First India-Ahmedabad Edition-16 May 2020

OUR EDITIONS: JAIPUR & AHMEDABAD

CORONA

29°C - 42°C

ALERT AHMEDABAD l SATURDAY, MAY 16, 2020 l Pages 12 l 3.00

COVID-19 UPDATE

RNI NO. GUJENG/2019/16208 l Vol 1 l Issue No. 170

INDIA

WORLD

3,06,064 45,86,276 2,753 85,760 DEATHS

DEATHS

CONFIRMED CASES

TOTAL NEW DEATHS DEATHS

1,469,307 SPAIN 274,367 RUSSIA 262,843 UK 236,711 ITALY 223,885 BRAZIL 208,031 GERMANY 175,223 TURKEY 146,457 IRAN 116,635 CHINA 82,933 CANADA 73,829

87,662 27,459 2,418 33,998 31,610 14,267 7,933 4,055 6,902 4,633 5,499

USA

7171 620 1015 78 103 82 32 157 35 68 83 13 21 14 73 53 20 4 34 2 29 77 48 34 23 6 2 8 2 4 12 4 1 1 9932

479 32 47 2 7 8 2 5 2 5 3 0 0 1 3 1 0 0 2 0 2 2 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 606

DWARKA JUNAGADH RAJASTHAN AMRELI TOTAL

SAMPLES TESTED NEGATIVE CASES

14 0 3 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 20

CONFIRMED CASES

Aditi Nagar

LIVING WITH CORONA! A monkey, seems to be waiting for playmates as it peeps from a window of a house in Haridwar while we all are under nationwide lockdown imposed due to deadly Coronavirus pandemic. Otherwise social and mischievous creature, this monkey seems to be sending a message to us humans to keep ourselves busy and productive so that we do not engage in activities that are not allowed during lockdown.

IN GUJARAT AHMEDABAD VADODARA SURAT RAJKOT BHAVNAGAR ANAND BHARUCH GANDHINAGAR PATAN PANCHMANHAL BANASKANTHA NARMADA CHOTA UDEPUR KUTCH MAHESANA BOTAD DAHOD PORBANDAR JAMNAGAR MORBI SABARKANTHA ARAVALLI MAHISAGAR KHEDA GIR SOMNATH VALSAD TAPI NAVSARI DANG SURENDRANAGAR

DEATHS

allied sectors like fisheries, dairy and animal husbandry

LAST UPDATED: MAY 15, 2020, 11:00 PM

TOTAL NEW DEATHS DEATHS

9,932

` 1 L CR AGRI PACKAGE! FM’s third tranche of economic package is for agri and

WWW.WORLDOMETERS.INFO

TOTAL CASES

GUJARAT

FARMVILLE TIME

+750 +138 +113 +384 +242 +274 +5 +48 +48 +1 +27

DISTRICT

606

CONFIRMED CASES

GLOBAL STATE OF AFFAIRS COUNTRY TOTAL CASES

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—PHOTO BY SUSHIL JOSHI

Ruling skies: India to get SW monsoon to be delayed 4 Rafales by July end New Delhi: In a major boost to India’s firepower in air, first four Rafale fighter aircraft would start arriving in India by July-end this year from France. The delivery was earlier supposed to have been done by May end but this was postponed by two months in view of COVID-19 situation in both India and France.

“The first four aircraft including three twin-seater trainer aircraft and one single-seater fighter aircraft would start arriving by the end of July at the Ambala

1,27,859 1,17927

UNDER EXAMINATION

0

by 4 days: IMD

airbase. The trainers will have the tail numbers of the RB series in honour of the Air Force Chief RKS Bhadauria who played a pivotal role in finalising India’s largest-ever defence deal for 36 Rafale combat aircraft,” defence sources said.

Turn on P6

WORLD BANK APPROVES $1 BN LOAN FOR INDIA’S COVID FIGHT New Delhi: World Bank has approved one billion US dollar ‘Accelerating India’s COVID-19 Social Protection Response Programme’ to support India. Total commitment from Bank for India is two billion USD. This new support will be funded in two phases—an immediate allocation of 750 million USD for 2020 and 250 million USD second tranche for fiscal year 2021.

New Delhi: The IMD on Friday predicted that the onset of southwest monsoon over Kerala this year is likely to be delayed slightly.

“This year, the onset of SW monsoon over Kerala is likely to be slightly delayed and is likely to be on June 5 with a model error of plus or minus 4 days,” IMD’s bulletin said.

It added, “Monsoon is likely to reach Andaman and Nicobar archipelago around May 16, nearly six days before its normal onset date.”

New Delhi: Unveiling the third tranche of economic package as part of Rs20lakh crore Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, of PM Modi, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and MoS Finance Anurag Thakur, on Friday, announced setting up of Rs1 lakh crore agri infrastructure fund for farm-gate infrastructure which focuses on agriculture and allied activities. This fund will be used for setting up cold chains & post-harvest management infrastructure, she said.

Turn on P6

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and MoS Finance Anurag Thakur

MONEY WISE

`1 lakh cr

`13,000 cr

`10,000 cr

`10,000 cr

Agri Infrastructure fund for farm-gate infrastructure fund for micro food enterprises (MFE) through a cluster-based approach.

Narendra Modi @narendramodi I welcome today’s measures announced

by FM @nsitharaman.

They will help the rural economy, our hardworking farmers, fishermen, the animal husbandry and dairy sectors. I specially welcome reform initiatives in agriculture, which will boost income of farmers. #AatmaNirbharDesh

for National Animal Disease Control Programme microfund for branding and promotion of healthy and organic food produces

`4,000 cr for herbs and medicinal plants AMENDMENTS PROPOSED Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday proposed amendments to the Essential Commodities Act to enable better price realisation for farmers, and said no stock limit should apply to processors or value chain participants. The EC Act 1955 was enacted in days of scarcity. The government will amend it.

Agriculture food stuff including cereals, edible oils, oilseeds, pulses, onions and potatoes will be deregulated and stock limits will be imposed under exceptional circumstances, she said.

Geniuses have done it again! RaGa ‘targets’ Niti Aayog’s Covid predictions New Delhi: Taking a dig at NITI Aayog, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday said “some geniuses” had predicted that no COVID-19 case would emerge from May 16 due to government’s national lockdown strategy.

“The geniuses at Niti Aayog have done it again.

I would like to remind you of their graph predicting the Govt’s national lock-

down strategy would ensure no fresh COVID cases from tomorrow, May the 16th,” he tweeted while

NO ACTION AGAINST EMPLOYERS FOR NOT PAYING WAGES: SC New Delhi: The Supreme Court Friday asked the government not to take any coercive action till next week against the companies and employers who are unable to pay full wages to their employees during the nationwide lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic. There may be small companies which are not earning and therefore unable to pay, the top court observed. A bench of Justices L N Rao, S K Kaul and B R Gavai, hearing multiple petitions on the issue through the video conferencing, observed that the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) circular of March 29, directing companies to make payment of full wages to workers, was an omnibus order and there was a larger question involved which needs to be answered.

P5

sharing a COVID-19 graph rate as predicted by Aayog.

Recently, NITI Aayog member VK Paul presented a study which indicated lockdown had slowed rate of virus transmission and increased doubling time of cases to about 10 days.

His projection also showed a forecast saying new cases would cease by May 16.

—ANI

CAN’T MONITOR MIGRANTS’ MOVEMENT ON ROADS: SC New Delhi: Supreme Court Friday rejected a plea seeking a direction to the Centre to ask all District Magistrates to identify stranded migrant workers walking on roads, and provide shelter and food to them before ensuring their free transportation to native places. It observed that it is impossible for courts to monitor or stop the movement of migrant workers across the country.

SC STAYS HC ORDER, CHUDASAMA GETS RELIEF Says HC should have checked if the 429 postal ballots had been rejected in accordance with the rules First India Bureau New Delhi: The Supreme Court has stayed the Gujarat high court’s order cancelling the election of Bhupendrasinh Chudasama to the Legislative Assembly in 2017. This brings relief to Chudasama, the state’s Law and Parliamentary Affairs minister who also holds the Education portfolio.

A Division bench comprising Justice Mohan M Shantanagoudar and Justice Subhash R Reddy took the decision after hearing the primary submission from Harish Salve—the senior advocate for petitioner Bhupendrasinh Chudasama—and Kapil Sibbal—senior advocate for the plaintiff, Congress candidate Ashwin Rathod. It has

Education Minister of Gujarat Bhupendrasinh Chudasama.

—PHOTO BY HANIF SINDHI

also issued notices to the Congress candidate and Election Commission of India.

During the hearing, Chudasama’s lawyers argued that the Gujarat High Court should have called for the 429 postal ballots that had been “illegally rejected” during the counting process to see if their rejection was in accordance with the rules.

On behalf of the Congress candidate, his senior advocate Kapil Sibal submitted that if the

votes had not been counted in the first place, they could not be declared as rejected.

After the primary hearing, which occurred through a video conference, the Court stayed the high court’s order. This was then opposed by the Congress candidate’s advocate. Overruling the objection, the Court observed, “In many such cases, we stay the High Court’s order.”

Pronouncing the high court’s judgement through video confer-

ence on Tuesday, the single-judge bench of Justice Paresh Upadhyay had observed: “Illegal procedure was followed in violation of the Election Commission’s rules. So the election result is declared null and void. And there were irregularities in the counting process (as well).”

The high court had further observed that, “Returning officer (Dhaval Jani) has manipulated the election records and had illegally excluded Turn on P6 More on P2

NEWS AHMEDABAD | SATURDAY, MAY 16, 2020

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GLIMMER OF HOPE BEGINS TO FADE AS Free rations for NFSA, BPL SURAT CROSSES 1K, A’BAD, 7K MARK cardholders

STATE NOW HAS 9,932 POSITIVE CASES, 606 DEATHS AND 4,035 DISCHARGES; cardholders in Ahmedabad PERMISSION FOR INTRA-STATE TRAVEL MAY SEE NUMBERS RISE FURTHER APL to get rations from Monday First India Bureau

Migrant workers and their families stand in queues as they await for their turn for tokens to board buses that will take them to their home state of Uttar Pradesh, amid the ongoing lockdown in Gota area of Ahmedabad, on Friday.

—PHOTO BY NANDAN DAVE

First India Bureau Gandhinagar: Just as the situation in the state had begun to appear hopeful, Gujarat again reported 340 new cases and 20 fatalities over the past 24 hours. With this, Surat has 1,015 cases, and Ahmedabad, 7,171. The death toll is now at 606.

However, with 282 patients being discharged on Friday, the state can take some pride in the fact that 4,035 of its total

9,932 patients have recovered. This puts the state’s overall recovery rate at 40.63%, aided in part by Banaskantha district’s 44% recovery rate.

Worryingly, the situation may yet take a turn for the worse, with permission being granted for intrastate movement with the relaxation in lockdown norms. Rural areas, which remained untouched by the Sars-CoV-2 virus until recently, have started to report an

increasing number of cases—most of which are of those who have travelled there from hotspots.

For instance, Junagadh district reported a case in Vithalapur in Kodinar Taluka, where the patient arrived from Surat, which is in the red zone.

Ahmedabad continues to witness high numbers with 261 new cases and 14 fatalities being reported in the past 24 hours.

In Surat, 32 new

cases—including that of an SRP jawan, a vegetable vendor and a tailor—have brought the total tally to 1015.

While there have been three deaths in the past 24 hours, 65 patients were discharged from hospitals, including six-month-old Aarohi Rathod.

Vadodara is the only city in the state to have disclosed death figures after approval from an audit committee. Since vegetable vendors are considered to be super-

spreaders, the city’s municipal corporation has screened 2,500 street vendors in three days. It will soon begin a second round of screenings.

Rajkot was rocked by reports of 11 new cases in a single day.

So far, the city has had a good recovery rate and only had three patients under treatment. In rural areas, only one case was reported from Gondal. On Friday, one more case has come from Upleta.

