First India-Jaipur Edition-15 July 2020

OUR EDITIONS: JAIPUR & AHMEDABAD

CORONA

26°C - 34°C

ALERT AHMEDABAD l WEDNESDAY, JULY 15, 2020 l Pages 12 l 3.00

COVID-19 UPDATE

WORLD

5,77,908 1,33,38,517 CONFIRMED CASES

DEATHS

MAHARASHTRA 10,695 DEATHS 2,67,665 CASES

DELHI 3,446 DEATHS 1,15,346 CASES

RNI NO. GUJENG/2019/16208 l Vol 1 l Issue No. 230

INDIA

24,314 9,36,368 DEATHS

CONFIRMED CASES

TAMIL NADU 2,099 DEATHS 1,47,324 CASES

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GUJARAT

2,070 DEATHS

KARNATAKA 846 DEATHS 44,077 CASES

43,723

CONFIRMED CASES

RAJASTHAN 524 DEATHS 25,571 CASES

18 MONTH OLD GEHLOT-PILOT COLD WAR COMES TO A TRAGIC END!

AN ‘AGGRESSIVE’ PILOT LOST HIS Dy CM & PCC JOB; HIS TWO MINISTERS ALSO DROPPED Aditi Nagar Jaipur: After being engaged in a 18 month old cold war with his deputy and PCC Chief Sachin Pilot, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot was a ‘relaxed man’ on Tuesday afternoon, once Pilot lost his deputy CM and PCC Chief job and also his two ministers Vishvendra Singh and Ramesh Meena were shown the door.

According to sources, after Pilot’s departure, Gehlot is likely to have a hundred percent free hand, mainly in consultation with Avinash

A RELAXED MAN

Pande, in making much awaited political appointments and an impending cabinet reshuffle, which is likely to take place on Wednesday or Thursday afternoon.

Gehlot already sounded Governor Kalraj Mishra, when he met the Governor on Tuesday afternoon, to take his formal approval on the removal of Pilot, Vishvendra Singh and Ramesh Meena from his cabinet.

In this way, after Pilot’s exit, Gehlot was sounding a highly relaxed person, who has now no challenge from within, at least for the time being.

Meanwhile, serving a record tenure of 6 years 5 months and eighteen days at PCC as its Chief, former deputy CM Sachin Pilot was virtually removed from the post of deputy CM as

COVID-19 vaccine: India starts human clinical trials New Delhi: Human clinical trials for a vaccine for COVID-19 has been initiated in the country with approximately 1,000 volunteers participating in the exercise for each of the two indigenously developed vaccine candidates, the ICMR said on Tuesday.

Since India is one of the largest vaccine producers in the world, it is the country’s “moral responsibility” to fasttrack vaccine development process to break

the chain of coronavirus transmission, ICMR Director General Dr Balram Bhargava said referring to the two vaccine candidates devel-

oped indigenously.

The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has permitted two vaccines -- one developed by Bharat Biotech Interna-

tional Limited in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research and another one

by Zydas Cadila Healthcare Ltd to go in for the first and second phase of human clinical trials.

There are two Indian vaccine candidates that have undergone successful toxicity studies in rats, mice and rabbits and these data was submitted to the DCGI, following which both got clearance to start an early phase Turn on P6

well as PCC Chief, which he nourished for a long time and technically, it was his tenure when in 2018 assembly polls, Congress rose from 21 to 99 seats and formed the government, where Gehlot was the face of the party in election campaign and therefore, along with Pilot, he had also a major contribution to dislodge the saffron government and bring Congress back to power for a five year term.

According to sources, even after his removal from two top positions, he was seen completely enthusiastic and upbeat along with his supporters in New Delhi because according to a Pilot camp spokesperson, he is also now a relaxed person as he was feeling ‘suffocated’ and rather humiliated during the last one

BCCI wins `850 cr law suit against World Sports Group New Delhi: An arbitral tribunal consisting of Supreme Court Justices (Retd) Sujatha Manohar, Mukunthakam Sharma and S.S. Nijjar upheld the termination of the IPL media rights agreement for overseas territories with WSG by the BCCI, on June 28, 2010.

It will allow BCCI to appropriate amounts lying in escrow account, to the tune of over Rs 850 crore. The matter went to arbitration, after WSG staked claim over Turn on P6

and a half years in the Gehlot government, where inspite of a clear Sonia-Rahul-Priyanka understanding in December 2018 to Pilot have a fifty percent power sharing with Gehlot in the governance, he was not given his due share and was sidelined, while taking all key decisions of the state government by the Chief Minister and his senior colleagues.

Pilot camp feels that now he will be in a position to carry out a ‘decisive battle’ against Gehlot government, with an indirect but active support of BJP.

END OF AN ERA! A RECORD 6 YEARS 5 MONTHS & 18 DAY PCC TENURE

India to buy drones, anti-tank guided missiles from Israel New Delhi: Engaged in a boundary dispute with China in eastern Ladakh, India is planning to enhance its surveillance capabilities and firepower by placing orders for Heron surveillance drones and Spike anti-tank guided missiles from Israel under the emergency financial powers granted by the government. The Heron unmanned aerial vehicles are already in the Air Force, Navy, and the Army and are being used extensively at the moment by both Army

surveillance and Target acquisition batteries and Air Force in the Ladakh sector.

“There is a need for acquisition of Heron UAVs to add to the existing fleet of these drones for meet-

ing the requirements of our Air Force fleet. We are planning to place orders for these UAVs,” government sources told ANI here without specifying the numbers to be procured.

Turn on P6

TREATMENT IN TIMES OF CORONA

Another discharged patient’s death brings policy under scanner Hospitals no longer need to wait for negative results to discharge asymptomatic patients Gargi Raval Ahmedabad: Almost exactly two months ago, a man was found dead at a bus stop in Danilimda after being discharged from the Civil Hospital, where he had been under treatment for COVID-19. Around the

same time, the state high court had compared the hospital with a dungeon. The official data shared by the government shows an improvement in the mortality rate, but the picture is still gloomy.

The state’s discharge policy has come under question again.

A hospital in Ahmedabad.

—FILE PHOTO

Former standing committee chairman of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation and senior BJP leader Yogendra Sukhadia died on Tuesday.

Sukhadia had been under treatment for COVID-19 at a private hospital but was discharged last week as he was asymptomatic.

Local health officials confirmed that the leader began to show symptoms of novel coronavirus infection again on

Monday night.

“Sukhadia had re-developed the symptoms of COVID-19 last night.

Soon, he was taken to the private hospital but succumbed to the infection,” a senior health official said on Tuesday, admitting that the man could have been saved had he been tested before being discharged the first time around.

According to a senior health official of the state, “Under the revised policy from the

Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), patients who do not show symptoms are discharged. Hospitals do not need to wait for negative results to discharge patients. In fact, policy advocates home treatment for asymptomatic patients,” said the health official.

Chandaharsh Joshi, the husband of Naranpura councillor Sadhana Joshi, died under similar circumstances last week.

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NEWS AHMEDABAD | WEDNESDAY, JULY 15, 2020

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Does playing the ‘caste’ card have

POLITICAL DIVIDENDS?

02

Teachers to be deployed at villages for COVID-19 duty

Former MP Devjibhai Fatepara launches community forum, on the hunt for a by-poll ticket Haresh Jhala Ahmedabad: When elections roll around, there are many power plays made by politicians to influence and showcase their popularity with masses to bag a seat at the table. One of the aces up the sleeve of wannabe ministers is the caste wildcard that can ensure an election ticket.

Former Member of Parliament (MP) from the Surendranagar constituency Devjibhai Fatepara has already commenced sending out feelers about his popularity in the Koli Thakor community.

Therefore, Fatepara is looking to play the ‘caste’ card to influence the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as well as Congress into giving him a ticket for the impending by-elections to be contested for eight State Legislative Assembly seats.

Devjibhai Fatepara was originally a Congress party worker and had contested the 2012 Assembly Elections from the Chotila constituency. He was de-

Former Surendranagar MP Devjibhai Fatepara with CM Vijay Rupani at an event.

feated by BJP candidate Shamjibhai Chauhan by a margin of 12,000 votes. Later, he joined the BJP and contested the Lok Sabha elections in 2014 and defeated Congress candidate Somabhai Patel.

But, the ruling party gave a ticket to Dr Mahendrabhai Munjapara instead of Fatepara in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

I n c i d e n t a l l y,

Fatepara and Munjapara both belong to the Koli Thakor community, which commands the majority votes in the Dhrangadhra-Halvad assembly seat in the Surendranagar district. W ith Fatepara flexing to put pressure on the ruling party, it might be because he is interested in contesting from this seat, feel a few

—FILE PHOTO

party workers.

“Earlier this month, Fatepara had launched an organization called Velnath Sena, aimed at creating awareness about literacy within the community and its betterment. But, he did not put out a political statement about it until Sunday. Now, that he has, it means that he wishes to make his ambition known to party leaders,” remarked Hi-

NOT DIGI-TALLY: GPCC ex-chief blasts govt over ‘defunct’ agriculture portal First India Bureau Ahmedabad: The claims and actions of the ruling party have always been contradictory, says Arjun Modhwadia, former president of the Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC). Modhwadia was indicating towards the defunct state of the iKhedut portal for farmers. “The government which claims credit for ushering in ‘Digital India’ is not farmer-friendly at all. It seems that the iKhedut portal has been made non-functional intentionally,” he alleged.

“The state and the central government do

Former GPCC President Arjun Modhwadia and Screenshot of the iKhedut portal for farmers.

not have any clear policies. The portal that was designated to help farmers regarding crop-related insurance and claims is lying unused. As a result, farmers have not been getting loans to sow crops,” stated Modhwadia.

He further added that neither the farmers nor the banks have been

able to pay a premium on the portal. Also, the farmers cannot make damage claims.

“Owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, the dates of loan payment and re-issuance of loans were extended till August 31, in place of the earlier deadline of July 31. Around 80% farmers have padded

their earlier dues and applied for fresh loans and insurance payment to banks. But, since the portal is not functioning, banks cannot give payment receipts to farmers,” asserted the leader.

The former GPCC president also pointed out that heavy rainfall in the Saurashtra region of the state had left crops damaged. “The farmers in Saurashtra cannot make a claim against their damaged crop, all because the portal is not working.

Moreover, there is no coordination among the various departments of the state government,” he remarked.

tendrasinh Chauhan, BJP’s General Secretary of Surendranagar.

For Fatepara, who has little influence on his caste community, this may be an attempt to attract the attention of both parties since the Limbdi constituency is up for by-polls.

But BJP General Secretary Jagdish Makwana expressed his doubt that this time around neither of the parties may give any importance to Fatepara.

“All political parties need the support of different communities and castes in order to survive, so parties are always on the lookout for leaders with clout over his or her community or caste vote bank.

But, Fatepara is not that a strong leader who can affect change in results.

His attempt at launching a community forum will be seen by parties as a survival tactic. It remains to be seen whether it works or not,” said Congress Leader Manubhai Patel from Surendranagar.

