First India-Ahmedabad Edition-16 December 2020

AHMEDABAD l WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2020 l Pages 12 l 3.00 RNI NO. GUJENG/2019/16208 l Vol 2 l Issue No. 22

NO WINTER SESSION OF PARLIAMENT DUE TO COVID-19: GOVT OUR EDITIONS: JAIPUR, AHMEDABAD & LUCKNOW

Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Pralhad Joshi has said that he has informally contacted floor leaders of various political parties and they have expressed

17°C - 27°C

their concerns about the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and opined of doing away with Winter Session of the Parliament. Joshi said this in a letter dated December 14,

addressed to Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury who had written to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla for convening a short winter session of Parliament. Joshi said

winter months are very crucial for managing pandemic and added that government is willing to have the next session of Parliament at the earliest.

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New agri laws are exactly what farmer bodies, opposition parties have been asking for yrs, says PM

A conspiracy on to confuse farmers: Modi Kutch (Gujarat): At a time when farmers are protesting against the three farm laws, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said here on Tuesday that a conspiracy is going on in and around Delhi to confuse farmers.

The Prime Minister was speaking at Dhordo in Kutch, Gujarat during foundation stone laying ceremony of several development projects in the state. These projects include a desalination plant, a hybrid renewable energy park, and a fully automated milk processing and packing plant.

Chief Minister of Gujarat Vijay Rupani was present on the occasion.

“Farmers are being misled about the new agrarian reforms. They are being told that others will occupy their lands. The agriculture reforms that have taken place are exactly what farmer bodies and even Opposition have been asking over the years.

—PHOTO BY ANI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets women from various groups in Kutch on Tuesday.

They are being scared that after the new agriculture laws, the land of farmers will be occupied by others. Tell me, if a dairy has a contract of collecting milk from you, do they take away your cattle too?

—Narendra Modi, PM Government of India is always committed to farmer welfare and we will keep assuring the farmers and addressing their concerns,” he said.

“People who are sitting in the opposition and misleading farmers

today were in the favour of these farm reforms during their government. They could not make a decision during their government. Today when the nation has taken a historical step then these people are

misleading farmers,” he added.

Remembering the 2001 earthquake in Kutch that caused huge destruction in the area, the Prime Minister said people of Kutch have turned disappointment

into hope, and it is one of the fastest developing areas in the country today.

“Today Kutch has taken a big step towards new-age technology and new age economy. It is one of the fastest developing areas in the country. Connectivity is improving here day by day.

People of Kutch turned disappointment into hope,’ PM Modi said.

He said that even a big earthquake couldn’t shatter the morale of Kutch residents and over the last 20 years, Gujarat introduced many farmer-friendly schemes.

“Everyone stood-up again after the quake and now look where have they taken Kutch...

Gujarat was among the earliest to work on strengthening solar energy capacities...Today Kutch has the world’s largest hybrid renewal energy park. It is approximately as big a Singapore and Bahrain.

Turn to P6

Farmers and Police personnel sitting on the divider of the road amid the farmers’ protest against the new farm laws at Ghazipur border in New Delhi on Tuesday.

—PHOTO BY ANI

Gazipur, Singhu borders closed for traffic due to farmer protests New Delhi: Gazipur, Singhu borders among others, on Tuesday, were closed for incoming traffic from Ghaziabad to Delhi in the wake of farmers’ protests, the Delhi Traffic Police (DTP) informed on Tuesday.

“Gazipur border is closed for traffic com-

ing from Ghaziabad to Delhi due to farmers’ protests. People are advised to take an alternate route for coming to Delhi via Anand Vihar, DND, Chilla, Apsara and Bhopra borders,” DTP’s tweet read. The tweet further added, “Singhu, Auchandi, Piau Mani-

yari, Sabholi and Mangesh borders are closed. Please take alternate routes via Lampur, Safiabad & Singhu school toll tax borders. Traffic has been diverted from Mukarba and GTK road. Please avoid Outer Ring Road, GTK Road, NH-44.”

—ANI

‘Consider giving break to US court terminates $100 mm suit against Modi, Shah docs doing Corona duty’ New Delhi: The Supreme Court asked the Centre on Tuesday to consider granting a break to doctors engaged in COVID-19 duty for the last seven-eight months.

The top court said that continuous work might be affecting mental health of doctors.

A bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan, RS Reddy and MR Shah, which is hearing a suo motu case on proper treatment of COVID-19 patients and dignified handling of dead bodies in hospitals, asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to consider the suggestions of giving the doctors some break.

“For the last seveneight months doctors have not been given any break and are continuously working. You

Washington: A US court has dismissed a USD 100-million lawsuit filed against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah after the litigants - a separatist Kashmir Khalistan outfit and two associates - failed to appear before it at two scheduled hearings.

The suit was filed on September 19, 2019, days before Modi’s historic “Howdy, Modi!”

SC says continuous work could affect mental health of doctors.

take instruction and think over giving them some break. It must be very painful and might be affecting their mental health,” bench told Mehta.

The solicitor general assured the bench that the government would consider the suggestion of the bench to grant

some break to health workers engaged in COVID-19 duty.

Meanwhile in another ruling, the SC on Tuesday said that homeopathy medical practitioners can prescribe medicines for prophylaxis, amelioration and mitigation of COVID-19 patients Turn to P6

Prime Minister Narendra Modi & Home Minister Amit Shah

event in Houston, Texas. It challenged the Indian Parliament’s deci-

Ruckus in K’taka Council: Dy chairman manhandled Bengaluru: The Karnataka Legislative Council witnessed high drama on Tuesday with members hurling abuses and pushing each other and Deputy Chairman S L Dharme Gowda being pulled down from the Chair-

man’s seat over a row pertaining to the noconfidence motion.

Amid the pandemonium and chaos, which many senior members termed as a “black mark” and “unprecedented” in the House’s century old history, Turn to P6

sion on Jammu and Kashmir that abrogated the special privileges of

the state and carved out two union territories and sought a compensation of USD 100 million from Modi, Shah and Lt. Gen. Kanwal Jeet Singh Dhillon.

Dhillon is currently serving as the DirectorGeneral Defence Intelligence Agency and Deputy Chief of Integrated Defence Staff under the Chief of Defence Staff.

“Other than that attempted service,” Kashmir Khalistan Referen-

dum Front “have done nothing to prosecute this case”, and have now failed to appear at two duly set Scheduling Conferences, US District Court Southern District of Texas Judge Frances H Stacy said in his order dated October 6 and recommended that the case be dismissed.

The case was terminated by Judge Andrew S Hanen of the US District Court in Texas on October 22.

Turn to P6

UK PM JOHNSON TO BE R-DAY PARADE CHIEF GUEST London: UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has accepted his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi’s invitation to be the chief guest at the Republic Day parade on January 26, Downing Street said here on Tuesday, marking his first major bilateral visit since taking office last year and the first since Britain’s exit from the European Union.

Describing India as a key player in the Indo-Pacific region, Johnson said on Tuesday that his visit will mark the start of an “exciting year” for Global Britain and deliver a “quantum leap” in the bilateral ties. Turn to P6

HC orders Guj Govt to stop illegal mining in Gir Forests The court directed that ecosensitive zone in the only abode of Asiatic lions must be protected First India Bureau Ahmedabad: In a firm directive, the Gujarat High Court has asked the State Forest Department and the Junagadh district authorities to ensure that illegal mining is stopped with immediate effect in the ecosensitive zone in the Gir Forest.

A division bench of Justice J B Pardiwala and Justice Ilesh Vora issued the directive on Tuesday in a public interest litigation filed by Sanjay Kapadia. After hearing the primary submissions of the petitioner, the court issued notices to the State Government, the Principal Chief Conservator of Forest and Chief Wild-

Gir Sanctuary

life Warden and Junagadh District Collector to file a detailed report on the issue.

The bench directed, “As on date, if any such illegal mining or crushing activities are going on within the Eco-Sensitive Zone, then steps shall be taken at the earliest to stop such illegal activities.”

The court took note of the submission of the petitioner’s advocate Girish Das that, “Even as on date, such illegal activities of

quarrying and mining in the Eco-Sensitive- Zone continue. It has invited the court’s order passed in December 2010.”

The bench reminded the State Government and the Forest Department that the notification for protected forests was issued for the long term protection and conservation of Asiatic Lions and also the rare and endangered biological diversity.

The notification states that it is necessary to conserve and

protect the area around the protected area of Girnar Wildlife Sanctuary as an Eco-Sensitive zone from ecological and environmental point of view. The notification provides for prohibited, regulated and permitted activities in the eco-sensitive zone.

It provides that no mining or crushing activities shall be allowed in the eco-sensitive zone and no major landscaping shall be allowed that may affect the hydrology and ecology of the region.

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AHMEDABAD | WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2020

BHARUCH MP DEMANDS LOVE JIHAD LAW IN GUJARAT

02

To prevent detention, state farmers reach Delhi in disguise

Mansukh Vasava also shed light on issue of ‘bride sale’ faced by girls from tribal communities of the state First India Bureau Bharuch: Almost two weeks ago, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Dabhoi MLA Shailesh Mehta had demanded the enactment of the recently implemented Love Jihad law in Uttar Pradesh, to be introduced in Gujarat.

The demand has been seconded Member of Parliament from Bharuch Mansukh Vasava. He also expressed concern regarding lack of protection for girls belonging to tribal communities, who were being ‘sold’ under the guise of marriage due to gender deficit in a few regions of the state.

In a letter to Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, Vasava demanded a law to curtail ‘love jihad’ (forced conversion of women to Islam by their Muslim hus-

The letter written by Vasava to CM Rupani

Bharuch MP Mansukh Vasava

bands). By addressing the issue of ‘buying’ brides from tribal communities, the MP also highlighted a grave concern prevalent in the tribal belt of the state.

