First India-Ahmedabad Edition-29 October 2020

AHMEDABAD l THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2020 l Pages 12 l 3.00

FIRST PHASE OF MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS TODAY

THE FIRST PHASE OF MUNICIPAL POLLS WILL BE HELD TODAY AT JAIPUR HERITAGE, JODHPUR NORTH AND KOTA NORTH MUNICIPAL CORPS

RNI NO. GUJENG/2019/16208 l Vol 1 l Issue No. 334

OVER 16.54 LAKH VOTERS WILL DECIDED FATE OF 951 CANDIDATES IN 250 WARDS. POLLING WILL BE HELD FROM 7.30 AM TO 5.30 PM

OUR EDITIONS: JAIPUR & AHMEDABAD 18°C - 35°C

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BIG BALLOT BATTLE BEGINS Bihar Elections were a ‘leap of faith’ not a ‘leap in the dark’: CEC

Mohd Fahad New Delhi: CEC Sunil Arora chose to share his impromptu thoughts, as to how ECI felt after the completion of the first phase of elections to the state assembly of Bihar with the media, before Umesh Sinha Secretary General, Chandra Bhushan and other senior officials had a detailed interaction with them.

Sunil Arora started by saying that we always vouch for free, fair, ethical and transparent elections but this time we added ‘safe’ elections to our aim, ‘safe’ because of this ongoing pandemic. “At times, the ECI was demotivated by comments on why are we holding

the elections during COVID19 but ECI was of the view, which I articulated in the opening press conference of Bihar Elections at Gyan Bhavan on September 25 and later at Patna on October 1, that for the Election Commission of India the Bihar Elections are a ‘leap of faith’ not a ‘leap into the dark”, added CEC Arora.

Senior officials in the EC, who themselves were taken by surprise, said without being quoted, this prefatory statement of CEC was probably prompted by the peculiar situation of holding elections in a state with 7.29 crore electorate under the shadow of pandemic 19 when there was no dearth of skeptics and

Well done, Mr. Chief Election Commissioner Dr Anita

Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora speaking during the virtual press conference.

cynics. The Election Commission has been enthused by the massive participation of

the electorate of Bihar who have reaffirmed their faith in electoral process of India, to

whom CEC Arora expressed the gratefulness of the Commission.

53.54% voter turnout in 1st phase Patna: Over 53 per cent voter turnout has been recorded till 5 PM in the first phase of Bihar assembly polls on Wednesday, the Election Commission said in its provisional data.

Voting ended at 6 PM. A total of 71 assembly segments of the state’s 243 constituencies voted in the first phase in which nearly 2.15 crore voters were to decide the electoral fate of over 1,000 candidates.

Voter turnout was low in the beginning, but it progressed with the time everywhere notwithstanding raging coronavirus cases in the state.

As per the provisional voter turnout data updated by the Election Commission at 5 PM, 51.91 per cent of the total electorates have exercised their franchise.

The 71 constituencies are spread across 16 districts. The maximum 55.95 per cent turnout has been recorded in Kaimur, followed by

Voters, adhering to social distancing norms, stand in queues outside a polling station to cast their votes for the first phase of Bihar Assembly Elections, at Paliganj constituency in Patna on Wednesday.

—PHOTO BY PTI

55.44 per cent in Lakhisarai, Buxar (53.84 per cent), Bhagalpur (52.16 per cent) and Patna (51.02 per cent) among others.

Union minister and senior BJP leader Giriraj Singh cast his vote at a polling booth in Lakhisarai, while former Bi-

har chief minister and HAM president Jitan Ram Manjhi exercised his franchise at a booth in Gaya.

State ministers and also candidates from different constituencies- Vijay Sinha and Krishnandan Verma- and commonwealth games gold

medal winning shooter Shreyasi Singh, BJP nominee from Jamui seat, cast their vote.

Enthusiasm of voters was seen at many a booth. In Nawada, a physically challenged voter reached booth on his tricycle to cast his vote. In Dinana assembly

constituency, a group of women expressed happiness after exercising franchise. Polling time was curtailed in the naxal-affected areas.

Out of the 71 constituencies, 35 are in naxalhit areas where polling was conducted in a staggered manner.

New Delhi/Patna: Conducting world’s biggest election in the times of corona pandemic is no mean task, as it still isn’t over as two phases of polling in Bihar is left. But going by the way the first phase is conducted not just peacefully, but also in compliance with Covid guidelines, the Election Commission headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora certainly needs a pat on

the back.

The voter turnout of around 54 per cent shows not just the people’s confidence in the democratic framework, but also immense trust on its torchbearer - EC.

It is the result of tremendous homework on the ground doubled up with CEC Arora’s multiple visits to the poll-bound state that the election has started on a positive note.

PM: Who used to ask date of Ram temple now applauding Darbhanga: In a veiled attack at Congress and other Opposition parties, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said that those who used to ask us about the date of Ram temple construction are now compelled to applaud.

Addressing a poll rally here, the Prime Minister said that the people of Bihar have taken a resolve to again defeat those who brought ‘jungle raj’ to the state, those who looted Bihar.

“After years of wait, the construction of Ram temple has started. Those political people who used to ask us for a date (for temple construction) are now compelled to applaud...

It is the identity of BJP and NDA. We do what we promise,” he said.

“People of Bihar have taken a resolve to again defeat those who brought ‘jungle raj’ in the state, those who

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses an election meeting in Darbhanga on Wednesday.

MODI’S ‘JUNGLE YUVRAJ’ JIBE PM Modi attacked RJD leader and Mahagathbandhan chief ministerial candidate Tejashwi Yadav by calling him the “yuvraaj” (crown prince) of “jungle raj”. Asking voters to beware of those responsible for ‘jungle raj’ in the state, PM Modi said. looted Bihar. These are the people under whose government crime was rampant in the state.

They did corruption in money meant for loan waiver. NDA has taken

a resolve to make Bihar self-reliant, while on the other side are people who are eyeing money which will come for development projects in Bihar,” he added.

IN SOLIDARITY

Patil hints Rupani to continue as CM, calls Modi ‘bhua’ (sorcerer) BJP state unit chief and CM were appearing in public together for the first time First India Bureau Surendranagar: Sharing the stage with Chief Minister Vijay Rupani for the first time on Wednesday, Bharatiya Janata Party state unit president CR Patil hinted that the Rupani could

continue as the state’s chief minister. The duo had been campaigning for Kiritsinh Rana in Limbdi when Patil also referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a ‘bhua’ (sorcerer).

Both told the press that they were confi-

CM Vijay Rupani at the campaign event at Limbdi on Wednesday.

dent of winning the upcoming bypolls.

Addressing the public meeting CR Patil said, “The trio of CM Rupani, Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel and I will continue to work as a team.”

He then appealed to the people to vote for the BJP candidate and said that once elected to the state Assembly, he would bring development for the people of the constituency.

Patil further stated,

“Narendra Modi is ‘bhua’ (sorcerer) for us.

As the bhua throws coconuts, Modi launches development programmes and schemes.

We collect all these coconuts and bring them to the state for you. Because of him, Gujarat has benefited a lot and development of the state has continued.”

Patil then compared Congress with the Titanic and said, “When the Titanic was built, it was said

to be an unsinkable ship. Yet, it sank on its maiden voyage.

Now, Congress is sinking like the Titanic.”

Addressing the gathering, Rupani said, “Decades ago, Pandit Nehru declared ‘Aaram Haram Hai’ but successive Congress governments did nothing to boost employment. As a result, unemployment increased in the state.”

He also attacked the Congress over party loyalty, Turn to P6

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AHMEDABAD | THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2020

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All lit up! Gujarat tops survey with nearly 24/7 electricity supply Smart Power India study was conducted across 10 states First India Bureau Ahmedabad: The Smart Power India (SPI) on Wednesday released the findings of its joint study with NITI Aayog and the Rockefeller Foundation on ‘Electricity access and benchmarking of distribution utilities.’ Gujarat topped the study, which was conducted

across 10 Indian states and included 47 districts, 115 towns, and 1,238 villages in Gujarat.

The report collected more than 1,600 samples from the state and found that Gujarat is the only state supplying close to 24 hours of electricity to household, commercial, and institutional consumers. However, its over-

(household, agricultural, commercial, and institutional) reported zero voltage fluctuations. Gujarat West, Gujarat North, and AP East are the best performers in the household category, with 100%, 86%, and 84% of household customers, respectively, reporting zero voltage fluctuations.

Gujarat South, Gujarat Central, and MP

all average number of hours of electricity supply drops to 10 hours when including the electricity supply to agricultural customers for all four Gujarat distribution utilities.

Gujarat West is the only distribution utility for which 100% of consumers in each of the four categories

Central are the only three distribution utilities for whom institutional customers reported zero occurrences of electricity-related accidents. In the agricultural category, Gujarat West and Gujarat South top the list, for resolving 100% (Gujarat West) and 80% (Gujarat South) agricultural customers’ complaints within three hours over the past year.

Man arrested for hurling chappal at DyCM has BJP affiliation

Stills from a video clip showing a heated exchange between campaigning leaders and villagers.

NO HOLDS BARRED Voters choose directness over diplomacy as they take on campaigning leaders ahead of the Assembly by-election First India Bureau Ahmedabad: As is usual before any election, political leaders from both major parties are doing the rounds of their constituencies, to ask for votes.

What is different this time, however, is that the voters are not just listening to the speeches but are asking the hard questions.

For instance, in Morbi, cabinet minis-

ter Jayesh Radadia and JV Kakadia were knocked out by farmers, while Brijesh Merja was asked why he is not taking calls from the public.

Similarly, the Dhari and Morbi constituencies are witnessing pushback from villagers, as can be seen in video clips doing the rounds on social media. In a jolt to politicians, voters seem to have not to reveal who they might vote

for in Tuesday’s state Assembly bypolls.

Some villagers walked out of a meeting of the Bharatiya Janata Party in Raydi and Sarakadia villages of Khambha.

Dhanshibhai, a vil-

lager from Raydi village, lashed out at a BJP leader, saying, he had made seven representations to the MLA for a ration card but was turned away.

“Even if you were with the Congress before and have now

joined the BJP, the responsibility is still yours. My boys go hungry without a ration card,” Dhanshibhai tells former Congress MLA Kakadia in a video that has gained trac tion online.

Another farmer stood up during a meeting and took Kakadia to task on the issue of electricity to his farm. In this regard, Kakadia asked, “Tell me when you need it.”

The farmer then asked, “Jayesh Radadia is the best minister and solves the problems of the farmers in his area, so why not solve the problems of the farmers in Dhari?”

Later, a young man also questioned the campaigners about the unemployment rate, which has been on the rise for the past two years.

Common caption: Stills from a video clip showing a heated exchange between campaigning leaders and villagers.