MIGRANT COUPLE SAYS THEY’LL BE BACK Prior to boarding a Shramik train at the Kalupur Railway station in Ahmedabad, Krishnawati and her husband bowed down to the earth for blessings. Natives of Raebareli in Uttar Pradesh, the couple came to Gujarat in search of jobs. She said, “We are going to our home state, but we will come back to Gujarat, because this state has given us a lot. We are very grateful here.”

Gandhinagar: Chief Minister Vijay Rupani’s government has announced that it would provide free rations to the National Food Security Act (NFSA) cardholders from this Sunday.

Over and above the regular rations, cardholders will receive an additional 3.5 kg wheat and 1.5 kg rice per head.

When APL-category cardholders from the rest of Gujarat were able to get the benefit of free rations, APL cardholders in Ahmedabad were left out because of the strict implementation of the lockdown. Now, these cardholders too will receive their rations from May 18. According to Information & Broadcasting Secretary & Secretary to the CM Ashwani Kumar, who made announcement, free rations will be distributed to NFSA cardholders across the state from May 17 to 27.

However, he said NFSA cardholders in the city will have to wait until May 23, when distribution to APL cardholders concludes.

He added that some 66 lakh cardholders covering 50% of the population will benefit from the programme. They may procure their free rations from 17,000 fair price shops from across the state.

Kumar further added

that--to ensure that unnecessary rush does not occur at these shops--a four-member committee will be present at each village-level fair price shops. These will include the village head, teachers, social workers and police Jawan. They will make telephone calls to cardholders, who may then collect their rations. In urban areas, there will be a threemember committee comprising social workers, teachers & police jawans.

In April when free rations were distributed to NFSA, Antyoday and BPL cardholders, the government distributed rations to 1,200-1,500 cardholders every minute. Within just four days, it had covered cardholders from all three categories.

As of midnight on Thursday, 349 trains have left for UP, Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa, MP, Chattisgarh with 4.73 lakh migrant workers.

On Friday, 41 trains left with 64,000 workers. In all, 5.37 lakh workers have reached their home states.

TRUTH CAN FACE HURDLES BUT CAN’T BE DEFEATED, CM TWEETS

CM welcomes stay on HC order overturning Chudasama election First India Bureau

Satya Pareshan Ho Sakta hai, Parajit Nahi (Truth can face hurdles but can’t be defeated).

Vijay Rupani, Chief Minister We had great hope from the SC. That the Apex court today stayed HC order is a good beginning. We are hopeful justice will prevail & my colleague Bhupendrsinh Chudasama will get justice.

Nitin Patel, Deputy CM

The postal ballots were never rejected. Only the defective postal ballot votes were not accepted, so the question of counting the votes did not arise.

We welcome the Supreme Court decision to stay the high court’s order. We are hoping that the Apex court will do justice to the BJP leader.

It is good news not only for Chudasama but also for the party.

It is likely that the SC doesn’t have any document and records or proof on this matter.

Even HC took 15 days to check the documents when the case was going on. The SC has all the right to check records and that is what they are doing.

Ashwin Rathod, Congress candidate

Bharat Pandya, BJP spokesman

Abhay Bhardwaj, BJP’s Rajya Sabha candidate, advocate and former member of the Law Commission

Gandhinagar: The Supreme Court boosted the morale of the state unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday, when it stayed the Gujarat high court’s order cancelling Law minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama’s election to the Legislative Assembly in 2017.

Perhaps most relieved was Chudasama himself, who welcomed the Supreme Court’s interim order to stay the high court order. He said he was hopeful that justice would be done. He also thanked all those who stood by him in the time of need.

But he was not the only one.

Chief Minister Vijay Rupani took to social media platform to appaud the move. “Satya Pareshan Ho Sakta hai, Parajit Nahi (Truth can face hurdles but can’t be defeated),” he tweeted.

Similarly, BJP’s Rajya Sabha candidate, advocate and former member of the Law Commission Abhay Bhardwaj also welcomed the Supreme Court’s interim order and said that the High Court judge had not given the issue due consideration. According to Bhardwaj, the postal ballots were never rejected. Only the defective postal ballot votes were not accepted, so the question of counting the votes did not arise.

His interpretation of Section 123 and 123 (7) of the People’s Representation Act is that the corrupt practice is effective only up to the voting. Once the voting concludes this section does not apply to counting, he said.

CONGRESS CANDIDATE SEEMINGLY PLACID  Ashwin Rathod, the Congress candidate from Dholka constituency in 2017 who had challenged Chudasama’s win, said that the Supreme Court has asked for four weeks’ time to check the CCTV, and election commission’s records.  “It is likely that the Supreme Court doesn’t have any document and records or proof on this matter. Even the High Court took 15 days to check the documents when the case was going on. The Supreme Court has all the right to check the records and that is what they are doing,” he said.

Gujarat Education Minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama

GUJARAT AHMEDABAD | SATURDAY, MAY 16, 2020

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times to become Is the state using ‘No root, Tough tougher for city police no fruit’ policy for testing?

First India Bureau

While the sample testing curve has flattened, positive cases continue to increase Gargi Raval Ahmedabad: The COVID-19 pandemic has hit the city hard with the highest number of cases reported in the state. Due to the soaring numbers, many officials believe that testing and isolating the infected may be the only way to curb the virus.

However, the opinion of the state health department and the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) differ on the matter with the test sample curve flattening. What is being blatantly ignored is the fact that the number of positive cases being reported has not gone down.

Arjun Modhwadia, a senior Congress leader, has alleged that the number of the tests in Gujarat is inversely

A comparison between the sample testing conducted in Gujarat and the sample testing conducted in Ahmedabad city.

proportional to the jumla (false promise) given

by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “The state is conducting fewer tests, which means there are bigger jumlas in play. According to the data, the state’s COVID-19 death rate is almost 1.75 times higher than the national rate,” said Modhwadia.

Ahmedabad, one of the worst-affected cities in the country, had tested 1,296 samples on May 14. It was 150 samples less than the number

One booked under PASA for promoting communal hatred First India Bureau Gandhinagar: Kutch police have arrested one person from Bhuj town for using loudspeakers used for azan to create communal enmity and hatred. The accused has been booked under Prevention of Anti-Social Activities Act (PASA) and sent to Surat prison.

“On the night of May 7, the accused entered a mosque in Bhuj town and used the azan microphone to address the public with the intention of creating communal hatred. When the nation is facing a very serious health crisis such as novel coronavirus, this person sought to promote enmity among people.

That is the reason why he has been booked under PASA,” said Shivanand Jha, DirectorGeneral of Police.

Jha said, “The police have been working round-the-clock ever since the lockdown commenced, so there is

DGP Shivanand Jha

110 cops have returned to their posts after finishing home quarantine bound to be stress. In order to help them relieve the stress, their duty hours are being changed regularly with breaks from duty in between.”

He also shared that from the number of police personnel that had been infected with corona, 10 more have recovered and resumed their duties.

He added that 110 police personnel have resumed their posts after completing home quarantine.

CUTTING DOWN

timally and are also sending around 500 samples to private laboratories,” said an AMC official.

According to another official at the civic body, the biggest break in the pandemic would be testing the super spreaders. “Nearly 700 people have tested positive and have been isolated now. This could be the biggest step toward breaking the chain of Sars-CoV-2 infection in the city,” he said.

Ahmedabad: The novel coronavirus outbreak has not only been tough on the citizens struggling to stay safe but also the essential services personnel such as the police. With long working hours under tough conditions, police have had to deal with people’s ire as well as pressure from higher authorities to contain the situation. There have been recent developments in different parts of the state, wherein the police have attracted attention.

A circular in the name of deputy commissioner of police (Zone-II) found on social media states that jawans deputed at checkpoints will remain at their posts from 8 am to 8 pm. No jawan will be allowed to leave their post for any reason, including food. All jawans have also been instructed to bring their lunches from home.

Police personnel have been deployed across the city in large numbers since the beginning of the lockdown.

—FILE PHOTO

IN SOLIDARITY

When asked about the circular, DCP Dharmendra Sharma refused to having issued any such circular and termed the post fake.

Not only that, on learning that this was an insider job he ordered an inquiry to be heralded by the assistant commissioner of police.

Further, police jawans living in Danilimda police quarters will now have to travel

tested on May 13 (1,446).

The city has so far tested a total of 42,950 samples since February.

“There has been no decrease in sample collection. We are collecting an average

of 700 samples from active surveillance.

But, there is the issue of over 3,000 pending samples awaiting results. We have utilized governmentrun laboratories op-

17 held for fake passes in Rajkot

Stock up on PPE kits, masks for monsoon: Mukim First India Bureau

First India Bureau Rajkot: After city police arrested three people involved in issuance of bogus inter-state travel passes, Rajkot crime branch on Thursday detained 17 people for creating and using bogus passes. The passes had Collectorate office stamps to assist movement within the city during the lockdown period.

According to the police, studio owner Amit Jaykishan Motwani, a resident of Parsana Nagar, is the main mastermind behind the entire racket. He obtained a blank pass from his friend Anil Kanaiyalal Mangwani and scanned it on his computer.

Then, he took a colour photocopy of the pass and pasted the photographs of people who required them. He copied the stamp of the Collectorate office from various official advertisements and pasted it on the passes along with photographs of people who bought them. These passes were sold for around Rs300-Rs1,000 by Anil and his friends.

Gandhinagar: With the novel coronavirus outbreak adversely affecting lives, now as per the prediction of the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), the state is likely to receive 96-104% rainfall this year.

In a video conference chaired by state chief secretary Anil Mukim, a discussion for preparations for the pre-monsoon season was held.

According to reports, the secretary has in-

Monsoon season will, in all likelihood, hit the southern coast of Gujarat on June 5

A man pushes a bicycle through a flooded street in Ahmedabad during last year’s monsoon rains.

—FILE PHOTO

structed all concerned officers to ensure that adequate stock of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits and masks are available dur-

ing the upcoming monsoon season. He also emphasized on the importance of social distancing while combating any flood or cyclone-

like situation during the monsoon.

The meeting was attended by several top brass officials from the state government including additional chief secretary (revenue) Pankaj Kumar, additional chief secretary (home) Sangeeta Singh and other officers various de-

ADDING TO THE CAVALRY Healthcare workers line up alongside 40 vans, which will now be used for COVID-19 screening in the city’s densely populated areas.

Ahmedabad mayor Bijal Patel flagged off the vehicles at an event on Friday, drawing flak for holding an event amid the ongoing lockdown.

—PHOTO BY NANDAN DAVE

AGAINST THE FLOW?

Environmentalist takes on GPCB report on cleaner rivers First India Bureau Ahmedabad: The Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) had recently conducted a study of major rivers in the state. In a report of the study, the board has claimed that the water quality of all major rivers has improved during the lockdown and that water pollution is now under control. The GPCB’s assertion has been challenged by environmentalists.

Mahesh Pandya of Paryavaran Mitra, a non-government organization (NGO) in a letter addressed to Mukesh Puri, chairman of the Gujarat Pollution Control Board has raised several questions about the board’s findings.

The foremost argument made by Pandya is that even before the lockdown, GPCB’s claim about the water quality in state rivers was a blatant lie. He also cited a statement

five to six kilometres to report for duty in Western Ahmedabad. As Danilimda has become a hotspot in the red zone, the Dr Ambedkar Bridge connecting Danilimda to Vasna has been closed for citizens.

But now, it has also been closed for police.

Meanwhile, Surat, police commissioner RB Brahmbhatt will join jawans in the field and spend time with them.

—FILE PHOTO

STILL DIRTY

The report had said the Sabarmati had become cleaner.

given by environment minister on the floor of the house in Lok Sabha back in November 2019,

according to which, 20 rivers in the state were polluted.

He also drew atten-

tion of the chairman to the report, in which Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) and Bio-

chemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) levels were found to be higher than standard parameters.

This meant that despite a lockdown in effect, a few units were still operational and discharging effluents in to rivers.