He stated, “There are rumours that adivasi girls are being sold in gender deficit areas such as North Gujarat, Saurashtra and Kutch regions. The middlemen even charge a com-

mission from the groom’s family to search for a bride, and a portion of the commission is also shared with the bride’s parents. Girls belonging to such communities need

to be protected from such trade.”Talking about the Love Jihad law, Vasava said that the ‘scam’ to lure Hindu girls into marriage and forcing them to convert to Islam needs to be stopped and can only be done by the implementation of a law.

“I don’t believe in creating hype on social media platforms. I have been trying to highlight these issues for the past five years,” he asserted.

BJP brainstorming plan for local body elections First India Bureau Gandhinagar: State leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) met late on Monday evening to chalk out plans for upcoming local bodies elections likely to take place in February next year.

The meeting was chaired by BJP state unit party President CR Patil and General Secretary (Organization) Bhikhubhai Dalsaniya.

A condolence message and tribute was also paid to late Rajya Sabha member Abhay Bhardwaj, who recently passed away from COVID-19 complications.

Prioritizing the perfor-

CR Patil and Bhikhubhai Dalsaniya at the state leaders’ meet.

mance and age of potential candidates for civic and local body elections, CR Patil said, “Repetition will not be an issue as most of the

elected representatives are in contact with the voters. But, the party will surely take into account the performance and age while deciding

candidates for the polls.

Those representatives who have not received satisfactory feedback may not find their names on the list.”

While the party has already appointed district in-charges and state election in-charges, it will work out a detailed plan to gain consensus of party leaders and workers on election candidates.

According to sources, BJP may soon begin appointment of observers in districts, taluka panchayats and nagarpalikas. These observers will pay a visit to their respective districts and help gain on-ground information about potential candidates.

The party also plans to roll out localized manifestos to address voters and their expectations.

Member of Krantikari Vichaar Manch blocking a road in Amraiwadi, Ahmedabad at a recent farmer demonstration.

—FILE PHOTO

First India Bureau Ahmedabad: Farmer groups in the state say they had to disguise themselves in order to avoid being noticed and to join the protest by farmers in northern India.

On Tuesday, around 150 farmers from across the state gathered at the Delhi-Rajasthan border to stage demonstrations after rejecting the Centre’s three new agricultural laws.

Sources say that the farmers from the state travelled by bus to the national capital so that the police would not detain them. Farmers from Gandhinagar reached the Rajasthan-Delhi border by secretly

Around 150 farmers from across the state gathered at the Delhi-Rajasthan border to stage demonstrations on Tuesday holding a video meeting on the Zoom application, sources added. Farmers’ leaders from the state including Pal Ambaliya, Dahyabhai Gajera, Jayesh Patel, and Arun Mehta have also joined the movement in Delhi.

According to information obtained, farmer groups from the state gathered on

the mobile app and formed the Gujarat Kisan Sangharsh Samiti. They organized a ‘Farmers Parliament’ at Gandhinagar on December 11 and planned their trip to Delhi en masse.

To stop farmers from entering the national capital in masses, authorities have stepped up security measures by setting up barricades and deploying additional police personnel.

Farmer unions and opposition parties have been conducting protests since the first week of December, urging the authorities to repeal the three new farm laws recently passed by the Centre.

ACCOUNTABILITY

HC questions lack of Clinical Establishments Act in state First India Bureau

lll

It also raised concern over fire NOCs granted to buildings without thorough checks and only payment of impact fees

Ahmedabad: The state government was left hard-pressed for cover when the Gujarat High Court raised queries while hearing public interest litigations on fire safety issues on Tuesday. The court also called into question the government’s inaction in the implementation of the Clinical Establishments Act in the state.

A first division bench comprising Chief Justice Vikram Nath and Justice JB Pardiwala has been hearing public interest litigations regarding fire safety. Advocate General Kamal Trivedi submitted that the state will implement the act at the earliest.

Posing a question to local civic body Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC), the

The court cited Shrey Hospital fire incident as the reason to have stringent rules for fire NOCs.

court inquired, “How is it that a building without fire No Objection Certificate (NOC) receives a building certifi-

cate? All the builders need to do is pay the impact fees, and the corporation grants permission.”

Referring to the tragic Shrey Hospital tragedy, the court remarked, “Shrey Hospital too was registered as a residen-

tial building. The builders then paid the impact fee and it was regularized as a hospital. Sometimes we feel that the

investigation of the Shrey Hospital fire incident should be handed over to Scotland but, unfortunately it is out of

our jurisdiction.”

The petitioner Amit Panchal, in his response, submitted that little had been done by the AMC to fill vacancies in the Ahmedabad fire department. “There are two deputy chief officers’ posts vacant, four divisional, five officers’ post and 21 sub-officers’ positions. The state claims that it will finish recruitment in two weeks, but no move has been made in this direction yet,” said Panchal.

Shedding light on a similar situation in Vadodara, the petitioner apprised the court of vacancies in the fire department there as well.

Panchal also drew the attention of the court to inform that out of 593 posts in 32 nagarpalikas, not a single position is for applications of district fire officer, divisional fire.

GUJARAT AHMEDABAD | WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2020

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‘Crorepati’ thief nabbed by

Rajkot crime branch officials Jamnagar native Anand Sitapara had 44 theft offences registered against him dating back 2006 First India Bureau

ON THE MOVE

Rajkot: A team of Rajkot crime branch officials on Tuesday arrested Anand Jaisingh Sitapara alias the ‘crorepati’ thief, who has 44 offences registered against him at different police stations in the city.

Anand’s son Hasmukh was also apprehended by the police.

Police also seized goods amounting to Rs15 lakh including gold and silver ornaments as well as utensils totalling Rs10.50 lakh and Rs3.19 lakh in cash, from his residence.

According to the police, Anand usually targeted locked bungalows located in posh areas with compound walls and roadside locations. His modus operandi was to break in during festive seasons

(Inset) Anand Sitapara, the ‘crorepati’ thief; the team of officials that arrested him.

especially at night by scaling the compound walls, breaking the glass of windows or removing the grilles of the windows to gain entry inside homes. One of his signature moves was wearing white clothes while executing

a theft. This was done mainly to avoid detection and having a ready excuse of waiting for a relative to accompany them to a funeral in case anyone suspected anything.

The stolen gold was sold by Anand and or-

naments were purchased with the money from the sale to avoid suspicion on him.

Speaking to First India, crime branch police inspector Viral Gadhvi said, “Anand had been conducting thefts since 2006.

There are 44 registered offences against him, of which, 12 cases have been detected. If the total amount of the goods stolen by Anand is calculated, it may come to around Rs1 crore.

During Diwali this year, he executed over six thefts in Rajkot alone.”

Gujarati store clerk shot dead in Hazelton, US First India Bureau Mehsana/Hazelton: A Gujarati man working as a store clerk in the United States died after being shot in an attempted robbery in Hazleton, Pennsylvania.

According to officials, 50-year-old Ashok Kumar Patel, who worked at Craig’s Food Mart in Hazleton, was shot dead behind the register on Saturday night.

Luzerne County District Attorney Stefanie Salavantis says the police reported to the West Broad Street shop after they received a call asking for help. Upon arrival at the crime scene, they found Patel, the store clerk, shot to death behind the register, according to a report by WNEP. “Ashok Kumar Patel was murdered in a cruel and violent ambush while he worked to support himself and his family,” Salavantis said.

“Patel did nothing to provoke his killer and the preliminary investi-

Intern docs stay firm on demand, continue strike

GUJARAT ADDS 1,110 FRESH COVID-19 CASES, 11 DEATHS

First India Bureau

Ahmedabad: At least 11 patients succumbed to COVID-19 on Tuesday, with Ahmedabad city reporting 8 cases followed by Surat city with 2 cases and Mehsana one. The total toll stands at 4,193.

The state reported 1,110 new cases of the virus infection taking the tally to 2,29,913.

Meanwhile, 1,236 patients were also discharged from hospitals.

Ahmedabad: More than 2,000 intern doctors, who have been on an indefinite strike since Monday, stood firm in their resolve to not go back to their duties on Tuesday. They have demanded an increment in stipend from Rs12,800 to Rs20,000 per month.

The interns did not budge even when state health minister Nitin Patel warned them that their absence from duties will be marked as leave. According to the protesting doctors, the Gujarat government has been underpaying doctors as compared to other states amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

On the other hand, Patel termed the strike of interns as “illegal and unreasonable.”

In a bid to garner more support for their campaign, the doctor interns also requested senior doctors who have not joined their protest, to stand with them.

One of the protesting interns said, “The issue

First India Bureau

While 4 districts reported more than 100 cases, Gandhinagar had 51 new cases.

So far, 2,12,839 patients have recovered.

At 239, Ahmedabad also reported the highest number of cases in the state. At least 232 of them were reported from urban areas and 7 from the rural areas.

Ahmedabad district has

reported 54,447 cases so far. Surat, too, recorded a high number of cases at 167, including 141 from the city and 26 from rural areas. A total of 46,871 cases have been reported from Surat so far. Vadodara with 143 and Rajkot 124 also reported more than 100 fresh cases on Tuesday.

There are 12,881 active cases in the state and 61 patients of them are on ventilator support. Gujarat has conducted 87.70 lakh tests.

Doctors donating blood as part of their protest in Surat.

raised by Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel, at the press conference held on Monday, was unfair to us. One thing that I would like to clarify is that there is a difference between foreign medical graduates and those who have graduated from here. The comparison is baseless.

They have not studied from Medical Council of India (MCI) recognized colleges like us.

Moreover, they are not made to sign bonds.”

In Surat, around 150 residents from Civil Hospital joined the strike led by intern doctors on Tuesday. They

held sit-in demonstrations, blood donation drives, and conducted distribution of masks and pamphlets to create awareness about the pandemic.

Meanwhile, the general secretary of National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) Bhavik Solanki has alleged that the Gujarat University has declared a biased result for recently conducted offline and online examinations. According to Solanki, those who appeared in the online exam have received full marks even in arts and humanities subjects.

