First India-Ahmedabad Edition-29 April 2020

OUR EDITIONS: JAIPUR & AHMEDABAD

CORONA

27°C - 42°C

ALERT

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

AHMEDABAD l WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2020 l Pages 12 l 3.00 RNI NO. GUJENG/2019/16208 l Vol 1 l Issue No. 153

COVID-19 UPDATE

WORLD

INDIA

2,14,105 31,02,666 977 DEATHS

CONFIRMED CASES

HAKUNA MATATA

30,631

DEATHS

CONFIRMED CASES

181

GUJARAT

3,774

DEATHS

Scanning the horizon nervously, in their trademark style, this gang of meerkats remind us of Timon, the wisecracking meerkat from the famous movie Lion King! As the world reels under coronavirus pandemic, we are reminded of the song Hakuna Matata (there are no troubles) crooned by Timon, which teaches us that worrying about things, outside our control, is not a way of life!

CONFIRMED CASES

GLOBAL STATE OF AFFAIRS COUNTRY TOTAL CASES

TOTAL NEW DEATHS DEATHS

10,19,823 SPAIN 232,128 ITALY 201,505 GERMANY 159,137 UK 157,149 TURKEY 114,653 RUSSIA 93,558 IRAN 92,584 CHINA 82,836

57,601 23,822 27,359 6,174 21,092 2,992 867 5,877 4,633

USA

+804 +301 +382 +48 +586 +92 +73 +71 +2

WWW.WORLDOMETERS.INFO

LAST UPDATED: APRIL 28, 2020, 11:00 PM

IN GUJARAT DISTRICT

INDIA FIGHTS BACK

‘PLASMA THERAPY Indigenous testing kits by May: Govt IN TRIAL STAGE’ No evidence yet to support it can be used for treatment, say experts New Delhi: The Health Ministry on Tuesday said currently plasma therapy is at experimental stage and there is no evidence yet to support that it can be used as treatment for COVID-19. Addressing a press briefing, Health Ministry Joint Secretary Lav Agarwal said currently there are no approved therapies for COVID-19 and there is not enough evidence to claim that plasma therapy can be used for treatment of the disease.

“ICMR has launched a national-level study to study efficacy of plasma therapy in treatment of COVID 19,” he

said. “Till ICMR concludes its study and a robust scientific proof is available, plasma therapy should be used only for research or trial purpose.

If plasma therapy is not used in proper manner under proper guidelines, Turn on P6

ADB APPROVES $1.5 BILLION FINANCING TO INDIA Manila: Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Tuesday approved a 1.5 billion dollar loan to India to help fund its response to coronavirus pandemic. This includes support for immediate priorities like disease containment and prevention as well as social protection for the poor and economically vulnerable sections of the society, especially women and disadvantaged groups.

Will help in meeting target of one lakh tests per day by May 31 New Delhi: Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan on Tuesday said that the country will be able to produce indigenous coronavirus-testing kits by May. “We will be able to produce RT-PCR and antibody test kits in India by May. All processes are in advanced stage and production will start after getting approval from ICMR. It will help us in meeting our target of one lakh tests per day by May 31,” the Union Health Minister said.

Meanwhile, issuing a detailed response over faulty anti-body testing kits, China has rejected

HOPE FOR VACCINE BY SEPT AS MONKEY TESTS ‘SUCCESSFUL’ London: Scientists at Oxford University say they are one step closer in developing a vaccine to stop the spread of Corona. Promising results were seen after six rhesus macaque monkeys were injected with a single dose of the university’s new vaccine. This means that vaccine trial involving more than 6,000 participants will be started by the end of next month to show vaccine is safe and effective.

the claims by the ICMR. Chinese embassy spokesperson Ji Rong said in a statement issued early on Tuesday that the quality of medical products exported from China is ‘prioritized’, calling action taken as ‘unfair and irresponsible’.

Turn on P6

RECOVERY RATE IN INDIA IMPROVES TO 23.3 PC New Delhi: A total of 6,869 people have been cured of coronavirus in India so far, taking the recovery rate to 23.3 per cent, said the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Tuesday. A total of 1,543 new cases of coronavirus have been identified, which take the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 30,631, said Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Health Ministry.

`68K cr loans of wilful defaulters written off: RBI New Delhi: Outstanding loans amounting to Rs 68,607 crore of top 50 wilful bank loan defaulters in the country including firms of Mehul Choksi and Vijay Mallya have been technically written off till September 30, 2019, the Reserve Bank of India said in a RTI reply.

Absconding dimantaire Choksi’s company Gitanjali Gems tops the list of these defaulters with a whopping amount of Rs 5,492 crore, according to the list.

This is followed by REI Agro with Rs 4,314 crore and Winsome Diamonds with Rs 4,076 crore. Rotomac Global Private Limited has funded advances of Rs 2,850 crore which have been technically written off and Kudos Chemie Ltd with Rs 2,326 crore, Ruchi Soya Industries Limited, now owned by Ramdev’s Patanjali, with Rs 2,212 crore and Zoom Developers Pvt Ltd with Rs 2,012 crore being the other companies.

Turn on P6

TOTAL CASES

AHMEDABAD 2543 VADODARA 255 SURAT 570 RAJKOT 55 BHAVNAGAR 41 ANAND 60 BHARUCH 31 GANDHINAGAR 36 PATAN 17 PANCHMAHAL 20 BANASKANTHA 28 NARMADA 12 CHOTA UDAIPUR 13 KUTCH 6 MAHESANA 7 BOTAD 19 DAHOD 4 PORBANDAR 3 JAMNAGAR 2 MORBI 1 SABARKANTHA 3 ARAVALLI 18 MAHISAGAR 10 KHEDA 6 GIR SOMNATH 3 VALSAD 5 TAPI 1 NAVSARI 3 DANG 2 SURENDRANAGAR 1 TOTAL

3774

SAMPLES TESTED NEGATIVE CASES

TOTAL NEW DEATHS DEATHS

128 13 19 0 5 3 2 2 1 2 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 181

19 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 19

56,101 52,327

UNDER EXAMINATION

HOME ISOLATION OPTION FOR PATIENTS WITH MILD SYMPTOMS New Delhi: Union Ministry of Health has issued guidelines for home isolation of people who either have very mild COVID-19 symptoms or are in the pre-symptomatic phase.

Such patients with requisite self-isolation facility at their residence will now have the option for home isolation. Ministry asked people to download Aarogya Setu app on mobile & it should remain active at all times.

0

CORONA IN GUJARAT

With six wards in the red zone, 42 in the orange zone and zero in the green zones, there is no part of Ahmedabad left untouched by the Sars-CoV-2 virus.

The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation intends to focus on three vulnerable groups--super spreaders, slums and senior citizens--to curb the spread of the virus.

For more, see P3

19 deaths, all from Ahmedabad, as state tally inches towards 4K Asymptomatic positive cases can self-isolate at home, with conditions First India News Gandhinagar: Ahmedabad continues to hold the dubious distinction of the worst-hit city in Gujarat when it comes to the Sars-Cov-2 virus, despite the efforts of the state and local governments.

All 19 deaths reported in the last 24 hours came from Ahmedabad. Similar-

ly, the city also accounted for 164 of the 226 fresh cases reported from across the state. With these additions, the state now has 3,774 positive cases and 181 deaths. Forty more patients recovered in the past 24 hours, taking the total up to 434.

One of the patients discharged on Tuesday is a 90-year-old from

FOUR CHILDREN DROWN IN BOTAD Four children from a tribal family drowned after jumping into the Sukh Bhadar reservoir on Tuesday. The family, originally from Panchmahal district, had come to the Nana Chheda village of Botad district in search of work. The fire and emergency services team rushed to the spot but could not save anyone. All four bodies have been recovered.

Health and police teams worked together in the Gopalnagar locality of Ahmedabad’s Memnagar area, where 13 positive cases were reported on Monday.

—PHOTO BY NANDAN DAVE

Bhavnagar, who recovered after 23 days of treatment. In Bhuj, one woman recovered after being hospitalized for 36 days, during which time she tested positive

10 times for the virus.

She was finally discharged after two consecutive tests came back negative.

Another bit of good news for the state is

that two newborn babies have no symptoms of COVID-19, though their mothers have tested positive.

As per new guidelines issued by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), asymptomatic positive patients may selfisolate at home from Wednesday, as long as they are in a separate room within the house. Also, a medical team and ambulance will be on standby in the area.

Turn on P6

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

AHMEDABAD | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2020

02

WILL DO BEST TO CONTINUE TRADE: MODI PM discusses Corona crisis with Indonesian prez; assures disruption-free supply of medical products

P

rime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday had a telephonic conversation with Indonesian President Joko Widodo regarding coronavirus pandemic during which the latter appreciated the facilitation provided by Indian Government for supplies of pharmaceutical products to Indonesia.

Taking to Twitter, Modi said, “Discussed COVID-19 pandemic with good friend President Joko Widodo. As close maritime neighbors and Comprehensive Strategic Partners, close cooperation between India and Indonesia will be important to deal with the health and economic challenges posed by this crisis.” During the conversation, the two leaders exchanged thoughts about the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in the region and the world.

Modi assured the Indonesian president that India would do its best to prevent disruption in supplies of medical products or other commodities traded between the two countries.

“The Indonesian President appreciated the facilitation provided by the Government of India for supplies of pharmaceutical products to Indonesia. Prime Minister assured him that India would do its best to prevent disruption in supplies of medical products or the other commodities traded between the two countries,” read the statement They discussed issues related to their citizens present in each other’s countries and agreed that their teams would remain in touch to ensure all possible facilitation.

Modi underlined that Indonesia is an important maritime partner in India’s extended neighborhood, and strength of the bilateral relationship would help both countries. —ANI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Indonesian President Joko Widodo —FILE PHOTO

My family just expects me to do MGNERGA my job, says RMC commissioner resumption to Masuma Bharmal Jariwala Rajkot: The lockdown presented its share of problems but, for some it has been an opportunity to spend some quality time with their loved ones. Unfortunately, local administration officials, police, essential service workers have all sacrificed time with their families and worked tirelessly at the risk of their lives to ensure that citizens stay safe.

Rajkot Municipal Corporation (RMC) commissioner Udit Agarwal is an official who has taken up the mantle to combat coronavirus in Rajkot. Agarwal, who has a 14-month-old daughter named Vaidehi and a 70-year-old mother has been unable to spend time with his family owing to the dangers of his

job. As a matter of fact, he has been living in a separate house and has not seen or held his daughter in over two months.

In an interview with First India, he credited his wife who works at Rajkot PGVCL, as his strength. “Ever since the outbreak happened, we have lost track of time. There have been times when I used to get irritated and frustrated but my wife counselled me. My family is not expecting anything but for me to perform my duties. Even our housemaid has not gone home once since the past one and a half month since it was not safe for her to travel,” he said.

Rajkot reported 46 cases with zero deaths till Monday and not a single patient was put

RMC commissioner Udit Agarwal

on a ventilator. Around 14 patients have been discharged so far. Agarwal said, “A big thank you to our alert health team which identified all positive cases early.

Our strategy is focussed on rigorous and effective home quarantine of foreign travellers, aggressive contact tracing, symptomatic and

asymptomatic testing and enforcement of lockdown and curfew with the help of police.

The contact-tracing patients of positive cases have been quarantined and people with symptoms have been isolated.

There is active surveillance by a medical team of 150 people working round-the-clock, which is amazing.”