Although, the report asserts that pollution level has lowered in many rivers and that a few places had pollutant discharge, no explanation has been proffered in the study.

Pandya also demand-

ed that the GPCB prepare one to be implemented after the lockdown ends.

Some of the important findings of the report include the improved water quality of the Sabarmati River; going from Class B to A. It also mentions that Dissolved Oxygen Value (DOV) at Miroli and Vautha has dramatically improved because of which aquatic flora and fauna can survive.

partments. The discussion also involved highranking officers from the Border Security Force (BSF), the Rapid Action Force (RAF) and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).

As per the predictions of the Meteorology Department station director Jayant Sarkar, the monsoon season will, in all likelihood, hit the southern coast of Gujarat on June 5. It will hit the region of South Gujarat around 15-20 days after reaching the coast.

Congress MLA calls for HC intervention First India Bureau Ahmedabad: Congress MLA Gyasuddin Shaikh has requested the chief justice of Gujarat high court to intervene and take control of the COVID-19 situation.

The lawmaker also sought the high court’s involvement in resolving the health crisis in the state by asking Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and deputy chief minister Nitin Patel to take over Ahmedabad and declare Civil Hospital as the main control room of the COVID-19 crisis under the supervision of the court.

“In the wake of the corona outbreak in the city, no other medical treatment is available anywhere. This has badly affected the overall health of citizens and more deaths have been reported due to other illnesses,” said Shaikh.

Based on the number of people battling Sars-CoV-2 in the city, Shaikh has also demanded an increase in testing and free treatment of patients at private hospitals.

PERSPECTIVE AHMEDABAD | SATURDAY, MAY 16, 2020

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Authentic numbers are absent, Covid-19 crisis has exposed India’s data-ignorance Dharavi Covid numbers can be correlated with the BCG vaccination programme but there has been no effort in India to analyse this data DINESH SINGH The author is former vice-chancellor of University of Delhi, a distinguished mathematician and an educationist

I

Keeping in mind the model proposed by the eminent Israeli scientist Isaac Ben Israel, it seems safe to predict that Dharavi shall be out of the woods by the end of May and Maharashtra by 10 June. Ben Israel suggests — through very rigorous data analysis — that the coronavirus will lose steam in about 70 days.

One must remember that these inferences are not mathematical laws like the law of gravitation but are reasonably accurate approximations

n these difficult times of infections and deaths due to the Covid-19 crisis, I have been hard put to gain accurate information on numbers for places such as Dharavi in Mumbai. Quite often, there are conflicting figures emanating from different sources for the same day’s data.

This is symptomatic of a larger chronic issue that is affecting India for quite some time. This data-ignorance is getting exposed during the coronavirus pandemic more than ever.

Indians have become alarmingly indifferent — and often inefficient — when it comes to dealing with data and its use.

It is ironic that this is happening in the land where Chanakya — much before the time of Christ — pioneered the use of statistical analysis for better governance. One would thus have expected that India would be better able to model the global data on Covid-19.

DHARAVI AND BCG VACCINATION Take this interesting databased insight that has emerged from the Texas Medical Centre in Houston on the correlation between low death rates and nations that have had a vigorous Bacille Calmette-Guérin — BCG — vaccination programme.

Given that India has had mandatory BCG vaccinations since 1978, it seems a given that this study should have been undertaken further to check the situation in a closed environment — such as Dharavi — to see if the correlation gets any stronger.

Unfortunately, I have not seen any such study. In fact, I have not seen any data-based analysis done in a meaningful manner for any aspect of the pandemic in India. A great deal can be achieved by examining the data via sources that

are freely available on the web. As per my understanding, Dharavi has had declining numbers of infections and declining rates of infections for the past few days. According to my calculations, the average rate of increase of infections for the past week has been 5.7 per cent and it has been hovering around 3 per cent for the last three days.

This data is in stark contrast with what was happening a few days ago when Dharavi clocked a weekly average infection rate of 9.6 per cent.

In fact, the projections for Maharashtra are also definitely getting better. The hype is all about the spike in the absolute numbers of daily infections in Maharashtra.

What we are missing is that the rate of infections has been steadily declining.

The average rate of increase in infections in the state in the past week, as per my calculation, is 7 per cent. On the other hand the average for a week, in the middle of April, stood at nearly 21 per cent.

Keeping in mind the model proposed by the eminent Israeli scientist Isaac Ben Israel, it seems safe to predict that Dharavi shall be out of the woods by the end of May and Maharashtra by 10 June. Ben Israel suggests — through very rigorous data analysis — that the coronavirus will lose steam in about 70 days.

One must remember that these inferences are not mathematical laws like the law of gravitation but are reasonably accurate approximations.

Along these lines, it would have been very productive to examine if Dharavi has a vigorous BCG vaccination programme. Given its very low death rates and its low numbers of infections, this aspect needs close statistical examination.

ABSENCE OF ACCURATE DATA There is one other statistical opportunity that Dharavi offers but once again I see no effort to undertake this exercise. Given that the coronavirus infects a significant num-

There is one other statistical opportunity that Dharavi offers but once again I see no effort to undertake this exercise. Given that the coronavirus infects a significant number of individuals who remain asymptomatic, a simple and effective random experiment can be undertaken to determine the true numbers of those infected in Dharavi.

One could then extrapolate this data for the entire country

ber of individuals who remain asymptomatic, a simple and effective random experiment can be undertaken to determine the true numbers of those infected in Dharavi.

One could then extrapolate this data for the entire country. The other advantage that accrues in the context of the crisis is that one can use data-based inferences for devising strategies and also help alleviate public anxiety.

The disappointing part is that these matters would have been very interesting projects for school and college students who are worried about their studies and are spending time at home. But the lack of connection between what students are taught and what is going on in the real world is worrisome.

Nothing bears this out with greater clarity than my recent interaction with a bunch of college teachers — drawn from the discipline of mathematics — for an online semi-

nar on some facets of the Covid-19 crisis. This worthy group turned out to be clueless on devising an experiment to estimate their chances of contracting the coronavirus. However, the problem was in the realm of elementary data analysis and within the grasp of a grade nine student.

I have also been searching for data related to the Covid-19 cases for different regions of India. It has become an exercise in confusion, since very often, different sources offer different figures for the same situation. It is hard to find a one point authentic source for aspects of data.

It seems that the value of data and data-related information is lost on us as a nation.

Such a situation is rooted in the chronic inability of India’s educational institutions to offer any worthwhile training in basic data analysis. This has resulted in a culture that abhors the value of data and shuns any engagement with it.

What sort of harm is this causing the nation? All our institutions that deal with disciplines such as medicine, the life sciences, the social sciences and the humanities have very little to do with any training in data or in quantitative thinking.

This begins at the level of schools and runs right through almost all educational institutions, barring a very small number of exceptions.

DATA TRAINING IN UNIVERSITIES Take a venerable institution like the All India Institute of Medical Sciences — AIIMS. As far as I can tell, it does not have any worthwhile statistics or probability theory experts. The same is true of the much-vaunted National Institute of Immunology. Contrast this with the highly regarded MD Anderson Cancer Centre at Houston, Texas, which has as many statisticians, probability and mathematics experts, as the number of medical scientists.

How else can one understand genome data and genome sequencing? And without these, there is not much one can do when it comes to understanding the genetic basis of disease and therapy.

For instance, genome sequencing is proving to be advantageous in treating new-

How humour can be a great stress buster A

ccording to an old adage , “comedy is tragedy plus time”. This has been true for many terrible events, when after periods of shock and sadness, humour and laughter are eventually restored.

But the current pandemic seems different. People haven’t stopped joking about it. Memes and funny videos are all over social media, even while an increasing number of people across the world get sick and die. So why is this happening? Why is there no gap between the disaster and the humour created around it?

One thing that makes the current situation unique is that it is not a single event in a specific place and time. It is a rolling and continuous crisis,

spreading endlessly across continents with no end in sight. The shock factor is therefore reduced, compared to a single terror attack, for example.

This enables people to adjust more easily to what is happening – and humour may be one of the best ways to do just that. Of course, many people will feel uncomfortable laughing in these dire times, especially if they know someone who has been directly affected.

But for others, it is not only acceptable to use humour in the face of the pandemic – it may even be a necessity. Obviously, we do not laugh at the tragedy itself, the victims of the virus or the people who are suffering from it. But we can take aim at the seemingly absurd situation we are all in.

tract themselves from the serious situation.

Memes and funny videos are all over social media, even while an increasing number of people across the world get sick and die

This is because from a psychological point of view, humour is a great defence mechanism which helps us deal with emotionally challenging situations, especially ones which are overwhelming and unpredictable. Many cancer patients and their doctors, for example, routinely tell jokes and laugh about the disease, in an attempt to cope and dis-

COPING STRATEGY On top of this, the unique circumstances surrounding the pandemic may make humour more prevalent, not less. First, many people now have an unusual amount of time on our hands. Being stuck at home with not much to do forces people to find ways to be more creative. And while the situation is serious, in our daily activities we are mostly preoccupied with more mundane tasks, such as what to do all day, how to entertain children, how not to eat too much, and how to stay sane in general.

Second, being a bit scared, tense, and in a state of alert is actually a good thing for humour to develop. These states of physiological and emotional

arousal serve as driving forces in creating and enjoying humour.

Usually, intermediate levels of arousal are best.

With too little, you are bored, and with too much, you are too excited to enjoy humour. Right in the middle is perfect. The laughter after hearing a good joke serves as a release of all the physiological and emotional energy that was built up, and that’s what makes us feel good.

Another important element of humour that is prominent during the pandemic is what humour researchers call “incongruity”. For something to be funny, there needs to be something odd or surprising in the situation. The current situation reveals plenty of such oddities.

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borns and infants for various diseases. It is just as useful in drug trials and pharmacogenomics. The list goes on.

What many of us in India do not realise is that the same data analysis that works for genome research, works just as well for financial data or for myriad of other needs. I am ready to forego such ambitious goals for most of our young students. Instead, I just ask for very basic training in data such as what Delhi University had mandated in 2013 for undergraduates under the Four Year Undergraduate Programme, regardless of their disciplines of study. The course was very practical in nature and quite useful for the students in all kinds of situations and for their careers. It also proved to be very popular as well as effective in creating a new culture on campus. For instance, students of literature were also gaining new insights into language and literature through it.

Unfortunately, it was taken off the menu when the entire package of reforms was rolled back without any reason by the University Grants Commission (UGC), under the influence of the HRD ministry in June 2014. This thoughtless action caused incalculable harm to the nation and set us back by many, many, years.

A few days ago, Amitabh Bachchan tweeted with delight what he thought was an amazing fact, peculiar only to the year 2020. He pointed out that if one were to add her/his birth year to one’s age, she/he would end up with 2020. It is painfully obvious that Bachchan has overlooked a simple arithmetical truth that renders his observation valid for each calendar year and not just for 2020.

What is even more painful is that within a short span of his tweet, there were more than fifty thousand likes and several thousands of retweets. Thousands of Indians had missed a simple arithmetical flaw in his assertion. I rest my case.

SOURCE:THEPRINT

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TWEET Dharmendra Pradhan @dpradhanbjp Guided by the mantra of ‘SabkaSaath’, ‘ Sabka-Vikas’ and ‘SabkaVishwas’, #ModiGovt is working for the social and economic integration of the country to further fulfil aspirations of our citizens and also realize the goal of a self-reliant and #AatmaNirbharDesh.

Piyush Goyal @PiyushGoyal Financing facility of `1,00,000 crore will be provided for funding Agriculture Infrastructure Projects at farm-gate & aggregation points (Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies, Farmers Producer Organisations, Agriculture entrepreneurs, Start-ups, etc.) #AatmaNirbharDesh

Spiritual SPEAK

Sever the ignorant doubt in your heart with the sword of self-knowledge. Observe your discipline. Arise.