Teachers conducting COVID-19 health survey at Shah Alam Toll naka in Ahmedabad.

First India Bureau Ahmedabad: Teachers are the purveyors of knowledge which they impart to their students. But, the ones employed at government-run schools in the state will now have more on their plates than teaching.

Two District Education Officers (DEOs) have issued a circular about the deployment of teachers for nonteaching tasks.

Surat District Education Officer (DEO) has directed the Taluka Education Officers of Mangrol and Olpad to depute a total of 42 teachers at their checkpoints. The circular clearly states that Olpad and Mangrol will depute 18 and 24 teachers respectively.

These teachers will be

posted at check posts in three shifts. The Mangrol checkpost will have four teachers for each shift, whereas Olpad will have three.

The teachers will work alongside police

Surat and Aravalli DEOs have ordered them to man district check posts too and health teams and help assist them in the screening of people entering Surat city.

Meanwhile, teachers from the Aravalli district have been asked by the Aravalli DEO to visit local villages and ensure that each villager with an android mobile phone has downloaded the Aarogya Setu app.

The district has 692 villages and four towns and a population of 9.54 lakh people, as per the 2011 census. Over 70% of its total population resides in villages.

Condemning the DEO circulars, Congress chief spokesperson Manish Doshi questioned the move of assigning teachers to check posts. “The education level of the state has gone down because the teachers are out of classrooms completing non-teaching assignments. This also showcases mismanagement of the state government, which apparently does not have any other resources to handle the COVID-19 crisis. And that is the reason why they have been assigning such tasks to teachers,” he asserted.

TROUBLED TIMES

Migrant workers who have returned to the city have been left homeless owing to the COVID-19 outbreak and lack of accommodation facilities. One such worker was seen passing the time on his mobile phone on a deserted road near a construction site at Mithakali underpass during the night curfew on Monday.

—PHOTO BY HANIF SINDHI

NEW PROJECTS

CM Rupani cabinet to discuss water aerodrome projects today Govt plans to set up four seaplane bases: one each in Saurashtra, Central, North and South Gujarat 

Haresh Jhala Gandhinagar: Chief Minister Vijay Rupani’s government will discuss MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) proposals for water aerodromes in Wednesday’s cabinet meeting. The state government, which plans to set up four water aerodromes--one each in Saurashtra, Central, North and South Gujarat--will sign an MOU with the Air-

port Authority of India (AAI).

A water aerodrome or seaplane base is an area of open water used regularly by seaplanes, floatplanes and amphibious aircraft for landing and taking off.

According to a government press release, the state is planning water aerodromes at the Sabarmati River Front in Ahmedabad, at Kevadia Sardar Sarovar Narmada Dam, Shetrunji Dam, Palitana, Dharoi Dam in

Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, flanked by Minister of State for Panchayat Jajdrathsinh Parmar on his right and Additional Chief Secretary (Panchayats) AK Rakesh and Principal Secretary Panchayat Manoj Agrawal on his left.

Mehsana. The state government will offer services such as operations, maintenance, wa-

ter and electricity. The state government will also allot 1-2.5 acre of land at each location

and will handle clearances for the four bases.

The state government plans to create

seaplane parking facilities and terminals on the river bank for offices and passenger

lounges.

While AAI will be the implementing agency, the state government will assist AAI in developing master plans for these projects, which are being developed under the Central Government’s Regional Connectivity Scheme, Udan 3 and 4.

The Rupani government is hopeful that these aerodromes will create huge scope for the seaplanes and tourists, especially since these water routes can also be used for transporting goods.

The state government is planning these projects along the lines of Canada’s Great Lake

water aerodrome and other such projects.

This will be a completely new attraction for tourists looking for new options and wanting to spend the weekend on the dam or reservoir. It will also attract tourists from other states, the release said.

Meanwhile, Rupani dedicated projects worth Rs68.88 crore to the citizens of his hometown of Rajkot, through a video conference and handed over house titles to 145 beneficiaries in Rajkot. He also dedicated a bridge over Aji Dam and 10 smart bus stops to the public.

GUJARAT AHMEDABAD | WEDNESDAY, JULY 15, 2020

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03

in dire need of Situation still grim but no Surat tocilizumab injections one seems to have answers First India Bureau

With 915 cases and 14 deaths in 24 hrs, state has 43,723 cases and death toll of 2,071 Haresh Jhala Gandhinagar: Singleday case numbers in Gujarat have never been higher, with 31 districts and eight municipal corporations in the state reporting a total of 915 positive cases on Tuesday. This is the second consecutive day when the overnight figure has crossed 900.

More worryingly, there seems to be no a mismatch between the number of deaths reported in the heath department bulletin, the local body release, and the number of bodies being disposed of in keeping with COVID-19 guidelines.

For instance, on Tuesday, the state press release states there were 14 deaths in all, with Vadodara and Surat city areas accounting for three each. However, the Surat Municipal Corporation release

MEANWHILE...

Medics in Ahmedabad test travellers to the city for COVID-19.

says there were 11 deaths in city limits, while Vadodara acknowledges six.

The situation is still grim in Surat, which reported 291 new cases: 221 from the city and 70 from rural areas.

After Principal Secretary (Health) Jayanti Ravi spent a week try-

ing to get the numbers down, Additional Chief Secretary (Revenue and In Charge of Health) Pankaj Kumar visited Surat on Tuesday to review the situation and guide the local team in managing the crises.

Like Ravi, Kumar too did not have an answer to the mystery of the

AMC begins screening city borders to keep nCov out

—PHOTO BY HANIF SINDHI

mismatched numbers.

Vadodara has recorded 76 cases, even as Bhavnagar saw 45, Surendranagar, 31, Bharuch, 28, Banaskantha, 21 and Mehsana witnessed 21.

In the past 24 hours, the state has tested 8,102 samples. There are now 11,097 active cases in

Local bodies voluntarily shut down

Gujarat, with 71 patients on ventilator support. Vadodara now has 775 active cases, with 139 patients on oxygen support and 36 on Bipap machines.

Meanwhile, with 20 more micro-containment zones declared on Tuesday, Ahmedabad now has 210 of them.

Surat: Residents here say the situation is worse than the state government and local civic body, the Surat Municipal Corporation, would have us believe. And pharmacists in the city concur.

They say Surat is very short on the injectable drug tocilizumab, and requires 450-500 vials of the drug at the earliest. Stockists add that the state needs to reach out to drug manufacturers in a hurry, if it wants people to recover fast.

In a phone call, Devangbhai Davawala, partner at the city’s leading pharma stockist K. Raj & Company, told First India, “Every day, 250 to 300 customers are inquiring about tocilizumab. It is painful to say sorry, there is no stock, and turn them away. Even if there is supply in the morning, we run out of stock within minutes, because supply is just in the double digits.”

He added, “Based on the current situation,

—FILE PHOTO

1 HELD FOR BLACK MARKETEERING

the city needs at least 450-500 vials of tocilizumab injection immediately. This might help to mitigate the problem.”

He also added that the state government should get in touch with Cipla, the firm which holds the licence to make tocilizumab injections under the brand name of Actemra, in the interest of the general public. He is of the opin-

ion that the company could--and should--increase supply to Surat, even if that meant diverting stocks of the medicine from other cities with fewer cases.

“If required, supply should be diverted from Ahmedabad also,” he said.

The other life-saving drug, remdesivir, too is in short supply, with Surat receiving just two lots of 250, which can hardly treat 40 patients.

‘WEATHERING’ THE RAIN

First India Bureau Ahmedabad: With the state determined to not impose another lockdown, local bodies have started taking action to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus. Here’s a quick run-down:

An AMC checkpoint at the Aslali border on Tuesday.

First India Bureau Ahmedabad: In yet another step to increase surveillance amid the COVID-19 outbreak, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has deployed teams to city borders for screening of visitors coming from other parts of the state.

Last week, AMC had screened buses and vehicles arriving in the city from Surat, which has recently become a

Sars-CoV-2 hotspot and has been recording the highest number of cases in the state lately.

“This decision was taken due to a surge in the number of cases in other parts of the state.

There has been a considerable decrease in positive cases in Ahmedabad. To keep the transmission of the virus under control, screening of people at the border and keeping them isolated, if necessary, is an important step,” said a senior

—PHOTO BY HANIF SINDHI

AMC official.

All the city roads connected with other cities through highways and different entry points have been equipped with thermal scanners and personnel.

The Ahmedabad district panchayat had previously formed a Gram Yoddha (warrior) team to screen outsiders who entered the villages in rural areas.

The move proved effective with only nominal cases reported in that part of the district.

Karjan * Nagarpalika shut until July 18 after three councillors and three staffers tested positive * APMC shut Mahuva * APMC shut for 10 days Surat * More than 6,000 textile shops to remain shut * Diamond market in Varachha, Mahidharpura and Choksi market shut until July 19 * Non-essential shops in Bardoli Nagar Palika will close at 2 pm Bharuch * Hotels and restaurants to shut at 4 pm Vadodara * Waghdodia traders and merchants will work from 8 am to 3 pm Botad * BAPS Swaminarayan Temple shut till July-end.

In lieu of a raincoat, a woman uses a giant plastic bag to protect herself from the rain as she rides pillion on a two-wheeler in Ahmedabad’s Ashram Road area on Tuesday evening.

—PHOTO BY HANIF SINDHI

ISS spotted in Guj sky; best view in A’bad, Rajkot First India Bureau Ahmedabad: The International Space Station (ISS), the third brightest object in the sky after the sun and moon, passed 400km over Gujarat

on Tuesday night, giving people a glimpse of the marvel of space technology.

The ISS was visible as a bright dot when it emerged from the southwest horizon at 8:35 pm, and vanished about six

minutes later in the opposite direction.

“Due to its current path, ISS was clearly visible today for the people living in Ahmedabad and Rajkot,” Dr Narottam Sahoo, an adviser with the Gujarat Council

of Science and Technology (GUJCOST), said on Tuesday.

“Those who missed it on Tuesday can try to spot it on Wednesday, when it will be visible for six minutes, starting from 7.48 pm,” he added.

A MOTHER’S PAIN

Pregnant woman loses baby due to ‘insensitive’ Banaskantha cops Family demands justice, National Commission for Women to look into the matter



First India Bureau Palanpur: The saying, “With more power comes more responsibility” means nothing to two officers of Banaskantha district police. Instead of helping a pregnant woman in distress, two policemen—Jayesh Doshi

and Bharat Thakor— wasted time when they intercepted her and a relative for not wearing masks at Ambaji DK Square on Monday night.

As a result, the woman lost her baby, which was stillborn. A report on police negligence has been sought by the

Ambaji police station.

National Commission for Women (NCW) and its state body too. The

—FILE PHOTO

Banaskantha district Superintendent of Police Tarun Kumar Dug-

gal has ordered an inquiry into the matter.

