First India-Ahmedabad Edition-15 September 2020

AHMEDABAD l TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2020 l Pages 12 l 3.00

SHAH EXTENDED HIS WISHES ON ‘HINDI DIWAS’ CALLING IT AS “UNBREAKABLE PART OF THE INDIAN CULTURE”

P5 OUR EDITIONS: JAIPUR & AHMEDABAD 26°C - 34°C

In new normal

COVID era

In a first-of-its-kind initiative, MPs register their attendance using the ‘Attendance Register’ App, as they arrive to attend the Monsoon Session of the Parliament in New Delhi on Monday. —PHOTO BY ANI

RNI NO. GUJENG/2019/16208 l Vol 1 l Issue No. 290

RAUT: COUNTRY HAS STOOD BY THE ARMY IRRESPECTIVE OF RULING PARTY IN CENTRE AND WOULD ALWAYS DO SO

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DEMOCRACY LIVES ON...

MAINTAINING SOCIAL DISTANCING Members of Parliament paying tributes to the ex-President Pranab Mukherjee, legendary Indian classical vocalist Pandit Jasraj, ex-Chhattisgarh CM Ajit Jogi, MP Governor Lalji Tandon, UP Ministers Kamal Rani & Chetan Chauhan and ex-union minister Rahguvanshh Prasad Singh & others who passed away this year, during the Monsoon Session of the Parliament in New Delhi on Monday.

—PHOTO BY ANI

25 MPs TEST POSITIVE

Corona enters Parl as Houses assemble New Delhi: Seventeen members of the Lok Sabha and eight from the Rajya Sabha have tested positive for coronavirus in the mandatory tests carried out before the monsoon session of parliament started on Monday morning, sources said.

Junior railways minister Suresh Angadi, the BJP’s Meenakshi Lekhi, Anant Kumar Hegde, Parvesh Sahib Singh, Rita Bahuguna Joshi and Kaushal Kishore were among the 17 Lok Saha MPs who have contracted the viral disease.

In the upper house, the Congress party’s Deepender Singh Hooda and Naranbhai J Rathwa, the BJP’s Ashok Gasti and Abhay Bhardwaj, the AIADMK’s A Navneethakrishnan, the AAP’s Sushil Kumar Gupta, the TRS’s V Lakshmikantha Rao Turn to P6

Rajnath Singh to address Parl on China row today

A large number of MPs attended the first day’s session. “It shows how strong the roots of democracy are. The coming of MPs even in extraordinary circumstances is a big thing —Om Birla,

Lok Sabha Speaker

23 LEGISLATIONS THIS SESSION The government has listed 23 new legislations for consideration and passage including 11 bills replacing ordinances issued since March, when parliament was adjourned indefinitely in view of the coronavirus pandemic.

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Ahead of the Monsoon Session, PM Narendra Modi, in his traditional comments before the parliament session, delivered a strong message on the China dispute at the border. “We hope parliament and all members will unitedly send the message that the nation stands with our soldiers,” said PM.

HARIVANSH APPOINTED RS DY CHAIRMAN Ruling alliance NDA candidate Harivansh has been appointed Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha today as the monsoon session of parliament began. PM Modi today congratulated Rajya Sabha member Harivansh Singh, who got elected as the Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha, saying “outstanding umpire who belongs to all sides of the aisle”.

No data on migrants’ deaths in lockdown The Centre informed Parliament that no data was available on the deaths of migrant workers caused due to sudden nationwide lockdown due to corona pandemic. Responding to a question on whether thousands of migrant labourers lost their lives during this period, the Ministry of Labour and Employment, through a written reply, said “no such data is available”.

New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will address Parliament on the India-China border row on Tuesday, shows the parliament’s list of business for the day. The minister’s address is expected to take place around 3 pm, at the beginning of the proceedings in the Lok Sabha, sources said.

Meanwhile, Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Pralhad Joshi said that a meeting of leaders from both Lok Sabha Turn to P6

NCP MP Supriya Sule (L) with Apna Dal (Sonelal Patel) MP Anupriya Patel pose for a selfie at Parliament on the opening day of Monsoon Session, in New Delhi on Monday.

—PHOTO BY PTI

Our laws, values don’t recognise same-sex marriage: Centre to HC New Delhi: Marriage between same-sex couples is “not recognised by our laws, legal system, society and our values,” the government’s top lawyer told the Delhi High Court today, opposing a petition to legalise gay marriages.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta made the submission as the High Court heard a petition on legalising same-sex marriages

under the Hindu Marriage Act (HMA) and Special Marriage Act. Mehta said: “Our laws, our legal system, our society and our val-

ues do not recognise marriage, which is a sacrament, between same-sex couples”.

He said the petition asking for gay marriages to be legalized was “not permissible” for two reasons. “Firstly, the petition is asking the court to legislate and secondly, any relief granted will run contrary to various statutory provisions.

Turn to P6

Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora released the book ‘Towards a New India - Governance Transformed 2014-2019’, written by V Srinivas, Additional Secretary (AR&PG) Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions during a virtual panel discussion on Monday. Veteran mediaperson Kalyani Shankar moderated the webinar.

CHAMBER OF SECRETS?

Mysterious unground structure found at Geeta Mandir bus depot Digging for the bus station building project had been underway when the construction was unearthed First India Bureau Ahmedabad: With a 600-year-old history, the city of Ahmedabad was recognized as a World Heritage City by the United Nations’ Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2017. The rich culture of the city is reflected

in the plethora of monuments that have stood the test of time. In an accidental discovery, a historical structure was unearthed during an excavation near the Geeta Mandir bus depot on Monday. It remains unclear whether the underground construction has any historical sig-

A tunnel-like chamber was discovered on the northern end of the bus depot, where excavation was being conducted to build the foundation for the project.

—PHOTOS BY HANIF SINDHI

nificance or not.

The ongoing project under which a bus station was being constructed on a Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) basis at Geeta Mandir is being helmed by a firm called Hubtown. On the northern end of the bus depot, where excavation was conducted to build the foundation for the project, the tunnel-like structure was discovered. It is not yet clear which period the structure belongs to or how

old it is but, an investigation has been initiated. Meanwhile, all construction work has been suspended at the site for the time being. It is also not yet clear if the company has permission for digging at the current site or not.

According to AMC officials, the structure is nothing but a water tank. “I checked the excavated structure this morning. To me, it seems like an underground water

tank. However, a survey will be conducted,” said PVK Nair, Director of the Heritage Department at the civic body.

In 2016, a controversy had erupted with an ongoing construction near the bus depot after a private contractor demolished a historic gate.

The Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation (GSRTC) had been accused of demolishing a 250-year-old gate over 15 feet high Turn to P6

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AHMEDABAD | TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2020

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GANDHIANS STRONGLY AGAINST LIFTING PROHIBITION, BUT OK WITH RESTRICTED RELAXATION FOR TOURISM

PROHIBITION DEBATE

HEATS UP AGAIN Haresh Jhala Ahmedabad: Prohibition in Gujarat has again become a point of debate after a member of the royal family of the erstwhile princely state of Vadodara spoke up for lifting the ban on alcohol in the state. Gandhians, for the most part, are staunchly against lifting restrictions--but seem ok with limited relaxations on hotel premises to benefit tourism.

The topic returned to the sphere of public debate when Radhikaraje Gaikwad while participating in a webinar this

past weekend stated that Prohibition is hindering tourism. “There are a number of palaces in the state with great architecture that can attract tourists but luxury travellers love to have a glass wine at places of leisure, and prohibition is a hindrance,” she had said.

Her comments brought fierce resistance from Gandhians.

“It is wrong to say that tourism is not growing because of prohibition. Foreign tourists easily get liquor permits in the state on arrival based on their passport. People can get permits on medical grounds and tour-

People queued up outside local permit shops in Ahmedabad to buy alcohol as soon as lockdown was lifted.

ists from other states can also get liquor permits based on their licence or residence proofs. So how can

anyone say that Prohibition is affecting tourism?” asked Gandhian Manibhai Patel.

Patel cited the late in-

dustrialist Ramnikbhai Ambani, who had said, “Industrialists come to Gujarat to set up industry and not to party. If

MAKING A MOVE

State prepones acquisition of groundnut harvest to October 21  Also, government decides not to reopen schools before Diwali, will conduct review of pandemic before final call First India Bureau Gandhinagar: Chief Minister Vijay Rupani’s government has decided to prepone the procurement of groundnut by almost a month. Now, the acquisition of the crop from farmers will commence from October 21, instead of the previously ascertained date of November 19. Also, the state government also took a call to not reopen schools before Diwali.

Announcing the government’s plan of action, state Agriculture

CM Rupani getting tested for COVID-19 while shooting for a promo appealing citizens to undergo tests.

Minister RC Faldu stated that farmers can register for groundnut procurement from October 1 onwards until the last date of registration on October 20. From the very next day, the state will start acquiring the harvest through the Gujarat State Civil Supplies Corporation Ltd and National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd (NAFED). The

state will procure groundnut at Rs1,055 per 20 kilogram.

The minister added, “Due to heavy rainfall, standing crop on 13 lakh hectares of land has been damaged this year.

The state agriculture department has completed a damage survey of three lakh hectares. Since the state had announced that the survey would be

completed within 15 days, the deadline will be extended as over 70% area has not been surveyed yet.”

Meanwhile, the state’s Shaikshik Mahasangh has decided to not reopen schools before the Diwali vacation. A recommendation on whether to resume school session will be taken after a thorough review of the COVID-19 pandemic situation.

An evaluation of the curriculum for the current academic year is also being conducted by the state education department, in order to reduce the burden on students. The final decision will only come through after resumption of the school session and the remaining days left in the academic year.

After constituting a Fees Regulatory Committee for schools, the state government has constituted a similar

committee for technical colleges and private university students. The committee will be headed by state high court’s retired judge Akshay Mehta with Director of Higher Education M Nagarajan serving as a member secretary. Other members include Himanshu Pandya, Vice Chancellor of Gujarat University, Harshad Patel, Vice Chancellor, IITGandhinagar, Anupam Singh, Director General of Nirma University and Manish Shah, Principal of HL College, Ahmedabad.

The committee’s objective will be to try and persuade college and university managements to rollback fees for the current academic year.

Further, the home department seeks to increase the strength of the state police force. It has approved 7,610 posts and asked service selection boards to commence recruitment.

industrialists want to give parties, they can do so in Mumbai.”

