First India-Ahmedabad Edition-24 June 2020

OUR EDITIONS: JAIPUR & AHMEDABAD

CORONA

27°C - 37°C

ALERT AHMEDABAD l WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2020 l Pages 12 l 3.00 RNI NO. GUJENG/2019/16208 l Vol 1 l Issue No. 209

COVID-19 UPDATE

WORLD

4,76,571 DEATHS

MAHARASHTRA 6,531 DEATHS 1,39,010 CASES

92,70,233 CONFIRMED CASES

TAMIL NADU 833 DEATHS 64,603 CASES

INDIA

14,483 4,55,830 DEATHS

DELHI 2,301 DEATHS 66,602 CASES

CONFIRMED CASES

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GUJARAT

1,711 DEATHS

RAJASTHAN 365 DEATHS 15,627 CASES

28,429

CONFIRMED CASES

UTTAR PRADESH 588 DEATHS 18,893 CASES

TIME TO CHEER! In what may come as a major boost to tourism and also to fill up government coffers, finally after three months of long wait, the bars in clubs, hotels and restaurants will open across Rajasthan from today. This paves way for 1,000 bars—a major money spinner for Tourism Industry—to start business across state. Bar owners have been strictly told to adhere to COVID 19 guidelines.

The Lake Palace Hotel, Udaipur.

DIL CHAHE WHAT’S

Made in India!

Government enables ‘Make in India’ filter; mandates naming country of origin —PHOTO BY ANI

New Delhi: In a bid to promote Make in India and Aatma Nirbhar Bharat (Self-reliant India), the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) has mandated for sellers to spell out the “Country of Origin” of products they want to sell on the platform.

GeM, a special purpose vehicle under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, has also enabled a provision for the indication of the percentage of local content in products.

The government procurement portal has made it mandatory for sellers to enter the country of origin while registering all new prod-

Earthen pots with a face design of PM Modi are being sold at a market in Kanpur on Tuesday.

ucts on GeM, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry said in a statement on Tuesday.

With this new feature, now, Country of Origin as well as the local con-

tent percentage will be visible in the marketplace for all items.

“Sellers, who had already uploaded their products before the introduction of this new

feature on GeM, are being reminded regularly to update the Country of Origin, with a warning that their products shall be removed from GeM if they fail to up-

date the same,” the statement said.

It also said that Make in India filter has also been enabled on the portal granting buyers choice to buy only those products that meet the minimum 50% local content criteria. “In case of Bids, buyers can now reserve any bid for Class I Local suppliers (local content more than 50 percent). For those Bids below INR 200 crore, only Class I and Class II Local Suppliers (local content more than 50 percent and more than 20 percent respectively) are eligible to bid, with Class I supplier getting purchase preference,” the statement said. —ANI

India, China can solve border issues on their own: Russia Moscow: Russia on Tuesday said that India and China have shown their commitment for peaceful resolution of the border issue and the two countries do not need “any help from outside” to resolve the matter.

Speaking at the virtual RIC foreign ministers’ meeting, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow hopes that New Delhi and Beijing continue to

India to Pak: Cut mission staff by half New Delhi: India on Tuesday asked Pakistan to reduce its staff in its High Commission here by half within the next seven days and announced a reciprocal trimming of Indian strength in Islamabad, in a significant downgrading of diplomatic ties. The MEA said Charge d’ Affaires of Pakistan Turn on P6

AGREE TO ‘COOL DOWN’ TENSIONS

be committed to a peaceful resolution of disputes. “I don’t think that India and China need any help from the outside.

Turn on P6

Beijing: Chinese and Indian armies have arrived at a consensus on the ‘outstanding issues’ between them and agreed to take necessary measures to ‘cool down’ the situation at their borders, Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday. “The meeting showed that both sides wish to control and alleviate the situation through dialogue and consultation,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said.

LAC crisis due to Modi’s wrong policies: Sonia New Delhi: Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday said the current crisis on the border with China is attributable to the “mismanagement” of the BJP-led government and the “wrong policies” pursued by it.

The crisis on the border, if not tackled firmly, can lead to a serious situation, former PM Manmohan Singh said

at a meeting of the CWC on the situation along LAC. Addressing the meeting, Gandhi also hit out at the government for Turn on P6

With 230 overnight cases, A’bad sees slight dip in numbers  24 HOURS: 549 CASES, 26 DEATHS  TOTAL: 28,429 CASES, 1,711 DEATHS First India Bureau Gandhinagar: In a sliver of good news for Ahmedabad, the city has seen a slight fall in overnight cases of COVID-19. The area under the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation--which usually ac-

counts for 50% or more of the state’s fresh cases--on Tuesday had “just” 41.8% of the state’s 549 new cases .

The new cases bring the state tally to 28,429 cases. With 26 fatalities reported overnight, the state’s death toll is at 1,711. The

state also has 6,197 active cases, with 62 patients on ventilator support. Of the total active cases, 3,277 are in AMC limits. The civic body discharged 390 patients, of which 108 patients were discharged from home isolation.

According to the state’s COVID-19 bulletin, the department stated 549 fresh cases and 26 deaths, of which 230 cases were recorded in the AMC’s jurisdiction.

Interestingly, the health department has

changed the format of the press bulletin once again. Not only has it split the cases according to districts and municipal corporations, it has also mentioned three cases from other states. This indicates that the state is trying to control the figures by bifurcating rural and urban areas, creating more confusion regarding the actual figures.

While Ahmedabad showed a decrease in new cases, it still accounted for 50% of the state’s total deaths with 13.

Meanwhile, the Surat Municipal Corporation recorded 152 positive cases, continuing the trend of a higher number of cases since Unlock 1.0 came into effect. The SMC recorded five deaths and discharged 76 patients after recovery.

The Vadodara Municipal Corporation recorded 38 fresh cases, Surat district, 23, Jamnagar Municipal Corporation, 11, Baruch, 11, Gandhinagar district, 8, Narmada, 6, Ahmedabad

district, 5, Mehsana, 5, and Bhavnagar, 5. Vadodara, Mahisagar, Panchmahal, Kutch, Valsad, and Navsari had four cases each and Bhavnagar, Gir Somnath, and Surendranagar had two cases each.

The Gandhinagar Corporation, Sabarkantha, Anand, Patan, Botad Chhota Udepur reported two cases. On the other hand, the Rajkot Corporation and district, Aravalli, Kheda, Jamnagar, Dahod, and Amreli reported one positive case each.

NEWS AHMEDABAD | WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2020

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GUJ GETS 175 ‘MADE IN INDIA’ VENTILATORS

UNDER THE PM CARES FUND, 2,000 CRORE WAS EARMARKED FOR PURCHASE OF 50,000 VENTILATORS AND 1,000 CRORE FOR MIGRANT WORKERS’ WELFARE First India Bureau New Delhi/Gandhinagar: Gujarat, which has reported the highest Covid-19 mortality rate of over 6.3, is a key beneficiary of nearly 3000 of the 50,000 ‘Made in India’ ventilators sanctioned under the PM CARES fund that have been manufactured and over 1,300 have been delivered to various states, while the rest would soon be dispatched.

According to an official statement, the PM CARES Fund Trust had last month decided to allocate Rs 3,100 crore for the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and the amount was to be used, among other things, to purchase ventilators and for welfare of migrant workers.

Out of the Rs 3,100 crore, nearly Rs 2,000 crore was earmarked for the purchase of 50,000 ‘Made in India’ ventilators.

“So far 2,923 ventilators

have been manufactured, out of which 1,340 ventilators have already been delivered to the States/UTs,” the statement said.

By the end of this month, an additional 14,000 ventilators will be delivered to all

The Centre has stated that out of the 50,000 ventilators, 30,000 are being manufactured by the Bharat Electronics Ltd

the states and UTs. The prominent recipients, include Maharashtra (275), Delhi (275), Gujarat (175), Bihar (100), Karnataka (90), Rajasthan (75), it said.

Out of the 50,000 ventilators, 30,000 are being manufactured by the Bharat Electronics Ltd, a government

undertaking.

The remaining 20,000 ventilators are being manufactured by AgVa Healthcare (10,000), AMTZ Basic (5650), AMTZ High End (4000) and Allied Medical (350), the statement said.

Referring to the welfare of migrant workers, it said Rs 1,000 crore has already been released to states and UTs for welfare of the migrant labourers.

The distribution of funds is based on the weightage of population of the state as per the 2011 Census 50 per cent weightage, number of positive COVID-19 cases as on date 40 per cent weightage and equal share -- 10 per cent weightage for all states to ensure basic minimum sum for all. The funds were to be used for arranging accommodation, food, medical treatment and transportation of migrants.

According to the statement, the main recipients of the grant are Maharashtra (Rs 181 crore), Uttar Pradesh (Rs 103 crore), Ta-

mil Nadu (Rs 83 crore), Gujarat (Rs 66 crore), Delhi (Rs 55 crore), West Bengal (Rs 53 crore), Bihar (Rs 51 crore), Madhya Pradesh (50 crore), Rajasthan (Rs 50 crore) and Karnataka (Rs 34 crore).

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced creation of the PM’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PMCARES) where people can contribute to help the government fight against coronavirus and similar “distressing situations”.

The trust was formed on March 27 and is headed by the prime minister. The other ex-officio members of the trust are the defence minister, the home minister and the finance minister.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Ramdev’s Patanjali launches Swadeshi HM Amit Shah greets Corona medicine, claims 100% recovery people on Rath Yatra Haridwar: Patanjali on Tuesday launched 'Coronil and Swasari', what it claims is the Ayurvedic cure for treating COVID-19, which they said has been shown 100 per cent favourable results during clinical trials on affected patients, at Patanjali Yogpeeth.

While thanking the Director, National Institute of Medical Sciences, NIMS University, Jaipur, Dr Balbir Singh Tomar and all other doctors and scientists for their help in creating the medicine, Yoga Guru Ramdev said, "with the help of NIMS, Jaipur we conducted the clinical control study on 95 patients.

The biggest thing which came out of this is that within three days 69 per cent patients recovered and became negative from positive (cases) and within seven days 100 per cent of them became negative." "The whole country and the

STOP ADVT DRUGS

Baba Ramdev launching a medicine kit for COVID-19, in Haridwar on Tuesday.

world was waiting for medicine or vaccine for corona. We are proud to announce that the first Ayurvedic, clinically controlled trial based evidence and researchbased medicine has been prepared by the combined efforts of Patanjali Research Centre and NIMS," Ramdev

said at the press conference.

"We are launching COVID medicines Coronil and Swasari today (on Tuesday). We conducted two trials of these, first clinical controlled study, which took place in Delhi, Ahmedabad, among many other cities. Un-

—PHOTO BY ANI

der this 280 patients were included and 100 per cent of those recovered. We were able to control Corona and its complications in this.

After this the all-important clinical control trial was conducted," he added. He also said that necessary approvals for conducting the trials of

medicine on patients had been taken from competent authorities.

Acharya Balkrishna, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Patanjali, was also present at the occasion of the launch along with other officials and representatives who had taken part in the preparation of the medicine.