Moti Rabari, the brother-in-law of the pregnant woman, has alleged that they were on their way to a hospital when their personal vehicle was intercepted

by Doshi and Thakor who wanted to know why they were not wearing masks. When they explained that they left home in a hurry because the woman was in severe distress, the policemen took

them to a police station.

After repeated requests, the officers let them go only after half an hour.

Doctors at a local hospital concluded that the delivery would be complicated and referred them to a hospital in Palanpur. When they reached Dhar General Hospital, the doctor declared the baby dead in the womb and conducted a C-Section to deliver the stillborn.

The mother is reportedly not doing well and

is still at the hospital.

Later, the woman’s family brought the dead infant’s body to the Ambaji police station, where they demanded action against the two police officers whom they blamed for baby’s death.

Rajul Desai, member of the National Commission for Women told the media that the commission has sought a detailed report from the Banaskantha Police. “It is a painful incident. Even the Guja-

rat State Commission for Women Chairperson Leelaben Ankoliya too has sought a report,” Desai added.

Banaskantha Superintendent of Police (SP) Tarun Kumar Duggal told First India, “The Palanpur Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) inquired into all the allegations and will soon submit a report. The woman’s family member has been fined Rs200 for not wearing a mask.”

PERSPECTIVE AHMEDABAD | WEDNESDAY, JULY 15, 2020

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IN-DEPTH

NEPAL GIVES INDIA ANOTHER PINPRICK

H

aving cocked a snook at India by redrawing the map to claim Lipulekh Pass in Uttarakhand and Kalapani and Limpiyadhura, all highly strategic areas bordering China as its own, Kathmandu has now laid claim to India’s presiding deity Lord Ram and also the place of his birth Ayodhya. For Hindus all over the world, Ayodhya lies 135 km from Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh and Ram was born here. There has been a lot of blood-letting and decades of litigation to prove that. Construction of a grand temple is now underway here.

PM KP Sharma Oli, however, has given a new twist to Ram and Ayodhya. In a contentious claim Oli said, “We still believe we gave Sita to Prince Ram but we gave the prince too, from Ayodhya not India.” Ayodhya Oli was referring to lies in Nepal’s Birbhum district. He also accused India of “cultural oppression”, as opposed to India’s assertion of a long history of religious and cultural ties with the “Hindu Kingdom”. Oli had also blamed India for spread of Covid-19 in Nepal. Ever since Oli’s ascendance as PM, Nepal Communist Party has moved closer to China which is now directly interfering in affairs of the hill state.

Just when it appeared that Oli was going to be ousted after a rift, Chinese ambassador Hou Yanqui went around meeting every dissident to ensure that Oli remained in power. Indians have reacted strongly to Nepal’s claims on Ram but Oli is beyond New Delhi’s control.

INDIA-NEPAL BROTHERS FIGHTING

AT NEIGHBOUR’S BEHEST

India-Nepal must return to core strengths of their social, cultural, & economic bonds MAJ GEN C P SINGH, RETD The author is a scholar soldier accredited with MA, MSc, LLB, MBA, M Phil (Def Mgt) and M Phil (International Strategic Affairs).

Widely travelled in India and Abroad, the General Officer is an avid reader and prolific writer. Post retirement, he is a Social Activist, Career Consultant and a Motivational Speaker of repute.

I

9 LAKH PLUS CASES AND COUNTING

W

ith 933,450 Covid-19 cases India is third worst hit country after the US and Brazil. With death maintaining a rising trend over last two months, the pandemic presents a scary scenario. The government is more upbeat about the recoveries–590,219–than it is about the rising numbers. At 24,281 fatality numbers suggest that we are handling patients very well but there’s a growing feeling that with many positive cases going unreported the deaths are not being accounted for. Treatment cost in private hospitals being too high and government hospitals poorly managed work as a deterrent for many. India recorded over 28,000 new cases in a day and the numbers will touch a new peak on Wednesday.

Union Health Ministry asserts that Covid-19 cases have progressively declined daily and recovered cases were 1.8 times number of positive cases. Fatality rate which stood at 2.6 per cent was also declining. Covid-19 situation remains alarming and if the World Health Organisation is to be believed, it could get “worse and worse and worse” if the basics of social distancing and mask-wearing are not followed. As is seen people are becoming increasingly careless, perhaps out of fatigue. A new dimension has been added to the Covid fear with the ICMR agreeing with WHO on the virus remaining in air for some time. That makes keeping masks on has to be made an important part of one’s attire.

was invited for a talk on World Cancer Day, 04 Feb this year at a Medical College in Nepal.

Thereafter, me and my friend had a week long series of events in Nepal. Everywhere, we got a hearty welcome and utmost respect. Nepal’s hospitality was par excellence. Attending the evening aarti at Holy shrine of Pashupathinath ji was divine gift . Never ever did we feel that we were in a different country.

I met a young couple at Palpa, Nepal wherein the girl was from New Delhi, India and married to a Doctor from Nepal.

Similarly, large no of Nepalese families are working in India.

In Army also, I have fought shoulder to shoulder with Nepali origin soldiers. When our Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh says “India aur Nepal mein Roti- Beti ka rishta hai”, I totally concur with him.

BROTHERS AND NEIGHBOUR’S DYNAMICS

Nepal understands its economic dependency on India but time has changed the complexion and narrative of India-Nepal relations

Let me give you a simple story for better understanding. India and Nepal are like two brothers staying together but having separate family affairs. Elder brother (India) is well to do, more prosperous and has respect in community as head of the family. Younger brother (Nepal) is not so well off, does farming and agriculture but is happy and contended. Both have been living happily for ages.

Now enters a zamindaar, “Ek Villain” as neighbour (China) who has muscle power and financial clout with him. He makes friends with younger brother and poisons his mind.

He convinces the younger that elder is being unfair and is a hurdle in prosperity of younger one. Thereby, the seeds of hatred and jealousy are sown. The neighbor then steps in to offer him soft loan for the business and mortgages his land, without

knowledge of elder brother.

When objected by elder brother, he instigates younger one to fight with elder. Both brothers become enemies and start fighting at neighbor’s behest. This simile aptly explains the dynamics of Indo- Nepal and China relationship, in simple terms.

Trade war between China and US, along with the border skirmishes between China and India, puts Nepal back into the center of regional geopolitical activity

INDO NEPAL: CHANGING RELATIONS India and Nepal are inseparables. Thousands of people in India and Nepal cross the open border every day to work, buy, sell, and transact businesses.

Cousins deal with one another across the borders; business associates with sons and daughters married into each other families. Lenders and suppliers across offered credit based on mutual trust. Cash also moved easily across the border.

The has now become a boundary that separates.

The trade war between China and the United States, along with the border skirmishes between China and India, puts Nepal back into the center of regional geopolitical activity.

India’s relationship with Nepal is at its lowest point since the five-month “Indian Blockade” of 2015. For Nepal, the biggest change in geopolitics since the September 2015 blockade has been increased Chinese interest to provide an economic alternative to reliance on India.

Border disputes between two countries are another contentious issue that occasionally creates friction in bilateral rela-

tions. To enhance people-to-people relations, Nepal and India must resolve contentious issues relating to the border, including the two major areas of dispute at Susta and Kalpani.

Nepal understands its economic dependency on India but time has changed the complexion and narrative of India-Nepal relations. Instead of old relationships between people and cultures, mutual economic ties have become pivotal to all future relations. India has seen its position erode with growing Chinese investments.

CHINA’S POISONING OF MINDS Often dubbed as ‘China Threat 3.0’, the Chinese sharp power in Nepal has come with massive propaganda and national interests with implications for India’s influence in the region.

Sharp power often incorporates tactics of pressure and coercion as a means to interfere, control and sway decisions of other countries. BRI is certain-

‘Was being sarcastic’ can be convenient excuse

A

fter President Donald Trump said during his June 20 rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, that increased testing was responsible for the surging number of infections, the condemnation of the inaccurate claim was swift.

Six days later, during a Fox News town hall, Sean Hannity asked Trump about those remarks on increased testing.

“Sometimes I jokingly say, or sarcastically say, if we didn’t do tests we would look great,” he replied.

This seems to be a pattern. Two months earlier, the president had mused about the beneficial effects of injecting disinfectants into the body to combat COVID-19. After many health officials expressed their dismay, Trump re

04

peatedly claimed that he was just being sarcastic.

That same month, after he misspelled “Nobel Prize” in a tweet – writing it out as “Noble Prize” – he deleted the tweet before falling back on on a familiar excuse: sarcasm.

What is it about sarcasm that makes it such a convenient excuse for people who are trying to distance themselves from what they’ve said? As I describe in my recent book on irony and sarcasm, most cognitive scientists and other language researchers think of sarcasm as a form of verbal irony. Both ways of speaking involve saying the opposite of what you mean. But the goals of irony and sarcasm are actually different.

For example, if someone slowly intones “What beautiful weather!” on a cold

The enlargement of the domain of sarcasm – at irony’s expense – is a linguistic shift that has been going on for some time

and rainy day, it’s clear they’re speaking ironically about a disappointing state of affairs. In general, irony is used to provide commentary on unexpected and negative outcomes.

Sarcasm, on the other hand, is most frequently used to disparage the actions of other people. If someone tells you that you’re a real genius after

you forgot to meet them for an important appointment, they clearly don’t mean that you’re mentally gifted. Simply put, irony is commentary, but sarcasm is criticism.

That seems straightforward enough. But in actual practice, the line between irony and sarcasm is blurry and confusing.

Many people assert they are being sarcastic when they are in fact being ironic, as in the previous example of the weather.

The enlargement of the domain of sarcasm – at irony’s expense – is a linguistic shift that has been going on for some time. In fact, linguist Geoffrey Nunberg called attention to this phenomenon 20 years ago.

So it’s hard to fault the president for conflating the two. Another element that makes sarcasm tricky to

grasp has to do with saying the opposite of what is meant. The recipient of such a statement isn’t supposed to take it literally.

For this reason, when we use verbal irony or sarcasm, we might employ cues to signal our nonliteral intent. We may, for example, speak in a tone of voice that’s slower, lower and louder than how we speak normally. Our pitch may swoop up or down.

Ironic statements are also frequently accompanied by facial displays, such as a smirk or the rolling of the eyes.And that’s why, when being sarcastic over text or email, we’ll use emojis to relay nonliteral intent. Of course, even then, there’s no guarantee that the recipient will interpret the message correctly.

FOR FULL REPORT LOG ON TO WWW.THECONVERSATION.COM

ly one such move of China to grow its roots under its expansionist tactics across the world.

WAY AHEAD India and Nepal must do more than merely resolve border issues. They must return to the core strengths of their unique social, cultural, strategic, political, and economic bonds and modernize ties to directly connect its people, markets, finance, and technology. India must work harder in building a pragmatic and realistic partnership with Nepal.

India and Nepal could create modern business hubs that enable young tech-savvy Nepali entrepreneurs to connect with India’s innovations. It could offer credit lines that small and medium enterprises could directly access for cross border trade and investments. It could harmonize and ease cross border trading rules. Most importantly, it must encourage Indian and Nepali businesses to flourish.

