First India-Ahmedabad Edition-14 July 2020

OUR EDITIONS: JAIPUR & AHMEDABAD

CORONA

26°C - 34°C

ALERT AHMEDABAD l TUESDAY, JULY 14, 2020 l Pages 12 l 3.00

COVID-19 UPDATE

WORLD

5,73,304 1,31,35,134 CONFIRMED CASES

DEATHS

MAHARASHTRA 10,482 DEATHS 2,60,924 CASES

DELHI 3,411 DEATHS 1,13,740 CASES

RNI NO. GUJENG/2019/16208 l Vol 1 l Issue No. 229

INDIA

GUJARAT

23,727 9,06,617 DEATHS

TAMIL NADU 2,032 DEATHS 1,42,798 CASES

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2,056

CONFIRMED CASES

DEATHS

KARNATAKA 759 DEATHS 41,581 CASES

42,808

CONFIRMED CASES

RAJASTHAN 518 DEATHS 24,936 CASES

109 or 84?

GEHLOT AND PILOT STAKE CONTRARY CLAIMS! CM Ashok Gehlot flanked by Mahesh Joshi, Randeep Surjewala, KC Venugopal, Avinash Pande, Shanti Dhariwal, Ajay Maken, Vivek Bansal and others at CMR on Monday.

—PHOTO BY SUMAN SARKAR

Aditi Nagar & Kartikey Dev Singh

Jaipur: Inspite of a clear and confident claim of 109 MLAs support to Ashok Gehlot by Avinash Pande and Randeep Surjewala, in a surprise and daring move, Sachin Pilot by questioning this figure has claimed that only 84 MLAs were present in Monday’s Congress Legislative Party meeting at

Lord Ram is Nepali, says Nepal PM Oli Kathmandu: Stoking a potential controversy, embattled Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli on Monday claimed that the “real” Ayodhya lies in Nepal, not in India and that Lord Ram was born in Thori in southern Nepal.

Condemning Oli for his remarks, BJP national spokesperson Bizay Sonkar Shastri said that the Left parties even in India Turn on P6

the official residence of the Chief Minister.

National Hindi news channel Aaj Tak carried this report quoting sources close to Pilot. Except this single report, almost all national and regional news channels carried the figure ranging from 102 to 109 legislators supporting Gehlot.

However, Tuesday morning’s legislative party meeting will again provide an opportunity to ‘re-verify and recheck’ the number of MLAs supporting Gehlot.

According to sources, in all, only 90 rooms have been booked at the Fairmont Hotel out of which only 87 rooms have been occupied, so far by the MLAs. Political observers have

no clue as how and why such a major difference of 25 MLAs in Gehlot and Pilot’s figures (?) is visible where each and every MLA could be clearly counted from the media photographs, which were clicked at CMR, just after MLAs meeting.

Meanwhile, ‘Aaj Tak’ released the first TV visuals of Pilot camp MLAs staying at Manesar’s ITC Grand Bharat hotel, but the claimed figure of 30 MLAs could not be verified from the visuals. It looked like a crowd of around 20 or so Congress MLAs without Independents, who are also staying in the same hotel, but on a separate floor.

In one more significant development, on Monday

afternoon, an extremely crucial meeting to sort out Pilot related Rajasthan issues, was convened at the residence of a powerful Union Cabinet minister, where a top BJP leader and Pilot was also reportedly present.

Subsequently, the Central minister visited Manesar hotel and exchanged pleasantries with a few Independent MLAs, staying in the hotel. One such Independent MLA revealed that the minister had even congratulated him of his becoming a minister in the coming days.

Interestingly, even as the ‘suspicion’ on numbers remained, the Rajasthan Congress Legislature Party on Monday passed a resolution supporting the Ashok Ge-

hlot-led government in the state amid a tussle for power between him and Pilot. It also recommended strong disciplinary action against any Congress MLA and office-bearer who “weakens” the party, however, party leader later claimed that doors were still open for Pilot and others.

Prior to this, in the wee hours of Monday, Avinash Pande said that some other MLAs are in touch with Gehlot and they will also sign the letter.

Turn on P6

Google to invest $10 billion into India PM Modi interacts with Google CEO Sundar Pichai, terms it ‘fruitful’ New Delhi: Google CEO Sundar Pichai on Monday announced an investment of Rs 75,000 crore or approximately US$10 billion into India over the next five to seven years through ‘Google for India Digistation Fund’.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday interacted with Google CEO Sundar Pichai and

discussed a range of subjects like a new work culture in coronavirus times, data security and cyber safety.

PM termed that interaction “fruitful” and lauded Google’s efforts in the field of education, Digital India and digital payments. “This morning, had an extremely fruitful interaction with Sundar Pichai. Turn on P6

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Google CEO Sundar Pichai having a video conference over a wide range of issues, in New Delhi on Monday.

—PHOTO BY ANI

Indo-China talks today, to focus on Finger Area New Delhi: Corps Commander-level talks between India and China will be held on July 14 at Chushul in Eastern Ladakh.

The talks will focus mainly on the second phase of disengagement along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), said the Indian Army officials.

It is expected to focus on the Finger Area and the strategic Depsang plains, with a complex

disengagement process that began after previous military talks on June 30 progressing in Galwan Valley, Hot Springs and Gogra, said one of the officials cited above.

Earlier, the Ministry of External Affairs had said that diplomatic and military officials of India and China will continue their meetings to take forward the process of troops disengagement and de-escalation at the LAC. Turn on P6

ECONOMIC REVIVAL

Rupani allots 127 industrial plots to MSMEs via computerized draw CM inaugurates two CETPs of 40 MLD for the treatment and disposal of waste water from Dahej, Saykha Haresh Jhala Gandhinagar: Chief Minister Vijay Rupani allotted 127 industrial plots to MSMEs (micro, small and medium enterprises) at the Tankara’s ChhatarMitana GIDC through a computerized draw.

He also inaugurated two Common Effluent

Treatment plants (CETP) of 40 MLD for the treatment and disposal of polluted waste water from industries in the industrial estates in Dahej and Saykha.

He appealed to industrialists to focus on quality, marketing and pricing to create a global brand image of a

Chief Minister Vijay Rupani

“Make in India” nation.

In this context, he said that--given Gujarat’s business-friendly environment for industries and minimal government intervention--it is clear that in the coming time, all GIDC estates will thrive and millions of people will get their livelihoods.

Rupani further stated that Gujarat is the best destination for investment for the world’s entrepreneurs.

According to FDI in-

vestment figures released by the Central government, Gujarat has seen an increase of 240% in FDI and the state’s unemployment rate is just 3.4%--the lowest in the country.

Gujarat is also the Number One state in manufacturing.

Sharing details about financial relief from PM Narendra Modi’s Rs20 lakh crore Atmanirbhar Bharat package, Rupani said Rs3.50 lakh crore is dedicated for the revival

of MSME units, and added that about 1.65 lakh units have benefited from as much as Rs9,000 crore already. In addition, Gujarat has also provided financial assistance of Rs1,371 crore to more than 11,000 MSMEs through online payments.

The state’s Rs458 crore financial assistance under the Atma Nirbhar Gujarat package has helped industries in Gujarat to revive.

Turn on P6

NEWS AHMEDABAD | TUESDAY, JULY 14, 2020

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ASKS OFFICIALS TO VISIT VILLAGES AND PREPARE A PLAN FOR THE OVERALL DEVELOPMENT OF HIS CONSTITUENCY

CONCERNED SHAH SCANS COVID-19

SITUATION ON

HOME TURF Aditi Nagar

Ahmedabad : Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday held a meeting to review the COVID-19 situation in his Lok Sabha constituency Gandhinagar in Gujarat.

The meeting, held via video conference, was attended by Gandhinagar Collector Kuldeep Arya, District Development Officer (DDO) Shalini Duhan and Gandhinagar Municipal Commissioner Ratankanvar Gadhvicharan.

After the meeting, Arya said Shah mainly enquired about the latest coronavirus situation. He sought information about its spread and steps taken by the Gandhinagar administration to contain it.

"He asked us to contact him if we need any logistic support or injections, testing kits or new health care facilities to combat the pandemic. He also asked us to go for rapid testing of suspected persons identified during surveillance exercise," the collector told PTI. During the meet, Shah also took stock of the ongoing developmental works in his constituency.

"The Union minister stressed on timely and effective implementation of various government schemes in his constituency and told us he will review the progress at regular intervals," Arya added.

On July 11, Shah announced selection of five villages in his Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency as part of the 'Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana'.

During Monday's vir-

tual meeting, Shah asked officials to visit these villages and prepare a plan for their overall development.

"Shah stressed that the collector and DDO should visit these villages and prepare a plan about what has been done till now and what more can be done.

I and the DDO will be visiting these villages next week," Arya said.

The Union minister also asked officials to expedite the implementation of personal benefit schemes in these villages, such as for providing electricity connections and granting widow pension to new beneficiaries, he said.

Out of the total 934 coronavirus cases reported in district so far, 590 were from areas falling under the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency, Arya said.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah

‘No Shravan mela or religious Are bad roads the identity of ‘Heritage City’ Ahmedabad? congregation in Junagadh’ Collector will only allow temple darshans to curb spread of COVID-19 Haresh Jhala Junagadh: In an attempt to control the transmission of COVID-19, the Junagadh District Collector Dr Sourabh Pardhi has declared that the administration will not grant any permission for organization of a fair or religious congregation in the holy month of Shravan. The period, which begins on July 21, will not see any gatherings in the district this year.

Talking about the move, Dr Pardhi told First India, “Social distancing is one of the major solutions to control the spread of novel coronavirus.

And any gathering of people will be counterproductive and facilitate the transmission of the virus. Therefore, the administration has taken the decision to disallow any fair or congregation this year. Post Unlock 1.0 & 2.0, visitors to the Bhavnath Temple had increased but due to a spike in COVID-19 cases, the temple was closed for tourists. We will only allow darshan in temples, but no gatherings.”

He added, “The rise in novel coronavirus cases is worrying but what will be more painful is a surge in the number of deaths.

There are a few districts where the death toll is higher than the

number of positive cases. In order to avoid such a situation, the district administration has been working on a twin strategy- encourage people to come forward if they show even the slightest symptoms of SarsCoV-2 or self-quarantine at home if they have mild symptoms.

There are 3,771 people under home quarantine in the district as of July 12. This will also automatically reduce the burden of the COVID-19 hospital and its medical team. Only those with high viral load are being admitted at the hospital for treatment.”