New Delhi.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday greeted people on the occasion of Jagannath Rath Yatra and wished for everyone's good health and prosperity.

The Supreme Court had on Monday allowed holding of the historic Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra in Puri with certain conditions.

"I extend my warm greetings to all, on the auspicious occasion of Rath Yatra. May Maha Prabhu Jagannath bless everyone with good heath, joy and prosperity. Jai Jagan-

Amit Shah

nath!," Shah tweeted.

The home minister on Monday had said the entire country is delighted over the Supreme Court's decision on the conduct of the

yatra and stressed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi took the initiative for consultations which ensured that the "great traditions of our land are observed". —PTI

Diamond firms to work with new norms Surat: Despite earlier suggestions to close the Surat's diamond industry in wake of COVID pandemic, it will continue to function as per the new norms, said Dinesh

Navadiya, Gujarat region chairman, Gems and Jewellery Export Promotion Council on Monday.

"There were suggestions to close industry in Surat for a week in

view of COVID but in a meeting with officials, several norms have been finalised. Based on these norms the diamond industry will continue functioning," Navadiya said.

MODI’S CLAIM TO ‘MINIMUM GOVERNMENT, MAXIMUM GOVERNANCE’ IS HOLLOW: PATEL Darshan Desai

Ahmed Patel

Ahmedabad: Known for his otherwise low profile approach, Congress veteran Ahmed Patel has in recent months been taking a swipe at the Narendra Modi Government - often at where it hurts the most.

In his latest jibe, Patel, a close confidante of the late prime minister Rajiv Gandhi and politi-

cal adviser to Congress President Sonia Gandhi, has ridiculed the BJP-led Government for the frequent rise in petrol and diesel prices during the last week even as the global crude oil prices are at a low.

On Tuesday, he sent out a strong tweet that spoke little but showed more. Patel put out videos of Narendra Modi, the late Arun Jaitley and un-

EXCLUSIVE ion minister Prakash Javadekar questioning the former Manmohan Singh Government for hike in petroleum prices. Patel, in a tweet in Hindi, then taunted the central government over the prices of petroleum products, asserting that there is a

stark difference in “kathni aur karni (contrast between preaching and practice)”. When asked about this, Ahmed Patel told First India, “These are only the sample of people who made allegations on the Manmohan Singh Government between 2009 and 2014 when the crude prices were high. And now, do they have a reply?” The Congress leader, who

has his moorings in Gujarat, said in response to a question, “Every single thing of this government is a study in contrast. It has no consistency of policies and is incompetent,” Patel asserted.

He went on, “the Prime Minister went to China and he had as many as 18 meetings with Xi Zinping during the last few years but he never once conveyed

anything to him. Modi has had personal meeting with the Chinese premier, but even there he didn’t tell him anything.”

The Congress leader, who is also AICC treasurer, reasserted, “This government has no idea of the ground realities. Modi’s claim to “minimum government, maximum governance” is all hollow and meaningless.”

GUJARAT AHMEDABAD | WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2020

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Rath Yatra stays in after HC rejects petitions

The 143rd edition of the Jagannath procession in Ahmedabad was a limited affair, held within the temple premises in Jamalpur area

Chief Minister Vijay Rupani kicked off the event with the ‘Pahind’ ritual sweeping, after which the chariots of Lord Jagannath and his siblings had their limited outing. Meanwhile, a heavy deployment of police ensured no one left the premises. —PHOTOS BY NANDAN DAVE

First India Bureau Ahmedabad: Chief Minister Vijay Rupani performed ‘Pahind’ ritual with the golden broom on Lord Jagannath’s chariot on Tuesday morning, after Gujarat High Court rejected all petitions

to allow the 143rd Rath Yatra outside the temple gates. Later, trustees and priest Dilipdashji led devotees in a Rath Yatra within temple premises.

This was in keeping with the court’s stay on the procession, which came at 2am on

Tuesday morning.

On Tuesday morning, there was heavy police deployment at the Lord Jagannath Temple in Jamalpur area, to ensure that the court’s order was strictly followed.

The first division bench comprising

Chief Justice Vikram Nath and Justice JB Pardiwala had rejected all petitions seeking permission for the Rath Yatra after hearing all concerned petitioners and even the state government. In its order, the court observed, “Despite the

assurance being given by the state and all other applicants, we still do not find any good ground to recall or modify our order dated June 20. All the civil applications are accordingly rejected.”

The bench further noted, “In our order dat-

ed June 20, we had mentioned two grounds for staying the procession.

First, the condition of Ahmedabad on account of the COVID-19 pandemic and second, the order passed by the Supreme Court on June 18, restraining Rath Yatra in Puri and the entire

state of Orissa.”

The court also noted that while Monday’s Supreme Court order could not be ignored, “the situation in Ahmedabad on account of pandemic Covid-19 cannot be compared with the situation of Puri or in the state of Orissa.”

Temple trustees lodge complaint Congress attacks govt for against two Jain monks for rape buying 40K Chinese tablets First India Bureau

First India Bureau Himmatnagar: A trustee of the Pavapuri Sametshikhar Tirthdham and Sarvakalyan Trust have lodged criminal complaints against two Jain monks for rape, using abusive language and threatening people with black magic.

Dr Ashit Doshi, in his complaint, has alleged that two Jain monks associated with the Pavapuri Sametshikhar Tirthdham and Sarvakalyan Trust raped a woman, and then threatened her with dire consequences if she disclosed it. The complaint also said that the monks also threat-

ened to use black magic to harm her family.

The complaint says that the rape survivor’s husband has written a letter to the trust and even provided photographs and video clips in which two monks, identified as Rajtilak Sagarji (Rajasaheb) and Mahrajsaheb Shree Kalyan Sagarji, are seen in compromis-

The monks allegedly also threatened to use black magic to harm their victim’s family ing positions.

Dr Doshi told First India that both monks confessed to the crimes when they were confronted back in Febru-

ary. When the trustees pulled them up, the monks used abusive language against them.

They also threatened to use anti-social elements to “silence” the trustees.

Both monks allegedly lured women disciples in the name of conducting religious rituals and then rape them.

In the current case, the husband and wife couple from Surat were regular visitors to the Pavapuri temple, where they came into contact with the two monks.

Dr Doshi told First India, that the complaint was filed on Tuesday at the Idar police station, where Inspector PL Vaghela is investigating the case.

Ahmedabad: The Gujarat Congress on Tuesday launched a fresh attack on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party after the government allegedly purchased 40,000 “Made in China” tablet computers instead of boycotting Chinese products in the wake of the Galwan Valley issue.

“How come the state government is purchasing Chinese items at a time when Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Vijay Rupani are advocating that citizens reject Chinese products?” asked Manish Doshi, chief spokesperson of Gujarat Pradesh Congress Com-

Gandhinagar: The Central Water Commission in Gandhinagar released a flood situation report cum

FLOOD REPORT advisory on the state’s rivers under the Hydrological Observation Circle, on Tuesday. A flood-like situation is expected in the upper basins of the Mahi, Sabarmati,

and Banas rivers.

According to Part I of the report, one or two central water commission (CWC) sites in the basin of the Mahi river received light rainfall in the last 24 hours.

While the data is currently at normal levels, the water level in the upper Mahi basin may rise slightly in the next 24 hours.

A quantitative inflow forecast will be issued for Kadana, Dharoi, and

RAIN COMING

Panam Dam.

Dantiwada dam and an advisory forecast will be issued for Mahi Bajaj

—FILE PHOTO

Sagar Dam, Somkamla Dam, and Panam Dam if the inflow crosses the

forecast criteria fixed for the above dams.

Meanwhile, in the Sa-

Three killed, six injured in road mishap in Anand district First India Bureau

The tablets will be distributed at schools.

mittee. The government has purchased around 40,000 tablets at the cost of Rs58 crore to distribute in schools.

Doshi further said that BJP leaders are giving calls to become ‘Aatmanirbhar’ but are using educational grants to purchase Chinese products. He said, “Why does the BJP govern-

—FILE PHOTO

ment lack nationalist sentiments event at this point in time? The BJP always says something and does the opposite thing. The entire nation is boycotting Chinese products and the chief minister is buying Chinese items. Rupani must accept moral responsibility for this hypocrisy and resign.”

Flood-like situation expected in three rivers in the state First India Bureau

OTHER NOTES

barmati Basin, one or two CWC sites received light rainfall in the last 24 hours. The water level at most CWC stations is steady condition and the situation is normal according to CWC data.

For Banas Basin, during the last 24 hours light rainfall was received at one or two CWC sites.

Currently water level at most of the CWC sites is in steady condition. As per CWC data current situation is normal.

As per the India Meteorological Department, light to moderate rainfall is expected at isolated places in the independent rivers in the Saurashtra-Kutch region in the next 48 hours.

Light thunderstorms are likely in some parts of the state, including Jamnagar, Mandvi, New Kandla and Dwarka. The region is likely to see moderate rainfall and wind speeds of less than 40 kmph as well.

Anand: Three persons were killed and six injured, when two cars rammed into near Kantharia village in the Anklav taluka of Anand district on Tuesday morning. Anklav police reached the spot and rushed injured persons to hospital for treatment.

Vadodara district resident Hiteshbhai Pandya and his family were on his way to Kapadvanj to attend a social function, when a speeding car—coming from the opposite direction—rammed into the car in which they were travelling.

Hiteshbhai, his wife Jayshreeben and son Vivek suffered serious head injuries and died on the spot. His two daughters, Krupa and Riddhi, were injured.

Four persons in the other car also suffered serious injuries. All six injured were rushed to Vadodara’s SSG hospital for further treatment.

Anklav police have initiated investigation into the case, with the help from the Directorate of Forensic Sciences and the Road Accident research team.

BOUNCING BACK

Pvt bus operators in Guj witness huge traction in intra-state services A total of 161 operators have run 1,659 intra-state services connecting multiple key cities in the state 

First India Bureau Ahmedabad: At a time when private bus operators across the country are struggling to re-start their bus services, those in Gujarat have not only resumed operations but have also witnessed huge traction during

the past two weeks, according to online bus ticketing aggregator Abhibus.com.

As the Government of India announced Unlock 1.0 in which it had permitted to run intrastate as well as interstate bus services in the country, the Gujarat private bus operators

have taken a lead by operating more than 1,600 bus services in a single day, it said.

This trend clearly indicates early signs of a revival of the ailing industry which is badly hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Starting from June 8, a total of 161 private bus operators in Gujarat have operated 1,659 intra-state services connecting multiple key cities including Ahmedabad, Surat and Rajkot. More

Representational photo of private buses.

—FILE PHOTO

than 160 private bus operators have been using the online platform to sell seats on their buses and provide seamless commute to the people of Gujarat who are eagerly waiting to reach their native places and meet their loved ones.

During the lockdown period, the portal had recorded a 40% increase in daily inquiries from Gujarat alone as over 1,00,000 travellers about enquired bus

tickets on the portal.

Rohit Sharma, Chief Operating Officer, Abhibus said, “It is quite impressive that the private bus operators have taken the lead and commenced their intra-state services by operating more than 1,600 services per day. To provide them with continuous support, our dedicated teams are working tirelessly on a 24/7 basis to ensure seamless operations.”

