First India-Ahmedabad Edition-25 July 2020

OUR EDITIONS: JAIPUR & AHMEDABAD

CORONA

27°C - 36°C

ALERT AHMEDABAD l SATURDAY, JULY 25, 2020 l Pages 12 l 3.00

COVID-19 UPDATE

WORLD

6,39,159 1,57,95,688 DEATHS

MAHARASHTRA 13,132 DEATHS 3,57,117 CASES

CONFIRMED CASES

DELHI 3,777 DEATHS 1,28,389 CASES

RNI NO. GUJENG/2019/16208 l Vol 1 l Issue No. 240

INDIA

31,405 13,37,021 DEATHS

TAMIL NADU 3,320 DEATHS 1,99,749 CASES

CONFIRMED CASES

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GUJARAT

2,283 DEATHS

KARNATAKA 1,726 DEATHS 85,870 CASES

53,631

CONFIRMED CASES

RAJASTHAN 602 DEATHS 34,178 CASES

11th hour Cong High Command call saves the day!

A NARROW ESCAPE

FROM PREZ RULE! Cong MLAs lay siege to Raj Bhawan for 5 hrs!

Aditi Nagar Jaipur: An eleventh hour ‘visionary’ call from Congress high command to Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot to lift Congress MLAs Raj Bhawan dharna on Friday evening virtually proved to be a narrow escape from a likely President rule in Rajasthan.

According to sources, a ‘soft spoken and patient’ Governor Kalraj Mishra had gone so upset during the day with Congress MLAs slogan shouting at Raj Bhawan in the presence of Chief Minister Gehlot that at

RAHUL GANDHI @RAHULGANDHI The country is ruled by constitution and law. Governments are formed and run by the majority of the people.

The conspiracy to demolish the Rajasthan government is clear. This is an insult to the eight crore people of Rajasthan. The Governor should call a session of the Legislative Assembly so that the truth comes before the country. #ArrogantBJP one stage he had seriously thought to request the Union Home Ministry to send CRPF troops for the safety and security of Raj Bhawan because according to top Rajasthan BJP leaders

also, the security of Raj Bhawan could not have been left to Rajasthan Police, which is directly controlled by the Chief Minister, who also holds charge of Home Department.

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Can’t your govt guard Guv:

Miffed Mishra asks CM Kashiram Choudhary Jaipur: Governor Kalraj Mishra raised serious questions on the comments made by CM Ashok Gehlot on Friday evening while claiming that he tried to give a political color to the constitutional request and the constitutional decision to be taken on that request.

“I am hurt and sad because of it. If any letter comes from your side, I have to take a constitutional decision based on the investigation conducted based on Constitutional provisions and this authority has been entrusted in me by the Constitution of India,” a release read, adding that the government presented

CM Ashok Gehlot, Avinash Pande and other Congress leaders outside Raj Bhawan on Friday. —PHOTO BY SANTOSH SHARMA

the request to call the assembly session on 23rd July 2020. The release further read, “Before I could speak with experts, you made a public statement that if the Raj Bhawan is gheraoed, then it will not be your responsibility. I have a request to you, if you or your Home Department can not provide security to the governor, then what is your opinion on the law and order in

the state? In addition, kindly inform which agency to contact to provide security to Governor? In my long political career, I have never heard such a statement being made by any Chief Minister and is it not the beginning of wrong practice of pressure politics that elected MLAs are staging a sit-in inside Raj Bhawan?

Therefore it is my request that you clarify on all these points.”

They came, they sat...

Did they ‘conquer’?

Yogesh Sharma Jaipur: Congress MLAs in the Ashok Gehlot camp on Friday staged a fivehour dharna at the Raj Bhawan. The CM said that despite a letter, the Governor has not called the Assembly session and alleged that he was under “pressure from the higher ups”.

“We want an assembly session from Monday. But the governor is not calling it

under pressure,” he told reporters outside the hotel where the MLAs supporting him are camping.

Gehlot said that after the recent Cabinet meeting, the governor was requested through a letter to call an Assembly session to discuss the political situation, review coronavirus pandemic and its effects on the state’s economic situation.

He also said that if the public Turn on P6

AHMED PATEL @AHMEDPATEL Very curious to know if the BJP President goes incommunicado with 30 MP’s , is actively collaborating with the Congress party & lodging himself in a Congress ruled stated under police protection - will it be mere dissent or defiance that merits disqualification?

After 1993, History repeats itself @ Raj Bhawan?

Jaipur. Current turbulent politics will not let the present day generation believe that the foundation of politics in the state was cemented by politics of ethics, dignity and principles.

There was a time when Congress had a chance to topple state govt led by BJP stalwart B h a i ro n Singh Shek-

hawat but Ashok Gehlot had then preferred the healthy democratic principles and traditions over power on offer.

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Restrict people’s movement to and from hotspots: HC COURT ALSO ADVISES GOVT TO HIKE PENALTY FOR NOT WEARING A MASK TO RS1,000 First India Bureau Ahmedabad: The High Court on Friday directed the state government to ensure that the people’s movement from nonhotspot areas to hotspots and vice versa is restricted. It also directed the state to increase the penalty for

not wearing a mask.

The principal division bench of Chief Justice Vikram Nath & Justice JB Pardiwala is hearing a suo moto case intiated by the court itself and other publicinterest litigations (PILs) related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

During the hearing, the court observed,

“there is no doubt that the state is doing hard work to control the spread of the viral disease. However, given that more and more areas have been reporting a high number COVID-19 cases, it is necessary that people’s movement is restricted. It is important to see people don’t move out of the hotspot areas to less infected areas. Similarly, people should be restricted from en-

tering hotspot areas.”

It pointed out that while the state is conducting checks at all entry points into cities and hotspot areas, it needs to be more aggressive and strict in its checking. People may resist or oppose, but the government should not adhere to them, it said.

Although the state and local bodies have made masks compulsory while venturing out in public, post Unlock 1.0, people seem

to have become more careless, the court feels. It also feels that current fines in place for not wearing a mask may be too low, and has hence advised the state to increase these fines up to Rs1,000.

The court also asked the state government to come down heavily on those responsible for black marketeering and selling fake versions of drugs being used to treat COVID-19.

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NEWS AHMEDABAD | SATURDAY, JULY 25, 2020

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PANDEMIC PATIL'S GRAND WELCOME PAUSE HALTED AT LAST MINUTE

Imposition of Section 144 by police, surging COVID-19 cases in Surat likely reasons for the cancellation Haresh Jhala Surat/Ahmedabad: Post the appointment of Chandrakant Raghunath Patil as the state unit president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), workers of the party from Surat and Navsari (Patil’s home constituency) have been working round-the-clock to give a grand welcome to the chief and help write a new chapter in Gujarat’s political history.

A rally had been organized in Patil’s honour at Surat on Friday, which was cancelled by the man himself, due to the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic.

The map of the rally’s route had been designed in such a manner that almost 40 percent area of Surat city could be covered especially the Patidar-dominate and old city areas. A number of cars had also arrived at the starting point of Valak, where workers were standing with a kilometre long party flag to welcome Patil. But, af-

BJP state chief Chandrakant Raghunath Patil

BJP workers holding a kilometre-long party flag at the ‘cancelled’ car rally in Surat on Friday.

ter landing in the diamond city, Patil himself expressed his inability to stand by and let the rally happen amid the COVID-19 outbreak. He also stated that enthusiastic workers may fail to follow protocol which would give rise to an unwanted situation.

Patil said, “The Surat BJP scheduled a car rally to welcome me which was going to be attended by only a limited number of

scale in the midst of an epidemic.”

“In the future, an online meet will be planned to meet the activists and supporters through video conferencing” he added. Along with Surat, Patil also declared the cancellation of the Navsari and Maroli rallys which had been scheduled for Saturday.

People close to Patil called his cancellation of the rally, a political masterstroke. As per their

workers while ensuring that social distancing protocol was maintained. But, on seeing the enthusiasm and presence of activists, supporters, we decided to call off the rally in view of the current COVID-19 situation in Surat. I wholeheartedly appreciate the love and affection of the activists and supporters but, we must not risk lives and conduct an event of this

assessment, this will help him to build his image as a leader who cares for the people. Instead of accepting the brouhaha of an impressive welcome, Patil showed character and chose to put his concern of public health before it. This value, which is seldom seen in political leaders, could be the making of a true leader in Patil.

Although, there can be numerous other reasons why the rally

was called off at the last minute. One of the glaring reasons could be Congress party’s Hardik Patel, who had put in a request with Surat Police for permission to conduct a rally in the first week of August. Had Patil’s car rally been allowed to happen, Surat Police would not have been in any position to deny Patel permission for his rally.

According to sources,

the other catch in going ahead with the car rally was the state high court’s denial of permission for the Jagannath Yatra across the state recently.

Also, the guidelines issued by the Union Home Ministry clearly prohibit any mass gathering.

Even Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s address to the West Bengal political meeting was done through video conferencing. Therefore, to grant any permission for a

rally to welcome CR Patil would have been in direct violation of the COVID-19 protocol.

Since, Surat Police has enforced Section 144 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), which prohibits gathering of four or more people in public places, granting permission for the rally would have invited a lot of criticism from all quarters.

Meanwhile, the Saurashtra Kadva Patidar Seva Samaj Trust had issued letters instructing its caste members to remove banners or hoardings welcoming CR Patil. The letter signed by Vrajlal Patel expressed that it was not necessary that an entire community would support one political party or leader. If we welcome one leader or party, others will expect the same from us.

If the rally had gone ahead as planned, it would have set a precedent for other cities and district administrations to refer to while granting permission for gatherings or events.

3 IPS officers promoted POLITICAL PARTIES ALL SET FOR THE to rank of DGP in Gujarat BY-ELECTIONS ON 8 ASSEMBLY SEATS First India Bureau

Vinod Kumar Mall

First India Bureau Gandhinagar: The Gujarat government on Friday promoted three senior IPS officers of Gujarat cadre to the DGP grade.