—Bhagavad Gita

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05

SPELL OUT NATIONAL EXIT PLAN: CONG

SC puts on hold MHA circular on full Be sensitive towards payment of wages migrant labourers: Pradhan to Congress

Members of Samadhan organization take part in a unique campaign to raise awareness related to COVID-19 in Dhanbad.

New Delhi: The Congress has asked the government to spell out a roadmap for exiting the lockdown two days ahead of the expiry of lockdown-3 and following Prime Minister Modi seeking the states’’ suggestions for lifting the restrictions.

“Where is the national exit plan,” asked Manish Tewari, Congress spokesperson on Friday.

“India announced a lockdown when the case count was 181 and now when you are lifting the lockdown, the number of cases has crossed 80,000. India is

India announced a lockdown when the case count was 181 and now when you are lifting the lockdown, the number of cases has crossed 80,000.

India is the first country apart from the US to be doing so.

—Manish Tewari, Cong Spokesperson

the first country apart from the US to be doing so,” said Tewari.

He said when the government can announce putting into effect the miscellaneous clause in

Defence Min commissions ICG Ship Sachet via vc

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh commissioning Indian Coast Guard Ship ICGS Sachet & two interceptor boats in Goa via vc.

New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday commissioned three Indian Coast Guard (ICG) ships including one Offshore Patrol Vessel and two interceptor boats at Goa, via video conferencing from here.

“This is the first time in the annals of Indian maritime history that a Coast Guard ship was commissioned through digital medium, maintaining the strict protocol of social distancing in the backdrop of pandemic COVID -19,” said

ICG in a release.

ICG is proud to state that the ships commissioned today, has about 70% indigenous content, thus providing the necessary fillip to the Indian shipbuilding industry, the release reads.

‘Sachet’ meaning ‘Alert’ is a projection of Indian Coast Guard’s will ‘To be ever vigilant for Serving and Protecting’ the maritime interest of the Nation. The 105 metre long ship “Sachet” displaces approximately 2,350 tons. —ANI

OVER 2L STRANDED MIGRANTS FERRIED IN 145 SPECIAL TRAINS New Delhi: The Indian Railways operated 145 ‘Shramik Special’ trains on Thursday and ferried home close to 2.10 lakh migrants stranded in various parts of the country amid the coronavirus-induced lockdown, officials said. “Yesterday 145 Shramik trains were operated and nearly 2.10 lakh passengers were ferried

home. As of 9 am today (Friday), 999 Shramik Specials approved, said the Ministry of railways The ministry added: “As on 14th May 2020, a total of 800 “Shramik Special” trains have been operationalized from various states across the country. More than 10 Lacs passengers have reached their home State.”

the Disaster Management Act, then it can also come out with the exit plan.

“The Prime Minister is playing a unique game as he announced

lockdown; and now when things are out of hands, then the onus is put on the states to suffer the wrath of people. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman too has put the onus of migrants on the states,” said Tewari.

The Congress said since states have to face people, no government can allow anarchy.

“Therefore, states should be given more flexibility.”

The party has been questioning the exit strategy & former PM Manmohan Singh had asked party CMs to press the Centre for a roadmap. —ANI

New Delhi: Amid COVID-19 lockdown, Union Minister and BJP leader Dharmendra Pradhan on Friday lashed out at the Congress and said that it should be sensitive towards issues being faced by migrant labourers.

“Congress-ruled states are not taking back migrant labourers even as they are returning from other states. I do not wish to name them. But Congress should be sensitive towards migrant labourers. They should instruct their state governments to shoulder their responsibility, to receive and send people in a proper way. Congress should not indulge in petty politics at this juncture,” the minister told ANI. Pradhan was responding to Congress’ remarks that the migrant population has been left to the mercy of God. Responding to Congress’ claims that under the Centre’s scheme mi-

WHO IS THE LENDER: CHIDU New Delhi: The Congress took a sarcastic dig at union ministers after different statements were issued on MSME sector by Finanace Minister Nirmala Sitharman and her colleague Nitin Gadkari. P Chidbambaram said: “Minister Nitin Gadkari says that govts and PSUs owe Rs 5 lakh crore as unpaid dues to MSMEs and Minister Sitharaman says she will offer collateral free loan of Rs 3 lakh crore to MSMEs (numbering 45 lakhs).” He questioned “So, who is the lender and who is the borrower?” grant labourers did not get anything, he said, “The two-month free ration packages, is it not going to migrant labourers? Reverse migration has started in some parts,” he said. —ANI

New Delhi: The SC ordered administrations across India not to prosecute employers who were unable to pay full wages to the workers during the Covid-19 induced nationwide lockdown. The direction from the top court virtually stays the operation of the March 29 circular issued by the Ministry of Home Affair (MHA).

A bench comprising Justice L Nageswara Rao, Sanjay Kishan Kaul and BR Gavai asked the Centre and States not to prosecute private companies, factories etc. for non-payment of wages.

The top court has asked for a response from the Centre on a bunch of petitions filed by industrial units, which moved the court claiming that they have

IN THE COURTYARD SC TO WORK DURING SUMMER VACATION New Delhi: SC decided to continue its work during summer vacation, and that too, with almost the full strength of the court and committing to work as much as possible at least till June 19.

Five benches, withthree judges, will take up all kinds of pending and fresh matters, through vc starting from May 18 till June 19, the apex court said. —ANI

Plea seeking release of quarantined Tablighis withdrawn from High Court New Delhi : A petition filed in Delhi High Court seeking immediate release of all persons related to Tablighi Jamaat congregation claiming they have been detained for more than 35 days in the name of quarantine was withdrawn on Friday.

The petitioner, so-

SC refuses to entertain plea on closure of liquor shops New Delhi: The SC refused to entertain a petition seeking directions for closure of liquor shops in the national capital claiming proper social distancing and other COVID-19 lockdown norms were not being maintained outside these shops.

A bench of apex court, headed by Justice LN Rao, dismissed PIL filed by one Gautam Singh. Justice Rao said that we have sufficient

cases by public-spirited lawyers. The petitioner said that government guidelines for the lockdown put the onus on the liquor shops and gutka shops to maintain social distancing. —ANI

DELHI HIT BY ANOTHER MINOR EARTHQUAKE, 4TH IN A MONTH New Delhi: The national capital was hit by an earthquake on Friday, informed the National Center for Seismology (NCS). Notably, this is the fourth quake in the national capital in a month.”An earthquake with a magnitude of 2.2 on the Richter Scale hit 13km NW of New Delhi today at 11:28 am,” read the statement from the National Center for Seismology.Earlier in the month, a medium-intensity earthquake of magnitude 3.4 had hit capital with an epicentre near Northeast Delhi’s Wazirpur area.

A Jamaati being honoured for completing quarantine.

HC TO HEAR AAROGYA SETU PIL ON MAY18 Kochi: Kerala High Court posted to May 18 hearing on a petition challenging the Central government’s decision to mandate the use of Aarogya Setu app for all public and private sector employees returning to work amid the COVID-19 crisis.

A bench of Justice Anu Sivaraman and Justice MR Anitha heard the matter. —ANI

Fugitive Nirav Modi’s trial in UK adjourned till September New Delhi/London: The extradition trial of the Indian fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi in a case of financial fraud worth $2 billion, has been adjourned by the court in the UK till September 7.

Sources in London said District Judge Samuel Goozee, who presided over the trial at Westminster Magistrates’’ Court on Thursday, said at the end of a four-day partial hear-

SENSEX ENDS MARGINALLY LOWER,NIFTY SLIPS 5.90 PTS Mumbai: Equity benchmark Sensex ended marginally lower after a choppy session as investors weighed the fiscal impact of government’s economic stimulus.According to market experts, participants fear that the Rs 20 lakh crore package may not result in direct and immediate boost to demand, raising doubts over

cial activist Sabiha Quadri, decided to withdraw plea after submission of counsel representing theDelhi government stated that it has already ordered theirrelease from quarantine. A bench of CJ DN Patel & Justice C Harishankar heard the plea. —ANI

the country’s economic revival in the near term.

After slumping over 350 points during the day, the 30-share index pared most losses to settle 25.16 points or 0.08% lower at 31,097.73. The NSE Nifty slipped 5.90 points, or 0.06 %, to close at 9,136.85. M&M was the top laggard in the Sensex pack.

ing of the case that the trial will be resumed, hopefully, after the restrictions imposed on the movement of people due to the coronavirus pandemic would have been eased. —Agencies

no means to pay wages since there is no production.

The petitioners argued that Government has not taken any steps for workforce and instead put the entire burden on the employers/ owners to pay full wages. The petitioners submitted before the court that organisations should be completely exempted from paying their workforce during the lockdown implemented in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The petitions were filed by a Mumbai-based textile firm and a Punjab-based collective of 41 small scale firms, urging the court to set aside the March 29 order of MHA directing private establishments to pay full wages to the workers during lockdown. —ANI

Pawar writes to PM, seeks relief for sugar sector

Mumbai: Veteran politician and NCP President Sharad Pawar urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to consider a plea by the sugar industry to increase the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of sugar and help bail out the industry reeling under the Covid-19 crisis.

In a letter to the Prime Minister, Pawar referred to a memorandum submitted by the Maharashtra State Cooperative Sugar Factories Federation Ltd (MSCSFFL), detailing how the crisis has gripped the sugar industry.The MSCSFFL’s demands include increasing the MSP of sugar by Rs 300 per quintal, from Rs 3,450 to Rs 3,750, along with a gradewise increment. —ANI

57 MORE COVID-19 CASES IN ANDHRA, STATE TALLY @ 2,157 Amaravati: 57 more COVID-19 cases have been reported from Andhra Pradesh, taking the total number of coronavirus cases in the state to 2,157, the state COVID-19 Nodal Officer said.

In the last 24 hours, 9038 samples have been tested. “The total cases in Andhra Pradesh has increased to 2,157. Of them, 857 are active cases. In past 24 hours, 60 persons have been discharged. No COVID-19 related death has been reported during this period. The death toll in the state stands at 48,” the officer added.

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‘CENTRE’S PACKAGE, A DRAMATIC MOVE’ New Delhi: Hitting out at the Centre over Rs 20 lakh crore economic package which is nearly 10% of gross domestic product, senior Congress leader Anand Sharma on said it was just a 'dramatic' announcement by PM Narendra Modi, claiming that the package not even amounts to 1.5 per cent of GDP. “We have to make a distinction between fiscal stimulus, economic package and easing of liquidity. Around 95 per

We have to make a distinction between fiscal stimulus, economic package and easing of liquidity. Around 95 per cent of what we are seeing is easing of liquidity. It would be an economic package if there was cash, income support for those who lost wages and livelihood that has not come from the government.

—Anand Sharma, Conngress Leader

cent of what we are seeing is easing of liquidity. It would be an economic package if there was cash, income support for those who lost wages and livelihood that has not come from

the government,” Sharma said.

The Congress Rajya Sabha member claimed that the government's outgo is “very little” and the rights of migrants and poor labourers have been “violat-

New Delhi: The SCourt asked the Centre to inform it about steps taken for quarantining doctors and medical staff involved in tackling Covid-19 at accommodations near hospitals.

A bench of Justices L. Nageswara Rao, Sanjay Kishan Kaul and B.R. Gavai took up the matter through video conferencing and told Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, “why can''t you requisition other places near the hospital itself ?” Mehta replied it is a fair suggestion, and it will be considered.

The top court asked the top law officer to take instructions and apprise it by next week.

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing doctor-petition-

er Arushi Jain, contended before the bench that resident doctors in government hospitals, after they complete 7/14 days on duty, are supposed to be quarantined.

Rohatgi submitted before the court that currently doctors are being quarantined in places where they share room and bathrooms and that the Centre must change this arrangement and ensure they are accommodated where social distancing is feasible.

Rohatgi said any laxity in the arrangements would defeat the purpose of quarantining and corona warriors would suffer. “There should be a hotline.