03

EXTREME MAKEOVER

One of Ahmedabad's oldest government structures, the district panchayat buildings at Lal Darwaza, is undergoing renovation amid the nCoV pandemic. —PHOTO BY HANIF SINDHI

Robber caught on CCTV camera; The victim, Ashok Kumar Patel.

gation reveals that the shooter walked into the store to commit a robbery and shot him for no other reason than to avoid leaving a witness behind.”

Investigators believe that the shooter fled the scene in a dark coloured Jeep. Police are also looking for a woman who was a customer inside the store prior to the murder. Investigators believe she might have information that

could lead to the gunman.

This incident has shocked other local businessmen in Hazleton. According to another news report, John Smulligan, owner of a tuxedo shop down the street, was shocked to hear the news. “Everyone here was caught off guard, people don’t understand what to make of this incident,” he said.

City woman accuses husband of affairs, infecting her with STD

First India Bureau Ahmedabad: A city woman filed a domestic violence complaint against her husband.

She also accused him of infecting her with herpes, a sexually transmitted disease (STD), because of his extramarital affairs with other women.

In the complaint filed at Vejalpur police station on Monday evening, the woman stated that she married Ankil Desai in April 2017.

Soon after, her husband and in-laws started physical and mental harassing her over dowry issues. She further alleged that when they shifted to South Bopal last year, their quarrels

and arguments continued. After shifting to a place in Manekbaug during the lockdown, the woman found a cream belonging to her husband. When she developed rashes on her private parts, Ankil advised her to use the cream she had found.

Post consultation with a doctor, she came to know that her husband had been infected with herpes and that he had been likely using the cream to treat the infection.

She added that in August last year, she had sent a legal notice to Ankil, after which, both their families had reached a compromise.

“But their harassment did not stop,” she said.

NEW LEASE OF LIFE

Man lives on without kidneys due to Guj Dialysis Programme 

Umesh Desai survived endstage-renaldisease (ESRD) conditions for several years because of world-class facilities extended to him

First India Bureau Ahmedabad: At 27, he battled a critical illness like an angry young man and won.

Eighteen years on, he continues to dodge his illness and treads on blissfully. This is the story of Umesh Desai – a chronic kidney disease (CKD) patient. In a few years, his reallife success story will hit its silver jubilee – courtesy of the Gujarat Dialysis Pro-

gramme (GDP).

Desai, now 45, has survived end-stage renal disease (ESRD) conditions for many years because of world-class dialysis facilities extended by the government of Gujarat under the programme.

Looking at a gloomy future when his biopsy reports confirmed kidney failure, Umesh repeatedly attempted to find a kidney transplant match, which did not fructify. A na-

Desai survived end-stage renal disease.

tive of Dakor and a Lord Krishna devotee, he finally decided to tackle his ESRD condition through regular dialysis.

The Gujarat Dialysis Programme, a network of state-wide dialysis centres, single-handedly managed by the Institute of Kidney Diseases and Research Centre (IKDRC), is a grassroots success story of the largest governmental critical care health programme for renal pa-

tients anywhere in the world.

“I can live a healthier life only because of this programme, which is some sort of a boon to patients like me. The quality of dialysis is best and helps to maintain my health like a normal person,” he asserted. He added that the facilities of the programme could be availed anywhere in Gujarat through its network of 46 centres with 465 dialysis machines.

There are over 52,000 ESRD patients in the state, but only 16,000 patients are served through dialysis delivery infrastructure available in Gujarat. “We are determined to ramp up a number of centres to reduce travel time by keeping dialysis facilities within a 30-kilometre range of any patient’s home across the state,” said Dr Vineet Mishra, Director, IKDRC-ITS.

PERSPECTIVE AHMEDABAD | WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2020

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VIJAY DIWAS CELEBRATING THE PRIDE IN SOLDIERING

IN-DEPTH

BJP SEEKS EC HELP TO TAME BENGAL’S CM

W

hen Mamata Banerjee dislodged West Bengal’s Communist Party of IndiaMarxist government after 34 years of rule in 2011, her victory was attributed to her street-fighter qualities. After becoming the chief minister she remained calm for some time but returned to her old ways not long after as she never eased pressure on the Central government of the day. Mamata’s militant style of politics first grabbed headlines when on January 7, 1993, she barged into the Writers’ Buildings and sat on a dharna outside the chamber of Chief Minister Jyoti Basu. She was then a leader of the Youth Congress.

Before the parliamentary elections of 2019, her government kept up her offensive against the BJPled coalition government at the Centre over the Saradha chit fund scam. When the CBI team landed in Kolkata to interrogate Police Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, it was detained by the local police.

Mamata began an indefinite dharna at Esplanade against the CBI’s move in the absence of a “general consent” to the investigative agency to probe cases in the state without permission.

In 2013 she was ordered by the Supreme Court to abide by the State Election Commissioner’s (SEC) order for five-phase panchayat elections in the state. Mamata had challenged the SEC’s order to deploy additional central forces for the elections.

It is almost an action replay as political temperatures rise once again with the BJP attacking the TMC over law and order. The BJP has urged the Election Commissioner to deploy additional central forces and impose the model code of conduct in the state six months ahead of elections.

MAJ GEN CP SINGH, RETD The writer is a scholar soldier accredited with MA, MSc, LLB, MBA, M Phil (Def Mgt) and M Phil (International Strategic Affairs)

V

NO WINTER SESSION AFTER 36 YEARS RAISES HACKLES

A

t a time when there are burning national issues to be debated in Parliament, the government has decided to do away with the winter session. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi said that the government was willing to have the next session of Parliament at the “earliest” and suggested the Budget session in January. In 2018 and 2019 also the Budget session began in January. Joshi said that the session was being scrapped in view of the pandemic.

The winter session was earlier cancelled in 1975, 1979, and 1984. The government is under no constitutional obligation to hold the winter session. The Constitution mandates that there should not be a gap of more than six months between two sessions of Parliament.

The government may have scrapped the winter session due to Covid-19 but the message that has gone out is that it is shying away from a democratic process because there have been instances like Telangana civic elections and poll campaigning in Bengal when the BJP has violated the necessary Covid protocols. The Congress called it the “complete decimation of parliamentary democracy” and reminded the government of how it held NEET and JEE examinations when the pandemic was at its peak.

The government’s reason for not holding the winter session also beats all logic as the positive case load has come down to a little over 3 percent.

Is the Opposition wrong in saying that the government was avoiding a debate on farmers’ protests over the contentious farm laws which were passed by voice vote in Rajya Sabha amid protests by the Opposition?

Soldiering has been a noble profession for ages. The royal families joined the Army since the profession of arms was always associated with pride, dignity, and the highest form of nationalism since times immemorial.

Many of us left well paying corporate jobs to join defence forces since it was considered a proud privilege to don the combat uniform

IJAY DIWAS is celebrated on 16 Dec, every year to commemorate the Victory of Indian armed forces over East Pakistan and Liberation of Bangla Desh. Victory over Pakistan Army in Eastern Theatre was a marvel of military strategy, executed with perfection by troops on the ground. It is an excellent example of joint manship amongst all three services. It’s prudent to highlight with great pride that the Liberation of Bangla Desh and Falklands War are two shining examples of brilliant military campaigns, post-WWII and they are taught in Military History, the world over.

Soldiering has been a noble profession for ages. The royal families joined Army since the profession of arms was always associated with pride, dignity, and the highest form of nationalism since times immemorial.

Many of us left well paying corporate jobs to join defence forces since it was considered as a proud privilege to don the combat uniform. Indian ancient history, including the epics of Ramayana and Mahabharat, have ingrained fighting tenets in our people where the profession of arms is considered a tradition and an ultimate goal in a person’s life. Indian armed forces have proved their mettle every time they have faced the enemy.

CHANAKYA TEACHINGS The role of a soldier in nationbuilding and duty of king towards the welfare of soldiers has been clearly defined by great Indian strategic thinker Chanakya - “While the Magadha citizenry endeavours to make the State prosper and flourish, the Mauryan soldier guarantees that the State continues to exist! ……..” It’s so true even today.

RECENT DOWNGRADINGS The teachings of Chanakya have been forgotten by the present leadership. It’s very unfortunate that the expenditure on defence forces is not seen as in-

surance by having a force of deterrence but seen through the prism of an auditor. As we sayWar over, the soldier is soon forgotten. The auditor forgets the bodies and devastated families and starts counting the pennies.

In the recent past, we have seen high rhetoric on nationalism, soldiers sacrifices and pride as a political narrative but the erosion of pride, respect, dignity, pay, pension, perks, and privileges of defence forces, with resultant damage to the martial streak in our country. This indicates apathy of Govt towards defence forces. The same mistake was done by Govt prior to 1962 debacle. A few examples of the same are highlighted herez Gradual reduction in defence

budget as percentage of GDP.

z Taxing disability pensions and

statements by senior officers to say that disability is all manipulated. z Not giving NFU status while the same is being given to civilians and CAPF. z Granting truncated OROP to ESM and the same being given to even bank employees. z Gradually reducing avenues of post retirement settlement through Directorate General of Resettlement. z Imposing restrictions on CSD Canteen purchases on pretext of misuse, painting all ESM and as profiteers. z Starving ECHS of funds, thereby making the scheme almost redundant. z The Siachin and J&K allowances for the military are far below that of CAPF and police. z Throwing open the cantts to

THE TEACHINGS OF CHANAKYA HAVE BEEN FORGOTTEN BY THE PRESENT LEADERSHIP. IT’S VERY UNFORTUNATE THAT THE EXPENDITURE ON DEFENCE FORCES IS NOT SEEN AS INSURANCE

BY HAVING A FORCE OF DETERRENCE BUT SEEN THROUGH THE PRISM OF AN AUDITOR

civilians, thereby compromising the security and privacy of soldiers. z Proposal to reduce pensions on the pretext of ballooning defence pension bills. Detailed analysis indicates the contrary. z Proposal to Close down ceremonials like Army Day Parade, Vijay Diwas, Kargil Vijay, Battle Honour Days and Raising Day celebrations. These are celebrated the world over. z Proposal to close down or curtail Officer’s Messes and Clubs on the name of austerity measures.