PERSPECTIVE AHMEDABAD | WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2020

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RECOVERING RENT

IN-DEPTH

GALLOPING FUEL PRICES NOW GET WORRISOME

AMIDST THE CORONA CRISIS

L

ike Jack’s beanstalk the prices of fuel are touching the sky. After a break of 82 days, oil marketing companies have resumed the daily revision of fuel prices. Prices of diesel and petrol have zoomed record high in the last 17 days ever since they were deregulated in 2002 and are gradually going beyond the reach of common man, especially farmers. In the national capital price of diesel has risen to Rs 79.40, while petrol is selling at Rs 79.76 after a cumulative increase of Rs 9.10 and Rs 9.41 per litre, respectively. The increase is not confined to New Delhi alone but is also applicable to other states.

The prices in states vary due to different slabs of local sales tax or value added tax and excise. The Centre has hiked excise duty on diesel and petrol twice in three months to give the government Rs 2 lakh crore in additional tax revenues.

The daily price reviews were started by the state-owned oil companies -Indian Oil Corporation, Hindustan Petroleum and Bharat Petroleum---from June 7.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi took up the issue with the government urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi to roll back the fuel price hike and pass on the benefit of low global crude oil price to consumers. “I am deeply distressed that in these exceedingly difficult times since the beginning of March, the government has taken the wholly insensitive decision to increase petrol and diesel prices on no less than ten separate occasions,” she said last week.

Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal, an ally of the National Democratic Alliance, urged the government to roll back fuel prices as the unprecedented hike was hurting farmers at a time when kharif sowing is on. Besides, the common man, trade and industry have also been hit. Transporters who are already reeling under lockdown aftermath recently staged a protest against the increased prices. Demanding substantial reduction in prices, the All India Motor Transport Congress recently said that high prices have made “operations unviable”. If the prices are not lowered, the transporters will pass on the burden to consumers of all the goods they ferry.

After a sharp fall in demand for crude oil, global oil prices also plummeted earlier this year. With the global markets having recovered, the prices too have started moving upwards.

The automobile industry is concerned that the daily hike in fuel prices was adding to the already sluggish demand.

The high fuel prices do help the government fill its coffers as it has to manage budget deficit and an ailing economy.

They, however, leave a big hole in the pockets of the poor. Already reeling under the impact of job losses and pay cuts due to the pandemic, the common man may now have to shell out more for his cab ride, fruits, vegetables and other essentials.

ALOK GUPTA

The writer is a President of the Estate Agents Association of India, Central Zone One

F

Most of the tenants, as per my study, have tried to take shelter of the ‘Force Majeure’ clause in the agreement. It is rare that the said clause would have covered the situation of a pandemic or the lockdown specifically and would have allowed for a waiver of rent for the period of lockdown

irst, the debate started with whether the landlords should collect the rents for the lockdown period or not. Then, the debate shifted to whether they are even eligible to collect the rents or not. Now since the courts in India have well clarified and ruled that not only the landlords are eligible to collect the rents but also it would be unjust to them if they are even asked to waive rents for the lockdown period. Now since the lockdown doesn’t seem to end so smoothly, so soon, it is becoming a challenge for the landlords to recover rents from their tenants. I have tried to study the situation from both the sides, analyse the gravity of the lockdown compassionately and have then devised a modest methodology for the landlords to recover rents amicably and lawfully even amidst the Corona crisis.

Gardens are not made by sitting in the shade. Have a dialogue with the tenants.

Most of the time, we become victims of our assumptions.

We simply presume that the tenants do not want to pay or are unable to pay. Landlords, if they do not receive their rents, as usual, must first of all speak to their tenants and inform them that no government order mandates a rent waiver. It is in the interest of the tenants to keep paying the rents as usual rather than piling it up for a future date which may also attract interest and penalties as per the agreement.

Landlords do not have money plants in their backyard. Inform tenants of your side of problems too. As the word ‘landlord’ gives the impression, most of the time tenants presume that the landlords are the ones who quite literally have money plants in their backyards. According to their presumption, this is that sect of the society which has a lot of money, deep pockets, and no financial problem whatso-

ever. The tenants must be explained that the landlords too have to pay the EMIs, they have to pay the society bills, property taxes etc. in which they have no respite from the government. Whether the rent is received or not, the landlords are liable to pay GST, which is payable on mercantile basis not on receipt basis.

Needs must when the devil drives. Adhere to the contract as per law. Most of the tenants, as per my study, have tried to take shelter of the ‘Force Majeure’ clause in the agreement. It is rare that the said clause would have covered the situation of a pandemic or the lockdown specifically and would have allowed for a waiver of rent for the period of lockdown. The landlords need to make the tenants understand that the clause of ‘Force Majeure’, if applicable, is used to terminate the agreement. A tenant cannot use this clause to take a waiver of rent for a month or two and still keep the agreement alive and continue to use the premises. The order dated 21st May 2020 of the honourable Delhi High Court well defines this aspect.

Unwillingness easily finds an excuse. Ask for justification. It is for those tenants

A tenant must bear in mind that the landlord is neither a partner nor a stakeholder in the profits of the tenants. A landlord is asking the tenants to pay only what is due as per the contract between them

who, despite being in good financial health, are unduly withholding the rents and are simply trying to take advantage of the situation. These tenants should be asked to substantiate their act with necessary documents such as their balance sheets, Income Tax Returns, Bank Statements etc.

If these documents defeat their claims, the rents must be recovered from them.

A bird in hand is better

Virtual reality has been boosted by coronavirus

A

merican R&B star John Legend is doing a major live show on Thursday June 25 to promote his new album, Bigger Love. But can he expect much of a crowd, given that many pandemic restrictions are still in place? More than likely, since the whole performance is taking place in virtual reality.

Legend will not be appearing in person but as an avatar via the social VR platform Wave. The show is part of an experimental live concerts series that has been taking place on the platform during the pandemic.

With other artists in the series including Tinashe, the whole idea is that they perform live in an immersive and fantastical virtual world

04

that offers a new experience for audiences. Rapper Travis Scott did something similar inside the Fortnite video game in April and attracted over 12 million viewers.

There appears to have been a significant rise in such VR offerings this year, aiming to deliver safe, accessible experiences during the pandemic. A number of visitor attractions have started to offer immersive VR experiences and access to online collections via the Google Arts & Culture app. You can go on a walking tour of the ancient temples of Sicily’s Valle dei Templi, for example.

Or how about visiting a New York street art exhibition based around giant water tanks, or Hong Kong’s renowned Blue House building?

DYSTOPIA, HERE WE COME? Enthusiasts for this technology often frame the benefits of adding a VR dimension to an existing service in terms of the democratising potential – making something accessible (for free) to a lot more people.

Yet for any VR experience to take place, there are fi-

nancial and practical constraints. Users need a fast internet connection, a headset and some kind of computer or mobile device.

This hefty outlay – along with problems with the previous generation of headsets, such as seasickness – has meant that the market for VR is still relatively small. It is estimated

that there are now around 170 million VR users worldwide, with one report saying that the industry “had not lived up to its earlier expectations”.

There is also the issue of whether VR experiences can substitute real-life offerings. On the one hand, in the context of digital gaming and virtual worlds, VR technologies arguably empower individuals and often provide a much needed escape from the constraints of everyday life.

During COVID-19, the resurgence of virtual worlds like Second Life shows how they can enable a sense of community and various social interactions, from dancing in a club to walking through a busy city.

On the other hand, VR technologies perhaps only offer a pale imitation of the multi-sensory experiences

of life. VR risks removing the authenticity from cultural offerings; of turning them into little more than another commodity delivered in bundles online. It might also compound the problems with privacy and surveillance that exist with search engines and social media.

In a post-COVID-19 society, there is a real chance that we will be increasingly using VR in our daily lives. The organisations building these virtual offerings, and those who oversee these industries, have a duty to ensure it doesn’t lead us into some kind of dystopia. We could end up experiencing much of life alone at home, with no privacy, forgetting the importance of the touch and smell of cultural experiences..

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than two in a bush. Accept the part payment of rents. In some cases, where the tenants are genuinely stuck up financially and are facing some liquidity crunch, they are asked to pay at least a part of the monthly rent now deferring the balance settlement to a predecided date.

Where there is a will there’s a way. Advise tenants to take loans if so required.

If there comes a situation where neither the landlord nor the tenant is in a good liquidity situation, it should be the tenant who should be asked to take a loan from the bank or raise finance from other sources rather than imposing the same on the landlord. Why should the landlord bear the brunt?

A tenant must bear in mind that the landlord is neither a partner nor a stakeholder in the profits of the tenants. A landlord is asking the tenants to pay only what is due as per the contract between them. I do not recommend any landlord to be unsympathetic or merciless towards tenants but, he should also have the conviction that he too is a sufferer of the lockdown and he too needs his money cycle to remain intact.

THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL

Top

TWEET Dharmendra Pradhan @dpradhanbjp This is the first time an alternative to natural gas is being sold by @ IndianOilcl. It is a historic occasion for the people of Tamil Nadu and it is very apt that project of such national importance is being inaugurated in the august presence of Hon. @CMOTamilNadu.

Piyush Goyal @PiyushGoyal Had a meeting with representatives of Service Export Promotion Council and discussed ways to boost service exports. Our Government is committed to offer full support to stakeholders to ensure India’s skilled & young workforce serves global opportunities.

Spiritual SPEAK

No one who does good work will ever come to a bad end, either here or in the world to come. —Bhagavad Gita

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‘RAHUL GANDHI TRYING TO DIVIDE NATION’ BJP National President JP Nadda while attacking RaGa also cited 2008 MoU between Congress and China’s Communist Party

New Delhi: BJP national President Jagat Prakash Nadda raised questions over Congress’ links with China and attacked Rahul Gandhi stating that the Wayanad MP is trying to divide the nation and demoralise its armed forces.

Sharing a flow chart titled “The story of a MoU and its effect” the BJP President said that Congress surrendered land to China. “First, Congress signs MoU with Chinese Communist Party. Then, Congress surrenders land to China.

During Doklam issue, Rahul Gandhi secretly goes to Chinese embassy. During crucial situations, Rahul Gandhi tries to divide the nation and demoralise armed forces. Effects of MoU?” Nadda tweeted.

“Is it that MoU which made Congress go against national interest?” the BJP chief asked.

The BJP President tried to describe the issue through a flow chart and shared several news reports related to the issue. “China has occupied 640 square km in three Ladakh sec-

‘RaGa is discouraging & insulting Army’

BJP National President JP Nadda pays floral tribute to Dr Syama Prasad Mukherjee on his death anniversary, at BJP Head Quarters in New Delhi on Tuesday.

—PHOTO BY PTI

tors” and “600 border violations by China along LAC since 2010”.

This he said happened between the period of 2010 and 2013.

He alleged that China got a free hand to occupy the Indian territory after Congress signed an MoU with the Chinese Communist Party in 2008.