India needs to reset its relations with Nepal and re-invent its public diplomacy, rather than micromanaging Nepal, which has only undermined India-Nepal ties. The governments of India and Nepal must revise the narrative, modernize their policies, and get out of the way so that the ties between people thrive again. Centuries of social, cultural, political, strategic, and economic ties can only remain strong if they evolve to remain relevant in changing times.

Top

TWEET Jagat Prakash Nadda @JPNadda Greetings to the brothers and sisters of Tripura on the auspicious occasion of Ker Puja. I pray for good health, peace and prosperity for the people of Tripura.

Jairam Ramesh @Jairam_Ramesh very interesting. social enterprises need every encouragement but profitmaking enterprises too need a social dimension that is transparent and accountable

Spiritual SPEAK

As for those who believe & do good deeds, these are the dwellers of the garden; in it they shall abide.

—Quran 2:82

Vol 1 Issue No. 230 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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Report: China denies burial to soldiers killed in Galwan clash

According to US, China is not accepting that its soldiers were killed in the showdown Washington: It seems China is not willing to recognise the ultimate sacrifice made by its soldiers for the country as the government is pressuring the families of soldiers who died in Galwan face off to not conduct burials and inperson funeral ceremonies, according to a US intelligence assessment.

The bloody brawl between Chinese and Indian troops took place on June 15 in which both sides suffered casualties. India, without any hesitation, accepted that 20 of its soldiers have been martyred in the clash. They are being hailed as heroes.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his monthly radio programme Mann ki Baat on June 28, conveyed condolences to the kin of Army personnel who lost their lives in the Galwan valley clash and said that the sacrifice of these families is “worth worshipping”.

The bloody brawl between Chinese and Indian troops on June 15 brought casualties for both sides.

FAMILIES UPSET BY CHINESE GOVERNMENT’S DECISION

Even after the one month of the incident, China has still not disclosed how many of its soldiers were killed in the incident.

The grieving Chinese families who have lost their loved ones in the clash are being mistreated by the Chinese government. First, the

VIKAS DUBEY ENCOUNTER

UP to file status report, SC may consider forming panel New Delhi: The Uttar Pradesh government told the Supreme Court Tuesday that it would file a status report on encounters of gangster Vikas Dubey and his associates.

A bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde said it may consider appointing a committee headed by a former judge to inquire into the encounters of Dubey, his aides as well as the killing of eight Uttar Pradesh policemen by the gangster.

The apex court said it would hear on July 20 the pleas seeking courtmonitored probe into the encounters.

The bench, also comprising Justices R S Reddy and A S Bopanna, observed that monitoring of investigation is something which the court is very reluctant to do.

The top court said it may consider doing something similar to what was done in the case of encounter of four accused in the gang-rape and murder of a veterinarian in Tel-

VIKAS DUBEY’S AIDE ARRESTED, 2 LOOTED RIFLES RECOVERED BY COPS

angana, in which the apex court had appointed inquiry commission headed by a former apex court judge.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for Uttar Pradesh, told the bench that the state has taken the matter seriously and would file a status report by July 16 detailing the

in Thane district and Navi Mumbai, the state government had replaced three municipal commissioners and brought in young IAS officials to head the civic bodies in the region. Bhangar told the media reporters that he had the task cut out for himself to contain the coronavirus transmission in the area.

steps taken by the authority.

Eight policemen, including DSP Devendra Mishra, were ambushed in Bikru village in Chaubeypur area of Kanpur when they were going to arrest Dubey and fell to bullets fired from rooftops shortly after midnight on July 3.

Priyanka ‘allowed’ to stay in govt bungalow, courtesy Modi New Delhi:In a remarkably statesman like move, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has agreed to a request to allow Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to retain the 35, Lodhi Estate Bungalow for some time. Just when people thought there is witch hunt against the erstwhile first family of Indian politics, the PM’’s move once again validated his large heartedness.

After the government directive to vacate the prime Lutyens real estate property in Lodi Estate, the Centre was approached to allow Priyanka Gandhi to stay there for some more time. Sources close to developments revealed that when the matter was brought to Modi’’s notice, he said that her request most certainly be accepted.

Those who know Modi say that this is not the first time that he has gone out of the way and shown large heartedness towards a family that has left no

PM Narendra Modi

Priyanka Gandhi

This is completely incorrect !! We have not asked for any extension of stay. We were sent a notice on the 1st of July to leave in 30days.

We at a time of “Covid” have packed our entire household, and will leave a week before time.

—Robert Vadra opportunity to bad mouth him, demean him and use every trick out of the book to nail him. The general impression being that both sides have a visceral hatred for one another.

It was in 2011 when Sonia Gandhi had to travel abroad for health related treatment. That time, it was Modi who sent a bouquet of flowers to 10, Janpath. The Con-

gress, which was keen to keep Sonia Gandhi’’s travel plans a secret, was not only surprised but was also compelled to share details about Sonia Gandhi’’s illness with the entire nation.

Back in August 2013, when the Congress-led UPA was in power and Modi was merely the campaign committee chief, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi fell ill.

Gadkari inaugurates NH projects in Haryana Nagpur: Union Minister Nitin Gadkari inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of national highway projects in Haryana via video conferencing on Tuesday.

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar along with Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala also joined the event. “I am really happy to inaugurate these projects. All our officers have worked really hard. In the leader-

Interpol’s blue notice sought for accused

ABHIJIT BHANGAR TAKES CHARGE AS NAVI MUMBAI CIVIC CHIEF Thane: Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Abhijit Bhangar on Tuesday took charge as commissioner of Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC). Bhangar had earlier served as collector of Palghar district. He took charge from outgoing civic chief Annasaheb Misal. In view of rising coronvirus cases

Chinese government refused to accept the casualties on its side following the incident and now it has denied burial of the fallen soldiers.

According to the US intelligence assessment, China is not accepting that its soldiers have been killed in the showdown in order to cover up an episode that Beijing appears to consider a blunder, reported the U.S. News.

The violent face-off occurred after China attempted to unilaterally change the status quo during de-escalation in eastern Ladakh. India has said that the situation could have been avoided if the agreement at the higher level been scrupulously followed by the Chinese side.

The Chinese government has acknowledged the deaths of only a few officers so far. Indian intercepts have revealed that the Chinese side suffered 43 casualties including the dead and seriously injured.

American intelligence believes that 35 of the Chinese soldiers were killed in the showdown.

05

New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has moved Interpol seeking a “blue notice” against Faisal Fareed, a Dubaibased person named as key accused in Kerala gold smuggling case, officials said.

The agency has found that Faisal Fareed had forged the documents seal and emblem - of the UAE embassy to ensure diplomatic protection for the baggage and the gold was to be used for terror activities.

2ND GROUP OF 174 STRANDED INDIANS BROUGHT BACK Amritsar: As many as 174 Indians, who had been stranded in various parts of UAE because of the closure of companies where they were employed due to the coronavirus, were brought back by a chartered flight at Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport on Monday night.The flight, which was organised by Indian businessman and philanthropist SP Singh Oberoi, departed from Ras al Khaimah in the UAE on Monday.This was the second of the four chartered flights arranged

by Oberoi to bring back Indians from the UAE.

I am really happy to inaugurate these projects. All our officers have worked really hard. In the leadership of Chief Minister Khattar, everyone has given us immense support.

—Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister

ship of Chief Minister Khattar, everyone has given us immense support,” said Gadkari.

Speaking at the occasion, Chief Minister Khattar said, “I am really thankful to Nitin

Gadkari Ji for introducing these projects in Haryana. These projects are being given a new way.”

Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala said, “I would like to

thank Gadkari Ji on behalf of the Haryana Government. A historic step has been taken today to take the road infrastructure of Haryana Pradesh to a new height”.

RULING COMMUNIST PARTY CRISIS

Nepal PM Oli, Prachanda hold fresh talks to avoid split Kathmandu: Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and co-chair of the ruling communist party Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda on Tuesday resumed talks after a six-day hiatus in a bid to save the party from a split in the wake of growing differences between the two factions led by them.

Prachanda’s press advisor said that the two chairs (of the Nepal Communist Party) have

resumed discussions.

The talks are taking place ahead of the crucial Standing Committee meeting on Friday which is expected to determine the political fu-

‘FINAL YEAR UG ONLINE EXAMS TO BE HELD FROM AUG 10-31’ New Delhi: Delhi University will hold final year undergraduate online Open Book Examinations (OBE) from August 10-31, the Delhi High Court was informed on Tuesday. A bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Subramonium Prasad was informed by the varsity that the students left out of online exams will be given an

opportunity to appear in physical examinations, to be held sometime in September. While university initially informed that it has decided to conduct the exams from Aug 17 & will conclude on Sept 8, the court asked it to reconsider the schedule as the students are supposed to pass and join other courses.

ture of the 68-year-old prime minister who has previously alleged that his detractors were trying to remove him with India’s help.

The key meeting is taking place days after NCP executive chairman Prachanda said he will not allow the party to split and any attempt from anywhere to weaken its unity would hurt the fight against the coronavirus pandemic and natural disasters.

“These projects will improve road transport through an excellent bypass for our 10 cities.

Gadkari Ji has taken the road infrastructure of this country to new heights in the past six years,” he added.

Some of the projects include 4-laning of Rewari-Ateli Mandi Section NH-11, 4-Laning of Jind-Gohana Greenfield Alignment NH352A and 4-Laning of Gohana Sonipat Section, NH-352A. —ANI

One detained in Bengal MLA death case Kolkata: West Bengal CID detained a person named in the purported suicide note of BJP leader Debendra Nath Roy from Malda on Tuesday, a senior officer said. The person was first detained by local police in English Bazar and then handed over to CID. “Our officers are talking to him. Initially, he has denied any involvement,” he said. The Hemtabad MLA had named two persons in note and search for the other person is on. —PTI

GARDEN INSPIRED BY RAM’S 14-YEAR VANVAS DEVELOPED Dehradun: A thematic garden inspired by Lord Ram’s 14-year exile during which he passed through different types of forests has been developed at Haldwani in Uttarakhand, officials said. Built over an area of one acre as part of Uttarakhand Forest Department’s Biodiversity Park, Haldwani, the gates of “Ramayan Vatica” were thrown open to public on Tuesday, Conservator of Forest Sanjiv Chaturvedi under whose guidance the garden has been developed said. Different types of forests have been recreated.

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06

CORONA UPDATE A test kit developed by Indian Institute of Technology Delhi that uses an alternative testing method to be launched

INDIA’S COVID-19 TALLY BREACHES 9L MARK MoS PMO Singh in self quarantine

28,498 new cases were reported in the last 24 hours, informed the Union MoHFW

Health workers wearing protective gear carry out a medical checkup of residents at a ‘COVID19 containment zones’ during a door to door campaign in Mumbai on Tuesday. —PHOTO BY ANI

Delhi was the first to inaugurate the country’s first plasma bank and within days another plasma bank has been set up.