PINCHING THE PENSION The state is never able to pay the soldier adequately who stands as a sentinel to the nation’s growth and prosperity. He guards the frontiers facing all hardships and prepared to make the supreme sacrifice, if the need arises, to defend the motherland. The citizens sleeping peacefully in air-conditioned houses living in metro comforts

Managing well in the work-from-home era

M

any managers are treating this year’s pandemic-induced shift to work from home as though it were standard telecommuting. But it’s not, and operating under the assumption that it is can ultimately harm employees’ morale. While office workers are typically faring better than essential workers during the pandemic, the abrupt shift to remote work was jarring, and its effects should not be overlooked.

Leadership experts and cognitive scientists can attest that resistance to change is less about the change itself and more about losing control and fear of uncertainty. Humans – and other animals, for that matter – respond defensively when the power to make decisions about

04

their own lives is removed.

And in a recent study on COVID-19 and mental health, researchers found that adults surveyed in the United States and five European countries who believe that other people or random chance mostly dictates what happens to them also report greater symptoms of depression.

There’s a big difference between choosing to telecommute and suddenly being forced to work from home. While eliminating the daily commute has been nice, the average office worker simply wasn’t mentally or financially prepared to turn their home into a makeshift WeWork location while also taking on previously outsourced teaching, childcare, and eldercare duties. Many families do not live in homes that can easily accommo-

date telecommuting, and some employees’ domestic arrangements are not conducive to success.

Managers can take several steps to ease these burdens for their employees.

Set reasonable expectations: Many employees are bearing new burdens and facing pressure from multiple sources. Managers can avoid overwhelming them

by eliminating unnecessary reports and redundant procedures, and by being as transparent as possible about deadlines. For example, if an important client meeting is postponed, managers should inform everyone who is preparing materials for it immediately, so they can reprioritize the day’s tasks. Likewise, managers shouldn’t expect im-

mediate replies to emails – a constant sense of urgency contributes to employee burnout. Sending emails outside of working hours (especially late at night and on weekends) should be avoided, or staff shouldn’t be expected (much less required) to answer afterhours messages immediately.

Don’t force employees to

be “on” all the time: Zoom fatigue is sky high, and employees may have to manage quiet space so that all household members can participate in their respective work calls and video meetings.

Women usually get the short end of the stick, with one author dubbing them “reluctant nomads” in the “battle for space.” For example, an employee might find herself perched on the edge of the bathtub, precariously balancing a computer on her knees, so that her partner and children can conduct their business or school work from the living room, bedroom, and kitchen. And women tend to face unfair criticism and pressure over their appearance on Zoom.

Managers should ask whether any meetings could be eliminated, shortened, or conducted without video.

will never be able to fathom the hardships involved in the profession of arms. The soldier is paid less compared to corporate world but paid higher the pension which is in-fact a different salary itself. Also, adequate pension is paid after retirement to ensure that the one who gave his youth for guarding the country should be able to live a decent life in the sunset years and his pride is not compromised due to financial constraints.

CONCLUSION Vijay Diwas is a symbol of Pride for the Indian Armed Forces. Such celebrations, all across the globe reminds the citizens about the valour and sacrifices of our soldiers. The nation also pays tribute to the bravehearts who did not come back home after the war. The Armed Forces have created a niche for itself, in the society projecting itself as a role model in the crumbling edifice of present social structure. Even the Ex-service-men are highly respected in the society, since they stand out due to their disciplined life, nationalistic attitude, and helping nature which they carry home from Army life, even after retirement. If India aspires to become a superpower in 21st century, it should take pride in achievements of it’s Defence Forces and respect its soldiers including veterans. On this GOLDEN VIJAY DIWAS, Let’s take a pledge to restore the pride in soldiering.

THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL

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TWEET Piyush Goyal @PiyushGoyal Building upon our Govt’s principles of inclusivity, convenience & accessibility, 69 crore beneficiaries are a part of One Nation One Ration Card scheme across 32 States & UTs. They can seamlessly access their allotted food grains anywhere in India with their existing cards.

Ravi Shankar Prasad @rsprasad @IndiaPostOffice is the only department which reaches the nook and the corner of the country and that is their strength, asset and heritage. The postal department has an emotional connect with the people of the country.

Spiritual SPEAK

Like a muddied spring or a polluted fountain is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked.

—Proverbs 25:26

SOURCE: PROJECT SYNDICATE

Vol 2 Issue No. 22 RNI NO. GUJENG/2019/16208. Printed and published by Anita Hada Sangwan on behalf of First Express Publishers. Printed at Bhaskar Printing Planet Survey No.148P, Changodar-Bavla Highway, Tal. Sanand, Dist. Ahmedabad.

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

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‘Govt open to accept suggestions on farm laws’ Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday said the government will convince farmers, explain and find a way through dialogue New Delhi: Noting that the government is ready to accept all good suggestions from farmers about the farm laws, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday said it will "convince farmers, explain and find a way through dialogue".

In an interview with ANI, he said dialogue is the only way to find a solution to protest by farmer unions and a break in talks can lead to miscommunication.

The minister, who is Minister of Road Transport and Highways and a senior BJP leader, said there will no injustice with the farmers in the Narendra Modi government.

‘FARMERS’ PROTESTS RESULTING IN DAILY LOSS OF RS 3,500 CR’

Farmers gather at Ghazipur border during their protest against Centres agri-laws, in New Delhi on Tuesday.

"The government is ready to accept all good suggestions (from farmers). It will take some time. Our government will convince the farmers, explain & find a way through dialogue," he said. The minister said farmers should be told

‘OPPN BEHIND FARMERS' PROTEST’

—PHOTO BY PTI

the truth "in the right way". "Farmers should understand these laws.

Our government is dedicated to farmers & is ready to accept the suggestions given by them.

There will not be any injustice with farmers," he said. —ANI

Need to keep his principles in mind: RaGa

Congress pays tributes to Sardar Patel

New Delhi: The Congress on Tuesday paid tributes to India's first deputy prime minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on his death anniversary, with Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra underlining the importance of remembering his principles at a time when farmers are protesting against the new agri laws.

Patel, a freedom fighter who also became India's first home minister, is credited with

THE GANDHI SCION SLAMS CENTRE

Rahul Gandhi

unifying hundreds of princely states in to the Union of India following independence through a mix of persuasion, dialogue and even use of force when required.

"On his death anniversary, we pay solemn tribute to India's Sardar, the man behind a

united India, Shri Vallabhbhai Patel," the Congress said on its official Twitter handle.

"As a brave freedom fighter & the nation's first Deputy PM, his innumerable contributions to nation-building inspire countless of Indians even today," the party said.

‘Refugee colonies recognised in WB, no need to fear NRC’ Kolkata: While addressing a rally in Jalpaiguri, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee said refugee colonies have been recognised in state, and no one needs to fear the National Register of Citizens, the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the National Population Register. Banerjee also accused the BJP of trying to convert West Bengal into “riot-torn” Gujarat and dared the Union government to impose President’s Rule in the state. “BJP has created a new religion of riots and hatred among communities,” she alleged.

The TMC supremo reiterated that BJP national president J P Nadda’s convoy was not

Mamata Banerjee

TMC SUVENDU ADHIKARI MAY JOIN BJP

attacked and wondered why “convicted criminals” were accompanying him. The Centre is

RS 700 CR TAX EVASION AFTER RAIDS AGAINST CHETTINAD GROUP New Delhi: The Income Tax Department has detected tax evasion of more than Rs 700 crore after it recently raided multiple locations of Chennai-based Chettinad Group, official sources said. “The highlight of the search includes seizure of unaccounted cash of Rs 23 crore from various locations,” the CBDT

said. “As of now, the department has succeeded in detecting evasion of income of over Rs 700 crore,” it said. The statement claimed that tax sleuths also detected documents related to possession of “foreign assets to the extent of Rs 110 crore in form of fixed deposits, which were not disclosed in the return.”

summoning our officers. No one wanted to hurt him (Nadda) or his convoy,” Banerjee said.

In a Facebook post in Hindi, Rahul Gandhi shared Patel's quote that "my only wish is that India should be a good producer and no one in this country should shed tears while being hungry".

"Tributes to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on his death anniversary.

Today when 'annadaatas' (food providers) are themselves shedding tears, we need to consider the principles of Sardar Patel."

In her tribute to Patel, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra tweeted, "The British threatened the farmers of Bardoli with things like property attachment, but under the leadership of Sardar Patel, the farmers did not back off and their Satyagraha won."

Several other Congress leaders, including chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala, Rajasthan Abhishek Singhvi also paid rich tributes to Patel. —PTI

If there is no dialogue, it can lead to miscommunication, to controversy and sparring. If there is a dialogue then issues will be resolved, the whole thing will end, farmers will get justice, they will get relief. We are working in the interest of farmers.

—Nitin Gadkari Union Minister

New Delhi: Urging government & farmers' organisations to resolve the impasse over new agri laws, industry body ASSOCHAM said the ongoing protests are dealing a big blow to inter-connected economies of the region. A daily loss of Rs 3,000 crores to 3,500 crores is resulting in economies of the region from value chain & transport disruption because of protests, according to ASSOCHAM rough estimates. Though economies of Punjab, Haryana & Himachal are based on agriculture, several industries have become their lifeline.

RAUT SPEAK

Growing recognition, acceptance for idea of Indo-Pacific: S Jaishankar New Delhi: External affairs minister S Jaishankar said it was a matter of satisfaction that there is a growing recognition and acceptance of the idea of IndoPacific. Jaishankar was speaking at the joint conference alongside UK foreign secretary Dominic Raab.

“India has its own vision of Indo-Pacific.

But I will also recognise that other country too.

There could be overlaps in Indian and UK visions of Indo-Pacific.