Even after conducting awareness drives in the district, the ad-

Junagadh District Collector Dr Sourabh Pardhi (centre) with other officials.

ministration has had to treat cases, wherein patients and their relatives reported their symptoms late mostly in the advanced stages, thereby making the task of the health department difficult. Citing one such example, the collector recounted the case of two senior citizens from Surat who reached Junagadh when their oxygen levels had dropped drastically.

“Under these circumstances, the medical team gets just 12 hours to treat and try to save the patients. Therefore, to prevent this from happening, we have conducted awareness drives in the rural areas as well as the city,” he said.

—FILE PHOTO

First India Bureau

Ahmedabad: The monsoon season has arrived in the state but, the city of Ahmedabad is yet to receive a substantial amount of rainfall. Despite not receiving heavy showers, roads across the city have already sustained quite a bit of damage. A few problems commonly seen during the monsoon are waterlogging, damaged roads and cave-ins. Over the last few years, the city has also witnessed a pattern of cave-ins mainly reported on stretches of Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) lanes. Due to one such cave-in, the BRTS service has remained suspended on the Khodiyarnagar to Danilimda stretch as repair work has been going on for the past two years.

Despite multiple attempts to fix city roads by local civic body Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC), they get damaged every year and the cycle is repeated every monsoon. According to Leader of the Opposition Dinesh Sharma, there is a nexus of officers and the political wing who earn money because of bad roads. “The authority does not want to build good roads in the city. And that is the reason why bad

(Above) A cordoned off gaping pit at Danilimda Cross Road, (Below) Ongoing repair work at a huge pit on the Manekbaug stretch.

—PHOTOS BY HANIF SINDHI

roads have become the identity of Ahmedabad under BJP’s rule. They do not want to repair them and fix the underlying problem,” asserted the leader.

Vatva resident Gaurav Mishra lamented about a road in his area that gets washed away every year. “A road called Vatva Crossing opposite Sadbhavna police chowky gets washed away even when it only

rains a bit. The AMC conducts temporary repairs and on the cycle goes. No permanent solution has been implanted to ensure quality roads, which lead to traffic jams, damage to vehicles and inconvenience for the citizens,” he said.

Echoing a similar sentiment, Danilimda resident Farid Sayid said that he had no hope that the road would ever get repaired. “These roads

see movement of heavy-load vehicles every day unlike other city roads. Several garbage trucks, interstate buses and regular vehicles pass through this road but half of it has been closed for the last two years. The repair work is going on but, rather than rooting out the cause of the problem, it is just a temporary fix,” asserted Sayid.

GUJARAT AHMEDABAD | TUESDAY, JULY 14, 2020

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more for spitting, 902 cases: ST bus services Pay not wearing a mask on hold but still no lockdown First India Bureau

SMC asks residential societies to get oximeters as state’s tally touches 42,808 cases Gandhinagar: Even as the state marked yet another all-time single-day high with 902 new cases, the Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation (GSRTC) on Monday discontinued its bus services connecting major cities. The Surat Municipal Commissioner has appealed to office-bearers in residential societies as well as industrialists with units in Surat to procure pulse oximeters to check oxygen levels of residents and staffers, respectively.

While Surat witnessed 287 fresh cases, Vadodara had 74, Junagadh, 46, Bhavnagar, 40, and Rajkot, 32. A total of 29 districts and eight municipal corporations have

—PHOTO BY HANIF SINDHI

Haresh Jhala

A medic takes a swab from a passenger at the Ranip bus terminal in Ahmedabad.

reported 902 cases and 10 deaths on Monday.

As a result, the GSTRC has discontinued its bus services connecting Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Bharuch and Surat. After the entry point at Ahmedabad, the local civic body has deployed teams at the Ranip and Krishnanagar ST Depots

to test incoming passengers COVID-19. With 12 new micro-containment zones added on Monday, the city now has 195 such zones. The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation has also sealed as many as 376 paan shops for violating COVID-19 norms.

In another development Surat Municipal

Rains likely to continue across state, weatherman predicts First India Bureau Ahmedabad: On Monday, very heavy rainfall occurred at isolated places in south Gujarat’s Valsad, while rainfall occurred at most places over the Gujarat region, at many places over the Saurashtra region and at a few

places over Kutch.

There will be rain across the state on Tuesday too. According to a bulletin from the India Meteorological Department, light thunderstorms with lightning and surface winds of speeds less than 40 kmph (in gusts) accompanied by light to moderate rainfall is

very likely at isolated places in all the districts of Gujarat region and the Saurashtra region, namely Kutch, and in Diu. Heavy rains are very likely at isolated places in the districts of South Gujarat region, namely Valsad and in Daman, Dadra & Nagar Haveli; and in Junagadh.

NOWHERE TO GO

About 90 families from Kagdapith Police quarters petitioned Police Commissioner Ashish Bhatia asking for alternative accommodation after they were asked to vacate the flats, which are set to be demolished to make way for a 10-storey tower, in a week.

—PHOTO BY HANIF SINDHI

Commissioner Banchhanidhi Pani in a video circulating on social media has appealed to chairmen and secretaries of residential societies and commercial complexes and even industrialists to procure pulse oximeters and oxygen concentrators and test each member of their society

NABARD marks 39 years since foundation First India Bureau Ahmedabad: The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) celebrated its 39th Foundation Day on Sunday.

As the apex development bank of the nation, NABARD has—over the years— played an important role in creating an excellent rural infrastructure and developing rural financial institutions in Gujarat, with support from the Government of Gujarat and other stakeholders.

In 2019-20 alone, NABARD Gujarat Regional Office extended financial assistance of Rs15,342.63 crore including disbursement of Rs2,860 crore for creation of rural infrastructure in the state.

Chief Secy Mukim visits B’katha, asks admin to curtail death toll Haresh Jhala Palanpur: The State Chief Secretary Anil Mukim has directed the Banaskantha district administration to pull up its socks and ensure that no surge is recorded in the number of deaths due to novel coronavirus. Mukim was on a day-long visit to the district to assess the on-ground situation of the virus.

The state chief secretary advised the local administration to increase surveillance across the district, especially in the containment and micro-containment zones.

Mukim is of the view

Anil Mukim flanked by Collector Sandip Sagale and other officers on his left, and DDO Ajay Dahiya and DSP Police Tarun Kumar Duggal on his right.

that every person who showcases symptoms of Sars-CoV-2 should be admitted to a hospital and receive treatment.

He also asked the Banaskantha administration to take stern action against those who violate the COVID-19 Standard Operating

Procedure (SOP) protocol such as collecting fines from people not wearing masks or spitting in public.

Further, he remained empathetic towards lowering the death toll from the viral outbreak.

Mukim also emphasized on the importance

of identification and subsequent treatment of symptomatic COVID-19 patients in the early stages.

In a briefing with Mukim, District Collector Sandip Sagale stated that a war room had been created which was acting as the communications and screening centre from where a close watch was being kept on the COVID-19 hospital, containment zones and public movement in the city through CCTV cameras. Sagale also claimed that patients who had been discharged after recovering from the virus were also being closely monitored with regular visits from health officers.

and organizational staff.

“Anyone whose oxygen level is less than 94% should be referred to the hospital immediately,” he says in the video.

His appeal for oxygen concentrators could be taken to mean that the city is expecting to run out of ventilators if a large number of people report low oxygen levels.

Meanwhile, Principal Secretary (Health) Jayanti Ravi on Monday visited Jamnagar and Rajkot to take stock of the situation there. She seemed to be satisfied with the current efforts put in by the local administration but laid stress on strengthening the system.

In the past 24 hours, the state has tested 5,619 samples. As on Monday, there are 10,945 active cases, of which 74 are on ventilator support.

Ahmedabad: The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation has hiked the fines for spitting and not wearing masks in public.

The move comes a week after the Ahmedabad Hospitals and Nursing Homes Association wrote to Chief Minister Vijay Rupani asking him to take stringent measures mandating the use of masks to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.

With the increase, violators will now pay fines of Rs500, a 150% increase from the previous fine of Rs200 that was levied for these offences.

Aiming to prevent mass gatherings, especially at paan shops, the civic body has also decided to impose a penalty of Rs10,000 on the shop owner, if any of his or her patrons are

Customers at tea stalls and paan shops commonly violate guidelines on wearing masks.

—FILE PHOTO

found spitting outside the shop.

It is to be noted that in a recent survey by a local NGO in three districts (Ahmedabad, Anand, and Vadodara) revealed that 74% of customers at such Paan shops do not wear masks, while 76% of the customers were consuming tobacco products near the shops, in violation of COVID-19 guidelines.

In the letter date July 5, the body had suggested that the penalty of Rs200 was not serving any purpose and the actual cost of implementing the rule cost more than Rs200. It added that increased fines have led to fewer traffic violations, and suggested that the authorities similarly impose penalties in shopkeepers and tea joints, where large gatherings occur and people often violate mask norms.

Shift patients from Surat to A’bad: LOP First India Bureau Gandhinagar: Leader of the Opposition Paresh Dhanani has written a letter to Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel—who is also the health minis-

ter—asking him to shift COVID-19 positive patients from Surat to Ahmedabad.

His reasoning is that cases of Sars-CoV-2 infection have been on the rise in Surat, while they have been falling in

Ahmedabad. So, patients from the textile city should be given the benefit of established facilities in Ahmedabad.

“Hospitals are full, so people from Saurashtra residing in Surat are trying to go back there for

treatment.

However, Saurashtra does not enough beds,” Dhanani said, adding, “The Surat and Ahmedabad civic bodies can together save thousands of patients as around 2,000 beds in Ahmedabad are vacant.”

PERSPECTIVE AHMEDABAD | TUESDAY, JULY 14, 2020

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IN-DEPTH

Google follows Foxconn as FDI flows in

T

he United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) warned last month that the coronavirus pandemic, lockdown measures, supply chain disruptions, and economic slowdown may adversely impact foreign investments in India despite inflows of $51 billion in direct investments in 2019. Last year India had improved its position among nations receiving maximum foreign investments from 12th in 2018 to ninth in 2019.

The India story may not be as bleak as predicted

by UNCTAD as foreign investments are not trickling but flowing in. Taiwanese company Foxconn recently announced its plan to invest $1 billion to expand its Sriperumbur based plant near Chennai in a move seen as gradual shifting of business from China to India. The contract manufacturer, it is learned, assembles Apple iPhones.