However RMC had to face a number of challenges. “People who tested positive would not divulge information about where they went or whom they met. We actually had to conduct an investigation by getting their call details and tower locations,” said Agarwal. Another challenge was arranging smooth supply of essential goods and medicine to citizens on their doorstep.

benefit hundreds First India News Himmatnagar: Work under MGNREGA will soon begin Aravalli and Sabarkantha. A total of 441 work projects will provide employment to hundreds of people.

In Aravalli, 125 work projects have been approved under Sujalam Sufalam water conservation programme. Of these, 57 projects come under water conservation but will comprise of digging lakes, khet talavadi, ponds, etc.

Seven villages have been selected in talukas Bhiloda and Modasa for the project.

While announcing the relaxation of lock-

down for this programme, CM Vijay Rupani had said that in the current year 14,694 work projects will be undertaken and that the state government had allocated Rs414 crore for their completion.

In Sabarkantha, 251 work projects have been approved which include various talukas. Workers will be assigned work such as digging lakes and ponds, refilling borewell, etc.

Both district administrations have been instructed to ensure that social distancing is maintained and each worker on the site covers his/her mouth with a mask.

Rupani government relaxes lockdown norms for drilling rigs Move is meant to benefit farmers who need tube wells for irrigation; rig owners do not need special permissions First India News Gandhinagar: In order to ensure that farmers do not face any problems with irrigation as they begin sowing the summer crop, the state government led by Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, has relaxed lockdown norms for drilling rigs, which can now travel across the state unfettered. This is to benefit any farmers who might need to drill tube wells for irrigation.

Information and Broadcasting Secretary

and Secretary to the Chief Minister Ashwani Kumar, who made the announcement, explained that owners of drilling rigs--commonly called borewell trucks-do not to take permission from the taluka officer or the district collectorate but may move across the state on the basis of their driving licence, Aadhaar card and other documents.

This is just latest pro-agriculture move from the state government, which granted permission to the Agriculture Market Produce Committees to

9-YEAR-OLD DONATES RS11K ON B’DAY

CM Vijay Rupani relaxed lockdown for drilling rigs to ensure farmers do not face any problems.

reopen trading on April 20. On Monday, 8.87 lakh quintal commodities were traded at 142 operational market yards.

Of these, wheat accounted for 4.12 lakh

quintal, castor, for 2.41 lakh quintal and mustard, for 20,000 quintal.

The state government has also been focusing on relieving the plight of poor people.

To this end, it had decided to transfer Rs1,000 cash into the bank accounts of ration cardholders, falling under the NFSA (National Food Safety Act) category. As of Tuesday after-

—FILE PHOTO

noon, 50 lakh cardholders have received these benefits, with the state transferring a total of Rs500 crore directly into their accounts.

In addition to distributing free rations

Shlok Shah, a nineyear-old boy in Jamnagar, donated Rs11,000 from his savings to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund on his birthday.

CM Rupani thanked the boy for his donation in a phone call, and also wished him well on his birthday. Shlok, in turn, congratulated the CM on the good job he is doing. to the poor, including NFSA cardholders, in the beginning of April, the government has-for the past three days-also been distributing free wheat and rice to NFSA cardholders.

There are 66 lakh cardholders, of which 35 lakh cardholders have already received the benefit of free wheat and rice. Each of these cardholders is given 3.5 kg wheat and 1.5 kg rice per head, provided they were regularly purchasing from fair price shops.

The state has also relaxed norms for shops selling groceries, medicines and milk parlours to reopen in the state, except in Ahmedabad, Surat, Rajkot and Vadodara.

It will be the shop owners responsibility to see that the social distancing is maintained and only consumers wearing masks are entertained.

GUJARAT AHMEDABAD | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2020

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

03

Virus squeezes green zones out of city With 6 AMC wards in red zone, 42 in orange zone, Ahmedabad to focus on super spreaders, slums and senior citizens in 3S strategy

Starvation, not Sars-Cov-2, will kill us: protesting daily wagers First India News

First India News Ahmedabad: It’s official. With six wards in the red zone, 42 in the orange zone and zero in the green zones, there is no part of Ahmedabad left untouched by the Sars-CoV-2 virus.

Municipal Commissioner Vijay Nehra said here on Tuesday that four AMC (Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation)

First India News Ahmedabad:The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) shared details of the houses surveyed in the city in April so far on Tuesday. According to the data, the number of samples collected in the last week have been lower than before.

In the fourth week of April, the civic body had collected 4,281 samples against the tally of 7,808 in the third week and 5,125 samples collected in the second week. Of

w a r d s — J a m a l p u r, Khadia, Dariyapur and Shahpur—from the zone, and two—Danilimda and Behrampura—from the south zone are in the red zone. The remaining 42 wards of the city are in the orange zone.

Worryingly, it is easier for an orange-zone area to become a redzone area, than it is for an orange-zone area to 7,808 samples, 678 tested positive, which makes it 8.68% of all positive cases that week.

Meanwhile, AMC had collected 1,006 samples in the first week of the month, of which 54 turned out to be positive. This means that 5.37% of samples collected that week were positive. And the number stood at 241 out of 5,125 samples for the second week, which accounted for 4.70% of the total number of samples that week.

In the last week, the

Two cops injured in Surat stone-pelting First India News Surat: Two policemen were injured when some locals allegedly threw stones at security personnel trying to enforce lockdown in Dindholi area of the city on Tuesday morning, an official said.

Five people were detained for the attack on the policemen, Surat’s deputy commissioner of police RP Barot said.

Some locals got angry after a PCR (police control room) van reached a locality in Dindholi area to en-

force the lockdown in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, he said.

“We a sent a PCR van in the area after coming to know that people were roaming around and not adhering to the lockdown norms. When the police asked locals to stay indoors, some of them got angry and started throwing stones at the policemen,” Barot said.

Five locals were detained, and an additional convoy of SRP, Dindholi and Limbayat police was sent to the area to bring the situation under control.

become a green-zone area, which can only happen if there is not a single positive case for 14 consecutive days.

Similarly, for a red-zone area to become an orange-zone area, it must go 14 days without a single positive case.

Therefore, Nehra plans to adopt a triple-S strategy, much like Surat’s triple-T (Tracing, Testing and Treatment)

protocol.

AMC will focus on three vulnerable groups, super spreaders, slums and senior citizens, to curb the spread of the virus. It has already begun to aggressively collect samples from potential super spreaders like vegetable vendors and grocery shop owners.

Some thousands have been screened and hundreds are being tested.

Ahmedabad: Around 300 residents of Shivshaktinagar na Chhapra, and Bhilvas in Sardarnagar area held a protest in the scorching summer heat for nearly two hours on Tuesday.

The protestors held placards which read, ‘Not Corona but Starvation will kill us’.

The protestors included daily wagers, people employed as drivers, mechanics, construction workers, among others. Post the lockdown, the ground reality of thousands of people who have been left with no source of income is unfortunate.

“Since the last 15 days, we were receiving food from a few religious groups. Then suddenly, the food stopped coming to us.

We had approached the local MLA Balram Thavani, but he asked us to approach the councillor,” said Tush-

AMC cuts down on sample collection

Residents of Bhilvas and Shivshaktinagar localities in Ahmedabad’s Sardarnagar area organized a protest to highight a lack of food and government help on Tuesday.

—PHOTO BY HANIF SINDHI

ar Devda, one of the residents.

As advised by Thavani, the residents went to meet with local councillor Bipin Sikka, who made false promises.

“We followed him everywhere and tried to tell him about our situation for over two weeks, to no avail. This protest was convened civic body has collected 4,281 samples, of which, 290 tested positive which accounted for 6.77% of the week’s positive cases.

Since April 20, the local administration has collected samples category-wise. For instance, samples of 1,668 people showing symptoms of acute respiratory infection were collected and 114 of them tested positive for novel coronavirus, while 556 samples are still pending.

Interestingly, only

Rajkot: Three COVID-19 testing laboratories in the SaurashtraKutch region of the state have a total capacity to conduct around 980 tests per day. But, as of now these three laboratories test around 500 samples daily.

At Bhavnagar’s Sir T Government Hospital, lab technicians are equipped with three machines. “On an average, 300 tests are conducted in two cycles in 24 hours. Our total testing capacity is around 400 tests and we conduct them on samples from Bhavnagar, Botad,

four samples were collected from the containment clusters and all of them tested negative.

Around 744 samples that were collected from densely-populated areas, 74 tested positive while the result of two is pending. The civic body also collected 1,987 samples of super spreaders, of which 115 tested positive while 1,811 tested negative for COVID-19. On an average, 670 teams have been deployed by the AMC for sample collection.

tion have also run through it all. According to Devda, after protesting in the heat for over two hours, local police reached the spot to calm us down and assured that we would receive food shortly.

And as per locals, all residents did receive a food packet per family on Tuesday.

QUICK NOTES

Three new cases against Tablighi attendees: DGP

ON ALL CYLINDERS HARD

First India News

A boom sprayer disinfects Valinath Chowk in Ahmedabad’s Memnagar area on Tuesday.

—PHOTO BY NANDAN DAVE

3 Saurashtra-Kutch labs conduct 500 tests daily Masuma Bharmal Jariwala

out of frustration that we may not die because of novel coronavirus but starvation,” added Devda.

He also pointed out that the people who had received ration supplies through their Below Poverty Line (BPL) card had received 10 kg supplies as per their monthly stipulated ra-

Junagadh and Amreli,” said Hardik Gathani, administrative officer at the hospital.

The COVID-19 lab in

Rajkot, set up on March 28, has a daily testing capacity of 300. “On average, around 100 tests are conducted on sam-

ples from three districts including Rajkot, Kutch and Somnath,” said Dr Gauravi Dhruv, incharge at the lab.

The Jamnagar facility tests samples from Jamnagar, Devbhumi Dwarka, Porbandar and Somnath. “It can conduct 289 tests daily, but now our testing average

as slipped down to 80-90 tests, from more than 100 just last week. We occasionally also receive samples from Kutch and Rajkot, if there are any technical issues at their end,” stated Dr SS Chatterjee, nodal officer for COVID-19 for Jamnagar, Porbandar and Dwarka.

Gandhinagar: Bharuch Police has registered two cases against Tablighi attendees for violating lockdown, after the police found that the accused had travelled in private vehicles from Bhavnagar to Bharuch, Gujarat’s Director-General of Police, Shivanand Jha told the press on Tuesday. DGP Jha also said that stern action will be taken against anyone who violates the lockdown by going out late at night and early in the morning.

Police have registered 3,888 cases for the violation of public orders and other offences, and have arrested 4,868 persons in this regard.

It has impounded 8,267 vehicles for violating the lockdown.

In another development, two inmates of the Sabarmati Central Jail have been infected

DGP Shivanand Jha

Two quarantined jail inmates test positive for COVID-19 during a routine check with the Sars-CoV-2 virus. One inmate is under trial and the other is a convict, one had returned from parole and the other had been out on bail. As per protocol, they were placed under quarantine when they returned to jail. A routine sample test showed they were positive for COVID-19.

PERSPECTIVE AHMEDABAD | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2020

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

COMBATING CORONA INDUCED RECESSION

IN-DEPTH

FEWER KITS IN HAND BUT THE FIGHT IS ON

PROF. ND MATHUR

A

s coronavirus cases in India neared the 30,000 mark, the rapid testing kits remained a debatable issue. After complaints from states about the Chinese kits giving faulty results, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) told them to stop using those kits. About 6.5 lakh rapid testing kits were imported from Chinese companies Guangzhou Wondfo Biotech and Zhuhai Livzon Diagnostics. They are called rapid kits since they give the results in 30 minutes. Initially, ICMR had suspended the use of kits for two days. After ICMR’s centres carried out validation tests the objections by states were found to be true. Now ICMR wants the kits to be returned.