According to a press release issued by the state government, the promoted officers include Keshav Kumar and Vinod Kumar Mall of the 1986 batch and Sanjay Srivastava of the 1987 batch, all of whom are serving in

Keshav Kumar

Sanjay Srivastava

additional director general of police (ADGP) grade.

While Keshav Kumar is the special director of Gujarat Anti-Corruption Bureau, Mall is the ADGP, Police Reforms and Srivastava is the ADGP, CID (Crime and Railways) and also holds charge of CID (Intelligence), Technical Services and SCRB. The senior-most of these, IPS Keshav Kumar has a very strong and straight track record. Considered to be

a no-nonsense officer, he and was on deputation to the CBI for a long period. When he returned, he was appointed and posted as Special Director, Anti Corruption Bureau, where he has introduced CBI techniques for trapping corrupt bureaucrats.

With this promotion, Kumar has been made director of the state ACB, while the other two officers will continue to hold their current charge.

Ahmedabad: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday cleared air about the by-elections for eight assembly seats. It clarified that the dates would be announced sooner rather than later and that the elections will likely be held in September.

Both leading political parties in the state are ready for the upcoming political battle.

The ECI, in a notification issued on Thursday, had deferred other elections. However, it gave rise to some confusion about the byelections, with some people interpreting it to mean that the by-

elections too would be put off until the pandemic is brought under control.

Welcoming the ECI statement, Bharatiya Janata Party spokesman Bharat Pandya said, “It is

the prerogative of the ECI to decide whether to hold byelections or not. But, as per the rule, if any Assembly or Lok Sabha seat falls vacant, a by-election should be held with-

in six months. So the Commission is only following the rules.”

On the issue of the party’s preparedness, Pandya said the BJP is always ready for elections because its cadre works 365 days. The

party had recently appointed observers to get a sense of party workers’ moods in the area under each assembly seat, and assessment is being carried out by senior party leaders.

Similarly, the Congress party too seems to be battle-ready.

Party state unit President Amit Chavda said, “We have boots on the ground, and the workers are activated. We are only waiting for the commission to announce the date for the elections. Once they are announced and the notification is issued, the party will announce its candidates for all eight seats.”

WORKING TOWARDS PROGRESS

CM Rupani approves road extension and lift irrigation projects lll

Navsari to get good roads, pipeline on Mahi River to help resolve water woes in Mahisagar district

First India Bureau Gandhinagar: It seems that developmental work in the state has not been put on the backburner by the government even amid the novel coronavirus pandemic. Instead of just focusing all its resources on combating the health crisis, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani’s government has vowed to manage all the developmental projects in the works with limited resources.

On Friday, the chief

minister approved the Navsari city roads expansion and overbridges project for ease of transportation for commuters. An allocation of Rs114 crore has been made towards the project.

A Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India (DFCCI) three-lance overbridge will be constructed and the cost of the project will be borne by the state and DFCCI equally. The 12-metre wide flyover will solve the issue of traffic congestion in

Chief Minister Vijay Rupani

the town of Navsari to a large extent. A population of over two lakh people in Navari and Jalalpore will be benefited by this project.

Rupani also sanctioned a lift irrigation project, under which, a pipeline will be laid down upstream of the Kadana Dam on the Mahi River at an investment of Rs73.27 crore.

The project will potentially supply drinking water to over 12 villages and also fill 26 lakes with water.

The state water sup-

ply department will also be installing an intake well near Sarasdi village, around 38.62 kilometres from the proposed pipeline.

Three pumping stations will line the pipeline to pump water down it. The project will resolve multiple issues such as dearth of water for drinking, irrigation and even cattle. The wawter percolating in these lakes will also help in surging the groundwater level.

Meanwhile, the CM also announced that the

families of Class III or IV government employees, who die during their service tenure, will be extended financial compensation. In such cases, the family members of the deceased will have to file a financial compensation application within six months, a time limit which can be extended up to one year.

This policy has been put in place instead of the former policy of extending employment to a member of the deceased’s family.

GUJARAT AHMEDABAD | SATURDAY, JULY 25, 2020

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State’s excuses continue even on Day 4 of 1K+ cases Defends itself as being ‘better than 9 others’, despite 1,068 cases, 26 deaths in 24 hours Gandhinagar: The Gujarat government seems to be striving for excellence in finger pointing, even if its losing the plot in terms of handing the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. The state registered more than 1,000 new cases for the fourth consecutive day, with 1,068 cases coming in from 32 districts and eight municipal corporation areas. Given that it’s been almost 130 days since the first cases were recorded in Gujarat, one would assume the current numbers would leave the state shame-faced. However, Friday’s health bulletin began with how Gujarat is in a better position than Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and other six states— without any mention

— PHOTO BY HANIF SINDHI

Haresh Jhala

STEADY CLIMB

Bus drivers and conductors sanitize their hands at a COVID-19 checkpost in Ahmedabad on Friday.

of how these states are conducting a considerably higher number of tests on a daily basis.

The highest number of cases came in from Surat, which reported 309: 216 from the city and 93 from rural areas. These are the highest numbers from Surat so far. Ahmedabad trailed with 176, while Vadodara had 92, Ra-

jkot, 59, Bhavnagar, 39, Bharuch, 30, Amreli and Banaskantha had 26 each, Surendranagar had 25, and Kutch and Mehsana reported 22 each.

In the past 24 hours, the state has conducted 14,959 samples. There are now 12,518 active cases in the state, of which 83 are on ventilator support.

In Vadodara city, 12 police officers have tested positive, taking the total number of infected police personnel to 16.

There are 750 active cases there, with 132 patients on oxygen, and 39 on BiPAP machines.

Meanwhile, in Surat, IPS officer Hare Krushna Patel has tested positive. A deputy fire officer and officer with the

accounts branch of the corporation died due to COVID-19 in Surat. According to sources, some 300 corporation employees are infected by the novel coronavirus.

After being shut for a week, some textile markets have resumed operations, However, reports of textile traders being infected have been to surface again.

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Primary schools in 18K villages need 35K teachers —FILE PHOTO

First India Bureau Ahmedabad: There is a dire need to improve education in the state, especially in the primary schools of 18,000 villages across Gujarat, stated Manish Doshi, chief spokesperson of the Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC). He also alleged that the government has plans to shut as many as 7,000 schools, given that there is a shortfall of about 35,000 teachers in the village schools.

He attacked the government for its alleged failure to “uphold the infrastructure in schools,” saying, “The government cannot uphold proper infrastructure for the schools.

Gujarati-medium and primary schools lack infrastructure. In the rush towards privatizing it, education has been completely commercialized.”

Calling the recent government circular mentioning online edu-

The government has said that it would provide online education but underneath it all, it has provided relief to the private schools when it has mentioned paying fees after three months.

Manish Doshi, GPCC Spokesperson

cation “illusion and lies”, he said, “The government is Number One in creating illusion and creating lies. It has issued the circular for the favour of educational business houses. The government has said that they will provide online education but beneath it is that it has provided relief to the

private schools when it has mentioned paying fees after three months.”

He also pointed out that the UPA government had given the Right to Education which entitles free education and compulsory education to children up to the age of 14 but the Sars-CoV-2 has halted academic sessions.

Thunderstorms to GTU pressuring students for fees: Youth Cong bring back the rain First India Bureau

—FILE PHOTO

First India Bureau Ahmedabad: The state is set to receive widespread rains after a short-lived reprieve.

On Friday evening, the State Emergency Operation Centre issued a warning for rain over many districts during the night.

The weather bulletin issued on Friday stated that light thunderstorms with lightning and surface winds of speeds less than 40km (in gusts) accompanied with moderate rain was very likely at isolated places in all the districts of the Gujarat region, Saurashtra-Kutch and in the Union territories of Diu and Daman, and Dadra and

Nagar Haveli.

Ahmedabad is expected to have a partly cloudy day on Saturday with chances of drizzles.

The bulletin also predicted that heavy rains very likely at isolated places in the districts of Bharuch, Surat, Dang, Navsari, Valsad, Tapi, Amreli, Bhavnagar and Gir Somnath.

Meanwhile, 95 talukas received rains on Friday, with Amreli’s Savarkundla receiving 3.22-inch of rain in two hours, resulting in flooding. With 98 mm in four hours, the town received the highest rainfall across the state, followed by Tapi’s Songadh which got 90mm of rain. Surendranagar’s Chotila got 81 mm.

Ahmedabad: The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has placed the academic year in limbo for school and college students, with the latter group also facing uncertainty in terms of examinations. However, even in such a situation, the Gujarat Technological University (GTU) is pressuring students to cough up

their fees, alleges the India Youth Congress.

Members of the Youth Congress also submitted a memorandum to GTU vice-chancellor Dr Navin Sheth, asking that the university refrain from collecting fees until the situation improves and the academic session resumes.

“Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the schools and colleges are not operational and there is

Provide plan for school salaries: HC First India Bureau Ahmedabad: The high court has questioned the state government regarding its recent circular directing self-financed (private) schools to not collect fees. The court raised the issue of payment of salaries to teachers and other support staff without collection of fees. It also asked the state to submit the notification issued by the gov-

ernment translated in the English language, to help the court understand how the government interpreted its order regarding payment of fees.

The court was hearing a petition moved by management of a selffinanced school challenging the state government’s circular directing them not to collect school fees until resumption of the school session.

WRITTEN REQUEST

Youth Congress members met the GTU Vice-Chancellor on Friday.

uncertainty over the exams at the university.

Amid such a situation,

the colleges are pressuring students to pay fees,” said Subhan Sai-

yad, general secretary, Youth Congress.

He mentioned that

the pandemic has cost many people their jobs and left them struggling. “There is an economic slowdown, and many have lost jobs.

How can the students will pay their fees? We came across many complaints from the students that GTU is pressuring students to pay fees. They have contacted the students who are in Engineering and other streams,” he added.

THE CARAVAN LIFE

Children of a pastoral tribe are borne by donkeys as they pass near Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar on Friday. A few such tribes still continue their tradition of travelling with their livestock in search of food, water and fodder.

