15 June 2020

OUR EDITIONS: JAIPUR & AHMEDABAD

CORONA

22°C - 34°C

ALERT AHMEDABAD l MONDAY, JUNE 15, 2020 l Pages 12 l 3.00

WORLD

COVID-19 UPDATE

4,33,904 DEATHS

MAHARASHTRA 3,950 DEATHS 1,07,958 CASES

79,39,941 CONFIRMED CASES

TAMIL NADU 435 DEATHS 44,661 CASES

RNI NO. GUJENG/2019/16208 l Vol 1 l Issue No. 200

9,514

INDIA

DEATHS

3,32,739

CONFIRMED CASES

DELHI 1,327 DEATHS 41,182 CASES

GUJARAT

1,478 DEATHS

RAJASTHAN 286 DEATHS 12,532 CASES

Sushant Singh Rajput 21 JANUARY 1986 - 14 JUNE 2020

Hum haar jeet, success failure mein itna ulajh gaye hai ... ki zindagi jeena bhool gaye hai ... zindagi mein agar kuch sabse zyada important hai ... toh woh hai khud zindagi —Sushant’s dialogue from Chhichhore

GONE

TOO SOON

Not over yet!

Corona peak in India may arrive mid-Nov, paucity of ICU beds, ventilators likely: Study New Delhi: The peak stage of COVID-19 pandemic in India has been delayed by the eightweek lockdown along with strengthened public health measures and it may now arrive around mid-November during which there could be a paucity of isolation and ICU beds, and ventilators, according to a study.

The study conducted by researchers from an Operations Research Group constituted by ICMR said the lockdown shifted the peak of the pandemic by an estimated 34 to 76 days and helped bring down the number of infections by 69 to 97 per cent thereby allowing time for the healthcare system to shore up resources and infrastructure.

In the scenario of intensified public health measures with 60 per

A doctor in PPE suit collects swab sample for COVID-19 testing at PHC, in Gurugram.

—PHOTO BY ANI

cent effectiveness after lockdown, the demand can be met until the first week of November. After that, isolation beds could be inadequate for 5.4 months, ICU beds for 4.6 and ventilators for 3.9 months, projections by the health researchers showed.

However, this shortfall is estimated to be 83 per cent less than what it could have been with-

out the lockdown and public health measures.

With sustained government steps at increasing the infrastructure and different pace of epidemic in different regions, the impact of unmet need can be reduced.

If the coverage of public health measures can be increased to 80 per cent, the epidemic can be mitigated, the researchers stated.

Turn on P6

‘Centre, state will have to work jointly to tackle Corona in Delhi’ New Delhi: Amid rising concern over the rapid growth of the novel coronavirus cases, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday held a meeting with Delhi LG Anil Baijal, CM Arvind Kejriwal, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan and others to discuss the situation in Delhi.

Shah said Centre and Delhi government would have to work in tandem to make the country as well as the national capital healthy and coronavirus Turn on P6

SHAH TRANSFERS 4 IAS TO DELHI Union HM Amit Shah on Sunday ordered immediate transfer of four IAS officers to Delhi govt and attachment of another two from the Centre to help the national capital fight the coronavirus pandemic. These are Awanish Kumar & Monica Priyadarshini, Gaurav Singh Rajawat & Vikram Singh Mallik. Two other senior IAS officers are SCL Das and SS Yadav from the central government.

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23,590

CONFIRMED CASES

UTTAR PRADESH 399 DEATHS 13,615 CASES

Television-turned-Bollywood actor, Sushant Singh Rajput’s sudden and untimely death came as a shock on Sunday.

The actor was found dead at his Mumbai residence. Confirming suicide, the police said no suicide note was found.

The actor was 34. According to reports, it is believed he was suffering from depression and was consulting a psychiatrist for the last six months. His death shows the importance of mental health and why it needs to be taken more seriously. Bollywood and sports fraternity, politicians and fans from across the country mourned the demise of the versatile actor, who graced the silver screen with a variety of commendable performances. PM Modi, HM Amit Shah, CM Ashok Gehlot and other politicians condoled Sushant’s demise.

More on City First P4

India won’t compromise on national pride: Singh New Delhi: Amid a standoff with China on Ladakh border, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Sunday that India will never compromise on its ‘national pride,’ asserting that its security capability has risen and it is no longer a “weak” country.

Speaking at a virtual ‘Jan Samvad’ rally for J&K, Singh also assured the Opposition that Central government will not keep Parliament or anyone in dark about developments on border. “I want to assure that we will not compromise with national pride un-

der any circumstance.

India has become strong in its national security.

India is no longer a weak India. Our strength has risen. But this strength is not meant to frighten anyone. If we are increasing our strength we are doing so to secure our country,” Singh said.

P5

EARTHQUAKE OF MAGNITUDE 5.5 STRIKES NEAR BHUJ IN GUJARAT & 2.9 IN KATRA IN J&K

SPITTING IN PUBLIC PLACES INCREASES RISK OF COVID-19 SPREAD: HEALTH MINISTRY

Ahmedabad: An earthquake of magnitude 5.5 struck near Bhuj in Kutch district in Gujarat on Sunday evening. The National Center for Seismology said the epicentre of the earthquake was 118 km north-northwest (NNW) of Rajkot at 8:13 pm. No injuries or damage to properties have been reported so far. Minutes later, a 2.9 magnitude tremor was recorded 90 km east of Katra in Jammu and Kashmir, according to the NCS. P8

New Delhi: In order to spread awareness regarding COVID-19, Union Ministry of Health on Sunday asked people not to spit in public places as it increases the risk of spread of the fatal virus.

“Spitting in public is dangerous to health as it can amplify the risk of COVID-19. Do not spit in public places,” the Ministry tweeted. Earlier, some of the states had made spitting prohibited while imposing fines.

Reshuffle in BJP state unit likely soon after Rajya Sabha Polls Timing set to give the incoming team ample time to gear up for civic body and panchayat polls later this year; Patel, OBC & Rajput community eyeing posts Haresh Jhala Gandhinagar: The reorganization of the state unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party, originally slated for last December, might finally take place after the Rajya Sabha polls on June

19. This would give the incoming team ample time to take the reins ahead of the civic body and Panchayat polls, scheduled to be in December this year.

Sources say that the while everyone had begun to believe that Par-

BJP K C Patel

BJP I K Jadeja

BJP Haribhai Chaudhary

ty national leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah had decided

to continue with the present team until after the local body elections.

However, last week there were hints from

Delhi that it is planning a reshuffle after June 19. This was conveyed to one of the state leaders in a re-

cent meeting.

It is a necessity of time as the state unit reorganization is pending; so is the reorganization of city and district units.

If the state-level names are cleared and BJP is ready for the civic and panchayat polls, it has to reconstitute local organizations so that they can gear up for elections.

The party selects candidates for the state president post based on

a person’s organizational capacity, ability to understand poll mathematics and caste equations, and to communicate it to party top brass effectively.

Over and above this, the most important criteria is this: Does the person come from a caste which has a large vote share and how loyal is the caste to the party? On these two counts, two communities--the Patels and the Other Backward Class-

es (OBCs)--have strong chances. If the party is considering a Patel candidate then vicepresident Gordhan Jadafiya or General Secretary KC Patel are frontrunners for the post. Patels have some 14% vote share in the state. Jadafiya is from Saurashtra and Patel from Patan in North Gujarat. Keshubhai Patel and RC Faldu were Patel leaders who headed the state unit.

Turn on P6

NEWS AHMEDABAD | MONDAY, JUNE 15, 2020

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‘You’ll have much to say’: PM invites ideas for Mann ki Baat New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday invited suggestions from the people for his monthly radio address ‘Mann ki Baat’ which is scheduled to take place on June 28.

“This month’s #MannKiBaat will take place on the 28th.

Though 2 weeks away, please keep the ideas and inputs coming!

It’ll enable me to go through the maximum number of comments and phone calls. Am sure you’ll have much to say, on fighting COVID-19

and topics in addition to that,” he wrote on Twitter.

The Prime Minister also gave a number for the people to record their messages, and urged them to post their suggestions on the NaMo app and other forums like MyGov. In the last few episodes of “Mann Ki Baat”, PM Modi has primarily focused on India’s fight against the coronavirus pandemic, highlighted the work of frontline workers and shared experiences of people

who have recovered from the disease. In May, the address came a day after the government announced a phased exit from the lockdown.

With relaxations announced on travel and commercial activities, PM Modi had urged people to strictly adhere to social distancing, wear masks at all times and frequently wash their hands with soap.

Since then, the number of day-on-day fresh coronavirus cases has jumped from about 8,000 a day to almost 12,000

cases a day, with the national tally touching 3.2 lakh.

He had also exhorted people to adopt yoga and gave examples of how people across the world, including international leaders, were turning to ayurveda and yoga to boost their immunity. —PTI

PM GREETS ON RAJA PARBA FESTIVAL New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday greeted the people of Odisha on “Raja Parba”, hoping that the festival strengthens the spirit of brotherhood in society.

Raja Parba is a three-day-long festival. The second day signifies the beginning of the solar month of

“Mithuna” marking the beginning of rains, according to the Odisha tourism website.

“Greetings on the very special festival of Raja Parba. May this occasion strengthen the spirit of joy and brotherhood in society,” Modi tweeted in Odiya and English. “I also pray for the good health and well-being of my fellow citizens,” he said. —PTI Greetings on the very special festival of Raja Parba. May this occasion strengthen the spirit of joy and brotherhood in society.

Will be careful while making candidate’s selection: LoP Says the Congress party nominated Pradyumansinh Jadeja for 2017 Assembly elections ‘in a hurry’ Gargi Raval

People lined up to buy alcohol at permit shops in Ahmedabad on Day One of Unlock 1.0. —FILE PHOTO

TIME FOR A TIPPLE? ISSUE COMES UP AHEAD OF ELECTIONS, AGAIN Politicians fear backlash even if they think liberalization of liquor is a good idea Haresh Jhala Ahmedabad: For the past few days, former Chief Minister Shankersinh Vaghela has started advocating that Prohibition be lifted in the state.

This is not the first time he has raised the issue either. He has been vocal in his demand that the government either implement Prohibition effectively--so that not even a single drop of IMFL or country liquor is available in the state--or it should lift the ban altogether.

He had considered liberalizing alcohol during his short tenure as chief minister, and had even had surveys conducted to get a sense of the people’s mood.

The report of the surveys, which were done privately, followed his line of his thinking but he did not put it into practice.

It was not even the first time the state government had thought of lifting Prohibition.

Prof. TD Lakdawala of the Sardar Patel Institute for Social and Economic Research in Ahmedabad had

conducted the first study on Prohibition back in 1965. In 1978, Prof. Vidhyut Joshi had conducted a similar survey in Surat district. Both surveys supported the lifting of Prohibition. Both times, the government lacked the spine to implement the change, fearing backlash from people.