Patel continued: “This is enough to es-

tablish that those who want to run businesses peacefully come here. The state is peaceful because of prohibition. Even labourers are not drinking liquor here.”

Activist Mudita Vidrohi added, “Relaxation in Prohibition in hotels is ok for tourism development but the state can’t think of lifting Prohibition,” she said.

Her argument is that women are safe in the state because of prohibition. “Other states are imposing Prohibition.

So, how can one advocate lifting Prohibition in Gujarat?” she asked.

Both Gandhians are

of the view that the law should not be scrapped just because the implementation of the Prohibition Act in Gujarat is weak and illegal liquor is available everywhere.

Nor can there be any arguments in terms of revenue losses.

“Gandhiji has said, ‘We can’t build temples out of earnings from liquor sales.’ Similarly, former chief minister, the late Babubhai Jasubhai Patel also said, ‘No matter how much revenue is collected from liquor sales, more will spent in treating people who fall ill after drinking it’,” Patel concluded.

Surti builder allots flats to families hit by financial crisis  Will only charge a monthly maintenance amount of `1,500, but no rent First India Bureau Surat: In a humanitarian gesture, a Surat-based builder has postponed the sale of newly constructed flats by his firm and instead handed them over to families in need of accommodation for a period of one to two years. No rent will be charged from the families but only a monthly maintenance amount.

Over 42 families have so far benefited from Prakash Bhalani’s helpful initiative.

The maintenance amount of Rs1,500 will include facilities such as electricity, water, sanitation, CCTV and free Wi-Fi connection.

With the COVID-19 pandemic causing people to lose their jobs, unemployment has led several fami-

Prakash Bhalani

lies to severe financial crunch. With many of them unable to sustain themselves in big cities, families have been forced to return to their native hometowns.

After hearing the tale of a family which wanted to store their belongings in the vacant flats of Bhalani, he decided to offer the apartments to families facing financial

—FILE PHOTO

constraints. “A few weeks ago, I was approached by a family to ask if I would store their belongings in one of the vacant flats.

On seeing his helplessness, I felt compelled to help him so I agreed to let them stay there. Then I spoke with my site partners and immediately allotted flats to people who need it for the duration of one to two years,” said Bhalani.

GUJARAT AHMEDABAD | TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2020

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03

Glut of Tocilizumab exists, but not for long

Govt admits to having a stockpile of the medicine used to treat COVID-19 patients; all of it expires October 15; LOP calls it gross mismanagement Haresh Jhala

Hospitals had been using Tocilizumab to treat COVID-19. However, its makers issued an advisory in August saying it had not been approved as a treatment for the infection in India. —FILE PHOTOS

50 SoU staffers test positive for nCov First India Bureau Ahmedabad: More than 50 staffers of the monument have tested positive for novel coronavirus ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s upcoming visit to the Statue of Unity in October.

On September 9, around 2,800 employees of the Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Limited were screened for COVID-19. Out of the 50 people who tested positive for the virus, 22 are Central Industrial Security Force

(CISF) jawans while the remaining are private agency workers.

All the infected patients have been undergoing treatment at a hospital while those who came in contact with them have been kept in isolation. All

employees of the Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Limited, Statue of Unity, forest department, tourism department, district office, among others, were covered under the screening campaign.

Cases by the hour: Surat had 11, A’bad, 7, Rajkot, 6 First India Bureau Gandhinagar: With 1,334 new cases emerging in the past 24 hours, Gujarat saw an hourly average of 55 new cases of COVID-19.

With an average of 11 cases per hour, Surat topped the list again.

Ahmedabad followed with seven, while Rajkot had six cases every hour, and Jamnagar had five.

According to the state health bulletin, Gujarat conducted 71,507 tests in one day.

There are now 16,501 active cases, with 93 patients on ventilator support. Of the 17 patients who died, Surat, Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar accounted for three each, Rajkot, Bhavnagar and Jamnagar had two each, and Vadodara and Bharuch had one death each.

Surat had the highest number of cases, with 278. Ahmedabad had 175, Rajkot, 151, Jamnagar, 120, Gan-

—PHOTO BY HANIF SINDHI

Gandhinagar: After months of curtailing sales of Tocilizumab, the injectable drug that has been used to treat COVID-19, the state has now admitted to having a glut of the medicine and has asked hospitals to take it off its hands.

However, there is a catch: the entire stockpile expires next month.

In light of this revelation, Leader of the Opposition Paresh Dhanani has accused the government of gross mismanagement and said the situation exposes a glaring flaw in the state’s governance.

Last week, in a letter to the health department last week, the Gujarat Medical Service Corporation Ltd admitted to having excess stock of the drug and mentioned that the stock would expire on October 15. The government then asked the corporations to pick up stocks of the injectable for COVID-19 patients.

“This is the result of inefficiency on the part of the state government,” Dhanani said, adding, “When relatives of COVID-19 patients were running from pillar to post for the drug, the govern-

ment had put many restrictions on its sale.

And since it was not easily available in the market, Tocilizumab was being sold on the black market, and even smuggled in. Now, the procurement agency says that it has stock and but that it will expire soon.”

He also said the situation could have been avoided if the state government had consulted doctors when the stock came in. “Such blunders will continue to happen as long as the government keeps depending on bureaucrats rather than consulting doctors. It is unfortunate that the state takes citizens for granted even as patients fight for survival,” he said.

Additional Director (health), and in-charge Managing Director of Gujarat Medical Service Corporation Ltd, JD Desai could not be reached for comment despite several attempts.

It is also to be noted that, Switzerlandbased Roche Pharma and Cipla, which makes the biosimilar in India, had issued an advisory to doctors and hospitals to use Tocilizumab conservatively as the drug had failed the third trial to test for efficacy against COVID-19.

Police personnel get tested for COVID-19 in Ahmedabad.

1,334 cases, 17 deaths bring tally to 1,14,996 cases, with 3,230 dead dhinagar, 39, Bhavnagar, 33, Junagadh, 39, Patan, 35, Kutch, 30 and Amreli, Banaskantha and Panchmahal had 28 cases each.

While the state health bulletin recorded just two deaths from Rajkot, one each from city and rural areas, local media have reported 36 deaths: 21 from the city, nine from rural areas and six deaths of patients from other districts. Rajkot Mu-

nicipal Corporation has sealed two shops as social distancing was not followed.

Some 2,491 patients are being treated in government and private hospitals in Surat district, while Vadodara has 1,363 active cases.

In Vadodara, an inspector and sub inspector of Sama Police station have tested positive for COVID-19. Now, police are puzzled whether to home-quarantine all staff or just ask them to get tested. The development comes a week after nine staffers at the Raopura police station tested positive.

Wet Tuesday to bring normal to Violating service rules gets 2 PIs, heavy rains to A’bad, Saurashtra a PSI, 3 constables suspended —PHOTO BY CHIRAG CHOTALIYA

First India Bureau Ahmedabad: While some parts of Saurashtra, South Gujarat and North Gujarat saw good rains on Monday, grey skies brought stifling humidity to Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar. The India Meteorology Department has forecast “normal to heavy rainfall” for Saurashtra and Ahmedabad on Tuesday.

On Sunday, 128 talukas received between 0.5 inches and 4 inches of rain, with Mundra taluka in Kutch recording the highest rainfall. Normal to heavy rains were re-

The Saurashtra region received rains on Sunday.

corded in Sabarkantha, Rajkot, Amreli, Junagadh, Devbhoomi Dwarka, Porbandar, Mahisagar, Jamnagar and Banaskantha.

In Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar, a general thunderstorm

was created in some areas on Sunday.

The recent rains have also added to farmers’ woes by damaging and destroying crops. Moreover, the farmers are yet to receive compensation,

First India Bureau

as the government is yet to complete its crop damage survey.

The weatherman has forecast normal to heavy rains in Saurashtra on Tuesday in places like Amreli, Gir-Somath, Bhavnagar, Rajula, Sabarkantha Gondal, Jafrabad, Khambha, Babra, and Jamnagar.

Along with Saurashtra, the meteorological department has forecast rains in Dwarka, Bharuch, Navsari, Surat, Veraval, Bhavnagar, Amreli, Porbandar, and Valsad. Ahmedabad, Kheda, Gandhinagar, Vadodara, Mehsana, Patan, Dwarka, and Banaskantha will also receive showers.

Ahmedabad/Surat: The police commissioners of Ahmedabad and Surat on Monday suspended two police inspectors, one police sub-inspector and three constables for violation of service rules.

Ahmedabad Police Commissioner Sanjay Srivastava suspended Police Inspector Dharmendrasinh Gohil and Police Sub-Inspector Dasrath Rabari. Both the officers are facing allegations of custodial death and destruction of evidence.

When Gohil and Rabari were posted at the Fatehgunj police station in Vadodara back in December 2019, they

Real estate developer Durlab Patel, who took his own life at his quarry, had named three of the suspended cops in his suicide note.

had picked up a Telangana native Babu Shaikh. Since then, Shaikh had gone missing. His relatives had filed habeas corpus before the state high court. During the hearing, Vadodara police had admitted be-

fore the court that Shaikh had been in custody at the Fatehgunj police station. When Shaikh died in custody, his body was reportedly disposed of by Gohil and Rabari at an undisclosed location. A FIR

has been filed against both officers.

In another instance, Surat Police Commissioner Ajay Tomar suspended Rander police station Inspector Lakshmansinh Bodana, Police Constable Ajay Bopala, writer Kiritsinh Parmar, and Udhna police station constable Vijay Sindhe for remaining absent from duty without permission.

Bodana, Bopala, Parmar and Sindhe allegedly drove Patidar leader and real estate developer Durlab Patel to commit suicide. They had been forcing him to transfer the deed of land worth Rs24 crore to another developer.

Ever since news of Patel’s suicide broke, all the officers have gone on unapproved leave.

NO WHISTLE-BLOWING HERE

nCov data ‘leaks’ cost junior AMC officials meeting privileges lll

Senior officers of the local civic body had allegedly been attempting to keep a tight lid on statistics regarding the spread of Sars-CoV-2

Gargi Raval Ahmedabad: In a bid to discourage contact between officers of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) and the media, several officials, mostly from the deputy level have been asked not to attend the virtual meetings being conducted by top civic body officials. The reason for denial of access to the meetings is that

the deputy level officials were being vocal about the real data of COVID-19 cases and deaths in the city.

Last week, several media outlets had reported that AMC had been ‘hiding’ COVID-19 data. To support this claim, the reports had claimed that more than 450 cases had demerged from three wards of the city after conducting tests using antibody rapid test kits. However,

Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation.