—PHOTO BY HANIF SINDHI

IN REMEMBRANCE

Almost 12 years to the day, Civil Hosp staff recall horror of serial blasts The hospital claims to have treated over 95 lakh patients since then 

Gargi Raval Ahmedabad: In 2008, Ahmedabad witnessed 21 bombings across the city on July 26 in the span of an hour. A series of blasts were reported at various locations taking the lives of 56 people and leaving hundreds injured.

The attackers did not

even spare hospital premises and a bomb went off on the premises of the Civil Hospital, when an ambulance reached there with patients injured in blasts at other sites.

The hospital staff at Civil recalled the deadly attack and expressed the sanctity of their unbroken spirit which still believed in healing peo-

Civil Hospital.

—FILE PHOTO

ple. The hospital claims to have treated more than 95 lakh patients in the past 12 years.

Marking the sombre occasion, hospital authorities claimed to have provided services to over 95,60, 825 patients since 2008. This included 83,73,546 Out Patient Department (OPD) patients and 11,87,279 indoor patients. “The hospital has always stood by its patients in the event of man-made or natural

calamities over the years. No calamity has ever been erased from memory and the hospital has always remained dedicated in its service,” stated the hospital administration.

One staff member, Mukesh Pattani, who witnessed that bloody evening recalled, “I remember that most of the staff members reached the hospital within 15 minutes. There were almost 10 to 15 doctors for each injured patient

then. Our spirit to help out in emergency services is still the same,” he asserted.

Dr JP Modi, superintendent of the hospital, said that it was important for doctors to know the health problems patients are suffering from and provide the best medical care to them.

Talking about the fateful day, he lamented, “I will always regret the loss of one of my students and his pregnant wife in that incident.”

PERSPECTIVE AHMEDABAD | SATURDAY, JULY 25, 2020

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IN-DEPTH

GEHLOT DISPLAYS HIS STRENGTH

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t’s been a fortnight but the constitutional crisis in Rajasthan is far from resolution.

What began as Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot versus Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot has now turned into a showdown between Gehlot and Governor Kalraj Mishra.

After the Rajasthan High Court ordered for maintaining status quo in the disqualification case and also granted Sachin Pilot’s request to make the Centre a party to the case as the constitutional validity of the Tenth Schedule was under challenge, the scene shifted to Raj Bhavan where more than 100 legislators loyal to the chief minister raised pro-Gehlot and anti-Kalraj Mishra slogans in a show of strength. By parading his MLAs Gehlot proved that he still has a majority in the 200-member House. The scene was reminiscent of 1993 when BJP leader Bhairon Singh Shekhawat had reached Raj Bhavan with his MLAs and the governor was forced to invite him for forming a government.

The current crisis may not have the same Shekhawat-like happy ending for Gehlot. Or so it seems.

Accusing the governor of being “under pressure from the top”, Gehlot said that he had requested for the assembly session to be convened from Monday but to no avail. The government had sent a file regarding the session to Raj Bhawan after which the chief minister even met the governor. But Raj Bhawan did not return the file. Nor was there any indication if Kalraj Mishra will convene the session.

With this round going to Sachin Pilot, the Congress is once again preparing to move the Supreme Court for justice.

SHOULD WOMEN PURSUE CAREERS? SADHGURU, ISHA FOUNDATION Ranked amongst the fifty most influential people in India, Sadhguru is a yogi, mystic, visionary and a New York Times bestselling author Sadhguru has been conferred the Padma Vibhushan by the Government of India in 2017, the highest annual civilian award, accorded for exceptional and distinguished service

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UK’s LESSON IN ‘FALSE’ HISTORY

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nterested in British citizenship? Read its history first. Not any history but the one sanitized by the government to hide its colonial past.

A “Life in UK” test covering, among other things, British history, culture, sport, and music taken for foreign nationals seeking immigration has led to an outcry from 180 academics and historians. The test is mandatory for those applying for “indefinite leave to remain” or citizenship. The outrage is particularly over questions about British history which some historians, including best-selling author William Dalrymple, want the government to revisit as it glosses over Britain’s colonial past. They have called the citizenship test “fundamentally misleading” on slavery and the colonial Empire.

In an open letter “written in protest”, the “historians of Britain and the British Empire” pointed to the “on-going misrepresentation of slavery and Empire” in the citizenship test. The official handbook published by the Home Office is “demonstrably false”, the letter said. The letter also found “misleading” the view that Empire “ended peacefully” because the British so decided.

The historians joined the issue with the claim that “while slavery was illegal within Britain itself, by the 18th century it was a fully established overseas industry”. The historians wrote, “In fact, whether slavery was legal or illegal within Britain was a matter of debate in the 18th century, and many people were held as slaves.”

Coming to women, in particular,this idea that every woman should work has gained great momentum inthe last 40 to 50 years. It has come because of a certain element ofexploitation that has happened to women because of their financial dependence on the man

owadays, sometimes there is a certain disdain with which people look at women who are not employed out of their houses. Even when we have young children, this attitude persists. What should one do?

Sadhguru: Generally, people work for financial needs. If you are working out of a passion for what you are doing, that is different, but most people work for financial gain. So, if there is a financial requirement in a family, women going to work or pitching in by working from home is perfectly fine.

The question is not about whether you should work or not. The question is whether there is such a need or not.

If the need has become social rather than financial, I don’t see a need that every woman must work. The idea of creating so much technology in the world is because someday, we want to create a world where neither man nor woman needs to work.

We can live on vacation. But many people work because they are in a mode of compulsive action. They don’t know what else to do with themselves. That is an unfortunate way to be.

Coming to women, in particular, this idea that every woman should work has gained great momentum in the last 40 to 50 years. It has come because of a certain element of exploitation that has happened to women because of their financial dependence on the man. As a reaction to that, women thought the only way is to go to work. But I think it is only in some families that such exploitation happens. It is not true with many families.

The idea that you are a real woman only if you earn money, has been borrowed from the man’s mind. In the name of women’s liberation, women have taken on men’s values. This is true slavery.

If she wants to become free, a woman should not take on man’s values. She should see how to enhance the feminine into a flower-like, fragrant existence on the planet. And this is something only she can do.

In terms of my personal experience, my mother never went to work outside. And my father would have never thought that she should work, but was she a useless person? Absolutely not. Without her, what would we be? Her dedication, the way she gave herself to her children and husband, is what has made us who we are. A deep sense of concern, care, and looking at life beyond your own personal wellbeing was something that was instilled in us simply by looking at her. There was no way you could miss it because her life was never about herself.

With great joy, day or night, she served her family. This was not slavery, this was done out of absolute love. If you told her that she was being exploited, she would have been immensely offended because, for her, it was such an experience of love to expend herself in doing what she was doing.

The world becomes beautiful not because you earn

The idea that you are a realwoman only if you earn money, has been borrowed from the man’smind. In the name of women’s liberation, women have taken on men’svalues

money. Whether it is an individual’s life or a family, community, or the world, it becomes beautiful because there are a few people there existing out of their love, truly wanting to reach out and do something beyond their personal wellbeing.

That is what makes the world beautiful. A family is the smallest unit of community in the world, and if this does not happen in a family, it will not happen anywhere in the world. If a child is not exposed to this sense of love and dedication right from

Perils of the ‘pornification’ of popular culture

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re women more sexually liberated than ever before? So suggests the burgeoning sexual marketplace. From vibrators and erotica to bondage and beyond, the marketplace has transformed transgressive sexual practices into everyday household affairs. But is this sexual freedom truly liberating, or does it transform women from sexual objects of male desire to sexual subjects in their own right?

These were the questions we sought to explore in our study investigating young women’s sexual and intimate lives through a series of in-depth interviews. In the course of these interviews, which took place in a southern state in the United States, we were struck by how the women’s sexual and inti

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mate relationships reflect current trends in pornography, particularly in relation to themes of dominance and submission.

THE “PORNIFICATION” OF CULTURE Recent decades have witnessed the emergence of the female-oriented erotic industry, including boutiques and designer sex toys, a rise in sex practices once generally considered taboo, and sex manuals, blogs, and podcasts.

By 2024 the global sexual wellness market (including sex toys and related products, lingerie, etc.) is projected to grow to 39 billion dollars. The online pornography industry alone is currently worth an estimated 15 billion dollars.

Together, these trends reflect a “pornification” of culture, by which porn

tropes and narratives become embedded in popular texts, highlighting and normalizing particular kinds of sexuality.

At the forefront of this trend was the 1972 pornographic film Deep Throat that earned both mainstream attention and backlash. Banned in 23 states,

the film still managed to break box-office records and launched the “pornochic” trend. During the same period, works written by and for women – Anne Desclos’ Story of O (published in English in 1965), Nancy Friday’s My Secret Garden (1973), and Erica Jong’s Fear of Flying

(1973) – helped define modern conceptions of female sexuality premised on paradoxical notions of dominance and submission.

Contemporary examples of pornification can be traced to the premiere of HBO’s series Sex and the City (1998-2004) which normalized casual sex and

popularized sex toys such as vibrators for an entire generation of women. This marked one of the first instances of sex being reimagined on-screen as liberating – something women do to please themselves rather than their male counterparts.

Subsequent marketization, from erotic-dancing classes to online dating platforms, has since recast sexuality in ways that ostensibly celebrate women’s autonomy, femininity, and sexual power. In 2011, the first of the Fifty Shades of Grey erotic trilogy, which popularized BDSM practices (an abbreviation for bondage and discipline, dominance and submission, and sadism and masochism), became the bestselling book of the decade.

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childhood, it will not happen.

This does not mean a woman cannot do this if she goes to work. If there is a need to work, she has to do something about it. Once again, to take my mother as an example, she did not go to work, but she made sure that whatever could be done at home was done so that it need not be bought in the shop. Throughout my childhood, until I moved out of my family situation, I never slept on a pillow without a little bit of embroidery. She always made sure there would be at least some embroidery – maybe a little parrot or a little flower.

Without this, my life wouldn’t be the same. She could have bought it in the shop. My father could afford it, but she made sure that she did that little thing. That was her way of pitching in. Whether you make money or you save money, it still contributes to the family.

So, how a particular woman function is an individual aspect according to the requirement of that family.