This has raised two issues. One, the number of Covid-19 tests being carried out suffered a setback. As it is, given the population size the number of tests being done is perceived below.

The ICMR, however, disagrees. One study said that on April 19, 27, 824 samples were tested of 1,134 were found to be positive. Cumulatively, over 4 lakh samples had been tested until that date and five lakh tests by April 22. Dr Raman Gangakhedkar, ICMR’s head of Epidemiology and Communicable Diseases was quoted as saying sometime back “…we are conducting 24 tests out of which one comes out to be positive. Also, we have a huge population and not all people belong to vulnerable groups. Hence can’t say our testing ratio is low”.

India now intends to scale up testing to one lakh daily. Union health minister Harsh Vardhan recently said India will be able to make its own rapid test kits by May as all processes were in an advanced stage and production will begin after ICMR approval. Once these kits are ready the country would be able to carry out 100,000 tests covering a bigger section of the population daily.

The second issue that has come up is China’s response to the rejection of its testing kits. While the health ministry says that the country won’t lose a rupee if the kits are returned to suppliers, the Chinese embassy in New Delhi voiced “deep concern” with ICMR decisions and evaluation results. It also said that the kits had ICMR’s approval. After the National Institute of Virology’s validation, the kits were found to be satisfactory, the embassy claimed. Wondfo rejected the charge of supplying faulty vaccines and blamed the timing of tests for the variations.

This leaves us at a critical juncture.

Fewer rapid testing kits mean fewer tests at a time when a huge percentage of cases are asymptomatic. In Maharashtra 80 percent of cases are said to be asymptomatic, those who are infected but do not show symptoms. In Rajasthan, where around 70,000 tests had been done until a few days ago, the government is apprehensive of asymptomatic patients. Hopefully, lockdown will keep the virus in check.

The writer is a Director, School of Humanities and Social Sciences Manipal University, Jaipur

A

The world will be caught in a circular constellation or a vicious circle of recession. A vicious circle is one in which cause is the effect and vice versa. The unorganized sector’s business is closed. The huge working population is unemployed which will cause low income thereby low purchasing power leading to demand goods and services (except the pressure of demand for essential goods)

black swan incident leaves its mark and impact. Corona is one such incident. This pandemic will bring another economic pandemic that shall impact the economies of various countries. The pandemic has affected Dharavi and Buckingham Palace equally. Recession is an outcome of war or business cycles or risky uncertainties like a pandemic. Probably such incidents happen to provide sustainability to our madness towards the growth rush.

SPREAD OF RECESSION Developed and developing countries shall be equally affected badly as a consequence of COVID-19. The Indian economy is no exception to it. The aviation sector, rail transport, bus transport, shipping, the auto sector, textile, solar power, electric good industry, domestic and international tourism, pharmaceuticals, domestic trade, MSMEs, etc. shall be severely affected by falling of demand and shrinking propensity to consume.

CIRCULAR CONSTELLATION OF RECESSION The world will be caught in a circular constellation or a vicious circle of recession. A vicious circle is one in which cause is the effect and vice versa. The unorganized sector’s business is closed. The huge working population is unemployed which will cause low income thereby low purchasing power leading to demand goods and services (except the pressure of demand for essential goods). This will further cause low production leading to low income and thereby low level of purchasing power. So low purchasing power which is a cause of recession is the final effect too.

So there shall be needed to break through this vicious circle at any point by bailouts and welfare schemes or monetary and fiscal stimulations and booster dozes to the various sectors of the economy. Bottle-

necks have to be faced not only from demand-side but from the supply side too.

DECOUPLING IS NOT POSSIBLE After the establishment of WTO in 1995 dependency of one country over other countries has tremendously increased. No country can remain in isolation after joining the globalization bandwagon. China missed it in 1995 so realized later that trade isolation is harmful and was compelled to join WTO in 2001. In 2008 the world had faced a global recession due to the subprime crises and countries have witnessed that the decoupling theory fails to work as the world is more interdependent today.

NEED OF THE HOUR In the present scenario, the high growth rate or a high GDP growth rate are not the priorities. GDP at current prices and overall growth rate is bound to fall in this era. But the priority is to create alternative employment opportunities, giving broad and selective bailouts, effective PDS, cash transfers without leakages, food security, combating hoarding, expanding coverage of MGNREGA, old age pension distribution, etc. Relaxing labour market regulations, creating for lost activity, curbing trade through protectionism improving propensity to spend, initiating the process of reconstruction is the priority of the present era.

COMBATING STRATEGY The world is already in recession. The world is facing a double whammy of demand and supply shocks. Lending will freeze everywhere which will restrict production and disrupt the global value chain. The oil collapse is a further blow. The problem will spread in the banking system with NPAs proliferating.

As per the UN trade report, developing countries would require a relief package of around 187 lakh crore. Developed countries will have less investment by 225 lakh crore.

The reconstruction process has to be started by International organizations. Developed and developing countries will have to devise their monetary and fiscal measures in such a manner that the problem may get hit from various angles. At the national level Reserve Bank of India has already begun to make recession combating strategies by reducing CRR, repo and reserve repo, interest rate structure, deferment of EMIs and moratorium period, etc. RBI is devising a strategy of an easy monetary policy to confront recession. RBI has propagated zero-interest loans to boost investment thereby business activity and employment generation in the economy. These measures will bring liquidity and credit expansion in the economy. Not only quantitative monetary measures but qualitative monetary measures are being taken by RBI which will boost economic ac-

How South Korea stopped COVID-19 early

S

outh Korea experienced one of the world’s largest initial outbreaks of COVID-19 outside China.

But, unlike the United States and many European countries, we have been able to contain and drastically reduce the spread of the virus, at least so far – and without imposing a nationwide lockdown. Our response may provide insights that can help other governments and civil-society groups working to combat the pandemic.

SO, HOW DID WE DO IT? As is widely known, South Korea’s government focused on aggressive testing and contact tracing to contain community transmission, and established a strict triage system to protect health-care workers.

04

But testing and tracing alone did not stop the spread of the virus. The country’s civil society – including non-governmental organizations and trade unions – played a critical role by monitoring the situation closely, helping to hold the authorities accountable, and reaching the most vulnerable social groups.

The government procured high-quality diagnostic kits based on a tightly coordinated transfer of public-funded technology to private manufacturers, and quickly established a mass testing system in which public-health centers played a central part. These early interventions paid off: the country now has more than 600 testing sites, including 80 drive-through centers, capable of testing a total of 20,000 people per day. Moreover, individuals

South Korea’s civil-society organisations played a critical role by monitoring the situation closely, helping to hold the authorities accountable

with suspected COVID-19 symptoms and contact history are legally entitled to be tested free of charge.

Each time a new case was identified, local governments used contact tracing to quarantine potential carriers and publicly disclosed their individual travel histories in order to inform nearby residents of their potential exposure. This helped to contain infection clusters.

And the triage system in hospitals helped to prevent patients with severe symptoms from indiscriminately infecting health-care workers and other patients.

For contact tracing, the authorities relied on mobile-phone GPS data, creditcard transaction records, and CCTV footage. While this use of personal data is legal in South Korea and proved effective in combating the virus, it also raised significant privacy concerns. Over the last two months, some patients whose detailed travel history was made public have been blamed, as if they had recklessly put others at risk of infection. The country’s National Human Rights Commission and advocacy organizations have called for an appropriate balance between protecting the public and respecting individu-

al rights, and this debate continues today.

Trade unions, NGOs, and the public were also instrumental in pushing the government to protect vulnerable citizens, respect their basic human rights, and address the deeply rooted inequalities highlighted by social-distancing measures.

Many low-wage workers, for example, could not work remotely or take paid leave to support themselves and their families. A call center in southwest Seoul, where workers were crammed into a small, poorly ventilated office, emerged as one of the country’s biggest COVID-19 clusters. And one delivery worker died on the job, collapsing from exhaustion because of the huge increase in online orders.

FOR FULL REPORT LOG ON TO WWW.PROJECTSYNDICATECOM

tivity in India in a long way. It is suggested that RBI must offer a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) loans as a qualitative monetary measure to get rid of recession and expanding credit in the desired direction.

KEYNESIAN ECONOMICS Fiscal measures will go a long way in this crisis. During Wall Street Crisis the British economist John Maynard Keynes worked on fiscal stimulant through his pump-priming strategy of deficit financing which made the collapsing economy of Great Britain alive.

Tax concession, subsidies, deficit financing, good governance, increasing public spending, and a mixed blend of easy monetary policy worked very well in combating Wall Street Crisis.

Govt of India must also create alternative employment for people by expanding frontiers of MGNREGA, increasing public spending, tax ease, investment-oriented monetary measures will help the Indian economy to conduct corona induced recession. It is suggested that Govt. of India must bring amendments to the FRBM Act. In, 2003 it restricts the government to increase the deficit as a percentage of GDP. FRBM Act only allows 0.5 deficit in addition to the prescribed range during severe stress but Covid-19 stress is so severe and requires amendment in FRBM provision.

THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL

Top

TWEET Dharmendra Pradhan @dpradhanbjp Women in Odisha have shown exemplary grit and determination and are playing a crucial role in the fight against #COVID-19. Salute our #NariShakti for their #IspatiIrada for a happier and healthier Odisha. #OdishaFightsCorona #IndiaFightsCorona Piyush Goyal @PiyushGoyal Fulfilling dreams of North East India: 100 meter high & 555 meter long bridge over river Makru in Manipur will enable smooth movement of passenger & freight traffic. The bridge will enhance connectivity to the State & boost development in the region.

Spiritual SPEAK

You cannot travel the path until you have become the path itself. —Buddha

Vol 1 Issue No. 153 RNI NO. GUJENG/2019/16208. Printed and published by Anita Hada Sangwan on behalf of First Express Publishers. Printed at Bhaskar Printing Planet Survey No.148P, Changodar-Bavla Highway, Tal. Sanand, Dist. Ahmedabad.

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

INDIA AHMEDABAD | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2020

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

05

COVID UPDATE

‘No case in 80 dists in last 7 days’

While 300 districts are non-hotspots, 129 districts with COVID-19 cases have been declared as hotspots, Health Min informed New Delhi: Eighty disShiv Sena tricts of the country UP CM ADITYANATH CHAIRS have reported no COVCOVID-19 REVIEW MEET seeks financial ID-19 cases over the last 7 days, Union Health aid for states Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan informed on Tuesday.

The Union Minister, through video conferencing, interacted with autonomous institutes and public sector units (PSUs) under the department of biotechnology.

“No fresh case has been reported in 80 districts since last 7 days. In 47 districts, no case has been reported in the last 14 days, while 39 districts have not reported a case since the last 21 days. Seventeen districts have not reported a case for last 28 days,” he said.

While 300 districts are non-hotspots, 129 districts with significant COVID-19 cases have been declared as hotspots, the Union Minister informed. In the past 24 hours, no fresh case has been reported from 16 districts. As India battles COVID-19, coronavirus cases on Tuesday soared to 29,435, including 21,632 active cases, 6869 cured/discharged patients and 934 deaths. —ANI

Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan holds a review meeting via video conference with LG-Delhi, Delhi Health Minister, MCD Commissioners, DMs and DCPs of all districts of Delhi on Tuesday., as Health Ashwini Kumar Choubey looks on.