Rashmin Patel

First India Bureau Vadodara: The police claimed that Rashmin Patel, the man they arrested on Tuesday for allegedly hurling a chappal at Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel in Kurali on Monday evening, has Congress connections. However, a fact check has revealed that the accused is actually affiliated to the BJP. According to local media reports, Rashmin had served on the executive committee chairman of Shinor Taluka Panchayat from 2010 to 2013, after having been elected on a BJP ticket. His wife Rashmiben was elected as village sarpanch and she too was an active member of the BJP. Shinor Taluka BJP Committee President Chandravadan Patel too has

acknowledged that Rashmin is an active member of the BJP and has filed his form as a BJP member in the recent enrolment drive.

However, the BJP's Vadodara district President Dilubha Jadeja is unaware about the status of Rashmin’s BJP membership, and Congress district President Sagar Brahmbhatt is also not familiar with Rashmin.

Yet, Vadodara district local crime branch Police Inspector DB Vala has been accusing him of being a member of the Congress party for the past five years.

The police have arrested Rashmin Patel on the basis of a telephonic conversation but the person who actually hurled the chappal seems to be still at large.

Surat and Bharuch police seize `55.85 lakh cash in 2 ops Builder whose money it is says it was meant for project, not Karjan’s Congress candidate

First India Bureau Bharuch/Surat: The Bharuch and Surat police in two separate operations have recovered a total of Rs 55.85 lakh in cash that traced back to a builder. The cash was

allegedly had been meant for Kiritsinh Jadeja, the Congress Party’s candidate for the Karjan constituency in next week’s state Assembly bypoll. However, the real estate developer, Alpeshbhai Akbari,

Ravi Chaukariya and Deepaksinh Chauhan have been arrested.

has rubbished the allegations, saying the money was meant for a project and not the candidate.

The Bharuch crime branch team on Tuesday night had intercepted a car at the Mulad Toll Plaza and discovered that it was carrying Rs25 lakh in cash. When questioned, Ravi Chaukariya and Deepaksinh Das-

rathsinh Chauhan, the car’s occupants, the men told the police that they had collected the cash from the Surat builder and were on their way to Karjan to give the money to the Congress campaign.

After the Bharuch team shared this information with their counterparts in Surat, the latter raided the Atlantis project near

Sarthana, and recovered Rs30.85 lakh in cash.

However, Akbari has strongly denied any connection with the Karjan candite and said that the money was being sent for a real estate project.

Now, the Income-Tax department is expected to further investigate the cash transactions.

GUJARAT AHMEDABAD | THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2020

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Woman kills mentally ill mother-in-law over allegations of infidelity in A’bad

Accused ‘lost her temper’ after being accused of conceiving from relationship with father-in-law

First India Bureau Ahmedabad: Sola Police have arrested Nikita alias Nayra (29) for the murder of her mother-in-law Rekhaben Agrawal in the city’s Gota area. According to the police, the woman lost her temper after her mother-inlaw accused her of having an illicit physical relationship with her fatherin-law.

Addressing the media, Sola Police Inspector JP Jadeja said that Nikita, in her statement, said that Rekhaben had been harassing her for a long time, and had not even allowed her out of the house in the 10 months since she had been married.

Nikita is two months

HORRIFIC

The accused, Nikita Agarwal, flanked by police personnel.

pregnant.

According to Jadeja, Nikita and Rekhaben had got into a heated argument on Tuesday evening. During this argument the older woman is said to have accused the younger

one of having conceived her baby for her father-in-law, rather than her husband.

This triggered the Nikita, who then smashed Rekhaben’s head in with an iron rod and attempted to

burn the body to give the impression that the older woman, who was mentally ill, had committed suicide.

However, Nikita’s ‘half-hearted attempt’ failed.

Complainant Dipak

Agrawal—Rekhaben’s son and Nikita’s husband—told the police that the two women had not been on good terms ever since he married Nikita in January 2020. He said the two often fought with

each other.

Dipak’s father recently tested positive for COVID-19 and has been hospitalized for the past week.

On Tuesday evening, the father called Dipak on the phone from the hospital to tell him that the neighbours had informed him that his wife and daughterin-law were having a heated argument.

Dipak then rushed home, but got no response from insider the house. He then managed to enter the house via a balcony, and found his mother in a pool of blood in the living room.

The police have registered a case of murder and attempt to tamper evidence. Rekhaben’s body has been sent for a postmortem examination.

MLA Khedawala seeks judicial inquiry into Pirana trommel scam First India Bureau Ahmedabad: Last year, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation granted contracts to private players to introduce biomining at the Pirana landfill site. The work, however, is not as straightforward as it seems.

According to Congress MLA Imran Khedawala, some trommel machines were given work orders without the legitimate processes being followed.

Around seven private players were hired to carry out the biomining activities and 21 trommel machines were deployed. The corporation is said to have paid Rs6.50 lakh a month for one trommel machine to segregate legacy waste and recycle it, while the cost of the machine is Rs30 lakh.

Later on, a resolution was allegedly passed by

Locals left irate after civic body Surat nCoV deaths cross demolishes 125-year-old temple 1K but state data says 845 First India Bureau

A medical worker in a PPE kit sanitizes a hearse in Ahmedabad.

First India Bureau Gandhinagar: The state health department bulletin on Wednesday said that two COVID-19 patients died in Surat, one each in the city and rural areas, bringing the total number of deaths in the Surat district to 845. However, local authorities put the number of fatalities at 1,001.

Either way, Surat has registered the second highest number of COVID-19 deaths after Ahmedabad’s

980 cases, six fatalities take state tally to 1,70,053 cases, toll to 3,704 1,898. Vadodara has reported a total of 113 deaths, Rajkot, 91, and Gandhinagar, 90.

Dang district is the only one in the state to have recorded no COVID-19 deaths, while Narmada has had one.

In the past 24 hours, the state has conducted 51,912 tests and confirmed 980 new cases.

Ahmedabad: In an encroachment removal drive, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation removed a temple located in the posh Sindhu Bhavan road area. The temple that was destroyed was 125 years old, according to the claims of the locals, who resisted the drive. According to sources, Vishwa Hindu Parishad activists protested against the temple’s demolition.

The temple’s priest

—FILE PHOTO

Locals resisted the demolition drive. —PHOTO BY HANIF SINDHI

alleged that the civic authorities tried to take bribes from the owners of the bungalows surrounding the temple.

He also said that he was only given seven days

notice to vacate the temple. Sources add that AMC body has allocated an alternative location for the temple.

As soon as estate department workers ar-

There are now 13,354 active cases in the state with 63 patients on ventilators. Of the six deaths reported on Wednesday, three were from Ahmedabad, two from Surat and one from Rajkot.

While Surat had the highest number (227) of new cases, cases also emerged in Ahmedabad (186), Vadodara (113), Rajkot (91), Gandhinagar (39), Jamnagar (30), Mehsana (32), Banaskantha (25), Junagadh (22), Amreli (20) and Bhavnagar (16).

rived to demolish the temple, Vishwa Hindu Parishad workers and locals, including temple priests, protested against the temple’s removal.

According to the priest, “If a house cannot be moved in seven days, then how can the temple?” He says that he had also given up temple space to build the surrounding road.

He says that this temple has been present at the location for the last 125 years before any roads were built nearby.

SOME THINGS ENDURE In a world dominated by computers and ecommerce, workers at a shop in Ahmedabad’s Manek Chowk area personally check the binding on accounting ledgers ahead of the Gujarati New Year, on Wednesday.

—PHOTO BY HANIF SINDHI

GRASSROOTS INNOVATION

Prof designs tool to identify kids with learning disabilities Masuma Bharmal Jariwala Rajkot: About 7-15% schoolchildren suffer from learning disabilities in India. Yet, the lack of awareness on the subject means such children are rarely identified. This in turn means these children do not receive the help they need, causing serious problems in their education and negatively impacting their future.

To ensure proper screening of children at

a minimal cost and in minimal time, the head of the psychology department at MTB Arts College in Surat, Dr Rudresh Vyas, together with his team of Dr Ketan Bharadwa and Dr Virang Bhatt, has designed a Learning Disability Screening Tool (LDST) after conducting survey on around 600 Indian children. This is the first time such a tool is available in Gujarati, Hindi and English language. It claims to identify children with a probability

Dr Rudresh Vyas, HOD, Psychology dept, MTB Arts College, Surat.

of learning disabilities with 80% sensitivity and 65% specificity at a nom-

inal cost of Rs20 and analysis time of around 15 minutes.

“There are many learning disability tests available in the market, but they are costly and time consuming. Moreover, they are not standardized for the Indian population. The LDST, on the other hand, is especially prepared to identify learning disabilities in students of Classes 3 to 6, and in the 8-13 age group,” said Dr Vyas.

LDST contains a questionnaire with 17 questions and 52 subquestions that deal with

various areas of learning disabilities.

“Analysis of these question leads to finding out reading, writing and mathematical disabilities known as dyslexia, dysgraphia and dyscalculia. Importantly, the tool can be used by both teachers and parents. It is alarming that majority of the schools do not have a mechanism of screening to find out learning disabilities among children. Of the total percentage, around 5% of

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children are estimated to suffer from severe learning disability.

Screening to identify such students is very important because failure of it could develop sense of rejection among children and result into drop-outs. It should be understood that learning disability has nothing to do with a person’s intelligence, but are problems that affect the brain’s ability to receive, process, analyse or store information,” he added.

the civic body to purchase the 20 remaining trommel machines without carrying out tender processes.

Khedawala says the entire process was stalled when a new civic chief came to AMC, and the new tender received the lowest bidder for Rs3.11 lakh a month.

“This is a clear case of corruption. I want to know where the tax payer’s money has gone.

Who were the beneficiaries? I want a judicial inquiry, as I don’t trust the AMC’s vigilance department,” asserted Khedawala.

Man gets 10-year jail term for raping minor First India Bureau Surat: They say jusitce delayed is justice denied. However, this was not the case in Surat on Wednesday.

The city sessions court in its final verdict sentenced a man to 10 years in prison after he was found guilty of raping a 13-year-old girl in Surat’s Godadara area repeatedly.

The case was registered back in 2014.

According to the information available, the rapist, Ajab Singh Rajput hailed from Itawa of Uttar Pradesh and was living in Limbayat.

Back in 2014, he was employed as an embroidery worker near Somnath Society. The court heard how Rajput would regularly entice the then 13-year-old to his place of work and rape her. This sordid arrangement continued until the child got the courage to file a complaint with the police.

On finding out about the rape case against him, Rajput then fled the city. However, he could stay hidden for long, and the police traced him to his natal village of Itawa, where he was arrested.

On Wednesday, he was handed a sentence of spending the next 10 years in prison.

PERSPECTIVE AHMEDABAD | THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2020

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IN-DEPTH

INDIA AND US SCRIPT NEW STRATEGIC TIES

FOREIGN INVESTORS BET BIG AS

INDIA LEADS THE RECOVERY

I

ndia and America have come a long way from the era of President Richard Nixon and Prime Minister Indira Gandhi when the US ordered the Seventh Fleet led by nuclear-powered Enterprise towards the Bay of Bengal to stop Indian troops from liberating Bangladesh. Nixon and his National Security Advisor were known for their antipathy towards the Indian prime minister. Over the years ties between the two great democracies have been on the mend, but mainly under governments led by the Bharatiya Janata Party because of its predisposition towards America.