But no one needs to develop a philosophy that all women should work or all women should not work.

THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL

Top

TWEET Piyush Goyal @PiyushGoyal Interacted with BRICS trade ministers and called for removing hurdles in access to medicines at affordable prices. BRICS countries must stand in solidarity & seize opportunities that come our way to build a strong, resilient & reformed trading system.

Anand Sharma @AnandSharmaINC Supreme Court is the last hope to save constitutional democracy. India is watching whether constitutional bench judgements and supreme court settled laws on floor tests will be honoured or not?

Spiritual SPEAK

Ardently do today what must be done. Who knows?

Tomorrow, death comes.

—Buddha

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Border row: India China focus on ‘full’ disengagement at LAC Another meeting of senior commanders may be held soon to chalk out further steps New Delhi: India and China on Friday reviewed the situation in the India-China border areas at the 17th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) and agreed that early and complete disengagement of the troops along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), de-escalation from IndiaChina border areas and full restoration of peace and tranquillity was essential for smooth overall development of bilateral relations.

They also agreed that another meeting of senior commanders may be held soon so as to

PLA’s MOVE

—FILE PHOTO

Army trucks moving towards Ladakh.

work out further steps to ensure expeditiously complete disengagement and de-escalation.

The Indian delegation was led by Joint Secretary (East Asia) in External Affairs Ministry

and Director General of Boundary and Oceanic Dept of Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs led the Chinese delegation.

A External Affairs Ministry release said

IN THE COURTYARD

Allahabad HC dismisses petition seeking stay on ‘Bhoomi Pujan’ Prayagraj: The Allahabad High Court has dismissed a petition seeking a stay on the Bhoomi Pujan ceremony for the proposed Ram temple, scheduled to be held on August 5 in Ayodhya.

The bench, comprising Chief Justice Govind Mathur and Justice Saumitra Dayal Singh, said that the

petition is based on assumptions and there is no ground for apprehending that the norms of social and

physical distancing would be violated during the event.

The petitioner, Saket Gokhale, had claimed that more than 300 people were being invited for the event.

Court said that it expected the government to follow all COVID-19 protocols & didn’t find any reason to interfere in the matter. —ANI

SC ADJOURNS TO AUG 4 HEARING ON PLEA AGAINST BHUSHAN

HEARING ON SHIFTING OFJAMAAT CHIEF CASE TO NIA ADJOURNED

New Delhi: SC adjourned to August 4 hearing on a 2009 contempt petition against senior lawyer Prashant Bhushan for allegedly accusing past CJIs of involvement in corruption. A three-judge bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra adjourned the hearing in 2009 contempt petition matter after all parties sought adjournment. Senior lawyer Dr Rajeev Dhavan, appearing for Bhushan, said that the last hearing in the matter was held in 2013. —ANI

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Friday adjourned to October 9 hearing on a petition seeking transfer of the case against Tablighi Jamaat chief Maulana Saad in connection with the Nizamuddin congregation to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

A division bench of Justice Siddharth Mridul and Justice Talwant Singh adjourned the matter to October 9 in view of a similar matter pending before the Supreme Court. —ANI

Probe panel gets six more months New Delhi: The SC extended by six months the time given to the three-member commission to complete its inquiry into the December 2019 Hyderabad encounter case.

A bench headed by CJ SA Bobde heard the submissions of the lawyer appearing for the panel and granted

HYDERABAD ENCOUNTER it six-month extension, as was sought. The commission was supposed to submit its report by August 2020.

The commission headed by former SC judge, Justice VS Sir-

‘ORGANISE EVENTS ON ONE YEAR OF ARTICLE 370 ABROGATION’ New Delhi: BJP has written to presidents and in-charges of its state units to organise events on completion of one year of abrogation of Article 370 and the Triple Talaq Bill becoming an Act. In August last year, the Centre revoked Article 370, which gave special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir

and bifurcated the region into two UTs- J&K, and Ladakh. On the first anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370, from July 28 to August 3, BJP state units have been asked to hold a rally and connect to people in their regional language. A press conference in capital of all states is also planned on August 3 in this regard.

purkar, was set up by apex court to investigate the police encounter of four men accused in the gruesome gang rape and murder of a veterinary doctor.

The commission had sought more time to complete probe, citing COVID-19 pandemic ‘hindered’ the sittings of the commission. —ANI

that the two sides reviewed the situation in the India-China border areas and the ongoing disengagement process along the Line of Actual Control (LAC )in the Western Sector.

“They agreed that early and complete disengagement of the troops along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and de-escalation from India-China border areas in accordance with bilateral agreement and protocols and full restoration of peace and tranquillity was essential for smooth overall development of bilateral relations,” the release said.

The two sides noted that this was in accordance with the agreement reached between the two Special Representatives (SRs) during their telephonic conversation on July 5, 2020. —ANI

05

Sonia, Rahul remember Ex-PM PV Narsimharao New Delhi: Congress President Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi have written congratulatory letters to the Telangana unit of the party for organising a year-long celebration on the birth centenary of former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao. “The birth centenary of Narasimha Rao is an occasion for us to recall and pay tribute to the scholarly and erudite personality,” Sonia Gandhi’s message said.

“After a long career in state and national politics, he became Prime Minister of India at a time of grave economic crisis. Through his bold leadership, our country was able to overcome many challenges successfully. The Union Budget of July 24, 1991, paved the way for the

TPCC President N Uttam Kumar Reddy pays floral tribute to former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao during his birth centenary celebration in Hyderabad on Friday. —PHOTO BY PTI

economic transformation of our country,” it added.

“I congratulate the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee for having organised these year-long celebrations. PV Narasimha Rao was a very respected national and interna-

tional figure. The Congress party takes pride in his many accomplishments and contributions,” she added.

Rahul too congratulated the Telangana unit for organising the year-long celebrations to commemorate Rao’s many achievements.

‘Mahindra varsity, an admirable initiative’ New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi auded the Mahindra Group for setting up an autonomous university in Hyderabad.

In a letter, which was shared by Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra on his Twitter handle, PM Modi termed the setting up of Mahindra University (MU) an admirable initiative.

“Education and knowledge are the cornerstone of growth and

Education and knowledge are the cornerstone of growth and progress of any nation or society. A university does not merely impart education but lays the foundation of character building and nation building among the future citizens of the country. —Narendra Modi, Prime Minister progress of any nation or society. A university does not merely impart education but lays the foundation of character building and nation

building among the future citizens of the country,” Modi said in the letter.

It expands the thinking horizons of the stu-

dents and enables them to make a meaningful contribution to the society and the nation, he added. “Today, technology and innovation

have become the driving force in every field of activity,” Modi said.

The leveraging of technology to take education to people will lead to true empowerment of people, particularly the underprivileged sections, PM noted. “This noble gesture of Mahindra Group will surely go a long way in providing quality & value based education to students & also equip them for the larger battles in life,” Modi said.

‘Rift with Centre due 5 held for killing abducted to Insolvency law’ Kanpur lab technician New Delhi: Moves to dilute a new bankruptcy law caused disagreements between PM Modi’s government and the central bank, according to former Reserve Bank of India Governor Urjit Patel.

The rift centered around a February 2018 circular issued by the RBI, which forced banks to immediately classify borrowers as defaulters when they delayed repayments, barred defaulting company founders from trying to buy back their firms during insolvency auctions, & push them into bankruptcy if a resolution timeline wasn’t met. In a book released Friday, Patel — who headed RBI between Sept 2016 and his unexpected resignation in December 2018, said the government seemed

BABRI DEMOLITION: LK ADVANI DEPOSES BEFORE CBI COURT New Delhi: BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani recorded his statement in the Babri mosque demolition case. The veteran leader recorded the case before the special CBI court in Lucknow throughVC. On Thursday, the court recorded the statement of another BJP veteran Murli Manohar Joshi in the case. Joshi had told the special CBI court that he was innocent and implicated in the case by the then Congress government at the Centre. The 86-year-old leader had also called the prosecution witnesses in the case as “liars”.

Urjit Patel

to lose enthusiasm for legislation in the middle of the year he left the central bank.

“Instead of buttressing & future-proofing the gains thus far, an atmosphere to go easy on the pedal ensued,” Patel wrote. “Until then, for most part, the finance minister and I were on the same page, with frequent conversations on enhancing the landmark legislation’s operational efficiency.”

Kanpur: Five people, including a woman, have been arrested in connection with the alleged kidnapping case of Sanjeet Yadav. However, the victim has allegedly been killed by kidnappers, the Kanpur Police informed on Friday.

This comes after a police team allegedly failed to stop the kidnappers from escaping with the ransom. Sanjeet’s relatives are claiming that they have given the ransom amount of Rs 30 lakh to the kidnappers.

However, the police claimed that the accused did not receive the money and Sanjeet’s body has not been recovered yet. Yadav worked as a technician at a private lab in Kanpur and was kidnapped on June 22.

Revealing details about the case at a press conference, Mohit Agar-

FINANCE MIN HOLDS REVIEW MEET FOR STRESSED HOUSING PROJECTS New Delhi: Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday held a meeting to review the performance of the special window for affordable and mid-income housing (SWAMIH). The meeting was conducted with the secretaries of the ministries of Finance and senior management

team of the State Bank of India, SBI capital markets limited and SBICAPS ventures limited (SVL).

The fund has so far approved 81 projects with an investment of Rs 8767 crore, said the release.

The SWAMIH Investment Fund has progressed from a policy announcement to an operational initiative on the ground.

Police officials at the spot to recover the body of lab technician Sanjeet Yadav from Pandu River in Kanpur. — PHOTO BY PTI

wal, IG Kanpur Range said that two out of the five accused- Gyanendra Yadav, Kuldeep, Nilu, Ramji and Preeti- were friends and former colleagues of Sanjeet.

“On June 22, a man named Sanjeet Yadav was kidnapped. The police teams were searching for him since then.