—FILE PHOTO

the number was not reflected in the list released by the state department.

The stagnant number of COVID-19 cases has not gone down well with the doctors who have been working tirelessly for the past six months.

“We believe that people should be privy to the real picture of the pandemic situation in their city. We are working hard to control the spread of the virus.

However, people have

become carefree about the gravity of the situation all of us are in by reading about the lower numbers,” said a senior health official.

He added that despite several requests and imposing heavy penalties on citizens for violation of COVID-19 protocol, people have not paid heed. “This needs to be stopped. Our health infrastructure is limited. People need to know about the severity of this pandemic. In-

stead, officials are being reprimanded by senior officers for leaking actual data to the media,” he stated.

Dinesh Sharma, AMC’s Leader of Opposition, said, “The BJP-run civic body has claimed that normalcy has returned to the city. They should resume physical meetings but they are scared. Therefore, they are not only hiding COVID-19 data but, themselves as well.”

PERSPECTIVE AHMEDABAD | TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2020

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IN-DEPTH

PM HOPES FOR UNITY ON SUPPORT TO TROOPS

T

he Monsoon Session of parliament began after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s traditional comments in which he expressed the hope that “parliament and all members will unitedly” send a strong message to China that “the nation stands with our soldiers”. “Our soldiers are standing firm at the borders with a lot of courage, passion, and strong resolve to protect their motherland. They are standing on difficult heights and in a few days will weather snow.” In the same manner, he said, parliament will send a message in unison that it stands firmly behind our soldiers.

The PM also touched upon the COVID situation in the country. “This parliament session is being held under special circumstances. There is corona and there is a duty. MPs have chosen the path of doing their duty in Covid times.”

The special session began with the unique initiative of its members marking their attendance through a mobile application. The application, Attendance Register App, has been adopted in view of the rising covid-19 cases. With lots of papers passing through multiple hands, it was realized that the risk of spreading the virus was high. The attendance app has been launched to minimize that risk. It is also a step towards digitalization of parliamentary proceedings.

Speaker Om Birla tweeted, “The digitalization of operations at Parliament demonstrates India’s capable and efficient response to the current pandemic.”

With the Question Hour gone and Covid-19 precautions in place, the Monsoon Session may witness protests in some form or another as Congress plans to seek answers on China, Covid-19, and the economy’s collapse.

NATIONAL EFFORT NEEDED TO FIGHT ECONOMIC MELTDOWN DR GS SANDHU THE AUTHOR IS A RETIRED IAS, RAJASTHAN

O

COVID-19 REACHES PARLIAMENT HOUSE

E

ven as the daily spurt in cases hovering between 95,000 and100,000 Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan claimed that India has been able to effectively limit its coronavirus cases. As ill-luck would have it, the same day 25 members of parliament - 17 in Lok Sabha and eight in Rajya Sabha - tested positive before the start of the session. Ruling BJP topped the list with 14 as 12 of its Lok Sabha and two Rajya Sabha MPs were found to be infected with the virus. The tests were done 48-72 hours before the session and a negative report was mandatory for the MPs to be able to attend.

Meenakshi Lekhi of the BJP shared her status on social media. She tweeted, “After the routine Parliament test for COVID & genome test it is confirmed that I have tested positive for the virus. I am currently in good health & spirits. I request everyone who has been recently in contact with me to get tested. Together we will fight and defeat Corona.” But the case of Hanuman Beniwal, her fellow MP from the party, exposed the anomaly in tests. Beniwal tested positive in the parliament test but negative in the test done at a Jaipur hospital.

India reported over 92,000 fresh Covid-19 cases on Monday. However, a news channel said that the “numbers could be an underestimation because of the increasing reliance on the less accurate Rapid Antigen Tests”. Likely true daily figures could be in the range of 200,000-250,000, it said. It’s good for the government that the Question Hour is not there.

The central government and RBI announced four major sets of stimulus packages since the end of March 2020 covering monetary and fiscal stimuli amounting to Rs 20,97,053 crores ( 9.8% of estimated GDP) Contribution of RBI, banks, NBFCs, and other institutions amount to 85.3% of the total package

nce considered as the worlds fastest-growing major economy, the impact of Covid-19 pandemic on India’s economy has been devastating. GDP data released recently shows a massive contraction of about 24 percent during the first quarter of the current financial year (April-June, 2020). If the condition of the informal sector is accounted for, the contraction may be much more.

During the corresponding quarter of 2019-20 Indian economy had grown by 5.2 percent.

Among the major sectors, Construction fell by 50 percent, Manufacturing by 39.3 percent, Trade, Hotels, Transport, and Communication by 47.0 per cent. The only redeeming feature has been Agriculture which showed a positive growth of 3.4 percent thanks to the good monsoon and our hardworking farmers.

The pandemic has hit India’s job market drastically. CMIE1 data shows job losses in the salaried segment as 21 million from April to August out of about 86 million salaried jobs in India.

According to a joint ILOADB report job losses for youth have been 4.1 million. Business closures, job losses, falling incomes, reduction in private consumption have led to a postponement of investment by corporates. Similar is the fate of exports and imports.

Under such circumstances, combined efforts and much bigger spending is needed from the Centre and States to boost consumption and demand.

Approach of Developed Countries- Most developed countries have increased spending to unprecedented levels mainly by way of money transfers/loans to consumers or businesses or unemployment benefits rather than infrastructure spending. Germany, UK, France, Japan, other EU countries are spending about 10 -15 percent of their GDP, the USA announced a $2 trillion package, cutting interest rates

close to zero, direct payments of up to $1200 to individuals, hundreds of billions of dollars in loans and grants to businesses, and unemployment benefits.

This spending has had a positive impact on demand and consumption in these countries and a much smaller contraction is seen in their economies.

Approach of China- In contrast to developed countries, China has focused more on infrastructure and employed millions of people on projects like roads, railway lines, equipment and machinery, and sewage systems. This has enabled China to post a positive growth of 3.2 percent during April-June, 2020.

China’s infrastructure projects are being funded mainly by debt even though the government is already under a huge debt.

INDIAN SCENARIO The central government and RBI announced four major sets of stimulus packages since the end of March 2020 covering monetary and fiscal stimuli amounting to Rs 20,97,053 crores ( 9.8% of estimated GDP) Contribution of RBI, banks, NBFCs, and other institutions amounts to 85.3% of the total package.

Thus the bulk of package is credit-based which has inherent difficulties in generating demand. Banks are too risk-averse to lend even though they have liquidity. As such, there has been limited impact on demand and consumption. Central Gov-

To have a meaningful impact, the Government should vastly step up its spending covering both direct cash transfers to the poor and an aggressive push to infrastructure projects which can create jobs and enable private investment to follow

ernment spending has gone up by 11 percent during the first four months of the year- too little to make a difference in the economy. To have a meaningful impact, the Government should vastly step up its spending covering both direct cash transfers to the poor and an aggressive push to infrastructure projects which can create jobs and enable private investment to follow.

MNREGA, the hope for millions of unemployed in rural areas, need to be expanded with additional budget allocation- twice or thrice of the current allocation of Rs 1,01,500 crores since more than 50 percent, the budget has already been exhausted. There is a demand to increase the number of workdays from 100 to 200 and to start a similar scheme for urban areas.

As regards States even with their limited resources they

Why bullion is still a safe haven in times of crisis

G

“

old” said famed investor Warren Buffett in 1998, “gets dug out of the ground in Africa or someplace, then we melt it down, dig another hole, bury it again and pay people to stand around guarding it.

It has no utility. Anyone watching from Mars would be scratching their head.”

Yet for all that, we remain in love with gold – especially in times of uncertainty. With the COVID-19 crisis, interest in gold has soared, driving its price to historic highs (eclipsing its past record set back in August 2011).

Even Buffett seems to have softened his longstanding antipathy, with his company Berkshire Hathaway acquiring a US$565 million stake in the world’s second-largest gold miner, Canada’s Barrick

04

Gold Corporation.

Owning shares in a goldmining company, though, is not the same thing as owning actual gold. Since gold shares are linked both to gold prices and to the broader share market, they tend to move with the market when it falls sharply. That deprives gold shares of a key feature of gold bullion – its safe haven property.

WHAT IS A SAFE HAVEN? A safe haven is an asset that holds its value in extreme, unexpected events.

It is different from a “safe asset” that provides a guaranteed return, such as government bonds. In buying such a bond you effectively lend money to the government in return for a promise it will repay that money (with interest) in the future.

Safe assets, in other

words, are “fixed income” assets, and their prices are relatively stable.

The price of a safe haven asset, on the other hand, will fluctuate, rising in periods of heightened uncer-

tainty, when other investments suffer extreme losses, but may also fall when the uncertainty reverts to more normal levels.

We can see this in the price of gold over the past

two decades, both in the wake of the Global Financial Crisis beginning in 2008 and now with the COVID-19 crisis.

The only deviation from gold’s traditional role as a

safe haven asset was a price fall over March, as global stock markets crashed. This deviation underlines the uncertainty that gripped investors that month, with some gold owners presumably selling bullion to cover losses or to increase cash holdings.

Gold may also be a safe haven because it is simple and well-known, the first thing that comes to mind when investors are faced with extreme uncertainty.

This apparent simplicity, paradoxically, does not mean easy-to-understand gold prices.

Some factors influencing its price are tangible, such as physical supply and demand.

But many factors influencing gold’s price are less tangible, such as changing perceptions, preferences and market sentiment.

have an important role to boost economic activity. It can be done by reaching out to small businesses with easy procedures, relaxing compliances, offering incentives, facilitation, and handholding. It is the states which can involve the role of civil society in a big way. Many states are taking steps to improve the situation as best as they can. There is a need to put in place an arrangement where initiatives taken by each state can be shared with the rest of them. For example, Maharashtra has reduced stamp duty on properties to spur demand for real estate, Orissa has provided 200 workdays in some blocks under MNREGA, Rajasthan has amended building bylaws to allow building constructions on self-certification. All such initiatives need to be publicized and shared among states.

Governments across the world are spending massive amounts to spur demand along with loosening the monetary policy. They are borrowing heavily to meet the unforeseen situation. We have a grim situation before us and should not shy away from more borrowings immediately since time is of the essence. Things are bound to improve if a unified approach and effort are made. We should heed the advice given by national and international economists before it gets too late.

THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL

Top

TWEET Dharmendra Pradhan @dpradhanbjp Heartening to see leaders of all political parties to have come together to work cohesively and collectively for our nation’s progress and to also take forward discussions related to the welfare of our citizens. #MonsoonSession2020 Subramanian Swamy @Swamy39 I hope the PM today on the floor of Parliament makes it clear that Government is committed to Status Quo Ante in Ladakh which means the Chinese troops must withdraw back to the pre-April 18th position. He must therefore correct the FMs 5 point agreement which was silent on this.

Spiritual SPEAK

Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered. —Proverbs 28:2

SOURCE: THE CONVERSATION

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Outrage in LS over halting Question Hour

‘CPI @ 6.69% in August ‘Hindi an unbreakable part of Indian culture’ against 6.73% last month’ Price data were collected from 1,114 urban markets & 1,181 villages

New Delhi: The government’s decision to suspend Question Hour triggered widespread outrage among opposition parties on the opening day of the Monsoon Session on Monday with lawmakers saying the move was an attempt to “strangulate democracy”. The opposition parties accused the government of using the Covid-19 pandemic as an excuse to do away with any form of accountability.

Opposition raised the issue after Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi moved the motion, saying current session of LS is being held in an extraordinary situation prevailing due to the Covid-19 pandemic requiring maintenance of social distancing. —ANI

New Delhi: The Retail inflation which is measured by Consumer Price Index (General) decreased to 6.69 per cent in August as compared to 6.73 per cent in the last month, the government said on Monday.

The corresponding Consumer Food Price Index (CFPI) stood at 9.05 per cent in August 2020 as against 9.27 per cent in July 2020. According to the data released by the government, the Rural CPI (General) in August stands at 6.66 per cent as against 6.76 per cent in July. The Urban CPI (General) stood at 6.80 per cent in August as against 6.70 per cent in July.

Further, the data indicated that the Rural CFPI stands at 9.11 per cent in August as compared to 9.47 per cent in July. The Urban CFPI

The lowest Consumer Price Index was witnessed in Delhi where it stood at 3.58 per cent in August.

saw a decline of 0.17 per cent and stood at 8.82 per cent in August as against 8.99 per cent in July.

Among the states, the highest CPI (General) was witnessed in Assam where it stood at 9.52 per cent in August.

The lowest CPI was wit-

nessed in Delhi where it stood at 3.58 per cent in August.

The Food and Beverages Combined Index stood at 8.29 per cent in August. The clothing and footwear combined index stood at 2.77 per cent while the Housing and Fuel and light in-

dex both stood at 3.10 per cent each.

The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation said that the price data were collected from representative and selected 1,114 urban markets and 1,181 villages covering all States/UTs. —ANI

New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah extended his wishes on ‘Hindi Diwas’ calling the language as an ‘unbreakable part of Indian culture’ adding that Hindi has been working to ‘unify the whole country’ since centuries. “A country is identified by its border & geography, but its biggest identity is its language. The various languages of India are its strength as well as a symbol of its unity.

In India, which is full of cultural and linguistic diversity, ‘Hindi’ has been working to unify the whole country for centuries,” he tweeted.

“Hindi is an unbreakable part of Indian culture. It has been an effective & powerful medium of national unity and identity since freedom struggle. The greatest strength of Hindi is its scientificness, originality, and simplicity,” he added.

—ANI

It is important that the next generation is provided most of its information in Hindi so that they are inspired to primarily work in Hindi. —Amit Shah, Home Minister

PREZ KOVIND, V-P NAIDU EXTEND GREETINGS ON ‘HINDI DIWAS’ New Delhi: President Ram Nath Kovind and VicePresident M Venkaiah Naidu extended greetings on the occasion of “Hindi Diwas”. “Best wishes on the occasion of Hindi Diwas! The Hindi language adopted by crores of people in the world, from freedom struggle to science and entertainment, has brought people together in love,” the President tweeted. Naidu tweeted, “Dr Rajendra Prasad had said that for the first time the whole country has accepted a Rajbhasha for itself. Those with a language other than Hindi have also voluntarily accepted it as the official language to build the nation.”

IN THE COURTYARD ‘Unplanned lockdown product of Prashant Bhushan deposits No jhuggi to be ego of a man: RaGa ` 1 fine, files review petition demolished right now: Centre to Supreme Court

New Delhi: The implementation of an “unplanned lockdown” is the product of ego of a man resulting in COVID-19 spreading across the country, said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday.

“The coronavirus cases in the country will cross the 50-lakh cases mark this week and there would be 10 lakh active cases. The implementation of an unplanned lockdown is a product of a person’s ego causing the coronavirus to spread across the country,” tweeted the Congress leader.

He further slammed the Centre saying that the Prime Minister “is busy with peacocks”.

“The Modi government has asked people to be “atmanirbhar” (self-reliant) i.e. you yourself save your own

RAGA BACKS BJP LEADER’S SON FOR ADMISSION IN KV Thiruvananthapuram: The Congress in Kerala is probing how party leader Rahul Gandhi got to recommend the name of a son of a BJP leader for admission in Kendriya Vidyalaya under the MP quota, a party leader said on Monday. Congress legislator and Wayanad DCC President IC Balakrishnan said that party workers had complained about the recommendation. life because the PM is busy with peacocks,” he tweeted Meanwhile, with a spike of 92,071 new cases in 24 hours, India’s COVID-19 count breached the 48-lakh mark on Monday, informed the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. —ANI

‘WE STAND WITH OUR SOLDIERS BUT BEHIND PM’S POLICIES? I DOUBT’ New Delhi: Congress leader Kapil Sibal said that every citizen stands behind its soldiers but it is doubtful that the same support is given to the policies and actions of PM Modi. “Every citizen of our country stands behind our soldiers. We salute them. Behind the PM’s policies and actions? I doubt it,” the he

05

tweeted. His tweet came in response to PM’s statement. “Today, when our soldiers are holding fort on borders, on hilly terrain, and snowfall is likely after some time, I believe that all members of the Parliament will give an unequivocal message that the country stands with our soldiers,” the Prime Minister said.

New Delhi: Senior advocate Prashant Bhushan filed a review petition before the Supreme Court challenging his conviction by the apex court in criminal contempt of court case. This came hours after he deposited the fine of Rs 1 imposed on him by the top court as punishment in the case. Bhushan maintained that depositing the fine amount does not signify that he agrees with the top court’s verdict.

“I am going to the Su-

preme Court registry to deposit Rs 1 fine imposed on me in relation to the contempt of court case. That I am depositing the fine does not mean I am accepting the judgment. I will be filing a review petition against the

judgment today,” Bhushan said.

Later in the day, he filed the review petition. The apex court had, on Aug 14, held Bhushan guilty of contempt of court for his two tweets, one criticizing SC & the other against CJI, SA Bobde.

In his review petition, Bhushan challenged the August 14 judgment contending that it suffers from various errors and also renders any criticism of SC an offence of criminal contempt.

New Delhi: The Central government submitted before S C that no jhuggi will be demolished right now as the Railways is discussing the issue with Delhi government and the Ministry of Urban Development to find a solution.

A bench of the apex court, headed by CJI SA Bobde, was hearing the submissions on senior Congress leader Ajay Maken’s plea challenging the SC order

for the demolition of about 48,000 jhuggis alongside the railway tracks in Delhi. “No jhuggi will be removed or demolished right now. The railway is discussing this issue with the Delhi government and the Union Ministry of Urban Development and we will come up with some solution,” Mehta submitted.

The bench adjourned hearing on the matter for four weeks. —ANI

LAUNCH OF BJP’S ‘SEVA SAPTAH’

‘PM Modi has changed culture of politics since 2014’ Noida: PM Narendra Modi has changed the culture of politics in country since 2014 by making elected representatives work for people instead of themselves, BJP president JP Nadda on Monday said in a veiled attack on rival parties.

The people have also realised the difference in the country’s politics before and after 2014, the year Modi’s BJP

JP Nadda launched a week-long campaign named ‘Seva Saptah’ ahead of PM Modi’s birthday at Gautam Buddha Nagar.

SENSEX ENDS 98 PTS LOWER; IT STOCKS SHINE: TRADE EXPERTS Mumbai: Domestic equity benchmark Sensex pared early gains to end 98 points lower on Monday, tracking losses in index majors HDFC twins, Reliance Industries and Bharti Airtel. After gyrating 657 points during the day, the 30-share BSE index settled 97.92 points or 0.25 per cent lower at 38,756.63. The NSE Nifty slipped 24.40 points or 0.21 per cent to close at 11,440.05.

Bharti Airtel was the top loser in the Sensex pack, falling over 3 per cent, followed by Bajaj Finance, PowerGrid, SBI, HDFC Bank and Sun Pharma.

swept to power at the Centre, Nadda said as he launched here “Seva Saptah”, a week-long party campaign to mark the 70th birthday of the PM that falls on September 17.

“Friends, if we look at the politics of India post 2014, Modi not only became the PM but also changed the ‘raajneeti ki sanskriti’ in the country,” he told a gathering, including party

CHAMPAT RAI SAYS ‘UDDHAV WELCOME IN AYODHYA’ Ayodhya: Ram Temple Teerth Kshetra Trust general secretary Champat Rai, said that nobody can stop Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray from visiting Ayodhya. Champat Rai, general secretary of Shri Ram Janambhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, has said that Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray is always welcome to visit

Ayodhya. “Kisi ki maa ne dhoodh pilaya hai ki Uddhav ko rok sake (dare anyone who can stop Uddhav),” Rai said. Rai’s statement comes two days after Akhara Parishad , VHP & other Ayodhya seers announced their support for actor Kangana Ranaut and asked the Maharashtra CM to stay away from Ayodhya.

leaders and workers, at Chhaprauli village in Gautam Buddh Nagar district of UP. He said earlier in politics there was “mewa” instead of “seva” or “seva” for one’s own self. “Now with Modi at helm, we believe there is just ‘seva’ and we work for the last man standing in the queue, the poor, the harassed, and bringing them into the mainstream.” —PTI

PM to unveil infra projects in Bihar

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of seven projects related to urban infrastructure in Bihar on September 15 through video conferencing.

According to an official statement, the total cost of these projects is Rs 541 crore. Four projects are related to water supply, two to sewerage treatment and one to riverfront development. “The total cost of these projects is Rs 541 crore. The implementation of these projects has been undertaken by Bihar Urban Infrastructure Development Corporation. Chief Minister of Bihar will also be present on the occasion,” the release said.