There could be big overlaps and there could be a few nuances. it is a matter of satisfaction

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar with his British counterpart Dominic Raab, in New Delhi.

—PHOTO BY PTI

that there is growing recognition and acceptance of the idea of IndoPacific,” Jaishankar said. Raab, who is in India for a four-day visit, referred to UK’s “Indo-Pacific tilt” and said

there is no stronger partner than India when UK looks to the east. He further said that UK wants closer defence & security partnership to deal with challenges. —ANI

IN THE COURTYARD ONLINE CLASSES

SC directs state govts to provide infra, books New Delhi: The Supreme Court directed all the state governments to provide necessary infrastructure, stationaries, books, and other equipment to child care institutions for online classes within 30 days.

A bench headed by Justice L Nageswara Rao ordered that States should ensure that the required number of teachers are also made available to teach children in the child care institutions. The top court passed a slew of directions to cater to educational needs of child care institutions. —ANI

2 BOOKED FOR DESTROYING POLLING MATERIALS IN POONCH Jammu: Two people were booked by police for destroying polling materials in J&K’s Poonch district. The presiding officer of Keri polling station informed Gursai police station about the destruction of polling materials at a booth on Sunday, they said. The application said that in DDC election at government high school in Keri, two people, namely Gafoor Ahmad, agent of Rabia Younis Khan, and Wahidullha Khan, polling agent of Saima Khan, attacked polling staff& snatched ballot papers in order to cast bogus votes.

Mechanism of issuing challans faulty, plea filed in High Court New Delhi: The Delhi HC directed the Centre and the AAP government to treat as representation a PIL claiming that the mechanism of issuing challans under the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act of 2019 was "arbitrary and faulty" and needs to be rectified using better technology.

A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Prateek Jalan directed that the grievances ventilated in the plea, which is filed by a lawyer, be decided in accordance with the law, rules, regulations and government policy applicable to the facts of the case.

The court said a decision be taken on the representation as expeditiously as possible and practicable, and with this direction, disposed of the petition by Sonali Karwasra.

The court at the outset made it clear it was not going to entertain the matter and suggest-

GULMARG COLDEST AT MINUS 10.2 DEG CELSIUS, SAY IMD EXPERTS Srinagar: Night temperatures in the Kashmir Valley dipped below the freezing point owing to a clear sky, with the famous ski-resort of Gulmarg shivering at minus 10.2 degrees Celsius, Meteorological department officials said here on Tuesday. All weather stations in the Valley recorded sub-zero night

temperatures several degrees below the normal for this season, officials said. They said the temperature in Gulmarg, the famous ski-resort in north Kashmir, settled at a low of minus 10.2 degrees Celsius, which is six degrees below the normal for this season. The resort was the coldest recorded place in the UT.

ed that it can ask the authorities concerned to treat the plea as a representation.

The petitioner agreed with the court''s suggestion. The petition had claimed that challans were being issued without proper and reliable technology in place. —PTI

AGUSTA WESTLAND

PIL to cancel NBWs against Gupta quashed

New Delhi: A special court in Delhi has dismissed an application seeking cancellation of non-bailable warrants (NBWs) issued against Shravan Gupta, the former MD of realty major Emmar MGF, in connection with a money laundering case related to the Agusta Westland VVIP chopper scam.

Special CBI Judge Arvind Kumar, in an order passed on December 5, observed that even during present proceedings, the applicant did not express intention to appear before ED to join the investigation. —ANI

C’GARH: RATH YATRA TO MARK 2 YEARS OF GOVERNMENT New Delhi: Places associated with Lord Ram will be developed as Ram Van Gaman Path’ in Chhattisgarh as part of an ambitious plan chalked out by Bhupesh Baghel-led state government to mark the completion of its two years, an official statement said. The Ram Van Gaman Path is referred to route taken by Lord Ram during his 14 years of exile. The Ram Van Gaman tourism circuit project was chalked out to highlight the mythological background of Chhattisgarh and its close association with the life of Lord Ram.

INDIA AHMEDABAD | WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2020

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India’s recovery rate highest in world Daily new cases recorded on Tuesday was 22,065 were the lowest in over five months New delhi: India's active COVID-19 caseload has fallen below 3.4 lakh, a mere 3.43 per cent of the total infections, supplemented by an impressive recovery rate of over 95 per cent, which is among the highest in the world for countries with high caseloads, the Union Health Ministry said Tuesday.

The daily new cases recorded on Tuesday -22,065 -- were also the lowest in over five months. As many as 22,252 cases were reported on July 7, the ministry said.

The number of recoveries have crossed 94 lakhs (94,22,636), pushing the national recovery rate to over 95 per cent, which is "one of the highest in the world for countries with high caseload", the ministry underlined.

There are 3,39,820 active cases of coronavirus infections as on

‘AAP TO TAKE PART IN 2020 UP ELECTIONS’ New Delhi: After forming the government in the national capital thrice and emerging as the main opposition party in Punjab, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) announced it will contest the Uttar Pradesh Assembly election in 2022.AAP’s national convenor & Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal made the announcement here in a digital press briefing.

IPPB launches its digital payments’ services New Delhi: The Department of Posts (DoP) and India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) have virtually unveiled a new digital payment app ‘DakPay’, an official statement said. “The App is launched as part of its ongoing efforts to provide Digital Financial inclusion at the last mile across India,” the statement said.

Launch of DakPay adds up to the legacy of India Post, which is about reaching out to every household.

36 foreigners attended Tablighi Jamaat event acquitted of all charges

People wearing masks as part of a comprehensive strategy of measures to suppress transmission and save lives and also to provide an adequate level of protection against COVID-19. —FILE PHOTO

NAVY SENIOR-MOST VACCINE WITH 2 SUBMARINER DIES YEARS OF IMMUNITY The Vice Admiral Srikant died due to COVID related complications, officials said. The vice admiral, the Navy's senior-most submariner, was due to retire on December 31. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh Expressied his condolences on Twitter.

Russian coronavirus vaccine Sputnik V is likely to provide up to 2 years of immunity against Covid-19, as compared to 4-5 months of immunity that might be achieved by using Covid vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech.

Tuesday.

AYUSH doctors and homeopaths cannot prescribe or advertise medicines as cures for COVID-19, the Supreme Court stated on Tuesday, 15 December. It also maintained that qualified AYUSH doctors can prescribe government-approved tablets or mixtures as “immunity boosters” for COVID-19 patients.

New Delhi: A Delhi court Tuesday acquitted 36 foreigners, who were charge sheeted for attending Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Delhi by allegedly being negligent and disobeying the government guidelines issued in wake of COVID-19 pandemic in the country.

Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Arun Kumar Garg acquitted the foreigners from 14 countries of all charges. The charges were also framed under section 51 (obstruction) Disaster Management Act, 2005.

However, they were discharged for the offences under section 14 (1) (b) (violation of visa norms) of For-

Pranab Mukherjee’s son and daughter spat over his last memoir on Twitter New Delhi: A book, “The Presidential Years“, by late former president Pranab Mukherjee, to be released in January 2021, saw wrangling between his son Abhijit Mukherjee & daughter Sharmishtha Mukherjee, both members of Congress party. While Abhijeet, in a tweet, requested

the publisher Rupa to stop publication of the

Delhi HC restrains AIIMS nurses from continuing with strike New Delhi: The Delhi High Court Tuesday issued an order restraining AIIMS Nurses Union from continuing with its ongoing strike demanding clarity on salary structure.

This comes after the Union Health Ministry directed the director of AIIMS to ensure no disruption of nursing functions given the coronavirus pandemic.

Over 3,000 nurses at AIIMS began an indefinite strike Monday afternoon demanding clarity over their longpending demands, including those with regard to the Sixth Central Pay Commission.

Earlier today, AIIMS had approached the High Court against the union, arguing that its strike was “against the law and public interest” and has brought the hospital to a standstill.

In a letter to AIIMS director Dr Randeep Guleria, the nursing union had raised concerns over the 6th Central Pay Commission (CPC) anomaly.

“The callous attitude of AIIMS administration towards nurses has forced us to go on an indefinite strike from Monday afternoon onwards,” said the letter.

country to work harder every day and take the country forward. —ANI

ID-19, as is reflected by the advisory and guidelines issued by the Ministry of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy).

The top court said that Homeopathic medical practitioners have to follow the advisory dated March 6, issued

by AYUSH Ministry as well as guidelines for Homeopathic medical practitioners for COVID-19 issued by Ministry of AYUSH. A bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan, RS Reddy and M R Shah said, When the Scientists of the entire world

memoir as well as “motivated excerpts” with-

NCB again summons Arjun in drug case

Mumbai: The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has summoned Bollywood actor Arjun Rampal in Mumbai on Wednesday for questioning in connection with a drug-related case.

The actor has been asked to remain present before the NCB team, which is conducting a probe into the alleged Bollywood drugs nexus following the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput, the official said.

out his written consent, & Mukherjee’s daughter, on other hand, requested his brother not to create “unnecessary hurdles”. The memoir was in the news recently for Pranab ’s critical comments on Congress, including his observation that the party lost political focus after his elevation as president.

THE CHARGES

POWER Gallery IS PM NOT HAPPY WITH FUNCTIONING OF THE BUREAUCRACY?

Insiders say PM Narendra Modi is at present not happy with the functioning of certain ministries.

Outcome of his anger will be known during the top level bureaucratic reshuffle.

WHO WILL SUCCEED ARUN SINHA IN NTRO?

Who will succeed Advisor Arun Sinha this month end ? Will he be an IPS officer or an Army officer.

Tenure of Sinha is coming to an end this month.

MAJ GEN KRISHNAN TO SUCCEED MAJ GEN AUJLA?

Major General V M B Krishnan is likely to succeed Major General ADS Aujla as new GOC of 28 Infantry Division.

IRS OFFICER ISHTIYAQUE AHMED TO JOIN NITI AAYOG

The services of Ishtiyaque Ahmed have been transferred to the Niti Aayog on loan basis. He is an IRS-IT officer.