In another important development Sundar Pichai, Chief Executive Officer of Google announced last Friday that the technology giant will invest Rs 75,000 crore over the next 5-7 years to help accelerate India’s digital economy. “Today, I am excited to announce the Google for India Digitization Fund. Through this effort will invest Rs 75,000 crore, or approximately $10 billion, into India over the next 5-7 years…”

Reliance Jio has attracted foreign investments worth Rs 1.15 trillion.

These developments must be music to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ears. While delivering the inaugural address at the India Global Week 2020 just a few days back, Modi fervently invited investors to India. “We are laying a red carpet for all global companies to establish their presence in India,” Modi had said. They seem to be headed towards India.

CHINA EXPORTS EVERYTHING

EXCEPT BIG IDEAS

China is acting aggressively & is being acquisitive but it does not inspire deep adoration SHUBHRANSHU SINGH The writer is a corporate professional, marketing leader, columnist and a social and political commentator. He writes on brand building, marketing, history, politics, technology and business

E

India buying Arms to Meet threats

P

ost-June 15 skirmish between Indian and Chinese soldiers at Pangong Tso India is on a spree to buy defence equipment to adequately arm its forces against an unreliable adversary. With Rafales already on there, India approached Russia to urgently purchase 21 MiG 29 fighter jets to bolster the three squadrons already in service and 12 Su 30s. Russia responded with alacrity and said it was ready to supply the fighters in the shortest time-frame possible.

With the skies secured, India was mulling the purchase of rifles for the 13- lakh strong army from the US. Originally it was planned to produce 6.71 lakh AK 203 Russian Kalashnikov rifles under the Make in India programme. The project ran into trouble as the price quoted by the Russian manufacturer was found to be “ureasonable and unacceptable”. While a committee is looking into the cost issue, the army which has acquired 72,400 SiG Sauer rifles is now intending to buy an equal number of Sauer rifles to meet the shortage. The shopping list doesn’t end here.

The army is also eyeing some state-of-the-art defence equipment from the US and Israel. Prominent among them are 200 pieces of Raven, or RQ-11, the US-made hand-launched, remotely controlled aerial vehicle, and Israeli “loitering” ammunition Spike Firefly. Artillery shells with a range of 40 km are also on the list. Ravens and the shells are aimed at adding lethal power to the infantry.

China, unlike the other world powers, has not promoted a worldview.

While there is an endless comment on its economic, political, and military affairs but no one has seen it as a powerhouse of “ideas”

ver since it came into existence as a free country, India has not been challenged like in the present face-off with China. This is because in our past conflicts the two wars we fought with Pakistan and the one with China in 1962 - India did not face an opponent that could become an existential crisis. A nucleararmed India now takes on China that is the undisputed number 2 power in the world. Or is it?

India must see the world as it exists for us -by role and relevance- and decide who matters? First is the EU and USA representing a liberal order where security is guaranteed by military might but even more so by economic interdependence and the force of law. It is our largest economic partner bloc.

Second comes the Islamic world consisting of the Wahhabi fundamentalist forces which feed terrorism. Our dependence on Arab and Iranian oil makes it critical.

Russia with its deep staterun power apparatus is an important military supplier and partner.

And then there is China!

China is a vast country with economic dynamism, focused leadership, and military might.

It also sees India as an adversary.

China, unlike the other world powers, has not promoted a worldview. While there is an endless comment on its economic, political, and military affairs but no one has seen it as a powerhouse of “ideas”.

China – love or hate it – is an inexhaustible force whose economy rose fast enough for it to become the world’s largest economy in Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) terms. It dominates the world supply chains and has managed to drag 400 million people from rural poverty to prosperity in less than 40 years. The ‘Made in China’ label was acquiring clout, till the COVID crisis began.

The scale, speed, and impact

of material progress are prompting a deeper question.

Will China rise to rule the world as a hegemon? Will India inevitably face ruinous conflict with China?

As a professional marketer, content maker, business manager, socio-economic observer and writer my assessment is that China lacks the soft power to dominate the world. It is acting aggressively and is being acquisitive but it does not inspire deep adoration. The world is wary of China. We remain uninspired by its intellectual output. Can we name even five contemporary Chinese writers, thinkers, and artists?

China has got richer but has it got enriched holistically?

China has not accommodated itself to the rules of a globalised world with democracy, privatisation, and collaboration at its core.

China’s government is a mega-state business enterprise.

This is what allows China to have the confidence to be a military aggressor and a political despot. State economics is their engine.

On April 15th 1989, a memorial march for the former communist party Secretary-General Hu Yaobang turned into a mass protest for political re-

China has not accommodated itself to the rules of a globalised world with democracy, privatisation, and collaboration at its core

form, workers’ rights, and an end to official corruption. It dominated the heart of Beijing for six weeks but was abruptly crushed by soldiers and tanks on 4th June 1989. The crackdown was a human tragedy and

How women can power the green transition T

he world needs to shift from the current fossilfuel-based energy system to carbon neutrality. Most obviously, this will require countries to roll out renewable energy and integrate it into the electricity grid, boost energy efficiency, upgrade infrastructure, and refine the governance of electricity and energy markets. Less apparent, success will require that women are able to contribute to the transition on an equal footing with men.

Energy transitions will differ depending on countries’ development priorities, the proportion of the population with access to power grids, the current energy mix, and projected demand. Some transitions may involve simply retrofitting old, unsustainable

04

assets in order to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, while others may be part of a multifaceted development strategy for societal transformation, including gender equality and inclusion.

Although the available data vary considerably, women probably represent – at most – one-third of the global sustainable energy workforce. And their share typically is much lower in the so-called STEM professions (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) and in executive positions. Unsurprisingly, awareness of gender dynamics in the workplace also tends to be low. Moreover, policies that could help redress the current imbalance in the sector – such as flextime, parental leave, return-to-work schemes, bias-free recruitment and

Green-energy transitions provide opportunities to tackle systemic gender discrimination

promotion, and genderbalanced boards and panels – are scarce.

These barriers to the full participation of women are, first and foremost, an infringement of human rights, in particular women’s right to full and equal participation in the life of their communities.

In addition, the underrepresentation of women

deprives energy transitions of diverse talent, and thus impedes the transformational change required to achieve global climate targets and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Conversely, the equal participation of women in the workforce is demonstrably good for business, the economy, social development, and the environment.

These findings are not new. In its 2012 World Development Report, for example, the World Bank emphasized that gender equality not only is a core development objective in its own right, but also enhances an economy’s productivity and improves future generations’ prospects. And during the 2009 global economic downturn, a global survey by the consulting firm McK-

insey & Company concluded that women leaders represent “a competitive edge in and after the crisis.”

Likewise, having a higher percentage of women in decision-making positions increases innovation and profitability, decreases risk, and enhances sustainability practices.

Green-energy transitions provide opportunities to tackle systemic gender discrimination and enable societies to reap the benefits of a more diverse workforce. That is partly because sustainable energy is a new and fast-growing field: the number of people employed worldwide in the sector is expected to increase from an estimated 11 million today to over 42 million in 2050.

FOR FULL REPORT LOG ON TO WWW.PROJECTSYNDICATE.COM

it showed us that China is ‘all economics no politics’.

Deng Xiaoping – China’s supreme leader after Mao Tse Tung had made his directive clear - “Tao guang Yang Hui” literally meaning “hide brightness, nourish obscurity”. The state media has officially translated this as “be patient and build capability“.

Now China has decided that its time has arrived. However, it still does not have “Soft power”. The Chinese state’s establishment rues its lack of exportable cultural dominance that they call “Ruan Quan Li” This is where- I believe- currently India has a decisive edge over China. India is an intellectual power with credits to several large impact ideas and new cultural content that appeals to a larger world. We have a freedom of expression that leads to widespread dissemination.

In my opinion, China’s path to superpower status is not smooth. Beijing is the formula of state capitalism, open market but a closed political system will not last the course of its attrition with powerful liberal democracies.

Soft power will beat hard power eventually.

THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL

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TWEET Ravi Shankar Prasad @rsprasad There is immense scope for @Google through its good application of Artificial Intelligence to undertake new initiatives in the field of agriculture, weather predictions, in health care in the wake of COVID challenges & most importantly in Digital education. #GoogleForIndia Mallikarjun Kharge @kharge The #RajasthanPoliticalCrisis is another example of “continued expansionism” by the BJP. Our nation would have been better off economically & socially if BJP put the same effort in administration & governance rather than removing non BJP Govts unconstitutionally.

Spiritual SPEAK

Work out your own salvation. Do not depend on others —Buddha

Vol 1 Issue No. 229 RNI NO. GUJENG/2019/16208. Printed and published by Anita Hada Sangwan on behalf of First Express Publishers. Printed at Bhaskar Printing Planet Survey No.148P, Changodar-Bavla Highway, Tal. Sanand, Dist. Ahmedabad.

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05

SC UPHOLDS TRAVANCORE ROYAL FAMILY’S RIGHTS SREE PADMANABHASWAMY TEMPLE

Scindia camp gains as MP CM allots portfolios Bhopal: MP Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan distributed portfolios on Monday among 28 new ministers, who were inducted in the cabinet on July 2.

CM holds the following portfolios -- general administration department, public relations, Narmada valley development, aviation. Narottam Mishra, retains home and has also been given additional charges, including jail, parlia-

mentary affairs, law, & legislative affairs.

Yashodhara Raje Scindia has been given charge of sports & youth welfare, technical education, skill development, & employment ministries.

Kolkata: A West Bengal MLA was found dead under mysterious circumstances near his home in North Dinajpur district on Monday, an incident his family and the BJP claimed was a “cold-blooded murder”, and blamed the ruling TMC for it.

The body of Debendra Nath Ray, in his 60s, was found hanging from the ceiling of a verandah outside a shuttered shop near his home in Bindal village in Hemtabad area of

SC refuses to entertain plea seeking restrictions on Amarnath Yatra

the domain of executive and the administration would take a

call on it.

The apex court was hearing a plea filed by Shri Amarnath Barfani Langars Organisation’ which had sought a direction to Centre, Jammu and Kashmir and Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board to restrict the access of pilgrims in the Yatra in wake of the coronavirus outbreak. —PTI

HC EXTENDS INTERIM ORDERS TILL AUG 31

TABLIGHI: BAIL TO 85 KYRGYSTAN NATIONALS

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court Monday extended till August 31 all the interim orders, including bails, which were to expire on or after July 15, in cases before it and the district courts here so as to ensure safety of litigants, lawyers and under-trial prisoners during the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic A special bench, headed by Chief Justice D N Patel, said it was extending the interim orders, including bails, till August 31 as the prisons were already overcrowded and if anyone prisoner returns to jail from outside, there was a risk he might bring the infection with him and it could spread among the other inmates. —PTI

New Delhi: A Delhi court Monday granted bail to 85 Kyrgyzstan nationals who were chargesheeted for attending the Tablighi Jamaat congregation here allegedly in violation of visa norms, indulging in missionary activities illegally and violating government guidelines issued in the wake of Covid-19 outbreak. Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Gurmohina Kaur granted the relief on furnishing personal bond of Rs 10,000 each.

