions and the care they give. For example, in the series of yellow fever pandemics from the late 1700s through

the late 1800s in the US, nurses rushed to the scene to lend a hand, often fatally. Indeed, some US nurses in 1901 volunteered to be deliberately infected with yellow fever, in the end proving that mosquitoes carried the disease and making effective prevention and treatment possible.

That sense of selflessness is embodied in Florence Nightingale, now known as the founder of modern nursing, who was born on 12 May 1820 - making 2020 the 200th anniversary of her birth. She came

from a wealthy family and defied all traditions of the time to become a nurse and take care of strangers. During the Crimean War, she went to the frontlines to determine why the majority of soldiers were dying.

Through her pioneering use of medical statistics, she was able to uncover that the primary cause of death of soldiers was due to infection resulting from unsanitary conditions. From this, she gained a platform that led to a focus of national attention on the field of public health.

Medical staff wearing protective gear walk in a residential area of Amritsar to screen people during the coronavirus outbreak.

—PHOTO BY NARINDER NANU SOURCE: WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM

CONCEPT: DIVYA HEMNANI

DESIGN: ABHISHEK GUPTA

Today, on International Nurses Day, let us take a moment to thank each of these wonderful healthcare workers who have nursed us back to health earlier and now stand guard against Corona.

—Jagdeesh Chandra, CEO & Editor, First India www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epaper/ I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia

2ND FRONT AHMEDABAD | TUESDAY, MAY 12, 2020

LOCKDOWN SEQUELS LEAVE TOBACCO FARMERS IN A HUFF National farmers’ association demands urgent rescue package; Guj growers are devastated as harvest lies waste First India News New Delhi: Federation of All India Farmer Associations (FAIFA), which represents lakhs of farmers and farmworkers of commercial crops across Gujarat and several other states, on Monday urged the Centre to save the livelihoods of those engaged in tobacco farming as the demand has fallen as a result of prolonged lockdowns.

FCV (Flue-Cured Variety) tobacco farming community is undergoing severe stress to sell their harvest and also to cope with mounting labour and infrastructure charges due to interruption to auctions due to the lockdown. Nearly 130 million kg of FlueCured tobacco worth over Rs. 1700 crore is waiting to be sold as

TOUGH STRUGGLE

Tobacco farmers are in crisis owing to extended lockdown.

the tobacco auctions are moving at snail’s pace, causing quality loss under prolonged storage.

The Gujarat farmers, whose tobacco produce is used in the making of beedis and other products, are struggling.

More than 330 million kg of tobacco worth Rs

2,700 crore is lying in the open fields as the traders are not ready to pick-up the produce because of a ban on sale of tobacco products.

The rains are expected in the coming days and if the government does not allow the sale of tobacco products both trad-

ers and farmers will go bankrupt. In Gujarat, tobacco is produced in several districts such as Anand, Kheda, Vadodara, Panchmahal, Banaskantha, and Sabarkantha.

The farmers have also appealed for reducing taxation on ciga-

rettes to pre-GST levels so that demand can be restored for the domestic legal cigarette industry, which is already reeling under penal taxation after continuous increases in excise duties and compensation cess. Besides this, the Indian Government has removed tobacco

export incentives.

Javare Gowda, President, Federation of All India Farmer Associations (FAIFA), said, “We request the government to immediately start the auctions in all the tobacco auction pla tforms.

The government should also direct the Tobacco Board and other officials concerned to coordinate with FCV tobacco manufacturers, exporters and traders to facilitate reasonable prices (Pre-COVID market prices) for FCV tobacco produce.”

“As FCV tobacco farmers’ are undergoing severe financial crisis, we request the Government of India to immediately sanction a compensation amount of Rs 25,000 each to all registered FCV tobacco growers for their very survival.”

08

‘Rupani-Patel tiff has hit corona efforts in Gujarat’ First India News New Delhi: The Opposition Congress on Monday came down heavily on the Gujarat Government for “complacency” in tackling the corona crisis in Gujarat and claimed that this is the result of long-standing differences between Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel, who also holds the health portfolio.