Till the time there is no vaccine available for COVID-19, plasma works as an aid to save people’s lives. “The positivity rate and the death rate is coming down but people shouldn’t be complacent. You never know, COVID-19 may surge again.

—Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi CM

Complete lockdown in Bihar from July 16-31 Patna: The Crisis Management Group (CMG) of Bihar, which is headed by chief secretary Deepak Kumar, has decided to reimpose lockdown restrictions in the state from July 16 until 31 because of a recent spike in coronavirus disease (Covid-19) positive cases.

Bihar has reported 18,853 Covid-19 positive cases to date, including 1,432 fresh ones on

—PHOTO BY ANI

New Delhi: India’s COVID-19 tally breached the 9 lakh mark as 28,498 new coronavirus cases were reported in the last 24 hours, informed the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Tuesday.

As per the Health Ministry, there are a total of 9,06,752 coronavirus cases in the country of which 3,11,565 patients are active cases. 5,71,459 patients have been cured/discharged while one patient has been migrated, the Ministry informed further.

553 more deaths due to COVID-19 were reported in the last 24 hours in the country, taking the number of patients succumbing to the virus to 23,727.

The Centre further informed that India’s recovery rate from COVID-19 stands at 63.02 per cent while the recoveries and deaths ratio stood at 96.01 per cent and 3.99 per cent respectively.

As per the Ministry, Maharashtra -- the worst-affected state from the infection -- has a total of 2,60,924 COVID-19 cases and 10,482 fatalities. While Tamil Nadu has a tally of 1,42,798 cases and 2,032 deaths due to COVID-19.

Delhi has reported a total of 1,13,740 cases and 3,411 deaths due to COVID-19.

—ANI

A PMC worker sprays disinfectant at a collection centre for COVID testing during a total lockdown in Patna on Tuesday.

‘Ensure sanitation drives in public areas during weekend curbs’

OVER 30K LEAVE B’LURU AHEAD OF LOCKDOWN

UP CM Yogi Adityanath holds a review meeting with senior officials at his residence in Lucknow on Tuesday.

tion, use of masks and social distancing.

He said the stricter curbs in crowded areas

and markets on Saturdays & Sundays are meant to achieve sanitation targets.—ANI

more than half a million people have succumbed to the disease across the world. So, fast-tracking these vaccine becomes very important,” he said.

A recent letter by Bhargava envisaging the launch of a COVID-19 vaccine by August 15 had created quite a flutter with many experts stating such a timeline may not be realistic. Bhargava stated that India is considered as the “pharmacy of the world”, saying 60 per cent of the drugs utilised in the US are of Indian origin.

BCCI wins...

Bengaluru: Ahead of the week-long lockdown in Bengaluru starting from Tuesday night, over 30,000 people left the city and grocery stores and liquor shops are witnessing a rush with customers thronging to stock up.

According to transport department officials, labourers from other parts of state migrated in good numbers from Bengaluru fearing that they would have to face similar challenges as they had to confront during the previous shuttering. —ANI

Tuesday.

The state has recorded 4,523 new Covid-19 positive cases over the past four days amid the recovery rate from the viral infection is at 70.97%.

The CMG has decided to reimpose lockdown restrictions at all headquarters, starting from the state capital Patna to block level.The rural areas have been kept out of the purview of

the fresh lockdown restrictions. No public transport would be allowed to ply in areas falling under fresh lockdown norms, but there would be no bar on construction activities, state officials said.

Air and rail travel have been allowed to continue and offices, banks, and other offices would function with minimal staff strength, they added.

—ANI

No kids, cadets, less VVIPs in this year’s I-Day celebrations wouldn’t be able to sit at the rampart, from where the prime minister delivers Independence Day speech. Close to 900 VVIPs used to sit on the top on both sides earlier.

But this time, they will have to sit at the lower level, with only around a hundred allowed.

More significantly, as many as 1,500 Corona winners, who recovered from the disease, will attend the function.

Among, them 500 would be from local police.

The other 1,000 would be from different parts of the country.

Till last year, at least 10,000 people used to attend the function to witness the speech of the prime minister.

In a meeting recently, the Ministry of Defence decided that Corona winners, instead of the public, be asked to attend the Independence day celebrations.

Later, the Home Ministry was asked to work accordingly to implement a new plan. —ANI

New Delhi: For the first time in history, India will witness a completely different Independence Day function at Red Fort in the national capital, due to COVID-19 pandemic.

This year, only 20 per cent VVIPs or other participants will be able to witness the live speech of Prime Minister Narendra Modi compared to previous years.

Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar and ASI Director-General already visited the Red Fort last week to take stock of the preparations. Kumar took stock of arrangements and also asked the concerned officials to make arrangements keeping social distancing in mind.

According to sources, there would be a complete change this time.

While there would no children, cadets of the National Cadet Corps would attend the celebrations at the Red Fort.

Similarly, unlike earlier times, VVIPs

IIT Delhi’s low-cost COVID-19 test kit ‘corosure’ to be launched on Wednesday New Delhi: A low-cost COVID-19 test kit developed by Indian Institute of Technology Delhi that uses an alternative testing method will be launched on Wednesday, according to the IIT director here.

IIT Delhi, which became the first academic institute to develop a COVID-19 testing method, gave non-exclusive open licence to companies for commercialising the test, but with a price rider.

While the institute

—PHOTO BY ANI

—PHOTO BY ANI

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday directed officials to ensure sanitation drives are undertaken in markets and public places during weekend restrictions imposed to contain spread of corona.

During a meeting to review coronavirus situation, he stressed on the need for cleanliness to curb contagious diseases like COVID-19. He told officials to carry out campaigns to raise awareness on sanita-

New Delhi: MoS PMO Jitendra Singh went into self-quarantine on Tuesday after Jammu and Kashmir BJP president Ravindra Raina tested positive for COVID-19.

Singh had come in contact with Raina on Sunday when he visited Jammu and Kashmir to review the COVID-19 situation. He was accompanied by the BJP chief of J&K from Srinagar to Bandipora.

“Have gone into SelfQuarantine with immediate effect from 4 PM today, after receiving the news about #Corona positive test of J&K BJP President Sh Ravinder Raina who had accompanied us from Srinagar to Bandipora on 12th July,” the Union Minister of State for PMO said on Twitter.

—ANI

Medics wearing PPE kits pose for a photograph during the launch of a plasma bank at LNJP Hospital in New Delhi on Tuesday.

had kept a price rider of Rs 500 per kit, the company Newtech Medical Devices, which is

launching the kit named ‘corosure’ on Wednesday, has not announced the price yet.

dian Air Force.

On the other hand, the Army is planning to place orders for more Spike anti-tank guided missiles which were received by it last year from Israel under the emergency financial powers granted to the services in the Post-Balakot air strikes scenario.

Last time, the Army had gone in for 12 launchers and 200 Spike missiles.

“We are planning to acquire more of these anti-tank missiles for tackling any threat from the enemy armoured regiments,” the

sources said.

In the meanwhile, DRDO is working towards developing the indigenous Man-Portable Anti Tank Guided Missile (MP-ATGM) which will meet the bulk requirement of over 50,000 of these missiles needed by the Infantry units.

The defence forces have also initiated requirements for acquiring Spice-2000 bombs, assault rifles, ammunition and missiles, and some platforms for meeting the requirements in case the situation escalates further on the LAC.

Union Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank and Minister of State for HRD Sanjay Dhotre will launch the kit.

“This should change the paradigm of COVID-19 testing in the country, both in terms of scale and cost. The product, approved by ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) and DCGI (Drug Controller General of India), is being launched tomorrow.

—ANI

FROM PG 1 COVID-19 vaccine... human trials earlier this month, Bhargava said at a press briefing.

“Two indigenous Indian candidate vaccines have got clearance to start early phase human trials this month.

“They have got their sites ready and are doing the clinical study on approximately 1,000 human volunteers each at different sites. They are trying to do early clinical testing for these two indigenous vaccine candidates,” Bhargava said. “... it is a moral duty to develop them as fast as possible because

the profit they would have made, if BCCI did not cancel the agreement. They also wanted damages, for wrongful termination of the agreement. BCCI stuck to its stand that it was a fraud.

“It has been proved that Lalit Modi in conspiracy with WSG officials cheated, and defrauded the BCCI,” senior counsel, Raghu Raman, who represented the BCCI said.

The BCCI had terminated its agreement (IPL overseas media rights ) with WSG in June 2010, over dispute

arising out of Rs 425 crore-facilitation fee pay-out. WSG (Mauritius) that won IPL media rights in a famous 3am deal with the then IPL commissioner on 15 March 2009, were unable to find a broadcast partner. MSM (Sony) entered into a facilitation agreement (Rs 425 crore) with WSG (Mauritius) before they won the IPL media rights for Indian sub continent from BCCI. The overseas rights stayed with WSG but on discovering the facilitation agreement, the board called it ‘improper’ and re-

claimed the rights.

India to...

The Heron has been in service with the three defence wings for several years now and can fly continuously for more than two days at a stretch providing reconnaissance from an altitude of more than 10 kilometres.

The forces are also working towards inducting an armed version of the UAV, as well as upgrading the existing fleet into combat UAVs under the ambitious ‘Project Cheetah’ spearheaded by the In-

Another discharged...

The councillor had tested positive for the virus after participating in an AMC event in her area on World Environment Day. A few days later, her husband was also found to be infected and was admitted to a hospital. “He was declared Corona-negative.

But after two days, he developed breathing issues. He consulted a private clinic last Thursday where he was told he had a lung infection and wouldn’t survive,” said a relative of the councillor.

TALKING POINT AHMEDABAD | WEDNESDAY, JULY 15, 2020

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MONEY

BUYS EVEN MORE

HAPPINESS

THAN IT USED TO While the old adage says that money can’t buy happiness, several studies have determined that the more your income increases, the happier you are

07

M

any factors determine happiness, but one has stirred considerable controversy over the years: money. While the old adage says that money can’t buy happiness, several studies have determined that the more your income increases, the happier you are, up until US$75,000 a year. After hitting that threshold, more income doesn’t make a difference. But in a new analysis of more than 40,000 U.S. adults aged 30 and over, my colleague and I found an even deeper relationship between money and happiness.

Because the survey data spanned five decades, from 1972 to 2016, we were also able to see if the link between money and happiness changed over the years. That’s where things got interesting: Today, money and happiness are more strongly related than they were in the past. It seems money buys more happiness than it used to.

How did this happen?

A STRIKING CLASS DIVIDE We decided to look at happiness trends through the lens of class, specifically via income and education.

Among white Americans in the 1970s, adults with and without a college degree were equally likely to say they were “very happy” – around 40%. But by the 2010s, there was an education gap in happiness: Only 29% of those without a degree said they were very happy, compared with 40% of those with a degree.

The same was true for income: The difference in happiness by income level grew steadily larger from the 1970s to the 2010s.