—PHOTO BY ANI

Air India, Navy on standby for evacuation Dubai: India’s national carrier Air India and Indian Navy have been asked to be on standby with their aircraft and warships for the mass evacuation of Indians from Gulf countries as the Covid-19 pandemic continues.

“We are assessing the scenario and finding the plan to evacuate Indians from the Gulf countries. We have asked Air India

New guidelines for mild-symptom patients at home New Delhi: The Union Health Ministry has come up with guidelines for home isolation of people who either have very mild coronavirus symptoms or are in the pre-symptomatic phase. At present in India all suspected cases are quarantined in a hospital setting.

“As per existing guidelines, during the containment phase, the patients should be clinically assigned as very mild/mild, moderate or severe and accordingly admitted to COVID Care Centre, Dedicated COVID Health Centre or Dedicated COVID Hospital, respectively,” the ministry said in its new guidelines.

“However, very mild/ pre-symptomatic patients having the requisite facility at his/her residence for self-isolation will have the option for home isolation,” it said.

The patient should be clinically assigned as a very mild case or presymptomatic case by the treating medical officer. The Guidelines say, the patient should regularly inform his health status to the district surveillance officer for urther follow up.

The care giver and all close contacts of such individuals should take Hydroxychloroquine as a preventive medication according to the protocol and as prescribed by the treating medical officer.

The home isolation will end when symptoms are clinically resolved. —ANI

and Indian Navy for the detailed evacuation plan,” top government sources said.

Amid the coronavirus scare, thousands of

Indians have expressed willingness to come back to India from the Gulf countries, but due to suspension of air operations and other

modes of travel, they have been stuck there.

In response to the report, Consul General of India to Dubai Vipul told Khaleej Times, “We are still waiting for official confirmation from Delhi on this matter.

The mode of evacuation will be decided by the government of India and I am sure that Air India will be involved as well.” —ANI

Mumbai: The Shiv Sena demanded that the Centre declare a financial package for states from 10 % of the country’s GDP like several western countries to deal with the situation arising out of COVID-19 lockdown.

In its mouthpiece ‘Saamna’, Shiv Sena cited NCP chief Sharad Pawar’s letter to PM Modi in which the leader sough financial package for Maharashtra and said that the Centre should take “financial guardianship of states at this hour”. It highlighted that almost all states including Maharashtra are under heavy loan burden so the Union government should take a loan and distribute it to states instead of states left to borrow.the Shiv Sena said: “The Centre should declare a package for states from 10 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) as several western countries have done.” —ANI

Rules issued to import remains of patients New Delhi: The Centre has assured Delhi HC that the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) have been issued by it in the form of detailed guidelines for importation of human remains related to COVID-19.

The court was hearing a plea seeking direction to repatriate the mortal remains of a person who died in the UAE. Justice Sanjiv Sachdeva heard the

GHMC workers take an oath to protect the public in Hyderabad.

matter through video conferencing on Mon-

day and allowed the petitioner to withdraw

the plea after Counsel for the petitioner submitted that with the intervention of Central and Uttarakhand government and with the efforts of Roshan Raturi, Social Worker at the UAE, the mortal remains of the brother of the petitioner reached Delhi on Monday morning and were transported to Uttarakhand where the deceased’s last rites were performed. —ANI

MAKING PEOPLE AWARE...

A mannequin based coronavirus set-up on a vehicle ply on road to spread awareness to commuters during the nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of COVID19, in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday.

—PHOTO BY ANI

HC grants bail to man facing cheating charges Keeping in view of the facts, current scenario and medical condition of the petitioner, the petitioner is granted interim bail for a period of 45 days.

—Sanjeev Sachdev, Justice, Delhi HC

condition of him furnishing a personal bond of Rs 50,000. “Keeping in view of the facts and

circumstances and also the present pandemic situation in the country and the medical condi-

tion of the petitioner, petitioner is granted interim bail for a period of 45 days on his fur-

nishing a personal bond in the sum of Rs. 50,000 to the satisfaction of the Superintendent Jail,” the court said.

The court also imposed a condition that the petitioner shall duly surrender to the concerned Superintendent Jail on the expiry of the period of 45 days of his release.

Counsel for the petitioner told the court that petitioner is diabetic and a patient of

TREAT COVID-19 AS OPPORTUNITY: PRASAD New Delhi: Minister for Electronics and IT Ravi Shankar Prasad has asked state governments to treat COVID-19 pandemic as an opportunity & prepare for the forthcoming boom in the electronics manufacturing sector. The comments of the minister came at a meeting with his state counterparts where he said that “anger against China can be used towards benefit for India’s manufacturing sector”. During his interaction with state CMs, IT ministers& officials, Prasad claimed that major opportunity in electronic manufacturing sector is likely to open up for India soon.

‘YSRCP, RESPONSIBLE FOR COVID-19 SURGE IN ANDHRA’ Amaravati: TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu accused Jagan Mohan Reddy-led Andhra Pradesh government and SEC of causing a nonstop rise in coronavirus cases in the state.

In an open letter to the people of Andhra h, Naidu appealed them to protect themselves by personally taking all possible preventive measures . Alleging that the situation deteriorated ever since SEC gave a call for election preparedness despite nationwide lockdown, he said: “The YSRCP leaders began holding rallies, crowd based gatherings and door delivery of benefits. Such open violations of lockdown coupled with failure of official machinery led to the present nonstop rise in COVID-19 cases in the state.”

16-YR-OLD IS ASSAM’S YOUNGEST PATIENT

LEGAL EAGLE

New Delhi: Delhi High Court has granted interim bail to an under-trial prisoner, who was facing charges including cheating, forgery and criminal intimidation, etc, on medical grounds during the ongoing coronavirus crisis.

Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva, after hearing the submissions, on Monday granted interim bail to accused Yashpal Uppal for 45 days on

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath chaired a meeting with ‘COVID-19 management Team-11’ regarding the prevailing coronavirus situation in the state. According to the data of the Ministry of Health, till 11:55 am today, there are 1,955 coronavirus cases in Uttar Pradesh including 31 deaths.

hypertension and recently one of his thumbs had been amputated on account of the illness. The lawyer said that the petitioner is at high-risk in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The person is facing trial under Sections 420 (cheating, dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 448 (housetrespass), 468(forgery for cheating), 506 (criminal intimidation, 120B of the IPC. —ANI

Dispur : Assam Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on said that a secondary contact of a Markaz attendee has tested COVID-19 positive in the state. “Alert ~ A 16-year-old girl from Salmara Bongaingaon, secondary contact of a Markaz attendee, has tested COVID-19 positive. The number of COVID-19 patients in Assam now stands at 36. However active hospital cases are 8,” Himanta Biswa Sarma tweeted.

NITI AAYOG SEALED, AS EMPLOYEE TESTS POSITIVE

New Delhi: A NITI Aayog employee was tested positive for COVID-19 after which its building here has been sealed as a precautionary measure. “An employee working at NITI Bhavan has been detected positive with COVID-19. It was informed to authorities. NITI Aayog is following all the due protocols necessary as per the Ministry of Health guidelines. The building has been sealed,” the Aayog tweeted. “Disinfection and sanitisation of the building are underway.

Contacts of the single COVID-positive person have been asked to go on self-quarantine.”

INDIA AHMEDABAD | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2020

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

BJP helping loan defaulters: Cong New Delhi: The Congress on Tuesday, slammed the government for writing off loans of top fifty wilful defaulters to the tune of Rs 68,607 crore, saying the government and the Finance Minister should come clean on it.

Congress charged the BJP with helping the defaulters. “Till April 24, Rs 68,607 crore have

Rs 8,048 cr have been written off of Mehul Choksi & Nirav Modi.Diamond merchant Jatin Mehta’s Rs 6, 048 cr have been written off.

—Randeep Surjewala, Cong Chief Spokesperson

been written off by the government.

The PM can not evade this question by keep-

ing silent,” said Congress Chief spokesper-

son Randeep Surjewala.

The Congress said Rahul Gandhi had asked this question in Parliament, but the government did not respond. “But now an RTI has revealed the magnitude of the waiver,” he said.

“As much as Rs 8,048 crore have been written off of Mahul Choksi and Nirav Modi. Anoth-

‘Bring out truth in Sadhus’ murder’ New Delhi: Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has lashed out at the UP government for deteriorating law & order situation, rise of crime and murder of two saints in Bulandshahr on Tuesday.

She said, “Today in Bulandshahr, two sadhus were murdered while they were sleeping. The truth must come out after investigation in this heinous crime and at this stage no body should politicize this issue.”

“In UP before April 15, about 100 people have been murdered.

Three days back in Etah, five of a Pachauri family have been killed so mysteriously that no body knew what has happened,” she added.

She urged the UP government for fair probeto bring out the truth behind the murders as it is the state government’’s responsibility. Two sadhus were found murdered inside a Shiva temple at Pagona village of Bulandshahr district in on Tuesday.

Priyanka Gandhi

BOOK KILLERS: THACKERAY TO YOGI

Ashok Gehlot @ashokgehlot51 Condemn the brutal murder of two sadhus in UP’s #Bulandshahr in a temple.

There should be an inquiry & the culprits must be given harshest punishment

Mumbai: Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray called up UP CM Yogi Adityanath & urged him to take stringent action against those involved in the killing of two sadhus in Bulandshahr. “I called up the UP CM and expressed concern over the brutal killings today. We are all with the (Uttar Pradesh) government in tackling such heinous crimes,” said Thackeray.

He pointed out that on April 16, a similar incident of two sadhus and their driver being lynched had taken place

Jitin Prasada demands Yogi’’s resignation

Uddhav Thackeray

in Palghar in which the Maharashtra government had initiated strong action. “We are hoping that you will follow suit and give strongest punishment to the accused in the (Bulandshahr) incident,” Thackeray said.

New Delhi: After two Sadhus were found murdered in Bulandshahr the Congress has attacked the CM for deteriorating law and order situation in the state. Congress Working Committee member and former Union Minister Jitin Prasada has demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

The murder of the two Sadhus came after a family of five have been found dead under mysterious circumstances.

VHP HOLDS ‘SATVIK PROTEST’ New Delhi: The Vishwa Hindu Parishad offerred ‘shraddhanjali’ or last respects on Tuesday evening to the deceased sants who lost their lives in Shiv Sena ruled Maharashtra’’s Palghar. However, it remained mum on the murder of two seers in BJP-ruled Bulandshahr district.

VHP Secretary General Milind Parande offerred ‘’shradhanjali’’ by lighting a lamp at 7 p.m. at the VHP headquarters

in Delhi’’s RK Puram. A message from the VHP says this is “to pay tribute to the immortal souls of the revered saints and their driver”.

Other senior members of the organization also participated in the event, which wasclaimed to be brief and keeping social distancing norms in mind.

The Hindu Dharma Acharya Sabha and the VHP had jointly given a call for a ‘’Satvik Protest’’ on Tuesday in remembrance of the victims of the Palghar lynching. —Agencies

YOGI TO INTERACT WITH STUDENTS FROM KOTA UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will hold a vc with students, who were brought back to their homes from Kota, on Tuesday evening, an official said. According to the spokesman, the Chief Minister will enlighten the students about safety protocols prescribed to combat the deadly virus. More than 7,500 students who were brought back to the state from

Kota about a week ago, have been placed in 14-day quarantine in their homes. Yogi is also expected to appraise the students of online classes and inquire about their studies. —Agencies

er diamond merchant Jatin Mehta’s Rs 6,048 crore too have been written off, and so is the case with Kingfisher’s Vijay Mallya. Similar is the case with the relations of these defaulters,” said Surjewala.