He said now in 2020

Rahul tries to divide India during the time of crisis and shared an article citing “Don’t politicize this...:Father of soldier who got injured in Galwan to Rahul Gandhi” The BJP-led Central government and Congress have been at loggerheads over the recent face-off with China in Galwan valley in Ladakh. —ANI

Jagat Prakash Nadda @JPNadda First, Congress signs MoU with Chinese Communist Party.

Then, Congress surrenders land to China. During Doklam issue, Rahul Gandhi secretly goes to Chinese embassy. During crucial situations, Rahul Gandhi tries to divide the nation and demoralise armed forces. Effects of MoU?

RJD national V-P Raghuvansh Prasad Singh resigns Patna: Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) national vice president Raghuvansh Prasad Singh has resigned from his post.

Raghuvansh Prasad Singh is closed to RJD supremo Lalu Yadav’s famiy. He is the ex cabinet minister. According to the sources Singh is unhappy, due Rama Singh, former Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) MP

from vaishali as he is joining RJD on June 29.

Singh is currently ad-

mitted to All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Patna as he was tested positive for COVID-19.

Moreover, he is also unhappy with Bihar RJD President Jagdanand Singh, earlier Raghuvansh Prasad Singh had raised a question over former’s style of working, said sorces. —ANI

Delhi violence: Pregnant Jamia student Safoora granted bail New Delhi: Delhi HC granted bail to a student of Jamia Millia Islamia who was charged under UAPA for her alleged role in the riots in northeast Delhi earlier this year.

Safoora Zargar, an MPhil student, was granted bail on a personal and surety bond of Rs 10,000.

HC said Zargar shall not indulge in activities for which she is being investigated and will also refrain from influ-

Atleast 53 people died and 400 others were injured during the riots held at Northeast Delhi in February this year. —FILE PHOTO

encing, hampering and interfering in the ongoing probe. Zargar approached the court

seeking bail on the ground that she is pregnant & has severe medical complications.

FIVE RJD MLCs JOIN JD(U) AHEAD OF BIHAR ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS Ahead of the Legislative Council elections in Bihar, five RJD MLCs joined CM Nitish Kumar’s JD (U) on Tuesday.The RJD, which has eight MLCs, is now left with only three MLCs. The MLCs who defected to JD(U) are Radha Charan Shah, Sanjay Prasad, Dilip Rai, Md Kamar Alam and Ranvijay Kumar Singh. JD (U) leader, Rajiv Ranjan Singh welcomed the five members to the party. He said, “We welcome them to the family.” Radha Charan Shah said that he decided to join JD (U) as he admired the principles of Nitish Kumar. Presence of new members in the party will make it strong, leaders said.

PM Modi’s homage to Syama Prasad Mukherjee New Delhi: PM Narendra Modi paid tribute to Bharatiya Jana Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mukherjee, on his death anniversary.

“I pay my respects to Dr Syama Prasad Mukherjee, the great son of Mother Bharati, on his death anniversary,” PM Modi tweeted in Hindi.

Syama Prasad Mukherjee founded Bharatiya Jana Sangh.

He served as the Minister for Industry and Supply in Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s

Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday attacked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and said that he is discouraging and insulting the Army. Speaking to media Chouhan said, “Shame on the leader who raises questions on the valour of Army. Rahul Gandhi is discouraging and insulting the army.” He said that BJP has always been with the Congress government during the times of crisis. “Whenever such a situation has happened in the country, the Bharatiya Janata Party used to stand with the Congress government. But to what extent they have fallen, the former president of Congress, even at such times, he is doing dirty politics,” he said.—ANI

BJP MP Maneka Gandhi pays tribute to her husband the late Sanjay Gandhi on his death anniversary, in New Delhi on Tuesday.

—PHOTO BY PTI

New Delhi: Stepping up his attack on PM Narendra Modi on the border standoff with China, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday accused him of “destroying” India’s position and “betraying our Army” by accepting Beijing’s stand that it did not occupy any Indian land.

Addressing the meeting of the Congress Working Committee, he said there has been a “complete and total failure” of foreign policy under the Modi government.

“The established institutional structure of diplomacy has been demolished by the PM. Our relations with our once friendly neighbours lie in tatters. Our time tested relationship with our traditional allies has been interrupted,” he said.

Gandhi suggested that India should build a good relationship with the United States and other countries and must also maintain its ties with its old friends.

Rahul Gandhi @RahulGandhi We stand united against the Chinese invasion. Has China occupied Indian land?

“China has brazenly occupied our territory.

The PM has destroyed our position and betrayed our army by accepting their position that they occupied no Indian land. The Chinese can’t be permitted to get away with this unacceptable usurpation of our land,” he said, adding everything needs to be done to ensure that sacrifice of our martyrs is not in vain. —PTI

IN THE COURTYARD

HC adjourns hearing on OBC quota plea in medical colleges New Delhi: Delhi HC adjourned hearing on a plea seeking directions to Centre to follow the 27% reservation of seats for OBC category in medical & dental colleges for the academic year 2020.

A bench of Justice Jayant Nath posted the matter for further hearing on July 10 after the counsel for the Ministry of Health apprised the court that a case related to this is

pending in the Supreme Court, which is likely to be heard on July 8.

According toPIL, in the past two academic years - 2017-18 and 2018-

19 - around 5,530 seats that would have gone to students of OBC category, if reservation procedure was followed, were allotted to students of the general category. Plea alleged that after the NEET results, that were published for 2020, it was learned through various news reports that the 27% reservation to the OBCs was not followed in the admissions. —ANI

CBI summons former Manipur CM Ibobi Singh in Rs332 cr misappropriation case cabinet. However, due to difference of opinion with Nehru on several issues, he later co-founded the Janata Party in the year 1977-1979, which went on to become the BJP. —Agencies

New Delhi: The CBI has summoned Congress leader and former Manipur Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh for questioning on Wednesday in Rs 332 crore alleged misappropriation of development funds between 2009 and 2017, when he

BJP MP PRAGYA THAKUR FAINTS AT A PARTY EVENT IN BHOPAL

FLORAL TRIBUTE

‘Complete failure’ of India’s Foreign policy’

Bhopal: BJP’s Lok Sabha member from Bhopal Pragya Singh Thakur fainted during an event organised at party to pay tributes to Bharatiya Jan Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mookherjee on his death anniversary.

The incident occurred when Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and

other senior BJP leaders were paying tributes to Mookherjee at the event held at the party’’s state headquarters here.

Former Bhopal MP Alok Sanjar told PTI that Thakur has been undergoing treatment for her ailments and was taking heavy doses of medicines, which could have caused dizziness.

was the chairman of the Manipur Development Society, official said.

A CBI team has reached Imphal for questioning Singh and other accused, who will be quizzed at agency office on Wednesday.

CBI had taken over the case on November 20 last year on the request of state’s BJP government. —PTI

2 TERRORISTS GUNNED DOWN IN AN ENCOUNTER IN PULWAMA Srinagar: A Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel was killed and two terrorists were shot dead by security forces during a gunfight in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama district, officials said on Tuesday. The encounter had erupted in Bundzoo area of Pulwama district early on Tuesday after the operation was launched on specific input about the presence of terrorists in the village.The CRPF personnel was injured when the terrorists fired at the cordon party and later succumbed to his injuries.

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IMD issues orange alert for several districts in Kerala

Priests and devotees perform ‘Pahandi’ rituals of Lord Jagannath during the Rath Yatra festival, amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic in Puri on Tuesday. —PHOTO BY PTI

JAGANNATH YATRA BEGINS

SANS DEVOTEES

Puri: The annual Jagannath Rath Yatra commenced on Tuesday in Puri without devotees, amid the coronavirus pandemic and a curfew in Puri.

The city had started preparations since Monday night after the SC modified its earlier order and allowed the festival to be held but with restrictions. The Yatra celebrates the annual journey of Lord Jagannath and his two siblings from the 12thcentury Jagannath Temple to Gundicha Temple their aunt's home, some 2.5 kilometres away.

The event began today with the priests

ISKCON RATH YATRA CANCELLED IN KOLKATA Kolkata: The Rath Yatra of ISKCON (International Society of Krishna Consciousness)in Kolkata has been cancelled and rituals will be held inside the temple premises, the organisation said. “Today is Rath Yatra. Last year, around 4 lakh people participated on this day and some 16 lakh people participated in the nine day long festival. But due to coronavirus outbreak, this year it is impossible for so many people to participate and maintain social distancing at the same time,” said Radharaman Das, Vice- President and spokesperson of ISKCON. “This time, the entire ritual is happening inside the premises of the temple. We have made a replica of the three chariots, which will be pulled by monks inside the premises,” said Das. “During Jagganath Rath Yatra, prasad is very useful. But this time, due to coronavirus, we are unable to distribute it among the devotees and instead giving them hand sanitizers,” he added.

gathered at the Jagannath temple to carry the idols of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and sister Subhadra to the chariots.

PM Narendra Modi greeted devotees in a tweet: "My heartiest greetings to all of you on the auspicious occasion of Lord Jagan-

Narendra Modi @narendramodi My heartiest greetings to all of you on the auspicious occasion of Lord Jagannath’s Rath Yatra. I wish that this journey filled with devotion brings happiness, prosperity, good luck and health to the lives of the countrymen. Jai Jagannath!”.

nath's Rath Yatra. I wish that this journey filled with devotion brings happiness, prosperity, good luck and health to the lives of the

countrymen. Jai Jagannath!".

The former King of Puri Gajapati Maharaj Dibyasingha Deb arrived at the temple to perform the 'Chhera Pahanra' ritual where he swept the chariots with a broom having a gold handle.

The SC had allowed the Yatra to be held with coordination of the Temple committee, State & Central government without compromising with health issue pertaining to COVID-19. The court had earlier put a stay on the Yatra. Sanitisation was conducted at the temple and the road where the Yatra takes place. —PTI

Thiruvananthapuram: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued Orange alert in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta and Idukki districts on June 26 and in Wayanad and Kozhikode districts on June 27.

As per the IMD, Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam expected to experience isolated heavy to very heavy rains. Extremely heavy rain predicted in Idukki and Pathanamthitta districts. Meanwhile, the IMD has said that the Southwest Monsoon has further advanced into re-

New Delhi: Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, demanding doctors and nurses from the ITBP and the Army to run a 10,000-bed COVID-19 care facility being set up in south Delhi, sources said.

CM has also invited Shah to visit the facility being set up on the sprawling campus of spiritual organisation Radha Soami Satsang Beas (RSSB).

Kejriwal has sought doctors and nurses from the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP)

New Delhi: Maharashtra & Delhi, the worstaffected states due to coronavirus pandemic in India, have received the maximum number of ‘Made-in-India’ ventilators from Centre which are being procured under Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations (PM CARES) Fund.

Amid surging cases of coronavirus in India, PM CARES Fund has allocated `2,000 crore for supply of 50,000 ‘Madein-India’ ventilators to govt-run COVID-19 hospitals in states & UTs.

—PHOTO BY PTI

States to get 50k ‘Made in India’ ventilators

A worker sanitses an area as people wait to undergo COVID-19 tests at a mobile swab collection bus in Vijayawada on Tuesday.

and the Army to run the centre, the sources said.