In the run-up to the 2017 Assembly election, youngsters from Ahmedabad after conducting a survey had planned to launch a party called Smart Party, which would make lifting Prohibition an election plank.

The party had even considered lifting all Prohibition-

The one thing most deplorable next to untouchability is the drink curse.

Mahatma Gandhi’s views on alcohol consumption in 1925

The state government in a memorandum to the 15th finance commission in 2018 has demanded Rs9,864 crore as compensation against the revenue loss annually because of Prohibition.

State government memorandum

Our prohibition policy is full of hypocrisy. On paper, it is prohibited and on the ground, it is available--whether it is country liquor or IMFL. At some places, it has grown into a tiny industry. So, it is in the interest of the state and the society that prohibition should be lifted.

Khumansinh Vansiya, former Vaghela associate

If the state is serious about implementing Prohibition strictly, then it should seal the state borders. If it is not doing so, that means money is reaching somewhere at the top in the system.

Paresh Dhanani, LoP Man carries a carton of beer out of a permit shop in Ahmedabad.

related cases.

On the one hand, the state is implementing the Prohibition law more strictly, even increasing liquor permit fees to show its committed to the ban. At the same time, the same government has relaxed a few norms in the name of attracting industrial investments and promotion. In the last two decades, the state has indirectly relaxed Prohibition. Permits are now issued for business meetings or seminars, and--while the medical board that approves liquor permits on health grounds has been reduced from 26 to just six--the number of permit holders has risen to 70,000.

These permit holders can buy alcohol from 66 permit shops across the state.

Vaghela is well aware that, if the issue is raised, it will garner good support base among youngsters and non-Gujaratis--segments that together constitute 3540% of votes in the state.

In the 1990s, police officer-turned IPS Jaspal Singh had alleged on the floor of the House that as much as Rs700 crore of liquor was smuggled and sold in the state at the time. More recently, another former IPS officer, Rahul Sharma,

stated liquor is available anywhere in the state for those willing to pay for it.

He is also aware that opposing Prohibition or calling it a farce, is the prerogative of an opposition party. Traditionally, the party one in power will defend the policy, whether it is the Congress or the BJP. If Vaghela or any other leader or political party is really interested in knowing if people are in favour or against Prohibition, why isn’t anyone demanding a referendum?

They will not do it, not for fear of losing the referendum itself, but for fear of losing the votes of women and 40-plus men. This is also why despite making Prohibition law stricter in the state, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not yet acted on Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s 2016 demand to ban liquor across the nation.

Rather than allowing people to drink spurious country liquor and get killed in another “hooch tragedy”, or having them resort to overpriced IMFL, it is time the state goes for a referendum. But will either the ruling party or the opposition risk asking the people what they think?

Ahmedabad: Leader of the Opposition Paresh Dhanani on Sunday told the people of Abdasa that the party had been in a hurry to select a candidate ahead of the 2017 Assembly elections. He, Arjun Modhwadia and other Congress leaders are currently touring regions left without an elected representative in the wake of the recent resignations of party MLAs. Abdasa in Saurashtra had been the constituency of Pradyumansinh Jadeja, who resigned in March.

“We want to tell you that the entire Congress party is by your side. So, although you don’t have elected representatives during this time of crisis, you are not alone,” he said, adding, “In 2017, the candidate was nominated in a hurry without double-checking.”

Likening Jadeja’s nomination to buying a pot without checking it, he said, “Our pot was

not checked properly. So even though you filled it with your love and warmth, it broke.

We will make sure to double-check our pot now.”

He said the party welcomed suggestions for “a better pot” and added, “We are sure that you will fill the pot with love in the upcoming byelection.”

Dhanani also said, “This is the misfortune of the democracy. Those who we nurture with blood and sweat and make them leaders and MLAs then deceive the mandate. In truth, they are deceiving the people and not the party.”

He further took a swing at Jadeja personally saying, “Once upon a time, a Jadeja would give or even take life for a promise. But this person has sold the dreams of people for money.”

He pointed out that while the byelections will not bring a change in government at either the national or state level, the people’s mandate would help “revive democracy”.

Paresh Dhanani

GUJARAT AHMEDABAD | MONDAY, JUNE 15, 2020

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RAIN SPELLS TROUBLE

03

As rainwater flooded the streets, Ahmedabad’s Hatkeshwar area, which faces waterlogging on a regular basis, began to resemble an island.

—PHOTOS BY NANDAN DAVE

2 inches of rain in 2 hours leaves several areas of Ahmedabad waterlogged and 220 trees uprooted; 5 more days of heavy rain likely First India Bureau Ahmedabad: As predicted by the weatherman, the city received two inches of rainfall accompanied by thunder and lightning in the early hours of Sunday morning. The monsoon showers left as many as 62 spots waterlogged and uprooted more than 220 trees across the city. A wall also collapsed near Mithakhali underpass and as a precautionary measure, the underpass was kept shut to the public on Sunday.

Interestingly, Mayor Bijal Patel, who has out of the public eye for nearly three months, appreciated the efforts of the elected wing officers. On the other hand, leader of opposition in the civic body Dinesh

An AMC worker watches as water drains into an open manhole.

Sharma insisted that the system has not been effective enough to tackle the pre-monsoon preparations.

“I think the mayor is happy to see that the pre-monsoon preparations have failed and new contracts for repairs would be given. It is a mutually beneficial relationship between the officers and the rul-

ing party. The latter knows that the former will help them in the upcoming election.

And, the officers know that they will keep receiving a percentage of commission for the work,” he said, adding, “Hatkeshwar, SP Ring Road, Bapunagar, Gota are among the places most prone to waterlogging during monsoon.

A hoarding ripped off its frame flew across the road in Satellite.

Why are the officers not resolving the problem?”

Meanwhile, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted “heavy to very heavy” rainfall in several districts in South Gujarat and Saurashtra over the next five days. Central Gujarat and SaurashtraKutch region will likely receive light to mod-

erate rainfall with thunderstorms.

The Met office also said that the monsoon has advanced to cover the South Gujarat region till Surat.

Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, and Valsad, and the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli received heavy rainfall in the last 24 hours.

A man rides his two-wheeler through a flooded street in Dharnidhar area of Ahmedabad.

A city signboard was no match for the winds that whipped across Ahmedabad’s Bima Nagar area on Saturday night.

Four Dahod minors drown during bath in local reservoir

State mortality high at 6.25% but BJP MP trolled Unlock 1.0 to continue unabated on social media

First India Bureau

Gandhinagar: Gujarat might claim to be handling the COVID-19 crisis well, but its mortality rate remains a high 6.25%.

And Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has gone on record to quash rumours that the state may be planning to reimpose lockdown.

BJP councillor at the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation Gayaprasad Kanojiya, who died on Sunday, is the third member of his family to succumb to the disease, which has also claimed two of his brothers.

Ahmedabad has a

Dahod: Four minor girls drowned while taking a bath in the Pata Dungri reservoir in Gungardi village of Dahod district on Saturday evening.

The victims, who were all related to each other, have been identified as Payal Bhambhor (12), Mital Bhambhor (11), Jyotsana Bhambhor (10) and Nilam Bhambhor (8). The girls had gone to the outskirts of the village for cattle grazing, when they decided to take bath in the reservoir, said an official from Garbada police station.

When one of the girls was drowning due to the depth of water in the reservoir, the other three tried to save her.

However, all four started drowning and died while trying to save each other,” said police sub-inspector Yogesh Rathwa.

Local divers later fished out their bodies late at night, which were sent to a local community health centre for post-mortem. The bodies of the girls were handed over to their families after the postmortem for final rites.

First India Bureau

A health worker sanitizes the Paldi crematorium. —FILE PHTOTO

mortality rate of 7.2%.

As of Sunday morning, the city had 3,282 active cases. It has seen a total of 15,762 positive cases and 1,141 deaths, 25 of which were reported in the preceding 24 hours.

Ahmedabad rural has reported 29 cases:

14 from Dholka, five each from Daskroi and Viramgam, and one each from Bavla, Detroj, Dhandhuka, Sanand and Mandal taluka. With this, total positive cases in rural areas has touched 571; 128 are still active.

With three more deaths reported on Sunday, the death toll is 38.

Meanwhile, in Vadodara, 67 patients are on oxygen and 26 are on ventilators. There are, in all, 411 patients receiving treatment for COVID-19.

In Surat, four frontline warriors have tested positive: a doctor and a nurse from SMIMER, the medical officer of the Urban Health Centre and a private doctor.

All four are now under treatment.

Four persons, all with a history of travelling to or from Mumbai, have tested positive in Rajkot’s Upleta town.

First India Bureau Vadodara: Chhota Udepur BJP MP Geetaben Rathwa received warm birthday wishes on her Facebook page on Sunday.

Just 36 hours prior, Rathwa was trolled on social media by her alleged followers who had asked her to share her stance on tribal reservation.

On Friday, the MP had posted photographs of herself distributing ukala (hot drink) to villagers in Dabhoi taluka.

Commenting on a picture, a person named Ashok Rathva said that the state government

and judiciary were acting as if they were going to scrap the tribal reservation. He also asked Geetaben about her stance on the issue and whether she will support them or not.

In turn, Geetaben told Rathva to do social service work in his village, rather than talk about what she should be doing. This led to more trolling with some commentors reminding her that she had been elected to a reserved seat.

When one troll pointed out that she was elected because of his vote, she replied, “`Don’t vote for me now.”

Govt profiting from fuel price hike, says Congress First India Bureau Ahmedabad: The Congress party has termed the recent fuel price hike as, “nothing but profiteering by the ruling party”. The opposition also alleged that the BJP was executing an economic strike on people.

Expressing his concern about the effects of the fuel price hike, leader of opposition Paresh

A constant fall has been seen in international crude oil prices but, that has not benefitted the people at all.

Paresh Dhanani, Leader of the Opposition

Dhanani said, “In the last six years of BJP rule in the Centre, fuel prices have seen a rise a

total of 12 times. The people who proclaimed to put end to inflation have looted Rs17 lakh

crore from the public by increasing the tax on fuel. A constant fall has been witnessed in the international crude oil price but, that has not benefitted the people at all.”

“In the last month itself, the prices have

been increased seven times. The constant hike is a testament to the government’s callous attitude towards the welfare of the public. In fact, this is doubly unfair because due to COVID-19, many people have been left with-

out jobs,” he added.

Dhanani also claimed that the price hike was an attempt by the central government to loot citizens, instead of providing them with relief.

“People should receive some benefits from the tax they pay to the government. But, leaders of the ruling party have not been doing that. At a time, when it should be all-hands-on-deck, most BJP leaders have gone underground,” he said.