Sewerage treatment plants built under Namami Gange, at Beur and Karmalichak, in Patna Municipal Corporation, will be inaugurated by the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi.

—ANI

COURT SENDS KHALID TO 10-DAY POLICE CUSTODY New Delhi: A Delhi court Monday sent former JNU student leader Umar Khalid, arrested under the stringent anti-terror law Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, to police custody for 10 days in a case related to the communal violence in northeast Delhi in February. Khalid was produced before Additional Sessions Judge Amitabh Rawat through video conferencing. Police had sought his custody for 10 days saying they wanted to confront him with documents running into 11 lakh pages. He was arrested on Sunday night.

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COVID-19 UPDATE: Acc to govt data, 92,071 new infections were reported in a day & death toll climbed to 79,722

Corona tally in India breaches 48-L mark ‘India has been able to limit Covid deaths to 55 per mn population’

A worker sprays disinfectant inside the metro train as Kolkata Metro service resumes from Monday.

New Delhi: India’’s COVID-19 case tally crossed 48 lakh with 92,071 new infections being reported in a day, while over 37.8 lakh people have recuperated taking the national recovery rate to 78 per cent on Monday, according to the Union Health Ministry data.

The total coronavirus cases mounted to 48,46,427, while the death toll climbed to 79,722 with 1,136 more people succumbing to the infection in a span of 24 hours, the data updated at 8 am showed.

The COVID-19 case fatality rate due to the coronavirus infection has further dropped to 1.64 per cent.

There are 9,86,598 active cases of COVID-19 in the country, while 37,80,107 people have re-

HARYANA CM KHATTAR RECOVERS

spectively, which is one of the lowest in the world as compared to similarly affected countries," he said. —ANI

Coronavirus was made in Wuhan lab: Chinese virologist

covered, the data stated.

India’’s COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20lakh mark on August 7, 30 lakh on August 23 and it went past 40 lakh on September 5.

According to the ICMR, a cumulative total of 5,72,39,428 samples have been tested up to September 13 with 9,78,500 samples being tested on Sunday.

Of the 1,136 fresh

deaths, 416 were reported from Maharashtra, 104 from Karnataka, 80 from Uttar Pradesh, 74 from Tamil Nadu, 68 from Punjab, 66 from Andhra Pradesh, 58 from West Bengal, 34 from Madhya Pradesh, 29 from Delhi, 19 from Haryana, 16 each from Assam and Chhattisgarh, 15 each from Puducherry, Rajasthan and Gujarat. —PTI

BIHAR ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS 2020

ECI officials visit Patna to review preps

New Delhi: In a stunning revelation, a Chinese virologist has claimed that the coronavirus was created in a government-controlled laboratory in Wuhan, the original epicentre of the outbreak and offered scientific evidence to back her claims.

In an exclusive conversation with 'Loose Women', a British talk show, Dr Li-Meng Yan, the scientist said she was assigned to investigate "new pneumonia" in Wuhan. She said that

with Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu.

Naidu welcomed them with folded hands as members came forward for the oath-taking, signed the register, and walked back to their designated seats, without approaching other leaders for greetings.

Soren, 76, who had last month tested positive for the coronavirus, spoke feebly as he took oath in Hindi and was assisted by a Rajya Sabha staff member as he walked to his seat.—PTI

New Delhi: A team of officials from the Election Commission of India (ECI) visited Bihar to overview the latest preparation and updates on the Bihar Assembly elections.

"The team reached Patna before lunch to see the latest developments as far as the preparation for Bihar assembly election is concerned," an official from the commission told ANI. In addition, the official said that they were to see the latest pandemic situation in the state. —ANI

Chhetri were found to be infected. Lekhi later tweeted that she is currently in good health.

She also requested people who recently come in contact with her to get tested for the coronavirus disease.

“After the routine Parliament test for COVID & genome test it’s confirmed that I have tested positive for the virus. I am currently in good health & spirits. I request everyone who has been recently in contact with me to get tested. Together We will fight & defeat Corona,” Lekhi tweeted.

The Indian Council

of Medical Research (ICMR) said it has carried out testing of more than 2,500 samples of members of Parliament and other officials “on a war footing” over the weekend.

The reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test, considered the most accurate for the diagnosis of the coronavirus disease, would continue till the next week for the members of Parliament, officials said.

As the viral disease continues to pose a threat to the session, many senior MPs, cutting across political

lines, have decided against attending the proceedings.

On the first day of the delayed session that was attended by 359 members, nearly 200 were present in the Lok Sabha chamber and a little over 30 were seated in the visitors’ gallery located above the main chamber. Plastic shields were installed in front of the members’ benches in order to ensure distance.

A giant TV screen in the Lok Sabha chamber showed very few members occupying seats in the Rajya Sabha chamber, the other venue

Shibu Soren takes oath as RS member

she discovered a coverup operation regarding coronavirus during her investigation.

The doctor then made the stunning revelation that the "virus is not from nature" and it was from a "laboratory controlled by the Chinese government in Wuhan". —ANI

The Centre took the COVID-19 with the highest level of political challenge. India collectively stood up to manage COVID-19 and it is estimated that the decisions taken by the government helped in preventing approximately 14-29 lakh cases and 37,000-38,000 deaths.

—Dr Harsh Vardhan, Union Health Minister

ICICI BANKVIDEOCON CASE: DEEPAK KOCHHAR TESTS POSITIVE New Delhi: Former ICICI Bank CEO Chanda Kochhar's husb a n d Deepak Kochhar, who was recently brought to Delhi from Mumbai by a team of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case, has tested positive for COVID-19. Kochhar has been admitted to AIIMS Delhi. —ANI

‘Entire country stands by Army irrespective of ruling party’ New Delhi: The entire country has stood by the Indian Army irrespective of the ruling party at the Centre and would always do so, said Shiv Sena's Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut here on Monday.

Speaking to ANI on Monday, Raut said, "The entire country has stood by the Army irrespective of whose government is at the Centre and will always do the same."

This comes after the Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statement on Monday ahead of the commencement of monsoon session of Parliament.

"This Parliament, and especially this session have another responsibility.

Today, when our soldiers are holding fort on borders,

JMM Prez Shibu Soren took oath as a RS Member in Delhi.

New Delhi: Jharkhand Mukti Morcha chief Shibu Soren, DMK leader Tiruchi Siva and BJP's Syed Zafar Islam were among the 15 newly-elected members who took oath in Rajya Sabha on Monday.

On the opening day of the Monsoon session of Parliament that is being held with several restrictions in view of the COVID-19 pandemic, the MPs walked to the designated spot, took the oath but did not go for the customary handshake

New Delhi: Owing to the nationwide efforts the COVID-19 related deaths have been limited to 55 per million population, said Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan.

Speaking in LS, the Union Minister also said that the cases per million population in the country have also been limited to 3,328 in the country.

"With our endeavour to manage COVID-19, India has been able to limit its cases and deaths to 3,328 cases and 55 deaths per million population re-

RAUT SPEAK

06

POWER Gallery KAUN BANEGA NEW ED?

Who will be new Director Enforcement after the superannuation of Sanjay Mishra in November?

Search for new ED has already begun. Mishra is a 1984 batch IRS(IT) officer.

VIJAY VARDHAN TO BE CHIEF SECRETARY OF HARYANA?

Vijay Vardhan is likely to succeed Keshni Anand Arora as Chief Secretary of Haryana on October 1.

He is a 1985 batch IAS officer of Haryana cadre.

RAJIV JALOTA AHEAD FOR CHAIRMAN’s RACE, MUMBAI PORT TRUST?

Rajiv Onkarnath Jalota is said to be ahead in the race for the post of Chairman of Mumbai Port Trust. He is a 1988 batch IAS officer of Maharashtra cadre. Another contender for the post, 1997 batch IAS officer of Maharashtra cadre Asheesh Sharma is also said to be in the panel.

AMRAPALI KATHA APPOINTED DEPUTY SECRETARY, PMO

Amrapali Katha, presently Deputy Secretary in the Cabinet Secretariat, has been appointed Deputy Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office. She is a 2010 batch IAS officer of AP cadre.

RAGHURAJ RAJENDRAN APPOINTED DIRECTOR, PMO

Raghuraj Rajendran has been appointed Director in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). He is a 2004 batch IAS officer of MP cadre.

SAMEER KUMAR KHARE APPOINTED AS ED, ADB, MANILA

Sameer Kumar Khare has been appointed as Executive Director, Asian Development Bank, Manila for a period of three years. He is a 1989 batch IAS officer of Assam-Meghalaya cadre.

RAJESH KHULLAR APPOINTED AS ED, WORLD BANK HQ, WASHINGTON DC

Rajesh Khullar has been appointed as Executive Director, World Bank Headquarters, Washington DC, USA for a period of three years. He is a 1988 batch IAS officer of Haryana cadre.

CADRE OF AYUSHI SINGH TRANSFERRED TO MAHARASHTRA

The cadre of Ayushi Singh, has been transferred from Tamil Nadu to Maharashtra on the grounds of marriage to Nityanand Jha, a 2019 batch IPS officer. Singh is a 2019 batch IAS officer.

SANJAY GOEL RETURNS TO PARENT CADRE

Sanjay Goel, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology, has been given premature repatriation to his parent cadre. He is a 1991 batch IRTS officer.

SAJID FARID SHAPOO POSTED AS IG, PHQ IN MP on hilly and difficult terrain, and snowfall is likely after some time, I believe that all members of the Parliament will give an unequivocal message that the country stands with our soldiers," the Prime Minister had said.

Raut further said: "The message of 'Jab tak dawai nahi tab tak koi dhilai nahi' by the Prime Minister is right.

Earlier, the same message was given by Ma-

harashtra Chief Minister."

"The fight against COVID-19 is not easy as seven months has passed since the first case was detected," Raut added.

"Government should suo motto bring all the issues in the house for discussion instead of opposition raising it.

The opposition will raise the issues in the interest of the people," he said. —ANI

where the lower house MPs have been accommodated keeping in mind physical distancing norms.

Benches that usually accommodate six members had a numbered seating plan for only three. The Parliament session is being held in two shifts — the Rajya Sabha in the morning and the Lok Sabha in the afternoon — with members of both Houses spread across the two chambers and galleries.

On the opening day, however, the Lok Sabha was held in the morning shift and the Rajya Sabha in the afternoon.