Congress spokesperson Shaktisinh Gohil told media persons here that, “Everyone knows what’s going on between the Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister.”

Stating that Ahmedabad is among the worstaffected cities and the government is not doing enough

AICC spokesperson Shaktisinh Gohil addressing media in New Delhi on Monday.

to deal with it, Gohil said, “The Congress doesn’t want to play politics, but to give constructive suggestions.”

Earlier, Gujarat Congress chief Amit Chavda had alleged that Covid-19 cases spiked in the state because of the ‘Namaste Trump’ event in Ahmedabad, which has become a Covid-19 hotspot with 73 per cent deaths in the state,” he said.

AI brings 165 Train cancelled, miffed KhoobSURAT: World’s diamond hub people from Manila migrants pelt stones Antwerp opens, brings sparkle to Guj to Ahmedabad First India News

First India News Ahmedabad:: The second Air India repatriation flight with 165 passengers on Monday took off from Manila for Ahmedabad. “The 2nd flight from Manila AI 1375 to Ahmedabad took off with 165 passengers who thanked PMO India, MEA India and Gujarat Govt.

Wishing passengers a happy journey. Thank you @DFAPHL and @ immigrationPH for contribution to #VandeBharatMission,” tweeted Embassy of India there.

India began phased repatriation of its citi-

zens stranded abroad from May 7. The government had said that Air India will operate 64 flights a week to bring back around 15,000 Indians. An Air India evacuation flight from Philippines arrived in Mumbai, said External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, earlier in the day.

Meanwhile, Embassy of India, Bahrain tweeted, “#VandeBharatMission Mission continues as Indian Nationals to be repatriated to Kozhikode collect Boarding passes at Bahrain International Airport for Air India Flight IX 474.”

Bhavnagar: The Bhavnagar police had a tough time on Monday controlling migrant workers of Nirma Chemicals and cool off tempers when they turned violent and pelted stones on company buses on knowing that a special train for Uttar Pradesh was cancelled.

A train scheduled from Bhavnagar for Uttar Pradesh to take the migrant workers was canceled because of non-availability of train. When this

news reached the residential area of Nirma plant, the workers started gathering and started pelting stones on company buses and damaging them.

Senior police officers rushed there and controlled the situation.

District Superintendent of Police Jaipalsinh Rathod said a police complaint has been lodged against the workers. He said the situation was cooled off through dialogue with the workers.

First India News

Surat: After Hong Kong, as many as 600 firms opened on Monday at the world’s diamond capital, Antwerp in Belgium, bringing a sparkle to the diamond industry of Surat that cuts and polishes 80 per cent of gemstones exported from India.

Workers at the gems and jewellery manufacturing units in Antwerp have been instructed to resume work maintaining a distance of 15 metres.

The supply of rough

Surat diamond units see light at the end of the tunnel.

diamonds from the big diamond companies of Surat and Mumbai, which had stopped owing to the lockdown, will now be

cleared. Surat has an annual $6-billion trade with Belgium.

Broker and courier services for Antwerp also started on Monday. Imports of polished diamonds fell 73 per cent in March, according to data from the Antwerp World Diamond Center.

Rough exports fell 51.3 per cent.

Now that the gems and jewellery industry has started in Hong Kong and Switzerland, activity has also increased in Antwerp. The Singapore Government

has also decided to allow trading in gems and jewellery from June 1.

Dinesh Navadia, regional chairman, Gems and Jewellery Exports Promotion Council, said, “The old stock would now be cleared and the burden on the diamond industry will be removed by the time the lockdown opens in India. Rough diamonds mostly come to Surat from Belgium and Dubai. The opening of the Belgian market will bring positives vibe to the industry”.

Mothers’ Day luck: Son finds missing mom First India News

Vadodara: Between all tears and fears created by the corona crisis also lie heart-rending tales.