The lush green RSSB campus is located near the Delhi-Haryana border.

The COVID-19 facility, which will be 1,700 feet long and 700 feet wide, will have 200 enclosures with 50 beds each.

—PTI

non-diplomatic solutions,” he added.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi took part in the trilateral meeting.

It was held days after June 15 Galwan Valley violent face-off between Indian and Chinese troops as a result of an attempt by China to unilaterally change the status quo during de-escalation in eastern Ladakh.

India has said that the situation could have been avoided if the agreement at the higher level been scrupulously followed by the Chinese side.

India lost 20 of its sol-

diers in the violent faceoff in the Galwan Valley and 10 Indian soldiers also were held captive and later released. Indian intercepts have revealed that the Chinese side suffered 43 casualties including dead and seriously injured.

Indian Army 14 Corps Commander Lt Gen Harinder Singh and his Chinese counterpart on Monday held 11 hours meeting at the Border Personnel Meeting Point at Moldo to reduce the tensions between the two countries.

Jaishankar held telephonic talks with Wang

POWER Gallery 16 IPS OFFICERS RETIRING IN JUNE

As many as 16 IPS officers of various cadres and batches are retiring in June, 2020. They are: Ashok Kumar Verma of Bihar; DB Vaghela of Gujarat; Dr Kushal Pal Singh and K K Mishra of Haryana; Dr S K Shrivastava and Manohar Singh Verma of Madhya Pradesh; Dr Pramod Asthana of Manipur; Ashok Kumar Das, KP Shanmuga Rajeswaran and V Varadharaju of Tamil Nadu; B Malla Reddy, Dr T Prabhakar Rao, Dr V Ravinder and A Venkateswara Rao of Telangana; Reeta Rai of Uttar Pradesh and Jagat Ram Joshi of Uttarakhand.

11 IRS OFFICERS INTERVIEWED FOR MEMBER CBIC POST

As many as 11 officers of IRS were interviewed in February by Committee headed by Cab Sec for interview for four posts of Members vacant and falling vacant in CBIC. Ajay Jain, Vivek Johri, Nagendra Kumar, Sungita Sharma, APS Suri, Dadich, Ranjan Sahoo, are among the senior most eligible for Members. By August all the Members will retire and only Chairman will be left to run the CBIC. When will the results be out?

NO SUITABLE CANDIDATE FOUND FOR CMD, HUDCO; MINISTRY TO SELECT THROUGH SCSC/CSB

The Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) has failed to find suitable candidate for the post of Chairman-cum-Managing Director, Housing & Urban Development Corporation Limited (HUDCO) despite having interviewed four candidates at a selection meeting held on June 22, 2020. The Board has advised the concerned Ministry to choose an appropriate course of further action for the selection including SCSC/appointment through CSB.

4 IB OFFICERS EMPANELLED IN GOI

Out of the 15 empanelled IPS officers in the Government of India to the rank of DG, four are from the Intelligence Bureau. They are Sunil Bansal, A Seema Rajan, Swagat Das and AK Mishra.

VIKRAM MISRI MAY BE CALLED FOR BRIEFING IN PMO & MEA? maining parts of north Arabian Sea, most parts of Kutch, some more parts of Gujarat region, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh and some parts of Uttarakhand.

“Conditions are becoming favourable for further advance of southwest monsoon into remaining parts of Gujarat, MP, UP, entire Western Himalayan Region, Haryana, Chandigarh & Delhi, Punjab & some parts of Rajasthan during next 48 hours,” IMD said. —ANI

CORONA UPDATE

Kejri writes to Shah seeking meds from Army for facility ops

06

‘Indian pilgrims will not travel to Saudi for Haj’ New Delhi: The government has decided that Muslims from India will not travel to Saudi Arabia for Haj 2020 after the kingdom conveyed that pilgrims should not be sent this year in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said on Tuesday.

The decision was taken after Saudi Arabia’’s Haj and Umrah Minister Mohammad Saleh bin Taher Benten telephoned last night and suggested not to send pilgrims from India for

Haj this year, he told reporters.

Saudi Arabia on Monday said it has barred international visitors from making the Islamic pilgrimage, in a bid to control the coronavirus pandemic.

The money will be refunded through online Direct Benefit Transfer mode into bank accounts of applicants, the Minority Affairs Minister said, adding this will be the first time since Independence that pilgrims from India will not be going for Haj. —PTI

Indian officials in Islamabad and the “barbaric treatment” meted out to them by Pakistani agencies as reasons for downgrading of the diplomatic ties.

“The behaviour of Pakistan and its officials is not in conformity with the Vienna Convention and bilateral agreements on the treatment of diplomatic and consular officials.

On the contrary, it is an intrinsic element of a larger policy of supporting cross-border violence and terrorism,” the MEA said.

Therefore, it said, India has taken the deci-

sion to reduce the staff strength in the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi by 50 per cent. —ANI

Whispers are in that India’s Ambassador to China Vikram Misri may be called in both PMO & MEA for a briefing in the coming weeks.

PADMA T, PRINCIPAL REGISTRAR, CAT, NEW DELHI MAY GET TENURE EXTENSION

The service tenure of Padma T, Principal Registrar, Central Administrative Tribunal, New Delhi, is ending on August 31, 2020. Speculations are rife that she might get a short service extension.

SMITA GOPAL PROMOTED AS PRINCIPAL DIRECTOR OF AUDIT, CENTRAL BENGALURU

Smita Gopal, Director in the office of Central, Hyderabad, has been promoted to the grade of Accountant General (Senior Administrative Grade). She will take over as Principal Director of Audit, Central Bengaluru. She is a 2004 batch IA & AS officer.

BIG GAP AMONG BATCHES IN MEGHALAYA POLICE

There is a big gap of batches among IPS officers posted in Meghalaya. Presently, R Chandranathan, DGP is a 1986 batch IPS officer. After that two ADGs are posted. One ADGP belongs to 1992 batch while other ADGP is from the 1994 batch. Between DGP and ADGPs, the gap is of six to eight batches. Similar gap is visible in IGPs also. Presently, the Meghalaya Police has three IGPs from 1996 and 2002 batches having a gap of six batches. Meghalaya is a part of Assam- Meghalaya cadre. According to sources, many officers of this cadre prefer to remain in Assam or go on deputation. And since the IPS officer is posted in Meghalaya reluctantly, there is a big gap of batches in Meghalaya police.

DR AJAY KUMAR APPOINTED JOINT SECRETARY, LOK SABHA

Dr Ajay Kumar, presently Deputy Chief of Mission, Kathmandu, Nepal, has been appointed as Joint Secretary in Lok Sabha Secretariat. He is a 2002 batch IFS officer. Will he be relieved from Kathmandu ?.

IPS OFFICER ASHUTOSH PRATAP SINGH AGAIN APPOINTED AS DIRECTOR, PUBLIC RELATIONS IN MP Ashutosh Pratap Singh has been appointed as Director, Public Relations in Madhya Pradesh. He is a 2010 batch IPS officer. This will be his second Stint as DPR.

IIS OFFICERS GET ADDITIONAL CHARGES OF DD & AIR

Mayank Agrawal, DG, DD, News, has been given the additional charge of DG, Doordarshan for six months while Ira Joshi gets the additional charge of DG, AIR till July 31. Presently, she is DG, AIR News and is scheduled to retire in July. Both are IIS officers.

FROM PG 1 India, China...

I do not think they need to be helped, especially when it comes to country issues. They can solve them on their own. In recent events, New Delhi and Beijing showed their commitment to a peaceful resolution,” Lavrov said when asked whether Russia would help China and India in resolving the matter.

“They started meetings at the level of defence officers, foreign ministers and neither of the two sides made any statements which would indicate that any of them would pursue

on June 17 and conveyed that what happened in Galway was a “pre-mediated and planned action that was directly responsible for the resulting violence and casualties.” —ANI

India to...

High Commission was summoned and informed about the decision which was based on instances of alleged involvement of Pakistani officials in “acts of espionage” and dealings with terrorist organisations.

In a statement, the the MEA also cited the recent abduction of two

LAC crisis... “mercilessly” raising petrol and diesel prices for 17 consecutive days, even when global prices of crude oil were falling.

On the LAC crisis, Gandhi said, “The future is yet to unfold but we hope that mature diplomacy and decisive leadership will inform the government’s actions in protecting our territorial integrity.”

She said though the Congress party was the

first to offer its total support to the armed forces and the government, there is “a growing feeling among the people that the government has gravely mishandled the situation”.

“We urge upon the government that peace, calm and the restoration of the status quo ante along the LAC be the only guiding principles in our national interest. We will continue to closely watch the situation,” she said.

On the COVID-19 pandemic, Gandhi said, “Despite assurances of “the prime minister, who centralised all au-

thority in his hands, the pandemic continues to rage”, she said.

Endorsing Gandhi’s remarks, Singh said, “The pandemic is not being tackled with the courage and magnitude and effort needed to tackle the crisis. Another instance is the crisis on the border, which if not tackled firmly, can lead to a serious situation.”

As the coronavirusinduced lockdown halted economic activities, the Congress president said the economic crisis has only become worse.

“The Modi government refuses to listen to good advice.” —ANI

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07

While India’s border situation with China and Pakistan has stains of bloody historic past, the recent provocative actions by Nepal has certainly come as a surprise. With passing of new map showing territories of dispute with India, the ‘friendly’ Himalayan neighbour has opened a new chaotic front against India

WHAT’S IN A MAP that triggered

MOHD FAHAD

The author is Jaipur-based journalist

India-Nepal rancour Limpyadhura Kalapani, Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura (disputed)

The solidarity, with no one opposing the constitution amendment Bill, shows that we stand together on the issue of national unity and that no effort from any side to divide us will succeed.

CHINA

Kalapani

INDIA

—KP Sharma Oli, Nepal Prime Minister

Nepal was left with other option to bring the new map on the floor of the National Assembly as India, without engaging us, had called the disputed areas as its own and built a road in the region.

Lipulekh Pass

Uttarakhand

NEPAL

—Radheshyam Adhikary, Member of Opposition in Nepal

Sudurpashchim Pradesh ON THE OFFENSIVE

KNOW THE AREAS NEPAL CLAIMS IN NEW MAP KALAPANI LIPULEKH

 Nepal has converted its Changru border outpost near

its newest claim Kalapani region as a permanent one.

Unlike before, now the post will consist of armed police personnel

 Previously, baton-wielding cops would administer

the post.

 This border post earlier remained shut from the

month of November to March

 Significantly, Nepalese army chief PC Thapa had on

June 17 inspected the upgraded Changru post

BONE OF CONTENTION  Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated the

Dharchula-Lipulekh road on May 8 this year. The road is crucial for India as it is part of the sacred Mansarovar Yatra trail.