Five private facilities now COVID-19 hospitals: SMC First India Bureau Surat: The Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) has declared five private hospitals in the city as COVID-19 hospitals.

These hospitals will treat patients infected with Sars-CoV-2 and that too at charges as outlined by the government. If patients referred from Civil and SMIMER hospitals are treated at any one of these five medical centres, the rates will be issued by local civic body SMC and the state government. Even if a patient infected with novel coronavirus seeks treatment at these hospitals then the same charges will be applicable.

The private hospitals designated as COVID-19 hospitals include Sparkle Hospital for Varachha-Katarg am zone, Venus Hospital, Prannath Hospital and BAPS Hospital for patients of Adajan-Rander zone and Mahavir Super Speciality Hospital for patients of Athwa-Nanpura-Vesu zone.

Around 50% beds at these hospitals will be reserved for patients referred by the SMC.

PERSPECTIVE AHMEDABAD | MONDAY, JUNE 15, 2020

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THE ‘X’ FACTOR CONUNDRUM IN RS POLL HEMANT NAHTA Advocate, Rajasthan High Court

T Schedule-X of the Constitution prescribed that MLA belonging to any political party shall be disqualified for being a member of the House if he has voluntarily given up his membership of such political party. The BSP MLAs have voluntarily given up their membership in BSP. The para 4 of the schedule X provides that where the original political party merges with another political party and MLA claims that he and any other members of his original political party have become members of such other political party

he current political scenario prevailing in the State is focused on numbers available to Congress for RS voting.

The voter list includes six MLAs elected on BSP tickets but being shown as Congress MLAs. Six BSP MLAs if subjected to disqualification under Schedule X, could not be lawfully shown as members of INC in the list which may render the list as illegal and also disturb the number game to a great extent.

Schedule-X of the Constitution prescribed that MLA belonging to any political party shall be disqualified for being a member of the House if he has voluntarily given up his membership of such political party. The BSP MLAs have voluntarily given up their membership in BSP. The para 4 of the schedule X provides that where the original political party merges with another political party and MLA claims that he and any other members of his original political party have become members of such other political party, A member of a House shall not be disqualified. The schedule further provides that “original political party”, in relation to a member of a House, means the political party to which he belongs and merger of the original political party of a member of a House shall be deemed to have taken place if, and only if, not less than two-thirds of the members of the legislature party concerned have agreed to such merger. On a previous occasion also, to come out of the clutches of the disqualification, the subterfuge of the merger of the entire BSP legislative party into Congress was created.

The constitutional mandate thus declares that Until the original political party (Parent party) merges itself in

the other political party and until not less than two-thirds of the members of the legislature party concerned have agreed to such a merger, there is no legally acceptable merger. The Constitution has respected the popular mandate so much that even the merger of the parent party is inconsequential if not supported with the consent of not less than two-thirds of the party’s MLAs in the State. The party affiliations of winning BSP MLAs were duly notified in the Gazette on 12.12.2018. However, all BSP MLAs reportedly joined Indian National Congress in September 2019/ January 2020 without their original political party BSP getting merged in the INC. Hence, the disqualification incurred by voluntarily giving up the membership of BSP is well proven and attracted disqualification. Hon’ble Speaker accepted such abrupt snapping of affiliations of six BSP MLAs with their party, and freshly described as INC MLAs was placed on records of Vidhan Sabha. Thus, the popular mandate of concerning constituencies was subjected to a calculated change,

THE GLARING QUESTION, THEREFORE, PROPOSES WHETHER THE POPULAR MANDATE OF A PARTICULAR CONSTITUENCY COULD BE ALLOWED TO BE CHANGED OVERNIGHT BY THE DEFECTING LEGISLATIVE PARTY OR MLAS BY AN “ENACTED MERGER”? AS A NECESSARY COROLLARY, THE LEGALITY OF THE EXERCISE OF POWER TO DIRECTLY OVERTURN THE NOTIFIED RESULT OF THE ELECTION BY WAY OF AN ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER OF THE SPEAKER IS ALSO TO BE EXAMINED AS IT IS NOT TRACEABLE TO ANY “STATUTORY OR ANY OTHER SOURCE OF POWER”

though under a pretense of legality. However, many of the self-appointed crusaders for preserving the democracy and moral values in public life preferred to keep silent on this violence with the Constitution, that was smoothly executed and the illegality exists as on date also.

The catch further lies in the provisions of schedule X whereby if any question arises as to whether a member of a House has become subject to disqualification under this Schedule, the question shall be referred for the decision of the Speaker of such House

and his decision shall be final. Again, Hon’ble Speaker would feel “constrained” to drag the decision on a petition seeking disqualification till the last day of the government in power and the Courts would be keeping their hands off because first, the judgment has to come from the Speaker. In this vicious juggernaut, the Constitution often addressed as the supreme Lex, slips into oblivion. In Mayawati v Markandeya Chand and Others Supreme Court expressed that every Speaker must fix a schedule in the relevant rules for dis-

posal of the proceedings for disqualification of MLAs or MPs and all such proceedings shall be concluded and orders should be passed within three weeks from the date on which the petitions are taken on the file. Another grey area is that the vigilant members of the public, who may challenge the illegality by preferring disqualification petitions are shown the gate on the ground that the petition ought to be submitted by a member of the House.

The glaring question, therefore, proposes whether the popular mandate of a particular constituency could be allowed to be changed overnight by the defecting legislative party or MLAs by an “enacted merger”? As a necessary corollary, the legality of the exercise of power to directly overturn the notified result of the election by way of an administrative order of the Speaker is also to be examined as it is not traceable to any statutory or another source of power.

The writing of a well-defined act of violating the constitutional mandate is though clearly visible on the wall, and Speakers and Courts

Working from home has surprising downsides

W

hat if you never had to return to work?

Never had to return to work at the office, that is.

You’d be able to juggle kids on school holidays.

You wouldn’t need to navigate traffic jams. Your employer might gain increased productivity, lower turnover and lower lease costs. But there are less obvious downsides.

It seems like a grand idea…

Studies find working from home cuts commuting times and associated fatigue, transport congestion, and environmental impacts.

Worldwide, an increasing number of employers are allowing it in order to attract and retain staff.

Employees value it as a way to maintain a work-life balance, in particular mil

lennials.

And the office has become a nightmare for some.

A tide of research finds many employees working in modern open-plan offices are so distracted by noise and interruptions they can’t concentrate.

In my research on the workplace, employees frequently tell me they have to work from home to get work done.

Other research supports these findings. A two-year study using randomly assigned groups found a 13% productivity increase. It also found turnover decreased by 50% among those working at home and that they took shorter breaks and fewer sick days.

And the company saved around US$2,000 (A$2,784) per employee on lease costs.

It’s enough to make employers allow working

More than half the volunteers that worked from home felt so isolated they changed their minds about wanting to do it all the time

from home for everyone who can. But a key finding from the same study sounds a cautionary note.

More than half the volunteers that worked from home felt so isolated they changed their minds about wanting to do it all the time. …until you try it It’s not just isolation and loneliness.

Research shows working

from home is far worse for team cohesion and innovation than working in the office.

In 2013 Yahoo chief executive Marissa Meyer banned working from home, saying that in order “to become the absolute best place to work, communication and collaboration will be important, so we need to be working side-byside. That is why it is critical that we are all present in our offices.”

Since then, other large corporates including Bank of America and IBM have followed suit.

Contrary to what we might think, research shows that as the availability of laptops and other remote work devices increases, proximity has becoming more important.

One study showed that engineers who shared a

physical office were 20% more likely to stay in touch digitally than those who worked remotely. Employees who were in the same office emailed four times as often to collaborate on shared projects than staff who weren’t in the office.

The result, for these sorts of projects, was 32% faster project completion times.

Other research finds face to face interaction is essential for identifying opportunities for collaboration, innovation and developing relationships and networks.

Another study of home workers from 15 countries found 42% of remote workers had trouble sleeping, waking up repeatedly in the night, compared to only 29% who always worked in the office.

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may approve it based on any reasons bearing a semblance of justice having been done, but does such a situation pass the litmus test of morality in public life? Is there no legal respite or remedy for the hapless ordinary voter, who is left high and dry due to a sudden change of election results at the hands of a party which was voted out by them in the election that was held in that constituency?

There may not be a more explicit example of practising such a “clear fraud upon the constitution, democracy and the public” and committing violence with morality in public life, which incidentally also suggests, though sadly enough, the silent acceptance by all concerned including Constitutional courts. It will be only appropriate to say that the voice of popular mandate gets muzzled and the Speakers of Assemblies, all over the country, irrespective of the party they belong to, have largely disowned the pious expectations of being fair and judicious as laid upon their shoulders by Schedule X. THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL

Top

TWEET Piyush Goyal @PiyushGoyal From a ‘fragile 5 economy’ to the world’s fastest-growing major economy, India under PM @ NarendraModi ji’s transformational reforms has grown unprecedentedly. #NewIndiaNewEconomy is evolving continuously to be globally competitive & reliable.

Dharmendra Pradhan @dpradhanbjp Visited the Baghjan blowout site to review the situation on the ground. I was accompanied by Hon’ble Chief Minister, Assam, @sarbanandsonwal ji and Shri @cmpatowary ji during the visit. We also took stock of the ongoing operation to control the fire and cap the well.

Spiritual SPEAK

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

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‘Fate of J&K will change’ Development of the region is among the top priorities of Modi govt, said Defence Minister Rajnath Singh

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh addresses the J&K Jan-Samvad virtual rally at BJP HQs on Sunday.

New Delhi: The fate and picture of Jammu and Kashmir will change in the years to come under PM Modi’s leadership, defence minister Rajnath Singh said while addressing the ‘Jammu Jan Samvad rally’ via video conferencing on Sunday.

The minister said that, under PM Modi’s leadership, Jammu and Kashmir will touch great heights and “people from the Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) will wish they were part of India”.

“Just wait, soon people of PoK will demand that they want to be with India and not under the rule of Pakistan, and the day this happens, a goal of our Parliament will also be accomplished,” he said.

The minister said that earlier in Kashmir, protests demanding ‘Kashmir azaadi’ were

‘With over 6k cases, Bihar discussing polls, not virus’

Army jawan killed, 2 injured in Pak firing in Poonch district

Patna/ New Delhi: Election-strate gist Prashant Kishor attacked Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for launching poll campaign in the state, where assembly elections are due later this year amid the country’s battle against coronavirus. Last week, Kumar’s Janata Dal United and its ally, the BJP, went into election mode in the state, where polls are due in October-November. Amit Shah had held a virtual rally while Kumar held a series of interactions with his party’s district chiefs.

“Despite the lowest testing rate, 7-9 %positive case rate and more than 6,000 cases, Bihar is discussing elections instead of coronavirus.