The Congress said the “Jan-Dhan Gaban Yojna cannot go without knowledge of the govt’s top echelon.

Sensex jumps 371 pts, Nifty tops 9,300

Minister for Road Transport Nitin Gadkari holding a meeting with the State/UT Road Transport Ministers via video conferencing.

to ease up the lives of the public in the light of lockdown announced to curb COVID-19 pandemic.

Speaking at the meeting of State/UT Road

Transport Ministers held via video conference, Gadkari urged the Ministers to intervene in such matters and ensure resolutions through the local/dis-

Indigenous testing...

China also claimed that the statement made by ICMR is an example of ‘prejudice’.

At the same time, the spokesperson said China will continue to support India’s fight against the pandemic and will jointly work with New Delhi to overcome the challenge “at an early date” to protect people of the two countries from the infection.

India procured around 500,000 rapid an-

tibody test kits from the two Chinese firms nearly two weeks back and they were distributed to several states reporting rising cases of the coronavirus infection.

trict administrations.

At the same time, he underlined following the health advisories and other guidelines like proper distance, wearing masks, use of sanitisers, both by the driver/cleaners and also at the Dhabas. further pointed out that transportation of labour to factories may be facilitated by following the health protocols of maintaining a onemetre distance, wearing masks, use of sanitisers, etc. —Agencies

POWER Gallery PMO WON’T HAVE SECRETARY?

There are indications that now PMO will not have a regular Secretary. Presently, PMO is having two retired Secretaries as Advisors to PM. They are Amarjeet Sinha and Bhaskar Khulbe.

IFS OFFICERS POSTING FILE CLEARED?

If sources are to be believed, the PMO has reportedly cleared the transfers and postings file of about half a dozen IFS officers. It is said that about half a dozen IFS officers likely to get new postings including in UK, EU, Austria , Finland and UN Rep at Geneva.

GAITRI ISSAR KUMAR LIKELY TO BE INDIA’S NEXT HIGH COMMISSIONER TO UK

Gaitri Issar Kumar, India’s Ambassador to European Union, is likely to be appointed as next High Commissioner to United Kingdom. She is an Indian Foreign Service officer of 1986 batch.

SANTOSH JHA TO BE INDIAN AMBASSADOR TO BRUSSELS ?

Santosh Jha, currently India’s envoy to Uzbekistan, is likely to be appointed India’s new Ambassador in Brussels.

WHO WILL BE NEW DG OF ITBP ?

Mumbai: Extending its gains for the second session, equity benchmark Sensex jumped 371 points on Tuesday driven by aggressive buying in financial stocks amid hopes of another stimulus package by the government.

After a volatile session, the 30-share BSE gauge settled 371.44 points or 1.17 per cent higher at 32,114.52. It hit an intra-day high of 32,199.91 and a low of 31,661.34.

Similarly, the NSE Nifty advanced 98.60 points, or 1.06 per cent, to close at 9,380.90.

IndusInd Bank was the top gainer in the Sensex pack, rallying over 15%, followed by Bajaj Finance, HDFC, Axis Bank, ICICI Bank, Sun Pharma, Nestle India, NTPC, HCL Tech and Bajaj Auto were among the laggards.

RBI’s massive liquidity booster to the mutual fund industry continued to spur buying in financial stocks, traders said. —Agencies

‘Facilitate inter-state movement of vehicles’ Two militants killed New Delhi: Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday called upon all the States/UTs to take urgent action so that blockades of trucks and lorries at inter-state/ UT borders are cleared at the earliest possible, as the smooth movement of essential goods to various parts of the country is essential.

This, he said, needs to be given urgent attention by facilitating the truck/lorry movement,

06

in Shopian, ops on Srinagar: Two militants have been killed in ongoing encounter which broke between goverment forces and militants in Melhora Area of Zainapora in South Kashmir’s Shopian District on Tuesday. two militants were killed in a gunfight.

However identity of the slain militant is yet to be ascertained as operation is still underway Ajoint team of Police and army’s 55 RR

launched cordon and search operation in Melhora.

As the joint team of forces approached towards the suspected spot, the hiding militants fired upon them, triggering an encounter. —Agencies

monds.

Vikram Kothari’s Rotomac is the fourth in the list. He and his son Rahul Kothari were arrested by the CBI for bank loan default.

In the last Parliament session, Rahul Gandhi had asked the government to provide a list of top 50 bank loans defaulters in the country, leading to sharp exchanges and uproar in the Lok Sabha.

“The information on top 50 wilful defaulters and their sum of fund-

ed amount outstanding and amount technically/prudentially written off as on September 30, 2019 reported in CRILC by banks, is provided,” the RBI said in its written response dated April 24.

In his application, RTI activist Saket Gokhale had sought the list of defaulters as on February 16, but the RBI said the requested information is not available.

The RBI said that according to section 8 (1)

In case SS Deswal moves to the BSF, who will succeed him as DG of ITBP. Tie is said to be between two 1986 batch IPS officers, Jyotirmoy Chakravarty and MA Gnapathy.

THREE IRS - IT OFFICERS TRANSFERRED

Three IRS-IT officers - Prashant Bhushan of 1988 batch, Sanjay Bahadur of 1989 batch and Prakash Dube of 2001 batch – have been transferred. It is said they reportedly suggested to impose additional taxes on rich and a 4% Covid-19 cess on taxable income of over Rs 10 lakh.

GANGADHAR PANDA RETURNS TO PARENT CADRE

Upon return from deputation, Gangadhar Panda has been appointed as CIT (OSD) in the office of Pr CCIT Delhi Region. He is an IRS-IT officer.

CADRE OF NEHA YADAV TRANSFERRED TO ASSAM-MEGHALAYA

The cadre of Neha Yadav has been transferred from Tamil Nadu to Assam-Meghalaya on the grounds of marriage to Mridul Yadav, an IAS officer of 2017 batch. She is a 2019 batch IAS officer.

TENURE OF DAYAL AND DR NANDA ON HUDCO BOARD ENDS

The tenure of Pratima Dayal and Dr SK Nanda as Part time Non-Official (Independent) Directors on the Board of HUDCO has come to an end.

TWO SECRETARY EQUIVALENT OFFICERS TO RETIRE ON APRIL 30

Two officials equivalent to Secretary will retire by this month end. They are N Sivasailam Special Secretary, Ministry of Commerce and Preetam Singh Secretary, National Commission for Scheduled Castes M/o Social Justice & Empowerment.

DDG PRASAR BHARTI GETS ONE YEAR EXTENSION

Col Vijay Kumar Shad, DDG (Admn) in Prasar Bharati, has been given extension in his deputation tenure for one year w e f June 11, 2020. Col Shad is from Military Services Branch.

JS LOK SABHA SECRETARIAT PREETI SRIVASTAVA TO RETIRE

Joint Secretary in Lok Sabha Secretariat Preeti Srivastava is retiring by this month end.

SADHU NARASIMHA REDDY JOINS AP GOVT ON DEPUTATION

Sadhu Narasimha Reddy, presently Additional Commissioner of GST and Central Excise, Visakhapatnam, has joined the Government of Andhra Pradesh on deputation. He is a 2006 batch IRS-C&CE officer.

FROM PG 1 ‘Plasma therapy... then it can also cause life threatening complications,” said Agarwal.

The official said that the doubling rate of coronavirus cases now stands at 10.2 days.

He further said that in the last 24 hours, 1,543 new cases of COVID-19 have been reported, taking the total cases to 29,435.

“6,868 COVID-19 patients, which is 23.3 per cent of total cases, have recovered so far,” he added.

`68K cr loans...

Mallya’s Kingfisher Airlines figures in the list at number 9, with outstanding of Rs 1943 crore which have been technically written off by the banks.

Forever Precious Jewellery and Diamonds Private Limited

has loans of Rs 1,962 crore written off while Deccan Chronicle Holdings Limited have Rs 1915 crore written off loans.

Choksi’s other firms Gili India and Nakshatra Brands also have loans of Rs 1,447 and Rs 1109 crore respectively written off.

REI Agro of Jhunjhunwala brothers is already under the scanner of ED. The CBI and ED are also probing alleged fraud by the owners of Winsome Dia-

(a) of RTI Act 2005 read with para 77 of Supreme Court judgement of December 16, 2015 in Jayantilal N Mistry case, information on overseas borrowers is exempted from public disclosure.

19 deaths,...

Principal Secretary (Health) Jayanti Ravi said after the consultation with the Gujarat Chapter of the Indian Medical Association, 2,166 private hospitals and clinics are now op-

erational.

In Ahmedabad, health and police teams carried out a detailed plan for sample testing in the Gopalnagar area of Memnagar, where 13 positive cases were reported on Monday. 33 more jawans of SRP Force deployed in Ahmedabad’s red zone areas have been infected with Sars-CoV-2, and have been admitted for treatment. With this, 50 SRP Jawans test corona-positive and company has been quarantined.

TALKING POINT AHMEDABAD | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2020

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

07

Public spending must be allocated to health systems

second factor is A the demographic time bomb in ad-

THE COMING

vanced economies.

The COVID-19 crisis shows that much more public spending must be allocated to health systems and that universal health care and other relevant public goods are necessities, not luxuries. Yet, because most developed countries have aging societies, funding such outlays in the future will make the implicit debts from today’s unfunded health-care

GREATER DEPRESSION OF THE 2020s

Even if the Greater Recession leads to a lackluster U-shaped recovery this year, an L-shaped ‘Greater Depression’ will follow later in this decade

and social-security systems even larger.

A third issue is the growing risk of deflation. In addition to causing a deep recession, the crisis is also creating a massive slack in goods (unused machines and capacity) and labor markets (mass unemployment), as well as driving a price collapse in commodities such as oil and industrial metals. That makes debt deflation likely, increasing the risk of insolvency.

COLD WAR BETWEEN THE US AND ITS RIVALS

A

fter the 2007-09 financial crisis, the imbalances and risks pervading the global economy were exacerbated by policy mistakes. So, rather than address the structural problems that the financial collapse and ensuing recession revealed, governments mostly kicked the can down the road, creating major downside risks that made another crisis inevitable.

And now that it has arrived, the risks are growing even more acute. Unfortunately, even if the Greater Recession leads to a lackluster U-shaped recovery this year, an Lshaped “Greater Depression” will follow later in this decade, owing to ten ominous and risky trends.

orse, this diplomatic W breakup will set the stage for a new cold war

between the US and its rivals – not just China, but also Russia, Iran, and North Korea. With a US presidential election approaching, there is every reason to expect an upsurge in clandestine cyber warfare, potentially leading even to conventional military clashes.

And because technology is the key weapon in the fight for control of the industries of the future and in combating pandemics, the US private tech sector will become increasingly integrated into the national-security-

industrial complex.

A final risk that cannot be ignored is environmental disruption, which, as the COVID-19 crisis has shown, can wreak far more economic havoc than a financial crisis.

Recurring epidemics (HIV since the 1980s, SARS in 2003, H1N1 in 2009, MERS in 2011, Ebola in 2014-16) are, like climate change, essentially manmade disasters, born of poor health and sanitary standards, the abuse of natural systems, and the growing interconnectivity of a globalized world.