 This irked Nepal, which then released the modified

map, claiming the road area falls under the jurisdiction of Nepal

 The Kalapani territory is an area under Indian administration as part of Pithoragarh district in the Uttarakhand state, but is also claimed by Nepal since 1998. According to Nepal's claim, it lies in Darchula district, Sudurpashchim Pradesh.[8] The territory represents the basin of the Kalapani river, one of the headwaters of the Kali River in the Himalayas at an altitude of 3,600–5,200 meters. The valley of Kalapani, with the Lipulekh Pass at the top, forms the Indian route to Kailash–Manasarovar. It is also the traditional trading route to Tibet for the Bhotiyas of Uttarakhand and Tinkar valley.

The Kali River forms the boundary between India and Nepal in this region. However, India states that the headwaters of the river are not included in the boundary. Here the border runs along the watershed. This is a position dating back to British India.

 Lipulekh (elevation 5,200 m or 17,060 ft) is a Himalayan pass on the border between India's Uttarakhand state and the Tibet region of China, near their trijunction with Nepal. Nepal has ongoing claims to the southern side of the pass, called Kalapani territory, which is controlled by India, and now shown in new map. The pass is near the Chinese trading town of Taklakot (Purang) in Tibet and used since ancient times by traders, mendicants and pilgrims transiting between India and Tibet. The pass was the first Indian border post to be opened for trade with China in 1992. This was followed by the opening of Shipki La, Himachal Pradesh in 1994 and Nathu La, Sikkim in 2006. Presently, Lipulekh Pass is open for cross-border trade every year from June through September. Products cleared for export from India include jaggery, misri, tobacco, spices, pulses, fafar flour, coffee, vegetable oil, ghee and various miscellaneous consumable items. The main imports into India include sheep wool, passam, sheep, goats, borax, yak tails, chhirbi (butter) and raw silk.

 India continued to maintained that the road was

within its territory, but has expressed disappointment after the map was passed

 Nepalese PM KP Sharma Oli had promised to reclaim

the areas from India

OCCUPYING LAND IN UP, DISRUPTING WORK IN BIHAR  Since the new map came into existence, there have

been reports of either Nepalese citizens or border force occupying lands on India side at various locations.

 A complaint was lodged by Seema Suraksha Bal

(SSB) in Lakhimpur Kheri district of Uttar Pradesh, where Nepalese citizens had encroached ‘no man’s land’. The SSB also stated in its complaint, submitted with the District Magistrate, that Nepalese forces have also set up five new posts on the border.

 Similar reports came from Bihar’s Champaran

district, where Nepal has restricted works of dam threatening low-lying areas of the region with major flood just on the onset of monsoon season.

 Nepal has also stopped repair works in Madhubani.

LIMPIYADHURA

W

hile India still at odds with China in the Galvan Valley following the violent clashes between the two forces, its other neighbour Nepal has turned the tables on the country with passing the new national political map including three territories with India.

Nepal’s Rashtriya Sabha on June 18 passed the new map with over two-thirds of members voting in the favour. President Bidhya Devi Bhandari also signed the Bill on the same day it was cleared by the National Assembly, thus, making the new map official.

The map first came into being on May 20, 2020 when it was released by the Nepal government. India had conveyed strong displeasure after the map included Kalapani, Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura areas that fall under Uttarakhand’s Pithoragarh district on the Indo-Nepal border.

Since then India claims it tried to initiate diplomatic talks with Nepal and urged its neighbour not to go ahead with passing of the map. After June 18 move, India had rejected Nepal’s claim on these territories calling the move a violation of its current understanding to hold talks on outstanding boundary issues. According to India Foreign Ministry, the move to make new map constitutional law by Nepal will impact talks on border issues, which could have been otherwise solved peacefully.

The three territories have been a subject matter of dispute from the colonial times when the British has annexed the whole area of Kalapani into India, but Nepal always believed that since the border over the course of years shifted to the banks of Kali river and has religious significance, the entrie region falls under its demarcation.

The victory in Assembly gives a major boost to Nepalese PM KP Sharma Oli, who had promised to reclaim the areas from India. During the debate, Member of Opposition Radheshyam Adhikary urged the government to take full administrative control of the new areas acquired in the map.

The bone of contention began with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurating the Dharchula-Lipulekh road on May 8 this year. The road is crucial for India as it is part of the sacred Mansarovar Yatra trail. This irked Nepal, which then released the modified map.

Adhikary said that Nepal was left with other option to bring the new map on the floor of the National Assembly as India, without engaging us, had called the disputed areas as its own and built a road in the region.

While the ruling party was agitated with India’s move, some former leaders advised restraint and asked the government to settle disputes through talks. They also warned of the situation becoming complex in the absence of a fruitful dialogue.

With the map becoming constitutional law, it will now be the only official version and will also be included in the national emblem.

Nepal’s border with India runs with India through three states of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Since the new map came into existence, there have been reports of either Nepalese citizens or border force occupying lands on India side at various locations. A complaint was lodged

by Seema Suraksha Bal (SSB) in Lakhimpur Kheri district of Uttar Pradesh, where Nepalese citizens had encroached no man’s land. The SSB also stated in its complaint, submitted with the District Magistrate, that Nepalese forces have also set up five new posts on the border.

Similar reports came from Bihar’s Champaran district, where Nepal has restricted works of a dam threatening lowlying areas of the region with major floods just before the monsoon season. It has also stopped repair works in Madhubani.

While border situation with China and Pakistan have caused issues at regular intervals, the current provocative actions on Nepal’s part has certainly come as a surprise for India. It is left to seen whether India plays the hardball or exercise restraint through diplomatic channels with its Himalayan neighbour.

 According to the intellectuals, the "Kali River" is in fact the Kuthi Yankti river that arises below the Limpiyadhura range.

So they claim the entire area of Kumaon up to the Kuthi Valley, close to 400 km2 in total. Up to 2000, the Nepalese govern-

ment did not subscribe to these expansive demands. In a statement to the Indian Parliament in 2000, the Indian foreign minister Jaswant Singh suggested that Nepal had questioned the source of the Kalapani river.  But he denied that there

was any dispute regarding the matter. On May 20, 2020, Nepal for the first time released a map that followed through with the more expansive claims, showing the entire area to the east of Kuthi Yankti river as part of their territory.

DESIGN: SITARAM SHARMA

Words are good but don’t trust words. Life is action, it happens through actions. Trust movement and action.

2ND FRONT

—Jagdeesh Chandra, CEO & Editor, First India

AHMEDABAD | WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2020

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Gujarat HC orders probe into mystery calls to sitting judge Justice Bela Trivedi receives calls from anonymous caller about a criminal case First India Bureau

MYSTERY CALL!

Ahmedabad: The Gujarat High Court has ordered police inquiry into an unprecedented incident whereby a High Court Judge received certain phone calls and SMS from an unknown number, in connection to an anticipatory bail application listed before her.

Justice Bela M Trivedi has ordered the Anand District Superintendent of Police to get the statements of two individuals who were identified in connection to the phone call, during a preliminary inquiry held by the Registrar (IT).

The incident occurred on June 22, on the date of listing of the anticipatory bail application in question.

According to the details recorded by the

Police seize 17 kg synthetic drugs First India Bureau Vadodara: The Special Operations Group (SOG) of Vadodara Rural police on Tuesday detained a 32-year-old man and seized 17 kg of synthetic drugs from his possession. The accused was nabbed from a checkpoint near Bhilapur village of Vadodara’s Dabhoi taluka.

The police said that 17 kg of the synthetic drugs classifies as a commercial quantity.

The police had received a tip-off that a huge shipment of heroin was being transported from Dabhoi to Vadodara city, based on which Vadodara rural police and the SOG began an extensive search at checkpoints between the two places. As per preliminary investigation and Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) tests, the laboratorymade consignment of the basic alkaloid substance has the presence of opium content, police said.

—FILE PHOTO

Gujarat High Court.

Judge in her order, at 8.55 am on the said day, she received a call from an unknown number and the person calling identified himself as Niranjan Patel, MLA, Petlad.

On being inquired as to why he had made the call, he said that there was one criminal case listed today.

Justice Trivedi states

that at this point she immediately stopped the caller and told him that he could not have called a judge like this, and disconnected the phone.

Thereafter, the said person made three consecutive calls, which she didn’t answer.

Following this, the caller sent a message, stating that the Criminal Case No.8266 of

2020 Vijaybhai Arvindbhai was fixed that day. Infuriated by this, the judge asked the Registrar (IT) of High Court to make an inquiry. He informed that on Truecaller, it appears that the number belongs to one ‘Tosif Faiz Xerox’.

Noting that “nobody can directly or indirectly try to approach the

Court or to influence the Court, or try to pollute the stream of justice,” the court ordered further inquiry into the matter. It was found that the number is registered in the name of Tofikbhai Vohra, son of Salimbhai Vohra. The court has expressed its inclination to initiate contempt proceedings against the said caller.

Coast Guards recover `1.32 cr charas

Three ECI officials home quarantined

First India Bureau Jakhau (Kutch): The Indian Coast Guard recovered 88 packets of charas worth Rs 1.32 crore from islands close to Jakhau in Kutch district of Gujarat. The packets were recovered over a period of three days, officials said.

The team, led by Deputy Commandant Anuradha Shukla, combed the islands near Jakhua on June 17, 21 and 22.

Leading the Hovercraft operations, Shukla and her team found four, 34 and 50 packets of suspicious material on the islands on course of the three days.

During tests, the packets were confirmed to be containing charas, an official release said on Tuesday. The packets have been handed over to Marine Police. The search operation was conceived by Station Commander Jakhau under the supervision of District Headquarters -15 (Okha).

RAJYA SABHA

First India Bureau Gandhinagar: A day after Congress’ Rajya Sabha candidate and former State Congress president Bharatsinh Solanki tested positive for Covid-19, three senior Election Commission of India (ECI) officials, who were present at the polling centre in on polling day on June 19, were advised to isolate and quarantine themselves at home.

These officials include Chief Electoral Officer S Murali Krishna, who was the elec-

Fresh locust scare in Rajasthan, Gujarat, MP & UP First India Bureau Jaipur/Ahmedabad: The locust scare has once again come to haunt Rajasthan that borders Pakistan, but it is also proving a threat to the neighbouring states.

According to latest reports, fresh swarms of locust have entered Rajasthan from neighboring Pakistan, but the

government has stepped up efforts to counter the threat using different methods including drones. Deputy director of Locust Warning Organisation, K L Gurjar said Rajasthan has been put on high alert and there was a risk of swarms entering Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh. Gurjar said, “We have asked

Pakistan to kill the locusts on their side of the border. But nothing much is happening on the ground”.

Gurjar added, “We are able to kill only 50 per cent of the swarms despite deploying all the resources. Since the locust are now as pink immature adults that is the most active stage, they can fly swiftly, escaping the pesticide spray.”

—FILE PHOTO

First India Bureau

Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and Governor Acharya Devvrat look on as Justice (Rtd) RH Shukla takes oath as the Lokayukta of the state.

tion observer for the Rajya Sabha polls in Gujarat. “This decision has been taken as a precautionary measure on the advice of health department officials. I am home and I do not have any symptoms. I will continue to work from home,” Murali Krishna told reporters.

The official said he was among the ECI officials present inside the polling booth when the polls were underway. Murali Krishna will remain isolated for a week. “If I develop any symptoms during this period, I will go for the test,” he added.