Where will the doctors complain?” asked Rohtagi. —Agencies

RBI FOR CLARITY OVER LOAN PROHIBITION New Delhi: SC issued notice to the Centre and Reserve Bank of India on a plea by CREDAIseeking clarity on the three-month loan moratorium announced by the central bank. The court sought their responses within two weeks.

Credai sought clarification on whether the notification made it mandatory for all non-banking finance companies to be eligible for loan moratorium or the bank could use its discretion to grant this benefit. Senior advocate Harish Salve, appeared for CREDAI. —Agencies

Panaji: A marriage invite by Lt Cdr Nishant Singh to Commanding Officer of INAS 300 of INS Hansa, the Indian Navy's air base in Goa. But Singh decided to be a bit unconventional and the commanding officer decided to match the tone. The letter, dated May 9, was captioned “Permission to Bite the Bullet.”

“I regret to be dropping this bomb on you at such a short notice, but as you would agree, I intend to a drop a nuclear one on myself and

BSF jawans test +ve New Delhi: The BSF has reported 11 new COVID-19 positive cases in the last 24 hours, since yesterday 13 BSF personnel have been discharged from the hospital after testing negative for the virus, said BSF. The 13 BSF personnel include 10 from Tripura and three from Delhi. —ANI

Union Health Minister Dr Harshvardhan chairs the 15th high level GoM meeting in New Delhi on Friday.

tuting 79 per cent of India's caseload,” an official release said.

The 15th meeting of the high-level GoM was held at Nirman Bha-

wan, under the chairmanship of Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan. Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Puri, External Af-

Ruling skies...

The first aircraft to be flown in is planned to be piloted by the Commanding Officer of the 17 Golden Arrows’ squadron along with a French pilot, they said.

The aircraft on their way from France to India would be refuelled by a French Air Force tanker aircraft in the air before they make a stopover in the Middle East. Sources said that the Rafales could have come directly from France to India but a 10hour flight could have been stressful sitting inside a small cockpit.

The first batch of seven Indian pilots has also finished their training at a French airbase while the second batch would be going to France

as soon as the lockdown measures are relaxed in both the countries. India had signed a deal worth over Rs 60,000 crore with France in September 2016 for 36 Rafales to meet the emergency requirements of the Indian Air Force. —ANI

FarmVille time...

She also announced a Rs 10,000 crore scheme for formalisation of micro food enterprises (MFE).

The scheme will be launched to help 2 lakh MFEs by adopting cluster-based approach such as mango in Uttar Pradesh, kesar in Jammu & Kashmir, bamboo shoots in North-East, chilli in Andhra Pradesh, tapioca in Tamil Nadu.

This fund would help in reaching untapped

WHY AK SHARMA WAS CHOSEN FOR MSME?

When AK Sharma was shifted from the PMO, so many theories were spread in the corridors of power. Now it’s clear that Arvind Kumar Sharma, who assumed the charge as Secretary, Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, was the choice for this Ministry by Prime Minister himself. Sharma, who is a 1988 batch IAS officer of Gujarat cadre, was serving as Additional Secretary to Prime Minister. For PM Narendra Modi now MSME is top priority.

SOME 1983 BATCH NDA COURSE OFFICERS STILL AWAITING PROMOTION

Whispers are in that a few1983 batch NDA course officers, are still awaiting promotion as Corp Commanders.

AK SRIVASTAVA LIKELY TO BE LONE INSIDER CONTENDER FOR IOB MD & CEO POST?

Whispers are in that Ajay Kumar Srivastava, currently ED, Indian Overseas Bank, could be the lone contender for the post of MD & CEO of Indian Overseas Bank as an insider once the incumbent Karnam Sekar’s tenure ends in June 2020.

DoT has given additional charge of DG (Telecom) to Tushar Kanti Paul. He is a HAG level ITS officer.

The letter dated May 9, 2020, was captioned, “Permission to Bite the Bullet.”

I realise that just like all the split second decisions we take up in the air in the heat of combat.” “I officially seek your approval to willingly sacrifice myself

in absolute peace time, completely outside the line of duty, & follow up many other brave men into this graveyard spiral of matrimony,” the pilot said.—PTI

‘Nepal protesting at someone else’s behest’

fairs Minister S Jaishankar, and Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityananda Rai also attended the meeting.

A detailed presentation on the present status of COVID-19 cases globally and within the country was made.

The presentation also highlighted that the impact of lockdown was seen on the doubling rate, which improved from 3.4 days in the pre-lockdown week to 12.9 days in the last week. —ANI

Sekhar Sinha (retd) on why was Nepal protesting on “our road” across the Lipulekh and why had it decided to set up a border post at the spot.

“Nepal may have raised the issue at someone else’s behest,” he added. —Agencies

export markets in view of improved health consciousness. A sum of Rs 11,000 crore will be allocated for activities in marine, inland fisheries and aquaculture besides Rs 9,000 crore for infrastructure development.

“This will lead to additional fish production of 70 lakh tonnes over the next five years.”

For 100% vaccination of all animals across the country, a national animal disease control programme for the foot-andmouth disease will be launched with an outlay of Rs 13,343 crore for estimated 53 crore cattle, buffalo, sheep, goat and pig population. Sitharaman said that an animal husbandry development fund worth Rs 15,000 crore will be set up to sup-

port private investment in dairy processing, value addition and cattle feed infrastructure.

The National Medicinal Plant Board has supported 2.25 lakh hectare area under cultivation of medicinal plants.

Nearly one lakh hectares will be covered under herbal cultivation in the next two years with an outlay of Rs 4,000 crore. This will generate Rs 5,000 crore of income for farmers FM also announced a Rs 500 crore bee-keeping initiative to increase yield and quality of crops through pollination. This will increase the income of nearly two lakh bee-keepers.

FM added that since the demand for milk reduced by 20-25% amid the Covid lockdown, the

government has brought a new scheme to provide interest subvention at 2% per annum to dairy cooperatives for 2020-21.

Speaking to media, she informed that in the last two months several measures have been taken to support farmers, including minimum support price (MSP) purchases of Rs 73,300 crore during the two months of lockdown.

Also, Rs 18,700 crore in cash dole out under the PM Kisan Fund transfers have been done and Rs 6,400 crore of payment in crop insurance have been made. FM said during the lockdown period, 560 lakh litre per day of milk was procured by cooperatives against daily sale of 360 lakh litres per day.

NO PVT SECTOR APPLICANT ALLOWED TO APPLY FOR POST OF ED, IBBI?

Govt has advertised for one post of Executive Director of Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI)with last date of application is May 29, 2020. However, only eligible officers currently working in Central Government, State Governments, Public Sector Units or Autonomous Organizations are eligible to apply. There is no provision for private sector experts to apply yet.

BBB RECOMMENDS RAJEEV ARORA FOR MD & CEO OF INDIA POST PAYMENT BANK

The Banks Board Bureau has recommended name of Rajeev Arora for the post of MD & CEO of India Post Payment Bank. A total of 12 candidates were interviewed from public and private sector organizations for the post.

TWO POSTS OF JUDICIAL MEMBERS NOW VACANT IN LOKPAL

MAKING A REMARK

After the sad demise of Justice AK Tripathi, two posts of Judicial Members, out of four sanctioned, have gone vacant in Lokpal now.

RAILWAYS WANTS 15 MEMBERS FOR RCTs

As many as 15 Members Judicial posted in various Railway Claims Tribunals (RCTs) are going to complete their terms in the coming months.

Railway has started exercise to appoint new members against these. Details can be seen from Indian Railways’ website.

SUDHEER KUMAR APPOINTED AS PART TIME DIRECTOR, IRCON

Sudheer Kumar, Additional Member (Planning) in Railway Board, has been appointed as PartTime (Official) Director on the Board of IRCON International Limited.

FROM PG 1 SC stays... counting of postal ballot votes, keeping all seniors and observers in the dark.”

The 2017 Assembly election result of the Dholka constituency had been challenged in the High Court by the defeated Congress candidate Ashwin Rathod on the grounds that Chudasama had won the election with a thin margin of 327 votes and that the returning officer did not count 429 postal ballot votes. If those had been counted, the result would change.

He had also alleged in the petition that the returning officer had not counted 29 votes from the electronic voting machines.

POWER Gallery

PAUL IS DG (TELECOM) ALSO

New Delhi: Amid an ongoing India-Nepal diplomatic row, Indian Army Chief General MM Naravane on Friday said, there had never been an issue about the tri-junction (of India-China-Nepal) and added that Nepal might have raised the issue at “someone else’s behest.” Though he did not name China, the hint was amply clear as Beijing was the only interested party to it.

Nepal has been protesting after India on May 8 opened a road till the Lipulekh pass in Uttarakhand for connecting India with Kailash Mansarovar in Tibet, China. General Naravane was answering questions after a talk on “COVID and Indian Army: Responses and Beyond” at Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA).

He was asked a question by Vice Admiral

30 municipal areas account for 79% cases New Delhi: The Group of Ministers (GoM) on COVID-19 was on Friday informed that there are 30 municipal areas, which account for 79 per cent of India's coronavirus caseload.

“The GoM had indepth deliberation on containment strategy and management aspects of COVID-19 as well as the measures being taken by the Centre and various States. The GoM was informed that there are 30 municipal areas which are consti-

transfer. When they talk about food ration then what is the outflow? It is just for two months there is no universal operability of ration cards. The designated ration shops will not

Pilot’s marriage invite breaks Internet

SC TO CENTRE

Why can’t doctors, staff be quarantined near hospitals?

ed” by the government.

“Sitharaman announced liquidity measures, MSME credit and a large number of MSMEs have been left out. Migrant labours have given no cash

have enough shops then where will migrant labourers go they will be turned back,” he said.

“There should have been preparedness and coordination. Migrants are not objects of pity, they are equal citizens of India. They have their legal and constitutional rights. Right to food is guaranteed to them by the Constitution,” he added. He asked the government to do the “right calculation of economic package & be honest to declare it. —ANI

06

EIGHT YEAR DEPUTATION TENURE OF AJAY KUMAR NEMA ENDS THIS YEAR

An eight-year central deputation of Ajay Kumar Nema, outside the cadre, is ending this year.

Nema, who is presently serving as Director, NITI Aayog, belongs to a 1994 batch ITS officer.

COL SUSHIL KUMAR APPOINTED AS PMG, SOUTHERN REGION AJMER

Col Sushil Kumar has been appointed as PMG, Southern Region, Ajmer, Rajasthan circle. He is a 1997 batch officer of Indian Postal Service.

SACHIN KISHORE APPOINTED PMG, WESTERN REGION

Sachin Kishore has been appointed as PMG, Western Region, Jodhpur, Rajasthan circle. He is a 1997 batch officer of Indian Postal Service.

‘Digital commissioning unique in marine history’ New Delhi: Director General Indian Coast Guard K Natarajan said on Friday that the commissioning of a coast guard ship and two boats in Goa was done through video conferencing in view of the COVID-19 pandemic and it also led to lessening of expenditure entailed in such normal activities. He said the ships were commis-

sioned in a shorter time and it was first of its kind commissioning in maritime history, done by following guidelines of the Centre. —ANI

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ELEMENTS OF AATM NIRBHAR BHARAT

AHMEDABAD | SATURDAY, MAY 16, 2020

07

PM MODI SAID THAT THE FINANCIAL PACKAGE WILL HELP REVIVE EVERY BRANCH OF THE ECONOMY - FROM DEMAND, SUPPLY CHAIN TO MANUFACTURING

designed around the development model of ‘Aatmnirbhar Bharat’.

Some freshly grown authors even went to

DR JYOTI KIRAN SHUKLA Former Chairperson of State Finance Commission, Rajasthan

T

his is the time to redefine everything. Disruptive innovation is the mantra of the day.

All the models or equilibria of an economy that were valid before the COVID are either invalid or dysfunctional now. Reverse migration is a classic example. Fresh thinking is needed to absorb the ‘new normals’. India’s approach towards development also needed reorientation to adjust to the dynamic variables in the post COVID environment. Prime Minister’s address to the nation on the May 12th highlights the structure of the reorientation of the development approach itself. Discussions in the last two days on electronic and print media were focused on finding the contours of the Atmanirbhar Bharat.