On Thursday, five ac-

cused have been arrested. After the kidnapping, Sanjeet was kept in a house rented by the accused, adding that the man was killed after he made a failed bid to escape. On June 23, Sanjeet Yadav’s family filed his missing complaint with police followed by which a case was registered on June 26. —ANI

CHAR DHAM YATRA OPENS FOR PILGRIMS FROM OTHER STATES Dehradun: Days after opening the Char Dham Yatra for the local residents of Uttarakhand, the Char Dham Devsthanam Board on Friday allowed people from rest of the country to visit the holy places. The pilgrims will, however, have to produce the negative report of the COVID-19 test done at least 72 hours ago, Ravinath Raman, the CEO of the Devsthanam Board said. According to the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) issued by the board, pilgrims have to register themselves with the Devsthanam Board on its website.

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COVID-19 UPDATE

According to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the cumulative death toll in the country has reached 30,601 with the addition of 740 deaths in the last 24 hours

INDIA’S TALLY STANDS AT 12,87,945

I- Day gala: No public gathering, use tech, says MHA advisory

T A man stands near barricades inside the sealed residential area during the lockdown in all containment zones in Kolkata.

New Delhi: India reported the highest single-day spike of 49,310 coronavirus cases on Friday, according to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

The total COVID-19 positive cases stand at 12,87,945 including 4,40,135 active cases, 8,17,209 cured/discharged/mig rated.

With 740 deaths in the last 24 hours, the cumu-

HUMAN TRIAL

lative toll reached 30,601.

Maharashtra has reported 3,47,502 corona-

virus cases, the highest among states and Union Territories in the country. A total of 1,92,964 cases have been reported from Tamil Nadu till now, while Delhi has recorded 1,27,364 coronavirus cases.

According to to ICMR, 3,52,801 samples were tested for coronavirus on Thursday and overall 1,54,28,170 samples have been tested so far. —ANI

Delhi: 14-yr-old raped in Corona facility New Delhi: A 14-yearold girl admitted to a 10,000-bed Covid Care Centre in Chhatarpur, was raped last week inside the facility by a 19-year-old man who was housed there, the police said on Thursday. The man and his friend, who stood guard and allegedly recorded the crime at the Sardar Patel Covid Care Centre, have been arrested in the

first such known case in the national capital, officials said. Both of them are coronavirus disease patients. “The girl was immediately shifted to a govern-

ment hospital, where she continues to receive treatment for Covid-19. The suspects, too, are yet to recover and have been moved to another hospital while they remain in judicial custody,” said Parvinder Singh, additional deputy commissioner of police (south).

A case has been registered under the POCSO Act.

Rahul Gandhi @RahulGandhi I kept warning them on Covid19 and the economy. They rubbished it. Disaster followed. I keep warning them on China.

They’re rubbishing it.

to follow certain preventive measures such as maintaining social distancing, wearing of masks, proper sanitization, avoiding large congregations, protecting vulnerable persons and follow all guidelines related to Covid-19 issued by the MHA. Therefore, all programmes should be organised in a way that a large congregation of people is avoided and technology is used in the best possible manner for celebration befitting the occasion. —ANI

‘India committed to face Covid challenge’ New Delhi: Union Health Minister Dr Harsha Vardhan on Friday said India undertook the COVID-19 challenge with the highest level of political commitment with PM Narendra Modi personally monitoring the situation and ensuring a pre-emptive, pro-active and graded response.

Speaking at the Shanghai Cooperation

Death toll in Assam floods reaches 93 Dibrugarh: Four more people lost their lives in flood-related incidents in Assam on Thursday, taking death toll to 93, State Disaster Management Authority said.

So far, 28,32,410 people have been affected due to floods in 26 districts of the state. People in Dadhiya village are facing hardship as several houses are submerged in water due to flood in the area. They are using boats to ferry themselves to safer places.

Pallav Gopal Jha, District Commissioner said, “This year, our dis-

he Ministry of Home Affairs issued an advisory for the Independence Day celebrations on August 15 amid Corona.

It has asked all the government offices, states, Governors etc to avoid congregation of public and urged the use of technology for conducting the celebration proceedings.

In view of the spread of Covid-19 pandemic, while organizing various programmes or activities for the Independence Day celebrations, it is imperative

An elderly woman rows a makeshift raft to cross a flood-affected area of Mayong village in Assam.

trict has faced four waves of flood. Seven deaths have been reported and around 300

cattle have died in floodrelated incidents.”

Meanwhile, Parimal Suklabaidya, Assam’s

Minister of Environment and Forest, said that this year’s casualty of wildlife is less. —ANI

After 1993...

The moment of reckoning came in the early 90s when then CM Shekhawat had gone to US for his heart treatment.

MLA Bhanwar Lal Sharma approached Ashok Gehlot with an offer to topple Shekhawat govt through horse trading. An unflinching Gehlot tried to make power hungry Bhanwar Lal Sahrma understand that to topple the govt of an ailing Shekhawat govt would defy both the healthy democratic traditions and principles of ethical politics. Gehlot went out of the way and met then Governor

Baliram Bhagat and PM Narsimha Rao to convey that the Congress will not be a party to conspire using horse trading as means. Later an MLA confirmed Shekhawat that he actually was given Rs 5 lakh for switching sides. When Shekhawat returned from the US and Governor told him of the role played by Ashok Gehlot, Shekhawat got emotional. It is hard to believe that principles and ethics could ever weigh so heavy on the heaven that power offers.

wan, then it will not be the government’s responsibility.

Gehlot, along with the MLAs, went to the Raj Bhawan in the afternoon, complaining that the governor was sitting on letter that the Cabinet had sent seeking an assembly session on Monday.

The chief minister held discussions with the governor separately while the MLAs began a dharna in the lawn and asserted that it will be called off only when the date for beginning the session is announced.

After nearly five

Organisation (SCO) Health Ministers’ meeting, Dr HarshaVardhan expressed his deepest condolences at the loss of lives

across the world due to COVID 19. He also expressed his “sincere gratitude” for the efforts of those who are in the frontline.

“The world is faced with an unprecedented disaster, which has so far affected of the entire planet leading to close to 15 million cases and 0.6 million deaths globally,” said the Minister. —ANI

06

POWER Gallery WILL K D TRIPATHI BE CAG ?

In the corridors of power, new name of KD Tripathi has cropped up for the post of CAG. Tripathi, 1980 batch IAS officer, is presently Secretary to the President of India. Will he move from the Rashtrapati Bhawan ? Though certain quarters rule out this possibility, PMO may give surprise.

13 IPS officers retiring in July 2020

As many as 13 IPS officers of various cadres and batches are retiring in July 2020. They are: Sunil Garg of UT; Sunil Kumar of Bihar; Anil Kumar of Haryana; VH Rao Deshmukh and Vipul Shukla of Jharkhand; NS Megharikh and TR Suresh of Karnataka; Akhilesh Jha of Madhya Pradesh; M Nageswar Rao of Odisha; K Narsimha Rao of Rajasthan; C Sridhar of Tamil Nadu; Uttam Kumar Majumdar of Tripura and Mrs Kamleshwari Chandra of Uttar Pradesh.

ASHISH JOSHI TO GET ONE MONTH’S EXTENSION ?

CEO of the Lok Sabha TV, Ashish Joshi is expected to get one month’s extension beginning August 1.

His term is coming to an end on July 31.

DR SHRIKAR KESHAV PARDESHI LIKELY TO RETURN TO PARENT CADRE ON AUG 10

Dr Shrikar Keshav Pardeshi, working as Joint Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office, is expected to return to parent cadre on August 10, 2020 after completion of five-year tenure at the Centre. He is a 2001 batch IAS officer of Maharashtra cadre.

RAJESH BHUSHAN OFFICIALLY APPOINTED AS SECRETARY, HEALTH

Rajesh Bhushan, who is serving as OSD, Health and Family Welfare, has officially been appointed as Secretary in the same Department. He is a 1987 batch IAS officer of Bihar cadre.

AJAY TIRKEY APPOINTED AS SECRETARY, LAND RESOURCES

Ajay Tirkey has been appointed as Secretary, Department of Land Resources. He is a 1987 batch IAS officer of MP cadre.

RAM MOHAN MISHRA APPOINTED AS SECRETARY, WOMEN & CHILD DEVELOPMENT

Ram Mohan Mishra has been appointed as Secretary, Ministry of Women and Child Development. He is a 1987 batch IAS officer of Assam-Meghalaya cadre.

ANIL KUMAR JAIN IS ALSO SECRETARY, MINES

Anil Kumar Jain, Secretary Coal, has been assigned an additional charge of Secretary, Mines.

He is a 1986 batch IAS officer of MP cadre.

ASHWANI LOHANI JOINS GMR

Several villages inundated in Bihar deluge; 2000 rescued Bettiah: The turbulent Gandak river breached the embankment at a village in Sangrampur block of East Champaran district of Bihar on Thursday night, leaving several villages inundated. Officials said that, following heavy pressure and high water current in the river, about 25 feet stretch of main embankment was breached, which falls

under Areraj sub-division. “There is no loss of life reported from any part though six to seven villages have been affected after the breach of the embankment.

Teams of the NDRF rescued over 2,000 people from the affected villages in an operation which began at midnight,” said Dhirendra Kumar Mishra, sub-divisional magistrate (SDM), Areraj.

The capabilities of Ashwani Lohani who has repeatedly proven himself in the public sector, would now be utilised by the private sector. This honest to the core officer, who is recognised as one of the country’s finest always delivers excellence.

VIVEK RAM CHAUDHARY IS WESTERN AIR COMMAND CHIEF

Air Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhary has been appointed as the new Western Air Command Chief.

TERM OF DESH DEEPAK VERMA AS SECRETARY-GENERAL, RAJYA SABHA EXTENDED

The term of Desh Deepak Verma as Secretary-General, Rajya Sabha has been extended for a period of one year with effect from September 1, 2020. He is a retired IAS officer.

By arrangement with : http:// whispersinthecorridors.com

FROM PG 1 Restrict people’s...

The court also inquired about the testing policy and committees to approve the Tocilizumab injection.

The state has clarified that it is only following the guideline set by the Indian Council of Medical Research for conducting sample testing. As far as the injection issue is concerned, committees are constituted to procure and manage the supply of these drugs.