Man jumps to death from BKC First India Bureau

Seaplane to Statue of Unity may start in October 2020

GUJARAT’S NEW OMBUDSMAN

08

New Delhi/ Gandhinagar: Union Minister of State for Shipping Mansukh Mandaviya on Tuesday reviewed the seaplane project on Indian water bodies and directed Sagarmala Development Company Limited (SACL) and Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) to join hands to commence the seaplane operation of the Statue of Unity route

by October this year.

The bathymetric and hydrographic surveys of the seaplane routes to be undertaken by WAI on behalf of Airport Authority of India will have to be done latest by September 2020.

IWAI will manage the Project of Seaplane in

inland waterways and SDCL will manage the projects of sapiens in Coastal Ares IWAI and SDCL will coordinate with the Ministry of Shipping, flight operators, Ministry of Tourism as well as DGCA. Mandaviya opined that Sabarmati and Narmada River to Statue of Unity seaplane route will save time and boost tourism, as it provides a bird eye view of Narmada Valley and Statue of Unity.

Surat: A 20-yearold man jumped to his death from the sixth floor of the diamond bourse in the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) here on Tuesday, police said.Incidentally, it was the first day at job for the deceased Jay Lakhiya after the lockddown, an official said. “Lakhiya came to Mumbai from Surat on Tuesday to resume his work. He had left the city due to the lockdown earlier,” said BKC police station senior inspector Anand Mulay. Lakhiya’’s colleague told the police that he was upset during the entire journey due to some reason, Mulay said. A case of accidental death has been registered.

MONEYBAGS!

Turncoat Narhari Amin is Gujarat BJP’s richest RS MP 

All four newly elected members of the Upper House from Gujarat, including one from Opposition Congress, are crorepatis

First India Bureau Ahmedabad: All the three BJP members elected to the Rajya Sabha from Gujarat in the June 19 polls are crorepatis and they are among 84 per cent or 52 members of the 62 latest entrants to the upper house.

According to the affidavits submitted to the Election Commission, BJP’s Narhari Amin has declared as-

sets worth Rs 75 crore, followed by Ramilaben Bara with Rs 3 crore and Abhay Bhardwaj at Rs 2.68 crore. All these three BJP candidates have won.

The lone Congress candidate, who won out of the two who contested from Gujarat, is AICC spokesperson Shaktisinh Gohil, who has declared assets worth Rs 1.19 crore.

An analysis of the self-sworn affidavits of

ROLLING IN CRORES!

Rajya Sabha election.

—FILE PHOTO

all the new Rajya Sabha MPs, by the National Election Watch and the Association for Democratic Reforms, shows that their average asset value is Rs 74.04 crore.

Among major parties, the average as-

sets for 18 BJP MPs is Rs 40.86 crores, 9 INC MPs is Rs 20.32 crores, 4 YSRCP MPs is Rs 744.91 crores, 4 AITC MPs is Rs.2.59 crores, 4 BJD MPs is Rs.1.98 crores and 3 DMK MPs is Rs. 4.97

crores.

Out of the 62 newly elected MPs, Alla Ayodhya Rami Reddy of the YSR Congress with assets worth Rs 25,77,75,79,180 (Rs 2,500 crore-plus) is the richest MP, followed by Parimal Nathwani of the YSR Congress with assets worth Rs 3,96,83,96,198 (Rs 396 crore) and Jyotiraditya Scindia of the BJP with assets worth Rs 3,79,03,29,144 (Rs 379 crore).

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WILDEST Dreams City First brings you the inevitable reappearance of animal prints, that has been forming the cornerstones of our wardrobes for years!

KARISHMA GWALANI

Karishma.gwalani @firstindia.co.in

I

n the fashion i n d u s t r y, trends come and go, but there are some, which remain evergreen, earning their keep year after year.

Showing the power of embracing your wild side, animal prints are gracing the markets yet again but with some reinvention of course! The natureinspired look has made its way into fashion as far back as the 18th century. One of the biggest movies during 1932, ‘Tarzan the Apeman’, came out, where MGM’s Johnny Weissmuller and Maureen O’Sullivan wore animal print clothing. It caught the eye of the audience. For them, they saw it as adventurous, exciting, and attractive. Suddenly, manufacturers and designers came out with more and more animal print blouses, scarves, coats, belts, bodycon, bikinis, footwear, purses and what not?

At its start, it became popular because of its potential for giving those who wear it for a sense of power and an el-

evated status of wealth and luxury. If one goes back to history, kings and higher class people considered it as a symbol of royalty and high status. Cut to today, it still displays sophistication, style and versatility. They’re entirely man-made, so they’re also an animal-friendly choice. Since we don’t see them going anywhere anytime soon, we’re giving you a timely fashion brief for your styling convenience.  Take your fashion game to the

next level by pairing your animal print with a faux-fur coat to jazz up any outfit.

 The trend this year has

been to clash animal prints, so alongside your leopard print, you might choose to style cheetah, tiger, zebra or snake.

 When it comes to

animal prints, leopard is the king of the jungle, its sexy, naughty, sumptuous look is still the most popular of all.

 Animal prints can be worn

anytime, irrespective of the season, weather or style.

Moreover, many people think that animal prints can be worn by women alone, but the fashion world has offered animal print garments for men as well.

 Last but not the least, the

golden rule to remember while wearing animal print is never dress head to toe with this print. Here, the fashion trend is ‘less is more’ so as to keep the look sophisticated and stylish.

09

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AHMEDABAD | WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2020

10

If you enjoyed Stranger Things but are actually an adult, then you’ll want to watch Dark, a sophisticated, grown-up, German -language thriller that revels in its own distinct and foreboding vibe

S

tranger Things for grown-ups” is the TV shorthand that’s stuck for Netflix’s new German-language thriller, Dark. Is that a little too simplistic?

Perhaps, but when a storyline includes odd goingson at a mysterious government facility in a small town, the disappearance of a child and huge dollops of 80s nostalgia, it’s hard to argue with. Still, it’s clear that Winden, the small southern German town where the action is set, is no Hawkins. From the first moments of the show, when a deep, gravelly voice talks about time travel and we witness a suicide, it’s obvious that this is something rather more adult.

JONAS

FA CE OF TH ED AY

the main character and son of Daniel Kahnwald, the man who took his own life – is struggling to cope with his father’s death and fit back into an everyday routine in the small, myopic community. Things only get more complicated when, during a late-night mission to unearth some hidden weed stashed by a friend

who has been missing for a week, he’s the last person to see Mikkel Nielsen, who has apparently vanished into thin air as well.

Advertisement That inscrutable voiceover starts to make more sense when it is revealed that Mikkel has managed to make his way to 1986. Far from being the moment Dark’s creator, Baran bo Odar, jumps the shark, the switch back to the mid 80s is when Dark really gets interesting. There’s no for Mikkel, though, who returns to his house only to find an angsty, thrash metal-loving version of his father (Ulrich), who has little interest in helping out a lost child, even though his own brother disappeared a few months earlier. The 1986 version of his mother isn’t any more sympathetic, so it’s left to the town’s police chief and a lonely nurse to look after him.

After the disappearances, things begin to go awry in modern-day Winden, too.

Sheep are dying during the night, old men are wandering into town hall meetings and mumbling nonsense, and everyone is slowly understanding that this just

A classy, knotty, time-travelling whodunnit for TV

YOUR DAY Horoscope by Saurabbh Sachdeva

they were copy-and-pasted from a daytime soap, but everything else is tuned into the show’s dense and foreboding frequency. The similarities to Stranger Things are, in truth, a distraction from Dark’s own quality, although it might have made more sense to tone down the echoes of Netflix’s other disappearing child show so that it could stand on its own. But for fans of slow-burners, such as Les Revenants, this will fill a noirish hole and bring a bit of classy obsidian darkness to the yuletide binge schedule.

Source:https://www.theguardian. com/tv-and-radio/2017/dec/01/darkreview-a-classy-knotty-time-travelling-whodunnit-for-tv

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

CANCER

Overexcited people around you are making you lose it.

Find a place on your own to work. Your body needs to unwind and would feel better for it. Go for relaxation, before you feel too tensed up. You will know how to deal with the setbacks in your love-life.

You’re going to see positive results from something you started four weeks ago. You feel ready to tackle anything that gets in your way, and you will be able to - you’re in a brilliant mood! Your emotional life will focus itself on brotherhood, friendships, family, or children.

You’re gaining a wider perspective of the world, and you’ll find it hard to put up with narrow-minded people. You could do with some time to breathe and work things out - you’re tired, don’t deny it. You will be going through a process of consolidation and stability.

There’ll be a light mood in the air today. You’ll feel more free to do what you want to do with your life.

Your vitality is here to stay, and you’ll find it hard to hold yourself back.

Don’t confuse rashness with speed.

You will be going through a process of consolidation and stability.

MAR 21 - APR 20

APR 21 - MAY 20

MAY 21 - JUNE 21

JUNE 22 - JULY 23

LEO

VIRGO

LIBRA

SCORPIO

You are going to find useful support, which will come into its own next month. It’s a good time for making contacts! Your inner well-being would benefit from a bit more concentration on your home comforts and improving your daily life in this respect.

You need to get over an inner hurdle to move up to a higher gear. There are gaps in your diet which it would be a good idea to look at, so you can regain your your highest energy levels. You will have a better understanding of certain vague aspects of your partner.

You’ll have a natural way of avoiding difficulties and showing where your limits are. Your decisions are final and you don’t compromise. If you manage to quieten your doubts, you’ll be able to keep up your mental energy. Questions about money will less tricky than normal.

While you may be feeling very optimistic, try not to take on too many commitments. Chances run high you’ll find a lot of interesting things to engage your mind. The day might be busier than you’d like, but also a great time for creative ideas and warm, hopeful exchanges.

JULY 24 - AUGUST 23

AUG 24 - SEP 23

SEPT 24 - OCTOBER 22

OCT 23 - NOVEMBER 22

SAGITTARIUS

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

You will make an effective go-between between two people. You are feeling on top of the world, but are starting to feel tired. Youre not getting enough sleep and that’s a fact, so recharge your batteries. Venus comes to reconcile, spreading an aura of peace across your love life.

Your need for freedom makes you attractive in other people’s eyes. You’re really coming out of your shell! You are more aware of your practical needs and will be able to turn these into an asset. You will achieve a better balance between rest and action.

Your need for freedom makes you attractive in other people’s eyes. You are more aware of your practical needs and will be able to turn these into an asset. You will achieve a better balance between rest and action. New ideas will come and enrich your perception of Love.

There are interesting discussions in sight. Don’t hesitate to get legal advice.

Don’t allow yourself to be put upon by other people’s needs, which would be to the detriment of your own. You can’t allow that. Now’s the time to sort out domestic problems that are polluting your life.

NOV 23 - DEC 22

KOMAL SANKHALA, Model

might have something to do with an almost identical case two decades earlier.

The action is actually split between three time zones – modern day, 1986 and 1953.

It’s a whodunnit, combined with a who did it (back then), that’s knotty without getting incomprehensible.