The happiness of Black Americans with more education and income increased from the 1970s to the 2010s, while the happiness of those with less education and income stayed steady. Thus, a small happiness

gap by income level in the 1970s became a larger gap by the 2010s for Black Americans.

Furthermore, unlike previous studies, there was no happiness plateau or saturation at higher levels of income. For example, adults making $160,000 or more a year in 2020 dollars were happier than those making between $115,000 and $160,000.

LESS ISN’T MORE

There are likely many reasons for these trends. For one, income inequality has grown: The rich have gotten richer, and the poor have gotten poorer. Today the average company CEO makes 271 times the salary of a typical worker, up from 30 times more in 1978. While it was once possible to buy a house and support a family with a high school education, that has become increasingly difficult.

In a society with more income inequality, the gulf between the “haves” and the “have nots” is more stark, with fewer belonging to the middle class. That’s partially because the cost of many

key needs, such as housing, education and health care, have outpaced inflation, and salaries haven’t kept up even as workers became more productive.

Marriage rates may also explain part of the trend. In the 1970s, marriage rates hardly differed by class, but now those with more income and education are more likely to be married than those with less. Married people are happier on average than unmarried people. When we controlled for marriage rates, the trend toward a growing class divide in happiness lessened – though it still remained, suggesting several factors were at work.

THE ROAD AHEAD In 2015, a widely circulated paper found that the death rate for white Americans without a college degree was increasing. Many of these deaths were what the researchers called “deaths of despair,” including suicide and drug overdoses. If anything, the class divide in wellbeing has grown even larger during the COVID-19 pandemic, as lower-income Americans were more likely to lose their jobs. All of this evidence suggests that the class divide in both physical and mental

health is large and growing in the U.S. Politicians are beginning to recognize this, with more supporting the idea of universal basic income, in which all citizens receive a set amount of money from the government each month. Andrew Yang gained traction in the 2020 Democratic presidential primaries partially through his support of universal basic income, and more mayors across the country are experimenting with guaranteed income.

As a general rule, stark divisions by class have a negative impact on the well-being of a society. One study found that people living in countries with more income inequality were less happy. In a nation already deeply polarized, these growing class divisions will likely only make matters worse. As the 2020 election approaches, political campaigns must recognize the ramifications of these sharp class divides.

The nation’s happiness and well-being are at stake. n SOURCE: THE CONVERSATION n CONCEPT: RAKSHITA PAREEK n DESIGN: SITARAM SHARMA

To be happy and to live, we have to stop searching for what happiness consists of and meaning of life- we have to be happy and live.

—Jagdeesh Chandra, CEO & Editor, First India

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2ND FRONT AHMEDABAD | WEDNESDAY, JULY 15, 2020

08

Cong endorses astute Gehlot, CM safe for now; Sachin crashlands on Cong turf, but Pilot may sore with new front!

z How do you see the power tussle between CM Ashok Gehlot and Ex- Deputy CM & PCC Chief Sachin Pilot ? What was the background to this battle ?

Jagdeesh Chandra: Time is the most powerful entity, as it can turn a filthy rich into a pauper in minutes.

Considering the ground reality that Sachin Pilot is former Deputy CM and PCC chief today, has a background, which dates back to 2018 assembly elections and the battle to become CM. Pilot under some good faith either self nurtured or propelled by somebody, believed that neither he or Gehlot will contest the 2018 elections and the High Command will ultimately appoint him as the CM after the elections. But seasoned Gehlot’s suo motto decision to contest election from Jodhpur forced him to contest as well. Both became MLAs and in a natural & democratic show of strength in legislative meeting, Pilot lost to Gehlot by 79-21, which even Rahul Gandhi couldn’t refuse. Gehlot is undisputed mastermind of garnering MLA support in a legislative game. This started the trust deficit, which didn’t let the power sharing formula work between Gehlot and Pilot all throughout one and a half year tenure of the govt and finally, has this day in front of all. z What will be the impact of this decision on Pilot and his camp, BJP and its central leadership ?

Was decision made too soon or too late?

Although Gehlot is known for his slow and well- thought decisions, but this time, state incharge, Avinash Pande helped & insisted on ruthless and effective decision.

The impact of the decision on Gehlot camp is of fear & respect for their disciplinarian Chief Minister who is backed by the High Command. This has apart from other things forced the fence sitters, who might have opted for Manesar hospitality, in maintaining status quo at least for now.

There are two reactions from the Pilot camp, first of losing out on the parent body, Congress they were affiliated to and second is of no regrets as the battle lines have been drawn clear now. Even Pilot has a clear pic-

ture that these are my men standing with me in the battle ahead.

The impact on BJP is also clear that they are a step closer to their ultimate aim of unsettling another govt of opposition. All the reactions by BJP leaders after Pilot’s expulsion, point in one direction that they both are natural allies now onwards.

Lastly, the Congress High Command must be feeling low with unceremonious exit of a young leader whom they themselves had groomed. So it isn’t a good day for Congress. z How do you rate selection of Govind Singh Dotasara as PCC Chief ?

First of all look at the conspiracy of circumstances, Dotasara’s name for next PCC Chief was first forwarded by Sachin Pilot himself two months ago. By far, he is the best choice from the existing Jat leadership. He is a grass roots worker, been elected thrice and has performed well as education minister. Another interesting aspect is that the chiefs of both state Congress and BJP now are Jats from Shekhawati creating an interesting situation. z Most media reports say there was no communication between Pilot and Gandhi family so much so that Pilot himself wasn’t interested in any communication with them. Do you feel all doors of communication between Pilot and Congress have been shut?

Yes, all doors have been shut and he has been virtually expelled from the party by removing him from all responsibilities.

Apart from the main stream media reports, there was a word that Gandhi family was in communication with Pilot via second rank leadership. In any case, he had gone too far to a point of no return with a profound thought. Now the fact is that he and BJP are natural allies. z According some reports Pilot has put three conditions for his return to the party. How true is that?

That came to me as well that the first condition was that he be made the CM, may be at a later date, but with immediate public announcement. This shows the level of trust he had on the High Command.

Second was to replace

Jagdeesh Chandra with Shweta Mishra, Aditi Nagar, Deepa Bafila, Akanksha Bhalla & Faiza Khan.

—PHOTO BY SUMAN SARKAR

Editor-In-Chief of First India, Jagdeesh Chandra, in The New JC Show, analyses the power tussle between CM Ashok Gehlot and Ex-Deputy CM Sachin Pilot and talks about the road ahead for Pilot, Operation Lotus in Rajasthan and will Gehlot be able to keep his tribe together? state in-charge Avinash Pande with someone of his choice. The third condition was to give him Home and Finance portfolios apart from fulfilling his quota of 8-10 ministers. But the third condition was irrelevant in light of the demand to become the CM. So, all three conditions could not be met due to hard ground realities. z Does the recently concluded Rajya Sabha elections also contributed to the bitterness between Gehlot and Pilot? And Do you feel that Pilot was painted as a villain by showing him aligning with the BJP in the Rajya Sabha elections?

This is a fact that some of the self- styled Pilot supporters were involved in the horse trading attempts in the run up to the upper house elections. Although Pilot himself had nothing to do with it but when you present such a case scenario in front of Congress High Command along with the version of BJP attempts to pull down Gehlot govt, then the over all picture that emerges is the one that shows both Pilot and BJP working towards same end and hence Pilot emerged as a villain. When Pilot presented his case in Delhi, he said that there was no threat to Gehlot govt and the whole exercise was done to project Gehlot as the sole person capable of keeping the required votes together for assured Congress victory in the Rajya Sabha elections, which sidelined and damaged Sachin Pilot’s credibility & integrity.

z Was the complaint registered by CM confidante Chief Whip Dr Mahesh Joshi with SOG part of this strategy ?

Naturally, it was part of the strategy after the state govt got convinced of the attempts of horse trading & poaching to topple the Gehlot govt, which resulted in complaint by Mahesh Joshi with SOG later also taken up by the ACB. Later events prove that there was certainly something happening on the ground related to horse trading & poaching. z Some senior Congressmen in Delhi feel that the FIR step was an action taken in haste. What do you feel?

This impression was created by anti- Gehlot lobby in Delhi that it was a hastily taken decision as it deserved a bit delayed response.

Now these are all advisory in nature and real analysis is done by the one, who is facing the heat in the field. He knows best. Then this could also be retaliatory action taken by Pilot camp in Delhi. Remember normally this is not Gehlot’s style of functioning as he keeps political affairs strictly political. But this time, he felt that the situation needed a legal remedy so he gave a go ahead for filing the complaint. z Do you see any chances of change in State Govt in near future? Will Pilot camp with BJP’s support be able to topple Gehlot?

Politics is game of possibilities, so nobody can predict exact tenure of any Chief Minis-

ter however powerful.

Now, the dam has a leak, so all depends on how you deal with this leak in the dam. But yes the action taken by the Congress has mitigated any immediate threat to the govt. Gehlot has definitely consolidated for a couple of months to come. One very important aspect is that now Gehlot is not against Pilot alone, but also has to confront those powers from Delhi, who have so far never failed in their plans. z Do you think that Pilot is being remote controlled by BJP? Sachin Pilot is too smart, alert, politically savvy and educated to be remote controlled by anybody. But what is sure is that he is in close coordination with the BJP for quite some time now. Even Modi and Amit Shah have a liking for Pilot for reasons other than political like they consider him young, smart, educated and clean image who can be part of their party and circumstances are making the situation possible. Anyways Pilot has chosen a track so let’s see. z What will Pilot do join BJP, form third front or opt for his new party?

This is a million dollar question in the current scenario. There are two options in front of him.

First is the closest to his heart is to form a third front as he has his apprehensions regarding ultimate treatment meted out to Scindia in form of the portfolio allotted etc. He doesn’t want to completely rely on BJP for his political career. Now forming the third front may have some legal complications, but that all

will be part of the future so let’s assume that he will opt for the third front ultimately. z What exactly is the deal which Pilot has struck with the BJP? The most motivating or inspiring factor for Pilot is to become the Chief Minister by toppling Ashok Gehlot.

Pilot will take anybody and everybody, who can help in realising this goal. The deal which BJP and Pilot have struck is that Pilot will form the third front, topple the Gehlot govt with support from BJP, become the Chief Minister for six months and then hand over the reigns to Gajendra Singh Shekhawat. Pilot has now become a serious threat in combination with the unknown forces of the BJP in Delhi. It might take time, but a liquidation process has begun, which definitely isn’t good for the state or good governance or the interests of the common people. z What are the prospects of Operation Lotus in Rajasthan?

It is a well-defined model. They do what they commit. In MP, the BJP leadership has fulfilled some of its promises to the people, who joined with Scindia. Rest of the promises will also be fulfilled with time like election tickets from their constituencies or other political appointments. In Rajasthan, the success depends upon how far does CM Gehlot allow them to penetrate because they need 30-32 MLAs. If Gehlot is able to stop his MLAs from poaching then good otherwise, their model is perfect in today’s politics.

z How do you see the Vasundhara factor in present circumstances?