Most analysts did the common error of comprehending the structure of the development approach through the relief package numbers. Actually the process was reversed. The numbers were ingeniously

the extent of comparing it with the 1957 speech of Nehru when he made a call for selfreliant India. ‘Self-reliance’ being a generic term, all Prime Ministers including Shastri Ji to Atal Ji used the term freely at different times and contexts.

Equating Modi’s Atmnirbhar Bharat with Neharu’s self-reliance is a conceptual error as Neharu’s model of self-reliance was based on heavy industrialization, urbanisation, and Govt. Acting as an active producer to establish the supply institutions. It brutally killed Gandhi’s model of Gram Swaraj and Swadeshi and took no cognizance of Indian realities, enterprise, or of the rural economy. That is how and why it failed. Mahalanobis Model grossly failed in the context of India. The horrible situation that has emerged now by reversed migration is a result of the Nehruvian model only.

LIQUIDITY FOR MSMES, A GOOD PART OF THE STIMULUS PACKAGE

M

prise is the key variable, and therefore if anything, it is a contrast version of Nehru’s self-reliance. Here the attempt is to unshackle the spirit of enterprise And handhold support and nurture it by creating an environment through reforms, liquidity, and laws.

Thus a call ‘vocal for local’ is the global version of Gandhian Swadeshi.

This is an updated version to install the new normal in the system and convert a crisis into an opportunity.

odi’s vision of Aatm Nirbhar Bharat which is clearly presented through his speech is an innovative disrupt. The economy needed to redefine factors of production which he did by saying that land, labour, liquidity, and laws are going to be the centre points of all the stimulus and reforms now on. Actually, they are the core factors to influence the final outcome- ‘enterprise’.

Therefore in the ANB model, the stimulating environment to the enter-

STRENGTH OF ITS OWN DEMAND BY DEMOGRAPHY

AATMNIRBHAR BHARAT IS A COMPREHENSIVE VIEW

S

I

n ANB India highlights the strength of its own demand by demography and decides to use technology systems, infrastructure to address its local strengths and convert it into ‘global brands. Vocal for global is not just a slogan but a mindset change like ‘Swacch- Bharat.

Let us now analyse the package numbers in the light of the above.

A package of 20 lakh crores, 10% of the GDP approximately, and about 70% of the national budget itself is certainly a voluminous number.

The phased announcement had its first installment on May 13th which was dedicated to the MSME sector along with some announcements for the NBFC sector and

others on tax rate relief and contract related relief. A key feature was to combine reforms with relief for further relief. A strong effort has been made to strengthen ‘enterprise’ and thus employment. Revising the definition of MSME, micro, and other units with a revision of investment criteria itself was a longstanding demand.

This is a significant reform that will bring competitiveness, efficiency, and productivity and in turn quality improvement for further competitiveness.

With this 3lakh crores, collateral-free automatic loans for business including MSMEs, 50000 cr equity infusion through funds of funds, and 20000 subordinate debt

for stressed MSMEs makes a completely virtuous circle of recovery and growth for this sector. Corresponding reform and credit inclusion in the NBSC sector are to support the defective liquidity to ensure the supply side.

The most remarkable element of Aatmanirbhar Bharat through MSME is the announcement that no global tenders are necessary up to 200 crores.

This is not only opening a new range of opportunities for the local manufacturing sector but also is providing an incentive for quality and competitiveness. So there is demand boosters along with the removal of supply bottlenecks. So a virtuous circle is again instituted.

wadeshi in this was not restricted or inward-looking, but it is rational and facilitating, for example, the definition change of MSME is to bring competition and quality up-gradation for international competitive standards.

Some criticized saying that it is just a repetition of Make in India. No, it is not! As it speaks about the demand sides forcefully.

Make in India is just concentrating on the supply side. So Aatmnirbhar Bharat is taking a comprehensive view and using the demography of India as a demand creating a variable for strong markets rather than a liability.

Giving an emphatic commitment to upcoming labour reforms, all the announcements related to food, rental housing, and one nation one ration card clearly depicts the evident script of Antyodaya with social security and enhanced productivity with an upgraded version of technology-based systems. It’s not a coincidence that FM present-

ed all the earlier steps taken for immigrant workers including 1100 cr fund release from disaster fund to the job registration under NREGA in the last two months. It was a deliberate attempt to highlight the consistency of the government’s intentions and efforts to work for the poor in the last 6 years which is now being done along with structural reforms and a huge infusion of funds.

In this package where agriculture, migrant labourers and some portion of the

housing sector has covered the emphasis again is on relief measures which are boosting demand by enhancing the disposal income on one hand and creating demand in the manufacturing and construction sector on the other. 2.33 crores job opportunities for the migrant labourers on a revised daily wage with a package of 10 thousand crores or middleclass housing or Campa fund, meticulous work has been done to obtain the Twin objectives of employment

creation and demand expansion in almost all sectors of the rural economy. Similarly, for the Street vendors, 5,000 crores will be infused to give them small loans to restart the business. This again will boost employment and demand and at the same time will create an environment of relief for the small vendors. The design of the entire package is impressive because it is not just providing relief but is simultaneously obtaining and achieving the objectives of boosting

demand and Employment creation. On the other hand to respond to this demand an appropriate liquidity environment is being created with corresponding efforts. All the announcements made in the last 2 months and in this package thus show that the Virtuous cycle of substantial demand with significant supply is well crafted and has no gaps. Thus a blueprint of dynamic equilibriums is visible and clear.

So the actual story of the package is not confined to numbers only. But it goes beyond by instituting a fresh approach to economic development, where virtuous cycles of investment, employment, demand, Savings, and further investments are institutionalized through innovative disrupt based on local strengths and global technology and investment. ANB is all about an endogenous model of development based on the Indian ethos of humanitarian globalisation for development or Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam.

Life is unpredictable. Make every moment count, Live in the present and live life with no regrets.

—Jagdeesh Chandra, CEO & Editor, First India

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2ND FRONT AHMEDABAD | SATURDAY, MAY 16, 2020

7K WB migrants in Surat caught in Modi-Mamata crossfire

Thousands of West Bengal workers are stuck not only in Surat, but also in several states First India Bureau Surat: Even as 7,000 migrant workers from West Bengal wait with bated breath for their chance to return home from Surat, the political slugfest between the BJP and Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal Government over the issue of transporting the stranded labourers continues.

First, Railways Minister Piyush Goyal asserted that Mamata Banerjee was reluctant to let migrants return. This was after she categorically stated that her government had already given the green signal to 105 trains and the Centre was spreading misinformation. Goyal had said she had accepted 105 trains over a month, while as many should be going there everyday.

After Goyal, BJP’s

SEESAW BATTLE

Thousands of West Bengal migrants are eager to return home.

national general secretary (organisation) BL Santhosh has now asserted that the State Government had allowed far fewer trains compared to Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

“With due sympathies for every person walking on the road just want

to bring to notice the politics played by some administrations. @AITCofficial leader @derekobrienmp keeps searching for issues to target Union Govt,” Santhosh said in a tweet.

He said the West Bengal government has said it wants 105 trains by

Guj fishermen put on alert after intel inputs First India Bureau Porbandar: Fishermen in Gujarat have been asked to remain alert and inform the authorities about any suspicious person or boat, after an input by the Indian Coast Guard about a possible infiltration.

In a letter to fishermen associations on Thursday, the Porbandar office of assistant director of fisheries said the Coast Guard had shared an input stating “anti-national elements may try to attack or infiltrate along the coast” in May. Following this, the department has asked fishermen to remain vigilant and inform the local marine police or Coast Guards if they see any suspicious activity, person or boat near any landing point along the coast.

Fishermen can call the toll-free numbers of the marine police and coast guard, the

INFILTRATION BID?

letter stated.

The department has also asked boat owners to ensure that fishermen wear their identity cards and venture into the sea with their original documents.

Fishermen were also directed to avoid getting close to the International Maritime Boundary Line

or No Fishing Zone.

“Advisories are issued to the associations whenever the Coast Guard shares such inputs. We then pass on this information to our fishermen and ask them to remain alert,” said Jivan Jungi, president of Fishermen Boat Owners’ Association.

First India Bureau Surat: In a shocking incident, an Odia worker was allegedly beaten to death by a group of policemen on the premises of Anjani Industries Estate Amroli area of Surat on Thursday evening.

This was when some Odia workers were loitering outside the premises of their multi-storeyed residential quarters there.

When a police van reached the spot, they dispersed into their respective rooms.

“Around 5-6 men in uniform broke the lock and entered the complex.

They went to the fifth floor and beat up the workers indiscriminately. An ambulance van was called and by the time it reached at 7 p.m., Satya was

An Odia worker was allegedly beaten to death by cops in Surat.

dead,” his brotherin-law said.

“Police were driving away people who were outside. We were sitting outside our house. Seeing this, we went inside and locked the shutter. Police broke the lock and entered inside. Around 10-12 policemen came to our room.

They beat up whoever was present there and took us to Amroli police station,” a roommate of the deceased said.

ahead of you. Your government says it wants 105 trains till June 31.

A big big joke... They are bereft of all human values.. @BJP4Bengal,” he said.

Santhosh also targeted the Congress and non-BJP governments in Jharkhand, Ra-

Migrant workers pelt stones at police in Dahej area

3 lioness carcasses found in Dhari

Bharuch: Desperate to return to their home states, a group of 150 migrant workers hurled stones at the police in Dahej industrial area of Gujarat’s Bharuch district on Friday morning. The police lobbed two teargas shells to clear the mob that had gathered in the area to demand a return passage to their home states, Bharuch District Superintendent of Police Rajendrasinh Chudasama said.

Migrant worke rs had staged several protests in the last two days in support of their demand that they be sent to their hometowns by Shramik Special trains, he said. “Even on Thursday, many of them took to the streets. But they went back after I personally appealed to them to be patient as their online registration was done,” Chudasama said.

First India Bureau Amreli: With the recovery of a carcass of a lioness in Amreli district, the number of the beasts found by the forest department has risen to three in as many days.

The carcass was found near a mango orchard in the revenue area of Govindpur near Dhari in Amreli

Carcass of lionesss found in Dhari range of Gir forests.

district. This lioness was reported dead in

Krishnavati from Raibareli, Uttar Pradesh (UP) bowing down to the land of Karmabhoomi Gujarat before leaving for visit to native place in UP, by boarding Shramik Express train at Ahmedabad railway station earlier today. ‘Gujarat has given us everything, we will be back,’ she said.

Guj tree lovers on mission rescue of 100-yr tree First India Bureau Vadodara: Two tree lovers in Vadodara have taken up the task of saving a 100-year-old Baobab tree after a part of it fell down due to infection.

“Baobab tree is mainly found in Africa.

There are a total of nine species of this tree in Africa, of which one species is found in Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat,” said Dr Jitendra Gavali, Director at Com-

the field of a farmer, Kanubhai Satasia. The

Range Forest Officer, forester, beat guard and trackers reached the spot and took the body for post mortem.

Three lionesses have died in Dhari in as many days. The body of a lioness was found in the Hadala range three days ago, while another was found in Sosaria revenue area of Tulsi Shyam range.

GRATITUDE OF SORTS

TRUNK CALL

Two environmentalists have taken it upon themselves to rescue a rare dying tree.

Odia worker dies in police assault in Surat

June 31 which is a “big,big joke” and accused the leadership of the ruling party in West Bengal of being “bereft of human values”.

“Just want to remind him your leader till to date has allowed only 7 trains while UP (487) and Bihar (254) are far

First India Bureau

Fishermen on Gujarat coast have been asked to be on the alert.

jasthan and Chhattisgarh. “In the same way, the number of trains terminated at Jharkhand (48) , Rajasthan (22) and Chhattisgarh (2). Their national leaders want to pay for every Shramik Special Train passenger.