Take Tejas Thakkar, who works in the technology sector and resides in Vadodara, was reunited with his mother, who was miss-

ing for two years. And that too on the eve of Mothers’ Day. Thakkar used to live in Pune earlier, and when he was there, his mother, Harsha Thakkar, who has a mental illness and lost her memory, had gone missing. Tejas had registered a com-

plaint, but it had no results.

But, luck smiled on him, when a few volunteers from Ekta Pratishthan, an NGO, found Harsha Thakkar in Dombivali in Maharashtra. The NGO members were there helping the street dwellers, daily wage workers, and the needy

with food packets when they found her roaming.

Although she could not remember anything, she was able to provide her and her son Tejas’s name and had no clue where she lived. The volunteers, Hasan Khan and Bhaskar Gangurde, could not get

her into a senior citizen’s home. So Khan took her to his own home.

Samir Kundalikar from Ekta Pratishthan then informed the local police station and gave all the details.

The NGO members then found Tejas Thakkar online, and that did the trick.

DOUGH THE TOUGH TIMES: Women bake up a roti bank First India News Surat: Gujarat has often demonstrated that where the government fails, the civil society moves in. When complaints galore that adequate food has not been reaching the poor during the continuing lockdown, it just needed a social media call by an NGO in Surat to have as many as 20,000-odd women rustle up a “roti bank” of sorts.

And what is it that

these women do? Just prepare five rotis extra when they cook at home -- pure motherly instinct. By now, more have joined and they are churning out a mindboggling 1.5 lakh rotis day in and day out.

The initiative was started by NGO, Surat Manav Seva Sangh ‘Chhanyado (which means a shade, a shelter)’. These women cook the rotis for ‘Chhanydo’, which runs a community kitchen in the city.

NGO Chhanydo’s initiative created a “roti revolution” in Surat.

At Chhanydo’s community kitchen, about 16 women make vegetable curry and chilli pickle

and that the rotis collected from the households are packed along with it. The food pack-

ets are then distributed to about 35,000 people in different parts of the city.

Says Bharat Shah, President of NGO Chhanydo, “The toughest job was to cook rotis and

we didn’t have enough staff for the purpose. So, I just posted a video appealing women to donate five rotis each and we started receiving overwhelming response from the housing societies.”

Majority of the food packets are distributed among the migrant population in industrial areas including Varachhha, Pandesara, Udhna. We also send the food packets in the villages of Olpad.”

The toughest job was to cook rotis and we didn’t have enough staff for the purpose. So, I just posted a video appealing to women to donate five rotis each and we started receiving overwhelming response from the housing societies.

—Bharat Shah, President of NGO ‘Chhanydo

www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epaper/ I twitter.com/thefirstindia facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia AHMEDABAD, TUESDAY MAY 12, 2020

DURING LOCKDOWN A LOT OF US HAVE GONE DOWN THE MEMORY LANE VIA MOVIES AND REVISITED THE OLD AND GOLDEN ERA OF FILMSTARS. CITY FIRST EXPLORES TWO OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL WOMEN OF HOLLYWOOD AND BOLLYWOOD!

THE MYSTERIOUS

M FACTOR! RUCHIKA SODHI cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

M

adhubala and Marilyn Monore had more in common than just their breath-taking ethereal beauty, they both had the same charm which reached out and left a sigh in the heart along with a twinkle in the eye, of the viewer. Look at their smiles, the head thrown back, the sheer abandonment and the glow, you will see an uncanny similarity.

Both the actresses are remembered for their beauty more than their acting, they wanted to be taken as serious actresses but it was always their face which was in demand.

Madhubala did prove her versatility as an actress

but Monroe’s desire for meaningful films remained unfulfilled as her films mostly established her as a nothing more than a ‘beautiful blonde’.

They both were in the news because of the men in their lives and in fact, these affairs later inspired filmmakers to make movies on these themes and My Week With Marilyn and Khoya Khoya Chand, based on Marilyn and Madhubala’s life hit the screens.