Nitish Kumar, who had confined himself to his home amid coronavirus fears, thinks people won’t be exposed (to COVID-19) if they step out of their homes to participate in the elections,” Prashant Kishor tweeted in Hindi.

The attack by Kishor is the latest in a series of tweets he posted against Bihar’s response to coronavirus.

Kumar, 69, has probably been one of the few

New Delhi: An Army personnel was killed and two others were injured after Pakistani troops opened fire and resorted to shelling along the LoC in Poonch district of J& K. This is the third fatality this month due to Pakistani firing and shelling on forward posts and villages in the twin districts of Poonch and Rajouri.

The firing, officials said, took place in Shahpur-Kerni sector on Saturday night, prompting the Army to strongly retaliate.Three Army personnel were injured and were immediately evacuated to hospital, where one of them succumbed to injuries, the officials added.

The officials also said that the casualties suffered by the Pakistani Army in the retaliatory action were yet to be clarified.

Three days ago, an Army soldier was killed and a civilian injured in Mendhar sector after Pakistani troops resorted to unprovoked mortar shelling and small arms fire at various places in Rajouri and Poonch districts. Army PRO Lt Colonel Devender Anand said. —PTI

PRASHANT KISHOR ATTACKS NITISH KUMAR

Prashant Kishor

Brace for possible flood challenge: Nitish to officials Patna: Amid forecasts of monsoon reaching Bihar in a couple of days, CM Nitish Kumar stressed on the need for dealing with floods, which may follow the downpour, without neglecting the measures in place for containing the spread of COVID-19. At a high-level meeting that he chaired, Kumar directed officials to make arrangements so that those displaced by floods are relocated at camps chief ministers in the country who did not hold a vc for journalists or people on the pan-

8 MIGRANT WORKERS INJURED IN ACCIDENT IN UP’S SAMBHAL Sambhal: Eight persons were injured after a car carrying migrant workers rammed into a truck in Gunnaur town of Sambhal district on Sunday, officials from the Department of Police said while informing about the incident. A team of Police officers reached the spot where the mishap took place. The injured people

have been admitted to a hospital, said a few reliable sources from the Department of Police.“Eight people were injured in the accident. In which five people have been discharged and three people have sustained serious injuries and are undergoing treatment,” said Circle Officer (CO), Gunnaur district, Dr KK Saroj.

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar

without compromising on social distancing norms. “I wish that floods do not ravage north Bihar this year. But, we must need to be prepared,” he told the officials, referring to the natural calamity which is known to strike almost every year. demic after lockdown was announced to check the spread of Corona in March. —Agencies

2 MEN, BJP LEADER, HELD FOR SUPPLYING TRACTOR TO NAXALS Dantewada: Two people, including local BJP leader Jagat Pujari, have been arrested for allegedly supplying tractor to Naxals, the police said. “We got to know through informers that Jagat Pujari was active in this and meets the Naxals. A few days ago, we got to know from informers that these people were buying a tractor with the help of Jagat. He has been supplying things to Naxals for the past 10 years,” said Superintendent of Police Abhishek Pallav. Pallav informed that investigation is underway & more suppliers will be nabbed soon.

Just wait, soon people of PoK will demand that they want to be with India and not under the rule of Pakistan, and the day this happens, a goal of our Parliament will also be accomplished.

—Rajnath Singh, Defence Minister

held and flags of Pakistan and ISIS were seen.

“Now only Indian flag is seen there,” he said.

“Many landmark decisions were taken under PM Modi’s leadership and the abrogation of Article 370 was one of them,” Singh said.

The Defence Minister talked in detail about the abrogation of Article 370 and described the move in tune with the development and progress of Jammu and Kashmir. He said that the development of the region is among the top priorities of the Modi government.

“Our promise as a

party back in the days of Jan Sangha was fulfilled right after we formed the government with a thumping majority last year. Article 370 and 35A were removed within 100 days of forming government at the Centre,” Singh stated.

Singh said that PM Modi has bolstered India’s footing internationally. Global powers respect & laud the country, he said. “Earlier, at international platforms, most countries used to side with Pakistan over the matter of Kashmir and Article 370, that isn’t the case now,” he noted. —ANI

05

BUREAUCRATS BEHIND RIFT

Congress leader Chavan admits to ‘issues’ within MVA Mumbai: Admitting to ‘issues’ within the coalition government in Maharashtra, Congress leader Ashok Chavan blamed bureaucrats for creating a rift among Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) and added that his party will soon take up the matter with Shiv Sena chief and Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray.

“Yes there are some issues (between MVA allies and Bureaucracy) We are trying to meet him and then we will discuss all our issues with him in detail. We expect a meeting in the next two days,” Chavan said.

Earlier, state Congress chief and minister Balasaheb Thorat also commented on the same and said, “We have some issues which will be resolved through

Ashok Chavan

dialogues among MVA partners but we want to say that Congress must be given its due in the decision-making process of the government.” RPI leader Ramdas Athawale also advised Congress to rethink about giving support to government.

“Congress is the party on whose support this government is functioning. If the party is not valued in alliance then they should rethink about being ruling alliance,” he had said. —ANI

TAKING STOCK...

Dharmendra Pradhan @dpradhanbjp

Visited the Baghjan blowout site to review the situation on the ground. I was accompanied

by Hon’ble Chief Minister, Assam, @ sarbanandsonwal ji and Shri @ cmpatowary ji during the visit. We also took stock of the ongoing operation to control the fire and cap the well.

NORTHEAST DELHI VIOLENCE

Charges against police over incident probe can be ‘motivated,’ says Top Cop New Delhi: Accusations against police over its probe into the northeast Delhi violence could be ‘motivated’ and are also directed at the court of law, the chief of the force, SN Shrivastava, has said.

In February, the northeastern parts of Delhi were rocked by violence that claimed at least 53 lives and injured many people.

The police have been

The violence broke out in Northeastern parts of Delhi in February this year, which claimed 53 lives and injured many people.

criticised for their handling of the investiga-

5 DEAD, 3 MISSING AS LANDSLIDE SWEEPS HOUSES IN WEST NEPAL Kathmandu: Five bodies have been recovered from debris after a landslide swept at least three houses in Kushma Municipality-3 of Parbat district in Western Nepal.

However, three people are missing since the landslide which was triggered by incessant rainfall since Saturday, a local official confirmed. “Five bodies

have been recovered from the debris, they are from the same family. However, three others are still missing since the landslide which swept the houses at around 9 pm yesterday.

The District Administration Office has sent more forces and equipment to aid search and rescue operation in the area, Chief District Officer confirmed.

tion in various quarters, including by stu-

dent activists, filmmakers and civil society groups, who have accused the force of carrying out a “witchhunt” at a time when the country is battling the coronavirus pandemic.

“You can also expect many such accusations to be motivated & coming from people who may have reasons to make false accusations.” Probe has been carried responsibly, he said. —PTI

SOCIAL DISTANCING NORMS FLOUTED DURING BJP EVENT Sagar: Amid COVID-19 pandemic, social distancing norms were allegedly flouted during a party joining programme of the Bharatiya Janata Party in Sagar district on Saturday, informed a few sources from the Saffron party. State Minister Govind Singh Rajput was also present at the event. According to the data released by Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, there are 10,641 COVID-19 cases in Madhya Pradesh, out of which 2,817 are active, 7,377 have been cured/ discharged/migrated and 447 have died.

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Random kits to enhance testing The national capital, New Delhi will soon receive these kits to improvise various health facilities New Delhi: The national capital will soon receive random testing kits to enhance COVID-19 testing. The Union Home Secretary and senior officials from the Central government, along with Delhi government, will decide the road map on facilities to be improved in the city to deal with COVID-19 crisis, sources said.

All agencies have been directed to work together along with the local government and civic bodies to deal with coronavirus, sources added.

The decisions were taken at a COVID-19 review meeting chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah along with Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan, which was also attended by Delhi LG Anil Baijal and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

This was the first round of meeting which lasted for 75 minutes.

The meeting was also attended by Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla, Health Secretary Preeti Sudan, Director AIIMS Dr Randeep Guleria and Members of NITI Aayog apart from other senior officers. —ANI

‘More than half of India’s patients have recovered’

An ambulance for COVID-19 patients stands parked at LNJP Hospital in New Delhi.

U’KHAND @1,816

SC grants interim relief from arrest New Delhi: The SC granted interim protection from arrest till July 6 to journalist Vinod Dua in a sedition case filed against him following a complaint by a local BJP leader in Shimla over his YouTube show.

In a special hearing, a bench comprising Justices U U Lalit, M M Shantanagoudar and Vineet Saran refused to stay the investigation but ordered the Himachal Pradesh Police to give him 24 hours time to join the probe.

The order came after Dua filed a plea seeking quashing of the sedition case.Dua has been charged under sections

6 firms seek CDSCO’s permit to manufacture Remdesivir drug New Delhi: In a release, the Health Ministry said that five of these have also entered into an agreement with Gilead, a biopharmaceutical company, which had applied to CDSCO, for import and marketing of Remdesivir on May 29. After due deliberations, permission under Emergency Use Authoriza-

SEDITION CASE AGAINST DUA

124A (sedition), 268 (public nuisance), 501 (printing matter known to be defamatory) and 505 (statements conducive to public mischief) on the basis of a complaint last month by BJP’s Mahasu unit president Ajay Shyam.

The BJP leader claimed that Dua made bizarre allegations on his 15-minute YouTube show on March 30. The complainant has alleged that the journalist accused P M Narendra Modi of using “deaths and terror attacks” to get votes.

Police in Shimla had summoned Dua for probe over a complaint by a local BJP leader.

—PHOTO BY PTI

tion was granted on June 1 in the interest of patient safety and obtaining further data.

“The applications of these six companies are being processed by the CDSCO on priority and in accordance with the laid down procedures.

The companies are at various intermediate stages of inspection of manufacturing facili-

ties, verification of data, stability testing, emergency laboratory testing as per protocol.

Being an injectable formulation, testing for assay, identity, impurities, bacterial endotoxin test and sterility become very critical for patient safety and this data needs to be provided by the companies,” the release read. —ANI

New Delhi: India’s COVID-19 recovery rate crossed 50 per cent today even as the country logged the biggest singleday jump of 11,929 new infections in the last 24 hours, the government data said.

The recovery rate is 50.60% at present, indicating that of all the cases of COVID-19, half of them have recovered.

Even though India recorded more than 11,000 new infections for the second consecutive day, recoveries continued to outnumber the rise in active cases. The active number of cases in the country at present is 1,49,348 while 1,62,378 patients have been cured of the highly contagious disease with 8,049 recoveries in a day, the health ministry numbers showed. —ANI

‘Aarogyapath’ healthcare supply chain portal launched

New Delhi: In the wake of COVID-19 pandemic, the Centre has digitally launched a web-based solution for the healthcare supply chain portal ‘Aarogyapath’, to provide real-time availability of critical healthcare supplies for manufacturers, suppliers and customers.