Pandemics and the many morbid symptoms of climate change will become

more frequent, severe, and costly in the years ahead.

These ten risks, already looming large before COVID-19 struck, now threaten to fuel a perfect storm that sweeps the entire global economy into a decade of despair.

By the 2030s, technology and more competent political leadership may be able to reduce, resolve, or minimize many of these problems, giving rise to a more inclusive, cooperative, and stable international order. But any happy ending assumes that we find a way to survive the coming Greater Depression.

DEFICITS AND THEIR COROLLARY RISKS: DEBTS AND DEFAULTS rst trend concerns defiTdebtshecitsfiandand their corollary risks: defaults. The policy

response to the COVID-19 crisis entails a massive increase in fiscal deficits – on the order of 10% of GDP or more – at a time when public debt levels in many countries were already high, if not unsustainable.

Worse, the loss of income

for many households and firms means that private-sector debt levels will become unsustainable, too, potentially leading to mass defaults and bankruptcies. Together with soaring levels of public debt, this all but ensures a more anemic recovery than the one that followed the Great Recession a decade ago.

MONETARY POLICIES WILL BECOME UNCONVENTIONAL

fourth (related) facA tor will be currency debasement. As central

banks try to fight deflation and head off the risk of surging interest rates (following from the massive debt buildup), monetary policies will become even more unconventional and farreaching. In the short run, governments will need to run monetized fiscal deficits to avoid depression and deflation. Yet, over time, the permanent negative supply shocks from accelerated de-globalization and renewed protectionism will make stagflation all but inevitable.

A fifth issue is the broader digital disruption of the economy.

With millions of people losing their jobs or

working and earning less, the income and wealth gaps of the twenty-firstcentury economy will widen further. To guard against future supply-chain shocks, companies in advanced economies will reshore production from low-cost regions to higher-cost domestic markets. But rather than helping workers at home, this trend will accelerate the pace of automation, putting downward pressure on wages and further fanning the flames of populism, nationalism, and xenophobia.

This points to the sixth major factor: de-globalization. The pandemic is accelerating trends toward balkanization and

fragmentation that were already well underway. The United States and China will decouple faster, and most countries will respond by adopting still more protectionist policies to shield domestic firms and workers from global disruptions. The postpandemic world will be marked by tighter restrictions on the movement of goods, services, capital, labor, technology, data, and information. This is already happening in the pharmaceutical, medical-equipment, and food sectors, where governments are imposing export restrictions and other protectionist measures in response to the crisis.

POPULIST LEADERS TO BENEFIT FROM ECONOMIC WEAKNESS backlash against deTtrend.hemocracy will reinforce this Populist leaders often

benefit from economic weakness, mass unemployment, and rising inequality. Under conditions of heightened economic insecurity, there will be a strong impulse to scapegoat foreigners for the crisis. Blue-collar workers and broad cohorts of the middle class will become more susceptible to populist rhetoric, particularly proposals to restrict migration and trade.

This points to an eighth factor: the geostrategic standoff between the US and China.

With the Trump administration making every effort to blame China for the pandemic, Chinese President Xi Jinping’s regime will double down on its claim that the US is conspiring to prevent China’s peaceful rise. The Sino-American decoupling in trade, technology, investment, data, and monetary arrangements will intensify.

SOURCE: PROJECT SYNDICATE

CONCEPT: DIVYA HEMNANI

DESIGN: ABHISHEK GUPTA

Sometimes you have to draw from the well of your innermost strength to get through a single day, Do it! Every day is worth it!

2ND FRONT

—Jagdeesh Chandra, CEO & Editor, First India

AHMEDABAD | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2020

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

Crops ripe, but lockdown keeps farmers out of bounds Farmer associations demand opening up of the Rajasthan-Gujarat state border First India News Surat: Farmers of South Gujarat have pleaded with CM Rupani of the non availability of workers becoming a big obstacle in harvesting the ready crops in as much as 30000 hectares.

South Gujarat districts of Bharuch, Surat, Navsari and Valsad have written to the CM for helping the farmers out who have been following the lockdown guidelines sincerely ever since announced.

Jayesh Patel President of Gujarat Khedut Samaj and Darshan Naik of district panchayat have sent a letter to the CM. The Dhan crop is mostly ready and will be entirely fit to be harvested in coming ten days.

—FILE PHOTO

The crop is harvested both manually with help of farm workers as well as machines. If the whole crop is harvested with machines it leaves little for the cattle feed and in any case workers are needed for machine harvesting also.

Lockdown has created

severe shortage of farm labour which in normal circumstances comes from neighboring Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. The farmers are demanding the state borders be opened up for letting the farm labour come for work to save the state farmers

from the imminent loss otherwise. The state govt has also set 10 May last date for registering for the MSP purchase as it wants to wrap up the purchase process by 30 May. It is noteworthy that the state farmers have already suffered

loss of Rs 1100 crore due to sales loss in vegetables & fruits.

Now the rabi crops like wheat, spices etc are ready/ It is worth mentioning that the horticulture fruit crops get ruined within 10 days. Farmers are really worried for their crops like Banana, Water Melons etc. The news of unseasonable hail and rains in some states has further created worries for the farmers.

The farmers are now looking towards the state govt to help them out and do it quickly to save them from the imminent loss staring them in their faces.

Farmers have somehow survived the lockdown misery but the crop loss would be something most will not even dream to afford.

Guj & Raj shine in clean energy amid headwinds First India News Ahmedabad: Gujarat and Rajasthan have added 1934 MW and 1911 MW capacity respectively revealed a Crisil report. Gujarat’s total renewable capacity crossed the 10,000 MW mark in FY20, making it the third State after Karnataka and Tamil Nadu to have more than 10 GW of installed capacity, according to a Crisil Research report.

It added the highest new capacity, of 1,934 MW, followed by Rajasthan, which added 1,911 MW, the report said.

In terms of overall solar energy capacity addition in FY20, the top three States were Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

In wind energy, the top three were Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra.

Amid headwinds faced by the renewable energy sector in FY20, Gujarat and Rajasthan

Auto ind starts production but at 50% capacity : IMCT First India News Ahmedabad: Two Inter Miniterial Central teams have reported after visiting Ahmedabad and Surat. Speaking to media MHA joint secretary Punya Salila Srivastava said that IMCT found that auto industrial units started functioning in Sanand in Gujarat, working at 50 per cent capacity.

MHA Joint Secre-

tary Punya Salila Srivastava said two teams were sent to Ahmedabad and Surat in Gujarat.

She said the team

that has gone to Ahmedabad found that in Sanand industrial base, the pharmaceutical industry is functioning. Auto industrial units in the base have re-started functions and are working at 50 per cent capacity, she said.

About 30,000 out of total 50,000 labourers have returned to work, she said citing the findings of the team.

First India News Vadodara: Police in the city was attacked near Kasam Aala mosque area in the city while it was enforcing lockdown. FIR was registered after a violent mob of over 50 people attacked the cops while they were trying to enforce lockdown, in the wee hours (about the time of Sahari) of the morning at one of the worst Coro-

Arrested accused.

navirus-hit areas of the city. Police have arrested 10 persons

among 17 named in the FIR while main accused Nazir and 6 oth-

—FILE PHOTO

Gujarat’s total renewable capacity crossed the 10,000 MW mark in FY20, making it the third State after Karnataka and Tamil Nadu to have more than 10 GW of installed capacity. The highest new capacity, of 1,934 MW, followed

by Rajasthan, which added 1,911 MW..

—Crisil Report

managed to add more capacities than others, while Karnataka retained its Number One position in total installed capacity.

However, Karnataka retained its leadership position in total installed capacity during the year. As on March 31, 2020, its to-

ON THE WAY HOME

First batch of 10 buses carrying 780 fishermen of Andhra Pradesh, who were at Veraval Port since lockdown, flagged off today for travel to Srikakulam. Others will follow soon, said Collector, Gir Somnath.

Andhra CM ys jagan had spoken to Gujarat CM regarding same early this month.

10 arrested for attack on cops near mosque ers were absconding.

The incident started when the police noticed a group of 5men loitering around the streets violating the lockdown after the Sahari time. Main accused Nazir Sindhi, allegedly, abused policeman Gauam Kanti on being asked to go inside. He threatened to kill the officer and asked him to vacate the area. Police back up force was called

after this.

On being attempted to convince to stay indoors the police was attacked by an agitated mob. Nazir and his accomplices Rizwan Lakhajiwala and others were equipped with sticks and swords.

When they provoked the mob, the police came under a volley of stones and bottles. Reportedly, Nazir also threw a bicycle at the cops.

08

Niti Ayog identifies 15 cities crucial in COVID-19 War First India News Delhi: Ahmedabad, Delhi, Indore, Jaipur, Mumbai, Pune and Hyderabad have been identified as high case volume centers by the Niti Ayog CEO Amitabh Kant in his study on the Covid-19 s[read in the country.

Amitabh Kant heads the Empowered Group (EG 6) on coordinating with private sector NGOs and internation-

al organisations. The government had on March 29 constituted 11 empowered groups to suggest measures to ramp up healthcare, put the economy back on track and reduce misery of people as quickly as possible. Other high case load places that are “critical” in the battle against Corona include Vadodara, Kurnool, Bhopal, Jodhpur, Agra, Thane, Chennai and Surat.

tal renewable energy installed capacity stood at 15,232 MW, against 13,845 MW as on March 31, 2019.

The State has the highest installed capacity for solar at 7,278 MW, up from 6,096 MW a year ago.

Its wind energy capacity is at 4,791 MW.

Hosp restarts OPD and emergency First India News Ahmedabad: Vijay Nehra, the commissioner of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC), in his briefing on Tuesday shared that the AMC-run LG Hospital had resumed offering OPD and emergency medical services, barring the orthopaedic department.

Even though it falls under the non-COVID hospital category, all doctors and other staff members have been asked to wear PPE kits for protection. All patients have also been instructed to wear masks and sanitizers. They will also undergo screening before entering hospital premises.The hospital resumed operations after three-layer deep cleaning, sanitization and fumigation procedure. The orthopaedic department has not been reopened owing to the fact that several doctors contracted COVID-19 in that department.

Coming soon, a Gujarati movie on coronavirus by Prashant Thakor Ahmedabad: Inspired by numerous real life stories surrounding the battle against coronavirus, a filmmaker duo from Gujarat has decided to make a movie on how the pandemic affected people and the state machinery’s response to the unprecedented lockdown.

Instead of a cliched storyline of a hero fighting the evil forces, the Gujarati movie will have multiple stories depicting fear, hope, determination and many different

colours of life which have emerged during the epidemic, director Mahesh Patel told.

Patel and his business partner Dipak Soni own the Suratbased Kesar-Bhavani Film Productions, a company under whose banner the film will be made.

While the budget has not yet been finalised, Patel has already started working on the script the film, titled ‘Corona No Kaher’ (meaning coronavirus wreak-

So many things are happening around us due to the coronavirus - from people getting confined to their homes to migrants agitating due to the lockdown. We are also seeing how police personnel and doctors are putting their own lives at risk to save people.

Thus, we decided to make a movie on this subject.

—Mahesh Patel, Gujarati film director ing havoc).

Soni said the film’s shooting will start once the lockdown comes to an end and things get normal.

“Though we have released a working

poster of the movie and finalised some crew, many things are still in the pipeline.