Marilyn and Madhubala both extensively made news because of their alleged affairs. In fact, these affairs later inspired filmmakers to make movies on these themes and films like- My Week With Marilyn and Khoya Khoya Chand.

But the fact remains that both of them had such lives that they were far more dramatic than any film they had worked in. The tragic love affairs, the aura of unhappiness

that surrounded them, ill health, poverty, the rise to stardom- their lives were a script for any superhit.

Both of them came from poor family backgrounds and became extremely successful film stars and supported their families. They both had short careers and a search for the perfect love dogged their life. They died young, bearing names they made so famous that no one remembers their real names any longer.

Their popularity crossed the borders of their nation and both have postage stamps featuring them.

Marilyn and Madhubala, both died at 36 years, at the peak of their beauty forever frozen in the dreams of lakhs, yesterday, today and tomorrow.

Today, regardless of generation they remain as poster girls, on trivia and many a pillow.

Goddesses of beauty, that’s what they were!

09

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

AHMEDABAD | TUESDAY, MAY 12, 2020

10

‘NOBODY WILL SLEEP HUNGRY’

JOGARAM HONOURS THE CM’S WORDS! D

in cooperation of various organizations and the District Collectorate Employees Union President Amit Jaiman & Gen. Secretary Pradeep Rathore ensured that the whole system worked nonstop. Civil Defence team under deputy controller Jagdish Rawat ensured their role was perfect.

Collector Dr Jogaram accepts without hesitation that the whole system would have collapsed without the active support of dedicated officers and personnel. Tahsildar Narendra Jain & Balbeer Singh, XEN Smart City Ajay Kumar Sindhu became an important part of the food distribution system. Dr Jogaram can’t stop praising his dedicated team of 600 which includes teachers, BLO, Civil Defence Volunteers apart from administration and Smart City personnel who have been tirelessly working since 23 March every day from 7 am to 11 pm without any leave. The team has lived the CM Gehlot’s motto in spite of curfew in the walled city area follow-

FA CE OF TH ED AY

istrict administration of Jaipur completed its 50 days of ensuring two square of meals to the poor, needy, destitute and the migrant workers under the able guidance of Collector Jogaram.

It all started with 10001200 food packets on 23 March which continues with numbers swelling to lakhs. District administration with cooperation from other govt department employees and various organizations is working tirelessly to make CM Ashok Gehlot’s vision of ‘Nobody will sleep hungry’ true on the ground.

Collector Jogaram says that the challenges due to Covid-19 were new to the administration but the biggest challenge was to ensure food delivery to the needy keeping the medical aspect at the fore. There was one front where dry ration & PDS material was distributed but on the other hand, the administration was to quickly & accurately analyse & deliver cooked food as per demand on the ground.

The task of preparing food in such large quantities, transport it and deliver it was both labour & time intensive. Initially, the food was prepared at 13 Rein Basera and 20 Akshay Patra locations but soon the demand grew.

It was here that a team under JMC commissioner VP Singh was constituted in which the Jaipur Smart City Project CEO Lokbandhu and his team pulled their socks for the herculean task. They not only ensured timely food preparation & distribution while following social distancing but also found remedies to bottlenecks in the system immediately maintain the quality of the food.

Additional collector (II) Purushottam Sharma designed the structure of food preparation & distribution, DSO Kanisk Saini brought

ing all guidelines of the health department.

Smart City CEO Lokbandhu informed that the information regarding the needy persons is collected through the control room at the collectorate, war room, BLO surveys, mobile phones of district officers.

Calls from other states and distress calls. As soon as the information id received the nearest of the 53 distribution center is informed which ensures quick delivery. An attempt is also made to give compliance to the informant. Lokbandhu said that since it was foodrelated issue so every effort to maintain the quality of the food prepared is made.