But their own State govts not letting migrant labourers,” he said.

Santhosh said Railways has run 932 Shramik Special Trains.

“Top originating states are Gujarat (360), Maharashtra (192), Punjab (129), Karnataka(60).

Top destination states are UP (487) ,Bihar ( 254) , MP (79) . Nos tell the story and politics behind the narrative,” he said. BJP leader Sambit Patra too blamed West Bengal and Congress governments over the problems faced by migrants.

08

total of nine species of Baobab tree in Africa, of which one species is found in Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat munity Science Centre.

“Recently, a part of this tree fell due to infection.

To prevent the infection from spreading further in the 100-year-old tree, an ointment has been applied on the infected part. The ointment is

made of garden soil, neem oil and water,” he added.

Hitarth Pandya, who also helped in the efforts to save the tree, said it was important to apply ointment due to rising temperature.

“We know stepping outside amid the coronavirus outbreak is dangerous for us.

However, with the increase in temperature, it became more important to save the Baobab tree,” he said.

Twenty diamond parcels arrive in Surat in 4 days First India Bureau Surat: The Surat diamond industry has already started picking speed with the opening of the global diamond hub Antwerp, even as the lockdown is still expected to continue at least up to Sunday.

Dinesh Navadia, Regional Chairman of Gems and Jewellery Export Promotion Council, said “In the last four days alone, 20 parcels of

diamonds have been imported from Antwerp via Hong Kong to Mumbai Airport.

With that, the diamond trade in Surat is expected to pick up speed after the lockdown opens in the next few days”.

Among the parcels, as much as four kg of rough diamonds were brought to Surat by Spice Jet’s Spice Express. Diamond offices have opened in Hong Kong and Antwerp.

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

AB BIKHARNE DO It is truly said that a woman can be dressed most alluringly but will feel out of sorts if her hair is not the way she wants it. City First addresses the ‘hair today, locks tomorrow’ issue!

NEHAL NAYAR

nehal.nayar@firstindia.co.in

H

The base for hair is simple- clean and healthy. City First has brought you many articles on keeping hair healthy, organic, natural, homemade, and the branded way. Choose whatever suits your hair and pocket.

Keep some things in mind, haircuts are like pyjamas- have to be comfortable and like the spaghetti top with the pyjamas, also be stylish.

air is a critical part of looks, more for the women than the men. Nowadays, as we have become more civilized, length has become more tilted toward the feminine gender while at one time the length and style of the hair were the equal rights of both genders.

The base for hair is simple- clean and healthy. City First has brought you many articles on keeping hair healthy, organic, natural, homemade, and the branded way.

Choose whatever suits your hair and pocket.

You may style it all you want and keep it any length but if your hair is not kept clean and healthy then nothing is going to work for long.

The other part of the hair is character. Well, its like attitude and confidence for one, and the closer you stay to your

character the easier it is in the long run. My point is if you have curly hair don t go to great lengths to tame them to fall in straight smooth lines, it will not be good for the health of the hair and neither your wealth. Much in the same way, straight hair will get ill-tempered if you keep pressing them into curls or waves just to get a look.

Keep some things in mind, haircuts are like pyjamashave to be comfortable and like the spaghetti top with the pyjamas, also be stylish.

Keep a style that you can manage yourself to blowdry into when you can’t find a salon, much like in the times of lockdown.

And there is never any harm in a bit of experimenting. Remember, “A woman who cuts her hair is about to change her life”, the famous quote by Coco Chanel.

In fact, moving from long hair to short hair is liberating for most women.

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DR JYOTI JOSHI cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

T

THE LEGACY OF YOGA & COVID-19

much safe and beautiful until we came to know about the Covid- 19 virus.

For our small family, this Covid -19 stay at home phase started with mixed feelings of inhibition, doubt, and anxiety. With two young kids at home (one 1.5 years old and another 10 years old) we could see the challenge we had in front of us.

The fear of running out of patience, the fear that the kids shall not be having a healthy routine by having no social contact as they have had in their school

FA CE OF TH ED AY

he old words of wisdom are never staunchly realized until some moment of testing time creeps unanticipatedly into our lives such as the Covid-19 stay at home phase.

This massively inexorable situation has given the moments of self- retrospection. As the saying goes that staying connected to one’s roots provides the person with the courage to face and handle the difficulties in the journey of life so we have experienced it lately.

For our small Indian family, it has always been living and seeking the balance between the two wonderful worlds: one the motherland that is India and the other the land where we are currently living- Germany. The global spread of Covid-19 virus has left us pondering upon the wonderful practice of Yoga. Our faith in Yoga practice is once again substantiated during this implacable phase of Covid-19.

We are a small Indian family living in Munich for almost the last 8 years. We love this beautiful city which has welcomed various cultures and amalgamated them into a magnificent new. Life was pretty

AHMEDABAD | SATURDAY, MAY 16, 2020

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Dr Jyoti Joshi is an academician and an avid writer.

She is currently working as a freelance business coach and trainer in Munich, Germany. Her core area of interest is English language teaching. She has various years of teaching experience at college and university in India. and krippe( pre-school), posed so many doubts in our mind. After the initial few days of confusion and brain monologues, things started to fall in place. And it all happened considerably with one key feeling

YOUR DAY Horoscope by Saurabbh Sachdeva

that is the feeling of acceptance. After all life is not what we plan and think it would be. Life is like a flowing river where we sometimes have rough gushes of water and sometimes a smooth flow. The daily

further invigorated our faith in the Indian practice of Yoga. While the world is struggling to adjust to the new normal, the unprecedented benefits of yoga should not go unnoticed.

With the young generation feeling disoriented in these stimulating times, the practice of yoga can unequivocally help them deal with this stressful situation.

Among all the economic and political upheavals we must not forget that there is a big number of young aspiring students who need to focus and move ahead despite all the adversities and Yoga can assist them in staying focussed and calm.

The world needs to excogitate the healing endowment of Yoga.

This ancient legacy of our nation has given us the courage and placidity among these blustering times in Germany and others can surely be ameliorated through this healing practice.

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

CANCER

You will get a good break on professional front in coming times. Distractions will be many but it totally depends on you if you want to remain focused and do what you need to. Those who were unwell for a while will see a drastic improvement; remain brave hearted.

You will get money from the unexpected quarters therefore your financial worries will ease. You sincerity will be acknowledged by those who matters in your professional arena of work.

Appreciation is what you will get from everybody today.

You will go out of your way to feed hungry people. You can expect to get payment from someone who owed you money for years. You will complete your pending work on professional front out of fear but it shouldn’t be the case, love your job, until you get what you want.

Those who are in debt will see some relief. Office politics shouldn’t interest you as it may do more harm than good. You are hungry for changes but putting efforts in bringing about those changes is what bothers you the most, take a deep breathe and do the undoable.

MAR 21 - APR 20

APR 21 - MAY 20

MAY 21 - JUNE 21

JUNE 22 - JULY 23

LEO

VIRGO

LIBRA

SCORPIO

Make wise investments if you want rich dividends.

You are a man of strong will and you prove it everyday in your professional life by doing what you commit to. Keep your opinions to yourself in business related matters for now. You are the shining light in the times of darkness.

Financial problems are a things of the past for you.

No matter how tough the market is, money keep flowing your life all the time. You will successfully impress someone whom you have been pursuing for long time. You will be able to prove your point on professional front.

You are thinking of selling your current house and buy even a bigger one, once the situations calm down. You are the most desired person in your surrounding. You are always in limelight for your good work on professional front. Your family always supports you.

You are person who always ensures the happiness of the elders. On professional front, you will be able to bag a lucrative deal that you keep giving you benefit even in the the future. You must educate your child to become a better person rather than spoiling them.

JULY 24 - AUGUST 23

AUG 24 - SEP 23

SEPT 24 - OCTOBER 22

OCT 23 - NOVEMBER 22

SAGITTARIUS

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

You can get the financial stability that you want but for that you should be ready to work ten times more than you are willing to do. You always maintain domestic peace by helping the family members resolve issues with one another. You enjoy a good health because you always take care.

You will earn a lot but thats not your focus, your focus is to do quality work. You are very enthusiastic about sports so do something in the same direction, never compromise with your career. You will raise your performance bar by utilising the current time in improving yourself.

You like to spend a lot of money on daily basis so this is the time to self reflect and improve now when you easily can. You always meet your deadline because you are very diligent.

You help people when they need you and that is why so many people love you and want to remain associated.

You will make excellent progress at work and this could bring you to a mass limelight. Don’t let anything disturb your budget be sensible and rational. All your efforts will get appreciated just like yo deserve it. You may be dying to meet someone close.

NOV 23 - DEC 22

SEJAL KUMAR, Content Creator

growing count of Covid -19 infection was dynamically changing in the month of March 2020. Leaving behind our fears we thought to accept it and live in peace with this fact. We did not want this deprecation to impact our young kids.

One thing that abetted us more than any other was the practice of yoga and meditation. Yoga has always been an integral part of our lives. Until now we looked up to its physical health benefits but now we could see its healing virtues as well. To keep our psycho-

logical health fine, the practice of Yoga has greatly helped us. Also, it is not just limited to adult mental health but the children can also be hugely benefitted from it.

It has been weeks now and our day starts with an alleviating one-hour session of yoga. Not only it kept us physically flexible but also it kept us mentally agile. That feeling of calmness within while there is a storm outside can be achieved by practicing the activity in the form of yoga.

It also generated a feeling of positivity with so many news flowing in around the globe about this Covid pandemic. Staying positive also helped us in this strenuous time. We tried to indulge in simple pranayam activities that interested our two beautiful daughters. It was a phenomenal experience.

Yoga has given us wonderful moments of alacrity and courage. This overly delightful experience has

10

DEC 23 - JAN 20

JAN 21 - FEB 19

FEB20 - MARCH 20

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AHMEDABAD | SATURDAY, MAY 16, 2020

11

Pragmatic Superhero!

H

ollywood star Scarlett Johansson feels it is fun playing the superhero Black Widow, and says her character has really grown over the past 10 years. Johansson shot to global superstardom with her role as Black Widow in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). She now awaits the release of her standalone ‘Black Widow’ movie, which got pushed due to the coronavirus pandemic. “I think my character has really grown over the past 10 years. She has sort of fallen into a leadership position which I think is a natural place for her and she is very pragmatic and she is flexible and understands the shades of grey that exist in the universe and can operate above and below and she is brave,” Johansson said.

—IANS

Scarlett Johansson

‘Mohini’ turns 53!

nered more than 62k views within just 42 minutes of being posted.

Meanwhile, on the actor’s special day, there is a flood of heartwarming wishes from her fans online, and joining them are her Bollywood mates, Shatrughan Sinha and Abhishek Bachchan.

—ANI

Reclaiming identity!

A

ctress Kennedy McMann says her show ‘Nancy Drew’ is about reclaiming ones identity, and about mysteries that lie within. “’Nancy Drew’ is about Nancy reclaiming her own identity with the help of quite a colourful cast of characters, diving into her past and figuring out the mysteries that lie within,” McMann said. ‘Nancy Drew’ is a modern re-imagining of the classic teen novels featuring new mysteries and supernatural hauntings. It is about Nancy Drew, who finds herself involved in a mystery when she and her friends are also involved in a murder case. Talking about the new version of the show, McMann said: “Nancy has such a reputation, as it is, as an iconic heroine in a number of iterations, but in our iteration she’s very real.”

Kennedy McMann —IANS

NOT PLEASED!

A

Kristen Bell

ctress Kristen Bell was not at all pleased by the fact that her actor-husband Dax Shepard hid his hand injury from her.

Shepard hurt himself during an off-road escapade in the mountains, when he crushed the bones of his hand. He then drove back home without telling Bell about the accident.

Bell told her friend and talk show host Ellen DeGeneres: “He went on an ‘essential’ off-roading trip right w h e n quarantine began. He was off-roading in the mountains and he had a buddy with him, but they were in separate off-roading vehicles. He didn’t call me. The first thing he said when he walked in the door is, ‘I just don’t want to be in trouble’, which is crazy because he’s never in trouble with me.”