India and the US began mutual trust-building efforts with the signing of the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) in 2002 when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the prime minister.

It was the first foundational understanding between the two nations. The signing of the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) in 2016 and the Communication Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA) in 2018 followed.

Tuesday’s Basic Exchange and Co-operation Agreement (BECA), signed by the defence and foreign ministers of India and the US marked the fourth foundational understanding which America has with India. The last three agreements demonstrate the importance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi attaches to strategic defence ties with the US. The strategic significance of BECA can be understood from the fact that India will now get access to real-time access to precision data and topographical images from US military satellites.

Keeping in mind China’s expansionist policies and the changing global security scenario, India’s defence establishment thought it prudent to deepen its strategic ties with America for its security interests and peace.

A

stationary flow of foreign portfolio inflows and a rare current account surplus has led to India’s foreign exchange reserves surging to $555.1 billion.

The significant growth in the reserves has sparked an often-heard debate about its utilization for economic upliftment at a time when the government is facing a spending challenge due to stiff finances.

Owing to better-than-anticipated quarterly results, the foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) have pumped in net Rs 17,749 crores.

THE RISE OF INDIA’S FOREIGN EXCHANGE RESERVES Forex reserves of $555.1 billion are enough to cover 12 months of imports and they make for nearly 99% of India’s external debt of $555.8 billion. By most metrics, these reserves are more than adequate as the purpose of self-insurance is fully served with so much accumulation.

MEHBOOBA MUFTI’S FLAG REMARK SPARKS OUTRAGE

P

ost-Gupkar-II declaration and Mehbooba Mufti’s remark that she won’t hold the Indian tricolor until the Jammu and Kashmir’s flag was restored the Central government dealt the mainstream political leaders another blow by omitting the phrase “permanent resident of the state” from Section 17 of Jammu and Kashmir Development Act. The omission means that people from any part of the country can now purchase urban land and enter into contract farming on agricultural land. The law also provides for setting up an industrial development corporation and removes curbs on the size of the area one wants to buy for constructing a residence or a shop in the Union Territory. Till now only those who were permanent residents could own property there. The Lieutenant-Governor Manoj Sinha clarified that the new law will not apply to agricultural land. This move was expected after the abrogation of Article 370 which granted a special status to the status. The state’s bifurcation ended the privilege.

The decision has not gone down well with the top political leaders of the Union Territory who said that Kashmir has been put on sale. Former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah tweeted, “Even the tokenism of domicile has been done away with…

J&K is now up for sale & the poorer, small landholding owners will suffer.” Another ex-CM Mehbooba Mufti also condemned the new law.

Most of India’s forex reserves have been accumulated on the back of capital flows over the years while the current account has remained in deficit due to large-scale imports. In the Q1 of FY21, India reported a one-off current account surplus due to very low imports as the Covid-19 pandemic had brought the world to a standstill

PUTTING FOREX RESERVES TO A BETTER USE The significant growth in the reserves has sparked an oftenheard debate about its utilization for economic upliftment at a time when the government is facing a spending challenge due to stiff finances.

Most of India’s forex reserves have been accumulated on the back of capital flows over the years while the current account has remained in deficit due to large-scale imports. In the Q1 of FY21, India reported a one-off current account surplus due to very low imports as the Covid-19 pandemic had brought the world to a standstill. This surplus is not sustainable and therefore, the utilization of forex reserves (built from capital account surplus) for building infrastructure and other allied activities may not be appropriate.

A sustainable boost to exports coupled with a persistent decline in imports can lead to a further rise in forex reserves due to current account surplus

A SUSTAINABLE BOOST TO EXPORTS COUPLED WITH A PERSISTENT DECLINE IN IMPORTS CAN LEAD TO A FURTHER RISE IN FOREX RESERVES DUE TO CURRENT ACCOUNT SURPLUS AND THESE CAN BE USED FOR ACTIVITIES OTHER THAN MAINTAINING SAFETY AND LIQUIDITY

and these can be used for activities other than maintaining safety and liquidity.

Can these “abundant” forex reserves be channelized for better returns? While using the reserves for spending activities could be a bad idea and set the wrong precedent, RBI can surely ponder upon better returngenerating products in these turbulent times.

A major proportion of foreign exchange reserves are invested

by RBI into high-liquid assets such as Euro-dominated bonds and the US treasuries, with a small portion invested into gold.

The US and European Countries have their policy rates at nearzero and the sovereign yields of some advanced economics have gone into the negative trajectory as well. Therefore, it makes more sense to consider diversification of the investable assets.

Increasing gold reserves as a percentage of forex reserves can be one such better return-gener-

ating tool for the central bank.

India, in particular, has a good scope of increasing gold reserves as the RBI has followed a more conservative approach while investing forex reserves.

FPIS ON A BUYING SPREE IN OCTOBER Owing to better-than-anticipated quarterly results, the foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) have pumped in net Rs 17,749 crores in October with a net investment of Rs 15,642 crore in equities and Rs 2,107 crore in the debt segment.

Net buying by FPIs has brought cheer to the market participants as emerging markets like Thailand, Taiwan, Brazil, and South Africa are witnessing net outflows month-on-month.

Apart from the quarterly results, the surplus liquidity in developed markets and full resumption of business activities has kept the interest of FPIs intact.

Moreover, the accommodative stance maintained by global central banks could ensure foreign money flowing into the emerging markets.

The Covid-19 pandemic has caused a lasting effect on FPI flows in 2020. To add to the uncertainty, state elections in India coupled with the US Presidential elections will make markets more volatile, which could affect the FPIs participation.

NEW RECORD CASES FORCING GOVERNMENTS OVER THE GLOBE TO TAKE A STRICTER STANCE

The false dichotomy of autocracy and democracy

U

nlike the old superpower contest between the United States and the Soviet Union, the incipient cold war between China and the US does not reflect a fundamental conflict of unalterably opposed ideologies. Instead, today’s Sino-American rivalry is popularly portrayed as an epic battle between autocracy and democracy.

Moreover, the facts seem to suggest that autocracy has won while democracy has fallen flat on its face.

Whereas the US under President Donald Trump has fumbled disastrously during the COVID-19 pandemic, China has brought the coronavirus under control. In the US, even wearing face masks has been politicized. But in Wuhan, China – the pandemic’s original epicenter – the au

04

thorities tested the city’s 11 million residents for the virus within ten days, in an astounding display of capacity and order. For many, the verdict seems clear: authoritarianism is superior to liberal democracy.

But such a conclusion is simplistic and even dangerously misleading, for three reasons. First, just as the US under Trump is not representative of all democracies, China under President Xi Jinping should not be held up as a paragon of autocracy. Other democratic societies, such as South Korea and New Zealand, have handled the pandemic ably, and political freedom did not hobble their governments’ ability to implement viruscontainment measures.

As for examples of autocracies that brought catastrophe upon themselves, look no further than China’s recent history. No mod-

ern Chinese leader held more personal power than Mao Zedong, yet his absolute authority led to a massive famine followed by a de facto civil war during the Cultural Revolution. Chaos is by no means unique to democracy; under Mao, it was insidiously deployed to maintain his power.

Second, there are democracies with illiberal features and autocracies with

liberal ones. America’s current troubles do not reflect a universal failure of democracy, but rather the failure of a democracy with the illiberal traits that Trump has brought to the presidency. As commander-in-chief, Trump has ignored democratic norms such as bureaucratic autonomy, the separation of private interests and public office, and respect for peaceful protest.

If democracies can take an authoritarian turn, the reverse can be true in autocracies. Contrary to popular belief, China’s economic ascent after its market opening in 1978 was not the result of dictatorship as usual; if it had been, Mao would have succeeded long before. Instead, the economy grew rapidly because Mao’s successor, Deng Xiaoping, insisted on temper-

ing the perils of dictatorship by injecting the bureaucracy with “democratic characteristics,” including accountability, competition, and limits on power.

He set an example by rejecting personality cults. (Ironically, Chinese banknotes feature Mao, who despised capitalism, rather than Deng, the father of Chinese capitalist prosperity.)

As Carl Minzner points out, Xi, who became the paramount leader in 2012, has ushered in an “authoritarian revival.” Since then, the official narrative is that because China has succeeded under centralized political control, this system should be maintained. In fact, under Deng, it was a hybrid political system married to a firm commitment to markets that moved China from poverty to middle-income status.

SOURCE: PROJECT SYNDICATE

After scheduling several rallies in the worst-hit counties in the US, President Donald Trump blamed the surge in testing for the rise in the number of daily cases to a record high of 83,000.

New York and New Jersey have contributed the most to the newly reported cases of the virus. Health emergency, extended for another month, is underway in New Jersey as the state reported the greatest number of cases since early May. While the fatality rate in the US is on the higher side, the chances of a pre-election stimulus have become increasingly low.

The European countries are expected to implement curfews more widely. France has reported record cases for three consecutive days; the positive rate jumped by a percent to 16 percent on Friday. Italian Government is also deliberating tightening the curfew norms, which led to anti-curfew violent protests by the public. The United Kingdom reported the fifth consecutive day with daily cases exceeding 20,000; schools may be suspended if the cases continue the trend. The Spanish Government is pondering over declaring a national state of emergency that would allow the authorities to impose stricter regulations over the public. While nearing the first-wave levels, Belgium’s reported cases have prompted the authorities to consider widening the curfew hours and closing the public places of utility such as theatres, fitness gyms, and museums.

Top

TWEET Dharmendra Pradhan @dpradhanbjp Be it acting as our first line of defence, donning peacetime roles, or displaying their humane side, our jawans have always risen to the occasion. These pictures from today’s polling will further strengthen your belief in the festival of India’s democracy. #BiharElections KC Venugopal @kcvenugopalmp @drharshvardhan & @ HardeepSPuri, Resident doctors, nurses & health workers at various hospitals under NDMC have not received salaries since July. This is blatant injustice & disservice meted out to our health warriors who are saving lives at the forefront of this pandemic.

Spiritual SPEAK

As the heat of a fire reduces wood to ashes, the fire of knowledge burns to ashes all karma.

—Bhagavad Gita

Vol 1 Issue No. 334 RNI NO. GUJENG/2019/16208. Printed and published by Anita Hada Sangwan on behalf of First Express Publishers. Printed at Bhaskar Printing Planet Survey No.148P, Changodar-Bavla Highway, Tal. Sanand, Dist. Ahmedabad.

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

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PM Modi tears into Oppn, calls Tejashwi ‘Yuvraj of Jungleraj’

I want to know, could Bihar dream of becoming an IT-hub in Jungle Raj? Modi said Patna: Prime Minister Narendra Modi slammed the Opposition and even went ahead to term the Mahagathbandan's chief ministerial candidate, Tejashwi Yadav, as "Yuvraaj of Jungleraj" (Prince of Jungleraj). It is important to note that the era of former CM and RJD founder Lalu Prasad Yadav's rule in the state is often referred to as 'Junglreraj' by its opponents.

"I want to know from the people of Patna, I want to know from the people of Bihar, could Bihar dream of becoming an IT-hub in Jungle Raj? Whether 'Yuvraj of Jungle Raj', he can take Bihar forward in the field of IT, or in any area of modernity," PM Modi said at the rally held in Patna.