All food ingredients like flour, oil and spices used are Agmarked and the food is very often checked by the officials themselves. Regular inspections and sampling is a routine to ensure quality.

Apart from serving the needy in Jaipur officers have also ensured that the thousands of migrant work-

YOUR DAY Horoscope by Saurabbh Sachdeva

ers arriving & leaving via trains too are served. All departing workers from Jaipur are given packed food for the way. Whenever there was any requirement from any hospital, field office or labour camps the food delivery was ensured.

When CM Ashok Gehlot made an appeal for help, many NGOs and private organizations started the food service but there was duplicity of efforts so the district administration got all under one umbrella and 150 organizations like Jain Terapanthi, Kuhad Trust, Radhaswami Satsang, Jain Rasoi, Akshay Patra, Heerawla Industrial association, Sitapura industrial association, etc joined hands. District administration ensured legalities like permissions, passes, conveyance, etc didn’t act as a barrier for them. The District administration team used an App to monitor and fulfill the food demand which arose suddenly. The team has pledged to continue until the crisis is over.

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

CANCER

Your company will give reward and this will boost your morale to work even harder. On work front, sky is the limit for you. You may travel abroad for an official trip. If people are misbehaving or doing wrong to you then its their karma, you must not dare and cause any bad karma.

You will implement your ideas when it comes to decoration on home front.

Be wise with money, spending on things that are not important is a sheer waste. Plan your date keeping little little things in mind to make your partner happy and show them your love for them.

You will soon find a business partner who will change your life for the good. Except your spouse you must not reply on anyone for money. Your kid will make you proud. Do things to bring excitement and fun in your life. You may have to adjust for sometime in current job.

Do not take too much tension for things that are beyond your control. On family front, you will do everything in your capacity to make things right no matter how tough it is. Be careful of what you speak and in front of whom you speak. Take your spouse for a romantic evening.

MAR 21 - APR 20

MAY 21 - JUNE 21

JUNE 22 - JULY 23

LEO

VIRGO

LIBRA

SCORPIO

You may be travelling a lot in coming time. You will get a lump sum amount of money which was due for long time. You will do what best for your children even if that involves a bit of strictness. On romantic front, your heart may be saying one thing and mind something else.

Your colleagues will help you ease down your burden at work. Overkilling on financial front can burn your fingers so you must knows about the limits. When it comes to your studies you must invest your majority of time in revising. You may need someone today emotionally.

You are full of hight spirit and ready to conquer the world but you must be able to feel the same way for long time, this shouldn’t be a mere temporary excitement. You will undertake the toughest job at work which other refuse to take in order to get your superiors on your side.

Keep control on your emotions and take a stand against wrong even if it is someone elder. You have lot of money to fulfil your desires. Its alright to accept your mistake if you decide to learn from them. You are dying to spend time with your lover as you have been a bit away.

JULY 24 - AUGUST 23

AUG 24 - SEP 23

SEPT 24 - OCTOBER 22

OCT 23 - NOVEMBER 22

SAGITTARIUS

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

You are wealthy but the real wealth is how much love and affection you have for others to offer. Take care of yourself and prepare in advance if you are going on a long journey. Be true to yourself and to others as relationships are very fragile, once broken can never be the same again.

Dont trust anyone blindly when it comes to taking business decisions as you and only you knows what best for you. Your family is panning a surprise for you. Your mother does for you things which no one can and you two share a very special bond.

Don’t get pushed to do things.

Keep both your ears and eyes open before investing your money in some scheme. Your business needs some creativity or some other kind of change. You will shine bright in office today. Your spouse will express sincere gratitude to you in a special way today. Don’t spoil your health.

You are regular with your fitness plans and you are desperate to have a good body. A huge monetary benefit will come to you when you are not expecting anything at all.

Keep making good deeds and a lot of goodness will come back to you.

Your spouse may be a little upset.