The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) launched the portal on June 12.

According to the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, the integrated public platform can help customers in tackling a number of routinely experienced issues like dependence on limited suppliers, timeconsuming processes to identify good quality products, limited access to suppliers etc.

It will also help the manufacturers and suppliers to reach customers efficiently like near-

ANAMIKA SHUKLA CASE : PRIYANKA SLAMS

AWAITING RAINS...

‘UP Govt tolerates corrupt practices’

A man walks on a path as Monsoon clouds hover in the skies in Nadia district of West Bengal on Sunday.

—PHOTO BY PTI

Indian wants peace & amity not land of Pak or China: Gadkari Mumbai: Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said India is not interested expansionism, in land “either from Pakistan or China”. The country only wants “peace and amity”, he said at the BJP’s virtual ‘‘Jan Samvad’’ rally in Gujarat, amid a face-off with China over its trans-

gression in Ladakh.

Speaking of the work by the Narendra Modi government -- which recently completed the first year of its second term -- Mr Gadkari said its biggest achievement was bringing peace by dealing with matters of internal and external security.

“Whether it is about almost winning over the Maoist problem or securing the country from Pakistan-sponsored terrorism... We want peace, not violence,” he said via video-conference from Nagpur, adding these are things that can be established only by the strength. —PTI

India, with the additional capacity which has been built up for testing, treating and isolating patients during the lockdown period, the number of cases at the peak would come down by 70 per cent and the cumulative cases may come down by nearly 27 per cent.

In terms of COVID-19 mortality, approximately 60 per cent deaths were prevented and one-third of this mortality prevention is attributed to the reduction in unmet need for critical care as a result of the intervention, the

analysis showed.

The researchers said the management of COVID-19 will involve a dynamic review of policies and significant strengthening of the healthcare system.

“While lockdowns will delay the onset of peak and will give the much needed time for the health system to respond, strengthening the health system response in terms of testing, isolation of cases, treatment and contact tracing, as is being done currently, will have to be the mainstay to reduce the impact of the pandemic in India

until vaccine becomes available,” it said.

The overall economic health system cost of this pandemic is estimated to be 6.2 per cent of India’s gross domestic product (GDP).

The ministry on June 9 said coronavirus related health infrastructure in the country has been strengthened with the availability of 958 dedicated COVID-19 hospitals with 1,67,883 isolation beds, 21,614 ICU and 73,469 oxygen supported beds.

Also, 2,313 dedicated COVID Health Centres with 1,33,037 isolation beds, 10,748 ICU beds

06

THE USEFULNESS

by pathological laboratories, medical stores, hospitals, etc.

CSIR is expecting the portal to fill a critical gap in last-mile delivery of patient care within India through improved availability of healthcare supplies.It will also create opportunities for business expansion due to an expanded slate of buyers. As per Health Ministry, India has witnessed its highest-ever spike of 11,458 cases, taking the tally to 3,08,993 in the country so far. —PTI

Pb police arrests third accomplice of LeT terrorists

New Delhi: Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra attacked the Yogi Adityanath-led government in Uttar Pradesh after cases of people using forged documents to secure jobs were reported from the state and said that the gover nment “tolerates corrupt practices”.

“Is the education minister not aware of such big frauds that are happening in the state?

Did the Chief Minister’s office not even know about it? Surprisingly, those who talk about zero tolerance are tolerating corrupt practices,” she tweeted (translated from Hindi).

This comes in the backdrop after an FIR was lodged against a teacher, Anamika Shukla, who had allegedly withdrawn over Rs 1 crore in salary for over a year from 25 different schools. Shukla was allegedly working as a teacher in 25 schools for 13 months and was withdrawing salary from all of these.

Earlier in the day, in the Anamika Shukla case, a woman identified as Anita Devi was arrested from Mainpuri by the Ambedkar Nagar police for using forged documents to secure a teaching job at a school. —ANI

Chandigarh: The Punjab Police on Saturday said it has arrested the third Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) operative, after two were arrested earlier this week, for attempting to smuggle weapons into the Kashmir Valley for carrying out terror attacks.

The two LeT operatives arrested earlier from Pathankot, along with weapons, have been identified as Aamir Hussain Wani and Wasim Hassan Wani.

The third accomplice was arrested while attempting to flee to Kashmir, according to the Punjab police. —ANI

and 46,635 oxygen supported beds have also been operationalised.

Moreover, 7,525 COVID Care Centres with 7,10,642 beds are now available to combat COVID-19 in the country.

in every person’s mobile,” he tweeted.

The Centre, too on Sunday announced a slew of measures to control the spread of coronavirus in Delhi, which included carrying out a comprehensive door-todoor health survey in all containment zones, doubling of tests in next two days followed by a threefold increase within a week’s time.

Unable to keep up with the rising number of coronavirus cases, the Delhi government had asked the Indian Railways to allocate isolation coaches for Covid-19 patients of the

national capital. At least, 500 railway coaches with a capacity of 8,000 beds have been allocated for Delhi. Private hospitals, too, have been told to earmark 60% of beds for Covid-19 affected patients at lesser rates. The Centre has also promised to provide the Delhi government with all necessary medical resources like oxygen cylinders, ventilators, and all other equipment to fight the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Testing for the infection will be doubled in the next two days in the capital and tripled in six days,” he added. —ANI

FROM PG 1 BJP state...

However, if the party wants to make more inroads in the OBC vote bank--where the Congress still has a good hold--then the frontrunners would be Shankar Chaudhary and Haribhai Chaudhary. In the past, OBC leaders like Shankersinh Vaghela, Kashiram Rana, and Vajubbhai Vala have led the party.

The party may also decide to explore its third option by choosing a leader from the Rajput community. Although the community only has

a 4% vote share, someone with good organization skills can head the state unit, as Rajendrasinh Rana has in the past.

Currently in the running are vice-president IK Jadeja and Minister of State for Home Pradipsinh Jadeja.

For Pradipsinh, the issue will be whether or note the party will allow him to resign from the cabinet to be party president.

Not over...

According to the model-based analysis for COVID-19 pandemic in

‘Centre, state... free under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“To be able to do contact mapping well in Delhi’s containment zones, a comprehensive health survey of every person will be done from house to house.

The report will come in one week. Aarogya Setu app will be downloaded

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BACTERIA UNDER STRESS

understand the Tance,oproblem of resistwe must go back to

basics. What is antibiotic resistance, and why does it develop?

Exposure to antibiotics puts stress on bacteria and, like other living organisms, they defend themselves. Bacteria do this by sharing and acquiring defence genes, often from other bacteria in their environment. This allows them to change quickly, readily obtaining the ability to make proteins and other molecules that block the antibiotic’s effect.

This gene sharing process is natural and is a large part of what drives evolution. However, as we use ever stronger and more diverse antibiotics, new and more powerful bacterial defence options have evolved, rendering some bacteria resistant to almost everything – the ultimate outcome being untreatable superbugs.

Antibiotic resistance has existed since life began, but has recently accelerated due to human use. When you take an antibiotic, it kills a large majority of the target bacteria at the site of infection – and so you get better.

But antibiotics do not kill all the bacteria – some are naturally resistant; others acquire resistance genes from their microbial neighbours, especially in our digestive systems, throat, and on our skin.

This means that some resistant bacteria always survive, and can pass to the environment via

inadequately treated faecal matter, spreading resistant bacteria and genes wider.

The pharmaceutical industry initially responded to increasing resistance by developing new and stronger antibiotics, but bacteria evolve rapidly, making even new antibiotics lose their effectiveness quickly. As a result, new antibiotic development has almost stopped because it garners limited profit.

Meanwhile, resistance to existing antibiotics continues to increase, which especially impacts places with poor water quality and sanitation.

This is because in the developed world you defecate and your poo goes down the toilet, eventually flowing down a sewer to a community wastewater treatment plant. Although treatment plants are not perfect, they typically reduce resistance levels by well over 99%, substantially reducing resistance released to the environment.

In contrast, over 70% of the world has no community wastewater treatment or even sewers; and most faecal matter, containing resistant genes and bacteria, goes directly into surface and groundwater, often via open drains.

This means that people who live in places without faecal waste management are regularly exposed to antibiotic resistance in many ways. Exposure is even possible of people who may not have taken antibiotics, like our child in South Asia.

The risk is higher in countries with inadequate basic water, hygiene and sanitation infrastructure

Antibiotic resistance is key to preventing the next pandemic

I

f a two-year-old child living in poverty in India or Bangladesh gets sick with a common bacterial infection, there is more than a 50% chance an antibiotic treatment will fail.

Somehow the child has acquired an antibiotic resistant infection – even to drugs to which they may never have been exposed. How? Unfortunately, this child also lives in a place with limited clean water and less waste management, bringing them into frequent contact with faecal matter. This means they are regularly exposed to millions of resistant genes and bacteria, including potentially untreatable

I

ndustrial ndustrial wastes, hospitals, farms, and agriculture are also possible sources or drivers of antibiotic resistance. For example, about 10 years ago, one of us, David, studied metal pollution in a Cuban river and found the highest levels of resistant genes were near a leaky solid waste landfill and below where pharmaceutical factory wastes entered the river. The factory releases clearly impacted resistance levels downstream, but it was metals from the landfill that most strongly correlated with resistance gene levels in the river.

There is a logic to this because toxic metals can stress bacteria, which makes the bacteria stronger, incidentally making them more resistant to anything, including antibiotics. We saw the same thing with metals in Chinese landfills where resistance gene levels in the landfill drains strongly correlated with metals, not antibiotics.

In fact, pollution of almost any sort can promote antibiotic resistance, including metals, biocides, pesticides, and other chemicals entering the environment. Many pollutants

superbugs. This sad story is shockingly common, especially in places where pollution is rampant and clean water is limited.

For many years, people believed antibiotic resistance in bacteria was primarily driven by imprudent use of antibiotics in clinical and veterinary settings. But growing evidence suggests that environmental factors may be of equal or greater importance to the spread of antibiotic resistance, especially in the developing world.

Here we focus on antibiotic resistant bacteria, but drug resistance also occurs in types of other microorganisms – such as

resistance in pathogenic viruses, fungi, and protozoa called antimicrobial resistance or AMR. This means that our ability to treat all sorts of infectious disease is increasingly hampered by resistance, potentially including coronaviruses like SARSCoV-2, which causes Covid-19.

Overall, use of antibiotics, antivirals, and antifungals clearly must be reduced, but in most of the world, improving water, sanitation, and hygiene practice – a practice known as WASH – is also critically important. If we can ensure cleaner water and safer food everywhere, the spread of antibi-

otic resistant bacteria will be reduced across the environment, including within and between people and animals.