The Prime Minister attacked the RJD and said, "Who can fulfil the

Cong compares Munger incident with Jallianwala firing Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses an election rally in Patna on Wednesday.

HOME MINISTER AMIT SHAH URGES PEOPLE OF BIHAR TO VOTE

New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday appealed to the voters of Bihar to vote as polling on 71 Assembly constituencies of Bihar in the first phase took place on wednesday. “I appeal to all the voters of Bihar in the first phase to vote in maximum numbers. Your one vote will keep Bihar out of fear and corruption and keep it on the path of development and progress,” Shah tweeted. aspirations of the poor of Bihar, this aspiration of the middle class of Bihar? People who made Bihar sick, looted

FARIDABAD MURDER

Accused a relative of Congress leaders, alleges Anil Vij

Bihar, can they do this work?

Those who thought only of their family; Only NDA can do it." —ANI

‘MP’s coffers are not Aurangzeb’s treasure’

Shivraj Chauhan

Anil Vij

New Delhi: Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij alleged the girl's parents were forced to take back the case registered against the accused due to pressure from Congress leaders Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij Wednesday alleged that the youth who killed his former classmate in Ballabhgarh is a relative of Congress leaders and they were responsible for dropping an FIR against him in 2018.

Tauseef, 21, was arrested on Tuesday along with his friend for allegedly killing his former classmate Nikita Tomar in broad daylight.

Tomar’s family alleged Tauseef had been pressuring her to marry him and had kidnapped her two years ago. The police said an FIR was registered against Tau-

seef, but was later canceled after Nikita’s father submitted he did not want any further investigation.

However, Vij allegeed that girl’s parents were forced to take back the case registered against the accused due to pressure from Congress leaders. “Accused is a relative of Congress leaders. It was under pressure from Congress leaders that girl’s parents were forced to take back case registered against accused in 2018: Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij on Ballabhgarh case where a 21year old woman was shot dead by a man,” news agency ANI quoted him as saying.

On Tuesday, the Minister Anil Vij had offered reassurance of a “quick investigation” into the matter. —ANI

YOGI ADITYANATH FELICITATES UP NEET TOPPER AKANKSHA SINGH Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath felicitated Akanksha Singh from Kushinagar who bagged the second rank in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) nationally.The felicitation ceremony was organised at the chief minister’s official residence in Lucknow. Speaking at

the ceremony, the Chief Minister called Akanksha the pride of the state and said given opportunity, girls can achieve anything.“Akanksha wants to pursue MBBS from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Delhi and the state government is going to bear all the expenses of her tuition and food and lodging,” he said.

Anuppur: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday said that the state's coffers are not Aurangzeb's treasure which can be emptied by spending on development.

"I'm not Kamal Nath, who won't give a penny for development. I assure you of Anuppur's development. Kamal Nath used to say that Mama had emptied state's coffers but I said it's not Aurangzeb's treasure which can be emptied," he said while attending a rally in Anuppur district. he criticised ex- PMs, saying they never reacted to challenge issued by smaller nations while PM Modi has successfully handled the neighbours. —ANI

New Delhi: Hitting out at Bihar government over Munger firing incident in which a devotee was killed, the Congress compared Chief minister Nitish Kumar with General Dyer on Wednesday and demanded that he should apologise.

Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said human beings were treated as animals and worms by the police in Munger, when they beat up devotees taking out Durga idols "cruelly and mercilessly".

One person was killed and over two dozen people, including security personnel, were

Abhishek Manu Singhvi

injured in firing and stone-pelting during the immersion of Durga idols in Bihar''s Munger, police said, a day before the first phase of the Assembly polls in state. "I want to ask, is it a crime in this country to do Durga Pooja with all requisite safeguards and if it is some violation, is this the way to treat human beings like chattels, like animals, I would say like worms? —PTI

05

‘PM Modi’s effigies burnt on Dussehra, not of Ravan’ Bettiah:Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi said on Wednesday that effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi were burnt in Punjab on Dussehra, and not that of 'Ravan'.

He said that burning the effigy of the Prime Minister was sad, but the youth are angry with him.

Addressing an election meeting in Valmikinagar, Rahul praised Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav, while targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

Rahul said that the goal of lockdown and demonetisation was the same. He said that in demonetisation, Modi took money out of your pocket and gave it to five big industrialists of the country and during the lockdown the business of small and medium scale businessmen came to a halt while the debts of the indus-

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi addresses an election rally during Bihar Polls in Balmiki Nagar on Wednesday.

—ANI PHOTO

PM Modi came here and said that this is a sugarcane area, I will start a sugar mill & will have tea mixing sugar produced here. Did he have tea with you?

Rahul Gandhi, Congress Leader

trialists were waived.

Raising the issue of the new agricultural laws, Rahul said that effigies of 'Ravan' are usually burnt on Dussehra, but this time in Punjab the effigies of the Prime Minister and industrialists were burnt. He said, "It is sad, but it is happen-

ing because the farmer is upset, the youth is angry."

He blamed Nitish Kumar and the Prime Minister for unemployment in Bihar and in the country, saying that people of Bihar get jobs in Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Bengaluru but not in Bihar. —Agencies

Gold smuggling: ED takes M Sivasankar into custody Thiruvananthapuram: M Sivasankar, former principal secretary of the Kerala Chief Minister's Office, was on Wednesday taken into custody by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the Kerala gold smuggling case.

ED officials took him into custody from the

Ayurveda hospital in Thiruvananthapuram, where Sivasankar was admitted. Earlier, the Kerala High Court had refused to grant anticipatory bail to Sivasankar in cases registered by the ED and the Customs department in connection with the smuggling of

M Sivasankar

gold into the state through diplomatic channels.

The economic offences watchdog, while opposing the anticipatory bail plea in the High Court, had submitted that the agency had reason to believe that Sivasankar was the real beneficiary and ac-

cused Swapna Suresh was only a pawn for the gold smuggling.

It had also submitted that the investigation in the matter has revealed that Sivasankar was receiving commissions for the gold smuggling and added that custodial interrogation is required. —ANI

WB Guv to meet Shah Be wary of Chinese actions at in Delhi on October 29 borders: Rajnath to Army officers Kolkata: Amid incidences of political violence and killings in West Bengal, Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar will meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi on Thursday.

Dhankhar has been vocal about the political killings which have taken place in the past few months attracting criticism from the Mamata Banerjee government in the state.

West Bengal Governor Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar would be on an official visit to Delhi from Oct 28-30. Governor Dhankhar leaves for Delhi on the evening of Oct 28 and returns to Kolkata on Oct 30. His engagements include calling on the Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah on Oct 29, a Raj Bhavan com-

SENSEX PLUNGES 600 POINTS; NIFTY CRACKS BELOW 11,750 Mumbai : Equity benchmark Sensex plunged 600 points on Wednesday, tracking heavy losses in index majors Reliance Industries, HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank amid a massive selloff in European markets.After hitting a low of 39,774.60 during the day, the 30-share BSE index ended 599.64 points or 1.48 per cent lower at 39,922.46.

Similarly, the broader NSE tanked 159.80 points or 1.34 per cent to close at 11,729.60. IndusInd Bank was the top loser in the Sensex pack, shedding over 3%, followed by HDFC, ICICI Bank.

Jagdeep Dhankhar

munique said on Wednesday.Following this he will be on a month-long visit to Darjeeling from November 1, the sources said.

Dhankhar's scheduled visit to Darjeeling will take place at a time when political equations in the hills have changed after the supremo of the undivided GJM, Bimal Gurung walked out of the BJP-led NDA accusing it of not fulfilling its promises. —PTI

New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday cautioned Army commanders to be wary of Chinese actions at disputed borders and their intent during military talks.

The minister said this while addressing the 'Army Commanders Conference,' an apex biannual event that formulates important policy decisions through collegiate deliberations.

Border tensions with China at the Line of Actual Control are the main focus of deliberations in this year's fourday conference.

Sources privy to the minister's address said Singh pointed out that talks should be held honestly and in an atmosphere of trust to reach a solution. The

RTI BODY PULLS UP GOVT ON CREATION OF AAROGYA SETU APP New Delhi: The National Informatics Centre, which designs government websites, has said that it has no information about who has created the Aarogya Setu app and how it has been created. The Chief Information Commission has pulled up the NIC, which comes under the ministry of electronics, and issued a showcause

notice to various chief public information officers asking them to provide a reply to an RTI application which questioned about the Covid-19 contact tracing up. The reply can’t be evasive, the CIC has said.The complaint was filed by one Saurav Das seeking to know about the creation of the popular application.

Rajnath Singh with General Bipin Rawat, Gen MM Naravane pose for group photograph at the Army Commanders’ Conference.

defence minister also hinted that there has been a trust deficit since Chinese intent has been questionable.

In the meantime, Singh said on social media: "Addressed the Army Commanders' Conference in New Delhi. I'm extremely proud of the initiatives undertaken by the Indian Army in the current security en-

vironment."

He also said that Ministry of Defence is committed to facilitate the Army in their forward movement on reforms and help them in achieving advantages in all areas.

"We will leave no stone unturned to strengthen the arms of our Armed forces,” Singh tweeted. —ANI

WOMAN THROWS ACID ON ESTRANGED BOYFRIEND Guwahati: A Tripura court has sent a woman under judicial custody for allegedly attacking her estranged boyfriend with acid. The man has been shifted to a hospital in state capital Agartala under critical condition. The woman, Binita Santal, was arrested on Tuesday and sent to 14 days judicial custody following a complaint lodged by the brother of the victim, Soumen Santal. The attack, however, took place on October 19, said police. Both the attacker and the victim hail from the same village, Belchara, in Khowai district.

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‘PM MODI DECISIVE & STRONG-WILLED’ Scindia reserved his comments on former PM Manmohan Singh in whose Cabinet he has served New Delhi: Reserving his comments on former PM Manmohan Singh in whose Cabinet he has served, BJP leader Jyotiraditya Scindia chose to rather praise PM Modi for being ‘decisive, strong-willed indefatigable spirit to work for the country’.

The BJP leader has been maintaining silence on his former party. He reiterates that he won’t speak on his past and maintain dignity by being silent on issues pertaining to his former party.

The drive and will power, pledge towards decisiveness, and to work round the clock our country will be prosperous under PM Modi.

Scindia criticised Congress for living in denial and refusing to see the writing on the wall. He was speaking

Kamal Nath, Digvijay are real ‘Jaichands’, says Jyotiraditya New Delhi: BJP leader Jyotiraditya Scindia slammed MP’s former CMs Kamal Nath and Digvijay Singh for running a “corruptionridden” government and playing the role of “traitor” to the democracy.

“I cannot be a bystander and neither

can these legislators to people who are a threat to democracy and to these 7.5 crore people,” stated Scindia.