She is currently silent and enjoying the bliss of Dholpur, reading books, which she is fond of and admiring nature. She is in constant touch with the party workers through the phone. She is expected to be in Jaipur on Wednesday, but there is no opportunity to strike right now.

Any opportunity only seems to be coming in 2023, when she might find a divided Congress house at the end of its tenure or as the current graph of Gehlot govt suggests, Gehlot might surprisingly repeat. Now let’s assume BJP game plan with Pilot successfully toppling Gehlot govt.

Now when Pilot relinquishes the CM throne after a committed 6 months’ period and ‘IF’ Gajendra Shekhawat is about to be sworn as CM, what Vasundhara Raje does in those preceding 48 hours, is to be seen. z How do you compare the popularity graphs of Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot?

There are different models of individual popularity of political leaders. Once Ashok Gehlot, after losing election, went to a hotel for dinner. There were almost 150-200 people waiting to welcome him in the night despite his defeat while he himself expected only 5-6 persons. According to me, Ashok Gehlot is the most popular person in Congress in the state. Nobody comes near him.

Then you have Vasundhara Raje. Be it Gajendra Shekhawat, Rajen-

dra Rathore or Satish Poonia or for that matter anybody in BJP, she has maximum appeal amongst people in all the BJP leaders. After Gehlot and Raje, Pilot is the new emerging third most popular face in the state, irrespective of the face whether he is from Progressive Congress, Third front or BJP. I have myself witnessed his clout among the crowd during the election campaign during the last assembly elections. A crowd of 3000-4000 was really enthusiastic to listen to him. z How do you see the role played by senior Congress leaders like Ahmed Patel, KC Venugopal, Randeep Surjewala, Avinash Pande, Ajay Makan and Vivek Bansal in the whole crisis?

Only two names are really relevant out of the lot you mentioned. Ahmed Patel and Avinash Pande.

Surjewala too was active but he was more of ‘special appearance’. But leaders like Ahmed Patel and Avinash Pande keep constant touch. In fact the Avinsh Pande stamp in the action taken on dissidents is clearly visible. The kind of decisive action which he and Gehlot took is not expected in Rajasthan.

All the names which you mentioned had a distinct quality of being unanimous and talking in one language without any contradictions or differences. As far as contacting Pilot was concer ned Avinash Pande did try, he tried to contact but with no response from Pilot.

But Pande did his duty.

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09

AHMEDABAD, WEDNESDAY JULY 15, 2020

“Hey, let’s take a selfie” is the most common phrase used when friends have a get-together, someone meets a star, or even when one is dressed up really well!

NASA Astronaut Shoots Ultimate Christmas Eve Selfie from the Space.

SELFIE KA JADOO NEHAL NAYAR

nehal.nayar@firstindia.co.in

S

Carmen Greenway, 41, was killed moments after taking this selfie.

The latest craze is the insensitive Selfie with a deceased relative.

Amazing Selfie Taken at the Top of a Dubai Marina Building in Dubai.

elfies are all the rage nowadays, there is a rare person who has not clicked a selfie sometime or the other. Not only are they the new autograph with celebrities; selfies are a signal of ‘I, me, myself ’ where you can do it alone- get dressed to kill, click a selfie and upload on your social media account.

The term ‘Selfie’ was invented in the year 2005, by Photographer Jim Krause.

After the launch of iPhone 4 with a front camera, selfies became a ‘thing’. You’ll be

surprised to know, that it was one of the ‘Top 10 Buzzwords’ in the year 2012.

Since selfies flatter the image of a person on social media, the researchers say that they are associated with lower self-esteem. Yes, it’s true; it is a major sign of insecurity. Since social media is known for gaining a lot of attention, various people take selfies to flaunt their day-to-day schedule and their happenings. Over time, this results in increasing the selfconfidence of an individual and making them accept their looks!

Even though selfies may seem really glamorous, there are times when they become too dangerous. In a report, it is said that in the past few years, there have been over 400 people who have died in a selfie-related incident; may it be fires, accidents, falls, drowning, and the list can just go on and on. This is not just it- there are times when people take selfies the dead bodies to post it on social media. Isn’t that crazy? But de-

spite the risks involved, there are people who still take extremely risky selfies, just to create a boom on social media and be the talking-point among some people.

But at the end of the day, selfies never fail to make a person happy. Nowadays on social media, there are various filters to make selfies even more interesting. It all started with Snapchat coming out with trending filters and the trend then shifted to Instagram, where one can find not just filters to brighten up their selfie, but games too! Yes. Turn to P12

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AHMEDABAD | WEDNESDAY, JULY 15, 2020

10

SHOOT TO KILL? I

t is the Hollywood screenwriter’s great misconception that self-consciously acknowledging cliche in a script neutralizes it. When one character does something hackneyed and other remarks on that quality, that’s the author of their dialogue signalling that they know the score and that they’re with us. But unless such a comment does something with the recognition of its artifice, channelling that towards auto-critique or deconstruction or postmodern what-have-you, it just seems like the writer couldn’t be troubled to think of anything better. Calling out their hack tendencies can make a person seem clever and savvy just as easily as it can make them seem like a hack.

There’s a whole lot of winking going on in Bloodshot, David SF Wilson’s silver screen take on the flagship superhero of 90s alt-comics outfit Valiant. Though his origin story introduces him as a lethal combination of flesh and technology, the man born Ray Garrison (Vin Diesel) fuses little more than RoboCop to Wolverine.

The script goes through the factory-issue beats for any star vehicle about a super soldier stripped of his memory and converted into a killing machine, an oddly specific setup to be so well-trodden.

There’s a loving wife as silent as she is blond, an eccentric murderer dancing around to Psycho Killer by Talking Heads, the barked vow to find and destroy the men responsibly. After the first act winds up and our hero gets reborn, the lab techs responsible for converting Garrison into the unstoppable force known as Bloodshot mutter about how they went strictly by the book in concocting this scenario.

Unfortunately, the rest of the film fails to do anything with this trite simulation beyond plug it into a story equally bereft of im-

agination. That constitutes the height of Wilson’s stylistic flair, the overall lack of which betrays him as a VFX technician first and rookie director second. It’s not hard to see why he was tapped for the job, CGI showcase that it is.

He milks that skill set for all it is worth, from the many synthetic limbs to one impressive shot in which an Italian port vista materializes from digital nothingness.

He’s never more in his element than when a computer geek rotates a 3D holo-model of an environment he’s building; in fact, this qualifies as the sole moment in which the film evinces a livedin, authoritative perspective. Wilson’s direction otherwise hews on the side of the expected, staging each scene as if he’s trying to create minimal obtrusions while the post-production team does their stuff. A report last year announced Valiant Comics’ plan to build a connected universe around their intellectual property, making Bloodshot the vanguard of a grittier counterpart to the Marvel-industrial complex. That would explain why Diesel doesn’t assume the character’s trademark pallid skin and scarlet eyeballs until the climax, along with the mercenary tinge of an ending that shamelessly sets itself up to be built on. Franchises must be earned, by putting forth something that audiences could conceivably see themselves spending hours on over a course of years.

Aside from the singular brawn of its leading man, this would-be springboard has nothing much worth launching. It’s a stack of wormed-over action tropes, and to make matters worse, the movie knows it – and yet does not know enough to spare us its missteps in the first place. Our collective memories of Wilson’s blunt-force feature debut won’t last much longer than Garrison’s.

FA CE OF TH ED AY

Source: https://newscenter.com.ng/bloodshot-review-vin-diesel-brings-brawn-in-brainless-action-schlock/

YOUR DAY Horoscope by Saurabbh Sachdeva

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

CANCER

Equivocating about an issue from your elders is no solution rather sit and discuss so that they can help you out. An outstanding payment will be cleared today. Today is an excellent day for achieving much on professional front. You are the master of your own will.

Amateurish performance on professional front is what you need to stay away from. Your father will give you some financial assistance and your worries will at rest. Don’t take any break from your exercise routine. Seeing your family happy gives you lots of happiness.

Captivating personality, great conversation skills you are a rich package of talents, lucky are those who are associated with you. Your business venture will turn out to be profitable. You will smile whole day as a wonderful person will give you company whether at home or work.

Bossy nature at home can be tolerate at home but not in the matters of work, so stop being too much controlling. Smile won’t leave your face today and you will get reasons to be happy whole day long. You will be very careful of the drinks and food because of the pandemic situation.

MAR 21 - APR 20

MAY 21 - JUNE 21

JUNE 22 - JULY 23

LEO

VIRGO

LIBRA

SCORPIO

Callow youngsters must be well taken care of and must be given proper guidance.

On professional front, you will have hectic day inspite of the fact that you may be working from home.

On academic front, you can expect to get a good results and also you can expect to get rewarded for it.

Cantankerous souls are themselves disturbed therefore leave such people alone and keep a distance for a while. You always have different ways to reach the same destination so of one door closed search for the another one. You can make profit from a business deal today.

Dignitary position is a blessing so even when you are feeling low, don’t forget the value of it. You will adopt healthy methods as a necessity of this hour. Your assets are more valuable than you have assumed.

There is no success without a deep desire to achieve it.

Feisty, brave, promising, never defeated , thats how scorpios can be defined.

No matter with whom so ever you may compete, you will always win in a way. You like to control people. You magnetic persona makes people fall for you easily. You are a passionate lover.

JULY 24 - AUGUST 23

AUG 24 - SEP 23

SEPT 24 - OCTOBER 22

OCT 23 - NOVEMBER 22

SAGITTARIUS

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

Fulminating response for work should not make you feel offended or scared rather take it as a feedback and you will surely do something incredible. You have a great time ahead of you, during which you will earn a lot of money. Your parents support you in your endeavours, they are your angels.

Howlers of young ones sometimes give you the reason to burst into laughter. You are a brave person who is often not scared of anyone or anything. If you eat right then you will also feel right, always remember Don’t forget all the great lessons given by your mother.

Intensive care may be needed by your elderlies therefore don’t miss out on being there for them. Inspite of the pandemic situation your hard working spirit has not been compromised and inspite of spending more time at home you are still very much dedicated all the time.

Jabbering in front of your lover won’t be appreciated therefore be clear in your conversation. You may open some NGO for public welfare of a particular segment of people. You like to be all time dressed up even if you are at home. Don’t be over involved in someone else’s affair.

NOV 23 - DEC 22

MALVIKA SITLANI, Beauty Blogger

APR 21 - MAY 20

DEC 23 - JAN 20

JAN 21 - FEB 19

FEB20 - MARCH 20

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EMOTIONS

E

power of it . You taught me how a simple mathematical equation can decipher the meaning of life and I promise you that I learnt from you every day.

I will never come to terms with you not being here anymore. I know you’re in a much more peaceful place now. The moon, the stars, the galaxies would’ve welcomed “the greatest physicist “with open arms . Full of empathy and joy, you could lighten up a shooting star - now, you are one . I will wait for you my shooting star and make a wish to bring you back to me.