As recent recommendations on AMR from the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, the World Organisation for Animal Health, and World Health Organisation suggest, to which David contributed, the “superbug problem” will not be solved by more prudent antibiotic use alone. It also requires global improvements in water quality, sanitation, and hygiene. Otherwise, the next pandemic might be worse than Covid-19.

SPREADING THROUGH FAECES

ntibiotic resistance is A everywhere, but it is not surprising that resist-

ance is greatest in places with poor sanitation because factors other than use are important. For example, a fragmented civil infrastructure, political corruption, and a lack of centralised healthcare also play key roles.

One might cynically argue that “foreign” resistance is a local issue, but antibiotic resistance spread knows no boundaries – superbugs might develop in one place due to pollution, but then become global due to international travel.

Researchers from Denmark compared antibiotic resistance genes in longhaul airplane toilets and found major differences in resistance carriage among flight paths, suggesting resistance can jump-spread by travel.

The world’s current experience with the spread of SARS-CoV-2 shows just how fast infectious agents can move with human travel. The impact of increasing antibiotic resistance is no different. There are no reliable antiviral agents for SARS-CoV-2 treatment, which is the way things may become for currently treatable diseases if we allow resistance to continue unchecked.

As an example of antibiotic resistance, the “superbug” gene, blaNDM-1, was first detected in India in 2007 – although it was probably present in other regional countries. But soon thereafter, it was

TYPES OF WASTES

can promote resistance in bacteria, so reducing pollution in general will help reduce antibiotic resistance – an example of which is reducing metal pollution.

Hospitals are also important, being both reservoirs and incubators for many varieties of antibiotic resistance, including well known resistant bacteria such

as Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

While resistant bacteria are not necessarily acquired in hospitals – most are brought in from the community), resistant bacteria can be enriched in hospitals because they are where people are very sick, cared for in close

proximity, and often provided “last resort” antibiotics. Such conditions allow the spread of resistant bacteria easier, especially superbug strains because of the types of antibiotics that are used.

Wastewater releases from hospitals also may be a concern. Recent data showed that “typical” bacteria in hospi-

tal sewage carry five to 10 times more resistant genes per cell than community sources, especially genes more readily shared between bacteria. This is problematic because such bacteria are sometimes superbug strains, such as those resistant to carbapenem antibiotics.

Hospital wastes are a particular concern in

places without effective community wastewater treatment.

Another critical source of antibiotic resistance is agriculture and aquaculture. Drugs used in veterinary care can be very similar – sometimes identical – to the antibiotics used in human medicine.

And so resistant bacteria and genes are found

07

in animal manure, soils, and drainage water. This is potentially significant given that animals produce four times more faeces than humans at a global scale.

Wastes from agricultural activity also can be especially problematic because waste management is usually less sophisticated. Ad-

found in a hospital patient in Sweden and then in Germany. It was ultimately detected in 2013 in Svalbard in the High Arctic. In parallel, variants of this gene appeared locally, but have evolved as they move. Similar evolution has occurred as the Covid-19 virus has spread.

Relative to antibiotic resistance, humans are not the only “travellers” that can carry resistance. Wildlife, such as migratory birds, can also acquire resistant bacteria and genes from contaminated water or soils and then fly great distances carrying resistance in their gut from places with poor water quality to places with good water quality. During travel, they defecate along their path, potentially planting resistance almost anywhere.

The global trade of foods also facilitates spread of resistance from country to country and across the globe.

Resistant bacteria are not the only infectious agents that might be spread by environmental contamination. SARSCoV-2 has been found in faeces and inactive virus debris found in sewage, but all evidence suggests water is not a major route of Covid-19 spread – although there are limited data from places with poor sanitation.

So, each case differs.

But there are common roots to disease spread – pollution, poor water quality, and inadequate hygiene. ditionally, agricultural operations are often at very large scales and less containable due to greater exposure to wildlife. Finally, antibiotic resistance can spread from farm animals to farmers to food workers, which has been seen in recent European studies, meaning this can be important at local scales.

These examples show that pollution in general increases the spread of resistance.

But the examples also show that dominant drivers will differ based on where you are. In one place, resistance spread might be fuelled by human faecal contaminated water; whereas, in another, it might be industrial pollution or agricultural activity.

So local conditions are key to reducing the spread of antibiotic resistance, and optimal solutions will differ from place to place – single solutions do not fit all.

Locally driven national action plans are therefore essential – which the new WHO/ FAO/OIE guidance strongly recommends.

SOURCE: THE CONVERSATION CONCEPT: DIVYA HEMNANI DESIGN: ABHISHEK GUPTA

We have to stand up and face up to troubles. There is no place we can run away to, troubles have a way of reaching there first and will wait for us. Best to face and solve, now!

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

2ND FRONT AHMEDABAD | MONDAY, JUNE 15, 2020

Sunday temblor brings alive 2001 nightmare for Gujaratis

NO LIVES LOST, NO DAMAGE; CM RUPANI EXPRESSES CONCERN First India Bureau Rajkot: Harrowing memories of the January 26, 2001, Gujarat earthquake came alive on Sunday evening when a temblor measuring at least 5.5 on the Richter scale some 118 km north-north west of Rajkot city shook several parts of the State, with thousands of people as far away as in Ahmedabad experiencing the tremors.

According to the National Center for Seismology, it was a 5.5 intensity earthquake on Richter scale with its epicenter located at 118km NNW of Rajkot and 10 km below the ground.

Official sources said the epicentre of the quake was near Bhachau in Kutch district. Following the reports of tremors, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani spoke to the District Collectors of Rajkot, Kutch and Patan districts to take stock of the situa-

HISTORY REPEATS?

Hundreds of people ran out of their homes in panic after tremors in Ahmedabad on Sunday.

tion. “Chief Minister Vijay Rupani had an immediate telephone conversation with the Collectors of Rajkot, Kutch and Patan districts following the tremors in the state and got information about the situation there,” Gujarat Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) stated in a tweet.

There were no immediate reports of any loss of life or property.

Though there were no reports of any damages to buildings and other

infrastructure or injuries to anyone, the tremors sparked off a major panic across the Saurashtra region and other parts of Gujarat.

Thousands of people rushed out of their housing colonies and apartment complexes out of panic, amid memories of the 2001 devastating earthquake also with an epicentre in Kutch that had claimed a staggering 20,000 people. The tremors of this quake were also felt in

DG BSF reviews security along India-Pak border in Gujarat Bhuj: Border Security Force (BSF) Director General (DG) SS Deswal and other BSF officials visited Harami Nala creek area, close to India-Pakistan border in Gujarat to review the border security.

During his two-day visit on Friday and Saturday, DG BSF interacted with jawans at the border and appreciated them for their dedica-

tion and devotion. “BSF is guarding the international border of India with dedication and enthusiasm and ready to take on any situation that may develop. The DG also mentioned that we are constantly upgrading the force in terms of technology and infrastructure besides training,” the BSF said in a press conference.

“DG BSF also carried out boat patrolling in Harami Nala up to BP No. 1166,” said BSF in a statement. Further DG BSF along with other officers inspected the whole area from Border Outpost (BOP)1175 to BOP Lakhapat, about 30 km distance on foot at night. Enroute, DG BSF took stock of the security scenario, it added. —ANI

parts of northern India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan. The intensity then was 7.1 on the Richter scale. Similar fears were aroused on Sunday even as countless phone calls and WhatsApp messages about people checking on their near and dear ones flew thick and fast. The earthquake today evening in particular was felt at several places on the fourth floor of buildings to the first floor of bungalows in Ahmedabad.

Every year, on an average 500 such tremors are felt in rural Gujarat, particularly in North Gujarat and Saurashtra.

Two such incidents have also been reported from Upleta and rural Patan.

Besides the most devastating Kutch earthquake, Gujarat has witnessed two major earthquakes in the past with another in Anjar (also Kutch district ) in 1956 and an earlier one in 1918 in the Rann of Kutch.

9 detained for celebrating man’s return from jail

08

Now, cops to fine people sans masks

First India Bureau Bharuch: The Bharuch police on Sunday detained nine people for allegedly taking out a celebration procession of a man who was released from jail on Saturday.

A purported video of the incident that took place in Sherpura village of Bharuch went viral on social media, following which police launched an investigation.

Police said Mohsin Patel (33) was booked on April 18 earlier this year after he allegedly assaulted a police officer who was on lockdown duty and tore off his uniform. Patel was arrested under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and under relevant sections of the Disaster Management Act and the Epidemic Act.

Police ensuring people wear masks in Gujarat.

First India Bureau Ahmedabad : With a view to ensuring strict implementation of wearing of masks by people amid increasing Covid-19 cases in Gujarat, the State Government has now entrusted the police department with the responsibility to impose fine on those violating this directive instead of the civic bodies.The Gujarat Government has issued on Saturday a circular to this effect.

“Instead of the municipal commissioner, the district collector, municipalities and local self government bodies, the fines will now be collected by the Police Commissionerate and District Superinten-

dents of Police in their respective jurisdiction,” the State Government circular stated.

The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation had on Saturday said it was using CCTV cameras under the Safe and Secure Ahmedabad project of Smart City Ahmedabad Development Limited to intercept people moving about in public places without wearing masks.

The fine for not wearing masks when in public is Rs 200 in the state. It was being collected so far by the municipal corporations and other local bodies.

The AMC has issued 280 e-challans so far violation of this rule with the use of technology, according to civic officials.

Five rescued after rickety house collapses First India Bureau

An old dilapidated house collapsed in Vadodara's Wadi area.

Vadodara: Thanks to alert neighbours, five persons of a family were rescued after a slab in their dilapidated house in Wadi area collapsed early Sunday morning.

According to the fire brigade, the slab in the house of Suresh Soni collapsed around 6 am when the family was asleep. It is believed that the structure of the house could have weak-

ened due to heavy rains in the city since early morning.

The residents in the neighbourhood, who were awakened by the loud noise, called the fire brigade to bring the family out. Fire department said that staff from Dandiya Bazaar, Panigate and Gajrawadi fire stations were involved in the rescue operations.

“The slab of the first floor came down and the

family was sleeping on the ground floor,” said fire officer Amit Chaudhari of Panigate fire station. He said the building is several decades old due to which it is quite weak.

Fire officials said that Soni, his wife Kajal and their two children Neela and Harsh did not suffer any injuries. But Soni’s 70-year-old mother Bhagwati had to be taken to the hospital as she received injuries.

Corona won’t last long, we’ll have Finally, 12th board general stream exam results to be declared today vaccine soon: Nitin Gadkari First India Bureau

Gandhinagar : Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Sunday stated that the Covid-19 crisis will not last long and scientists and experts have been burning midnight oil to find a vaccine for the deadly virus.