Till date, 532 foreigners from 34 countries, who were chargesheeted in the case, have been granted bail by the court. The police had in June filed 59 charge sheets, including supplementaries, against 956 foreigners in the case. —PTI

CONG LEADER, 38 WORKERS BOOKED FOR VIOLATING PROHIBITORY ORDERS Aligarh: A Congress leader and 38 party workers were booked for violating prohibitory orders after they staged a protest against high electricity tariff in the state, police said on Monday. National Secretary of All India Congress Committee (AICC) Vivek Bansal, however, said that as the agitation was organised

inside a private property, they had not defied any restriction that have been enforced across the state due to the coronavirus.

According to police, the Congress workers were booked under sections 188 & 269 of the Disaster Act for holding a protest at Dharampur courtyard marriage hall without obtaining permission.

thapuram will head an administrative committee to manage the temple’s affairs.

The top court delivered the verdict on a batch of appeals, including the one filed by legal representatives of the Travancore royal family, challenging the January 31, 2011 verdict of the High Court.

The sprawling temple, an architectural splendour in granite, was rebuilt in its present form in the 18th century by the Travancore Royal House which had ruled southern Kerala and some adjoin-

CASE SO FAR

ing parts of Tamil Nadu before integration of the princely state with

Bengal BJP MLA found hanging

IN THE COURTYARD

New Delhi: The SC refused to entertain a plea which sought directions for restriction on this year’s Shri Amarnath Yatra due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

A bench headed by Justice DY Chandrachud said that the decision on permitting pilgrims and imposing conditions for their safeguard falls within

New Delhi: The Supreme Court upheld the rights of the Travancore royal family in the administration of historic Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Kerala, considered to be one of the richest temples in the country.

It set aside the Kerala High Court’s 2011 verdict which had directed the state government to set up a trust to take control of management and assets of the temple.

A bench headed by Justice UU Lalit said that as an interim measure, the District Judge of Thiruvanan-

BJP state president Dilip Ghosh along with party supporters participate in a silent protest in Kolkata.

the district, police said.

West Bengal police said a suicide note was found from his shirt pocket where he blamed two people for his death.

Ray had won the

Hemtabad (reserved) seat on a CPI-M ticket in 2016 but later joined the BJP. Ray’s death whipped up a political storm, with BJP branding it a murder by

“TMC goons” and calling a 12-hour shutdown in North Dinajpur district from 6 am on Tuesday. BJP national president J P Nadda tweeted saying, “The suspected heinous killing of Debendra Nath Ray, BJP MLA from Hemtabad in West Bengal, is extremely shocking & deplorable. This speaks of the Gunda Raj & failure of law and order in the Mamta govt. People will not forgive such a govt in the future. We strongly condemn this.” —PTI

‘Great chance for Indian as world reluctant to deal with China’ New Delhi: Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Monday said that the world is reluctant to deal with China in the wake of coronavirus and termed it as a “great opportunity” for Indian industries.

“World economic scenario is very favourable, the world is not very much interested to deal with China. So it is a great opportunity for Indian industries. It is a blessing in disguise.

We can be more competitive, quality-conscious, and take advantage of the situation,” Gadkari said while ad-

dressing webinar on “Aatmanirbhar Bharat in New India”. The Minister said that the Central government aims to increase gross domestic product (GDP), agriculture growth rate, and village industry growth.

“World Bank has increased our ease of doing business rank but clearance, certificate, and compliance procedures are very complicated. We are trying to make all systems digital. Our aim is to increase GDP, agriculture growth rate, and village industry growth,” he said. Minister for Road Transport said, “In NHAI, we have now income of Rs 28,000 crores per year and my plan is to take to Rs 1 lakh crores in the next five years. I am not fully depending on the government’s budget.” —ANI

the Indian Union in 1947.

While pronouncing the judgement, the apex court held that the death of earlier ruler of Travancore royal family does not affect the right of ‘Shebaitship’ (the right to manage the deity and the temple as a priest) of Marthanda Varma, the brother of last ruler of the royal family, and his legal heirs.

The top court said that death of the last ruler of royal family does not entitle the state government to take over the manage-

ment of committee as law of escheat does not apply in this case and the management of the temple continues to vest in trust of the ruler of Travancore.

While making an interim arrangement to manage the affairs of the temple, the apex court said that it will remain in force till a fresh committee is set up and all the members of the committee must be Hindus.

The controversy over management of the historic temple was pending in the apex court for last nine years. —PTI

Zero tolerance on ceasefire violations

by Pak: Naravane

Army Chief GenNaravane (2nd R) during his visit to forward areas along the border in Jammu region.

Jammu: Indian Army chief General MM Naravane on Monday reiterated India’s “zero tolerance” policy against the ceasefire violations by Pakistan and attempts by terrorists to infiltrate from across the border.

Pakistan has intensified ceasefire violations in Jammu and Kashmir and the Indian Army has said it has recorded as many as 2,542 violations till June 30. On Sunday, Pakistan initiated cross-border firing in Nowshera sector of Rajouri and Kirni and Qasba sectors of Poonch.

The 3,289 violations of the mutual-

ly-brokered a truce deal in November 2003 were recorded last year and were the highest in 16 years.

“The COAS reinstated the fact of ‘zero tolerance’ against the ceasefire violations by Pakistan and infiltration attempts by terrorists,” Lieutenant Colonel Devender Anand said in a statement. “He further highlighted that all agencies of services and Govt are working together relentlessly & will continue to do the same to defeat the nefarious design of proxy war being fueled by our adversaries.”

CBSE class 12 exam results out, girls outshine boys New Delhi: Girls outshone boys in the class 12 examination, results of which were announced by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on Monday, recording an increase of over 5 per cent in pass percentage against last year.

The board decided against coming up

TWO MILITANTS KILLED IN ENCOUNTER IN ANANTNAG Srinagar: Two militants were killed in an encounter with security forces in Anantnag district of J&K , police said. Security forces launched a cordon and search operation early Monday morning in Srigufwara area of Anantnag district following information about the presence of militants there.

The search operation turned into an encounter around 6:40 am when the hiding militants opened fire on the security forces, who retaliated. In the ensuing gunfight, two militants were killed and incriminating material, the police said.

with any merit list amid the exceptional circumstances arising out of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The board also decided to replace the term “fail” with “essential repeat”. Accordingly, the term “fail” will not figure in result documents issued to the candidates as well as those hosted

on the board website.

Girls outperformed boys by 5.96 per cent.

While the pass percentage of girls is 92.15 per cent, that of boys is 86.19 per cent, this year.

The transgenders have recorded a pass percentage of 66.67%. The overall pass percentage increased by 5.38% as against last year. —PTI

BABRI MASJID: KALYAN SINGH APPEARS BEFORE TRIAL COURT Lucknow: Senior BJP leader Kalyan Singh appeared before the special CBI court here in connection with the 1992 Babri mosque demolition case.

The 88-year-old former Uttar Pradesh chief minister and former Rajasthan Governor arrived at the court to record his statement before the CBI special judge. The CBI court

is currently recording the statements of 32 accused under CrPC section 313 (court’s power to examine the accused), a stage in the trial that follows the examination of accused.

Other alleged accused, including former deputy prime minister L K Advani and senior BJP leaders M M Joshi, are yet to be examined at this stage.

LUCKNOW GIRL DIVYANSHI JAIN GETS 100% MARKS

L

ucknow girl Divyanshi Jain, a class 12th student of Navyug Radiance Sr Sec School, scored 600 marks out of 600 to get 100% marks in the CBSE class 12 results declared on Monday. “This is unbelievable. I am elated and surprised at the same time,” said jubilant Divyanshi Jain with a big smile.

PANEL PROBING KANPUR AMBUSH, VISITS BIKRU VILLAGE Kanpur: Justice (retd) Shashi Kant Agarwal, heading the one-member judicial commission probing the Kanpur ambush & encounter of slain gangster Vikas Dubey, visited Bikru village to probe the attack in which eight policemen had died. Agarwal visited the ambush site in the village near Kanpur and interacted with the locals. He also took a round of the village and tried to persuade locals into recounting the details of the July 3 incident, an official said.

INDIA AHMEDABAD | TUESDAY, JULY 14, 2020

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CORONA UPDATE

The Gandhi scion has been criticising the Centre over handling of the pandemic

RaGa questions govt’s good position claim New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi questioned the government’s claims on battling COVID-19, asking is India at a “good position” in the battle against the virus.

His remarks came a day after Union Home Minister Amit Shah said India is in a “good position” in the battle against the coronavirus pandemic and the country will fight the disease with determination and enthusiasm.

In a tweet, Gandhi asked, “India at good position in COVID19 battle?”

He tagged a graph of India’s daily average COVID cases that showed a steady rise, against that of other countries like South Korea & New Zealand which have shown a steady decline in cases.

India saw a daily rise of 28,701 cases in last 24 hours, taking the total number of cases to 8,78,254 as on Monday morning, while the death toll climbed to 23,174 with 500 people succumbing to the infection, according to the Union Health Ministry data.

Gandhi has been criticising government on handling of COVID crisis and has accused it of having failed to tackle the situation. —PTI

06

Sardar Patel centre: 1st patient discharged

‘NO LOGIC IN BABY PACK LOCKDOWN’

Over 1.1 cr samples tested till July 12: ICMR New Delhi: The ICMR said that a total of 2,19,103 samples have been tested for coronavirus in the last 24 hours. With this, the total number of tests in India have reached 1,18,06,265.

Meanwhile, ICMR is continuously scaling up its testing facilities for COVID-19 by giving approval to government

and private laboratories. a total of 688 laboratories across India has been given the approval to conduct tests.

New Delhi: A 39-yearold man was discharged from the newly set up Sardar Patel COVID care centre on Monday, becoming the first patient to be completely cured of the disease at the facility here, officials said.

The patient, a resident of South Delhi, was admitted to the COVID care centre on July 5, they said. He is the first patient to be discharged from the facility created at the Radha Soami Beas centre in Chattarpur, a senior official said.