Calling 22 MLAs resigning together a first of its kind of ‘historical event’ of independent India, he said no party had in the history. —ANI

BJP leader Jyotiraditya Scindia

SCINDIA QUES SONIA GANDHI’S SILENCE OVER ‘ITEM’ JIBE New Delhi: Jyotiraditya Scindia, who has missed no opportunity of slamming the Congress since joining the BJP, today criticised party chief Sonia Gandhi over her silence on Kamal Nath’s “item” remark that stirred a political row in MP

ahead of the bypolls.

Imarti Devi, the woman targeted by Mr Nath, had appealed to Sonia Gandhi for action, questioning if she would have condoned it had the remark been made about her daughter. CM Chouhan had also

written to her on the issue.

Asked whether Mrs Gandhi, being a woman, should have pulled up Mr Nath, Mr Scinda said: “Though it is an internal matter, I certainly think so.

50% of the population comprises women,

every political party must set a standard”.

Kamal Nath, former CM of MP and Mr Scindia’s bitter rival, had stepped into controversy while campaigning in Dabra, where the BJP is represented by Imarti Devi. —ANI

on Congress leader Sachin Pilot’s criticism of BJP during his election campaign in pollbound MP. “The problem with the Congress is the party likes to live in denial and refuses to see the writing on the wall and it is only when you believe in acceptance and reflect on your failures and chart a course to future success that you move forward. BJP under the leadership of PM Modi has fulfilled the aspirations of 130 crore Indians which is why once again they reposed their faith in Modi and in Trimurti (PM Modi, Party chief JP Nadda, Union home Minister Amit Shah) as I would like to call them,” said Scindia.

Scindia also praised CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan for his zeal to work with people. —ANI

Twitter reps appear before Parl Panel

‘Uniform Civil Code should be implemented’

meeting between defence delegations of both countries during the 2+2 meetings,” sources told.

The US government has offered to sell F-18 fighters along with the unmanned aircraft Sea Guardian to the IN along with a number of other systems to the Indian armed forces in recent times. IN has moved towards American equipment in a big way as its long-range surveillance aircraft fleet consists of 12 P-8I aircraft and would have six more soon. —ANI

New Delhi: The representatives of social media giant Twitter on Wednesday appeared before the Joint Committee Parliamentary panel looking into the Data Protection Bill, 2019, sources said.

According to sources, the representatives of e-commerce giant Amazon would appear before panel later in the day while the representatives of Google and some other organisations will appear before the panel today. —ANI

Mumbai: Shiv Sena has mentioned it earlier as well that Uniform Civil Code should be implemented in India, said party leader Sanjay Raut on Wednesday while adding that if the Centre brings something like that, then his party will take a decision about it.

"We have said it before also that Uniform Civil Code should be implemented in the country,” said Raut.

"If Mehbooba Mufti, Farooq Abdullah and

Mehbooba Mufti calls NIA pet agency of BJP

2 JeM terrorists killed in encounter in J-K

Covid-19 parameters are showing encouraging progress now: Vardhan

New Delhi: People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday said that NIA has become BJP’s pet agency to intimidate and browbeat those who refuse to fall in line.

Her remark came after the NIA conducted raids in Srinagar, Bandipora and Bengaluru including residence of Khurram Parvaiz, offices of NGO Athrout and Greater Kashmir Trust.

“NIA raids on human rights activist

Budgam: Two Jaish-eMohammed (JeM) terrorists were killed on Wednesday in an encounter that started on Tuesday in Aribagh Machama area of Budgam in Jammu and Kashmir.

During the operation, when a joint team of Srinagar Police, Budgam Police and Army’s 50 Rashtriya Rifles were approaching towards, terrorists fired upon them triggering off a gunfight.

New Delhi: The continuously rising national recovery rate and progressively falling active cases of coronavirus infection have proven the success of COVID-19 containment strategy, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said on Wednesday.

“For the last 10 months, India has been persistently fighting the infectious disease and now the COVID-19 parameters are showing encouraging progress. “We have suc-

Amid 2+2 dialogue, US offers F-18 fighter jets for Indian Navy New Delhi: Seeking to develop further closer ties with India, the USA has offered its F-18 naval fighter jets for the Indian Navy's requirements of combat jets for its aircraft carriers.

The Indian Navy had a few years ago expressed interest in the acquisition of 57 naval fighter aircraft for operations from its aircraft carriers including the present INS Vikramaditya and the underconstruction Indigenous Aircraft Carrier.

Patil hints... saying, “Congress now calls former MLAs traitors, but the same Congress had supported Shankarsinh Vaghela when he led a rebellion in the BJP. They don’t have any right to talk about morality.”

He then reminded the people that “The BJP is always concerned about the poor, farmers and the middle class, and work for their upliftment at the Centre and the state level. But the Congress only believes in making promises during election time, which it never fulfils.”

"The American Government has offered to provide their naval fighter aircraft F-18 for the Indian Navy under a government proposal at the

Mehbooba Mufti

Khurram Parvez & Greater Kashmir office is yet another example of GOIs vicious crackdown on freedom of expression & dissent. NIA has become BJPs pet agency to browbeat those who refuse to fall in line,” Mufti tweeted.

—ANI

POWER Gallery WILL NEW FINANCE SECRETARY BE FROM THE OPEN MARKET ?

Power galleries are abuzz with new rumours related to the Ministry of Finance. They say that one should not be surprised if the new Finance Secretary is appointed from the open market on a two to three years contract. Earlier also Dr. Manmohan Singh and Montek Singh Ahluwalia were during the Congress govt regime appointed as Finance Secretary from outside. Both were economists and non- IAS. Now the question is, who will be that lucky person ? One has to wait till February next year when A B Pandey retires. He is a 1984 batch Maharashtra cadre IAS officer.

EMPANELMENT OF 1994 BATCH IAS DELAYED

It is said that empanelment of 1994 batch IAS to the rank of Additional Secretary will now take place in early next year.

SUBHASH AGRAWAL TO BE SPECIAL DIRECTOR ED ?

Subhash Agrawal is likely to be appointed Special Director ED. He is 1993 batch IRS(C&CE) officer.

GOI YET TO SELECT CANDIDATE FOR VACANT POST OF CMD, HEC

The Ministry of Heavy Industry and Public Enterprises is yet to select the candidate for the post of Chairman-cum-Managing Director, Heavy Engineering Corporation Limited (HEC) lying vacant for more than two years.

The Ministry was entrusted with selecting a candidate after the Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) failed to find a suitable candidate for the second time at a selection meeting held on March 13, 2019. The PESB had also failed to find a suitable candidate at its first meeting held on August 1, 2018.

Presently, BHEL CMD Dr Nalin Singhal is holding an additional charge of HEC. TRAI SEEKS PRINCIPAL ADVISOR ON DEPUTATION

Sanjay Raut

others want to re-impose Article 370 in Kashmir with help of China then central govt should take strict steps. If any person who wants to unfurl tri-colour in Kashmir is stopped, then I consider it as 'Rashtra droh'," said Raut. —ANI

—PHOTO BY PTI

FROM PG 1

In a bid to further cement its ties with India, USA has offered its F-18 jets for Indian Navy aircraft carriers.

06

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has proposed to fill up the post of Principal Advisor on deputation on foreign service terms.

14 IRSME OFFICERS PROMOTED TO JAG

As many as 14 officers of Indian Railway Service of Mechanical Engineers (IRSME) have been promoted to Junior Administrative Grade (JAG). They are: Ramendra Pal Singh, Panchanan Behera, Nand Kishore Verma, G Mondal, Ashok Kumar, Brij Mohan, Luskar Boro, VC Majhi, Brajendra Singh Rawat, Debashis Pathak, Arvind Kumar Mishra, PK Pattanayak, GS Manna and Chaman Singh Chaudhary.

AK RANJAN SHIFTED TO SCR

AK Ranjan has been transferred from South Eastern Railway to South Central Railway (SCR) and posted in the cadre. He is a selection grade (SG) officer belonging to Indian Railway Stores Service (IRSS).

IPS OFFICER, PURUSHOTTAM SHARMA SUSPENDED IN MP

An artist paints a wall depicting Covid warriors in Mumbai.

cessfully ramped up our testing capacity. From a few thousand tests in a day, we now conduct more than a million tests on a daily basis,” Vardhan was quoted as

saying in the statement.

CIPLA GETS INTO COVID-19 TESTING : Cipla announced the commercialisation of antibody detection kits for COVID-19 in India.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has suspended Purushottam Sharma at the recommendations of Madhya Pradesh government. He is a 1986 batch IPS officer of Madhya Pradesh.

By arrangement with: http:// whispersinthecorridors.com

Very genesis of FIR against Sushant Modi to partake in Ekta Diwas Singh’s sisters is flawed, says CBI and inaugurate dev projects Mumbai: The CBI, in its reply to a plea filed by the sisters of late actor Sushant Singh Rajput to quash the FIR against them filed by actor Rhea Chakraborty has said, “The very genesis of the FIR is flawed.”

The Central agency filed its reply after a division bench of Justices S.S. Shinde and M.S. Karnik on Tuesday directed it to reply to the petition filed by Priyanka and Meetu Singh.

Referring to the FIR

filed by Ms. Chakraborty on September 7, the CBI said, “The allegations levelled in FIR are mostly presumptive and speculative in nature.”

Anil Kumar Yadav,

Addl. SP, said, “It is settled law that two FIRs cannot be registered on the same cause of action. It is a fact that the CBI is already investigating the causes relating to death of Sushant Singh Rajput on the basis of a complaint filed by K.K. Singh, father of the deceased. In view of the present situation and order passed

by Hon’ble Supreme Court of India, it was expected from the Mumbai police to forward the complaint re-

ceived from Ms. Rhea Chakraborty to the CBI for necessary action, instead of registering an FIR itself.”

The reply mentioned, “Registration of another FIR on the same facts and cause of action was neither warranted nor allowed under law. It is submitted that it is correct that if the allegations mentioned in FIR, prima facie, do not constitute any offence against the accused, FIR can be quashed by Constitutional ourts.”

New Delhi: PM Narendra Modi will pay homage to Sardar Patel on his 145th birth anniversary and take part in the Ekta Diwas Parade along with administering the Rashtriya Ekta Pledge at Kevadia, Gujarat on October 31, 2020.

The police forces of Gujarat, Central Reserve Armed Force, Border Security Force, Indo-Tibetan Border Police, Central Industrial Security Forces and National Security Guards will participate in the Parade, as

Narendra Modi

per a release. The Prime Minister will also witness a Rifle drill by female officers of CRPF. To mark the solemn occasion, the IAFe will perform a Fly-past.

PM will then interact

with and address 428 Officer Trainees belonging to various Civil Services currently undergoing the 95th Foundation Course at Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, Mussoorie through videoconference as a culmination of Aarambh 2020.

Aarambh aims at making civil servants capable of leading transformation, work seamlessly across departments, fields. PM will also inaugurate various projects on this day. —ANI

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07

DURING LOCKDOWN, THE MOTIVATIONAL ODDS SHIFTED IN FAVOUR OF EXERCISE. BUT AS RESTRICTIONS EASED, BARRIERS TO WORK OUT APPEARED AGAIN

WHY YOU MAY HAVE LOST THE MOTIVATION TO

EXERCISE

I

n the early phases of lockdown, the streets were teeming with runners and living rooms were a blur of uncoordinated star jumps and lunges. In fact, physical activity levels in the UK peaked around mid-to-late May, just before lockdown restrictions began to be eased. Now, after months of fluctuating social restrictions, many people are reporting on social media that they’ve suddenly lost their motivation to exercise.