“The corona crisis will not last long. Our scientists and scientists in other countries are working day and night to develop

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari

the vaccine. I am confident that we will get the vaccine very soon,” Gadkari said

while addressing the ‘Gujarat Jan Samvad’ rally via video conference today.

Speaking on the SinoIndian crisis, he said India wants peace and non-violence. “Pakistan is on one side of our country, China on the other. We want peace and non-violence.”

The union minister went on, “We never tried to snatch the land of Bhutan or Bangladesh. We don’t want the land of Pakistan or China either. The only thing we want is peace.”

First India Bureau

Gandhinagar: The Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board (GSEB) has announced that the result of 12th Arts and Commerce stream exams will be declared at 8 am on Monday.

The board will declare the result through online mode on its official website, gseb.org.

The board concluded the Class 12 examinations for all the streams

by March-end and some 5.25 lakh students had appeared. However, the

coronavirus pandemic and the lockdown delayed the process of evaluation and declaration of GSEB Class 12th Arts and Commerce results. GSEB will notify the students about the dates for distribution of mark-sheets, pass certificates and revaluation and re-verification to the students shortly.

The Board had already declared the Class 12th Science stream result on May 17.

Drones to be last-mile Covid-19 vaccine delivery solution?

First India Bureau

Police watch as a drone is ready to take off in Gujarat.

Ahmedabad: From propagating stay-athome messages in Dubai, providing contactless delivery in Wuhan, China, to washing streets in Ahmedabad, drones have become integral to the unending fight with the Covid-19 pandemic.

As researchers race to

develop an anti-corona vaccine, questions remain over its quick distribution and who will get it when the time comes. Industry experts say drones can provide a last-mile solution in rural areas to deliver lifesaving treatment or preventive inoculation.

At DJI, the world’s biggest drone-maker based in Shenzhen, Chi-

SPECIAL CARE NEEDED

na, with about 70 per cent of global market share, Covid-19 has “fur-

ther proved the potential of drones, especially in for public safety”, Rais-

sa Mendes, the company’s regional manager for Latin America, the Middle East and Africa, told Abu Dhabi-based The National daily.

“In a crisis such as Covid-19, drones are proving to be essential” like during the lockdown or under social distancing protocols.

They could be vital when a vaccine becomes

available. Some infectious disease experts believe that “hundreds of millions of doses of vaccine might be ready for roll-out by the end of 2020” but their distribution and administration need to be worked out”, according to a recent assessment of Covid-19 vaccines under development by medical journal The Lancet.

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09

AHMEDABAD, MONDAY JUNE 15, 2020

#UNFAIR &

LOVELY! City First brings you the dusky beauties of B’Town,

Chitrangada Singh

who have been ruling the Silver Screen!

ISHIKA DHABHAI

ishika.dhabhai@firstindia.co.in

F

rom Madhubala to Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Bollywood has had so many beauties who have dignifying the Silver Screen. Considering the fact that there are so many of them in the B’Town, the ones with a dusky skin always stand out from the crowd. But at the end, they turn out to be one of the best, and City First rounds up some of the most-loved dusky beauties who have made a mark in the industry, and are admired for their beautiful complexion.

Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Miss World 2000 has conquered the modelling world, and when she entered in Bollywood, it did not take long for her to win the hearts of the audience. Her dusky com-

plexion and unique voice have established her status as an adored actress.

Deepika Padukone has one of the most speaking pairs of eyes in Bollywood, and a rich skin-tone which gives her an authentic Indian look. Her chic fashion sense and graceful mannerism add up to her on-screen elegance.

Shilpa Shetty Kundra, one of the sexiest women in Bollywood has beautiful and expressive eyes, a dazzling smile and the perfect figure which makes her stand out from the crowd.

Talking about Chitrangada Singh, whether it’s her acting skills or dance moves, her desi charm is incomparable. She has an impeccable figure and quirky dressing sense, which sets her in the top list of “the most fashionable dusky beauty.”

Sushmita Sen, who is renowned for her beauty, started her career with

modelling and won the title of Miss Universe in 1994. Tall, charismatic and talented, Sushmita Sen has earned herself the title as one of the most successful Indian models. Her rich skin tone and an enigmatic smile lights up the screen.

Kajol dominated the silver screen for almost a decade, and her uni-rows adds on to the unique beauty, which distinguishes her from others.

Bipasha Basu, the longlegged beauty who has the best bikini-body in Bollywood, is also a model-turned-actress and is known for her dusky complexion and effortless sultry appeal. She always sets the screen on fire with her talent.

The natural beauty and Desi charm of these dusky beauties make them perfect for roles in the Hindi Cinema. With their enviable figures, effortless charisma and star qualities, these ladies are some of the most desirable actresses in the industry.

Shilpa Shetty Kundra

(Top) Sushmita Sen; (Above) Bipasha Basu

Priyanka Chopra Jonas

Deepika Padukone

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

AHMEDABAD | MONDAY, JUNE 15, 2020

10

!

L R I G P I S S O G , O X O X G

savvy characters have no problem getting served martinis at fancy hotels or smoking marijuana during walks in the park. Their parents are rarely good influences, either, since many are self-centered and focused on their own problems. The mothers seem particularly jealous of their young daughters: One even tells her teen that she’ll never be as beautiful or as thin as she is now, so she should make the most

FA CE OF TH ED AY

OSSIP GIRL, based on Cecily-vonZiegesar’s bestselling book series of the same name, follows the exploits of privileged young people from Manhattan’s wealthy Upper East Side as they hook up, party, and play out adult-sized dramas. At the heart of the action are best friends Serena van der Woodsen (Blake Lively) and Blair Waldorf (Leighton Meester). These two beautiful, rich girls rule the social scene, though they sometimes end of scheming against each other. Serena and Blair’s friends, largely drawn from the elite private high school they attended in the early seasons of the show, include Dan (Penn Badgley) and Jenny Humphrey (Taylor Momsen), siblings with a more middle-class background, the extremely wealthy Chuck (Ed Westwick) and Nate (Chace Crawford), whose well-to-do family has fallen on hard times. The series is narrated by the titular Gossip Girl, an anonymous blogger who keeps track of all the popular kids’ actions (secrets travel fast when delivered by mass text messages).

This addictive adolescent drama is filled with kids, and grown-ups, gone bad.

The sophisticated, label-

of this time.

It’s all very titillating and addictive, but teens will surely get confusing messages from the show. Backstabbing is portrayed as a social sport; characters spend money like crazy, drinking, smoking, and doing drugs in limos and clubs, and generally having a great time with few repercussions. It’s not the real world, but it sure looks alluring. It’s campy, soapy fun that may not be prudent

YOUR DAY Horoscope by Saurabbh Sachdeva

viewing for tweens, and escapist schlock for teens.

Were it presented with a wink and a laugh, it would be far more interesting; as

backstab, and hurt those who are supposed to be their friends. Suicide, eating disorders, rape, infidelity, casual sex, and more are

all part of the story, but they’re rarely addressed in constructive or realistic ways.

Source: https://www.commonsense-

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

CANCER

Your saving habit is benefiting you each day in term of financial prospects.

You will manage to save the firm you work for from a big loss and you shall be rewarded for the same. You will fine that dream job for which you have been waiting for a long time.

All the businessmen who have been facing downfall will see the sun rising now as your business will pick up. You are a fit person and people get inspired from you because of which you may consider fitness as your career. You may be too busy today to attend a social affair.

A family is where you feel heaven and you exactly have that one. Your team in office will be a big support to you in a very important official project. You enjoy luxury no matter how. Your spiritual self will encourage to do something big for good. Life will bring joyful moments.

You are great in budgeting and this is one of your strengths which will help you both on professional and personal front. You will spend the whole day feeling light and happy.

You will see a rise in sale if you are in buying-selling business. An elder in family will feel very emotional.

MAR 21 - APR 20

APR 21 - MAY 20

MAY 21 - JUNE 21

JUNE 22 - JULY 23

LEO

VIRGO

LIBRA

SCORPIO

You will get plenty of time today to relax and take make others around you to chill a bit. Your achievements speak for you and you never fails to keep your promises. You will taste the success today in your new venture and remember you kids are very lucky for you.

You will be appreciated for some deeds and criticised for others but don’t let that effect your spirit. You like to be lonely sometimes but make sure its not a permanent feeling. You spouse is always there for you mentally in the time of distress. Your kids adore you.

Overseas business is on cards for some. You will find some hidden treasure or some sudden benefits will come your way or you may also get a property inheritance, something that you never knew about. You have a female luck supporting you today as per your stars.

You are a very smart persona and you have a great initiative power when it come to judging people.

Your persuasive power will make your spouse agree on things that they have been rigid about. You may not be in the mood to roam around a lot so you will be at home.

JULY 24 - AUGUST 23

AUG 24 - SEP 23

SEPT 24 - OCTOBER 22

OCT 23 - NOVEMBER 22

SAGITTARIUS

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

You will have an awesome time in your educational institution as learning will finally become the fun for you. You don’t trouble yourself with the worries of tomorrow and you live for the day. Today you will spend the day working very hard not by force because you are motivated.

Don’t be impulse from it come to investments as you need to clearly see your options and study about them at first. Your dedication in your business will make you a successful business men/women one day. You will sign a great deal today though you may not see the profit.

You will get some kind of assistance from your sibling even when you didn’t ask for it. You will be whole day involved in doing preparation for some family party. You must refrain from provoking you boss as he or she may in some understandable mood. You will work hard today.

On professional front, a sudden change of job is on cards and for all the good reasons. People may sometimes call you miser as you tend to hoard money but its alright to sometimes open your heart and spend a little on the happiness of those who matters.

NOV 23 - DEC 22

HEMLATA RAWAL, Model

it is, it takes itself a little too seriously.

Parents need to know that this over-the-top teen soap, based on a best-selling book series, focuses on a group of extremely wealthy, privileged, label-obsessed young people who like to drink, take drugs, have sex, and treat each other badly.

While some characters mean well, many are superficial and emotionally cruel or distant, and they often take advantage of their social and financial position to get what they want, often at the expense of others.

Characters play dirty tricks on each other and otherwise try to undermine,

DEC 23 - JAN 20

JAN 21 - FEB 19

FEB20 - MARCH 20

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AHMEDABAD | MONDAY, JUNE 15, 2020

BEING VOCAL!

Billie Eillish

B

illie Eilish didn’t think twice before trolling the New York Police Department after its commissioner claimed that they were being shamed after George Floyd’s death. Mocking the

11

Treating Fans

police department, Billie Eilish posted a mashup video done by writer and civil rights activist Shaun King, on her Instagram story showing incidences of police brutality that has occurred over the past couple of weeks, contrary to what Commissioner Dermot Shea was trying to explain.