ITBP doctors at the facility clapped for him and bid him goodbye.

The man was also given a rose stem, a memento, and a COVID-19 free certificate as he boarded an ambulance for home, the official said. He has been advised another 7 days of home isolation.

A total of 147 patients have been admitted to the centre till now. A team of over 1,000 doctors, nurses and paramedic staff of ITBP and other paramilitary forces have been earmarked to work at the facility.

480 RETURN Mumbai: As many as 480 Indian medical students, who were stranded in Russia due to the coronavirus- induced restrictions, arrived in Mumbai by a private chartered flight on Monday. They thanked Maharashtra minister Aaditya Thackeray for the help in facilitating their return. The students, included 470 from Maharashtra, 4 from UT of Dadra & Nagar Haveli, 4 from MP & two from Goa.

ILS takes major step in drug formulations Bhubaneswar: In a major development capable of helping in drug formulations for COVID-19, the Institute of Life Sciences has successfully established in vitro cultures of coronavirus from patient samples using vero cells, a top ILS official said. 17 virus cultures have been established from swab samples originating from different locations of the country with varying virus loads by ILS, an autonomous institute of Dept of Biotechnology,

Russia successfully completes trials of world’s 1st vaccine Moscow: The clinical trials of the world’s first coronavirus vaccine on volunteers at Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University has been successfully completed, Vadim Tarasov, the director of the Institute for Translational Medicine and Biotechnology, told Sputnik, adding that the first group of volunteers would be discharged on Wednesday and the second on July 20.

The university began

clinical trials of the vaccine produced by Russia’s Gamalei Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology on June 18.

“Sechenov University has successfully completed tests on volunteers of the world’s first vaccine against coronavirus,” Tarasov said.

India has more than 5.5L recovered cases

New Delhi: The series of pro-active, pre-emptive and coordinated steps taken by the Centre and the State governments for containment and prevention of COVID-19 has contributed to a gradual surge in COVID-19 recovery.

Aggressive testing coupled with timely diagnosis has led to identifying COVID affected patients before they pro-

gress into an advanced stage of the disease; effective implementation of containment zones, surveillance activities ensured that the rate of infection stays under control. The norms and standards for care of Home Isolation along with use of oxymeters have helped to keep a check on the asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic patients.

According to Alexander Lukashev, the director of the Institute of Medical Parasitology, Tropical and VectorBorne Diseases at Sechenov University, the objective of this stage of the study was to show the vaccine’s safety for human health, which was successfully done.

“The safety of vaccine is confirmed. It corresponds to safety of those vaccines that are currently on the market,” Lukashev said.

Glenmark drops price of Favipiravir New Delhi: Drug firm Glenmark Pharmaceuticals said it has cut price of its antiviral drug Favipiravir, under the brand name FabiFlu, for patients with mild to moderate COVID-19, by 27% to Rs 75 per tablet.

Glenmark Pharmaceuticals had launched FabiFlu last month at a price of Rs 103 per tablet.

In a regulatory filing Glenmark announced a price reduction of 27 %for FabiFlu. The new (MRP) is Rs 75 per tab, it said.

Will Pilot’s Cong be ‘progressive’? Congress-led UDF to bring no-confidence

motion against Left government in Kerala

Ajay Maken, Randeep Surjewala and Avinash Pande.

From P1 “As many as 109 MLAs have signed the letter to express full confidence in the Congress government led by CM Gehlot and in the leadership of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. Some other MLAs have spoken to the chief minister over the phone and they will also sign the letter,” Pande told reporters at the CM’s residence.

Party sources claimed that 109 MLAs, both from the Congress and those supporting it, were present in the meeting while Pilot and some of his loyalists, the actual numbers of whom remained a mystery till late night, did not attend it.

The resolution also blamed the BJP for conspiring to destablise the Congress government and murdering democracy with the misuse of power and money to lure MLAs. This is an insult to eight crore people of Rajasthan, the resolution added.

It mentioned that the

Congress government led by Gehlot took revolutionary decisions in public interest in the past a year and a half and its efforts to deal with the coronavirus crisis were appreciated across the country.

After the meeting was over, the MLAs were shifted to Fairmont hotel in Kukas on the JaipurDelhi highway and The chief minister accompanied other MLAs in a bus to the hotel. While state capital Jaipur had its own colors of polity, the national capital was also abuzz with various sceptical predictions. Inspite of Pilot’s repeated ‘NO’, to join BJP, there was still a buzz in JP Nadda’s camp at New Delhi that at the end of the day Pilot will be joining BJP. Interestingly, there were media reports on Monday morning suggesting the formation of a new political party named as ‘Progressive Congress’ by Pilot, but till late evening, there was no specific announcement to this effect by Pilot camp.

However, a close Pilot confidante and a former Gehlot loyalist, Deependra Singh Shekhawat again reiterated that they will not be joining BJP and stressed that no work has been done over the past one and a half years. He also claimed that the group has support of thirty legislators and appealed to others to come and join them.

According to sources, this confusion will continue to prevail for another day or two, till the entire ‘deal’ is finalised with BJP, who broadly is open to the idea of supporting Pilot from outside but a section of BJP leadership feels that first of all Pilot must join BJP and only after the issue of supporting Pilot from outside will be resolved. Though Pilot is in touch with BJP leadership, may be through Jyotiraditya Scindia or Zafar Islam or anyone else, but still it appears that there are some ‘gaps’ in Pilot’s deal or understanding with the saffron party.

Thiruvananthapuram: The Congress-led United Democratic Front on Monday decided to bring in a no-confidence motion against the state government as part of its protest seeking Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s resignation alleging that his office was linked to the recent case of gold smuggling through a diplomatic baggage.

UDF convener Benni Behanan said the Front has also decided to move a resolution against Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan and seek his resignation.

“The UDF meet today has decided to move a

no-confidence motion against the government and resolution against the Speaker. The UDF has entrusted the matter with the Opposition Congress Leader

Ramesh Chennithala,” Behanan said.

He said the Speaker, who has alleged links with one of the accused in the gold smuggling case, needs to step down.

“We will continue our protest seeking the resignation of the Chief Minister. The attempts to protect the accused have become evident now. The link of the

(former) IT secretary, who was also the secretary to the Chief Minister, with one of the accused is clear now,” the UDF Convenor alleged.

The UDF leader also said that asking him to go on long leave was not any kind of disciplinary action.

Swapna Suresh and Sandeep Nair, the two key accused in the gold smuggling case, were remanded to custody by a NIA court at Kochi on Sunday, a day after their arrest from Bengaluru in connection with the case that has led to a political storm, targeting the Pinarayi Vijayan-led LDF government. —PTI

has announced a Rs14,000 crore package, he added.

On this occasion, GIDC Chairman Balvantsinh Rajput, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister MK Das, GIDC Managing Director Thennarasan, Joint Managing Director Kishore Bachani and officers were also present.

eign Affairs Wang Yi-- had a ‘frank and indepth exchange’ during a telephone conversation during which they agreed that both sides should complete the ongoing disengagement process along the LAC expeditiously. —ANI

minister of Nepal or anyone, to play with this,” he said in New Delhi.

Speaking at an event on the birth anniversary of Nepalese poet Bhanubhakta at the Prime Minister’s residence in Kathmandu, Oli said that Nepal “has become a victim of cultural encroachment and its history has been manipulated.”

Valmiki Ashram is also in Nepal and the holy place where King Dasharath had executed the rites to get the son is in Ridi, which is in Nepal, he said.

Google to...

We spoke on a wide range of subjects, particularly leveraging the power of technology to transform the lives of India’s farmers, youngsters and entrepreneur,” the PM tweeted.

“During our interaction, Sundar Pichai and I spoke about the new work culture that is emerging in the times of COVID-19. We discussed the challenges the global pandemic has brought to areas such as sports. We also talked about the importance of data security and cyber safety,” the Prime Minister tweeted.

GOLD SMUGGLING CASE

Swapna Suresh & Sandeep Nair, key accused in case, were remanded to custody by a NIA court.

FROM PG 1 Rupani allots...

Rupani said he was proud that about 60,000 industries in 217 GIDCs in the state are providing direct employment to more than 18 lakh people and helping the state to increase its per capita income.

He has expressed confidence that Gujarat will move forward at a faster pace than before and Gujarat will fulfil the call of the Prime Minister to turn challenges into opportunities. To this end, and in the wake of the Adhia Committee report, the state

Indo-China talks...

On July 5, the Special Representatives of India and China on the Boundary Question-Ajit Doval and Chinese State Councillor and Minister of For-

Lord Ram... played with people’s faith, and the Communists in Nepal will be rejected by the masses in the same way they have been here.

“Lord Ram is a matter of faith for us, and people will not allow anybody, be it prime

TALKING POINT AHMEDABAD | TUESDAY, JULY 14, 2020

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07

DURING THE COVID-19 CRISIS, LOCKDOWNS AND OTHER SOCIAL-DISTANCING RULES HAVE FORCED SCHOOLS WORLDWIDE TO SHUT THEIR DOORS, LOCKING OUT A PEAK OF 1.6 BILLION CHILDREN. UNLESS THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY ACTS NOW, THE CONSEQUENCES FOR THIS GENERATION – ESPECIALLY ITS POOREST MEMBERS – WILL BE SEVERE AND LONG-LASTING

SAVING GENERATION COVID

poverty of the unemployed.

But there is little protection against the effects of a foregone education, which can last a lifetime.

As it stands, more than half the world’s children – nearly 900 million boys and girls – are unable to read a simple text by age 10. That is 900 million children who do not receive the knowledge and skills needed to improve their economic lot as adults.

If we do nothing to help “Generation COVID” make up for lost time, that figure could easily approach one billion or more. When schools in Kashmir closed for 14 weeks in the aftermath of the devastating 2005 earthquake, the most affected children lost the equivalent of 1.5 years of learning.

As the recently published UNESCO Global Education Monitoring Report advises us, children who have fallen behind need the kind of catch-up programs that in Latin America have increased educational attainment by up to 18 months since the 1990s. But the needed support will cost money. Unless we bridge the gap in education funding, SDG4 will remain out of reach.

UNESCO estimates that before the COVID-19 crisis, 50 countries were failing to spend the recommended minimum of 4% of national income, or 15% of the public

budget, on education. Inadequate funding from governments and donors has meant that many of the 30 million refugee and forcibly displaced children age out of education without ever setting foot in a classroom, despite the efforts of Education Cannot Wait and other groups.