Rajnath Singh... and the Rajya Sabha will be held on Tuesday on the India-China matter keeping in mind national security interests.

“The government is ready to discuss the issues. Considering the sensitivities and strategic points of India-China matter, a meeting of leaders from both Houses will be held on Tuesday (September 15). We will brief the leaders in the meeting,” said Joshi while responding to a question,

Sajid Farid Shapoo has been appointed as Inspector General of Police, Police headquarters (PHQ), Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh. He is a 1998 batch IPS officer of MP cadre.

JAGANNATH SRINIVASAN APPOINTED AS OSD, PRESIDENT’s SECRETARIAT

Jagannath Srinivasan has been appointed as Officer on Special Duty in the President’s Secretariat. He is a 2002 batch officer of Indian Postal Service.

By arrangement with: http:// whispersinthecorridors.com

FROM PG 1 Tunnel-like... and made from red bricks near Geeta Mandir, under the guise of a redevelopment project.

After opposition against the project, work was stopped at the site.

The contractor did not secure necessary approval from the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) to demolish the gate. But, on July 25, GSRTC ordered the contractor Messrs. Hubtown Ltd, to demolish the gate at a cost of Rs44,945. The debris was valued at Rs1.31 lakh.

25 MPs... and AITC’s

Shanta

Our laws,...

Unless court does violence to various laws,

this cannot be done,” said the Solicitor General. Mehta also said that under the Hindu Marriage Act, various provisions regulating marriages or prohibited relationships talk of husband and wife. “Who would be assigned these roles where a same-sex couple was concerned,” he questioned.

Delhi High Court Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice Prateek Jalan observed that things were changing the world over, but it may or may not be applicable to India.

The court questioned the need for a petition,

saying that people who claimed to be affected were well-educated and could themselves approach the court.

“Why should we entertain the PIL,” the judges said.

The counsel for the petitioner said the affected people were not coming forward as they feared reprisals and preferred a Public Interest Litigation.

The court asked the lawyer appearing for the petitioner, Abhijit Iyer Mitra, to give details of the persons who were not permitted to register their same-sex marriage. —ANI

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07

WHY ULTRAPROCESSED FOODS ARE BAD FOR OUR HEALTH? Ultra-processed foods are terrible for our health. And we’re eating more of them than ever before, partially because of aggressive marketing and

‘BIG FOOD’ IS DRIVING CONSUMPTION

lobbying by 'Big Food'

W

e also asked: what explains the global rise in ultra-processed food sales?

Growing incomes, more people living in cities, and working families seeking convenience are a few factors that contribute.

However, it’s also clear “Big Food” corporations are driving ultra-processed food consumption globally — think Coca-Cola, Nestlé and McDonald’s. Sales growth is lower in countries where such corporations have a limited presence. Globalisation has allowed these corporations to make huge investments in their overseas operations. The Coca-Cola System, for example, now includes 900 bottling plants worldwide, distributing 2 billion servings every day.

As Big Food globalises, their advertising and promotion becomes widespread.

New digital technologies, such as gaming, are used to target children. By collecting large amounts of personal data online, companies can even target their advertising at us as individuals.

Supermarkets are now spreading throughout the developing world, provisioning ultra-processed foods at scale, and at low prices. Where supermarkets don’t exist, other distribution strategies are used. For example, Nestlé uses its “door-to-door” salesforce to reach thousands of poor households in Brazil’s urban slums.

Rising consumption also reflects Big Food’s political power to undermine public health policies. This includes lobbying policymakers, making political donations, funding favourable research, and partnerships with community organisations.

H

umans ( a n d our ancestors) have been processing food for at least 1.8 million years. Roasting, drying, grinding and other techniques made food more nutritious, durable, and tasty. This helped our ancestors to colonise diverse habitats, and then develop settlements and civilisations. Many traditional foods used in cooking today are processed in some way, such as grains, cheeses, dried fish and fermented vegetables. Processing itself is not the problem. Only much more

recently has a different type of food processing emerged: one that is more extensive, and uses new chemical and physical techniques. This is called ultra-processing, and the resulting products ultra-processed foods.

To make these foods, cheap ingredients such as starches, vegetable oils and sugars, are combined with cosmetic additives like colours, flavours and emulsifiers. Think sugary drinks, confectionery, mass-produced breads, snack foods, sweetened dairy products and frozen desserts.

Unfortunately, these foods are terrible for our health. And we’re eating more of them than ever before, partially because of aggressive marketing and lobbying by “Big Food”.

ULTRA-PROCESSED FOODS ARE HARMING OUR HEALTH

S

o concludes our recent literature review. We found that more ultraprocessed foods in the diet associates with higher risks of obesity, heart disease and stroke, type-2 diabe-

AND YET, WE’RE EATING MORE AND MORE OF THEM

I

n our latest study, published in August, we found ultra-processed food sales are booming nearly everywhere in the world. Sales are highest in rich countries like Australia, the United States and Canada. They are rising rapidly in middle-income countries like China, South Africa and Brazil, which are highly populated. The scale of dietary change and harms to health are therefore likely immense.

tes, cancer, frailty, depression and death.

These harms can be caused by the foods’ poor nutritional profile, as many are high in added sugars, salt and trans-fats.

Also, if you tend to

eat more ultra-processed foods, it means you probably eat fewer fresh and less-processed foods.

Industrial processing itself can also be harmful. For example, certain food addi-

tives can disrupt our gut bacteria and trigger inflammation, while plasticisers in packaging can interfere with our hormonal system.

Certain features of ultra-processed foods also promote overconsumption. Product flavours, aromas and mouthfeel are designed to make these foods ultra-tasty, and perhaps even addictive. Ultra-processed foods also harm the environment. For example, food packaging generates much of the plastic waste that enters marine ecosystems.

HERE’S HOW THINGS CAN CHANGE

T

he evidence that ultra-processed foods are harming our health and the planet is clear.

We must now consider using a variety of strategies to decrease consumption. This includes adopting new laws and regulations, for example by using taxation, marketing restrictions and removing these products from schools.

We cannot rely on industry-preferred responses such as product reformulation alone. After all, reformulated ultra-processed foods are usu-

ally still ultra-processed. Further, simply telling individuals to “be more responsible” is unlikely to work, when Big Food spends billions every year marketing unhealthy products to undermine that responsibility.

Should dietary guidelines now strongly advise people to avoid ultra-processed foods? Brazil and other Latin American countries are already doing this. And for us as individuals the advice is simple — avoid ultra-processed foods altogether.

SOURCE: THE CONVERSATION CONCEPT: DIVYA HEMNANI DESIGN: CP SHARMA

We are not selfish if we live as we wish to, being responsible for ourselves, We are selfish when we ask others to live as per our desires.

2ND FRONT

—Jagdeesh Chandra, CEO & Editor, First India

AHMEDABAD | TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2020

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COVID-19 UPDATE

WORLD

9,29,903 2,92,80,891 DEATHS

MAHARASHTRA 29,894 DEATHS 10,77,374 CASES

CONFIRMED CASES

TAMIL NADU 8,434 DEATHS 5,08,511 CASES

INDIA

DEATHS

KARNATAKA 7,384 DEATHS 4,67,689 CASES

CONFIRMED CASES

Ex-CS daughter among 8 new IPS First India Bureau Gandhinagar: Dr Lavina Sinha, daughter of former Gujarat chief secretary Varesh Sinha, is among the 8 young IPS officers who were on Sunday given postings after their return from a 2-year training at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy- Hyderabad (SVPNPA).

Lavina Sinha has been posted as Divisional Police Officer (DPO) at Viramgam in Ahmedabad district.

Her father Varesh Sinha was chief secretary of Gujarat from Janu-

ary 31, 2013 to April 30, 2014.

The others who have been made DPOs are Shaifalki Barwal from Rajasthani posted at Dahod, Abhay Soni (Amreli), Shushil Agrawal (Palanpur, Banaskantha district), Hasan Safin Mustafa Ali (Bhavnagar), Pooja Yadav (Tharad, Banaskantha district), Vikas Sunda (Bharuch), Om Prakash Jat (Veraval, Gir Somnath district).

Agrawal and Hasan Safi belong to Gujarat.

They have been posted in the ranks of supernumerary Assistant Superintendents of Police (ASPs).

to live together.

But soon Sanjay began abusing her and used to rape her.

He picked up a fight with her during the lockdown when she asked him to get some groceries. He also burnt her whenever he got angry and would beat her when she threatened to

Ahmedabad: The second Covid-19 test report of Gujarat BJP President CR Paatil, who is under treatment at the Apollo Hospital in Ahmedabad, has also been found to be positive.

When news of Paatil testing positive for the first time began doing the rounds, the BJP president had tweeted saying that his antigen test had been negative and he was not COVID-19 infected.

However, he got himself admitted to hospital and eventually, he had tested positive. His son Jignesh Paatil had also tweeted that his father was Covid-19 positive but quickly deleted the tweet.

But sources quoted doctors as saying that despite him testing positive a second time, the overall load of the virus in his

leave him.

He then trapped her in his home and forced her to beg for money by taking advantage of her disability.

Sumitra one day managed to escape from Sanjay and reached Nikol police station. She took help of the cops to file a case against Sanjay.

Thai girl was killed in cold blood by her compatriot First India Bureau Surat: The Surat Police have finally blown the lid off the mysterious death of a 27-year-old woman from Thailand with Monday’s arrest of none other than her compatriot who killed her for money.

The victim’s charred body was found in her flat in Magdalla area with its door locked from outside on September 6.

Initially the police registered it as a case of accidental death until CCTV footage showed her friend sneaking out

Thailand woman, who was murdered by her friend in Surat.— FILE PHOTO

of her home on the night of the incident, Surat Police Commissioner Ajay Tomar told reporters on Monday.

The two women from Thailand lived in separate apartments in the same

area. The accused, who was facing financial problems, killed her friend to steal her money and valuables, Tomar added.

“We already had suspicion that the victim was murdered, but we

RAJASTHAN 1,272 DEATHS 1,04,138 CASES

First India Bureau

Rape accused Sanjay Vyas knocked a police constable and escaped from Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad.

work.

Claiming to be a social worker, he promised to get her a disability certificate. The two then often met and got close. Sanjay proposed marriage saying that he wished to settle down with a differently-abled woman. Sumitra moved in with Sanjay and the two began

CONFIRMED CASES

CR Paatil’s second report confirms he has Covid-19

DECEIT OF SORTS

Shishir Awasthi

DEATHS

DELHI 4,770 DEATHS 2,21,533 CASES

He raped a differently-abled woman, forced her into beggary, knocks cop unconscious and flees

scious. And he fled.