DIG TO IG LEVEL PROMOTIONS IN ITBP LIKELY HALF A DOZEN

DIG level officers are likely to be promoted to the rank of IG in the ITBP in a couple of weeks. eigners Act, sections 270 (Malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and 271 (Disobedience to quarantine rule) of IPC.

India's fertility rate declines across states New Delhi: The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare in fifth round of National Family Health Survey (NFHS), said India’s population is finally stabilising.

India has seen a significant decrease in total fertility rate across most states over the past 4 years. The fifth round of the NFHS was conducted in 2019-20.

CENTRE INTERFERING IN WB'S JURISDICTION: MAMATA BANERJEE Jalpaiguri : West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday accused the Centre of interfering in the state''s jurisdiction by summoning IPS officers to serve under it.

Banerjee also dared the Union government to impose President''s Rule in the state, lashing out at the BJP for trying to convert West Bengal into "riottorn" Gujarat.

She reiterated that BJP national president J P Nadda''s convoy was not attacked and wondered why "convicted criminals" were accompanying him.

"If the BJP and the

06

E A SUBRAMANIAN LIKELY TO GET EXTENSION

E A Subramanian is expected to get extension to the post of Director (Operations & Technical), HLL Lifecare Limited upto August 31, 2022.

M K SURANA LIKELY TO GET EXTENSION AS CMD, HPCL

Mukesh Kumar Surana is expected to get extension to the post of Chairman-cum-Managing Director, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL). Surana, whose tenure is ending in March 202, may get extension upto April 30, 2022.

APPLICATIONS INVITED FOR POST OF SECRETARY, CWC

Ministry of Minority Affairs has invited applications for the post of Secretary in Central Waqf Council (CWC), New Delhi, on deputation basis on Foreign Service terms.

AMEET KUMAR APPOINTED AS PS TO BABUL SUPRIYO

Ameet Kumar has been appointed as Private Secretary to Babul Supriyo, Minister of state for Environment, Forest and Climate Change. He is a 2010 batch IAS officer of Jharkhand cadre.

S RAVICHANDRAN RELIEVED TO JOIN AS SPECIAL DIRECTOR, ED

S Ravichandran has been relieved to join as Special Director of Enforcement in the Directorate of Enforcement, Delhi on deputation basis. He is an IRS-IT officer.

By arrangement with: http:// whispersinthecorridors.com

‘Daughters being brutally assaulted every day’ central government think they can scare us by bringing in central forces and transferring state cadre officers, they are wrong.

The Centre is summoning our officers...

No one wanted to hurt him (Nadda) or his convoy," Banerjee said at a rally here.

New delhi: The Nirbhaya rape and murder case may have seen a decision but that has not been a deterrent to the number of crimes against women on the streets of the country, according to Nirbhaya’s father.

On the intervening night of December 16 and 17, 2012, a 23-yearold physiotherapy intern, referred to as Nirb-

haya, was raped and brutally assaulted in a moving bus in south Delhi by six people before being thrown out on the road. Nirbhaya’s father, who joined an online petition which was started by NGOs Save the Children and Yuva to mark the eighth anniversary of the gruesome gangrape case, said that “the fight is not over yet”.

were also allegedly manhandled in the melee, even as Congress managed to make one of its members occupy the chair until Shetty arrived in the House, and the party MLCs stood guard around the seat. After some time Chairman Pratapachandra Shetty entered the house and managed to go up to the chair, from where he announced that the house was adjourned sine die. —ANI

pendence to attend the annual Republic Day parade in New Delhi as Guest of Honour, after former prime minister John Major in 1993.

Downing Street said that Johnson had written to Prime Minister Modi not only to accept his invitation but also to invite India to attend the UK’s G7 Summit as one of three guest nations alongside South Korea and Australia with a focus on his declared ambition to work with a group of “likeminded democracies” to advance shared interests and tackle common challenges.

FROM PG 1 A conspiracy...

It is built on 70,000 hectare land, larger than many big cities in the country,” the PM added.

The Prime Minister said India featured in the top three among 144 countries in the Clean Energy Investment rankings. He added, the country is showing a path to the entire world and leading the fight against climate change.

He also remembered Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on his 70th death anniversary and said the late leader’s statue in Kevadia district inspires the people of the

‘Consider giving... and the prescription has to be given only by institutionally qualified practitioners.

The top court said that when statutory regulations itself prohibit advertisement, there is no occasion for Homeopathic medical practitioners to advertise that they are competent to cure COVID-19 disease.

It said that Homeopathy is contemplated to be used in preventing and mitigating COV-

are engaged in research to find out proper medicine/ vaccine for COVID-19, there is no occasion for making any observation as contained in with regard to Homeopathic medical practitioners. The homeopathy does not cure the disease, but it cures the patients. —PTI

US court...

Apart from the Kashmir Khalistan Referendum Front, the other two complainants have not been identified, other than the acronyms ‘TFK’ and ‘SMS’. The suing party was represented by separatist

lawyer Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. —PTI

Ruckus in... it was adjourned sinedie within minutes after it met for the day.

After it was adjourned sine-die on December 10, the House was convened for a day on Tuesday by the government, which had even petitioned the Governor, accusing the Chairman K Pratapachandra Shetty of “abruptly” adjourning the session, without taking up the no-confidence motion against him.

As the House met for

the day, Gowda occupied the Chairman’s seat even before Shetty arrived and the quorum bell still ringing, which angered Congress MLCs who rushed to the well demanding that he vacate it, as he would have allowed the no-confidence motion against Shetty.

Following this, BJP and JD(S) members too rushed towards the Chair in his defence.

This resulted in a heated exchange of words and much jostling between members from both sides.

Several members and marshals of the council

UK PM...

Johnson will be only the second British leader since Indian inde-

TALKING POINT AHMEDABAD | WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2020

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AS THE SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY LEARNS MORE ABOUT THE NOVEL CORONAVIRUS, DIAGNOSTIC, TREATMENT AND PUBLIC POLICY DECISIONS MUST BE MADE BASED UPON THE BEST INFORMATION AVAILABLE

TRUSTING SCIENCE IN

ADAM POWELL

I

n response to the novel coronavirus pandemic, there have been repeated calls to “trust the science.”

The first definition in the Merriam-Webster dictionary for the word “science” is “the state of knowing,” while the third definition is “knowledge or a system of knowledge covering general truths or the operation of general laws especially as obtained and tested through scientific method.”

Science is not about trust, but instead about knowledge, as obtained through observation and experimentation.

Prior to 2019, nothing was known about the SARS-CoV-2 virus, although there was general knowledge of virology. Thus, while science is “the state of knowing,” with regards to the particularities of this virus, the world’s researchers have until the past year been in a state of ignorance. Using the information at their disposal, different governments have taken different scientific approaches to addressing COVID-19.

I

TIMES OF UNCERTAINTY O ver time, scientific evidence accumulates, and the quality of the evidence available often improves. For instance, when the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) makes recommendations, it notes that there can be low, moderate or high certainty re-

t is essential to move from blindly following scientific findings of varying quality to actively weighing them. Following an approach similar to the United States Preventive Services Task Force, recommendations that are made should consider the quality of the scientific information on which they are based, with the understanding that the evidence may be of uneven quality. Costbenefit analyses should be performed on policy interventions that are being discussed, with both direct and indirect costs considered as factors.

As we proceed with un-

garding the net benefit. While interventions with low certainty of net benefit may be beneficial, such interventions nonetheless are only supported by a limited number of studies, studies with methodological flaws or studies that cannot be generalized.

Likewise, there may be in-

consistency in findings across the literature. Different professional societies may likewise review the same evidence and offer different, but equally valid, recommendations due to differences in priorities as well as their interpretations of the evidence.

Unsurprisingly, the evidence

supporting COVID-19-related interventions has evolved over the course of 2020, and public policy has changed as well.

While early public policy efforts included closing large outdoor spaces, such as national and state parks, as the dangers of respiratory spread became better understood, the

emphasis instead became on encouraging people to spend time outdoors when possible.

The US surgeon general switched from telling people not to wear masks to providing instructions on how people could make their own.

Science itself has reversed course several times during the pandemic as well. There has been a rush to develop scientific evidence, and in many cases, a reliance on findings that have yet to have undergone peer review. Preprint servers have enabled scientists to distribute their work at a rapid pace, but have also removed the safeguards offered by the traditional publication process. That said, even the integrity of peer review has been called into question, with The Lancet and the New England Journal of Medicine both retracting studies regarding the treatment of COVID-19.

As the article retractions demonstrate, science is not about trust, but about a process of inquiry in which even published findings may be questioned. The very novelty of the SARS-CoV-2 virus should lead us to expect there to be changes in our collective knowledge of it over time. Nonetheless, diagnostic, treatment and public policy decisions must be made based upon the information available. As inaction is a decision in itself, leaders must consciously use the evidence available to provide direction.

PROCEED WITH UNCERTAINTY certainty, it is important to remember that the costs associated with errors are sometimes not symmetric. For instance, there has been some debate around the efficacy of mask-wearing. If masks are worn but later proven to be ineffective, the costs society will have borne will likely be the relatively minimal cost associated with their purchase or construction, as well as the physical and social discomfort caused by their utilization. Meanwhile, if masks are not worn,

but later further evidence mounts that they are effective, the cost will be the societal losses due to the resulting illness and business closures.

The calculus regarding online versus live education for school children is hazier, as there are clear downsides to either path: Bringing children into schools may lead to increased spread of the virus, while keeping children at home may both hamper their education and their parents’ ability to

work. The path that has been widely chosen, hybrid education, may be the most costly of all, as it both fails to shelter families from exposure and fails to provide parents with consistent childcare, in many cases, leading to the children spending increased time with vulnerable retired relatives or additional groups of children from alternative childcare arrangements.

One of the drivers of the decision to move toward the Solomonic judgment represented by

the hybrid model has been the belief that students must be able to keep a distance of six feet, or two meters, at all times while in the classroom, a recommendation given by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention but contrary to the guidance of the World Health Organization (WHO), which recommends keeping a distance of three feet, or one metre.