The truth is that motivation is simply returning to normal.

The UK weather was ideal for exercise in April and May, and many of us had more time available to squeeze in a workout. Two major barriers to exercise were removed. Usually, motivation is a battle of different choices. In normal circumstances, exercise fights against many other appealing leisure pursuits, such as going to the pub, the cinema, or spending time with friends. But during the most severe part of the national lockdown, the choice was either to go outside for exercise, or stay home all day. The motivational odds shifted in favour of exercise.

Lockdowns around the world also acted in a similar way to a new year, new school term, or birthday. Significant dates and events can disrupt routines and provide a chance to make a fresh start, so many of us began to exercise. But, like new year’s resolutions, our motivation steadily faded over time.

The type of motivation needed to start a new behaviour is often very different to the motivation needed to sustain one. Most people start exercising because they know it’s good for them, and outside pressures (such as from TV adverts, or friends) tell them they should. “Should-do” motives are an effective way to start a new behaviour.

But as lockdown eased, barriers to exercise appeared again – such as being able to spend time with friends at the pub, or

the need to get ones children ready for school again. Relying on “should-do” motives in these scenarios requires considerable mental effort and willpower. Un-

fortunately, one of the most interesting aspects of human motivation is that we dislike the feeling of effort and willpower and tend to avoid it. The pub, the kids, tiredness and work all win the battle against exercise. “Shoulddo” motives are terrible at sustaining exercise behaviour.

Even some people who exercised religiously are reporting loss of motivation. But again, the type of motivation driving their exercise may explain why this has happened.

People who exercise to seek approval from others or to boost their self-esteem often report increased anxiety and body disatisfaction, despite high levels of exercise. Lockdown (and gym closures) may have increased these negative feelings because the situation meant that people weren’t getting the compliments and boosts to their ego that they sought.

To stop these motivational declines, a dual approach is needed that makes exercise easy in the short-term while developing strong long-term motivation. When it comes to long-term motivation, many psychologists believe your identity is one of the most resilient motivational systems.

Identity can often be a vague term and difficult to describe, but put simply, “be” goals are more motivating than “do”

goals. So instead of “doing” exercise, focus on “being” someone who exercises.

These “be” motives require much less mental effort to act on and you will naturally seek

opportunities to demonstrate your “exerciser” identity. It’s less mentally exhausting “being” an exerciser, compared to continuously trying to “do” exercise, because attention is nat-

urally drawn to opportunities to exercise and away from other temptations. In some ways this isn’t fair. Those people who have exercised for years and see themselves as an exerciser find

it very easy to be motivated to exercise. Those of us who don’t view ourselves as exercisers, but want to exercise, require a lot of mental effort and willpower to leave the house.

THIS PROCESS TAKES SOME TIME, SO WE ALSO NEED QUICK MOTIVATIONAL FIXES WHILE OUR HEALTHY EXERCISER IDENTITY DEVELOPS. IN THE SHORT-TERM, THE GUIDING PRINCIPLE SHOULD BE TO MINIMISE THE EFFORT REQUIRED TO EXERCISE: z Make it easy to ex-

ercise. Get your sportswear out of the drawer and ready the evening before. Plan exercise that does not require travel to a specific venue. Do as many things as you can beforehand so that, when the time comes, starting your workout is easy.

z Do what you enjoy.

z Break the process of

It’s simple and requires minimal motivation to repeat exercise that felt good. If you find yourself wanting to jump rope or dance instead of lifting weights or jogging, it’s better to do what you want to do, and requires a lot less mental effort than trying to force yourself to do something you think you should do.

exercising into chunks.

For example, getting changed into sportswear only require a little effort.

Stepping out the door only requires a little effort. Before you know it, it’s harder to not exercise than to exercise.

While many of us aren’t looking forward to further social restrictions, this might give us another opportunity to develop a healthier lifestyle.

A focus on “being” an exerciser and minimising mental effort will lead to fewer sudden declines in exercise motivation over the long term.

z Plan your exercise for when it’s easiest to do. For

many this may mean exercising as soon as possible in the day before temptations and obstacles that require effort to overcome begin to appear.

SOURCE: THE CONVERSATION

CONCEPT: DIVYA HEMNANI

DESIGN: CP SHARMA

A place is much like a person, it has it’s own character and personna! And like a person we can learn much from a place too!

2ND FRONT

—Jagdeesh Chandra, CEO & Editor, First India

AHMEDABAD | THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2020

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COVID-19 UPDATE

WORLD

INDIA

GUJARAT

11,76,112 4,45,57,331 1,20,387 80,22,264 3,704 1,70,053 DEATHS

MAHARASHTRA 43,554 DEATHS 16,60,406 CASES

CONFIRMED CASES

TAMIL NADU 10,983 DEATHS 7,14,235 CASES

DEATHS

KARNATAKA 11,046 DEATHS 8,12,784 CASES

CONFIRMED CASES

Govt bodies identify 6 relocation sites for lion conservation amid State’s resistance KEY SHIFT

Shishir Awasthi

Experts and officials have identified 6 sites for possible relocation of Asiatic Lions.

Palpur Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh that has been discussed since 1995.

The proposal to this effect has been sent to the Union Environment and Forests Ministry by none other than the Wildlife Institute of India jointly with the Gujarat Forest Department.

Environment magazine Down to

Earth (DTE) has accessed the proposal.

The recommended sites include, Madhav National Park, Madhya Pradesh, Sitamata Wildlife Sanctuary, Rajasthan, Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve, Rajasthan, Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary, Madhya Pradesh, Kumbhalgarh Wildlife

Sanctuary, Rajasthan, and JessoreBalaram Ambaji, Gujarat.

Project Lion has been launched for the conservation of the Asiatic Lion, whose last remaining wild population is in Gujarat’s Asiatic Lion Landscape (ALL). ALL includes Gir National Park and Sanctuary and covers 8

DEATHS

DELHI 6,396 DEATHS 3,70,014 CASES

CATFIGHT? Guj won’t give lions, but relocation debate begins Gandhinagar: Even as the Gujarat Government has remained adamant for decades against parting with even some of the Asiatic Lions within the State’s geography, experts and government bodies have yet again renewed their efforts to relocate a few big cats to other places.

This is after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced Project Lion on August 15 on the lines of tiger and elephant conservation efforts.

With a view to creating free ranging lion populations within Gujarat and in the country to counter the lack of genetic diversity among Asiatic lions, 6 new sites have been identified to possibly relocate the beasts there. This is besides the Kuno-

08

districts of Junagadh, Amreli, Bhavnagar, Porbandar, Rajkot, GirSomnath, Botad and Jamnagar, according to the 14th Lion Population Estimation Report 2015.

There are 674 lions in this region spread over a whopping 30,000 km.

Notwithstanding this exercise by the Wildlife Institute and Gujarat Forest Department, sources in the Union Environment Ministry claimed that relocation was not among the terms of reference of Project Lion.

Project Lion will only entail habitat development, engage modern technologies in lion management and address the issues of disease in lion and its associated species through advanced world class research and veterinary care, besides human wildlife conflict, not relocation.

CONFIRMED CASES

RAJASTHAN 1,867 DEATHS 1,89,844 CASES

Vibrant Gujarat event cancelled owing to Covid crisis: CM Vijay Rupani First India Bureau Gandhinagar: Chief Minister Vijay Rupani on Wednesday stated that the ambitious biennial Vibrant Gujarat global investors summit, usually held in January, would have to be cancelled this time owing to the Covid-19 crisis.

This comes in the wake of the State Government cancelling all Navratri events and decided to put off reopening of schools after Diwali, besides postponement of local body elections slated for December.

The Chief Minister made this announcement during an interview to a local Gujarati TV channel, citing the pandemic. The outbreak of the disease and the subsequent

Chief Minister Vijay Rupani

lockdown have had a sledgehammer impact on the economy at large with drastic fall in investments.

As a result, new investments have stagnated. Vibrant Gujarat Summit was the brainchild of the then chief minister Narendra Modi who launched it in 2003 to showcase Gujarat as an ideal investment destination after severe criticism in the wake of the 2002 communal riots.

Over the years, the celebrated event came to be officially described as Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors Summit with companies of different sizes from several countries participating in it. The event also courted controversy in the wake of allegations that the g o v e r n m e n t claimed many times more than the actual investments accruing from this showcase event.

Kheda cop on 9-day remand Power to be 19 paise cheaper per for stealing, selling liquor

THREE WOMEN KILLED AFTER BEING RUN OVER BY A VEHICLE

First India Bureau

First India Bureau

Kheda: In yet another instance of a policeman involved in illicit liquor peddling, a constable-cum-driver was caught transporting Indian-made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) that he had stolen from a police station storage in Kheda district. A local court on Tuesday remanded him to 9 days in police custody.

Vaso police station’s driver-cum-constable Shabbirkhan Pathan was arrested by Vaso PSI G B Parmar on Monday, while he was transporting liquor in his personal car, a black Hyundai Verna. The po-

unit in Guj: Minister First India Bureau

Cops seize huge quantity of liquor from a police constable.

lice had information that a car of the same make would pass through Vaso gate on its way to deliver a haul of liquor.

When they intercepted the vehicle, they were taken aback to find Shabbirkhan on the driver’s seat. The police recovered 3 cartons

laden with 36 bottles from the car and estimated the liquor to be worth Rs 14,400 in the market.

The police constable confessed to have stolen the seized liquor from the store room and was illegally selling it and had already sold some stuff to 2 parties.

Ahmedabad: The Gujarat Government has decided to reduce the fuel surcharge on electricity by 19 paise per unit for consumers of the state electricity companies. It would provide relief of Rs 356 crore to 1.40 crore consumers, State Energy Minister Saurabh Patel said on Wednesday.

While the fuel surcharge is levied from the consumers according to the formula fixed by the Gujarat Electricity Regulatory Authority besides the energy charge in the electricity

bills, the four electricity distribution companies under the Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam had charged Rs 2 per unit as fuel surcharge during the last quarter from July to September.

The consumers will now be charged Rs 1.81 per unit as fuel surcharge from October to December 2020.

The minister said the government decided to reduce the fuel surcharge by 19 paise per unit owing to cheaper availability of coal in the international market and easy availability of gas to the State Government.

Bharuch: An unidentified vehicle mowed down 3 women near a temple on a state highway passing through Jhagadia taluka of Bharuch district on Wednesday morning.

The priest of Gumandev temple was thrashed by angry crowds when they found that the CCTV cameras outside the premises, which could have helped identify the vehicle, were not functioning.

The women, who were killed, had come from Uchedia village to sell vegetables near the temple, said inspector P

Angry crowds gathered at the accident site.

H Vasava of Jhagadia police station.

Police said the accident took place on the road that connects Ankleshwar town of Bharuch with Rajpipla town of Narmada district.