Sanjay was arrested after Sumitra (name changed), a 40-year-old differently-abled woman, escaped from his trap and filed a police complaint. The woman, who worked in an incense making unit, met Vyas near Viratnagar on her way to

GUJARAT

80,693 49,14,777 3,230 1,14,996

Rapist goes hyper, mauls woman, batters cop, flees Ahmedabad: Facts are often stranger than fiction. This sordid saga of a man who raped a differently-abled woman, forced her into beggary and knocked a cop unconscious to run away is similar.

This was on Monday when the man identified as Sanjay alias Sunny Vyas, already in police custody for torturing the physicallychallenged woman, escaped from the cops after knocking down a constable unconscious.

Vyas was taken to the Civil Hospital for a medical check-up where he wanted to use the washroom, and the constable escorted him. Once inside, Vyas assaulted police constable Hemraj Jhala, 30, and banged his head against the wall so hard that he fell uncon-

08

needed strong evidence.

So, her friends were interrogated. We also noticed that the victim’s mobile phone and gold chain were missing. We checked the CCTV footage around the house on the night of the incident and found suspicious movement of the accused,” the Police Commissioner said.

She made the victim smoke an intoxicating substance in a hookah.

When the victim fainted, she took her gold jewellery and mobile phones. She then set her ablaze and locked the house while leaving,” Tomar said.

Gujarat BJP President CR Paatil.

body was on the decline.

Paatil, also an MP from Navsari in South Gujarat, had courted controversy when he went about addressing rallies and meetings party workers in Saurashtra and North Gujarat regions.

The Opposition had then asked pointed questions to the government about rampant violation of all social distancing and mask norms at these rallies. The media was also replete with stories on this.

Besides Paatil, State BJP spokesperson Bharat Pandya, BJP office secretary Paresh Patel, Mahila Morcha secretary Monaben Raval and Ahmedabad East MP Hasmukh Patel had also tested positive for the virus. In Ahmedabad alone, over 24 corporators and 4 BJP MLAs and 2 MPs have tested positive so far.

Earlier, however, Paatil had cancelled a huge public reception for him in Surat after he was named the State BJP President.

Congress MLA urges HC to ban political gatherings First India Bureau Ahmedabad: A senior Congress MLA has written a letter to the Chief Justice of the Gujarat High Court requesting him to ban political gatherings, lest they become a source of large scale spread of the coronavirus with local body elections approaching.

Dariyapur MLA Gyasuddin Shaikh has written the letter addressed to the Registrar-General that even if permissions are

granted with conditions to follow the Covid-19 protocol, it may hardly be strictly followed.

He has pointed out that if under political pressure the police or other authorities fail to ensure the implementation of Standard Operating Procedures, it will trigger the rate of infection further and may result in deaths.

He has stated that in the larger interest, all political gatherings should be prohibited by the court.

TIP OF ICEBERG!

MOLEHILL TURNS MOUNTAIN IN PWD ENGR BRIBERY CASE 

It was like any other corruption complaint against a PWD Deputy Engineer until it was found he had amassed huge disproportionate assets

First India Bureau Ahmedabad: Investigations into a bribery case of Rs 15,000 against a PWD deputy engineer have led the Anti-Corruption Bureau to unearth disproportionate assets worth Rs 53.19 lakh amassed by him.

According to ACB officials, Vasant Chauhan (56) had sought a bribe when he was the in-charge executive engineer in the Sipu pipe-

line project department of PWD in Palanpur. He was later made deputy engineer (grade 2) in the Dantiwada Sipu pipeline project in June this year. However, he was suspended a month later.

Chauhan was on Monday booked under the Prevention of Corruption Act after an evaluation of his assets and expenditure revealed that he had garnered Rs 53.19 lakh by misusing his post. Chauhan

ACB uncovers disproportionate assets of a PWD Deputy Engineer in Palanpur.

belongs to Vadgam in Banaskantha.

A complaint was lodged against Chauhan that he had sought Rs 15,000 as bribe to clear payment for the construction of a wall for the canal protection under the Sipu scheme.

An FIR was lodged against him at the ACB police station in Banaskantha in February this year.

During the probe, property and other documents of Chau-

han and his family members were analysed. It was found that the valid income of Chauhan and his family members amounted to Rs 96.13 lakh while the assets and expenditure were found at Rs 1.49 crore thereby having a DA of Rs 53.19 lakh.

“It has been found that Chauhan misused his position to earn quick money and used various corrupt means,” an ACB press release said.

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Spaghetti or Noodle straps are all the rage but one needs certain pointers to carry them off with style and grace.

City First brings you just what you need to conquer the style!

NOODLES ON MY

SHOULDERS KARISHMA GWALANI karishma.gwalani@firstindia.co.in

T

he fashion clock has turned back the dial to 1998, and spaghetti strap tops are once again on the menu.

With the mild weather here, it’s time to break out the tanks and show off our sun-kissed shoulders. It’s no wonder why this trend has a massive comeback these days. We see new collections, where spaghetti straps appear on pieces completed in grunge, romantic and gothic styles.

What I love the most about this trend is that special carelessly sexy look. It drives me crazy to see women in silky pieces that hanging off a tanned back in a relaxed way.

There is trivia about spaghetti straps summer dresses, i.e., it is named so due to its resemblance to the noodles and pasta. Tiny, narrow spaghetti straps look so pretty and delicate, especially on elegant pieces like lingerie, tops and evening gowns.

Spaghetti straps can be a very versatile piece of clothing that can be styled in a ton of different ways. Here are a few of our tips to rock the style:

CHOOSE THE PERFECT BRALETTE

The first and foremost thing is to decide what bra to wear under Spaghetti straps. Choosing the perfect bra is very important (not wearing one is also an option though). We recommend wearing a bandeau or strapless bra if your top has thin straps. Wear a seamless bra if you are wearing a knit, formfitting top/dress.

KEEP IT CASUAL

The easiest way to wear a spaghetti strap dress is by keeping it casual.

While some people like to wear a simple t-shirt underneath; others like to wear it on bare skin. Match the top of your choice with low waist skinny jeans for an elegant, yet slightly casual look for the night.

GRUNGE IT DOWN

If you want to add a harder edginess to your look, keep things dark and sultry. Try pairing a black dress with a studded clutch and choker. But keep the accessories to a minimum for an elegant look.

WEAR IT TO WORK

Smarten up a strappy dress by wearing it with a tailored blazer, a timeless watch and a pair of staple black heels.

GLAM IT UP!

If you have an important event to attend, we think there’s nothing more glamorous than a Spaghetti strapped perfectly fitting, floorlength gown with a statement bracelet.

09

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AHMEDABAD | TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2020

10

Corona defied

with DIGNITY

Dr Akhilesh Jain

AFTER EFFECT

D

The mind is so fearless, Jubi lance reaches sky high.

Ever since I conquered corona, feeling like a bird in the sky.

Family and friends all stood around, not letting my soul cry.

Persuading my vigour to fight, encouraging to give a tough try.

Did I suppose to get afflicted,

finding reason so as to why?

It could happen to anyone, ignoring precautions to comply.

Enduring this crisis, I learned something difficult to deny.

Always keep relations healthy, mitigating all your sigh.

There is no place in this world without a problem low or high.

Where is the land in this world where we don’t find the sky.

CRUSH THE ENEMY I may be the one, I may be the only, Keeping hopes alive, I’m not lonely.

What I earned until now, a treasure so costly, Family and friends around, helping me so closely.

Allaying my fear, Encouraging me strongly.

Making me stand upright, Fight situation boldly.

The fragrance of relationships, never

FA CE OF TH ED AY

r Akhilesh Jain, Head, Department of Psychiatry in ESI Model Hospital established a new paradigm of positivity in fighting against Corona.

Dr Jain, along with his clinical practice has been motivating and encouraging public and mass to fight against this crisis by his bi-lingual poems and articles since the beginning.

While caught himself with Corona, Dr Jain wrote down several poems and articles to keep his morale up and others too during the isolation period and successfully came out of it. This endeavor has largely been appreciated on social media.

felt so purely.

Building confidence sky-high, To win the battle surely.

Believing my doctor, nothing less than godly.

I shall bounce back, with pink of health shortly.

I’m an Indian, troubles don’t fumble me mostly.

Corona is bound to die, as we smite our enemy totally.

YOUR DAY Horoscope by Saurabbh Sachdeva

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

CANCER

A past relationship can effect you present one so priorities and choose, just don’t hang in the middle.

Respect is not just for elders but also for youngster because by respect them you teach them how to respect others. You don’t get bored in family’s company ever.

You may think twice before buying something expensive for yourself but not even once before buying it for your kids and spouse..

Your lover will keep you entertained today whole day long. You are a very spiritual person and you may base all your actions on the spiritual lessons.

Expenses are on their way but for a good cause so don’t hesitate in loosening your pocket. You may not be able to take your family out but you will make it heavenly for them at home. You may soon buy a new property, keeping your kids in mind.

You love something related to arts.

Keep your attitude right when it comes to looking at life, thinking one way can make you grow and other way can make you regress.

Soon you will find the perfect match for marriage by the grace of God, your friends may play a role in your union.

MAR 21 - APR 20

MAY 21 - JUNE 21

JUNE 22 - JULY 23

LEO

VIRGO

LIBRA

SCORPIO

Those is food business must remember to always try and make something innovative to get the desired fame specially right now. Luck favours you to get the lover you have been looking for. You will get the job in the firm for which you have been dreaming for a long time.

You are satisfied with your health and you enjoy that feeling. Money will flow into your life to make you financially stable. Some of you may earn good name for being consistent at work. In social life, it’s a good practice to avoid blaming others for our own shortcomings.

You may lend someone a small amount of money with the intention to help but don’t make it a habit.

You will make lot of profit in any business related to food. You will be praised for your efforts by your parents, on academic front. Don’t loose your friend by fighting.

Those of you expecting promotion can expect favourable results without much struggle. You will feel on the top of the world after getting a positive answer from your lover. You must always try to remain calm even in the worst of situations.

Life is full of lessons.

JULY 24 - AUGUST 23

AUG 24 - SEP 23

SEPT 24 - OCTOBER 22

OCT 23 - NOVEMBER 22

SAGITTARIUS

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

Your friends and relatives will surprise you with a video call and you won’t stop smiling as a result of the virtual union. On academic front, your dedication will speak for yourself so don’t self praise. Long distance relationship are not always bad, yours is beautiful.