There is a misconception that these committees have any power to decide who receives these drugs.

They came... surrounds the Raj Bha-

hours, the dharna ended and the MLAs returned to the hotel.

Outside the Raj Bhawan, AICC spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said the governor has given a note to CM seeking clarifications and these points will be taken care of at a Cabinet meeting Gehlot is calling at Friday 9.30 pm.

A narrow...

The ‘panic situation’ at Raj Bhawan further worsened, when a Gandhian Chief Minister Gehlot had got so upset and agitated with Governor’s failure to accord his sanction to convene

the special session of assembly, that he had publicly warned the Raj Bhawan that if the people of Rajasthan will come tomorrow to Jaipur to gherao or demonstrate outside the Raj Bhawan, then he will not be responsible (for a likely breach of law and order).

According to highly placed sources, only this statement of Gehlot was ‘sufficient’ to prepare for a valid ground for the centre to put the state under President rule.

The ‘panic situation’ at Raj Bhawan further worsened, when a

Gandhian CM Gehlot had got so upset and agitated with Governor’s failure to accord his sanction to convene the special session of assembly, that he had publicly warned Raj Bhawan that if people of Rajasthan will come tomorrow to Jaipur to gherao or demonstrate outside Raj Bhawan, then he will not be responsible (for a likely breach of law and order).

According to highly placed sources, only this statement of Gehlot was ‘sufficient’ to prepare for a valid ground for the centre to put the

state under President rule. Thereafter, New Delhi got immediately ‘active’ and the video tape of Gehlot’s allegedly ‘irresponsible’ (according to relevant quarters in New Delhi) speech was called for, to study and to decide the further course of action. Infact, the top BJP leadership in New Delhi and Jaipur was surprised with such a statement of a sitting CM and specially Gehlot, who enjoys the reputation and goodwill of a very mature and seasoned chief minister and also has never spoken such a ‘language’.

TALKING POINT AHMEDABAD | SATURDAY, JULY 25, 2020

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07

SINGLE-USE MASKS COULD BE A

CORONAVIRUS HAZARD A CONVENIENT CHOICE

W

hile reusable cloth masks are an option if you’ve been able to buy one or even make one yourself, disposable, single-use surgical masks appear to be a popular choice.

They provide protection and they’re cheap and convenient.

It’s estimated the global use and disposal of masks and gloves will amount to 129 billion face masks and 65 billion plastic gloves for every month of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The effect on the environment is an important but separate issue to the health risks we’re discussing here.

Alarmingly, from what we’ve observed, people are discarding masks in communal rubbish bins and even leaving them in empty shopping trolleys.

People should know better than to leave used masks lying around.

But they can’t be expected not to discard them in public bins when there’s no other option, and when they’re not given any advice on how to dispose of them properly.

Importantly, while there are clear guidelines on the disposal and separation of medical waste within health-care settings, guidelines for disposal of surgical masks in public settings are unclear.

The Victorian government simply advises they be disposed of “responsibly in the rubbish bin”, meaning they will be mixed with ordinary waste. This is in contrast to personal protective equipment (PPE) used in health-care settings, which is disposed of separately to regular waste, transported to sealed landfill, and in some cases incinerated.

WHY COULD THIS BE A DANGER?

W

e don’t yet know a whole lot about the survival of SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, on textile materials.

One study published in the medical journal The Lancet found no infectious SARS-CoV-2 could be detected on textile materials after 48 hours.

A review study which looked at the survival of a range of pathogens on textiles found viruses could survive longer than 48 hours, though not as long as bacteria.

Although we need more research on this topic, it seems there is potential for cross-contamination,

and therefore possibly COVID-19 infection, from disposed masks.

In all likelihood, other people, such as supermarket staff collecting trolleys, or waste handlers, will come into contact with discarded masks well within that 48 hour window.

In addition, if the discarded mask is carrying infectious particles, it may be possible for these to cross-contaminate the surfaces they come into contact with, such as shopping trolleys. And we know SARS-CoV-2 survives more readily on hard surfaces than porous ones, so this is a worry.

Disposing of used masks or gloves incorrectly could risk spreading the infection they’re designed to protect against

M

any people have already been wearing masks for some time in a bid to protect themselves and others from COVID-19.

Evidence has shown masks likely do reduce the spread of COVID-19, so wearing them is a good thing – particularly as Victoria continues to grapple with a second wave.

But one conversation we’re not having enough is around how to safely dispose of single-use masks. Disposing of used masks or gloves incorrectly could risk spreading the infection they’re designed to protect against.

WHO NEEDS TO ACT?

T

his issue is a potential biosecurity concern, and we need segregation of used masks from ordinary waste immediately.

We urge attention from the Victorian government and local councils to act on this issue, including in the following ways:

 create general awareness of this problem, potentially by including messaging around how to properly

dispose of masks in directives on their use  install pop-up secured bins in public places such as shopping centres for used masks and gloves  workers collecting the waste should follow biohazard protocols similar to those used to manage waste collected from health-care settings.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

I

n the first instance, please don’t leave your used masks and gloves in a shopping trolley, or lying around anywhere else.

The safest thing to do is to put used masks and gloves into a plastic bag when you take them off and seal it. Then, when you’re back at home, throw the bag away into a closed bin.

Hopefully, we will have further directions on how to dispose of these items soon.

SOURCE: THE CONVERSATION CONCEPT: DIVYA HEMNANI DESIGN: ABHISHEK GU0PTA

If you can understand the difference between what to hold on to and what to let go - you will be a happier person.

—Jagdeesh Chandra, CEO & Editor, First India

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2ND FRONT AHMEDABAD | SATURDAY, JULY 25, 2020

Now, a racket in illegal sale of Covid drugs with Bangla links

08

Shah presents electric pottery wheels to artisans

Gujarat FDCA has unearthed a racket in black-marketing of Remdesivir and Tocilizumab injections Shishir Awasthi Gandhinagar: Days after cracking a scam in fake injections, the Gujarat Food and Drugs Control Administration on Friday busted a shocking racket in black-marketing of Remdesivir and Tocilizumab injections used for the treatment of Covid-19 patients and is suspecting an international cartel operating through Bangladesh.

Two persons, one from Ahmedabad and another from Surat, were arrested for it. The FDCA team also seized injection stocks worth Rs 4.65 lakh from Surat and of Rs 10.80 lakh from Ahmedabad.

Acting on a tip-off on July 21 that these injections were being blackmarketed, the Surat

GLOBAL LINKS

Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

First India Bureau

Gujarat FDCA has unmasked a racket in black-marketing of Covid-19 injections.

wing of the FDCA laid a trap and booked a bogus order to one Sandip Mathukia, a resident of Ahmedabad. He is attached with Abott Company as a medical representative.

Mathukia used to

Cong urges EC to use ballot paper in assembly by-polls

get the injections from a Yash Rajeshbhai Mathukia of Surat. Yash was arrested when he was trying to sell two vials of Remdisivir for Rs 18,000 each. A resident of Katargam area, Yash

did not provide bills when asked for.

According to Gujarat FDCA Commissioner HG Koshia, on checking the labels it has been found that probably these have originated from Bangladesh.

Those in the know of the developments feel that this may well be an international racket. The FDCA team and the police are finding out how many of these injections have been sold and to whom at a higher price.

Sandip was running the racket along with Darshan S. Soni and Parth Babulal Goyani, according to officials.

During the interrogation, they revealed that they used to get Remdisivir injections from one Shabbir Ahmed of Bangladesh.

of voters will touch one button,” he pointed out, adding that, “If a coronavirus-infected person touches that button, everyone who pushes it afterwards would contract the infection.”

Parmar also stated that since asymptomatic persons are not aware if they are infected, others coming in his contact run a risk. In view of this, he urged the Election Commission to use ballot papers.

Meanwhile, the Gujarat BJP stated that it is ready to face the elections anytime.

New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday distributed 100 electric pottery wheels among as many trained artisans in Gujarat under the ‘Kumhar Sashaktikaran Yojana’ of the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC). He gave them away in his Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency through video conferencing from New Delhi.

Praising the scheme, Shah said the initiative would go a long way in strengthening the marginal

First India Bureau

As many as 6,000 children at 148 anganwadis in Gujarat’s Patdi taluka have been consuming water with an alarming TDS of 2,500 since August 2016 since the RO plants there are non-functional.

Ahmedabad: Students of Nirma University have sent a letter petition to the Gujarat High Court seeking a stay on the University’s July 1 notification asking for full fees from them.

The students pointed out that several charges as part of the fees had become redundant in the online teaching system. They called it, “Manifestly arbitrary, illegal and thus uncon-

stitutional being hit by Article 14 of the Constitution.”

The University administration had intimated that it was in the process of start-

Gujarat pays most to rlys for Shramik trains First India Bureau New Delhi: Gujarat contributed the highest Rs 102 crore to the Indian Railways’ revenues of Rs 429 crore from running Shramik Special trains for migrant workers. The Railways data shows it spent Rs 2,142 crore on operating the trains.

Gujarat contributed highest in the Railways revenue from Shramik Special trains.

According to the data, Gujarat paid Rs 102 crore as fares to ferry more than 15 lakh migrant workers to their native states in 1,027 trains.

It was followed by Maharashtra with Rs 85 crore to take 12 lakh workers home in 844 trains, and Tamil Nadu Rs 34 crore to

transport four lakh migrants in 271 trains.

The Railways said it operated 4,109 Shramik trains in May, which came down to 493 in June, and 13 in July.

Most trains originated from Gujarat and Maharashtra and were destined for Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

WORRYING SCENARIO!

Patel says Guj Govt needs to be transparent on Covid surge In a Twitter message, he expressed concern that the State’s “Covid-19 mortality rate of 4.4% is very high” 

Dr Anita New Delhi: With the State’s corona tally touching 20,000 in the first 23 days of July and Thursday’s 1,078 new cases being the 20th peak this month, a concerned Congress Rajya Sabha member Ahmed Patel has blamed the

State Government for Gujarat reporting the country’s highest mortality rate of 4.4%.