Angry villagers gathered on the road demanding the arrest

of the driver, who is at large, said Bharuch superintendent of police Rajendrasinh Chudasama. Later, when the mob asked the priest to check the temple’s CCTV footage he said it was not functional. Infuriated by this, the mob thrashed the priest.

ONE-UPMANSHIP!

ATTEMPT AT SELF-PRAISE BOOMERANGS ON BJP IN AMC BJP claims Dhanvantari raths sent even to Opposition strongholds; ‘You count political gains in everything’, retorts Congress First India Bureau Ahmedabad: The ruling BJP in the Amdavad (original Ahmedabad) Municipal Corporation was on Wednesday left with egg on its face when the party’s leader Amit Shah sought to boast in the General Board meeting that

they were sending the Dhanvantari health rath in areas that don’t give them even 20 votes.

Quick on the uptake, Congress leader Hasankhan Pathan turned the tables on Shah stating that this only reflected the arrogance of a party in power. “Such a statement

exposes your mentality that you are always counting political gains (even in a health emergency),” Pathan said in the meeting.

Amit Shah was referring to the Dariyapur area in Ahmedabad’s walled city that is a Congress stronghold for long when he referred Dhanvantari raths being pressed into service there.

This was the first meeting of the General

AMC’s Dhanvantari rath is a mobile healthcare unit that moves in different areas.

Board after the leader of opposition Dinesh Sharma recently resigned before his term ended. Still, the Congress councillors could corner the BJP that was unable to obviate the opposition’s posers and kept on raising counter questions.

Pathan also charged the ruling party with clearing payments for works which had not even got off the ground.

He cited instances of

2 works in Dariyapur to buttress his charge and alleged, “There is no scrutiny of AMC’s budget money.” Amit Shah asked the Commissioner to look into this and initiate immediate action.

Taufiq Khan, interim leader of opposition, cited instances of 2 municipal schools where liquor was recovered and theft reported and blamed it on the apathy of the School Board.

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09

AHMEDABAD, THURSDAY OCTOBER 29, 2020

This Throwback Thursday, City First undertakes the journey of Teesri Kasam on a bullock cart swayed and soothed by the melodious songs of this poetic film!

PINJARE

wali Muniya

ANITA HADA

anita.hada@firstindianews.com

M

any generations, beleaguered by destiny and sadness have hummed – “duniya banana wale… kaahe ko duniya banayi?” Teesri Kasam flows like a river, softly, gently bubbling over the stones towards its final destination of the ocean.

Even as we sway with Raj Kapoor and Waheeda Rehman, get caught up in their love and tenderness, we know the inevitable loss in which this story will end.

As far as I am concerned this was one of the finest performances by Raj Kapoor and Waheeda, understated, dignified and heart rendingly realistic. Both of them did full justice to their characters, of a rustic bullock cart owner and a nautanki performer.

The film is based on Phanishwar Nath’s short story Mare Gaye Gulfam and surprisingly fared

poorly when released. The film beautifully captures the rural ethos, many shots and the play of light remind me of Bimal Roy. The love story of Hiraman and Hirabai unfolds like a flower in the early

morning as the rays of the sun fall on it. Raj Kapoor as Hiraman won me over with his simple rustic charm and Waheeda as Hirabai, his wistful lover gives a remarkable performance bringing a sensi-

tivity to her role and shining it with her amazing dance performances.

The movies and the songs flow effortlessly together. Sajanre Jhoot Mat Bolo, Sajanwa Bairi Ho Gaye Hamar, Duniya Bananewale and Pan Khaye Saiyan Humaro, each song is a classic.

One of my favourite scenes is when Waheeda cooks for him but he won’t relent enough to eat. She bares her heart to him and he melts, sitting down to pour his heart out when suddenly the nautanki music is heard loudly outside! Oh! The bite of reality on the face of Raj Kapoor! The climax where a beautiful tragic Waheeda says “Main bik chuki hun Hira”, still breaks my heart. And when a heart broken Raj Kapoor comes back to his bullocks and raises a whip to make them move, he hears Waheeda’s voice “maaro mat” and turns to look inside his cart, which shows a receding train carrying her away from him through the open tarpaulin. What a scene! And then he takes the Teesri Kasam!

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AHMEDABAD | THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2020

10

The luster, shine and

VOLUME MANE-IA! An Ayurvedic guide to gorgeous frizz-free hair that is healed from the inside out

DEVYANI SINGH

Ayurveda, Nutrition and Holistic Wellness Advocate Instagram: @devyanirathore

A

s hair is considered the ‘crown we never take off ’ its only natural for us to want flawless locks. But very often we find ourselves battling dry, rough, dull hair or even premature greying and baldness. So how do we right the severely dehydrating wrong done by the arid climate of Rajasthan? By adopting 5000 year old, tried and tested, Ayurvedic beauty regimes.

Often chemicals used in hair products have harmful effects on our vision, endocrine and nervous system, as toxins enter our bloodstream via dermal absorption. That’s a huge price to pay for treatments that can be superficial, inadequate and temporary at best. The Ayurvedic approach on the other hand is fundamentally holistic and 100% natural. It aims at identifying the root cause of damage, which is usually far beneath the surface.

Ayurveda identifies hair as a byproduct of bone tissue. When the quality of nutrition available for bone formation is compromised, the quality of hair suffers.

Nourishing your hair and scalp through diet, Ayurvedic herbs, and oils along with stress management will not just promote healthy lustrous hair, but can also support a calm, balanced mind. Lets take a closer look at some of these remedies.

1.HEALTHY HAIR THROUGH A NOURISHING DIET

2.STRESS MANAGEMENT AND BEAUTY SLEEP

When the body is in a state of chronic stress (like during a pandemic) the depreciative effect makes bone tissue particularly vulnerable by robing its nutritional requirements.

Stress becomes a primary cause of hair woes, as bone tissue is unable to spare nutrition for its by-product in question. Restful sleep and relaxation will reduce stress and promote optimum tissue nutrition. Just 15 minutes of regular Pranayama practice can radically improve our overall wellbeing.

3.MIRACLE POTIONS OF AYURVEDIC HERBS AND OILS

What we apply on our scalp immediately enters our body through dermal absorption. So while it is a good idea to steer clear of toxic chemicals, it is also important to opt for intensely nourishing herbs.

The most effective Ayurvedic herbs for scalp and hair are BRAHMI: Perhaps the most important nervine herb used to revitalize brain cells and the nervous system. It balances the right and left hemispheres

FA CE OF TH ED AY

The primary source of Prana or life force comes from the food we eat; it directly impacts our tissue

growth and cellular quality.

Certain nutrient rich foods like organic dairy, carrots, beets, green leafy vegetables, healthy fats like nuts, seeds and Ghee are particularly supportive of healthy hair.

of the brain, while improving concentration and of course hair health.

BHRINGRAJ : the “ruler of hair” is naturally rejuvenating and anti aging which makes it control greying and baldness. When applied as oil on the scalp it calms the mind and promotes sound sleep. In many ways it is similar to Brahmi.

AMLA – an intensely rejuvenating Ayurvedic herb that rebuilds and maintains new tissues leading to softer, smoother hair.

YOUR DAY Horoscope by Saurabbh Sachdeva

HIBISCUS FLOWER - It helps purify the blood, promoting skin clarity and hair growth.

FENUGREEK – a good herbal food to prevent hair fall and thinning.

All of these herbs are now commonly available and can be mixed with warm carrier oils like sesame or coconut oil; alternately readymade oil decoctions can be purchased from reliable and certified brands.

Yogurt deserves special

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

CANCER

There can be some difficulty keeping your cool if you feel blocked. You can discover strong feelings and desires now that almost beg you to make changes, but it may not be clear where to begin. Avoid pushing matters, but pay attention to what emerges.

Feelings erupting now can be quite revealing. This energy pushes trouble areas to the foreground for handling. Emotions bubbling up to the surface are strong and perhaps a little surprising since they can be based on previously buried anger or desires.

Networking or a friendship stimulates all sorts of feelings now. A former friend or simply a strong memory of a past situation can figure strongly. Your feelings about a friendship matter can be more intense than usual, or unrest with friends and lovers may push to the surface.

You are feeling the need for more inspiration when it comes to your goals.

Aim to draw upon the strength of your feelings to be productive and take the initiative, but it’s not the time to make big decisions. The need or desire to return to an old work is strong today.

MAR 21 - APR 20

APR 21 - MAY 20

MAY 21 - JUNE 21

JUNE 22 - JULY 23

LEO

VIRGO

LIBRA

SCORPIO

You may need to deal with an old problem to get over a hump. You could be craving a connection or mission through what you do, experience, and learn. You might take the time to feel, learn about, and understand your desires and drives rather than rush to satisfy them.

There can be some animation in your inner world today. You may very well revisit an old topic or strong memory that’s likely to deepen your mood and perspective.

You might tackle tricky power dynamics with someone. A few projects may be put aside today.

You might need to take a look at the hard issues in a partnership so that you can later take action to make some important changes. Instead, others can stir up strong feelings in you, which can be very revealing, leading to new goals, particularly related to relationships.

Your focus can be on putting the details together, and you can be hellbent on resolving a problem. Going over old ground may be the key.

There can be stronger emotional reactions than usual, which can be very revealing. Somethings can dominate your life.

JULY 24 - AUGUST 23

AUG 24 - SEP 23

SEPT 24 - OCTOBER 22

OCT 23 - NOVEMBER 22

SAGITTARIUS

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

Your emotions and desire nature are playing off one another. Emotions are strong and perhaps disruptive, but feelings that emerge today can be enlightening. Still, it may be best to take your time before jumping to conclusions. The desire to approach something can be strong.

You might learn a lot about something that has been slowing you down or tripping you up. Challenging family or home life issues could emerge now. Pay close attention to resentment that seems to emerge out of nowhere. Energies run high for home-related activities today.

While it can be emotionally charged at times, you may get the chance to deal with a problem area once and for all. Disorder with communications or transportation can be disruptive now, prompting you to make important changes and improvements. Aim to tame impatience.

You’re in good shape for sniffing out overlooked assets, attending to financial affairs and valuables, and discovering ways to boost your comfort. This transit may very well set up the discovery of an untapped resource. Consider that you may be tired of the usual routine.

NOV 23 - DEC 22

JUHI GODAMBE, Influencer

mention for being a great hair mask. Packed with nutrients like Riboflavin (revives dull hair), Niacin (prevents hair loss), Biotin (restores damaged hair) and Vitamin B12 (boosts hair growth and keeps dandruff away) yogurt is a great food for hair. Use it as a hair pack, amplify its benefits by adding powdered herbs or simply include it in your regular diet for healthy hair and scalp.

The combination of a nutritive diet, restful sleep, stress free living, regular oil massages and the strategic use of Ayurvedic herbs will support optimal physical and mental health, radiant beauty and a vibrant sense of wellness in every aspect of your life.

DEC 23 - JAN 20

JAN 21 - FEB 19

FEB20 - MARCH 20

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AHMEDABAD | THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2020

11

KIM RETURNS! K

im Kardashian who turned 40 just last week, recently flew back home to LA with sister Kendall Jenner and Scott Disick after celebrating her milestone birthday with a beach getaway on a pri-

vate island in the Caribbean.