Now, the pandemic is set to squeeze education budgets even further. As slower or negative growth undermines tax revenues, less money will be available for public services. When allocating limited funds, urgent lifesaving expenditure on health and social safety nets will take precedence, leaving education underfunded.

Likewise, intensifying fiscal pressure in developed countries will result in reductions in international development aid, including for education, which is already losing out to other priorities in the allocation of bilateral and multilateral aid. The World Bank now estimates that, over the next year, overall education

spending in low- and middle-income countries could be $100-150 billion lower than previously planned.

This funding crisis will not resolve itself. The quickest way to free up resources for education is through debt relief. The 76 poorest countries must pay $106 billion in debt-service costs over the next two years.

Creditors should forgive these payments, with a requirement that the money is reallocated to education, as well as health.

At the same time, multilateral financial institutions and regional development banks must increase their resources. The International Monetary Fund should issue $1.2 trillion in Special Drawing Rights (its global reserve asset), and channel these resources toward the countries that need them most.

The World Bank, for its part, should unlock more support by replenishing the International Development Association (or borrowing on the strength of

it) for low-income countries, and by using guarantees and grants from willing aid donors, such as the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, which stand ready to unlock billions in extra finance for education in lower-middle-income countries through the International Finance Facility for Education.

In the next few days, both NGOs and all international education organizations will begin “back to school” campaigns. Save Our Future, a new campaign launching in late July, advocates building back better, rather than restoring the pre-pandemic status quo. That means updating classrooms and transforming curricula, implementing effective technologies, and helping teachers offer personalized instruction.

Making schools safer (over 620 million children lack basic sanitation services at their schools, which particularly affects girls) and ensuring school meals (a lifeline

for 370 million boys and girls) would also ease the effects of poverty and improve educational outcomes. Save the Children will add to this pressure with its own grassroots campaign focused on debt relief to pay for education.

But investing in schools is only part of the solution.

In Sierra Leone, support networks for girls halved the dropout rate during the Ebola crisis. In Latin American, African, and Asian countries, conditional cash transfers have boosted school attendance.

The latest Global Education Monitoring Report advocates implementing similar programs today.

Generation COVID has already suffered immensely. It is time for the international community to give children the opportunities they deserve. Even when faced with momentous challenges, we remain committed to making ours the first generation in history in which every child is in school and learning.

n SOURCE: PROJECT SYNDICATE n CONCEPT: DIVYA HEMNANI n DESIGN: ABHISHEK GUPTA

he oft-repeated idea that COVID-19 is “the great equalizer” is a myth. There is no equality of suffering or equality of sacrifice during a pandemic that is disproportionately hurting the poorest and most vulnerable.

And while the health emergency has disproportionately harmed the elderly poor, the unprecedented education crisis caused by the pandemic is now hurting the poorest children hardest and creating a generation that will lose out on learning. Lockdowns and other social-distancing rules have forced schools all over the world to shut their doors, affecting a peak of nearly 1.6 billion children.

But while wealthier children have had access to alternatives, such as online learning, the poorest do not.

The world’s least-advantaged children – for whom education offers the only escape route from poverty – have thus fallen further behind, placing the Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) of ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education for all by 2030 even further out of reach.

Even before the pandemic, the world was falling short of this goal. Globally, nearly 260 million children were out of school, and 400 million dropped out after the age of 11. In some regions, such as rural SubSaharan Africa, few girls were completing secondary school, not least because of widespread child marriage.

Nearly 50 countries have no laws banning child marriage, and many more fail to enforce their bans. As a result, about 12 million schoolage girls are forcibly married off each year.

When schools reopen, there is a good chance that many poor children will never return. Poverty is the biggest reason why children don’t attend school, and the economic repercussions of the COVID-19 crisis will far outlast lockdowns, especially for the poorest people.

The likely result is that more children will be pushed into the ranks of the 152 million school-age children forced to work, as 14 countries still have not ratified the International Labor Organization’s minimumage convention. And even more girls will be forced into early marriage. When the West African Ebola epidemic that started in 2014 closed schools in Sierra Leone, the number of 15-19-year-old-girls who were pregnant or already mothers nearly doubled, rising from 30% to 65%. Most of these girls never returned to school.

With the right policies in place, economies will start to recover, jobs will slowly be restored, and social-protection policies will ease the

Think, life responds, it does not simply happen. It responds to your thoughts, action - to your attitude.

2ND FRONT

—Jagdeesh Chandra, CEO & Editor, First India

AHMEDABAD | TUESDAY, JULY 14, 2020

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With Corona, Surat now plagued by paucity of docs

Authorities have asked MBBS students to report for Covid-19 duty Shishir Awasthi Surat: The paucity of government doctors in Gujarat has now come to haunt the State’s new corona hotspot Surat, forcing the authorities to ask students of Gujarat Medical College (GMS), attached to the New Civil hospital here, to join the battle against Covid-19.

A circular issued from the Dean’s office stated, “Local students and those living in hostels have to remain present in the college. As per the guidelines of Medical Council of India, clinical posting is mandatory. The accommodation, food and transport facilities will be provided. Students who fail to comply shall be treated as absent and will not be eligible to sit for the examinations.”

The circular has invited angry protests from the MBBS students of GMC who took to Twitter to voice their resistance to clinical posting.

The GMC’s student union has raised

DOUBLE WHAMMY

Guj to restore tribals’ forest land tilling rights First India Bureau Ahmedabad: The State Government on Monday gave an undertaking to the Gujarat High Court that it would issue official directives (Adesh Patra) within a month to certify to the tribals in Narmada district their rights to cultivate forest land.

Reposing trust in the government, the High Court has disposed of the petition moved by Action Research Community Health and Development (ARCH) organisation.

The ARCH had moved a Public Interest Litigation which came up for hearing before the principal bench of Chief Justice Vikram Nath

Narmada district tribals now will have legal rights to till forest lands.

and Justice J B Pardiwala. Appearing for the petitioners, advocate Anand Yagnik submitted that in August 2019, Project Administrator of Rajpipla, Narmada district, had submitted by an affidavit that 1018 pending claims and 1376 partially approved claims were finally ap-

proved in July last year but no Adesh Patras had still been issued.

In reply, Government Pleader Manisha Lavkumar Shah submitted that approximately 3,000 tribals’ applications have been approved and all of them will be issued the Adesh Patra within four weeks from today.

With severe shortage of doctors, the authorities have requisitioned MBBS students for Covid duty.

questions about the safety of students, especially those who will have to travel from remote areas and demanded that clinical postings be voluntary.

They asked if the students will get stipends, relief in internship, proper hotel stay during quarantine and PPE in lieu of the services.

“MBBS part 2 students are being called for clinical posting.

There are 131 students, 31 of whom have al-

ready reported to us.

They are being trained to work as assisting staff and in couple of days they shall be posted at the New Civil Hospital to be clinical assistants,” Dr Jayesh Brahmbhatt, Dean of GMC, Surat told reporters.

The GMC authorities have also assured and claimed that the students will receive proper training and only then act as supporting staff at facilities where COVID-19 patients are be-

ing treated.

Surat, where the number of Covid-19 patients has surged to 8,659, has vacancies for 91 doctors, including Professors, Associate Professors, Assistant Professors and Tutors.

Gujarat has been grappling with shortage of doctors in government hospitals for more than a year.

On May 28, the Gujarat Health Department, in the middle of the pandemic, had issued an advertisement seeking 686

contractual doctors for various department and designations for the six civil hospitals in Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Surat, Bhavnagar, Jamnagar and Vadodara.

In June 2019, Health Minister Nitin Patel had stated during an Assembly session that there were 479 vacancies. By May 2020, the number of vacancies had gone up to 686 suggesting that doctors had quit from government service.

OPERATION DEMOLITION

Bharuch district authorities on Monday demolished a dilapidated water tank in Jalalpura area of Jambusar town, after first getting the entire area evacuated.

HC to hear only cases Hospital swaps two newborns, from Wed to Friday DNA test to decide on parents First India Bureau

Ahmedabad: With more employees being infected by coronavirus, the Gujarat High Court on Monday issued a circular intimating all stakeholders that only urgent matters will be heard from July 15 to July 17.

The High Court Registrar-General stated that the situation had worsened than what it was on July 2 with 17 staffers testing positive as of now. This decision had to be taken since the Registrar office is pivotal to the functioning of the court.

It has been decided that only urgent matters like applications for

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First India Bureau

temporary, regular and anticipatory bails, matters related to parole, furlough, habeas corpus and detention and urgent fresh civil matters will be listed. Pending matters filed during the lockdown will not be listed unless a note explaining urgency is moved by the advocate concerned. The same would be placed before the Chief Justice on the administrative side.

Vadodara: Two families who simultaneously welcomed newborns at a government referral hospital on Saturday in Jambugam village of Bodeli taluka in Chhota Udepur district, underwent a DNA test on Monday to confirm which of the two babies is their respective biological child.

A nurse at the hospital had accidentally handed over one family’s baby to the other in a “state of confusion”.

On Saturday, two women were wheeled simultaneously into the operation theatre of

Two women delivered babies at the same time, but the newborns got swapped by mistake.

Jambugam referral hospital and both underwent a cesarean section. The first woman delivered a baby girl, who was immediately shifted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), and the second

woman delivered a healthy baby boy.

However, when the nurse on duty brought the baby boy outside, she allegedly did not confirm anybody’s name before handing over the newborn to

the family members that rushed towards her first. “It was a lack of communication. The nurse did not ask for names before handing over the baby to the people that stretched their hands out first. The other family was told that their baby girl was in NICU. Later, when the doctor arrived to check up on the two women, he noticed that the family of the woman whose baby girl was in NICU was holding the baby boy born to the other family,” said an official of Bodeli police station.

But, to satisfy the now squabbling families, a DNA test has been ordered.

ED attaches `204-cr assets of Gujarat firm First India Bureau Ahmedabad: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday attached assets worth Rs 204.27 crore of Gujaratbased Ardor Group of Companies for allegedly cheating and causing loss to a consortium of banks led by the Bank of India up to Rs 488 crore.

The attached properties include Ahmedabad-based commercial office of the company at SG Highway, a residential plot at Satellite, five residential plots at Ambali, 17 residential plots at Gokul Dham, four shops at Bodakdev, office premises at Ellisbridge and Ashram Road. A

non-agricultural land at Surat was also attached.

The ED initiated investigation on the basis of six FIRs registered by the CBI and Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB), Gandhinagar, based on allegation that the Ardor Group and its directors in connivance with unknown bank officials had cheated and caused wrongful loss to the consortium of banks.