—IANS

... her post

Madhuri Dixit Nene

LOCKDOWN

hraddha Kapoor lends her voice to support the #LockdownZoos initiative in the form of moving poetry. Her love and affection towards animals isn’t new news.

The actress has been vocal about fighting for animals rights on several occasions and Friday, she shared a post on her so- ... her post cial media to support the #LockdownZoos initiative.

While sharing a beautiful poem on her social media from the perspective of a caged animal, she talked about freedom and life outside of zoos.

She wrote, “A lot of us are feeling anxious and “caged” during this lockdown. Imagine being taken away from your family, your home and being locked up for your entire life? Animals have feelings just like us. They get depressed when separated from their natural habitats and loved ones. Why should we believe that we have the right to take away their freedom?”

—Agency

For Dough :  Rice flour – 1 cup  Water – 1 cup  Ghee – 2 tsp  Salt – to taste Fir filling :  Boiled potatoes , diced into cubes – 3 no  Boiled sweet corn – 3 tbsp  Onion , finely chopped – 1 no  Hara dhania, finely chopped-1 tbsp  Hari mirch, finely chopped – 1 no  Chat Masala-1 tsp  Sabut jeera -1 tsp  Lal mirch powder -1/2 tsp  Ghee-1 tbsp  Salt to taste For Tempering :  Rai -1 tsp  Lal mirch powder – ½ tsp  Ghee- 1 tbsp  Lemon juice – 1tsp  Hara dhania -to garnish

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Isha’s Kitchen by Isha Swarup is where creativity in cooking, innovation in recipes and passion for food flows. Isha loves to design food in most artistic fashion, fusing cuisines in a manner which suits Indian palette.

ZOOS!

INGREDIENTS

Cooking Cravings

ABOUT ISHA SWARUP

LOCKDOWN

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ommemorating the love and wishes she received bon her birthday, Bollywood’s timeless beauty Madhuri Dixit Nene shared an exclusive preview from hope anthem - ‘Candle’ to boost positivity amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The ‘Kalank’ star put out the video on Instagram, where she is seen crooning her new single ‘Hope.’ The video starts from a shot that showcases a glamorous monochromatic picture of the star along with the title of her debut song ‘Candle.’ The video then shows glimpses of star singing lyrics of the song.

The actor, who turned 53 today, shared in the caption that she will soon be releasing the song. She wrote, “Thanks for all the good wishes and birthday love! Wanted to give some love back to you.

Sharing an exclusive preview of my first ever single. Will share the song soon. It’s called Candle and it’s about hope, something we need in large supply right now.”The post on the photo-sharing platform gar-

he craze for Indian Regional Cuisine is gaining momentum in our country. We are realising that our Dadi Nani , served us balanced meals , packed with nutrition , easily digestible, suited to our weather conditions and thus was a holistic experience. This invaluable treasure has been handed over to generations and the wisdom lies in preserving it. We can amalgamate these recipes with our modern cooking and tweak it to suit our lifestyle. To contribute to this movement, I am presenting a recipe from my home state of Uttar Pradesh. ‘ Farrey’ is a very popular rustic appetiser in Eastern UP Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Bihar.

Shraddha Kapoor

METHOD

Farrey

FARREY

These are own Indian dumplings , made with rice flour,Dal stuffing and cooked in boiling water. I have used potato corn filling but feel free to give your creativity wings to innovate. Enjoy this healthy Non fried appetiser which is as much fun as it’s name !!!

For dough :  Boil water with 2 tsp ghee and salt.  Switch off gas flame and add chawal atta.  Stir continuously and cover the vessel with lid. Leave for 2 minutes.  Transfer contents to a Parat.  Wet your hands with normal water and start kneading the dough till smooth and forms a proper ball. Use few teaspoon of water if needed  Cover the dough and leave for 5 minutes.

For Filling :  Heat ghee in a pan , add jeera and onions.

Sauté till translucent.  Add potato , corn , hari mirch , Lal Mirch powder and salt.  Bhunno for 2-3 minutes Then add Chat masala and hara dhania  Cool the stuffing Assembling :  Boil 4 glass water in a large sauce pan .

Add 1 tsp oil.  Make small golf size balls of dough and roll into round disc of 1/2cm thickness.  Put 1 tbsp filling on a disc and fold over into semicircle- like Gujiya.

Press the ends properly, so that filling is secured.  Put Farrey delicately in boiling water and cover the pan.

Reduce flame to medium and cook for 5 mins.  Drain on a plate Tempering :  Heat ghee in a pan . Add rai and lal mirch.

Add 2 tbsp water.  Add dumplings to the pan and flip on both side.  Add lemon juice and serve with chutney NOTES :  The Farrey dumplings can be cut into pieces.  Do not overcook the Farrey , otherwise they may wither.  While stuffing take care that stuffing is cool.  The rice dough should be used within 5 minutes.  The rice flour can be made at home. Soak rice for 10 minutes and then dry it on a plate. After 30 minutes, grind it to a fine powder.

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 | SATURDAY, MAY 16, 2020

Mythology Through Storytelling CITY FIRST

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ith the ongoing epidemic in the country, Vice President of Arya Group of Colleges, Dr Puja Agarwal, got off to a good start in which she recorded ‘Mahabharata’ in the form of simplified storytelling for all the people, especially for the children through the medium of Facebook and YouTube. She has presented the information of history in a simple way for the children of a new generation by adding

pictorial graphics for better understanding. At the same time, Dr Puja feels that currently, when the whole country is fighting against the epidemic, everyone is doing something different from their homes.

This is the right time in which we can make our children aware of our Mythology. In the old times, we did not have mobiles and the internet, we used to hear these stories from our grandparents.

Today, though kids have a good connect with the latest technology somehow they

are missing on our rich cultural heritage which is hidden in our scriptures and books. Through these stories of mythology, we can imbibe a good value system and ethics in our children which are very essential for their professional and personal growth. With this purpose, an attempt has been made to bring Mahabharata in the form of a story, so that people are aware of our Hindu culture. The story has been divided into different episodes to keep it short and simple. Also, English subtitles have been added for better understanding. Dr Puja Agarwal has been in social work for a long time and has been providing

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Dr Puja Agarwal

free education to 200 girls, helping deaf kids and is involved in various other social activities. She along with thanking everyone for working day and night in fighting COVID-19 has brought this concept of Mahabharata intending to spread positivity all around. cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

IMPARTING Inner Engineering! medical wisdom

Dr Amit Patel CITY FIRST AHMEDABAD

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he ongoing COVID-19 pandemic which has affected people across the world has brought humankind to its knees. In times of uncertainty and fear, United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) along with renowned TED-X events organized a tele-webinar on Friday.

City-based academician Dr Amit Patel, conducted a session as an independent speaker and expert telehealth professional (person who provides health-

care remotely through telecommunication technology).

In the online webinar, Dr Patel provided insights on the ‘Role of Ortho-Rehab: Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow’ and also explained current concepts in the realm of traumatic and non-traumatic

orthopaedic conditions prevailing in children. The tele-portal was attended by well-renowned national institutes, corporate hospitals as well as officials of the University Grants Commission (UGC), New Delhi. cityfirstgujarat@gmail.com

CITY FIRST

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sha Foundation, the international humanitarian service non-profit founded by Sadhguru, is offering its flagship program ‘Inner Engineering’ at 50% discounted rate for anyone who registers before 31 May 2020. The program will be offered free for all medical and police personnel. Inner Engineering is a 7-module online program with 90-minute sessions for each module. It can be completed by participants in their own space at their own pace. The program imparts practical tools and technologies that bring body, mind, emotions and energies into alignment and allows one to experience peak wellbeing. It is said to equip participants to cope with stress, anxiety, emotional turmoil and bring much-needed stability to deal with challenges.

On completion of the 7-module program, participants will

Isha Foundation

become eligible to be initiated into ‘Shambhavi Maha Mudra Kriya’, a 21-minute yogic practice that has been proven to deeply impact all areas of life including physical and emotional health, personal productivity and interpersonal relationships. Millions of daily practitioners of the Kriya around the world testify to its transformative power that ef-

fects a dimensional shift in one’s perception of life and their engagement with the world. Isha regularly offers its Yoga programs to the Armed Forces, prison inmates and rural communities at no cost. It is estimated that at least half a billion people around the world have completed at least one Isha program. cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

WHAT’S HAPPENING! Rajasthan: During the ongoing online musical series ‘Sumiran’, initiated

by Rajasthan Forum, in association with Shree Cement and Raghu Sinha Mala Mathur Charity Trust amid the nationwide lockdown, Jaisalmer-based folk Singer Babu Khan from the Manganiyar community gave a mesmerising performance with his team members, during the sixteenth session held on Friday.

Rajasthan: Amidst the global pandemic, Maa Vaishno Devi Seva Samiti Youth leader Arpit Sharma, under the leadership of Youth President Vipra Foundation, came forward to honour the entire team of Khasa Kothi Power House with Rajesh Gupta and AEN Hansraj Chaudhry at the Khasa Kothi Power House on Friday.

Gujarat: Archana Pandey, General Manager & Head of Ahmedabad Zone, Bank of Baroda, handed 100 traffic barricades to Joint Police Commissioner JR Mothaliya at the Police Commissioner’s Office in Shahibaug, on Thursday, to aid the police in its efforts to ensure public safety while fighting against the COVID-19 outbreak. Speaking at the Pandey said, “We are very grateful to our doctors and police personnel who have shown great courage and good governance, especially during these testing times.”

Rajasthan: The members of National Youth Volunteers and Youth Board Officers, who are associated with Nehru Yuva Kendra, are running various campaigns like Selfie with Parinda, Ek Ghar Ek Parinda, Pakshi Mitra and more to motivate people to keep a Parinda or a bowl for birds outside the house filled with water and grains. These corona warriors have also implanted around 11,000 Parindas in various districts of the state.

Apart from this, the members are also taking care of feeding stray cows and monkeys.

Rajasthan: On the second day of the ongoing ‘Online Learning – Children’s Summer Festival’ organised by Jawahar Kala Kendra, viewers learned about the importance of ‘Voice and Speech’ in theatre. The performing arts session on ‘Theatre’ was conducted by theatre artiste, Anuranjan Sharma.

The learning session witnessed participation from more than 220 viewers.

Rajasthan: An online photo contest ‘India’s Fashion Hunters (IFH)’ was organised by Jaipur-based Rudrav Productions, where more than 5000 participants from the age group 17-35 years, took part from all across the country. In the contest, Priyanka Middha won the winning title in the girl’s category and Nishika Chaudhary and Sakshi Goswami bagged the first and second runner up title, respectively. In boy’s category, Aakash Bohra Jitendra Singh Rajawat and Bhupendra Singh Shekhawat grabbed first, second and third position, respectively, based on their post reach and likes on social media. The winners will get gift hampers up to 3 lakh and the top 10 finalists will get the opportunity to participate in IFH fashion show, informed Organiser Vikas Rudrav.

Rajasthan: With the mantra of “It’s in the giving that we receive“, a Bangalore based spiritual healer, fortune teller, motivational speaker, and a life coach, Swetha Anand has been helping many people by her healing techniques. With the emphasizes on mental health, she has created awareness by using various tools.

Along with this, she provides one on one sessions which helps people identify the negative patterns and the traits they carry.

Rajasthan: Aireena Mariyam and Syed Zubair kept their first Roza at the age of 8 and 7 years, respectively, and learned the honesty and discipline of Islam religion.

Rajasthan: Women Mentor Forum (WMF), a platform for successful professional women to mentor upcoming young professionals or entrepreneurs, is organising an online series of sessions with experts amid the lockdown. During the webinar with mentor Meeta Mathur, held on Friday, she asked the participants to imagine and visualise the brands as a living entity and added that the visuals come to your mind is the true personality of your brands.