“LMAOOO goo goo ga ga cops feeling hurty,” Billie Eilish wrote over the video.

The Grammy winner has been very vocal about her stance in the matter of George Floyd’s death. Billie Eilish has been joining the protests for the Black Lives Matter movement that started after George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis.

—Agency

S

onakshi Sinha on Saturday delighted her fans with a stunning side-view mirror picture from one of her old photoshoots.

The ‘Dabangg’ girl took to Instagram to post the picture in which she is seen sitting in a sky blue coloured car and posing beautifully while staring into its side-view mirror.

In the picture, the ... her post 33-year-old actor is seen wearing a yellow coloured full-sleeved top which she paired with a matching elliptical eye glares.

“Mud Mud Ke Na Dekh, Mud Mud Ke...side view mirror hai na,” Sinha wrote in the caption. The picture is being appreciated by her fans all over and has also received scores of comments.

—ANI

Talking out loud Sonakshi Sinha

#THROWBACK WEEKEND S

Angelina Jolie

J

ust like the rest of the world, Angelina Jolie is on quarantine mode due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The 45-year-old actress, who recently celebrated her birthday on June 4, 2020, is quarantining with her six children- Maddox Chivan, Pax Thien, Zahara Marley, Shiloh, twins Knox Léon and Vivienne Marcheline. In a recent interview, Angelina spoke about life amidst COVID 19 as well as touched upon the Black Lives Matter movement, which is currently rampant in the US. While talking about racism in America, Angelina stated how it’s intolerable that there’s a system that might protect her but not protect her daughter, Zahara, or any other man, woman or child based on their skin colour. Jolie stressed on the fact that they need to progress beyond sympathy and good intentions and move on to laws and policies that actually address structural racism and impunity.

On what advice she teaches her children regarding race and racism issues, the ‘Maleficent: Mistress of Evil’ star revealed, “To listen to those who are being oppressed and never assume.” —Agency

... her post

fire emoji.

Meanwhile, Sonam has been sharing updates on her activities on her social media handles by sharing pictures and videos.

Earlier, the ‘Veere Di Wedding’ star shared a childhood picture which shows that she was a ‘bookworm’ even then.

—ANI

THE HEART

WARMING NOTE

A

s actor-turned-politician Kirron Kher rings in her 65th birthday today, her husband Anupam Kher shared heartwarming birthday wishes along with throwback pictures to make the day special.

The ‘Hotel Mumbai’ actor put out an adorable post on Twitter wherein he shared throwback pictures with the actor. The post showcased a picture of the couple Kirron and Anupam Kher and also featured an article titled ‘to stardom from Chandigarh stage’ that summarised the acting journey of Kirron.

In one of the monochromatic pictures shared in the post, Kirron is seen in her younger days, as she holds a script in her hand as she pose s

Historical Racism

S

inger Taylor Swift is ‘’sick’’ of the monuments of racist historical figures in Tennessee. “As a Tennessean, it makes me sick that there are monuments standing in our state that celebrate racist historical figures who did evil things. Edward Carmack and Nathan Bedford Forrest were DESPICABLE figures in our state history and should be treated as such,” she tweeted.

“Taking down statues isn’t going to fix centuries of systemic oppression, We need to change the status of people who perpetuated patterns of racism to ‘villains’. And villains don’t deserve statues.”

—Agency

onam Kapoor Ahuja on Saturday shared her glamorous picture and dazzled the Instagram with the major throwback snap.

The ‘Raanjhanaa’ star put out on Instagram, capture from a past photoshoot that the diva in a classy avatar as she sports a black dress and accessorised it with a long pearl beaded necklace while sitting at the driving seat and posing as she looks into the camera. Along with the picture she wrote, “Going for a drive no where...”

The post on the photosharing platform garnered more than 2 lakh likes from fans and celebrity followers including Swara Bhasker.

Maheep Kapoor also chimed in the comment section and left a smiling face with heart-eyes and a

... her post

Taylor Swift

Sonam Kapoor Ahuja

Kirron Kher in Anupam Kher’s post

for the camera. The post also featured another family picture which shows Kirron and, Anupam Kher along with their son Sikander Kher who is seen as a kid.

Along with the post, the ‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’ actor wished for his wife’s long and healthy life and noted, “Happy birthday my dearest #Kirron!!

May God give you all the happiness in the world. May you have a long & healthy life. Sorry, you are on your own in #Chandigarh & both @sikandarkher& I are not with you. But we miss you.

Love@KirronKherBJP.” Recently, the actor released his popular autobiographical play ‘Kuch Bhi Ho Sakta Hai’.

—ANI

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

AMONG THE NEHAL NAYAR

nehal.nayar@firstindia.co.in

B

‘Shudh Desi Romance’

‘PK’

‘MS Dhoni: The Untold Story’

ollywood fraternity and fans from across the country mourned on Sunday following the demise of versatile actor Sushant Singh Rajput, who graced the silver screen with a variety of commendable performances. Sushant allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself on Sunday, Additional Commissioner of Police, Mumbai, Manoj Sharma confirmed. However, no suicide note has been recovered from his Bandra residence.

Born in Patna, with ancestral roots in Bihar, the 34 year-old-actor was brilliant in academics, which secured him admission in the Bachelor of Engineering, in Delhi. However, as his craze for theatre and dance blossomed, he pursued his career in acting. Sushant graced many dance floors, be it as a background dancer or the one to take the lead, and his dancing skills were widely appreciated by renowned celebrities and his fans throughout his career.

It was television producer Ekta Kapoor, who gave the late star his first break in TV soap ‘Pavitra Rishta,’ alongside actor Ankita Lokhande. His performance as the lead character, Manav Deshmukh was met with humongous applause, enabling his stature as a household name for a TV actor. He went to receive several television awards for the performance.

Making his film debut in 2013 with ‘Kai Po Che’, Sushant garnered critical and commercial acclaim, despite being cast as one of the three leads, along with actors Rajkummar Rao and Amit Sadh.

‘Suddh Desi Romance’, a few parts of which was shot in Rajasthan, alongside actors Parineeti Chopra and Vaani Kapoor marked his second film. He was then seen in 2014, alongside actors Aamir Khan and Anushka Sharma in ‘PK’. Sushant was also a part of the ‘VOGUE’ shoot with Kendall Jenner in Jaipur’s Hotel Samode Palace back in 2017.

During the entire Padmaavat

controversy, Sushant dropped ‘Rajput’ from his name to clear his stance on the whole issue that the self-proclaimed representatives of the community do not represent everyone with that surname. Violence is not the way to mark a protest, there are other ways. With some hits and misses, the actor proved his mettle in the entertainment industry after the release of ‘MS Dhoni: The Untold Story’, a biopic based on the former Indian cricket captain’s life. The film became one of the highest-grossing Bollywood films in 2016. His performance got him the first nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor.

In 2017, he appeared in Dinesh Vijan’s ‘Raabta’ alongside actor Kriti Sanon, and was seen in ‘Kedarnath’, co-starring Sara Ali Khan in 2018.

The actor was last seen in 2019 released Nitesh Tiwari’s ‘Chhichhore’ along with actors Shraddha Kapoor, Varun Sharma and Prateik Babbar in the lead roles. The film dealt with the importance of mental health and its implications on one’s life. His last film, ‘Dil Bechara’ alongside Sanjana Sanghi, was all set to release in May this year. The sudden demise of the versatile actor has left shock waves among many, and the social media platforms are flooded with condolences messages with many recalling the gem of a person, Sushant Singh Rajput was.

—Inputs from ANI

WHAT’S HAPPENING!

A still from the VOGUE shoot with Kendall Jenner in Jaipur

‘Dil Bechara’

Late Sushant Singh Rajput

Popping the MYTH BUBBLE CITY FIRST

K

nee replacements are now one among the most common surgery that people opt for to lead a near-normal life again and mobilize. However, there are also some myths and doubts related to this procedure. People usually like to know about alternative procedures, life of implant, cost of surgery, rehabilitation and exercises to recover fast. To address these issues, SDMH organised live Fa-

Dr Aashish Sharma

cebook session whereby Dr Aashish Sharma, HOD Dept. of Orthopaedics and Replacement

World Blood Donor Day was celebrated on 14 June with the theme ‘Safe Blood. Save Lives’, with the slogan “Give blood and make the world a healthier place.”

Jeet Kumar

Surgery, SDMH on Sunday. The session was moderated by Dr Sanjana Bhojwani, Head Outreach Services in SDMH. Dr Aashish informed about the new techniques used in the replacements surgeries and how it has reduced the recovery time and made it near painless. He also responded to the queries posted by audient during the live session. SDMH organises such sessions every Sunday to make people aware of the common medical issues. cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

Ramanan Ramanathan

Rajasthan: In the Leadership webinar series ‘Education for Generation Z’ conducted by Manipal University Jaipur (MUJ) on Sunday, Mission Director of Atal Innovation Mission, Ramanan Ramanathan said that it is necessary to provide a suitable environment for innovation to the young talent because innovation itself brings joy, job creation, social concern and the goal of a self-reliant India can be achieved through Innovation only. Jeet Kumar, author, innovator and CEO, In-Time Tech, said that peace, dedication and patience are the key mantras to become an innovator.

Rajasthan: Amidst the fight against the pandemic, Armaan Foundation with the support of workers of Women and Child Development department, distributed food packets and ration kits to needy families of Modi Nagar, Prem Nagar and Nirmohi Nagar and Panchsheel Colony, Jaipur, on Sunday.

Rajasthan: In a series of live programs by the Rajasthan Progressive Writers Association, on Sunday, Lyricist-poet Ramnarayan Meena Haladhar was live on the Facebook, where many literary lovers from India and abroad witnessed the composition of various songs and ghazals.

‘Raabta’

IAS P Ramesh celebrated his birthday on 14 June, Sunday. We wish him all the best!

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AHMEDABAD | MONDAY, JUNE 15, 2020

Rajasthan: A virtual collaboration of top folk musicians took place on Sunday to raise awareness on the suffering of folk musicians of Rajasthan through their mesmerizing Rajasthan folk music and dance performance under their social media campaign ‘Maru Mani’.

Rajasthan: The closure of physical classrooms is resulting in a distressing loss of learning for students throughout the nation.

Realising the urgency of the issue, the IN-DEED Foundation and Kartik Bajoria initiated The Inclusive Education Dialogue (TIED to Education), to bring experts from the education and technology sectors to find sustainable solutions so that all students are provided an equal opportunity to learn and grow. They had their second-panel discussion about ‘Ed Tech: Possibilities & Solutions’ on Sunday.

Gujarat: With an aim to keep the environment clean, a Surat-based organisation, Hope, carried out a clean-up operation in the Dumas area, by picking up the plastic bags and plastic water bottles which were spread by the public.