The reason for the discordance between the guidance of the WHO

and the United States is because there likely is no single optimum distance but, instead, a gradient of risk. Two metres is likely somewhat safer than one meter, and 20 metres is safer still. As with every decision in health care, the costs and benefits of different safety thresholds must be weighed. If maintaining a six-foot distance forces schools to not operate at full capacity (or at all), it must be weighed against the potential medical

and financial harms that come from implementing such a regulation, such as increased potential exposure of the elderly.

Moreover, it must be appreciated that neither distance completely mitigates risk due to the aerosol-based spread of the virus. There may be a right answer regarding the distance that is socially optimal, but such a distance needs further exploration using the scientific process. While doing so, we must appreciate both what we know and what we currently do not know, and increase our comfort with declaring our uncertainty.

Source : FAIROBSERVER.COM

Humanity for all its achievements has been unable to control mother nature, maybe it needs to learn to respect it more.

2ND FRONT

—Jagdeesh Chandra, CEO & Editor, First India

AHMEDABAD | WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2020

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COVID-19 UPDATE

WORLD

INDIA

08

GUJARAT

16,32,958 7,34,15,710 1,44,090 99,31,011 4,193 2,29,913 DEATHS

MAHARASHTRA 48,339 DEATHS 18,86,807 CASES

CONFIRMED CASES

UTTAR PRADESH 8,083 DEATHS 5,66,728 CASES

DEATHS

CONFIRMED CASES

KARNATAKA 11,965 DEATHS 9,03,425 CASES

DEATHS

DELHI 10,115 DEATHS 6,10,447 CASES

CONFIRMED CASES

RAJASTHAN 2,568 DEATHS 2,93,584 CASES

Modi’s gift to Kutch: 30,000 MW green energy

PM also launches a 1,000 lakh litre a day desalination plant; calls Kutch country’s fastest developing region

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in Kutch on Tuesday to launch several projects. He was welcomed by Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani (left). The PM also had a separate meeting with Sikh farmers during his day-long visit. (Bottom left).

Darshan Desai Dhordo (Kutch): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday asked researchers and universities to look at Kutch as a case study on the region’s rise from the ashes of the massive destruction caused by the 2001 earthquake there.

Modi, who laid the foundation stone of the world’s largest 30,000 MW hybrid renewable energy park at Kharera in the desert district, counted Kutch among the country’s fastest developing regions.

He also launched Shapoorji Pallonji Group’s desalination plant with a capacity to treat 1,000 lakh litres a day in Mandvi, besides a a fully automated milk processing and

packing plant in Anjar.

Chief Minister Vijay Rupani accompanied the Prime Minister.

He said the people fought back and converted the quake tragedy into hope. “Everyone rose from the destruction caused by the quake and look where they brought Kutch,” he said, and referred to the

renewable enery park he launched.

“Gujarat was among the earliest to work on strengthening solar energy capacities. Today Kutch has the world’s largest hybrid renewable energy park. It is almost as big as Singapore and Bahrain. It is built on 70,000 hectare land, larger than many

big cities in the country,” the Prime Minister said.

He added that India featured in the top three among 144 countries in the Clean Energy Investment rankings.

Modi said, “The country has shown a path to the entire world and is leading the fight against climate change.”

KUTCH RENEWABLE ENERGY PARK 1. Adani Green Energy Ltd

9,500 MW

19,000 hectares

2. Suzlon Group

4,750 MW

9,500 hectares

3. PSU Solar Energy Corp

3,000 MW

23,000 hectares

4. NTPC

4,750 MW

9,500 hectares

5. GIPCL

2,375 MW

4,750 hectares

6. GSEC

3,325 MW

6,650 hectares

Stating that one had to keep pace up with the changing times and embrace global best practices, Modi lauded the farmers in Kutch and pointed out they were now exporting fruits.

The Prime Minister said this indicated the “innovative zeal of our farmers.”

He said agriculture, dairy and fisheries sectors had prospered in Gujarat over the last 2 decades due to minimum interference from the Government. “What Gujarat did was to empower farmers and cooperatives,” Modi said.

Remembering Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on his 70th death anniversary, the Prime Minister said Patel’s statue in Kevadia in Narmada district was a source of inspiration for the people of the country.

Sand mound slide kills worker 10 Parents call cops to get son freed from divorcee feet in a pit dug to lay water lines —FILE PHOTO

First India Bureau

First India Bureau Ahmedabad: A huge mound of sand dug up to lay an underground water pipeline collapsed on a labourer working 10 feet inside the pit, killing him near the Nursing Society near Ramapir no Tekro in

Juna Vadaj area of the city on Tuesday.

Two fire brigade teams worked for hours but could not rescue the worker. The victim was rushed to a nearby hospital but was pronounced dead there. The fire brigade conducted a thorough investigation but

found he was the only one inside.

The locals had called the fire brigade to rescue the labourer. The work site was barricaded and there were no rescue tools available even for the workers.

The Vadaj police have initiated an investigation in the matter.

Ahmedabad: City’s Anandnagar police is playing the role of a mediator to convince a divorced woman to “free” a 17-year-old boy with whom she has an affair and is not allowing him to return to his parents.

The boy’s parents have filed a police complaint that the woman,

in her 30’s with a child, had trapped their son.

The two are often seen chatting over the phone and she sends him lewd messages, and the boy would also search sexual content on the internet. While he had often stayed at her house, he hadn’t returned home for two days this time, the parents said.

When they went to

her house, it was locked but the two were inside.

She opened after the police reached but argued that they were in a relationship and wished to live together.

The police are convincing the woman to allow the boy to return, or she could be booked under IPC and POCSO since the boy is not an adult.

LEGAL KNOTS

December 2017 FIR against Hardik caught in a legal wrangle 

Gujarat HC issues notice to State Government in a petition seeking quashing of entire criminal proceeding in the case

First India Bureau Ahmedabad: The Gujarat High Court on Tuesday issued notices to the State Government following a petition by Congress leader Hardik Patel seeking quashing of criminal proceedings against him in a December 2017 case of unlawful assembly and holding a public rally in Ahmedabad

without permission.

Justice AG Uraizee issued the notices and posted the matter for further hearing to January 12.

The proceedings against Patel pending before the 3rd Additional Sr. Civil Court, Mirzapur, in Ahmedabad, have been launched on the basis of an FIR at the Bopal Police Station under Section 188.

Congress leader Hardik Patel.

—FILE PHOTO

The allegation in FIR refers to the incident of December 2017, where Patel and others held a rally in the Bopal-Ghuma area without permission and thus violated an order promulgated by the Additional District Magistrate.

Appearing for the Patidar leader, Advocate Anand Yagnik submitted that an FIR under Section 188 was not

maintainable because only the public servant who promulgated the order and whose order was violated could file a complaint before the Magistrate.

He argued that only after such a complaint could a court take cognizance while in this case prosecution had been launched by lodging an FIR and this was not maintainable. He

submitted that 4 high courts in India had held that an FIR was not maintainable in such cases and also cited a Gujarat High Court order in a case of Parshottambhai Solanki vs. State of Gujarat.

Public Prosecutor and senior advocate Mitesh Amin appearing for the State had vehemently opposed the said application.

www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epaper/ I twitter.com/thefirstindia facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia AHMEDABAD, WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 16, 2020

Pharaoh’s collection Bani Pasricha

THE WAIT IS FINALLY OVER It’s finally D-Day! The Fashion Connect by First India will be held today at Rambagh Palace Jaipur, after a long wait. Stay tuned, a great show is about to begin...

The collection for Fashion Connect, Jaipur episode, is an amalgamation of a strict curation of our Bali collection further coordinated and fused with our Indian heritage motifs from the Mughal Era, and we are super excited for it.

—RAJDEEP RANAWAT, Designer

NEHAL NAYAR

nehal.nayar@firstindia.co.in

T

Bali Collection by Rajdeep Ranawat

he eighth season of The Fashion Connect by First India will be held today, 16 December at Maharani Bagh at Rambagh Palace Jaipur.

The seventh season was supposed to take place earlier this year in March, but due to the COVID outbreak across the globe, it was postponed, keeping in mind the health of the people who would be a part of the event.

A virtual season was showcased live to the public recently, which was loved by the audience. Looking at the great response, we have now come up with the eighth season, keeping all the COVID protocols in place.

With only limited seating, proper sanitization and social distancing, the eighth season of The Fashion Connect by First India is going to set high standards for all the upcoming on-ground fashion shows, with the best designers on board to showcase their collections!

Ranka’s collection that will be showcased during the show can easily be described as classy, royal and elegant. People are going to love the colour combinations and the entire look of simple yet graceful outfits.

—TINA RANKA, Designer

The collection Pharaoh’s will be showcased at The Fashion Connect, which inspires women and shows how the ancient era Egyptian empresses handled power authority in a graceful way.

—BANI PASRICHA, Designer

09

Rishee Miglani Brand Ambassador

SEASON 8

16th December, 2020 5 PM to 7PM Rambagh Palace, Jaipur

Showcasing Designers GRAND OPENING BY

RAJDEEP RANAWAT BANI PASRICHA Lokesh Sharma

SAKH JAIPUR BY NEHA KHATRI

Show Director

ACCESSORY SHOW BY COSA NOSTRAA RANKA’S BY TINA RANKA GRAND FINALE BY

HOUSE OF KOTWARA #TheFashionConnect

#SEASON8

ONLY BY INVITATION

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AHMEDABAD | WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2020

11

‘MY BEST FILMMAKING EXPERIENCE’

Jessica Alba

Shahid’s post

BIG REUNION S

D

... her post

rew Barrymore began hosting The Drew Barrymore Show in September this year and the show is already loved by millions of fans from around the world.