NOV 23 - DEC 22

BARKHA SINGH, Actress

APR 21 - MAY 20

DEC 23 - JAN 20

JAN 21 - FEB 19

FEB20 - MARCH 20

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

AHMEDABAD | TUESDAY, MAY 12, 2020

11

‘Want to get ready’ A

mid lockdown, television actress Karishma Tanna says she wants to get ready for events and wear make-up. Karishma took to Instagram, where she shared a beautiful black and white photograph of herself.

“I want to get ready for events.. I want to wear Indian clothes.. I wanna wear make-up.. I wanna do my hair... Just being positive. It will all fall in place one day! Stay strong. Stay sane,” she captioned the image.

Karishma recently got operated for an ingrown nail amid the nationwide lockdown. She even did the inverted yoga pose with her injured foot taking the help of a wall. On the work front, the actress, who is known for her roles in TV shows like ‘Naagin’, ‘Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi’, ‘Naagarjuna: Ek Yodha’ and ‘Qayamat Ki Raat’, is currently part of the action reality show ‘Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi 10’ (KKK 10), which has been shot in Bulgaria. —IANS

Karishma Tanna; (inset) Her Instagram post

Big Little Lies!

A

Reese Witherspoon

ctress Reese Witherspoon says she wants singer-actress Jennifer Lopez and rapper Ice Cube to join the team of ‘Big Little Lies’ in season three. During an Instagram Live with co-star Laura Dern, the actors joked about the rapper joining the cast. “Ice Cube should be in ‘Big Little Lies 3’,” Witherspoon said, with Dern responding: “’Hello?

Obviously!’” Witherspoon then asked: “It would be really fun to hear who out there who do you guys want to be in Big Little Lies 3?” To which, Dern added: “Who would be your dream new character to arrive in the world of the Monterey Five?”

—IANS

UP IN THE SKY!

A

s the country remains under lockdown, actor Sonam Kapoor Ahuja on Monday expressed her desire to be able to fly in the sky. The 34-year-old actor posted a picture of herself wearing a white coloured flared gown.

In the picture, Ahuja is seen in standing with both her hands in the air just like she is attempting to fly. Expressing her desire to fly, the ‘Delhi 6’ actor wrote in the caption, “I want to fly out into the sky.”

The ‘Veere Di Wedding’ actor is living in her South-Delhi based house and is staying inside ever since the coronavirus induced lockdown was imposed.

—ANI

Justin and Hailey Bieber

Biebers on

watch!

M ... her Instagram post Sonam K Ahuja

odel Hailey Bieber is very much into skincare and is helping her husband, pop singer Justin Bieber, with his acne breakout problems. “Justin has really really really nice skin naturally. Over the last two years he has been struggling with ... adult onset acne breakouts. I’m super into skincare, especially because we’ve had a lot of time in this quarantine. I told him that by the time we exit this quarantine he is going to have glowing perfect skin so we are going to work on that,” Hailey said during their Facebook series titled ‘The Biebers on Watch’.

—IANS

Life is short!

J

Jacqueline Fernandez

acqueline Fer nandez has stumbled upon life-altering realisations amid the ongoing lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic. The actress says she has realised that life is too short, and it is important to make the most of the tim e we have in our hands.

“Honestly, the biggest lesson has been that when it comes to humankind we are pretty irre levant, which means that we are extremely blessed to be on this planet because the planet would go on with us or without us.

So, we have to be grateful and give back.

T hat’s the realisation -- we take

Earth for granted,” Jacqueline said, while reflecting upon how the lockdown has been a lear ning period for her. “(Another lesson is that) life is short. We need to be doing things that we enjoy doing and love. We should be spending time with the people we love because you are her one day and gone the nex t.

We really have to make the mos t out of life. It is such a lesson.

These are the two main things I have realised during this per iod,” added the actress, who is spending her lockdown with superstar Salman Khan and others at his farmhouse in Panvel.

Amid the shutdown, she is making the most of her time by enjoying moments, evident in her recent Instagram posts.