In a message on his Twitter handle, Patel mourned, “At 4.4%, Gujarat’s Covid-19 mortality rate is very high.”

“Why?” he asked, and pointed out that, “First, it is because

Ahmed Patel.

ised potters community by incorporating technology to improve productivity while also reviving the traditional art of pottery.

He also interacted with five potters who have been trained by the KVIC and provided with electric pottery wheels and other equipment for their future endeavours. “I am glad to see the change that has been ushered in the lives of our potters. The Narendra Modi government at the Centre is always concerned for better livelihood of the Prajapati community,” Shah said.

Nirma Univ students’ plea in HC seeking fee reduction

HEIGHT OF APATHY

First India Bureau Ahmedabad: Even as the dates for the byelections to eight assembly seats in the State are yet to be finalised, the Gujarat Congress on Friday urged the Election Commission (ECI) to use ballot papers instead of the electronic voting machines (EVMs) in the polls to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

In a letter sent to the Chief Election Commissioner, senior Congress MLA and Deputy Leader of Opposition Shailesh Parmar said, “Voting through ballot paper is the best option in the prevailing pandemic situation.”

“Every constituency normally has 2 lakh voters. Around 1,000 voters come to a single booth to cast their votes. If EVMs are used, thousands

Ahmed used to ensure delivery till Agartala and then Sandip would go to Agartala to get the consignment.

Further investigations are in progress to find out if there are more and bigger players from abroad involved in the racket.

This is not for the first time arrests have been made in connection with these lifesaving injections. A few days ago, arrests were made for manufacturing of spurious Tocilizumab injections with involvement of people based in Surat and Ahmedabad.

— FILE PHOTO

— FILE PHOTO

Gujarat is not testing enough & testing late.

As a result there is a delay in identifying positive patients. Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Delhi - which have similar or less population than Gujarat are conducting far more tests.”

Ahmed Patel, who hails from Gujarat, asserted that, “The State Government needs to be open & transparent,” since things had slipped out of control.

The Congress leader said the situation was more alarming since the virus is spreading across the State. “The infection has spread to rural areas where adequate medical facilities are absent. People have to travel to other districts for help and are doing so at later stages of the infection.”

As on July 24, the State had 53,631 positive cases with 2,283 deaths.

ing online sessions for the current academic year and that the students were required to submit the full fees by August 5.

The students said the notification was issued without adequately considering the “disproportionate impact” the lockdown has had on their families. They described the University’s claim that online teaching will incur more cost as “illogical, irrational and manifestly arbitrary.”

New CCC test deadline Dec 31 First India Bureau Gandhinagar: Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has extended the last date for clearing the compulsory CCC/CCC+ eligibility tests for state government officers and employees for higher pay-scale and promotion till December 31, 2020 in response to the request of different employees associations, including State Primary Teachers Association.

The state government had introduced these mandatory tests in 2007 and the last date to clear them was April 30, 2016.

The employees who had joined the government service between 1975 and 1985 and are due for retirement now will also be entitled to higher pay-scale and also pension. This will benefit thousands of employees and officers in different cadres.

www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epaper/ I twitter.com/thefirstindia facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia AHMEDABAD, SATURDAY JULY 25, 2020

HEAR THE

HISSS...

Snakes are generally shy animals who want nothing to do with humans. Humans, though have an ancient relationship with snakes, of attraction and fear!

NEHAL NAYAR

nehal.nayar@firstindia.co.in

T

hroughout history, humans have had an uneasy relationship with serpents. Snakes are animals that fascinate many people while frightening others, good or bad, most people have strong feelings about snakes, but few people remain neutral.

Unfortunately, most humansnake interactions had lead to the destruction of snakes to the point that many species of snakes have become extinct and there is a long list which is endangered.

Ophidiophilia is an attraction to snakes while ophidiophobia is the fear of snakes.

Snakes are mystical animals that are a part of stories, tradition, culture, mythology, religion and folklore and yes, superstitions. We have all heard love stories of naag-naagin and many of the devout will step out today to feed’ milk ‘to the snakes in this holy month of Saawan, this naturally comes from worshipping Lord Shiva, the destroyer with snakes coiled around his neck. The fact is that reptiles cannot digest dairy products and rarely

drink milk, holds no water with belief ruling the roost.

Exotic photography with snakes and keeping snakes as pets, howsoever risky it may be at times, hold an attraction especially for people who wish to show a certain false bravado.

In the age of social media, it makes for a huge amount of Likes and Comments on the page!

The whole aura surrounding snakes is so interesting and beguiling that most people do not know basic truths like if you kill a snake it’s partner will come after you are blatantly false. Snakes do not have any sort of social bond, nor the intellect nor memory to recognise and remember an assailant. Bollywood, which has spawned quite a few movies and serials based on this myth, can be blamed for the common belief !

And, a snake’s head when cut off it will stay alive till sundown and it captures the face of its killer in its eyes is the stuff of horror movies and simply not believable by mature adults.

09

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AHMEDABAD | SATURDAY, JULY 25, 2020

10

VICKY KAUSHAL: THE JOSH MACHINE GURMAN SINGH cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

B

FA CE OF TH ED AY

eginning his nearly decade-long association with the Hindi film industry as an assistant director, Bollywood star Vicky Kaushal has won many hearts and achieved great success in a small amount of time. Vicky is one of the most talented actors to have stepped into Bollywood. He has not only impressed the audience through his acting skills but also got applause from megastar Amitabh Bachchan.

His roles are extremely compelling and he totally gets into the skin of the character, making the audience get swayed by his charm and excellent screen presence.

He is a promising Bollywood actor, who managed to woo critics and audience alike with his debut film ‘Masaan’.

His performance left everyone with

YOUR DAY Horoscope by Saurabbh Sachdeva

nothing but praises for him.

He then went on to star in ‘Zubaan’ and later, surprised everyone with his portrayal of a negative character in Anurag Kashyap’s ‘Raman Raghav 2.0’ The earnestness with which Kaushal plays his characters has earned him fans within the industry as well as among audiences. In 2018 Kaushal rose to prominence with supporting roles in Raazi as Iqbal and as Kamli in Sanju, two of the highest-grossing Hindi films of the year where he casted his magic spell through his stupendous performances for which he also got Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor. The actor has also tried his luck in the OTT plat-

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

CANCER

You will have lot of fun at home with family today and you all will feel very fortunate for that.You have lot of money in your account to keep you going in future. Do not take your health for granted specially during these trial time. On academic front, you are always well prepared.

Your strategies on business front will bring good profits and no matter how tough the time is, you will only keep growing.You have a good money in account to start something new so without wasting anytime just keep forging ahead. You must work out for a fit body & mind.

People appreciate your sincerity and talk good about you even behind your back. You have a great health and this is not gifted rather you have worked very hard to get here. You desire to have a happy family and luckily you have one. You lover will surely meet you today.

Some of you can expect the promotion at work and for the others work security is guaranteed.

You have started following a discipline routine and this will keep you healthy. Business owner may need some time but stay rest assured you will get back on the track.

MAR 21 - APR 20

APR 21 - MAY 20

MAY 21 - JUNE 21

JUNE 22 - JULY 23

LEO

VIRGO

LIBRA

SCORPIO

People at work always praise you for your hard work and professionalism therefore you must keep motivating others. You need a change in your diet to make you feel more energetic and healthy. Your kids will bring immense joy in your life and you will feel very grateful for that.

You must start trusting others and help them In growing by giving them responsibilities on work front. Newly married couple will be in demand among family and close friends. You must do all you can to conserve money for the future. You will overcome any discomfort.

No matter how you manage but you have to keep in touch with your loved ones as relationships are built with efforts.Money is flowing into your life right now to boost your financial stability, all you need to do is it to invest and save it in the beat way for future benefits.

You are someone who loves to keep self improving in your respective field and grow everyday. You are famous in your social circle and it is because of the nature of reaching out people. You are someone who hold the hands for both the good and the bad time.

JULY 24 - AUGUST 23

AUG 24 - SEP 23

SEPT 24 - OCTOBER 22

OCT 23 - NOVEMBER 22

SAGITTARIUS

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

You can expect a very relaxing, silent atmosphere at home and you will love this calmness.You are going to make profits in everything today.

You have a budget and you never mess with it and this quality is what made you rich. You will get all the pampering form you siblings today.

Your seniors consider to you to be very important for the company and you have to live up to the image. You must not refrain from bargaining as doing so can help you to save a lot. Your seniors consider to you to be very important for the company ,live up to the image.

With God’s grace you will start something new today and you will get all the support and blessings of your parents .You may have to showcase your skills in front of many people even if digitally to succeed in your endeavours. A younger child in family will make you proud.

On professional front, you have a promising career ahead of you. You are a free bird and you do as you please. You can expect a raise in salary but having a job at these times is also something you must be grateful for. Leave no stone unturned in making your lover feel special.

NOV 23 - DEC 22

RADHIKA CHOWDHARY, Model

form and amazed the audience with his majestic and outrageous performance in Netflix Original film ‘Love Per Square Foot’ and with his quirky comedy in ‘Lust Stories’. Later in 2018 with Vicky Sandhu as Vicky Kaushal’s alter ego brought out his flamboyant side in the film Manmarziyan.

Vicky Kaushal had a career turnaround in 2019, where he again wore the hat of an Army officer and paid tribute to Indian Army in “Uri: The Surgical Strike” This turned out to be one of the biggest hits of the year and the film earned him his maiden National Award. Later in 2020, Kaushal made his entry into the horror genre with Bhoot: Part one - The Haunted Ship.

DEC 23 - JAN 20

JAN 21 - FEB 19

FEB20 - MARCH 20

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AHMEDABAD | SATURDAY, JULY 25, 2020

11

FUN TIMES! Deepika Padukone

D

eepika Padukone spent her Wednesday evening playing a series of ‘TPL- Taboo Premier League’ with her star husband Ranveer Singh and his family.

The ‘Tamasha’ actor took to Instagram on Thursday to share a picture from the game session with her family and stated that the board game went extremely competitive. “TPL-Taboo Premiere League. With everyone

bringing their A-Game to the TaBoo Table I must say it is getting extremely competitive!” she wrote in the caption.