You were everything a beautiful person could be, the greatest wonder that the world has seen .

My words are incapable of expressing the love we have and I guess you truly meant it when you said it is beyond both of us. You loved everything with an open heart, and now you’ve shown me that our love is indeed exponential.

Be in peace Sushi.

30 days of losing you but a lifetime of loving you....

Eternally connected To infinity and beyond’ The actress received a whole lot of love as her friends and Bollywood celebs left heart emojis and supportive messages for her in the comments section. Tiger Shroff, Rakul Preet Singh, Ayushmann Khurrana, Bhumi Pednekar all commented with a heart emoji. Anusha Dandekar wrote, ‘I love you Rabbit and you are brave and beautiful and I know this was probably the hardest thing to write but I’m proud of you.

—Agency

11

DRIVER TESTED +VE

S

FLOODED xactly a month after Sushant Singh Rajput’s demise, Rhea Chakraborty took to Instagram to share happy pictures and a heartfelt note for the actor. The two, who were rumoured to be dating, were often snapped out and about in the city. Rhea was also seen at the Bandra Police station, days after the actor’s demise.

On Tuesday, Rhea wrote, ‘Still struggling to face my emotions.. an irreparable numbness in my heart .You are the one who made me believe in love, the

AHMEDABAD | WEDNESDAY, JULY 15, 2020

ara Ali Khan revealed on social media that her driver has tested positive for COVID-19, adding that she and other family members have tested negative for the novel coronavirus.

The 24-year-old actor took to Instagram to share the news. In her Instagram post, she

said that Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) was promptly alerted about it and the driver has been moved to the quarantine centre. “I would like to inform you that our driver has tested positive for Covid-19. The BMC was promptly alerted about it and he has been moved to a quarantine centre. My family, the other staff at home and I have all been tested negative and will take the necessary precau-

tions. A sincere thank you to the BMC from me and my family for all their help and guidance. Stay Safe everyone!”

Khan posted a statement.

Mumbai, reported a total positive COVID-19 cases of 93894 with 22,393 active COVID-19 cases, with 5,332 people succumbing to the deadly infection so far, according to the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai.

—ANI

A SAD GOODBYE!

G

lee actress Naya Rivera’s body was found in lake Piru. The Ventura Sheriff ’s Department confirmed in its press conference today. the details shared with reporters inNaya Rivera cluded a heartbreaking news that Rivera appeared to have sacrificed her life to help her four-year-old son Josey get back in the pontoon boat they rented. Josey was found asleep and alone on the boat later in the afternoon. He had on a life jacket. No life jacket was found on Rivera’s body. Naya’s son was later found asleep on the boat which was adrift in the northern portion of the lake known as the Narrows when a leasing agent searched for the watercraft which was overdue for return.

The young boy was wearing a life vest when he was found and he was wrapped in a towel. An adult-sized life vest was found on the boat.

—Agency

Sara Ali Khan

CONTAINMENT ZONE

BIG HIT AGAIN

T

here is a continuous increase in the cases of COVID-19 in Maharashtra.

Amid these all, a BMC banner was spotted outside Zoya Akhtar’s house that declared it a ‘containment zone’. The filmmaker’s house left everyone wondering if anyone was tested positive for COVID 19.

A day back, senior star Rekha’s building was sealed post her security guard, and her 2 staff members tested positive. The banner read, ‘This area has been declared as ‘containment area’ as a resident is found positive.’ It further prohibited the entry of any individual and mentioned that social distancing norms must be followed. Rekha too lives next to Zoya’s house and reports have been coming in that her staff and security guards were COVID Zoya Akhtar; positive.

—Agency (inset) Her post

M

Jennifer Lopez and Maluma

usic fans rejoice as Jennifer Lopez and Maluma tease new music! The stars took to Instagram over the weekend to share photos from their studio session together. It’s not clear when J.Lo and Maluma hit the studio together, but the pair did collaborate on an album for their upcoming movie, Marry Me. “There are all-new songs and all new music with it. So it’s exciting. I think I have like six or eight songs and Maluma does two or three,” Lopez revealed on ‘The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon’ in February.

When asked if there is a tour that would go along with this album, the singer replied, “Maybe? The Marry Me Tour? You know what? I could do that,” she said, before adding, “But not this year. Not this year.” Lopez captioned Sunday’s post, “Pase lo que pase ‘toy pa’ ti. Are you ready?@Maluma.”

—Agency

T

Rhea Chakraborty; (inset) Her posts

he Grammy-winning singer John Legend recently got candid and opened up about his history of cheating in a candid interview on Armchair Expert with podcast cohosts Dax Shepard and Monica Padman. “I have a horrendous history of cheating. F-king deplorable... And there are all these great cheating songs on your albums, and I was like, ‘I see another fisherman at sea,” Dax shared, and asked if John had a past similar to his. “Yes, I did have a history of cheating. Definitely in my 20’s,” the 41-year-old singer responded.

“I think what happened to me, you go through a lot of your life in your teens and I was younger than everybody in high school and college,

BEING

CANDID and so I just didn’t get a lot of girls. When I started to get that attention, I loved it. I es-

John Legend and Chrissy Teigen

caped ‘cheating’ by keeping my relationship ill-defined,” he continued.

—Agency

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CITY FIRST RAJASTHAN & GUJARAT

R

ewind to the distant days of early spring and consumers would have been surprised to see protective face masks being sold by their favourite fashion brands and retailers. But as the coronavirus pandemic has transformed almost every aspect of our daily lives, more and more fashion businesses are adding masks to their offers.

A pack of two face coverings in black is currently sold out on Asos; a leopard-print face mask sits side-by-side with bodycon dresses on Boohoo’s “new in” page and pretty printed masks are available from cult US label Reformation. Increasingly, masks are becoming a part of the consumer’s wardrobes. On the other hand, it also affects your own personal style. For example, some people just like to finish their look by wearing a bold lipstick, but now they can’t do it because the mask would cover much of their face anyway. But no matter how much your style gets affected, staying alive is more important than being able to wear lipstick. But while we all (should be) wearing masks, how does it feel to see something so associated with the loss and tragedy of the pandemic become part of a look? cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

AHMEDABAD | WEDNESDAY, JULY 15, 2020

MASK IT UP!

WHAT’S HAPPENING!

Today, in this difficult time of COVID-19, mask is the greatest life saver. We men are not so much interested in the fashion of masks; only two things are important to us: first, that the mask is comfortable and longwearing does not cause earache and second are approved with the scientific standard.

—RATANDEEP SINGH RAJPUT

Fashion without health precautions is senseless.

As this pandemic is all about keeping your nose and mouth covered, wearing a mask is a must.

They act as a physical barrier to protect you and others from viral and virus. I see the mask as a life-saving guard.

—POOJA VYAS

Masks now have become every day essential like any other and have become a fashion statement too. Considering the current situation, we should make sure we use the correct masks for safety rather than just looking good.

—HIMANI PALAK SHAH

FROM PG 1

SELFIE KA JADOO

If you are a part of Instagram, you know exactly what we’re talking about.

If you know the top tips and tricks to click a great selfie, you’re a pro; if you don’t, then City First is here to help you with the top 5 tips to become one!

LOOK UP: Placing your phone 1 diagonally upwards while taking a selfie makes your face look comparatively slim. In case you have a double chin or even chubby cheeks, this trick will have you covered for taking a great selfie.

2

DO NOT FORCE YOURSELF TO SMILE: Natural smiles make a big difference in selfies; make sure you do not force a smile on your face and make sure to smile naturally. Trust us, it’ll do wonders.

The Mellifluous Kyon? karishmagwalani@firstindia.co.in

—JUHI TOLANI

3

RAJASTHAN: Karunanjali Gupta, a student of Delhi Public School secured 97.6% marks in CBSE examinations. Karunanjali is the daughter of Rajasthan Cadre IAS Subir Kumar, who is presently the Secretary to the Governor of Rajasthan.

Dr Jyoti Joshi, who has worked as Assistant Professor in prestigious universities like Symbiosis Pune and Alliance Bangalore, was chosen for German language skills by BFZ, Germany, and was interviewed by the BAMF president Dr Sommer. During the interview, she talked about the scope and challenges of language learning from the Indian perspective. She is currently working in Munich, Germany as a Business Coach and Trainer.

KARISHMA GWALANI

For what’s close to your breath, should be closer to your heart. In these tough times, we pledge to spread positivity and do our bit together. I have been making customised masks for all my close ones to keep them safe in this tough time and also to maintain their fashion quotient, no matter where they go.

FIND THE BEST LIGHTING: The lighting you choose for your selfie matters a lot too.

Artificial lights do not result in a great picture, as much as natural lights do. Look out for the golden hour and thank us later!

12

RELAX YOUR MOUTH: Your selfie turns out to be great when your mouth is relaxed and you exhale, blowing air through your lips. This helps in keeping your mouth look tense in the picture that you take.

4

5

SELECT A GOOD BACKGROUND: When it comes to clicking great selfies, what’s in the background matters too. Make sure to watch out for a great background (or a simple one would also do); photo-bombers are to look out for, too!

T

he 31-year-old Playback Singer Payal Dev is back with yet another hit, ‘Kyon’, in collaboration with Pratik Bachan aka B Praak. ‘Kyon’ is a sad romantic number that strikes a chord with every aching heart. In an exclusive interview with City First, Payal shared her journey of collaboration with B Praak and experimenting new sounds amidst the lockdown.

“Kyon is a very touching, sad and soulful song. I made this tune couple of years back. Since now a lot of music consumption is through independent music, we decided to release this as a single,” Payal said while talking about the new single.

Penned by Kunaal Vermaa, the song has been composed by Payal Dev and sung by B Praak and Payal.

On duet with B Praak for the first time, the Songstress said, “I am a huge fan of B Praak and all the more after I heard ‘Teri Metti’ from ‘Kesari’. When this song was under process, I thought we should collaborate with B Praak because if we can plan any duet with him then, of course, he will give full justice to this sad and heartbreaking song. He was quite excited to be a part of the project too and dubbed this song at his place during the lockdown.”

While talking about the future projects, Payal said, “There are so many interesting projects lined up for future as composer and singer. There will be new melodies coming out for sure. I am focusing on original songs and fresh melodies be-

Payal Dev

cause I believe in our country any song or music works on the freshness of the melody.”

Payal made her debut as a composer with ‘Tum hi aana’ in 2019, for which, she received tremendous love from the audience. “After ‘Tum Hi Aana’, my journey as a composer is going well. I have worked in many projects since then but ‘Tum Hi Aana’ has been topping charts and fans still message us about it,” she said.

Apart from this, Payal is currently basking in the success of her song ‘Genda Phool’, which she co-sung with rapper Badshah.

On being asked about composing and singing the song amidst lockdown, the hitmaker said, “I feel this is a great time to do something new or something interesting like composing different genre song. It’s a great time for experimenting with new sounds while we have a good amount of time at hand to do so.”