The film would also have characters portraying the Gujarat chief minister and

the state director general of police, as they did a commendable job in such a situation,” Soni said.

The movie will have stories on migrant workers stuck in cities,

public’s fear and struggles during the lockdown and how police personnel, doctors and nurses fought all odds to save people’s lives, Patel said. “We will also highlight the good work

of NGOs and government in helping and feeding the poor. I have also planned to highlight how mistakes of some persons triggered spread of the virus,” he said.

“Overall, this will be a movie about how everyone came together to fight the coronavirus. We want to give a message of unity,” Patel added.

This will be the second major film of the producer- director duo.

In 2016, they made a movie titled ‘Power of Patidar’, on Hardik Patel who spearheaded an agitation for reservation some years back.

However, the film never got released as the censor board denied permission. —PTI

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

09

AHMEDABAD, WEDNESDAY APRIL 29, 2020

Jacqueline Fernandez

THE DANCE SEQUENCES ARE THE HIGHLIGHT OF A BOLLYWOOD MOVIE AND OVER THE YEARS HAVE DEVELOPED THEIR OWN SIGNATURE STYLE OF DANCE

NEHAL NAYAR

nehal.nayar@firstindia.co.in

B

ollywood dances have impacted the public so much, that now it is an accepted dance form like others and the dance moves are now a familiar sight on Western TV and cinema screens. These dances are easy on the eye not just because of the beautiful gorgeous sets right from the time of Amrapali to Padmaavat, but also the doe-eyed Bollywood heroines who wooed the audiences, men and women alike, with their graceful dance moves, expressions, and sheer cinematic pizzazz. But beneath all this glamour is a series of historic symbols and tradi-

Vyjayanthimala

Waheeda Rehman

tions, which originate in India’s numerous traditional dance forms all brought to life by the heroines, the chorus group, and the Choreographer, who draws the strings.

With the success of Bollywood films, the dance has taken the world by storm and has now come into the global spotlight. Stars like Madonna, Shakira, and Britney Spears have incorporated the Bollywood style of Hema Malini

dance or music into their songs, videos, and stage shows.

Since songs and lyrics are a major component of the Bollywood songs and dance sequence, the two basic elements of classical Indian dance abhinaya (expression) and nritta (pure dance) play a critical role.

The emphasis in Indian dance is about storytelling and expressions contribute to that.

Most of the famous heroines of Bollywood

who excelled in dance have had a background of classical dance.

Bollywood dance has moved from classical, cabaret, disco to the freestyle which is in vogue today. The evolution of Bollywood dance is a process that is entirely Indian yet cross-cultural at the same time. And the best part is that you can learn it by watching, so put on the TV, watch the movies, practice and get ready for the wedding after the lockdown is over to show off your dancing skills!

Malaika Arora

Madhuri Dixit

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan

and Rajinikanth

Deepika Padukone

Kareena Kapoor Khan

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

 How do you perceive the background of the crisis?

See, the year 2019 ended ominously, with a six planet combination in Sagittarius, and a solar eclipse in Sagittarius on 26 December 2019.

Nature wields an unfathomable power and influence, and when nature is outraged, the chastisement which follows can be nothing short of a catastrophe.

Foretelling a catastrophic event would have no real meaning or value, if we as a human race, fail to understand the Natural laws which govern such catastrophic situations. It is one such law, The Law of Cosmic Habit Force (CHF), that is of special interest to us now. Hypnotic Rhythm (HR) is the pejorative sense of this law. The two terms, Cosmic Habit Force, and Hypnotic Rhythm, come to us from Napoleon Hill, the author of Think and Grow Rich, Outwitting the Devil, etc. In fact, hypnotic rhythm is the title of the sixth chapter of Hill’s work, Outwitting the Devil.

10

Cosmic Habit Force, and the Hypnotic Rhythm

Dr Meenakshi Sundaram is a wellknown astrologer, meta physician and a cosmic expert from Kota, Rajasthan. She talks with Chandan Sen about the cosmic factors and astrological influences leading to the current crisis and how it has impacted the earth, and its people.

CHANDAN SEN

AHMEDABAD | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2020

Jupiter and Saturn as Custodians of Natural Laws

drift in the water, until it gets caught up in a whirlpool, after which, it will swirl around, and be unable to escape the whirlpool.  Could you please elaborate on the CHF & HR? Cosmic Habit Force is the principle which underlies practically all habit for mations, and it is Nature’s way of cementing habits, to ensure higher levels of growth and development in the human race. However, this law works the same for all habits, both good and bad. Hypnotic Rhythm is the pejorative sense of this law and it is the shadow side of this law.

While Cosmic Habit Force is CONSCIOUS, the hypnotic rhythm is unconscious. It is the outcome of mental drifting and keeps us in a perpetual state of in-

action, the” I will do this, when that happens” attitude, for example. When negative habits and patterns of behavior get crystallised, the hypnotic rhythm has so to speak set in completely, and now the balance which Nature carefully maintains between productivity and destruction gets threatened.

 What does this mean for human beings?

What does this mean for human beings generally, is a good question.

Many of us are swirling around in the whirlpool

FA CE OF TH ED AY

 You mentioned Nature; what is Nature’s role in it?

Nature has a lofty purpose for human existence, and she enforces a law, which can aid the human race in CONSCIOUSLY repeating a mental thought, a feeling, an attitude, or a behaviour, until it becomes so practiced, that it is automatic, and almost second nature to us. By way of an example, Hill mentions what we may call the Whirlpool Effect. An object may float around or

YOUR DAY Horoscope by Saurabbh Sachdeva

 What about the influence of the planets?

Jupiter, is the preceptor of the gods, the wise counselor, and a great benefit. He is the planet of expansion. No building work of any real value can begin, without first pulling down old, outdated structures. Saturn, the old churl, as he is sometimes jokingly referred to, is responsible for pulling down old structures, which no longer serve any purpose. While Jupiter expands, Saturn contracts and limits.

Jupiter ‘s movement from the end of March 2019 to the end of June 2020 makes for an interesting watch. Saturn being in his own house is at the height of his own power. Jupiter has kept a watchful eye on his own house Sagittarius, stationing himself there for about three weeks in April 2019, retreating, progressing, and retrogressing almost at will. His tacking and turning has a strong message for all of mankind and is a wake-up call. We need to rouse ourselves from our stupor, break our own hypnotic rhythms, and step up to our own possibilities. The lesson is very clear.

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

CANCER

You are on with your fitness regime and you will surely get the results you desperately desire. Going abroad for settlement is on cards and you must start with your preparations. On domestic front, you will be quite in demand and lots of things will keep you busy.

You may feel financially secure but your ambitions have take away your sleep of the night, try and relax and sometime take it easy. You will soon meet a friend who can understand you and whose company will make you happy. Remember somethings take time.

You may feel challenged on work front but its an healthy competition which will help you realise your true potential. On domestic front, do not indulge in any kind of argument with your parents just for the sake of it, sometime you need to understand their concern.

Your new business is doing good but you need to have some patience when it comes to profit.

Your child may need your serious counselling so show them you are there. You make take your family along on a work trip. Its time to take your love life to next level.

MAR 21 - APR 20

APR 21 - MAY 20

MAY 21 - JUNE 21

JUNE 22 - JULY 23

LEO

VIRGO

LIBRA

SCORPIO

Professionally, you have already proved your metal and your career is going great. Your friends may be helping but can also manipulate you sometimes so be careful. Those who matters will always understand you and those you don’t, you should not care about them.

You are very jovial and kind hearted person. You are a very nice parent and always understand your kids but you must know when to stop pampering. You may bring a pet to your house and it will be the best decision in the recent times. You may feel a lot of pressure to get married.

Money is flowing into your life from all directions and your spouse is your lucky charm. You must not be a part of any controversies and you know someone close to you involved then guide them and show them a way out. A new vehicles is on cards, may also come as a gift.

You will feel very refresh and energetic today. You worry without any reason so relax and enjoy what you have. You may get an unexpected career call that will change your life forever. Your spouse will pamper you in many ways today. You are very satisfied with everything.

JULY 24 - AUGUST 23

AUG 24 - SEP 23

SEPT 24 - OCTOBER 22

OCT 23 - NOVEMBER 22

SAGITTARIUS

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

Those involved in export and import business will see a hike. You will complete all your pending task today.

You will managed to sustain a peaceful environment. You will be very busy today, as you can expect some calls from friends today. You will at ease sponsor your kid’s dream education.

You are great when it come to money management and you have a big heart for others. You will successfully complete the project, which kept you occupying for long. Today is a very auspicious day for any kind of inauguration. You will be involved in lot of charity.

You are an outstanding home maker and you take care of your kids like no one can. You are very close to your parents and may visit them frequently going forward. On professional front, you will get the break that you have been expecting.

You may get a job offer.

You may find yourself in a very perplexed position when it comes to money, unable to decide whether to spend money on fun to have an image in your circle or to be an odd one out. Your teachers will be extremely impressed with you. You will enjoy your parents company.

NOV 23 - DEC 22

AASHIKA BHATIA, Actress

of aimless actions.

Huge talents and vast potentials lie untapped within us. Dreams and ambitions sleep within us because we are caught up in the hypnotic rhythm of inaction. There is a planetary movement which has been silently going on from 30th March 2019 to roughly 30th June 2020. Contrary to what many people believe, man is not at the mercy of his stars. Astrology is neither random nor chaotic. It is a spiritual science, but its application is an art.

DEC 23 - JAN 20

JAN 21 - FEB 19

FEB20 - MARCH 20

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

AHMEDABAD | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2020

Sing me to

HOLLYWOOD

sleep!

K

alki Koechlin welcomed a baby girl with her boyfriend Guy Hershberg on 7 February, this year. The couple named their little one Sappho. Since then, the loving mommy keeps sharing excerpts of her lovely moments with her little bundle of joy on her social media, and it’s an absolute delight to the eyes.

In the latest video shared by her, the actress can be seen singing a Portuguese lullaby for the baby, while playing the ukulele.

“Nessa Rua. This is a Portuguese lullaby I learnt when playing the Portuguese character Tara in the web series

11

IN THE AIR

A

n item in actress Emily Blunt’s bucket list was “to be lifted in the air by a bunch of men”, and she ticked it off after filming a song in the 2018 film, ‘Mary Poppins Returns’. Looking back at the most difficult and favourite song from the musical, Blunt said: “I would say my favourite was ‘Triple little light fantastic’, I mean who wouldn’t want to dance with 30 lamplighters. It’s been a dream it is a #lifegoal. Bucket list done - To be lifted in the air by a bunch of men. The hardest was ‘Cover is not the book’ because of the animation and it was g re e n screen!”

—IANS

Smoke. Watch out for the sparrows who make an appearance in our song,” wrote the actress.

Kalki’s fans reacted to the video, praising the actress for her singing skills. “This is the purest thing,” wrote one user, while another wrote, “Waooo this is so beautiful and soothing to hear.”

A few days ago, the actress had shared another video of herself singing an African lullaby for her baby. Kalki made her relationship official with Guy in September 2019. To announce the arrival of her little cotton ball, Kalki had taken to her Instagram handle and had shared the footprints of her baby doll.

—Agency

Emily Blunt

FAMILY-TIME

J Still from the video

Kalki Koechlin

Hitched officially!

E

sha Gupta made her relationship with boyfriend Manuel Campos Guallar Instagram official. On Monday, the actress took to her Instagram feed to share a picture with Manuel, who is a businessman based in Spain.