The reality star was spotted at an airport in Los Angeles on Monday.

Before her luxe getaway, Kim had quite the week celebrating her big 40.

The reality star and makeup mogul was treated to an equal luxe birthday party in LA before her intimate geta-

way. On her birthday, Kim’s family, including her mother Kris Jenner, husband Kanye West, and sisters: Khloe Kardashian, Kourtney Kardashian, Kylie Jenner, Kendall Jenner, and many more friends of the Kardashian family threw a lavish surprise for the SKIMS founder.

—Agency

‘NAAGIN’ IN TRILOGY

Chrissy Teigen and John Legend

B

SHARING HER

ollywood star Shraddha Kapoor is set to essay the role of a shapeshift ‘naagin’ for the first time for a trilogy titled ‘Nagin’ to be helmed by Vishal Furia.

Film critic Taran Adarsh confirmed the same on Twitter on Wednesday.

“IT’S OFFICIAL... #ShraddhaKapoor to portray ichhadhaari nagin... The film - titled #Nagin - is designed as a trilogy, 3-film series...

Directed by Vishal Furia... Produced by Nikhil Dwivedi. In the past, #ReenaRoy, #Rekha, #Sridevi had portrayed ichhadhaari nagin on big screen,” he tweeted.

—ANI

STORY C Shraddha Kapoor

hrissy Teigen and John Legend had some heartbreaking news to share with their fans. Due to several complications, Chrissy had a miscarriage and the couple had to say goodbye to their third child who they had already named Jack.

Teigen shared her thoughts on how she has been since the tragic event and what went through her mind during her miscarriage.

“I cannot express how little I care that you hate the photos. How little I care that it’s something you wouldn’t have done. I lived it, I chose to do it, and more than anything, these photos aren’t for anyone but the people who have lived “Teigen stated.

—Agency

SHOTGUN Wedding’s star cast

M

usic icon Jennifer Lopez and Rebbeca star Armie Hammer are reportedly set to star in Lionsgate’s action-comedy Shotgun Wedding. Pitch Perfect‘s Jason Moore will direct from a screenplay

by Mark Hammer and Liz Meriwether.

Erin Westerman, President of Production for Lionsgate’s Motion Picture Group said, “Jennifer and Armie’s irresistible magnetism, separately and together, make them the perfect pairing for this action-comedy.” “They are both incredibly funny actors that can also deliver on the action, but what sets this movie apart is the way their infectious chemistry commands the screen. You can’t take your eyes off them,” he added.

—Agency

Aditya Roy Kapur

Sanjana & Aditya pair-up

A

ditya Roy Kapur has opted out of Ek Villain 2 and signed another actioner, to be produced

by Ahmed Khan. The big budgeted project, has been titled Om. While Adi is already prepping up for the role, and working on getting a particular body prototype to suit the character. there were several speculations about who the leading lady would be. A source confirms the development, “Ahmed was scouting for a young Gen-Y actress who would not only look great opposite Adi but also be a fresh pairing on screen. They have locked Dil Bechara heroine Sanjana Sanghi for the film.”

—Agency

Lata Dutta’s post

The Memory Lane

W

alking down the memory lane, actor and former Miss Universe Lara Dutta Bhupathi on Wednesday recalled being crowned as Miss Universe 2000. She to Instagram to post a collage of three pictures when she returned to Bangalore after winning the Miss Universe pageant. She also added a short note recalling winning the pageant 20 years ago. “Year 2000. My home town of Bengaluru came out in full force to give me the biggest, grandest welcome I have ever experienced!!” she wrote in the caption.

— ANI

Kim Kardashian

Jennifer Lopez

Sanjana Sanghi

MITALI DUSAD

T

cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

he hype around Amazon Prime Video’s ‘Mirzapur 2’ was on an all-time high after the huge success of the first season, which ended on a cliffhanger. Ardent fans of the action crime drama waited for close to two years to know the fate of the main characters.

After the huge success of Mirzapur 2, In an exclusive interview with City First, the actors shared how the second season of ‘Mirzapur’ became heavy for them in certain scenes.

Not just that their characters’ arcs are as dramat-

ic but they hold their own in this extremely patriarchal world. The leading ladies, Rasika Dugal and Harshita Gaur revealed the interesting developments and the transition that their characters – Beena Tripathi and Dimpy, undergo, and what attracted them to this fictional ‘world of goons’.

While Dugal says she extremely happy with the way Beena “flourishes” in the second instalment. “At the end of season one, you see how my character has been violated and humiliated. Season two starts at a point where you see her trying to deal with that and finding herself. It’s a beautiful journey. When I saw that in the script I was very happy because I had not expected that they

MIRZAPUR SEASON 3?

Still from the series

Poster of ‘Mirzapur’

would spend time on my character,” says the actress.

While Isha Talwar (Madhuri) expressed her happi-

ness on being called “National Crush”, she says, “The creators have touched upon how they reach the point of revenge

and that has made Madhuri’s journey extremely fascinating as she falls for Munna’s character.”

On asking Priyanshu

Painyuli (Robin) about his character, he said, “The love and reaction I received for my character was beyond imagination. Especially my stories of my mom unfold in a humorous way and my takiya kalam, ‘Ye bhi theek hai’ is on everyone’s lips.”

When asked about how the actors relate their reel life character with real

life’s, Dugal said, she is totally the opposite and least manipulative while Harshita told how her reel and real-life character is similar in terms of her equation with her father.

Well, all the actors remained silent about the third season, we couldn’t find out who will rule Mirzapur!.

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Since digitalization is at its peak at the moment because of the global pandemic, online shopping has taken a great leap. City First gets in touch with a few shopping enthusiasts about the precautions they are taking for the same!

BE PRECAUTIOUS Purchasing products online and getting them delivered at your doorstep is one of the safest things one can do during the ongoing pandemic, given that we take necessary precautions.

I always sanitize the packages before opening it and dispose off the empty box immediately, disinfect the surfaces, wash thoroughly my hands and except perishable food items I keep the purchases untouched for a day atleast.

—SHIVANGI KANT

NEHAL NAYAR

nehal.nayar@firstindia.co.in

S

hopping is an essential part of everyone’s lives, especially for the ones who have been at home for the longest time.

Since the Coronavirus outbreak, most people have not had the chance to step out of the house and shop for themselves. Well, this is where online shopping comes into action. But that’s not it- there are various questions that pop up in one’s mind while shopping online nowadays about the safety

AHMEDABAD | THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2020

and transfer of the virus.

To make it easier and stress-free for you to shop online, reports say that there is a very low risk of the Coronavirus spreading through the package that has been shipped over a period of days or weeks at ambient temperatures.

City First got in touch with a few online shopping enthusiasts from Rajasthan and Gujarat to find out the precautions they have been taking for the same.

As soon as I receive my order, I make sure to sanitize it. I also make sure the delivery man is maintaining social distancing, and yes most importantly, I have stopped using the COD option. I now prefer going for pre-paid orders as that is the safest thing to do at the moment.

—- RJ PRATIKSHA DAVE

WHAT’S HAPPENING!

Online shopping has rapidly increased in just a few months. It is very easy to shop online from the comfort of your home from e-commerce websites these days. But with easy shopping comes with a lot of precautions. Make sure to sanitize the package and keep it aside for 24 hours to kill all the germs and bacteria. In the case of clothing, make sure to wash them before wearing them.

—ASHLESHA AHLUWALIA

Following Passion

BIRTHDAY GREETINGS!

12

SPOTTED!

Mohan Singh Tada celebrated his birthday on Wednesday, 28 November with family and close friends. He also donated food grains and winter clothing to the needy.

Actors Himanshi Khurana and Asim Riaz were spotted at Jaipur International Airport on Wednesday afternoon. They are in the Pink City for the shoot of an upcoming project.

—PHOTO BY MUKESH KIRADOO

AAWAJ program CITY FIRST

T

he AAWAJ program started by Rajasthan Police was conducted online with Tagore International School from Police Head Quarter Jaipur on Wednesday.

The youth of Tagore International School from 9th to 12th were strengthened by giving various legal information. The joint aegis program of Rajasthan Police and Tagore International School focused on giving youth the complete information about all kinds of laws and how to avoid crime and criminals, as well as efforts were made to develop a sense of respect for women so that those who face sexual harassment feel safe.

This program was started by ADG

Civil Rights Ravi Prakash and all legal information is continuously being provided to the youth by SP Seema Hingonia as the keynote speaker. cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

ELECTION TIME CITY FIRST

D RAJ: After a successful ‘Mission30M’ campaign, the Robin Hood Army (RHA) is gearing up for the upcoming festivities and planning to conduct clothes drives, food drives, and activity drives to share the joy of celebration with the less privileged sections of our society.

Bidya Shukla

T

here is no shortcut to success. To achieve something in life, determination, hard work and will power are the necessary components and those who are never afraid of any struggle comes on their way always win. This is the story of a Software Engineer turned into a successful model, Bidya Shukla.

The sheer determination, hard work and passion for her dream helped her become a successful model. Bidya Shukla has also acted in Multiple Ad films. She dreams of being a big star for the country and considers Manushi Chillar as her role model.

—City First

colleagues and dedicated BJP workers, seek blessings of the elders and make the youth their friends.

The residents understand the issues of development in the ward and also explain to the voters their vision of development of the

ward. Due to the local land holdings, they also know the problems of this area very well.

While interacting, they follow all the guidelines and protocols of COVID security so that the ward dwellers can remain safe. cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

PROMO SHOOT R

HAPPY B’DAY!

GUJ: Residence of the Dariyapur area made a replica of the Madina Mosque, for Prophet Mohammad’s Birth Anniversary in Ahmedabad on Wednesday. —PHOTO BY HANIF SINDHI

RAJ: The Jai Bagh Palace on the outskirts of Pink City has made its place in one of the top hotels in Jaipur, in a very short period of time. The construction of Jai Bagh is full of Rajasthani rich construction culture tradition, known for marriage events and its special services.

inesh Gaur is contesting elections on the BJP ticket from Ward No 137 in the Greater Municipal Corporation Jaipur election. He has been active in politics since his student days and was associated with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and then joined the BJP. Gaur has launched a strong public relations campaign in his. They go out every morning and evening for public relations with their

CITY FIRST

IAS (UP) Ashutosh Kumar Dwivedi, IPS (RAJ) Sharad Choudhary and IPS (RAJ) Rajan Dushyant celebrated their birthdays on 28 October, Wednesday.

We wish them all the best!

ajasthan Culture Heritage’s final promo shoot took place at Talabgaon Castle Resort in the Pink City on Wednesday, with utmost precautions. The models were seen wearing the Rajputi outfits by fashion designer Hitesh Chatwani, to promote the Rajasthani culture.

The good thing about the shoot was that fresher models were also encour-

-PHOTO BY SANTOSH SHARMA

aged and given great exposure, with the profession-

al ones guiding them throughout.

The makeup artist

of the final shoot was Seema Saraf. cityfirst@firstindia.co.in