INNOVATIONS GALORE!

Now, corrugated Covid furniture, autorickshaw ambulances Masuma Bharmal Jariwala Rajkot: Necessity is the mother of all inventions and Rajkot seems to be taking the lead in manufacturing some of the most essential equipment to meet the Covid-19 crises.

After low cost ventilators, PPE sealing machines and N95 mask making machines, the city has now taken to manufacturing laminated

corrugated cardboard furniture (bed, side table and partition). And this has been supplied to the Covid facility centres across the country.

This is not all an autorickshaw ambulance that can pass through narrow congested lanes is also in the making along with the world’s first mobile X-ray unit built inside an autorickshaw.

The design of the cardboard furniture,

autorickshaw ambulance and autorickshaw x-ray testing unit has been done by Dhaval Monani, who is director of affordable housing at Anant National University in Ahmedabad. The manufacturing is being handled by Rajkotbased Avantgarde Design studios.

On Monday, a set of such 75 beds, including cardboard laminated side-tables, partition, rexine-covered mattresses and

Rajkot firm comes up with laminated corrugated beds that it has supplied across India.

pillows, was handed over to the Rajkot Municipal Corporation at RMC community hall on Morbi Road.

Speaking to First India, Monani said, “Shortage of beds is a major issue in India during the ongoing pandemic. We came up with the idea of using corrugated cardboard beds by laminating them.

They are sturdy, reusable, 100% recyclable, can be easily dis-

infected after every use and costs 10-15% cheaper. And they can be easily discarded. We have already supplied 700 beds to three centres in Mumbai, 1200 to Delhi, 20 Trivandrum and now 75 at Rajkot.

The furniture can be easily set up.

For example, the Rajkot set-up was done in just over two days by 10 volunteers. And it is all free, through donors.”

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THE CRIB COUTURE City First looks into the huge evolution of nightwear that lets you be fashionable during the day and night, with a few types of the same!

KARISHMA GWALANI karishma.gwalani@firstindia.co.in

T

rust me when I say, dressing up for bedtime is so relaxing and rejuvenating.

Wearing fashionable, yet comfortable clothes to get that 8 hours of beauty sleep is one of the best feelings in the world. To many dressing up for bed may sound absurd, but there are many girls out there who will swear that it is the best part of the day. A set of comfortable and breathable night suits will not only make you feel good at home, but it will also promote a good night’s sleep. If you have been the wearer of old tshirts at home, consider swapping it with a soft-totouch night suit set that makes you look and feel good at the same time.

Leaving the confines of the hours between the after-work and the morning alarm, sleepwear has come a long way ranging from nightgowns, shorts, pyjamas, babydoll to many more.

Sleepshirt: For all those humid nights when you feel stuffy and uncomfor table, sleep shirt is at your rescue.

Nightgown: Old school looks never die, and nightgowns are every woman’s favourite. But we ask you to upgrade your plain-looking nightie to stylish embroidery, printed, lace pattern nightie.

Robe sets: If you are a bride to be then you ought to buy these seductive, stylish robe sets.

Jumpsuit / Romper: Girls who like subtleties can opt for full-length jumpsuit whereas bombastic girls can definitely pick the short, printed playsuit- you are spoilt for choices.

Pyjama set: It is impossible not to own pyjama set, they exhibit utmost comfort and style.

Babydoll: It’s easy to get into a comfort zone

with nightwear, but sexy can be fun too.

Short set: Make your nights even more comfortable and fashionable with these cute babies.

Short sets are a fusion of allure and nonchalant look.

As much of the world shelters at home to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, most of us have become habitual with wearing the nightdresses even during the day. Believe it or not, it is still hard for some of us to come out of that comfort zone. I say let the scenario be a new trend because the world seems so much pretty when you wake up looking all good and sexy.

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AHMEDABAD | TUESDAY, JULY 14, 2020

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MYSTERY TO REACH THE

KIDNAPPERS

I

season. Kabir is carrying the emotional baggage of a thoughtless act, and guilt draws him to Delhi, where he reacquaints himself with Meghna (Plabita Borthakur), his victim from the past. Not only is Meghna now a sponsor at Narcotics Anonymous, but she’s also a chirpy, life-positive young woman who has named her wheelchair “Max”.

Sadh carries the burden of a traumatized Kabir, who has lost his daughter and his equilibrium, on his muscular shoulders. His character barely rises out of the pit of gloom and only occasionally shows a flash of edgy police work, partially egged on by an ambitious and publicity-hungry senior officer. Kabir should have been the binding element between the two seasons, but his part is relegated to the wings. Credit, though, to Sadh for conveying the pain and fleeting pleasures of a man coming out of the shadows.

Nithya Menen and Abhishek Bachchan are fet-

thinks he can outwit the kidnapper because, after all, he is a specialist in “mind games”.

For that to happen, the story (written by Sharma, Bhavani Iyer, Vikram Tuli, and Arshad Syed) would have to follow the logic, be constructed intelligently, and be creative and original. Instead, we see a catalog of cliches associated with the murder mystery genre.

Despite all the commuting by the characters within and around Delhi, the story itself crawls along.

Barring the kidnapper’s story, the other characters swivel in a single spot. I bet you will guess the criminal’s identity before hitting the mid-point of this bloated 12-episode series.

The Delhi police team in charge of the case is at a loss as videos of these brutal crimes beam across television channels. Joining in their efforts are inspector Kabir Sawant (Amit Sadh) and his trusted deputy Prakash Kamble (Hrishikesh Joshi) from the first

FA CE OF TH ED AY

n season one of the average 2018 Prime Video series Breathe, a father went on a killing spree to keep his son alive. In the second season, also created

by Mayank Sharma, another father justifies murder to save his daughter. In both, a father will kill to improve an immunocompromised child’s chances of staying alive.

When Delhi-based psychiatrist Avinash Sabharwal’s daughter Siya (Ivana Kaur) is kidnapped, Avinash (Abhishek Bachchan) and his wife Abha (Nithya Menen) meticulously plan murders to meet the kidnapper’s demands to free their child. A well-off and educated couple cave in and easily become killers, with the simple justification that all is fair if you are trying to save your family.

The kidnapper invokes the 10 traits represented by each of Ravana’s 10 heads – anger, lust, ego, fear, and so on – for the murders to be committed. But Avinash

YOUR DAY Horoscope by Saurabbh Sachdeva

Any gains made by production, background music, art direction, and cinematography are lost by the writing and editing. A sideplot of two sub-inspectors vying for Kabir’s attention is negated by a pointless sidebar about a recently transferred employee juggling a wife’s nagging with a flirtation with an old flame. The season was filmed before the pandemic and lockdown, but watching it in this environment, and seeing men in N95 masks and a germaphobe obsessively sanitizing his surroundings resonated in a very strange way. https://scroll.in/

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

CANCER

Requisite for a peaceful life for you is a life full of money . For those whose survive on salaries can totally expect some bonus. If someone has helped you in the past than remember to do the same when that person needs you. You need to carefully make any monetary deal.

Austerities of any kind can be dealt with properly when you strategise well and in advance. A time consuming task is no big deal for as you as no one can match your speed.

Don’t be scared of the work.

Sometimes it should be all about your partner than you.

Visionary, practical minded, determined is how people define you. You easily beat anyone in competitions and you are always on the top. You have surplus of energy and you never get tired. You love your kids more than anything in the world and can do anything for them.

Ameliorate your pains from the past is the best option and never look back again.

Your life is full of positivity and you make everyone positive too.

You will successfully raise funds for the new business that you want to start as soon as possible. Your spouse madly loves you.

MAR 21 - APR 20

APR 21 - MAY 20

MAY 21 - JUNE 21

JUNE 22 - JULY 23

LEO

VIRGO

LIBRA

SCORPIO

Alliance with promising parties is the best decision you will take today. You may decide to start a small business from home. You are fit and fine and people derive inspiration from you. You may rearrange the decor in your house today. Love life is very important for you.

Bunfight on the business front should be avoided and the best way to do that is to not disrespect anyone by using wrong words. You are saving day and night seeing the current situations. You have no other option than to work day and night to achieve what you want.

Certitude of any degree cannot make you predict your future, there is nothing to worry. Be careful of what you speak and in front of whom you speak.Instead of flaunting your preparation this time try to be quiet and concentrate on being the best for outstanding results

Disingenuous behaviour when it comes to relationships is not an ideal thing to do, change if you don’t want to loose your terms. You get protection from every where such is your luck. Money is no big deal for you as you have plenty. Don’t let love break your heart, stay strong.

JULY 24 - AUGUST 23

AUG 24 - SEP 23

SEPT 24 - OCTOBER 22

OCT 23 - NOVEMBER 22

SAGITTARIUS

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

Endurance power is both your strength and weakness depending on the situation.

You like to play around a lot as physical fitness is crucial in your life. You are carefree sometime even towards the closest friends or family members. Good company will change your mood today.

Freebie complimentary benefits are on the cards, you are one hell of a lucky one today. Pending work on work front will be completed timely today. Those who are out of shape can resolve to work hard and walk on the path of fitness. You are desperate for a big break.

Rapacious company must be avoided at any cost, such people are a big problem when they show their true colours. No matter is big enough to break ties with your dear ones therefore control your anger and talk things out, everything will be just fine.

You will win the hearts of your parents.

Cosseting your child is good but only till a certain age, when the chicks start growing you have to teach them how to fly on their own. You are very calculative about everything and that an awesome quality. Don’t be disheartened because of minor ailments, its just no big deal.

NOV 23 - DEC 22

PRATIBHA JAIN, Model and Artist

tered by the material and look as bewildered at the vapid writing. There was an opportunity to explore childhood trauma and mental health issues here, but it’s unharnessed. Notable performances come from supporting cast members, such as Saiyami Kher, Resham Shrivardhan, Shruti Bapna, and Nizhalgal Ravi.

Most of the twists can be seen coming to an episode in advance. A dozen episodes of 45 minutes each give you plenty of time to join the dots and take a coffee break without missing anything crucial to the inflated and exposition-heavy plot.

DEC 23 - JAN 20

JAN 21 - FEB 19

FEB20 - MARCH 20

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AHMEDABAD | TUESDAY, JULY 14, 2020

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Celebrating B’day!