As things progress, the connections between the different eras and families of Winden start to reveal themselves, and the motive of the show’s villain – who seems bent on torturing children with 80s German television and Euro-pop – begins to emerge.

There aren’t many missteps in Dark. The super slo-motion anguished screams of Ulrich look as if

DEC 23 - JAN 20

JAN 21 - FEB 19

FEB20 - MARCH 20

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AHMEDABAD | WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2020

11

Steve Bing,

HEROES

& ENTERTAINERS I

n a tribute to the Indian soldiers and police force, veteran actor Paresh Rawal on Tuesday proposed that the country must refer to actors as ‘entertainers’ and forces as ‘heroes.’

Conventionally, actors in lead roles in films are mostly referred to as ‘heroes.’ Rawal took to Twitter to share his thought with his fans and followers. “We Should Start Calling Actors As ‘Entertainers’ And Our Army & Police As ‘Heroes’ for Our Next Generation To Know The Actual

Meaning Of Real Heroes,” he tweeted.

The thought of the Bollywood veteran has received several likes and has been shared by on Twitter over 25,000 times on Twitter.

This comes a week after the violent face-off of Indian soldiers with China in Ladakh’s Galwan valley in which twenty personnel of the Indian Army were killed.

Indian intercepts revealed that the Chinese side suffered 43 casualties including dead and seriously injured in the violent clash.

—ANI

SUSHMITA

Paresh Rawal

No More

A

merican businessman Steve Bing, the wealthy financier and writer movies of such as ‘Kangaroo Jack’, has died. He was 55.

According to People Magazine, the authorities are investigating Bing’s death after he was found on the floor of a luxury apartment Steve Bing building in Century City, California on Monday, reported Deadline. A Los Angeles County Coroner spokesperson told People Magazine, that a man was pronounced dead at the scene at 1:10 pm. (local time) in a reported suicide although a final determination for a cause of death and identification of the deceased is pending.

Bing wrote the script for 2003’s ‘Kangaroo Jack’ and is credited as a producer on films such as ‘Get Carter’, ‘Every Breath’ and was a financier on Tom Hanks’ ‘The Polar Express.’

Bing was also a financier for 2007’s ‘Beowulf ’ and Martin Scorsese’s Rolling Stone concert film ‘Shine a Light’.

—ANI

Too pretty to be Jewish!

ON SURVIVING

W

NEPOTISM T

inona Ryder, most recently seen playing Joyce Buyers in ‘Stranger Things’, recently opened up about her Jewish identity and said how she was told that she looked too Jewish to play a particular role in a period film. The actress spoke ahead of the release of the drama series ‘The Plot Against America’. “There are times when people have said, ‘Wait, you’re Jewish? But you’re so pretty!” Winona Ryder recalled.

She also spoke about a period film that she was a part of. “There was a movie that I was up for a long time ago, it was a period piece, and the studio head, who was Jewish, said I looked ‘too Jewish’ to be in a

he debate on nepotism has raised many issues after the untimely demise of the Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput a few days back.

Various celebrities have come out with their experience and journey in the Bollywood industry, and recently, Sushmita Sen took to Twitter and wrote ‘Ask Me Anything’. On this, she was asked about her experience with nepotism as a twitter user wrote, “@thesushmitasen how you survived Nepotism in Bollywood??” To this, Sushmita answered, “By focusing on my Audience...YOU GUYS!!! I will continue to work as an actor as long as YOU want to see me!! #simpleenough #AskAarya.”

Sushmita’s fans got a treat on the weekend that went by, as her new web-series ‘Aarya’ released on Disney+ Hotstar, with Chandrachur Singh, Namit Das, Sikander Kher, and many more in key roles.

— Agency

Winona Ryder

KISSED

blue-blooded family,” Winona Ryder told the newspaper. Winona lost her family to the Nazi regime and hence it is a sensitive matter for her. “It’s a hard thing for me to talk about because I had family who died in the camps, so I’ve always been fascinated with that time,” she revealed.

—Agency

by the sun

I

leana D’Cruz has uploaded a video on Instagram where she feels the’’ sun- kiss.’’

She has one of the most interesting Instagram accounts in the Hindi film industry. Her posts and pictures are a combination of fun, frolic, but also some inspirational quotes. She not only keeps sharing candid pictures and videos from her daily life and frequent vacations but also talks about the days when she’s low and imparts life lessons as well.

Her latest post is yet again a candid one. She took to her Instagram account and shared a short video where she could be seen enjoying the sunlight finally falling on her skin.

One of her fans commented, “Best Girl.” This was followed by a heart. Another user wrote- “Beautiful,” with multiple fire emojis.

The actress, in her acting career, has successfully dabbled in the South Indian and the Hindi film industry.

—Agency

RUTHLESSLY misogynistic Hollywood

M

Sushmita Sen

...her post

Ileana D’Cruz Megan Fox

egan spoke out after fans expressed outrage in response to a viral thread detailing her mistreatment in the industry and the media. The actress thanked her fans for their support and clarified some of the stories emerging online. She wrote, “These specific instances were inconsequential in a long and arduous journey along which I have endured some genuinely harrowing experiences in a ruthlessly misogynistic industry.”

In a recent interview, Megan, 34, told Jimmy Kimmel, 52, about being cast to wear a bikini at a bar in a Michael Bay movie at age 15. Jimmy laughed at the anecdote and said that all men think that way — leaving Megan looking uncomfortable. Fans rushed to point out that she had been over-sexualized by adults in the film industry at a young age, and was then criticized for it.

—Agency

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

HAPPY READING! Books, books, books.

They will increase your lifespan, lower your stress and boost your Intelligence!

AHMEDABAD | WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2020

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY! RAJASTHAN: Tourism Minister Vishvendra Singh celebrated his birthday on 23 June, Tuesday simply with his family at home in Bharatpur. Governor Kalraj Mishra, CM Ashok Gehlot, Deputy CM Sachin Pilot, his colleagues in the cabinet greeted him on Social Media, as did BJP State President Satish Poonia and Diya Kumari among other leaders.

Vishvendra Singh made a point of replying to each tweet, conveying his gratitude to them for remembering with a brief personal message included in each tweet.

WHAT’S HAPPENING! My all-time favourite has to be ‘Mother of 1084’, by Mahasweta Devi. First first written in Bengali and later translated to English by Samil Bandopadhyay, the book is about a mother’s loss, a lover’s grief and a deluded society. It is a poignant narrative rich in colour and contrast. A definite must-read that will leave one hoping that it was just that, a fictional story.

—BHAVIKA VASANDANI

In my opinion, a book is best read than reviewed. So, sparing myself the embarrassment of trying to emote my reverence, I would simply put it this way: If there was a book, I could trust to father my children right; It would be The Man- Eaters of Kumaon by Jim Corbett.

CITY FIRST RAJASTHAN & GUJARAT

L

osing yourself in a great book is one of life’s most enduring and dependable joys. Job satisfaction comes and goes, partners enrapture and abscond, but you can always fall back on the timeless ability of literature to transport you to a different world. From Jane Austen’s mannered drawing rooms to the airless tower blocks of 1984, novels do something unique. They simultaneously speak to the heart and mind. They teach you about the history of our world, the possibilities of our future and the fabric of our souls.

Voracious readers love books but we all have a favourite book or two. It is the book we turn to when we need comfort and guidance. It is a book which somewhere changed our life. City first talks to a few its readers about which is their favourite book and why? cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

RAJASTHAN: Pali District Olympic association celebrated World Olympic Day on 23 June, by organizing tree plantation and distribution of Sanitizers among Sports associations and Administrative officers. They reached out to the players also and went across to the office of the Collector, SP and others for distribution to all employees. Pali District Olympic association President Mahipal Singh (right) presents a box of Sanitizer Pens to Pali Collector Ansh Deep on Tuesday.

—KARAN ALI KAK My favourite book is “Death: An inside story for all those who shall die” written

by Sadhguru. Death is an undeniable part of our life, and everyone has to and we need to accept it. This book gave me an insight that life is immortal and death should be taken up gracefully and for this let the person who goes be happy where they are and to learn the detachment of life.

To me, Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni’s ‘Palace of Illusions’ is a definite page-turner.

We have always heard innumerable tales of Mahabharata since our childhood.

But this book revolves around the life of Draupadi and looks at the events of the Mahabharata through her eyes. It’s definitely a book that makes you put yourself in her shoes and the end brings tears into the reader’s eyes. This kind of impact establishes a deep connection with the audience.

—DR CHITRALEKHA SISODIYA

—SHWETA PRASAD

REACHING HEIGHTS

CITY FIRST, RAJASTHAN

A WE CARE!

City First reminds you to wear a mask whenever you step out, sanitize regularly, maintain physical distance and stay strong during the Corona time!

nother milestone was achieved in the academic pursuits of the Jaipur National University (JNU) Medical College, a Cadaveric Dissection Skill Lab was inaugurated by Dr Sandeep Bakshi, Chancellor of Jaipur National University. Along with the Inauguration, the Institute was host to another World wide Webcast session on ‘Nose, Paranasal Sinuses & Beyond’ in a Session ‘Explore with legends’, that

GUJARAT: Amidst the ongoing semi-lockdown, a Robo Rath yatra was performed at the residence of Jay Makwana, on Tuesday.

GUJARAT: In a rare donation of its kind, a pacemaker was donated by the kin of a 73-yearold Meenakshi Joshina, who breathed her last on Monday.

“We were in shock but we decided to donate her organs so that it can help someone else,” said son-in-law and Former president of Southern Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SGCCI), Rohit Mehta.

RAJASTHAN: As a part of the ongoing ‘Online Learning – Children’s Summer Festival’ being organised by Jawahar Kala Kendra (JKK), viewers witnessed a visual arts session on ‘Mandana’

by Shakuntala Mahavar. The session focused on the history of ‘Mandana’, the technique of the art form and the materials used. This was followed by a session on ‘Figurative Composition’

by Ram Chandra Shivaji Kharatmal.

The artist taught the basics of figurative composition, sketching, colour composition and much more.

was being conducted by Dr Satish Jain, renowned ENT Surgeon of Jaipur at JNU IMSRC. Specialists from around the world have applauded the inauguration of this skill lab for its need and popularity within the medical and surgical community to gain further and deep knowledge on human gross anatomy. It will be of great help for researchers and students of the region to determine the origins of deadly diseases or disorders. cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

RAJASTHAN: India Tibet Cooperation Forum, Jaipur unit paid a tribute to the brave soldiers of India, who were martyred during the dispute with the Chinese soldiers in the Balwan Valley. A candle march was also taken to the Collectorate Circle, on Tuesday, in honour of the martyrs and an effigy of Chinese President, Xi Jinping was burnt.

RAJASTHAN: To celebrate the occasion of International Yoga Day, Rajasthan-based Dr Jyoti Joshi conducted a workshop on yoga in Germany to spread awareness about the wonderful traits of yoga.

GUJARAT: On the occasion of International Yoga Day, a Surat-based carving artist, Dimplebhai Jariwala, uniquely celebrated the day by carving every step of the Suraya Namaskar on a Peepal leaf.