—IANS

Poster of ‘Paatal Lok’

A NEW WORLD!

T

he announcement of Amazon Prime Video’s upcoming original Paatal Lok has been making waves all across. The most awaited series will be streaming from 15 May, where Jaideep Ahlawat is playing the lead role as Hathiram Chaudhary. Creator of the show, Sudip Sharma tells us how Jaideep was

his first choice for the role. He shares, “I was confident that I wanted Jaideep to play the lead role in Paatal Lok. I have never worked with him before, but have always admired the effort he brings on screen. I was aware that Jaideep is from Haryana and could bring that authenticity to the role.”

—Agency

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

—PHOTO BY HANIF SINDHI

AHMEDABAD | TUESDAY, MAY 12, 2020

12

CELEBRATING ALL MOTHERS CITY FIRST AHMEDABAD

D Pigeons fly over the deserted streets near Prem Darwaja during the ongoing shutdown in Ahmedabad.

edicated to all mothers, Gujarati singer Jigardhan Gadhvi has crooned a Hindi track called ‘Maa’. The song is a beautiful rendition of soulful lyrics which celebrate all mothers. It has been composed by music director duo Kedar and Bhargav, written by Milind Gadhavi and produced by Mahesh

Danannavar under the Indi Pop music label.

Maa is a soothing song which cherishes the memories of childhood and time spent with mothers.

‘Maa’ song is available on all streaming platforms for songs including YouTube, Gaana, Jio Saavn, Wynk Music, Hungama Music, Amazon

Prime Music, Raaga, Apple Music, Spotify, iTunes store, MX Music, Google Play and around 200 other platforms across the world.

Indie Pop music label is a platform to showcase the finest original indie music.

Founded by Mahesh Danannavar, the label is committed to promoting new musical talent and rising stars. cityfirstgujarat@gmail.com

TRIBUTE TO THE LEGEND

Irrfan Khan

T

he demise of Bollywood actor Irrfan Khan hit Indians harder than one thought because, for most of us, it felt like a personal loss.

That is probably why the villagers in Igatpuri village in Maharashtra have decided to name a locality after him.

Irrfan was closely associated with the villagers and on countless occasions, had even come to their aid. According to reports, it began with Irrfan bought a plot of

land in the village and once he began interacting with the villagers who lived nearby, he realised how deprived they were and decided to help with the development of the village.

The whole village had been mourning since the actor died a couple of weeks ago and have decided to rename the locality in which Irrfan’s house is situated, Hero-chi-wadi which literally means the locality of a hero.

—Agency

SETTING BENCHMARK

CITY FIRST

I

TC Hotels has announced the launch of its path-breaking ‘WeAssure’ initiative, in collaboration with medical professionals and disinfection experts to further enhance the existing hygiene and cleaning protocols. The guests of ITC Hotels will be reassured by accreditation by the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers (NABH), the leading standards organisation for sanitation, hygiene, safety and infection control practices. ITC Hotels is also partnering with DNV GL Business Assurance, one of the world’s leading certification bodies, to ensure stringent clinical levels of hygiene and safety. These assur-

ance certifications will stand testimony to the rigorous hygiene protocol being put in place to ensure the safety of guests and associates at ITC Hotels, across India.

Executive DirectorITC, Nakul Anand shared, “We are committed to delivering world-class luxury experiences that address the most important needs of wellbeing and safety through responsible practices that are immensely relevant in the unprecedented circumstances we face today. The stringent program specifications reassure guests of visibly stringent cleanliness and disinfection processes that benchmark clinically hygienic standards, offering guests’ unparalleled comfort with peace of mind.” cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

INTERNATIONAL NURSES DAY DR JOGENDRA SHARMA

C

orona is declared a pandemic, disturbed the health system globally. The corona virus pandemic is being compared to a battlefield, with health workers seen as the frontline soldiers in the war against the disease. There is certainly truth to that, insofar as doctors and nurses in many countries now face an unprecedented workload in saving lives, with a heightened risk of contagion from corona virus and with the growing prospect of having to make difficult medical decisions in terms of allocating resources and continuing treatment.