You are a great host and you know how to win people’s heart thats why you are so famous and always in demand. A guidance in life is all you need to reach your full potential. Your sincerity is what makes your boss kneel down as he/ she will never find another like you.

On professional front, things may not go as per your expectations and thats how life is so don’t get disappointed. Listen to your partner’s advice as he/she will only do the best for you. You will get a surprise from your kid and it will make you very emotional.

On professional front, a complex problem will be a child’s play for you to solve because you think out of box. You love your friends and trust them blindly but still be careful before you reveal your secrets to anyone. You are always connected with the nature.

NOV 23 - DEC 22

TRIPTI ARORA, Model

APR 21 - MAY 20

DEC 23 - JAN 20

JAN 21 - FEB 19

FEB20 - MARCH 20

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AHMEDABAD | TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2020

11

INDOO

KI JAWANI

Kiara Advani

I

...her post

Hindi Diwas

GREETINGS

Amitabh Bachchan

M

egastar Amitabh Bachchan on Monday extended ‘Hindi Diwas’ greetings to fans and countrymen.

The ‘Sholay’ actor took to Twitter to hail the nation and the many languages that it has. “Aaj ‘Hindi Diwas’ pe anek anek shubhkamnayein!

Bharat ke kone kone mei vibhinn bhashayein hain aur sab ki sab prabal hain aur sabka apna apna prabal sthaan hai! saare jahaan se achha Hindustan humara,” he tweeted.

The Hindi language was first adopted by the Constituent Assembly of India as the official language of the Republic of India on September 14, 1949. The decision of using Hindi as an official language of India was legalised by the Constitution of India on January 26, 1950.

Hindi is spoken as a native language by 258 million people and is recognised as the fourth most spoken language in the world.

—ANI

ntroducing her character of Indoo Gupta from her upcoming film ‘Indoo Ki Jawani’, actor Kiara Advani on Monday dropped a teaser of the film featuring herself.

The ‘Kabir Singh’ actor took to Instagram to share the short clip where she is seen decked up in a red coloured salwar kameez. In

the video, Advani is seen telling everyone about the “exciting” thing that she did by fixing a date for herself by swiping right an online dating application.

The video then ends stating that the date is fixed for “16th September” dropping hints that the team of the film will be bringing something for the viewers on September 16.

‘HAPPY BIRTHDAY SOULMATE’

A

ctor Ayushmann Khurrana rang in his 36th birthday on Monday with a special midnight cake cutting ceremony with his author wife Tahira Kashyap.

Kashyap took to Instagram and treated fans by sharing a lovely picture from the birthday celebrations. The picture features the ‘Vicky Donor’ actor with his face smeared all over with the birthday cake while his wife Tahira is seen in a motion to eat the cake from his face.

She also complimented the picture with a short yet sweet birthday note for Khurrana referring to him as the ‘cake’.

“Having my cake and eating it too! @ayushmannk #happybirthdaysoulmate,” she wrote in the caption.

The post received love from the fans of the actor as well as other celebrities of the film industry with actors like Shilpa Shetty and Neha Dhupia commenting on the picture.

—ANI Ayushmann Khurrana and Tahira Kashyap; (inset) Her post

“Main toh time se aa jaungi, date ke liye aap late mat hona!

Wait just a little more to meet Indoo! #IndooKiJawano,” Kiara wrote in the caption.

Helmed by Bengali filmmaker Abir Sengupta, the female-centric film is touted to be a modern age love story based on the current trend of dating through online applications.

The film will depict the story of Indoo Gupta, a feisty girl from Ghaziabad, whose left swipes and right swipes with dating app results in hilarious chaos.

‘Indoo Ki Jawani’ is being bankrolled by Monisha Advani, Madhu Bhojwani with Nikkhil Advani and co-produced by Niranjan Iyengar and Ryan Stephen.

—ANI

HEARTWARMING BLANKIE LETTER

A

few weeks b a c k , Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom had revealed, via a heartwarming statement to UNICEF, that they had welcomed their first child, a daughter who they named Daisy Dove Bloom.

“We are floating with love and wonder from the safe and healthy arrival of our daughter,” their joint statement had read. Since then, Perry has been busy taking care of her baby girl while also updating fans on the amazing gifts the family has received from their celebrity friends.

While Beyonce had sent over a gorgeous bouquet with a sweet note which read, “Congratulations on the new addition to your family! - Beyonce,” Ryan Seacrest sent over a customised trunk filled with baby books and toys for Daisy. Perhaps, the best gift received yet was from aunt Taylor Swift! While once involved in a major feud, Katy and Taylor have let bygones be bygone and are pretty close friends now. As revealed by the 35-year-old singer’s latest Instagram post, Swift sent a beautiful hand-embroidered baby pink blankie for Daisy which had the latter’s name written on it along with a heartwarming handwritten letter to the new parents detailing how her childhood silk blankie was her precious memory from when she was a baby.

—Agency

Katy Perry

SCROLL THROUGH!

‘FUKREY 3’ SCRIPT READY Director of the hit ‘Fukrey’ franchise, Mrigdeep Singh Lamba had announced that he has finished writing the script of the third instalment of the franchise.

Lamba took to Instagram to share a picture of three books with ‘Fukrey’ volume 1, Volume 2 and Volume 3 written on them. “#fukrey #volume3 Taiyyar, Agaaz (Ready, beginning),” he wrote making it clear for the fans that the cast of the film will be returning for the third franchise.

—ANI

‘STREE’ RELEASES IN JAPAN

...still from ‘Fukrey 3‘

After garnering love from the Indian audiences, Shraddha Kapoor and Rajkummar Rao’s horror flick ‘Stree’ released in Japan on Monday. Shraddha took to Twitter to make announcement and to urge Japanese audiences to “beware.” “#Stree is all set to conquer #Japan! Releasing today, beware,” tweeted Kapoor along with a poster of the film.

—ANI

...poster of the film

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AHMEDABAD | TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2020

12

Democracy of Hindi Language

THE TREND-SETTER Pooja Vyas, a Lifestyle Influencer, Life Coach and a Talk-Show Host from Gujarat shot for a few indo-western looks recently. With these shoots, she has been setting major trends through her social media handles and has been regularly updating her viewers about the ‘indo-western’ trend.

CITY FIRST

T

o demand respect for a regional language and to promote its democracy, it is essential to study, respect and gain knowledge of other languages as well.

If we want to give prevalence to any other language over English, we must create vast literature of knowledge for that particular language to contest with English.

This was stated by Assistant Professor, Hindi Department, Hindu College, New Delhi, Dr. Pal-

Pooja Vyas

—City First Gujarat

Dr Pallav

Dr Vishal Vikram Singh

lav. He was speaking at the online discussion on ‘Democracy in Hindi Language’ held on the JKK Facebook page today. The event was organized under the joint aegis of the Department of Art, Literature, Culture and Archeology, Government of Ra-

jasthan and JKK. On the occasion, Assistant Professor, Hindi Department, Rajasthan University, Dr. Vishal Vikram Singh said that a language is not born in a vacuum, it is created among social groups or two units through conversation. cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

JECRC Incubation Centre CITY FIRST

J

ECRC University has once again extended its hand to help startups. The university has provided financial assistance along with providing better facilities to four new young startups.

JECRC University has provided financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh to four new startups. The University has developed a better ecosystem to promote young startups.

JECRC had invited applications to promote startups based on new ideas. 9 of these applications were considered. These were then evaluated by a jury of six members and four of them were selected in this second diagnostic panel to further promote Young Startups. Even before

TWEETED!

DURING THE DAY!

Power of HINDI S CITY FIRST

enior litterateur Jeevan Singh has said that if we want to become world guru, then Hindi has to be brought to the center. We cannot become world masters by studying English. In the new National Education Policy, the emphasis has been laid on Indian languages but it has not been told where Hindi will be replaced. Languages take the form of the national language out of the local languages and Hindi has acquired that place.

Speaking on the Hindi Day on an online program organised by Rajasthan Progressive Writers Association and Rashtriya Bhasha Prachar Samiti on the topic of “New National Education Policy and Language Question”, Jeevan Singh said that the goal of education should be to establish human life values.

Guru can be made not only by skill, but

this, JECRC University has provided financial assistance of Rs 16 lakh to four new startups under the scheme of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India.

Arpit Agarwal, Vice-Chairperson, JECRC University congratulated all the startups and also the efforts by the incubation team in grooming the startups. He emphasised on the importance of starting early and also encouraged students to dedicate all their energy to build their startups. cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

also on the basis of humanity. Chanakya had no empire, but he was a guru because he had life values.

In a conversation with Ish Madhu Talwar, General Secretary of Rajasthan Progressive Writers Association, Jeevan Singh said that privatization of education will make education expensive and poor sections will do away with education. In a country where there are deep trenches of inequality, weakening the public sectors will weaken the country. The program was conducted by young writer Tasneem Khan. cityfirst@firstindia.co.in RAJASTHAN: During an interactive session on Family Business Network organised by CII-Yi Kota Chapter on the virtual platform, Dr Parimal Merchant, Director, SP Jain School of Global Management said, “Identification of ownership in family businesses is of paramount importance for making sound decisions and adopting unconventional strategies in the family business. Family businesses learn with contradictions, but corporates cannot live with contradictions.”

RAJASTHAN: Rajasthan University’s Bulbul Pathak has been selected for the NSS National Award 2018-19 which will be awarded to her by President Ram Nath Kovind on 24 September at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi, for her contribution to women empowerment.

RAJASTHAN: Senior citizens of Subhash Colony, Jaipur planted saplings and started a tree plantation campaign in Subhash Colony on Monday and gave the message of ‘Plant trees – Stop Pollution’.

RAJASTHAN: The women power of Jaipur protested against the attitude of the Maharashtra government with Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut, at Statue Circle on Monday.

GUJARAT: Sabarmati river was seen overflowing with water after the rainwater was released from Sant Sarovar Dam Gandhinagar in Ahmedabad on Monday; many parts of the state were blessed with good rainfall during this monsoon season.

—PHOTO BY HANIF SINDHI

On the eve of ‘Hindi Divas’, an international conference was organised by the Hindi Prachar Prasar Sansthan discussing on the vital subject of ‘Significance of Hindi language over English in today’s globalized world’ which brought the worldwide luminaries of Hindi language together.