The ‘Chhapaak’ actor celebrated Ranveer Singh’s birthday at home earlier this month and shared that she gorged on the birthday cake for a week.

The celebrity couple has been staying at home ever since the COVID-19-induced lockdown was imposed in the country.

—ANI

... her post

B ENGAGED!

L

ooks like quarantining together has worked wonders for Demi Lovato and Max Ehrich as the couple just revealed the good news that they’re engaged.

For the unversed, Demi started dating the Young and the Restless star in March and it seems as though the two already want to spend forever together. Both took to Instagram to share some snaps from their romantic proposal at a beach and we can’t help but notice the gorgeous engagement ring that looks perfect on Lovato’s finger. Brownie points to Mr. Ehrich, for sure!

Demi, who has always had a way with words wrote a sweet note to her now fiance as she gushed about how she fell in love with Max the moment she met him.

—Agency

humi Pednekar has been trying to advocate positive social messages through her movies as well as her nature protection initiative ‘Climate Warrior.’

The actor is also making the best possible use of her social media platforms to “raise awareness at every level possible” for as she says, “climate change is real and climate change is here.” As a part of the initiative, the ‘Bala’ actor has been highlighting several personali-

RAISING AWARENESS ties, be it from entertainment or from other grounds, who are doing path-breaking work to protect the environment.

Recently, the 31-year-old actor also collaborated with a young ‘Climate Warrior’ of India -- Licypriya Kangujam.

Pednekar, through her Instagram handle introduced the eight-year-old girl from Manipur, who is rallying the youth of the country to be more climate-conscious.

Sharing a video clip of the young activist on Friday, the actor wrote, “Though young, her work towards climate activism is beyond her years...

A receiver of prestigious accolades such as a Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Children Award, a World Children Peace Prize and an India Peace Prize, she has created a symbolic device called SUKIFU (Survival Kit for the Future) to curb the air pollution.”

—ANI

Bhumi Pednekar

NEW ALBUM The Great Screening

RELEASED

T

he international singer left Swifties screaming when she announced she was releasing a new album. Taylor revealed her playlist on Thursday with a heartwarming note which had her pour her heart out.

Now that the album is out, we joined the fans to stream one song at a time.

After we found ourselves rewatching the music video of Cardigan for the fifth time, we decided to dive into the other songs on the album.

“Before this year I probably would’ve overthought when to release this music at the ‘perfect’ time, but the times we’re living in keep reminding me that nothing is guaranteed. My gut is telling me that if you make something you love, you should just put it out into the world. That’s the side of uncertainty I can get on board with. Love you guys so much,” she said.

—Agency

Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt

E

ver since Gully Boy hit the screens in February 2019, the film created massive waves with its content and received countless accolades under its belt.

The Zoya Akhtar directorial has been a favourite at the International circuit as well.

After winning the NETPAC award for Best Asian Film at the

Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFAN) in South Korea last year the film has been invited to the prestigious ‘Busan International Film Festival’ under the Request Cinema Screening category on popular demand.

Gully Boy was also nominated as India’s official entry for the 92 Oscars for 2019.

—Agency

Joke about fourth pregnancy

I

t seems actor Ryan Reynolds isn’t looking to have a fourth child with his wife Blake Lively any time soon.

According to Fox News, the 43-year-old actor shared a brief clip from his 2010 film ‘Buried’ on Instagram with the logo for Aviation Gin -- his own brand -- edited into the scene in several places, including a flask that Reynolds takes a drink from. Reynolds wrote in the caption, “Before Deadpool, I was an actor, One of my favourite projects was a film called ‘Buried’ and it’s now on @Hulu. 10 years later, it really holds up!”

Demi Lovato and Max Ehrich Taylor Swift

He joked, “Although I don’t recall the aggressive product placement.” The 32-year-old actor Lively left a funny comment on her hubby’s post.

“I think this just got me pregnant,” she said, as captured by Comments by Celebs. In typical fashion, Reynolds offered a witty response. The ‘Deadpool’ star wrote in response, “I will be out of the office starting July 22nd through the middle of forever and ever. If you need immediate assistance during my absence, please contact someone. Anyone. Otherwise, I will respond to your message as soon as possible upon my unlikely return. Thank you.”

Reynolds and Lively already share three daughters.

—ANI

Blake Lively

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

AHMEDABAD | SATURDAY, JULY 25, 2020

12

TEEJ MATA RI PUJA

Diya Kumari

Diya Kumari and her friends

R

ajsamand MP Diya Kumari performed the traditional Poojan of Teej Mata at the City Palace on Friday.

Dressed in ‘Lehariya’, she garlanded Teej Mata and duly worshiped the Goddess. On this occasion, she said that the people of Jaipur and Rajasthan are very involved in the procession of Teej and Gangaur Mata. Due to the Corona epidemic, the royal procession of Teej Mata could not be taken out in the walled city of Jaipur this year. The procession of Teej Mata was taken out of the Janani Deodhi to the gate and brought back to the Palace. The MP expressed hope that next year this procession will be could be taken out with full elegance and enthusiasm.

—City First

Diya Kumari doing the Puja

CITY FIRST

T

QUE...

QUEen Q1. My flatmate keeps borrowing my watches without asking. I find this very annoying (especially when it’s my favourite watch), but I don’t want to seem uptight. How can I stop her?

Ans. Hi, I can understand your issues about not calling her out on this.

Does she just borrow watches or everything? If she borrows your stuff indiscriminately, then change your flatmate! On the other hand, if she is a ‘watch-borrower’, gift her a watch with a message. If she persists then the next time she is wearing your watch, pretend to search, then walk up to her and laughingly tell her that you have to wear this today! Take it off her hand and clip/strap it on yours. Do it a couple of times.

Q2. I’ve fallen for a girl, but she’s an anime character.

Is it really a bad thing?

Ans. Well, it depends on how old you are! If you are a teenager it’s perfectly fine, however, if you are above 20 and ‘she’ is the only girl in your life, my advice is that go and meet more people.

Join an activity that will build up your confidence.

Have any questions? Mail them to quequeenfirstindia@gmail. com; don’t worry, your name will not be disclosed!

he brilliant artistry of the jewellers and craftsmen of the pink city is known throughout the world. In this series of opulent heritage, another accolade has just joined. Dharmendra Bhalla from Jaipur has made his place in the World Book of Records London for his extraordinarily splendid jewellery design. Priced at 6 lac dollars/Rs 4.58 crores, he has designed a 24-carat gold ring in the shape of Corona, with purity above 9999.

This ring has already been declared to be the purest gold ring with a gorgeous design. Bhalla has been invited to London at the British Parliament for felicitation upon creating this masterpiece. This is the first piece of purest gold craftsmanship in the world, with the shape of the Coronavirus. It is unbelievable

Teej Mata Ki Sawari

WORTH A

RECORD Dharmendra Bhalla

and unique that this ring has been labeled as the purest gold jewellery ever made in the history of mankind.

Life Saviours

Talking about this achievement, Bhalla says that the world was shrouded in a cover of negativity because of this global pan-

T

he patients are being treated smoothly at Geetanjali Medical College and Hospital following all the rules of COVID-19. A 61-year-old patient was successfully treated by left septal pacing in South division. The operation was done by Dr Ramesh Patel, Dr Kapil Bhargava, Dr Danny Mangalalni, and Dr Shalabh Agarwal. Left septal pacing is a type of safe pacemaker in which the patient’s heartbeat is controlled by a doctor. Its cost is as much as a normal pacemaker, thus it is proving very useful. cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

Ring curated by him

demic. To change this distressing period of lockdown into something fruitful, he decided to work on this ring. He was inspired to replicate the structure of Coronavirus by being haunted by the constantly increasing cases of Coronavirus. The virus which has impacted the whole world adversely is now a proud jewel of his artwork. He took about one and a half months to make this ring.

To keep his work distinct, he made use of the purest quality of gold which was never used by any jeweller, to date. cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

Financial Results T CITY FIRST

CITY FIRST

Good over Bad

he Board of Directors of AU Small Finance Bank Limited at its meeting held on Friday, approved the unaudited financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2020.

Commenting on the performance, Sanjay Agarwal, MD & CEO, AU Small Finance Bank said, “Bank continues to perform well enough on all metrics such as Deposit

Growth, Extra Liquidity Buffers, Assets Quality, Digital Banking, Inclusive Banking, Customer Engagements and Employee Safety & Well-being resulting into a satisfactory quarter. In Q1FY21, our PAT grew by 48% with a continuous declining trend in the cost of funds.”

Considering the social distancing protocols of current times, AU Bank recently organized its 25th AGM virtually. cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

CITY FIRST

A

short film ‘Jurm Aur Kanoon’ made by Pratham Sharma portraying that good always takes over the evil and that even single person can make a big difference, be it a policeman, a politician, or anyone who brings any kind of positivity in the society and influences the minds of individuals. Every day many corrupt individuals get away with the crimes they do because the law and order which is meant to protect the society from these mafias becomes a business for the rich and the privileged to get away with their c r i m e s and the people who follow the right path have to suffer.

This needs to change, be the change, bring the change! cityfirst@firstinPratham Sharma dia.co.in

WHAT’S HAPPENING!

HAPPY B’DAY! IPS Hemant Kumar Sharma celebrated his birthday on 24 July, Friday.

We wish him all the best!

Poster of the film

RAJASTHAN: Venture Catalysts is a leading integrated incubator and start-up mentoring and fundraising organisation which launched its Jaipur operation via the virtual platform on Friday. Venture Catalysts provides a combination of capital, mentoring, and networking opportunities to budding entrepreneurs thereby contributing actively to the growth and the success of the investee companies.

GUJARAT: In a live session with Nilparna Sen, CEO KG Fitness, Certified Nutrition Coach and Personal Trainer interacted with Surat’s leading psychologist and behavorial therapist Bhavna Raja who has seen success stories with hundreds of people with their mental issues.

Her expertise lies is child psychology, suicide prevention, anxiety, depression, marital issues, body image issues, and many more.