Dr Jogendra Sharma, President Awardee, Principal, GCON Jaipur Nodal Officer, Nursing Corona Warriors

It’s in these times of crisis where communities come together even more. All health professionals are equally contribute in this COVID-19 war. But specifically nurses who are on frontline taking risk of saving life in this crucial situation and their working hours are longest (12-14 hours) in comparison to other health professionals. Nurses in India working at every point of work like indoors, ICU’s, field for survey (hotspot area), and in sample collection too.

Nurses face extended work hours in already stressful conditions where there are staff shortages, and it cannot be denied that this will exact a psychological pressure in the form of burnout and emotional distress, as well as generate anxiety about the nurses’ safety and that of their families if they are exposed to the corona virus.

Nurses took this pandemic as a challenge and continuous fighting since February 2020 .

They are away from family, children since a long time. Nurses are following their ideal Ms. Florence Nightangale on her 200 birth year.

Nurses are working in extraordinary circumstances i n which they

find themselves, working 1214 hours in bulky Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), rationing masks, pleading with roommates who no longer want to live with them, and giving versions of the truth about their work to their families back home.

But this situation provide nurses a feel of recognition among all professionals ,their respect has increased pan India.

Caring, nurturing, and protecting are 3 of the many adjectives that describe motherhood and nursing.

(ANA) .This disaster raise the head and respect of nurses globally specially in India

where an initiative taken by honorable prime minister to clap for nurses and other health workers.

Prime minister, chief ministers of all states,social media ,print media all recognizing nurses as warriors in this biological war. India has enlighten lamps, mobile flash lights, deepak and clapped for showing gratitude to nurses..

The International Council of Nurses (ICN), along with the World Health Organization (WHO), has turned its focus onto the enormous toll that the virus is having on nurses caring for patients in affected areas.

Nurses have to be very careful while on job. They should use PPE’s in correct manner as guidelines given

by MOHFW and State health ministry. Nurses can ensure following their hospital’s protocol of using face masks for patients who they suspect are infected. Above all, proper handwashing is always the most important step they can take.

Standard, contact, and airborne precautions should be used by all healthcare workers. Respiratory hygiene in essential for saving themselves from getting infection.

Social distancing is another weapon to fight against corona virus.

Most important thing anyone can do to stop the spread of the virus and protect themselves is to continue to practice proper handwashing techniques, including using soap and water and scrubbing for at least one minute.

In the coming weeks, the WHO plans to issue guidance in supporting the mental health of the staff caring for people affected by the virus. “Many nurses will be working long stressful shifts during which they are exposed to a great deal of human suffering,” the ICN explained in a statement.

“Their mental wellbeing is extremely important if they are to be able to continue to provide the highest quality care possible.”

Stay home Stay Safe !

Jai Bharat ! cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

LIFE SAVING RESEARCH!

T

he Ministry of AYUSH has recently released that Arsenic album 30 is an Immunity Booster officially. In this series, a notification was issued by the Ministry of AYUSH on 21 April asking for proposals from homeopathy medicines to conduct COVID-19 research. Director of Homeopathy Research Hospital, Jaipur, Dr Rajeev Nagar

has sent a proposal for Preventive Ars-Iod and Curative Chininum Ars medicines of COVID-19.

Dr Nagar informed that my mentor, Dr MP Jain’s 40 years ex-

perience and my experience of 20 years have proved that arsenic iod symptoms are found in diseases like coronavirus. In these symptoms, this drug works as a panacea. If hydroxyl chlorine is given to these patients, then the symptoms of chininum ars start in the patients and these patients are cured with chinum ars. cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

VAIBHAV GEHLOT @VaibhavGehlot80 I pray for good health of former Prime Minister Dr #ManmohanSingh ji and wish him a speedy recovery.

Get Well Soon Sir