P

riyanka Chopra Jonas was all hearts for Nick Jonas’ mum and her mother-in-law Denise Jonas as she wished her on her birthday on Instagram. Priyanka, who fondly calls Denise as Mama Jonas, shared an adorable selfie with her as she showered some birthday love on Denise. Priyanka thanked her mother-in-law for the ‘constant grace and generosity’ they have shared over the last few years since the actress married Nick. Despite US recording an extremely high number of coronavirus cases every single day, Priyanka’s caption hinted that a party is in order as Nick’s parents seem to be living with them.

PeeCee’s birthday caption for Mama Jonas read, “Happy Birthday MamaJ ! Thank your for your constant grace and generosity..

I’m So glad you are here and we can celebrate you today together ...Love you so much...@mamadjonas @nickjonas.”

Nick also took to Instagram a little later to wish his mother as he shared a goofy picture with her. He wrote, “Love you mom. Happy birthday!”

—Agency

Priyanka Chopra Jonas; (inset) Her post

18 YEARS OF

CONCERNED!

K

anye West recently revealed he was running for president. While it has invited all kinds of reactions, Kim has shown her support towards Kanye’s decision on Twitter. Now, a new report suggests that the ‘Keeping Up With The Kardashian’ star is a little concerned for her musician husband Kanye after recent comments regarding his presidential candidacy raised eyebrows across the internet.

This comes after his lengthy interview with Forbes was published.

Earlier this week, Kanye’s Forbes interview was described as a “rambling,

four-hour” take about his experience battling COVID-19, his presidential campaign plans and his mental health, among other topics.

Recalling his welldocumented struggle with bipolar disorder, Kanye said, “God just gave me the clarity and said it’s time to run for president. Between all of the influences and the positions that we can be put in as musicians—you go on tour, you put out these albums,” he said.

—Agency

DEVDAS

M Madhuri Dixit Nene in a still from ‘Devdas’

adhuri Dixit Nene, who owned up the iconic role as ‘Chandramukhi’ in ‘Devdas’, got nostalgic as the 2002 movie completed 18 years on Sunday.

As the movie completed a milestone mark today, the 53-year-old actor took to Twitter and remembered the character she played in the movie. The ‘Dil’ actor shared an iconic dialogue of her character ‘Chandramukhi’ and

also noted the character as to be her “most memorable, and favourite” role. “Har dukh aane wale subh ki chithi hoti hai, aur ha nuskaan hone wale faiyda ka ishara,” Dixit tweeted to mark the 18 -yearcompleted of ‘Devdas.’

The 2002 romantic drama had grabbed the attention of not only the domestic audience, but it was also well-received overseas with the viewers going gaga over the gigantic beauty.

—ANI

GOOD NEWS!

C

hristina Perri has special news for her fans.

The singer took to Instagram to reveal she’s pregnant and expecting the second baby with husband, Paul Costabile. The couple who ties know in 2017, share a 2-year-old daughter, Carmella Stanley Costabile. “Carmella is gonna be a big sister!!! our rainbow baby is coming in January,” the songstress captioned her Instagram post.

“Surprise !! Our little fam is growing,” Paul wrote on his Instagram page, with an adorable pic of his daughter. ‘New bambino/Bambina.’

Christina’s heartwarming pregnancy news comes six months after she confessed she suffered a miscarriage. —Agency ...her post

EMOTIONAL GOODBYE

A

ctress Divvya Chouksey, who made her Bollywood debut with ‘Hai Apna Dil Toh Awara’, passed away on Sunday after losing battle with cancer. She shared a heartbreaking note on social media before passing away.

Divvya wrote on Instagram hours before her death, “Words cannot suffice what I want to convey, the more the less, since it’s been months am absconded and bombarded with plethora of messages. It’s time I tell you guys, I am on my death bed. S**t happens. I am strong. Be there another life of non suffering. No questions please. Only god knows how much you mean to me. DC Bye.” Divvya’s sister Soumya Amish Verma confirmed the news of the model-actress’ death on social media.

—Agency

Christina Perri and Paul Costabile

Kelly Preston passes away

K

Kanye West and Kim Kardashian

Divvya Chouksey

elly Preston, the ‘Jerry Macquire’ actor who had been battling cancer, has passed away. She was 57.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Preston’s husband John Travolta confirmed the news of her demise through an Instagram post. “It is with a very heavy heart that I inform you that my beautiful wife Kelly has lost her two-year battle with breast cancer. She fought a courageous fight with the love and support of so many,” Travolta wrote.

“Kelly’s love and life will always be remembered. I will be taking some time to be there for my children who have lost their mother, so forgive me in advance if you don’t hear from us for a while. But please know that I will feel your outpouring of love in the weeks and months ahead as we heal,” he added.

—ANI

Amitabh Bachchan

‘MY UNENDING GRATITUDE, LOVE’

L

Late Kelly Preston

egendary actor Amitabh Bachchan on Sunday expressed his gratitude to all those who showed concern and extended prayers to the family after four family members of the Bachchan’s family tested positive for COVID-19.

Addressing the overwhelming support of his fans, the 77-year-old star took to Twitter and extended his “unending gratitude and love to everyone.

“To them that have expressed their concern, their prayers, and their wishes for Abhishek Aishwarya Aaradhya and me .. my unending gratitude and love ..,” the actor tweeted.

—ANI

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AHMEDABAD | TUESDAY, JULY 14, 2020

12

Great impact on Theatre, Cinema and Literature

CITY FIRST

T

he current global crisis caused by the corona pandemic will not only affect the life of a common man but will also impact the art of theatre, cinema and literature. People have already witnessed a sea change and a lot will happen in the due course. In an online series of Rajasthan Progressive Writers Association with Writers Talk, renowned senior writer Jiten-

RPWA President in a conversation with Jitendra Bhatia

dra Bhatia expressed his views on a Facebook Live session, on Sunday.

The president of RPWA and the renowned poet Rituraj, while speaking with him said that the global crisis because of the pandemic has already threatened the democracies in the world, and its impact could be felt in superpowers like Russia and China. Answering a question by Rituraj, Bhatia said that impact and the reflection

of this crisis in literature may not happen immediately but in times to come, this will certainly find a place in future writings as has happened earlier with pandemics like the plague and Spanish flu. General Secretary RPWA Ish Madhu Talwar, while concluding the session, informed that next in the series is the young poet from Pali Hemant Parihar who will read some of his poems on 19 July. cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

WEBINAR-A SUCCESSFUL PROTEST To discuss the issues relating to the current political and econimic unrest, a webinar was conducted by Oppoing Imperialism Group by Prem Bhandari CITY FIRST

A

webinar was conducted by the Opposing Imperialism Group, an organisation founded in New York by Jaipur Foot USA Chairman and a prominent social activist, Prem Bhandari.

Alok Kumar was the moderator of the Webinar and it started with the introduction of the eminent

During the session

panel. DR Mehta (former SEBI Chairman and RBI Deputy Governor), Retd.

Major General, BK Sharma and Gautam Bambawale (Retd. and former Indian Ambassador to China) were present as the guest speakers at the Webinar, where they discussed issues relating to the current political and

Prem Bhandari

economic unrest stemming from years of culminating tension and the recent appalling events at the India-China disputed border. The speakers proposed steps for major global as well as smaller economies to strategically isolate China while undertaking a comprehensive approach towards an AtmaNirbhar (independent) economy. A live protest against the Chinese government in London gave the viewers a taste of revolution that was displayed in the webinar. The webinar was a huge success that it went on for 2 hours instead of the planned one hour. OCI Group commenced its journey on 3 July, by organising its first peaceful protest in New York. cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

ONLINE INAUGURATION CITY FIRST

A

real-time PCR lab was inaugurated online by Vice-Chairman Kapil Aggarwal and Executive Director Ankit Agarwal at Geetanjali Medical College and Hospital, Udaipur.

CEO Prateem Tamboli

said that while today the whole world is struggling with the corona epidemic where the investigation of the corona is a priority, GMCH has understood this responsibility.

After NABH now NABL has also made a record by becoming the first medical college and hospital to get recogni-

tion in South Rajasthan. The corona at Geetanjali Hospital is being examined very carefully by the RTPCR Lab which is authorized by ICMR, NABL, standards. Now results of the examination of corona can be obtained in one day in Geetanjali Hospital. cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

WHAT’S HAPPENING!

Rukshmani Kumari decided not to celebrate her birthday today, as she will be dedicating this birthday to the martyrs of Galvan Valley who have risked their lives to save the nation amid the COVID-19 pandemic. She believes that this affection, trust, and cooperation will always be available.

Rukshmani Kumari

HOUSE PARTIES!

Vivek Sethia, Ravinder Pratap and Vinay Joshi among others

Vinay Joshi with others

Prateem Tamboli with Dr AS Dalal and staff members

Prashant Gupta, Dikshant Sharma and Ajay Modi

The Real estate celebrities of Jaipur have been indulging in small at home parties keeping in mind the corona guidelines and avoiding large crowds and hotels.

City First shares a few moments from some of the house parties of last week.

Vivek Sethia

RAJASTHAN: As Rajasthan tourism begins its revival after an unprecedented lockdown to combat Covid-19, ‘Gaitore’ and ‘Maharaniyon ki Chhatris’ will reopen for visitors from 15 July. This was informed by Director, Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II Museum, Dr Rima Hooja. All health and safety guidelines and instructions must be followed by the visitors during their visit to the cenotaphs. Wearing masks, regular use of hand sanitizers, maintaining social distancing is mandatory for all. There will also be temperature checks upon arrival.

RAJASTHAN: Hindustan Zinc, a Vedanta Group company today announced on Monday that underprivileged students from the 2nd batch of ‘UnchiUdaan’ project have registered 100% results in the 12th class board results and secured overall 100 distinctions across subjects like Hindi, English, Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics.

These meritorious students who are from the remote rural Rajasthan now aim to crack IIT-JEE having been taking up coaching supported by Hindustan Zinc in the Udaipur district.

RAJASTHAN: Women Mentors Forum in its ‘Inspiring Stories’ session on Monday held an hour-long of frank têteà-tête with its Founder and Chairperson Archana Surana. The event was attended by 50 mentors and mentees from Jaipur, Udaipur, Bengaluru, Delhi.

Archana Surana is today a celebrated name in Fashion Education.

RAJASTHAN: Renowned Rajasthani littérateur Saroj Deval Beethu shared her literary journey in the ‘Aakhar’ series on Saturday. An initiative

by Prabha Khaitan Foundation in association with Grassroot Media Foundation, Aakhar aims to promote Rajasthani Language, Arts & Culture. Supported by Shree Cement, the talkshow was held digitally on Aakhar Rajasthan’s Facebook page. Amid the ongoing pandemic, the Aakhar series is being held virtually.