Sharing the picture, Esha wrote, “te amo mucho mi amor,” which translates to “I love you so much, my love.” In the picture, the couple are seen dressed in black and are posing with their arms around each other standing in what looks like a hotel lobby.

The actress has always been pretty secretive about her love life.

However, this is not the first time she is posting a picture with her boyfriend. Back in August of 2019, Esha had shared a picture with Manuel when she attended the Mabel Green Cup. —Agency

Kanika Kapoor

OFFERING ASSISTANCE

D

ays after recovering from Covid-19, Bollywood singer Kanika Kapoor on Monday expressed the desire to donate her blood and plasma for research work on the pathogen and treatment of C o r o n av i r u s patients. The 42-year-old singer said that she wants to help others and hence she called up LucEsha Gupta; (inset) Her Instagram post

know’s King George’s Medical University (KGMU) hospital for donating her blood.

“This morning I called the hospital to tell them that I want to give my blood and plasma for research or helping others if possible. I want to do what I can to help,” Kapoor said.

The immune system of Covid-19 patients creates antibodies to attack the virus.

Kanika’s sixth coronavirus test came out negative on April 6 following which she was discharged from the hospital.

—ANI

GLORIOUS 14!

K

Kangana Ranaut

angana Ranaut made her Bollywood debut exactly 14 years ago with Anurag Basus ‘Gangster’. She went down memory lane and recalled how she had no funds to travel to receive her first best actress award.

On the 14th anniversary of her debut film, Kangana revealed how

essica is enjoying the quality family time as she quarantines amid the growing coronavirus pandemic. But it’s not all perfect moments for the Texas native as she isolates with her husband and three kids. She posted a photo of her in a bikini on Instagram as her son Ace hit a baseball that nearly collided with her face. The 39-year-old is seen basking in the sun while floating on a mat. The baseball splashing next to her head is also visible. She wrote: “Attempted gettin’ some sun and my son smacked a homerun from the driveway that almost nailed me in the face. Proof is in the splash.

Needless to say, I got off the mat.”

—IANS

she won best actress award for the film and didn’t have finances even to travel to Singapore to collect her award, and a friend collected it on her behalf.

She said, “I had no idea that I was nominated. When the team was leaving for the event, they asked me about my travel plans. I had no idea how to go to Singapore, where to stay, and I was too embarrassed to

even ask my crew about ticket prices. So I missed that opportunity.”

“When I won, Bobby Singh, DOP of ‘Gangster’ and ‘Queen’, who is sadly no more, called and said he is getting my trophy. I was thrilled and it’s one of my fondest memories,” she added.

Her upcoming projects include ‘Thalaivi’, ‘Dhaakad’ and ‘Tejas’.

—IANS

Jessica

QUARANTINE ROUTINE!

K

nown for belting out hits like ‘Love story’, ‘Blank space’ and ‘Look what you made me do’, singer Taylor Swift is spending her lockdown hours cooking, sipping wine and listening to old classic numbers. “I love spending a full evening cooking a meal while sipping a glass of wine and listening to old music,” Swift said. She had earlier told the portal SiriusXM that she has been watching old films that she had not seen before. “A lot of people have been watching lots and lots of TV in this time of quarantine.” she said. —IANS Taylor Swift

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

AHMEDABAD | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2020

VITAMIN-

CITY FIRST JAIPUR & AHMEDABAD

I

n these times of Corona Lockdown, overshadowed by collective tragedy and desolation, music can play a special role. It can fill us with uplifting emotions so badly needed, it can remind us of shared experiences with people we love and promote positive values. Music can lift our fears, entertain us, and deliver hope, optimism, and can charge us with positive energy.

For most of us, music is a lifeline to carry us through the day. It is scientifically proven that music enhances brain functioning. Besides, listening to music in an environment with other people also makes sure you don’t get distracted by other people’s noises. Music can do great things for your mood. If you want to feel happy, you can listen to songs that are happy and this works the other way around too.

CITY FIRST REACHES OUT TO DISCUSS THE IMPORTANCE OF MUSIC AND THE PLAYLIST FOR ITS READERS AS THEY LIVE IN THE LOCKDOWN PERIOD!

Speakers have turned into a constant ally amidst the lockdown that screams the emotions of isolation. The playlists are more mood reliant, from tuning in to old favourites from the likes of Bob Marley, Dixie Chicks and Bill Withers to grooving on RD Burman and Pritam. The emotional shifts are in constant harmony with the crescendo of music.

—AKSHARA SHARMA

SIMPLE, YET LOVABLE!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

S —FILE PHOTO

Rajasthan: Speaker Dr CP Joshi and his wife Prof (Dr) Hemlata Joshi completed 35 years of marriage on Tuesday. They spent a quiet day with their son Himanshu and daughter-in-law Devyani, in view of the Corona lockdown. On this occasion, Joshi gave Rs 1 Crore for the needy people of his constituency, Nathdwara from the MLA fund.

This amount will be used in providing food kits to daily labourers and also check-up and nutrition of pregnant women of the area.

ikar: Due to coronavirus, the effect of lockdown is now being seen on weddings as well. On Monday night, a wedding took place in Sikar, in which the groom arrived at the bride’s house on a Bullet with four people and the wedding ceremony was held, and the bride rode back with him on the bullet itself. Actually, a resident of Sheikhpura Kamal Sharma was to be married to Megha. But, due to the lockdown and social distancing, the family decided to get the marriage done in the presence of only four people. The parents of the bride and groom, along with the pandit, were wearing masks during the ceremony. The

LEARNING

Rajasthan: PCC General Secretary and RCA President Vaibhav Gehlot took part in the VC held by Deputy CM and PCC chief Sachin Pilot on Tuesday. In the VC with Lok Sabha candidates, Gehlot informed Pilot that the government mechanism is working very well in Jodhpur. DCC and Bhamashahs are ensuring that no one goes hungry in the area and are reaching out to each needy. The situation in rural Jodhpur is also under control. Pilot appreciated the efforts of Vaibhav Gehlot.

REVIVING GROWTH CITY FIRST JAIPUR

C

ation while adhering to guidelines, wherein Industry Minister Satish Mahana believed that the state government is working on a longterm strategy to give momentum to the economy.

While speaking at the conference, Muktanand Agrawal, Commissioner Industries and Investments, Govt. of Rajasthan mentioned that the Govt. has created a high-level Task Force to bring the economy on track. There are many recommendations from the industry which are being considered by Task Force in areas such as wages, Power, GST refunds, MSME payments, etc. cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

If Music is a Place — then Jazz is the City, Folk is the Wilderness, Rock is the Road, Classical is a Temple.

These days are quite tough but yes if we keep ourselves busy then the day is spent happily. Music plays a vital role to support our feelings. I love to listen to music in my earphones and dance with it. My morning starts with pump-up songs and my day ends with some inspirational music.

The weather in Ahmedabad is very hot so I prefer hearing music that gives me chills. It can either be peppy beat music or something that is meaningful to me. I always prefer to go on my music jam on earphones over speakers because I do not want to impose my music choices on anyone.

Music is the only thing that has kept me so patient and calm on frustrating days during the lockdown.

—NEELU SHARMA

—ANSHI SHAH

Jazz is my go-to genre when it comes to music but, the lockdown has made nostalgic. I put on my earphones every day to listen to Bollywood music from the early 2000s and 2010s (Yes! The original Masakali). My playlist these days consists of upbeat and peppy music so that I stay motivated.

The pandemic has taken a toll over lives, and keeping yourself distracted is the way to go@ —DISHA TIWARI

WHAT’S HAPPENING! Ahmedabad: A 500x40ft washable painting on the theme ‘Fighting Corona Gandhinagar’ was created by six local artists including Nagar Prajapati, Raju Shrimali and Prakash on CH Road in front of Gandhinagar Assembly. It took the artists 30 hours to make the painting using 45 litres of washable paint colours.

Ahmedabad: Members of a family perform their rituals inside their home on the fourth day of the holy month of Ramzan in the Jamalpur area of Ahmedabad city.

—PHOTO BY HANIF SINDHI

T

onfederation of Indian Industry organised the North India Virtual Conference on Reviving Growth in Challenging Time with the theme ‘Strategizing Businesses and Innovative Policy Reforms’ today over a virtual platform. The objective of the conference was to deliberate on the impact of Covid-19 and the emerging challenges and opportunities for the Indian Industry.

In the conference, Chief Minister of Uttarakhand Trivendra Singh Rawat joined as the Chief Guest, while, Minister of Industrial Development Government of Uttar Pradesh, Satish Mahana, joined as the Guest of Honour.

During the VC, CM Trivendra Singh Rawat said that the state government is working to improve the economic situ-

groom said that I am very happy to get married in this way. We have given a message to the society of not spending much on such events through the wedding and follow social distancing during the corona crisis. Due to the marriage being done in a very simple way, the bride was also happy.

—City First

Never stop

WORK@HOME!

12

he Biosciences Department, School of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Science, Manipal University Jaipur (MUJ) is organising Online Conference ‘COVID-19; Biotechnology: A Way Forward’ on 30 April from 4 pm to 8 pm. Leading Indian and global scientists, health professionals, and infectious disease experts will discuss the COVID-19 pandemic and possible solutions to combat this disease. During the conference, Prof. (Dr) Knollmann Ritschel, Professor of Pathology and Emerging Infectious Diseases, USA and Professor Dr. Amit Dinda, Department of Pathology from All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi will deliver the keynote speech.

This online conference aims to explore the possibilities in Biotechnology, which could assist in combating and creating awareness about the pandemic. How the epidemic can be prevented by a combination of modern and Ayurvedic medicines will also be discussed by subject experts. The take-away from this conference will be how to direct interventions such as drug repurposing, Ayurvedic remedies along with the design of new vaccines can become essential tools to fight the pandemic.

Taking a new

INITIATIVE

CITY FIRST JAIPUR

P

rabha Khaitan Foundation launched its new literary initiative ‘The Universe Writes’ with international writers, where the audience profile is made up of genuine readers who are interested in reading quality literature. The session will involve a conversation on the life and the books of the author and audience interaction. This initiative is being taken in association with Siyahi and Shree Cement Ltd. It is to be recalled that various literary series of Prabha Khaitan Foundation providing a platform for Indian writers, in a very short time, has become a premier book reading event in over 30 cities in India and abroad. Only about 30-35 selected guests are invited to these events, where the work and life of the author are discussed through an ‘in-conversation’ format with the author, followed by a question and answer session.

The first virtual session will take place on Thursday, 30 April, from 6 pm on Zoom with author Alan Friedman and Anil Dharker will be moderating the session. cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

Ahmedabad: A farmer defies the scorching sun to graze his cattle on the dry lakebed at the Sarkhej Roza in Ahmedabad.

—PHOTO BY HANIF SINDHI

Rajasthan: Amidst the ongoing epidemic, Adarsh Nagar MLA Rafiq Khan and Vice President FORTI Sajjan Singh presented 200 PPE safety kits to Dr Asha Verma on behalf of FORTI, for the safety of doctors and staff members of Zanana women’s hospital, Sanganeri gate on Tuesday.

Rajasthan: Amid the nationwide lockdown due to the pandemic, Jal Kalyan Vikas Samiti Jaipur and Pashupatinath Shiv Hanuman Mandir Trust Jaipur have collaborated to distribute sanitizers and masks in the areas nearby Pashupatinath Nagar and Dugdh Vihar. In this initiative, 500 masks and 40 litres of sanitizer were distributed by the members of the committees.