The actress and host will be reuniting with her ‘Never Been Kissed’ co-

star and the actresses will be dishing out some fun stories for the audience. Speaking about their time from the 90s film, Jessica was full of gratitude for Drew as she said, “You propped up so many actors at that time and you took so many people under your wings. You guided them

and you set the stage for us who were just starting.” Jessica Alba, who has starred in films like Sin City and Fantastic Four, also opened up on juggling her work and home life.

She jokingly said, “I told everyone in the family that I need a break from them.”

—Agency

RELATIONSHIP STRUGGLE

R

ealit y star Kim Kardashian and her rapper

Kim Kardashian

husband Kanye West are still finding their relationship difficult as a couple and staying in different states.

Even though Kim and Kanye’s relationship is not a nor-

mal one yet they have reportedly found a way not to end their marriage.

The celebrity couple has decided to keep themselves away from the divorce courts even though

RELATION

Y

olanda Hadid loves being a new grandma. She took to Instagram to share a picture of the day Gigi and her longtime beau, Zayn Malik, found out they were having a baby girl. The adorable couple posed side by side, showing off a sliced-into gender-reveal cake proving that a little girl was on the way. Gigi appeared cosy, wearing a white polostyle sweater; a cream-hued, knit cardigan; and light-wash denim. She had her hair pulled back into a casual bun.

As for Malik, he looked dapper in a leather bomber jacket and a simple black T-shirt.

—Agency

Fan Art

I

mpressed by an art piece of him created by a fan, Bollywood actor Sonu Sood on Tuesday posted its picture on social media.

The art, posted on Twitter, features Sood’s face carved on a leaf that is dedicated to him by one of his fans referring to him as his superhero. To acknowledge the art, the ‘Dabangg’ star re-tweeted his fan’s post and wrote, “Patte patte pe likha hai chapne wale ka naam”(translation: On each leaf is written the name of the printer’s name), with folded hands emoticon.

— ANI

Yolanda’s post

Fitness Mantra

D

elighting her fans with an enchanting post, Bollywood actor Shilpa Shetty, on Tuesday shared tips for staying healthy.

One of the fittest actors in Bollywood, Shetty leaves no stone unturned to inspire her fans. In her latest Instagram post, the ‘Dhadkan’ star shared a winsome picture of herself in which she is randomly captured flashing her radiant smile. Emphasising the significance of a ‘good laugher’, she suggested her fans to watch a funny movie/video.

—ANI

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle

T

er recover after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle‘s bombshell decision to exit as senior members of the royal family. The brothers’ relationship is much better than it was. They are now in regular contact and the Sussex family has sent Christmas presents to Prince William and Kate Middleton‘s family.

—Agency

BIOPIC IN MAKING...

Taran’s Tweet

T

he life and times of Indian field hockey player Major Dhyan Chand will soon be seen on the big screen as a biopic. The movie will be a collaboration by ‘Sonchiriya’ producer Ronnie Screwvala and director Abhishek Chaubey. Film critic and movie trade analyst Taran Adarsh took to Twitter on Tuesday and announced the news. “HOCKEY LEGEND #DHYANCHAND BIOPIC ANNOUNCED... Producer Ronnie Screwvala and director Abhishek Chaubey reunite, after #Sonchiriya...

Announce a film on #Hockey legend #DhyanChand...,” tweeted Adarsh.“Co-produced by Premnath Rajagopalan... Star cast under finalisation...

Starts 2021... 2022 release,” he added.

—ANI

Shilpa Shetty Kundra

Kareena’s Favourite Boys

B ... her post

UNIQUE LEAF ART

they are not enjoying the ideal relationship. The couple is still reportedly struggling to “stay together as a couple” but they are happy to keep this status.

—Agency

Yolanda Hadid revealed

RECOVERED

here’s a very hopeful update about the state of Prince Harry and Prince William‘s relationship after months of rumours of a major rift in the royal family. A friend of the royals confirmed they were feuding and Prince Harry also publicly spoke about the rift.

Many were worried the family would nev-

hahid Kapoor on Tuesday celebrated the shooting wrapup of his upcoming sports drama film ‘Jersey’ with other cast and crew members of the flick. The ‘Kabir Singh’ shared the announcement of wrap-up of his much-awaited film ‘Jersey’on Instagram and wrote, “It’s a film wrap on #jersey .... 47 days of the shoot during covid. Just unbelievable. I am so proud of the entire team. It’s nothing short of a miracle.” Extending thanks to the crew members who came to the sets amid the pandemic, the star noted, “It’s nothing short of a miracle. I want to thank each and everyone from the unit for coming to set every day, putting themselves at risk and doing what we all love doing.”

—ANI

ollywood actor Kareena Kapoor Khan, on Tuesday treated her fans with an adorable picture, this time with father and ‘sons’.

Bebo, who is one of the

most active Bollywood celebrities on social media, shared a picture on Instagram, which features her husband and actor Saif Ali Khan with both his sons, Taimur and Ibrahim in one frame. With

the post that shares the father and sons bonding, the ‘Heroine’ star wrote, “Favourite boys! #FatherAndSons,” using smiling face with red hearts emoticons.

—ANI

Kareena Kapoor Khan

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

AHMEDABAD | WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2020

MISS & MRS INDIA

GLAM 2020 NEHAL NAYAR

T

he last audition and interview round for the three-day national beauty pageant Miss and Mrs India Glam Season 2 will be held tomorrow, 17 December at The Blackbox, Hotel Clarion Bella Casa, Jaipur. The top 10 finalists will be chosen amongst the ones selected.

Organizers Pawan Tank and Vishnu Sharma said that auditions will take place keeping in mind the COVID situation and all precautions will be taken.

Founder Direc-

tor of Miss and Mrs India Glam, Pawan Tank said that the finale of this national pageant organised in collaboration with ‘The Heritage Village’, will be held from 29 to 31 December.

Anoop Chaudhary, Managing Director of Miss and Mrs India Glam, said that the participants in this event will be given various great opportunities after the pageant. nehal.nayar @firstindia. co.in

12

Fruitful panel DISCUSSION

CITY FIRST

J

airangam Theatre Festival recently had Ramanjit Kaur, an International awardwinning Theatre and Film Actor and Director from India, founder-director of The Creative Arts, and the National Vice-President of Arts Leadership Council, Women’s Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (WICCI). She curated and moderated a panel discussion online with Anita R Rat-

nam, an Indian classical and contemporary dancer and choreographer.

Sanjoy K Roy, the Managing Director of Teamwork Arts.

Baldeep Singh, a pioneering polymath in cultural conservation and Founder of The Anad Foundation. Quasar Thakore, Indian stage director and Samara Hersch, a theatre practitioner exploring the intersection of contemporary performance and community engagement. cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

Readymade Cabaret 2.0

CITY FIRST

B

ased on Marcel Duchamp’s notions of readymade art and the philosophies of Dada as practised by Tristan Tzara, Readymade Cabaret 2.0 spoke about the current

COVID scenario by asking whether our lives are determined by Chance – Fate or Free Will. The virtual session was conducted at 9:30 pm on Tuesday. The main focus was to celebrate the beauty of chance via the play. cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

CITY FIRST

T

he Jaipur branch of Chartered Accountant Institute of India distributed warm clothes to needy people and children studying in government schools on Sunday and Monday.

Jaipur branch President, CA Anil Kumar Yadav informed that sweaters and warm clothes were distributed to children studying in government schools and poor and helpless children living in slums.

Many CA members participated in this program and appealed to

Sudha and Ravi with Nandini, Ritu, Shreya, Rashmi, Sandeep, Gurinder, Kunal Apnavi, Arjun, Apra, Gauri and Shreshth

GOOD DEED

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

Ravi and Sudha exchange garlands

It was the 50th Wedding anniversary of Sudha and Ravi Kuchhal on Sunday.

They celebrated with a beautiful simple ceremony re-enacting their marriage ceremony and vows with their close family and friends.

The 5-day program begins the common people to follow social distancing and wear masks. The

program was done keeping in mind all the guidelines of COVID-19.

Soaring Heights CITY FIRST

T Arnav

HAPPY B’DAY!

IPS Keshar Singh Shekhawat celebrated his birthday on Tuesday, 15 December. We wish him all the best!

Jheel

he Digital Baal Mela, sponsored by LIC is witnessing huge participation with each passing day.

Children are sending their entries from Goa and Gujarat. A good number of participants could be seen from Maharashtra and Delhi too. Contributing to the Corona awareness campaign run by the gov-

EVENTS!

ernment, children gave messages from the creative platform of the Baal Mela. 10-year-old Arnav Gupta from Goa gave a “share safety not the virus” message to stop the spread of Corona infection. Sanklecha from Balotra, Rajasthan, saluted the corona warriors. Vedha Jain from Delhi also wrote “stay home stay safe” for Corona awareness. cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

—PHOTO BY NAIM KHAN

R Pahal

Vedha

ajasthan Technical University, TEQ IP - III and Jaipur Engineering College Sitapura have organised a five-day faculty development program on ‘Stress and Anger Management’ which is being conducted online starting from today to 19 December.

Participants from more than 40 countries and more than 400 cities are participating in this faculty development

BUZZ

—PHOTO BY HANIF SINDHI

Raj: Amer Fort has been the attraction of the city since always.

The crowning Jewel of Jaipur was captured beautifully on Tuesday morning.

program. The program was inaugurated by Professor RA Gupta (Vice-Chancellor, RTU) and Shri Sandesh Nayak (Commissioner, DCE Rajasthan).

The Vice-Chancellor of RTU, Professor R. A. Gupta appreciated the program and said that such programs give technical benefits as well as emotional and spiritual knowledge to the teachers which is necessary to live a stress-free life.

—City First

Guj: The Officers from Election commission of India arranged voter list reformation program at various wards in Ahmedabad city, ahead of AMC Election on Monday.

FICCI Rajasthan State Council is organising the virtual edition of the 5th HR Summit, 2020 today from 10:30 a.m to 1:10 p.m. The theme of this edition is ‘Reimagineering the Role of HR in the post-Covid World’.

—City First